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Asian Games 2023 Live: India Bag Bronze In Women's Speed Skating

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Asian Games 2023 October 2 Live Updates: Indian Athletes Look To Add To Medals Tally

Asian Games 2023 October 2 Live Updates:India have started their day on a brilliant note as they have clinched two bronze medals in skating. The first was won by the women’s team in speed skating 3000m relay while the second was won the men’s team in the men’s speed skating 300m relay. The Indian athletes will be looking to continue the momentum after a brilliant couple of days when they take part across disciplines on Monday (October 2). Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee will take part in the women’s doubles table tennis semi-final and a win will mean they will have a chance to win a historic gold medal. The journey in the badminton and squash individual disciplines will also continue with massive names like Joshna Chinappa and PV Sindhu in action. (Asian Games Medals Tally)

Here are the Live Updates of Asian Games 2023, October 2 Action:

  • 08:06 (IST)

    Asian Games, Archery Live: Indian men’s team wins

    Good news for India in archery as their men’s compound team wins. The team consisting of Ojas Pravin Deotale, Abhishek Verma and Prathamesh Jawkar, defeats Singapore with a 235-219 scoreline in the 1/8 elimination round.

  • 08:02 (IST)

    Asian Games, Athletics, Men’s High Jump Live: Sarvesh, Sandesh in the final

    India’s Sarvesh Kushare and Jesse Sandesh are both through to the final after registering a jump of 2.10m in the qualification round. The automatic qualification mark was 2.26m.

  • 08:00 (IST)

    Asian Games, Canoe Live: India lose in Men’s Canoe Single 1000m

    Heartbreak for India as they lose in men’s canoe single 100m event. Niraj Verma finishes seventh with a timing of 4:36.314. The first three spots have been takes by Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. 

  • 07:52 (IST)

    Asian Games, Athletics Live: Another Indian enters final

    Another India has entered the finals of the athletics. This time, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan enters the final of 400m hurdles with a score of 49.28. Apart from him, Qatar’s Abderrahman Alsaleck has also made it to the finals with a score of 49.12. 

  • 07:50 (IST)

    Asian Games, Archery Live: Indian women get bye

    India women get a bye in compound team 1/8 elimination. On the other hand, the men’s team is squaring off against Singapore.

  • 07:48 (IST)

    Asian Games, Decathlon Long jump Live: Tejaswin Shankar tops the leaderboard

    India’s Tejaswin Shankar leads the scoreboard 903 points after a 7.37 in long jump. The second on the list is Thailand’s Sutthisak Singkhon. 

  • 07:44 (IST)

    Asian Games, Skating Live: Timings for men’s speed skating

  • 07:44 (IST)

    Asian Games, Skating Live: Timings for women’s speed skating

  • 07:43 (IST)

    Asian Games, Athletics Live: Another Indian in final

    After Mohammed Afsal P, another Indian earns a qualification in men’s 800m. This time, Krishan Kumar enters the final round after finishing at 1:49.45 in heat three. 

  • 07:38 (IST)

    Asian Games, Skating Live: Bronze for India

    BRONZE!!! Another medal for India in skating. This time, India men’s team clinches a medal in speed skating 3000m relay. The Indian team, comprising of Aryanpal Singh Ghuman, Anandkumar Velkumar, Siddhant Kamble and Vikram Ingale, registered a timing of 4:10.128. 

  • 07:35 (IST)

    Asian Games, Athletics Live: India in lead in men’s 800m heat

    India’s Mohammed Afsal P earns a direct qualification for the final of the men’s 800m second heat. He registers a timing of 1:46.79 and finishes at the top spot. Kuwait’s Ebrahim Alzofairi, who recorded a timing of 1:47.01, also earns a direct qualification. 

  • 07:31 (IST)

    Asian Games, Decathlon Live: Tejaswin Shankar continues to lead

    After a brilliant first attempt, India’s Tejaswin Shankar shines again and records a distance of 7.23m. He continues to stand on the first place on the scoreboard. 

