"Fair Visa, Fair Chance" Campaign Begun By Indian Student Group In UK

'Fair Visa, Fair Chance' Campaign Begun By Indian Student Group In UK

“We campaigned for seven years to bring it back last time”, says Sanam Arora. (Representational)

London:

One of the UK’s prominent Indian student representative organisations on Thursday began a new “Fair Visa, Fair Chance” campaign in favour of the post-study Graduate Route visa, which has proved hugely popular with students from India since its launch around three years ago.

The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, which had originally campaigned for the visa that allows international graduates the chance to gain work experience for two years after their degree, fears the ongoing review of the route would reverse the progress made.

The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been commissioned to review the Graduate Route visa by UK Home Secretary James Cleverly to ensure it is “fit for purpose” and is expected to report by next month.

“The ability to work for two years post-graduation helps international students to earn money to help pay for their degrees and enable some to get valuable work experience as well as to continue to build strong links with the UK,” said Lord Karan Bilimoria, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Students and patron of NISAU UK.

“We are in a global race and have to offer post-graduation work opportunities that are attractive in competing with countries, such as the United States of America, Canada, and Australia. The fear of the removal of the two-year post-graduation work visa is sending out unnecessary and damaging negative messages around the world, and universities are already seeing a huge decline in international students’ applications,” he said.

He also warned that Britain would be “shooting itself in the foot” if the Graduate Route was curtailed given that international students contribute GBP 42 billion to the UK economy.

Since its relaunch for the 2020-21 cohort of international students, the Home Office says a total of 213,250 visas have been granted under the route – with Indians consistently dominating as the largest group of students granted leave to remain with 43 per cent of grants last year.

“It is very sad that a mere few years on from the re-introduction of post-study working in the UK, we are having to once again make the case to defend it. The Graduate visa is a key requirement of Indian students and a critical offer of the UK’s international higher education system,” said Sanam Arora, NISAU UK chair and Commissioner of the UK’s International Higher Education Commission.

“We campaigned for seven years to bring it back last time and will fight to protect this essential pathway again. Without the Graduate route, university finances may collapse. The impact of this not just on international students but also on UK’s home students will be bad, given domestic students and the world-class research that happens in UK universities is heavily cross-subsidised by international students,” she said.

NISAU UK has been invited to present evidence to MAC and it plans to share its own research and learnings from the annual India-UK Achievers Honours programme, which celebrates high-achieving Indian graduates from the UK who have made exceptional contributions to their respective fields and society at large.

Indian students have already begun to show signs of being turned off from applying to British universities, with the latest Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) figures revealing a four per cent drop in applications from India.

However, the Home Office pointed to MAC analysis which revealed that the number of international post-graduate students attending institutions with the lowest UCAS entry requirements has increased by over 250 per cent between 2018 and 2022, bringing its mantra of attracting the “brightest and the best” into question.

In its annual report finalised before the review was announced in Parliament at the end of last year, MAC said: “More fundamentally, we suggest that the government needs to decide what the purpose of the Graduate Route is. If its primary objective is to enhance the offer to international students who choose to study in the UK and so increase the number of international students in higher education, then it appears to have been a resounding success.”

“If the objective is to attract talented students who will subsequently work in high-skilled graduate jobs, then we are sceptical that it adds much to the Skilled Worker route which was already available to switch into after graduation, and we expect that at least a significant fraction of the Graduate Route will comprise low-wage workers,” it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Denied Admission, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Hospital; 3 Doctors Fired

Denied Admission, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Hospital; 3 Doctors Fired

A pregnant woman had to deliver the child near the hospital’s gate in Jaipur. (Representational)

Jaipur:

 The Rajasthan government on Thursday suspended three resident doctors of a government hospital here over negligence after a pregnant woman was denied admission and had to deliver the child near the hospital’s gate, officials said.

Shubhra Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Education, said after the matter came to light, the department constituted an inquiry committee with immediate effect, according to an official statement.

Taking action on the committee’s report, three resident doctors of Kanwatia Hospital — Kusum Saini, Neha Rajawat and Manoj — were suspended after “serious negligence and insensitivity” was found on their part, the statement said.

