India

Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday stated that caste-based reservations in India must continue as long as social discrimination and inequality exist in society.

He emphasised viewing the issue through the perspective of Dr B R Ambedkar to avoid friction and controversy.

Bhagwat was speaking during an interactive session with over 2,000 youths from Gen Z and Gen Alpha at an event organised to mark the 15th anniversary celebrations of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN).

During the session, IIMUN founder Rishabh Shah posed several questions to young participants regarding student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, reservation policy, and key challenges facing the youth.

When asked if the time had come to reduce reservation quotas in education and employment, Bhagwat declined to answer with a direct "yes" or "no". Instead, he stressed that the issue must be understood through Dr B R Ambedkar’s vision. "Reservation exists due to social factors," he said. "As long as social inequality remains, reservation must continue."

Bhagwat appealed to well-off individuals within reserved categories to show generosity. He noted that those who have already achieved socio-economic progress using reservations should voluntarily step aside so that underprivileged members of society can benefit.

He added that a thought process favouring this shift is gradually emerging among quota beneficiaries themselves, referencing recent Supreme Court observations regarding sub-classification to ensure equitable distribution of benefits.

Expressing dissatisfaction over political weaponisation of reservations, Bhagwat stated that reservation was originally designed as a tool to achieve social harmony. "The concept itself is not wrong, but those holding the sword are wielding it intentionally in the wrong direction," he remarked.

The RSS chief added that until this political mindset shifts, the situation will not improve, though effective implementation of welfare schemes could eventually reduce the need for quotas.

Addressing recent student demonstrations over issues like the NEET paper leak, Bhagwat noted that young people participating in protests or voicing concerns does not make them "anti-national". He expressed strong faith in Gen Z and offered thoughts on maintaining dialogue rather than suppressing student voices.

Commenting on the political discourse surrounding affirmative action, the RSS chief noted that politicisation disrupts the intended objective of reservation. "If the issue of reservation is implemented honestly, its necessity will end sooner, allowing for reconsideration. Unfortunately, because politics has entered the picture, it creates bitterness in society. Reservation is an important medium created to foster social unity and equality," he noted.

--IANS

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Gandhinagar, Aug 6 (IANS) Gujarat will organise more than 1,200 Tiranga Yatras and a series of patriotic events across the state between August 9 and 17 as part of the nationwide 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, with the Tricolour expected to be displayed at more than 70 lakh homes, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Thursday.

Speaking about the campaign, Sanghavi added that the initiative is being held across the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and message of national unity.

"The programme aims to honour soldiers who laid down their lives in service of the nation, express respect to their families and strengthen the spirit of patriotism among citizens of all age groups, from children to the elderly," he noted.

The state-level programme will be held in Gandhinagar on August 10 in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, members of the state Cabinet and other officials.

The event will include a Tiranga Yatra and a 'Tiranga Concert'.

In addition to the Gandhinagar event, Tiranga Yatras are scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad on August 11, Rajkot on August 12 and Vadodara on August 14.

"The campaign would extend across Gujarat, from villages situated along the India-Pakistan border to the state's largest urban centres," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

District Collectors, Police City Commissioners as well as district heads and various religious and social organisations have so far obtained permission to organise more than 1,200 Tiranga Yatras across the state.

He said the Tricolour would be flown at more than 70 lakh homes during the campaign, with participation expected from educational institutions, universities, social organisations and religious bodies.

Patriotic programmes will also be organised at the local level in all talukas, villages, newly formed municipal corporations and municipalities.

"To pay tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation's security, express respect to their families and strengthen the spirit of patriotism among citizens from children to the elderly, Gujarat will organise various patriotic programmes from August 9 to 17," Sanghavi said.

Referring to the annual Tiranga Yatras, the Deputy Chief Minister added that they attract lakhs of citizens and young people each year who gather to pay homage to martyrs and express gratitude to members of the armed forces.

He expressed confidence that large numbers of young people, students and people from all sections of society would participate in this year's events.

The Deputy Chief Minister also announced that special programmes to observe 'Partition Horrors Remembrance Day' will be held at all district headquarters on the morning of August 14.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday announced that an Amendment Bill proposing an increase in the number of wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) will be tabled and passed at a special session of the Assembly on August 12.

Speaking to media persons in the evening, Adhikari said that as per the proposed Bill, the number of wards in KMC will be increased from 144 to 209, while the number of wards in HMC will be raised from 50 to 68.

