Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued a summon to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy case and has asked him to appear before the central agency on January 3.
This is the third summon that has been issued to the Delhi Chief Minister by the central agency.
Kejriwal was earlier summoned by the ED in connection with an excise policy case on December 18, asking him to appear before the central agency for questioning on December 21.
The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was “vague, motivated and unsustainable in law.”
“The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect in the above-mentioned case. Please recall the said summons, which is, to say the least, vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law,” Kejriwal had stated in his letter to Jogendar, Assistant Director, ED.
He further alleged that the said summons appears to be politically motivated and issued for extraneous considerations.
Arvind Kejriwal was again summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on December 18.
However, the Delhi Chief Minister chose to skip appearing before the central agency, stating that it was just to create sensational news in the final months of the parliamentary elections in 2024.
Questioning the timing of the summons, Kejriwal said, “The timing of your summons leaves much to desire and strengthens my belief that the summons being sent to me are not based upon any objective or rational yardstick but purely as propaganda as well as to create sensational news in the final few months of much-awaited parliamentary elections in the country.”
Delhi Chief Minister was also summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April this year, in connection with the case.
However, Kejriwal was not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI on August 17, last year. In February 2023, Arvind Kejriwal’s Deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi’s new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body on Friday issued orders to impose a ban on non-essential construction work and the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR due to the deteriorating air quality in the region.
“NCR State governments/GNCTD to impose strict restrictions on plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVs (4-wheelers) in Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. State governments in NCR and GNCTD may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V and conducting classes in an online mode’,” the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated.
Delhi’s overall AQI has been steadily rising since this morning. It stood at 397 at 12 pm and 405 at 3:05 pm.
The CAQM Sub-Committee for Operationalization of actions under GRAP decided to re-invoke an 8-point action plan as per Stage III of GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region.
“This is in addition to the restrictive actions under Stage-I and Stage-II of GRAP already in force in NCR. Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have also been advised to ensure strict implementation of actions under Stage-III of GRAP in addition to actions under Stage-I and Stage-II of GRAP during this period,” the Ministry stated.
However, certain exemptions are granted for construction work related to national security or defence, projects of national importance, healthcare, railways, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, sanitation, and water supply.
Further, CAQM appeals to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in the effective implementation of GRAP measures aimed towards sustaining and improving the overall air quality in the region.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 22nd November 2023, Dayashankar Mishra resigned from News18. He claimed in his X post that he was forced to resign because he wrote a book on Congress scion Rahul Gandhi. However, after his resignation, many reports citing employees in News18 have accused him of favouritism, casteism, harassment of women at the workplace, unprofessional behaviour and other allegations.
Reports on Bhadas4Media have covered many such accounts of these former colleagues of Dayashankar Mishra. Mishra is also accused of compiling his book using multiple reports from various news media outlets. The News18 has also refuted his claims terming them false and misleading.
In his X post, Dayashankar Mishra wrote, “I had no idea how difficult it would be to write the truth on Rahul Gandhi. At a time when there is a competition for writing stories and mythology in the ruling class, I thought why would it bother anyone to compile and present the thinking, vision and perseverance of a public thinker? But I was proved wrong. It is our job to write and express. But due to this, suddenly the company’s beats increased. I had the option of getting the book back. Keep working. Shut up. But I chose the book. We chose what is our basic task. Chose to tell the truth. Therefore, first the resignation, then the book.”
पहले इस्तीफ़ा, फिर किताब : राहुल गांधी पर सच लिखना कितनी मुश्किलें खड़ी करेगा, मुझे बिल्कुल अंदाज़ा नहीं था। ऐसे समय जब सत्ताधीशों पर गाथा-पुराण लिखने की होड़ लगी हो, मैंने सोचा था कि एक लोकनीतिक विचारक की सोच, दृष्टि और दृढ़ता को संकलित कर प्रस्तुत करना किसी को क्यों… pic.twitter.com/oEroAWRP1i
After this post of Dayashankar Mishra, ‘News18 India’ also shared a post on X. In this post, News18 described Dayashankar Mishra’s post as misleading and baseless. In its post, News18 India said that as per the rules of the company, before writing any book or making any kind of contribution outside the organisation, employees have to get permission. This is how it is in all reputed media institutions. But Dayashankar Mishra, as editor of the Hindi website of News18, did not get permission from the organisation to write this book.
