Prajakta Joshi

Activist Baba Adhav on a hunger strike against Maharashtra electoral gimmicks

India

The 95-year-old crusader of human rights, social activist Baba Adhav has called an ‘atmaklesh’ (self torment) hunger strike in Pune, against the alleged use of money in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, that gave a massive landslide victory to the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti Alliance in Maharashtra and BJP, its highest ever number of seats in Maharashtra.

महाराष्ट्र निवडणूक: मतदानाच्या दुसऱ्या दिवशी सुट्टी देण्याची शिक्षकांची मागणी

India

अनेक सरकारी जबाबदाऱ्यांपैकी एक असलेली निवडणुकीची जबाबदारी पार पाडल्यानंतर शिक्षकांना एक दिवसाचीही उसंत मिळणार नसल्यानं राज्यातील शिक्षकांमध्ये नाराजी आहे. त्यामुळं यावेळी महाराष्ट्र विधानसभा निवडणुकीचं काम मिळालेल्या शिक्षकांना मतदानाच्या दुसऱ्या दिवशीदेखील सरकारनं सुट्टी जाहीर करावी, अशी मागणी करण्यात आली आहे.

Imprisoned BK16 Activists on hunger strike asking to be presented in court

India

Seven human rights activists jailed in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case began an indefinite hunger strike at Taloja Central Jail from Friday night, after they were refused to be produced before the court physically on Friday, for a third time in a row. Adv. Suresh Gadling, Sagar Gorkhe, Sudhir Dhawale, Ramesh Gaichor, Hany Babu, Rona Wilson and Mahesh Raut, seven of the Bhima-Koregaon 16 (BK16) who still remain in prison, have begun this protest.

Trade Organisation’s intervention reveals grave ignorance of labour safety

India

The constant pursuit by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) to gain the rightful compensation for the four workers who died on job in a Pune-based glass factory godown has once again exposed the loopholes companies use to avoid being accountable to the safety of the workers.

Four workers bleed to death in Pune in glass factory accident

India

In a tragic accident on Sunday, four workers bled to death and one was injured in Pune’s Yewalewadi while unloading boxes of large glass panes from a container. The workers were employed by India Glass Solution.

VC Dr Ajit Ranade removed by GIPE chancellor after ineligibility probe

India

Dr Ajit Ranade, Vice Chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), has been removed from his position by chancellor Dr Bibek Debroy with immediate effect. This comes after an inquiry by a fact-finding committee following a complaint that he did not meet the eligibility criteria required for the position.

FTII student alleges caste discrimination from faculty

India

The student association at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has raised serious concerns after one of the professors, facing allegations of caste-related discrimination against a student, was given a clean chit by the institute. The body has demanded a reinvestigation into the matter.

TISS administration bans students body, calls it 'divisive' 'illegal'

India

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), on Monday, issued an immediate ban on Progressive Students Forum (PSF), an active students organisation on TISS campuses, calling it 'unauthorised and illegal'. Moreover, the institute, in its order, said that any student or faculty member found to be associated with the group would be subject to ‘disciplinary action’.

Arrested BK16 Poet Alleges Intimidation After Protesting Prison Corruption

India

Poet and activist Sagar Gorkhe, who has been in prison since September 2020 in Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case, has alleged he and his co-accused are being threatened by a senior jailor, who is also instigated criminals accused of serious crimes against them.

Imprisoned BK16 activists release statement from prison as arrest completes 6 years

India

Releasing a statement from prison, on the completion of 6 years since their arrest, four accused in the Bhima-Koregaon Maoist links case, said that their case, 'has become a living testimony of the fascist surveillant state that India is becoming.

Maratha-OBC vs fundamental issues: Parbhani's dilemma

India

Parbhani constituency, that is grappled by drought, erratic extreme weather events, agricultural losses, water scarcity and unemployment among other issues, went to poll today in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls 2024. Parbhani is also the district from where the movement for Maratha reservation led by Manoj Jarange took force last year.

Dalit student suspended by TISS for 'anti-national' activities like Protests & Documentary Screenings

India

Ramdas KS, a Dalit PhD scholar from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) at Mumbai, was recently suspended by the TISS administration for 'anti-national' activities like protesting and attending documentary screenings.

Congress leaders, activists allege threats in Gandhinagar during voting

India

Congress leaders and human rights activists have alleged that, in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar constituency, from where top BJP leader Amit Shah is contesting the Lok Sabha elections, the leaders campaigning for Congress are being intimidated and threatened by the police, for the benefit of the BJP.

Election Phase 1: Where will Gadchiroli vote go?

India

Polling day for the Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, on Friday, April 19, comes barely six months after Maharashtra Police cracked down upon the peaceful Adivasi protesters in Todgatta in Gadchiroli district, forcing them to withdraw the over 250-day-protest to save their jungle from mining.

Jailed journalist's spouse alleges his mistreatment in prison

India

Ipsa Shatakshi, spouse of the jailed Jharkhand journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, has alleged that Singh has been threatened by a cell incharge in the Shahid Jubba Sahni Central Jail in Bhagalpur, Bihar, where he is currently incarcerated.

Activists Denounce Transphobic Pune Police Order

India

Trans-rights activists in the city have deemed the controversial prohibitory orders issued by the Pune Police Commissioner against transgender persons in the city as 'Transphobic'.

Navayuga engineering, overlooking many controversial projects, is a big feature in EB lists

India

Navayuga Engineering Company Limited has been flagged in the news since the day the electoral bonds data came forward. The company's record has been marred by iregularities, yet it has managed to bag several big projects across the country.

Agro-chemical firm got Alibag project approval months after electoral bond purchase

India

Just seven months after UPL Limited, an agro-chemical company purchased electoral bonds for BJP, the Union government went on to consider a proposal by the MIDC to establish a massive industrial complex in Raigad’s Alibag for two companies, one of them being UPL Limited.

Goa’s mining giants bought electoral bonds from all political parties

India

The additional data pertaining to the purchase and encashment of Electoral Bonds has revealed that the minings giants of Goa - Salgaocar and Dempo - donated to almost all the political parties in the state, right before the assembly election in 2022.

Exclusive: Impact report for an Adani project raises eyebrows with ‘copy-paste’ content

India

Activists and experts studying the project and working with the project-affected locals have made serious allegations that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), carried out for Adani Group’s Tarali Pumped Storage Project (PSP) in Satara district of Maharashtra, is 'shoddy and full of inaccuracies'.

Hindutva Parties Received Electoral Bonds From Beef Companies

India

Two Mumbai-based beef exporting companies - whose names appeared on the list of the purchasers of electoral bonds - were found to have donated the money to two big Hindutva parties in 2019, while both these parties were still in a coalition government in the state, new data released by the State Bank of India (SBI) revealed on Thursday.

Back to back deaths trigger discussion on toxic work culture in journalism

India

In the last two weeks, Maharashtra has lost at least three journalists to cardiac arrests. However, the deaths of these journalists, barely in their 40s and 50s, and several others across the country, has triggered a discussion around the health and well-being of these professionals, chasing news and running the news cycle almost 24x7, most of them without a just remuneration or a conducive work environment.

आधारमधील माहिती विनासंमती लोकसंख्या नोंदवहीत?

India

राष्ट्रीय लोकसंख्या नोंदणी अर्थातच ‘एनपीआर’साठी देशातील अनेक भागांमध्ये २०१५ साली गृह मंत्रालयानं लोकांकडून ‘ज्ञात संमती’ न घेता, ‘आधार’मधील माहिती वापरली असल्याचा आरोप सिटिझन्स फॉर जस्टीस अँड पीस (सीजेपी) या संस्थेनं केला आहे.

पुणे जिल्ह्याच्या आदिवासी भागात आरोग्य सुविधांचा प्रश्न बिकट

India

जिल्ह्यातील आंबेगाव, जुन्नर आणि खेड या तिन्ही तालुक्यांतील आदिवासींसाठी किसान सभेनं ग्रामीण रुग्णालय सुरु होण्यात होणारी दिरंगाई, अपुऱ्या आरोग्य सुविधा, १०८ रुग्णवाहिकांचा आभाव, अशा अनेक कारणांसाठी हे आंदोलन पुकारलं होतं.

Pune Civil Society organisations protest attacks on FTII & Lalit Kala Kendra

India

Several progressive organisations in Pune came together on Monday in support of the students of SPPU as well as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), who were were both assaulted by right-wing groups and then faced arrest by the Pune police.

Students, HoD arrested, SPPU's Lalit Kala Kendra vandalised

India

A day after the students of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a right-wing student organisation allegedly attacked the students of Lalit Kala Kendra at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and stopped their play performance, five of the performing students and their Head of Department have been booked by the Pune police. Meanwhile, members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) stormed and vandalised the vacant building of Lalit Kala Kendra, claiming that the play performed by the students there allegedly disrespected Lord Ram and Seeta.

Vadhavan locals demand another public hearing, this time at project site

India

Villagers in the coastal village of Maharashtra’s Palghar district have called a protest march to the MPCB at Boisar on Thursday. While the District Collector recently held the mandatory public hearing in this regard, the villagers from the project-affected areas have alleged that the hearing was inadequate and have demanded another hearing.

Uddhav faction holds EC, Speaker to task over disqualification, Speaker denies with counter presser

India

In a fiery press conference held in Mumbai today, Shiv Sena (UBT) Party Chief Uddhav Thackeray lashed out at the Election Commission (EC) and Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, following the latter’s verdict regarding the disqualification of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs, who rebelled and formed government with the BJP in 2022.

पाचगणी परिसरात अनेक दशकांपासून घोड्यांच्या विष्टेनं प्रदूषित पाण्याचं सेवन!

India

महाबळेश्वर आणि पाचगणीतील लोकांना आणि पर्यटकांना गेली जवळपास पाच दशकं अतिसार, अन्नातून होणारी विषबाधा आणि अशा अनेक आजारांमागचं अतिशय धक्कादायक कारण गोखले इन्स्टिट्यूट ऑफ पॉलिटिक्स अँड इकॉनॉमिक्सच्या संशोधकांनी केलेल्या अभ्यासातून समोर आलं आहे.