  • 07:29 (IST)

    Asian Games, High Jump Live: Sandesh, Sarvesh fail to clear

    India’s high jump duo of Jesse Sandesh and Sarvesh Anil have failed to clear 2.15. They have exhausted their all three attempts. 

  • 07:24 (IST)

    Asian Games, Skating Live: Here are the timings

  • 07:23 (IST)

    Asian Games, Skating Live: Bronze in Women’s 3000m relay

  • 07:22 (IST)

    Asian Games, Skating Live: Bronze for India

    Bronze!!! India bag bronze medal in women’s speed skating 3000m relay. The India team, which features of Sanjana Bathula, Karthika Jagadeeswaran, Heeral Sadhu and Aarathy Kasturi Raj, records a time of 4:34.861. The gold has been won by Chinese Taipei while Republic of Korea wins silver. 

  • 07:17 (IST)

    Asian Games, Decathlon Live: Brilliant attempt by Tejaswin Shankar

    India’s Tejaswin Shankar registers a massive score in men’s long jump event. In his first attempt, he registeres 7.37 and takes the first spot in the rankings. 

  • 07:10 (IST)

    Asian Games, High Jump Live: Sandesh clatters

    India’s Sandesh fails to clear the bar at 2.15. This is the first X against his name.

  • 07:06 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Athletics: Men’s High Jump

    Sandesh and Sarvesh, competing in different groups, are past the 2.10 as well. 

  • 07:00 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Roller Skating: Men’s 3000m Speed Skating Relay

    In the event, the Indian quartet of Aryanpal Singh Ghuman, Anandkumar Velkumar, Siddhant Rahul Kamble and Vikram Rajendra Ingale finishes second in Prelims Heat 2. The cumulative timing was 4:15.126.

  • 06:58 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Archery: India Beat UAE

    In a close encounter, India beat UAE in Compound Mixed Team 1/8 Elimination event. India’s Jyothi Surekha and Ojas Pravin were in action in the event. 

  • 06:57 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Archery: India Beat Malaysia

    The Indian pair of Atanu Das and Ankita Bhakat have secured a 6-2 win over the Malaysian pair. India off to a fine start in Recurve Mixed Team 1/8 Elimination 

  • 06:55 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Athletics: Men’s High Jump

    India’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare also clears the 2.00m distance with ease. He remains joint top at present, with two other athletes from Singapore and China.

  • 06:46 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Athletics: Men’s High Jump

    India’s Jesse Sandesh and Sarvesh Kushare in action in men’s high jump event. Sandesh is already past the 2.00m hurdle in a comfortable manner. 

  • 06:39 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Athletics: Men’s Decathlon 100m

    India’s Tejaswin Shankar finishes 4th in the 100m event, with a timing of 11.12 which is also his personal best. He aggregates 834 points from the event.

  • 06:32 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Archery: Archers In Action!

    Indian duo of Anikta Bhakat and Atanu Das in mixed recurve, while Jyothi Vennam/Ojas Deotale in mixed compound take on Malaysia and UAE respectively.

  • 06:32 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE, Athletics – Decathlon: Tejaswin In Action

    India’s Tejaswin Shankar opens his campaign with the 100m sprint. He has a personal best of 11.03s.

  • 06:28 (IST)

    Asian Games LIVE: Archery, Athletics Underway At 6:30 AM

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Asian Games. India’s Tejaswin Shankar will be in action in Men’s Decathlon event, starting 6:30. In Archery, representing India would be Atanu Das and Ankita Bhakat in the Recurve Mixed Team 1/8 Elimination

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Telangana govt doctors see faster growth

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Telangana government has decided to give first priority to existing senior doctors in government hospitals by promoting and posting them as Professors in the upcoming eight new medical colleges (2024-25) in Telangana

Published Date – 08:00 AM, Mon – 2 October 23


Telangana govt doctors see faster growth



Hyderabad: Till a few years ago, it used to take at least 20 years for a senior doctor in Telangana to become a Professor in a government hospital. In the last year or so, however, an Associate Professor can become a Professor and also lead a medical unit in a government hospital in just six to seven years.

