Latest news with #Thorat
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Duo who offered Pawar 160 seats were indicating EVM hack, says Congress's Thorat
Pune/Nashik: Supporting NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar 's claim that two individuals approached him guaranteeing 160 seats for the opposition alliance in the state assembly election, senior Congress member Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday said he believed the duo were indicating that EVMs could be hacked. Thorat was in Nashik on Saturday for a meeting with Congress functionaries. Interacting with media persons, Thorat said, "There is enough proof to doubt the transparency and integrity of the Election Commission of India (ECI)." Thorat also accused ECI of playing mischief over the demands for electronic data of voters' lists, CCTV footage, and others. "When ECI is conducting elections on EVMs, I wonder why it is unable to provide data in electronic format. Why did EC order the erasing of all data in 45 days? All these lead to suspicions against ECI, which needs to come clean," he said. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The senior Congress member also criticised chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for his remarks against leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, suggesting the CM check if some chip in his brain is missing. "ECI is expected to reply to the questions raised by Rahul Gandhi, but BJP looked rattled by those questions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Egypt: Harga Implan Pergigian Mungkin Lebih Murah Daripada Yang Anda Fikirkan Dental Implants Search Now Undo The lies of BJP were caught, and that is why such responses are now coming from their party members. It is unfortunate that the chief minister made such remarks. It was against the image of CM." Thorat, a veteran Congress member, tested defeat against Shiv Sena newcomer Amol Khatal in the assembly poll, where he lost his traditional seat of Sangamner by a little over 10,000 votes. Supporting Rahul's claim, Thorat alleged that there was manipulation with votes in Sangamner. "After the poll results, we sought details of the votes, counting of VVPAT slips, but these details were not shared with us by ECI. There are doubts regarding manipulation not just of EVMs but several other things to benefit BJP," Thorat alleged. Citing the example of the Shirdi constituency, from where his arch-rival and BJP senior Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil won the assembly election, Thorat said, "We had complained to the election commission about bogus voters being added in Shirdi. However, it was unfortunate that the commission did not take any action." He also claimed that similar manipulation happened in the Shirur constituency, where former NCP (SP) MLA Ashok Pawar was defeated by NCP's Dnyaneshwar Katke. "Following the defeat, Pawar carried out an intense study of his constituency and learnt that there were several people who voted in the constituency but were not local residents," he said. Responding to Thorat's allegations, Vikhe Patil said, "These baseless comments are being made only to hide Congress's failure. It is quite clear that people have rejected MVA, but by making such comments against the voters' verdict, Congress is insulting the people of Maharashtra." State in deep financial crisis: Thorat Balasaheb Thorat criticised state govt over financial mismanagement and claimed that under Mahayuti, state is facing a deep financial crisis. "Govt is unable to settle the dues for the development works that may have been partially completed, which has gone beyond Rs1.3 lakh crore. Contractors are not getting their dues, but banks are going after them to clear the loans. Unable to get any relief from govt, contractors have now started dying by suicide," he claimed. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress's Thorat backs Pawar, hints at EVM tampering
Pune/Nashik: Supporting NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar 's claim that two individuals approached him guaranteeing 160 seats for the opposition alliance in the state assembly election, senior Congress member Balasaheb Thorat on Saturday said he believed the duo was indicating that EVMs could be hacked. Interacting with mediapersons, Thorat said, "There is enough proof to doubt the transparency and integrity of the ECI. " Thorat also accused ECI of playing mischief over the demands for electronic data of voters' lists, CCTV footage, and others. "When ECI is conducting elections on EVMs, I wonder why it is unable to provide data in electronic format. Why did EC order erasing of all data in 45 days? All these lead to suspicions against ECI," he said. The senior Congress member also criticised CM Devendra Fadnavis for his remarks against Rahul Gandhi, suggesting the CM check if some chip in his brain is missing. — Abhilash Botekar & Anurag Bende You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
SEP Commission opposes foreign universities setting up campuses in Karnataka
