Nursing students from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at the Government Nursing College at Holenarasipur in Hassan district, have complained of restrictions on growing beards being imposed at the institution.

The J&K students, enrolled in the institute under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS), were forced to shave their beards, according to a letter written to the Chief Minister, by the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association.

Association national convener Nasir Khuehami, in his letter to the CM on Saturday, said two dozen students from Jammu and Kashmir had been studying in the college. “The college administration has mandated that students either trim their beards to a ‘01’ trimmer length or be clean-shaven as a condition for participating in college activities and entering the premises, particularly for clinical duties,” he said.

Mr. Khuehami, who resides in Delhi, said that he received letters from students in Holenarasipur. “The students are facing undue restrictions regarding their personal appearance, specifically the growing of beards in accordance with their cultural and religious practices,” he said.

When The Hindu contacted B. Rajanna, Director of Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, he said the issue had been resolved. “The staff had given general instructions with regard to maintaining cleanliness while on clinical duties. The instructions had been misconstrued by the students,” he said.

He spoke to the students and addressed their grievances. “They have come all the way from J&K. We are taking good care of them. We listened to them. They have expressed happiness with the institute’s response. They are all happy now,” he added.

The director has also sent a notice to the principal of the college seeking a report on the incident.

The vice-president of VIT, G.V. Selvam, inaugurated the salon near the Old Fish Market on Saturday.

The vice-president of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), G.V. Selvam, inaugurated a free salon, exclusively meant for persons with disabilities, near the Old Fish Market here.

Spread over 250 square feet, the new salon can accommodate at least three persons at a time.

Hairstylist R. Raja has been roped in for the service. He has been catering to the needs of persons with disabilities at their homes for nearly a decade.

Thalaimurai Peravai, a local non-profit association led by PDK Maran, launched the initiative.

“In India, Sikkim has 2.91% of persons with disabilities, followed by Tamil Nadu (1.6%). They [persons with disabilities] too need better hair care, especially protection from dandruff. Such an initiative for them is laudable,” Mr. Selvam said.

District Differently Abled Welfare Officer S. Saravanan said persons with disabilities, especially those who are wheelchair-bound, have to pay exorbitant rates for a haircut since they need to call hairstylists to their homes to do the job. Now, such services are delivered free of cost.

Of 37,000 persons with disabilities in the district, around 14,000 of them are within the Vellore taluk including Corporation limits, he said.

“The battery-run wheelchair provided by the State government for persons with disabilities allows them to move around freely, including inside a small facility like a salon. Such an initiative should be encouraged,” Mr. Saravanan said.

The new salon will function from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on all days, including Sundays.

In special cases, the services will be extended to persons with disabilities at their houses.

P. Gnanavel, president, Vellore All Traders’ Association, and S. Ramamurthy, vice-president, Tamil Nadu All Hairstylists’ Association, were present on the occasion.

Priests performing  ‘Pushpa Yagam’ at Tirumala temple on Saturday.

Fervour marked the annual ‘Pushpa Yagam’ festival observed at the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Saturday. Around nine tonnes of aromatic flowers of varied hues donated by devotees from within the State and neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were utilised in the festival.

The festivities took off to a religious start, with ‘Snapana Thirumanjanam’ to the deities of Lord Malayappa and his two consorts, followed by the ‘Pushpa Yagam’ in the afternoon. The deities were seated atop a high golden altar as the priests showered flowers on them amid chanting of verses from the scriptures. As soon as the floral mounds touched the chin of the deities, the priests cleared them and repeated the spiritual exercise for about 18 times.

Earlier, a team of around 300 Srivari seva volunteers and employees led by the TTD Additional Executive Officer Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary carried the flowers in a grand procession from the garden office and handed them over to the priests inside the temple.

Civil society groups and individuals called for more transparency in the ongoing caste survey in Telangana, urging the government to release the survey forms in English and Urdu to enhance accessibility and avoid confusion among the public.

