DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:34:35 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/insight/congress-cheated-people-with-false-promises-says-ktr-544020.html Hyderabad May 20 Bharat Rashtra Samithi BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday alleged that the Congress cheated the people of Telangana by making false promises to come to power He reiterated that the Congress government has failed to fulfill six guarantees given during Assembly electionsHe addressed two meetings at Kothagudem and Yellandu as part of the partys campaign for election of Member of Legislative Council MLC from WarangalKhammamNalgonda Graduates constituencyThe BRS leader appealed to voters to elect BRS candidate Rakesh Reddy in the byelection scheduled to be held on May 27KTR as the BRS leader is popularly known said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was making false claims that he fulfilled five out of six guaranteesStating that there are 13 promises in six guarantees he said the government only implemented one promise It was free travel for women on TSRTC busesHe recalled that BRS had cautioned people not to believe the promises of Congress but people wanted to give a chance and they have given a chanceThe Congress came to power with six guarantees and in these six months people know what has happened he saidStating that none of the promises made to farmers have been fulfilled he said Rakesh Reddy should be elected to question the lies and false claims of the CongressThe BRS leader said even Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi made false claims that Congress is giving Rs 2500 to every womanHe mentioned that in 60 years only three medical colleges were set up in the state but in 10 years KCR established 33 new medical collegesLike a chameleon who changes colour Revanth Reddy is changing dates for farm loan waiverHe alleged that BJP and Congress will privatise Singareni Collieries Company Limited KTR reiterated that the BRS during its 10year rule filled two lakh vacanciesHe advised voters to ask those coming to seek their votes whether there is any other state in the country which provided so many jobsHe claimed that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could answer this during the Assembly electionsThe BRS leader said that if anybody proves that any other state provided more jobs than Telangana did in 10 years he would resign as MLAHe alleged that Revanth Reddy claimed to have given 30000 jobs but the fact is that these jobs were sanctioned when KCR was the chief ministerKTR said that since providing government jobs to everyone is not possible the BRS government provided employment opportunities for 24 lakh people by bringing investment in the private sectorHe said while the BRS failed to inform people about this achievement its opponents ran a false campaign against the BRS government and some unemployed believed the false propagandaHe said the state needs strong opposition leaders who can make Revanth Reddy fulfill his promise of providing two lakh jobs IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/congress-cheated-people-with-false-promises-says-ktr-544020.html Mon, 20 May 2024 17:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/rss-shaped-my-personality-says-retiring-judge-of-calcutta-hc-544080.html Kolkata May 20 Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash of Calcutta High Court who retired on Monday from judicial services gave the credit of shaping his personality to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS On his last day Justice Dash said that his association with RSS goes back to his childhood days when he was a member of this organisationAccording to him the lessons of RSS made him courageous and upright while teaching him the value of having an equal view of othersHe also said that the greatest lesson that he learnt from the RSS was the dedication to work and most importantly patriotismHowever at the same time Justice Dash mentioned that he deliberately distanced himself from the RSS since he entered judicial services to avoid any perceived biasAccording to him he maintained his stand of neutrality as a judge irrespective of the political affiliations of the litigants whose cases he heardJustice Dash started his judicial career in 1999 with Odisha judicial servicesSince then he has served in various positions including additional district judge and sessions judge in Odisha his home stateHe was elevated as an Additional Judge of Odisha High Court in 2009 He was transferred to the Calcutta High Court in June 2022 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/rss-shaped-my-personality-says-retiring-judge-of-calcutta-hc-544080.html Mon, 20 May 2024 20:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-swati-maliwals-downcast-eyes-amp-painful-walk-to-haunt-kejriwal-543654.html New Delhi 19 May The latest scandal to hit the Aam Aadmi Party evokes shock and disgust A woman MP is assaulted at the Chief Ministers house and the perpetrator is later arrested from the CMs residence The Swati Maliwal episode represents a new low in politics exposing the depths to which Indias newest national party has fallenThe flipflop by the AAP on the incident raises suspicions about the partys leadership itself Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh met Maliwal a day after the incident He admitted that something wrong had happened and the party would take appropriate actionThe next day onwards the party made a volteface and started putting all the blame on MaliwalInstead of shunning the alleged assaulter Bibhav Kumar the Personal Secretary of CM Arvind Kejriwal the party has chosen to stand by him Kumar accompanied CM Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh to various events in the days preceding his arrest on May 18 Swati Maliwal on the other hand was labelled a liarThe party has put up its female Minister Atishi to defend the AAPs honourDespite being a woman Atishi did not hesitate to resort to victimshaming and even called Maliwal a pawn in BJPs conspiracy Atishi has claimed that Maliwal was facing arrest in an illegal recruitment case and was blackmailed by BJP to become part of the conspiracy against the CMAtishi also made references to the selective videos which have been released by AAP to justify the pointSelective video clips each a few seconds long were released to support AAPs claim that Maliwal is lying and to suggest that CM Kejriwal is being targeted just days before the Lok Sabha election phase in DelhiThe selective videos released by AAP did help create confusion regarding the kind of chilling details about the assault in the FIR lodged by Maliwal However the medical report revealed bruises on her body As per the report Maliwal sustained injuries to four parts of her body including her left leg and below her right eye This is something Atishi has not reacted to so farBy fielding Atishi to counter Maliwals charges CM Kejriwal has sought to play smartly by making it a kind of woman vs woman matter and attempting to debilitate the case before the publicSince the day of the assault on Maliwal CM Kejriwal has avoided speaking to the media on the issue Whether it was the joint press conference with Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow his campaigns in Punjab or the INDIA bloc rally in Mumbai Kejriwal has maintained silence on the episode When reporters asked him the tough questions his angry emotion was too stark to be ignoredThe only time he spoke related to the issue was his televised address wherein he sought to deflect the scandal towards BJP An episode happened at his official residence and all the involved characters are AAP people and yet Kejriwal instead of cleaning his act is trying to give a spin to save himself and his partySwati Maliwal is no ordinary person She is AAPs chosen Rajya Sabha member held the post of Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women for years and has been associated with Kejriwal for around two decades much before the AAP came into existence She had direct access to CM Kejriwals residence till May 13 the day she was suddenly stoppedWhat went wrong suddenly There are several theories including rumours that she was being asked to resign from Rajya Sabha so that the seat could be given to a senior lawyer who is fighting Kejriwals casesWhatever the reason behind the May 13 happenings at CM Kejriwals residence the fact is that AAP is now imploding under the enormous and rapid success it has achieved in a short timeRight from the day Kejriwal formed AAP controversies have been erupting Several AAP leaders have been accused of financial misconduct and have landed in jail CM Arvind Kejriwal calls himself and AAP Kattar Imandar but is currently on interim bail in a corruption case after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in FebruaryIn August 2022 during a hectic election campaign in Gujarat CM Kejriwal had said that Manish Sisodia who was Deputy CM then deserves Bharat Ratna for improving education standards in Delhi schools Six months later Sisodia was arrested in the liquor scam case and has been in jail with courts refusing to give him bailWith the Swati Maliwal episode the AAP seems to be hurtling down the hill it climbed in 2012The images of Maliwal with downcast eyes and a painful slow walk will only haunt CM Kejriwal for a long timePower tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely Arvind Kejriwal who started as an anticorruption crusader should perhaps reflect on thisDeepika Bhan can be contacted at deepikabiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-swati-maliwals-downcast-eyes-amp-painful-walk-to-haunt-kejriwal-543654.html Sun, 19 May 2024 13:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/nsdc-joins-masai-school-amp-iit-ropar-to-launch-minor-programme-in-aiml-543042.html New Delhi May 17 As demand for skilled people in emerging technologies surges in the country the National Skill Development Corporation NSDC IIT Ropar and Masai School on Friday introduced a jointly certified minor programme in artificial intelligence and machine learning AIML The course includes seven modules fundamentals of prompt engineering introduction to machine learning data handling and processing neural networks and deep learning natural language processing NLP functioning of large language models LLMs and capstone projectIntegrating AI into our curriculum underscores our commitment to equipping students with cuttingedge competencies that are highly sought after in todays job market said Atul Kumar Tiwari Secretary Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship MSDEBy embracing AI education we are preparing our workforce to meet future challenges and ensuring our nations competitive edge in the global arena he addedThe creditlinked microspecialisation in AI and ML is the most indemand and the highestpaying tech job in IndiaThe course is meticulously crafted to equip learners with the skills knowledge and industry exposure necessary to thrive in the rapidly evolving tech landscape said the stakeholdersThe minor programme in AI and ML epitomises our dedication to providing students with a holistic educational experience blending academic rigour with handson application said Rajeev Ahuja Director IIT RoparCities like Jaipur Gwalior Haridwar Jodhpur and Agra are witnessing a boom in AI jobs according to a latest report by HRtech platform GetWorkDriven by talent growth the AI market in India is projected to grow at 315 per cent CAGR compound annual growth rate to reach 51 billion by 2027We are not just transforming education were sculpting a new paradigm in skillbased learning sculpting a dynamic talent pool primed for global success said Prateek Shukla CoFounder and CEO of Masai School IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/nsdc-joins-masai-school-amp-iit-ropar-to-launch-minor-programme-in-aiml-543042.html Fri, 17 May 2024 14:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/after-manipur-mizoram-likely-to-initiate-biometric-enrollment-process-for-myanmar-refugees-542917.html AizawlImphal May 16 After Manipur the Mizoram government is likely to initiate biometric enrollment for refugees particularly from Myanmar officials said on Thursday After the military junta seized power in Myanmar on February 1 2021 at least 34350 people including women elderly people and children from the neighbouring country took shelter in 11 districts of MizoramA Mizoram government official on Thursday said that Chief Minister Lalduhoma during a meeting with the leaders of the states influential NGO Young Mizo Association CYMA indicated the state governments plan for biometric enrollment for refugeesOfficials said that of the total refugees 17901 people are staying in the rented and relatives houses and 16445 migrants are sheltered in 149 relief camps across seven districts of MizoramAnother 1167 refugees have also taken shelter in Mizoram since 2022 after they fled to the state following alleged ethnic persecution in Chittagong Hill Tracts of BangladeshAll the refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh belong to the KukiZomiChin community and have similar ethnicity and cultural and linguistic ties with the Mizos of MizoramThe Ministry of Home Affairs MHA earlier in 2022 asked both the Manipur and Mizoram governments to undertake the recording of biometric and biographic data of all the refugeesThough the BJPled government in Manipur immediately started the process the then Mizoram government led by the Mizo National Front MNF refused claiming that the Myanmarese are brothers and sisters of Mizos and such an initiative would discriminate against themAfter the Zoram Peoples Movement ZPM led by Lalduhoma came to power defeating the MNF in the November 7 2023 assembly elections the new state government had hesitation over the biometric enrollment exercise tooSince the military took over the administration in Myanmar at least 8000 Myanmarese have taken shelter in Manipurs Tengnoupal Chandel Churachandpur and Kamjong districts and the Manipur government has already recorded the biometric details of the majority of the refugees Chief Minister N Biren Singh said earlier this week that 379 migrants went back to Myanmar voluntarily and as per reports received the migrants are keen to go back to Myanmar as the cultivation season has started but they have become hesitant due to bombing by the Myanmar army in the past few daysHe had said that the illegal migrants would be deported back to Myanmar by the district administration as and when the situation improves in Myanmar IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/after-manipur-mizoram-likely-to-initiate-biometric-enrollment-process-for-myanmar-refugees-542917.html Fri, 17 May 2024 00:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/madras-hcs-chief-justice-sanjay-v-gangapurwala-to-retire-on-may-23-542920.html Chennai May 16 Madras High Courts Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala is set to retire on May 23 and Justice R Mahadevan the seniormost judge of the court will serve as the Acting Chief Justice until the post is filled Chief Justice Gangapurwala who was in the Bombay High Court earlier took charge at the Madras High Court on May 29 2023 and has dealt with several cases including constitutional statutory and public interest issues On June 16 2023 while dealing with a public interest litigation PIL petition filed against the felling of 182 trees and transplantation of 103 more trees for the expansion of Egmore Railway Station in Chennai his bench directed the Southern Railway to strictly comply with the conditions imposed by the District Green Committee In another landmark judgment he also made it clear to the banks that they could not use muscle power and engage private agents to recover loans He asked the banks to follow the procedures established by the law to realise their dues In the case of former Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji continuing to be part of the state cabinet even after being in judicial custody a bench of the Chief Justice and Justice PD Audikesavalu wrote that a minister without a portfolio was a constitutional travesty He had also called upon the Tamil Nadu government to act with urgency to appoint teachers in the special schools of visually challenged children as he disposed of a Public Interest Litigation PIL petition stating that 50 per cent of the teaching posts were lying vacant in such schools run by the state government Then a bench comprising him and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy had refused to declare null and void the election of four MPs and eight MLAs who had contested on reserved symbols belonging to other political parties in the 2019 general elections and the 2021 Assembly elections Justice Gangapurwala before the commencement of the summer vacation for the high court on April 30 had passed a significant order related to the abolition of manual scavenging ordering the registration of criminal cases against civic body officials if any deaths were reported due to this practice IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/madras-hcs-chief-justice-sanjay-v-gangapurwala-to-retire-on-may-23-542920.html Fri, 17 May 2024 00:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-mandis-new-eco-friendly-solution-to-shield-from-electromagnetic-interference-542768.html Mandi May 16 Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Mandi have developed a novel biodegradable and natural fibrecontaining composite that can be used in electromagnetic interference EMI shielding the institute said on Thursday Electromagnetic interference is a new form of pollution led by the proliferation of electronic devices It can affect the functions of electronic systems across industries such as radar systems military controls and networking infrastructure EMI shielding materials are essential to protect electronic devices and systems from EMI interferenceIIT Mandis new ecofriendly composite blend of kenaf fibre known as Deccan HempAmbari in local languages and HighDensity Polyethylene HDPE not only exhibits superior EMI shielding properties but is also recyclableKenaf known for its strength and low density as a natural fibre acts as an optimal reinforcement material augmenting the mechanical properties of the composite while diminishing its environmental impact In addition HDPE a commonly used recyclable plastic adds to the composites ecofriendly characteristicsThe team added carbon nanotubes to make the composite an electrical conductor for EMI shieldingThe researchers incorporated carbon nanotubes CNTs to confer electrical conductivity to their composite A blend of 16 per cent kenaf fibre and 5 per cent CNTs was found to exhibit superior EMI shielding surpassing 30 dB and exceptional mechanical strengthCultivating a sustainable future demands innovation that enhances performance while minimising environmental impact Our work in developing ecofriendly EMI shielding materials combines technological advancement with ecological responsibility said Dr Himanshu Pathak Associate Professor School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering IIT MandiThe application potential of this innovative composite material is vast spanning from electronic equipment casing to overhead bins and unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs revealed the study published in the journal Polymer Composites IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-mandis-new-eco-friendly-solution-to-shield-from-electromagnetic-interference-542768.html Thu, 16 May 2024 17:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/13-year-old-girl-fights-wilsons-disease-liver-failure-amp-hepatitis-a-to-live-542895.html New Delhi May 16 In a case of medical marvel a 13yearold girl has fought all odds against Wilsons disease a rare inherited condition hepatitis A and liver failure to live The girl Radha was first presented to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital SGRH seven years ago in 2017 with a liver problem swelling in her stomach and swelling in her legs which was diagnosed as Wilsons disease It is a rare genetic disease that leads to the accumulation of copper levels in several organs especially the liver brain and eyes She was under treatment and her condition was controlled via diet and medication But her condition deteriorated when hepatitis A dealt a deadly blow to her already damaged liver leading to acute chronic liver failure in March this year Radhas body turned like a battlefield as her illness worsened at an alarming rate Her jaundice accompanied by skyrocketing bilirubin levels 44 was a clear sign of failing liver function said Dr Naresh Bansal Senior Gastroenterologist at SGRH Further the subtle development of hepatic encephalopathy loss of brain function sent her into a state of altered consciousness Making the situation much worse she also suffered catastrophic upper gastrointestinal blood vomiting where she was put on life support The family was advised to consider a liver transplant as a lifesaving option and her mother decided to give up a portion of her liver The transplant was successfully done in a 12hourlong surgery led by Dr Ushast Dhir Director of liver transplant and hepatobiliary Surgery Radha opened her eyes on the second day after the liver transplant said Dr Ushast It was the toughest case to make it possible for a young patient with Wilson disease to get the success of this transplant It was difficult to counsel the family briefing the importance of a liver transplant which was the only way to save her life The child was critical and a living donor liver transplant had to be performed in the perfect time frame he added The girl has recovered very well and now is back home with siblings and getting ready to go back to school after summer vacation the doctor said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/13-year-old-girl-fights-wilsons-disease-liver-failure-amp-hepatitis-a-to-live-542895.html Thu, 16 May 2024 21:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/char-dham-yatra-fake-news-or-defamatory-videos-to-face-legal-action-says-uttarakhand-govt-542591.html New Delhi May 15 Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi on Wednesday convened a highlevel meeting of officials and area incharges and reviewed the arrangements for smooth vehicular traffic on the yatra route She also directed officials to plug the gaps and not refrain from taking strict measures for ensuring smooth and hasslefree yatra for the pilgrimsLegal action against those spreading fake news or videos to defame the Char Yatra was another crucial decision at the highlevel meetThe officials have been directed to lodge FIR if anyone is found spreading fake pictures or videosThis apparently comes in light of the heavy rush of devotees for the Char Dham Yatra this year which is seemingly enormous as compared to previous yearsInstructions have been issued to stop and send back unregistered buses and vehiclesThe Chief Secretary directed the Transport Department to hold a meeting with the tour operators on the issue of vehicles without registration without trip card or postdated registrationVehicles without registration will be identified at the check points established at various places and appropriate action will be takenThe officials have also been instructed to take due action on any complaint of any devotee received on their mobileOfficials have been asked to keep their mobile phones on switch on mode for 24 hours and record all the complaints related to YatraRishikesh Municipal Corporation has been asked to ensure satisfactory arrangements for food drinking water toilets on the Yatra route and also arrange the best possible facilities for the pilgrims including the LIVE telecast of dhamsAccording to the state governments health secretary 184 doctors have been deployed on the Yatra route this time out of which 44 are specialistsThe Health Department is providing all facilities to the pilgrims from health checkups to other facilitiesA Standard Operating Procedure SOP related to the Yatra has also been issued in a total of 11 languages IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/char-dham-yatra-fake-news-or-defamatory-videos-to-face-legal-action-says-uttarakhand-govt-542591.html Wed, 15 May 2024 22:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/senior-citizens-in-lucknow-want-a-decent-old-age-home-from-rajnath-singh-542394.html Lucknow May 15 Senior citizens in Lucknow have a request for the sitting MP and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh good oldage home in the state capital It is about priorities The government spends thousands of crores on big projects It can also establish a good oldage home where the elderly can choose to live at their own will The government gives subsidy on land for businesses it can very well do that for setting up such facilities says B N Sarup 78 a retired doctor who is looking for a decent old age home after the demise of his wife His two sons and daughter are settled in CanadaThere are an estimated 60000odd citizens in the state capital in the 80 years and above age group left to the care and concern of the family in particular and society in general They want an old age home with amenities facilities and aid for their ease of living from the governmentI am even willing to pay a particular amount every month for such a facility because living alone after a certain age is difficult as well as insecure said Srila Prakash a single woman who is unwell and aged about 68 yearsI have a car but cannot drive at this age Cab services only pick and drop from point to point but there is no assistance beyond that So if there is any trusted governmentbacked system where we can just call and get someone to help us get basic things done or go out occasionally that would help she saidThese senior citizens tried to meet the Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh but could not succeedWe have decided to send a memorandum to him so that he can consider this facility for us after the polls said Atul Varshney another 80yearold who has no one to support him hereA voracious reader and a compulsive writer he said he yearns for a circle where he can share his love for artBesides oldage homes recreational centresclubs parks and community centres the elderly feel there should be dedicated government helpline numbers where they can connect to get their issues resolvedBroadly we need a right policy push to help create a benevolent society which could ensure a dignified living to the elderly especially the octogenarians he saidAs per the government data the population of 60 years and above has more than tripled in India in the past 50 yearsFurther estimates reveal that the country expects 19 per cent of its population to be above 60 years of age by 2050A major social churning is already underway where the concentration of good jobs in a few select cities in India is precipitating the rise of microfamilies with elderly people left behind to live alone and grapple with isolationMany may not even need old age homes but they do feel the need for elderly care facilities that can help them with basic errands like banking mobility to market and public places and occasional social engagement to avert depression tightening its grip on their mental stateInsufficient healthcare and domestic abuse are also a concern needing attentionLast year NITI Aayog announced that it is firming up a policy prescription for enhancing elderly care in the country with a focus on publicprivate partnerships to set up oldage homes a convergence of existing schemes related to the elderly and pitching for higher resources to be allocated to the sector to significantly ramp up care for senior citizens IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/senior-citizens-in-lucknow-want-a-decent-old-age-home-from-rajnath-singh-542394.html Wed, 15 May 2024 14:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/madras-hc-orders-stringent-action-against-corrupt-practices-in-issuance-of-legal-heir-certificates-542211.html Chennai May 14 The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered stringent action against corrupt practices in the issuance of legal heir certificates A single judge bench of Justice SMSubramaniam took serious note of the corrupt practices involved while issuing legal heir certificates and sought criminal action against those who suppressed vital facts while applying for themThe court also said that strict action has to be taken against those government officials who issue these certificates by colluding with fraudulent applicantsIt directed the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to issue a circular within five weeks instructing all revenue officials across the state to lodge police complaints if and when they come across any application having been filed for a legal heir certificate by suppressing vital informationThe single bench judge issued the direction while disposing of a writ petition filed by M Marannan of Coimbatore The petitioner had challenged an order passed by the Mettupalayam Tehsildar rejecting his request for issuance of a legal heir certificate to him following the death of his father Maranna GowderHowever Additional Government Pleader U Bharanidharan told the court that the petitioner had suppressed the fact of having a brother and two sisters while making an application for the certificate and therefore the Tehsildar had refused to issue it to himOn hearing this the court expressed its concerns in coming across many such cases related to false claims for legal heir certificatesGovernment Advocate Criminal Cases S Vinoth Kumar informed the court that Sections 177 furnishing false information to a public servant 182 furnishing false information with intent to make public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person and 199 false statement made in a declaration of the Indian Penal Code could be invoked against the applicants who suppress vital information for legal heir certificatesHe also said that if the false certificates had been used to take away the property or insurance amount of the deceased the police could invoke Sections 420 cheating 467 forgery of valuable security 468 forgery for the purpose of cheating and 471 using as genuine a forged document of the IPC against the applicantJustice Subramaniam then directed the revenue authorities to promptly lodge criminal complaints against all dishonest applicantsUnless such penal actions are initiated it would be very difficult to control the menace he said adding that if any practice of abetment to commit the offences is identified then the government officials are also liable to be prosecuted under criminal lawThe judge directed the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to warn Tehsildars of disciplinary action if they failed to lodge police complaints against fraudulent applicants IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/madras-hc-orders-stringent-action-against-corrupt-practices-in-issuance-of-legal-heir-certificates-542211.html Tue, 14 May 2024 18:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/hoax-bomb-threat-2500-cops-search-over-60-schools-in-jaipur-for-12-hours-542084.html Jaipur May 14 Over 2500 policemen five bomb squads and 20 sniffer dogs searched over 60 schools in Rajasthan after bomb threat emails were received by them said officials on Tuesday The private schools received threats on Monday at 249 am The searches started at 6 am and continued till late night hoursAfter extensive searches the threat turned out to be a hoax as nothing suspicious was found in any of the schoolsThe bomb threat was sent from a mail ID instrumenttinboxru via the Russian domainPolice are investigating the matter and analyzing the language of the emails The wording of the email sent to Delhi schools and airports recently is also being studiedPreliminary investigation has revealed that Russian servers have been used for sending the threat mail to Jaipur and Delhi schools An email was sent to the schools of Delhi from the id awariimmailru and to the schools of Jaipur from the id instrumentttinboxruMeanwhile cyber experts said that criminals generally have been using VPNs from other countries to hide their location For example in both the Jaipur and Delhi cases it is being said that emails were sent from the Russian servers It is possible that the emails were sent from some other place but the location is shown as Russia they addedCyber security expert Mukesh Chaudhary said that by hiding the location through VPN such accused manage to escape from the policeAnyone can change their location through a VPN In such a situation the email receiver feels that the sender of the email is in the same country from where he has received the mail however the case is different he saidMeanwhile officials did not deny a strong possibility that some organisation or gang may be behind the incidents in Delhi and JaipurJaipur Police Commissioner Biju George said that a similar pattern of mail has been used in Delhi and Jaipur schools There is no dateline mentioned and it uses the term Bcc under which one mail is being sent to many others So one should not be scared of such emailsCyber security and law expert Monali Krishna Guha said that vicious criminals usually use darknet or proxy servers while sending such emails due to which the police investigation takes a long time to reach any conclusionRajendra Prasad former incharge of the cyber crime police station says that police should take help from the CBI and Interpol when VPN is being usedThe email sent to schools spoke of taking revenge It referred to Gujarat and threatened to turn cities into ruinsIt needs to be mentioned here that miscreants have sent bomb threats to Jaipur airport six times in the last six months In May such bomb threats were sent twice on May 3 and then on May 12 However no suspicious object was found during the search operationIn April too Jaipur Airport received bomb threats on February 16 April 26 April 29 and December 27 last year IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/hoax-bomb-threat-2500-cops-search-over-60-schools-in-jaipur-for-12-hours-542084.html Tue, 14 May 2024 12:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/last-three-phases-of-polls-in-up-to-put-obc-leaders-on-test-541849.html Lucknow May 13 The remaining three phases of elections in Uttar Pradesh will be a test for OBC leaders in the state The performance of these leaders and their parties will decide their future in the NDA Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party SBSP President Om Prakash Rajbhar also a minister in the UP government has been making tall claims about the influence he wields on the Rajbhar communityThe BJP has given him the Ghosi seat on which he has fielded his son Arvind Rajbhar His sons candidature has already caused resentment in the community which wanted other members to contest the seatIf Om Prakash Rajbhar manages to win the Ghosi seat his position in the NDA will be secure but if he fails to do so he may face problems Rajbhar is already known for his controversial statementsNishad Party President and UP minister Sanjay Nishad also faces the challenge of ensuring his son Parveen Nishads victory Parveen is seeking reelection from his Sant Kabir Nagar seat on the BJP symbolHe had first won a byelection from Gorakhpur in 2018 on the Samajwadi Party ticketSanjay Nishad claims to wield influence over 27 Lok Sabha seats and his sons performance in Sant Kabir Nagar will validate his claimsThe Anupriya Patelled Apna Dal S a BJP ally since 2014 also faces a test this timeThe Apna Dal S has been winning two seats that it got in 2014 and then again in 2019This time Anupriya is contesting from Mirzapur but the Samajwadi Party has pitted Ramesh Bind sitting BJP MP from Bhadohi who on Sunday joined SP against herIn Robertsganj the Apna Dal S has denied a ticket to the sitting MP Pakodi Lal Kol and has named Rinki Kol his daughterinlaw as the candidateThe family feud has come out in the open and this could harm the partyAnother OBC leader whose popularity will be on the test in these elections is UP Minister Dara Singh ChauhanDara Singh Chauhan quit the BJP in January 2022 to join the SPHowever when the BJP formed government again in 2022 Chauhan quit SP and returned to BJP He fought a byelection but lost to SPThe BJP made him a member of the Vidhan Parishad and then a minister Chauhan also claims to be a custodian of Lonia Chauhan votes and NDAs performance in Ghosi in these polls will determine whether Chauhan has any hold over his community votesBJP rebel Swami Prasad Maurya is also facing a crucial test from Kushinagar Lok Sabha seatMaurya had revolted against the BJP in 2022 to join SP and then left SP in February this year after issuing statements against Sanatan DharmHe sent feelers to INDIA bloc members but got no response and is now contesting as a candidate of his own Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj PartyMauryas diatribe against the BJP ensured that his daughter Sanghmitra Maurya was denied a ticket from BudaunMaurya sources claim is looking for a return to BSP after the pollsTwo other OBC leaders whose fate will also be sealed in these elections are Krishna Patel and her daughter Pallavi Patel of Apna Dal KamerawadiThe motherdaughter broke away from SP in March and later formed an alliance with AIMIM called PDM Pichda Dalit and Musalman alliance hoping to strike it rich in the Lok Sabha pollsHowever the euphoria vanished and the PDM could announce only seven candidatesThose who were looking forward to a faceoff between the warring sisters Anupriya and Pallavi in Mirzapur are sorely disappointed because Pallavi is not contesting the pollsShe will have to decide her own future after the Lok Sabha polls because she was elected from the Sirathu assembly seat on the SP symbol in 2022 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/last-three-phases-of-polls-in-up-to-put-obc-leaders-on-test-541849.html Mon, 13 May 2024 15:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-validation-of-the-new-laws-541454.html New Delhi May 11 The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud addressing a conference in New Delhi on Advance of Criminal Justice System on April 20 lauded the new Penal Codes enacted by the Parliament in December last year described the development as a watershed moment and expressed satisfaction that India was changing in synchronisation with our times He felt that implementation of the new laws would mark a significant overhaul of the criminal justice system to better protect the interests of victims and ensure a more efficient conduct of investigation and prosecutionHe emphasised the urgent need for capacity building in areas of forensic expertise reorientation of investigating officers and investment in our court systemIt may be mentioned that with the avowed objective of freeing the country of the colonial hangover on the justice system the Indian Parliament redesignated the Indian Penal Code 1860 Indian Evidence Act 1872 and Criminal Procedure Code 1973 as Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita Act Bharatiya Sakshya Act and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita Act respectivelyThe Chief Justice declared that the enactment of these laws by Parliament underscored Indias evolving dynamics and the pressing need for innovative legal mechanisms to address contemporary challengesIn bolstering the concept of punishment acting as a deterrent against crime the new law lays down the death penalty for the rape of a minor and also for lynching the two black marks of the contemporary crime scenario in IndiaThe Act replaced the Indian Penal Code of 1860 repealed 22 old sections added 8 new ones and amended as many as 175 othersA new Section 69 punishes indulgence in sexual intercourse through deception by way of making promises of marriage while concealing identitySnatching has been made a distinct offence and a severe penalty was prescribed for disseminating false information through spoken words signs or electronic means This latter is also meant to check criminal misuse of social mediaThe new code for the first time punishes an act of terrorism that was likely to threaten Indias unity integrity security sovereignty or economy or spread terror among the people domestically or abroadThere has been some expression of concern by civil society groups particularly those building a narrative of authoritarianism against the present government that the definition of terror activity was being stretched to punish antiregime criticismThere is no doubt however in the minds of average citizens that in this era of proxy wars advocacy of violence against a legitimate democratic government deserved to be viewed seriouslyIn what can be regarded as a progressive move for dispensing justice community service has been included as a punishment for firsttime offenders committing a petty crimeBesides a new definition of organised crime has been incorporated in the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita Act to include among other things kidnapping human trafficking and cyber crimes carried out to secure material benefitThe activities of members of an organised crime syndicate are punishable with imprisonment of a minimum of five years going up to a life sentence if there was no death and including capital punishment if a death was causedThe new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita Act has repealed 9 sections of the old Act introduced 9 new sections and modified 160 earlier sections It mandates forensic investigation for crimes punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more It requires forensic experts to visit the scene of crime gather clues and document the processElectronic mode of giving evidence is permitted at trials enquiries and proceedings under Section 173 and it is laid down under Section 356 that a judgement can be pronounced in the absence of a proclaimed offender who had avoided the trialA great reform is the introduction of the concept of Zero FIR to be registered by a police station on receiving a complaint even if it did not have the jurisdiction for being forwarded to the right police station The new Act establishes deadlines for framing of charges and prescribes communicating the progress of the investigation to the victims within 90 days of the complaintThe Bharatiya Sakshya Act replaced the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 after introducing one new section removing 5 sections and altering a total of 23 other sections In a pathbreaking reform it recognises electronic records as primary evidence under Section 57 and permits electronic presentation of oral evidence enabling remote testimonyIt expands the concept of joint trial under Section 24 of multiple people some of whom might have failed to respond to an arrest warrant An important advance is the direction the Act gives for audiovisual recording of search and seizures to protect civil libertiesJudicial scrutiny of the same would safeguard the rights of citizens against procedural improprieties committed during search and seizureLegal minds particularly of the opposition have expressed misgivings that many of the new provisions endangered civil liberties and enhanced the power of the police over citizens in certain key areasUnder the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita Act and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act police officers could compel the accused persons to produce their digital devices for accessing their contents the rules about how to handle these devices were still not laid down and the concern was that police could look into privileged communications of the accused with their lawyers and their spouses which were otherwise protectedFor offences with a maximum punishment of three to seven years of imprisonment the police are permitted to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 14 days of the complaint to decide whether an FIR was to be registered this seemed to be against the judicial mandate that FIR had to be registered on any complaint alleging a cognisable offenceIt is apprehended that this might allow the police to refuse to register an FIR even on a legitimate complaintThe provisions made in the new laws can improve the justice system but they could also be put to misuse by the authorities wielding power Supervision of senior officers should be able to check the latterWith time under judicial scrutiny hopefully the pathway to improvement will be opened upThe introduction of two new offences in the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita that did not exist in the Indian Penal Code have invited an acrimonious debate in human rights groups They relate to a terrorist act and an act endangering sovereignty unity and integrity of IndiaIt is said that the definition of a terrorist act was the same as provided in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act which was worded loosely enough to allow police to book political dissidents It punishes even the advice and incitement to do something that amounted to a threat to Indias unity integrity sovereignty security and economyFurther the inclusion of the offence of publishing false or misleading information jeopardising the sovereignty unity integrity and security of India it is alleged would enable the state to target media outlets and journalists who revealed information inconvenient to the governmentIn a nutshell some of the new laws have been run down by the critics mostly the Opposition and civil society groups as an instrument in the hands of the regime for suppressing dissent and advancing its political interestsThe people of India are sensitive to issues of governance and human rights but they would appreciate any genuine reform in the maintenance of law and order and dispensation of justice of which police is perhaps the most important systemic componentConscientious citizens would appreciate the deterrent law enacted for offences like the rape of a minor and mob lynching that had an unsettling impact on society as a wholeThe writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau Views are personal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-validation-of-the-new-laws-541454.html Sun, 12 May 2024 10:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-how-kashmir-saw-decline-in-hindu-numbers-541600.html New Delhi May 12 As the debate rages on the decline of the Hindu population the exodus of the minority community from Kashmir is a case for study It took only a couple of years for a motivated ecosystem to reduce a happy contented Kashmiri Pandit community into rootless shattered refugees From a number of over seven lakh in 1990 the community has only a few thousand left in the Valley with a majority of them being government employees living in protected areasFor the presentday generation it may come as a surprise to know that Kashmir was once a Hindu land Great emperors like Lalitaditya Muktapida ruled the Valley Kashmir was also a seat of learning Sharada Peeth established by Kashmiri Pandits was on par with Nalanda and Takshila However the decline started with the advent of Islam in the Valley in the 14th centuryAfter continued persecution which continued till 1948 the divided Valley was left with about six per cent Kashmiri PanditsOver the decades this percentage gradually decreased Pandits moved to other parts of India due to discriminatory policies and attitudes of the governments in the state administration and political class which was shielded by Article 370Till late 1980s the population had come down to almost two per cent In February 1986 organised attacks were carried out against the Kashmiri Pandits in Anantnag district Many houses were looted and temples burntThis was followed by a fullblown terror onslaught the target of which was the Kashmiri Pandit community which everyone perceived to be proIndiaThe minorities were ruthlessly attacked It was during the tenure of Farooq Abdullah who became the Chief Minister on November 7 1986 till January 18 1990 that Kashmir witnessed organised attacks on Kashmiri PanditsThe Home Minister of the country was Mufti Mohd Sayed a Kashmiri Muslim who was largely suspected by the community to be behind the 1986 Anantnag riotsHundreds were killed many kidnapped women were abducted and raped Many were brutally killed and bodies hung from trees and polesMosques were openly used to carry out antiIndia and antiHindu agendas Loudspeakers atop mosques would blaze slogans against the Kashmiri Pandits As targeted violence was unleashed on minorities there was no one to help them or stand for them Threats were openly given in local vernacular newspapers posters were pasted on Hindu homes and hit lists were releasedThe Pakistanbacked ecosystem openly gave only three options to the Kashmiri Pandits convert face death or flee The community chose to flee leaving movable and immovable properties temples and shrines treasured books and archivesA whole community which is the original native of the land and has a rich heritage of over 5000 years was suddenly uprooted thrown in the hot plains of the country and forced to live in tattered tents and campsIn the Valley there was no remorse no one came forward to help the beleaguered community There were no political voices or human rights organisations in the Valley who could raise the voice for the persecuted HindusOnce the Kashmiri Pandits were forced out the next on the agenda of the ecosystem was to usurp the properties Hindu houses were looted and many of the stolen goods were put up for sale in markets by looters Lands were encroached upon and taken over A majority of the Hindu house owners were forced to sell their houses and lands for peanutsThree decades after the mass exodus there is no case of ethnic cleansing or genocide What happened to Kashmiri Pandits is termed as mass migration as if the community people willingly left their homes to live in tents in hot humid conditionsNo one stands guilty and none has been sentenced for the crimes perpetrated against the minority Hindus All those perpetrators who were directly or indirectly involved in killingskidnappingsrapes and gangrapesarson and loot were not outside marauders like in earlier centuries but were locals In a majority of cases the attackers were known either neighbours or colleagues or friendsWhile the victims knew who the attackers were the police administration and the political class had just shut their eyes to the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits They were probably following the plan to a perfect execution which was done meticulouslyThe ecosystem was so strong and well organised that it challenged the countrys secular ethos and converted the Muslimmajority Kashmir into almost a Hindufree place in the 1990sThe political class that existed in the Valley when the Kashmiri Pandits were being persecuted continues to be there today as well They remained silent in those times and have till today not sought justice for fellow Kashmiri minorities There has been no SIT or judicial commission to probe the persecution and the exodusThe only time the countrys justice system mentioned the tragedy of the community was during the trial of JKLF chief Yasin Malik The National Investigation Agency NIA told a Delhi court in 2022 during arguments on the sentencing of Yasin Malik in a terror funding case that he was responsible for the Kashmiri Pandits exodus from the ValleyOn June 11 1999 the National Human Rights Commission NHRC in a ruling stated that the violence against the community was genocidelike and stopped short of terming it as genocideThe Supreme Court too dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the alleged mass murder of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley in 19891990 However a judgment authored by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on the abrogation of Article 370 in 2023 did mention the ordeal of the community and recommended a structural investigation of the events and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to rebuild the social fabric and heal woundsToday the same community is struggling to keep alive its culture language and traditions The faceless ecosystem that worked to uproot the Kashmiri Hindus from the Valley is today sitting pretty somewhere unidentified and scouting for new landsDeepika Bhan can be contacted at deepikabiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-how-kashmir-saw-decline-in-hindu-numbers-541600.html Sun, 12 May 2024 18:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/kerala-left-in-quandary-as-3-rajya-sabha-vacancies-arise-541257.html Thiruvananthapuram May 11 As the results of the Lok Sabha polls are awaited on June 4 a fresh issue appears to have surfaced in Kerala and all eyes are on how the ruling CPIMled Left is going to navigate it Three members are due to retire from Kerala from the Upper House on July 1 and the problem now is that while all the retiring members belong to the Left the new nominees will see the Left winning two while the Congressled UDF is certain to win oneThe retiring members are state party chiefs of two Left allies Binoy Viswam who heads the CPI in Kerala and Jose K Mani of the Kerala Congress Mani KCM and CPIM veteran Elamaram KareemWith the Congressled UDF certain to win one the ruling Left will win only two of which one will certainly be taken by big brother CPIM Then it is whether CPI or KCM gets the nominationWhile the CPI is the second biggest ally in the ruling Left and has been with the Left Democratic Front LDF since its formation the KCM is the third biggest ally which joined the Left only in 2020 after their party split the one led by Mani joined the LDFA political critic on condition of anonymity said that its a Catch 22 situation for CPIMThe situation will become clearer when the Lok Sabha polls results come out on June 4 The CPI has contested for two seats and the KCM one The results will be crucial for both these parties The CPIM will be the last word if both CPI and KCM insist on the one seat said the criticMani has been in the Parliament since 2009 when he won his first win and retained his Kottayam Lok Sabha seat at the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but with a year remaining as part of a political adjustment the Congress gifted one of their Rajya Sabha seat to ManiAfter his party moved over to the Left in 2020 he resigned and contested again and won his seat Now all eyes are on the CPIM with one seat and whom they will backThe notification for the elections to the three seats is expected anytime now IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/kerala-left-in-quandary-as-3-rajya-sabha-vacancies-arise-541257.html Sat, 11 May 2024 17:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/hindu-population-decline-is-most-worrying-govt-should-be-serious-about-it-union-min-joshi-540991.html Bengaluru May 10 Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that the trend of decline of the Hindu population in the country is the most worrying development Speaking to the media Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the state and central governments should wake up and initiate action immediately to prevent this trendHe said that there should be a comprehensive study regarding the decline of the Hindu population in the country If the number of Hindus decline then over a period of time the democratic system itself will change Bharat is the only secular country in the world It is a secular state in true spirit Secularism is in the blood of Indians and it is also ingrained in their character It is going to be affected in future Joshi saidHe said that the country has found unity in diversity while the country has ensured freedom to practice all religions and cultures and this heritage should continueThough the nation is predominantly Hindu country it has sheltered people of all religions As the population of Hindus is on the decline it is a matter of utmost concern and the society and governments must contemplate over it Joshi saidAccording to the study titled Share of Religious Minorities A CrossCountry Analysis 19502015 by a threemember committee from 1950 to 2015 the Hindu population dipped from 85 per cent to 78 per cent while the Muslim population rose to 14 per cent from 10 per cent IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/hindu-population-decline-is-most-worrying-govt-should-be-serious-about-it-union-min-joshi-540991.html Fri, 10 May 2024 15:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/meghalaya-boards-class-12-results-announced-cm-sangma-says-pass-percentage-increased-540327.html Shillong May 8 The Meghalaya Board of School Education MBoSE on Wednesday declared results for Class 12 Chief Minister Conrad Sangma lauded the students for their good results and said that the pass percentage has significantly increasedTaking to his X handle Sangma wrote Heartiest congratulations to the students for clearing the MBoSE HSSLC Science and Commerce Stream Pass percentage has significantly increased science is 8524 per cent and commerce is 8026 per cent Wishing all the very best in their future endeavoursThe board declared the results for Science and Commerce streams along with vocational courses IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/meghalaya-boards-class-12-results-announced-cm-sangma-says-pass-percentage-increased-540327.html Wed, 08 May 2024 15:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-stresses-need-for-educating-minors-on-virtual-touch-540016.html New Delhi May 7 The Delhi High Court has stressed the importance of educating minors about the concept of virtual touch alongside traditional awareness of good touch and bad touch to better safeguard them against the evolving threats in the digital world Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma pointed out that merely teaching children about physical interactions may not be sufficient to protect them from the complexities of the virtual environmentIn her recent remarks Justice Sharma outlined that education on virtual touch should include understanding appropriate online behaviour recognising signs of predatory actions and the significance of maintaining privacy settings and boundaries on the InternetShe noted the necessity for children to develop critical thinking skills to evaluate the trustworthiness of online contacts and protect their personal informationThe court called for the integration of topics addressing virtual touch and its associated dangers into school curriculumsThe directive was aimed at key stakeholders including educational institutions the Delhi State Legal Services Authority and the Delhi Judicial Academy urging them to initiate programmes workshops and conferences that broaden the scope of safety education to include online interactionsJustice Sharma made these observations while denying bail to a woman accused of participating in a crime involving the kidnapping and subsequent abuse of a teenage girl orchestrated through social media platforms IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-stresses-need-for-educating-minors-on-virtual-touch-540016.html Tue, 07 May 2024 12:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/need-to-uphold-provisions-true-purpose-delhi-hc-grants-furlough-to-man-serving-life-term-in-pocso-case-539799.html New Delhi May 6 The Delhi High Court has stressed the need to uphold the true purpose and spirit of the provision of furlough or release of a prisoner for a short period after certain years of incarceration by way of motivation and incentive for maintaining good conduct and remaining disciplined in the prison The period spent by the prisoner outside the prison on furlough shall be counted towards his sentenceJustice Swarana Kanta Sharma in a recent order observed that rigid and mechanical interpretations of prison rules could obscure the benevolent intent behind furlough diminishing its significance in the lives of prisonersThe courts observations came in a case involving a man serving a life sentence for offences under the IPC and Pocso ActDespite the gravity of his crimes the court granted him furlough for three weeks acknowledging his good conduct in prison and his efforts at reformation It noted the importance of empathy and understanding in administering justice particularly in cases involving the mental wellbeing and rehabilitation of prisonersJustice Sharma said that solitary confinement should not hinder a prisoners path to reformation and stressed the role of courts in ensuring fairness and humanity throughout the judicial process Drawing attention to Rule 1200 of the Delhi Prison Rules which delineates the objectives of releasing prisoners on parole and furlough the court praised the meticulous drafting that balances caution and foresightIt stressed that furlough provisions offer a glimmer of hope for individuals incarcerated allowing them temporary release to reconnect with their families seek medical treatment and pursue rehabilitation programmesThe court rejected the notion of denying furlough solely on the basis of the severity of the offence saying that such an approach would undermine the purpose of the provision IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/need-to-uphold-provisions-true-purpose-delhi-hc-grants-furlough-to-man-serving-life-term-in-pocso-case-539799.html Mon, 06 May 2024 17:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-paks-misstep-in-stirring-controversy-with-indias-election-speeches--539489.html New Delhi May 5 As Lok Sabha elections in India progress it is not surprising to see Pakistan nose around Like a quarrelsome neighbour the country is whining about the election speeches being made in India by various political leaders Pakistan is going to various forums crying over the political speeches being made in India particularly by the ruling BJP leaders A section of its leaders is attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi showering praises on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and talking about the CAA Ram Temple in Ayodhya etcThese leaders seem to be more excited about the election in the neighbourhood than worry about their own democratic institutions and processes which were exposed during the electoral exercise in FebruaryUnable to maintain the sanctity of its own democratic institutions Pakistan is trying to raise and project political speeches and debates in India as policy statements on various platformsRecently Pakistan raised concerns regarding a particular election speech at the UN During a UNGA session on Culture of Peace Pak envoy to the UN Munir Akram cited a US media report The report referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modis election speech wherein he stated that the new India is capable of entering enemy territory and striking India slammed Pakistan at the UN meeting saying that it is Pakistan that harbours the most dubious track record in all aspectsPakistan not only is manipulating the election speeches of various Indian leaders on international forums but some of its leaders are openly coming out in support of the Congress and opposing PM ModiChaudhary Fawad Hussain Pakistans former Information Minister and a close aide of Imran Khan wants Rahul Gandhi to be the winner Recently he posted on his X handle a video showing Rahul Gandhi attacking PM Modi with the comment Rahul on fire Hussian also said Pakistanis should support Rahul Gandhi because Modis policies do not suit PakistanTaking a dig at the Pakistani leaders support for Rahul Gandhi PM Modi was quick to lash out and said in an election rally Congress was dying here and Pakistan was crying and the partnership between the two has been completely exposedThe former Pakistan Minister is not the only Pakistani leader to openly express a preference for Rahul Gandhi there are others including experts and media outlets who are eagerly pitching for CongressThe voices emanating from Pakistan have intensified the attacks and counterattacks in the electoral battle between BJP and Congress BJPs IT cell head Amit Malviya posted From a manifesto that has imprints of the Muslim League to a ringing endorsement from across the border Congresss dalliance with Pakistan cant get more obviousThe Congress may be finding itself on a sticky wicket on the issue of support from a section of Pakistani leaders The party however has neither distanced itself nor said elections are internal matters and Pakistan need not interfereIt is not the first time that Congress has been accused of dalliance with Pakistan In 2015 a former minister in the Congress government Mani Shankar Aiyar during a panel discussion with a Pakistani anchor said that PM Modi has to be removed The first and the foremost thing is to remove Modi Only then can the talks move forward We have to wait for four more years Bring us back to power and remove themAgain very recently Aiyar took potshots at the Modi government during an event in Lahore He said We have the courage to conduct surgical strikes against you but we dont have the courage to sit across the table and talkThe neighbour with a long history of antiIndia state policy will never want a strong and stable government in India So when Pakistani leaders root for Rahul Gandhi PM Modis statements come out as a clarion call for people to see through the designsAs India moves on to the next phase of elections and the battle becomes intense the neighbours curiosity is only going to grow Pakistans democracy is a failure and they should focus inward but then the owners pride is always the neighbours envyDeepika Bhan can be contacted at deepikabiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-paks-misstep-in-stirring-controversy-with-indias-election-speeches--539489.html Sun, 05 May 2024 16:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-cancels-bail-of-up-police-sho-accused-of-raping-minor-inside-police-station-539558.html New Delhi May 5 The Supreme Court has cancelled the bail of a Station House Officer SHO accused of raping a 13yearold girl inside a police station in Uttar Pradeshs Lalitpur district The minor girl was lured to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh by four boys of her village where she was gangraped and then left back to her village When the survivor went to the Pali police station to lodge a complaint against the boys she was detained and raped by SHO Tilakdhari Saroj A bench headed by Justice AS Bopanna said that the apex court had occasion to consider the issue of granting bail to a police official in a situation where he is alleged to have abused his office in the case of State of Jharkhand vs Sandeep Kumar and held against any lenience being shown by treating such an accused policeman on par with a common man accused of such an offence Notably that Sandeep Kumar judgment was not even a case involving a heinous offence In the present case the situation is far worse as respondent No 1 being the Station House Officer of the Police Station where the minor victim girl was brought for securing her justice is alleged to have resorted to committing the same heinous crime of raping her said the bench also comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar In March last year the Allahabad High Court had granted conditional bail to the accused police official saying that the prosecutions allegations do not inspire confidence A bench of Justice Siddharth had observed that the electronic data and call details showed that the victim was not in the police station on the alleged date of the incident Allowing the appeal filed by the victims mother the apex court said that it did not find any reasons worth the name justifying the grant of bail to the accused police official at this stage and ordered him to surrender forthwith The appeal is accordingly allowed Accused SHO shall surrender forthwith failing which the state shall take necessary steps to apprehend him and send him to judicial custody it ordered IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-cancels-bail-of-up-police-sho-accused-of-raping-minor-inside-police-station-539558.html Sun, 05 May 2024 19:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/zero-tolerance-policy-on-school-security-directorate-of-education-tells-delhi-hc-amidst-bomb-threats-539107.html New Delhi May 3 The Directorate of Education DoE apprised the Delhi High Court of its zerotolerance policy regarding safety in schools particularly amid concerns related to bomb threats Justice Subramonium Prasad was hearing a plea filed by lawyer Arpit Bhargava after a bomb threat in Delhi Public School Mathura Road last year which later turned out to be a prank by one of the students just for funBhargava who is a parent recently also filed an application contending the lack of progress in investigating and resolving three out of five bomb threat incidents reported in schools last yearThe court has now called upon the city government and the police to present an action plan to address the recurring incidents of bomb threats targeting schools in the national capitalThe DoE has submitted a status report indicating its proactive measures to ensure effective implementation of safety guidelines According to the status report it issued various directives to schools to enhance their safety and security protocols These include a circular dated April 16 outlining precautionary measures and delineating the roles of school authorities in handling bomb threatsThe DoE said that while it is committed to enforcing safety measures addressing bomb threats primarily falls under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies Nonetheless it has taken significant steps including convening emergent meetings to devise safety plans and issuing circulars to guide schools in conducting safety audits and preparing for potential disastersThe report highlighted the DoEs comprehensive approach to addressing safety concerns encompassing stakeholder consultations expert opinions and issuance of detailed guidelines through various circularsMoreover measures such as making parents aware of the consequences of hoax threat calls conducting safety walks and implementing mock drills for evacuation have been initiatedFurthermore the DoE has established an online reporting mechanism for schools to regularly update their safety statusThe petitioner had cited the alarming frequency of bomb threats and stressed the need for swift and effective measures to ensure the safety of children and all stakeholders The latest application filed by the petitioner referenced a recent bomb threat email directed at the court itself underscoring the urgency of the situationThe court had earlier also impleaded various private schools organisations as respondents to the case and issued notices to them IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/zero-tolerance-policy-on-school-security-directorate-of-education-tells-delhi-hc-amidst-bomb-threats-539107.html Sat, 04 May 2024 00:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/trans-border-narcotics-network-busted-in-punjab-4kg-ice-seized-538830.html Chandigarh May 3 In an intelligenceled operation against transborder narcotics smuggling networks Punjab Police has apprehended one person and seized four kg ice methamphetamine and one kg heroin Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said He said that drones were used to transport drugs from a Pakistanbased drug smugglerAn FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered in Amritsar and investigations are going on to establish backward and forward linkages he addedEarlier Commissionerate Police Jalandhar busted an international drugs syndicate spread over five countries with the arrest of three persons of a family while also recovering 48 kg heroin and Rs 21 lakh from their possessionThose arrested have been identified as Satnam Singh alias Babbi a native of Dhandiyan village in Nawanshahr his daughter Aman Rozi and his soninlaw Hardeep SinghApart from seizing heroin and drug money the police also impounded three highend cars from their possessionDGP Yadav had said that the drugs syndicate spread across five countries Iran Afghanistan Turkey Pakistan and Canada was actively involved in transborder and interstate drug smuggling using their domestic network spanning two states Gujarat and Jammu and KashmirHe had said preliminary investigation has suggested that Gujarats sea route and Jammu and Kashmirs land route were used to push this heroin consignment into the territory of IndiaThe DGP said that a Turkeybased heroin smuggler Navpreet Singh alias Nav is the mastermind of the syndicateNav was also involved in a 350 kg heroin seizure by the Delhi Police Special Cell in 2021 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/trans-border-narcotics-network-busted-in-punjab-4kg-ice-seized-538830.html Fri, 03 May 2024 11:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cyber-extortion-top-concern-for-37-pc-indian-firms-report-538869.html New Delhi May 3 About 37 per cent of Indian organisations cited cyber extortion as a top concern as compared to 24 per cent globally a new report said on Friday According to the cybersecurity company Splunk about 25 per cent of Indian firms also cited attacks on cloudbased infrastructure as a top concernAs businesses in India navigate a complex cyber threat landscape that evolves with advancements in AI Splunks latest State of Security report reveals that the countrys security teams are ahead of the curve globally when it comes to establishing generative AI policies said Dhiraj Goklani Area Vice President South Asia SplunkThe report surveyed 1650 security leaders during December 2023 and January 2024 Respondents were in Australia France Germany India Japan New Zealand Singapore the UK and the USMoreover the report mentioned that India has the highest percentage of organisations 66 per cent that rated their security programmes as extremely advanced compared to 47 per cent globallyThey also have higher rates of increased collaboration across internal teams 58 per cent with software engineering 52 per cent with engineering operations and 78 per cent with ITAccording to the report Indian firms were also particularly focused on cloud security with 48 per cent citing it as a top initiative compared to 35 per cent globallyIndia organisations were the most optimistic about how generative AI will tip the scales with 51 per cent expecting defenders to gain a bigger advantage versus 43 per cent globallyAbout per cent have established generative AI security policies for end users compared to 66 per cent globally the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cyber-extortion-top-concern-for-37-pc-indian-firms-report-538869.html Fri, 03 May 2024 12:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/heat-wave-grips-telangana-mercury-crosses-46-degrees-celsius-in-few-places-538388.html Hyderabad May 1 A severe heat wave gripped parts of Telangana on Wednesday with the temperature crossing 46 degrees Celsius in seven districts Gudapur in Nalgonda district was the hottest place with mercury soaring to 466 degrees CelsiusAccording to the Telangana State Development Planning Society Mangapet in Mulugu district Munagala in Suryapet Chandur in Nalgonda and Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri Kothagudem district recorded a maximum temperature of 465 degreesTimmapur in Nalgonda Wyra and Khanapur in Khammam and Mutharam in Peddapalli recorded 464 degrees CelsiusMeanwhile the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre has forecast that the heat wave conditions are likely to continue for the next four daysIt has also issued a red alert for Jagtial Jangaon Karimnagar Khammam Nirmal Nizamabad Peddapalle and Rajanna Sircilla districts on May 3 as the temperature is likely to cross 44 degrees Celsius and an orange alert for districts like Karimnagar Peddapally Jayashankar Bhupalapally Mahabubnagar Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy as the temperature there is likely to be between 41 and 44 degrees CelsiusA yellow alert has been issued for districts