The boost in time taken to grow professionally for a government doctor these days is a far cry from the days of getting confined to a single post of either Assistant or Associate Professor for decades. Earlier, deserving senior doctors in government hospitals would end-up becoming Professors just before their retirement, which is not the case anymore.

The timely professional growth of doctors in government hospitals is largely made possible due to the rapid development in medical education with the establishment of 21 government medical colleges between 2016 and 2023 and recruitment taken-up, in commensurate with the launch of the new teaching hospitals in Telangana.

The recent recruitment of 1,479 Assistant Professors in government medical colleges and attached teaching hospitals has ensured that there is no inordinate delay in promotions and professional growth of government doctors. In the last few months, a total of 545 Associate Professors have been promoted as Professors and posted in various government hospitals and medical colleges in Telangana.

“There have been instances in other Indian States where senior doctors retired as Assistant and Associate Professors and sadly never made it to Professors,” Health Minister, T Harish Rao said.

To further fuel professional growth, the State government has also decided to give first priority to existing senior doctors in government hospitals by promoting and posting them as Professors in the upcoming eight new medical colleges (2024-25) in Telangana. “Only after filling these posts of Professors with existing senior doctors, the remaining posts will be filled through further promotions of Associate and Assistant Professors to Professors,” health officials pointed out.

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Hundreds of thousands join anti-government rally in Poland's capital

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Hundreds of thousands of people have joined an anti-government rally in Poland’s capital city ahead of general elections that the opposition Civic Platform party says may decide the country’s future in the European Union.

Warsaw city authorities said about a million people attended demonstrations on Sunday, which has been described as the biggest rally the city has ever seen.

Online news channel onet.pl said according to its calculations some 600,000-800,000 people attended the rally, which was called as a show of force by the Civic Platform (PO).

The PO leader and a former European Council president, Donald Tusk, said the country’s democracy would be under threat should the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government — which has been in power since 2015 — manage to extend its mandate in the upcoming polls.

Addressing the “Million Hearts March,” which sought to mobilize the electorate ahead of the October 15 vote, Tusk said it was “a historic duty” to remove the PiS from power.

“Big change is coming. This is a sign of Poland’s rebirth,” he told the crowd at a central Warsaw square, adding, “The impossible has become possible, when I see this sea of hearts, when I see these hundreds of thousands of smiling faces, I feel that this turning point in the history of our homeland is approaching.”

The EU has refused to unleash billions of dollars in COVID recovery funds towards Poland, finding fault with a number of judicial reforms that the ruling party has enacted.

The party, though, says the reforms were needed to enhance justice standards across the country and rid it of, what it calls, vestiges of communism.

Addressing the demonstration, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, a senior PO member, accused the PiS of preventing the country from benefitting from the funds by “destroying democracy.”

The PiS, which has vowed to keep migrants out, calling them a threat to the country’s “national security,” has, however, denied undermining democratic standards.

“If we succeed…, we’ll chase away Tusk. Where? To Berlin,” announced Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, referring to accusations by the PiS that Tusk has teamed up with Germany against Poland. He even went as far as labelling Tusk the “political husband” of former German chancellor, Angela Merkel. 

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Yarraji Race: AFI president Sumariwalla promises to take up matter to highest level

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Drama unfolded in the last event of the day at the ‘Big Lotus’ stadium when the women’s 100m hurdles was stopped after the gun was fired

Published Date – 07:40 AM, Mon – 2 October 23


Yarraji Race: AFI president Sumariwalla promises to take up matter to highest level

India’s Jyothi Yarraji reacts before the start of women’s 100-meter hurdle final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Hangzhou: Jyothi Yarraji was first disqualified, then allowed to run and eventually finished third, all these happened in a span of few minutes during a farcical women’s 100m hurdles race at the Asian Games here on Sunday.

