AN Indian ruling party politician has been left red-faced after a video of him urinating in public went viral on World Toilet Day, despite government efforts to stop people relieving themselves in the open.
Ram Shinde, a minister for water conservation in the western state of Maharashtra, was filmed answering the call of nature in a field by the side of a road Saturday.
The clip spread online the following day. November 19 marks the United Nations' official World Toilet Day, which aims to raise awareness about the health risks caused by a lack of lavatories.
Shinde, a member of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, defended his actions with an excuse familiar to many, effectively saying: "When you've got to go, you've got to go".
"I have been travelling continuously for the last one month reviewing the Jalyukta Shivar scheme," he told an international news source, referring to drought-prone Maharashtra's water conservation programme.
"Continuous travelling in high temperatures and dust made me ill. I was suffering from fever and when I couldn't find a toilet while travelling, I had to relieve myself in the open."
India is notorious for its lack of toilets. Some 70 percent of Indian households do not have them while around 600 million people, nearly half the population, defecate in the open, according to UNICEF.
Three years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to build toilets for everyone by 2019.
The government has so far helped install more than 50 million lavatories across the country of 1.25 billion people and has been encouraging citizens to break old habits and use them.
International news outlets said the incident occurred on a stretch of road between the cities of Barshi and Solapur in the south west of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the state capital.
A FORMER Green Party health spokesperson has accused the party of shifting away from its core values and trying to silence members with gender-critical views.
Dr Pallavi Devulapalli, a general practitioner and local councillor in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, was expelled from the Green Party this month. She claimed her removal was linked to her views on transgender rights, not to a rule violation as stated by the party. “They didn’t come out and say it was about gender. So they expelled me on a technicality,” she was quoted as saying.
Dr Devulapalli had been suspended since September after disagreeing with the party’s policy supporting gender self-identification during a public debate. She was later expelled for attending what she believed was a casual gathering but was ruled to be an official party event, which she was barred from attending due to her suspension, the Guardian reported.
“It feels like a purge,” she said. “The party is no longer about open debate or green politics. It’s becoming a leftwing authoritarian space. Say the wrong thing and you're out. That’s worrying.”
She is now part of a group calling themselves “Greens in Exile” – former members who say they were pushed out for holding gender-critical beliefs. Devulapalli argued the party’s stance on trans rights ignores biological facts and alienates everyday voters. She added, “Trans women are not women – this is about science and reality.”
Her removal has sparked debate within the party, especially as a new leadership election approaches. She believes if leadership hopeful Zack Polanski wins, more members will leave. “People are trying to bring back the Greens’ commitment to science and free speech,” she said.
Devulapalli says she has received strong support from within the party, including from former Green leaders and health spokespeople who have urged dialogue over division.
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LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that Oxford Street will be pedestrianised “as quickly as possible” following strong backing in a public consultation. The move comes as part of wider efforts to revive the West End’s shopping appeal.
The consultation, which gathered over 6,600 responses from businesses, residents and organisations, showed two-thirds support for the mayor’s proposal to ban most traffic from a 0.7-mile stretch of Oxford Street, the Guardian reported. The plan includes space for outdoor cafés, events and improved public areas.
“Oxford Street has suffered over many years, so urgent action is needed to give our nation’s high street a new lease of life,” Khan was quoted as saying. “It’s clear that the vast majority of Londoners and major businesses back our exciting plans.”
The Labour government has agreed to back the creation of a mayoral development corporation (MDC) to drive the project forward. This comes after earlier efforts to pedestrianise the street were blocked by Westminster city council, which is now Labour-led but still cautious about the move.
Council leader Adam Hug said that while the mayor’s decision was not their preferred choice, they would now work together to help shape Oxford Street’s future. “Since 2022 the street has roared back to life after the pandemic,” he added.
Not everyone welcomed the plan. Black cab drivers warned of increased congestion on nearby streets. “Putting this traffic down surrounding streets will cause chaos,” said Steve McNamara of the LTDA.
Detailed plans for rerouting buses and banning traffic will be released later this year.
Retailers including Ikea and Selfridges expressed strong support. Ikea’s UK boss said the change would make the area more welcoming, while Selfridges described the project as “hugely energising”.
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Chandrakasan was selected from a group of internal candidates, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said in a statement announcing the appointment. (Photo credit: MIT)
PROF ANANTHA CHANDRAKASAN has been appointed as the new provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the first Indian-American to take on the role. Currently serving as MIT’s chief innovation and strategy officer and dean of engineering, Chandrakasan will assume his new position on July 1.
Chandrakasan was selected from a group of internal candidates, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said in a statement announcing the appointment. She said he brings an exceptional record of innovation and leadership to the position.
The provost is MIT’s chief academic and budget officer, responsible for overseeing the educational enterprise, faculty affairs, and strategic planning across the institute.
In a statement released by MIT, Chandrakasan said, “I am deeply honoured to take on the role of provost.” He added, “Looking ahead, I see myself as a key facilitator, enabling faculty, students, postdocs, and staff to continue making extraordinary contributions to the nation and the world.”
Navigating challenges, driving innovation
Kornbluth noted that Chandrakasan takes on the role at a time when some of MIT’s core operating assumptions are facing uncertainty, including sustained federal support and the ability to attract global talent.
“In a time of such intense pressure and potentially historic change, I am particularly grateful that we will be able to draw on Anantha’s depth and breadth of experience; his nimbleness, entrepreneurial spirit and boundless energy; his remarkable record in raising funds from outside sources for important ideas; and his profound commitment to MIT’s mission,” she said.
