Latest news with #SurenderSingh
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
DU dreams hit digital barriers in Haryana villages
In the Marodhi Jattan village of Rohtak district in Haryana, 17-year-old Rinki was set on pursuing a BA programme at Delhi University (DU) until her hopes were abruptly dashed. 'When I went to apply for the CUET (Common University Entrance Test) at the Common Services Centre, I was told I was not eligible because the minimum age is 18,' she says. In reality, there is no such age limit. She still breaks down recalling how she was misinformed. Her mother says, 'We want our daughter to have a bright future, but we don't know how or where to apply.' CUET became mandatory for undergraduate admissions to Central universities in 2022, replacing board-based admissions. Over the past three years, institutions like the Jawaharlal Nehru University have shifted to fully digital, centralised systems such as DU's Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS). Every village across India has a government-run common services centre (CSC), which is often the only place where students from rural areas can access online forms for higher education. Those without laptops prefer travelling nearly 17 km to cyber cafes in Rohtak city for detailed information. Even as the undergraduate admission process for DU is under way, many students remain undecided about their future. Teachers and activists The Hindu spoke to for the story said that while some of the students prefer colleges in their area, those who wanted to study in DU are seeing their dreams fade due to misinformation, complex digital processes, and costs. Lengthy process In a government school in the Marodhi Jattan village, very few students have their career paths figured out. Teacher Surender Singh explains, 'Earlier, many students aspired to go outside Haryana for studies. Now, the admission process involves multiple steps, including registration, obtaining a rank, creating a preference list, and accepting or rejecting colleges – all done online. Only children from well-informed or elite families manage to complete the process.' His daughter, Suahana Singh, recently enrolled in DU's Hindu College for a postgraduate degree in Mathematics. She says she had to travel to Rohtak at least four times during the process, paying ₹100 per visit to a cybercafe. She tracked application updates via e-mail on her smartphone. Her father adds, 'Most parents here cannot afford this kind of time or financial commitment for admissions. From our end, we try to counsel students and tell them about their options.' Information gaps Though DU conducts webinars and releases detailed guidelines, critical information rarely reaches students from marginalised backgrounds, says social activist Sunil Jaglan, who works on education and gender issues in Haryana. 'In most villages, only one or two students apply to Central universities. Information is passed down from one batch to another. So, if no one goes this year, there will be an information vacuum next year,' says Mr. Jaglan. Lack of counselling in schools adds to the problem. 'There is no guidance on the process, and parents are also worried about expenses and the safety of their daughters,' he adds. In Bahadurgarh, closer to Delhi, Class 11 student Meenu says confidently that she wants to pursue BCom (Hons) from DU. But ask her about CUET and she says, 'I don't know about any such test.' Digital divide In Bhali Anandpur village, youth flock to Satpal Singh at the local government-run CSC for help with college applications, exams, and job forms. 'Five or six years ago, many students applied to universities in Delhi. Now, only a few do. Either because it's a lengthy process, or because more students are choosing to stay back in Haryana, where the education system has improved,' he says. Cybercafe owners in Rohtak also feel the same. Out of 100 students, only a handful aim for Central universities, they say. While DU says the online process has led to greater diversity, it has also acknowledged challenges. Last month, it launched a skill training programme for students from Scheduled Tribes and remote areas, including CUET orientation, to improve access. A university official told The Hindu that working on increasing awareness among students is necessary, as many rural students lose track of their application status because they apply using cybercafes' e-mail IDs. Some teachers have noticed a visible decline in classroom diversity. Miranda House Professor Abha Dev Habib observes, 'Fees are rising, and Delhi is becoming more expensive. With CUET, parents struggle to afford coaching. First-generation learners feel overwhelmed; they know they are competing against students who have access to coaching classes.' She adds, 'The form-filling itself is daunting. That is where the digital and information divide hits hardest.'
