Latest news with #Kamala
India.com
15 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- India.com
8 Indian Girl Names Inspired By Nature's Colors
Muskan Kalra Jun 05, 2025 The lotus is India's national flower and a symbol of purity, spiritual awakening, and beauty. Kamala is also a name of Goddess Lakshmi, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. It refers to any flower or blossom and represents youth, freshness, and vibrancy. It's a poetic name that captures the essence of blossoming beauty and life. A simple, classic name that directly means 'flower.' It represents beauty, freshness, and new beginnings. Pushpa is often used in literature and poetry as a metaphor for a blooming, vibrant personality. Champa is a tropical flower known for its strong fragrance and is associated with love and devotion. The name suggests charm, grace, and aromatic beauty. Jasmine is a highly fragrant, delicate white flower associated with love and sensuality. The name Mallika conveys elegance, purity, and sweetness. Roses are universal symbols of love, passion, and beauty. Gulika implies someone who embodies love and delicate beauty. The blue lotus is rare and symbolizes tranquility, wisdom, and enlightenment. Neelam also refers to a precious sapphire stone, denoting something precious and rare. Sharada means Autumn and it signifies the season of autumn when flowers bloom in abundance. It is also a name for Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge and arts. Read Next Story
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
UK plans 10-year settlement wait for immigrants: What it means for them
Kamala, an Indian immigrant, moved to the UK in 2021 as a skilled worker in Oxfordshire. She has dedicated her efforts to finding new treatments for diseases with no current cure. She pays the additional rate of tax and has built up many professional and personal links in the country. But the sudden plan to double the qualifying period for settlement from five to 10 years has left her future in question. This concern was brought to the House of Commons on Monday by Olly Glover, a Liberal Democrat MP, as Parliament debated the UK's new Immigration White Paper, published on June 12, 2025. The proposals cover work, study and settlement categories and include: < Doubling the settlement period from five to 10 years < Extending English language requirements to more applicants, including dependants < Reducing the Graduate Route visa from two years to 18 months < Raising salary thresholds for skilled worker visas < Removing the Health and Care Worker visa for new applicants Olly Glover said, 'The sudden increase to the qualifying period from five to 10 years has plunged hardworking people like Kamala into uncertainty about their future.' In response, Seema Malhotra, UK immigration minister, said it is too soon to confirm whether the longer settlement period would apply to people already living in the UK. 'We recognise how important they are to people and will listen to what people tell us in the consultation. After that we will provide details of how the scheme will work, including in respect of any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK,' said Malhotra. Malhotra added, 'Settlement in the UK is a prerequisite for becoming a British citizen, and it is also an important step in integrating and contributing to local communities and the country. The White Paper proposes an expansion of the points-based system to increase the standard qualifying period for settlement to 10 years. Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period based on their contributions to the UK economy and society.' Chris Vince, MP, spoke about Emily, a carer, and the impact these plans would have on people like her. 'Will the consultation on the earned settlement scheme take into account the hugely important role that carers, sometimes from overseas, do to support the most vulnerable in our communities?' he asked. Malhotra replied, 'Indeed, carers, including those who have come from overseas, do important work to support us, our families and our communities. My hon. Friend will recognise that, as I have said, it is important for us to ensure that people's voices can be heard in the consultation. We recognise that settlement is an important step in integrating and contributing to local communities and families. Under the current system, people primarily qualify for settlement on the basis of their length of time in the UK, but we also believe that people should be contributing to the economy and society before they gain settled status in our country.' Earlier this month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would tighten its immigration system, including extending the minimum residence period for migrants to claim settlement to 10 years. Malhotra said in the Commons, 'We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. We will be providing details of how the scheme will work after that, including on any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK.' The Home Office has said it will set up a points-based system so people can shorten the 10-year timeline if they show a 'real and lasting contribution' to the economy and society. But officials have not shared how these points will be awarded. Meanwhile, Chris Murray, MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh stressed on focussing on skilled talent. He said businesses in his area rely on attracting top talent. 'We need to attract worldwide top talent for some key sectors, many of which are based in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, so that we remain globally competitive, but businesses tell me that long visa processing times work against that. Now that we are seeing lower levels of immigration, will the government be reprioritising resources so we see faster processing of skilled worker visas?' he asked. Malhotra said, 'Visa processing times can vary based on the type of visa and where people are applying from. However, for most applications, even those made outside the UK, decisions are usually made within three weeks. He will also be aware that we are looking at how to reform our immigration system as a result of the record levels of net migration under the previous Government, and making sure that we focus our immigration on the needs of our economy is a priority for this Government.' In the year ending March 2025, the UK processed more than 2.1 million visit visas, more than 190,000 work visas and more than 22,000 health and social care visas, according to official data.
