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Union Cabinet approves schemes ranging from PM-eBus Sewa to seven multi-tracking railway projects; Muslim youth beaten up over ‘love jihad’ claim in Mumbai; top news from August 16
Today’s Latest News Transcript at 8:30 PM on 16 August 2023
 
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a slew of schemes ranging from the PM-eBus Sewa for augmenting city bus operations to seven multi-tracking projects of the Indian Railways worth Rs 32,500 crore. The Union Cabinet also approved the extension Digital India project with an outlay of Rs 14,903 crore. The extended programme aims to re-skill and up-skill 6.25 lakh IT professionals and train another 2.65 lakh persons in information security. The AI-enabled multi-language translation tool – Bhashini – will be rolled out in 22 Schedule Vlll languages and 9 more supercomputers will be added under the National Super Computer Mission.
 
In other news: The death toll in the rain fury in Himachal Pradesh rose to 57, with the body of a woman being pulled out of the debris of a collapsed Shiv temple in Shimla. Heavy rains have battered the state since Sunday, triggering landslides in Shimla’s Summer Hill, Krishna Nagar and Fagli. Ten bodies are still feared buried in the debris of the Shiv temple. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that a nearly 157 per cent surge in rainfall over the past few days has resulted in extensive damage across the state. About 800 roads are blocked in the state and the losses suffered since the onset of monsoon on June 24 have crosses Rs 7,200 crore.
 
After a purported video of a Muslim youth getting beaten up by a mob chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ outside the Bandra railway station in Mumbai surfaced on social media, the railway police are set to register an FIR against the assaulters. The mob allegedly raised ‘love jihad’ allegations against the Muslim youth travelling with a Hindu girl. Bandra railway police officials said the incident happened on July 21. In the video, the mob is seen assaulting the youth wearing a maroon shirt, accusing him of eloping with the minor Hindu girl.
 
Meanwhile: RPF Constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who allegedly gunned down four persons on board the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express on July 31, is also alleged to have threatened a burqa-clad woman passenger and forced her to say “Jai Mata Di” at gunpoint, according to investigations. The woman then reportedly pushed his gun away and asked him, “who are you”, following which Chaudhary threatened to kill her if she touched his weapon, said police sources. Police sources said the Government Railway Police, Borivali, which is investigating the case, identified recorded the woman’s statement. The entire episode was also captured by CCTV cameras in the train.
 
Days after Sabyasachi Das, a member of the faculty in the Economics Department at Ashoka University, resigned following a controversy over his research paper ‘Democratic Backsliding in the World’s Largest Democracy’, the department said in an open letter that the Ashoka University Governing Body’s “interference” in the process to “investigate the merits” of his study was likely to “precipitate an exodus of faculty”. “The offer of resignation by our colleague Prof. Sabyasachi Das and its hasty acceptance by the University has deeply ruptured the faith that we in the faculty of the department of Economics, our colleagues, our students, and well-wishers of Ashoka University everywhere, had reposed in the University’s leadership,” the letter said.
 
With Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a condition before Ajit Pawar that he should rope in Sharad Pawar if he wanted to become the chief minister of Maharashtra, NCP leader Supriya Sule denied knowledge of any such development and said that she has not received any offer from the BJP. The Shiv Sena (UBT) also denied the news.
 
The Ghaziabad police suspended a police constable and registered a case against him following a viral video that purportedly showed him in uniform beating a person mercilessly on the road. The accused has been identified as Rinku Rajaura, who is posted at Madhuban Bapudham police station in Ghaziabad district. Rajaura was seen assaulting the man in front of the public on Tuesday, the police said.
 
In some world news: The Taliban view their rule of Afghanistan as open-ended, drawing legitimacy from Islamic law and facing no significant threat, their chief spokesman said in an interview marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country. He also suggested a ban on female education will remain in place. Zabihullah Mujahid brushed aside any questions from The Associated Press about restrictions on girls and women, saying he had nothing new to say on the matter while also indicating the status quo will remain.
 
Lastly: Several churches were vandalised in Pakistan’s Punjab province over blasphemy allegations. The Salvation Army Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church and Shehroonwala Church situated in the Isa Nagri area in the Jaranwala district of Faisalabad were ransacked, Imran Bhatti, the pastor of the Jaranwala tehsil, was quoted as saying by Dawn.com. Bhatti added that the house of a Christian cleaner, who was accused of blasphemy, was also demolished. Punjab police chief Usman Anwar said the police were negotiating with the protesters and the area had been cordoned off.
 
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