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Uttarakhand: Fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary kills 4 persons fighting the disaster, 4 others sustain injuries, read how state’s forest fires are turning into infernos

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Fire in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary kills 4 persons fighting the disaster, 4 others sustain injuries, read how state’s forest fires are turning into infernos

A tragic incident occurred in the Almora district of Uttarakhand on 13th June where a major fire broke out in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary area which led to four deaths. Those who died included forest beat officer Trilok Mehta (56), fire watcher Karan Arya (21), Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) member Puran Mehra (52) and Deewan Ram (35), a daily wage worker. The staff arrived at the location in a departmental vehicle in the afternoon to put out the fire.

However, according to officials, the fire was blazing so fiercely that the workers were promptly engulfed in the flames and suffered serious burns. Notably, several frontline forest workers have already lost their lives in a wildfire in three separate incidents this year, bringing the overall number of casualties from the forest fire season to ten. Nine of these deaths happened in the Almora region alone.

Ex-gratia payments of Rs 10 lakh each to the family members of the deceased have been declared by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. He added, “In this hour of grief, the entire Uttarakhand government stands with the families of the forest workers. I have instructed the officials to immediately airlift the four forest workers who were injured to Haldwani Base Hospital or to AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences) Rishikesh,” Firefighting operations are in progress since the fire is still quite strong in the area. Four others who endured burns were moved to a nearby hospital.

According to the chief minister’s special secretary, Parag Madhukar Dhakate, the instance happened in the Civil Soyam Forest Division of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary at around 3:30 pm. He pointed out that the issue is being constantly monitored. A post-mortem is being performed on the deceased. Forest department employees and PRD jawans took a vehicle to reach the spot upon receiving the information. A communique from the state government unveiled, “Their vehicle caught fire. Four of them died before they could jump out of the vehicle, while others got injured.”

Three workers lost their lives trying to put out a forest fire that destroyed a resin factory in the Almora district last month. The Uttarakhand forest fire bulletin revealed that during the past twenty-four hours, seven occurrences involving 4.50 hectares of affected forest have been reported

The massive problem of forest fires in Uttarakhand

According to Nishant Verma, the state’s assistant principal chief conservator of forests and nodal officer for forest fires, Uttarakhand reported 1,213 forest fire occurrences from 1st November to the evening of 12th June, compared to 663 incidents during the same period last year. Seven forest fire incidents were reported by the state on 12th June, four of them were in Garhwal, one in Kumaon and one in the wildlife administration region. The fires caused damage to more than thirteen hectares of forest area.

Over 142 hectares of Uttarakhand’s forestland were destroyed between the 20th to 27th of April this year by massive forest fires that tore across the state’s densely wooded mountains for several hours. The Indian Air Force sent out a Mi-17 V5 helicopter with a “Bambi Bucket” to put out a fire that had spread to a nearby Air Force Station near the Nanda range. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed alarm over the out-of-control forest fires and stated that the government was making every effort to contain them.

Mi-17 helicopter contains blaze near Lariyakta in Nainital. (Source: The Times of India)

He conveyed, “The forest fires are a challenge for us. This is a big fire. We are working for all the essential needs. We have asked for help from the Army. I am going to conduct a meeting in Haldwani today. We have conducted a meeting in Dehradun also regarding this. We will try to control the fire as soon as possible.” He further stated that anybody found guilty of causing forest fires would face consequences from the respective district administrations.

Naresh Bhatt from Tadiyal village in Tehsil-Jakholi was apprehended by the forest fire protection squad led by Divisional Forest Officer Rudraprayag. According to a news release from the district administration, he was attempting to light the forests on fire to provide space for goats to graze. Hemant Singh and Bhagwati Lal were caught after they were discovered lighting a fire in the North Jakholi village of Dangwal.

The Forest Survey of India (FSI) sent the forest department almost 7,000 alerts this April for both small and large forest fires, a considerable increase over the 925 alerts received during the same period the previous year. The state of Uttarakhand experienced 43 additional wildfire occurrences in a 24-hour period in May, destroying 62 hectares of forest area. This marked an increase in the intensity of the already-raging fire occurrences. 1011 hectares of forest were burnt in a total of 804 incidents. 

Months-long wildfires continued to consume the Himalayan hill state’s vegetation. Five individuals reportedly died as a result of 910 forest fire events that have damaged 1,145 hectares of woodland since 1st November. The Uttarakhand Forest Department also lost a significant amount of revenue, more than Rs 25 lakh, as a result of the fires. Pushkar Singh Dhami directed Chief Secretary Radha Raturi to notify all district magistrates and provide guidelines for routinely monitoring forest fires. Additionally, he requested that all district magistrates issue orders prohibiting the burning of any kind of fodder for a week at this time. The burning of solid trash in or close to forests was asked to be prohibited by urban bodies.

The authorities arrested Mosar Alam, Nazifar Alam, Nurul, Salim and Feroz Alam as Uttarakhand grappled with forest fires for weeks which destroyed over 1000 acres of forest area. Furthermore, the state police nabbed at least 52 people for setting fire to forests and destroying several acres of pristine land and as many as 315 cases were registered under the Forest Conservation Act.

A forest fire in Nainital district in Uttarakhand. (Source: The Hindu)

Reasons behind the fire and government response

According to the most recent biennial report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), forest cover makes up 24,305 square kilometres, or a startling 44.5%, of the state’s 53,483 square kilometres geographical area. 0.2% of these forests are categorized as extremely prone to fire, 1.6% as very highly prone, 9.3% as highly prone, 21.7% as moderately prone, and 67.25% as less prone to fire.

