News Analysis India

Tag: Uttarakhand

  • Uttarakhand records rise in cancer cases

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand has registered an increase in cancer patients with a rate of 4-5% in the last 3-years revealed the data of cancer patients from the year 2018-2020, revealed the data shared by the central government in the Parliament recently. 

    In the year 2018 total of 10,932 cases were detected followed by 11216 in the year 2019 and 11482 in the year 2020. 

    Professor Daulat Singh Kunwar, head of the oncology department of Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun said, “Maximum cases are of mouth cancer induced by soling and allied habits. In women, the majority of cases are of breast cancer and gall bladder. Changes in lifestyle, sedentary habits, unhealthy consumption of alcohol and adulteration of chemicals have led to the rise in the number of cases in the state.” 

    The hill state has managed to rank second among Indian Himalayan states and union territories in the duration from the year 2018 to 2020. 

    The number of deaths due to cancer was 6028 in Uttarakhand which increased to 6184 in 2019 and 6337 in the year 2020. 

    Among Indian Himalayan states/union territories, the maximum number of cases were detected in Assam with 36039 in the year 2018, 36948 in the year 2019 and 37880 in the year 2020. 

    Jammu & Kashmir with 12071 in the year 2018, 12396 in the year 2019 and 12726 in the year 2020 ranks third. 

    In the year 2020, a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee found that a certain glycoprotein can hinder the growth of cancer-inducing cells while directly inhibiting the proliferation of tumour-associated macrophages. 

    This study uses various in vitro systems and an animal breast tumour model to highlight that Fbln7-C could help the macrophages to resist the reprogramming process and delay the conversion of anti-tumorigenic to pro-tumorigenic TAMs, while directly inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. 

    The study reveals that this ingredient can regulate the inflammatory functions of human neutrophils, (cell type that works as the first line of defence of our immune system) and administration of Fbln7-C (content of the said glycoprotein) could improve survival in animals injected with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a cell wall content of gram-negative bacteria

  • Hate speech: Uttarakhand says four FIRs registered, SC asks state to file status report

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Uttarakhand government to file a status report by April 22 after the state said that four FIRs have been registered in connection with the alleged hate speeches made in December last year during an event in Haridwar.

    A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A S Oka was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the petitioners, that a similar event is scheduled on April 17 in Himachal Pradesh.

    The apex court, while granting liberty to serve advance copy of the application on the standing counsel for the state of Himachal Pradesh, said the applicant is free to give intimation to authorities concerned in the state about the event in light of the order passed by the court earlier.

    The top court had on January 12 issued notice on the plea which has sought direction to ensure investigation and action against those who allegedly made hate speeches during two events held in Haridwar and the national capital.

    It had then said the petitioners were at liberty to make a representation to the local authorities regarding such events, after Sibal had told the court that a ‘Dharam Sansad’ was scheduled in Aligarh.

    The top court was hearing a petition filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former Patna High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash, who have also sought a direction for an “independent, credible and impartial investigation” by an SIT into the incidents of hate speeches against the Muslim community.

    During the hearing on Wednesday, the counsel appearing for Uttarakhand sought time to file counter affidavit in the matter.

    “Today is the first returnable date. We are for the state. We are seeking some time to file counter,” the counsel said.

    “We have registered four FIRs and in three of them, chargesheets have already been filed,” the state’s counsel said, adding that he can file a status report in the matter.

    The bench told Uttarakhand’s counsel to file it and said the matter would be taken up on April 22. Sibal told the bench that the next event is in Himachal Pradesh and they have filed an application for impleading the state in the matter.

    “The problem is, the event (in Himachal Pradesh) is on Sunday. That’s the real problem. And see what is happening. I don’t even want to read what the kind of things that are being,” Sibal said, adding that notice may be issued to Himachal Pradesh.

    The bench said it would permit them to serve the standing counsel for the state of Himachal Pradesh and the matter would be listed for hearing on April 22.

    “Liberty to serve advance copy of the application on the standing counsel for the state of Himachal Pradesh. The state of Uttarakhand to file a status report before the next date of hearing,” the apex court said.

    Sibal told the bench that the first order passed on the plea by a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana had said that petitioners can intimate the authority about such events.

    “Needless to observe that the applicant is free to give intimation to authorities concerned in the state of Himachal Pradesh in light of the order,” the bench said.

