Chief Minister Raman Singhs BJP government in Chhattisgarh has recalled a circular issued by the Police Headquarters to implement the Supreme Courts latest order in which it had made some changes in the SC\/ST Act. Raman Singh said that the order stands annulled as of now and the state will move the Supreme Court seeking review of its March 20 order that has caused a nationwide outrage. Singh said that the BJP government is committed to the welfare of the SC\/ST people and has been sensitive towards their cause. Till then the order stands cancelled, The Police Headquarters had on April 6 issued a circular asking the police to implement the Supreme Courts order strictly. The order was issued days before Prime Minister visited the state and utilised the opportunity to assure the nation that his government will not allow the dilution of the Act which seeks to deliver speedy justice to marginalised section of the society. The circular was issued by ADGP RK Vij to all SPs. Vij refused to make any comment when approached by The Indian Express. We have always been sensitive towards cause of SCs STs, however state govt, just like Centre, will appeal against decision…
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Narendra Modi government’s work for welfare of Dalits ‘exemplary’, says Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said the Modi governments exemplary record for the welfare of Dalits and the BJPs popularity among depressed classes had led to a smear campaign by other political parties. Stating that the alleged dilution of the SC\/ST Act came through a Supreme Court order on a petition wherein the Centre was not even made a party, the Law and Justice Minister told reporters that a review petition had been filed. Our record with regard to welfare of Dalits has been exemplary. The SC\/ST Act came into being in 1989. But it was in 2015 when the law was given more teeth by the inclusion of acts such as blackening of face, forcible shaving of head and prevention from riding a horse under its ambit, Prasad said. The BJP has the largest number of MPs, legislators, mayors, zila parishad chairpersons and village mukhiyas from the Schedule Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST) communities, the minister said. This has led to jitters among parties, which have always used the weaker section for votes, he said. Lashing out at the Congress, Prasad wondered why B R Ambedkar was not conferred the Bharat Ratna till the V P Singh…
Rejecting Justice Joseph’s elevation not linked with his Uttarakhand ruling: Prasad
The government today rejected suggestions that it turned down the elevation of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph to the Supreme Court as he had once overturned the imposition of Presidents Rule in the state. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also said that it has the right to seek reconsideration of proposals sent by the Supreme Court collegium as the power flows from three apex court judgements. The government had on April 26 asked the Supreme Court collegium to reconsider its recommendation to elevate Justice Joseph to the apex court, saying the elevation may not be appropriate. In a letter to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Prasad had said the governments rejection of Justice Josephs name has approval of the President and the Prime Minister and also flagged that the SCs\/STs have no representation in the Supreme Court since long. The proposed appointment of .. Joseph as a judge of the Supreme Court at this stage does not appear to be appropriate, Prasad had said in the letter. It would also not be fair and justified to other more senior, suitable and deserving chief justices and senior judges of various high courts. Responding to questions on the…
CBI books EPFO official in bribery case
The CBI has registered a case against an Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) official for demanding a Rs 40,000 bribe from the owner of a private hospital here to settle the issue of late payment of an EPF subscription, an official said on Thursday.The move comes following a complaint received from Chaitra Hospital on Wednesday against the EPFO enforcement officer L. Ananda Rao. In its complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation , Idupuganti Navaraj, brother of Chaitra Hospitals owner Haribhauan, said Rao and his team conducted inspection of the hospital on March 21 and 26 and took away some balance sheets, attendance registers and other documents. Rao asked for certain other records like balance sheets for 2017 and 2018. We asked 10-day time to submit the records. After two days, Rao demanded Rs 40,000 to settle the issue of late payment of EPF subscription of the hospital for December 2017, January 2018 and February 2018, said the complaint. The CBI booked the official under charges of Prevention of Corruption Act and conducted raids at the offices and residential places of the accused person on Thursday.
