Today's Bharat
Bharat've Jayate: Where Bharat's Stories Come Alive
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Deep Dive Analysis
Full timeline of how Puja Khedkar cheated the system
Puja Khedkar has been at the centre of controversy ever since it came to light that she got three disability certificates within a span of three years, which now reveal several inconsistencies in her medical records. To add to the mystery, she has applied for the certificates in two different names: Khedkar Puja Deeliprao and Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar. The situation came to a head earlier this month when the trainee IAS officer, Khedkar, was transferred from Pune to Washim district after complaints came in against her for inappropriate behavior. These included traveling in a private car with a beacon light and seeking a separate office, an official vehicle, and staff—facilities usually not given to probationers.
Puja Khedkar Case: A Chronology Of Events
2019: Puja Khedkar obtained a visually impaired certificate from the Ahmednagar district hospital.
2021: She received a combined certificate for both visual impairment and mental illness from the same hospital.
2022: To prove her disability for the UPSC attempt, she applied for a locomotor disability certificate at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, Pimpri. The hospital issued a certificate for 7% locomotor disability in her left knee due to an old ACL tear.
- While applying for this certificate, Khedkar used a fake ration card, claiming residency in Pimpri-Chinchwad, and provided a false address: Plot No. 53, Dehu-Alandi, Talwade.
It was discovered that the address belonged to Thermoverita Engineering Private Limited, not a residential property. The municipal corporation has since sealed the property for Rs 2 lakh in unpaid taxes.
A simultaneous application for locomotor disability was made at Aundh civil hospital. The application was auto-rejected on October 11, 2022, as YCM Hospital had already issued the certificate.
Using the certificate from Yashwantrao Chavan Hospital, Khedkar applied for benefits under the "person with benchmark disability" category and took the civil services exam.
This development occurred two days after she was recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, and her training program was suspended.
Policy Impact
Karnataka mulls 14-hour work day for IT professionals
In a highly debated move, the Karnataka government is mulling over increasing the working hours for IT professionals to 14 hours a day. The move has come in the wake of recent reservation policies for jobs being done by the state to bridge the employment gap.
The controversial plan is part of a larger strategy to increase productivity and retain Karnataka's competitive edge in the IT sector. Long working hours could translate into more efficiency and output, thus making it at par with the best in the world in this tech industry, say some of the advocates of this policy.
However, the proposal has run into quite a lot of opposition. The opponents pointed out that such a vast extension of work hours would mean serious cases of burnout of employees and decrease their satisfaction with the job, generally affecting the mental and physical health of workers. In case such measures get adopted, then in the IT sector, characterized by tough work, the increase in employee turnover will be accompanied by a visible lessening of the quality of work.Labor unions and advocacy groups have also had sharp reservations, underlining a need for balance in terms of productivity and employee welfare. They had argued that instead of extension of working hours, the government should work towards better working conditions, better support systems, and a healthy work-life balance.
The proposal also raises legal and ethical questions related to labor rights and the sustainability of such policies in the long term. Comparisons are immediately being drawn with international standards, where many countries have reduced workweeks and have created flexible working conditions in order to attract and retain talent, improve productivity, and enhance staff satisfaction.
States of Bharat
Gonda, Uttar Pradhesh faces a rail catastrophe! 10 coaches of the Dilbrugarh- Chandigarh Express derailed, causing 4 fatalities and 20 injuries close to the Gorakhpur railways Motiganj boundary.
West Bengal to offer shelter to Bangladesh. The chief minister Mamta Banerjee cited the UN resolution on refugees as justification for her stance.
Road connectivity being lost due to rains, villagers carry sick woman for 10 km in Karnataka. Residents of Amagaon village in Bhimgad forest range of Khanapur taluk carried a sick woman for ten kilometres in order to get her treated at Khanapur.
Helpline numbers announced for Tamilians stranded in Bangladesh, amid violent student protests, advises caution and avoidance of local trips
Doctors perform c-section using mobile flashlight amid poer outage! Doctors and support staff of Government Hospital Rajindra Hospital, a tertiary healthcare medical facility saved the day amidst massive power outage
Tech Corner
Bharat Grapples with Fallout from Microsoft Outage
Bharat is grappling with the fallout from a major Microsoft outage that hit 8.5 million users globally, cutting access to core services like Teams and Outlook. Businesses and even academia suffered disruptions, exposing Bharat high dependency on these platforms for work from home and online classes. This incident further raises the decibel level for better infrastructure and backup systems to avert such disruptions in the times to come. But the outage is a reminder of the vulnerabilities that are a part of any tech ecosystem—especially in a country like Bharat, which is pressing down hard on the accelerator of its digital transformation, and underlines the need for robust contingency plans.
No phone numbers needed: WhatsApp will soon let you create username for web
WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will let users create unique usernames for their accounts. But this feature will only come on WhatsApp web for now.
WhatsApp is planning to introduce a feature allowing users to create unique usernames, similar to other social media platforms. This feature will enable users to select a desired username, provided it is not already taken, and will eliminate the need for discriminators or tags, ensuring each username is one-of-a-kind.
During setup, users can choose a unique username that will serve as their identifier, enhancing privacy by allowing connections without sharing phone numbers. Existing contacts can still reach users via phone number, but the username adds an extra layer of control over who can initiate conversations.
Although WhatsApp has discussed this feature for some time, it remains under development with no confirmed release date. The feature is undergoing rigorous testing to ensure a seamless, secure experience.
Sports
IPL 2025: Dhoni´s replacement, Pant´s beggining and Hitman´s depature!
With the rustling of the Indian Premier League 2025 season, a lot of high-voltage team changes and captain announcements are going to be made. Let's head to some of the key updates:
- The surprising news is that Rishabh Pant is going to be the new captain of the Chennai Super Kings, replacing MS Dhoni.
- For Mumbai Indians, there will be two big exclusions in the form of captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Suryakumar Yadav.
- K L Rahul has been named the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the forthcoming season, said to be one of the most consistent and potent leaders of his side. These changes signal a new chapter for IPL teams looking to rebuild and strategize for the future. All eyes of the fans are now on the upcoming season as everyone is eager to see how such shifts will affect the dynamics and performance of their favorite teams.
Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj to be Inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame
Bharat tennis legends Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj are set to become part of the ITHF Class of 2024 for their invaluable contribution to the sport.
Stupendous doubles career with a career Grand Slam of 18 titles: eight in men's doubles and ten in mixed doubles; he has the maximum participation in seven Olympic Games as well, with a bronze in 1996. In one of his first interviews, Leander Paes reflected on his stupendous career, one that had seen him win a plethora of titles across men's doubles and mixed doubles, become a record seven-time Olympian, and claim a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Vijay Amritraj has been a pioneer to Indian tennis, known for his single success throughout his career in several appearances of tournaments like Wimbledon and US Open quarterfinals. He contributed to the crucial Davis cup campaign and furthered the sport through his role as a commentator and actor. It's not a small feat that Amritraj has got the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards from Bharat.
The official induction ceremony will take place in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 20, 2024. This will celebrate their exalted careers, which have heralded changes in the sport over time and uplifted Indian tennis on a global scale.
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