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Indian particle physicist conferred with French Order of Merit

By
The Commune
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Image Courtesy: Twitter (@iiscbangalore)

Indian particle physicist Rohini Godbole has been conferred with the Ordre National du Merite by the French Government. This is one of the highest honours given by France to the most eminent personalities in the field of STEM. It is to be noted that she has already been awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian Government.

Dr Rohini is a professor at the Centre for High Energy Physics in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. She has been recognised by the French Government for promoting the visibility of women in science and contributing to collaborations between France and India. She completed her bachelors in the University of Pune and her masters from IIT Bombay. She went on to get her PhD from the Stony Brook University, New York, USA.

“We need more women role models in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to normalise the concept that one’s career or opportunities do not have anything to do with gender. This message is not just to young women but young men as well. We need to build a world where the society shouldn’t intuitively think that a scientist is a man,” said Godbole, in a telephone conversation from her residence in Bengaluru to The Hindustan Times.

The Ordre national du Mérite is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle.

Indian hotel in UK launches samosa into space, crash lands in France

By
The Commune
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Taking things to another level literally, Niraj, the owner of an Indian hotel named ‘Chai Walla’ in the UK loaded a samosa into a helium balloon and launched it across the stratosphere.

Chai Wala is an Indian hotel operating in Bath, UK. The hotel run by Niraj Gadher, an Indian-origin man successfully launched a samosa and a packet of chicken lollipop into space after failing 2 times.

Kather had used helium balloons to implement this idea. His attempt failed the first time before as he accidentally launched the balloon before attaching the samosa. The second time, he ran out of helium.

After launching for the third time, the GPS tracker attached to the camera on the helium balloon seems to have malfunctioned showing that the balloon did not fly. The tracker showed that the samosa was at his home.

However, hours later, Kather found out about the balloon crash landed in France. The package was found in the Picardie area of ​​France.

Kather shared a video of the samosa travelling across the atmospheric layer. Netizens have praised his efforts and congratulated him. Commenting on the balloon idea, Kather said, “I attempted to try to send the samosa into the sky to cheer people up a bit during the Corona era.”

Watch the full video here:

Fake love: College prof who threatened student with fake marriage certificate arrested

By
The Commune
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Image Credits: Deccan Chronicle, Polimer News

Sathish Kumar is an associate professor who works at Meenakshi College of Engineering in Chennai. He was arrested earlier this week for alleged harassment of a female student. He had reportedly been harassing and threatening her showing a fake marriage certificate that claimed that both of them were married.

It is to be noted that he was already a married man. Sathish had been threatening the student who had been studying under him, showing her the fake certificate and asking her to marry him. He went on to say that if not, he would post it on social media and tarnish her character and reputation. The student then complained to the All Women Police Station in Ashok Nagar. Following an investigation, the police found out that her claims were true, and arrested Sathish Kumar.

Parliamentary panel meets to discuss overhaul of NCERT history syllabus

By
The Commune
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Pictured: Dr. Shankar Sharan, Professor, Political Science at NCERT, New Delhi

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education met on January 13 to discuss the much-needed revision of the current National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) history textbooks in schools. The panel deliberated over the arguments presented by the ex-NCERT director JS Rajput and Professor at the NCERT Shankar Sharan, as well as representatives of the Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal (BSM) and the Shiksha Sanskriti Nyas (SSN). Both BSM and SSN are affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Director of NCERT, CBSE Chairman and Secretary of School Education were also present at the meeting.

Representatives of the BSM and SSN submitted to the committee that the publication agency should be able to provide proof and evidence of what is said in the textbooks. They also added that colonial myths and their reality, like the now-dismissed Aryan Invasion Theory, should be discussed in the books too.

Earlier, The Commune had reported on how the NCERT’s history textbooks are actively promoting false historical narratives, thus whitewashing and engaging in a systematic negation of Mughal atrocities on Hindus.