Forest fires are uncontrolled natural fires that happen by accident and threaten the world’s forest ecosystems. Any kind of fire needs three things to survive: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. This is commonly known as the “fire triangle.” In a forest, there is an abundance of oxygen and fuel in the form of dried trees, shrubs, grasses, and litter, especially during the hot and dry summer months. Drought, dry weather and parched vegetation can all provide simple firewood. A forest fire’s ability to spread is greatly aided by strong winds.

A pamphlet found on the Uttarakhand Forest Department website highlighted that the primary causes of forest fires are high-tension cables, an abundance of highly combustible chir pine trees, and the rising number of people leaving the region for other states, which has left the hills desolate. It pointed out that while the younger generation lacks the environmental education found in the present academic curriculum, making them unprepared to deal with forest fires, older generations who make up the majority of those living in the hills are unable to scale the hilltops to contain the fires. Notably, 95% of forest fires are caused by people, per a 2019 report from the Forest Research Institute, which is housed under the Environment Ministry of India.

Firefighters try to douse a fire after it broke out in the forest in Bageshwar, in May. (Source: India Today)

The Uttarakhand administration declared that “all the instances of forest fires are manmade” in an 8th May Supreme Court hearing. It notified the court that 388 criminal charges against people detected starting forest fires had been filed around the state. According to the administration, the majority of those nabbed tried to burn their stubble but were unable to contain the flames that spread quickly because of high winds. According to the government’s 380-page interim status report filed with the court, fires had an impact on just 0.1% of the forest cover. The state notified the court that the forest fires were being handled by the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force.

After expressing satisfaction with the state’s response about the steps it was taking to address the issue, the court postponed the case until September 2024. The state mentioned that among other things, it was filling open positions at the field level of the Forest Department and had utilized the whole Compensatory Afforestation Fund for firefighting and fire prevention. Meanwhile, Rs 3 lakh in insurance coverage was promised by the state government for 4,000 contract workers in the forest department.

Interestingly, the proposal to utilise pine needles, which fall from the trees from mid-March to the start of July rains, to produce electricity has been developed by the Uttarakhand administration. The chief minister also announced this year the launch of the Pirul Lao-Paise Pao (bring pine leaves and get money) plan, under which the State will buy pine leaves at Rs 50 per kg, significantly more than the previous rate of Rs 3 per kg.

Massive fire breaks out at Kolkata’s Acropolis Mall, several trapped as firefighters launch rescue efforts

OpIndia Staff
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Massive fire breaks out at Kolkata’s Acropolis Mall, several trapped as firefighters launch rescue efforts

On Friday (14th June), a massive fire broke out at Kolkata’s Acropolis Mall, trapping several people inside the premises. Several fire engines rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames. According to initial reports, authorities had to remove people from the building after the incident happened on the third floor of the Acropolis retail mall in Kolkata’s southern region.

As per the reports, 10 fire engines were dispatched to put out the fire that broke out inside the mall in the Kasba area at about 12.15 pm. “As of now, there is no report of any injury. Firefighting operations are underway. Some firefighters have entered the building wearing oxygen masks,” an official was quoted as saying.

The entire area was covered in smoke, and traffic in front of the mall was restricted, according to the Kolkata Traffic Police. The cause of the fire was not immediately evident. However, multiple reports indicate that the fire broke out in the mall’s food court area. 

The Acropolis Mall fire occurred just days after a fire broke out at a restaurant on Park Street in central Kolkata, causing widespread alarm. No casualties have been reported so far. 

“The cause of the fire will be ascertained after a forensic investigation. The authorities will examine whether the restaurant owner had followed safety regulations or not,” Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose said.

Earlier, similar incidents took place in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area and also in Mumbai’s Dombivali area. A massive fire broke out at the Marwadi Katra market area in Chandni Chowk, Delhi on Thursday (13th June). 40 fire tenders were sent on the spot to control the fire. Several shops were destroyed as the fire escalated in the area. The cause behind the fire is yet to be ascertained. No casualties were reported by the concerned authorities. The cooling operations are still underway.

In Mumbai’s Dombivali region, massive free broke out in a chemical factory, Indo Amines, located in the Phase 2 area of MIDC. The incident happened on 12th June leaving the nearby residents in a state of panic. Earlier several workers were reported trapped in the fire but later all were rescued to safety. No casualties were reported.

Fire at Dombivali, Mumbai (Image- Loksatta)

In the given case, the reason for the fire is being ascertained. Further inputs are awaited.

Indian Army receives first batch of ‘Made In India’ Nagastra-1 suicide drones capable of precision strike

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Army receives first batch of ‘Made In India’ Nagastra-1 suicide drones capable of precision strike

The Indian Army has acquired the first batch of indigenously made man-portable suicide drones, known as Nagastra-1. These drones are designed to precisely strike enemy training camps, launch pads, and infiltrators, without endangering the lives of soldiers.

Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, designed and produced the drones entirely in India, and they contain more than 75% indigenous components. Nagastra-1 will strengthen the army’s capacity to launch shallow strikes across the border when required. Notably, the Indian Army inked a contract last year to purchase approximately 450 Nagastra-1 loitering munitions.

Nagastra-1 kamikaze or suicide drones can launch GPS-enabled precision strikes with an accuracy of 2 metres and a range of nearly 25-30 kilometres. The drones, designed to be carried by infantry forces on foot, have a minimal acoustic signature and use electric propulsion, making them a silent killer.

