Cartoon row fallout: Ex-NCERT adviser's Pune office ransacked

May 12, 2012

Pune, May 12: A group of persons today ransacked the office of Prof Suhas Palshikar, who resigned as NCERT adviser in the wake of the row over cartoon of B R Ambedkar in school text books.

Police said the persons involved in the incident had been invited by Palshikar for discussion in his office after they raised objections on the cartoon.

They later damaged furniture in his office located in Pune University campus.

Palshikar, however, was unharmed, police added.

A Republican Panther of India spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the cartoon amounted to an "insult" to the Dalit icon.Police have detained three persons in connection with the incident.

Palshikar, a former Head of Pune University's Department of Politics, had resigned after the uproar in Parliament over the issue, on which HRD Minister Kapil Sibal had tendered an apology.

While resigning from his NCERT post, Palshikar had described the ruckus in both Houses over the cartoon row as "unfortunate".

He added that "space for debate in democracy is shrinking".

Palshikar was a member of the HRD Ministry's Textbook Development Committee, which had approved the Class XI social science textbook that contained the cartoon.

Political scientist Yogendra Yadav, who was the chief adviser of the committee, has also resigned.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Indian Air Force’s Tejas fighter jet crashes during Dubai air show

News Network

November 21,2025

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

Comments