rita anand

'Rahul Needs To Project Something Positive' rediff.com/news/interview…

@tavleen_singh It's a funny excuse. Club is a heritage structure with a heritage lease. What will govt do with it, anyway.

Most people demanding the closure of the Gymkhana Club seem angry about being denied entry. It is a private club. Having known it well since I was a child it puzzles me that it suddenly became a ‘national security threat’.

@Pontifex 🙏

Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together. In Jesus Christ, this humanity in its grandeur becomes the Way, the Truth and the Life, opening the path for each of us to grow toward fullness. #MagnificaHumanitas vatican.va/content/leo-xi…

@patralekha2011 Every city has hawkers.

Right. 😃😃. The informal economy exists only in Kolkata. Only Kolkata has street vendors. In all other Indian cities, everyone has salaried jobs, with appointment letters, benefits, paid holidays etc etc. No street economy except curated ones. No footpaths with encroachments. Beautiful, pedestrian-friendly pavements. That’s why Kolkata has cheap and tasty food. Got it?

@drmsdah Let's hope it stays clean. But pay and use is the right strategy

Sealdah Division upgrades passenger amenities with a state-of-the-art, airport-style Pay & Use toilet complex at Kalyani Jn. Station (PF-4), This improved Pay & Use Toilet complex for ladies, Gents and Divyangjan is fitted with all kinds of modern fittings and amenities to have an aesthetic experience for the commuters of this busy station.

@itsolelehmann Major development. Must read.

the pope and anthropic's co-founder just stood together at the vatican to release "magnifica humanitas," the first ever catholic teaching on AI yes, you read that right. the full ceremony was 2 hours. here's the most interesting things for you to know: 1. this is the biggest religious response to AI in history. popes only put out a handful of these huge official letters in their entire time as pope. the fact that one of them is about AI tells you how seriously the church is taking what's coming. 2. small detail with massive meaning: this pope picked the name "leo XIV" on purpose. the last pope named leo was leo XIII back in 1891, and his most famous act was writing the church's response to the industrial revolution. picking the same name is a deliberate signal. this pope sees AI as the new industrial revolution. 3. the catholic church does this every time a major technology reshapes humanity. they wrote "rerum novarum" in 1891 to respond to the industrial revolution. when nuclear weapons threatened the world in the 1960s, they wrote "pacem in terris." climate change and runaway tech got "laudato si" in 2015. now AI gets "magnifica humanitas." they don't issue these often. 4. the pope's main line: "AI needs to be disarmed." he literally compared AI to nuclear weapons. he said the church spent decades pushing for nuclear disarmament because the technology was too dangerous to leave in the hands of a few. he says AI is now in that same category. 5. anthropic co-founder christopher olah told the pope, on stage at the vatican, that anthropic's own research team keeps finding things inside their AI models that "mirror joy, satisfaction, fear, grief, and unease." 6. olah's reframe of what AI actually is: these things are grown. they're trained on a structure roughly modeled after the human brain and fed everything humans have ever written. in his own words: "they are made from us, from our words." he said even the people building them don't fully understand what's happening inside. 7. olah publicly admitted that every AI lab, including his own, faces pressure that can conflict with doing the right thing. commercial pressure to keep shipping, competitive pressure from other labs, plus the older pressures of pride and ambition. his solution: we desperately need outside critics with no skin in the game who will tell the labs when they're failing. 8. olah says there are 3 giant questions the AI labs cannot answer alone and the world needs religion and philosophy to step in on: > how do we make sure poor countries actually benefit from AI? > what does human flourishing even look like in this new world? > and what are these things we're actually building? 9. one of the sharpest lines in the whole encyclical: "the promise of automatic general prosperity often proves illusory." translation: the idea that AI will just make everyone rich on its own is a fantasy. someone has to actually design the system so the benefits get shared. 10. the pope also pulled out a 100-year-old quote: "contemporary man has not been trained to use power well." said by a theologian back in the 1920s. the whole encyclical is basically a long argument that we need to learn how to use this kind of power before it uses us. 11. the pope kept stressing that he doesn't have the technical answers. but he says the church has thousands of years of wisdom on what it means to be human, and that wisdom is exactly what's missing from how we're building AI right now. his closing line: this technology should serve "human flourishing and human dignity, not control consciences."

