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The 12 boys rescued from a Thai cave were sedated and passed on stretchers along the twisting, narrow passageways of the Tham Luang complex, a rescuer said Wednesday as the first footage emerged of an astonishing mission that has captivated the world.

The video of the rescue, which ended on Tuesday when the final four boys and their 25-year-old coach emerged from the cave, was released by authorities who had until late Wednesday closely guarded the details of the seemingly unprecedented operation.

Other video footage shows several of the boys in hospital, in quarantine and wearing face masks but seemingly in good health as they nod, wave and flash peace signs to the camera.

The nerve-shredding three-day operation ended on Tuesday when the final members of the "Wild Boars" were freed from the cave which had held them captive since June 23.

The rescue sparked jubilation with Thais heaping praise on the rescue team of foreign and local divers as the triumphant tagline "Hooyah" pinballed across social media.

&nbsp;But Thai authorities have been coy on how a group of boys, many of whom could not swim and none with diving experience, could have navigated the treacherous narrow and submerged passageways of the Tham Luang complex, even with expert diving support.

After days of mounting speculation, a former Thai Navy SEAL diver broke the silence, revealing the boys were sleeping or partially-conscious as they were passed from diver-to-diver through the cave.

"Some of them were asleep, some of them were wiggling their fingers... (as if) groggy, but they were breathing," Commander Chaiyananta Peeranarong told AFP.

"My job was to transfer them along," he said, adding the "boys were wrapped up in stretchers already when they were being transferred" and were monitored at regular intervals by doctors posted along the kilometres-long escape route.

He did not say if the coach, the only adult with the boys for nine days before they found, was able to dive and walk out unaided.

Footage released by the Thai Navy SEALs showed foreign and Thai divers using pulleys, ropes and rubber piping to haul stretchers bearing two of the barely moving young footballers to safety, their exit framed by the jagged cave overhead.

Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha on Tuesday said the boys had been given a "minor tranquiliser" to prevent anxiety during the complex extraction bid.

But he had denied they were knocked out for an operation the chief of the rescue had dubbed "mission impossible".

&nbsp;The rescue was fraught with danger, a point underscored last Friday by the death of a retired Thai Navy SEAL diver as he ran out of air in the flooded cave complex.

Then, with the final divers slowly exiting the cave on Tuesday, the pumps suddenly failed, pushing the water level up towards head height in a previously wadeable section of the cave.

"If you didn’t use the water pump in that location, you could only come out with an oxygen tank," ex-SEAL Commander Chaiyananta said.

That left 20 or so divers scrambling to flee the rising waters, he said, explaining they narrowly made it out time.

Saga grips the world

Thailand spent Wednesday celebrating the successful mission.

It received blanket coverage in Thai media with newspaper The Nation running the headline "Hooyah! Mission accomplished" and the Bangkok Post emblazoned with "All Wild Boars saved".

Despite spending days in the dark, dank, cave health officials said the boys -- who are aged 11 to 16 -- are in good physical and mental health and eating normal food.

"It might be because they were all together as a team," public health ministry inspector general Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong told reporters.

The saga of the "Wild Boars" gripped the world, with the lives of the group hanging in the balance as the threat of heavy rain injected urgency to an already perilous extraction bid.

Closer to home, Chiang Rai locals rejoiced at the odds-upsetting rescue bid.

Duangduen Sittiwongsa, a classmate of 16-year-old Pheeraphat "Night" Sompiengjai, whose birthday fell on the same day the team entered the cave, said they would give him cake when he came back to school.

"We will sing a song for him," she said.

Risky rescue

Rescuers had weighed up several options to save the boys, including keeping them in the cave through the months-long monsoon season.

But they were prodded into the dangerous task of bringing the team through submerged chambers and claustrophobic passages as oxygen levels in the cave plummeted and rains menaced.

The group were taken out in three batches by a team of 13 international divers flanked by the Thai Navy SEALs, who greeted each successful rescue with a "Hooyah" on their Facebook page.

That sign off quickly turned into a hashtag shared across social media, where luminaries of business, politics and sport extended their best wishes to the team and the rescuers.

Other video footage shows several of the boys in hospital, in quarantine and wearing face masks but seemingly in good health as they nod, wave and flash peace signs to the camera.

The 12 boys rescued from a Thai cave were sedated and passed on stretchers along the twisting, narrow passageways of the Tham Luang complex, a rescuer said Wednesday as the first footage emerged of an astonishing mission that has captivated the world. The video of the rescue, which ended on Tuesday when the final four boys and their 25-year-old coach emerged from the cave, was released by authorities who had until late Wednesday closely guarded the details of the seemingly unprecedented operation. Other video footage shows several of the boys in hospital, in quarantine and wearing face masks but seemingly in good health as they nod, wave and flash peace signs to the camera. The nerve-shredding three-day operation ended on Tuesday when the final members of the "Wild Boars" were freed from the cave which had held them captive since June 23. The rescue sparked jubilation with Thais heaping praise on the rescue team of foreign and local divers as the triumphant tagline "Hooyah" pinballed across social media. But Thai authorities have been coy on how a group of boys, many of whom could not swim and none with diving experience, could have navigated the treacherous narrow and submerged passageways of the Tham Luang complex, even with expert diving support. After days of mounting speculation, a former Thai Navy SEAL diver broke the silence, revealing the boys were sleeping or partially-conscious as they were passed from diver-to-diver through the cave. "Some of them were asleep, some of them were wiggling their fingers... (as if) groggy, but they were breathing," Commander Chaiyananta Peeranarong told AFP. "My job was to transfer them along," he said, adding the "boys were wrapped up in stretchers already when they were being transferred" and were monitored at regular intervals by doctors posted along the kilometres-long escape route. He did not say if the coach, the only adult with the boys for nine days before they found, was able to dive and walk out unaided. Footage released by the Thai Navy SEALs showed foreign and Thai divers using pulleys, ropes and rubber piping to haul stretchers bearing two of the barely moving young footballers to safety, their exit framed by the jagged cave overhead. Junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha on Tuesday said the boys had been given a "minor tranquiliser" to prevent anxiety during the complex extraction bid. But he had denied they were knocked out for an operation the chief of the rescue had dubbed "mission impossible". The rescue was fraught with danger, a point underscored last Friday by the death of a retired Thai Navy SEAL diver as he ran out of air in the flooded cave complex. Then, with the final divers slowly exiting the cave on Tuesday, the pumps suddenly failed, pushing the water level up towards head height in a previously wadeable section of the cave. "If you didn’t use the water pump in that location, you could only come out with an oxygen tank," ex-SEAL Commander Chaiyananta said. That left 20 or so divers scrambling to flee the rising waters, he said, explaining they narrowly made it out time. Saga grips the world Thailand spent Wednesday celebrating the successful mission. It received blanket coverage in Thai media with newspaper The Nation running the headline "Hooyah! Mission accomplished" and the Bangkok Post emblazoned with "All Wild Boars saved". Despite spending days in the dark, dank, cave health officials said the boys -- who are aged 11 to 16 -- are in good physical and mental health and eating normal food. "It might be because they were all together as a team," public health ministry inspector general Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong told reporters. The saga of the "Wild Boars" gripped the world, with the lives of the group hanging in the balance as the threat of heavy rain injected urgency to an already perilous extraction bid. Closer to home, Chiang Rai locals rejoiced at the odds-upsetting rescue bid. Duangduen Sittiwongsa, a classmate of 16-year-old Pheeraphat "Night" Sompiengjai, whose birthday fell on the same day the team entered the cave, said they would give him cake when he came back to school. "We will sing a song for him," she said. Risky rescue Rescuers had weighed up several options to save the boys, including keeping them in the cave through the months-long monsoon season. But they were prodded into the dangerous task of bringing the team through submerged chambers and claustrophobic passages as oxygen levels in the cave plummeted and rains menaced. The group were taken out in three batches by a team of 13 international divers flanked by the Thai Navy SEALs, who greeted each successful rescue with a "Hooyah" on their Facebook page. That sign off quickly turned into a hashtag shared across social media, where luminaries of business, politics and sport extended their best wishes to the team and the rescuers.

Pumps failed as sedated Thai boys were stretchered out: Divers recount final moments of rescue operation

Dada J. P. Vaswani, the spiritual head of The Sadhu Vaswani Mission, passed away on Thursday here at the age of 99.

An acclaimed writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and educator, Vaswani excelled as a student and had obtained his Bachelor of Science degree at the age of 17. He also wrote a thesis on 'The scattering of X-Rays by Solids', which was examined by Nobel-Laureate, Dr C.V. Raman.

He then relinquished academics to follow the footsteps of his uncle, Sadhu T.L Vaswani.

Vaswani has authored over 50 books in English and many more in the Sindhi language. He also edited three monthly journals, the Excelsior, the India Digest and the East and West series.

He was regarded as a powerful orator, having addressed eminent forums like the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders at Kyoto, the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit and the House of Commons in London.&nbsp

Vaswani has authored over 50 books in English and many more in the Sindhi language.

Dada J. P. Vaswani, the spiritual head of The Sadhu Vaswani Mission, passed away on Thursday here at the age of 99. An acclaimed writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and educator, Vaswani excelled as a student and had obtained his Bachelor of Science degree at the age of 17. He also wrote a thesis on 'The scattering of X-Rays by Solids', which was examined by Nobel-Laureate, Dr C.V. Raman. He then relinquished academics to follow the footsteps of his uncle, Sadhu T.L Vaswani. Vaswani has authored over 50 books in English and many more in the Sindhi language. He also edited three monthly journals, the Excelsior, the India Digest and the East and West series. He was regarded as a powerful orator, having addressed eminent forums like the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders at Kyoto, the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit and the House of Commons in London.

Spiritual leader J P Vaswani passes away

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued notices to the Delhi Police and the Education Department seeking factual reports over alleged confinement of children in the basement of Delhi's Rabea Girls' Public School.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, the DCW sought details of action taken by them against the school authorities.

"It has been reported that 59 girls, aged four and five years, were allegedly confined to the basement of the school for around five hours as punishment for non-payment of fees. This is a serious matter and in light of the same, please provide a factual report of the incident and action taken against school authorities," read the notice issued by the DCW. The DCW has further asked the Delhi Police and the State Education Department to respond by July 17 concerning the same.

According to media reports on July 9, few kindergarten students were allegedly locked up in the basement of the school building for not clearing their fees.

However, the school authorities denied the reports and said that the students were asked to sit in the activity room only for few hours.

Education Department seeking factual reports over alleged confinement of children in the basement of Delhi's Rabea Girls' Public School.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued notices to the Delhi Police and the Education Department seeking factual reports over alleged confinement of children in the basement of Delhi's Rabea Girls' Public School. Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, the DCW sought details of action taken by them against the school authorities. "It has been reported that 59 girls, aged four and five years, were allegedly confined to the basement of the school for around five hours as punishment for non-payment of fees. This is a serious matter and in light of the same, please provide a factual report of the incident and action taken against school authorities," read the notice issued by the DCW. The DCW has further asked the Delhi Police and the State Education Department to respond by July 17 concerning the same. According to media reports on July 9, few kindergarten students were allegedly locked up in the basement of the school building for not clearing their fees. However, the school authorities denied the reports and said that the students were asked to sit in the activity room only for few hours.