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Scroll.in
Toll in Vadodara bridge collapse rises to 13, Gujarat CM orders inquiry
The toll due to the bridge collapse in Vadodara rose to 13 on Thursday, and rescue operations are underway, ANI reported. The collapse of the 43-year-old bridge, which took place on Wednesday morning, led to several vehicles falling into the Mahisagar river. Five persons have been rescued from the site till now, the news agency quoted Surender Singh, Commandant of the 6th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force, as saying. Two trucks, an Eeco van, a pickup truck and an auto-rickshaw had fallen into the river on Wednesday. Three members of a family – Ramesh Padhiyar, Vedika Padhiyar and Naitaik Padhiyar – are among those who died, The Indian Express reported. All of them were travelling in the Eeco van. The newspaper quoted Sonal Padhiyar, the sole survivor from the vehicle, as saying: 'We fell in a matter of seconds. Before we could even realise what happened, the vehicle had hit the water and was being pulled into the river.' Three other victims of the bridge collapse have been identified as Hasmukh Parmar, Vakhatsinh Jadav and Pravin Jadav. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel ordered an inquiry by the Roads and Building Department into the collapse, The Indian Express reported. The kin of those who died will receive Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and Rs 4 lakh from the state government. Those injured will be given Rs 50,000 each from both the central and state funds. Vadodara Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand has said that a case of accidental death has been registered and that the probe will begin after the rescue operations end. 'We will also seek an inquiry report from the District Collector,' Anand told The Indian Express. The collapse The accident took place at about 7.30 am on Wednesday when a 10-metre to 15-metre long slab between two piers of the 900-metre Gambhira bridge, connecting Vadodara and Anand districts, collapsed. The bridge was inaugurated in 1985. The bridge in the Padra taluka was a key connector between Central Gujarat and Saurashtra.
Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Indian Express
Operation Kavach-8.0: 139 arrested, 133 cases filed in 24-hour drugs crackdown in Delhi
In a single-day crackdown under the Delhi Police's 'Operation Kavach 8.0', 139 narcotics offenders were arrested and 133 cases were filed under the NDPS Act, officers said on Friday. The operation was conducted between 6 pm on Wednesday and 6 pm on Thursday. It resulted in the seizure of 90.3 grams of heroin, 25.9 kg of ganja, 3.32 grams of cocaine, 4.63 grams of MDMA, 20.08 grams of amphetamine, and 12 buprenorphine tablets, said police. The operation was carried out by over 350 teams from all 15 districts, the Crime Branch, and the Special Cell, covering 1,040 targeted locations. It was supervised by senior officers, including Special Commissioner of Police, Crime, Devesh Chandra Srivastava, and Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Surender Singh. Alongside NDPS enforcement, 224 people were arrested in 217 Excise Act cases, with the seizure of 47,476 illicit quarter bottles of liquor. Thirty persons were held in 29 Arms Act cases, leading to the recovery of pistols, cartridges, and knives. In addition, 55 gamblers were arrested and over Rs 25,000 in cash was seized. Police also prosecuted 2,031 violators under the Tobacco Act, seized over 1.7 lakh prohibited foreign cigarettes, and intercepted e-cigarettes worth Rs 9.38 lakh. An 18-year-old linked to the anti-Lawrence Bishnoi gang was also caught with four semi-automatic pistols. Officials said the crackdown has pushed major traffickers underground and disrupted smuggling networks. 'Under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2,031 violators were prosecuted and one person was arrested with over 1.71 lakh prohibited foreign cigarettes and 469 e-cigarettes,' said the Srivastava. Prohibited e-cigarettes worth around Rs 9.38 lakh were also seized from a shop in Safdarjung Enclave, police said. The senior police officer said that since January 2025, a total of 1,439 narco-offenders have been arrested in 1,127 NDPS cases, with seizures of nearly 38 kg of heroin, over 3,000 kg of cannabis, and other contraband. (With PTI)
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Rahul Gandhi to visit J-K's Poonch on May 24, meet kin of civilians killed in Pakistani shelling
New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday (May 24) to meet the families of civilians who were killed in recent cross-border shelling by Pakistan, sources told ANI. Earlier, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had visited the victims of the shelling in both Poonch and Rajouri, stressing that the proper rehabilitation of affected families is his top priority. According to an official statement from Raj Bhavan, the closest kin of the victims will be offered government jobs, and assistance will be provided to the families from the Central government. 'The proper rehabilitation of affected families is my top priority. The J&K administration, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, is committed to ensuring proper rehabilitation, enhanced border infrastructure, and security for the residents of border areas. We are significantly expanding our efforts to construct individual and community bunkers across Jammu and Kashmir, under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE),' said the Lieutenant from Poonch, Rajouri district has also been affected. Locals have suffered damage to their homes and lost their sources of livelihood due to the shelling. The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of those killed. Lieutenant Governor Sinha has held several meetings with civil administration officials, police, and local residents to assess the situation. He added that a rehabilitation package for the victims will soon be approved by the Central government. 