Last Kavi temple in Maharashtra demolished by villagers for renovation

India

The last original Kavi Art edifice in Maharashtra, Mauli temple in Zolambe village in Sindhudurg district, was demolished on Thursday by the local villagers, in a bid to replace it with a modern-styled temple in the name of restoration, despite the orders by the Department of Archeology and Museums to prevent the destruction of the temple.

इस्रायलच्या आक्रमणात चिरडली गेलेली पॅलेस्टिनी मुलं

Mid West

आतापर्यंत २०,००० हुन अधिक गाझामधील पॅलेस्टिनी नागरिकांचा मृत्यू झाला आहे, ज्यात जवळपास ८,००० हुन अधिक लहान मुलांचा समावेश आहे. साधारणपणे ५० टक्के लोकसंख्या १८ वर्षांखालील असलेल्या गाझापट्टीतील लोकांचं भवितव्य असलेली ही लहान मुलं इस्रायलच्या हल्ल्यांची सर्वात मोठी आणि भयावह बळी ठरली आहेत.

Maharashtra police crackdown on peaceful protesters in Gadchiroli's Todgatta

India

Around 1,000 police officials cracked down on the peaceful protest at Todgatta in Gadchiroli, where over a hundred tribals had been protesting for over the last 250 days. The police arrested eight of the movement leaders and allegedly destroyed huts at protest site.

A looming drought, drying crops and an amateur weatherman’s tall claims

India

In a year with an underwhelming Monsoon and a looming drought, farmers in Maharashtra are now stuck in a toxic triad of doubt over the Government weather agencies, a self-styled weatherman's misinformation and the dying crops that resulted from it.

Far away centres, high fees, paper leaks mar hopes of Talathi aspirants

India

Several aspirants who have applied for the recruitment examination for the post of Talathi in Maharashtra stand a risk of missing their examination, as they were allotted exam centres hundreds of kilometres away from their homes.

Todgatta Protestors find Support in Community

India

In Todagatta in Gadchiroli district’s Etapalli taluka, the adivasis protesting against the proposed mines and a four-lane road going through their villages have found community cooperation to be the key. It is helping them keep the protests going, while still earning a living, as they complete over 150 days of agitation.

Pune Police take 'preventive action' against activists before PM visit

India

At least three activists were detained by the Pune Police since Monday night, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pune on Tuesday. They were released immediately after the PM left the city Tuesday afternoon. The INDIA front along with a few social activists and civil society organisations in the city had organised a protest at Mahatma Phule Mandai, against the PM’s visit to the city while Manipur continues to burn.

Why a Democracy so scared of Protests?

India

The Constitution of India recognises the Right to Protest as a fundamental right of every citizen under Article 19(1)(c). However, lately, we see that the vilification of the causes of such protests and the suppression of those who participate in it has become more rampant and bolder than before.

State's disaster preparedness in question as deadly landslide kills several in Raigad

India

The Chief Minister and several other leaders reached Irshalwadi today, within hours after the landslide occurred late Wednesday night. However, climate activists do assert that despite their insistence, the government has not shown any seriousness in developing better mechanisms for predicting landslides and saving lives.

SPPU's response to complaint against HoD exposes cracks in redressal mechanism

India

The response, or the lack of it, to a complaint against a Head of Department (HoD) at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has raised questions regarding the robustness of the grievance redressal mechanism at one of the top varsities in the country.

Farmers fear crop failure as late rainfall delays Kharif sowing

India

The monsoon activity as well as Kharif sowing across Maharashtra still continues to be concerning. As of July 10, 2023, the area covered under sowing of Kharif crops in the state is merely 46 percent of the area covered by this date last year.

A day of who dunnit, why dunnit, how dunnit for Maharashtra

India

Hardly anyone in Maharashtra woke up today morning anticipating Ajit Pawar plotting to join the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government, as they usually did whenever Pawar’s phone was suddenly found to be out of coverage or he was found to be missing.

फ्रांस चार दिवसांपासून का धुमसतोय?

Europe

फ्रांसमध्ये दोन दिवसांपूर्वी नाहेल एम या १७-वर्षीय फ्रेंच-अल्जेरियन वंशाच्या अश्वेत मुलाची नाकाबंदीवर पोलिसांच्या गोळीबारात झालेल्या हत्येनंतर फ्रांसही असाच पेटून उठला आहे. या घटनेनंतर पुन्हा एकदा पोलिसी हिंसाचार आणि फ्रेंच पोलिसांकडून सर्रास होणाऱ्या वांशिक प्रोफाईलींग किंवा विभाजनावर नागरीक संताप व्यक्त करत आहेत.

जीव वाचवण्यासाठीचे जीवघेणे प्रवास: भूमध्य सागरातील निर्वासितांची व्यथा

Europe

ग्रीसच्या दक्षिण किनारपट्टीजवळ भूमध्य समुद्रात बुधवारी निर्वासितांनी खचाखच भरलेली नाव बुडाल्यानं किमान ७८ जणांचा मृत्यू झाला. या घटनेनं भूमध्य सागरातून जीवघेणा प्रवास करत युरोपमध्ये पोहोचण्याचा प्रयत्न करणाऱ्या निर्वासितांचा भीषण प्रश्न आणि त्यांची हतबलता पुन्हा एकदा अधोरेखित केली आहे.

Beed Man dies suspiciously in custody, CID to probe police violence

India

A 48-year-old man died allegedly after getting beaten up in police custody as a suspect in a robbery case in Beed district's Parli City Police Station on Tuesday evening. Beed Police are treating this as a custodial death.

150 persons detained by Alandi Police on presumption they 'will steal' from Warkaris

India

On the very day the Sant Dnyaneshwar Palkhi procession departed for Pandharpur Wari from Pune district’s Alandi on Sunday, the local police detained around 150 people they have called “suspects” and kept them under observation outside the police station.

Ambedkarite youth lynched by Upper Caste mob in Nanded village

India

A 22-year-old Buddhist youth was brutally lynched allegedly by a group of Maratha youth in Nanded’s Bondhar Haveli village late Thursday evening. Activists following the case say that Akshay Bhalerao was attacked and stabbed to death out of spite for organising the first ever Ambedkar Jayanti celebration in the village around a month ago. Six accused have been booked by the Nanded Rural Police.

माहसाची अमीनीची गोष्ट उघडकीस आणणाऱ्या पत्रकारांवर इराणमध्ये खटला सुरु

Mid West

पेहराव उचित नव्हता म्हणून अटक झालेल्या २२-वर्षीय कुर्दीश तरुणी माहसा अमीनीचा इराण पोलिसांच्या ताब्यात असताना झालेला मृत्यू उघडकीस आणणाऱ्या दोन इराणी पत्रकारांवर सरकारविरोधात षडयंत्र केल्याच्या आरोपाखाली खटले सुरु झाले आहेत. फक्त पत्रकार म्हणून स्वतःचं काम केल्याबद्दल आता त्यांना कठोर शिक्षेचा सामना करावा लागण्याची शक्यता निर्माण झाली आहे.

Over 30 Adivasi protests ongoing across Central India

India

Jal, Jangal, Jameen (Water, Forest, Land) have been at the centre of over 30 protests that have been taking place in different parts of central India at present. In each of the places where the protest is taking place, the adivasi villagers emphasise on one factor - the lack of consent from the Gram Sabhas.

The Kerala Story screened at FTII amid political sloganeering

India

Amid demonstrations by the students' association, the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ was screened at the campus of Pune’s Film and Television Institute (FTII) on Saturday morning. While the screening took place despite opposition from the students, the audience, who were not students, engaged in aggressive sloganeering on campus.

म्यानमारमधील रोहिंग्या निर्वासित चक्रीवादळातही उपेक्षित

Asia

रविवारी 'मोखा' चक्रीवादळाचा म्यानमारच्या रखायन प्रांताला, तसंच बांग्लादेशमधील कॉक्सेस बझार जिल्ह्याला फटका बसला. या दोन्ही भागांमध्ये रोहिंग्या निर्वासितांच्या छावण्या आहेत. आधीच राजकीय उत्पिडनाचा सामना करत असलेले म्यानमारमधील रोहिंग्या आता या नैसर्गिक आपत्तीलाही तोंड देत आहेत.

Temperature, humidity high as state braces for heatwave conditions

India

Despite less intense heatwaves, rising temperatures coupled with high Relative Humidity (RH) have made this year’s summer highly uncomfortable, even fatal, for people. At the end of this week, starting Thursday, however, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a possible heatwave condition for Maharashtra.

The 'Marathi' question in Karnataka's electoral chaos

India

Several Maharashtra leaders belonging to the BJP and Congress campaigning for their respective parties have been met with resistance from the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) over the last few days. While Maharashtra supports the cause of MES, the approach of the Maharashtra leaders has rendered the MES as well as Marathi speaking population in Belgaum confused.

Bombay HC preserves Barsu activists’ right to protest

India

The Bombay High Court on Thursday agreed to preserve the right of the activists to protest by asking the state to withdraw the externment notices issued to them. Last month, several residents of the villages in Rajapur taluka, who were protesting against the refinery project in the Barsu-Solgaon region, were issued notices prohibiting them from entering Rajapur taluka in Ratnagiri district ahead of the planned survey of the area by the State Government.

Villagers swarm Barsu's sada areas in scorching heat to protest refinery

India

More than 3,000 people have flooded the sada areas (laterite plateaus) in Barsu village in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district amid scorching heat and intimidation from the state as the government is setting up to conduct surveys of the land there for the proposed refinery project in the area.

सरकारला पाऊल मागे घ्यावंच लागेल: राजू शेट्टी यांचा रिफायनरी-विरोधी आंदोलनाला पाठिंबा

India

रत्नागिरी जिल्ह्याच्या राजापूर तालुक्यातील बारसू-सोलगाव पंचक्रोशीतील रिफायनरी-विरोधातील जनआंदोलन पुन्हा एकदा पेटलं आहे. या पार्श्वभूमीवर रविवारी स्वाभिमानी शेतकरी संघटनेचे संस्थापक राजू शेट्टी यांनी रिफायनरी आंदोलनाला पाठिंबा जाहीर केला आहे. यासंदर्भात शेट्टी यांनी इंडी जर्नलशी साधलेल्या संवादातील परिच्छेद.

