Timeline India

Tag: National

  • Legislation in the Shadows: India’s Privacy and Democracy at Risk

    Last week, as India was consumed by controversies over voter list tampering, stray dog policies, and electoral concerns in Bihar, the Indian Parliament quietly passed three major bills: the Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025. These laws, which could reshape your taxes, your privacy, and the future of Indian sports, were rushed through with barely any debate or opposition. For every Indian, this is a wake-up call: when laws slip through in silence, our privacy and democracy are at stake.

    The Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025, passed in the Lok Sabha on August 11 and the Rajya Sabha the next day, replaces the 1961 Income-Tax Act with what the government calls a simpler, modern system for a digital India. But here’s the alarming part: it gives tax officials sweeping powers to access your emails, social media accounts, WhatsApp chats, and other digital spaces if they suspect tax evasion. Imagine tax authorities reading your private messages or scrolling through your Instagram DMs without clear oversight. With over 500 clauses, this bill needed thorough discussion, but it was approved in just three minutes. This isn’t just about taxes—it’s a direct threat to your privacy, a right upheld by the Supreme Court in 2017. For salaried workers, small business owners, or anyone with a smartphone, this means your personal data could be an open book to officials, with little to stop misuse.

    The sports bills, passed in a mere 34 minutes on August 11, carry their own concerns. The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, creates a National Sports Board and a tribunal to streamline sports management, while the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, strengthens penalties and testing to align with global standards, eyeing India’s 2036 Olympics bid. But a controversial detail stands out: the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was exempted from the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Initially, the bill proposed making all sports bodies, including the BCCI, answerable under RTI, which would let fans question team selections or how cricket’s billions are spent. An amendment, however, limited RTI to bodies receiving direct government funds, letting the BCCI—a financial giant that doesn’t take such funds—stay opaque. Despite calls from the Supreme Court and others for transparency, cricket, India’s biggest sport, remains shielded from public scrutiny. These bills, with only two MPs speaking and amendments ignored, missed the debate they needed to protect athletes and fans alike.

    How did this happen? The opposition was nowhere to be found, caught up in protests outside Parliament. Allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) and voter list tampering in Bihar’s Summary Intensive Revision (SIR) process had leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge marching to the Election Commission on August 11. Many were detained by police, leaving Parliament’s opposition benches nearly empty. Meanwhile, a Supreme Court order to relocate stray dogs from Delhi-NCR sparked outrage, with MPs like Shashi Tharoor and Priyanka Gandhi pushing for humane solutions like shelters. These issues—electoral integrity and animal welfare—mattered, but they distracted the opposition from their duty to scrutinize laws that could invade your privacy or shield powerful bodies like the BCCI.

    This feels like a calculated move. With opposition MPs detained or protesting, the government pushed these bills through with quick voice votes, no real debate, and no changes allowed. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien called it a “murder of Parliament,” and he’s right. Laws that let tax officials into your private chats or keep cricket’s operations secret need rigorous discussion. Without it, we risk laws that prioritize control over fairness. The Income-Tax Bill’s privacy intrusions could chill free expression, while the BCCI’s RTI exemption keeps a national institution unaccountable. The sports reforms, though promising, needed more input to ensure they truly serve athletes.

    Democracy thrives on open discussion, not hurried decisions. All MPs, whether from the government or opposition, should prioritize debating laws that affect us all. As citizens, we can play a role too—by staying informed and asking questions about what these laws mean for our taxes, our privacy, and our sports. Last week, Parliament acted while India was focused elsewhere. Let’s hope for more transparency and engagement in the future, so our voices—and our rights—are fully heard.

