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Ek Samvidhan Ek Pradhan: Shashi Tharoor says US states have their own ‘constitutions’ so Indian states can have too. Here is why the whataboutery is useless

Anurag
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Ek Samvidhan Ek Pradhan: Shashi Tharoor says US states have their own ‘constitutions’ so Indian states can have too. Here is why the whataboutery is useless

On 6th December, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised Home Minister Amit Shah over his statement in the Lok Sabha saying that the country can have only one constitution and one flag. Drawing examples of the United States and Australia, Tharoor asked if the states in the US can have their flag and body and the Australians even have their own Prime Ministers; why can it not happen in India?

Speaking to the news agency ANI, he said, “In the Home Minister’s (Amit Shah) intervention yesterday, he had sort of taunted the opposition saying, “How can a country have more than one constitution, more than one flag”. But if he looks around the world, there are many federal countries where there is more than one constitution, more than one flag. For example, in America, each of the 50 states has its own constitution and its own flag. In, Australia, not only is the same thing true that they have their own constitution, their own flag, but they also have their own prime minister each of the states. So there is no bar against this. I mean, you can say that in India, we don’t want this. That’s fine. But don’t say no country can have it because other countries do have.”

The difference between the Indian and the US Constitutions

Tharoor, to criticise the Home Minister, forgot that there are fundamental differences between the Constitutions of India and the US. First of all, in the US, the states have the right to call for amendment to the Constitution. On the other hand, the states do not have any such power. However, after finalising the amendments in the Parliament, half of the states must agree to it so that the amendments are legally adopted.

In an emergency, the Centre becomes the supreme power in India, and the states’ powers become null and void. Furthermore, the states in India do not have the power to call for amendments to the Constitution. On the other hand, in the US, the states have constitutions that are extensions of the US Constitution. They have the power to amend it and bring laws as per the local requirements. Indian states have separate laws, but the Central government can centralize a low depending on the situation.

The fundamental structure of the states in the US is entirely different from that of India. The US operates under a federal system of government. The power is shared between the federal government and individual states. The US Constitution and the state constitutions define the division of powers at the state and federal levels. India, on the other hand, has a quasi-federal system. The states here derive power from the Constitution of India and have no power to challenge it.

When the US Constitution was drafted in 1787, each state already had its own Constitution. The US Constitution serves as the framework for the federal government, allowing states to have their Constitutions. The case in India is different. At the time of independence in 1947, India was divided into provinces and princely states, which had their own governance system. The Constitution of India was framed to establish a unified and sovereign nation. The states derive their authority from the single Constitution and have their laws where required.

Why do US states have their own flags?

Now, coming to the separate flags in the US, they were territories that acted independently before the states were annexed into one Country. They had their own rules and laws. The state flags remind them of their history and are often seen as an extension of powers to the Federal government. In India, when the Country gained independence, it was decided that India would function under a single flag. Some states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have proposed flags that are never officially recognised. Only the state of Jammu and Kashmir had its flag till 2019, which stood nullified with the abrogation of Article 370.

Australian states DO NOT have their own Prime Ministers

Tharoor is a seasoned politician. Seeing him claiming that Australian states have their own ‘Prime Ministers’ was shocking. Each state in Australia has a Premier, the state’s top authority. However, he or she is not the final authority. The prime minister is more like the state’s chief minister, just like India.

Amit Shah emphasised on one PM, one flag and one constitution

During a Lok Sabha debate, Home Minister Amit Shah defended the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, citing the need for one Prime Minister, flag, and Constitution. Shah argued that the changes corrected a historical anomaly. In response to TMC MP Saugata Ray’s concerns, Shah criticized the previous bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories.

Germany: The City Council of Cologne succumbs to the pressure of Turkish Muslim migrants, removes the Memorial of the Armenian Genocide

OpIndia Staff
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Germany: The City Council of Cologne succumbs to the pressure of Turkish Muslim migrants, removes the Memorial of the Armenian Genocide

The city council of Cologne city in Germany has decided to remove the monument to the Armenian genocide in the city. The city council will now hold a meeting on 7th December 2023 to ponder a thought upon erecting a new memorial to “commemorate the victims of oppression, racism, violence and human rights violations”. 

