Home Blog Page 879

Letters to the Editor: 17 January, 2020

By
Web Team
-

letters to the editor, afternoon voice,

Hope the ‘one-night wonder’ is safe and reliable

Hancock bridge to be replaced by an assembled one in a single night sounds great and optimistic. A fully assembled road overbridge in a matter of hours in one night sounds great but hope it has the strength to hold the heavy traffic. Safety standards of roads and bridges are very poor in our country where they collapse like pack of cards and extreme caution should be undergone to see that such structures are reliable. We have the technology to build one-night wonders but to err is human and keeping fingers crossed that these are fixed to perfection and no untoward incidents happen in future.

Assembled overbridge to replace the Hancock bridge in a single night would be a monumental wonder but it would require top class maintenance to keep it going and hope the authorities are prepared for its upkeep with all the spares and other accessories to keep it safe and going. Bridge should be tested for strength and reliability before it is thrown open for public use.

S.N.Kabra

Bomb hoax on board of plane

It is becoming a regular feature to delay flight take off with a bomb hoax scare in recent times. But in the present case the bomb hoax came on board on a Mumbai bound plane and that is very unusual. It appears like a terror attack on board of plane. Air India flight was forced to return to the airport. The plane made an emergency landing giving jitters to air passengers. No bombs were found following thorough search and it was a hoax call. It was just a ploy by the woman, who was in an inebriated state, just to return back to Kolkata. The air crew was put to test in a most ticklish way to handle an emergency like situation in the end.

Anandambal Subbu

Public being looted in name of notarization of documents in Delhi

System allows a fixed fees for getting any document duly attested and notarized by persons authorized as Notary-Public, by recording complete details in the registers required to be maintained by persons authorized as Notary-Public. Similar may be system for Oath-Commissioners. But it is common practice in Delhi that many persons charge fees as Notary-Public by simply putting a round rubber-stamp on documents without even having a register where complete details about documents are to be recorded and numbered to be endorsed on notarized documents also. There is no provision to check authenticity of such persons acting as Notary Public. It is a common practice that many authorized Notary Public maintaining proper registers for keeping record of notarized documents charge heavily in tunes of hundreds of rupees in place of fixed charges. Delhi and Central government should publicly warn through newspaper advertisements against documents being notarized without recording properly in the register and registration-number endorsed on notarized documents.

For preventing over-charging, fees for notarizing documents should also be publicised through media and websites of appropriate governments. Chargeable fees should be made part of rubber-stamp to be fixed on notarized documents without members of public required to ask for receipts separately. Licences of Notary-Public for over-charging should be immediately cancelled, with criminal action initiated against them. Same should be system for Oath-Commissioners. Better is to give common licenses for Oath-Commissioner and Notary-Public because common people do not understand difference between Oath-Commissioner and Notary-Public. Even typing-charges per page should also be fixed so that Notary-Public and Oath-Commissioner may not be able to overcharge in name of typing documents. It should be compulsory for Notary-Public and Oath-Commissioner to have typing provision. List of Notary-Public and Oath-Commissioners together with their respective addresses and phone-numbers should be put on government-websites.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

President rejects Mukesh Singh’s mercy plea in Nirbhaya rape case

By
Web Team
-

Mukesh Singh, nirbhaya gang rape, nirbhaya verdict, nirbhaya case, president ram nath kovindIn a latest of the Nirbhaya rape case, President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected Delhi gang rape convict Mukesh Singh’s mercy plea. The presidential rejection of the mercy petition came hours after Home Minister Amit Shah recommended rejection of Mukesh Singh’s petition to Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

Singh, 32, had filed a last-minute petition to President Kovind for a presidential pardon that could spare him the gallows. It is said that the formal order by the President who was obliged to go by the advice of the Cabinet in this particular case has been issued and is being be conveyed to Tihar jail authorities.

Here it may be noted that a Delhi judge had ordered his execution on January 22 along with his three other accomplices who were convicted for gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic student on her way home.