like Nirmal Nizamabad Jagityal Rajanna Sirsilla Mulugu Khammam Nalgonda Suryapet Mahabubabad Warangal Hanamkonda Narayanpet and Jogulamba GadwalMeanwhile the state Health Department has issued an advisory for protection against the heat wave It has advised people to take precautions not to ignore the heat and not to step out of their homesThey have been advised to stay in shaded cool areas to the extent possible over the next few days The Director of Health and Family Welfare urged people to be careful and not risk their health and lives by going out in the sun especially between noon and 3 pmDr B Ravinder Nayak Director of Public Health amp Family Welfare said people should avoid strenuous activities when outside in the afternoonDo not go out barefoot avoid cooking during peak summer hours open doors and windows to ventilate the cooking area adequately and avoid alcohol tea coffee and carbonated soft drinks or drinks with large amounts of sugar as these actually lead to loss of more bodyfluid or may cause stomach cramps reads the advisory IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/heat-wave-grips-telangana-mercury-crosses-46-degrees-celsius-in-few-places-538388.html Wed, 01 May 2024 22:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-127-year-old-godrej-empire-split-how-it-was-resolved-amicably-538141.html New Delhi May 1 In the increasingly contentious world of family business splits the peaceful division of the 127yearold Godrej empire worth 57 billion is a rare occurrence According to the company Adi Godrej who is head of the family and his brother Nadir Godrej will retain control of the five listed companies of the Godrej GroupGodrej was founded in 1897 to help build economic independence for India Nadir Godrej saidThis deep purpose of innovating for a cause the values of trust and respect and the belief in trusteeship and making communities that the companies operate in stronger and better continue to form the bedrock of who we are 127 years later Nadir Godrej saidAccording to a stock exchange filing the cousins Jamshyd and Smita will receive the unlisted Godrej amp Boyce Mfg Co along with its affiliates and a huge land bankBoth the groups will continue to utilise the Godrej brand and are committed to growing and strengthening their shared heritageThe division of the conglomerate was agreed upon to honour the differing viewpoints within the family over business strategies especially among the younger generationThere have been no apparent undercurrents despite the differences according to sourcesThe Godrej Industries Group which includes the listed entities Godrej Industries Ltd Godrej Consumer Products Ltd Godrej Properties Ltd Godrej Agrovet Ltd and Astec Lifesciences Ltd will be led by Nadir Godrej as chairperson alongside his brother Adi and their immediate familiesThe five listed companies are collectively valued at Rs 24 lakh crorePirojsha Godrej the son of Adi Godrej has been appointed as the executive vice chairperson of the groupHe is scheduled to assume the role of chairperson from Nadir Godrej in August 2026Meanwhile the Godrej Enterprises Group will be led by Jamshyd Godrej who serves as chairperson and managing director alongside Nyrika Holkar as the executive director and their immediate families as per the family settlement agreementThe Godrej Enterprises Group comprises Godrej amp Boyce along with its associated companies that operate diverse businesses including appliances aerospace aviation defence energy security construction healthcare furniture IT and infrastructureThe family will also retain land banks including over 3400 acres in Vikhroli a suburb of Mumbai which remain the familys largest assetWith this forwardlooking family agreement now in place we can further drive our growth aspirations with fewer complexities and focus on leveraging our core strengths in hightech engineering and designled innovation across our strong portfolio of strategic consumer and emerging businesses said Jamshyd Godrej IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-127-year-old-godrej-empire-split-how-it-was-resolved-amicably-538141.html Wed, 01 May 2024 11:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/why-allahabad-is-crucial-for-congress-this-time-537969.html Allahabad UP April 30 Two sons will fight against each other to save their fathers legacy in this historic constituency Allahabad They are also fighting for their parties Neeraj Tripathi a wellknown lawyer is making his political debut on a BJP ticket He is the son of former Speaker and Governor the late Kesri Nath Tripathi He has replaced the sitting BJP MP Rita Bahuguna JoshiThe party has given us a lot My father became minister then Speaker and then Governor I was appointed additional advocate general Now I have got the opportunity to contribute what I can to the party I will work hard to ensure this seat for the party he told IANSThe BJP cadres in this constituency are excited over Neerajs candidature and his fathers immense popularity is a major advantageUjjwal Raman Singh on the other hand is the son of Samajwadi Party veteran and former MP Reoti Raman Singh He crossed over to the Congress from SP to contest the Allahabad seatA twoterm MLA Ujjwal Raman Singh is working hard to wrest back the seat of the Congress which has not won Allahabad in the past 40 yearsThe Congress last won Allahabad in 1984 when the country witnessed a heartstopping electoral battle between Amitabh Bachchan and former UP chief minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Bachchan got a 6821 per cent record vote shareThe Allahabad seat has been known for sending stalwarts like P D Tandon Lal Bahadur Shastri Janeshwar Mishra Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi to the Lok SabhaOnce a Congress stronghold represented by the countrys two former Prime Ministers Lal Bahadur Shastri and VP Singh among others the constituency has eluded the party for the last four decadesMy priority is to gift Allahabad back to the Congress I have my fathers blessings and the support of SP and Congress he told IANS on TuesdayIncidentally Allahabad is one of the few seats in Uttar Pradesh that the Congress is confident of winningThis time the whole party is unitedly working for the polls and there are no divisions in the party said a senior Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee UPCC leaderThe Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency still known as Allahabad and not Prayagraj was formed in 1952 and is made up of the five Assembly segments including Meja Karchhana Allahabad South Bara and KoraonIn recent years the BJP has consolidated its position by winning five of the last seven elections including 2014 and 2019 making this seat their stronghold IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/why-allahabad-is-crucial-for-congress-this-time-537969.html Tue, 30 Apr 2024 17:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-rifles-recover-arms-radio-sets-satellite-phone-from-along-myanmar-border-in-nagaland-537755.html Kohima April 29 Assam Rifles which guards the 1643 kmlong unfenced IndiaMyanmar border in four northeastern states recovered a large quantity of arms ammunition radio sets a satellite phone a Chinese bike along the frontier in Nagalands Mon district on Monday officials said Defence sources said that based on specific intelligence inputs Assam Rifles launched a massive search operation early in the morning and intercepted the arms and ammunition communication devices and other warlike stores in northern Nagaland One person has been detainedThese seized items include 11 mortar tubes 81 mm four tubes 106 mm 10 pistols 198 handheld radio sets a satellite phone a Kenbo bike Chinese a Bolero vehicle and other warlike storesAn Assam Rifles statement said that the recovery of these heavy calibre militarygrade weapons close to the border is a major success for the border sealing operation underway by the forceThe recovery is also a major blow to the nefarious designs of inimical elements trying to disturb the peace in the region the statement said adding that the presence of militarygrade weapons and the handheld radio sets nearly 200 indicate the ill intentions and extent of damage that could have been causedThe apprehended individual and the recovered items have been handed over to the Nagaland Police it said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-rifles-recover-arms-radio-sets-satellite-phone-from-along-myanmar-border-in-nagaland-537755.html Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/he-has-made-251-trips-to-jail-but-is-not-a-criminal-537380.html Lucknow April 28 He is one of the oldest student leaders contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections He is better known for making a record of sorts by going to jail more than 251 times in his 40yearlong careerMeet Ravidas Mehrotra the Samajwadi Party SP candidate from Lucknow Lok Sabha seatMehrotra 66 an alumnus of Lucknow University has had a chequered career with more downs than ups but that has not lessened his zeal for social workAbout his jail record Mehrotra says All the cases against me are related to demonstrations and protests held by me during my university days and after that when I joined politics It speaks for the fact that I have been a fighter all along There is not a single criminal case against meThe SP government will work for the downtrodden and those denied justice be it Muslims Dalits Christians and especially Brahmins who have been persecuted under the BJP government We will make sure we bring vikas to all irrespective of caste community and religion Mehrotra says and adds that We are standing by the claim that roti kapda sasta ho dava padhai muft hoMehrotra feels that the promise of the restoration of the old pension scheme by the SP is his biggest advantage since the constituency comprises mainly the salaried classAs he informs his voters about the schemes promised by his party if it comes to power he says BJP has not done anything for the states development The lawandorder situation is bad and women and children are not safeMehrotra will be facing Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in this electoral battle but that does not unnerve himThe biggest giants have fallen before the people and this is an election You never know what can happen he says IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/he-has-made-251-trips-to-jail-but-is-not-a-criminal-537380.html Sun, 28 Apr 2024 19:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/owaisis-party-releases-telugu-song-to-reach-out-to-voters-537208.html Hyderabad April 27 In a move to reach out to Teluguspeaking voters in Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency the All India MajlisEIttehadul Muslimeen AIMIM has come out with a song in Telugu The sixminute song with catchy lyrics and music highlights the achievements of AIMIM and its supremo Asaduddin Owaisi who is seeking reelection for the fifth consecutive term The party on Sunday released the music video which features footage of Owaisis visit to his constituency meetings with people across communities and some of his rare gestures in public appearances like pretending to fly kite which is the election symbol of AIMIM The song highlights how Owaisi is serving the people irrespective of their religion and caste There are visuals of Hindus including members of temple management committees in the old city greeting him with shawls during his visits and nonMuslim men and women meeting him at party headquarters Darussalam with their problems The lyrics are about how the MP has been fighting for issues of common man in Parliament and outside This is the second time that AIMIM has come out with a Telugu song as part of its campaign In November last year the party had released a Telugu song to reach out to Teluguspeaking voters during Telangana Assembly elections AIMIM has never lost an election from Hyderabad since 1984 when Asaduddin Owaisis father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi was elected for the first time Asaduddin Owaisi made his debut in Lok Sabha in 2004 when his father opted out due to illhealth This time the AIMIM chief is locked in what is likely to be a direct fight with K Madhavi Latha of BJP The BRS has fielded Gaddam Srinivas Yadav while Congress has named its Hyderabad district president Sameer Waliullah as its candidate Elections to all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana are scheduled on May 13 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/owaisis-party-releases-telugu-song-to-reach-out-to-voters-537208.html Sat, 27 Apr 2024 23:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/vice-president-jagdeep-dhankhar-visits-bharat-biotech-in-hyderabads-genome-valley-536998.html Hyderabad April 26 Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday visited Bharat Biotech which is focused on innovation research amp development and largescale manufacturing facilities for vaccines Accompanied by Telangana Governor CP Radhakrishnan the Vice President went around the companys premises at Genome ValleyDr Krishna Ella Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech and Suchitra Ella CoFounder and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech welcomed the Vice PresidentVP Dhankhar was briefed in detail about the manufacturing facility the intricate processes involved in vaccine production and the companys initiatives to develop new molecules and vaccine candidates to fight neglected diseases that affect the developing world specifically focused on malaria cholera tuberculosis and chikungunyaThe Vice President who began his tour by planting a medicinal sapling admired Bharat Biotechs dedication and resilience during unprecedented challengesI am at a place where people are driven with a passion for research development and concern for society Bharat Biotech has not only helped the nation fight the pandemic by developing indigenous vaccines but also contributed immensely in digital penetration he said and called for greater collaboration between industry academia and support to back more research in all sectorsDr Krishna Ella thanked the Vice President for recognising Bharat Biotechs dedication and reaffirmed the companys continued commitment to developing novel vaccines contributing to national selfreliance goals and shaping a healthier futureThe Vice President was also taken on a virtual tour offering a glimpse into the inner workings of the production facilityFrom the stateoftheart equipment to precise quality control measures the virtual tour provided a fascinating insight into the meticulous process involved in researching and developing each vaccine dose rolled out from the facility such as the Rotavirus Vaccine Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine and Hepatitis Vaccine IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/vice-president-jagdeep-dhankhar-visits-bharat-biotech-in-hyderabads-genome-valley-536998.html Fri, 26 Apr 2024 23:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/madras-hc-express-concern-and-anguish-over-three-universities-having-no-vcs-536115.html Chennai April 23 The Madras High Court on Tuesday expressed concern and anguish over three universities in Tamil Nadu remaining without Vice Chancellors for a long period Hearing a writ petition filed by advocate B Jagannath seeking the inclusion of a University Grants Commission UGC nominee in the search panel set up by the state government to identify suitable candidates for the post of Vice Chancellor of Madras University a bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V Gangapurwala and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad said that academics seems to be taking a backseat in a dispute between various authoritiesThe universities have been without vice chancellors for the past one year The court is concerned only with the academic excellence of the universities and not the internal feuds between various authorities The authorities are required to be sensitive in manning the universities The only consideration should be educational excellence it saidSenior counsel NL Rajah appearing for the writ petitioner informed the court that the issue of inclusion of a UGC nominee in the search panel was decided in a recent judgement of the High Court in a Pondicherry University caseSenior counsel P Wilson representing the University of Madras however said the High Courts judgement in the Pondicherry University case was stayed by the Supreme Court He said the apex court was seized of the same issue and therefore a UGC nominee need not be included in the search panelThe senior counsel representing the University of Madras wanted to get impleaded in the present writ petition and opposed the petitioners plea for the inclusion of a UGC nomineeThe judges recorded his submission and granted time till June 5 to file for filing the impleading petition and getting it numberedThe bench however expressed their dismay over the University of Madras and two other universities remaining without a vicechancellor for a long time and the present writ petition itself getting adjourned from time to time at the instance of the state government since November 2023At this Wilson contended that the appointment of a Vice Chancellor was getting delayed solely because of the Governor IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/madras-hc-express-concern-and-anguish-over-three-universities-having-no-vcs-536115.html Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/lucknow-cops-get-ac-helmets-on-trial-basis-535959.html Lucknow April 23 The Lucknow Traffic Department has provided AC helmets as part of a trial phase for the first time in Lucknow to four traffic personnel This cool initiative is designed to help cops on duty beat the heat under the scorching sunThese helmets have AC vents to channel the coolness to the head along with a hard plastic shield that works as goggles to protect the eyes from the suns glareThe helmet is connected to a large battery pack tied to the waist of a person When the battery is drained a red light on top will alert the person to put the helmet on chargingThe AC installed in the helmet will reduce the temperature by 1015 degrees and this will provide relief to cops from the scorching heat said ADCP Traffic Ajay KumarAfter a successful trial about 500 such helmets will be procured from a Hyderabadbased company A monthlong trial will decide if the product can be introduced formally said the officialThe number will be decided by the higher authorities The weight of the helmet is half of that of a normal helmet and our cops felt very comfortable added the ADCPThis is the second such initiative in UP a similar trial was conducted by the Kanpur Police said DCP Traffic Salmantaj PatilRecently similar trials were conducted in Bhubaneswar Vadodara and other citiesThere will be two types of helmets with battery backups of two and eight hours respectively Reportedly the first one will be provided to traffic personnel while the one with more backup will be provided to police personnelDespite being comfortable for the user the helmet will be checked for any health risk as one part of the body is cool and the rest is exposed to heat We will examine if it has any negative effects said the ADCP IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/lucknow-cops-get-ac-helmets-on-trial-basis-535959.html Tue, 23 Apr 2024 08:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/how-vip-culture-vanished-under-modi-government-535852.html New Delhi April 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads by example and makes it a point to abide by the old adage practise what you preach From ending VIP culture to cutting down red tape to promoting ease of doing business several trailblazing initiatives form the hallmark of the Modi government And the Prime Minister has led from the front in setting and achieving all these milestonesIn a video shared by Modi Bharosa a popular X handle the PM recounts many instances where he took the lead in furthering his call and effort to dismantle the VIP cultureRecalling his mothers demise PM Modi says she passed away in a government hospital and her cremation was also done at a state governmentrun crematoriumTalking about the vaccination drive against Coronavirus PM Modi says that he could have got the vaccine administered early but waited for his numberI could have taken the vaccine early but I decided to take it only when my number comes says PM ModiTalking about ending VIP culture during Republic Day celebrations PM Modi says that the shramiks and workers who built the Central Vista were made special guests at the occasionTalking about University convocations PM Modi says that he always advocated for participation of the poor children in those eventsI used to tell the organisers that the first 50 seats in the convocation ceremony should be reserved for students belonging to the marginalised class They should also have an opportunity to witness the grand event says the PMIn the past 10 years of the Modi government many groundbreaking and pioneering initiatives designed on the lines of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas have paved the way for taking the 140 crore population alongThe disappearance of red beacons from vehicles of government servants was one of the first moves to end VIP culturePM Modi in his Mann ki Baat address in 2017 itself had given a call for ending the VIP culture with EPI Every person is important culture IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/how-vip-culture-vanished-under-modi-government-535852.html Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/having-a-driving-skill-highly-desirable-for-job-seekers-report-534892.html New Delhi April 18 Having a driving skill is highly desirable for job seekers across different sectors such as manufacturing ecommerce construction tourism and customer service among others a new report revealed on Thursday According to the global hiring and matching platform Indeed about 53 per cent of employers have highlighted the importance of driving proficiency as a desired skillDespite a four per cent drop in job openings requiring driving skills from March 2023 to March 2024 there has been a significant 10 per cent increase in job seeker interestThe data highlights a paradox where fewer job opportunities coexist with a rising number of job seekers eager to fill these roles said Sashi Kumar Head of Sales Indeed IndiaThis could indicate a tougher competition among candidates but also underscores the importance of possessing robust driving skills he addedAccording to the report the demand for driving skills remains high because of its vital role in operations across multiple sectors including retail logistics and customer serviceAs companies increasingly seek multifaceted employees those who bring additional skills such as customer interaction and logistical coordination to their driving ability are more likely to stand outCurrently salaries for driving jobs range from Rs 15104 to Rs 25709 per month reflecting the diverse scope and responsibility of these roles within different industries the report said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/having-a-driving-skill-highly-desirable-for-job-seekers-report-534892.html Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-k-and-bfi-forge-partnership-to-accelerate-healthcare-innovation-in-india-534636.html Kanpur April 17 The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur IITK and Blockchain For Impact BFI have announced a strategic partnership under the BFIBiome Virtual Network Programme to nurture innovations and driving advancements in healthcare in India As part of this collaboration BFI will support IIT Kanpur in promoting entrepreneurial initiatives through the Startup Incubation amp Innovation Centre SIIC IIT KanpurAccording to an official release a Memorandum of Understanding MoU was signed at IIT Kanpur by Prof Kantesh Balani Dean of Resources and Alumni DoRA IIT Kanpur and Dr Gaurav Singh CEO BFIAs part of this programme BFI has pledged to allocate over 150000 across three years to develop programmes specifically tailored to healthcarefocused startups at IIT Kanpurs Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre SIICThis collaboration leverages IIT Kanpurs established leadership in fostering entrepreneurship and BFIs commitment to advancing biomedical research By combining these strengths the partnership aims to develop impactful solutions that address critical gaps in Indias healthcare landscapeProf Kantesh Balani DoRA IIT Kanpur said I am very optimistic about the partnership between IIT Kanpur and BFI This MoU will help us share knowledge support startups effectively and improve our capacitybuilding effortsDr Gaurav Singh CEO of BFI stated Meeting the IIT Kanpur incubatees was incredibly inspiring Their boundless energy and unwavering dedication to healthcare innovation are truly aweinspiring IIT Kanpurs exceptional support for these entrepreneurs aligns perfectly with our shared mission of accelerating impactful solutions in biomedical research Through diverse initiatives in biomedical research and innovation district fullstack partnerships and processdriven funding programmes we are actively addressing critical gaps in Indias healthcare landscapeThis partnership between IITK and BFI signifies a significant step forward in advancing healthcare innovation in India By bringing together diverse expertise and resources this collaboration holds immense promise for improving public health and ensuring equitable and accessible healthcare for all IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-k-and-bfi-forge-partnership-to-accelerate-healthcare-innovation-in-india-534636.html Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/love-failure-doesnt-constitute-abetment-of-suicide-rules-delhi-hc-534753.html New Delhi April 17 The Delhi High Court has held that individuals cannot be held responsible for the suicide of a romantic partner due to love failure Justice Amit Mahajan said that for the unfortunate decision made by a person with a fragile mental state others cannot be accused of abetting the suicideThe judgement delivered while granting anticipatory bail to a woman and a man in an abetment of suicide case noted the tragic circumstances surrounding the demise of a man involved in a romantic relationship with one of the applicantsThe deceaseds father had lodged a complaint alleging that the applicants by falsely promising marriage and disclosing physical intimacy had driven his son to suicideHowever Justice Mahajan after reviewing WhatsApp conversations and the alleged suicide note noted the deceaseds sensitive nature and his habit of threatening suicide whenever his romantic advances were rejected The court said that the suicide note though mentioning the applicants did not contain threats of such gravity as to compel a normal person to contemplate suicideWhile acknowledging the anguish expressed by the deceased towards the applicants in the suicide note the court cautioned against inferring malicious intent on their part It said that the trial would examine the authenticity of the suicide note and whether the applicants had instigated the deceased IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/love-failure-doesnt-constitute-abetment-of-suicide-rules-delhi-hc-534753.html Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-national-security-strategy-need-not-be-made-public-in-its-entirety-534100.html New Delhi April 14 The demand for a declared National Security Strategy NSS is rightly a matter of public debate and open analysis by strategic experts It has to be realised however that not all aspects of the strategy of handling national security could be openly announced for the very reason of confidentiality of the information on the countrys threat scenario which is at the base of responses required to be put in place under that strategy at any given point of timeThe security scenario has a large variable component in todays world and it is accepted that the life of longrange security assessments itself had generally been shortenedThere is open agreement on a number of initiatives that are to be taken to serve the cause of national security such as promotion of public education that is designed to spread an awareness among the citizens that they all have a contribution to make for safeguarding national security in a democratic dispensation where the state considered itself responsible for the security of people as wellThe validity of many publicly known concepts like national security being inseparable from economic security the threat to cyber security and cyber data running through the lifelines of the country and open warfare giving way to proxy wars in this new era where the instrumentality of terrorism was in full use in the latter is now well established and this had created new paradigms for framing the national security strategyMany components of this strategy both in terms of the inputs on which it was formulated and the appropriate responses it deemed necessary would have to be treated as protected information to be kept from the prying eyes of the adversaryAn evaluation of who the friends and enemies are in the present and for the future would itself be an assessment that the government would like to keep to itself notwithstanding the stand that might be taken by it in public for reasons of being politically correctNational security is rooted in a combination of defence capabilities a strong security set up anchored on competent national Intelligence agencies and the total national power attributable to a developed economy providing for a strong national infrastructure utilisation of demographic dividend and free trade agreements with other major countriesIn the sphere of defence details of import of military equipment preferably with a provision for its manufacture in India on suitable terms and conditions may become known but the pattern of its deployment will remain a confidential part of whatever would be made public in the name of Indias national security strategyDefence plans are conditioned by military intelligence including signal intelligence that was by its very nature a secret The critical national infrastructure is run on cyber systems which involve creating a robust and confidential cyber security frameworkDemographic situation is relevant to the broader issue of national security in the sense that it determines the potential strength of the country for the futureTwothird of Indias population is below 35 years and this gives this country a strategic advantage over China that has an aging population The NSS may declare plans of how the country would rally the youth for serving the cause of national securityFinally since economic security would be strengthened by the success achieved by diplomacy in working out trade pacts with other friendly and economically strong countries the crucial role of diplomatic power in enhancing national security on that count alone should find a prominent mention in the NSSThe macro aspects of national security are by and large in the public domain and these all would figure in a declared NSS for giving a suitable message to the international community about Indias political will to safeguard its national interests and also for instilling confidence among the people of India that the regime was well attuned to handling any threats to national securityTodays national security set up evolved over a period particularly since the Kargil war that had resulted from Pakistans attempt to surreptitiously infiltrate army personnel with Islamic militants on the high mountains of Ladakh and occupy a couple of peaks in Drass sector in May 1999 ought to be defined in the NSS documentThe functions of national intelligence agencies including Intelligence Bureau Research and Analysis Wing and National Technical Research Organisation can be broadly explained and also the supporting National Security Council Secretariat NSCS headed by National Security Advisor NSA presented in some detailNSCS had the responsibility of ensuring that threats to national security were constantly studied and analysed and the framework of coordinated responses to deal with them was laid down covering the spheres of military internal governance and diplomacyNational security is an integral concept that mandates an ongoing coordination among the civilian technical and military intelligence agencies While the NSA plays a crucial role in the formulation of security policy he is also the final arbiter on the issues of intelligence coordinationIn the Indian context NSA is the member secretary of the NSC which was placed under the PMO in 2002 and also is the head of the NSCS as already mentioned He performs three major strategic functions In the Nuclear Command Authority the Prime Minister chairs the Political Council PC for according political sanction while the Executive Council headed by NSA makes operational assessments that helped the PC in decision making the Strategic Forces Command headed by a CommanderinChief would execute the decisions on the groundWith the threat to cyber security gaining significance India has established a National Information Board NIB which is chaired by the NSA for formulating the National Cyber Security Policy ensuring information security and handling the threat of information warfareA Centre for Development of Advanced Computing has been created and a Cyber Emergency Response Team CERTIN has also been established Finally a ninemember Defence Planning Committee DPC has been constituted under the chairmanship of the NSA in 2018 with senior representatives from the Ministry of Defence External Affairs and Finance as members to align strategic objectives defence requirements and financial allocationThe DPC is also responsible for policy and strategy capability development defence diplomacy defence production and creation of a manufacturing ecosystem The institution of NSA is thus the kingpin of the system that ensures an integral look at national security and a coordinated response from various wings of the government to the security scenario existing at any given point of timeThe demand for declaration of a NSS has been voiced in many circles many freelance strategic analysts have been pressing for it in particular but the issue here basically is one of understanding the reality that there was a difference between publicly announcing the defence and security infrastructure built up by the country and not letting the adversaries know what countermeasures India is envisaging to deal with themThe spectrum of hostile forces facing the nation itself was not static and the rise of the era of proxy wars had further added to the importance of intelligence which was by definition information gathered and kept confidentiallyNSS outlines the countrys security objectives and the ways to be adopted to achieve the sameIn the areas of defence international relations and counterintelligence measures the countrys policies and systemic build up could be made public and they would become the declared components of NSS at the macro level in a formal strategy documentThe framework of response to covert threats to security is on a different footing as it would have to be kept outside the public domain for the reason that it is based on intelligence or protected informationIn the sphere of defence India finalised its Defence Acquisition Policy DAP in 2020 and the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh went on record to say that the DAP derived its ethos and spirit from the clarion call of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India and aimed at ensuring that contemporary technologybased equipment is made available to the services in a timebound fashion for modernising our Defence ForcesIt gives special attention to Ease of doing business to encourage foreign investors to set up manufacturing entities in the defence industrial corridors provided by IndiaDAP strives for achieving Self Reliance rooted in indigenisation and innovation supported by strategic partnershipsIn the area of foreign policy India has made it clear that it believed in a multipolar world order that it opted for bilateral or multilateral friendships based on mutual security and economic interests without prejudice to world peace and that it was willing to assert its voice as a major power on the issues of war and peace as well as human developmentAs part of measures to safeguard its internal security India has fiercely denounced terrorism in all its forms from all international forums and called for international cooperation to combat terrorism drug trade and covert cross border offensivesIt is a matter of great satisfaction that India has taken an independent stand on UkraineRussia military confrontation and IsraelHamas conflict the two biggest events affecting the geopolitics of our times and come out on top as far as the handling of international relations was concerned All of this defines the National Security Strategy of India through action rather than wordsThe writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau Views are personal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-national-security-strategy-need-not-be-made-public-in-its-entirety-534100.html Sun, 14 Apr 2024 16:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-rahul-gandhis-khatakhat-genie-wont-snap-votes-534145.html New Delhi April 14 The pressure of staying relevant in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls seems to be forcing Congress to promise the moon and the sun to the people A manifestation of this is the slew of promises made by Rahul Gandhi just ahead of the polls During his election speech in Rajasthan last week he had said The Congress government will transfer Rs one lakh to the bank account of a woman from every poor family in the country khatakhat khatakhat aata rahega aur ek jhatke se hum Hindustan se gareebi ko mita denge it will come instantly and we will remove poverty from HindustanThe best jiffy moment has always been Aladdins magic lamp but Rahul Gandhis khatakhat khatakhat claim could well be the new one The closest translation of Khatakhat a Hindi word could be jiffy or in one stroke or instant And instant for most of the presentday generation is always noodles a Chineseorigin food itemAs all political parties are making promises to woo the electorate the perpetual youth leader of his party offered the ultimate Khatakhat solution to address poverty in the nick of 2024 Lok Sabha elections The solution is a sharp contrast to the statement that Rahul Gandhi made 11 years ago in Uttar Pradesh when he said that poverty is a state of mindIn August 2013 the Congress leader was participating in a discussion in Uttar Pradesh when he said Poverty is just a state of mind It does not mean the scarcity of food money or material things If one possesses selfconfidence then one can overcome poverty To prove his point he even cited the example of a poor woman from Amethi who got hold of her life by taking help from Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas PariyojanaIf in 2013 Rahul believed that providing the right atmosphere to earn and sustain can help tackle poverty then why the Uturn in 2024 A decade of sitting in the opposition has made the Congress scion believe that promising doles is the only way to impress people And the khatakhat system of transferring money in accounts is the easiest way to the hearts of people Had it been so easy then Karnataka and Telangana economies would not have been struggling with fulfilling the preelection promises on guarantees Various development activities have almost stopped and legislators even from the Congress are unhappy as fund flow is slowOverlooking the ground realities Rahul also made another equally startling promise which is to do a wealth survey very much a Communist idea that actually originates from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Communist Manifesto Rahul Gandhi said that if voted to power his government would conduct a caste census to know the exact population and status of backward communities SCs STs and minorities After that the financial and institutional survey will be done and finally the historic assignment to distribute the wealth of India jobs and other welfare schemes to these sections based on their population will be doneHistory has examples of several countries under the influence of Communism going for this concept but after suffering the ill effects decided to change again China tried the same in the 1960s but failed and finally reworked its policies Today Chinas economy is huge with a rise in wealth private properties and income gaps But in India the Congress scion is seeking the 1848 idea for developing the country where youths constitute 66 per cent of the populationBy talking about wealth distribution he also appears to be taking an aboutturn from the liberal economic model of 1991 It was Manmohan Singh the then Finance Minister in P V Narasimha Raos government who presented a landmark budget ushering in a new dawn for the countrys economy Since then India has not looked backRahul Gandhi with such withered and weird ideas is seeking to impress the youth of the country who want to move ahead and not get entangled in caste and religion wars It is an aspirational India in 2024 which is seeking new opportunities to grow prosper and leadWith less than a week to go for the first phase of elections on April 19 what has the Congress shaped itself into Inner contradictions are galore and its leaders at all levels are just running away with a majority of them picking the lotus merrily Those abandoning the grand old partys ship do not hesitate to blame Rahul Gandhi for suffocating them and the party for being directionlessWhile the BJP has built a strong narrative of developmental politics the Congress has been unable to come up as a challenger In fact it is today seen as a party standing with the corrupt and openly giving impetus to caste politicsAs surveys predict Congress may find it difficult to even retain the 52 seats that it secured in 2019 The blame squarely rests on the top leadership There is no Khatakhat genie that can help Rahul Gandhi get even near 100 seatsHis Aunt Maneka Gandhi has the best advice for him He should take a break she said and perhaps this could work for himDeepika Bhan can be contacted at deepikabiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-rahul-gandhis-khatakhat-genie-wont-snap-votes-534145.html Sun, 14 Apr 2024 16:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ifacet-iit-kanpur-partners-with-skyy-skill-academy-for-online-courses-533346.html Kanpur April 10 IITK Foundation for Advanced Consulting Education and Training IFACET established by IIT Kanpur has announced a strategic collaboration with Skyy Skill Academy to launch online certification courses in emerging cuttingedge technologies The courses in Electric Vehicle Technology and Powertrain Autonomous Vehicle and ADAS Embedded System Vehicle Design and Analysis ANSYS SOLIDWORKS and other emerging technology areas will empower learners with industryrelevant knowledgePhani Chief Investigator EampICT Academy IIT Kanpur a joint initiative of IITK amp MeitY said There is a growing demand for professionals trained in technical skills such as CAD and analysis IoT Machine Learning AI and Embedded systems etc in emerging industries This partnership will help bridge the gap between conventional curriculum and the evolving needs of sunrise sectors with industry focused handson pedagogyIFACET IIT Kanpur will bring its expertise in research and innovation to the partnership with Skyy Skill Academy to jointly develop highquality educational content curated by experts in the respective fieldsHimansu Sekhar Panda CEO of Skyy Skill Academy said We are thrilled to join hands with IFACET IIT Kanpur a leading institution known for its academic excellence and research prowess This collaboration aligns perfectly with our vision of providing accessible and affordable education in cuttingedge technologiesThese courses will cater to learners of various backgrounds including students professionals and enthusiasts seeking to upskill or reskill themselves in areas crucial to the industries of tomorrow The curriculum is designed to impart theoretical and industrial knowledge ensuring that learners are equipped with the skills needed to excel in their respective fieldsThe online courses offered through this collaboration are expected to commence in the coming months with registration details and course information soon to be made available on the Skyy Skill Academy and IFACET website As the world embraces digital transformation initiatives like these play a crucial role in democratizing access to education and fostering innovation in the global workforce IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ifacet-iit-kanpur-partners-with-skyy-skill-academy-for-online-courses-533346.html Wed, 10 Apr 2024 13:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sleeping-drivers-major-cause-of-accidents-on-yamuna-e-way-rti-532783.html Lucknow April 7 A major reason for road accidents between 2012 to 2023 on the 165kilometre Yamuna Expressway connecting Agra with NOIDA has been found to be sleepdeprived drivers dozing off while driving Compared to 2022 there were 100 more accidents on the expressway in 2023This information was obtained from Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority in response to the application moved by road safety activist and lawyer KC Jain under the RTI ActIt was also said that speed cameras installed on Yamuna Expressway are monitoring only those overspeedingIt was informed that there were 100 more accidents in 2023 when compared to 2022 on the Yamuna Expressway There were 311 road accidents in 2022 but the number rose to 411 in 2023 The number of injured in 2022 was 621 but that number rose to 725 in 2023 However it was a matter of relief that number of deaths in 2023 92 was fewer than the deaths in 2022 102 Jain saidOn average a man died every four days in 2023 and two were injured every day on Yamuna Expressway he saidJain further informed that There were 7625 road accidents between 2012 the year Yamuna Expressway was inaugurated and 2023 and amongst these the reason mentioned for maximum cases ie 3364 was Driver Dozed off while driving while overspeeding was the reason for 1304 accidents In this duration 20122023 there were 1320 deaths and 522 people lost their lives because the sleepstarved driver dozed off while sleeping The other major reason was overspeeding which claimed 201 livesOf the 11168 injured 4181 were injured because of the driver falling asleep while driving and 1819 were injured because of overspeeding In 2023 alone 3 crore vehicles moved on the Yamuna Expressway said the reply to the RTI IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sleeping-drivers-major-cause-of-accidents-on-yamuna-e-way-rti-532783.html Sun, 07 Apr 2024 17:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/balanced-diet-makes-immune-system-more-resilient-to-infections-like-tb-health-ministry-532805.html New Delhi April 7 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday said that a balanced diet plays an important role in strengthening the immune system making it more resilient to infections like tuberculosis TB In a post on X the Ministry urged people to make nutritious food choices to improve our health and contribute to the TBMuktBharat goalA balanced diet plays a crucial role in boosting our immune system making us more resilient to infections like TBAs per the World Health Organization WHO India has committed to eliminate TB by 2025 five years ahead of the global target of 2030With a whopping 28 million TB cases India represented 27 per cent of the global burdenLast month President Droupadi Murmu said that working together can help India to become free of TBIn February Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the government spent approximately Rs 3000 crore annually on free medicines testing and nutrition for 25 lakh TB patients in the countryHe also mentioned that 10 lakh TB patients of the country were being adopted by serviceminded citizens who were also distributing nutrition to them every month IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/balanced-diet-makes-immune-system-more-resilient-to-infections-like-tb-health-ministry-532805.html Sun, 07 Apr 2024 19:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/water-crisis-looms-large-over-agra-as-summer-heat-intensifies-532688.html Agra April 7 Authorities in Agra are on high alert as the supply of water from Ganga through the crucial 140 km pipeline from a canal in Palda in Bulandshahr district faces an abrupt disruption This disruption has raised alarm about an impending water crisis in the city this summer Fortunately authorities have decided to postpone the total shutdown of the supply for technical reasons until after the festivals of Eid and RamnavmiDespite the reprieve fundamental issues persist ahead of Lok Sabha polls particularly regarding the state of the Yamuna As temperatures soar Agras two million residents are gearing up for the struggle for water as it happens each summer The demand rises and the supply fails to meet the increasing requirement primarily due to the neglect of Yamuna The pipeline from Palda which supplies approximately 140 cusecs of water falls short of meeting the demand putting immense pressure on the citys waterworks during summerPresident of Agra Civil Society Anil Sharma said Apart from the sorry state of river Yamuna one reason responsible for the current crisis is the disappearance of water bodies A quarter century ago there were more than 500 community ponds in the district but now only around a hundred are left The rest have been gobbled up by land sharks but the state government has not shown any concernAs the mercury soars long queues at hand pumps and residents waiting for municipal water tankers become common Frustration mounts among locals who criticise elected representatives for their failure to address the persistent water shortagesIt is not even midApril and the temperature is currently hovering around 40 degrees Celsius Parents of schoolgoing children have urged the district administration to change school timings and opt for an early summer vacationActivists of River Connect Campaign allege that despite promises made by political leaders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath the barrage on Yamuna downstream of Taj Mahal remains a dreamThey could have spent time and money to clean up the river through dredging and desilting to increase the waterholding capacity of the Yamuna during the monsoon months said Devashish Bhattacharya a river activistDespite improved water quality and quantity till March rising temperatures have once again left the river dry and polluted There is hardly any water left for Agra because all of it is being used by the cities upstream The rivers minimum flow has also been impacted The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has been petitioned by activists to use MGNREGA funds to actively clean up community ponds and waterwaysMeanwhile a new initiative of the state government will help store millions of cubic metres of Monsoon rainwater which is currently getting wasted every year The state Irrigation Department has taken the initiative to build a dam on river UtanganUtangan flows from the Aravalli range in neighbouring Rajasthans Karauli district It meanders its way connecting several tehsils of Agra district before joining Yamuna in the Bah tehsil Utangan is basically a monsoonfed seasonal stream but the backflow from Yamuna during the rainy season floods the lowlying areasThis is a huge quantity some 600 crore cubic litres is enough to take care of the needs of Agras vast hinterland if a dam was built in Rihavali village according to river activist Rajiv Saxena who has been spearheading a campaign to save water bodies in the regionAnil Sharma added For the past two years we have been meeting officials politicians and everyone who could understand the gravity of water shortage in the area and its solution Finally our District Panchayat Chairperson Manju Bhadoria took the initiative and interacted with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 25 The process is set in motion The survey by the Irrigation Department would be completed within a week then a DPR would be prepared We are hopeful the work will begin soon perhaps before MonsoonWith the Yamuna in dire straits due to pollution and water shortage there is a need for rejuvenating half a dozen seasonal tributaries of the river in Agra If the smaller rivers are cleaned dredged and desilted they could hold back a huge quantity of rainwater along with the backflow from Yamuna during the monsoon season IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/water-crisis-looms-large-over-agra-as-summer-heat-intensifies-532688.html Sun, 07 Apr 2024 14:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/healthcare-industry-individuals-must-focus-on-prevention-first-dr-devi-shetty-532610.html New Delhi April 6 Even as cases of noncommunicable diseases NCDs are rising significantly the focus of the healthcare industry as well as individuals must be on preventionfirst said renowned cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty on Saturday ahead of World Health Day World Health Day is marked every year on April 7 The theme this year is My health my right which aims to work for the right of everyone everywhere to get access to quality health servicesSpeaking to IANS Dr Shetty Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health called for investing more in preventive healthcare measures even as cases of noncommunicable diseases NCDs are rising significantly in India particularly among the youthHospitals are designed so badly that a person whos not a patient wouldnt like to go to that building So we need to create a kind of a different approach outside the hospitalIts time for the healthcare industry to pivot placing greater emphasis on preventive measures fostering proactive health management and empowering individuals towards a healthier tomorrow the doctor saidBesides the healthcare industry even individuals must live with a preventionfirst mindset as significantly in India the cardiologist saidToday as we mark World Health Day we confront a stark reality Noncommunicable diseases NCDs claim a staggering 65 per cent of lives in India with diabetes hypertension cardiovascular issues and cancers at the forefront Whats more alarming is the rise of these ailments among our youth often due to a lack of early screening and awareness Dr Shetty saidThe need of the hour is a preventionfirst mindset he addedEmphasising the need for early screening he also called on the healthcare industry to put more focus on preventive measures and not just careThe doctor explained that prevention should not be just a choice but a necessity for a healthy lifeMaintaining and nurturing our bodies should not stem from fear but from a commitment to daily care Investing in preventive healthcare measures isnt just a choice its a necessity that will drastically reduce our future disease burdens he told IANS IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/healthcare-industry-individuals-must-focus-on-prevention-first-dr-devi-shetty-532610.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 15:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-contractual-teachers-on-pay-scale-of-permanent-employees-official-532623.html Guwahati April 6 Around 4500 contractual teachers working in various high schools in Assam have been on the same pay scale as regular employees and they are also entitled to serve till the age of 60 years Hence the Education Department has no immediate plans to transition them to permanent appointments said a senior government official The Director of Secondary Education in Assam Mamata Hojai told IANS The contractual teachers who have been working in schools were given the benefits of permanent teachers They can continue their jobs till they are 60 years of age along with other benefits like a regular teacher of the high school The state government provided these facilities around three and half years agoHojai asked After all these benefits already provided to those teachers why should the government take additional steps of giving them regular appointments He also mentioned that the Education Department doesnt have any such plansEarlier Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said There are more than 25000 TETqualified teachers who have been working in primary schools across the state on a contract basis Apart from that 9500 contractual teachers were also engaged in primary schools Moreover 4500 teachers are there who give classes to students of classes 9 and 10 We have decided to give all of them a regular appointmentNarayan Konwar Education Secretary told IANS A section of teachers went to the High Court denouncing the state governments decision So the entire process was halted and the matter is under the Courts observation We can only issue any statement once the High Court puts forward its observation on this issueThe Assam government initially engaged around 8000 teachers on a contract basis in 2010 to teach subjects such as Science Mathematics and English at the high school level Over time around 3500 teachers from this cohort transitioned to other employment opportunities IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-contractual-teachers-on-pay-scale-of-permanent-employees-official-532623.html Sat, 06 Apr 2024 17:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-guv-orders-judicial-probe-into-alleged-violence-corruption-at-state-universities-532526.html Kolkata April 5 Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday ordered a judicial probe into the complaints of rampant corruption and violence in the different state universities in West Bengal The move by the Raj Bhavan came a day after the Governor recommended the removal of Bratya Base as the state Education Minister on charges of violating the Model Code of Conduct MCC by attending the meeting of a Trinamool Congressaffiliated body on the premises of a state university in Malda districtSources in the Raj Bhavan said the Governor decided to order a judicial probe into the affairs of the state universities after several complaints were received alleging that the educational institutions were being used for political activitiesThe Raj Bhavan has also communicated that the allegations will be looked into by a onemember committee comprising a retired judge from the Supreme Court or the Calcutta High CourtThe affairs of the state universities where the Governor is the Chancellor by virtue of his Chair have been a contentious issue between the state secretariat and the Governors HouseThe tiff broke out after the Governor appointed interim vicechancellors at some state universities which had been running headless for quite some timeOn March 30 a convention of the Trinamoolaffiliated West Bengal College amp University Professors Association WBCUPA was held at the Gour Banga University in Malda district which was attended by Education Minister Basu who is also the WBCUPA President IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-guv-orders-judicial-probe-into-alleged-violence-corruption-at-state-universities-532526.html Fri, 05 Apr 2024 18:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/paying-for-their-husbands-sins-these-women-in-up-looking-for-respite-after-polls-532265.html Lucknow April 4 They are women in deep distress Their family lives have been torn apart and they are paying for the sins of their husbands These women are not contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but are keenly watching the political events unfold they see some hope for themselves after the new government is formed at the CentreWe know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming back to power so we will be able to plead our case before him and he will probably give some time to listen to our woes said a source close to one of these womenTopping the list is Shaista Parveen the widow of slain gangster Atiq Ahmad who not only lost her husband last year but also her son Asad who was killed in a police encounter in 2023 The two were killed within two days of each otherHer two elder sons Umar and Ali are in jail and Shaista who now carries a reward of Rs 75000 on her head has been absconding for over a year nowHer sisterinlaw Zainab faces a similar fate Her husband and Atiqs brother Ashraf was killed along with his Atiq Zainab remains untraceable as the police continue to hunt for herAccording to sources the two women through a local cleric have been sending out feelers to the local politicians in Prayagraj seeking some respite after the electionsSome senior and respected members of our community are also working to ease the situation and we hope things will improve after the polls said the sourceKhushi Dubey the young widow of the late Amar Dubey an accused in the Bikru massacre of 2020 in which eight police personnel were killed spent three years in jail after the incidentShe had been married for three days when the massacre took place and was accused of being a part of the conspiracy A minor at the time of her marriage and the massacre she spent months in jail trying to convince the court that she was innocentShe said I want the cases against me should be withdrawn and I should be allowed to move ahead in lifeAfsha Ansari the widow of gangsterpolitician Mukhtar Ansari who died recently due to a cardiac arrest in jail is also absconding due to the multiple cases lodged against her Fearing arrest she did not even attend the funeral of her husband Her elder son Abbas Ansari is already in jailHer brotherinlaw Afzal Ansari said I will not rest till I ensure justice for my brother and his family Once the elections are over we will exercise all the legal options available to usPayal Maheshwari the widow of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari aka Jeeva who was shot inside a Lucknow court in June last year is also absconding because of the multiple cases against her She is also in touch with the political leaders in Western UP and wants closure of the cases against her IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/paying-for-their-husbands-sins-these-women-in-up-looking-for-respite-after-polls-532265.html Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/new-generation-ballistic-missile-agni-prime-successfully-flight-tested-532205.html New Delhi April 4 Strategic Forces Command SFC along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO conducted a successful flight test of the New Generation Ballistic Missile AgniPrime The Ministry of Defence informed on Thursday that the flight test was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha at around 1900 hours on April 3The test met all the trial objectives validating its reliable performance as confirmed by the data captured by a number of range sensors deployed at different locations including two downrange ships placed at the terminal pointThe Chief of Defence Staff the Chief of Strategic Forces Command and senior officials from DRDO and the Indian Army witnessed the launchDefence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO SFC and the Armed Forces for the successful testHe stated that the successful development and induction of the missile will be an excellent force multiplier for the Armed ForcesChief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Secretary Department of Defence R and D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat appreciated the efforts for the successful flight test IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/new-generation-ballistic-missile-agni-prime-successfully-flight-tested-532205.html Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-security-is-no-more-a-stand-alone-function-531328.html New Delhi March 31 The security of a democratic state includes the security of its citizens and today both are contingent on the wider security of the world at large Similarly at the level of an organisation its wellbeing is linked to the security situation within the country In the prevailing unsafe environment enterprise security could no more be relegated to a set of hired guards and security supervisors since it has become a mainstream function taking care of the organisation as a whole including its membersRise of terrorism as an instrument of proxy war targeting of economic lifelines of the country by the enemy and the advent of natural or manmade disasters on the national security agenda have all impacted on the security and safety of organisations big or small and put a new focus on the security management of corporate entitiesTerrorism basically is resort to covert violence for a perceived political cause and since a cause was driven by motivation it was no surprise that faithbased driving force rooted in radicalisation in the Islamic world with its advocacy of Jihad had become the new terror threat globallyArising out of certain geopolitical developments traceable to 911 and the resultant war on terror launched by the US this danger faced nations across the worldIndia and its strategic establishments were particularly affected because of crossborder terrorism instigated by Pakistan against the countryIn the postCold war era of proxy wars there is also the added threat of enemy taking recourse to economically damaging the opponent in order to weaken the latterThe need for economic security has in the process added to the mainstreaming of security function Alsothe importance of proactive measures required by organisations and individuals to deal with disasters has further sharpened the role of the security setup of the enterpriseA deeper understanding of security of a business enterprise today calls for a conscious adoption of many practices that added upto the mainstreaming of security functionFirst it should be understood that security is basically protection of the three assets of the organisation physical assets manpower and protected information against covert attacks of the enemyIt clearly runs through the length and breadth of the enterprise correspondingly requiring physical personnel and information security to prevent sabotage subversion and espionage respectively This makes security a mainstream function by the very nature of its mandate In sensitive establishments of strategic importance personnel security is of overriding importanceApart from antecedent checks at the time of recruitment there has to be an internal vigilance set up in place integrated with the security function to detect signs of vulnerability in an employee a member given to addiction living beyond means or developing an unnatural and intimate friendship with an outsider of opposite gender may have to be taken note of for reasons of securityAs regards security of information it has to be protected first through classification by way of giving the information a marking like restricted confidential or secret and then determining the need to know ambit within the organisation Since most information is now on internet a cyber security administrator under the IT Act is to be appointed and the security head would be a key functionary working with the latter All of this makes security a very special functionSecurity is an integral or complete looking concept requiring all its dimensions physical personnel and information security related to be perfected Further security being a protection against the hidden attack of the unseen adversary it is clearly anchored on information about the likely sources of threat that would have to be collated and analysedMost business corporates therefore had a central setup for studying the market evaluating the competitors and pooling together all reliable information relating to the three kinds of risks already mentioned It produces what is called Business Intelligence incorporating the risk assessment for the enterprise This means that the setup has to be headed by a competent leader who had the skills of assessing what lay ahead in terms of both opportunity as well as the potential risks This functionary has to be swift in handling information capable of making assessments and confident about extending the outreach all the timePersonal security of the leadership of an enterprise that made a substantial contribution to national economy is an important responsibility of this setup in view of the recognised concept that a countrys economic power strengthened its national security as wellThe second most important aspect of security is that it has to work on the authority of the top man of the enterprise The chief of security has a matching knowledge of how various wings of the organisation were working He should have the locus standi to take note of any flagrant violation of security even by a senior member of the organisation and for that reason alone should have a direct line of communication with the head of the enterpriseIn fact it is said that the top man should also consider himself as the head of security Further since security embraces all resources and members of the organisation it needs to be incorporated at the level of policy and should be one of the determinants of organisational ethics and in fact of the system of management of the enterprise itself Also since security does not come cheap it requires planned fundingOn his part the security chief should have the ability to realise that cost effective security was the best security even when the organisation was liberal with funding If two persons can do a job where three were deployed earlier or when the number of steps for completing an operation could be reduced from four to three this makes the functioning more efficient and cuts delaysFinally the ultimate mainstreaming of security is reflected in the dictum now well established that the security of an organisation required contribution of all members high or low in the hierarchy It flows from the thought that if the enterprise ensured every members security then the latter also owed it to oneself to do whatever was possible to strengthen the security of the organisationThe importance of the security setup being able to run awareness programmes for the organisation as a whole suggests itself This is best done through periodical informal briefings that would also help to facilitate flow of information relevant to security from members to the security chiefThe security setup has to be manned by people who were information savvy and professionally upskilled Such people can distinguish essentials from nonessentials in the context of security know that you have to reach information information will not reach you have curiosity which creates the spirit of inquiry show an interest in human nature and behaviour and have an analytical mindThe era of proxy wars and the advent of cyber warfare have compelled the world to take note of the convergence of economic security externally instigated attacks on systems on which the governance of the country rested and resort to misinformation and deepfakes even to influence the outcome of elections in a targeted countryArtificial Intelligence is getting into security domain both in analysing the threats and finding solutions for dealing with them Today people handling enterprise security have to be familiar with various dimensions of knowledge economy and intricacies of misuse of cyber space by the adversarySecurity has become a demanding function linked to the mainstream of the organisation that was sought to be protected and dependent on people who had special skills deserving of a higher level of recognition and compensation than what ever was existing earlierThe writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau Views are personal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-security-is-no-more-a-stand-alone-function-531328.html Sun, 31 Mar 2024 10:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/chandrababu-naidu-vows-to-drive-andhra-pradesh-to-golden-era-531297.html Tirupati March 30 Telugu Desam Party TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday vowed to drive Andhra Pradesh towards the golden era Addressing public meetings as part of his election campaign Prajagalam at Srikalahasti in Tirupati district the former Chief Minister said he would drive the state towards the golden era from the stone era adding that it is his responsibility to keep the administration on the right trackWith my experience and sense of responsibility I have garnered support and respect from the people for the past 45 years I will drive the state from the stone era to the golden era I will be the driver of the state and take the steering wheel into my hands With my experience I will navigate the state safely and swiftly towards development bringing light into peoples lives the TDP chief saidEarlier addressing a meeting at Proddatur in Kadapa district Chandrababu Naidu expressed his commitment to the free bus travel scheme for women promised by the TDPBoard RTC buses Chandranna is the driver I will take you wherever you want to go I will take the responsibility of dropping you safely at your houses he saidIn a bitter attack on Chief Minister YS Jagan Moahan Reddy Naidu called him a destroyer arrogant and corruptClaiming that the administration has derailed in the last five years of YSRCP rule Naidu said he would bring it back on track and ensure rapid development of the stateHe also told the gathering that the TDP Jana Sena and the BJP have come together only in the interest of the peopleThere is Rs 12 lakh crore debt on Andhra Pradesh Jagan Reddy doesnt know how to create and generate wealth and revenues he saidClaiming that during TDPs rule 195 per cent of the budget was spent on welfare schemes the TDP chief said during YSRCPs rule only 135 per cent was spent on welfareMaintaining that the state witnessed industrial development only during the TDP regime Naidu made it clear that there is no question of sparing anyone who damaged the stateAs the Chief Minister I took stringent steps to check smuggling of red sanders while Jagan Reddy has fielded a red sander smuggler as the Chittoor Assembly candidate he saidTerming Jagan Reddy as a traitor of Dalits Naidu also claimed that at least 188 persons belonging to the Dalit community have been killed in various parts of the state in the past five years while 11000 Dalits have been subjected to various kinds of attacks IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/chandrababu-naidu-vows-to-drive-andhra-pradesh-to-golden-era-531297.html Sat, 30 Mar 2024 23:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/greece-to-raise-minimum-wage-by-50-a-month-from-april-1-531145.html Athens March 30 Greece is to raise its minimum monthly wage from 780 euros 842 to 830 euros 895 as of April 1 the fourth such increase over the past five years Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who made the announcement at a cabinet meeting on Friday said the minimum wage has increased by 277 per cent from 586 euros since 2019 Xinhua news agency reportedHe also noted that the government aims to elevate the minimum wage to 950 euros by 2027 and the average salary to 1500 eurosDuring the Greek debt crisis 20092018 the minimum salary was reduced to 586 euros as a means of boosting the countrys competitivenessLabor unions have argued that the governments corrections were not adequate for lowincome earners to cope with inflationary pressuresHowever the government cautioned that a sudden leap to higher salaries would impose unbearable burden on businesses that were still struggling with the impact of the Covid19 pandemic and energy crisisWith our decision we support employees without adding much burden on production costs and jeopardising the reduction of unemployment rates Mitsotakis said1 euro 108 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/greece-to-raise-minimum-wage-by-50-a-month-from-april-1-531145.html Sat, 30 Mar 2024 14:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/six-maoists-killed-in-chhattisgarh-encounter-530756.html Raipur March 27 At least six Maoists were killed by security forces during an encounter in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday An official said that a search operation is underway to find more Maoists sheltering in the dense forest areaThe incident occurred when a joint team of DRG and CRPF was carrying out a search operation following a tip of the presence of Maoists in the region When the forces reached Chikurbhatti and Pusbaka villages the Maoists started firing on the security forcesAfter more than two hours of exchange of firing the bodies of six Maoists including two women were recovered from the forest Inspector General of Police IGP P Sundarraj confirmed the casualties adding that the further search operation was still underwayAs the Lok Sabha elections are getting closer the Maoist activities have seen a spike in different regions in ChhattisgarhOn March 19 four Maoists who collectively carried a cash reward of 36 lakh were killed in an encounter with Gadchiroli Police commandos and CRPF along the MaharashtraChhattisgarh borderDuring the assembly elections held in November last year several incidents of Maoist attacks were reported in different parts of Chhattisgarh including an IED blast triggered by Naxals in Sukma district a day before the first phase of the election IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/six-maoists-killed-in-chhattisgarh-encounter-530756.html Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-russia-should-deepen-economic-relations-from-being-just-buyer-seller-530314.html Sochi Russia March 25 India and Russia should deepen their economic and industrial relations further than having a buyerseller relationship said Russian Senator Konstantin Dolgov India is an important partner for Russia in logistics but the relationship should not be just a buyerseller relationship India should take steps to deepen its economic relations with Russia Dolgov told IANS here on MondayDolgov representing the Murmansk Oblast constituency in Russia was here to participate in the session on Production of Rare Earth Metals Global Demand and National Challenges at the global nuclear power conference AtomExpo 2024The twoday conferencecumexhibition organised by the Russian integrated nuclear power major Rosatom kickstarted here on MondayAccording to him apart from the governmenttogovernment relations corporate groups in both countries can form manufacturing joint ventures to make in India or in RussiaAgreeing that there is the issue of payment owing to the sanctions by the US and other European countries Dolgov said India should find a way to solve the problemPayments and industrial cooperation are the two issues If India is ready then we are ready Dolgov remarkedAt the session the delegates referred to the industrial relationship that Russia has with ChinaAccording to officials Russia wants to attain selfsufficiency in the area of rare earth metals And work has begun to that effectThe extraction and processing of rare and rare earth metals is an important condition for the raw material sovereignty and technological development of hitech industriesAll HiTech industries have a special economic status and in this sense directly depend on the mineral resource base or exportimport cooperationRapid increase in the production of rare earth metals and their processing into highergrade products is the most important condition for meeting the growing demand both domestically and on the global market said RosatomAccording to Russian officials by 2030 there will be a 70 per cent growth in electric mobility and there will be a demand for rare earth metalsOfficials said in 2023 the number of electric vehicles EV was about 74 thousand and it is expected to touch about half a millionVenkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at vjagannathaniansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-russia-should-deepen-economic-relations-from-being-just-buyer-seller-530314.html Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/yardstick-different-in-abetment-of-suicide-cases-of-husband-and-wife-says-kerala-hc-530325.html Kochi March 25 The Kerala High Court has held that the yardstick used to consider a case of abetment of suicide of a wife can be different to that used in a case of abetment of suicide of a husband Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said It is appropriate to mention that a straightjacket formula cannot be adopted while dealing with cases of abetment of suicide Each case has to be decided on the basis of its own facts and circumstances Unlike the wife in a marriage committing suicide the husbands suicide may stand on a different footing especially after Sections 113A and 113B of the Indian Evidence Act 1872 were incorporated providing for certain presumptionsTherefore the yardstick while considering the case of abetment of suicide of a wife in a marriage can be different from that to be adopted when the husband had committed suicide he addedThis order came on a petition moved by a woman seeking to quash the proceedings in a crime registered against her alleging that she abetted the suicide of her husbandInitially a criminal case was registered for unnatural death and subsequently it was altered to abetment of suicideThe prosecutions case was that the petitioner saw some intimate videos of her husband with his former girlfriend which led to marital discord between the couple and this took a heavy toll on the husband resulting in his suicideBut the court said There is no reference at all to any act done by the petitioner to aid or instigate her husband to commit suicide Quarrels fights or disputes in a marital relationship are not abnormal or uncommon Those quarrels cannot be reckoned as conduct amounting to abetment of suicide unless there is something more in the form of instigation or aidingAfter going through all materials the court did not find any intention on the part of the petitioner to goad her husband to commit suicide and hence quashed the proceedings against her IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/yardstick-different-in-abetment-of-suicide-cases-of-husband-and-wife-says-kerala-hc-530325.html Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/women-power-shines-at-ndtvs-indian-of-the-year-award-530141.html New Delhi March 24 NDTV has honoured several bright citizens with notable and exemplary achievements in various fields spanning politics sports science and technology and more The NDTVs Indian Of the Year award programme on Saturday saw the biggest faces from realms like politics business film and sports fraternity getting felicitated with the award in the presence of numerous esteemed guests and illustrious personalitiesMany distinguished women achievers made for a special highlight of the event as they walked away with NDTVs Indian of the Year awardAmong the noted ones Union Minister Smriti Irani tennis star Sania Mirza Suvarna Raj Squadron Leader Nikita Malhotra ISRO scientists and members of the womens cricket team were feted with the honourWhile a couple of them are wellknown and have proven records of achievements in their respective fields paraathlete Suvarna Raj grabbed everyones attentionSuvarna a National Award winner has represented the country at many global eventsWhile speaking to NDTV she recalled the harsh times and elated over the honour said It took me 33 years to prove myselfSquadron Leader Malhotra was conferred with the Vayu Sena medal on the 75th Republic Day She was also part of Tangail formation during the Republic Day flypast over Kartavya PathNotably the honour for women achievers comes close on the heels of Parliament passing the womens reservation bill thus making it a rightful ode to the rising womens powerNDTVs Indian Of The Year awards recognised distinguished visionaries political figures sports icons and entertainers who have contributed immensely to the development of India The initiative aimed to honour exceptional Indians from various fields The awards recognised those who dared to think ahead displayed valour to be different from the league and eventually redefined the meaning of being a true Indian IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/women-power-shines-at-ndtvs-indian-of-the-year-award-530141.html Sun, 24 Mar 2024 18:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/struggling-to-reduce-the-hidden-belly-fat-quit-smoking-says-study-529775.html New Delhi March 21 Quit smoking if you are looking to reduce the hidden abdominal fat known as visceral fat suggests a study While smokers tend to have lower body weights than nonsmokers they tend to have visceral fat which can be explained as the unhealthy fat deep inside the abdomen and around organs such as the liver heart and kidneys Even a thin person with a flat stomach can have unhealthy amounts of visceral fatThe new study published in the scientific journal Addiction offers evidence that smoking may cause visceral fat to increase in the body and raise the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease diabetes stroke and dementiaThis study found that starting to smoke and smoking over a lifetime might cause an increase in belly fat as seen by measurements of waisttohip ratio In a further analysis we also found that the type of fat that increases is more likely the visceral fat rather than the fat just under the skin said lead author Dr German D Carrasquilla from the University of Copenhagen in DenmarkFor the study the team looked at 12 million people who started smoking and over 450000 lifetime smokers They also conducted a study on body fat distribution with over 600000 peopleThey examined how DNA variants linked to smoking habits and belly fat are associated with fat compartments in different parts of the bodyTheir results show excess abdominal fat in smokers was predominantly visceral fatFrom a public health point of view these findings reinforce the importance of largescale efforts to prevent and reduce smoking in the general population as this may also help to reduce abdominal visceral fat and all the chronic diseases that are related to it Reducing one major health risk in the population will indirectly reduce another major health risk Dr German said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/struggling-to-reduce-the-hidden-belly-fat-quit-smoking-says-study-529775.html Thu, 21 Mar 2024 13:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/80-pc-indian-workers-feel-drained-when-they-have-a-lot-of-meetings-report-529785.html New Delhi March 21 About 80 per cent of Indian employees have said that they feel drained on days when they have a lot of meetings to attend a new report revealed on Thursday According to the Australiabased software firm Atlassian Corporation 90 per cent of Indian workers find it hard to get their work done on top of attending all their meetingsTeams that revert to old ways of working and schedule meetings without intentionality are going to see themselves fall behind effective teams who experiment and take advantage of dynamic async tools like Loom and Confluence said Dom Price Work Futurist AtlassianThe report surveyed 5000 knowledge workers in India the US Australia Germany and France 1000 per marketThe report revealed that meetings are ineffective with workers agreeing that meetings fail to accomplish their goals 60 per cent of the timeWorkers cited time spent in meetings as the number one barrier preventing them from completing their daytoday tasks which is ranked ahead of lack of motivation unclear goals unclear responsibilities and unsure of who to work withAbout 70 per cent of Indian workers said they feel lonely at work even when they attend lots of meetings compared to 55 per cent globallyAround 82 per cent of workers believe most of their meetings could be done in half the time the report notedAs per the report 74 per cent of Indian workers have to work overtime at least a few days a week due to meeting overload compared to 51 per cent globally IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/80-pc-indian-workers-feel-drained-when-they-have-a-lot-of-meetings-report-529785.html Thu, 21 Mar 2024 13:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/startup-mahakumbh-youth-to-be-biggest-contributors-of-viksit-bharat-say-students-529646.html New Delhi March 20 Youth will be the biggest contributors of Viksit Bharat in the coming years said students at the Startup Mahakumbh on Wednesday Viksit Bharat is the governments aim to make the country a developed nation worth a 30 trillion economy by 2047 a 100 years after the independence of the countryStudent participants at the mega event said that the youth of the country have an important role in making the nation developedWith over 50000 business visitors it was a great event to gain understanding about startups 15yearold Suryansh from Bihar told IANS at the eventThe youth will have the biggest contribution in the idea of Viksit Bharat added the young entrepreneur who claims to head 56 startupsStartup Mahakumbh organised by the Commerce and Industry Ministry with the theme Bharat Innovates is being held from March 1820 at Bharat Mandapam New DelhiEarlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the event exhorted the young startup founders to find solutions that will not only help India solve its problems and achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat but also create a better future for the worldAnother participant lauded the governments aim to encourage startups in Tier II and III cities even in villages as this will help in inclusive growthTo achieve the goal the youth will have to play a big role and the Startup Mahakumbh is the first step towards that he told IANSAbout 80 per cent of the people attending the event here are youth said another participant noting that the Viksit Bharat will have 100 per cent participation from the youth in the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/startup-mahakumbh-youth-to-be-biggest-contributors-of-viksit-bharat-say-students-529646.html Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sawant-becomes-only-bjps-leader-in-goa-to-complete-5-years-in-office-529513.html Panaji March 19 BJP leader Pramod Sawant has become the only BJP leader to complete five years from two terms as Chief Minister in Goa Though BJP came to power in the year 2000 under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar however he could remain in the position only for 16 months Subsequently when the assembly was dissolved in 2002 Parrikar was caretaker Chief Minister for four monthsIn 2002 after a fresh assembly election the BJP again came to power under the leadership of Parrikar but he could remain in office for a mere 32 months as Congress ousted the BJP from powerLater again in 2012 Parrikar became Chief Minister of Goa but was shifted to the Centre and elevated to Defence Minister in 2014 who was succeeded by BJP leader Laxmikant ParsekarParrikars successor could remain in the Chief Ministers post only for 28 monthsIn 2017 Parrikar was brought back to local politics but he could remain in the Chief Ministers position only until his demise in 2019Pramod Sawant who succeeded him was the Chief Ministerial face of the 2022 assembly election and after getting elected again became Chief Minister of the coastal stateHe has completed five years in the office in his two termsOn this significant occasion marking five years in the office as the Chief Minister of Goa I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Goa for their continued support love and affection Sawant said on his social media pageI thank the Bharatiya Janata Party for entrusting me with the responsibility to serve the state I am deeply grateful to the Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his guidance from time to time under whose leadership and wholehearted support various initiatives aimed at the welfare of the people of Goa were envisaged and implemented he further said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sawant-becomes-only-bjps-leader-in-goa-to-complete-5-years-in-office-529513.html Tue, 19 Mar 2024 22:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-artificial-intelligence-in-aid-of-knowledge-economy-529045.html New Delhi March 17 The advent of Artificial Intelligence AI has boosted the cause of business in many ways It has speeded up the process of strategy formulation that derived new strength from a rapid analysis of comprehensive and relevant data relating to the past and the present It has also enabled businesses to deal with the new level of competitiveness that exists in todays world on the basis of an indepth study of other players in the field as well as of the intricacies of the business environmentFinally AI is setting new benchmarks in human resource management in the matter of reconstituting teams to focus on creating new products and services and ensuring timelines of deliveryIn the Age of Information brought in by Information Technology knowledgebased decisionmaking became the first priority of all business enterprises and towards that objective arrangements were made to collate and analyse a given set of parameters for defining the future vision of the business entity to be achieved within a timeframeThe scope of Business Intelligence has been infinitely enlarged by AI which is a tool for quickly examining an unprecedented amount of raw data and collated facts analysing all risk factors and opportunities and producing a set of reliablelooking predictions The AIassisted analytics covers a volume of data that was humanly impossible to handle in one go This has pushed decisionmaking to a level of near perfection in a competitive environmentThe potential of AI in strategic decisionmaking however yields the best results when it is used for augmenting human Intelligence with datadriven insights and operational efficiencyAI puts the process of decisionmaking on a stronger footing by making it an evidencebased determination Further AI introduces an element of neutrality and objectivity and minimises the scope of biases creeping into that processAI has opened up the world of startups and helped to provide a level playing field to those who can read the future better and while pursuing a line of business find an opportunity that had gone undetected earlierApplication of AIaided examination of information available in the public domain leads to a good assessment of the competitors behaviour as well as the industry dynamicsAnalysis of vast datasets through the application of AI can unearth patterns and trends that throw light on the modus operandi of a rival that was not visible to the human eye and which could be put to good use in a competitive settingEven while leveraging historical data AI can read areas of success of a competitor and determine the scope for improvement there far more accurately thus creating a competitive advantageThe more comprehensive the data the better the outcome of the AI applicationIt is possible to roll out new GenAIbased products and services to bring more value to investors and customers AIaided skills are extensively used now for profile writing creating engaging headlines and understanding natural language for putting across the work being done by the business enterpriseThe use of AI in critical thinking problemsolving and effective communication is now well establishedAutomated tasks are another developing area of corporate activity that is being put to good useAs already mentioned AI is proving indispensable for predictive analytics Simulating market conditions and their probable outcomes accrued through advance scenario planning and risk assessment is becoming a trendsetterIn the arena of human resource development work starts with the use of AI to improve the recruitment process itself AI skills are needed in jobs requiring communication analysis and sales promotionIn content creation it is found that more important than the time spent on writing is the time utilised for interactions and networking for the purpose of enhancing outreach and accessing new knowledgeUpskilling is required since nearly half of the jobs in India are going to be affected by AI fortunately professionals in India are already using AI skills more than what was the case anywhere else globallyAI offers a new level of personalisation of customer needs helps the process of development of new products and facilitates the adoption of entirely new ways of sales promotion Business enterprises need manpower that is attuned to working with others finding solutions to the problem at hand and using critical thinkingThe new skills are also put to good use in evolving worklife balance that AIbased tasks could demand One of the top challenges is to prepare a GenAIready workforce One impediment to this is the shortage of expertise in the emerging tech streams such as cloud computingThere are limited programmes for GenAI skills in the university curricula Business corporates have to think of building the capabilities of their workforce in terms of technical skills through a tailored training programme on GenAI This programme has to be based on enterprisespecific or even teamspecific goalsProfessionals across operations marketing finance etc require basic familiarisation with GenAI to decide how to effectively leverage GenAI tools to improve productivityAI developers need to be nurtured to understand the science behind deep learning and make the choice to pick the right models Advanced teams may be needed to develop niche expertise in product engineeringEven at the leadership level specific GenAI programmes have to be devised to enhance the trickledown effect in creating motivation and ambition across the hierarchies These are also needed for strategy formulation and possible policy amendments that could be required for better implementationToday an understanding of Learning amp Development LampD and Large Language Models LLMs and their importance in business is needed at the leadership level itselfThe main point of understanding and acceptance by the leadership is that AIs first impact on business was to enable the enterprise to reduce cost and increase the efficiency of its operations so that there was better ROI resulting from the valueadd created by AIIn a nutshell AI primarily works through data and analytics to help companies to build new products and services and to enhance their customer baseMachine learning automation is assisting human resource management in screening resumes and scheduling interviews Screening enables the management to match applicants for positions requiring knowledge experience and special skills for the jobTargeted and personalised promotion campaigns are also helped by AI A simple illustration is machine learning that notes the difference between a customer who scans information for highend eating places and then searches for clothes online and a customer who is only searching for clothes In the first case AI lays out fashion garments while in the other case it would offer a range covering different categoriesDecisionmaking is one of the most important areas depending a great deal on AI because the latter can scrutinise large databases on customer preferences text images and videos that are made for knowledgebased decisions considered so important for standing against the competition Supply chain management security enhancement and customer experience data are among the basic advantages that AIaided programs could provideAbove all India is quite aware of the promises and perils of AI and that is why it has asked tech firms to seek government approval before releasing under trial or unreliable AI tools and to caution the customers that the programme may not be able to answer every query of the userAI tools should be used with the basic understanding that they are governed by the inputoutput principle and that any predictive analytics provided by them rested on the detection of patterns and keywords in an unusually large database Best results therefore are achieved when human intelligence works in conjunction with datadriven insightsThe writer is former Director of the Intelligence Bureau Views are personal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/the-third-eye-artificial-intelligence-in-aid-of-knowledge-economy-529045.html Sun, 17 Mar 2024 10:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/for-igloo-men-of-manali-bountiful-snowfall-signifies-promise-of-prosperity-529071.html Manali March 17 As the winter sun begins its descent behind the Hampta Pass in the Himalayas a subtle thawing begins in the heart of mountain natives Amid this transition an igloo stands as a testament to resilience and ingenuity For those like the igloo men harnessing indigenous wisdom the blanket of snow signifies not hardship but rather the promise of local prosperityWinters may be harsh for some But for them every snowflake holds the potential for a bountiful livelihoodThe duo Tashi Dorjee and Vikas Kumar both professional mountaineers and skiers of Keylinga Himalayan Adventures have built igloos for the eighth season in a tiny hamlet the base for the Hampta trekAs snow starts melting our hearts too thaw remarked an emotional Dorjee the brain behind the firstofitskind initiative to build igloos without government supportEvery year with the onset of snowfall they start building igloos by using their traditional knowledge close to the Buddhist village of Sethan 12 km uphill from Manali at an altitude of 2700 metre amid the backdrop of Dhauladhar and the PirPanjal rangesThe igloos are located on ski slopes that have more than three feet of snow and it will last till MarchendSeeing tourist buzz several other local youths have also entered into the venture of setting up manmade igloos of different shapes and sizes for the backpackers in the areaLocals say with wordofmouth communication the entire area originally a shepherd route in summer has been christened as the igloo valleyThe overlooking Hampta Pass is a corridor that connects Kullu with the Lahaul ValleyThough our hearts are happy that spring will soon set in and this mountain will turn into a valley of flowers but that will not attract an influx of tourists For us a blanket of snow is a ray of hope added Dorjee who was born and brought up in the areaMembers of the hospitality industry believe if the government promotes such initiatives for sustainable tourism the local economy will not only get a boost but also result in opportunities for mountain communitiesLocals say the igloos not only help conserving their traditional knowledge but also preserving natural resources in an innovative manner through the artificial making of vertical ice mountains to recharge aquifers for longer durationIt is a onceinlife opportunity to live like Arctic indigenous people of Alaska remarked tourist Neha Katyal from New DelhiWe are really excited to see the snowy landscape even in March Earlier we were a little bit scared about staying in an igloo as we feared its collapse Our hosts told us that it is strong enough to withstand even snow storms The inside temperature at night was at least 10 degrees Celsius less than outside her husband Abhishek said adding that we really enjoyed relishing rajma chawal and kadhi besides watching a Hindi movie under the starstudded sky on a screen chiseled from an ice slabThe business is managed by sixeight people who build the igloos manually and cook the food for the guestsIgloo owner Dorjee told IANS this winter saw decreasing snowfall and warmer temperatures The area was totally bereft of snow cover in December and January and we were desperately awaiting the onset of heavy snowHis partner Vikas Kumar added Now the snowing season is going to end soon so is our business For us snow brings good luck as it denotes growth and the accomplishment of certain goals through hard work and dedicationIgloo owners say the government should promote construction of igloos on the pattern of the states rural homestay scheme which started in 2008To reach an igloo unit one has to trudge the snowladen path for half an hour depending upon the location where they have been set up They are normally set up on the land leased by the Forest DepartmentOnly a fourwheel drive vehicle which is provided by the host and covered within the accommodation cost will take you up to Sethan the last motorable village From there potters will take the luggageDepending on the snow conditions a team of fiveeight people can build an igloo measuring six feet in circumference in a couple of hoursHimachal Pradesh received large deficit winter precipitation of 31 per cent since January 1 with nine out of 12 districts having received deficient precipitation says the Meteorological Centre in Shimla in the first week of MarchThe state received isolated rainfall in January with weak activity on many days and one day of normal activity on January 31In February the state received five spells of precipitation with moderate precipitation at few places Kullu and Mandi districts received normal rainfall with excess precipitation in Chamba districtMeteorologists told IANS that warmer winters continued for the second consecutive year across IndiaVishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiiansgmailcom IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/for-igloo-men-of-manali-bountiful-snowfall-signifies-promise-of-prosperity-529071.html Sun, 17 Mar 2024 14:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-orders-lodging-of-police-complaint-against-lawyer-for-forgery-to-assist-undertrial-prisoners-528898.html New Delhi March 16 The Delhi High Court has come across a case of forgery involving a lawyer appointed to assist undertrial prisoners The lawyer has allegedly created and circulated a fake bail order which was purportedly never issued by the high court This incident has prompted the high court to order the lodging of a police complaint to investigate the matter thoroughlyJustice Swarana Kanta Sharma upon learning about the incident initiated a suo motu caseThe court was informed that a fabricated bail order had been given to an accused by the lawyer which was then handed over to the accuseds mother during a jail visit The court expressed shock and concern over the incident stressing the gravity of forging a judicial document and the implications it could have on the integrity of the legal systemTo address this egregious breach of trust and potential criminal act the court has directed its Registrar General to file a complaint with the police for immediate investigation Justice Sharmas order came after Saira Bano the mother of the inmate approached the high court seeking clarity on the status of her daughters bail application only to reveal the existence of the forged documentThe document in question falsely claimed that a bail application was reserved for order by the high court on November 18 2023 raising immediate suspicions as the court does not operate on weekends Further scrutiny revealed no record of such a bail application ever being filed or reserved for order confirming the documents fraudulent natureThe high court has now taken significant steps to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future It has issued procedures for verifying the authenticity of its orders and judgements stressing the use of QR codes digital signatures and official emblems on documents obtained from the Delhi High Courts website The court has made it clear that authentic documents can be accessed freely and without cost providing a reliable means for individuals to verify the legitimacy of judicial ordersIn addition to ordering a police investigation Justice Sharma appointed advocate Harsh Prabhakar as amicus curiae to assist the affected inmate ensuring that she receives proper legal representation moving forward The court has also taken proactive measures to educate the public and inmates about verifying court documents including translating its order into Hindi and disseminating it widely IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-orders-lodging-of-police-complaint-against-lawyer-for-forgery-to-assist-undertrial-prisoners-528898.html Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-two-aap-leaders-join-bjp-528973.html Guwahati March 16 Aam Aadmi Party in Assam suffered a jolt on Saturday after two of its members left the party and joined the BJP Jitul Deka who was the AAP Vice President in the state sent his resignation to State President Bhaben ChoudhuryDue to some special reasons I am tendering my resignation from all the posts and primary membership of AAP in Assam Jitul Dekas resignation letter readsSusanta Kumar Nath who was the AAP Spokesperson in the state has also resigned from the partyBoth Deka and Nath joined the BJP at the partys state headquarters in Guwahati IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-two-aap-leaders-join-bjp-528973.html Sat, 16 Mar 2024 17:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ls-polls-confident-of-getting-bjp-ticket-from-belagavi-says-ex-ktaka-cm-jagadish-shettar-529002.html Bengaluru March 16 Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Saturday said that he is confident of getting a BJP ticket to contest from Belagavi Lok Sabha seat The third list may be released on Sunday I am confident that my name will be officially announced tomorrow I have given my consent to contest from the Belagavi MP seat he told media personsShettar had quit BJP after being denied a ticket to contest in assembly polls He joined Congress and went on to become MLC However he rejoined the BJP recentlyThe BJP is contemplating other options in the backdrop of Congress trying to rope in Mrunal Hebbalkar son of Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi HebbalkarShettar was aspiring for Dharwad or Haveri MP seats though promised while returning to BJP the party is now considering winnability Shettar had attacked the National General Secretary BL Santhosh alleging that he is finishing off Lingayat leadership in the stateSources said that Santhosh is now working against ShettarMangala Angadi sitting BJP MP the wife of late former Union Minister Suresh Angadi is hopeful of getting a ticket for one of the daughters Besides Belagavi BJP workers are demanding the ticket for local leadership IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ls-polls-confident-of-getting-bjp-ticket-from-belagavi-says-ex-ktaka-cm-jagadish-shettar-529002.html Sat, 16 Mar 2024 20:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/shiv-bhakt-rahul-gandhi-prays-at-nashiks-famed-trimbakeshwar-jyotirlinga-temple-528571.html Nashik Maharashtra March 14 Congress MP Rahul Gandhi went to pray at the famed 268yearold Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple here on Thursday evening party leaders said Taking time off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra BJNY the Congress leader visited the temple his fourth to a Jyotirlinga temple in the past 60 daysHe was greeted by some priests and trustees and escorted inside the temple premises where he sat and was helped to perform the pooja for about 15 minutes with a large crowd around witnessing itLocated amid lush greenery at the base of three hills Brahmagiri Nilagiri and Kalagiri in Nashik the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples located around the countryEarlier AICC General Secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh said that during the BJNY Rahul Gandhi had offered prayers at three other Jyotirlingas the Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar Jharkhand Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi Uttar Pradesh and the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain Madhya Pradesh The Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is located at the source of the Godavari Indias secondlongest river after the Ganga which flows from Maharashtra and drains into the Bay of BengalThe striking feature of the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is that the Jyotirling is threefaced signifying Lord Brahma Lord Vishnu and Lord ShivaThis temple was built by the Peshwa Balaji BajiraoIII on the site of an old temple and inaugurated in February 1756 during the Mahashivratri celebrationsIt has gates in all four directions as East denotes the beginning West symbolises maturity North represents revelation and South signifies fulfilment as per the temples official website IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/shiv-bhakt-rahul-gandhi-prays-at-nashiks-famed-trimbakeshwar-jyotirlinga-temple-528571.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 22:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/eight-railway-stations-in-amethi-get-new-names-528147.html Lucknow March 13 The Union Ministry of Home Affairs MHA has granted a No Objection Certificate NOC to the Uttar Pradesh governments request to rename eight railway stations in Amethi district This approval follows a proposal submitted to the MHA on February 12 2024 said a government spokesmanThe proposed name changes are as follows Kasimpur Halt to Jais City Jais to Guru Gorakhnath Dham Bani to Swami Paramhans Misrauli to Maa Kalikan Dham Nihalgarh to Maharaja Bijli Pasi Akbarganj to Maa Ahorwa Bhawani Dham Warisganj to Amar Shahid Bhale Sultan and Fursatganj to Tapeshwarnath DhamRekha Sharma Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Lucknow division of Northern Railways said The renamed railway stations will soon be updated by the Railway CRIS Centre for Railway Information Systems Additionally we anticipate receiving the NOC from the state public works department for the station renaming process soon IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/eight-railway-stations-in-amethi-get-new-names-528147.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/rain-snow-likely-at-many-places-in-jampk-met-528158.html Srinagar March 13 MeT office has forecast light to moderate rain and snow at many places in JampK on Wednesday Possibility of light to moderate rain and snow at many places in JampK on March 13 with thunderlightning accompanied with gusty winds MeT Department statement said Meanwhile Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 54 Gulmarg minus 12 and Pahalgam minus on Wednesday In the Ladakh region Leh town had minus 65 Kargil minus 86 and Drass minus 111 as the minimum temperature Jammu city recorded 141 Katra 126 Batote 75 Bhaderwah 51 and Banihal 56 as the minimum temperature IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/rain-snow-likely-at-many-places-in-jampk-met-528158.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/doctors-treat-brave-boy-who-survived-tiger-attack-by-pulling-big-cats-tongue-528256.html Gurugram March 13 Doctors here treated a brave 17yearold boy who survived a scary tiger attack by pulling the tongue of the big cat The boy Ankit hailing from Uttrakhands Ramnagar was on his way back home from school in November last year when a tiger sitting on a tree attacked him from behind grabbing his neck and scalp in its mouthEven as the tiger somehow lost its grip the boy in an act of bravery pulled the tigers tongue with his right hand and saved his lifeMy head was in the tigers mouth and I pulled its tongue said Ankit in a statement However the teenager suffered several injuries to his face neck scalp and right hand and had to undergo multiple reconstructive surgeriesAfter being stabilised at a nearby medical facility he was referred to Manipal Hospital GurugramHe was presented to the hospital with a massive blood loss and upon admission his haemoglobin count was 3His scalp was lost his skull bone was exposed his right ear was dangling his face was slashed and his righthand thumb was partially amputated said the hospital in the statementAnkits condition required reconstructive surgeries We performed those surgeries over months to salvage his scalp and hand He would require a few more to improve the functional and aesthetic outcomes Ankit had been very brave and cooperative in the entire process of surgeries and postoperative phase said Ashish Dhingra Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon at Manipal Hospital GurugramAfter four months Ankit is now recovering well His scalp face and hand injuries have healed and he is getting better every day He has now resumed his normal life the doctor noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/doctors-treat-brave-boy-who-survived-tiger-attack-by-pulling-big-cats-tongue-528256.html Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-cm-offers-prayers-at-yadadri-temple-527880.html Hyderabad March 11 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy offered prayers at Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri on Monday Accompanied by his wife Geetha the Chief Minister participated in Brahmotsavam of the ancient cave shrine in Yadadri Bhongir district about 70 km from HyderabadThe couple participated in a special puja amid chanting of Vedic hymns The Chief Minister presented silk robes and mutyala talambralu to deities on behalf of the state governmentEarlier the Chief Minister was accorded a traditional welcome by priests and the temple officials on his arrivalHe was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy Komatireddy Venkat Reddy Konda Surekha and some MLAsAttired in the traditional dress the Chief Minister and ministers reached Yadagirigutta by helicopter The motorcade comprising scores of vehicles passed through the newly laid roads up to the hillThis was Revanth Reddys first visit to Ydadri after assuming office as the Chief MinisterThe most famous temple of Telangana has been decked up for 11day BrahmotsavamThe temple was renovated by the previous BRS government at a cost of over Rs1800 crore In March 2022 former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated the renovated templeThe sanctum sanctorum of the lion god located in a cave atop Yadagirigutta or Yadadri was reopened after a gap of six yearsAfter taking over as the first Chief Minister of Telangana in 2014 KCR had proposed to develop the Yadadri temple on the lines of Venkateshwara Swamy temple one of the richest temples in the country located in the Chittoor district in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-cm-offers-prayers-at-yadadri-temple-527880.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/govt-will-provide-water-to-bengaluru-shivakumar-527898.html Bengaluru March 11 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday said that no matter what happens the government will provide water to the people of Bengaluru He said that the rain god has not blessed the people this time as 200 taluks in the state have been declared droughtprone while more than 7000 borewells have gone dry in Bengaluru out of 14000We have identified the water tankers in Bengaluru At least 1500 water tankers have been notified which are under the control of Bangalore City Corporation for the first time the Deputy Chief Minister saidHe said that the government will provide water to all industries and for construction activities as wellWe dont want construction activities to get hampered There was a big scam and a mafia on the prices and supply of water We have capped them and brought them under control Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar saidHe said that the BJP wants to divert the attention while everything is under controlBJP wants to do politics all the time We have given sufficient time for water tankers to register and have also extended the deadline the Deputy Chief said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/govt-will-provide-water-to-bengaluru-shivakumar-527898.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 13:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/three-sp-candidates-file-nominations-for-up-vidhan-parishad-527937.html Lucknow March 11 Three Samajwadi Party candidates have filed their nomination for elections to the Vidhan Parishad Earlier ten candidates from BJP and NDA had filed their nomination papersA total of 13 candidates have filed papers for 13 seats as nominations closed on Monday This paves the way for unopposed election of all the candidatesThe SP has fielded senior party leader Balram Yadav Kiranpal Kashyap and Shah Alam aka Guddu Jamali who recently joined the partySP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said that his selection of candidates reflected the formula of PDA Pichhda Dalit Alpsankhayak IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/three-sp-candidates-file-nominations-for-up-vidhan-parishad-527937.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-credibility-deficit-stymies-rahuls-new-guarantee-announcements-527626.html New Delhi March 10 When Rahul Gandhi announced five Congress guarantees for the Lok Sabha polls in an apparent counter to BJPs Modi ki guarantee there were hardly any cheers The Congress leader flanked by party president Mallikarjun Kharge made the announcement during the Rajasthan leg of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra His promises should have been at once highlighted and amplified by the partys national and state leaders but there has been no enthusiasm about the new promises Even the INDIA bloc partners seem unmoved by the promisesThis was unlike the way the party went about promoting the Nyuntam Aay Yojana NYAY scheme announced by Rahul Gandhi in March 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that year All senior Congress leaders including Chief Ministers from the party gathered at the national headquarters for the release of the manifesto which contained details of the scheme NYAY was projected to be a gamechanger and ultimate weapon to defeat the incumbent BJP government at the CentreThe party even centred its poll campaign around it The high point came when Rahul Gandhi held a roadshow while going to file his nomination from his traditional Lok Sabha seat of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2019 His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied him and the roadshow featured a different campaign flagIn addition to the traditional party flags Congress leaders and supporters were carrying bluecoloured flags that advertised the partys central poll promise namely the NYAY scheme Blue flags are usually associated with Dalit identity Mayawatis BSP flag is blue in colour and so is Chandrashekhar Azads Bhim Army flagMuch against the hopes of the Congress the people of Amethi rejected Rahul Gandhis NYAY promise and handed him an embarrassing defeat in 2019This time when Rahul Gandhi came up with the latest fiveguarantee promise there were no big leaders not even his sister or mother Sonia Gandhi standing with himThe five promises include First job to be guaranteed for every graduate and diploma holder aged below 25 years a stipend of Rs 1 lakh will be given over the oneyear training period the cost of the apprenticeship will be shared by the government and the employerThe Congress claims that it has studied this thoroughly but the promise seems to be reeking more of populist sentiment than of any practicality Every year millions become graduates and diploma holders in the country How will the Congress provide the apprenticeship to all and how can it force the private sector to yield These are questions the party has to answerOn the guarantee of stopping paper leaks the performance of the Congress in the states where it has been in power has been far from reassuringIn Rajasthan where it was in power till December 2023 as many as 16 exam papers leaked The Enforcement Directorate raided the premises of state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra in Jaipur and Sikar as part of a probe of a moneylaundering angle to the case Dotasra was the Education Minister in the then Congress government Why couldnt the Congress tackle the problem when it was at the helm of affairs in the stateThe Congress manifesto in 2019 had the tagline Hum Nibhayenge and it mentioned several benefits apart from its flagship NYAY scheme which said that 20 per cent of the poorest families in the country will get Rs 72000 annuallyHaving said that did the Congress deliver on its promises in the states where it was in power That did not happen and the party also never clarified from where the Rs 4 lakh crore needed for the scheme would be raisedEven in Chhattisgarh where it was in power it did not put the scheme into practice and later announced a revised oneIt moved away from its 2019 promise of ensuring that each household earns at least Rs 72000 a year and announced a new scheme Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana RGKNY in 2020 Under this scheme Rs 10000 per acre a year was to be transferred into the bank accounts of farmersIn Karnataka the implementation of the Congress governments five poll guarantees which it made in 2023 ahead of the Assembly polls is imposing a huge financial burden on the exchequer and exerting significant pressure on the states economy This was revealed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs economic adviser Basavaraj Rayareddi early this year In fact the state presented a budget projecting a revenue deficit of Rs 27353 crore for the year 202425 relying on borrowings to sustain the ruling partys five guaranteesIn July last year Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the Congress government did not have any money for fresh development projects as it had set aside funds to fulfil its five poll promises He made this admission after 11 Congress MLAs had complained to the Chief Minister over lack of cooperation by ministersIn Telangana the Congress government had said that its six poll guarantees would be implemented within 100 days of the party assuming power The government though has managed to launch just three of the six guarantees and that too partially One of the promises that remains unfulfilled is to waive off loans up to Rs 2 lakh for farmersThe latest announcement by Rahul Gandhi may be a desperate move to counter the highly successful and impressive Modi ki guarantee campaign of the BJPThe not so overwhelming response to Rahul Gandhis ambitious Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has further deepened the doubts of its leadersMany Congress leaders some of them veterans such as Arjun Modhwadia in Gujarat and Ashok Chavan in Maharashtra have quit the party and directly or indirectly questioned the party leaderships style of functioning and lack of connect with the massesThe Congress has also failed in its INDIA bloc mission as the alliance has crumbled under its own weight Most of the regional parties are giving the Congress a very tough time and bargaining is proving to be too costly for itMaking all sorts of promises ahead of elections may be a compulsion for the Congress but what matters is credibility And it is here where the grand old party is falling short desperatelyPeople lost their trust in the Congress in 2014 which was again confirmed in 2019 as it did not fulfil promises made to people in the states where it was in powerThe BJP on the other hand has been working on the credibility factor and PM Modi is himself at the forefront of this national effort on the part of the party and the governmentDeepika Bhan can be contacted at deepikabiansin IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/fairpoint-credibility-deficit-stymies-rahuls-new-guarantee-announcements-527626.html Sun, 10 Mar 2024 12:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/rusted-grenades-bullets-amp-explosives-recovered-in-jampks-rajouri--527442.html Jammu March 9 Police and Central Reserve Police Force CRPF on Saturday recovered rusted grenades bullets and explosives in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district Police said that rusted grenades bullets and explosives were found in Darhal Chokian area of Rajouri as per the inputs received Police said following the input a party from police station Darhal and CRPF rushed to the spot and recovered the cache of rusted grenades bullets and explosives IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/rusted-grenades-bullets-amp-explosives-recovered-in-jampks-rajouri--527442.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 16:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/punjab-cabinet-converts-3-842-temporary-judicial-posts-to-permanent-527479.html Chandigarh March 9 The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday gave its consent to convert 3842 temporary posts in judicial wing posted in subordinate courts into permanent posts A decision to this effect was taken by the Council of Ministers at a meeting hereA spokesperson for the Chief Ministers Office said the judicial posts were designated as temporary for more than two decades and approval of the Department of Home Affairs and Justice along with the Finance Department was required every year for their continuationThe conversion into permanent posts will help eliminating unnecessary hassle in obtaining continuation of posts every year he saidAlso in order to ensure speedy trials of POCSO and rape cases the Cabinet gave consent to set up two fasttrack special courts in Sangrur and Tarn Taran districts to dispose of the pendency in such mattersThe Cabinet also accorded approval to create 20 posts including two posts of Additional District and Sessions Judge along with 18 supporting staff for these courtsWith an aim to ensure uninterrupted and quality healthcare services the Cabinet gave consent to revive 189 posts of medical officer general and create 1390 such additional posts This decision has been taken in larger public interest to overcome the shortage of medical officersThe 1940 vacant posts of medical officers general will be filled through the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Faridkot after taking them out of the purview of the Punjab Public Service Commission PPSCThe Cabinet gave its consent to create 20 new posts including four medical officers five staff nurses pharmacist lab technician Xray technician operation theater assistant two multitask worker specialist doctors including gynecologists etc for the newly upgraded urban Community Health centre in GurdaspurThe Cabinet also gave expost facto approval to setting up of 829 Aam Aadmi Clinics AAC out of which 308 are located in urban areas and 521 in rural areasThe Cabinet also gave nod to the Punjab Food grains Transportation Policy of 2024 and The Punjab Labour and Cartage Policy of 2024 for the smooth and hasslefree transportation of food grainsThe Cabinet gave approval for enhancing the benefits of health insurance cover to traders having turnover up to Rs 2 crore instead of existing Rs 1 crore This will benefit more than one lakh traders of the state as they will be able to get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh under this scheme IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/punjab-cabinet-converts-3-842-temporary-judicial-posts-to-permanent-527479.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 17:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cji-launches-e-court-facility-in-bikaner-bats-for-use-of-simple-language-in-courts-527483.html Bikaner March 9 The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Thursday announced the launch of an ecourt facility in Bikaner and said that the lawyers settled here will now be able to practice from the city itself The Supreme Court of the country is located on Tilak Marg Delhi But it is not the Supreme Court of Tilak Marg it is the Supreme Court of India Similarly the Rajasthan High Court also doesnt belong to Jaipur or Jodhpur alone it is for the entire Rajasthan Now the lawyers in Bikaner will be able to practice and plead in the high court from here itself the CJI said at a programme organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice at the auditorium of Maharaja Ganga Singh University hereThe Chief Justice said that the Government of India has approved a budget of Rs 7000 crore for the ecourt Phase 3 project The facility of video conferencing will be made available in Bikaner using this fund he saidThe CJI also said that court rulings should be made in the local language in any court of the country When I am sitting in Delhi and making a decision for a lawyer or a judge it may be in a particular language but if I am making a decision for the common man it must be in a simple language he saidThe CJI also said that there is a connection between democracy and the Constitution of India Understanding the Constitution also develops and nurtures the understanding of democracy There is a need to convey the messages of the Constitution to every person The spirit of the Constitution will have to reach every citizen he saidThe Chief Justice also said that Bikaner made a big contribution to the making of the Constitution of India One of the 284 members of the Constituent Assembly was Jaswant Singh from Bikaner Maharaja Ganga Singh of the princely state of Bikaner was selected as the first Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes The Constitution of India is closely linked to Bikaner he saidEarlier Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal informed that as the Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes Maharaja Ganga Singh used to sit at the same place where the Chief Justice sat initially IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cji-launches-e-court-facility-in-bikaner-bats-for-use-of-simple-language-in-courts-527483.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 17:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ex-dmk-functionary-jaffer-sadiq-arrested-for-running-international-drug-cartel-527493.html New Delhi March 9 Narcotics Control Bureau NCB has arrested former DMK functionary Jaffer Sadiq in connection with the smuggling of drugs valued at Rs 2000 crore The NCB said that it apprehended the drug baron on SaturdaySadiq a former office bearer of the NRI cell of DMK had also produced films and has been on the run for the past few days after the NCB arrested a few of his aides a week beforeThe racket was busted after New Zealand and Australian authorities informed Indian agencies that drugs concealed in food products were being smuggled to their countriesSadiq was sacked from the DMK amid reports of his links with the international drug cartelDeputy Director General NCB Gyaneshwar Singh said that after developing specific intelligence they arrested Sadiq the kingpin of the drug trafficking network busted by NCB in February 2024 Sadiq was absconding and had been on the run since February 15 when NCB had seized 50070kg of Pseudoephedrine from the godown of a firm named Aventa Company and arrested three accomplices of Sadiq NCB had mounted intense efforts to track down Sadiq after he had gone absconding We were able to track him down and he was arrested in Delhi said SinghAccording to NCB Sadiq spearheaded a network which sourced Pseudoephedrine in India and trafficked it to Australia New Zealand and Malaysia in the guise of foodgrade cargo It is believed that the drug syndicate operated by him has sent 45 consignments over the past three years to various countries containing approximately 3500 kilograms of pseudoephedrine said SinghSadiq has also revealed that he has earned a huge amount of money from his illicit drug trafficking operations and has invested the same in legitimate businesses in industries like film construction hospitality etc His financial linkages to drug trafficking are under investigation to identify his sources of funds and the beneficiaries of proceeds of drugs The investigations are still underway and more details will be revealed soon said SinghPseudoephedrine is a precursor chemical that is used in the manufacture of Methamphetamine a dangerous and highly addictive synthetic drug Even though it has some legal uses it is classified as a controlled substance in India bringing strict regulation on its production possession trade export and use Illegal possession and trade is punishable up to 10 years of imprisonment under the NDPS Act of 1985 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ex-dmk-functionary-jaffer-sadiq-arrested-for-running-international-drug-cartel-527493.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 18:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/3-killed-10-missing-as-floods-landslides-hit-indonesias-west-sumatra-527319.html Jakarta March 9 Three people were found dead and 10 others went missing amid floods and landslides striking Indonesias West Sumatra province a senior official of the local disaster management agency said Head of the Emergency Unit of the Provincial Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency Fajar Sukma said on Friday that heavy downpours on Thursday triggered the floods and landslides in 10 regencies and towns of the province causing bridges to collapse and sweeping away houses Xinhua news agency reportedThe floods submerged roads paralysing transportation and affected tens of thousands of houses leading to evacuations he addedIn Pesisir Selatan regency one person was dead and nine others went missing and in Pariaman regency two people were killed and another was missing he told Xinhua news agency via phoneThe floods began yesterday Thursday but now the waters have started receding Sukma addedAid and emergency relief efforts were undertaken not only by the agency but also by other government departments according to himFood blankets medicine and other supplies have been flowing to the disasteraffected areas he saidWe have also set up centres for logistics or distributing food and health centres to help the affected people Sukma added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/3-killed-10-missing-as-floods-landslides-hit-indonesias-west-sumatra-527319.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 06:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/confidant-to-crack-bengaluru-cafe-blast-case-soon-ktaka-home-min-527174.html Bengaluru March 8 Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said that the government is confident to crack the Bengaluru Café blast case soon The suspected bomber is being tracked by the agencies We have got the information that he had travelled by bus Parameshwara told media persons in Tumakuru cityHe said that the police were verifying all the CCTV footage of the buses during the time the bomber travelled from BengaluruUntil the accused is not nabbed it will not be possible to link the incident with any organisation Parameshwara saidHe said that four suspected persons have been detained and their statements have been recordedMeanwhile Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will reopen the Rameshwaram Cafe located in Brookfield on International Technology Park Limited ITPL Road on FridayHome Minister G Parameshwara BJP MLA Manjula Arvind Limbavali and senior BJP leader Arvind Limbavali will also be present on the occasion IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/confidant-to-crack-bengaluru-cafe-blast-case-soon-ktaka-home-min-527174.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tgana-cm-to-avoid-confrontation-with-centre-in-public-interest-526985.html Hyderabad March 7 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday reiterated that his government will avoid confrontation with the Central government in the public interest He said no matter which party is in power at the Centre the state government will seek support for the development and if it does not extend the support it will fight with the power given by the people The Chief Minister said this while speaking after laying the foundation for the elevated corridor on HyderabadRamagundam Rajiv Rahdari Alleging that there was no development during the BRS rule Revanth Reddy said after Congress came to power it held talks with the Centre and tried to find solutions to the problems He claimed that failures of the previous state government came to his knowledge after holding talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh The Chief Minister said the elevated corridor will not only lead to the development of Medchal and Qutbullahpur but also improve the connectivity to north Telangana He said he took up the issue of the elevated corridor with the Centre when he was the MP He claimed that no progress was made on the project due to the previous governments disputes with the Centre He said that the previous government did not allot the lands which were to be allotted to the Defence department and similarly it did not renew the lease for Defence lands in Chandrayangutta The Chief Minister said after the Congress came to power lands were transferred to the Defence department Revanth Reddy said that when the state government cooperated with the Centre the Centre also extended cooperation to the state by agreeing to transfer the Defence landHe claimed that it was due to the work taken up in the past by the Congress governments that Hyderabad got international recognition The sixlane 113km long elevated corridor will be built from Paradise Junction to Outer Ring Road Junction Shamirpet via West Marredpally Karkhana Tirumalgheri Bollaram Alwal Hakimpet and Thumkunta The project required 19720 acres of land including 11348 acres of defence lands The project which is estimated to cost Rs 2232 crore is expected to ease traffic congestion on Rajiv Rahadari IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tgana-cm-to-avoid-confrontation-with-centre-in-public-interest-526985.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/kashmiris-are-hopeful-after-pm-modis-promise-of-better-days-ahead-527013.html Srinagar March 8 Hope and expectations of the people in the Kashmir Valley ran high on Friday a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to return the love and warmth people showed towards him It was PM Modis first visit to the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 and it was the most successful visit to Kashmir by any Prime Minister of the country so farPeople from almost every nook and corner of the Valley braved the chilly morning cold to join PM Modis public rallyCongress National Conference NC and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP leaders alleged that the crowd was forced by the government to join the rallyPolitics apart a crowd of the magnitude that turned out to join PM Modis public rally cannot be truly believed to have been herdedTo push a hundred thousand people into a stadium against their will and expect them to wave and cheer the way they did at the Bakshi Stadium on Thursday definitely needs a better explanation by PM Modis detractorsIn the not very remote past some people would not even stand when the national anthem would be played during official functions in Kashmir not even the local government servantsGiven the body language and the positivity of Thursdays gathering at the Bakshi Stadium it is not possible to make such a mammoth crowd behave and resonate with hope and expectation unless they had willingly come to the venueThe fact is that Kashmir has undergone a seachange It is no longer a place where peoples sentiments were available to be exploited in the name of region and religion Kashmiris have understood that PM Modi Hai tau Mumkin Hai and this hope could visibly be seen on every smiling face that was present at the public rallyHe is the Prime Minister of the country He has done so much for the poor citizens Ayushman gold card free ration Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Ujwala LPG connections safe drinking water road and rail connectivity After all these things did not happen of their ownPM Modi has promised to ensure that Kashmirs arts and crafts reach their glory once again and I trust him to do that said a local artisan Nazir Ahmad 48 who attended the rallyInterestingly even those the Prime Minister did not promise to do anything for are hoping that their problems would be solvedImran Bhat is a daily rated worker in the Jal Shakti department He has been a daily rated worker like thousands of others for over 20 years He expects that his services would be regularised by PM ModiHe has promised to bring peace and prosperity to every home in JampK We are breadwinners of about 63000 families across JampK At Rs 9000 per month I am unable to send my two children to school and also ensure their healthy upbringingI am sure that PM Modi will get our services regularised He alone can get it done since all successive governments in JampK so far only made hollow promises to us Imran said after he left the Bakshi StadiumLocal police were in the forefront of managing the security and safety of the VVIP and the people who came in such large numbers to attend the public rallyPeople adhered to every security protocol detailed by the police and the respect was mutual among the people and the local policemen in and around the venueThis has happened because of PM Modi Our uniform is respected now There were days when a policeman would not carry his identity card for fear of the stone pelters and the antinational elements And today we are proud of the dignity and honour this uniform gives us Who made this change possible in Kashmir It is Modiji and his determination to have the rule of law back in Kashmir said Suleman Khan an asset subinspector of JampK policeTaxi operators hoteliers tour and travel operators artisans people engaged in retail trade small industrialists and others have hope of a better tomorrow ahead because PM Modi has given them the guarantee of such a futureHe said during his speech that he wants every tourist to spend 5 to 10 per cent of the travel budget in buying local productsHe himself bought some handicraft items and Agriproducts when he visited the local stalls yesterday He has a vision for revival of local arts and craftsHe needs our support to fulfill our dream of a Naya Kashmir in which everybody lives without fear and with honour and selfrespect said Naseer Ali local wood carving artisanThe way people are sharing the details of the public rally with their family and friends leaves one in no doubt that the gathering was voluntary Past experience tells you that people wouldnt even whisper having attended a ProIndia public rally in Kashmir Thousands are proudly speaking of what they heard PM Modi say inside the Bakshi Stadium Believing that the participants were nudged by the government to tell stories like this to family and friends is clearly a blind mans refusal to see the writing on the wall IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/kashmiris-are-hopeful-after-pm-modis-promise-of-better-days-ahead-527013.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/hc-orders-judicial-probe-into-farmers-death-on-haryana-border-526943.html Chandigarh March 7 The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday ordered a judicial probe involving a retired High Court judge into the death of farmer Shubhkaran Singh during the Dilli Chalo protest on February 21 The division bench of acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji hearing public interest litigations seeking a judicial inquiry into the matter orally observed that the investigation into the death cannot be given to either Haryana or Punjab for obvious reasonsHence the judicial probe will be conducted by a retired high court judge and two officers including Additional Director General of Policerank officers from Punjab and HaryanaJustice Sandhawalia also came down heavily upon the petitioners when counsel for Haryana showed pictures of protesting sitesChildren were being used as a shield this is absolutely shameful It is a sad state of affairs children who are supposed to study in school are shown what they should not be It was a warlike situation he orally remarkedThe bench also questioned the Haryana government on what kind of bullets and pellets were being used on protestors and asked them to give details in this regardShubhkaran Singh a farmer from Bathinda district in Punjab was cremated in his native village last week after the Punjab Police registered a zero FIR in connection with his death The victims father Charanjit Singh had told the media that a bullet fired from the Haryana side hit Shubhkaran Singh who was walking right ahead of him on the head IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/hc-orders-judicial-probe-into-farmers-death-on-haryana-border-526943.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 19:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/holi-in-mathura-to-be-grander-bigger-this-year-526743.html Lucknow March 7 A grand Rangotsav will mark Holi this year in the Braj region in Uttar Pradesh The Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad UPBTVP and culture department have started preparations for the event in MathuraAccording to the minister of culture and tourism Jaiveer Singh Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan is a lively celebration deeply woven into the fabric of the regions cultural and religious history Rooted in the tales of Lord Krishnas early life spent in Vrindavan the festivities here are a kaleidoscope of unique rituals and joyous gatherings that attract people from around the globeHe said that the state government has established basic facilities in Mathura Vrindavan and Barsana to attract domestic and international tourists The aim is to draw maximum tourists from across the world to watch Holi celebrations in MathuraVrindavan and BarsanaThe festival spans 40 days but the true enthusiasm builds up a week before Holi The festivities begin with Barsanas Laddu Holi and Lathmar Holi where women beat men with sticksThe minister said that the Holi of Braj had special significance as it was associated with Lord Krishna The Braj region including Mathura Vrindavan Govardhan Gokul Nandgaon and Barsana was known for its unique Holi celebrations which would be showcased by the department to attract tourismHe said a large number of foreign tourists visit the region to witness colourful Holi celebrations We will make sure that they get a onceinalifetime experience which will make them want to come back year after year he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/holi-in-mathura-to-be-grander-bigger-this-year-526743.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ration-card-cant-be-used-as-address-residence-proof-delhi-hc-526829.html New Delhi March 7 The Delhi High Court has recently clarified that ration cards are intended solely for accessing essential commodities under the public distribution system and should not be used as proof of address or residence Justice Chandra Dhari Singh noted the lack of a verification mechanism for the address details on ration cards saying that their purpose is restricted to ensuring the distribution of foodgrains at reasonable prices to citizensThis ruling came during the courts hearing of pleas by several inhabitants of Kathputli Colony who sought alternative housing in exchange for their current makeshift homesDespite the Delhi Development Authority DDAs reliance on ration cards as address proof in the rehabilitation process the court found this practice misaligned with the central governments directive and the inherent purpose of ration cardsReferring to a 2015 gazette notification from the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution which specifically cautioned against using ration cards as identity or residence proof Justice Singh criticised the DDAs approach as arbitraryThe court noted that ration cards are designed for food distribution not as identity or address verification toolsThe judgement impacts the rehabilitation policy for Kathputli Colonys jhuggi dwellers particularly those whose eligibility was previously contested due to the absence of a ration cardJustice Singh directed the DDA to accept alternative documents listed in the Delhi Slum amp JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy 2015 like passports electricity bills and driving licences for verifying residents claims to alternative accommodationThis order mandates the DDA to provide alternative dwelling units to the petitioners contingent on the presentation of pertinent documents issued before the January 1 2015 cutoff date IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ration-card-cant-be-used-as-address-residence-proof-delhi-hc-526829.