DCW issues notice to police, Education Department on students' confinement

Shridhar Chillal, the Pune-based man, who holds the Guinness World Record for having the longest fingernails, has cut them after 66 years.

Chillal clipped his nails, which had a combined length of 909.6 cm during a nail clipping ceremony in Times Square.

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Meet the extraordinary Shridhar Chillal - Longest fingernails on a single hand ever <a href="http://t.co/4SxWtxU7WJ">http://t.co/4SxWtxU7WJ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GWR2016?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GWR2016</a> <a href="http://t.co/sHM3DofpQE">pic.twitter.com/sHM3DofpQE</a>
— GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) <a href="https://twitter.com/GWR/status/649158312370511872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2015</a></blockquote>
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The 82-year-old had been growing his left hand's fingernails since 1952, when he was 14.

Chillal's longest single nail was his thumbnail, measuring 197.8 centimeters, while the measurement of his index fingernails was 164.5 cm, middle fingernails was 186.6 cm, ring fingernails was 181.6 cm and little fingernails was 179.1 cm.

He had made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2015 for having the 'Longest Fingernails on a Single Hand Ever'.

Shridhar's nails will now be displayed at Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Times Square in New York.

Shridhar Chilla holds the Guinness World Record for having the longest fingernails.

Shridhar Chillal, the Pune-based man, who holds the Guinness World Record for having the longest fingernails, has cut them after 66 years. Chillal clipped his nails, which had a combined length of 909.6 cm during a nail clipping ceremony in Times Square. Meet the extraordinary Shridhar Chillal - Longest fingernails on a single hand ever http://t.co/4SxWtxU7WJ #GWR2016 pic.twitter.com/sHM3DofpQE — GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) September 30, 2015 × The 82-year-old had been growing his left hand's fingernails since 1952, when he was 14. Chillal's longest single nail was his thumbnail, measuring 197.8 centimeters, while the measurement of his index fingernails was 164.5 cm, middle fingernails was 186.6 cm, ring fingernails was 181.6 cm and little fingernails was 179.1 cm. He had made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2015 for having the 'Longest Fingernails on a Single Hand Ever'. Shridhar's nails will now be displayed at Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Times Square in New York.

The man with world's longest nails cuts them after 66 years

A man from Agra hanged himself Wednesday and live streamed his suicide on Facebook.&nbsp;

News reports Thursday said some 2,750 people watched the suicide but nobody called the authorities or his family to try and stop him.&nbsp;

The man was identifed as Munna Kumar, with the reports saying he had been depressed because he had been unable to get into the army despite five attempts.&nbsp;

The reports added that Kumar left a six-page suicide note.&nbsp;

The reports quoted Kumar's family as saying Munna had thought of Bhagat Singh as an inspiration.&nbsp;

And that his father had recently set up a grocery store for him to help him overcome his depression.&nbsp;

Munna Kumar had reportedly been depressed because he had been unable to get into the army. His suicide was reportedly watched by 2,750 people.

A man from Agra hanged himself Wednesday and live streamed his suicide on Facebook. News reports Thursday said some 2,750 people watched the suicide but nobody called the authorities or his family to try and stop him. The man was identifed as Munna Kumar, with the reports saying he had been depressed because he had been unable to get into the army despite five attempts. The reports added that Kumar left a six-page suicide note. The reports quoted Kumar's family as saying Munna had thought of Bhagat Singh as an inspiration. And that his father had recently set up a grocery store for him to help him overcome his depression.

Agra man hangs himself, live streams suicide on FB. Thousands watch but nobody raises alarm

A CCTV footage has emerged from the national capital in which a thief is seen dancing before attempting robbery in a shop. The incident reportedly took place on July 10.

Delhi: Thief dances, break into shops, caught on camera

Women are indispensable part of India's dairy sector and agriculture, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Prime Minister Modi was interacting with women associated with Self Help Groups through video conferencing on the Narendra Modi (NaMo) app.

"Today you take any sector, you will see women are working in large numbers. The country's agriculture sector and dairy sector can't be imagined without the contribution of women," the Prime Minister said.

The interaction is aimed at highlighting the positive changes various Self Help Groups have brought at the rural level.

"I will interact with those associated with women Self Help Groups across India. It would be wonderful to hear their experiences, especially how they are driving a positive change at the grassroots level," PM Modi had tweeted on Tuesday.

Some of the groups, which participated in Thursday's interaction, were from Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs).&nbsp;

PM Narendra Modi was interacting with women associated with Self Help Groups through video conferencing on the (NaMo) app.

Women are indispensable part of India's dairy sector and agriculture, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Prime Minister Modi was interacting with women associated with Self Help Groups through video conferencing on the Narendra Modi (NaMo) app. "Today you take any sector, you will see women are working in large numbers. The country's agriculture sector and dairy sector can't be imagined without the contribution of women," the Prime Minister said. The interaction is aimed at highlighting the positive changes various Self Help Groups have brought at the rural level. "I will interact with those associated with women Self Help Groups across India. It would be wonderful to hear their experiences, especially how they are driving a positive change at the grassroots level," PM Modi had tweeted on Tuesday. Some of the groups, which participated in Thursday's interaction, were from Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs).

PM Modi hails women's contribution at the grass-root level

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any interim order against its 12-year-old verdict that had dealt with the application of the 'creamy layer' for reservations to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes categories in government job promotions, saying it will be examined by a seven-judge bench.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it cannot hear the matter only for the purpose of interim relief as a reference has already been made to the constitution bench.

"You see, a reference has already been made for hearing the matter by a larger bench. A seven-judge constitution bench needs to be constituted to consider M Nagaraj verdict which was heard by a five-judge bench," the bench said.

The M Nagaraj verdict of 2006 had held that the 'creamy layer' concept cannot be applied to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for promotions in government jobs, like two earlier verdicts of 1992 Indra Sawhney and others versus Union of India (popularly called Mandal Commission verdict) and 2005 EV Chinnaiah versus State of Andhra Pradesh which had dealt with creamy layer in Other Backward Classes category.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the centre, said the matter required urgent consideration by a seven-judge constitution bench as lakhs of jobs in Railways and the services were stuck due to confusion over various judicial pronouncements.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for one of the petitioners, contended that a lot of confusion has occurred due to conflicting judicial pronouncements given by different benches of top court and high courts.

He said that one of the orders says there would be "status quo" as far as reservation in promotion to SC/ST employees are concerned, while another order by a bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph in a similar matter held that pendency of a petition before a court shall not stand in the way of the centre taking steps for the purpose of promotion.

The Attorney General said he supported senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan on this point as there are several aspects which needed to be looked into and conflicting orders were causing confusion.

The bench said that a five-judge constitution bench was already seized of various matters and it will take time to conclude the arguments.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Maharashtra, maintained there was no confusion and said "this practice of referring the matter to larger bench needs to be stopped. There is reference to a larger bench every five years. This practice needs to be stopped. There has to be some certainty in the law."

The Attorney General said that in the reference order, there were several grounds given for consideration by a larger bench.

When some counsel said that some interim orders can be passed in the matter, the bench, said it would hear the matter on August 3.

On June 5, in a major relief to the Centre, the top court had allowed it to go ahead with reservations in promotion for SC/ST employees in accordance with law.

The top court took into account the Centre's submissions that the entire process of promotions had come to a "standstill" due to the orders of various high courts and the top court had also ordered "status quo" in a similar matter in 2015. It had said the centre was not "debarred" from making promotions.

The government had said there were separate verdicts by the high courts of Delhi, Bombay and Punjab and Haryana on the issue of reservation in promotion to SC/ST employees and the top court had also passed different orders on appeals filed against those judgments

On November 15 last year, the top court had said a five-judge constitution bench will examine the limited issue of whether the 2006 verdict delivered in M Nagaraj and other versus Union of India was required to be re-looked at or not.

The two-judge bench in its reference order had said that clarity was required on the applications in creamy layer in a situation of competing claims within the same races, communities or groups.

It had sought clarification on Articles 16(4), 16(4A) and 16(4B) of the Constitution which dealt with the power of state government to make provisions for reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which was not adequately represented in the services under the state.

The Nagaraj verdict had reiterated that the ceiling-limit of 50 per cent, the concept of the creamy layer and the compelling reasons like backwardness, inadequacy of representation and overall administrative efficiency were all constitutional requirements, without which the structure of equality of opportunity in Article 16 would collapse.

It had also said the state was not bound to make the reservation for SC/ST in the matter of promotions.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it cannot hear the matter only for the purpose of interim relief as a reference has already been made to the constitution bench.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to pass any interim order against its 12-year-old verdict that had dealt with the application of the 'creamy layer' for reservations to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes categories in government job promotions, saying it will be examined by a seven-judge bench. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it cannot hear the matter only for the purpose of interim relief as a reference has already been made to the constitution bench. "You see, a reference has already been made for hearing the matter by a larger bench. A seven-judge constitution bench needs to be constituted to consider M Nagaraj verdict which was heard by a five-judge bench," the bench said. The M Nagaraj verdict of 2006 had held that the 'creamy layer' concept cannot be applied to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for promotions in government jobs, like two earlier verdicts of 1992 Indra Sawhney and others versus Union of India (popularly called Mandal Commission verdict) and 2005 EV Chinnaiah versus State of Andhra Pradesh which had dealt with creamy layer in Other Backward Classes category. Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the centre, said the matter required urgent consideration by a seven-judge constitution bench as lakhs of jobs in Railways and the services were stuck due to confusion over various judicial pronouncements. Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for one of the petitioners, contended that a lot of confusion has occurred due to conflicting judicial pronouncements given by different benches of top court and high courts. He said that one of the orders says there would be "status quo" as far as reservation in promotion to SC/ST employees are concerned, while another order by a bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph in a similar matter held that pendency of a petition before a court shall not stand in the way of the centre taking steps for the purpose of promotion. The Attorney General said he supported senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan on this point as there are several aspects which needed to be looked into and conflicting orders were causing confusion. The bench said that a five-judge constitution bench was already seized of various matters and it will take time to conclude the arguments. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Maharashtra, maintained there was no confusion and said "this practice of referring the matter to larger bench needs to be stopped. There is reference to a larger bench every five years. This practice needs to be stopped. There has to be some certainty in the law." The Attorney General said that in the reference order, there were several grounds given for consideration by a larger bench. When some counsel said that some interim orders can be passed in the matter, the bench, said it would hear the matter on August 3. On June 5, in a major relief to the Centre, the top court had allowed it to go ahead with reservations in promotion for SC/ST employees in accordance with law. The top court took into account the Centre's submissions that the entire process of promotions had come to a "standstill" due to the orders of various high courts and the top court had also ordered "status quo" in a similar matter in 2015. It had said the centre was not "debarred" from making promotions. The government had said there were separate verdicts by the high courts of Delhi, Bombay and Punjab and Haryana on the issue of reservation in promotion to SC/ST employees and the top court had also passed different orders on appeals filed against those judgments On November 15 last year, the top court had said a five-judge constitution bench will examine the limited issue of whether the 2006 verdict delivered in M Nagaraj and other versus Union of India was required to be re-looked at or not. The two-judge bench in its reference order had said that clarity was required on the applications in creamy layer in a situation of competing claims within the same races, communities or groups. It had sought clarification on Articles 16(4), 16(4A) and 16(4B) of the Constitution which dealt with the power of state government to make provisions for reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which was not adequately represented in the services under the state. The Nagaraj verdict had reiterated that the ceiling-limit of 50 per cent, the concept of the creamy layer and the compelling reasons like backwardness, inadequacy of representation and overall administrative efficiency were all constitutional requirements, without which the structure of equality of opportunity in Article 16 would collapse. It had also said the state was not bound to make the reservation for SC/ST in the matter of promotions.

