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STV News
2 days ago
- Science
- STV News
New Scottish 'cosmic country' dance set to celebrate Einstein discovery
Hundreds of scientists are to take part in the debut of a new Scottish country dance inspired by the ripples in spacetime first theorised by Albert Einstein. Researchers from the University of Glasgow teamed up with the culture and research organisation Science Ceilidh to develop a dance to mark the 10th anniversary of the historic first detection of gravitational waves – a groundbreaking discovery which established a new field of astronomy. The dance will be premiered next week at the joint GR–Amaldi meeting, an international science conference which will be held at Glasgow's Scottish Exhibition Centre between Monday July 14 and Friday July 18. The event's organisers expect many of the conference's more than 800 delegates, who are researchers and educators from around the world, to participate in the first large-scale performance of the dance at a ceilidh on Thursday July 17. The dance has been developed to creatively represent the gravitational-wave signals measured by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), as well as the black holes that create them. The first observation of gravitational waves was made by LIGO on September 14 2015. The gravitational-wave signal – a ripple in spacetime – had originated from the merger of two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our Sun, to form a black hole of about 60 times the mass of our Sun. LIGO's detection provided the first direct observation of gravitational waves almost a century after Einstein predicted their properties in his general theory of relativity. The detection inaugurated the field of gravitational-wave astronomy, which uses extremely sensitive detectors to measure the miniscule ripples in spacetime. Sophisticated analysis of gravitational-wave signals enables astronomers to make observations of cosmic events that are not possible with conventional telescopes. UofGcomms/ Chris James The dance has been developed to creatively represent the gravitational-wave signals measured by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), as well as the black holes that create them. The September 14 2015 discovery was the first-ever observation of two black holes orbiting each other, but astronomers have now observed hundreds of such sources. As the field has progressed, the USA-based LIGO has been joined by gravitational-wave observatories in Europe (Virgo) and Japan (KAGRA). The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observatory network are currently in their fourth observing run, due to finish in November of this year. University of Glasgow researchers made leading contributions to the UK's role in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, developing the delicate mirror suspensions which made the detection possible, and have played key roles in data analysis and detector design improvements. Dr Christopher Berry from the University of Glasgow's School of Physics and Astronomy is chair of the conference's local organising committee. He said: 'We are delighted to host the GR–Amaldi conference here in Glasgow during the tenth anniversary year of the revolutionary first observation of gravitational waves. 'Glasgow physicists and astronomers have been pioneering gravitational research since the 1960s, and we are excited to continue to play key roles in this international field of research. The last ten years have completely revolutionised our understanding of black holes. 'It felt right to welcome our visitors to the city with a traditional Scottish dance, and to give it a cosmic twist inspired by the research that unites us. It's been fantastic to work with Science Ceilidh to develop this dance, and we're excited to welcome hundreds of our colleagues to enjoy it with us next week. I hope they take away not just happy memories of the conference, but a uniquely Scottish way of communicating our research.' The dance was developed through workshop sessions between Glasgow physicists and the Science Ceilidh team. The dance represents the life-cycle of black holes and how they form orbiting pairs before finally colliding to create, in just a few seconds, the signal detected on Earth. At the climax of the dance, participants are encouraged to let out a celebratory 'whoop' which represents what astrophysicists call the ringdown. That is the final stage of a binary black hole merger which 'rings' spacetime like a bell and sends out the ripples which make detection possible on Earth. Lewis Hou, Science Ceilidh's director, guided the development of the dance. He said: 'Working with University of Glasgow researchers on developing this dance has been a fantastic experience. I've learned a lot about gravitational waves in our workshop sessions, where we gave a lot of thought to how we could represent gravitational waves creatively. 'What we've ended up with is a dance which is great fun to perform but has a real basis in science. It represents the process of black hole coalescence through dance, inspired by how black holes interact, pair up, get closer to each other and finally merge. 'Our plan once the ceilidh has been performed for the first time at GR–Amaldi is to take it on the road and to continue to develop it with educators, youth workers and local youth groups to help young people understand gravitational waves through dance and bring their own creativity and curiosity to build on it.' The GR–Amaldi Meeting's full title is the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR) and the 16th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves (Amaldi). The GR meeting is held every three years, and the Amaldi meeting is held every two years, and they are held together every six years. Getty Images Albert Einstein theorised ripples in spacetime in his1915 theory of relativity This is the first time the joint GR–Amaldi meeting has been held in the UK. The meeting organisation is being led by the University of Glasgow and the Institute of Physics. The event brings together international