VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html Former Page 3 model Keeley Hazell opens up on topless modelling, sex tape trauma and exploitation: ‘I regret not having more control’ Libra Horoscope Today, July 29, 2026: Romantic relationships improve, personal charm naturally emerges without effort 1st direct freight train opens new India-Nepal chapter Madison Beer ENGAGED to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert; tells fans ‘Meet my fiance’ Daily Nadi Horoscope for Leo (29th July 2026): Don’t Let Pride Delay a Necessary Correction Meet Anahat Singh, the Gen Z star who created history for India with a world squash title | Divers once believed the Great Blue Hole was bottomless; then explorers discovered human remains deep inside | World News File photo: Supreme Court of India NEW DELHI: Taking a stern view of allegations that the Bihar govt is filling parts of three historic ponds in Darbhanga to create public amenities such as recreation spaces and stalls, Supreme Court on Tuesday warned the state govt “not to touch the water bodies under the garb of beautification” without its approval.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed the state to immediately stall ongoing work related to ‘Beautification and Rejuvenation of Gangasagar, Digghi and Harahi Lake’ project. Although the state refuted allegations of encroachment and urged Supreme Court to allow the work to continue, describing it as an ambitious project worth more than Rs 100 crore, the bench refused to budge and ordered that no further work be carried out.”You can’t fill up water bodies under the garb of beautification. Do not touch the water ponds, keep your hands off and tell your officers not to touch the ponds,” it told advocate Manish Kumar, who was appearing for the state.‘Immediately halt work on 3 centuries-old lakes’TOI had reported on July 13, with photographs, that three ponds in Darbhanga were being filled with soil and boulders to make way for stalls and footpaths, despite opposition from local residents and environmentalists.Advocate Renu Prajapati, appearing for Darbhanga-based voluntary group Talab Bachao Abhiyan, informed the bench that the three ponds form part of a list of protected wetlands and that any construction on their banks would violate rules and earlier rulings of Supreme Court. She also pointed out that the state, in its own affidavit, had admitted that around four acres of the ponds would be filled under the project.The state claimed that no arbitrary filling of the water bodies was taking place and that the activity was highly restricted and meticulously planned “earth filling & stone pitching” work. “This process is a necessity to stabilise and strengthen the severely eroded embankments, directly executing the mandate of NGT’s order. Furthermore, soil-filling footprint is strictly limited – for instance, constituting exactly 1 acre out of the 37.7-acre Harahi site, 1.42 acres out of the 50.9 acres at Digghi Lake, and 1.69 acres out of 44.2 acres at Gangasagar Lake,” the state’s affidavit stated.After a brief hearing, Supreme Court directed the govt to stop the work and ensure that the area of the ponds remain intact and is not reduced by filling.Justifying the project, the state said the integration of public amenities is aimed at managing footfall, ensuring public hygiene, and preventing future degradation.Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by retired academicians, environmentalists and concerned citizens, seeking urgent intervention to halt filling of three historic ponds in Darbhanga – all 800-900 years old and integral to the city’s identity.Since the state is acting in contravention of these orders and no remedy remains, petitioner is constrained to approach the court seeking urgent direction to stop further filling of ponds, remove encroachments in and around the three Darbhanga ponds, and restore them to their original position as depicted in maps of 1868 & 1960,” the petition stated.In response, the state submitted: “To tackle unregulated access that historically turned the lakes into garbage dumps, the project provides structured public utility interfaces, including 11 designated bathing ghats, five changing rooms, and seven toilet blocks to eliminate open defecation and water contamination.