    On January 12, the apex court had asked the Centre, the Delhi Police and the Uttarakhand Police to respond to the plea.

    The plea, which specifically referred to the “hate speeches” delivered between the “17th and 19th of December 2021 at Haridwar and Delhi”, has also sought compliance ofthe apex court’s guidelines to deal with such speeches.

    One event was organised in Haridwar by Yati Narsinghanand and the other in Delhi by ‘Hindu Yuva Vahini’ allegedly “calling for genocide of members” of a community, it has said.

    The Uttarakhand Police had filed an FIR on December 23 last year under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against some persons including Sant Dharamdas Maharaj, Sadhvi Annapoorna alias Pooja Shakun Pandey, Yati Narsinghanand and Sagar Sindhu Maharaj.

    A similar complaint was filed with the Delhi Police for the second event organised in the national capital. The plea has alleged that no effective steps have been taken by the Uttarakhand and the Delhi Police.

  • U’khand: Congress appoints Yashpal Arya as leader of opposition month after elections

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Senior Indian National Congress leader Yashpal Arya was appointed leader of the opposition by the party on Sunday.

    An official press release by KC Venugopal stated, “Hon’ble Congress President has appointed Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Congress Committee and Leader and Deputy Leader of Uttarakhand Legislature Party, as follows, with immediate effect.”

    Arya, Congress MLA from Bajpur state assembly constituency has held cabinet positions in the BKP and Congress governments. Arya expressing his gratitude to the party leadership said, “I am thankful to the honourable party president Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji and my seniors and colleagues. I will try to do justice as the leader of the opposition to the best of my abilities.”

    He left the Congress in January 2017 and won from Bajpur seat in the 2017 assembly elections and became a cabinet minister in the Trivendra Singh Rawat government. His son Sanjiv Arya also became MLA from the Nainital seat in the 2017 assembly elections. 

    The father-son duo left the BJP last year and joined the Congress. Yashpal Arya won from Bajpur seat while his son Sanjiv Arya lost from Nainital. Notably, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat played a key role to bring the father-son duo back into the Congress party. 

    The Tussle was going on in the party between Rawat and former state party president and leader of opposition Pritam Singh to get a person from their ‘camp’ to be appointed as LoP and state president. Sources from the party said that though Arya’s appointment can be seen as a win for Rawat.

    “Harish Rawat played a key role to bring Arya and his son back to the party. Arya’s appointment is a win for Rawat but now the Pritam Singh camp will push for their candidate for the position of state party president including Singh himself,” said a party source. 

    In the state assembly elections which concluded last year, the Congress won 18 seats in comparison to 11 in the 2017 assembly elections.

  • Independent MLA Umesh Kumar floats his own party in Uttarakhand

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: Former journalist and independent MLA Umesh Kumar floated a new party in Uttarakhand on Saturday.

    The party is named Uttarakhand Janata Party.

    In the recent polls, Kumar had defeated sitting Khanpur MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion’s wife Devyani.

    Kunwar Pranav Singh was denied a ticket by the party this time.

    Soon after launching the party, Kumar said he would continue his fight to rid the state of the problems that have plagued it since its creation.

    Kumar earlier ran a private news channel in the state.

    People first came to know about him when he allegedly carried out a sting operation on Harish Rawat in which the former chief minister was purportedly seen negotiating a deal with someone to buy the support of Congress MLAs who had rebelled against him in 2016 reducing his government to a minority.

    Kumar is a first-time MLA.

  • Uttarakhand: Muslim family gets beaten up for supporting BJP

    By Express News Service

    Dehradun: After a Muslim family in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand was allegedly beaten up, called ‘Kaafir’ by their neighbours earlier this month for supporting the Bhartiya Janta Party, the police registered a case in the matter on Thursday. 

    The family alleged that all four members including two children were beaten up on April 5 by six people for joining and supporting the BJP. A male member of the family is a local party functionary.

    Satish Kapri, incharge of the local police chowki said, “The case has been registered against five people by name while one is still unidentified in the matter. Further action is being taken and search operation to catch the accused is going on.”

    The attack against the family which resides in Rudrapur city of the US Nagar district left four injured, including a teenage girl. 

    Anees Mian Guddu, a resident of ward no.20 Bhoorbangla is the member of the BJP and worked for the party in the recently concluded state assembly elections of Uttarakhand. 