experts in classical and quantum gravity, mathematical and applied relativity, gravitational-wave instrumentation and data-analysis, multimessenger astronomy, relativistic astrophysics and cosmology. This year's meeting also includes a series of public events, including lectures from Star Trek science consultant Dr Erin MacDonald on July 13 and Professor Carole Mundell, the European Space Agency's director of science on Wednesday July 16 and a science and art exhibition with pieces contributed by scientists to represent their own work. The Institute of Physics Scotland is also supporting Science Ceilidh to work with a local youth group to further develop the dance, and document it for use by other educators. An Early Career Workshop in advance of the main conference will run between July 10 and July 12. A Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon on 13th July will aim to improve the quality of pages related to topics of the meeting, with a focus on making biographies for women scientists to reflect the gender balance of the field. Professor Sir Keith Burnett, President of the Institute of Physics said: 'The Institute of Physics is proud to support this event which brings together experts from across the globe. It is an exciting year for science, as we meet in Glasgow to celebrate the milestone anniversary of the first observation of gravitational waves. Truly remarkable.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Maharashtra's language politics and the idea of India
In recent weeks, Maharashtra has once again been swept up in a familiar controversy, this time over the state government's decision to make Hindi mandatory for Class I students in Marathi- and English-medium schools. The subsequent withdrawal of the Government Resolution (GR) following widespread protests has reignited long-standing debates about linguistic identity, constitutional rights, and the very idea of India. At its heart, this is not merely a question of curriculum or classroom policy. It is a test of India's enduring federal compact, of whether unity must always be enforced from above, or if it can emerge organically from diversity below. The crisis unfolds In April 2025, the Maharashtra government issued a GR mandating Hindi as the third language under the three-language formula. The decision was met with resistance from various quarters, including opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and several Marathi cultural organisations. Critics called it an attempt to impose Hindi on a non-Hindi-speaking state, a direct challenge to Maharashtra's linguistic and cultural autonomy. Amid mounting pressure, including calls for mass protests by Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, the state government announced a rollback of the decision in late June. A new committee under Dr Narendra Jadhav was tasked with reassessing the three-language policy. In his statement, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that Marathi would remain the primary language of instruction and warned against the politicisation of language. Yet, the damage, symbolic and political, was already done. Why this resistance in Maharashtra Maharashtra's resistance to Hindi imposition is not new. In the 1960s and 70s, similar tensions surfaced when the Centre pushed for Hindi as the sole national language. Then, as now, the fear was clear: that such policies would gradually erode Marathi's prominence in public life. Unlike Tamil Nadu, where anti-Hindi protests were tied to a broader Dravidian assertion, Maharashtra's resistance is more complex. This is the land of both Indian nationalism and Hindutva, movements that often draw cultural strength from the Hindi-speaking heartland. That the home of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Vinayak Savarkar now voices concern over Hindi imposition underscores the inherent contradictions in India's federal structure. What makes the present moment significant is its grassroots nature. It's no longer just a political dispute; it's a civil society movement. Teachers, artists, actors, and parents are speaking up, not against Hindi, but for the right to linguistic plurality and cultural self-respect. The Constitutional lens The Indian Constitution provides a robust framework for linguistic pluralism. Articles 343 to 351 and the Eighth Schedule recognise 22 official languages, including Marathi and Hindi, without privileging one over another. Article 29 guarantees cultural and linguistic rights to minorities. The three-language formula, introduced in the 1968 National Education Policy, was never intended as a centralising tool. It recommended, not mandated, the teaching of the regional language, Hindi (in non-Hindi states), and English. Importantly, nowhere does the Constitution require any language to be compulsory at the primary level. The Supreme Court has consistently affirmed that linguistic freedom is integral to the rights to education and expression under Articles 19 and 21. By making Hindi mandatory, the Maharashtra government disrupts this constitutional equilibrium. As Paul R Brass argues in the book 'Language, Religion and Politics in North India', language imposition often masks deeper power struggles. This moves risks undermining both federal trust and linguistic dignity. What is at stake The crisis is not about Hindi's value. The language is widely spoken in Maharashtra, but about the fear of displacement. When government policy seems to privilege one language, it risks fracturing India's multilingual fabric. Marathi, spoken by over 80 million people, is not peripheral. Its legacy, from saints like Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram to modern icons like Pu La Deshpande and Vijay Tendulkar, is central to Indian cultural life. Imposing Hindi instruction as a corrective is both inaccurate and insensitive. Language is more than communication; it's identity, memory, and belonging. For children, especially in early schooling, mother tongue instruction enhances comprehension, emotional security, and academic outcomes. Even the National Education Policy (2020) affirms this. To