The Small Arms Survey, an independent research project in Switzerland, has ranked countries worldwide according to the number of privately owned guns in the hands of its citizens.
It’s no surprise that USA tops the charts with as many as 89 guns for every 100 people. Thousands of people are killed and injured every year in US due to gun violence. Some countries in this list have high gun ownership due to prolonged civil war. Surprisingly, countries with the lowest crime rates also feature in this list.
India sits well below the list ranked 110 out of 178 countries with approximately 4 guns per 100 people. Following are the countries with the most guns per capita:
Sweden
Sweden has approximately 31.6 firearms for every 100 people. Getty
Uruguay
Uruguay has 31.8 guns per 100 people. AP
Iraq
34.2 firearms for every 100 Iraqis. Getty
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is 35 for every 100 people. Getty
Cyprus
Cyprus has 36.4 guns for every 100 people. Getty
Serbia
Serbia has 37.8 guns per 100 residents. Getty
Finland
Finland has 45.3 guns for every 100 people.
Switzerland
Switzerland has 45.7 guns per 100 residents. Getty
Yemen
Yemen has 54.8 guns per 100 residents. Getty
United States of America
U.S.A. has 88.8 guns for every 100 residents. Getty
Numbeo, a website that collates global information related to costs of living, crime rates and pollution, has released a study on cities with the world’s worst traffic jams. The ranking of the cities is arrived at by using a ‘Time Index’ that factors in the average time spent by a commuter on a one-way trip, etc. In Mumbai, you have to sit for an average of 66 minutes in order to reach your destination.
Apart from that, the other factors include 'Inefficiency Index’, which comprises of long commute hours, poor traffic laws, driving, etc.
And, finally, there is the CO2 Emission Index which is an estimation of CO2 consumption due to traffic time. Pune’s CO2 Emission Index is highly alarming as it stands second to Cairo in the list.
Manila, Philippines
Time Index (in mins): 54.33
Inefficiency Index: 248.10
CO2 Emission Index: 9471.67
Pretoria, South Africa
Time Index (in mins): 52.25
Inefficiency Index: 355.08
CO2 Emission Index: 11515
Recife, Brazil
Time Index (in mins): 57.85
Inefficiency Index: 474.75
CO2 Emission Index: 8130.77
Tehran, Iran
Time Index (in mins): 59.84
Inefficiency Index: 237.80
CO2 Emission Index: 8604. 11
Miami, Florida
Time Index (in mins): 59.20
Inefficiency Index: 340.41
CO2 Emission Index: 9908.80
Kolkata, India
Time Index (in mins): 58
Inefficiency Index: 397.79
CO2 Emission Index: 11179.60
Cairo, Egypt
Time Index (in mins): 58.61
Inefficiency Index: 309.21
CO2 Emission Index: 13010.67
Pune, India
Time Index (in mins): 60.86
Inefficiency Index: 244.01
CO2 Emission Index: 12215.71
Nairobi, Kenya
Time Index (in mins): 65.20
Inefficiency Index: 253.96
CO2 Emission Index: 7123.60
Mumbai, India
Time Index (in mins): 66.18
Inefficiency Index: 263.03
CO2 Emission Index: 6581.18
Dussehra commemorates the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon King Ravana, marking the victory of good over evil. The five-day Durga Puja festival, which also comes to an end on this day, commemorates the slaying of a demon king Mahishasur by Goddess Durga, marking the triumph of good over evil.
Here is how India is celebrating the triumph of Dussehra.
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Effigy ‘Aaj Ka Ravan’ named 'ATANKI PAK’ along with Effigies of Ravan, organised by Indraprastha Ramlila Committee on October 10, 2016 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Virendra Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
A effigy of Ravana erected at Tilak Nagar in view Dussehara which will fall on Tuesday . The effigy of Ravana has been themed as symbol of terrorism in INDORE. Getty.
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Hindu devotees smear vermillion on each other during Sindoor Khela on the final day of the Durga Puja Festival in New Delhi, India. The five-day Durga Puja festival commemorates the slaying of a demon king Mahishasur by Goddess Durga, marking the triumph of good over evil.
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Hindu devotees carrying Goddess Durga idol during Dussehra Festival celebration. Dusshera or Vijayadashmi, as it is popularly known as, is a major Hindu festival, celebrated on the tenth day in the Ashwin month according to the Hindu calendar.
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Indian artists,dressed as Hindu Lord Rama and Wife Seeta sit on a horse cart during a traditional Ramleela,a play narrating the life of Hindu God Ram,ahead of Dussehra festival,in Hanumanganj village,24 kms from Allahabad.