Lokpal: Centre tells SC that process to appoint eminent jurist underway
The Centre today told the Supreme Court that the process to fill up the vacancy of an eminent jurist in the selection committee for appointing Lokpal was going on. Attorney General K K Venugopal told a bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi that recommendation for induction of an eminent jurist in the panel has been made and the process was underway. The bench said that it doesnt consider necessary to pass any order at this stage but said it expects that the process of appointment of Lokpal will be made at the earliest. The bench has listed the matter for further hearing on May 15. Senior advocate P P Rao was earlier appointed as an eminent jurist in the committee but the post became vacant after he passed away last year. The bench was hearing a contempt petition filed by NGO Common Cause, which has raised the issue of non-appointment of Lokpal despite the apex courts verdict of April 27 last year. The apex court, in its last years verdict, said there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments, including on the issue of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, were…
Sonia Gandhi hosts dinner for opposition parties – What all discussed?
Leaders of 20 opposition parties tonight got together at a dinner hosted by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, where possibilities of putting up a united front to defeat the BJP in the next general elections were discussed. The move is being seen as an attempt to forge opposition unity to defeat the BJP-led NDA. According to sources, leaders of NCP, RJD, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK and Left parties attended the dinner among others. The prominent leaders in attendance were NCPs Sharad Pawar, SPs Ram Gopal Yadav, BSPs Satish Chandra Misra and former chief ministers Omar Abdullah, Babulal Marandi, Hemant Soren and Jiten Ram Manjhi, besides JD(U)s Sharad Yadav and RLDs Ajit Singh. The RJD was represented by both children of party chief Lalu Prasad – former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and Misa Bharti. The others present included TMCs Sudip Bandyopadhyay, CPI-Ms D Raja and Mohammad Salim, DMKs Kanimozhi, AIUDFs Baddrauddin Ajmal and leaders of Kerala Congress, besides Kupender Reddy of the JD-S. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and Randeep Surjewala were among the Congress leaders present. According to sources, leaders of Andhra Pradeshs…
Failing to get bed in ICU, kin keep 65-year-old alive by pumping oxygen manually for 96 hours in Ahmedabad
A 65-year-old is battling for his life in Ahmedabad Civil Hospitals general ward for the past four days. Dahyabhai Patel, who hails from Balsinor is alive but not because of the doctors but his two cousins, instead. Both his cousins are on 12-hour shifts each to pump Ambu bag (resuscitator) manually around the clock. According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, Patel is at the top of the waiting list of patients for the 42-bed ICU as of March 15. The waiting list has 34 patients. Patel was admitted to the hospital on March 13 after gobbling up sleeping pills. Jasubhai Patel, kin of the patient while continuously pumping the Ambu bag said that they had first gone to a private hospital but the ICU was full after which Civil Hospital was the last resort. But it has been four days and they still have no idea when Patel will be shifted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. The result of continuous pumping has resulted in Jasubhais hands to swell and ache but he cannot stop pumping the Ambu bag until his other cousin replaces him for the job. Both cousins do a 12-hour shift no-stop each and…
2 Chinese nationals dead, one seriously ill after gas leak on cargo ship near Gujarat’s Navlakhi port
Two Chinese nationals died while another one fell seriously ill after an incident of gas leakage on board a cargo ship near Navlakhi Port in Gujarats Morbi coast on Sunday. According to reports, the ship Feng Hui Ha had loaded the coal from Indonesia and was on the way to Gujarats Navlakhi port for Jamnagar-based Scorpio Shipping Company. Speaking to The Indian Express, Pradip Shejul, Superintendent of police (SP) Jamnagar said, One of the crew members opened the door of a coal container and he was affected by the gas generated from the coal as it had remained packed for long. Two fellow crew members rushed in to help him but they too were affected by the gas. They were rushed to Jamnagar by a tug where the doctors declared two of them as brought dead while the third one is undergoing treatment. As the crew was affected by gas leakage they were brought to Jamnagar which is the nearest tertiary care centre. All the three crew members were taken to a local state government-run hospital, GG General Hospital in Jamnagar where the doctors declared two of them brought dead while the third person was having respiratory issues and is…
Rahul Gandhi questioning Narendra Modi on 4 yrs; what did Congress do for masses in 50, asks Amit Shah
