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Uday Kotak resigns as CEO and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank

OpIndia Staff
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Uday Kotak resigns as CEO and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank

On Saturday, September 2, Uday Kotak announced that he has stepped down as Kotak Mahindra Bank’s managing director and CEO effective from September 1, 2023. Uday Kotak’s resignation comes four months prior to the end of his tenure, that is December 31st 2023.

The bank stated in an exchange filing that Kotak’s departure was discussed at the board meeting on Saturday. He has been appointed as a non-executive director of the bank.

As an interim measure, Dipak Gupta, the joint managing director, will assume the roles of MD and CEO until December 31, after obtaining the approval of the RBI and the bank’s members.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Uday Kotak informed that he is stepping down to “ensure a smooth transition” saying that succession at the Kotak Mahindra Bank has been foremost in his mind.

“Succession at Kotak Mahindra Bank has been foremost on my mind, since our Chairman, myself and Joint MD are all required to step down by year end. I am keen to ensure smooth transition by sequencing these departures. I initiate this process now and step down voluntarily as CEO,” Kotak said.

“The bank awaits RBI approval of the proposed successor. In the interim, my dear colleague Dipak Gupta – currently Joint MD, will function as MD & CEO, subject to approvals. As Founder, I am deeply attached to the brand Kotak and will continue to serve the institution as Non-Executive Director and significant shareholder. We have an outstanding management team to carry the legacy forward. Founders go away, but the institution flourishes into perpetuity,” Kotak further added.

He further reflected on the journey of starting Kotak Mahindra Bank 38 years ago with 3 employees in a 300 sqft office in Mumbai.

“A long time ago, I saw names like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs dominate the financial world and dreamed of creating such an institution in India. It is with this dream that I started Kotak Mahindra 38 years ago, with 3 employees in a 300 sqft office in Fort, Mumbai. I have deeply cherished every bit of this memorable journey, living my dream,” Uday Kotak added.

Moreover, he outlined that Kotak Mahindra Bank has created value for its stakeholders and provides over 1 lakh direct jobs. An investment of ₹10,000 with us in 1985 would be worth around ₹ 300 crores at present.

Concluding his long post, Uday Kotak expressed confidence that his “Indian-owned institution will continue to play an even more important role in India’s transformation into a social and economic powerhouse.”

In his letter addressed to Prakash Apte, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Uday Kotak, stated that he has mulled over the decision of resigning from the position of the Bank’s CEO and MD adding that this is the right time to do so even though there are a few months left for his tenure to end. Kotak further mentioned he intends to spend time fulfilling his personal commitments and be with his family.

“Over the next few months, I am going to be significantly occupied with some personal and family commitments. My elder son’s marriage functions are being planned. Consequently, considering the proximity of these events to the end of my tenure, I thought it appropriate to hand over the baton and stagger the transition,” Kotak wrote.

Balasore train accident: CBI files chargesheet against 3 railway employees for culpable homicide and destruction of evidence

OpIndia Staff
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Balasore train accident: CBI files chargesheet against 3 railway employees for culpable homicide and destruction of evidence

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday (2 September) filed a chargesheet against three railway employees who were earlier arrested in connection with the Odisha’s Balasore train accident case. The arrested railway employees have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence. 

The three arrested railway employees include senior section engineer Arun Kumar Mahanta, section engineer Mohammad Amir Khan and technician Pappu Kumar. They were arrested in July, a month after three trains met with an accident in Odisha’s Balasore. The CBI arrested them under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) of the Indian Penal Code for their role that led to the tragic train accident on 2 June.

During the investigation, the agencies confirmed that error and negligence on the part of the Signal and Telecommunication department staff led to one of the most deadly train accidents in the history of Indian Railways. 

As per the CBI allegations, Mahanta did the repair work at the level crossing gate number 94 near Bahanaga Bazar station by using the circuit diagram of LC gate no. 79. 

It is further alleged that he did not carry out his duty which was to ensure that testing, overhauling, and carrying out alterations to the existing signal and interlocking installations were in accordance with the approved plan and instructions.