    Sources

    • “Finance Minister Sitharaman introduces Income-Tax (No.2) Bill in Lok Sabha.” The Economic Times, August 11, 2025.
    • “Lok Sabha passes Income-Tax (No.2) Bill, 2025.” The Hindu, August 11, 2025.
    • “Rajya Sabha clears Income-Tax Bill, 2025.” Hindustan Times, August 12, 2025.
    • “National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 introduced in Parliament.” The Indian Express, August 11, 2025.
    • “Anti-Doping Bill passed in Lok Sabha.” Times of India, August 11, 2025.
    • “Opposition protests ‘vote chori’ in Bihar voter lists.” The Statesman, August 11, 2025.
    • “Supreme Court orders removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR.” India Today, August 12, 2025.
    • “Rahul Gandhi slams stray dog order as cruel.” The Times of India, August 12, 2025.
    • “BCCI exempted from RTI in Sports Governance Bill.” The Hindu, August 11, 2025.
    • “Derek O’Brien calls bill passage ‘murder of Parliament’.” The Indian Express, August 12, 2025.
    • “Income-Tax Bill raises privacy concerns with digital access powers.” Mint, August 12, 2025.

  • ಐಪಿಎಲ್ 2025: ರಾಯಲ್ ಚಾಲೆಂಜರ್ಸ್ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಗೆಲುವು

    ಅಹಮದಾಬಾದ್, ಜೂನ್ 03, 2025: ರಾಯಲ್ ಚಾಲೆಂಜರ್ಸ್ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು (ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿ) ತನ್ನ 17 ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಐಪಿಎಲ್ ಪಯಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಗೆಲುವು ಸಾಧಿಸಿ, 2025ರ ಇಂಡಿಯನ್ ಪ್ರೀಮಿಯರ್ ಲೀಗ್ (ಐಪಿಎಲ್) ಟ್ರೋಫಿಯನ್ನು ಎತ್ತಿಹಿಡಿದಿದೆ. ಅಹಮದಾಬಾದ್‌ನ ನರೇಂದ್ರ ಮೋದಿ ಕ್ರೀಡಾಂಗಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಫೈನಲ್ ಪಂದ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಂಜಾಬ್ ಕಿಂಗ್ಸ್ (ಪಿಬಿಕೆಎಸ್) ವಿರುದ್ಧ ರಾಜತ್ ಪಾಟಿದಾರ್ ನಾಯಕತ್ವದ ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿ ರೋಚಕ ಗೆಲುವು ಸಾಧಿಸಿತು.

    ಪಂದ್ಯದ ವಿವರ:

    ಮೊದಲು ಬ್ಯಾಟಿಂಗ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿ 20 ಓವರ್‌ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ 190/9 ರನ್‌ಗಳನ್ನು ಕಲೆಹಾಕಿತು. ವಿರಾಟ್ ಕೊಹ್ಲಿ 43 ರನ್‌ಗಳ (35 ಎಸೆತ) ಜೊತೆಗೆ ತಂಡದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಸ್ಕೋರರ್ ಆಗಿದ್ದರು. ಆದರೆ, ಪಂಜಾಬ್ ಕಿಂಗ್ಸ್‌ನ ಆರಂಭಿಕ ಬೌಲರ್‌ಗಳಾದ ಅರ್ಶದೀಪ್ ಸಿಂಗ್ ಮತ್ತು ಕೈಲ್ ಜೇಮಿಸನ್ ತಲಾ ಮೂರು ವಿಕೆಟ್‌ಗಳನ್ನು ಕಿತ್ತು ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿಯನ್ನು 190ಕ್ಕೆ ಕಟ್ಟಿಹಾಕಿದರು.
    ಎರಡನೇ ಇನಿಂಗ್ಸ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ, ಪಂಜಾಬ್ ಕಿಂಗ್ಸ್ 10 ಓವರ್‌ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ 81/3 ರನ್‌ಗೆ ತಲುಪಿತಾದರೂ, ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿಯ ಬಿಗುವಿನ ಬೌಲಿಂಗ್ ಮತ್ತು ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರರಕ್ಷಣೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ಅವರು ಗುರಿಯನ್ನು ಮುಟ್ಟಲು ವಿಫಲರಾದರು. ಜೋಶ್ ಹ್ಯಾಜಲ್‌ವುಡ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸುಯಶ್ ಶರ್ಮಾ ಅವರ ಶಿಸ್ತಿನ ಬೌಲಿಂಗ್ ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿಗೆ ಗೆಲುವಿನ ಹಾದಿಯನ್ನು ಸುಗಮಗೊಳಿಸಿತು.

