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Was Manmohan Singh lobbying for an individual during coal block allocation? Rasheed Kidwai claims so in his latest column

OpIndia Staff
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Was Manmohan Singh lobbying for an individual during coal block allocation? Rasheed Kidwai claims so in his latest column

Columnist Rasheed Kidwai, known for his close ties with the top leadership of the Congress party, has made an interesting claim in his latest article eulogising the late Motilal Vora. In the column published on India Today, Kidwai claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was lobbying for an individual during coal block allocation.

Rasheed Kidwai made this claim in the article that he actually wrote to praise Motilal Vora, former treasurer of the All India Congress Committe (AICC), towards whom Rahul Gandhi has reportedly pointed the finger during his interrogation by the enforcement directorate in the National Herald case. As the image of the late Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist was getting tarnished, another loyalist Rasheed Kidwai came ahead to write an article praising Motilal Vora’s modesty and his staunch loyalty to the Congress party.

In an attempt to glorify Motilal Vora’s importance, Rasheed Kidwai went on to share that Motilal Vora’s words carried more weightage than that of Manmohan Singh when the latter was the Prime Minister of India. To prove his claim, Kidwai shared an incident that essentially revealed that Manmohan Singh was lobbying for someone during coal blocks allocation.

In his article, Rasheed Kidwai wrote, “Vora was being characteristically modest. He was anything but inconsequential. Congress folklore has it that once Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was the prime minister then, had reportedly approached a minister, gently suggesting a person’s name perhaps someone he knew personally as having the perfect credentials for the allocation of a coal block. The prime minister was told to route the suggestion through Vora.”

Rasheed Kidwai did not stop here. He further went on to describe how the man chairing the most important office in India during the UPA regime was less relevant than the long-term loyalists of the Gandhi Nehru family.

Kidwai wrote, “In fact, throughout the 10 years from 2004, when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre, telephone calls and oral messages from Vora and fellow party veteran Ahmed Patel carried more weight in the corridors of power than those of cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister’s Office.”

The Coal scam during the UPA government

The mega coal scam, known as Coalgate in Indian media had been a major embarrassment for the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. Huge irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks had come to light in 2012 when the CAG had stated that the government had sold leases for 200 coal fields at low prices to benefit a few and cost the ex-chequer the loss of about 1.86 lakh crores. Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s office had also come under the scanner for alleged involvement in this coal scam

Centre bans 35 WhatsApp groups for spreading misinformation on Agnipath scheme, 10 arrested for fake news

OpIndia Staff
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Centre bans 35 WhatsApp groups for spreading misinformation on Agnipath scheme, 10 arrested for fake news

Amid the violence and arson in the name of protests against the Agnipath scheme, the centre has banned 35 WhatsApp groups for spreading misinformation. The govt is tracking people spreading misinformation about the scheme, and taking action against such people.

Reportedly, the WhatsApp groups were found spreading wrong information about the Agnipath recruitment scheme, and were fuelling the violence against it. The union home ministry informed that other than banning the messaging groups, at least 10 persons also have been arrested for spreading fake news about the armed forces recruitment scheme.

The central govt has also appealed the people to report any people or group spreading such fake news about the Agnipath scheme. People can inform the PIB fact check team about such spreading of misinformation through WhatsApp on the number 8799711259.

It has already been found that the violent protests against the Agnipath scheme was a well-planned conspiracy, and several coaching institutions are behind it. Bihar Police have already launched a probe into the role of coaching institutes, and several people arrested for involvement in riots are found to have link with such institutions.

Bihar has seen the maximum violence against the scheme, where several trains have been burnt by the rioters. Today Bihar police said that at least three coaching centres had roles in the violence. 

While the Congress party has joined the protests against the scheme, today the army top brass affirmed that the scheme will not be rolled back. At a tri-service joint press conference, the defence officials said that the Agnipath scheme is needed to reduce to average age of the soldier, which is very high at present.

