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WEEKEND UPDATES
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WEEKEND UPDATES

April 25- May 01, 2026, WEEKEND UPDATES April 24, 2026 , by

TAKING ON THE BJP

WHILE the lady who challenged the BJP MLA K Mahajan for disrupting traffic in Mumbai has received a lot of support from Mumbaikars, a blind bhakt has filed an FIR against her. The bhakt has gone on social media claiming that the lady was defaming honest, hardworking police workers.   That the protestor was upset  because she was delayed for an hour while she was on her way to pick up her young daughter from school.

The counter complainant talks about the lady’s  entitlement. The angry protestor was apparently driving a Mercedes and wearing shorts. She admittedly also used abusive language against the politician and cops. Ironically, the political morcha was in support of women’s reservations.

We think it is the BJP politicians who act as though they own the roads, cities, and indeed, the country. It is also our experience that if you talk tough to the police they inevitably back down.

HUGE VOTER TURNOUT

THE Election Commission may have deleted lakhs of voters’ names across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Assam but interestingly, the voter turnout in the states which have just completed voting, has been unprecedented. The percentage of voters who turned out in Tamil Nadu exceeded 90% of the eligible voters. In West Bengal it was over 85%. A similar trend has been witnessed in Kerala and Andhra. The Election Commission is taking the credit for the large turnouts. The results expected on May 3 will show if the turnout is an indictment of Narendra Modi and the Election Commission or yet another BJP triumph.

TRUMP CALLS INDIA A HELL HOLE

A RIGHTWING MAGA radio show host very close to Donald Trump has called India a hell hole. This has been endorsed by Modi’s good friend Donald Trump. The context is Trump’s decision to withdraw automatic citizenship to children born to migrant citizens in the United States. The charge is that even migrants with green cards, which does not amount to citizenship, are claiming the right because their children were born in the US. MAGA activists claim that migrants bring big extended families including brothers, sisters, cousins, besides wives to the US. Trump’s MAGA leader has called Indians and Chinese gangsters with laptops.

NO GROOMS FOR TCS

FOR several weeks now the call center run by the Tata Consultancy Services in Nasik in Maharashtra has been under a cloud. Muslim employees have been accused of harassing Hindu juniors. The charges include not only sexual harassment but also coercion to convert to Islam. At the center of the controversy is a middle level employee who is a Muslim. The electronic channels, particularly Arnab Goswami’s Republic and Zee TV, are talking about a hostile Islamic module in the TCS at Nasik.

Regrettably, as in the past, the Tata group and the TCS have remained opaque. They have however admitted to setting up an internal committee and also a committee headed by KK Mistry to probe the charges. The Nasik police have arrested several TCS employees in Nasik.  A video is doing the rounds of social media where a girl rejects a boy because he is working in TCS.

OPERATION `EPIC FURY’

THIS is not the Trump-patented war against Iran. A clever marketing and advertising wizard has used it to brand a new condom called Epic after Epic Fury which is the name Trump has given for the invasion of Iran.  The new condom marketed by pharma company Mankind took out full page advertisements in “The Times of India” on the front page. The ultra thin condom called Epic also claims to be vegan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRAMOD SAWANT

FRIDAY, April 24, 2026 happened to be Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s 53rd  birthday. The full page ads in all the Goan dailies have been released by a Goan entrepreneur who is a leader in hygiene products like bio-toilets. A lot of the people who wished Pramod Sawant through advertisements in the supplements in the dailies happen to be “bailes.” A major contractor in Sankali, a Mallu businessman, is amongst the biggest well-wishers of the chief minister. The ad suspiciously seems to be a quid pro quo for favors granted.

AHILYA GIRLS HOSTEL IN KHANDOLA

BRINGING new hope and opportunities for young women across Goa, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurated the Ahilya Girls Hostel at the Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce in Khandola (Marcela) on April 22, 2026. This new facility will benefit young students particularly from rural and remote areas, by providing them with safe, affordable and quality accommodation close to their place of study.

Developed by the GSIDC at a cost of approximately Rs7.25 crore, the modern hostel is designed as a ground plus two floored structured building,  equipped with well-furnished rooms, study areas, dining and canteen facilities, reading rooms, indoor and outdoor recreational spaces, a yoga hall, and CCTV-enabled security systems. Altogether a hostel designed to create a safe and inspiring environment for young women who will pay an affordable around ₹1,000 by way of accommodation. .

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant highlighted that empowering women is central to the government’s vision of inclusive development. He observed that no society can progress unless its women are educated, safe and independent, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every girl in Goa can pursue education without barriers. The CM also urged teachers to actively guide students through career counselling and encourage them to prepare for competitive examinations such as UPSC and GPSC. Drawing inspiration from the life of Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar after whom the hostel is named. The hostel is expected to ease travel challenges, promote higher enrolment of girl students, and provide a supportive environment for their academic and personal growth. Present at the function were Govind Gaude (MLA, Priol constituency); Rajesh Faldesai (MLA, Cumbharjua constituency); Rohit Kadam (managing director, GSIDC);  Prasad Lolayekar (IAS, secretary-education); Bhushan Sawaikar (ZP member, Betki-Khandola); sarpanch of Betki-Khandola, along with college officials, faculty members, and students.

JOB FAIR AT VERNA

With the aim of enhancing employment opportunities for youth there was a “Job Fair 2026 – Empowering Yuva Shakti” organised by the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation (GHRDC) at Verna Industrial Estate on April 23, 2026. The job fair had 25 companies offering around 740 jobs across various sectors. Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said, “This is the first time such a large-scale private sector job fair is being organised in Goa. Our government is fully committed to providing employment opportunities for our youth.”

The CM in his address  emphasised the importance of encouraging youth to explore opportunities in the private sector and entrepreneurship. He highlighted that initiatives of the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation which has enabled employment for over 5,000 youth. The Chief Minister Rozgar Yojana and skill development initiatives are to strengthen employment pathways and promote entrepreneurship among youth.

The program was attended by Mauvin Godinho (minister for industry), Dr V Candavelou (chief secretary),  Aleixo Lourenco (chairperson, Goa Industrial Development Corporation),  Rodolfo Fernandes (chairperson, GHRDC),  Deepak Naik (vice chairperson, GHRDC), Antonio Vas, (MLA, Cortalim);  Gurudas Desai (managing director) and other dignitaries.

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