India

Lucknow, May 3 (IANS) The first Atal Residential School in Lucknow is all set to begin classes from July this year.

Spread across 17 acres and equipped with all essential facilities, the Lucknow-based school has been constructed in Sithorikala (Mohanlalganj block) at a cost of Rs 70 crore.

It will operate classes from 6th to 12th. The admission form for Class 6 has been made available now and the last date of its submission is May 27, according to a government spokesman.

Selection of students will be done through an entrance test to be held on June 11.

Principal Sukhvir Singh said, "The school will start in July with its Class 6 batch wherein 40 boys and 40 girls will be given admission. Children whose parents have e-shramik cards (for at least three years) and are registered with Uttar Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (UPBOCW), are eligible for admissions to the school. Also, children who lost either or both their parents due to Covid are also eligible. The child must have born between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2013 to be eligible for admission to Class 6."

Constructed as part of the dream project of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the school would provide free education from Classes 6 to 12 along with full residential facilities to kids from financially poor backgrounds from 2023-24 academic session.

The spokesman said, "We will work on the lines of Navodyaya Vidyalaya and follow the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. We have 11 sanctioned teaching posts. Interviews of the teachers have been done, and appointment letters will be issued soon."

He further said, "The school will have academic blocks, separate hostels for boys and girls, mess, teachers' quarters and principal residence."

Meanwhile, divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob said that the offline application form will be given free of cost. Jacob instructed officers to ensure that the selection of children in the Atal Residential School is done in the most transparent manner. She added that the basic objective of this scheme is to develop the intellectual, physical development and overall personality of the registered labourers' children, orphans and destitute children working in the building and other construction processes, and bring them to the mainstream of the society.


In 2019, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had announced the establishment of the residential schools in the state. Named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, such schools are being set up in all 18 divisional headquarters of the state in the first phase.

These schools are expected to start functioning from July 2023, said officials. The principal added that along with free education and lodging, these children will also get free school dress, books, and school bags.

--IANS
amita/dpb

By Arul Louis
United Nations, May 3 (IANS) Rana Ayyub, a controversial Indian journalist writing for US media, has called for shifting global attention to media freedom in India as she spoke at a Unesco-sponsored event at the world body.


"It is important for the world to shift its attention to India because we do not really talk about India as much and I really hope you do that in the days to come," she said on Tuesday questioning New Delhi's democratic credentials and its press freedom at the conference held on the eve of the World Press Freedom Day in the General Assembly chamber.

"When we talk about attacks in the press, we normally never look at India as much because India is seen as this place of democracy, you know, syncretic values and cultural pluralism."

Earlier at the 30th Anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day Global Conference, New York Times Publisher A.G. Sulzberger got the criticism of India rolling, saying that "in India, authorities have raided newsrooms and treated journalists essentially as terrorists".

"In countries where press freedoms were strong, including the United States, journalists now face systematic campaigns to undermine their credibility, followed by attacks on the legal protections that safeguard their work," he said.

Samantha Power, the administrator of the US government's Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the launch of Reporters Shield, a programme to offer investigative journalists around the world insurance from defamation lawsuits and legal threats meant to "silence critical voices".

Ayyub, who works for The Washington Post, said while seated at the General Assembly dais: "I have normally seen world leaders talk about democratic values right here at this podium (and) some of us journalists watching it on TV look at them and like, 'Hey, you are anything but democratic."

While detailing what she said were attacks on press freedom, she said: "I come from India, the land of democracy, which prides itself on, about democratic values. I love my country more than I love any other entity in the world, but which is why it is more important for me."

She claimed that she was facing "legal warfare" through charges of money laundering and tax evasion and cases of defamation for her work as a journalist going back to an undercover assignment where she said she wore "eight cameras on my body" posing as a "Hindu nationalist".

She referred to the killing in 2017 of journalist Gauri Lankeshwar, who had translated her book into Kannada and who she said had dismissed threats as "paper tigers".

She said that she has been receiving threats of death and physical attacks on social media and at her house.

Mumbai Police, she asserted, were indifferent saying that the threats were only online.

