Latest news with #RSS-backed
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
ED registers money laundering case in U.P. religious conversion racket
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case in connection with a religious conversion racket recently busted in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, official sources said Wednesday (July 9, 2025). The agency has pressed various sections under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to look into the possible generation of "proceeds of crime" by the accused, they said. Also Read | Row after RSS-backed magazine accuses Amazon of religious conversion The probe by the central agency stems from an FIR filed by the U.P. Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) at a police station in Gomtinagar, Lucknow, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. The police have alleged that the accused acted in an organised manner to convert individuals from Hindu and other non-Muslim communities to Islam. Four people, including the alleged mastermind Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, have been arrested by the ATS as part of the investigation. The three others are Naveen alias Jamaluddin and Mehboob, Jalaluddin's son apart from Neetu alias Nasreen. They are lodged in jail currently. The police had said in a statement that "the poor, helpless labourers, weaker sections, and widowed women were lured with incentives, financial aid, promises of marriage, or forced through intimidation, in violation of established procedures for religious conversion by the accused". The ED is trying to quantify the illicit funds generated in this case and the possible volume of the proceeds of crime under the PMLA. The accused will be questioned in due course of time, the sources said. U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that "initial probe" has shown that the activities of accused Jalaluddin are "not only against society but also against the nation". Asserting that there will be no leniency in matters related to law and order in the state, the chief minister stated, "The properties of the accused and other criminals linked to his gang will be seized, and strict legal action will be taken against them."
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Bharat Bandh today LIVE updates: Workers and farmers to go on strike against Govt. policies, say trade unions
About 30-40 crore workers and farmers will participate in the general strike on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), claimed leaders of 10 central trade unions (CTUs) in New Delhi. The leaders had said that the workers supported the 17-point charter of demands of the strike, called against the Union government's policies. However, the Union Labour Ministry on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) claimed that about 213 unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have informed it that they will not participate in the nationwide general strike. The CTUs said the Centre is trying to put pressure and intimidate the workers but the strike will be a success. The Ministry maintains that it is ready to hold discussions with the trade unions, while CTUs say all tripartite mechanisms such as the Indian Labour Conference have been undermined by the incumbent government. An association of bank employees on Monday (July 7, 2025) said the banking sector would also join the nationwide strike. Follow the latest updates here:
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
The Hindu Morning Digest: July 9, 2025
Bharat Bandh: Centre says several unions backed off from strike; unions refute claim The Union Labour Ministry has claimed that about 213 Unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have informed it that they will not participate in the nationwide general strike called by ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on Wednesday (July 9, 2025). However, the CTUs said the Centre is trying to put pressure and intimidate the workers but the strike will be a success. India, Brazil partnership relevant to the entire world: PM Modi India and Brazil are in agreement that all global problems should be resolved through dialogue, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) in Brasilia. Speaking after bilateral-level talks between Indian and Brazilian teams, Mr. Modi described President Lula Da Silva as the 'chief architect' of the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership and expressed gratitude after he was conferred with the highest state honour of Brazil. The Prime Minister said India-Brazil cooperation was an 'important pillar' for the world. Bihar Special Intensive Revision: Five of 11 documents sought do not show date or place of birth At least five out of the 11 key documents sought by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Bihar's voters' list revision do not indicate the applicant's place or date of birth — one of the pre-requisites for inclusion in the electoral rolls. Aadhaar, voter identity cards issued by the Election Commission of India (Electors Photo Identity Card) or PAN cards have not been included in the list of 11 indicative documents that the applicants can produce. However, these excluded documents are often the ones submitted by people to procure any of the 11 documents required for inclusion during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Bihar Cabinet makes domicile must for women's job quota The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) made domicile mandatory for accessing the 35% reservation for women in State government jobs. Previously, women from outside Bihar could also benefit from the reservation policy, which was introduced by the State government in 2016. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The State is scheduled to go to polls later this year. Ban on fuel to 'end of life' vehicles in Delhi put on hold till November 1 The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Tuesday deferred the ban on refuelling of overage or 'end of life' vehicles (ELVs) in Delhi to November 1. The prohibition will now come into effect in the national capital on the day it is scheduled to be enforced in the five adjoining 'high-vehicle-density' (HVD) districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Sonipat. Countrywide survey reveals deficits in student learning The results of the Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development Rashtriya Sarvekshen (PARAKH RS), formerly known as the National Achievement Survey (NAS), have revealed that Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and Chandigarh are the best performing States and Union Territories in school education. How long can a suspect be kept in jail, HC asks Delhi Police in 2020 riots case The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) questioned the Delhi Police as to how long accused persons can be kept in jail while remarking that five years have elapsed since the February 2020 riots, yet the arguments on the framing of charges have still not been concluded. Cuddalore train accident: Conflicting versions emerge about what led to the Semmanguppam tragedy Conflicting versions have emerged about the cause of the accident involving the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai Passenger and a school van that resulted in the death of three students at Semmankuppam in Cuddalore on Tuesday (July 8, 2025). BRICS set up to 'hurt us', 'degenerate' U.S. dollar: Trump President Donald Trump on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) claimed that BRICS was established to 'hurt' the U.S. and 'degenerate' the dollar as he warned that the member countries of the bloc would face a 10% tariff. Mr. Trump made the remarks while talking to reporters at the sixth Cabinet meeting at the White House. 'They have to pay 10% if they are in BRICS,' he said. Macron calls for the U.K. and Europe to de-risk ties with America and China French President Emmanuel Macron made a strong plea for the U.K. and other European countries to de-risk their relationships with and decrease their reliance on both the U.S. and China. Mr. Macron made these remarks in an address to both Houses of the British Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, the first day of his three-day state visit to the U.K.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Centre says several unions backed off from strike; Unions refute claim, say Centre's trying to intimidate workers