undermine Marathi, or any regional language, is to ignore both constitutional values and pedagogical wisdom. What's at stake is not just policy, but the very idea of inclusive nationhood. The politics of pride and protest The current controversy is deeply tied to electoral politics. With civic polls approaching, both Raj and Uddhav Thackeray are vying for the same linguistic vote bank. Their rallies and protest calls reflect not just cultural assertion but strategic consolidation. Yet, beneath the politics lies a genuine public sentiment. Social media is awash with videos of teachers, parents, and activists voicing concerns about Marathi's decline in public life. Complaints range from the absence of Marathi signage at stations to the dominance of Hindi in official communication. In Thane, a shopkeeper was attacked for not speaking Marathi, an incident rightly condemned by the Chief Minister. Pride in language must not turn into coercion. While the state must safeguard Marathi's place, it must equally protect individuals from cultural policing. Language movements must inspire inclusion, not fear. The way forward Maharashtra has a chance to lead by example. The review committee must consult transparently and frame a language policy that respects the Constitution, upholding Marathi's primacy while treating Hindi and English as optional, not mandatory. Rather than imposing languages, the state should invest in strengthening Marathi-medium education, train teachers, support literary initiatives, and ensure public services are accessible in Marathi. Students should be encouraged, but not compelled, to learn other Indian languages, including Hindi. The central government, for its part, must act with federal sensitivity. National language policy should avoid coercion, support all Scheduled Languages, and ensure equity in digital, educational, and cultural spaces. Language cannot become a tool of uniformity. Both Centre and state must commit to the Indian idea, where many languages, identities, and cultures coexist not in conflict, but in conversation. That alone will make India stronger, more inclusive, and truly democratic. Towards a more inclusive India The Maharashtra language row is more than an educational policy dispute. It is a referendum on how we interpret the soul of the Indian republic. Will India's unity come through centralised mandates, or through federal trust and mutual respect? If India is to remain a home for many languages, then no single language, however widely spoken, can be allowed to overshadow the others. Marathi, like every other Indian language, deserves not just preservation but pride of place. The answer, then, lies not in imposition, but in empathy. And perhaps, in listening to the quiet voices of children in classrooms, trying to make sense of the world in their mother tongue. (Ashutosh Kumar Thakur is a Bangalore-based management professional, columnist, literary critic, translator, and curator. He can be reached at ashutoshbthakur@
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Raj-Uddhav together over Marathi language: What it means for Maharashtra politics
Written by Vikas K Jambhulkar On July 8, when the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) came out on the streets against a strike by traders who were protesting the alleged abuse by MNS workers of a shopkeeper for not speaking in Marathi, Maharashtra politics saw a new turn. It marked the reunion of two estranged brothers and the re-emergence of identity politics. On July 5, MNS founder Raj Thackeray, while addressing a joint rally of the two Senas, remarked, 'Fadnavis has done what Balasaheb couldn't'. Almost 20 years after he left the undivided Shiv Sena to launch MNS, this moment was significant for many reasons. First, it marked the victory of the combined efforts of the Senas to push back the Government Resolutions (GR) on the three-language policy in the Maharashtra State Board, Marathi and English Medium schools from classes I to V— the first GR made Hindi compulsory, while the second made it optional. The victory rally, addressed by both brothers, seems to signal the beginning of a renewed politics along the language fault lines in Maharashtra. Second, given the rapid shift in the political landscape of Maharashtra in the recent past, the political implications of this move will be watched closely. Shiv Sena's alliance with Congress and NCP to form the government in 2019, after it fought the election as the BJP's ally was seen as more of a betrayal of the mandate than a political strategy. When the Shiv Sena split, the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray lost its symbol and identity to Eknath Shinde's faction. While the undivided Sena got 56 assembly seats in 2019, UBT Sena could get only 20 in the 2024 assembly elections. However, the breakaway Shinde-led Sena solidified its position by gaining 57 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also had a similar fate. The splits in both the major parties made the BJP electorally the most successful party. Against this backdrop, the coming together of the Thackeray brothers might change equations. Third, the BMC elections are just around the corner, and the three Senas — Uddhav, Raj and Shinde — are the main contenders. Though the BJP's performance in the 2017 BMC elections was impressive — it got 82 seats — undivided Shiv Sena got 84 seats, and the MNS got seven. Despite the BJP's growth, the coming together of Raj-Uddhav might help their prospects. At the rally, both Thackerays signalled that they are looking for a partnership beyond the agitation. The issue of language, along with the planks of 'Marathi Manoos' and 'Marathi Asmita', are what the Thackerays would seem to be riding on to leverage their political position. Notably, the language issue cuts across the caste cleavages, particularly in western Maharashtra. Consolidation along this could result in a strong political posturing against Hindutva politics of the BJP. The issue of Marathi pride might push the BJP to consolidate the non-Marathi votes. The BMC elections would possibly revolve around the polarisation between the native Marathi-speaking population and the BJP's Hindi-Hindutva politics. However, the BJP seems to be consciously trying to avoid a division that might affect their electoral fate not only in urban municipalities, but also in Zilla Parishads and Panchayat elections. The writer is a political analyst and teaches at Rashtrsant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