The panel had convened to chiefly discuss the need to remove “references to un-historical facts and distortions about our national heroes”, to ensure “proportionate references to all periods of Indian history” and to “highlight the role of great women in Indian history”.

During the debate over the necessity for change in the history syllabus, former NCERT director JS Rajput and representatives of BSM told the committee that current history textbooks in schools are not doing justice to the subcontinent’s contribution in cultural, artistic advances and a lot of other topics. It sparsely mentions the role of Indian rulers including the Cholas and Pandyas, which has resulted in the distortion of ancient Indian history.

“It has been over two decades since textbook reforms have been discussed at the platform of a Parliamentary Committee. We thought it fit to apply our mind considering the new National Education Policy is in place and new syllabus is being written,” senior BJP leader and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education Vinay Sahasrabuddhe told reporters.

In the meeting, the Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal stressed that history textbooks should be written bearing in mind the civilisational development of India – from the Vedic era to the present; comparison of “scientific temper” with other civilisations on a scientific and objective basis; the linking Indian languages and India’s cultural unity and linguistic heritage, including Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit languages and their international spread and influence; India and its cultural boundaries; influence of Indian civilisation in other parts of the world; ensuring a proper place for “religio-cultural emissaries” from India; the history of sacrifices of various segments of Indian society for preserving cultural values; and, social inclusion.

The representatives of the Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal and the Shiksha Sanskriti Nyas also asserted the urgency to rectify the influence of Marxist historians on Indian textbooks.

The revision of the curriculum framework for school education is being done after 15 years.

Man drowns into dam after following instructions given by Google Maps

By
The Commune
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A man from Maharashtra drowned in a dam after following the directions given by Google maps. 34 year old Satish Ghule from Ahmednagar was driving to Maharashtra’s highest peak along with Guru Shekhar and Sameer Rajurkar, when they lost their way. It was around 1.45 AM and pitch dark. Since they were unable to see the road, they decided to take the help of Google Maps. While they assumed that it was showing the shortest route, in truth, it was actually leading them straight into a dam. The car toppled and fell into a dam, plunging the three of them into water. The other two passengers swam to safety while Satish drowned in the dam.

“While driving towards Kalsubai for trekking, they had lost their way and sought guidance from Google Maps, when they accidentally drove into the water,” Senior Inspector Abhay Parmar of Akole police station was quoted as saying. “There is a bridge there, which is operational for eight months. But for four months after the rainy season, the water of the dam is released and the bridge goes underwater, due to which it cannot be used,” he added.

Ration shop employee falls into honeytrap, loses ₹5.6 lakhs worth of Pongal allowance granted by govt

By
The Commune
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Baskaran, an employee who takes care of of two ration shops in Koyambedu, Chennai had complained to the police on Monday that two women had cheated and robbed him while he was going to the ration shop with the money that had been allocated by the government for the Pongal allowance.

As Baskaran’s complaint was contradictory in several aspects, the police called the Superintendent of Civil Affairs Rajendran and inquired about Baskaran’s past activities at his place of work. Upon enquiry, it was revealed that Baskaran had taken ₹8 lakh rupees from the treasury the day before, for distributing the government’s Pongal allowance for the public.

Though it was true that two women had taken ₹5,60,000 from Baskaran, it was found that it had not been in the way that Baskaran had previously described. Rather, Baskaran had actually spent time alone with them, as he had given in to their flirtations and had tried to make a move at them. They had cleverly used it to their advantage and had robbed Baskaran.

After a detailed investigation, the police explained everything to Superintendent Rajendran about Baskaran’s shenanigans. The police are conducting a search hunt to catch the two women who cheated the money. Meanwhile, Superintendent Rajendran said that Baskaran, who had given government money to random women, has been suspended.

Notorious Christian pastor who boasted of kicking idols of Hindu Gods and forming ‘Christ Villages’ in AP arrested

By
The Commune
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Praveen Chakravarthy, the notorious Christian pastor who had boasted of kicking and defacing idols of Hindu Gods and creating ‘Christ Villages’ was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday (13th January, 2021).

