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Has Modi Govt launched a scheme to increase representation of Madarsa Board students in Army? Fact Check

OpIndia Staff
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Has Modi Govt launched a scheme to increase representation of Madarsa Board students in Army? Fact Check

A WhatsApp forward is doing the rounds where it is being claimed that the NDA Government at the center has launched a scheme to induct Madarsa students into the Army. The forwarded messages carry a screenshot of what appears to be the headline of a news report, although it is not clear if its indeed the case.

Viral WhatsApp forward

The viral text alleges that ‘Maulana Modi’ is ‘looking for soldiers’ at Madarsas. It claims that a scheme has been launched to ensure that the ‘Army has more Muslims’. It also claims that ‘Maulana Modi’ is taking ‘blind Hindus who keep voting for him’ for a ride.

What is the truth behind Madarsa students claim?

The confusion appears to have been created by a Jagran report from the 28th of July. The report said that the UP Madarsa Board had decided to apply for the membership of Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE).

Since the Madarsa Board did not have the accreditation, its students could not apply for government jobs including the Army and related forces. If the Board is accredited, the students will be able too apply for government jobs as well in the army and paramilitary forces.

Jagran Report

Certain avenues of higher education refused to admit UP Madarsa Board students due to the lack of certification as well. These avenues will open up for the students.

“It was recently brought to our notice that the armed forces and several other employment agencies and educational institutions do not accept our board’s education certification for enrollment with them. They ask for COBSE registration from the candidates which the UP Board of Madrassa Education does not have as of now. We have now applied seeking COBSE accreditation,” Board Registrar RP Singh said.

“For this a proposal has been put forth that the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University create the syllabus, conduct the degree-level examinations and give degrees to our students,” he said referring to the fact that the kamil (graduation) and fazil (post-graduation) degrees were not accepted as equivalent degrees by numerous higher education institutions.

Thus, the NDA Government has not launched any scheme to increase the representation of Muslims in the Army. The UP Madarsa Board has only applied for COBSE accreditation, which would make their students eligible for Army jobs.

What is COBSE?

COBSE is an autonomous body under the Government of India. According to its website, “It is established under Article 19(1)G, 29 & 30. Hon’ble Supreme Court (in T.M.A. Pai Foundation Vs. State of Karnataka (SC) 2003 (2) SCT 385.) also has given the right for establishment.”

Numerous education boards have a membership to it, including the Assam Sanskrit Board, State Madrassa Education Board in Assam, Aligarh Muslim University, Bihar School Education Board among others. It currently has 67 Boards among its members.

Source: COBSE Website

COBSE also maintains a list of ‘fake boards’, ‘recognised Sanskrit board’ and ‘recognised Madarsa Boards’ among other lists. Thus, quite clearly, none of this is part of any ‘new scheme’.

Does the Modi Govt have anything to do with UP Madarsa Board?

The Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education comes under the minority department of the UP Government. According to reports, the Board has decided to register with COBSE under the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Source: Website

“This step of the government will pave way for the madarsa Board students to enroll themselves in the central universities,” RP Singh said. Zirgamudin, an official of the board, said, “The work of preparing documents is being done. A meeting has been held with the officials of the government as well. It is expected that the madarsa board will be registered in COBSE by the start of the new session. This will be a major achievement for the madarsa board.”

What is evident is, multiple state Madarsa boards are already registered with COBSE. Thus, the UP Government has decided to register their state board with the body as well. Hence, most importantly, it is not part of any new scheme.

Are the benefits limited to Army jobs?

Apart from Jagran, Times of India also published a report, choosing to specifically highlight the Army angle in it.

TOI Report

It is not clear why media reports have chosen to highlight only the Army jobs aspect of the matter, given that the registration of the Board will open up the possibility of all government jobs apart from some higher educational institutions.

It is certainly not related to Army jobs alone. Thus, it appears extremely likely that the Army angle was highlighted for purposes of clickbait alone.

‘Each and every brick will tell you a brilliant story of its time’: Archaeologist KK Muhammad talks about Nalanda University

OpIndia Staff
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‘Each and every brick will tell you a brilliant story of its time’: Archaeologist KK Muhammad talks about Nalanda University

Renowned archaeologist KK Muhammad in a recent online interaction went into raptures about the erstwhile Nalanda University and said that it was much bigger and more ancient than the modern universities such as Strasbourg, Oxford and Cambridge.

“Nalanda, even in 3rd, 4th, 5th century was an international university. We have this first modern university in Paris, which is called Strasbourg University which came up in the 12th century. Then in the 13th century, we had Oxford University and around the same time, another university in Cambridge also came up,” Muhammad said.

