Bathinda, March 3: The state government’s ongoing “Yudh Nashian Virudh” initiative, spearheaded by Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is intensifying efforts to eliminate the illegal drug trade across the State. In a span of 7 days, Illegal properties of 8 Drug smugglers have been razed Statewide.

Providing an update on a significant operation where the police demolished an illegal property connected to drug trafficking in the village Bir Talab of Bathinda, SSP Amneet Kondal, speaking to the media today, said that in Bir Talab, a known hotspot for drug smuggling, in the district, an illegal construction was being carried out on government land, by Kulwinder Kaur, wife of Suraj, a drug trafficker.

“Suraj, who is currently incarcerated, has been involved in multiple drug-related offences, with nine cases registered against him. His brother has also been stated booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act,” SSP, in response to a media query. “We are committed to taking strict action within the boundaries of the law against anyone attempting to build properties in furtherance of the drug trade, and no drug smuggler will go unpunished.”

SSP also appealed to the public, urging them to remain vigilant and report any drug-related activity they encounter in their vicinity. “We encourage citizens to contact us via our toll-free control room number 75080-09080 or at our WhatsApp number 91155-02252. Alternatively, individuals can reach out to our office directly. Rest assured, the identity of whistleblowers will be kept completely confidential.”

The post Big action on illegal property of Drug Smuggler in Bathinda appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Chandigarh, March 3: Punjab Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat held a review meeting today in Chandigarh to assess the progress of various ongoing projects under the Horticulture Department. During the meeting, the minister emphasized the need for transparent and timely subsidy disbursal to farmers. He reviewed key departmental issues, including budget allocations, employee concerns, and the promotion and appointment of officials.

Horticulture Director Mrs.Shailender Kaur briefed the minister on the department’s achievements and ongoing schemes. Stressing the government’s commitment to strengthening the horticulture sector, Minister Mohinder Bhagat directed officials to enhance awareness campaigns about farmer-centric schemes. He also underlined the urgency of filling vacant posts and expediting promotions to improve the horticulture sector’s efficiency.

The minister said that the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is continuously working to enhance the horticulture sector and ensure better opportunities for farmers.

The post Directs Swift Subsidy Disbursal to Farmers appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Ninety-eight per cent of job postings at Canada’s top universities now require DEI compliance

By Mark Milke

Since the first European university was founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1088, the goal of higher education was supposed to be a search for truth. But too many modern ivory towers in the West, including in Canada in recent decades, have been drawn into trendy anti-reality policies, activism and illiberalism.

A key example is the rise of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and bureaucracies at universities. Some institutions now select students and professors based on race, ethnicity or gender on the assumption that doing so will somehow make up for discrimination 100 years ago. Others attribute differing economic outcomes between groups almost entirely to systemic racism, ignoring other contributing factors.

Both assumptions are flawed, but they explain why DEI offices have sprung up like toxic weeds over the last 10 years across Canadian and American campuses.

These policies rest on the mistaken premise that group disparities can only be explained by discrimination. In reality, income and wealth in a liberal democracy such as Canada or the United States result from multiple factors: education levels, family dynamics, geography (people in rural areas, including reserves, earn less than those in major cities), the length of time an immigrant has lived in the country, and a variety of other influences.

When these factors are accounted for, more similarities than differences emerge between groups.

For example, there is an average income gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, but that is partly due to differences in education levels and geography. A greater proportion of Indigenous Canadians live in rural areas or on reserves, where employment opportunities and wages tend to be lower. When these factors are considered, the gap largely disappears. In 2020, Indigenous Canadians with a bachelor’s degree had a median income of $76,000, while non-Indigenous Canadians earned $77,500. Among those with graduate degrees, the trend reversed—Indigenous Canadians earned a median income of $85,000, slightly more than the $83,000 median for non-Indigenous Canadians.

The same holds true for women. The four highest-earning female groups in Canada, based on ancestry, are Korean, Chinese, South Asian and Filipino—reflecting their education levels and hours worked.

Yet despite these economic realities, DEI policies continue to promote a simplistic racism-explains-all ideology. This mindset has now deeply embedded itself in university hiring practices, where race-based selection criteria have become widespread.

