Latest from The Wire
The Wire
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Israel Says It Hit Syria's Military HQ in Damascus on Day 3 of Strikes
The Israeli army said Wednesday (July 16) that it struck the entrance to the Syrian military's headquarters in the Syrian capital, Damascus, with another larger attack on the same site being conducted just hours later, according to Syrian state television. Reuters news agency reported, citing Syrian security sources, that at least two drone strikes hit the Syrian defence ministry building in the first attack. The reported attacks come after Israel vowed to step up its strikes in Syria unless the government pulls its forces from southern areas where there were recent deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouin tribes. 'The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria," the IDF said in a statement. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors events amid the recent conflicts in Syria, said two people were injured in two successive airstrikes near the General Staff Headquarters. Third day of Israeli strikes Israel has now struck Syria for a third day in a row, saying its attacks aim to protect the Druze minority after Syrian government troops dispatched to quell fighting between Druze and Bedouin fighters ended up clashing with the Druze militias themselves. Syria's state media and witnesses said there had also been Israeli strikes throughout Wednesday on the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where fighting continues after the collapse of a ceasefire. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz warned on X that "The warnings to Damascus have ended — now painful blows will come," saying that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had committed to protecting the Druze community in Syria. Netanyahu called in February for southern Syria to be completely demilitarised and warned that Israel would not tolerate the presence of Syrian government forces near territory it controls. As fighting continues in Sweida, members of the Druze community from Israel have been entering Syria to support Druze armed groups, while people from the Syrian Druze community, in their turn, have been trying to enter Israel. Israeli soldiers have been firing teargas in an attempt to keep order on the heavily fortified frontier.
The Wire
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Paper Leaks, Ignored RTIs, 'Ambiguity': Why Aspirants Are Questioning the UPSC
New Delhi: Across the country, numerous young Indians are brought up with the aspiration to one day join the "services". Exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) – the government's primary and most prestigious gateway for recruitment into coveted Union government jobs – are ones people spend years of their lives preparing for. But for many, those dreams have been coloured by the murky realities of the way exams have been conducted. 'We're on the streets now, questioning the very UPSC we once dreamed of serving,' says Dev, a former aspirant who joined a protest against what many like him call the 'inefficiency' of the UPSC. Dev is not alone in his disappointment, anger and anguish with the UPSC. Several other aspirants, their parents and their educators have raised questions and even protested, like the one on June 28 in New Delhi's UPSC preparation capital – Old Rajinder Nagar. On June 11, when the results for the civil services preliminary exams were announced, voices usually buried under the weight of preparation books and previous years' question papers were suddenly out in the open. A flood of unanswered grievances and serious allegations of fraud have washed up the shore of the UPSC. To understand these allegations and issues, The Wire spoke with several aspirants and educators in the race to reach the top ranks. Answer keys and ambiguities The recent protest in Delhi was a display of the myriad grievances students had. One of the protestors, Shivam Singh, told The Wire that the results were 'strange'. Singh was not the only aspirant who said this. Other current and former UPSC aspirants said that stranger trends were unravelling in the prelims results. For instance, Singh said that the 'triplet controversy', which came to light right after the 2025 prelims results, was shaking the faith of aspirants. Many aspirants noticed that three consecutive roll numbers – often corresponding to candidates seated in the same room and row – were in fact the ones selected for the 'mains'. This, many alleged, was indicative of widespread cheating within certain centres. To fill a total of 1,105 vacancies, on June 16, 2024, about 