The Home Ministry will train 27,500 police personnel across the country to tackle cyber crimes against women and children, Lok Sabha was informed today. Minister of state for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir also said that the Centre had directed all the state and union territory governments to monitor closely the situation arising against the backdrop of blue whale challenge game wherein several instances of children committing suicide had come to fore. He said in a written reply that police and public order are State subjects and prevention, detection, investigation of crime including capacity building of police personnel are primarily the responsibility of states. Various steps are taken by MHA as well as States to modernize the preventive set up and equip police personnel with knowledge and skills for prevention and control of crime, he said. The minister said training to law enforcement personnel is regularly imparted through various national and state police academies and institutes. Ministry of Home Affairs is implementing Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children scheme in the period 2017-2020 which aims to train 27,500 police personnel across the country in the field of cyber domain, he said. In response to a separate question, he said…
Month: January 2016
In a first, drones used to check hooliganism during Holi in Chandigarh
In a first, the city police deployed drones to keep a check on hooligans during the Holi festival, even as 146 people were challaned for drunk driving on the occasion. We used drones to keep a tab on violators and those who indulged in hooliganism on Holi, Chandigarh DSP Kewal Krishan said today. The drones were deployed at several points in the Union Territory, including Matka Chowk and Sector 10, which is known as the Geri route, he said. Chandigarh (Traffic) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shashank Anand said drones were also used as an experiment to check traffic violations. We will be using drones more often now, not only for checking traffic violations, but also for monitoring traffic congestions. Many a times, the traffic officials standing at the intersection are not aware of the extent of the congestion. We will be using this technology at very busy locations like Tribune Chowk to ease congestion, he said. Meanwhile, the city police issued 146 challans for drunk driving, 46 for using modified silencer in bikes and 24 for over-speeding. During the special drive on the eve of #HoliHai @trafficchd caught 146 drunk drivers, 46 with modified silencer in bullet bikes 24…
Andhra Pradesh special status LIVE: TDP ministers submit their resignation to PM Narendra Modi
Latest updates of TDP-BJP row over Andhra Pradesh special status 6.45 pm: Speaking to media, TDP MP YS Chowdhary said that matter is between those two parties, adding, that he has nothing to say on that. 6.50 pm: Speaking to media, TDP MP YS Chowdhary said that he will continue to be a part of the NDA but not take up any ministerial positions. I dont think there is anything wrong in that, Chowdhary said 6.40 pm: Choudhary said that its not fair to expect PM to deal with these issues. Its for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed, 6.35 pm: In a press conference, Naidu had said that the TDP took the 6.32 pm: Hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley held a press conference in New Delhi, Naidus announced that their party will leave government soon. 6.30 pm : See pic: Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Rajus resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi. The TDP had decided to quit the government last night.The party had asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation. 6.20 PM: TDP ministers tender their resignations to PM Narendra Modi….