A show cause notice was also issued to Kanwatia Hospital Superintendent Dr Rajendra Singh Tanwar for supervisory negligence in the case, it added.

The incident took place on Wednesday when the pregnant woman was not admitted to the hospital. She experienced labour pain while walking out and was forced to give birth to the child near the gate of the hospital, the officials said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

US Support Depends On Gaza Civilian Protection: Biden Warns Netanyahu

US Support Depends On Gaza Civilian Protection: Biden Warns Netanyahu

During phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.

Washington:

President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday that US policy on Israel depends on the protection of civilians in Gaza, in his strongest hint yet of possible conditions on military aid after an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers.

In their first call since the deaths of the employees of the US-based World Central Kitchen group on Monday, Biden also called for an “immediate ceasefire” after the “unacceptable” attack and wider humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Democrat Biden is facing growing pressure in an election year over his support for Israel’s Gaza war — with allies pressing him to consider making the billions of dollars in military aid sent by the United States to its key ally each year dependent on Netanyahu listening to calls for restraint.

Biden “made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers”, the White House said in a readout of the call.

“He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the United States wanted to see action within the “coming hours and days” including a “dramatic” increase in aid to Gaza, where the United States has warned of impending famine.

Kirby acknowledged that the call followed “growing frustration” with Netanyahu although he reiterated that US support for Israel’s security was “ironclad.”

A key Biden confidant had earlier urged him to use the leverage afforded by the huge military aid that Washington gives Israel — something Biden has resisted for the past six months.

“I think we’re at that point,” Chris Coons, a Democratic senator from the president’s home state of Delaware, told CNN.

If Israel began its long-threatened full-scale offensive in the southern city of Rafah, without plans to protect some 1.5 million people sheltering there, “I would vote to condition aid to Israel,” Coons said.

“I’ve never said that before, I’ve never been there before,” he added.

Biden also reportedly faces pressure from even closer to home — from First Lady Jill Biden.

“Stop it, stop it now,” she told the president about the growing toll of civilian casualties in Gaza, according to comments by Biden himself to a guest during a meeting with members of the Muslim community at the White House, and reported by The New York Times.

– ‘Outraged and heartbroken’ –

Biden has supported Israel’s six-month-old war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack, but has increasingly voiced frustration with Israel’s right-wing premier over the soaring death toll and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In his strongest statement since the war began, Biden said Tuesday that he was “outraged and heartbroken” by Israel’s killing of the seven aid workers, who included a US-Canadian citizen.

Israel has said the deaths were unintentional.

But Biden’s words have not been matched by any concrete steps to limit the billions of dollars in military aid that Washington supplies to its bedrock regional ally.

In a sign of business as usual, Biden’s administration approved the transfer of thousands more bombs to Israel on the same day as the Israeli strikes that killed the seven aid workers, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

Many Democrats fear the controversy could hurt Biden’s chances of reelection in November against Republican Donald Trump, as Muslim and younger voters express their anger over Gaza.

A former senior aide to Barack Obama — the president under whom Biden served as vice president — called for Biden’s actions to back his words.

“The US government is still supplying 2 thousand pound bombs and ammunition to support Israel’s policy,” Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security advisor in Obama’s administration, wrote on X.

“Until there are substantive consequences, this outrage does nothing. Bibi (Netanyahu) obviously doesn’t care what the US says, its about what the US does.”

US voters are also increasingly turning against Israel’s Gaza offensive.

A majority of 55 percent now disapprove of Israel’s actions, compared to 36 percent who approve, according to a Gallup poll released on March 27.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Denied Admission, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Hospital; 3 Doctors Fired

Denied Admission, Woman Delivers Baby Outside Hospital; 3 Doctors Fired

A pregnant woman had to deliver the child near the hospital’s gate in Jaipur. (Representational)

Jaipur:

 The Rajasthan government on Thursday suspended three resident doctors of a government hospital here over negligence after a pregnant woman was denied admission and had to deliver the child near the hospital’s gate, officials said.

Shubhra Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Education, said after the matter came to light, the department constituted an inquiry committee with immediate effect, according to an official statement.

