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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court...

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court that the state would file its reply within a week in the matter.   Indian-origin Dr. Patil, hailing from Jalgaon, is facing a criminal case here for posting allegedly objectionable content involving Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on social media.   After his posts on a FB page, ‘Shehar Vikas Aghadi’, a Mumbai BJP media cell functionary lodged a criminal complaint following which the NM Joshi Marg Police registered a FIR (Dec. 18, 2025) and subsequently issued a LoC against Dr. Patil, restricting his travels.   The complainant Nikhil Bhamre filed the complaint in December 2025, contending that Dr. Patil on Dec. 14 posted offensive content intended to spread ‘disinformation and falsehoods’ about the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.   Among others, the police invoked BNSS Sec. 353(2) that attracts a 3-year jail term for publishing or circulating statements or rumours through electronic media with intent to promote enmity or hatred between communities.   Based on the FIR, Dr. Patil was detained and questioned for 15 hours when he arrived with his wife from London at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Jan. 10), and again prevented from returning to Manchester, UK on Jan. 19 in view of the ongoing investigations.   On Wednesday (Jan. 21) Dr. Patil recorded his statement before the Mumbai Police and now he has moved the high court. Besides seeking quashing of the FIR and the LoC, he has sought removal of his name from the database imposing restrictions on his international travels.   Through his Senior Advocate Sudeep Pasbola, the medico has sought interim relief in the form of a stay on further probe by Crime Branch-III and coercive action, restraint on filing any charge-sheet during the pendency of the petition and permission to go back to the UK.   Pasbola submitted to the court that Dr. Patil had voluntarily travelled from the UK to India and was unaware of the FIR when he landed here. Sathe argued that Patil had appeared in connection with other posts and was not fully cooperating with the investigators.

Dr. K. L. Shrimali: The Unsung Hero of Indian Education

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Dr. K. L. Shrimali: The Unsung Hero of Indian Education

While history is filled with many influential figures, they eventually fade from public memory. However, there are a few whose legacies continue to shape the nation. One such figure is Dr. Kalu Lal Shrimali, India’s second education minister. Surprisingly, his legacy has been overlooked, a recent inaccurate claim by a prominent Rajya Sabha MP and former Deputy CM claim on social media that India’s first five Education Ministers were from the Muslim community. This Teachers’ Day, we revisit the life and work of Dr. Shrimali—a Hindu Brahmin born in 1909 in Udaipur, Rajasthan. He served under the Prime Ministership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He passed away on 5th January 2000.

It is both surprising and disheartening to witness how quickly a figure like Dr. Shrimali, who was hailed by President Dr. Pranab Mukherjee as the forefather of Indian education, has been so quickly forgotten. This Teachers’ Day, we remember the man who introduced ‘Teachers’ Day’ in schools to honour his predecessor, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.

Dr. Shrimali, a distinguished educationist and parliamentarian, made significant contributions as the Union Minister of Education for the Government of India from 1955 to 1963. He completed his education at Banaras Hindu University, Calcutta University, and Columbia University in New York, establishing a strong academic foundation that fuelled his passion for education reforms in India.

His tenure as the Education Minister was marked by a deep commitment to educational reform and institution-building. Dr. Shrimali’s legacy as a ‘forefather’ of Indian education is rooted in his visionary approach, which sought to balance the need for modernisation with the cultural and social context of India.

Dr. Shrimali was instrumental in the establishment and expansion of several higher education institutions. Under his leadership, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were further developed and new ones were established, laying the groundwork for what would become India’s premier technical education institutions.

He supported the creation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act of 1956. This Act empowered the UGC to oversee and regulate higher education in India, ensuring the maintenance of standards, the promotion of research and quality education.

Recognising the need for a skilled workforce to drive India’s industrialisation, Dr. K.L. Shrimali emphasised the importance of technical and vocational education. He championed the establishment of Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs), which were precursors to the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), to address the regional imbalances in access to quality technical education.

He was an advocate for adult education and literacy, particularly in rural areas. He promoted several literacy programs aimed at reducing the high illiteracy rates in the country, believing that education was a key driver of social and economic progress.

Beyond his ministerial duties, Dr. Shrimali was actively involved with various educational institutions. He founded the iconic Vidhya Bhavan in Udaipur and social welfare organisations like the Seva Mandir. He was the editor of Jan Shikshan, a monthly educational magazine. He also authored several publications where he highlighted the challenges and opportunities in Indian education, influencing public opinion and policy discussions. In 1963, he resigned from the Congress. However, his passion for education continued. After resigning from the ministry, he served as the Vice Chancellor of Mysore University and Banaras Hindu University.

Dr. Shrimali played a key role in implementing the recommendations of the Secondary Education Commission (1952-1953) and prepared the groundwork for future reforms that included the Kothari Commission’s report (1964-1966). His advocacy for the three-language formula and the importance of moral and character education helped shape the curriculum and policy directions that India would follow for decades. His contributions to education were recognised through numerous awards and honours, including the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 1976. His work continues to be celebrated.

(The writer is a grand daughter of K.L. Shrimali. Views personal)

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