13.4 lakh students took the UPSC prelims exam at 79 centres across India. In 2023, a total of about 13.3 lakh students had applied – the number is going up each year. Only a minute 0.2% of those who give the exam make the cut. Disgruntled candidates said that the organisers of this exam – one of the most competitive in India – must clear the air if any ambiguities arise. Another issue raised was about reports of a paper leak just a day before the preliminary examination, on May 24, 2025 were published by a Gujarati newspaper. The report alleged that leaked question papers were available for purchase for Rs 30,000 in Rajkot, Gujarat. The exam was to be held on the next day, May 25. Surprisingly enough, Gujarat has had the highest number of candidates to qualify the prelims – 300 candidates from the state, the highest ever, qualified for the mains. Kajal Chatterjee, an aspirant from Kolkata who attempted the exam recently, was astounded by this sequence of events. 'There are staggering anomalies in question papers. This year at least eight to 10 questions were vague and ambiguous, where there can be no one correct answer. This, they [other aspirants also protesting] said, leaves enough room for arbitrary selection of answers, while dropping others options,' she told The Wire. Chatterjee also highlighted how three answers in the 2024 preliminary examination's final official answer key were wrong. 'This means by the time a candidate moves to court to challenge the key, the results have already been published. Some candidates are now civil servants! They have literally marked the wrong answers as correct,' she argued. Abhishek Sundar, a candidate from Karnataka, pointed out yet another flaw within the system: the delayed release of answer keys, which delays the prospect of raising issues in case of inaccuracies. 'UPSC does not release their official answer keys until the final selection process is over; this makes the answers key useless... since the final merit list stands published by then', he lamented. No Right to Information Behind viral YouTube videos alleging fraud in the exam and "forwarded many times" WhatsApp messages, online campaigns and viral tweets are aspirants who have filed RTIs and lodged complaints to bring the UPSC's attention to visible irregularities. Saurabh Abhishek gave his last attempt at the exams recently, and is feeling defeated. Not because of his result, but at the obliviousness of India's oldest competitive exam conducting agency. To prevent inaccuracies from meddling with the futures of other candidates, Abhishek filed an RTI application, which The Wire has accessed, to try and get a response from the UPSC. In his RTI application, Abhishek raised requests to obtain the details of his own marks in the exam conducted on May 25, the cut off for the same exam, the official answer key for the exam, a copy of his OMR sheet, and the number of correct and incorrect responses in his answer sheet. If the Commission chose not to provide these details, Abhishek, from Bihar, also requested them to state the reason for this. To his requests, the UPSC has responded with a simple 'no'. The commission stated that the declaration of the final result was yet to be completed, so no information could be shared. Abhishek's RTI was filed on June 19, more than a week after the results were declared. 'What stops them from sharing the details of the result? Even state commissions share copy of OMR sheet right after people appear for the exam. What stops them from being transparent, that too in a qualifying exam, the marks of which won't even be considered for the final merit list?' asked Abhishek. Others agreed with Abhishek when he added, 'When discrepancies in NEET are taken seriously, even to the CBI level, what is wrong when we are just seeking our own answer sheets?' Another candidate from Jammu, Dr Himanshi Guleria, also lodged a complaint using the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). In her complaint, she emphasised various problematic aspects such as ambiguous questions with unclear or multiple valid answers, transparency gaps, delayed release of the official answer key and the lack of a grievance redressal mechanism to contest ambiguities or resolve concerns about evaluation methods. Speaking to The Wire, Guleria shared how the whole process made candidates totally powerless, with no access to the answer keys and mechanisms to question the process, and no clarity about their performance for an entire year. 