Activists detained to ensure land survey, confirm Ratnagiri police

India

Satyajit Chavan and Mangesh Chavan, two activists associated with the movement against the Barsu-Solgaon refinery project in villages in Ratnagiri district’s Rajapur taluka, were detained by the Ratnagiri police on Saturday.

अवकाळी पावसानं फासेपारधी चिमुकल्यांची तांडा शाळा उध्वस्त केली

India

अवकाळी पाऊस आणि वादळामुळं अकोला जिल्ह्यातील पारधी बेड्यातील काही तरुण चालवत असलेली अक्षरभूमी ही शाळा जमीनदोस्त झाली आहे. शाळेतील सर्व विद्यार्थी सुखरूप आहेत, मात्र मोठ्या कष्टानं गावातील तरुणांनी उभी केलेली शाळा आणि त्यातील साहित्य मात्र उध्वस्त झालं आहे.

Does India's climate change response prioritise its farmers?

India

The uncertain weather patterns that are emerging as a result of climate change are making it difficult for farmers across the country to grow and sustain any crop all across the year. However, climate change, which is making such a drastic shift in the lives of the farmers, has not yet been significantly reflected at the policy level decision-making pertaining to them.

राज्यात पुढच्या आठवड्यात मुसळधार पावसाची शक्यता

India

या आठवड्याच्या सुरवातीला राज्याच्या विविध भागांमध्ये झालेल्या मुसळधार पावसानंतर आता भारतीय हवामान विभागानं पुढच्या आठवड्यातही पावसाचा अंदाज वर्तवला आहे.

Anganwadi workers get partial relief after prolonged struggle

India

These women workers, Anganwadi Sevikas and Helpers, are very crucial in driving the machinery for the welfare of women and children at the grassroot level across the country. The women who work as Anganwadi Sevikas and Helpers are entrusted with implementing several government schemes. However, their struggle for fair compensation against their invaluable work continues.

IIT-B report denies caste discrimination reason for Darshan Solanki's death

India

An internal panel formed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) has ruled out caste discrimination as the cause of student Darshan Solanki’s death by suicide last month in its interim report, citing it has found “no specific evidence of direct caste-based discrimination”.

Discrimination, apathy, missing forums & caste in Indian Higher Education

India

The institutional caste discrimination at India’s top higher education institutes and universities has been making headlines, since Darshan Solanki, an 18-year-old BTech student at Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), died by suicide. Students say that support from institutions is missing and the SC/ST Cells on campuses are often “dysfunctional”.

Anganwadi Sevikas threatened with action for going on strike

India

The Anganwadi Sevikas protesting in Mumbai’s Belapur on Monday alleged that they were threatened of action against them if beneficiaries were “left deprived” due to the strike. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Commissioner, however, has said that she is conducting an inquiry into the impact of the strike on the Anganwadis in the state in this regard.

Barsu-Solgaon: Maharashtra govt. forms SIT for probe into killing of journalist

India

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has ordered to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. Varishe, who was known for his consistent coverage of the anti-refinery voices in the Barsu-Solgaon region, was run over by a known influential refinery supporter Padharinath Amberkar, on Tuesday, hours after the journalist published a news report against the latter.

Barsu-Solgaon: Journalist run-over for reporting anti-refinery voices, dies

India

A local journalist in Rajapur actively reporting the anti-refinery movement died on Tuesday after being run over by an influential refinery supporter in the area on Monday, hours after the journalist published a news report against the latter.

Budget 23: Could MGNREGA budget cuts worsen India's rural poverty?

India

Amid a global food insecurity, employment crisis and inflation hindering the domestic markets, the Union Government, in its budget has given another blow to India’s rural poor - a drastic cut in the allocations made to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Will India lose its rare Dolphins in silence?

India

The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) recently rescued its 26th Gangetic Dolphin from a canal system of Ganga in the last 10 years. Experts have called for greater patrolling and research around barrages of river Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries in order to boost the dolphin rescue programme.

Inflation, rainfall, import: The plight of Vidarbha’s Cotton Cultivators

India

The Indian Government’s decision to import around 3 lakh bales of cotton has rendered cotton farmers agitated and afraid, that their cotton will sell at a much lower price than last year. In international markets last year, seed cotton fetched the cotton farmers in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha a good income.

राज्यात तीन दिवसांत सात शेतकऱ्यांचा विजेच्या झटक्यानं मृत्यू

India

गेल्या तीन दिवसात राज्यभरात वेगवेगळ्या घटनांमध्ये विजेचा झटका बसून सात शेतकऱ्यांचा मृत्यू झाला आहे. जुन्या झालेल्या विजेच्या तारा आणि वीज वितरण यंत्रणेमुळं अशा प्रकारे शेतकऱ्यांचा जीव जात असल्याचं शेतीक्षेत्रात काम करणाऱ्या कार्यकर्त्यांचं म्हणणं आहे.

चंद्रकांत पाटील शाईफेक प्रकरण: आरोपींवर खुनाच्या प्रयत्नाचा गुन्हा

India

भारतीय जनता पक्षाचे नेते आणि राज्य उच्च व तंत्र शिक्षण मंत्री चंद्रकांत पाटील यांच्यावर शाईफेक करणाऱ्या तिघांवर खुनाच्या प्रयत्नासारख्या गंभीर आरोपासहित तब्बल १२ कलमांअंतर्गत गुन्हे दाखल केले आहेत. घटनास्थळी वार्तांकन करणाऱ्या पत्रकारालाही अटक करण्यात आली आहे.

60 year old Pardhi man dies protesting for a home

India

On Sunday morning, 60-year-old Apparao Pawar, who hails from Beed’s Pardhi community, died while on a hunger strike in front of the District Collectorate for two days demanding a home. For Apparao, the fight for a home had begun around 14 years ago, when he claimed rights over the land in Vasanvadi, around 10-15 km from Beed, where his family had lived for decades. Apparao’s family is among close to 500 such homeless Pardhi families in and around Beed city alone, who have been waiting for the government to find them a home.

Lost in discussion - War against climate change

Quick Reads

While there were certainly more expectations from COP27 in terms of setting better environmental goals and ensuring climate assistance, many have been left disappointed. What happened at the discussions, who was part of these discussions and what was or was not their outcome has a huge part to play in this disappointment.

Three workers die manually cleaning drain in Pune's residential society

India

Three workers lost their lives after suffocating in the drainage chamber of a housing society in Pune Wagholi, early morning on Friday. While two of them had entered the drainage tank to manually clean it, a third person, who is known to be the security guard, lost his life after he entered to save the first two.

परतीच्या पावसाचा राज्यातील शेतकऱ्यांना फटका

India

राज्याच्या अनेक भागांमध्ये परतीच्या पावसानं गेला आठवडाभर जोरदार हजेरी लावल्यानं गुरुवारी अनेक ठिकाणी अतिवृष्टी झाली. कोकण तसंच विदर्भात आज भारतीय हवामान विभागानं 'यलो अलर्ट' जारी केला होता. अनेक ठिकाणी अतिवृष्टीमुळं पिकांचं नुकसान झाल्यानं शेतकरी हवालदिल झाले आहेत.

The Gram Panchayats fighting to keep their schools from closing

India

Since the State education department issued a notification regarding shutting down schools with less than 20 students, around 100 Gram Panchayats in Washim district in Maharashtra have passed resolutions against the government notification.

Another opportunity for Ghaath-maker Chhatrapal Ninawe at Berlinale

India

Independent filmmaker coming from a tribal background Chhatrapal Ninawe, who was prohibited from screening his first Marathi feature film, ‘Ghaath’ at the Berlin International Film Festival by the producer last year, has been invited to screen it again in 2023.

Climate change testing traditional wisdom, west coast fishermen failed by technology too

India

As climate change brings about a shift in the coastal weather, fishermen find themselves facing newer challenges of more frequent storms and intense monsoons.

शाळाबाह्य विद्यार्थ्यांना अतिरिक्त शुल्काचा जाच

India

दहावी-बारावीच्या परीक्षांसाठी १७ नंबर फॉर्म भरून खाजगीरित्या परीक्षांना बसणाऱ्या विद्यार्थ्यांना संपर्क केंद्र असणाऱ्या शाळा, महाविद्यालायांकडूनच आर्थिक पिळवणुकीचा सामना करावा लागतोय आणि परीक्षा शुल्क ऑनलाईन भरलेला असतानाही या विद्यार्थ्यांकडून शाळा अवैधरित्या अतिरिक्त पैसे उकळत असल्याचा आरोप पुण्यातील बालहक्क कृती समिती या संस्थेनं केला आहे.

Interview: KK Shailaja hails scientific, pro-people policies for Kerala’s success

India

KK Shailaja, CPI(M) leader and Kerala's former health minister recently refused the Raman Magsaysay award that was conferred upon her for her exceptional work during the COVID pandemic. She says it was a collective success, not hers alone. In a candid conversation, Shailaja talks about her role during the pandemic, the significance of Kerala’s governance and what’s there to come next.

डहाणूच्या गणेशोत्सवातून वाढवण बंदराला विरोध

India

यावर्षीच्या गणेशोत्सवात मुंबईपासून डहाणूपर्यंतच्या किनारपट्टी भागांमधील अनेक गणेश मंडळं देखावे आणि कार्यक्रमांमधून डहाणूमध्ये येऊ घातलेल्या वाढवण बंदराविरुद्ध जनजागृती करत आहेत. ‘एकच जिद्द, वाढवण बंदर रद्द’ हा नारा लगावत मंडळं या प्रकल्पाविरुद्धच जनमत दर्शवत आहेत.

GN Saibaba's co-accused Pandu Narote in near-death situation

India

Activist and co-accused in the UAPA case registered against Dr GN Saibaba, former professor at the Delhi University, Pandu Narote is reportedly in a near-death situation in the Nagpur Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH).

Don't cultivate, it's a forest. Build a metro, it's not a forest!

India

It’s not just the Mumbai Metro III car shed that gives the adivasis of Mumbai’s Aarey Colony sleepless nights. Adivasis residing in the padas (adivasi hamlets) in Aarey have now alleged that right from hurdles in filing claims to their land under forest rights acts to destroying their ready-to-harvest crops, they are being pressured systematically to force them to leave their forest.

