Latest news with #RSU
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
What was the Radical Students Union, which gave rise to many Maoist leaders in India?
In April 1972, a young student leader of Osmania University (OU) in Hyderabad, George Reddy, was allegedly killed by members of a right-wing group. While this led to widespread protests and student mobilisation at the time, almost three years later, on February 20, 1975, a students' outfit — Radical Students Union (RSU) — was born out of the embers of this incident. The outfit was banned by the government of India in 1992. While the RSU as an outfit gradually lost steam, 50 years after its formation, its influence is still alive, as two of the top Maoists in the country – the slain Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju and the next in command Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji – are both products of RSU. So is the spokesperson and the current ideological fountainhead of the Maoist party, Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu. As the Communist Party of India (Maoist) seems to be nearing their endgame, with the Centre setting a deadline of March 31, 2026 to mark the end of Naxalism in India, The Indian Express takes a look at the banned students' outfit that contributed the rank and file of the party. Early days 'The RSU was a prominent student organisation born out of several incidents, including the Naxalbari movement of the 1960s and '70s which led to widespread students' uprising in the country. George Reddy's killing was a trigger,' said a former students union leader on the condition of anonymity. An intelligence official from Telangana who has mapped the origins and growth of the RSU said, 'At the time, campuses were up in flames, including Osmania University and REC (Regional Engineering College, which later turned into National Institute of Technology) Warangal. From these students' movements, several people were recruited into the underground party.' At the time, RSU was considered the student union of People's War Group (or the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War). 'There was a student outfit that represented PWG, the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU). But the PDSU split in 1975 to form the RSU, which was more radical in its outlook,' the official said. These students considered academics only a tool for social revolution, a student leader said. 'Across campuses, students used to talk about issues gripping the country, such as poverty and casteism. In those days, the students led protests in villages against feudal landlords,' said the former student leader. For example, students were part of the Srikakulam Peasant uprising in the undivided Andhra Pradesh that lasted between 1967 and 1970. 'The RSU basically referenced several social movements and built its cadre. The cadre later went underground,' an internal security official told the Indian Express. There were times when the reach of the RSU was such that their underground and overground cadre roamed freely in the villages of Warangal and Karimnagar, a state official explained. These were called the 'Go to the Villages' campaigns. 'The RSU even contested elections in some campuses, including REC-Warangal. Most of the top leadership of the Maoist party — many of whom are from the Telugu-speaking states — have some link to the RSU,' the official said. Ban, and decline In Hyderabad, a 50-year remembrance event of the RSU was held on February 20. One of the organisers of the event, N Venugopal, later wrote, 'There was not a single student issue left unaddressed by the RSU. The RSU's commitment to bringing social awareness to students and the people and involving them in struggles for their community's rights, along with building relationships with the masses, was crucial.' After the party was banned, its members remained involved with other Maoist groups. A top internal security official said, 'RSU's influence waned because of the ban. But the cadre was always active in some or the other frontal organisation of the Maoists.' In 2004, when the People's War and Maoist Communist Centre merged to form the CPI (Maoist), the RSU was fully subsumed underground. 'Offshoots came only in the form of some writers' collectives and such. The state managed to curb this militant outfit even before it could complete its silver jubilee,' the official said.
