Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district Seven weeks before the Gujarat elections, the water level in the reservoir was just a metre short of the all-time high, according to a report by The Indian Express. The official records state that the reason behind the high level of water that day was because of the release of an unusual amount of water from upstream dams by the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. For a fact, the water was released over five days As per the report, the level of water in the reservoir went up by39m in those five days. Now with the However, terming it as mere a coincidence of the timing of the unprecedented release of water over those five days as optics for the inauguration ceremony, the former chairman of the CWC said that it was part of a dam safety exercise. A senior official of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) was quoted as saying that the water was released for safety inspections, which was the first time since the gates were lowered on June 17, 2017. SSNNL On the other hand, former CWC chief A K Bajaj indicated that the…
Month: June 2016
Vijay Mallya’s 93 million dollars superyacht confiscated over wage dispute
A 93 million dollars superyacht of liquor baron Vijay Mallya was seized in Malta after he failed to pay more than one million dollars in wages to the crew members. The 95-meter Indian Empress of Mallya was boarded by the port officials and was blocked from leaving the port as part of the legal action against him, reported the Guardian. As per reports, more than 40 crew members, which include several Indians, Britons, and eastern European workers, have not been paid since last September. The Yacht has been seized in a maritime lien giving the crew claim over the vessel to the value of the unpaid wages. Our members onboard gave their employer and the shipowner multiple opportunities to pay monthly wages, displaying a loyalty and restraint greater than many would show in such situations, said strategic organiser of the maritime union Nautilus International Danny McGowan. McGowan informed that the union has recovered secured 615,000 dollars from the vessels insurers under the International Maritime Labour Convention, but the still a large amount is to be paid. No comment on the same has been received yet in the matter from Mallya, the Guardian reported. Mallyas much of the assets in India…
Supreme Court agrees to Delhi Jal Board plea on Haryana water supply to city
The Supreme Court today agreed to hear the plea of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) alleging that Haryana was supplying 120 cusec less water to Delhi out of the 450 cusecs of water it was supposed to supply. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said it will hear the matter on April 2. The counsel for the DJB said the Wazirabad water plant was supposed to get 450 cusesc of water daily, but nowadays it is receiving only 330 cusec per day. The Delhi High Court had recently told the Haryana government that it has to stick to its 2014 direction specifying the amount of water to be released to Delhi every day.
Aadhaar no remedy for all ills, can do little to stop bank scams, Supreme Court tells Centre
The Supreme Court today said that it disagrees with the Centre that Aadhaar can help in checking bank frauds. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra said that Aadhaar can do little to stop bank scams and expressed reservation to the Centres argument that Aadhaar is panacea for all ills in the system. The top court noted that Aadhaar is not an effective means to discourage banking scams since there is no doubt about the identity of fraudsters. It said that banks know whom it is giving money to and that its the officials who are hand in glove with fraudsters. Aadhaar can do little to stop it, the bench also comprising Justice AK Sikri, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan said. Yesterday, the Centre had told the court that Aadhaar has enormous benefits as it has helped in curbing leakages in the system. Attorney General KK Venugopal, arguing on behalf of the Centre, said that by linking Aadhaar with bank accounts, the government has also managed to check the menace of black money and money laundering. The court was also informed that the governments decision to link Aadhaar with PAN has helped in…
Attacks on lawyers: Delhi HC pulls up police for trying to shield accused
The Delhi High Court today came down heavily on Delhi Police for trying to shield people involved in the arson attacks on the properties of lawyers in the national capital, saying the agency adopted a brilliant strategy to save the accused. The high court said it was extremely pained to see the manner in which the matter was being dealt with by the special cell of Delhi Police and added, We searched earth to heaven to book these persons, but you are trying to save them? Something very unfortunate has been done. There was no occasion for the trial court to get into all the three cases which were not the subject matter while deciding the bail plea of the accused. There is an obvious effort made by the police to protect its own officer. Dont you think it is a fit case not to be transferred to CBI, the bench said. On the issue of bail granted to the accused, senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, one of the lawyers whose cars were burnt in the attacks in January, said, He is the main suspect. In three months, they (Delhi Police) could not identify the person behind the burning the cars…
Kamal Haasan’s message to PM Narendra Modi on Cauvery: ‘Perform your constitutional duty’
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding justice to Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery river water dispute. The actor tweeted a copy of his letter in which he said that the Supreme Court has already performed its constitutional duty by delivering a judgement and now it is the Centres turn to do so by setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as per the directives issued by the top court. He said that the delay on part of the government is sending a message that it is being done deliberately keeping the upcoming elections in Karnataka in mind. He said that it is the perogative of the Prime Minister to prove this wrong by acting immediately on the Supreme Courts order. While Tamil Nadu has been insisting that the government set up the CMB, Karnataka is opposed to it. Kerala has said that the CMB should be headed by Union Secretary or Water Resource Secretary and Secretaries of all the four states including Puducherry be appointed as the members. The actor also sought to remind PM Modi that when he was the CM of Gujarat, he had faced a similar situation with the…
