- Friday, February 28, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Here are news in brief related to India for Thursday, June 15, 2023:
As Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat’s Devbhoomi Dwarka district on Thursday, at least three people were injured due to treefall incidents. The destructive wind speed and heavy rains caused uprooted trees, blown away tin sheets, and fallen electricity poles in Kutch district. No fatalities were reported by 7 pm, according to Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home. In response, teams from the Gujarat police, National Disaster Response Force, and the Army are working to clear the affected areas. The cyclone’s landfall process began at 4:30 pm and is expected to be completed by midnight, accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds along the Gujarat coast. The state administration has relocated over 94,000 individuals from eight coastal districts to temporary shelters.
Delhi Police has recommended dropping the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) charges against BJP MP and outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh but has charged him with sexual harassment and stalking six women wrestlers. The police submitted a report citing lack of corroborative evidence in the complaint filed by the minor wrestler against Singh. Meanwhile, a charge sheet has been filed against Singh and a suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The court will decide whether to accept the closure report or initiate further investigation. The wrestlers had suspended their protest until June 15, awaiting the filing of the charge sheet.
Samajwadi Party parliamentarian Shafiqur Rahman Barq criticised the Law Commission’s decision to seek public opinion on a uniform civil code, stating that it would only fuel hatred in the country. He accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of lacking substantial issues for discussion during upcoming elections and of igniting hatred in society. Barq emphasised that implementing such a law would only exacerbate division and animosity. He argued that people of different faiths coexist peacefully in the country, except for the BJP, which he accused of deliberately spreading animosity between Hindus and Muslims, thereby disturbing the secular fabric of India. Barq also dismissed recent cases of forced religious conversions as propaganda aimed at gaining votes from the Hindu community in the 2024 general elections.
The ministry of information and broadcasting issued an advisory on Thursday, urging media organisations, including television channels, to exercise utmost caution while deploying their personnel to cover Cyclone Biparjoy in order to ensure their safety. With the cyclone approaching the Gujarat coast and the anticipation of heavy rain and storm surge, 74,000 people living in vulnerable areas have been evacuated. The advisory emphasized the potential risks to the safety and security of reporters, cameramen, and other personnel engaged in ground reporting. Media organizations were strongly advised to take ample precautions and adhere to guidelines issued by local authorities to protect the lives of their personnel. The advisory explicitly stated that the safety of media personnel should never be compromised.
The Parliamentary Panel for Communication and Information Technology declined to discuss the allegations made by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey against the BJP-led central government. The panel stated that the issue was not on its agenda. According to a lawmaker present in the meeting, the BJP MP and committee chairman dismissed the allegations, saying that a foreigner’s account should not be taken seriously. Opposition lawmakers attempted to raise the matter but were instructed to refrain from doing so. The committee meeting focused on the topic of citizens’ data security and privacy, with representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in attendance. The committee consists of 31 members from various political parties across both houses of the parliament.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated a two-day conclave in Guwahati focused on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). The event, specifically targeting higher education, aims to transform Assam into an educational hub in Eastern India. Sarma highlighted the government’s commitment to the speedy implementation of NEP 2020 in the state and emphasized the role of universities in improving infrastructure. He also stressed the importance of seeking input from parents and students, encouraging universities to publish booklets for better understanding of NEP’s undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Sarma called for further discussions to raise awareness about NEP’s provisions among students and parents. The conclave was organized by Raj Bhavan, Assam, in collaboration with the department of higher education and the general administration department of the state government, and governor Gulab Chand Kataria attended the inaugural session.
(With agency inputs)
