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IIT Madras student peddles pro-Palestine propaganda in convocation: The weaponisation of academic institutions to promote Hamas’ talking points

Paurush Gupta
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IIT Madras student peddles pro-Palestine propaganda in convocation: The weaponisation of academic institutions to promote Hamas’ talking points

On Friday (19th July), a graduating student, Dhananjay Balakrishnan used IIT Madras as a platform to give a pro-Palestine speech during the institute’s 61st convocation. Notably, Dhananjay won the prize for best all-around proficiency in curricular and extracurricular activities in a dual degree in mechanical engineering. While accepting the Governor’s prize, he delivered the Pro-Palestine speech where he claimed that a “mass genocide” was taking place in Palestine and also went on to give a “call for action”. 

In the acceptance speech, which is now going viral on social media, Dhananjay said, “I feel like I would be doing myself, and everything I believe in, a great injustice if I do not use the stage I am presented with to say something important. This is a call for action. There is a mass genocide going on in Palestine. People are dying in vast numbers, and there is no end in sight.”

He argued that students gathered there should be bothered because “STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as a field itself has historically been used to advance the ulterior motives of imperial powers, such as Israel.”

He noted that the tech giants offer very lucrative space and great benefits for hard-working engineering students but he claimed that they have played their role in the war against Palestine.  

(Video Courtesy – IIT Madras YouTube Channel)

He added, “However, these tech giants control various aspects of our lives today, as you know better than anyone. Many of these prestigious companies are also directly and indirectly implicated in the war against Palestine, by providing the state of Israel with technology—technology used to kill.”

He further stated that he doesn’t have all the answers to these problems but as engineers graduating into the real world, it is our job to be aware of the consequences of the work we do. And, also intricate our position in these complex systems of power imbalance, he argued. 

“I hope that we can incorporate this awareness more into our daily lives, attempting to understand what we can do to liberate the oppressed, on lines of caste, class, creed, and gender. That is the first step to put an end to the never-ending cycle of suffering,” the graduating IIT-Madras student added.

He concluded by saying, “Isaac Newton said that he stood on the shoulders of giants to take him where he wanted to go. I want to say this – I am here, we are here by standing on the magnanimous shoulders of the great Indian populace. We owe it to them to lift every single person out of their misery. Inaction is complicity. I hope you and I and all of us can take action to make the right decisions—however hard they may be.” 

It is pertinent to note that IIT Madras held its 61st Convocation on 19th July 2024. This year a total of 2,636 students graduated while as many as 3,016 Degrees including Joint and Dual Degrees were awarded to the students on the occasion. The Chief Guest, Dr. Brian K. Kobilka, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2012), presented the degrees to the graduating students. 

However, the recent pro-Palestine speech during the convocation ceremony at IIT Madras is not a one-off incident where woke students made pro-Palestine remarks in the academic institutions. 

Past instances of students raising Pro-Palestinian slogans in academic institutions

On 19th July 2024, the University of Melbourne initiated disciplinary proceedings against several students who had been involved in pro-Palestine protests. According to The Age, 21 students were facing suspension or expulsion following the occupation of the Arts West building during a multi-day sit-in.

According to a Turkish media outlet Anadolu Agency, Dana Alshaer and hundreds of others have been staging pro-Palestine protests and raising remarks at the top Australian university. 

Alshaer is one of the founders and main organisers of UniMelb for Palestine. It is a collective group of students, staff, and alumni of the University of Melbourne and it was established last November. They had staged pro-Palestinian protests demanding that the University should cut ties with weapons manufacturers, divest from Israeli firms, and, “end its complicity in the genocide in Gaza.”

Earlier this year, on 24th May, students of Ashoka University displayed pro-Palestine placards during their convocation ceremony. A video of the ceremony has gone viral on social media platforms showing students dressed for receiving their degrees holding placards that read “Free Palestine” and “Stop Genocide” above their heads. 