14 out of world’s 20 most polluted cities in India, says WHO; Delhi, Varanasi on list
Delhi and Varanasi are among the 14 Indian cities that figured in a list of 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2016, data released by the WHO showed today. The WHO data also said that nine out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Other Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants were Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia. In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India figured among the 20 most-polluted cities of the world in 2016. The World Health Organisation has called upon member-countries in its Southeast Asia Region to aggressively address the double burden of household and ambient (outdoor) air pollution, saying the region, which comprises India, accounts for 34 pc or 2.4 million of the seven million premature deaths caused by household and ambient air pollution together globally every year. Of the 3.8 million deaths caused by household air pollution globally, the region accounts for 1.5 million or 40 per cent deaths, and of the 4.2 million global…
Delhi jeweller jumps off DRI building, commits suicide after raids at premises
In a shocking incident, a jeweller in Delhi committed suicide after jumping off the sixth floor of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The incident reportedly took place in the national capital at around 12 pm on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Gaurav Gupta. Gupta was at DRI office in connection with an alleged gold smuggling case, according to the official statement released by DRI. The 40-year-old was waiting in the visitors room inside the DRI office located at the CGO complex in Delhi. Subsequently, Gupta suddenly took the extreme step jumping from the rooms window. DRI officers and Central Industrial Security Force personnel took him to the nearby Safdarjung hospital. He was neither summoned nor arrested by the DRI, the statement said. The person was immediately taken to the Safdarjung hospital by DRI officers and Central Industrial Security Force personnel, but he could not be saved, it said. Police has been started a probe into the incident and and further investigation is underway, the statement said. However, he was neither summoned nor arrested by the DRI, the statement said. It has been learnt that acting on information, the officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had conducted searches…
Judge Loya Supreme Court verdict: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb slams Congress, CPI(M) for ‘maligning’ Amit Shah
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has criticised the CPI(M) and the Congress for allegedly trying to malign BJP president Amit Shah following the death of special CBI judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. After the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking a probe by Special Investigation Team into Loyas death and held he died of natural causes, the parties including the Congress and the CPI(M) should be ashamed because they tried to malign our partys national president Amit Shah in the incident, Deb, who is also the president of the Tripura unit of the BJP, told reporters last evening. He alleged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri were vocal against Shah and they led a delegation of members of Parliament to the president but now were quiet after the Supreme Court verdict. I think Gandhi and Yechuri should beg unconditional apology to people, Deb said. The apex court yesterday said Loya died of natural causes and rejected the petitions that cast a cloud over reasons of his demise and sought an independent probe. Before his death in December 2014, Loya was hearing the Sohrabuddin encounter case in which Shah was…
Ahead of Women’s Day, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announces $170 mn for women’s empowerment
On the eve of International Womens Day, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a USD 170 million project aimed at advancing womens economic empowerment in four countries, including in India. Announced yesterday, the investments focused in India, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will target four key priorities – advancing gender equality, spreading digital financial inclusion, increasing job opportunities, and supporting the agricultural sector and womens support groups. One of the most profound ways a woman can make life better for herself and her family is to take control of her economic future, said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation. When women have money in their hands and the authority to choose how to spend it, they grow in confidence and power. They change the unwritten rules that say women are lesser than men, she said in a statement. The investments will build on the foundations previous financial commitments to advance progress on gender equality, including USD 80 million for gender data, advocacy and accountability, of which USD 20 million was dedicated to supporting womens movements, a statement said. According to the foundation, the data show that when a woman has the option of working outside the…
Bengali actress Moumita Saha commits suicide in Kolkata flat