Deccan Herald
3 days ago
- Science
- Deccan Herald
ICAR's nodal office dismisses concerns about gene-edited rice varieties
The two varieties of rice -- DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala), developed by Indian Institute of Rice Research in Hyderabad and Pusa Rice DST1 developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi -- were released on May 4.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
300 houses razed at Delhi's Madrasi Camp
The Capital's civic agencies on Sunday morning razed over 300 structures in a demolition drive at the Madrasi Camp slum cluster in Jangpura, south Delhi, to facilitate civic works, especially cleaning the Barapullah drain in the run-up to monsoon, following a Delhi high court order on the issue. Despite the drive being put on hold twice and eligible residents having been rehabilitated, the task force of civic agencies— comprising members from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB)—deployed a heavy police contingent due to protests by residents. The drive started at 7.30am. Anil Banka, district magistrate of South East Delhi, who oversaw the action, said it was carried out as per the court's directive. 'The Barapullah drain has become narrow; there were obstacles in cleaning the drainage. During heavy rains, the area floods due to these obstructions and its flow is interrupted. We have allotted flats in Narela to 189 families living here; 181 families were found ineligible,' he said. In an order on May 9, the Delhi high court allowed the demolition of the slum cluster encroaching on public land near the old Barapullah bridge to facilitate timely clearance of the drain. The court directed DDA, MCD, DUSIB and Public Works Department (PWD) to hold two camps from May 10 to 12 to hand over possession letters of flats in Narela, and sanction loans for payment of ₹1.12 lakh, as per the Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. With the majority of residents living here immigrants from Tamil Nadu, the state government of Tamil Nadu offered help. 'Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has been tasked with actively facilitating and overseeing coordination efforts and the residents of Madrasi Camp will receive every possible support without delay. As directed by the chief minister of Tamil Nadu... support will be given to those who choose to return to their native districts in Tamil Nadu. Comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood and other essential needs, will be extended to them,' the Tamil Nadu department of information and public relations (DIPR) said in a statement. Residents who have been living here, however, bemoaned the demolition drive and their relocation. Kamala, 40, who works as domestic help at houses in the vicinity, said her family could not afford to find a house on a short-term notice in the vicinity. ' We were living here for more than three decades, my parents also used to live here, they died here. If we take a flat on rent nearby, it will be in the range of ₹12-15,000 per month at least; we don't have that much money,' she said. She said that her family shifted some belongings to the flat allotted in Narela, but they were stolen. Balaji, who is in his 50s, said that he has lived in the settlement his whole life. 'We got a flat in Narela, but we have not gotten any food there. Narela is really far, what work will we even get there? We are facing bad times right now. It has been two days since I last ate,' he said. The main Opposition party in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), attacked the state government over the demolition drive. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi said in a post on X: 'BJP leaders came to stay in Madrasi Camp and they got the people to fill out the 'Jahan jhuggy, wahin makaan' forms. As soon as the BJP government came, they bulldozed these slums. Only a handful of people were given houses, that too in Narela. Most of the people have come on the is the truth of BJP…' However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders defended the move, and said it was not an administrative move but a court order. 'BJP still stands by its policy of 'jahan jhuggi wahin makan,' but the slum settlement of the Madrasi Camp on the Barapullah drain had, for years, prevented proper cleaning of the drain. This had become a major cause of waterlogging in several kilometers of the surrounding area during monsoon season,' BJP Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva said. He said that the order to raze the settlement was issued during the AAP's regime. 'The same AAP leaders who had earlier issued removal orders through the PWD are now trying to provoke slum cluster government provided them with alternative flats and a better life instead of simply displacing them.'
Politico
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
There's a ‘Sensible Center' on Transgender Politics. Here's Where Democrats Can Find It.