Notably, the student union of Ashoka University (Ashoka University Student Government or AUSG) has been demanding to cut ties with Israel-based Tel Aviv University since May this year. It was reported that a petition by the student’s body was submitted to the college authorities expressing concerns over its ties with the Israeli university. The students’ body urged the University to cut ties with its Israeli counterpart. Notably, Ashoka University and Tel Aviv University have a research partnership that includes faculties from the Israeli University to give lectures in India.

The petition was rejected by Ashoka University saying that the institution is not involved in political stands.

Earlier in April, Harvard students staged protests on the campus premises for several weeks and held an encampment. This forced the university management to take stern action against 13 students who took part in the protest encampment and it announced that these students would not receive their diplomas alongside their peers. 

However, a day later, hundreds of students wearing graduation robes marched out of the Harvard commencement, chanting “Free, Free Palestine.” Some of the students chanted, “Let them walk, let them walk,” advocating that the 13 students should be allowed to receive their diplomas alongside other graduates.

Additionally, universities across the United States were rocked by Pro-Palestine protests for several weeks earlier this year. 

After Karnataka, Tamil Nadu police hounds journalist Ajeet Bharti based on Congress complaint: Details of the case

OpIndia Staff
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After Karnataka, Tamil Nadu police hounds journalist Ajeet Bharti based on Congress complaint: Details of the case

On Saturday (20th July), journalist Ajeet Bharti took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform that the Tamil Nadu police were hounding him on the directive of the Congress party over a video criticising Gandhi Rahul Gandhi.

In a tweet, he informed, “After the threat and FIR by Karnataka Congress, Tamil Nadu Congress is also missing the powers of the police. What does it indicate when the Karnataka High Court has put a stay on the case but a new case is filed in another State?”

“Send your cops, I will meet them,” Ajeet Bharti emphasised. He also shared a notice, dated 15th July, wherein the Chennai police is seen soliciting information from X about the account details and IP address of the journalist.

The notice was issued based on a complaint by one M. Samuel Diraviam MC, a Congress party worker. He had alleged that Ajeet Bharti made ‘false claims’ about Rahul Gandhi in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Based on the complaint, the Tamil Nadu police filed a case against the journalist under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153A and 505 (1)(B).

On top of that, the cops directed the X corporation to provide the login and logout details, phone number, email ID, last activity details and IP address of Ajeet Bharti.

The truth behind Ajeet Bharti’s statement on Rahul Gandhi

The video in question is from the live session of Ajeet Bharti on 14th June 2024. In the session, he was referring to an interview of actor Naseeruddin Shah.

Ajeet Bharti was heard saying, “He talked a bit about his childhood, saying that he, too, was targeted for being Muslim and that he used to target others as well. So, it’s not like it wasn’t happening in the country. Many people wondered how Gulfaam Hassan had a change of heart, but where he was trying to lead was, and if you are a good speaker, you can twist the narrative and lead it in a certain direction. He was trying to say that there was an undercurrent, it was beneath the surface. But when Modi came, he saw potential in it and utilized it in his favor. Even if we accept for a minute that Modi utilized it, show me a speech where Modi is saying to remove the police for 15 minutes and we will show what Hindus can do, or Modi is taking the name of a specific community and saying that we will demolish all their religious sites because our temples were there first. Modi has never made such statements to date. Some BJP leaders might have made such statements, but some top leaders of other parties have given such speeches. Rahul Gandhi has claimed that we will remove the Ram Temple and bring back Babri. It is clearly stated that there is a conspiracy to label Hindus as terrorists. Earlier, the terrorism that was happening was not attributed to any religion, but when it comes to saffron terror, it is being pushed forward.”

It is evident from the video that Ajeet Bharti never said Rahul Gandhi said so in a speech or a rally. What Ajeet was saying was said first by former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam had said in a statement. On 6th May, it was reported that Acharya Pramod had said in a statement that Rahul Gandhi wanted to voerturn Ram Mandir verdict.