The city council succumbed to the pressure of 60,000 Turkish Muslim migrants living in the city of a million people. Turkish Muslims deny the genocide of Armenian Christians by Turkey which took place from 1915 to 1918. The conflict still goes on. Notably, there are only 6,000 Armenians in Cologne.

This monument was first erected in 2018 to mark the centenary year of the Armenian genocide. It was initially installed on the left bank of the Hohenzollern Bridge, opposite the equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Unfortunately, it was dismantled in May 2022 and hasn’t yet found a permanent location. It faced vehement opposition from Turkish Muslims right from the inauguration.

The city had previously opted to dismantle the statue, citing reasons such as the planned construction of a cycle path or concerns about potential “social upheaval.” It was removed and restored multiple times before the final decision of the city council came after a recent demonstration by Turkish Muslims in Germany at the end of October 2023.

The steel sculpture stands at a height of approximately 1.80 meters. At the pinnacle of the three-sided pyramid, there is a bronze pomegranate featuring a notch, serving as a poignant symbol for the Armenian genocide. The inscription, titled “This Pain Affects Us All,” is eloquently expressed in Armenian, German, Turkish, and English.

Erected in April 2018 by the Cologne initiative “Remembering Genocide,” the monument commemorated the Armenian Genocide during World War I (1915-1918). It aimed to raise awareness about the genocide and acknowledge the responsibility of the Ottoman Empire. It also included information about the systematic displacement, deportation, and murder of over a million Armenian women, men, and children. The monument served as a powerful symbol of remembrance and a call for the prevention of future genocides.

Memorial of the Armenian Genocide. Image Source: The Armenian Mirror Spectator

Cologne’s mayor Reker justified the decision to remove this memorial by saying that the city needs to consider the “diverse interests of our pluralistic urban society”. The Turkish Muslims in Cologne staged protests against this memorial in October.

The political influence exerted by Turkish Muslims in Germany to achieve its objectives is not a new thing. An instance of this was observed in 2005 when, following the intervention of Turkish diplomats, Brandenburg removed the subject of the Armenian genocide from its curriculum. In 2011, the University of Stuttgart, citing Turkish “protests from Berlin,” declined to permit a lecture on the genocide, asserting a decision to “remain neutral.”

In 2014, protests emerged against a play by Edgar Hilsenrath titled “Das Märchen vom letzten Gedanken,” which addresses the Armenian genocide. In response, the theatre in Constance removed the event poster, and before each performance, a statement from the Turkish consul was read out. The premiere had to be conducted under police protection due to the heightened tensions.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide, a series of systemic killings of the minority population of Christians during the Ottoman Muslim rule in the region of Armenia, is one of the most horrific state-sponsored genocidal events of the 20th century.

Usually, the Armenian Genocide refers to a series of massacres of the Armenian Christian population carried out by officials of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 onwards. The genocide began in 1915 and lasted until 1923, killing an estimated 1.5 million Armenian Christians, among other minority Christian groups.

Even years before 1915, a tragic event in Adana in April 1909 displays how the Ottoman Empire was prejudiced against the Christians under their rule and how an entire population was branded the enemy of the state, and subjected to tragic, horrific murder on an enormous scale. Details of the Armenian genocide can be read here.

Uttar Pradesh: Around 80 madarsas on SIT radar for receiving Rs 100 crore in foreign funding over the past few years

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Around 80 madarsas on SIT radar for receiving Rs 100 crore in foreign funding over the past few years

According to an ongoing investigation by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was established by the state government in October of this year, a total of 80 madarsas in Uttar Pradesh received about Rs 100 crore in funds from foreign sources over the last two to three years. A senior official involved in the investigation stated that in multiple instances, the money was deposited straight into the bank accounts of the societies and non-governmental organisations in charge of running these madarsas.

The Additional Director General rank officer is in charge of the squad which was established to look into foreign financing sources of the institutions. The Superintendent of Police, the Cyber Cell, and the Director of the Minority Welfare Department were also included in the same team.

The Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education recognises around 16,500 of the over 25,000 madarsas in the state. The SIT obtained information on the financial accounts of the people, organisations and groups in control of the madarsas, under whom the finances were managed and examine any possible violations while conducting its inquiry.

