Last updated:November 20, 2024, 17:38 IST

SSC CGL Tier 2, GD Constable and Stenographer Exam: Candidates who applied for these posts can check the complete exam schedule by visiting the official website ssc.gov.in.

This SSC GD exam will start from February 4 and will continue till February 25, 2025 (Representational/PTI Photo)

Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has announced the exam dates for Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Tier-2 Exam 2024 and GD Constable Recruitment 2025. The date of skill test for ‘Grade C’ Stenographer recruitment has also been released. Candidates who had applied for these posts can check the complete exam schedule by visiting the official website of SSC, ssc.gov.in.

SSC has announced the GD Constable exam dates. This examination will start from 4th February and will continue till 25th February 2025. Through GD Constable Recruitment, 39,481 posts are to be recruited in departments like Constable (GD) in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Constable (GD) in SSF. , Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles and Narcotics Control Bureau, etc.

Staff Selection Commission has also released SSC CGL Tier 2 dates. According to that, SSC CGL Tier 2 exam will be conducted in January. Its examinations will be held on January 18, 19, 20, 2025. Earlier, the SSC CGL Tier 1 exam was held from September 9 to 26, 2024, however, the SSC CGL Tier 1 result has not been declared by the commission yet. A total of 17,727 posts of Group B and Group C are to be recruited through SSC CGL exam.

Staff Selection Commission has also announced the date of Grade C Stenographer Skill Test. Grade C Stenographer Skill Test will be conducted on 6th December 2024.

Last updated:November 20, 2024, 15:57 IST

Minister RB Thimmapur, who has been targeted over corruption allegations in the Excise Department, and Zameer Ahmed Khan, who is embroiled in the Waqf controversy, may be shown the way for new faces.

The Congress may have come to power in Karnataka with a campaign exposing widespread corruption in the previous BJP government, but the ruling government is now mired in similar allegations. (PTI)

The Siddaramaiah government may take strict steps to address corruption allegations and performance of ministers, which could affect the image of the chief minister’s rule. Inside sources suggest that heads may be rolled in the process of keeping the ship afloat.

The Congress may have come to power in Karnataka with a campaign exposing widespread corruption in the previous BJP government, but the ruling government is now mired in similar allegations.

Various controversies associated with the Siddaramaiah government – ​​ranging from the Valmiki Corporation scam, the Waqf controversy and the MUDA land allocation controversy to the alleged “liquor scam”, where a liquor traders’ association accused excise department officials of corruption – highlight allegations of maladministration. Are. Opposition party BJP says this.

Under fire over allegations of corruption in the excise department, where the Federation of Karnataka Wine Merchants has accused officials of demanding huge bribes for transfers and license renewals, minister RB Thimmapur is likely to be shunted out of the ministry for the time being , it turns out.

“I have not done any mistake. Let the truth come out. All transfers have been done as per government rules. Allegations may be leveled, but truth will prevail,” Thimmapur told News18.

It is also learned that another minister who may be dropped or shifted to another ministry is Zameer Ahmed Khan, who finds himself in the middle of the Waqf controversy.

The government has also taken Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s recent racially insensitive remarks against his skin color very seriously. Both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar termed the statement unacceptable.

“He should not have made such comments,” the chief minister said in an earlier interview with News18.

While Shivakumar said the matter will be addressed and any action taken will not be discussed publicly, inside sources say a tough decision on the minister can be expected soon.

“It had a cascading effect on the bypolls, especially in Channapatna and the Waqf issue affected all three seats,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

However, a government source said that in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle, Athani MLA Laxman Savadi, who switched from BJP to Congress and was the deputy CM in the earlier BJP government, will be accommodated.

Heggadadevankote MLA Anil Chikkamadhu is also likely to attend. Ministers K Venkatesh and D Sudhakar may also be dropped to make way for new faces, a source said.

