New Delhi, Oct 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a plea seeking a comprehensive and enforceable regulatory framework to protect children from the risks associated with social media platforms, including age-based restrictions on access and safeguards against online exploitation.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice on the petition filed by The Emerald Heights International School and its Director (Academics), Siddharth Singh Girnar, and tagged it with a pending petition raising a similar issue.

The apex court has listed the matter for further hearing on December 3. The petition, filed against the Union of India, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, raises concerns over unrestricted access to commercial social media platforms by children and the alleged inadequacy of the existing legal and regulatory framework to address the risks posed by their use.

The plea contends that social media platforms generally prescribe a self-declared minimum age of 13 years, which does not correspond to the protection accorded to children under Indian law.

It refers to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which recognises every person below 18 years of age as a child and provides for enhanced safeguards, including verifiable parental consent and restrictions on tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising.

“The present framework remains fragmented, incomplete and inadequately operationalised,” the petition stated, arguing that there is no uniform and enforceable child-safety regime governing age verification, prevention of underage access, parental involvement and platform accountability.

The petitioners have claimed that children are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, harassment, harmful online content and unwanted contact from strangers through social media.

They have also raised concerns over sleep deprivation, diminished concentration, anxiety, low self-esteem and declining academic engagement associated with prolonged social media use.

The plea further stated that parents have expressed concerns over their children's excessive phone use, late-night exposure, online interactions and the risk of bullying, grooming and exploitation, while finding it difficult to supervise or restrict access to such platforms.

The petition has sought directions to the Centre and the authorities concerned to formulate and notify a dedicated regulatory framework providing for reliable, proportionate and privacy-preserving age verification, graded and age-appropriate access, restrictions on harmful content and mandatory privacy settings for accounts belonging to children.

It has also sought safeguards against grooming, sexual solicitation, cyberbullying, harassment and the circulation of intimate or private images, including effective reporting mechanisms, prompt removal of harmful material and preservation of evidence in accordance with law.

In the alternative, the petitioners have sought directions to prescribe and enforce restrictions on children's creation and use of social media platforms if other safeguards are found insufficient to address the risks.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Oct 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, declined to send a petition from Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour, seeking restrictions on the publication of news reports concerning ongoing investigations against him by various state and central agencies, to a vacation bench for hearing.

Earlier, on October 13, the same single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya, while admitting the petition, declined an urgent hearing.

On Thursday, Banerjee's counsel argued that although the scheduled hearing in the matter is in December, news regarding investigations was being published in the media almost daily.

In such a situation, Banerjee’s counsel argued that if an urgent hearing could not be possible, then the matter could be sent to any vacation bench for hearing.

However, Justice Bhattacharya immediately rejected the plea for sending the matter to a vacation bench, and also observed that the vacation benches were not “dumping grounds” where any matter would be sent for hearing.

He also observed that the matter was first referred to another single-judge bench, and then to his bench for hearing through a division bench. Hence, he observed that an urgent hearing in the matter was not possible.

Last week, Banerjee had approached another single-judge bench, presided over by Justice Krishna Rao, with the petition. Justice Rao recused himself from hearing the matter but did not dismiss it. He advised Banerjee to approach the appropriate bench, given that the petition alleged that investigating agencies were leaking information to the media.

Subsequently, the matter was referred through a division bench for hearing to Justice Bhattacharya’s bench, who, on October 13, admitted the petition but declined an urgent hearing.

Banerjee has been facing investigations in various cases by central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), for some time.

Following the change of government in West Bengal after the Assembly elections earlier this year, state agencies, including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), also initiated investigations into certain other matters involving him. CID officials have questioned the Diamond Harbour MP several times in connection with these probes.

Banerjee’s counsel has contended that details of his client’s interrogation, including the questions asked by investigators, were being leaked to the media.

The petition also raised concerns over reports of Banerjee’s foreign travels and other personal matters that, according to his counsel, were not directly connected with the cases under investigation.

The counsel argued that such reports infringed upon Banerjee’s rights to personal privacy and affected his dignity and reputation. The plea seeks to prevent the publication of reports relating to the ongoing investigations, citing concerns about the disclosure of investigative details and personal information.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Priyank Kanoongo on Thursday flagged continued non-compliance with a Supreme Court order directing social media intermediaries to report suspected offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to the local police, stating that the matter is being heard again by the apex court.

In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, Kanoongo said that compliance with the Supreme Court's directions was still awaited despite the order having been passed in 2024. “This Hon’ble Supreme Court order was passed in 2024, yet compliance is still awaited. The matter is being heard again today,” he said.

Referring to the mandatory reporting provisions under the POCSO Act, Kanoongo said complaints of child sexual abuse must be reported to the local police, but claimed that social media companies were resisting compliance despite repeated directions from the Supreme Court.

“For years, the law has been caught in a cycle of delays while lakhs of children continue to wait for justice,” he said.

Kanoongo also questioned the legal representation being extended to social media companies in the proceedings, asking who would represent children who are unable to approach the court themselves or afford expensive lawyers.

He further raised concerns over the monetisation of online content, asking whether social media platforms were profiting from the traffic and advertising revenue generated when child sexual abuse material circulated on their services.

“Why are these companies resisting the reporting of child sexual abuse to the local police? Why is a clear legal mandate still awaiting implementation while children continue to suffer?” he asked.

The NHRC member's remarks come against the backdrop of the apex human rights body’s ongoing interventions over allegations that Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) was being circulated and promoted through advertisements on Meta-owned platforms, including Instagram.

The NHRC had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports by BBC World Service alleging that paid advertisements on Instagram used expressions such as “rape video” and “child video” and redirected users to Telegram channels where such material was allegedly being offered for sale.

On July 8, a Bench presided over by Priyank Kanoongo issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, directing a comprehensive investigation into the allegations, preservation of electronic evidence and examination of compliance with the mandatory reporting obligations under the POCSO Act.

The NHRC has also issued notices to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), police authorities in several states and Meta in connection with complaints concerning suspected child sexual abuse material on social media platforms.

The Supreme Court, in its judgment in Just Rights for Children Alliance & Another vs. S. Harish & Others, had clarified that compliance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, would not absolve intermediaries of their obligations under the POCSO Act.

Paragraph 258 of the judgment states that social media intermediaries are required to report the commission or likely commission of an offence under the POCSO Act not only to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) but also to the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) or the local police. The apex court observed that the POCSO Act and the rules framed under it have an overriding effect in this regard, and that intermediaries must comply with the statutory reporting requirements, particularly Section 20 of the Act and Rule 11 of the POCSO Rules.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India's growth story continues to create immense opportunities across sectors and welcomed Bloomberg's plans to deepen its engagement with the country as the global financial information and media company completed 30 years here.

In a post on X, PM Modi said it was a delight to meet Bloomberg LP co-founder and majority owner Mike Bloomberg earlier in the day.

The Prime Minister congratulated Bloomberg on completing three decades in India and expressed support for the company's plans to expand its presence in one of the world's fastest-growing major economies.

"It was a delight meeting you this morning. Congratulations to Bloomberg on completing 30 years in India. We welcome Bloomberg's plans to expand its presence in India and deepen its engagement with our economy, markets and people. India's growth story continues to create immense opportunities across sectors," PM Modi said.

The remarks came after Bloomberg shared details of his interaction with the Prime Minister, highlighting India's rapid economic transformation and increasing role in global affairs.

Bloomberg said PM Modi, India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister, has overseen the country's strong economic growth and emergence as a global leader, while continuing to pursue ambitious goals for the future.

"As India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister for consecutive terms, Narendra Modi has overseen India's rapid economic growth and rise to global leadership, and he has ambitious visions for its future," he wrote on X.

Bloomberg also said the discussions covered the company's three-decade journey in India and its plans to further expand operations in the country.

"I was glad to spend time talking with him about Bloomberg's 30th year in India and our plans to expand in the country," he added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Tuesday took serious note of allegations that women journalists covering protests in the national capital were assaulted by police personnel and directed a senior Delhi Police officer to remain present during the hearing on Thursday to explain the matter.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana made the observation after senior advocate Indira Jaising mentioned a petition filed by the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), seeking safeguards for journalists covering protests, particularly women journalists.

"We would like some senior officer to remain present here and explain," the CJI Kant-led Bench said, indicating that the police would have to explain the allegations.

The development comes amid allegations that journalists covering protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar were manhandled, detained and obstructed while discharging their professional duties on October 10 and 11.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan also mentioned a separate contempt petition alleging that the police had assaulted journalists in violation of the Supreme Court’s October 10 order.

The apex court had directed the authorities to ensure that lawyers, journalists and other professionals were not hindered in discharging their professional duties.

The directions were passed by a Bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana while hearing contempt petitions alleging violations of its order concerning restrictions imposed ahead of the proposed protest.

It had also directed the authorities to ensure the normal functioning of Metro and railway services, uninterrupted internet connectivity and free movement of people, subject to traffic regulations and public order requirements.

The Supreme Court had also directed that there should be no detention except in accordance with the procedure established by law, particularly in the case of peaceful and unarmed gatherings outside areas where prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were in force.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's wildlife conservation efforts have gained appreciation globally, with a notable foreign news magazine hailing various initiatives, including Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Project Snow Leopard, Project Dolphin, and Project Rhino, but its description of the country's economic status drew vigorous rebuttal.

'The Economist' praised India's efforts to conserve tigers, which were "heading towards extinction in the 1970s", Asiatic lions, dolphins, elephants, etc., calling it an "example of the country at its finest".

However, the publication also remarked: "Yet it is extraordinary that the people and politicians of a relatively poor country with limited state capacity and endless demands on its resources can come together to achieve something as selfless as protecting other creatures."

Norway's former Climate and Environment Minister Erik Solheim termed India's animal protection efforts as "astonishing successful".

In a post on X, he recalled his visit to the Gir forest in Gujarat.

"A few years ago, Gujarat opened a reserve to accommodate its expanding population of Asiatic lions. The cat, unique to India and Gujarat, is growing in numbers. I visited the region this June," he said.

Quoting from the publication, Solheim said: "The Chief Minister of Assam (Himanta Biswa Sarma) recently said that his state had in the previous year recorded zero cases of poaching related to its large and growing population of rhinos."