Rahul Gandhi keeps asking what the Modi government has done in the past four years when the country wants to know what the Congress did for the masses in its 50 years, BJP chief Amit Shah said today. Shah said the top priority of the government, which is led by his party, was to ensure security on borders and handling terrorism strictly by adopting a zero tolerance policy. The BJP chief was addressing the concluding session of the partys Mahila Morcha national executive meeting at a private institute here. Without taking any names he said when our enemy had forgotten the incident in which our soldiers were beheaded by its army, India launched surgical strikes to avenge the incident. Attacking Gandhi, he said the Congress president keeps asking what had been done in four years of the Modi government. The country wants to know that what Congress had done in its regime of 50 years for the masses, Shah said. The BJP government is providing loans to unemployed youths to make them self employed. The opposition parties took jibe on the issue by talking of Any kind of job which involves hardwork is considered dignified, he added. The previous governments…
Unnao rape case: Will arrest BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, SIT tells Allahabad HC; Highlights here
Unnao rape case LIVE Updates: Facing all-round ire over the gangrape of a Dalit girl and the recent death of her father in police custody, Unnao MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on Wednesday made a midnight visit to SSP Deepak Kumars office in Lucknow with his supporters triggering speculation that he may surrender. When confronted by mediapersons, Sengar said that he had come to inquire whether his name has appeared in any of the FIRs. When he came out of the SSP office, Sengar and his aides got into a scuffle with reporters. Taunting reports, Sengar said that he will go wherever you (media) says. Let Sengar is an accused in the alleged gangrape of a Dalit girl and later forcing her father to withdraw the case. Reports have claimed that when the victims father refused to comply, he was picked up by the police. Later, Sengars brother and his aides allegedly thrashed him brutally in police custody. He succumbed to his injuries later. Highlights: 3:43 pm: The Allahabad High Court to pronounce its order at 2 pm tomorrow. 3:05 pm: Union Minister Satyapal Singh said that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. He said that sometimes such…
Internet like thing existed in Mahabharata era, claims Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy
Three days after supporting Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Debs claims that the Internet existed in the days of Mahabharata, the states Governor Tathagata Roy today said what he had meant was there was a possibility of something of that sort. See, I have not said that there was Internet at that time, Roy told reporters here. I had merely stated this is a thing what we are trying to find out. Unless there was a prototype of something of that sort at that time it was not possible, to conceive such a thing, he said. In his April 17 tweet, Roy said, Tripura Chief Ministers observations about the happenings of the puranic period are topical. It is virtually impossible to conceive of devices like Divya Drishti, puspaka Ratha, etc without some kind of prototype and study there on. The Tripura chief minister had claimed that the Internet and sophisticated satellite communication system existed in the days of Mahabharata, drawing ridicule from his opponents, academicians and social media users who termed his contention as unscientific, illogical and retrogressive. Roy said people did not imagine mobile phones in the 1960s as there was no prototype of cellphones at that time. So,…
Big decision by Home Ministry: Now, foreigners can travel to Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur unrestricted
Foreign tourists, except those from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country which, so far, were out of bounds for them without a special permit, officials said today. The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as protected areas. The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, besides parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area. A review is underway to lift the PAP from other areas too, another official said. Citizens from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, however, continue to be banned from all PAP areas, including Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. As per a December 30, 2010 circular of the ministry, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland were excluded from the protected area regime initially for a period of one year from January 1, 2011, subject to some conditions. As per the guidelines, a foreign national is not normally allowed to…
Meena’s rejoining BJP will help make Rajasthan Congress-free, says Vasundhara Raje
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today said she was confident that tribal leader and MLA Kirori Lal Meenas coming back to the BJP will be a step towards making the state Congress-free. The chief minister said this outside the Rajasthan Assembly after Meena filed his nomination for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections. Meena, who had separated from the BJP in 2008, rejoined the party yesterday along with his two National Peoples Party (NPP) MLAs. He, as the state president of the NPP, which he had joined in 2013, also merged his party with the BJP. Meena will walk shoulder-to-shoulder in making the state Congress-free, Raje said, adding that the BJP will form government in the Centre and in Rajasthan. The chief minister was accompanied by state BJP president Ashok Parnami. Meena, after filing his nomination, said I will also try to convince other BJP dissidents to join main stream and raise the issues of people of the state in Rajya Sabha, Sitting Rajya Sabha MP Bhupendra Yadav, Meena and veteran party leader Madan Lal Saini today filed three sets of nominations each as the BJP candidates for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan. Returning officer Akhil Arora administered oath…
Congress targets Piyush Goyal again, demands his removal
