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3 years of Modi govt: All is rosy in Imaginary India, who cares for the lynched when trolls rule?

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3 years of Modi govt: All is rosy in Imaginary India, who cares for the lynched when trolls rule?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]All you see is garbage strewn around, cows and more cows and ATMs running out of cash but BMKJ!

Ranjona Banerji

There are two very distinct views on India right now. The first says that India has never done better and if life is not perfect yet, it soon will be. The other says that India has never been worse and the very idea of India is in peril.

If you look out of your window anywhere in India, the chances are that it looks pretty much the way it has always done. In this season, it is hot, dusty, garbage strewn here and there, construction debris lying around, uneven pavements, hanging wires, stray cattle, ATMs running out of money and so on. We all know where we are, why pretend it is otherwise?

But pretending is much easier than facing reality. Therefore many people on social media believe that an artist’s impression of how a bus station in Rajkot is going to look is the bus station itself, even if the foundation stone has barely been laid. Others, including Paresh Rawal, a famous actor who is also a BJP parliamentarian, read a diabolical invented interview with writer Arundhati Roy, which has been reposted through various dubious websites, and decide that she deserves to be tied to the front of an army jeep in Kashmir to deter stone throwing youths because she is evil and anti-national.

Once you pretend that any city in India looks like Singapore and all Indian villages look like those in the Cotswold, that India’s economy has never done better, that demonetisation ticked every box it was supposed to and caused no losses, then why should a digital illustration of something that does not exist or a false interview from a dubious source be so hard to believe?

The world of “fake news” is real and everyday on the internet. Sometimes, even legitimate newsrooms fall for totally invented pieces of news. WhatsApp, though it is unfair to blame the medium itself, is nonetheless rampant with all sorts of invented gunk, reminiscent of those endless “forwards” when email first began. Most of those re-circulated old jokes and even older prejudices. Now we have the same hatred peddled more frequently and evidently with more damaging effect.

It does not take long for invented “news” to heat up all those biases and start an upsurge of hate and violence on social media. That of course is the intention of fake news. And it provides ballast to trolls and abusers on the internet to target all those who do not agree with them.

It is increasingly difficult in one of the two Indias to stand up for due process or rule of law without getting abused or dubbed anti-national. The army major who tied a citizen of India to his jeep to deter “stone-pelters” in Kashmir is a hero and anyone who stands up for the rights of the man used as a human shield is disrespectful of the army and practically guilty of treason.

Much worse, of course, is the official silence on the collapse of rule of law in various Indian states. Mobs are dispensing “justice” and killing and thrashing people practically at whim. The incident in Jharkhand, where four men were beaten to death on suspicion of being kidnappers while the police watched, is not just horrific – it is frighteningly symptomatic of the other India. Mere lip service is paid to these crimes by politicians in power, while tears are shed for victims of terror attacks in other countries by the prime minister. BJP spokespersons condescendingly inform us that the prime minister cannot speak on every subject – the very argument the BJP mocked when the Congress used it for Manmohan Singh.

Meanwhile, in the first India, threats of rape on social media are seen as defendable examples of freedom of expression. Bollywood singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s Twitter account is suspended because of a rape threat he made to a student. This is not Bhattacharya’s first offence and he has been picked up by the police for his online behaviour. In solidarity, Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam closes his Twitter account, to stand up for Bhattacharya’s apparently inalienable right to threaten rape.

Yes, all is really going well in Imaginary India. Enjoy the bus ride from that station that doesn’t exist.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Dreaming of Harvard? Tuition is now free for middle-income families

Harvard University will offer free tuition to students from families earning $200,000 or less per year, with full financial coverage for those under $100,000.

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Harvard University, free tuition, financial aid, middle-income families, Ivy League education, tuition-free college, Harvard admissions, student financial support

Harvard University has taken a major step toward making education more accessible and affordable by offering free tuition for undergraduate students whose families earn $200,000 or less per year. This initiative, set to begin in the 2025-26 academic year, is expected to benefit thousands of students from middle-income families who aspire to study at the prestigious Ivy League institution.

The university will also provide full financial coverage, including tuition, housing, food, health insurance, and travel expenses, for students from families earning $100,000 or less annually.

Eligibility criteria for Harvard’s tuition-free education

Harvard’s new financial aid structure will be based on household income:

Families earning $100,000 or less:

Full financial coverage, including tuition, food, housing, health insurance, and travel costs.

Additional $2,000 start-up grant in the first year.

A $2,000 launch grant during the junior year to support the transition beyond Harvard.

Families earning $200,000 or less:

Tuition fees waived.

Additional financial aid to cover billed expenses based on financial circumstances.

Families earning above $200,000:

Many will still qualify for financial aid, depending on their specific financial situation.

Harvard’s commitment to affordability

Harvard University previously offered free tuition to students from families earning less than $85,000 per year. The new financial aid expansion aims to make higher education more accessible to students from middle-income backgrounds, ensuring that cost is not a barrier to attending one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

Harvard University President Alan M. Garber and Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra announced the initiative on March 17, stating that the goal is to broaden access and remove financial constraints for talented students.

The university’s financial aid team will work individually with students and families to match assistance based on specific financial circumstances. Students can visit Harvard’s official website for further details and application guidelines.