A young Bengali television actress, Moumita Saha was today found hanging in her flat in Kolkatas Reagent Park area. The police had to break open the door after getting a call from Moumita Sahas neighbours. The 23-year-old actress was found hanging from the ceiling fan of a room of the rented accommodation, where she was living for the last couple of months alone. A suicide note was also recovered from the flat. The house owner informed us today after the door of the flat was not opened since last afternoon, the police said. The probe has already been initiated. We have gone through her social networking site where her last post appeared to be written out of depression. We are going through her mobile call list, they added. Last year in July, Assamese actress Bidisha Bezbaruah, who had also acted in Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Jagga Jasoos, was found dead at her residence in Gurgaon. Her husband, Nisheet was also taken into custody after her father lodged a complaint against him. She was a native of Assam and had hosted a number of shows as well. According to police, she was found hanging from a fan of her rented apartment. The father…
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma to seek trust vote on Monday
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will face a floor test at a special session of the Assembly on Monday to prove his majority, officials said on Sunday. Prior to Sangma proving his majority in the 60-member House, Protem Speaker Timothy Dalbot Shira will preside over the session to elect the Speaker of the newly constituted tenth Meghalaya Assembly. Former Chief Minister Donkupar Roy of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government and opposition Congress legislator Winnerson D. Sangma are in the race to occupy the top post of the Assembly. Roy, the longest serving legislator, is also the President of the United Democratic Party, which is the key partner in the National Peoples Party-led government. Sangma is a two-time Congress legislator from Salmanpara constituency in the West Garo Hills. Sangma was sworn in as the 12th Chief Minister of Meghalaya on March 6 after six non-Congress parties, include one Independent came together and formed the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance coalition government. The MDA is confident that its nominee Donkupar Roy will be elected as the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chief Minister will prove that he enjoys absolute majority in the Assembly, Home Minister James Sangma told IANS. He said…
BJP seeks action against Balakrishna for verbal attack on PM Modi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded action against senior Telugu actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator N. Balakrishna for using objectionable language while targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A delegation of BJP leaders called on Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in Visakhapatnam and urged him to take serious note of the language used by Balakrishna. The BJP delegation, led by Vishnukumar Raju, submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding action against Balakrishna. Balakrishna on Friday described Modi as a gaddar (traitor) and namak haram (cheat) for going back on the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. He also used some more unparliamentary words, evoking strong condemnation from BJP. The actor, who is a member of state assembly, was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada where his brother-in-law and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took up day-long fast to protest against the Central government for doing injustice to the state. Balakrishna, younger son of legendary actor and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, spared no words in targeting Modi. Reminding the Prime Ministers past as a tea-seller, the TDP leader said Modi had treated Andhra Pradesh like a fly struggling for survival in a cup of hot…
Bengaluru: Loan recovery agents pose as cops, hijack bus with 42 passengers to recover credit
In possibly the first event of its kind, a private bus with 42 passengers including 10 women in Bengaluru was held hostage by loan recovery agents to recover credit from a travel company. According to reports, the incident took place at around 10 pm on Friday when the Bengaluru-based Lama Travels bus was en route to Kannur in Kerala. Reports said that the agents held the bus hostage for around three hours at a parking lot in Rajarajeshwarinagar. The bus had left Kalasipalya for its destination. But within minutes of its departure, it was chased by two bike-borne men posing as cops. The duo asked the bus driver to deboard as they wanted to search the bus. While one of them took the wheel, the bus driver was asked to join the second person on the bike. The bus was then parked at a private parking lot in Pattanagere. Later, five other men joined the duo and locked the bus. All the passengers were left stranded for around three hours before the police came and freed them. Police said that four of the loan recovery agents have been arrested and search is underway to arrest the remaining three. All of…
Dalai Lama bats for ancient Indian traditions, wants them to be included in education system
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today called for the revival of the ancient Indian traditions and for integrating them with the modern education system, saying doing so would help fight issues such as war and global warming. The 82-year-old monk was delivering a lecture on Role of Ethics and Culture in Promoting Global Peace and Harmony in New Delhi. The programme was organised by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, which aims to preserve the history of the Indian independence movement, and Antar-Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad, a non-political society founded in 1978 with an aim to keep close interaction with people all over the world. Serious discussions on how to include the ancient Indian traditions in educational system should begin. India has the capability to combine modern education with its ancient traditions to help solve problems in the world, the Dalai Lama said. The greatness of the Indian civilisation is its spiritual brotherhood and harmony, he said, adding, it has produced the greatest philosophical thinkers and preachers who gave rise to the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism based on reason and logical conclusion. A vast amount of what came to comprise the Tibetan Buddhism, stems from the teachers and traditions at Nalanda….
