Security tightened along Rajasthan border amid espionage concerns; SMS Stadium gets bomb threat
Jaipur, May 14 (PTI): Amid concerns of espionage, the Rajasthan administration has intensified security measures along the India-Pakistan border, with authorities in Jaisalmer and Sri Ganganagar banning the use of Pakistani SIM cards.
According to officials, Pakistan has recently increased the range of mobile towers near the border, prompting fears of unauthorised communication and surveillance.
Meanwhile, Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh (SMS) Stadium once again received a bomb threat on Wednesday. Besides, three district administration offices in Baran, Alwar and Pratapgarh also received bomb threat mail.
"The use of Pakistani SIMs has been strictly prohibited in border districts to prevent any breach of security," said Jaisalmer Collector Pratap Singh said on Wednesday.
A similar order has been issued by the Sri Ganganagar district collector.
Security has been tightened in villages within 50 km of the international border, with restrictions on the movement of outsiders. The Border Security Force (BSF) and local police are maintaining high alert in sensitive areas.
BSF Deputy Commandant (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Jat held a training session for common people about drone activity. During the interaction, he warned of a possible increase in drone activity from across the border.
"We must remain prepared at all times. The public should understand how drones operate and the potential threats they pose," he said.
The Union Home Ministry has identified Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Kota, and Ajmer, along with border districts such as Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Ganganagar, and Jodhpur, as sensitive in view of possible air strikes.
According to the guidelines issued by the Directorate of Civil Defence, instructions have been given to install electric sirens at key locations in these areas, which will be operated from a centralised control room.
In another development, Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium once again received a bomb threat. A similar threat was received by the Pratapgarh, Baran and Alwar district administrations through email.
The threat, sent via email to the Sports Council building, also mentioned the SMS Hospital as a potential target. Police have increased security at the stadium and are tracing the sender with the help of cyber experts.
Meanwhile, life is returning to normal in the border regions. Markets in the affected districts reopened on Tuesday, and routine activities resumed.
Flight operations have also resumed in the state. All three airports in Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Kishangarh (Ajmer) became operational.
On Wednesday, a private operator resumed services from Kishangarh to six cities, including Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Hindon, Nanded, and Bengaluru.
"Flight service by a private operator has been resumed from the airport," said Airport Director B L Meena, adding that IndiGo flights from Bikaner are scheduled to start on Thursday.
Protests have started in Rajasthan against Turkiye. Marble traders in Udaipur have announced that they will not buy marble from Turkiye, which supported Pakistan during the conflict with India.
Udaipur Marble Traders' Association president Pankaj Gangawat said, "The decision has been taken in protest against the support being given by Turkiye to Pakistan."
He said that the association demands the government to ban marble trade and tourism with Turkiye.
Meanwhile, the education department has announced fresh exam guidelines following disruptions in border districts due to the India-Pakistan conflict.
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Bill to set up single higher education regulator likely to be tabled in Parliament next week
New Delhi (PTI): A Bill which seeks to set up a single regulator for institutions of higher education is required to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing, officials said.
The Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week after it got the Union Cabinet's nod on Friday.
The proposed legislation, which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been named Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.
A single higher education regulator, which was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), looks to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
"The Bill proposes to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It is likely to be introduced (in Parliament) in the coming week," an official said.
While the UGC presently oversees non-technical higher education in the country, the AICTE oversees technical education, while the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education.
The Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator, but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit.
It is proposed to have three major roles -- regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards, officials said.
Funding, which is seen as the fourth vertical, is not proposed to be under the regulator so far. The autonomy for funding is proposed to be with the administrative ministry, they said.