The officer said, “We discovered that foreign funds were transferred into the bank accounts of 80 madarsas. These madarsas are located in various parts of the state, including Bahraich, Siddharth Nagar, Saharanpur, Azamgarh, and Rampur. The money was sent to bank accounts from various locations around the world, particularly the Middle East, London and Dubai.” He also mentioned that inquiries into the funding sources of other madarsas were underway.

The SIT is collecting data regarding the 80 madarsas that have been identified, as well as the entities and individuals who made the bank account deposits. The investigators also want to ascertain whether or not the payments were intended for social objectives. An officer stated, “We will seek information from the caretakers of the madarsas about those who sent the money. If necessary, we will seek assistance from central agencies such as R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) and IB (Intelligence Bureau) to gather details. A report will be sent to central agencies for cooperation.” 

Furthermore, the SIT has decided to approach these madarsas for information regarding the spending of foreign funds. The officer noted, “They will be asked to provide bills and other documents to show how they spent the money.”

Mohit Agarwal, Additional Director General (DG) of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), who is heading the SIT said, “We will see how the money received through foreign funding has been spent. The brief is to check if the money is being used to run madarsas or for any other activities.”

He pointed out that the inquiry is still underway and the state administration has not yet provided a deadline for concluding the probe. The SIT was established months after the state government issued District Magistrates in Nepali border areas instructions in January of this year to search for the financing sources of unrecognised madarsas that claimed donations and zakat (charity money) as their main sources of income. The agency has already asked its board for information about madarsas that are registered, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation.

During that period, Haj Dharmpal Singh, Minister for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf, and several madarsas in bordering areas of Nepal reported that their main sources of income were zakat and contributions. Survey teams uncovered, however, that the residents of these places were too impoverished to offer zakat or donations. These madarsas were identified and directives were conveyed out to re-examine their monetary sources.

District magistrates were instructed by the Yogi Adityanath government to survey madarsas that were not officially recognised last year. 8,449 madarsas that the state madarsa education board did not acknowledge were found to be operational throughout the two-month survey. Moradabad district was home to the majority of them.

More than 1,000 madarsas are being run in other surrounding localities in addition to Lakhimpur Kheri, Pilibhit, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, and Bahraich which are close to the Nepali border. According to sources, these locations have seen a sharp rise in the madarsa numbers in recent years.

Penn and Harvard rush to ‘clarify’ after their presidents told in a Congressional hearing that they can’t restrict calls for genocide against Jews on campus

OpIndia Staff
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Penn and Harvard rush to ‘clarify’ after their presidents told in a Congressional hearing that they can’t restrict calls for genocide against Jews on campus

Amidst severe backlash and criticism over refusing to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews on their respective campuses, Harvard and UPenn Presidents have sought to ‘clarify’.

In a video message posted on the X profile of the University of Pennsylvania on December 7, its president Liz Magill said, “In that moment, I was focused on our University’s long-standing policies, aligned with the US Constitution, which say that speech alone is not punishable. I was not focused on, but I should have been, the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate. It’s evil plain and simple. I want to be clear, the call for genocide of Jewish people is threatening, deeply so. It is intentionally meant to terrify people who have been subjected to pogroms and hatred for centuries and were the victims of mass genocide in the Holocaust. In my view, it would be harassment or intimidation.”

Moreover, the UPenn president said that she and Provost John Jackson would initiate a process to evaluate and clarify campus policy, saying, “We can and will get this right.”

It is rather ironic that Magill was focused on the university’s policies upholding free speech while she was asked about calls for genocide of a religious community. However, Magill was more concerned about contextualising calls to kill Jews. If speech alone in this context calling for the genocide of Jews is not punishable, would not give a free pass to the Jew-hating elements to harass and attack the Jewish students on the university campus. What also requires attention here is that the UPenn president has not apologised or had a sudden sense of realisation that calling for the genocide of Jews should be punishable and restricted, rather it came after global condemnation.

Meanwhile, Harvard University president Claudine Gay also rushed to ‘clarify’ the varsity’s position on the issue and said, “There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students. Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account.”