Muzaffarnagar: Insult to the National Song in municipal council meeting, 4 burqa-clad women remain seated as the house stands in honour of Vande Mataram

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Muzaffarnagar: Insult to the National Song in municipal council meeting, 4 burqa-clad women remain seated as the house stands in honour of Vande Mataram

In Uttar Pradesh, some councilors are accused of insulting the national song Vande Mataram at a municipal council meeting in Muzaffarnagar. A video of the national song Vande Mataram being sung in the meeting has gone viral in which it is seen that four burqa-clad women corporators kept sitting while all the other members in the house were standing in honour of the national song.

Netizens have called it an insult to the national song. Interestingly, Union Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy, and Fisheries Sanjeev Balyan was also present at the meeting. He is the elected Lok Sabha member from the Muzaffarnagar constituency.

The meeting, held at the municipal auditorium in the afternoon on Saturday, June 18, 2022, was also attended by Kapil Dev Agarwal, minister of vocational education and skill development in the Uttar Pradesh government. He has also been the chairman of Muzaffarnagar municipality in the past. This incident happened in presence of several other senior officials as well.

In the meeting, where a resolution of Rs.196 crore for the development of the city was passed, the entire House, apart from these 4 members, stood in honour of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’. The members of the house also seemed unhappy with this act. The national song was played before the proceedings began.

Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan advised everyone to respect the national anthem and the national song. The councilors also discussed this. The Union Minister said that if a woman will insult the national song, how will she strengthen the society?

It is notable that a case regarding giving the same status to the national song as that of that national anthem is underway in the court. In the last week of May 2022, the Delhi High Court also sought the opinion of the central government in this regard.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on this issue. He said that due to the absence of any guidelines on the national song, it is being used in an indecent manner and it is being insulted in films and parties also.

In his petition, he has said, “On January 24, 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, chairman of the Constituent Assembly, had said that the song ‘Vande Mataram’ had played a historic role in the struggle for Indian independence and would be honored equally with ‘Jana-Gana-Mana’.” Upadhyay has essentially asked for playing both – the national anthem as well as the national song – in all the institutions.

Kejriwal’s ‘Delhi Health Model’ paralyzed, more ambulances sold in scrap than the new ones bought under AAP government: RTI reveals

OpIndia Staff
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Kejriwal’s ‘Delhi Health Model’ paralyzed, more ambulances sold in scrap than the new ones bought under AAP government: RTI reveals

An RTI by a Gujarati activist Sujit Patel has once again exposed the ‘Delhi health model’ of the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi. This time the claims by the health ministry of the Delhi government about the number of ambulances have been busted by a recent RTI filed by Sujit Patel. Sujit Patel is active on Twitter and Facebook as Sujit Hindustani and he has shared the information about the RTI from his handle.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal does not get tired of flaunting his health model whenever he goes to other states. However, it has been proven time and again that his Delhi health model is a sham and many of his claims about it are false.

In an exclusive conversation with OpIndia about his latest RTI, Sujit Patel provided detailed information about it. He said, “I was already suspicious of the various paid advertisements and claims made by Kejriwal and his government. To find out the truth of their claims, I started seeking responses from government departments by filing various RTIs with the help of the Right to Information Act initiated by the Government of India.”

Sujit Patel further said, “And it happened just as most of the people and I suspected. According to the information received through RTI, most of the claims and advertisements of the Kejriwal government started proving to be false.”

The RTI exposed the Delhi Health Model

Some big revelations about the health ministry of the Delhi government are made in the responses received in the RTIs recently filed by Sujit Patel. In his RTI, Sujit Patel inquired the Delhi Information Department about the figures of the newly added passenger ambulance and life support on wheel ambulances in the Delhi Health Department after 2014. In another inquiry, Sujit Patel asked for figures of how many ambulances the Kejriwal government gave in scrap during the same period.

The response received by Sujit Hindustani on his RTI.