Ayyub, who stressed her Muslim identity, claimed that "there is a sustained attack on the 200 million Muslim minorities on the lower caste in India systematically even as the country gears up to hold the G20 Summit in India, where world leaders are coming to India and (will be) talking about the virtues of democracy".

Notably, the published list of speakers at the conference did not include anyone from China, either working there, or a dissident abroad.

--IANS
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Shivamogga (Karnataka), May 3 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "not mentioning names of other leaders of his party during his speeches and talking only about himself".

"There is not only Narendra Modi in this world, there are other people as well," Gandhi said while addressing a gathering here on Tuesday.

"Modi ji, talk about your leaders, talk about Karnataka, talk about youths," he quipped.

"I came here and first of all, mentioned the names of senior leaders of our party. In BJP meetings, Prime Minister doesn't mention anybody. The way, I take the names of Siddaramaiah Ji, Shivakumara Ji, Kharge Ji... Modi Ji will never talk about any leader," the Congress leader asserted.

"He doesn't take the names of Yeddiyurappa Ji or Bommai Ji, as if they don't exist. Every person of Karnataka is asking - why doesn't Modi Ji ever take the names of BJP leaders," Gandhi said.

Gandhi's statement assumed importance as former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa hails from Shivamogga district.

"In Congress meetings, we never talk about violence or hatred. Our workers open 'shops of love' in the 'market of hatred'; they unite the country, spread brotherhood wherever they go. We respect all castes, all religion, all language," the Congress leader added.

"This (Shivamogga) is the constituency of Karnataka's Home Minister. There was huge corruption in recruitment exam for Police Sub-Inspector. Prime Minister Modi never takes the name of Karnataka's Home Minister. He talks only about himself... he doesn't utter a word about what Karnataka government did in the last three years," he said.

Gandhi further said that the BJP "stole the government in Karnataka three years ago by harming democracy".

He also mentioned about the Contractors' Association letter to the Prime Minister, where it was alleged that about 40 per cent commission is sought on every contract.

Gandhi further mentioned about the water dispute between Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. "What did you do for Karnataka when floods came. And when Karnataka was being given lesser tax money than what was its due, what did you do for Karnataka?"

"The Prime Minister comes here, talks about how Congress has attacked him 91 times... The question is not about the Prime Minister, but about the people of Karnataka. Prime Minister Modi, you didn't talk about corruption, you didn't talk about the Home Minister or any other issue of Karnataka. At least tell what your government is going to do for Karnataka in the next five years," the Congress leader reiterated.

--IANS
mka/sha

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) A Special PMLA Court in Bhopal has handed three year's rigorous imprisonment to one Harishankar Gurjar, Ranger in Forest Department in Khandwa, and his wife Seema Gurjar for the offence committed under section 3 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), an official said on Tuesday.

The court, while awarding them sentences, also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each for committing the offence.

The court also ordered confiscation of six properties worth Rs 38.16 lakh which were attached by the ED.

In this case, the FIR was registered by Likuta Police, Madhya Pradesh under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

Harishankar Gurjar, by misusing his official position and criminal misconduct, earned income disproportionate to his known source of income which he could not satisfactorily account for, an official said.

The disproportionate assets so earned have been utilised by him for acquiring properties in his/family members name and the same were projected as untainted properties.

The court, after conducting the trial, held them guilty.

--IANS
atk/pgh

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The Centre and the Gujarat government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that they would not claim privilege over the documents in connection with the remission of sentence of convicts in Bilkis Bano gang-rape and murder of her family members' case during the Gujarat riots, and agreed to share the documents with the apex court for its perusal.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and Gujarat government, submitted before a bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph and comprising justice B V Nagarathna that they do not claim privilege over files in connection with grant of remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

Mehta submitted that the Centre and the state government will also not seek review of the apex court's earlier order directing them to bring on record documents in connection with the remission of the convicts. Raising objection to the petitions filed in the matter other than by Bano, Mehta said it will have wide ramifications and third parties will come to the courts in criminal cases.

The top court recorded Mehta's statement that Centre and Gujarat government are not seeking review of the order regarding the direction of production of records.

