Workers who were injured in the fire accident in a pharma company at AP SEZ being provided treatment in a hospital at Anakapalli on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

17 killed, 20 injured in reactor blast at pharma company in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli

At least 17 workers were killed and 20 others sustained burns in a major fire that broke out reportedly after a reactor blast in Escientia Advanced Sciences Private Ltd. in the Special Economic Zone at Atchutapuram in Anakapalli of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. 

Centre debates taking caste count during Census

The Union government is yet to take a call on conducting the next Census exercise but active discussion is on to expand the data collection to include caste enumeration, a top government source told The Hindu.

Ahead of Ukraine visit, PM Modi says India supports peace in this region

On the eve of his visit to Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India was a supporter of peace in this region as he reiterated that “this is not an era of war” and any conflict should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

Rahul Gandhi an impactful voice, ready to join hands with him to address issues of Kashmir: PDP leader Naeem Akhtar

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) kept its doors open to engage the Congress for talks on a pre-poll coalition for the Assembly elections in J&K and described visiting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “as an impactful voice who could raise issues of Kashmir and work towards broader coalition in J&K”.

Kerala seeks around ₹900 crore Central assistance for compensation and rehab of Wayanad landslides victims

Kerala is canvassing for a Central assistance to the tune of ₹900 crore as compensation for the loss sustained in the Wayanad landslides and the funds for rehabilitating the affected population.

Puja Khedkar’s fraud affected other aspirants, UPSC tells Delhi HC

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) opposed an anticipatory bail plea by former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits, before the Delhi High Court saying she committed a fraud against the commission and the public.

IT Ministry orders social media firms to delete posts revealing Kolkata rape-murder case victim’s identity

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) that it ordered social media platforms to remove posts naming the victim of the alleged Kolkata rape and murder that occurred on August 9.

Governor meets R.G. Kar victim’s family; protests rage across Kolkata

Twelve days after the rape and murder of a doctor at the R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, there has been no let-up in the protests, with over a dozen rallies organised across Kolkata on Wednesday (August 21, 2024).

Health Ministry to set up national task force for security of healthcare professionals

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued an office memorandum for the constitution of the National Task Force (NTF) to formulate protocols governing the safety of doctors.

Supreme Court to examine need for a permanent environmental regulator

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) decided to examine the need for a ‘permanent environmental regulator’ similar to those found in the telecom and electricity sectors.

A banner hung by junior doctors at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in protest against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the hospital, in Kolkata.
| Photo Credit: PTI

R.G. Kar hostels deserted; mob violence has instilled fear in us, say MBBS students

On a day the Supreme Court ordered deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital here, where a doctor was raped and murdered on August 9, the college’s hostels bore a deserted look with woman students and doctors having left the premises after the midnight violence on August 15.

Health Ministry announces series of measures to provide additional security to healthcare employees at workplace

Despite orders by the Union Health Ministry directing its institutes to put in place additional measures to provide security to healthcare employees at workplace, resident doctors from several parts of the country on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) maintained that they will continue with suspension of services from all elective areas including OPD, elective OT, ward services and lab services on Wednesday.

Centre says Meghalaya polio case is vaccine-derived

A case of vaccine-derived polio has been confirmed in a two-year-old child from Tikrikilla in Meghalaya. A senior official from the Union Health Ministry official emphasised on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) that this is not a case of wild polio, but an infection that presents in some people with low immunity.

West Bengal govt. to engage retired police, Army officers to guard healthcare facilities

With the Supreme Court directing the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to provide security to the doctors at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) issued an order to engage retired police and Army officers as security officials in State-run health facilities.

Mallikarjun Kharge terms Modi government ‘minority’, calls BJP ‘poisonous’

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a trenchant attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government stating that the current dispensation is a ‘minority’ government that heavily relies on the support of allies, particularly Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).

Chandrayaan 4 and 5 design complete; 70 satellites likely to be launched in 5 years: ISRO chief

ISRO chairman S Somanath said the space agency has completed the design for the next round of moon missions — Chandrayaan 4 and 5 — and is in the process of seeking government approval for the same.

Ravneet Singh Bittu from Rajasthan, Kiran Choudhary from Haryana among nine BJP nominees for Rajya Sabha bypolls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced nine candidates for bypolls to the Rajya Sabha, to be held on September 3, fielding Union Ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, respectively, and former Congress leader Kiran Choudhary from Haryana.

In Sri Lanka, two candidates promise to abolish executive presidency

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s September 21 presidential election, two leading aspirants have promised to abolish the executive presidency, reviving a familiar pre-poll pledge that many political leaders have made in the past, but none has kept.

India, Japan hold ‘2+2’ dialogue with focus on Indo-Pacific

The India-Japan partnership is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific and it will continue to grow, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday as the two sides held a fresh edition of “2+2” dialogue amid China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.

Blinken visits Egypt, Qatar in pursuit of Gaza ceasefire deal but Hamas and Israel signal challenges

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar as he pressed ahead on Tuesday with the latest diplomatic mission to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, even as Hamas and Israel signaled that challenges remain.

ICC moves Women’s T20 World Cup from strife-hit Bangladesh to UAE

The ICC moved the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE, saying it “wasn’t feasible” to conduct the event there after governments of a number of participating countries advised against travelling to the unrest-hit nation

The AI chatbot Grok on X is known for answering questions with humour [File]
| Photo Credit: AP

Elon Musk’s new AI chatbot Grok 2 mini (beta) generated a summary of the day’s headlines on X where it compared the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the Kolkata hospital rape and murder case to an episode of the hit TV show ‘Game of Thrones.’

It later compared the scenes from the Kolkata hospital to a ‘not-so-funny comedy.’

When asked what happened in the Kolkata hospital case, the Grok 2 mini (beta) chatbot called it “a saga that’s more twisted than a plotline from a Dickens novel, but with less happy endings,” before going on to name the murdered doctor, violating Indian laws that restrict the identification of victims of sexual violence.

A “fun” mode that is turned on by default meant the chatbot injected its response with humour; a Grok feature that X owner Musk has hailed in the past.

“The doctors, not ones to take this lying down (pun intended), went on strike, demanding better security and justice for their colleague,” said the new Grok chatbot, before talking about the main accused in the case and noting, “He was known for his charm with the ladies, but not in the way that gets you a reality TV show.”

When the chatbot’s “fun mode” was turned off, it generated a more serious and legally compliant summary of the Kolkata rape and murder case.

The new beta version of Grok also came under fire for the violent, explicit, fake, and illegal images it generated with the help of AI. These included political deepfakes, acts of violence against school children, and children’s characters going on killing sprees.