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
A roadside toyseller swings light balls during a religious procession 'Karan Ghoda’ during a celebration to mark 'Dussehra Festival’ in the old city area in Allahabad. Dussehra commemorates the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon King Ravana, marking the victory of good over evil. (Photo by Ritesh Shukla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Mysore Palace, a major tourist attraction, as part of the celebrations on the eve of last day of Dusshera festival in Mysore
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
A mahout rides a decorated elephant as they pass by the Mysore Palace on the last day of Dusshera celebrations in Mysore, India
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
An Indian artist dressed as Hindu god Hanuman playfully hits a man with his artificial tail during a procession on the last day of Dusshera celebrations in Mysore
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Pilgrims from all over India come to the banks of the river Ganges to celebrate Ganga Dusshera and have their holy dip into the water. (Photo by Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
“Sitaswaymavar” during International Ramayana festival organised by ICCR at Kamani Auditorium on October 10, 2016 in New Delhi, India (Getty)
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
A top view of three different Ramlila, at 15 August Park at Red fort on October 9, 2016 in New Delhi, India.(Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Ram Leela And Dusshera Celebrations In India
Crowds gather to see Ramlila at Red fort on October 9, 2016 in New Delhi, India.(Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Error over incorrect photo appearing with video, article regretted
In a video, article published by us on March 4, 2016, titled ‘Bollywood and underworld links: 4 Mamta Kulkarni’s love affairs’, on Yahoo News, we had wrongly published the image of Vicckey Goswami, who is a music composer, portraying him to be an individual by the name of Vicky Goswami, who is a suspected drug trafficker and the apparent husband of former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni.
We unconditionally apologize for the same and have withdrawn the incorrect image.
This week: Navratri and Durga Puja fever in India, Mourning in Haiti after hurricane Matthew wreaks havoc, the ‘Nobel’ men who served society, and plenty of stories of hope, love, loss and despair.
Photos of the week
A goat eating rice from the stone lion sculpture, which is offered by devotees during celebration of Shikali Festival at Khokana Village, Patan, Nepal on Friday, October 07, 2016. People living at Khokana celebrate Shikali Festival during Dashain, the biggest religious Hindu festival in Nepal. (Photo by Narayan Maharjan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Photos of the week
Members of a human tower group perform during the 26th Human Towers Competition in the old bullring of Tarragona, Spain, Oct. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Pau Barrena via Getty Images)
Photos of the week
Renowned contemporary Artist Sudhir Katkar doing final touch of Mahatma Gandhi portrait on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti in Mumbai (Photo by Rajanish Kakade/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Photos of the week
Colombian voters appeared to have shocked their government by blasting away its hopes for a historic peace deal with communist FARC rebels Sunday to put an end to 52 years of bloody conflict, referendum results showed.
Photos of the week
Iranian Shiite Muslim women mourn during a ceremony at Sadat Akhavi Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, three days prior to the death anniversary of 7th century Shiite Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in a battle in Karbala in present-day Iraq. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Photos of the week
INDIA - OCTOBER 9: Kumari Kanya pooja performed at Ramkrishana Math to celebrate Maha Ashtami during the Durga Puja celebrations, on October 9, 2016 in Lucknow, India. Durga Ashtami or Maha Ashtami is one of the most auspicious days of ten-day long Durga Puja Festival. This day is also known for 'Astra Puja’ (weapons’ worship) as the weapons of Goddess Durga are worshiped on this day. (Photo by Ashok Dutta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Photos of the week
A Colombian flag and a white flag hang from a building in downtown Bogota, Colombia, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize Friday, just days after voters narrowly rejected a peace deal he signed with rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Photos of the week
A woman walks to a shelter with her son as they leave after their home was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Jeremie, Haiti on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. Jeremie appears to be the epicenter of the country’s growing humanitarian crisis in the wake of the storm. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
Photos of the week
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivers his speech as he runs for the 2017 presidential election in Paris, France, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Photos of the week
A devout Hindu walks up a staircase after bathing in the Ganges River in Kolkata, India, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. Hindus bathe in the Ganges, a river considered sacred, with the hope it will wash away their sins. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Photos of the week
Palestinians run away from teargas as Israeli border police unit raided the family home of the Palestinian gunman who killed two and wounded several other people in Jerusalem earlier in the day, in the West Bank town of al Ram, north of Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Photos of the week
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrives at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Photos of the week
Bodies of victims of a Saudi-led coalition airstrike are loaded in an ambulance, in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Yemeni security and medical officials say at least 45 people have been killed in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike that targeted a funeral hall in the capital, Sanaa. The officials say at least another 100 have been wounded in the Saturday strike. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrhman)
Photos of the week