The bench said it will hear the matter on May 9, as counsel for convicts said that they need time to file their replies to the plea by Bano.

On April 18, the Centre and the Gujarat government, before the Supreme Court, claimed privilege over files in connection with the grant of remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case.

The Centre's counsel had said the government is likely to seek review of the court's March 27 order, asking them to be ready with the original files on remission granted to the convicts.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Justice Joseph said the court is only fixing timelines, so that the new bench which hears the matter should not have to waste time on these procedural issues.

"I am retiring during vacation on June 16. My last working day will be on May 19. My sister (Justice Nagarathna) will be going to attend a conference in Singapore till May 25. If all of you agree, then we can sit during the vacation and finish the hearing," Justice Joseph said.

Advocate Shobha Gupta, representing Bano, submitted that only the question of law needs to be decided and the matter will not take a long time and counsel for other petitioners also requested the court to take up the matter before vacation.

Advocate Rishi Malhotra, appearing for a convict, said what was the "tearing hurry" in hearing the case, as the respondents have been released and are out for around one year.

Mehta contended that the bench may list the matter for hearing before court's summer vacation.

Justice Joseph told Gupta: "It is apparent from the way counsel appearing for convicts that they do not want this hearing to take place. It is more than obvious".

Justice Joseph said every time when the matter is listed for hearing, someone would come saying that he needed time to file a reply.

After hearing submissions, the top court said a new bench would take up the matter for a hearing in the second week of July.

In the previous hearing, the top court had noted that a pregnant woman, Bilkis Bano, was gang-raped and several people were killed and the case cannot be compared with a standard Section 302 (murder) cases, and while stressing on the gravity of the offence and on the remission granted to 11 convicts, said: "Unequals cannot be treated equally."

The 11 men convicted in the case were released on August 15 last year, after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. The convicts had completed 15 years in jail.

A batch of petitions have been filed against the release of 11 convicts, including the one filed by Bano.

The other petitions were filed by CPI-M leader Subhashini Ali, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, National Federation of Indian Women, Meeran Chadha Borwankar and others, Asma Shafique Shaikh and others.

The top court had issued notice on all the pleas filed in the matter.

--IANS
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New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has observed that the passport of a minor child can be issued without the biological father's name under varying circumstances and that such a relief depends upon the "facts of each case."

In a plea moved by a minor son and his mother seeking deletion of the father's name from his passport and for re-issuance of a fresh passport without mentioning the father's name, Justice Pratibha M. Singh said that the Passport Manual of 2020 and the official memorandum issued by Union Ministry of External Affairs on February 28 last year recognise that passports can be issued under different circumstances without father's name.

No hard and fast rule can be applied in such cases, the judge remarked.

"Such a relief ought to be considered, depending upon the factual position emerging in each case. No hard and fast rule can be applied. There are myriad situations in the case of matrimonial discord between parents, where the child's passport application may have to be considered by the authorities," the court added.

In peculiar cases where there is no contact of the father with the mother or child, his name need not be included in the child's passport, Justice Singh said perusing the Office Memorandum (OM).

The court said: "Irrespective of the fact that the applicable clauses in the Manual may be different, the spirit behind the said decisions is clear, i.e., that under certain circumstances the name of the biological father can be deleted and the surname can also be changed."

It was further said that the Passport Manual merely contemplates some of the situations in matrimonial discord cases where a child's passport application may have to be considered by the authorities.

Depending on the fact of the situation, however, the need for flexibility exists and a thorough examination and understanding of court orders may also be required.

Directing a new passport be issued in favour of the minor without his father's name who left his mother when she was pregnant, the court emphasised that the order "shall not be treated as a precedent."

The Union of India's submission, which said that the OM would only apply to "single unwed parents," was also dismissed by the court.

"Wherever the term 'single unwed parent' is to be mentioned, the same has specifically been mentioned by the Passport Authorities. In other clauses the term 'single parent' is used. However, the mere furnishing of the name does not result in the conclusion that the name of the father has to be compulsorily mentioned. It would depend on the circumstances of each case," the court said.

