Hyderabad has shown an alarming increase of malaria and dengue cases in the past few weeks. Though anti-larval operations and fogging are being conducted in the city there is no respite for the people from mosquitoes. Scores of people have been tested positive with the mosquito-borne virus and the number of patients with high fever is increasing in the hospital. Speaking to ANI, Government Fever Hospital Superintendent Dr K Shankar said that in past two months the patients suffering from malaria and dengue has increased. Due to variation in temperature, there has been increasing in the number of mosquitoes. Eventually, a number of cases of malaria and dengue are being witnessed in government and private hospitals, Shankar said. There is an increase in the number of a patient suffering from malaria and dengue, it also includes cases of viral flu, he added. Dr. Shanker said that the government is doing fogging and is using various methods for fighting the menace, but also advised the people to take precaution to avoid getting infected with such virus. In last one month four to five cases of Dengue have been reported, but no mortality has been taken place, he said.
Month: February 2019
BJD yet to decide on no-confidence motion against NDA government
The ruling Biju Janata Dal is yet to take a decision on whether to support the no-confidence motion moved by TDP against the Narendra Modi-led Central government, a party leader said today. Now, President Ram Nath Kovind is on a tour to the state. The chief minister (Naveen Patnaik) will take a decision once the president ends his tour, BJD spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP, P K Deb told reporters here. The BJD has 20 members in the Lok Sabha and eight MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Our government will remain unaffected. As the concept of Third Front has failed, the no-confidence motion will have no impact on the NDA government, Oram said.
India, Pakistan trade allegations over harassment of their High Commission personnel
The Pakistan High Commission here has lodged complaints of harassment with the External Affairs Ministry, which has assured them of an investigation, official sources said today and alleged that several Indian mission staffers in Islamabad have been severely harassed and intimidated. Harassment is the new normal for Indian High Commission personnel in Islamabad. The High Commissioners car was recently stopped by Pakistani agencies in the middle of a busy road to prevent him from attending an event, a source said. Noting that the Pakistan High Commission has brought to the Ministry of External Affairs notice some incidents of alleged harassment over the last few days, sources said these will no doubt be investigated. India makes all efforts to provide a safe, secure and hospitable environment for diplomats to work in. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of Islamabad. The Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been facing tremendous harassment for long, particularly in the last year, the source said. Aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity is a perennial issue. Agency personnel keep shooting videos of the officers thrusting phones on their faces. Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones….
PM’s Employment Scheme: Only 9 pct of 4 lakh applicants get loans
Less than 9% of the roughly four lakh applicants under the Prime Minister Data from the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) show that banks have disbursed loans to only 36,109 applicants. The reasons range from the projects being unviable, not in service area of the bank or past defaults by the promoter. In 2016-17, the share of loans disbursed was better at 11.39%, while in 2015-16 it was even higher at 14%. Even before lenders reject proposals, the District Level Task Force Committee (DLTFC) finds that a good number of applications are incomplete. Giriraj Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for MSME recently said Singh added that around 30-40% of the applications are rejected by the banks which take a decision based on the viability of the project. The minister also said the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and DLTFC were scrutinising the applications to make sure the criteria were being fulfilled. While no loans have been disbursed in Lakshadweep in 2017-18, only 0.52% of applicants in Delhi have managed to get a loan. Interestingly, the highest percentage of disbursals have taken place in Nagaland at 54.76% while the highest number of applicants An amount of…
India among 20 nations to pledge $100 million to Palestine Refugee Agency
India is among 20 nations that have pledged a total of about $100 million to the UN relief agency charged with the well-being of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced gratitude for the generous pledges of approximately USD 100 million made at the Extraordinary Ministerial Conference in Rome on March 15 titled Preserving Dignity and Sharing Responsibility Almost 20 donors pledged additional contributions, including Qatar, Norway, Turkey, Canada, India and Switzerland. Giving details of the pledges made by the nations, Guterress spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here yesterday that the Emir of the Qatar pledged USD 50 million in new contributions, while Norway pledged USD 13.6 million, Turkey USD 10 million and a doubling of their food aid, Canada USD 7.7 million, India USD 5 million and Switzerland USD 4.2 million. He said the ministerial conference was an exceptional demonstration of high-level support for UNRWAs mandate and a recognition for the continued necessity of its work in support of over five million Palestine refugees. Dujarric added that the pledges made in Rome represent an important first step, yet a lot of work remains to fully close the critical shortfall. The Secretary-General encourages all Member States…