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Most Filthy Type Of Man’: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Attack Pralhad Joshi; Massive Ruckus In ParlWhy Delhi-NCR Flooded Again As Four Weather Systems Combined With Years Of Planning Failures’Students Want Justice, Not Charity’: Priyanka Gandhi’s Explosive Speech On Paper Leaks Rocks LSMizoram Minister Opens Up On Drug Menace, Myanmar Border, Disaster Readiness & Ties With Centre”You Removed One Pradhan To Save The PM”: Paper Leak Bill Triggers Massive Showdown In ParliamentPolice Diary Reportedly Reveals RAF Fired Anti-Riot Guns During Jantar Mantar Protest | WatchOnce A Fierce BJP Critic, Ex-TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh To Defend Centre’s Anti-paper Leak Bill | WatchModi Govt Tables Anti-Paper Leak Bill In Lok Sabha: Up To 10 Years Jail, ₹10 Cr Fine & MoreSupreme Court Backs Independent Probe Into Alleged Police Excesses During NEET Protests NationwidePM Modi’s Facebook Post Blocked: Is India’s Digital Sovereignty At Stake?123Photostories”I am a big fan of…”: Kareena Kapoor considers this vegetable a ‘superpower’ and gut-friendly; 7 ways to add it to your daily dietWhy you can’t stop checking your phone: Expert warns this anxiety habit may be fueling a harmful reassurance-seeking cycleAlways feeling mentally exhausted? These 8 simple daily habits can help clear your mindWorking out but still can’t lose belly fat? Doctor reveals why hormones, genetics and muscle loss make midlife weight loss so much harderYour refrigerator could be making vegetables unsafe: The storage mistakes experts say you should stop making todayOptical illusion personality test: The first thing that you spot helps you discover your hidden leadership talent7 yoga poses to manage neck pain10 baby names inspired by Norse mythologyFrom Windmill Cottage to his large car collection: 5 of the most expensive things that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ star Robert Downey Jr ownsHow to identify fake Chikankari: 4 signs every shopper should know123Hot PicksH.C. VermaUddhav ThackerayMHT CET final merit listDelhi weatherWeather tomorrowe20 PetrolRajasthan Safai Karamchari recruitmentTN supplementary resultsSouth Korea KOSPI crashTop TrendingDelhi Red AlertNitin GadkariChhattisgarh MurderEknath Shinde New ProjectWeather TomorrowKhajuraho AirportDombivli Doctors Assault CaseChitrakoot Gang Rape CaseSuvendu AdhikariDelhi Police Dharna Virgo Horoscope Today, July 29, 2026: Excellent day for studies and service work Neet Protest Violence: NEET protest: All SOPs followed, pellet gun use on protesters authorised, reveals CRPF review | India News Kai Cenat defends Tyla from alleged catcaller during Disney World livestream, fans applaud response BJP says the charge is baseless NEW DELHI: Congress and BJP sparred over the choice of Union minister Pralhad Joshi being given the charge of the education ministry, with leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi accusing him of defending rapists and BJP’s chief spokesperson Anil Baluni hitting back by accusing Rahul of distorting facts for an individual’s character assassination.Rahul alleged that Joshi had, in a TV interview a few years ago, justified the release of those convicted of the gang rape of Bilkis Bano during the 2002 Gujarat riots, and dubbed the Union minister a “filthy man”.The charge, made after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had expunged remarks by Rahul’s sister, Wayanad MP and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, drew a fierce response from Baluni, “This is unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable.”Accusing Rahul of making “misleading and factually incorrect” statements about Joshi’s TV interview, the Pauri Garhwal MP said, “Joshi never tried to defend anybody. He was commenting on the process of remission and made no comment on the merits of the case.”Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Rahul said, “After all these young people protesting about the education system and so many girls protesting and being beaten and thrashed, BJP has given the charge of the ministry to a man who is a defender of rapists. There can be no filthier man than somebody who says rapists need protection. That is the education minister of India today.”He added, “It is strange. It’s a strange reaction from the Prime Minister. There are so many people in his cabinet. He could have chosen any one of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. It’s quite amazing.”Coming down hard on the Gandhi siblings, Baluni, head of BJP media cell, said the two should try to get their facts right and understand them. “They twist facts to suit what is convenient for them. They always make baseless charges to mislead people,” he said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Most