Community notes on Harvard’s post

Interestingly, the Harvard president’s statement posted on varsity’s X profile on December 6 got community-checked with a note reading, “While under oath before Congress, the President of Harvard stated that condemning antisemitism and calls for genocide of Jews “depends on the context” as opposed to being simply wrong.”

While Claudine Gay after the outrage is saying that the genocide calls against Jews have no place at the varsity and those who threaten Jewish students will be held accountable, she had blatantly tried to bring in ‘context’ when asked about deeming calling for genocide of Jews as a violation of Harvard’s rules regarding bullying and harrassment.

Replying to Harvard’s post, social media users posted the video clip from the Congressional hearing where Claudine Gay was seen refusing to identify calls for genocide of Jewish individuals as a violation of campus policies, instead, she was saying that the calls for murder targeted against Jews are ‘context dependant’.

White House slams the statements of Harvard and Penn presidents

The ‘change of heart’ from refusing to even recognize calls for genocide of Jews as a violation of harassment and bullying rules of both Harvard and Penn, to assert that it has no place in the varsity, comes after White House spokesperson Andrew Bates rebuked the presidents of both the universities. In a statement on December 6, Bates said that any statements calling for systematic killings of Jews are revolting adding that such calls are antithetical to American values.

“It’s unbelievable that this needs to be said: calls for genocide are monstrous and antithetical to everything we represent as a country. Any statements that advocate for the systematic murder of Jews are dangerous and revolting — and we should all stand firmly against them, on the side of human dignity and the most basic values that unite us as Americans,” Bates said.

The controversy erupted on 5th December, during the first hearing on “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism” in Washington, DC. As reported earlier, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik confronted the Presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn during the hearing over the issue of rising cases of antisemitism on their campuses. During the hearing, Harvard University President Claudine Gay, MIT University President Sally Kornbluth, and UPenn President Elizabeth Magill refused to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews on their respective campuses as bullying and harassment, when asked to offer a simple “yes” or “no” answer on whether advocating for the murder of Jews would violate the University’s bullying and harassment policies.

Kerala: 26-year old Doctor Shahana commits suicide after fellow Doctor E A Ruwais breaks marriage over dowry demand of BMW, Gold, and land

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: 26-year old Doctor Shahana commits suicide after fellow Doctor E A Ruwais breaks marriage over dowry demand of BMW, Gold, and land

In a tragic incident that has been reported from the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, a postgraduate student at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, identified as Shahana, committed suicide due to dowry demands. The 26-year-old resident doctor who worked in the surgery department of the college was found dead at her rented apartment near the institute on Tuesday (5th December) morning.

Her relatives stated she committed suicide after her male friend, also a PG doctor walked away from the marriage proposal. According to the reports, the boy proposed to the girl for the marriage but demanded a substantial dowry, leading to emotional distress. 

The accused PG doctor has been identified as Dr E A Ruwais and has been taken into custody by the Police. He has been charged with abetment to suicide and under sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Police said that the decision to arrest him will soon be taken after questioning.

Ruwais’s family allegedly demanded a large dowry of gold, land, and a BMW car. Shahana’s family was unable to meet these requirements. The male doctor, who was also a representative of the Medical PG Doctors Association, ended the relationship as a result. 

Reportedly, Shahana’s family was already willing to give 50 sovereigns of gold, properties worth Rs 50 lakhs, and a car. However, the demands from the Ruwais’s family kept on increasing. The girl was left heartbroken after he walked out of the marriage.

A case of unnatural death has been registered by the Medical College police. The police also launched an investigation and stated that Shahana had been experiencing emotional distress, possibly as a result of alleged dowry demands. Though a note believed to be her suicide note mentioned that people were only concerned with money, it made no mention of the dowry fallout. In the note, Shahana also did not mention any names.

Relatives of the girl talked to the media and stated that the girl was distressed due to increasing dowry demands. “He came to us with the proposal and said he liked my sister. She also was agreeable. When we met his father, it was clear that he was someone who wanted more dowry. We said we could give what a family like us could afford. The discussions went on many times and finally, it was called off,” Shahana’s brother said.

“We had offered to give Rs 50 lakhs, 50 sovereigns of gold, and a car. But they were not satisfied with this. Her father died a few months ago and the family had some financial issues,” one of the other relatives spoke to the media. Reports mention that the victim’s father, who was working in the Middle East had died recently.