News18 statement about the false and misleading claims by Mr Dayashankar Mishra: pic.twitter.com/Cuo5Jd5LRb
After Dayashankar Mishra resigned from News18 Hindi, many of his former colleagues came ahead to share their experiences with the journalist, who for all practical purposes had become a political activist singing an ode to Rahul Gandhi. According to reports in the media, Mishra is accused of unprofessional behaviour, harassment of women at the workplace, favouritism, casteism, and cheating on the employer. They have also accused him of plagiarism in his book ‘Rahul Gandhi: Historic Struggle against Communalism, Disinformation and Dictatorship’.
The book is seen as an attempt by the journalist to make inroads to the Congress party rather than his commitment to be a voice of opposition as he claims. He strategically launched the book on 22nd November when the elections were happening in 5 states. However, the book had no impact on the results as the BJP triumphed in the Hindi-speaking states where the former journalist from News18 Hindi was trying to make grounds for Congress.
In various reports published on Bhadas4Media, it is claimed that Dayashankar Mishra favoured people from his caste and his relatives while recruiting new candidates in the News18 Hindi’s digital newsroom. Some of them have claimed that he would favour a certain few. Others have claimed that his book is not an original work and hardly any part is written by himself. They claim that he either used old reports from anti-Modi portals like Newslaundry and Alt News as it is or he deployed some of his juniors for this work. While doing so, Dayashankar Mishra also communicated to his seniors in News18 that these junior colleagues were working on some secret project. Therefore, he is also accused of cheating his employer.
Besides, the reports also claimed that he would often ask his junior employees to do his household work and never pay serious attention to female colleagues requesting him to constitute a committee to probe their allegations against others under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace rules. Some of them even accused him of harassment at the workplace.
As it completes a month to Dayashankar Mishra’s resignation from Network18, it should be noted that despite repeated allegations against him by his former colleagues, no one from the ecosystem of leftist liberal journalists and mainstream media houses has shown the courage to confront him on these issues and ask clarification from him on these allegations.
Instead, his book was promoted on various platforms as he was invited to speak about this book on various web portals and their YouTube channels. This should be seen as a systematic attempt to shield a once powerful boss in the newsroom who continuously threatened his colleagues that they might lose their jobs if they went against him. Dayashankar Mishra’s whole episode should therefore be seen as an eye-opener exposing the dark side of the Left ecosystem that turns a blind eye to serious allegations of misconduct against one of their own while blowing trumpet and resorting to exaggeration against their ideological opponents.
The Payments Council of India (PCI), a representative body of the non-banking payment industry in India, welcomed the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) move to enable the issuing of tokens for cards via internet and commercial banks.
This RBI decision, announced through a recent circular, will empower cardholders by offering them an additional option to tokenize their cards for multiple merchant sites through a streamlined and unified process.
Card-on-File Tokens (CoFT) for a card can now be enabled through mobile banking and internet banking channels, providing a convenient and efficient means for users to secure their transactions across various platforms.
With over 56 crore tokens already created, CoFT has demonstrably improved transaction security and approval rates. PCI had submitted representations to the RBI, outlining the industry’s readiness and preparedness for tokenization, along with suggestions to fast-track the process. The industry members remain committed to a smooth and successful implementation of tokenization.
Welcoming the RBI move, Chairperson of Card Networks Committee under PCI, and Group County Manager of Visa, Sandeep Ghosh, said, “We welcome this circular of RBI for enabling tokenization through card issuing banks. This will be a game changer for the payments industry and will also enhance convenience for card holders.”
