You find foreigners in Bihar poll list but not killers in Pahalgam: Owaisi to PM
"Were you sleeping? Was your administration sitting with their eyes shut while terrorists entered and killed our Hindu brothers?" Owaisi asked.Owaisi, who was a member of the government's all-party global outreach delegation on Operation Sindoor, took a dig at Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, saying, "Now in July, you're admitting your mistake."He was referring to Manoj Sinha's admission to an Indian news outlet that it was a "security failure," for which he took "full responsibility".'What happened in Pahalgam was very unfortunate; innocent people were brutally killed. I take full responsibility for the incident, which was undoubtedly a security failure. The common belief here has been that terrorists do not target tourists. The location where the attack took place is an open meadow,' Sinha told Times of India in an interview.The Hyderabad MP further asked PM Modi to focus on what is happening in the neighbourhood, claiming that India has been surrounded by China on all sides.Owaisi ended his speech, saying that Pahalgam is a "prime example of PM Modi government's security lapse."- EndsMust Watch
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Universities everywhere are in crisis
On July 21, a federal judge challenged the U.S. administration's reasons for slashing billions of dollars in federal funding to Harvard University. The funding threats and cuts reflect a larger worldwide trend of right-wing governments forcing higher education institutions with their ideological agendas. Across the world, universities, once imagined as havens of free inquiry, are now being transformed into sites of political control. Weaponised budgets This pressure is particularly evident in the U.S., where Ivy League universities have become the centre of a cultural conflict. Portraying these institutions as havens for 'anti-Americanism', Mr. Trump tightened visas for overseas students and threatened funding cuts to colleges that defied his definition of 'free speech'. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ruling ending affirmative action in college admissions gave right-wing activists even more confidence and spurred calls for broad changes in admissions rules. While Columbia University was pushed into adopting a strict definition of antisemitism, a measure critics say silences legitimate debate about Israel and Palestine, the 2024 congressional campaign forced Harvard's president, Claudine Gay, to resign. Major donors withdrew millions in funding from institutions that resisted these pressures, leaving faculty fearful that discussions on race, gender, or foreign policy might provoke similar reprisals. The effects are felt globally. In Australia, using the nebulous concept of 'national interest', ministers have vetoed peer-reviewed humanities research proposals covering topics such as climate activism and Indigenous politics. Law faculties have faced criticism for deviating from 'black letter law' and incorporating decolonisation into their courses. Universities are also under pressure to pass anti-foreign interference audits to protect rich international student enrolment and engage in persuasive self-censorship on sensitive subjects, such as China, Palestine, and Australia's colonial past. In India, populist leaders see public universities as elitist strongholds. Police visit campuses to quell dissent; budgets are cut; and vice-chancellors replaced. Jawaharlal Nehru University, once a hub of open debate, now frequently faces the label of 'anti-national'. In 2023, the University Grants Commission mandated compulsory courses in 'Indian knowledge systems'; this is seen as advancing Hindu nationalist narratives. The South Asian University, established by SAARC as an international institution, pressured a faculty member to leave after his PhD student cited Noam Chomsky's criticism of the Modi government. From Budapest to Bahrain, the pattern is clear. Viktor Orbán forced Central European University out of Hungary. Turkey dismissed thousands of academics who supported a peace petition. Brazil and the Philippines drastically cut social sciences' funding, silencing studies on inequality. Gulf states impose tight restrictions on conversations about religion, gender, and labour rights. Independent research is now seen across continents as a threat to national security. Along with these direct attacks is a quieter but equally destructive force: the neoliberal makeover of higher education. Rankings, patent creation, and the pursuit of student 'employability' are transforming universities into corporate entities. People discount feminist studies, sociology, history and other subjects which explore power dynamics as unnecessary extravagances. Students become paying customers, faculty members turn into disposable service providers, and trustees prioritise brand management above intellectual exploration. The far right exploits this market-driven logic, portraying universities as taxpayer-funded breeding grounds for sedition, while simultaneously cutting public funding essential for maintaining intellectual diversity. Defending the commons According to the Academic Freedom Index, produced by V-Dem and partner organisations, academic freedom declined in 34 countries between 2014 and 2024, not only in autocracies but in democracies as well. Indicators measuring institutional autonomy, freedom of research, and campus integrity dropped to their lowest levels since the early 1980s. Every erosion of academic freedom limits society's ability to tackle pressing global challenges such as climate change, the impacts of AI, and democratic deterioration. Despite these challenges, hope remains. Networks of academics, students, and civil society groups around the world are resisting ideological pressure. Faculty groups and