Thimmapur has come under fire after the Karnataka Wine Merchants Association leveled allegations of bribery and called for a statewide strike, claiming that around 1,000 illegal licenses were issued last year, with an alleged bribe of Rs 70 lakh per license. The amount potentially reached Rs. Corruption worth about Rs 700 crore.

The statewide protest scheduled for November 20 was canceled after a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

While the liquor traders’ federation has requested the CM to take the excise department under his finance ministry, he has asked him to investigate the alleged demands for bribes in the department. He also demanded immediate removal of Thimmapur.

“We had a fruitful meeting with Siddaramaiah, who listened to our demands patiently and has also promised to take steps to streamline the licensing process and bring in stronger enforcement to stop the influx of cheap liquor from other states. A committee of officers will review our concerns and submit a report after discussion with us. Then appropriate action will be taken. “The CM has promised to address our issues wherever possible,” said federation general secretary B Govindraj Hegde.

Opposition BJP has raised the issue of bribery in the excise department on a war footing. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned this during a campaign in Maharashtra, saying that excise revenue was being siphoned off from Karnataka and the money was directed to by-election campaigns in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. May go.

Responding to PM’s allegations, Siddaramaiah challenged him to prove his claims. He said that if the allegations are proved true then he will step down, but if not then the PM should resign.

The Congress government said it plans to take legal action against PM Modi and the BJP for accusing the grand old party of “looting the people” in Karnataka and using the money for election campaigning in Maharashtra. .

“After Maharishi Valmiki ST Development Corporation scam, MUDA land scam, KIADB land scam, Waqf scam, this liquor scam is another new addition to the series of scams by the CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the last 17 months,” alleged R. Ashok, leader of the opposition.

The Karnataka BJP also got fresh ammunition to attack the government when whiskey worth over Rs 50 lakh was recovered at the house of district Congress leader Avinash Malli Shetty in a raid in Udupi.

Whenever they walk past their 30-year-old daughter Shavon’s bedroom at their home in Westville, NS, Wesley and Sheila Lees are deeply saddened by her loss and the manner of her death.

She left the room just like that, with a cute doll and posters of her favorite movie on her bed, frozen,

Sheila Lees said, “We know nothing will bring her back. But we also know she can be the one to make a difference.”

The couple didn’t realize how sick their daughter was when she told them she wasn’t feeling well and needed to go to the emergency room at nearby Aberdeen Regional Hospital in August 2023.

Unbeknownst to them, Shavon, who was physically and mentally disabled, had developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s overreaction to infection.

She died the next day, and now — more than a year later — her parents say they are still trying to understand what went wrong and what to change to prevent similar tragedies. Is required.

The Lees said they arrived at the hospital in New Glasgow at 4:30 a.m. and their daughter spent about 16 hours in the emergency room. Shavon was lying on a stretcher in a room across from the nurses’ station and hooked up to a cardiac monitor, Lees said, adding that it did not appear her daughter’s illness could be fatal.

“We trusted the medical professionals. No one was coming in or out of the room and telling us anything,” he said in a recent interview.

Shevon was eventually taken to intensive care but died on August 28, 2023.

Since then, Lees has spent hours combing through her daughter’s medical charts to try to understand what happened, and to identify what she sees as gaps in care and miscommunication between staff. After that she became even more disappointed.

“We watched our daughter die. And we didn’t know sepsis was taking over her body,” Lees said.

The family are also raising serious concerns about how Shavon was treated. He believes that as a person with a mental disability he faced discrimination.

Her 25-year-old brother, Austin, who was also with her, said, “There were rare occasions when the staff would come into the room, they wouldn’t even talk to Shavon.” “‘Hi, how are you?’ It’s not that simple a thing.”

The questions appeared to be directed at other family members, she said, but she would have been able to speak for herself.

“I think it’s discrimination. It may be unconscious,” he said, still feeling a mixture of anger and sadness.

Nova Scotia Health has completed a quality review of the case, which it shared with the Lees family and expressed condolences.

