Latest news with #Sarita
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
17 women, look up to the sky
On May 29, Jasmine, 21, is dressed in her white uniform and stands with her parents on the steps of the National Defence Academy's (NDA) Sudan Block. Behind her, flanking the entrance, are gold tri-service emblems with the words 'Service before self'. In front of her is the rest of her life, which she will likely spend serving India in one of the three defence forces. Hugging her mother, she says with joy, 'I did it.' Jasmine is one of 17 — the first batch of women to graduate from the military's joint-services training institute in Khadakwasla, Maharashtra. It took 148 courses, 70 years, and a Supreme Court verdict for policies to change, so women could enter the academy. She graduates with over 300 men, who will all join as officers in the Army, Air Force, and Navy. In September 2021, Jasmine came across a notification on the government's Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) website inviting women to appear for the entrance exams. The Supreme Court had ruled in favour of this just the month before, based on a petition. The petition had argued that the NDA had been violating women's right to equality and the right to practise the profession of their choice. This decision came after three decades of women serving in the armed forces through Short-Service Commission, where they could serve for 10 years, with an extension. However, women have always been a part of the medical, educational, legal and other services of the military in non-combatant roles. Women fighter pilots have been inducted into the Air Force since 2016. However, the Army still does not permit women in the fighting arms like the infantry. With the entrance exam on November 14, there were just 70 days to prepare. The first batch of 19 female cadets joined the NDA in August 2022. Two withdrew from the course for personal reasons, according to NDA officials. Since 2022, when women were inducted into the NDA, there have been 126 cadets across courses. Jasmine comes from Charkhi Dadri town in Haryana, where her parents, Jeevan Ram, 42, and Sarita, 42, are farmers. 'We might be from a village, but our thinking has never been regressive,' says Sarita, her eyes filled with pride. There are two others from the same town, all from non-military backgrounds. Of the 17, nine cadets will join the Army, three will join the Navy, and five will join the Air Force. Jasmine will join the Navy and go to Hyderabad for further training. Most of the women are from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. Currently, the defence forces have 11,414 women officers, as per officials. Stepping up They stand on the steps of Sudan Block, and photos are taken, frozen as a memory and a part of history. The block is located at the heart of the NDA's 7,000-acre campus, set in the foothills of the Western Ghats, 17 km from Pune city. It is a central point for ceremonial functions, where parents, instructors, cadets, and officers meet and greet after the convocation, held on May 29. As the Super Dimona motorised gliders fly overhead, saluting the 148th course cadets for graduating, Srishti Chaudhary, 21, and Harsimran Kaur, 21, stand in Sudan Block's garden looking at the sky. Both were preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), a national-level exam for engineering programmes, before turning to the NDA. 'I had 40 days to prepare and took online classes for initial coaching,' says Srishti, who hails from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, and will be serving in the Navy. Harsimran, whose father is in the Army, had plans to enter via the Short-Service Commission route, until NDA opened its doors to women. Ishita Sangwan, 21, who is also from Charkhi Dadri, was deciding between the JEE and the Civil Services. The cadets — both male and female — go through a gruelling selection process, starting with a written examination conducted by the UPSC, followed by an interview process under the Services Selection Board. There are medical tests to be cleared and for those aspiring to join the Air Force, a Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS) test must be taken. 'You have to have clear priorities before joining the NDA,' says Ishita, who is joining the Air Force. Overwhelmed, she hugs her instructor, repeatedly saying thank you with tears rolling down her face. Ishita remembers a phone call from her father, who is a school principal. 'He told me the NDA was open for women candidates. We discussed it and I decided to take the exams,' she added. After three years of rigorous physical training and academic courses, cadets will go for further training for at least a year. Army cadets will go to Dehradun's Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force cadets will be trained at the Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dundigal, and naval cadets at Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala, Kerala. Game of endurance Physical training is one of the major elements of the NDA's three-year course and is often considered its toughest component. Daily training includes obstacle courses, route marches, swimming, horse riding, rope climbing, sprinting, field tactics, weapon handling, and more. During the petition hearing in the Supreme Court, the Centre had opposed the enrolment of women over biological differences. Now, the NDA spokespeople say all training was the same, but physical standards were adjusted to address biological differences. The women say it was a matter of mental strength and endurance. Ishita remembers her toughest moments: 'We had to climb a hill bearing weight as a part of Camp Rovers. Everyone was exhausted because it extends for five days. We hadn't slept properly for three or four nights and I felt like giving up. But my coursemate Srishti Singh started singing, and we kept climbing. The next thing we knew the hill was conquered.' One of the toughest challenges was the 40 km Josh Camp, conducted at the end of the sixth term, say the women. All 18 squadrons competed with each other and performed various tasks, including map reading and running day and night. Ishita's squadron, which included male counterparts, started at 9:30 p.m. and finished at 11:30 the next morning. NDA Commandant Vice-Admiral Gurcharan Singh called the inclusion of women a 'progressive process'. Initially, the female cadets' living arrangements were separate as that is the way it is done at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai, which has been open to women since 1992, with Short-Service Commission. This was changed in the NDA to build camaraderie among members of a squadron. 