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Today's picks: From Coal India to Infosys, hot stocks to watch on Tuesday

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News digest: FPI portfolio limits, Prabhat's milk biz, Sun stocks, and more

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Davos 2019: 140 corporate leaders make up for govt's absence at WEF

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Jaypee Infratech bid: Creditors & NBCC differ on upfront cash infusion

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In a fix over heavy surplus of rice, Chhattisgarh urges Centre to buy more

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Madhya Pradesh govt puts Flat Bhawantar Bhugtan Yojana bonus on hold

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Long-term global economic outlook

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Losing credibility

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RBI reluctant to change FPI portfolio limits introduced last year

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Margin-led growth likely from FY19 for P&G Hygiene Healthcare

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Don't grant extension for migrating to new tariff regime: NBA to TRAI

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The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) Monday urged TRAI to not grant any extension beyond January 31for migration to the new tariff regime under the framework for broadcasting and cable services. Rajat Sharma, President, NBA, stated that as required under the new tariff regulations, the members of the NBA, within the time line prescribed have published their reference interconnect offers (RIOs) including ala-carte and bouquet rates. To facilitate consumer awareness and for smooth transition to the new regime,the NBA members on their respective channels are advertising and providing details about various rates and packages for the consumers to exercise their choice of channels, he said in a statement. NBA members have been and would remain fully supportive of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) efforts in the successful migration to the new tariff regime, he added...
                 

Xelpmoc Design's IPO will allow subscribers to pay via UPI for first time

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Previous govt launched projects on poll eve without allocating budget: Pilot

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Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot Monday accused the previous BJP government in the state of launching several "politically-motivated" projects on the eve of assembly polls without allocating any budget for them. Pilot, however, said that his government would strive to implement all such projects which would be found of public interest. The previous government made several announcements for roads, bypass, state highways etc days before assembly polls for political benefits. They, however, provided neither any budget nor sanctions from the Finance Department," he said. "Despite that, we have asked officials to take up the works which are in public interest, he added. The deputy chief minister also alleged that the previous government neglected even the rural job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. He said he, however, has asked officials to focus on the rural job guarantee scheme to strengthen the rural economy. The rural development ....
                 

Karnataka's 111-year-old seer dead, 3-day mourning announced

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French firm's Indian unit buys Prabhat's dairy business for Rs 1,700 crore

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Prabhat to sell flagship dairy business to French firm for Rs 1,700 cr

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Surat couple makes Rafale-themed wedding card; earns PM's praise

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A Gujarati couple has earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for designing their wedding invitation card with a dedicated page justifying the NDA government's decision to buy Rafale fighter jets. In a letter sent to the Surat-based couple - Yuvraj Pokharna and bride-to-be Sakshi Agrawal - Modi described the content of the card as "ingenious" and asserted that it had inspired him to work even harder for the country. The couple will be tying the knot on January 22. Talking to media Monday, Pokharna said he received Modi's letter, which is addressed to his mother Babita Prakash Pokharna, on January 17 through e-mail. "Heartiest Congratulations to Pokharna family on the joyous occasion of the marriage of Yuvraj and Sakshi. I noticed a unique feature of the marriage invitation card sent to the guests," read the letter signed and sent by Modi. "The ingenuity of its content reflects your abiding concern and love for the nation. This also inspires me to keep working harder for our .....
                 

AAP denies hacker's claim that it contacted him for hacking EVMs

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The AAP Monday rejected the claim of a self-proclaimed cyber expert that he was contacted by the party to know about hacking of electronic voting machines (EVMs), but welcomed his allegation that EVMs could be "tampered". AAP MLA and party spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who demonstrated "tampering" of a replica of an electronic voting machine in the Delhi Assembly in 2017, said the party did not contact the cyber expert. Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Shuja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members. Although he appeared on screen through Skype, his face was masked. Shuja, who said he is seeking political asylum in the US, claimed the telecom giant Reliance Jio helped the BJP to get low frequency signals to hack the EVMs. He provided no proof to back up his claim. However, Jio was not in operation in 2014 and had launched its services in September 2016. Shuja, who ....
                 

