Building collapse in Kodagu injures several; rescue operations underway
Madikeri: An unexpected building collapse in Gonikoppa city, Kodagu, on Thursday afternoon left many injured and three individuals trapped under the debris. The incident occurred in an old structure housing the 'New Ambur Hot Dum Biryani' restaurant, operated by Tirumurugan and his family.
Fire and Emergency services responded to the scene, rescuing three individuals from the rubble. Efforts are ongoing to locate and save three more people suspected to be trapped. One person, who sustained serious injuries, has been transported to a hospital in Mysuru for advanced treatment.
The police have arrived at the scene to manage the situation and ensure public safety. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is actively coordinating the rescue operations to expedite the search and recovery efforts.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Academics express concern over new selection criteria for prestigious science prize
New Delhi: Nearly 200 academics wrote to the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India on Tuesday, raising concerns about the new selection criteria for the Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award.
This letter follows a previous communication from 26 eminent scientists on August 30, who sought clarification on the award selection process after media reports suggested that “unfair non-scientific considerations” had influenced this year's list of awardees.
The Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award is a revamped version of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, which has been regarded as one of India’s most prestigious science award for over six decades. It is now part of a larger group of science prizes known as the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar.
This year, at least two potential awardees recommended by an expert panel were omitted from the final list of winners, including one individual who has been a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi-led government, as reported by Scroll.
The letter, as cited by the publication, stated, “We are in agreement with the spirit, intent and the text of the letter sent by 26 of our colleagues." It added, “We agree with them that the procedures and criteria for determining Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskars should be, and seen to be fully fair, transparent and free of extraneous considerations.”
The 176 academics expressed concern that “the list of names declared as the award winners is not the same as the list recommended by RVPC”.
They emphasised that the expert panel can only recommend names to the president or prime minister, noting that this aspect of the process is not new. However, they pointed out that the recent practice of dropping names at the “discretion of the minister (science and technology) is something that has been unheard of for all these years.”
Furthermore, the letter mentioned that this could set a troubling precedent, allowing the minister “to use unrestricted vetoes” to overrule the expert committee’s recommendations. They cautioned that academics viewed unfavourably by the government could be sidelined not only from awards but also from scientific grants, recruitments, promotions, and more.