"Since 2022, India has been importing cheetahs from Africa in the hope of re-establishing a species that went extinct within its borders in 1952," he added.

Further quoting from the media report, he cited "public sentiment" as one reason India is so good at protecting its animals.

"Hindu dharma is based upon the idea that humans are part of nature, not above nature. God is even half human, half animal as in the case of Ganesha and Hanuman. This matters also today," the former Norwegian Minister noted.

However, conservation biologist Neha Sinha criticised 'The Economist' after the article referred to India as a "relatively poor country with limited state capacity".

"Dismal and patronising tweet by the Economist. For the record, “poor people” are some of the most selfless people I have known," she said in a post on X.

India's former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao echoed a similar view.

"Nations do not acquire compassion with wealth. It is hardly a luxury acquired with better living standards. It is intrinsic to you as a person, rich or poor. Why wear an expression of patronising surprise when a relatively poorer country than yours, effectively conserves and preserves its precious wildlife? The measure of moral imagination is not per capita income," she said in a post on X.

Hitting out at the publication, economist Prof. Shamika Ravi drew attention to people mourning the death of a 45-year-old elephant in Kerala.

"Can you imagine such a farewell for an animal anywhere else in the world? Nature is a way of life in India. @TheEconomist," she said on X.

According to the Indian government, today, India is home to the world's largest wild tiger population, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all wild tigers globally.

The country has more than doubled its scientifically assessed tiger population since 2006. The All India Tiger Estimation (2022) places India's tiger population at 3,682. The 2022 All India Tiger Estimation covered 20 States and surveyed over 6.41 lakh kilometres on foot. It is among the world's largest and most comprehensive wildlife assessments.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Patiala House Court has granted regular bail to self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who was arrested in connection with the alleged assault of the father of a minor activist during a protest at Jantar Mantar.

The court had earlier, on September 15, granted Bhardwaj three weeks’ interim bail with conditions while considering his regular bail plea.

Bhardwaj is accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, father of a minor protester, during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in July.

The Delhi Police had earlier said that the injuries sustained by the complainant were “simple” in nature and were allegedly caused by a steel bracelet.

The FIR invokes relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and provisions relating to criminal intimidation.

During the hearing of Bhardwaj’s bail plea in September, the Patiala House Court had questioned the Delhi Police on whether he had used caste-indicative words during the alleged incident. The prosecution had submitted that the initial complaint did not mention the use of any such language and that the allegation was made subsequently when the complainant’s statement was recorded again, following which provisions of the SC/ST Act were added to the FIR.

Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district on September 4, hours after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met senior Delhi Police officials and demanded his arrest.

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Bhardwaj challenging his arrest in the alleged assault case.

A Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja had rejected the plea after the Delhi Police submitted that it was not maintainable as Bhardwaj had already been sent to judicial custody.

The case had sparked controversy following a purported viral video in which Bhardwaj claimed that he had physically assaulted the father of the minor activist during the Jantar Mantar demonstration and allegedly said that he was let off because of his “political connections”.

Bhardwaj later told the media that he had allegedly acted in self-defence. A separate FIR was also registered against Bhardwaj under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the complaint of the minor activist, who alleged online rape threats and harassment.

Source: IANS

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Aizawl/Imphal, Oct 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) The bodies of three officials of Doordarshan and the Press Information Bureau (PIB), who were killed when their car plunged into a deep gorge near Sataek village in Mizoram, would be handed over to their families on Friday, officials said.

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and his Mizoram counterpart Lalduhoma on Friday separately condoled the deaths of the three officials.

Aizawl Doordarshan Kendra Director (News) Nampibou Marinmai, Press Information Bureau (PIB) Additional Director General Engam Pame, and a multi-tasking staff (MTS) member of the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) field office in Mizoram, H. Lianvela, were killed when the car in which they were travelling plunged into a deep gorge near Sataek village, about 30 km south of Aizawl, on Thursday night.

The driver of the vehicle, Gojendro Dey of Aizwal CBC, sustained severe injuries and was admitted to Zoram Medical College and Hospital (ZMCH) at Falkawn near Aizawl, an official said.

According to the official, the four were returning to Aizawl after planting a tree at Sialsuk village in memory of Pame's brother, who had died in an accident, when their vehicle veered off the road and plunged into the gorge after the driver suddenly experienced uneasiness and was unable to move his limbs or open his eyes.

The bodies of Nampibou Marinmai and Engam Pame will be sent to their respective hometowns in Manipur on Friday after the autopsy, the official said.

The three bodies were brought to ZMCH on Thursday night for postmortem examination, which is scheduled to be conducted on Friday.

Leaders of the Mizoram Journalists' Association (MJA) also visited ZMCH on Thursday night to offer condolences and pay homage to the three officials.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Lalduhoma, who is also the president of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), and Mizoram Congress President Lal Thanzara on Friday separately condoled the deaths.

In a social media post, the Chief Minister wrote: "I am deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely demise of Engam Pamei, PIB Imphal Additional Director General; Nampibou Marinmai, Director (News) of Doordarshan Kendra at Aizawl; and H. Lianvela, MTS of Aizawl CBC, who lost their lives in a tragic accident on the evening of October 1."

"My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families and loved ones. Their sudden and untimely passing is a profound loss, and I share in the grief of all who mourn them. May God grant strength and comfort to the bereaved families in this time of profound sorrow. May they rest in peace," Lalduhoma said.

Expressing his deep sorrow, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, in a Facebook post, said that the senior officers lost their lives in a tragic road accident in Mizoram.

"Nampibou Marinmai and Engam Pame were residents of Tamenglong district in Manipur. The Chief Minister extended his heartfelt prayers and sincere condolences to the bereaved families, praying that they find strength and courage to bear the irreparable loss," a post by the Manipur Chief Minister's Office said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) The NDTV is set to hold its upcoming World Summit 2026 in the national capital next month, on October 22 and 23, and will see many eclectic and influential personalities, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra, Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath and many more attending the two-day programme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to headline the two-day event, much like the previous two editions, laying the contours of the Summit -- setting the stage for two days of conversations with some of the most consequential voices in geopolitics, global strategy, business and economy and a host of other domains.

This year, the theme of the NDTV World Summit is 'A World Between Orders', reflecting the great uncertainty of our times and also whether our existing political and institutional imagination is keeping pace with that change or not.

The Summit will bring together many distinct and distinguished voices, including Swarnim Wagle, Federal Minister of Finance of Nepal; Sanjay Malhotra, RBI Governor; Swami Sarvapriyananda, Minister and Spiritual Leader, Vedanta Society of New York; Nikhil Kamath, Zerodha Founder; and Mike Walsh, Futurist and AI Specialist.

The two-day programme will span geopolitics and global strategy, monetary policy and global economy, economics and enterprise, artificial intelligence and the future of work, spirituality and philosophy, and the increasingly consequential relationship between technology and humanity, bringing many new and informed perspectives.

"The Summit will bring together a constellation of global voices and critical changemakers from politics and diplomacy, business and economics, technology and science, culture and society -- people whose ideas, decisions and work are shaping the direction in which the world moves," the NDTV said in a statement.

"The intention is not simply to assemble influence. It is to bring different forms of influence into conversation with one another. It will spotlight a wide spectrum of interdependent questions that ring the modern world," it added.

The previous 2025 edition, held on October 17 and 18, brought together the rare presence of two sitting Prime Ministers and two former Prime Ministers -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"The 2026 edition of NDTV World Summit is being curated with the same ambition and an even wider global canvas," it said.

Source: IANS

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Kochi, Sep 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kalamassery police in Kerala have issued a fresh notice to controversial Reporter TV Managing Director Anto Augustine, directing him to appear for questioning on Thursday in the case registered over his alleged defamatory remarks against Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

The police had initially asked Augustine to appear before them on Monday. However, he did not turn up.

His lawyer informed the police that Augustine was not in the city and would appear only after October 5.

The police rejected the request, saying they could not give him so much time.

A fresh notice was subsequently issued directing him to appear at the Kalamassery police station on Thursday.

Augustine had earlier indicated that he would approach the Kerala High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR.

The case was registered on a complaint by KPCC spokesperson Raju P. Nair. It relates to remarks made by Augustine at a public function about two weeks ago.

Augustine had claimed that two young men had approached him with documents relating to an alleged marriage of the Chief Minister.

He said he had conducted an enquiry into the documents at the Baindoor Sub-Registrar's Office and that the documents were in his possession.

The remarks triggered a political controversy as they were seen as an allegation concerning the personal life of the Chief Minister. Raju P. Nair later approached the police, alleging that Augustine had made the remarks with the intention of publicly insulting CM Satheesan.

Following a direction from the Director General of Police, a case was registered.

The FIR alleges that Augustine and two others were involved in a conspiracy and had knowingly kept forged documents in their possession.

Police are examining the origin and authenticity of the documents and the circumstances in which they came into Augustine's possession.

The complainant has also sought seizure of the documents and examination of CCTV footage to identify those allegedly involved in preparing them.

The case comes at a time when Augustine is facing legal proceedings in several other matters, including the Muttil tree-felling cases.

He was also recently arrested in an Abkari case and was later granted bail.

The police are now awaiting Augustine's appearance on Thursday as they proceed with the investigation into the allegations.

Source: IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The journalist's microphone has always been a powerful political instrument, but when the Kerala Chief Minister decides to answer questions from its holder, is now set to change in the state under the V.D. Satheesan-led UDF government.

Chief Minister Satheesan now appears set to bring some order to the ritual of journalists chasing him for a reaction.

His office has decided that the Chief Minister will not be expected to answer questions wherever he happens to appear.

If he is meeting the media, the occasion will be announced in advance.

The regular Wednesday post-Cabinet interaction will continue, while other interactions will be announced when necessary.

For television journalists, this could mean the end of an old Kerala tradition: the sudden sprint after the Chief Minister, more seen when the Congress is in power, with microphones held high and cameras following close behind.

The change comes after recent occasions when a battery of journalists surrounded Satheesan seeking his reaction to political controversies.

The police too have become concerned about the security implications of reporters and others getting too close to the Chief Minister.

It also marks an interesting change in Kerala's political media equation.

The Congress Chief Ministers, particularly A.K. Antony and Oommen Chandy, often faced an aggressive media pack.