Both municipal corporations are scheduled to go for civic polls by the end of this year.

Adhikari said that soon after taking charge as Chief Minister earlier this year, he had promised the reorganisation of the seats of KMC and HMC.

“I also promised to hand over the administrative power of these two municipal corporations to the newly elected boards by December this year. Precisely to achieve that, the state government now intends to complete the legal process at the earliest. That is why the Amendment Bill will be tabled at a single-day special session of the Assembly on August 12,” he said.

The decision to reorganise the existing wards and increase their number has already attracted strong criticism from opposition parties, who claim that democratic practice requires publication of a draft list of wards before reorganisation.

Opposition parties have alleged that this process was not followed in the case of KMC and HMC and accused the state government of implementing the reorganisation without consulting all parties.

--IANS

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Indore, Aug 6 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Police will host the Western Zone Police Coordination Committee meeting in Indore on August 7, bringing together Directors General of Police (DGPs) and senior police officers from seven states and Union Territories to discuss measures for strengthening inter-state coordination in policing, crime investigation and internal security.

The high-level meeting will be chaired by Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police Kailash Makwana and is expected to focus on key issues such as inter-state coordination during investigations, cybercrime, narcotics control, women’s safety and other security-related matters.

Indore Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-2) Aman Singh Rathore told IANS that the meeting would provide a platform for police leadership from different states to deliberate on emerging challenges and evolve coordinated strategies jointly.

“The Western Zone Police Coordination Committee meeting will be held in Indore on August 7. Representatives from seven states and Union Territories are participating. The DGPs of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa and Maharashtra, along with officials from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, will attend the meeting,” Rathore said.

He added that representatives from Bihar would also participate in the deliberations. At the same time, more than a dozen senior officers from the Madhya Pradesh Police, including DGP Kailash Makwana, would be present.

According to Rathore, the meeting assumes significance as several crimes, particularly those related to organised networks, narcotics trafficking and cyber fraud, often involve multiple states, making close coordination among police forces essential.

“Various issues, including cybersecurity, narcotics, women’s safety and inter-state coordination during investigations, will be discussed. The conference is expected to continue for around three hours, during which officers from the participating states will present their views. These issues will then be discussed in detail, and a collective decision will be taken,” he said.

The meeting is expected to emphasise greater information sharing, faster coordination in criminal investigations and a common approach to tackling emerging security challenges across state borders.

Senior police officials believe such coordination meetings play a crucial role in improving operational cooperation among states, particularly in dealing with organised crime, cyber offences, drug trafficking and crimes involving interstate movement of offenders.

--IANS

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Bhubaneswar, Aug 6 (IANS) Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday said the state government has prepared a blueprint to upgrade the early warning system to ensure timely alerts and enhance disaster preparedness.

Speaking to media persons after a high-level review meeting chaired by him here, Pujari said Odisha currently has 122 early warning systems installed along the coastline, covering around 573 kilometres since 2017. This includes 40 large towers equipped with siren systems and facilities to announce weather updates.

The existing system is being replaced with advanced technology to provide faster and more effective alerts about impending disasters. Senior departmental officials have visited Goa and Kerala to study their advanced systems and best practices. These towers will be modernised with 360-degree surveillance cameras.

The state government has also initiated measures to enhance the capabilities of these towers through satellite telecommunication systems and strengthen communication across all 314 blocks by integrating modern high-speed communication technologies with the central control room.

“The Doppler Weather Radar at Sambalpur has already become operational, while the proposed radars at Balasore and Bhubaneswar will be commissioned shortly. Repair and upgradation of the existing Doppler Weather Radars at Gopalpur and Paradip are also underway. In addition, a new Doppler Weather Radar will be established at Puri,” the minister said.

He stated that once all these radars become fully operational, weather forecasting in Odisha will become significantly more accurate, thereby strengthening disaster preparedness and response.

Pujari added that in view of changing weather patterns and climate change, the state government is committed to strengthening disaster management infrastructure through adoption of state-of-the-art technologies.

The meeting also reviewed the recent flood situation and decided to strengthen reservoir management, water conservation, river water allocation and drainage management. Water regulation across river systems will be improved through computerised monitoring and enhanced coordination with neighbouring states.

Addressing lightning-related fatalities, Pujari informed that the state government has sanctioned Rs 35 crore to the Forest Department for plantation of palm trees in agricultural fields as part of its strategy to reduce deaths.

