Latest news with #BhopalGasTragedy
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Babil Khan's birthday: A look back at his role in The Railway Men that won fans over
On Babil Khan's birthday, it's the perfect time to revisit and celebrate his standout role in The Railway Men, a performance that truly put him on the map. In addition to showcasing his raw talent and adaptability, this effort garnered him considerable praise from both critics and fans. He did get a lot of love for the show Qala but The Railway Men was something else! The Railway Men is a compelling and poignant tale of four unsung heroes from the Indian Railways who put their lives in danger to rescue thousands of lives, set against the horrific backdrop of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984. Babil portrayed Imad Riaz, one of the main protagonists. The show also starred Kay Kay Menon, R. Madhavan, and Divyenndu Sharma. Babil Khan in The Railway Men In The Railway Men, Babil's role was praised by many for the intensity he brought to the character. In fact, at the time, many even said that he had inherited his talent from his late father, Irrfan Khan, who was known for his mastery of the craft. Babil's character was complex and required a great deal of detailing, which he delivered through his dialogue delivery, expressions, and body language. Back then, one fan had written, 'Babil Khan's performance is nothing short of brilliant. With a unique sincerity and intensity, he effortlessly brings his character to life.' Another added, 'Babil Khan in #TheRailwayMen was simply phenomenal.' Babil Khan in #TheRailwayMen was simply phenomenal. To distract myself from #KathaAnkahee news all day I decided to watch The Railway Men on Netflix and man what a brilliant and gut wrenching web series 💯😳one of the best of the year and Babil Khan is here to is his father's son😎 Things We Forgot: Babil Khan in The Railway Men (2023) A third went on to add, 'KK menon Sir, Babil khan reached Baap Level acting by last ep.' #TheRailwayMen Review:Peheli baar Postmortem 🔪🩸itna khullam khulla dekhaBuildUp & R-Rated disturbing scenes were Top ClassIt Start's slow but paisa & time vasool SeriesKK menon Sir, Babil khan reached Baap Level acting by last ep.8/10 If you haven't seen The Railway Men yet, Babil's birthday is the ideal time to do so. You can stream the show on Netflix.
Mint
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Complete justice: Article 142 should be invoked only in truly rare cases
The Supreme Court's recent invocation of Article 142 to break a legislative deadlock in Tamil Nadu has re-ignited a debate over the judiciary's role in India's constitutional framework. By deeming long-pending state bills as assented-to, the court stepped in to preserve legislative intent but at the cost, some argue, of crossing into executive territory. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's sharp response, comparing Article 142 to a 'nuclear missile," highlights the growing unease over judicial overreach. Is Article 142 really such an intrusive instrument? A recent empirical study conducted by IIM Ahmedabad in 2024 reveals that between 1950 and 2023, the Supreme Court referenced the term 'complete justice' of Article 142 in 1,579 cases, the majority of which were civil cases. However, the study also found that the apex court has directly invoked its powers under Article 142 in only 791 cases. Article 142 grants the Supreme Court the extraordinary power to pass any order deemed necessary for 'complete justice' in a matter. This provision has been pivotal in shaping some of India's landmark decisions. Notably, in Union Carbide Corporation vs Union of India (1991), it facilitated compensation for victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy by persuading the government to legislate the same. The Tamil Nadu legislative controversy arose when the state's governor failed to act on several state bills, effectively paralysing governance. In response, the court invoked Article 142 to break the stalemate, ensuring that a legislative assembly's will could not be indefinitely thwarted. Supporters saw this as constitutional guardianship; critics, including Dhankhar, a distinguished lawyer, warned of setting a troubling precedent. His remarks raise a legitimate concern: Can two judges, invoking an extraordinary provision, reframe the constitutional process of assent? But this tension between activism and adjudication is not new. Past instances show the Supreme Court using Article 142 to deliver practical solutions where the law was silent or rigid. A more nuanced example is Shivshakti Sugars Ltd vs Shree Renuka Sugars and Others (2017), closely analysed among other cases by CUTS International for the Niti Aayog as part of a study on the economic impact of judicial orders. The dispute centred around the setting up of a sugar mill in Karnataka that allegedly violated a mandatory 15km distance rule under the Sugarcane Control Order. Initially, the Karnataka high court had ordered the closure of the plant based on a strict reading of the rule. But when the case reached the Supreme Court, the judges took a broader view. They recognized that