7-Judge bench to revisit verdict on SC/ST quota in government jobs

The two-time Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday sparked a row after he said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in 2019, it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan.

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor further stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected.

"If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it, will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one," he added.

"That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that'll create a Hindu Pakistan and that isn't what Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and great heroes of freedom struggle fought for," he added.

Tharoor's comments have triggered a controversy with the BJP demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi over what Tharoor said.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tharoor-now-gives-us-rodomontade-twitter-laps-up-the-word-26744">Tharoor now gives us 'rodomontade', Twitter laps up the word</a>

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also took to Twitter and said that the Congress doesn't lose any opportunity to demean India and defame Hindus.

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MR Sashi Tharoor says India will become “Hindu-Pakistan” if BJP returns to power in 2019! 
Shameless <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> doesn’t lose any opportunity to demean India & defame the Hindus! 
From “Hindu terrorists” to “Hindu-Pakistan” the Pak appeasing policies of Cong are unparalleled!
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/sambitswaraj/status/1017067860240293890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Rahul Gandhi must apologise for what Shashi Tharoor has said. Congress was responsible for the creation of Pakistan because of its ambitions. Yet again it has gone ahead to demean India and defame Hindus of India," Patra said.

The Congress leader also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more interested in political campaigning than in running the country.

Tharoor's remark came after Modi launched a scathing attack at the Congress Party while addressing a farmers' rally in Punjab.

Earlier in the day, Modi alleged that Congress had betrayed the peasantry and used them as a vote bank to further the interests of "one particular family".

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor further stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected.

The two-time Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday sparked a row after he said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in 2019, it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan. Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor further stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected. "If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it, will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one," he added. "That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that'll create a Hindu Pakistan and that isn't what Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and great heroes of freedom struggle fought for," he added. Tharoor's comments have triggered a controversy with the BJP demanding an apology from Congress President Rahul Gandhi over what Tharoor said. Also read: Tharoor now gives us 'rodomontade', Twitter laps up the word BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also took to Twitter and said that the Congress doesn't lose any opportunity to demean India and defame Hindus. MR Sashi Tharoor says India will become “Hindu-Pakistan” if BJP returns to power in 2019! Shameless @INCIndia doesn’t lose any opportunity to demean India & defame the Hindus! From “Hindu terrorists” to “Hindu-Pakistan” the Pak appeasing policies of Cong are unparalleled! — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) July 11, 2018 × "Rahul Gandhi must apologise for what Shashi Tharoor has said. Congress was responsible for the creation of Pakistan because of its ambitions. Yet again it has gone ahead to demean India and defame Hindus of India," Patra said. The Congress leader also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more interested in political campaigning than in running the country. Tharoor's remark came after Modi launched a scathing attack at the Congress Party while addressing a farmers' rally in Punjab. Earlier in the day, Modi alleged that Congress had betrayed the peasantry and used them as a vote bank to further the interests of "one particular family".

India will become a 'Hindu Pakistan' if BJP comes to power in 2019: Shashi Tharoor

Iran on Wednesday said it will do its best to ensure security of oil supply to India, asserting that it has been a reliable energy partner for New Delhi.

The clarification by Iranian Embassy came a day after Iran's Deputy Ambassador and Charge d'Affaires Massoud Rezvanian Rahaghi cautioned New Delhi that it will stand to lose "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/iran-criticises-india-for-not-making-promised-investments-in-chabahar-port-150636">special privileges</a>" if it cuts import of Iranian oil following US sanctions.

It said Iran understands the difficulties being faced by New Delhi in dealing with the unstable energy market and that it was for India to choose its energy partners, taking into account various factors like geopolitical considerations and reliability of the oil suppliers.

The embassy said Iran will do its best to ensure the security of oil supply to India by offering various flexible measures which facilitate bilateral trade, particularly Indian exports to Iran.

In an address at a seminar yesterday, Rahaghi said Iran will end the privileges being provided to India if it tries to source oil from countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the US and others to offset cuts in Iranian oil import.

The Trump administration brought back sanctions against Iran after pulling out the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May. The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions.

India is yet to take a call on complying with the US sanctions on Iran.

"Iran has always been a reliable energy partner for India and others, seeking a balanced oil market and rational prices of oil which ensure the interests of both countries as consumer and supplier," the embassy said in a statement.

Mr Rahaghi had also criticised India for not fulfilling its promise of making investments in the expansion of the strategically located Chabahar port

On Chabahar, the embassy said Iran has always welcomed Indian initiatives in the project.

"However, due to the importance of the issue, Iran has frequently emphasised on expediting Indian investment, and pushing Indian partner companies to accelerate their engagement in the execution of the projects," it said.

The embassy said Iran and India share the same understanding towards many global and regional challenges and cooperate harmoniously in many international fronts.

Iran said it will will do its best to ensure security of oil supply to India by offering various flexible measures which facilitate bilateral trade, particularly Indian exports to Iran.

Iran on Wednesday said it will do its best to ensure security of oil supply to India, asserting that it has been a reliable energy partner for New Delhi. The clarification by Iranian Embassy came a day after Iran's Deputy Ambassador and Charge d'Affaires Massoud Rezvanian Rahaghi cautioned New Delhi that it will stand to lose "special privileges" if it cuts import of Iranian oil following US sanctions. It said Iran understands the difficulties being faced by New Delhi in dealing with the unstable energy market and that it was for India to choose its energy partners, taking into account various factors like geopolitical considerations and reliability of the oil suppliers. The embassy said Iran will do its best to ensure the security of oil supply to India by offering various flexible measures which facilitate bilateral trade, particularly Indian exports to Iran. In an address at a seminar yesterday, Rahaghi said Iran will end the privileges being provided to India if it tries to source oil from countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the US and others to offset cuts in Iranian oil import. The Trump administration brought back sanctions against Iran after pulling out the US from the Iran nuclear deal in May. The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions. India is yet to take a call on complying with the US sanctions on Iran. "Iran has always been a reliable energy partner for India and others, seeking a balanced oil market and rational prices of oil which ensure the interests of both countries as consumer and supplier," the embassy said in a statement. Mr Rahaghi had also criticised India for not fulfilling its promise of making investments in the expansion of the strategically located Chabahar port On Chabahar, the embassy said Iran has always welcomed Indian initiatives in the project. "However, due to the importance of the issue, Iran has frequently emphasised on expediting Indian investment, and pushing Indian partner companies to accelerate their engagement in the execution of the projects," it said. The embassy said Iran and India share the same understanding towards many global and regional challenges and cooperate harmoniously in many international fronts.

Amid threat of US sanctions, Iran says will do its best to ensure oil supply to India

When President Trump took the oath with ‘America First’ slogan, with a promise to bring all the wealth and power back to the country, it was quite clear that there is going to be an ‘Inward looking America’ causing wide departures from erstwhile policies. He did not take much time to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) fulfilling his election promise, even at the cost of annoying its allies and strategic partners. This was followed up with existing trade war, causing turbulence in international relations with its adversaries, competitors and allies, the side effects of which are being felt by its strategic partners like India as well.

Why is Iran criticising India? What is the real issue?

Although Iran has criticised India for not making adequate investments in expansion and connectivity projects in Chabahar Port, possibly due to variation in mutual expectations/liabilities, which can be settled through dialogue, but the real frustration lies elsewhere. US has re-imposed sanctions on Iran, which were suspended in return for curbs on their nuclear programme, hence Iran is expecting a financial crisis, depending on the number of customers succumbs to the US pressure. During Nikky Haley’s recent visit to India, she advised India to rethink its relationship with Iran, with a subtle threat of sanctions. Iran is apprehensive and concerned that India may get inclined to find alternatives to oil supply from Iran, despite Iran being the third largest crude oil supplier to India. Iran is also well aware that Chabahar Port is very crucial to India strategically as well as economically. Under pressure, Iran is therefore trying to extract maximum investment from India, with a subtle ultimatum to withdraw ‘special privileges’, if India cuts import of Iranian oil, which would increase crude bill for India, besides drain on foreign currency.

The US official position versus the reality

Officially US is putting pressure on India, along with other major oil consumers to stop importing oil from Iran, or face economic sanctions effective from November 4, 2018. A similar pressure is also being exercised for trading with Russia. The reality is that US is fully aware that the historic, civilisation and oil centric umbilical cord between Iran and India can never be cut, and crude oil supply to India can never be brought to zero. It is also a fact&nbspthat India can never compromise on its ‘Energy Security’.

What should India Do?

India has always followed an independent foreign policy since independence, and I do not see any change in that. India is strong enough to ensure that no country in the world can muddle with its strategic and economic choices. I think India will act independent of any pressure from Iran or US, but will work out some implementable solution with both. The progress of S-400 deal with Russia is indicative of the fact that India will act in its national interest. Last time when sanctions were clamped on Iran, India got a waiver from the Obama Administration. In the current case even if the Trump Administration does not give waiver, the oil will still flow. It is also noteworthy that India and China are on the same page in respect of Iranian oil, both being members of SCO, and Iran having observers status.

It is time for the US to realise the core interests of its strategic partners and ensure that ‘America First’ does not lead to ‘America alone’. Iran also needs to be realistic, because if India could bring down its oil purchase, when sanctions were clamped on Iran last time, from 17 per cent to seven per cent, it is capable of doing it again. Nonetheless, I am sure India and Iran with plans for the first round of negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) scheduled for later this year will be able to resolve these differences. 
&nbsp

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp

The reality is that US is fully aware that the historic, civilisation and oil centric umbilical cord between Iran and India can never be cut.

