Harsh Mander awarded honorary doctorate by York University
Toronto: Renowned social activist and former IAS officer Harsh Mander has been awarded an honorary doctorate by York University, recognizing his significant contributions to law and justice in India.
Harsh Mander is an esteemed Indian author, columnist, researcher, teacher, and social activist. He is well-known for initiating the Karwan-e-Mohabbat campaign, which stands in solidarity with victims of communal and religiously motivated violence. As the Director of the Center for Equity Studies in New Delhi, Mander leads a research organization dedicated to promoting social equity.
Mander's career began in the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), where he served in the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for nearly two decades. However, following the Gujarat Riots in 2002, he resigned from the IAS and devoted himself to social activism. He has since become a prominent advocate for the Right to Food Campaign, serving as Special Commissioner to the Supreme Court of India. He was also a member of the National Advisory Council under the UPA government and a founding member of the National Campaign for the People's Right to Information.
In a post on X, Mander expressed his gratitude, stating, "I am honored to be awarded an honorary doctorate by York University, a progressive learning space I greatly admire. I hope my life and work someday make me worthy of the honor."
I am honoured to be awarded an honorary doctorate by York University, a progressive learning space I greatly admire
— Harsh Mander (@harsh_mander) July 30, 2024
I hope my life & work some day make me worthy of the honour https://t.co/xU8iIIPCxj
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7 held for running fake call centre in South Kolkata
Kolkata (PTI): Seven people were arrested from the Parnashree area in the southern part of the city for allegedly running a fake call centre, a police officer said on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house on Netaji Subhas Road on Friday night and found the fake call centre operating from the ground floor, he said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had set up a bogus company using forged documents and posed as employees of an antivirus firm to call citizens in the US, the officer said.
"The callers would gain the trust of victims and then use remote access to take control of their phones or other digital devices. The accused allegedly siphoned off large sums of money, running into millions of dollars, from victims' accounts," he said.
Five laptops, two WiFi routers, six mobile phones and four headsets were seized from the accused, he said, adding that the seven are being questioned to ascertain the full extent of the racket and to identify others involved.
