Latest news with #Hijab
New Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rising demand for girls-only colleges in Dakshina Kannada; Karnataka govt sanctions two institutions
MANGALURU: In a notable shift in parental preferences, Dakshina Kannada district is witnessing a growing demand for girls-only colleges, particularly from sections of the minority community. Responding to this trend, the Karnataka government has sanctioned two new girls' educational institutions in the Mangaluru Assembly (Ullal) constituency, which is represented by Assembly Speaker UT Khader. The Department of Minorities has sanctioned Rs 17 crore for a new educational complex offering schooling from Class 1 through degree level. The facility, which will cater to both residential and day scholars, will be established between Konaje and Pajir. Additionally, the Waqf Department will develop a girls' PU college in Ullal town. Both institutions will follow a 75:25 reservation ratio for minority and non-minority students, respectively. The move aligns with a larger trend in the region. In Derlakatte, a government PU college, that was co-educational until last academic year, has now been converted into a girls-only institution, citing poor male enrolment and complaints about disruptive behaviour from some boys. In 2022-23, only 41 of the 91 enrolled were boys. The change was made after a proposal from the College Development Committee, led by MLA Khader, and was supported by parents. Officials and educators say that the demand for girls-only colleges rose sharply in Dakshina Kannada post the 'Hijab episode'. According to the principal of a government women's college in Mangaluru, the dropout rate among Muslim girls tends to increase after Class 10 and PUC, especially when access to nearby girls-only colleges is lacking. Early marriage and parental hesitation toward co-education have also been cited as contributing factors.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Karnataka truck operators withdraw strike as govt releases pending dues under Anna Bhagya
The Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents' Association on Tuesday withdrew its indefinite strike call after the government said it released Rs 244 crore in dues pending for transport operators under the flagship Anna Bhagya scheme. 'The government has given us in writing that the dues will be cleared in the next two days. So we have decided to withdraw the strike,' said G R Shanmugappa, president of the federation. An order issued by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, dated July 8, empowered the chief account officer of Bengaluru Urban zilla panchayat to release 244.1 crore in dues for truck operators. The protest, announced by the federation on Monday, had threatened to disrupt the supply of subsidised foodgrains to ration shops under the Congress government's scheme benefiting low-income families, potentially affecting food security in Karnataka. The truck operators had halted rice transportation under the scheme, citing unpaid dues of Rs 260 crore from February to June 2025. Shanmugappa had claimed that 3,500–4,000 drivers were affected, with some having pawned jewellery to meet fuel and other expenses and facing truck seizures by finance companies. The state government had promised payments to be made by June 19, but failed to clear the dues. Separately, the federation also demanded the rollback of the Rs 5/litre diesel hike, abolition of toll plazas on 18 highways in the state, return of Rs 25-Rs 30 crore tender deposits, cancellation of the Rs 15,000 renewal fee for older vehicles, and a 50 per cent discount on fines. The Opposition BJP has trained guns at the Congress government over the pending dues. Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, 'The government has run out of money and they have no money to pay to the truck owners. The chief minister, deputy chief minister and the entire cabinet are busy saving their chairs. The government is dead and the people are waiting to throw them out.' Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
India.com
05-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Iran supreme leader Khamenei's net worth will shock you! Thousands of crores, has 6 children, has been married…., his wealth is accumulated…
Iran supreme leader Khamenei's net worth will shock you! Thousands of crores, has 6 children, has been married…., his wealth is accumulated… Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had strongly criticised US President Donald Trump's call for Iran's surrender, describing it as "too big to come out of his mouth." By Sumaila Zaman Edited by Sumaila Zaman Advertisement Iran supreme leader Khamenei's net worth will shock you! Thousands of crores, has 6 children, has been married...., his wealth is accumulated... The war between Iran and Israel has been intensifying in recent months, and as the violence escalates, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has made a clear warning to the United States about its support for Israel, stating that it will lead to important consequences. Once again, the attention turned to the personal life of the 84-year-old leader and his enormous wealth. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is Iran's Supreme Leader and one of the most powerful people in the world. As far as his wealth is concerned, although his official income is small, some accounts state he manages billions of dollars worth of revenue and assets through various organizations, therefore making him one of the wealthiest leaders in the world. Advertisement === When Khamenei warned Trump… Earlier on June 27, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had strongly criticised US President Donald Trump's call for Iran's surrender, describing it as 'too big to come out of his mouth.' 