Drama unfolded in the last event of the day at the ‘Big Lotus’ stadium when the women’s 100m hurdles was stopped after the gun was fired. Replays clearly showed that Chinese runner Wu Yanni was responsible for the false start as she got off the blocks even before the gunshot was taken.

The judges reviewed the start of the race at the on-field screen and then disqualified Yanni. But to the surprise of the Indian camp, Yarraji was also told that she would be out due to false start.

Yarraji stood her ground for a while and protested and the race was held up for a few minutes.

In sprint races, under 100 millisecond rule, any athlete who reacts within 100 milliseconds (0.100 second) of the gun going off is considered to have false started.

Later, the judges allowed both of them to compete and Yanni finished second behind her Chinese compatriot Lin Yuwei (12.74) while Yarraji (13.04) was third.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) immediately filed a protest and within minutes, Yanni was disqualified under Technical Rule 16.8 and Yarraji’s bronze was upgraded to silver.

According to Technical Rule 16.8, any athlete responsible for a false start shall be disqualified by the starter.

But, a note to the rule says “when one or more athletes make a false start, others are inclined to follow and … any athlete who does so has also made a false start. The starter should warn or disqualify only such athletes or athletes who, in their opinion, were responsible for the false start.” AFI president and World Athletics Vice President and Executive Board member Adille Sumariwalla made it clear that allowing Wu Yanni to run under protest was a wrong decision as “it was she who broke the gun”.

He also said that the matter would be taken up at the highest level to ensure that this kind of thing does not happen again.

“They (judges) committed a mistake, they have accepted it and medal (silver) has been given (Yarraji),” he said.

“Breaking the Gun” in athletics terminology means getting off the blocks before the shot is fired.

“Rule says you cannot break the gun, it comes on the screen (if false started). What they did not realise was, the Chinese runner (Wu Yanni) has clearly done it (false started), naturally when the first girl goes out before the gun, others will also get out.

“Yarraji went second, and they were after her (Yarraji) to try and get her out. I said from above (the stands) that let her (Yarraji) run under protest. But to make the Chinese woman (Wu Yanni) run under protest is wrong. You can’t do that because she has broken the gun.” Asked about the quick decision, Sumariwalla said, “We lodged a protest. It was black and white and the decision (to upgrade Yarraji’s bronze to silver) was to be there.

“But rest assured that this will be taken up at the highest level to ensure that this does not happen again.” AFI senior vice president and legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George termed it as an “unusual drama” rarely seen in a major competition.

“The runner who leaves the ground first is disqualified. The Chinese girl was one and a half steps ahead and Jyothi was still on the ground, she did not leave the ground. But they (judges) came to Jyothi and said you are out. Jyothi was on her block. It was a surprise to everybody, what a drama they did. It was very unusual.

“This is the first time I am seeing in such a competition that somebody is out and then in. We protested by submitting USD 100. It was to be done within 30 minutes and we did that immediately.”

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Watch: SA Cricketers Struggle To Say 'Thiruvananthapuram'. Tharoor Reacts

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Watch: South Africa Cricketers Struggle To Say Thiruvananthapuram. Shashi Tharoor Reacts

South African cricketers struggled to pronounce Thiruvananthapuram© X (formerly Twitter)

The South African cricket team has arrived in India for the Cricket World Cup 2023 and they have set their base currently in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The South Africa cricketers started their practice and will play a Cricket World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand on Monday. However, it is the name of the city that left few of the players scratching their heads and their struggle to pronounce ‘Thiruvananthapuram’ was captured in a video which has gone viral on the social media.

In the video which was shared by politician Shashi Tharoor, most of the South African cricketers struggled to get the pronunciation correct and came up with hilarious sounding words. However, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were able to say the name correctly.

Heinrich Klaasen failed to get the name right on multiple occasions and finally decided to learn the old city of the name – Trivandrum. “The South Africans have arrived in Thiruvananthapuram! But can they tell anyone where they are?,” Tharoor wrote along with the video on X (formerly Twitter).

