Rush for preterm babies to beat birthright citizenship deadline

Rush for preterm babies to beat birthright citizenship deadline 

Increasing numbers of Indian pregnant women in New Jersey are requesting pre-term C-sections due to Trump's announcement on ending birthright citizenship. Despite the risk to mother and child, many feel this is their only chance for stability, particularly those waiting for green cards. The policy change has severe implications for illegal immigrants and H-1B visa holders alike.

HYDERABAD: 23.01.2025

C-section in the US has a new trigger: citizenship pangs. At a maternity clinic in New Jersey, Dr S D Rama has been fielding an unusually high number of requests for pre-term delivery since President Donald Trumpʼs Jan 20 proclamation about termination of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. 

The majority of those dialling Rama or queuing up at her clinic are Indian women in their eighth or ninth month of pregnancy, all asking for C-sections to be scheduled before Feb 20. A few are still a couple of months away from full term.

 “A seven months pregnant woman came with her husband to sign up for a preterm delivery. She isnʼt due until sometime in March,” Rama told TOI from New Jersey on Wednesday. The desperation to beat the birthright citizenship deadline — babies born Feb 20 onwards to those who arenʼt permanent residents wonʼt be automatically entitled to citizenship — is apparently widespread. “

I am trying to tell couples that even if it is possible, a preterm birth poses significant risk to mother and child. Complications include underdeveloped lungs, feeding problems, low birth weight, neurological complications and more,” said Dr S G Mukkala, an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Texas. “In the past two days, I have spoken to 15 to 20 couples regarding this.” With the backlog for green cards stretching to over a century now, birthright citizenship was a safety net for many expectant couples, especially Indians working in the US. “We were counting on our child being born here,” said Varun, who along with his wife Priya (names changed) moved to the US eight years ago on H-1B visas. “We ʼve been waiting for our green cards for six years. This was the only way to ensure stability for our family. We are terried of the uncertainty.” Priya, 34, is due to give birth in early March.

A 28-year-old finance professional said his plans would go haywire if his dependant wife were to give birth to their first child after the deadline. “We  sacrificed so much to come here. Now, it feels like the door is closing on us,” the H-1B holder said, still a few months away from parenthood. For illegal immigrants, the change in policy has even stronger ramifications. California-based Vijay (name changed), who has been living in the US for eight years since entering the country illegally, said he and his seven months pregnant wife were “crushed” by the news of the Trump administration enforcing the deadline so soon. 

“We thought of seeking asylum, but then my wife got pregnant and our lawyer suggested that we get direct citizenship through our child. Now, we are all at sea.”

10 crore in 10 days: No. of pilgrims at Sangam soars

10 crore in 10 days: No. of pilgrims at Sangam soars

MAHA KUMBH PRAYAGRAJ, 2025 

Kapil.Dixit@timesofindia.com 

Prayagraj : The ongoing Maha Kumbh has crossed the 10-crore milestone for pilgrims taking a dip in Sangam since the start of the world’s biggest religious and spiritual congregation on Jan 13, the UP govt said on Thursday. “The 10-crore figure was surpassed at 12pm on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing Maha Kumbh,” it said in the statement. By 8pm, the number reached 10.21 crore. On Thursday alone, over 35 lakh devotees including 10 lakh kalpwasis took the holy dip.

The state govt estimates that this Maha Kumbh will host over 45 crore visitors and the early achievement of 10 crore bathers reaffirms these projections. 

Unprecedented footfall at Maha Kumbh since Day 1 

The state govt estimates that this Maha Kumbh will host over 45 crore visitors and the early achievement of 10 crore bathers reaffirms these projections. The volume of devotees was unprecedented since the first day of Maha Kumbh, and the two main snans – Paush Purnima and Makar Sankranti – drew a record 1.65 crore and 3.5 crore devotees, respectively. Apart from 13 akharas, the Mela area is showcasing the country’s diverse cultural tapestry as devotees from different castes, creeds and countries unite in faith, embodying Maha Kumbh’s theme of unity. Recognised as the largest religious and spiritual congregation globally, with seers, sadhus, kalpwasis, and other devotees camping in over 1.6 lakh tents in the Mela area spread in around 4,000 hectares.

