https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/24/india/india-gang-rape-mumbai-girl-intl-hnk/index.

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DOZENS OF MEN ARRESTED IN INDIA ARE ACCUSED OF GANG RAPING A 15-
YEAR-OLD GIRL REPEATEDLY
Police in India arrested 29 men on Thursday in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 15-
year-old girl, which occurred repeatedly over a period of almost eight months.
The victim was first raped on January 29 this year, said Dinkar Mukne, a junior officer with the
Mandapa police in the city of Dombivli, which neighbors Mumbai in Maharashtra state.
The rape was filmed, with the video then used to blackmail her repeatedly for the next eight
months, said Mukne. She was allegedly raped by 33 perpetrators in total, including two
teenagers, with the abuse lasting until this week.
When her family -- which had so far had no idea what was happening -- found out, they brought
the victim to the police station on Wednesday and filed a complaint, Mukne told CNN on Friday.
The 29 men were arrested under the country's penal code, and separately under the Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) law, which has more severe sentences of longer jail
time.
"We are investigating the allegations and how the initial contact came about. But the girl knew
some of the men and had come in contact with a few through social media," said Sonali Dhole,
senior police official who is heading the investigation.
According to Dhole, the victim was taken to multiple locations within Dombivli and outside.
The incident is the latest in a slew of rape cases and controversies that have horrified the nation
and highlighted once again its persistent problem with sexual assault.
Just two weeks ago, a woman allegedly raped in Mumbai died of her injuries, after she was
found lying unconscious inside an open minibus. Activists say the case bears a striking similarity
to the brutal 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student that prompted mass nationwide protests.
And last month, a 9-year-old girl was gang-raped and murdered in the capital of Delhi. Four
men, including a Hindu priest, have been charged with involvement in her death.
Since the 2012 protests, when millions of women called for stronger laws and protections for
women, the government has introduced new legislation and tougher penalties. But, activists say,
the problem persists, fueled by difficulties in reporting, poor enforcement by authorities, deeply
rooted gender inequality and caste discrimination.
Reported rapes have increased over the years, potentially because of a greater awareness
surrounding the issue. More than 32,000 were recorded in 2019, up from 25,000 in 2012. But
many rapes go unreported, meaning the real number may be much higher.
The recent string of rapes in Mumbai has prompted police to announce new measures. Police
will install women's safety cells in every police station in the city, and deploy patrolling vehicles
in hotspots for crimes against women, police announced on September 14.
Other measures will include creating a sexual offenders' list dating back five years, and requiring
officers to undergo training in dealing with sexual assault victims, complete with an exam before
they join the force.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/shubham-kumar-tops-761-candidates-clear-civil-
services-exam-says-upsc/article36654768.ece?homepage=true
SHUBHAM KUMAR TOPS, 761 CANDIDATES CLEAR CIVIL SERVICES EXAM,
SAYS UPSC
Of the successful candidates, 263 are of general category, 86 from economic weaker section
(EWS), 220 of OBC, 122 SC and 61 belong to ST category.
A total of 761 candidates have cleared the coveted civil services examination 2020, with
engineering graduates Shubham Kumar and Jagrati Awasthi bagging the first and second ranks
respectively.
The Union Public Service Commission on Friday declared the results of the examination,
conducted annually to select IAS, IFS and IPS officers, among other civil servants.
Kumar, a Bachelor of Technology (civil engineering) graduate from IIT Bombay, has qualified
the examination with anthropology as his optional subject.
Awasthi is the topper among women candidates, according to a statement issued by the Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Awasthi qualified the examination with sociology as her optional subject.
She completed B.Tech (electrical engineering) from Maulana Azad National Institute of
Technology (MANIT), Bhopal.
Ankita Jain has achieved the third rank in the prestigious test.
A total of 761 candidates — 545 men and 216 women — have cleared the examination and
recommended for various civil services by the Commission.
The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC in three stages — preliminary, main
and interview — to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign
Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.
The civil services (preliminary) examination, 2020 was conducted on October 4 last year.
As many as 10,40,060 candidates applied for the examination, out of whom 4,82,770 appeared in
it, the statement said.
A total of 10,564 candidates qualified for appearance in the written (main) examination which
was held in January, 2021.
Of them, 2,053 candidates qualified for the personality test (interview), it said.
The 761 recommended candidates include 25 persons with benchmark disability — seven
orthopedically handicapped, four visually challenged, 10 hearing impaired and four multiple
disabilities.
Of the successful candidates, 263 are of general category, 86 from economic weaker section
(EWS), 220 of Other Backward Class (OBC), 122 Scheduled Castes (SC) and 61 belong to
Scheduled Tribes category.
The UPSC said that the top 25 candidates comprise 13 men and 12 women.
The educational qualifications of top 25 successful candidates range from graduation in
engineering, humanities, commerce and medical science from premier institutions of the country
such as IIT, NIT, BITS, NSUT, DTU, JIPMER, University of Mumbai and Delhi University, the
statement said.
The top 25 successful candidates have opted for subjects like anthropology, civil engineering,
commerce and accountancy, economics, geography, mathematics, mechanical engineering,
medical science, philosophy, physics, political science and international relations, public
administration, and sociology as their optional choice in the written (main) examination.