A new Aristotle Foundation index analyzed 489 academic job advertisements at Canada’s 10 largest universities, examining their use of DEI criteria in hiring. Of those, 477 postings—98 per cent—used some form of DEI requirement or strategy to fill academic vacancies.

The data was categorized based on how DEI principles were applied, ranging from generic statements to explicit hiring preferences based on race, ethnicity or gender. This analysis allowed for the creation of a University Discrimination Index, offering a clearer picture of how deeply DEI influences hiring decisions.

The findings are striking. Every University of Toronto employment posting and 96 per cent of Dalhousie University’s job listings mentioned or implied that a candidate’s “contribution to DEI” was an asset. McGill University and the University of Saskatchewan required all applicants to complete a DEI survey. Nearly two-thirds of postings at the University of British Columbia and 55 per cent at the University of Manitoba required candidates to submit a DEI statement or essay.

Some might argue that requiring DEI statements does not necessarily mean a university will discriminate in hiring. But that is unlikely, given the vast amount of time, money and advocacy DEI proponents dedicate to promoting race-, ethnic- and gender-based hiring quotas.

Beyond the implicit message of who is likely to be hired, some universities are explicit. The University of New Brunswick barred white males from applying for a research chair position in “quantum sensors for space” in its physics department. At UBC, nearly one in five academic job postings explicitly restricted applications to individuals from a particular race, ethnicity or other immutable trait.

Even without addressing the lack of viewpoint diversity at Canada’s universities, the core problem with diversity, equity and inclusion policies is not the desire for a diverse workforce—diversity is beneficial because talent exists in all groups.

The problem with racial, ethnic and gender hiring quotas is threefold. First, they treat individuals based on group identity rather than individual merit. Second, they assume that identity largely explains success or failure. And third, they undermine merit as a hiring principle.

The result is an anti-individual, anti-meritocratic and illiberal hiring approach at many of Canada’s largest universities.

–

Mark Milke is the president of the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy, which recently released DEI and academic hiring in public universities: An index of university discrimination in Canada.

© Troy Media

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all Troy Media columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of Troy Media, TV Punjab and Ubiq Broadcasting Corp.

The post Race-based hiring is the new normal at Canada’s universities appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Ontario is in a debt crisis. Voters must demand fiscal responsibility.

By Jay Goldberg

One billion dollars a month.

That’s how much Ontario taxpayers are spending on interest payments alone.

That money isn’t going to health care, roads or schools. It’s covering debt obligations, a growing cost that Ontarians cannot afford to overlook as they head to the polls.

With a provincial election set for Feb. 27, voters will soon decide who will lead the province and, more importantly, who will manage its finances.

Ontario already has the most indebted subnational government in the world. In the past two decades, it has balanced the budget just twice. During that time, borrowing costs have risen, and the province has taken on more debt. That debt now requires billions in annual interest payments—money that could otherwise fund public services.

Every dollar spent servicing debt is a dollar that isn’t going toward frontline services. The more the province borrows, the greater the long-term strain on essential programs such as health care and infrastructure. The challenge for the next government will be balancing priorities while ensuring Ontario’s finances don’t spiral further out of control.

Successive governments of all political stripes have struggled to rein in spending. As borrowing costs climbed, so did Ontario’s reliance on debt to finance operations. The result is billions in interest payments each year—funds that could otherwise support essential services or tax relief.

Yet election campaigns tend to focus on promises rather than fiscal realities. Over the next few weeks, party leaders will unveil spending plans to win over voters. What’s often missing in these discussions is a clear strategy for funding new commitments without deepening the deficit.

If Ontario is to get its finances under control, two key steps are needed.

First, Ontario’s next government should commit to balancing the budget this spring.

In the fall economic update, the provincial government projected a $1.5-billion deficit for 2025-26, with a return to balance the following year. That deficit could easily be wiped out so long as the government doesn’t dip into its $1.5-billion contingency fund. The fiscal path to balance is there—it just requires discipline.

Ontario has done this before. In the mid-1990s, facing a severe fiscal crisis, the province made tough decisions to rein in spending and restore financial stability. More recently, in the late 2010s, the government brought the province close to balance before the COVID-19 pandemic derailed fiscal plans. While the pandemic necessitated emergency spending, Ontario now needs to return to sustainable budgeting.

