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Maharashtra

26/11 Fallout: From coastal security upgrade to amping up anti-Pak social media war

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The ease with which terrorists entered the country and carried out one of the deadliest attacks on November 26, 2008, dealt a huge blow to the nation’s security system, which led to steps being taken to strengthen coastal security after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Since 2008, the victims of the terror attacks have not been able to recover from the shock completely, but the internal security of the country has seen several major changes.

Taking lessons from the terror attacks, security arrangements have been made fool proof, making it safe from rerun of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Considered a failure of various intelligence agencies, the attacks also gave rise to several questions concerning the internal security of the country.

Today India has done a better job on all such diverse fronts concerning safeguarding the internal security matters of the country. Meanwhile, there has been a drastic shift regarding the changes related to the internal security of the country.

Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Police have created a three-tier security system in the coastal areas of the country so that no suspicious activity can go undetected.

The Government of India constituted the Information Management and Analysis Centre in 2014 so that the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Police could work as a three-tier integrated security unit.

Its main purpose is to ensure that an incident like 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks does not happen again. It acts as a nodal centre for the collection and dissemination of information on coastal security to multiple places.

Apart from this, the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard has been accorded the status of Commander of the Coastal Command, who acts as a coordination between the Central and state intelligence agencies.

At the same time, the strength of the Indian Navy has also increased significantly as compared to 2008. The radar system of the Indian Army has been vastly strengthened, due to which the Navy is able to keep a sharp surveillance in the sea.

The Union government has also procured several patrolling boats and surveillance equipment to beef up coastal security.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Coastal Security Scheme Phase-2 has been started in the direction of building maritime infrastructure.

Under this initiative, 121 Coastal police stations have been set up. At the same time, till 2021, 35 jetties and 10 marine operational centres have been established.

Apart from this, 131 four-wheelers and 242 motorcycles have also been purchased for patrolling. The government has also started coastal mapping through which every activity related to maritime security is being monitored with the help of mapping.

The government has also initiated a tracking system for monitoring boats of fishermen going for fishing in the sea. Under this system, one biometric card has been issued to each fisherman. This system has been implemented in many states across the country.

In such a situation, the Coast Guard or Navy can check the identity of any boat by checking its biometric card in case of any suspicion.

After the Mumbai terror attacks, the Maharashtra government formed a special team of commandos named ‘Force One’. The training of Force One personnel is on the lines of training undergone by NSG personnel.

The NSG has also been made much more effective than before. After 2008, now the NSG has regional centres functioning at five places in the country, namely Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Gandhinagar so that the response time can be reduced in case of a terror attack anywhere in the country.

At the same time, mock drills of NSG jawans are organised from time-to-time in different parts of the country so that they are always well-prepared to handle any situation.

At the time of the Mumbai attacks, the NSG commandos were kept waiting at the airport for eight hours. Such shortcomings have also been removed. The government has given exclusive rights to the NSG, which can now take aircraft from any operator in times of emergency.

Organisations running their terrorist activities from Pakistan work to spread religious fanaticism and collect funds through social media. In view of this, Indian intelligence agencies have laid siege to these organisations on social media as well. Several teams of experts are continuously monitoring social media and taking strict action by identifying people involved in anti-national activities.

The most successful experiment after the Mumbai attacks was the creation of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Since its inception on December 31, 2008, NIA has been successfully investigating, not only terror attacks and fake Indian currency cases, but also funding networks of terrorist organisations, anti-national organisations and Maoists in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India effectively.

The regional offices of NIA have been opened in many states. Over the years, the NIA has been able to establish itself as an anti-terror investigative agency.

India has now started a major fight against terrorism, not only within the country but also at international fora. India has hosted three global events this year — the Interpol Annual General Assembly in Delhi, a special session of the UN Anti-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai and Delhi, and the ‘No Money for Terror’ conference.

In these three conferences, an important strategy was prepared on cross-border terrorism and ways to deal with it. Not only this, India has also exposed Pakistan through these global fora.

Maharashtra

Upset over exclusion from cabinet, Bhujbal meets CM Fadnavis over ‘growing’ OBC resentment

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Mumbai, Dec 23: Upset over his exclusion from the cabinet, a veteran NCP leader and Samata Parishad founder Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and discussed the growing resentment in the OBCs especially after he was denied a ministerial berth.

