News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan Government

  • Suspended Rajasthan DSP, woman constable terminated from service over obscene video

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government has terminated from service a suspended deputy superintendent of police and woman constable, who were both arrested after video clips purportedly showed them involved in sexual activities in presence of the constable’s minor son.

    Rajasthan DGP ML Lather confirmed that the duo have been terminated from service. “The termination orders will be served them today,” Lather told PTI. Sources said that such a major step against the two police personnel, who are under judicial custody at present, was taken after approval from the Chief Minister’s Office.

    The action was taken under the Rajasthan Civil Services Rules. After the video went viral, the police department had suspended both the personnel on September 8. The Special Operations Group (SOG) was handed over the inquiry that lodged a case against Rajasthan Police Service (RPS) officer Heera Lal Saini and arrested him on September 9.

    The woman constable was arrested on September 12. According to the police, the videos clips were taken on the mobile phone by the constable in a resort in Pushkar town of Ajmer district on July 10. Saini was posted as the Circle Office (Beawar) in Ajmer while the woman constable was posted in Jaipur when they were arrested.

    The police had taken suo motu cognisance of the video being circulated on social media and arrested Saini. A case was registered with the cybercrime station of SOG under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

    The video clip purportedly showed Saini in a compromising position with the constable in a swimming pool along with policewoman’s six-year-old son, who was also in the pool with them. Apart from Saini and the constable, two other RPS officers and SHOs of two police stations in Jaipur and Nagaur were also suspended for dereliction of duty.

    The husband of the constable had forwarded a complaint to SP’s office in Nagaur seeking registration of an FIR against both off them under the POCSO Act. The complaint was forwarded to the SHO of Chitawa police station on August 10 but he did not register the case.

  • REET 2021: Rajasthan’s biggest competitive exam held successfully amid heavy security arrangements

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan heaved a huge sigh of relief as the high-profile Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher (REET) passed off without any serious mishaps on Sunday. With 70 thousand policemen on duty and internet services snapped in most parts of the state to counter cheating threats, organising the REET exam had become a huge challenge for the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.

    ​Though there were a few minor reports of cheating incidents, over 16 lakh candidates have been able to successfully take the REET exam for the recruitment of 31,000 teachers in government schools of the state.

    This crucial exam has been postponed five times in the past and organising it successfully has become a logistical and administrative challenge in the state. Apart from police staff, over 5,500 home guards and 50 companies of RAC, MBC, SDRF and other armed forces were deployed to prevent any mishaps.

    The first shift of the REET, held in two shifts, started at 10.00 am in and lasted till 12.30 pm. Heavy police forces were deployed at Examination centers. Before entering the centers, the temperature for each candidate was checked under Corona guidelines and entry was given only after all candidates were given new masks. During this process, a close watch was kept on all the candidates so that no one could go get inside with any kind of copying or cheating materials.

    CCTV cameras were installed at most of the Examination Centers to prevent cheating and a strict vigil was kept at all centers. Tight security was especially maintained at examination centers of Barmer, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Dausa, Nagaur, Sikar, Bharatpur, Jhunjhunu and Jalore which have seen major cheating rackets in the past. In many districts, including the state capital Jaipur, mobile internet services were stopped from around 7.00 am to 5.00 pm. 

    Mobile internet services, bulk SMS/MMS, and other social media by Internet Service Providers remained suspended in several districts of Rajasthan during the entire course of the REET exam on Sunday.

    For the convenience of the examinees, thousands of buses were operated free of cost by the Gehlot government by acquiring private buses apart from roadways buses. Also, temporary bus stands were arranged in all districts to avoid crowding together in the city. Free travel arrangements were made for candidates in Jaipur even in the metro train and all buses on Sunday. In addition, arrangements were made for free food for the candidates and their parents at hundreds of Indira Rasoi canteens in the state.

    Given the tight security arrangements, there are no reports of any major cheating scandals in the biggest ever Teacher Eligibility Test in Rajasthan. However, in Bikaner, four persons including three REET candidates were arrested before the exam as they were found wearing slippers with bluetooth devices. Bikaner Superintendent of Police Priti Chandra said the bluetooth devices were hidden in the slippers to facilitate cheating.