Taking action on the committee’s report, three resident doctors of Kanwatia Hospital — Kusum Saini, Neha Rajawat and Manoj — were suspended after “serious negligence and insensitivity” was found on their part, the statement said.

A show cause notice was also issued to Kanwatia Hospital Superintendent Dr Rajendra Singh Tanwar for supervisory negligence in the case, it added.

The incident took place on Wednesday when the pregnant woman was not admitted to the hospital. She experienced labour pain while walking out and was forced to give birth to the child near the gate of the hospital, the officials said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Who Is Shashank Singh? PBKS Star Who Took Team To Win vs GT

The Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings IPL 2024 match was a thriller to the core. After Shubman Gill‘s 89* took Gujarat Titans to 199/4 in 20 overs, most the Punjab Kings top batters fell on low scores. But one man had some other idea – Shashank Singh. The domestic cricket star slammed 61* in 29 balls (4x6s, 6x4s) to take his team to a memorable win in the last over vs GT. In a team filled with stars like Shikhar Dhawan and Sam Curran, it was Shashank Singh who did the job for PBKS.

However, Shashank Singh’ auction selection lead to a lot of controversy. At the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction, Punjab Kings co-owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia looked confused after they won the bid for uncapped Indian Shashank Singh. It appeared that the IPL franchise did not intend to buy the player, but then the gavel had already fallen. IPL 2024 auctioneer Mallika Sagar also looked a little surprised as the PBKS management was seen going through the players auction list. However, PBKS decided to go ahead with the buy and even welcomed Shashank Singh to their team through a post on X.

Punjab Kings clarified that buying Shashank Singh was always in  their plans.

“Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him onboard and see him contribute to our success,” Punjab Kings wrote in a post on X.

Shashank Singh was brought up in the accelerated phase of the auction, with PBKS and other franchises looking to buy some uncapped Indian players in the category of INR 20 lakh base price.

When Shashank’s name was brought up, Preity Zinta raised the paddle after discussing the player with her team. The player was quickly sold as no other franchise bid for him, and the hammer went down.

Shashank Singh has played 58 domestic T20, scoring 754 at a strike-rate of 137.34. The 32-year-old batting all-rounder plays for Chhattisgarh at the national level. He is journeyman of sorts in IPL. Earlier, he has been associated with three other IPL franchises – SunRisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils (erstwhile) and Rajasthan Royals. 

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Editorial: Avoidable row

By raking up Katchatheevu, BJP is only trying to stoke regional passions as it desperately seeks to expand footprint in TN

Published Date – 4 April 2024, 11:55 PM


Editorial: Avoidable row

Kachchatheevu

Dragging delicate diplomatic issues, involving neighbouring countries, into the domestic election campaigning is fraught with dangerous consequences. By raking up the five-decade-old issue of ceding the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka by the then Congress government at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stirred a hornet’s nest ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Clearly, it is aimed at setting a campaign agenda in Tamil Nadu and influencing the voters who are swayed by matters concerning Tamil identity. It must be pointed out that Katchatheevu, which lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), is a settled subject, to the satisfaction of both countries. It is a tiny island located 33 km off the coast of Tamil Nadu. After considering the entire gamut of strategic bilateral ties at that time, New Delhi and Colombo concluded the agreement in 1974 in good faith where both sides won some and lost some. In return for ceding Katchatheevu, India was given exclusive control over the Wadge Bank as part of a bilateral pact in 1976. The Wadge Bank, located south of Kanyakumari, is a resource-rich submarine plateau. Under the agreement, Sri Lankan fishing vessels and personnel were not allowed to engage in fishing activities in the Wadge Bank. However, as a gesture of goodwill, India permitted a limited number of Sri Lankan fishing vessels, licensed by India, to fish in the area for a period of three years from the establishment of India’s exclusive economic zone.