‘Narendra Modi Chowk’ beheading row: BJP leaders counter each other over reason of brutal Darbhanga murder
Three people have been arrested in connection with the beheading of a resident of Bihar Even as police and BJP leaders were earlier claiming that the murder in broad daylight happened due to a land dispute and not because of naming of the chowk after Modi, two people were detained on Thursday night and another one on Friday. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi took to twitter on March 16 and dismissed allegations that the incident took place because Ramchandra Yadav and his family refused to change the name of Narendra Modi chowk. The Bihar deputy CM asserted that the incident happened due to a land dispute. Modi wrote on twitter, case of land dispute, the board was put long back. Murder has nothing to do with the board However, BJP leaders Giriraj Singh and Nityanand Rai have different things to say about the brutal killing. Both leaders were part of a team of BJP members visiting the victim After the visit, they insisted the man was killed because he had named a site there after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Singh and Rai dismissed claims made by their party member Sushil Modi on the previous day. While…
Supreme Court rebuts government’s arguments on privacy infringement
The Supreme Court today rebutted the Centres defence that collection of biometric details has not infringed the right to privacy of the citizens even if these were collected before the enactment of a law on Aadhaar in 2016. While the government referred to verdicts in two earlier cases relating to privacy and said the top court had then held that privacy was not a fundamental right, the apex court bench said the question of privacy was irrelevant in these cases. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra has been persistently asking the Centre what would be the status of the biometric details collected between 2010 and 2016 as there was no enabling law empowering the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to collect personal details for Aadhaar registrations. A nine-judge bench, on August 24, 2017, had held that the right to privacy was a fundamental right and laid down parameters to test State action regarding its infringement. It had held that one of the conditions was that there should be a law. On the 26th day of the ongoing arguments, Attorney General K K Venugopal referred to the apex court verdicts in the M P Sharma (1950) and…
No IPL match on April 10 in Chennai till Cauvery Mangement Board is formed, demands Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi
Tamil Nadu political party Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi on Wednesday announced that they have submitted a letter to the Police Commissioner of Chennai requesting the authorities to ban IPL match on April 10, 2018. The party urged authorities not to organise the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. The political group has demanded that till the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) is formed they will not let the high-intensity IPL match happen. With only two days left before the biggest cricket event takes off, it is a huge blow to the Chennai organisers and IPL fans across Tamil Nadu. Chepauk, the home ground for Chennai Super Kings will host seven matches between 10th to 20th April. TVK leader Panruti T Velmurugan said, He added that the party will go on streets if their voices are not heard by the authorities. Tamil Nadu leaders from all political parties – including Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), Viduthalai Thamizh Puligal Katchi, Thamizhar Vidiyal Katchi and Social Democratic Party of India are protesting against the Central government as it is hesitant to set up the Cauvery Management Board in spite of Supreme Court Protestors on Wednesday had blocked…
81 IAS officers transferred in Rajathan
In a major administrative reshuffle, the Rajasthan government has transferred 81 IAS officers including 15 district collectors. The list was issued last night after the government appointed DB Gupta as the new chief secretary of the state following the retirement of NC Goel, according to an order issued by the Department of Personnel, Rajasthan govt. A 1983-batch officer, Gupta was additional chief secretary Finance. In the reshuffle, MD Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation Raj Hans Upadhyay was transferred to Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation as MD while Additional Chief Secretary-Urban Development and Housing Mukesh Kumar Sharma was shifted to Finance, Excise and Taxation as ACS. ACS rank officials Khemraj Chaudhary, Jagdish Chandra Mohanty, Ravi Shankar Srivastava, Sudarshan Sethi, Subodh Agrawal, PK Goyal, Divisional Commission of Jaipur, Udaipur and Ajmer and district collectors of Churu, Sawaimadhopur, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Rajsamand, Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Tonk, Kota, Dholpur, Bhilwara, Alwar, Hanumangarh, Sirohi and Bundi were also transferred.
PM Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping to undertake joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan; how this move can upset Pakistan
In a move that could upset Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at their first informal summit here, official sources said. The understanding was reached between the two leaders during the two-day informal summit which concluded today, they said. As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities. This will be a first such project in the war-torn country where China while trying to expand its influence has tacitly backed Pakistan, which has been accused by Afghanistan and the US of backing the Taliban and its most violent attacks in the country destabilising any attempts to restore peace. China for the first time held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan in December last in Beijing to narrow down the differences between the two countries. China had also announced plans to extend its controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan at the meeting.
