Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to undermine Delhis education system, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today after the Union Home Ministry cancelled the appointment of nine advisors. The BJP-led government, Sisodia said, targeted his advisor Atisi Marlena through the order as she played a vital role in improving the education system. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to undermine Delhis education system, that is why this order has been issued today, Sisodia said at a press conference. Of the nine advisors, only four are currently working with the Delhi government. The Delhi government today cancelled the appointment of nine advisors after the Union Home Ministry said the posts were not sanctioned. According to an order issued by General Administration Department of the Delhi government, the ministry wrote in its letter that the posts are not in the list of posts approved for ministers and the chief minister. No prior approval of the central government has been taken for creation of said posts on which these persons have been appointed on co-terminus basis, the order stated. Among the nine advisors whose appointment has been cancelled are Amardeep Tiwari (media advisor to law minister), Arunodya Prakash (media advisor to deputy chief…
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Sushil Modi fires fresh salvo at Lalu Yadav, alleges undue ‘favours’ extended to Tatas
In a fresh offensive against Lalu Prasad, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi today accused the RJD leader and his family of buying a posh property from Tata group through shell companies at a throw-away price and of extending undue favours to the conglomerate. Reacting to the allegations, the RJD accused Modi of indulging in below the belt politics. The BJP leader, who has been continuously accusing Lalu Prasad and his family of financial irregularities, launched his fresh attack on a day when the RJD supremo, serving a jail term in fodder scam cases, left AIIMS on a wheelchair after being discharged by the hospital in the national capital, even as his party termed the move a conspiracy to murder him. The Rashtriya Janata Dal president had written to the AIIMS director, asking that his treatment be continued at the hospital till he recovered. In Bihars capital, Sushil Modi asserted that both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi during their tenures as chief ministers had extended favours to the Tatas and in return the industry house too extended favours to the RJD chief and his family. No immediate comments were available from Tata group. Asked why did not he get the…
If Goa’s BJP govt collapses, Congress won’t shirk from its responsibility of taking over, says Shantaram Naik
Congress leader Shantaram Naik today said his party does not intend to pull down the BJP government in Goa in view of the current political environment in the coastal state, but if the Parrikar dispensation collapses on its own, the grand old party will not shirk from its responsibility of taking over. Last month, he had claimed that with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar remaining indisposed since February 15, the state is in complete crisis and the administration is on the verge of collapse. On whether the Congress intended to form government in Goa considering the political environment in the state, the former MP said, If the (BJP-led) government collapses on its own, we will not shirk from our responsibility of taking over. The Congress is the main opposition party in the state with 16 legislators in the 40-member Assembly. We cannot even think of pulling down the government as there is no government in the state. There is no constitutional government in force, Naik said at a press conference. Last month, he had said that they cannot ignore the fact that the coalition government is not in a position to run the state in absence of Parrikar and due to…
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…
Bharat Bandh protests: One killed, over 70 hurt in UP; ex-MLA among over 400 held – Key takeaways
One person was killed, over 70 others, including many policemen, injured while 448 people were arrested as Uttar Pradesh saw widespread violence on a day Dalit groups protested what they claimed was the dilution of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. There were several incidents of violence in Meerut, including the torching of a police post while in the neighbouring Muzaffarnagar, a man was killed and several vehicles were damaged, they added. During the bandh, violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Meerut, Agra and they were the most affected areas. Reports of violence have come from some other districts too. As of now, 448 persons have been detained in different districts. There were no incidents in 90 per cent of districts. We have sounded a high-alert in the state, DIG, Law and Order Praveen Kumar told reporters. We are yet to get the detailed reports. As of now about 35-40 policemen and 30-35 protestors were stated to be injured. Of them three are serious, the DIG said. Some of them had illicit fire arms too. We are conducting a detailed probe and also trying to identify people involved in spreading rumours and misleading…
Big lesson for Delhi: How cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai didn’t feature in WHO air pollution report