According to the Economic Times, these drones can be used against soft-skin targets. Unlike traditional missiles and precision munitions, they are a low-cost solution that can be used against lower-level targets such as a group of infiltrating terrorists on the border. An additional distinguishing feature is a parachute recovery system, which can return the munition in the event of an aborted mission, allowing it to be reused.

Earlier, the armed forces purchased similar systems from foreign manufacturers during an earlier round of emergency procurements, although at a substantially higher cost. The Nagastra 1 has almost 75% locally sources components, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. These loitering munitions could potentially be exported to other friendly countries in the future.

‘Mamata Didi, give us poison so we can die peacefully’: Sandeshkhali woman narrates harrowing tale of post-poll violence by TMC in West Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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‘Mamata Didi, give us poison so we can die peacefully’: Sandeshkhali woman narrates harrowing tale of post-poll violence by TMC in West Bengal

On Friday (14th June), a video of a woman narrating the atrocities committed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons on BJP workers went viral on social media.

The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by political commentator Abhijit Majumder. In the video, a Hindu woman was heard saying in Bengali, “My husband was a polling agent of the BJP. They had also filed a case (fabricated) against my husband.”

“He has been missing since yesterday. The men in the village are not at their homes. They have been hunted down by TMC goons and beaten mercilessly,” she further added.

“Those who had to bear this will be crippled for life. The men were brutally thrashed and stomped on the ground,” the woman pointed out.

She emphasised, “Please ensure that our message reaches Mamata Banerjee – Give us poison (bish) so that we can die peacefully. Else abduct all of us. We do not want to live anymore,”

“We have infants at our house. There is no food at our house. We cannot go to the market and put rice in the mouths of our children,” the woman continued.

“What is the purpose of our existence? It is better that we die,” she said while crying inconsolably. Another woman informed that the local police have been working as TMC moles and outing the addresses of BJP workers.

At the time of writing, the video posted by Abhijit Majumder has been retweeted 2.1K times and liked by 3.1K users on X (formerly Twitter).

The origin of the viral video

OpIndia found that the video was originally posted on the YouTube channel of TV9 Bangla on 3rd June 2024. The woman seen in the victim is from Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

When the date is matched with the testimony of the victim, it becomes clear that her husband had been missing from 2nd June this year. Interestingly, the last phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal was held on 1st June 2024.

The whereabouts of the woman’s husband, who happened to be the polling agent of the BJP, remains unknown.

BJP workers in West Bengal flee homes after Lok Sabha elections

Following the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, hundreds of BJP workers have fled their villages and homes – a grim situation reminiscent of the 2021 Vidhan Sabha elections and 2023 Panchayat election in the State.

The development was confirmed in a report, published by The Indian Express on Saturday (8th June). While speaking about the matter, a BJP worker named Prasanta Haldar informed, “Election season mane amader ghor chharar season (election season for us means the season of leaving home).”

A resident of Vidyadhar Palli area of Baruipur, Haldar and his family fled home after casting their vote during the 7th phase of Lok Sabha elections. He had sent his wife and children to a relative’s house.

In the meantime, he has sought refuge along with 50 others at the BJP office in Baruipur. Haldar told The Indian Express, “I was forced to leave home in 2021 after the Assembly polls, and then after panchayat polls last year.”

“I was able to get back home in April this year, but now once again, I am homeless. Me and other workers from my village got threats before the Lok Sabha polls, but I still worked for the party. However, on June 2, after the last phase of polls, I left home. I later heard that my home was ransacked,” the BJP worker lamented.

On 6th June, the Calcutta High Court rapped the Mamata Banerjee-led- Trinamool Congress government over post-poll violence in West Bengal.

‘Craze for Sarkari job and the plague of paper leaks’: How major exam mismanagement cases haunt some states, seeding dissatisfaction among youth

Siddhi Somani
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‘Craze for Sarkari job and the plague of paper leaks’: How major exam mismanagement cases haunt some states, seeding dissatisfaction among youth

India’s public examination system has enjoyed widespread recognition and admiration on a national and international level for a number of decades. It has been characterized as clean, fair, and strong allowing capable students to secure greater positions and build a solid life. Public exam tests and competitive and intense and Indian students have always performed admirably, even passing the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs) to get admission into universities in New York and Canada. 

In other words, India’s examination system, which is a cornerstone of the educational structure, is diverse. In recent years, however, things appear to have deteriorated. Public test papers are being illegally released and leaked at a rate that the elderly founding fathers of India’s education system could never have imagined.

No institution appears exempt from IIT entrance exams and pre-medical entry NEET to mid-term school papers in Punjab and constable recruitment in Haryana. Unfortunately, such leaks have a negative influence on the brand value of some well-known public institutions, compromising their reputations and the future potential of their otherwise talented students.

The latest happening to recall is the ongoing NEET UG-2024 controversy in which the concerned authorities had to explain that the sanctity of the medical exam test had not been compromised though 63 students used unfair means to get through the exam.

NEET UG 2024 controversy: NTA says no papers were leaked

The saga began on 4th June after the National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the results of the recently conducted NEET UG-24 exams.

A plea was filed against the NTA stating that grace marks were awarded to 1563 students who appeared for the NEET exam on May 5th. As per the plea, these grace marks aided some of the students to secure top ranks, also scoring 718 or 719 out of 720 which is technically impossible, given the negative marking system. Further around 67 students are said to have scored 720/720. The plea demanded a thorough investigation of the case, risking the futures of around 24 lakhs who appeared for the exam across 4750 centres in India.

