Month: August 2024

Amid a doctors’ strike at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Delhi over the sexual assault and death of a female trainee doctor at West Bengal’s college, Operation Theatre Services has been reduced by 85 per cent while the admission in the institute has been reduced by 65 per cent.

According to an official status from AIIMS, it said that Emergency services and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are functioning as normal with all residents attending to their duties.

OPD has been reduced by 55 per cent, Laboratory services by 20 per cent, Radiological investigations reduced by 40 per cent and Nuclear medicine by 20 per cent

As per the official status, Blood banks are functioning normally.

Doctors and medical students held a protest at AIIMS Delhi on Tuesday after the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) called for a nationwide shutdown of OPD services from Tuesday in solidarity against the sexual assault and murder of a woman post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on August 9.

Dr Indra Shekhar Prasad, President, Resident Doctors Association AIIMS Delhi, said, “This is such a serious incident. A woman who was on duty was sexually assaulted and murdered brutally. If such incidents happen at workplaces, how will the women work? We have several demands regarding safety concerns. We want a CBI probe into this, till then we will continue our protest.”

Earlier today, teams from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) arrived at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata to investigate the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor.

Following the Calcutta High Court order, CBI has taken over the case and has sent specialised medical and forensic teams from Delhi.

The post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The victim’s family has alleged that she was raped and murdered. (ANI)

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ad hoc division has dismissed the application filed by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat for a silver medal in the women’s 50kg event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

The CAS released a statement to render its verdict which read, “The application field by Vinesh Phogat on August 7 has been dismissed.”

Last week Vinesh was disqualified on Wednesday morning before the women’s 50kg final due to exceeding the 50kg weight limit. During the weigh-in, she was found to be 100 grams over the limit. She was set to face Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold medal.

Following her disqualification, Phogat had on August 7 requested CAS to award her the silver medal.

According to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), the verdict was originally scheduled for Tuesday, August 13 at 9:30 pm IST, but was delayed to August 16.

CAS had previously extended the deadline to August 13.

“The ad hoc division of CAS has extended time for the Sole Arbitrator Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett in the Vinesh Phogat vs. United World Wrestling & the International Olympic Committee matter to give a decision till 6-00 p.m. on August 13, 2024,” the IOA said in its statement on Saturday.

Vinesh had reached the gold medal match by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals.

A day after her disqualification, Vinesh also announced her decision to retire from wrestling. (ANI)

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Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, said on Wednesday that his role in the party is decided by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and it has been decided after discussions with party leaders that he will undertake ‘padayatra’ in every assembly constituency of Delhi.

Sisodia also emphasized that he has no desire for any post.

He told ANI, “My role in the party is decided after talking to the party leaders, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal decides it. Right now, after talking to the party leaders, it has been decided that I will go among the people in every street. I will do ‘padayatras.”

He said that his aim is to provide facilities to the people of Delhi and for that, he will have to contest elections.

“In the last 17 months, my love has grown more for the people of Delhi and the country. I have no desire for any post. I have only one wish that the people of Delhi should get a good education. People should get good hospitals. The public transport system, which has improved, should be improved further. To fulfil these wishes, contesting elections is necessary, so I will contest the elections,” Sisodia said.

On the Supreme Court’s hearing in Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea on August 23, the AAP leader said that he has full faith in the Constitution and that a very good decision will come in Kejriwal’s case also.

“I have faith in the Constitution, and there is a system in it that, whenever any dictatorial government puts opposition leaders in jail by imposing the same Sections that are imposed on terrorists, the Constitution will protect them. A very good decision will come in CM Kejriwal’s case also,” he added.

Manish Sisodia also took a dig at the BJP, saying that their conspiracy has failed to put him in jail till the Delhi Assembly Polls.

“BJP is sad that their conspiracy to keep us in jail till the Delhi Assembly polls have flopped. Their sorrow will increase when Kejriwal also comes out. There is nothing in this case. When nothing wrong has been done, then why should one be afraid?” he said.

Sisodia also praised Delhi CM’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal for communicating the feelings of Arvind Kejriwal to the people of the national capital.

“Sunita Kejriwal played a very good role. When Delhi needed help, the BJP put Kejriwal in jail. The voice of that beloved leader was conveyed to the public very well by his wife,” he added.

Sisodia was released from Tihar Jail on August 9 after the Supreme Court granted him bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

The order was delivered by a bench of justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan. The court also imposed various conditions including surrendering the passport and not influencing witnesses.

In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of now-scrapped Delhi’s new excise policy.

The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition.

