Violent protests against the newly enforced citizenship law continued to shake the North-East states and spread to West Bengal, Delhi and parts of southern India, with police resorting to shells of lathi and tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Aligarh Muslim University has postponed examinations and announced a complete shutdown till January 5. The Jamia Millia Islamia University of Delhi has also canceled exams.

Anti- Citizenship Protests: Indian university campuses turn battlegrounds

Actor Rajkummar Rao has reacted to the ongoing student protest movement against the Citizen Amendment Bill. Rao took to Twitter on Monday to condemn police brutality on students of Jamia Milia University, Delhi.&nbsp; 
 
"I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy, the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!(sic)” Rao tweeted.&nbsp;

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I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!
— Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) <a href="https://twitter.com/RajkummarRao/status/1206486037658243072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The actor joins a host of other <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/anurag-kashyap-richa-chadha-anubhav-sinha-other-bollywood-celebs-condemn-police-brutality-over-citizenship-law-268472">prominent actors and directors of Bollywood </a>in condemning the violence that has been meted out on students of Jamia and Aligarh Muslim University on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
Interestingly, Rao, with his tweet, seems to be the only actor so far to have responded to fellow actress Sayani Gupta tweet.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier in the day, Gupta had shared a viral picture of Bollywood celebrities with PM Modi asking them to respond to the current chaos. Sharing the picture she wrote, "On behalf of the students of Jamia &amp; AMU request at least one of you to tweet or message Mr.Modi condemning this act of police brutality and violence against students. The time has come to speak up guys. Yes? No? May be? @RanveerOfficial @karanjohar @ayushmannk @RajkummarRao"

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On behalf of the students of Jamia &amp; AMU request at least one of you to tweet or message Mr.Modi condemning this act of police brutality and violence against students. The time has come to speak up guys. Yes? No? May be?<a href="https://twitter.com/RanveerOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RanveerOfficial</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/karanjohar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@karanjohar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ayushmannk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ayushmannk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RajkummarRao?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RajkummarRao</a> <a href="https://t.co/6l5ky5zbNt">pic.twitter.com/6l5ky5zbNt</a>
— Sayani Gupta (@sayanigupta) <a href="https://twitter.com/sayanigupta/status/1206302403839946753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The now-famous selfie with PM Modi featured some of the most prominent actors of Bollywood including Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor and others.&nbsp; 
 
After Sunday’s clash between the students and the police, the selfie has been shared widely on social media with many urging celebrities to react and support the students and condemn violence.&nbsp;

Actor Rajkummar Rao has reacted to the ongoing student protest movement against the Citizen Amendment Bill. Rao took to Twitter on Monday to condemn police brutality on students of Jamia Milia University, Delhi.

Actor Rajkummar Rao has reacted to the ongoing student protest movement against the Citizen Amendment Bill. Rao took to Twitter on Monday to condemn police brutality on students of Jamia Milia University, Delhi. "I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy, the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!(sic)” Rao tweeted. I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything! — Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) December 16, 2019 × The actor joins a host of other prominent actors and directors of Bollywood in condemning the violence that has been meted out on students of Jamia and Aligarh Muslim University on Sunday. Interestingly, Rao, with his tweet, seems to be the only actor so far to have responded to fellow actress Sayani Gupta tweet. Earlier in the day, Gupta had shared a viral picture of Bollywood celebrities with PM Modi asking them to respond to the current chaos. Sharing the picture she wrote, "On behalf of the students of Jamia & AMU request at least one of you to tweet or message Mr.Modi condemning this act of police brutality and violence against students. The time has come to speak up guys. Yes? No? May be? @RanveerOfficial @karanjohar @ayushmannk @RajkummarRao" On behalf of the students of Jamia & AMU request at least one of you to tweet or message Mr.Modi condemning this act of police brutality and violence against students. The time has come to speak up guys. Yes? No? May be?@RanveerOfficial @karanjohar @ayushmannk @RajkummarRao pic.twitter.com/6l5ky5zbNt — Sayani Gupta (@sayanigupta) December 15, 2019 × The now-famous selfie with PM Modi featured some of the most prominent actors of Bollywood including Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor and others. After Sunday’s clash between the students and the police, the selfie has been shared widely on social media with many urging celebrities to react and support the students and condemn violence.

Rajkummar Rao on student protests: Strongly condemn violence against students, citizens have the right to protest peacefully

The violence on the streets of the Capital of the country witnessed over the last two days and the criticism of ‘Delhi Police’ for using force to stop those burning buses, indulging in stone pelting and threatening to create an anarchy in the city compels one to think whether we, as a society, are creating an ideal situation for the ‘Ferguson Effect’.

Simply defined, ‘Ferguson Effect’ implies increased de-policing due to distrust of police created on false facts and deliberate misinformation campaigns. The term was coined by Doyle Sam Dotson III, the chief of the St. Louis police, to account for an increased murder rate in some US cities following the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri after 2014 shooting of a black man named &nbsp;Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer.

As Brown’s body laid on the street while shooting investigators and the medical examiners were completing their work, the neighbourhood crowd grew agitated and threatening. It was fed by Brown’s friend, Dorian Johnson’s narrative of the events leading to the fatal shooting. Johnson became a media darling soon and cops were turned into ‘villains’ &nbsp;by the local media without realising perhaps, how they were being manipulated.