Pilgrims from the US, Canada, Germany, Russia, Fiji, Mauritius, Malaysia, Australia, and beyond are flocking to the tent city, transforming the sandy banks of the Ganga into aglobal village. The event’s cultural and spiritual significance earned it the status of Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017, further solidifying its global appeal. While the 2019 Kumbh, attended by over 24 crore devotees, was a landmark success, the Mela administration is leaving no stone unturned to make the 2025 Maha Kumbh even grander. 

With an emphasis on digital technology, enhanced safety measures, and cleanliness, the Prayagraj Mela Authority has infused modernity into this ancient tradition. Extensive arrangements for accommodation, dining and sanitation have been made to ensure a seamless experience for millions of visitors. The illuminated tents on the riverbanks at night create a

mesmerising spectacle while the serene environment fosters a sense of peace and spiritual solace. The sacred chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Shri Ram” resonate across the event, enhancing the spiritual ambience

Delhi HC lacks jurisdiction to hear copyright suit: OpenAI

Delhi HC lacks jurisdiction to hear copyright suit: OpenAI

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.01.2025

New Delhi : Days before a court hearing, artificial intelligence company OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, raised objections to the jurisdiction of Delhi HC to hear a copyright violation suit against the tech giant. In a submission, the Microsoftbacked company argued that Delhi HC lacks jurisdiction as OpenAI has no presence in the country, being situated primarily in the US. The company was responding to a suit filed by news agency ANI demanding that all of its data be removed from ChatGPT’s training modules. OpenAI contended that complying with ANI’s demand to remove its data would violate its legal obligations in the US. It is under a legal obligation, under the laws of the US, to preserve and not delete the said training data, as per a report. The company pointed out that it doesn’t have any permanent establishment in India and that its servers are outside the country. 

Last year, the news agency filed the suit against the tech firm, alleging it used ANI’s content without permission to train ChatGPT. In a hearing in Nov, OpenAI assured the HC it would not use ANI’s content anymore, but the news agency contended its published works were stored in ChatGPT’s servers and must also be deleted. It said the firm uses ANI’s published content for training its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, and further accused OpenAI of attributing fabricated news stories to the publication. ANI alleged that OpenAI “refused to obtain a lawful license or permission” to use its original works while it has entered into licensing agreements with news firms like The Financial Times and Associated Press for the use of their copyrighted content. During the hearing, HC had sought a detailed response from OpenAI to allegations that firm halt its use of ANI content in future AI model training. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on Jan 28

Now, you may book smart lockers at Ghaziabad, Sahibabad RRTS stations

Now, you may book smart lockers at Ghaziabad, Sahibabad RRTS stations

 TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.01.2025

New Delhi : Smart locker facilities are now available for passengers in the operational section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, offering a secure and affordable storage solution at a minimal hourly cost. While the service is currently available at Sahibabad and Ghaziabad stations, it will be introduced at other stations soon too. Passengers can use the lockers not only for storing their luggage, but also for receiving ecommerce parcels. The service is available at Delhi Metro stations too. 

“The locker facility will soon be available at all operational Namo Bharat stations, including DPS Raj Nagar, Guldhar, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modinagar South, Modinagar North, and Meerut South. Installation work for the lockers has already begun at these stations. The service will also be accessible at Anand Vihar and New Ashok Nagar stations in Delhi soon,” said an official. 

The option to book lockers will be available on the Namo Bharat and DMRC Momen- tum apps. Passengers can access the facility through the ‘Rent a Locker’ option, and choose the station name and date for which they wish to book the locker. They will need to make an online payment of Rs 20 per hour for a small locker, Rs 30 per hour for a medium locker and Rs 40 per hour for a large/ extra-large locker. Once the payment is made, the locker will be booked, and the passenger will receive a unique access code. This code will be required to open₹400 and close the locker, ensuring that no one else can access it. “This digital booking process will further enhance convenience and accessibility for commuters,” said the official. If the passenger wants to order an e-commerce parcel, he will have to tell his access code and phone number to the delivery person. When the delivery person reaches the station, after the parcel security check, he will have to inform the customer care booth of the Namo Bharat station about the parcel delivery. After this, the delivery person will be allowed to put the goods in the locker