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 14:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/indias-growing-power-is-for-peace-prosperity-in-indo-pacific-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-526349.html Panaji March 5 Defense minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that Indias growing power is not for dominance but to create an environment of peace and prosperity in the IndoPacific The idea is not to achieve dominance but to create an environment of peace and prosperity in the IndoPacific The increasing naval power not only protects us from our adversaries but also provides an environment of security to other stakeholders in the Indian Ocean Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said while speaking after inaugurating the new Administrative and Training building at Naval War College in Verem GoaHe said that the Navy has achieved remarkable success in establishing new infrastructure equipment and warfare infrastructure thereby strengthening its naval power He also lauded the Navy for creating a worldclass stateoftheart training facility that resonates with Indias stature among the maritime powers of the worldEarlier almost all the governments focused on strengthening land borders but maritime threats were not given as much importance Defence Minister Rajnath Singh saidHe said that in view of the increased movement of our adversaries in the Indian Ocean Region IOR and the commercial importance of the region it was necessary to reassess our threat perception and accordingly rebalance our military resources and strategic attentionIf India becomes stronger not only the areas around it will progress but democracy and the rule of law will also be strengthened We were once known as a landlocked country with sea shores but now we can be seen as an island country with land borders the Defence Minister saidThe minister said that the resources and opportunities available in this region will be the factors of Indias prosperity which makes the Indian Navys role even more important in the futureHe said that most of the goods trade takes place through the sea route with the IndoPacific region emerging as its hub Due to the increasing goods trade many threats such as incidents of piracy and trafficking have come to the fore Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/indias-growing-power-is-for-peace-prosperity-in-indo-pacific-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-526349.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 19:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/commanders-should-be-prepared-to-deal-with-all-challenges-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-526387.html New Delhi March 5 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday urged the commanders to be prepared to deal with any kind of challenge The commanders must remain prepared to deal with all kinds of challenges The government will provide allpossible support the Defence Minister said while addressing the first edition of the inaugural session of Naval Commanders Conference of 2024He underscored the importance of jointness and synergy of the three services amidst the constantlyevolving geopolitical scenario and spoke about the increasing use of drones in modernday warfare and various maritime operations The Defence Minister also addressed the Naval Commanders during the session and commended the Indian Navy for increasing its multidimensional capabilities in the Indian Ocean region and continuously emerging in a leadership role He appreciated the Navys efforts to work towards peace and prosperity across the IndoPacific region in line with Security And Growth for All in the Region SAGAR as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi He also lauded the antipiracy operations of the Indian Navy in the IndoPacific region which he said is being appreciated not only in India but across the globeIf Indias reputation has increased in the Indian Ocean Region and wider IndoPacific it is due to the bravery and promptness of our Navy It has become synonymous with credibility in the IndoPacific region The Navy is a reflection of Indias growing stature on the global canvas the Defence Minister said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/commanders-should-be-prepared-to-deal-with-all-challenges-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-526387.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-revises-ews-quota-income-limit-for-school-admissions-526402.html New Delhi March 5 The Delhi High Court on Tuesday revised the income criteria for admissions under the Economically Weaker Sections EWS quota in schools across the national capital The bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora modified the earlier decision of a single judge bench setting the annual income threshold at Rs 25 lakh in contrast to the previous limit of Rs 5 lakhThis interim order comes following an appeal filed by the Delhi government challenging the single judges directive which had raised the income limit to Rs 5 lakh until legislative amendments were madeThe single judge had also asked the Delhi government to eliminate selfdeclaration mechanisms for income verification and establish a structured process for EWS seat allocationThe Delhi governments counsel argued that the sudden increase in the income threshold would disadvantage candidates from families with incomes up to Rs 1 lakh potentially reducing their chances of securing admissions under the EWS quotaFurthermore it was contended that this arbitrary adjustment violated the right to equality and imposed unreasonable barriers to educationThe court noted the potential adverse impact on children from lowerincome families particularly manual labourers and stressed the importance of maintaining the intended purpose of providing free education to EWS candidatesWhile considering the possibility of implementing the single judges directions the court acknowledged the need for a transition period and emphasised the appropriateness of the existing selfdeclaration policyThe case that prompted this decision involved a parent securing admission for their child at a prestigious school under the EWS category through falsified documents While dismissing the childs petition challenging the admission cancellation the court allowed the child to continue studying as a general category student and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the parent for deceptive practicesTo ensure compliance with the Right To Education RTE Act the single judge had urged the Delhi government to review the income criterion in line with prevailing economic conditions stressing the need for a scientific and datadriven approach Until such revisions were made the court endorsed an income limit of Rs 5 lakh taking into account the standards adopted by other states IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-revises-ews-quota-income-limit-for-school-admissions-526402.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 23:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/stepfather-arrested-for-raping-minor-girl-in-up-525879.html Lucknow March 4 A man has been arrested in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly raping his minor stepdaughter He has been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO Act on a complaint lodged by the victims complaint at the Karhal police stationThe victim has been sent for medical examinationRahul Mithas Superintendent of Police Mainpuri city said that a minor girl was raped by her stepfather A case has been registered against the accused and he has been arrested The investigation is underway he saidThe police official said that the girl was alone at home when the accused committed the crimeFurther details are awaited IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/stepfather-arrested-for-raping-minor-girl-in-up-525879.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/class-11-board-examinations-begin-in-tamil-nadu-525813.html Chennai March 4 Tamil Nadu State Board examinations for Class 11 commenced on Monday which will end on March 25 School Education Department officials said that around 389376 male students and 430471 female students will appear for the Tamil Nadu Class 11 board examinations from 7534 schools of the stateThey said that at least 5000 private registered students and 187 jail inmates will also appear for the examinationsAround 46700 invigilators have been pressed into duty to supervise the students Also 3200 flying squads have been deployed to prevent any examination malpractices in the examination centres the officials saidThere are around 3302 examination centres across the stateEducation Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told IANS that everything is in place at these examination centres for the commencement of examsHe said that drinking water facilities proper seating facilities electricity and toilet facilities have also been provided to the students at the examination centres IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/class-11-board-examinations-begin-in-tamil-nadu-525813.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/student-murdered-by-juniors-in-telangana-525819.html Hyderabad March 4 A degree firstyear student was allegedly murdered by his junior students following an argument over studies in Telanganas Nizamabad district Venkat 19 was assaulted by some intermediate class 11 and 12 students at a governmentrun hostel in Bodhan town on Sunday nightHailing from Tippari Thanda in Gandhari mandal of the same district Venkat was staying in a BC hostel in Bodhan and was pursuing an undergraduate courseThe victims family members alleged that the accused confined Venkat to a room and physically assaulted him resulting in his death This followed an argument after Venkat advised junior students to focus on their studiesAs Venkat was study hour incharge he had asked the students to stop chatting and focus on their studies Irked over the advice they picked up an argument and thrashed him They strangled him to deathSome hostel inmates caught hold of the accused and handed them over to policeAt least six students involved in the attack are in police custody Relatives of the deceased staged a protest demanding justicePolice have registered a case and the investigation is underway IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/student-murdered-by-juniors-in-telangana-525819.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/mary-kom-bhaker-boost-morale-of-marathon-participants-in-faridabad-525660.html Faridabad March 3 International boxer Mary Kom and shooter Manu Bhaker boosted the morale of the participants in Faridabad in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Urging the youth to aim high Mary Kom said that success in difficult times becomes easy and it can be achieved through hard workShe expressed gratitude to the government for the successful organisation of the program under the leadership of the Chief Minister who is promoting sports and marathons to encourage the younger generation towards sportsArjuna awardwinning shooter Manu Bhaker encouraged the youth to participate in such events She said India is progressing in every field including sports and emphasised on the importance of being physically fitChief Minister Khattar said with the new resolution everyone has to take steps towards cleanliness and strive to realise the vision of a prosperous environmentThe half marathon was dedicated to the theme of Swachh HaryanaSwachh BharatThe Chief Minister interacted directly with participants at the Surajkund Fairground in Faridabad while flagging off various categories of the marathon including a half marathon 10 km five km and the marathon for the differently abled individualsHe also felicitated winnersIn the half marathon 90yearold Shankari Devi participated in the fivekm Fun Run marathon showcasing her healthy lifestyleThe Chief Minister honoured her and said the spirit of youth enthusiasm does not diminish with age and the elderly Shankari Devi has also proved this by covering a distance of five km He called her an inspiration for youth power IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/mary-kom-bhaker-boost-morale-of-marathon-participants-in-faridabad-525660.html Sun, 03 Mar 2024 15:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/iraqi-intelligence-rescues-yazidi-woman-kidnapped-by-is-militants-525554.html Baghdad March 3 The Iraqi National Intelligence Service INIS has said that its members rescued a Yazidi woman kidnapped ten years ago by the extremist Islamic State IS group Acting on intelligence reports the Iraqi intelligence agents carried out an operation inside Syria and were able to reach Kufan Eido Khorto a Yazidi woman who was kidnapped by IS militants in 2014 when they took control of the town of Sinjar nearly 120 km west of Ninevehs provincial capital Mosul an INIS statement said on SaturdayThe Iraqi intelligence returned Khorto to Iraq and handed her over to her family it added as quoted by Xinhua news agency reportThe Yazidis are an Iraqi ethnic and religious minorityIn 2014 the extremist IS militants abducted and enslaved hundreds of Yazidi women and children IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/iraqi-intelligence-rescues-yazidi-woman-kidnapped-by-is-militants-525554.html Sun, 03 Mar 2024 08:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/students-writing-intermediate-exams-in-telangana-get-5-minute-grace-period-525319.html Hyderabad March 2 The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education TSBIE has decided to give a fiveminute grace period for students appearing for ongoing intermediate examinations The Board amended the rule following the suicide of a student in Adilabad district after he was allegedly not allowed to write the exam for being one minute lateWith the Board coming under flak from the student community and parents it decided to give a grace period of five minutes for students arriving late due to unavoidable circumstancesNearly 10 lakh students of 11th and 12th classes are attending the Intermediate public examinations which began across the state on February 28The exam begins at 9 am every day Authorities had been strictly implementing the rule that those arriving even a minute late would not be allowed into the exam centres At some exam centres students were seen breaking down after they were not allowed to be one minute lateStudents depending on public transport to reach the exam centres were badly affected by the rule The Board came under criticism for not giving the leeway to students who are unable to reach due to nonavailability of TSRTC buses traffic jams or some other unavoidable reasonT Sivakumar 18 an intermediate firstyear student in Adilabad district ended his life after he was not allowed into the exam centre on February 29 for being late by one minute late Officials however said the student had not come to the exam centre They suspect that he may have taken the extreme step due to examrelated stress A total of 980978 students have applied for the exams While 478718 students are appearing for the firstyear exams 502260 students will write secondyear examsThe exams will continue till March 19Meanwhile the Board also announced that the evaluation of answer sheets will be taken up from March 4 The evaluation exercise will be completed on March 24 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/students-writing-intermediate-exams-in-telangana-get-5-minute-grace-period-525319.html Sat, 02 Mar 2024 10:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/defence-ministry-inks-mous-worth-rs-39-125cr-to-procure-military-equipment-525106.html New Delhi March 1 Ministry of Defence MoD on Friday said that it has signed five major capital acquisition contracts worth Rs 3912539 crore to procure military equipment which includes procurement of Aeroengines for MiG29 aircraft Closein Weapon System CIWS highpower radar and shipborne BrahMos system The ministry said that out of the five contracts one has been signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for procurement of Aeroengines for MiG29 aircraft two contracts have been signed with Larsen and Toubro Limited for procurement of CIWS and procurement of HighPower Radar HPR while two more contracts have been signed with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited BAPL for procurement of BrahMos missiles and procurement of shipborne BrahMos system The contract for RD33 Aeroengines for MiG29 aircraft has been signed for Rs 524972 crore These aeroengines will be produced by the Koraput Division of HAL These Aeroengines are expected to fulfill the need of the Indian Air Force IAF to sustain the operational capability of the MiG29 fleet for the residual service life the ministry saidIt said that the Aeroengines will be manufactured under a Transfer of Technology TOT license from the Russian OEM It would help increase the indigenous content of future Repair and Overhaul ROH tasks of RD33 Aeroengines the ministry saidThe contract for procurement of CIWS has been signed for Rs 766882 crore CIWS will provide terminal Air Defence to select locations in the country The project will boost and encourage active participation of Indian aerospace defence and associated industries including MSMEs The direct and indirect employment generated by this project would be approximately an average of 2400 persons per year over five years the ministry saidThe contract for procurement of HPR has been signed for Rs 570013 crore It will replace existing longrange radars of lAF with modern Active Aperture Phased Arraybased HPR with advanced surveillance features It will significantly enhance the terrestrial Air Defence capabilities of IAF with the integration of sophisticated sensors capable of detection of small Radar Cross Section targets the ministry saidThe contract for the procurement of BrahMos missiles has been signed for Rs 1951865 crore This project is likely to generate employment of nine lakh mandays in Joint Venture entity and around 135 lakh mandays in ancillary industries including MSMEs of the country the ministry said The contract for procurement of shipborne BrahMos system has also been signed with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited BAPL for Rs 98807 crore This system is the Navys primary weapon for maritime strike operations fitted onboard various frontline warships The system is capable of hitting land or sea targets from extended ranges with pinpoint accuracy at supersonic speeds the ministry said The contracts were exchanged in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Secretary Giridhar AramaneThe ministry said that these deals will further strengthen indigenous capabilities save foreign exchange and reduce dependency on foreignorigin equipment manufacturers in future IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/defence-ministry-inks-mous-worth-rs-39-125cr-to-procure-military-equipment-525106.html Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-dismisses-pil-seeking-digital-monitoring-of-all-activities-of-mps-mlas-525040.html New Delhi March 1 nbspThe Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking to digitally monitor the activities of all elected MPs and MLAs for better transparencyWe cannot monitor all MPs and MLAs in the country There is something called the right to privacy also We cannot put some electronic chips on their legs or hands to monitor what they do said a bench presided over by CJI DY ChandrachudExpressing surprise at the petitioners prayer for 24 x 7 CCTV monitoring of all legislators the bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that the elected representatives also have their own personal livesInitially when the petitioner who appeared inperson sought a period of 15 minutes to present the case the apex court cautioned him of imposing Rs 5 lakh costsIt said There will be Rs 5 lakh costs and it will be executed as arrears of land revenue if we dismiss the petition We may impose costs because this is public time and the nation pays for this timeThe petitioner appearing inperson contended that MPs and MLAs are salaried representatives under the Representation of the People Act who represent opinions of people on making laws plans and policies and post election start behaving as rulersUnimpressed with the relief sought in the PIL the Supreme Court refused to entertain the petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution However it decided not to impose any costs on the petitioner IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-dismisses-pil-seeking-digital-monitoring-of-all-activities-of-mps-mlas-525040.html Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/up-govt-to-come-up-with-documentary-on-ayodhya-makeover-524864.html Ayodhya Feb 29 The Yogi Adityanathled government in Uttar Pradesh will be coming up with a documentary film on the overall development and makeover of Ayodhya Being made on the initiative of local development authority the documentary will be presented as a case study by the Uttar Pradesh governmentThe idea is to showcase the urban transformation and rejuvenation of the city as per the Ayodhya Vision 2047 document in a timebound mannerThe biggest challenge for various agencies working on the ground was to create greenfield projects in the highly congested temple town of Ayodhya which is home to thousands of temples mutts and ashrams a government spokesperson saidThe shots and archival footage of the city would be prepared to cover its journey from the time the Supreme Court gave its verdict on Ram Mandir It will culminate with the Pran Pratishtha ceremony that took place in January the spokesman saidThe agency working on the project would be responsible for conceptualising creating and producing content in line with the overall themeThe documentary would cover various chapters associated with the ancient city starting with its history its architecture cultural and religious importance before switching over to the infrastructure works being undertaken by various government departmentsThe film will include key cultural programmes events and fairs of the city along with interviews of the officials prominent residents members of the local community and pilgrimsDivisional Commissioner of Ayodhya Gaurav Dayal said A sum of about Rs 40000 crore has been invested in Ayodhya on development works from the time Ram temple verdict was announced About 350 projects of various scale and size being commissioned by 40 different departments have been executed or are underway to develop Ayodhya as a global tourism destination in the next two decadesThe duration of the film would be at least 30 minutes and would be enriched with graphics infographics animation and images to make it appealingA budget of Rs 20 lakh has been set aside by the local development authority and a time of three months would be given once the agency is finalised IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/up-govt-to-come-up-with-documentary-on-ayodhya-makeover-524864.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-seeks-centres-reply-on-plea-against-notification-imposing-restrictions-on-women-for-change-of-surname-524871.html New Delhi Feb 29 A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the Centres notification requiring an applicant wishing to obtain her maiden surname to submit a copy of a decree of divorce or a noobjection certificate from her husband along with the copy of identification proof and mobile number Petitioner Divya Modi Tongya has assailed the impugned notification issued by the Department of Publication Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs saying that is patently discriminatory arbitrary unreasonable and violates her fundamental rights under Article 14 19 and 21 of the ConstitutionSince the notification also says that if the matter is in the court of law the change of name of the applicant cannot be processed till the final verdict is pronounced she said that it restricts her right to adopt her maiden surname during the pendency of the divorce proceedings imposes differential treatment without a reasonable basis violating the fundamental right to equality before the law and equal protection of laws as guaranteed under Article 14 of the ConstitutionThe petitioner has further said that the notification displays evident gender bias and constitutes a form of impermissible discrimination by imposing additional and disproportionate requisites exclusively on womenThis differential treatment solely based on gender contravenes the constitutional guarantee of equality under Article 14 of the Constitution of India By subjecting women to more burdensome conditions compared to men seeking a change in name the notification unjustly discriminates against them thereby violating their constitutional rights Tongya has saidShe has argued that the arbitrary classification introduced by the notification based solely on marital status lacks an intelligible differential and fails to establish a rational basis for distinction among individuals seeking a name change infringing upon their inherent right to freely choose their name It has been contended that the impugned notification also unreasonably curtails the freedom of expression and personal identity particularly of women and violates the right to privacyThe impugned notification also contravenes various international human rights norms and conventions including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights she arguedThe bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora has issued notice to the Centre and listed the matter for hearing next on May 28 The petitioner was represented by Ruby Singh Ahuja Senior Partner Vishal Gehrana Hancy Maini Devang Kumar and Uzma Sheikh of Karanjawala amp Co IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-seeks-centres-reply-on-plea-against-notification-imposing-restrictions-on-women-for-change-of-surname-524871.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/men-can-be-victims-of-sexual-assault-too-observes-kerala-hc-524557.html Kochi Feb 28 The Kerala High Court on Wednesday observed that men too can be victims of sexual assault not just women Sexual assault is not confined to girls it happens to boys also It is rare but it is possible I know that it is happening But generally we take care of women Generally 99 per cent of sexual assault victims for some reason are women the court orally observed while considering a petition by a doctor challenging a protocol followed in Kerala by which only gynaecologists preferably women practitioners are called to examine victims of sexual assaultThe court noted that the protocol is meant to support victims which in most cases happen to be women or girlsI dont know why you should be concerned We are trying to give maximum support to the victim It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the victim it saidThe court then pointed out that victims of sexual assault could be men as well and further observed that there has been an increase in boys being victims in cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act Pocso ActHere you have assumed that the victims are women You should have qualified that the victims you refer to are women victims alone There are men young boys being abused I have seen a couple of cases recently There are more boys in POCSO matters these daysYou petitionerdoctor should take it as a social commitment You should go even if you are called at night You run and go if you are on call when you get money I dont find this protocol to be wrong but if there are any problems in the working of it we can certainly iron it out the court said and posted the cases next hearing for March 5 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/men-can-be-victims-of-sexual-assault-too-observes-kerala-hc-524557.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 18:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/allahabad-hc-refuses-to-recognise-those-paying-gst-i-t-as-slum-dwellers-524351.html Lucknow Feb 28 The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday said that those owning multistorey constructions commercial properties and business establishments and those who file GST and income tax returns cannot be termed as slum dwellers merely because they live in houses built on government land The dismissal of petitions which sought retention of their properties on government land along the Kukrail River in the Akbar Nagar area by the court has paved the way for Lucknow Development Authority LDA to demolish the houses of petitionersA division bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice OP Shukla said The petitioners are not suffering any of the challenges faced by the actual slum dwellers of the said slum In the given circumstances it is not possible for this court to accept that the showroomsworkshops of petitioners can be called as existing in a slum areaThe bench added At best the petitioners exist at the edge of Akbar Nagar slum area and not in the said slum area Similarly the facts that they have had enough money to spend on illegal construction of huge showroomsworkshops are paying their GST and filing income tax returns andor most of them are having their own residences in good and posh localities of city andor other properties we are unable to hold them as slum dwellersIn the course of hearing the bench had segregated the matters of these welltodo petitioners from poor slum dwellersRefuting the argument of the petitioners that since their accommodation existed in the Akbar Nagar area they also would be termed as slum dwellers the bench observed Presuming in a slum a businessman finding good business opportunity takes possession of a large piece of land from the actual slum dwellers and illegally without required sanctions constructs a multiplex or a big hotel or a big shopping complex or raises any other such big business constructions Can he merely because he did these activities within a slum claim to be a slum dweller entitled to the protection given to dingy houses of slum dwellers despite all aspects of the matter reflecting his disparity with actual slum dwellers The answer no comes to us too loudly IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/allahabad-hc-refuses-to-recognise-those-paying-gst-i-t-as-slum-dwellers-524351.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/how-pm-kisan-samman-nidhi-yojana-is-transforming-farmers-lives-524627.html New Delhi Feb 28 The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an ambitious scheme for farmers welfare the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi PMKISAN on February 2 2019 The scheme was launched with the objective of ensuring positive supplementary income support for the farmer families in the country and also to promote a productive competitive diversified inclusive and sustainable agriculture sector Definitely the scheme is transforming the lives of small and marginal farmers who are now a happier lotSignificantly this is one of the largest DBT schemes in the world Under the scheme the eligible farmer families are provided a benefit of Rs 6000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2000 each every four months The benefit is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer DBT mode using modern digital technologyThe Central government provides 100 per cent funding for the scheme In what underlines the inclusive nature of the scheme at least one out of four beneficiaries is a woman farmer Moreover more than 85 per cent of small and marginal farmers are beneficiaries under the schemeNeedless to say the scheme in the first five years has crossed many milestones and has received accolades from various organisations including the World Bank for its sheer vision scale and the seamless transfer of funds directly into the accounts of the eligible farmersA study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute IFPRI on farmers of Uttar Pradesh indicates that the benefits under PMKisan reached the majority of the farmers who received the full amount without any leakagesAs per the same study the farmers receiving cash transfers under PMKISAN were more likely to invest in buying agricultural equipment seeds fertiliser and pesticidesWith an objective to make the scheme more efficient effective and transparent continuous improvements in a farmercentric digital infrastructure have been made to ensure the benefits of the scheme reach all the farmers across the country without any middlemans involvement said a PIB releaseThe PMKisan portal has been integrated with the portals of UIDAI PFMS NPCI and the Income Tax department The statesUTs and all other stakeholders are onboarded on the PMKisan platform to provide quick services to the farmersWhile the farmers can register their grievances on the PMKisan portal and take the help of a 24x7 call facility for effective and timely resolution of issues the government has also developed the Kisan eMitra a voicebased AI Chatbot which enables the farmers to raise queries and get them resolved in their own language in realtime The KisaneMitra is now available in 10 languages ie English Hindi Odia Tamil Bangla Malayalam Gujarati Punjabi Telugu and MarathiTo address the issue of farmers at the villagelevel related to the PMKisan scheme villagelevel nodal officers have been designated in all the villages across the country Onboarding of the Indian Post Payments Bank IPPB with the PMKisan scheme has facilitated the opening of Aadhaar bank accounts of the beneficiaries at their convenience and doorsteps without any hassleRecently as part of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra the Government of India launched a nationwide campaign to saturate the PMKisan scheme with the eligible farmers During the campaign over 90 lakh eligible farmers including six lakh PVTG farmers were included under the PMKisan scheme With the 16th instalment amount the scheme has benefitted more than 11 crore eligible farmer families with Rs 3 lakh crore according to an official release IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/how-pm-kisan-samman-nidhi-yojana-is-transforming-farmers-lives-524627.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/akbar-an-invader-who-raped-women-can-never-be-great-rajasthan-education-minister-madan-dilawar-524476.html Jaipur Feb 28 From organising Surya Namaskar in all schools to announcing bulldozer action on educational institutes indulging in malpractices Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar is being seen as a man of action in the desert state The Education Minister has ordered the setting up of a committee to review the school syllabus to find if facts were being taught to studentsIn an exclusive interview with IANS Education Minister Madan Dilawar says that Mughal Emperor Akbar can never be considered great as he came as an invader to India and raped womenExcerpts from the interviewIANS BJP is back in Rajasthan and a debate has started on the need to review the school syllabus What is all this discussion aboutMadan Dilawar Yes it is true that we have ordered a committee to review what is being taught to the students whether the information given in the syllabus is right or not If these facts are not right then we will decide how to get them right Our schools are still teaching Akbar the Great However Akbar was an invader who raped women and organised Meena Bazaars an invader and rapist can never be great We are reviewing the historical facts that are being taught in schoolsIANS But other school boards across the nation will continue to teach that Akbar was greatMadan Dilawar My jurisdiction is Rajasthan only and I can work within my domain However as said our committee will present a report to us and we will definitely forward it to other states if they ask for itIANS There has been a lot of controversy over Surya Namaskar Some pleas were filed in court too Your take on itMadan Dilawar We made a Surya Namaskar world record in schools across the state on Surya Saptami Now looking at its success orders have been given that all schools will practice yoga during the morning assembly sessionIn fact 50 per cent madrasas also do Surya NamaskarIANS There was resistance from other communities and some pleas were filed in court tooMadan Dilawar It is just an eyewash Even the Muslim community has no objection to Surya Namaskar No one called me or wrote to me 50 per cent madrasas do Surya Namaskar on their own Some people had filed a plea in the court against it however these 10 20 people can never represent a whole communityIANS A few teachers were suspended in Kota on charges of conversion of a student Your reaction to thisMadan Dilawar We have been getting complaints of conversion In this school in Kota we received complaints that the students were forced to read namaz Also these teachers wrote Islam in front of the caste column even when the girl was a Hindu This is not acceptable and hence we suspended the teachersIANS Is some list being prepared to review teachers conduct in schoolsMadan Dilawar Yes we are making a thorough list If any teacher has been accused of misconduct or rape in the last five years his property should be identified and bulldozers will be used to demolish it We will go phasewise in this direction No teacher will go to offer namaz or to the temple during school hours Illegal madrasas should be closed immediately No teacher will consume tobacco on the school premisesIANS Will Valentines Day be celebrated as MatraPitra divasMadan Dilawar Yes the idea was conceptualised by Speaker Vasudev Devnani who was the education minister in his last term during the earlier BJP government We will try to implement it from the next sessionIANS Your take on hijabMadan Dilawar We have never objected to anyone wearing the hijab However we have given clear directions that every student should come to school in uniform However this time we have revised the order so that everyone remembers that uniform in schools is a mustIANS What is your stand on Mahatma Gandhi schools started by the previous Congress governmentMadan Dilawar The Congress government has insulted Mahatma Gandhi by naming these schools after him and then providing poor facilities for the students There are no teachers in these schools Mahatma Gandhi was known for his virtues and values but these schools were unable to teach virtues and values to the students We are working on lapses and trying to provide full facilities to the students studying there IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/akbar-an-invader-who-raped-women-can-never-be-great-rajasthan-education-minister-madan-dilawar-524476.html Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/jampk-police-caution-people-on-digital-privacy-issues-524058.html Srinagar Feb 27 JampK Police on Tuesday raised an alarm over digital privacy issues urging people to fortify online defences In response to growing concerns over online privacy and security Cyber Police Kashmir has issued warnings about the risks of sharing personal information online Police highlighted the importance of adjusting social media privacy settings and refraining from sharing sensitive detailsIn an Xpost cyber police Kashmir said Keep your settings private protect your information by adjusting social media privacy settings Limit who can see your posts and profileKeep your pictures private and control who views your photos Adjust privacy settings to protect personal images from unauthorized accessDont share personal informationdetails online Safeguard your privacy Refrain from sharing sensitive details on social mediaThe cyber police have been receiving an increasing number of complaints wherein people alleged online fraud through fake calls and withdrawal from bank accounts due to inadvertent disclosure of personal data IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/jampk-police-caution-people-on-digital-privacy-issues-524058.html Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-kanpurs-class-of-1974-pledges-rs-1011-crore-for-their-alma-mater-523944.html Kanpur Feb 26 In a heartfelt gesture to their alma mater the Indian Institute of TechnologyKanpur IITK the Class of 1974 has pledged Rs 1011 crore for supporting various activities at the institute The pledge comes as part of the Golden Jubilee Reunion of the batch held from February 2325 with over 80 alumni in attendance along with their familiesThis generous commitment highlights the alumnis enduring dedication to support various research endeavours and initiatives benefiting students at IITKanpur while the threeday celebratory event offered them the scope to reminisce reconnect and reaffirm their commitment to the institutes thrive for continued excellenceExpressing gratitude for such a generous pledge made by the Class of 1974 Prof S Ganesh Director IITKanpur in a release said IITKanpur takes great pride in its alumni and time and again our alumni have come together for supporting the growth of their alma mater through various means This pledge by the Class of 1974 resonates with a collective vision for promoting excellence at the institute by contributing to the development of infrastructure RampD Facilities and academic activities The pledge is to be constituted as The Class of 1974 Batch Legacy Fund and will be utilized to enrich opportunities for students and faculty alikeProf Kantesh Balani Dean of Resources amp Alumni IITKanpur said This is a new benchmark set by this Class to support its Alma mater I extend my heartfelt thanks to the batch coordinators IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-kanpurs-class-of-1974-pledges-rs-1011-crore-for-their-alma-mater-523944.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ktaka-bjp-criticises-cong-over-plan-to-shift-mlas-to-resort-ahead-of-rs-elections-523733.html Bengaluru Feb 26 Karnataka BJP has criticised the Congress over its plan to shift MLAs to a resort ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections for four seats scheduled to be held on February 27 The Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is mired in enjoyment which came to power through blatant lies It has indulged in enjoyment of the taxpayers money of the state and is back to resort politics again the Karnataka BJP wrote on social mediaBJP alleged that the people in Karnataka are migrating to other states after getting their children out of the schools but the Congress is taking the MLAs to resort for enjoymentThe ATM government has come to power not to develop the state or to ensure welfare of the people The Congress government is carrying out foreign trips tours during Telangana state election New Delhi trips to meet high command and resort tourism in the money of Kannada people and rendering them bankrupt the BJP saidThe BJP alleged that the single agenda of the Congress is to spend recklessly for the amusement of party leadersKarnataka Congress has planned to shift all MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru on Monday after the concluding of the session in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative CouncilSources state that the MLAs have been asked to stay in the resort and they will be brought to the Vidhana Soudha directly in a bus on Tuesday morning to vote The Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka are being held for four seats The Congress has fielded AICC Treasurer Ajay Maken Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and GC ChandrashekharSenior BJP leader Narayansa Bandage and Kupendra Reddy from the JDS had filed their nominations as the candidates of the National Democratic Alliance NDA for the Rajya SabhaThe fielding of Kupendra Reddy as the fifth candidate has created intense competition between the ruling Congress and the BJP IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ktaka-bjp-criticises-cong-over-plan-to-shift-mlas-to-resort-ahead-of-rs-elections-523733.html Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/un-environment-assembly-in-nairobi-set-to-address-triple-planetary-crisis-523556.html New Delhi Feb 25 In the backdrop of 2023 being the warmest year on record with resultant heatwaves storms and droughts causing havoc heads of state and more than 5000 representatives and leaders will gather in Nairobi in Kenya from Monday for the fiveday sixth UN Environment Assembly UNEA to strengthen multilateral effort to address the planetary crisis of climate change nature and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste The Assembly which usually meets biennially and sees visionaries from the business sector governments scientific institutions and civil society is the worlds top decisionmaking body on matters related to the environment and includes all 193 UN member statesObservers told IANS that there are 20 draft resolutions and two decisions on the table among them a resolution on the metals and minerals issueUNEAVI will place particular focus on how stronger multilateralism can help us to do this said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen earlier this month It will drive united inclusive and multilateral action that addresses every strand of the triple planetary crisis as one indivisible challengeIn the runup to the UNEA aptly called worlds parliament on the environment ministers and partners of the UNEPconvened Climate and Clean Air Coalition CCAC launched a Clean Air Flagship effort to provide a platform to boost regional coordination and private sector engagement dataled policy action financing science and advocacyUN General Assembly President Dennis Francis will deliver his address at the opening of the highlevel segment that will be held on February 29 and March 1The segment will consist of an opening plenary with statements by key dignitaries national statements three leadership dialogues a multistakeholder dialogue and a closing plenary meeting during which UNEA will take action on the draft Ministerial declaration as well as the draft resolutions and decisionsIndia will be represented by the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Changes Additional Secretary Naresh Pal GangwarGovernment leaders plan to use the Assembly to renew calls for progress on the sustainable development goals a global blueprint for protecting the planet and promoting prosperity Just 15 per cent of the goals which come due in 2030 are on trackWe must find practical ways to advance the human rights to a healthy environment which is crucial for sustainable development said Leila Benali Moroccos energy transition minister and the President of UNEAVIWe know that when we protect the natural world public health improves When we focus on sustainable solutions to the climate crisis our economies get strongerAlso on the agenda of the Assembly will be ways to tackle the dramatic increase of wasteful and fuelintensive plastics which is feeding the climate crisisMore than 99 per cent of plastic is made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels the substances responsible for 86 per cent of C02 emissions in the last decade Plastic pollution reinforces the need for a binding plastics treaty as well as a fossil fuel treaty that can tackle the root cause of both the plastics pollution crisis and the climate crisis through phasing out oil gas and coal productionIn 2022 the Assembly ended with countries agreeing to launch negotiations on a legally binding global instrument to end plastic pollutionThat was one in a recent string of ambitious international agreements on environment Last September countries and businesses inked a landmark pact to prevent pollution from chemicals and waste Two months later at the UN Climate Change Conference countries vowed for the first time to transition away from the fossil fuels that are superheating the earth and driving climate changeResearchers find that if no action is taken annual plastic production will rise 22 per cent between 2024 and 2050 and plastic pollution will jump 62 per cent between 2024 and 2050 By continuing with business as usual the world would generate enough litter between 2010 and 2050 to cover the entire island of Manhattan with a 35kmtall heap of plastic nearly 10 times the height of the Empire State BuildingWith a strong UN plastics treaty that incorporates the right mix of nine plastic reduction policies however plastic pollution could be virtually eliminated in 2040 with the generation of mismanaged waste reduced by 89 per cent to a more manageable 10 million metric ton per year in 2040Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiiansgmailcom IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/un-environment-assembly-in-nairobi-set-to-address-triple-planetary-crisis-523556.html Sun, 25 Feb 2024 15:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/navy-provides-critical-assistance-to-merchant-vessel-in-gulf-of-aden-523300.html New Delhi Feb 24 The Indian Navy has provided critical assistance to the Palau Flagged merchant vessel MV Islander after it caught fire in an alleged drone attack The navy said that the incident took place on February 22Responding swiftly to the distress call Indian Navys destroyer mission deployed in the Gulf of Aden for maritime security operations arrived in the vicinity of the vessel in the afternoon of February 22 the navy said in a statementIt said that the Indian Naval EOD specialists embarked the vessel and sanitised it for any residual riskThe vessel was cleared for onward transit On Masters request the medical team also embarked the ship and provided medical assistance to an injured crew member the statement addedIt said that relentless efforts by Indian Naval ships reaffirms the navys steadfast commitment towards safety and security of merchant shipping and seafarers IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/navy-provides-critical-assistance-to-merchant-vessel-in-gulf-of-aden-523300.html Sat, 24 Feb 2024 15:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/shiv-sena-mla-admits-to-killing-tiger-flaunting-its-tooth-in-necklace-522754.html Buldhana Maharashtra Feb 22 An MLA of Maharashtras ruling Shiv Sena MLA has confessed to reportedly hunting and killing a tiger nearly four decades ago and now wears its tooth in a necklace Buldhana MLA Sanjay Rambhau Gaikwad belonging to Chief Minister Eknath Shindes ruling Shiv Sena made the stunning claim during a Shivaji Jayantai function here a couple of days ago Videos of Gaikwad making the proud proclamation have gone viral on social media eliciting both angry and shocked responses from users In the video Gaikwad is being casually queried about the tiger tooth necklace along with other necklaces he is seen wearing and he readily provides an explanation This is the tooth of a tiger I had hunted it in 1987 and then removed it the tooth said Gaikwad and then laughed At one point the lawmaker clarified that it was not a leopard tooth but that of a tiger which he had ostensibly killed though killing the tiger is banned in India since 1972 Although he did not specify where or how he made the tiger killing Buldhana has the Dnyanganga Wildlife Reserve which is said to be frequented by the ig cat besides six other dedicated tiger sanctuaries in different parts of eastern Maharashtra The eastern districts of Maharashtra have around 440 tigers in the wild as per the last tiger Census in 2023 spread around in the sanctuaries at Melghat Pench Tadoba Sahyadri Bor and NavegaonNagzira IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/shiv-sena-mla-admits-to-killing-tiger-flaunting-its-tooth-in-necklace-522754.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 20:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/whether-courts-are-empowered-to-modify-an-arbitral-award-sc-refers-question-to-larger-bench-522780.html New Delhi Feb 22 A 3judge bench of the Supreme Court has referred to a larger bench the question whether courts are empowered to modify an arbitral award under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 The Bench headed by Justice Dipankar Datta noted that while one line of decisions of the top court has answered the above question in the negative there are decisions which have either modified the awards of the arbitral tribunals or upheld orders under challenge modifying the awardsOrdering the matter to be placed before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders the Bench also comprising Justices KV Vishwanathan and Sandeep Mehta stressed that clarity is required for exercise of jurisdiction under Sections 34 or 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act through an authoritative pronouncementThe reference included the question if the power to modify the award is available whether such power can be exercised only where the award is severable and a part thereof can be modified and whether the power to set aside an award under section 34 of the Act being a larger power will include the power to modify an arbitral award and if so to what extent IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/whether-courts-are-empowered-to-modify-an-arbitral-award-sc-refers-question-to-larger-bench-522780.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 21:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-alliance-in-up-of-17-seats-congress-got-it-had-lost-deposits-on-12-in-2019-polls-522552.html New Delhi Feb 22 After weeks of hard bargaining and long parleys the Samajwadi Party SP and Congress reached a deal in Uttar Pradesh to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together This has enthused the grassroots workers and gave an impetus to INDIA blocs prospects in the northern state which sends largest numbers of lawmakers to the Lok Sabha Out of total 80 seats Akhilesh Yadavled SP allotted 17 seats to the grand old party and one to Chandrashekhar Azads party The SP will field candidates on rest of the 62 seatsThe poll alliance between the two parties revives the memory of 2017 Assembly elections when the two boys Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined hands to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party BJPThe alliance stitched for 2024 Lok Sabha elections looks more out of compulsion rather than a wellthought strategy to take on the might of BJPA brief analysis of election figures show that the 17 seats of Congress are those where it fared poorly in 2019 general elections In 12 seats the party even lost deposits and on one seat ie Bansgaon it did not even field its candidate in 2019 electionsIn 2019 elections the Congress contested on a total of 67 seats but lost deposits in about 63 seats besides the humiliating defeat that it had to face in its pocket borough AmethiIn 2024 polls the seats where Congress will contest include Rae Bareli Amethi Kanpur Fatehpur Sikri Bansgaon Saharanpur Prayagraj Maharajgandj Varansi Amroha Jhnasi Bulandshahr Ghaziabad Mathura Sitapur Barabanki and DeoriaOf the 17 seats Varanasi is Prime Minister Narendra Modis constituency while Congress does not have much to expect from its stronghold Amethi owing to its ignorance and lack of attentionThe seatsharing agreement between the two parties will indeed give impetus and strength to the INDIA alliance however the past electoral records do not offer much hopeThe INDIA bloc had already suffered many blows in the runup to Parliamentary elections with many regional satraps declaring to go soloThe poll alliance between two parties wavered for quite some time before finally getting clinched on WednesdayAICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi reportedly played the icebreaker and helped seal the deal else the turbulence in seatsharing talks had reached a point of no return IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-alliance-in-up-of-17-seats-congress-got-it-had-lost-deposits-on-12-in-2019-polls-522552.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 13:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/unep-calls-for-solidarity-to-eradicate-short-lived-climate-pollutants-522454.html Nairobi Feb 22 International solidarity will be key to phasing out shortlived climate pollutants or super pollutants that include methane black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons HFCs senior United Nations Environment Program UNEP officials said Inger Andersen the UNEPs executive director said on Wednesday at the opening of the UNEPconvened Climate and Clean Air Conference in Nairobi the Kenyan capital that eliminating these gases which harm the ozone layer has worsened air pollution and are detrimental to human health calls for unified action Xinhua news agency reportedWe must deliver action on super pollutants to help achieve net zero goal protect the ozone layer and improve air quality Andersen said noting that multilateralism is key to hastening the phaseout of shortlived climate pollutantsThe twoday Climate and Clean Air Conference 2024 has brought together policymakers scientists and green campaigners to discuss best practices to curb the emission of super pollutants from agriculture fossil fuels household cooling and heavyduty vehicle engines It will be a precursor to the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly UNEA6 to be held in Nairobi from February 26 to March 1 under the theme of effective inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change biodiversity loss and pollutionAndersen observed that lethargic action on shortlived climate pollutants would deny humanity a sustainable and resilient future stressing that leveraging science policy and practice is key to accelerating their phaseoutShe singled out the Global Methane Pledge the Clean Air Flagship and the Kigali Amendment as effective multilateral instruments whose implementation will revitalise efforts to eliminate super pollutants from the atmosphereRose Mwebaza regional director for Africa at UNEP said that harmonising policies and laws leveraging technology research and advocacy is key to sustaining action on shortlived climate pollutantsMwebaza called for remodeling sectors responsible for emitting super pollutants including cooling agriculture manufacturing and transport to boost air quality climate resilience and human health IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/unep-calls-for-solidarity-to-eradicate-short-lived-climate-pollutants-522454.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/rermitted-spelling-error-on-passport-lands-woman-in-police-net-at-delhi-airport-522089.html New Delhi Feb 20 A forger here fell into the hands of a vigilant officer who detected a spelling mistake on the passportThe accused was identified as Darshan Kaur 54 an Indian National and a resident of Barnala in Punjab She had arrived at the Delhi Airport by Batik Air flight from Malaysia on the intervening night of February 1314 as a deporteeDuring arrival immigration clearance it was learnt that the pax had last departed from India ICP Delhi on October 7 2022 by flight no SG740 to Thailand by availing visa on arrival After staying a few days in Thailand she had illegally crossed into Malaysia and was staying there illegally without any visa and work permit read the FIR accessed by IANSIt was the Malaysian immigration stamp on page 8 and dated October 13 2022 which raised eyebrows The word Permitted in the stamp was written as Rermitted confirming that it was a fake and a work of an amateurIt points out the forgery committed by the pax on the Indian Passport Based on the above mentioned facts as fake stamp of Malaysia immigration is affixed on the said passport which the pax has produced to seek arrival immigration clearance at IGI Airport Delhi a suitable case may please be registered at PS IGI Airport under appropriate sections of law read the FIR registered at IGI police stationFrom the contents of the complaint and enquiry conducted so far it revealed that offence under section 420 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code and 12 PP Act is made out read the FIRThis is not the first case where Malaysias forgery Visa stamp syndicate has come to foreEarlier in December a man was caught only because the word from in the stamp was written as fram Manjot Singh an Indian National arrived at the Delhi Airport by an Air India flight from Bangkok in the intervening night of December 21 and 22 He looked confident and walked up straight for the immigration clearance but was caught after the spelling mistake was detected IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/rermitted-spelling-error-on-passport-lands-woman-in-police-net-at-delhi-airport-522089.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/mann-responsible-for-breakdown-of-talks-with-farmers-akali-dal-522177.html Chandigarh Feb 20 Shiromani Akali Dal SAD on Tuesday held Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann responsible for the breakdown of talks between farmer unions and the Centre stating the Chief Ministers double talk during negotiations had failed the farming community and forced them on the path of agitationSenior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra also appealed to the central government not to try to muzzle the peaceful protest of farmers adding in a democracy peaceful protest is a fundamental right and farmers should be allowed to peacefully proceed to DelhiHe also appealed to the Centre to consider waiving off farmer loans saying if lakhs of crores of loans of corporates can be waived farmers who contribute to the food security of the nation should not be discriminated againstChandumajra said Mann had practised duplicity during the last one week On one hand he allowed the Haryana Police to fire tear gas shells and rubber pellets on farmers while on the other he misled the Centre as to the real demands of the farming communityHe said the Chief Minister had a lot of explaining to do He should tell why he ordered the Patiala Deputy Commissioner to give in writing demanding closure of internet services in the district He should also tell why he did not try to protect the interests of the farmers before the central representatives by making the Centre aware of the seriousness of the situationHe said the Chief Ministers insistence to play both sides besides bringing in his own agenda had muddled the entire atmosphere and led to the failure of the talksThe SAD leader also demanded the Chief Minister explain why no case had been filed against Haryana Police personnel for attacking farmers in Punjab territoryThe Chief Minister should also tell why no compensation has been paid to those martyred during the ongoing farmer agitation and why barricades put up in Punjab territory had not been removedHe also demanded that the AAP government bring in legislation to guarantee minimum support price MSP for all crops which were not covered under the MSP regime in the forthcoming budget session as per the promise made by the Chief Minister IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/mann-responsible-for-breakdown-of-talks-with-farmers-akali-dal-522177.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/courier-fraudsters-now-target-indian-ceos-521974.html New Delhi Feb 20 Citing a news report in which a 66yearold Bengaluru CEO lost about Rs 23 crore in a courier fraud Unacademyowned Graphy cofounder and CEO Sumit Jain on Tuesday said that two weeks ago the courier fraudsters tried to scam him tooJain who was elevated to the role of partner at Unacademy last year took to social media platform X to share his experience and how he avoided being connedSame thing happened to me two weeks back I patched my lawyer onto the call and the call just got dropped It was feeling odd and real at the same time Can happen to anybody Please be very very cautious he wroteIn courier fraud criminals make phone calls pretending to be representatives of a global courier company that has seized a delivery containing illegal substances They then trick victims into transferring large sums of money in order to allegedly clean their identities on drug trafficking and money laundering chargesRecently a manager in a Punebased company lost nearly Rs 10 lakh in the same scam through the same processLast year a senior citizen from Bengaluru became the victim of a courier scam and lost a staggering Rs 152 crore to fraudsters IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/courier-fraudsters-now-target-indian-ceos-521974.html Tue, 20 Feb 2024 11:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ai-will-create-more-jobs-than-it-destroys-ibm-india-521524.html New Delhi Feb 19 As generative artificial intelligence AI begins to threaten certain jobs Sandip Patel Managing Director IBM IndiaSouth Asia has said that AI will actually create more job options that it destroysSpeaking to IANS Patel said that he has seen technology and multiple innovations evolve over a period of timeI firmly believe AI will create more jobs than it destroys People are usually very scared when imagining entirely new jobs For example take the Internet when the Internet came right and you had web publishing and all things that were webenabled it led to job decline in certain sectors like newspaper printing he explainedHowever it also resulted in entirely new job categories like web design data science digital marketing and web publishing which employ millions of people he addedSo one of the things which we have been very articulate about and keep harping on is that reskilling will play a very important role Patel stressedWhile 46 per cent of the companies in India are currently training or reskilling employees to work together with automation and AI tools it leaves room for a lot more to be doneThis is something that the government clearly recognises he saidWhen we look at employees within the organisation 50 per cent say they are excited to work with new AI and automation toolsSo the question now is how do you train a vast pool of people Everyone cant be a coder or AI developer and so on and so forth You have to learn to work with these technologies as they evolve Patel told IANSAccording to Minister of State for IT and Skill Development Rajeev Chandrasekhar technological talent not chipdriven compute power is the key to Indias progress in AITalent is a much more fundamental challenge in AI We need universities to churn out masters and PhDs in AI Talent is something that keeps me awake at night The infrastructure pieces will get solved very quickly he said at an event last DecemberThere is a serious need for the tech industry and academic institutions to work along with the governments globally in shaping the future pipeline of talent for AIrelated jobs he stressed IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ai-will-create-more-jobs-than-it-destroys-ibm-india-521524.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/social-media-influencer-accuses-max-gurugram-of-hiking-docs-consultation-fee-hospital-denies-charges-521802.html Gurugram Feb 19 Social media influencer Akshat Shrivastava has accused the Max Hospital in Gurugram of hiking doctors consultation fee and withdrawing senior citizens waiverThe Youtuber in a post on X as well as on LinkedIn said that when his mother visited the hospital eight months ago the doctors kept pushing her for more specialists consultationsAround eight months back my mom went to the Max Hospital in Gurugram After her tests she informed me Senior citizens used to get 20 per cent off now that is withdrawnShe was constantly pushed by the doctors to consult multiple super specialists so more money for hospital due to these additional consultations Shrivastava saidHe added that the cost of checkup has also gone up The consultation depending on the doctor costs Rs 15002500Max Healthcare periodically provides promotional discounts on specific offerings across its network The discount cited by the patient may not have been applicable at the time of their inquiry company spokesperson shared in an email statement with IANSPermanent discounts are not offered for any category Patients are referred to appropriate specialists on the basis of the doctors evaluation of their medical condition We strongly deny any charges of misconduct in this regard the spokesperson addedShrivastava said that both he and his mother bought the stocks of Max Life The stock is up 56 per cent in the last 6 monthsThere is no point in cribbing about rising prices Your only defence is to tag along with capitalists and make money So that you can eventually pay them the influencer saidSocial media users made several comments on his postMultispeciality hospitals in India have become a den of capitalism Not just over expensive treatment but also over priced parking over priced food over priced tests over priced medicine shops Its milking a patient at every step wrote one user on XThere are 1 million problems in India I say keep your head down and work smart increase your salaries and earning control your expenses and invest wisely case in point above Be happy wrote another user IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/social-media-influencer-accuses-max-gurugram-of-hiking-docs-consultation-fee-hospital-denies-charges-521802.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/neet-aspirant-from-up-dies-of-illness-in-kota-another-student-goes-missing-521631.html Jaipur Feb 19 A NEET aspirant from Uttar Pradesh died in Rajasthans Kota after falling ill and another student a JEE aspirant has been missing since last one week confirmed officials here on MondayThe student from Uttar Pradesh was identified as Shivam Raghav 21 from Aligarh He was preparing for NEET in Kota for the last three yearsRaghav was suffering from high sugar level and blood pressure for the last six months and was rushed to the MBS Hospital on Friday when his condition deteriorated said Rajaram subinspector at the Kunhari police station Raghavs condition continued deteriorating following which he was shifted to the ICU where he succumbed on Sunday he addedRaghavs death is the second death due to illness of a coaching student in Kota in the last four daysOn Thursday JEE aspirant Parmeet Raj Roy died mysteriously after having dinner with friends His father Rajiv Ranjan Roy has demanded a probe to ascertain the reason of the deathPolice officials confirmed to IANS that a JEE student has been missing for the last eight days One Rachit Saundhya a 16yearold student from Madhya Pradesh Rajgarh had left the hostel on the pretext of going to take a test however he has been missing for the past eight days He was preparing for JEE in Kota for the past year The last location of the student was found in Guardia Mahadev Temple area said police officialsOn the complaint of family members different police teams were busy searching for the student said officialsPolice officials said that his bag and slippers were found in nearby Chambal River There are crocodiles ravines in Chambal so nothing can be said as of now till we get any confirmation said officialsMeanwhile outgoing SP Sharat Chowdhary while speaking to IANS said It is sad to see coaching students feeling trapped in the pressure of studies and then committing suicide This time students suicides their illness and missing cases were reported when the JEE result was to be announced At times we feel that there is a need to send these students to their native places a week before the result is announced so that they can have emotional support from their parents No matter what the result is at least they will have a certain support system with them he addedFour coaching students have committed suicide this year in Kota while last year 29 JEE and NEET aspirants had ended their lives IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/neet-aspirant-from-up-dies-of-illness-in-kota-another-student-goes-missing-521631.html Mon, 19 Feb 2024 14:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/february-on-course-to-break-many-global-heat-records-521023.html London Feb 17 February is on course to break a record number of heat records meteorologists say as humanmade global heating and the natural El Nino climate pattern drive up temperatures on land and oceans around the world media reportedA little over halfway into the shortest month of the year the heating spike has become so pronounced that climate charts are entering new territory particularly for seasurface temperatures that have persisted and accelerated to the point where expert observers are struggling to explain how the change is happening The Guardian reportedThe planet is warming at an accelerating rate We are seeing rapid temperature increases in the ocean the climates largest reservoir of heat said Dr Joel Hirschi the associate head of marine systems modelling at the UK National Oceanography Centre The amplitude by which previous sea surface temperatures records were beaten in 2023 and now 2024 exceed expectations though understanding why this is is the subject of ongoing researchHumanity is on a trajectory to experience the hottest February in recorded history after a record January December November October September August July June and May according to the Berkeley Earth scientist Zeke Hausfather The Guardian reportedHe said the rise in recent weeks was on course for 2C of warming above preindustrial levels though this should be the brief peak impact of El Nino if it follows the path of previous years and starts to cool down in the months ahead The Guardian reported IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/february-on-course-to-break-many-global-heat-records-521023.html Sat, 17 Feb 2024 13:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/25-000-job-recruitments-in-70-days-claims-telangana-cm-520512.html Hyderabad Feb 16 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday claimed that within 70 days of formation of the Congressled government in the state recruitment for 25000 job positions was taken up He said this after handing over appointment orders to the selected teachers in Gurukulams at a programme held at LB Stadium For the second consecutive day a programme to handover appointment letters was held at LB Stadium On Wednesday the Chief Minister and ministers had handed over appointment letters to over 13000 newly recruited police constables The Chief Minister had earlier handed over appointment letters to nursing officers and Singareni employees Revanth Reddy alleged that the previous BRS government had completely neglected recruitment in the government departments He remarked that after BRS lost the job in the state people started getting jobs in Telangana He said as promised to the 30 lakh unemployed youth the Congress government has taken up the recruitment process He assured them that recruitment will be taken up in a transparent manner through the Telangana State Public Service Commission TSPSC on the lines of Union Public Service Commission UPSC He said the Group I exam will be conducted soon Why did the BRS not give jobs despite being in power for 3650 days he asked He alleged that 6450 single teacher schools were closed in Tandas and remote villages during the BRS rule The Chief Minister stated that the government will soon take up teacher recruitment through Mega DSC and provide education facilities at the door steps of all the poor He announced all the Gurukulam schools will be brought under one umbrella Gurukulam schools for SCs STs and minorities will be set up in one campus in a sprawling 20 acres of land in every Assembly constituency The government will take up this as a pilot project in Kodangal and implement the same model in all Assembly constituencies The officials are instructed to identify suitable places to establish the Gurukulams in all constituencies IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/25-000-job-recruitments-in-70-days-claims-telangana-cm-520512.html Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sfi-can-come-to-talk-hit-me-or-attack-me-im-ready-kerala-guv-520507.html Kochi Feb 15 The tiff between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the SFI the student wing of the CPIM resurfaced on Thursday after the formers trip to Thrissur was black flagged at five different locationsAt Irinjalakuda in the evening Khan even stopped his vehicle and stepped out but the CRPF personnel who took over his security on January 27 advised him to get inside the car which he didThey SFI activists neednt wave black flags I will come out and face them If the SFI wishes to talk to me if they want to hit me or even if they want to attack me I am ready Its the Chief Minister who is behind this On one hand he sends the SFI against me and on the other hand he sends the police to arrest them Khan told the mediaKhan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have been at loggerheads for a while now On January 27 things went out of hand when Khan during a visit to the nearby Kollam district staged a protest by sitting on the road for two hours against the lapse on the part of Kerala Police for not taking action against SFI protesters who came near his vehicleThe Centre had intervened on that day itself as it placed the Governor under Z security cover of the CRPF IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sfi-can-come-to-talk-hit-me-or-attack-me-im-ready-kerala-guv-520507.