Coastal road threatens livelihood of Mumbai's traditional fishermen

India

As Mumbai expands more and more into the sea, the livelihood of the fishermen community living in Koliwadas (fishermen’s colonies) along the city’s coastline and depending on the waters for their living, continues to be affected adversely. With the reclamation of the sea and the construction activity for coastal road, their catch near the coast has dwindled. Moreover, the pillars of the coastal road, the fishermen say, would also threaten their boats while venturing into and returning from the sea, and in turn, their lives.

Mah: Two-minister govt. passes over 700 orders in 30 days

India

A total of 749 Government Resolutions (GRs) were passed by Maharashtra’s newly formed two-man government between June 30 and July 30, 2022. The government has not yet expanded beyond Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, the lack of clarity on cabinet expansion has not stopped the new government from making hurried decisions and passing several GRs. Experts say this goes against the principles of parliamentary democracy.

Reservation seats left vacant in FTII, say students

India

Students of the Film and Television Insititute of India (FTII) have alleged irregularities in the admission processes saying that the institute has left a few seats as well as waitlist positions in the OBC, SC and ST categories vacant, citing reasons of ineligibility. In the merit list released on July 26th, for the academic year 2021, the students say that while all the General category seats have been filled, the ones reserved have been deliberately left vacant making “a gross mockery of the provisions of Reservation by which these admissions are to take place.”

आंबील ओढा प्रकरणातील वादग्रस्त बिल्डरवर अट्रोसिटीचा गुन्हा दाखल

India

आंबेडकवादी कार्यकर्ते व रिपब्लिकन बहुजन आघाडीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर कांबळे यांचा छळ केल्याप्रकरणी पुणे जिल्हा न्यायालयानं आज बिल्डर सुर्यकांत निकम, प्रताप निकम व दिलीप देशमुख यांच्याविरुद्ध अनुसूचित जाती अनुसूचित जमाती अत्याचार प्रतिबंधक कायदा १९८९ नुसार गुन्हा दाखल केला आहे. वर्षभरापूर्वी आंबील ओढ्याजवळील एका वस्तीत झालेल्या पाडकामासंबंधी कांबळे केदार असोसिएट्स या बिल्डरविरुद्ध वस्तीतील रहिवाशांसोबत लढा देत होते, ज्यादरम्यान त्यांचा बिल्डरकडून छळ झाल्याची तक्रार त्यांनी केली.

Four Aarey protesters detained and released by Mumbai Police after civil outrage

India

Protesters fighting against the construction of a car shed in Mumbai’s Aarey gathered outside Vanrai police station in Goregaon demanding the release of four protesters held by the police earlier on Monday.

It's not just about Europe!

Europe

The heatwave that has grasped almost the entirety of Europe this summer has grabbed the attention of everyone across the globe. The increased instances of such extreme weather events in Europe, US, the developed world, have paced up the discussions around climate change and have been deemed an eye opener. But the fight against climate change needs to be fought beyond regional barriers.

Elgar Parishad investigating officer to depose before Inquiry Commission

India

The Bhima Koregaon Commission of Inquiry has asked police officer Shivaji Pawar, to file an affidavit presenting the evidence supporting allegations that provocative speeches made at Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017 led to violence in Bhima-Koregaon the next day.

सावित्रीबाई फुले पुणे विद्यापीठात विद्यार्थ्यांचा लढा यशस्वी

India

गेले तीन दिवस भर पावसात शुल्कवाढी विरोधात आंदोलन करणाऱ्या सावित्रीबाई फुले पुणे विद्यापीठाच्या विद्यार्थ्यांना आज दिलासा मिळाला. विद्यापीठानं विद्यार्थ्यांच्या बहुतांश मागण्या मान्य करत प्रस्तावित शुल्कवाढ रद्द केली आहे. त्याचबरोबर पुढील मागण्यांच्या बाबतीत काम चालू असून लवकरच त्यावर उपाययोजना करण्याचं लेखी आश्वासन विद्यापीठानं विद्यार्थ्यांना दिलं आहे.

Mah Speaker forwards VHP cow concerns to DGP

India

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar has written to the Director-General of Police asking to take appropriate action to prevent any instances of ‘Govansh Hatya’ (cow slaughter) taking place in the state on Bakri Eid on Sunday. Interestingly, his letter has referred to another letter of concern in this regard by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a controversial Hindu nationalist organisation.

ऑस्ट्रेलियाच्या सर्वात मोठ्या शहरात ६ महिन्यांत तिसरा पूर

Oceania

ऑस्ट्रेलियातील सर्वात मोठं शहर सिडनीमध्ये गेल्या ६ महिन्यातील तिसरा महापूर आलाय. फक्त सिडनी शहरच नाही तर न्यू साऊथ वेल्स स्टेटच्या अनेक भागांमधील मिळून जवळपास ५०,००० नागरिकांचं पुरामुळं स्थलांतर करण्यात आलंय. हवामान बदल आणि तापमानवाढीचे परिणाम ऑस्ट्रेलिया कधी दुष्काळ, वणवे, तर कधी पुराच्या स्वरूपात पाहतच असते.

We will fight for Aarey again - tribals and activists resolve

India

Within hours of swearing-in, Maharashtra’s brand new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, made the decision to move Mumbai’s Metro car shed back to Aarey. In 2019, the decision to build the car shed in Aarey had brought the wrath of the people not just from Aarey or Mumbai, but from all over the country, to the then Fadnavis-led state government. The activists and adivasis who fought back then now say that they are ready to fight again.

ऑस्ट्रेलियात मधमाशा लॉकडाऊनमध्ये!

Oceania

ऑस्ट्रेलियानं देशातल्या सर्व मधमाशांवर लॉकडाऊन लागू करण्याचा निर्णय घेतला आहे. तिथल्या मधमाशांमध्ये आढळून आलेल्या एका रोगामुळं हा निर्णय घेण्यात आला असल्याचं तिथल्या अधिकाऱ्यांनी सांगितलं आहे. जगभरात अनेक ठिकाणी मधमाश्यांच्या मृत्यूसाठी कारणीभूत ठरलेल्या वॅरोआ डिस्ट्रक्टर किंवा वॅरोआ माइट (Varroa mite) हा परजीवी देशात नुकताच आढळून आला आहे.

GN Saibaba's health declines after hunger strike in jail

India

Incarcerated former Delhi University professor Dr GN Saibaba’s health has deteriorated after he went on hunger strike from May 21 to 24, against CCTV surveillance of the entre anda cell. However, Saibaba’s wife AS Vasantha Kumari told Indie Journal that despite his bad health, he was not admitted to a hospital, but taken back to his anda cell, after a visit to the prison doctor.

4 crore cases pending as India's top courts go on vacations

India

The Supreme Court of India is set to go on a summer vacation of around two months, from today onward. The High Courts as well as several lower civil courts in India have been taking vacations since the summer has started. Can a country with close to 5 crores pending court cases in all its different courts afford these long holidays?

आदिवासी दिग्दर्शकाच्या मराठी फिल्मची निर्मात्या स्टुडियोकडूनच मुस्कटदाबी

India

आदिवासी समूहातून अत्यंत कष्टानं सिनेमानिर्मिती केलेल्या छत्रपाल निनावे यांना चित्रपटनिर्मितीच्या पहिल्याच प्रयत्नात सिनेमा जगतातील दडपशाहीचा त्रास सहन करावा लागत आहे. एनएफडीसी सारखी राष्ट्रीय संस्थेचा पुरस्कार मिळवलेला त्यांचा पहिलाच चित्रपट रिलायन्स जिओ स्टुडियोज या कंपनीनं हक्क विकत घेतल्यानंतर त्याच्या प्रदर्शनापासून रोखून धरला आहे.

Dead fish sightings at heritage lake reflect govt neglect

India

Environmentalists and locals raised an alarm after brackish water and dead fish were sighted at the Dhamapur Lake in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district for the last two-three days. While the exact reason behind this is unclear, researchers point out that the condition reflects government apathy and lack of conservation in this biodiversity-rich water body.

I&B Minister welcomed with protests by students at FTII

India

Students conducted a peaceful demonstration at FTII’s main entrance at the time of Thakur’s visit, holding placards like ‘Minister of Hate, You are not welcome’.

रिपोर्ताज: आपला आपला उन्हाळा...

India

भारताच्या अनेक भागांमध्ये सध्या उष्णतेची लाट आलेली आहे. अनेक ठिकाणी तापमान ४० अंश सेल्सियसच्याही वर गेलेलं आहे. यावर्षीचा एप्रिल महिना वायव्य आणि मध्य भारतासाठी १२२ वर्षांतील सर्वात उष्ण एप्रिल ठरला. उष्णतेची लाट ही एक नैसर्गिक आपत्ती आहे, यावर मात करण्याची अनेक साधनं आहेत, अनेक उपाय आहेत? मात्र हे उपाय, ही साधनं सर्वांना सारखीच उपलब्ध असतात का?

UGC faces serious allegations of plagiarising recent UG guidelines

India

Several Delhi-based Professors have made allegations that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has plagiarised content from the websites of at least two different foreign universities in its recently released draft curriculum for the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUGP). Several paragraphs and descriptions of course requirements in the UGC document were pointed out to be identical to similar sections on the websites of the University of Michigan and the University of Arizona.

सरकारचं काम लोकांचं जीवन सुधारणं, त्यांच्या जीवनात हस्तक्षेप करणं नाही: सुप्रिया सुळे

India

राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसच्या नेत्या आणि खासदार सुप्रिया सुळे यांनी शुक्रवारी संसदेत समलिंगी विवाहांना कायदेशीर मान्यता देण्याची मागणी सरकारसमोर ठेवली. त्यासाठी त्यांनी विशेष विवाह (सुधारित) विधेयक लोकसभेत सादर केलं, ज्याअंतर्गत विशेष विवाह कायद्याच्या चौकटीत एलजीबीटीक्यू यांच्यासह इतरांना विवाह संबंधित समान हक्क मिळावेत, असा प्रस्ताव त्यांनी संसदेसमोर ठेवला. त्यांच्या या मागणीमागची भूमिका सुळे यांनी इंडी जर्नलच्या प्राजक्ता जोशी यांच्याशी साधलेल्या संवादात मांडली.