With the expansion of television news, the post-event reaction became almost as important as the event itself.

The Left had a rather different tradition.

E.K. Nayanar and V.S. Achuthanandan were never known to surrender the microphone easily.

Pinarayi Vijayan took that tradition to another level during his decade as Chief Minister.

There was rarely any doubt about who was running the press conference. The questions could be sharp, but the format remained his.

His famous ‘Kadakku Purathu’ (get out) directed at reporters in 2017 became part of Kerala's political folklore.

Ironically, Vijayan's relationship with the media has changed since he became Leader of the Opposition.

He is now meeting journalists far more frequently and has been taking questions at public interactions and press meets.

Satheesan, meanwhile, is discovering the other side of the microphone.

At last Wednesday's post-Cabinet briefing, with television cameras rolling and questions flying from different directions, he appealed to the viewers that he could not hear anything because everyone was speaking at the same time.

Source: IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kerala High Court has put in place comprehensive guidelines regulating photography, videography, and live streaming within its premises, restricting such activities without prior permission and prescribing action against advocates, court staff, media personnel, and visitors who violate the rules.

The General Guidelines for the Regulation of Photography, Videography and Live Streaming in the High Court Premises seek to ensure security, privacy, decorum, and the smooth functioning of the court.

Under the guidelines, photography, videography, and live streaming are prohibited within the High Court premises unless specifically permitted under separate provisions governing the use of designated facilities such as the auditorium and banquet hall for special events.

The Registrar General, or an officer authorised by the Chief Justice, can grant permission in appropriate cases.

The guidelines also prohibit the uploading, publishing, circulation, or dissemination through social media or other electronic platforms of photographs, videos or live streams recorded within the High Court premises without prior permission.

A complete ban has been imposed on photography, videography, and live streaming inside court halls, judges' chambers, Registry offices and sections, record rooms, security control rooms, server rooms, and other restricted or secured areas.

An exception can be made for officially authorised purposes.

Photography, videography and live streaming undertaken for official purposes can only be carried out by personnel or agencies authorised by the Registry.

Such material is to be used only for official purposes and cannot be disseminated without approval.

The guidelines also specifically regulate media coverage of official functions and other events.

Print, electronic, and digital media organisations will have to obtain permission from the Registrar General or an officer authorised by the Chief Justice.

Media personnel permitted to cover an event will have to confine their activities to the approved venue, date, and time and comply with directions issued by the Registry and Security Wing.

The guidelines prescribe different courses of action depending on who commits the violation.

In the case of an advocate, law intern, or law clerk, the matter can be referred to the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association, Bar Council of Kerala or another competent authority.

If the violation involves a Registry officer or employee of another office functioning within the High Court premises, the matter can be referred to the controlling officer or competent authority.

For media personnel and other visitors, permission for future entry or coverage can be withdrawn or restricted, apart from any other action that may be taken.

The move comes against the backdrop of courts across the country increasingly framing separate rules governing recording and live streaming.

The Delhi High Court, for instance, has separate Live Streaming and Recording of Court Proceedings Rules and expressly prohibits cameras and video recorders inside its court building without permission.

Source: IANS

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Kochi, Sep 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kerala High Court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to Anto Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, in a case registered by the Excise Department following the seizure of a large quantity of liquor from a house in Wayanad.

The relief comes after Augustine spent several days in judicial custody following his arrest last Thursday.

His earlier bail application had been rejected by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery, prompting him to approach the High Court.

The court had also declined interim bail on Friday and scheduled the matter for a detailed hearing on Tuesday before granting him conditional bail.

Augustine was arrested from the Reporter TV office at Kalamassery after excise officials seized around 65 litres of liquor and wine during a search conducted at a property in Wayanad. The case has been registered under Sections 55(a), 55(i) and 58 of the Kerala Abkari Act.

During the hearings, the defence argued that Augustine neither possessed nor controlled the property from which the liquor was allegedly recovered. It contended that the property had been mortgaged to the State Bank of India and was later sold through a SARFAESI auction in 2022.

The defence also maintained that Augustine was not present at the premises during the search and questioned the applicability of the sections invoked under the Abkari Act.

The excise case is separate from an ongoing police probe into alleged financial irregularities linked to the proposed visit of football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national football team to Kerala.

Shortly before the excise case was registered, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala Police conducted searches at the offices of Reporter Broadcasting Company and at properties associated with Augustine and his brothers, seizing documents and records as part of its investigation.

The timing of Augustine's arrest, coming soon after the SIT searches, had triggered debate and raised questions over the action taken against the head of the media organisation.

Augustine has denied the allegations in the liquor case and has maintained that he has cooperated with investigators in the football-event probe.

With the High Court's order, Augustine will be released from custody subject to the conditions imposed by the court, while investigations in both the excise case and the financial irregularities probe continue.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum following the passing away of senior journalist Payal Mehta, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Nabin calling it an "irreplaceable loss" to journalism.

HM Amit Shah said he was "deeply saddened by the demise of senior journalist Payal Mehta ji".

According to the Home Minister, thorough professionalism, commitment to sharing every detail of information about an issue with her readers and viewers, and a warm personality was what defined Mehta.

"The untimely passing of such a talented and hardworking journalist is an irreplaceable loss to the field of journalism," he said.

"I extend my deepest condolences to her grieving family and friends and pray to God to give them the strength to bear this profound pain. Om Shanti."

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed shock at the news of Mehta's demise.

"Had just attended her father’s prayer service a few days ago. Payal used to be as regular as me in Parliament during sessions. She was a true professional journalist. Heartfelt prayers for her departed soul," he said on X.

Expressing his condolences, Union Minister J.P. Nadda remembered Payal Mehta as a "talented and passionate journalist, who will be remembered for her dedication to her profession and her kind-hearted nature".

"My heartfelt condolences to her family and friends," Nadda said on X.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi also expressed grief, saying: "Saddened by the untimely demise of journalist Payal Mehta ji, who covered Parliament."

"My sincere condolences to her family, friends and colleagues," he said in a post on X.

Expressing his condolences, BJP chief Nitin Nabin hailed Mehta's hard work and sharp understanding of national issues.

In a post on X, he echoed: "Her untimely passing is a great loss to the media fraternity. My heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues."

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed shock at Mehta's demise, recalling that he had first met the senior journalist 18 years ago.

"She kept me on my toes always with her breaking news, especially when Parliament used to be in session. She was a very hardworking and jolly person who had begun her career as a sports journalist but made a mark by her political reporting in recent years," he said in a post on X.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also recalled that Mehta would always go "the extra mile for a story".

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said: "She travelled to Andhra Pradesh on several occasions to report from the ground, and whenever we met in Parliament, she would make it a point to reach out and share updates."

CM Naidu mentioned that he would remember Payal Mehta for her enthusiasm, her commitment to journalism, and the warm smile with which she approached everyone.

"My heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and colleagues at Network18. Her untimely passing is deeply saddening. Om Shanti," he added.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Sep 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Journalist Payal Sharma passed away in Mumbai early on Sunday. She was 46.

Mehta developed uneasiness late on Saturday night and was rushed to the hospital at around 2 a.m., according to colleagues. However, before any treatment could be administered, the doctors did not find any pulse.

Payal Mehta was working as an Assistant Editor with CNN-News 18.

Condolences poured in following her demise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to express grief over the passing of the journalist.

"Payal Mehta Ji was a hardworking journalist who remained firmly connected to the ground, bringing a deep understanding of national issues to her reporting," PM Modi posted on X.

"Beyond her work, she will be remembered for the kindness and warmth with which she touched so many lives. Her sudden and untimely passing is extremely saddening. My condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. May they find strength in this difficult hour. Om Shanti," he added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed shock and sadness over the passing of Mehta.

Taking to X, Singh said, "Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the untimely passing of journalist Payal Mehta. She has left us far too soon."

"Payal was an extremely hardworking and dedicated journalist who covered the Parliament beat with great commitment and professionalism. During Parliament sessions, she would be present from early morning till late at night, tirelessly following the proceedings and doing her work with remarkable dedication," Singh said, offering heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also offered condolences, remembering Mehta as a "hardworking and diligent journalist".

"Deeply saddened by the passing of Payal Mehta ji. A hardworking and diligent journalist, she covered Parliament and had a keen understanding of public affairs. Her untimely passing is deeply distressing," Kharge said in a post on X.

"My heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. May they find strength in this difficult hour," he added.

Source: IANS

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Wayanad, Sep 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Anto Augustine, Managing Director of Reporter Broadcasting Corporation, who is in judicial custody in connection with a liquor seizure case, was on Saturday handed over to the Excise Department for 24 hours by a court in Wayanad for further interrogation.

The development comes a day after the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery rejected Augustine's bail plea. The Kerala High Court had also declined to grant him interim bail on Friday and posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

Augustine was arrested by the Excise Department in the early hours of Thursday from the Reporter TV office in Kalamassery following the seizure of liquor allegedly recovered from his ancestral house at Vazhavatta in Wayanad. Excise officials said around 67 litres of liquor and wine were found during a search conducted on Wednesday.

According to the department, the stock included foreign-made liquor, wine and other alcoholic beverages allegedly not authorised for sale in India. A case has been registered under Sections 55(a), 55(i) and 58 of the Kerala Abkari Act, which deal with alleged illegal possession and handling of liquor.

An Excise team led by Assistant Commissioner Baiju reached the Reporter TV office at around 2.30 a.m. on Thursday and arrested Augustine. He was later taken to Wayanad and produced before the Bathery court, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.

The arrest came shortly after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged financial irregularities linked to the proposed visit of football star Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to Kerala conducted searches at the offices of Reporter Broadcasting Corporation and premises associated with Augustine and his brothers in Kochi and Wayanad. Investigators seized documents and other records during those searches, including material related to Kaloor Stadium.

Authorities have clarified that the police probe into the proposed football event is separate from the Excise case. A separate tax-related inquiry has also raised questions over alleged financial irregularities involving Reporter Broadcasting Corporation.

Augustine has denied the liquor-related allegations and maintained that he cooperated with the SIT investigation by providing all documents sought by investigators. Following the 24-hour custodial interrogation, he is expected to be produced before the court again.