Mecca Masjid blast case verdict: Judge acquits accused, quits hours later
A special anti-terror court today acquitted Hindutva preacher Swami Aseemanand and four others in the 11-year-old Mecca Masjid blast case and shortly afterwards the judge resigned, in a stunning move dubbed as intriguing by a political party. K Ravinder Reddy, the special judge for NIA cases, tendered his resignation, citing personal reasons barely hours after pronouncing the judgement in which he held that the prosecution failed to prove even a single allegation against the five accused. Reddy said his resignation had nothing to do with todays judgement, according to a senior judicial officer, who did not want to be named. AIMIM Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, meanwhile, tweeted, Judge who gave acquittal to all accused in Mecca Masjid Blast RESIGNS very intriguing and I am surprised with the Lordship decision, amid questions over the functioning of the National Investigation Agency(NIA). A powerful blast, triggered by remote control, had ripped through the over four centuries-old mosque here during an assembly of devotees on May 18, 2007 when they had gathered for Friday prayers, killing nine people and wounding 58. Prosecution (NIA) could not prove even a single allegation against any of the accused and all of them stand acquitted, J…
Biplab Deb government takes steps to boost pineapple production in Tripura
The Tripura government has taken several steps to boost pineapple production in the state by planning to make infrastructure and laying emphasis on export. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has recently said we have to make more infrastructure like creation of food park, laboratory for testing food products, cold storage chains and training programmes for staggered pineapple cultivation to make it available round the year. The famous Queen variety which has a GI tag is the best quality of pineapple in the world. The fruit will be exported for the first time to Dubai next month, Deb said. The Queen pineapple got the GI tag in 2015. Officials from APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), an apex organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, exporters, importers, logistics providers, scientists from Assam Agriculture University, Railways, Customs, and other government bodies met at Agartala recently to decide on ensuring production of the fruits round the year and export them to foreign countries. Official sources said the government had also decided to buy pineapple from growers with good support price to encourage them for growing the fruit round the year. Tripura is one of the largest pineapple growing states…
Rajinikanth speech: Thalaiva invokes MGR, says will fill vacuum for good leader in Tamil Nadu
Rajinikanth speech: Short of announcing his political party, superstar Rajinikanth today invoked the legacy of late AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and said he was confident of giving a good administration like the yesteryear matinee idol. Nobody can match MGR even in 1,000 years and that includes me, he said referring to criticism, especially from the ruling AIADMK that not all can emulate the late chief ministers success in politics. Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, is often referred to as the benchmark of success in Tamil Nadu politics, especially for an actor, with many other cinema professionals trying to emulate him. The 67-year old superstar, who has a large fan following, said he would take recourse to technology besides assistance from experts and technocrats in delivering governance. He said he would follow spiritual governance that would have no discrimination based on caste or creed. In his over 30-minute speech, which gave an insight into his political ideology and the priorities of his yet-to-be launched party, Rajinikanth acknowledged he was not MGR and If someone says he will be (like) MGR, he will only be crazy. But I am confident that I can give a rule like him, that will benefit…
Congress will pursue AAP MLAs’ office-of-profit case with Election Commission again
The Congress today said it would fight the office-of-profit case involving 20 AAP MLAs in the Election Commission of India (ECI) again, after the Delhi High Court set aside their disqualification and asked the poll panel to hear the matter afresh. Reacting on the high court order, Congresss Delhi unit president Ajay Maken tweeted, We will fight it out in the Election Commission again as these 20 MLAs have enjoyed perks. HC has not disputed or denied this. The HC has just asked ECI to look at it again in the light of natural justice! Maken claimed that the AAP government itself had admitted before the Election Commission that a huge amount was spent on office, furniture, transportation and perks for these MLAs who worked as parliamentary secretaries. The high court termed the Election Commissions recommendation on disqualification as vitiated, and noted that there was violation of natural justice and no oral hearing was given to the MLAs before disqualifying them as legislators of the Delhi Assembly. An elated Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the order as a victory of truth.