Praveena Rai, Chief Operating Officer at National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and Co-Chairperson, the Payment Council of India, remarked, “This move will provide consumers with greater autonomy in managing card tokens, making it easier to modify and control them. This circular reflects the ongoing enhancement of security in the digital payment ecosystem every day. I am confident that this step will boost consumer trust.”
Rai further said that this strategic initiative reflects the RBI’s commitment to enhancing the security and flexibility of digital transactions, further aligning with evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements in the financial landscape.
The RBI’s Card-on-File (CoF) token facility allows cardholders to create tokens and link them to their accounts with various e-commerce applications.
Tokenization replaces a card’s 16-digit number with a unique token that is specific to the user’s card and merchant. The token hides the card’s details, so that if there is a data leak from the merchant website, hackers cannot misuse the card.
Payments Council of India (PCI) works with all its members to promote payments industry growth and to support our national goals of ‘Cash to Less Cash Society’ and ‘Growth of Financial Inclusion’ which is also the Vision Shared by the RBI and the Government of India.
PCI works closely with the regulators i.e. Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Finance Ministry, and any similar government, departments, bodies or Institutions to make ‘India a less cash society.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
After the ‘private video’ controversy, the famous Kulhad Pizza couple from Jalandhar is back in the news, and this time again, not for the right reasons. This time, they managed to anger some Nihang Sikhs with one of their Instagram reels which went viral on social media. The Nihang Sikhs, who accused Kulhad Pizza owner Sehaj Arora and his wife Gurpreet Kaur of bringing a bad name to the Sikh community by posting the real on social media, threatened to burn down Kulhad Pizza restaurants if the couple did not issue a public apology and take down their Instagram reel.
According to reports, on Thursday, December 21, Ludhiana’s Nihang Ramandeep Singh Mangu and his aides created a ruckus outside the Kulhad Pizza couple’s restaurant. Mangu became enraged after seeing the couple’s Instagram reel and claimed that by performing the song, which has some disparaging lyrics about the entire world, the couple had brought shame to the Sikh community. He demanded that he wanted to meet Kulhad Pizza owners Sehaj Arora and Gurpreet Kaur in person. Speaking to the media, Mangu said that he learned after reaching the restaurant that the couple were not in town. He said that they would wait there and only return once they meet them in person.
निहंग रमनदीप सिंह मंगू मठ साथियों सहित #kulhadpizza के बाहर पहुंचा। मठ ने कहा कि सहज और गुरप्रीत कौर ने एक गीत पर एक्टिंग करके पूरी दुनिया को गाली निकाली है। ये दोनों बिग-बॉस में जाने के लिए इस तरह की हरकतें कर रहे हैं।हंगामे के समय सहज और गुरप्रीत कौर वहां मौजूद नहीं थे। pic.twitter.com/0SSCbdIjgf
Expressing dismay over the viral video, the Nihang Sikh said that the couple had brought shame to the Sikh community and they were only indulging in such cheap acts to make it to the reality show Bigg Boss. According to Mangu, Sahaj’s mobile phone is currently switched off and a message has been sent to him asking him to apologise soon.
Notably, in the Instagram reel to which the Nihangs have taken offence, the Kulhad Pizaa couple is seen singing and dancing to a song whose lyrics go like “yeh duniya badi beh*nch*d beh*ch*d…”.
Notably, the duo performed “Haye Ri Duniya,” a song that was originally sung by Rashmeet Kaur, Ikka, Rusha, and Blizza. The song portion that the Kulhad couple performed begins at 1.19 seconds into the song.
The owner of Kulhad Pizza Sehaj Arora responded to the incident by releasing a video statement on Facebook that clarified his position on the issue. He explained how the song on which he and his wife are seen performing in the Instagram reel is not their own. He explained that it was a paid promotion and he was approached by the producers of the song to promote the video. Showing a message he received on his phone, Arora further explained how he was given a time stamp by the producers and he was expected to perform strictly on that particular portion of the song.
He added that the words of the song he is seen performing on is not his and he was simply promoting the song as per the requirements of the producers for which he would be paid. Yet, Arora said that he was willing to apologise if he had unknowingly hurt anyone’s sentiments.