Source: IANS

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Srinagar, Sep 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) J&K has no journalist welfare scheme, the government admitted in response to an RTI query.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has no welfare scheme currently in force for journalists, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) said in response to the RTI plea, even though the administration continues to operate under a media policy that is now undergoing revision.

The disclosure is contained in a nine-page response issued by the Public Information Officer, DIPR, to an RTI application filed by Dr Shozena Amin. The response provides information on the government's media advertising policy, empanelment of media organisations, advertising expenditure, and journalist welfare.

Asked to provide details of welfare schemes or policies presently available for journalists and media persons in Jammu and Kashmir, the department's response said: “No welfare scheme is in vogue for Journalists in J&K.”

The response also indicates that the Media Policy 2020, which governs government advertising to media organisations, remains applicable throughout the Union Territory, including both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. The policy was approved by the Administrative Council on April 29, 2020 and notified through Government Order No. 05-JK(ID) of 2020 dated May 15, 2020.

According to the RTI response, the policy was approved for a validity period of five years, although it could be reviewed earlier if required. Asked whether it had subsequently been amended, modified, replaced, extended or renewed, DIPR stated that revision, amendment or modification of the policy was under process in the Administrative Department.

The RTI applicant sought year-wise and organisation-wise expenditure details for government advertisements released to television, print, radio and digital media during the previous five financial years.

Instead of providing the requested consolidated information, DIPR stated that the year-wise and organisation-wise expenditure details, bills and ledgers involved a "voluminous mass of decentralised operational records" and compiling the information into a consolidated format would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority under Section 7(9) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The department instead invited the applicant to visit the DIPR office on a working day to inspect original files, registers and financial ledgers and obtain necessary extracts or copies under the RTI Act after coordination with the Public Information Officer.

The same response was given for requests concerning expenditure on television advertising and separate expenditure on local J&K and national television channels.

Similar treatment was given to questions concerning advertising agencies and media-buying agencies. DIPR acknowledged that the department engages professional agencies, designers and printers through empanelment or open/limited tenders under GFR 2017 rules, while stating that detailed year-wise, agency-wise expenditure records and contracts constitute a large volume of decentralised records.

The RTI response also says the department has mechanisms for verifying that advertisements paid for by the government were actually published, broadcast or telecast.

For television, DIPR said it obtains telecast certificates, transmission logs, proof-of-play reports, recordings or other documentary evidence before making payment. For newspapers, copies are required to be submitted to DIPR before 10 a.m. on the day of publication, while TV, radio and digital media are required to provide supporting bills and broadcast or telecast records.

The document presents a mixed picture of the government's media administration: a formal policy framework exists for advertising and media empanelment, verification procedures are prescribed, and a revision of the 2020 policy is reportedly under process.

Source: IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi on Thursday praised the Kerala government led by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, saying the Centre was receiving unprecedented cooperation from the state in taking forward development projects.

Gopi said the state government was now extending support in a manner that had not been seen during the previous 10 years.

He said he could approach Chief Minister Satheesan and other members of the state government on matters concerning development and central projects.

"Today, we can approach Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and others for anything," he said.

He said the improved coordination between the Centre and the state would help bring more Central government projects to Kerala.

Gopi's remarks assume significance as the BJP and the Congress-led state government have often been political rivals in Kerala.

His comments indicate a willingness to work with the new state government on development projects despite political differences.

Gopi also came out in support of the police action in the recent raid on the office of Reporter TV in connection with the investigation into alleged financial fraud.

Defending the police action, he said raids were part of normal procedure and could take place at any time.

He questioned the different reactions to police searches depending on whether the person being searched was a journalist or an ordinary citizen.

"When police enter the house of an ordinary person, nobody usually reacts," he said.

Gopi said officials conducting searches would normally take possession of phones and carry out inspections as part of the procedure.

He also rejected the suggestion that journalists should be treated differently during such searches, saying journalists were also ordinary citizens.

His remarks come amid a political controversy over the police action against Reporter TV and its Managing Editor Anto Augustine.

Opposition parties and others have questioned whether the action could have implications for media freedom.

The Kerala government has maintained that the police action was connected to the investigation into alleged serious offences and had nothing to do with the functioning of the media organisation or its news coverage.

Gopi, however, backed the police action and questioned the basis of objections raised in the name of press freedom.

Asked specifically about media freedom in the context of the raid, the Union Minister responded sharply, asking the questioner: "Who are you?"

His comments on both issues, cooperation with the Satheesan government and the Reporter TV raid, came at a time when relations between the Centre and the newly elected state government are being closely watched.

While the BJP remains the principal political opponent of the Congress in Kerala, Gopi's statement suggested that political differences need not stand in the way of cooperation on development projects.

His support for the police action, meanwhile, is likely to add another dimension to the ongoing debate over the raid and the limits of police powers when a media organisation is involved.

Source: IANS

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Kochi, Sep 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Reporter TV Managing Director Anto Augustine was formally arrested by the Excise Department in a case relating to the possession of liquor beyond the permissible limit, as the police investigation into alleged financial irregularities surrounding the proposed visit of Lionel Messi and the Argentina football team to Kerala gathered pace.

An Excise team led by Assistant Commissioner Baiju reached the Reporter TV office in Kalamassery in the early hours of Thursday and took Augustine into custody.

He was later subjected to a medical examination and is now being taken to Wayanad, a journey expected to take several hours.

He will be produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Sulthan Bathery.

The arrest followed the seizure of a large quantity of liquor from Augustine’s ancestral house at Vazhavatta in Wayanad during the SIT search on Wednesday.

Excise officials seized 43 litres of foreign liquor, seven litres of foreign wine and 13 litres of homemade wine, besides liquor bottles not authorised for sale in India.

The arrest at the Reporter TV office witnessed a tense sequence of events.

After the Excise team read out the seizure mahazar, Augustine insisted that he be shown the FIR before being arrested.

Though officials showed him a digital copy, he insisted on a hard copy.

Perumbavoor Excise Circle Inspector Manoj Kumar subsequently arrived with the physical copy, following which the arrest was formally recorded.

The developments came shortly after a nearly 20-hour search by the SIT at the Reporter Broadcasting Company office and premises linked to its owners in Kochi and Wayanad.

The police seized several documents, memory cards and records relating to the Kaloor stadium, besides $6,300 in foreign currency.

The searches were conducted under court warrants.

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who returned from the US, said the SIT headed by ADGP P. Vijayan was constituted to investigate the Messi episode on the basis of a report submitted by the Sports Secretary.

He said the report had been handed over to him by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

“The SIT is doing its job according to law. It has acted only in accordance with the prevailing laws. The Home Minister does not intervene,” Chennithala told reporters at the Cochin airport.

He said any action found to be contrary to law would be examined.

“They had a search warrant and proceeded accordingly. What happened during the past one decade is known to everyone. Why did you not see that then? Many media personnel were under duress. We are making it very clear that if anything wrong has been done, it will be looked into,” he said.

The SIT search, led by Thrikkakara ACP Bijoy Chandran, began around 6 a.m. on Wednesday and concluded at about 2.30 a.m. on Thursday.

The team also searched the flats of Augustine and his brothers at Chembumukku and the office of marketing company GOTAD, which investigators suspect has links with Augustine.

Police said evidence had been collected and that the SIT chief would provide further details.

The Excise case against Augustine carries non-bailable provisions under the Abkari Act, while the separate SIT investigation concerns alleged cheating and financial irregularities linked to the proposed Messi-Argentina event.

Source: IANS

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Imphal, Sep 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday said the prolonged ethnic conflict in the state had led to a decline of over Rs 1,200 crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue between 2023 and 2026, putting considerable pressure on the state's economy.

Addressing the 52nd Foundation Day celebration of the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) at the Manipur Press Club, Imphal, he also appealed to all civil society organisations (CSOs) of the state not to resort to bandhs (shutdowns) and blockades, noting that the collateral impact of such actions had affected the state significantly in terms of economic activity and development, and appealed for collective efforts to create an environment conducive to economic recovery and development.

On the welfare of journalists, the Chief Minister informed that the journalist pension amount would be increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, while the family pension would be increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per month.

He further informed that during the conflict, many journalists could not make their contributions to the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Journalist Pension Scheme. For those who could not pay their contributions, a one-time relaxation will be allowed to re-activate their pension accounts, he added.

The Chief Minister stated that the above matters would be placed before the Cabinet meeting for consideration.

Regarding pending advertisements, Khemchand Singh informed that pending advertisement bills amounting to around Rs 1 crore had been disbursed.

He said that a follow-up meeting with all Heads of Departments has been scheduled for September 25 to further deliberate on the matter. The programme was attended by MLA Khongbantabam Ibomcha, Secretary (IPR) Neeta Arambam, Director Charanjeet Singh, President of Editors’ Guild Manipur Khogenra Khomdram, President of AMWJU Asem Bhakta Singh, officials, journalists and members of the AMWJU, among others.

On the occasion, Khemchand Singh also paid floral tribute at the AMWJU memorial stone in remembrance of journalists who had passed away.

Source: IANS

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Kochi, Sep 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged fraud in the name of football superstar Lionel Messi conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations in Kerala's Kochi and Wayanad early Wednesday, including the office of Reporter TV, triggering a sharp political confrontation over the police action against the media organisation.

The searches began around 4 a.m. and were carried out at the Kochi flats of Anto Augustin and Josekutty Augustin, their ancestral house in Wayanad, the Reporter TV office in Kochi and the office of GOTAD company.

The police SIT reached the locations in five vehicles and conducted searches simultaneously.

The police have registered a case at the Kalamassery police station in connection with the alleged fraud involving Messi’s name.

The FIR invokes charges including cheating, fraud and criminal conspiracy.

Reporter Broadcasting Company and Anto Augustin have been named as the accused.

The search at the Reporter TV office, however, became the immediate focus of a political controversy, with Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan strongly condemning the police action and alleging that the operation disrupted news broadcasting.

In a statement, Vijayan alleged that a group of policemen entered the news desk at the Kochi office in the early hours, forcibly took away journalists’ mobile phones and created an atmosphere of terror for nearly one-and-a-half hours.

He also alleged that the police filmed the journalists.