Filthy Type Of Man’: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Attack Pralhad Joshi; Massive Ruckus In ParlWhy Delhi-NCR Flooded Again As Four Weather Systems Combined With Years Of Planning Failures’Students Want Justice, Not Charity’: Priyanka Gandhi’s Explosive Speech On Paper Leaks Rocks LSMizoram Minister Opens Up On Drug Menace, Myanmar Border, Disaster Readiness & Ties With Centre”You Removed One Pradhan To Save The PM”: Paper Leak Bill Triggers Massive Showdown In ParliamentPolice Diary Reportedly Reveals RAF Fired Anti-Riot Guns During Jantar Mantar Protest | WatchOnce A Fierce BJP Critic, Ex-TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh To Defend Centre’s Anti-paper Leak Bill | WatchModi Govt Tables Anti-Paper Leak Bill In Lok Sabha: Up To 10 Years Jail, ₹10 Cr Fine & MoreSupreme Court Backs Independent Probe Into Alleged Police Excesses During NEET Protests NationwidePM Modi’s Facebook Post Blocked: Is India’s Digital Sovereignty At Stake?123Photostories”I am a big fan of…”: Kareena Kapoor considers this vegetable a ‘superpower’ and gut-friendly; 7 ways to add it to your daily dietWhy you can’t stop checking your phone: Expert warns this anxiety habit may be fueling a harmful reassurance-seeking cycleAlways feeling mentally exhausted? These 8 simple daily habits can help clear your mindWorking out but still can’t lose belly fat? Doctor reveals why hormones, genetics and muscle loss make midlife weight loss so much harderYour refrigerator could be making vegetables unsafe: The storage mistakes experts say you should stop making todayOptical illusion personality test: The first thing that you spot helps you discover your hidden leadership talent7 yoga poses to manage neck pain10 baby names inspired by Norse mythologyFrom Windmill Cottage to his large car collection: 5 of the most expensive things that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ star Robert Downey Jr ownsHow to identify fake Chikankari: 4 signs every shopper should know123Hot PicksH.C. VermaUddhav ThackerayMHT CET final merit listDelhi weatherWeather tomorrowe20 PetrolRajasthan Safai Karamchari recruitmentTN supplementary resultsSouth Korea KOSPI crashTop TrendingDelhi Red AlertNitin GadkariChhattisgarh MurderEknath Shinde New ProjectWeather TomorrowKhajuraho AirportDombivli Doctors Assault CaseChitrakoot Gang Rape CaseSuvendu AdhikariDelhi Police Dharna Tupac Shakur death case: Judge allows use of police interview in murder trial; Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis could face life in prison without parole Daily Nadi Horoscope for Cancer (29th July 2026): Don’t Let Silence Replace an Honest Agreement Deebo Samuel Free Agency: NFL Free Agency: Deebo Samuel’s market is finally heating up — here’s where he could land | NFL News Once known as the ‘Sea of Death’, China’s Taklamakan Desert is turning greener with drone technology | World News File photo: Ships in the sea NEW DELHI: With a 12.2% share of global seafaring workforce, India has become the world’s second-largest supplier of sailors, according to BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026. The Philippines continues to be the largest supplier of seafarers globally.The report published every five years is widely regarded by the global maritime industry as the most authoritative assessment of seafarer supply and demand. As per the report, share of Indian sailors has doubled in the past five years.”BIMCO-ICS report is the most credible and every maritime nation follows this. India’s strength is particularly evident in the officer cadre. We supply over 1.4 lakh officers, accounting for 13.4% of the world’s officer workforce, while 1.7 lakh ratings represent 11.29% of the global ratings serving aboard merchant vessels,” said an official.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Most Filthy Type Of Man’: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Attack Pralhad Joshi; Massive Ruckus In ParlWhy Delhi-NCR Flooded Again As Four Weather Systems Combined With Years Of Planning Failures’Students Want Justice, Not Charity’: Priyanka Gandhi’s Explosive Speech On Paper Leaks Rocks LSMizoram Minister Opens Up On Drug Menace, Myanmar Border, Disaster Readiness & Ties With Centre”You Removed One Pradhan To Save The PM”: Paper Leak Bill Triggers Massive Showdown In ParliamentPolice Diary Reportedly Reveals RAF Fired Anti-Riot Guns During Jantar Mantar Protest | WatchOnce A Fierce BJP Critic, Ex-TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh To Defend Centre’s Anti-paper Leak Bill | WatchModi Govt Tables