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The Wire
a day ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum Booked Over His Video on Bihar SIR; Digipub Condemns
The Begusarai district administration, in a statement, dismissed the claims of irregularities in Anjum's reportage, calling it 'baseless' and 'misleading'. The FIR was registered on July 13 at the Ballia police station in connection to a video on his YouTube channel on July 12, in which Anjum had alleged large-scale irregularities in the voter list in the Sahebpur Kamal assembly constituency. The video showed how the SIR process was being undertaken in Balia and claimed that many voter forms were being filled and uploaded without the Election Commission's required documents or photographs. The district administration, in a statement released on platform X, dismissed these claims and called it 'baseless' and 'misleading'. It also alleged that the video was intended to 'incite public sentiment'. According to a report by Newslaundry, the FIR was filed based on a complaint by booth-level officer Mohammad Ansarulhaq, who alleged that Ajit Anjum and his colleagues met him while he was uploading data using the BLO app and began asking questions about Muslim voters in the area. Earlier in the day, Ajit Anjum had posted on X that he did not receive a copy of the FIR said to have been filed against him. 'I'm getting information about an FIR being filed against me in Begusarai, Bihar. I have not received a copy of the FIR. I am waiting,' he said. He also wrote about the video in question and alleged that he had been coerced to delete the video to which he refused. 'Two days ago, I reported irregularities in the forms being filled for 'SIR' in Ballia block. I was called by the local BDO and SDO, asking me to delete the video. I did not listen to them. The result is evident,' he said. 'There are a hundred questions about the Election Commission's methods in Bihar. Instead of answering those questions, efforts have now begun to intimidate journalists. In this video, I have presented my side. I will not be scared. I will show only the truth. I will report on the shortcomings,' he added. 'I am waiting for official information about the FIR. I came to Begusarai from Kishanganj last night so that the administration does not face much trouble in searching for me,' he further added. बिहार के बेगूसराय में मेरे खिलाफ FIR किए जाने की जानकारी आ रही है . FIR की कॉपी मुझे नहीं मिली है . मैं इंतज़ार कर रहा हूं. दो दिन पहले मैंने बलिया प्रखंड में ' SIR ' के लिए भरे जा रहे FORM में अनियमितता की रिपोर्टिंग की थी . मुझे स्थानीय BDO और SDO की तरफ से कॉल करके वीडियो… — Ajit Anjum (@ajitanjum) July 14, 2025 Digipub condemns FIR Meanwhile, Digipub, a coalition of digital media organisations and independent journalists, has strongly condemned the FIR filed against the journalist calling it a 'direct assault' on independent journalism. In a statement, the journalists' body said, 'DIGIPUB News India Foundation strongly condemns the FIR filed against independent senior journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum in Begusarai, Bihar and demands that the FIR be immediately withdrawn.' 'This FIR is not just an attack on an individual journalist-it is a direct assault on independent journalism and the public's right to know the truth. While reporting from the ground on the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process in Begusarai, Ajit Anjum highlighted exactly what the people on the ground shared with him. According to him, he was trying to bring out the facts related to SIR. However, this honest effort appears to have displeased the govement and administration,' the statement read. It also pointed to the press release that the Begurasai district administration had issued prior to the FIR, calling Anjum's reportage 'misleading'. 'These vague allegations are neither credible nor reason enough for an FIR. Either authorities should learn to provide accurate and factual information to journalists' queries or step aside when journalists find information on their own with no cooperation from a democratic machinery that should be providing transparency but seldom does. 'Ajit Anjum had also raised concerns about violations of the Election Commission's guidelines in Bihar-something that falls well within the responsibilities of a journalist, not a criminal offense. Instead of addressing those legitimate questions, the Election Commission, through this FIR, has attempted to intimidate not just him but all independent journalists who dare to report from the ground,' Digipub stated. The body said that the action appears to be a 'systematic and deliberate attempt to silence the press and suppress inconvenient truths' and asserted that it was an attack on press freedom and a threat to democratic values and the constitutional right to free expression. 'This FIR, in our view, is nothing but a cover-up for institutional failures, and we strongly oppose it. We stand in solidarity with Ajit Anjum and with every journalist who has the courage to speak the truth,' it asserted. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Officer later, human being first… don't deserve to be insulted': BDO in Bihar resigns over ‘humiliation' by SDO during electoral roll revision
