Haryana govt doctors go on indefinite strike
Ambala/Kurukshetra (PTI): Government doctors in Haryana intensified their protest on Wednesday, extending their strike for an indefinite period in protest against the non-fulfilment of their demands, including the implementation of the modified assured career progression scheme.
The doctors had earlier launched a two-day strike, from December 8 to 9, which they have now extended for an indefinite period.
Amid the standoff with protesting doctors, the Haryana government, on Tuesday evening, invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), prohibiting any strike by government doctors. The state health department ordered the deduction of salaries of the doctors for the days they remained off duty due to the protest.
The strike was initiated following a call from the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, which represents government doctors in the state.
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As a result, healthcare services, including essential diagnostic services, ultrasound, and CT scan at many hospitals, were affected.
Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, said the government had promised a year ago to fulfil their demands, which included a halt to direct recruitment of senior medical officers and implementation of a modified assured career progression scheme.
"We request the government to fulfil its promise. But rather than fulfilling its promise, it is trying to suppress our voice through ESMA or issuing letters," he said.
"Our doctors are not getting promotions. "We do not understand why the government is pressuring us. Why is it not implementing its promise?" he questioned.
He further said that three doctors in Panchkula are observing a fast unto death until the demands are met.
Noting that they are ready for a dialogue, Khyalia said they have not yet received any invitation from the government for talks.
The HCMSA has been demanding a halt in the direct recruitment of SMO and the implementation of modified assured career progression.
In the wake of the strike, state health authorities deployed doctors from the National Health Mission, medical colleges, ESIC, consultants, and Ayush practitioners to ensure that healthcare services continued without disruption.
Meanwhile, in Ambala and Kurukshetra, there was not much of an impact on healthcare services due to the strike.
Civil Surgeon Ambala Dr Rakesh Sahal said that 168 doctors are enrolled in the Ambala district, and they were present on Wednesday. He informed that all departments, including lab, ultrasound and X-ray, are functioning, and that patients are receiving proper medical care.
He further assured that all community health centres and primary health centres were working smoothly, adding that there has been no impact in Ambala due to the strike.
In Kurukshetra, the strike failed to evoke a response with all doctors reporting for duty at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain District Hospital.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Sukhbir Singh Mehla said that while 23 of the 124 doctors were absent on Monday, 18 were absent on Tuesday. But not a single doctor skipped duty on Wednesday.
He said that medical services were functioning smoothly and patients did not face any inconvenience.
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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