Police bust sex racket in a hotel at Andheri; rescue 3 actresses including a minor

By
Hema Singh
-

sex racket, actress, andheri, mumbai police, afternoon voice, hema singh, mumbai sex racket, andheri, savdhaan indiaOn Thursday, the Mumbai police busted a high- profile sex racket that was operating in a three-star hotel in Andheri.  In the raid, the police rescued three actresses including a minor and held a 29-year-old woman.

Among the rescued women, one is an actor/ singer who has worked in the crime show on TV titled ‘Savdhaan India’ while another has worked in a Marathi movie and serials. The minor has worked in a web series.

According to the Social Service (SS) branch of the city, after they got a tip off from their sources, they conducted a raid at the hotel in Andheri (East) on late night on Thursday.

Sandesh Revale a senior inspector of SS branch said, “During the raid, three females including a minor, were found to have been forced into prostitution. They were rescued and a woman identified as Priya Sharma who was operating the racket, was arrested.”

Police also said that the accused woman was running a tours and travel agency in Mumbai’s Kandivali area but she was involved in immoral activities too. An offense has been registered against Sharma under the relevant Section of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

PMC Bank Case: Supreme Court stays Bombay HC order to release Wadhawans from prison

By
Afternoon Voice
-

PMC Bank, PMC Bank scam, Supreme Court , bombay high court,Wadhawans ,B R Gavai ,B R Gavai ,Surya Kant Rakesh Wadhawan ,Sarang

The Supreme Court has stayed the Bombay high court order that had asked the Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) promoters Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang to be released from prison and kept at their Bandra East residence.

A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the high court order to the extent of allowing the release of the from prison needed to be stayed.

Mehta had earlier said that the other aspect of the High Court appointed committee should be allowed to remain operative and the sole objective of the operation was with regard to the release of the Wadhawans from the Arthur Road jail.

Earlier in a landmark judgement, the Bombay HC had directed Wadhawans to be placed under house arrest. In this connection, the HC has asked superintendent of Arthur Road jail to shift the Wadhawans from the prison to their Bandra East residence with four jail guards.

The superintendent of the Arthur Road jail has been further asked to arrange guards. The guards have to ensure that the Wadhawans are not taken beyond the High Court’s jurisdiction. The father-son duo would also be permitted to travel for “ensuring the compliance of the directions of the committee and for assisting in the process of the sale”.

“We are conscious of the plight of lakhs of depositors who had deposited their hard-earned money and life’s (sic) savings in PMC Bank. Such extraordinary situations warrant extraordinary measures so as to ensure speedy recovery of the monies of respondents (Wadhawans),” said a bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Surendra Tavade in their judgement on a public interest litigation.

The judges also passed detailed directions on how the committee would function: It would first identify the properties of the companies owned, controlled, managed or promoted by the Wadhwans that are mortgaged solely with PMC Bank. The bank would also give details of the list of depositors. “The amount realised from the sale would be made available for direct distribution to depositors in such a manner as may be devised by the committee,” it added.

If required, the father-son duo will be allowed to travel locally for the recovery of PMC Bank dues. The HC has appointed a committee headed by Justice Radhakrishnan to supervise speedy recovery of dues of PMC Bank dues from HDIL and give away the recovered amounts to depositors of the fraud-hit Bank. The company owes Rs 4,635 crore to PMC Bank. The Wadhawans were arrested on October 3, 2019.

If the amount is not sufficient to meet the bank’s dues, then the committee will dispose of the properties of the companies owned, promoted or mortgaged by Wadhawans. If there is further shortfall, then the committee will dispose of all the unencumbered properties of the companies owned, controlled or mortgaged by Wadhawans as well as their properties. “Respondents will ensure that no roadblocks are created in the smooth sale and distribution by the committee,” they added.

Separately, the High Court has directed lower courts to not entertain any bail plea by Rakesh (68) and Sarang Wadhawan (42) till the next hearing on April 30. The Wadhawans will provide office space for the committee and also bear the cost for the staff and the guards. “The respondents (Wadhawans) are instrumental for the huge fraud perpetuated by them through HDIL and group companies,” the bench said.

The judges said that Wadhawans would be answerable to the committee and neglect on their part would be viewed seriously. The committee has to furnish a progress report by April 30 “while specifying the cooperation and efforts shown” by the Wadhawans “for monetising the assets for ensuring the expeditious repayment of dues” of the bank.