Scotties tissue advertisement and United States politics. Hillary wins, Donald wins and woman about to cry. The circus in U.S.A electoral campaign used to advertise a product. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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South Africa pull off the second highest run chase in ODI history thanks to a sensational century by David Miller. (AP)
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Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin sprays team driver Nico Rosberg of Germany with champagne on the podium after winning the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka
Photos of the week
Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli completes a run to score a century on the first day of their third cricket test match against New Zealand in Indore, India, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. (AP)
Photos of the week
Revelers celebrate during the Durga Puja celebrations, on October 9, 2016 in Mumbai, India. Durga Ashtami or Maha Ashtami is one of the most auspicious days of ten-day long Durga Puja Festival. This day is also known for 'Astra Puja’ (weapons’ worship) as the weapons of Goddess Durga are worshiped on this day. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Photos of the week
Women performing garba at Royal Bunglow Park by donning themselves as Radha and Krishna on October 6, 2016 in Indore, India. Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of bright lunar fortnight in the Bikram Sambat Calendar month of Ashwin. (Photo by Shankar Mourya/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Photos of the week
Filipino men have plastic zip ties on their wrists following a police raid at an alleged drug den as part of the continuing “War on Drugs” campaign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte near the Payatas dumpsite in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Duterte has told U.S. President Barack Obama “you can go to hell” in a recent speech that was his strongest tirade so far against the U.S. over its criticism of his deadly anti-drug campaign, adding that he may eventually decide to “break up with America.” (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Photos of the week
Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine stand after the vice-presidential debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (Joe Raedle/Pool via AP)
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A model wears a creation for Kenzo’s Spring-Summer 2017 ready-to-wear fashion collection presented Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Photos of the week
Pope Francis walks next to rubble in the quake-struck village of San Pellegrino, Italy, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. Pope Francis has made a surprise visit to the site of the devastating August earthquake in central Italy, praying silently alone amid the rubble in the hardest-hit area of the devastated town of Amatrice.
Photos of the week
Relatives and neighbors of Junaid Ahmed, a 12-year-old boy, huddle around his body as tear gas shells fired by Indian police men explode near them during his funeral procession in Srinagar, Kashmir, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Indian forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas Saturday as thousands carried the body of a young boy killed overnight during an anti-India protest in the main city of Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Photos of the week
Orthodox Jewish pilgrims pray near lake during the celebrating Rosh Hashanah in Uman, Ukraine, 03 October 2016. From evening of October 2 to October 4 jews from all world celebrate of 5777-th year celebrating Rosh Hashanah. The central point of the celebrations in Ukraine is the city of Uman, Cherkasy region, where, according to the State Border Service of Ukraine, as of September 30, arrived about 19 thousand Hasidic pilgrims. Public safety during celebrations provide of 450 police officers. Every year, thousands of Orthodox Bratslav Hasidic Jews from different countries gather in Uman to mark Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, a great grandson of the founder of Hasidism. (Photo by Vitaliy Holovin/Corbis via Getty images)
Photos of the week
An injured, who sustained splinter injuries, is being shifted to the Government medical hospital after Pakistan Army resorted to heavy shelling and firing in Shahpur, using 82 mm mortar shells which fell in a large area of Poonch near the Line of Control (LoC), on October 4, 2016 in Jammu, India. (Photo by Nitin Kanotra/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Photos of the week
Ousted former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from his room at the Maadi Military Hospital Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016, where he is hospitalized, as they celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Oct. 6, 1973 war, when Egypt and Syria declared a war against Israel for the return of what they called their occupied lands, Sinai on the Egyptian front and Golan Heights on the Syrian Front. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Photos of the week
Clay Bavor, Google vice president of virtual reality, talks about the Daydream View virtual-reality headset during a product event, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, in San Francisco. It will differ from other headsets like Samsung’s Gear VR in having a companion motion controller and compatibility with a wide range of phones, including Google’s new Pixel phones. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Photos of the week
Syrian girls from the Zaatari refugee camp, play during a friendly game of football with the Japanese U17 Women’s World Cup team and five Jordanian girls, in Amman, Jordan, Wednesday, Oct 5, 2016. With support from UNICEF the meet up is part of a program that brings together thousands of Jordanian and Syrian children in host communities through football and art activities. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
Photos of the week
Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, left, celebrates with Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States after defeating Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic of France in the women’s doubles final of the China Open tennis tournament at the Diamond Court in Beijing, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Radioactive leak at Delhi Airport was from cancer medicine
A radioactive leak that was reported in the cargo area of New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport turned out to be a false alarm as it was found to have been caused by cancer medicine being imported from France.