Meanwhile, Kerala Women’s Commission Chairperson Advocate Sathidevi, who met Shahana’s mother at her home, demanded that this matter be thoroughly investigated. The Women’s Commission will also request a police report.

Based on media reports, the state Minority Commission has also initiated its own case. The Medical PG Doctors Association has abdicated the accused doctor of all organsational responsibilities. He has been taken into custody and has been booked for abetment to suicide under sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Further investigations are underway.

Haryana Women’s Commission calls for FIR against Jindal University professor Sameena Dalwai for harassing students and breaching their privacy

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana Women’s Commission calls for FIR against Jindal University professor Sameena Dalwai for harassing students and breaching their privacy

Two weeks after OP Jindal University issued a warning to Professor Sameena Dalwai for discriminating against Hindu students, the Haryana State Commission for Women (HSCW) has reportedly called for an FIR against the professor in the dating-app case. Notably, Dalwai did not appear before the commission on 6th December.

The HSCW said the “safety, security and dignity of the female students cannot be compromised with merely because she has chosen not to appear before the commission”.

In September, Dalwai allegedly violated the privacy of a student in the classroom by opening their Bumble dating-app account. Dalwai displayed the student’s private account on a Smart TV in a classroom full of students.

A video and screenshots of some chats doing rounds on X, formerly Twitter, showed the professor indulging in a detailed discussion about a dating account, which was allegedly a student’s.

Moreover, as per reports, when the students refused to open their profiles, Dalwai allegedly told them to create fake IDs and suggested using Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s picture.

The professor has been accused of breaching students’ privacy and the HSCW has ordered the professor to appear before it on 6th December. However, Dalwai skipped the hearing and sent her lawyer instead.

HSCW Chair Renu Bhatia rejected the application moved by Dalwai’s lawyer seeking that the professor be allowed to appear through video conference. This is the second time that Dalwai has skipped the hearing.

Dalwai reportedly wrote an email to the commission on 6th December saying that she assumed that the case has been closed as the university issued an action-taken report.

She reportedly said that her request for video-conference meant “she was ready to appear before the commission in good faith”.

The HSCW chairperson had taken cognisance of the incident and visited the university on 7th November and recorded the interviews of 180 students.

The commission also wrote a letter to the Sonepat Commission of Police on 6th December saying that creating a fake account in the name of a known political personality such as Rahul Gandhi amounted to “cheating, dishonesty and impersonation”.

The HSCW wrote, “We have solid evidence, including video recordings of students testifying before the commission, to support our claims. The students have bravely come forward to share their experiences and expose this egregious act of misconduct by the professor.”

On 13th November, the Vice-Chancellor of OP Jindal University, Professor C Raj Kumar issued a show-cause notice to Dalwai. “You (Sameena Dalwai) have failed in exercising due diligence and acted irresponsibly and thereby failed the university in its promise to create a safe space for its students,” the notice read.

“We have noted that you have realised this mistake. We extend a letter of warning to you so that it shall not be repeated in future and that there will be no further condonation on our part to such acts,” Kumar added.

In November, a talk was organised by the university titled ‘The History and Politics of the Palestinian Present’ by Professor Achin Vanaik, Retired Professor of International Relations and former Head of Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi, now an activist.

Naik made several anti-semitic, anti-Hindu statements and also attacked the Modi government. A shocking email also emerged which was written by Dalwai where she objected to those who opposed the lecture.

Dr. Sameena Dalwai also claimed that Hamas didn’t do any atrocities on Israeli civilians, and it was all ‘fake news by Indian troll armies’. She wrote, “India’s response has been sad. Fake news of Hamas atrocity is created by Indian troll armies. We know their power- many of us get trolled regularly for our writing.”

How The Hindu consoled itself and shielded Rahul Gandhi after electoral drubbing in 3 states: Blaming regional leaders, voters, Hindutva and more

S. Sudhir Kumar
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How The Hindu consoled itself and shielded Rahul Gandhi after electoral drubbing in 3 states: Blaming regional leaders, voters, Hindutva and more

By now, we are all used to the Congress party leaders crediting the Gandhi family for victories and blaming the regional leaders for their defeats. It is understandable why they are forced to do this. However, it is baffling that certain newspapers, that claim to be brave, daring, unbiased and whatnot, also willingly resorted to this same argument. Just to shield the Gandhi family.

