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Is India’s future in Afghanistan under threat?

On February 29, the US signed a hugely-significant deal with Taliban, paving the way for exit of American troops from Afghanistan and mainstreaming of the fanatic Islamist organisation.

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India-Afghanistan

On February 29, the US signed a hugely-significant deal with Taliban, paving the way for exit of American troops from Afghanistan and mainstreaming of the fanatic Islamist organisation.Two months on, India has reportedly wound up its operations at two of its four consulates in Afghanistan — Jalalabad and Herat provinces. The entire staff of these two Missions, along with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel deployed there for security, was quietly evacuated a few days back, according to some reports.

The operation was carried out when the entire world remained occupied with the coronavirus pandemic and amidst inputs of security threats.The temporary closure of the two Indian Consulates, located close to Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan and Iran, may not be directly linked to the US-Taliban deal. However, the implications of the agreement on India’s future in the war-torn country cannot be ignored.

The US-Taliban deal, while mainstreaming the ‘terrorist’ outfit, has facilitated return of thousands of Afghans, most probably including the Taliban operatives and sympathisers, to their home from Pakistan.This clearly heightens the threat for Indian interests in Afghanistan, particularly since there have been a number of terror attacks on Indian assets, including Embassy, Jalalabad Consulate and Indian nationals, carried out by Taliban, at the behest of Pakistan.

Significantly, the evacuation took place days after a terror attack on a Gurdwara in Kabul on March 25, which killed 25 people.India has two more consulates in Afghanistan – in Mazar-e-Sharif and Kandahar – besides the Embassy in Kabul, which continue to function as of now. A review of security of these assets is also being undertaken.

The closure of the two consulates may have been carried out in secrecy but the significance of the move speaks volumes about the future of India in Afghanistan, which seems to be under threat in the aftermath of the US-Taliban agreement. At stake is an investment of over 2.4 billion dollars and  numerous capacity-building activities spread across the war-torn country.

The deal, besides other things, mandates withdrawal of the troops of the US and its allies from Afghanistan within 14 months. The deal brought Taliban, which was a top target for the US for nearly 18 years, into mainstream, thus encouraging the terror outfit to step up its military operations and attacks to dislodge the democratic setup and decimate other Afghan factions.

Ever since the agreement in Doha was signed, the Taliban has stepped up its military campaign against the government forces, in its tryst to capture and control more and more areas of Afghanistan, with ultimate aim of possibly taking over Kabul.

The increasing prowess of Taliban is particularly worrying for India, considering the history of terror attacks carried out by this proxy outfit of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency ISI on Indian assets, including the Embassy and personnel.

If Taliban succeeds in capturing power in Kabul, India is going to again see an Afghanistan administration which is hostile and inimical, like it was during the period 1996 to 2001.Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is facing intense pressure, not only because of the increased military aggression by the Taliban but also because of demand for release of Taliban cadres from prisons as per the agreement reached between the US and the fanatic Islamic group.

The Ghani government is not in a mood to release the Taliban cadres, wary that the move will give a boost to the outfit.US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has said “Both sides must also accelerate the release of prisoners” even as he urged Taliban to call a humanitarian ceasefire during Ramadan month.

“…Ramadan offers the Taliban an opportunity to embrace a humanitarian ceasefire to reduce violence and suspend offensive military operations until the health crisis is over,” Khalilzad tweeted.

Ghani also, on the eve of Ramadan, appealed to the Taliban last week for a ceasefire in view of the special conditions created by coronavirus.Ghani’s appeal came as dozens of Afghan security force members were killed in Taliban attacks in the recent past.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, however, ruled out a ceasefire as he referred to the prisoners’ release issue and termed Ghani’s appeal insincere.The Taliban is demanding release of 5,000 of its cadres by the Afghan government as per its deal with the US. The Afghan government has agreed to the release of 1,500 prisoners but through a conditioned and gradual process.

According to National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib, five of 15 prisoners specifically sought by the Taliban were involved in major attacks in Kabul, including the bombing at German Embassy in which dozens were killed.

Education

Farmer’s son Nilkrishna Gajare Nirmalkumar from Maharashtra scores 100 NTA score in IIT-JEE Mains 2024

Nilkrishna Gajare’s father is a farmer and had to discontinue his own education after Class 12 as he faced financial difficulties. Gajare faced financial challenges growing up. However, his unwavering dedication and strategic approach to preparation set him apart from the crowd.

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Nilkrishna Gajare, who hails from Maharashtra’s Washim, achieved an extraordinary feat by securing a perfect score of 100 in the JEE Main 2024 examination. His journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success is a source of inspiration for many people.

Nilkrishna Gajare’s father is a farmer and had to discontinue his own education after Class 12 as he faced financial difficulties. Gajare faced financial challenges growing up. However, his unwavering dedication and strategic approach to preparation set him apart from the crowd, which resulted in his remarkable achievement of emerging as topper of one of India’s toughest Engineering entrance exams.