Second, every dollar of new spending should be offset with a corresponding reduction elsewhere in the budget.

Ontario’s debt now exceeds $400 billion, far more than Quebec’s, which has a lower debt-to-GDP ratio despite historically running deficits. Even California, a state with a much larger economy, has managed to control its debt burden better than Ontario has over the past decade. If these jurisdictions can take meaningful steps to manage their finances, Ontario should be able to do the same.

Politicians often argue that deficits are necessary to fund critical public services. While that may be true in times of crisis, running long-term deficits without a plan to return to balance puts the province in a precarious position. Interest rates fluctuate, and if borrowing costs rise, Ontario’s ability to fund essential services could be compromised. Responsible budgeting isn’t about austerity. It’s about ensuring future governments can still afford to invest in what matters most.

Households manage their budgets by cutting back in one area to make room for new expenses. The provincial government should do the same. If a political party wants to introduce a new spending program, it should identify where the money will come from—whether through savings, efficiencies or reallocation of existing funds.

This election will decide Ontario’s financial future. Without responsible policies, debt will keep rising—leaving the next generation to pay the price.

Political leaders will be tempted to make ambitious promises in the coming weeks. But beyond the headlines, Ontarians must ask a critical question: How will it be paid for?

Jay Goldberg is the former Ontario Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Jay is a seasoned public policy professional with a strong academic background and commitment to fostering meaningful governance and public affairs dialogue. With extensive experience in academia and public policy, Goldberg has established himself as a thought leader.

© Troy Media

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all Troy Media columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of Troy Media, TV Punjab or Ubiq Broadcasting Corp.

The post Ontario’s debt is too big to ignore in this election appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Chandigarh: Gangster Goldy Brar, the prime accused in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, is now officially among Canada’s top 25 most wanted criminals.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) listed him at number 15 among wanted criminals. This has come to light through the website of the Canada-based Bolo program, which disseminates information in the public interest from various law agencies.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recently chargesheeted Brar and his associates Lawrence Bishnoi (in Bathinda jail), and Anmol Bishnoi (last seen in California, USA), claiming that they have links with terror outfits. India has on several occasions strongly asked the Canadian government not to allow criminals like Goldie Brar to use their soil for crimes and terrorist acts against India.

India has on several occasions strongly asked the Canadian government not to allow criminals like Goldie Brar to use their soil for crimes and terrorist acts against India.

The Bolo programme’s website, which has featured brar’s photo, says the main goal of the Bolo programme is to tell the public about Canada’s most wanted criminals.

The post Goldy Brar on list of 25 most dangerous gangsters wanted in Canada appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said that ‘dawn of new era’ has taken place in the state with the unprecedented pro-people initiative of changing office hours which will save 350 Megawatts (MW) of power daily and around Rs 40-45 crore from May 2-to July 15.

Apart from facilitating the people, the landmark move will also help in enhancing the efficiency of the government employees, asserted the Chief Minister while interacting with the media persons here at the committee room in the Punjab Civil Secretariat I.

CM, who set the example by arriving in his office at 7:28 am, said that this decision has been taken after taking the consent of the majority of the stakeholders in a series of deliberations. He said that this decision will act as a catalyst in saving the people from scorching heat that is expected to be witnessed in the coming months. Bhagwant Mann said that though the tradition of setting watches in accordance with change of weather has been a routine feature in many western nations but in India this historic initiative has been taken for the first time.

Dwelling more details, the Chief Minister said that it will enable a common man to do his work early in the morning without taking leave from his work. Likewise, he said that this will also facilitate the employees as they will be able to attend the social functions after the office hours. Similarly, Bhagwant Mann said that the employees will also be able to spend more time with their children who will also come home at the same time.

Mann said that this decision is likely to save 350 MW of power daily in government offices thereby curtailing the power expenditure of the government offices considerably. He said that as per statistics of the POWERCOM 1:30 pm to 4 pm is the peak hour of the power usage but as now the offices will be closed at 2 pm so it will help in cutting power usage. Bhagwant Mann said that on an average Rs 16- Rs 17 crore will be saved every month adding that from May 2- July 15, the state government is expected to save Rs 40- Rs 42 crore.