When President Trump took the oath with ‘America First’ slogan, with a promise to bring all the wealth and power back to the country, it was quite clear that there is going to be an ‘Inward looking America’ causing wide departures from erstwhile policies. He did not take much time to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) fulfilling his election promise, even at the cost of annoying its allies and strategic partners. This was followed up with existing trade war, causing turbulence in international relations with its adversaries, competitors and allies, the side effects of which are being felt by its strategic partners like India as well. Why is Iran criticising India? What is the real issue? Although Iran has criticised India for not making adequate investments in expansion and connectivity projects in Chabahar Port, possibly due to variation in mutual expectations/liabilities, which can be settled through dialogue, but the real frustration lies elsewhere. US has re-imposed sanctions on Iran, which were suspended in return for curbs on their nuclear programme, hence Iran is expecting a financial crisis, depending on the number of customers succumbs to the US pressure. During Nikky Haley’s recent visit to India, she advised India to rethink its relationship with Iran, with a subtle threat of sanctions. Iran is apprehensive and concerned that India may get inclined to find alternatives to oil supply from Iran, despite Iran being the third largest crude oil supplier to India. Iran is also well aware that Chabahar Port is very crucial to India strategically as well as economically. Under pressure, Iran is therefore trying to extract maximum investment from India, with a subtle ultimatum to withdraw ‘special privileges’, if India cuts import of Iranian oil, which would increase crude bill for India, besides drain on foreign currency. The US official position versus the reality Officially US is putting pressure on India, along with other major oil consumers to stop importing oil from Iran, or face economic sanctions effective from November 4, 2018. A similar pressure is also being exercised for trading with Russia. The reality is that US is fully aware that the historic, civilisation and oil centric umbilical cord between Iran and India can never be cut, and crude oil supply to India can never be brought to zero. It is also a fact&nbspthat India can never compromise on its ‘Energy Security’. What should India Do? India has always followed an independent foreign policy since independence, and I do not see any change in that. India is strong enough to ensure that no country in the world can muddle with its strategic and economic choices. I think India will act independent of any pressure from Iran or US, but will work out some implementable solution with both. The progress of S-400 deal with Russia is indicative of the fact that India will act in its national interest. Last time when sanctions were clamped on Iran, India got a waiver from the Obama Administration. In the current case even if the Trump Administration does not give waiver, the oil will still flow. It is also noteworthy that India and China are on the same page in respect of Iranian oil, both being members of SCO, and Iran having observers status. It is time for the US to realise the core interests of its strategic partners and ensure that ‘America First’ does not lead to ‘America alone’. Iran also needs to be realistic, because if India could bring down its oil purchase, when sanctions were clamped on Iran last time, from 17 per cent to seven per cent, it is capable of doing it again. Nonetheless, I am sure India and Iran with plans for the first round of negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) scheduled for later this year will be able to resolve these differences. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Chabahar faces side effects of US withdrawal from JCPoA

Gangster Prem Prakash alias Munna Bajrangi, who was killed in the Baghpat district jail here by a co-prisoner, had been shot at seven times, the police said today.

The postmortem examination report of Bajrangi said he was shot at seven times by jail inmate Sunil Rathi, Superintendent of Police Jai Prakash said today.

He said one of the bullets had hit Munna Bajrangi's head and a portion of his head was badly mutilated on the right side.

"A pistol, two magazines and 22 cartridges have been recovered from a drain inside the jail," he said, adding it was yet to be ascertained as to how the pistol reached inside the jail.

"A probe is on," he added.

"Bajrangi had an argument over 'supari' (contract killing) with Rathi after which the latter killed him. This has come to the fore but it is &nbsp;being verified," he said.

Mafia don Bajrangi was shot dead inside Baghpat jail on Monday morning hours before he was to be produced in a local court in a case of extortion of money from a former BSP legislator.

The postmortem examination report of Munna Bajrangi said he was shot at seven times by jail inmate Sunil Rathi, Superintendent of Police Jai Prakash said today.

Gangster Prem Prakash alias Munna Bajrangi, who was killed in the Baghpat district jail here by a co-prisoner, had been shot at seven times, the police said today. The postmortem examination report of Bajrangi said he was shot at seven times by jail inmate Sunil Rathi, Superintendent of Police Jai Prakash said today. He said one of the bullets had hit Munna Bajrangi's head and a portion of his head was badly mutilated on the right side. "A pistol, two magazines and 22 cartridges have been recovered from a drain inside the jail," he said, adding it was yet to be ascertained as to how the pistol reached inside the jail. "A probe is on," he added. "Bajrangi had an argument over 'supari' (contract killing) with Rathi after which the latter killed him. This has come to the fore but it is being verified," he said. Mafia don Bajrangi was shot dead inside Baghpat jail on Monday morning hours before he was to be produced in a local court in a case of extortion of money from a former BSP legislator.

Munna Bajrangi was shot 7 times by Baghpat jail inmate, say police

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/croatia-create-history-enter-first-world-cup-final-after-defeating-england-in-semi-final-150934">Croatia create history, enter first World Cup final after defeating England in semis</a>

Croatia showed magnificent resilience to come from behind and beat England 2-1 on Wednesday as Mario Mandzukic's extra-time goal sent them into their first World Cup final and sparked celebrations across the Balkan nation.

England had looked on course for their first final since 1966 as they led through Kieran Trippier's fifth-minute free kick and totally dominated the opening half.

But Croatia, in their first semi since 1998, levelled through Ivan Perisic after 68 minutes and then looked the more dangerous side.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-tells-nato-allies-to-more-than-double-defence-spending-150940">Trump tells NATO allies to double defence spending</a>

US President Donald Trump accused Germany on Wednesday of being a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance, before a NATO summit where he pressed allies to more than double defence spending.

Having lambasted NATO members for failing to reach a target of spending 2 percent of national income on defence, Trump told fellow leaders in Brussels he would prefer a goal of 4 percent, similar to US levels, officials said.

That would represent a massive upheaval of budgetary priorities in Europe where Germany and many others have pledged only to reach 2 percent by 2024 or later, and it was not clear what allies would spend the money on.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/all-migrant-children-under-5-will-be-reunited-with-families-by-thursday-us-official-150946">All migrant children under 5 will be reunited with families by Thursday: US official</a>

All migrant children under age 5 will be reunited with their families by Thursday, Reuters quoted a Trump administration official as saying.&nbsp;

The official said all children who are "eligible" will be reunited with their families.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-will-become-a-hindu-pakistan-if-bjp-comes-to-power-in-2019-shashi-tharoor-150941">India will become a 'Hindu Pakistan' if BJP comes to power in 2019: Shashi Tharoor</a>

The two-time Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday sparked a row after he said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in 2019, it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan.

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor further stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected.

"If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it, will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one," he added.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/thailands-tham-luang-cave-to-become-museum-to-showcase-boys-rescue-150937">Thailand's Tham Luang cave to be turned into </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/thailands-tham-luang-cave-to-become-museum-to-showcase-boys-rescue-150937">museum</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/thailands-tham-luang-cave-to-become-museum-to-showcase-boys-rescue-150937"> to showcase boys' rescue</a>

A cave complex in Thailand where 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach were trapped for more than two weeks before they were safely brought out will be turned into a museum to showcase the rescue, the head of the operation said on Wednesday.

Read the five big stories of the day here

Croatia create history, enter first World Cup final after defeating England in semis Croatia showed magnificent resilience to come from behind and beat England 2-1 on Wednesday as Mario Mandzukic's extra-time goal sent them into their first World Cup final and sparked celebrations across the Balkan nation. England had looked on course for their first final since 1966 as they led through Kieran Trippier's fifth-minute free kick and totally dominated the opening half. But Croatia, in their first semi since 1998, levelled through Ivan Perisic after 68 minutes and then looked the more dangerous side. Trump tells NATO allies to double defence spending US President Donald Trump accused Germany on Wednesday of being a "captive" of Russia due to its energy reliance, before a NATO summit where he pressed allies to more than double defence spending. Having lambasted NATO members for failing to reach a target of spending 2 percent of national income on defence, Trump told fellow leaders in Brussels he would prefer a goal of 4 percent, similar to US levels, officials said. That would represent a massive upheaval of budgetary priorities in Europe where Germany and many others have pledged only to reach 2 percent by 2024 or later, and it was not clear what allies would spend the money on. All migrant children under 5 will be reunited with families by Thursday: US official All migrant children under age 5 will be reunited with their families by Thursday, Reuters quoted a Trump administration official as saying. The official said all children who are "eligible" will be reunited with their families. India will become a 'Hindu Pakistan' if BJP comes to power in 2019: Shashi Tharoor The two-time Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday sparked a row after he said that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in 2019, it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan. Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Tharoor further stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected. "If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it, will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one," he added. Thailand's Tham Luang cave to be turned into museum to showcase boys' rescue A cave complex in Thailand where 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach were trapped for more than two weeks before they were safely brought out will be turned into a museum to showcase the rescue, the head of the operation said on Wednesday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

At least 6 people died, while 5 others were injured in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district on Thursday due to poisonous gas leak in a steel plant.

The incident occurred at Gerdau Steel India Limited.

The cause of the leak is not yet known.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a> from Andhra Pradesh: 6 people dead & 5 injured after a poisonous gas leak in Gerdau Steel India Limited in Tadepatri of Anantapur district this evening. Cause of leak is yet to be ascertained. <a href="https://t.co/ZWrubEJOv7">pic.twitter.com/ZWrubEJOv7</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1017419446053318659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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At least 6 people died, while 5 others were injured in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district on Thursday due to poisonous gas leak in a steel plant. The incident occurred at Gerdau Steel India Limited. The cause of the leak is not yet known. #Visuals from Andhra Pradesh: 6 people dead & 5 injured after a poisonous gas leak in Gerdau Steel India Limited in Tadepatri of Anantapur district this evening. Cause of leak is yet to be ascertained. pic.twitter.com/ZWrubEJOv7 — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2018 ×

6 dead, 5 injured after poisonous gas leak in Andhra Pradesh

A British lawyer assisting Bangladesh's opposition leader in her fight against corruption charges has been refused entry to India where he was scheduled to give a press conference about the case.

India's foreign ministry said Lord Alexander Carlile, a former MP and international lawyer, was denied entry at New Delhi on Wednesday evening for visa irregularities.&nbsp;

The peer returned on a flight to London after being deported from Delhi's international airport.

"Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi... without having obtained appropriate Indian visa," foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said in a statement.

"His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival."

Carlile was scheduled to give a press conference in New Delhi related to the charges against Khaleda Zia, who was imprisoned in February after being accused of embezzlement.

Zia, who was granted bail while she appeals against the five-year jail term, has denied the charges and described them as politically motivated.

Bangladesh had objected to Carlile's visit to India and had made its reservations clear to New Delhi, the BBC reported in its Bengali language service.

Carlile has said there is no evidence against Zia and her prosecution for corruption was designed to keep her from campaigning in general elections this December. &nbsp;

Zia's party boycotted the 2014 polls in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -- a former ally turned arch-foe -- was elected.

She had planned to challenge Hasina in the upcoming vote.

Zia, who entered politics in the mid-1980s after her military dictator husband was assassinated in an abortive coup, also faces dozens of separate charges related to violence and corruption. 
&nbsp;

India's foreign ministry said Lord Alexander Carlile, a former MP and international lawyer, was denied entry at New Delhi on Wednesday evening for visa irregularities.