According to the CBI, Sisodia had played the most vital role in the criminal conspiracy and he had been deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy. (ANI)

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Targeting the Centre over the reservation, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday that if the BJP is in favor of the SC/ST reservation, then they should bring an ordinance against the Supreme Court’s order on the creamy layer regarding the reservation.

Tejashwi also mentioned that the BJP means “Badka Jhootha Party”.

“What is the BJP doing? It is scrapping the 65 per cent reservation and 10 per cent EWS. We demanded that it be placed in Schedule 9 but BJP props up its people in court to scrap it. So, we are part of it in the Supreme Court as well. We will fight it out in court as well as on the streets. BJP means ‘Badka Jhootha Party’. Except for lying, spreading confusion, and spreading hatred, it has no other work,” he said.

“Recently, a court order has come on the creamy layer; we are saying that the BJP should bring an ordinance. If they are in favour of SC/ST reservation, then why is there talk of a creamy layer? Reservations were given by Ambedkar Sahib after seeing the discrimination that people faced. Those who are backward should come into the mainstream. BJP is anti-Dalit and anti-reservation,” Tejashwi added.

Notably, the Supreme Court’s earlier ruled that states have the power to sub-classify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs) and said that the authority concerned, while deciding if the class is adequately represented, must calculate adequacy based on effective and not quantitative representation.

The Supreme Court ruled by a majority judgement of 6:1 that sub-classification within the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs) reservation is permissible.

Earlier, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that there is no provision for creamy layer in SCs and STs reservation in the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar, and the NDA government is bound to follow that Constitution.

Before this, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held a detailed discussion on the Supreme Court judgment regarding the sub-categorization of reservations for SCs and STs as outlined in the Constitution.

Launching scathing attacks on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav said that he is unable to run the government.

“Day after day, we read in press releases about incidents of crime in different districts of Bihar. The crime rate is increasing. Ruling party leaders are being killed, common people are being killed, incidents of rape are happening and the government has completely failed. When we say that the CM is unable to run the government, it is turning out to be completely true,” he said. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Nation in celebrating the 78th Independence Day from the historic Red Fort in Delhi on August 15. He will unfurl the National Flag and deliver the customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the iconic monument.

The theme of this year’s Independence Day is ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047’. The celebrations will serve as a platform to provide a renewed push to the Government’s efforts towards transforming the country into a developed nation by 2047, an official statement released on Wednesday said.

With the aim to increase Jan Bhagidari in this festival of national fervour, around 6,000 Special Guests have been invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort this year. These people from different walks of life categorised as youth, tribal communities, farmers, women and other special guests, have excelled in various fields with the help of various government schemes/initiatives.

Students benefiting from the Atal Innovation Mission & PM SHRI (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) scheme, and volunteers of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) & National Service Scheme under ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ will attend the event. The guests also include Tribal artisans/Van Dhan Vikas Members and Tribal Entrepreneurs funded by National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation; and beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and representatives of Farmers Producing Organisations.

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) & Anganwadi workers; elected women representatives; beneficiaries of Sankalp: Hub for Empowerment of Women, Lakhpati Didi & Drone Didi initiatives and Sakhi Kendra scheme; and workers of Child Welfare Committee & District Child Protection Units will also witness the ceremony.

The Indian contingent which took part in the recently-concluded Paris Olympics has also been invited to participate in the celebrations. One guest from each block of the Aspirational Blocks Programme; workers of Border Roads Organisation; students from the PRERANA School programme; and sarpanches of Gram Panchayats which achieved saturation in priority sector schemes will also attend the event.

Nearly 2,000 people from various States/Union Territories dressed in traditional attire have also been invited to witness the grand ceremony. Three thousand (3,000) winners of different online competitions, organised by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with MyGov and Akashvani, will also be part of the celebrations.

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Mos Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar to the Prime Minister. The GoC, Delhi Area will then conduct PM Narendra Modi to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.

The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister will consist of one officer & 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force & Delhi Police. The Indian Navy is the coordinating service this year. The Guard of Honour will be commanded by Commander Arun Kumar Mehta. The Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard will be commanded by Major Arjun Singh, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Gulia Bhavesh NK and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Akshara Uniyal. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Anurag Dwivedi.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Rajnath Singh, Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. The GoC, Delhi area will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to unfurl the National Flag.

Lieutenant Sanjeet Saini will assist the Prime Minister in unfurling the National Flag. It will be synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute by the valiant gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery, utilising the indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns, will be commanded by Major Sabnis Kaushik and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (AIG) Anuthosh Sarkar.

The National Flag Guard, comprising one officer and 32 Other Ranks each from the Army, Navy & Air Force and 128 personnel of Delhi Police, will present the Rashtriya Salute at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Commander Vinay Dubey will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.