'A necessity for bunkers is being felt. New bunkers will be built so that people of J&K can stay safe,' Sinha said. On May 9, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned Pakistan for deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools and places of worship. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri criticised Pakistan for attacking religious sites along the Line of Control (LoC), calling the strikes 'a new low even for Pakistan.' According to the MEA, one shell fired by Pakistan hit the home of two students from the Christ School in Poonch. Bhai Surender Singh, Head Granthi of Sahab Mahant Saab Ji Gurudwara, also confirmed the damage to religious places. Speaking to ANI, Bhai Surender Singh said, 'It wasn't done by the Indian Army; it was actually firing from Pakistan. There was damage to gurdwaras, mosques, and temples, and we also had casualties. A teacher who was teaching children was killed. Pakistan fired on our city, on people's homes, and even our gurdwaras were hit.' India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, post the 'Barbaric' Pahalgan terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including a Nepali national. Following the launch of the operation, Pakistan attempted to carry out a series of drone and missile attacks targeting Indian military sites. However, India's Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and Air Defence systems successfully neutralised all incoming threats, preventing any major damage. (ANI)
India Gazette
10-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Damage to gurdwaras, mosques, temples": Head Granthi Bhai Surender Singh on Pakistan's firing
Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 11 (ANI): Bhai Surender Singh, Head Granthi, Sahab Mahant Saab Ji Gurudwara, claimed that there was damage to gurdwaras, mosques, and temples after firing from the Pakistan side. Speaking to ANI, Bhai Surender Singh said, 'It wasn't done by the Indian Army; it was actually firing from Pakistan. There was damage to gurdwaras, mosques, and temples, and we also had casualties. A teacher who was teaching children was killed. Pakistan fired on our city, on people's homes, and even our gurdwaras were hit.' 'The truth always wins, and we must speak it. Despite all the damage and attacks on gurdwaras and temples, Pakistan is shamelessly blaming the Indian Army. But the truth is that Pakistan is behind this,' he added. Terming the incident 'unfortunate', Balbir Singh, General Secretary of the Gurdwara Committee near the District Hospital in Poonch, stated that he was present at the gurdwara when the cashier of the gurdwara was killed in Pakistan's firing. 'It is very unfortunate. The army of Pakistan could not stoop any lower. I was present in the gurdwara myself when the cashier of the gurdwara was martyred. He was reciting from the holy scriptures during the Sehaj Path, and just 2-5 minutes after talking to me, a bomb from Pakistan landed on the gurdwara boundary wall, and he was martyred near his house. I want to say this with deep sadness that they are projecting this to the whole world through false propaganda,' Singh said. 'Not just one, but three gurdwaras were hit. Gurdwara Guru Singh Sabha Poonch, which is a very large gurdwara in Poonch, was hit, as well as Gurdwara Krishna Ghati in the village of Poonnch, and another gurdwara in Jammu and Kashmir which is a very sacred place for Sikhs, the site of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, known as Dera Nangali Sahib, that too was affected. It's a deeply revered place visited by devotees from around the world,' he added. 'It is shameful that the Pakistani Army, already infamous worldwide, is now lying to blame the Indian Army. The whole world has seen the truth--that the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy have given a fitting reply to Pakistan,' he further asserted. India said on Saturday that Pakistan has violated the understanding reached between DGMOs of the two countries earlier in the day on the stoppage of firing and military action, and that the Indian Army is retaliating and dealing with the border intrusions. At a special briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said this is a breach of the understanding arrived at earlier today and India takes 'very serious note of these violations'. India called upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility. Misri said India's Armed Forces have been given instructions to deal strongly with any instances of repetition of the violations of the border along the International Border as well as the Line of Control. 'For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding arrived at earlier this evening between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan. This is a breach of the understanding arrived at earlier today. The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations, and we take very very serious note of these violations,' Misri said. 'We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility. The armed forces are maintaining a strong vigil on the situation. They have been given instructions to deal strongly with any instances of repetition of the violations of the border along the International Border as well as the Line of Control,' he added. 'Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called the Indian DGMO at 15:35 hours earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time,' he said. 'Today, instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding. The Directors General of Military Operations will talk again on May 12 at 1200 hours,' he added. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar noted in a post on X that India will continue its firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism. (ANI)