'Each point makes a difference, each mark makes a difference, we are stuck in a void of ambiguity with this. We need more clarity and the right to obtain details of our own performance,' she said. To her complaint, the UPSC responded that questions as well as answer keys of objective-type question papers were prepared by a team of experts and reviewed by another team of experts and the OMR answer sheets were evaluated as per procedure. The response also said, 'The Commission drops ambiguous question(s) (if any) from evaluation on the advice of experts. As regard the excessive difficulty in CSAT it is informed that General Studies Paper-II is qualifying in nature and Questions and answer keys are prepared by subject experts keeping the syllabus in mind. Moreover, as per the practice of the Commission the answer keys and cut-off marks of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination is uploaded on the Commission's website only after the entire process of Civil Services Examination is over i.e. after declaration of final result' and dismissed the complaint. Despite the dismissal of the complaint, Guleria also runs an online petition regarding the same issue. Uncertain, unresolved In Rajasthan's Jaipur, Mukesh Pukhraj is an educator and a mentor for scores of candidates who wish to compete for India's toughest competitive exam. While Pukhraj continues to teach all those who reach out to him, he too believes that the exam system has become obsolete and is in dire need of pragmatic, logistical changes. Pukhraj also highlighted the way question papers were being framed. 'You need to look at the questions in the CSAT exam, this exam tests aptitude, but the comprehension questions were ambiguous and numerically extraneous. Even faculties at coaching institutes were rendered inept at solving them. Then what aptitude are these exams testing?' he asked. Amit Khilor, another educator from Gurgaon who has been coaching hundreds of students for almost a decade, believes that the Commission's recruitment system has become massively flawed and absolutely chance based. Khilor said, 'It is time that certain reforms are made. What good is it doing to anyone when answer keys are withheld for a year? Who gains and what? Question papers have actively wrong questions. There are long term structural problems in the constitutional body and certificate frauds like Puja Khedekar are just the tip of the iceberg,' Khilor alleged. Pukhraj and Khilor said that there is mounting discontent and dissatisfaction among candidates primarily because their allegations and apprehensions are not being clarified, addressed or even acknowledged by the Commission. Recently, on March 28, the Parliamentary Standing Committee in its 145th Report stated that UPSC's delayed disclosure 'undermines transparency and fairness' and can demoralise candidates. The report said, 'This delays candidates' ability to challenge potential errors before advancing to the next stage, undermining transparency and fairness. Such a practice can demoralise candidates and raise concerns about the validity of the examination.' Yet, the results were delivered a whole year later, amid rising allegations of ambiguity and deaths by suicide of candidates, who waited a whole year to be failed, like many others.
The Wire
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Wire
Cipla Health takes a humorous spin on real life stories with Astaberry's campaign 'Get the Rich Look'
MUMBAI, India, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cipla Health, a leading player in the wellness category, announced the launch of Astaberry, its beauty and personal care brand's latest campaign - 'Get the Rich Look'. Rich look stands for the rich texture of skin that glows naturally without the use of any make up or filters thereby boosting confidence in everyday situations. Rooted in nature and designed for the women of Bharat, the campaign celebrates radiant, healthy skin that shines naturally, empowering women to step forward with confidence in every walk of life. Drawing inspiration from real stories shared by our consumers, the film highlights how Astaberry's simple, effective skincare solutions can help women achieve a naturally radiant 'Rich Look'. The film charmingly highlights relatable scenarios with a light-hearted and authentic tone where a subtle beauty upgrade transforms how the world perceives a woman, whether it's meeting someone new, preparing for an important occasion, or stepping into a professional setting. Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Shivam Puri, MD & CEO, Cipla Health Ltd. said, "At Cipla Health, we are committed to bringing solutions that are effective, accessible, and seamlessly fit into the lives of our consumers. This campaign is deeply rooted in real consumer insights and offers a refreshing take on the quiet confidence that naturally radiant skin brings. Astaberry has always stood for nature-powered skincare that is reliable, affordable, and designed for all skin types. As the beauty and personal care market expands rapidly, especially beyond metros, this film reinforces our commitment to offering trusted solutions that meet the evolving aspirations of women across India." Astaberry*, with a legacy of over 16 years, offers a comprehensive skincare portfolio across more than 10 categories and 250 products. From hair removal creams and face washes to serums, sun protection, and facial kits, each product is infused with nature-based ingredients like papaya, red grapes, strawberry, licorice, mulberry, and rose. The formulations are thoughtfully crafted for all skin types, offering affordable and effective skincare that aligns with the needs of today's aspirational consumers. *The second-largest player in the hair removal cream category and the fastest-growing brand among the top five. Agency Credits : Agency: The Womb Founding Partner: Kawal Shoor and Navin Talreja COO: Dhaval Jadwani CCO: Suyash Khabya Creative: Sohil Wadhwania, Shiv Parashar, Komal Sharma, Anshu Gupta Planner: Gaurav Joshi, Jasmin Tripathy Account Management: Rajat Pandey, Deepshikha Dutta Production House: Creature Film Company Director: Joyeeta Patpatia Producer : Ramel George Watch the films here Facial kit : HRC : About Cipla Health Limited: Cipla Health Limited, the fast-moving wellness goods (FMWG) arm of Cipla, was incorporated in 2015 with a vision to spearhead the wellness wave in India. Cipla Health has delivered rapid growth and today plays across a diverse portfolio of 20 brands with most key brands being No. 1 or No. 2 in their respective categories. The portfolio includes products in Pain Care (Omnigel), Smoking Cessation (Nicotex), Oral Rehydration Solutions (Prolyte), Medicated Ointments (Cipladine), Cough & Cold (Cofsils and Naselin), Multi Vitamins (Maxirich), Weight Gain (Endura Mass) and Personal Care (Rivela Dermascience, Cetafresh, Tugain Essentials, Astaberry). Logo: (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
The Wire
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Wire
How Karnataka's Farmers Successfully Challenged a Draconian Land Acquisition Process
Submitting to a prolonged peaceful protest, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on July 15 rescinded the 2022 land acquisition notification to 13 villages near the Bengaluru international airport. His final decision asserts the rights of farmers to their 1,777 acres of land, which the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) had sought to acquire for the construction of an aeropark and allied industries. Since April 2022, farmers in the 13 villages in the Chanrayapatna-Devanahalli area had agitated peacefully against this notification. They held a 'relay satyagraha' continuously for nearly 1,200 days. Forming a group called the Land Acquisition Resistance Committee, farmers had asserted their right to live on their land and to earn their living as farmers. A fertile red-soil tract, farmers grow not only the staple crop of ragi (finger millet) there but also a variety of vegetables and fruits. Some are also horticulturists. Dairy farms and pockets of sericulture combine to make for stable and sustainable livelihoods with youth accessing the booming metropolis for a variety of non-farm jobs. Observing how land acquisition in the vicinity over the past years has rendered farmers bereft of meaningful livelihoods and lives, the Chanrayapatna-Devanahalli farmers questioned the need to uproot them from their ancestral land. Farmers questioned the KIADB's land acquisition process and plans – especially the process of notifying the acquisition when most of the farmers did not want to relinquish their land. The Land Acquisition Act 2013 stipulated that authorities would need the consent of a minimum of 80% of residents to issue such a notification. Farmers also held several meetings with local political representatives and with government agencies and held fast to their beliefs despite the high-handedness of the authorities and often, law enforcement. While campaigning during the 2023 assembly elections, Siddaramaiah, then in the opposition, had assured the farmers that the notification would be withdrawn. A final notification to acquire land in three villages, however, arrived after Siddaramaiah assumed power. This saw an intensification of the struggle and several civil society organisations under the umbrella of 'Samyukta Horata Karnataka' lent support to the farmers' protest. An all-India