The Election Commission of India will require Rs 3,174 crore from the Central government in addition to a 30-month time frame from the time this money is released to get the 15.5 lakh<a href="http://eci.nic.in//ECI_Main/IIIDEM/VVPAT_Film/VVPAT%2003.04.14.mp4"> Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail </a>(VVPAT) machines it now requires to implement its plan of having a VVPAT machine at every polling station in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

And given the fact that there doesn&#39;t seem to be much movement from the Centre&#39;s side as far as the release of this money is concerned, having VVPATs in all polling stations by April 2019&mdash;when India votes to elect its next Lok Sabha--appears to be a pipe dream for now.

In an ongoing case in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has recently intimated the apex court that it will get the requisite number of VVPATs manufactured in 30 months time from the time of release of fund by the government. But the fact that this requirement of Rs 3,174 crore was raised as early as 2014 and has still not seen any action on the release of funds has put a big question mark on the ECs ambitious move to have these machines at all polling stations.

The VVPAT machines are back in focus after some political parties raised apprehensions over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that were used in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/electronic-voting-machines-are-fully-tamper-proof-election-commission-13463">recent elections to the state legislative assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur &amp; Goa</a>. Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party have alleged tampering of these EVMs during the recent polls.

Attached with the EVM, the VVPAT machine generates a paper slip bearing the name and the symbol of the candidate along with the recording of vote in Control Unit so as to ensure that in case of a dispute, the paper slip can be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM. Under VVPAT, a printer is attached to the Balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip generated by the VVPAT remains visible for just 7 seconds through a transparent window.

Presently, the Election Commission has around 53,500 VVPAT units available with it and in the recent elections to five states, it deployed around 52,000 of these units. From the time it first used VVPATs in Nagaland in 2013, the EC has used these machines in 255 Assembly Constituencies and 9 Parliamentary Constituencies across the country so far. In the recenly held Goa elections, VVPAT machines were deployed in all the 40 assembly constituencies.

EC officials say that since 2014, the poll watchdog has been &ldquo;relentlessly pursuing&rdquo; with the Central government for sanction and release of the Rs 3,174 crore it needs to procure the 15.5 lakh VVPATs it needs for all parliamentary constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The design of the VVPAT machines was made by BEL and ECIL and was approved by EC in 2013 and shown to persons who were pursuing matters in the Supreme Court. The rules were also amended for its introduction.

(WION)

Attached with the EVM, the VVPAT machine generates a paper slip bearing the name and the symbol of the candidate

The Election Commission of India will require Rs 3,174 crore from the Central government in addition to a 30-month time frame from the time this money is released to get the 15.5 lakh Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines it now requires to implement its plan of having a VVPAT machine at every polling station in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2019. And given the fact that there doesn't seem to be much movement from the Centre's side as far as the release of this money is concerned, having VVPATs in all polling stations by April 2019—when India votes to elect its next Lok Sabha--appears to be a pipe dream for now. In an ongoing case in the Supreme Court, the Election Commission has recently intimated the apex court that it will get the requisite number of VVPATs manufactured in 30 months time from the time of release of fund by the government. But the fact that this requirement of Rs 3,174 crore was raised as early as 2014 and has still not seen any action on the release of funds has put a big question mark on the ECs ambitious move to have these machines at all polling stations. The VVPAT machines are back in focus after some political parties raised apprehensions over the credibility of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that were used in the recent elections to the state legislative assemblies of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur & Goa. Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi Party have alleged tampering of these EVMs during the recent polls. Attached with the EVM, the VVPAT machine generates a paper slip bearing the name and the symbol of the candidate along with the recording of vote in Control Unit so as to ensure that in case of a dispute, the paper slip can be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM. Under VVPAT, a printer is attached to the Balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip generated by the VVPAT remains visible for just 7 seconds through a transparent window. Presently, the Election Commission has around 53,500 VVPAT units available with it and in the recent elections to five states, it deployed around 52,000 of these units. From the time it first used VVPATs in Nagaland in 2013, the EC has used these machines in 255 Assembly Constituencies and 9 Parliamentary Constituencies across the country so far. In the recenly held Goa elections, VVPAT machines were deployed in all the 40 assembly constituencies. EC officials say that since 2014, the poll watchdog has been “relentlessly pursuing” with the Central government for sanction and release of the Rs 3,174 crore it needs to procure the 15.5 lakh VVPATs it needs for all parliamentary constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The design of the VVPAT machines was made by BEL and ECIL and was approved by EC in 2013 and shown to persons who were pursuing matters in the Supreme Court. The rules were also amended for its introduction. (WION)

EC promises to attach every EVM with VVPAT machine in next Lok Sabha elections, Centre fails to release funds

All that remains of Pargat Singh is a framed photograph and memories of him held dear by his family. The 30-year-old, who started taking drugs a few years back, died last December leaving behind a eight-year-old daughter, an inconsolable mother and two siblings, one of whom has now suddenly found himself in the shoes of the family&rsquo;s breadwinner. &nbsp;This is not an isolated case. It is taking place in village after village in Punjab. Drug abuse is obliterating a whole generation of youth and devastating thousands of families. 
&nbsp; 
Kazikot&mdash;a small village in Punjab&rsquo;s border district of Tarn Taran&mdash;is where Pargat Singh lived&hellip;and died. His death and that of so many others is a recurrent theme. Many who fell prey to drugs did reform but drugs still flow freely here. 
&nbsp; 
Three hundred rupees is all it takes for youngsters like Jimmy (name changed) to procure a shot each of a muscle relaxant called norgesic and an anti-allergic called pheniramine maleate - controlled drugs that cannot be bought over the counter but are available in the village. Once Jimmy manages to procure the dose, he looks for a deserted corner in the village, mixes both drugs and injects them into his veins. Many outsiders routinely come to Kazikot to get their fix. Those with money prefer to inject heroin. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Around 10-15 youngsters from our village are serving sentences in jail after being arrested for drug abuse,&rdquo; says Kazikot&rsquo;s Sarpanch Harpal Singh. He hastens to add that the situation is much better now and that drug abuse in Kazikot has indeed come down because of a massive crackdown by the police. What rankles the residents of this village is the &ldquo;bad name&rdquo; their village has got because of the drug menace. 
&nbsp; 
Punjab&rsquo;s drug problem first came under the spotlight when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in 2012 that seven of 10 Punjabi youth were hooked on drugs. His remarks were based on an affidavit filed by the Punjab government in the High Court in 2009 which was based on a 2006 study conducted by Dr Ranvinder Singh Sandhu, a professor of sociology at Amritsar&rsquo;s Guru Nanak dev University. 
&nbsp; 
The affidavit quoted Dr Sandhu&rsquo;s study as having said that drug addiction in Punjab was 70 per cent but it blundered by not mentioning that the study had been done on a sample size of just 600 drug addicts. Despite the controversy over figures, the affidavit was not too off the mark when it stated that the whole of &ldquo;Punjab is in the grip of drug hurricane which weakens the morale, physique and character of its youth&rdquo; and that the &ldquo;vibrant punjab that had ushered in the green revolution is today living in dazed stupor as 67 percent of the rural households in the state have at least one drug addict&rdquo; and also that &ldquo;drug addiction has become a stigma that belies claims of prosperity in the state&rdquo;. 
&nbsp; 
The government&rsquo;s affidavit had further said that &ldquo;the vibrancy of Punjab is virtually a myth&rdquo; and that &ldquo;many sell their blood to procure daily dose of deadly drugs, even beg in streets to satisfy their addiction&rdquo;. &nbsp;It went on to add that opiates, their derivatives and synthetic opiate drugs are the most preferred drugs in almost 70 per cent of the addicts and that 7 out of 10 college going students abuse one drug or the other, three out of 10 girls have abused one drug or the other and 66 per cent of the school-going students abuse gutkha or tobacco. It added that 16 per cent of the state was hooked on hard drugs. 
&nbsp; 
The same affidavit stated that drug traffickers had changed their overland route and that of all the narcotics drugs transited through India, around 40 percent were going through Punjab. &ldquo;Punjab alone accounted for roughly over one-fifth of the total recoveries of heroin in the country. The traffickers are using porous areas on the Punjab border, trains and buses for smuggling afghan heroin coming via Pakistan which is moved for distribution within and outside the country,&rdquo; it added. 
&nbsp; 
A drive to some border villages in Tarn Taran district is illuminating. All that separates India and Pakistan is a barbed wire fence over vast tracts of land. While there are Border Security Force (BSF) outpost set-up all along the border, there are huge areas which are not under surveillance. That also explains why neatly wrapped packages containing heroin are simply thrown over the fence into India and are quickly collected. In villages like Bidhi Chand Chhina and Naushahra--two of the many Indian villages located just meters away from the international border with Pakistan--the smuggling and availability of drugs like heroin is an open secret. 
&nbsp; 
The numbers speak for themselves. &nbsp;Since 2014 and until January 24 this year, the Punjab Police arrested close to 37,000 people for drug abuse under the Narcotic Drugs &amp; Psychotropic Substances act. Close to 31,000 cases under the NDPS act were registered in Punjab during the same period.