A Block Development Officer (BDO) in Bihar's Katihar district resigned Saturday, alleging sustained mental harassment by the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in the state. In a resignation letter addressed to the Katihar District Magistrate on July 12, Hariom Sharan, the BDO of Barsoi block, outlined a series of alleged instances that he said had undermined his dignity, despite his efforts to meet administrative targets. 'Sir, I am an officer later, and first, I am a human being,' Sharan wrote. 'I do not deserve to be insulted without reason or fault.' Sharan, who serves as the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) for the block, said he had been actively engaged in overseeing the digitisation of voter forms and the implementation of micro-plans under the SIR programme. According to him, 13 employees were deployed per 10 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to facilitate uploads, and he visited '10 to 12 panchayats daily' to monitor camps, despite being 'diagnosed with a slipped disc'. 'I suffer from severe lower back pain, but I have not allowed it to hinder my responsibilities,' he stated. Still, Sharan claimed, the SDO frequently berated him, dismissing his field visits and accusing him of shirking duty. 'You stay at home and sleep,' the SDO allegedly said. 'You don't monitor anything… I'll take action to have your salary stopped.' The BDO cited an incident on July 8, when the SDO reportedly issued verbal instructions to continue digitisation work at night. Though Sharan raised concerns about the health and safety of staff, 65 employees were assigned night duty. 'A sanitation supervisor collapsed during the shift and began suffering seizures,' he claimed, adding that the man was taken for medical treatment. 'I asked – if something untoward happens to any employee, who will take responsibility?' Sharan said he proposed setting daily upload targets that staff could complete from home to avoid fatigue-related errors, but claimed the SDO rejected the suggestion. 'You act too kind,' the SDO allegedly responded. 'You'll realise when your job is gone.' On July 11, during a video conference on SIR progress attended by around 250 block-level staff and supervisors, Sharan said the SDO publicly declared, 'The block officer is not capable of any work,' and threatened to reassign his duties to the Circle Officer. 'He told the staff, 'Whatever work you have, tell me directly. The block officer is of no use',' Sharan claimed, noting that he was present in the meeting but was not asked to speak. He further claimed that despite the known technical challenges, including slow server performance and district-wide internet outages acknowledged by the Election Commission, the SDO pinned all responsibility for delays on him. 'He said, 'You are not interested in electoral work,' even though this year, I was awarded Best AERO by the Election Commission,' Sharan wrote. 'Ironically, based on Barsoi's performance, the same SDO received the Best ERO award on the same day.' Throughout the letter, Sharan emphasised his administrative track record, including being honoured by former District Magistrates for best performance and volunteering his personal time to provide free civil services coaching to local youth, many of whom, he said, are now serving in the Bihar Administrative Service and other state roles. 'In an administrative system, reprimands and warnings are not unusual. But when one is repeatedly and unjustly humiliated before junior staff and peers without valid cause, it becomes deeply distressing,' Sharan wrote in his letter to the Katihar DM. The BDO added, 'In such conditions, I find myself struggling between my duties and my self-respect. Therefore, I resign from my post.'
News18
3 days ago
- Science
- News18
Sun's South Pole Captured For The First Time In Historic Mission
Last Updated: ESA-NASA's Solar Orbiter reveals the Sun's South Pole for the first time, uncovering the star's magnetic chaos and opening a new era in space science In a landmark achievement for solar observation, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA have unveiled the first-ever images of the Sun's South Pole, captured by the joint Solar Orbiter mission. Released on June 11, 2025, these high-resolution images offer an extraordinary new perspective on our closest star. A Unique Orbital Path Previous missions such as SOHO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have only viewed the Sun from the plane in which Earth and other planets orbit. However, the Solar Orbiter broke new ground by reaching an angle of 17 degrees above the solar plane, capturing the South Pole in unprecedented detail on March 23, 2025. The Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) recorded views of the corona, that is, the Sun's superheated outer layer reaching temperatures of one million degrees Celsius. 