
Spoke for future of cinema, not to hurt any community: Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan
'I support the intention behind giving a Rs 1.5-crore grant to the SC/ST community members and others,' Adoor told TNIE on Monday.
'There was a time when I travelled to Madras multiple times to conclude a movie shoot. That era is already over. Now, editing is done on the film set itself. Such advanced technology helps us make movies at a lower cost. Therefore, instead of granting Rs 1.5 crore to one person, the government could give Rs 50 lakh each to three people. This would ensure a platform and opportunity for more people.'
He suggested mandatory training for newcomers to ensure quality productions.
'If first-time filmmakers get at least three months' training under professionals, they will come up with better films. Otherwise, there is a possibility of a newcomer getting an opportunity and coming with an amateur movie. I don't want that to happen and suggested the need for training. I said all these for the betterment of movies and the best use of the opportunity provided by the government,' he said, stressing that his concern was for the future of cinema, not against any community.

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Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Supreme Court bans hand-pulled rickshaws in Matheran
The Supreme Court on Wednesday banned hand-pulled rickshaws in the ecologically sensitive Matheran near Mumbai, a destination which draws tourists in large numbers, saying that the practice 'is against the basic concept of human dignity' and needs to be done away with completely. A bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justices Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria said that those plying it are not doing so by choice but because they have no other source of livelihood. 'Permitting such an inhuman practice, which hits at the basic concept of human dignity in a country like India, which is a developing country, belittles the constitutional promise of social and economic justice,' the court added. The bench pointed out that the SC had in the case People of India for Democratic Rights v. Union of India, given an expanded meaning to Article 23, holding that it was intended to abolish every form of forced labour and said that even if remuneration is paid, labour supplied by a person will be hit by Article 23 if it is forced labour. It referred to the SC's 1980 ruling in the case Azad Rickshaw Pullers Union (Regd.) vs State Of Punjab & Others which dealt with the rehabilitation of cycle rickshaw pullers in Punjab. The bench said it was then held that the practice of allowing cycle-pulled rickshaws was inconsistent with the preambular promise of social justice. The bench said, 'it is really unfortunate that after 45 years of the observations made by this Court in the case of Azad Rickshaw Pullers Union, the inhuman practice of a human being pulling another human being is still prevalent in the town of Matheran.' It said that allowing manual rickshaws today would be a betrayal of the promise of social and economic justice that the people of India promised to themselves. 'The question that we ask ourselves is as to whether this practice is alive to the Constitutional promise of social and economic equality and social and economic justice. The answer, unfortunately, will have to be in the negative. To continue such human practice even after 78 years of tecountry getting freedom and after 75 years of the Constitution being enacted and promising social and economic Justice to its citizens, however, would be betraying the promise given by the people of India given to themselves,' the order said. The SC added, 'we therefore find that the practise of permitting hand-pulled rickshaws needs to be stopped forthwith.' It directed the 'state to stop the practice of hand-pulled rickshaws in a phased manner within a period of 6 months from today'. The bench said the question would then arise as to what will happen to those dependent on it for their livelihood. It said that the answer lies in switching to environmentally friendly e-rickshaws. The Court asked the Maharashtra government to roll out a rehabilitation scheme for the rickshaw pullers of Matheran saying 'the state… has also a duty under the directive principles to ensure that social and economic justice is done to the citizens…'. The bench said that the non-availability of funds 'cannot be an excuse for non-implementation of the…scheme' and added, 'we earnestly hope that the state would tender necessary assistance in stopping such an inhumane practice.' The court asked the state to adopt the model followed in Kewadia of Gujarat, where the state purchases e-rickshaws and gives them to genuine rickshaw pullers on hire. It asked the Matheran monitoring committee, headed by the Collector, to identify genuine rickshaw pullers who need to be rehabilitated and said the committee will decide the number of e-rickshaws needed after taking into account ground realities. It permitted the state government to lay paver blocks from Dasturi Naka (bus station) up to the Shivaji Statue in Matheran and said that no paver blocks are to be laid on the internal road and the trading routes. The court also directed that any concrete blocks already laid should be replaced by paver blocks.