Students protesting (Image- India Today)

Notably, on Thursday (13th June), the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it had cancelled the decision to award grace marks to 1563 candidates who appeared for NEET UG-2024. The Centre also said that these 1563 students had the option to appear for a re-test or go ahead without the grace marks, which will be held on 23 June. Meanwhile, several petitions have been filed to the SC claiming paper leaks and a significant increase in high scores. However, the NTA clarified that no papers were leaked though 63 cases were found who used unfair means to get through the examination.

It is noteworthy that one of the most popular poll perspectives nowadays is the problem of paper leaks in India’s central regions. The results of the Lok Sabha election in 2024 have highlighted several issues with political parties’ social engineering initiatives. This exemplifies how the frequently shared issues of youth employment and education can unexpectedly come to the forefront of politics. For young voters between the ages of 18 and 25, exam paper leaks and frauds in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar have been a big problem.

41 paper leaks in 15 states in the last 5 years

A report by The Indian Express confirms that 41 paper leaks over the last five years in 15 states have affected around 1.4 crore job hopefuls who applied for over one lakh positions. It is important to understand why this has led to stress and disappointment among young voters, especially when examinations continue to be rescheduled and recruitment for state-level government posts remains postponed.

Standardized testing, when used to administer large-scale exams, is widely considered a reliable method in the educational setting. The idea is well-known throughout the world for how well it works to cut down on time and administer exams utilizing standard scoring guidelines to applicants to universities.

Without much consideration, the standardized testing model is used in recruiting processes due to its ability to analyze a large number of candidates in a short period. Unlike any other testing method, the standardized exam groups the candidate with a wide cohort of people who may have prepared differently but nevertheless show up and compete for a set number of jobs. This recruitment approach is employed by the state public service commissions to fill positions ranging from entry-level data operators to college and school teachers. However, preparedness for applicants from remote rural backgrounds and underprivileged groups is hampered by loans incurred to pay application fees, coaching centers, computer training facilities, and rent.

Representative Image- BBC

With the news of question paper leaks and exam cancellations, the arduous process of creating a dream can swiftly turn into disaster.

Few recent incents of paper leaks in India

UP Police Constable recruitment exam paper leak led to 400 arrests

In 2024, question paper leaks affected three key competitive exams for government posts in Uttar Pradesh. The most recent addition to this list was the UP police constable recruitment exam, which was held in February and had over 48 lakh people apply.

The Uttar Pradesh Police Constable recruitment exam, scheduled for February 17 and 18, 2024, was canceled due to claims of paper leaks. Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, later announced that a re-examination would take place within six months. The leak led to 400 arrests across UP and six states, with 12 FIRs filed. 

CTET exam 2024 leaked

In January this year, the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) exam 2024 was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This national-level exam is administered twice a year to verify candidates’ eligibility to teach in CBSE-affiliated schools. However, shortly after the CTET January 2024 exam was completed, various complaints were made about the question paper being leaked. Candidates flocked to social media platforms such as Twitter to complain that the CTET 2024 question paper was leaked just minutes before the exam began.

According to various candidates, the CTET paper leak in 2024 occurred for both Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 is for applicants who want to teach classes 1–5, and Paper 2 is for those who want to teach classes 6–8. Candidates stated that the entire question paper was leaked via WhatsApp and other channels.

HSLC exam paper leaked in Assam

The English question paper for the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Exam 2024 was leaked in Dhubri, Assam in February. The leaked question paper, apparently from Jaruar Char Public High School, surfaced just as students began their exams, adding to the region’s long series of exam-related scandals. This incident marks yet another breach in the security of matriculation examinations.

Image- India Today NE

UP Class 12th board exams 2024 paper leaked

The question papers for the Uttar Pradesh Class 12th board exams 2024, which include subjects such as Mathematics and Biology, were leaked over WhatsApp. The maths and biology question papers for the Uttar Pradesh class 12th board exam were purportedly circulated on a WhatsApp group an hour after they began in March this year. Dinesh Kumar, the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) for Agra, had then filed a complaint with the police at Fatehpur Sikri.

Image- Amar Ujala

In 2023, several paper leak incidents struck India’s educational sector, affecting Telangana, Maharashtra, Assam, and Rajasthan. The instances highlighted systemic weaknesses, including leaked question papers for SSC and HSC exams as well as recruitment tests for government professionals such as assistant engineers and elementary teachers.

Telangana SSC paper leak 2023

The Hindi question paper was leaked during the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in Kamalapur village, Hanamkonda district (formerly Warangal district), in 2023. The leaked material immediately spread on social media, mainly WhatsApp, raising concerns among education officials and the district collector. An investigation was immediately set up to determine the scope of the leak and identify those responsible for the breach.

TSPSC Assistant Engineer exam paper leak

In March 2023, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) noticed a question paper leak for the Assistant Engineer recruitment exam. This unfortunate situation resulted in the cancelation of the March 5th, 2023 exam for posts such as Assistant Engineer (AE), Municipal Assistant Engineer (MAE), Technical Officer (TO), and Junior Technical Officer.

As a result, candidates who took the compromised exam were disappointed and unclear about the status of their applications, raising questions about exam security and fairness in the recruiting process.