The reply given by the information department to this RTI revealed the reality of the Delhi Health Department. The answer given to this RTI reveals that from 2014 to April 2022 the Kejriwal government did not purchase a single ‘patient transport ambulance’ of the kind that can take patients to hospitals. The Kejriwal government has sold 9 such patient transport ambulances in the scrap at a price of Rs 23,659 per ambulance during the same period. From 2014 to April 2022, the Kejriwal government has procured a total of 10 ‘Advanced Life Support Ambulances’ which have oxygen, ICUs, and ECG facilities to treat patients in ambulances. During the same period, the Kejriwal government has sold a total of 20 advanced life support ambulances for scrap at a price of Rs 75,246/- per ambulance.

This shows that the number of ambulances by the Health Department of the Government of Delhi has not increased after 2014. In fact, there has been a major reduction in the number.

Delhi’s health minister himself is in jail

It is notable that Delhi’s health minister, Satyendra Jain, is in jail on charges of corruption and money laundering. In the Enforcement Directorate’s investigation, Satyendra Jain had said a few days ago that he had suffered a memory loss after getting corona. So be it a minister having a post covid memory loss or be its false claims of the Delhi Health Model, Arvind Kejriwal’s government has deceived Delhi’s people either way.

Prior RTIs also revealed shocking information

This is not the first time that an RTI has exposed Kejriwal’s Delhi health model. Sujit Patel also informed that many revelations had been made through his RTI in the past.

The Aam Aadmi Party in its 2015 election manifesto had promised to make 4,000 doctors and 15,000 nurses and paramedical staff permanent if they came to power. But in an RTI reply, it was found that even after winning the 2015 elections, the Delhi government had not made any of them permanent until 2020.

In another RTI, Patel questioned the number of health centers in Delhi before and after 2015. The reply to this RTI showed that the number of health centers actually decreased instead of increasing after the Kejriwal government came to power.

‘Your goal should be to topple this Government’: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tells Agnipath protestors, claims the scheme will destroy the Army

OpIndia Staff
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‘Your goal should be to topple this Government’: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tells Agnipath protestors, claims the scheme will destroy the Army

The Congress Party on Sunday organised a ‘Satyagraha’ agitation led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra against the Centre’s Agnipath Scheme at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Gandhi claimed that the scheme would ‘kill our youth, and army, that protects the nation’ during her speech at the protest venue.

With Congress protesting against the Agnipath scheme announced by the Central Government, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday gave calls to topple the Modi Government. Protesting against the scheme, Gandhi said, “This scheme will kill the youth and the army which protects the country. The Armed forces which protect our nation, will be vanquished if this scheme comes into the foray.”

“Look in through this Government. Look into the intention of this Government, I urge you. Through Democracy, with peace non-violence and truth, put an end to this government. Your goal should be to topple this government,” Priyanka Gandhi declared.

“(Your goal should be) to form a government which will be truly patriotic, that will protect the exchequer, that will pave way forward to the progress of the poor and the youth,” Gandhi urged the gathering to protest with peaceful means. “Don’t stop. This is about your rights. The responsibility for the safety of this nation lies in your hands. The Congress party and its leaders are with you in this,” she added.

She also urged the youths to identify ‘fake nationalists’. “There is no bigger patriot than you. I want to tell you, open your eyes and recognise the fake nationalists and fake patriots. The entire country and the Congress are with you in your struggle,” the Congress general secretary said in her speech.

AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi was joined by other party leaders including N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Deepender Hooda and others on its ‘Satyagraha’ against the Agnipath scheme, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Sunday.

It may be noted that despite the protests and violence against the Agnipath scheme, the defence top brass has affirmed that the scheme will not be rolled back. At a joint tri-service press conference in Delhi today, the defence officials said that the Agnipath scheme is needed to bring down the average age of soldiers to achieve a fir and young defence force. It was said that the current average age of soldiers is 32 years, which needs to come down per the recommendations of the Kargil review committee and Arun Singh committee report.