The PIL was filed by advocate Sarosh Damania for speedy recovery of the bank’s dues and urged for a retired high court or Supreme Court judge-headed committee as the “normal process” will take years to repay the depositors.

Wadhawans, in their reply, had told the court they have no objection to the sale of encumbered properties and submitted a list of their encumbered and unencumbered assets. The encumbered assets exclusively mortgaged with PMC Bank or along with other financial institutions, are valued at more than Rs 11,000 crore based on the ready reckoner value. Also, encumbered assets where PMC Bank has no charge but are mortgaged with other financial institutions are valued over Rs 6,000 crore. The unencumbered assets are valued at Rs 2,600 crore. They agreed to the constitution of a committee and urged for bail, saying the maximum punishment under Prevention of Money Laundering Act is seven years. The judges also noted that none of the parties, including ED and PMC Bank, had objected to the setting up of the committee.

Amid furore, Sanjay Raut withdraws Indira Gandhi-Karim Lala controversial statement

By
Hema Singh
-

Sanjay Raut ,Indira Gandhi, Dawood Ibrahim, Karim Lala, Kareem lala, Devendra Fadnavis, congress, shiv sena, sanjay, raut statement, raut controversila statement, former prime minister, underworld with politicsAfter Congress leaders Milind Deora and Sanjay Nirupam asked him through their social media to withdraw his statement, Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena senior leader Sanjay Raut withdrew his ‘ill-informed’ statement against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Taking to his twitter handle, former Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora wrote, “Indira ji was a true patriot who never compromised on India’s national security. As former @INCMumbai President, I demand that @rautsanjay61 ji withdraws his ill-informed statement. Political leaders must show restraint before distorting the legacies of deceased Prime Ministers.”

Congress Spokesperson Raju Waghmare told Afternoon Voice, “I don’t think that Mr. Sanjay Raut has said this statement deliberately. Because sometimes what happens is a politician talks on a particular topic but the meaning that comes out are dual. Taking part in an interview,  Mr. Raut came out with this remark but no matter what happened, this kind of statement should not come from any political leader until and unless he has a proof about what he is saying, especially  when the political parties work in the coalition government. The leader should think twice before giving any statement. However, after Raut’s statement, we instructed our leaders and spokesperson that whenever they are making any statement, they should make sure that their statements should not create any controversy.”

In an interview in Pune on Wednesday, Raut had said that Indira Gandhi used to go and meet Karim Lala in South Mumbai.  “There was a time when Chhota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim, Sharad Shetty used to decide who would be police commissioner of Mumbai and who would sit in Mantralaya. Indira Gandhi used to go and meet Karim Lala in South Mumbai,” he quipped.

After Raut’s remark, BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought an explanation from the Congress leadership over Raut’s comments and asked why the party was silent on such allegations against their former leader.

Raut’s remarks led to a controversy amongst the political party. However, on Thursday, he withdrew his controversial statement and said, “Our friends from the Congress need not feel hurt. If someone feels that my statement has hurt the image of Indira Gandhi ji or hurt someone’s feelings, I take back my statement.”

The editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece has given clarification that he has all respect for Indira Gandhi and his remarks were distorted.

“Kareem Lala was leader of Pathan community; he led an organisation called ‘Pakhtun-e-Hind’. It was in this capacity of the leader of Pathan community that he met several top leaders including Indira Gandhi. However, those who do not know the history of Mumbai are twisting my statement. I have never shied away from praising Indira Gandhi as an iron lady who took decisions with an iron fist. Surprisingly, those who do not know the history of Indiraji are shouting on top of their voice (sic),” Raut tweeted by tagging Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Rajeev Satav.

The Congress party that shares power with Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra had formed a collaboration party and formed Maha Vikas Aghadi government in November 2019.