Year &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Case registered under NDPS Act &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Persons arrested 
2014 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;14482 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;17001 
2015 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10178 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;12193 
2016 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5836 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6971 
01-01-2017 to 24-01-2017 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;457 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;529

A look at the quantum of drug seizures by the border security force in Punjab in the past five years underscores the gravity of the situation. Between 2012 to 2016, a staggering 1,547 kilograms of heroin was seized on the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. This roughly translates into an average 309 kilograms per year. At 362 kilograms, year 2014 saw the highest seizures. This year, already 8 kilograms of heroin has been seized from the border areas. 
&nbsp; 
In 2015, a study titled &quot;Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey (PODS)&quot; was conducted by Society For Promotion Of Youth &amp; Masses (SPYM) and a team of researchers from National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of Delhi&rsquo;s All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in collaboration with Department Of Health And Family Welfare of the Punjab Government. 
&nbsp; 
The study was carried out in the 10 districts of Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Tarn Taran. Together these 10 districts comprise about 60% of the population of Punjab and are representative of the entire state on many parameters like population, male:female ratio, urban:rural ratio, and location at international or inter-state border. 
&nbsp; 
This study was conducted over a three-month period and data for this study was collected from 3,620 opioid dependent individuals across 10 districts at government de-addiction centres by trained counsellors under the supervision of psychiatrists and nodal-officers working with the Punjab government. &nbsp;Informed consent was obtained from all the respondents and clearance was obtained from the institute ethics committee of AIIMS, New Delhi. The data was collected in the digital format and was subsequently analysed by the researchers at AIIMS using special analytical techniques. 
&nbsp; 
Here&rsquo;s what the study found out: 
--the study estimated the size of the opioid-dependent population in Punjab at a staggering 2.32 lakh. 
--76% opioid dependent individuals are in the age group of 18 to 35 years 
--99% are males and 54% are married 
--89% are literate and have some hold college degrees 
--most are employed as unskilled workers or labourers and farmers. 
--56% belong to rural areas and almost all (99%) report Punjabi as their mother tongue. 
&nbsp; 
The study found that heroin was the most common drug used by this group, followed by opium, doda or bhukki. Around 14 per cent drug users were found to be using a variety of pharmaceutical opioids. It also said that about one-third take their opioid drugs through injections and among them almost 90% inject heroin. 
&nbsp; 
While &#39;peer-influence&#39; was the found to be the main reason for taking drugs, the study also said that an average heroin using individual spends about Rs 1,400 a day on drugs--an opium users spends Rs 340 per day while a pharmaceutical-opioid user spends Rs 265 per day. It also found that a large majority of drug users cited suffering from physical, mental or social adverse consequences as reasons for their addiction. &ldquo;While only a minority report having been arrested and having been jailed, almost everyone who had been to jail reports continuing drug use, while inside the jail,&rdquo; it added. 
&nbsp; 
The study&rsquo;s findings also indicated that there is a huge illegal market of opioid drugs in Punjab. After multiplying the figures on expenditure with the estimated number of dependent users in the state, the study has projected that opioid dependent people are spending around Rs 20 crore per day on opioid drugs in the state--this amounts to an annual expenditure of rs 7,575 crore annually on opioid drugs. 
&nbsp; 
At the Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction &amp; Treatment Centre in Amritsar&mdash;one of the biggest in the state, there&rsquo;s a steady stream of patients coming for treatment. In fact, ever since it was set up in 2012, this centre has already treated about 23,000 patients. On an average ten new patients come in every day, officials say. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;The number of patients coming in for drug de-addiction treatment steadily rose in the past few years. In fact, in 2014, around 9,500 patients came in for treatment, &rdquo; says Dr P.D Garg, Professor &amp; Head Of Department Of Psychiatry, Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction &amp; Treatment Centre in Amritsar. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;In school, we started off with cigarettes, then moved on to liquor and then to drugs. &ldquo;White&rdquo; or &ldquo;Chitta&rdquo; is the craze in Punjab these days&hellip;the whole state is after it. The government is involved in the sale of these drugs because how can such a trade flourish with the government&rsquo;s support,&rdquo; says a young drug addict visiting this de-addiction centre, accompanied by his mother. &nbsp;&ldquo;I have picked up bodies of my friends who died after injected drugs, at times because they used the injection incorrectly,&rdquo; he says, adding that there are thousands like him in the state. 
&nbsp; 
Then there are localities like Maqboolpura in the heart of Amritsar which are constant reminders of the havoc drug abuse has wreaked on Punjab. Maqboolpura is now known as the &ldquo;colony of widows&rdquo; because a large number of women living here are said to have lost their husbands to drug abuse. 
&nbsp; 
For the first time, an election in Punjab witnessed the issue of drug abuse being talked about so vociferously. A lot of politics was also played over it. Leaving aside the rhetoric, the fact that this great human tragedy is finally being acknowledged is probably the only silver lining in this cloud.

(WION)

According to a government document opiates and synthetic opiate drugs are the most preferred among the youth in Punjab