No rollback of Agnipath scheme, 1.25 lakh Agniveers will be recruited starting from this month: The major announcements at tri-services press conference

OpIndia Staff
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No rollback of Agnipath scheme, 1.25 lakh Agniveers will be recruited starting from this month: The major announcements at tri-services press conference

On Sunday, senior military officials from the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force held a joint press conference regarding the Centre’s Agnipath Scheme. The Tri-Service press conference was held in Delhi to clear misconceptions around the recruitment process in the defence forces, which caused a furore among some sections of the youth.

It was presided over by Lt. Gen. Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, Lt Gen Bansi Ponappa from the Army, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi from the Navy and Air Marshal Suraj Jha from the Air Force. During the meet, the officers announced a barrage of new salient features of the policy.

At the Outset, Lt General Anil Puri thrusted upon the need and the intent behind the Agniveer scheme. Puri expressed that this reform was long pending. “We want to bring youthfulness and experience with this reform. Today, a large number of jawan are in their 30s and officers are getting command much later than in the past. Agniveer will bring in the ideal mix of experience and youth,” he added.

Puri added that the scheme has been introduced as per recommendations of the Kargil review committee and Arun Singh committee. “We want a mix of josh and hosh and that is why we wanted to reduce the age profile. The average age is 32 years at present and we want to reduce it as per the recommendations of the Kargil review committee and Arun Singh committee report,” he said.

He informed that the Agniveers will receive same allowances in areas like Siachen and other areas which are applicable to the regular soldiers at present. No discrimination against them in service conditions, Lt. Gen Puri added. ‘Agniveers’ will also get a compensation for Rs 1 crore if they sacrifice their life in service of the nation.

The officer also informed that the defence top brass had not anticipated the violence over the scheme while designing it.

No defence job for rioters

Lt Gen Puri announced that those who are part of violence against the Agnipath scheme will be not allowed to join the defence forces. Saying that “there is no place for indiscipline in the Armed Forces”, he informed that all applicants under the scheme will have to submit a written pledge that they didn’t indulge in any violence or arson. He also informed that police verification of the candidates will be conducted and if any FIR is filed against anyone, they will be barred from joining the armed forces.

No rollback

Lt General Anil Puri made it clear that the Agnipath scheme will not be rolled back as demanded by some opposition parties and violent protestors. “Coming to the rollback of the scheme, no. Why should it be rolled back? It is the only progressive step to making the country young. Why is it being made young? We are tinkering with ‘Desk ki Raksha’. There is no space. I will give you an example. Do you know how many casualties are reported just for health purposes from high-altitude areas? Do read about it, then you would come to know why young is important,” the officer said.

Plans to ramp up the recruitment numbers in future

Delving further on the recruitment process of Agnipath, Lt. Gen. Anil Puri announced that the intake of ‘Agniveers’ will go up to 1.25 lakhs in near future and will not remain at 46,000 which is the present figure. “In next 4-5 years, our intake will be 50,000-60,000 & will increase to 90,000 to 1 lakh subsequently. We’ve started small at 46,000 to analyse the scheme and to build up infra capacity until then,” Lt General Anil Puri said, who currently serves as the Additional Secy in the Dept of Military Affairs, in the Defence Ministry.

Puri added that the announcements regarding the reservations for ‘Agniveers’ announced by the different ministries and departments were pre-planned and ‘not in reaction to the arson that happened after Agnipath scheme announcement’. Several State Governments including Harayana, UP and other Central Ministries announced a slew of opportunity windows and recruitment preferences for Agnipath graduates after four years.

Responding to the question on a 4-year job in the forces, Lt Gen Puri informed that already around 17000 people leave their jobs in the armed forces per year, and it is not that everyone wants to serve in the armed forces for a long term. “Around 17,600 people are taking premature retirement from the three Services every year. No one ever tried to ask them what they will do after retirement,” he said.