Muhammad further added, “Seven-eight hundred years before, you had a bigger university in India, where students came not only from the Indian subcontinent….but from a number of other countries, from Japan, China. Hsuan Tsang was himself a student at Nalanda University. He studied for two years at the university. He then became a teacher here. Similarly, students from Indonesia, Malaysia also came to study here.”

Source: YouTube

Describing the immensity of Nalanda University, KK Muhammad said the king of Sumatra donated four villages for the library of Nalanda alone.

“So when you walk on the mounds of Nalanda or on its soil, you should remember, you are walking in the footsteps of a university where Hsuan Tsang walked over many centuries ago. Each and every brick of Nalanda will tell you a brilliant story of that period,” said Muhammad, who was also a part of a team of archaeologists which had carried out the first excavation at the Babri structure at Ayodhya in 1976-77. In his findings then, Muhammad had declared that a Ram Temple existed before the controversial structure was built in the 15th century.

KK Muhammad has also written a book called ‘Njanenna Bharatheeyan‘, where he was at his eloquent best showering praises on the Nalanda University for preserving India’s cultural heritage. At its peak, the university attracted students from near and far, with people travelling from Tibet, China, Korea and other Central Asian countries. As per Archaeological evidence unearthed in the excavation of Nalanda University, a monastery within the University complex was built by one of the kings of the Shailendra Dynasty of Indonesia.

Nalanda thrived under the patronage of the Gupta Empire in the 5th and 6th centuries, which is often termed as India’s Golden period. . The university continued to flourish in the next three centuries. The subsequent centuries witnessed a gradual decline, a period during which militant Islamism spread its ugly claws around much of Asia and Africa.

Nalanda University destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khalji

Nalanda was destroyed three times but was rebuilt only twice. It was ransacked and destroyed by a marauding army of the Mamluk Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate under Bakhtiyar Khalji in 1193. The ruined university which produced legends as Aryabhatta, Dharmapala and Nagarjuna were later excavated during British rule. But with the University gone, we lost vast reserves of knowledge and wisdom accumulated in centuries. One can never predict the scientific advancement India would have achieved had this University allowed to function.

‘Sex with wife above the age of 15 is not rape’: Allahabad High Court grants bail to accused Ali in line with Muslim law

OpIndia Staff
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‘Sex with wife above the age of 15 is not rape’: Allahabad High Court grants bail to accused Ali in line with Muslim law

On Thursday (August 6), the Allahabad High Court in a verdict stated that sex with a minor ‘wife’ above the age of 15 will not be considered as ‘rape.’

The case was filed at the Bhojpur police station in Moradabad by the minor girl against her adult husband Khushabe Ali on charges of dowry, assault, criminal intimidation, and forced sex. The accused had then moved the High Court seeking bail in the case. While hearing the bail application of the husband accused of having sex with his minor wife, the Court ruled that it could not be held as ‘rape’. The verdict was given by Justice Md. Aslam of the Allahabad High Court.

He noted that Section 375 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was ratified in 2013. As such, an exception was added to the clause of rape. It read, “Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape.” The Counsel for the petitioner claimed that the victim had denied the allegations, before the Magistrate, of sexual exploitation by Ali and his brothers. Justice Mo Aslam then granted bail to the accused.

‘If you want to marry, we can help you: ex-CJI SA Bobde to rape accused

In March this year, ex-Chief Justice of India SA Bobde granted protection to a 23-year-old Maharashtra government employee from arrest. He had allegedly raped a then 16-year-old schoolgirl in 2014-15 and was faced with charges under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012. The former CJI had questioned the accused whether he would be interested in marrying the survivor. The accused, Mohit Subhash Chavan, was a technician with the Maharashtra State Electric Production Company

“Will you marry her?”, CJI SA Bobde asked the petitioner’s lawyer when the matter was taken up for hearing, further suggesting: “You should have thought before seducing and raping the young girl. You knew you are a government servant.” In response, the accused said, “Initially, I wanted to marry her. But she refused. Now I cannot as I am already married.” To this, Bobde further said: “If you want to marry, we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail.”

It is notable here that Indian law prohibits child marriage and marriage before the age of 18 years is not considered legal. Sexual relations with a minor is a punishable offence. However, Muslim personal law allows marriage and sexual relations if the girl has attained puberty. These blatant contradictions of legal provisions are somehow yet to be changed.

PM Modi removes ‘Rajiv Gandhi’, Khel Ratna Award to now be called Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi removes ‘Rajiv Gandhi’, Khel Ratna Award to now be called Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that henceforth, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award shall be known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The Prime Minister said that he had received request from people across the country to name the award after the Indian Hockey legend. Therefore, respecting their wishes, the name has been altered accordingly.

The Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting honour in India. Until now, it has been named after Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of the country and the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

There have been calls by citizens for a significant period of time to name the award after a sporting legend instead of a politician. Rajiv Gandhi, after all, was not known for his sporting prowess.

Major Dhyan Chand is one of the greatest hockey players in the history of the game. He led India to three consecutive Gold Medals in Hockey in 1928, 1932 and 1936. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour, in 1956.

According to his biography, Major Dhyan Chand scored an astonishing 570 goals in 185 matches, averaging 3.08 goals per match. For his astounding hockey feats, he is fondly remembered as The Wizard or The Magician.

Consequently, the highest sporting award in India will henceforth be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

Tamil Nadu: 7 brass kalasams atop towers of Manjal Neer Kootha Ayyanar temple looted, case registered

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: 7 brass kalasams atop towers of Manjal Neer Kootha Ayyanar temple looted, case registered

All seven kalasams (brass pots) atop the four towers of Manjal Neer Kootha Ayyanar temple on the southern bank of Kollidam river at Vilangudi village near Thiruvaiyaru in Tamil Nadu were burgled on Wednesday. 

The theft came to light when temple priest S Yogeswaran reached the temple in the morning to perform pooja and found the seven kalasams missing. Each kalasam of about 0.75 ft in height was placed on the towers of Madurai Veeran, Nondi Muthukaruppu, Nonjanswami and Karuppaswami. 

A complaint has been lodged at the Thiruvaiyaru Police by temple executive officer Brihandevi. The forensic department has collected fingerprints and a case has been registered. However, the police said that as the temple is small it lacks safety measures and the four towers surrounding the temple are without boundary walls. 

The temple is under the control of the HR&CE Department. 

Multiple cases of temple theft being reported

Temple theft and robbery have become a regular occurrence across the country. In the month of July, a team of the Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID seized four antique metal idols of Hindu gods and goddesses from a house in Puducherry. It is suspected that the idols were stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu’s Ariyalur.

In yet another case from July, the Delhi Police arrested two men who had broken into a temple in Outer Delhi’s Rajpark area and stole nine brass vessels. The weight of all the vessels stolen is estimated to be around 65-70kgs.

As per reports, as many as four temples have been looted in a month in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur. From temple kalasam to looting donation boxes, the cases of temple theft are on a rise. 

The Sri Veerabhadraswamy Temple located on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka was burgled on Wednesday and cash from the donation box looted, while the security guard was asleep in the security room. Reportedly, the burglars also took away ₹54,000 along with the DVR and the monitor from the temple office.

‘Won Bronze with Durga Maa’s blessing’: PV Sindhu visits Kanaka Durga Temple again, prays for Gold in 2024 Olympics

OpIndia Staff
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‘Won Bronze with Durga Maa’s blessing’: PV Sindhu visits Kanaka Durga Temple again, prays for Gold in 2024 Olympics

PV Sindhu created history as she became the first Indian woman to win medals at two Olympic games. She won the Silver Medal in Badminton at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and won the Bronze Medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The ace shuttler defeated He Bingjiao of China 21- 13, 21-15 in the Bronze Medal match.

After her historic win, PV Sindhu visited the Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada on Friday to pray for Gold in the next Olympics.

PV Sindhu visits Kanaka Durga Temple, prays for Gold in 2024 Olympics

Sindhu was offered the poorna kumbha swagata — a traditional welcomer. Temple Executive officer, Bhramaramba presented her a photograph of Goddess Kanaka Durga, presiding deity of Indrakeeladri, prasadam and silk robes amidst Vedic chants.

Later, speaking to the media she said that she had set her eyes on the 2024 Olympics and she prayed that she could win the Gold medal for her nation. She also said that she visited the Durga temple before going to the Olympics and won the bronze medal with goddess blessings.

After her historic victory, PV Sindhu went back to her hometown, Hyderabad, where she got a rousing reception from her family.

After winning the medal, when the State Government welcomed her in Vijayawada, Sindhu said, “I feel very happy to be here. I’m thankful to my parents, they’ve been very supportive. They themselves have been volleyball players”.

Sadhu of an Ashram brutally beaten by locals in West Champaran, Bihar, video goes viral: Here is the reason

OpIndia Staff
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Sadhu of an Ashram brutally beaten by locals in West Champaran, Bihar, video goes viral: Here is the reason

A Sadhu of an Ashram in Bihar’s West Champaran was brutally assaulted by locals after which the video of the incident went viral on the internet. The allegation was that the Sadhu had an altercation with a woman who had dumped garbage inside the Ashram premises. The argument escalated and the Sadhu was then thrashed by the villagers after he attacked the local village head.