The deal on the Wadge Bank is generally viewed as favourable for India as it secured sovereign rights to a significant maritime area rich in biodiversity and considered one of India’s richest fishery resources. These agreements must be seen as sovereign decisions taken by the state, taking into account the “realities on the ground”. The BJP leadership is well advised to refrain from politicising the issue. Moreover, Modi has triggered a storm but has not offered any solution or made any promises. A more important challenge before New Delhi is the plight of Tamil Nadu fishermen who get arrested for straying into Sri Lankan territory. According to the Sri Lankan Navy, 178 Indian fishermen and 23 trawlers have been held this year so far. Instead of focusing on such pressing issues, the Prime Minister has chosen to use a long-forgotten bilateral agreement as a political weapon to attack the Congress for “callously giving away” the island to Sri Lanka and the DMK for doing nothing to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interest. The saffron party is only trying to stoke the regional passions as it seeks to expand its footprint in the State. So far, it has been unable to breach the formidable fortress of Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu despite an aggressive campaign and multiple visits by Modi in recent times.


IPL 2024 Points Table: PBKS Make Massive Gain With Thrilling Win Over GT

Team Punjab Kings in action© BCCI

Punjab Kings registered a thrilling victory over Gujarat Titans by three wickets in their IPL 2024 match on Thursday in Ahmedabad. Asked to bat first, GT posted 199/4 with skipper Shubman Gill playing an unbeaten knock of 89 off 48 balls. Later, PBKS clinched victory on the penultimate ball of the match after batter Shashank Singh remained unbeaten at 61 off 29 balls. Ashutosh Sharma also played a quick knock of 31 off 17 balls for PBKS. This was Punjab’s second victory in four matches.

With this win, PBKS have jumped from seventh to fifth spot in the points table with a total of four points and a net run-rate of -0.220. On the other hand, GT have slipped down to the sixth spot with two victories in four matches and a net run-rate of -0.580.

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Currently, Kolkata Knight Riders are on the top of the points table with a total of three victories in as many matches.

Talking about the match, Gill made 89 off 48 balls, the highest individual score this season so far, and in the process hit six fours and four maximums to guide GT to an imposing 199 for four. He was also helped generously by B Sai Sudharsan‘s 19-ball 33 and Rahul Tewatia‘s eight-ball unbeaten 23.

But there was a heartbreak in store for GT as Shashank played the knock of his life, remaining unbeaten on 61 off 29 balls during which he hit six boundaries and four sixes to guide PBKS home with a ball to spare.

He was ably supported by Ashutosh Sharma (31 off 17) as the duo shared 43 runs off just 22 balls to raise PBKS’ hopes, which eventually came true.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Spain warns EU may reevaluate relations with Israel amid Gaza brutality


Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a press conference at La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, March 8, 2024. (File photo by AFP)

 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said that the European Union (EU) should rethink its strategic relation with Israel if the European Commission finds that the regime has breached humanitarian law in its savage campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“In the case of the EU, the situation would be that there’s an open door to have a debate within the European Council in order to see if we continue with this strategic relation or not. But this is something for which we first need to have the assessment of the European Commission,” Sanchez told the Qatar-based Al Jazeera media network on Thursday.

In February, Sanchez and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar asked the EU to urgently review whether Israel is complying with its human rights obligations in the Gaza Strip.

Sanchez reiterated his call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and for the international recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state with full membership in the United Nations.

Sanchez said Spain would recognize Palestinian statehood by July and expressed hopes that other Western nations would follow suit.

Ireland, Malta and Slovenia also announced last month they would work toward recognition of a Palestinian state.

Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Bolivia, Bahrain, Belize, Jordan, Turkey, Chad, and South Africa have suspended diplomatic relations with Israel over the campaign of death and destruction in Gaza that has killed nearly 33,000 people since early October.

 


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"Human Failure": Prague Hospital On Abortion Mix-Up Due To Language Barrier

'Human Failure': Prague Hospital On Abortion Mix-Up Due To Language Barrier

Both women were Asian with a permanent residence in the Czech Republic (Representational)

Prague:

A Prague hospital offered apologies on Thursday to a patient on whom it had performed an involuntary abortion after mixing her up with another patient last week.

One of the women came to the hospital for a regular check as she was pregnant, while the other arrived for curettage, a tissue removal procedure, which is also a method of terminating a pregnancy.

