Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd delivered INS Nirdeshak, the second of the four survey vessels, to the Indian Navy on Tuesday. The first ship of the class, INS Sandhayak, was commissioned in the Indian Navy on February 3 this year. The contract for four survey vessels (SVL) was signed on October 30, 2018.
“The SVL ships are designed and built as per classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping. The ship aims at full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic survey of port/harbour approaches and determination of navigational channels/ routes,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Tuesday. The ministry informed that the ship will also collect oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications. With a displacement of about 3400 tons and an overall length of 110 meters, INS Nirdeshak is fitted with state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment.
Its state-of-the-art equipment includes data acquisition and processing systems, autonomous underwater vehicle, remotely operated vehicle, DGPS long-range positioning systems, digital side scan sonar, etc. Powered by two diesel engines, the ship can achieve speeds in excess of 18 knots. The keel of the ship was laid on December 1, 2020, and the ship was launched on May 26, 2022. The ship has undergone a comprehensive schedule of trials in the harbour and at sea prior to its delivery. “INS Nirdeshak has an indigenous content of over 80 per cent by cost.
The delivery of INS Nirdeshak is a reassurance of impetus of the Government of India and the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. The delivery of INS Nirdeshak is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of a large number of stakeholders, MSMEs and the Indian industry in enhancing the maritime prowess of the nation in the Indian Ocean Region,” the ministry added.
–IANS
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Rising above party politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead on Tuesday in complimenting the National Congress (NC) for its victory in the J&K Legislative Assembly polls.
PM Modi said on his widely followed X-post page immediately after the ECI declared all the results for the 90 Assembly seats, “I would like to compliment JKNC for their commendable performance in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.” PM Modi said he was proud of the BJP performance in the J&K polls.
“I am proud of the BJP’s performance in Jammu and Kashmir. I thank all those who have voted for our Party and placed their trust in us. I assure the people that we will keep working for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. I also appreciate the industrious efforts of our Karyakartas,” PM Modi said in another post.
PM Modi expressed satisfaction at restoring complete democracy in J&K after Article 370 was abrogated by the country’s Parliament on August 5, 2019. “These elections in Jammu and Kashmir have been very special. They were held for the first time after the removal of Articles 370 and 35(A) and witnessed a high turnout, thus showing the people’s belief in democracy. I compliment each and every person of Jammu and Kashmir for this,” the PM said in yet another X post.
Of the 90 seats in J&K, NC has emerged as the single largest party with 42 seats, followed by 29 of the BJP, 6 of Congress, 3 of PDP, 1 of CPI M, 1 of Peoples Conference, 1 of the AAP and seven independents. BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina lost the election in the Nowshera assembly constituency of Rajouri district to Surinder Choudhary of the NC. Raina has now resigned from the party’s J&K president’s post. Among the prominent winners is former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who won from Budgam and Gabderbal, the two constituencies Omar fought this election.
–IANS
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People in Haryana saw through the lies and propaganda of the Congress party after it could hoodwink people of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana, said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K T Rama Rao. “Congress party could hoodwink people of Karnataka (5 guarantees), Himachal (10 guarantees) and Telangana (6 guarantees) but people of Haryana could see through the lies and propaganda,” he posted on ‘X’ while reacting to the Assembly election results in Haryana, where the BJP retained power for a third consecutive term, despite the exit polls predicting a victory for Congress.
“Congress better understand that in a connected world, just promising but not delivering will be disastrous,” he said.
“Few things evident from the election results today and will hopefully hold true even after Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi polls. Both National Parties BJP and Congress are going to be far from the magic figure on their own in 2029,” wrote KTR. He believes that strong regional parties will hold the key to the formation of the next government at the Centre. “Strong regional parties will hold the key to the formation of next Union Govt and probably for at least another decade or so,” reads the post.
Senior BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao said the Haryana polls results show that the people of Haryana did not believe in the jugglery of Congress guarantees. “The people of Haryana have closely observed the fraud committed by the Congress in Telangana and Karnataka. The effect was evident in the election results,” he said.
Harish Rao said after seeing these results, the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana should refrain from revenge politics and diversion politics and implement the six guarantees and 420 promises with sincerity. “BJP is not trusted in Kashmir, Congress is not trusted in Haryana. It is clear that there is an aversion of the people towards the two national parties,” he said.