No south Indian city figured in the just- released global air pollution report of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO report said 14 of worlds 15 most polluted cities were in India which includes Delhi, Kanpur and Varanasi. Asked what helped in tackling pollution, a pollution control official in Tamil Nadu said efforts aimed at improvisation were prioritised always and such measures bore fruit. An action plan is being readied now to tackle air pollution better, he said. Measures being planned to tackle air pollution better include putting in place advanced gadgets in industrial premises to enable real time monitoring, he told PTI. Such monitoring will help more in checking emissions which lead to air pollution. To a question on some real time air pollution (PM 2.5) data for Chennai pointing to pollution comparable to cities like Varanasi (PM 2.5\/ 151\/WHO data), he said it was dynamic, and keeps changing all the time. Such so-called high pollution levels, were confined only to some individual pockets reflecting isolated factors and does not reflect the true scenario in the entire city, he said. Tackling pollution is a continuous process involving multiple government agencies and the people too, he said. Municipal bodies,…
SBI moves Supreme Court seeking Reliance Communications asset sale completion
SBI, the country The Rs 25,000-crore deal, according to the bank, is necessary for recovery of dues of secured lenders. While RCom owes around Rs 45,000 crore to as many as 35 banks, the total outstanding to SBI as on February 28, 2018 is Rs 4,027 crore. SBI RCom also wants SC to set aside the Bombay HC Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson, which is claiming Rs 1,012 crore of arrears from RCom, had moved the tribunal, which on March 5 had restrained the telco from RCom wants to complete the deal, announced on December 28, to sell most of its spectrum, fibre, towers and switching nodes to RJio as it needs the money to repay 35 lenders, failing which they may move the National Company Law Tribunal to initiate insolvency proceedings against the telco. Equipment supplier Ericsson, being an unsecured creditor, cannot lay claim over the assets, which are charged to the secured creditors, unless the entire dues of the secured creditors are paid, SBI stated in its appeal. Even RCom has taken a similar plea that secured creditors, such as banks, rank above unsecured vendors like Ericsson in any debt resolution plan. SBI said that it is directly…
BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav says no threat to ruling PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir
BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday said that there was no threat to the ruling PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir as both the parties were working in coordination. He arrived here earlier on Saturday to chair a Bharatiya Janata Party legislature meet at the party headquarters. We will speak to our party legislature and also to the two ministers who have submitted their resignations, Madhav, who is also the BJP incharge for Jammu and Kashmir, said. Things would be discussed and deliberations will be held about the latest political developments in the state. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is in Srinagar where she is meeting party legislators and senior ministers to discuss the future course of action on the Kathua rape and murder case of an eight-year-old minor girl. Informed sources said Mehbooba was likely to request the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to constitute a fast track trial court to deliver a sentence in the case. The Chief Minister is also lated to announced the termination of the accused police officers against whom a chargesheet has been filed.
Minute examination of crime scene led to vital clues in Kathua rape case: Charge sheet
Faced with a challenge to bring to book the culprits behind the Kathua rape-cum-murder of a minor girl, police reconstructed the scene of the crime to gather vital clues. The body of the eight-year-old nomad Bakherwal community girl was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area. The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police filed two separate charge sheets against the eight accused persons including a juvenile held in the case. According to investigators, the girl was held captive inside a Devisthan, gangraped, kept without food and administered sedatives. Her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest, the investigations revealed. In the course of investigation the Special Investigation Team (SIT) members along with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts and naib Tehsildar (executive magistrate) again visited the scene of occurrence and tried to reconstruct the scene of crime, according to the charge sheet. It said minute examination of these locations led to the recovery of various items including blood-stained wooden sticks and hair strand which were seized, packed and sealed by the magistrate. The sealed packets containing the exhibits were sent to FSL for analysis and…
Diplomats harassment issue: Pakistan envoy Sohail Mahmood wants to sort it out as soon as possible
Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood today said that he has discussed the issue of alleged harassment of diplomats with his government, which wants to sort out it as soon as possible. Mahmood, who came back to India last night, days after he was called back for consultations amid raging row between India and Pakistan over harassment of diplomats, said such issues affect the relation between the two countries. I discussed this issue (alleged harassment of Pakistani diplomats in India) with our government. We want to sort out this issue as soon as possible because it affects the relations between the countries, the Pakistani envoy said on the sidelines of an event organised to mark Pakistan National Day. Mahmood was called back to Islamabad for consultations after alleged incidents of harassment of its diplomatic staff in New Delhi, with Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Faisal claiming that the Indian government failed to take notice of the increasing incidents of intimidation of Pakistani diplomats, their families and staff by its intelligence agencies. India and Pakistan have accused each other of harassing diplomats in Islamabad and New Delhi respectively.