The World Cup warm-up match between South Africa and Afghanistan at Thiruvananthapuram was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Friday.

Heavy rain frustrated both sides who now have one further warm-up to get the plans in order before the tournament gets underway next week.

The Proteas, whose captain Temba Bavuma has had to travel home for family reasons, will hope the weather improves in Thiruvananthapuram before their final warm-up against New Zealand on Monday.

Bavuma is expected to re-join the squad for South Africa’s opening match of the tournament against Sri Lanka in Delhi on October 7.

Afghanistan have a final warm-up against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday before opening their tournament against Bangladesh in Dharamshala, also on October 7.

(With AFP inputs)

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Nobel Prizes This Week To Illuminate Bleak Year For World Peace

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Nobel Prizes This Week To Illuminate Bleak Year For World Peace

The Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on October 6.

Stockholm:

This week’s Nobel Prize announcements will celebrate a string of groundbreaking achievements, but with conflicts raging around the globe, experts solicited about possible Peace Prize winners are scratching their heads.

The Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on October 6, the highlight of the week of announcements running from October 2-9.

With the war in Ukraine well into its second year, tensions flaring between superpowers and a slew of African coups in recent years, the global state of affairs is decidedly bleak, say experts.

In a reflection of the frictions, the Russian ambassador’s invitation to the Nobel prize banquet in Stockholm in December was recently rescinded following angry protests.

“In many ways it would be appropriate for the committee not to hand out any prize this year,” Swedish professor of international affairs Peter Wallensteen told AFP.

“It would be a good way of marking the seriousness of the world situation.”

The last time that happened was a half-century ago, in 1972 amid the Vietnam War.

To find no laudable candidate would these days be considered a failure.

“It’s very hard to think that this could be the result,” the secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Olav Njolstad told AFP, “but I will not say it’s impossible.”

“The world really needs something that may point in a good direction. There is every need for the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded even this year.”

The list of nominations is secret, but 351 individuals or organisations are known to be on it.

Iranian women, Ukraine or climate?

So who could get the nod?

Some Nobel watchers have pointed to the Iranian women protesting since the death in custody a year ago of Mahsa Amini, arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code imposed on women.

Activists Masih Alinejad and Narges Mohammadi or the Alliance for Democracy and Freedom in Iran are seen as potential laureates in such case.

Other possibilities are organisations documenting war crimes in Ukraine, or the International Criminal Court, which could one day be called upon to judge them.

Climate activists have also been mentioned, after the hottest summer on record and a year of extreme weather threatening mankind.

“I think that climate change is a really good focus for the Peace Prize this year,” Dan Smith, the head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told AFP.

He singled out the Fridays for Future movement started by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, and Brazilian tribal chief Raoni Metuktire, who campaigns against deforestation and for indigenous rights.

Last year, the prize was shared by Russian human rights group Memorial, Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties and jailed Belarusian rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, all three representing the nations at the centre of the war in Ukraine which they oppose.

The Swedish Academy, meanwhile, is to announce its pick for the Literature Prize in Stockholm on October 5.

Among the names making the rounds in literary circles are Russian author and outspoken Putin critic Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Chinese avant-garde writer Can Xue, British author Salman Rushdie, Caribbean-American writer Jamaica Kincaid and Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse.

‘Reflect the times’

The Swedish Academy has often put the spotlight on little-known authors, though last year it went to French feminist icon Annie Ernaux.

She was just the 17th woman to win since the prize was first handed out in 1901.

The Academy has undergone major reforms since a devastating #MeToo scandal in 2018, vowing a more global and gender-equal literature prize.

“In recent years, there is more awareness that you can’t remain in a eurocentric perspective, there has to be more equality and the prize has to reflect the times,” Stockholm University literature professor Carin Franzen told AFP.

Since the scandal, it has honoured three women — Ernaux, US poet Louise Gluck and Poland’s Olga Tokarczuk — and two men — Austrian author Peter Handke and Tanzanian writer Abdulrazak Gurnah.