How BJP win in Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha polls helped Samajwadi Party-BSP: Akhliesh Yadav explains
The BJP may have wrested an extra seat in the recent Rajya Sabha polls but the victory will backfire on the saffron party as its anti-Dalit face stood exposed while the SP-BSP unity got strengthened, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav claimed today. In an interview to PTI, Akhilesh Yadav also said his wife Dimple Yadav may not contest the next Lok Sabha elections to blunt the nepotism charge that political opponents hurl at Samajwadi Party (SP), which he leads. Dimple Yadav is currently the Lok Sabha MP from Kannauj. The SP chief also alleged that law and order had collapsed during the present dispensation in UP while political encounters were being staged. Those involved will have to face a probe sooner or later, he warned. The SP will exploit to the hilt the BJPs conspiracy against a Dalit during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said today. He was referring to BJP nominee Anil Agrawal edging out BSPs Bhimrao Ambedkar in a nail-biting contest earlier this week. The victory of the BJP on the ninth seat, contested by the saffron party with the help of money power, has given the SP an opportunity to…
Dalit protests over SC/ST Act: ‘Dejected and rejected political parties’ spreading violence, says Amit Shah
Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday slammed Congress and other Opposition parties for carrying out politically-driven protests because of which crores of innocent people suffered. In a series of tweets today, Shah said stands with the Dalit community in all possible ways. Modi Government The BJP chief claimed the Central government acted in an immediate and informed manner ever since the Supreme Court gave a judgment on SC\/ST Atrocities Act. An effective review petition has been filed that will protect rights of Dalits, Shah said in another tweet. Highlighting the efforts made by PM Narendra Modi for Dalits, Shah said the former met MPs belonging to the SC communities and assured them that the government is doing everything to protect the rights and well-being of Dalits. Tweeting an old video where Modi was seen clarifying his stand on reservation, Shah suggested the party fully supports the Constitution. The script is now old BJP Through the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2015 the NDA Government has actually strengthened the provisions of the Act. This was done in line with our commitment to the welfare of SC ST communities, he added. The BJP chief further slammed Opposition…
Akhilesh Yadav takes a sly dig at BJP as CM Yogi Adityanath opens country’s longest elevated road in Ghaziabad
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today inaugurated the first elevated road in Ghaziabad, connecting UP Gate on NH24 with Raj Nagar Extension. The 10.3 km long road is also said to be the longest elevated road in the country. The Chief Minister arrived at the Hindon Air Force base today morning and headed to the Karhera Bridge where he opened the road for traffic. Later in the day, he will address a public rally at Ram Lila Ground in Kavi Nagar. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Partys national president Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the incumbent CM for claiming credit for projects commissioned by the previous government. He even retweeted his 2016 post to attest his claim that the project was started by the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government. Ram ram japna, paraya kaam apna, he tweeted, in an apparent reference to BJP leaders claiming credit for the project that was launched by him. His 2016 tweet, which also carries two photographs of the road, reads: To help ease traffic in Ghaziabad we commissioned this elevated road which is over 9kms long and completing fast. The project has missed several deadlines. It was originally slated for completion in…
How many seats will BJP lose after SP-BSP alliance? This Narendra Modi minister has a prediction, and the BJP may not like it
The predicted alliance between Uttar Pradeshs Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party has raised concerns for Bharatiya Janata Partys Lok Sabha seat tally in 2019. Experts believe that an alliance between the two parties will result in major losses for the BJP. Currently, the party has 69 MPs out of total 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Now, Ramdas Athawale, a Union minister and chief of NDA ally Republican Party of India has said the SP-BSP tie-up in Uttar Pradesh might cost the BJP and its partners 25 to 30 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 general elections. However, he asserted that no one can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2014, the BJP and its allies had won 73 seats in parliamentary elections. The Congress had won Amethi and Rae Bareli, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) had won five seats. However, after the recent bypolls, SPs tally in the Lok Sabha went up to seven in the state. The SP-BSP may damage the BJP and its allies by winning some 25-30 (Lok Sabha) seats. But, the BJP will get more than 50 seats. However, this will not prevent the BJP-led NDA from returning to power at the Centre after…