He had said, “I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt was formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision…”

Bharti, who was just paraphrasing what a former Congress leader had said is now facing action in Karnataka, which is currently being ruled by Congress. Tamil Nadu is government by I.N.D.I. Alliance partner, DMK.

NTA publishes centre-wise marks obtained by candidates in NEET (UG) 2024 exam as per Supreme Court order: Read how to check the marks

OpIndia Staff
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NTA publishes centre-wise marks obtained by candidates in NEET (UG) 2024 exam as per Supreme Court order: Read how to check the marks

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday published the detailed city-wise and centre-wise results of the NEET-UG 2024 exam on its website. The agency published the marks obtained by candidates as per an order by the Supreme Court on Thursday.

However, the published data does not include the roll number of candidates. Instead, it contains only serial numbers. This is because the Supreme Court had ordered to publish the marks without disclosing the identity of the students.

A notification published by NTA said, “Pursuant to the order dated:18 July 2024 of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in W.P (Civil) No. 335 of 2024, the NTA has published the result of the NEET (UG)-2024. The result has been published State/City/Centre wise marks obtained by Candidates without disclosing the identity of the Candidates.”

The candidate-wise marks for each centre in all the cities have been uploaded on the NTA website. On clicking the link for ‘NEET (UG) 2024 – Result Published City/Centre Wise’, the result webpage opens when one can see an alphabetical list of centre state, centre city and centre name.

There is a ‘View Details’ button on each row, clicking which downloads the PDF of the marks obtained by all candidates in that centre. One can also select state and city from drop-down menus on the top to select a particular centre.

The marks obtained by candidates in a Delhi centre, it includes serial numbers instead of roll numbers as per SC order

Hearing the petitions related to NEET UG 2024, the Supreme Court bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra on 18th July ordered the NTA to publish the marks obtained by students at the UG-2024 NEET examination without disclosing the identity of the students. “The result should be declared city and centrewise by 12 noon on 20 July 2024 and shall be uploaded on the website of the NTA,” the order had stated.

The bench said that the petitioners have submitted that it would be appropriate if the result of the UG-2024 NEET examination is published on the website by the NTA so as to bring about transparency on the centre wise marks obtained by candidates.

The SC order

The NTA on 30 June also released the results of the re-test of NEET UG held on 23 June. While 1563 candidates were eligible for re-test, 813 candidates appeared in the exam, while the result chose to retain their original marks. These 1563 candidates were granted grace marks on account of ‘loss of time’, which was cancelled and they were given the option of re-test.

Anthony Fauci, who came under fire for his mishandling of Covid, says Donald Trump’s wounds from assassination attempt are superficial

OpIndia Staff
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Anthony Fauci, who came under fire for his mishandling of Covid, says Donald Trump’s wounds from assassination attempt are superficial

Dr Anthony Fauci downplayed the injuries sustained by Donald Trump during the attempted assassination last weekend, referring to the gunshot wound that grazed Trump’s right ear. Fauci called the injury “superficial” when he was asked about Donald Trump’s injuries by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on 19th July. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases counselled both Donald Trump and President Biden during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Fauci alleged, “I don’t think there is much more to it. I mean, from what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard, it was a bullet shot that grazed his ear and injured his ear, according to the physicians who examined him. There was no further damage.” The 83-year-old further stated that he believed the former president was “in the clear” based on his doctor’s assessment and subsequent activities including his arrival at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just two days later. Fauci said, “It seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear, and that’s all.”

Anthony Fauci made the remarks following the Republican National Convention this week, during which the 78-year-old presidential nominee Donald Trump covered the gunshot wound on his ear with a white bandage. “I think he’s in the clear as far as I can see,” Fauci stressed.

Meanwhile, Dr Sanjay Gupta, the chief medical reporter for CNN, stated earlier on 19th July that Donald Trump might be experiencing “psychological trauma” after the incident that left one rally goer dead and two others critically injured.