Convergence of opposition parties has led to panic in BJP: Congress

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The Congress Monday claimed the next Lok Sabha election will be a fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India and that the convergence of opposition parties has led to panic in the BJP. Reacting to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar's statement on Sunday that there would be "anarchy" without Modi at the helm of governance, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said it was BJP's "arrogance" that Union ministers were talking such things. "This is going to be a fight of Modi versus India... The arrogance of PM Modi and the BJP, who claim there'll be anarchy if they are not in power, is in fact a display of fear and nervousness," he told reporters. Javadekar had also said that there was no alternative to Modi and the gathering of opposition parties in Kolkata was aimed only at ousting the prime minister. "All this is done because there is genuine terror in the hearts and minds of the BJP... The genuine terror arises from the unprecedented rainbow coalition," .....
                 

Dramatic turn in mafia don murder: killers hired by wife, son

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The assailants who killed mafia don Rammurthi alias Ramua were hired by his wife and son who were present at the time of the crime, investigators into the murder said Monday. Ramua, who was of South Indian origin, was shot dead after midnight at a house in Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district on January 13. After a marathon interrogation to Ramua's wife and son, both of them admitted that the entire episode of killing was arranged by them to escape from the torture of Ramua, police said. They also admitted how they hired killers and planned the plot of murder with the help of the paramour of Ramua's wife, which lead to their arrest on Saturday. The three were produced before a court at Barrackpore, which remanded them to police custody for 10 days. Three hired killers were also arrested on Sunday, police said adding that they were also produced before the same court which remanded them to police custody for 9 days. The police also recovered 40 rounds of cartridges .....
                 

Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba visits R-Day NCC camp

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Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba Monday visited the NCC Republic Day camp at Delhi cantonment here and appreciated the support lent by cadets during calamities. The Chief of the Naval Staff was given a guard of honour by smartly dressed cadets at Cariappa Parade Ground, which was followed by a band display. He also inspected the well laid-out flag areas prepared by the cadets, from all the 17 NCC Directorates, depicting various social awareness themes. Various Naval ship models fabricated by the cadets were also displayed, the Navy said in a statement. Later, the Admiral witnessed a cultural performance by the cadets, depicting the rich Indian culture. The NCC is a premier youth organisation which is single-mindedly engaged in grooming nation's future leaders and empowering them to don the mantle of country's leadership, as well as excel in all walks of life, Lanba said. Lanba also urged the NCC cadets to join the armed forces and serve the motherland...
                 

Cong distances itself from London presser on EVM hacking, demands 50-pc VVPAT check in 2019 polls

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The Congress on Monday distanced itself from the London press conference wherein a self-proclaimed Indian cyber expert claimed electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked and the 2014 parliamentary election was "rigged", and demanded an investigation into the allegations. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said party leader Kapil Sibal was invited by a journalist and he did not represent the Congress party at the press conference, held under the aegis of the Indian Journalists' Association (Europe). He said the Congress and other parties want that there should be a system in place to check 50 per cent of voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPAT) to reassure the country on the infallibility of electronic voting machines. "The charges made are very serious. I cannot vouch for them or deny them, as they have not been investigated. But they certainly need investigation. These should be looked into with an open mind by the Election Commission," he told reporters. On the BJP's .....
                 

8,000 homebuyers brace for Supreme Court hearing on Amrapali Group

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J-K admin calls for setting up EOCs in every district

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The Jammu and Kashmir administration Monday called for setting up Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) in every district to cope with natural calamities. Secretary, Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR), Farooq Ahmad Shah directed the deputy commissioners to work on war-footing basis for establishing EOCs in every district. He passed these directions in a meeting while reviewing the action plan submitted by the deputy commissioners of Jammu division. Officers of the Disaster Management Department were also present in the meeting. Farooq Shah said EOCs need to be equipped with latest gadgets and equipment, including boats, de-watering pumps, JCBs, life jackets, first aid kits etc. He also called for ensuring a proper communication system to carry rescue operations in case of emergencies and asked to provide satellite phones at these EOCs to establish contact with all field functionaries. He also asked the deputy commissioners to identify accident prone .....
                 