“We want to express how sorry we are about the experiences Shavon and your family experienced while in our care,” the letter, dated May 31, said.

According to a statement from Nova Scotia Health, the review led by health professionals was conducted to understand what was happening and find ways to improve.

It makes seven recommendations, including a review of the model of care and patient flow in the emergency department at Aberdeen Regional Hospital, as well as providing ongoing education as part of Nova Scotia Health’s equity-based approach.

It also suggests introducing strategies to help implement best-practice care of sepsis.

However, Sheila Lees, who has also filed a complaint with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, said she doesn’t know what, if anything, has changed.

He met with area MLA Tim Houston in February, received a letter from the Minister of Health and Wellness last October, and held several meetings with health officials.

Nova Scotia Health said it is committed to working closely with the family and “clinicians and operational leaders have been meeting with the family regularly to share updates, listen to their concerns and answer their questions.”

The aim, the health authority said, is to “ensure they remain informed and engaged as we work together with the goal of improving patient care.”

‘Wonderful’ person who kept the family together

The Lees are not satisfied with the province’s response, and the family is determined to continue the campaign in honor of Shavon, who they say was a “fantastic” person.

They describe her as the family secretary, who keeps everyone in touch with heart-touching texts and voice messages.

Lees acknowledged that conversations are ongoing with health officials, but said she wants to see action. One step the family has asked for is to put up signs in emergency rooms explaining what sepsis is, so patients have more awareness of it.

“I never want any other family to experience this,” Lees said. “I don’t see that changing. Fourteen months is a long time.”

Last updated:November 20, 2024, 12:04 IST

To prevent fraud, during polling only the election or presiding officer can verify the identity of the voter by checking the ID card as per the rules of the Election Commission

Samajwadi Party has formally filed a petition in the Election Commission regarding the treatment of Muslim women during elections. (Representative/PTI File)

Voting is being held on nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh by-election on November 20. However, before voting, controversy has erupted over burqa, hijab, niqab and veil. Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and BJP have come face to face on this issue.

The Samajwadi Party demanded that Muslim women should not be required to remove their burqas for checking, while BJP’s Giriraj Singh said every voter should be identified. The matter has now reached the Election Commission.

Voting is underway in nine assembly constituencies across the state from 7 am.

Samajwadi Party has formally filed a petition in the Election Commission regarding the treatment of Muslim women during elections. The party’s letter stressed that requiring Muslim women to remove their burqa for identity verification is unacceptable. He argued that if a woman chooses to vote wearing a burqa, police personnel should not have the right to remove it for inspection. Furthermore, the Samajwadi Party argued that the police should not be authorized to check voter ID cards during the voting process.

This situation has raised several important questions such as who has the authority to verify voter ID, whether the police can legally remove a woman’s burqa for this purpose and the specific rules of the Election Commission regarding this matter. What are?

What does the Election Commission rule say?

According to the rules of the Election Commission, verification of every voter is necessary before voting. To avoid fraudulent voting, each voter is allowed to cast his vote only after his identity is confirmed. The election officer appointed by the Election Commission checks the voter identity card and ensures identity. Election Commission rules state that only the election officer or the presiding officer can check the voter ID card. However, in suspicious circumstances the police or security personnel may also check the voter ID card.

Can polling agents check voter ID?

Polling agents representing different political parties deployed at polling stations do not have the right to check the identity cards of voters. However, if any doubt arises, they can raise questions or request the election officer to verify the voter ID card. The primary role of polling agents is to prevent fraudulent voting practices and raise any concerns.

Similarly, police or security personnel have also been prohibited from checking voter ID cards. Their authority is limited only to conducting security checks when suspicion arises.

Explanation from Election Commission

The Election Commission has issued clear guidelines to remove any ambiguity regarding the matter. UP Election Commission officials have clearly stated that the responsibility of the police and security personnel is limited only to maintaining security and peace. They are not allowed to check the identity card of any voter.

