Partnerships orchestrated by PM to buy Trump goodwill: Cong on Airtel, Jio deals with Starlink
New Delhi (PTI): With both Airtel and Jio announcing partnerships with Starlink, the Congress on Thursday alleged that these have been orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi "to buy goodwill" with US President Donald Trump through Starlink's owner Elon Musk.
The opposition party also said many questions remain and the most important one relates to national security.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that within literally 12 hours both Airtel and Jio have announced partnerships with Starlink, seemingly overcoming all their objections to its entry into India - which they have been voicing for quite some time.
"It is abundantly clear that these partnerships have been orchestrated by none other than the PM himself to buy goodwill with President Trump through Starlink's owner Mr. Elon Musk," Ramesh alleged.
"But many questions remain. Perhaps the most important one relates to national security. Who will have the power to switch connectivity on or off when national security demands it? Will it be Starlink or its Indian partners? Will other satellite-based connectivity providers also be permitted and on what basis?" the Congress leader said on X.
And, of course, the much larger question of Tesla manufacturing in India remains, he added.
Is there some commitment to it now that Starlink's entry into India has been facilitated, Ramesh asked.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Jio Platforms struck a deal with SpaceX, the aerospace company led by Musk, to bring Starlink's broadband internet services to India, a surprise move that follows months of bickering over how Musk's venture should be granted spectrum rights.
The deal with Musk - considered the right-hand-man of US President Trump - came after telecom tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal's Bharti Airtel signed a similar partnership deal with SpaceX.
Over the past few months, rivals Jio and Airtel had come together to demand an auction for awarding spectrum for satellite services in India as they feared an administrative allocation would give Musk airwaves at a price lower than what they had paid via auctions in the past.
Jio will offer Starlink equipment in retail outlets and online stores and also support customer installation and activation on devices. Jio and SpaceX will also explore how they can boost each other's offerings.
Starlink is the world's largest low-earth-orbit (LEO) constellation operated by SpaceX.
On Tuesday, Bharti Airtel announced that it is entering into an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed Internet service to India on a non-exclusive basis. Bharti already partners with Eutelsat OneWeb, the second-largest LEO constellation.
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Karnataka govt mulls raising retirement age for doctors in super-speciality hospitals
Bengaluru, Mar 13 (PTI): The Karnataka government is actively considering increasing the retirement age of doctors serving in super-speciality hospitals under the medical education department, from the current 60 years to 65.
During an interaction with doctors at Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research on Thursday, Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Sharan Prakash Patil assured medical professionals that the government is keen on extending the retirement age to retain experienced doctors in super-speciality hospitals.
The move comes in response to concerns raised by senior doctors at Jayadeva, who pointed out that after spending nearly 35 years in medical education and training, they only get to serve around 20-25 years before retiring at 60.
"We have been deliberating on this issue for some time. To ensure better healthcare services and make the most of our experienced doctors, I will soon discuss the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and propose raising the retirement age for doctors in super-speciality hospitals," Patil said in a statement issued by his office.
In addition, Patil announced a significant benefit for doctors working in the medical education department—an insurance facility.
"Currently, these doctors are not covered under any government insurance scheme, but the state is planning to implement Jeevana Sanjivini, a scheme already available under the Health and Family Welfare Department," he said.
To further strengthen medical infrastructure, the minister declared that the government would allocate additional funds to Jayadeva Hospital to introduce robotic surgery facilities.
"To stay ahead in medical innovation and technology, we are committed to equipping Jayadeva with the latest machines and infrastructure. If Jayadeva cannot have the best, no other hospital in India can," he said.
The minister also announced other key initiatives for the hospital, including five additional operation theatres for the pediatric cardiac surgery department, the establishment of a dedicated research department, the implementation of an e-hospital and central monitoring system for digitised medical records accessible to doctors, and a salary hike for contract and outsourced medical and non-medical staff.