Aadhaar exposes transgenders to surveillance, harassment: Supreme Court told
The Supreme Court was told on Tuesday that the parting of personal biometric and demographic information by transgenders and sexual minorities under the Aadhaar Act exposes them to violence, surveillance and harassment by the State and private persons. Once the personal demographic details of transgenders and sexual minorities is declared, it exposes them to surveillance, violence, and discrimination including infringement of their fundamental right to life and liberty, equality, free speech and movement, NGO Swatantra told a constitution bench. The five-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices A.K. Sikri, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, is hearing a batch of petitions including by former Karnataka High Court Judge K.S. Puttuswamy, Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha, feminist researcher Kalyani Sen Menon and others challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act. Appearing for Swatantra, advocate Jayana Kothari told the court that agencies collecting demography information for Aadhaar could not insist on the disclosure of gender identity as it is covered under privacy. Pointing to the Supreme Court granting transgenders the legal status by recognising them as the third gender, Kothari said the compulsory disclosure of gender identity while parting with biometric and demographic information was violative of the Constitutions Article…
Day after Dalit protests, death toll rises to 11; counter-violence in Rajasthan
Fresh violence broke out in Rajasthan today as a 5,000-strong mob set ablaze the houses of a sitting and a former MLA, both Dalits, even as the death toll from yesterdays nationwide stir by Dalit groups rose to 11 with two more persons succumbing to their injuries in Madhya Pradesh. While the Supreme Court today declined to stay its recent order on the SC\/ST Act, which had triggered the Bandh call by Dalit organisations that alleged the move diluted their constitutional rights, the government maintained that it was not responsible for any dilution and that it was fully committed to protecting the interests of the backward communities. Normal life was thrown out of gear in more than 10 states, most of them BJP-ruled, with widespread violence during the protests called by Dalit organisations yesterday with poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan bearing the maximum brunt. Counter-protests were reported today from Rajasthan, where traders groups and members of other castes hit the streets over the damage caused yesterday. In Alwar district, where a man was killed yesterday, people staged a sit-in protest, refusing to cremate the body of the victim. The houses of a sitting and a former MLA, both Dalits, were…
‘Blood on hand’ row: BJP says Salman Khurshid remark is Congress ‘Kaboolnama’; party distances from former Law Min
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid finds himself isolated following a controversy over his statement that the Grand Old Partys hands are tainted by the blood stains of Muslims. The Congress party has distanced itself from the former Law Ministers remark. The party said it completely disagrees with the former Law Ministers statement and reminded its leaders that such unfounded remarks only help those in power today. Speaking at an event in Aligarh Muslim University on Tuesday, Salman Khurshid acknowledged that communal riots and other sectarian acts did take place during the Congress rule. Asked what he has to say about anti-Muslim riots and Babri Mosque demolition under Congress rule, Khurshid said, . (but) we will show these stains, that you understand that if you attack these people, the stains will ultimately stain you Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that his party disagrees with such comments in toto. Everyone must know that both prior and post-independence, Congress is the only party, which has worked towards building an egalitarian society by carrying all sections of people together including scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, poor, religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities of this country, Surjewala was quoted as saying by PTI. He cautioned people that…
Delhi cash van robbery: Two killed, Rs 12 lakh robbed
Two custodians of a cash collection van were today shot dead by unidentified assailants, who robbed Rs 12 lakh from it in Narela, the police said. The robbery-cum-killing took place around 2.30 pm when the van had come to pick up cash from a wine shop at the DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation) industrial area, they added. According to police official, cashier Rajnikant and guard Prem Kumar were shot at by three unidentified motorcycle-borne persons. The accused, who were wearing helmets to hide their faces, fired at the victims 18-20 times and then fled with the cash box containing Rs 12 lakh, police said. Both the victims succumbed to their injuries at the Raja Harishchandra Hospital in Narela, the official added. According to Rajneesh Gupta, deputy commissioner of police (Rohini), since the incident occurred close to the Haryana border, there is a possibility of Haryana-based criminals being involved. Police was also probing whether there was some insiders role since the accused were aware about the movement of the van. To solve it, the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Special Cell have also been associated with the case, said the DCP. Notably, on April 24 also some unidentified…