The meeting also discussed adoption of advanced technologies to address urban waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has already initiated work in collaboration with IIT Roorkee for this purpose.

The minister reiterated that the state government remains committed to strengthening disaster management infrastructure to ensure effective disaster response and safeguard human life and public property.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) As many as 408 students from Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have qualified for NEET for MBBS courses, and 41 students have qualified for the Joint Engineering Exam (Advanced) 2026 for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey, in reply to a question, said eight Centres of Excellence are operational to provide focused mentoring and high-quality coaching to meritorious EMRS students preparing for IIT-JEE and NEET.

The Engineering and NEET Admission Bridge Accelerated Learning Engagement (ENABLE) Programme, launched in 2025, provides structured online academic support and coaching for students aspiring to qualify for IIT-JEE and NEET.

He said that 508 EMRSs are operational in the country, and in the academic year 2025-26, the results in EMRSs are 93.62 per cent and 87.82 per cent in Class X and XII, respectively.

The MoS said 173 schools achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in Class X and 92 schools achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in Class XII.

Sharing information about staff strength in these schools, Uikey said 9,111 teaching and non-teaching staff have already been recruited through ESSE-2023, and an examination has been conducted through ESSE-2025 for another batch of 7,267 teaching and non-teaching staff for EMRSs across the country.

He said all new EMRSs, with an area of 15 acres and a student capacity of 480 from Classes VI to XII,, are well equipped with modern design. These include separate boys' and girls' hostels, integrated dining and kitchen facilities, quarters for teaching and non-teaching staff, classrooms with modern teaching aids, science and computer laboratories, libraries with diverse learning resources, playgrounds and sports equipment and facilities for extracurricular activities.

--IANS

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Ahmedabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Western Railway has completed the quadrupling of the Samakhiali-Bhachau rail section in Gujarat, a key infrastructure project expected to strengthen freight movement between the Kutch region and the ports of Kandla and Mundra while increasing capacity for passenger train operations.

The newly constructed section has undergone inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), with train services on the new lines expected to begin after statutory approval.

Senior railway officials, along with a team led by E. Srinivas, Commissioner of Railway Safety for the Western Circle, carried out a detailed inspection of the newly built rail stretch of around 17 kilometres.

The CRS will submit an inspection report to the Railways, following which approval for the commencement of passenger and freight train operations will be granted.

The project involved the development of 32.90 kilometres of new railway line, comprising a 16.398-kilometre down line and a 16.502-kilometre up line.

Western Railway said track laying and linking work across the entire stretch has been completed.

Construction of the project included approximately 6.25 lakh cubic metres of earthwork, 1.27 lakh cubic metres of blanketing and 96,000 cubic metres of ballast laying.

To support heavy rail traffic, engineers also constructed four major bridges and 25 minor bridges along the section.

Railway infrastructure at Samakhiali, Vondh and Bhachau stations has also been expanded as part of the project.

The Samakhiali-Bhachau section is one of the most important rail corridors in western India, linking the industrial areas of Kutch and Gujarat's Kandla and Mundra ports with the national railway network.

The route is extensively used to transport freight from Bhuj, Gandhidham, Vayor, and surrounding areas.

Commissioner of Railway Safety, E. Srinivas, said the inspection was carried out as part of the statutory safety clearance process before the section is opened for traffic.

Pradeep Gupta, Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Western Railway, Ahmedabad, said the project would enhance the corridor's capacity and support growing freight traffic. In contrast, Ahmedabad Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash said the upgraded infrastructure would improve operational efficiency on the route.

According to Western Railway, the quadrupling project will strengthen rail connectivity across the Kutch region and increase the railway's freight handling capacity and operational efficiency.

Once commissioned, it is expected to facilitate faster movement of containers, petroleum products, fertilisers, foodgrains, salt and other commodities from Kandla and Mundra ports. In contrast, lower logistics costs are expected to benefit industries, trade and exports in the region.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra said that minimal reports of waterlogging and near-normal traffic movement during rains since Wednesday demonstrate successful management by the Delhi Jal Board, the MCD and the Delhi Traffic Police.

Malhotra said that from 2015 to 2024, the people of Delhi witnessed not only the outskirts but even New Delhi turning into a network of flooded roads and drains whenever it rained.

Severe traffic congestion would continue throughout the day. However, today we have seen that waterlogging remained limited to a few stretches of major roads and was cleared soon after the rain stopped, allowing the city to function in an orderly manner, he said.