Sehaj Arora further alleged in the video statement that Nihang Ramandeep Singh Mangu’s aide had blackmailed him and demanded Rs 50,000 to resolve the issue. She shared a small snippet from a video to back his claim.
Kulhad Pizza owner breaks silence after ‘private video’ goes viral, alleges they fell prey to a sextortion racket
This is not the first time the Kulhad Pizza couple have been embroiled in a controversy. In September 2023, the couple were in the news after an alleged ‘private video’ of them went viral. On September 22, Kulhad Pizza owner Sehaj Arora took to Instagram to release his second video message, wherein he broke down while narrating the mental trauma he and his family have been facing due to these leaked videos. The victim wept as he begged people to stop sharing the videos on social media.
Notably, the sex tape, which quickly went viral contained explicit content. It showed intimate moments between a couple. In the video, the man’s face was fully visible while the woman’s face was partially visible. Moreover, the woman in the video had the same tattoo as Gurpreet Kaur. Additionally, the woman in the video was seen wearing red bangles, which are traditionally worn by ladies after their wedding, indicating that the video was taken after the couple’s wedding. In several of Kulhad Pizza couple’s earlier videos, Gurpreet Kaur is also seen wearing the traditional red ‘chooda’ bangles.
After the video started doing rounds on social media, Sehaj Arora on Thursday, September 21, broke his silence on the controversy. In his first video message shared on Instagram, the owner of Kulhad Pizza alleged that the video was fake and that AI was used to morph the visuals. He also spoke about the trauma he and his family have been going through ever since the tapes have gone viral.
Hinting at falling prey to a sextortion racket, Arora said that the video had been leaked 15 days prior, along with a blackmail message on Instagram. Instead of yielding to the blackmailer’s pressure, the couple decided to pursue justice through the legal route, following which Sehaj said that they filed an FIR at Jalandhar’s Thana Number 4.
An 18-year-old hacker who was instrumental in leaking Grand Theft Auto VI footage has been sentenced to life in hospital imprisonment by a UK court. On Thursday (December 21), a British judge determined that Arion Kurtaj poses a high risk to the public because he continues to wish to commit cybercrime, BBC reported. The teenager hacked into Rockstar servers without using a computer and posted clips and source codes for the upcoming GTA-VI, while he was in police custody.
Kurtaj, a key member of the international gang Lapsus$, was found guilty of cyberattacks on GTA VI developer Rockstar Games and other companies, including Uber and Nvidia, by a London jury in August. However, because Kurtaj suffers from autism and was declared unfit to stand trial, the jury was asked to decide whether he committed the crimes in question, rather than whether he did so with criminal intent.
It was reported that accused Kurtaj leaked 90 videos of GTA-VI gameplay footage while on bail for hacking Nvidia and British telecom operator BT / EE last September. Despite staying in a hotel under police protection at this time and after police confiscated his laptop, Kurtaj was able to attack Rockstar Games without using a computer. He carried out the attack using the room’s Amazon Fire Stick and the TV, a newly purchased smartphone, a keyboard, and a mouse. Following the incident, Kurtaj was arrested.
He stole 90 clips of the unreleased and hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, and released them on social media, along with some source code. Before posting them, he threatened to release GTA source codes if Rockstar does not contact him. He broke into the company’s Slack messaging system to deliver the threat, saying, “if Rockstar does not contact me on Telegram within 24 hours I will start releasing the source code”.
Kurtaj then posted the clips and source code on a GTA forum under the username TeaPotUberHacker. He posted 90 videos from a test build of Grand Theft Auto 6, running with “GTA 5 and 6 source code and assets”. The legitimacy of the videos was confirmed by Rockstar. After this, he was again arrested.
After the hearing, the court sentenced him to spend his life in a hospital. The judge said Kurtaj’s skills and desire to commit cybercrime meant he remained a high risk to the public. Judge Patricia Lees said that the ‘only safe option’ was to detain him under section 37 of the Mental Health Act with a restriction order.