NDTV
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
TVS Sport ES Plus Variant Launched At Rs 60,000; Rivals Hero Splendor
The commuter segment in India has been a strong foothold for the two-wheeler manufacturers. With major brands updating and tuning the engine to comply with the OBD2B norms, TVS is now leading the segment with the launch of the Sport ES+ variant. The commuter is placed below the brand's Raider 125 and Star City+. TVS Sport ES+: Engine, Powertrain The 2025 TVS Sport ES+ variant borrows the engine from its parent model, however it is now tuned to comply with the stricter OBD2B norms of the Indian government. It is powered by a 109.7cc single-cylinder air-cooled fuel-injected engine and is mated with a 4-speed gearbox. The TVS Sport ES+ gives a peak power and torque output of 8.08 bhp and 8.7 Nm, respectively. TVS Sport ES+: Design, Hardware The TVS Sport ES+ resembles its parent model; however, there are a few design changes that make it look sportier. The Sport ES+ variant gets new graphics, which distinguishes it from the TVS Sport. The brand has added two new colors for the segment with the launch of the ES+, namely Grey Red and Black Neon. Talking about the hardware, the suspension duty is taken care of by the RSU telescopic forks at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. The Sportier avatar of the TVS Sport gets alloy wheels and the ES+ variant is the only trim that offers grab rails at the rear for pillion support. TVS Sport ES+: Variants, Price The TVS Sport ES+ has three trims in the lineup- the Self Start ES, the Self Start ES+, and the Self Start ELS. The prices of which start from Rs 59,881 (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 71,785 (ex-showroom).
NDTV
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
2025 Hero HF 100 Launched In India At Rs 60,118
Hero MotoCorp has been launching the 2025 iteration of its motorcycles in the Indian market. After updating the Passion Plus, Splendor Plus, HF Deluxe, and others, the manufacturer has launched the updated version of the Hero HF 100. The bike now comes at a starting price of Rs 60,118 (ex-showroom) and has received changes in the powertrain to make it OBD-2B compliant. This iteration of the bike will be sold alongside the non-OBD-2B model. The non-OBD-2B model continues to be sold at Rs 59,018 (ex-showroom). This makes it more affordable compared to the 2025 version by Rs 1,100. Meanwhile, the appearance of the bike also remains the same. It continues to have the Red Black, and Blue Black paint scheme options. Also Read: TVS Apache RTS X Design Patented- Launch Likely? The Hero HF 100 is based on a tubular double cradle frame and houses a 97.2 cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine, which produces 8 hp of power and 8.05 Nm of peak torque. This power is routed to the rear wheel via a 4-speed gearbox working with a multiplate wet clutch Also Read: The 2025 Hero HF 100 retains the same components it has offered previously. It features RSU telescopic front forks, rear twin shocks, drum brakes on both ends, and 18-inch alloy wheels at the front and rear, all set on a cradle chassis. The headlights continue to be halogen, along with the tail lights and turn signals. The instrumentation remains analog.
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
A routine fossil-hunting trip revealed a site teeming with exceptionally preserved "gemstone-ammonites."
Rare fossil of an ammonite preserved with a distinct mother-of-pearl iridescence, recently ... More discovered by Dr. Chris Shelton and RSU student Kolby Dooling. During a recent field-trip, Rogers State University (RSU) Professor Dr. Chris Shelton and his student Kolby Dooling stumbled over a fossil treasure chest. 'Just before spring break, I took one of my students, Kolby Dooling, to a site that I'd taken other students to before, one that had always been a good place to explore,' so Shelton. 'We'd noticed these fossils before, but this time, Kolby brought a very large iridescent piece to me. It was clear he had discovered something extraordinary with this ammonite fossil.' The fossil shells still preserve their nacre layer, giving them an iridescence appearance. Nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, is an organic–inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. Usually this layer decays quickly after the death of the organism and is not preserved in the fossil record. There are only a few places in the world where similar fossils were found, including the province of Alberta (Canada), Oklahoma's Arbuckle Mountains and the island of Madagascar. In most cases the iridescence layer is displayed by the curled shells of ammonites, a group of extinct cephalopods, so this gemstone-like material is often referred to as 'ammolite.' 'Ammolite is very unique as it's a biological gemstone, similar to pearls, formed from the fossilized shells of ancient cephalopods that exhibit vibrant, iridescent colors and patterns due to the microstructure of the original aragonite layer. They're particularly rare and sought after by collectors," Shelton explains. 'I was excited that I'd found something so rare – so unusual,' Dooling adds. 