The former president’s campaign has not disclosed the type of medical care he has received or how they intend to track his health in the upcoming weeks. Sanjay Gupta urged for a “full public assessment” of Trump’s wounds to inform voters about his status. Gupta stressed, “The concern is that gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that aren’t immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain, damage to the inner ear, or even psychological trauma.”

Trauma neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta stated that following a gunshot wound, a “thorough evaluation” might provide a clearer picture of the physical and mental impairments and aid in a quicker recovery. He added, “The good news is that most physical symptoms of an injury would probably have revealed themselves over the past few days. At this point, however, the Trump campaign hasn’t yet shared whether a full workup was done at the time or if there has been any follow-up since.”

Donald Trump survived an injury on his right ear during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania where a bullet grazed his ear. He was immediately taken to a hospital as blood streamed from the wound and he has been wearing a bandage over his right ear ever since the attack.

Congress government in Karnataka proposes 2 per cent cess on cinema tickets and OTT subscription fees, bill tabled in the assembly

OpIndia Staff
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Congress government in Karnataka proposes 2 per cent cess on cinema tickets and OTT subscription fees, bill tabled in the assembly

After increasing bus fares, diesel and petrol prices, now the Congress administration of Karnataka has imposed a 2 per cent tax on OTT subscription fees and movie tickets. On 19th July, the Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists (Welfare) Bill, 2024 was tabled in the assembly. The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists Social Security and Welfare Fund is a proposed government financial scheme intended to support the state’s cine and cultural activists.

As per the bill, a ‘Cine and Cultural Activists Welfare Cess’ will be levied in the state on movie tickets, subscription fees and associated establishment earnings. The administration has announced that the cess will be between one and two per cent. The rate will be updated every three years. The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists Welfare Board would be set up by the government, with Bengaluru serving as its headquarters and the Labour Minister functioning as its chairman, per the bill.

The govt intends to expand this cess to theatre productions held within the state, according to Labour Secretary Mohammad Mohsin’s statement. A welfare board consisting of seven members will be constituted for cultural activists and film industry workers as part of the bill. One-third of the board members will be nominated for a three-year term. The board wants to promote social security programs for film industry workers using the money raised from the cess.

“The cess will be levied at rates which will be notified by the government and shall not exceed 2 per cent but shall not be less than 1 per cent on cinema tickets, subscription fees, and all revenue generated from the related establishments,” stated the bill.

While cess on movie tickets will be collected from theatres, it is not sure how the cess on OTT subscriptions will be collected. Because OTT subscriptions are not state-specific and payments are made online. Officials from the labour department revealed that they are now figuring out how to collect the cess on OTT subscriptions.

The Karnataka Cine and Cultural Activists’ Welfare Board will receive the government-collected cess. Minister-in-charge, Department of Labour, Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary, Department of Labour, Labour Commissioner along with seventeen members appointed by the government including cine workers and others will be a part of the board.

The bill read, “Cine and cultural activists include any person employed in the cinema field as an artist (such as an actor, musician, or dancer) or in any skilled, unskilled, manual, supervisory, technical, or artistic role. This also includes individuals engaged in activities declared by the government for this Act. Cine and cultural activists recognised by government-approved academies, such as the Karnataka Chalanachithra Academy, Karnataka Nataka Academy, Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya Academy, Karnataka Janapada Academy, Karnataka Lalithakala Academy, Karnataka Yakshagana Academy, and Karnataka Bayalata Academy, are covered under this bill.”

An estimated 2,355 people, including artists and technicians, are working in the film industry, according to the Karnataka Film Workers’ Artists’ Technicians’ Union. However, a large number of part-time technicians and artists might not be listed with any state organization. A distinct identity card will be issued to each enrolled member so they can make benefit claims. The method by which the cess will be applied to OTT subscriptions, which are normally administered via internet services devoid of physical addresses, is not entirely clear. Talks over whether or not OTT subscriptions would be included are still underway, according to Mohsin. It appears that the local film industry’s OTT productions are the main focus.