Pilot says Congress will win Ramgarh seat

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Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot on Monday exuded confidence that his party will win assembly election in Alwar district's Ramgarh constituency on January 28. Polling in the constituency was postponed due to the death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Laxman Singh ahead of the December 7 Assembly elections. With 99 seats (one short of majority) in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress managed to wrest power from the BJP, which won 73 seats. Congress ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won one seat, giving the alliance the magic number to form a government in the state. Mayawati's BSP, which also pledged its support to Congress, bagged six seats. "We are getting encouraging feedback from Ramgarh and the party will win the seat," Pilot told reporters at the PCC office here. Pilot said that there was no problem regarding stability of the government. He said the Congress government has the support of the BSP, Hanuman Beniwal's ....
                 

Nirupam slams Maha over 'delay' in construction of metro lines

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Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam Monday demanded that the metro rail lines whose construction is not taken off yet be scrapped immediately, and attacked the Maharashtra government over the "slow pace" of the work. Alleging delay, Nirupam said the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had in 2016 claimed that the Metro line 2A, connecting Dahisar to Bandra through Mankhurd, will be ready by December 2019, but pushed the target to 2022 within six months. "While 17 stations are to be constructed on this metro route, not a single station is visible so far," he told reporters. Nirupam claimed the MMRDA had held a meeting under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in November 2014 for underground construction of the entire 40-km Metro line 2. "However, now the government has taken a U-turn and split Metro Line 2 into 2A and 2B, thus depriving residents of the north-western suburbs of the underground metro," he alleged. The Congress leader said no .....
                 

CBI Director transfers 20 officers

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In a major reshuffle, interim CBI Director Nageswara Rao has transferred around 20 officers, including the investigation officer of the 2G scam case, Vivek Priyadarshi. Priyadarshi, posted in the Anti Corruption Branch in Delhi, has been transferred to Chandigarh. The transfer order, however, states that all the officers, who have been specially directed to supervise, investigate or enquire into any case or matter by any constitutional court, shall continue to do. A Saravanan, who was probing the anti-Sterlite protests firing case in Tamil Nadu in which 13 people were killed, has been shifted to the banking, securities and frauds branch in Mumbai, which is handling the cases of loan default against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, among others, the order said. He will continue to investigate anti-Sterlite protests case, it said. Prem Gautam, posted in Special Unit of the CBI which does internal snooping on officers as a vigilance measure, has been relieved from the .....
                 

DY Patil T20 Cup: Chand, Roy star in Reliance One's win

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Former India Under-19 stars Unmukt Chand and Anukul Roy starred in Reliance One's thumping eight-wicket win over DY Patil 'A' on the opening day of the 15th DY Patil T20 Cup at the DY Patil Stadium here Monday. Chand slammed 51 off 45 balls with three boundaries and two sixes as Reliance One chased down DY Patil 'A's total of 153-9 with seven balls and eight wickets to spare, a media release said. Roy's all-round effort (34 not out & 2-27) was the other major starring effort alongside skipper Saurabh Tiwary's unbeaten 41 off 33 deliveries with three boundaries. For DY Patil A, former India player Robin Uthappa, who slammed 47 off 31 balls with six boundaries and one six, was the top-scorer. In the other game at the stadium in the morning, Indian Oil went down narrowly by one wicket to Western Railways. Former Mumbai captain Aditya Tare's 74 was the top effort with the bat for Indian Oil, but Western Railways held their nerve to score a narrow win. Central Railways .....
                 

BJP cancels Modi's Brigade rally

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The proposed rally of Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds here next month has been cancelled, the BJP said Monday, adding that the prime minister would initially attend three rallies in West Bengal starting next week. The historic ground, also known as the Maidan, was the venue for the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee last Saturday. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in West Bengal. On January 28 (Sunday), he will address a rally at Thakurnagar in Bongaon. On February 2, he will address a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal," state Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said. Modi's scheduled rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on February 8 has been cancelled and, instead, he will be addressing a rally at Asansol -- represented by party MP Babul Supriyo -- on the same day, Ghosh said. "So far, this is the schedule." Asked why the BJP was not organising the Kolkata rally as ....
                 

