11 June 2025: ₹65 Cr Blackmail Case, RTE Funds Blocked, RCB Blamed for Stampede, Kerala COVID Spike
UPDATED: Jun 11, 2025 19:54 IST
On News at 7 this 11th June, Prateek Lidhoo brings you the day's most crucial headlines. The Madras High Court slammed the Centre for stalling RTE funds over NEP disagreements with Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, the High Court is set to rule on interim bail pleas in the RCB stampede case, where 11 people died. Meanwhile in Noida, two journalists were arrested in a shocking ₹65 crore blackmail racket. Union Minister Khattar has proposed a nationwide AC temperature regulation between 20–28°C to combat climate change. And finally, Kerala sees a fresh COVID-19 surge with over 170 cases and new Omicron sub-variants, sparking renewed health warnings. Tune in for India's top stories, every evening at 7PM.
Produced by Prateek Lidhoo
Sound mix by Aman Pal
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Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Hindi & Politics Of Regionalism
Every now and then, as predictably as pre-election freebies, certain state-level political leaders raise the bogey of 'Hindi imposition.' It's as if they have a trigger switch tied to their political survival that goes off whenever a central government initiative mentions Hindi in any capacity. The recent noise from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala is a perfect example. These states have yet again accused the Modi government of trying to impose Hindi on them, even though no such law, bill, or directive has ever been passed. What's truly baffling is that even when the Centre merely promotes multilingual education or recommends Hindi as one of the national working languages for optional learning, it is somehow painted as a threat to their regional identity. Let me say this upfront, this is not about language. It never was. This is about politics. Regionalism is not a cultural assertion anymore, it is a political lifeline. The political design of division Over the years, regional parties have mastered the art of staying electorally relevant by building niche vote banks rooted in identity - language, region, caste, and in some cases, even dietary habits. They protect these vote banks as aggressively as a monopolist guards a dying product, not because it's valuable, but because it's all they have left. Whether it's the DMK in Tamil Nadu, the Congress and JD(S) in Karnataka, or the Left parties in Kerala, Udhav Sena, MNS in Maharashtra the pattern is clear. They feed the fear of cultural annihilation. They amplify a false sense of 'otherness' when it comes to the idea of India that the BJP or any national party proposes. And they particularly thrive on positioning Hindi as a weapon of domination. Let's be honest, these parties don't fear Hindi because of what it is. They fear it because of what it symbolically represents today, the growing acceptability and spread of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of a unified India, one that embraces all languages without dividing people through them. Linguistic diversity is not the enemy India is not a monolith. It is a civilisational mosaic of cultures, scripts, sounds, and dialects. The Constitution of India recognizes 22 official languages under the Eighth Schedule. Hindi is just one of them. And so is Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or Marathi. To pit one against the other is a perversion of the very idea of Bharat. Knowing Hindi does not diminish Tamil identity. Speaking Hindi in Kerala does not erode Malayali pride. Using Hindi does not lower Marathi abhiman. Language is not a zero-sum game. It is not about subtraction. It is about addition. I believe language is a bridge, not a boundary. A multilingual Indian is a more empowered Indian. And regional politicians need to understand that unity does not come at the cost of diversity. It comes through it. The hypocrisy of English love and Hindi hatred Here's what exposes the real agenda of these regional parties, their unapologetic promotion and dependence on English. From state government websites to high court judgments, from elite schooling to bureaucratic communication, English is the default in almost all southern states. Yet, not once have these parties accused the Union Government or anyone else of 'English imposition.' Not once have they stood up to question why primary education in urban areas of their own states has moved away from regional languages toward English medium. If English is acceptable for courts, commerce, contracts, and education, why is Hindi such a problem? Why is English celebrated as modern, but indigenous Hindi ridiculed as hegemonic? That is not cultural logic. That is political expediency. Let me put it bluntly, they're not against Hindi. They're against the political threat that comes with the spread of Hindi-speaking leadership. Is Hindi being imposed? Let's check the facts Let's strip the rhetoric and look at the facts. ♦ There is no constitutional amendment imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states. ♦ The Modi government has not issued any directive mandating Hindi in official state communication. ♦ NEP 2020's three-language formula gives complete autonomy to states in choosing which three languages to include in their