Month: September 2019

Mesra student death triggers food slur

Source: telegraphindia.com

A first-year polytechnic student of BIT-Mesra, Nishant, died while being shifted from one hospital to another here on Saturday night, spurring some 50 of his classmates to block NH-33 near the campus around 11pm and hold the “substandard hostel food” responsible for the death.

The institute authorities, however, have denied the students’ allegation that hostel meals led to Nishant’s death by food poisoning.

A polytechnic student of computer science, Nishant, who hailed from Ramgarh district’s Giddi, came down with high fever in BIT-Mesra around 10 days ago. He was initially treated at the institute’s dispensary, said polytechnic director Sandeep Singh Solanki.

Solanki said they also informed Nishant’s parents, who came around eight days back and took him home.

“They kept him at home for two days,” Solanki said. “Later they shifted Nishant to a private hospital in Ramgarh named Hope Hospital, where his condition took a turn for the worse. The boy was referred to Ranchi. His father told us that Nishant was shifted to Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital in Ranchi on Friday evening, where he stayed in the ICU for around 10 to 14 hours. As his father could not afford the expenses at Medica, and there was no sign of improvement, the family decided to shift Nishant to (state-owned) RIMS. Unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival at RIMS on Saturday night.”

Solanki added he had no idea why a section of students were alleging that hostel food was so substandard that Nishant died of food poisoning.

“Can you believe contaminated food and drinking water will fatally affect only one student?” Solanki said.

“The rest of the students have no health complications. I don’t know why some students have made such a misleading statement. Even some newspapers carried the misleading report that painted our institute in bad light. We don’t compromise with health and education of students,” said Solanki.

Nishant’s parents were unwilling to have an autopsy performed on their son’s body, said DSP Sadar Deepak Kumar Pandey.

The DSP added that they learnt that Nishant frequently had high fever. “The theory of food poisoning doesn’t seem to be genuine under the circumstances. It may be possible that some students had a problem with the hostel canteen and food so they made it a point during the protest,” the policeman said.

He said the highway blockade lasted for some 20 minutes. “Then, students withdrew the blockade on our persuasion. We decided not to file any FIR in connection with the blockade,” the DSP said.

Asked about Nishant’s death, RIMS superintendent Dr Vivek Kashyap said: “I am not aware of the case and medical history of the boy.”

Kashyap added that post-mortem was done under certain circumstances, including when the relatives of the deceased suspect foul play and file a complaint and when the police demand autopsy, but here it did not seem to be the case.

RJD’s Raghuvansh Singh Joins Issue with Tejashwi Over ‘No Entry’ for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Source: news18.com

Patna: Fissures within the opposition RJD in Bihar came to the fore on Sunday when one of its founding members sought to join issue with the heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav over his proclamation of “no entry” for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar into the multi-party Grand Alliance.

Former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, one of the national vice-presidents of the RJD, spoke disapprovingly of the remark made by Yadav jailed founding president Lalu Prasad’s younger son at a meeting of the party’s minority cell here last week.

“It does not sound like a political comment. And where does the question of no entry arise when we have not yet received a request for entry, in the first place,” Singh told reporters, when asked about the stance adopted by Yadav, who has been declared the party’s chief ministerial candidate for next assembly polls.

He also remarked wryly that “people tend to initially disagree with every idea that I propose. They tend to concur six months afterwards.

Notably, Singh has been advocating Kumar’s return to the Grand Alliance – which the latter walked out of in 2017 since the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year in which the five-party formation managed to win just one out of a total number of 40 seats in the state.

The RJD, which was floated by Lalu Prasad in 1997, contested 19 seats but drew a blank in the Lok Sabha elections its worst-ever performance since inception.

The poll debacle led to question marks being raised over the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, who spearheaded the campaign for the Grand Alliance which comprises, besides the RJD, the Congress, former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and Bollywood set designer-turned-politician Mukesh Sahni’s VIP.