Finance ministers of various states to meet in Andhra Pradesh over 15th Finance Commission
Finance ministers of various states are expected to meet here on May 7 to discuss the concerns on the Terms of Reference (ToR) and recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission. Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu made an announcement in this regard today. He claimed that 12 states including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Karnataka, would suffer heavily because of the 15th Finance Commission recommendations. The Centre is trying to boss over the states in total disregard to the federal spirit. Rather than extending a helping hand to progressive states that have been maintaining financial discipline, the Centre is seeking to suppress them, the minister alleged. In the name of the 15th Finance Commission recommendations, the Centre is trying to deprive progressive states of funds, Yanamala told a meeting of bureaucrats here. Later, a press release from the ministers office said the meeting of finance ministers on May 7 would be a follow up to the one held in Thiruvananthapuram last month to discuss the concerns over the ToR of the 15th Finance Commission for devolution of funds to states. Andhra Pradesh alone would stand to lose Rs 8,000 crore because of the commissions recommendation on financial devolution…
Death penalty for child rape: Bar Council of India slams Centre, says government acted in haste
A day after the Delhi High Court pulled up the Centre over its recently promulgated ordinance which strengthened the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act and provided for death penalty to persons found guilty of raping children aged 12 years and below, the Bar Council of India on Tuesday slammed the Centre over what it termed as a hurried decision. Speaking to news agency ANI, Bar council of India chairman Manan Mishra said that the decision was taken in a hurry and that the government should have brought the ordinance after proper discussion. The amendment should have been brought by proper discussion. I think it is a step taken in hurry. Pros and cons should have been considered. Only then such amendments should be made, Mishra told ANI. Amid an uproar over cases relating to sexual offences against children across the country, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Saturday cleared the ordinance last week on POCSO Act. The ordinance has paved the way to court to award the death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age. The ordinance received the assent of President Ram Nath…
Daylight burglary at Delhi ex-judge’s house discovered three days later; here’s what happened
A burglary in broad daylight on March 10 at the house of an Additional District Judge (ADJ), son of a retired District and Sessions Judge (DSJ), was reported three days later. The incident and the accused were captured on CCTV camera but the burglary itself could only be ascertained when the lights went out three days later and the battery back up did not work. The explanation behind the bizarre turn of events is that the items stolen included three batteries powering the inverter. The Saket Based on their complaints, an FIR was registered at the Saket Police station under IPC section 380. Yadav examined the CCTV footage following the power failure and according to the FIR filed by him, the burglar entered the house on March 10 around 5-6pm stayed for a few minutes and then left. Later, he came back in an auto and robbed Yadav of the three batteries. Yadav in his FIR mentioned that the burglar stayed in the house for 10 minutes. He entered the premises taking advantage of his son The retired judge clarified that even though they left around 4:30pm the gates were not locked after. Yadav informed that J Block of Saket…
Mumbai: Fire breaks out at godown in Kalachowki area, 8 fire tenders rushed to spot
A fire has been reported from a building located in the Kalachowki area at Mumbais Dattaram Lad Marg. The fire broke out at the godown of Eastel Metal Company, reported agencies. No casualty has been reported in the incident so far. A total of eight fire tenders and six water tankers have been deployed to control the fire. The fire tenders have reached the spot and fire-fighting operations are currently underway. Fire breaks out at a building in Kalachowki area, Dattaram Lad Marg in Mumbai. More details waited #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com\/fuhwogJ9AY There are no reports of any casualty or injuries yet. More details are awaited.
When Mayawati sent a black Mercedes for Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh
Bitter political rivals rarely join hands but when they do, they shake things up like never before. Bihar witnessed this during 2015 Assembly elections when Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav joined hands to take on the BJP. The saffron party, despite being billed as favourites, were shocked by the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance. It is another matter that their tie-up couldnt sustain for long and Kumar decided to return to the NDA camp. In Uttar Pradesh, a Bihar-like experiment is brewing between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Both parties had joined hands for Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections. And the results have shown their experimental tie-up can not just scare the mighty BJP but defeat it as well. Moreover, the SP and BSP supremos appear to have already started making moves. After the bypolls win on Wednesday, Mayawati surprised Akhilesh by sending a black Mercedes to invite Akhilesh at her residence. This hinted that BSP supremo was serious about taking their tie-up forward. According to a report by Hindi Daily Navbharat Times, Mayawati had herself sent the Mercedes to invite Akhilesh for a meet at her residence. Reportedly, their meeting was not fixed in advance and a decision for…
PMO takes cognizance of Kanpur doctor offering free treatment to patients
The Prime Ministers office has taken cognizance of a doctor in Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur has been treating patients free of cost. The doctor named, Ajit Mohan Chaudhary has been treating patients for free from past one month. I am sitting here from one month. I treat all kinds of patients. I even distribute sample medicines free of cost. If the cases complicates I show them path, said Ajit Mohan Chaudhary told ANI. Dr. Chaudhary further said that every doctor in India should do the same for the welfare of the society. Chaudhary also expressed his happiness over the news of PMO taking cognizance of his service. I received a call from the Prime Ministers office and they wanted to have verification of Ajit Mohan Chaudhary, who has been treating patients without taking any fee, said Surender Singh, District Officer to ANI Meanwhile, patients visiting Dr. Chaudhary also expressed their gratitude towards his service. I have a heard a lot of about Doctor Chaudhary so I am here for a checkup. I wish more doctors should start thinking like Doctor saab, said a patient He is a very good doctor. People are being benefited, said another.