The national media of the US too jumped on the bandwagon as it arrived in Ferguson and mounted the “Hands up, don’t shoot!” narrative. &nbsp;The media across the US went hammer and tongs against the police departments and policing. The campaign led to the reluctance of cops to be proactive in stopping crimes including the heinous ones. This led to the skyrocketing of crime rates in several US cities.

Those who are criticising the use of force to stop the miscreants and rioters in the garb of students fail to understand that it wasn’t a simple student agitation at Jamia Millia University any more. Neither did it remain an agitation against the National Register for Citizens or the amendment in the Citizenship Act.

It had started as a students’ agitation but then it was simply taken over by the nexus of ultra-left and the radical Muslims. That is why the Delhi police had to move to the campus. In fact, 80 per cent of the students from Jamia had already left the campus due to vacations before the agitation started. And more than 80 per cent of the agitators were not students but Islamic fundamentalists and Maoists or Naxals.

Not many people would know but there are several eyewitnesses that on Sunday evening when the agitation was going on in front of the old building of Delhi Police Headquarter, two persons were caught with backpacks which were full of stones. And neither of them was a student. It indicates meticulous planning to create bloodbath on the streets in the garb of a protest by students.

There is credible evidence with the law enforcement agencies that the local leaders of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party fuelled this agitation. The tweets of their leaders are a reflection of their thinking and involvement itself. As one is aware that AAP is largely a political front of Urban Naxals and top Congress leaders’ offices and political strategies are now managed by former ultra-left student leaders from the Jawahar Lal Nehru University, so the two parties have a lot of synergy in terms of fomenting trouble at the campuses.

The fact is that the Leftists, after being pummeled electorally and being compelled to leave other institutions have been using their last bastion- universities and higher education institutions- as their last battleground. That is why one sees the eruption of violent, anarchic and anti-India campaigns emerging from those universities where they have a strong hold either amongst students or amongst academics or both.

The dangerous trend, however, is that what we have witnessed in the Aligarh Muslim University and the Jamia &nbsp;Millia is a lethal combination of &nbsp;Naxals and Islamic fundamentalists. The ultra-left is taking care of the back end planning while the Islamic fundamentalists are the face of these agitations. That is why one sees the swift and quick mobilisation of a large number of agitators from one place to another.

The ultra-left initially tried to create unrest after 2014 by manipulating the death of Rohit Vemulla in Hyderabad. They wanted to play the Dalit card and put Dalits of the country against the Indian state. But Dalits could see through this and called off the bluff of Urban Naxals and Maoists who treat young students as ‘guns for hire’. They ruthlessly manipulate the youth from a distance while sitting in their own safe cocoons. After the ‘Dalit card’ failed to pull off, the ultra-left has now tied up with the &nbsp;Islamic fundamentalists.

What we are witnessing in Jamia and AMU is a manifestation of this nexus. In fact, the cops in UP, as well as Delhi, deserve kudos for using the force with ‘restraint.’ It is much easier to term use of force as ‘brute’ without realising that the cops are not expected to remain mute spectators while they are targeted by the anti-Indian elements. They have to ensure that the law and order is restored. And they have done what was needed to be done and what was supposed to be done.

Many people could have been killed as anti-Indian elements, driving these agitations, were trying to provoke the cops. &nbsp;But the police at both the places refused to walk in their trap. Now it is our duty to ensure that we do not let the ‘Ferguson Effect’ take over our society and police. Most importantly, it is the responsibility of the students at campuses to ensure that they do not let anyone ‘manipulate’ them in the name of religion or ideology.

(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The violence on the streets of the Capital of the country witnessed over the last two days and the criticism of ‘Delhi Police’ for using force to stop those burning buses, indulging in stone pelting and threatening to create an anarchy in the city compels one to think whether we, as a society, are creating an ideal situation for the ‘Ferguson Effect’.