The Consulate General of India in New York congratulated Chandrakasan on his appointment, noting that he is the first Indian-American to hold the position. “A distinguished academic and leader, Prof Chandrakasan has remained a strong advocate of India-USA technological & R&D collaboration; has been working with various Indian government and private sector stakeholders towards this objective. We wish him all success in this important responsibility,” the Consulate said.
Kornbluth added, “In short, the job truly could not be more central to MIT’s present and future vitality.”
Role and future priorities
The provost also oversees affiliated institutes and units and leads a team of vice provosts managing arts, campus planning, faculty matters, international activities, and Open Learning.
Chandrakasan has served as the dean of MIT’s School of Engineering since 2017 and became the institute’s inaugural chief innovation and strategy officer in 2024. Before that, he led MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) – its largest academic department – for six years.
Explaining why she selected him for the chief innovation and strategy officer role, Kornbluth said it was because of his “can-do attitude, creativity, enthusiasm, strategic insight, fluency across a wide range of subject areas, and gift for engaging industry allies and donors.”
Chandrakasan succeeds Cynthia Barnhart, who announced her decision to step down from the role in February.
As provost, Chandrakasan will focus on three key areas: assessing institutional needs and financial planning, attracting and retaining top talent, and supporting interdisciplinary research, education, and entrepreneurship, according to the MIT statement.
“Recognising that each school and other academic units operate within a unique context, I plan to engage deeply with their leaders to understand their challenges and aspirations. This will help me refine and set the priorities for the Office of the Provost,” he said.
He also plans to form a provost faculty advisory group and establish advisory groups for students and postdocs, as well as an external provost advisory council. His goal, he said, is to support continued excellence across all levels at MIT.
“There is a tremendous opportunity for MIT to be at the centre of the innovations in areas where the United States wants to lead. It’s about AI. It’s about semiconductors. It’s about quantum, biosecurity and biomanufacturing space — but not only that,” Chandrakasan said.
“We need students who can do more than just code or design or build. We really need students who understand the human perspective and human insights. This is why collaborations between STEM fields and the humanities, arts and social sciences, such as through the new MIT Human Insights Collaborative, are so important,” he added.
Chandrakasan earned his BS, MS, and PhD in electrical engineering and computer sciences from the University of California at Berkeley. After joining MIT, he directed the Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) from 2006 until becoming head of EECS in 2011.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The flight was scheduled to depart on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo: Air India)
AIR INDIA’s flight from Ahmedabad to London, operating under a new code following the June 12 crash, was cancelled on Tuesday (17) due to the unavailability of an aircraft. The airline cited airspace restrictions and precautionary checks as the cause.
The service, now listed as flight AI-159, replaced the earlier AI-171 flight which crashed shortly after take-off last Thursday (12), killing 270 people, including 29 on the ground. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 242 passengers and crew on board, with only one survivor.
An Air India spokesperson denied reports of a technical issue and confirmed the cancellation was due to extended turnaround times caused by airspace restrictions. Iran’s closure of its airspace amid its war with Israel has affected flight routes to Europe.
“Flight AI-159 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick (London) has been cancelled on Tuesday due to the unavailability of the aircraft, resulting from airspace restrictions and additional precautionary checks, leading to longer than usual aircraft turnaround — not due to any technical snag as claimed,” the spokesperson said.
“We regret the inconvenience caused and have made alternative arrangements for passengers, including hotel accommodation, full refunds, or complimentary rescheduling.”
The flight was scheduled to depart at 3pm after an earlier rescheduling from 1.10pm. According to the airline’s website, the first post-crash flight under the new code took off at 4.10pm on Monday (16), after a three-hour delay, and landed in London at 9.45pm.
Airport sources confirmed that the AI-171 service was suspended following the fatal crash and resumed operations on Monday under the new code. The return flight AI-160 landed in Ahmedabad as scheduled on Tuesday afternoon.
Due to Tuesday's cancellation, Air India also cancelled the return service, AI-170, from London (Gatwick) to Amritsar.
(PTI)
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Conference at Westminster Highlights Religious Persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan
A high-profile conference on religious freedom in Bangladesh and Baluchistan was held at Portcullis House, Westminster, organised by the Dharmic Ideas & Policy Foundation (DIPF), hosted by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East), and supported by APPG leaders on Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB), including Richard James Shannon MP and Julie Jones on 9 June 2025.
Chairing the conference, Mr Blackman condemned the ongoing persecution of minorities in both regions, describing the situation as dire and deteriorating.
The keynote speaker, Mr Tathagata Roy—former Governor of Meghalaya and Tripura and author of My People Uprooted—outlined the historical roots of the crisis, tracing anti-Hindu violence from the 1943 Bengal famine and Noakhali riots through the genocides of 1950, 1962, and 1971. He highlighted the dramatic decline of Bangladesh’s Hindu population from 29% in 1947 to just 8% today, labelling the ongoing violence and displacement a "Hindu Holocaust".
Testimonies from Bangladeshi minorities Samir Das and his daughter Sudipta Das, as well as a lawyer recently arrived from Bangladesh, provided first-hand accounts of abductions, rape, and intimidation. All speakers pointed to the worsening conditions since the 2024 regime change.
Conference at Westminster Highlights Religious Persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan
Investigative journalist Francesca Marino, author of Baluchistan: Bruised, Battered and Bloodied, detailed Pakistan’s systemic oppression of the Baluchi people, including enforced disappearances, torture, and the use of rape as a weapon of control.
Dr Gautam Sen, formerly of the London School of Economics, concluded the session by underlining the civilisational assault on traditional cultures in both regions and the gendered violence used to dismantle them.
The conference closed with urgent policy recommendations:
UK and allied democracies to apply diplomatic pressure and sanctions on Pakistan and Bangladesh for human rights violations.
Support for Baluchi self-determination.
Economic and hydrological leverage by India, and implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to aid displaced minorities.