    ತಂಡದ ಶಕ್ತಿ:

    ಈ ಋತುವಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸಮತೋಲಿತ ತಂಡವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಫಿಲ್ ಸಾಲ್ಟ್‌ರ ಆಕ್ರಮಣಕಾರಿ ಆರಂಭ, ವಿರಾಟ್ ಕೊಹ್ಲಿಯ ಸ್ಥಿರತೆ, ಮತ್ತು ಜಿತೇಶ್ ಶರ್ಮಾ ಅವರ ವಿಧ್ವಂಸಕ ಫಿನಿಶಿಂಗ್ ಆಟದಿಂದ ತಂಡ ಗಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯಿತು. ಬೌಲಿಂಗ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಜೋಶ್ ಹ್ಯಾಜಲ್‌ವುಡ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸುಯಶ್ ಶರ್ಮಾ ಕೀಲಿಕೈ ಆಟಗಾರರಾಗಿದ್ದರು. ತಂಡದ ಒಗ್ಗಟ್ಟು ಮತ್ತು ರಾಜತ್ ಪಾಟಿದಾರ್‌ರ ಚಾಣಾಕ್ಷ ನಾಯಕತ್ವವು ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿಯನ್ನು ಈ ಗೆಲುವಿಗೆ ಕೊಂಡೊಯಿತು ಎಂದು ಮಾಜಿ ಆಟಗಾರ ಸುರೇಶ್ ರೈನಾ ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

    ವಿರಾಟ್ ಕೊಹ್ಲಿಯ ಕನಸು ನನಸು:

    ವಿರಾಟ್ ಕೊಹ್ಲಿಗೆ ಐಪಿಎಲ್ ಟ್ರೋಫಿಯ ಕೊರತೆ ಒಂದು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕನಸಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಗೆಲುವಿನೊಂದಿಗೆ, ಅವರ ಟ್ರೋಫಿ ಕ್ಯಾಬಿನೆಟ್ ಪೂರ್ಣಗೊಂಡಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಎಕ್ಸ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳು ಹೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. “ವಿಜಯೀ ಭವ!” ಎಂಬ ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿಯ ಟ್ವೀಟ್ ಈ ಗೆಲುವಿನ ಭಾವನೆಯನ್ನು ಸಾರಿದೆ.

    ತೀರ್ಮಾನ:

    ಆರ್‌ಸಿಬಿಯ ಈ ಗೆಲುವು ಕೇವಲ ಒಂದು ಟ್ರೋಫಿಯಲ್ಲ, ಬದಲಾಗಿ ದಶಕಗಳ ಕಾಲದ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ಒಗ್ಗಟ್ಟಿನ ಫಲ. “ಈ ಸಾಲ ಕಪ್ ನಮ್ದೇ” ಎಂಬ ಕನ್ನಡ ಘೋಷಣೆ ಈಗ ನಿಜವಾಗಿದೆ, ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ತಂಡದ ಈ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಕ್ಷಣವನ್ನು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರವ್ಯಾಪಿ ಆಚರಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.

  • ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್‌ಎಐ: ಕುಂದಾಪುರದಿಂದ ತಲಪಾಡಿವರೆಗೆ 13 ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಆರು ಪಾದಚಾರಿ ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ

    ಮಂಗಳೂರು, ಮೇ 23, 2025: ಕೊಚ್ಚಿ-ಪನ್ವೆಲ್ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ 66ರ ಕುಂದಾಪುರದಿಂದ ತಲಪಾಡಿವರೆಗೆ ವಾಹನಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಪಾದಚಾರಿಗಳ ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತ ಸಂಚಾರಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿ ಪ್ರಾಧಿಕಾರ (ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್‌ಎಐ) 13 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.ಗಿಂತಲೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಉದ್ದದ ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಿದೆ. ಇದರ ಜೊತೆಗೆ, ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಕನ್ನಡ ಮತ್ತು ಉಡುಪಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆರು ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾದಚಾರಿ ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳನ್ನು (ಎಫ್‌ಒಬಿ) ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಾಗುವುದು.