Allies like Manjhi have revolted, threatening to go it alone in the assembly elections due next year. Tejashwi Yadav, 29, went into a sulk after the Lok Sabha polls, refusing to attend party meetings and assembly session despite being the leader of the Opposition. He has shown signs of recovery from the shock with renewed interest

in political activities for the past few weeks.

He had made his political debut in the 2015 assembly polls which was followed by his appointment as Deputy Chief Minister at a tender age. His name, however, cropped up in a money laundering case relating to alleged irregular land deal under his father’s watch, when he was the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.

Nitish Kumar resigned as chief minister after the RJD refused to heed demands that the young leader step down. He formed a new government with the BJP, which promptly came up with an offer of support.

Kumar had made a made a veiled attack on Tejashwi Yadav a day after the latter made the “no entry” remark. “Some of their leaders come up with an idea. Somebody

else rises up and says no, it is not needed. Little do they realise that nobody is giving them any importance,” Kumar had said at the JD(U)’s state council meeting, without mentioning Yadav or his party by name.

He had also asserted that the NDA in Bihar, which also includes BJP and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP, will win “more than 200” seats in the 243-strong state assembly.

‘He is a Babu…’: Giriraj Singh Castigates Official in Bihar for Sitting in Car While Talking to Him

Source: news18.com

Begusarai(Bihar): Union minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday gave a dressing down to a government official in his Lok Sabha constituency here for apparently showing reluctance to alight from a vehicle while speaking with him.

Singh has been touring flood-affected areas of his Lok Sabha constituency since Saturday. This morning, while he was travelling on foot, accompanied by supporters, local residents and a Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashish Anand, the car of Nishant, Sub-Divisional Officer of Teghra, pulled up close by.

When Singh addressed the official, he replied from within the car, irking the minister’s supporters.

The firebrand BJP leader got sore and remarked, “Why would he alight from his vehicle. He is a babu (an honorific used in Bihar to describe bureaucrats). I greet him with folded hands.”

The official, subsequently, got out of his car and tried to placate Singh, who gave him a piece of his mind.

“While touring this area I have heard a lot of tareef (praise) for you from the people. Please ensure that more of this does not happen,”

Singh remarked with trademark acerbity.

“You must ensure that relief is provided to all the people of the sub-division without any discrimination. I remember that a relief camp had been set up here in 2016 when areas were similarly inundated. A camp should be set up again. Else I am going to stage a dharna in front of your premises,” he told the official, who nodded with folded hands.

Singh also said that he would apprise the chief minister and the chief secretary of the flood situation in his constituency. “And please do not remain under the illusion that I will be content with speaking to you. I am going to speak to the Chief Minister as well as the Chief Secretary about the flood in my constituency. So you better set your house in order,” he warned.

Singh gave up his sitting seat of Nawada in the general elections this year and retained Begusarai for his party by trouncing CPI’s Kanhaiya Kumar by over four lakh votes.

Meat-chop lynching in Jharkhand

Source: telegraphindia.com

A man was lynched and two others were injured on Sunday by a Jharkhand mob that accused them of cow slaughter.

Police sources said a crowd had attacked Kalantus Barla, Philip Horo and Phagu Kachchap in Jaltand Suari village, Khunti district, after word spread that the trio had been seen chopping meat, with the remains of a cow strewn around them.

Cow slaughter and beef sale are banned in Jharkhand, which has emerged as a lynching hotbed, accounting for 17 of the 44 deaths the country witnessed at the hands of mobs between May 2015 and December 2018. Most of the lynchings in the state were related to suspected cow slaughter or beef possession.

“As soon as the local police learnt about the attack, they rushed to the spot and rescued the trio. They were brought to the local hospital, from where they were sent to RIMS, Ranchi,” an officer in Khunti said.

“Seven people have been detained for questioning. An FIR will be lodged,” A.V. Homkar, deputy inspector-general of police, South Chhotanagpur, said.