A British lawyer assisting Bangladesh's opposition leader in her fight against corruption charges has been refused entry to India where he was scheduled to give a press conference about the case. India's foreign ministry said Lord Alexander Carlile, a former MP and international lawyer, was denied entry at New Delhi on Wednesday evening for visa irregularities. The peer returned on a flight to London after being deported from Delhi's international airport. "Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi... without having obtained appropriate Indian visa," foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said in a statement. "His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival." Carlile was scheduled to give a press conference in New Delhi related to the charges against Khaleda Zia, who was imprisoned in February after being accused of embezzlement. Zia, who was granted bail while she appeals against the five-year jail term, has denied the charges and described them as politically motivated. Bangladesh had objected to Carlile's visit to India and had made its reservations clear to New Delhi, the BBC reported in its Bengali language service. Carlile has said there is no evidence against Zia and her prosecution for corruption was designed to keep her from campaigning in general elections this December. Zia's party boycotted the 2014 polls in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -- a former ally turned arch-foe -- was elected. She had planned to challenge Hasina in the upcoming vote. Zia, who entered politics in the mid-1980s after her military dictator husband was assassinated in an abortive coup, also faces dozens of separate charges related to violence and corruption.

British lawyer for Bangladesh's Zia refused entry to India

The Madras High Court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit video recordings, documents and reports pertaining to protests against the Sterlite Copper smelter plant in Tuticorin, which saw violence and firing in the town on the 100th day of the stir.

Thirteen people were killed in police firing on&nbsp;May 22 and 23&nbsp;when violence broke out during the protest by locals, demanding the closure of the Sterlite plant (a unit of Vedanta Limited) over pollution issues.

A division bench comprising justices C T Selvam and A M Basheer Ahmed also sought details of the intelligence report on the agitation and directed the state government to submit the same on&nbsp;July 18.

The judges were yesterday hearing a PIL filed by AWD Tilak, a Tuticorin-based advocate, who sought a copy of the order issued to invoke Section 144 of CrPC that was clamped in parts of the town during the anti-Sterlite agitation.

The petitioner submitted that prohibitory orders had been clamped in the jurisdiction of State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) and Tuticorin South Police Station limits only.

The protest was peaceful for 99 days, he submitted.

The petitioner also questioned why some people attached to certain outfits were not invited to the peace committee meeting.

The district Collector was not in town during the crisis, he claimed.

Multiple cases had been filed against individuals, the petitioner alleged.

The government counsel submitted that policemen were also affected and an equal number of policemen were injured.

The court heard all the related petitions including PIL and habeas corpus petition (HCP) seeking to restrain the police from invoking National Security Act etc.

The Madras High Court had on July 9 directed the state government to furnish a video in its possession allegedly showing some anti-Sterlite protesters with petrol bombs during the stir in May as it observed a CBI probe into the violent incidents will instil confidence in the minds of the people.

The state government had issued an order for "permanent closure" of the operation of Sterlite plant and the company has recently moved the National Green Tribunal challenging it.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The protests against the Sterlite Copper smelter plant in Tuticorin, which saw violence and firing in the town on the 100th day of the stir.

The Madras High Court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit video recordings, documents and reports pertaining to protests against the Sterlite Copper smelter plant in Tuticorin, which saw violence and firing in the town on the 100th day of the stir. Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22 and 23 when violence broke out during the protest by locals, demanding the closure of the Sterlite plant (a unit of Vedanta Limited) over pollution issues. A division bench comprising justices C T Selvam and A M Basheer Ahmed also sought details of the intelligence report on the agitation and directed the state government to submit the same on July 18. The judges were yesterday hearing a PIL filed by AWD Tilak, a Tuticorin-based advocate, who sought a copy of the order issued to invoke Section 144 of CrPC that was clamped in parts of the town during the anti-Sterlite agitation. The petitioner submitted that prohibitory orders had been clamped in the jurisdiction of State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) and Tuticorin South Police Station limits only. The protest was peaceful for 99 days, he submitted. The petitioner also questioned why some people attached to certain outfits were not invited to the peace committee meeting. The district Collector was not in town during the crisis, he claimed. Multiple cases had been filed against individuals, the petitioner alleged. The government counsel submitted that policemen were also affected and an equal number of policemen were injured. The court heard all the related petitions including PIL and habeas corpus petition (HCP) seeking to restrain the police from invoking National Security Act etc. The Madras High Court had on July 9 directed the state government to furnish a video in its possession allegedly showing some anti-Sterlite protesters with petrol bombs during the stir in May as it observed a CBI probe into the violent incidents will instil confidence in the minds of the people. The state government had issued an order for "permanent closure" of the operation of Sterlite plant and the company has recently moved the National Green Tribunal challenging it.

Anti-Sterlite protests: High Court seeks video, documents prior to firing incident

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir today, the Army said.

"One militant has been killed in the ongoing encounter in the forest area of Kupwara district," an Army official said.

Security forces had launched an operation in the Kandi forest area of Kupwara yesterday after a patrol of Army soldiers came under fire from militants, the official said.

He said a gunbattle broke out between the two sides in which one soldier was critically injured. The jawan was evacuated to an Army hospital where he succumbed yesterday.

The operation was in progress when last reports came in, he added.

One militant has been killed in the ongoing encounter in the forest area of Kupwara district.

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir today, the Army said. "One militant has been killed in the ongoing encounter in the forest area of Kupwara district," an Army official said. Security forces had launched an operation in the Kandi forest area of Kupwara yesterday after a patrol of Army soldiers came under fire from militants, the official said. He said a gunbattle broke out between the two sides in which one soldier was critically injured. The jawan was evacuated to an Army hospital where he succumbed yesterday. The operation was in progress when last reports came in, he added.

A Militant killed in the encounter in Kupwara

Amid the growing <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/ahead-of-2019-polls-bjp-jdu-clash-over-seat-sharing-in-bihar-147101">rift between BJP and JD(U) in Bihar</a>, BJP President Amit Shah announced on Thursday that the two parties will continue to fight the 2019 elections together.

The announcement came after Shah met with Nitish Kumar in Bihar today.

The meeting was held to strengthen the alliance between the two parties as recent reports stated alleged differences between the parties.

The JD(U) has demanded that the results of the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls be considered while deciding how many seats each of the four National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties in the state will get to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI) 
&nbsp;

The announcement came after Shah met with Nitish Kumar in Bihar on Thursday

Amid the growing rift between BJP and JD(U) in Bihar, BJP President Amit Shah announced on Thursday that the two parties will continue to fight the 2019 elections together. The announcement came after Shah met with Nitish Kumar in Bihar today. The meeting was held to strengthen the alliance between the two parties as recent reports stated alleged differences between the parties. The JD(U) has demanded that the results of the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls be considered while deciding how many seats each of the four National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties in the state will get to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. (With inputs from ANI)

Our alliance with Nitish Kumar will continue in Bihar: Amit Shah

India is “deeply worried” about reports of the so-called ‘Islamic State’ or ISIS acquiring chemical weapons and has asked the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to closely monitor this threat. “India shares the widespread concern over fresh allegations on the use of chemical weapons coming from different parts of the world,” Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to OPCW, Venu Rajamony, said, addressing the 88th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) here yesterday.

He said: “We are saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life of a UK citizen in Amesbury following the exposure to a toxic chemical. We express our deepest sympathies to all victims of chemical weapon attacks and their families.” Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old British woman, died on July 8, days after being exposed to a “high dose” of a deadly nerve agent in Amesbury, near the town of Salisbury in south-west England where a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with the same chemical four months ago.

Rajamony said it has been India’s consistent position that the use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anybody, under any circumstances, cannot be justified and the perpetrators of such abhorrent acts must be held accountable. The use of chemical weapons is in complete disregard of humanity and is reprehensible and contrary to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as accepted international legal norms, he said. “India is deeply worried about reports of the so-called ‘Islamic State’ or ISIS/ISIL acquiring chemical weapons and their delivery systems and requests the Technical Secretariat to closely monitor this threat and report to the Executive Council on this emerging challenge,” Rajamony was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here today.

He said any allegations of use of chemical weapons should be addressed in an effective and timely manner and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the convention. “All investigations in this regard should be impartial and objective and must strive to establish facts and reach evidence-based conclusions,” Rajamony said.

India urges that all provisions of the convention be utilised to address concerns in accordance with the procedures laid down in the convention, he said. Ambassador Rajamony said as one of the original signatories of the convention and an active member of the OPCW, India has always emphasised the importance of consensus and the need for all decisions to be taken by the states parties in consultation with each other.

“It is the responsibility of all states parties to preserve and protect the integrity and credibility of the convention. Effective solutions to the challenges faced by the OPCW can be found through constructive engagement and dialogue,” he said. Rajamony said India remains willing and open for discussions with states parties to find ways and means to strengthen the convention and its effective implementation, within the framework of the convention. “Our efforts in the OPCW should help to eliminate all possibilities of any future use of chemical weapons and uphold the global norm against the use of chemical weapons,” he added.

India is "deeply worried" about reports of the so-called 'Islamic State' or ISIS acquiring chemical weapons and has asked the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to closely monitor this threat

India is “deeply worried” about reports of the so-called ‘Islamic State’ or ISIS acquiring chemical weapons and has asked the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to closely monitor this threat. “India shares the widespread concern over fresh allegations on the use of chemical weapons coming from different parts of the world,” Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to OPCW, Venu Rajamony, said, addressing the 88th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) here yesterday. He said: “We are saddened to learn about the tragic loss of life of a UK citizen in Amesbury following the exposure to a toxic chemical. We express our deepest sympathies to all victims of chemical weapon attacks and their families.” Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old British woman, died on July 8, days after being exposed to a “high dose” of a deadly nerve agent in Amesbury, near the town of Salisbury in south-west England where a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with the same chemical four months ago. Rajamony said it has been India’s consistent position that the use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anybody, under any circumstances, cannot be justified and the perpetrators of such abhorrent acts must be held accountable. The use of chemical weapons is in complete disregard of humanity and is reprehensible and contrary to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention as well as accepted international legal norms, he said. “India is deeply worried about reports of the so-called ‘Islamic State’ or ISIS/ISIL acquiring chemical weapons and their delivery systems and requests the Technical Secretariat to closely monitor this threat and report to the Executive Council on this emerging challenge,” Rajamony was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here today. He said any allegations of use of chemical weapons should be addressed in an effective and timely manner and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the convention. “All investigations in this regard should be impartial and objective and must strive to establish facts and reach evidence-based conclusions,” Rajamony said. India urges that all provisions of the convention be utilised to address concerns in accordance with the procedures laid down in the convention, he said. Ambassador Rajamony said as one of the original signatories of the convention and an active member of the OPCW, India has always emphasised the importance of consensus and the need for all decisions to be taken by the states parties in consultation with each other. “It is the responsibility of all states parties to preserve and protect the integrity and credibility of the convention. Effective solutions to the challenges faced by the OPCW can be found through constructive engagement and dialogue,” he said. Rajamony said India remains willing and open for discussions with states parties to find ways and means to strengthen the convention and its effective implementation, within the framework of the convention. “Our efforts in the OPCW should help to eliminate all possibilities of any future use of chemical weapons and uphold the global norm against the use of chemical weapons,” he added.