A Times Now report stated that the village head had gone to the Ashram to sort out the issue, but tehre was some altercation. Locals stated that the village head was attacked by the Sadhu and some of his supporters. Events took an ugly turn later when the Sadhu was surrounded by a large group of villagers and brutally assaulted. The Sadhu was reportedly saved later after police intervention.

In the video of the incident that is now going viral on various social media platforms, the Sadhu could be seen being brutally assaulted by a violent mob as a large number of lathi-wielding people viciously swung their sticks at him. The video shows a shirtless man, the Sadhu, tied with a rope and dragged as villagers attacked him with sticks and rods.

This is a developing story and will be updated as soon as more details emerge.

Who is Chris Chan? Trans YouTuber arrested for raping dementia suffering mother, to be housed with female inmates

OpIndia Staff
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Who is Chris Chan? Trans YouTuber arrested for raping dementia suffering mother, to be housed with female inmates

Christine Weston Chandler, or Chris Chan as he is popularly known, was arrested by the Police during the weekend after an audio conversation involving him was supposedly leaked. According to the conversation, Chris Chan allegedly admitted to having sex with his mother, a 79 year old patient of dementia.

The YouTuber has been charged with one case of sexual assault against a member of the family. He was arrested on Sunday at Richmond in Viriginia, USA. According to reports, he was identified as female by the Police and will be housed with female inmates.

He is currently imprisoned at the Central Virginia Regional Jail without bail. Chris Chan, 39, is biologically a male but has been identifying as a female since 2014. He was transferred from Henrico County Jail to Greene County on Monday.

Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory had told Newsweek, “Christine Weston Chandler is currently being held in our Jail West facility on one count of incest and awaiting arraignment in Greene County, Virginia.”

In a leaked audio conversation that has gone viral, the authenticity of which has not been confirmed, the YouTuber allegedly admitted to having sex with his mother. During the conversation, he allegedly claims that his mother made the ‘first move’, leading to a kiss.

He allegedly admitted to harbouring sexual feelings about his mother and even confessed to having dreams about having sex with his mother. He went on to claim that the two have a ‘routine’ now where they had sex ‘every third night’.

Towards the end of the conversation, he allegedly says, ‘God… said this was okay.’ In his final public post, he said, ‘There is drama in the air today. Each and every one of you all are encouraged to withdraw from any and all dramas, gossip, rumors, and whatever else will, and already has, approached your way today.’

He has made other posts about his mother as well. In the past, he and his mother were arrested after she hit a manager of a game center with her car and on a separate incident, he was arrested for pepper-spraying a worker at a GameStop store.

Who is Chris Chan?

Chris Chan is the creator of Sonichu and Rosechu series. Sonichu is a cross between Pokemon Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog. According to Know Your Meme, “The comic, which follows the adventures of the titular protagonist, a fusion of the Pokemon character Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog, has been widely mocked online for its amateur art style and writing.”

It adds, “It was widely ignored before Chris’ video-blog and personal life gained internet infamy… At that point, the comics departed from their original storyline to describe Sonichu’s sex life and the author’s own personal problems.”

Chris Chan YouTube channel
Chandler’s YouTube channel

He also has a YouTube channel with nearly 53,000 subscribers. He has uploaded numerous videos on YouTube, dating back to 2014. His Twitter bio says, “I am Mrs. Christine W. Chandler Sonichu, Goddess of the Nations of Cwcville, Comma, and the Commodore Consoles, and the Creator of Sonichu and Rosechu. She/Her.”

He has previously stated, “I Am Female; please address and talk about me with the correct Pronouns. She/Her/Hers. Thank You.”

Chandler has said in the past, “I still reside with my mother and our dogs and cats, and we have a slew of financial problems, alongside a number of being the victim of internet trolls, blackmail and deception, and so forth, that have long emotionally and mentally scarred me greatly.”

Ghar Wapsi in Uttar Pradesh: A family of six from Shamli revert to Hinduism from Islam after 12 years, say ‘have rectified our mistake’

OpIndia Staff
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Ghar Wapsi in Uttar Pradesh: A family of six from Shamli revert to Hinduism from Islam after 12 years, say ‘have rectified our mistake’

A couple with four children from Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district reverted back to Hinduism after 12 years of living as Muslims. Rashid who has now changed his name to Vikas said that they have finally ‘rectified their mistake’.