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 23:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/first-gold-mine-auction-in-rajasthan-soon-520300.html Jaipur Feb 15 Rajasthan mining department is all set to create history as it will start a gold mine auction for the first time in the state in the Banswara districts BhukiaJagpura area The department has made all preparations for the eauction of these mines and necessary information will be made available on the portal within a month said Anandi Secretary Rajasthan Mines DepartmentShe said on Wednesday There are huge reserves of gold in the 14 square kilometer area of BhukiaJagpura of Ghatol tehsil in BanswaraAfter extensive exploration in this area a preliminary estimate of 11352 million tonnes of gold ore has been made in which the amount of gold metal has been estimated at 22239 tonnes According to a rough estimate during the mining of gold ore here more than 1 lakh 74 thousand tonnes of copper more than 9700 tonnes of nickel and more than 13500 tonnes of cobalt mineral will be obtainedBoth the blocks are being finalised for auction by the state governments Rajasthan State Mineral Exploration Trust RSMETThe tender for auction will be launched on the Government of Indias eportal in about a month with the completion of the necessary formalities for the eauction of two gold minesThe Mines Secretary said We are preparing on a war footing for the auction of the states first gold mines in BhukiaJagpura of BanswaraAlong with gold abundant quantities of copper nickel and cobalt minerals will be obtained from these gold mines in This will create unprecedented opportunities for direct and indirect employment along with new investments in many industries including electronic petroleum petrochemical battery etc in the country and the state Along with copper industries the availability of copper as raw material will increase in the electronic sector while nickel will provide a boom to the battery industry coin minting electronic industry etcCobalt can be used in airbags petrochemical industry etc and the dependence on foreign countries for the supply of their raw materials will be reduced New investment in industries related to copper nickel and cobalt in the state will generate abundant opportunities for revenue and direct and indirect employment the officials added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/first-gold-mine-auction-in-rajasthan-soon-520300.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/continuing-dead-relationship-would-perpetuate-further-cruelty-on-parties-delhi-hc-in-divorce-case-520320.html New Delhi Feb 15 The Delhi High Court has granted divorce to a man on the grounds of cruelty by his wife influenced by her parents and unable to establish a relationship with him The division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal noted the unwarranted interference of the wifes parents and family members in their matrimonial life causing significant harassment to the husbandThe court observed that the parties had been living separately for about 13 years during which the husband was deprived of conjugal relations and faced multiple complaints before various agencies constituting acts of crueltyThe wifes inability to distance herself from her parental influence and form a relationship with the husband was evident indicating a rejection of matrimony and its obligationsThe court said that insistence on continuing a dead relationship would perpetuate further cruelty on both partiesIt said that filing false complaints against the husband and his family members constitutes mental cruelty undermining the foundation of matrimonial relationshipsCiting the importance of cohabitation and conjugal relationships in marriage the court stated that prolonged separation without efforts to reconcile is an act of crueltyIn this case the evidence indicated no chance of reconciliation with long separation compounded by false allegations police reports and criminal trials constituting mental cruelty IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/continuing-dead-relationship-would-perpetuate-further-cruelty-on-parties-delhi-hc-in-divorce-case-520320.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/goyal-lauds-farmers-role-as-agricultural-exports-cross-50bn-pulses-output-rises-60-520375.html New Delhi Feb 15 Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on Thursday praised the farmers of the country for the rise in production and quality of agriculture products that had made India selfsufficient in food and enabled the annual export of over 50 billion of agricultural and related productsAddressing the NAFED Pulse 2024 convention here Goyal said that over the last decade due to the commitment and capabilities of the farmers pulses production has grown by 60 per cent from 171 lakh tonnes in 2014 to 270 lakh tonnes in 2024The partnership between National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India NAFED and Global Pulse Confederation GPC will continue to grow to make pulses not only Indias wonderdiet but to make the wonderdiet of the world Goyal remarkedHe said that the governmentprocured chana dal sold under the Bharat brand has already captured 25 per cent of the market share of lentil gram within four months of its launch by the government The Union Minister further elaborated that the high ratings Bharat Dal has received from customer reviews on various ecommerce sites demonstrates the farmers ability to produce highquality pulsesGoyal also said that over the last decade government procurement of pulses has increased by 18 timesHe pointed out that in 2015 the government introduced buffer stock to ensure moderate prices and price stability shielding the consumers from food inflation that hit many countries including the developed world reeling from a 40year high inflationIndia was the bright spot with among the lowest inflation rates and has been able to reign in double digit inflation to 555 per cent in the last decade he addedThe minister said that the minimum support price MSP of agricultural goods today assures a price 50 per cent over the actual cost of production to our farmers thereby providing an attractive return on investmentHe also said that the MSP is the highest today with increases as high as 117 per cent in Masoor 90 per cent in Moong 75 per cent more in chana dal 60 per cent more in Toor and Urad over the amount provided a decade agoGoyal further said that NAFED and NCCF are encouraging farmers to diversify into pulses and lentils and are willing to provide assured prices for 5year contracts for government procurement a massive step for the Central governmentGoyal also stated that India is the largest producer and fifth largest exporter of millets in the world and the government is also putting similar focus on pulses and lentils as with millets and urged the industry leaders in attendance to provide suggestions and guidance to improve productivity and grow the pulse industry IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/goyal-lauds-farmers-role-as-agricultural-exports-cross-50bn-pulses-output-rises-60-520375.html Thu, 15 Feb 2024 17:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/mumbai-airport-congestion-flights-forced-to-hover-for-40-60-minutes-2000-kg-extra-fuel-burned-per-hour-519978.html New Delhi Feb 14 While clarifying the reason behind imposing flight curbs at the Mumbai airport the Ministry of Civil Aviation MoCA on Wednesday said that due to congestion and excess capacity on its runways flights are forced to hover over the city for a long duration of around 4060 minutes leading to traffic in air and burning of extra jet fuelThe staggering fuel consumption during these prolonged circling times has raised alarms with an average aircraft burning approximately 2000 kilograms of fuel per hour said a senior MoCA officialThe ministry said that such delays lead to significant fuel wastage ranging from 17 to 25 kilolitres of jet fuel translating to a financial burden of around Rs 18 to 26 lakh per flightThis additional cost is anticipated to eventually trickle down to consumers affecting both passengers and airlines adversely Moreover the inefficiency in airport operations results in longer wait times and inordinate delays exacerbating the situation for all stakeholders involved said the officialAn analysis conducted by the Airport Authority of India identified a bottleneck during the High Intensity Runway Operations HIRO hours particularly from 0800 to 1100 hrs and 1700 to 2000 hrs where the permitted air traffic nearly equaled that of the remaining 18 hours combinedGeneral Aviation and Military Aircraft operations further exacerbated the congestion particularly during peak hoursThe root causes of persistent congestion were attributed to excessive slot distribution with limited time margins by the airport operator nonadherence to slots by airlines and nonscheduled operations during peak hours Despite the Airport Operators dual role as slot provider and manager proactive measures to regulate air traffic movements were lacking said the officialThe official said that subsequently the Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened issuing directives to the airport operator through the Airport Authority of India AAI on January 2These directives communicated via Notice to Air Men NOTAMs restricted air traffic movements during HIRO and nonHIRO periods reducing the number of permitted flights per hour General aviation aircraft operations during HIRO periods were also curtailed said the officialThe government emphasised that these measures were essential to ensure airspace safety operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction The Ministry underscored the need for immediate action by the Mumbai International Airport Limited MIAL to ensure compliance with the prescribed restrictions by all airlinesRecognizing the necessity to strike a balance between the needs of airport operators and airlines the Government of India reiterated its commitment to facilitating a seamless and fulfilling flying experience for passengers departing from Mumbai Airport IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/mumbai-airport-congestion-flights-forced-to-hover-for-40-60-minutes-2000-kg-extra-fuel-burned-per-hour-519978.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/govt-issues-guidelines-for-using-green-hydrogen-as-fuel-in-trucks-buses-520124.html New Delhi Feb 14 The government on Wednesday issued guidelines for undertaking pilot projects for using Green Hydrogen as fuel in buses trucks and 4wheelersUnder the National Green Hydrogen Mission the Ministry of New amp Renewable Energy MNRE will implement pilot projects for replacing fossil fuels in the transport sector with Green Hydrogen and its derivatives Officials said that these pilot projects will be implemented through the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Scheme Implementing Agencies SIAs nominated under this schemeThe scheme will support development of technologies for use of Green Hydrogen as a fuel in buses trucks and 4wheelers based on fuel cellbased propulsion technologyinternal combustion enginebased propulsion technologyThe other thrust area for the scheme is to support development of infrastructure such as hydrogen refuelling stations the statement explainedThe use of Green Hydrogen in the transport sector via the proposed pilot projects will lead to development of necessary infrastructure including refuelling facilities and distribution infrastructure resulting in establishment of a Green Hydrogen ecosystem in the transport sector With the expected reduction in the Green Hydrogen production cost over the years the utilisation in the transport sector is expected to increaseThe scheme will also seek to support any other innovative use of hydrogen for reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector such as blending of methanol ethanol based on green hydrogen and other synthetic fuels derived from green hydrogen in automobile fuelsThe Scheme will be implemented with a total budgetary outlay of Rs 496 Crores till the financial year 202526The National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched on 4th January 2023 with an outlay of Rs 19744 crores up to FY 202930 It will contribute to Indias goal to become Aatma Nirbhar selfreliant through clean energy and serve as an inspiration for the global Clean Energy Transition The Mission will lead to significant decarbonization of the economy reduced dependence on fossil fuel imports and enable India to assume technology and market leadership in Green Hydrogen IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/govt-issues-guidelines-for-using-green-hydrogen-as-fuel-in-trucks-buses-520124.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 20:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sandeshkhali-unrest-trinamool-questions-timing-of-harassment-complaints-520137.html Kolkata Feb 14 Facing allround criticism over the allegations of sexual harassment of women by absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates at Sandeshkhali in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district the states ruling party on Wednesday questioned the timing of levelling such allegationsRaising this question Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh also alleged that this sudden outburst of angst by the local women is actually part of a conspiracy hatched jointly by the BJP and the CPIMAccording to Ghosh even if it is accepted that the women were silent for so many years out of fear why didnt the local CPIM and BJP leadership raise this issue before Neither the members of the West Bengal Commission for Women nor those from the National Commission for Women were able to get any specific complaint from any victim woman alleging sexual harassment Hence we believe that the allegations are nothing but part of a negative propaganda to deliberately tarnish the image of the state government Ghosh saidThe local women at Sandeshkhali took to the streets complaining of sexual harassment soon after Sheikh Shahjahan the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF personnel on January 5 went absconding Even when Governor CV Ananda Bose visited Sandeshkhali earlier this week several women were seen and heard on camera complaining to him about sexual harassment in the hands of Shahjahan and his associatesMeanwhile speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday Inspector General of Police IGP of Barasat Range under whose jurisdiction Sandeshkhali falls claimed that the situation is totally under control nowNormalcy has been restored at Sandeshkhali The situation is under control However police deployment will continue for some more time he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sandeshkhali-unrest-trinamool-questions-timing-of-harassment-complaints-520137.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sandeshkhali-not-an-isolated-case-in-bengal-suvendu-adhikari-519922.html Kolkata Feb 14 The developments at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is not an isolated incident but is a reflection of the precarious law order situation in the state the Leader of Opposition LoP in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said on WednesdayAccording to him the recent actions by the state administration especially with regards to the imposition of the prohibitory orders are an attempt to suppress the spontaneous agitations and mislead the system of justiceThe sudden Administrative action and overactive policing is just hogwash Rather it is a blatant attempt to suppress the spontaneous agitation and mislead the Justice system by registering false cases against innocents while protecting the real culprits the leader of the opposition saidHe also launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee It is a small price that she is willing to pay to hold on to power by allowing limitless power to criminals like Sheikh Shahjahan who would ensure that the elections are rigged in favour of Trinamool Congress In return violation of women rights at free will is just a misdemeanour for Mamata Banerjee who being the state home minister has instructed the police not to register such complaints and instead advise the victims of sexual exploitation to settle the issues with the ruling party leaders who have violated them in the first place the leader of the opposition claimedThe ruling Trinamool Congress leadership have however rubbished the allegations and claimed that at a time where already investigations are on at different levels such baseless allegations are irresponsible acts IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sandeshkhali-not-an-isolated-case-in-bengal-suvendu-adhikari-519922.html Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-chalo-protest-bone-of-contention-msp-on-crops-519657.html Chandigarh Feb 13 The Delhi Chalo protest march named farmers protest 20 comes after the initial protests in November 2020 that resulted in the repeal of three controversial farm laws in 2021Now the protesting farmers being led by over 200 unions under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha nonpolitical and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are again on the roads with a new leadershipNow the main bone of contention between the farmers and the Central government is enacting a minimum support price MSP law for cropsAt a highlevel meeting with two Union ministers Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda and Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal in Chandigarh the Centre was favouring a committee on the issue of the MSP but the farmer leaders remained adamant a senior government functionary told IANS requesting anonymityThe Centre also agreed to withdraw the cases against the farmers registered during the 202021 agitation he saidHowever farmer leaders were adamant on a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops which is one of their key demandsAlso the Centre did not make any commitment on a loan waiverSamyukta Kisan Morcha NonPolitical leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who participated in the meeting told the media that several committees on the issue had already advocated the need to legalise the MSP So another committee would have served no purpose he said adding the government was also not serious on a loan waiver though it waived off lakhs of crores of bad debt for big corporateThey accused the government of adopting a stubborn attitudeSensing that the government did not agree on the MSP demand they gave the March to Delhi call on Tuesday sources saidThey said at the meeting there was also agreement on providing compensation to the farmers killed in Lakhimpur and there is consensus on repealing the Electricity Act 2020After the second round of talks Agriculture Minister Munda said the government is still open to discuss their demandsThere was a serious discussion with farmers on every topic The government wants to bring every solution through talks We reached an agreement on some issues But there were some issues for which we said that a committee should be made for a permanent solution Munda told the media after the meetingAny issue can be resolved through discussion We are hopeful that we will bring solutions Our motive is that the rights of the farmers and the public are protected Munda who was accompanying Goyal saidAhead of moving towards the national capital Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify why the government is not ready for a discussion with protesting farmersWe want to tell the people of India that we tried to find a solution so that we do not have to stand against the government he told the mediaHe said in the fivehourlong meeting on Monday we put forward the situation of HaryanaThey are sending police and using water cannons in each and every village of Haryana They are torturing farmers in Haryana It seems that both these states are not a part of India anymore they are being treated as international border Pandher said in Punjabs Fatehgarh Sahib ahead of moving towards the national capitalClarifying his farm outfit stand on the ongoing protest another farmer leader Darshan Pal said We didnt give the Dilli Chalo call However organisations other than SKM have the right to protest and it is the responsibility of the Union government to treat such protests in a democratic manner instead of adhering to excessive state repression IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-chalo-protest-bone-of-contention-msp-on-crops-519657.html Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tripura-govt-to-allow-tribal-students-to-write-answers-in-roman-script-for-kokborak-language-exam-519501.html Agartala Feb 12 In wake of the agitation by tribal students bodies the Tripura government on Monday announced to allow tribal students appearing for Kokborak language examinations to write answers in Roman script along with Bengali script Government spokesman and Food and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the students would be allowed to write answers in Roman script along with Bengali script for Kokborak language examinations of the Higher Secondary and Secondary Examinations to be conduct by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education TBSE from March 1 The Minister on behalf of the state government urged the Tipra Indigenous Students Federation TISF the student wing of the opposition Tipra Motha Party TMP to withdraw their agitations for the interest of the people and to maintain normal movement of rail and vehicular traffic Police said that hundreds of TISF activists as part of their agitations blockaded the roads and rail movement in around 50 places across Tripura disrupting the normal movement of train services and transportations of all kinds of public and private vehicles Though no untoward incident was reported in view of the agitations 22 members of another tribal student organisation Tipra Students Federation TSF were arrested for demonstrating in front of Chief Ministers Manik Sahas residence The TISF activists blockaded the National Highway8 the life line of Tripura and the lone rail route from Monday morning to protest against the TBSEs decision not to allow tribal students appearing for Kokborak language to write answers in Roman script Over 5000 tribal students would appear in both the examinations and wanted to write their answer scripts for Kokborak language in Roman script instead of Bengali The issue also recently rocked the Tripura Assembly session For several years Kokborok language paper answers were written in the TBSE examinations in both Bengali and Roman script but the state board recently said that only Bengali script would be allowed for Kokborak language The TBSE last month had directed the incharges of all the examination centres to allow both Bengali and Roman script for writing Kokborok papers for the Class 12 and 10 board examinations but later instructed that only Bengali script would be allowed till the Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE gives a reply on it There are thousands of schools in Tripura both government and private run are either affiliated to the TBSE or the CBSE Tribal party TMP had been agitating demanding introduction of Roman script for the tribal language Tripura has a 12 lakh tribal population out of its 40 lakh inhabitants and 70 per cent of the tribals speak in the Kokborok language which was recognised as the second official language by the then CPIM led Left Front government in 1979 The demand for the Roman script for Kokborok recently got stronger after there were reports that students in various schools in Tripura specially the CBSErun schools were compelled to write answers for the subject in the Bengali scriptFor over five decades there has been a debate over the use of the Bengali or Roman scripts for the Kokborok language While some Kokborok speakers favour Bengali the majority of the tribal intellectuals and academicians advocate for the Roman script Since 1988 two commissions have been set up on the issue under tribal leader Shyama Charan Tripura and linguist and academician Pabitra Sarkar A TMP leader said that Kokborok is the mother tongue of the tribal people and it belongs to the TibetoBurman family and is close to other languages of the northeastern region such as Bodo Garo and Dimasa IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tripura-govt-to-allow-tribal-students-to-write-answers-in-roman-script-for-kokborak-language-exam-519501.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 20:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/andhra-pradesh-leads-states-in-public-donations-for-bharat-jodo-nyay-yatra-519412.html Amaravati Feb 12 Andhra Pradesh stands first in the donations for Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of former Congress chief Rahul GandhiAndhra Pradesh has so far donated over Rs 102 crore for the EastWest yatraCongress MP and party incharge for Telangana Manickam Tagore on Monday shared the list of five states with highest public donationsThe donations from Andhra Pradesh stand at Rs 10232907 Rajasthan stands second with donations of Rs 8642697 Haryana Maharashtra and Karnataka are at third fourth and fifth positions respectivelyTagore congratulated Andhra Pradesh Congress for leading India in Nyay donations Thanks to the visionary leadership of Rahul Gandhi for promoting transparency in politics gaining strong support in Andhra Pradesh Huge appreciation to APCC President Y S Sharmila Reddy for driving this initiative forward he saidAndhra Pradesh Congress Committee President Sharmila thanked the people of Andhra Pradesh From the bottom of my heart I thank the people of Andhra Pradesh who stood at the top position nationally in contributing to NYAY donations This is a shining testimony of the truth that the state trusts Congress and continues to look up to the party as a ray of hope This is just the beginning and we shall work harder towards the cause of the state with an unbridled commitment she posted on XSharmila was last month appointed APCC President by the Congress leadership in what is seen as an effort to regain the lost ground in Andhra PradeshThe Congress party was virtually wiped out from Andhra Pradesh in 2014 due to public anger over bifurcation of the state For the second successive election in 2019 Congress drew a blank in Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha polls IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/andhra-pradesh-leads-states-in-public-donations-for-bharat-jodo-nyay-yatra-519412.html Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/14-000-projects-worth-rs-10-lakh-cr-to-roll-out-in-up-on-feb-19-519046.html Lucknow Feb 11 The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is all set to kickstart another phase of development in the state with the Ground Breaking Ceremony GBC 40 in which MoUs worth Rs 10 lakh crore covering 14000 projects will be rolled out on February 19 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in LucknowThese projects are expected to create 3350 lakh employment opportunities in the stateAccording to the official spokesman the projected investment rollout for GBC 40 is five times greater than the cumulative investment of over Rs 210 lakh crore implemented in the previous three groundbreaking ceremoniesOver 52 per cent of these projects this time will be launched in western Uttar PradeshAround 29 per cent of the MoUs memorandums of understanding will be implemented in the Purvanchal region which comprises eastern parts of the stateBesides 14 per cent MoUs will be implemented in Madhyanchal and 5 per cent in Bundelkhand These MoUs were signed at the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit2023 organised in Lucknow in February 2023Around 3000 people including eminent industrialists representatives of 500 companies foreign investors ambassadors high commissioners and other distinguished guests will attend the February 19 eventA major slice of investment of 1924 per cent is in the housing sector according to the state government spokesmanIn addition 15 per cent investment is in the renewable energy sector 13 per cent in manufacturing 10 per cent in IT and ITenabled services 783 per cent in logistics and warehousing 75 per cent in energy and 601 per cent in food processing IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/14-000-projects-worth-rs-10-lakh-cr-to-roll-out-in-up-on-feb-19-519046.html Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cpi-m-cries-foul-as-veena-vijayans-firm-served-notice-to-appear-before-sfio-518680.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 10 With the Serious Fraud Investigation Office SFIO probe reaching Exalogic the IT firm owned by Kerala Chief Ministers daughter Veena Vijayan the CPIM on Saturday alleged political witch hunting by the CentreExalogic has approached the Karnataka High Court with a plea to quash the SFIO probe and the court will take up the plea on MondayOn Saturday the CPIM claimed that the Centre was targeting Pinarayi Vijayan as the Lok Sabha polls were round the cornerThe CPIM has come out with a circular which will now be sent out to its grassroot cadres alleging that Vijayan was being targeted through Veena for political reasonsExalogic has just one Director Veena Vijayan and the Bengalurubased firm has now moved court to keep its dormant statusTrouble had been brewing for Veena for a while ever since the SFIO acting on the findings of the preliminary probe by the Registrar of Companies ROC first reached the office of the Cochinbased mining firmCMRL which had given a contract to ExalogicThen the scope of the probe was extended to the state capitalheadquartered Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation KSIDC that has around 13 per cent stake in CMRLOn Friday Exalogic was also served a notice and since Veena is the sole Director she will now have to appear before the SFIOHence the CPIM has come out strongly stating that all the dealings between Exalogic and CMRL took place through the bank and there was nothing untoward in it and the central agencies were now being used as a tool to target VijayanThe CPIM said that there has been no complaint from CMRL and the agencies were haunting Veena just to target VijayanPrior to the ROC investigation this issue was raised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on the basis of a media report which first surfaced last yearThe report had quoted an Income Tax official as saying that Exalogic had received Rs 172 crore from CMRLThough Vijayan maintained a stoic silence for a few months he broke his silence on the floor of the Assembly last weekIt was her mother who gave her retirement benefits to Veena to start an IT firm My hands are clean said VijayanExalogic has approached the Karnataka High Court with a plea to quash the SFIO probe and now all eyes are on Monday when the court will take up the pleaOne reason why Exalogic decided to approach the Karnataka High Court is that a few days ago the Kerala High Court came down heavily on the KSIDC and asked why should a state enterprise be worried about a probeWhat do you want to hide the court asked as it refused to quash the ongoing probe IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cpi-m-cries-foul-as-veena-vijayans-firm-served-notice-to-appear-before-sfio-518680.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 13:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/prioritise-deployment-of-anti-drone-technology-on-india-pak-border-mp-sahney-518719.html Chandigarh Feb 10 Punjab Member of Parliament Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Saturday urged the Central government to prioritise the deployment of antidrone technology to safeguard the youth from falling victim to drug addictionHe also highlighted the connections among drug suppliers from Pakistan recruitment of the youth in border areas of Punjab and drug mafias operating from the jails in IndiaSahney said infiltration of drugs via drones across the IndiaPakistan border is a serious matter of concern We need to take stringent measures to curb such activities he saidHe said the easy availability of drugs in Indian cities and night clubs is eating the youth like termite We need to take strong and concerted action at all levels to combat the drug menace on a war footing by putting crackdowns on suppliers tighter control over drug availability and enhanced support for drug rehabilitation centres he saidSahney also appreciated the efforts of the Central government and the Punjab government for establishing the antinarcotics task force and state special operation cell to fight drug trafficking and smuggling IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/prioritise-deployment-of-anti-drone-technology-on-india-pak-border-mp-sahney-518719.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 14:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sandeshkhali-violence-guv-seeks-report-from-bengal-govt-in-24-hours-518838.html Kolkata Feb 10 West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday sought a detailed report from the state government within the next 24 hours on the onground situation in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district where Section 144 has been imposed while internet service has also been suspendedTension broke out in Sandeshkhali since Thursday afternoon after the local women started taking to the streets as they protested in front of the local police station seeking the arrest of absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan the mastermind behind the recent attack on ED and CAPF personnel and his close associatesThe Governor sought the report from the state government just a couple of hours after the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari issued an ultimatum to lead a delegation to Sandeshkhali by breaching Section 144 on Monday if Bose didnt take any initiative to restore normalcy in the areaThe agitators in Sandeshkhali are demanding action against the local goons who are allegedly being shielded by the ruling Trinamool CongressThey have also accused the local police of being handinglove with the local miscreants and resorting to unnecessary action against the common villagers by taking the advantage of Section 144The protesters alleged that before going underground Shahjahan and his associates had resorted to massive oppression of the local villagers by grabbing their land as well as by forcing them to provide free labour at the businesses run by themIt is also said that the women in Sandeshkhali are too scared to step out of their homes after sunset out of fear of humiliation and molestation in the hands of the absconding ruling party leader and his associatesOn Friday the protesting women had burnt a poultry farm owned by Shahjahans close confidant and Trinamool leader Shibu Hazra IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sandeshkhali-violence-guv-seeks-report-from-bengal-govt-in-24-hours-518838.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/amit-shah-to-visit-ktaka-today-518592.html Bengaluru Feb 10 Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Karnataka on Saturday and will participate in a meeting on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with the party leaders The visit holds significance as Shah is expected to finalise the party candidates list for upcoming Lok Sabha polls and address the issue of seat sharing with JD SSources said that Shah will land at Mandakalli Airport in Mysuru city on Saturday at 1050 pm On Sunday morning he plans to visit the temple of the goddess Chamundeshwari to seek blessingsSubsequently he will visit Suttur village and take part in the AdiJagadguru Sri Shivarathri Shivayogigala Jatra Mahotsava a religious fair organised by Suttur Mutt a prominent Lingayat mutt Sources said that Shah will then proceed to a private hotel and a meeting with party leaders of the state is scheduled for 240 pm which is expected to last for a few hoursThis marks Shahs first visit to the state since the assembly elections IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/amit-shah-to-visit-ktaka-today-518592.html Sat, 10 Feb 2024 09:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/suspense-continues-over-the-congress-rs-candidate-in-rajasthan-518471.html Jaipur Feb 9 The Congress has still not indicated any name as its Rajya Sabha candidate in RajasthanThe state will hold the RS polls for three seats as Kirodi Lal Meena now a MLA and state minister has resigned from the Rajya Sabha after winning the assembly polls Similarly the term of two RS MPs former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sitting Union minister Bhupendra Yadav will end on April 3 2024As the BJP won 115 seats and the Congress won 70 in the Assembly polls the former is set to win 2 RS seats while the latter has one seatAs one seat is assured for the Congress in Rajasthan there are whispers that Sonia Gandhi might be fielded from the state for the RS polls However other party workers told IANS that a party loyalist like Ajay Maken can also be given a chance for he has been connected with the state as the state incharge earlierMeanwhile with former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot being unwell and in hospital party workers are subduedWe too are clueless on who shall be fielded from Rajasthan However veteran leaders have confirmed that Sonia Gandhi has been offered seats in Telangana Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan Now it depends on her which seat she selects As such our party has strong strength in the South so if she goes from Telangana the bond will become stronger Similarly in Himachal we have our government However it is safer to contest from Rajasthan compared to Himachal Pradesh as the latter has a much smaller Assembly hence there is a threat of crossvoting spoiling the partys plansIn such a situation Rajasthan sounds safe but the current BJP government can play spoilsport The RLD was in alliance with the Congress in Rajasthan but now the equations have changed These game changing equations can pose a threat to her candidature Earlier too the BJP had fielded two candidates for the RS polls in 2022 when it was sure that it will be winning only one seat and the Congress had termed it a spoilsport said a party workerSo to avoid such a situation Sonia Gandhi might be fielded from Telangana where there is a clear cut parity and no confusion However things are still not clear and we too are waiting for an official announcement said the party workerParty sources said that as of now no formal meeting has taken place to finalise nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections which are scheduled to be held on February 27 and the last date for nomination is February 15 We too are waiting If the party will go for local faces in the southern states or if it fields national leaders from Rajasthan said party workers IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/suspense-continues-over-the-congress-rs-candidate-in-rajasthan-518471.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 19:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/following-backlash-kerala-puts-budget-proposal-for-privatisation-of-higher-education-on-hold-518236.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 9 Following a huge backlash from the opposition parties and within the Pinarayi Vijayanled Left Front the proposal in the state Budget presented in the Assembly that batted for privatization in the higher education sector has been put on holdOn Monday state Finance Minister KN Balagopal while presenting his fourth straight budget said the doors have been opened for private and foreign universities to open their campuses As the first step towards this he said four international educational conclaves will be held outside the countryHe said experts hailing from Kerala and those working in the higher education sector abroad will be drafted for taking forward this idea To fast track this idea special packages will be introduced in the field of higher education Balagopal had pointed out that all these changes were being made to ensure to attract foreign students to Kerala besides helping students from here presently going abroad for higher studiesBut no sooner had the budget presentation got over the Congressled UDF opposition and the BJP went hammer and tongs on this major shift in the ideology of the Left who have all along been against any sort of privatisationState Higher Education Minister R Bindhu also was seen expressing her displeasure and the only ones who batted for it was the Chief Minister himself state CPIM party secretary MV Govindan and BalagopalMeanwhile according to sources CM Vijayan who returned from Delhi on Friday has been directed by the party general secretary Sitaram Yechury not to take it further in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections As this is a major deviation from the CPIM ideology no further action should be taken Yechury has said as per the sources adding that the Congress and BJP will attack the Left during the election campaignAll along the CPIMled Left in Kerala had staunchly opposed the entry of the private sector in the education sector The Left led huge protests when the K Karunakaran government in the 90s planned to open up a few professional courses in the medical sector and also when the AK Antonyled government in 2001 opened up the professional education sector in the selffinancing modeIncidentally the present lot of CPIM state Ministers including Balagopal P Rajeeve Industries MB Rajesh Local Self Government Saji Cherian Fisheries PA Mohammed Riyas Tourism and V Sivankutty Education were all in the forefront of protests in the nineties whenever the Congressled state governments tried to revamp the higher education sector IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/following-backlash-kerala-puts-budget-proposal-for-privatisation-of-higher-education-on-hold-518236.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/centre-to-sign-pact-with-teri-for-institute-for-energy-transition-rk-singh-518535.html New Delhi Feb 9 The Union Power Ministry intends to sign a memorandum of agreement with The Energy and Resources Institute TERI for setting up an institute for energy transition at TERI campus in Hyderabad Union Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh said on FridayThe Ministry of Power and New Renewable Energy is getting into an agreement with TERI for setting up an institute on energy transition We will look to this institute to work out various pathways for transition to identify the bottlenecks and the most viable ways of moving forward he said at the 23rd edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit WSDS here Right now I am searching for ways we are experimenting so we first came out with solar then wind then we combined the two with hybrid Then we added storage so that it becomes round the clock Now we are coming out with bids for round the clock using green hydrogen as storage We will be coming up with a bid for roundtheclock energy using concentrated solar and molten salt as storage If there were an institution which would study the various alternative paths available that will make life easier Terming India the leader in energy transitions Singh said In India 44 per cent of the countrys power generation capacity is from nonfossil sources In actual physical terms about 180000 plus megawatts is the nonfossil capacity The nuclear capacity is just about 7800 megawatts The remaining is totally renewable That constitutes 44 per cent of the established capacity 427000 megawatts out of which 180000 MW is renewable The minister listed how India has fulfilled its promises ahead of time and is among the few countries to have fulfilled its Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs ahead of time India had pledged that by 2030 that it would have 40 percent of our power generation capacity as renewables We are already beyond that Again India pledged in COP26 that by 2030 to have 50 per cent of capacity from nonfossil sources mostly renewables In fact it will be actually 65 per cent way more than what was pledged Indias per capita emission is among the lowest in the world Despite we have pledged that we will reduce our emission intensity by 33 per cent by 2030 In sum we are the only major economy which achieved both these Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs way before time And when neutral observers graded us they categorised us as the only major economy whose energy transition actions are in consonant with the subtwo degree rise in global temperature Highlighting pioneering initiatives of TERI which is celebrating its 50th anniversary its Director General Vibha Dhawan said It is an honour for TERI to be working with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to explore the establishment of an Institute for Energy Transition as a worldclass institute IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/centre-to-sign-pact-with-teri-for-institute-for-energy-transition-rk-singh-518535.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 22:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-to-raise-upper-age-limit-for-group-i-posts-to-46-yrs-518542.html Hyderabad Feb 9 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday announced that the Group I exam will be conducted soon after raising the upper age limit from 44 to 46 yearsHe made the announcement in the Assembly while replying to debate on the motion of thanks for the governors address The announcement meets a long pending demand of the job aspirants who were now overage as the state had not filled Group I posts for the last six years The Group I exam was also cancelled twice in 2022 and 2023 due to question paper leak which rocked the Telangana State Public Service Commission TSPSC last year In 2022 the Telangana High Court had asked the state government to consider raising the upper age limit from 44 to 49 to make more aspirants eligible to appear for the Group I exam Revanth Reddy told the Assembly that revamping of the TSPSC was delayed due to certain rules Taking a dig at his predecessor K Chandrasekhar Rao and his family members he said four persons who recently lost their jobs were talking about two lakh jobs Taunting the Bharat Rashtra Samithi BRS leaders the Chief Minister said the new government is not like those who sold question papers in xerox centres and those who sold jobs by appointing their relatives in government departments Stating that youth have long been waiting for police jobs he said 15000 posts in the Police department will be filled He assured that vacancies in universities will be filled Two days ago the government had sanctioned 60 posts under Group I These posts will be filled along with the posts notified by the TSPSC earlier In April 2022 the TSPSC had issued a notification to fill 503 posts in 18 departments Prelims exams were conducted in October 2022 More than 287 lakh candidates had appeared in the exam However after leakage of question papers of some exams conducted by the TSPSC and thorough investigation the then BRS government cancelled the exams in March 2023 Group I Prelims were conducted again on June 11 2023 but the High Court cancelled the same citing procedural lapses by the TSPSC The Congress which promised to fill two lakh vacancies within a year revamped the TSPSC after coming to power It recently appointed former Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy as its Chairman IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-to-raise-upper-age-limit-for-group-i-posts-to-46-yrs-518542.html Fri, 09 Feb 2024 22:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bjp-rebuts-rahul-gandhis-pm-not-obc-claim-shares-govt-document-517989.html New Delhi Feb 8 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday factchecked by the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP over his baseless unfounded claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born into the Other Backward Class Community OBCRahul during his Odisha leg of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra had accused the Prime Minister of misleading the nation by identifying himself as an OBC member He said that Narendra Modis Ghanchi caste was included in the OBC list after BJP government came to power in GujaratBJP IT cell incharge Amit Malviya shared official government document from the Gazette of India to refute his claims on Modis OBC statusRubbishing the blatant lies of Congress leader Malviya wrote Modis caste was notified as an OBC on October 27 1999 a full two years before he became the Chief Minister of GujaratThe official records in Gazette of India show that the notification released in 1999 listed Narendra Modis caste as OBC This came about two years before he assumed the post of Gujarat Chief MinisterThe government document clearly establishes the truth and goes to debunk the brazen lies of Rahul Gandhi The BJP also stepped up attack on Rahul and accused him of spreading fake propaganda amp deceiving the publicRahul during Nyay Yatra in Odisha had claimed that Narendra Modi was not born in OBC community and hence was against the welfare of OBCs despite them comprising 50 of the countrys populationNotably Rahuls caste attack on Prime Minister came at a time when government and Opposition are engaged in squabble for caste census on national levelCongress has been demanding national caste census reasoning that this will allow communities to get adequate representation as per their population BJP hasnt openly objected to the move but has remained averse to the proposal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bjp-rebuts-rahul-gandhis-pm-not-obc-claim-shares-govt-document-517989.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 18:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-upholds-removal-of-police-constable-from-service-for-performing-second-marriage-518031.html New Delhi Febr 8 The Supreme Court has upheld the removal of a Chhattisgarh Police constable from service for performing a second marriage without taking prior permission from the state government A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Kumar declined to interfere with the January 2020 order passed by a division bench of the Chhattisgarh High Court dismissing the appeal filed by the petitionerappellant The bench noted that the punishment for removal from service has been imposed on the petitioner Mehatru Baddhai for committing breach of Section 22 paras 1 and 2 of the Civil Services Conduct Rules The said provision stipulates that that No government servant who has a wife living shall contract another marriage without first obtaining the permission of the government notwithstanding that such subsequent marriage is permissible under the personal law for the time being applicable to him The petitioner who was appointed as a constable with Chhattisgarh police had submitted an application for adding the name of second wife and minor child in his service record as nominee In his application he mentioned that his first marriage took place in the year 2005 but when his first wife did not conceive even after long marital life she gave her consent to him for performing a second marriage On account of said consent he performed a second marriage and was blessed with a female child After considering the enquiry report as well as the statement given by the employee the disciplinary authority passed an order for removal of petitioner from service and the Appellate Authority has affirmed that order His mercy plea was also rejected by the competent authority In his special leave petition before the Supreme Court the petitioner pointed out a flaw in the memo of charges arguing that it did not allege that the second marriage was contracted by the petitioner without obtaining permission of the state government At this the apex court said We have ourselves gone through the memo of charges and we are satisfied that the Articles of Charge in substance contains the allegations for breach of the aforesaid Rules against him We verified from the learned counsel for the petitioner and the state as to whether he had applied for any permission or not and the answer to that query was in the negative IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-upholds-removal-of-police-constable-from-service-for-performing-second-marriage-518031.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-refuses-to-direct-trial-courts-to-issue-notice-to-complainants-at-pre-trial-stage-517840.html New Delhi Feb 8 The Delhi High Court has refused to mandate trial courts in the national capital to issue notice to complainants or victims in criminal cases at the pretrial stage The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora stated that such a directive could lead to unnecessary delays in trials and undermine the objective of expeditious justice deliveryThe bench said that there is no statutory mandate requiring criminal courts to notify complainants or victims at the pretrial stageRejecting the plea presented by lawyer Vivek Kumar Gaurav seeking mandatory notice to complainants at pretrial and trial stages the court deemed such a proposition as potentially detrimental to the efficiency of criminal proceedingsAddressing the PIL which also sought free copies of charge sheets for complainants the bench noted that the Delhi High Court Rules already provide avenues for obtaining case records including free copies under specific circumstancesIt noted that the Union government has directed states and union territories to implement Standard Operating Procedures SOPs ensuring victims of sexual offences receive charge sheets free of costIn disposing of the plea the court noted the recognition of the complainants right to be heard in pretrial proceedings citing the Supreme Courts verdict in Jagjeet Singh vs Ashish MishraThe top court had affirmed the right of victims to participate effectively in criminal proceedings ensuring fair and equitable treatmentConsequently this court found existing statutory mechanisms and judicial precedents sufficient to safeguard the rights of victims and complainants in criminal casesIt deemed further directives unnecessary as adequate provisions already exist within the legal framework IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-refuses-to-direct-trial-courts-to-issue-notice-to-complainants-at-pre-trial-stage-517840.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 13:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/kerala-cms-daughters-it-firm-approaches-karnataka-hc-seeking-stay-on-sfio-probe-518120.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 8 Exalogic the IT farm of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans daughter on Thursday approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay of the ongoing probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office SFIOExalogic is a company which has just one director Vijayans daughter Veena Vijayan The Bengalurubased firm has now moved the court to keep it dormant statusThe SFIO is acting on the findings of the preliminary probe into the company conducted by the Registrar of Companies ROC Prior to the ROC investigation this issue was first raised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on the basis of a media reportThe report had quoted an Income Tax official as saying that Vijayans daughter Veena Vijayans IT firm Exalogic had received Rs 172 crore from the mining company CMRL in which the KSIDC Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation has around 13 per cent stakeIncidentally for two days the SFIO was at the Kochi office of CMRL and on Wednesday it arrived at the KSIDC office here KSIDC had approached the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the ongoing probe but the court came down heavily on it and asked why should a state enterprise be worried of a probe which is just asking for informationWhat do you want to hide the court asked as it refused to quash the ongoing probeAfter questioning the CMRL and KSIDC officials the SFIO is unlikely to approach Veena It is being said in some quarters that sensing trouble Exalogic on Thursday approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the probeThe Karnataka High Court will take up the petition for hearing on Friday IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/kerala-cms-daughters-it-firm-approaches-karnataka-hc-seeking-stay-on-sfio-probe-518120.html Thu, 08 Feb 2024 23:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sfio-probes-ksidc-over-dealings-with-cm-vijayans-daughter-517502.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 7 A team of senior officials of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office SFIO on Wednesday was at the head office of the stateowned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation KSIDC as part of their ongoing probe into the business dealings between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans daughter Veena Vijayans IT firm and the Cochinbased mining firm CMRLThe SFIO team for the past two days was inspecting the records of CMRL The team is led by Arun Prasad and has prepared an action plan on how to go about their investigation and the present probe is the first phase of it said sourcesThe SFIO was acting on the findings of the preliminary probe by the Registrar of Companies ROC Prior to the ROC investigation this issue was first raised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on the basis of a media reportThe media report had quoted an Income Tax Department officer as saying that Vijayans daughter Veena Vijayans IT firm Exalogic had received Rs 172 crore from the mining company CMRL in which the KSIDC has around 13 per cent stakeThe SFIO team arrived at the KSIDC office as part of the probeWhen the first report of this deal that Veenas firm was carrying out with CMRL surfaced Vijayan and the entire top leadership of the CPIM trashed the report as politicallymotivated and there was nothing wrong in the dealingsVeenas IT firm is a single director company Veena is the sole director though based in Bengaluru but presently temporarily closedVeenas husband is State Public Works and Tourism Minister PAMohammed Riyas who is yet to make a statement on the issueHowever Vijayan broke his silence last week in the Assembly when he said that his hands were clean and that in the past while his wife was haunted today his daughter has become the target IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sfio-probes-ksidc-over-dealings-with-cm-vijayans-daughter-517502.html Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/oppn-leaders-forced-to-switch-to-bjp-for-development-politics-assam-minister-517366.html Guwahati Feb 7 As many leaders form the Congress and other parties have switched to BJP in Assam recently the state Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pijush Hazarika claimed that opposition leaders were forced to join the saffron camp due to the immense development work done by the ruling fold He asserted that this trend will continue in the coming daysAngkita Dutta the former Assam youth Congress president who was expelled from the party after she brought harassment allegations against the national youth Congress president Srinivas BV joined the BJP last weekAlong with Dutta former Congress minister in Assam Bismita Gogoi and expresident of All Assam Students Union AASU Dipanka Nath also joined the saffron campHazarika told reporters here on Tuesday evening The leaders were lined up for coming to our party because the BJP has done unprecedented development in the state The opposition leaders have seen that people are with us The Congress party in Assam has nothing to say against the governmentDrawing examples from some recently held autonomous council polls in the state the minister argued In every election BJP has been doing better than before In the last Lok Sabha polls we won nine seats This time BJP is set to win at least 11 or 12 seats in AssamMeanwhile the opposition leader in Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia said Those who have joined BJP have done so in their own capacity The Congress party has nothing to comment on this But the BJP people must acknowledge that many promises made by them 10 years ago are still unfulfilled IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/oppn-leaders-forced-to-switch-to-bjp-for-development-politics-assam-minister-517366.html Wed, 07 Feb 2024 09:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/congresss-core-election-team-for-bengal-to-be-headed-by-adhir-ranjan-chowdhury-516872.html Kolkata Feb 5 In a significant move the Congress on Monday gave full authority to the partys West Bengal President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury about the finalization of the candidates and chalk out the campaign strategy for the state for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections The Congress central leadership announced formation of the 28member West Bengal Pradesh Congress Election Committee with Chowdhury as its ChairmanPolitical observers feel that this development is significant on two countsThe first is that the Congress high command too has exhausted its last hope for an amicable seat sharing agreement with Trinamool Congress and hence given full authority to Chowdhury in the matterSecondly the responsibility to Chowdhury will expedite the process of finalising seatsharing talks with the CPIMled Left Front which he is already keen onObservers also said that besides Chowdhury the majority in the 28member election committee are from those who are strongly against any kind of alliance with Trinamool in the forthcoming Lok Sabha electionsThe committee constitution is a clear endorsement from the Congress high command to the views of Chowdhury and his followers that for the party the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are equal enemies in the West Bengal perspective a citybased political observer said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/congresss-core-election-team-for-bengal-to-be-headed-by-adhir-ranjan-chowdhury-516872.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/physical-mental-well-being-top-priorities-for-indians-in-2024-report-517221.html New Delhi Feb 6 Physical and mental wellbeing along with personal finance management have emerged as the top priorities for Indian adults in the year 2024 according to a report on Tuesday The report Amex Trendex by American Express is based on a survey conducted across geographies including India Australia Canada Japan Mexico the UK and the US It showed that physical wellness 76 per cent and personal finance 69 per cent are the top areas of focus for Indians About 80 per cent Indians plan to spend more on resolutions this year as compared to 2023 Of those Indians prioritising physical wellness top resolutions include eating healthier 73 per cent more outdoor activities 63 per cent and getting a home exercise machine 51 per cent Of those Indians with personal financial goals top resolutions include growing savings 81 per cent and investing more or growing investments 75 per cent Indians are aware of whats important to have a fulfilling life and for committing to holistic wellbeing said Sanjay Khanna CEO and Country Manager American Express Banking Corp India in a statement This is clearly evident from Amex Trendex that tracks the evolving consumer preferences including spending saving and traveling he added Further employed Indians are focusing on their mental health at work Worklife balance flexible work options and supportive work environment have emerged as top drivers for job satisfaction About 80 per cent of Indians prioritise their mental health at work more now compared to previous years with worklife balance 67 per cent flexible work options 61 per cent and a supportive work environment 60per cent being top drivers for job satisfaction About 78 per cent of Indians report their workplace offers health and wellness benefits and 84 per cent are very likely to utilise these benefits in 2024 A whopping 82 per cent of Indians feel they are much more likely to reach their goals if supported by their workplace Indian adults are also looking forward to experiencing more live sporting events this year About 61 per cent of Indians are much more likely to attend live sporting events more often in 2024 compared to last year while 97 per cent are willing to travel to attend a sporting event this year And 69 per cent are very likely to purchase a ticket with exclusive access Setting sustainability resolutions also a key focus area for Indians Among those planning on setting sustainability habits resolutions 59 per cent plan on using less plastic or onetime use products while 58 per cent would want to improve their recycling habits at home About 56 per cent Indians would like to improve their travel habits with 66 per cent looking to book accommodations that prioritise sustainability IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/physical-mental-well-being-top-priorities-for-indians-in-2024-report-517221.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bjp-plans-fielding-local-faces-in-rs-polls-from-rajasthan-seats-516976.html Jaipur Feb 6 The BJP is trying to implement a fresh strategy of fielding local faces as against the older practice of fielding any candidate from any state in the Rajya Sabha elections sources saidThe Election Commission has announced the date of Rajya Sabha elections in 15 states which will be held on 56 seats including three in Rajasthan Voting for these Rajya Sabha seats will be held on February 27It needs to be mentioned here that there are ten Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan out of which six are with Congress and four with BJPVoting will be held on the three seats represented by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav and present minister in Bhajan Lal government Kirori Lal Meena from Rajasthan The tenure of these three Rajya Sabha seats ends on April 3 Kirori Lal Meena had won from Sawai Madhopur during the Rajasthan Assembly elections After becoming MLA he resigned from the post of Rajya Sabha MP Hence voting will be held on this seat tooFrom the Congressheld six seats only one MP is from Rajasthan while five are from other states While Neeraj Dangi is from Rajasthan other MPs including former PM Manmohan Singh Pramod Kumar Mukul Vasnik KC Venugopal Randeep Surjewala are all outsiders but continue to be Rajya Sabha MPs from RajasthanSources said that top leadership is discussing fielding candidates from the same state for the Rajya Sabha polls The policy of fielding some leaders from one state in another states Rajya Sabha polls wont be followed if all leaders give their consent on this proposal said sourcesTop leaders in the state have been indicated about this and discussions are on to decide which candidate will be fielded from which seatParty sources said that former leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and deputy leader of opposition Satish Poonia who lost the Assembly polls might be given a chance in these polls Also veteran leader Alka Gurjar and Om Mathur can also be sent to Delhi via these polls However discussions are in this contextFielding of outsider candidates on local seats has been a debatable subject since the last many years It is being said that the outsiders who go to Rajya Sabha polls lack the knowledge of issues of these states and hence fail expectations of local public in the long run and hence the change in strategy said party leaders IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bjp-plans-fielding-local-faces-in-rs-polls-from-rajasthan-seats-516976.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-displeased-with-lengthy-prosecution-arguments-in-uapa-case-517271.html New Delhi Feb 6 The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction with lengthy prosecution arguments opposing the bail plea of Khalid Saifi an accused in a UAPA case related to the alleged larger conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots A division bench directed the Special Public Prosecutor to file a concise compilation defining the role of the accused and to confine arguments to the same The court said that it wouldnt read the extensive charge sheet at the bail stage as doing so would effectively start a trial which is not permissible The matter is scheduled for further hearing on February 12 along with the bail plea of coaccused Gulfisha Fatima The bench remarked that protesting is a right and requested the prosecution to present evidence demonstrating a clear case of violence rather than narrating a lengthy story It asked the prosecution to focus on showing the accuseds specific role in the events Previously in December 2022 a division bench had reserved judgement on the bail pleas of Saifi Fatima and other coaccused persons These pleas are being reheard following the elevation of Justice Siddharth Mridul who had initially presided over the case Saifis bail was denied by the trial court in April 2022 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/delhi-hc-displeased-with-lengthy-prosecution-arguments-in-uapa-case-517271.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-police-face-calcutta-hcs-ire-over-lackadaisical-statement-recording-in-mystery-death-case-517288.html Kolkata Feb 6 The West Bengal Police on Tuesday faced the ire of the Calcutta High Court over the alleged lackadaisical statement recording in a mystery death case of a local BJP leader in the South 24 Parganas district of the stateWhile hearing the matter the singlejudge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta also observed that if the state police are unable to carry out the investigation in a transparent and reliable manner the probe may be handed over to a different investigating agencyJustice Sengupta also took exception as to why the investigating officers did not do video recording of the statement of a doctor who is a witness in the case saying it is not clear why the video recording was not doneAfter the panchayat elections in the state last year BJP candidate Bholanath Mondal had died under mysterious circumstances while he was under treatment at a hospital in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas districtHis family members alleged that the cause of death was physical assault by the ruling Trinamool Congress workers on the election day following which he had to be hospitalised However the postmortem report put the cause of death as leverrelated ailmentsThe family members of Mondal had then approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the content of the autopsy report Their counsel alleged that the police had put pressure on the witnesses and the doctor to give statements in a particular manner and that is why no video recording of the statements were made The family members also accused the police of putting the witnesses under pressure by unnecessarily sending notices to themHowever on Tuesday the state government counsel argued that the death of a person because of medical complications is unnecessarily being politicisedThe matter will be heard next on March 13 Before that the petitioners should file their points of argument in the form of an affidavit and submit to the court Justice Sengupta directed IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-police-face-calcutta-hcs-ire-over-lackadaisical-statement-recording-in-mystery-death-case-517288.html Tue, 06 Feb 2024 22:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/oversight-board-asks-meta-to-label-ai-manipulated-content-to-curb-fake-videos-516784.html San Francisco Feb 5 The Oversight Board on Monday urged Meta to begin labeling manipulated content such as videos altered by artificial intelligence AI or other means when such content may cause harm This comes after the Board the external advisory group that Meta created reviewed a misleading seven second clip of US President Joe Biden that made the rounds on social media last yearIt said that the cheap fake video of Biden reveals major inconsistencies in the way Meta treats altered content and that it could reshape the companys misinformation policies ahead of the 2024 electionThe Board said Meta should stop removing manipulated media when no other policy violation is present and instead apply a label indicating the content is significantly altered and may misleadThe volume of misleading content is rising and the quality of tools to create it is rapidly increasing said Michael McConnell CoChair Oversight Board in a statementPlatforms must keep pace with these changes especially in light of global elections during which certain actors seek to mislead the publicManipulated media however present special challenges McConnell saidRaising concerns about the manipulated media policy in its current form the Board said it is incoherent lacks persuasive justification and can specifically disrupt electoral processesThis was seen in the case of Bidens video which was uploaded to Facebook in May 2023 with a caption describing Biden as a sick pedophileThe original video showed the President accompanying his granddaughter Natalie Biden to cast her ballot in 2022 and pinning an I Voted sticker and kisses on her cheek However the edited version removed visual evidence of the sticker setting the clip to a song with sexual lyrics and looping it to depict Biden inappropriately touching the young womanThe video does not violate Metas Manipulated Media policy as now written given that the policy applies only to video created through AI and only to content showing people saying things they did not say Since the video in this post was not altered using AI and it shows President Biden doing something he did not do not something he did not say and the alteration of the video clip is obvious it does not violate the existing policyAs it stands the policy makes little sense said McConnellIt bans altered videos that show people saying things they do not say but does not prohibit posts depicting an individual doing something they did not do It only applies to video created through AI but lets other fake content off the hookPerhaps most worryingly it does not cover audio fakes which are one of the most potent forms of electoral disinformation were seeing around the world Meta must urgently work to close these gapsWhile Meta was right to leave up the content it should take prompt action to amend that policy to bring it into alignment with its stated purposes and label such content as manipulated in the future the Board noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/oversight-board-asks-meta-to-label-ai-manipulated-content-to-curb-fake-videos-516784.