The violence on the streets of the Capital of the country witnessed over the last two days and the criticism of ‘Delhi Police’ for using force to stop those burning buses, indulging in stone pelting and threatening to create an anarchy in the city compels one to think whether we, as a society, are creating an ideal situation for the ‘Ferguson Effect’. Simply defined, ‘Ferguson Effect’ implies increased de-policing due to distrust of police created on false facts and deliberate misinformation campaigns. The term was coined by Doyle Sam Dotson III, the chief of the St. Louis police, to account for an increased murder rate in some US cities following the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri after 2014 shooting of a black man named Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer. As Brown’s body laid on the street while shooting investigators and the medical examiners were completing their work, the neighbourhood crowd grew agitated and threatening. It was fed by Brown’s friend, Dorian Johnson’s narrative of the events leading to the fatal shooting. Johnson became a media darling soon and cops were turned into ‘villains’ by the local media without realising perhaps, how they were being manipulated. The national media of the US too jumped on the bandwagon as it arrived in Ferguson and mounted the “Hands up, don’t shoot!” narrative. The media across the US went hammer and tongs against the police departments and policing. The campaign led to the reluctance of cops to be proactive in stopping crimes including the heinous ones. This led to the skyrocketing of crime rates in several US cities. Those who are criticising the use of force to stop the miscreants and rioters in the garb of students fail to understand that it wasn’t a simple student agitation at Jamia Millia University any more. Neither did it remain an agitation against the National Register for Citizens or the amendment in the Citizenship Act. It had started as a students’ agitation but then it was simply taken over by the nexus of ultra-left and the radical Muslims. That is why the Delhi police had to move to the campus. In fact, 80 per cent of the students from Jamia had already left the campus due to vacations before the agitation started. And more than 80 per cent of the agitators were not students but Islamic fundamentalists and Maoists or Naxals. Not many people would know but there are several eyewitnesses that on Sunday evening when the agitation was going on in front of the old building of Delhi Police Headquarter, two persons were caught with backpacks which were full of stones. And neither of them was a student. It indicates meticulous planning to create bloodbath on the streets in the garb of a protest by students. There is credible evidence with the law enforcement agencies that the local leaders of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party fuelled this agitation. The tweets of their leaders are a reflection of their thinking and involvement itself. As one is aware that AAP is largely a political front of Urban Naxals and top Congress leaders’ offices and political strategies are now managed by former ultra-left student leaders from the Jawahar Lal Nehru University, so the two parties have a lot of synergy in terms of fomenting trouble at the campuses. The fact is that the Leftists, after being pummeled electorally and being compelled to leave other institutions have been using their last bastion- universities and higher education institutions- as their last battleground. That is why one sees the eruption of violent, anarchic and anti-India campaigns emerging from those universities where they have a strong hold either amongst students or amongst academics or both. The dangerous trend, however, is that what we have witnessed in the Aligarh Muslim University and the Jamia Millia is a lethal combination of Naxals and Islamic fundamentalists. The ultra-left is taking care of the back end planning while the Islamic fundamentalists are the face of these agitations. That is why one sees the swift and quick mobilisation of a large number of agitators from one place to another. The ultra-left initially tried to create unrest after 2014 by manipulating the death of Rohit Vemulla in Hyderabad. They wanted to play the Dalit card and put Dalits of the country against the Indian state. But Dalits could see through this and called off the bluff of Urban Naxals and Maoists who treat young students as ‘guns for hire’. They ruthlessly manipulate the youth from a distance while sitting in their own safe cocoons. After the ‘Dalit card’ failed to pull off, the ultra-left has now tied up with the Islamic fundamentalists. What we are witnessing in Jamia and AMU is a manifestation of this nexus. In fact, the cops in UP, as well as Delhi, deserve kudos for using the force with ‘restraint.’ It is much easier to term use of force as ‘brute’ without realising that the cops are not expected to remain mute spectators while they are targeted by the anti-Indian elements. They have to ensure that the law and order is restored. And they have done what was needed to be done and what was supposed to be done. Many people could have been killed as anti-Indian elements, driving these agitations, were trying to provoke the cops. But the police at both the places refused to walk in their trap. Now it is our duty to ensure that we do not let the ‘Ferguson Effect’ take over our society and police. Most importantly, it is the responsibility of the students at campuses to ensure that they do not let anyone ‘manipulate’ them in the name of religion or ideology. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Jamia Millia, AMU violence: Don’t  let ‘Ferguson Effect’ take over

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act continue in Assam, authorities on Saturday relaxed the curfew in Guwahati from 9 AM to 4 PM.

India: Protests against Citizenship Act continue

Indian MEA minister Ravish Kumar has confirmed through Twitter that Modi-Abe summit will now take place later as both the leaders have decided to defer the visit to a mutually convenient date in the near future.

WION Dispatch: Modi-Abe met postponed due to protests over CAB

Responding to the debate over the controversial Bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the legislation should have been brought 50 years ago. He added that this is not a violation of Article 14. This comes under 'reasonable classification' as there are 6 religious groups that are listed.

WION Dispatch: Citizenship Amendment Bill is not violation of Article 14, says Amit Shah

In India Citizenship amendment bill passed in Rajya Sabha. 125 votes are in favour of the bill and 105 votes are in against of the bill.

India: Citizenship amendment bill passed in Rajya Sabha

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB, which grants Indian citizenship to the non-Muslims of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will now go to the President for his assent. In the latest update coming in from Guwahati, one protestor has been killed and three others have been injured after the police opened fire. Reports indicated that the protestors hurled stones at a convoy of a foreign delegation.

WION Dispatch: Security forces move to Assam and Tripura as clashes erupt after 'CAB'

India's MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar has clarified the issue of Bangladesh postponing its Foreign Minister's visit to India. Commenting on the rumours that Bangladesh cancelled its FM visit to India due to the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the MEA spokesperson said that the relationship between the two countries remains strong as ever.

WION Dispatch: Indian MEA comes clean on Bangladesh

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB, which grants Indian citizenship to the non-Muslims of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will now go to the President for his assent. In the latest update coming in from Guwahati one protestor has been killed and three others have been injured.