Big setback for six NIT Agartala students, suspended on charges of ragging
Two senior students have been academically suspended and punitive action has been taken against four other students of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala, on charge of ragging, an official said here on Wednesday. Two senior NIT-Agartala students of 8th semester have been suspended academically on charges of ragging junior students. Four other students have been fined Rs 5,000 and three among them have been asked to quit the institute hostels, NIT-Agartala, Dean of Students Welfare Rajsekhar Panua told IANS. The anti-ragging committee of NIT-Agartala, headed by Panua took these punitive actions after an inquiry on a complaint of ragging. Another NIT-Agartala official said that on March 9 around midnight, some senior students had called a number of junior students to a meeting outside the hostel and physically tortured them in the name of ragging. In the ragging, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, Dui Duji, sustained serious injuries but he was not even taken to hospital. Duji informed his parents and it was only after their arrival that the victim was hospitalised, the official added. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had earlier spoken to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Director General of Tripura Police…
BJP MPs to have dinner meeting with PM Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah on Friday
BJP MPs will have a dinner meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah on Friday at the new BJP headquarters here. Modi informed the MPs about the dinner meeting at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting and said he was doing so on behalf of Shah who had gone to Meghalaya to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Party sources said it will be an occasion for the MPs- 332 in total- to visit the headquarters- a modern and capacious building at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg- and interact with their leaders. The BJP is in an upbeat mood following its win in Tripura and impressive performance in Nagaland and Meghalaya. The party is keen to maintain the momentum for the crucial assembly polls in Karnataka, where the Congress is in power.
1993 Mumbai blasts: Dawood Ibrahim aide Farooq Takla brought to Mumbai from Dubai, to be produced in TADA court
Farooq Takla, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was brought to Mumbai after he was deported from Dubai. Takla, who is considered to be a close aide of fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, will be produced before Mumbais TADA court, reports said. Takla fled the country after he was grilled by CBI in connection with the 1993 blasts. A red-corner notice was also issued against Takla in 1995. This comes days after noted criminal lawyer Shyam Keswani had revealed that Dawood wanted to return to India but on his conditions, something that the Centre had denied outright. Takla was arrested by CBI sleuths in Dubai and was deported to India by United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities. Takla was brought back in an Air India flight in the early hours of Thursday, reports said. Takla was the key man who managed Dawoods international crime syndicate from Dubai. He was wanted in cases like extortion, murder and kidnapping. Besides this, Takla was also charged with criminal conspiracy. Read Also: Dawood Ibrahim to return to India? Here is what fugitive don wants from Centre NCP leader Majeed Memon claimed that the deportation of Farooq Takla shows that he had shown interest…
Rahul Gandhi’s fast at Rajghat: Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler asked to leave – top developments
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has arrived at Raj Ghat for his scheduled day-long fast against the Narendra Modi government and non-functioning of Parliament. Earlier, it was reported that Gandhi will lead a protest. Congress workers across the country are holding a day-long fast at all state and district headquarters to protest against the BJP. The Congress chief was scheduled to protest along with Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken and party workers against the government and its failure to hold a discussion in Parliament on key issues such as the CBSE paper leak, multi-crore PNB scam, Cauvery issue and Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. The Congress will also take up issues related to the alleged dilution of the SC\/ST Act, farm distress, and disillusionment among the youth. – Congress workers across the nation have gathered at fast venues. The party shared some glimpses of its units that are observing the day-long fast. Here are some glimpses of Congress party units across the country that are observing a day-long fast today to protest the rising atrocities against Dalits, Adivasis, minorities under the Modi Govt. #CongressForPeaceAndHarmony, the party tweeted. – Meanwhile, in what came as an embarrassment for the Congress party, 1984…
LG Anil Baijal ‘drunk on power’, says Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said today that Lt Governor Anil Baijal was drunk on power after the LG allegedly did not to reply to his letter seeking details of communication with the Centre on reserved subjects such as public order, police, services and land. A letter from Delhi Assembly was sent to the Lt Governors office on March 27, seeking copies of communication on reserved subjects between the Centre and the LG. Goel said he received no reply from Baijails office to the letter. It is highly condemnable that he did not find it fit to reply to a Constitutional functionary. He is drunk on power, he told reporters at a press conference. Last month, the Ministry of Law had advised the Delhi Lt Governors office to communicate to the Assembly Speaker that he should not admit questions related to reserved subjects. The answers related to these subjects were denied to the Assembly by the concerned department in the Budget Session. Baijal is protecting the officials. Why cannot Delhi MLAs ask questions over Delhi Police and DDA that concern the interests of people who have voted for them, Goel said. He said he will seek legal opinion on…