    ಮಂಗಳೂರು ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್‌ಎಐ ಯೋಜನಾ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ಅಬ್ದುಲ್ಲಾ ಜಾವೇದ್ ಆಜ್ಮಿ ಅವರು, ಮುಂಗಾರು ಮುಗಿದ ನಂತರ ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಆರಂಭವಾಗಲಿದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಈ ಯೋಜನೆಗಾಗಿ ಒಟ್ಟು 72 ಕೋಟಿ ರೂಪಾಯಿಗಳನ್ನು ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್‌ಎಐ ಖರ್ಚು ಮಾಡಲಿದೆ.

    ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿಯ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ವಾಸಿಸುವ ನಿವಾಸಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ರಸ್ತೆ ಬಳಕೆದಾರರು ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಸಂಚಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ্তೆಗಳ ಕೊರತೆಯಿಂದ ದೀರ್ಘ ದಾರಿಯ ಮೂಲಕ ತಮ್ಮ ಗಮ್ಯಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ತಲುಪಬೇಕಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲದಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ವಾಹನ ಚಾಲಕರು ಒನ್-ವೇ ನಿಯಮವನ್ನು ಉಲ್ಲಂಘಿಸಿ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಚರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು, ಇದರಿಂದ ಇತರ ರಸ್ತೆ ಬಳಕೆದಾರರು ಮತ್ತು ಪಾದಚಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಪಾಯ ಉಂಟಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಶಾಸಕರು, ಸಂಸದರು ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಜನಪ್ರತಿನಿಧಿಗಳು ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್‌ಎಐ ಮತ್ತು ಕೇಂದ್ರ ರಸ್ತೆ ಸಾರಿಗೆ ಸಚಿವಾಲಯಕ್ಕೆ ಒತ್ತಡ ಹೇರಿದ್ದರು.

    ಗುರುತಿಸಲಾದ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳು

    ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಡಳಿತ ಮತ್ತು ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಇಲಾಖೆಯು ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿರುವ ಕೆಲವು ನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸಿ, ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್‌ಎಐಗೆ ಶಿಫಾರಸು ಮಾಡಿತ್ತು. ಇದರ ಪರಿಣಾಮವಾಗಿ, ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿಯ ಎರಡೂ ಬದಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಚಿವಾಲಯದಿಂದ ಅನುಮೋದನೆ ದೊರೆತಿದೆ. ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳು ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗಲಿರುವ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳು ಈ ಕೆಳಗಿನಂತಿವೆ: ಕೊಟೇಶ್ವರ (0.83 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಬೀಜಾಡಿ-ಥೆಕ್ಕಟ್ಟೆ (3.5 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಸಾಲಿಗ್ರಾಮ (1.02 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಅಂಬಗಿಲು (1 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಬಾಳೈಪಾಡೆ-ಉಡ್ಯಾವರ (0.325 ಕಿ.ಮೀ., ಬಲಗಡೆ), ಬಾಳೈಪಾಡೆ-ಉಡ್ಯಾವರ (1.645 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಬಡಾ ಯರ್ಮಾಳ (2 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಹೆಜಮಾಡಿ (0.75 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಮೂಲ್ಕಿ (0.5 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಪಡುಪನಂಬೂರು (0.31 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.), ಹಾಲೆಯಂಗಡಿ (0.55 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.) ಮತ್ತು ಬೀರಿ (0.7 ಕಿ.ಮೀ.).

    ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾವರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆ

    ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾವರದಲ್ಲಿ ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್ 1 ರಂದು 14 ವರ್ಷದ ಬಾಲಕನೊಬ್ಬನ ಸಾವಿನ ನಂತರ ಸ್ಥಳೀಯರು ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಆಜ್ಮಿ ಅವರು, ಮಹೇಶ್ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯಿಂದ ಶಾಮ್ಲಿನ್ ಲಾನ್‌ವರೆಗೆ ಎನ್‌ಎಚ್ 66ರ ಎರಡೂ ಬದಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವೀಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಯನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಾಗುವುದು ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇದು ಹೆಚ್ಚುವರಿ ಕಾಮಗಾರಿಯ ಭಾಗವಾಗಿ ಜಾರಿಗೆ ಬರಲಿದೆ.