PAPs get PTC homes: 2nd lot of Malad slum dwellers relocated to hasten road work
MUMBAI: Sixty four slum residents from Shankar Lane, Malad, received keys to their new homes in Slum Rehabilitation Authority's (SRA) permanent transit camp (PTC) in Sairaj Guriyapada building, located at a 10-minute drive from their original addresses, on Monday, to pave the way for the first two phases of the extension of Shankar Lane to the Gautam Buddh Marg, leading to the New Link Road. This stretch measures 150 meters. Mumbai, India - June 9, 2016:Aerial view of Malvani slum at Malad in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, June 9, 2016. (Photo by Pratham Gokhale/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) It is for the first time that project affected people (PAPs) have been relocated in PTC homes, given the shortage of space for their relocation. In February, the first lot of 110 residents were relocated to PTC homes in the same building. The idea for this mode of transfer was conceived in August 2024 through a Maharashtra government resolution (GR) which allowed the conversion of 50% of PTC homes, meant to accommodate residents whose homes are under SRA schemes for a rent, into PAP homes, meant for permanent housing. A senior official from SRA told HT: 'The need for PTC homes is not big, while there is a shortage of homes for PAPs. Malad is the first place where such a conversion has been done; other areas will follow.' A month after the GR was published, MP Piyush Goyal, who handed over the keys to the residents on Monday, wrote to SRA seeking quick conversion of 266 PTC homes in Malad, to hasten the road work. 'In the extension of Shankar Lane to the New Link Road is a missing 550-meter link, which when constructed, will offer additional access from Malvani, Jankalyan Nagar, Lalji Pada to and from the western express highway (WEH),' said Bhagyashree Kapse, deputy municipal commissioner, of Zone-4 of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 'We hope that in the future this will help ease traffic on Marve Road and the Malad subway. With the second lot of relocation on Monday, phase 2 for the road's clearance has been achieved; we will soon begin phase 3.' The total affected structures in the missing link were 357, of which 293 are residential and 53 commercial. 110 structures have already been demolished. Now, 64 structures, whose residents acquired the keys to their new homes on Monday, will be demolished. Residents of 183 structures remain to be rehabilitated, for phase 3 to commence. An official from the BMC's P-North ward explained that around 181 of the PTC homes in the ward have been converted to PAP homes, and that the process to begin rehousing residents has been on since six months. 'Phase 3 will now take a few months, as the road's alignment has to be tweaked a few meters away from the Valnai metro station on New Link Road. Rehabilitation of the residents will begin after that,' said an official from P-North ward. 'We are happy to get pucca homes of 300 square feet and some stability,' said 50-year-old Mary Shetty. 'However, living in a chawl (which has been taken over to facilitate the road work) was better. Now, although we are in the same building we are scattered.'
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Court orders pension for freedom fighter's widow, criticises state's rejection
The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government to sanction a backdated pension to an 80-year-old widow of a freedom fighter, pulling up the state for rejecting her claim on "uncalled for" that the state's rejection did not hold up to legal scrutiny, the court ordered the pension to be sanctioned retrospectively from March 24, 2004. 'The impugned order does not stand the scrutiny of the legal position and the requirements of the GR,' the bench division bench of Justices RG Avachat and Neeraj P Dhote passed the order in the second round of litigation filed by Kamalabai, widow of Bapurao Bhagwantrao Deshpande. Deshpande had applied for a pension under the Swatantrya Sainik Sanman Pension Scheme in 2004, claiming benefits under the 'Underground Freedom Fighter' category for his role in the Hyderabad Liberation Movement of 1947-48. Despite recommendations from the District Honour Committee, the state rejected his claim in Deshpande challenged the rejection, the High Court remanded the matter in 2020, directing the state to reconsider his claim "sympathetically and not perfunctorily or hyper technically.' However, the Maharashtra government upheld its earlier decision, maintaining that Deshpande failed to submit documents proving his participation in the court noted that the state had ignored available material 'on the grounds uncalled for.' It pointed out that the Government Resolution (GR) governing the pension scheme only required supporting documents 'if available.'The judges found that the affidavits of other pensioned freedom fighters and testimonies of villagers aged between 85 and 95 years were credible and sufficient to establish Deshpande's participation in the held that the state's insistence on specific documents failed the 'test of probability-based assessment,' which should guide decisions in pension affidavit submitted in court detailed Deshpande's involvement in the Hyderabad Liberation Movement, saying that he had been inspired by freedom fighters' speeches and had cut and burned trees in defiance of the law. As a result, he faced police atrocities, had his house looted, and was forced to go affidavit further said that he underwent arms training, participated in armed conflicts with the police, lived in forests and hills, and provided secret information to other freedom fighters.- EndsTune InMust Watch