Image- South India First news

Assam HSLC 2023 paper leak

The Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) was compelled to cancel the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exams for English and General Science in March 2023 due to a set of leaked question papers. Minister of Education Ranoj Pegu then immediately requested a CID probe into the incident. However, the details of the CID investigation and its findings remain undisclosed to the public.

Maharashtra HSC paper leak

In March 2023, a private institution in Maharashtra was implicated in the leak of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Mathematics paper, raising worries about the examination’s integrity. Subsequent investigations by Mumbai police revealed evidence indicating that the college had also compromised the Chemistry and Physics examinations. The leaks, widely believed to be coordinated to assist associated students, involved the exchange of question papers over WhatsApp shortly before each examination, giving those who got them an unfair advantage.

The leaks occurred around an hour before each exam, allowing college students to gain access to the compromised question papers. This immoral conduct not only harmed the credibility of the testing system but also raised concerns about the security mechanisms in place to prevent similar instances in the future.

REET 2023 paper leak

The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board (RSMSSB) administered the Rajasthan Eligibility for Elementary Teachers (REET) test on February 25, 2023. However, claims of a document leak occurred the same day, raising significant concerns. The leak apparently occurred before the exam’s morning session began, causing a group in Jodhpur to be apprehended while solving the compromised paper. The police then arrested the persons implicated, forcing the Rajasthan Police to conduct an inquiry into the source and length of the leak.

Candidates who had painstakingly prepared for the REET exam faced the risk of unfair competition as a result of the leak, emphasizing the importance of severe procedures to protect the evaluation system’s legitimacy.

Govt order regarding REET paper leak (TOI)

Impact of Frequent Paper Leaks in India and probable steps to stop leaks

Students from remote rural areas and marginalized castes are disproportionately affected due to such incidents of frequent paper leaks since they are burdened with debts incurred to pay for application fees, coaching centers, computer training centers, and rent. The cancellation of exams has also increased student exhaustion and unease about another batch of applicants joining the queue.

The cancelation of recruitment procedures further exacerbates the spiraling of issues in an already scarce job market. The postponing and cancelation of exams owing to paper leaks disrupt academic calendars and cause anxiety for students. The regular paper leaks also cause students to lose faith in the fairness and meritocracy of tests, raising issues about the value of their efforts and education.

Representative Image- India TV

In order to address the rising issue, an act Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 has been introduced to reassure the youth that their sincere and genuine efforts for the public examinations will be fairly rewarded. The act aims to bring greater transparency, fairness, and credibility in the public examinations system. Also, a National Testing Agency (NTA) body has been formed to make the examination system more scientific, reliable, and professional.

For each paper leak instance, the question that needs to be asked is what must be the reimbursement for years of labor, excessive financial costs, and the emotional toll borne by lakhs of candidates who place all their hopes in the exam. Young people’s dreams and time invested in acing recruitment examinations are priceless. Their opportunity to secure a government position through these tests also represents their chance at generational mobility. The substantial planning that goes into exam preparation must also be taken into account. This includes moving to cities to attend coaching programs, accepting jobs that do not align with one’s educational background and skill set, and setting up alternate sources of income.

Youth dissatisfaction and concern become worse because of the inaction and absence of suitable steps to stop the leaks. Given the numerous shifts and the involvement of a network of business entities, such as printing presses, coaching centers, and consulting firms, the lack of a reliable and transparent exam administration system is an issue that needs to be carefully considered. The government should consider whether it is beneficial to assign specific task forces to look into the organized use of unfair means in examinations, even after passing the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) 2024.

Pakistani terrorist Arif Mohammad can still challenge the rejection of mercy petition citing delay: Here is how that will change with the new criminal laws

Shraddha Pandey
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Pakistani terrorist Arif Mohammad can still challenge the rejection of mercy petition citing delay: Here is how that will change with the new criminal laws

In May this year, President Droupadi Murmu rejected the mercy petition of Mohammed Arif, alias Ashfaq, a Pakistani terrorist found guilty in the nearly 24-year-old Red Fort attack case.

However, under the existing laws, the Pakistani terrorist could still petition the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution to have his sentence commuted on the grounds of protracted delay, even though the mercy request was rejected by the President.

In the past, the Supreme Court has ruled that the president’s or governor’s use of prerogative powers, including clemency and pardons, is justiciable and can be challenged on grounds such as “undue and unexplained” delay, solitary confinement, and so on.

Several death-row convicts in the past approached the courts to challenge the rejection of their mercy petitions. In a few instances, the president’s “inordinate delay” in deciding mercy requests was found to be a violation of Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution, leading to the commutation of the death sentence.

Notably, Article 72 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President of India to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, or remissions of punishment, and to suspend, remit, or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence. Similarly, Article 161 grants powers to the Governor of a state for offences against state law.

After exhausting all judicial appeals, a convict on death row can submit a mercy petition to the President or Governor. The petition is then forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for review. The MHA evaluates the petition and provides recommendations to the President or Governor. There is no specific timeline for the processing and decision on mercy petitions, sometimes leading to prolonged delays.

There have been instances where terrorists and convicts of heinous crimes have attempted to misuse these provisions to delay or evade justice. For instance, the case of Ajmal Kasab, who was one of the Pakistani terrorists involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people. After being sentenced to death, Kasab filed a mercy petition. Although it was ultimately rejected by the President of India, the process contributed to delays in his execution, highlighting the potential exploitation of the system to buy time.

Similarly, in 2001 Parliament Attack convict Afzal Guru’s mercy petition took several years to be decided, during which there were numerous debates and controversies. The delay raised concerns about how the mercy petition process can be used to prolong legal proceedings and delay the execution of justice.