--IANS
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Lucknow, April 16 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a three-member judicial commission that will probe the murders of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in presence of the police and the media on Saturday night.

The state has been put on high alert and senior officials, led by Principal Secretary, Home, Sanjay Prasad are rushing to Prayagraj to supervise the situation.

Officials said that 17 police personnel assigned in the security of Atiq and his brother have been suspended.

Meanwhile, the Internet has been shut down in Prayagraj, while some reports suggested that the BJP workers burst crackers in Kanpur.

--IANS
amita/pgh

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has said that they have arrested three persons, including two arms suppliers and one receiver. The gang has supplied 300 guns to Punjab-based criminals, police said.

Alok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell (Southern Range), said that the accused were identified as Rajinder alias Raju, Narender Singh alias Nitu alias Saphera and Pradeep Singh.

A senior police official said that 21 pistols and an Etios car used in carrying firearms were recovered from their possession. Recovered firearms were meant to be supplied to the criminals and arms traffickers in Delhi and Punjab.

"Inspector Ranjeet Sing Satvinder, ACP Attar Singh received the tip-off about the gang members and a team was formed to nab them. A specific information was received that Rajinder and Pradeep had procured a consignment of pistols from Madhya Pradesh and they had brought them in Delhi in their Etios car. They were about to supply it to one Punjab-based arms trafficker near Modi Mills Flyover. A trap was laid and they were held. Nitu was also held when he came to meet them," the police official added.

Nitu was also previously arrested in a case of highway robbery and Arms Act in Patiala, Punjab.

The accused have already supplied more than 300 pistols.

--IANS
atk/khz/

Prayagraj (UP), April 16 (IANS) The assailants who killed gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf on Saturday night in presence of the police personnel and media came in the guise of mediapersons with one of them even carrying a mic along with an ID.

As journalists questioned Atiq Ahmed about his questioning in the police custody, he said: "Main baat yeh hai ki Guddu Muslim... (Actually, Guddu Muslim...) " and was shot dead in the head, even before he could finish what he was saying.

One of the journalists who was present on the spot said: "The assailants shouted 'surrender, surrender' and threw their firearms on the ground."

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders have imposed in Prayagraj and other communally sensitive districts.

PAC and RAF teams have been deployed in Prayagraj and the bodies have been removed from the scene of crime.

Atiq Ahmed's eldest son Umar is lodged in Lucknow jail, while the second son Ali is lodged in Naini Central Jail in separate cases.

The third son Asad was shot dead in an encounter in Jhansi on Thursday and was buried in Prayagraj on Saturday.

The fourth son Ahjam and the youngest son Aban are housed in a juvenile home in Prayagraj.

His wife Shaista Parveen is absconding after being named in criminal cases.

--IANS
amita/pgh

Prayagraj (UP), April 15 (IANS) In a shocking incident, gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in Prayagraj on Saturday night, in the presence of the police and in full glare of the media.

Atiq and his brother were shot when they were taken for a medical test to the Colvin hospital here. Both died on the spot.

According to reports, Atiq was shot in the head from point-blank range when the mediapersons were talking to him. Both the brothers were handcuffed when the incident took place.

All the three shooters have been arrested by the UP Police. They have been identified as Lavlesh Tiwari, Arun Maurya and Sunny.

The incident took place on the day Atiq's son Asad was laid to rest in Prayagraj after being shot dead in an encounter in Jhansi on Thursday.

According to reports, the three youths had joined a group of journalists who were talking to Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf after the two stepped out of the hospital.

Even before Atiq could complete his answer, one of the assailants pointed a pistol at Atiq's head and shot him while the other two opened fire at the brother.

After the brothers slumped to the ground, the assailants raised their hands and surrendered.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has summoned DGP R.K. Vishwakarma and other top police officials for an emergency meeting.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Prayagraj as the news of the twin murders spread. Additional forces are being rushed to the district where security has been beefed up.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the incident is the height of lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh.

"If someone can be killed in police custody, then what about the common man," he asked in a tweet.

--IANS
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