Know all about the Bihar gangster Ashok Yadav whose Rs 10 crore assets were attached by ED
The ED today said it has attached assets worth Rs 10 crore of a dreaded Bihar gangster in connection with a money laundering case against him. The central probe agency said it has issued a provisional order, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), for attachment of properties of Ashok Yadav, the present mukhiya (village head) of Bithan town in Samastipur. He used to be the terror of Rosera in Samastipur, the agency said in a statement. It said the Bihar Police had registered 26 FIRs against Yadav on charges of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and dealings in illegal arms and explosive among others, based on which, it filed a PMLA case against him. A house in state capital Patna, 25 plots and bank balance of about Rs 4 lakh has been attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of the recent order. The total value of the attached properties is about Rs 75 lakh which is the value taken on the date of acquisition. The market value of these properties is almost more than Rs 10 crore, it said. The agency said its probe found that Yadav had amassed huge properties in his name and in…
Mecca Masjid blast: NIA court judge of Hyderabad Ravinder Reddy resigns; barely hours after acquitting 5 accused
The special NIA court judge of Hyderabad K Ravinder Reddy today resigned, barely hours after acquitting the five accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case, a Reddy handed over his resignation to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge. Reddy cited personal reasons for his resignation, and said it had nothing to do with todays judgement. In fact, he said, he was considering resigning for quite some time, the official told PTI.
No question of Rafale deal going the Bofors way, says Nirmala Sitharaman
Dismissing allegations of corruption in the contract for 36 Rafale jets, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asserted there can be no comparison between the scam-hit Bofors gun deal and the procurement of the fighter aircraft. Do not even compare it (Rafale deal) with Bofors. There is no scam here, Sitharaman told reporters when asked whether Rafale deal will go the Bofors way. Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday. I will welcome it (if Congress raises it), she said. The Congress has been ramping up attack on the government over the Rafale issue, claiming that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper then the contract signed by the Modi government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. Official sources claimed the original deal to procure 126 fighter jet could not go through during the UPA rule despite reaching the final stage due to an intervention by the then defence minister A K Antony as he felt something wrong in the process. They said the government selected Rafale for procurement of the…
Government ascertaining how Farooq Takla got his passport and renewed it
A day after the arrest of Farooq Takla, an aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said today that it was ascertaining details from its mission in Dubai on how he got his passport and renewed it. Takla was arrested by the CBI yesterday after being deported from the UAE. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, We are ascertaining details from our mission in Dubai. It is very clear that he is a fugitive who was wanted by the government of India. We had shared this information with the government of UAE and we were pursuing this matter with UAE government. UAE authorities have deported him. Asked about reports that Takla got the passport due to intervention of some union minister, Kumar said he would not like to speculate. There is a certain process for issuance of a passport and its renewal, he said, adding that the ministry will get details on when Takla applied and when was his passport renewed. Mohammed Farooq, better known as Farooq Takla, arrived here from Dubai and was arrested by the CBI when he was at an immigration counter at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. His role in the…
Terrorists barge into Jammu and Kashmir Police officer’s house in Anantnag, kill SPO, injure wife