Supreme Court asks 12 states why they have not appointed Lokayukta
The Supreme Court today asked the chief secretaries of 12 states to specify why they have not appointed a Lokayukta. A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi also asked the chief secretary of Odisha to apprise the court about the status of the Lokayukta in state and said the apex court has no information whether it has an anti-corruption ombudsman or not. The 12 states which have been asked to give reasons for not appointing a Lokayukta are Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal. The apex court also asked the 12 states to specify by when they would appoint a Lokayukta. Section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, states that every state shall establish a body to be known as the Lokayukta. The apex court was hearing a PIL, which also sought a direction to the states to provide adequate budgetary allocation and essential infrastructure for effective functioning of Lokayuktas. According to the PIL, filed by advocate and Delhi BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, received presidential assent on January 1, 2014 and came into force from January 16,…
‘Impressed’ by Narendra Modi, over two dozen Samajwadi Party, BSP leaders join BJP in Uttar Pradesh
Amid talks of an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party for the 2019 General elections, over two dozen leaders of both parties have joined the BJP. The leaders joining the BJP on Monday included two former MPs – one each from SP and BSP. The leaders claimed that they were impressed by the policies and performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leaders who joined the BJP in the presence of state president Mahendra Nath Pandey included Ashok Rawat (BSP, Misrikh) and Jai Prakash Rawat (SP, Hardoi). IANS quoted them as saying that they were impressed by the policies and development-oriented politics pursued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other leaders also gave similar reasons for joining the saffron party. Prominent SP, BSP leaders joining the BJP were former Legislative Councillor Heera Thakur, former legislator Prem Prakash, SP spokesman Sanjeev Mishra, former block head of Dadri (Ghaziabad) Brijendra Singh and some local body chiefs. In another development, a delegation of BSP leaders of Uttar Pradesh today met chief minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging they were being harassed after the April 2 Bharat Bandh. We met the chief minister and apprised him of how Dalits, especially supporters of the…
Supreme Court judge Justice J Chelameswar bats for more transparency in collegium meetings
Batting for more transparency in collegium meetings, the second senior most judge of the apex court, Justice J Chelameswar today said a proper performance assessment of high court judges for elevation to the top court was hardly done. The judge was speaking during a panel discussion titled The Indian Higher Judiciary: Issues and Prospects. He said the authorities involved in the process of selection must place their assessment on record to eliminate further problems. What exactly goes on in collegium meetings and what is the nature of assessment undertaken at the time of choosing a particular name is required to be a little more transparent. An assessment of performance of a high court judge, I am talking about elevation to the Supreme Court, is hardly done. Generally the assessment goes by impression, Justice Chelameswar said. During a discussion on reforms required in the apex court, the judge on a lighter note said with the sanctioned strength of the top court being 31 judges, each state will stake its claim for a seat in the top court. The Supreme Courts sanctioned strength is 31. The moment you create the Supreme Court with 31 judges, the first thing that happens in this…
Shocking! Mother allegedly throws 6-month-old girl child in fire
A woman allegedly threw her 6-month-old girl child into the fire here today following a family dispute, police said. The ghastly incident took place at Salia Sahi slum in the city and the critically injured baby was first rushed to a hospital here and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. She has sustained 90 per cent burns and her condition is critical, doctors treating her said. Police said the woman, who is suspected to be mentally challanged, threw the baby into fire in a fit of rage after a heated argument with her husband. The couple was detained interrogation, the police said.