'The US President stated, 'Iran must surrender.' Needless to say, this statement is too big to come out of the US president's mouth,' Khamenei wrote on X. Iran is a country remarkably well-known for its strict application of the Hijab law (Hijab and Chastity Bill). Not only do laws related to the Hijab not allow for individual discretion, but non-compliance with hijab laws can also lead to considerable punishments – from large fines, incarceration, and education bans, to employment bans with travel restrictions. Advertisement === When did Ayatollah Ali Khamenei come to power in Iran? For 44 years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been in power in Iran, and he has married only once (1964), to Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh. Mansoureh, who is now 78 years of age, was born in 1947 in Mashhad province of Iran to a devout Persian family with their fair share of privilege. Her father, Mohammad Esmail Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, was a businessperson, and her brother, Hasan Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, was the deputy director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting(IRIB). She practices Islam and is of Persian ethnic origin. The couple has six children (four sons and two daughters). Who are Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's children, and how many does he have? Khamenei's Sons: Mojtaba Khamenei Masoud Khamenei Mostafa Khamenei Meysam Khamenei Khamenei's Daughters: Hoda Khamenei Boshra Khamenei Who is Boshra Khamenei? Boshra Khamenei, the daughter of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was born in the 1980s in Mashhad, Iran. She is around 40 years old. Boshra was raised in a religious family and follows Islam, specifically the Shia sect, due to strong clerical influences in her family. Ethnically, Boshra is Persian. However, much of the information about her personal life is kept private, as the Khamenei family is particularly careful about privacy. A six-month investigation conducted by Reuters disclosed that Khamenei controls a huge financial empire through an entity called Setad (Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order). In 2013, Reuters estimated the assets of Setad to be approximately $95 billion. However, other reports have suggested that this could be as high as $200 billion, citing U.S. officials' estimates. What is Ayatollah Khamenei's personal fortune, and how was it accumulated? Ayatollah Khamenei's personal fortune, particularly via Setad, is estimated to be worth between $95 billion and $200 billion. His sons—Mojtaba, Masoud, and Meysam—also reportedly own assets in the millions to billions. Despite enforcing strict hijab laws, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a polarizing figure on the world stage as a wealthy and private man. Although claiming to value simplicity, his financial empire in the range of $95 billion-$200 billion raises many questions.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Zumba in schools: Government will not backout, says Sivankutty
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said that the government will go ahead with the decision to provide Zumba classes in schools at all costs. Responding to the recent allegations made by some Muslim outfits that they were against the introduction of Zumba in schools on grounds that it was against their religious beliefs and culture, the minister said that the government was open to talks. 'No one has asked the children to wear skimpy clothes while performing Zumba. They will be wearing their school uniforms. And participating in the educational activities prescribed by the government is mandatory. The guardians have no choice in the matter', the minister told reporters here on Saturday. The activities such as Zumba, aerobics and Yoga are being introduced in schools as part of the anti-drug campaign. The opposition coming out now could be more harmful than drugs. Instead of improving the education sector, it will only nurture communalism and separatism, the minister added. He said that sports persons from different countries take part in sports events such as Olympics in the prescribed dress code. What is happening in the schools is light exercise though and the children will be wearing their uniforms, he added. Mr. Sivankutty reminded that the progressive organisations in the country had stood with the Muslim community during the issues such as the 'Hijab row', as they believed in democratic values. But the stand taken by some organisations against Zumba at present will turn out in support of majority communalism. He then explained the benefits of children engaging in physical activities such as sports and dance. He said it would be beneficial to them mentally and physically and aid in their personality development. The Minister also spoke on some recent allegations against the education department. Responding to a recent article in a Malayalam daily that said that there were middlemen in the department who ensured permanent appointment of differently abled persons for a price, Mr. Sivankutty said that the Director of General Education has been entrusted with the task of conducting an inquiry on the allegation. 'However, since it is a false allegation, the government will take legal action against those who made it', he added. He also spoke on the recent casual observation of the Kerala High Court of corruption in the department. The Minister said that it was far-fetched and that the department was ready to take action if any one had complaints and could furnish proof.
Spectator
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
What Iran will do now
The fact is, no one knows where this war ends. Overnight, the United States entered the conflict, bombing a series of targets across Iran. What happens next is difficult to predict. All we can really say for certain about this situation is where it began. And that was on 1 February 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran – by courtesy of Air France – from Neauphle-le-Château, where he had been resident since his expulsion from Najaf in Iraq a few months earlier. Left alone, it is almost certain that Iran would seek to reconstruct its nuclear programme Khomeini had inveighed against Israel and Zionism (not always distinguishing either from Jews in general) for decades. Once he seized power in Iran, he made it a defining characteristic of what became the Islamic Republic to call for the destruction of both. As one distinguished commentator on Iran has said, the three pillars of the state he created have been 'Death to America', 'Death to Israel' and the Hijab. The hijab may be slipping. America is far away. But Israel is always there. For four decades, this was the guiding principle of Iran's foreign policy. To establish Iran as the true protector of the oppressed of the earth – the mustaza'fin – and therefore to assume its proper role as the guardian not just of true Islam but of all peoples who want to see an end to imperialism and western hegemony, Israel must be destroyed. Khomeini used to proclaim it. His successor, Ayatollah Khamenei, has done so with monotonous regularity, followed by his senior military and security commanders (and lots of useful idiots in the West). And that is why Iran has devoted so much effort to building up an array of helpers, partners, allies and proxies who share