Meanwhile, the finance advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Basavaraj Rayareddy, on 11th July unveiled that the state’s lack of funding for development projects is a result of guarantee schemes. The crisis stemmed from the fact that large sums of money had to be put aside for the giveaways. “Many MLAs are demanding funds for development works in their constituencies, however, there is no money with the government. We are spending approximately Rs 65,000 crore on guarantee schemes. Since I am the financial advisor, I somehow managed to get the grant for lake development project. People want development. But believe me, there is absolutely no money. Since I am the financial advisor, I managed to get funds for the lake development project here,” he mentioned while addressing an event at Mangaluru village in Yelburga taluk in Koppal district.

Swastika vs Nazi Hakenkreuz: When Oregon Education Department recognised the distinction between holy Hindu symbol and Nazi hate symbol

OpIndia Staff
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Swastika vs Nazi Hakenkreuz: When Oregon Education Department recognised the distinction between holy Hindu symbol and Nazi hate symbol

In what was a major victory for the Hindu community living across the United States and the world over, in 2021, the Oregon Education Department officially recognised the distinction between the sacred religious symbol, Swastika, and the Nazi’s ‘Hakenkreuz’.

According to the official website Oregon.gov, the Education Department had released an official communication titled, “Every Student Belongs — Learning the difference between symbols”. 

(Source – Oregon.gov)

In the release, the Oregon Education Department described Swastika as “a Sanskrit word and is used to symbolize auspiciousness and elements of the natural world in many religions and cultures, including in Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Jainism, and some Native American religions and cultures.” 

It pointed out that the hooked cross image is often wrongly labelled as Swastika but in reality it is Nazi’s Hakenkreuz, notorious as a hate symbol. 

The Education Department had added, “While the hooked cross image is commonly referred to as a ‘swastika,’ the actual Nazi and Neo-Nazi symbol is correctly labeled as a ‘hakenkreuz’, the German word for ‘hooked cross’. Connect the dots through education and clarification about the terminology.” 

Hindu Swastika and Nazi Hakenkreuz are not the same

There is a huge difference between the two symbols – the sacred religious symbol – Swastika and the Nazi hate symbol – Hakenkreuz. 

Notably, when translated from its Sanskrit root, Swastika comprises of ‘su’ meaning ”good” and ‘Asti’ meaning ”to be”. In other words, well-being. It dates back some 6,000 years to rock and cave paintings. Scholars generally agree it originated in India.

It has also meant a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and all things auspicious for other ancient cultures, including the Vikings and Greeks, besides Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.

A religious symbol for Hindus, the Swastika was first mentioned in the Vedas. It symbolises many things like Surya (the sun) and Brahma, the creator. It is seen as a power symbol and is also the emblem of Ganesha, the god of good luck. In both Hinduism and Jainism, the Swastika is used to mark the opening pages of account books, doors, and thresholds.

In fact, it is found that the Swastika was also used in Ancient Greece and can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy, which existed 4,000 years ago. The ancient Druids and the Celts also used the symbol. It was used by Nordic tribes and even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, including the Teutonic Knights, a German medieval military order, which became a purely religious Catholic Order.

Furthermore, the American Jewish Committee, one of the country’s oldest Jewish advocacy organizations, released a leaflet clarifying the distinction between the Swastika used for millennia by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cultures and the deformed Nazi version of it.

However, out of ignorance, cultural insensitivity, and deliberate intentions, many conflate the two symbols, furthering Hinduphobia which has been rampantly observed throughout the world. A notable case recently surfaced from Australia where Uber had de-platformed a Hindu woman from their portal for 5 months because her name was Swastika. But she later won after she fought against this decision.  

*Previous information in this article was based on reports that appeared in the media. It has been amended to reflect the factual position after clarification by Coalition of Hindus of North America (COHNA)

Former Pakistan Army soldiers and trained terrorists behind recent terror strikes in Jammu: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Former Pakistan Army soldiers and trained terrorists behind recent terror strikes in Jammu: Report

Chinese steel core bullets, precision fire, and M-4 US carbines equipped with binoculars mean that terrorists engaged in recent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir could have been Special Service Group (SSG) regulars from the Pakistan Army who have retired or they might have been guerrilla fighters with extensive training, reported Hindustan Times. A senior police officer also validated the claims of intelligence agencies.