Jitendra Singh launches Udhampur's first FM radio station

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Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district Monday got its first All India Radio (AIR) FM station that was inaugurated by Union Minister Jitendra Singh. Congratulating the people of the district, Singh credited the hard work and dedicated efforts of the district administration for the establishment of the station in record time. Radio has the ability to reach out to the people living in remotest parts of the state as well as country and making them aware about various schemes and programmes of the government, the Union Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office said. The establishment of a radio station in Udhampur was a long pending demand of the people of the district and will provide a suitable platform to the local artists of the area, added Singh. The minister stressed that Udhampur and its adjoining districts were home to diverse cultures and the radio station will play a key role in reflecting the folk art of the region. A lot of young talent would also get an opportunity to .....
                 

IndiGo's Jaipur-bound flight grounded after 'high vibration' in P&W engine

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Another P&W-powered A320neo aircraft of IndiGo was grounded on Monday after its pilot observed "high vibration" in its engine soon after taking off from Lucknow airport. The flight 6E-451, which was heading to Jaipur, returned to Lucknow as a precautionary measure. It is currently being inspected by IndiGo's technical team. Pratt and Whitney (P&W) engine woes have forced both IndiGo and its smaller rival GoAir to ground some of the A320neos. IndiGo operates around 57 P&W-powered A320neo aircraft. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday banned IndiGo and GoAir from operating their A320neo planes to Port Blair in the wake of problems with their P&W engines. "?An IndiGo flight 6E-451 was operating from Lucknow to Jaipur on January 21, 2019. The pilot observed high vibration on engine number 2. As a precaution, he returned the aircraft to Lucknow," IndiGo said in its statement. "The aircraft is currently at Lucknow and being inspected by the .....
                 

Jaitley rubbishes EVM rigging allegations

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday rubbished the allegation of rigging of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and said the insanity of the Congress is increasingly becoming contagious. Jaitley's comments come in the backdrop of an Indian cyber expert, who is seeking political asylum in the US, claiming that the 2014 general election was "rigged" through EVMs, which are prone to hacking. "Was the Election Commission & millions of Staffers involved in manufacturing, programming of EVMs & conduct of elections during the UPA Government in collusion with the BJP - absolutely rubbish," Jaitley tweeted. He said after Rafale and the "non-existent" loan waiver to 15 industrialists, "the next big lie EVM hacking". "Does the Congress feel that the people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage? Insanity in the Congress party is increasingly becoming contagious," said the Minister, who is in the US for medical check up. Amid claims by an Indian cyber expert that electronic..
                 

Letter to BS: Brawl between Congress MLAs represents a new low in Karnataka

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Juvenile apprehended for cyber stalking

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: A 17-year-old Child in Conflict with the Law (CCL) was Monday apprehended for allegedly sexually harassing an unknown married woman over phone demanding sexual pleasures, police said. The cyber stalker from Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh was apprehended in a case of sexual harassment in electronic form by stalking, wherein the CCL made repeated calls to the woman and also sent abusive text messages and obscene pictures through WhatsApp to trap the lady for sexual pleasures, a release from Rachakonda Police Commissionerate said here. The CCL confessed thatin November 2018 he received a missed call on his cell phone number in which a lady spoke with him and he told her that it was a wrong number. "However, he saved that number in his mobile with bad intention to trap and exploit her sexually," it said. Later the CCL repeatedly made calls to the phone number though she was reluctant to speak to him, after which he used vulgar words. After the woman stopped responding ....
                 

