Share details of how JIO Institute awarded IOE status: Congress
New Delhi, July 10 : In wake of the Reliance Foundation's proposed Jio Institute being named as an 'Institution of Eminence' (IOE), the Congress on Wednesday said any institute seeking such status must establish its credentials by "acknowledged established tests" and sought to know from the government how was this granted.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "This is not person specific, it is not company specific, it is not in any way, we are not bothered about individuals.
"Any institution which is seeking such status, must establish its credentials by various acknowledged established tests. What are those tests? Adequate infrastructure, outstanding faculty, credible research output, a place of prestige in the academia."
"This is the obligation of the government and the HRD (Human Resource Development) ministry and till now apart from a lot of talk, we have not seen great achievements in this regard by the HRD or the government. I think it is counter productive and wrong to focus on an individual or institution X or Y by taking names or otherwise.
"The need of the hour is for the HRD Ministry to look into these four or five established criteria and certainly if you satisfy them in a very objective and proper way, then grant the status," he added.
"But equally to be extremely strong and harsh, if you do not satisfy this criterion, and at the moment we need a proper transparent system where you will share with the nation, how they apply the criteria and how they have done it."
Yet to be established 'JIO Institute' by Reliance Foundation is already in the fray to become an 'Institution of Eminence' under a government scheme which will entitle the tag-holders for special exemptions in aspects of how they operate the institutes.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
