Bihar: Deputy CM Vijay Sinha, Tejashwi Yadav spar over paper leak cases

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, Dec 22 (IANS) The issue of question paper leaks in Bihar has become a significant political flashpoint, with both the ruling party and opposition trading barbs over the matter. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has alleged that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is responsible for the leaks, intensifying the ongoing feud.

Sinha said “the RJD is behind the paper leak”, holding the Opposition responsible.

The controversy erupted after candidates caused a ruckus at an examination centre in Patna during the 70th BPSC examination, highlighting growing dissatisfaction among aspirants about systemic failures in the examination process.

In response, Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition, launched a scathing attack on Sinha, dismissing him as “not even worthy of being a Deputy CM”.

Yadav’s remarks add to the political tension, as he attempts to shift the blame for the governance lapses onto the ruling coalition.

Responding to media queries in Katihar, Tejashwi Yadav dismissed the claims that the RJD was behind the paper leaks and instead pointed fingers at the ruling government.

Tejashwi Yadav said: “If RJD people are leaking the papers, then why is Nalanda always connected to these incidents? Every paper leak traces back to Nalanda.”

This pointed remark is significant as Nalanda is the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“If the government genuinely believes RJD is behind this, then why are they sitting idle instead of taking action?” Tejashwi Yadav questioned.

The paper leak issues in Bihar’s competitive exams, including the 70th BPSC examination, have raised serious concerns about the state’s examination system.

The Opposition has seized the issue as a key opportunity to criticise the government’s failure to ensure fairness and transparency.

Political analysts feel that by linking the incidents to Nalanda, Tejashwi Yadav has strategically turned the heat on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, further deepening the political tensions.

The development not only highlights the Opposition’s aggressive stance but also reflects the growing dissatisfaction among students and the public regarding the state administration’s handling of critical processes like examinations.

–IANS

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Parbhani custodial death: Autopsy says Dalit man died of ‘shock following multiple injuries’ (Ld)

Parbhani (Maharashtra), Dec 16 (IANS) The provisional autopsy report of a Dalit man who died in judicial custody in Parbhani has stated that he succumbed to ‘shock following multiple injuries’, as the district observed a peaceful bandh to protest the incident here on Monday.

The autopsy of Somnath Vyankat Suryavanshi, 35, was conducted at the Government Medical College in Aurangabad this morning and his body was brought back to Parbhani for the last rites which were performed under tight police security this evening.

Many areas of Parbhani town and district observed a peaceful shutdown (bandh) on Monday after the alleged accused in last week’s violence — after a statue of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was desecrated — died under mysterious circumstances in judicial custody on Sunday.

Earlier, the Parbhani Police claimed that the arrested accused Suryavanshi was admitted to a hospital following chest pains, but the provisional post-mortem report has raised fresh questions, and senior leaders of Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) plan to visit the district soon.

Rattled by the incident on the eve of the Maharashtra Legislature Session which got underway in Nagpur on Monday, the Parbhani Police deployed tight security measures to ensure a peaceful shutdown.

The state-level bandh call was given by Republican Sena President Anandraj Y. Ambedkar, his elder brother and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Y. Ambedkar, other Dalit parties/groups including Republican Party of India (A) President and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Republican Party of India (K) chief Sachin Kharat, Communist Party of India (M) leaders Ashok Dhawale and Uday Narkar, also supported.

However, Suryavanshi’s supporters, Dalit parties plus the MVA allies Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sushma Andhare, Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Dr Jitendra Awhad and Congress leaders have pointed fingers at the law enforcers alleging he was brutally thrashed by the police after he was picked up and succumbed to his grave injuries — as the provisional post-mortem report has said.

“The custodial death of Somnath Suryavanshi — a Bhim Sainik belonging to the Wadar community — in Parbhani is gut-wrenching, sickening and intolerable to say the least. What is more deplorable is that his death happened in judicial custody despite his bail application being approved,” said a grim Prakash Y. Ambedkar, who visited the town on Monday.

On December 10, an unidentified person vandalised a copy of the Constitution in the hands of Dr. Ambedkar’s statue outside Parbhani Railway Station, sparking tensions that degenerated into massive violence for the next couple of days.

Subsequently, the perpetrator of the act was identified as one ‘disturbed’ person named Sopan Pawar.

Post-violence, the Parbhani Police swooped down and booked or arrested around 300 locals, mostly Dalits including Suryavanshi, who was nabbed on December 12 and died in judicial custody barely in 72 hours.

