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UGC directs Univs to observe Surgical Strike Day, Govt says not mandatory after criticism

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UGC directs Univs to observe Surgical Strike Day, Govt says not mandatory after criticism

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday directed universities and higher education institutions across the country to observe September 29 as “Surgical Strike Day” to mark the second anniversary of the Indian Army’s strike against terror cells across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have referred to the incident at political rallies, pitching it as proof of their decisive governance. The opposition, however, has said it was not the first surgical strike but the first one to be publicised widely for the BJP’s political gain.

The UGC circular asked the institutions to organise talk-sessions by ex-servicemen about sacrifices by the armed forces, special parades, visiting exhibitions and sending greeting cards to pledge their support for armed forces, are among the activities prescribed by the commission for the celebrations.

The letter also desires that students pledge their support for the armed forces in writing that day.

“The NCC units of all universities should organise a special parade on September 29 after which the NCC commander shall address them on the modalities of protection of the borders. The varsities may organise a talk-session calling ex-serviceman to sensitise students about sacrifices made by the armed forces,” the UGC said in a communication to all vice-chancellors on Thursday.

“A multimedia exhibition will be organised around India Gate on September 29. Similar exhibitions may be organised in states, union territories, important towns and cantonments across the country. The institutions should encourage students and faculty members to visit these exhibitions,” the letter added.

The letter also issues an instruction to students: “The students shall pledge their support for the armed forces by writing letters and cards, which may be produced in both physical and digital format.”

These letters of support, it says, will be publicised in the conventional and social media. “The letters and cards should be shared with PRO Defence and PIB for publicity across various media,” the UGC said.

The UGC letter says that physical letters of support so received may be sent to nearby cantonments and shared with army officers visiting various colleges to meet students. It also asks institutions to encourage their students and faculty to visit the multimedia exhibition to be organised at India Gate in the national capital or in State capitals, important towns and cantonments across India.

In the first such action to be made public, India carried out surgical strikes on September 29, 2016, on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army saying its special forces inflicted “significant casualties” on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Surgical Strike Day UGC circular

UGC directs Univs to observe Surgical Strike Day, Govt says not mandatory after criticism

Source: https://www.ugc.ac.in/

Centre plans celebrations in New Delhi from 28-30 September

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has a three-day celebration plan from 28-30 September in place to mark the second anniversary of the strike. Modi is expected to attend the festivities at India Gate, reported DNA.

Videos showing the army’s valour, exhibition with photos and music show will mark the event. Singer Mohit Chauhan and Kailash Kher are likely to perform on the India Gate lawns in New Delhi.

“The event hasn’t been given any special name and will be held for marking the second anniversary of surgical strike. The general theme is showcasing valour of Indian forces,” DNA quoted a defence official as saying.

Attempt to own nationalism, militarise campus

Historian Aditya Mukherjee of JNU, co-author of the book India’s Struggle For Independence, disagreed with the idea of taking a pledge of nationalism from the people, reported The Hindu. “This is typically the BJP trying to project themselves as the nationalists. They have this great deficit of not being part of the national movement. Now they are trying to force it on people and militarise campuses. They wanted to install tanks in JNU and if we oppose it they will call us anti-national,” he told The Hindu. “We are not anti-army. But they want to push us through a nationalism test. Forcing people to prove their nationalism is no way to arouse nationalism. The way to arouse it is to create an idea of the nation that is appealing and inclusive.”

Opposition parties including the Congress and Trinamool Congress lashed out at the move.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too criticised the move. “The best way to celebrate surgical strike day wud be for the PM to visit the family of Sh Narendra Singh, who was tortured and slain by Pak this week. PM shud assure the nation that Pak wud be given such befitting reply that it won’t dare do it again (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted.

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, of the Trinamool Congress, called the directive a part of the BJP’s “agenda” and said educational institutes in the state will not celebrate the day.

“This is an agenda of the BJP and it is trying to push this agenda by using the UGC ahead of elections. It is a matter of shame that they are using the UGC to achieve their political agenda,” Chatterjee said.

“The Indian Army has always been kept above politics and controversies. But now we are seeing that the BJP is trying to malign and politicise the Indian Army. This is not right and we won’t support it,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal targeted the government saying it was an attempt to aggrandize Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The UGC directive on Surgical Strike Day is a political move. This is just to show that PM Modi did what no one else could. I condemn it,” he told NDTV.

Govt clarifies after criticism

The UGC directive to observe the second anniversary of “surgical strikes” in universities and colleges is not a mandatory order, the centre clarified today after the move drew criticism from the opposition, which said the BJP-led government was trying to use the military to score political points.

“We have not made any compulsion neither to the institutes nor to the students. We have issued a program because it was a suggestion by many students and teachers,” Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar said.

“And therefore on 29th of September, we have asked colleges – those who want to do – can arrange a lecture by an ex-army official who can describe to the student how the country gets defended… what is special feature of surgical strikes and how it was conducted,” he said.