the same aim. The IRGC, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Iraqi Shia militias aligned with Iran – with monotonous regularity, they all repeat the same phrase: Marg bar Isra'il in Persian and Mawt li-Isra'il in Arabic. Some people think this is all for show. They say the real purpose of Iranian policy – the construction of a network of aggressive, corrupt and bellicose partners throughout the region and ultimately the nuclear programme with all its studied ambiguities but clear intent – is regime survival. But regime survival, as Khomeini construed it and Khamenei developed it, is predicated on positioning Iran as anti-Zionist. If they had really wished to guarantee its survival, they would have devoted much more effort to building a proper national economy, rather than the gangsterism we see. Iran is weak because it is corrupt. It is corrupt because it is revolutionary. It is revolutionary because it is Islamist. And to be Islamist is to hate Israel. So this conflict has been coming for years, as papers I wrote for Policy Exchange predicted. I've seen people I normally respect – and rather more I don't – say it was unprovoked. Have they been paying attention? The Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, followed by those of Hezbollah and the Houthis and indeed Iran's two waves of missile launches in 2024 were simply the culmination of an often covert and sometimes semi-deniable decades-long war being waged between the two sides. You can argue about causality and sequencing. But it is obtuse to imagine that contemporary conflicts follow a pattern of formal declaration, mobilisation, execution and settlement. This is not 1756, the beginning of the Seven Years' War. The condition of modern geopolitics is not some Platonic idea of international law but conflict in the interests of power pursued in different spaces and dimensions, overt, covert, grey, cyber, intelligence, informational, political, economic and so forth – and not always simply between states. It happens that Israel is very good at all these things. Iran is quite good at some of them. But it is no match – it turns out – for its opponent. I myself overestimated Iran's ability, with its proxies and partners, both to deter Israel and to inflict serious damage in return. That was partly because Israel – particularly in its covert operations but also in its ability to execute complex battle plans – has not simply learnt the lessons of the last two decades much better than I thought but also (and unusually for Israel) kept quiet about it. Its ability to deliver spectacular intelligence – and special-forces-led operational success in particular – is an object lesson to Britain, which has seemed more inclined in recent years to run down its core hard power assets in favour of a flabby welfare state which makes politicians feel good but does nothing for the nation's security. Iran may still prove to have some cards to play. Its stocks of missiles and launchers have clearly been heavily degraded. It has no land forces it can realistically deploy. Israeli intelligence has thoroughly penetrated the Iranian state and its allies. And Hezbollah and Hamas have taken such a beating they no longer count. The Houthis are just a nuisance. But Tehran still has ballistic and cruise missiles which can do serious damage in a country as small and tightly packed as Israel. If Palestinians or Israeli Arabs also suffer, well that's just too bad. It can also seek to attack shipping in the Gulf or even try to close the Straits of Hormuz. It tried this in the 1980s, of course, and failed. But in those days we and our Nato allies had proper navies – in particular minesweepers – which quickly resolved the issue. I doubt that the Straits could be closed fully or for long even now. But insurance rates would rise sharply. And so would oil prices. Iran could also attack US bases in the Gulf – Al Udeid Air Base for example or the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain – or the residual US presence in Iraq and Syria. It could sponsor terror attacks on Israeli or US targets more widely. It could even seek to attack energy installations in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, as it did in 2019: that is what the Arab Gulf states – which have economic development not millenarian fantasies on their minds – really fear. So how does this end? There has been much talk of the famous 'cup of poison' that Khomeini said he was forced to drink in 1988 to end a war with Iraq he had needlessly prolonged for five years. Is Khamenei inclined to take the same toxic cocktail? Tehran's public position remains inflexible and bellicose. But there have been reports that it has made private overtures to some of the Gulf states – presumably Oman and Qatar – about opening a line of communication with Washington. It's hard to see where that goes as long as Iran rejects the stated US position of zero enrichment. That may, of course, become moot if the US and Israel completely destroy Fordow, Natanz and the multiple other sites associated with the Iranian nuclear programme. That would remove the nuclear threat for a generation. But we would still be left with the issue of what happens within Iran immediately afterwards. The basis of the regime is that it would never allow the humiliations of the Qajar and Pahlavi periods to happen to Iran again. Left alone, it is therefore almost certain that it would seek to reconstruct a nuclear programme: after all, it has had the aim of weaponisation for at least 25 years and perhaps longer, whatever apologists might say. It would be hard to do so but not impossible. The regime might also dedicate itself once again to promoting global terrorism and subversion. None of that would help the Iranian people as a whole, a majority of whom almost certainly want to lead a more normal, peaceful and prosperous life. But if the Ayatollahs and the IRGC continue to believe in the righteousness of their cause, then it is hard to see them changing course. Unless, of course, there is a change of leadership or a change of regime. If there is to be either, it can only come from within Iran. This has happened multiple times in Iranian history. And the idea of Iran is so powerful and deep-seated that it cannot be destroyed – even by malign Islamists. The possibility that there is something better on the other side not just of this conflict but of the Islamic Republic itself, something that does more justice both to the talents and aspirations of the Iranian people and to the magnificence of their culture and history is perhaps the one thing that gives hope.