    The five arrested include three candidates and two other persons who were there to help them cheat in the paper. All the five were caught from the Naya bus stand in Gangashahar area before the exam started and are being interrogated by the police.

    The REET exam was conducted after a gap of almost three years in the state. Over 16 lakh candidates were slated to appear in the examination in over 4,000 exam centres. In Jaipur district alone, more than 2.5 lakh candidates took the REET which is being called the biggest competitive examination in the history of the state.

  • Rajasthan government to ensure free bus travel for REET exam candidates on Sunday

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government will be providing free travel facility to all the candidates appearing for the Rajasthan Teacher Eligibility Test (REET) scheduled on Sunday.

    It has also warned that if any government employee is found indulging in paper leak or copying, they will be dismissed from service.

    More than 16 lakh candidates are set to appear in the examination to be held at around 4,000 centres in the state.

    Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday regarding the official preparations for holding the examination.

    In the meeting, Gehlot said free travel facility would be provided to all the candidates appearing in REET 2021.

    He said that if any government officer/employee is found to be involved in cases like paper leak, dummy candidates taking the exam and copying in recruitment examinations, they should be dismissed from service.

    Also, if the involvement of any private school personnel or person associated with the school is found, then the recognition of that school should be terminated permanently, Gehlot said.

    The Chief Minister said the hard work of candidates gets washed away whenever a paper gets leaked or copying takes place in competitive examinations.

    He said there should not be any negligence in any examination centre and told officials to install CCTV cameras at all such centres.

    The Chief Minister appealed for cooperation from the general public to help the candidates.

    Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said all the state roadway buses will be available for free travel for the candidates.

    Along with this, public transport and other private buses are also being arranged.

    He said that necessary guidelines have been issued to the transport officers in this regard.

    Minister of State for Education Govind Singh Dotasra said all preparations have been made by the department to conduct the exam in a transparent manner.

    He suggested that to prevent paper leaks and copying, there should be a complete ban on carrying mobile phones inside the examination centre.

    Special vigil should be kept on the “gangs” and coaching centres involved in paper leaks and copying.

    He said that at the time of entering the examination centre, a new face mask should be made available so that the incidents of copying could be prevented as some candidates conceal Bluetooth devices in their mask.

    Meanwhile, the Railways has given consent to run 11 special trains for the candidates while requests have been made for more such trains on the day.

  • Rajasthan govt issues advisory to prevent gaming addiction in children

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government has issued an advisory for parents and teachers suggesting measures to protect children from addiction to online gaming.

    The advisory issued by the Rajasthan Council of School Education on Saturday suggests technical points which are helpful in monitoring the activities and involvement of the children in gaming.

    The parents and teachers have been asked to keep a watch if children are behaving in an abnormal manner and whether they are mostly involved in online activities, sudden increase in time spent online, especially on social media, and they turn aggressive after using the internet.

    The advisory suggested establishing an “internet gateway” at home which will help in effective monitoring, logging and use of content by the child.

    It also suggested that it should be ensured that the child accesses the internet from a computer placed in family space.

    “In this age of technology, online gaming is very popular among children.

    The closure of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic has increased the use of mobile and internet among children, due to which the trend of online gaming among children has also increased rapidly,” Sana Siddiqui, deputy commissioner of the council, said.

    She said these online games are easily accessible to children and are played on devices like computers, tablets and mobiles connected with the internet.

    “These games are designed in such a way that they excite the player to the extent of passion to play further.

    This is the reason why players become addicted to it and eventually suffer from gaming disorder due to which the educational and social life of the child is adversely impacted,” Siddiqui said.

     

  • Rajasthan govt shuffles 25 IAS officers, including two new collectors

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: A total of 25 IAS officers, including two district collectors, were transferred in Rajasthan, according to a state government order.

    The transfer order was issued on Saturday night by the Department of Personnel.

    Additional Chief Secretary (Mines and Petroleum) Subodh Agarwal was given the Energy department in addition to the one he is currently holding.

    He has also been made the CMD of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd.