The Union Labour Ministry has claimed that about 213 Unions, including the RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), have informed it that they will not participate in the nationwide general strike called by ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on Wednesday (July 9, 2025). However, the CTUs said the Centre is trying to put pressure and intimidate the workers but the strike will be a success. The CTUs are going on the strike over a 17-point demand charter, including scrapping of the four Labour Codes. A Ministry source said 213 unions, such as the Powergrid Employees Union of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Bharat Electronics Limited Employees Union of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the Hindustan Shipyard Limited Workers and Staff Union of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) have informed the Ministry that they will not participate in the strike. The Ministry maintains that it is ready to hold discussions with the trade unions, while CTUs say all tripartite mechanisms such as the Indian Labour Conference have been undermined by the incumbent government. Meanwhile, BMS general secretary Ravindra Himte said in a statement that the union will not support the strike. Mr. Himte said some trade unions are fighting a political battle in the name of workers. AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said the Centre has claimed that unions in the defence sector were not going on the strike. 'They are having a one-hour protest as decided earlier,' she said. She added that managements are putting pressure everywhere, but the strike will take place. 'The government is grappling with this issue. They want to tell media that nothing is happening. Railways unions had not given strike notices. They will only mobilise their members. Several cement factory unions are going on strike, except one or two. Strike will be near total in banks and insurance sectors. Even those who did not give strike notice will not do work in solidarity. The sectors mentioned in government's list do not include unions from huge industrial areas where the impact of strike will be visible. Vast majority of workforce in the informal economy will also be in action,' Ms. Kaur said. Ms. Kaur said there are more than 16,000 unions as per the government's own records and the list of 213 unions contains only government and public sector/service unions and some are with miniscule membership.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
FYUP impractical, rigid, says DUTA; submits petition to President
More than a year after the RSS-backed National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) swept the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) elections, the union's leadership has expressed its ire towards the university's four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), calling it 'rigid,' 'impractical,' and a 'compromise to academic standards and integrity'. At a press conference held Monday at the India International Centre, DUTA office-bearers condemned the implementation of the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. DUTA President Prof A K Bhagi said the framework, introduced in the fourth year of the new system, 'diluted academic depth' by reducing the credit load of core and discipline-specific subjects and overloading students and teachers with unnecessary paperwork and fragmented assessments. 'The faculty is overburdened with teaching and administrative responsibilities, but there has been no corresponding recruitment or infrastructure expansion,' Prof Bhagi said, citing overcrowded classrooms and laboratories as a key concern. He warned that allowing regular students to earn credits through online platforms such as SWAYAM and MOOCs would further erode academic standards and undermine classroom teaching. 'This will reduce meaningful student-teacher engagement and distort teaching workloads,' he said. Demanding immediate intervention in the drafting of the UGC Regulations 2025, the DUTA has submitted a petition to President Droupadi Murmu, who, as the Visitor to the varsity, has the power to review work and appointments. In a detailed resolution adopted at a national convention held on April 19 at the India International Centre, DUTA said the UGC's proposed alignment with the NEP 2020 lacked both consultation and critical evaluation. 'The rolled-out four-year undergraduate programme is yet to have its first batch graduate. Many other aspects, including the one-year postgraduate course, are yet to be implemented,' the petition noted, calling for a halt to what it described as 'undue haste' in regulation-making. The convention, attended by representatives from Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA), IGNOUTA, and several central universities, rejected the Draft UGC Regulations in their current form, stating they 'must be made an integral part of the 8th Pay Commission revision of pay scales, and that too with suggested modifications.' One of the central contentions raised by DUTA was the erosion of academic autonomy and the potential for increased inequality under the new framework. 'Shortfall and backlog positions with the 200-point roster should be filled immediately,' it stated, insisting that the 'None Found Suitable' clause—often cited in recruitment delays—was 'not acceptable to teachers wherever candidates with minimum eligibility are available.' In the petition to the President, the teachers' body also demanded the release of teaching positions for the additional fourth year introduced under NEP, as well as separate allocations for the expansion of EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) reservations. Highlighting systemic concerns, the resolution questioned the removal of service-based incentives for MPhil and PhD qualifications and demanded that increments for such degrees be continued. 'These increments serve as legitimate incentives to encourage higher academic attainment,' DUTA argued. A major point of friction lies in the mandatory PhD requirement for promotions, which DUTA termed 'undesirable,' especially in the context of diverse institutional realities. 'Appointment and promotion criteria should not be overly stringent… a one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable,' it said, calling for greater flexibility to accommodate discipline-specific challenges and regional disparities. In a bid to foreground classroom teaching, the association proposed that Teaching Learning Centres (TLCs) be prioritised over Innovation and Technology Centres (ITCs) in promotion criteria, especially in institutions lacking digital infrastructure. No contractual appointments against sanctioned teaching posts, recognition of past service in ad-hoc or post-doctoral roles for career advancement, time-bound and transparent promotion procedures, equal retirement conditions for librarians and physical education staff, a clear policy to avoid cap limits on senior professor promotions, and appointment of only 'eminent academicians' as university Vice-Chancellors are among other demands. DUTA also took aim at the proposed 'Professor of Practice' positions, calling for a complete ban on appointing them against regular sanctioned posts. With growing discontent on campuses over the implementation of NEP-related reforms, DUTA's petition to the Visitor signals an escalating standoff between faculty and policymakers. 'It is imperative that the UGC gives due consideration to the feedback submitted by DUTA,' the petition concluded, 'and ensures the incorporation of relevant suggestions before finalisation.'