Payment gateways Paytm, Razorpay under ED lens

Payment gateways Paytm, Razorpay under ED lens 

Pradeep.Thakur @timesofindia.com  24.01.2025

New Delhi : Razorpay, PayU, Easebuzz and Paytm are among eight payment gateways that have come under investigation with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) freezing around Rs 500 crore in their virtual accounts over the last two years in connection with 10 Chinese nationals running one of the biggest cryptocurrency scams, HPZ Token, from India. The accused allegedly collected over Rs 2,200 crore from people across 20 states and remitted the ‘proceeds of crime’ out of the country, a part of which was frozen with the payment gateways before they were remitted to beneficiaries. While making bulk payments, the amount remained with the gateways for a day or two, during which ED had frozen around Rs 500 crore. 

The agency is investigating the money trail and also checking if the payment gateways had generated suspicious transaction reports (STR), and alerted the RBI and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). All financial institutions have to generate STRs and report them to the RBI periodically, which forwards them to the FIU for enforcement agencies to investigate further. Of the total Rs 497 crore frozen in the virtual accounts of payment gateways, PayU had highest at Rs 130 crore of the alleged ‘proceeds of crime’ related to the HPZ Token scam, followed by Rs 33.4 crore with Easebuzz, Rs 18 crore with Razorpay, Rs 10.6 crore with CashFree and Rs 2.8 crore with Paytm, an senior official said. The other payment gateways where the ED has frozen the alleged scam money, include WunderBaked, AgreePay and SpeedPay. The accusedran a pan-India operation with companies incorporated in at least 20 states, where people were given the option to invest in the mining of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoins, through mobile app HPZ Token. 

More than 50 companies were registered in Delhi having 84 bank accounts, 26 firms in Karnataka with 37 bank accounts, 19 in Haryana and 11 in UP, besides Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Fearing fraud, Maha stays issuing birth certificates on late requests

Fearing fraud, Maha stays issuing birth certificates on late requests 

Abhilash Botekar & Nisha Nambiar 24.01.2025

Nashik/Pune : Birth and death certificates applied for a year or more past the relevant dates won’t be issued in Maharashtra till the system undergoes a hygiene check, Mahayuti govt has notified amid a row over suspected illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants fraudulently obtaining such documents in parts of the state. Top revenue officials told TOI that the issuance of certificates would be kept on hold for at least six months in all districts. Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya alleged that 4,318 Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in Malegaon, 4,537 in Amravati and more than 15,000 in Akola had been issued birth certificates based on forged documents. 

The state home department has set up a special investigation team to investigate the allegations. The report is expected after six months. A senior official of the Nashik administration said the state govt’s communication to divisional commissioners and district collectors cites several complaints about laws being bypassed to approve de layed applications for birth and death certificates. Until 2023, applications delayed by a year and more required judicial approval. The central govt then amended the law, granting authority to district collectors and sub-divisional officers to approve such applications. The change led to alleged misuse of the system in districts like Malegaon and Amravati, where reports suggest that thousands of fake birth certificates have been issued to Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants. Data from all districts is being collated as part of the probe, officials said. 

Malegaon’s AIMIM MLA Mohammed Khaliq accused BJP’s Somaiya of defaming his constituency since the saffron party lost the Lok Sabha election there. “What were the central and state home ministries, both managed by BJP, doing when these people entered India and the state?” he said. In Pune district, 2,470 delayed birth certificates and 1,488 delayed death certificates have been kept on hold, district administration officials said. Shirur has the maximum number of delayed birth-certificate applications at 680, followed by Velhe

Toddler drowns in bucket at Chengalpet

Toddler drowns in bucket at Chengalpet

TNN | Jan 23, 2025, 03.59 AM IST

Chennai: A 14-month-old boy drowned in a bucket filled with water outside his home at Melachery in Chengalpet district.

The baby, M Augustine was the younger son of Manikandan, an electrician, and Joyce. The couple got married in 2019 and they have a four-year-old son too.

On Monday afternoon, Manikandan was at work while Joyce was with the children at home. The woman sat outside the house and fed Augustine. After feeding him, she went inside. In the short time she was away, the boy fell into the bucket.

The bucket was kept under a public tap near the house.

When she returned, she saw her son in the bucket and pulled him out. She alerted her neighbours and family members who rushed him to Chengalpet govt hospital, where he died on Tuesday night.

The Palur police registered a case.