The Army Contingent in the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Major Dinesh Ngangom, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Sachin Dhankhar and the Air Force Contingent by Squadron Leader CS Shravan Devaiah. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Achin Garg.

After being unfurled, the Tricolour will receive a ‘Rashtriya Salute’. The Punjab Regiment Military band, consisting of one JCO and 25 Other Ranks, will play the National Anthem during the unfurling of the National Flag and present the ‘Rashtriya Salute’. The Band will be conducted by Subedar Major Rajinder Singh.

As soon as the National Flag is unfurled by the Prime Minister, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv of the Indian Air Force in the Line Astern Formation. The captains of the helicopters will be Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Wing Commander Rahul Nainwal.

After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the Nation. At the conclusion of his speech, the cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will sing the National Anthem. A total of 2,000 boy and girl cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) from different schools across the country will participate in the celebrations. These cadets will be seated on Gyanpath, opposite the Rampart. They will be forming ‘My bhaart’ logo with customised tricolour kits. A total of 500 National Service Scheme (NSS) Volunteers will also take part. (ANI)

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The landslides that killed hundreds of people in Kerala’s Wayanad were triggered by a burst of rainfall that was made about 10 per cent heavier by human-caused climate change, a study has found.

The study by World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international group of researchers, found that the excessive rainfall in the early hours of July 30 that triggered the landslides was a “once in a-50-year event”.

The study highlights the need for rigorous assessments of landslide risk and improved early warning in hillside regions of northern Kerala to prevent repeat landslide disasters.

The study was conducted by 24 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities and meteorological agencies in India, Malaysia, the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

“The available climate models indicate a 10 per cent increase in intensity. Under a future warming scenario where the global temperature is two degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels, climate models predict even heavier 1-day rainfall events, with a further expected increase of about 4 per cent in rainfall intensity,” the study said.

The study noted that one-day bursts of monsoon rainfall will continue to become even heavier, risking even deadlier landslides, until the world replaces fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy.

“Minimising deforestation and quarrying, while improving early warning and evacuation systems will help protect people in northern Kerala from future landslides and floods,” the study suggested.

The study highlights that single-day heavy rainfall events in Kerala are becoming more common, a shift attributed to climate change. Previously rare, such downpours are now expected to occur roughly once every 50 years due to 1.3°C of global warming. Additionally, the research points to factors like quarrying for building materials and a 62 per cent decrease in forest cover in Wayanad from 1950 to 2018, which have heightened the area’s vulnerability to landslides during intense rainfall.

Mariam Zachariah, Researcher at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said, “The Wayanad landslides is another catastrophic example of climate change playing out in real-time. The extreme burst of rain that dislodged an entire hillside and buried hundreds of people was intensified by human-caused warming.”

The findings are in line with a large scientific body of evidence on extreme rainfall around the world, the scientists say – a warmer atmosphere, heated by fossil fuel emissions, can hold more moisture, resulting in heavier downpours.

The study highlights a range of factors that turned the landslide into a disaster.

The soils in the hilly Wayanad district are among the loosest and most erodible in Kerala, with high risk of landslides during the monsoon season. More stringent assessments of landslides, restricting construction in hillside areas and minimising deforestation and quarrying are needed to avoid similar disasters in the future, the researchers say.

The rainfall was well forecast and some villages were evacuated. However, the extreme number of casualties indicates that warnings failed to reach many people and did not specifically outline what impacts could be expected in particular regions, the researchers say.

Maja Vahlberg, Climate risk consultant at Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said: “As well as moving away from fossil fuels, the world needs to adapt to extreme weather. The rainfall that triggered the landslides occurred in a region of Wayanad that has the highest landslide risk in the state.” (ANI)

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday convened an important meeting on the “rising” terror-related incidents in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

As per officials, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Director General of Military Operations-Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma and heads of the security-related agencies were present in the meeting. The meeting is being held at South Block. The development comes a day ahead of Independence Day on August 15.

Meanwhile, security forces across Jammu and Kashmir have been placed on high alert ahead of Independence Day to ensure public safety.

Earlier on August 10, at least two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between the terrorists and the security forces in Anantnag.

The encounter broke out during a joint operation launched by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF in the general area of Kokernag in Anantnag. Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma laid down their lives in the line of duty in Anantnag. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Indian Army paid tribute to Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma, who lost their lives during the encounter

In recent months, Jammu has seen an increase in terror attacks, including an assault on an army convoy in Kathua and skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur.

In July, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reported to the Lok Sabha that 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year.