All that remains of Pargat Singh is a framed photograph and memories of him held dear by his family. The 30-year-old, who started taking drugs a few years back, died last December leaving behind a eight-year-old daughter, an inconsolable mother and two siblings, one of whom has now suddenly found himself in the shoes of the family’s breadwinner. This is not an isolated case. It is taking place in village after village in Punjab. Drug abuse is obliterating a whole generation of youth and devastating thousands of families. Kazikot—a small village in Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran—is where Pargat Singh lived…and died. His death and that of so many others is a recurrent theme. Many who fell prey to drugs did reform but drugs still flow freely here. Three hundred rupees is all it takes for youngsters like Jimmy (name changed) to procure a shot each of a muscle relaxant called norgesic and an anti-allergic called pheniramine maleate - controlled drugs that cannot be bought over the counter but are available in the village. Once Jimmy manages to procure the dose, he looks for a deserted corner in the village, mixes both drugs and injects them into his veins. Many outsiders routinely come to Kazikot to get their fix. Those with money prefer to inject heroin. “Around 10-15 youngsters from our village are serving sentences in jail after being arrested for drug abuse,” says Kazikot’s Sarpanch Harpal Singh. He hastens to add that the situation is much better now and that drug abuse in Kazikot has indeed come down because of a massive crackdown by the police. What rankles the residents of this village is the “bad name” their village has got because of the drug menace. Punjab’s drug problem first came under the spotlight when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in 2012 that seven of 10 Punjabi youth were hooked on drugs. His remarks were based on an affidavit filed by the Punjab government in the High Court in 2009 which was based on a 2006 study conducted by Dr Ranvinder Singh Sandhu, a professor of sociology at Amritsar’s Guru Nanak dev University. The affidavit quoted Dr Sandhu’s study as having said that drug addiction in Punjab was 70 per cent but it blundered by not mentioning that the study had been done on a sample size of just 600 drug addicts. Despite the controversy over figures, the affidavit was not too off the mark when it stated that the whole of “Punjab is in the grip of drug hurricane which weakens the morale, physique and character of its youth” and that the “vibrant punjab that had ushered in the green revolution is today living in dazed stupor as 67 percent of the rural households in the state have at least one drug addict” and also that “drug addiction has become a stigma that belies claims of prosperity in the state”. The government’s affidavit had further said that “the vibrancy of Punjab is virtually a myth” and that “many sell their blood to procure daily dose of deadly drugs, even beg in streets to satisfy their addiction”. It went on to add that opiates, their derivatives and synthetic opiate drugs are the most preferred drugs in almost 70 per cent of the addicts and that 7 out of 10 college going students abuse one drug or the other, three out of 10 girls have abused one drug or the other and 66 per cent of the school-going students abuse gutkha or tobacco. It added that 16 per cent of the state was hooked on hard drugs. The same affidavit stated that drug traffickers had changed their overland route and that of all the narcotics drugs transited through India, around 40 percent were going through Punjab. “Punjab alone accounted for roughly over one-fifth of the total recoveries of heroin in the country. The traffickers are using porous areas on the Punjab border, trains and buses for smuggling afghan heroin coming via Pakistan which is moved for distribution within and outside the country,” it added. A drive to some border villages in Tarn Taran district is illuminating. All that separates India and Pakistan is a barbed wire fence over vast tracts of land. While there are Border Security Force (BSF) outpost set-up all along the border, there are huge areas which are not under surveillance. That also explains why neatly wrapped packages containing heroin are simply thrown over the fence into India and are quickly collected. In villages like Bidhi Chand Chhina and Naushahra--two of the many Indian villages located just meters away from the international border with Pakistan--the smuggling and availability of drugs like heroin is an open secret. The numbers speak for themselves. Since 2014 and until January 24 this year, the Punjab Police arrested close to 37,000 people for drug abuse under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances act. Close to 31,000 cases under the NDPS act were registered in Punjab during the same period. Year Case registered under NDPS Act Persons arrested 2014 14482 17001 2015 10178 12193 2016 5836 6971 01-01-2017 to 24-01-2017 457 529 A look at the quantum of drug seizures by the border security force in Punjab in the past five years underscores the gravity of the situation. Between 2012 to 2016, a staggering 1,547 kilograms of heroin was seized on the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. This roughly translates into an average 309 kilograms per year. At 362 kilograms, year 2014 saw the highest seizures. This year, already 8 kilograms of heroin has been seized from the border areas. In 2015, a study titled "Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey (PODS)" was conducted by Society For Promotion Of Youth & Masses (SPYM) and a team of researchers from National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of Delhi’s All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in collaboration with Department Of Health And Family Welfare of the Punjab Government. The study was carried out in the 10 districts of Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Tarn Taran. Together these 10 districts comprise about 60% of the population of Punjab and are representative of the entire state on many parameters like population, male:female ratio, urban:rural ratio, and location at international or inter-state border. This study was conducted over a three-month period and data for this study was collected from 3,620 opioid dependent individuals across 10 districts at government de-addiction centres by trained counsellors under the supervision of psychiatrists and nodal-officers working with the Punjab government. Informed consent was obtained from all the respondents and clearance was obtained from the institute ethics committee of AIIMS, New Delhi. The data was collected in the digital format and was subsequently analysed by the researchers at AIIMS using special analytical techniques. Here’s what the study found out: --the study estimated the size of the opioid-dependent population in Punjab at a staggering 2.32 lakh. --76% opioid dependent individuals are in the age group of 18 to 35 years --99% are males and 54% are married --89% are literate and have some hold college degrees --most are employed as unskilled workers or labourers and farmers. --56% belong to rural areas and almost all (99%) report Punjabi as their mother tongue. The study found that heroin was the most common drug used by this group, followed by opium, doda or bhukki. Around 14 per cent drug users were found to be using a variety of pharmaceutical opioids. It also said that about one-third take their opioid drugs through injections and among them almost 90% inject heroin. While 'peer-influence' was the found to be the main reason for taking drugs, the study also said that an average heroin using individual spends about Rs 1,400 a day on drugs--an opium users spends Rs 340 per day while a pharmaceutical-opioid user spends Rs 265 per day. It also found that a large majority of drug users cited suffering from physical, mental or social adverse consequences as reasons for their addiction. “While only a minority report having been arrested and having been jailed, almost everyone who had been to jail reports continuing drug use, while inside the jail,” it added. The study’s findings also indicated that there is a huge illegal market of opioid drugs in Punjab. After multiplying the figures on expenditure with the estimated number of dependent users in the state, the study has projected that opioid dependent people are spending around Rs 20 crore per day on opioid drugs in the state--this amounts to an annual expenditure of rs 7,575 crore annually on opioid drugs. At the Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction & Treatment Centre in Amritsar—one of the biggest in the state, there’s a steady stream of patients coming for treatment. In fact, ever since it was set up in 2012, this centre has already treated about 23,000 patients. On an average ten new patients come in every day, officials say. “The number of patients coming in for drug de-addiction treatment steadily rose in the past few years. In fact, in 2014, around 9,500 patients came in for treatment, ” says Dr P.D Garg, Professor & Head Of Department Of Psychiatry, Swami Vivekanand Drug Deaddiction & Treatment Centre in Amritsar. “In school, we started off with cigarettes, then moved on to liquor and then to drugs. “White” or “Chitta” is the craze in Punjab these days…the whole state is after it. The government is involved in the sale of these drugs because how can such a trade flourish with the government’s support,” says a young drug addict visiting this de-addiction centre, accompanied by his mother. “I have picked up bodies of my friends who died after injected drugs, at times because they used the injection incorrectly,” he says, adding that there are thousands like him in the state. Then there are localities like Maqboolpura in the heart of Amritsar which are constant reminders of the havoc drug abuse has wreaked on Punjab. Maqboolpura is now known as the “colony of widows” because a large number of women living here are said to have lost their husbands to drug abuse. For the first time, an election in Punjab witnessed the issue of drug abuse being talked about so vociferously. A lot of politics was also played over it. Leaving aside the rhetoric, the fact that this great human tragedy is finally being acknowledged is probably the only silver lining in this cloud. (WION)

Punjab's drug menace: 7 in 10 college students abuse drugs

His failure to provide a matching response to Ram Gopal Yadav&#39;s meticulous paperwork submitted to the Election Commission of India seems to have cost Samajwadi leader Mulayam Singh Yadav dear with the poll-body today deciding that the group led by his son Akhilesh Yadav &ldquo;is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol &#39;bicycle&#39;&quot; in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

The Election Commission&#39;s 42-page order on the father-son dispute makes for interesting reading. It lays down in great detail the entire sequence of events that played out in the Samajwadi symbol saga over the past few weeks.

While adjudicating on the case, the EC held that the &quot;facts and circumstances of the present case are to a large extent similar to those in the case of the split in the Indian National Congress and, therefore, the Commission is perfectly justified in applying the same test of majority in the present case as well&quot;.

In an affidavit submitted on January 6, Ram Gopal Yadav, on behalf of the Akhilesh Yadav group submitted individual affidavits of the members of legislative and organisational wings (see attached pic) in support of his claim of the majority support among the members of the party for the Akhilesh Yadav group.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/sp-20170116055846.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
Members supporting Akhilesh Yadav (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

In his reply on January 9, Mulayam, on the other hand, &ldquo;did not file any affidavit (except his own affidavit) of any member of Parliament or State Legislature or of any delegates; nor did he make claim of any support among the aforesaid category of members for his group, inspite of the fact that he had been specifically directed&rdquo; by the EC to file &ldquo;all such affidavits in support of his claim&rdquo;.

Realizing the urgency of the matter in view of the fast approaching elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the first notification calling the general election for the first phase from 73 assembly constituencies is scheduled to be notified on 17th January, the EC then fixed an urgent hearing in the matter on January 13.

While sending the notice to both the groups on January 10, the Election Commission again specifically directed both the groups that if they have any further documents to submit, they should do so by 5.00 p.m on January 12, along with synopsis of the oral arguments that they may advance at the hearing.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Again, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav group did not file any affidavit of any members of Parliament or state legislature or of any delegates to claim any support among those members for his group. In all his replies, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav only made the contention that there was no split in the party which needed determination under para 15 of the Symbols Order,&rdquo; the EC order said today.