'I've never been so lucky to find as many fossils as I found when I went collecting with Dr. Shelton. I've found a few back home, but nothing like this. It really piqued my interest.' Dr. Chris Shelton (left) and RSU student Kolby Dooling examine a rare fossil they discovered on a ... More recent expedition Since the initial discovery, Shelton and Dooling have returned to the site, which they are keeping undisclosed for the time being. According to the first results, the fossils date to around 300 million years into the Carboniferous Period. All other fossil sites exhibiting this preserved mother-of-pearl iridescence are geologically younger. Although Dooling is slated to graduate from RSU with his associate's degree this spring, he said he will stay in touch with Shelton to work on a research paper describing the new site. 'This will be a significant discovery,' Shelton said. 'It's important that Kolby also get credit for helping me make it, and it's always good for me to take students out of the classroom and into the field, from the theoretical to the practical, to find fossils for themselves and to get to uncover their own piece of history.' Following his time at RSU, Dooling said he hopes to continue his education and eventually work in the field of petroleum geology. Additional material and interviews provided by Rogers State University.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
US professor, student discover 300-million-year-old ammonite fossil pre-dating dinosaurs
A geology professor and his student at Rogers State University (RSU) made a remarkable discovery just before spring break. Dr. Chris Shelton and student Kolby Dooling unearthed a rare, well-preserved ammonite fossil at a site in Oklahoma, and it wasn't an ordinary fossil. This particular find shimmered with the colorful glow of a gemstone. 'Just before spring break, I took one of my students, Kolby Dooling, to a site that I'd taken other students to before, one that had always been a good place to explore,' explained Shelton. 'We'd noticed these fossils before, but this time, Kolby brought a very large iridescent piece to me. It was clear he had discovered something extraordinary with this ammonite fossil.' The fossil, according to Shelton, shows signs of preservation that give it a pearl-like iridescence, a feature rarely found in fossils this old. These types of fossils are called ammolite in Canada, where they are better known. Ammolite is a rare gemstone that forms from the fossilized shells of ammonites, an extinct group of shelled marine animals related to squids. Shelton believes the fossil they found is a true ammolite, even though it was found far from known ammolite-rich areas like Alberta, Canada. He explained that these types of fossils are made from the mineral aragonite, which retains a dazzling iridescence due to its microscopic structure. 'Ammolite is very unique as it's a biological gemstone, similar to pearls, formed from the fossilized shells of ancient cephalopods—mollusks related to modern squids—that exhibit vibrant, iridescent colors and patterns due to the microstructure of the original aragonite. They're particularly rare and sought after by collectors,' explained Shelton. What makes this discovery even more significant is the fossil's age. It dates back to the Carboniferous Period, which was over 300 million years ago—long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Most iridescent ammonite fossils known today come from the Mesozoic Era, the age of dinosaurs. There's only one other known location in the world where aragonite of this age has been found intact—at the Buckhorn Asphalt Lagerstätte in Oklahoma's Arbuckle Mountains. That site is known for preserving some of the oldest aragonite fossils ever discovered. This new discovery adds to the rarity and importance of the find. After the initial discovery, Shelton and Dooling returned to the same site and collected additional samples. These included fossilized shark remains and other ancient invertebrates. The goal now is to conduct more research and analysis to better understand the fossils they've found. 'We plan to do more expeditions, more collection trips to the site to gather more samples,' said Shelton. 'From there, we'll run many more analytical tests on the fossils to confirm our belief and based on the findings, Kolby and I will write and submit a peer-reviewed paper for acknowledgement of our discovery within the scientific community.' Dooling, who is still a student, was thrilled by the experience and the opportunity to contribute to real scientific work. In the press release, Shelton stated, 'This will be a significant discovery. It's important that Kolby also get credit for helping me make it and it's always good for me to take students out of the classroom and into the field, from the theoretical to the practical, to find fossils for themselves and to get to uncover their own piece of history.' Shelton hopes to have the scientific paper detailing their findings ready by the end of this year. If confirmed, this discovery could offer new insights into fossil preservation and add to the limited number of known ammonite fossils from the Carboniferous Period that exhibit gemstone-quality iridescence.
