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Mamta government wants CM, not Governor, as Chancellor of state varsities

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 A fresh confrontation between West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and the Mamta Banerejee government loomed after the state cabinet on Thursday decided to have Chief Minister as the Chancellor of all state universities instead of the Governor.

This is for the first time that the state government has taken such an initiative to break the protocol, persisting since Independence, of having the Governor as Chancellor of the state universities.

Following the state cabinet meeting at the state Secretariat, Nabanna, Education Minister Bratya Basu said that the state government will bring a bill in the Assembly proposing that the Chief Minister, not the Governor, will be the Chancellor of the state universities.

“Once the bill is passed in the Assembly, it will be sent to the Governor for his assent. In case the Governor refuses to clear the bill, the state government will bring an ordinance to implement this change of practice,” he said.

The development comes at a time when the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress is already in a fix over the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe on the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities where two ministers of the state government have already been grilled by the central agency sleuths.

Till this report was filed there was no reaction from the Governor on this matter. However, the opposition parties have criticized the initiative.

BJP’s state spokesman, Shamik Bhattacharya said that this is a direct attempt to have a control over the autonomy of the state universities. “Since the beginning the Chief Minister had been trying to run the state as an independent entity and hence, she has taken such a decision which no state government has done before. This is against tradition and convention,” he said.

CPI-M Central Committee member and former leader of Left in the Assembly, Dr Sujan Chakraborty, contended that this initiative is aimed at having direct administrative and political control over the state universities.

“The decision has been taken at a time when roles of several state ministers and officers are in question because of rampant corruption in the education sector. This is complete politicisation of the functioning of the state agencies. On one hand, the Chief Minister is demanding complete autonomy for the central agencies, and on the other, she is trying to destroy the autonomous nature of the state universities,” he said.

Educationists seemed to be divided over this development.

Educationist, political analyst and former Principal of the then Presidency College, Dr Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay said that the Chief Minister is the administrative head of the state and a political personality.

“So, the event of the Chief Minister being the Chancellor of the university means political interference in the independent functioning of the institutions. Traditionally and conventionally the Governors, by virtue of their chairs, had been the Chancellors of the state university. I do not find any reason to break away from that convention,” he said.

Renowned historian and Sanskrit scholar, Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri, however, welcomed the decision.

“Current West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar had been creating many obstacles for the state government to function properly. The Governor is holding back many files including those relating to appointment Vice Chancellors of universities. So, the state government had no other option but to take this decision. I welcome this move,” he said.

Crime

A powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort… High alert across Delhi after the blast; 8 people killed; forensic team arrives at the scene.

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New Delhi: A car explosion near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening caused widespread panic. The force of the blast was so intense that a part of the car landed on the Lal Mandir, located near the Red Fort. The temple’s glass shattered, and doors and windows of several nearby shops were damaged. Several people were reported injured in the incident.

Immediately after the blast, fires were reported in nearby shops. Tremors were felt as far as the Bhagirath Palace area of ​​Chandni Chowk, and shopkeepers were seen calling each other to inquire about the situation. Several buses and other vehicles were also reported to have caught fire.

The fire department received a call about the car explosion in the evening. Following this, it immediately dispatched six ambulances and seven fire tenders to the scene. Relief and rescue operations are underway, and efforts are underway to control the fire.

The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Police have cordoned off the area, and investigating agencies are gathering evidence at the scene. Initial reports suggest the explosion occurred in a car, but its nature and cause are still unclear. Security has been increased throughout the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk areas following the incident.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai arms supplier arrested from Ghatkopar depot

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Mumbai: Police has claimed to have arrested an arms supplier from Ghatkopar Bus Depot who had come here to supply arms to Mumbai. The Mumbai Police Ghatkopar Anti-Gang Squad received information about this. The police laid a trap and took the accused into custody and recovered two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession. During the investigation, the police asked him his name and he revealed his name as Ajay Kailash, a resident of Ujjain. The police have registered a case in this matter and started the investigation. Pantnagar Police has started the investigation in this matter to find out from where the accused had brought the arms to supply arms. This action was taken by DCP Rakesh Ola on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

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National News

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Orders World-Class Facilities, AI-Based Security At Jyotirlinga Temples

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday directed officials to ensure world-class facilities and a state-of-the-art integrated AI-based security system for devotees visiting Jyotirlinga shrines in the state.

During a meeting held at Varsha, his official residence, Fadnavis reviewed the development plans for the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Aundha Nagnath Temple in Hingoli, and Grishneshwar Temple in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

“Jyotirlinga temples attract a large number of devotees throughout the year. Therefore, the development plans should be comprehensive and focused on creating excellent facilities and ensuring security,” he said.

The chief minister instructed officials to accelerate ongoing works and plan new ones effectively.

“An advanced, AI-based integrated security system should be developed to safeguard devotees and provide an immediate response during emergencies,” he said.

Fadnavis further said that facilities such as waiting halls, drinking water, accommodation, internal roads, cleanliness measures, information boards, tourist facilitation centres, parking management, emergency response systems, health facilities and eateries should be strengthened.

He emphasised that temple managements follow strict norms and residents and administrative bodies should be involved in planning and execution.

“Tourism projects that promote environmental conservation and local employment must be implemented quickly,” he said.

The chief minister said that the development plans presented at the meeting will receive funding after approval by a high-level committee, and he asked officials to organise a separate meeting with the Central government to secure clearances from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

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