Anti-Paper Leak Bill In Lok Sabha: Up To 10 Years Jail, ₹10 Cr Fine & MoreSupreme Court Backs Independent Probe Into Alleged Police Excesses During NEET Protests NationwidePM Modi’s Facebook Post Blocked: Is India’s Digital Sovereignty At Stake?123Photostories”I am a big fan of…”: Kareena Kapoor considers this vegetable a ‘superpower’ and gut-friendly; 7 ways to add it to your daily dietWhy you can’t stop checking your phone: Expert warns this anxiety habit may be fueling a harmful reassurance-seeking cycleAlways feeling mentally exhausted? These 8 simple daily habits can help clear your mindWorking out but still can’t lose belly fat? Doctor reveals why hormones, genetics and muscle loss make midlife weight loss so much harderYour refrigerator could be making vegetables unsafe: The storage mistakes experts say you should stop making todayOptical illusion personality test: The first thing that you spot helps you discover your hidden leadership talent7 yoga poses to manage neck pain10 baby names inspired by Norse mythologyFrom Windmill Cottage to his large car collection: 5 of the most expensive things that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ star Robert Downey Jr ownsHow to identify fake Chikankari: 4 signs every shopper should know123Hot PicksH.C. VermaUddhav ThackerayMHT CET final merit listDelhi weatherWeather tomorrowe20 PetrolRajasthan Safai Karamchari recruitmentTN supplementary resultsSouth Korea KOSPI crashTop TrendingDelhi Red AlertNitin GadkariChhattisgarh MurderEknath Shinde New ProjectWeather TomorrowKhajuraho AirportDombivli Doctors Assault CaseChitrakoot Gang Rape CaseSuvendu AdhikariDelhi Police Dharna Jul 29, 2026, 02:12 IST Leo Horoscope Today, July 29, 2026: Day brings increased energy and self-confidence for taking decisive action After stalemate, government, opposition spar over paper leak law in Lok Sabha Quote of the day by Elif Shafak: ‘Do not go with the flow. Be the flow’ and how to break passivity Ahmedabad Air Crash: Ahmedabad tragedy: Supreme Court accepts pilot dad’s plea not to make Air India crash report public | India News Daily Nadi Horoscope for Gemini (29th July 2026): Don’t Sign Away Control for Temporary Relief Kashmiri activists protest outside Pakistan consulate in UK over PoK killings California Birthday Party Shooting: Twitch streamer NateDeBaiits heartbroken after fatal California birthday party shooting claims friend’s life Cancer Horoscope Today, July 29, 2026: Shared effort and partnership matters will bring relief Drdo Cybersecurity Incident: Reports on alleged cybersecurity incident involving DRDO are incorrect & unverified: Official sources In 2015, a British swimmer entered Antarctica’s freezing sea wearing only swimming trunks. His campaign helped protect 1.55 million square kilometres Raja Chaudhary says he isn’t bothered about Palak Tiwari-Ibrahim Ali Khan dating rumours: ‘She doesn’t consider me a father’; reveals he blocked daughter on social media Daily Nadi Horoscope for Aries (29th July 2026): Don’t Seek Authority Before Proving Your Ability Asmongold finally responds after Kaise posts video from his house as Tectone adds to the drama Donald Trump, Zelenskyy discuss Patriot production, Russia peace talks at White House When Madhuri Dixit paid an emotional Guru Purnima tribute to the late choreographer Saroj Khan: ‘Nobody made women look more beautiful’ Taurus Horoscope Today, July 29, 2026: Day offers good fortune and financial gains NFL Trade Rumor: Green Bay Packers and New York Giants heavily linked to $76M Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran tackle amid contract dispute Donald Trump Netanyahu Meeting: Donald Trump, Netanyahu hold ‘excellent’ White House meeting as Iran differences come into focus Jul 29, 2026, 01:07 IST Who is Shane van Gisbergen’s wife Jessica Dane? Marriage, motorsports career, family background and NASCAR life explained Quote of the day by Lao Tzu: ‘Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful’ and a philosophy that can’t be lied to Henry Ford Quote: Quote of the day by Henry Ford: “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it”; the unexpected hidden travel wisdom Aries Horoscope Today, July 29, 2026: Work feels less chaotic as focus improves and anxiety lessens significantly What made California’s largest AI datacenter that had promised not to use Colorado River water to file lawsuit to access 280 million gallons of river water meant for farming An American gambler spent $90 million buying 54,000 acres of logged Florida land. Eight million longleaf pines later, a lost