१४० वर्षांपूर्वी एका मुलीच्या लढ्यामुळं स्त्री संमतीचा कायदा सुधारावा लागला

Quick Reads

ज्या काळात मुलींची लहान वयात लग्नं होणं ही अगदीच सर्वसामान्य गोष्ट होती, त्या काळात वयाच्या विसाव्या वर्षी महाराष्ट्रातील रखमाबाई राऊत यांनी लहानपणी झालेलं लग्न अमान्य करून नवऱ्याच्या घरी जाण्यास नकार दिला. यासाठी त्यांनी कोर्टात लढा दिला आणि रखमाबाईंचा हा लढा फक्त भारतातच नाही, तर १८९१ साली संपूर्ण ब्रिटिश साम्राज्यात लागू झालेल्या संमतीवयाच्या कायद्यासाठी देखील महत्त्वाचा ठरला.

Innocent student arrested in Naxal-linked case freed after 14 days

India

After spending 14 long nights in police custody despite being innocent, college student Prakash Pusu Vidpi was finally released from the Central Jail in Chandrapur on the evening of March 7. He was arrested on February 21, in connection with an allegedly Naxal-linked arson incident in a nearby village.

Four suffocate to death manually cleaning septic tank in Pune

India

Four people tragically lost their lives in Pune after suffocating while manually cleaning a 10-12 feet deep septic tank at a residential building in Loni Kalbhor.

What made Gadchiroli adivasis protest?

India

Last week, around a thousand adivasis from villages in Gadchiroli's Bhamragad taluka protested against misidentified arrests by police made after a Naxal-linked incident in a nearby village, a month ago. The arrest of Prakash, a student who was not even in the village when the incident occurred stirred a discussion about the misidentified arrests and increasing police presence in the tribal belt.

Are marine heatwaves altering India's monsoon?

India

A study by the researchers at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has shown that the instances of marine heatwaves are increasing in the Indian Ocean, and these heatwaves are having an impact on the Indian monsoon as well. In the study published in the journal JGR Oceans, the researchers report a significant increase in marine heatwaves, aided by rapid warming in the Indian Ocean and strong El Niños.

Several sexual harassment allegations rock the world of Kathak

India

As several women come forward through social media recounting their horror, will Kathak face its #MeToo moment?

Schools need more than guidelines as they reopen in third wave

India

Schools are set to reopen in parts of Maharashtra tomorrow. However, with the number of daily COVID cases in several cities still concerning and a lack of clear back-to-school policy from the state, parents have begun expressing worries. Moreover, with almost no tangible support from the government, teachers, especially from rural areas, say they will be finding it difficult to manage schools and keep children safe.

परभणीच्या छोट्याशा गावातील पहिल्या इंजिनियरनं बदलला गावाचा चेहरा

Quick Reads

अनेक वर्ष शिक्षण आणि कामानिमित्त बाहेर राहिल्यानंतर पँडेमिक सुरु झाल्यावर आपल्या गावी परत परतलेल्या पुणेस्थित विश्वांबर दुधाटे यांना त्यांच्या गावाची आणि गावकऱ्यांची परिस्थिती बिकट आढळली. परभणी जिल्ह्याच्या पालम तालुक्यातील आरखेड गावात दुधाते यांनी गावकऱ्यांना एकत्र आणून गावात गरजेचे असलेले अनेक बदल घडवून आणायला सुरवात झाली.

A year of tragedies

Quick Reads

For India and the world, the year 2021 came bearing several tragedies. Covid pandemic, natural disasters and conflicts took several lives in India as well as worldover.

A year when climate change became real

Quick Reads

For India, 2021 was a year of floods and landslides and erratic monsoon. While neither floods, landslides, nor heavy rains are rare occurrences for Indians, the unprecedented heavy rainfall, the delay in monsoon withdrawal and the increased frequency of low-pressure belts and cyclonic storms over the north Indian Ocean led to the year 2021 being a year for extreme weather events for India.

Filmmakers oppose merger of NFAI, Films Division with corporation NFDC

India

The merger/closure of several public-funded film institutions in the country, including the Films Division (FD) and National Film Archives of India (NFAI), has caused a stir among hundreds of filmmakers and film students, who have written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) seeking more answers and demanding transparency. They have strongly opposed the merger/closure of the institutes like FD, NFAI and Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) must not be merged with a corporation like National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC).

Joy of victory aside, farmers movements wait for official proceedings, recognition of martyr farmers

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Friday morning, announced that the three farm laws will be repealed. While the parliamentary procedures for the same will be held in the upcoming sessions, the farmers’ organisations and leaders have welcomed the decision.

Are we learning anything from Kerala floods?

India

As Kerala tries to recover from the extreme rainfall that resulted in flooding and landslides in several districts over the last weekend, the yellow and orange alerts are yet to leave the state alone. While cloudbursts connected to climate change have been blamed for the recent disaster, experts have also pointed out the role of human activities in intensifying the disaster.

Shocking discoveries regarding Assam eviction violence victims emerge from fact-finding report

India

On September 20, police in Assam’s Darrang district started an eviction drive in parts of Dhalpur village, claiming that the residents in around 800 households had illegally occupied government land. Three days later, police opened fire at some of the evicted residents who were protesting for their rights over their homes, and killed two protesters.

'Outsourced' health dept. exams cause in-house chaos

India

Around 8 lakh students in Maharashtra were going to answer the recruitment examinations for over 6,000 posts of class C and D officers in the state’s health department.

We were warned of flooding, landslide events for years, so why are we surprised?

India

The monsoon that Maharashtra saw in 2021 was erratic and devastating. While rainfall struggled to reach the annual average, the last four months have been marred by several scattered spells of intense rainfall. There were flash floods and landslides across districts, with a large number of lives and livelihoods lost or affected adversely.

School students to learn weather science with this campaign

India

Pune’s Vidnyan Bharati has taken it upon itself to start weather units in schools in Maharashtra to train students to learn and forecast weather. The first such weather unit was inaugurated at Grammangal Muktashala in Palghar district’s Aine village.

8 years and a shameful wait later, a chargesheet!

India

Anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar was murdered in Pune in August 2013 during his morning walk on the Vitthal Ramji Shinde (Balgandharva) bridge. In the years that followed, three other like-minded activists Govind Pansare (Kolhapur), MM Kalburgi (Dharwad) and Gauri Lankesh (Bengaluru) were murdered, in attacks that showed stark similarities with the assassination of Dr Dabholkar.

Every turtle matters!

India

Dr Shailendra Singh, biologist and Director of Turtle Survival Alliance, India programme, was recently awarded with the prestigious Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered species of turtles back from the brink of extinction. In candid conversation with Indie Journal, he speaks about turtle species in India and why every turtle must be protected.

Exclusive Interview: Afghan Resident Speaks To Indie Journal About Life After Taliban Takeover

Asia

Hamidullah Mohammadi, a resident of Herat, says his future is bleak and seeks a way out of the country fearing for his family's life.

Thousands of miles from home, Afghan students in India worry for family back home

Asia

Ahmad Zia Rohani had gone back to his home in Afghanistan just around a month ago after completing his bachelor's degree in Pune. He wanted to look for a job in his country and stay with his family. However, the events that unfolded in the past month forced him to run for his life, back to India.

More people now living under threat of floods than last century: Report

Quick Reads

The report published by 'Nature Portfolio' used daily satellite imagery at 250-metre resolution to estimate food extent and population exposure for 913 large food events from 2000 to 2018.

Floods a punch in the gut for Kolhapur’s lockdown hit traders

India

Last month, several parts of Maharashtra saw record rainfall and flooding. With the rainfall warning by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at hand and the possibility of water discharge from dams, the flood-prone district and city of Kolhapur was prepared to handle floods by evacuating people and property this time. However, intense spells of rainfall within 48 hours led to the flooding of the city within hours, and people had to leave their homes leaving everything else behind.

60 years since Panshet, survivors remember the incident that changed Pune

India

In the early hours of July 12th, 1961, Panshet Dam, a dam on Ambi River around 50km from Pune, burst right in its first year of storing water, after a heavy night of rainfall. It has been 60 years since the incident, however, the memories of the incident are still fresh in the minds of the survivors.

यावेळी आम्ही पूराला सामोरं जायची तयारी केलेली आहे

India

२०१९मध्ये महाराष्ट्रातील सांगली, कोल्हापूर आणि सातारा जिल्ह्यात पुरानं थैमान घातलं होतं. पुरापासून शिकवण घेत यावर्षी फक्त सांगली-कोल्हापुरातल्या अनेक पूरग्रस्त गावांमध्ये पूरनियंत्रण आणि स्थलांतराची तयारी सुरु झाली आहे. जिल्हा प्रशासनातर्फे गाव-गावांमधल्या तरुणांना बचावकार्याचं प्रशिक्षणदेखील देण्यात आलंय.

All you need to know about the Delta Plus COVID variant

India

On Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry flagged the Delta Plus COVID-19 variant as a variant of concern. While there is no sufficient data to prove how much impact the Delta Plus could cause, looking at the havoc in the second wave, experts have cautioned people not to take the new variant lightly. Delta plus is a mutation of the Delta variant that was first detected in India.

The misfortune of being a migrating tiger in India

India

Over two years ago, on November 2, 2018, tigress T1 or Avni, who was deemed a man-eater after her attacks on people near Pandharkawada-Ralegaon forests of Yavatmal district, was shot dead.

Pandemic, lockdowns hurdles in tracking child labour data, world data sees steep increase

India

While worldwide data points towards a risk of increase in child labour due to the coronavirus pandemic, the on and off lockdowns and lack of reporting have made it difficult to monitor the cases of child labour in India over the last 15 months or so.

'I have lost hope in the system,' says Mohsin Shaikh's brother as the culprit roams free

India

It has been seven years since Mohsin Shaikh was murdered in Pune by extremist group Hindu Rashtra Sena. On June 2, 2014, he was lynched by a mob belonging to the Hindu right-wing fanatic outfit, the Hindu Rashtra Sena.