curriculum. ♦ Most central government exams, including UPSC, are now being offered in multiple regional languages. ♦ The push has been for inclusion, not imposition. Promoting Hindi alongside Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada is not the same as replacing them. Yet, even the mention of Hindi in a national context becomes a cause for statewide protests. It's performative outrage, driven by electoral anxiety. Employment and national integration Let's talk about who really matters - the Indian youth. In today's economic landscape, mobility is key. People no longer work where they're born. A student from Telangana may get posted in Himachal. A nurse from Kerala might land a job in Gujarat. An engineer from Tamil Nadu could be working in Delhi. In this context, knowing Hindi is a competitive advantage, not a cultural burden. It helps non-Hindi speakers navigate inter-state opportunities more smoothly. It opens doors in the government sector, armed forces, hospitality, transport, and retail industries. It increases efficiency, eases communication, and builds bonds. Is that such a terrible outcome? What the Modi government is actually doing The accusation of Hindi imposition rings hollow when you consider what the Modi government is really doing with languages. ♦ The National Education Policy encourages foundational education in the mother tongue, not Hindi. ♦ The government is investing in translation of technical, engineering, and medical textbooks into Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and more. ♦ E-Governance platforms and services are now available in multiple Indian languages, not just Hindi and English. ♦ Initiatives like 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' actively promote cultural and linguistic exchanges between states. This is not imposition. This is preservation, promotion, and partnership. The Modi government is enabling the growth of regional languages, not undermining them. Who's really failing regional languages? If anyone is responsible for the weakening of regional languages, it is these very parties who cry wolf over Hindi. Their state school curricula are poorly funded. Their public universities are often linguistically disconnected. Their budget allocation for language research and promotion is negligible. These parties use their language only as a slogan, not as a policy priority. They turn up the volume on identity politics when needed and mute their concern when in power. There's no cultural war here. Just electoral theatre. The false dichotomy: Hindi vs. regional identity I find it dangerous how a false dichotomy has been manufactured. The idea that you can either be Tamil or learn Hindi. That you must choose between being a Kannadiga and being a multilingual Indian. This binary thinking is regressive. It undermines our very ethos as a civilization that absorbed and evolved through dialogue, linguistic, philosophical, and cultural. Language is not the enemy. Political weaponization of language is. We need political maturity, not linguistic paranoia India is at a crucial point in its journey, politically, economically, and culturally. We cannot afford to squander this moment over invented fears. The political maturity required now is to rise above identity-based manipulation and look at language through the lens of national progress. Let's be clear, no one is forcing Hindi down anyone's throat. But we should also not allow a handful of insecure regional leaders to block opportunities for millions of Indian youth. Let's not make it harder for a Tamil boy to dream of a job in Madhya Pradesh. Let's not limit the aspirations of a Kannada girl wanting to work in Chandigarh. Knowing Hindi helps them, not harms them. And let us not forget, a multilingual India is not a divided India. It is a stronger, more connected, more confident India. Unity through language Over the years, I've had the privilege of working and speaking across many Indian states. I've seen firsthand how knowing a few key Indian languages changes the way you connect, influence, and lead. In my own political and public life, the ability to speak Hindi and English, while thinking in Telugu, has been a powerful advantage. It has not diminished my identity. It has enhanced my effectiveness and connect across the nation. The same principle holds for our youth. Don't be held hostage by those who want to limit your growth under the guise of protecting your culture. Bharat is a symphony The idea of Bharat is not built on linguistic uniformity. It's built on cultural harmony. One can speak Kannada and be a proud Indian. One can write in Malayalam and serve in the Indian Army. One can think in Tamil and lead in Delhi. We need to end this manufactured war on Hindi. We must call out the politics of regionalism for what it is, a desperate attempt to remain electorally relevant in the face of a rising, unified national narrative. Let our children learn any language they intend to - Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, and English. Let them dream in many languages, think across borders, and work across states. Because in the end, the language of unity is understanding, not uniformity. (Author is the Chief Spokesperson of BJP, Chairman for Nation Building Foundation & a Harvard Business School certified Strategist.)