State Education Policy (SEP) Commission chairman Sukhadeo Thorat told The Hindu that the commission in its report submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, had opposed allowing foreign universities directly setting up their campuses in Karnataka. 'We are not in favour of foreign universities opening their campuses in Karnataka. It will not be accessible for the poor and it is very expensive. Therefore, we have favoured institutional collaboration with foreign universities for awarding degrees,' Prof. Thorat said. The University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, is expected to open its campus in Bengaluru in September 2026. Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil earlier this year said that University of East London, York University, and University of Wolverhampton have expressed keen interest in Karnataka's KWIN City initiative. Several other foreign universities from Australia, United States of America, and Italy are also said to be keen to establish their campuses in Karnataka. Instead, the SEP Commission has recommended accessible online education for all students, increasing the job oriented course in all streams of education, and introducing new courses on emerging technologies like quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, nano science in technical education. Low GER in Karnataka Prof. Thorat expressed concern over low gross enrollment ratio (GER) for higher education. 'GER in Karnataka for higher education is about 30% to 35%, ranking ninth among States in GER, while it ranks second in per capita income. So we need to look at other reasons for low GER,' he said. 'Regional disparity is one among the major reasons for this lower GER. Kalyana Karnataka has a GER in the range of 20-25%, while GER in coastal and inland Karnataka is around 37%. There are seven or eight districts with GER less than 20%. We have suggested measures to improve GER in Kalyana Karnataka,' Prof. Thorat said. The commission has found low GER in disadvantaged communities. 'Poor coverage of post-matric scholarship, financial assistance is one of the reasons for low GER in these communities. In the case of SCs and STs, the income limit is very low compared to others. Even with ₹2.5 lakh of annual income, so many students are deprived of scholarships. Meanwhile, income limit for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students is pegged at ₹8 lakh and for OBCs at ₹6 lakh per annum. Therefore, we have suggested income limit exemption up to ₹10 lakh for SC and ST students,' he said. Prof. Thorat further said that they have recommended that the government should provide free education for rural girls, along with other financial incentives to reduce their domestic work, not to go for early marriages etc. 'We have also recommended some incentives to married women as well,' he said. The SEP Commission has also recommended setting up of a Finance Corporation, under the PPP mode which will give education loans. According to the SEP report, higher educational institutions in Karnataka are not performing well. 'In the national ranking list of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Karnataka's universities and colleges are not doing well. There are very few government colleges that have a NAAC rank. Lack of permanent faculties, low quality of teaching and lack of infrastructure are major reasons for this poor performance. There are about 20,000 teaching posts vacant at government higher educational institutions. Therefore, we have recommended that these posts should be filled within the next five years. In future, there should be no guest faculties in higher educational institutions,' he said.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
At Pune's B J Govt Medical College, at least 3 to 4 students daily seek help at counselling cell
A second-year MBBS student found dead at the premises of the hostel at B J Government Medical College (BJGMC), Pune, whom the police suspects died by suicide, highlights the serious mental health challenges faced by students in higher education. The state government had earlier launched a scheme 'Chhatramanas' that required government medical colleges to set up a dedicated counselling cell towards supporting student mental health. At BJGMC, authorities said that the cell has been introduced since February this year and at least three to four students seek help for various issues on a daily basis. Dr Nishikant Thorat, associate professor of Psychiatry, BJGMC and Sassoon General Hospital , said approximately 50 counselling sessions have been conducted for students. 'The second-year MBBS student was undergoing treatment for a psychiatric ailment. Previously too, she had taken treatment from a private hospital. She had started coming regularly for treatment with us and had undergone a counselling session on July 30 where she was advised deep breathing exercises,' Dr Thorat recalled. Students from undergraduate, post-graduate and even nursing section visit the special counselling cell for a variety of issues. 