Legal battle over GATE norm for 621 AEE posts reaches SC
Commission (OPSC), while refusing to grant a stay on the recruitment process.
The OPSC had in an advertisement for 2023-24 invited applications for posts of AEEs in civil (580) and mechanical (41) branches on December 28, 2023, with the last date of submission being February 26, 2024. Under the Odisha Engineering Service (Methods of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2023, the objective written test was replaced by selection on the basis of the highest of the valid Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) score obtained by the candidates in the three years preceding the date of advertisement (including the year of advertisement).
On January 15, 2025, the high court, acting on a batch of petitions, directed the OPSC to extend the application deadline to enable candidates who were otherwise eligible by age and educational qualification as per the original cut-off date to apply after appearing in the GATE examination.
Complying with the direction, OPSC on April 11, 2025, notified rescheduled dates allowing submission of applications for the posts from April 22 to May 8.
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India Today
6 hours ago
- India Today
Are you a dog hater, or simply suffer from Cynophobia?
Some people say they're 'animal lovers,' but they've confused it with 'I once liked a puppy photo on Instagram.' The latest Supreme Court directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR has brought every armchair activist, resident welfare society chairperson, and self-appointed 'protector of civic order' out of in this ongoing urban drama, the most vocal characters are often termed as the "dog haters", on the other hand, the work cynophobia basically means an extreme and irrational fear of week, an animal feeder friend of mine put down bowls of food and water for the street dogs she has been caring for for years. Ten minutes later, a man in a crisp white shirt and an ego two sizes too big decided to run his SUV over them", says Vihan Dixit, Animal feeder in Malviya Nagar. "'Oh, I thought they were a traffic hazard,' he said, beaming like he had just been awarded Employee of the Month. Apparently, destroying a dog's dinner is now a LinkedIn-worthy achievement", said Juneja a feeder in Noida told us that she witnessed a lady in the neighbourhood who said, 'You know, feeding dogs makes them aggressive. Also, it's unhygienic.'Kritika adds that this from the same person who's fine with some poeple spitting paan juice down the stairs."There's a thin line between animal love and basic humanity, and some folks have tripped over it so hard they're now permanently camped on the wrong side. Feeding a hungry dog isn't just an act of kindness, it's the bare minimum of decency, the same way you'd give a glass of water to a thirsty delivery boy or hold the door open for someone. But apparently, when it's a dog, decency is suddenly 'illegal,' 'dangerous,' or 'not my responsibility.'", says Advocate Niharika Kashyap."The SC's order may have intended to address safety and health concerns, but it's been hijacked as the golden ticket for those who simply want the streets emptied of anything that doesn't come with a price tag or parking permit. These are the same people who complain about barking at night but think their own honking in traffic is a soothing lullaby," says Rupesh Krishna Sharma, animal feeder in Delhi, now living in here's an unsolicited life tip, if you see someone feeding a stray, maybe don't turn it into your day's drama highlight. You can dislike dogs quietly, the same way I dislike coriander, without flattening it with my when we start celebrating the removal of beings who depend on us, it says far less about the dogs and far more about how, somewhere along the way, we've traded compassion for convenience, and kindness for bragging rights in the office WhatsApp group.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Business Standard
No stray dogs in Delhi? SC target challenges MCD's funds and capacity
The Supreme Court's directive to remove stray dogs from Delhi's streets, sterilise them, and relocate them permanently to shelters has triggered one of the capital's largest animal control drives in decades. In its order on Monday, the apex court instructed the capture of 5,000 stray dogs from 'high-risk areas' within six to eight weeks. The animals are to be housed in shelters with adequate staffing, CCTV surveillance, and helplines. The court barred the re-release of sterilised dogs — a departure from the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which require returning them to their original locations. But this leads to a question — can the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) manage this exercise within the time frame decided by the Supreme Court? And why dog sterilisation efforts in the past faced roadblocks. How many stray dogs are there in Delhi? While the Supreme Court pegged the initial removal target at 5,000, it did not clarify the basis for the figure. In