The Delhi BJP President said that in Old Delhi, particularly in Sadar Bazar, where reports of waterlogging had emerged during the heavy rainfall in mid-July, the situation has improved significantly due to the continuous deployment of Delhi Jal Board and MCD sanitation staff, along with the installation of pumping systems.

Malhotra said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi government is making continuous efforts.

“We assure the people of Delhi that by the 2027 monsoon, waterlogging will become a thing of the past, and by the 2028 monsoon, Delhi will emerge as a model city,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Malhotra paid tributes to former Union Minister and Delhi Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj on her death anniversary.

Addressing BJP workers and residents who had gathered in large numbers despite the rain, Malhotra said, "Today we have gathered to pay tribute to the voice of India, a symbol of women’s empowerment, and an inspiration to all of us, respected Smt. Sushma Swaraj, on her death anniversary."

"Sushma Ji was not just a leader; she was the ideal of Indian politics, embodying the rare combination of compassion with firmness, and power with service. As External Affairs Minister, she gave a new meaning to people-centric diplomacy. Every Indian stranded anywhere in the world felt that there was someone in Delhi who truly cared—that person was Sushma Swaraj," he said.

"As the Chief Minister of Delhi, she gave the capital a new direction of development and discipline. Her simple lifestyle, clarity of thought, and inspiring speeches in Parliament continue to motivate every BJP worker," he said.

"Today, we must resolve to uphold her ideals — Nation First, Service as the Highest Duty, and Respect for Women — in our daily lives," he said.

--IANS

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Guwahati, Aug 6 (IANS) Assam’s flood situation remained critical on Thursday with 15 districts still affected, even as only one river continued to flow above the danger level, officials said.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the Dhansiri (South) at Numaligarh was flowing above the danger mark, while no river was reported above the highest flood level.

The latest flood bulletin said 1,68,701 people across 481 villages in 39 revenue circles continue to be affected. Around 14,382.26 hectares of crop area remain submerged, impacting livelihoods in several districts.

The worst-hit districts include Golaghat, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Darrang and Biswanath. Golaghat reported the highest affected population at 54,085, followed by Sivasagar with 49,515, Jorhat with 27,842 and Charaideo with 21,486. Extensive crop damage has also been reported from Sivasagar, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Charaideo.

The state government has kept 133 relief camps and distribution centres operational across the affected districts. A total of 10,111 people are currently taking shelter in relief camps, while another 35,596 are being assisted through distribution centres. Relief materials, including over 616 quintals of rice, nearly 110 quintals of dal, edible oil, cattle feed and other essential supplies, have been distributed.

The flood has so far claimed two lives, with one death each reported from Golaghat and Udalguri districts. No person is currently reported missing.

The disaster has also affected 41,475 animals, while 365 houses have been damaged, including 40 fully damaged and 325 partially damaged structures.

Rescue agencies have deployed 93 teams and 151 boats, evacuating four people by boat as authorities continue relief and restoration efforts in the flood-hit districts.

--IANS

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Bharuch, Aug 6 (IANS) A police raid on an alleged gambling den in Ankleshwar city of Bharuch district has led to 95 people being booked after the Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell seized cash and assets worth more than Rs 2.80 lakh, officials said on Thursday.

The operation was carried out by a team of the State Monitoring Cell in the jurisdiction of Ankleshwar A-Division Police Station.

Police said the raid was conducted beneath an open shed near the house of Natvarbhai Rathod in the Tad Faliya area of Ankleshwar following directions to intensify legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across Gujarat.

Officers seized cash amounting to Rs 1,55,400 along with gambling-related materials, taking the total value of the seized property to Rs 2,80,250.

Police said 13 people were arrested at the scene, while another 82 were named as wanted accused, bringing the total number of accused in the case to 95.

A case has been registered at Ankleshwar A-Division Police Station under Section 12 of the Gujarat Gambling Act and Section 112(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The offence was registered on August 6. The arrested individuals include residents of Surat, Bharuch and Maharashtra's Palghar district.

The wanted accused include two identified individuals from Bharuch and Surat, a resident of Tad Faliya in Ankleshwar, a person accused of providing an electricity connection, seven individuals alleged to have abandoned mobile phones at the spot, and around 70 people who allegedly fled during the raid.

"The action was undertaken in line with instructions issued by Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to take legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across the state. The operation was led by Police Inspector A.J. Chauhan of the State Monitoring Cell," officials added.

Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining accused.

--IANS

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