The pharmaceutical drug (Molybdenum-99) arrived in a consignment aboard an Air France carrier and was reported as suspicious by a private employee after he took a radiation reading from the sample, sources in the aviation ministry have been quoted as saying.
The leak was detected in the T3 terminal area, which was subsequently evacuated and cordoned off with teams of the National Disaster Management Authority and National Disaster Relief Force swooping in to investigate the site.
The cordoned-off area was also inspected by officials of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, who later gave an all-clear stating that the source of radiation was a low-grade radioactive substance found in some anti-cancer drugs.
In today’s fast paced lifestyle circumstances are unpredictable. Do you know what to do if someone suddenly has a seizure? Medical aids are not always available and in such emergency situations it’s always good to be prepared. There are certain dos and don'ts when you’re faced with a situation where someone has a seizure.
Ziqitza Healthcare Limited has created a guideline on how people should respond to such emergencies.
After long-drawn negotiations, India finally signed the deal for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation. This acquisition will add more firepower and muscle to the Indian Air Force.
Here are some details of the deal and how important the Dassault’s deal is for India:
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Rafale is a tried and tested twin-engine, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by French company Dassault Aviation which is equipped with a wide range of weapons.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Dassault was one of the six aircraft manufacturers vying for the Indian requirement for 126 multirole combat aircraft and won the bid as it turned out to be the lowest cost supplier even though the Rafale is an extraordinary plane.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
In 2015, India requested quick delivery of 36 Rafales in fly-away condition and on September 23, 2016, Dassault agreed to invest 50 percent of the $8-billion deal for 36 aircraft at a cost of $200 million.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
So, why 36 aircraft, scrapping the earlier plan to acquire 126 aircraft during the United Progressive Alliance government?
Though the initial plan was to buy 126 jets, India scaled it down to 36 because the deal for 126 Rafales was extremely expensive and would have required around Rs 1.3 lakh crore which would have obviously hit the other plans of the Indian military.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Reasons for delay:
Firstly, due to the dispute over costs and later because of technology transfer negotiations with Dassault. The price of an aircraft it about Rs. 740 crores and India wanted them for at least 20 per cent lesser cost.
Secondly, it’s because of the change in government elections while all these negotiations were under way.
Thirdly, because Dassault was always unwilling to be held liable for the 108 Rafales to be manufactured under licence by HAL and sceptical about the Indian defence industry’s capability to handle sensitive technologies.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Dassault and Reliance Aerospace have formed a 50:50 joint venture and the plan is to set up a plant in Nagpur to create a complete supply chain for the Rafale fighter jet in India. This JV will be the major player in the execution of offset obligations for the $8-billion Rafale agreement. The deal has a 50% offset clause, but part of it is likely to go as technology transfer costs for the DRDO.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
The initial bidders for the Indian Air Force’s requirement were: Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and Saab JAS 39 Gripen. After the IAF carefully analysed all the bids, two aircraft were shortlisted in 2011: the Eurofighter and the Rafale. In 2012, IAF announced Rafale as the preferred aircraft.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Dassault has promised to deliver the full lot within 66 months with the first delivery planned for 36 months from the signing date. However, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and the Defence Research & Development Organisation will influence the decision on whether India will buy aircraft from overseas defence firms or whether these aircraft will be manufactured in India itself.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Not just Anil Ambani-led Reliance Aerospace, but Bharat Electronics, Samtel, and some other defence firms too will also be vying for a piece of the offset business. Other Indian companies interested in defence and aerospace include Tata Group, Mahindra Group, and Larsen & Toubro.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
At present, IAF has 32 squadrons of fighters (each squadron consisting of 18 to 21 aircraft) which could be reduced to 25 by 2022 as per a report. The country needs another 40 to 42 squadrons to protect its borders against Pakistan and China.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
What is an ‘Options Clause’ or ‘Part Options Clause’ in this deal?
India needs around 200 to 300 jets to replace the MiG-21 and MiG-27, just 36 Rafales will hardly suffice the need. So, under the ‘Options Clause’, after the delivery of the 36 aircraft, if India wants more Rafales, it does not have to negotiate the price afresh with the company. If this deal has an ‘Options Clause’ or not that is yet to be made public.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
The offset contract period is seven years. Dassault will make aerostructures, engine parts, and electronics at the Dassault Reliance Aerospace facility in Nagpur. The work at Nagpur is expected to start in the next three months.