Bhujbal had earlier created a stir by making a statement — “Jaha Nahi Chaina, Vahan Nahi Rehna (There is no point in staying where there is no comfort)”. On Monday, he said, “I have told Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis everything that has been happening after December 15. He has asked me for 8 to 10 days. The Chief Minister has said he is aware that the OBC community is upset and that he would definitely think about addressing their resentment and dissatisfaction.”

“Sameer Bhujbal (his nephew) and I both met the Chief Minister. We discussed many issues, including social and political issues with him. We discussed everything that happened and what was going on. The CM told me that he saw and heard many things in the media. He further stated that the OBC community has a big role in the victory of the Mahayuti in the recently held Assembly election and we should thank everyone for that. Keeping this in mind, he said I am also concerned that the OBCs will not be harmed under any circumstances,” said Bhujbal.

“Currently, there are holidays due to festivals, there is a different atmosphere in the state. Therefore, the CM has assured me to discuss later and find a way out,” said Bhujbal who has repeatedly questioned the decision by Ajit Pawar and Tatkare to deny him a ministerial berth without taking him into confidence.

“The CM told me to give him 8 to 10 days and after that, we will meet again. He also asked me to tell the OBC leaders to discuss the pros and cons of the present situation and meet again,” said Bhujbal. He reiterated that “I have told the Chief Minister everything. He has understood the entire issue saying that OBCs are upset and he is also worried about it.”

To a question whether he would leave the NCP and join the BJP, he said, “I have said everything I wanted to say to the chief minister. I will not say anything more on this.”

Meanwhile, in his reaction after Bhujbal’s exclusion from the cabinet and his latest meeting with CM Fadnavis, NCP chief and Dy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune, said, “It is our internal issue, we will address it internally.”

Bhujbal meeting the CM, the first after he was dropped from the cabinet expansion held on December 15, is important especially as the OBC organisations, including Samata Parishad, have started organising protests and meetings across the state against his exclusion. The meeting is also to send a strong signal to NCP president and Dy CM Ajit Pawar that he may be down but certainly out. After his exclusion from the cabinet, Bhujbal has not met Ajit Pawar neither the latter nor the state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare had interacted with him in person or through phone.

Bhujbal has already denied the party’s offer to go to Rajya Sabha after resigning from the Assembly citing that it would be a betrayal of the Yevala constituency. He also claimed that the party neglected his request to field him in the Lok Sabha elections from Nashik constituency and for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Further, Bhujbal said he decided to contest the Assembly election after the party leadership told him that he was needed in the state. Bhujbal, who took on the pro-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange, was expecting his induction into the cabinet.

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Maharashtra

Delhi HC to pronounce today verdict on anticipatory bail plea of ex-IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar

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New Delhi, Dec 23: The Delhi High Court is slated to deliver on Monday its judgment on anticipatory bail plea of sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will pronounce its verdict on December 23.

Earlier on November 28, Justice Singh-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest will continue.

Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.

Earlier, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.

Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits.

After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.

However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them. It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

The Delhi High Court also issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the UPSC alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.

In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.

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disaster

Dumper mows down 9 sleeping on pavement in Pune, two toddlers among three killed

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Pune (Maharashtra), Dec 23: In a horrific incident, two toddlers and a man were crushed to death when a speeding dumper mowed nine pavement dwellers here on Monday.

The police said the incident happened around 1 a.m. at Wagholi near the Kesnand Phata when a dumper of a private company from Pune veered onto the footpath and ran over the people, all labourers sleeping in shanties there.

At least three persons, including two minors and another man, were killed instantly while six others were seriously injured in the mishap.

According to preliminary information, the dumper driver was allegedly in an inebriated state and lost control of the heavy vehicle, said to be owned by Buildwell Enterprises, while going from Pune to Wagholi.

The victims are identified as: One-year-old Vaibhavi Ritesh Pawar, her two-year-old brother Vaibhav Ritest Pawar, and a man named Rinesh N. Pawar, 30. They were all sleeping beside each other when the tragedy hit them.

The condition of the six others injured has been described as critical. They have been admitted to the Sassoon Hospital.

According to locals, around a dozen workers had arrived here from Amravati on Sunday to work as labourers in different construction sites in the region.

Local police and officials have launched a probe into the exact causes of the disaster as initial reports suggest that the driver was purportedly in a drunken state, said locals who rushed there to help the victims.

The accident site was an eerie scene with bodies of the victims and injured, blood splattered all around, and the bare belongings, clothes or utensils of the labourers strewn in the vicinity, resembling a war zone.

Later, the police arranged to move the dumper, completed the relevant formalities and cleared the footpath, said the locals, as people vented their angst on social media.

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