Probe into Capitol riot reveals security failure

WASHINGTON: A Senate investigation into the January 6 storming of the US Capitol has uncovered broad government, military and law enforcement missteps surrounding the day’s events, including a breakdown within intelligence agencies, and a lack of training and preparation for Capitol police officers.

The Senate report released on Tuesday is the first bipartisan review of how hundreds of former president Donald Trump’s supporters were able to push past security lines and break into the Capitol building.

The report includes new details of the police officers on the front lines who told senators that they were left with no direction when command systems broke down.

The Senate report recounts how the National Guard was delayed for hours on January 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops.

The report also says the Pentagon spent hours “mission planning” and seeking layers of approvals as Capitol police were being overwhelmed and beaten by the rioters. It recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol police leadership more authority and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies. 2021, when the national Covid-19 vaccination drive was launched. A total of 143 million people have received one dose, while 47 million people have been fully vaccinated. Under the free vaccine doses, the central government has distributed 246.5 million doses so far to states, according to the government data. “A total of 11,946,925 Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states/ UTS to be administered,” said Union health ministry in a statement issued on Tuesday.

tra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to approve the nomination of 12 members to the state legislative council, as decided by the state cabinet. He said this has been pending for eight months.

The delegation met the Prime Minister for more than one-anda-half hours at his official residence in the Capital. The most important issue which was raised during the meeting was related to reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education, and political reservation given to Other Backward Classes in local self-governance bodies. The state government has requested the Centre to accord the reservation to Marathas from the central quota and facilitate legal provisions to remove the 50% ceiling on the reservation.

Reservation breaching the 50% limit will create a society based on “caste rule”, held the Supreme Court in May as it quashed a 2018 Maharashtra law providing quotas for Marathas in jobs and education while also refusing to consider scrapping the 50% ceiling.

About three weeks later, Maharashtra allowed Marathas to avail reservation under the Economically Weak Section (EWS) category to accommodate around 6,000 people from the community in government service.

“The Centre has already filed a review petition in the Maratha reservation ruling, challenging the apex court’s verdict that the state governments do not have powers to decide the backwardness of any community after the 102nd constitutional amendment in 2018. We requested the Centre that empowering the states with the powers to decide the reservation would not be sufficient until the cap of 50% on the reservation was removed. We have requested the Centre to take legal steps to remove the cap as it has affected not only Marathas but many other reservations, including the political reservation to the OBCS,” Thackeray said.

The Maharashtra law was passed in 2018 after months of violent agitation by the influential Maratha community, which makes up 32% of the state. In 2019, the Bombay high court upheld the law but trimmed the quantum of quota, prompting several groups to approach the apex court.

The leaders also discussed the Metro car shed, a contentious political issue between the Centre and Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena-ncp-congress government wants to move the Metro car shed to Kanjur. The state and the central government claim the land as theirs and the matter is currently pending in court.

The previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government in the state decided to construct the Metro car shed in Aarey, but the move triggered widespread protests by environmentalists and political leaders. After coming to power, the Thackeray-led government announced the decision to shift the car shed to Kanjur.

Pawar, who is also the finance minister of Maharashtra, said the GST compensation issue was also raised. “We have also requested the PM for the quick release of the dues of ₹24,306 crore towards the compensation of losses of GST to the state exchequer,” he said. “The state is battling a coronavirus pandemic and this will have an impact on its revenue and the compensation amount should be given at the earliest.”

The state also urged the Centre to release pending grants under the 14th Finance Commission recommendation.

On the damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae along the western coast of the country, Thackeray said that National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) parameters that decide on the compensation should be changed. The state, he said, should get compensation according to the new parameters.

being opened to them at a steady pace, government figures show.

There are 9,118 women currently serving the army, navy and air force, with the services giving them more opportunities for career progression, the government told Parliament in February 2021.

“It’s wonderful to see the armed forces open new avenues for women. It will encourage more women to join the military,” said Rajeshwari Kori, deputy controller of Civil Defence (Maharashtra) and a former lieutenant commander who was part of a short-lived Indian Navy experiment to deploy women on warships in 1997.

One of the turning points for women in the military came in 2015 when IAF decided to induct them into the fighter stream. Earlier this year, the Indian Navy deployed four women officers on warships after a hiatus of almost 25 years. India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and fleet tanker INS Shakti are the warships that have been assigned their first women crews since the late 1990s.

especially in Delhi. I thank you your Honour for this. Now I feel very proud and happy,” said Joseph in the letter.

She also enclosed a coloured illustration with her scroll, which depicted a judge hammering the virus with his gavel, with the Trcicolour, and a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi in the background.

Touched by the gesture, CJI Ramana responded to the girl recently. Along with a letter that praised the girl for keeping track of news and events across the country, CJI also sent her a signed copy of the Constitution.

“I am really impressed with the way you kept track of happenings in the country and the concern that you have displayed for the well-being of people in the wake of pandemic. I am sure you will grow up into an alert, informed and responsible citizen who will contribute immensely towards the nation building. With best wishes and blessings for your all-round success,” stated CJI Ramana’s letter.