Controlling politics and politicians of his era was Don Karim Lala’s strong point

By
Vaidehi Taman
-

Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has kicked up a controversy by making a statement that Indira Gandhi used to meet Don Karim Lala and this caused a political stir in India. Well! There is no point in feeling so offended or proving Raut wrong, criminalisation of politics has long been a concern especially in Maharashtra where then the flourishing underworld has been part of its political milieu for several decades. Several State-level politicians have long-standing, or newly established ties with Dagdi Chawl, Chhota Rajan and especially Dawood gang with the criminal-politician network developing significant muscle and money power in what appears as a resurrection of the syndicate. There are many reports and evidences to prove that the fugitive dons Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel used their close links in local politics to influence key redevelopment schemes in South Mumbai in those days without even the operators of the project knowing it.

Now coming back to Indira Gandhi meeting Don Karim Lala, Karim Lala aka Abdul Karim Sher Khan was born in Afghanistan. He came to Mumbai in 1930. He was a household name for his notorious jobs as a don of underworld from 1960s to 1980s. Similarly, Mastan Mirza, known as Haji Mastan was an underworld don originally from Tamil Nadu and based in Bombay. Haji Mastan and Karim Lala were not only Mafias but they were political financers too from crime to politics they dominated every sector then. After the 1993 Bombay blasts, the Home Ministry collected considerable information on the links between Congress politicians and the underworld. The details of this investigation were submitted to the Vohra Committee.

If you look at the connects, Dawood Ibrahim has amicable relations with Sharad Pawar, Salim Zakaria, Javed Khan (both ex-ministers close to Pawar), Mohammed Dosa was close to Madan Baffna (ex-minister), P. Raj Koli, he was a gangster and a contract killer active during the 1990s majorly was very close to Arun Mehta (former home minister), Haji Ahmed was smuggler and etornist and he was close to D.V. Patil, Javed Khan. Gangster Khan Brothers were close to Arun Mehta, Salim Zakaria (ex-ministers), Tiger Memon was in nexus with Javed Khan.

Abdul Latif was known to Chimanbhai Patel (ex-chief minister), Izzu Sheikh, Haji was with Ahmed Patel, AICC general secretary. Hassana Dada was in shelter of C.D. Patel (home minister), Thakor Nair (supply minister). Amar Subhania was shielded by Chimanbhai Patel. Ram Bhai Gadwai : Ashok Lal (” s/o Babu Lal, minister of sports”) Santosheben Jadeja, MLA: “Earlier of Janata Dal. Joined Congress. Known as mafia queen.” In mid-1995, N.N. Vohra Committee report on the criminal-politician nexus was tabled in Parliament, the Opposition was united in heaping scorn on it. The perception was that the 12-page report was incomplete and politically sensitive information had been suppressed. Months later, after the episode had receded from public memory, there are evidence to confirm that suspicion. Some documents submitted to the committee by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revealed shocking charges of the murky link between prominent politicians and the underworld. According to the report, Moolchand Shah alias Choksi a hawala racketeer also involved in the Jain case and “close to Dawood Ibrahim and gang” had, on various occasions between December 1979 and October 1992, transferred or paid Rs 72 crore to Pawar.

Many other Congress leaders have also been listed as recipients of money from Shah. When Raut mentioned Indira meeting Karim Lala, several Congress leaders condemned the statement and demanded that Raut should withdraw his remarks. Karim Lala was leader of the Pathan community; he led an organisation called ‘Pakhtun-e-Hind’. It was in this capacity of the leader of Pathan community that he met several top leaders including Indira Gandhi. There was a time when Chhota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim, Sharad Shetty used to decide who would be Police Commissioner of Mumbai and who would sit in Mantralaya. For over two decades, he was the leader of the dreaded “Pathan Gang” that operated from impoverished and crime infested Muslim ghettos of South Mumbai like Dongri, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazaar and Mohammad Ali Road. The Pathan Gang was involved in operating illegal gambling (satta) and liquor dens, illegal money recovery, illegal land evictions, kidnapping, protection racket (hafta), contract killing (supari), distribution of narcotics and counterfeit currency.