The Congress party lost in Rajasthan (RJ), Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Chhattisgarh (CG) in the just concluded elections to these states. The Hindu, in a great show of loyalty towards the Gandhi family, asks us – Did overconfident regional leaders in the Hindi heartland pay no heed to Congress top brass?

That The Hindu wrote

We are told by the author that in these three states, “heavyweights took independent decisions often ignoring the high command”. Are we to seriously believe there are people in Congress who are capable of ignoring the Gandhi family and making decisions? The author cites the example of Kamal Nath cancelling an I.N.D.I Alliance meeting in Bhopal. Are we to believe that Rahul Gandhi had no role in the cancellation of such a meeting? However, in my opinion, the best argument by the author was about the CG election. He writes that “Though the AICC did replace over 20 MLAs to beat anti-incumbency, Mr Baghel could not effectively counter the allegations of corruption against his government by the BJP”. 

Cute, no? The Gandhi family thought their job ended with replacing MLAs. The job of winning the narrative is on the CM only though. Imagine if Congress had won. The same author would have written how the Gandhi family played a master stroke by replacing 20 MLAs! 

This article is not the only place where The Hindu has given us pearls of wisdom. Their editorial on the results of these elections was even better! We have been told that the victory was because the BJP’s campaign was “laced with communal propaganda” and therefore “had a more effective outreach to subaltern segments”. 

What The Hindu wrote

I like the choice of phrase – subaltern segments. It’s a posh way of insulting the intelligence of the voters. In this particular case, The Hindu is arguing that the voter chose BJP’s communal agenda over Congress’s caste agenda. In its entire (long) editorial, The Hindu makes no mention of governance-based reasons on why the voters were vexed with Congress in RJ and CG where it was in power; and why they didn’t see Congress as an alternative in MP where BJP has been in power for nearly 2 decades now. We are told that Ashok Gehlot is so awesome that even though he lost the election he prevented a complete washout! 

That The Hindu wrote

And just in case you forgot that they told you that the BJP won because of Hindutva, they repeat it once again in their (long) editorial. This time, they accuse women, youth and tribal communities of falling prey to “Hindu identity politics”. I wonder what wrong the men did, to not get this honour! 

That The Hindu wrote

The editorial is severely upset that the caste census idea of Rahul Gandhi did not resonate with the voters. The editorial takes up a lot of space and conveys very little. When you separate the wheat from the chaff, it is baffling how The Hindu always ends up arguing that BJP’s victories are always because of Hindutva and nothing else really matters. How they try to find solace in the performance of the Congress party is also very touching. Their front-page banner story also highlighted how despite losing, they had their vote share intact! 

That The Hindu wrote

I hope the Gandhi family realises how faithful the editors and owners of The Hindu are towards them and make such great efforts to make them look good. The effort the writers at The Hindu put up in finding new phrases and words to describe their disgust towards the voters is really praiseworthy! They have been resorting to the same argument ever since the 2014 Lok Sabha victory changed the political landscape of India. It’s been more than 9 years, but they are yet to get out of the shock! 

Google launches Gemini, its ‘largest and most capable AI model’

ANI
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Google launches Gemini, its ‘largest and most capable AI model’

 In its most ambitious effort to compete in the rapidly growing field of generative artificial intelligence (AI), Google has introduced ‘Gemini’ as the company’s “largest and most capable AI model”, CNN reported on Wednesday.

The report stated that Gemini is designed to compete with the likes of OpenAI’s GPT models and supercharge everything from Google’s consumer apps to Android smartphones and that foresees the tech giant’s model being used in every setting, from big companies to consumer devices such as the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Unlike existing AI models that typically deal with only one type of user prompt, such as exclusively images or text, Gemini was built to be “multimodal,” Google said. This means it accepts inputs that include multiple types of media, combining text, images, audio, video and programming code.

“This new era of models represents one of the biggest science and engineering efforts we’ve undertaken as a company,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a blog post, according to CNN.

Google’s Gemini model outperformed rival AI models in testing across more than two dozen benchmarks commonly used by AI researchers to evaluate an algorithm’s reading comprehension, mathematical ability, and multistep reasoning skills, the company said.