    Mian and his family alleged that the accused had threatened them to not work for the saffron party.  Mian and his wife Parveen Jahan were attacked by locals while they were in their general store shop in the locality.

    After the couple went out for medical treatment leaving their two children- a son and a daughter at home, the accused barged into their house and beat the children up too, alleged Jahan. 

    Last month, a Muslim man was allegedly beaten to death by his neighbours in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district for participating in the BJP’s election campaign and celebrating its victory.

    Babar Ali (25) was allegedly beaten up on March 20 in Kathargarhi and died during treatment in Lucknow on March 25.

    Ali was allegedly targeted by his neighbours for apparently participating in the BJP’s campaigning and celebrating its victory in the assembly polls.

  •  Uttarakhand: PM, Shah and others to attend oath ceremony of CM designate Pushkar Singh Dhami

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Oath ceremony of Chief Minister Designate of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami will take place on Wednesday in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other central leaders. 

    Dhami’s new cabinet is expected to have new faces replacing others. “The oath ceremony will take place at 2.30pm on Wednesday in presence of our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah, union defence minister Rajnath Singh, party president JP Nadda and many other senior leaders,” said Madan Kaushik, state Bhartiya Janta Party president. 

    The oath ceremony will take place on parade ground in Dehradun which has the capacity for 25000 people. Preparations for the ceremony have been completed along with multiple security checks. 

    After 11 days of elections results of Uttarakhand assembly elections, Bhartiya Janta Party chose acting Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday. 

    Formal announcement was  made by union defence minister Rajnath Singh in Dehradun after meeting of legislature party group in Dehradun. 

    With CM designate Dhami 10 ministers for cabinet and ministers of state can also take oath with many new faces while many can be retained.

    New faces can include the names of Kotdwar MLA and daughter of former CM Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, Rishikesh MLA and former speaker Prem Chand Agarwal, Raipur MLA Umesh Sharma Kau and Bageshwar MLA Chandan Ram Das. 

    The ministers who can get the berth again include the names of Dhan Singh Rawat, Rekha Arya, Ganesh Joshi, Bishan Singh Chuphal, Satpal Maharaj, Arvind Pandey and Subodh Uniyal. 

  • Pushkar Singh Dhami to continue as Uttarakhand Chief Minister

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: Pushkar Singh Dhami will continue as the Uttarakhand chief minister, said the BJP on Monday, ending the 11-day suspense over it.

    The BJP legislative party meeting to elect the new chief minister of Uttarakhand had begun here around 5 pm.

    It was attended by BJP’s central observers for Uttarakhand Rajnath Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi and the party’s poll incharge for the state, Pralhad Joshi.

    Dhami under whose leadership the BJP had contested the February 14 Assembly polls was the frontrunner for the post.

    The BJP’s dilemma on the choice of a chief minister for Uttarakhand was caused by Dhami’s loss in Khatima, a seat he had been winning since the 2012 Assembly polls.

    The party had won 47 of the 70 seats in the Assembly polls, the results of which were announced on March 10.

  • Challenges galore for next Uttarakhand Chief Minister

    By Express News Service

    Dehradun: As 12th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand will take oath this week, the state government will have to deal with important announcements, decisions promised to implement if the Bhartiya Janta Party comes to power again. 

    These include land law, increment in pensions of specially abled elderly and others from Rs 1200 to Rs 1500, uniform civil code for Uttarakhand, increment in salaries of ad-hoc teachers, anganwadi workers and others. 

    “We are committed to fulfill all promises made in our manifesto. We have been reiterating this that the BJP has done whatever promises were made to the people of Uttarakhand,” said Madan Kaishik, state BJP president of Uttarakhand unit of the party.

    These were also promised by the BJP in its manifesto titled ‘Drishti Patra’ (Vision Document) for Uttarakhand. 

    Meanwhile, series of meetings took place in Delhi among state and national leadership to decide who will be the next Chief Minister of the state. 

    The state party functionaries including former CM Trivendra Singh, state party president Madan Kaushik, acting CM Pushkar Singh Dhami met union minister Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, observer for Uttarakhand union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday. 

    The BJP has also decided to organize oath ceremony in parade ground of Dehradun instead of Raj Bhawan. The Parade Ground has the capacity of over 20000 chairs. 