Letter to BS: Hurriedly passed Bills suffer collateral damage in long run

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2019 govt calendar highlights PM Narendra Modi's flagship schemes

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Luxury vessel sets sail on Brahmaputra, Majuli to get floating

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A new luxury vessel has started sailing on the Brahmaputra to take tourists from here to Jorhat, and other destinations along the river, operator Assam Bengal Navigation (ABN) said Monday. The ABN also decided to use its another vessel as a floating hotel in Majuli, the world's largest river island, ABN Managing Director Ashish Phookan said. "Due to the increased demand on the Brahmaputra, we will operate both Charaidew I and II in Assam. MV Charaidew I will be stationed as a floating boutique hotel near Majuli from next month, while Charaidew II with 18 cabins will cruise between Guwahati and Jorhat," Phookan told PTI. The Charaidew 2, the ABN's fourth vessel, has started sailing on the Brahmaputra since Sunday. "Tourists will be able to visit not only Majuli but also explore Jorhat, Sibsagar and nearby Gibbon Sanctuary from the comfort of Charaidew I, a 12-room AC houseboat," he said. Phookan said the ABN will start river cruise in the Jorhat-Guwahati-Dhaka route from ...
                 

BJP peddling lies, alleges Trinamool over landing permission to Shah's chopper

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The Trinamool Congress on Monday contested the BJP's claim that permission was denied for the landing of its president Amit Shah's helicopter in Malda, saying it was "peddling lies" after the "huge success" of the Opposition rally in West Bengal. Hitting out at the West Bengal government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had claimed that it "is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper". It showed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state, he said. However, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said that the allegations were "hilarious". In a series of tweets, the Trinamool MP said that he had asked his interns to run a "fact check" on Goyal's statements. "Just asked two interns to run a #FactCheck on the Rail Mantri's press conference on #Bangla Hilarious! "FactCheck #19 After huge success of #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally @BJP4India peddling lies. CLAIM: Mamata Banerjee's helicopter .....
                 

BJP Mahila Morcha holds 'Lal Churi Abhiyan' against Odisha govt

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Hundreds of activists of BJP's 'Mahila Morcha', scuffled with security personnel here Monday after being stopped from entering the state secretariat as part of the party's red bangles rally or the Lal Churi Abhiyan. The agitators, including MP Roopa Ganguly and Odia cine star Maheswata Ray, alleged that the state's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government had failed to provide security to women. The Odisha unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Mahila Morcha had launched Lal Churi Abhiyan on Saturday demanding justice for the Pipili rape and murder victim. The campaign had begun from Arjungada in Pipili, the native village of the victim, after her mother gave the first two red bangles to the women wing of the saffron party. "The 'Lal Churi Abhijan' is symbol of empowerment. We want to present the red bangles to the chief minister in order to empower him, so that he will be able to protect women in Odisha," said Ganguly. She also questioned the acquittal of the accused in the case. "The .....
                 

Centre delaying Jalpaiguri circuit bench inauguration: Mamata

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BJP-led central government of delaying inauguration of Calcutta High Court's Jalpaiguri circuit bench. She said though the circuit bench was ready for formal inauguration, "politics" of the central government caused a delay. "We have completed the Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court and it is ready for inauguration. It's getting delayed because of Delhi (the central government). They do not work but only indulge in politics... This is nothing new," Banerjee said. The CM was talking to reporters while inaugurating the 'Uttar Banga Utsav' here. Urging the people to have faith in her government, she said it would continue the developmental works in the northern part of the state. "Since coming to power, we have given you what we had promised. So much developmental work is being done. I come here every three to four months, which had never happened earlier (in the Left Front regime). "Don't be ...
                 

Meghalaya CM launches Whatsapp based grievance redressal

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Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Monday launched the Whatsapp-based grievance redressal system where people can write to him directly of their grievances and assured genuine grievances will be resolved. The Chief Minister said at the launch ceremony at his chamber that the whatsapp-based mechanism is an attempt to directly connect with the people. "The idea to have this platform is to allow people to express their concerns and grievances directly to the chief ministers office," he said. The Chief Minister said that a lot of problems are there at the grass-root level because the people are not able to connect with the right authorities. "A dedicated team would share the information received through the system with the concerned departments," he said, adding that his office would also take note of concerns received anonymously...
                 