Benefits and opportunities for the Agniveers

Lt. Gen Puri highlighted on the Seva Nidhi Package of Rs 11.71 lakh at the end of the term to the candidates, which if combined with the total pay of Rs 16.74 lakh adds up to Rs 23.24 lakh total income in four years for an Agniveer.

After completing the Agnipath programme after four years, the Agniveers would enjoy 10% reservations in the Central Armed Police Force CAPFs and Assam Rifles as announced by the Ministry of Homes Affairs. Furthermore, Several Ministries including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Highways, and Ministry of Education among others have announced certificate, degree and bridging programmes for the aspirants to pursue.

Lt Gen Anil Puri said that an Agniveer will get compensation for one crore rupees if he sacrifices his life in service of the nation, during the service. Furthermore, The ‘Agniveers’ would get the same allowance in contested areas like Siachen and other areas which are applicable to the regular soldiers serving at present. “No discrimination against them in service conditions,” he added.

Women Agniveers in the Navy

Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said that from November 21 this year, the first naval ‘Agniveers’ will start reaching the training establishment INS Chilka, Odisha. “Both female and male Agniveers are allowed for this,” he added.

“Indian Navy has 30 women officers at present sailing on different Indian Navy ships. We have decided that under the Agnipath scheme, we will recruit women also. They will be deployed on warships too,” Vice Admiral Tripathi expressed.

Recruitment Process to start on June 24, 2022

Lt Gen Bansi Ponappa talked about the Recruitment schedule of the Agnipath Scheme. “By December first week, we will get the first batch of 25,000 ‘Agniveers’ and the second batch would be inducted around February 2023 making it 40,000,” he added. Air Marshal SK Jha announced that the registration process for the very first batch of Agnipath will commence on June 24, 2022.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Rajasthan government took out a Tiranga Rally in protest against the Agnipath scheme. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot flagged off the rally by showing the tricolor from Amar Jawan Jyoti in Jaipur. The Tiranga rally was attended by several senior party leaders and workers. The Ashok Gehlot government has also passed a resolution against the Agnipath scheme. Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas informed that a resolution was passed in a meeting to withdraw the Agnipath scheme.

The government announced Agnipath scheme on 14th June 2022

On Tuesday (June 14), the Indian government, along with the chiefs of the three armed forces, launched the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youth in the armed forces. The new recruits under the scheme will henceforth be known as ‘Agniveer’.

Soon after, a lot of misinformation and apprehension were being spread against the scheme and its utility, resulting in protests across the country. Alleged army aspirants took to the streets and destroyed public property under the pretext of peaceful protests and demonstrations against the Agnipath scheme. While demanding a rollback of the government scheme, they vandalized public property, burnt trains, and brought life to a standstill across various Indian States.

Agnipath Scheme: How the violence and riots against the recruitment scheme could be a pre-planned conspiracy

OpIndia Staff
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Agnipath Scheme: How the violence and riots against the recruitment scheme could be a pre-planned conspiracy

Since the Government of India launched the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces, several lstates across India are facing violent protests against the scheme. Trains, buses and railway stations have been attacked and burnt by the so called army job aspirants at various places. However, now evidence have emerged that opposition parties and people with vested interests are spreading misinformation and provoking youth to agitate against the scheme.

Netizen Amit Thadhani posted a thread on social media platform Twitter on June 18 that showcased how the violence and rioting while protesting against the Agnipath scheme could be a pre-planned conspiracy. Thadhani quoted ANI’s tweet on Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao, where he had expressed ‘shock and grief over the death of Rakesh, hailing from Warangal, in the Railway Police firing while participating in a dharna against the recruitment in Army services by Union Government in the name of Agnipath’.

Thadhani posted Times of India report that talked about a conspiracy to attack the Secunderabad railway station. Rakesh, the person who died in the Police firing, was part of that group of alleged protesters who vandalized the railway station.

On June 17, Journalist Rishabh Kant shared a video of Secunderabad railway station in which two women could be seen standing helpless and scared while the rioters destroyed the station. One of the women had a young child in her arms.