The EC order further states that the Mulayam camp &ldquo;vaguely&rdquo; stated that a &ldquo;bare perusal of the said affidavits reveal that they contain the same contents in English so much so that the errors/mistakes which have crept in one has been carried in most of them&rdquo;.

&ldquo;For instance, in number of affidavits instead of word &#39;&#39;held&quot; the word &quot;help&quot; has been printed and the same error has been carried in majority of affidavits. It appears that the deponents have been seemingly called upon to sign on dotted lines. Moreover, the most of such deponents are not versed with English language, the affidavits allegedly sworn by them are in English and it has not been mentioned that the contents were read over to them in vernacular,&rdquo; the Mulayam camp argued.

It also added that the affidavits submitted by Ram Gopal Yadav &ldquo;do not contain averment that the affidavits have been sworn by the deponents without any fear, favour or influence, which is essential in such like situations&rdquo;.

The EC has said that except for these &ldquo;vague allegations&rdquo;, the Mulayam group--despite repeated opportunities given to it&mdash;neither filed any affidavit from any member nor indicated even the name of one member whose affidavit was considered by him to be suspect, or questioned the numbers claimed by Ram Gopal Yadav.

The substantive documentation made available by the Akhilesh Yadav camp&mdash;with senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal as its legal counsel&mdash;was enough to convince the EC that Akhilesh did enjoy &ldquo;overwhelming majority support, both among the legislative and organizational wing of the party&rdquo;.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Ram Gopal Yadav submitted individual affidavits of the members of legislative and organisational wings in favour of Akhilesh Yadav

His failure to provide a matching response to Ram Gopal Yadav's meticulous paperwork submitted to the Election Commission of India seems to have cost Samajwadi leader Mulayam Singh Yadav dear with the poll-body today deciding that the group led by his son Akhilesh Yadav “is the Samajwadi Party and is entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol 'bicycle'" in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. The Election Commission's 42-page order on the father-son dispute makes for interesting reading. It lays down in great detail the entire sequence of events that played out in the Samajwadi symbol saga over the past few weeks. While adjudicating on the case, the EC held that the "facts and circumstances of the present case are to a large extent similar to those in the case of the split in the Indian National Congress and, therefore, the Commission is perfectly justified in applying the same test of majority in the present case as well". In an affidavit submitted on January 6, Ram Gopal Yadav, on behalf of the Akhilesh Yadav group submitted individual affidavits of the members of legislative and organisational wings (see attached pic) in support of his claim of the majority support among the members of the party for the Akhilesh Yadav group. Members supporting Akhilesh Yadav (WION) × In his reply on January 9, Mulayam, on the other hand, “did not file any affidavit (except his own affidavit) of any member of Parliament or State Legislature or of any delegates; nor did he make claim of any support among the aforesaid category of members for his group, inspite of the fact that he had been specifically directed” by the EC to file “all such affidavits in support of his claim”. Realizing the urgency of the matter in view of the fast approaching elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the first notification calling the general election for the first phase from 73 assembly constituencies is scheduled to be notified on 17th January, the EC then fixed an urgent hearing in the matter on January 13. While sending the notice to both the groups on January 10, the Election Commission again specifically directed both the groups that if they have any further documents to submit, they should do so by 5.00 p.m on January 12, along with synopsis of the oral arguments that they may advance at the hearing. “Again, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav group did not file any affidavit of any members of Parliament or state legislature or of any delegates to claim any support among those members for his group. In all his replies, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav only made the contention that there was no split in the party which needed determination under para 15 of the Symbols Order,” the EC order said today. The EC order further states that the Mulayam camp “vaguely” stated that a “bare perusal of the said affidavits reveal that they contain the same contents in English so much so that the errors/mistakes which have crept in one has been carried in most of them”. “For instance, in number of affidavits instead of word ''held" the word "help" has been printed and the same error has been carried in majority of affidavits. It appears that the deponents have been seemingly called upon to sign on dotted lines. Moreover, the most of such deponents are not versed with English language, the affidavits allegedly sworn by them are in English and it has not been mentioned that the contents were read over to them in vernacular,” the Mulayam camp argued. It also added that the affidavits submitted by Ram Gopal Yadav “do not contain averment that the affidavits have been sworn by the deponents without any fear, favour or influence, which is essential in such like situations”. The EC has said that except for these “vague allegations”, the Mulayam group--despite repeated opportunities given to it—neither filed any affidavit from any member nor indicated even the name of one member whose affidavit was considered by him to be suspect, or questioned the numbers claimed by Ram Gopal Yadav. The substantive documentation made available by the Akhilesh Yadav camp—with senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal as its legal counsel—was enough to convince the EC that Akhilesh did enjoy “overwhelming majority support, both among the legislative and organizational wing of the party”. (WION)

Meticulous paperwork by Akhilesh-led faction swayed Election Commission's order on 'bicycle' symbol in his favour

Global e-tailing giant Amazon appears to be headed for another round of confrontation with the Indian government.&nbsp;

Days after it discontinued the&nbsp;sale of doormats with the Indian flag on them -- following an angry reaction from India&rsquo;s foreign minister -- the online retailer once again finds itself in the middle of a brewing controversy, this time over slippers that have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on them. 
&nbsp; 
Even as the dust had barely settled on the episode involving sale of doormats showing Indian flag on Amazon&rsquo;s Canada portal, flip-flops depicting Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s picture, split into two, being sold on Amazon.com for 16.99 US dollars has come as another shocker for India. 
&nbsp; 
Shockingly, Cafepress&mdash;the third party vendor who is selling these flip-flops on Amazon&mdash;has, on its own web portal, a full line of such slippers having pictures that are sure to raise hackles in India.

Consider these:

&middot; In addition to several variants of Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s pictures on these flip-flops, the one which may be found even more offending is the one that shows the &nbsp; &nbsp;Mahatma sitting with a gun in his hand.

&middot; There&rsquo;s another pair of flip-flops that has Lord Shiva&rsquo;s picture on them.

&middot; Similar flip-flops having India&rsquo;s tricolor are also up for sale on Cafepress portal. 
&nbsp; 
Only a few days back, Amazon&#39;s Canada portal was in soup for selling doormats depicting the Indian flag, causing India&rsquo;s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to take to Twitter seeking an unconditional apology and withdrawal of all products insulting India&rsquo;s national flag. &ldquo;If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier,&rdquo; Swaraj had warned. 
&nbsp; 
Within hours of Swaraj&rsquo;s warning, Amazon&rsquo;s top brass wrote to her expressing regrets &amp; indicating that the item had been pulled from the website.&nbsp;

But this latest episode appears to have once again ignited the discussion over disrespect to India&rsquo;s national symbols and leaders. 
&nbsp; 
Ever since news of these slippers with Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s pictures surfaced, the Amazon page selling these slippers has been flooded with comments from users, mostly Indian, seeking removal and banning of such products. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Amazon please ban this seller (and take further action if possible) for spreading hate and hurting sentiments of people of India and his followers around the world. MK Gandhi is a very respected figure in India and around the world, and having flip flops with his face, shows the disgusting and dangerous precedence this seller (sick minded and arrogant ) is setting,&rdquo; one Rahul Lokare wrote on the amazon webpage selling these slippers. 
&nbsp; 
Amazon&rsquo;s Canada portal has been selling doormats depicting flags of Canada, the United States and Britain. Its portals in the US, UK, Germany and France have also been selling doormats depicting the American and British flags. But curiously enough, none of these countries have raised much objection to the sale of these products so far. 
&nbsp; 
The only other case to have surfaced recently is that of a California-based company recalling a model of military-style boots after a customer pointed out that the soles leave imprints of &ldquo;swastika&rdquo;&mdash;a sacred religious symbol in Hinduism and several other religions.&nbsp;

Amazon, where these boots were being sold, has since then removed the product from its listings. 
&nbsp; 
Following the Indian flag doormat episode, India has directed its ambassador in Washington to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third-party vendors they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments. 
&nbsp; 
A formal reaction on the Gandhi flip-flops from India&rsquo;s Ministry of External Affairs is expected soon.&nbsp;

Amazon, too, is yet to clear the air on the matter. 
&nbsp; 
The last on this, clearly, has not been heard yet.