चक्री वादळांना नावं का आणि कशी देतात? पुढच्या वादळांची नावं कोणती?

Quick Reads

ताऊते चक्रीवादळानंतर आता भारतीय हवामान विभागानं बंगालच्या उपसागरात अजून एक चक्रीवादळ तयार झाल्याचे संकेत दिले आहेत. साधारण २६ मे च्या दरम्यान पश्चिम बंगाल तसंच ओडिशाच्या किनारपट्टीला धडकण्याची शक्यता असणाऱ्या या चक्रीवादळाला 'यास' हे नाव देण्यात आलं आहे.

As we celebrate Museum Day, India set to lose its National Museum and other historic structures

India

Three iconic buildings in Delhi of historical importance are set to be demolished for the Union Government’s Central Vista Avenue project. Last week, over 75 renowned scholars, artists, writers, curators and museum professionals from all over the world have called for an immediate halt to the project, which is set to begin amid the worst health emergency in India.

As the world celebrates them, Nurses on COVID duty demand recognition not just praise

India

The World Health Organisation (WHO) commemorates May 12th, the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, as the international nurses day every year. This year, the theme of the day is ‘nursing the world back to health’. Nurses have been at the forefront of the COVID crisis around the world over the past year and a half of the pandemic.

The pandemic takes its toll on the mental health of doctors

India

Doctors treating COVID-19 patients are struggling with the feeling of helplessness, as the health system continues to crumble under the pressure of increased cases in the second wave of coronavirus pandemic.

Supply according to demand, yet Remdesivir remains scarce

India

Around a month after the coronavirus cases began surging in Maharashtra in the second wave, some of the essential medicines, prescribed to several patients, still remain short of supply in most parts of the state. While Remdesivis is an antiviral, Actemra is an anti-inflammatory drug.

Activist Prabhubhai Tadvi died, his village has the world's tallest statue, but no hospital

India

Tadvi passed away on April 28th, quietly in his home in Kevadia. He was suspected to have several COVID-19 symptoms, however, was neither tested nor treated for the same. There is no hospital in Kevadia, his village that houses the world’s tallest statue.

28 percent hospitals in Pune fail fire audit

India

Of the 218 COVID hospitals within the limits of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the Pune Fire Department has issued notices to 61 hospitals regarding inadequacies in the fire safety equipment.

'गेले ४ दिवस आम्हाला कच्चा माल मिळालेला नाही,' ऑक्सिजन उत्पादकांची कैफियत

India

महाराष्ट्रातल्या अनेक शहरांमध्ये सध्या ऑक्सिजन वायूच्या प्रेशराइझ्ड सिलिंडर्सची तूट आहे. अर्थात शहरांमध्ये बहुसंख्येनं रुग्ण असल्यानं शहरांमध्ये ऑक्सिजनची मागणी प्रचंड वाढली आहे, मात्र त्याचसोबत महाराष्ट्राच्या ग्रामीण भागातही ऑक्सिजन, अर्थात प्राणवायूचा पुरवठा आता तीव्र तुटवड्याच्या स्थितीत पोहोचला आहे.

Waste-pickers at risk as COVID infected homes do not sanitise garbage, or inform about infection

India

A year after the pandemic began, the stigma and the fear faced by the waste pickers in Pune continues. Several waste pickers across the city have complained that people from whom they collect waste every day keep them in the dark even if there are COVID-19 patients in their house.

Remdesivir to remain scarce till April 20, officials point at production cycle, overprescription

India

The shortage of Remdesivir in Pune is going to last till at least April 20, Dinesh Khivasara, Assistant Commissioner of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) said. Pune and several other COVID hotspots in Maharashtra are facing an acute shortage of the antiviral drug administered via injections, which is widely being used to treat the hospitalised COVID patients.

Why does Maharashtra have the highest number of new COVID cases?

India

On Sunday, April 4th, India registered more than 1 lakh COVID cases in the country in the highest one-day surge for the first time. Alarmingly around half of these fresh cases were found in the state of Maharashtra alone. Meanwhile, neighbours Gujarat reported 3,280, Madhya Pradesh reported 3,722 new cases, Goa reported 2,471, while Karnataka recorded 6,150 new cases, making one ask the question, why?

आंबेडकर चरित्र समितीमध्ये २३ सदस्यांपैकी फक्त एक महिला; सचिव पदावरूनही वाद

India

महाराष्ट्र शासनानं दि.३० मार्च २०२१ रोजी घोषित केलेल्या नव्या पुनर्गठीत डॉ बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर चरित्र साधने प्रकाशन समितीतली अनेक नावं ही डॉ बाबासाहेब आंबेडकरांच्या विचार साहित्य, अध्ययनाशी संबंधित व्यक्ती, अभ्यासक, लेखकांना अनभिज्ञ असल्याचं साहित्यिक, अभ्यासक, सामाजिक चळवळीतील कार्यकर्त्यांनी म्हटलं आहे. याविषयी अनेक अभ्यासक आणि कार्यकर्त्यांनी राज्य सरकारला एक खुलं पत्र लिहीलं आहे.

Last nail in our coffin: Pune hoteliers condemn govt decision to keep eateries closed

India

Hotel industry in Pune fears a huge setback as restaurants, hotels, bars and eateries in the city have been asked to remain closed for the next seven days as part of the new COVID restrictions in the city. Restaurant owners in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have called this a black day.

PMPML bus service to remain shut as new COVID restrictions for Pune kick in

India

As part of the new COVID restrictions in Pune from April 3rd, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus service will also be shut in Pune for the next seven days. While the PMPML has not yet received any request to run the buses for those in essential services, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will be asking the PMPML to run their buses on certain routes to facilitate the travel of essential workers.

घरोघरी लसीकरणासाठी मुंबई महानगरपालिकेची तयारी असतानाही केंद्रानं परवानगी नाकारली

India

बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिकेचा मुंबईत घरोघरी कोव्हीड लसीकरण करण्याचा प्रस्ताव केंद्र सरकारनं नुकताच नाकारला. देशातल्या सर्वाधिक कोव्हीड रुग्ण असलेल्या जिल्ह्यांपैकी एक असलेल्या मुंबईत दारोदारी लसीकरण का नाकारलं जात आहे, असा प्रश्न सोशल मीडियावर उपस्थित केला जात आहे.

Vidarbha put on heatwave alert in the next 72 hours

India

The India Meteorology Department (IMD) has signalled caution for Maharashtra’s Vidarbha, as a heatwave has been predicted in isolated pockets of the region in the next 72 hours. At the same time, north and north-central Maharashtra will also register above normal temperature.

Bengal scores 80, ovewhelming turnout as BJP-TMC lock horns

India

Throughout the polling day, AITC accused BJP and central forces of interfering at the polling booths and intimidating the voters.

Reportage: As Nandigram goes to vote on Saturday, political winds stay unclear

India

Amdabad is part of West Bengal's most talked about Assembly seat this time - Nandigram - where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting against her once protégée Suvendu Adhikari who has entered the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time.

Trust and access: Why nationalised banks are much more than their unfriendly image

India

While the public sector banks in India are hailed by their customers as being trustworthy to put their life savings into, they are often criticised on various platforms for their inefficient customer service. However, customer service is not that big a factor that people consider while opening their account at a bank, experts feel.

The Second Wave: Loss, trauma and experience of the Pandemic

India

While many are quick to dismiss COVID as ‘just a flu’, many people who have been through the disease with serious symptoms will tell you the difficult aftermath of the disease, weeks, sometimes even months, after recovery.

Govt to hold only ‘consultants’ accountable for inadequate environmental clearance

India

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has released an Office Memorandum stating that if the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultants appointed by project proponents fail to produce an adequate EIA report, they will have to face a show cause notice.

महापंचायतींच्या धर्तीवर पुण्यात शेतकरी पंचायती

India

हरयाणामध्ये चालू असलेल्या महापंचायतींच्या धर्तीवर पुणे जिल्ह्यात कालपासून शेतकरी पंचायतींना सुरवात झालेली आहे. काल मौलाना अबुल कलाम आझाद पुण्यतिथीच्या निमित्तानं सुरु झालेल्या या पंचायती, १४ एप्रिल, म्हणजेच डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर जयंतीपर्यंत जिल्ह्यातील साधारण १५० गावांमध्ये भरवण्यात येणार आहेत.

Remembering PB Sawant, a rare openly pro-working class judge

India

The former Supreme Court judge PB Sawant breathed his last in Pune on Monday morning. Remembered by many fondly for his extraordinary judgments and nuanced study into the most controversial cases, Sawant has presided over some of the historic judgments and important committees in the country.

In case of emergency, shutdown the internet

Quick Reads

It's been just 42 days into 2021, and India has already imposed eight internet shutdowns this year, shows the Internet Shutdown Tracker by the Software Freedom Law Centre of India (SFLC.In).

85% of Uttarakhand’s districts hotspots for extreme floods: Study

India

Over 85 percent of districts in Uttarakhand are hotspots of extreme floods and associated events, states an independent analysis released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The report has stated that the frequency and intensity of these extreme floods in Uttarakhand have increased four-fold since 1970.

It's the development, not just climate change: Activists on Uttarakhand disaster

India

In 1974, the women of Reni village in Uttarakhand were at the forefront of the Chipko Movement, a protest initiated by people, especially women, to save forests and forest rights of locals. Over 46 years later, Reni has become the centre of the glacier burst incident which caused flash floods in Uttarakhand, putting several areas by the river on high alert.

Maharashtra to reconsider use of EVMs alone in state polls

India

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Nana Patole has asked the State Cabinet to explore the option of making paper ballots available for voting along with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in State Assembly as well as local body elections.

On Republic Day, a village protests after waiting years for a gram panchayat

India

The members of Katkari tribe living by the hills on the bank of Dimbhe dam in Pune’s Ambegaon taluka have been left to fend for themselves, as they are not part of any gram panchayat in the area. Living in the homes built for them by the district administration around 10 years ago, their houses or their lands have not even been registered on their names, in the absence of a gram panchayat to accept them.

