
How the sinking of MSC Elsa 3 exposed India's maritime blind spots
PTI
The Liberian container vessel, carrying marine fuel, that developed a critical 26-degree list nearly 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi on Saturday, tilts further in the sea off the coast of Kerala, in Kochi, on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
Synopsis
The sinking of MSC Elsa 3, a container ship, off the coast of Kerala exposes deep systemic fault lines in India's maritime governance.
By P MANOJ 12 Mins Read, Jul 01, 2025, 05:00 AM IST
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On the morning of May 25, a tragic sight was spotted off the coast of Kerala. The Liberian-flagged container ship 'MSC Elsa-3' capsized and sank, disappearing beneath the waves with over 640 containers, including at least a dozen carrying hazardous chemicals. What initially seemed like an isolated shipping accident soon unraveled into a troubling tale of material loss, environmental danger, and systemic vulnerability. This tragedy stands as a

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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Around 208 kg of gold ornaments to be used in Lord Jagannath's 'Suna Besha' on chariots
Puri, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be adorned with 208 kg gold ornaments during the 'Suna Besha' ritual on chariots, an integral part of the annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri. According to temple sources, the deities adorn around 30 different designs of ornaments which include gold, diamond, silver and other precious metals.(PTI) The 'Suna Besha' ritual of the deities will be held on Sunday and the devotes can witness the ritual from 6.30 pm to 11 pm, said the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration . According to temple sources, the deities adorn around 30 different designs of ornaments which include gold, diamond, silver and other precious metals. "Initially, around 138 designs of ornaments were used during the era of King Kapilendra Deb in 1460. Around 208 kg of gold ornaments are used in the ritual even today. But, they are not purely gold. The ornaments are made in mixture of gold, silver, precious stones like diamonds and other metals. There has been no separate estimation on gold weight alone in ornaments," said Bhaskar Mishra, an author and a researcher in Shree Jagannath Culture. He said the records were available on the use of gold ornaments in Suna Bhesa during East India Company rule in Odisha, but there is no mention of the weight of gold used in the ritual. The priests associated with the Lord's Suna Besha claimed that the ornament designs used during King Kapilendra Deb, are also in use today. However, they are repaired sometimes by using the gold donated by pilgrims. "The gold ornaments are refurbished every year ahead of the Suna Besha on chariots during Rath Yatra," said Mishra, adding that there is demands to remake certain ornaments as the Lord's treasury has received around 50 kg of gold from devotees over the years. Stating that the Suna Besha on chariots is also called 'Bada Tadhau Besha' in temple terminology, Prof Surendranath Dash said that the Puri deities adorn golden attire five times a year. However, the 'Bada Tadhau Besha' is popular because it is held on chariots and devotees in large numbers get the opportunity to see it. He said this Suna Besha is held on Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi on the 11th bright fortnight in Asadha. Four other Suna Besha are held inside the temple on the occasion of Vijaya Dasami , Kartika Purnima, Dola Purnima and Pousa Purnima as per Odia almanac. According to Shree Jagannath culture researcher Asit Mohanty, the 'Suna Besha' ritual began in the Puri temple during the reign of King Kapilendra Deb in 1460 when the ruler brought 16 cartloads of gold ornaments to Odisha after winning wars over the rulers in southern India. The king donated the gold and diamond to Lord Jagannath and instructed the temple priests to prepare ornaments for the 'Suna Besha' of the trinity, Mohanty said, adding that the deities are decorated with various types of gold ornaments like gold diadems, locally called 'Kiriti', hands and feet made of gold. Lord Jagannath holds a gold Chakra in his right hand and a silver conch in his left hand. Lord Balabhadra wields a golden plough in his left hand, and a gold mace in his right hand. Goddess Subhadra also wears different ornaments, Mohanty said. The specific servitors known as Palia Puspalak, Bhitarchha Mohapatra, Talichha Mohapatra, Daitapatis, Khuntia and Mekap Sevaks decorate the deities with golden attire. Lakhs of devotees irrespective of caste, creed and religion have a chance for darshan of the Suna Besha on the chariots during evening hours of the Ekadashi, Mohanty said. As Lord Jagannath's 'Ratna Bhadar' was being repaired by the ASI now, the gold ornaments are currently stored in the temporary strong room after valuables were shifted from the outer chamber of the sacred treasury. Escorted by armed policemen and temple officials, 'Bhandara Mekap' servitor bring the gold jewellery laced with invaluable stones and hand it over to Puspalaka and Daitapati servitors for decoration of the deities. Apart from having a good volume of gold, the Puri temple also owns a vast amount of landed property. In Odisha, the temple's land holdings are estimated to be around 60,426 acres across 24 districts. Besides, the temple possesses land in other states, including West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar, totalling approximately 395 acres, sources in the Law department said.


Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Number of Delhi 'Laadli Yojana' beneficiaries down by almost 60% in last 15 years: RTI
New Delhi, The number of people who took benefits under the Laadli Yojana in Delhi has decreased by about 60 per cent in the last 15 years, information shared by the government under the Right to Information Act has revealed. Number of Delhi 'Laadli Yojana' beneficiaries down by almost 60% in last 15 years: RTI Laadli Yojana was started in the national capital on January 1, 2008, with the aim to empower young women and reduce gender inequality. According to the data provided to PTI-Bhasha by the government, the number of beneficiaries of the scheme was about 1.25 lakh in 2008-2009, which reduced to 53,000 in 2024-25. The Women and Child Development Department of the Delhi government, in response to an RTI application, said that since the launch of the scheme, till 2025, 13,52,564 girls have been registered. According to the information, while the number of beneficiaries was 1,26,965 in 2008-2009, in 2024-25, their number had fallen by almost 50 per cent to 53,001 — a decrease by 58 per cent and the second lowest in the last five years. In 2019-2020, only 30,192 girls benefited from the scheme. Delhi Women and Child Development Department Director Mitali Namchoom could not be contacted despite several attempts for a comment on the decline in the number of beneficiaries. According to information shared by the WCD department, the number of beneficiaries in 2009-2010 was 1,39,223, 1,05,737 in 2010-2011, 1,06,585 in 2011-2012, 96,800 in 2012-2013, 89,243 in 2013-2014, and 82,669 in 2014-2015. A total of 74,846 girls benefitted from the scheme in 2015-2016, 68,193 in 2016-2017, 67,070 in 2017-2018, 60,903 in 2018-2019, 30,192 in 2019-2020, 61,546 in 2020-2021, 62,749 in 2021-2022, 64,637 in 2022-2023, and 62,205 in 2023-2024. An official of the WCD department, on condition of anonymity, said that one of the reasons behind the decrease was girls dropping out of school. He said due to a lack of awareness, girls often do not renew their registration under the scheme, and in some cases, drop out of school, making the process more complicated. Under the scheme, the Delhi government grants ₹35-36,000 to eligible girls in a phased manner. The sum remains deposited in a bank account till the girl attains the age of 18, when it can be withdrawn. The official said that till this January, about 1.86 lakh beneficiaries did not claim the benefits under the Laadli scheme, while 1.66 lakh either did not renew their application or left school. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Business Standard
Delhi 'Laadli Yojana' beneficiaries declined 60% in last 15 years: RTI
The number of people who took benefits under the Laadli Yojana in Delhi has decreased by about 60 per cent in the last 15 years, information shared by the government under the Right to Information Act has revealed. Laadli Yojana was started in the national capital on January 1, 2008, with the aim to empower young women and reduce gender inequality. According to the data provided to PTI-Bhasha by the government, the number of beneficiaries of the scheme was about 125,000 in 2008-2009, which reduced to 53,000 in 2024-25. The Women and Child Development Department of the Delhi government, in response to an RTI application, said that since the launch of the scheme, till 2025, 1,352,564 girls have been registered. According to the information, while the number of beneficiaries was 126,965 in 2008-2009, in 2024-25, their number had fallen by almost 50 per cent to 53,001 a decrease by 58 per cent and the second lowest in the last five years. In 2019-2020, only 30,192 girls benefited from the scheme. Delhi Women and Child Development Department Director Mitali Namchoom could not be contacted despite several attempts for a comment on the decline in the number of beneficiaries. According to information shared by the WCD department, the number of beneficiaries in 2009-2010 was 1,39,223, 1,05,737 in 2010-2011, 1,06,585 in 2011-2012, 96,800 in 2012-2013, 89,243 in 2013-2014, and 82,669 in 2014-2015. A total of 74,846 girls benefitted from the scheme in 2015-2016, 68,193 in 2016-2017, 67,070 in 2017-2018, 60,903 in 2018-2019, 30,192 in 2019-2020, 61,546 in 2020-2021, 62,749 in 2021-2022, 64,637 in 2022-2023, and 62,205 in 2023-2024. An official of the WCD department, on condition of anonymity, said that one of the reasons behind the decrease was girls dropping out of school. He said due to a lack of awareness, girls often do not renew their registration under the scheme, and in some cases, drop out of school, making the process more complicated. Under the scheme, the Delhi government grants ₹35-36,000 to eligible girls in a phased manner. The sum remains deposited in a bank account till the girl attains the age of 18, when it can be withdrawn. The official said that till this January, about 186,000 beneficiaries did not claim the benefits under the Laadli scheme, while 166,000 either did not renew their application or left school.