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BREAKING | ‘Let Girls Follow What They Want,’ Supreme Court Stays Hijab Ban In Mumbai College

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The Supreme Court of India has issued an interim order staying the hijab ban imposed by NG Acharya & DK Marathe College in Mumbai. The ruling came during a hearing of a petition filed by the college’s students challenging the ban on wearing hijabs, caps, and badges on campus.

“Don’t Impose Such a Rule”: SC Bench Expresses Surprise

As reported by Live Law, a bench consisting of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar expressed surprise at the college’s restriction, with Justice Khanna questioning why it had not extended the ban to other markers of religion, such as tilak and bindi, if the intention was to enforce a uniform dress code.

“Can you say someone wearing a tilak will not be allowed? This is not part of your instructions?” Justice Kumar asked, as per Live Law.

“What is this? Don’t impose such a rule… what is this? Don’t reveal religion?” he further asked.

He further probed the college’s rationale, asking, “Will their names not reveal religion? Will you ask them to be identified by numbers?” He emphasised the importance of allowing students to study together without such divisive regulations.

College’s Autonomy vs. Students’ Rights

Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan, representing the college, argued that as a private institution, the college had the autonomy to enforce its dress code. However, Justice Kumar challenged this by pointing out that the college had operated since 2008 without such restrictions, questioning the timing and necessity of the new rules.

SC Stays Ban, Allows Hijabs, Caps, and Badges

The Supreme Court agreed that face-covering veils, such as nakabs or burkhas, could be a barrier to classroom interaction and upheld the prohibition on such attire. However, it stayed the broader ban on hijabs, caps, and badges, allowing students to wear them on campus until further notice.

Background: Bombay High Court’s Verdict

The controversy began on May 1, when NG Acharya & DK Marathe College issued a notice on its official WhatsApp group, outlining a dress code that banned the wearing of hijab, niqab, burqa, caps, badges, and stoles on the college premises. The students, who were affected by this directive, initially approached the college management and the principal, requesting the withdrawal of the restrictions on hijab, niqab, and burqa. They cited their right to choice, dignity, and privacy in the classroom as the reason for their request.

However, when their requests were ignored, the students escalated the matter to the higher authorities, including the chancellor and vice-chancellor of Mumbai University, as well as the University Grants Commission. They sought intervention to ensure that education was imparted without discrimination. Despite their efforts, they received no response, leading them to file a petition in the Bombay High Court.

In the high court, the petitioners’ advocate, Altaf Khan, presented verses from the Quran to argue that wearing a hijab was an essential part of Islam. The plea stated that the college’s action was “arbitrary, unreasonable, bad-in-law, and perverse.” On the other hand, the college management defended the ban as a measure to enforce a uniform dress code and maintain discipline, denying any intent to discriminate against the Muslim community. Senior counsel Anil Anturkar, representing the college, argued that the dress code applied to students of all religions and castes.

health

Mumbai: JJ Hospital To Launch Robotic Surgery In February, Bringing Advanced Care To Patients

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Mumbai: Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Hospital is all set to introduce robotic surgery next month.

The hospital has received a robotic operating system worth Rs 30 crore and installation is currently underway. A team of three doctors and a nurse from the surgery department recently underwent training in Delhi to operate the system.

The hospital dean, Dr Pallavi Saple, said the system will allow doctors to perform complex surgeries with ease using a console.

Dr Ajay Bhandarwar, the head of the surgery department who also completed the training, said that patient selection will be done carefully, and they will also conduct prostate surgeries with the help of experts.

Currently, robotic surgery is only available in private hospitals, where it costs an additional Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per procedure. With the introduction at JJ Hospital, poor patients will now have access to advanced surgical care at no cost.

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disaster

Mumbai: 5 People, Including 2 Children, Critically Injured In Palghar Tyre Factory Explosion; Visuals Surface

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Palghar: Five individuals, including two children, were critically injured in a boiler explosion at a tire factory in Palghar district. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday evening in Vadavali village when the boiler exploded, sparking a massive fire.

Statement Of An Official

“One worker, who was working near the boiler at the time of the blast, sustained severe injuries. Meanwhile, the other four victims, two wives and two children, who were taking a shower near the boiler’s cooling area, were also seriously hurt as the explosion’s impact spread through the drainage area”, a police officer told Media.

The injured individuals were initially taken to Saidutt hospital in Ambadi area near Ganeshpuri but, due to the severity of their injuries, four of the victims were transferred to a hospital in Thane while the worker is still getting treatment in Ambadi.

The company, MD Factory, where the blast occurred is owned by Javed Dusani from Mumbai, said police. The police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident, while the victims continue to receive medical treatment.

Vivekanand Kadam, Head Of The Palghar Disaster Management Cell On The Incident

According to Vivekanand Kadam, head of the Palghar Disaster Management Cell, the factory was processing oil in two boilers when an unexpected surge in pressure caused one of the boiler pipes to burst. This resulted in a catastrophic explosion, followed by an immediate fire. The injured victims have been identified as Tufan Kalsim Damor (30), Roshni Praveen Parmar (26), Mula Prem Vasar (27), and two children, Kajal Parmar (3) and Akash Prem Masar (18 months). All are reportedly from Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh.

Following the incident, local authorities and disaster management teams quickly arrived at the scene and managed to control the fire. An investigation into the cause of the explosion has been launched, and authorities are working to determine the factors that led to the blast.

This tragic event has raised significant concerns about safety standards in industrial areas and the importance of adhering to proper safety measures to prevent such accidents.

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Crime

BMC issues notice to Saboo Siddik Hospital for illegal occupation, bills like private hospital in the name of charitable hospital

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Mumbai: Mumbai’s Saboo Siddik Hospital has become a topic of discussion these days. Although this hospital is called charitable, the fees here are no less than any private hospital. This hospital, run by the Muslim Ambulance Society, has been a victim of controversies many times before. Patients admitted here have to pay a huge amount in the name of charity hospital. According to the information received, many illegal activities have taken place in this hospital and now BMC has become active regarding this. BMC has issued a show cause notice to this hospital. If sources are to be believed, the place where the MRI and pathology lab has been built is actually a car parking space which the hospital administration has occupied and converted into a lab and given it on contract to a private company which arbitrarily charges money from patients in the name of MRI and blood tests. Along with this, the upper floor of this hospital has been illegally converted into a general ward. In this connection, Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s Executive Health Officer Dr. Daksha Shah has ordered an inquiry into this.

According to the information, many officials of the health department of B ward have also been involved in this whole matter. Although, according to the hospital, they had got the illegal works done in the parking lot approved from BMC, but they have failed to show the documents of the same. On which BMC has now asked the hospital for all the documents on the basis of which this illegal construction was made legal and pathology and MRI centers were built on it. If reports are to be believed, a huge amount is charged from people in the MRI center and pathology lab. If patients are to be believed, they have to pay a charge of three and a half thousand to fifteen thousand for getting an MRI done.

In the same pathology lab, 1500 is charged for CBC and a huge amount is charged from people for doing other tests. This business of loot in the name of charity has been going on for many years. Which has now come to the notice of BMC. A huge amount is being charged from people by occupying the upper floor under the guise of general ward. Apart from this, fire systems and storage items have been kept in the entire building on the stairs, which is against government norms. The hospital also does not have the license of Bhabha Atomic Research Center, which is said to be necessary for X-ray. Now it remains to be seen how BMC puts a stop to this story of looting that has been going on for many years.

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