A total of 150 candidates have been put in the reserve list.
The examination was conducted to fill 836 posts of different civil services.
Candidates can obtain any information/clarification regarding their examinations/recruitment on
the working days between 10:00 hours to 17:00 hours in person or over telephone nos
23385271 / 23381125 / 23098543.
Result will also be available on the UPSC website i.e. http//www.upsc.gov.in.
“Marks will be available on the website within 15 days from the date of declaration of result,”
the Commission said.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/maharashtra-announces-reopening-of-
schools-from-october-4/article36650241.ece?homepage=true
MAHARASHTRA ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF SCHOOLS FROM OCTOBER 4
Comprehensive SOPs provided for the safety of students, says Health Minister
The Maharashtra government on Friday announced its decision to reopen schools in the State
from October 4. The decision was taken after the SOPs (standard operating procedure) were
cleared by the Chief Minister’s Office, the State’s Paediatric Task Force on COVID-19, and the
Health Department, said School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad.
“We had issued directions to restart schools earlier. But there was then the fear of a third wave.
The SOPs prepared by the Department were discussed in meetings with the task force along with
experts in the field of education. We were all unanimous on resuming classes. But we decided to
come out with more comprehensive SOPs for the safety of students,” Ms. Gaikwad said.
The Minister said that Classes 5 to 12 in rural areas, and Classes 8 to 12 in urban areas, will re-
commence from October 4. The decision is not applicable to residential schools.
Ms. Gaikwad said that a survey by her Department had shown than more than 80% parents
favoured reopening schools.
“The safety of our students is the priority. Based on that, we have issued guidelines under which
parents’ approval is a must for students to join the classes in school. Neither attendance nor
exams will be mandatory. If necessary, the option of calling students on alternate days can be
tried. Sanitation and physical distancing should be maintained,” she said.
The State government’s additional SOPs included a health clinic in every school to check
students’ temperatures; and aid from doctor parents, if available. Students are encouraged to
walk to school. In the case of school buses, the precaution of one student per seat is to be
followed. Teaching and non-teaching staff would constantly issue directions to wash hands.
Homework is to be done online, and as far as possible, homework is to be avoided.
The SOPs have directed that there should be no outdoor games as of now. Special attention is to
be given in case a student shows symptoms of fever, cold, cough, etc.
Ms. Gaikwad said that teachers are also being directed to keep look out for the students’
psychological condition as they have lived inside their homes for more than one-and-a-half
years. “Let students get used to school instead of forcing them to study right away,” she said.
Schools have been advised to keep uniforms optional. Parents are also advised to “send students
directly to the bathroom after coming home from school”.
Ms. Gaikwad said that vaccination of teaching as well as non-teaching staff is a priority. District
Collectors in rural areas and Municipal Commissioners in Corporation areas must carefully look
in to it, she said.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/doctors-scale-hostaile-himalayan-terrain-in-mission-to-
vaccinate-all/cid/1832063
DOCTORS SCALE HOSTILE HIMALAYAN TERRAIN IN MISSION TO VACCINATE
ALL
Himachal Pradesh earlier this month became the first state in India to administer at least one
COVID-19 vaccine dose in all its adults
To visit the Indian village of Malana deep in the Himalayas, a COVID-19 vaccination team
scrambled over a landslide that blocked the road the day before, scaled a retaining wall and then
began a three-hour trek down and up a river valley.
Despite the hostile terrain, the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, where Malana is located,
earlier this month became the first in India to administer at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose in
all its adults.
The steep topography was one challenge overcome by health workers walking for hours or days
to reach remote villages and another was religious beliefs, as the tourism-dependent state
immunised its roughly 5 million adults.
On Sept. 14, a team of five led by district health officer Dr Atul Gupta set out to Malana to
administer second vaccine doses.
Blocked by the landslide, they left their vehicle with two blue vaccine boxes slung over their
shoulders to manoeuvre over the rubble, climb the wall and then walk to the trailhead leading to
the village, accompanied by a Reuters photographer.
Before beginning the trek to the village, Gupta and his team placed the boxes onto a gondola
connected to pulleys to carry the medicine across the river gorge that separates Malana from the
road. That lightened their walk considerably as they set off to cross the gorge which drops down
about 100 metres (330 feet).
During a rest break on the trek, Gupta said that to convince Malana's 1,100 adults to take their
first shots in August, its district chief had priests invoke a local Hindu deity. This helped health
workers cover up to 700 people in three days, he said.
When Gupta's team reached the village on Sept. 14, nearly three dozen people, who took their
first shots before the invocation, lined up to get their second shots just opposite an ancient temple
to the deity.
"People were initially scared to take the vaccine, worried they would fall sick or die," said
village head Rajuram, who gave just one name, sitting by the carved wood and concrete walls of
the temple. "Then I took it and others also mustered the courage."
Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur pins the state's vaccination success to its
village-to-village drive, its decision to involve local-level politicians, and the federal
government's push to prioritise immunisations in tourist hotspots.
India wants to vaccinate nearly all of its adults by December, having administered at least one
dose to two-thirds of people and two doses in less than a quarter. Thakur wants Himachal
Pradesh to be the fastest state to reach the two-dose milestone, hopefully by November.