In a shocking incident , a special police officer (SPO) of Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead and his wife was injured after terrorists had barged into his house in Anantnag district. The incident took place last evening when SPO Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh was fired upon inside his residence at Katsoo in Bijbehara area of Anantnag. Sheikh died on the spot and his wife had suffered injuries, the police official said. Sheikhs wife was taken to nearby hospital and has been recuperating. This comes after Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday categorically stated that the two terrorists, who were gunned down in Anantnags encounter were from Pakistan and belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant outfit. The preliminary investigation suggests that both the killed terrorists are from Pakistan. Based on seizures made from the spot and other incriminating materials collected so far confirmed they were a part of outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant outfit, Jammu and Kashmir, Zonal Police Headquarters said in a statement. At least two terrorists were killed in the encounter that broke out between security personnel and terrorists in Shistargam Dooru area of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. The encounter began late Friday night, which continued for quite some…
Will move court for ‘due share’ in central taxes revenue, says CM Arvind Kejriwal
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that the Delhi government would move court for its due share in the central taxes revenue and then split the funds it gets with cash-strapped MCDs. The chief minister said that Delhi residents pay Rs 1.5 lakh crore income tax which is the highest among other states in the country, but when it comes to fund sharing, Delhi does not get anything. Delhis people pay Rs.1.5 lakh crore in income tax. But, when it comes to the Centres new Finance Commission, Delhis name is not in the list of states, Kejriwal said. Delhi is neither a Union territory nor a state when it comes to getting funds from the central government, he alleged. Kejriwal said the Centre had constituted a finance commission for the devolution of taxes among the states. The list that the central government has given to the central finance commission for the distribution of taxes among the states, does not feature the name of Delhi, he said. Participating in a discussion on hardships being faced by sanitation workers due to non-regularisation of their services in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal said that for releasing funds, Delhi was neither being treated as a…
With love, from China! President Xi Jinping’s gift to PM Narendra Modi is symbolic of ancient Chinese civilisation
Exchange of gifts between state heads and premiers often grabs eyeballs due to its sheer diplomatic significance. And when such matters relate to the likes of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the attention is bound to be significant. Anticipation was already high when the two leaders met last week for an informal summit and one-on-one meeting. PM Modis visit gained significance especially since it came after the Doklam crisis and a year ahead of the general elections in India. At the one-to-one meeting between the two leaders, PM Modi received a surprise gift from Jinping. The gift was the replica of a 2,400-year-old musical chime. The musical instrument is known as Bianzhong in Chinese and is a symbol of ancient Chinese civilisation. The chimes were found in 1978. Generally, these chimes are played during reception of diplomatic guests, official banquets at the Hubei provincial museum. Notably, PM Modi-President Jinping had started the summit talks at this museum and Xi took Modi around introducing the historic artifacts. It has been learnt that PM Modi and Xi had played the chimes. UNESCO holds the chimes in high regard and sees it as a sign of notable status,…
India to join 8 countries having sex offenders database
India will join a club of eight countries with a sexual offender database to monitor and track those convicted of such crimes, amidst growing criticism against it in the US, where it is pursued aggressively. The Cabinet today approved promulgation of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 to award death sentence to child rapists and said that the National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders. This data will be regularly shared with states and Union Territories for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police. Many organisations such as the Human Right Watch and ACLU have spoken out against the sex offenders registry, claiming that it negates the concept of rehabilitation and perpetuates social stigma. Government statistics (in the US) indicate that most sexual abuse of children is committed by family members or trusted authority figures, and by someone who has not previously been convicted of a sex offence. In India, too, children are often sexually abused by people known to them and regarded as authority figures. The government must ensure implementation of existing measures.including enforcement of the POCSO Act, Jayshree Bajoria, author of Human Rights Watch report documenting barriers to…
Action mode: Cabinet’s decisions have an agri flavour