‘Golden period will begin only when BJP wins West Bengal, Odisha and retains power in 2019’
BJP president Amit Shah today asserted that the partys golden period will begin only when it wins West Bengal and Odisha and retains power at the Centre in 2019. He also ruled out any possibility of the Lok Sabha election being advanced or the Maharashtra polls being held along with it. He was addressing the BJP workers from Maharashtra to mark the 38th Foundation Day of the party at a venue in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, where the partys first rally was held after its inception in 1980. Shah said, Our golden period will come when we win Bengal and Odisha and retain power under the leadership of Narendra Modi in 2019 with a full majority, he said. Shah added that with 11 crore workers, the BJP was the single largest political party in the world. The last 38 years were not without difficulties and struggle. Success could be achieved because of our workers, who are the real owners of the party, unlike other parties which are led by mother-son and father-son pairs, he said, taking a dig at the Congress and other opposition parties. The Modi government was running a poor-friendly and farmer-friendly regime, the BJP chief added. LPG, cleanliness…
Hyderabad Police ban drones for a month
Hyderabad Police have banned the flying of drones and other remote-controlled flying devices in the city, from April 8 to May 7, in view of possible attacks that may be carried out through such devices by terror groups or anti-social elements. No flying activities of Remotely Controlled Drones or Para-Gliders or Remotely Controlled Micro-Light Aircraft be allowed in the Jurisdiction of Hyderabad City Police Commissionerate limits without prior Police permission in writing, a notification issued by IPS Anjani Kumar, Commissioner of Police and Executive Magistrate of Hyderabad City, read. Inputs have been received by intelligence agencies about the possibility of attacks by Terrorist\/Antisocial elements by the use of para-gliders, remote controlled drones, remote controlled micro-light aircraft, etc., and there is every likelihood of breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquility and also there is grave danger to human life, health, safety and damage to public property on that account, it added. As per the notification, government agencies and organizations will need to obtain appropriate clearance from local Police and aviation authorities before launching any Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Unmanned Aerial Survey (UAS) for any purpose. Any person contravening this order shall be punishable under section 188 of the Indian…
UP man accuses BJP MLA Sangeet Som accused of duping him of Rs 53 lakh
A man here has alleged that BJP MLA Sangeet Som has duped him of Rs 53 lakh, a charge the lawmaker has denied, saying it was being done under a conspiracy by some local SP leaders. Rahul Singh, a resident of Rajpur Momin, in a complaint to the additional director general of police (Meerut Zone) alleged that he had given the money to Som for a partnership in a brick-kiln. However, official documentation for the transaction and partnership was not completed by Som and thus, he duped me of Rs 53 lakh, Singh alleged yesterday. The complainant claimed that he had arranged the money by selling his buffaloes and taking a bank loan by mortgaging his farm land. If action is not taken in a day or two, Singh said his family would petition Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He has also threatened that they would commit suicide, if they do not get justice there also. Som, however, said, This is a conspiracy by local Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders. Whenever there are talks of me becoming a minister, such misinformation is peddled against me by rival leaders. Few days ago, the man had levelled the same allegation against me,…
Kolkata Metro moral policing incident: Protests outside Tollygunge station
A rally was organized outside Tollygunge Metro station today to protest against an alleged moral policing incident inside a train compartment. According to the media reports, a man hugging his female friend raised eyebrows in a metro coach on Monday evening. A few people objected to the alleged intimacy, following which an argument ensued between the two sides. The mob then allegedly heckled the couple, pushed them out of the train and beat them up, the reports said. Youths gathered in large numbers outside Tollygunge Metro station this morning with placards and posters bearing slogans – Hok alingan (lets hug). We are here to protest against the moral policing incident in metro. Our city is known as the city of joy and love. We have never witnessed such incidents before. It is completely shameful, said a student of a renowned college in the city. Kolkata is known for its liberal mindset and it has no place for moral policing, he added. Another student, who was part of the team that organised the demonstration, said they would offer free hugs inside the metro compartments today in protest against the incident. A man and a woman hugging each other is no crime….