Looking forward to boost ties with Sweden, UK: PM Narendra Modi ahead of 2-nation tour
Ahead of his visit to Sweden and the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he was looking forward to deepening bilateral engagement with both the countries in a number of areas including trade, investment and clean energy. The Prime Minister begins his five-day visit to Sweden and the UK tomorrow. He will have a brief stopover in Berlin on April 20 on his way back home. In the first leg of his visit, Modi will travel to Swedens capital Stockholm where he will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, besides attending a India-Nordic Summit. India and Sweden share warm and friendly ties. Our partnership is based on democratic values and commitment to an open, inclusive and rule-based global order. Sweden is a valuable partner in our development initiatives, Modi said in a Facebook post. The two Prime Ministers will hold bilateral talks on Tuesday. Modi said he and Lofven would also interact with top business leaders of both the countries and chart out a future roadmap of cooperation in sectors such as trade and investment, science and technology, clean energy and smart cities. The Prime Minister said he would also call on King of Sweden Carl…
UN chief Antonio Guterres terms Kathua case ‘horrific’; hopes authorities bring perpetrators to justice
Terming as horrific the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmirs Kathua district, UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed hope that the authorities will bring perpetrators of the brutal crime to justice. The girl from the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community disappeared near her house on January 10 and a week later, her body was found in the same area. She was allegedly raped by six men who had held her in captivity in a village temple for a week in January. The victim was drugged, rapped repeatedly before being bludgeoned to death. The incident has sparked outrage across India. I think weve seen the media reports of this horrific case, of the abuse and the murder of a young girl. We very much hope that the authorities will bring the perpetrators to justice so they can be held accountable for the murder of this young girl, Guterres spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric told reporters at his daily press briefing here yesterday. Dujjaric was responding to a question about the Secretary Generals response to the rape and murder of the girl. A Special Investigation Team of Crime Branch, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two…
Jammu and Kashmir cabinet reshuffle: Meet the 7 new faces in Mehbooba Mufti’s cabinet
Jammu and Kashmir politics witnessed major changes with the cabinet reshuffle effected by the Mehbooba Mufti government. BJP dropped three faces, including Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh who now takes up the role of the Speaker of the state Assembly. While the BJP inducted five new faces in the cabinet, including Kavinder Gupta, Satpal Sharma, Rajiv Jasrotia, Devinder Kumar Manyal and Shakti Parihar, Mohd Khalil Band and Mohd Ashraf Mir are the new entrants from the PDP to find a place in the council. Here is a brief profile of the new faces in Mehbooba Mufti Cabinet: Kavinder Gupta – BJP Now Deputy CM, Gupta held the Speaker`s post in the state Assembly and is a BJP legislator from Gandhinagar constituency in Jammu. In February this year, Gupta Satpal Sharma – BJP MLA from Jammu west and president of the state unit of the BJP, Sharma is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He was unanimously elected as the state party chief in 2015. Rajiv Jastoria – BJP Jastoria is the MLA from Kathua that hit headlines after the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.According to ANI, the MLA allegedly went missing few days after being questioned about the rape…
Delhi shocker! One in every four women students at DU faces sexual harassment, says report