The Congress today again demanded the removal of Union minister Piyush Goyal, alleging that financial deals of a company owned by him were a Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that four months after holding the portfolio of New and Renewable Energy, Goyal sold his entire holding in Flashnet Info Solutions (India) Limited, owned by him and his wife, at nearly 1000 per cent premium to a company of Piramal group which has interests in the renewable energy sector. He alleged that Goyal did not disclose this in his assets made public on the PMO website soon after becoming a minister and this was a clear case of conflict of interest. Khera during a press briefing said this was a murky saga of gratification, gross impropriety and conflict of interest involving one of the senior most Cabinet ministers of the Modi government . Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives sermons of na khaunga, na khane doonga. Will the Prime Minister answer as to why are former BJPs treasurer and his favourite Cabinet minister as also Karnataka in-charge Piyush Goyal and his wife intertwined in a murky web of financial dealings? Will he answer that to the people of India? he asked. Reacting…
Centre assures to keep Ram Sethu intact: Here is all you need to know about the case
Centre assures to keep Ram Sethu intact: The Centre told Supreme Court today that it wont touch Ram Sethu in the interest of the nation. An affidavit saying that the central government will explore alternate ways for its Sethusamudram Shipping Canal project, without touching the Ram Sethu, has been filed in the Supreme Court by the Narendra Modi government in a number of petitions filed by various persons, including senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The affidavit reads: The Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier Alignment of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project without affecting\/damaging the Adam As per the legends of Ramayana, it is believed the Ram Sethu was built by Lord Ram with help from an army of monkeys, to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. In the 1990s, the government felt a need to connect the coasts of the two nations for better trade. Therefore, a project titled Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project was mooted by the Government of India. In 1997, the government decided to go ahead with the project. The project could reach its implementation stage only in 2005. The project involved creating an 83-km-long deepwater channel that will link Mannar…
Kathua, Unnao incidents: PFI asks Modi government to ensure perpetrators of both cases shouldn’t be ‘shielded, glorified’
Terming the Kathua and Unnao rape incidents as violent acts to subjugate, humiliate and instill fear, the Population Foundation of India (PFI) has asked the government to ensure that the perpetrators are neither shielded nor glorified. PFI is a body advocating for effective formulation of gender sensitive population. Executive Chairperson, PFI, Poonam Muttreja, has demanded that the government act to ensure women in the country do not feel insecure and unsafe. In Jammu and Kashmirs Kathua, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, raped and killed, while a minor girl in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao district has alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and her father was killed in police custody after he refused to withdraw the FIR. What happened in Kathua and Unnao are violent acts to subjugate, humiliate and instill fear. The government should condemn such atrocities, and ensure that the perpetrators are neither shielded nor glorified. Justice has to be delivered before it is too late, or else we will only have an escalation of such acts of violence. We owe it to the victims of Kathua and Unnao, and to every girl and woman of our country, Muttreja said. The PFI said it has…
Shiv Sena extends support to farmers’ march against BJP government in Maharashtra
The Shiv Sena has extended support to the farmers long march currently underway against the BJP government, organisers said today. The march, which commenced from Nashik on March 6, will culminate here on Monday and protestors plan to gherao the Vidhan Bhavan where the Budget session of the state legislature is underway, said organisers. Nawale said, Shinde welcomed the protestors in Thane district and extended support to the demands of the farmers. He said he was conveying the message of Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Similarly, Abhijit Jadhav, an emissary of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, also met us and got me in touch with the MNS chief over phone. The MNS too has extended support to our demands. The march has been organised to protest the failures of the state BJP government on the farm front, including issues like farm loan waivers, remunerative prices for produce, non-implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission as well as the Forest Rights Act, he said. Protesting farmers have demanded a change in the plan to link rivers in Nashik, Thane and Palghar to ensure that tribal lands are not submerged and water from the scheme be made available to these areas as well…
PNB scam shouldn’t lead to ‘fear psychosis’ in financial system: Ficci