Nilkrishna Gajare had a strategic plan that helped him succeed in IIT-JEE 2024. According to Nilkrishna persistence is important and one should never stop trying until they understand a topic. He said being curious and asking questions are important traits of a good student.  He said one should not be ashamed of asking questions.

Nilkrishna spent around 10-15 hours every day studying on his own for the JEE Main exam. He mentioned that he used his class notes for Physics and Physical Chemistry. For organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry, he relied on both notes and practice questions.

As for Mathematics, he believed that practicing regularly was the most important thing for him. Other interests of Nilkrishna include archery. He has participated at both state and national levels, and he finds joy in the sport.  He said archery helps him understand the importance of focusing his attention on his goals. Nilkrishna likes watching movies and said they are a great source of enjoyment and relaxation.

He likes to watch a movie after exams and occasionally treats himself to one each week too. Gajare aims to keep up the pace for the JEE-Advanced exam and hopes to get into the IITs. He said he wants to secure admission in IIT-Bombay in the computer science branch.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Lok Sabha elections: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav files nomination from Kannauj

The Samajwadi Party has announced Akhilesh Yadav as its official candidate for the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat today

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, submitted his nomination for the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency ahead of tomorrow’s second round of voting. In front of Ram Gopal Yadav and other party leaders, the chief of the SP, who had previously contested the seat in 2000, 2004 and 2009, submitted the nomination.

Speaking with media, Ram Gopal Yadav said that SP would win the seat by a huge margin. The BJP candidate might lose his deposit in the seat, he said.

The Samajwadi Party has completely reversed its earlier plan to field former Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Singh Yadav as their candidate, which is a significant political development.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters, people will find out when the nomination takes place, in reference to the speculations that he will contest for the seat. The historic victory of Kannauj is the subject of inquiry.

The former chief minister continued, the people have decided that the India bloc is coming as the future and the BJP will be history in this election.

Notably, elections for the Kannauj seat are scheduled for May 13, which would intensify the political drama that is now playing out in Uttar Pradesh. Previously regarded as the Samajwadi Party’s stronghold, the seat was lost by the party in the 2019 election when Subrat Pathak of the BJP won with a resounding victory.

The candidates competing for the following Uttar Pradesh seats will find out their destiny in the second round of voting, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Amroha, Meerut, Mathura, Baghpat, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Bulandshahar.

Notably, two Bollywood celebrities running as BJP candidates in the second round are Hema Malini from Mathura and Arun Govil from Meerut. There are 91 contestants from UP competing in the second phase.

The seats in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura are up for grabs, with a maximum of 15 applicants per seat. In Bulandshahr, six candidates are vying for the presidency. There are twelve contenders running in Amroha, eight in Meerut, seven in Baghpat, and fourteen in Ghaziabad and Aligarh.

1,67,77,198 votes will decide these candidates’ fates.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Bihar: Election Commission extends voting timings for 4 Lok Sabha seats due to heatwave

The voting period has been extended by two hours for a total of 299 polling stations

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In accordance to the rising temperatures in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the voting hours for the upcoming three phases of the parliamentary polls at 1,700 polling places spread across four parliamentary seats, Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria, and Munger. The extension of the voting hours was announced by poll officials on Wednesday.

Polling generally takes place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in most parts of the country, however, in certain isolated locations and in constituencies impacted by left-wing extremism, polls close two hours early to allow polling parties to move around easily.

The ECI gazette notification said the dates for the parliamentary constituencies of Banka (Katoria and Belhar assembly segments), which will hold elections on April 26, Madhepura (Mahishi assembly segment), Khagaria (Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Alauli, and Beldaur assembly segments), where voting will take place on May 7, and Munger (Suryagarha assembly segment), which will hold final phase elections on May 13, have been extended.

The voting period has been extended by two hours for a total of 299 polling stations in Simri Bakhtiarpur, 191 polling stations in Belhar AC of Banka, 172 polling stations in Katoria Assembly Constituency (AC) and 191 polling stations in Belhar AC of Banka, 207 booths in Mahishi AC of Madhepura seat, and 230 polling stations in Suryagarha AC of Munger.

In an effort to boost voter turnout, which fell to 49.26% in the first phase of polling on April 19 in Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, and Jamui from 53.47% in 2019 by 4.21%, the timing has also been extended.

Meanwhile, during the course of the next several days, temperatures in the southern states, namely Kerala and Karnataka, are predicted to rise by 2-3°C. In Southern Karnataka, where up to 14 constituencies are scheduled to vote in Phase 2, a heatwave warning has been issued. It is predicted to affect the districts of Tumkur, Davangere, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Koppal, Bagalkote, Kalaburgi, Raichur, Ballari, Chitradurga, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Gadag, and Davangere.

The EC stated that a likely factor influencing voter turnout is the increase in temperature.

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