Last month, Indian Army troops foiled an attack by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district’s Machchal sector. The skirmish resulted in the death of one Pakistani intruder and one Indian Army soldier, while four others, including a major-rank officer, were injured. (ANI)

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Legendary screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar, who attended the trailer launch of the docuseries ‘Angry Young Men’ in Mumbai, went down memory lane and shared how Salman and Arbaaz Khan were as children.

“Our kids told such amazing things about us today. But they were very young and they don’t remember much. We do. When I met Salim Sahab for the first time, Salman wasn’t even one year old. It was 1965.”

Apart from his acting skills, Salman is loved by his fans for his charming looks and the veteran lyricist shared that he was good-looking since childhood.

“Abhi itne handsome lag rahe hain, ye koi abhi ki baat nahin hai, ye bachpan se hi khoobsurat the (He is looking so handsome now, but he has been beautiful since childhood). He was an exceptionally good-looking child.”

He recalled a picture of Khan in the living room of his father Salim Khan’s house. The legendary lyricist shared that all the kids of Salim Khan were born after they became friends.

“Today, Salman is the he-man and this dashing hero but he was a very shy and quiet child who spoke very less. Jo badmaash bachcha tha, woh tha Arbaaz. He was a regular seducer. He would befriend Salim sahab’s friends and build a special relationship with them. Arbaaz doesn’t remember the things he did as a child. When people would mingle with him, he would think ki yeh toh bada kamaal ka bachcha hai.”

He also talked about Arbaaz’s self-love, saying, “ye kanghi karta tha, ek 6 saal ka bacha apni kanghi kar raha hai maine aise dekha nahin kabhi to self-love inka bahut kamaal ka tha (He would comb his hair. I’ve never seen a 6-year-old child combing his hair. So, his self-love has been really great),”

Prime Video will soon come up with a docuseries ‘Angry Young Men’, which explores the formidable creative partnership and legacy of writer duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.

On Tuesday, the makers unveiled the trailer of the docuseries. In the trailer, celebrities Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar and Jaya Bachchan mark their presence as they talked about the legendary work of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.

The video starts with Salman saying, “This is the first one where I’m actually nervous.”

The video then showcases Javed Akhtar’s filmmaker-actor son Farhan Akhtar adding, “I mean the only reason I knew my dad wrote those films is because he was my dad.” Karan highlighted how Salim-Javed were the highest paid artistes in the film industry, and charged more than the reigning star of the era.

“Can you imagine if a writer today said, ‘I want a crore more than Salman Khan, that was the power of Salim-Javed’,” Karan said.

The video ends with megastar Amitabh Bachchan saying, “Them being together was altogether a different story.”

The documentary’s title Angry Young Men refers to the angry young man hero-type the duo created in the 70s. Salim-Javed played a pivotal role in Big B’s stardom.

Speaking about the docuseries, Salim said, “I started my career in front of the camera but realized that my true strength lay in telling stories. That’s when I decided to focus on what came naturally to me – writing. I then met Javed who was equally passionate about writing, and together we did some fantastic work together, which I am very proud of. We had an excellent run and achieved great success, and also challenged industry norms along the way. It feels wonderful that our journey is being documented for future generations, and I hope they will be inspired to do their best and not be confined by society’s prescribed roles.”

‘Angry Young Men is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India on August 20. Namrata Rao has directed the project. (ANI)

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As the nation gears up for the celebration of Independence Day, there is a time to look back at some historical moments. The national flag hoisted on August 15, 1947, at 5:30 am in Fort St. George is preserved scientifically and placed for public view in St George Museum, Chennai.

The scientifically preserved Indian National flag attracts even foreigners who come to see it in Chennai at St George Fort Museum.

The Chennai St George Fort Museum was established and opened to the public on January 31, 1948.

The flag, which had been conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India collection for many years, was placed on public display at the Fort Museum on January 26, 2013.

The First National flag was hoisted on January 15, 1947, and is placed in an airtight wooden-glass showcase. The flag is surrounded by six bowls of silica gel to regulate humidity and absorb moisture all the time.

The 12ft by 8ft pure silk flag, was hoisted after lowering the British Union Jack on August 15, 1947, at 5.05 am at Fort St. George and was witnessed by thousands of people.

This is the only national flag that has been conserved to this day, and it is also the only flag that was hoisted on the first Independence Day.

The museum also has various galleries featuring uniforms of the Madras Army, swords, rifles, pistols, guns, canons, and motors used by Britishers and the Madras Army.

A tourist from Italy shared her experience and said, “I came here to the fort to see the museum. It’s a lovely museum, and it is great to see the flag. Tomorrow is Independence Day, so it is beautiful to see the flag and how well it is preserved.” (ANI)

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