The Medicine Prize opens the Nobel season on Monday, with research into cancer-fighting T-cell therapy, the human microbiome and narcolepsy making buzz.

The Physics Prize will follow on Tuesday and Chemistry on Wednesday.

The Economics Prize — the only Nobel not created in Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will — wraps up the announcements on October 9.

Criticism over the lack of gender and geographical diversity has also plagued the science prizes, something the award committees insist they are addressing.

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

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Earthquake of 2.6 magnitude shakes parts of Haryana

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According to the National Centre for Seismology the earthquake of magnitude 2.6, occurred at 11.26 pm on Sunday

Published Date – 07:20 AM, Mon – 2 October 23


Earthquake of 2.6 magnitude shakes parts of Haryana

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New Delhi: A mild tremor shook parts of Haryana on Sunday night.

According to the National Centre for Seismology the earthquake of magnitude 2.6, occurred at 11.26 pm on Sunday.

The epicentre of the earthquake was located 7 km east southeast of Rohtak in Haryana.

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Paramilitary Jawan Injured After Being Hit By Speeding Car In Mumbai: Cops

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Paramilitary Jawan Injured After Being Hit By Speeding Car In Mumbai: Cops

Police said accused driver has been detained and a case has been registered (Representational)

Mumbai:

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official was seriously injured after being allegedly hit by a car at the checkpost of Mumbai International Airport, the police said on Sunday.

Mumbai Police said that the injured official, Rahul Sharma was checking cars at a checkpost on the airport premises when a car came at full speed and hit him.

“Rahul Suresh Sharma, a CISF official, was seriously injured after being hit by a BMW car at the checkpoint of Mumbai International Airport. Five people in the car were handed over to the Sahar police station,” police said.

“The injured official was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment,” it added.

Police said that the accused driver has been detained and a case has been registered against him under IPC sections 279,338 and Motor Vehicle Act.

Further investigation is underway.

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

Hyderabad

Telangana: TSWREIS students to learn coding from Class 6

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A Coding Academy has been established by the TSWREIS to provide high-quality coding and computing education in a unique residential mode that is first of its kind in the country

Published Date – 07:00 AM, Mon – 2 October 23


Telangana: TSWREIS students to learn coding from Class 6

A Coding Academy has been established by the TSWREIS to provide high-quality coding and computing education in a unique residential mode that is first of its kind in the country

Hyderabad: Coding in schools is not just about preparing the next generation coding specialists and software professionals but also equipping students with necessary skills to thrive in a technology driven world. This is what the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) has embarked upon.

Catching them young, the Society is imparting coding to its school students from Class VI itself. Aiming at creating future coding specialists from the marginalized communities, a Coding Academy has been established by the TSWREIS to provide high-quality coding and computing education in a unique residential mode that is first of its kind in the country.

While the academy is currently operating from a temporary building in Moinabad, a new residential campus is being set up in Bachupally here.

“A new state-of-the-art residential campus for the Coding Academy is coming up in Bachupally. We have taken top students from our schools and training them in coding from Class VI itself. To design the curriculum, we have tied up with Raspberry Pi Foundation, UK,” TSWREIS Secretary Dr. E Naveen Nicolas told ‘Telangana Today’.

Beginning with the basics of computer coding, the formal course will be taught from Classes VI till undergraduate level apart from their regular academics. The Society entered into a five-year partnership with Raspberry Pi Foundation, UK, a global organisation based out of Cambridge University, to develop and implement an integrated, progression-based computing programme.

Focusing on hands-on learning, a 124-hour curriculum per grade is being implemented with 70 per cent practical sessions and 30 per cent for theory. Each child will be immersed in coding and computing learning for close to 800 hours in school and 370 hours in undergraduate level. Upon successful completion of their undergraduation, students will be awarded a degree in BSc Computer Science with Coding as a major course.

Efforts were on to secure a globally and industry recognised certification for its students at the undergraduate level. The society is also working on equipping its in-house teachers to teach and experiment with coding and computing. The Foundation will train select teachers for four-years from 2024-25 to 2027-28, making them coding and computer educators at the academy.