Monnet Ispat narrows loss to Rs 78 cr in Q3

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Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd (MIEL) Monday reported a loss of Rs 77.66 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, against that of Rs 396.60 crore in the October-December period of the previous fiscal. The standalone income of the company increased to Rs 499.07 crore in the third quarter of 2018-19 from Rs 322.42 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd said in a filing to BSE. In a separate filing the company announced the "relinquishment of position by Sanjay Garodia, as the Chief Financial Officer of the company effective from 21st January, 2019." MIEL also announced the appointment of J Nagarajan as Chief Financial Officer of the company effective Monday. The company had earlier said that JSW Steel and its promoters have acquired around 88 per cent stake in the Monnet Ispat and Energy Ltd following completion of the insolvency resolution proceedings. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had earlier approved a Rs 2,875-crore ....
                 

Roy takes over as senior Dy GM and Chief Vigilance Officer,SCR

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Don't have any political ambitions, says Ajith Kumar

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: Popular Tamil cinema star Ajith Kumar Monday denied that he had any political ambitions, saying he was careful to ensure there was no political undertones even in his films. His job was to act and he was 'clear' about this, the 'Viswasam' star said in a statement, seeking to put an end to 'reports' in this connection. "Everyone knows that I am determined that there are no political colours attached to me in my personal capacity or in my fims. My job is to act in movies," he said. The actor, whose films are known to command good openings, recalled he had earlier disbanded his fan clubs to ensure that there were no political colours on him or on them. "Even after this decision of mine, there are reports linking my name or that of my fans with certain political happenings. These will create an apprehension among people that I have now got political ambitions, and that too with the (general) elections around" he said. Ajith Kumar has a good fan following and his Pongal .....
                 

Gadkari to inaugurate bridge over Raavi in J&K Tuesday

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Tuesday will inaugurate a 1,210-meter long bridge over River Raavi in Jammu & Kashmir, the government said. The bridge will reduce the distance between Kathua and Pathankot to 8.6 km from 45 km. It has been built at a cost of Rs 159 crore. Road Transport & Highways Minister Gadkari will dedicate to the nation a 1,210-meter span-bridge over the river Raavi in Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement Monday. "This bridge has been constructed at a cost of Rs 158.84 crore to improve inter-state connectivity. This project will benefit over 2,20,000 people living on the two sides - Kathua in Jammu, and Pathankot in Punjab. This will reduce the distance between the two cities from 45 kms to 8.6 kms, which will save on both time and fuel cost," the statement said. The national highway network in Jammu and Kashmir has seen an increase of 969 kms in the last four years. The total length of NHs in the state was 1,695 kms in 2014, which has ...
                 

98 tribal Christians 'reconverted' to Hinduism, claims right-wing group

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The Hindu Jagran Manch, a Hindu right-wing group, Monday claimed that 98 Christians belonging to 23 tribal families were "reconverted" to Hinduism in Tripura. The people, mostly tea garden workers hailing from Bihar and Jharkhand, had been converted to Christianity in 2010, Tripura unit president of the Hindu Jagran Manch Uttam Dey said. "This is like a return of lost family members to their own home. They were Hindus, but were lured into Christianity after the Sonamukhi tea garden in Unakoti district, where they were working, was closed in 2010," Dey told reporters. He said most of converted persons belong to Orao and Munda tribal communities. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) was also associated with the reconversion programme that took place here in Kailashahar district, around 180 km from state capital Agartala, on Sunday. VHP Unakoti district secretary Madan Mohan Goswami said it was 'Ghar Wapsi' for the people. Birsa Munda, one of the reconverted, claimed that they were lured .....
                 

Cong MLA Khan turns emotional in assembly while recalling his dead cow

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Congress MLA Ameen Khan Monday turned emotional while recounting his attachments to cows during the debate on the governor's address to the Rajasthan Assembly. While speaking in the House after the governor's address, Khan accused the previous BJP government in the state of doing politics in the name of cow welfare and protection and dividing the society. During the debate, Khan referred to his family's business of dairy farming and his attachment with bovines. He turned emotional while recalling a particular cow, which, he said, had died now. I had special attachment with the cow that used to sit beside me and used to lick my face. She has died and whenever I remember her face, I get emotional. Tears rolled down my eyes when I was telling this to the members of the house during debate, Khan told PTI outside the House. A five-time MLA Khan, who represents Sheo assembly constituency of Barmer district, said his family has been engaged in dairy farming and have always cared for cows...
                 