'We ensured they played, lived, trained, together, to achieve gender neutrality,' says Gurcharan, adding that barriers need to come down from the start, so there is no difference in times of conflict or battle. Mothers and others On May 30, Geeta Dhaka, 45, watched with pride as her daughter Shanan Dhaka, 21, participated in the passing out parade. The women and men are dressed alike, their hair cropped short, and from a distance, there is no difference. Shanan's sister is currently training at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC). 'Today, I feel really proud as my daughter has endured the toughest defence course. Since childhood, my children had wanted to join the defence, like my husband. This shift from a fauji wife to a fauji maa is emotional and painful too,' she says, understanding that in case of a war-like situation, her husband and daughter may both be called up. The Dhaka family is from Chandigarh, but currently resides in Rohtak. Division Cadet Captain (DCC) Shriti Daksh, who was put into a leadership position, follows in her father's footsteps. Wing Commander Yogesh Daksh (retd.) is proud: 'Shriti scored 97% in Class 10 and 99% in Class 12. She has always been good academically, and seeing her top the arts course makes me a happy father.' Her mother was worried about the intense physical training, but says, 'It goes to show that if you put your mind to something, it will pay off.' Their other daughter is serving in the Air Force as a Flying Officer, and the family hails from Haryana, but is currently based in Noida. Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi of the 'G' Squadron, who commanded this Spring term parade (two batches pass out each year from NDA), waited as Shriti celebrated with others informally in the parking area, between cars. Amid the loud cheers of betiya date hi rahe, betiya jeet gayi (Daughter keep going, daughter won), Udayveer says, 'Most of the time we forget that they are women. We trained with each other, shoulder to shoulder. In a few tasks like map reading and field tactics, they outdid us. We felt equal, and gender was never a restriction.' The cadets' parents would visit their children at the end of each term of six months, meeting each other too. After the parade, mothers hugged each other and clicked selfies. Srishti's mother, Priyanka, says, 'Our children have become friends, but we parents also share bonds. We became each other's support systems through the course.' Cadet Harsimran Kaur from Punjab points out: 'Our bond has grown beyond that during these three years. These friendships are for life.' Edited by Sunalini Mathew
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Grandparents, aunt held for killing 5-month-old to frame bahu
Meerut: A 50-year-old woman, Sarita, was arrested along with her husband, Dharmendra Kumar, 52, and their 15-year-old daughter in Saharanpur on Wednesday for allegedly killing her five-month-old grandchild to frame their daughter-in-law. SSP (Saharanpur), Rohit Singh Sajwan, said, "Sarita killed the child to frame the mother amid an ongoing family dispute. The woman confessed that she killed the child with the help of her husband, who brought the blade to her to slit the throat, and her daughter, who was with her." He added: "Some days ago, Shivani, the victim's mother, had seen her mother-in-law in an objectionable situation with a man and disclosed this to other family members. As a result, the family faced humiliation. Sarita wanted to teach Shivani a lesson and devised a plan." On Tuesday night, the accused mixed sleeping pills in Shivani's tea. Her husband, Rohit, was not at home that day. They intended to kill the infant and frame Shivani. The next morning, around 4am, the accused "covered the child's mouth with a scarf and slit her neck with the blade twice". Police initially questioned Shivani as the woman misled the cops by telling false facts, but the trio's contradictory statements eventually landed them in the police net. An FIR under BNS section 103 (murder) was registered against the accused and they were sent to jail.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
7 in hospital after ‘mystery odour' from Basai factory