The first clear application of M4 carbine with Chinese steel core bullets by Pakistani terrorists took place on 20th April 2023, during an ambush of an army truck in the Tota Gali district of Poonch, resulting in the deaths of five troops. He said, “Though we could not confirm with certainty that there are some former Pakistan army regulars among the terrorists, the guerrilla warfare tactics being employed by the terrorists in recent attacks in Jammu strongly indicate that they are not commoners carrying firearms. They either seem to be former Pakistan army regulars or terrorists well-trained in guerrilla warfare. We are facing battle-hardened terrorists equipped with sophisticated weaponry in the dense jungles.”

The main infantry weapon and service rifle of the United States military, the M4 carbine assault rifle, was created in the 1980s as a scaled-down version of the M16A2 assault rifle. Chinese steel core ammunition consists of a cartridge with a steel core bullet that can penetrate deep into armour and is coated in a metal jacket. “The current situation developing in the Jammu region is a matter of serious concern. Immediate action is the need of the hour. Reportedly some Pakistan Army regulars are guiding these terrorist groups along with some of the local terrorists of Jammu region, who had earlier crossed across and settled in Pakistan,” informed former director general of police (DGP) Dr SP Vaid.

According to intelligence sources, weapons that the United States left behind in Afghanistan are now entering Jammu and Kashmir through Pakistan. The Rajouri-Poonch sector and other places south of the Pir Panjal mountains that separate the Jammu and Kashmir regions experienced an increase in terrorist activity during the past two years. For counterterrorism activities, the army has reinforced the intelligence network, reorganized its units and dispatched more soldiers to the area.

Since Pakistan-based terror groups have made the districts of Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi and Kathua their obvious targets, security forces have likewise adjusted their responses. While 20 soldiers died in the Rajouri-Poonch area last year, seven soldiers were killed in counterterrorism operations in the Kashmir Valley. Meanwhile, twenty terrorists were gunned down in the Rajouri-Poonch area and fifty were neutralised in the Kashmir Valley in 2023.

Terrorists struck a pilgrim bus in Reasi on 9th June, resulting in 42 injuries and 10 fatalities including women and children. On 26th June, an encounter broke out in the Gandoh area of Doda district between terrorists and security personnel, which led to the deaths of three terrorists.

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi to visit Jammu amidst terror attacks

General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army Staff, is scheduled to visit Jammu on 20th July to assess the security situation following a recent upsurge in terror incidents in the region. Furthermore, he is anticipated to communicate with the local troops and senior leadership. The formation commanders will brief him on the locations being taken by the security forces. There’s also probably going to be a security review meeting with other security agencies.

The visit by the Army commander comes after four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed on 16th July in action during a confrontation with terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. This will be his second visit. He travelled to the Poonch-Rajouri sector on 3rd July to evaluate the security conditions along the Line of Control (LoC). The Indian Army is modifying its deployments in the area in accordance with intelligence inputs and security requirements in light of the infiltration of highly trained Pakistani terrorists in the Jammu region.

The Indian Army has placed about 500 Para Special Forces commandos into the area to track down the 50 to 55 terrorists from Pakistan who have infiltrated the area in an attempt to resurrect terrorism there, based on sources. The intelligence services have also strengthened their presence in the region and are attempting to eliminate the infrastructure that supports terrorism there, including overground employees. According to sources, the Army has already dispatched troops to counteract Pakistan’s proxy invasion in the area, with one brigade of around 3,500–4,000 soldiers.

The top brass of the Army on the ground has been developing plans to find and eliminate the terrorists, who have access to the newest weapons and communication technology. With two Rashtriya Rifles forces, the Romeo and Delta forces as well as other regular infantry divisions stationed nearby, the Army already possesses a counterterrorism infrastructure.