–IANS
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The Kerala High Court on Tuesday spoke tough, directing the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to take action against those found illegally charging Lord Ayappa devotees visiting Sabarimala temple for the ‘pottukuthal’ (applying Vibhuthi, Sindoor, or Chandanam) ritual.
TDB is the body under the State Minister of Devaswom which manages the administration of the state’s premier temple where a large number of pilgrims come from the various South Indian states. The fresh two-month old season begins in the third week of November and hence this directive is expected to be a huge relief for the pilgrims. “Exploitation of pilgrims who are on pilgrimage to Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa cannot be permitted … No devotee or Sabarimala pilgrim can be exploited by any person based on any usage like the one stated in the order (pottukuthal),” said the court.
“It is for the TDB to take necessary steps to ensure no illegal activity by any person is permitted inside the temple premises of either Erumeli temple or any of the temples under its management during Maasa Pooja and Mandala Magaram Velak,” the court ruled. The court was hearing a petition challenging a tender notification issued by the TDB which allowed recognised private entities to collect Rs 10 per person at Erumeli — the main base camp for pilgrims — for pottukuthal. The petitioners, all devotees of Lord Ayyappa, had argued that the tender notification permitting charges for ‘pottukuthal’ violated their constitutional right to religious freedom.
They further stated that this ritual has traditionally been performed freely by pilgrims, although they also had the option of giving free donations through hundis (cash collection boxes) kept at certain points. However, the TDB following the queries by the court said that it had acted only to prevent unauthorised persons from collecting exorbitant charges from pilgrims for pottukuthal. But with the court taking a strong position, the TDB has now stated that pottukuthal will be provided free of cost and added that action would be taken if anyone collects a fee for this.
Incidentally, this is an age-old practice which is followed as a matter of custom by Sabarimala pilgrims and the TDB informed the court that three mirrors have been installed at key places and Vibhuthi, Sindoor, or Chandanam have been placed to help the pilgrims do the pottukuthal themselves. The rule of this famed Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Ayappa, bars women who have attained puberty but have not reached menopause from entering it. Sabarimala temple, situated on the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, at an altitude of 914 meters above sea level, four kilometres uphill from Pamba in Pathanamthitta district in Central Kerala, has become one of the most famous Hindu pilgrim centres in India and has earned itself the tag as the Mecca for Hindus.
The temple, on the top of the hill, is accessible only by foot from Pamba. Even though the temple is now open throughout the year, the peak pilgrimage season begins on the first day of the Malayalam month in November and closes on the first day of the Malayalam month in January.
–IANS
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IOA chief PT Usha slammed former wrestler Vinesh Phogat for blaming the association for her disqualification from the Paris Olympics, saying, “The wrestler’s team is accountable, not the IOA”.
Phogat, who joined politics soon after her retirement following her Olympics disqualification, won her debut political bout, getting elected from Julana seat in the Haryana Assembly elections on Tuesday.
She secured a total of 65,080 votes to defeat her BJP rival, professional pilot Yogesh Bairagi. Following the news of Vinesh Phogat winning, PT Usha revealed her thoughts on the wrestler’s criticism of IOA for their role in her disqualification at the Paris Olympics.
“She was a sportsperson. She should carry the qualities of a sports man. I am not trying to say politicians are bad, but she went to the Paris Olympics for sports, and we all wanted medals from her. After meeting her, we went to the World Wrestling Federation president to protest. They said, ‘rules are rules, ‘ and after that, everything went into chaos.”, the former track and field athlete said.
“For Vinesh Phogat we had sent her all the people she had requested, four or five people accompanied her. For us, it’s new, only 100 gms, but for them it is not new. This had happened earlier as well, so she should know what to do and how to tackle it. Her team knows everything but it still happened so it is not our or our sport science doctor’s fault, it is her and her team’s fault but still, she criticises us,” PT Usha told IANS.
Phogat was disqualified from the 50kg category women’s freestyle final for being 100 gm overweight in the second weigh-in on the morning of the summit clash. However, she challenged the verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but nothing turned out in her favour. Meanwhile, she announced her retirement from the sport after being disqualified for the final, ending her hopes of becoming the first woman Indian wrestler to win silver or gold in the Olympics.
–IANS
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From the 28 Assembly seats in the 2014 elections to three seats in the 2024 polls, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mehbooba Mufti has been decimated in J&K. Mehbooba Mufti suffered a double jolt in this election.