Earlier in July, Indian Railways suspended seven employees for negligence of duty including three who were arrested by the CBI officials. These suspended employees included the station master, traffic inspector, telecom engineer, and four signalling staff. It was alleged that they were not alert during duty hours which otherwise would have avoided the train accident. The suspension order was reportedly issued on Friday, the 7th of July.

The accident took place, on June 2, when the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express entered the loop line at the station instead of going straight on the main line. Subsequently, it rammed into a stationary goods train at full speed. Its derailed coaches hit the Yesvantpur Superfast Express which was just passing the station. 

It was evident that the signalling was wrongly set for the train at the station. This triple train accident at Bahanaga Bazar station near Balasore in Odisha claimed 293 lives and injured over 1,200 passengers.

Maharashtra: Bangladeshi national illegally living in Nagpur arrested by ATS, had first posed as a Buddhist monk and then as a gym trainer

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Bangladeshi national illegally living in Nagpur arrested by ATS, had first posed as a Buddhist monk and then as a gym trainer

On Friday, 1st September 2023, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a Bangladeshi individual in Nagpur. He had been living in India unlawfully for over ten years, initially under the guise of a Buddhist monk and later as a gym trainer. Additionally, he was involved in an illegal activity aimed at assisting fellow Bangladeshis in fraudulently acquiring Indian passports.

Palash Bipan Baruva, a 40-year-old suspect, was apprehended by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday. Subsequent investigations revealed that he had surreptitiously entered India, assuming the identity of a Buddhist monk, and subsequently shifted roles to become a gym trainer in Nagpur. He lived in the vicinity of the Pivali River, in the Teka area of north Nagpur.

An official from Kapil Nagar police station said, “The ATS uncovered Baruva’s illegal activities when two Bangladeshi nationals, Maitri Baruva and Ankon Baruva, were apprehended at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad while trying to board flights to foreign countries using Indian passports.”

Upon interrogating the individuals, it came to light that they had acquired passports through fraudulent means, relying on counterfeit identity documents provided by Baruva, the officer further said. Subsequently, the Nagpur ATS unit initiated an operation that extended for over a month, during which they maintained vigilant surveillance of Baruva’s activities.

The official said, “The accused had crossed the Indian border as a Buddhist monk before 2010. He managed to evade law enforcement agencies for around four years by residing in various Buddha Viharas in the city.”

Baruva then seamlessly integrated into a conventional lifestyle by assuming the role of a gym trainer. Additionally, he entered into a romantic relationship and even embarked on a trip to Thailand.

The officer further said, “Investigations revealed that Baruva’s complex network was involved in facilitating the issuance of Indian passports to Bangladeshi nationals. He maintained active connections with associates in Bangladesh, aiding numerous illegal border crossings into Nagpur over the past decade.”

Subsequent to his apprehension, a legal case was filed against Baruva, citing violations of Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (cheating), 463, 467, and 468, all of which pertain to forgery. Investigations into the matter are currently ongoing.

While Congress and CPM come together for I.N.D.I.A. alliance, both are at loggerheads in Kerala for an assembly seat

OpIndia Staff
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While Congress and CPM come together for I.N.D.I.A. alliance, both are at loggerheads in Kerala for an assembly seat

While the I.N.D.I.A. alliance including the Congress party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday passed a resolution to fight the upcoming general elections slated for May 2024 ‘together’ although only ‘as far as possible’, the two parties are at loggerheads in Kerala for the Puthupally assembly seat. The Puthupally seat was represented by Congress veteran Oommen Chandy for the last 53 years encompassing 12 terms. However, the constituency is set to witness bypolls on September 5 after the demise of Chandy in July this year.

