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11 minutes ago
- Politics
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‘English is not barrier, but bridge': Opposition criticises Amit Shah for remarks on languages
Several Opposition leaders on Friday criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for saying those who speak English in India will soon feel ashamed. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked that English is 'not a barrier, but a bridge', and said that the language provides employment and boosts people's self-confidence. He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, did not want poor children to learn English 'because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead, and assert equality'. Gandhi said that in today's world, learning English is as important as learning one's mother tongue. अंग्रेज़ी बाँध नहीं, पुल है। अंग्रेज़ी शर्म नहीं, शक्ति है। अंग्रेज़ी ज़ंजीर नहीं - ज़ंजीरें तोड़ने का औज़ार है। BJP-RSS नहीं चाहते कि भारत का ग़रीब बच्चा अंग्रेज़ी सीखे - क्योंकि वो नहीं चाहते कि आप सवाल पूछें, आगे बढ़ें, बराबरी करें। आज की दुनिया में, अंग्रेज़ी उतनी ही ज़रूरी… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 20, 2025 In a similar vein, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi told Shah that 'the only thing to be ashamed of is imposing your will on the people and trying to destroy the pluralism of India'. Kerala Education Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader V Sivankutty remarked that no language was higher or lower, PTI reported. 'Each language has its own importance,' Sivankutty said. 'English, as an international language, is an important means of knowledge and communication. It can only help in the progress of the country.' Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas accused the mainstream media of suppressing and underreporting Shah's statement. He speculated that this was 'likely due to external pressures and direction that came as an afterthought, as the remark could have triggered significant backlash'. Shah's remarks In a video shared by news channels on Thursday, Shah was quoted as saying the creation of a society in which those who speak English in India would feel ashamed was not far away. 'A complete India cannot be imagined with aadhi-adhuri [incomplete] foreign languages, that can only happen with Indianness, with Indian languages,' Shah reportedly said at a book launch event in New Delhi. He also called Indian languages 'jewels of our culture', adding that without them, 'we cease to be Indians'. The home minister's comments on Thursday come against the backdrop of several state governments and regional parties accusing the Centre of imposing Hindi through the National Education Policy's three-language formula. On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government issued an order making Hindi a 'generally' taught third language for students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. The Opposition in the state has accused the BJP-led government of trying to erase Marathi identity through the move. Tamil Nadu too has repeatedly opposed the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. The state government said it would not change its decades-old two-language policy of teaching students Tamil and English.
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24 minutes ago
- Entertainment
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Queer writings from South Asia: A woman feels at home in the bathroom, the devil's abode
Stories written by Begum Taara Shakar An excerpt from 'On The Brink Of Belief: Queer Writing From South Asia', edited by Kazim Ali.
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38 minutes ago
- General
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OSSC CRE admit card 2024 out for typing test; here's direct link
The Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) has released the admit card of Shorthand and Transcription Test (both in English and Odia) and Typing Test (both English and Odia) for Combined Recruitment Examination for Junior Stenographer and Junior Grade Typist -2024 under Advt. No.4421/OSSC. Candidates can download their hall tickets from the official website The exam will be conducted on June 24 in two shifts: 10.00 am [Typing Test (English and Odia)] and 3.30 pm [Shorthand and Transcription Test (English and Odia)]. The recruitment drive aims to fill 60 vacancies. Steps to download CRE admit card 2024
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an hour ago
- General
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JSSC Madhyamik Acharya recruitment 2025: Online applications begin for 1373 posts, direct link here
The Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) has invited online applications for the Jharkhand Trained Madhyamik Acharya Combined Competitive Examination - 2025. Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications can apply online from June 18, 2025, to July 17, 2025 by visiting the official website The recruitment drive aims to fill 1373 posts across 510 government +2 high schools in the state. Candidates can print their application forms until July 21, 2025 (midnight). The correction window will be open from July 23 to July 25, 2025. Application Fee The examination fee is Rs 100. However, for candidates from Jharkhand belonging to SC/ST categories or with 40% or more disability, the fee is Rs 50. The last date for payment of the examination fee, uploading of photographs, and submission of signed documents is July 19, 2025.
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2 hours ago
- General
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Railway RPF Constable result 2025 announced; here's download link
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has declared the results of the Railway Police Force (RPF) Constable posts 2025. Eligible candidates can download their results from the official website The score-card link will be active at 5.00 pm today, June 20, 2025. A total of 42143 candidates have been declared qualified. The applicants have been provisionally shortlisted to appear for the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) / Physical Measurement Test (PMT) and Documents Verification (DV). The PET/ PMT schedule will be released in due course. The exam was conducted between March 2 and March 18, 2025. The recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 4,208 constable vacancies. Steps to download RPF Constable result 2025
