CSI Karimnagar diocese Bishop Reuben Mark elected moderator
A special session of the CSI Synod held in Chennai saw his election, being regarded as a milestone in the CSI Church's history. The special session of the Synod, convened on Monday (July 21, 2025), was dedicated to the theme 'Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity'. Justice V. Bharathidasan, the election officer, announced the results.
It may be mentioned here that the Madras High Court had in April 2024 appointed two of its retired judges as the Committee of Administrators to administer the CSI as well as the CSI Trust Association until the conduct of fresh elections for the Diocesan Councils and the Synod. A Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and R. Sakthivel had appointed former judges R. Balasubramanian and V. Bharathidasan as administrators and directed them to take charge of the administration of CSI and CSI Trust Association with immediate effect.
The CSI Synod is the highest administrative body of the CSI, overseeing and coordinating the activities of the entire denomination. It is the governing body of the CSI, that comprises clergy and lay representatives from all dioceses. The CSI Synod consists of bishops of 24 dioceses, presbyters and layman (both men and women) who are elected from the respective diocesan councils to the synod.
The election of Rev. Reuben Mark as moderator is expected to usher in a new era for the CSI, aligning with the synod's focus on these core principles. B. Vimal Sukumar will be the honorary treasurer of the Synod making him the key financial officer of the CSI that includes managing the Synod's finances, budgeting, reporting and ensuring financial compliance and stability. C. Fernandas Rathina Raja has been elected general secretary of the CSI Synod.
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The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
CSI Karimnagar diocese Bishop Reuben Mark elected moderator
Rev. K. Reuben Mark, Bishop of Church of South India (CSI) Karimnagar diocese and in-charge Bishop of CSI Medak diocese, has been elected as the moderator of CSI Synod on Monday (July 21, 2025). A special session of the CSI Synod held in Chennai saw his election, being regarded as a milestone in the CSI Church's history. The special session of the Synod, convened on Monday (July 21, 2025), was dedicated to the theme 'Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation and Unity'. Justice V. Bharathidasan, the election officer, announced the results. It may be mentioned here that the Madras High Court had in April 2024 appointed two of its retired judges as the Committee of Administrators to administer the CSI as well as the CSI Trust Association until the conduct of fresh elections for the Diocesan Councils and the Synod. A Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and R. Sakthivel had appointed former judges R. Balasubramanian and V. Bharathidasan as administrators and directed them to take charge of the administration of CSI and CSI Trust Association with immediate effect. The CSI Synod is the highest administrative body of the CSI, overseeing and coordinating the activities of the entire denomination. It is the governing body of the CSI, that comprises clergy and lay representatives from all dioceses. The CSI Synod consists of bishops of 24 dioceses, presbyters and layman (both men and women) who are elected from the respective diocesan councils to the synod. The election of Rev. Reuben Mark as moderator is expected to usher in a new era for the CSI, aligning with the synod's focus on these core principles. B. Vimal Sukumar will be the honorary treasurer of the Synod making him the key financial officer of the CSI that includes managing the Synod's finances, budgeting, reporting and ensuring financial compliance and stability. C. Fernandas Rathina Raja has been elected general secretary of the CSI Synod.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Time of India
US Department of Education's new guidance puts students first: Better choices and support ahead for struggling schools
In a significant move to prioritize students' needs and empower families, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has released new guidance that gives states the green light to use federal funds in more flexible and student-focused ways. The aim: to turn around low-performing schools while offering students better options—immediately. For the millions of students enrolled in schools identified as needing Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI), this guidance brings fresh hope—and real opportunities. Choice-driven school reform Under the new guidance, local education agencies (LEAs) can now design school improvement plans that do more than fix broken systems. These plans can—and are encouraged to—include choices for parents and students that reflect their unique educational needs. From academic tutoring and dual enrollment to career and technical education pathways, LEAs can offer a menu of evidence-based options. Importantly, LEAs are not alone. States are expected to support and assist local teams in developing these plans by providing templates and guidance, and ensuring parents are meaningfully involved. The Department urges all stakeholders to treat parents not just as participants, but as partners in choosing what's best for their children. Transfer options for students in struggling schools Perhaps most transformative is the renewed focus on public school choice. Students in CSI-designated schools may now be eligible to transfer to higher-performing public schools within the same district, if allowed by state law. LEAs can use up to 5% of their Title I, Part A allocation to cover transportation costs—making the option not just available, but accessible. In return, states have the discretion to prioritize funding applications from districts that not only show strong need and commitment but also demonstrate a real focus on student empowerment. That includes offering direct choices to parents and students through flexible learning programs and transparent information on available opportunities. What this means for families For families who've long felt trapped in low-performing schools, this shift is more than bureaucratic—it's personal. Parents can now be part of the decision-making process. Students can move to better schools or access specialized programs that match their ambitions and learning styles. As Acting Assistant Secretary Hayley Sanon stated, 'Every year that a child spends in school is precious and cannot be wasted.' This new approach delivers on that urgency—giving families not just hope for future improvement, but access to better options today. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