He added: “Preliminary investigation suggests the three men were selling prohibited meat. They were caught by the mob and thrashed. Additional police forces have been deployed.”

Vivek Kashyap, RIMS superintendent, said Barla, 38, had been dead on arrival and that the post-mortem report would establish the cause of death. He said both Horo and Kachchap had multiple injuries, without elaborating.

Khunti police sources said the village was tense.

The lynching trend has continued in Jharkhand this year, with a mob killing Tabrez Ansari, 24, on suspicion of theft at Dhatkidih village in Seraikela in June.

Footage suggests the mob forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”.

The police, who recently filed the chargesheet in the case, have reinstated the murder charges against the 13 accused after having dropped them.

Jharkhand Government to appoint 110 senior residents in 5 medical colleges in 4 days

Source: hindustantimes.com

In order to fulfil its undertaking to Medical Council of India (MCI), state government would appoint 110 senior residents (SR)/tutors on vacant posts of different departments in all five medical colleges through walk-in interviews within four days.

Deputy secretary health, medical education and family welfare department of government Abhishek Srivastava on Saturday issued a vacancy notice for appointment of senior residents and tutors in all five medical colleges including Patliputra Medical College Hospital (PMCH) Dhanbad and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) Jamshedpur.

Last month (August) on directive of Supreme Court, Jharkhand government had given undertaking to MCI to compliance faculty deficiencies in three months in newly set up its three medical colleges, Hazaribagh, Palamu and Dumka to start teaching from current session.

State’s all medical colleges including PMCH and MGMMCH are reeling under shortage of senior residents and Tutors. At PMCH, only 36 are working against sanctioned posts of 70 while at MGMMCH only 44 are deployed against sanctioned posts of 97.

“Since classes have been started, 110 senior residents/tutors would be appointed this month to cater the requirements. A two-day walk-in interview has been called at IPH Institute, RCH campus Ranchi on September 25 and 26”, said deputy secretary Srivastava.

On first day (September 25) they would be appointed in faculties of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, medicine, TB and Chest, pediatrics, surgery, orthopedic, ENT, eye, gynecology. On second day (September 26) doctors for microbiology, FMT, Pharmacology, PSM, radiology, radiotherapy, anesthesia, skin, Psychiatric and physical medicine and rehabilitation would be selected.

Highest number of doctors (11) would be selected for biochemistry department followed by 10 each in physiology and anatomy. Besides this, eight doctors would be selected for radiology department and 7 in anesthesia.

“Senior residents are being appointed for three years on a fixed honorarium of Rs 60,000 per month and their job would be spontaneously terminated after completion of tenure as per the health service rules of Jharkhand government”, said deputy secretary.

IINRG celebrates 96th foundation day

Source: dailypioneer.com

Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) – Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums (IINRG) celebrated its 96th foundation day on Friday. Chairman, Jharkhand Public Service Commission, Sudhir Tripathi, was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

A large number of distinguished scientists from Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Regional Center of ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region and regional station of ICAR-NBPGR, dignitaries from NGO, Chhattisgarh, Sahabhagi Samaj Sevi Sanstha participated in the programme.

While welcoming the Chief Guest, Director of the Institute, KK Sharma apprised them of the achievements of the institute in terms of various technologies developed and transferred by the institute especially value added products from natural gums such as hydrogels, dietary fibers and gum based nano-particles for disease control in plants. He also mentioned how lac cultivation played a significant role in increasing farm income.

Speaking on the occasion Tripathi congratulated the institute for its significant contribution in research and development of natural resins and gums. He also wished the institute to receive more laurels during its centenary celebration.

