Month: April 2025

[ad_1] Harvard University in Cambridge (File photo) The Trump administration announced Monday it will freeze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts for Harvard after the university refused to comply with its policy demands concerning changes in its policies. The mandates, issued in an April 3 directive, required changes to university governance, hiring and admissions processes, the closure of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices, and cooperation with federal immigration screenings for international students. In its response, Harvard President Alan Garber declared the university would not “negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.” Garber emphasized that while the university is committed to addressing discrimination, it rejects federal overreach into academic autonomy. Following Harvard’s refusal, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism suspended the fundings and grants. The Task Force cited concerns about elite universities’ commitment to civil […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: A fresh encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Monday night.According to officials, the exchange of fire took place in Lasana village of Surankote after security forces launched a search operation based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of terrorists in the area.One Army personnel was injured during the firing and was subsequently shifted to a hospital for treatment, officials said.The Army stated that additional troops have been deployed and search operations are ongoing to prevent the terrorists from escaping."Contact was established with terrorists during a joint operation with Police at Lasana, Surankote last night. Additional troops have been inducted, and search operations are ongoing to prevent the terrorists from escaping," the Jammu-based White Knight Corps posted on X. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Supreme Court Justice B R Gavai (File Image) NEW DELHI: It is the Constitution which kept India united, strong and stable in the last 75 years despite facing turbulent times during external aggressions and internal disturbances, senior-most judge of Supreme Court Justice B R Gavai said on Monday while showering praise on B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, reports Amit Anand Choudhary.Justice Gavai, who will take over as CJI next month, said the Constitution paved the way for upliftment of women and oppressed sections of society and brought them into the national mainstream which was manifested in Droupadi Murmu, a Scheduled Tribe woman, becoming President, and Narendra Modi, despite coming from a humble background and belonging to the backward classes, assuming the office of PM. Justice Gavai said many neighbouring countries failed but India stood the test […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Calling the BJP-RSS "enemies" of Ambedkar, and stating that Ambedkar had blamed V D Savarkar for his election defeat in 1952, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said PM Modi should read the letter that the framer of the Constitution wrote to his friend about his defeat. He said RSS-BJP only pay lip service to the late neta for political reasons.Kharge slammed the PM's allegations against Congress, saying the party gave respect to Ambedkar by making him a member of the Constituent Assembly and chairman of the drafting committee, in contrast to RSS, which burnt a copy of the Constitution and condemned Ambedkar for not including "manusmriti" in the statute. "They are enemies of Ambedkar, and did not respect him when he was alive. They condemned Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism by mocking that 'Buddha has become SC'," he said. […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: The political class rushed to embrace and celebrate B R Ambedkar with generous tributes on his 135th birth anniversary, adding to celebrations by his followers across cities, and cementing the icon's status as the sole bipartisan figure on the contemporary socio-political firmament.Political biggies PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi among others gathered for annual garlanding and floral tributes at the Ambedkar statue in Parliament complex.The celebrations from politicians merged seamlessly with the many roadshows and bus trips to Ambedkar parks taken out by Ambedkar's supporters.If Ambedkar is enjoying a pan-political popularity which appears unprecedented in post-independent India, it is largely owing to the emancipator having emerged as the bridge to the sprawling Dalit populace that forms a critical vote base for parties. The success of opposition's "Constitution in danger" campaign during 2024 LS polls appears […]

[ad_1] PM Modi offering shoes to Rampal Kashyap in Yamunanagar PM Modi Monday met Rampal Kashyap from Kaithal, who had walked barefoot for 14 years, vowing not to wear shoes until Modi became PM and they met.When Kashyap stood before Modi, the PM said, "Brother, why did you do this? Why trouble yourself?" Kashyap made the vow in 2011, and though Modi became PM in 2014, Kashyap's wish to meet him remained unfulfilled - yet he stayed true to his resolve.On Ambedkar Jayanti, during Modi's stop in Yamunanagar, Kashyap's 14-year wait ended. Modi urged him to end his vow, and gifted him a pair of shoes. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] People outside government-run hospital after fire broke out LUCKNOW: Panic gripped patients and staff at the government-run Lokbandhu Hospital in Lucknow Monday after a fire broke out around 10pm, causing chaos and triggering evacuation, report Pathikrit Chakraborty & Mohsin Usmani. Over 200 patients, including those in critical care, were shifted out as thick smoke engulfed the premises.Hospital authorities said the fire is suspected to have originated from a short circuit in the women's medicine and emergency ward located on the second floor. It quickly spread across the floor. There were reports of one death of a patient en route to SPIMS hospital, but official confirmation was awaited. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Waqf bill protest in Bengal KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress and BJP clashed sharply Monday over the ongoing violence in Bengal's Murshidabad district, with TMC accusing protesters of disrupting life to serve what it called the saffron party's agenda and leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari calling for 2026 assembly elections to be held under President's rule.Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh questioned why waqf protests were being held in Bengal instead of Delhi, saying demonstrations were being hijacked to destabilise the state. "Why should roads in Bengal be blocked? Why life should be disrupted daily?" he said. "This is the trap laid out by BJP and in the name of protests you are falling for it."Ghosh said CM Mamata Banerjee had assured that any anti-people provisions in waqf law would not be implemented in Bengal. "Trinamool has opposed waqf in Parliament, outside it, […]