The Wire
13-06-2025
- The Wire
Drones Pose Tremendous Danger to Military and Other Targets
On June 1, Ukraine executed one of the most shocking military operations of the strategic air assets in one coordinated strike. The drones weren't hypersonic or guided by AI – they were small, cheap, quadro-copters made from commercially available parts, piloted by open-source software and deployed from inside Russia using civilian trucks. Drones provide precision and deniability, enabling both state and non-state actors to conduct operations with reduced logistical costs and risks to human infiltrators. FPV or 'first person view' drones, where the operators get a cockpit view of the terrain and target, can carry small explosives like an RPG warhead capable of taking out a tank. Operation Spiders Web marks the second time in recent years when an operation at this scale has featured an 'attack from within.' The first was the Israeli operation that rigged communications pagers used by Hezbollah with explosives and caused mayhem in the organisation prior to the outbreak of open Israel-Hezbollah hostilities. Such attacks have changed the calculus of security raising vulnerabilities in areas hitherto considered safe. Now there are worries that a range of military facilities could be targeted in similar attacks. There have been worries expressed as to how US ports could be vulnerable to Chinese ships carrying similar drones. In a similar manner, some 60 Indian air bases, and many hundreds Indian Army stations and facilities could similarly be vulnerable. The situation calls for a redesigning of the defences of many of these places. Recall in 2021, the first ever drone attack on a military facility in India was carried out when two drones dropped explosives on the Jammu air force station damaging a building. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. The Pakistan border is less than 20 kms from the station. The Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan borders are already 'active' where hundreds of drones come across to drop drugs, and often weapons and explosives. Protection begins with the periphery. In 2002, the US inaugurated the Container Security Initiative to enhance maritime security by preventing the use of cargo containers for terrorist activities such as smuggling weapons of mass destruction. The first line of defence for this were foreign ports which loaded cargo for the US where high risk containers were screened prior to departure using X-Ray, gamma ray machines and radiation detectors. As of now CSI is operational in 58 foreign ports covering 85% of the traffic to the US India is not a member of the CSI though it has had discussions with the US on the issue. New Delhi is concerned about its own security since posting of US officials in Indian ports could provide the US a means of tracking India 's sensitive imports . There are also issues with costs associated with the specialised equipment that would have to be set up. In 2004, 10 workers were killed in a private steel company near Delhi when they were handling scrap iron which was mixed with live shells and rockets from an unspecified foreign war zone. In 2005, the authorities in Mumbai found a container shipment containing some 34 revolvers, 1,000 live cartridges, 3 pistols and a silencer in a container which was imported from Bangkok and was supposed to have 27 drums of grease. The shipment was attributed to local gang members in the city. India of course has its own system of port security which does use scanners on a risk-based screening for cargo at JNPT, Mumbai and Chennai. But these are not deployed universally across India 's dozen or so major ports. New Delhi has also proposed this year to create a new state-backed Bharat Container Line to reduce reliance on foreign operators, This is of course a commercial initiatives, but it will also integrate security protocols. After the security of the periphery, India will have to think of protecting its inland sensitive areas. Little is known as yet about the manner in which the Ukrainian drones were guided. In all likelihood some were piloted remotely, others used AI to go along pre-programmed paths. In any case, they penetrated the perimeter defences to reach their targets. In India , some, though not all the bases are walled up along with a layer of barbed wire. They are policed by watch-towers and active patrols. Now it will be important to incorporate a drone-response team to the guard system. This will not be just a guard who will sound the alarm, but given the short time in which the threat is activated, it will require teams aided by sensors and anti-drone guns capable of immediate reaction to neutralise drones. Defences will have to be layered. While at the first level radar provides air bases with the ability to track some drones, smaller ones can still get through. Radio-Frequency (RF) detectors that track autonomous drones may not be sufficient. What will be needed at the second level is integrated over-lapping sensors – optical, thermal, auditory, along with radars to cover threats at all altitudes and paths. Third level counter-drone systems will again have to be a mix of kinetic guns and pellet firing systems, directed energy weapons, as well as electronic jamming and spoofing equipment. In addition there can be drone interceptors that can be launched quickly to fight attacking drones. In Ukraine drone vs drone has become an important means of defence. A final layer of action is to shut down 5G and 4G networks adjacent to the bases which the drones can be riding on to execute their attacks. Given the threat India faces from non-state as well as state actors, the number of vulnerable areas is even greater if you count the various government offices, economic targets, railway stations, power grids and so on. All this requires a changed way in looking at security given the rise of the FPV threat. Manoj Joshi is a distinguished fellow with the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi. This piece was first published on The India Cable – a premium newsletter from The Wire & Galileo Ideas – and has been updated and republished here. To subscribe to The India Cable, click here. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