Kurtaj will remain at a secure hospital for life unless doctors deem him no longer a danger. He will be transferred to a secure psychiatric hospital in next month once a bed is available at Marlborough House medium-secure hospital in Milton Keynes.
The court also noted that he had been violent during police custody, and there are dozens of incidents of injuries and property damages caused by him. A mental health assessment of the accused said that he continued to express the intent to return to cyber-crime as soon as possible, prompting the unique sentencing by the court.
Meanwhile, another 17-year-old Lapsus$ member received an 18-month community punishment, known as a Youth Rehabilitation Order, along with a prohibition from accessing virtual private networks (VPNs). This youth, who can’t be named, suffers from ASD (autism spectrum disorder), and was sentenced to a youth rehabiliation order for 18 months earlier for hacking offences.
Even after several videos leaked by Kurtaj and the trailer’s premature release on X (Twitter), the official trailer for GTA VI received hundreds of millions of views. Currently, the trailer has clocked around 155 million views on YouTube.
While Kurtaj’s counsel asked the judge to consider the trailer’s success during the sentence, the BBC reports that the judge noted that Lapsus$ harmed real businesses and people. Rockstar Games told the court that it spent $5 million to recover from the hacking attack. Prosecutor Kevin Barry said that the attacks on Rockstar, Nvidia and Uber resulted in damages of £7.4m ($9.3m) for the companies.
Kurtaj and the 17-year-old are the first Lapsus$ members to be convicted, although it is believed that others are still out on the loose. The gang’s attacks in the years 2021 and 2022 stunned the cyber-security community. The group from the United Kingdom and Brazil was dubbed “digital bandits” in court.
The gang assumed to be primarily comprising teenagers, utilised con-man techniques as well as computer hacking to get access to multinational firms such as Microsoft, the technology behemoth, and digital banking firm Revolut. In their rampage, the hackers publicly boasted their crimes and ridiculed victims on the social network app Telegram in English and Portuguese.
Turtles contribute significantly to ocean ecosystems by maintaining healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs, which provide critical habitats for other marine life. They also play a significant role in the balance of marine food webs and the transfer of nutrients from water to land. Unfortunately, many of the turtle species have become critically endangered and are losing lives as a result of human activities.
For instance, around 800 Olive Ridley sea turtles died on a beach in Odisha after getting stuck in fishing nets in 2021. Many dead turtles bore injuries, which pointed to the possibility of them being trapped in a trawl or gill net. In Kasaragod, Kerala on 5th June this year, 56 turtles were found burnt to death following a fire at a wetland in Madavayal near Pilicode. In Mumbai, in January this year, dozens of turtles died due to deliberate poisoning last year. As per the locals, the turtles were illegally staying in the lake and were eating the fish so they were poisoned.
Humans at times, fail to realize that the extinction of turtles is causing harm to the marine biodiversity and that conservation of turtles is crucial to help conserve biodiversity and to maintain natural balance.
The migration of sea turtles is a biological phenomenon that has intrigued scientists for decades. We are yet to fully understand how sea turtles manage to find their way through thousands of miles across oceans of the world and come to the same beach generation after generation.
Odisha’s coastal areas, especially the mouth of some rivers in the state are crucial nesting grounds for Olive Ridley turtles. Every year, lakhs of Olive Ridley turtles come to lay their eggs on the beaches. The turtle mothers go back. When the eggs hatch, the hatchlings start another epic voyage across the sea to their habitats across the oceans, only to come back as adults to the very same beach where they had hatched.
To welcome, and provide a safe nesting to these ocean guests, the Odisha govt and the center go to extraordinary lengths.
The Odisha government and the Central Government have together imposed a prohibitory ban on sea fishing activity within 20 km of the coast in Kendrapara, Odisha where the Olive Ridley turtles come ashore to nest and lay eggs.
Odisha imposes ban on fishing activity to allow turtles nest on beaches
According to the reports, the ban has been imposed from the 1st of November and will remain in force until 31st May 2024. As per the forest department official, the areas notified include the sea around the mouths of the rivers Dhamara, Devi, and Rusikulya to guarantee the safety of marine animals such as Olive Ridley turtles during the nesting and breeding season.