    Principal Resident Commissioner, New Delhi, Roli Singh was made the Principal Secretary of General Administration Department, Estate, State Motor Garage, Chief of Protocol and Civil Aviation Department in Rajasthan.

    Pratapgarh Collector Renu Jaipal was transferred to Bundi as the new collector.

    She will replace Ashish Gupta, who has been transferred to the Watershed Development and Soil Conservation Department as its director.

  • Rajasthan government working to ensure welfare of tribal communities: CM Ashok Gehlot

    Ashok Gehlot said his government is working with a commitment to ensure the welfare of the state #39;s tribal communities.

  • It’s not just Sachin Pilot camp, BSP defectors too join demand for Rajasthan cabinet expansion

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: After the Sachin Pilot camp, the MLAs who defected from the BSP to the ruling Congress are also raising voice for cabinet expansion and political appointments, adding to the party’s Rajasthan conundrum.

    Karauli MLA Lakhan Singh said cabinet expansion should take place as it would improve the efficiency of the government, but Udaipurwati MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha did not mince words as he reminded the Asok Gehlot government that it was “saved” because of the six MLAs who merged their legislative party with the Congress and the independents.

    Three of the six MLAs- Lakhan Singh, Rajendra Gudha and Sandeep Yadav- met at the residence of Yadav in Jaipur on Monday.

    “Nine cabinet berths are vacant in the state. Some departments are completely dependent on government officials, and they will function in a better way if they get ministers. I hope the cabinet expansion will happen soon,” Lakhan Singh said.

    Rajendra Singh Gudha claimed that 19 Congress MLAs had “deserted” the government last year, a reference to the virtual revolt by Sachin Pilot loyalists.

    “If we six MLAs, who came from BSP, and 10 independents, had not been there, then by now there would have been preparations of the first death anniversary of the Congress government,” he told reporters.

    On cabinet expansion, Gudha said it is the prerogative of the chief minister.

    Later in the day, Lakhan Singh, Rajendra Gudha went to the residence of Sandeep Kumar Yadav.

    “It was a general meeting. They wished me birthday,” Yadav, who is MLA from Tijara (Alwar), said.

    Lakhan Singh, Rajendra Gudha, Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Jogendra Awana won the assembly elections in 2018 as BSP candidates and in September 2019, the entire group joined the Congress.

    They supported the Ashok Gehlot camp last year after the rebellion by former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs against the leadership of chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

    The Pilot camp has started mounting pressure on the government and the party high command for cabinet expansion and political appointments, saying the issues raised by him last year have not been resolved yet.

  • Rajasthan to come with special police station to prevent water theft in Hanumangarh district

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: A special police station for preventing water theft may sound unusual but it’s turning into a reality.

    Rajasthan government is opening a unique police station in Hanumangarh district which is an attempt to prevent any theft of irrigated water that flows through the Indira Gandhi canal running in the area. It will cover over 200 villages of Nohar and Bhadra assembly constituencies of the district.

    For the first time in the state, the government has opened police stations to protect water. A staff of 60 policemen will take immediate action on the incidents of water thefts that have become rampant in the area.

    During the last few days, 12 new police stations were sanctioned in the state and this unique police station is one of them. Joint Secretary (Home) Ramniwas Mehta has given administrative and financial nod for opening a new police station and creating new posts.

    In the last four years, 74 cases of water theft have been registered in Hanumangarh district itself. Of these, maximum 28 cases have been registered in Bhirani police station.

    Police says that due to lack of ‘chakbandi’ (official documentation of division of land) in the area there is laxity in water transporting system and hence, its theft is very common and many farmers who are at the tail-end are often denied any water while those at the start of the canal often tend to take much more water than they deserve.

    Police sources say that for stealing water, long pipe is inserted into the canal and water is taken into the field. There are siphons around the canal trunk and the main canal. Some farmers water their fields by withholding e water . Due to this, other farmers do not get full water.