CAB Aftermath: Northeast India hit by protests, 1 dead and 3 injured

Unlike what is being believed, RSS has a different idea about the effect of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.&nbsp;

RSS expects the bill to be akin to a one-time scheme whereby religiously persecuted Hindus from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan would get Indian citizenship.

Highly placed functionary of RSS said that they expect minimum of 1.5 crore Hindus to become citizens out which 60 per cent would come from the state of West Bengal. This would enable them the right to vote and can impact the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Most of the people benefiting from the scheme are already residing in India but without benefits of the state.

A highly placed functionary of the RSS told WION that India cannot continue to be a state where anyone can walk in and become a citizen without the due process of the law.

The source said that majority of stateless Hindus are located primarily in the state of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Gujarat. The source added that the idea is to accommodate all Hindus under CAB who have been left out of the purview of the National Register of Citizens(NRC). RSS source said that they are pretty sure that this bill will stand the scrutiny of law as it does not violate article 14 of the Indian Constitution.

When asked as to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on such an ambitious project in the second term, the source said, "BJP wanted to consolidate its support before taking up projects like these.”&nbsp;

It was explained that it was for this reason Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a massive organizational drive after 2014 elections.&nbsp;

"He launched public campaigns like Beti Badhao and Beto Bachao. PM also ended policy paralysis and addressed the NPA issue of the public sector banks. His focus on internal security and foreign policy also yielded dividends. It is for the above that important decisions like CAB and abrogation of Article 370 could take place,"&nbsp;he asserted.

The source said one of the reasons to go ahead with the bill is to deal with the consequences in 2019, and not when the country is looking at a general election.

The senior RSS functionary said that the organization believes in One People, One Nation.&nbsp;

“We want&nbsp;smaller identities like caste to be done away with. Religion and caste may be an identity, but it cannot become the sole identity of an individual,” he said.

The senior functionary also hinted that RSS is not very keen on immediate implementation of the Uniform Civil Code of law. He said that eventually the issue would be addressed but it will have to be done from the perspective of gender and child rights.&nbsp;

RSS believes that unfinished business of partition must come to an end and CAB in no way will deprive Muslims of their rights but wants Indian citizenship to be a process and not a result of unchecked migration which ends up changing the demographic profile of the country.

Unlike what is being believed, RSS has a different idea about the effect of the Citizenship Amendment Bill. RSS expects the bill to be akin to a one-time scheme whereby religiously persecuted Hindus from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan would get Indian citizenship.

Unlike what is being believed, RSS has a different idea about the effect of the Citizenship Amendment Bill. RSS expects the bill to be akin to a one-time scheme whereby religiously persecuted Hindus from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan would get Indian citizenship. Highly placed functionary of RSS said that they expect minimum of 1.5 crore Hindus to become citizens out which 60 per cent would come from the state of West Bengal. This would enable them the right to vote and can impact the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Most of the people benefiting from the scheme are already residing in India but without benefits of the state. A highly placed functionary of the RSS told WION that India cannot continue to be a state where anyone can walk in and become a citizen without the due process of the law. The source said that majority of stateless Hindus are located primarily in the state of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Gujarat. The source added that the idea is to accommodate all Hindus under CAB who have been left out of the purview of the National Register of Citizens(NRC). RSS source said that they are pretty sure that this bill will stand the scrutiny of law as it does not violate article 14 of the Indian Constitution. When asked as to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on such an ambitious project in the second term, the source said, "BJP wanted to consolidate its support before taking up projects like these.” It was explained that it was for this reason Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a massive organizational drive after 2014 elections. "He launched public campaigns like Beti Badhao and Beto Bachao. PM also ended policy paralysis and addressed the NPA issue of the public sector banks. His focus on internal security and foreign policy also yielded dividends. It is for the above that important decisions like CAB and abrogation of Article 370 could take place," he asserted. The source said one of the reasons to go ahead with the bill is to deal with the consequences in 2019, and not when the country is looking at a general election. The senior RSS functionary said that the organization believes in One People, One Nation. “We want smaller identities like caste to be done away with. Religion and caste may be an identity, but it cannot become the sole identity of an individual,” he said. The senior functionary also hinted that RSS is not very keen on immediate implementation of the Uniform Civil Code of law. He said that eventually the issue would be addressed but it will have to be done from the perspective of gender and child rights. RSS believes that unfinished business of partition must come to an end and CAB in no way will deprive Muslims of their rights but wants Indian citizenship to be a process and not a result of unchecked migration which ends up changing the demographic profile of the country.

CAB to function like a one-time drive, says top RSS functionary

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won`t get the benefit of this amendment as they have not faced religious persecution.

"If any Muslim from these three (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh) nations applies for citizenship according to our law, then we will consider it, but the person won`t get the benefit of this amendment as the person has not faced religious persecution," said Shah in the Lower House.

"In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains have been discriminated against. So, this bill will give these persecuted people citizenship. Also, the allegation that this Bill will take away the rights of Muslims is wrong," he said.

"Why do we need this Bill today? After independence, if the Congress had not done the partition on the basis of religion, then today we would have not needed this Bill," he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country.