Vijayan described the action as reminiscent of the Emergency and alleged that what had happened in Kerala was similar to attacks on media organisations in BJP-ruled states and Delhi.

He also drew a comparison to the action against NewsClick, alleging that the seizure of equipment and action against journalists in that case were similar to what had happened at Reporter TV.

“Kerala will not accept such an assault aimed at silencing the media,” Vijayan said, while strongly condemning what he described as an attack on media freedom.

He demanded an explanation from Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, who also holds the Home portfolio, saying the CM and state Home Minister should answer for the police action against the media.

The SIT raids form part of the investigation into the alleged misuse of Messi’s name.

The simultaneous searches at the residences and offices of those linked to the case indicate that investigators are examining multiple aspects of the alleged financial transactions and the role of the accused and associated entities.

Source: IANS

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Panaji, Sep 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former Tehelka Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal surrendered before a Goa court on Monday and was subsequently taken to Central Jail at Colvale in North Goa, weeks after the Bombay High Court convicted him in a 2013 rape case and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

The development came after the Supreme Court, on August 25, directed the 62-year-old journalist to surrender within two weeks before his appeal against the conviction could be taken up for hearing.

The apex court had rejected his plea seeking urgent relief and made it clear that his appeal would be considered only after he submitted a surrender certificate.

Tejpal surrendered before the Additional Sessions Court at Mapusa, following which he was sent to Central Jail at Colvale to begin serving his 10-year sentence.

On August 25, the Supreme Court had directed Tejpal to file a surrender certificate on or before September 22, making it clear that his appeal challenging the conviction and 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence would be heard on merits only after he surrendered.

A single-judge bench of Justice Alok Aradhe passed the order after hearing senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Goa government.

Sibal submitted that Tejpal had been granted four weeks' time by the Bombay High Court on August 6 to surrender. He argued that Tejpal had remained on bail throughout the proceedings, except for the initial six months, and is now a senior citizen.

He also referred to the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Act, 1970, to contend that the apex court could consider the exemption plea along with the appeal on merits.

Opposing the plea, SG Mehta submitted that Tejpal's appeal could not be heard unless he either surrendered and produced a surrender certificate or obtained an exemption from surrender.

The Solicitor General also argued that reliance on the 1970 Act was misplaced as it was a temporary legislation and the appellate jurisdiction was now governed by the applicable statutory provisions.

After hearing the parties, Justice Aradhe said the Supreme Court had decided against Tejpal's plea and asked his counsel how much time he would require to surrender.

Sibal sought two weeks, following which the top court recorded the request and directed Tejpal to surrender within that period.

The apex court ordered that if the surrender certificate is filed on or before September 22, the matter would be listed on that date for hearing on the merits of his appeal.

The Goa government has also moved the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of Tejpal's 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence imposed by the Bombay High Court in the sexual assault case.

On August 6, the Bombay High Court had set aside Tejpal's acquittal by a sessions court and convicted him of rape and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar subsequently sentenced him to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and granted him time to surrender.

Tejpal was convicted under Sections 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(k) (rape), 354A (sexual harassment) and 354B (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to disrobe) of the IPC.

The case stems from allegations by a junior colleague that Tejpal sexually assaulted her inside an elevator of a luxury hotel in Goa during an event in November 2013.

The Goa Police registered an FIR against Tejpal for offences including rape, following which he was arrested in November 2013 after a local court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

The Supreme Court granted him regular bail in July 2014.

In May 2021, the sessions court had acquitted Tejpal, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and referring to alleged lapses in the investigation.

The Goa government subsequently challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court, contending that the trial court had erred in appreciating the evidence on record.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit underway in New Delhi has found considerable interest in Bangladesh with its media discussing its relevance and influence as a platform for the Global South, with a somewhat mixed reaction on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s decision to skip it.

BRICS is the acronym for the grouping with Brazil, Russia, India, and China being founding members, and South Africa joining later, with the nations representing over 40 per cent of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of global GDP. It now comprises 11 countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2025, nations like Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam joined as Partner Countries.

Though Bangladesh is not a member-state, the Prime Minister was invited as the current Chairperson of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), a regional organisation of seven South and Southeast Asian countries aimed at promoting economic, technical, and strategic cooperation around the Bay of Bengal.

Quoting former Ambassador to the United States, M. Humayun Kabir, Bangladesh Pratidin on Saturday said that the BRICS Summit is an important international event and it would have been “good” if the Prime Minister could attend. Attending the New Delhi Summit would have provided an opportunity to personally connect with leaders from other countries, he reportedly opined, adding that though Bangladesh would have remained on the sidelines of the Summit, Dhaka could still have spoken with them on topics relevant to its interests.

At the same time, the report emphasised that many international relations analysts believe that Bangladesh is not diplomatically or economically harmed by not attending the event.

Commentators told the newspaper that Prime Minister Rahman has already held bilateral meetings with China's President Xi Jinping and Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Meeting world leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit is not a major diplomatic or political achievement for Bangladesh, as Rahman will also visit several other important countries where he will have bilateral meetings, they added.

Incidentally, in October 2016, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had participated in the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit in Goa.

This year, ASEAN Chairman and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, African Union President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, President of the Latin American bloc, Uruguay’s Mario Lubetkin, and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev representing Euro-Asian cooperation, are among participants.

None of them is a BRICS member.

Among other international figures attending are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Writing in detail about the event, the Bangladesh Business Standard mentioned on Saturday: "Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was invited as the current chairman of BIMSTEC……, but did not attend".

The report concluded by pointing to some inherent issues, saying the “New Delhi summit will therefore test whether the expanded group can translate its growing economic weight into practical cooperation while managing those differences”.

Pointing to the broader objectives of BRICS, popular Bengali daily Prothom Alo on Saturday stressed the importance of the grouping for Bangladesh as “multi-dimensional”. Stating that Bangladesh's development requires massive infrastructure financing, it mentioned that the country is already a member of the New Development Bank since 2021, which the newspaper identified as "One of the most important institutional achievements of BRICS".

According to it, by the end of 2025, the bank's approved financing for Bangladesh has reached about $450 million. Thus, Dhaka's relationship with BRICS is not just a matter of political interest; "A viable financial base has already been laid for this," it said.

It also elaborated on the scope for economic diplomacy, especially with China and India being two very important economic partners of Bangladesh and also on the scope for further expansion of trade relations with countries like Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Overall, the article stressed how BRICS can be an additional diplomatic and economic instrument in that transition phase.

However, it also mentioned the diversities within BRICS, asserting that how much integrated the grouping “will become a political force is still undetermined”, stressing that membership itself is not a guarantee of economic success.

Though Dhaka has framed Rahman skipping the Summit on account of the invitation being as BIMSTEC Chair and not Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, there were statements criticising Sheikh Hasina’s media interaction while in exile.

The government is under pressure on certain issues and alignments. It had sought Hasina’s immediate extradition despite the former Premier announcing her intent of returning this December. Hasina faces a death sentence, with reports saying she will face execution upon return, with no chance to appeal. Meanwhile, her party, the Awami League, faces a ban.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Foreign journalists who are on a visit to India for the ongoing BRICS Summit here heaped praise on the reception they received in the country, saying that the experience here reminds them of "home".

Speaking to IANS, Melissa Hollow from TV BRICS Africa said: "It is my first time in India, in New Delhi. It has been so humbling and a beautiful experience. I have been to a few of the temples before the summit and also took a walk around the area. I can truly say that it's a very peaceful state. It's filled with billions of people, yet you feel at home. I did not feel lost at all. People were very helpful."

"The food is also extremely delicious. I really appreciate the culture very much," she added.

Senior Khaleej Times journalist, Alyaa Mohamed Obaid Ali Al Dhanhani, hailed India's role in hosting the BRICS Summit, calling it "well-organised". She also praised the hospitality received in the country.

Shadrack Hollow from TV BRICS Africa had a special word of appreciation for Indian cuisine, while speaking to IANS.

"I arrived on the 8th of September, and the experience has been great. The food is wonderful—it's tasty, colourful. I enjoyed every bit of a bite I took, especially the tandoori chicken," he said.

Another South African journalist echoed it, saying: "The stay in India has been great and comfortable. People have been really welcoming. Everywhere we went, it has been a joy to see the people of India."

Malaysian journalist Yasmin Natasha, who is visiting India for the first time, was surprised by the pace of development. "Surprisingly, India is already developing rapidly, especially in terms of its economy. Transportation is also expanding and growing," she told IANS.

Meanwhile, Indonesian journalist Mega Mei Wahidawati said India and Indonesia have shared history and similar Sanskrit influences.

"I have learnt a lot about Indian culture. Actually, in terms of relationship, Indonesia and India are very close, with shared history and Sanskrit influences. For example, our currency is called the Rupiah, and your currency is called the Rupee. Both are similar in meaning. Our country's name, Indonesia, and yours, India, are also similar," Wahidawati told IANS.

Source: IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Friday warned of strict legal action against those behind the cyber attacks targeting senior journalist Jijo John Puthenzheth and his family following his death.

Calling the attacks extremely painful, Chief Minister Satheesan said spreading hatred and falsehoods in an organised manner against a journalist who had passed away, or against any human being, was a permanent stain on Kerala’s high social culture.

“What humanity do those who spread hatred from identifiable and anonymous IDs speak of? What human values do they speak of?” Chief Minister Satheesan asked in a social media post.

Jijo, 54, a senior journalist with Malayala Manorama’s Kochi unit, died of a cardiac arrest on Wednesday morning.

Soon after news of his death emerged, social media witnessed a stream of abusive comments targeting him and his family.

Chief Minister Satheesan said it was a serious matter if the abuse was driven by political animosity over Jijo’s investigative reports in the past.

“Insulting a journalist over the discharge of his professional duty, and insulting even his death in the name of political hostility, is wholly unbecoming of a democratic society,” he said.

He said the government would consider the matter with utmost seriousness based on complaints filed by the Ernakulam Press Club and Jijo’s friends.

“Strict legal action will be taken against those responsible without any compromise,” Satheesan said, adding that such despicable and cruel cyber attacks would not be tolerated against anyone.

Jijo was known for his investigative reports and coverage of politics and governance.

Some of his reports were critical of the Left and the CPI-M, earning him political critics.

But his professional work had also earned him national recognition.