The Hindu
23 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rewriting the rules of school in Andhra Pradesh
The Telugu Desam Party-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh is revisiting the education sector reforms introduced by its predecessor and is making changes wherever deemed necessary. Minister for Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh has stated that policies yielding positive outcomes will be retained, while those that failed to deliver tangible results will be rolled back. The task being both critical and challenging, the Minister is taking an objective and balanced view of the educational landscape, recognising that the well-being and future of students must remain at the heart of the new initiatives. Officials in the education department are assessing what has worked, what needs improvement, and how best to move forward without causing inconvenience to stakeholders. The task at hand is to cater to the needs of 58,535 schools, 68,15,925 students, and 3,13,112 teachers across the State. Of these, 44,285 are government schools with 33,37,762 students and 1,84,898 teachers; 789 are aided schools with 87,612 students and 3,259 teachers; 13,461 private schools with 33,90,551 students and 1,24,955 teachers. According to Mr. Lokesh, the TDP government inherited an education system in a state of paralysis, lacking essential frameworks and operational efficiency — a charge refuted by the YSR Congress Party, which has accused him of 'systematically weakening the education sector in the State.' The data show that the State has 12,512 single-teacher schools, 5,312 government schools with single-digit enrolment, and 14,052 State-run schools with 20 or fewer students. The overall enrolment in government schools declined by 10,49,596 students between 2022 and 2024. With declining learning outcomes, the government faces the formidable challenge of reversing the trend to secure children's futures. A recent survey suggested that 84.3% of Class III students could not read a Class-II level text, 62.5 % of Class V students struggled with basic reading, 47% of Class VIII students still could not read Class II level text, 59.1 % of Class III students could not perform basic subtraction, 54.8 % of Class VIII students could not perform division and only 12.9% and of Class III students could solve basic division problems. Citing the dismal result of the survey, Mr. Lokesh has rolled back his predecessor's initiatives such as transition of the government schools to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 2022-23 without sufficient preparation, implementation of TOEFL in State-run schools at a cost of ₹58.84 crore, and the move to adopt International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum in government schools. A sum of Rs. 4.86 crore was paid for just the interim report for the proposed IB implementation. One of the most controversial decisions of the previous YSRCP government was GO 117, which reorganised schools and reapportioned teaching staff. The order divided schools into six categories and mandated the merger and de-merger of classes. The fragmentation of schools led to the number of schools having fewer than 10 students rising from 1,215 in 2021-22 to 5,312 in 2024-25, and schools with fewer than or equal to 20 students increasing from 5,520 to 14,052 during the same period, indicating a severe decline in student enrolment. To curb the ill effects of GO 117, the NDA government introduced GO 21, which revises the restructuring model by creating nine categories of schools. However, this faced trouble, with teacher unions raising serious concerns over its 'negative impact on the public education system'. GO 21 is part of the transformative journey called Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh, which aims to improve access, learning outcomes, and future-ready skills. The recently concluded 'Mega' DSC (District Selection Committee) exam, conducted to recruit 16,347 teachers in government schools after a gap of seven years, enhanced the government's image. Other welcomed steps include the introduction of academic star ratings to assess both student and teacher performance, targeted efforts to boost school enrolment in rural and tribal areas, and the consolidation of multiple teacher apps into a single platform. In intermediate education, curriculum and textbook revisions for first-year students are being implemented from the current academic year, aligning with the syllabus with national competitive standards. The revisions would be introduced for second-year students from the academic year 2026-27. The reach of the changes being made is very vast, and resistance to change is natural in large systems, especially when previous reforms are still being digested. The government should remain watchful of implementation gaps that often emerge. Due diligence is key to ensuring that the quality of learning improves without sacrificing stability.


Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
9 Maoists lay down arms in Bijapur, 6 carried 24L bounty
Raipur: Nine Maoists, including six with a cumulative bounty of Rs 24 lakh, surrendered before police and paramilitary officials in Bijapur district of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The surrendered rebels included members of company number 1, platoon number 12 and 13 of Marh division, as well as members from the technical team of south Bastar division and DGN (Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada) division. Among them were two area committee members, a DAKMS member, and a commander of the Bhoomkal militia. They were identified as Baksu Oyam carrying Rs 8 lakh bounty, active since 2007, a party member of company number 1, Budhram Potam, carrying cash reward of Rs 5 lakh, an ACM of platoon 12, active since 2000, Hidma alias Hiriya worth Rs 5 lakh, ACM of platoon 13, and those carrying Rs 2 lakh bounty were Mangu Uika alias Toggi from South Bastar's technical team, Roshan Karam alias Ajit from Chinnapalli area committee under DGN division and Manglu Podiyam, a party member from Bhairamgarh area committee. The others were DAKMS members Kamlu Hemla and Budhram Hemla, and Pandru Punem alias Padkhuta, Bhoomkal militia commander of Mankeli, active since 1997. The cadres cited disillusionment with the ideology, internal conflict within the organisation, and aspiration for a peaceful family life as key reasons for leaving the insurgency. Many also acknowledged that rapid infrastructure development, improved healthcare, education, and electricity access in remote villages influenced their decision. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Find These Bugs in Dahuk, Do Something Immediately Undo Police officials stated that since Jan 1, 2025, over 277 Maoists have surrendered, 310 have been arrested, and 131 have been killed in encounters in Bijapur district alone. The trend continues this year with 466 surrenders and 189 Maoists neutralised across Chhattisgarh. SP Jitendra Kumar Yadav urged remaining Maoists to abandon violence. "Return to the mainstream. The state govt is committed to giving you a life of dignity, safety, and opportunity," he said, appealing to Maoists to "reject extremist ideologies propagated by external elements" and embrace peace. Each surrendered Maoist was awarded Rs 50,000 as incentive under the state's surrender and rehabilitation policy. The surrender took place in presence of DIG Dantewada ange Kamalochan Kashyap, DIG CRPF Bijapur B S Negi, SP Bijapur Jitendra Kumar Yadav, and senior officers from the DRG, STF, and CoBRA battalions (201, 202, 210), and CRPF 199 & 85 battalions. Under the new rehabilitation programme, surrendered Maoists are supported with financial aid, housing, education, and job training.