He has been charged under various 153 A, 153 B (1) (c), 505 (2), 295 A, 124 A and 115 of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between different religious groups and committing offence in a place of worship. He has also been charged under Section 66 F [punishment for cyber terrorism]of the Information Technology Act .

Pastor Praveen Chakravarthy is the President of ‘Sylom Blind Centre’. His activities were brought to light in 2019 by Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), a legal activism collective. LRPF had lodged a complaint with the Union Home Ministry in December 2019 against ‘Sylom Blind Center’and its President Praveen Chakravarthy for indulging in rampant rabid proselytization.

In a video tweeted by LRPF Pastor Praveen Chakravarthy can be heard saying with impunity in Telugu that he hit the ‘stone God’ and trees [sacred trees like Neem, Peepal, etc that are venerated by village people] with his leg. The video was first made available in a YouTube channel called ‘Bangalore go-sipps’

Chakravarty in the video can be seen describing how he converts a village to Christianity. He says that first a pastor would come and stay in the village to teach the Bible. He says that the village becomes a “Christ village” after everyone has accepted Christ as their saviour and adds that ‘stone gods’ and ‘trees’ are kicked as a finality.

“So there are many cases which (sic) I have kicked the God’s heads and I was so happy”, he says in that video.

In another expose, the LRPF released video of Pastor Praveen’s online discussion with his US donor in which he claims “We’ve 3642 Pastors in our association & have made 699 Christ Villages so far. Will make it 700 in a month.”

Now, the Andhra Pradesh police have arrested Pastor Praveen based on the complaint filed by one Singam Lakshmi Narayana, a resident of Guntur.

CID Chief PV Sunil Kumar IPS has said that immediate legal action would be taken against the perpetrator.

LRPF has also written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) seeking action against ‘Sylom Blind Centre’ for procuring FCRA funds in the name of liberating children from child labour. In its complaint had noted that the organization did not inform concerned authorities and had allowed the perpetrators of child labour to go unpunished. It added that action has to be taken on the NGO for projecting India as country having the ‘largest slave population in the world’ and for violating lockdown norms which had resulted in 318 children testing COVID positive. LRPF has also petition the NCPCR to issue directions to concerned law enforcement agencies to investigate the utilization of the huge sum of ₹93.67 crores of foreign funds over a 5 year period received by way of FCRA inward remittances by ‘Sylom Blind Center’.

“Information not available”: NCERT says in response to RTI filed seeking source of claims made on Mughals rebuilding temples after destroying them

By
The Commune
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Responding to an RTI filed by one Shivank Varma, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has said that it has no information about the source for claims made in its class 12 textbook about Mughal Emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangazeb building temples after destroying them.

The RTI filed had sought disclosure of the actual source for the claim made in page number 234 of class 12 textbook “Themes of Indian History – Part II” which says “All Mughal emperors gave grants to support the building and maintenance of places of worship. Even when temples were destroyed during war, grants were later issued for their repair – as we know from the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.”

 

This information comes under the section titled “The Ideal Kingdom” which has a sub-section named “A unifying force” in theme 9 of the textbook called “Kings and Chronicles – The Mughal Courts (Sixteenth-Seventeenth Centuries)“.

Quoting Abu’l Fazl, Mughal chronicler and author of Akbarnama, it states that Mughal ’emperors stood above all religious and ethnic groups and ensured that justice and peace prevailed. It also mentions how Akbar had abolished the jizya, and people from various religions and ethnicities were given awards and positions in the Mughal empire before making the statement about Shah Jahan and Aurangazeb rebuilding temples desstoyed in wars.

The RTI filed by Shivank Varma specifically for the sources that prove the claim of these 2 Mughal rulers rebuilt temples. The RTI also ask for the number of temples that were repaired by Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. The response from NCERT for both requests was “The information is not available in the files of the Department.”

In other words, Indian school textbooks are making claims that the Mughal Empure that mindlessly ravaged the wealth of the country, raped women, looted temples and what not, were actually benevolent, generous rulers and empathic to Hindus.