    ಪಾದಚಾರಿ ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳು

    ಪಾದಚಾರಿಗಳ ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತ ಸಂಚಾರಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಆರು ಮೇಲ್ಸೇತುವೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿಯ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲಾಗುವುದು. ಈ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳು ಒಳಗೊಂಡಿವೆ: ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾವರದ ಮಹೇಶ್ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ, ಉಡುಪಿಯ ನಿಟ್ಟೂರು, ಥೆಂಕಾ ಯರ್ಮಾಳ, ಮೂಲ್ಕಿಯ ಬಪ್ಪನಾಡು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ, ಮುಕ್ಕ ಜಂಕ್ಷನ್ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಯಕ್ಕೂರು (ಮೀನುಗಾರಿಕೆ ಕಾಲೇಜಿನ ಸಮೀಪ).

  • ಆಪರೇಷನ್‌ ಸಿಂಧೂರ್‌ – ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಮಸೀದಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ

    ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು : ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸೇನೆಯ ಆಪರೇಷನ್ ಸಿಂಧೂರ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಚರಣೆಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಪ್ರಶಂಸೆ ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಈ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದೇಶದ ಮೂರು ಸಶಸ್ತ್ರ ಪಡೆಗಳ ಸೈನಿಕರಿಗೆ ಕೃತಜ್ಞತೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ರಾಜ್ಯಾದ್ಯಂತ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಮಸೀದಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಳೆ (ಮೇ 9) ವಿಶೇಷ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲಾಗುವುದು ಎಂದು ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ ವ್ಯವಹಾರಗಳ ಇಲಾಖೆ ಸಚಿವ ಬಿ.ಜೆಡ್. ಜಮೀರ್ ಅಹ್ಮದ್ ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

    ನಾಳೆ ಶುಕ್ರವಾರ ಮಸೀದಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಸಲ್ಮಾನರೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಸೇರಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸೈನಿಕರಿಗೆ ಕೃತಜ್ಞತೆ, ಧೈರ್ಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಶಕ್ತಿ ತುಂಬಲು ಮಸೀದಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಸೂಚನೆ ನೀಡಲಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ಸಚಿವರು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

  • Pulwama attack mastermind Abdul Rasheed Ghazi killed by security forces in Kashmir


    A big breakthrough

    In a big breakthrough, security forces on Monday gunned down top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Abdul Rasheed Ghazi alias Kamran, in a 12-hour-long encounter with multiple JeM terrorists in Pulwama area.

    Ghazi was a Pakistani national and the brain behind the Pulwama attack.

    TOI had reported on Sunday that Ghazi may still be in the Valley.

    Brain behind Pulwama attack

    In fact, Ghazi had a narrow escape during an encounter which took place days before the vehicle-borne IED attack on CRPF convoy last Thursday. A local terrorist was killed and a soldier was martyred in that encounter.

    Ghazi, who was an Afghan war veteran and an IED specialist, was the one who trained Adil Dar, the terrorist from Pulwama who drove the explosive laden vehicle into the CRPF convoy.
    Close aide of Masood Azhar

    On January 3, TOI was the first to report about the top Jaish commander having crossed the border on December 9 and hiding in Pulwama. The security forces had intensified the manhunt for him since the attack.

    Ghazi was one of the closest and most trusted aide of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar.
    Trained in warfare techniques and IED

    He was believed to be in his mid thirties and joined Jaish more than a decade ago. He had been trained in warfare techniques and IED preparation by the Taliban and was known to be one of the finest hands of Jaish.
    Seeking revenge for Azhar’s dead nephew

    Masood Azhar had already been seething for revenge after the death of his first nephew Talha Rasheed who was killed in 2017.

    It is believed that Azhar sent Ghazi and two other top commanders to the Valley in the first week of December who then began to give final shape of a deadly plan which was to be executed around February 9, the death anniversary of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru.

  • Veteran Actor Moushumi Chatterjee Joins BJP

    New Delhi: Veteran actor Moushumi Chatterjee joined the ruling BJP today, months before the national election due by May. In 2004, she had contested the national election as a Congress candidate in Bengal.