Notably, convicts often file multiple petitions and appeals in various courts, including review petitions, curative petitions, and mercy petitions, creating a protracted legal battle that delays final resolution. Lawyers appearing for convicts sometimes exploit procedural loopholes, such as filing petitions at the eleventh hour, thereby compelling courts to stay executions and review the petitions, further delaying the process.

There have been some cases wherein the courts overturned or commuted death sentences despite the rejection of mercy petitions by the President. This was seen in the V. Sriharan alias Murugan vs. Union of India (2014). This case involved three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case—V. Sriharan alias Murugan, Santhan, and Perarivalan—who had their mercy petitions rejected by the then President Pratibha Patil. Later, the Supreme Court commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment, citing the inordinate delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy petitions as a ground for relief.

Currently, the convicts are free to challenge the rejection of a mercy petition by way of a writ in the Supreme Court. The Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), however, introduces a specific provision to disallow writ petitions challenging the rejection of mercy petitions.

What does the new Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita say about the process of mercy petitions?

Notably, the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), proposed as an overhaul to the existing criminal justice system, introduces significant changes to these procedures. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) is set to replace the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973. The CrPC specifies the procedure for arrest, prosecution, and bail. The new BNSS will come into effect from the 1st of July 2024.

Under BNSS Section 472(1), convicts can file mercy petitions within a period of thirty days from the date on which the Superintendent of the jail,—(i) informs him about the dismissal of the appeal, review or special leave to appeal by the Supreme Court; or (ii) informs him about the date of confirmation of the sentence of death by the High Court and the time allowed to file an appeal or special leave in the Supreme Court has expired.

The convicts can petition the Governor and President based on dismissal of appeals or confirmation of sentences. The new law says that in cases with multiple convicts in the same case, they all must file petitions within 60 days.

Pertinently, BNSS Section 472(7) states that the President’s decisions on mercy petitions are final. Courts cannot question or review the grounds for President’s pardons or commutations.

Centre’s role in mercy pleas under the BNSS

Under the provisions of the new BNSS, the Central Government shall, upon receiving the mercy petition seek the comments of the State Government and consider the petition along with the records of the case.

The Government will then have to provide recommendations to the President within 60 days. “Whenever an application is made to the appropriate Government for the suspension or remission of a sentence, the appropriate Government may require the presiding Judge of the Court before or by which the conviction was had or confirmed, to state his opinion as to whether the application should be granted or refused, together with his reasons for such opinion and also to forward with the statement of such opinion a certified copy of the record of the trial or of such record thereof as exists, Section 473 of the BNSS states.

“When there are more than one convict in a case, the petitions shall be decided by the President together in the interests of justice. No time limit is specified for the President’s decision. Upon receipt of the order of the President on the mercy petition, the Central Government shall within forty-eight hours, communicate the same to the Home Department of the State Government and the Superintendent of the jail or officer in charge of the jail,” it adds.

It is worth noting that the BNSS replacing the CrPC, introduces a more structured and time-bound procedure for handling mercy petitions, reducing bureaucratic delays. It mandates a specific timeframe within which the President or Governor must make a decision on the mercy petition after receiving recommendations.

Moreover, the BNSS emphasises transparency in the decision-making process, ensuring that all stakeholders, including the judiciary and the convict, are informed about the status and progress of the petition. In addition, under the provisions for mercy petitions in BNSS, detailed reasons for the acceptance or rejection of mercy petitions must be documented and communicated, thus enhancing transparency. While the CrPc had no specific provision for mercy petitions, the BNSS has specific sections regarding mercy petitions.

By setting defined timelines and requiring detailed documentation, the BNSS increases accountability within the system. Most importantly, with BNSS stating that the President’s decision on mercy petitions will be final, it would no longer leave the scope for ‘eminent intellectuals’ so-called human rights ‘champions’ to seek ‘mercy’ for terrorists by knocking on the doors of the judiciary at the eleventh hour.

Gamer Shikha Metray arrested by Ghaziabad Police gets bail: Was running a pornographic channel on YouTube as ‘Kuwari Begum’ for two years

OpIndia Staff
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Gamer Shikha Metray arrested by Ghaziabad Police gets bail: Was running a pornographic channel on YouTube as ‘Kuwari Begum’ for two years

Gamer Shikha Metray who promoted child sex abuse on her YouTube channel “Kuwari Begum” was taken into custody by the Ghaziabad Police on 13th June. She was, however, later granted bail. She had set all of her social media accounts to private prior to the action and also removed a lot of her videos. Her account is currently disabled. She reportedly either deleted her channel or changed the privacy settings. The police have decided to send her mobile and laptop to the laboratory for forensic investigation.

“On the basis of a complaint received at Kaushambi police station, a case has been registered under relevant sections. The said woman has been arrested. Further legal proceedings are underway,” conveyed Assistant Police Commissioner Ritesh Tripathi. 

23-year-old Shikha Metray is a resident of Indergarhi in Ghaziabad. She completed a course in fashion design at Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 2021–2022. Afterwards, she was employed by an e-commerce company in Kalkaji. Her mother serves as an engineer for a company in Gurugram, and her father teaches at a school in Ghaziabad. Her younger sister is a 12th grader. Shikha has also worked with the Aditya Birla Company in Bengaluru. However, she has been running the “Kuwari Begum” YouTube channel for the past two years. She was doing this in an attempt to broaden her audience by posting content about pornogrpahy. Additionally, she disclosed to the authorities that she was a professional gamer.