student coalitions in the U.S. actively promote inclusive education, which forces some colleges to rethink too rigid definitions of antisemitism. Legal collectives and independent academic platforms still guard areas for critical inquiry in India. However, survival alone is insufficient. Universities must recover their public agenda. Governing boards should shield hiring, promotions, and funding decisions from political interference. Donors must support uncomfortable inquiry rather than dictate it. Alumni can fund independent academic chairs or legal defence efforts. Faculty members must engage in university governance instead of leaving it to bureaucrats, while students should remember that campuses are democratic commons, not merely credential factories. If fear, profit motives, or majoritarian arrogance dictate what can be taught or expressed, we risk inheriting not just weakened universities but diminished democracies. Amrita Nambiar, Assistant Professor of Law, Vinayaka Mission's Law School, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation (DU); Amrithnath Sreedevi Babu, Sessional Academic and PhD candidate, Macquarie Law School, Macquarie University, Australia
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
‘Bharatiyata' only solution to all problems world facing today: RSS chief Bhagwat
All the advancements in the field of science and economic progress in the world brought things of luxury and eased people's lives but could not end sorrow, he said. Addressing an event here, Bhagwat said the world is facing a plethora of problems due to materialism and now looking up to Bharat for answers as all the efforts taken over the past 2000 years to bring happiness and contentment in people's lives based on Western ideas have failed. New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday exhorted people to imbibe 'Indianness' and show the world the answers to all problems it is facing. 'Exploitation increased, poverty increased. The gap between the poor and the rich kept increasing day by day,' Bhagwat said at the event jointly organised by IGNOU and Akhil Bharatiya Anuvrat Nyas. 'After the first world war, several books were written advocating peace, a league of nations was formed so that there is no war again in future but the World War II broke out. After the second world war, UNO was formed. But we are (today) thinking if there will be a third world war,' he added. Bhagwat said 'Bharatiyata' (Indianness) is the only solution to all the problems the world is facing today. 'What does it mean to be of Bharat? Bharatiyata is not citizenship. Of course, citizenship is required. But, one has to have Bharat's 'swabhav' (nature) to belong to Bharat. Bharat's 'swabhav' thinks about the whole life. There are four 'Purusharth' (four goals in Hindu philosophy)…'moksha' (liberation) is ultimate goal of life,' he said. Bharat's nature is based on 'dharma drishti' (vision), Bhagwat said. It is due to this discipline of dharma, Bharat was once the most prosperous nation and the world knows it, he said. 'That's why the world looks up to Bharat, hoping that it will show a new path to them. We have to show the path to the world. For this, we have to prepare our 'rashtra' (nation), starting with ourselves and our family,' Bhagwat said 'See if we are following our 'drishti' (vision) in our daily life or not, and make amends,' he added. Exhorting the gathering to 'gear up' for transformation, Bhagwat said, 'The history that we know is taught by the West. I am hearing that some changes are being made in the syllabus in our country'. 'For them, Bharat does not exist. It appears in the world map, but not in their thoughts. If you look at books, you will find China, Japan, not Bharat,' he added. PTI PK PK KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
India Extends Ban On Pak Aircraft From Entering Airspace Till August 23
New Delhi: India on Tuesday extended the ban on Pakistani aircraft from entering the domestic airspace till August 23. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said, in a post on X, "Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting Pakistani aircraft from entering Indian airspace has been officially extended until 23rd August 2025." "This extension reflects continued strategic considerations and is in line with prevailing security protocols. Stay tuned for further updates," the minister informed. This action followed Pakistan's earlier decision to bar Indian flights from its airspace. Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for flights operated by Indian airlines by another month, till August 24, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said last week. The ban will remain in place till August 24 at 5:19 am (India time), the PAA said. Meanwhile, NOTAM has been issued for a large-scale Indian Air Force (IAF) exercise scheduled in Rajasthan along the India-Pakistan border for July 23-25. The Indian Air Force is set to carry out a major military exercise in Rajasthan, covering areas from Barmer to Jodhpur. The region witnessed Pakistani drone and missile intrusions during Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan launched several drone attacks targeting Rajasthan's Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Sri Ganganagar districts. A NOTAM is issued when a specific airspace needs to be cleared of civilian air traffic. Similar notices were issued during previous tensions with Pakistan to ensure that no passenger aircraft would be caught in the middle of potential aerial operations. It helps prevent civilian casualties by keeping commercial aircraft away from zones of military activity. NOTAM was issued against the backdrop of India's 'Operation Sindoor', which was launched on May 7, in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam, where Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 innocent people.