The Congress and CPI(M)’s friendship at the I.N.D.I.A. Mumbai summit is an extended distance, with the two parties being the primary contenders in the bypoll. Congress party has nominated Chandy’s son, Youth Congress leader Chandy Oommen, as its candidate, while the CPI(M) has nominated Jaick C Thomas, a central committee member of the party’s youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

On Saturday (September 2), CPM State Secretary MV Govindan said that the confidence of the United Democratic Front (UDF) to secure an easy win has ended. Govindan asserted that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has the chance to bring change and end Congress domination from the Puthupally constituency.

“The Congress campaigned on emotional appeal, whereas the LDF campaigned on development. It worked to our advantage. People will vote for us to ensure our success,” Govindan said disregarding the survey results as politically motivated exercises. He also blasted Congress for failing to criticise the BJP during the campaign.

The ruling CPM is pushing the narrative of development centred around the assertion that Puthuppally has been denied the development that the rest of Kerala has witnessed. CM Pinarayi Vijayan himself has been campaigning for Jaick C Thomas in what is being seen as a battle of prestige. CM Vijayan on Wednesday this week listed out the “achievements” of his party during a public meeting in Puthapally.

Notably, CPM candidate Jaick Thomas has been fielded again as he also fought two elections from the Assembly seat, in 2016 and 2021. Although he lost both elections to Oommen Chandy, he finished barely 10,000 votes behind the Congress veteran in 2021, giving Chandy his narrowest victory margin in three decades. 

Going by the local media reports it appears that CPM has already conceded defeat against the Congress candidate who is riding on the legacy of his father as the Communist party has claimed that the Bhartiya Janata Party and the Congress may have struck a “secret deal” to defeat CPM’s Jaick C Thomas.

While the CPM and Congress want to demonstrate “Hum Saath Saath Hain” at the national level, the two parties with a history of ideological conflict are demonstrating “Hum Aapke Hain Kaun?” at the state level. This demonstrates that, while the anti-Modi parties are united in their mission to “overthrow” the Modi regime in the next Lok Sabha elections, they lack actual backing for one another, which explains why the Friday resolution included the caveat, “as far as possible.”

Jharkhand: ED attaches assets worth Rs 236 crore in land scam case, files second charge sheet saying criminals sold land by faking legacy records

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: ED attaches assets worth Rs 236 crore in land scam case, files second charge sheet saying criminals sold land by faking legacy records

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 1 September attached three plots totalling over Rs 161.64 crore in Ranchi as part of an ongoing money laundering probe linked to a case of “land grabbing and fraud” in Jharkhand. These land parcels were fraudulently altered to the advantage of land mafias with the help of Land Revenue Department personnel.

This is the second attachment directed in this investigation and with the most recent action, the total value of the assets that have been attached has come to a staggering Rs 236 crore. The connected land tracts are situated in Ranchi at Siram, Pugru, and Cheshire Home Road.

In the meantime, the agency added another charge of prosecution in the land fraud case against former Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Ranchi Chhavi Ranjan, businessman Bishnu Agarwal and others. A prosecution complaint had previously been lodged in this instance on 12 June.

According to an official statement, the ED had opened a probe into three cases of land fraud based on numerous First Information Reports filed by the Jharkhand Police and the West Bengal Police against Pradip Bagchi, Bishnu Kumar Agarwal, Bhanu Pratap Prasad as well as others under various Indian Penal Code sections.

A massive mafia racket aimed at transferring land ownership illegally is underway in Jharkhand, based on the inquiry. The government notification stated that “these criminal elements used to forge the legacy records in Ranchi and Kolkata.” Additionally, it was discovered that dishonest government employees had fabricated land ownership records in order to curry favour with the aforementioned land mafia.

The press release mentioned that the land lots were sold to other people based on falsified land records. It was also noted that the law enforcement agency had previously conducted 41 searches and 5 surveys in the case and had seized a variety of incriminating evidence, including forged Land Revenue Department seals, forged land deeds, records of the distribution of Proceeds of Crime, photographs of forgery, and evidence of paying bribes to government officials.

It had already placed three land parcels in the amount of Rs. 74.39 Crore (Commercial Value) under provisional attachment earlier. The total attachment in instances involving land scams now stands at Rs 236 Crore.