Karim Lala’s family settled in one of the most densely populated and impoverished Muslim ghetto of Bhendi Bazaar in South Mumbai. Starting as an ordinary worker in the Mumbai docks, he later joined a gang of ethnic Pathans who worked as illegal recovery agents for Marwari and Gujarati moneylenders, landlords and businessmen. These money lenders and landlords employed the burly Pathans whose tall imposing size and intimidating demeanour made it easy to recover money from defaulting debtors, evicting tenants and owners from prime properties in expensive South Mumbai. Lala soon rose up the ranks to be the chief of the “Pathan Gang”. From the seventies, Lala agreed to a pact with the other two ganglords namely Haji Mastan and Varadarajan (Varada bhai) to divide Mumbai amongst them so that they could freely run their crime activities without any conflict between each other. Due to failing health during the late seventies, Lala gradually transferred the leadership of the Pathan gang to his nephew Samad Khan and then managed his hotel and transport business. Although Lala had several illegitimate businesses, his legitimate business included two hotels (Al Karim Hotel and New India Hotel) and a travel and passport agency called New India Tours and Travels.

During his peak, Lala frequently invited several personalities from Bollywood (Hindi film industry) to his daawats (parties) and Eid celebrations. Many characters from Bollywood movies closely resemble Karim Lala and his mannerisms and accent. Lala also held a weekly “durbar” where people from different walks of life narrated their grievances to him and in return, he helped them financially or to get justice using his gang’s muscle power. He died on 19 February 2002 at the age of 90. Karim Lala was the first mafia don of the underworld. His influence on Maharashtra politics was visible; there is no surprise if he met Indira Gandhi the then prime minister of India.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Help Parallel Media, Support Journalism, Free Press, Afternoon Voice

Rape culture: His will, her fear

By
C S Krishnamurthy
-

gang rape, child rape,How would you react if a friend told you she was raped? Would you empathise and listen or would you change the subject? Would you minimize her trauma or joke about it?  We hear stories about carnal violence against women or children daily in the news. Are they routine or isolated?

Talk of rape makes us uncomfortable; we tend to blurt out inanities. Our society deems violence as sexy, and lust as violent. These values and attitudes need change. Does rape define life? Are rapes comparable? Are rapes like exterminations? Is a world without rape possible? How do we wish to raise the coming generations?

Outrage, victim-blaming, media attention, court cases, women-activists uproar… And then, there will be another rape! We hear of father raping daughter, teacher raping student, child rape, gang-rape and so on. Some people make the country a haven for rapists.

Historically, rapes have been treated as ‘excusable’ crimes; the victim is disregarded, her response silenced. We have tomes of literature and media debates on pornography and sexual violence, gangrape, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, how to avoid rape, self-defence; despite this, statistics show a rise in the number of rapes every year.

Our National Crime Records Bureau reveals that three women were raped every hour from 2001 to 2017. For every story that sparks an outburst, many go unnoticed and underreported, not because we don’t care, but because rape and victim-blaming has become commonplace. Discussions about rape are often irrational. It’s the only crime to which people respond by wanting to lock up the victims, the only crime where victims are considered destroyed beyond repair; a few retain the ridiculous ‘Boys will be boys’ label.

We claim to deplore sexual violence that is so markedly characteristic of our times; we raise our children ignorant of their sexuality, confusing pleasure with pain and domination. It’s not unusual to see women blame victims. We present male and female as polar opposites, instead of twin variations of one model, thus damaging both sexes. Sexual assault can be anything that demeans women; degradation of women, evident through numerous incidents such as eve-teasing, groping, stalking, ultimately raping, is a consequence of day-to-day normalised sexism.

During the shooting of ‘Sultan’, Salman Khan said he ‘felt like a raped woman’. He used rape as an analogy to explain the physical toll during the production of the film, completely ignoring the trauma a rape victim goes through. Rape jokes nourish rape culture. How can you sell humour at the expense of the victim? After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where Germany defeated Brazil 7-1, tweets announced “Germany raped Brazil”. Similar scenes were witnessed during some India-Pakistan cricket matches. These are examples of how we trivialise rape.

Be proactive

Research reveals that the number of men who perpetuate violence repeat it with either the same or with different victims. India’s recidivism rate as per a 2015-report is relatively low at three per cent, but the challenges continue to mount. How many more Nirbhayas should we sacrifice?

Woman was always unequal before law. Not only might the female be subjected at will to abhorrent physical conquest from which there could be no retaliation in kind – a rape for a rape – but the consequences of such a brutal struggle might be death or injury, not to mention an undesired pregnancy.