“We do see it setting new kinds of frontiers across the board,” Eli Collins, vice president of product at Google DeepMind, told reporters on a conference call Tuesday.

In recognition of those risks, Google said Wednesday that Gemini Ultra, its most advanced version of the model, will only be released gradually to “select customers, developers, partners and safety and responsibility experts for early experimentation and feedback before rolling it out to developers and enterprise customers early next year”.

CNN reported that the Gemini Ultra is currently undergoing third-party safety evaluations, also known as red-teaming, in line with a commitment it made to the Biden administration earlier this summer.

Taking to X, Google CEO Sundar Pichai also shared about the launch of Gemini, posting, “Introducing Gemini 1.0, our most capable and general AI model yet. Built natively to be multimodal, it’s the first step in our Gemini-era of models. Gemini is optimized in three sizes – Ultra, Pro, and Nano.”

“Gemini Ultra’s performance exceeds current state-of-the-art results on 30 of the 32 widely-used academic benchmarks. With a score of 90.0%, Gemini Ultra is the first model to outperform human experts on MMLU,” the Google CEO added.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

US: Three killed, one injured after shooting on University of Nevada campus in Las Vegas

OpIndia Staff
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US: Three killed, one injured after shooting on University of Nevada campus in Las Vegas

At least three people were killed and one seriously injured following a shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in the US, CNN reported on Wednesday.

“According to our investigators at the scene, we have three deceased victims and one additional victim in critical condition at a local hospital. The suspect in this #activeshooter incident is also deceased,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department posted on X.

The victims were taken to hospitals and the suspected shooter on the campus “has been located and deceased”, CNN reported quoting the LAPD.

Authorities in Las Vegas were still evacuating buildings on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus following a shooting, the University Police Services posted on X.

Authorities asked anyone on campus to continue sheltering in place until the area is cleared, and described the incident as an “active investigation.”

Earlier, on Wednesday, police responded to reports of a shooting with multiple victims on the campus, near Beam Hall, the home of the university’s Lee Business School, according to a social media post.

At 11.54 am (local time), the university posted an emergency notice online, saying, “University Police responding to report of shots fire in BEH evacuate to a safe area, RUN-HIDE-FIGHT.”

Shortly after, the university informred that police were responding to “additional report of shots fired in the Student Union”, and advised people to evacuate the area.

“I was sitting outside, I was just having breakfast. I heard three loud booms and I was like, oh, what was that?” a student told CNN affiliate KVVU, adding, “Police showed up, then I ran inside.

“After two minutes, more shots. I ran into the basements, and I was there for 20,” the student said, adding, “I was just hearing a lot of shots.”

This latest incident comes as students are in the middle of a study week before taking final exams and going on winter break, in the same city that suffered the worst mass shooting in modern US history in 2017, CNN reported. (ANI)

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

“Sacrificing our love for our different religious beliefs”: Himanshi Khurana announces break up with Asim Riaz

ANI
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“Sacrificing our love for our different religious beliefs”: Himanshi Khurana announces break up with Asim Riaz

‘Bigg Boss 13’ fame Asim Riaz and Himanshi Khurana are no longer together in a relationship.

On Wednesday, Himanshi took to social media and announced her break up with Asim.

In a note, she confessed that they “sacrificed love for different religious beliefs.”

“YES, we are not together anymore, All the time we have spent together has been great but our togetherness comes to an end Now. The journey of our relationship was great and we are moving forward in our lives. With due respect to our respective religions, we are sacrificing our love for our different religious beliefs,” the note read.

She also asked everyone to respect their privacy.

“We request you to respect our privacy,” she added.

Himanshi, who belongs to a Punjabi Sikh family. On the other hand, Asim is a Muslim. He hails from Jammu. The two met during their stints in ‘Bigg Boss 13’ and soon fell in love with each other. After coming out from ‘Bigg Boss’, the duo also featured together in several love songs.

In another social media post, Himanshi wrote, “When we tried…But we could not find a solution for our life…You still love each other but luck is not supporting happily ever after…No hate only love…That’s called mature decision.”

However, Asim has not posted anything regarding the separation on social media yet.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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