It is important to note that the Bill was passed by the Lower House of Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won`t get the benefit of this amendment as they have not faced religious persecution.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who tabled the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha on Monday, said that Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh won`t get the benefit of this amendment as they have not faced religious persecution. "If any Muslim from these three (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh) nations applies for citizenship according to our law, then we will consider it, but the person won`t get the benefit of this amendment as the person has not faced religious persecution," said Shah in the Lower House. "In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis and Jains have been discriminated against. So, this bill will give these persecuted people citizenship. Also, the allegation that this Bill will take away the rights of Muslims is wrong," he said. "Why do we need this Bill today? After independence, if the Congress had not done the partition on the basis of religion, then today we would have not needed this Bill," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this Bill, Indian citizenship will be provided to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. It is important to note that the Bill was passed by the Lower House of Parliament earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh won't get benefits of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: Amit Shah

Uber&nbsp;Technologies Inc's is plotting the return of its self-driving cars, but the company known for its hard-charging style is taking a much more conservative approach as it tries to recover from a fatal accident that upended its autonomous vehicle program.

After it receives approval from the state of Pennsylvania,&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;plans to begin driving "a handful" of cars on a mile loop between two company offices in Pittsburgh, where&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;first debuted its autonomous vehicles in 2016, company spokeswoman Sarah Abboud said. That would mark&nbsp;Uber's first self-driving car tests on public streets since it halted its operations nearly nine months ago in the wake of a crash in Arizona that killed a pedestrian.

The diminutive launch is a dramatic downsize from&nbsp;Uber's previous operation. The company in the past unleashed its fleet in autonomous mode on public roads at high speeds, after dark, in areas crowded with pedestrians and with a single backup driver in the front seat.

This time, the cars will not operate at night or in wet weather, and will not exceed speeds of 25 miles per hour, Abboud said. Two employees will sit in the front seats, and the company has no plans to resume picking up passengers in the robot cars, a service&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;launched in 2016.

The New York Times first reported on&nbsp;Uber's plans on Wednesday.

Abboud said&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;was awaiting approval from Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation and would not begin testing before then. She said there was no firm start date.

In March, authorities in Arizona suspended&nbsp;Uber's ability to test its self-driving cars after one of its cars hit and killed a woman crossing the street at night in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe,&nbsp;Uber's largest testing hub.&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;also voluntarily halted its entire autonomous car testing program.

Resuming an autonomous driving program is crucial.&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;has a deal with Volvo to purchase up to 24,000 cars, and recently Toyota invested $500 million to develop self-driving cars with&nbsp;Uber.

Uber&nbsp;had pledged to start self-driving operations by this past summer in Pittsburgh, but the company faced immense pressure from regulators, federal investigators and an internal review of safety practices. Last month,&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;released a safety report that outlined several changes, including enabling an automatic braking system and improving the cars' ability to quickly detect and react to objects on the road.

The National Transportation Safety Board has an ongoing investigation into the Arizona crash, the findings of which are expected in a major report next year.

Uber Technologies Inc's is plotting the return of its self-driving cars, but the company known for its hard-charging style is taking a much more conservative approach as it tries to recover from a fatal accident that upended its autonomous vehicle program.

Uber Technologies Inc's is plotting the return of its self-driving cars, but the company known for its hard-charging style is taking a much more conservative approach as it tries to recover from a fatal accident that upended its autonomous vehicle program. After it receives approval from the state of Pennsylvania, Uber plans to begin driving "a handful" of cars on a mile loop between two company offices in Pittsburgh, where Uber first debuted its autonomous vehicles in 2016, company spokeswoman Sarah Abboud said. That would mark Uber's first self-driving car tests on public streets since it halted its operations nearly nine months ago in the wake of a crash in Arizona that killed a pedestrian. The diminutive launch is a dramatic downsize from Uber's previous operation. The company in the past unleashed its fleet in autonomous mode on public roads at high speeds, after dark, in areas crowded with pedestrians and with a single backup driver in the front seat. This time, the cars will not operate at night or in wet weather, and will not exceed speeds of 25 miles per hour, Abboud said. Two employees will sit in the front seats, and the company has no plans to resume picking up passengers in the robot cars, a service Uber launched in 2016. The New York Times first reported on Uber's plans on Wednesday. Abboud said Uber was awaiting approval from Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation and would not begin testing before then. She said there was no firm start date. In March, authorities in Arizona suspended Uber's ability to test its self-driving cars after one of its cars hit and killed a woman crossing the street at night in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, Uber's largest testing hub. Uber also voluntarily halted its entire autonomous car testing program. Resuming an autonomous driving program is crucial. Uber has a deal with Volvo to purchase up to 24,000 cars, and recently Toyota invested $500 million to develop self-driving cars with Uber. Uber had pledged to start self-driving operations by this past summer in Pittsburgh, but the company faced immense pressure from regulators, federal investigators and an internal review of safety practices. Last month, Uber released a safety report that outlined several changes, including enabling an automatic braking system and improving the cars' ability to quickly detect and react to objects on the road. The National Transportation Safety Board has an ongoing investigation into the Arizona crash, the findings of which are expected in a major report next year.