He received the Ramnath Goenka Award in 2015 and had produced several investigative reports that attracted national attention.

Chief Minister Satheesan, in his condolence message after Jijo’s death, had recalled his personal association with the journalist.

He said he had started for office after reading a report carrying Jijo’s byline that morning, only to learn of his death after a Cabinet meeting.

Chief Minister Satheesan said Jijo was not only a senior journalist but also a fellow townsman and close friend.

He had met him just days before his death.

The outrage over the social media abuse has now raised a larger question about political discourse in Kerala , whether political hostility can be allowed to survive even beyond death.

There can be disagreements with a journalist’s reports and criticism of his methods. But the reaction to Jijo’s death has renewed the debate over whether there remains a basic line of decency that political differences should never cross.

Source: IANS

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Chengannur (Kerala), Sep 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kerala's Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday burst out at media persons in his typical manner as they persistently posed questions on the Enforcement Directorate's latest move against him and his family.

"Are you going to come to the bathroom with me?” he retorted as reporters gathered around him at the Kallissery PWD Rest House here.

It was Vijayan’s first public appearance before the media after the ED forwarded its findings and supporting material to the state police chief under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, seeking registration of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other applicable laws against him, his daughter T. Veena and son-in-law and MLA P.A. Mohammed Riyas, among others.

Vijayan stopped at the rest house around noon while travelling to Changancherry.

A group of media personnel was waiting at the portico when he stepped out of his official car.

The reporters closed in and posed the key question, but Vijayan remained mum.

He walked into the state-owned rest house, with reporters following and putting the same question to him a few more times.

It was only when he was about to enter a room that a visibly angry Vijayan turned back and made his curt retort. "I came here not to meet you," he added.

There was also no response when he emerged from the rest house and got into his vehicle.

He then left for Changancherry.

Vijayan was also slated to address a party meeting in Alappuzha district.

Vijayan’s reluctance to engage with the media is hardly new.

During his decade as Chief Minister, he scrapped the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, a practice followed for several decades.

His approach was clear: he would speak when he chose to, rather than when the media wanted him to.

That style has produced several memorable exchanges over the years.

A video that went viral in July 2017 showed Vijayan angrily asking media personnel to get out as he arrived for a meeting with BJP-RSS leaders in Thiruvananthapuram.

Nine years later, the setting has changed, but the answer, this time, was unmistakably vintage Vijayan.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Marathon search operations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials at a media entity owned by Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Nadimul Haque, which started on Monday morning, were finally completed early on Tuesday and are said to have detected major financial irregularities.

Sources aware of the development said that financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 60 crore in the books of accounts of 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq', a multi-edition Urdu newspaper, have been detected in the books of accounts of the media entity.

ED officials, sources said, have noticed some doubtful transactions involving Hawala links. It is learnt that the central investigating agency started an investigation in the matter following specific complaints of the Trinamool’s party funds being channelled through the media entity.

It is learnt that besides conducting the marathon raid and search operations at Akhbar-e-Mashriq's office in the Park Circus area in central Kolkata and examining the documents there, the ED officials also questioned Nadimul Haque in the matter for a prolonged period.

According to the ED, bank transaction documents and several digital documents were examined. The investigators claim that no proper evidence of the transaction of Rs 60 crore was found in them. When Nadimul Haque was asked about this, he could not give a proper answer either, sources added.

The ED claims that the transactions were suspicious and hence, it is being investigated whether the transaction took place through hawala or not.

It is learnt that ED officials have seized documents, both paper and digital, from that office. The ED officials will now thoroughly examine these documents to trace further financial irregularities besides the Rs 60 crore amount which had already been identified.

On Monday, besides the main office of 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq' at Park Circus in central Kolkata, simultaneous raids and search operations were conducted at six other locations in Delhi, Ranchi, and Kolkata that are linked to Haque.

The total of the seven locations where the ED raids are being conducted since Monday morning also included the residence of the Trinamool MP at Darga Road in south Kolkata. ED officials also reportedly reached the residence of Haque’s son-in-law.

Besides Kolkata, 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq' has editions from Delhi, Ranchi, Asansol, Siliguri, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Srinagar.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) RT (Russia Today) launched its Hindi digital operation in India, expanding the Russian state-backed broadcaster's presence beyond the English-speaking audience it has cultivated over the past year and into India's vast Hindi-language news market.

The launch comes days before the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13 and ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's expected visit to India, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The move represents another milestone in RT's growing media footprint in the country.

Branded with the Hindi tagline "Fark Nazariye Ka" ("The world looks different from here"), RT's new platform appears aimed at presenting alternative perspectives on global affairs to Indian audiences. The launch campaign prominently features journalist Runjhun Sharma, RT India's Head of News, who has previously been part of President Putin's media pool during high-level international summits.

The messaging behind the initiative suggests that global events can be viewed through multiple lenses and that perspectives beyond the Western narrative deserve space in public discourse. With the launch of rthindi.com, RT is extending that approach to India's largest linguistic audience.

In one of the platform's early interviews, Sharma spoke in Hindi with Russian Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin, providing a first glimpse of RT's Hindi-language editorial programming. The Russian Embassy in New Delhi has also announced the launch, describing RT Hindi as a new Hindi-language digital news platform.

Speaking to RT India, Babushkin said the initiative would enable more Hindi-speaking viewers to access what he described as timely and reliable information. He argued that the current global information environment was increasingly shaped by efforts to limit Russian perspectives and said RT Hindi would provide audiences with direct access to news and developments concerning Russia.

Referring to what he called an ongoing information campaign against Russia by Western countries, Babushkin said there was a growing need to provide Hindi-speaking audiences with objective information about Russia and bilateral relations between Moscow and New Delhi.

The launch has also drawn attention from Indian political figures associated with RT India's programming. Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who hosts RT's In Conversation With, contributed an opinion piece to the Hindi platform, highlighting the longstanding strategic partnership between India and Russia.

"India and Russia have together seen many seasons change but have remained steadfast, reliable strategic partners. As the world continues to be stirred and shaken, with the rules-based order under stress, the comfort of our friendship is invaluable. My best wishes to RT for this farsighted initiative," Khurshid wrote.

RT's expansion in India reflects a broader process of localisation. What began as an English-language television operation has evolved into a wider India-focused media presence involving Indian journalists, political personalities, public figures, media partnerships and now a dedicated Hindi-language digital platform.

"The launch of RT Hindi digital operations marks a natural next step in RT's commitment to India, with more than 500 million Hindi speakers," said Ashok Bagriya, CEO of RT India.

"With RT Hindi, we are taking our India-focused journalism to an even wider audience, bringing our coverage of India, Russia and the world to Hindi-speaking viewers. We have also significantly expanded our team, with around 50 professionals from across the industry joining the operation," he added.

Bagriya said RT India would remain the umbrella organisation for the broadcaster's activities in the country as it explores potential expansion into additional Indian regional languages.

RT India was formally launched in New Delhi in December 2025 by Russian President Vladimir Putin alongside RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan during Putin's visit to India. The initiative was presented as a media bridge between the two countries.

Since beginning broadcasts from studios in New Delhi later that month, RT India has increasingly focused on localised programming featuring Indian journalists, political personalities and public figures. The launch of RT Hindi extends that strategy further, taking the broadcaster's India-focused content to a substantially larger audience.

The significance of the move is straightforward: RT is broadening its reach beyond an English-speaking and internationally oriented audience to build a dedicated platform for Hindi-speaking viewers across India.

The initial launch established RT's presence in the country. The Hindi-language platform now represents its most significant expansion yet, bringing the broadcaster's content to India's largest linguistic audience.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team on Monday began major search operations at the Kolkata office of the Urdu newspaper 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq', which is owned by the Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member, Nadimul Haque.

Sources aware of the development said that besides the main office of 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq' at Park Circus in central Kolkata, simultaneous raids and search operations are being conducted at six other locations in Delhi, Ranchi, and Kolkata that are linked to Haque.

The total of the seven locations where the ED raids are being conducted since Monday morning also included the residence of the Trinamool MP at Darga Road in south Kolkata. ED officials have also reportedly reached the residence of Haque’s son-in-law.

Besides Kolkata, 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq' has editions from Delhi, Ranchi, Asansol, Siliguri, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Srinagar.

Although ED officials have remained tight-lipped over the details behind the raid, as per preliminary information available, it is in relation to alleged illegal transactions carried out through the bank accounts of the media entity.

The financial probe agency has come to investigate allegations of financial transactions in the newspaper's bank account, for which no correspondence has been found. It is learnt that the investigating officials have detected serious irregularities in the accounts of the media entity, hinting at money laundering.

The ED, sources said, had decided to interrogate Haque, his family members and the other directors of the media entity in this connection.

On early Monday, the ED officials, accompanied by a contingent of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel, arrived at 'Akhbar-e-Mashriq's Park Circus office. While the ED officials, along with some CAPF personnel, entered the office premises, the other CAPF personnel surrounded the office.

The office's main entrance was locked to prevent anyone from getting in or coming out of the office. The raids and search operation were ongoing, and as indicated by sources, this operation might be continued for quite some time.

Haque had been a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member since April 2012.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) India today increasingly engages with the world with confidence, not insecurity. India does not need to decide between its heritage and modernity, or choose between economic development and strategic autonomy, or pick between global partnerships and independent decision-making, a report said.

India's rise is one of the most important developments in the 21st century. India's story of rise is remarkable as it is driven by demographic strength, democracy, strategic geography, technological capability, cultural influence and an increasingly confident foreign policy. India has been growing economically and strategically without leaving its own identity, according to an opinion piece in Global Kashmir.

India registered a growth rate of 7.8 per cent in the April-June 2026 quarter. This performance comes at a time when there is geopolitical uncertainty and several major economies were witnessing slower growth. India's economic growth showcases the creation of an ecosystem in which digital technology, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, domestic consumption and innovation are reinforcing one another.

The digital revolution is one of the most important aspects of India's transformation, as technology has been used to increase people's access to payments, financial services, and public services.

India's greatest diplomatic strength today is its policy of maintaining ties with competing centres of global power simultaneously instead of choosing sides. India maintains ties with the US and other Indo-Pacific partners while continuing its historical ties with Russia. India has also established itself as the voice for the Global South by advocating for development, technology access, climate justice, food and energy security and greater representation in global institutions, according to an opinion piece in Global Kashmir.