@sabeer There's no qualification criteria. But we also have some very intelligent people in politics.

Why is it that some of the most incompetent, uneducated, unqualified, and unsympathetic people end up in politics in India? Could this be why so many decisions seem disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary citizens? A country’s future is shaped by the quality of its leadership. Shouldn’t we expect better?

@_CTUA_ @honubroto @paulagnimitra1 @SuvenduWB @BJP4India @tweetanupam @bhaumikgowande @transport_urban @trainwalebhaiya @PMOIndia @ut_MoHUA Looks like progress. Hope it works out

Urban Mobility in 101 Cities! Stakeholders’ Engagement Meeting on Citizen-Centric compliance audit of Urban Mobility in 101 Cities. Organised by the Office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit-I) West Bengal. Today, on the invitation of the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG), representatives from the Calcutta Tram Users Association attended a meeting. Present from our side were Dr. Debasish Bhattacharyya (President), Tamal Nanda and Souvik Mukkherjee, along with representatives from a few other organizations like @KolBusoPedia The discussion focused on important aspects of public transport in five cities of West Bengal — Kolkata, Howrah, Durgapur, Asansol, and Siliguri. From the CTUA’s side, we presented several necessary points regarding the Tramways in Kolkata. Necessary Steps for the Revival of Kolkata Tramways: 1. Immediate Mass Recruitment The revival of the tramways must begin with large-scale recruitment of Tram Drivers, Conductors, Technical Workers, Track Maintenance Staff, and Depot Employees. A transport system cannot survive without manpower. Restoring employment will also restore operational confidence. 2. Resumption of Suspended Vital Routes Several important tram routes were suspended not due to lack of demand, but due to years of corruption, negligence, and deliberate policy failures. These routes must be restored immediately to reconnect key urban corridors. 3. Restoration of Historic Tram Infrastructure Major tram junctions and depots must be revived and modernised, including: B.B.D. Bagh Terminus Gariahat Junction Kalighat Depot Tollygunge Depot Belgachia Depot Kidderpore Depot Rajabazar Depot 4. Resumption of Trams on Kolkata’s Bridges Trams once successfully operated over several bridges in Kolkata. Their return would reduce congestion, improve connectivity, and demonstrate the capability of modern tram infrastructure in mixed urban environments. 5. Integration with Metro Corridors The tramways should be integrated with the Blue Line and Green Line Metro corridors through: Unified ticketing Common interchange points Feeder connectivity Synchronised schedules Trams can become the perfect last-mile and medium-distance connector for the Metro network. 6. Phase-wise Modernisation of Tram Cars Existing tramcars should undergo gradual modernisation while preserving heritage value. This can include: Low-floor accessibility Air-conditioned modern units Regenerative braking systems Improved passenger information systems Better lighting and safety infrastructure 7. Revival of Covered-Up Tram Tracks Many tram lines across Kolkata were unnecessarily covered with asphalt instead of being preserved. These lines should be uncovered and restored wherever feasible, allowing the city to reclaim already existing rail infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of new transport projects. 8. Dedicated and Obstruction-Free Corridors To ensure speed and efficiency, tram routes must receive protected lanes wherever possible. Kolkata traffic averages around 12 km/h, while trams can comfortably maintain higher average speeds when provided obstruction-free movement. 9. Recognition of Trams as Essential Urban Transport Trams must not be treated merely as nostalgia projects. Around 450+ cities worldwide continue to expand modern tram systems because they are energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable, space-efficient, and ideal for dense cities like Kolkata. Kolkata does not need to “reinvent” urban mobility. It already possesses one of the greatest sustainable transport systems ever built, it simply needs the political and administrative will to restore it. We want to work hand in hand with the government and hope that the public transport systems of Kolkata and other cities of the state will improve under this government. @SoumyajitWrites @SreyashiDey @modacitylife @grescoe

@VEDANTSHRIV17 @DrNehalVaidya Exam system is a mess.