While her party got decimated, her daughter, Iltija Mufti also lost her first election from the once strong bastion of the Muftis, the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency in Anantnag district. Reacting to her party’s defeat, Mehbooba Mufti put up a bold face. She said, “It is encouraging that the people came out and voted in such large numbers. So far as PDP is concerned, everybody must accept the people’s verdict. Winning and losing is part of the election process.”
Her senior leaders, Abdul Rehman Veeri, uncle Sartaj Madni, former minister Gulam Nabi Hanjoora, Zahoor Ahmad Mir, Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Asiya Naqash and Mehboob Beg also failed to win any seat in these elections. Three winners of the PDP include Waheed ur Rehman Parra from Pulwama, Fayaz Ahmad Mir from Kupwara and Rafiq Ahmad Naik from Tral constituency. Among these, Waheed ur Rehman Parra has won more out of his support among the youth than the influence of the PDP in the Pulwama constituency. Fayaz Ahmad Mir was pitched against Nasir Aslam Wani of the NC and for Wani, Kupwara was an unexplored political constituency.
Tral was won by Rafiq Ahmad Naik as the Naik family is politically well entrenched in the Tral constituency. The NC had left this seat for the Congress in their pre-poll alliance agreement. The net deduction from all this is that the PDP has reached the nadir of its political existence in J&K.
The late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed formed the party in 1999 and 2024 has virtually brought the curtain down on this party. From its proclaimed status to play the kingmaker’s role after the 2024 polls, the PDP is left lonely and shorn of its past political clout in these elections. Whether the party is able to resurrect itself after having been flattened by its rivals in the NC, would have to be watched.
The inept handling of political alliances, the surprising choice of fielding her daughter Iltija Mufti by shifting the well-entrenched Abdul Rehman Veeri from Srigufwara-Bijbehara to Anantnag, and listening to advisors whose political experience is restricted to their drawing rooms. These are among the major reasons for the PDP’s rout in the 2024 assembly polls. In politics, however, nobody is ultimately out unless one chooses to call it a day.
–IANS
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The Congress has decided to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) with regard to what it describes as irregularities in the electoral process in Haryana. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed disbelief at the election results, claiming they contradicted public sentiment and ground realities. “The results are totally unexpected and surprising. It goes against what the people of Haryana were seeking — a mandate for change and transformation,” Ramesh said on Tuesday, questioning the credibility of the poll outcome.
He also alleged that authorities were intimidated, leading to unexpected losses in Haryana constituencies where Congress performed well. Ramesh further revealed that serious complaints about the counting process and the functionality of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in at least three districts had been raised.
“We have received complaints about EVM malfunctions in Hisar, Mahendragarh, and Panipat, with issues regarding machine batteries and inconsistent results,” he said.
These complaints are being gathered and will be presented to the ECI in the coming days. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera echoed these concerns, labeling the election “a victory for manipulation and a defeat for democracy.”
Khera said: “We have received very serious complaints on counting and the functioning of EVMs in at least three districts. We have spoken to our senior colleagues in Haryana, and information is still being collected. We will present this to the Election Commission. Our candidates have raised serious questions. What we have seen today in Haryana is a victory for manipulation, a victory for subverting the will of the people and a defeat of the democratic process.”
He criticised the process, citing disbelief over the unexpected results, and mentioned that Congress candidates had already submitted grievances to local returning officers.
The Congress also focuses on the ongoing political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, where the National Conference-Congress alliance has secured a clear mandate. The coalition’s priority, according to Ramesh, would be the restoration of statehood. “The chapter on Haryana is still not complete. It will continue. Of course, the chapter in Jammu and Kashmir will have a coalition government. As I said yesterday, various attempts were made to ensure the majority would not come to the Congress-NC alliance. Still, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have given a very clear mandate for this coalition government,” Jairam Ramesh said.
Earlier in the day, the Congress had complained to the poll body, alleging that there was a slowdown in the update of poll results data on the ECI website. The ECI had rejected the claims and said that the entire counting process is being done in the presence of observers and micro-observers as per the statutory scheme. According to the latest data of the Election Commission of India, the BJP is going to win at least 48 seats in Haryana and will form the next government in the state for the third time in a row.