Gurgaon: Seven persons, including three children, gasped for breath in Basai and had to be rushed to hospital after a mysterious odour — possibly caused by a gas leak — from a nearby auto parts factory turned their evening into a nightmare of nausea and fear. The incident, which occurred late on Friday evening, sent shockwaves through the area when residents began experiencing severe symptoms, such as eye irritation, vomiting, and acute stomach pain. The victims — Sarita, Geeta, Khushi, Annu, Pooja, and children Srishti, Drishti, and Devansh — were taken to the Sector-10 Civil Hospital as their conditions deteriorated. The alleged gas leak triggered immediate protests from local residents, who kept the factory gates locked until cops intervened. "Around 8pm, chemicals were being used in the company as usual. But this time, people started vomiting severely and feeling dizzy," said Mahesh, a resident. He emphasised the ongoing threat posed by factories operating in residential areas, where toxic gases and chemicals are routinely used and produced. The incident prompted swift action from authorities, with a senior civil hospital doctor alerting police about the possibility of more patients requiring treatment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kickstart your new journey with the Honda Shine 125 Honda Learn More Undo However, residents questioned the response from officials. Sanjeev Bansal, president of the Sai Industries Association, suggested an alternative narrative, pointing to a long-standing dispute between the complainant and the factory owner. "An impartial investigation should be conducted in this matter," he insisted, hinting at possible ulterior motives behind the complaints. The regional officer of the state pollution board, Akanksha Tanwar, said a previous complaint about the same factory had yielded no evidence of chemical or gas leakage during investigation. SDM Paramjit appointed an investigator, duty magistrate naib tehsildar Ashish Kumar, who found that the auto parts company primarily manufactures bolts, and no gas was detected during a site inspection. He said authorities would continue to investigate the mysterious circumstances that led to the mass illness, with focus on gathering detailed information about industrial operations in the area. "The incident has raised serious questions about industrial safety standards and the coexistence of factories and residential areas in Gurgaon's rapidly expanding urban landscape," he added.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Gender gap in education persists in Rajasthan's Gambhira village amid deep-rooted patriarchy
Malarna Doongar (Sawai Madhopur) 'My both sons will get good jobs which will help our household while my wife would get a helping hand in house chores with two daughters,' said Sarita and Vinita's father, one of the residents of Gambhira which is one of the 77 villages in Malarna Doongar tehsil that reported the largest literacy gap between men and women in the 2011 census. While both sisters passed the school final with Arts stream from the local government senior secondary school after which they were never pushed for higher education, Kamlesh Meena's sons finished their schooling in Science stream from a prominent private school in Gambhira village. Vinod (25) is preparing for a government job and Deepak (16) is preparing for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in the Sawai Madhopur city. 'Dono beta achha kaam karega to ghar pe mera madat ho jayga. Par ladkiyon se keya ? Unki to shaadi karwana hi padega. Ab thodi padi-leekhi nahi hogi to ajkaal shaadi bhi nahi hoti hai !!' Kamlesh says whose elder daughter Vinita (22) is being married off to a government job aspirant next month while he is also finding a good match for the younger one, Sarita (21). 'I wanted them to study further. But, they were not much interested in study. We are not so rich that would send all the four children to private schools, and afford their higher education in the city. Yes, the private schools here are better and I sent my sons there. They would be able to earn good while my wife would get a helping hand in house chores with two daughters,' says Sarita and Vinita's father sitting at the front-step of his house wearing a white vest with reddish hair, hands on knee smiling like the most important man of the house. Gambhira is one of the 77 villages under the Malarna Doongar tehsil in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur. Data from the 2011 Census pegs this particular tehsil as the one in India that has the largest literacy gap between men and women. The average literacy is 60.79%. But 78.79% of the males are literate, with only 41.03% for women, a difference of 37.75 percentage points. In fact, an analysis of the top 5 tehsils with such a difference in India shows that all five are in Rajasthan, with three in Sawai Madhopur district alone. To be sure, there are districts with considerably lower literacy percentages for women, but those typically --some are tribal districts in Chhattisgarh -- have correspondingly low percentages for male literacy as well. In terms of districts with such a large difference in literacy rates between men and women, it is also clear that Rajasthan has a problem. Eight of the top 10 districts (with Sawai Madhopur the highest) are in the state. The only two exceptions in the top 10 are Ramban in Jammu, and Nuh in Haryana. Meanwhile, Rajasthan's overall gap between male and female literacy rate was 27.07% with the former having 79.19% and the latter having 52.12%, as per the Census 2011. Though the latest sex ratio of literacy is yet not available due to lack of a further census, the number of girls going to the schools have been increased consistently over the years, indicating a possible growth in women's literacy rate as well, as per the ASER report analysis over the last few years. But the rising trend of the Indian parents preferring to send boys to private schools for a better education and choosing government schools for girls who 'should be married off by 20s' makes it clear that there is a long road to emancipation. It also raises questions on the quality of education and other facilities being provided in the government institutions over the years- particularly the ones in the rural areas- where the schools lack some basic facilities such as sufficient classrooms, teaching staff, and science faculty and labs. Gambhira government senior secondary school (which is also the only school in the village) where Vinita and Sarita studied from has currently 157 girls and 86 boys. On the other hand, the private school, Rising Star English School, located in Bhadoti, two kilometres from the village, from where their brothers have finished their education has 249 boys and 151 girls. 