Ban on police verification

Police officers are strictly prohibited from checking voter cards. Furthermore, they are not authorized to request a woman to remove her burqa for the purpose of matching her face with the voter ID card. The Election Commission guidelines clearly state that only the polling officer has the right to check the identity card of any voter. This right is limited only to the polling staff and the presiding officer.

Can a woman voter be checked by removing her burqa?

This question is sensitive whether a Muslim woman can be examined by removing her burqa during voter verification. To prevent fraud or in case of doubt, a polling officer may request a woman to reveal her face for identification.

However, this should be done by a female polling officer, and with utmost respect for religious sensitivity and confidentiality. It is important to emphasize that under no circumstances should police or security personnel attempt to remove a woman’s burqa and examine her face.

Even before this there has been controversy regarding burqa.

A similar situation had come to light during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when BJP candidate from Hyderabad Madhavi Lata had created a ruckus at a polling booth by asking women voters to remove their burqa for ID verification. The incident led to an FIR and widespread condemnation.

There was also controversy regarding burqa in Haryana elections. Now, Uttar Pradesh is also facing a similar situation.

In response to a letter from Akhilesh Yadav, the Election Commission has assured the public that no police officer is authorized to ask a woman to remove her burqa for facial verification.

By-elections for nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh began on Wednesday morning, with long queues of voters forming at polling stations. The seats where by-elections are being held are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Mirapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Shishmau (Kanpur City), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki ( Moradabad). The results of the by-election will be declared on 23 November.

Place :

Uttar Pradesh, India

Indonesia’s state-owned power utility, PLN, made a profit after tax of approx. $1.4 billion in 2023 Total revenue has increased by 36 percent compared to 2019. Like Indonesia’s other state-owned energy major, oil and gas giant Pertamina, it appears that PLN much better From the epidemic. But if we dig deeper into these numbers, they reveal some interesting things.

Like Pertamina, PLN has received a mandate from the government to provide its services (in this case electricity) to Indonesian consumers at affordable and stable prices. The difference between production cost and selling price is absorbed by the government through subsidies and other forms of compensation.

The government’s share of this price disparity has increased significantly over the past two years, reaching nearly $9 billion last year. Without $9 billion of government aid, PLN would not have been profitable. Without government support, Indonesian consumers would also have to bear a greater share of the financial burden by paying higher electricity tariffs, for which the state has never shown much appetite.

The PLN is expected to protect consumers against price volatility and also ensure that enough new capacity is created to meet demand. When President Joko Widodo took office in 2014, one of his signature campaign promises was Construction of 35,000 MW of new production capacity. Much of this was expected to come from private developers, who typically sell their electricity to PLN at fixed rates for several decades.

And the plan worked very well. Between 2015 and 2023, private developers built more than 17,500 MW of new capacity, while PLN added an additional 4,800 MW through plants it owns and operates. This is not the 35,000 MW that was envisioned, but still a substantial amount of new capacity.

This surge in private investment has significantly changed the structure of Indonesia’s energy market. In 2015, PLN was generating 75 percent of Indonesia’s electricity. By 2023, as these new private power plants come online, PLN’s share in power generation will fall to 57 percent and if current trends continue this share will continue to decline in the future.

As a result, PLN payments to external power companies have increased. In 2016, the utility paid private suppliers about $3.8 billion to buy their electricity. Last year it paid $9.9 billion. The logic of this model is that PLN does not need to raise the substantial sums required to build large, capital-intensive power plants. It only purchases electricity for the duration of the contract, so costs can be spread over several years.

This means that PLN is paying more to buy electricity produced by private developers these days and is also expected to absorb price volatility due to external shocks, without being able to easily raise prices on consumers. Bridging this gap is a big reason why government subsidies have increased recently.