Apex court refuses to quash Allahabad HC order upholding UP govt’s move on sugarcane dues
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash the Allahabad High Court A bench led by justice Ranjan Gogoi upheld the UP governments decision to waive the interest on the ground that even though sugarcane falls in the concurrent list, both the state and the Central government legislations would operate simultaneously. Urging the court that farmers of the country were in He argued that sugar mills take supplies of sugarcane from farmers in terms of the statutory provisions which mandate payment of cane dues within 14 days. However, these mills take months and years to clear farmers dues or even refuse to do so, thus making it difficult for farmers to pay interest and penalties on late payment of their loans taken to raise the cane, he said in his petition. According to Singh, non-payment of cane price is a regular issue, which brings misery to more than 4-5 million sugarcane farmers in UP and around 30-40 million across the country. The HC, while upholding the states right to waive interest, had set aside the order passed by the UP government whereby it had waived the interest of around Rs 2,000 crore payable to cane growers by sugarcane factories for…
Rape Ordinance: PM Narendra Modi says sons have to be made more responsible for a safe environment for daughters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said sons have to be made more responsible for a safe environment for daughters and asserted that the promulgation of an ordinance on rape showed the Centre acted on peoples outrage on sexual crimes against minors. Days after the government approved the ordinance allowing courts to award the death penalty to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years, Modi also called for a social movement to ensure the safety of girls. Shivraj ji (Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan) just referred to the capital punishment provided in the ordinance for rape against minors and I could see that it (the remark) received cheers from everyone present here, Modi said while addressing a rally here. There is a government in Delhi which listens to your voice and takes decisions. So, the Centre has made a provision for capital punishment to the monstrous intent, he said. The Union Cabinet had on April 21 okayed the ordinance amid a nation-wide uproar over the rape and murder of minors in Kathua and Surat and the rape of a teenager in Unnao. Those who commit such ghastly crimes will hang, the prime minister said. Modi,…
Government to build 14,460 bunkers for Jammu and Kashmir border dwellers
As many as 14,460 bunkers will be constructed along the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir to mitigate the hardships faced by border dwellers, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the Ministry of Home Affairs had approved a pilot project for construction of 60 bunkers at a cost of Rs 3 crore during the year 2016-17, which has since been completed. Following the recent visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the state, the Centre had approved construction of another 14,460 bunkers at a cost of Rs 415.73 crore, he said in reply to a written question. Ahir added that the steps have been taken to mitigate the hardships faced by people living on the International Border and Line of Control due to cross border firing.
Indian man imprisoned in US for 33 months on the charges of money laundering, smuggling
An Indian man has been sentenced to 33-month imprisonment for money laundering and smuggling misbranded drugs from India into the US. Ramesh Buchirajam Akkela aka Ramesh Bhai, 44, of Mumbai was arrested in Panama earlier this year and extradited to the US on Thursday. Senior judge Donetta W Ambrose sentenced Ramesh to a 33-month jail term yesterday after his conviction of mail fraud and money laundering, a court statement said. According to information presented in the court, Ramesh shipped misbranded drugs from India to re-shippers in the US for distribution – without prescription – to American consumers. Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S Desai prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Ramesh operated an online website that offered prescription drugs, without a prescription, to American consumers. He was indicted on two counts of money laundering, 10 counts of mail fraud, a report said.
Maharashtra government is positive towards farmers’ demands, says CM Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government was sensitive and positive towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administrations attention towards their problems. Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers participating in the Kisan Long March for their peaceful protest while demanding a complete loan waiver and compensation for hailstorm and pink bollworm pest attack on crops. The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged here after walking around 180 kms from the neighbouring Nashik district over the last six days. The farmers plan to surround the Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years. The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest. They (the protesting farmers) reached the Azad Maidan early this morning from the K J Somaiya Ground in the eastern suburbs so that students appearing for their board exams are not hassled due to traffic jams….
UP Shocker! First denied ambulance, man forced to carry wife’s body on cart after Mainpuri hospital denies hearse van
After being allegedly denied an ambulance, a 37-year-old man had to carry his sick wife on a handcart for around 8 kilometres to reach Maharaja Tej Singh District Hospital in Mainpuri on Monday. However, the woman was declared brought dead on reaching the hospital. His ordeal, however, did not end there. According to The Indian Express, the husband was denied a hearse van to carry his wifes mortal remains and had to use the same hand cart which he uses to sell vegetables to bring his wifes body home. Kanhaiya Lal said his wife Soni (35) had complained of breathlessness on Monday. But when it did not arrive, I took her to the hospital in my handcart. The doctors said she had died. When I requested the hospital for a vehicle to return with the body, no one responded On being asked whether Lal had called up the government He, however, said that the man did request for an ambulance while returning home, but did not get. Hospital employees, who should have guided him on how to get a hearse van, did not do so, After the probe, hospital eye surgeon Dr Praveen Kumar Jha, who is also the nodal…