protest When a large gathering – 'Devanahalli Chalo' – at Chanrayapatna on June 25 was violently disrupted by the police, the farmers and the supporters moved to the Freedom Park in Bengaluru and began protests there. On July 4, a meeting between the farmers and their representatives with the chief minister and government representatives ended with Siddaramaiah assuring them that a final decision would be taken on July 15. Representatives from Samyukt Kisan Morcha had joined the protesting farmers. Its senior leader Darshan Pal noted that this protest would be supported by the SKM and all its branches across India, making it an 'all-India struggle'. Multilingual film actor Prakash Raj lent support. Public letters were written by scholars and writers, calling for the need for balanced regional and industrial economic policies. On the eve of the final decision, a 'Grama Sankalpa Samavesha' was held in Chanraypatna where farmers vowed to continue their agitation and their bhoomi satyagraha – or land non-violence movement – if the government did not withdraw the notification. In a picture similar to the culmination of the Nandigram-Singur movement against land acquisition in Bengal and the prolonged protests led by farmers near Delhi, this protest has shown how, despite the relegation of agriculture, land, and rural issues to the periphery of national planning and interests, it is farmers who are rising up to counter the alarming deceleration in the culture, structure and institutions of our democracy. The Chanraypatna-Devanahalli movement will go down in history as one such example of farmers' resilience and courage against the depredations of a political system that speaks only the language of neo-liberalism. Yet, given the context and precedents of such movements, it may be wise to be cautious and to raise the flag against potential distortions and manipulative politics. Cause for caution While Nandigram-Singur led to the fall of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and to the rise of Trinamool Congress as the ruling party, the processes of democracy and farmers' rights, and a culture of consultative planning have not been assured in Bengal. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha and other farmers' bodies stood and won against the draconian and undemocratic processes of foisting corporate interests in agriculture over that of farmers interests. Yet, despite conceding defeat, the BJP has continued a policy of corporatisation of agriculture by stealth and none of the concerns of farmers for remunerative prices, continued state support, and adequate allocation of funds have been attended to. In all these cases, land and agriculture have been key issues and the failure of politicians and representatives to resolve them signal how the rights of a majority continue to be marginalised. In sum, a failure to consider, articulate and deploy alternatives for rural India – alternatives that go beyond the standard parameters of productivity, growth and the inevitable transition to urban-industrial areas and lives are missing. Farmers and rural citizens themselves need to consider and demand these new alternatives that can assure them a life and livelihood that can be led with dignity and democracy. Siddaramaiah's note in conceding to the farmers' demands also shows the possibility of how land can still be made into part of the speculative economy that rules not only corporate interests but also that of our elected representatives. Although he called for a complete withdrawal of the acquisition notification, he went on to note that farmers who want to can sell their land at lucrative prices, and that the government will acquire such land as 'for economic development, [the government will] need land to establish industries." "It is the government's duty to facilitate this while also respecting the rights of landowners," he said. Although the chief minister conceded that the protests were part of the democratic process, his qualifying remarks indicated the failure of the government to seriously consider alternative policies that balance regional growth, rural-urban linkages, and provide a level playing ground for all citizens. The hegemony of the now global capitalist economy that strides on the uneven grounds of a largely rural-agrarian society make land the centrepiece of a chequered political-economy. Protests and struggles by farmers come at huge costs to farmers themselves. And each protest tells us that it is the resilience and strength of farmers that make possible these glimmers of hope of retaining our democracy. A.R. Vasavi is a social anthropologist based in Karnataka.
