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Pune police raid, detain human rights activists across country, for alleged ‘Maoist links’

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6 years ago

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Stan Swamy, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao

In an early morning swoop, Pune police carried out raids on several Dalit and human rights activists in Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, Goa, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on charges of suspected Maoist links.

Among those whose houses were searched are Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, Gautam Navlakha in New Delhi, Sudha Bharadwaj in Faridabad and Stan Swamy in Ranchi.

Bharadwaj, who has worked as a human rights lawyer in Chhattisgarh for many decades, was detained at the Surajkund police station in Faridabad.

In Hyderabad, raids were reported from the homes of Varavara Rao and his family members, and two other activists, Kranti Tekula and Naseem.

The activists were detained and reports about some of them said they have been formally arrested. They include Varavara Rao and Kranti Tekula in Hyderabad and Gautam Navlakha in New Delhi. Both would be produced by Pune Police in local courts for transit remand after medical checkup. They were questioned for 4-6 hours after which they were arrested, said reports.

In Mumbai, the homes of Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Susan Abraham were raided. According to sources, the raids were conducted from around 6 a.m. at Ferreira’s Thane residence and the Andheri homes of Gonsalves and Abraham, said media reports.

Vernon Gonsalves is also a human rights lawyer and activist. Gonsalves and Ferreira were earlier accused of Naxalite connections, but were acquitted of related charges in 2012. Ferreira, who in 2012 was acquitted of charges of being a Naxalite, told Scroll.in that he has been involved in the case against Surendra Gadling, a Nagpur-based lawyer who was among the five social activists arrested in June on charges of stirring up violence in Bhima Koregaon.

Susan Abraham is a civil liberties lawyer and is part of the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR).

In Goa, the police raided professor Anand Teltumbde’s on-campus premises at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), located in Sanquelim in North Goa, where he is a senior professor.

“He is out of Goa and his house was locked. He was informed by an official at the Institute that police had arrived at the campus with sanction to raid his house,” said media reports quoting an unnamed source at the GIM.

Prof. Teltumbde, who specialises in “strategy, productions and operations, project management, and business analytics” at GIM, is also a Dalit scholar, writer and social commentator.

The local police in some states, said media reports, were not involved in the raids nor were they informed.

The raids are said to be connected to investigations into a public meeting organised days before caste-related violence erupted at Bhima Koregaon near Pune on January 1. Rights activists said more raids are in progress in other parts of the country.

According to police, the searches are being conducted at the residences of the persons having Maoists links and who were directly or indirectly connected with the organizers of ‘Elgaar Parishad’.

Police claim the speeches made at the Elgaar Parishad, a day ahead of the bicentennial celebration of the battle of Bhima Koregaon, were one of the triggers to the violence that was witnessed in and around Pune the next day.

The police claimed that the names of these people had emerged in the interrogations of five activists and lawyers it had arrested in June in the same case. On June 6, it had arrested Sudhir Dhawale, leader of Mumbai-based Republican Panthers Jati Antachi Chalwal, Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson of Committee of Release of Political Prisoners, Nagpur lawyer Surendra Gadling of Indian Association of People’s Lawyers, Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, and Mahesh Raut who had in the past been Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellow.

While producing them in court the next day, Pune police had claimed that documents and information recovered from some of these alleged “top urban Maoist operatives” revealed plans to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a “Rajiv Gandhi like manner” last year. All the five, charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, are currently in being held in magisterial custody, and lodged in Yervada central prison in Pune.

The Pune police have been investigating the circumstances that led to violence at Bhima Koregaon, where large groups burnt and stoned vehicles and property. One person died during the clashes. An initial outcry focused attention on the role of Hindutva groups in instigating the violence.

In March, however, the state government said that there was no evidence against Shiv Prathishtan Hindustan leader Sambhaji Bhide who reportedly gave an inflammatory speech near the village of Bhima Koregaon days before the New Year violence.

Since June, the police investigation pivoted to focus on activists working with Dalits, Adivasis and political prisoners instead. The police have been claiming that speeches made at the public meeting in Pune, called the Elgaar Parishad, actually sparked the violence. The investigators have been targeting activists who they allege helped organise the meeting.

The Elgaar Parishad was organised to commemorate the 200thanniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon which happened on January 1 in 1818, in which a British army comprising of a large number of Dalit soldiers is said to have defeated the Peshwas. Every year on January 1, thousands of Dalits assemble in Pune and march to the village of Koregaon Bhima which has a war memorial (Jaystambh) in memory of those who died in that battle.

Police claim investigations had shown that banned Maoist groups were involved in financing and organising the Elgaar Parishad event.

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Bihar news

BPSC 70th prelims result 2024 out: Here’s direct link to check

The BPSC has also released the cutoff marks for the CCE, providing candidates with valuable insight into the performance benchmarks. The cut-off scores vary across different categories, reflecting the commission’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. 

Published

16 hours ago

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January 23, 2025

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The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) released the results for the 70th Preliminary Examination on January 23, 2025. Candidates can view their results on the official BPSC website, bpsc.bih.nic.in. The results include those for the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), Finance Administrative Officer, and Child Development Project Officer positions.

This year’s examination covered a wide range of posts, including those under the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), Finance Administrative Officer (FAO), and Child Development Project Officer (CDPO). The release of these results marks a significant step forward for thousands of candidates pursuing careers in public service within Bihar.