(WION)

Amazon finds itself in the middle of another controversy, this time over selling slippers that have the picture of Mahatma Gandhi on them

Global e-tailing giant Amazon appears to be headed for another round of confrontation with the Indian government. Days after it discontinued the sale of doormats with the Indian flag on them -- following an angry reaction from India’s foreign minister -- the online retailer once again finds itself in the middle of a brewing controversy, this time over slippers that have a picture of Mahatma Gandhi on them. Even as the dust had barely settled on the episode involving sale of doormats showing Indian flag on Amazon’s Canada portal, flip-flops depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s picture, split into two, being sold on Amazon.com for 16.99 US dollars has come as another shocker for India. Shockingly, Cafepress—the third party vendor who is selling these flip-flops on Amazon—has, on its own web portal, a full line of such slippers having pictures that are sure to raise hackles in India. Consider these: · In addition to several variants of Mahatma Gandhi’s pictures on these flip-flops, the one which may be found even more offending is the one that shows the Mahatma sitting with a gun in his hand. · There’s another pair of flip-flops that has Lord Shiva’s picture on them. · Similar flip-flops having India’s tricolor are also up for sale on Cafepress portal. Only a few days back, Amazon's Canada portal was in soup for selling doormats depicting the Indian flag, causing India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj to take to Twitter seeking an unconditional apology and withdrawal of all products insulting India’s national flag. “If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visa to any amazon official. We will also rescind the visas issued earlier,” Swaraj had warned. Within hours of Swaraj’s warning, Amazon’s top brass wrote to her expressing regrets & indicating that the item had been pulled from the website. But this latest episode appears to have once again ignited the discussion over disrespect to India’s national symbols and leaders. Ever since news of these slippers with Mahatma Gandhi’s pictures surfaced, the Amazon page selling these slippers has been flooded with comments from users, mostly Indian, seeking removal and banning of such products. “Amazon please ban this seller (and take further action if possible) for spreading hate and hurting sentiments of people of India and his followers around the world. MK Gandhi is a very respected figure in India and around the world, and having flip flops with his face, shows the disgusting and dangerous precedence this seller (sick minded and arrogant ) is setting,” one Rahul Lokare wrote on the amazon webpage selling these slippers. Amazon’s Canada portal has been selling doormats depicting flags of Canada, the United States and Britain. Its portals in the US, UK, Germany and France have also been selling doormats depicting the American and British flags. But curiously enough, none of these countries have raised much objection to the sale of these products so far. The only other case to have surfaced recently is that of a California-based company recalling a model of military-style boots after a customer pointed out that the soles leave imprints of “swastika”—a sacred religious symbol in Hinduism and several other religions. Amazon, where these boots were being sold, has since then removed the product from its listings. Following the Indian flag doormat episode, India has directed its ambassador in Washington to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third-party vendors they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments. A formal reaction on the Gandhi flip-flops from India’s Ministry of External Affairs is expected soon. Amazon, too, is yet to clear the air on the matter. The last on this, clearly, has not been heard yet. (WION)

Another bout of confrontation with Indian govt likely as Amazon hosts slippers with pictures of Gandhi

In November 2016, India&#39;s Ministry of Home Affairs informed the country&#39;s Parliament that as many as 68 supporters and sympathisers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) had been arrested by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. Of these, as many as 50&nbsp;were arrested by the state police forces during 2016 itself. 
&nbsp; 
The number of arrests may not be very big but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India&rsquo;s security establishment. While the Indian government maintains that IS&nbsp;has no real ground presence in India, it is not yet dismissing the IS threat to radicalise Indian youth completely. 
&nbsp; 
The MHA has acknowledged that while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS&nbsp;have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, has registered as many as nine cases in this connection. 
&nbsp; 
But more than the numbers, it is the profiles and backgrounds of some of those arrested that have the security agencies intrigued. 
&nbsp; 
Consider these:

<ul>
	<li>Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Naser alias Naser Mohamed alias Khalid was known to those around him as a web and graphics designer until his arrest in December 2015. He was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join IS, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. Naser had also done a course on certified ethical hacking.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/mohd%20naser-20170113074611.png" />
<div class="media-description">
23-year-old Mohamed Naser was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join isis, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. (Image source:NIA) (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Then there is the case of Md Mosiuddin, a grocery shop owner, who went around with several aliases. It was in 2016 that Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. During the&nbsp;investigation, the NIA stumbled upon a piece of evidence that took them by surprise. In one of his chats on the&nbsp;&ldquo;Telegram&rdquo;,&nbsp;Mosiuddin said that he hoisted the ISIS flag in Kashmir and that the local media had the footage of him with the IS&nbsp;flag even though he was masked while doing it. He even asked his IS&nbsp;handlers to watch a video titled &ldquo;Protesters to wave ISIS flag in Srinagar&rdquo; on Youtube.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/mohd%20mosiuddin-20170113074731.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
In 2016, Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. (Image source: NIA) (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Profiles of several others arrested for links with IS have made security agencies sit up and take note.

Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Abu Abdurrahman worked as an electrical and electronic engineering in various companies of Saudi Arabia before he was arrested from Hyderabad in 2016. His interrogation revealed a plot to prepare improvised explosive devices under the guidance of an online handler based either in Iraq or Syria.

For those around him, 31-year-old Mohd Ataullah Rahman was an English language trainer in Hyderabad. Post his arrest in July 2016, it emerged that Rahman was the religious motivator of a group which, under instructions of IS, had plans to carry out terror strikes in Hyderabad.

Investigators trying to piece together the jigsaw of why many of these people, mostly youth and many with well-settled jobs, chose to consider joining a terror outfit like the ISIS and wage war against the state, are still trying to find answers. The common thread running through most of the IS-linked arrests in India is the recovery of incriminating documents, firearms, and articles like cellphones and laptops. Investigators are also of the firm view that while IS doesn&rsquo;t have any real physical presence in India, most of those arrested for having links with it had scouted for information about IS&nbsp;on platforms like Twitter and Facebook and had joined Whatsapp groups where a variety of media to radicalise and indoctrinate them was routinely shared. 
&nbsp; 
Investigations have also established that most of these operatives used encrypted applications like Telegram and Chatsecure to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. 
&nbsp; 
India&rsquo;s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, on more than one occasion, said that the threat of radicalisation by ISIS won&rsquo;t be an issue in India because people who follow Islam in India, love the country. He has also underlined several times that no innocent should be troubled and that none of the offenders should be spared. 
&nbsp; 
The Indian security establishment, meanwhile, is of the firm view that ISIS is using a variety of platforms to propagate its ideology in a bid to attract recruits from across the world. The Home Ministry has also told the Parliament that security agencies are maintaining a close watch to identify those trying to misguide the youth and that steps to counter radicalisation were being undertaken. The ministry, however, declined to disclose those steps, citing national security. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

IS&nbsp;arrests in India in 2016:

<ul>
	<li>Maharashtra-11</li>
	<li>Telengana-11</li>
	<li>Karnataka-07</li>
	<li>Kerala-06</li>
	<li>Uttarakhand-04</li>
	<li>Tamil nadu-02</li>
	<li>West bengal-02</li>
	<li>Uttar pradesh-02</li>
	<li>Delhi-01</li>
	<li>Rajasthan-01</li>
	<li>Madhya pradesh-01</li>
	<li>Jammu &amp; kashmir-01</li>
	<li>Bihar-01</li>
</ul>

(WION)

The number of arrests may not be very big, but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India?s security establishment