'There are about 15 to 20 such private schools in our vicinity where most of the children from Gambhira and five to six nearby villages take admission. The fees is pretty high which goes around ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 yearly. But a good education is worth it. Governemnt school mere beton ko manners nahi seekha sakta hai, science nahi pada sakta hai,' says Pappulal Meena, a local farmer, who took some loans to afford his sons- Anuj (8) and Jemal (9)'s education. 'Look at the children in the cities. Why are they so smart ? Because, they studied in the private English medium schools. Even the government schools in the cities are way better than the ones in the villages. If you want your sons to do something well in their life, have to ensure they get a similar quality of education,' Pappulal pats Anuj's back to encourage him. For the two little boys, their cousin, Uday (21), is an idol who has not only finished his education from another local private school, Shreeram Vidyapeeth, with Science stream, but later also left for Jaipur to pursue a Bachelor of Sceinces in Nursing. However, Pappulal has planned to send his elder daughter Puja (17) to a government college in Sawai Madhopur after her upcoming board exam and then get her married off by the time she turns 20. 'If she wants to do any job, that's good. But there is norm in the village that the girls should be married off by 20s,' he says. Puja, too, studied in the same private school, where Uday studied, till Class IV but later was admitted to the government school as her father was not able to afford private school education for all his children. So, Papulal chose his sons to continue in private schools while Puja was transferred to the government one. She did not answer any question about her ambition about her future, whether she likes to study, or is willing to marry after graduation. Only, a shy smile was visible on her face. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, which covered 26 states and 2 union territories of India comprising 605 rural districts with 17,997 villages, and 649,491 school-going children, recorded that the girls, at every level (Primary, Secondary, and Senior Secondary), dominated the enrolment in government schools more than boys while the fact is vice versa in private schools. For age 7-10 years, against 70.7% girls enrolled in government schools, there were only 64.3% boys. This was just opposite in private institutions where against 33.8% boys there were 27.4% girls for the children of same age. Similarly, for age 11 to 14 years, some 69.6% girls were enrolled in government schools against 63.4% boys. Whereas in private schools 34.1% boys go to private schools against 27.5% girls indicating that parents prefer private school for boys and government schools for their daughters. The corresponding figure for the 15 to 16 years age group is 62.4% girls in government schools against 57.9% boys and 33.8% boys in private schools against only 28.9% girls. A further classification of the ASER data for particularly Rajasthan showed that 62.5% girls of 7 to 10 years age against 52.4% boys, 68.3% girls of 11 to 14 years of age against 56.6% boys, and 65.7% girls of 15 to 16 years of age against 58.2% boys were enrolled to the government schools in 2023-24 session. The corresponding gender-comparison of the enrolment across the state's private schools were only 35.4% girls of 7 to 10 years of age against 46.4% boys, 27.9% girls of 11 to 14 years of age against 41.5% boys, and 21.7% girls of 15 to 16 years of age against 31.9% boys. 'Government school here is not bad though. We all studied there since our childhood. I also firmly believe that she should complete her graduation. But neither I could afford all my children's education in the private school nor she wasn't interested in Science that it was a compulsion,' Pappulal says. But interest in Sciences for the girls students also does not mean that they would be sent to the private schools or be allowed to make a career before getting married. 'Mathematics is my favourite subject. But, my school doesn't have sciences facility. My parents won't send me to private school. They said, it's not safe for me to travel so far daily,' Seema (14) smiles, who is studying in Class VIII in Government Senior Secondary School in Jolanda, another village under Malarna Doongar. A total 130 girls study in this school against only 87 boys. Seema's elder cousin, Kuldeep, however, goes to Shreeram Vidyapith despite study with Arts subjects. This school has 115 boys against only 45 boys. Science stream remains elusive to students in all the senior secondary schools across the panchayats under Malarna Doongar tehsil in Sawai Madhopur district. In many secondary schools, art teachers are assigned to science subjects in junior classes, thereby depriving the girl students of quality education. Despite high enrolment rate in these government schools, lack of adequate faculty strength continues to plague the education system in the area. The sorry state of affairs was further confirmed when the state government recently said in the assembly that students prefer private schools than government institutions due to faculty crisis in science and commerce streams. On February 6, in response to a question by BJP MLA Lalit Meena, the education department said, 'The science and commerce departments are not available in the government higher secondary schools in at least 11,304 panchayats across the state, while the science subject is available in 2,394 private higher secondary schools and commerce in another 1,189 such private schools in the same panchayats.' 