India 'deeply worried' by reports of ISIS acquiring chemical weapons

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/i-believe-in-nato-trump-151094">'I believe in NATO but </a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/i-believe-in-nato-trump-151094">US</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/i-believe-in-nato-trump-151094"> treated very unfairly on trade,' says Trump</a>

At the end of the first session of the two-day NATO summit, US President Donald Trump at a press conference said that he "believes in NATO". Addressing reporters in Brussels, the US president said the US will hold trade talks with the EU next week over trade.&nbsp;

<a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/us-oil-exports-to-india-soar-ahead-of-sanctions-on-iran-151111">US oil exports to India soar ahead of sanctions on Iran</a>

US crude oil exports to India hit a record in June and so far this year are almost double last year's total as the Asian nation's refiners move to replace supplies from Iran and Venezuela in a win for the Trump administration.

<a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/retail-inflation-at-five-month-high-of-5-in-june-151131">India's June inflation at </a><a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/retail-inflation-at-five-month-high-of-5-in-june-151131">five-month</a><a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/retail-inflation-at-five-month-high-of-5-in-june-151131"> high, industrial growth falls to 3.2</a>%

India's retail inflation rose to a five-month high of 5 per cent in the month of June as compared to 4.87 per cent in May, as suggested by the data from the Central Statistics Office.The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) moderated to 3.2 percent in May as compared to 4.9 per cent in April.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/congress-disapproves-of-tharoors-hindu-pakistan-remark-tells-leaders-to-choose-words-carefully-151116">Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully</a>

The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred".

<a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/money-laundering-scam-zardari-likely-to-appear-before-supreme-court-151074">Money-laundering scam: Zardari likely to appear before Supreme Court</a>

Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is expected to appear before the Supreme Court in connection with a money laundering scam.

'I believe in NATO but US treated very unfairly on trade,' says Trump At the end of the first session of the two-day NATO summit, US President Donald Trump at a press conference said that he "believes in NATO". Addressing reporters in Brussels, the US president said the US will hold trade talks with the EU next week over trade. US oil exports to India soar ahead of sanctions on Iran US crude oil exports to India hit a record in June and so far this year are almost double last year's total as the Asian nation's refiners move to replace supplies from Iran and Venezuela in a win for the Trump administration. India's June inflation at five-month high, industrial growth falls to 3.2% India's retail inflation rose to a five-month high of 5 per cent in the month of June as compared to 4.87 per cent in May, as suggested by the data from the Central Statistics Office.The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) moderated to 3.2 percent in May as compared to 4.9 per cent in April. Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred". Money-laundering scam: Zardari likely to appear before Supreme Court Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is expected to appear before the Supreme Court in connection with a money laundering scam.

In one of his columns contributing to Italian weekly magazine L' Espresso in 2010 and posthumously collected and published as 'Chronicles of a Liquid Society' in English in 2017, Umberto Eco (1932-2016) an academician, novelist and leading philosopher of contemporary Europe wrote - "I'm not on Twitter, not on Facebook the Italian constitution allows me not to be. But there is evidently a false Twitter account in my name, as there seems to be for other well-known people. I once met a woman whose eyes brimmed with gratitude as she explained how she read me all the time on Twitter and sometimes even corresponded with me. I tried telling her that it was a false me, but she gazed back as though I were telling her I wasn't really who I am. If I was on Twitter, then I existed. Twittero ergo sum."&nbsp;

I tweet, therefore I am.

Most likely, the soul of 16th century French philosopher Rene Descartes must not have felt offended with this spoof of his counterpart of the 20th century when he had theorised this path-breaking axiom in his epochal work 'Discourse on the Method', saying, "Cogito ergo sum," meaning famously hereby, "I think therefore I am."

Having been impressed with how wittily Umberto Eco remarked upon his age of social media, one might intend to think how Marshall McLuhan - a seminal scholar, professor of English by livelihood at St Michael's College, University of Toronto, and author of 'The Gutenberg Galaxy: The making of a Typographic Man' (1962) and most famously known for 'Understanding Media: The Extension of Man' (1964) - would have expressed his opinion upon the present-day state of social media and the angst and anxieties it has caused.

"The medium is the message,'' is the phrase which made McLuhan reckoned as one the most influential philosophers and post-modernist thinkers of the 20th century. So, forget the content of Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and other ancillary social media platforms we, hitherto, are changed men with altered 'sense-ratios or patterns of perception', with no impact of media content alone on us but through the whole media itself. In his field of vision, electronic media is nothing but an extension of our central nervous system. The crescendo of electronic media has brought us to the newer generational forms of social media where by having a structural capacity of organising a posse in no time with 'electric speed of information' as McLuhan suggested, it has mutated us either as mobster or beguiled countless youths as hatemongers. These are the portents he had hinted about electronic age of information decades back when social media was yet to be conceived.

The world is unlucky in this sense that McLuhan died on the eve of New Year, December 31, 1980 - seven years after Martin Cooper had engineered a 1 kg bare Motorola cell phone for us, but quiet premature, before he could see and critically examine how few grams weighed present day cell phone by its covenant with divergent social media apps has tribalised the globe, whereas TV as a cool medium had introduced a kind of 'rigor mortis into the politic'. For TV in particular and electronic media in general, which he profoundly evaluated, he had quoted Howard K Smith, an American journalist and TV anchor, that, "The networks are delighted if you go into a controversy or 14,000 miles away. They don't want real controversy, real dissent at home." Shouldn't it explain sufficiently our irresistible interest in the things like wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Though the wedding was not a controversy at all notwithstanding few general curiosities of us like who were the invitees there! Oh lucky ones!

Though McLuhan is not amongst us now question is whether his work, especially his path-breaking book 'Understanding Media', published in 1964 by McGraw-Hill, could help us in understanding present day media. He devoted his whole life in understanding it, even coining myriads of idioms like 'Global Village' and many others. Though he lives not to see the impacts of media especially its newest extension - social media - upon 21st century societies, his prophetic prescience proves him unflinchingly assiduous in his philosophic work.

Are few deviated ones amongst us not lynching their fellow people using WhatsApp and Facebook vigilantism, as recently reported from many states of North-East and states of Central and North India, casting ordinary and innocent people sometimes as child abductors or cattle smugglers? Are we not belligerent to charge upon each other as a group sometimes or as individuals often relying, and without knowing their veracity upon totally illogical and designed pieces of information being spread through many social media platforms? Where in our society does the crater for this volcano of violence lie? In one of his letters jotted in the penultimate year of his life on April 5 1979 to his friend Clare Boothe Luce, McLuhan wrote that on the telephone or on the air, man is in every sense discarnate existing as an abstract image, a figure without body. When discarnate, man has no identity and not subject to natural law. As electronic information moved at the speed of light, man is a nobody, when deprived of his identity, man becomes violent in diverse ways. "Violence is the quest for identity." 
&nbsp; 
One may wish to differ with McLuhan's notion with regard to 'violent impact' of media on society as a whole or as an individual, but what makes him relevant is his understanding of this collision of man with the mediums and that this collision is not the first one for mankind. Mediums have always shattered societies. Transition of man from one technology to the next one has never been simple and steady. The same was attempted to prove by Professor Eric Havelock in his formative work, 'Preface To Plato'(1963). Homer, the composer of 'Iliad' and Odyssey represents the pre-literate society of Greeks. Information in Homer's Greek is fundamentally a memory the sweetest thing for humans, as were our four Vedas for Indian society but things changed as the medium changed. Prof Havelock stated in his book that between Homer and Plato, the method of storage began to alter. "Information became alphabetised. Eye supplanted the ear as the chief organ for this purpose." That is why Plato hated poets, as they tend to reduce every experience of mind to memory thus obstructing rational examination of an object. Homer's time lost its relevance with regard to the age of Plato in terms of change in communicative media. Again, with the Guttenberg-invented printing press, 'sense-ratios' of societies were bound to alter. Newspapers gave us individualism, radio (which McLuhan called a 'tribal drum') tribalism, and TV, which he called in a letter to one of his colleagues 'as radioactive as radium', a kind of in-depth involvement. All these media in their respective phases changed our 'sense-ratios', if we may borrow Mcluhanian phrase, but the question remains in what way the social media (upon which McLuhan sadly was not alive to comment) has re-calibrated our ratios of sensibilities. Have we reached finally the phase he had presaged as the 'technological simulation of human consciousness'. Today, technology is omnipresent. It is ubiquitous for all of us whether we like it or not. A society with loss of privacy whom a renowned professor of sociology, Zygmunt Bauman, christens a "confessional society promoting self-exposure" with a pressure of being seen for everyone.

So, if the Facebook spies upon us, Umberto Eco long before the formal confession of Mark Zuckerberg, had satirised in 2014 in one of his articles for L'Espresso that for the first time in the history of mankind, those who are being spied upon are helping the spies to make their work easier and gain satisfaction from being observed as they live.

But what worries a reasonable man of today vis a vis an enforcement agency like the police, for that matter, is not the aesthetic transfiguration of human appearance through high mega-pixel mobile phone cameras or his/her narcissistic fondness of selfies. The subject of concern lies with the capacity in the hands of anti-social elements of making a mob in the open or through a closed WhatsApp group, which necessarily comes handy to them to fulfil their task of hate peddling. And this is what is happening in subterranean way and therefore posing a serious challenge to police and other state agencies alike to find a perfect counter to it. Even with the success of finding a legal or structural solution, residues of problematic are yet to persist in form of contamination with irrationality, bigotry and a complete wash-off of logic for which not only the content, but also the medium is no less reprehensible. If caught on time (which is rather difficult) one can force someone to add, reduce or mend the content in some way or other, but no law or no police on the earth can change the layout of medium. As McLuhan had quoted Mallarme in one of his letters and in his essays too that for the modern press miracle comes first, rationality later. This is the point where 'global village' is doomed to capitulate or at least seems to stumble, and this is what McLuhan had stated oracularly that there are no moral values at the speed of light and no legal structures for information at this speed will hold up any longer. We have come far ahead from the world of printed text with a bullock-cart speed. In a letter dated February 24,1957, to the then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, McLuhan wrote, "… at electric speed we all are disembodied. On the phone we are instantly present but minus our bodies. There is corresponding loss of personal identity and responsibility which creates separatism both in private life and family life and in all institutional existence."

Nonetheless, McLuhan didn't miss to overlook the positive side of new era of electric media. In democratic societies, instant electric communication 'turned-on' subalterns like 'Negros' in America, for whom according to McLuhan there was no 'Industrial Age', or no 19th century. "They started with electric information," he wrote to Hubert Humphrey, the Vice President of USA in the winters of 1967. Has not social media done the same in different contexts in Third World countries is a topic for detailed academic research.

The popularity of McLuhan's book 'Understanding Media' was such that it's paperback edition, published in 1965, sold around 1 lakh copies in the same year. In response to the critique of some of his notions in an Interview given to Weekend Magazine on January 4,1967, he had said that he was simply a pattern-watcher. For him, TV itself (not its content only) was polluting. "It goes right into the nervous system," he replied, on being asked how to handle it. What he would have commented on being asked for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had he been alive in 21st century, as Umberto Eco said about Twitter. In his final times, the cell phone was evolving and TV had attained adulthood. But his ideas were infallibly prophetic with regard to the impact of media for future generations. To Peter Drucker, a famous Australian educationist, he said once in his correspondence, "Electronic man is the first since Neolithic times to live in a man-made environment, an information environment."

Involvement has taken its place. Under electric conditions there is no escape for anyone.