    Addl SP (Hanumangarh) Jassaram Bose says that the theft incidents are more in Nohar and Bhadra Vidhansabha areas as there is no  ‘chakbandi’.  “There are few people from Haryana who steal water which leads to water shortage in the tail areas here. People who are caught stealing water are registered under IPC 397. Last time we had to deploy a lot of police force during peak time even in the winters to make sure water reaches the tail areas also,” he said.

    Nohar MLA Amit Chachan says “Here influential and dominating farmers take water to their fields. In such a situation, many common farmers do not get water.”

    Amit also said that this will be a CI-headed police station where 5 sub-inspectors, 8 head constables and 40 constables will be deployed. “We feel that the opening of these police stations will definitely curb the incidents of theft and the farmers at the tail end will be able to receive adequate water,” Chachan said.

    Indira Gandhi canal is the longest canal of India. Around 650 km long, it starts from Harike Barrage in Punjab and terminates in irrigation facilities at the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. The canal traverses seven districts of Rajasthan which includes Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer , Jodhpur and Sriganganagar.

    Most incidents of water theft have been reported from Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts. In such a situation, the number of such police stations will increase in the future. The Canal Department also wants the police to be stationed at a certain distance from the canals.

  • SC seeks Rajasthan government’s response on Asaram Bapu’s plea for treatment at Ayurvedic centre

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday sought Rajasthan government’s response on a plea of Asaram Bapu, facing varying jail terms including life sentence in sexual assault cases, that he be permitted to undergo treatment at an ayurvedic centre near Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

    The top court, however, orally observed that it was not inclined to grant interim bail by suspending self-styled Godman’s sentence for two months to enable him to get “holistic” treatment of his multiple ailments of a medical centre of his choice.

    “Issue notice (to Rajasthan government),” a vacation bench of justices B R Gavai and Krishna Murari said and listed the plea for hearing on Tuesday.

    The top court, in the proceedings conducted through video-conferencing, was hearing the appeal of Asaram against the Rajasthan High Court order which dismissed his plea for suspension of sentences to undergo treatment at a medical centre of his choice.

    The plea was filed through lawyer Saurabh Ajay Gupta.

    “I am here for interim bail. I am 83-year-old man serving life term and there has been history of medical ailments,” Luthra said.

    “Give him two months’ time to recuperate. This is the limited relief which I am seeking. Today he needs holistic treatment”.

    “We are not medical experts,” the bench said, adding that it would not consider suspending the sentence and would rather issue notice to know the view of the state on permitting him to undergo treatment at a centre in Uttarakhand.

    “We will ask the government to admit him there”.

    Luthra said: “All I am saying is that he needs a holistic treatment which will not happen. They (Mahatma Gandhi Hospital at Jodhpur) had given him blood thinners when he was bleeding.”

    He said Asaram wanted to be treated at Prakash Deep Institute of Ayurved which is located between Hardwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.

    A Jodhpur court, on April 25, 2018, had sentenced Asaram to life in prison after finding him guilty of raping a teenage girl in his ashram in 2013.

    His accomplices Sharad and Shilpi were sentenced to 20 years in jail by the court in the same case for their roles.

    The teenager had said in her complaint that Asaram had called her to his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur and raped her on the night of August 15, 2013.

    The 16-year-old girl from Shahjahanpur in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was studying at Asaram’s ashram in Chhindwara in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

    He was also convicted in a 2002 rape case and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

    Asaram is also facing a rape case in Surat in Gujarat.

    Asaram was arrested in Indore and brought to Jodhpur on September 1, 2013.

    He was under judicial custody since September 2, 2013.

  • With over 100 patients, Mucormycosis declared epidemic in Rajasthan 

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Mucormycosis (black fungus), which is primarily affecting people recovering from COVID, has been declared an epidemic in Rajasthan, officials said on Wednesday.

    Currently, the state has around 100 black fungus patients and a separate ward has been made at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur for their treatment.

    Mucormycosis has been notified as an epidemic and a notifiable disease in the state under the Rajasthan Epidemic Act 2020, according to a notification issued by state’s Principal Health Secretary Akhil Arora.

    He said the step was taken to ensure integrated and coordinated treatment of black fungus and the coronavirus.

    According to experts, people with diabetes are more prone to getting the black fungus infection.