Olive Ridley (Wion news)
Every year, the prohibition is tightened as more turtles are killed by becoming entangled in fishing nets or being hit by the propellers of fishing trawlers. The annual measure will remain in effect in the Olive Ridley turtle habitation corridors by the provisions of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, government officials have informed.
The female Olive Ridley turtles essentially invade the nesting beaches typically at the dead of the night for laying eggs – a phenomenon which is called ‘Arribada’, which means ‘arrival by the sea’ in Spanish.
. Turtles leave the nesting area after laying their eggs to return to the deep sea. After 45-60 days, hatchlings emerge from the eggs. It is a rare natural occurrence in which baby turtles grow without their mothers before being released into the sea.
As of now, the Olive Ridley turtles have started arriving on the coastal waters. Officials have spotted them mating in the coastal waters. The ‘Arribada’ will start in a few weeks.
Our guests have arrived. Mass mating of Olive Ridley have started off the coast of Odisha at Rushikulya & Gahiramatha rookery. Arribada, meaning “arrival by sea”, for mass nesting is few weeks away only. pic.twitter.com/Eqmf1SqAST
The state decides to compensate the fishermen with one-time livelihood assistance
Olive Ridley turtles turn up in lakhs for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year. They lay eggs in en-mass at the Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara strict, the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam, and the Devi river mouth in Puri.
In addition to Coast Guard personnel, a multi-layered state-sponsored patrolling exercise involving forest, fisheries, and marine police would also be implemented during the prohibition period. In Bhadrak, Rajnagar, Puri, and Berhampur, the state’s four wildlife divisions, 61 on-shore camps, and five offshore camps have been established to guarantee efficient patrolling. The patrolling teams for the forests and fisheries will be flanked by the armed police constabulary.
Thirteen trawlers, support boats, and five high-speed boats have further been called into action to stop illicit marine fishing in restricted areas.
Notably, the fishing prohibition will have an impact on over 10,600 fishing families. So, the state government has decided to give each of the impacted fishermen’s families a one-time livelihood assistance of Rs 15,500 to make up for the loss of their income. The Gahirmatha coast, which is hailed as the largest habitation corridor of Olive Ridley turtles, has a complete year-round ban on sea fishing. Given the population of turtles, it has been granted the designation of marine sanctuary.
Seven different species of sea turtles
Sea turtles have traveled great distances throughout the world’s oceans for over 100 million years, playing a crucial role in maintaining the equilibrium of marine habitats. From the sandy beaches of the Eastern Pacific to the vibrant reefs of the Coral Triangle and the shallow seagrass beds of the Indian Ocean, seven distinct species of sea (or marine) turtles inhabit our ocean waters. Although sea turtles are highly migratory animals, they spend the majority of their lives in the ocean. At times, they come ashore to nest or bask.
The seven species, most of which stand endangered today are Leatherback, Loggerhead, Green turtle, Flatback, Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, and Olive Ridley. Among these Leatherback, Loggerhead, and Olive Ridley have become vulnerable whereas Green Turtle, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley have become critically endangered. As per the research report by World Wild Life, hundreds and thousands of members of these species are lost each year to incidental capture during fishing, overharvesting, and illegal trade.
Image- World Wild Life
Human activity has shifted the odds against the survival of these ancient mariners during the past 200 years. Sea turtles are killed for their meat, eggs, skin, and shells. they are also overfished and subject to poaching. In addition, they have to deal with habitat degradation and unintentional bycatch in fishing gear. Turtle nesting sites are impacted by climate change since it changes the temperature of the sand, which in turn affects the sex of the hatchlings. Three of the seven species of sea turtles that are currently recognized are critically endangered which is a fact to worry about.
Considering the given status, the Central government has also stepped up to conserve the species and not disturb them during their nesting period.