Addressing the gathering as Guest of Honour, Inspector General of Police (HR), Navin Kumar Singh delivered the 9th Dorothy Norris Memorial Lecture on “Digital India, Cyber Crime Issues, Challenges and Way Forward” in which he explained the importance of digitization, cyber crime issues in the digital era and the precautions to be taken to safeguard from cyber crimes. A memorial lecture was delivered by Singh, in honour of the Founder Director of the erstwhile Indian Lac Research Institute Dorothy Norris.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ICAR-IINRG and Sahabhagi Samaj Sevi Sanstha working on strengthening lac value chain in the State of Chhattisgarh in which the institute will provide technical support to the NGO.

On this occasion, distinguished workers of the institute like Scientist, Arnab Roy Chaudhury, Technical Officer, P Patmajhi, Janki Devi and Chaitu Kachhap, skilled supporting staff were awarded with certificates and trophies for their commendable contribution in their sphere of work.

Saturday was declared as an open day for the public in which over 800 students from 12 schools visited the institute. They were shown the Museum, Lac video film, Short video on Swachh Bharat Mission of Government of India and Institute Research Farm. A cultural function was also organized in the evening for the participants and the employees of the institute.

Retired staff of the ICAR-IINRG also attended the event.

PM Modi, Mongolian President unveil Lord Buddha statue in Ulaanbaatar

Source: moneycontrol.com

Amid the chanting of Buddhist prayers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga on September 20 jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha at the Gandan Monastery in Mongolia via video.

The Mongolian president is on a five-day visit to India.

The golden statue with Lord Buddha holding a bowl was unveiled at a brief ceremony held at the prime minister’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence.

The Gandan Monastery is located in Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar.

Just before the unveiling, young monks at the monastery chanted Buddhist chants. Soon after, a Buddhist monk present at the prime minister’s residence offered prayers as Modi and President Battulga stood with folded hands.

The Prime Minister’s Office on September 19 described the unveiling ceremony as a “symbol of India-Mongolia spiritual partnership and shared Buddhist heritage”.

In May 2015,PM Modi had visited the monastery where he presented a Bodhi tree sapling describing it as a token of friendship from the Indian people.Gandan is the largest and most significant monastery in Mongolia. Built in the mid 19th century, it is the only monastery where Buddhist services continued to function even during the Communist period.

Childline staff attacked as rumours continue to fuel mob fury in Bihar

Source: hindustantimes.com

A group of men working in Bihar’s Darbhanga for Childline, a telephone hotline meant for helping children in distress, was on Friday attacked by a mob on suspicion of being child lifers, the police said.

According to the police, Childline employees Raghav Thakur, Nilesh Kumar Karn, constable Gopal Ram and driver Daya Jha were attacked when they reached Koriahi village in Sitamarhi district to verify the address of one of the three children they brought from a Darbhanga-based shelter home. The mob also damaged their vehicle.

During the address verification process, the officials took help of a local boy to locate the house of the child. Some villagers thought they were child-lifters and started thrashing them, the police said.

A police team led by sub-inspector Dasrath Prasad Singh reached the spot to rescue the Childline employees and was initially attacked by villagers .

“An additional police force is camping in the village and the situation is normal,” said Sitamarhi superintendent of police Anil Kumar. He also urged the Childline team to keep the police informed when they travel with children. The injured men were treated at a t local primary health centre .

Several mob attacks have taken place in Bihar on people suspected to be child lifters. As many as 14 people have been lynched by mobs across the state in the past two-and-a-half months, but none of them proved to be a real child abductor, the police claimed.

“We have found that none of those killed in mob violence was a child abductor. The police headquarters is reviewing the situation on a regular basis,” said additional director general (ADG) of police (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar on Friday.

Bihar police have filed first information reports (FIRs) against 348 people in connection with these incidents. The ADG said 278 suspects have been arrested in 39 cases of mob lynching in the state so far.

Apart from the deaths, at least 14 people have been injured in attacks by locals over such rumours, police said.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar is set to review the situation in the next few days, according to officials.