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 19:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-stays-execution-of-15-day-sentence-to-ips-officer-on-contempt-plea-moved-by-dhoni-516824.html New Delhi Feb 5 The Supreme Court on Monday stayed an order passed by the Madras High Court sentencing Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Sampath Kumar to 15 days simple imprisonment under Contempt of Courts Act 1971 Hearing an appeal filed by the IPS officer a bench headed by Justice Abhay S Oka sought the response of former India cricket captain MS Dhoni as it issued an adinterim stay on execution of 15day sentence The matter is tentatively listed for further hearing on March 7 Dhoni had moved the Madras High Court for initiating contempt proceedings against the IPS officer for his remarks against the judiciary in his written statement filed in response to a Rs 100 crore defamation suit filed by the cricketer for having named him in the IPL betting scam In December 2023 a bench of Justices SS Sundar and S Mohan of the high court found Kumar guilty of committing criminal contempt and restricted the punishment to simple imprisonment for a period of 15 days However the High Court suspended the execution of the punishment for a period of 60 days to allow him to move an appeal before the Supreme Court IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sc-stays-execution-of-15-day-sentence-to-ips-officer-on-contempt-plea-moved-by-dhoni-516824.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 21:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/jaipur-records-decades-highest-rainfall-in-february-516583.html Jaipur Feb 5 Rajasthans capital city Jaipur has recorded 224 mm rainfall the highest rainfall in a single day in the last 10 years in the month of FebruaryThe MeT officials said that in the last 24 hours light to moderate rain with thunder was recorded in different parts of the stateDholpur recorded the maximum rainfall of 35 mm while Bilara and Jodhpur in western Rajasthan recorded 18 mm of rainfall the MeT saidThe MeT also warned that the minimum temperature is likely to drop by 24 degrees in the next twothree days and dense fog may be recorded at some places in the northern partsThere will be a reduction in thunderstorm and rain activities in most parts of the state from Monday However there is a possibility of partly cloudy sky and only drizzle in Kota division today In most of the remaining parts the weather will remain mainly dry for the next 56 days the MeT said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/jaipur-records-decades-highest-rainfall-in-february-516583.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 13:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/centre-pushing-state-to-financial-crisis-says-kerala-minister-516595.html Thiruvananthapuram Feb 5 Even as the Supreme Court is hearing a plea of the Kerala government on the treatment meted out to the state by the Centre with regards to finances on Monday state Finance Minister KN Balagopal slammed the Centre during the budget presentation in the Assembly He pointed out that Kerala cannot remain a mute spectator against the hostile approach of the Central government which is pushing the state towards the worst financial crisis in its historyInstead we should strive forward with the strong sentiment of Thakarilla Keralam Thalarilla Keralam Thakarkkanavilla Keralathe Kerala will not be shattered Kerala will not tire Kerala cannot be destroyed The government will provide leadership in taking forward our achievements and progress while ensuring that all Keralites stand united in building a New Keralam Navakeralam said BalagopalWe need to reclaim our legal and constitutional rights through strong action by espousing the foundational ideals of cooperative federalism Instead of waiting for justice from the Central government the state government will utilize all its resources to raise capital investments from private and public sectors thereby ensuring speedy implementation of all its programmes added the MinisterHe further pointed out that along with strengthening existing models outofthebox project implementation models that promote efficiency and innovation will also be adoptedWe intend to formulate shortterm projects that can generate employment and income in addition to medium and long term projects Programmes are being planned to attract investment to the tune of at least Rs 3 lakh crore within the next three yearsThe thrust areas shall be the projects in tourism which can be completed in a short span allied developmental activities in and around Vizhinjam and Cochin Ports development of industrial corridors of Kochi Palakkad and Kannur for which land has already been acquired and ITIT Enabled Services ITES Schemes to attract capital investment in the education sector will be initiated said Balagopal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/centre-pushing-state-to-financial-crisis-says-kerala-minister-516595.html Mon, 05 Feb 2024 13:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/question-mark-over-ls-tickets-for-kamal-digvijaya-after-crushing-mp-defeat-516154.html Bhopal Feb 4 After the crushing defeat of Congress in Madhya Pradesh Assembly election in November last year gave a rise to speculations about political future of its two former Chief Ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh the possibility of their candidature for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election has became part of discussion in the states political galleryBoth these veteran Congress leaders who have a strong base in states politics of over 40 years have failed to fulfill the task assigned which has already made the partys top brass handover the states leadership into a young face Jitu PatwariThe upcoming Lok Sabha election will obviously be the first test of the new MPCC president Patwaris leadership It will also be crucial to see if Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh who are above 75 of their age contest the election or notAt present Kamal Nath is a member of the legislative assembly from his bastion Chhindwara while Digvijaya Singh is a Rajya Sabha MP and his tenure will be completed in 2026 Sources in the Congress told IANS that there are very rare chances that the party will give another tenure to him for Rajya Sabha and therefore he is more likely to contest the Lok Sabha election for political survivalWhile Digvijaya Singh who had lost the Lok Sabha election against sitting BJP MP Pragya Thakur from Bhopal in 2019 has recently said that he wont contest the upcoming general election his veteran colleague Kamal Nath left political watchers guessing his next moveRecently a meeting between new Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Kamal Nath at the latters residence in Bhopal that lasted more than one hour fueled speculation if Kamal Naths son and Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath was exploring his political options beyond Congress However a week after that meeting Nakul Nath sent his donation of Rs 138 lakh to Congress apparently ending the speculationQueried on whether he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls Kamal Nath on Saturday said that all decisions on candidates will be taken by the party Candidates will be decided on the basis of their prospects of winning He has represented Chhindwara in Lok Sabha nine times However when asked about the likelihood of his Congress colleagues like Acharya Pramod Krishnam joining the BJP he said All are free not bound to be associated with any partyHowever both these veterans have been touring extensively in their respective home turfs Digvijaya Singh who represented Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency from 1984 to 1989 and then again from 1991 to 1993 until he was elected Chief Minister has been touring and holding meetings with party workers extensively in Rajgarh district for the past fortnight Kamal Nath also has been touring Chhindwara regularlyMeanwhile all seems not well between the supporters of these two veteran Congress leaders Recently two party leaders who are said to be close to Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath were indulged in a clash at a party headquarters Sources told IANS that clashes broke out over accusation of the partys loss in the assembly election which has prompted the partys new state head Jitu Patwari to seek their explanationsDigvijaya Singh also faced wrath from younger brother and former Congress MLA Laxman Singh who recently has alleged that his elder brother has been surrounded by some dalals Laxman Singh lost the last assembly election from Chachora assembly seat and since then he has been vocal against the Congress leadership IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/question-mark-over-ls-tickets-for-kamal-digvijaya-after-crushing-mp-defeat-516154.html Sun, 04 Feb 2024 09:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/far-from-speeding-up-delivery-of-justice-odishas-village-courts-battle-backlogs-516296.html Bhubaneswar Feb 4 Odisha was among the states that were the first to introduce Gram Nyayalayas or village courts after the Act paving the way for them came into effect on October 2 2009A little less than 15 years later far from ensuring speedy justice to those who need it the most the states Gram Nyayalayas are mired in a pile of pending cases because of the apathy of the key stakeholders including the police lawyers and the state governmentThe Law Commission in its 114th report in 1986 had proposed that Gram Nyayalayas be set up across the country to ensure access to justice for the weaker sections of the society and reduce delays in the delivery of justiceThe Gram Nyayalayas Bill was passed by Parliament on December 22 2008 and the Act came into effect on October 2 2009Though the Act does not make it mandatory for states to set up Gram Nyayalayas yet Odisha was among a few states to roll out the concept in 2009 hoping to deliver justic to citizens literally at their doorstepsOdisha has 20 operational Gram Nyayalayas out of the 24 that have so far been notified by the state governmentAs per the information available with the Department of Justice under Union Ministry of Law and Justice Odisha received Rs 5244 lakh from the central government for the establishment of the village courtsBur the village courts are yet to fully achieve the objectives they were set up for The Gram Nyayalayas which were expected to reduce the pendency of cases in subordinate courts are found burdened with a huge backlog of pending cases insteadOdisha recorded the most number of pending cases at the village courts in the country after Uttar PradeshThe data available in the Gram Nyayalaya portal of the Department of Justice reveals that as many as 45874 cases including 1124 civil cases and 44750 criminal cases are pending in the 20 functional village courts across OdishaMeanwhile many other reasons are also responsible for the poor show of village courts across the countryMajority of States have now set up regular courts at Taluka level Though no state has opposed setting up of Gram Nyayalayas however reluctance of police officials and other State functionaries to invoke jurisdiction of Gram Nyayalayas lukewarm response of Bar nonavailability of notaries and stamp vendors problem of concurrent jurisdiction of regular courts are other issues indicated by the States which are coming in the way of operationalization of the Scheme said Kiren Rijiju the exlaw minister in Rajya Sabha in February last year IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/far-from-speeding-up-delivery-of-justice-odishas-village-courts-battle-backlogs-516296.html Sun, 04 Feb 2024 16:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/stalin-writes-to-dmk-cadres-to-work-hard-for-victory-of-india-bloc-in-ls-polls-515950.html Chennai Feb 3 Chief Minister MK Stalin who is on a trip to Spain to garner investment has called upon the DMK cadres to work hard and ensure that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance INDIA win from all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu as well as the one seat in PuducherryIn a letter to the cadres on Saturday on the occasion of the death anniversary of DMK ideologue and late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu CN Annadurai Stalin who is also the president of DMK exhorted the cadres not to rest until the INDIA bloc wins from all the seats of Tamil Nadu and PuducherryThe death anniversary of CN Annadurai fondly addressed as Anna in Tamil Nadu falls on February 3 SaturdayAnnadurai has an emotional connect with the DMK cadres as he was the first Chief Minister from the Dravidian party in Tamil NaduStalin in the letter said Go and tell the people about the achievements of the DMK government and how the BJP government at the Centre has betrayed Tamil NaduHe also cautioned the cadres that the BJP and the AIADMK will engage in false propaganda against the party and called upon them not to get diverted by such tacticsStalin said Let us prove that we dont fear anything through our field workThe Chief Minister also said that the Union Interim Budget had ignored Tamil Nadu and many other statesHe also expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would form the next government at the Centre and autonomy of states would be safeguarded IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/stalin-writes-to-dmk-cadres-to-work-hard-for-victory-of-india-bloc-in-ls-polls-515950.html Sat, 03 Feb 2024 12:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cji-chandrachud-bats-for-equitable-access-to-legal-education-515957.html New Delhi Feb 3 Batting for equitable access to legal education Chief Justice of India CJI DY Chandrachud on Saturday said that admissions processes to law schools should not only consider academic performance but also factors such as socioeconomic background diversity and life experiencesDelivering an inaugural address at 2024 Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference CASGC CJI Chandrachud said that as we strive to modernise legal education we must also confront the question of equitable access to legal educationEntrance tests for admission to law schools must not be exclusionary We must ensure that our admissions processes are fair transparent and inclusive he saidSpeaking further CJI Chandrahcud said that law officers serve as the primary point of contact between the courts and the government and they not only function as representatives of the government but also as officers of the courtLaw officers bear a greater responsibility in upholding ethical standards compared to private practitioners given their role as guardians of the rule of law It is imperative that law officers remain impervious to the politics of the day and conduct themselves with dignity in court ensuring the integrity of legal proceedings he saidThe Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasised that law officers and professionals should not only assist the administration of justice but also uphold the honour of the legal profession through exemplary conduct from both within and outside the courtroom he addedCiting eCourts Project which aims to leverage technology to improve access to justice for all citizens CJI Chandrachud said that technology should bring about a transformation not just automationWe must ensure that technological solutions are designed keeping in mind equity and inclusivity taking into account the diverse needs and capabilities of all our stakeholders he saidChief Justice Chandrachud said that the Sustainable Development Goals calling for action to end poverty protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all resonate deeply with our core constitutional principles of justice equality and human rights and these goals are not specific to just India but are intrinsic part of all legal systemsPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Commonwealth Legal Education Association CLEA Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference CASGC 2024 at Vigyan BhawanThe Conference will see participation of Attorney Generals and Solicitors from the Commonwealth nations spanning the AsiaPacific Africa and the Caribbean along with various international delegationsThe conference themed CrossBorder Challenges in Justice Delivery will deliberate on important issues pertaining to law and justice like judicial transition and the ethical dimensions of legal practice executive accountability and revisiting modernday legal education among others IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cji-chandrachud-bats-for-equitable-access-to-legal-education-515957.html Sat, 03 Feb 2024 13:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/siddaramaiah-to-lead-protest-in-delhi-on-feb-7-over-non-allocation-of-funds-to-ktaka-515981.html Bengaluru Feb 3 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that the Congress government will stage a protest in New Delhi on Feb 7 over nonallocation of funds to address the drought situation in KarnatakaHe said that the protest will be led by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and all ministers and Congress MLAs will take part in the protestWe will demand justice for Karnataka More than 200 taluks are drought prone in Karnataka and no funds have been allotted by the Central government the Deputy Chief Minister told media personsHe said that the funds announced in the previous budget have not been released to the state and in the present budget the interests of the state have also been underminedThe entire Karnataka government will stage a protest for the first time in the national capital over the issue the Deputy Chief Minister saidWhen asked about BJP planning the protest in Karnataka on the same day the Deputy Chief Minister said that if BJP has sense they must introspect why people in Karnataka have rejected themIf they have any honour left they must raise their voice against the Central government to release funds for the state The BJP leaders did not meet PM Modi for getting the funds released for the state or accompanied us to meet the PM nor raised any voice in the interest of the state the Deputy Chief Minister said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/siddaramaiah-to-lead-protest-in-delhi-on-feb-7-over-non-allocation-of-funds-to-ktaka-515981.html Sat, 03 Feb 2024 14:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/people-in-karnataka-have-to-live-amicably-shivakumar-on-seer-controversy-516001.html Bengaluru Feb 3 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said that people in the state have to live amicably and not stoke religious tensionThere is no untouchability in Karnataka We are all one and have to live amicably The temples will be open for all the people the Deputy Chief Minister in response to the allegations by a seer who was allegedly denied permission to enter a temple in KarnatakaThe Deputy Chief Minister said that he came to know about the incident via the media I came to know about the incident through the media I will discuss the issue with the Muzarai Department officials and the District incharge Minister the Deputy Chief Minister saidKaginele Kanaka mutt pontiff Eshwaranandapuri Swami who belongs Kuruba shepherd community has claimed that he was not allowed to enter the Chennakeshava temple in Baguru village of Karnatakas Chitradurga district due to his casteHe made the remarks while participating in a seminar titled Religious mutts in the way of transition at Sanehalli in Chitradurga district on FridayThe temple was cleaned as a seer from the Kuruba community entered the temple I will never set my foot inside the Chennakeshava temple ever again he saidHe said that he had visited the temple on the occasion of Vaikuntha Ekadashi while all the women related to priests were let inside the temple and despite being a pontiff of the mutt he was allowed to enter the templeI didnt know that the temple is under Muzarai Department If I had known it I would have staged a protest like saint Kanakadasa he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/people-in-karnataka-have-to-live-amicably-shivakumar-on-seer-controversy-516001.html Sat, 03 Feb 2024 15:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cash-gold-worth-about-rs-17-crore-seized-in-andhra-pradesh-515767.html Amaravati Feb 2 Unaccounted cash gold and silver worth nearly Rs 17 crore have been seized in Andhra Pradesh ahead of simultaneous elections to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha During the checking at different places the police have seized the cash and other valuables in in Tirupati Potti Sriramulu Nellore and Kurnool districts since ThursdayThe biggest seizure of Rs 727 crore cash was made in NelloreA person was found to be carrying Rs 438 crore He told police that the cash was meant for purchasing gold However he failed to present documents in support of his claimPolice seized Rs 512 crore cash from three places in Gudur town in Tirupati district Six people were detained in three different cases Police said they failed to show relevant documents for transfer of huge cashPolice have stepped up checking at various places to stop any transfer of money or other valuables ahead of the elections Following the direction of the Election Commission the police officials were keeping a tight vigil on transport of unaccounted cash Vehicle checking was also taken up on national highways in various districts Police seized Rs 459 crore worth of gold silver and unaccounted cash during the checking on National Highway 44 in KurnoolOfficials said Rs432 kg of gold five kg of silver biscuits and Rs184 crore cash were seized from four personsElections for state Assembly are likely to be held along with Lok Sabha polls in a couple of months The election authorities are maintaining tight vigil in view of the big jump in preelection seizure in neighbouring Telangana Cash freebies narcotics and precious metals worth Rs 46963 crore were seized during Telangana Assembly elections held in November last year This was 454 per cent higher compared to seizures made in 2018 elections IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cash-gold-worth-about-rs-17-crore-seized-in-andhra-pradesh-515767.html Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/many-students-of-nalanda-fail-to-appear-for-class-12-board-exams-due-to-traffic-jams-515395.html Patna Febr 1 Huge chaos erupted in the Board examination centres of Bihars Nalanda district on Thursday as many students were not allowed to appear as they reached there late due to traffic jams Many students claimed that they left home well in advance but as all the roads were jammed due to heavy traffic they failed to reach the examination centres on time Following the refusal to let them enter many students climbed over the wall to enter the examination hall while some others protested against the Education Department and district administration We came home in time but as the roads were blocked everywhere I failed to reach the examination centre located at Kisan College in them The teachers and officers of the Education Department did not allow us entry It was the fault of the Traffic Department student Kiran Kumari said A total of 41 examination centres were set up for Class 12 exams in Nalanda including 34 in district headquarter Biharsharif IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/many-students-of-nalanda-fail-to-appear-for-class-12-board-exams-due-to-traffic-jams-515395.html Thu, 01 Feb 2024 21:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/home-is-where-ram-is-people-queue-up-to-buy-property-in-ayodhya-515190.html Ayodhya Feb 1 Home is where Ram is that is what people now believeAccording to official sources people both Indians and NRIs are now queuing up to buy property in the holy city that has come to be known as Hindu Vatican after the opening of the Ram temple last monthSuperstar Amitabh Bachchan made headlines last month when he bought a plot of land in AyodhyaThree NRIs from Thailand have approached the Ayodhya Development Authority to buy five acre plots Earlier delegations from Mexico South Korea and Sri Lanka had visited the city to explore the options of buying land in Ayodhya which has undergone a massive makeover because of infrastructure upgrade in view of Ram temple and state governments commitment to make it a global destination said an officialAyodhya Development Authority ADA secretary Satyendra Singh said A group of three individuals from Thailand came to me seeking a land parcel measuring at least 5acre We have forwarded their letter to officials of the housing and development boardAs aggregating a big chunk of land within the city limits is difficult those looking for large land parcels are being directed to Navya Ayodhya a 1407acre greenfield township being developed by Awas Vikas ParishadWe are keeping a record of requests for land being made by interested companies parties and individuals and have told them to wait till the time relevant schemes are floated Our staff would get in touch with them and allotment would be done as per the rules and guidelines said PK Singh superintending engineer Awas Vikas Parishad Ayodhya divisionSingh said request letters from the group from Sri Lanka and Thailand were received recently while those looking for limited land are being entertained by the development authorityPrivate companies and real estate agents are also active However a maximum number of NRIs are showing interest in the government schemes added SinghBoth the officials clarified that formal requests by any country are routed through the Union government and hence those posing as representatives of the countries have been asked to provide formal authorisation letters through the embassiesIn some cases individuals have posed as advisors as well as ambassadors of a certain country We have taken them around to show the sites But formal request has to come as per the procedure said the officer IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/home-is-where-ram-is-people-queue-up-to-buy-property-in-ayodhya-515190.html Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/kerala-lok-sabha-constituency-where-sabarimala-temple-is-located-could-see-triangular-fight-of-christian-candidates-514836.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 31 Keralas Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency where the famed Hindu temple of Sabarimala is located will in all likelihood will witness a triangular fight of three Christian candidates representing the three political fronts in Kerala in the upcoming general elections This became evident on Wednesday when seventime former legislator PCGeorge was admitted into the BJP in Delhi in the presence of General Secretary in charge of state Prakash Javadekar and Union Ministers V Muraleedharan and Rajiv Chandrasekhar George in his 33 years as a legislator represented the Poonjar constituency which is part of the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency and hence the BJP which is expecting to reach out to the Christian community through George hopes with he being the local boy it could spell credence to Javadekars repeated statements that this time the BJP will win a minimum 5 seats out of the states 20 However this can be seen as an ardent wish as the BJP has no seat in the 140member Assembly The other two Christian candidates include sitting Congress Lok Sabha member Anto Antony who has been representing this constituency since its inception in 2009 The third is none other than CPIM veteran and two time former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac who for the past six months has been stay put in the constituency taking part and holding numerous seminars and meetings Significantly iAntonys margin has been coming down after each election from a victory margin of 111 lakh votes in 2009 to around 56000 votes in 2014 and finally in 2019 he won with a further reduced margin of around 44000 votes Likewise in each of the elections from 2009 both the CPIM and BJP candidates have been increasing their tally of votes with the BJP candidates registering a phenomenal growth of their votes which went up from a mere 56000 to 297 lakh while the CPIM candidates had a modest growth from 297 lakh to 336 lakhHowever the CPIM is expecting that they will be able to repeat the 2021 Assembly polls performance in the seven assembly constituencies which comes under the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency as they won all the five seats in Pathanamathitta district and two in the Kottayam district The victory margin of these seven assembly constituencies comes to 73656 votes but Antony who in all likelihood will be asked to defend his seat is confident that his voters who have seen him since 2009 will give him a handsome win If George is fielded by the BJP it will in all likelihood be a triangular fight between three Christian candidates IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/kerala-lok-sabha-constituency-where-sabarimala-temple-is-located-could-see-triangular-fight-of-christian-candidates-514836.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bsf-denies-bengal-cms-charges-on-distribution-of-separate-identity-cards-514592.html Kolkata Jan 31 The Border Security Force BSF on Wednesday denied the recent charges brought by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the forces personnel of distributing separate identity cards to residents of villages close to the IndiaBangladesh borders in the state A BSF spokesman said that their personnel are only engaged in ensuring the security of Indias borders and are not associated with the distribution of identity cards since the agency does not have the authority for itBSF insiders explained that the only thing that their outfits do is to issue gate passes to those residents of the state whose farmlands are in the no mans land beyond the barbed fence and who have to go there for the purpose of farmingSuch residents have to show the gate passes while going to and returning from their farms in the no mans landThis according to the BSF is done to ensure that no Bangladeshi resident can illegally enter India after furnishing fake identity proofsOn Monday while addressing an administrative review meeting at Cooch Behar which borders Bangladesh the Chief Minister asked residents of villages close to the IndiaBangladesh borders in the state not to accept identity cards provided by the BSFI have got information that the BSF is trying to provide identity cards to the residents in the bordering villages Do not accept these cards If you accept them you might come under the ambit of the NRC Everyone understands who is actually steering the movement against the NRC she said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bsf-denies-bengal-cms-charges-on-distribution-of-separate-identity-cards-514592.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 12:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-k-takes-steps-to-destress-students-no-termination-policy-for-pg-students-514689.html Kanpur UP Jan 31 The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur IITK has done away with its termination policy for postgraduate PG studentsThis means that no PG students will be terminated for failing in exams and they can appear in successive tests multiple timesThe decision comes after three students allegedly ended their lives in just a monthProf Shalabh the dean of Student Academic Affairs said Yes inprinciple it has been agreed upon to extend the benefit of notermination policy at the postgraduate level It means there will be notermination based on a students academic record cumulative point index or CPI The policy was introduced at the undergraduate level in 2022IITK has also put in place a number of measures relaxed several norms and introduced additional welfare initiatives for its students Shalabh saidWe have decided to reduce the academic workload of PhD students Presently they are required to pursue six courses It has been reduced to four This is one of the measures put in place to destress students he saidHe added The course work will be made more flexible and the institute will not put any pressure on students to complete their academic work even if their CPI is lowAlso PhD students will get an option to exit the programme with a MS degree and faster processing of a thesis in three months as against six months earlier he addedOther measures included a streamlined PG admission process freedom to choose between a thesis and a project in the MTech programmes Prof Shalabh saidAll faculty guides will be trained to help students by keeping informal channels of communication open for nonacademic matters and provide help to students to foster a supportive environment he addedThe institute is also strengthening its counselling service by hiring more professionals he said adding more hostel managers were being hired to take care of the medical needs of the students Mental health awareness programmes would be conducted every semester he saidBetween December 19 and January 18 the IITK witnessed three cases of its students allegedly committing suicideOn January 18 a PhD student on January 10 an MTech student in the department of aerospace engineering and on December 19 a postdoctoral research student in the department of biological sciences and bioengineering were found dead in their hostel roomsThe MTech student was facing conditional termination as he refused to appeal to reappear in a retestThe dean of student academic affairs said the strength of students at IITK has doubled to nearly 10000 from 5000 till a few years agoThere were a few measures that were already in place But they were not adequate to cater to so many students We had a counselling team for UG students But now the institute will have a dedicated pool of counsellors psychologists and psychiatrists to help postgraduate students combat stress he saidA review committee with five members has also been formed It is tasked with addressing and promptly resolving student issues It has reportedly received specific inputs from individual departments based on their interactions Open House with students IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-k-takes-steps-to-destress-students-no-termination-policy-for-pg-students-514689.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 15:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/amartya-sen-vs-visva-bharati-lower-court-rules-in-favour-of-economist-514741.html Kolkata Jan 31 Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen on Wednesday won the first round of legal battle against the VisvaBharati University in Santiniketan with a district court in West Bengals Birbhum dismissing the notice of eviction issued by the university authorities against Sen last yearIn April last year Sen had approached the district court after the eviction notice was issued against him in a dispute over 13 decimals of the land within the university campus The authorities claimed that the Nobel laureate economist illegally occupied that portion of the landFinally the district court on Wednesday delivered its judgment in the matter and dismissed the eviction notice issued by the university authorities Till the time of filing of this report there was no reaction from the Visva Bharati authorities on the court orderWe have won Amartya Sen will not have to vacate the land The court observed that the eviction notice against him lacks factual basis Sens counsel said after the order was passedTo recall The dispute over the 13 decimals of land started when then Vice Chancellor of VisvaBharati University Bidyut Chakraborty started accusing Sen of illegally occupying 138 acres of land which is in excess of his legal entitlement of 125 acresHowever Sen refuted the allegation claiming the original 125 acres were gifted to his grandfather late Kshitimohan Sen who was the second VC of VisvaBharati UniversityLater Sens father late Asutosh Sen who was also a professor with the same university purchased the remaining 13 decimals of land which is at the centre of the disputeThe West Bengal government had recently transferred leasehold rights of the entire 138 acres of land to Sen to thwart any eviction attempt by the university authorities IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/amartya-sen-vs-visva-bharati-lower-court-rules-in-favour-of-economist-514741.html Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/state-medical-council-registration-mandatory-for-docs-from-outside-practising-in-bengal-514377.html Kolkata Jan 30 Doctors with registrations from other states but currently practising in West Bengal will have to mandatorily get enrolled with the West Bengal Medical CouncilThis will not only be applicable for the doctors associated with the staterun hospitals but also for doctors linked with private hospitals including those running private chambersA detailed notification in this regard will be issued shortly As a first step all the private hospitals in the state have been asked to furnish a list of the medical practitioners associated with them said an officebearer of the state medical councilIt is learnt that in the initial stage the big corporate hospitals in the state have been asked to furnish the details of the list of doctors associated with the state medical council within the next 15 days The hospital authorities have also been asked to furnish the details of Aadhaar and PAN cards of the doctors attached to themThe officebearer said that this move is aimed at making the doctors with registrations from other states accountable to the council in the event of any medical negligence case involving themCitybased oral and maxillofacial surgeon Srijon Mukherjee told IANS that this condition of mandatory enrollment with the state medical council for all doctors practising in the state was always thereThe only thing is that it was never strictly implemented Probably the state medical council is now going to implement the same more strictly Whatever it might be enrolment of all doctors practising in West Bengal irrespective of their state of registration with the state medical council is absolutely necessary I agree with the council that it will help in fixing accountability in the event of any complaint of medical negligence he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/state-medical-council-registration-mandatory-for-docs-from-outside-practising-in-bengal-514377.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bjp-not-sure-of-2024-so-using-every-instrument-to-deepen-polarisation-yechuri-514381.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 30 CPIM General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Tuesday lashed out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that they were scheming and using the ED and money power to break up regional parties in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha pollsThey are doing this as the BJP is not sure of 2024 and is using every instrument to sharpen polarisation even though their propaganda of getting over 400 seats is being highlighted said YechuriDue to this insecurity over retaining power Modi and the BJP are brazenly assaulting the Opposition The ED and money power is the cocktail being used as we saw in Karnataka Maharashtra Bihar and of late in Jharkhand where the ED is after the Chief MinisterThe ED is being grossly misused against Opposition parties and this is because the BJP knows they are shaky said YechuriYechuri is in the capital city to take part in the central committee meeting of the partyHitting out at the Sangh Parivar he said the BJP is centrally focused on consolidation of Hindu votes This has to be challenged to separate politics from religion This is a threat to secularism added YechuriWhat we saw during the Ayodhya temple consecration is a buildup of communal polarization This is a clear violation of the Indian Constitution The Freedom of Worship Act is being diluted In every state the BJP is trying to liberate one shrine or the other said Yechuri IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bjp-not-sure-of-2024-so-using-every-instrument-to-deepen-polarisation-yechuri-514381.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/many-congress-leaders-set-to-join-bjp-next-month-says-assam-minister-514167.html Guwahati Jan 30 Days after former Assam youth Congress president Angkita Dutta and former Congress MLA Bismita Gogoi joined the BJP state minister Pijush Hazarika claimed that more leaders from the grand old party have lined up to join the saffron camp in the next monthAccording to Hazarika BJP is set to organise an event on February 5 when many opposition leaders will join the ruling partyHe told reporters on Monday evening I had several times mentioned that the Congress would be wiped out from Assam But the opposition leaders kept on attacking me However if they look at the current situation my statement is going to be trueHazarika asserted that many Congress leaders have been calling the BJP people expressing their wish to join the saffron campWe get numerous calls everyday from the Congress leaders They want to leave the opposition camp and join our party We have decided to organise a big joining ceremony on February 5 Many Congress leaders will join BJP on that day the minister saidHe claimed that because of the BJPs commitment to work for the betterment of the people the opposition leaders were forced to join the ruling partyOur Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been working for the welfare of the state and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working for the people of the whole nation The opposition leaders are bound to join our party because of BJPs development work Hazarika said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/many-congress-leaders-set-to-join-bjp-next-month-says-assam-minister-514167.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tejashwi-yadav-reaches-ed-office-in-patna-for-questioning-in-land-for-job-case-514232.html Patna Jan 30 A day after RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav underwent questioning in the ED office in Patna his younger son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav reached the central agencys office in response to summons served to him on January 28 in the IRCTC landforjob caseTejashwi Yadav is facing charges as a beneficiary as ED officials claimed that some of the properties were registered in his nameThe ED has also filed a charge sheet against him and other family members in the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi and its hearing is scheduled on February 9A large number of RJD workers and MLAs were present at the gate of the EDs office on Tuesday and they were shouting slogans against the Centre and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish KumarThe central agency has brought CRPF for its securityOn Monday the ED officials had quizzed Lalu Prasad Yadav for 10 hours from 11 am to 9 pmSources said that they asked Lalu Prasad Yadav 60 questions and he was looking calm and composed during the questioningHe gave answers to all the questions that ED officials asked him in quick successionOn Monday no one including Lalu Prasad Yadavs eldest daughter Misa Bharti who went there as an attendant was allowed to accompany himDuring the questioning a large number of RJD supporters were present at the place and shouted slogans against Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra ModiThey sat in the temple which was located in front of the EDs office in PatnaED has given the summons but I want to say that those who have public support are not frightened of anyone We will fight for them said Bhai Virendra RJD MLA IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tejashwi-yadav-reaches-ed-office-in-patna-for-questioning-in-land-for-job-case-514232.html Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/nia-conducts-voice-test-of-tmc-leader-in-2022-birbhum-explosives-case-513850.html Kolkata Jan 29 The National Investigation Agency NIA sleuths after obtaining information about the influential political links from the mobile phone of arrested Trinamool Congress leader Ismail Chowdhury in the 2022 Birbhum explosives case have conducted his voice sampling testTo confirm the clues sources said the voice sampling test of Chowdhury has already been conducted which will soon be sent to the Central Forensic Science LaboratorySources said the NIA sleuths have come across several audio messages from the mobile phone of the arrested Trinamool Congress leader Among the clues secured by the central agency sleuths from those audio messages was about the probable connection of Sehgal Hossain a prime accused in the cattle smuggling case in West BengalHossian was the bodyguard of Trinamool Congress strongman and the partys erstwhile Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal Both of them are currently in judicial custody at Tihar jail in New Delhi in the cattle smuggling caseRecently NIA sleuths also went to Tihar Jail and questioned Hossian in the matter there sources saidTo recall huge explosives items including 81000 detonators 27 kilograms of ammonium nitrates and 1925 kg gelatin sticks were recovered at Muhammadbazar area of Birbhum district on June 30 2022These explosives were seized by the sleuths of the Special Task Force STF of state police The NIA took charge of the investigation on September 29 of the same year and filed a charge sheet in the case within 90 days after the beginning of the investigation In July this year the NIA sleuths also arrested a local Trinamool Congress leader from Birbhum Manoj Ghosh IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/nia-conducts-voice-test-of-tmc-leader-in-2022-birbhum-explosives-case-513850.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/dmrc-changes-colour-code-of-upcoming-aerocitytughlakabad-corridor-513628.html New Delhi Jan 29 The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC has decided to change the colour code of the upcoming Delhi AerocityTughlakabad corridor of Phase IV from silver to golden for better visibility and convenience for the passengers an official said on MondayThe decision has been taken since the golden colour can be displayed more prominently and clearly on the trains rather than silver which tends to get mixed with the overall silvery texture of the stainless steel body of the Metro trains Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal saidTherefore the selection of golden as the colour code would ensure better visibility on trains and will be more convenient for the passengers he said The Delhi metro has colourcoded all its operational corridors for easier identification by the passengers A coloured strip indicating the code of that particular corridor is displayed prominently on the body of the trains For example a train operating on the blue line from Dwarka Sector 21 to Noida Vaishali has a blue strip below the window The AerocityTughlakabad Metro corridor of Delhi Metros Phase IV will be 2362 km long with 15 stationsThis corridor will connect the Kashmere GateRaja Nahar Singh Violet Line with the Airport Express Line and will provide connectivity to many new areas in the southern part of the national capital This corridor is expected to be made operational by March 2026 Dayal said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/dmrc-changes-colour-code-of-upcoming-aerocitytughlakabad-corridor-513628.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 17:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/calcutta-hc-allows-termination-of-rape-victims-23-week-pregnancy-513668.html Kolkata Jan 29 The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed the termination of 23week old pregnancy of a rape victim The victim was facing problems relating to the termination of pregnancy since when it was detected after 21 weeks As per Indian law a pregnancy which is 20 weeks or above can be terminated only with the permission of a court The victim thus approached the Calcutta High Court and a singlejudge bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya after hearing all sides and considering the sensitivity of the matter permitted termination of the pregnancy Justice Bhattacharya has directed that the entire process has to be completed within the next 48 hours and ordered a threemember medical team be set up for that purpose He also directed that the victims medical conditions should be thoroughly checked before conducting the process Last year Justice Bhattacharya had permitted a similar termination of pregnancy that was 26 weeks old of a 11yearold minor rape victim IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/calcutta-hc-allows-termination-of-rape-victims-23-week-pregnancy-513668.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 19:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tirumala-temple-bodys-budget-crosses-rs-5-000-crore-513685.html Tirupati Jan 29 The budget of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam TTD which administers the worlds richest Hindu temple at Tirumala near here and several other temples in the country has crossed Rs 5000 croreThe TTD trust board on Monday passed a Rs 5141 crore budget for 202425 a jump of over 16 per cent over the previous year This is the highest budget since TTDs inception in 1933 The meeting of TTD Trust Board presided over by Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy passed the budget For the coming year the lions share of revenues totalling Rs 1611 crore are anticipated from Hundi collections Similarly interest receipts on fixed deposits are expected to generate Rs 1167 crore while Rs 600 crore is expected to be realised from laddu and other prasadam sales The temple trust is also expected to earn Rs 448 crore from Darshanam receipts and Arjithaseva Accommodation and Kalyana Mandapams are expected to generate revenue of Rs 147 crore Karunakar Reddy said as a part of its mission of taking forward the Sanatana Hindu Dharma Prachara the TTD Trust Board decided to make mangalsutras weighing 5 gm and 10 gm and sell them to the devotees after getting the divine blessings for a blissful married life of the couple These Mangalasutrams will be prepared in 5 grams and 10 grams on a costtocost basis in four or five designs he said The Board approved tenders towards the construction of a gravel road in an additional 13205 acres of land allocated for housing of TTD employees It creased the wages of 70 contract laddu tray lifting semiskilled and unskilled workers in TTD Potu department The Board gave the nod to increase the wages of those working under contract and outsourcing system in various departments of TTD The Six Vedic schools of TTD have been spreading the Vedic education as part of Hindu Sanatana Dharma Prachara The Board decided to increase the salaries of 51 Vedic teachers working in these schools from Rs 35000 to Rs 54000 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tirumala-temple-bodys-budget-crosses-rs-5-000-crore-513685.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 19:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/clashes-between-bjp-supporters-and-cops-trigger-tension-in-barrackpore-513702.html Kolkata Jan 29 Parts of the industrial township of Barrackpore in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district virtually turned into a battlefield on Monday following clashes between the police and BJP supporters during a rally of the saffron party in front of the officer of district police superintendentThe clashes started after the rally taken out by the supporters of the youth wing of the BJP led by state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar was stopped by the policeAs the BJP supporters tried to break through the barricades the police prevented them which led to the clashes As the BJP supporters hurled bricks and stones at the cps the latter resorted to lathi charge and use of watercannons to disperse the mobTill the time of filing of this report tension prevailed in the area We were holding a peaceful demonstration But the cops launched an unprovoked attack on us Even our female workers were not spared and were harassed and beaten up by male cops We will approach the National Commission for Women said MajumdarHe also said that it was the police who first provoked the BJP supporters by throwing stones and bricks towards the procession In West Bengal every democratic and peaceful demonstration is stopped in such a manner by the use of force he addedReacting to Majumdars comments Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh claimed that the police behaved in an extremely responsible manner by just resorting to lathi charge and use of watercannons Had there been central armed forces they would have surely resorted to firing said Ghosh IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/clashes-between-bjp-supporters-and-cops-trigger-tension-in-barrackpore-513702.html Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/country-shocked-by-nitish-kumars-decision-to-align-with-bjp-again-rjd-leader-514083.html Patna Jan 28 Veteran RJD leader Shivananad Tiwari on Sunday said that the country is in shock at the decision of Nitish Kumar to resign as Chief Minister and dissolve the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar People want to know why you had left the BJP in August 2022 and how you entered the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar Was there anyone in the Mahagathbandhan who invited you to join us Nitish Kumar on August 8 2022 walked along with all his MLAs to Rabri Devis residence and apologised before her with folded hands for breaking the alliance in 2017 and going with the BJPDuring that time Nitish Kumar gave the speech before Mahagathbandhan and repeated the same words of BJP leaders not allowing him to work Same statement is being made after he broke the alliance with Mahagathbandhan today Tiwari saidEveryone knew that Tejashwi Yadav announced 10 lakh government jobs in the runup to the 2020 Assembly election It was also mentioned in the manifesto of the RJD At that time Nitish Kumar said that he is a child who does not have sense How could he arrange money to give salaries to 10 lakh employees Interestingly after the formation of the government with the help of Mahagathbandhan he announced 10 lakh government jobs and creation of 10 lakh employment opportunities in different sectors Nitish Kumar was announcing the agenda set by Tejashwi Yadav Nitish Kumar being a leader of the older generation had adopted the vision and agenda of new generation leader Tejashwi Yadav he addedThe RJD leader said that during the tenure of Mahagathbandhan government of Bihar the behavior of Tejashwi Yadav was seen throughout the country He maintained a low presence to make NItish Kumar happy Even as Tejashwi Yadav was holding the post of Health Minister Nitish Kumar gave advertisements in national newspapers with his own photo for Health Ministry programmes and not gave even a small photo in the corner of Tejashwi Yadav Still Tejashwi Yadav ignored it Tiwari said After resignation Nitish Kumar is saying that the RJD was not allowing him to do the work He was working but the RJD leaders were not working This is just a delusion and nothing else of NItish Kumar Why had he not complained to Lalu Prasad Yadav The reason Nitish Kumar stated for his exit from Mahagathbandhan and going to BJP is absolutely false When he separated from the BJP in August 2022 he said that Mitti mein mil jaunga par BJP ke saath nahi jaunga Such statements of Nitish Kumar are available in large numbers when you search on Google BJPs smallest leaders had said that the doors of the party are closed for Nitish Kumar Despite that only a person without selfrespect like Nitish Kumar can think about going there Can a person without selfrespect be a human Tiwari asked IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/country-shocked-by-nitish-kumars-decision-to-align-with-bjp-again-rjd-leader-514083.html Sun, 28 Jan 2024 22:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bro-breakthrough-on-golden-arc-road-by-building-700-meter-naushera-tunnel-513376.html New Delhi Jan 28 Border Roads Organisation BRO said that it has achieved a major breakthrough in Golden Arc Road by building the 700 meterlong Naushera tunnel on AkhnoorPoonch National Highway NH144ABreakthrough is the time taken for the construction of both ends of the tunnel to meetBRO said that Golden Arc Road is an old and highly strategic 200 Km stretch which connects south KashmirJammu region to the west of JammuThe construction of a pivotal infrastructure project National Highway144A connecting Akhnoor to Poonch reached a significant milestone on Sunday as the breakthrough ceremony for the Naushera Tunnel took place BRO saidThe officials said that Golden Arc Road connects important border districts of Akhnoor Rajouri and PoonchIt said that the tunnel spanning an impressive 700 meters is a crucial link connecting Akhnoor and Poonch There are four major tunnels on this stretch viz Kandi tunnel Sungal tunnel Naushera tunnel and BhimberGali tunnel BRO saidThe BRO said that last year on November 25 breakthrough of the Kandi tunnel was achieved signifying the efforts of BRO towards providing connectivity across the areas of Rajouri and PoonchThe progress of the National Highway has taken pace and the project is expected to be completed by 2026 before its specified time BRO saidLt Gen Raghu Srinivasan DG Border Roads said that BRO is spearheading crucial road projects to connect remote areas with major centers in the JammuPoonch regionThe JammuPoonch link advancing rapidly is on track for completion in the next few years he saidOn building Defence infrastructure along the LoC DG BR said that development of defence infrastructure is a continuous process and Border Roads Organisation is committed towards strengthening of defence infrastructure by building and upgrading strategic roads all along the IB LC and LACHe said that BRO and Project Sampark is steadfast in its commitment to create connect care and save lives of the citizens of its area of responsibilityIt believes in the adage Roads Build Nation and rededicated itself to the construction of border roads infrastructures to spur socioeconomic progress he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bro-breakthrough-on-golden-arc-road-by-building-700-meter-naushera-tunnel-513376.html Sun, 28 Jan 2024 17:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tn-cong-upset-over-dmk-ministers-remarks-513425.html Chennai Jan 28 The Tamil Nadu Congress committee was upset over the remarks made by senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Raja Kannappans that the Congress was not doing anything but was seeking more seatsKannappan had in a recent programme said The Congress in Tamil Nadu is not doing anything for the welfare and benefit of the people and instead during election time they come and ask for seatsIn the speech he also said that the people of Tamil Nadu are not giving any importance to Congress as the party was seen only during election season seeking seats The speech of Raja Kannan went viralA senior leader of the Congress party told IANS that the statement of the minister in the threshold of an election period speaking in this manner was creating difficulties for the party He said that the DMKCongress alliance was in good stead in Tamil Nadu and added that such an irresponsible statement by a senior leader of the DMK was not in good intentionThe Congress leader also said that Congress was a Pan India party unlike the DMK and that seats were provided to the Congress as part of the broader allianceThe Congress has already communicated its protest to DMK president and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK StalinIn the 2019 general elections Congress contested 10 seats and won nine Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan lost the Theni Lok Sabha seat against the AIADMK candidate OP Raveendranathan It may be noted that this was the only seat the DMK front has lost in the 2019 general elections IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tn-cong-upset-over-dmk-ministers-remarks-513425.html Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/archaeological-digs-at-jharkhands-gumla-dist-reveal-16th-17th-century-mansions-513494.html Ranchi Jan 28 In Jharkhands Gumla district remarkable archaeological excavations are uncovering the structures of ancient palaces with exquisite architecture in the NavratangarhIt is located in Sisai block of Gumla district in JharkhandSo far the excavations have revealed a historical period from 16th to 17th century which had been buried beneath the layers of timeLast week a secret door was discovered beneath the ground Currently only half of the door is visible and there is a speculation that it might be part of a tunnelThe Archaeological Survey of India ASI is highly enthusiastic about the findings from the excavationNavratangarh was declared a national archaeological heritage site in 2009 and has now become a centre of curiosity and exploration for local tourists archaeologists and historiansLast year a special light and sound show was organised here during the broadcast of the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Mann Ki BaatDuring the excavation by the ASI last year the structure of an ancient subterranean palace was discovered This palace built underground could be around five to six hundred years old Numerous significant ancient artifacts have been found near the palace and the department is studying themDuring the medieval period Navratangarh was one of the capitals of the Nagvanshi dynastyIn 1571 a fort was constructed here It is said that this fort was ninestorey hence this place is known as Navratangarh The remains of this fort are still present on the land after several yearsAfter recent excavations it has been revealed for the first time that the king had also constructed a grand palace under the ground possibly to protect himself from the attacks of the Mughal rulersA secret tunnellike passage has also been found in this subterranean palace and its excavation is ongoing Based on the structure of the underground palace it is speculated that there might be a hidden place for storing diamonds and jewelsKing Durjan Shaal who built Navratangarh is remembered in history as a connoisseur of diamonds and several stories are narrated in this regardOne such story is that Ibrahim Khan the ruler of Gwalior had imprisoned Durjan Shaal for not paying taxes However he was released after 12 years because he had keen eye for diamondsThe scope of ongoing archaeological excavations and surveys here is hugeRani Mahal Kamal Sarovar Rani Lukai Hide and Seek Math Jagannath Temple Subhadra Balbhadra Temple Royal Court Tahkhana Sentry Post Jaleshwar Nath Shivaling in the cave behind Navratangarh Kapil Nath Temple outside Singh Dwar Bhairavnath Temple Radha Krishna Temple Dhobi Math Rajguru Samadhi Sthal Baoli Math Vakil Math Mausi Badi and Joda Nag Temple can be found here IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/archaeological-digs-at-jharkhands-gumla-dist-reveal-16th-17th-century-mansions-513494.html Sun, 28 Jan 2024 18:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/mamata-govt-conspired-to-create-hurdles-for-congress-bharat-jodo-nyay-yatra-513035.html Kolkata Jan 27 Congress West Bengal unit has accused the Mamata government of conspiring to create hurdles for partys Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said not allowing party leader Rahul Gandhis meeting on February 1 at a stadium in Baharampur in Murshidabad district is a conspiracy by the state governmentWe sought the permission of the administration for conducting the meeting at Baharampur Stadium well in advance However after remaining silent for so long the administration denied the permission at the last moment This clearly hints towards a political conspiracy Chowdhury saidHowever local Trinamool Congress leader Apurba Sarkar has rubbished the allegations claiming that the Chief Ministers programme at Baharampur Stadium was scheduled well ahead and there is no question of conspiracy behind the incidentThe Congress leadership has alleged of facing administrative hurdles in conducting Nyay Yatra rally in West Bengal since the time it entered Boxirhat under Tufanganj subdivision in Cooch Behar district on ThursdayOn that day the original stage that was set up to welcome Rahul had to be dismantled and raised at an alternative private place following police objections After that the Siliguri Metropolitan Police denied permission for a public meeting of Rahul in Siliguri town on January 28State Congress leaders said that the schedule of Nyay Yatra at Jalpaiguri town will also have to be changed to an extent following insistence of the district police authorities IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/mamata-govt-conspired-to-create-hurdles-for-congress-bharat-jodo-nyay-yatra-513035.html Sat, 27 Jan 2024 12:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/darjeeling-hills-to-get-separate-regional-school-service-commission-513224.html Kolkata Jan 27 In order to combat the acute shortage of teachers in the hills of Darjeeling Kalimpong and Kurseong in North Bengal a spate regional school service commission has been constituted for the hillsThe term of the regional school service commission exclusively for the hills will be till January 2028 The sevenmember commission will be headed by retired teacher and Kalimpong resident Vijay Kumar Rai according to a notification issued by the West Bengal Education DepartmentWelcoming the development the Gorkhaland Territorial Administrations GTA chief executive and Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha BGPM chief Anit Thapa said that the longstanding demand for the hills has been finally fulfilledThe commission will work to strengthen the education system in West Bengal The people of the hills have started realizing how important it is to have a cordial relationship with the state government said Thapa whose party has a political understanding with the ruling Trinamool CongressAnother popular leader from the hills Harka Bahadur Chhetri also welcomed the decision for a separate regional school service commission for the hills This will make the process of appointment of teachers in the staterun schools in the hills smoother At the same time the school boards in the hills will be able to operate with bigger autonomy Chhetri saidCurrently there are around 1000 primary schools 300 junior high schools and 700 high schools in the hills IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/darjeeling-hills-to-get-separate-regional-school-service-commission-513224.html Sat, 27 Jan 2024 23:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/peoples-stomach-will-not-be-filled-by-showing-them-gods-picture-kharge-512605.html Hyderabad Jan 25 Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday taunted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that peoples stomach will not be filled by showing them Gods picture He appealed to people not to fall into trap of Modi saying this would destroy democracy and undermine the Constitution Addressing booth level workers of the Congress here he in an apparent reference to inauguration of Ram temple at Ayodhya said Bhagwan ki photo bataney se pet nahi bharta Mehant karna padta hai Kharge said that there are no jobs and inflation is rising but Modi is happy and telling people to say Bhagwan ki jai Tomorrow if people die of starvation farmers die he will say Bhagwan ki jai because he has this habit Whenever there is a crisis he makes some excuse Sometime he takes name of Pakistan sometimes he takes name of China and sometimes he takes name of Bhagwan he said and appealed to people not to fall into his trap and be vigilant Kharge said Modi made many promises but never fulfilled them These days every paper is carrying advertisement on front page Modi ki guarantee he said and asked what was this new guarantee when he has not fulfilled any of the promises he made in the past Kharge asked what happened to Modis promise of creating two crore jobs every year and depositing Rs 15 lakh in every bank account He said in the coming Parliament sessions he would ask Modi about the promises He said out of six guarantees given by the Congress in Telangana two guarantees have already been implemented and two more guarantees will be implemented soon while two more guarantees will be implemented in 23 months He urged the party leaders and workers from booth to the district level to work hard and unitedly for the victory in coming Lok Sabha elections Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka ministers and senior leaders also addressed booth level workers who had gathered from across the state IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/peoples-stomach-will-not-be-filled-by-showing-them-gods-picture-kharge-512605.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/housing-portal-will-be-opened-on-feb-1-for-plot-allocation-hry-cm-512899.html Chandigarh Jan 26 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday hoisted the tricolour at the statelevel 75th Republic Day celebrations in Karnal where he announced that under the Mukhya Mantri Shehri Awas Yojana a portal will be opened on February 1 for the allocation of plots measuring 30 square yards in 11 citiesApplicants can participate by depositing a nominal amount and avail loans from banks along with assistance from the Central and state governments to build their homes on these plots he saidKhattar said the state government has initiated this scheme to provide roofs over the heads of the poor and needy Through advertisements applications were invited for plots or flats under this scheme So far 1 lakh people have applied under the schemeKhattar also announced that statues of Dr Mangal Sen and Kalpana Chawla would be installed at the Dr Mangal Sen Auditorium and Kalpana Chawla Medical College both in Karnal respectivelyThe Chief Minister said the Atal canteens are being operated in 25 mandis to provide nutritious food at affordable rates to the poor and farmers Starting February 1 such canteens will be opened in 15 more places and all 40 mandis will now operate throughout the year instead of just five monthsThe Chief Minister said there was a demand from the people to receive electricity bills every month instead of every two months As a pilot project in the first phase monthly bills will be issued from February 1 in four districts Hisar Mahendragarh Karnal and Panchkula Initially Nigam employees will go for meter readings and later consumers will send meter readings through a mobile applicationThe Chief Minister also paid homage to the freedom fighters and the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the wars of 1962 1965 1971 and Kargil He expressed gratitude to the scientists farmers labourers and the people of the country who after Independence together made India a significant power in the worldKhattar said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi India is making consistent strides towards progress and development especially in the field of agriculture The farmers of Haryana and Punjab have demonstrated their commitment to providing sustenance for the people he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/housing-portal-will-be-opened-on-feb-1-for-plot-allocation-hry-cm-512899.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 18:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-bloc-wont-be-much-affected-if-nitish-quits-mamata-512921.html Kolkata Jan 26 Amid strong rumours of Bihar Chief Minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar quitting the INDIA bloc and reuniting with the BJP in the state West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that the eventuality of Kumars exit will not affect the opposition bloc muchI think Nitish Kumar has lost his credibility in the eyes of the people of Bihar If he quits it will be easier for Tejashwi Yadav to operate smoothly in Bihar Banerjee told mediapersons on the sidelines of an event at the Raj Bhavan to mark the 75th Republic Day of the countryRecently while announcing that her party Trinamool Congress will go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal Banerjee had said that the regional parties will remain united and all future decisions will be taken only after the results for the Lok Sabha polls are declaredOn Friday Banerjee also issued a strong note of caution to the Union government over the nonrelease of the Central funds to the West Bengal government under various Centrallysponsored schemesUnless the Central funds are released within the next seven days there will be further movements on this the matter Banerjee saidAccording to the Chief Minister the Central funds have not been released even after the state government gave satisfactory replies to all the queries posed by the Union governmentShe also said that the nature of the future movements will be finalised in due course IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-bloc-wont-be-much-affected-if-nitish-quits-mamata-512921.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 19:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cong-in-kerala-seeks-candidates-for-only-two-ls-seats-rest-may-be-repeated-512763.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 26 With the upcoming Lok Sabha elections round the corner and the Congress party in all likelihood to allow the 14 sitting MPs to contest it has to find new candidates in only two seats Kannur and Alappuzha This was hinted by none other than state Congress president and sitting Kannur Lok Sabha member K Sudhakaran who dropped enough hints that he will not be seeking reelection With him dropping out the party will have to find a new candidate there besides at Alappuzha which the Congressled UDF candidate lost to the CPIM candidate in the 2019 polls At the 2019 polls the Congressled UDF won 19 out of the 20 seats in the state losing just the Alappuzha seat The UDF allies IUML won both the seats so did the RSP candidate at Kollam and the Kottayam constituency was won by Kerala Congress Mani partys candidate who later moved to the ruling CPIMled Left Front Sudhakaran who returned after a brief tour to the US for medical attention has hinted that in a matter of 10 days the party will be naming their candidate from Kannur and Alappuzha Incidentally the Congress being the party that leads the UDF has already commenced talks with allies and they have finished the first round with the Kerala Congress party headed by veteran legislator PJ Joseph who has staked claim to the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat The seat was held by the erstwhile Kerala CongressM to which Joseph belonged till a faction moved out and went on to become the third biggest ally of the ruling Left Even though the second biggest ally in the UDF the IUML which has two seats has expressed their desire to get a third one its unlikely to get the nod from the Congress party They have asked for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat if sitting member Rahul Gandhi decides not to seek reelection from his seat as there has been speculation that he might move out to another South Indian state IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cong-in-kerala-seeks-candidates-for-only-two-ls-seats-rest-may-be-repeated-512763.