(Dharmendra Singh is an IPS officer of the 2006 batch, and is part of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.)

(This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/the-journey-from-social-media-to-violence-is-irresistible-and-we-are-living-it-2124152.html">original article</a>) 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Mediums have always shattered societies. Transition of man from one technology to the next one has never been simple and steady.

In one of his columns contributing to Italian weekly magazine L' Espresso in 2010 and posthumously collected and published as 'Chronicles of a Liquid Society' in English in 2017, Umberto Eco (1932-2016) an academician, novelist and leading philosopher of contemporary Europe wrote - "I'm not on Twitter, not on Facebook the Italian constitution allows me not to be. But there is evidently a false Twitter account in my name, as there seems to be for other well-known people. I once met a woman whose eyes brimmed with gratitude as she explained how she read me all the time on Twitter and sometimes even corresponded with me. I tried telling her that it was a false me, but she gazed back as though I were telling her I wasn't really who I am. If I was on Twitter, then I existed. Twittero ergo sum." I tweet, therefore I am. Most likely, the soul of 16th century French philosopher Rene Descartes must not have felt offended with this spoof of his counterpart of the 20th century when he had theorised this path-breaking axiom in his epochal work 'Discourse on the Method', saying, "Cogito ergo sum," meaning famously hereby, "I think therefore I am." Having been impressed with how wittily Umberto Eco remarked upon his age of social media, one might intend to think how Marshall McLuhan - a seminal scholar, professor of English by livelihood at St Michael's College, University of Toronto, and author of 'The Gutenberg Galaxy: The making of a Typographic Man' (1962) and most famously known for 'Understanding Media: The Extension of Man' (1964) - would have expressed his opinion upon the present-day state of social media and the angst and anxieties it has caused. "The medium is the message,'' is the phrase which made McLuhan reckoned as one the most influential philosophers and post-modernist thinkers of the 20th century. So, forget the content of Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and other ancillary social media platforms we, hitherto, are changed men with altered 'sense-ratios or patterns of perception', with no impact of media content alone on us but through the whole media itself. In his field of vision, electronic media is nothing but an extension of our central nervous system. The crescendo of electronic media has brought us to the newer generational forms of social media where by having a structural capacity of organising a posse in no time with 'electric speed of information' as McLuhan suggested, it has mutated us either as mobster or beguiled countless youths as hatemongers. These are the portents he had hinted about electronic age of information decades back when social media was yet to be conceived. The world is unlucky in this sense that McLuhan died on the eve of New Year, December 31, 1980 - seven years after Martin Cooper had engineered a 1 kg bare Motorola cell phone for us, but quiet premature, before he could see and critically examine how few grams weighed present day cell phone by its covenant with divergent social media apps has tribalised the globe, whereas TV as a cool medium had introduced a kind of 'rigor mortis into the politic'. For TV in particular and electronic media in general, which he profoundly evaluated, he had quoted Howard K Smith, an American journalist and TV anchor, that, "The networks are delighted if you go into a controversy or 14,000 miles away. They don't want real controversy, real dissent at home." Shouldn't it explain sufficiently our irresistible interest in the things like wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Though the wedding was not a controversy at all notwithstanding few general curiosities of us like who were the invitees there! Oh lucky ones! Though McLuhan is not amongst us now question is whether his work, especially his path-breaking book 'Understanding Media', published in 1964 by McGraw-Hill, could help us in understanding present day media. He devoted his whole life in understanding it, even coining myriads of idioms like 'Global Village' and many others. Though he lives not to see the impacts of media especially its newest extension - social media - upon 21st century societies, his prophetic prescience proves him unflinchingly assiduous in his philosophic work. Are few deviated ones amongst us not lynching their fellow people using WhatsApp and Facebook vigilantism, as recently reported from many states of North-East and states of Central and North India, casting ordinary and innocent people sometimes as child abductors or cattle smugglers? Are we not belligerent to charge upon each other as a group sometimes or as individuals often relying, and without knowing their veracity upon totally illogical and designed pieces of information being spread through many social media platforms? Where in our society does the crater for this volcano of violence lie? In one of his letters jotted in the penultimate year of his life on April 5 1979 to his friend Clare Boothe Luce, McLuhan wrote that on the telephone or on the air, man is in every sense discarnate existing as an abstract image, a figure without body. When discarnate, man has no identity and not subject to natural law. As electronic information moved at the speed of light, man is a nobody, when deprived of his identity, man becomes violent in diverse ways. "Violence is the quest for identity." One may wish to differ with McLuhan's notion with regard to 'violent impact' of media on society as a whole or as an individual, but what makes him relevant is his understanding of this collision of man with the mediums and that this collision is not the first one for mankind. Mediums have always shattered societies. Transition of man from one technology to the next one has never been simple and steady. The same was attempted to prove by Professor Eric Havelock in his formative work, 'Preface To Plato'(1963). Homer, the composer of 'Iliad' and Odyssey represents the pre-literate society of Greeks. Information in Homer's Greek is fundamentally a memory the sweetest thing for humans, as were our four Vedas for Indian society but things changed as the medium changed. Prof Havelock stated in his book that between Homer and Plato, the method of storage began to alter. "Information became alphabetised. Eye supplanted the ear as the chief organ for this purpose." That is why Plato hated poets, as they tend to reduce every experience of mind to memory thus obstructing rational examination of an object. Homer's time lost its relevance with regard to the age of Plato in terms of change in communicative media. Again, with the Guttenberg-invented printing press, 'sense-ratios' of societies were bound to alter. Newspapers gave us individualism, radio (which McLuhan called a 'tribal drum') tribalism, and TV, which he called in a letter to one of his colleagues 'as radioactive as radium', a kind of in-depth involvement. All these media in their respective phases changed our 'sense-ratios', if we may borrow Mcluhanian phrase, but the question remains in what way the social media (upon which McLuhan sadly was not alive to comment) has re-calibrated our ratios of sensibilities. Have we reached finally the phase he had presaged as the 'technological simulation of human consciousness'. Today, technology is omnipresent. It is ubiquitous for all of us whether we like it or not. A society with loss of privacy whom a renowned professor of sociology, Zygmunt Bauman, christens a "confessional society promoting self-exposure" with a pressure of being seen for everyone. So, if the Facebook spies upon us, Umberto Eco long before the formal confession of Mark Zuckerberg, had satirised in 2014 in one of his articles for L'Espresso that for the first time in the history of mankind, those who are being spied upon are helping the spies to make their work easier and gain satisfaction from being observed as they live. But what worries a reasonable man of today vis a vis an enforcement agency like the police, for that matter, is not the aesthetic transfiguration of human appearance through high mega-pixel mobile phone cameras or his/her narcissistic fondness of selfies. The subject of concern lies with the capacity in the hands of anti-social elements of making a mob in the open or through a closed WhatsApp group, which necessarily comes handy to them to fulfil their task of hate peddling. And this is what is happening in subterranean way and therefore posing a serious challenge to police and other state agencies alike to find a perfect counter to it. Even with the success of finding a legal or structural solution, residues of problematic are yet to persist in form of contamination with irrationality, bigotry and a complete wash-off of logic for which not only the content, but also the medium is no less reprehensible. If caught on time (which is rather difficult) one can force someone to add, reduce or mend the content in some way or other, but no law or no police on the earth can change the layout of medium. As McLuhan had quoted Mallarme in one of his letters and in his essays too that for the modern press miracle comes first, rationality later. This is the point where 'global village' is doomed to capitulate or at least seems to stumble, and this is what McLuhan had stated oracularly that there are no moral values at the speed of light and no legal structures for information at this speed will hold up any longer. We have come far ahead from the world of printed text with a bullock-cart speed. In a letter dated February 24,1957, to the then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, McLuhan wrote, "… at electric speed we all are disembodied. On the phone we are instantly present but minus our bodies. There is corresponding loss of personal identity and responsibility which creates separatism both in private life and family life and in all institutional existence." Nonetheless, McLuhan didn't miss to overlook the positive side of new era of electric media. In democratic societies, instant electric communication 'turned-on' subalterns like 'Negros' in America, for whom according to McLuhan there was no 'Industrial Age', or no 19th century. "They started with electric information," he wrote to Hubert Humphrey, the Vice President of USA in the winters of 1967. Has not social media done the same in different contexts in Third World countries is a topic for detailed academic research. The popularity of McLuhan's book 'Understanding Media' was such that it's paperback edition, published in 1965, sold around 1 lakh copies in the same year. In response to the critique of some of his notions in an Interview given to Weekend Magazine on January 4,1967, he had said that he was simply a pattern-watcher. For him, TV itself (not its content only) was polluting. "It goes right into the nervous system," he replied, on being asked how to handle it. What he would have commented on being asked for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had he been alive in 21st century, as Umberto Eco said about Twitter. In his final times, the cell phone was evolving and TV had attained adulthood. But his ideas were infallibly prophetic with regard to the impact of media for future generations. To Peter Drucker, a famous Australian educationist, he said once in his correspondence, "Electronic man is the first since Neolithic times to live in a man-made environment, an information environment." Involvement has taken its place. Under electric conditions there is no escape for anyone. (Dharmendra Singh is an IPS officer of the 2006 batch, and is part of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.) (This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: The journey from social media to violence is irresistible, and we are living it

The Supreme Court on Thursday criticised the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for failing its duty to dispose of the garbage accumulated in the national capital and not taking effective steps to handle it.

Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, while admonishing the L-G for not attending a crucial meeting on the disposal of garbage issue, observed, "You (L-G) say, I have the power. I am a superman."

The Apex Court expressed its displeasure with the failure of the L-G office for claiming power over the municipal corporations' offices but not taking effective steps to handle the garbage issue.

The Supreme Court division bench, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, was hearing the issue.

On many occasions in previous hearings, the top court wanted to know from the concerned authorities with respect to the disposal of garbage.

The Supreme Court's reaction came a day after it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to clarify who could be held responsible for clearing the "mountain loads of garbage" in Delhi.

Recently, the SC ruled that the L-G has no independent power to make decisions and is bound by the elected government's aid and advice.

The Supreme Court's reaction came a day after it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to clarify who could be held responsible for clearing the 'mountain loads of garbage' in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Thursday criticised the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for failing its duty to dispose of the garbage accumulated in the national capital and not taking effective steps to handle it. Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, while admonishing the L-G for not attending a crucial meeting on the disposal of garbage issue, observed, "You (L-G) say, I have the power. I am a superman." The Apex Court expressed its displeasure with the failure of the L-G office for claiming power over the municipal corporations' offices but not taking effective steps to handle the garbage issue. The Supreme Court division bench, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, was hearing the issue. On many occasions in previous hearings, the top court wanted to know from the concerned authorities with respect to the disposal of garbage. The Supreme Court's reaction came a day after it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to clarify who could be held responsible for clearing the "mountain loads of garbage" in Delhi. Recently, the SC ruled that the L-G has no independent power to make decisions and is bound by the elected government's aid and advice.

Delhi LG rapped by Supreme Court over garbage disposal issue

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that the <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/bjp-should-say-on-record-that-they-do-not-believe-in-hindu-rashtra-shashi-tharoor-151065">Congress party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus</a> of the country by using the word 'Hindu Pakistan'.