It will go down as one of the most infamous taglines in modern campaign history: 'Kamala is for they/them — President Trump is for you.' With a reported $200 million behind ads like that in 2024, the right successfully placed Democrats outside the mainstream. Yet since the election, the party has made no serious effort to reposition itself on transgender issues, the defining cultural battle of this moment. That denial must end if Democrats are to return to the mainstream — and to winning. Can Democrats remain supportive of a small and vulnerable segment of the population without seeming out of touch with much of America? Is there a middle ground they can occupy on issues relating to transgender people and still find their way out of the political wilderness? I believe the answer to these questions is yes. First, Democrats should express their frustration and disgust with the ways extremists on both sides have weaponized the issue. Doing so will immediately signal to swing voters that they are trying to resolve, not exploit, the culture wars. Democrats can make clear that on the right, hardcore conservatives have used this debate primarily to inflict harm, painting transgender people as monsters who seek to change our culture and history. On the far left, progressive activists police our language, attempting to shame those who step out of line or do not agree with every item on their agenda. While there is no moral equivalency between those two sides — the demonization by the right is much worse — both extremes are wrong and are adding far more heat than light to this evolving and complex national conversation. Democrats must forcefully reject polarization and point-scoring and instead champion a middle ground that allows for a more reasonable debate. Second, for Democrats to regain the support of centrist voters who deliver electoral victories, they must meet Americans where they are today, not where advocates might wish them to be, or where society may be headed in the future. Culture is always upstream of politics, and views may shift in the coming decades. But the current political reality is stark: The GOP was able to raise serious doubts among swing voters using this issue because Democrats allowed themselves to be seen as out of sync with the values and views of the American majority. Where exactly does the majority stand on transgender issues? Many Americans know someone who is trans or who has a transgender loved one and wants them to be treated with kindness. Even as the left and right offer simplistic slogans and moral certitude, the broader public understands the complexity. As recent Pew research shows, a majority wants some limitations on sports participation based on an athlete's sex assigned at birth. And the same majority believes we must protect transgender people from discrimination in work, housing and healthcare. Swing voters believe that Republicans can be cruel. But they also are exasperated with many Democrats. Polling from Blueprint identified this as a significant vulnerability for Democrats last year. The statement, 'Kamala Harris is focused more on cultural issues like transgender issues rather than helping the middle class,' ranked third in their testing of the most compelling reasons not to vote for the vice president. (It trailed only inflation and immigration.) Democrats ignore or dismiss such flashing red warning signs at their electoral peril. Third, Democrats must be clear about their convictions and positions — and those must align with that compassionate but concerned majority. As a baseline, most voters believe there are two biological sexes: male and female, and that a person's gender matches the sex he or she was assigned at birth. At the same time, many also recognize that there are people who feel deep down that the sex they were assigned at birth is not who they are. Instead of arguing over X and Y chromosomes or getting into complicated scientific topics, Democratic politicians should keep it simple: Share your view that there are two sexes and that there are many ways people can identify by gender, a social construct not a biological one. When it comes to kids under 18, Republicans are stoking fears that minors could access medical care for a gender transition without parental consent. That's why Democrats must be firm: Without explicit parental consent, no one should ever receive gender-affirming care, whether that's medication or any other medical intervention beyond mental health support. (This has the benefit of being both the medical standard of care and a legal requirement in every state; Republicans are trying to criminalize gender-affirming care even when parents support it.) As for sports, transgender girls and women should not be allowed to compete in women's sports at the level of high school or above in ways that compromise safety or fairness. But these should not be decisions for politicians; instead, rules governing those activities should be made by sports associations and local school districts. When it comes to adults, Democrats should take a different approach and be committed libertarians. Transgender adults should be accepted and included. They should be free to lead the lives they choose and have the same rights and opportunities, including to health care and employment, enjoyed by all Americans. This is not only morally right, it is politically sound. Defending fundamental liberties for adults is strongly backed by majorities in virtually all nonpartisan public opinion research. To win the middle, Democrats need not shy away from criticizing the harsh rhetoric and policies of the right and insisting on treating transgender people with dignity and respect. Preventing transgender Americans from getting passports that reflect their gender identity, threatening to defund suicide hotlines, kicking them out of the military — all of this is gratuitous and mean, and voters agree. In fact polling shows solid support for non-discrimination protections of transgender people even as Trump has rolled out an anti-trans agenda. And once they move to the center, Democratic policymakers will have far better standing to vote against Republican proposals to ban health care, impose gender checks on girls' sports at every age or attempt to erase the very existence of transgender people. Lastly, Democrats must cancel the gender language police. If someone's heart is in the right place, that's what counts, not using what advocates may deem the politically correct words on a subject for which the language is in flux. Insisting on, and even using, new and controversial terms like 'pregnant people' unnecessarily puts Democrats outside the mainstream. Similarly, no one should be pressured to introduce themselves with their pronouns — a practice many Americans find at best annoying and at worst deeply alienating. This middle ground will not satisfy the advocacy groups on the left. Indeed, it may well upset them. That's OK; it's their job to push. But there's nothing in such a principled and pragmatic approach that throws anyone under the proverbial bus. A centrist stance also won't be a feature on Megyn Kelly's podcast, since nuance doesn't generate clicks, while outrage is a ratings bonanza. I recognize the backlash I will likely face in proposing that Democrats seize the center on this issue. But many in the Democratic coalition share, if only among close and trusted friends, the sense that we are walking on eggshells. They fear they'll be berated or ostracized by making public any viewpoints or using language that diverges from progressive groupthink or online orthodoxy. That silence is proving a political disaster. It's time for real discussion, dissent and debate, without fear of being canceled. Because if we feel that way, imagine how it strikes swing voters, who are tired of being lectured to and feeling judged. They will give the party a serious second look only if they see a heterodox and welcoming space in the Democratic coalition, including for Americans who are deeply uncomfortable with these issues for personal or religious reasons. If you ask voters to name their top 20 policy priorities, few would put transgender issues on that list. But what Trump and Republicans understood was that a cultural issue like this one can be made into a defining characteristic. There may be no 'winning' on transgender issues. But if Democrats hope to flip the House, expand the Senate map and take back the White House, it is imperative they pivot decisively to meet Americans where most of them are now: in the sensible center.