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday decided to offer a subsidy of Rs 5.5 per quintal to cane farmers this marketing year through September Both the Cabinet and the CCEA also cleared a raft of other proposals, ranging from upgrading three airports and an extension of a key umbrella scheme for the farm sector to an ordinance to speed up commercial dispute resolution. However, the new subsidy for cane farmers remains grossly inadequate to bridge a gap of Rs 63 per quintal between the fair and remunerative price (FRP) fixed by the Centre and the rate mills will need to pay farmers based on the revenue-sharing formula of the Rangarajan panel, according to the sugar industry The panel had in 2012 suggested that farmers be paid 75% of mills The production subsidy to cane farmers (akin to that of Rs 4.50 per quintal offered in 2015-16), instead of a direct export subsidy to mills, is designed to remain compatible with the provisions of the World Trade Organisation, which discourages trade-distorting dole-outs. The subsidy is based on the recommendation of an informal ministerial panel that met last Monday. A proposal to upgrade and expand integrated terminals at the…
Delhi nightmare: Man dead, son orphaned after SUV ‘driven by minor’ crushes auto
A rich brats idea of fun turned into a poor mans nightmare when his SUV crushed an auto along with its driver. In a shocking incident that occurred in New Delhi on Thursday (March 8), a 68-year-old driver lost his life when a car allegedly driven by a minor rammed into his auto-rickshaw. It was around 5.45 am when a juvenile allegedly driving his fathers SUV lost control of the vehicle near a turn and rammed into the autorickshaw coming from the other side. Reportedly, the boy was along with two of his friends when the accident happened. The accident saw the auto-driver, identified as Shiv Shankar Mahato, suffer massive injuries. He succumbed to the injuries at the RML Hospital. The three boys also suffered minor scratches and are being treated in the same hospital. As per a report by The Indian Express, an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC at Barakhamba Road police station. Madhur Verma, DCP (New Delhi district), told The Indian Express that the police are likely to arrest the father of the accused minor boy since the car is registered in his name and he will also be booked under the Motor…
SpiceJet aircraft hit three runway lights at Bengaluru airport after landing
A major mishap was averted at Bengalurus Internationa Airport on Friday after a SpiceJet aircraft damaged three runway lights. SpiceJet aircraft S 1238 en route from Hyderabad to Bengaluru hit runway lights at Kempegowda International Airport after landing. Following the incident, the runway was shut for almost 40 minutes. An official from Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL) said: SpiceJet aircraft SG 1238 from Hyderabad after landing and taxiing damage three runway lights, due to which runway was closed from 10.47 p.m. to 11.28 p.m (on late Friday night). No reports of casualties or damage to the plane have been reported. During the 40 minute closure of the runway, ten flights were diverted from the airport – eight to Chennai, one each to Tiruchirapalli and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Accidents related to aircraft have been on the rise in the recent past. Recently fleet of Indigos A320neo aircraft was grounded after it was alleged to have defective engines. However, the Delhi High Court on Friday refused to ground the entire fleet. Advocate Yeshwanth Shenoys said in his plea that IndiGos A320neo fleet should be grounded until the manufacturers give in writing that the existing defects have been rectified and the DGCA…
Plastic ban in Maharashtra from March 18
The Maharashtra cabinet today decided to impose a ban on certain plastic items from the Marathi New Year, `Gudhi Padwa, on March 18. An official in the state environment department said the ban will cover plastic However, the draft of the proposed ban, published a month ago, had also mentioned various other items such as flex boards, non-woven polypropylene bags, banners, flags, decorative door hangings, plastic sheets and all types of plastic wrappers. Plastic manufacturers had recently held a protest in Mumbai, opposing the proposed ban. An empowered committee under the Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam has been formed to discuss the ban on rest of the plastic goods, the official said. The committee will prepare the roadmap for banning rest of the plastic goods. Today, a ban on plastic was approved in principle, but the committee will decide the further action plan, the official said. Kadam had earlier announced that the state will ban plastic items completely from March 18 this year. The State has already banned plastic carry bags thinner than 50 microns and smaller than 8×12 inches. But another officer in the Environment Department conceded that it has had little effect. The environmental problems due to plastic are…
Delhi LG Anil Baijal says, AAP government committed to the welfare of citizens