Smriti Irani stalking case: Delhi police files chargesheet against 4 students; know all details here
Delhi police have registered a complaint against four students of University of Delhi for allgedly misbehaving with Union Minister Smriti Irani. As per news agency ANI, the incident had taken place last year when Irani was on her way to her official residence in Chanakyapuri. Later, the four Delhi University students were arrested after an FIR was registered against them for following Iranis car. The police had charged students under Section 354 D (stalking) and Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, the four students were later released on bail. Iranis staff had made a PCR call around 5 PM, on April 1 last year stating that four youths in a car were indulging in Minister Later, with the help of PCR van, the car was intercepted near the US Embassy. The four youths were soon taken into custody. In the medical examination, it was found that they had consumed alcohol. The students were staying in a PG in Vasant village and had liquor at a friend They were driving around for fun at the time of the incident. Later, the students apologised and said that…
Delhi HC asks to comply with government advisory to not use plastic national flag
The Delhi High Court has issued a circular to ensure compliance of the flag code and the governments advisory not to use national flag made of plastic. A public notice was put up on the high courts website yesterday by the registrar general (general) Ramesh Chand along with the governments January 9 advisory to all the states and Union Territories to ensure that during important national, cultural and sports events, the national flag made of paper is used and not the plastic ones. The Ministry of Home Affairs had said that the national flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of the country and hence should occupy a position of honour. It had said that it has been brought to its notice that during important events, the national flag made of plastic is also being used in place of paper flags. Since, the plastic flags are not biodegradable like paper flags, these do not get decomposed for a long time and ensuring appropriate disposal of national flags made of plastic commensurate with dignity of the flag, is a practical problem, the advisory had said. As per Section 2 of The Prevention of insults to National Honour Act, 1971…
Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal: 1 killed, five policemen injured in clashes
Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal were mired in controversy with clashes reported from different parts of the state. One person was killed and five others were injured after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other saffron outfits took out armed rallies defying the ban imposed by Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress government. A 50-year-old man was killed after he got trapped in a clash between police and Bajrang Dal supporters in Purulia district yesterday. Five policemen received injuries. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man suffered fatal injuries after he was trapped in the clashes. He was rushed to a district hospital where he was declared dead, A total of 16 persons were arrested and additional police forces have been deployed in the area, Biswas said. Anuj Sharma, ADG, Law and Order said that following the news of the death, some villagers reportedly had an altercation with DSP Subrata Pal and other policemen and later beat them up. Five policemen have been injured, including a DSP who is critical and has been shifted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, he said, according to The Indian Express. Political slugfest A war of words over Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal has erupted between…
After Sushma Swaraj’s statement, US condoles death of 39 Indians killed in Iraq by IS
The US today offered its deepest condolences on the death of 39 Indian nationals abducted by ISIS in Iraq, saying it stands with the people of India in condemning the murders. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday told Parliament in New Delhi that the 39 Indians abducted in 2014 by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Mosul city were dead and their bodies had been recovered. We offer our deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims, a State Department spokesperson told PTI responding to a question on the discovery of a mass grave with the bodies of the Indian construction workers. We stand with the people of India in condemning these murders, the spokesperson said. The northern Iraqi city of Mosul has now been liberated from the ISIS. The bodies of Indian workers were found buried near the village of Badsuh, which is in the northwest of Mosul.
When Rahul Gandhi hugged mother Sonia Gandhi after she completed her speech at Congress Plenary Session
Sonia Gandhi was seen in her fierce avatar during the Congress Plenary Session on Saturday. The former Congress President took on the Bharatiya Janata Party in her splendid speech. However, it was the moment after she completed her speech that grabbed most eyeballs. As Sonia Gandhi was coming off the stage, her son and now Congress president Rahul Gandhi got up from his seat and hugged the senior party leader. Both Rahul and Sonia were smiling as the other party leaders present at the spot cheered. In her speech, Sonia Gandhi congratulated Rahul Gandhi to take up the responsibility of the part president at a very challenging time. She said that the partys victory will be the nations victory. Congress is not a political term, it is a movement. Today only one thing matters, how to strengthen the great party with which we have relations which goes back in time, she added. Sonia Gandhi who had taken over the partys leadership role after her husband and former Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi had passed away, recalled the circumstances in which she had entered the public sphere. You all know how due to circumstances I entered the public sphere but when I…
Over 5,000 Gujarat farmers battling land acquisition seek ‘death’