–IANS
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An FIR has been filed against YouTuber Maridhas for exposing the failures of the Tamil Nadu Police in handling the rape case of a minor in Chennai.
On 9 September 2024, Maridhas released an audio file on his YouTube channel where the police investigated a 10-year-old rape victim.
The minor was raped continuously for about a week, and the incident came to light on 29 August 2024 when the girl experienced severe stomach pain, prompting her mother, a cook, to seek medical attention at a local clinic. Doctors at Kilpauk Medical College subsequently diagnosed her with signs of repeated sexual assault, leading to a report being filed at the Anna Nagar all-women’s police station. An FIR was registered on 30 August 2024, naming a 31-year-old water delivery man, Satish, as the primary suspect in the assault.
After the FIR was lodged, the mother reported that she was summoned to the police station while her daughter remained in the hospital. During this visit, she alleged that the investigation officer, Raji, assaulted and threatened her. The police have denied these allegations but have transferred the officer involved. Additionally, the accused was arrestedonly after media coverage brought attention to the case.
This detail was exposed in Maridhas’s video. It was released to expose the police’s careless attitude and how they were trying to close the case as quickly as possible without word getting out.
On 10 September 2024, two days after the audio was released, the Madras High Court took suo motu cognizance of the case. The mother filed a habeas corpus petition, alleging that she was assaulted at the police station and had her phone confiscated. At the same time,her daughter was questioned at the hospital without parental presence. Reports indicated that police recorded the girl’s statement late at night, which also violated the POCSO Act.
The Madras High Court criticized the police for their shoddy investigation. It transferred the investigation of the Anna Nagar child rape case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), expressing serious concerns about the handling of the case by the Tamil Nadu police. The court noted that despite a 10-year-old girl being repeatedly raped, the authorities harassed her family and delayed the arrest of the main suspect for 12 days. This probe also addressed her mother’s claims of being physically assaulted by a police inspector at the station.
A bench comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam highlighted the disturbing treatment of the survivor and cited violations of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court stated,“The parents of the victim have lost confidence in the Tamil Nadu police,” underscoring the urgent need for a thorough investigation by a central agency.
During the proceedings, the court raised questions about procedural irregularities, particularly regarding how the child’s statement was recorded late at night without parental presence.
How Was The Interrogation Done?
In the audio, the minor initially expressed her fear of the police, worried that they might hit her. After being reassured by a female police officer, the child gave her statement. During the recording, she retracted her earlier accusation against a man named Satish, whom she had previously blamed for sexual assault. Instead, she called a minor boy as the perpetrator, stating that the abuse had occurred two years prior. The police officer can be heard telling the child that it is late and they are in a hospital well past her bedtime. It is later known from Maridhas’ video that the interrogation lasted until about 1 AM.
Procedural Violations
The police’s handling of the situation indicates several procedural violations. Firstly, the police should have recorded the child’s statement on video, as law requires. If an audio recording was deemed necessary, such sensitive material should not be leaked to the public. The police are also prohibited from naming any child under 18, even if the child is an accused, in an FIR. Additionally, such FIRs should not be publicly disclosed, yet these guidelines were ignored.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, under Section 24(5), specifies that the police must protect the child’s identity from being exposed to the public or media unless otherwise directed by a Special Court. Section 24(1) also mandates that a child’s statement should be recordedeither at their home or a place of their choosing. It remains unclear if the police obtained the child’s consent before recording her statement at the hospital on 30 August 2024.
Additionally, it is criticized that the police failed to conduct a forensic interview of the child. The audio clip demonstrates poor interviewing practices and trauma-informed interviewing is essential especially when working with child survivors, highlighting that forensic interviews are meant to gather factual information without using suggestive or leading questions that could undermine the child’s testimony.
The girl’s mother also alleged mistreatment by the police. She alleged that while waiting at the police station until midnight for an inspector named Rajeev, he allegedly assaulted her by twisting her hands and beating her while demanding answers. According to the mother, when she explained that she only knew what doctors at the hospital had told her about her daughter’s condition, the inspector insulted her, calling her arrogant and threatening to charge her with negligence in raising her child.
In response, the police denied any allegations of brutality. Vijaykumar, a police officer, claimed that while there were no CCTV cameras in the inspector’s room, footage from other areas had been reviewed, and no evidence was found of the police assaulting the girl’s parents.