The government and the Reserve Bank of India should make sure that the Rs 13,000-crore PNB scam does not lead to a fear psychosis in the financial system which chills economic activity in the country, a prominent industry lobby has said. Emergence of the scam should not lead to a paralysis and fear psychosis, Rashesh Shah, the president of Ficci, told PTI here. Shah, who also chairs the diversified financial services company Edelweiss, said he has written to both the RBI and the government with a request to ensure that the country does not slip into that zone. On whether the emergence of the Punjab National Bank scam, allegedly involving diamond trader Nirav Modi, is a throwback to the latter part of the UPA-II regime, where the fear of the 3Cs Investigation should not result in fear psychosis. He, however, answered in the negative when asked if scams involving Nirav Modi or the over Rs 3,500-crore fraud involving Rotomac Pens promoter are akin to the emergence of corruption allegations faced by the Manmohan Singh government in its final years. Speaking to PTI, a top official from one of the few lenders not having any exposure to the companies promoted by…
SC/ST Act row: No bar on paying compensation or lodging FIR, says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court today made it clear that there was no bar either on paying compensation and other immediate relief to victims belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes or registration of FIR under any provision of law in its March 20 verdict putting in place certain safeguards on arrests under the SC\/ST Act. The apex court, which entertained the review petition filed by the Centre against the verdict, also said there was no dilution of any provision of the SC\/ST Act relating to compensation, trial or punishment in its judgement. A perusal of the order of this court makes it clear that there is no bar to compensation or other immediate relief being given to the victim member of the SC\/ST as per the provisions noted above without any delay whatsoever, a bench of justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit said. There is also no bar to registration of FIR under any provision of the penal code or any other law and the offences under the SC\/ST Act being added later, if necessary. Thus, there is no dilution of any provision of the SC\/ST Act relating to compensation, trial, punishment or otherwise, it said. The top court…
We are focused on IITs, primary schools, not on institutions between them: Pratham co-founder and CEO Madhav Chavan
UMA VISHNU: What has been the biggest takeaway from the 2017 ASER (Annual Status of Education Report)? In fact, I was surprised by things that were good. About 75% students in the age group of 14-18 years can read at least Class 2 textbooks. This is also the number of students who can read Class 2 textbooks at age 14, according to regular ASER. Which means that after 14 years, the number does not drop. Because if you But that doesn Also, the fluency rate grew by 7-8 percentage points within the total number of readers. We also found that 7-8 percentage point more young people, than at age 14, can read at least a sentence in English. So, even though nobody is teaching you English formally, the number seems to increase. This was both interesting and surprising and will help us in the long run. In math or arithmetic, on the other hand, the number of children who can do division or just about do division remains at 41-42% in the 14-18 age group. That is where the issues come up. Let Now say one bank is giving you a loan at 11% interest and another at 13%. Which…
Another big farmers’ protest coming: Kisan Mahasangh to not supply farm products to cities from June 1
The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, an umbrella body of 110 farmers organisations, today said it would not supply farm products such as vegetables, grains and milk to cities across the country for 10 days from June 1 in protest against what it called the anti-farmer policies of the Central government. A nation-wide Bharat banch would be held on June 10 till 2 pm, the groups leaders, including former BJP minister Yashwant Sinha, told the media here. Farmers would stop sending from villages to cities produce such as crops, vegetables and milk from June 1 to June 10 all over the country. On June 6 they would observe a non-cooperation day, Sinha said. They also claimed that though the government had promised a minimum support price (MSP) that was to be 50 per cent higher than the cost of production, farmers were yet to receive the higher prices. The farmers organisations demanded that the MSP be increased to the cost of production plus 50 per cent and a complete loan waiver from the government. 5 times the entire cost of production including the cost of land. Though the government had declared it in their last budget there is no specifications and it…
PM Narendra Modi gives a strong warning to Pakistan over terrorism, refers to surgical strikes
In a warning to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asserted that India will not tolerate those who like to export terror and will give back strong answers, as he referred to the 2016 surgical strikes conducted across the LoC. Modi, during the Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath programme at the iconic Central Hall Westminster here, said when someone has put a terror export factory in place and makes attempts to attack us from the back, Modi knows how to answer in the same language. Answering a question on the surgical strikes from a member of the audience who had speech disability, the prime minister said, Those who like exporting terror, I want to tell them that India has changed and their antics will not be tolerated. We believe in peace. But we will not tolerate those who like to export terror. We will give back strong answers and in the language they understand. Terrorism will never be accepted, he said.