Shivshakti Sugars had already invested nearly ₹ 300 crores, generated thousands of jobs and had been operational for years. Shutting it down at that point would not just harm one company, it would cause a ripple effect, hurting farmers, workers and the regional economy. Instead of going strictly by the law book, the apex court evaluated the matter in overlapping legal and economic contexts. While acknowledging that technical violations might exist, it said that the larger public interest in protecting livelihoods and investment could not be ignored. The court used Article 142 to craft a practical solution without overlooking the statutory scheme. The Shivshakti judgment struck a delicate balance. The case showed that judicial decisions could stay faithful to the law while also being sensitive to economic consequences, a combination that is vital if India wants to strengthen its economy and ease of doing business. Both the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and Shivshakti cases show Article 142 at work in different fields: one regulatory, the other economic. In both, the court used its powers to prevent injustice where a rigid adherence to the law or procedure would have failed. But they also highlight why restraint matters. Extraordinary powers must not become routine solutions. Judicial overreach, even if well-intended, risks upsetting the constitutional balance between the three branches of government. Past examples reinforce this caution. Judicial interventions like the blanket ban on liquor sales near highways in the case of State of Tamil Nadu vs K. Balu (2016), issued under Article 142, were driven by noble aims. Alas, it triggered wide-ranging economic disruptions and administrative confusion, with states suffering major revenue losses and reclassifying roads to evade the ban. This was a poor order, as its implementability was doubtful. To safeguard its legitimacy, the Supreme Court must always exercise Article 142 with prudence. The provision was intended as a constitutional safety valve, not a shortcut to bypass established processes. Bold interventions are sometimes necessary, but courts must always ensure they are solving a specific breakdown, not crafting permanent governance models. Remedies fashioned under Article 142 should be proportional, temporary where possible and rooted firmly in the Constitution's broader framework. Moreover, judicial interventions should ideally nudge political and legislative processes back into motion. After the Tamil Nadu decision, for instance, Parliament could consider codifying clear timelines for assent through a constitutional amendment, reducing the need for future judicial innovation. True constitutional leadership lies not just in doing complete justice, but in doing it with complete humility. The authors are, respectively, secretary general and research associate at CUTS International.
News18
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Babil Khan Finds Idea Of Starring In Father Irrfan Khan's Biopic ‘Too Scary'
While admitting that it would be an 'honour' to step into his father's shoes on screen, the young actor said that the thought is daunting at this stage of his career. Ace Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan 's death in 2020 sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry. Ever since he left for his heavenly abode after battling neuroendocrine cancer, his elder son Babil Khan has used his social media to talk fondly of his father. But the emerging star, who is garnering praise for his performance in the recently released cyber thriller, Logout, has now opened up that the idea of featuring in his father's biopic is 'too scary" for him. While acknowledging that it would be an 'honour' to step into his father's shoes on screen, Babil admitted that the idea is daunting at this stage of his career. Speaking about the same with Wion News, The Railway Men actor expressed, 'I would actually, and it would be an honour, but the thought is too scary for me right now." He reflected on his father's extraordinary talent and emphasised, 'My dada was someone who lived in that darkness he had been talking about at the age of 26." Babil also pointed out Irrfan's innate ability to play diverse roles, from a serial killer to a romantic lead, without the need for VFX. 'This is why he could play all these characters without ever ageing on screen. You could never say how old he was. He could be a hundred years old or 20 years old. He never needed VFX. Hence, he could play a serial killer and a hopeless romantic with such ease," he said. Coming back to Babil, the actor's connection to the film industry came from his parents, Irrfan Khan and Sutapa Sikdar. The actor, who initially wanted to become a sportsperson, marked his debut in the light-camera-action world with the 2022 film Qala. He instantly won audiences' hearts with his role of a singer, which was about emotional complexities. Later, he starred in Friday Night Plans. Next, he was seen in the critically acclaimed show The Railway Men, based on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, that made him a fan favourite. As for his latest film, Babil Khan was most recently seen in psychological drama Logout. Directed by Amit Golani, the Zee5 film also stars Rasika Dugal, Gandharv Dewan and Nimisha Nair. The film centers around a social media influencer, Pratyush Dua, whose life takes a chaotic turn when he mysteriously loses his phone. The film delves into the potentially damaging effects of excessive social media and smartphone dependence on individuals and how it takes a toll on their mental and physical well-being. First Published:
Gulf Today
04-03-2025
- Science
- Gulf Today
Next generation to endure a much hotter world
Generation Alpha is set to inherit and will be forced to put up with a much warmer planet. This was the warning highlighted by the annual publication, State of India's Environment, released last month. Published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Down To Earth (DTE) magazine, the report has sections dedicated to plastics, biodiversity, health, climate change, rivers, water, heat, air pollution and waste. And this does not bode well for India. The CSE's assessment indicates that India saw more frequent and intense extreme weather events in 2024, compared to the previous two years. In the first nine months of 2024, India witnessed extreme weather events on 255 of the 274 days as against 235 days for the same period in 2023 and 241 days in 2022. The events drastically impacted agriculture, with 3.2 million hectares of cropland affected in 2024 – 74% more than in 2022. The report is a comprehensive documentation of the year's major developments and happenings in a wide range of subjects and issues, ranging from climate change, waste management to air and water pollution, industrial contamination and food, according to a DTE press release. There are special segments focusing on 40 years of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, antimicrobial resistance, the Western Ghats, India's 500 GW renewable energy dream, migration and displacement, the Great Nicobar Islands and climate change's impact on the Thar desert. One major alarming highlight by the report — the first generation of the 21st century is enduring a much warmer planet. 'For the first generation of the 21st century — Generation Alpha — it is an inheritance of profound loss. For their predecessors, climate change has been an unfolding planetary emergency. But Generation Alpha — which will comprise an estimated two billion people by 2025, making it the largest generation in history – is enduring a climatologically changed, warmer planet,' the report's authors wrote, as quoted in the release. The report quoted the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which says that 2024 was the first calendar year with a global average temperature 'clearly exceeding' 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. The year 2024, in fact, was the warmest year on record, with the average global temperature at 1.60°C above the pre-industrial era (1850-1900) average. The year 2024, in fact, was the warmest year on record, with the average global temperature at 1.60°C above the pre-industrial era (1850 —1900) average. The DTE press release quotes Kiran Pandey, CSE programme director, environmental resources, who said, '2024 will be remembered as the year that divided the pre- and post-climate change eras. She added, 'Given the fact that atmospheric moisture levels rise by 7 per cent for every one degree rise in global average temperatures, this is a perfect brew for planetary disruptions in terms of extreme weather events.' An EBNW analysis of the report says that environmental consciousness among the public is on the rise, influencing political discourse. In response, governments have introduced various environmental initiatives, but the report critiques their limited scope and the structural weaknesses in institutional responses. The analysis adds that the report serves as a crucial wake-up call, highlighting the escalating environmental challenges India faces. While awareness and policy measures are gaining traction, stronger institutional commitment and proactive strategies are imperative to safeguard the country's ecological and climatic future. The findings emphasize the urgent need for collaborative efforts to ensure a sustainable and resilient environment for future generations. A feature by EnergytrackerAsia highlights five major environmental issues in India. First, climate change is a global concern that creates and exacerbates existing environmental issues in India. Second, air pollution in India is a critical issue, with major cities like Delhi frequently recording some of the worst air quality levels globally. Third, water pollution remains a significant challenge, with nearly 70% of the country's surface water considered polluted due to a combination of industrial discharge, untreated sewage, garbage and agricultural runoff. Fourth, soil erosion from deforestation, overgrazing, changing rainfall patterns and poor land management practices. And, fifth, waste management. India generates approximately 62 million metric tonnes of waste annually, and this figure is expected to rise significantly in the coming years due to rapid urbanization and population growth.