The BPSC 70th Preliminary Examination, conducted on December 13th and January 4th, 2025, witnessed a massive turnout of 328,990 candidates. This substantial number underscores the immense competition and the high stakes involved in securing a government position in Bihar. The results, however, reveal a more selective outcome.

A total of 21,581 candidates successfully cleared the preliminary round for the CCE, demonstrating their competence and readiness to progress to the subsequent stages of the recruitment process. For the specialized roles of FAO and CDPO, a considerably smaller, yet still significant number of candidates qualified. 61 individuals successfully passed the preliminary examination for FAO positions, while 144 candidates qualified for CDPO posts.

The BPSC has also released the cutoff marks for the CCE, providing candidates with valuable insight into the performance benchmarks. The cut-off scores vary across different categories, reflecting the commission’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. 

Cut-off Marks:

  • Unreserved: 91
  • Unreserved Female: 81
  • EWS: 83
  • EWS Female: 73
  • SC: 70
  • SC Female: 55
  • ST/ST Female: 65

How to Check Your Results:

  1. Go to bpsc.bih.nic.in.
  2. Locate and click the “BPSC 70th Prelims Result 2024” link.
  3. A PDF containing the results will open. Download and save a copy for your records.

Examination Results: The Bihar prelims exam, held on December 13th and January 4th, 2025, saw 328,990 candidates. The following number passed:

  • Combined Competitive Examination: 21,581
  • Finance Administrative Officer: 61
  • Child Development Project Officer: 144

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India News

Har Jarurat Hogi Puri: Congress releases campaign song ahead of Delhi elections

Congress leaders, including Delhi Chief Devendra Yadav and national spokesperson Pawan Khera, expressed confidence in the anthem’s impact, emphasising its ability to capture the public mood and convey the party’s commitment to resolving Delhi’s pressing issues.

Published

17 hours ago

on

January 23, 2025

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The Congress party launched its campaign anthem, “Har Jarurat Hogi Puri, Dilli Mein Congress Hai Jaruri” (“Every Need Will Be Fulfilled, Congress is Essential in Delhi”), on Thursday, marking a significant step in its strategy for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

The 2-minute 48-second song serves as a potent weapon in the party’s arsenal, aiming to capture the attention of Delhi’s electorate and sway their votes in its favour.

The anthem’s lyrics directly confront the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), highlighting the prevalent disillusionment among Delhi’s residents regarding the current governance.

It boldly addresses critical local issues, painting a vivid picture of the city’s shortcomings under AAP’s rule. The polluted Yamuna River and the subpar quality of drinking water serve as central themes, with the powerful line “Yamuna Saaf Nahi, Pani Na Saaf Hai” (The Yamuna is not clean, the water is not clean) encapsulating the public’s growing discontent.

Beyond highlighting the existing problems, the Congress anthem meticulously outlines its own vision for Delhi, presenting a compelling alternative to the incumbent AAP government. The party pledges free electricity for households consuming up to 300 units, a promise designed to resonate with the city’s residents struggling with rising energy costs.

The ambitious “Pyari Didi Yojana,” promising a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 to women from low-income families, aims to further strengthen the Congress’ appeal among the electorate.

Addressing the widespread concern about women’s safety in the city, the anthem criticizes the AAP government’s perceived lack of focus on this crucial issue, arguing that despite promises, women continue to feel unsafe. This pointed critique underscores the Congress’ commitment to addressing this critical aspect of governance, distinguishing its approach from its rivals.

The release of the anthem is strategically timed, closely following the BJP’s launch of its campaign song, “Jo Ram Ko Lekar Aaye Unka Raj Hoga Dilli Mein” (“Those who carry Ram will rule Delhi”). The timing underscores the intensity of the upcoming electoral battle, with both the Congress and BJP vying for the support of Delhi’s voters.

Congress leaders, including Delhi Chief Devendra Yadav and national spokesperson Pawan Khera, expressed confidence in the anthem’s impact, emphasising its ability to capture the public mood and convey the party’s commitment to resolving Delhi’s pressing issues.

The anthem’s release signifies the Congress party’s full-fledged entry into the electoral fray, setting the stage for a closely contested election on February 5th, with results due on February 8th. Over 1.5 crore voters will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

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India News

ChatGPT outage affects thousands of users globally, OpenAI reacts

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

Published

18 hours ago

on

January 23, 2025

By

On January 23, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, suffered a significant global outage, leaving millions of users unable to access the service. The disruption affected multiple access points, including the web interface, the mobile application, and even integrations on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). This widespread failure quickly drew significant attention, with reports flooding in from users worldwide.

The outage tracking website, Downdetector, registered a surge in user reports, exceeding a thousand complaints within a short period. This volume underscored the scale of the disruption and the significant impact on ChatGPT’s user base.

The majority of these reports indicated a complete inability to use the chatbot, highlighting the severity of the problem. A smaller percentage of users reported encountering difficulties with the website or API, suggesting a less comprehensive but still noticeable impact.

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

The official statements consistently described the problem as “degraded performance” and “elevated error rates” within the API, hinting at underlying technical issues that required investigation. However, specific details regarding the root cause remained undisclosed, pending a more thorough examination.

According to reports, the outage commenced around 5 PM IST and persisted for several hours. The lack of a definitive timeline and the ongoing nature of the disruption underlined the complexity of the problem and the challenges faced by OpenAI’s engineering teams in resolving the issue.

As of the latest updates, the exact cause of the outage remains under investigation by OpenAI. The company is actively working to restore full functionality and provide a more comprehensive explanation once the underlying problem has been identified and rectified.

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