Notably, 14 perpetrators, Pradip Bagchi, Afshar Ali, Saddaam Hussain, Imtiaz Ahmed, Talha Khan, Faiyaaz Khan, Bhanu Pratap Prasad, Chhavi Ranjan, IAS (Ex DC Ranchi), Dilip Kumar Ghosh, Amit Kumar Agarwal, Bishnu Kumar Agarwal, Rajesh Rai, Bharat Prasad and Prem Prakash have been apprehended so far and are presently in Judicial custody.

On 12 June 2023, a Prosecution Complaint was first lodged and further inquiry is now being conducted.

Chandrayaan 3: Pragyan rover and Vikram lander preparing to ‘sleep’ to survive long cold lunar night, ISRO chief S Somnath says they are still functioning

OpIndia Staff
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Chandrayaan 3: Pragyan rover and Vikram lander preparing to ‘sleep’ to survive long cold lunar night, ISRO chief S Somnath says they are still functioning

Having achieved its intended objectives, ISRO’s historic Chandrayaan 3 mission is approaching the conclusion of its planned exploration period. Initially, it was expected that the lander and the rover would not last beyond one lunar day which is equivalent to 14 Earth days. 

However, recent developments indicate that ISRO is making efforts to help the instruments survive the long night, lasting another 14-odd days on the lunar surface so that the payloads can continue to perform scientific experiments for another lunar day.

Evidently, the space agency is now preparing to initiate a “sleep mode” operation for the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover as the lunar night is approaching. During that phase temperatures are expected to plummet below -200 degrees Celsius and this freezing temperature can jam the system.  

ISRO Chief S Somnath informed this while delivering a congratulatory message after the successful launch of the Aditya L1 sun mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. During his congratulatory address, he added that the Aditya-L1 mission was successfully injected into the intended orbit for India’s first mission to the Sun.

Regarding the Chandrayaan 3 mission, the ISRO Chief said, “The lander and rover, Vikram and Pragyan, respectively, were still functioning and our team with scientific instruments are doing a lot of work now.”

He further added, “The good news is that the rover has moved almost 100 metres from the lander and we are going to start the process of making both of them sleep in the coming one or two days because they have to withstand the night.” 

On a day when all eyes are glued to screens for the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match, ISRO took to X to announce that Pragyan Rover is continuing its good form and has scored a century in a bid to highlight that the rover has traversed a total distance of more than 100 metres. 

In seemingly a cricket analogy, ISRO has shared a map of the route that the Pragyan rover has taken on the lunar surface and it looks similar to that of a wagon wheel in a cricket match statistics. 

The post read, “Pragyan 100 (not out). Meanwhile, over the Moon, Pragan Rover has traversed over 100 meters and continuing.”

Earlier on the 31st of August, ISRO shared that the Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload recorded an event which according to them appeared to be a “natural one”. Informing about the same, ISRO added that the source of this event is under investigation.

Prior to that, during in-situ experimentations, ISRO confirmed the presence of various elements including Sulphur and Oxygen on the lunar surface. The space agency also shared temperature profiles and high-resolution images and videos of the mission and its payloads.

‘Dilli ka darbar can do nothing good for Chhattisgarh’: Amit Shah takes a dig at Gandhi family as he tears into Congress

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‘Dilli ka darbar can do nothing good for Chhattisgarh’: Amit Shah takes a dig at Gandhi family as he tears into Congress

Coming down heavily on the Congress in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said ‘Dilli ka Darbaar’ can do nothing good for the state. 

At an event to unveil the BJP’s ‘Aarop Patra’ (list of charges) against the Chhattisgarh government in the state capital, Raipur, the Union Home Minister said, “The upcoming state assembly elections are not just about a change of regime but it is also about securing the future of Chhattisgarh. The people have to decide if they want to give another term to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s corrupt government or vote for a development-oriented government by the BJP in the state. Dilli ka Darbaar (oblique reference to the Gandhi family) can do nothing good for Chhattisgarh. It is only the BJP, which can save the state from corruption,” Shah said. 