"I believe India's most important transformation is psychological. The India of today increasingly approaches the world not with insecurity, but with confidence. It does not have to choose between its heritage and modernity. It does not have to choose between economic development and strategic autonomy," Social and Peace activist Sheikh Jamsheed said in an opinion piece in Global Kashmir.

"It does not have to choose between global partnerships and independent decision-making. India can engage with the world on its own terms. That confidence is important because nations become influential not only when others recognise their strength, but when they themselves begin to believe in their capacity to shape events," the author added.

The new international order will be shaped by technological revolutions, diplomatic negotiations, economic competition, conflicts, partnerships and the choices made by nations in the coming years, and India has an extraordinary opportunity at this time.

According to the report, India must use its influence to promote a world that is more representative, connected, technologically inclusive and respectful of the aspirations of developing countries. India's objective should be to define the 21st century and not to dominate it.

Source: IANS

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There was a time when getting the news meant making a deliberate choice. You bought a newspaper, turned on the television or listened to the radio at a particular time.

That habit has changed.

A news story can now appear between two photos on a social feed, arrive as a notification or be shared by a friend before someone has even thought about looking for it. In many cases, the first contact with a story does not come from a news website at all.

Social media has quietly become part of the news-reading routine, and it has changed not only how stories are discovered but also what happens to them afterwards.

News now finds the reader

The most obvious difference is convenience. People no longer have to visit several websites to find out what is happening. Social platforms bring posts from publishers, journalists, public figures and ordinary users into the same feed.

This can be useful when something is happening quickly. A major event may generate updates within minutes, with photos or videos appearing while the situation is still developing.

But convenience has another side. A person may see a story simply because an algorithm decided it was likely to hold their attention. The reader did not necessarily go looking for that particular subject.

That makes the feed a mixture of things people intentionally follow and things that happen to cross their path.

The smartphone made the change bigger

The shift would probably not have happened in quite the same way without smartphones.

People carry their news feed with them. They can check updates while having coffee, waiting for a bus or taking a break at work. A few minutes that might once have been spent doing nothing can now become an opportunity to catch up on events.

For people who frequently move between networks and locations, the security of that online connection can also become a consideration. Those using a Mac who want to explore a privacy-focused connection option can find the latest software on PIA's Mac download page has the latest version.

The important point is that news consumption has become much less tied to a particular place or time.

Sharing can make a story travel very quickly

Social media does not stop at discovery. Readers can immediately pass a story to their own followers or contacts.

A local story that might once have reached a relatively small audience can now travel far beyond its original community. A video recorded by someone at the scene may attract more attention than an early news report simply because it is available immediately.

That speed can be valuable, particularly during breaking events. It can also create confusion.

A post may be shared thousands of times before someone checks where it came from. An old photograph can be presented as something recent. A headline can be separated from the article it originally described.

The more widely something travels, the more important it becomes to stop and check the source.

Publishers have had to rethink their approach

News organisations have noticed the change too. Publishing an article is no longer the end of the process. Headlines, images, short videos and social posts can all determine whether anyone notices the story in the first place.

This has created a strange balance. Publishers need to make stories easy to discover, but they also need readers to move beyond a short post and understand the full context.

A carefully researched article may take hours to produce, while a misleading claim can be written and shared in seconds. The speed of social platforms therefore puts pressure on newsrooms to respond quickly without sacrificing accuracy.

Everyone can become part of the news cycle

Another major change is that the audience is no longer purely an audience.

Someone witnessing an event can record it and publish it before a journalist reaches the location. A reader can provide information, correct an error or add context to a story through the comments.

That can make coverage richer, particularly when people with direct knowledge of an event contribute useful details.

It can also make the line between reporting and personal opinion less obvious. A confident post is not necessarily a verified report, even when thousands of people have already reacted to it.

Algorithms influence what gets noticed

There is another factor that is easy to overlook: not everyone sees the same version of the news.

Social platforms use different systems to decide which posts appear prominently. Previous interactions, interests and engagement can all influence what reaches a user's screen.

This can be convenient, but it can also create a narrow view of what is happening. If someone mainly interacts with one type of content, they may encounter less information outside that area.

The broader effect of this shift has been discussed in news consumption, particularly the way social platforms have changed the relationship between audiences and news.

Finding news now requires a little more effort

Social media has made discovering information incredibly easy. Knowing what to trust has become the harder part.

A useful habit is to look beyond the post itself. Check who published it, look at the date, read the original article when possible and compare important claims with another reliable source.

That may sound like extra work, but it takes very little time compared with dealing with misinformation after it has already been shared.

Social media is unlikely to stop being part of the news cycle. If anything, its role will continue to grow as video, notifications and new forms of online communication develop.

The real challenge for readers is not keeping up with every story. It is learning when a story deserves a closer look before pressing the share button.

The post How Social Media Is Changing the Way People Discover and Share News appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Islamabad, Aug 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Leading international human rights organisation Amnesty International has urged Pakistani authorities to immediately release Kashmir poet and journalist Ahmad Farhad and refrain from coercive actions that curtail his right to freedom of expression.

In a statement, Amnesty International said that Farhad has been kept under administrative detention in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) Bagh since June 20. Farhad's arbitrary detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance comes as part of a massive crackdown on the right to peaceful assembly in PoK, according to Amnesty, which also claimed that Pakistani authorities have been placing pressure on Ahmed Farhad to record statements denouncing protests taking place in PoK.

"He is currently on a hunger strike to protest his unlawful detention. Amnesty calls on the Pakistani authorities to immediately release Ahmed and refrain from coercive tactics which curtail his right to freedom of expression," Amnesty said.

Last month, international human rights organisation Ireland-based rights group Front Line Defenders urged the Pakistani authorities to immediately release Farhad and withdraw all charges against him, alleging that he is being targeted for his legitimate reporting and human rights work in PoK.

Front Line Defenders strongly condemned the repression in PoK, saying the crackdown is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of violence against individuals who speak out against authorities and seek to end impunity for human rights violations.

The organisation said that journalists such as Farhad are especially vulnerable as they challenge state-sponsored misinformation and report independently from the ground.

According to Front Line Defenders, the Pakistani police detained Farhad on June 20 in Bagh city of PoK while he was returning home after covering the ongoing Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) protest in Rawalakot. It added that he has since been held at the Bagh city police station with no legal grounds or a formal arrest warrant.

The rights body further said that Farhad reports on social justice issues, human rights violations, and the suppression of peaceful people’s movements for rights and justice in PoK.

"He has faced violent reprisals as a result of his work, including an abduction which later turned into an arrest in 2024, as well as criminalisation and stigmatisation by state authorities," it said.

It said that Farhad used his media platform to report on the protest movement launched by the JAAC in PoK, which has “faced a disproportionate use of force and repression” by Pakistani authorities.

"Thousands of protesters were reportedly arrested under the regressive Section 3, Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, which permits preventive detention with limited recourse to judicial review," the rights body noted.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) From rifles to Kosa silk, the journey of surrendered Maoist women raises a larger question: after decades of conflict, who gets to decide what freedom should look like for them?

There is a video from the recent National Handloom Day programme at Raipur that I have watched more than once.

On August 7, National Handloom Day was celebrated at Raipur's Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium with a fashion show showcasing Chhattisgarh's Kosa silk and traditional handloom sarees.

Nine surrendered women Maoists from the Bastar–Sukma region, now undergoing rehabilitation, walked the ramp alongside professional models symbolising their return from armed extremism to a peaceful life in the mainstream.

It isn't the ramp walk that stayed with me. It is a much smaller moment.

One of the surrendered Maoist women is getting ready. Someone begins applying nail paint to her fingers, and she becomes visibly emotional. She had apparently never had nail paint put on her nails before.

It is difficult to explain why such a small moment can say so much about a conflict that has lasted decades.

We have spent years discussing Naxalism through encounters, operations, casualties, weapons, ideology, and territory.

Yet behind this enormous conflict are people whose lives have been remarkably restricted. Many women joined the movement very young. Some were recruited, some followed relatives or people they trusted, some believed in the cause, while others grew up in places where the Maoists were simply the most powerful presence around them. Once inside, life followed the discipline of an underground armed organisation.

Then imagine coming out of that world and discovering things most of us consider ridiculously ordinary.

A little nail paint suddenly does not seem so ridiculous.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about a strikingly similar moment in Parliament earlier this year. During his Lok Sabha address on Naxalism on March 30, he recalled a surrendered Maoist woman breaking down while applying nail polish for the first time.

According to Union Minister Shah, she had been taken away at the age of seven and had spent the years since then in the clothes prescribed by the movement.

He also spoke about women discovering things as ordinary as mehendi and lipstick after coming out of the forests.

There is something terribly sad about a woman crying over nail paint. It tells you how much of an ordinary life she never had.

And months later, similar emotions could be seen around another group of surrendered women from Bastar.

Nine surrendered women Maoists recently travelled to Raipur, where they walked the ramp on National Handloom Day wearing traditional handloom sarees.

Videos from around the event show women smiling, laughing, getting ready, and experiencing something entirely new.

A YouTuber who interacted with them captured a side of these women that rarely enters the grand political debate around Naxalism. They appeared relaxed and happy as they spoke about the experience. One of the most moving moments was the woman becoming emotional while nail paint was being applied.

Then came The Wire.

Its report claimed that the women had been "tricked" into ramp modelling. The women quoted by the publication said they had initially been told that they were travelling to Raipur for tailoring training.

The government's account was different. An official quoted in the same report said Rs 10,000 had been transferred to each woman's bank account and that they had also received clothes as gifts. Other reporting and video interviews showed women speaking positively about the experience.

And this is exactly where the 'dimaagi Naxal' enters the story.

The armed Naxal once decided what these women should wear, where they should go, and what role they would play in his revolution. The 'dimaagi Naxal' now seems equally uncomfortable when those same women step outside the role that has been intellectually assigned to them.

That is what I find so disturbing about The Wire's framing.

A tribal woman apparently remains acceptable as long as she conforms to a particular picture of tribal life -- exploited, angry, alienated from the State, and permanently suspicious of anything associated with it. The moment she enjoys something outside that picture, her own experience suddenly needs somebody else to interpret it.