We have got my correct answer sheet by CBSE . CBSE officials reached out to us in the evening and has sent my answer sheet, We were correct on our claims and the answer sheet indeed got exchanged .

@TheBengalIndex Kolkata should do both. There's no contradiction between the two. Trams are unique to Kolkata, eco-friendly and safe. Do both.

।। The 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 বৈঠক ।। A sum of ₹4,000 crore could modernize nearly 35–40 km of Kolkata’s tram network with new AC low-floor trams, rebuilt tracks, smart stations, upgraded depots and dedicated lanes, creating a modern 21st century Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. West Bengal currently operates roughly 2,200–2,300 government buses across state transport operators. In comparison, Karnataka operates over 22,000 government buses, Tamil Nadu around 20,000, Maharashtra over 15,000 and Gujarat more than 11,000. The same ₹4,000 crore could alternatively fund the purchase of around 6,500 AC CNG buses or roughly 2,000–2,500 electric AC buses, potentially transforming public transport connectivity across much larger parts of the state. Should Bengal prioritize building a world-class modern tram/LRT system to put Kolkata back on the world map, or use that money to massively expand bus connectivity across the state? Please share your thoughts 👇🏻💭

@iamsidddhant @DrNehalVaidya This is really unjust. Should be quickly and urgently corrected.

I am the brother of Vedant and I am appalled by seeing how people are calling us Pakistani yes Vedant did not had twitter because he was busy studying instead of tweeting and we made this account for tweeting his genuine issues because we could not apply for reevaluation

@yvan_theriault I think AI will change this snobbery.

Je m’appelle Philippe, j’ai 61 ans, et je suis chirurgien depuis plus de trente ans. Mon fils Lucas, lui, a 28 ans. Il est chauffeur routier. Quand on est un médecin respecté, il existe une règle non écrite que la société vous impose : vos enfants doivent reprendre le flambeau. Ou au minimum devenir avocat, ingénieur ou exercer un métier considéré comme “prestigieux”. Depuis que Lucas est petit, mes collègues me demandaient toujours en souriant : — Alors, c’est pour quand la fac de médecine ? Mais Lucas n’a jamais aimé les livres d’anatomie. Depuis l’enfance, ce qui le passionnait, c’étaient les moteurs, la mécanique, les poids lourds et la route. Quand il a eu son bac, je l’ai fait asseoir dans mon bureau pour parler de son avenir. Il m’a regardé droit dans les yeux et m’a dit : — Papa, je ne veux pas passer ma vie enfermé entre quatre murs à regarder des gens souffrir. Moi, je veux être sur la route. Je veux conduire des camions. Je mentirais si je disais que je l’ai accepté immédiatement. Il y avait cette petite voix toxique, nourrie par des années de conventions sociales, qui me faisait penser : “Où ai-je échoué ? Pourquoi ne veut-il pas viser plus haut ?” Je voyais le regard des autres changer. Cette fausse compassion. — Ah… l’important, c’est qu’il soit heureux, disaient-ils avec ce ton réservé à ceux qui ont “raté quelque chose”. Et derrière mon dos, je savais très bien ce qu’ils murmuraient : “Quel gâchis.” “Avec le père qu’il a…” “Finir chauffeur routier…” Leur vision du monde s’arrête souvent au prestige d’un diplôme accroché au mur. Puis un vendredi soir, il y a quelques mois, j’ai terminé une garde épuisante à l’hôpital. Il était presque 4 heures du matin. J’étais vidé, stressé, avec l’estomac noué par la fatigue, les tensions du service et la paperasse administrative. En sortant sur le parking, j’ai appelé Lucas. Je savais qu’il roulait déjà à cette heure-là. Il a répondu en haut-parleur. J’entendais le bruit grave et régulier du moteur de son camion derrière lui. — Salut papa. Ta garde est enfin terminée ? — Oui… une nuit infernale. Et toi, tu es où ? — Je traverse les Alpes. La lune éclaire les montagnes enneigées. J’ai ma musique, le camion tourne parfaitement, et dans quelques heures je livre en Suisse. Franchement… je suis bien. Mon fils a 28 ans. Il conduit quarante tonnes sur des routes glacées, souvent seul, avec des responsabilités énormes. Il respecte des délais difficiles pour que les magasins — ceux où même mes collègues les plus snobs font leurs courses — soient remplis chaque matin. Il ne boit pas une goutte d’alcool parce qu’il sait que son permis, c’est sa vie. Il dort dans sa cabine. Il peut résoudre seul des problèmes mécaniques compliqués, parfois sous la pluie, en plein hiver, par zéro degré. Il a une discipline et une éthique de travail immenses. Bien plus grandes que certains jeunes internes que je vois traîner dans les couloirs avec leur téléphone à la main, persuadés que le monde leur doit tout simplement parce qu’ils portent une blouse blanche. On nous a fait croire que l’intelligence et la valeur d’une personne se mesuraient à un diplôme ou à un statut social. Mais le vrai succès, c’est peut-être simplement de se réveiller à 4 heures du matin, regarder la route devant soi… et être exactement là où on veut être. Lucas est un homme sérieux. Il gagne sa vie honnêtement. Et surtout, il est heureux. Je ne pourrais pas être plus fier de lui. Et aujourd’hui, quand certains me regardent avec pitié, je leur réponds avec le sourire : — Moi, je sauve des vies. Mais c’est grâce à des hommes comme mon fils que vous avez de quoi manger dans votre assiette chaque matin. Et ça… ça vaut tous les diplômes du monde.

