News Dabba for 18 December 2023: Five stories for a balanced news diet

Indie Journal brings you the daily updates that the internet is talking about through various news websites. Here's a glance through some of the National and International news updates, from Dalit students being made to clean a septic tank in Karnataka, NIA raids on 19 locations in multiple states, to Jimmy Lai's trial in Hong Kong.

Dalit students made to clean septic tank in Karnataka, NDTV reports

NDTV reported that the Principal and a teacher of a residential school in Karnataka's Kolar have been arrested and four contractual staff sacked after visuals from the campus showed Dalit students cleaning a septic tank. Morarji Desai residential school, from which visuals have emerged, has 243 students, including 19 girls, from Classes 6 to 9. It is alleged that at least four students were made to climb down a septic tank and clean it with their hands as a punishment. Read the full report Here.

Unprecedented rainfall in southern districts, Tamil Nadu seeks help from armed forces: TOI

As per a report by the Times of India, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena on Monday requested three armed forces to assist the administration in rescuing the stranded people in the state. There has been unprecedented rainfall in Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari districts, the report says. IMD had forecast extremely heavy rainfall. Tuticorin district is the worst hit. Read the full report here.

NIA raids 19 locations in multiple States against 'terror group', The Hindu

The Hindu reported as per its sources that the National Investigation Agency (NIA), since morning, has raided 19 locations in south India by busting a "highly radicalised jihadi terror group". The report further mentions that the anti-terror agency is conducting these raids in close coordination with the state police forces. As per the report, the agency raided multiple locations across Bengaluru, Karnataka, prior to these raids in case relating to the radicalisation of prisoners by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist. Read the full report here.

Indian Express live updates on Parliament Winter Session 2023: RS passes 2 Bills extending women’s quota to Puducherry, J-K assemblies

Amid uproar by the Opposition MPs over the Lok Sabha security breach issue, Rajya Sabha passed the J&K Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill. Indian Express reports that with these two bills, Centre seeks to enable greater representation of women in the law-making processes of Jammu-Kashmir and Puducherry as public representatives. Read the full report here.

BBC: Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon's trial begins

Jimmy Lai, HK's pro-democracy media tycoon, who has been in jail since December 2020, has gone on trial, as per the report by BBC. Facing charges of breaching national security and colluding with foreign forces can be jailed for life if he is found guilty. The report highlights that the 76-year-old self-made millionaire was arrested under a security law that China is accused of using to crush dissent. His case has caused an international outcry, the report further mentions. Read the full report here.