In November 2016, India's Ministry of Home Affairs informed the country's Parliament that as many as 68 supporters and sympathisers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) had been arrested by either the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. Of these, as many as 50 were arrested by the state police forces during 2016 itself. The number of arrests may not be very big but they have surely set alarm bells ringing within India’s security establishment. While the Indian government maintains that IS has no real ground presence in India, it is not yet dismissing the IS threat to radicalise Indian youth completely. The MHA has acknowledged that while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, has registered as many as nine cases in this connection. But more than the numbers, it is the profiles and backgrounds of some of those arrested that have the security agencies intrigued. Consider these: Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Naser alias Naser Mohamed alias Khalid was known to those around him as a web and graphics designer until his arrest in December 2015. He was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join IS, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. Naser had also done a course on certified ethical hacking. 23-year-old Mohamed Naser was charged with conspiring to recruit Muslim youth in India to join isis, transfer them to Iraq and Syria to commit terror attacks and wage war in the middle-eastern countries, as well as in India. (Image source:NIA) (Others) × Then there is the case of Md Mosiuddin, a grocery shop owner, who went around with several aliases. It was in 2016 that Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. During the investigation, the NIA stumbled upon a piece of evidence that took them by surprise. In one of his chats on the “Telegram”, Mosiuddin said that he hoisted the ISIS flag in Kashmir and that the local media had the footage of him with the IS flag even though he was masked while doing it. He even asked his IS handlers to watch a video titled “Protesters to wave ISIS flag in Srinagar” on Youtube. In 2016, Mosiuddin was nabbed from a passenger train at the Burdwan railway station in West Bengal following a tip-off. (Image source: NIA) (Others) × Profiles of several others arrested for links with IS have made security agencies sit up and take note. Twenty-nine-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani alias Abu Abdurrahman worked as an electrical and electronic engineering in various companies of Saudi Arabia before he was arrested from Hyderabad in 2016. His interrogation revealed a plot to prepare improvised explosive devices under the guidance of an online handler based either in Iraq or Syria. For those around him, 31-year-old Mohd Ataullah Rahman was an English language trainer in Hyderabad. Post his arrest in July 2016, it emerged that Rahman was the religious motivator of a group which, under instructions of IS, had plans to carry out terror strikes in Hyderabad. Investigators trying to piece together the jigsaw of why many of these people, mostly youth and many with well-settled jobs, chose to consider joining a terror outfit like the ISIS and wage war against the state, are still trying to find answers. The common thread running through most of the IS-linked arrests in India is the recovery of incriminating documents, firearms, and articles like cellphones and laptops. Investigators are also of the firm view that while IS doesn’t have any real physical presence in India, most of those arrested for having links with it had scouted for information about IS on platforms like Twitter and Facebook and had joined Whatsapp groups where a variety of media to radicalise and indoctrinate them was routinely shared. Investigations have also established that most of these operatives used encrypted applications like Telegram and Chatsecure to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has, on more than one occasion, said that the threat of radicalisation by ISIS won’t be an issue in India because people who follow Islam in India, love the country. He has also underlined several times that no innocent should be troubled and that none of the offenders should be spared. The Indian security establishment, meanwhile, is of the firm view that ISIS is using a variety of platforms to propagate its ideology in a bid to attract recruits from across the world. The Home Ministry has also told the Parliament that security agencies are maintaining a close watch to identify those trying to misguide the youth and that steps to counter radicalisation were being undertaken. The ministry, however, declined to disclose those steps, citing national security. IS arrests in India in 2016: Maharashtra-11 Telengana-11 Karnataka-07 Kerala-06 Uttarakhand-04 Tamil nadu-02 West bengal-02 Uttar pradesh-02 Delhi-01 Rajasthan-01 Madhya pradesh-01 Jammu & kashmir-01 Bihar-01 (WION)

India: 50 Islamic State supporters arrested in 2016

His arrest from Jammu and Kashmir on July 25, 2016 cut short the plans his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handlers had to further fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani&#39;s killing by India&#39;s security forces.

Had he not been caught, Bahadur Ali&mdash; the Pakistani national against whom India&#39;s National Investigation Agency (NIA) today filed a charge sheet before a special court&mdash; would have attempted to mix with the protestors and throw grenades at the security forces during the agitation post Wani&#39;s killing in Kashmir.

After having crossed over into the Indian side from across the Line of Control along with two more terrorists, Ali&mdash; during a conversation with his handler from across the border&mdash; was told that the LeT cadres had been successful in fuelling large scale agitation in Kashmir after Eid following militant Burhan Wani&#39;s death, the NIA has told the court in its chargesheet today. Codenamed Alfa 3, the Lashkar handler then told Ali to &ldquo;to mix with the protestors and throw grenades at the security forces&rdquo; so as to further fuel the agitation in the Kashmir valley, the NIA has said. 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/bahadurali-20170106050556.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
NIA has accused Bahadur Ali of plotting terror attacks across India, including its capital New Delhi. (WION)
</div>
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NIA&#39;s main charge against Ali is that he infiltrated into India in a bid to commit acts of terrorism in various Indian cities, including its capital New Delhi. Following his arrest, Ali revealed the details of the infiltrators he was to receive as per his handler&#39;s instructions. Based on this information, a search operation was launched in Bandi Monabal area on July 26, 2016 and four unidentified terrorists were killed. A huge cache of arms, ammunition, explosives and wireless sets was recovered too.

As per the NIA, Bahadur Ali, Abu Saad and Abu Darda were provided codes in the form of nine alphabets, which were to be used to record numerals such as grid references and phone numbers.

An analysis based on the disclosure of Bahadur Ali regarding the codes has established the route taken by the trio after they crossed the LoC. &ldquo;When plotted on a map, the deciphered grid references clearly trace the infiltration route from the direction of the LoC towards Handwara,&rdquo; the NIA has stated. The NIA has added that investigation proves that Ali is well conversant with using map sheet and plotted the grid references correctly. Data on the GPS device recovered from Ali at the time of his arrest contained coordinates of Lashkar&#39;s Mandakuli &quot;launching pad&quot; in PoK.

The 50-page charge sheet traces in great detail the journey Ali and his two fellow terrorists undertook to infiltrate into India:

<ul>
	<li>On the intervening night of June 12 &amp; 13, 2016, Bahadur Ali along with two associates, Abu Saad &amp; Abu Darda, infiltrated into India by crossing the LoC.</li>
	<li>Heavily armed, the trio walked for about seven days following the grid references with the aid of GPS devices provided to them by Abu Haider at Lashkar&#39;s Mandakuli &lsquo;launching pad&rsquo;.</li>
	<li>The infiltrating terrorists were provided with eight grid references, the eighth denoting their final destination.</li>
	<li>On June 20, 2016 they reached a hilltop near village Wadar in Handwara (J&amp;K)--the sixth of the eight grid references. Here, Abu Saad sent a message to a handler called &lsquo;Walid Bhai&rsquo; by pairing his mobile phone with his wireless set--a communication technique especially designed by let to avoid interception.</li>
	<li>Around June 22, Darda and Saad went to village Wadar to arrange food, leaving Bahadur Ali on a nearby hill. After a short while Bahadur Ali heard sound of gunfire. On hearing the gunfire, Bahadur Ali was confused and he rushed towards a nearby hilltop as a precautionary measure and waited for Darda and Saad to return. The duo, however, never returned.</li>
	<li>The next morning, Bahadur Ali contacted Alfa-3, the LeT control station based in PoK, through his wireless set and apprised the receiver of let about his situation. He was directed to continue his journey and reach the final destination at the eighth grid reference.</li>
	<li>Bahadur Ali reached the location of the 8th grid reference. This point was located on a hill near village Mukam, Yahama. After reaching this point, Bahadur Ali contacted Alfa-3 who provided him with an additional grid reference, where he was told to contact a local person who would provide him food and other support.</li>
	<li>At the grid reference provided by Alfa-3, bahadur ali met one local person and two others later. After confirming each other&rsquo;s identities, the local person provided food to Bahadur Ali.</li>
	<li>On July 24, 2016, Alfa-3 directed Ali to receive a group of freshly infiltrated terrorists of Lashkar. Alfa-3 provided a grid reference, where Bahadur Ali was to receive the group of terrorists. However, before he could receive these terrorists, he was apprehended by the security forces on July 25.</li>
</ul>

Recoveries made from Ali&#39;s possession at the time of his arrest:

<ul>
	<li>One compass</li>
	<li>One ICOM wireless set</li>
	<li>One matrix sheet bearing codes</li>
	<li>Two unicode sheets (handwritten pocket diary pages), bearing text written in coded form</li>
	<li>Indian currency worth Rs 23,000 (of which 3 notes were fake)</li>
	<li>One GPS set</li>
	<li>and one map sheet</li>
</ul>

Recoveries made following information revealed by Ali after his arrest:

<ul>
	<li>One AK-47 rifle</li>
	<li>Five AK-47 magazines. Each loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition</li>
	<li>One under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL)</li>
	<li>Five live UBGL shells</li>
	<li>Two live hand grenades (Chinese)</li>
	<li>One Icom wireless set</li>
	<li>One magazine pouch</li>
	<li>One black coloured bag containing medicines and other items of daily use, several of these items have the label &lsquo;Made in Pakistan.&rsquo; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Watch video:

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xAm-naSmu3g" width="770"></iframe></center>

Had he not been caught, Bahadur Ali would have mixed with protestors, thrown grenades at security forces in the agitation after Wani's death

His arrest from Jammu and Kashmir on July 25, 2016 cut short the plans his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handlers had to further fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's killing by India's security forces. Had he not been caught, Bahadur Ali— the Pakistani national against whom India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) today filed a charge sheet before a special court— would have attempted to mix with the protestors and throw grenades at the security forces during the agitation post Wani's killing in Kashmir. After having crossed over into the Indian side from across the Line of Control along with two more terrorists, Ali— during a conversation with his handler from across the border— was told that the LeT cadres had been successful in fuelling large scale agitation in Kashmir after Eid following militant Burhan Wani's death, the NIA has told the court in its chargesheet today. Codenamed Alfa 3, the Lashkar handler then told Ali to “to mix with the protestors and throw grenades at the security forces” so as to further fuel the agitation in the Kashmir valley, the NIA has said. NIA has accused Bahadur Ali of plotting terror attacks across India, including its capital New Delhi. (WION) × NIA's main charge against Ali is that he infiltrated into India in a bid to commit acts of terrorism in various Indian cities, including its capital New Delhi. Following his arrest, Ali revealed the details of the infiltrators he was to receive as per his handler's instructions. Based on this information, a search operation was launched in Bandi Monabal area on July 26, 2016 and four unidentified terrorists were killed. A huge cache of arms, ammunition, explosives and wireless sets was recovered too. As per the NIA, Bahadur Ali, Abu Saad and Abu Darda were provided codes in the form of nine alphabets, which were to be used to record numerals such as grid references and phone numbers. An analysis based on the disclosure of Bahadur Ali regarding the codes has established the route taken by the trio after they crossed the LoC. “When plotted on a map, the deciphered grid references clearly trace the infiltration route from the direction of the LoC towards Handwara,” the NIA has stated. The NIA has added that investigation proves that Ali is well conversant with using map sheet and plotted the grid references correctly. Data on the GPS device recovered from Ali at the time of his arrest contained coordinates of Lashkar's Mandakuli "launching pad" in PoK. The 50-page charge sheet traces in great detail the journey Ali and his two fellow terrorists undertook to infiltrate into India: On the intervening night of June 12 & 13, 2016, Bahadur Ali along with two associates, Abu Saad & Abu Darda, infiltrated into India by crossing the LoC. Heavily armed, the trio walked for about seven days following the grid references with the aid of GPS devices provided to them by Abu Haider at Lashkar's Mandakuli ‘launching pad’. The infiltrating terrorists were provided with eight grid references, the eighth denoting their final destination. On June 20, 2016 they reached a hilltop near village Wadar in Handwara (J&K)--the sixth of the eight grid references. Here, Abu Saad sent a message to a handler called ‘Walid Bhai’ by pairing his mobile phone with his wireless set--a communication technique especially designed by let to avoid interception. Around June 22, Darda and Saad went to village Wadar to arrange food, leaving Bahadur Ali on a nearby hill. After a short while Bahadur Ali heard sound of gunfire. On hearing the gunfire, Bahadur Ali was confused and he rushed towards a nearby hilltop as a precautionary measure and waited for Darda and Saad to return. The duo, however, never returned. The next morning, Bahadur Ali contacted Alfa-3, the LeT control station based in PoK, through his wireless set and apprised the receiver of let about his situation. He was directed to continue his journey and reach the final destination at the eighth grid reference. Bahadur Ali reached the location of the 8th grid reference. This point was located on a hill near village Mukam, Yahama. After reaching this point, Bahadur Ali contacted Alfa-3 who provided him with an additional grid reference, where he was told to contact a local person who would provide him food and other support. At the grid reference provided by Alfa-3, bahadur ali met one local person and two others later. After confirming each other’s identities, the local person provided food to Bahadur Ali. On July 24, 2016, Alfa-3 directed Ali to receive a group of freshly infiltrated terrorists of Lashkar. Alfa-3 provided a grid reference, where Bahadur Ali was to receive the group of terrorists. However, before he could receive these terrorists, he was apprehended by the security forces on July 25. Recoveries made from Ali's possession at the time of his arrest: One compass One ICOM wireless set One matrix sheet bearing codes Two unicode sheets (handwritten pocket diary pages), bearing text written in coded form Indian currency worth Rs 23,000 (of which 3 notes were fake) One GPS set and one map sheet Recoveries made following information revealed by Ali after his arrest: One AK-47 rifle Five AK-47 magazines. Each loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition One under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) Five live UBGL shells Two live hand grenades (Chinese) One Icom wireless set One magazine pouch One black coloured bag containing medicines and other items of daily use, several of these items have the label ‘Made in Pakistan.’ Watch video:

Chargesheeted Pakistani was sent to Kashmir to fuel unrest after Burhan Wani's death: Indian investigative agency

One of the two senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leaders who were designated as global terrorists by the United States on December 28 is believed to have been involved&nbsp;with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 in which over 160 people were killed. 
&nbsp; 
Thirty six-year-old Shahid Mahmood, a senior Karachi-based LeT member, was a part of Lashkar&#39;s overseas operations team led by Sajjid Mir. 
&nbsp; 
Mir, himself a designated global terrorist, is believed to be the main Lashkar contact for David Coleman Headley -- the Pakistani-American convicted by a US court for helping plot the Mumbai strikes. Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence for his role in the attacks. 
&nbsp; 
In fact, security agencies believe that it was on Mir&#39;s instructions that Headley changed his name from Dawood Gilani to David Headley and applied for a US passport under the new name. Once he received the passport, his new identity gave Headley a cover to enter India, scout for terror targets, and travel back to the US undetected. 
&nbsp; 
Between June 2015 and June 2016, Mahmood served as the vice-chairman of Falah-i-Insaniat foundation (FIF), dubbed as a humanitarian organisation but believed to be a fundraising arm of the LeT. This foundation, too, was previously listed as a terror&nbsp;outfit by the US. 
&nbsp; 
Since 2012, Mahmood routinely traveled overseas -- to places like Syria, Turkey, Gaza, Bangladesh and Myanmar -- and worked with international organisations on for FIF, which is belived to be a front for the LeT.

Lashkar&#39;s emir (local chief) in Lahore, Muhammad Sarwar, is the second LeT man to have been flagged by the US as a terrorist. 
&nbsp; 
Sarwar has been directly involved in fundraising activities for the LeT and is believed to have used the formal financial system in Pakistan to raise and move funds on behalf of the terrorist orgainisation. In 2008, he led delegations of businessmen to solicit&nbsp;donations for the terror group.