Don’t tell women to stay at home! Take the rapists off the streets! Calling ‘rape’ a “women’s issue” is misleading and dishonest. The very act of calling it a “women’s issue” is itself part of the problem, as it gives men an excuse.

Rape also affects body, mind, heart, and soul. Aftermaths include humiliation, stigma, depression, susceptibility, fear, anger, shock, embarrassment, suicidal tendencies, nightmares, confusion, safety and anguish. Pain and shame become a toxic mix of misdirected blame.

Victims are silenced and blamed, crime gets normalised, perpetrators ignored. This trend will continue until we choose to eradicate the reasons for the crime. Till then, prisons will continue to be overcrowded in a country where Sita’s chastity was called into question despite the fact that she was abducted by Ravana.

Letters to the Editor: 16 January, 2020

By
Web Team
-

letters to the editor, afternoon voice,

1BEST proposal to hike power tariffs unjustified

Electricity tariffs in Mumbai are the highest in the country and BEST proposal to hike power tariff by 5 to 7 percent seems too steep in the present circumstances. BEST operates from Sion to Colaba and if they are allowed to hike tariffs, Adani and Tata power too would do likewise in other parts of the city which would literally mean ‘electrocution’ for people who are already suffering the aftermath of rising inflation, unemployment and economic slowdown.

Power generation companies are doing well and monopoly doesn’t mean the consumers should be taken for a ride. People are paying more than double of what Delhi residents pay.

S.N.Kabra

2Misconceptions on CAA

Amidst the ongoing protest against CAA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Act was aimed at giving citizenship, not taking it away. He added that some people are creating misconceptions on CAA for political reasons. One amendment to CAA law that India is open to giving asylum to every one who is persecuted for whatever reason, would address the problem thrown up by NRC exercise in Assam and end the ongoing misconception and conflict.

Amjadullah Abuzar Bajpatti

3Board room tussles

The recent board room tussles at leading corporate houses being made public has evoked mixed response while testing integrity, transparency and leadership focus. At a time when the market regulator mandates the companies to abide by Corporate Governance to run the Board smoothly, India Inc. is otherwise involved in Board room battles amidst public glare. Accountability to the investors is one of the key areas the leaders should focus instead of retorting to shadow boxing.

It should be noted that the stakeholder confidence is now shaken owing to board room battles being made public and an effort should now be made to re-inforce the trust. The leadership should abide by integrity and transparency under the ambit of Corporate Governance at all times while boosting investor confidence and safeguarding their interests. As also involving the public agencies to decide on Board room matters should otherwise be considered only as a last resort and rely only on Board room powers to resolve the issues amicably without much furor in the public.

Varun Dambal

4Selectors playing spoilsport

The outgoing selection committee under MSK Prasad is playing a spoilsport and change the team frequently and show favouritism. The selectors take everything for granted, drop key players and show favouritism in selection of team members. The dropping of Sanju Samson set a bad precedent as he was dropped like a hot potato. The chip chop policy of the selectors is to accommodate Indian vice captain Rohit Sharma. This is happening since MSK Prasad took charge. The team does not have an off spinner of repute to test world class left handed batsmen. We did falter in the World Cup semi final due to complacency and now going back to old methods. We have not won an ICC sponsored tournament for sometime but still show favouritism in team selection and pay heavy price for the same. The selectors were rightly called a bunch or a pack of jokers.

Akhilesh Krishnan 

5Kudos to Bumrah and Ashwin

Mumbai’s medium pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the prestigious Polly Umrigar award for his exploits in 2018-2019 and it is commendable. Bumrah has been the kingpin of our bowling attack and he fully deserves what he has achieved as a front line bowler. Notably, he has picked up five wickets hauls in South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies and it has been remarkable feat on foreign soils, which was lacking from pace bowlers from India in the past. Another, outstanding show with the ball was achieved by the Indian off spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, which went unnoticed. But Ashwin proved himself and finished as the decade’s highest wicket-taker. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has finished the decade as the highest wicket-taker in international cricket with 564 wickets across all formats. Former India skipper and now BCCI president Sourav Ganguly congratulated the off-break bowler but not rewarded.  However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) appreciated his feat.