The Wire
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Wire
MAK India Limited Declares Breakthrough Solution to Combat All Types of Pollution
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 16: We create pollution day in and day out, all over the world. Scientists warn that beyond the year 2100, Mother Earth may no longer support life as created by GOD due to rampant pollution. In a decisive move toward achieving a pollution-free India—and the world—MAK India Limited, a company solely dedicated to pollution solutions, led by visionary founder Manu Neethi Manickam (popularly known as MAK), proudly announces that it has developed and successfully field-tested a comprehensive, patented, world-first, field-proven, and Made-in-India solution to all major forms of pollution—air, water, and soil. MAK India Limited Chairman Mr. Manickam Athappa Gounder and General Manager Mr. Ramesh Rajagopal said, "We have a patented, field-proven, world-first and scalable solution to all pollution—be it sewage, industrial effluents, solid waste, air emissions, or foul-smelling dumps. These technologies are developed in collaboration with premier Indian institutions like DRDO, CSIR, and SITRA. They are energy-efficient, require no chemicals, and operate at significantly lower OPEX, offering unmatched environmental and economic value. This fulfils Dr. Abdul Kalam's Vision 2020 to find a solution to all pollution." Key Highlights of the MAK Pollution Solution Portfolio 1. Sewage Water Pollution – 'Nip it at the Bud' Approach • Integrated technology from DRDO, CSIR, and MAK: Anaerobic Bio Digestion (ABD) Hybrid STP using hydrodynamic cavitation and ozone polishing. • 100% reuse-ready water. No power required for digestion. No sludge generation. • Enables a sewage-free society through smart disposal rules. • Makes lakes, rivers, and groundwater potable. • Same CAPEX, 1000°C with no external fuel. • Recovers heat energy for: a. Waste drying (crucial in wet seasons) b. Biochar production for organic agriculture c. Potential power generation in low-sunlight areas • Complies with Zero Dump, Zero Waste, Waste-to-Wealth, and Waste-to-Energy frameworks. • 24-hour waste-to-zero conversion. • Visits to operating plants can be scheduled. 3. The Challenge: Why We Must Act • Water Pollution: 60% of India's water bodies are polluted by sewage and industrial discharge. • Solid Waste: Landfills are overflowing; current systems are inefficient. • Industrial Pollution: Textile and leather industries face high treatment costs due to salt and organic loads. 4. MAK's Science-Driven Solutions A. Water & Sewage: 'Fit & Forget' Solutions • ABD (Anaerobic Bacterial Digestion): No power, no maintenance, no sludge. Long life RCC structure. • MAK Hybrid STP: Pre-filtration → Cavitation → ABD → Filtration → AOP/Ozonation. Output is odourless, reusable water. • FSTP: For faecal sludge evacuated from conventional septic tanks – multi-stage rapid treatment. B. Industrial Effluent – Textile & Leather • Go Green SFD (Salt-Free Dyeing): Developed with SITRA. Removes the need for salts, reducing TDS by 70%, improving reuse and cutting costs. • MAK 430 Inoculum: Microbial inoculum for eco-friendly tannery waste treatment. C. Solid Waste – KILN 1000 • 1000 °C combustion, no external fuel. • No leachate, no odour, no landfill. • Produces organic manure, heat, electricity and biochar. • Treats all types of municipal wastes, medical, sanitary, e-waste, and C&D waste. • In operation since 2019, with CPCB/TNPCB compliance. 5. MAK Results & Recognition • Sewage Waste Project Sites: CRPF Coimbatore (400 KLD STP), Dr GRD College (220 KLD STP), Septic Tanks for Govt Projects at DRDA Perambalur • Solid Waste Project Sites: Chennai (Kodungaiyur – 50 TPD), Coimbatore (Dr. GRD College – 5 TPD) • Awards: CavinKare MMA Chinnikrishnan Innovation Award. • Validated by DRDO, CSIR, SITRA. • Technology exported to 56 countries. 6. The MAK Philosophy & Vision • "A Solution for Every Pollution." • Inspired by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. • Supports Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat. • Built for scalability – villages to megacities. • Sustainable, modular, indigenous. 7. Policy, Partnership & Call to Action • Invite Central/State Governments to form a High-Level Technical Committee. • Adopt MAK solutions under Smart City, Jal Shakti, MSME, Urban Dev., Defence. • CPCB & SPCBs can now deploy ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge), ZAP (Zero Air Pollution), ZD (Zero Dump) technologies. • Industries facing closure due to pollution can now operate with confidence. • Example: Sterlite Copper can now be revived using MAK's zero pollution system and India to become world leader in Copper. 8. Contact, Demos & Media • Live Demonstrations: On request. • Email: info@ • Web: | • Phone: 91 95009 91787 9. Annex: Key Data & Visuals • ABD/Hybrid STP: >95% water recovery, lifetime performance. • Go Green SFD: 70% TDS reduction. • KILN 1000: 100% waste-to-energy in 24 hours. Let us work together to save Mother Earth. Let India lead the world in solving the greatest crisis of our times: Pollution. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