forest is returning | World News ‘I regret it’: Mehbooba Mufti claims Jantar Mantar remark a slip of tongue, apologises Why do people claim they crossed over to Canada from the US border by mistake? Safety of Indian mariners remains the government’s top priority, Sonowal said NEW DELHI: Amid escalating geopolitical tensions affecting key global shipping routes and posing risks to Indian sailors, shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday directed officials to ensure “no Indian seafarer finds himself caught in the crossfire of geopolitical conflict”.Safety of Indian mariners remains govt’s top priority, he said while chairing a high-level review meeting on the safety and welfare of Indian seafarers serving aboard merchant vessels in conflict-sensitive regions. The meeting was attended by officials from different departments and heads of Indian missions in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia and Ukraine.“No Indian seafarer should find himself caught in the crossfire of geopolitical conflict. Every possible measure must be taken to safeguard our seafarers, support their families and ensure timely assistance wherever required,” the minister said.Meanwhile, on X, Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) claimed that AMIR1, currently at Ukrainian port Chornomorsk with 15 crew on board, including 13 Indian seafarers, was trapped in a “terrible and life-threatening situation”.It said, “Repeated drone and missile attacks are being attempted in the immediate vicinity of the vessel. The crew is living under constant fear of a direct hit at any moment,” while appealing to authorities, shipowners, flag state, and govt to immediately secure their safety and arrange prompt repatriation.During the meeting, officials reviewed the prevailing security situation, maritime developments and the preparedness of Indian diplomatic missions.DG Shipping informed the minister that its 24×7 Seafarer Grievance and Assistance Cell remains fully operational. It added that to strengthen preparedness, the maritime regulator has asked Recruitment and Placement Service Licensees (RPSLs) to conduct structured pre-departure orientation programmes to familiarise seafarers with operational conditions, security protocols and evolving geopolitical risks in deployment areas.Recognising the psychological stress of prolonged deployment in volatile regions, Sonowal also directed officials to integrate mental health support into the seafarer welfare framework, including counselling services for seafarers and their families and greater transparency on operational risks before deployment.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Most Filthy Type Of Man’: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Attack Pralhad Joshi; Massive Ruckus In ParlWhy Delhi-NCR Flooded Again As Four Weather Systems Combined With Years Of Planning Failures’Students Want Justice, Not Charity’: Priyanka Gandhi’s Explosive Speech On Paper Leaks Rocks LSMizoram Minister Opens Up On Drug Menace, Myanmar Border, Disaster Readiness & Ties With Centre”You Removed One Pradhan To Save The PM”: Paper Leak Bill Triggers Massive Showdown In ParliamentPolice Diary Reportedly Reveals RAF Fired Anti-Riot Guns During Jantar Mantar Protest | WatchOnce A Fierce BJP Critic, Ex-TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh To Defend Centre’s Anti-paper Leak Bill | WatchModi Govt Tables Anti-Paper Leak Bill In Lok Sabha: Up To 10 Years Jail, ₹10 Cr Fine & MoreSupreme Court Backs Independent Probe Into Alleged Police Excesses During NEET Protests NationwidePM Modi’s Facebook Post Blocked: Is India’s Digital Sovereignty At Stake?123PhotostoriesWhy you can’t stop checking your phone: Expert warns this anxiety habit may be fueling a harmful reassurance-seeking cycleAlways feeling mentally exhausted? These 8 simple daily habits can help clear your mindWorking out but still can’t lose belly fat? Doctor reveals why hormones, genetics and muscle loss make midlife weight loss so much harderYour refrigerator could be making vegetables unsafe: The storage mistakes experts say you should stop making todayOptical illusion personality test: The first thing that you spot helps you discover your hidden leadership talent7 yoga poses to manage neck pain10 baby names inspired by Norse mythologyFrom Windmill Cottage to his large car collection: 5 of the most expensive things that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ star Robert Downey Jr ownsHow to identify fake Chikankari: 4 signs every shopper should knowInside Shreya Kalra’s lavish