Transwoman first wins court battle, then the electoral one

India

After fighting and winning the battle to execute her right to contest an election as a woman, Anjali Patil of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), has won the local body election in Bhadli Budruk village of Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district. A transwoman, Patil’s candidacy was questioned and rejected, as she had applied from the category reserved for women.

Clouds of doubt still looming, India's COVID vaccination drive begins

India

As India begins the world’s largest vaccination drive across the country on Saturday, the doubts and differences around the use of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin also continue to echo as India’s frontline workers get vaccinated in the first phase.

Even as Delhi 'chickens out', Mah govt backs poultry

India

A statement issued by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh on Wednesday said, “It is completely safe to eat eggs and poultry meat, if the eggs and poultry meat are cooked for 30 minutes at a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius.”

An atrocity a day in Maharashtra

India

In the first seven days of 2021, Maharashtra police have recorded a total of 11 cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989.

Konkani Academy in Delhi, political but welcome: experts

India

A year ahead of the Goa Assembly polls scheduled to be held in 2022, the Delhi Cabinet, on Friday, approved the setting up of Konkani Academy in Delhi, reportedly for the promotion of Konkani language and culture.

PMPML considering Rs 20 pass for travelling in a day in Pune

India

The Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has proposed to its Board of Directors to make travelling within Pune city for a day, accessible with a pass of Rs 20.

The year that was 2020: How the police confused brutality with justice

Quick Reads

Incidents of police brutality have been ongoing amidst the Coronavirus lockdown and the subsequent farmers’ protests at the end of the year.

The year that was 2020: How lives of India's minorities changed

Quick Reads

The recently released 'South Asia State of Minorities Report 2020' stated that India has become a dangerous and violent place for Muslim minorities since the CAA was passed last year. Right from the beginning of this year, the lives of minorities in India have seen a shift, right from the Constitutional amendments and laws, Supreme Court decisions, to fake news and targeted police brutality and communal violence.

Mah farmers reach Delhi border, join protesting farmers

India

Maharashtra farmers, who had started a vehicle march on December 21st to join the protesting farmers in Delhi, reached the National Capital today, covering a journey of 1,300km.

New COVID strain not a mutation, doctors clarify

India

The new strain of Coronavirus discovered in the UK is highly contagious, however, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that it is not yet out of control. However, doctors and experts have cautioned that while there is no need to be scared, the government should not repeat the mistakes it made at the beginning of the year, and begin testing and tracing soon.

Why are doctors protesting in India?

India

On December 11, thousands of doctors from across the country went on a day-long strike to register dissent against the Government of India’s new rules allowing Ayurvedic doctors to practice minor surgical procedures.

“My conscience did not allow me to accept the award.”

India

Dr Varinderpal Singh, Principal Soil Scientist, Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has returned the prestigious ‘FAI Golden Jubilee Award for Excellence’ by the Fertilizer Association of India (FAI).

Political parties take over graduate's and teacher's constituency election, defeating purpose

India

The biennial electoral rolls of the Graduates’ and Teachers’ Constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council are going to be held across the state on December 1.

Mah govt. announce 5k aid for sex workers; Organisations welcome move, ask for more inclusion

India

The Maharashtra Government, on Thursday, announced that registered sex workers in the state will be provided financial aid of Rs 5,000 per month during the pandemic. While the sex workers and their community-based organisations (CBOs) have welcomed the aid, they have also expressed concern that the CBOs are not part of the committees constituted to implement the scheme.

Quoting hatred: Love Jihad and where political parties stand on the issue

India

Last month, after an advertisement by Tanishq jewellery brand, that celebrated interfaith marriage, where a Muslim family was shown to organise a baby shower ceremony for its Hindu daughter-in-law, received an unexpected backlash. People trolled the advertisement calling it a promotion of love jihad. Since then, the term has been receiving even more political attention.

EAC to meet twice a month, experts call it a farce

India

In a recent order, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has proposed streamlining of the Environmental Clearances (EC) process in order to avoid the reasons which could apparently delay the clearance process. Several environmentalists have criticised it as a 'farce' by the Ministry in the name of streamlining.

Diwali superstitions are endangering owls in the Indian subcontinent

India

Every year, the festival of Diwali becomes a period of concern for owls in India, especially in North India. In India and some surrounding countries, owls are known to be sacrificed under the superstitious belief that the sacrifice will earn them wealth.

Scientists demand cumulative assessment of 3 proposed projects in Goa’s protected area

India

The letter has been written after the Government of Goa appointed the WII to carry out a study to prescribe mitigation measures for the double-tracking of the railway line, one of the three projects.

17 days, no justice for Bihar girl burnt alive for fighting molestation attempts

India

Over two weeks ago, when the nation was engrossed in the Bihar elections, a 20-year-old woman in a small village in Bihar was burnt alive as she fought attempts of molestation by three men.

Students on the streets, go beyond marksheets

India

While the trend of criticising students for protesting has been seen on social media in the past few years, strong student unions and protests have been an important element of the identity of India’s campuses.

No fees, No education? Pune school refuses online classes to students due to non-payment of fees

India

Maharashtra Education Department has, time and again, asked schools not to ban students from attending classes for non-payment of fees. However, several such cases are still coming up.

‘Goyant Kollso Naka’: Chandor midnight protest conveners booked by Goa police

India

On midnight of November 1, over 5,000 protesters gathered in Chandor to protest the double-tracking of the railway route.

Election tourism is the latest fertile ground for political enthusiasts

India

Amidst loud promises by different political parties, alliances and the looming threat of a possible second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, Bihar Assembly Election is a phenomenon to behold this year. Not just the Bihari public, but the election campaigns and voting have attracted the attention of several socio-political enthusiasts and social activists from across the country.

NGT takes notice of frequent capsizing of fly ash laden barges in West Bengal’s rivers

India

Between March and May 2020, five fly ash laden barges have capsized, however, nobody has yet been held responsible for these incidents.

Highly endemic species of scorpions discovered in Western Ghats

India

A group of scientists from Pune, associated with the Institute of Natural History Education and Research (INHER) has discovered two new species of scorpions.

The in'disposable' problem of the pandemic

India

Despite a battle against plastic waste, non-biodegradable disposable waste is still a huge part of the country’s garbage. The COVID-19 pandemic has added to this, with plastic and other disposable items, especially pertaining to food and medical material, becoming a crucial part of the day-to-day garbage.

Left behind in development! Pune's slum dwellers' lives inundated as flash floods affect city severely

India

Since last year, flash floods in Pune in the months of September and October have been severely affecting the slums across the city, which face severe inundation and loss of homes or belongings.

Sex workers recognised as ‘informal workers’ in NHRC’s advisory

India

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in its advisory issued on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, recognised the sex workers as informal workers and be registered so that they are able to get worker benefits.

September 2020 was the world's hottest month so far in recorded history

India

September this year was 0.05 degrees Celsius warmer than September 2019 and 0.08 degrees Celsius warmer than the same month in 2016.

Jharkhand’s Chandrapura Thermal Power Station fails to dispose oil one year after oil spillage

India

The state-appointed committee says disposal should have happened within 15 days of the incident, experts ask why it didn’t intervene sooner

Abandoned Chinkara fawns could be re-wilded within 12 hours of rescue instead of human parenting

India

Overenthusiasm in rescuing Chinkara fawns out of ignorance is one of the growing threats to species, experts state.

Empowered gram sabhas help tribal communities build resilience to pandemic disaster

India

The report ‘Community Forest Rights and the Pandemic: Gram Sabhas Lead the Way’ documents how empowered tribal communities in many areas sustained themselves in face of the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster.

New species of Olepa moth discovered by ZSI Pune scientists could help devise better pest-control

India

Three new species and a subspecies of Tiger Moth from Western Ghats of Maharashtra have been discovered by the scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Western Regional Centre (WRC), Pune - Dr Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate, Dr KP Dinesh and A Shabnam.

Anganwadi workers continue protests for recognition as government employees

India

The Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana (Maharashtra), in association with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Akhil Bharatiya Anganwadi Sevika, Madatnis Federation, had organised a nationwide protest today, on October 1. The protest was timed a day before the 45th anniversary of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) on October 2.

Researchers call for systemic survey of Dhamapur lake area for conservation

India

To promote conservation activity and sustainable tourism in the area around Dhamapur lake in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, experts have called for a systematic study of the biodiversity of the region. Nestled amidst the Western Ghats and rich biodiversity, several areas in the district still remain unexplored and vulnerable to the threats of mining and unplanned developmental and tourist activities.

A new coalition: IT employees across India stand with farmers in protest of new farm bills

India

On Friday, September 25th, farmers across the country took to streets against the agricultural reforms. IT professionals from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad under the AIITEU expressed their support to the protest.

Thermal Power Plants are delaying measures to control toxic emissions at the cost of public health

India

Most of the Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) in India have missed the deadline to implement measures to bring their toxic air emissions under control. At the cost of what? Our children’s future.

World Rhino Day: COVID lockdowns reduce poaching in 2020, but long term threats of habitat loss, breeding persist for the endangered rhinos

India

International Rhino Foundation released State of the Rhino report, bringing attention to poaching and various other threats to the five rhino species across the world

No history without evidence, say researchers and historians as GoI sets to explore 12,000-year-old Indian culture

India

While the said committee has set out to explore the culture to as far back as 12,000 years in the past, the historians and researchers in the country have been wondering what exactly is the committee trying to find, as the traces of available historical evidence doesn’t go back beyond around 4,500 years.

Nandurbar administration explains spike in child malnutrition, attributes increase to data collection during this period

India

In response to the news of increasing malnutrition in Nandurbar during the months of June and July due to the lockdown, the Nandurbar District Collector has released a statement that the data revealed is a result of an annual drive conducted to monitor malnutrition in the difficult and inaccessible regions.

Locals oppose to Chattisgarh coal block in already over-mined Mand Raigarh

India

While the commercial coal mine auction for 41 blocks across the country has raised several controversies, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra has released a report demanding the government to stop the auction of the proposed coal blocks in Chhattisgarh’s already over-exploited Mand Raigarh Coalfield.