Kathua case: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan feels ‘disgusted’, says it’s terrible to even talk about it
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the latest celebrity from Bollywood to condemn the Kathua rape incident, saying he feels disgusted by it. When asked about his reaction, the 75-year-old star, who has been the face of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, said it was painful to even talk about it. Mujhe uss vishay par charcha karne mein ghin aati hai. So uss vishay ko uchhalo mat. Its terrible to even talk about it. (I feel disgusted even talking about it. So, dont rake up this issue. It is terrible to even talk about it, Bachchan told reporters. The actor was speaking at the song launch of his upcoming film 102 Not Out, in which he stars along with Rishi Kapoor. Several Bollywood celebrities have reacted angrily over the incidents and have demanded justice for the victims of the Kathua, Unnao and Surat rape cases that have generated a massive outrage against the perpetrators. In Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, an eight-year-old child from a minority nomadic community was allegedly held in captivity in a small village temple for a week in January this year during which she was kept sedated and sexually assaulted before being bludgeoned to death. The incident…
Haryana shamed again! Principal rapes class 10 student on pretext of helping her clear board exam
In an act of shame reported from Haryana, a school principal allegedly raped a class 10 student from his school on the pretext of helping her to clear the ongoing board exam. As per media reports, the principal of a school in Sonipat called the girl to his relatives house and then raped her. A dummy student was made to write the exams for the victim, while the accused allegedly raped the girl in a house located nearby the school. Media reports claim that on March 8, the principal made another student appear for girl The accused has been booked by the police under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Notably, two women have also been booked in the case since the rape took place in their house. Media reports quoted the police as claiming that all the three accused are absconding since the night of the incident. Reports suggest that the father of the victim was very worried about her daughter It was also found that the father was ready to pay Rs 10,000 to the principal apart from the school fees so that he would help his daughter clear the exams. Thus, the principal instructed…
Black ink thrown at Jawaharlal Nehru statue in Katwa, West Bengal
Since the razing down of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov In a recent act of statue vandalism, black ink was thrown at a statue of Jawaharlal Nehru, first prime minister of the country, in Katwa, West Bengal. On receiving information, police reached the Telephone Maidan in Katwa where black ink was thrown at the statue of Nehru and it was later cleaned. This incident highlights the numerous incidents over the past fortnight when busts and statues of eminent and respected leaders were flattened or defaced. On March 5, a statue of Russian revolutionary leader Lenin was toppled by a crowd using a JCB following which incidents of statue vandalism hit the country. On Friday, statues of Dravidian figures CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran and Dravidar Kazhagam founder EV Ramasamy Naicke were found defaced and wrapped in saffron cloth in Nammakkal district. Before this, on March 8, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found defaced in Kannur district In West Bengal, two incidents of statue defacing statues have surfaced after a bust of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee was found vandalized in Kolkatas Kalighat, at Keoratola Mohasoshan. The day before Syama Prasads statue was vandalised, BR Ambedkar On March 7, Periyar Raja…
No end to horror! Now, girl found dead in Surat; possibly held captive, raped, say police
Amid the outrage over the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, a shocking incident of another minor being raped and murdered has come to the fore. The body of the victim, which was found in a cricket ground Bhestan locality in Surat on April 6, had 86 injury marks, according to police. The identity of the victim is yet to be ascertained and she is believed to be between 9 and 11 years old, according to reports. According to the autopsy report said there were 86 injury marks on her body, including the private parts, indicating that she was tortured and raped. She was strangulated, Inspector K B Jhala of Pandesara police station was quoted as saying. Here is all you need to know about the incident: An FIR has been lodged under sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 376 (rape) of the IPC and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against unidentified persons, Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said. Ganesh Govekar, a doctor at the City Civil Hospital where the autopsy was conducted, said, Going by the nature of injuries, they seem to have been caused over a period ranging from one week to…
