More than 1,000 Indians flown back from Israel: MoS Muraleedharan
Pune (PTI): Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday said between 1,000 and 1,200 Indians have been brought back to India by special flights so far.
There are approximately 20,000 Indians in Israel, and all of them have been asked to register themselves with the Indian embassy so that it will be easy to know their locations in case they have to be evacuated, he said.
Israel has got embroiled in a major conflict after militant group Hamas attacked it on October 7.
"As per one estimation, there are approximately 20,000 Indians in Israel, and in the wake of the ongoing conflict, the Indian embassy there issued an advisory for them to remain cautious. We also told them to register themselves with the embassy. For those who want to come back, we have arranged special flights to repatriate them to India. Till Monday, five flights have carried 1,000 to 1,200 Indians. We are evacuating those whose living there is risky," the minister said.
All those registering with the embassy do not necessarily want to return to India, he said.
"But for us, the registration process is beneficial as we would be able to identify the exact locations of these Indians in Israel. Using GPRS technology, we have mapped the locations where exactly they are in Israel. We know how many Indians are in Tel Aviv, Gaza, and Ashkelon. We know the locations of Indian citizens," the minister added.
Asked how many Indians are stranded in Gaza, Muraleedharan did not give a specific number but said "very few".
"If we have to evacuate them, we can do it as we know their locations," he added.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