Pune Bird Atlas: A people’s project to map the city’s bird diversity

India

Several environmentalists and bird watchers in Pune have come together this year, for the first time, to understand the distribution and abundances of birds in the city. Pune Bird Atlas, as the project is called, is the first of its kind project in Maharashtra that aims to understand the biodiversity in the city.

Pratham Books awarded the Library of Congress literacy award for its work during a pandemic

India

Pratham Books, a non-profit organisation is one of the five recipients of this year’s Library of Congress Literacy Awards. The Literacy Awards were started by American Businessman and Philanthropist by David M. Rubenstein in 2013 to honour organisations doing exemplary and replicable work towards expanding literacy.

मुदत संपत आलेल्या सुगंधी दुधाचं आदिवासी आश्रम शाळा विद्यार्थ्यांना वाटप

India

घोडेगाव येथील एकात्मिक आदिवासी विकास प्रकल्प (आयटीडीपी) कार्यालयांतर्गत शासकीय आश्रमशाळांच्या विद्यार्थ्यांना देण्यात आलेल्या सुगंधी दुधाच्या पाकिटांची मुदत संपण्यापासून दोन दिवसच कमी असल्याचे आढळून आल्यानंतर स्थानिकांनी व आदिवासी संघटनांनी त्वरित चौकशी करण्याची मागणी केली आहे. तसे पत्र त्यांनी विभागीय कार्यालय व आदिवासी मंत्री के.सी.पडवी यांना पाठवले आहे.

Flavoured milk nearing expiry date distributed to children in ashram schools; adivasi orgs demand action

India

After the flavoured milk packets distributed to the students of Government Ashram Schools under the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) Office in Ghodegaon were found to be just a couple of days short of their expiry dates, locals and tribal organisations have demanded an immediate probe into the matter.

TISS students enraged against 'bigoted, racist, sexist, islamophobic' new registrar

India

‘Blatantly bigoted, sexist, Islamophobic and intolerant of students' dissent’ - This is how the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), a student community of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has described the opinions and remarks of the Institute’s newly appointed registrar.

The forests have no threat from us, we protect them: Bhimashankar adivasis protest declaration of ESZ

India

The fear of losing livelihood and homes has grappled the tribal villagers in 42 villages along the boundaries of Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary as the recent notification by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has deemed the area as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).

India registers record COVID19 recoveries in 24 hrs, total recoveries cross 24 lakh

India

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India has registered the highest recoveries in a single day on Monday. A total of 66,550 COVID-19 patients have reportedly recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.

In times of flood and disaster, Kolhapur's wireless man comes to the rescue

India

Since 1988, Kolhapur’s Nitin Ainapure has been working in radio communications after he got licensed for the same. While he is a licensed Ham Radio Operator and also deals in supplying equipment for the marine band (wireless network for fishermen), he also works with government administration before, during and after disasters, to conduct operations using wireless communication.

Exclusive: 140 butterflies from Matheran hills get catalogued in colour-coding

India

Around 140 butterfly species of Matheran have found a colour-coded data representation in a latest scientific paper published in the community peer-reviewed ‘Biodiversity Data Journal’.

Just 10 days before National Handloom Day, Govt. abolishes All India Handloom Board

India

Just about ten days before India would celebrate the National Handloom Day on August 7, the Ministry of Textiles, on July 27, released a notification to abolish the All India Handloom Board (AIHB). The circular has been signed by Sanjay Rastogi, Development Commissioner for Handlooms.

A year from the abrogation of article 370, a collective report breaks the silence on Kashmir

India

One year later, when people in Kashmir still face restricted access to internet and movement, Kashmir Reading Room (KRR), a collective of working professionals, has released a report ‘(Dis)Integration at Gunpoint’. On the eve of the day that changed the identity of Jammu and Kashmir, the report was launched by South Asia Solidarity Group in London.

Breast-feeding their children while being COVID-19 positive

India

While getting infected with COVID-19 or coming in contact with the patients is stressful for everyone, it is even more so worrying for new mothers as being close to their babies and breastfeeding become challenging tasks.

Medical Interns under state government demand incentives over measly 11k stipend

India

The Association of State Medical Interns Maharashtra (ASMI) has stated that as the interns at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals are presently paid a total remuneration of Rs 59,000, state medical interns should also get incentives over their stipend of Rs 11,000.

एक्सक्लुझिव्ह मुलाखत: केरळनं लॉकडाऊनमध्येही यशस्वीरीत्या शालेय शिक्षण सुरु कसं ठेवलं, सांगत आहेत केरळचे शिक्षणमंत्री

India

कोरोनाच्या प्रार्दुभावातही डिजीटल क्लासरूम्सच्या माध्यमातून शेवटच्या विद्यार्थ्यापर्यंत शैक्षणिक सुविधा पोहचण्यात केरळ राज्य यशस्वी ठरलंय. डिजीटल लर्निंगच्या मर्यादा लक्षात घेऊन इंटरनेट सुविधांबरोबरच टेलिव्हिजनचाही प्रभावी वापर केला गेला. या पार्श्वभूमीवर केरळचे शिक्षणमंत्री प्रोफेसर सी. रवींद्रनाथ यांनी कोरोना आणि टाळेबंदीच्या काळात डिजिटल डिव्हाईडवर मात करून सगळ्या विद्यार्थ्यांपर्यंत पोहचण्यात केरळला आलेलं यश, याबाबत इंडी जर्नलशी खास बातचीत केली.

Since 2014, less than one percent forest clearances were rejected by the MOEF, find analysts

India

Less than one percent of the proposals for forest clearances were rejected by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) between 2014 and 2020. An analysis of the raw data on clearances from PARIVESH, a portal hosted by the MOEF&CC has brought this to light.

New highly endemic species of Maharaja Barbs fish found in Northern Western Ghats

India

A new species of Maharaja Barbs of the Western Ghats, a genus popular amongst the aquarium hobbyists, has once again pointed out the high endemism of the fish in the Western Ghats and the need to conserve their habitat.

Exclusive Interview: Kerala Ed. Minister explains the success of Kerala's schools in the lockdown

India

The Kerala Government recently announced that educational classes were now reaching 100 percent of its students. Kerala Education Minister Prof. C.Raveendranath (C.R) interacted with Indie Journal explaining how the state managed to bridge the digital divide in educational opportunities amidst the pandemic.

Goa’s tourism stakeholders demand conservation of protected forests, promotion of ecotourism in the hinterland

India

In a letter addressed to the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State as Ministry of Tourism and Minister of Culture Prahlad Singh Patel, officials from the Goa State Government and the National Board for Wildlife appealing to revoke the forest clearances approved for Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in South Goa.

Maharashtra creates 29 sq.km safe corridor for tigers, elephants as Tillari Conservation Region

India

A total of 10 villages in the proposed area Bambarde, Ghatiwade, Kendre Bank, Kendre Khadi, Patiye, Shirange, Konal, Ainode, Hewale and Medhe have been deemed under the Tillari CR by the State Government. This is known to be the only corridor for the movement of large mammals in the area, without which, the northern Western Ghats could be completely inaccessible to these animals.

Success of less than one percent MPSC aspirants raises questions of competetive exam ecosystem

India

Less than one percent of the students who had appeared for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) State Service examinations cleared the examination conducted in July 2019. The result declared on Friday, has once again brought forth the stark reality of the civil services examination in the state.

India’s first-ever climate change assessment report predicts 4.4 degree temp rise by 2100

India

In the first-ever climate change assessment report for India, scientists have reiterated the need to understand local climate change in India, how anthropogenic pressures continue to induce these changes, and the necessity to develop strategic approaches for improving the knowledge of Earth system processes.

Medical body NIMHANS says concerns over 'adverse effects of online schooling'

India

Access, isolation, safety and effectiveness of learning have been pointed out by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore as the major adverse effects of online learning on children.

Approaching a changed 'first day of school', only 20% students in state have digital learning access

India

While many schools in the state are set to start the new academic year online due to Coronavirus lockdown, this year, June 15th will not be the first day of school for many students across the state.

Campaign Against Child Labour urges governments to not dilute labour laws on World Day Against Child Labour

India

With reverse migration of hundreds of workers and the loss of livelihoods, the dropout rates from the schools might see an increase in the upcoming months. If the Labour laws are diluted, it could put the families of workers into greater insecurities and further impoverishment.

Exclusive: Proposed Arunachal Dibang Valley 'mega dam' has 'no economic viability,' says researcher duo

India

The proposed mega-dam project in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, which would require clearing of over 2.7 lakh trees, is not economically and financially viable, said, Shripad Dharmadhikary of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra and Ashwini Chitnis, independent researcher and policy analyst, submitting a report to the Ministry of Power (MoP), recommending not to go ahead with this project.

Class D municipal teachers struggling without salaries for past few months

India

The teachers at the primary schools run by the municipality schools of the Class D municipal corporations are struggling to make ends meet, as most of their salaries have not been paid fully the past few months.

Alibag’s lone Ham Operator takes charge of wireless communication during Cyclone Nisarga

India

Though he faces a severe visual impairment, Bapat helped the administration in communications when Cyclone Nisarga hit Alibag in Raigad district on June 3rd, 2020.

India's cities breathe better as air cleans up post coronavirus lockdown

India

The capital city of India, New Delhi, which consistently falls in the ‘Poor’ or ‘Very Poor’ categories of Air Quality Index (AQI) of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), has finally climbed up to the ‘Moderate’ category as of March 20.

Protest like a girl!

India

The world is celebrating International Women’s Day today. On March 8, 1917, women in Soviet Russia gained the right to vote. However, women at large have been known to have remained away from politics, for a long time. As women across India, inspired by Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh gathered in their own cities and towns in solidarity, they have certainly proven otherwise.

Only VC approved research papers, articles to be sent for publishing: MIT-WPU

India

A circular issued by the MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) has raised eyebrows as it has asked the staff members to ensure that the content of the research papers/articles that they are publishing 'does not sound being against the Government or any statutory organisation.'

Solapur's 'Shaheen Bag' gets an unusual letter of support, from the Hindu Mahasabha!

India

While the ongoing politics surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) of India clearly seeks to tell the ‘Right’ from the ‘Left’ in the country, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), Solapur District has extended support to the anti-CAA/NRC protest by the Solapur women at the city's Poonam Gate.

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