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India News

AAP leader Satyendar Jain faces fresh Rs 7 crore CCTV fraud allegations

Delhi ACB has filed a fresh corruption case against Satyendar Jain, alleging he took a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive penalties in a Rs 571 crore CCTV project. AAP denies all charges.

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AAP Minister Satyendar Jain

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) finds itself mired in yet another controversy as former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain faces fresh corruption allegations in connection with a Rs 571 crore CCTV installation project. The Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a case against Jain, accusing him of taking a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive a Rs 16 crore penalty imposed due to project delays.

According to the ACB’s statement released on Wednesday, the case has been registered under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations stem from the installation of over one lakh CCTV cameras across Delhi’s 70 Assembly segments, with a second order of an additional 1.4 lakh cameras allegedly placed after the initial delay.

The case is reportedly based on the testimony of an official from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), who detailed alleged irregularities and “shoddy” installations. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi has criticized AAP, accusing the party of suppressing the investigation when it was in power.

BJP Attacks AAP Over Corruption Allegations

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva has slammed AAP over the fresh charges against Jain. He alleged that the tender for the Rs 571 crore project was awarded to BEL, and Jain took a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive off financial penalties. “BJP had complained then also… but AAP tried to suppress the investigation. No matter how much you tried to hide corruption, you have to answer now,” Sachdeva stated.

Neither AAP nor Satyendar Jain has responded to the allegations yet.

More Legal Trouble for AAP Leaders

This fresh case adds to the mounting legal troubles for top AAP leaders. Satyendar Jain, who was granted bail in October last year after spending two years in custody in a money laundering case, is also facing prosecution in a disproportionate assets case.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia are also battling corruption charges. Kejriwal has been accused of misusing public funds for promotional posters, while Sisodia is embroiled in an alleged Rs 2,000 crore scam linked to classroom construction in Delhi government schools. Jain is also named in this case.

The controversial Delhi liquor excise policy scam also remains under investigation. Last month, a Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) report stated that the state suffered a Rs 2,002 crore loss due to policy irregularities.

AAP Denies Charges, Calls It a Political Vendetta

AAP has dismissed all allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and orchestrated by the BJP to tarnish its image. The party has also denied accusations that Kejriwal misused Rs 45 crore of taxpayers’ money for renovating his official residence.

Despite its denials, AAP suffered a massive defeat in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, where the BJP secured 48 of the 70 seats, marking a significant power shift in the capital after nearly three decades.

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Meerut murder: Muskaan Rastogi’s parents demand her hanging for killing husband

In a shocking turn, the parents of Muskaan Rastogi, accused of murdering her husband Saurabh Rajput, have demanded the death penalty for their daughter. They revealed chilling details of her confession and the role of drugs in the crime.

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Meerut murder case: Parents of Muskaan Rastogi demand death penalty for their daughter

The gruesome murder of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput, allegedly at the hands of his wife Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla, has taken a shocking turn as Muskaan’s own parents have demanded the harshest punishment for their daughter.

Muskaan, accused of brutally killing her husband and concealing his body in a cement-filled drum, has been arrested along with Sahil. Speaking to the media, her parents, Pramod Kumar Rastogi and Kavita Rastogi, made it clear that they stand with Saurabh’s family and want justice for him.

Parents’ shocking stance: “She must be hanged”

Muskaan’s parents have taken a firm stand against their daughter, emphasizing that she must face the death penalty for her crime. “She should be hanged. She has lost the right to live,” said her parents in a heart-wrenching statement.

Her mother, Kavita Rastogi, recalled how they themselves ensured her arrest. “She confessed that she had killed Saurabh and we immediately took her to the police station. She told us, ‘Mummy, we killed Saurabh’,” she revealed.

Chilling details of the crime

According to police, Saurabh, who worked for a US-based company, had returned home for his six-year-old daughter’s birthday when he was murdered on March 4. Muskaan and Sahil allegedly stabbed him, dismembered his body into 15 pieces, and sealed them in a plastic drum with cement.

To mislead people, the couple used Saurabh’s phone to post pictures while escaping to the hills. However, their plan fell apart when Saurabh’s family, unable to reach him, reported his disappearance, leading to their arrest. After interrogation, they confessed to the crime, and Saurabh’s remains were recovered from the drum.

Drugs as a possible motive

Muskaan’s parents also alleged that drugs played a key role in the murder. “She told us that her friend (Sahil) feared Saurabh would stop their drug sessions,” said her father.

Her mother added that Saurabh always supported Muskaan, even after she moved away from his family. “Saurabh left everything for her, even his family and their property worth crores. And yet she got him killed,” she said.

A marriage that turned deadly

Saurabh and Muskaan had a love marriage in 2016. In an attempt to spend more time with his wife, Saurabh initially left his job in the Merchant Navy. However, this decision caused friction with his family, leading him to move out with Muskaan.

By 2019, the couple had a daughter, but trouble soon followed. Saurabh discovered Muskaan’s affair with Sahil, which led to tension and discussions about divorce. Ultimately, for the sake of his daughter, he decided to stay in the marriage and rejoined the Merchant Navy in 2023.

However, during his absence, Muskaan and Sahil’s relationship deepened, eventually leading them to commit the horrifying murder.

Now, their six-year-old daughter is in the custody of Muskaan’s parents, as legal proceedings move forward in one of the most chilling crimes to come out of Meerut in recent times.

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