It is important to note that these textbooks are being taught for secondary school students who come under the CBSE board all over the country. By providing such disputed information without adequate sources to substantiate, is inherently feeding false information to students, and glorifying the wrongdoings of the Mughal empire.

Following this, many netizens have lashed out at the NCERT for their attempts to whitewash the Mughal rule.

https://twitter.com/AmreekS07646492/status/1349570358706282497

https://twitter.com/IamNishachar/status/1349592724421263361

 

Based on Madras HC verdict, DCPCR recommends ban on sex change surgeries on intersex children

By
The Commune
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The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has sought a ban sex selective surgeries on Intersex infants and children in the National Capital of Delhi based on the 2019 verdict of the Madras High Court and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) recommendations, submitted by Madrai-based NGO Srishti Madurai and NNID Netherlands.

The DCPCR’s advise to the Delhi Government has been based on an order issued in the Madras High Court, which sought for a ban on sex selective surgeries except in the case of life threatening situations.

Satendra Singh, a disability rights activist and medical doctor, Air Cmde (Dr.) Sanjay Sharma and Dr Aqsa Shaikh were the petitioners who had moved the DCPCR, seeking a ban on sex change operations on intersex children.

“DCPCR was getting cases of violations of intersex human rights pertaining to children,” said Gopi Shankar Madurai, the founder of Srishti Madurai who is also the South Representative in the National Council for Transgender Persons. “We were asked to give our inputs and prepare a policy for the DCPCR.” Gopi said.

“Based on this precedent and advice from civil societies, we recommended DCPR that it should ask the Delhi government to ban such unnecessary medical intervention. Today, the final order has been released.” Gopi added.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court delivered a landmark judgement on 22 April 2019, that banned sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants recognizing their human right and the right to bodily integrity.

Following this, the Tamil Nadu government issued an order banning sex selective surgeries on infants and children and said that the decision was taken in lieu of the various factors and the opinions of experts, who will give it a green signal only in case of life threatening situations. Whether a particular case is life-threatening or not will be decided on the recommendation of a committee formed by Director of Medical Education (DME), comprising of Paediatric Surgeon/Urologist; Endocrinologist; Social worker/psychology worker/intersex worker; and a government representative not below the rank of undersecretary to the government.

 

Pongal is a Hindu festival, not a ‘minority appeasing secular’ festival

By
The Commune
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Dakshinayana is the period between the Summer and Winter solstice when the Sun travels towards the south. During this time the Gods and Goddesses are said to be in their sleep. The Uttarayana period is when the Sun starts moving from the south to northern hemisphere. The commencement of Uttarayan marks the Gods waking up and this change, when the Sun’s orientation shift from south to the north hemisphere  is celebrated throughout India.

It is the confluence of the Sun with Mesha constellation and is hence called a Sankramana or Sankranti. There are different Puranic stories told to mark the significance of this festival.

The Goddess of misfortune is said to torture cows, the wealth of agriculturalists, and it is said that people were released from her trouble by Shiva. Hence this day is celebrated as a special day for cows, Maatu Pongal.

There is also a Vaishnavite rendering to the story for Maatu Pongal. Lord Krishna had asked for the customary harvest offering to be given to him instead of Indira. When Indira retaliated with rain, Lord Krishna protected his devotees. The Lord also gave an assurance that Bhogi, the day before Pongal would be dedicated to Indra.

Children of Aayarpadi celebrated Krishna’s victory over Kalingan, the King of the Nagas by playing the Parai drum. On Mattu Pongal, calves are released and run in joy in celebration for the rains.

In preparation for the joys of Uttarayanam, people clear out their houses and burn the old stuff. The damage done by rains to houses is repaired.

The last day is Kaanum Pongal, something of a fair to celebrate the harvest and the bounties of nature.

Without these context, one cannot celebrate Pongal, no matter who says what.

And nope, Pongal is not a secular festival but yes it’s a harvest festival and it is for sure a HINDU festival.

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The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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