Over 5,000 people in Gujarats Bhavnagar district, battling against the acquisition of land by a state power utility, have written letters to authorities seeking permission to die, a farmers body leader today claimed. A total of 5,259 people, comprising farmers and their family members from 12 affected villages, have sought icchha mrityu (right to die) as the land they cultivate is being forcibly snatched by the state government and Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL), claimed Narendrasinh Gohil, a local farmer and a member of Gujarat Khedut Samaj, an organisation fighting for farmers rights. He claimed that the letters, signed by these farmers and their kin, have been sent to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the chief minister of Gujarat. Harshad Patel, Collector, Bhavnagar, said that the farmers had dropped these letters, in which they have demanded permission for icchha mrityu, at the registry branch of the collectorate. The registry branch receives and dispatches all the letters of the collectorate. In the letter, the farmers accused the state government, and GPCL, of using police force to get them to vacate the land which the farmers claimed was being tilled by them for several years now. The farmers alleged…
If a special status-like package can be worked out on Andhra Pradesh, we should look at it, we must cooperate: Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Manoj CG: YS Chowdary and you resigned from the Union Cabinet, but the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is still, technically, part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). When are you pulling out of the NDA? The TDP has historically been anti-Congress. Our first president and founder NT Rama Rao took a lot of pain to bring everyone together. It wasn Somehow, he managed and it continues in our party, the culture of being anti-Congress that is. Rakesh Sinha: The Centre says its ready to offer you a monetary equivalent of special status. It cites the 14th Finance Commission report to deny you the special status category on the grounds that its hands are tied. This angle of a special package equivalent in case we lose out on special status was announced in June 2016 or somewhere around that time. We are in 2018. The time should have been better utilised. If a package can be evolved that is equivalent to a special status, I think I would advice a serious look at it. After all, we are also part of the country; we too have to cooperate. Ravish Tiwari: The question then is the timing of the demand. If you…
Rajya Sabha elections: Cross-voting charges fly thick and fast
Claims of cross-voting marred elections to the Rajya Sabha in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand on Friday and the Jharkhand Opposition even approached the Election Commission of about cross-voting from their ranks. In UP, a tantalising numerical contest was on between the BJP and SP-BSP-Congress combine for one seat. Of the other nine seats, BJP candidates were set to take eight and SP one on the basis of secured numbers required to win on first preference votes. For the tenth seat, the BSP While the numbers from the SP-BSP-Congress combine placed Ambedkar with more first preference votes than Agrawal, both were likely to fall short of the winning number on the basis of first preference votes. Their contest was set to escalate to counting for second preference votes. The SP-BSP-Congress combine Additionally, their numbers came under stress after a sitting BSP legislator, Anil Singh, was said to have voted for the BJP candidate. The SP The election agents, sources said, objected to their votes. However, their objections were rejected by the returning officer before starting the counting process in the evening. Sources said the SP-BSP-Congress coalition was hoping there would be cross-voting from legislators of the Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party,…
Class X student used brother’s question paper in exam, says CBSE
The CBSE has refuted a girl students claim to the Kerala High Court of having been given a wrong question paper in the recent Mathematics board exam, saying she had fabricated a story as she was weak in the subject. In its counter-affidavit, submitted to the court last week in response to student Ameeya Saleems plea, the CBSE said that instead of using the 2018 question paper, she had used her brothers question paper of 2016 for her Class X board exams, held recently. The board further submitted that the student was weak in Mathematics, and was attempting to mislead the authorities by fabricating a story and submitting false complaints to the Board. The student had moved the court suppressing the material facts and hence was not entitled for any discretionary relief, the CBSE said in its counter. The Court had on April 9 admitted the girls petition, which claimed that she was given a 2016 question paper during the Maths exam and urged that her answer sheet be assessed based on the same. She had further submitted to the court that the question paper she had received for the mathematics examination was from 2016. The CBSE subsequently had conducted…
Telangana government to explore ‘drone surveillance’ for security of women IT employees
The Telangana government is mulling using drones for security of women employees in the IT corridor here, a top state government official said today. Telangana Government is exploring drone surveillance for security of women IT employees in the IT corridor. The drone will be first responder when women are in distress, a release, quoted Principal Secretary for IT, Jayesh Ranjan, as saying. Police stations under Cyberabad Commissionerate would operate drones and when a SoS call is made (by a woman in need), the drone using GPS can trace the victim and will reach in no time with the siren alerting lot of people, he said. The idea which was mooted at a Hackathon recently in the city appealed a lot. And we are in a very preliminary stage of this initiative. We will roll out this in next one year and more details will be worked out soon, Ranjan said. He said the government is also in the process of setting up of new IT Parks as the existing ones are saturated. Earlier, Ranjan formally inaugurated the 1.09 lakh sqft new global headquarters of ZenQ, a pure-play testing service company, integrating its three offices into one, in the city. ZenQ…