Nikhil Mani

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Mumbai- Bhubaneswar Lokmanya Tilak Express derails near Cuttack; over 20 injured

By
Hema Singh
-

Lokmanya Tilak Express Accident, mumbai, bhubaneswar express, mumbai, bhubaneswar, train accidentIn a shocking incident, Mumbai -Bhubaneswar Lokmanya Tilak Express derailed near Nergundi Railway Station in Cuttack district of Odisha on Thursday. The coaches have been derailed due to heavy fog and the incident took place around 7 am in the morning. According to the officer who reached the spot said four people suffered major in injuries while other suffers minor injuries.

The recent reports suggest that over twenty people have been injured in the incident. All passengers have been evacuated from the site and those who suffered major injuries in the mishap have been admitted to Cuttack Medical College.

Reportedly, the mishap occurred after the train collided with the guard van of a goods train.

East Coast Railway’s Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) said, “Around 20 people injured after eight coaches of the Lokmanya Tilak Express derailed near Salagaon. No casualty reported till now”.

Maharashtra to Revamp Education System

By
Hema Singh
-

Maharashtra Delhi School Model,Maharashtra, Delhi School Model,Maharashtra School Model,School Model,Children in school,Students in school,School,children,child,students,Mumbai Students,Government School,Municipal School,Municipal,Municipality,worst condition schoolsWith its intention to improve the quality of education in municipal schools in Maharashtra, the Maharashtra government is likely to adopt the Delhi school model. According to an education officer they had sent some minister to visits Delhi for the same.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has worked smartly on the education system in the National Capital. The party has majorly focused on four aspects which includes- modernizing infrastructure, capacity building of school teachers and principals, making school administration accountable, and improving learning outcomes. An understanding of the government’s work on each of these is essential to understand the essence of Delhi’s education revolution

Announcing this particular endeavour of his government, Deputy Chief of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar announced that the Maharashtra will adopt the Delhi education system to improve the quality of education in the State.

Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP National Executive Member said, “Delhi education model is the most revolutionary model in this country. In Delhi from the last 72 years the previous government had made only 1700 classrooms but since the AAP government has come to power we have increased the number to 20 thousand. We had also conducted trainings of our teachers with international standard of teaching.  Also changed the infrastructure as well as the value system in which the education is imparted. This is why Delhi public schools are performing better than the private schools. Delhi is the only state in the country where the students of government schools are outshining compare to private schools.”

She further stated, “We are extremely happy that Deputy CM of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar has decided to emulate this model. Delhi government will offer him our unconditional support.  And we hope that other state too, follow the same.”

A meeting to discuss the subject was called during the day. In the meeting, they came to an understanding that information technology will be part of assessment process.

Indian Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad’s daughter Varsha Gaikwad, who happens to be the education minister, said that she has recently set up a ‘Think Tank’ committee to discuss and improve the quality of education in Maharashtra.

The Think Tank which include professionals from various sectors, elected representatives, education experts, teachers, parents, retired bureaucrats who have been involved in formulating education policies, NGOs and media covering the education beat.

At the HUII conference which was held at Taj in Colaba the minister of state Aaditya Thackeray discussed the changes in the education system said, “After evaluating everything, we have come to the conclusion that there are two main reasons that children drop out of Municipal schools. The first one is that the kids migrate to their hometowns or villages and leave their education midway. Another reason is that these children prefer selling items roadside than attending schools as they feel that feeding their family and themselves is important.”

Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew and MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed constituency, Rohit Pawar visited Delhi recently and was extremely impressed with the work of the Delhi Government. Soon after personally visiting a school in Delhi the Karjat MLA shared his experience by way of a tweet. He wrote, “This is the spirit of Maharashtra. We are open to adopting the best practices from across the country to improve quality and standard of education of our children. I had the privilege to visit Delhi schools and  was indeed impressed with their work. I will try my best to implement this model in my constituency also.”

As per sources, all municipal corporation-run schools in cities like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, and Nagpur will come under the Delhi education model. Also, it is yet to be decided if the project will be funded by the state or the municipality.

1...878879880...5,577Page 879 of 5,577