Both were Asian with a permanent residence in the Czech Republic, local media have said.

Hospital staff mixed them up and performed the surgery on the pregnant patient, who lost her foetus as a result.

“Unfortunately, it was a human error, a human failure,” Jan Kvacek, head of the Bulovka hospital in Prague, told reporters on Thursday.

Kvacek said the hospital was “deeply sorry” for what he called a “tragic” mix-up and said the institution also offered psychological and legal assistance to the patient.

“She is no doubt entitled to receive compensation,” he added, blaming a language barrier as playing a role in the incident.

Michal Zikan, head of the hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said the patient had signed a document in Czech which, however, belonged to the other patient.

“Three days earlier, the patient was told in great detail, in the presence of an interpreter, what she would undergo, that it’s just a check,” Zikan told journalists.

He added the surgeons had “no reason to believe they were dealing with a different patient”.

The hospital has suspended one employee and ordered another one to work under expert supervision as a result.

The case resembles that of Thi-Nho Vo, a Frenchwoman of a Vietnamese origin, who lost her baby in 1991 after a similar patient mix-up in Lyon.

Thi-Nho lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, claiming the hospital had committed involuntary homicide.

But the court ruled in 2003 that the involuntary abortion of a foetus does not constitute manslaughter, setting a precedent on the legal status of unborn babies.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

President Raeisi: Liberation of al-Quds is first issue

President Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran considers defense the legitimate right of all resistance groups and loudly supports resistance movements in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and all Islamic countries.

“We believe that all those who think of resistance, defense of their land and protection of women, children and religion should be supported and encouraged anywhere in the world,” he told ambassadors and charge d’affaires of Islamic countries in Tehran Thursday.

Speaking on the eve of the International Quds Day, Raeisi said the liberation of the occupied al-Quds is the first issue and the focus of  mutual thinking, cooperation and companionship among Muslims.

He touched on the worldwide hatred of the enemies of the Palestinian nation, saying all indications point to a different Quds Day this year.

The International Quds Day, marked on the last Friday of holy month of Ramadan every year, features large-scale rallies and marches held to demonstrate unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against Israeli occupation.

“The Quds Day this year is not only related to Muslims, but also to all awakened consciences in the world and truly global,” the president said.

The liberation of al-Quds, he said, is the axis that can unite all Muslims and one of the important secrets for the unity of Islamic countries.

Unity and integrity of Muslims is very important, emphasized by the Holy Qur’an, which can help stand against the global domination system and neutralize organized crimes against Islamic countries, the president added.

Muslims, President Raeisi said, should trust God and their own possessions instead of outside powers.

“Today, we have many assets in Islamic countries, and with unity and integrity, we can stand against the domination system. Resistance and standing is the recipe that has worked in the region and will work from now on.”

The president said Iran considers the strengthening and authority of Islamic countries as its own strengthening and all Muslim countries.

“Also, we consider the smallest insecurity in any Islamic country as insecurity in all Islamic countries,” he said.

“We like security, peace, tranquility and progress for all nations and countries and for the Islamic world. We believe that the cooperation and like-mindedness of Islamic countries can lead to growth, excellence and progress in Islamic countries,” he added.

The president said cementing relations with neighbors is one of the main pillars of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran warmly welcomes the cooperation of all its neighbors and Islamic countries, and the priority of our foreign policy is to strengthen constructive interaction and promote common and mutual interests with Islamic countries.”

Raeisi said the big problem of the region and Islamic countries is the  meddling of outside powers.

“If it were to the Islamic countries, they could easily resolve inter-regional issues and even regional and extra-regional issues by exchanging opinions and understanding.

“Outsiders put their policies, views and interests before the interests of Islamic countries and never think about providing happiness and solving the problems of people and Islamic countries,” he said.

“The base of the arrogant powers is on supremacy and domination over the region and Islamic countries so that they cannot do anything in line with their interests without their opinion and permission,” he added.

Arrogant powers, President Raeisi said, sees their interests in creating discord, spreading terrorism, hatred, and domination.

“This is while the interests of Islamic countries are in real cooperation and interaction with each other.”