Another 15-second video from the same day at the same station revealed the condition of the train standing there. The windows were broken. The railway station was ransacked, and the shops were vandalized and looted.

NDTV had shared a long thread with photos and videos showcasing how rioters entered the station and vandalized trains, looted shops and that too when passengers were at the station. In one of the videos, the media house showed a burning train at Secunderabad station.

In another video by NDTV that was shared by Thadhani, a person was telling the reporter that when the rioters attacked a train, there were 40 passengers on board. The person said, “There were over 5,000 rioters who attacked the station. They tried to burn the train down using petrol.” He showed a petrol can lying inside the train as evidence.

India TV showcased via 50 videos how rioters vandalized public and private properties. They showed a video where several trucks were burnt down by the rioters. The rioters attacked Vivekanand Mission School, located on Aurangabad-Gaya road. All the glass windows were broken by rioters using stones. The reporter said around 2,000 stones were pelted during the attack. It is obvious that such amount of stones and batons seen in the scene could not be available nearby a school building.

Interestingly, Thadhani pointed out that news channels cut off the ground reporters the moment they start to speak about something that could attract a lot of criticism from the general public. In a clip shared by Thadani, Aaj Tak allegedly cut off the ground reporter the moment she started talking about the disinterest of the Police in controlling the situation.

The same case was with India TV. The ground reporter’s feed was cut-off right at the point where he was about to mention that there were passengers on the train when rioters set it on fire.

The possible conspiracy behind the violence

There is evidence pointing toward a possible conspiracy behind the violence in several states over the Agnipath recruitment scheme. On June 18, UP Police arrested NSUI leader and SP leader for provoking youth against the scheme. Also, WhatsApp leaks revealed the possibility of a conspiracy to create unrest in the country in the backdrop of the violence. The entrance of professional protesters like Yogendra Yadav and Rakesh Tikait in the matter is another sign of well-planned protests.

As per reports, UP Police also arrested nine coaching institute operators and 26 others in Aligarh in connection with violent protests in the district against the Centre’s Agnipath defence recruitment scheme. Several WhatsApp groups, social media posts, Telegram Groups and other social media platforms are being reportedly used to provoke the youth.

Notably, there are calls for Bharat Bandh on June 20, i.e. Monday, on social media platforms. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have also spoken against the scheme and targeted the central government. The brother-sister duo warned the government to take back the scheme.

Tweets against Agnipath scheme by Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. Source: Twitter

While Rahul Gandhi threatened it would face the same fate as Farm Laws, Priyanka Gandhi urged the govt to take back the scheme as they had to make changes within 24 hours of its announcement.

‘Protesters’ burning trains and doing violence barred from joining Armed Forces, might lose job even in future if they join by hiding their deeds

OpIndia Staff
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‘Protesters’ burning trains and doing violence barred from joining Armed Forces, might lose job even in future if they join by hiding their deeds

Amid the violent protests against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment into armed forces, the military has said those who are indulging in violence in the name of protests will be barred from joining the armed forces. While applying for the post of Agniveer, the applicants will be have to submit a declaration stating that they were not involved in riots.

It was announced during a tri-service addressed to day on June 19 to clear doubts and concerns regarding the Agnipath scheme. During the press conference, Lt General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Dept of Military Affairs, made it clear that those who had participated in violent protests and damaged public and private properties would be barred from joining the Indian Army. Moreover, in case they join the forces by hiding their involvement in the riots, they will lose their jobs.

Lt Gen Puri also said that police verification of all the candidates will be done before they join the forces as Agniveers. He said that the foundation of the Indian Army is in the discipline, and there is no space for arson and vandalism. He said, “Every individual will give a certificate that they were not part of protest or vandalism. Police verification is 100%, no one can join without that.”

He further added if it was found that an FIR had been lodged against the aspirant, he would not be allowed to join. “They (aspirants) will be asked to write as part of the enrolment form that they were not part of the arson, their police verification will be done.”