“If voted to power, the BJP will put the state on the path of development and progress. We have unveiled the ‘Aarop Patra’ today to make the people aware of the corruption and scams that happened under the Congress government. Since 2018, when they (Congress) came to power, they have done nothing other than looting the state and the people,” Shah added. 

Praising the previous BJP government in the state, Shah said, “While Raman Singh (former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister) was at the helm of affairs, the state made noticeable progress and took forward strides on all yardsticks of development. He provided free ration to every household. People started calling him ‘Chawal wale Baba’ (the leader who provided rice free of cost).”

“We even reserved 50 per cent seats for women candidates during the panchayat elections. Chhattisgarh was recognised as an education hub, power hub, cement hub, and an aluminium hub,” the Home minister said. 

Coming down heavily at Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Shah said, “What have you (Baghel) given to the state? All you did was loot the poor and work for the benefit of the Gandhi family. He should present a detailed account of what he has done in the years he has been in power. He does not even remember the promises he made to the people of Chhattisgarh.”

The BJP, in its ‘Aarop Patra,’ alleged that the Congress government encouraged Naxalism in the state and got BJP workers killed. 

“The Congress party promised to construct 200 food parks in the state but could not make even a single one of them,” the party alleged further in the Aarop Patra. 

“The party promised to provide potable water to every household but could not provide the same to even half of them. It spent Rs 600 crores of public money for promotional activities. The Congress also threatened journalists and suppressed their rights,” the BJP added. 

The ‘Aarop Patra’ also accused the ruling party of giving “leeway to criminals for its own political benefits”. 

“The Congress party gave blatant leeway to criminals for its own political benefits and made the state a hub of drug peddlers and addicts,” the BJP alleged further in its ‘Aarop Patra’. 

“The people of Chhattisgarh gave us 10 of the 11 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and all seats in 2019. I am hopeful that the people of Chhattisgarh will bless the BJP again in the upcoming Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections next year,” he said.

“CM Bhupesh Bagghel is accountable for the corruption that happened on his watch. He did not fulfil the promises he made to the farmers, youth, women and people belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state,” Shah added. 

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are confident that we will make the country the third-biggest global economy,” the Union Home Minister said. 

The Chhattisgarh Assembly polls are scheduled to be held later this year.

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

Delhi: Six-year-old girl molested by a senior student in the school bus, pressure on parents to withdraw the case

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Six-year-old girl molested by a senior student in the school bus, pressure on parents to withdraw the case

A case of sexual exploitation of a six-year-old girl in a school bus has come to light in Delhi. This incident took place in the Begumpur neighbourhood. Delhi Women Commission has issued a notice to Delhi Police in the matter.

She attends a private school in Begumpur. Her mother reported that the victim’s backpack was covered in urine when the school bus left her off at the society gate on 23 August. The girl admitted to being abused on the bus by an older guy who was a student at the same institution when inquired about it.

The girl’s mother said that she and her husband visited the school the very next day. The episode was brought up to the school’s vice principal and principal. She disclosed that on 25 August the school’s chairman called and requested her to drop the complaint. The chairman is also charged with disclosing the minor’s identity.

The statement read, “The Delhi Commission for Women has received information of sexual assault with a 6-year-old girl in a private school bus. The Commission has been informed that the child studies in a private school in the Begumpur area of Delhi. The mother of the girl has informed that on 23.08.2023, when her daughter’s school bus dropped her daughter at her society’s gate, she found that her daughter’s bag was wet due to urine.”

It further added, “She has alleged that on enquiry, the girl informed that a student studying in a senior class has been molesting the girl in the school bus. She has stated that she along with her husband went to the school on 24.08.2023 and informed the incident to the principal and vice principal of the school. She has alleged that on 25.08.2023, the chairman called them to the school and asked them to withdraw the complaint. She has also alleged that the chairman of the school revealed the identity of the child to their society people.”