Hawksbill turtle (World Wild Life)
DRDO decides to stop missile testing to save turtles
Earlier this month, India’s top military research and development organization, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), decided to suspend missile testing at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha from January to March 2024 to give the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle species a strong chance of surviving. The said decision was made by a committee headed by Odisha chief secretary P K Jena. The Integrated Test Range at the Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha is where many of India’s missiles and weapons systems are tested. All testings have now been suspended for 3 months so that Olive Ridley turtles are not disturbed.
As per a Times of India report, the Coast Guard and Army will also patrol the coast to prevent fishing boats and trawlers from approaching the small stretches of sand that are near bays and estuaries, where turtles lay their eggs.
The chief secretary stated that the committee emphasized the necessity of sending out advisories to businesses, establishments, and industrial buildings along the coast to adhere to outdoor lighting laws. The director of the Integrated Testing Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore has further been urged by the wildlife division to make space available for the establishment of temporary forest camps outside Abdul Kalam Island’s perimeter.
Representative Image (India Today)
“The DRDO will also nominate a nodal officer for better coordination with the forest department for the safety of the Olive Ridleys,” an official was quoted as saying.
Conclusion: Disturbance to even one nesting beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population
Marine turtles are an essential component of marine ecosystems. Seagrass beds and coral reefs that support commercially valuable species like prawns, lobster and tuna are kept healthy with their assistance. Sea turtles are the living embodiment of a class of reptiles that have roamed our oceans for the past 100 million years. Turtles are highly valued both as tourist attractions and cultural icons.
Five of the seven species can be found worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical waters. The ranges of the remaining two species, however, are quite small: the Flatback turtle is primarily found in northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea, while the Kemp’s Ridley is primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico.
With this broad global turtle picture, it is important for India to conserve the vulnerable turtle species that are also on the verge of becoming extinct now. Olive Ridley’s vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population.
It’s just a question of a few months until they settle completely. The fishermen and the locals who unknowingly or deliberately cause harm to the species must understand the core and work towards peaceful co-existence. It is then that India will have a robust ocean ecosystem maintained by healthy seagrass beds and coral reefs, which ultimately will provide critical habitats for other marine life.
A sight that casts magical spell year after year?
Nearly 2 crore plus olive Ridley hatchlings have emerged & made their way to sea from half of about 4 lakh nesting at Nasi-2 islands, Gahirmatha rookery Odisha.
With sustainable and inclusive efforts from the state and central government, and with the help of local people, the coasts of Odisha are eagerly waiting for the annual guests to arrive in large numbers and have a safe nesting season. The government officials and volunteers will then put all their efforts into ensuring safe hatching for the millions of eggs on the beaches. When the little hatchlings leave the beach to swim thousands of miles back to their home waters, the same beaches will wish them a safe voyage, and safe growing years, and hope they come back as adults again.
On Friday (22nd December), wrestler Bajrang Punia announced that he was returning his Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was felicitated with India’s fourth-highest civilian award in 2019.
In a statement (archive) released on X (formerly Twitter), Punia wrote, “I couldn’t understand where to go, what to do and how to live. The government and the people gave me so much respect. Should I continue to suffocate under the burden of this respect? In the year 2019, I was awarded the Padma Shri.”
“I was also honoured with the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award. I was very happy when I received these honours. It seemed that life had been successful. But, today, I am much unhappier than I was happy at the time, and these honours are suffocating me,” he claimed.
मैं अपना पद्मश्री पुरस्कार प्रधानमंत्री जी को वापस लौटा रहा हूँ. कहने के लिए बस मेरा यह पत्र है. यही मेरी स्टेटमेंट है। ?? pic.twitter.com/PYfA9KhUg9
“Sports have empowered our women athletes and changed their lives but the situation is such that the women who could have been the brand ambassadors of beti bachao, beti padhao are now leaving the sport. And we, the wrestlers who were ‘awarded’ could not do anything. I can’t live my life as a Padma Shri awardee while our women wrestlers are insulted. Hence I return this award to you,” he concluded.