Mumbai home: A luxe Bar, dreamy walk-in closet and more123Hot PicksH.C. VermaUddhav ThackerayMHT CET final merit listDelhi weatherWeather tomorrowe20 PetrolRajasthan Safai Karamchari recruitmentTN supplementary resultsSouth Korea KOSPI crashTop TrendingDelhi Red AlertNitin GadkariChhattisgarh MurderEknath Shinde New ProjectWeather TomorrowKhajuraho AirportDombivli Doctors Assault CaseChitrakoot Gang Rape CaseSuvendu AdhikariDelhi Police Dharna Horoscope Today: Daily astrological predictions for July 29, 2026 Jammu and Kashmir: Army duo hurt in Uri accidental blast Quote of the day by Kal Penn: “Growing up, I always had two interests and two passions; one being public service and the other being…” – a reminder that you don’t have to fit into one identity As NEET protests spur crowd control debate, Kashmir’s scars resurface SEDOW(SHOPIAN): Behind a mesh screen, Insha Mushtaq sits in a mustard headscarf, offering a faint smile. She cannot see the camera or the daylight filtering through her window. She only senses. Ten years after pellets took her eyes during J&K’s 2016 unrest, she still carries scars that have become public property, resurfacing every time India debates crowd control.She wishes they wouldn’t. “I don’t want to remember. It doesn’t help and it hurts,” said the 24-year-old, seated inside her home in Sedow village of Shopian, about 75km south of Srinagar.Yet memory has a stubborn half-life. Images of 14-year-old Insha, her face wrapped in bandages after being struck by pellets during protests following Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s killing, travelled across TV screens and social media in 2016. They turned her into perhaps J&K’s most recognisable face of pellet gun wounds. Every fresh political quarrel over use of force drags those photographs back into public view. Insha Mushtaq has been blind since 14Recent protests over NEET irregularities in New Delhi have done exactly that.For Insha, the debate translates into reopening wounds she has spent years trying to close. “I don’t know whether I should talk or not. I want to do a job after completing my education,” she said, her father Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and mother Afroza Akhtar sitting quietly beside her.She has not abandoned her future. Blindness altered her life, not her ambition. She is completing a bachelor’s degree in arts and hopes to find a govt job under disability quota. Speaking publicly, she fears, could jeopardise that dream.“I don’t know what happened in Delhi but I know many lives were destroyed by pellet guns in Kashmir,” she said. Then her face brightened. “I am blind but we can operate phones.”Pellet guns entered J&K’s security arsenal around 2010 as a supposedly non-lethal alternative to bullets. They left behind hundreds of eye wounds, partial blindness and permanent loss of vision. Years dulled national attention, but memories never disappeared. Protests in New Delhi breathed fresh life into an old controversy.Political sparring has followed. Governing National Conference has accused opposition Peoples Democratic Party of condemning pellet guns in New Delhi while defending their use in J&K. PDP, in turn, has blamed CM Omar Abdullah for introducing pellet guns during his earlier tenure to tackle protests after about 110 demonstrators were killed in security action during 2009-10.According to BJP, use of bullets and pellets ceased after Article 370’s abrogation in 2019 because protests largely ended.Former J&K DGP SP Vaid, who headed police during 2016 unrest, said pellet guns were first used during 2009-10 protests and again in 2016. “All those 110 people killed in 2010 died due to bullets not pellets. Pellet gun should be used only as a last resort, from a proper distance and aimed below the waist,” Vaid said.Describing them as 12-bore pump-action guns, he said: “I’m not saying pellet guns are good. I am saying they are a better last-resort option than direct firing with live ammunition. If the choice is between bullets and pellet guns, pellet guns can save lives.”Politics feels distant inside Insha’s two-storey home. She now climbs stairs unaided. Certificates marking completion of classes 11 and 12 line her room. But July 12, 2016 remains etched with painful clarity.Clashes had broken out outside her home. Tear gas shells landed nearby. Curious, she walked to a window overlooking the village road. The instant she opened it, a volley of pellets shattered glass and ripped into her face. “My forehead felt like it was burning from inside,” she said.She was taken first to