(With inputs from ANI)

Civil Aviation Ministry says operations back to normal a day after biggest IT outage caused massive disruptions globally, Crowdstrike says core issue resolved 

OpIndia Staff
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Civil Aviation Ministry says operations back to normal a day after biggest IT outage caused massive disruptions globally, Crowdstrike says core issue resolved 

On Saturday (20th July), people in large numbers could be seen standing outside Airports across India a day after a technical glitch in Microsoft’s Crowdstrike caused massive disruptions globally. The disruption was caused by a faulty update of Crowdstrike software and it is being described as the world’s biggest IT outage. Although the situation has improved significantly since Friday’s pandemonium, passengers continue to face challenges. Crowdstrike said that while the core issue has been resolved, a full return to normalcy could take several days.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that flight operations were smooth and airline systems were back to normal across all airports a day after the global outage. In a statement, the ministry said that all issues related to travel adjustments and refund processes were being taken care of.

It is now clear that the root cause of the global Microsoft outage was a faulty update to its Falcon Sensor software which was issued by CrowdStrike for Windows systems. Microsoft said that the issue began at 1900 GMT on Thursday when Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors began popping up and computers crashed. In India, the outrage reportedly began at around 9.39 a.m. IST on 19th July. 

(Image Source – NDTV)

Soon, the outage triggered a shutdown-like situation for global airlines, banks, healthcare, and financial institutions on Friday. According to reports, Microsoft’s outage caused maximum disruptions in the aviation sector as over 5000 flights were cancelled globally. 

The Indian airline carriers cancelled over 200 flights with IndiGo being the worst-hit carrier as it alone canceled 192 flights. In the United States, at least three major airlines, American, United, and Delta, grounded all flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Reportedly, 3,000 US flights were canceled while another 11,000 were delayed. Likewise, UK rail services were also severely impacted as the faulty update caused Windows to crash. 

Hours after Windows started crashing because of its faulty update, CrowdStrike released a software patch as a fix. 

Microsoft had said, “After an extended period of monitoring, we’ve determined that the issue is mitigated, and all previously impacted Microsoft 365 apps and services have recovered.”

CrowdStrike’s CEO George Kurtz acknowledged the error and issued an apology for the massive disruption. The firm also promised to undertake a full investigation and to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, it ruled out apprehensions of it being a security incident or a cyberattack. 

CrowdStrike revealed, “The update that occurred at 04:09 UTC was designed to target newly observed, malicious named pipes being used by common C2 frameworks in cyberattacks. The configuration update triggered a logic error that resulted in an operating system crash.” 

The firm confirmed the problem was due to a defect in a content update for Windows hosts and not a security incident or cyberattack.

Meanwhile, airlines and other affected industries including banking and hospitals are working to clear the backlogs caused because of yesterday’s outage. It is pertinent to note that while outages are not uncommon and it is often caused by technical errors or cyberattacks, however, the scale of yesterday’s outage has caused concerns.  

Several domain experts have expressed concerns that the global outage highlights the need for diversification in software application usage and Operating systems to avoid over-dependence on a few firms like Google and Microsoft. According to them, the outage has exposed the vulnerability of interconnected technologies on a global scale and highlighted the need for improved contingency plans to mitigate future IT outages. 

They have expressed apprehensions that while the latest case was of a faulty update which was corrected after a few hours, mischievous actors or cyberattacks in the future could cause disruptions on a wider scale and for a prolonged period which requires more focus on advancing cybersecurity measures, and reducing over-dependence on few hegemonic firms.

Meanwhile, many experts, X users, and journalists pointed out that India needs its own Operating System and other necessary Software setups to make it immune from future global IT outages. Additionally, there are apprehensions that non-India-based firms can deliberately cause disruption or could threaten to exploit this leverage as part of their parent country’s geopolitical stance vis-a-vis India. 

