ABVP sweeps University of Hyderabad Students Union election after eight years
Aarti Nagpal voted president
HYDERABAD, Oct 06: After a gap of eight long years, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) tasted electoral success in the 2018-19 University of Hyderabad Students Union (UoH SU) elections, results of which were declared on Saturday.
The ABVP, that was in power last time in 2009-10, swept all five key posts of UoH SU. The election results also saw for the second time in university's history, a woman become the President of Students Union, after 2013.
Aarti Nagpal, a PhD Psychology student grabbed the post of UoH SU president by a good margin of 334 votes over her nearest rival, Erram Naveen Kumar of the SFI.
The posts of Vice President, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, Sports Secretary and Cultural Secretary were grabbed by Amit Kumar, Dheeraj Sangoji, Praveen Chouhan, Aravind S Kumar and Nikhil Raj K.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) backed ABVP coming to power in UoH SU elections after eight years, marks a drastic shift in the ideological orientation of the UoH SU, that has been dominated since last eight years by either Communist Party of India (Marxist)-backed Students Federation of India (SFI) or the Ambedkarite students groups led by the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) or an alliance of both these organizations.
ABVP’s Aarti Nagpal becomes President of HCU Students’ Union.
Congratulations team #ABVPHCU! pic.twitter.com/A82kOYuWtX
— Ashish Chauhan (@AshishSainram) October 6, 2018
This is the second major victory for ABVP, that had recently won Students Union elections in Delhi University but saw a loss in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) where an alliance of left-wing student organizations came to power.
ABVP contested election along with two alliance partners - OBC Federation and Sevalal Vidyarthi Dal, whereas SFI went alone and ASA had contested in alliance with six other student organizations.
Both the SFI and United Democratic Alliance(UDA), the ASA-led alliance, had based their election campaign on the premise that with Bharatiya Janata Party in power at the centre, if the ABVP comes to power they will not oppose policies by central government if they are harmful for the students, as both BJP and ABVP are backed by RSS. The SFI and UDA won 1,349 and 842 votes respectively.
The ABVP based its campaign mostly on issues based on campus related problems, mainly of poor food quality in the hostel mess, poor sanitation in hostels and improving gender-sensitivity in the campus.
With the ABVP coming to power, groups of students from the university started on Facebook started bursting with messages mocking mainly the left wing SFI and comparing the win of ABVP as the end of Communism on campus.
For President:
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Aarti Nagpal (ABVP-OBCF-SVD) - 1,663 votes
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Erram Naveen Kumar (SFI) - 1,329 votes
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G Sreeja Vasthavi (ASA-NSUI-TSF-BSF-DSU-MSF-SIO) - 842 votes
Courtesy: www.newindianexpress.com
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Nearly 700 km of Karnataka rivers polluted; cities, towns depend on contaminated water
Shivamogga: A total of 693.75 of river stretches across Karnataka are polluted, and water from several of these rivers is being supplied to towns and cities, the State government informed the Legislative Assembly.
According to a report published by The New Indian Express on Monday, replying to an unstarred question by Thirthahalli MLA Araga Jnanendra during the winter session in Belagavi, Forest, Environment and Biodiversity Minister Eshwar Khandre said rivers are classified into five categories, P1 to P5, based on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, with P1 being the most polluted.
He reportedly said untreated domestic wastewater from urban and rural areas is the main reason for river pollution. Arkavati, Lakshana Teertha, Tungabhadra, Bhadra, Tunga, Cauvery, Kabini, Kagina, Krishna, Shimsha, Bheema and Netravati are the polluted rivers and so far, 112 polluted drainages along these rivers have been identified.
Khandre explained that rivers are classified into five pollution categories P1 to P5. The Arkavati River has been placed in the P1 category, while no rivers fall under P2 and P3. Tungabhadra, Bhadra and Shimsha are categorised under P4, and eight other rivers fall under P5.
Khandre allegedly said domestic wastewater from municipalities, towns and villages along riverbeds is being discharged into at least 17 rivers, identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This is the primary cause of river pollution.
According to the report, the minister said drinking water is being supplied from polluted rivers in districts such as Mandya, Ramanagara, Vijayapura and Shivamogga. In parts of Uttara Kannada, Ballari, Vijayanagara and Bagalkot, local bodies are also drawing water from polluted river sources.
In 2022-23, CPCB identified South Pinakini, Aghanashini, Sharavathi and Gangavali rivers too as polluted. But wrote to CPCB, stating that these rivers are not polluted and sought their removal from the list. An action plan is being prepared for the South Pinakini River, he said.
On remedial measures, Khandre reportedly said the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board is setting up sewage treatment plants as per the directions of National Green Tribunal.
As per the report, under 12 river rejuvenation plans, the state generates 817.31 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage. While 41 STPs with a capacity of 614.1 MLD are operational, 203.21 MLD of sewage remains untreated.
Work is underway to establish 19 STPs with a capacity of 248.91 MLD, while 39 more STPs with a combined capacity of 357.92 MLD are in the planning stage. Progress is being monitored and reported regularly to the NGT and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The minister reportedly said the state government gave its approval for underground drainage works worth Rs 535.56 crore in 2021 for 24 cities/towns besides Rs 523.80 crore for nine UGD projects.