National executive of Indian Youth Congress to meet in Delhi on Monday
The national executive of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) will meet here tomorrow with a focus on enhanced political participation and empowerment of the women in the country. The meet, themed Why not her, will be held at the Vishwa Yuwak Kendra in Chanakyapuri from 10 am, said IYC spokesperson Amreesh Ranjan Pandey. There would be an emphasis on the need for women empowerment by increasing women representation\/participation in politics, Pandey said. Several Congress leaders will address the meeting which will have a significant participation of women delegates from across the country, he said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has also been invited in the meet, Pandey said. The agenda of the meeting will include topics such as the current situation of the country and governance with a special emphasis on rising unemployment, failing businesses, inflation, attack and atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis and backwards. The meeting will be chaired by IYV president Amarinder Singh Raja and Krishna Allavaru, AICC joint secretary.
Earthquake hits Jammu and Kashmir
In a major development, an earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter Scale hit the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Reportedly, the earthquake hit the state around 8.25 PM. More details about todays quake are yet to be known. The state was hit by yet another earthquake earlier in the week on March 10. The India Meteorological Department had confirmed the news and stated that the quake was measured 4.5 on the Richter scale. There was no damage to life or property as the quake was a low-density one. The IMD had said that the depth of the quake was 10 kilometers and it resulted in jolts for a few seconds across most parts of the state. Further details awaited.
Uber cab driver arrested in Delhi for misbehaving with female passenger; probe reveals shocking details
In a shocking incident, a cab driver of app based taxi-aggregator Uber was arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger in Delhi. The incident relates to April 15 when the lady accused him of flashing in public and behaving indecently. Police launched a probe based on the compliant filed last Sunday. Investigations into the incident further revealed that the driver was holding a fake license. The accused has been sent to judicial custody. This is not the first time that such allegations have been made against cab drivers in the national capital. Besides Delhi, in other parts of the country, women passengers have accused drivers of molesting, harassing, intimidating, snatching, over charging and raping. This incident has once again raised the issue of womens safety in Delhi. Last year, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi had said women could directly approach the Women and Child Development ministry if they face problems while using cabs. Flag us if you face harassment of any form while being ferried by cabs, she had tweeted. However, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has only prepared a draft taxi policy which was made public but yet to be finalised. The draft policy mentions measures…
Pakistan approaches World Bank over India’s completing of Kishanganga hydropower project, says media report
Pakistan has informed the World Bank about Indias completing of the Kishanganga hydropower project during the banks pause period and has urged it to recognise its responsibility under the Indus Waters Treaty, a media report said today. Pakistan has approached the World Bank, the mediator between the two countries of the water distribution treaty, in the past and raised issues over Kishanganga and Ratle projects in Jammu and Kashmir. It has been flagging concern over designs of Indias five hydroelectricity projects – Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Ratle (850 MW), Kishanganga (330 MW), Miyar (120 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW) – being built\/planned in the Indus river basin, contending these violate the treaty. The power division of the energy ministry sent a fresh communique early this week to the banks vice president urging the international organisation to ensure that India abided by the provisions of the 1960 treaty while building the projects, a government official told Dawn newspaper. The official said the letter had reached the banks head office in Washington and had been delivered to its vice president concerned as confirmed by Pakistans director to the bank, the report said. The official said there was no doubt that India…