Category: News

Chandigarh: Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj took charge as the jathedar (leader) of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab’s Rupnagar district on Monday. This important ceremony was attended by the ‘Panj Piaras’, a group of five beloved Sikhs. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had previously announced Kuldeep Singh Gargaj’s appointment on March 7, and he will also act as the jathedar of the Akal Takht in Amritsar, the top authority for Sikhs.

The SGPC decided to remove Giani Raghbir Singh from Akal Takht and Giani Sultan Singh from Kesgarh Sahib. This decision was met with anger from many Sikh leaders, including senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.

Both Akal Takht and Takht Kesgarh Sahib are two of the five key religious seats in Sikhism. Before taking on his new role, Kuldeep Singh Gargaj prayed at Takht Kesgarh Sahib. During the ceremony, the head Granthi (priest) Giani Joginder Singh led an ‘ardas’ (prayer), and the ‘Panj Piaras’ honored Gargaj by giving him a special turban. Other SGPC members also presented ceremonial turbans to him.

In his speech, Kuldeep Singh Gargaj urged the Sikh community to come together under one ‘Nishan Sahib’ (Sikh flag) during these challenging times. He thanked the 10 Sikh Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib for this honor. He shared that he is proud to serve the Takht, despite growing up in a humble Sikh family. After starting his journey as a ‘Pathi’ (reader of prayers), he pledged to continue spreading the teachings of Sikhism.

Tejashwi Yadav, a leader from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), got upset during a press conference when asked about working with Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar again. He asked, “Why would we team up? Why are you trying to change the subject?”

When reporters mentioned rumors that Nitish Kumar was worried about his partner, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), wanting to change the leadership after the Bihar assembly elections, Yadav replied strongly. He said, “No one has made us any offers. Only RJD president Lalu Prasad and I can decide on alliances. Please don’t joke about this.”

Yadav also mentioned that Nitish Kumar seems to be “out of control,” pointing to the way he speaks in public. He reminded everyone that there have been times when the Chief Minister tried to touch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet publicly, saying, “Is this how a chief minister should act? Soon, he might even be bowing to his own deputies.”

Let’s look at Nitish Kumar’s past. He broke away from the BJP in 2013, before the BJP named Modi as its leading candidate for Prime Minister. Then, he partnered with Lalu Prasad and won the Bihar assembly elections in 2015. But he quit in 2017 after arguing with the RJD due to corruption allegations against Tejashwi Yadav. Later, he joined back with the BJP and became Chief Minister again. They worked together in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2020 Bihar assembly elections. However, in 2022, he left the NDA (the BJP’s alliance) to partner with RJD again, and then switched back to the NDA early in 2024.

In New Delhi, seven student groups from different parts of India are getting together to protest at Jantar Mantar, a famous place in Delhi, on March 24. They will protest under the name ‘India Alliance Student Organisations.’ These students want to address important issues affecting them, like exam paper leaks, the need for university elections, and the removal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The groups involved are the National Students Union of India (NSUI), All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF), Muslim Students Federation (MSF), Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, and Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal (CRJD). Starting from March 17 to March 22, they will hold protests and press conferences across the country to raise awareness for their cause leading up to the big protest on March 24.

The Union education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, responded to their concerns, explaining that new rules from the University Grants Commission (UGC) would give universities more power to hire their teachers and help develop state universities. However, some leaders from the opposition say these new rules take away important powers from the state governments regarding the hiring of university leaders.

The student groups say they will invite teachers, education experts, political leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), and students from all over the country to join them. They hope to attract attention to educational issues during the government’s budget discussions.

NSUI national president Varun Choudhary said, “We invite all student organisations, teachers, and education experts to join us on March 24. We expect around 5,000 students to participate. We want the NEP 2020 and the new UGC rules to be taken back. We also want fair student elections at all universities and colleges, filling of reserved seats, and support for scholarships.”

The NEP 2020 was started by the Indian government on July 29, 2020, to improve the country’s education system and make it more relevant to future needs while keeping Indian culture in mind. This new policy replaced an older one from 1986 and suggested significant changes in how education is organized from schools to universities.

The new rules about hiring teachers, shared on January 6, state that a special committee will help choose vice-chancellors at universities. This committee will include a governor’s representative as the chair and two others chosen by the UGC and the university board.

Meanwhile, students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are also protesting because their student union elections have been delayed. At Delhi University (DU), students will elect leaders from their colleges to form a team for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU).

Aishe Ghosh, the SFI Delhi state secretary, said, “The central government wants to control student elections like they do with elections in states and at the national level.”

A 15-year-old girl and a 42-year-old man were found dead in a remote area of Kasaragod district, Kerala, on Sunday. They had been missing for three weeks. It seems they were in a relationship and might have taken their own lives.

They were discovered hanging from a tree in a forest close to the girl’s home. Since their bodies were badly decomposed, police believe they died several days before being found. An officer from Kumbla police station reported that the inquest is done, and an autopsy will be performed at the Pariyaram Medical College hospital.

The girl was in Class 10, and the man worked as a taxi driver. Their homes were only a kilometer apart. They disappeared on February 12, and the girl’s parents filed a missing person report that same day. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help.

Here are some helplines:
– Aasra: 022 2754 6669
– Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050
– Sanjivini: 011-24311918
– Roshni Foundation: 040-66202001, 040-66202000
– One Life: 78930 78930
– Seva: 09441778290

A constable at the Sanganer police station has been taken into custody for allegedly raping a married woman. The incident happened when the constable, Bhagaram, was supposed to help the woman by recording her statement about a complaint her husband had made against a neighbor.

According to the woman’s husband, Bhagaram took his wife and their young son to a hotel under the false claim that he needed to gather information for the investigation. While the husband was at work, the constable lured the woman away from her home. He then rode his bike with her and their three-year-old to a hotel.

At the hotel, the constable asked for a room, pretending the woman needed to change her clothes. Once inside, he assaulted her. After the attack, Bhagaram threatened the woman, saying he would put her husband in jail if she told anyone what happened.

Now, Bhagaram has been detained and is being questioned by the police. A medical exam is being conducted on the woman to confirm the assault and check for any signs of pregnancy.