One in every four women studying at Delhi University and its affiliated colleges has been victim of sexual harassment, according to a safety audit conducted by a student organisation. The safety audit conducted by the student wing of the Congress – National Students Union of India (NSUI) – covered 50 university departments and colleges. There are about 80 colleges affiliated to Delhi University. According to the audit report, released today, 22 of the 50 departments\/colleges flouted guidelines of the higher education regulator UGC by not electing student representatives democratically to their anti-sexual harassment panels – Internal Complaints Committees. A field survey, as part of the audit, in 24 colleges spread across Delhi University and its colleges was conducted and a total of 810 students, of whom around 90 per cent were women and 10 per cent were men, responded to the queries. One in four students has reported sexual harassment. Out of the 188 cases of harassment faced by the respondents, there were as many as 40 cases of physical harassment. One in five cases of harassment was of touching or groping. Lewd gestures, staring, vulgar comments make up for the most rampant kind of harassment. Also, one in five…
This IIT-JEE topper, now working in Google, is seeking whopping Rs 5.85 crore from coaching institute FIIT-JEE – Here is why
The Delhi High Court has pulled up renowned coaching institute FIIT-JEE for not willing to settle the claims of an IIT-joint entrance exam topper, who has sought damages of over Rs 5 crore from the institute for allegedly misusing his name and achievements in its promotional advertisements. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw was hearing the suit filed by 2009 IIT-JEE topper Nitin Jain seeking Rs 5.85 crore as damages from the coaching institute for luring students for admission by misusing his videos and photos and thereby breaching his and his familys right to privacy. Do you have an intent to settle the matter? What is the proposal, the judge asked FIIT-JEE, which refused to settle the issue or pay damages to Nitin, who is presently working with Google in San Francisco, USA. The court then said, You neither have the intent to settle the matter, nor any control over cheating. Did you ever pay him anything or promise to pay for flashing his photographs in national dailies? The high court, which had in 2011 restrained FITJEE from using his name or photographs for any commercial gain, posted the matter for hearing on August 31. The institute has denied all the allegations…
PM Narendra Modi holds bilateral talks with several world leaders on CHOGM sidelines
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a series of bilateral meetings including discussions with Seychelles President Danny Faure and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on the sidelines of the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here. Friend in an extended neighbourhood! PM @narendramodi and President of Seychelles, Danny Faure met on the sidelines of #CHOGM18 and discussed cooperation in areas of trade and investment and other bilateral issues, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. The bilateral talks between Faure and Modi assumes significance after Seychelles ordered an inquiry into the leak of a highly classified agreement signed with India to develop infrastructure on Assumption Island, which lies southwest of the mainland of Mahe. The opposition in Seychelles has decided not to ratify the pact because of Assumptions relative proximity to Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the worlds largest population of giant tortoises. Cementing close friendship with Mauritius, Prime Minister Modi met his Mauritius counterpart Jugnauth and talked about cooperation in trade and investment, maritime cooperation and people-to-people ties, Kumar said. The pull-aside meetings with world leaders included an interaction with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Gambian President Adama Barrow, Fiji Prime…
PNB MD and CEO Sunil Mehta appears before SFIO in connection with Rs 12,636 cr fraud
Punjab National Bank Managing Director and CEO Sunil Mehta today appeared before the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) here after being summoned for recording his statement in connection with the Rs 12,636 crore fraud at the bank. Yesterday, officials from Axis Bank and ICICI Bank had also appeared before SFIO, which is the investigating arm of the ministry of corporate affairs. SFIO is also expected to call officials of nearly 31 banks which have an exposure to the companies of diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. It is alleged that they got LoUs and FLCs of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims. The transactions were carried out from PNBs Brady House branch in Mumbai. CBI has so far arrested over a dozen persons, including former and current officials of PNB and companies related to Modi and Choksi.