Slamming the incident, Union Minister Athawale urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a thorough probe into the custodial death, dismissal of the concerned police officials, a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for Suryavanshi’s family, and withdrawal of police cases filed against all the accused in last week’s violence, and sparing those people who were not involved in the mayhem.

–IANS

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91 pc of Smart Cities projects completed, Rs 1.47 lakh crore invested: Centre

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) With 100 cities leading the initiative, the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) has completed 7,380 out of 8,075 projects, with an investment of Rs 1,47,704 crore, the government said on Wednesday.

As of December 13, 91 per cent of the total projects have been successfully completed, reflecting significant progress in reshaping urban landscapes across India, said the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in a statement.

Launched on June 25, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ aims to improve the quality of life in 100 cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and sustainable solutions.

Focused on economic growth, inclusivity, and sustainability, it addresses diverse needs such as housing, transport, education, healthcare, and recreation, with the goal of creating adaptable urban spaces that serve as models for other cities.

All 100 smart cities have operational ICCCs, which utilise data for making informed decisions. These ICCCs functioned as Civid-war rooms during the pandemic and have significantly improved city operations such as transport, water supply, and solid waste management by integrating emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and data analytics.

“Over 84,000 CCTV surveillance cameras have been installed in 100 smart cities, aiding in crime monitoring. Additionally, 1,884 emergency call boxes, 3,000 public address systems, and traffic enforcement systems for red light violations and automatic number plate recognition have been installed, enhancing public safety,” according to the ministry.

More than 17,026 kilometers of the water supply system are being monitored through Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), reducing non-revenue water and leakages.

Over 66 cities are managing solid waste with increased technology use, improving route management, efficiency of collection, and daily management.

Around 9,194 vehicles have been RFID-enabled for Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) to digitise and improve solid waste management efficiency, the ministry data showed.

Over 1,740 kilometers of smart roads have been constructed or improved, and 713 kilometers of cycle tracks have been developed.

While 9,433 smart classrooms and 41 digital libraries have been developed, 172 e-health centres and clinics (without dedicated beds) have been developed, and 152 health ATMs also have been installed, said the ministry.

–IANS

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K’taka Health Minister promises control on rising cesarean deliveries

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 16 (IANS) The Karnataka government stated on Monday that the number of cesarean deliveries was rising in the state and announced that a new programme would be launched by next month to control this.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao made the announcement in the Legislative Council in Belagavi on Monday.

Health Minister Rao made this statement in response to a question by the Congress Legislative Council member Jagadev Guttedar during the session held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.

Health Minister Rao declared, “A new programme aimed at controlling cesarean deliveries will be implemented next month in Karnataka.”

The rate of cesarean deliveries in the state is increasing every year from 35 per cent in 2021-2022 to 38 per cent in 2022-2023. Currently, the cesarean delivery rate stands at 46 per cent in the state.

“In private hospitals, cesarean deliveries account for 61 per cent,” Minister Rao noted.

“Private hospitals prefer cesareans as they are more profitable and easier to perform. It is essential to curb this trend for the health of mothers and babies. Therefore, efforts will be made to mentally prepare women for normal deliveries, and a new programme will be launched in this regard,” Rao stated.

Health Minister Rao also informed the council that since 2023-24, eight cases related to female feticide have been registered in the state, resulting in the arrest of 46 individuals.

Increased inspections of scanning centres and hospitals have led to the detection of more female feticide cases.

Successful decoy operations have been conducted to take action against those involved in female feticide.

To prevent female feticide, the government has established all statutory committees under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act at the state and district levels.

Since 2018, the ‘Baalika’ online software system has been used for the mandatory registration and renewal of all scanning centres, Minister Rao stated.

The registration process for 100 per cent of pregnant women is ongoing at the state level, and technology is being used to monitor birth-gender ratio data at the village level, Rao said.

So far, 136 cases have been filed in court against scanning centres, owners, and doctors for violating the PC & PNDT Act. Of these, 74 cases have resulted in fines, while 65 cases are at various stages in the courts, Rao maintained.

“The Karnataka government has increased the reward for informants who provide inputs on scanning centres, hospitals, doctors, agents, or relatives involved in female feticide. The reward has been raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh,” Minister Rao underlined.

“To ensure effective implementation of the PC and PNDT Act, a state task force led by the Commissioner has been formed. Secret operations have been conducted in districts like Bengaluru Rural, Belagavi, Mandya, and Kolar,” Minister Rao stated.

“Public awareness programmes are being conducted across the state to prevent female feticide and raise awareness among the population,” Minister Rao stated.

–IANS

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