Good news for DTU students, teachers; they can now pedal on campus
Students and teachers of the Delhi Technological University (DTU) can pedal to their destinations on the 164-acre campus, a facility that was launched today after the varsity partnered with an app-based bicycle-sharing platform. Ofo, claimed to be the largest bicycle-sharing platform across the world operated through a mobile application, will deploy 150 bicycles on the DTU campus, giving students and staff a convenient and environment-friendly alternative for commute on the campus, a statement issued by Beijing-based company said. Riders will be able to pick up and drop Ofo bicycles from anywhere within the university premises to either travel from their hostel to classes or to traverse different departments, without having to resort to motorized vehicles, it said. DTU vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh, in the statement said, We would take all initiatives to encourage bicycling in the campus. The technology-enabled bicycles are accessible through a mobile application. Features like night illumination make the bicycles usable 24×7. A user has to open the app to find all the bicycles in the vicinity. Then the user has to tap the unlock button and scan the QR code to automatically unlock the bicycle. At the destination, one has to park the bicycle and manually lock…
Shiv Sena flays Venkaiah Naidu’s decision to reject CJI impeachment move
The rejection of the Oppositions notice to impeach the Chief Justice of India by the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu was not surprising, the Shiv Sena said today as it targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. The ally of the ruling BJP said the four pillars of the democracy have been made hollow by termites and nobody can rule for long after having lost the trust of the people. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, the Shiv Sena referred to rejection of the notice of seven opposition parties, led by the Congress, to impeach the chief justice on five grounds of misbehaviour and said the decision taken by Naidu should not be surprising. There have been many technical and legal reasons stated for rejecting the motion. Even if there wasnt any reason, the impeachment motion would not have been accepted, it said. The party said that apart from technical reasons, Naidu himself did not believe the charges levelled by the Opposition against the CJI Dipak Misra. Nowadays, words like merit have no meaning left. Whatever PM Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah decide is the only merit, it said. The Rajya Sabha chairman had said…
Gadchiroli encounter: After killing 20 Naxals, Jawans celebrate, dance to Sapna Choudhary song; watch video
Gadchiroli encounter: Work hard, party harder! This mantra is quite popular among todays youth. However, it seems that jawans, who brave the inclement weather, harsh terrain to safeguard the countrys internal security from dreaded Naxals and Maoists, are also enjoying it. Last evening a team of police commandos and the CRPF killed four more naxals in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra in a fresh encounter, a day after eliminating 16 Naxals in Karnasur jungle. Subsequently, there were scenes of of jubilation and celebrations in the area. A video released by news agency ANI shows that jawans danced and grooved amazingly to a foot tapping popular Haryanvi song that features The jubilation started after fresh gun-battle took place in Rajaram Khandla jungle in Jimalgatta area of the district, said Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sharad Shelar. The elite C-60 commandos of district police were involved in the operation, said another senior police official. The first encounter took place between the Naxals and a team of police commandos and the CRPF in Kasansur forest in Bhamragad on Sunday morning. Maharashtra Director General of Police Satish Mathur, earlier today, attributed the success to accurate and specific intelligence, the low morale of the…
In dry state Bihar, son of MP who tipped police on anti-liquor law violation arrested for consuming alcohol