'In view of such situation, the students seem to be pursuing admission in the private ones instead of the government schools - particularly in higher classes,' the response added. And surveys have already showed that a major chunk of these 'students' are only boys, not girls. The famous private institute in these villages, Rising Star English School, which was founded in 2018 only, boasts 28 classrooms, at least 40 teachers, a large science lab, and a regular school bus facilities. They also run a monthly home-to-home outreach programme for the parents to apprise them about the significance of their children's education. Admitting the factors, principal of Jolanda Government Senior Secondary School Prabhu Lal Meena said, 'These challenges might not be a barrier to provide good education, but makes a huge gap between the government schools and private schools. The villagers, yet view the girls as the families' burden and don't want to spend much on their education. Hence, they are sent to the government set-ups for free education. But the boys are considered assets of the family and they are sent to private schools that cost a substantial annual fee. It's true that most of these girls never pursue any higher education after completing school and are often married off in a few years.' However, Laxmi Chand Meena, principal of the Rising Star English School, said that they reach out to parents of girl students as well but it only depends on the villagers' mindset. 'Our fees structure is precisely unlike the government schools and parents usually don't want to spend much on girls. But, we have yet a very small number of students despite the enrolment rate increasing every year. It is not possible for us to come up with any special programme to enrol more girls or run a complete girls' school. But we definitely want the girls to come to our schools in larger number to pursue quality education, which is mandatory for their future, and which the government schools are unable to provide,' he added. Commenting on the development, the chief block education officer (CBEO) of Malarna Doongar, Muhammed Zakir, said, 'This trend have been prevalent in the area for the last seven to 10 years that the parents prefer to send the boys to private schools. But, they need to understand that the private schools only focus on the academics while the government schools provide a comprehensive education. As girls' enrolment is more in government schools, we also organise several programmes targeting girls such as self-defence classes at the police stations and library set-ups at the panchayats, and also a book discussion session every fortnight.' However, he confessed that the lack of teaching staff and proper infrastructure are the major reasons that fail to provide a similar environment and education to girls as the boys get in private schools. 'Seven years ago, science stream was approved in two schools under Malarna Doongar. However, they are yet to get started as the faculty and funds for the lab facilities and books were not alloted. The government is considering it again, but so far it was not listed in the budget,' Zakir said. He added, 'Yet, we think, the situation is slowly getting better. The parents who never used to consider to send the girls to schools, are at least planning to get their school final completed before their marriage. Some of them are also sending them to the college. We are constantly doing a lot awareness programme and hopefully, this mindset and reservation about the girls' education will change more in near future.'
Time of India
06-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
18 yrs on, mom resurrects medical dream by writing NEET-UG with teen daughter
Hyderabad: Eighteen years after marriage interrupted her nursing studies , Bhukya Sarita returned to the exam hall last weekend — this time not alone, but with her teenage daughter, to take a shot at fulfilling their shared childhood dream of becoming a 38-year-old non-MBBS registered medical practitioner (RMP) from Hyderabad, appeared for NEET-UG alongside her daughter Kaveri after studying for the test in the same private college in Suryapet — she as a day scholar and the teenager as a boarder.A month before the exam, Sarita moved in with her daughter so that they could prepare together. Kaveri tutored her mother in human physiology and genetics, while Sarita shared tips on how to memorise the animal kingdom. "I was thrilled when my mother told us she wanted to appear for NEET. I would regularly call her from the hostel to guide her on what to study," said Kaveri.'Sarita worked in a private hospital for 10 years before she and her husband, also an RMP, started a private practice."When our elder daughter took up biology, physics and chemistry for higher secondary with the aim of getting into a medical college, my passion for the profession was rekindled. I didn't want to miss that opportunity again," Sarita said.A resident of Manchyanayak thanda in Tungaturthi mandal in Suryapet district, Sarita is willing to reappear for the exam next year, if she doesn't make it this three children — the younger ones are in classes 9 and 7— are overjoyed to see their mother study alongside them. "In the last six months, I decided to take a break from work in order to concentrate on NEET preparation," Sarita was studying for a BSc in nursing in 2007 when marriage stalled her husband Kishan, who drives a taxi part-time to augment the family income, said he would gladly support his wife and daughter if they both cleared NEET-UG."It will be tough for us as we are left with hardly Rs 10,000-15,000 a month after expenses. But I won't let our financial difficulties come in the way of their dreams," Kishan Sarita appeared for NEET at Suryapet Govt Junior College on Sunday, Kaveri's test centre was Govt High School NSP Camp in Khammam. The family visited the Kondagattu Anjaneya Swamy temple in Jagtial on Tuesday to pray for the duo's success.