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Vindication of law': Relief as Delhi HC quashes charges against 70 in Tablighi Jamaat Covid case
A narrow lane towards the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya first leads to a tall nondescript white building before twisting towards the tomb of the famous Sufi saint. On Thursday evening, as scores of tourists and visitors flocked to the dargah for its famous Qawwali performance, a smaller, more somber group of men assembled in front of the tall white building, awaiting the time for the evening prayers. This is the Nizamuddin Markaz, also known as the Banglewali Masjid Markaz. Five years ago, the building was at the centre of a storm after the Tablighi Jamaat was accused of spreading Covid by organising an international congregation in Delhi. On Thursday, the Delhi High Court quashed charges in 16 FIRs and chargesheets filed in related cases involving 70 Indian citizens. The atmosphere at the Markaz remained almost nonchalant after the verdict. 'We are God's people. We don't bother with what happens on this earthly plane, we only care about what happens before life and after death,' said one person who wished to remain unidentified. In March 2020, a series of gatherings had been organised at the Markaz by the Jamaat. Over 3,000-odd people gathered at the mosque for the month-long events, with people coming from across the country and the world. However, on March 13, the Delhi government passed an order saying that gatherings of over 200 people for sports events, conferences and seminars will not be allowed due to the growing fears of the Covid-19 pandemic. By then, hundreds of people had already reached the Markaz and were accommodated inside. By the time the Janata Curfew was declared on March 22, the Markaz was in utter chaos over where to move the hundreds of people stuck inside. However, a day prior to the Janata Curfew being declared, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had already drawn up a list of 800 foreigners associated with Tablighi activities across the country. According to the MHA, it had received information of a Tablighi-associated Covid patient in Telangana by March 18. What followed was a rush to track all those who had congregated at Nizamuddin and spread out into the country. Medical screening of those at the Markaz started only on March 26, after the death of a Tablighi-associated Covid patient in Telangana. When the Delhi government eventually released its Covid health bulletin, it made a separate section indicating how many participants of the Tablighi gathering had tested positive. By March 30, the then Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had ordered an FIR against the organisers. The 70 named as accused across 16 FIRs were charged primarily under sections of the IPC, including criminal conspiracy, for allegedly accommodating foreign nationals in mosques and their homes during the pandemic from March 24-30, 2020. The FIRs had also listed 195 foreign nationals but they were not named as accused in most chargesheets — the magistrate court did not take cognizance of the remaining chargesheets on the principle of double jeopardy. Fuzail Ayyubi, who represented 44 attendants of the Tablighi in the Supreme Court, said, 'When amidst a pandemic that no one understood, an entire body of individuals was criminalised as being 'super-spreaders' and prosecuted criminally, we were able to see through the facade and know that no criminality could be attached at all. Today's judgment is a vindication of that belief in law and courts' adjudicatory role…'
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
India non-committal on revival of RIC framework
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) India on Thursday indicated that any revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) mechanism hinges on mutual convenience of the three countries. New Delhi's comments came hours after the Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing supports Russia's initiative to revive the RIC mechanism as it not only serves the interest of the three countries but also helps uphold the security and stability of the region. 'This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. 'As to when this particular RIC format meeting is going to be held, it is something that will be worked out among the three countries in a mutually convenient manner," he said responding to a question. Official sources said no meeting of the RIC format has been agreed to at this point in time and there are no discussions underway on its scheduling. Russian media quoted Russia's deputy foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying on Thursday that Moscow expects the resumption of the RIC format and is discussing this issue with Beijing and New Delhi. 'This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS," Rudenko said. Work under the RIC format was stalled, first because of the Covid pandemic and later by the India-China military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last year. Under the RIC framework, the foreign ministers of the three countries used to meet periodically to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues of their interest. PTI MPB KVK KVK view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 00:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