A man who happens to be the son of a Bharaitya Janata Party lawmaker in Bihar has been arrested by the state police for allegedly consuming liquor in the dry state. The arrested youth has been identified as Rahul Manjhi, son of Hari Manjhi, the Member of Parliament from the states Gaya district. According to a report in The Indian Express, Manjhi said that he had informed the police that some people in his village in Motiya police station were violating the anti-liquor law. But the police arrested his son. The lawmaker said that the police officials were deliberately targeting him. Gaya police, however, denied the MPs accusation and said that they have arrested three youth after conducting a breath analyser test. The remaining two are Vedan Manjhi and Munarik Choudhary. Police said that they also found alcohol beyond the permissible limit in their blood during the test. Police said that on Saturday a search operation was conducted in Nama village on the basis of a complaint filed by the MP. Gaya City SP Gaurav Mangla said that police had on the intervening night of April 21 and 22 conducted a search operation in the West Nama village and arrested…
CJI Dipak Misra impeachment: Naidu move shows non-application of mind, says Yechury
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today said Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidus decision to reject the Oppositions impeachment plea of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was done with a certain degree of non-application of mind. I am sorry to say that about the honourable Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Naidu), but I think that the methods, that had been very clearly laid down – both in the constitutional procedures and the rules – have not been followed, Yechury told PTI. He said the presiding officer of either House, in which the impeachment motion has been moved, does not have the discretion to independently decide about the validity of the motion. The motion needs to be referred to a three-member committee, which normally should include a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist. Yechury, who was re-elected as the partys general secretary yesterday, said if that committee gives the findings, saying the impeachment motion is untenable, then the Chairman could have taken the decision. But, without doing that, taking that decision (rejection of impeachment plea) smacks of a certain degree of non-application of mind and also been in a hurry. I am sure that…
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu says Parliament must debate serious bank frauds issue
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today said Parliament should function to debate serious issue of alleged PNB bank fraud by Nirav Modi and others that have damaged the image of the country and led people to question the entire banking system. Parliament has been repeatedly disrupted ever since it met after the recess to continue the Budget session. Today also, both houses were adjourned in the morning session. Two three instances of Nirav Modi, (Mehul) Choksi and Vijay Mallya.but they are damaging the image of the country and they are damaging the image of the system. People are questioning entire banking system. Is there a structural failure, is there a collusion of people at different levels. If it is so, then why no action is taken, Naidu said while addressing a realtors body CREDAI annual conclave. He expressed hope that Parliament would function and have meaningful and constructive debate on this important issue. Stressing that there is no use in finding fault in whose regime the frauds took place, he said the lawmaker should find out where does the fault lies. The issue is of people losing confidence in the banking system. This is the larger issue. Who is accountable…
PM Narendra Modi pitches for transforming 115 districts to change HDI ranking
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said hardcore politics of agitation were not as relevant as in the past and called for transformation of 115 aspirational districts to achieve social justice and improve the countrys ranking in the Human Development Index (HDI). Inaugurating the National Legislators Conference in the Central Hall of Parliament here, Modi also pitched for posting young and motivated IAS officers in these 115 districts for quicker results. The Prime Minister said he was against classifying the 115 districts, which lag in specific development parameters, as backward. Strategically, there has been a need to fine-tune our development model, he said. The Prime Minister said the traditional concept of social justice has been in the context of the condition of society but there is another aspect of it. If one village has electricity but the neighbouring one does not, is it not social justice that it should too have electricity. The principle of social justice inspires us for this, Modi said. He said development in 115 aspirational district was social justice. If all children in our area get education, it is a step towards social justice. If all houses have electricity, it is a step towards social justice….
