Resident doctors return to work after ending stir over Kolkata rape-murder
New Delhi (PTI): In a major relief for patients, hundreds of resident doctors here returned to work on Friday after ending their 11-day strike over the alleged rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata, following an appeal by the Supreme Court.
Healthcare professionals across the country ceased work after the body of the medic, a junior doctor, was found in a seminar room of the West Bengal government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
Non-emergency services, including OPD and diagnostics, were shut as medics, including resident doctors, of major central and Delhi government-run hospitals struck work on August 12 evening, causing hardships for patients and delay in treatment.
Residest doctors, including those of Centre-run AIIMS, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Delhi government-run LNJP, Maulana azad Medical College, GTB Hospital and Indira Gandhi Hospital, resumed duties after two national bodies announced the end of the strike on Thursday evening.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) took the decision after the Supreme Court issued directions about the safety of healthcare personnel.
While it appealed to medics across the country to rejoin duty and assured that no coercive action will be taken against them, the top court also said judges and doctors cannot go on a strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty.
Except West Bengal, resident doctors' associations of all other states have called off their strike. In Bengal, the epicentre of the protests, healthcare services remained affected at state-run hospitals as agitating junior doctors have said they would continue their ceasework.
Resident doctor at the GTB Hospital in Delhi, Aman Khanna, said, "I'm glad to return to work with the hope that our demands will be fulfilled and justice will be served. We are closely observing the decisions the government is making for us."
Medics have been demanding a central law to check violence against healthcare professionals at workplace.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge met a high-level delegation from Chile, led by Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday to discuss collaboration in emerging technologies, clean energy, and startup ecosystems, officials said.
The delegation’s visit to Bengaluru, as part of its India engagements, underscores Karnataka’s growing prominence as a preferred partner for global collaborations in technology, innovation, and startup ecosystems, officials added.
The discussions reflected strong alignment between Chile’s evolving technology-focused growth strategy and Karnataka’s established leadership in innovation and deep-tech ecosystems, according to a statement.
Both sides explored opportunities to build partnerships that move beyond traditional sectors and focus on innovation-led growth, talent exchange, and market access.
The meeting focused on opportunities in renewable energy, including green hydrogen and sustainable industrial innovation.
Other potential areas of collaboration included marine biotechnology, aquaculture technologies, and AI applications across traditional industries.
According to the state IT minister, Karnataka is now a global hub for deep-tech, AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced research, backed by one of the world’s strongest talent pipelines.
“As partners under the global innovation alliance, we must move beyond agreements on paper to actionable collaboration,” Kharge said.
“We are keen to work with Chile on startup exchanges, market access programmes, and building joint innovation corridors, including R&D centres, incubators, and accelerators. Chile’s position as a gateway to Latin America presents a significant opportunity for our startups to scale globally,” he added.
Officials said the engagement builds on the Letter of Intent signed between the Government of Karnataka and the Government of Chile during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which established a framework for collaboration in startups, emerging technologies, research, and skill development under the Global Innovation Alliance.
Mackenna, Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the country is actively advancing its transition toward a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
“Our engagement with Karnataka reflects our interest in building strong innovation partnerships that enable technology exchange, talent collaboration, and access to dynamic startup ecosystems,” he added.
“We see significant potential to work together in sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies, and emerging industries, while also strengthening Chile’s role as a bridge between India and Latin America,” he said.