Uber plans smaller, more cautious self-driving car launch

Uber is now working towards a way to determine if a customer <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uber-may-use-artificial-intelligence-to-detect-if-a-customer-is-drunk-144016">booking a ride is drunk or not</a>. A patent application filed by the company this week outlines the use of artificial intelligence to identify the current state of a customer.&nbsp;

The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour.&nbsp;

If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation.&nbsp;

Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally. &nbsp;

Is Uber indicating drunk driving?

The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now. The use of this technology and the consequent results are put to question since Uber has the authority to deny the ride to the drunk customer. Uber presents itself as an alternative to drunk driving but is seeking technology that would enable drivers to ignore such passengers - who may not have any other means to get home.&nbsp;

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 individuals in the United States die every day in drunk driving accidents. This means someone dies every 51 minutes because someone is driving under the influence of alcohol.&nbsp;

The sole purpose of booking a cab is to get you home when you are not in the condition to drive yourself - it could be because of alcohol consumption or it could be because you are tired etc. Regardless, if Uber is given the authority to deny a ride to a person in need what will they do? If someone is wasted, are they running a risk of potential danger to life?

Customer information abuse

There could also be a possible risk of assaults involved. Uber, in the past, has been subject to sexual assault allegations whose drivers have taken advantage of drunk passengers and, now, the fact that drivers will have information about the state of their customers perhaps may put their safety into question. As per reports, at least 103 Uber drivers in the US have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing passengers in the last four years, with many of the police reports noting that the passengers were inebriated or had been drinking before getting into the car.

The ridesharing company, in the public eye, got their act together after the resignation of the scandal-ridden co-founder Travis Kalanick and the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi as CEO last year. However, there has been some dreary incidents regarding customer data. &nbsp;

Uber’s notorious “God View” tool, for example, which showed the location of users who had requested a car, was abused by employees to track the location of their exes as well as monitor celebrities and politicians, according to an October 2016 court verdict by Uber’s former forensic investigator.

There is no confirmation that Uber’s patent application is anything other than a plan in process at the moment. There have been no comments by the company regarding the same.&nbsp;

A system like this could be terribly misused, violate privacy and could be a serious threat to the people. This is still at a nascent stage, but it must be understood that even though the concept behind this idea could be to prevent the drivers to go through the odious situation of dropping back drunk passengers, it could seriously pan out in the opposite direction for the them as well as the company and pose some grave backlash.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Uber is now going to use artificial intelligence to detect whether a passenger is too drunk to ride a cab or not

Uber is now working towards a way to determine if a customer booking a ride is drunk or not. A patent application filed by the company this week outlines the use of artificial intelligence to identify the current state of a customer. The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour. If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation. Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally. Is Uber indicating drunk driving? The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now. The use of this technology and the consequent results are put to question since Uber has the authority to deny the ride to the drunk customer. Uber presents itself as an alternative to drunk driving but is seeking technology that would enable drivers to ignore such passengers - who may not have any other means to get home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 individuals in the United States die every day in drunk driving accidents. This means someone dies every 51 minutes because someone is driving under the influence of alcohol. The sole purpose of booking a cab is to get you home when you are not in the condition to drive yourself - it could be because of alcohol consumption or it could be because you are tired etc. Regardless, if Uber is given the authority to deny a ride to a person in need what will they do? If someone is wasted, are they running a risk of potential danger to life? Customer information abuse There could also be a possible risk of assaults involved. Uber, in the past, has been subject to sexual assault allegations whose drivers have taken advantage of drunk passengers and, now, the fact that drivers will have information about the state of their customers perhaps may put their safety into question. As per reports, at least 103 Uber drivers in the US have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing passengers in the last four years, with many of the police reports noting that the passengers were inebriated or had been drinking before getting into the car. The ridesharing company, in the public eye, got their act together after the resignation of the scandal-ridden co-founder Travis Kalanick and the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi as CEO last year. However, there has been some dreary incidents regarding customer data. Uber’s notorious “God View” tool, for example, which showed the location of users who had requested a car, was abused by employees to track the location of their exes as well as monitor celebrities and politicians, according to an October 2016 court verdict by Uber’s former forensic investigator. There is no confirmation that Uber’s patent application is anything other than a plan in process at the moment. There have been no comments by the company regarding the same. A system like this could be terribly misused, violate privacy and could be a serious threat to the people. This is still at a nascent stage, but it must be understood that even though the concept behind this idea could be to prevent the drivers to go through the odious situation of dropping back drunk passengers, it could seriously pan out in the opposite direction for the them as well as the company and pose some grave backlash. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Uber's latest AI bid could lead to some serious consequences

Uber is now going to use artificial intelligence to detect whether a passenger is too drunk to ride a cab or not. The company has now applied for a patent for a system which will be able to "predict a users state,"&nbsp;reports said.

Uber has been curious about its drunk users, and are applying for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a system that would use machine learning to determine how intoxicated a passenger might be.

While the patent limits itself to a dry discussion of ‘user state,’ it seems that what Uber is really interested in is detecting the difference between users of sound mind and users who are under the influence.