"Using the word 'Hindu Pakistan', the Congress Party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference in Delhi.

Reacting on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's `Hindu Pakistan` remark, Patra said, "His comment is an insult to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan."

"Shashi Tharoor says that if BJP forms government in 2019 then India will become 'Hindu Pakistan', there can be no more objectionable subject for India than this," he added.

Tharoor had earlier said that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections it will create a condition leading to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.

Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Patra said, "Stop this fear being mongering Rahul Gandhi. India is not going to take this easily. You have been constantly instilling the seeds of fear mongering among the people of this country. This is shameful act to denigrate India by saying 'Hindu Pakistan'."

The BJP spokesperson also said that Congress party leaders are degrading India's image by engaging in cheap politics.

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor, on Wednesday, stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution, which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected.

He said that if re-elected, the BJP will "tear apart" the constitution and will write a new one "which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities and create a Hindu Pakistan."

Criticising Tharoor's statement, Patra had earlier also demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi's apology.

Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had said, "Rahul Gandhi must apologise for what Shashi Tharoor said. Congress was responsible for creation of Pakistan because of its ambitions yet again it has gone ahead to demean India and defame Hindus of India."

Patra also took to Twitter and said that the Congress doesn't lose any opportunity to demean India and defame Hindus.&nbsp

'Using the word 'Hindu Pakistan', the Congress Party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country,' BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference in Delhi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that the Congress party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country by using the word 'Hindu Pakistan'. "Using the word 'Hindu Pakistan', the Congress Party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference in Delhi. Reacting on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's `Hindu Pakistan` remark, Patra said, "His comment is an insult to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan." "Shashi Tharoor says that if BJP forms government in 2019 then India will become 'Hindu Pakistan', there can be no more objectionable subject for India than this," he added. Tharoor had earlier said that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections it will create a condition leading to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'. Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Patra said, "Stop this fear being mongering Rahul Gandhi. India is not going to take this easily. You have been constantly instilling the seeds of fear mongering among the people of this country. This is shameful act to denigrate India by saying 'Hindu Pakistan'." The BJP spokesperson also said that Congress party leaders are degrading India's image by engaging in cheap politics. Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor, on Wednesday, stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution, which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected. He said that if re-elected, the BJP will "tear apart" the constitution and will write a new one "which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities and create a Hindu Pakistan." Criticising Tharoor's statement, Patra had earlier also demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi's apology. Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had said, "Rahul Gandhi must apologise for what Shashi Tharoor said. Congress was responsible for creation of Pakistan because of its ambitions yet again it has gone ahead to demean India and defame Hindus of India." Patra also took to Twitter and said that the Congress doesn't lose any opportunity to demean India and defame Hindus.

Congress has attacked India's democracy: BJP on Tharoor's remark

Gold shed Rs 140 to Rs 31,210 per ten gram today in line with a subdued trend overseas and muted demand from local jewellers.

Silver followed suit and slipped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg owing to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers.

Marketmen said apart from a weak global trend, falling demand from local jewellers and retailers at domestic spot market kept the precious metal lower.

Globally, gold fell 1.12 per cent to US $ 1,241 an ounce and silver by 1.53 per cent to US $ 415.78 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity fell by Rs 140 each to Rs 31,210 and Rs 31,060 per ten gram, respectively. The precious metal had lost Rs 300 in the last two days.

Sovereign, however, remained unaltered at Rs 24,800 per piece of eight gram.

Tracking gold, silver ready dropped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 380 to Rs 39,230 per kg.

Silver coins, however, maintained a steady trend at Rs 75,000 for buying and Rs 76,000 for selling of 100 pieces.&nbsp;

Gold shed Rs 140 to Rs 31,210 per ten gram today in line with a subdued trend overseas and muted demand from local jewellers

Gold shed Rs 140 to Rs 31,210 per ten gram today in line with a subdued trend overseas and muted demand from local jewellers. Silver followed suit and slipped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg owing to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers. Marketmen said apart from a weak global trend, falling demand from local jewellers and retailers at domestic spot market kept the precious metal lower. Globally, gold fell 1.12 per cent to US $ 1,241 an ounce and silver by 1.53 per cent to US $ 415.78 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade. In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity fell by Rs 140 each to Rs 31,210 and Rs 31,060 per ten gram, respectively. The precious metal had lost Rs 300 in the last two days. Sovereign, however, remained unaltered at Rs 24,800 per piece of eight gram. Tracking gold, silver ready dropped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 380 to Rs 39,230 per kg. Silver coins, however, maintained a steady trend at Rs 75,000 for buying and Rs 76,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Gold falls on weak global cues, lacklustre demand

The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred".

Tharoor kicked up a huge row with his remarks yesterday that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a "Hindu Pakistan".

Congress' communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala, in a series of tweets, said, "India's values and fundamentals are an unequivocal guarantee of our civilisational role & set us apart from the divisive idea of Pakistan."

"All Congress leaders must realise this historic responsibility bestowed upon us while choosing words and phraseology to reject BJP's hatred," he said.

Surjewala attacked the Modi Government, alleging that it thrives upon "an unprecedented atmosphere of division, bigotry, hatred, intolerance and polarisation" for the last four years.

He asserted that the Congress represents India's civilisational values of pluralism, diversity, compassion and harmony between faiths and ethnicities.

Responding to a question, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told reporters that irrespective of the government that comes to power, Indian democracy will never allow the country to become Pakistan.

"Congress advises each of its leaders and workers to exercise restraint, caution and choose their words and statements wisely. And remember that the Indian National Congress stands for a pluralistic multi-cultural, multi-faith society," Shergill said.

"Every worker of the Congress should not be provoked by the BJP's polarising and dividing statements and that is the basic difference between us and them," he said.

The BJP today demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over Tharoor's remarks and said the MP had insulted India's democracy and Hindus.

"It is an abuse and highly objectionable statement to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan. It is an insult to our democracy and Hindus," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference at the party office.

Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who made the remarks yesterday, today said in a Facebook post that a state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place would be a Hindu Pakistan.

Shergill said India was far ahead of Pakistan and the Congress had made a "very valuable contribution" in this regard.

"I would like to say that, despite the fact that till date the prime minister has never opened his mouth or given an apology on the objectionable remarks of the BJP leaders, despite the fact that the BJP invites Pakistan's ISI into India, despite the fact that the BJP thanks Pakistan for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the fact that the BJP ministers garland criminals, India can never become Pakistan, irrespective of the government," he said.&nbsp

Tharoor kicked up a huge row with his remarks yesterday that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.

The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred". Tharoor kicked up a huge row with his remarks yesterday that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a "Hindu Pakistan". Congress' communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala, in a series of tweets, said, "India's values and fundamentals are an unequivocal guarantee of our civilisational role & set us apart from the divisive idea of Pakistan." "All Congress leaders must realise this historic responsibility bestowed upon us while choosing words and phraseology to reject BJP's hatred," he said. Surjewala attacked the Modi Government, alleging that it thrives upon "an unprecedented atmosphere of division, bigotry, hatred, intolerance and polarisation" for the last four years. He asserted that the Congress represents India's civilisational values of pluralism, diversity, compassion and harmony between faiths and ethnicities. Responding to a question, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told reporters that irrespective of the government that comes to power, Indian democracy will never allow the country to become Pakistan. "Congress advises each of its leaders and workers to exercise restraint, caution and choose their words and statements wisely. And remember that the Indian National Congress stands for a pluralistic multi-cultural, multi-faith society," Shergill said. "Every worker of the Congress should not be provoked by the BJP's polarising and dividing statements and that is the basic difference between us and them," he said. The BJP today demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over Tharoor's remarks and said the MP had insulted India's democracy and Hindus. "It is an abuse and highly objectionable statement to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan. It is an insult to our democracy and Hindus," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference at the party office. Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who made the remarks yesterday, today said in a Facebook post that a state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place would be a Hindu Pakistan. Shergill said India was far ahead of Pakistan and the Congress had made a "very valuable contribution" in this regard. "I would like to say that, despite the fact that till date the prime minister has never opened his mouth or given an apology on the objectionable remarks of the BJP leaders, despite the fact that the BJP invites Pakistan's ISI into India, despite the fact that the BJP thanks Pakistan for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the fact that the BJP ministers garland criminals, India can never become Pakistan, irrespective of the government," he said.

Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully

India's foreign ministry on Thursday cleared its position on Afghanistan&nbsp;stating&nbsp;it will not advise North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members&nbsp;as the summit&nbsp;shifts its attention to the Afghanistan conflict.

The MEA said that the Afghanistan Led forces and the people of Afghanistan should take their own&nbsp;decision.

"I think we are not going to advice NATO members; our position is that Afghanistan Led forces and people should take decision:,&nbsp;MEA said in a press conference.

Dominated by the&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/world/nato-holds-an-emergency-session-on-trump-defence-spending-demands-sources-151073">demands of Donald Trump</a>, NATO leaders are expected to shift their attention to Afghanistan conflict on the second day of the summit on Thursday.

Afghanistan's President, Ashraf Ghani will also be present on the second day of the talks. According to media reports, NATO's Secretary General&nbsp;Jens Stoltenberg is hoping that the bloc will agree to fund Afghani security forces until 2024.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May had already committed on Tuesday to send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan which will take the total number of UK troops to 1,090.

Last year in September, the US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces -- bringing its total to 15,000.&nbsp;

According to further reports, US officials have said that Washington is also planning a strategic review. In 2017 Trump had agreed to remain involved in the long-going conflict of the war-torn country.

Taliban is active in 70% of Afghanistan and it continues to threaten more territory to control, BBC reported earlier.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's has been demanding NATO allies to increase defence spending by up to 4% of their annual GDP output. Current NATO states are working towards a target of 2%.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The MEA said that the people of Afghanistan and Afghanistan led forces should take the decision

India's foreign ministry on Thursday cleared its position on Afghanistan stating it will not advise North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members as the summit shifts its attention to the Afghanistan conflict. The MEA said that the Afghanistan Led forces and the people of Afghanistan should take their own decision. "I think we are not going to advice NATO members; our position is that Afghanistan Led forces and people should take decision:, MEA said in a press conference. Dominated by the demands of Donald Trump, NATO leaders are expected to shift their attention to Afghanistan conflict on the second day of the summit on Thursday. Afghanistan's President, Ashraf Ghani will also be present on the second day of the talks. According to media reports, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is hoping that the bloc will agree to fund Afghani security forces until 2024. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May had already committed on Tuesday to send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan which will take the total number of UK troops to 1,090. Last year in September, the US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces -- bringing its total to 15,000. According to further reports, US officials have said that Washington is also planning a strategic review. In 2017 Trump had agreed to remain involved in the long-going conflict of the war-torn country. Taliban is active in 70% of Afghanistan and it continues to threaten more territory to control, BBC reported earlier. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's has been demanding NATO allies to increase defence spending by up to 4% of their annual GDP output. Current NATO states are working towards a target of 2%.

India clears stand as NATO summit shifts focus on Afghan conflict

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Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully

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