On Thursday (21st December), wrestler Sakshi Malik announced that she was quitting wrestling. “We protested for 40 days. Many people came from faraway places and supported us through difficulties and criticism. If somebody like Sanjay Singh, who is a business partner and friend of Brij Bhushan Singh is elected as the new president, I am quitting wrestling,” she said.
The much-awaited election of the Wrestling Federation of India concluded on 21 December with Sanjay Singh elected as President. Sanjay Singh defeated former grappler Anita Sheoran in this election.
The ‘rebel’ wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik had supported Anita Sheoran. However, Sanjay Singh won with a decisive majority. It must be mentioned that in August this year, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was suspended by United World Wrestling (UWW) for failing to hold its elections on time.
Even as Congress leaders, including senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, hold forth on uniting India under their boondoggle project ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and insist on the opening ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’, the situation on the ground is a far cry from the glib promises made by the party leadership.
In Congress-ruled Karnataka, a sectarian conflict might be in the offing as rabid pro-Kannada groups recently held demonstrations at the famous Chikpete market in Bengaluru, blaring abuses on speakers and targeting Marwari shop owners because their establishments carried signages with English in bold letters and Kannada in small font.
In Bengaluru recently, a raft of pro-Kannada raised slogans and heckled the Marwari shop owners because signages on their shops had names written in bold English while the Kannada font was small.
#Karnataka Pro kannada groups driving around famous Chickpete market in Bengaluru,blaring abuses on speakers & heckling Marwari shop owners..
Reason? Cuz their signages have English in bold & kannada in small font!
As per India Today journalist Nabila Jamal, even the police officials at the spot did little to stop the bullies and were seen giggling at the heckling of Marwari shop owners.
The brand of regional chauvinism evokes the times of Shiv Sena under Thackerays, which played the Marathi Asmita (honour) card in Maharashtra when north Indians were unconscionably targeted for their lack of ability to converse in Marathi.
However, after successive poll drubbings and shifting political dynamics, Shiv Sena had to discard its regional chauvinistic approach that wasn’t paying off the dividends expected by its leadership.
The Congress, though, seems to have made exploiting the fissures existing within the society and creating new divisions its operating principle ahead of the 2024 general elections. It had recently played the caste card, making caste census an election plank in the recently concluded assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi, too, was vocal in playing up the caste card during campaign hustings.
But the results of the elections, which saw BJP registering a resounding victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, have demonstrated the limitations of using caste divisions and regional chauvinism to revive one’s political fortunes. The Congress party would do well to nip the Frankenstein monster it is rearing in Karnataka or witness a decimation similar to what it saw in 2019.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the January 26 Republic Day celebrations at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations,” the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed in a release on Friday.
According to the sources, Macron was invited to attend India’s January 26 Republic Day celebrations in 2024.
India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues as strategic partners.
Notably, this is the sixth time a French leader will be the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations here in the national capital.
Before Macron, former French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac was the Chief guest on India’s Republic Day celebrations in 1976 and 1998, as were former Presidents Valery Giscard d’Estaing, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Francois Hollande in the years 1980, 2008 and 2016, respectively.
This year, we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
Moreover, PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade held on July 14, 2023, in Paris, the MEA stated.
He had visited France at the invitation of French President Macron.
“To mark the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, a 241-member tri-service Indian armed forces contingent led by a military band also participated in the Parade,” the PMO said in a statement.
During the parade, the Indian military contingent marched to the patriotic tune of ‘Sare Jahan Se Accha,’ while a squadron of Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighters participated in a flypast over the Champs-Elysees at the Bastille Day Parade. Rafale Jets of the Indian Air Force, from the 101 Squadron from Hashimara, formed a part of the flypast during the parade.
Meanwhile, French President Macron also visited India in September this year to attend the G20 Summit which was held under India’s Presidency.
President Macron and Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting in Delhi on September 10, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Following the meeting, PM Modi said they reaffirmed their commitment to take India-France relations to newer heights of progress.
India and France cooperate closely in various sectors, including defence, space, civil nuclear, trade, investment, education, culture and people-to-people ties.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