    In 2004, she had contested the national election as a Congress candidate in Bengal.

    The 70-year-old Bengali actor met with top BJP leaders in Delhi on Tuesday, according to reports.
    After she was defeated in the Calcutta North-East constituency in 2004, Ms Chatterjee apparently retreated from active politics.
    She was seen in a number of films, including the critically acclaimed Deepika Padukone-starrer “Piku”

  • Video: Window panel falls off after Air India plane hits severe turbulence, 3 injured

    A window panel inside the plane also came off when the flight experienced turbulence, the officials said.

    In a nightmare for over 240 air passengers, an Air India flight from Amristar to the national capital last week experienced turbulence leaving at least three people with minor injuries and causing a window panel inside the aircraft to break away, according to four airline officials.




    Besides Air India, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) are probing the incident, which happened on April 19 soon after the flight took off from Amristar, one of the officials said.

    The duration of Amristar-Delhi flight is about 35 minutes and on April 19, the AI 462 flight was full with over 240 passengers, another official said.

    The officials said the flight experienced turbulence soon after take-off when the altitude was around 15,000 feet due to bad weather.

    At least three passengers had minor injuries and were given first aid after landing at the Delhi airport. Later, they took their connecting flights for onward journey, they added.

    A window panel inside the plane also came off when the flight experienced turbulence, the officials said. According to the officials, the turbulence continued for around 10-12 minutes.

    “Three passengers who were injured were given first aid in the aircraft and on arrival into Delhi and went on their connecting flights thereafter,” an Air India spokesperson said, adding that the airline is conducting an inquiry into the incident.

    A purported 50-second long video clip of happenings inside that flight showed an air hostess trying to fix the window panel that came off and pacifying an elderly woman passenger seated on that particular window seat. The video clip has been circulated in WhatsApp groups and social media platforms.

  • President nod to ordinance providing death penalty for rape of girls below 12

    President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday promulgated an ordinance to pave way for providing stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.




    The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping girls under 12 years.


    New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018.

    It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance.

    The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, they said.

    In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict’s “natural life”.

    The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials said.

    Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence, they said.

    The Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will now stand amended.

    The measure also provides for speedy investigation and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months.

    The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months, the officials said. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

  • Yashwant Sinha quits BJP, Says India's Democracy Is In Danger

    Alleging that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre is undermining democratic institutions, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha announced on Saturday that he was severing all ties with the party and preparing to launch a nationwide campaign to save democracy.






    The former Finance Minister made the declaration on the birthday of his son Jayant Sinha, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation.


    “I have had a long association with the BJP, but today I am severing all ties with the party and taking sanyas from party politics. I will launch a nationwide campaign with all my friends sitting here to save democracy,” Mr. Sinha said at the first convention of his newly floated Rashtriya Manch (‘national forum’). He would not join any other political party nor “accept any post”.


    Mr. Sinha has been critical of the Union government on various issues for some time. Another disgruntled BJP leader and party MP for Patna Sahib, Shatrughan Sinha, representatives of the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party were present.


    Mr. Sinha said democracy today was in danger in the country.


    “Once the democratic institutions are trampled upon, it takes a long time to restore them. We need to think about democratic values of our nation, or else the country will not forgive us,” he said.

  • CBSE to grant 2 marks for English paper typo

    Several teachers and students had approached the Board with the plea that the paper held on March 12 had certain errors in the comprehension passage section.





    The CBSE has decided to provide compensation of two marks to Class X students for a typing error in the English question paper.


    Several teachers and students had approached the Board with the plea that the paper held on March 12 had certain errors in the comprehension passage section.


    Students had to read a passage and write synonyms for the words endurance, obstruction, and motivation. But the paragraphs they were supposed to look at were incorrectly marked, they had said in an online petition.


    “The typing error has been noticed and it has been Board’s policy to not let students face any disadvantage. The marking scheme has been decided in interest of students, and all those who appeared for the particular question will be awarded two marks,” a senior CBSE official said.



    The Class X and XII board examinations began on March 5 and will conclude by April 25.


    Image Credit : PTI