AAP criticises Centre over decision to privatise porter services at stations
'Privatisation has robbed these workers of their dignity and livelihood. I've raised this issue multiple times, but the government has remained indifferent. Now, I will raise their voice in Parliament with even greater force,' AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, adding that he will stand firmly with the community in their fight for justice.
He said that earlier, porters earned some income through the 'Coolie My App', but privatisation has taken that away as well. 'Porters across India's railway stations are struggling to survive. They don't even have enough to eat. How are they supposed to feed their families? This is the real crisis. I will raise this issue prominently during the Upcoming Parliamentary session. And if porters choose to protest at Jantar Mantar or elsewhere, I will join their agitation,' Mr. Singh said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
10 minutes ago
- Time of India
Incorrect To Say Op Sindoor Was...': Rajnath Denies Cong's 'Surrender' Charge, Rejects Trump's Role
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a fiery intervention in Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor, India's powerful military response after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Singh dismissed Donald Trump's claim of pressuring India to pause its strikes, asserting that the mission ended only after achieving strategic objectives. 'This wasn't a war to seize land, but to destroy Pakistan's terror network,' he clarified. Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Singh questioned why no one in Parliament asked how many Pakistani jets were downed. His assertive speech reignited the national security vs political narrative debate and set the tone for a landmark moment in Indian defence politics.#operationsindoor #rajnathsingh #rajnathsinghspeech #loksabha #loksabhalive #donaldtrump #indiandefence #pokstrikes #pahalgamattack #counterterrorism #narendramodi #loksabhadebate #indianpolitics #modidoctrine #bjpvscongress #indiapakistan #trumpclaim #indianairforce #terrorresponse #surgicalstrikes #nationalsecurity #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews Read More
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Admissions to begin in Delhi's flagship CM SHRI Schools for Classes 6 to 8 on Wednesday
Starting Wednesday, students in Delhi will be able to apply for admission to the new CM SHRI Schools. These schools are part of a plan announced by the BJP-led Delhi Government this year to 'create model educational institutions with modern infrastructure and advanced teaching methodologies'. The shortlisted CM SHRI Schools are expected to open around September, as per officials. While the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Delhi had unveiled the schools of specialised excellence (SOSEs) to admit students from Class 9 onwards, the new model begins earlier, from Class 6. This would mark a shift in the Delhi Government's school reform strategy with modern tools such as AI-enabled libraries, robotic lab infrastructure available for an early-stage academic development. A circular issued by the Directorate of Education on July 23 described the CM SHRI Schools as institutions that 'aim at ensuring greater autonomy and flexibility with a focus on promoting excellence and equity in public schooling'. It added that the schools are 'designed to serve as model educational institutions, equipped with modern infrastructure and advanced teaching methodologies aligned' with the National Education Policy 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education and the National Curriculum Framework. Out of the 75 CM SHRI Schools identified this year, 33 have seats vacant in Classes 6, 7, and 8. These include schools in areas such as Surajmal Vihar, Khichripur, Civil Lines, Shalimar Bagh, Dwarka, Kalkaji, and Madanpur Khadar, among others. The CM SHRI Schools are being developed as fully digital campuses with smart classrooms, AI-powered libraries, robotics labs, solar power systems, and zero-waste facilities. Some are being rebuilt from the ground up, while others are undergoing major upgrades. The Delhi Government has also rolled out a recruitment drive for teachers and sanctioned funds to expand smart classrooms across the system, as per officials. The admission process, the circular said, will prioritise 'talented and deserving meritorious students with high potential, thereby enabling them to access high-quality education and fulfill their academic and career aspirations'. According to the circular, an admission test will be held on August 30 for entry into Classes 6, 7, and 8. Applications will be accepted online from July 30 to August 15, admit cards will be issued from August 23, and results will be announced on September 10. The circular stated that students who live in Delhi and are currently enrolled in a recognised school in the same class they are seeking admission to will be eligible to apply. At least 50 per cent of the seats are reserved for children studying in government and government-aided schools, including those run by the Directorate of Education, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the New Delhi Municipal Council, as well as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas. Students from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer) backgrounds and children with special needs will receive a 5 per cent relaxation in eligibility marks. The admission test will be an OMR-based multiple-choice paper with 100 questions, covering Hindi, English, general knowledge, mental ability, and maths. There will be no negative marking. The paper will be bilingual, and children with special needs will receive extra time.
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Downed fighter jets to Trump role in ceasefire: How Rajnath Singh responded to 3 Opposition questions
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiated the debate in the Lok Sabha on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on Monday, saying the Opposition was not asking the right questions. Here is how he dealt with three questions the Opposition has been raising about the attack and the subsequent military response. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks in Lok Sabha Singh chose not to discuss the circumstances leading to the attack or information about the perpetrators that the investigation had yielded till now. How many jets did the Air Force lose? The Opposition has been raising this question since June 1, when Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chouhan said on the sidelines of the Shang-Ri La Dialogue in Singapore that the Air Force lost fighter jets on May 7 but quickly changed tactics to inflict major damage on Pakistani airbases. The Defence Minister did not provide a specific answer to this question, saying the question itself was wrong. 'In any exam, the result matters. If a student is getting good marks in an exam, the marks should matter to us. We should not focus on whether his pencil was broken or the pen was lost during the exam. Ultimately, the result matters, and the result is that our forces achieved fully the goals of Operation Sindoor.' He added, 'The Opposition sometimes asks about planes shot down. Their question does not represent India's sentiments. They have not yet asked how many Pakistani planes were shot down. If they want to ask questions, their question should be: Did India destroy terror bases? The answer is yes. Was Operation Sindoor successful? The answer is yes. Were the masters of terrorists who wiped Sindoor off the foreheads of our sisters and daughters destroyed? The answer is yes. You should ask whether our soldiers faced any losses. The answer is no … When the goals are big, we should not focus on comparatively small matters; else we focus on small issues and lose focus on big issues like the enthusiasm and honour of soldiers, as is happening with the Opposition.' What role did the US government play in the ceasefire? Singh dismissed the Opposition's question about whether pressure from the Donald Trump administration played a role in the government's decision to halt the military offensive on May 10. 'Bharat ne karywaahi isliye roki ki.. jo bhi political aur military objectives tay kiye gaye the use hum poori tarah se haasil kar chuke the. Isliye ye maanna ki ye operation kisi dabaav mein roka gaya tha ye bebuniyaad hai aur saraasar ghalat hai (Operation Sindoor was halted because we had fulfilled our political and military objectives. To say it was done under any pressure is totally baseless and wrong). I want to assure the House that in my political life I have tried my best never to say anything false,' the minister said. 'The aim was not to capture territory but to destroy the terror nurseries that Pakistan nurtured for years. We targeted only these. Operation Sindoor's politico-military objective was to punish Pakistan's proxy war in the form of terrorism. That is why the defence forces were given full freedom to choose their targets. The aim was not to go to war but to compel the adversary to bend. After the powerful attacks, Pakistan accepted defeat and requested that hostilities be stopped … Ab rok deejiye, bahot ho gaya (please halt it, it is enough). We accepted with a caveat: that the Operation has just been halted and not ended. If Pakistan attempts any misadventure, I want to assure the House, the operation will begin again.' Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen's College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More