The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour.&nbsp;

The system relies on an algorithm to weigh a variety of factors, including typos, how precisely a user clicks on links and buttons, walking speed, and how long it takes to request a ride. The time of day, and where a ride is requested may also be considered, reports say. So say, for example, you are booking a ride on a Saturday night at 1 am&nbsp;and it takes you over 10-15 minutes, Uber will be able to detect the unusual behaviour.&nbsp;

If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation.&nbsp;

Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally.&nbsp;

The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now.

The company has been curious about its drunk users, applying for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a system that would use machine learning to determine how intoxicated a passenger will be

Uber is now going to use artificial intelligence to detect whether a passenger is too drunk to ride a cab or not. The company has now applied for a patent for a system which will be able to "predict a users state," reports said. Uber has been curious about its drunk users, and are applying for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a system that would use machine learning to determine how intoxicated a passenger might be. While the patent limits itself to a dry discussion of ‘user state,’ it seems that what Uber is really interested in is detecting the difference between users of sound mind and users who are under the influence. The system identifies how you would typically use the Uber app so that it can determine unusual behaviour. The system relies on an algorithm to weigh a variety of factors, including typos, how precisely a user clicks on links and buttons, walking speed, and how long it takes to request a ride. The time of day, and where a ride is requested may also be considered, reports say. So say, for example, you are booking a ride on a Saturday night at 1 am and it takes you over 10-15 minutes, Uber will be able to detect the unusual behaviour. If the customer seems to appear intoxicated, the ridesharing app could deny rides to them or may match them with other drivers who have the right training to deal with such a situation. Uber may even monitor drivers who pick up inebriated passengers as instances of sexual assault where passengers were found to be drunk are on the rise globally. The success rate of such a technology seems unclear as of now.

Uber may use artificial intelligence to detect if a customer is drunk

A survey conducted by the NGO - Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) - among 10,000 cab drivers revealed that about 55% of them usually drink and drive.&nbsp;

The NGO is said to be working with the Delhi Police for about 15 years. Out of the 55% drivers 27% accepted bookings in a highly inebriated state, the survey further revealed.&nbsp;

The survey was conducted between September till December last year. Of the total respondents, 62% confessed that they consumed alcohol in their vehicles.&nbsp;

Road safety expert and CADD founder Prince Singhal said: &quot;The research was conducted at 50 prominent public locations of Delhi including airports, railway stations, Metro stations, malls, commercial hubs, office complexes and university areas. 893 out of the 10,000 were drivers of black-and-yellow taxis and 9,107 were cab drivers of radio and app-based cabs.&quot;

Singhal added: &quot;A key finding of the survey was also that Police enforcement on cab drivers was negligible in Delhi, Gurugram, and Noida region and that cab drivers if at all prosecuted were usually charged for speeding, red-light jumping, and rash driving but rarely for drunk driving. Since cab drivers are duty-bound to drive sober it is even more pertinent that the police conduct alcohol tests on them&nbsp;especially during 11 pm to 1&nbsp;am on a regular basis.&quot;

The 55% drivers admitted to driving drunk, which is common among drivers due to long working hours and less time off, the survey states.&nbsp;

The survey further reveals that about 90% of the cab drivers have never been policed or checked by their employers for drunk driving or having alcohol in the car.&nbsp;

The respondents admitted to drinking in the car as it kills time between long waiting periods and it&#39;s &quot;safe and more economical to consume alcohol in the vehicle.&quot;

Other areas where the survey was conducted included IGI airport, railway stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin Central Park, Connaught Place, Nehru Place office complex, GKI and II, New Friends Colony, several top malls, DLF Cyber Hub, DLF City Centre, Ambience Mall, Sector 18 market Noida, Mall of India, Great India Place and Logix City Centre.

These findings question the safety of everyday lives of people traveling in cabs, more so with women who travel late at night.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A survey conducted by NGO Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) among 10,000 cab drivers revealed that about 55% of them usually drink and drive

A survey conducted by the NGO - Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) - among 10,000 cab drivers revealed that about 55% of them usually drink and drive. The NGO is said to be working with the Delhi Police for about 15 years. Out of the 55% drivers 27% accepted bookings in a highly inebriated state, the survey further revealed. The survey was conducted between September till December last year. Of the total respondents, 62% confessed that they consumed alcohol in their vehicles. Road safety expert and CADD founder Prince Singhal said: "The research was conducted at 50 prominent public locations of Delhi including airports, railway stations, Metro stations, malls, commercial hubs, office complexes and university areas. 893 out of the 10,000 were drivers of black-and-yellow taxis and 9,107 were cab drivers of radio and app-based cabs." Singhal added: "A key finding of the survey was also that Police enforcement on cab drivers was negligible in Delhi, Gurugram, and Noida region and that cab drivers if at all prosecuted were usually charged for speeding, red-light jumping, and rash driving but rarely for drunk driving. Since cab drivers are duty-bound to drive sober it is even more pertinent that the police conduct alcohol tests on them especially during 11 pm to 1 am on a regular basis." The 55% drivers admitted to driving drunk, which is common among drivers due to long working hours and less time off, the survey states. The survey further reveals that about 90% of the cab drivers have never been policed or checked by their employers for drunk driving or having alcohol in the car. The respondents admitted to drinking in the car as it kills time between long waiting periods and it's "safe and more economical to consume alcohol in the vehicle." Other areas where the survey was conducted included IGI airport, railway stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin Central Park, Connaught Place, Nehru Place office complex, GKI and II, New Friends Colony, several top malls, DLF Cyber Hub, DLF City Centre, Ambience Mall, Sector 18 market Noida, Mall of India, Great India Place and Logix City Centre. These findings question the safety of everyday lives of people traveling in cabs, more so with women who travel late at night.