Born in Sheikhupura in Pakistan, Sarwar is known to have used as many as six aliases and held a Pakistani passport from 2007 to 2012. 
&nbsp; 
While naming these two men as global terrorists, acting director at the office of foreign assets control, John E Smith, said, &quot;These two Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders are responsible for raising and moving funds to support the terrorist group&rsquo;s operations.&quot;

&quot;Today&rsquo;s action not only aims to expose their activities, but also disrupts Lashkar-e Taiba&rsquo;s financial network and ability to carry out violent terrorist attacks,&rdquo; Smith further said. 
&nbsp; 
By naming them as global terrorists, the US has ensured that all property and interests in property of Sarwar and Mahmood subject to US&nbsp;jurisdiction are now blocked, and US citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. 
&nbsp; 
26/11 attacks --&nbsp;India&#39;s case against the Lashkar

<ul>
	<li>2008: Pakistan arrests and puts on trial seven LeT men -- including its high profile leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah -- for the 26/11 mumbai terror attacks.</li>
	<li>Lakhvi has an almost luxurious stay in jail. Gets access to TV, mobile phone &amp; internet. Has daily visitors. Gets released on bail in 2014.</li>
	<li>Despite sending several dossiers containing &ldquo;evidence&rdquo; linking 26/11 to Pakistan nationals, India has largely been frustrated over the almost &ldquo;non-existent&rdquo; trial.</li>
	<li>Pakistan has refused to share Lakhvi&#39;s voice samples with India claiming the country has no law to take voice samples of an accused.</li>
</ul>

 
(WION)

Shahid Mahmood, a senior LeT member based in Karachi, was reportedly a part of LeT's overseas operations team

One of the two senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leaders who were designated as global terrorists by the United States on December 28 is believed to have been involved with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 in which over 160 people were killed. Thirty six-year-old Shahid Mahmood, a senior Karachi-based LeT member, was a part of Lashkar's overseas operations team led by Sajjid Mir. Mir, himself a designated global terrorist, is believed to be the main Lashkar contact for David Coleman Headley -- the Pakistani-American convicted by a US court for helping plot the Mumbai strikes. Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence for his role in the attacks. In fact, security agencies believe that it was on Mir's instructions that Headley changed his name from Dawood Gilani to David Headley and applied for a US passport under the new name. Once he received the passport, his new identity gave Headley a cover to enter India, scout for terror targets, and travel back to the US undetected. Between June 2015 and June 2016, Mahmood served as the vice-chairman of Falah-i-Insaniat foundation (FIF), dubbed as a humanitarian organisation but believed to be a fundraising arm of the LeT. This foundation, too, was previously listed as a terror outfit by the US. Since 2012, Mahmood routinely traveled overseas -- to places like Syria, Turkey, Gaza, Bangladesh and Myanmar -- and worked with international organisations on for FIF, which is belived to be a front for the LeT. Lashkar's emir (local chief) in Lahore, Muhammad Sarwar, is the second LeT man to have been flagged by the US as a terrorist. Sarwar has been directly involved in fundraising activities for the LeT and is believed to have used the formal financial system in Pakistan to raise and move funds on behalf of the terrorist orgainisation. In 2008, he led delegations of businessmen to solicit donations for the terror group. Born in Sheikhupura in Pakistan, Sarwar is known to have used as many as six aliases and held a Pakistani passport from 2007 to 2012. While naming these two men as global terrorists, acting director at the office of foreign assets control, John E Smith, said, "These two Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders are responsible for raising and moving funds to support the terrorist group’s operations." "Today’s action not only aims to expose their activities, but also disrupts Lashkar-e Taiba’s financial network and ability to carry out violent terrorist attacks,” Smith further said. By naming them as global terrorists, the US has ensured that all property and interests in property of Sarwar and Mahmood subject to US jurisdiction are now blocked, and US citizens are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. 26/11 attacks -- India's case against the Lashkar 2008: Pakistan arrests and puts on trial seven LeT men -- including its high profile leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarrar Shah -- for the 26/11 mumbai terror attacks. Lakhvi has an almost luxurious stay in jail. Gets access to TV, mobile phone & internet. Has daily visitors. Gets released on bail in 2014. Despite sending several dossiers containing “evidence” linking 26/11 to Pakistan nationals, India has largely been frustrated over the almost “non-existent” trial. Pakistan has refused to share Lakhvi's voice samples with India claiming the country has no law to take voice samples of an accused. (WION)

US' newly-designated terrorist may have hand in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks

India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday (December 23) announced a slew of new provisions aimed at streamlining and easing the passport application process.

Of the many changes that have been introduced, two stand out in particular. From now on, the applicant will need to provide the name of only one parent (and not both) or that of a legal guardian while applying for a passport. Also, documents like PAN card, Aadhar card, driving licence, election photo identity card, matriculation (Class X) certificate&nbsp;and school-leaving certificates will now be accepted as proof of date of birth.

The provision of allowing the name of only one parent and not both is essentially aimed at enabling single parents to apply for passports for their children. It is also aimed at tackling situations wherein an applicant doesn&#39;t want the name of either of the parents to be printed on the passport.

Till now, as per the provisions of Passport Rules, 1980, all applicants born on or after January 26, 1989 had to mandatorily submit the birth certificate as the proof of their date of birth while applying for a passport.

Following the amended rules, it has now been decided that applicants would be allowed to submit any one of the documents from a list of newly included categories.

Under the newly-introduced changes, the total number of annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980 have also been brought down from the present 15 to nine. While annexes A, C, D, E, J, and K have been removed, certain annexes have been merged. Further, from now on, all the annexes that are required to be given by the applicants would be in the form of a self-declaration on a plain paper and would not require any attestation.

Also, married applicants who are unable to provide the prescribed marriage certificate or joint affidavit with spouse due to marital discord, separation or without formal divorce decree by the court or due to total desertion by the spouse, while applying for the issue or renewal of a passport, will now not be required to provide the Annexure K or any marriage certificate.

Additionally, the passport application form, from now on, will not require the applicant to provide the name of the spouse in case they have separated or divorced. Such applicants would not be required to provide the Divorce Decree.

Orphaned children who do not have any proof of date of birth will now be allowed to submit a declaration given by the head of the orphanage or the care home on their official letterhead of the organisation confirming their age.&nbsp;

Furthermore, sadhus and sanyasis (spiritual persons) will now be allowed to apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual guru mentioned in the passport application in lieu of their biological parent&#39;s name subject to their providing of at least one public document such as Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India, PAN card, Adhaar Card, etc wherein the name of the Guru has been recorded against the column for parent&#39;s name.

The government will soon publish the necessary notifications in the Official Gazette to give effect to these changes. Instructions are also being issued to the Passport Issuing Authorities in India and abroad on these revised regulations.

(WION)

People with no age proof, separated or divorced individuals and orphans, are but a few beneficiaries of the relaxed norms

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday (December 23) announced a slew of new provisions aimed at streamlining and easing the passport application process. Of the many changes that have been introduced, two stand out in particular. From now on, the applicant will need to provide the name of only one parent (and not both) or that of a legal guardian while applying for a passport. Also, documents like PAN card, Aadhar card, driving licence, election photo identity card, matriculation (Class X) certificate and school-leaving certificates will now be accepted as proof of date of birth. The provision of allowing the name of only one parent and not both is essentially aimed at enabling single parents to apply for passports for their children. It is also aimed at tackling situations wherein an applicant doesn't want the name of either of the parents to be printed on the passport. Till now, as per the provisions of Passport Rules, 1980, all applicants born on or after January 26, 1989 had to mandatorily submit the birth certificate as the proof of their date of birth while applying for a passport. Following the amended rules, it has now been decided that applicants would be allowed to submit any one of the documents from a list of newly included categories. Under the newly-introduced changes, the total number of annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980 have also been brought down from the present 15 to nine. While annexes A, C, D, E, J, and K have been removed, certain annexes have been merged. Further, from now on, all the annexes that are required to be given by the applicants would be in the form of a self-declaration on a plain paper and would not require any attestation. Also, married applicants who are unable to provide the prescribed marriage certificate or joint affidavit with spouse due to marital discord, separation or without formal divorce decree by the court or due to total desertion by the spouse, while applying for the issue or renewal of a passport, will now not be required to provide the Annexure K or any marriage certificate. Additionally, the passport application form, from now on, will not require the applicant to provide the name of the spouse in case they have separated or divorced. Such applicants would not be required to provide the Divorce Decree. Orphaned children who do not have any proof of date of birth will now be allowed to submit a declaration given by the head of the orphanage or the care home on their official letterhead of the organisation confirming their age. Furthermore, sadhus and sanyasis (spiritual persons) will now be allowed to apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual guru mentioned in the passport application in lieu of their biological parent's name subject to their providing of at least one public document such as Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) issued by the Election Commission of India, PAN card, Adhaar Card, etc wherein the name of the Guru has been recorded against the column for parent's name. The government will soon publish the necessary notifications in the Official Gazette to give effect to these changes. Instructions are also being issued to the Passport Issuing Authorities in India and abroad on these revised regulations. (WION)

India eases passport application norms

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Raghvendra Rao

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