State police headquarters has asked people not to spread rumours, and keep away from mob violence, warning them of serious consequences under law. Separate teams from the police and district administrations have also launched campaigns to sensitise people through audio/video clips and posters, besides making them aware that mob attacks were a cognisable offence.

“The police will deal with those spreading rumours sternly. Those seen involved in incidents of mob justice will not spared,” said a second senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

Tale of a Bihar school: Gunny bags for benches, open sky as roof for 250 kids

Source: indiatoday.in

The Rajkiya Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya in Bihar’s Basanta village, 40 kilometre from Patna, teaches students from classes 1 to 8. Almost 250 children study here, however, due to lack of resources, the school runs from just two classrooms, forcing many to study in the open space outside.

“There is a lack of resources because of which children are studying outside the classroom. We have taken up the matter several times with the district officials but to no avail,” said Sanjeev Kumar Sah, a class teacher at the school.

India Today TV travelled to this government school in Vaishali district and found that there were no tables and chairs available for students from classes 1 to 4. Lack of resources compelled the children of these classes to get their own sitting arrangement to school.

“We don’t have a chair and table to sit and that is why we bring empty gunny bags to school to study”, said student of Class 2.

There is a separate room just outside the school premises which is being used by students of class 3 and 4 to study. Urvashi Kumari, teacher of these students, complained that the roof of the room is broken from many places because of which water fills up the classroom during the monsoons.

When India Today TV went into this classroom, it was found that the children were sitting on the floor with water and studying.

“The roof of this class is broken and we have raised this matter many times but nothing has been done. We have no option but to teach students in this situation,” said Urvashi Kumari.

Such is the condition of the school that students of classes 7 and 8 share a single classroom and two teachers use the same blackboard. While Ramanuj Prasad teaches History to students of class 7, Richa Kumari teachers Maths to students of class 8.

70-year-old Jharkhand’s man lynched on child-lifting suspicions

Source: hindustantimes.com

A septuagenarian man was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of being child lifter in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district, police said on Thursday.

The police, however, are yet to identify the victim, whose body has been sent for autopsy.

“We have lodged an FIR against unknown persons today and started probe,” said Sahibganj superintendent police (SP) Hrudeep P Janardhanan.

The incident took place in remote Kuchi Pahari area under Mirzachoki police station, around 440 km northeast of capital Ranchi, on Wednesday afternoon when the 70-year-old man went collect herbs from hilly place.

“I think the old man, who was looking very poor, died due to panic on way to hospital after being beaten by villagers. We found minor injury marks seen on his body. The autopsy report will reveal the actual cause of the death,” he said.

Sahibganj sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Nawal Sharma said, “The old man went to collect herbs from a hilly place. While retuning, few villagers suspected him as child lifter. They thrashed him at Kuchi Pahari village.”

After hearing this, the village head Sunny Pahariya rushed to the place and rescued him from the mob, Sharma said.

“The old man was being brought to Mirzachoki health centre. He was able to walk on his feet at that time. But, all of a sudden, he fell and died,” Sharma said.

During interrogation, some villagers told the police that the man was often spotted in the area, going to the hill to collect herbs.

The SP said they have been spreading awareness villages to counter child lifting rumours. “Since most of them belonged to Pahariya tribe in the tribal villages, they hardly understand Hindi. We have involved village heads and other people to spread awareness in this regard in villages,” he said.

In another incident, an elderly person was tied to an electric pole and thrashed by villagers on suspicion of being child lifter at Belbad village in Deoghar district on Wednesday. In Ranchi, a mentally disordered woman was beaten calling her child lifter. However, both of them were rescued by police in time.

Mob lynching on suspicions of child lifting has become common in Jharkhand, where the administration has been issuing public notice, warning rumour-mongers of stringent legal action. The Ranchi district administration recently issued such a notice which says, “Spreading rumour of child lifting is becoming a common affair. Punishing or physically torturing any person by any mob is a legal offence. Such people in the mob will be identified and legal action will be taken against them.”