They underscored that Urdu is the State’s second official language, and English is widely understood.

ASEEM, a non-governmental organisation, stated that they had submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, asking for the immediate release of the survey forms in these two languages.

“We also request that the government conduct a publicity campaign in Urdu and Telugu newspapers and collaborate with community organisations to stress the significance of the survey. A large section of Telangana’s population cannot read or write in Telugu, making the current format of the survey form a barrier to participation. Releasing the forms in Urdu and English would alleviate this issue,” ASEEM stated in its communication.

The group also recommended that the government provide a detailed list of the information respondents would need to ready, ensuring smoother interactions with surveyors.

Mufti Omar Abedeen from the All India Milli Council, too, echoed similar views. He demanded that forms in English and Urdu be made available quickly. “This will enable members of the public to understand the information required for the survey. There are some people who are still unaware of what information should be shared with the enumerators. If a the form is released both in Urdu and English, even as pdf, it would be of great help,” he said.

On Friday, residents of Banjara Hills said enumerators had come to their homes and affixed stickers, which is a part of the survey process. They said that there was confusion of what information the enumerators should be given. “While they did not ask questions or fill the survey form, there should be more clarity on what sort of questions we will be asked. I cannot read or write Telugu. So, it would be good if forms in English are made available. Privacy and data protection are also important,” said Zaindul Abedeen, an IT professional.

NCP president and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar during an interview with The Hindu at his residence in Pune on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

Fighting the toughest battle of his political career, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar will field candidates on 56 of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly election. Pitted against his uncle and NCP(SP) president Sharad Pawar, whose party contests on 87 seats, the fight on the home turf of Baramati and in other constituencies will decide whom the people of Maharashtra trust. This is the first State Assembly election after the vertical split in the NCP and the Shiv Sena, the two strong regional parties, making the entire process an unprecedented one for the State. In an interview at his bungalow in Pune, Ajit Pawar, known to never mince his words, says that he wants the people of Maharashtra to trust him and to give him a chance on the basis of his work experience as a good administrator.

“I did not leave him. All the MLAs wrote to him and he gave his permission,” Mr. Ajit Pawar said, when asked if he thought he had made a mistake by parting ways with Mr. Sharad Pawar.

When asked if there was any possibility of reconciliation, he said he did not want to answer hypothetical questions at this juncture.

“Everything is at stake for us in this election, but so it is for them [the Opposition]. We have corrected mistakes we committed during the Lok Sabha election. The atmosphere is different now,” he said. On the recent controversy over Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “batoge toh katoge” (If we don’t stay united, we will be destroyed) remark, he said his party had not left its secular moorings despite being in an alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena.

On his chief ministerial aspirations and whether he thinks Maharashtra would once again see the CM candidate being chosen from the smaller party in the alliance, much like Bihar, he said: “I am not the kind of person who hides his aspirations. But am not thinking of it right now. If I say anything, it disturbs the alliance partners.”

Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, with the NCP’s clock symbol pinned close to its centre button, Mr. Ajit Pawar looked relaxed. He laughed while fielding questions and attended to waiting party workers, amid a packed campaigning schedule.

In the Lok Sabha election, Mr. Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) had won eight of the 10 seats it fought, and Mr. Ajit Pawar’s faction could win only one seat.

Full interview:

Kaushik Reddy
| Photo Credit:

Mild commotion prevailed in Huzurabad town on Saturday when police dispersed a group of BRS cadres, who, led by the party MLA P. Kaushik Reddy staged a dharna demanding release of funds for Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries under the second phase of the scheme.

The demonstrators including Mr. Kaushik Reddy staged a dharna at Ambedkar Chowrasta in protest against what they alleged inordinate delay on the part of the Congress government in the release of financial assistance to the beneficiaries of Dalit Bandhu, a scheme launched by the previous BRS government for economic empowerment of Dalits. Several Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries took part in the protest, sources said.

