Latest news with #MahenderSinghManral
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Census pushed to 2027 to avoid disruption in school education post-Covid19 pandemic: Home Ministry
Express News Service (Hidden byline: Mahender Singh Manral) New Delhi | June 5 A day after announcing that the Population Census will be conducted in 2027 along with a nationwide caste enumeration, the Union Home Ministry on Thursday said the exercise was postponed after the Covid-19 pandemic because conducting it earlier could have 'immensely disrupted primary education'. On Wednesday, the government had said that data collection for the Census and caste enumeration would begin early next year, and would offer a snapshot of the country's population as of March 1, 2027. The last Census, held in 2011, had March 1 that year as the reference date. The next decadal headcount was due in 2021 but was deferred due to the pandemic. 'All preparations for Census 2021 were complete. However, due to the Covid outbreak across the country, the Census work was postponed,' the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson posted on X. 'Covid disrupted all sectors, including education. Around 30 lakh enumerators are needed for the Census and most of them are primary school teachers. Conducting the Census post-Covid could have disrupted primary education immensely.' The spokesperson said countries that conducted their censuses soon after the pandemic faced 'issues on quality and coverage of Census data'. The delay in the Census has triggered political reactions. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday accused the Centre of deferring the exercise to reduce the state's parliamentary representation. In a post on X, he said: 'The Indian Constitution mandates that delimitation must follow the first Census after 2026. The BJP has now delayed the Census to 2027, making their plan clear to reduce Tamil Nadu's Parliamentary representation. I had warned about this. It is now unfolding… We need clear answers from the Union Government.' Responding to this, the MHA spokesperson said: 'The Honourable Home Minister has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of southern states will be taken care of and discussed with all concerned at the appropriate time.' Reiterating the Centre's commitment, the spokesperson said the Census process would now 'commence forthwith' and conclude with March 1, 2027, as the reference date. 'Budget has never been a constraint for conducting the Census, as allocation of funds is always ensured by the government,' the post added. This is a developing story. Please refresh periodically for more updates.
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
7 terrorists killed in Jammu's Samba as BSF foils infiltration bid
At least seven terrorists were killed by the Border Security Force (BSF) troops in Samba sector of Jammu on the night of Thursday-Friday, officials said. Security forces also said they had inflicted extensive damage to a Pakistani post. A BSF spokesperson said that on the intervening night of May 8-9, an infiltration attempt was made by a group of terrorists, which was detected by the surveillance grid. 'BSF personnel spotted some suspicious movement. This infiltration bid was supported by fire from the Pakistan Rangers post Dhandhar,' the spokesperson said. 'Alert troops of the BSF immediately neutralised the infiltration bid and killed at least seven terrorists. They also caused extensive damage to the Pak post Dhandhar, including destruction of a bunker,' the spokesperson said. The Pakistani offensive has increasingly targeted Jammu since India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. #JUSTIN: Seven terrorists were killed by the Border Security Force's troops in the Samba sector of Jammu. Video of destruction of BMG Bunker Dhandhar: BSF spokesperson. @IndianExpress — Mahender Singh Manral (@mahendermanral) May 9, 2025 Along the Line of Control, small arms fire has given way to heavy artillery shelling, with Poonch district particularly bearing the brunt. At least 16 civilians have been killed there, and several residents have left for safer locations. Five of the victims are children. Simultaneously, Pakistan has attempted to attack military installations in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, all of which were foiled. On Thursday night, several drones and missiles were intercepted over Jammu's skies as a blackout was enforced and sirens rang out. Hours after India struck terror infrastructure, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked the heads of paramilitary forces to be on high alert in the states bordering Pakistan and Nepal. 'All the senior officials of the paramilitary forces were asked to strengthen border outposts to cover prominent routes and stop infiltration. The director generals of paramilitary forces said they have already called back personnel on leave and instructed all personnel to ensure necessary precautions and appropriate arrangements to handle any potential contingency,' an official said. Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pakistani intruder killed by BSF troops in Punjab's Ferozepur, probe on to identify him
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops in Punjab's Ferozepur sector shot dead an unidentified Pakistani intruder when he tried to enter the Indian territory on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, said officials. The body has been handed to the police, and investigations are going on to ascertain his identity. According to officials, the incident occurred near Gate No. 207 at the Lakha Singhwala Hithar BSF checkpost in the Mamdot sector of the Ferozepur district, one of the six border districts in Punjab. An official said the incident occurred when BSF personnel spotted some suspicious movement in the border outpost in the Ferozepur sector along the international border. 'The BSF personnel first challenged him, but he did not stop after crossing over to this side. He was fired upon by the vigilant BSF troops when he was moving towards the border security fence, taking advantage of the darkness,' the official said. Following the incident, the body of the intruder was recovered at daybreak and subsequently handed over to the local police, as per established protocol. This development came just a day after Operation Sindoor, India's military operation which targeted terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok) past Tuesday midnight. A high-alert military preparedness drill was conducted across Punjab's border districts Wednesday. All border districts, including Ferozepur, have been on heightened alert since then, revealed sources. Hours after India struck nine terror camps in Pok, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asked the heads of paramilitary forces to be on high alert in the states bordering Pakistan and Nepal. 'All the senior officials of the paramilitary forces were asked to strengthen border outposts to cover prominent routes and stop infiltration. The director generals of paramilitary forces said they have already called back personnel on leave and instructed all personnel to ensure necessary precautions and appropriate arrangements to handle any potential contingency,' an official said. Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More
Scroll.in
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Pahalgam terror attack: Centre blocks 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, objects to BBC coverage
The Union government on Sunday banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating false and provocative content in the backdrop of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, The Indian Express reported. The channels that have been blocked include those of news organisations such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News and Geo News. The 16 channels have 63.08 million followers put together. A message on these channels reads: 'This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.' The government also sent a letter to the BBC questioning why it used the word 'militants' instead of 'terrorists' for those who carried out the Pahalgam attack, The Hindu reported, quoting an unidentified government official. The government is said to be closely monitoring the British public service broadcaster's coverage of the attack. The government approached the channel's head Jackie Martin and conveyed its strong sentiments in connection with the matter, the newspaper quoted the official as saying. #JUSTIN:The Centre has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative, communally sensitive content, false, misleading narratives against India, its Army & security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in J&K. @IndianExpress — Mahender Singh Manral (@mahendermanral) April 28, 2025 The terror attack at Baisaran near the town of Pahalgam on April 22 killed 26 persons and injured 17 others. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu. In the aftermath of the attack, the Centre on April 24 announced that the visas of Pakistani citizens in India would stand revoked from Sunday and that they had to leave the country before then. India also suspended visa services to Pakistani citizens with immediate effect. At the end of the deadline, 537 Pakistanis had left India through the Attari-Wagah border crossing in Punjab. Pakistani citizens may also have left India using air routes via a third country, unidentified officials told PTI. There are no direct flights between India and Pakistan. A day after the attack, India also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 amid diplomatic tensions. India said that the treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan 'credibly and irrevocably' stopped its support for cross-border terrorism.