Ola founder, Bhavish Aggarwal wrote, “Imagine if our electricity grid was controlled by companies outside of India. Similarly our ‘digital grid’ is even more important. And all of it is controlled from outside of India.”

Haryana: Sonepat Congress MLA Surender Panwar arrested by ED in illegal mining case

OpIndia Staff
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Haryana: Sonepat Congress MLA Surender Panwar arrested by ED in illegal mining case

On Saturday, July 20, Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Congress MLA Surender Panwar in an illegal mining case. Panwar is the MLA from Sonepat seat in the state of Haryana. Earlier in January this year, ED had searched premises linked to Surender Panwar and his aides.

The arrest of the Congress MLA is in connection with a money-laundering case linked to illegal mining in Yamunanagar in Haryana and some other areas of the state. The money laundering case investigation came following several FIRs of the Haryana Police to probe alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel and sand in the past in Yamunanagar and nearby districts even after the lease expiry period and court’s order.

Along with investigating potential fraud in illegal mining, ED is also looking into the ‘e-ravan’ system, an online site introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 with the goal of streamlining tax and royalties collection and preventing tax evasion in mining regions, as per a PTI report.

Notably, Surender Panwar resigned from his position and sent it to Haryana assembly speaker in July 2022, claiming personal reasons such as dangers to his family’s safety and well-being. However, later he withdrew the resignation.

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood justifies spitting in people’s food, says it is Humanity; equates spitting on food with Lord Ram eating Shabri’s ber

OpIndia Staff
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Bollywood actor Sonu Sood justifies spitting in people’s food, says it is Humanity; equates spitting on food with Lord Ram eating Shabri’s ber

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood landed himself in a fresh controversy on Saturday (20th July) as he came out in defence of a miscreant who was seen on camera spitting on rotis he was preparing for his customers. In a post on X, Sonu Sood equated the miscreant’s act of spitting on rotis to that of Ramayana’s Shabri who had tasted berries before giving them to Lord Ram. The Bollywood actor claimed that if Lord Ram could eat Shabri’s berries, why can’t he eat rotis that have been spat upon? He defended the act of spitting by describing it as an act of “Humanity”. 

Sonu Sood wrote, “Our Shri Ram Ji ate the tasted berries of Shabri, so why can’t I eat them (rotis spat upon)? Violence can be defeated by non-violence, my brother. Humanity must remain intact. Jai Shri Ram”

However, his social media post soon triggered outrage from X users who called him out for defending the act of spitting on the customer’s food. Several X users pointed out that the intention behind Mata Shabri tasting berries was to give only sweet berries to Shri Ram, out of devotion to her Lord while the miscreant’s act was driven out of religious hatred.

An X user, Rosy, requested Sonu Sood to visit the said dhaba and make a video of himself eating the spit-soiled rotis.

Several users also objected to his analogy where he equated the miscreant with Shabri and by extension likened himself with Lord Shri Ram. 

Political analyst Abhishek Tiwari responded to his post saying, “The miscreant roti-maker is not Mata Shabri and you aren’t Ram.” Mata Shabri is the symbol of love, this person is spitting in hatred, he added. 

Another user wrote, “Shame on you for this Bizarre comparison of Prem of Shabri vs Thuk J!;had just to prove your one-sided secular ideology. U don’t have respect for those Kanwariya who follow Satvik food, their tapasya worship of many days is nothing for you. Disgusting” 

It is pertinent to note that Sonu Sood made the post in the wake of recent order passed by the Uttar Pradesh government where it has asked eatery owners and operators, falling on the route of Kanwar Yatra, to display their names. Earlier, it was alleged that several miscreants were running their eateries/carts under false Hindu names which at times created a law and order situation. Reacting to it earlier, Sonu Sood argued that eateries should have nameplates displaying ‘Humanity‘ as their identity. He made the recent controversial post while reacting to a user who highlighted that the UP government’s order asking food vendors to display names is important as some miscreants had been accused of spitting in customers’ food.

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