The situation turned tense when the police tried to disperse the protesters as the vehicular traffic on the busy Karimnagar-Hanamkonda highway was disrupted. This led to jostling and one of the protesters reportedly fainted in the melee, sources added. The police shifted the protesters to the local police station. They were let off later in the day.

Mr Reddy was admitted to the Government Area Hospital in the town after he complained of dizziness. Speaking to the media, Mr Reddy alleged that the local police resorted to lathi-charge on the demonstrators. Meanwhile, BRS working president K T Rama Rao condemned the alleged attack on Kaushik Reddy and warned the police that they would be made to pay when the BRS comes back to power.

Three workers were charred to death and three others injured in a fire caused by a chemical leak at a godown in Navsari district of Gujarat on Saturday (November 9, 2024), police said.

The blaze broke out around 9 a.m. when workers were unloading barrels containing chemicals from a truck at a godown in Devsar village of Billimoria taluka, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) B.V. Gohil said.

“Three workers died, and three others sustained injuries and were shifted to a hospital,” he said.

Mr. Gohil said five fire tenders were pressed into service from nearby talukas, and the blaze was brought under control.

Mamlatdar Jagdish Chaudhary said chemicals leaked from one of the barrels in the truck, causing the fire.

The truck first caught fire, and the flames spread in the godown, killing three persons. Three workers sustained severe burns, while one is still missing, he said. The cooling operation is underway at the godown, the official added.

Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana, a march to spread awareness on water pollution, covered the villages of Tirthahalli taluk on Saturday. The participants held interactions with locals as part of the campaign.
| Photo Credit: Sathish G.T.

Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana, a march to spread awareness on water pollution, covered the villages of Tirthahalli taluk on Saturday. The participants held interactions with locals as part of the campaign.
| Photo Credit:
Sathish G.T.

The Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana, a 10-day-long padayatra from Sringeri to Harihar to spread awareness on the necessity of keeping the river unpolluted, has received an impressive response from the public. Along the march, many local people, representatives of local bodies, and students joined in and actively participated in the interactions conducted as part of the campaign.

The Paryavarana Trust in Shivamogga and Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolana of New Delhi have jointly organised the event that began at Sringeri on November 6. Around 60 people, including environmentalists, retired employees, writers, professors, and students, have resolved to travel about 400 km. The core team of walkers includes eight-year-old Prathish, a Grade 3 student, and 81-year-old Prof. B.M. Kumaraswamy, who heads Paryavaran Trust. In the first phase, they will reach Harihar in Davangere on November 14. In the second, they will walk from Harihar to Kishkinda in Koppal district.

The participants began the march on Saturday, after breakfast at Balagaru Mutt near Bejjavalli in Tirthahalli taluk. Akshobhya Ramapriya Teertha Swamy of the mutt also joined the march. Locals, schoolchildren, and elected representatives walked for a couple of km and attended an interaction organised at Kudumallige village. 

Sripathi of Nirmala Tunabhadra Abhiyana committee, briefing people about the objectives of the campaign, said that the river was being polluted by releasing untreated sewage and other waste. “Even a piece of plastic or municipal waste ultimately reaches the river during rains. We need to be aware of the problems that polluted rivers cause. We are taking out the march to spread awareness among the public and also put pressure on the State government to take up measures necessary to avoid pollution of rivers,” he stated.

As part of the march, volunteers are gathering information about sources of water in each village and causes of pollution. “We will compile the data collected and submit a report to the government and also to the public after the march. Later, we will constantly put pressure on the government to install sewage treatment plants wherever necessary,” Mr. Kumaraswamy told The Hindu.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the response from the public was highly impressive. “We are motivated by the people’s response. Many are voluntarily joining us for the march. During the inauguration at Sringeri, the seer of Sharada Peetha, announced that the mutt would part with its land to set up a sewage treatment plant to avoid pollution of Tunga water,” Mr. Kumaraswamy added.

Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana, a march to spread awareness on water pollution, covered the villages of Tirthahalli taluk on Saturday. The participants held interactions with locals as part of the campaign.
| Photo Credit:
Sathish G.T.