This is where clean energy enters the mix. When we talk about solar energy, most of the cost is incurred during the construction phase. Operating costs are very low, and fuel costs are negligible. And the good news about solar power is that it is becoming cheaper to manufacture every year as the price of key components like solar panels is falling.

There are two ways to make more solar energy. PLN could encourage more outside investment by entering into purchase agreements with private developers. It could either build more solar power plants and operate them on its own, or in partnership with private developers. Generally, PLN will prefer the second option.

Analysts sometimes say that PLN is deterring private investment because it does not have the ability to make the regulatory environment attractive to developers. But if the cost of building solar power is indeed going to become even cheaper in the coming years, it might make sense for PLN to prefer building solar power itself in order to move away from liability-heavy long-term purchase agreements with private developers. will be. Why get stuck in purchase agreements with solar power companies at current prices (6 cents per kilowatt hour) when the cost of building and operating your own solar power plants could be halved in five years?

From their perspective, this is absolutely logical. PLN has taken on billions of dollars of new liabilities as part of a 35,000-MW investment boom, and they won’t necessarily keep stretching the balance sheet with long-term purchase agreements as Indonesia moves toward clean energy. Given the extent to which utilities already rely on government subsidies, building and operating their own fleets of utility-scale solar power offers a viable route, even if it is not one that private developers or large-scale companies can pursue. Will like the market.

Last updated:November 19, 2024, 12:41 IST

Schulze-Makuch suggests focusing on Mars’ hygroscopic salts, such as sodium chloride, which absorb moisture and could support microbial life, similar to some bacteria that thrive in salty solutions on Earth.

Schulze-Makuch has proposed a theory that the Viking landers, while searching for life on Mars, may have inadvertently destroyed it. (PTI file)

In all our missions and efforts to Mars, no evidence has been found confirming the presence of life. However, decades earlier, in the 1970s, the Viking lander, the first American mission to safely land on and explore the Red Planet, might have brought us closer to such a discovery.

A researcher suggests that evidence of life may be present in Martian soil samples. In our quest to confirm its existence, we may have inadvertently removed it. An experiment to detect signs of microbial life on Mars could have been fatal, according to Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an astronomer at the Technical University of Berlin in Germany.

Schultz-Makuch speculated in a column posted on Big Think in 2023 and a commentary published in Nature Astronomy in September 2024 that our methods could be inherently destructive.

In 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 mission sent two spacecraft to the surface of Mars to investigate the Red Planet and search for signs of life. The experiments involved mixing water and nutrients with samples of Martian soil, based on the assumption that life on Mars, similar to Earth, would need liquid water to survive.

Initial results indicated the possibility of life, but after decades of debate, most researchers concluded that these were probably false positives, dashing earlier expectations.

Schulze-Makuch has proposed a theory that the Viking landers, while searching for life on Mars, may have inadvertently destroyed it.

In a commentary for Nature, Schultz-Makuch suggests that potential Martian life, like microorganisms found in extreme environments such as Chile’s Atacama Desert, could survive in very dry conditions by relying on salt to draw moisture from the atmosphere. Can survive.

“Experiments conducted by NASA’s Viking landers may have accidentally killed life on Mars by adding too much water to it,” he said.

This hypothesis challenges NASA’s long-term strategy of searching for life beyond Earth by “following the water.” Schulze-Makuch argued that instead of prioritizing liquid water, future missions should also focus on hygroscopic salts, substances that absorb atmospheric moisture. Sodium chloride, the primary salt on Mars, could potentially sustain microbial life, similar to some bacteria that thrive in salty solutions on Earth.

Schulze-Makuch compared the potential impact of the Viking experiment on Martian microorganisms to an incident in the Atacama Desert, where torrential rains killed 70–80% of local bacteria because they could not adapt to the flow of water.

Nearly 50 years after the Viking missions, Schultz-Makuch called for a renewed effort to detect life on Mars, incorporating new, advanced technology and knowledge about the planet’s extreme environments.