He said that the new time table will also ensure that maximum sunlight is utilized in the government offices. He said that after July 15 the decision will be reviewed after taking feedback from all the stakeholders, especially the common man. Bhagwant Mann assured the people that the state government will take more such citizen centric decisions in the coming days too for which advance planning has already been done.

The post To save electricity, Punjab government offices function from 7.30 am appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

New Delhi: In the Delhi liquor scam case, a supplementary charge sheet has been filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi Excise Policy case. In this charge sheet, name of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has also come up. Many big revelations have been made in this charge sheet of the ED.

According to the ED charge sheet, Manish Sisodia’s former secretary Arvind has named Raghav Chadha in his statement.

According to the charge sheet, Arvind in his statement said that a meeting was held at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in which Raghav Chadha, Excise and Taxation Officers of Punjab and others were present. Raghav Chadha has been named in the charge sheet but he is not named as an accused.

The post ED mentions Raghav Chadha in chargesheet in Delhi Excise Policy Case appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Chandigarh: The Punjab Cabinet Minister Lalchand Kataruchak has termed the allegations of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira as baseless and false. He said that my son has never been my official phone attendant. There is no truth to Khaira’s words.

Minister Kataruchak said that for the last 11 months my official phone attendant is Sandeep Kumar. His father’s name is Shiv Lal. He is a resident of Sharna village of our assembly constituency Bhoa. And my cook’s name is Lekh Ram Sunar. His father’s name is Maun Singh. He is a resident of Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district.

He said that Sukhpal Khaira is making false allegations against me by taking the name of my son with the intention of defaming me. I have never misused my position for the benefit of my family.

He said that Khaira’s main job is to remain in the media by creating sensationalism and take political mileage out of it. I appeal to the people of Punjab not to take his words seriously.

The post Minister Lalchand Kataruchak denied allegations levelled by Sukhpal Khaira appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

Jalandhar: The Aam Aadmi Party has raised serious questions over Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami campaigning for the Akali Dal (Badal) candidate and seeking votes in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election.

In a press conference held in Jalandhar on Monday, senior leader of Aam Aadmi Party and Agriculture Minister of Punjab Government, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that SGPC’s job is to propagate Sikhism, not to promote any political party.Therefore, SGPC chief should not do anything to hurt the dignity of his position.

He said that the top leadership of the Akali Dal, for whom SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami is campaigning, has faced serious allegations like sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and firing at Sikh Sangat. By propagating such a party, he has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat.

Questioning the SGPC head, he said “Why does he remain silent on the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the incident of firing on Sikh Sangat in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan?” Dhaliwal said that he has not spoken anything on this matter till date. He always kept his silence. While both these incidents have hurt the sikh sangat deeply.

He said that the duty of SGPC is to provide religious and social education to the children of Sikh community and to protect Sikh culture. It is quite wrong to use such an organization for political gains. He appealed to the SGPC chief that he should fulfill his responsibility honestly as per the laws of SGPC and should stay away from political activities

The post AAP raises questions on SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, says – SGPC’s job is to propagate Sikhism, not political party appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.

New Delhi: In the event of an irretrievable breakdown of marriage, the Supreme Court can order a divorce directly on its behalf. The legal obligation of waiting for 6 months for divorce by mutual consent will also not be necessary in such a situation.

A 5-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court has given this decision. The bench has said that the Supreme Court can give such an order by using the special power given under Article 142 of the Constitution.

Section 13-B of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, provides that if the husband and wife can apply for divorce by mutual consent, then the family court can apply for divorce. But due to the high number of cases in the family court, it takes time to come before the judge for hearing the application.

After this, the first motion of divorce is issued, but the second motion i.e. a formal decree of divorce has to wait for 6 months.

The Supreme Court had earlier ordered divorce on its behalf using Article 142 on the ground that it was impossible to continue the marriage in many cases. Article 142 provides that in the interest of justice, the Supreme Court can pass any order, bypassing legal formalities.

The post SC rules it can directly grant divorce to couples appeared first on TV Punjab | English News Channel.