Why India-US two-plus-two dialoge was postponed: All you need to know
The India-US two-plus-two meeting has been postponed as of now due to uncertainty over confirmation of nomination of Mike Pompeo, as the new Secretary of State, according to officials. The first two-plus-two meeting between India and the US was tentatively scheduled for April 18-19. The launch of two-plus-two dialogue was announced last summer when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a successful meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. However, there was no official announcement of the high-level dialogue involving the foreign and defence ministers from the two countries. Indias foreign and defence secretaries were here early this week for preparatory talks with their American counterparts. The Indian delegation landed in Washington DC amidst the firing of Rex Tillerson as the Secretary of State by Trump. The delegation continued with their meetings both at the State Department and the Pentagon as scheduled, during which it was decided to hold the two-plus-two dialogue at a later date, which is unlikely to be held before the summer. The two-plus-two dialogue was seen as a vehicle to elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries. After June last year, the two countries have tried at several other dates for this dialogue…
Modi govt rescinds education fee cap for martyrs’ children
Bowing to a demand of the armed forces, the government has removed the cap of Rs 10,000 per month on educational assistance given to children of martyrs or those disabled in action, eight months after imposing it. In a statement, the Defence Ministry said it had twice taken up the issue with the Finance Ministry which has now withdrawn the cap. Under the scheme, which was initially rolled out in 1972, tuition fee of children of martyrs or those disabled in action were completely waived in schools, colleges and other professional educational institutions. The government order in July last year saying the assistance under the scheme cannot exceed Rs 10,000 per month had triggered widespread discontent among all the three services. Three months ago, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, in his capacity as Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), had taken up the issue with the Defence Ministry, asking it to remove the cap. The Ministry of Defence had persuaded the Finance Ministry twice in this regard, which is agreed upon by the latter, the Defence Ministry said. In a note issued yesterday, the Finance Ministry said the educational concession will continue without the cap of Rs 10,000 per…
Alarming! Bengaluru, India’s tech hub, may soon run out of water, says study
Indias tech hub, Bengaluru, may soon run out of water like Cape Town in South Africa, which is facing a severe water crisis, a statement from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. Bengaluru is one of the 10 metropolitan cities in the world that are quickly moving towards Day Zero (when the cities will completely run out of water), said the statement quoting a study by the CSEs Down To Earth magazine. Beijing (China), Mexico City (Mexico), Sanaa (Yemen), Nairobi (Kenya), Istanbul (Turkey), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Karachi (Pakistan), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Kabul (Afghanistan) are the other nine cities that may soon run out of water, the study mentioned. While the number of water bodies in Bengaluru has reduced by 79 per cent due to unplanned urbanisation and encroachment, the built-up area has gone up from 8 per cent in 1973 to 77 per cent, it stated. According to the study, the citys water table went down from 10-12 metres to 76-91 metres in 20 years, while the extraction wells have gone up from 5,000 to 4.5 lakhs in 30 years owing to increasing population. The citys over 10 million population is estimated to reach 20.3…
Arvind Kejriwal meets dissenting Punjab AAP MLAs, Delhi CM clarifies apology letter to Bikram Singh Majithia
On the backfoot over tendering an apology to former Punjab minister and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the AAP sought to pacify its party MLAs from the northern state to avert a split in the state unit. Party supremo Arvind Kejriwals apology letter to Majithia for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade, had taken everyone by surprise, especially the AAPs Punjab unit. The partys Punjab president Bhagwant Mann and its co-president Aman Arora had recently resigned from their posts in protest against Kejriwals apology. Of the 20 AAP MLAs from Punjab, 10 lawmakers along with state unit leaders met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence here today where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present. The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Majithia. Majithia had slapped a defamation case against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for accusing the former of drug trade during the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls campaign. According to party sources, the Punjab AAP MLAs present in the meeting are believed to have been convinced with Kejriwals explanation. However, only half of the dissenting party MLAs were present in the meeting, with the remaining legislators still…
Why did Arvind Kejriwal say ‘sorry’? Under fire from within, AAP to explain Delhi CM’s apology spree to workers at local meetings
The Aam Aadmi party (AAP) has decided to begin dishing out explanations to party workers at ground zero to clear the furore over its convener Arvind Kejriwals decision to apologise to his political rivals. According to a media report, the AAP will start giving explanations to its volunteers from next month at zonal meetings. Kejriwal had earlier this month written apology letters to former Punjab minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia for levelling false allegations about his alleged involvement in drugs trade in the state. Days later, he had apologised to senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari for making defamatory comments against him. The Delhi CM had also apologised to senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal and his son Amit for making baseless allegations. Since then, various party leaders are of the view that Kejriwals apology letters to his political rivals have invited unwanted embarrassment to the party which stormed to power in Delhi with a brute majority in 2015 on an anti-corruption plank. Besides denting his personal image, his decision also badly hit the morale of the party workers. Partys Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai said that party workers are not happy…