Shocking survey reveals 55% Delhi-NCR cab drivers drink and drive

An<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ola-driver-molests-bengaluru-woman-activates-child-lock-to-prevent-her-from-escaping-26011"> Ola driver was suspended</a> on Tuesday after he was allegedly accused of molesting a 23-year-old woman in Bengaluru on Sunday night, reports said.&nbsp;

An Ola representative has also told the customer to file a formal complaint against the driver to the police.&nbsp;

&quot;We regret the unfortunate experience the customer had during their ride. We have zero tolerance for such incidents and the driver has been suspended from the platform as an immediate action upon receiving the complaint,&quot; the Ola spokesperson said.

&quot;We have also urged the customer to lodge a formal complaint with the authorities. The safety of customers is our priority and we will continue to extend our full support to this investigation against the said driver,&quot; the spokesperson added.

The woman, who was a fashion designer by profession, complained to Ola Cabs safety team where she said that the driver misbehaved with her, held her hostage and child locked the doors.&nbsp;

The driver further threatened the woman and said that she would face consequences if she reports a complaint to the authorities, media reports said.

The woman did not lodge an official complaint. According to reports, she was not a resident of Bengaluru and did not file the complaint to avoid legal issues.&nbsp;

The victim has confirmed that the incident took place at around 10:30 pm.

The driver further threatened the women and said that she would face consequences if she reports a complaint to the authorities, media reports said

An Ola driver was suspended on Tuesday after he was allegedly accused of molesting a 23-year-old woman in Bengaluru on Sunday night, reports said. An Ola representative has also told the customer to file a formal complaint against the driver to the police. "We regret the unfortunate experience the customer had during their ride. We have zero tolerance for such incidents and the driver has been suspended from the platform as an immediate action upon receiving the complaint," the Ola spokesperson said. "We have also urged the customer to lodge a formal complaint with the authorities. The safety of customers is our priority and we will continue to extend our full support to this investigation against the said driver," the spokesperson added. The woman, who was a fashion designer by profession, complained to Ola Cabs safety team where she said that the driver misbehaved with her, held her hostage and child locked the doors. The driver further threatened the woman and said that she would face consequences if she reports a complaint to the authorities, media reports said. The woman did not lodge an official complaint. According to reports, she was not a resident of Bengaluru and did not file the complaint to avoid legal issues. The victim has confirmed that the incident took place at around 10:30 pm.

Ola suspends driver for molesting woman passenger

A cab driver has been&nbsp;arrested&nbsp;after he was accused of allegedy trying&nbsp;to abduct a woman judge while driving her to the Delhi High court, news reports said Tuesday.&nbsp;

The incident&nbsp;took place on Monday. An FIR was filed at Ghazipur police station.

According to the reports, Delhi Police&nbsp;began chasing the cab after a&nbsp;call from the woman judge.

The judge had been travelling to the Karkardooma courts from central Delhi when the driver took a different route towards Hapur in UP instead, making the judge suspicious.

The judge shouted in horror when she realised what might be happening but the driver was allegedly unconcerned and kept on driving, she&nbsp;said in her complaint.

Then, the driver suddenly&nbsp;took a U-turn and started driving towards Delhi.

He&nbsp;was finally nabbed near Ghazipur, the reports said.&nbsp;

The police used the judge&#39;s phone to&nbsp;track&nbsp;her location.

The driver, meanwhile, said he had missed a turn at Mayur Vihar and kept driving straight to find another one.

He also said he panicked when the judged called the police and immediately took a turn near Indirapuram. &nbsp;

Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal expressed her &quot;grave concerns&quot; over the safety and security of women judicial officers to the Delhi government&#39;s law department, the reports said.

The judged called Delhi Police from the cab. Police tracked her down using her cell phone's location

A cab driver has been arrested after he was accused of allegedy trying to abduct a woman judge while driving her to the Delhi High court, news reports said Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday. An FIR was filed at Ghazipur police station. According to the reports, Delhi Police began chasing the cab after a call from the woman judge. The judge had been travelling to the Karkardooma courts from central Delhi when the driver took a different route towards Hapur in UP instead, making the judge suspicious. The judge shouted in horror when she realised what might be happening but the driver was allegedly unconcerned and kept on driving, she said in her complaint. Then, the driver suddenly took a U-turn and started driving towards Delhi. He was finally nabbed near Ghazipur, the reports said. The police used the judge's phone to track her location. The driver, meanwhile, said he had missed a turn at Mayur Vihar and kept driving straight to find another one. He also said he panicked when the judged called the police and immediately took a turn near Indirapuram. Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal expressed her "grave concerns" over the safety and security of women judicial officers to the Delhi government's law department, the reports said.

Delhi High Court judge claims cab driver tried to abduct her

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