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/teen-couple-held-in-lucknow-for-robbing-people-to-collect-money-for-their-wedding-512273.html Lucknow Jan 25 A young couple has been arrested for snatching bags phones and other valuable items in Lucknow in order to collect money for their wedding The couple have been arrested along with their aide who used to stand guard near the crime scene to alert them He posed as a cop The three have been identified as Shivam Rai Himanshu Yadav and Khushi all of them aged 19 and they had recently come to Lucknow from Ghazipur Shivam has a criminal history with seven cases against him while his girlfriend Khushi and their aide Himanshu have three cases each against them The gang was busted after police identified the motorcycle used by them on Wednesday Shivam used to drive the motorcycle Khushi rode the pillion and snatched bags and phones from people They committed three such criminal acts in a week but ran out of luck when police intercepted them through CCTV camera surveillance said ADCP Syed Ali Abbas The police arrested the couple and recovered some of the stolen goods Their confession led to the arrest of Himanshu According to police Shivam and Himanshu who dropped out of school after Class 10 are friends Both are jobless Shivam fell in love with Khushi also from Ghazipur When Shivam who hails from a middleclass background told his family that he wanted to marry Khushi his father rebuked him and asked him to get a decent job first a police officer said Finding no way out Shivam and Himanshu committed robberies in Ghazipur but could get around 7000 only In 2003 the trio decided to move to Lucknow to make more money They lived separately in rented accommodations and did not use phones for interaction on the day of executing crimes he added The gang had targeted women in different parts of Gomti Nagar on January 13 January 14 and January 21 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/teen-couple-held-in-lucknow-for-robbing-people-to-collect-money-for-their-wedding-512273.html Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/high-security-in-jk-ahead-of-republic-day-512148.html JammuSrinagar Jan 25 High security is in place in JK on Thursday ahead of the Republic Day with special focus on ensuring that normal activities of life remain unaffected While no chances are being taken to ensure that the Republic Day celebrations pass off peacefully the main focus this year is on ensuring that the common man joins these celebrations and life across the UT moves normally Army and BSF have heightened vigil along the LoC and the international border while hawkeye vigil is being maintained in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri where terror acts have been taking place The main function is being held in the MA Stadium in Jammu where the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha will unfurl the national flag and take salute at the march pass Number of extra checking points have come up in both Jammu and Srinagar where vehicles are checked and occupants frisked to ensure safety of people moving around Special checking points have been established at entry roads into Jammu and Srinagar Area domination and sanitization is taking place with thrust on the fact that the general public is put to least inconvenience Focus on safety and normal activities of the public is the topmost priority of the security forces because after all Republic Day is a celebration for every Indian and every citizen has a right to be part of these celebrations said a top cop here In the Valley the main function is being held at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar Full dress rehearsal took place on Wednesday both at the MAStadium in Jammu and the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar Additional deployments of the security forces is obvious in the twin cities of Jammu and Srinagar although normal life remains unaffected by the presence of large contingents of the security forces In addition to Human Resources electronic equipment drones and sniffer dogs are also part of the overall security arrangements made to secure the venues of the two main functions and also those being held at every district headquarter on January 26 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/high-security-in-jk-ahead-of-republic-day-512148.html Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/marathas-reach-mumbai-doorstep-to-rally-at-azad-maidan-on-friday-512483.html Mumbai Jan 25 Raising slogans of Ek Maratha Lakh Maratha millions of Marathas determinedly and aggressively marched from Lonavala towards Mumbai via the Old Mumbai Pune Highway and slated to touch Navi Mumbai soon the organisers said Heeding to the Pune Polices request the Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj JarangePatil and other organisers changed the route from the original planned Mumbai Pune Expressway as the procession stretches for several km and could paralyse traffic there Rattled by the sea of protesters hurrying towards the countrys commercial capital the state government sent a delegation to meet him midway but their discussions were fruitless The government sent only some officials We want Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to come here and resolve the issue We are prepared to cooperate with the government a grim JarangePatil told mediapersons Mumbai Police have denied permission to the Maratha procession at several venues including Azad Maidan Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park and other locations citing lack of space As a temporary measure the Maratha marchers shall be put up at the Vashi APMC Market tonight as JarangePatil remained firm on storming to Azad Maidan on January 26 Friday morning JarangePatil is likely to enter Mumbai from Chembur garland a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj then start towards Dadar and then Azad Maidan Simultaneously lakhs of Marathas will troop into Mumbai from various entry points with the organisers claiming threecrore community people have responded to the march call and are arriving here from across Maharashtra rattling the administration JarangePatil has been walking most sections of the route since he started from his AntaravaliSarate village in Jalna on January 20 intending to lay siege to Mumbai on Republic Day when the city goes under a highsecurity blanket CM Shinde Minister Deepak Kesarkar and other leaders have fervently been appealing to the Marathas to call off their long march to Mumbai as the government is positive and committed to giving them quotas and it would be announced at a Special Session of Legislature in February However JarangePatil has made it clear that he had given the government seven months time and was in no mood to give any further extensions and vowed that the Marathas would not leave Mumbai till the quotas are granted Meanwhile the Sambhaji Brigade has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP is attempting to create disturbances to prevent the Maratha procession from coming to Mumbai Sambhaji Brigade leaders like Dr Yogesh Patil PalgharThane Coordinator YP Patil Shahid Qureshi Kalim Baig and others claimed that the recent disturbances in Mira Road town of Thane were a political conspiracy hatched to disrupt the Maratha march coming to Mumbai on Friday They accused BJP MLAs like Nitesh Rane and Geeta Jain of inciting the majority community instead of making efforts to bring peace and harmony as the minorities are fully supportive of JarangePatils procession As the Marathas trudged to Mumbai videos of the procession on social media showed a sea of humanity with saffron flags marching firmly for the goal reservation at all costs to the community IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/marathas-reach-mumbai-doorstep-to-rally-at-azad-maidan-on-friday-512483.html Thu, 25 Jan 2024 19:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/lalu-claims-kanshi-ram-awakened-dalits-mayawati-drowned-them-512073.html Patna January 24 RJD national president Lalu Prasad claimed on Wednesday that Dalit leader Kanshi Ram had awakened the Dalits and deprived sections of the society whereas Bahujan Samaj Party BSP chief Mayawati only drowned them Addressing a gathering at the RJD office here to commemorate the birth centenary of former Bihar Chief Minister Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Lalu Prasad said Karpoori Thakur was the leader of social justice in the state As the Lok Sabha elections are coming up in the country the BJP has started taking the name of Karpoori Thakur to claim the votes of Dalits and other deprived sections of the society Conferring Bharat Ratna to Karpuri Thakur posthumously was assued and we would take it anyhow We had also demanded Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram and Ram Manohar Lohia as well It is our right and we are not begging We had made commitment to Karpuri Thakur to take his wish Thakur Tere Armano Ko Delhi Tak Pahuchayege to Delhi and RJD has fulfilled it Lalu Prasad said Kanshi Ram awakened the Dalits and backward caste people but Mayawati drowned them he said Some people want to break the alliance But no one is worried about it We have to fight more strongly We will win at the end Lalu Prasad said We have implemented a Mandal Commission in the country A number of times we went to Delhi to meet then PM VP Singh He did not want me to become the Chief Minister of Bihar He even sent three observers to analyse the situation in Bihar the RJD chief said I want our party workers to go to every household and connect with the poor Dalit and backward caste people and make the party stronger he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/lalu-claims-kanshi-ram-awakened-dalits-mayawati-drowned-them-512073.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 21:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/jat-protest-in-rajasthan-continues-on-8th-day-agitators-express-ire-at-cm-512095.html Jaipur Jan 24 The protest of Jat community in Jaicholi village of Bharatpur district to demand reservation entered its 8th day on Wednesday amid growing anger against the state government for postponing talks Reservation struggle committee convener Nem Singh Faujdar said that the government has betrayed them in the name of talks and discussion and society will definitely give a befitting answer He said that they do not want a violent movement but the government wants that a fire should be lit Faujdar said The first talks took place on January 22 After this another meeting took place on January 23 Then the talks could not take place due to the busy schedule of CM Bhajan Lal Sharma We were asked to meet the Chief Minister Then we were told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming and the Chief Minister is busy in making preparations for the programme which will be led by him After this we were not even given time to meet him The Sangharsh Committee does not want any kind of movement The government itself wants the movement to be intensified Now this movement is the last movement for Jat reservation The intention of the government is such that the movement becomes violent and a fire breaks out after which talks should be held There were two talks which were positive But talks have not been possible with the CM he added He further expressed annoyance that no attention is being paid to the movement in Bharatpur despite the fact that the CM comes from Bharatpur There should have been no need for agitation Even after having two MLAs and the CM from Bharatpur if there is a need for agitation I consider it a weakness of the leaders Society was is and will always be united This is a fight for the rights of our children We have no fight with any party or leader he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/jat-protest-in-rajasthan-continues-on-8th-day-agitators-express-ire-at-cm-512095.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 22:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/civil-servants-of-6-african-countries-learning-skills-in-indian-institute-511647.html New Delhi Jan 24 Civil servants of six different African countries are being trained in India learning leadership and governance related skills in a Mussoorie institute The National Centre for Good Governance NCGG an apexlevel autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Personnel commenced a twoweek Advanced Leadership Development Programme on Public Policy and Governance This programme is for civil servants from the African region and 36 senior officers from six countries namely Eritrea Kenya Ethiopia Tanzania Gambia and Eswatini are attending it an official said NCGG Director General and Secretary DARPG V Srinivas emphasised Indias commitment to digital transformation and highlighted the role of technology in bringing citizens closer to the government Course Coordinator and Associate Professor at NCGG Dr AP Singh said that the programme includes sessions on governance paradigms digital technology in housing Aadhar for good governance land records modernisation transparency in government procurement rural property survey programmes publicprivate partnerships effective office administration climate change policies sustainable development goals agriculture in India public policy perspectives and IndiaAfrica relation along with institutional visit to PM Sangrahalaya the DMRC AIIMS and the Taj Mahal Srinivas said that Indias policy maxim of Maximum Governance Minimum Government has focused on digital empowerment of citizens and digital transformation of institutions to bring citizens and government closer using technology and the focus is on effective grievance redressal using CPGRAMS secretariat reforms focused on eservices and improving service delivery through integrated service portals The Capacity Building Programme seeks to present Indias strides in technology zero tolerance to corruption and ethics in governance to the delegates in addition to the focus on land reforms Gambias Deputy High Commissioner Lamin E Singhateh expressed gratitude for the knowledgesharing collaboration between his country India and the NCGG He also emphasised the importance of continuous learning for professional and personal growth in todays world IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/civil-servants-of-6-african-countries-learning-skills-in-indian-institute-511647.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/where-the-muslim-leadership-erred-511956.html New Delhi Jan 24 The unravelling of the MandirMasjid controversy over the years has exposed the amateur and impulsive handling of the issue by the Muslim leadership Had they acted wisely earlier then it would not have been such a cakewalk for the Hindu chauvinists Modern politics is not a game of chance but agenda setting and narrative building most often lead it These two essential components of any political partys strategy often translate in success for it In India the most obvious example of a political party using these techniques is the present day ruling party The party is not new to agenda setting and narrative building and in this exercise it is often helped by leading corporate consultants who help it devise a plan which could help it gain power In its case the party has reaped huge benefits in electoral terms using these techniques by increasing its parliamentary tally from just 2 in 1984 to finally 304 in 2014 The party which was led by VajpayeeAdvani duo from 1984 to 2009 was not so savvy in using these techniques but it was very adept in exploiting the emotional feelings of the large Hindu community From 2009 onwards under Modis leadership these techniques were turned into a finesse and every technique to reap maximum results was deployed including those which could counter the Muslim leaders emotionally and push them into a corner On the other hand the socalled Muslim leaders of the community have always indulged in kneejerk reactions and pursuing a form of politics which only ensures power for a selected few and does not allow the benefits of progress to trickle down to the masses In fact what we saw on 22 January 2024 in Ayodhya is the culmination of a campaign which had its roots in the Shah Bano case of 1985 The manner in which the Rajiv Gandhiled government bowed to the pressure of the Muslim Personal Law Board and reversed the secular judgement of the Supreme Court of 1985 by passing the Muslim Women Protection on Divorce Act 1986 set the ball in motion to get the locks of the Babri Masjid unlocked in 1986 Afterwards the manner in which the Muslim leadership both political and religious manoeuvred the Babri Masjid case reeks of their complete disconnect with the reality I really wonder how many of these socalled Muslim leaders who were spearheading the Babri Masjid case had ever visited Ayodhya or the disputed site to get a first hand impression of the ground reality Even the lawyers who were representing the Muslim community were not competent enough to handle such a nuanced case but irrespective of their professional competence they reaped huge monetary and moved on from bicycles to plush cars and palatial bungalows Those who were really aware of the legal and constitutional aspects of the case were slowly shunted out and replaced by lawyers who had carried out only the routine clerical jobs in a court what to say about appearing before the Supreme Court On the other hand the leaders both political and religious who were heading the two Babri Masjid Action committees were interested in only collecting donations in the name of fighting the court case for the Babri Masjid Most of their statements and stands were often knee jerk and adamant without any logical or argumentative basis and lacked any longterm strategy or vision Beginning January 2024 there were some advisories issued by the socalled Muslim leaders who were so far not even involved in any manner with the Babri Masjid case ever Such advisories and messages reeked of the emotional rather than logical aspect and further show the siege mentality of the Muslims since 1947 It would have been better if the Muslim leaders had seen the writing on the wall earlier and instead of rooting for a confrontation with the majority community had tried for a reconciliatory approach it might have delivered different results for the community as a whole Additionally if in the last year to counter the BJPs push to convert the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram at Ayodhya to a religiouslycouched political campaign it would have helped them better if they would have joined hands with those Hindu seers who were opposing the ceremony on various religious technicalities The social media is full of many Hindu seers historians and academics criticising the whole show They should have understood right from the beginning that it was the ruling partys and its supremos grand design to convert this religious ceremony into a vote grabbing political campaign To counter it you had to adopt the same techniques But alas we cant expect this from the socalled Muslim leaders who have led the community since 1947 in a completely slapdash and amateurish manner whether on religious issues or political issues The main plank of their campaign should have been to counter the claim that the new Ram temple has been built at the same spot at which the Babri Masjid stood The reality is that the sanctum sanctorum of the new Ram temple lies about 3 kms away from the central dome of the Babri Masjid and so far it was claimed that the birthplace of Lord Ram was below the central dome or the pulpit of the masjid Even the new structure touches only the outer wall of the erstwhile Babri Masjids structure So this means that the claim to build Ram Temple at the same spot as that of Babri Masjid is a hoax and the promise has still not been carried out If the Muslim leaders had raised this point then they would have taken the wind out of sails of the selfproclaimed Ram Bhakts for having achieved what was unthinkable even a few decades back But for this they would have had to visit the Babri Masjid to know the real situation which none of them did and this shows their complete inaptitude and unworthiness to lead the community It is high time that the Muslim communitys leadership should be taken over by the young generation as they dont carry the Partition baggage with them and are more realistic and open about chartering new paths If the present leadership continues then it may lead to further isolation of the community What we need now is a complete new approach to get the Muslims what they deserve and also highlight the gains the community has made during the last 77 years of independence based on its efforts It is a long time to change a communitys fortunes but Indian Muslims courtesy their leaders have fallen into a morass Instead of looking at the government of the day with a begging bowl for some privileges these socalled Muslim leaders should have led the community by establishing an eco system which might have propelled it to greater achievements in every domain like other minority communities in India But these leaders harp on the backwardness of the community instead of collating its success stories and achievements as they know that if they start highlighting the communitys achievements then they might become redundant as whatever the Muslim community has achieved during the last 77 years is mostly based on individuals who never proclaimed to be the selfclaimed leaders of the community Asad Mirza is a Delhibased senior political and international affairs commentator Views expressed in this article are personal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/where-the-muslim-leadership-erred-511956.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/knife-attack-on-jagan-andhra-hc-reserves-order-on-bail-plea-of-accused-srinu-511978.html Amaravati Jan 24 The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday reserved its orders on bail petition of Janipalli Srinivas aka Kodi Kathi Srinu an accused in the 2018 knife attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy A division bench of Justice Durga Prasad Rao and Justice Kiranmayee Mandava reserved the orders on the petition by the accused who is in jail for more than five years Srinu approached the High Court to release him on bail by setting aside the ordesr of the Special Judge for Trial of NIA Cases Visakhapatnam who said Srinu was not entitled to bail because of the provisions of Section 6A b of Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety Civil Aviation Act of 1982 Srinus counsel Abdus Saleem contended that Srinu is eligible for bail as he had been in jail for five years The court was also informed that there is no progress in the trial as Jagan Mohan Reddy is not appearing before the trial court to record his statement After hearing the arguments of both Additional Solicitor General on behalf of NIA and Srinus lawyer the court reserved the orders After hearing the arguments from both the sides the court reserved its orders This comes at a time when Srinu is reported to be on indefinite fast in Visakhapatnam Central Jail demanding justice Some Dalit leaders who called on him in prison have voiced concern over his deteriorating health The Dalit leaders also alleged that there is pressure on Srinu to end the hunger strike and claimed that his life is in danger Demanding the jail authorities to release the health bulletin Srinus lawyer Abdus Saleem has also approached the District Legal Service Authority The Dalit man is said to be on fast since January 18 demanding bail or trial His wife and brother also observed a hunger strike in Vijayawada last week Srinu a worker at a food joint at the Visakhapatnam airport had attacked Jagan Mohan Reddy then leader of opposition on October 25 2018 at the airport with a knife injuring him on the shoulder The security personnel had overpowered Srinu As he had used a knife normally used in cockfights he came to be called Kodi Kathi rooster knife Srinu He has since been languishing in jail but for a brief period when he was out on bail As Jagan Mohan Reddy who became the chief minister in 2019 has been avoiding attending the trial court to depose before the judge the trial could not start Srinus family has been demanding that either he be released on bail or put to trial Suspecting a conspiracy by then TDP government behind the attack the YSR Congress Party YSRCP had moved the state high court seeking a probe by a central agency into the case Based on the court direction the Centre handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency NIA which registered the case on January 1 2019 Srinu was granted bail by the NIA Court Vijayawada on May 23 2019 and released on May 25 However the bail was cancelled on August 16 the same year after the NIA approached the state high court After nearly four years of investigation the NIA informed the court on April 13 2023 that there was no conspiracy behind the attack However Jagans legal team claimed that there was indeed a conspiracy to eliminate him as the accused had worked under a TDP leader The NIA Court Vijayawada dismissed Jagans appeal on July 25 2023 However the order was challenged in the high court and has since been pending IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/knife-attack-on-jagan-andhra-hc-reserves-order-on-bail-plea-of-accused-srinu-511978.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-kanpur-research-unlocks-mysteries-of-binary-fluid-dynamics-511729.html Kanpur UP Jan 24 Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur IITK have unveiled new insights into the process of relaxation of turbulent binary fluids The new study has been published in the journal Communications Physics by Nature Group This significant research on binary fluids referring to a mixture such as oil and water challenges existing theories of turbulent relaxation and opens new avenues in the practical application of binary fluid dynamics in science engineering and various industries According to an official release upon vigorous stirring a binary fluid becomes turbulent and form an intermediate phase with celllike structures The current study led by Prof Supratik Banerjee along with research scholars Nandita Pan and Arijit Halder from the Department of Physics IIT Kanpur explores the detailed process how such a binary fluid relaxes when the stirring is withdrawn This discovery by the IIT Kanpur team has profound implications for understanding and manipulating the properties of such fluids in industrial applications In particular the research offers a quantitative analysis of how the bulk of each component fluid and their interface in a binary mixture relax back to a phaseseparated state once the turbulence ceases Interestingly the relaxed state of the bulk turns up to be categorically different than that of the interface region However both relax through a universal pathway namely the principle of vanishing nonlinear transfers PVNLT proposed by the same authors very recently Furthermore this relaxation process in binary fluids as per the findings of the study significantly differs from that in singlefluid systems This distinction can be attributed to the conservation of an additional quantity called the scalar energy which is pivotal in understanding this relaxation process Prof Supratik Banerjee Department of Physics at IIT Kanpur said The findings of our research hold immense potential for applications in industries such as food processing pharmaceuticals and cosmetics where binary emulsions like mayonnaise antacid emulsions shampoos and body creams are manufactured The findings provide essential insights into the manufacturing and preservation processes This can lead to more efficient production methods reducing waste and costs By understanding the unique relaxation properties of binary fluids companies can optimise the stability and consistency of their products ensuring longer shelf life and improved quality He added Additionally in pharmaceuticals where the stability of emulsions is crucial for the efficacy of certain medications this research can lead to enhanced drug formulations ultimately improving patient outcomes IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/iit-kanpur-research-unlocks-mysteries-of-binary-fluid-dynamics-511729.html Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/before-ls-polls-55-police-inspectors-transferred-in-kolkata-511298.html Kolkata Jan 23 Before the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls the higher authorities of Kolkata Police have transferred as many as 55 inspectorlevel officers at one go Among those 55 officers 45 have been posted as officerincharge of different police stations under different divisions of the city police according to a notification on Tuesday morning Simultaneously the West Bengal Police too have announced a massive overhaul in the baselevel officers in the ranks of subinspectors As many as 297 officers in the rank of subinspectors have been transferred from the different police stations under the jurisdiction of different police authorities to those under the different police commiserates in the state An official from the state police directorate said that this was the biggest transfer of officers in the ranks of inspectors and subinspectors in the recent past Although officially the state government is describing the transfer as route one sources in the state administration said most of them had been in their earlier postings for a period of three years or more If the state government had not transferred them the Election Commission of India would have ordered their transfer before the Lok Sabha polls As per norms before any Lok Sabha or state Assembly election any government official serving in a chair for a period of three years or more has to be transferred a state government official explained In the recent past Rajeev Kumar was appointed as the acting director general of the state police following the retirement of his predecessor Manoj Malviya It followed the transfer of some key Indian Police Service IPS officers both in West Bengal Police as well as in Kolkata Police IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/before-ls-polls-55-police-inspectors-transferred-in-kolkata-511298.html Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-ration-scam-ed-summons-arrested-trinamool-leaders-brother-again-511323.html Kolkata Jan 23 Enforcement Directorate ED on Tuesday issued a fresh summon for interrogation to the younger brother of a Trinamool Congress leader already arrested by the agency in connection with the ration distribution case in West Bengal The fresh notice has been issued to Malay Adhya the younger brother of Trinamool Congress leader Shankar Adhya who is currently in judicial custody in the case Malay Adhya is a director of the icecream manufacturing entity christened Anjali IceCream which is owned by the arrested Trinamool Congress leader ED sleuths have got specific clues about the proceeds of the ration distribution case being invested in this ice cream business sources said This is the third time that Malay Adhya has been issued notice for interrogation and in the previous two occasions he ignored the notices Sources said that the ED sleuths were considering tough action against him this time if he ignored the notice again Already the ED sleuths have questioned the arrested Trinamool Congress leaders daughter Rituparna Adhya last week for about six hours at the centrals agencys Salt Lake office in the northern outskirts of Kolkata However after coming out of the ED office she refused to speak to the mediapersons Other members of the Adhya family who are also directors in different businesses linked to the arrested Trinamool Congress leader are under the scanner of the ED sleuths The ED counsel has already informed a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA that Shankar Adhya was responsible for first converting several crores of rupees of proceeds in the ration distribution case into foreign currency and then diverted them through the hawala route overseas mainly to Dubai and Bangladesh ED sleuths have already raided a number of offices of foreign exchange dealing agencies in Kolkata in this connection The central agency officials also conducted raid and search operations at the office of the personal chartered accountant of Shankar Adhya IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-ration-scam-ed-summons-arrested-trinamool-leaders-brother-again-511323.html Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/up-woman-duped-through-ai-voice-cloning-511210.html Lucknow Jan 23 In yet another case of cloning the voice with the use of artificial intelligence AI cyber thugs have duped a woman of Rs 32000 by telling her that daughter of her sister was unwell and she needed immediate monetary help The incident took place under the Krishna Nagar police station The police said that Rajlakshmi Dohre of Subhash Nagar got a call from an unidentified mobile number and the caller introduced himself as her brotherinlaw Dharmendra The caller told her that his daughter was admitted to a hospital and he needed monetary help as he was unable to pay the medical bills He told the woman that he tried to clear the hospital bill twice but both the time the UPI transaction did not get through He requested Rajlakshmi to transfer the money on the same mobile number from which he was calling The woman said that after hearing the news of her sisters daughter getting admitted to hospital she panicked and she immediately transferred Rs 32000 on the mobile number without realising that it was a trap SHO Krishna Nagar JP Singh said the case has been registered and investigations are underway IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/up-woman-duped-through-ai-voice-cloning-511210.html Tue, 23 Jan 2024 09:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-egypt-joint-military-exercise-to-include-hostage-rescue-operations-511076.html New Delhi Jan 22 A Indian Army contingent comprising 25 personnel has reached Egypt to take part in the 2nd edition of IndiaEgypt Joint Special Forces Exercise Cyclone the Defence Ministry said on Monday According to a ministry official the exercise being conducted at Anshas from January 22 to February 1 will focus on tactical interactions improvised explosive device and hostage rescue scenarios The first edition of the exercise was conducted last year in India The Indian contingent is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment Special Forces and the Egyptian contingent also comprising 25 personnel is being represented by Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne Platoon the official said As per the official the aim of the exercise is to acquaint both sides with each others operating procedures against the backdrop of special operations in desertsemidesert terrain under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter Exercise Cyclone is designed to develop bilateral military cooperation and strengthen bond between two armies through conduct of discussions and rehearsal of tactical military drills the official said adding that the exercise will involve planning and execution of special operations in subconventional domain and conducted in three phases While the first phase will include military exhibitions and tactical interactions the second will focus on training on IEDs counterIED and combat first aid The third and final phase will encompass a joint tactical exercise based on fighting in builtup area and hostage rescue scenarios The exercise will provide an opportunity to both the contingents to strengthen their bond and share best practices the official said adding that will also act as a platform to achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly nations IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/india-egypt-joint-military-exercise-to-include-hostage-rescue-operations-511076.html Mon, 22 Jan 2024 23:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/indian-kyrgyz-joint-military-exercise-khanjar-kicks-off-in-himachal-511079.html New Delhi Jan 22 The 11th edition of IndiaKyrgyzstan joint Special Forces exercise Khanjar commenced on Monday at the Special Forces Training School in Himachal Pradeshs Bakloh an official said The Defence Ministry official said that the exercise an annual event conducted alternatively in both countries is scheduled to be conducted from January 22 to February 3 The Indian Army contingent comprising 20 personnel is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment Special Forces and the Kyrgyz contingent comprising 20 personnel is represented by personnel of its Scorpion Brigade the official added The aim of the exercise is to exchange experiences and best practices in counterterrorism and Special Forces operations in builtup areas and mountainous terrain under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter It will also emphasise on developing Special Forces skills and advanced techniques of insertion and extraction the official said adding that the exercise will provide an opportunity for both the sides of fortify defence ties while addressing common concerns of international terrorism and extremism The exercise will also accord opportunity to showcase capabilities of cutting edge indigenous defence equipment besides achieving shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations the official added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/indian-kyrgyz-joint-military-exercise-khanjar-kicks-off-in-himachal-511079.html Mon, 22 Jan 2024 23:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/attempts-on-to-divide-minority-votes-by-floating-community-leaders-mamata-511098.html Kolkata Jan 22 Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that some definite attempts are being made by some forces to divide the minority votes by floating some leaders from the community who are acting as their agents She was speaking at the end of the Harmony Rally that started from the Hazra Crossing and concluded at the Park Circus SevenPoint Crossing Although she did not name anyone political observers feel that her clear indication was towards All India Secular Fronts AISF lone representative in the West Bengal Assembly Naushad Siddique Since the day Siddqiue expressed his desire to contest from the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency in South 24 Parganas district the Trinamool leadership has been constantly describing him as a clandestine beneficiary of the BJP Speaking on the occasion she also indirectly ridiculed the BJP for being antiwoman saying You always speak of Lord Ram never about Sita Devi She also said that one can never imagine Lord Ram without Sita Devi She accompanied Lord Ram when she went to the forests for 14 years and after that she had to go through Agni Pariksha In West Bengal we worship Devi Durga as the womanpower whom also Lord Ram worshipped before facing the battle with Ravana the Chief Minister said She also ridiculed the publicity for the Pran Pratishtha event throughout the country on Monday What has been happening since morning it seems that publicity for yet another freedom movement has started But what will happen tomorrow My only plea is that religion should not be observed on the sacrifice of poor people Banerjee said She also lamented that people have forgotten the role played by her after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 I had hit the street alone then I personally approached then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and offered all sorts of cooperation Without fearing for my life I reached several places with relief material But sadly many people have forgotten all these she said She started her rally after offering Puja at the famed Kali Temple in Kalighat near her residence Thereafter she went to a gurdwara a church and finally a mosque before reaching the end point of the rally where she addressed a gathering IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/attempts-on-to-divide-minority-votes-by-floating-community-leaders-mamata-511098.html Mon, 22 Jan 2024 23:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/trumps-potential-running-mate-picks-on-haley-says-wrong-choice-for-vp-510573.html Washington Jan 21 Fierce Donald Trump loyalist Rep Elise Stefanic has said that IndianAmerican Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as the former presidents running mate is a nonstarter for voters Stefanic 39 who tops Trumps list of vice presidential picks for his potential second White House coming said Haley is a wrong choice as she is attacking Trump viciously every single day Its a nonstarter Its a nonstarter for voters she told reporters at Poor Boys Diner in Londonderry The New York Post reported While the Republican frontrunner has said he has chosen who will be on his ticket but has stopped short of making the decision public Hes going to make the right decision I trust him to make the right decision for him So hes going to look for qualities that he thinks are important Stefanik said As for her own chances at being the vice presidential pick Stefanik told The Post she would be proud to serve in a Trump administration in any capacity adding that shell do everything we can to win this election this November Stefanik was the first member of Congress to endorse Trump for his reelection campaign even before he announced it himself A staunch loyalist she has criticised Trumps indictments and filed ethics complaints with judges who have overseen cases related to the former president In the runup to New Hampshires firstinthenation primary both Haley and her former boss Trump have sharpened their attacks against one other According to the latest Boston GlobeSuffolk UniversityNBC10 Boston tracking poll Trump earned support from 53 per cent of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters followed by Haley with 36 per cent Other polls show that she is much closer to Trump in the Granite State where she is expected to benefit from a more moderate Republican primary electorate While Trump has ruled out Haley as his vice presidential choice the former South Carolina governor has said she doesnt play for a second She is OK but she is not presidential timber And when I say that that probably means she is not going to be chosen as the vice president he said at a rally in Concord IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/trumps-potential-running-mate-picks-on-haley-says-wrong-choice-for-vp-510573.html Sun, 21 Jan 2024 10:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-tmc-unhappy-over-delay-in-seat-sharing-talks-skips-rahuls-meeting-510670.html Guwahati Jan 21 Rahul Gandhi met the leaders from different opposition parties on Sunday in Assams Gohpur on the sidelines of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra Other senior Congress leaders also attended the meeting which was thought to be crucial in chalking out strategy to counter BJP in Assam and other states of the northeast However the Trinamool Congress decided to skip the meeting to mark their displeasure as the Congress has been delaying the seat sharing talks even after the West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee more than once stressed to finalise the seat sharing among the allies of INDIA bloc Much before the 26 opposition parties forged the INDIA alliance Congress in Assam was successful in bringing together 12 parties to form a unified opposition forum to take on BJPs fierce election machinery in the state under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma The joint opposition forum included Left parties Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogois Raijor Dol former All Assam Students Union AASU leader Lurinjyoti Gogois Asom Jatiya Parishad AJP and others But the joint forum lacks a prominent player in Assam politics All India United Democratic Front AIUDF Initially Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress TMC and Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party AAP were also not given a place in the opposition forum Following the announcement of INDIA allaince the situation changed to a great extent and both TMC and AAP are now constituents of the opposition alliance According to top sources in Trinamool Congress the party leadership is not happy in the manner the Congress has been dealing with the seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls Mamata Banerjee in September last year urged the opposition leaders to finalise the seat sharing arrangement latest by September end or midOctober She mentioned that everybody needs sufficient time to prepare on ground for the battle against the BJP But Congress did not give attention to that West Bengal Chief Minister lastly told Congress to wrap up the seat sharing process by 31st December This was also literally unheard the TMC leader said Assam Trinamool Congress President Ripun Bora told IANS We have skipped the meeting with Rahul Gandhi as we are very unhappy with the way Congress has been handling the alliance He said that the Trinamool Congress has been locked in a straight battle with the BJP in Bengal and in Assam though their party still has to grow to become the primary opposition TMC has been fighting the saffron camp with full force He said that in the recently held North Cachar Autonomous Council elections the Trinamool Congress candidates secured more votes than the Congress He said that they are with the INDIA bloc and the party leadership will wait till the last moment for the seat sharing talks to be finalised Our main aim is to defeat the BJP We shall continue our fight to oust the saffron camp from power he said The tension began to mount a few months ago among the allies in the opposition bloc led by Congress over the ticket distribution Assam has a total of 14 Lok Sabha seats In the 2019 general elections Congress fought for the maximum number of seats But this time as they forged a bigger alliance the allies have started demanding seats The Aam Aadmi Party leaders have said that they are keen to contest on four Lok Sabha seats The other key constituent of INDIA bloc Trinamool Congress has also demanded at least four seats for them The Left parties have requested to give them three seats The Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has openly said that he would contest from the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat Congress is not ready to give its allies plenty of seats Although the state Congress president Bhupen Borah has been speaking about sacrifice to combat with the BJP in polls he also said All parties including the Congress are ready to sacrifice for the cause I hope every leader will understand this IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/assam-tmc-unhappy-over-delay-in-seat-sharing-talks-skips-rahuls-meeting-510670.html Sun, 21 Jan 2024 14:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/shabbir-mallu-ravi-among-four-advisors-appointed-by-telangana-cm-510686.html Hyderabad Jan 21 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has appointed four of his close aides and senior leaders of the Congress party as advisors to the state government Former Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee TPCC senior vicepresident Mallu Ravi former MLA Vem Narender Reddy and another party leader Harkara Venugopal Rao have been appointed as the advisors Shabbir a senior leader has been appointed as advisor on SC ST OBC and minorities welfare He will enjoy the rank and status of minister of state The former minister was an aspirant of Cabinet berth but the party has not nominated him to the Legislative Council following his defeat in the recent Assembly elections Shabbir who lost the November 30 election from Nizamabad Urban constituency had served as a minister in the Congress government headed by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in united Andhra Pradesh Mallu Ravi has been appointed as the special representative of the state government in New Delhi He had held the same post under the YSR government in united Andhra Pradesh Brother of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka he is a close aide of Revanth Reddy and after the Assembly election results had openly stated that he preferred Revanth Reddy over his brother for the post of the chief minister Mallu Ravi also a former MP from Nagarkurnool will enjoy the rank and status of the minister of state Vem Narender Reddy a close friend of Revanth Reddy has been appointed as advisor to the Chief Minister on public affairs They share a warm relationship since they were in the Telugu Desam Party TDP Narender along with Revanth Reddy had joined the Congress in 2018 Telangana Congress protocol in charge Harkara Venugopal Rao has been appointed as the advisor to government on protocol and public relations IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/shabbir-mallu-ravi-among-four-advisors-appointed-by-telangana-cm-510686.html Sun, 21 Jan 2024 15:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ktaka-hindu-activists-beaten-up-in-muslim-dominated-locality-over-jai-shri-ram-slogans-510471.html Bengaluru Jan 20 Hindu activists have been allegedly attacked in a Muslimdominated locality in Karnatakas Vijayapura district after they raised Jai Shri Ram slogans The incident occurred during the distribution of Mantrakshate sacred grains of rice brought from Ayodhya and distributed among the people at their doorsteps in Devara Hipparagi town on Friday A case has also been registered in Devara Hipparagi police station in the case Babu Rajendra BJP leader and Hindu activist said that devotees of Lord Ram and RSS workers were attacked by some individuals Attack on our activists is highly condemnable India is a tolerant country and we will protest obstructing the celebration of inauguration of Ram Mandir I warn those who attacked Ram Bhakts to give maryada honour to Maryada Puruahottam Ram so that we live peacefully in coexistence he said I also warn the community leaders to rein in their people who are trying to create trouble Otherwise they will face consequences Nayak said Some individuals allegedly questioned the raising of Jai Shri Ram slogans and asked the Hindu activists not to raise slogans assaulting him in the process Following the incident workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad VHP Bajrang Dal and other Hindu activists decided to distribute Mantrakshate on Saturday Sensing trouble the police called leaders from both the communities for a meeting and took assurances that both communities will not allow any violence On Saturday evening the Hindu activists distributed Mantrakshate under police security at Ward number 8 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ktaka-hindu-activists-beaten-up-in-muslim-dominated-locality-over-jai-shri-ram-slogans-510471.html Sat, 20 Jan 2024 21:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-ration-distribution-case-ed-seeks-rbis-help-in-getting-minute-details-of-illegal-forex-dealings-510242.html Kolkata Jan 20 The Enforcement Directorate ED is seeking the help of the Reserve Bank of India RBI to get minute details of the foreign currency exchange transactions conducted in case of diverting the proceeds of the multicrore ration distribution case in West Bengal The ED has already detailed at a special court of Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA in Kolkata about how the arrested Trinamool Congress leader in the case Shankar Adhya diverted several crores of the alleged scam proceeds first into foreign currency and subsequently overseas through the hawala route mainly in Dubai and Bangladesh Sources said that the Central agency sleuths now want to corroborate their already secured findings in the matter with the apex bank of the country considering that the foreign exchange currency transaction dealings are governed under the rules framed by the latter The ED sleuths sources said have already identified some major deviations from the prescribed norms in the multi crore foreign exchange dealings that have surfaced in course of the investigation in the ration distribution case As per norms travel details of the individuals who are going for this foreign currency exchange needs to be submitted at the time of conversion of Indian rupees into foreign currencies under the Foreign Exchange Management Act FEMA However sources said ED sleuths have got definite evidence that such basic norms were not adhered to by the foreign exchange dealing entities linked to Adhya at the time of conversion The sources said that such conversions without following the proper procedures happen if the money converted is illgotten and unaccounted and in this case the converted money was mainly the proceeds of the ration distribution case Adhya is currently in ED custody as ordered by the special court on Saturday He is known to be an extremely close confidant of West Bengal forest minister and former state good amp supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick who was arrested by the ED sleuths in October last year IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-ration-distribution-case-ed-seeks-rbis-help-in-getting-minute-details-of-illegal-forex-dealings-510242.html Sat, 20 Jan 2024 12:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/hostage-families-protest-outside-netanyahus-home-510272.html Tel Aviv Jan 20 The Hostages and Missing Families Forum of Israel have staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea demanding the return of their loved ones The demonstration according to the Forum will continue throught the Shabbat day on Saturday Most of the families on Friday night arrived with camping tents which were erected in the public road adjacent to the Prime Ministers residence The Forum announced that at the end of Shabbat there will be a huge support rally for the abductees and their families in Tel Avivs Hostage Square It was an emotional occasion for most of the participants who said For 105 days we begged you and now we demand stop the executions of the hostages The Forum members called upon the Prime Minister to come out and face them Prove your leadership and lead a courageous move that will advance the outline that is known to be on the table its not just about freeing hostages its about saving lives The days of grace in which you dragged your feet are over they added The families hoped that Netanyahu will provide them with answers Ofir Weinberg a family member of a slain hostage said Itai was executed Thats what we said would happen and thats what happened Returning the hostages is the most important task right now I call on all citizens of Israel to join me and the families of those kidnapped The families of hostages also called upon for an international conference of Qatar EgyptIsrael and the US to get their loved ones back IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/hostage-families-protest-outside-netanyahus-home-510272.html Sat, 20 Jan 2024 13:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/alert-sounded-in-up-for-pran-pratishtha-event-r-day-509769.html Lucknow Jan 19 The Uttar Pradesh Police have sounded an alert across the state in view of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 and the upcoming Republic Day celebrations on January 26 Director General of Police DGP Vijaya Kumar has issued directions to all districts police chiefs and police Commissionerate heads to review security arrangements at public places and intensify vigilance over suspicious activities to avert any untoward incident A senior police official said the intelligence sleuths and antiterror agencies were on the field task this year after Islamic Stateinspired terror module was unearthed from different parts of the state only a few weeks ago The DGPs media cell said that the DGP had issued stern direction for extensive checking and intensified vigil across the state It further stated that the police officials concerned have been asked to gather information about suspicious individuals staying in a rented accommodations in different locations of the state The DGP said that people staying in hotels guesthouses and lodges for long duration should also be questioned and their credentials be verified Extensive checking drive should be carried out in malls railway stations bus stations and other crowded places The DGP also asked police heads on IndiaNepal border to intensify vigil on any suspicious movements IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/alert-sounded-in-up-for-pran-pratishtha-event-r-day-509769.html Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/sown-area-under-wheat-oilseeds-rises-as-pulses-dip-in-current-rabi-season-510104.html New Delhi Jan 20 The sown area under wheat during the current rabi season has crossed 340 lakh hectares up from 33750 lakh hectares sown last year according to data released by the Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare on Friday Similarly the area sown with Shri Anna cum coarse cereals such as jowar bajra and ragi has increased to 5383 lakh hectares from 5077 lakh hectares in the same season last year This shows that the governments policy to promote these crops has started bearing fruit The area under oilseeds has also increased to 10988 lakh hectares compared with the 10882 lakh hectares sown last year This augurs well for the economy as edible oils have to be imported in large quantities which leads to a drain of valuable foreign exchange However there is also reason for concern as the area under pulses has declined to 15513 lakh hectares from 16266 lakh hectares There is a large demand for pulses in the economy as it is the main source of protein in the country The prices of pulses have been going up in double digit which has been pushing up the rate of food inflation and stretching household budgets The area under paddy has also come down to 2825 lakh hectares in the current season compared to 2933 lakh hectares sown last year IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/sown-area-under-wheat-oilseeds-rises-as-pulses-dip-in-current-rabi-season-510104.html Fri, 19 Jan 2024 19:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-bjp-president-asks-mamata-to-declare-public-holiday-on-jan-22-509849.html Kolkata Jan 19 President of the BJPs West Bengal unit Sukanta Majumdar has written a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanding the declaration of a public holiday on January 22 to mark the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya In the letter written in Bengali a copy of which is available with IANS Majumdar also requested the Chief Minister to send official requests on behalf of the state government to private offices so that the latter also declare holidays on that day He has specially requested to ensure holidays for all educational institutions including schools colleges and universities so as to make the new generation respectful towards the rich heritage and culture of the country You have already included a number of popular religious festivals in West Bengal under the ambit of public holiday So I request you to use your authority in declaring this day of the year as a special holiday the BJP state President added In his letter Majumdar also pointed out that the contribution of West Bengal was immense towards the inauguration of the Ram Temple Lakhs of people from the state have participated in the movement and initiative behind this inauguration he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-bjp-president-asks-mamata-to-declare-public-holiday-on-jan-22-509849.html Fri, 19 Jan 2024 12:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/75th-republic-day-to-have-25-tableaux-510134.html New Delhi 19 January Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane on Friday said that 75th Republic Day will have 25 tableaux from 16 states UTs and nine central ministries He said that those who want to avail metro service to reach the venue will be given a free metro ride Guests and ticket holders may avail metro facility free of cost by displaying their ticket Defence Secretary said He said that tableaux which will be part of Republic Day are from following states and UTs Arunachal Pradesh Haryana Manipur Madhya Pradesh Odisha Chhattisgarh Rajasthan Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh Ladakh Tamil Nadu Gujarat Meghalaya Jharkhand Uttar Pradesh and Telangana He said that the tableaux have been selected by an expert committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art culture painting sculpture music architecture and choreography He said that to address the concerns of some states and UTs over the noninclusion of their tableau in the parade the Ministry of Defence has devised a unique threeyear rollover plan which ensures equitable participation on a rotational basis of all states and UTs over a period of three years He said that the Ministry of Culture will showcase Anant Sutra The Endless Thread textile installation at Kartavya Path It will be installed behind the spectators seated in the enclosures Anant Sutra is a visuallystunning tribute to the saree Indias timeless gift to the world of fashion Defence Secretary said He said that this unique installation will showcase nearly 1900 sarees and drapes from every corner of the country mounted at a height with wooden frames along the Kartavya Path It will have QR codes which can be scanned to know the details about weaving and embroidery arts used in it Defence Secretary said He said the Ministry of Defence will also release a commemorative coin and commemorative stamp during the celebrations He said that the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Ministry of Education has also conducted a National School Band Competition at AllIndia level for Republic Day celebrations in order to evoke feelings of patriotism unity and a deep sense of pride among the school children towards their country The third edition of Project Veer Gatha was organised as a part of Republic Day Celebrations2024 to inspire and spread awareness among children about the gallant deeds and sacrifices of the armed forces A record 136 crore students from 242 lakh schools panIndia participated in Veer Gatha the Defence Secretary said He said that reflecting the Jan Bhagidari theme Bharat Parv will be organised at the Red Fort Delhi from January 2331 by the Ministry of Tourism The Ministry of Culture will organise Parakram Diwas at Red Fort on January 23 on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Defence Secretary said He said that the Beating Retreat ceremony which will be held at Vijay Chowk on January 29 which will witness all Indian tunes to mark the culmination of 75th Republic Day celebrations The tunes will be played by bands of the Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force CAPFs before a distinguished audience composed of President Droupadi Murmu Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Defence Secretary said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/75th-republic-day-to-have-25-tableaux-510134.html Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cong-led-udf-says-no-to-kerala-cm-vijayans-chalo-jantar-mantar-protest-509917.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 19 The invite extended by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to the Congressled UDF to stage a sitin protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on February 8 against the Centre has been turned down by the opposition Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan on Friday said after a discussion in the UDF not a single party was in favour of joining Vijayan and his team in the protest in Delhi We discussed the request of Vijayan and his team to join the protest but not one ally was in favour of that hence I will soon give a letter to Vijayan expressing our inability to join with them said Satheesan CM Vijayan and the ruling Left Democratic Front have decided to protest against the Centres shoddy treatment meted out to Kerala on all fronts especially not clearing funds for the state at a time when the state is passing through its worst ever financial crisis We decided not to join because the state government is engaged in improper governance by engaging in corruption and violating all rules and procedures hence we just cannot give a clean chit to the Vijayan government and hence we decided not to join them added Satheesan It was on Monday that CM Vijayan had an online meeting with Satheesan and deputy PK Kunhalikutty and sought their support for the Delhi protest IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cong-led-udf-says-no-to-kerala-cm-vijayans-chalo-jantar-mantar-protest-509917.html Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/stop-derogatory-remarks-or-face-police-action-ktaka-home-minister-to-bjp-mp-hegde-509534.html Bengaluru Jan 18 Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday warned BJP MP from Karwar Anantkumar Hegde that he must stop making derogatory remarks failing which he will face police action Talking to reporters on demands of legal action against Hegde for his repeated derogatory remarks against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Parameshwara said it is not the weakness of police that they have not initiated action so far We have to tread patiently with Hegde because he is a former union minister Presently he is an MP and he should talk wisely Parameshwara said In Belagavi indirectly targeting Siddaramaiah Hegde said Those who do not know about their parents will claim themselves as being secular The mantrakshate sacred rice have reached homes after 500 years we have won Ram mandir is not built by industrialists the bricks for it have been sent from villages The government had built Somnath temple in Sourashtra Ram mandir is not built by the government it is built by Hindus he said Taking a jibe at Siddaramaiah for his remark that he wouldnt attend the Ram Mandir inauguration Pran Pratishtha but visit Ayodhya afterwards Hegde said You Siddaramaiah can choose to come or not the Ram Mandir inauguration wont stop magane beta Responding to Hegdes criticism Siddaramaiah had said Hegdes contribution as former union minister and MP nis zero He was absconding for three years and he is trying to get attention by issuing such statements Culture is all about humanity Humanity should be there Defending his derogatory statement against Siddaramaiah Hegde said let Chief Minister Siddaramaiah come for a face to face open public debate on matters of decency and culture It is natural that the leaders of the party wont support my statement and my remarks were personal In matters of decency Siddaramaiah should engage with me in an open debate and people should watch it Hegde said When was the last time he spoke with decency He has spoken indecently against Prime Minister Narendra Modi Union Home Minister Amit Shah former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa CM Siddaramaiah had also spoken in an unacceptable manner against temples and Hindutva The Congress leaders have crossed the limits of decency and culture while making comments on the Prime Minister Modi Hegde said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/stop-derogatory-remarks-or-face-police-action-ktaka-home-minister-to-bjp-mp-hegde-509534.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 15:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-guv-writes-to-home-secretary-seeking-details-of-security-arrangements-for-jan-22-509578.html Kolkata Jan 18 West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday sent a communique to state home secretary Nandini Chakraborty seeking details of the planned security arrangements for January 22 The Governors communique adds significance considering that the ruling Trinamool Congress will be organising Harmony Rallies throughout the state on January 22 that will coincide with the inauguration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh According to Raj Bhavan insiders the Governor has specially asked about the security arrangement and forces deployment throughout the state on that day to ensure that there is no untoward incident On Thursday a statement has also been issued by the office of the Governor directing the state government to accelerate the pace with regard to the appointment of chairman and members of the West Bengal Public Service Commission WBPSC According to the statement the office of the Governor has received several complaints that because of the absence of the commissions chairman and the members the recruitment process of several eligible candidates are on hold and hence the state government should take immediate initiative to fill up the vacant chairs in the commission However the minister of state for finance Chandrima Bhattacharya has ridiculed the statement and said that the state government does not require any advice from anyone The state government knows very well when to act regarding appointments in the commission Such statements are attempts to remain floating in the news she said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-guv-writes-to-home-secretary-seeking-details-of-security-arrangements-for-jan-22-509578.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-slept-on-the-floor-at-govt-guest-house-in-kochi-509625.html Kochi Jan 18 Prime Minister Narendra Modi slept on the floor when he stayed overnight at the Government Guest House here on Tuesday According to the guest house staff even though they had prepared Kerala and north Indian dishes Modi after reaching the guest house after his roadshow on Tuesday night first had a tender coconut water drink For dinner he just had fruits Since Modi is on a lent to take part in the Ram temple consecration at Ayodhya on Monday he has restricted his food and his daily lifestyle Even though the guest house had set up a king sized bed for Modi to sleep on he rolled out his yoga mat and slept on it on the floor He got up at 430 am had a glass of hot water and later engaged in his daily yoga Modi when he left the guest house the next day thanked the staff for the nice stay he had Modi was in the state on Tuesday and Wednesday and first conducted a roadshow here and the next day attended the wedding of the daughter of actor Suresh Gopi and visited a Ram temple at Trissur Then he dedicated Rs 4000 crores worth projects Before returning to Delhi he addressed a meeting of his party workers IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-slept-on-the-floor-at-govt-guest-house-in-kochi-509625.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/2020-delhi-riots-hc-to-hear-kalitas-plea-for-access-to-whatsapp-chats-of-cops-specific-videos-509639.html New Delhi Jan 18 The Delhi High Court on Thursday posted for hearing on February 15 a petition filed by Devangana Kalita who is seeking access to specific videos related to the CAANRC protests in the national Capital The court had on November 16 2023 issued a notice to the Delhi Police on petitions by Kalita seeking access to WhatsApp group chats of police officers along with specific videos related to the CAANRC protests in connection with two Delhi riots cases Kalitas counsel Advocate Adit S Pujari submitted We are asking for the video so that we can argue on discharge plea because there is no better evidence than video CCTV footage of what actually transpired We have been enlarged on bail by a Division Bench of this court The finding in the judgment was challenged before the Supreme Court which was dismissed We are now on bail We are concerned with all the electronic videos that have been recorded to whom they had given a tender to record these videos It is their case that they cannot give the videos as it will demonstrate who all the other accused persons and their rights to privacy or right to do further investigation will be compromised he further submitted Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad for Delhi Police argued that the plea is not maintainable and said Well be filing a status report in the case The fundamental question is that the petition is not maintainable Kalita is concurrently seeking a stay on the arguments of charge in both riot cases FIR 49 of 2020 and FIR 50 of 2020 She claims that the videos allegedly commissioned by Delhi Police will demonstrate her innocence and showcase her engagement in peaceful protests during the specified period A Bench of Justice Amit Bansal had earlier directed the Delhi Police to submit a status report or reply to the petitions According to Kalitas counsel the videos form part of the charge sheet against her and their provision is crucial for her defence On the other side SPP Madhukar Pandey representing Delhi Police had said that Kalitas accusations are not solely based on the videos and pointed out the ongoing investigation Pujari had further argued that the videos were necessary for Kalita to exercise her right to seek discharge from the cases Pandey had raised objections on the maintainability of the petitions arguing that Kalita should have explored other available remedies instead of approaching the court under writ jurisdiction The defence had insisted on the importance of the videos as exculpatory evidence while the prosecution asserted that the videos were not relied upon in the charge sheets Meanwhile SPP Pandey had stated that the accused were still absconding and the prosecution was conducting further investigations Kalita was previously granted bail by the Delhi High Court in June 2021 a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in May In August the trial court had refused to provide entire CCTV footage pertaining to the NorthEast Delhi area and WhatsApp chats of groups of police officers to Kalita in the UAPA case The accused in the case are Umar Khalid Sharjeel Imam Tahir Hussain Asif Iqbal Tanha Khalid Saifi Isharat Jahan Meeran Haider Gulfisha Fatima ShifaUrRehman Shadab Ahmed Tasleem Ahmed Saleem Malik Mohd Saleem Khan Athar Khan Safoora Zargar Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/2020-delhi-riots-hc-to-hear-kalitas-plea-for-access-to-whatsapp-chats-of-cops-specific-videos-509639.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 18:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/study-highlights-correlation-between-climate-change-impact-on-kids-pregnant-women-509384.html Kolkata Jan 18 Climate change and other associated factors like dense urbanisation increasing air pollution levels and limited access to adequate public spaces for children and pregnant women have exacerbated the impact of climate change in Kolkata as well as in 20 other Indian cities according to findings by International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives ICLEI South Asia and and the National Institute of Urban Affairs NIUA The findings regarding Kolkata were particularly enlightening revealing unique challenges faced by the citys young and vulnerable populations as per the researchers contributing towards those findings According to them the factors highlighted by them from the perspective of Kolkata focus on the citys specific needs and pave the way for targeted actions to mitigate climaterelated risks for its youngest citizens ICLEI South Asia and NIUA had also recently conducted a workshop at the National Capital of New Delhi where experts highlighted the focus areas to address the key issues as regards to impact of climate change on children and pregnant women According to NIUA Director Dr Debolina Kundu there is a need for unflinching focus to ensure that every child especially the 127 million urban migrants grappling with severe health conditions have access to clean safe and nurturing environments She had also stressed on building cities that are not only sustainable but also empathetic to the needs of their youngest It is learnt that two extensive studies namely Young Children and Climate and Usage of Public Spaces by Young Children their Caregivers and Pregnant Women had been conducted which too highlighted that vulnerabilities faced by these groups are not just immediate concerns but have longterm implications on the growth and success potential of children As per the findings even the Early Childcare Development ECD sites which are supposed to be relatively protected are exposing young children to harmful pollutants and high heat levels According to it three factors namely community engagement continuous monitoring and evaluation of action plans and collaboration at various levels including international regional and subnational are necessary to address these crucial issues IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/study-highlights-correlation-between-climate-change-impact-on-kids-pregnant-women-509384.