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Opinion: Opinion: Mahatma Gandhi – A Lifelong Sanatani

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, often proudly proclaimed to be a Hindu – not just a Hindu, but a proud Sanatani Hindu. In his soul, thoughts and action, he was a Sanatani Hindu. He saw Sanatan Hinduism as a source of inspiration for his life. He was born as a Sanatani Hindu and died as a Sanatani.

Born into an orthodox Hindu upper caste family in Porbandar, Gujarat, he was raised in Sanatani culture, and imbibed Sanatani Hindu traditions and practices, and he carried these influences throughout his life. In his articles in Harijan, he says that Sanatan is a set of all pervading, timeless and universal values of mankind, which has evolved in this land of Bharatvarsha. For him, Hinduism and Sanatan are one and the same thing, a synonymous.

For him, Sanatan Hinduism was not a religion confined within narrow boundaries but a philosophy that embraced all humankind. What’s most interesting is that he never held back on or felt shy of his Sanatani identity. He referred his faith as Sanatan Hindu Dharma. This term emphasizes the timeless and universal nature of Hinduism, describing it as an all-inclusive way of life rather than a rigid religion.

Gandhi defined Sanatan Hindu Dharma as a vast ocean which encompasses various streams, rivulets, rivers, and is very broad. It is not circumscribed like the proverbial frog in the well. For him, Sanatan is broad, comprehensive and all inclusive. It is not a religion in the Western sense – rather a way of life. It is humankind. In his famous article in Harijan, he says that Sanatan Hinduism is the most tolerant religion of the world. “It gave shelter to early Christians who had fled persecution, also to the Jews known as Beni-Israel, as also the Parsis. I am proud to belong to this Sanatan Hinduism which is all inclusive and which stands for tolerance”.

He wanted to reform some of the ills of Sanatan, like untouchablity and caste-orthodoxy, but these reforms are to be carried out from within and without abandoning the core values of the Sanatan. He believed that these issues were deviations from the core values of Hinduism. He worked tirelessly to reform these practices within the Hindu community. For him, Sanatan Hinduism stands for its universality, tolerance, and commitment to non-violence. One must remember that Gandhi considered all those who lived in India to be Sanatani Hindu, no matter their faith.

For him, the purpose of life was to follow Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. No other book or scripture influenced Gandhi, shaped his character, and transformed his life as profoundly, penetratingly, and permanently as did the Bhagavad Gita. Among the many books he read, the Gita influenced, impressed and shaped him the most, in the darkest hours of his life. He saw the Gita as his “eternal mother”, whom he esteemed even more than his earthly mother. He says that he learnt two major life lessons from the Gita.

First, to master the skill of action and second, like a sthitaprajna, to remain balanced or equipoised in success or failure. Testing the truth of anything means living by its precepts in real life, and actualising the ideals on the human, material plane of day-to-day living. With the same idea of emulating the truth, Gandhi began to translate the Gita not only literally, but even practically. He lived the Gita in his action, thoughts and practice. Believing in “being the change you want to see in the world,” he himself put into practice the Gita’s ideals of the yamas and niyamas such as truth, ahimsa (non-violence), Brahmacharya (celibacy), non-possession, and others.

His daily practices and daily routine were just an extension of Sanatani values. Ahimsa and Satyagraha (fight for truth) are core Sanatan values.

His concept of trusteeship of wealth, in which the wealth earned by a person is not his personal wealth and he is just a trustee, has been directly influenced by the Sanatani concept of Dharma.

In essence, Mahatma Gandhi’s steadfast adherence to Sanatan Hinduism was a guiding force that underpinned his commitment to thr universal values of tolerance, non-violence, and truth. His legacy continues to resonate, transcending religious boundaries and inspiring people worldwide.

There is and cannot be a more proud and ardent follower of Sanatan-Hinduism than the Father of the Nation. 

(Rajiv Tuli is an author and commentator.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.