The First Information Report was filed against her on 12th June based on a complaint by activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj. She reported the YouTuber to the Police Commissionerate office, charging that her channel promoted sexual crimes against minors and newborns. She brought an official complaint against her under the Information Technology Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act at Kaushambi police station.

She made particular reference to the video “She will say no. Let her” on Shikha Metray’s YouTube channel, alleging that she was endorsing sexually aggressive behaviour towards women and children and suggesting that men should disregard women’s permission. She further asserted that the content misguides young boys. Shikha Metray was captured, produced before the court and then sent behind bars. Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dinesh P Kumar earlier informed that two police teams were dispatched to arrest Shikha Metray, who had 2,050 subscribers and published over 115 videos on her channel which had a few hundred views.

A clip posted by Shikha Metray encouraging her audience to sexually assault infants went viral on social media on 10th June. She was heard expressing, “If I had a d*ck, I would have made a tutorial on masturbation. I could have then shared tips on how masturbation can be made to feel better. I would have also explained why you should masturbate. Find an infant who doesn’t even have teeth. Seek permission from the child’s mother to take the child somewhere and do something.” She further added, “I am not so sorry. If I had a d*ck, then, I would have tried it. Imagine children without teeth. Wow, it would be one heck of an experience.”

‘The Wire’ columnist gives dangerous spin to Islamist terror attack in Reasi, attacks those creating awareness through #AllEyesOnReasi

Dibakar Dutta
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‘The Wire’ columnist gives dangerous spin to Islamist terror attack in Reasi, attacks those creating awareness through #AllEyesOnReasi

Days after Islamic terrorists killed 9 Hindu pilgrims and injured 41 others in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, ‘The Wire’ columnist Tanushree Pandey on Thursday (13th June) attempted to disassociate the victims from their Hindu identity.

She also tried to shame and guilt-trip those who raised global awareness about the dastardly terror attacks through the hashtag ‘#AllEyesOnReasi.’

Tanushree Pandey wrote an article titled ‘In the Shattered Lives of Poor Pilgrims, the Human Toll of Reasi Terror Attack’ for the leftist propaganda outlet The Wire on Thursday (13th June).

Screengrab of the article by Tanushree Pandey for The Wire

At the very onset, she refused to identify the religious motivation behind the terror attack by dubbing the Islamic terrorists as ‘foreign terrorists.’

“Their bus, returning to Katra, Vaishno Devi, from Shiv Khori, another pilgrimage spot, was ambushed by at least three foreign terrorists,” her article in The Wire read.

Tanushree Pandey was quick to spin the narrative from the targeting of Hindu pilgrims by Islamic terrorists to ‘poor people being attacked by foreign terrorists.’

The Wire columnist ignores Hindu identity of the victims

In this way, she ensured to de-identify the victims from their religious Faith – the primary motivation behind the terror attack.

The whitewashing did not stop there. The propaganda artist sought to twist the public discourse by fixating on the impoverished family background of the Hindu victims.

“A bus full of pilgrims, unaware of the impending tragedy, was bound together by more than just the trauma of the attack. It was poverty that not just brought them together but also made them vulnerable. All the people on the 53-seater bus, including the nine who died, came from poor families. They had been saving money to visit Vaishno Devi, often choosing the cheapest mode of transport, a bus, to save on costs,” her article stated.

Tanushree Pandey focuses on poverty instead

Pandey went on to narrate the stories of 23-year-old Ruby Verma, 2-year-old Kittu Saini and his father Pawan Kumar Saini, 60-year-old Om Prakash Saini and his family members, Rajat Ram Sharma, and Shyam Pati Devi.

Her focus remained on the poverty of the victimised families instead of the fact that they were attacked for the virtue of their Faith. The ‘poverty porn’ of sorts was designed nefariously, to whitewash the growing Islamic terror in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

To add to her existing intellectual dishonesty, Tanushree Pandey chose to label her twisted coverage of the Reasi terror attack as “stark reminder of the human cost of terrorism.”

She not only ignored the religious motivation behind the terror attack but also conveniently stripped the victims of their religious identity.

Tanushree Pandey targets netizens creating global awareness with #AllEyesOnReasi

Besides, ‘The Wire’ columnist also targeted the social media users who were trying to create global awareness about the terror attack against Hindu pilgrims in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dismayed by the fact that those whining on social media over the Israel-Hamas conflict have ignored the plight of Reasi victims, concerned netizens began tweeting and posting updates using the hashtag – #AllEyesOnReasi

Tanushree Pandey, who had previously tweeted about the Israeli airstrike in Rafah with the hashtag ‘#AllEyesOnRafah, attacked those posting about the plight of Hindu pilgrims in Reasi.

In her article for The Wire, she claimed that tweeting with the hashtag #AllEyesOnReasi leads to ‘hate and division’.

“As the country begins tweeting #AllEyesOnReasi, comparing the brutal killings of Hindu pilgrims in Jammu to the killings in Palestine by Israel and spreading more hate and division, no one really knows the stories of the victims and the wants of their families,” the propaganda artist brazened out.

In this way, Tanushree Pandey chose to virtue signal and silence those willing to speak about the Reasi terror attack perpetrated by Islamic terrorists.

Her shrewd labelling of the sympathisers of the victims as being complicit in ‘spreading hate and division’ is a sinister tactic to brush the terror attack under the carpet.

