619 militants killed in four years in J&K: Rajnath Singh
Lucknow, May 29: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said a total of 619 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir had been killed in gun battles with security forces as he highlighted the all-round improvement in internal and external security under the Narendra Modi government.
He also clarified that the operations against militants had not been stopped during the holy month of Ramadan but had just been suspended. "It is not ceasefire but a temporary suspension of operations," he said, adding that the army is free to respond to any terrorist attack.
Addressing media persons here, the senior BJP leader said the number of terrorists killed in the previous UPA-II government was 471.
"There has been no compromise on the unity and integrity of the nation and we are proactively pursuing operations against the terrorist groups and subversive elements," Singh added, but did not respond to a query on how many security personnel were killed in this period.
He however said that respecting the supreme sacrifice of the security personnel in the line of duty for the nation, the Union Government had scaled uo the ex-gratia sum from Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore for their families.
Rajnath Singh also said that incursions had also decreased during the four years of the Modi government and it had come down by 85 per cent in the northeast.
Compared to a high of 2,418 Maoist incidents under the UPA regime, only 1,481 incidents have taken place in the NDA rule, he said. "In 2013, Maoists were active in 76 districts but there area of influence and operations has shrunk to 58 districts in the last four years," he added.
He also said that to secure the country's boundaries, a new border security system was being started under which LED lights would be installed along with new technique radars on the borders.
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Give priority to 'absolutely blind' candidates over 'low vision' ones in jobs, says Karnataka HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has emphasised that individuals with "absolute blindness" should be given preference over those with "low vision" in employment opportunities, provided their disability does not hinder their ability to perform duties.
The Karnataka High Court has emphasised that individuals with "absolute blindness" should be given preference over those with "low vision" in employment opportunities, provided their disability does not hinder their ability to perform duties.
The case revolves around H N Latha, a blind candidate from the Scheduled Caste community in Periyapatna taluk, Mysuru district. Latha had applied for the position of Kannada and social studies teacher at a government primary school in 2022. Her name was included in the selection list released on March 8, 2023.
However, on July 4, 2023, her application was rejected, prompting her to challenge the decision before KSAT. The tribunal ruled in her favor, awarding her ₹10,000 in costs and instructing the appointing authority to reconsider her application within three months.
The Department of School Education contested this decision, arguing that reservations for candidates with "low vision" and those with "absolute blindness" should be treated as separate categories. The department claimed that the tribunal had overlooked this distinction.
Upon reviewing the case, the High Court bench disagreed with the department's stance. The judges noted that while there might be concerns about a completely blind individual handling the responsibilities of a graduate primary teacher, particularly in subjects like social studies and Kannada, such arguments were unconvincing given that the candidate met the educational requirements for the role.
The court highlighted the positive attributes often seen in individuals with blindness, such as adaptability, resilience, strong memory, heightened senses, and excellent coping skills. The bench cited notable historical figures who achieved great success despite being blind, including Homer, John Milton, Louis Braille, Helen Keller, and Srikanth Bolla, the CEO of Bollant Industries.
The court concluded that the education department should have either set aside specific posts for candidates with absolute blindness or allowed them to compete alongside low-vision candidates for available positions.
Upholding the tribunal's directive, the court underscored the need for inclusive hiring practices that recognise the capabilities of blind candidates.