Photo - Getty
All you need to know about India’s Rafale Deal
Technology transfer:
Besides the joint production facilities in Nagpur, as per a defence ministry official, who declined to be identified, the deal also has a certain amount of technology transfer to DRDO that will benefit India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project and specialises in advanced armaments which includes:
The air intake system for the fighter
An undercarriage for the naval variant of the LCA
Cutting edge radar absorbing painting technology
Scale up the production of the indigenous Tejas aircraft
An integrated production line software for the fighter aircraft
The transfer of software source code, which will allow Indian scientists to re-programme the radar or any sensitive equipment
Photo - Getty
A security cordon that would be the envy of many intelligence agencies has been up around Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa ever since she was admitted to Apollo Hospital complaining of “a fever and dehydration”. Even as speculation and rumours have spread like wildfire, no one is being allowed to see the CM.
And it seems these rules apply even to relatives of the CM herself. According to The Times of India, Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar waited for nearly three days to meet the CM, but has not been allowed to do so. Deepa told TOI that even after she identified herself as the CM’s niece, and said she would not leave the hospital until she had met her, she was told that “some person of high authority” would get in touch with her, but has received no such calls yet.
A few days ago, it was also reported that Jayalalithaa’s step brother NJ Vasudevan had also attempted to meet her in vain. According to the TOI report, the octogenarian resident of a village near Mysuru had lost his wife and son some years ago, and was hoping to meet his sister before he died.
According to Deepa, while Jayalalithaa was present at her father (and Jayalalithaa’s brother), Jayakumar’s funeral, the CM’s relatives have since been kept away from her. “When my mother (Jayalalithaa’s sister-in-law Vijayalakshmi) was critically ill in November, 2012, I could not communicate the news to my aunt,” Deepa told TOI.
Deepa also said that the fact that few people had seen Jayalalithaa in the recent past made her suspect that her illness was a serious condition.
Deepa has been seen attempting to meet CM Jayalalithaa at other occasions, including when she was released from the Parappana Agrahara prison in connection with the disproportionate assets case, but has never been allowed to interact with Jayalalithaa.
The one-man Commission set up to investigate the death of University of Hyderabad (UoH) scholar Rohith Vemula has stated that Rohith’s mother, Radhika, “branded” herself a Dalit to avail the benefits of reservation.
According to reports, it also blames Rohith for his own suicide and states that union ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani were only discharging their duties.
Ritika Chopra of the The Indian Express aptly terming it a “whitewash”, reports:
Roopanwal questioned Rohith’s caste in detail — four of the 12 pages on the final findings are devoted to this. Since Vemula was raised by his mother, V Radhika, the report has tried to establish whether she belonged to the Mala (read SC) community…According to Roopanwal, Radhika claimed to be Mala to support the caste certificate issued to her son. Her claim that her foster parents told her that her biological parents were SC was “improbable and unbelievable,” said the commission.
Following a huge political storm, the Roopanwal Commission had been formed by the HRD Ministry to look into the circumstances leading to the death of Vemula.
UoH scholar Vemula had committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of a hostel room in the university on January 17, 2016.
The IE report also quotes the probe report as saying:
“His suicide note is on the record which shows that Rohith Vemula had his own problems and not happy with the worldly affairs. He was feeling frustrated for reasons best known to him…He did not blame anybody for his suicide. If he would have been angry with the decision of the university certainly either he would have written in the specific words or would have indicated in this regard. But he did not do the same. It shows that the circumstances prevailing in the university at that time were not the reasons for committing suicide. The whole reading of the letter shows that he was not feeling well in this world and under frustration ended his life.”
The findings also reportedly call the decision by the proctoral committee of the university to suspend Vemula and four other students “most reasonable”.
Here are the top highlights of the report, based on the IE report
1. Radhika Vemula branded herself as a Dalit
2. Rohith was not a Dalit
3. Rohith faced no discrimination
4. Rohith’s suicide was not related to his expulsion
5. Rohith’s expulsion from the hostel was ‘most reasonable’
6. Personal frustration, not discrimination drove him to suicide
7. MLC Ramachandra Rao, Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani were only discharging their duties
8. University’s equal opportunity cell headed by the anti-discrimination officer is not functional and that the grievance redressal committee headed by the ombudsman should be made more effective