“This is not political, this is not [a] BJP rally. I think this is the best thing to do on this occasion,” Javadekar added.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Delhi Pollution: BJP demands closure of schools in national capital, says AAP government utterly failed

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that both private and government schools should be shut down for the safety of children, given the alarming level of air pollution in the national capital and its adjoining regions.

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Delhi Pollution: BJP demands closure of schools in national capital, says AAP government utterly failed

As Delhi continues to choke with hazardous air pollution, the BJP on Wednesday demanded the AAP government to urgently close all schools up to Class 5. They also slammed the Delhi government for allowing the city to devolve into a gas chamber.

In a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that both private and government schools should be shut down for the safety of children, given the alarming level of air pollution in the national capital and its adjoining regions.

He added that children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution. He also pointed out the lack of government clinics providing essential treatments to mitigate these dangers.

The Delhi BJP President emphasised that the AAP government has utterly failed to manage pollution levels in the national capital, mentioning that PM 2.5 concentrations have soared beyond 400 and PM 10 levels exceeded 1,000. Virendra Sachdeva said that Delhi is now a gas chamber where people are choking and suffering from respiratory issues.

Delhi saw its first dense fog of the season on Wednesday, with air quality recorded as very poor. As per the real-time data from the Central Pollution Board (CPCB), the air quality index has surged to 366. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the pollution had reduced visibility to 100 metres (328 feet) in some places by around 8 a.m. It said the city’s temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday morning from 17.9 C on Tuesday and may fall further as sunlight remains cut off due to the smog.

Notably, the second stage of Graded Response Action Plan remains in force in the national capital, which entails mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads, and implementation of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.

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Election Commission officials check CM Eknath Shinde’s bag amid Uddhav Thackeray’s allegation

The Chief Minister’s bags were checked after his helicopter landed at the Palghar Police ground helipad.

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Election Commission officials check CM Eknath Shinde’s bag amid Uddhav Thackeray’s allegation

The Election Commission on Wednesday checked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s bag amid Uddhav Thackeray’s allegation.

The Chief Minister’s bags were checked after his helicopter landed at the Palghar Police ground helipad. The action followed after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray questioned the election panel after his bags were checked by officials. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said his bags had been inspected by the election authorities after he arrived in Latur and Yavatmal districts over the last two days.

He asked the Election Commission officials if the same action will be taken against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Addressing a public meeting in Wani, Uddhav Thackeray said that he is not angry with the ECI officials as they were doing their duty, and questioned whether they check the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis.

Reacting to the allegations, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that Uddhav Thackeray was trying to divert the attention by needlessly protesting against the checking of his bags by poll officials and was seeking votes by whining.

The Deputy Chief Minister questioned what is wrong in checking bags, adding that their bags were also checked during campaigning, and that there was no need for this level of frustration. He mentioned that the Election Commission officials followed the same procedure with his campaign team too.

Earlier in the day, bags of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar were also checked by EC officials in Baramati. The Maharashtra BJP had also posted a video on X showing officials checking Devendra Fadnavis’ bags.

The Maharashtra Assembly Election will be held on November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 13.  

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Jharkhand election: PM Modi says Congress-JMM allowed infiltrators to grab land, abuse tribal women

He pointed out that as per the data available, the tribal population in Santhal has reduced to half, adding that they have to protect the tribal families and every Jharkhandi from this.

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Jharkhand election: PM Modi says Congress-JMM allowed infiltrators to grab land, abuse tribal women

In a scathing attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the Jharkhand  government had allowed infiltrators to grab land and abuse tribal women. He was addressing a public rally in election bound Jharkhand’s Deoghar.

While addressing people at Deoghar’s Sarath, the Prime Minister said that wherever he has travelled in Jharkhand, the biggest worry has been about infiltration. He pointed out that as per the data available, the tribal population in Santhal has reduced to half, adding that they have to protect the tribal families and every Jharkhandi from this.

PM Modi stated that there is a huge conspiracy being done to change the identity of Jharkhand. He alleged that under JMM-Congress, every wrong thing was done to make these infiltrators permanent residents in the state. He added that these infiltrators snatched residents’ jobs and roti. 

He further mentioned that the JMM government said in court that there has been infiltration in the state. Highlighting that the protection of daughters and land is the biggest issue in this election, PM Modi assured you that BJP will protect them.

Furthermore, he also claimed that the Congress leaders abuse women, underlining that the party made many objectionable words against Sita Soren. He added that the Congress knows nothing will happen to them as they have protection from the JMM govt. 

Echoing his claim that Congress was trying to divide people on the basis of caste, PM Modi said that when the BJP decided to make a tribal daughter the President of India, Congress tried its best to defeat her, and even today they insult her. He said that Congress has dangerous intentions. Apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi, he said that Congress ka shehzada has made it clear that they want to end reservation for SC/ST & OBC.

Meanwhile, voting for the Jharkhand assembly elections phase 1 is underway in 43 of the state’s 81 seats across 15 districts. The second phase of voting will take place on November 20, and the results will be declared on November 23.

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