@sphavisha congratulations 🙂

A historic beginning in Gujarat 🔥 First AAP government formed in Gujarat’s Narmada district. AAP’s District Chairperson, Vasava Anjanaben Amibhai, officially assumed office today.

@iamvarunguru @TheEarthPrize wonderful 👏

Three 16 year old Indian students can remove microplastics from water using tamarind seeds. And they've received a $12,500 grant from The Earth Prize to develop this solution. How did they do it? Tamarind seeds have something called polysaccharide - which is a sticky compound that can natural polymer. Kinda like a plant-based glue. This glue when mixed with water can pull out microplastics and clump them together. And these kids are using the same principle to develop their product called "Plas-Stick" - which is just this power made from waste tamarind seeds. Now, "Plas-Stick" is still in its developmental stage and there is a lot that needs to be done before it can be scaled. But if they pull this off - we could have a simple, biodegradable and scalable solution to purify water for billions of people in the world. And that's something. Kudos to Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta. P.S. Video and Picture taken from @TheEarthPrize

@karunanundy I'm delighted.

Why isn't there unmitigated delight, that Aishwarya Rai has the guts to show us that you needn't look 23 until you're dead, your weight may fluctuate because of pregnancy or age and you will still be celebrated for your beauty.

@_CTUA_ @GoWBTransport @SuvenduWB That's easily fixable. Just put the trams back on the road and let them run frequently.

There’s a crowd in trams when there's a relied frequency and timetable it's @GoWBTransport responsibility to maintain it which failed ! Request @SuvenduWB to bring back CTC !