Swati Maliwal the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, has given the Delhi Police a notice in this regard. The commission has sought other information from the police including a copy of the First Information Report. It has also asked if a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against the school chairman, school manager, principal, vice principal and the school.

It has asked for a detailed report on the instance as well as the action undertaken against the school administration. The commission has sought a report from the Delhi Police by September 5.

85-year-old woman raped in Shakurpur

Meanwhile, in another alarming case, a senior citizen was raped in Delhi’s Shakurpur region. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) delivered a notice about the incident addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) District on 1 September.

The 85-year-old woman, who lived alone in a neighbourhood slum informed that a man forced his way into her home at 4 a.m. and sexually assaulted her. The accused has been identified as a 28-year-old named Akash and was arrested by the police.

According to an officer, a case under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code was opened at the Subhash Place police station. The victim complained that he punched her in the face, used a knife to sever her lip and tried to choke her during the attack, per the panel. She had wounds on several different bodily parts, including her privates.

The commission stated, “The Delhi Commission for Women has received information of rape with an 85-year-old woman. The Commission has been informed that the 85-year-old woman lives in a slum in the Shakurpur area of Delhi. She has informed that she lives alone in her jhuggi after the death of her husband.”

It added, “She has alleged that on 01.09.2023, at around 04.00 am, a person forcibly entered her jhuggi and raped her. She also informed that the accused punched her face, cut her lip with a blade, and tried to strangulate her. There are injuries all over her face and private parts as well.”

A copy of the First Information Report (FIR) submitted in relation to the occurrence has been requested by the commission as well as details of the culprit. The panel also inquired as to whether the district’s police department has a list of senior residents living alone and measures adopted to ensure their security.

It sought the initiatives taken by the police for the protection of the victim. A deadline of 5 September has been set by the commission for the submission of a report detailing the actions taken in the case. Swati Maliwal also paid a visit to the elderly woman.

This incident comes after an instance of child abuse in the city in which, based on the police, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was sexually molested at a school in the Panchsheel Enclave neighbourhood of south Delhi. According to a senior police source, the Hauz Khas police station received a Police Control Room (PCR) on 1 August alleging child abuse at a school close to the Chirag Delhi flyover in Panchsheel Enclave.

The victim unveiled that a 33-year-old school cleaner named Arjun Kumar, who had been arrested and accused of rape and unnatural offences under sections 376 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code along with section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act had sexually assaulted her. Afterwards, the offender was taken into custody by the authorities.

Bihar Governor orders State government to stay out of affairs of universities, says only Raj Bhawan has power and authority in running them

ANI
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Bihar Governor orders State government to stay out of affairs of universities, says only Raj Bhawan has power and authority in running them

Raj Bhawan on Thursday issued an instruction to the education department and the Bihar Government not to take any decision or accept any orders except those from the Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Raj Bhawan in the matter of running the affairs of the Universities in the state.

The instruction, issued on August 31 by Principal Secretary to Governor Robert L Chongthu, said that “certain officials are attempting to create confusion illegally and recalcitrantly and are undermining the established autonomy of the university administration as well as the clearly laid down and unambiguous power and authority of the office of Chancellor in the matter of running the affairs of universities.”

It instructed Vice Chancellors of all Universities in Bihar not to follow any orders except those from the Governor.

“In order to clarify the matter authoritatively, the Chancellor, in exercise of powers conferred on him under Section 9 Sub-Section (7) (ii) and (8) of the Bihar State University Act 1976, considers it necessary to issue direction to the Universities and, accordingly, to order that henceforth all Vice-Chancellors and other statutory officials and authorities of the Universities are required to comply with and carry out faithfully the orders and directions of, and to seek guidelines and clarification from, the Secretariat office of the Chancellor alone in the domains of administrative and academic affairs and interests of the Universities,” it read.

It goes on to say that they are in no position to feel obliged to heed in this regard any orders or directives issued without authority and jurisdiction over the statutorily ordained university affairs by any person in derogation to the clearly defined autonomy of the universities.