🌞 See the Sun from a whole new the first time, our Solar Orbiter mission has captured close-up images of the Sun's mysterious poles, regions long hidden from our view. In 2025, Solar Orbiter gave us a first-ever look at the Sun's south pole. Remarkably, it… — European Space Agency (@esa) June 11, 2025 Surprising Discoveries At The Solar South Pole Among the most striking revelations is a region of magnetic chaos at the Sun's South Pole, where north and south magnetic fields intertwine. This phenomenon occurs as the Sun undergoes a magnetic field reversal approximately every 11 years, triggering heightened solar activity including sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. Professor Carol Mandel, ESA's Director of Science, heralded the discovery as 'humanity's first glimpse into the Sun's deepest mysteries." Mission Breakthrough And Future Prospects Launched in 2020 at a cost of $1.3 billion, the Solar Orbiter reached a viewing angle of 15 degrees below the solar equator by March 2025, an achievement unattainable from Earth. By 2029, the spacecraft is expected to achieve a 33-degree inclination, promising even more comprehensive polar observations. Professor Sami Solanki of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research confirmed that the findings align closely with existing computer models of the Sun's magnetic field. The Sun's Magnetic Dance Unlike Earth, the Sun is a plasma sphere with varying rotation speeds; its equator rotates every 26 days, while the poles rotate roughly every 33 days. This differential rotation causes the magnetic field to contort, eventually flipping the Sun's magnetic poles. Professor Lucy Green of University College London, who has been part of the mission since 2005, explained that the Sun's magnetic field governs its activity cycles. A solar minimum, when magnetic activity is at its lowest, is predicted within the next five to six years. Scientists hope that data from Solar Orbiter will improve forecasting of such phenomena. Overcoming Past Limitations Although NASA's Ulysses probe passed over the solar poles in the 1990s, it lacked imaging capability. The Solar Orbiter is the first mission to provide both magnetic data and visual imagery, revolutionising solar science and offering critical insights into space weather that can affect Earth. First Published: June 12, 2025, 14:23 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.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
172 Bihar, Bengal women availed Maiya funds with forged docus
Jamshedpur: A total of 172 women of Bihar and Bengal were found to have availed the financial benefits of Rs 2,500 each of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren's flagship welfare scheme Maiya Samman Yojana (MSY) fraudulently by making forged residential documents from Ghatsila of East Singhbhum district. Following the detection of the fraudulent withdrawal of the first instalment of the scheme amounts, the East Singhbhum district administration has initiated action to penalise the fraudsters and recover the money from them. In its initial action, the administration has filed an FIR against the 172 women with the Galudih police station apart from taking up steps by DC Karn Satyarthi to freeze their bank accounts on Thursday. Talking about the fraud, a district administration official, SDO Sunil Chandra said, "There's a suspicion that some gang is involved in conducting the fraud. Police will extensively probe and get to the root of it." The fraud was first detected during scrutiny of the accounts of the MSY beneficiaries by the Galudih block officials. They initially found 132 women from Uttar Dinajpur under the Chopra police station of Bengal included in the beneficiary list. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Later, they also detected 40 women from a village under the Thakurganj police station of Kishanganj district of Bihar. All these women have produced forged residential documents to avail of the Jharkhand govt's scheme. "All 172 women have shown in their documents that they are the residents of Cholagora village in Hendaljuri panchayat under Galudih thana limits in Ghatsila block," said Mangal Tudu, the panchayat secretary of Hendaljuri. Moreover, their bank documents showed that all 172 women belonged to a particular minority community and incidentally none of the people of that community actually live in the eight villages of the Hendaljuri panchayat. The women under scanner have opened their bank accounts with the SBI Ghatsila branch and have also withdrawn one instalment of the MSY scheme, officials added.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Time of India
UP village children parade 15ft Indian rock python for 3km
Meerut: A group of children in a Bulandshahr village carried a 15-foot Indian rock python (Python molurus) for nearly 2km along a road, clicking selfies, filming reels and treating the endangered reptile like a toy before releasing it into the jungle, forest officials said on Monday. The incident, which took place on Saturday, came to light only after videos surfaced on social media. No one informed the police or forest department. The python appeared near Lohra village under Jahangirabad Kotwali. Around a dozen children, aged between 10 and 15, and some villagers lifted the snake bare-handed and paraded it through Shekhpur Raura village, around two kilometers away. Four to five children held it from the head, midsection and tail as they walked along the Bulandshahr–Anupshahr road, drawing large crowds. Despite the unusual sight, no adults intervened. Rinku Singh, village head of Shekhpur Raura, confirmed the incident to TOI. He said, "The python had swallowed a monkey before the children caught it. It was a giant reptile, more than 15 feet in length. They released it alive in the jungle a short distance from the village." The Indian rock python is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Handling such species without authorisation is a punishable offence Sub-divisional forest officer (SDO) Priyanka said the department was not informed. "We only got to know about the matter through videos circulating online. The matter is being investigated," she said.