Delhi Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal today listed the AAP governments achievements, including those in the education and health sectors, saying it was committed to the welfare of citizens of the national capital. Delivering his speech at the beginning of the Delhi Assemblys Budget Session, Baijal also spoke about the newly-approved doorstep delivery of public services. The per capita income of Delhi at current prices is likely to increase to Rs 3,29,093 in 2017-18 while the same was Rs 3,00,793 during 2016-17, he said in his 25-minute speech. Baijal said that for the development of human resources, the governments focus is on strengthening and modernising the education sector. Educational infrastructure has been strenghtened by making about 6,400 additional classrooms functional in existing schools, he said. CCTV cameras are already installed in most of the schools. It is proposed to strengthen CCTV surveillance system in all the schools, including classrooms, with the facility to parents to watch the feed from the schools, Baijal said while addressing the House for the second time. The L-G said that mentor teachers are being trained at National Institute of Education, Singapore. Providing better health care facilities to the citizens of Delhi is one of the…
Gudi Padwa school enrollment in Maharashtra to attract more children
The primary education department of the Gondia Zilla Parishad in Maharashtra has planned a school enrollment drive for children on the occasion of Gudi Padwa tomorrow. The drive, initiated by the then Gondia district collector Dr Vijay Suryawanshi in 2015, has been a success, helping attract students to Zilla Parishad schools, Gondia ZP education officer Ulhas Narad said. The enrollment in the first standard in 2014-15 was 3,700 but it jumped almost three-fold to 10,120 during the academic year 2015-16 when the drive was launched, the official informed. In 2016-17, a total of 11,952 students were admitted in the Gudi Padwa enrollment drive and around 13,000 during the academic year 2017-18, Narad said. The education department has planned to make the awareness-cum-enrollment drive a success, he said. Explaining the rationale behind launching the drive on Gudi Padwa, Suryawanshi, now district collector of Raigad near Mumbai, said Gudi Padwa marks the beginning of the Marathi New Year and is a good day to start such an initiative. Suryawanshi launched this initiative in 2014 when he was the Chief Executive Officer of Kolhapur Zilla Parishad. All block development officers (BDOs) were instructed about the initiative and it was promoted under the slogan…
Statue desceration: RSS condemns internal strife, damage to public property
The RSS today denounced as highly condemnable incidents of internal strife and damage to public property, remarks that come against the backdrop of the recent political clashes and vandalisation of statues of political icons and social reformers. It said views should be presented within the constitutional and legal system. The incidents of internal strife in the society are a matter of grave concern for all. Violence and damage to public property in such incidents is highly condemnable. It should be our concern that the respect and confidence towards justice and security system is not broken, the Sangh, BJPs ideological mentor, said in its annual report presented by general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi at its triennial meeting here. The report did not, however, directly refer to a string of incidents of defiling of statues and busts of personalities. It is necessary for all the concerned parties or groups to keep this in mind that their actions should not hurt the social pride and popular sentiments, the report said talking about incidents that hurt social sentiments and trigger collective outrage. The report asked people to be wary of divisive forces in such situations. It said the role of religious, social and political leadership…
Bharat Bandh: Dalit protests hit Ghaziabad hard
Protests by Dalits on Monday severely disrupted rail and road traffic in Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh, police said. Traffic on all highways and major city roads besides rail tracks was paralyzed as Dalit activists took to the streets against the Supreme Court dilution of a law aimed at preventing atrocities on Dalits and tribals. The police said the protesters, under the banner of several Dalit organisations, stopped train movement on the busy Delhi-Kolkata route. The Moradabad and Saharanpur rail tracks were also crippled as people squatted on rail tracks. When police tried to free the tracks, the demonstrators started pelting stones at them and set fire to several private and public vehicles. On National Highway 24, the police opened fire in the air when traffic on the Delhi-Lucknow section was halted. After the police action, the protesters dispersed and started brickbatting the police force from adjoining localities. Several policemen were injured, a police officer said.