Vadodara: House allotment to a minority in Hindu-populated residency built under govt housing scheme sparks outrage, Hindus demand reversal of decision

OpIndia Staff
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Vadodara: House allotment to a minority in Hindu-populated residency built under govt housing scheme sparks outrage, Hindus demand reversal of decision

A novel controversy has erupted over the allotment of a house to a person belonging to a minority community in the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme named Motnath Residency, built near the Motnath Mahadev temple at Harani in Vadodara. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) decision has sparked outrage among the Hindu residents of the society. The Hindus are demanding a reversal of the decision taken by the VMC and saying that the family belonging to the minority community shall be given residence in the minority community area and not in the Hindu-populated region.

According to the information received, a society named Motnath was built under the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme in the Harani area of ​​Vadodara. A total of 462 houses have been constructed in this society. Out of these houses, 461 houses were allotted to Hindus, while 1 house has now been allotted to a person belonging to a minority community. The decision has sparked outrage among residents who have demanded that the house belonging to a minority community be transferred to a society built in a minority area.

The incident of protest is said to have happened on June 10th. The Hindu residents also raised slogans against the VMC regarding this demand. Amidst the outcry over house allotment, a local person said, “Houses have been built for minority communities in areas like Tandalja, Akota, which is a Hindu area. Despite this, a person from a minority community has been allotted housing in a Hindu residency. No one is paying attention to this. We have been protesting for the past 6 years and if these people continue to live in a Hindu residency, our situation will become dire.”

Local women were also upset about this type of house allotment. A local woman told reporters, “Our only demand is that their (minority community member’s) house be shifted to their region. This is a Hindu community; we simply wish to live here in peace.”

It should be mentioned that these residences were assigned in 2019, and the locals protested the VMC decision as soon as they learned that people from the minority population would be living here.

Residents claim that their protest is now concentrated merely within the society. If their demands are not met by the Vadodara administration, these protests will take place outside of society. Locals have vowed to go on hunger strike if their demands are not met, in addition to peaceful agitation.

TMC MP Yusuf Pathan gets notice from Vadodara Municipal Corporation over land encroachment for his bungalow

OpIndia Staff
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TMC MP Yusuf Pathan gets notice from Vadodara Municipal Corporation over land encroachment for his bungalow

Over a week after being elected as the Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal’s Baharampur on a Trinamool Congress ticket, cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan has received a notice from the BJP-ruled Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) for allegedly encroaching a civic body-owned land.

A former Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Vijay Pawar has complained that Yusuf Pathan has illegally occupied government-owned land in Vadodara. He raised the issue in writing to the Chairman of the Standing Committee, demanding that the plot of land be taken over by the corporation.

The notice sent by VMC to Yusuf Pathan on the 6th of June stated, “This is to state that the VMC had (earlier in March 2012) received a request from you to allot a land measuring 978 square metres in TP Scheme Number 22 and Final Plot Number 90. As per the process, your application was referred to the Standing Committee and thereafter to the General Board after the valuation committee decided the minimum upset value.”

“Thereafter the application was forwarded to the state government of Gujarat for approval in order to lease the land for a period of 99 years under a special case without conducting an auction. However, as per the reply received from the Urban Development Department on June 9, 2014, the request to lease the said land to you was rejected. The same had been communicated to you vide a letter… However, it has come to light that you have encroached upon the said land of the VMC and you are hereby directed to clear the encroachment at the earliest,” it added.

The matter involves a municipal corporation-owned plot near the Shubham Party plot in Tandalja, Vadodara. Yusuf Pathan decided to build a bungalow on plot number 91, which is adjacent to plot number 90 and requested the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to allot plot number 90. A proposal was prepared based on the Municipal Commissioner’s recommendation.

The proposal recommended allotting land to Yusuf Mahmud Pathan for residential purposes for Rs 57,270 per square metre without holding a public auction in special cases of security, in. addition, to granting all powers to obtain approval from the Government and grant security over the 99-year lease.

The proposal was submitted to the Municipal Standing Committee on the 30th of March in 2012 and was approved. It was subsequently submitted to the General Assembly for approval. On the 8th of June 2012, the General Assembly unanimously approved the proposal and sent it to the State Government for approval. However, on the 9th of June 2014, an official from the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department rejected the proposal. The Commissioner was told in writing that the State Government has rejected the request to allot land to cricketer Yusuf Mahmud Pathan as a special case without a public auction.

Former corporator Vijay Pawar has now filed a complaint with the standing committee chairman, claiming that the state government has given the land site in issue. Despite the rejection of the land allocation request, Pathan has walled the compound to build a garden and stables. Pawar questioned how the land could be occupied without the government’s authorisation. The argument is that Yusuf Pathan continues to use the land.

The BJP leader requested that this government land be opened up, and possession taken over by the VMC. He has called for adequate action in this case.

On Thursday (13th June), Standing Committee Chairperson Dr Sheetal Mistry informed that action can be taken against Pathan after two weeks. Mistry said that Pathan was served the notice of 6th June and given two weeks to clear the encroachment adding that two weeks is sufficient time. If the TMC leader fails to clear the encroachment on his own, then the committee will take further action. The Standing Committee Chairperson also denied allegations of the action taken in the matter being a ‘political move’. “I am not aware about the political move but this is a procedure of encroachment removal after it has come to our notice,” Mistry said.

Notably, Yusuf Pathan, who formerly played for the Indian cricket team, has recently entered politics, running for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress from the Behrampur seat in West Bengal. In this election, he defeated Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, Congress leader and former Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

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