The Hindu Morning Digest, September 15, 2024

US calls on India to ban Russian state media network RT; State Department officials say this is not relevant to us

As the US stepped up efforts to ban and block Russia’s state media network RT Sources worldwide report The Hindu that US officials have spoken to the State Department about merging their actions against what they call “Russian disinformation” by revoking accreditations and designating their journalists under the Foreign Missions Act. However, while the department has remained mum on the issue, administration officials have said the sanctions debate is not relevant to India, while a former diplomat said the banning of media organizations showed “double standards” by Western countries.

CBI arrests police officer, RG Kar director in Kolkata rape, murder case

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Tala police officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal and former director of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) Sandip Kumar Ghosh on charges of tampering with evidence and delaying the filing of an FIR in connection with the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RGKMCH in Kolkata. Dr Ghosh remains in judicial custody after the CBI arrested him on September 2 on charges of financial irregularities at the institution.

Deadlock continues as protesting doctors refuse to meet CM Mamata without livestreaming

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to the agitating doctors, who had arrived at her residence in Kolkata for talks, to participate in the meeting amid their demand for live streaming of the discussions. The meeting between Ms Banerjee and the agitating junior doctors protesting the RG Kar rape and murder incident did not take place on the scheduled date as the medics remained adamant about live streaming the talks.

Family, friends and comrades bid final farewell to Sitaram Yechury

Family, friends, admirers and comrades bid farewell to Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Saturday as his remains were brought to the party headquarters for people from all walks of life to pay their last respects. He left the party office for the last time at 3:30 pm, with a winding trail of mourners following in the wake of the funeral procession, holding his photos and chanting slogans.

Modi calls Congress ‘most dishonest and deceitful party’ in the country

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in Haryana, where Assembly elections are scheduled on October 5, was stepped up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, calling it “the most dishonest and deceitful party in the country”. Mr Modi also hit out at Congress-ruled states. “The Congress came to power in Himachal Pradesh two years ago by making false promises. Government employees are on strike to get their salaries. Youths are not being recruited. The situation has been reduced to closure of schools and colleges. The Congress had promised to give ₹1,500 to women, but thousands of women are still waiting. Moreover, several public welfare schemes started by the previous BJP government have now been stopped,” the Prime Minister alleged.

One dead from suspected Nipah in Kerala’s Malappuram, final test results awaited

Less than two months after a schoolboy died of Nipah in Pandikkad in Malappuram district, another case of the infection surfaced in Naduvath, near Wandoor, barely 10 km from Pandikkad. The test result of a 23-year-old man who died on Monday at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna has come back positive. The man, a student in Bengaluru, was admitted to Perinthalmanna hospital with symptoms of jaundice. His blood sample tested at the Government Medical College in Kozhikode showed that he was positive for the Nipah virus. However, the health department is awaiting the results from the National Institute of Virology in Pune for final confirmation.

Curfew relaxation in Manipur districts withdrawn after women’s protest

Three district administrations in Manipur’s Imphal Valley have withdrawn a partial relaxation of curfew after a large gathering of women outside a police station to protest the grievous injuries sustained by a pregnant woman during the student agitation on Tuesday (September 10, 2024). The curfew in Imphal East, Imphal West, and Bishnupur districts were relaxed for 11 hours on Saturday (September 13, 2024).

Trump vows to deport Haitians from Ohio; Biden calls for end to attacks

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed to carry out mass deportations of Haitian immigrants from the Ohio city of Springfield, shortly after President Joe Biden called for an end to attacks on the community. The city has been at the center of a social media maelstrom for days after right-wing agitators latched onto false claims that Haitian newcomers were eating pets. The majority of Springfield’s 15,000 Haitians are there legally. Trump’s longstanding promise to carry out mass deportations has mostly referred to those in the country illegally.

Chhattisgarh to introduce Hindi-medium medical education from 2024-25

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced that the state would introduce Hindi-medium medical education in its government medical colleges. Announcing this at a press conference at his office, Mr. Sai said it would be implemented from the academic year 2024-25. “MBBS courses will be available in Hindi. Necessary textbooks in Hindi will be provided to students as per the guidelines given to the Health Ministry,” the Chief Minister said.

Three militants killed in Baramulla operation, search underway in J&K’s Kishtwar

Security forces have killed three unidentified militants in north Kashmir’s Baramulla during an anti-militancy operation. A search operation is underway in Kishtwar against hidden militants, who opened fire on Friday afternoon and killed two soldiers. Doda district borders Kishtwar, where security forces have engaged a group of hidden militants in gunfights in the upper reaches since Friday afternoon.

Centre sets up monitoring mechanism after ‘undiagnosed fever’ claimed 15 lives in Gujarat’s Kutch

In the wake of an undiagnosed fever that claimed 15 lives in Gujarat’s Kutch, the Union Health Ministry has set up a surveillance mechanism to respond immediately to such outbreaks, official sources said. They said entry points such as airports, land ports and sea ports are also being monitored for the disease. The government has set up an effective surveillance mechanism through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), IHIP network and also through the One Health Mission to respond immediately to such outbreaks, the sources said.

Government subsidised onion sales bring relief, prices fall in major cities

The government’s subsidised onion sales initiative, launched on September 5, has led to a drop in prices in major cities within days, the consumer affairs ministry said. In Delhi, the retail price of onion fell from ₹60 to ₹55 per kg, while Mumbai saw a drop from ₹61 to ₹56 per kg. In Chennai, the retail price dropped from ₹65 to ₹58 per kg, the ministry said in a statement. The government started selling onion at a subsidised rate of ₹35 per kg through mobile vans and NCCF and NAFED outlets.

Water leakage in main dome of Taj Mahal after heavy rainfall raises concerns

Water leakage has been reported at the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Agra, where it has been raining continuously for the past three days. Videos of the flooded garden on the premises of the iconic structure have gone viral on social media, raising concerns. The Archaeological Survey of India authorities said there has been no damage to the heritage building even as the garden next to the 17th-century mausoleum remains submerged. The ASI has conducted an inspection of the 17th-century building using drone cameras to determine if any damage has been caused.

Six weeks post pregnancy is not enough to regain medical fitness, says Delhi HC, asks Centre to revise CAPF guidelines

Women aspiring to join the Central Armed Police Forces are given just six weeks to lose weight and regain their medical fitness after pregnancy. Finding this period insufficient, the Delhi High Court has directed the Union government to revise its guidelines in this regard. “This period of six weeks provided in the guidelines to enable a woman candidate to regain her medical fitness after pregnancy is, in our view, extremely short,” a bench of Justices Rekha Palli and Shalinder Kaur said. They observed that “it is not always possible for a woman candidate who has undergone pregnancy to regain her full medical fitness and lose the weight gained in the nine months of her pregnancy within six weeks.”

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin says there will be change in cabinet

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said on his return to Chennai from the US that there would be a change in the state Cabinet. “There will be no gap between the words and deeds of the DMK (sonnathai seivom). The party is celebrating its 75th anniversary. There will definitely be a situation that will meet your expectations,” he told reporters at the Chennai airport.