Shopian district hospital before doctors referred her to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar. She slipped into a coma for 4 days.Her photographs quickly became emblematic of 2016 unrest, prompting intervention by then PDP-BJP govt. Then CM Mehbooba Mufti promised assistance — gave Insha’s father a job. After spending nearly a month at SMHS Hospital, Insha was shifted to AIIMS New Delhi, where she remained for almost 2 months.On Sept 13, 2016, she was moved to Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital in Mumbai, where ophthalmologist Dr S Natarajan treated her for nearly 24 days. Natarajan, then hospital director and president of Ocular Trauma Society of India, operated on hundreds of pellet survivors during repeated visits to J&K that year.Doctors eventually told her family she had no perception of light. Blindness would be lifelong.An intervention proved transformative. “Nadir Ali helped me continue my education. He kept insisting that I should study. Had he not been there, I would have been finished,” Insha said.Ali, chairperson of J&K Centre for Peace and Justice Foundation, first met her in late 2017. “She was not born blind. She was angry, very angry and undergoing surgeries regularly for removal of pellets,” he said.Ali admitted her to special education department at Delhi Public School in Srinagar, where she spent nearly 2 years learning Braille, mobility skills and computer applications. “When I visited her home, I saw people had given her certificates but no one seemed to be thinking about how she would build a future,” he said. “She wanted to study and I wanted to help her. She had to learn how to walk independently, use a computer and adapt to a completely new way of life.”Today, Insha studies political science, English, education and sociology through Ignou. Graduation is within reach. “This is her final year… Our aim is to make her financially independent,” Ali said.Ali has another appeal, one directed at journalists: “Once you tell them to recount their past, they again slip into trauma. Let them heal.” For Insha, that may be hardest of all. The country remembers a photograph. She lives its aftermath.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Most Filthy Type Of Man’: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Attack Pralhad Joshi; Massive Ruckus In ParlWhy Delhi-NCR Flooded Again As Four Weather Systems Combined With Years Of Planning Failures’Students Want Justice, Not Charity’: Priyanka Gandhi’s Explosive Speech On Paper Leaks Rocks LSMizoram Minister Opens Up On Drug Menace, Myanmar Border, Disaster Readiness & Ties With Centre”You Removed One Pradhan To Save The PM”: Paper Leak Bill Triggers Massive Showdown In ParliamentPolice Diary Reportedly Reveals RAF Fired Anti-Riot Guns During Jantar Mantar Protest | WatchOnce A Fierce BJP Critic, Ex-TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh To Defend Centre’s Anti-paper Leak Bill | WatchModi Govt Tables Anti-Paper Leak Bill In Lok Sabha: Up To 10 Years Jail, ₹10 Cr Fine & MoreSupreme Court Backs Independent Probe Into Alleged Police Excesses During NEET Protests NationwidePM Modi’s Facebook Post Blocked: Is India’s Digital Sovereignty At Stake?123PhotostoriesWhy you can’t stop checking your phone: Expert warns this anxiety habit may be fueling a harmful reassurance-seeking cycleAlways feeling mentally exhausted? These 8 simple daily habits can help clear your mindWorking out but still can’t lose belly fat? Doctor reveals why hormones, genetics and muscle loss make midlife weight loss so much harderYour refrigerator could be making vegetables unsafe: The storage mistakes experts say you should stop making todayOptical illusion personality test: The first thing that you spot helps you discover your hidden leadership talent7 yoga poses to manage neck pain10 baby names inspired by Norse mythologyFrom Windmill Cottage to his large car collection: 5 of the most expensive things that ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ star Robert Downey Jr ownsHow to identify fake Chikankari: 4 signs every shopper should knowInside Shreya Kalra’s lavish Mumbai home: A luxe Bar, dreamy walk-in closet and more123Hot PicksH.C. VermaUddhav ThackerayMHT CET final merit listDelhi weatherWeather tomorrowe20 PetrolRajasthan Safai Karamchari recruitmentTN supplementary resultsSouth Korea KOSPI crashTop TrendingDelhi Red AlertNitin GadkariChhattisgarh MurderEknath Shinde New ProjectWeather TomorrowKhajuraho AirportDombivli Doctors Assault CaseChitrakoot Gang Rape CaseSuvendu AdhikariDelhi Police Dharna