@KalamCenter He shld be paid compensation by the accuser

When the iron gates opened in 2021, Vishnu Tiwari did not step out like a man who had won his freedom. He stepped out like a man who had lost his entire life. For twenty years, the sky he saw was sliced by prison bars. The seasons changed outside, governments changed, technology changed, children grew into adults — but inside those walls, time stood still. Every morning looked like the one before. Every night carried the same silence. And in that silence, Vishnu waited… for justice that never seemed to arrive. He was just 23 when he was taken away in September 2000 from Lalitpur, accused in a case that would steal the best years of his youth. Convicted in 2003, sent to Agra Central Jail, and never granted bail, he lived two decades as prisoner number, not as a son, not as a brother, not as a human being with dreams. Outside, his parents waited. They waited for court dates. They waited for hope. They waited for their son to come home. They died waiting. When Allahabad High Court finally acquitted him in 2021, saying the evidence did not stand, the judgment gave him freedom — but it could not return what had already been taken. No court can give back twenty years. No order can bring back parents. No verdict can rebuild a broken life. A video now circulates of a man walking out of prison, collapsing into tears as the gates open. Whether or not the clip is truly his, the emotion belongs to him. Because this is what wrongful imprisonment looks like. It is not anger. It is not celebration. It is grief. Grief for birthdays missed. Grief for funerals he could not attend. Grief for a world that moved ahead without him. Imagine stepping out after 20 years and realizing you no longer know how to live in the world you once knew. Mobile phones are different. Roads are different. People are different. And the home you longed for… no longer exists. Freedom, for Vishnu, did not feel like victory. It felt like standing alone in a future that had no place reserved for him. His story is not just about one man. It is about how fragile justice can be. How slow systems can silently destroy lives. How time, once taken, can never be returned. He did not lose twenty years. Twenty years were taken from him. And as he walked out of those gates, crying like a child, it wasn’t because he was finally free. It was because he realized how much of life he would never get back. #VishnuTiwari #WrongfulConviction #JusticeDelayed #JusticeSystem #AllahabadHighCourt #InnocentLives #PrisonReform #HumanRights #VoiceForJustice #20YearsLost #TruthPrevails #LegalAwareness #IndiaNews #RealStories #HopeAndJustice

@saynotolibrandu She's a talented little dancer. Perhaps the choice of dance which was posted was not found appropriate. But she is very good.

In her defense, Barkat Arora is being rigorously trained in classical dance, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. She began learning when she was just three years old. As someone trained in classical dance myself, I see this as completely normal and disciplined, not exploitative. Why shame her parents? They stand by her side, traveling with her everywhere, while making sure she excels in her studies, gymnastics, and other extracurricular activities. Yes, her expressions in this particular performance may have looked slightly awkward for her age, but that doesn’t mean it defines her entire life or routine. When you train seriously in classical dance, mastering intense expressions and intricate moves is part of the craft. It gets graceful with age. Don’t judge this talented young girl based on a single clip. She has proven herself brilliant in her dancing skills time and again. If I were her parent, I would do exactly the same, push her to pursue excellence while fiercely guarding her education and well-being. Let kids with real talent shine without dragging them into unnecessary outrage.

@SamSiff 😧

INDIA’S JUDICIARY: Every 3rd High Court Judge is an “Uncle” This 2010 exposé on Punjab & Haryana High Court is damning proof of deep-rooted nepotism and shameless family favoritism. Sons, nephews, wives, brothers, sisters & in-laws — all practicing as advocates in the SAME court where their relative sits as a Judge. A list of 16 such “Uncle Judges” was officially forwarded to the Union Law Ministry. Just look at this table. Clear, blatant conflict of interest. How the can justice be delivered fairly when family members argue cases before their own “Uncle”? The Law Commission and Bar Council flagged this years ago. Nothing changed. This uncle culture has destroyed public faith in the judiciary. Merit is dead. Nepotism rules. We need ruthless reforms NOW: - Ban close relatives from practicing in the same court - Mandatory public declaration of family links - Strict penalties for violations Enough is enough. The temple of justice has become a family business.

@SHEKARSUSHEEL Classic. Timeless. Music and lyrics in sync.

The song that holds a unique record . Film producer - Kishore Kumar, Film director - Kishore Kumar, Film lead - Kishore Kumar, Song writer - Kishore Kumar, Song composer - Kishore Kumar, Singer - Kishore Kumar, Song filmed on - Kishore Kumar, The little boy here is Kishore Kumar's son - Amit Kumar, Kishore Kumar, the greatest of all 👍👍