    Protem speaker Bansidhar Bhagat will take oath on Monday followed by 70 MLAs of Uttarakhand legislative assembly.

    This will be followed by meeting of the legislature group of the party to announce 12th CM of the hill state.

    The oath ceremony of the next CM and cabinet is likely to take place on Tuesday. 

    Rumors are running amok about the next CM of the hill state. Names of acting Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, senior minister Dhan Singh Rawat, former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank are doing rounds as prospects for the post.

    Six incumbent MLAs of the BJP have announce that they are ready to vacate their seats for Chief Minister Dhami to contest.

    In July last year after Dhami was chosen to be the CM of Uttarakhand, many seniors including Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya and Bishan Singh Chuphal were not happy.

    Lobbying for the CM post is in full swing with almost every senior leader who has won mor Ethan two state assembly elections presenting herself/himself as the suitable candidate.

    State cabinet minister and the BJP MLA from Mussoorie state assembly constituency Ganesh Joshi on Wednesday said that he finds himself suitable for the position of minister as well as the CM of the state.

    Another MLA and cabinet minister Rekha Arya also expressed her desire to become the CM of the state.

    Sources from the party said that Satpal Maharaj and state health minister are lobbying the hardest and projecting themselves as strongest contenders for the CM post.

  • Govt formation: BJP appoints Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh as observers for UP, U’khand

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday appointed its top leaders, including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, as central observers for government formation in the four states where it returned to power.

    In the latest round of assembly elections, the BJP won Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur, and on its own it touched the halfway mark in Goa. Punjab was won by the AAP.

    The BJP parliamentary board, its apex decision making body, appointed Shah as the central observer for Uttar Pradesh and party vice president Raghubar Das as co-observer.

    Singh along with co-observer Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi has been assigned to oversee the selection of the leader of the legislature party in Uttarakhand.

    Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh Tomar have been appointed as observers for selection of the leader of the legislature party in Manipur and Goa, the BJP said in a statement issued by its general secretary Arun Singh.

    Union Minister Kiren Rijiju is the co-observer for Manipur and his cabinet colleague L Murgan is the co-observer for Goa.

    While it is all set that Yogi Adityanath will again be elected as the legislative leader in Uttar Pradesh, the party has to take call on deputy chief ministers in the state, as one of the two in the previous government, Keshav Prasad Maurya, lost the elections along with 11 ministers.

    In Uttarakhand it is not clear who will lead the government in the state as chief minister Pushkar Dhami lost the election.

    In the backdrop of these circumstances and maintaining caste arithmetic in its favour, the BJP has appointed its heavyweights, former party presidents Shah and Singh, for ensuring smooth formation of government in both Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

    The senior leaders as observers will look to select a team in these four states which can effectively steer the ship till next general elections.

  • Uttarakhand polls: Congress turncoats do well, daughters of 2 former CMs avenge defeat of their fathers

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: Two Congress turncoats emerged victorious while the daughters of two former chief ministers avenged the defeat of their fathers in the Uttarakhand assembly polls.

    Former Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyay and former pradesh mahila Congress president Sarita Arya won their respective seats of Tehri and Nainital.

    Sarita Arya defeated prominent Dalit leader from Kumaon region Yashpal Arya’s son and sitting Congress MLA Sanjiv Arya from Nainital while Upadhyay defeated Dinesh Dhanai of the Congres by 951 votes from Tehri.

    Upadhyay had joined the BJP after he was denied a ticket by the Congress.

    Though Congress poll campaign head Harish Rawat himself lost from Lakuwa, his daughter Anupama Rawat won the Haridwar rural seat by defeating cabinet minister Yatishwaranand by 4,472 votes.

    Former chief minister and BJP leader Bhuvan Chandrda Khanduri’s daughter Ritu Khanduri Bhushan avenged her father’s humiliation in Kotdwar as she defeated Surendra Singh Negi of the Congress by 3,687 votes.

    Khanduri had lost from Kotdwar in 2012 and Harish Rawat from Haridwar rural in 2017 when the two stalwarts had contested from the seats as incumbent chief ministers.

    However, Harak Singh Rawat’s daughter-in-Law Anukriti Gusain Rawat lost to sitting MLA Daleep Singh Rawat of the BJP in Lansdowne by 9,868 votes.