Headlines at a Glance – 4th August 2020
Tamil Nadu rejects 3-language formula in NEP 2020
The Tamil Nadu government on Monday rejected the Centre’s three-language formula proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and said there will not be any deviation from the two-language policy being followed in the state. Taking strong exception to the proposal for the three-language formula in the NEP, Chief Minister K Palaniswami who chaired a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat here, said the state has been following the two-language policy for several decades and there will be no change in it. “Tamil Nadu will never allow the Centre’s three- language policy. The state will continue with its dual language policy (of Tamil and English),” the chief minister said. “The three-language formula in the NEP is painful and saddening. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should reconsider the three-language policy,” he said, adding the Centre should allow the states to implement their own policy on the subject. Palaniswami said there will be no change to the two- language formula which the state had adopted decades ago.
SOURCE: The New Indian Express
Hyderabad 16th among 20 cities globally in CCTV Surveillance
Hyderabad has been ranked 16th among the “Top 20 Most Surveilled Cities globally” according to a report published by a UK-based firm. According to a tweet by the Director-General of Police of Telangana, M Mahender Reddy, the firm Comparitech conducted a survey of cities, in which Hyderabad with its 3 lakh CCTV cameras being used to keep tab on a city that has a population of a little over 1 crore, figured 16th in the most surveilled cities. The DGP also attached a snapshot of the survey, in which Taiyuan in China was ranked first with 4,65,255 CCTV cameras Anjani Kumar, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City said that Hyderabad was ranked first in India. “It is a very proud moment. And the public who contributed through Nenu Saitham program installed more than three lakh cameras. Due to which we have gained the first position in India and a sixteenth position in the world. Our target is to install ten lakh CCTV Cameras in Hyderabad in the upcoming four years,” he told.
SOURCE: Business Standard
NASA Astronauts Safely Splash Down After Journey from Orbit
The first astronaut trip to orbit by a private company parachuted to a safe conclusion in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday. It was the first water landing by NASA astronauts since 1975, when the agency’s crews were still flying to and from orbit in the Apollo modules used for the historic American moon missions. Riding in a capsule built and operated by SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk, two NASA astronauts — Robert L. Behnken and Douglas G. Hurley — splashed down near Pensacola, Fla., on Sunday afternoon. The Crew Dragon capsule, suspended under four giant billowing orange-and-white parachutes, settled upright into the water at a gentle pace of 15 miles per hour at 2:48 p.m. Eastern time. More than an hour later, after Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley were helped out of the spacecraft, Mr. Hurley thanked the employees of NASA and SpaceX who helped make the mission a success.
SOURCE: New York Times
US House panel passes bill to promote legacies of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.
The foreign affairs committee of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation for consideration of the full chamber that seeks to set up an exchange programme for Indian and American students to study Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act was authored by John Lewis, the civil rights leader Democratic member of the House who passed away last week. It had been a long-running project for him. Lewis first introduced the bill in October 2011, two years after he led a congressional delegation to India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King’s 1959 visit to India. The bill seeks to authorize the state department to set up, in cooperation with the Indian government, an educational forum for scholars from the two countries focused on studying Gandhi and King. It also seeks the development of a professional development training initiative on conflict resolution based on the principles of non-violence, and the establishment of a foundation to address social, environmental, and health priorities in India.
SOURCE: Hindustan Times
US Impose restrictions on H1B Visa
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that bans federal agencies from hiring foreign workers especially those on H-1B visa on contracting or subcontracting. The unprecedented move is followed by a month old announcement by the Trump government on June 23 where the administration announced that the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas will remain suspended until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election. This new restriction took effect from June 24. Also recently a federally owned corporation in the US called Tennessee Valley Authority in a press release announced that the company will outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries. The new order makes it compulsory for all federal agencies to carry out an internal audit to assess whether they are in compliance with the requirement of appointing only US citizens and nationals to competitive service. The US Department of Labor will also issue guidance to prevent H-1B employers from moving H-1B workers to other employer’s job sites to displace American workers.
SOURCE: The Hindu
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