Delhi, the last formal dog census by the MCD was conducted in 2009, when the stray dog count was recorded at approximately 560,000. Since then, no comprehensive survey has been done. According to a report in The Times of India, a census for stray dogs was conducted in 2016 by the then South Delhi Municipal Corporation, counting 1,89,285 strays in its four zones. Of these, only 27.87 per cent of females and 40.03 per cent of males were sterilised. The MCD admitted in court that updated population data was necessary to assess the impact of existing ABC efforts. Animal birth control centre in Delhi: Capacity gap looms large Delhi currently lists 20 ABC centres in areas such as Rohini, Timarpur, Dwarka, Tughlaqabad, Usmanpur, and Bijwasan, with a combined capacity of 3,500–4,000 dogs at a time, according to MCD Standing Committee minutes from last month. According to MCD figures cited in an October 2024 Times of India report, the civic body told the Delhi High Court that, at the time, only 11 NGOs and four veterinary doctors were working across the city's 250 municipal wards, and just 46,600 strays had been vaccinated by the end of July 2024 — far short of the coverage needed. In the same report, the MCD stated that a sterilisation rate of 70–80 per cent was essential to control the stray population effectively. How many dogs sterilised this year Between January 25 and June 25, 2025, the MCD has sterilised and vaccinated 65,031 dogs. The corporation projects 97,994 surgeries between April 2024 and December 2025 — up from 79,959 in 2023–24 and 59,076 in 2022–23 — but still below the threshold for population stabilisation. Animal welfare groups, such as Nyaya Bhoomi, have accused the MCD of underperforming and even over-reporting sterilisation numbers. In 2024, the Delhi High Court asked MCD to provide a more concrete plan to curb the stray population after finding its affidavit inadequate. Does MCD have the capacity to house stray dogs? Until now, sterilised dogs have been released to their original locations — a practice the Supreme Court has now barred. The MCD has proposed building 12 permanent shelters, one in each zone, but no capital expenditure has yet been approved. How much does it cost to sterilise a stray dog? Delhi's reimbursement rates for sterilisation and immunisation have not been updated since May 2021: ₹1,000 per dog when NGOs or private veterinary teams handle catching, surgery, and release. ₹900 per dog when the Municipal Corporation does the catching. Last week, the Centre revised its ABC scheme, offering ₹800 per dog plus a one-time ₹2 crore grant for veterinary hospital infrastructure. This falls below both Delhi's 2021 rate and current local cost estimates in other cities. Meanwhile, last month, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) proposed raising its sterilisation-plus-feeding payment to ₹1,650 per dog, up from ₹976, citing alignment with ABC 2023 rules. The funding gap is stark: For the Supreme Court's immediate 5,000-dog target, the extra cost of paying ₹1,650 instead of Delhi's ?1,000 is ₹32.5 lakh more. For Delhi's projected 97,994 sterilisations by the end of 2025, the difference is ₹63.7 crore more than current allocations, excluding shelter construction and operating costs. This gap shows that even with the Centre's revised funding, Delhi would still be operating far below what some cities now consider a realistic per-dog cost under the ABC 2023 framework. Beyond numbers A recent report by ThePrint pointed out bigger issues with Delhi's ABC programme on an operational level. Their visits to six sterilisation centres found unhygienic and unsafe conditions, failure to follow required procedures, denial of access at one site, and even abuse of animals at another. The report argued that such neglect undermines the humane control of strays, especially as the city government pursues controversial relocation plans opposed by animal rights groups. According to a Hindustan Times report, several animal welfare experts and activists have warned that forcibly removing community dogs could: Violate ABC Rules, 2023, by not returning sterilised dogs to their areas. Be impractical given the large stray population and lack of shelter space. Cause animal suffering by breaking up established packs. Fail to address root causes such as lack of feeding points and poor public awareness. Trigger territorial conflicts in relocation areas. Bottom line With less than six weeks to comply, the MCD must not only expand shelter capacity and align funding with realistic per-dog costs, but also address long-standing structural gaps — from limited manpower and outdated data to weak oversight, poor facility conditions, and deep disagreement over whether mass removals are lawful or humane.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
One SC order, million problems: How removing over 10 lakh+ dogs could lead to zoonotic diseases & more aggressive strays