'It could be related to challenges in adjusting to the routine, inter-personal issues with colleagues and in some cases there is a past history of psychiatric ailment,' Dr Thorat added. As part of the Chhatramanas scheme, the cell has two counsellors apppointed by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, who along with state level committees, chalks out plans with an aim to strengthen the mental health of students. The Supreme Court of India too, in a recent judgment issued in March this year, issued significant directions concerning the prevention of student suicides in higher education institutions. When contacted, Lt General (retd) Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, Vice Chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik told The Indian Express that last year itself, they had had launched the 'Mansamwad helpline—8485092350′ . 'Students of affiliated colleges of the university have been encouraged to connect with the psychologist and counsellors. Moreover, at every Vice-Chancellor katta programme, I begin the talk with a strong appeal on understanding how to identify and reduce stress,' said Kanitkar. Dr Devendra Patil, director of the Department of Student Welfare at MUHS, also observed that mental health challenges that students face are a serious issue. The dedicated helpline receives calls, following which counselling sessions are also undertaken. According to Mansi Hire, clinical psychologist at MUHS, counselling sessions have been held for at least 40-50 students in the last 6-7 months. 'Students often feel stressed about exams, assignments or adjusting to a new environment. Stress makes them feel tired, angry and they are unable to focus. There is immense pressure to excel in competitive examinations and can lead to anxiety and a fear of failure without a clear reason. Then there are relationship issues, concerns about the future and social life. Busy schedules also affect sleep and many students stay up late studying or scrolling on their phones. This poor quality of sleep leads to fatigue. There are some students who feel they are not good enough as compared to others and hence leads to low confidence levels,' Hire explained while observing that poor time management skills, communication skills, lack of attention and concentration and negative thinking are among the problems that students grapple with. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Bhau Rangari & Mandai Ganesh mandals to begin visarjan procession during daytime
At a press conference held on Thursday, the Bhau Rangari and Mandai Ganesh mandals announced that from this year, they will begin the Ganesh visarjan (immersion) procession during daytime immediately after the five Manache Ganpati. The mandals announced that they had decided to break their over 100-year-old tradition of beginning the immersion procession late at night in order to cut down on the overall time taken by the immersion procession. The Ganesh visarjan procession in Pune takes place along Laxmi Road and Tilak Road. Traditionally, the immersion procession begins with the five Manache Ganpati mandals including Kasba, Tambadi Jogeshwari, Tulshibaug, Guruji Talim, and Kesari Wada. After the immersion of the five Manache Ganpati, there is a huge gap in the procession which then resumes late in the evening, prolonging the immersion. (HT FILE) Mandai mandal's Anna Thorat and Bhau Rangari mandal's Punit Balan made the announcement. Thorat said, 'We took the decision to start the Ganesh immersion procession immediately after the five Manache Ganpati. This decision is not only for this year but will be continued hereon.' 'We have wanted to start the immersion procession at 7 pm for the past few years however our procession almost always begins at 3 to 4 am the next day. There are more than 100 mandals after us. Many devotees have expressed anger and demanded that we start the procession earlier. Hence from this year, we are beginning the procession in the afternoon. This year, Anant Chaturdashi falls on September 7.' Whereas Balan said, 'We have decided to start the procession early. It will help bring down the total procession time. We will start immediately after the five Manache Ganpati.' Last year, the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati mandal, too, decided to begin the immersion procession early. The Ganesh visarjan procession in Pune takes place along Laxmi Road and Tilak Road. Traditionally, the immersion procession begins with the five Manache Ganpati mandals including Kasba, Tambadi Jogeshwari, Tulshibaug, Guruji Talim, and Kesari Wada. After the immersion of the five Manache Ganpati, there is a huge gap in the procession which then resumes late in the evening, prolonging the immersion. Both Thorat and Balan have appealed to all Ganesh mandals to have less dhol-tasha teams as part of the immersion procession this year so as to give all Ganesh mandals a fair chance to participate in the procession.
