In its latest travel advisory, Russia as asked its citizens to avoid traveling to India and Goa due to security reasons.

In its recent list of safe travel destinations, India has been struck off the list of safe travel destinations. The recent move is seen as a major blow to Goa’s tourism industry. Goa has always been one of the favourite and an affordable destination for Russian tourists.

The Russian information centre in Goa stated that the revised travel advisory had been issued following the blacklisting of Egypt and Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had cancelled all flights to Egypt after the October 31 explosion of a Russian passenger plane near a popular tourist spot in the country. Russia has also appealed its citizens to cancel vacations in Turkey after Turkish missiles shot down a Russian fighter jet in Syria.

Cuba, south Vietnam and southern China have been put under the ‘safe’ category in the list.

Russians constitute almost half of the total foreign visitor in Goa. Since 2002, the number of Russian tourists has been on the rise steadily.

Three people have been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police for allegedly spying for Pakistan, an officer said on Sunday.

The official said they were involved in supporting Mohammad Ejaz, who was arrested on Friday from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly working for the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

Ejaz, a resident of Islamabad, was arrested from Meerut Cantt area while on his way to Delhi.

Earlier in the month, the Kolkata STF had arrested suspected ISI agents Akhtar Khan and his brother Zafar Khan from the city.

The Supreme Court has slapped a fine of Rs. 25,000 on the Centre for failing to file on time an affidavit on women being forced to become ‘devadasis’ and the possibility of abolition of the age-old tradition.

A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit said that since the government has not filed its response despite the last opportunity given by the court on September 11, it needed to pay a cost of Rs. 25,000.

However, it asked the authorities concerned to file an affidavit within four weeks.

In September, the Centre had agreed to file a composite affidavit with regard to the system of women being allegedly forced to become devadasis. A ‘devadasi’ is a woman dedicated to worship and service of a deity or a temple all her life.

The court had then said that no further time will be granted in the matter.

It has now fixed the matter for hearing on January 8.

The court had sought Centre’s response on PIL filed last year by NGO S L Foundation, which sought direction to central and Karnataka governments to take urgent steps for restraining the ‘devadasis’ dedication that was going to be held on the midnight of February 13, 2014 at Uttangi Mala Durga Temple in the state’s Devanagar district as it was against the provision of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court was told that the activity was also against the Karnataka Devadasis Prohibition of Dedication Act, 1982, and conflicts with the rights of juveniles.

The court had also then directed Karnataka’s Chief Secretary to take all preventive measures in respect of a programme, wherein Dalit girl children were to be dedicated as ‘devadasis’.

The bench had also sought Karnataka government’s reply and asked it to file a response on the PIL seeking framing of guidelines to stop the tradition of ‘devadasis’, saying it is a national shame.

The NGO has alleged that the process of ‘devadasi’ dedication was still prevalent in different parts of the country despite the law against it and pleaded for the apex court’s intervention in the matter.

In a controversial remark, Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliar described as “un-Islamic” the concept of gender equality and said that women could never equal men as “they are fit only to deliver children”.

Musliar, the chief of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, said women have no mental strength and the power to control the universe, “which lies in the hands of men.”

“Gender equality is something which is never going to be a reality. It is against Islam, humanity and was intellectually wrong,” he said while speaking at a camp of Muslim Students Federation (MSF) in Kozhikode.

“Women can never equal men. They are fit only to deliver children. Women cannot withstand crisis situations,” he said. He wondered if there was even a single woman among thousands of cardiac surgeons.

The 76-year-old Islamic scholar’s remarks against reservation for women in elections had set off another controversy recently. He had said 50% reservation of seats for women in civic polls was “too high” but retracted the statement later when it became controversial.

Referring to the ongoing debates over allowing girls and boys to share seats in colleges, Musliar said it was “part of a calculated move to destroy Islam and culture.” He also rubbished recent allegations regarding sexual exploitations at Madrasas and asked those who raised allegations to bring evidence to prove it.

A controversy had erupted recently after a woman journalist wrote an account on her Facebook wall about the alleged sexual abuse of young boys and girls in Madrasas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke highly of Noor Jehan, an elderly woman who have been playing a stellar role in providing cheap power through renewable sources to poor villagers in Uttar Pradesh.

“Her (Noor Jehan) name itself implies giving light to the whole world,” the prime minister said in hi Mann ki Baat on Sunday.

Lauding her for popularising the use of alternative solar energy in the off-grid villages of the state, PM Modi said “Noor Jehan from Kanpur is doing an unthinkable job by providing light to poor by using solar energy.”

She has formed a committee of women and set up a plant of solar energy lanterns, which she rents for the minimal charge of Rs.100,” he said.

”Noor Jehan is inspiring the whole world and giving light to the world,” he added.

“The whole world is concerned about climate change and global warming. It’s the responsibility of all that temperature of earth should not rise further. Dec 14 is International Conservation Day, we must conserve energy,” PM Modi said.

Solar power is an important alternative renewable source of energy, mainly for the remote off-grid areas. The state government has embarked on an ambitious programme for village electrification through solar power.

“A lot of women are involved in this activity. During the day time, we recharge the solar lanterns and at night we distribute them. At 5 pm everybody comes to take their solar lamps,” Noor Jehan said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is of the opinion that India must move with the times and the Supreme Court must reconsider its 2014 judgement on gay sex which criminalises the act.

While maintaining that the 2014 Supreme Court judgement that set aside the Delhi High Court verdict de-criminalising gay sex was not in accordance with evolving legal jurisprudence, Jaitley said that it needs to be in accordance with the present context.

“When you have millions of people involved in this (gay sex) you can’t nudge them off,” he said, adding that the court had taken a “conservative view”.

He referred to the evolution of jurisprudence and said that the view taken by the court on the issue would have been relevant about 50 years ago but “as jurisprudence world over is evolving, I think the judgement was not correct and probably at some stage they may have to reconsider”.

Jaitley also said that courts in India have always defended the right to free speech.