Nirmala Tungabhadra Abhiyana, a march to spread awareness on water pollution, covered the villages of Tirthahalli taluk on Saturday. The participants held interactions with locals as part of the campaign.
| Photo Credit:
Sathish G.T.

Trupti Murgunde
| Photo Credit: File Photo

The 38th All-India Postal Badminton Tournament will be held at Chamundi Vihar Stadium in Mysuru from November 10 to 14.

Chief Postmaster General of Karnataka Circle Rajendra Kumar told presspersons in Mysuru on Saturday that the 38th All-India Postal Badminton Tournament hosted by Karnataka Postal Circle will feature 194 players from 20 postal circles across the country. The participants include 134 male and 60 female officials, who will compete in singles, doubles, veterans, mixed doubles and veterans’ doubles categories.

Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar will be the chief guest for the inaugural function at 10 a.m. on November 10 while international badminton player and Dhyan Chand awardee Trupti Murgunde will be the guest of honour.

The valedictory ceremony to be held at 2 p.m. on November 14 will be attended by Member (Co-ordination), Postal Services Board, Ashish Kumar, and Olympian and Dhyan Chand awardee Ashwini Akkunji Chidananda. Rajendra Kumar will preside over the inaugural and valedictory functions.

Over the years, Karnataka circle has consistently been a strong contender, frequently reaching the finals and securing multiple titles, particularly in the women’s singles and doubles categories with R. Leela Lakshmi emerging as a prominent player, said a press statement.

To prepare for the tournament this year, selection trials were conducted on October 16 at Nova Sports, Bengaluru, where 11 participants including 7 men and 4 women were selected to represent Karnataka Postal Circle.

The Department of Posts not only looks forward to a successful tournament and extends its best wishes to all the participants, guests and officials, but also invites all sports enthusiasts and people of Mysuru to attend and support the players in their pursuit of excellence, added the statement.

A seaplane like this will operate a trial service from the Kochi International Marina, located next to Bolghatty Palace, to the Mattupetty dam in Munnar on Monday.

Blessed with ample number of waterbodies and the Centre sponsoring the fare for nine seats in seaplanes for a three-year period, Kerala has immense potential to woo high-budget tourists if these amphibious aircraft link tourism locales in the State, Biju Prabhakar, Aviation Secretary and Chairman of KSEB, said here on Saturday.

The State could even compete with the Maldives where over 100 seaplanes link tourism locales within that country. Apart from tourists, these aircraft could even be deployed to transport critically ill patients from remote places , he told mediapersons while announcing the details of a trial seaplane service.

It would take off from the backwaters near the Kochi International Marina, located next to the KTDC-run Bolghatty Palace and Island Resort here, to the Mattupetty dam in Munnar on Monday morning. The 20-minute trip would be flagged-off by Minister for Public Works and Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas.

To a question on seaplane services not taking off in Kerala despite being launched twice in the past decade, Mr. Prabhakar said this could be due to inadequate government support back then. By relying on seaplanes that needed clearance of less than a km for landing and take off, the government could save on the approximately ₹100 crore needed to build an airstrip. This would also lessen reliance on road trave.

“The trial run is aimed at demonstrating to tour operators and the public the potential of seaplanes in Kerala, as part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, which will come in handy to augment connectivity between airports and waterbodies in Kerala,” he said.

Apart from Bolgatty and Mattupetty, the government was planning to construct waterdromes at Kovalam, Ashtamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Vembanad, Malampuzha, and Bekal to host seaplanes, he said.

A seaplane that can carry nine people will touch down near the marina at around 2.30 p.m. on Sunday.

A total of 15 agencies, including Indian Navy, Cochin Port Trust, Cochin International Airport Ltd, Hydrographic Survey Wing, and the KTDC, are coordinating the trial run. The depth of waterbodies and water flow during high and low tides were monitored during the past month, to ensure safe landing of seaplanes.