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/shinde-orders-bmc-to-clean-3-temples-in-each-mumbai-ward-till-prana-pratishtha-509667.html Mumbai Jan 18 Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday directed the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation BMC to deepclean at least three important temples daily in each civic ward of Mumbai till the January 22 Prana Pratishtha at the Ayodhya Ram Temple An official said here on Thursday that apart from the cleaning Shinde has also ordered illumination of all temples to mark the occasion BMC Commissioner IS Chahal has given the temple cleanup orders and also called upon all citizens to join this special cleanliness drive as volunteers at the temples in their respective areas and in each of the 24 BMC Wards There are an estimated 4500 big and small Hindu temples in Mumbai including very old and magnificent ones that attract millions of devotees daily Incidentally for the last few weeks Shinde has been going around the city and leading deepclean drives at major public places at least one day every week for each BMC Ward The BMC has laid down a standard operation procedure covering 61 points for the entire cleanliness campaign in the city Seeing the success of the campaign the CM who is currently in Davos Switzerland has also directed that a Maha Swachhata Abhiyan should be implemented in all districts civic bodies and other localselfgovernment bodies in Maharashtra In Mumbai three major temples in each Ward shall be selected at the local level and then an intensive cleaning drive shall be carried out there with the participation of the temple authorities and the local population IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/shinde-orders-bmc-to-clean-3-temples-in-each-mumbai-ward-till-prana-pratishtha-509667.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 19:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/acb-raids-ss-ubt-mla-rajan-salvi-family-in-alleged-corruption-case-509417.html Ratnagiri Maharashtra Jan 18 At least four teams of the Anti Corruption Bureau ACB on Thursday swooped on the home office and a business premise here linked to opposition Shiv Sena UBT MLA Rajan Salvi in an alleged case pertaining to benami properties officials said The teams led by Ratnagiri ACB officer Sushant Chavan swooped on Salvis home where his brother Deepak Salvi and an aide were present The ACB team of nearly 17 sleuths started the simultaneous search operations at three locations for an alleged case pertaining to wealth of over Rs 3 crore purportedly at least 118 percent in excess of Rajan Salvis known sources of income as per an official Slamming the raids Rajan Salvi told mediapersons that he was being hounded for not succumbing to political pressures and switching loyalties to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde He said that even his wife Anuja and son Shubham were booked by the ACB besides raiding his brother Deepaks home and warned that the government would have to face the consequences for its actions You can book me in any case arrest and jail me but you cannot target my family members in this manner We are being pressured but whatever happens even if they throw me in jail I will not succumb The people of the state will teach you a lesson the MLA vowed He said that party President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called him up and expressed his full support in the latest crisis Earlier quizzed on at least five occasions by the ACB Rajan Salvi on Wednesday declared that he was fed up with these repeated summons and interrogation by the police agency He said that henceforth he would not attend any ACB summonses or go to their offices for questioning and dared them to take whatever action arrest me throw me in jail The ACB action came after the Enforcement Directorate ED arrested a close aide of SSUBT former minister and MLA Aditya Thackeray earlier on Thursday in Mumbai Aditya Thackeray Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut MP MLA Vaibhav Naik former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and other leaders slammed the state government for actions selectively targeting their party leaders by misusing probe agencies Raut said that both Rajan Salvi and MP Rajan Vichare are being hounded by central agencies for their refusal to join the ruling Shiv Sena but warned that the people of the state are watching everything and will give a befitting reply in the elections IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/acb-raids-ss-ubt-mla-rajan-salvi-family-in-alleged-corruption-case-509417.html Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/drama-continues-over-chandigarh-mayoral-poll-509203.html Chandigarh Jan 17 High drama continued on Wednesday over the annual election for the top post of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation slated on Thursday as the Congress candidate for the mayoral post is still in the fray against his AAP rival despite an alliance between the two parties Also in the race is the BJP which rules the civic body The Congress had stitched an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party under which it would support the AAP for the Mayors post while the AAP would support it for the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor Tensions prevailed on Tuesday as scuffles broke out between workers of the BJP and the CongressAAP alliance when Congress Councillor Jasbir Singh Bunty arrived to withdraw his nomination papers for the mayoral post Amidst the commotion Buntys father claimed that his son had been kidnapped and demanded his release City Congress President Harmohinder Singh Lucky on Wednesday however dismissed the allegations against AAP of abducting their mayoral candidate saying the BJP is making such claims because of its impending defeat in the upcoming elections He said the Congress had withdrawn the nomination of mayoral candidature by Bunty twice and if needed they would do it on polling day also The party withdrew its nomination after it was decided Kuldeep Dhalor Tita of AAP will be mayor candidate under INDIA bloc he said adding The BJP is killing democracy They think they will lose because they have 15 votes and we the APPCongress alliance have 20 votes They know the alliance will win all three posts of Mayor Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor In the 35member house of the Municipal Corporation the BJP which is ruling has 14 councillors with another vote of member of Parliament and exofficio member Kirron Kher The AAP has 13 councillors while the Congress holds seven The Shiromani Akali Dal has one councillor The AAP has called the mayoral election the first fight of INDIA alliance against the BJP and a curtain raiser for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls Ahead of the mayor election AAP MP Raghav Chadha and senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Pawan Bansal met in Chandigarh In January last year 29 votes were polled of which Anup Gupta of the BJP won the mayor election defeating Aam Aadmi Partys Jasbir Singh Laddi by only one vote Gupta got 15 while Singh secured 14 The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal abstained from the voting In 2022 too the BJP candidate had won from just one vote after a vote was declared invalid due to various reasons Elections for the three posts are held every year during the fiveyear term of the House This time the M ayor will be elected for the third term and the seat is reserved for the Scheduled Caste category IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/drama-continues-over-chandigarh-mayoral-poll-509203.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 20:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/jat-community-stage-protests-in-rajasthan-over-reservation-509222.html Jaipur Jan 17 BharatpurDholpur Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti on Wednesday staged a massive protest near Jaicholi railway station of Bharatpur over reservation quota Nem Singh Faujdar convener of BharatpurDholpur Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti said that our demand should be met before January 22 after which they will intensify the agitation by uprooting tracks stopping trains and blocking the highways We have given 10days to the government on January 7 But the government did not pay any attention We have now erected a grand camp in Jaicholi near the DelhiMumbai railway track The second Mahapadav will be held in Bedam village Bharatpur and the third in Rarh Bharatpur Faujdar said He said that they will protest in a Gandhian manner till January 22 If the government does not fulfill the demand then a fierce agitation will be launched Its entire responsibility will be of the government Faujdar said To ensure security to the railway track 6 RAC companies 180 policemen 100 RPF and GRPF personnel have been deployed in the area The Jat community in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan has been demanding reservation since 1998 Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had announced the inclusion of the Jats of Rajasthan in the OBC category However Bharatpur and Dholpur were not included as Jats were mostly associated with the former royal family In 2013 the Manmohan Singhled government had given OBC reservation to the Jat community along with nine other states On August 10 2015 OBC reservation for the Jats community in these districts was abolished After fighting a long legalbattle on 23 August 2017 Jats of both the districts were given reservation under OBC category but the Center did not agree In September 2021 the Jat community again announced the protests On December 28 2021 the then Congress chief minister Ashok Gehlot had also written a recommendation letter to the Central government over the reservation under the OBC category for the Jats of both the districts IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/jat-community-stage-protests-in-rajasthan-over-reservation-509222.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/saharsa-police-chief-stops-salaries-of-70-cops-in-district-509234.html Patna Jan 17 The salaries of 70 police personnel in Bihars Saharsa have been stopped for negligence in duty Superintendent of Police Upendra Nath Verma said on Wednesday Majority of the police personnel are those who have not completed the investigations on time As a result of this a large number of cases are pending here Hence we have stopped the salaries of the policemen concerned he said During the investigation the SP found that 301 cases were investigated between June 2023 to November 2023 but the final completion letters were not submitted to the SPs office As a result those cases were not completed by the investigation officers Some of the policemen against whom action has been taken are SI Sajan Paswan Sushil Kumar Chaudhary Pankaj Kumar Armod Kumar Gajendra Ram Pramod Kumar Avinash Kumar Mukesh Bhagat Pacs Toppo Sanjay Kumar Pandey Ramanand Singh Rekha Kumari Dinesh Yadav Mumtaz Ansari Kumar Vinodanand and others IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/saharsa-police-chief-stops-salaries-of-70-cops-in-district-509234.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/cyber-criminals-upgrading-with-time-police-will-also-upgrade-tech-rajasthan-top-cop-509239.html Jaipur Jan 17 Rajasthan Police DG cyber crime state crime records bureau SCRB and technical services Ravi Prakash Meharda on Wednesday said with cyber criminals upgrading their ways with time the police will also upgrade the existing technology by strengthening their system and training He said this while speaking on the second day of the 2day Rajasthan Cyber Hackathon organised by Rajasthan Police Meharda said that there were mainly two objectives of organising the hackathon in Rajasthan First is awareness in cyber crime and second is technological solutions to the problems of police For this a platform was provided to cyber security experts and youth he said Director General of Police UR Sahu who was the Chief Guest at the event said that by organising a cyber hackathon Rajasthan Police were having a brainstorming session on the future challenges of the cyber sector by providing a platform to youth and cyber security experts He said that drones have important utility for the police Keeping in mind the utility of drones Rajasthan Police are also serious about the use of drone technology Meharda said that awareness is very important to prevent cyber crime Just like the rules and discipline of road use discipline in cyber space is necessary Today almost every person is connected to cyber space through mobile and laptop The number of digital payments is also continuously increasing this also provides an opportunity to cyber criminals Not only common people even educated people get trapped in cyber crimes and become victims of financial fraud the police officer said He said the hackathon also seeks to find technological solutions to the problems faced by the police IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/cyber-criminals-upgrading-with-time-police-will-also-upgrade-tech-rajasthan-top-cop-509239.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 23:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/rri-experts-in-bengal-next-month-to-study-impact-of-teesta-rivers-trajectory-change-508992.html Kolkata Jan 17 A team of experts from the River Research Institute RRI will visit West Bengal next month to study the impact of the change in the trajectory of Teesta river because of the recent flashfloods in Sikkim that caused heavy disaster both in the plains and the hills of North Bengal A communication has already been sent to the West Bengal government and the state irrigation department has been advised to extend full cooperation to the visiting team of RRI experts so that they can complete their study assignment successfully Sources in the state irrigation department said that the route of the study of Teesta rivers trajectory change will start from Sevoke near Siliguri and continue towards the water bodys entry point in neighbouring Bangladesh From the study the team of experts would be able to give us an idea of whether the changes in the trajectory of Teesta river will be permanent in nature or not The study will also enable us to have a rough idea on whether there are further possibilities of trajectory changes in the near future or not said a senior official of the state irrigation department He also said the findings will be important for the department in assessing the precautions to be taken at the time when the water level of the river will start rising again in the later part of the year The last changes in the trajectory of Teesta are evident from the satellite pictures This is the fifth time that Teesta which flows through the two states of Sikkim and West Bengal as well as the two countries of India and Bangladesh has changed its trajectory There is a growing apprehension that frequent changes in trajectory might impact the economic structure of the hills and plains in north Bengal to a great extent in the coming days As per the satellite pictures the trajectory of the river has changed at multiple places both in the hills and the plains in north Bengal This last change in trajectory is because of the resistance that the flowing river water faced both because of the heavy stone blocks carried down from the hills during the flash floods as well as the massive silt accumulated in areas after the flood water receded IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/rri-experts-in-bengal-next-month-to-study-impact-of-teesta-rivers-trajectory-change-508992.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 18:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/missile-attack-by-iran-on-pakistan-is-near-unprecedented-509018.html TehranIslamabad Jan 17 Iranian local media has reported that two important bases of the terrorist group Jaish alAdl were destroyed in Pakistan during the missile attack These two important bases housing Jaish ulAdl terror group were targeted and destroyed by missiles and drones earlier today on Tuesday Mehr News reported Some other local media in Iran say that the targeted bases were located in an area called Kuhe Sabz in Balochistan province of Pakistan where one of the largest bases of the Jaish ulAdl terrorist group is Pakistan says two children were killed and three others injured in strikes by neighbouring Iran on Tuesday the BBC reported Iran said it targeted two bases linked to the militant group Jaish alAdl according to a news agency affiliated with the countrys military But Pakistan rejected this calling it an illegal act that could lead to serious consequences Pakistan is the third country after Iraq and Syria to be hit by an Iranian attack within the last few days the BBC reported A missile attack by Iran on Pakistan is nearunprecedented Tuesdays strike hit a village the vast southwestern province of Balochistan which borders the two countries In a strongly worded statement Pakistans Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran It called the incident completely unacceptable adding that it was even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/missile-attack-by-iran-on-pakistan-is-near-unprecedented-509018.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 18:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/attack-on-ed-sleuths-cctvs-installed-near-masterminds-house-after-calcutta-hc-order-509065.html Kolkata Jan 17 Within less than 12 hours of the Calcutta High Courts order the West Bengal Police have installed multiple CCTVs in front of the residence of absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan accused of being the mastermind of the January 5 attack on ED and CAPF personnel in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district The order on this count came from the singlejudge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta on Tuesday afternoon and by 10 am on Wednesday three CCTV cameras along with a monitor were installed in front of Shahjahans residence Now questions have started surfacing in the political circles as to why the police took the steps only after they faced the ire of the court on this count Sources from the city police said that as per instructions from the single judge bench the footage of all the three CCTV cameras will also be reserved for the purpose of future investigation Meanwhile ED has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation CBI investigation in the attack on their sleuths as well as on the accompanying CAPF personnel A detailed hearing in the matter has already been concluded at the bench of Justice Sengupta on Tuesday and the final order in the matter there is expected on Wednesday Meanwhile even after 12 days since the attack on ED and CAPF officials took place Sheikh Shahjahan has continued to remain absconding On Tuesday his counsel sought the permission of the Calcutta High Court to be a party in the case where ED had sought a CBI probe However on Wednesday only his counsel withdrew the same petition Justice Sengupta directed his counsel to ask his client to surrender IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/attack-on-ed-sleuths-cctvs-installed-near-masterminds-house-after-calcutta-hc-order-509065.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 19:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/maharashtra-shouldnt-interfere-siddaramaiah-says-as-neighbouring-states-scheme-covers-bordering-villages-509112.html Bengaluru Jan 17 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated on Wednesday that Maharashtra should not come in the boundaries of his state after the Eknath Shindeled government in the neighbouring state extended its health scheme to Marathis residing in 865 Karnataka villages of Belagavi district along the border Interacting with the mediapersons CM Siddaramaiah responding to a question on the Maharashtra government taking steps to implement its health scheme said It is not correct on the part of Maharashtra to implement health insurance for the people of 865 villages of bordering regions of Karnataka The Chief Secretary has informed Maharashtra state government that their state should not be interfering within the boundaries of Karnataka he said The Maharashtra government had decided to make available its flagship health scheme Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Arogya Yojana MJPJAY for all the 865 villages that are part of Karnataka on which Maharashtra has staked its claim since 1966 The decision was taken in March 2023 CM Siddaramaiah further stated that the government has taken steps to provide 65 per cent of seats in Sainik school at Bailahongal town in Belagavi district to Kannada students and 35 per cent of seats for others IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/maharashtra-shouldnt-interfere-siddaramaiah-says-as-neighbouring-states-scheme-covers-bordering-villages-509112.html Wed, 17 Jan 2024 19:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tn-woman-donates-land-for-school-to-be-honoured-on-republic-day-508432.html Chennai Jan 16 A 52yearold woman who had donated land for the development of the school where she studied will be honoured during the Republic Day celebrations by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin Aayi Ammal alias Pooranam who is a resident of Madurai district and working as a banker will be honoured with a medal on the Republic Day Pooranam donated over one acre land to the Panchayat Union Middle School Kodikkulam Madurai for uplifting the school to a high school The land is estimated to be worth around Rs 7 crore and is adjacent to the present school building The 52yearold who works with the Canara Bank has announced this in memory of her late daughter UJanani who passed away a couple of years ago The news came out after she registered the land in the name of the school and handed over the documents of the land to the Education department authorities Announcing this on X Chief Minister Stalin said Education is the real imperishable wealth Aayi Ammal alias Pooranam from Kodikkulam Madurai has donated an acre and 52 cents of her land to build an additional building for the government school Aayi Ammal shows how the Tamils value education and teaching and will be honoured with a special award from the CM on behalf of the government on the upcoming Republic Day Poornams daughter Janani who passed away two years ago was a social worker and had been working for the educational upliftment of underprivileged children Poornam has only one demand from the government to name the upgraded school in the name of her daughter Pooranam while speaking to IANS said I believe that education is the only tool to change the lives of people and transform society A high school here will uplift the lives of rural people here as their children will get better education IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tn-woman-donates-land-for-school-to-be-honoured-on-republic-day-508432.html Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-to-roll-out-projects-worth-rs-4-000-crore-in-kochi-on-jan-17-508754.html Kochi Jan 16 Minister of Ports Shipping Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the preparation of strategic projects at Cochin Shipyard Limited CSL on Tuesday which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and dedicate to the nation on January 17 The minister reviewed the 310 meters long Drydock built in accordance with international standards as well as the International Ship Repair Facility ISRF which is Indias first fully developed pure ship repair ecosystem and Indian Oil Corporations LPG import terminal Expressing his satisfaction at the progress of the projects at the press conference ahead of Prime Ministers inauguration of Rs 4000 crore worth projects Sonowal said CSL is playing a crucial role in Indias attempt to become a global player of repute in the maritime sector As PM Modi inaugurates and dedicates these key projects CSL is poised to double its turnover within next four years to Rs 7000 crores He said that India is cruising ahead towards becoming Aatmanirbhar and shipping is no different as we are making a concerted effort to increase Indian flagged vessels and doing away with our dependence on foreign vessels We are providing requisite impetus to the shipping sector including an ambitious Green Tug Transition Programme GTTP which is likely to steamroll Indias shipping sector prospects to become global leader in the production of Green Ships he said He said that we are also working on building a Ship Repair Cluster in Kochi to provide a robust ecosystem for Indias shipping industry IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-to-roll-out-projects-worth-rs-4-000-crore-in-kochi-on-jan-17-508754.html Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-school-job-case-lack-of-govt-nod-may-delay-trial-process-against-some-key-accused-508499.html Kolkata Jan 16 The beginning of the trial process against some key accused in the cashforschooljob case in West Bengal might be delayed because of the lack of necessary state government approval regarding those officials of the state education department who are currently in judicial custody Sources said that although the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI which is investigating the school job case has submitted its charge sheet at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA in the matter officially the court could not accept that charge sheet This is because though a number of officials attached with the state government offices like that of West Bengal School Service Commission WBSSC and West Bengal Board of Secondary Education WBSEB were named as accused in the charge sheet the necessary approvals from the state government behind their arrests were not attached with it Sources said that despite repeated reminders to the state government the necessary approval from the latter is yet to reach the office of CBI Explaining the legal complexities in the matter senior counsel of the Calcutta High Court Kaushik Gupta said that despite the investigation being carried out following a direction of the Calcutta High Court the beginning of the trial process will require approvals of arrest from the state government for those government officials who had been named as accused in the charge sheet However some other legal brains in the state feel that in this process the beginning of the trial process can be delayed for some time but cannot be held back for an indefinite period After a reasonable time the investigating agency can apprise the Calcutta High Court about the reluctance of the state government to give the approval and then act as per the next directions of the court a citybased legal expert said IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/bengal-school-job-case-lack-of-govt-nod-may-delay-trial-process-against-some-key-accused-508499.html Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/tax-reforms-resulted-in-record-tax-collection-pm-modi-508769.html Puttaparthi Andhra Pradesh Jan 16 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that reforms brought in the tax system in the country during the last 10 years have resulted in record tax collections He said that the government simplified the income tax system and introduced a modern system in the form of GST He was speaking at the inauguration of the new campus of National Academy of Customs Indirect Taxes amp Narcotics NACIN at Palasamudram in Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh The Prime Minister recalled multiple nontransparent tax systems of earlier times the tax system not easily understandable to the common people We gave the country a modern system in the form of GST and simplified income tax and introduced faceless assessment All these reforms have resulted in record tax collection Modi said He said that the government was returning to people their money through various schemes He noted that the IT exemption limit was raised from the income of 2 lakh to 7 lakh rupees Modi said that tax reforms after 2014 have resulted in tax savings of about 25 lakh crore rupees for the citizens He said that the number of taxpayers is consistently increasing in the country as they feel happy that their tax money is put to good use Whatever we took from people we returned it to people and this is good governance and the message of Ram Rajya he added Modi also mentioned Swami Tulsidass description of the tax system in the Ram Rajya Quoting Ramcharit Manas the Prime Minister highlighted the welfare aspect of taxation and said every paisa of tax received from people would go into the welfare of the people to stimulate prosperity Quoting Mahatma Gandhi the Prime Minister said that the very idea of Ram Rajya is the notion behind true democracy He highlighted Mahatma Gandhis life experience as the reason behind his backing of the Ram Rajya ideology and spoke about a nation where every citizens voice is heard and everyone gets their due respect Quoting a Sanskrit shloka the Prime Minister said Ram Rajya Vasi citizen Keep your head high and fight for justice treat everyone as equal protect the weak hold Dharma on the highest level You are Ram Rajya Vasis He underlined that Ram Rajya was established on these four pillars where everyone could walk with their heads held high and with dignity every citizen is treated as equal the downtrodden are protected and Dharma holds paramount importance He mentioned the latest report of NITI Aayog which states that almost 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty in the last 9 years by the efforts of the present government Calling it a historic and unprecedented achievement especially in a nation where slogans for eradicating poverty have been raised for decades the Prime Minister said that it is the result of the governments priority for the welfare of the poor since coming to power in 2014 The Prime Minister expressed the belief that the poor of this country have the potential to defeat poverty if they are given the means and resources We can see this becoming a reality today he said He said that the government spent on health education employment and selfemployment and increasing the facilities for the poor When the potential of the poor strengthened and facilities were provided they started coming out of poverty he said noting that it is another good news before the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 Poverty can be reduced in India this is going to fill everyone with a new belief and will increase the confidence of the country he said PM Modi credited the reduction in poverty to the rise of the neomiddle class and the proliferation of the middle class He said that people in the world of economy realize the potential of the growth of the neomiddle class and their contribution towards economic activities Modi who earlier visited Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi referred to the belief that Ram Jatayu Samvad took place there He said he was undergoing an 11day special anushthan before the Pran Pratishtha at the temple at Ayodhya Dham He expressed gratitude for being blessed at the temple during this pious period Acknowledging the atmosphere of Ram Bhakti pervading the country the Prime Minister pointed out that Shri Rams inspiration goes beyond devotion He said that Shri Ram is such a great symbol of good governance that he can be a great inspiration for NACIN too The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion He also interacted with Officer Trainees of the 74th and 75th batches of the Indian Revenue Service Custom amp Indirect Taxes as well as officer trainees of the Royal Civil Service of Bhutan Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Sanjay Kumar Agarwal were present on the occasion IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/tax-reforms-resulted-in-record-tax-collection-pm-modi-508769.html Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/one-day-training-for-mlas-in-rajasthan-assembly-today-v-p-ls-speaker-to-address-508515.html Jaipur Jan 16 A oneday training workshop for the newly elected MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly is being held on Tuesday The MLAs will be given training in different sessions from 1030 am to 430 pm Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be speaking in the inaugural session Dhankhar will share his parliamentary experience Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will share his experiences in the concluding session in the evening After the inaugural session a session regarding the procedures of the Assembly rules for conducting business and general conduct in the House will be held It will be addressed by Lok Sabha MP Satyapal Singh and former Assembly Deputy Speaker Rao Rajendra Singh After this a session of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel has been organised regarding the issues to be raised during Question Hour and Zero Hour There will be a session of former Assembly Speaker CP Joshi on the committees of the Assembly Rajya Sabha MP Ghanshyam Tiwari will give information on the process of passing the Parliamentary Privileges Bill A session has been organised by Assembly and Parliamentary affairs expert Chakshu Rai on budget management and cut proposals Lok Sabha MP Rajendra Aggarwal will give information on parliamentary motion adjournment motion and special mention motion Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani said that dialogue will be maintained between the party and opposition MLAs For this we will hold an allparty meeting before every session This time an allparty meeting will be held on January 18 he said Devnani saidMy endeavor will be to have more Assembly meetings Kerala Assembly runs for 60 days and it is also our rule that Assembly meetings should be held for at least 60 days in a year For the last several years we have seen that the number of Assembly meetings has been continuously decreasing Many times a deadlock is formed between the party and the opposition in the Assembly Efforts will be made to break the deadlock through dialogue In case of any deadlock we will resolve it by making the parties and opposition sit at one table My role will be to communicate There should be meaningful discussion in the Assembly If public money is spent on the Assembly its significance is only when there is maximum discussion on issues of public interest IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/one-day-training-for-mlas-in-rajasthan-assembly-today-v-p-ls-speaker-to-address-508515.html Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/thiruvalluvars-statue-represents-brotherhood-between-kannada-tamil-people-ktaka-bjp-chief-vijayendra-508620.html Bengaluru Jan 16 Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra said on Tuesday that the statue of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar in Bengaluru represents brotherhood among the people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Speaking after putting garlands around the statue of Thiruvalluvar in Bengaluru Vijayendra added that the statues of Thiruvalluvar in Bengaluru and Kannada legendary poet Sarvajna in Chennai stand as a symbol of brotherhood between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Despite the struggle proposals to inaugurate statues of Thiruvalluvar in Bengaluru and Sarvajna in Tamil Nadu were pending for decades said the Karnataka BJP President Former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa his father made this a reality Vijayendra added Considering the struggles in this regard in 2009 the then Chief Minister Yediyurappa unveiled the statues of the two legendary philosophers to strengthen the bond of harmony between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu he said Thiruvalluvars statue remained wrapped for 18 years in Bengaluru With the efforts of former CM Yediyurappa the statue of Thiruvalluvar was unveiled here and on the other hand Sarvajnas statue was also inaugurated in Chennai he added Such statements have assumed importance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections as Bengaluru city has a large number of Tamil people and outreach by Vijayendra is seen as a move to win over the Tamil votebank in the state IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/thiruvalluvars-statue-represents-brotherhood-between-kannada-tamil-people-ktaka-bjp-chief-vijayendra-508620.html Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/haryana-government-launches-one-time-settlement-scheme-to-settle-pre-gst-tax-dues-508278.html Gurugram Jan 15 The Haryana government has introduced the One Time Settlement OTS2023 Scheme through the Excise and Taxation Department to settle pending tax payments pertaining to the preGST regime It was a longstanding request from Haryanas traders and business community to settle pending tax payments from before the implementation of GST This scheme is effective from January 1 2024 to March 30 2024 and provides businesses with the opportunity to settle preGST tax liabilities Under the OTS scheme the tax amount will be divided into four categories starting with an admitted fee category Taxpayers will pay 100 per cent of the amount in this category with no penalties or interest as per the government advertisement In case of disputed taxes under Rs 50 lakh taxpayers will pay 30 per cent of the outstanding amount and if the disputed tax amount is above Rs 50 lakh they will pay 50 per cent In the case of undisputed category taxes taxpayers will pay 40 per cent if the amount is below Rs 50 lakh and 60 per cent if it is above Rs 50 lakh In this category also there will be relief from penalties and interest The scheme also includes outstanding amounts due to differences in tax rates Here the government has discounted the amount requiring taxpayers to pay only 30 per cent of the total The OTS scheme also provides easy instalment options Taxpayers with outstanding amounts below Rs 10 lakh must pay the entire sum in one lump sum before March 30 If the outstanding amount is between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh the amount can be paid in two instalments If the outstanding is more than Rs 25 lakh the payment can be spread across three instalments 40 per cent in the first 90 days 30 per cent in the next 90 days and 30 per cent in the final 90 days The government said that outstanding tax issues pertain to the Excise and Taxation Department until June 30 2017 and specifically resolves concerns related to seven specified acts IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/haryana-government-launches-one-time-settlement-scheme-to-settle-pre-gst-tax-dues-508278.html Mon, 15 Jan 2024 18:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/rituals-that-began-before-bhoomi-pujan-in-ayodhya-end-today-508025.html Ayodhya Jan 15 After almost three years and eight months Vedic rituals that began on the Ram Janmabhoomi campus in Ayodhya 108 days before the bhoomi pujan of the Ram temple on August 5 2020 will end on Monday on the occasion of Makar Sankranti A day later the weeklong Pran Pratishtha programme of Ram temple will begin A member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said Recital of Vedas and shlokas for successful construction of Ram Mandir and Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla was the main objective of this continuous ritual at Ram Janmabhoomi Now when the weeklong consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla starts on Tuesday January 16 the ongoing Vedic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi campus will end on Makar Sankranti The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had engaged priests from several states for these rituals IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/rituals-that-began-before-bhoomi-pujan-in-ayodhya-end-today-508025.html Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/has-kamal-nath-sought-appointment-with-pm-modi-aide-dismisses-speculation-as-rumour-508292.html Bhopal Jan 15 A message making rounds on social media suggested that former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 21 triggering speculation on Monday The message also fueled speculation that Kamal Naths son and Chhindwara MP Nakul Nath are also exploring options beyond Congress However Kamal Naths Media Advisor Piyush Babele said that no such meeting has been sought from former chief minister terming the social media message as rumour and conspiracy This news is completely conspiratorial Kamal Nath is neither going to meet the Prime Minister nor has he asked for time to meet He is not even in Delhi on January 21 It seems that as part of an organised conspiracy false and baseless rumors are being spread continuously about Kamal Nath for the last few days Such actions are extremely condemnable Babele said in an official communication The controversial message was circulated when the grand old party has kicked off its second part of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from riothit Manipur On Thursday Kamal Nath also met Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav giving rise to more speculation However the Chief Ministers Office termed it a formal meeting During the last years assembly elections Kamal Nath had projected himself as a devotee of Lord Hanuman to counter the BJP However the saffron party managed to win 163 out of 230 assembly seats Interestingly after the Congress central leadership refused to attend the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath have organised a week long religious event in Chhindwara Reportedly Nakul Nath has also distributed pamphlets in Chhindwara mentioning the name of Lord Ram and asked people to write Lord Ram at least 108 times The idea behind this exercise is to write the name of Lord Ram as many as 431 crore times on paper which is to be sent to Ayodhya on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha on January 22 IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/has-kamal-nath-sought-appointment-with-pm-modi-aide-dismisses-speculation-as-rumour-508292.html Mon, 15 Jan 2024 19:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/new-irregularity-surfaces-in-teachers-recruitment-in-bengal-508080.html Kolkata Jan 15 Fresh irregularities in the school job case have now surfaced in West Bengal after WBSSC could not locate the recruitment process record of 58 secondary and higher secondary teachers in different staterun schools The West Bengal School Service Commission WBSSC has recently come across this anomaly while reviewing the records of teachers recruited by it during a specific period sources from the State Education Department said According to them the commission has come across 58 such teachers whose records of association with certain staterun schools are there but the records of their recruitment process they went through are missing Of these 58 teachers 40 are in the secondary category while 18 are in the higher secondary category The commission sources added has also updated the Calcutta High Court about these 58 teachers in a detailed affidavit The commission has informed the court of not having any knowledge or records of their recruitment process including the details related to their personal tests and interviews Admitting that this is a new and unique form of irregularity that has surfaced since investigation on the multicrore cashforschool job case in West Bengal started State Education Department sources said that following this revelation the jobs of these 58 teachers have now become uncertain Legal experts are of the opinion that if at a later stage it is found for sure that these 58 teachers got their job totally bypassing the commission as well as not going through the regular and official recruitment process then bigger trouble besides losing jobs are awaiting them In that case legal experts feel the court might even ask them to return the salaries they received as teachers so far IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/new-irregularity-surfaces-in-teachers-recruitment-in-bengal-508080.html Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/uddhav-thackeray-faction-moves-sc-against-maha-speaker-ruling-holding-shinde-faction-as-real-shiv-sena-508368.html New Delhi Jan 15 The Shiv Sena faction led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray has moved the Supreme Court against the recent ruling of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar declaring that the Chief Minister Eknath Shindeled faction is the real Shiv Sena The plea also questions the dismissal of the disqualification petitions filed against CM Shinde and other MLAs of his camp who were accused of antiparty activities by it It said that the Speaker conflated the concept of legislature party with the political party and held that since Shinde faction has a legislative majority the same has to be considered as the real political party The special leave petition filed through advocate Nishant Patil stated that the decision passed by the Speaker is exfacie ultra vires the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution in as much as it appreciates the legislative majority of the Shinde faction for the purpose of determining who is the political party It added that the Assembly Speaker erroneously held that the 2018 leadership structure cannot be relied upon as it purportedly does not conform with the provisions of the Shiv Sena constitution On January 10 Narwekar held that the group led by Shinde was the real Shiv Sena as it commanded a majority in the legislature and also in the partys National Executive Narwekar also rejected the changes in the leadership structure by Thackeray in 2018 saying they were not in conformity with the Shiv Sena Constitution of 1999 nor was there a record of these amendments with the Election Commission Further the Speaker held that the then Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu ceased to reflect the will of the party to continue in the post as Bharat Gogawale was the validly elected Chief Whip after the rival faction emerged in the party on June 21 2022 The Speakers muchawaited verdict came as a major blow to Uddhav Thackeray who lost the original Shiv Sena founded by his father the late Balasaheb Thackeray to Shinde With the crosspetitions of both sides getting dismissed by the Speaker Thackerays legislative flock of 13 MLAs among them his son and exMinister Aditya Thackeray have not been disqualified and will continue till the remainder of their terms IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/uddhav-thackeray-faction-moves-sc-against-maha-speaker-ruling-holding-shinde-faction-as-real-shiv-sena-508368.html Mon, 15 Jan 2024 21:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-to-flag-off-bjps-mega-push-to-reach-out-to-first-time-voters-on-jan-25-507946.html New Delhi Jan 14 The BJP which is currently focusing on the countrys poor youth farmers and women is gearing up to make a significant impact on the youth aged between 18 and 23 years In the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections those voters who were not eligible to vote in the previous 2019 Lok Sabha elections due to being under 18 years old will now cast their votes for the first time The BJP believes that not only youth aged 1819 but also those up to 23 years old will cast their votes for the first time in 2024 to elect the MP and the Prime Minister The party also believes that when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the first time in 2014 the average age of these youth was around 813 years In other words these youths have not witnessed Congress governments and have not experienced the governance of the Congress era The BJP emphasises that it is crucial to make these youths understand the difference between the Congress and Modi governments For this purpose the party is running continuous campaigns not only in schools colleges and various educational institutions but also on popular social networking sites among the youth At a time when opposition parties are consistently attempting to corner the BJP government through schemes like unemployment and Agniveer the BJP aims to preemptively convey its message directly to the youth of the country before the official announcement of the election through an aggressive turnaround campaign The BJP has set a target to secure 50 per cent of the votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections To achieve this the party needs to increase its voter base creating a new category of voters dedicated to supporting the BJP and casting their votes Looking at the numbers there are more than 80 million new voters across the country and an even larger increase is expected If these new voters come out of their homes to vote on election day they will play a crucial role in the electoral outcome Therefore the BJP has taken a bold step by targeting youth aged 18 to 23 While the responsibility of enticing and connecting with these new voters has been assigned to the Youth Morcha but PM Modi and BJP President Nadda are playing a crucial role in the campaign to attract firsttime voters Before the important campaign led by the Youth Morcha Nadda made a significant change by appointing Sunil Bansal as the new head of the Youth Morcha Having won several elections in UP through his organisational capabilities Sunil is favoured by both PM Modi and Amit Shah The BJP aims to connect one crore new voters out of more than 80 million across the country On Saturday Nadda also inaugurated the Namo Navmatdata Abhiyan at the party headquarters To attract firsttime voters the party has launched a digital campaign under this initiative launched Tshirts unveiled the Namo Navmatdata Registration Portal and even issued a tollfree number for the registration of new voters The Youth Morcha will run a campaign to connect new voters with the party ranging from educational institutions to households and coaching centers aiming to unite more than one crore new voters with the party After connecting these new voters with the party they will be directly connected with PM Modi For this purpose the party has planned a mega virtual rally for new voters On National Voters Day January 25 the party Yuva Morcha will organise Namo Navmatdata Sammelan at 5000 locations in all assembly constituencies across the country The partys plan is to gather one thousand new voters at each of these 5000 locations The BJP plans emphasise the difference between the Congress and Modi governments and urging them to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to realise the vision of a developed India IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-to-flag-off-bjps-mega-push-to-reach-out-to-first-time-voters-on-jan-25-507946.html Sun, 14 Jan 2024 13:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/arrested-bengal-minister-in-ration-distribution-case-sent-back-to-jail-from-hospital-507950.html Kolkata Jan 14 Jyotipriya Mallick the West Bengal minister arrested by Enforcement Directorate ED in connection with the multicrore ration distribution case was shifted back to correctional home from a staterun hospital where he got admitted just days after his arrest In a surprise move on Saturday night Mallick was shifted back to Presidency Central Correctional Home in South Kolkata from staterun SSKM Medical College amp Hospital also in South Kolkata under the security cover of armed personnel of central armed police forces Sources aware of the development said that with this return to the correctional home the ED sleuths will now start questioning him after securing a court order The sources further said that the main subject of his fresh questioning will be in relation to his close connection with another accused in the scam Sheikh Shahjahan the alleged mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF officials while the latter attempted raid amp search operations at Shahjahans residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5 The sources said that ED will shortly move for a court permission to question the arrested minister within the correction home premises Mallick Bengals current forest minister and former food amp supplies minister was arrested by the ED sleuths in October last year in connection with the ration distribution case But soon after his arrest he started complaining about his medical condition and was shifted to SSKM Hospirtal In the meantime the opposition parties in the state had been vocal in accusing the SSKM authorities of making this iconic hospital in the city a safe haven for those arrested in connection with the cases of financial irregularities in West Bengal ED also complained to the Calcutta High Court accusing SSKM Hospital authorities of noncooperation in conducting the voice sampling test of Sujay Krishna Bhadra a prime accused in the multicrore cashforschool job case in West Bengal IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/arrested-bengal-minister-in-ration-distribution-case-sent-back-to-jail-from-hospital-507950.html Sun, 14 Jan 2024 13:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ayodhya-gears-up-for-70-day-celebrations-507989.html Ayodhya UP Jan 14 The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has made elaborate plans to welcome Ram Lalla to his original seat after a struggle of 500 years These largescale celebrations have started unfolding in Ayodhya where nearly 5000 performers and artists would participate in various cultural events and rituals which would go on till March 24 the day Holi would be celebrated During the 70day period prior to Holi performers from 15 different countries and thousands of folk artists from different parts of the country have been invited About 100 elevated platforms would be set up across the city where cultural shows would be organised on January 22 The entire city would resonate with Ram dhun and bhajans from early morning Bharatkund Suryakund Guptar Ghat Deokali Saket petrol pump Ayodhya dham railway station and airport would be other important locations where performances would be held The cultural department will also organise series of events on the evening of January 22 with Padma Shri awardee Malini Awasthi and Bhojpuri star and Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan scheduled to perform at Tulsi Udyan Sharma brothers of Ujjain and Kanhaiya Mittal from Chandigarh would enthral the audience at Ram Ki Paidi The cultural events would be organised at the two locations between 5 pm and 8 pm on January 22 said officials IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ayodhya-gears-up-for-70-day-celebrations-507989.html Sun, 14 Jan 2024 14:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/ss-507680.html Mumbai Jan 13 Shiv Sena UBT President and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said his party would perform a solemn puja at the historic Shree Kalaram Temple in Nashik on January 22 for which President Droupadi Murmu is invited We shall be conducting a special Godatiri Pooja at the Shree Kalaram Temple at Panchvati in Nashik We have humbly and respectfully invited the President to grace the event Thackeray told mediapersons Flanked by party MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut the SSUBT chief said that after the prayers at the Shree Kalaram Temple the party would also organise a huge public rally in Nashik that day To a question whether he would go for the Pran Pratistha of the Lord Ram in Ayodhya Thackeray shot back asking why the President was not invited for that function and cited a similar precedent of the first President Rajendra Prasad I shall go to pray at the Ayodhya Temple at the appropriate time Lord Ram is not anyones private property We demand from the Centre that the President should be invited to perform the temples Pran Pratistha ceremonies there on January 22 Thackeray said Responding to a question Thackeray hit back asserting that he was a devout Hindu a strong proponent of Hindutva and a deshbhakt patriot but not an andhbhakt blind follower IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/ss-507680.html Sat, 13 Jan 2024 16:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/dont-know-whats-on-pm-modis-mind-deve-gowda-on-kumaraswamys-induction-in-union-cabinet-507683.html Bengaluru Jan 13 Amid speculation whether his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy will get a berth in Union cabinet if BJP wins the 2024 Lok Sabha polls JDS founder H D Deve Gowda on Saturday said he does not know what is on Prime Minister Narendra Modis mind Addressing a press conference here Deve Gowda said I will not contest the Parliamentary election I am 91yearold and have Rajya Sabha membership for two more years Though I can remember very well I face difficulty in moving from one place to another In spite of this I will carry out campaigns for candidates of JDS and our ally BJP Its not decided on former CM Kumaraswamy contesting Lok Sabha polls I will not react to rumours If at all PM Modi brings the issue up the discussion then we will sit and make a decision Deve Gowda said Deve Gowda confirmed that his grandson Prajwal Revanna present MP from Hassan seat will become the candidate in the upcoming Parliamentary polls as well He has got the blessings of people and me Deve Gowda said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that he wont attend Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22 The Congress high command had taken a decision in this regard But orders are given by the Muzarai department to conduct special pujas Let Siddaramaiah get the darshan of Lord Ram Deve Gowda said I will also visit Ayodhya Deve Gowda said He maintained that he appreciates implementation of Yuva Nidhi guarantee scheme for unemployed graduates and diploma holders by the Congress government in the state IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/dont-know-whats-on-pm-modis-mind-deve-gowda-on-kumaraswamys-induction-in-union-cabinet-507683.html Sat, 13 Jan 2024 16:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/crucial-meeting-of-tea-board-on-monday-on-proposed-changes-in-no-plucking-cycle-507802.html Kolkata Jan 13 A crucial meeting of the Tea Board will be held on January 15 to decide on the proposals of noplucking time in the tea gardens across India from this year Sources aware of the development said that till 2023 following the rules set in the British era the noplucking season started from the last week of December and continued till the growth of new leaves at the end of the winter and arrival of spring However there had been a proposal to bring ahead the beginning of the nonplucking period from the end of November till the growth of new leaves at the beginning of spring Sources aware of the development said that generally the leaves produced in the month of December are of poor quality and fetch a much lower price in the market than those varieties than the varieties produced in other seasons According to Director Operations amp Plantations of Chamong Tea Indranil Ghosh generally the big tea gardens stop producing tea from end November and this continues till the advent of spring However this they had been doing unofficially However this will probably be official from now We welcome this move to bring ahead the beginning time of the plucking period from November 30 every year he said He also pointed out that since any decision on this count is taken so early the tea garden owners will not face any difficulty in adjusting their plucking cycles accordingly from this year However the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association CISTA are of the opinion that this bringing ahead of the nonplucking period might pose some problems for the small tea growers as well as the bought leaf factory owners According to them despite zero plucking and zero production the wages of the garden and factory workers will have to be paid which might be a problem for small growers if the nonplucking period is extended IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/crucial-meeting-of-tea-board-on-monday-on-proposed-changes-in-no-plucking-cycle-507802.html Sat, 13 Jan 2024 20:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/congress-has-inherent-hatred-for-hindus-bjp-leader-ashoka-507411.html Bengaluru Jan 12 As the Congress high command has refused to attend the pran pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka on Friday said the the grandold party has inherent hatred for Hindus Taking to social media Ashoka the BJP leader said In 1951 then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not take part in the inauguration of Somnath temple which is one of the Dwadash Jyotirlingas Nehru opposed the renovation of Somnath temple and tried to stop then President Rajendra Prasad from attending the event he said The Congress is saying that it is abstaining from Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya calling it is a BJPRSS programme but why it skipped the inauguration programme of Somnath temple Ashoka said Meanwhile Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he would visit Ayodhya after the inauguration of Ram mandir I will see how the Ram mandir is being built the chief minister added On Thursday Siddaramaiah has said The decision regarding nonparticipation in the Ram Lalla installation programme taken by the AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge senior leader Sonia Gandhi and LoP in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is correct I support the decision IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/congress-has-inherent-hatred-for-hindus-bjp-leader-ashoka-507411.html Fri, 12 Jan 2024 17:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/eminent-biophysicist-g-n-ramachandran-truly-deserved-a-nobel-former-csir-chief-mande-507450.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 12 Former Council of Scientific Industrial Research CSIR Director General Shekhar C Mande on Friday said the younger generation is not really aware of the contributions of eminent biophysicist G N Ramachandran GNR who was the one who truly deserved the Nobel prize Dr Ramachandrans outstanding outputs are as profound if not more as Nobel Laureate C V Raman The legacy of the rich developments happening in structural sciences in India traces to Raman to whom GNR was one of the illustrious students If you look at the breadth of GNRs contributions to biophysics it is probably more than that of his mentor Mande said Ramachandran had discovered the triple helical structure of collagen the most abundant protein in human body in 1955 Mande said while delivering Dr G N Ramachandran Memorial Lecture at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology RGCB here Mande said GNR was one of the foremost persons in structural sciences in the previous generation besides being the founder of the field of molecular biophysics He said that GNR is also known for his work that led to his creation of the Ramachandran plot for understanding peptide structure IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/eminent-biophysicist-g-n-ramachandran-truly-deserved-a-nobel-former-csir-chief-mande-507450.html Fri, 12 Jan 2024 18:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-inaugurates-mthl-other-projects-worth-rs-30k-crore-in-mumbai-507507.html Mumbai Jan 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the sleek new and gleaming Indias longest seabridge Atal Bihari Vajpayee SewriNhava Sheva Atal Setu or the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link built at a cost of over Rs 18000 crore to the nation here on Friday The Prime Minister also launcheddedicated several other major infra projects worth over Rs 30000 crore in the presence of Governor Ramesh Bais Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar plus other dignitaries Virtually kickstarting the Bharatiya Janata Partys 2024 poll campaign the PM launched a sharp attack on the opposition parties in the state that sends the second largest contingent of MPs to Lok Sabha 48 The inauguration of Atal Setu exemplifies Indias infrastructural prowess and underscores the countrys trajectory towards a Viksit Bharat making the governments intentions clear said PM Modi addressing the huge gathering Our neeyat nishtha and neeti are clear and hence our reeti Ten years ago there was corruption worth crores and lakhs of rupees there were megascams but today we are completing mega projects worth thousands of crores PM Modi said pointing fingers at the Opposition parties After the formal inaugural the Prime Minister took the first official ride on the MTHL in a special vehicle and the bridge will be open to traffic from Saturday On the occasion PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the 92 kmlong tunnel between Orange Gate to Marine Drive which will drastically slash commuting time from the eastern suburbs of Chembur to Marine Lines where the Mumbai Coastal Road Project is proceeding at a quick pace with the first phase northsouth slated to open by Janend The tunnel will also ease traffic congestion in the business hubs of south Mumbai like Churchgate Colaba Nariman Point and the project is slated to cost over Rs 9000 crore PM Modi inaugurated the Surya Regional Water Supply Project which will quench the thirst of the people in Vasai and Virar towns in Palghar The SRWSP is expected to supply an additional 400 million litres of water daily mld with VasaiVirar getting 185 mld and later Thane towns of Mira RoadBhayander will also get 218 mld of water PM Modi formally inaugurated Navi Mumbais BelapurPendhar 1110 km long metro line which has 11 stations en route which will greatly smoothen commuter comforts and ease road traffic The muchawaited UranKharkopar railway line was inaugurated with five new stations and would result in an additional 40 suburban services up from the current 20 services The project will benefit the commuters to Mumbai business folks students and boost tourism in the Raigad region The PM inaugurated the Dighagaon Railway Station which is part of the AiroliKalwa corridor that will prove a boon to thousands of daily commuters in the Thane and Airoli regions Another major project the PM inaugurated is the GoregaonKhar sixth line on the Western Railway which will be a dedicated corridor for longdistance trains and render the suburban section free with additional local train services on the cards and would particularly ease the woes of people on the AndheriBorivaliBhayanderVirar suburban sector IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/pm-modi-inaugurates-mthl-other-projects-worth-rs-30k-crore-in-mumbai-507507.html Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/excessive-delays-at-israeli-checkpoints-affect-aid-deliveries-to-gaza-un-507276.html Tel Aviv Jan 12 The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA said excessive delays at Israeli checkpoints have affected deliveries of planned aid including food medicines water and other lifesaving supplies to the wartorn Gaza Strip In its latest situation update the OCHA said Humanitarian partners were forced to cancel or delay missions in two instances due to excessive delays at Israeli checkpoints or because the agreed routes were unpassable Between January 111 only 21 per cent of the deliveries to the north of Wadi Gaza proceeded it said The UN agency noted that of the five missions that were able to proceed humanitarian partners were only able to deliver all of the planned aid in two The ability of humanitarian partners to respond to the extensive needs in the northern part of Gaza is being curtailed by recurring denials of access for aid deliverers and lack of coordinated safe access by the Israeli authorities These denials and severe access constraints paralyse the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully consistently and atscale the OCHA said in its update The UN agency further claimed that between Sunday to Wednesday multiple planned missions to deliver urgent medical supplies to the Central Drug Store in Gaza City as well as planned missions to deliver fuel to water and sanitation facilities in Gaza city and the north were denied by the Israeli authorities This marked the fifth denial of a mission to the Central Drug Store since December 23 2023 As a result hospitals in northern Gaza remain without sufficient access to lifesaving medical supplies and equipment OCHA said The rate of access denials seen in January 2024 so far presents a significant deterioration when compared to those of December 2023 where more than 70 per cent 13 out of 18 of planned UN missions to the north were coordinated and undertaken where needs are estimated to be the highest and most severe The OCHA update went on to say that due to the repeated denials of delivery of fuel water and sanitation facilities people in Gaza has been deprived of access to clean water and escalating the risk of sewage overflows as well as the rapid intensification of the spread of communicable diseases Before the raging IsraelHamas war erupted on October 7 2023 at least 500 aid trucks used to reach Gaza via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings However this number has drastically reduced now with some days where not even one truck was allowed to enter the Hamascontrolled enclave The World Health Organization WHO and other international bodies have warned of famine hunger and spread of diseases in the densleypopulated enclavea Afrer international interventions including from the US the Israel Defense Forces IDF alowed trucks into Gaza but still much less than what was earlier Amid the unabated fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip the death toll in the besieged enclave increased to 23469 as of Friday with a total of 59604 injured persons IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/excessive-delays-at-israeli-checkpoints-affect-aid-deliveries-to-gaza-un-507276.html Fri, 12 Jan 2024 15:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-cabinet-sub-committee-reviews-status-of-praja-palana-applications-507542.html Hyderabad Jan 12 The Telangana Cabinet subcommittee on Friday reviewed the status of applications received under Praja Palana the public outreach programme conducted recently Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka along with minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu attended the meeting at the state Secretariat He discussed the implementation of five guarantees with the top officials of the state government for about two and a half hours enquiring about the number of applications received during Praja Palana and the current status of data entry He also wanted to know as to how many applications were received under the five guarantees Senior officials expressed their views over the implementation of the five guarantees The Deputy CM and minister gave directions to the officials about the selection process of the genuine applicants to get the benefit of the five guarantees The ministers directed the Centre for Good Governance CGG Information Technology Department and all other departments to share data and prepare clean data without any duplication It was also clarified no one has asked the applicant for OTP either during Praja Palana application data collection or data entry People have been advised to report to the police if anyone calls them and ask for an OTP The Cabinet panel clarified that the OTP asked by cyber criminals has nothing to do with applications collected in Praja Palana The Deputy CM and minister alleged that unable to digest the large scale response to the Praja Palana programme undertaken by the Congress government for the implementation of the five guarantees attempts are being made by some people to politicise it They made it clear that the government will strictly implement the five guarantees announced by the party More than 125 crore applications were received during Praja Palana the public outreach programme conducted across the state from December 28 to January 6 More than 105 crore of these applications were for availing benefits under five of the six guarantees promised by the Congress in the recent elections The remaining applications were for other needs A total of 11146293 households were covered during the programme in 12769 gram panchayats and 3623 municipal wards IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-cabinet-sub-committee-reviews-status-of-praja-palana-applications-507542.html Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/jnanpith-laureate-mt-vasudevan-nairs-statements-make-kerala-cpi-507299.html Thiruvananthapuram Jan 12 Jnanpith laureate MT Vasudevan Nairs statements on how power can tilt the scales and a warning about the Stalinist cult has left the ruling CPIM embarrassed Keralas one of most popular scholars made the remarks in presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan The 90yearold highly celebrated writer MT as he is popularly known was delivering the keynote address at the 7th edition of the Kerala Literature Festival at Kozhikode on Thursday evening MT took the names of legendary Communist EMS Namboodiripad and his style leaving many wondering if he was comparing EMS with Vijayan The party organ of the CPIM Deshabhimani tried to play it down by pointing out that MT never was referring to Vijayan or the Left government CPIM strongman and the convener of the ruling Left EP Jayarajan said that the media had got it totally wrong State Cultural Fisheries and Cinema Minister Saji Cherian tried their best to cover it up But a fellow traveler of MT NESudheer however pointed out that when he met the veteran at his residence on the previous day he had told that he would be making a statement as he had prepared everything in writing And later after he met him he said I was not criticizing instead told facts as I felt if it is of any use for anyone to introspect it would be good also pointed out Sudheer Congress veteran Ramesh Chennithala said MTs statements were directed at Vijayan and PM Modi and all hope this will open the eyes of those who have been referred to Incidentally ever since the second term of Vijayan began in 2021 he has been coming under regular attack especially his autocratic style of functioning and whats even more surprising is barring veteran top CPIM leader GSudhakaran in a veiled attack none has dared to open their mouth and hence when MT aired it the CPIM has become jittery IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/jnanpith-laureate-mt-vasudevan-nairs-statements-make-kerala-cpi-507299.html Fri, 12 Jan 2024 15:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-cm-hosts-dinner-for-consulate-representatives-of-13-countries-506912.html Hyderabad Jan 11 Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy hosted dinner for the consulate representatives of 13 countries at Qutub Shahi Tombs in Hyderabad Consulate representatives of the US Iran Turkey UAE the UK Japan Thailand Germany Sri Lanka Bangladesh Australia France and Finland attended the dinner It was the first such event hosted by the new Congress government after coming to power last month It was aimed at fostering international collaboration Revanth Reddy explained to the consulate representatives the state governments most important considerations He told them that the government is committed to the welfare and upliftment of all sections under Abhaya Hastam Transparency and equality are being given top priority in the government by taking the aspirations of freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi Jawaharlal Nehru Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and inspiration from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi he said The Chief Minister said that the government is making efforts to promote Telangana as the best welfare state in the country by implementing six guarantees The government will also give equal priority to development and is committed to the welfare of the youth and industrial growth CM Revanth Reddy appealed to the respective countries to come forward to invest in Telangana by exploring the opportunities extended by the government The government will maintain cordial relations with all countries the CM said and appealed to the countries to make appropriate suggestions for the industrial development of the state Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Ministers Damodara Raja Narasimha Sridhar Babu Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari Jayesh Ranjan Hyderabad Regional Passport Officer Snehaja and other officials participated in the programme IANS https://dailyworld.in/insight/telangana-cm-hosts-dinner-for-consulate-representatives-of-13-countries-506912.html Thu, 11 Jan 2024 09:57:00 +0530