Lt Gen Puri further added, “there is no place for indiscipline in the Armed Forces. All candidates will have to give a written pledge that they did not indulge in any arson/violence,” he added.

No chance of rollback, said Lt Gen Puri

He said that the ministry and armed forces need time to detail out the process and future benefits of the scheme. It cannot happen overnight. Speaking about the possibility of rollback of the scheme, he said, “Coming to rollback of the scheme, no. Why should it be rolled back? It is the only progressive step to making the country young. Why is it being made young? Do you know how many causalities happen in high-altitude areas? Then you will understand why we need young [recruits].”

He also denied claims that the changes in the scheme were made only after the violent protests, and said that they were already planned.

Violence against Agnipath Scheme

Since the Government of India launched the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces, several locations in states across India are facing violent protests against the scheme. Multiple railway trains and stations have been vandalized. Person and private properties have been damaged during the violence in several states, including Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and others.

As power crisis grips Pakistan, government declares ‘energy emergency’, businesses in Islamabad to close at 9 PM

OpIndia Staff
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As power crisis grips Pakistan, government declares ‘energy emergency’, businesses in Islamabad to close at 9 PM

Shops, Markets, and commercial establishments in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad will now close at 9 PM, according to a recent notification issued on Saturday. The decision was taken by the civic authorities to conserve electricity amidst the looming energy crisis in the nation.

Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz Memon shared the notice on Twitter limiting the business hours of mercantile activity in the city. According to the new rule, shops, markets, wedding halls, clubs, cafes, cinemas and public parks will work on a limited operational basis until early hours of the night.

While the business entities have been asked to close by 9 PM, Marriage halls and exhibitions could be kept open until 10 PM only. Other public recreational facilities like Cinemas will only be allowed to function until 11:30 PM. However, essential services like vegetable markets, milk shops, pharmacies, clinics and hospitals, and repair shops would be exempted from the new rule.

The order, which shall remain in force for two subsequent months, came after the district magistrate realised a steep increase in electricity consumption due to the hot weather in the city. “The whole of Islamabad is facing severe power outage because of electricity shortage,” the notice mentioned.

The order asked that there is an ‘urgent need’ to conduct business activities in daylight without imparting adverse effects on the business activities ‘so that electricity remains available for critical establishments’ – the note read.

Amidst the looming power crisis in the country, Islamabad has followed suit after the states of Sindh and Punjab have already taken similar measures to curtail business hours in the name of an energy conservation drive. Earlier on Saturday, the Punjab state government announced the closure of business activities across the province by 9 PM.

On Friday, The Sindh Government too announced the limitation regarding operational timings of commercial entities in the province owing to the prevalent power outages and load shedding. With such measures, Pakistan aims at bridging the gap between the demand and supply of electricity which is one of the primary reasons behind the larger energy crisis in the nation.

Energy Crisis in Pakistan

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is facing high power shortages in the country after the demands owing to the summer months have increased rapidly as compared to the the total electricity generation. There have been reports of long hours of load shedding in the country, leaving the people to suffer in high temperatures.

Another reason which has contributed to the energy crisis in Pakistan is the rise in global fuel prices after the Russia-Ukraine War after which the Pakistani Rupee is hitting record low as compared to the Dollar. In desperate measures to curtain the crisis, governments and other civic bodies in Pakistan are reducing their official working hours to save as much electricity possible.

In summer Load shedding in the country has reached 10-12 hours in cities and 14-16 hours in rural areas. This has to do with power plants reducing electricity generation capabilities due to scarcity of natural gas and hydropower in the country. The overall energy crisis has thus affected electricity production in the country, leading to an individual electricity crisis on its own.

As part of the national energy conservation drive, Pakistan reduced its official working week from six days to five. The national cabinet has also set up a committee to work out plans for working from home on Fridays for government and semi-government offices, including early closure of commercial markets.

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