Controversial Ambedkar skit won first prize despite disqualification efforts: Reports
Bengaluru: The controversial skit, performed at the Jain University CMS students recently, allegedly demeaning Dr. B R Ambedkar and the Dalit community, was performed at the Mount Carmel College, according to sources in the College.
The sources of information, who wished to remain confidential, said that the skit was performed by The Delroys Boys of the CMS at the MadAds contest of the ‘Cul-Ah!’ art fest of the Mount Carmel College. Under25, a students’ organization of MCC, had organized the MadAds contest on February 4, when the Jain University students had presented the skit.
The Delroys Boys had also been awarded the first prize for the performance, as per the source, reports The Indian Express. The team had been awarded the prize in spite of disqualification efforts. “During the performance, complaints were reportedly being made by some people from the audience that the act is casteist but the jury did not act on it saying that the ‘act is not vulgar’,” the sources said.
The Under25’s Instagram page revealed that the jury for the MadAds competition included Rebecca Florence, former vice president of the council of St Joseph College of Commerce (SJCC), Niss Geo, former student council president at Baldwins Methodist College, and Harshil J Shah, who had earlier been a part of the Delroys Boys group.
Also, an official from CMS had earlier confirmed that the skit had been performed at two other similar fests and was not extempore.
It is yet to be confirmed if the skit was presented before the faculty of Mount Carmel College.
A student of the College said, “When Under25 approached the judges to disqualify the performers of the skit, the judges labelled it as dark humour and said the skit was fine. However, some members quit the association as a mark of protest against the skit.”
Dr Charmaine Jerome, vice-principal of the College was not available to comment on the matter.
A police officer told The Indian Express, “We learnt that the skit was performed at MCC as well, but we need to find the video evidence for the same. Based on which further action will be taken.”
Krishnakant, DCP Bengaluru South, who did not comment on the involvement of the College in the play, said, “The nine accused in the case have been sent to judicial custody and further investigation is on.”
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India to get first national security semiconductor fabrication plant
Wilmington (PTI): Under a transformative collaboration with the US, India will get a national security semiconductor fabrication plant that will produce chips for use in military hardware and next-generation telecommunications.
The India-US joint project was announced following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Wilmington on Saturday.
A joint fact sheet on Modi-Biden talks said the two leaders "hailed" the semiconductor project as a "watershed arrangement".
It will be the first ever India-US semiconductor fabrication partnership.
It is the first time ever the US military has agreed to do a partnership for these highly-value technologies with India and it is a watershed moment as it is as significant as the civil nuclear deal, people familiar with the matter said.
"President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next-generation telecommunications, and green energy applications," the fact sheet noted.
It said the "fab, which will be established with the objective of manufacturing infrared, gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductors, will be enabled by support from the India semiconductor mission as well as a strategic technology partnership between Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force."
The Fab becomes not only India’s first, but one of the world's first multi-material fabs for national security, the people cited above said.
The fact sheet said Modi and Biden praised combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains including through GlobalFoundries' (GF) creation of the GF Kolkata Power Center in Kolkata.
It said the project will enhance mutually beneficial linkages in research and development in chip manufacturing.
"The leaders welcomed steps our industry is taking to build safe, secure, and resilient supply chains for US, Indian, and international automotive markets, including through Ford Motor Company's submission of a Letter of Intent to utilize its Chennai plant to manufacture for export to global markets," the document said.
It said Modi and Biden commended ongoing efforts to build more expansive cooperation around 5G deployment and next-generation telecommunications.
This includes the US Agency for International Development's plans to expand the Asia Open RAN Academy with an initial USD 7 million investment to grow this workforce training initiative worldwide, including in South Asia with Indian institutions.