Case Against Maridhas & ToI
During their arguments in court, in response to the submission by State Public Prosecutor (State PP) Hasan Mohamed Jinnah, informed the court that separate FIRs had been filed against YouTuber Maridhas and journalist A Selvaraj of ToI for sharing the victim’s audio on social media. The court emphasized the need to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for the unauthorized disclosure and distribution of the audio.
The bench also criticized the decision to register FIRs only against a journalist and a YouTuber for leaking information. At the same time,no action had been taken against the woman police inspector who recorded the audio.
The court has since ordered police protection for the survivor and her family while directing further hearings to ensure a comprehensive review of the allegations against both the suspect and the police handling of the investigation.
Maridhas Statement
Maridhas, in his YouTube video, stated that he only intended to highlight the TN Police inadequacies and ensure justice is delivered to the minor child. He even states that he is not worried about taking anticipatory bail and would gladly accept being arrested if it would help her case. The YouTuber also noted that all English newspapers published the news about how the Madras High Court criticised the TN Police, but this was not the case with Tamil media.
Maridhas also alleges that such news is being suppressed in Tamil media to portray that TN is a safe place for women.
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The junior doctors protesting against the rape and murder of their fellow lady colleague at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital staged a sit-in-protest demonstration in front of a police station in Kolkata on Monday night after the cops attached with the police station seized items that were being brought to the venue at Esplanade in central Kolkata where seven junior doctors are in fast-unto-death agitation.
Tension started after two manually paddle-driven vehicles carrying essential items like plastic chairs destined for the hunger strike venue were stopped and seized in a place under the jurisdiction of the Bowbazar Police Station in Central Kolkata.
The cops seized those items because the path through which those plastic chairs were carried by those manually paddle-driven vehicles is not permitted for travelling by slow-moving vehicles under the Calcutta Hackney-Carriage Act of 1919.
There was an altercation between the junior doctors and the cops on this issue, following which the junior doctors started staging sit-in demonstrations in front of Bowbazar Police Station.
“Since the beginning, Kolkata Police has tried to stop our movements on the rape and murder issue. First, the junior doctors engaged in the hunger strike were prevented from raising bio-toilets near the hunger strike venue. Now they are creating unnecessary hurdles for carrying basic items to that hunger-strike venue,” said a representative of West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) spearheading the movement in rape and murder issue.
Meanwhile, the fast-unto-death agitation by seven junior doctors that started on Saturday evening has already crossed over 72 hours while the senior doctors have expressed solidarity towards them by participating in a time-bound fasting agitation.
–IANS
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday for his party’s decisive victory in the Assembly elections.
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar — the former Haryana CM — praised PM Modi and the BJP’s performance, stating: “The people have given a clear message that our work, under PM Modi’s leadership, is resonating with the public. For the first time, the BJP has secured a third consecutive term in Haryana, a record-breaking achievement. No party has done as much as we have for farmers, wrestlers, and soldiers.”
Khattar emphasised that the public’s approval of the BJP’s governance and policies is evident in this victory.
“Our high command has announced Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister, though the parliamentary board will take the final decision,” he said. “I know that in 2014, when we contested the election in Haryana, we gave the slogan — Haryana is one, Haryanvi is one. So, I consider all the people of Haryana as family. Our Chief Minister has always worked for the people of Haryana,” Khattar said.
He continued: “The people have embraced the BJP’s policies and Modi ji’s accomplishments, and this has allowed us to secure yet another term in Haryana.” Reflecting on the opposition’s strategy, Khattar said: “The Congress ran a negative campaign, spreading lies and misleading the public. The people saw through it and chose to reject the Congress.”
On the question, what went wrong with the Congress, Khattar said that only Congress should answer this. The Congress has accused the Election Commission of slow counting. On this, the Union Minister said that Congress has the habit of blaming something or the other for its defeat. Khattar highlighted the party’s work, particularly in supporting farmers and athletes.
“The BJP has done more for farmers than the Congress could ever imagine. The electorate’s refusal to be misled is a testament to our work. I extend my gratitude to the people of Haryana and the BJP workers for this spectacular victory.”
According to the latest Election Commission data, the BJP is on course to win at least 50 seats, a comfortable majority to form the government in the 90-member Assembly. This historic win marks a significant moment for the BJP, securing a third consecutive term in Haryana.
–IANS
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