As per reports, Rashid aka Vikas’s parents had converted to Islam some 12 to 13 years ago. His wife Manju Bano who is now Sanju said that they were Hindus earlier but her in-laws had accepted Islam shortly after her marriage. However, she is now happy with the decision to revert to Hinduism. 

Rashid said that he was too young to understand when his parents changed their religion. He revealed that he no longer wanted to be a Muslim or practice Islam.

The couple submitted an affidavit at the Shamli Tehsil on Wednesday. They also submitted in writing that they are changing their religion willfully and not under any pressure. 

Rashid (Vikas) and his wife, though joyous with their decision, have been advised by the SDM of Shamli to appeal to the court. 

Ghar wapsi in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh

We reported earlier last month how with the help of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, 21 families from Gujarat reverted to Hinduism. As per a Desh Gujarat report, these families were lured to accept Christianity but once again accepted Sanatan in the program led by Bapa Sitaram Ashram in Vapi. 

In another instance from Uttar Pradesh, the Hindu Jagran Manch had organized a ghar wapsi program for three youth after they were tricked into conversion. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has been working actively to get the forcefully converted families and individuals back to their original faith. 

9 players from the Indian national hockey team for Tokyo Olympics came from Punjab’s Surjit Singh academy. Read details

OpIndia Staff
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9 players from the Indian national hockey team for Tokyo Olympics came from Punjab’s Surjit Singh academy. Read details

9 of the 18 players from the Indian men’s hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics, underwent training at just one institute near Sansarpur village in the Jalandhar district of Punjab, reported India Today. The institute, named Surjit Singh Academy, has been producing high-quality players consistently for the past 7-8 years.

Even this time, the academy has sent 9 of its players to the 18 member-contingent in field hockey at the Summer Olympic Games. The athletes include Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Hardik Singh, captain Manpreet Singh, reserve goalkeeper Krishan Pathak, Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Shamsher Singh, and Simranjeet Singh. They were part of the Indian hockey team that scripted history by securing a bronze medal for the country after 41 years.

Screengrab of the Bronze medal match result, via olympics.com

Training regime at the Surjit Singh Academy

Surjit Singh Academy was founded in the year 2005 and has so far produced about 30 hockey players for the country. While speaking to India Today, head coach Avatar Singh emphasized that the Indian hockey team has been reaping the benefits of a systematic process and years of hard work. “We have not won this medal overnight. It has been the hard work of the past 16 years.

When Pargat Singh became Punjab’s director of sports, it was his vision to build a world-class hockey academy, and these players are part of that vision,” he added. It must be mentioned that Avtar Singh has been a part of the academy since the year 2008.

While pointing the systematic process to led to India’s historic victory over Germany, Singh explained how a player is selected and trained to represent the nation. ”Our motto was very clear, we want to build a structure, where we can pick the players from a very early age, give them the right training. It starts with a five-day selection trial, where we used to get 300 kids, and the number has risen to around 1,100 over the years. The trials are followed by a three-day physical fitness test that gives us a brief idea of how far the kid can go ahead,” he said. Thereafter, the academy shifts the focus on the physical aspect of the game such as building speed, agility, flexibility, endurance, strength, and plyometrics.

Impact of the sporting nursery on India’s field hockey performance

Harmanpreet Singh, who had trained at the academy, scored 2 crucial goals in 2017 to defeat Pakistan by a margin of 7-1. He had begun training at the institute from a very early age, as per the report by India Today. Shamsher Singh, the son of a farmer, was accepted by the Surjit Singh Academy when he was a student of Class 7. He was eventually selected in the Indian national side in 2019. A resident of Attari with humble beginnings, Singh spent 6 years at the institute. He is still unable to fathom the fact that he represented India in the Tokyo Olympics.

According to coach Gurdev Singh, who works at the Surjit Singh Academy, India’s performance at the Summer Olympics will inspire a new generation of children to take up the sport. He remarked, “You will see more kids playing hockey. This medal is going to build a culture that was lost for the past 30 years or so. We will have Manpreets, Harmanpreets, and Mandeeps to inspire the next generation, and that’s the difference a medal can make. The bronze medal win will make them role models for the ones who are now in the age group categories and dreaming of making it to the 2028 Game.”

It must be mentioned that the academy is named after the iconic hockey player Surjit Singh, who was a part of the winning team in the 3rd Edition of the World Cup Hockey Tournament in 1975. As a deep defender, he participated in the 1974 Asian Games, 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, and 1978 Asian Games. Following his retirement from the sport, he died in a tragic road accident near Kartarpur in the Jalandhar district of Punjab. The Indian government posthumously awarded him the Arjuna Award in 1998.

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