A headline containing the word "tricked" does something very powerful. It immediately converts these women from participants into victims. Their excitement becomes incidental. Their interaction with people after the event becomes incidental. The possibility that some of them actually enjoyed themselves becomes almost inconvenient.

This is precisely the intellectual habit that deserves to be called out.

The 'dimaagi Naxal' does not have to carry an AK-47 or live inside Abujhmad. The battle has moved beyond the forest. It survives in narratives that instinctively search for exploitation whenever the State succeeds in bringing someone out of the Maoist ecosystem, while finding endless explanations for the coercion that kept people inside it.

For decades, Maoist violence was explained through deprivation, exploitation, displacement, and failures of governance. Those realities existed and deserve serious examination. But where is the same outrage over the young girl recruited into an armed organisation? Where is the investigation into what happened when a cadre wanted to leave? Where is the concern for the alleged mukhbir dragged before a Jan Adalat? Where is the romantic language when the victim happens to be a tribal person killed by Maoists?

There is something particularly patronising about claiming to speak for a tribal woman's freedom while refusing to accept that she might actually enjoy an experience that does not fit your politics.

But journalism cannot begin with an ideological conclusion and then arrange a woman's life around it.

Ask these women whether they enjoyed themselves. Ask whether they would do it again. Ask what they want to do next.

And then believe them even when their answer ruins your narrative.

There was another purpose to that ramp walk which has been almost completely lost in the argument surrounding it: the sarees themselves.

Kosa silk, Chhattisgarh's distinctive variety of tussar silk, is known for its natural golden sheen and earthy texture. The state has more than 20,000 handlooms, and the silk economy supports a long chain of cocoon rearers, spinners, dyers and weavers. For many families, this is livelihood, not luxury.

That is why the fashion show mattered. Putting Kosa and Chhattisgarh handloom on a ramp gives a traditional product something it desperately needs visibility beyond its existing market. Fashion creates aspiration, aspiration creates demand, and demand eventually travels backwards to the person weaving the cloth.

And who better to showcase the transformation of Bastar than women who have themselves travelled through an extraordinary transformation?

These surrendered women were not merely being dressed up for an evening. They were helping take the textiles and craftsmanship of their region before a larger audience. If that visibility helps sell more sarees, brings more buyers to Chhattisgarh and puts more money into the hands of the people producing them, the economic value of such an event should hardly be dismissed as frivolous.

This is what makes The Wire's framing even more disappointing. In its eagerness to turn the ramp walk into another story of victimhood, it largely misses what the event could also represent rehabilitation meeting commerce, and women who once belonged to an underground movement becoming visible ambassadors for a legitimate local economy.

For years we have asked what economic alternatives can weaken the appeal of Naxalism. When those alternatives begin appearing in unexpected forms, even on a fashion ramp, perhaps we should first understand their value before rushing to discredit them.

I travelled through these regions for months and bought three sarees myself. I saw the work behind them. Bastar's handloom and Kosa silk have the potential to travel far beyond Chhattisgarh and generate livelihoods for people who have lived in the shadow of this conflict for decades. A fashion show showcasing these textiles can introduce those products to buyers who might otherwise never encounter them.

If a woman from Sukma models that saree, earns money, and helps another woman in Bastar sell what she has woven, why should that automatically become a story of exploitation?

That is also development. It has a face, a name, and an income attached to it.

More importantly, it has choice attached to it.

A woman who has surrendered should be able to decide what she wants her new life to look like. She may want tailoring training. She may want employment. She may want to return to her village. She may discover fashion. She may discover something at thirty that another woman discovered at thirteen. None of this diminishes her tribal identity.

For decades, a certain romanticism surrounded the Maoist movement. The failures of the State were examined in extraordinary detail, and much of that examination was necessary. Bastar did suffer neglect. Tribal communities did face exploitation. Governance failed badly in many places.

But understanding why an insurgency grew cannot become a permanent excuse for sanitising what that insurgency became.

The CPI-Maoist fought an armed war against the Indian State. It ran Jan Adalats. People accused of being informers were killed. Young men and women were recruited into an organisation from which walking away could carry terrible consequences. Infrastructure was destroyed because connectivity threatened the isolation on which Maoist control depended.

That history cannot suddenly disappear because the State is now winning.

This is why the debate over 'dimaagi Naxals' matters long after the military structure of Naxalism has been broken.

The physical geography of Maoism is shrinking rapidly. Senior leaders have been eliminated or have surrendered. Security forces have entered areas once considered almost inaccessible. Thousands of cadres have come overground.

The ideological geography will take longer to disappear.

It survives wherever every State initiative is presumed sinister before the evidence is even examined. It survives in the romantic memory of the guerrilla while the brutality of the movement is quietly pushed into the footnotes. And it survives when a surrendered woman smiling in a saree creates greater discomfort than the thought of the same woman spending years carrying a rifle through the forest.

What happens to these surrendered men and women now will matter enormously.

Rehabilitation cannot merely mean handing somebody money after surrender and closing a government file. These are people who have spent years outside ordinary society. They have to rebuild relationships, learn skills, find work, and understand a world that may have changed enormously while they were underground.

More than anything else, many of them have to rediscover the ability to make choices for themselves.

Sometimes that process begins in ways no government rehabilitation policy could ever adequately describe.

That is why I keep returning to that woman looking at her painted nails.

Maybe she became emotional because she liked the colour. Maybe because nobody had ever done that for her. Maybe it reminded her of a life she had never experienced. I do not know, and I do not want to manufacture an explanation for her.

Her expression is enough.

There is a tendency to make tribal people symbols of whatever argument we are trying to win. They deserve the same contradictions, ambitions, vanities, and changing desires that everybody else takes for granted.

A tribal woman can care deeply about her land and enjoy a fashion show. She can value her traditions and want to earn money by taking those traditions to markets outside Bastar. She can have suffered exploitation and still refuse to spend the rest of her life being introduced through that suffering.

A former Maoist should also be allowed to close that chapter.

For years, the central question in Bastar was whether the Indian State could defeat an armed insurgency.

We are entering a much more interesting phase now. We will discover whether the people who have emerged from that insurgency are finally allowed to build lives of their own choosing.

Government policy will play a part. Rehabilitation money will play a part. Employment and economic opportunity will matter enormously. But freedom will also reveal itself through moments too small to appear in official reports.

A woman looking at her freshly painted nails.

A saree she has chosen to wear.

A ramp she has decided to walk.

She may never want to walk it again. She may want to walk another one tomorrow.

Either way, after all these years, the choice should finally be hers.

(The writer is a bestselling author known for transforming years of meticulous research into powerful human stories. Her work explores conflict not through battles alone, but through the lives, sacrifices, and resilience of those who endure it.)

Source: IANS

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Bengaluru, Aug 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka senior BJP leader and Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka on Monday wrote to Speaker G.S. Patil seeking intervention over what he alleged was discriminatory treatment in the release of statements, photographs and videos of opposition leaders and MLAs during the Monsoon Session, which is currently underway in Bengaluru.

In a letter released to the media, Ashoka said the Monsoon Session, which began on August 13, was witnessing a practice where statements, photographs and videos of the LoP and opposition legislators were allegedly not being released during Assembly proceedings.

He claimed that the alleged withholding had resulted in photographs and videos of opposition members not being carried by print media or broadcast by television channels, according to his letter.

In contrast, Ashoka alleged that statements, photographs and videos of the Chief Minister, Ministers and ruling-party MLAs were being released, giving greater visibility to the ruling side.

“Such discrimination in the coverage of Assembly proceedings has never happened in the past,” Ashoka said in the letter.

He requested the Speaker to immediately instruct the concerned Information Department officials to rectify the disparity in the release of media material from the Assembly.

Ashoka warned that failure to address the issue would prompt the opposition to move a privilege motion against the officials concerned.

“Therefore, I request you to immediately instruct the concerned officials of the Information Department to rectify this discrimination. Otherwise, a privilege motion will be moved against the officials concerned,” he stated in the letter.

The BJP leader’s allegation comes amid the ongoing Monsoon Session, with the opposition raising several issues against the Congress government and questioning its decisions on several matters.

Ashoka’s letter has sought the Speaker’s intervention to ensure equal media treatment for members from both sides of the House. He said equal access to Assembly-related media material was essential for fair public representation.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major organisational reshuffle, the BJP on Monday replaced its IT cell chief Amit Malviya with Deepak Mhaskey, a political organiser from Chhattisgarh.

The BJP, earlier in the day, announced a comprehensive list of new national office-bearers, with the appointments taking effect immediately.

As far its social media team goes, Priti Gandhi, Shivanand Dwivedi, Alok Bhatt, and Arun Yadav have been named as social media co-convenors.

Malviya has served as the head of the BJP IT cell for over a decade.

Mhaskey, who has had a stint as a Chemistry professor, has been associated with the Chhattisgarh unit of the BJP for several years now.

Congratulating the newly appointed office bearers of the party, Malviya said: "Their appointments come at a crucial juncture as the party prepares to scale newer heights and take its message and organisation to every corner of the country."

Extending greetings to Mhaskey, Malviya said, "I wish to particularly congratulate Shri Deepak Mhaskey ji, who will be taking over from me as the head of the BJP's Social Media Department, and the co-conveners Smt. Priti Gandhi ji, Shri Shivanand Dwivedi ji, Shri Alok Bhatt ji and Shri Arun Yadav ji."

"I have had the privilege of working closely with each of them over the last decade," he said, exuding confidence that under the new leadership, the BJP's digital communication will "achieve newer milestones and continue to shape India's public discourse with conviction, creativity and clarity".

Thanking the party's supporters and followers on social media, Malviya said: "A BIG THANK YOU to the BJP's massive support base on social media, a community brimming with commitment, energy and ideas. This family has stayed together through thick and thin and played a decisive role in reshaping India's public discourse. You have been an incredible source of strength to me personally and to the cause. Over my eleven years at the helm, I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with many of you, and those interactions will always remain special."

He expressed hope that the BJP's social media followers will continue to extend the same "unstinted support" to the party and to his successors in the years ahead.

"India is poised to scale even greater heights under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and the BJP. Your contribution to this journey will be remembered and written in glorious words," Malviya added.

Source: IANS

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