However, this isn’t the first time that Raj Bhawan has issued such an order, as similar instructions were issued in 2009 to all Vice Chancellors of Bihar by Raj Bhawan when the late Devanand Konwar was the Governor of Bihar.

The development came after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar last month reversed an order of the Bihar Education Department to freeze the bank accounts of two officials at Muzaffarpur’s Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University.

The Education Department of Bihar had instructed the varsity to stop paying the salaries of the university vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor for their alleged failure to inspect an institution in their jurisdiction and for not attending a review meeting held by it.

Also, the Education Department of Bihar announced that they are accepting applications for the positions of VCs at five universities in Bihar. However, a few days after the announcement, the department withdrew the notification.

Last month, the Bihar Chief Minister also visited Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has been demanding the removal of KK Pathak, Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department. 

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

Meta may allow ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram in Europe

OpIndia Staff
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Meta may allow ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram in Europe

Social media giant Meta is planning to roll out paid versions of Facebook and Instagram for its users residing in the European Union (EU) jurisdiction, the New York Times reported on Friday (1 September). As per the report, Meta may offer ad-free subscriptions to its users in Europe. Apparently, this is seen as a response to the constant scrutiny of Meta’s platform services by EU regulators.  

Citing three individuals familiar with Meta’s plans, the report suggests that users who subscribe to the paid versions of Facebook and Instagram will not see any ads on these platforms. However, it added that Meta would still continue to offer free versions of the apps with ads in the EU. 

Since Meta’s plan is confidential, these individuals shared details of the supposed plan on the condition of anonymity. They said that those users who pay for Facebook and Instagram subscriptions would not see ads in the apps. 

According to them, this may help Meta tackle privacy concerns and other scrutiny from E.U. regulators. Under this model, Meta would give users an alternative to the company’s ad-based services, which rely on analyzing people’s data. In doing so, Meta has been constantly accused of illegally harvesting or misusing user data for profiteering. 

The people aware of the plan further added that Meta would continue to offer free versions of Facebook and Instagram with ads in the European Union. 

However, the New York Times report didn’t state the potential cost of this subscription model or the timeline of its rollout. 

Notably, offering free social networking services to its users and then selling advertising to companies that want to reach these users has been the core business model of Meta for nearly two decades. 

However, with the new ad-free subscription model, Meta’s plan would be a major shift in how companies will need to redesign their products in order to comply with data privacy rules and other government policies, particularly in Europe.

Meta has been facing legal troubles in relation to user data privacy

Interestingly, Meta has been under scrutiny by antitrust regulators throughout the world, particularly in the EU, for allegedly indulging in anti-market practices and breaches of users’ data privacy. 

Earlier, in July this year, the European Union’s highest court effectively prohibited Meta from combining user data collected through its various platforms. Meta wanted to combine user data gathered from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp along with that collected from outside websites and apps. The court made it mandatory for Meta to receive explicit consent from users if it wanted to do so.

Prior to that, in January, Irish regulators imposed a fine of 390 million euros on Meta for forcing users to accept personalised ads if they want to keep using Facebook.

The European Commission (EC) initiated an antitrust investigation to probe Meta’s practices in connection to its online classified ads business in December 2022. 

The probe wanted to ascertain whether Meta has abused its market power by tying its Facebook Marketplace service to its social network Facebook. 

Furthermore, Meta has been exploiting its marketplace to threaten nations that challenge or check its anti-market practices. Apparently, the platform earlier threatened to leave the EU altogether if it was no longer able to transfer data about European users to the United States. 

Notably, there was an agreement named EU-US Privacy Shield that allowed for the transfer of data between the two regions. However, in July 2020, the European Court of Justice invalidated it. 

Apart from this, in March 2022, the European Union Parliament passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA). It is a set of rules that regulates large tech companies like Meta. It requires companies to comply with a number of obligations. Significantly, this is a major reason why Meta has not been able to launch its latest app — Threads in Europe as of now. 

Meta is reportedly concerned that the DMA will make it difficult to launch Threads in Europe because in that case, it would need to comply with a number of new rules.

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