The Supreme Court's directive to move all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR into shelters has set off a scramble among civic authorities -- and an outcry from animal welfare advocates -- over what many are calling an 'unworkable' order. On Monday, the apex court described the stray dog menace as 'extremely grim' and ordered the Delhi government and municipal bodies to pick up strays from all localities and keep them in shelters. It warned of strict action against anyone obstructing the drive. According to the data of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and various surveys, Delhi alone has an estimated stray dog population of around 10 lakh. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program The ruling comes amid growing public anger over dog bite incidents in the region. However, as both officials and activists point out, the immediate challenge is the lack of infrastructure and funds to house the vast number of stray animals -- which also pose the risk of becoming breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases. Activists warn of 'vacuum effect' and health risks Animal welfare advocates argue that the order not only ignores ground realities but could worsen the problem. Ambika Shukla, trustee at People For Animals, wrote in The Times of India that 'without any meaningful discussion or ground-level consultation,' the Supreme Court had given an unprecedented order that fails to account for the lack of census data, infrastructure, budget, and trained manpower. Live Events Shelters, she warned, could become breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases like leptospirosis, mange, and parvovirus-- citing past outbreaks in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Mumbai. Removing territorial, sterilised dogs could also trigger the 'vacuum effect', allowing unvaccinated, more aggressive dogs to move in. Instead, Shukla and others advocate strengthening ABC programmes, which they say have reduced rabies cases nationwide from 20,000 annually to just 54. A Rs 15,000 crore challenge Former Union minister and animal rights advocate Maneka Gandhi called the plan impractical. 'You have three lakh dogs in Delhi. To get them all off the roads, you'll have to make 3,000 pounds (enclosures), each with drainage, water, a shed, a kitchen, and a watchman. That will cost about Rs 15,000 crore. Does Delhi have Rs 15,000 crore for this?' she told PTI. Feeding the impounded dogs, she added, would require another Rs 5 crore every week. Gandhi also warned of unintended ecological consequences. 'Within 48 hours, three lakh dogs will come from Ghaziabad, Faridabad because there's food in Delhi. And once you remove the dogs, monkeys will come on the ground… In Paris in the 1880s, when they removed dogs and cats, the city was overrun with rats,' she said, calling dogs 'rodent control animals'. Instead of relocation, Gandhi argued for strict enforcement of existing measures: sterilisation, anti-rabies and distemper vaccinations, a ban on relocation, and close monitoring of Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres. Municipal bodies caught off guard Hours after the ruling, Gurgaon Municipal Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya instructed officers to start planning for implementation. But as Dahiya told The Times of India, 'We will first study the Supreme Court order and then decide on the further course of action. Yes, we must allocate space to set up dog shelters in the city. But we will have to determine whether these shelters will be set up zone-wise or ward-wise.' In Gurgaon, the task is daunting: 50,000 stray dogs, but only two operational shelters -- each with a capacity of 50 animals -- and two more under construction. The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which require sterilised dogs to be returned to their original locations, meant large-scale shelter infrastructure was never developed. In Ghaziabad, the last census recorded 48,000 stray dogs. According to Dr Anuj Singh, chief veterinary officer at the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, 'We have been sterilising 25 dogs a day at the Animal Birth Control Centre here. But without a shelter, housing these animals is a significant challenge.' Noida's situation is worse. With no official census, estimates run as high as 1.5 lakh strays -- and only four private shelters to house them. The city also reported 73,754 street dog bite cases in the past seven months. The road ahead: Eight weeks, no clear plan The Supreme Court has given civic bodies just eight weeks to comply. That means building or expanding shelters, arranging food and veterinary care, hiring trained staff, and securing budgets running into hundreds of crores -- all in under two months. Meanwhile, sterilisation contracts in several NCR cities are expiring this year, leaving even population control efforts in limbo. For now, municipal commissioners across NCR are convening emergency meetings. But the gap between judicial mandate and administrative capacity remains vast. As one Gurgaon official told ToI: 'On paper, the order is clear. On the ground, it's almost impossible.' With inputs from ToI