Assam govt committed to safeguard Jati, Mati, Bheti of indigenous people

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Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asserted on Monday that the state government is committed to safeguard 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' (Race, Land and Homeland) and to work to protect the rights of the indigenous people. Sonowal, trying to allay fears triggered by the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, said the government will "never step back in protecting their interests". He urged the prominent student union AASU and other intelligentsia to extend their cooperation to enable the government to ensure protection of the rights of indigenous people of Assam as per the tenets of the Assam Accord. The NDA government in Assam never played "hide and seek" with the core agenda concerning the interests of the people of Assam and is committed to safeguard 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' of the indigenous people, he said. It had therefore ensured fortification and completion of fencing of the Indo-Bangla border to defeat any evil design of intrusion across the border, Sonowal said inaugurating the ...
                 

Kushwaha dares Sushil Modi to contest Lok Sabha polls

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief Upendra Kushwaha Monday dared Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll and claiming that even a humble worker of his party was capable of defeating the veteran BJP leader in an electoral contest. The former Union minister made the remark while replying to a recent comment by state BJP president Nityanand Rai who had said that he would seek re-election from Ujiyarpur Lok Sabha seat and challenged Kushwaha, besides RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, to engage with him in an electoral fight. What to say on his comments. The senior most leader of his party Sushil Kumar Modi has been shy of contesting elections and choosing the legislative council route.I challenge Modi to contest the polls. Even a humble (adnaa saa) activist of the RLSP is capable of defeating him. Let the Deputy CM and his party accept this challenge, Kushwaha who quit the NDA and joined the Grand Alliance last month- told .....
                 

After Navy, Meghalaya suspends operation to retrieve dead miner's body

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Monday suspended the operation to retrieve the body of a dead miner trapped inside a 370-foot-deep coal mine to avoid disintegration of the decomposed corpse. The state government's order came a day after the Navy on Sunday suspended the operation to pull the body out after it was found by the unmanned ROV last week during a routine search mission inside the main shaft where the 15 miners are trapped since December 13. The state government has given the order of suspending the operation to pull out the body of the miner as it is becoming an impossible task, Sangma told mediapersons at the sidelines of a programme here. We decided that we will suspend the operation because it is really not working out, he added. We have asked the medical department, Navy, administration and forensic department for their advice and observation, he said. Asked if the state government will call off the rescue operations involving multi-agencies including the Navy ....
                 

Former Gujarat BJP minister, ex-MLA join Congress

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Former Gujarat BJP minister Bimal Shah joined the opposition Congress Monday, claiming the the saffron outfit has turned into a "power-oriented party". Along with Shah, another BJP leader Anil Patel, a former Congress MLA who had crossed over to the ruling outfit after the 2007 polls, also joined the main opposition party. The development comes just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and is being seen as a sort of boost for the Congress, which drew a blank in Gujarat in the 2014 general elections. The two were inducted into the Congress at a function held at state Congress headquarters here in the presence of key party leaders such as Ahmed Patel and GPCC president Amit Chavda. Shah was elected to the assembly from Kapadvanj in Kheda district in 1998 and again in 2002. The 57-year-old had served as the Minister of State for Transport in 1998, when Keshubhai Patel was chief minister. Shah, however, lost in the 2007 assembly polls. In the 2017 elections, he entered the arena as ....
                 

Cong MLA charged with attempt to murder, party suspends him

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
: A red-faced Congress in Karnataka Monday suspended its MLA J N Ganesh, who was also slapped with a case of attempt to murder for allegedly hitting his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at a private resort here on Saturday night. A day after the incident came to light, the case was registered on a complaint by Singh, who has been hospitalised for an injury he suffered in the alleged brawl at Eagleton Resorts where the Congress MLAs were sequestered to shield them from BJP's alleged poaching bid. According to the FIR, besides attempt to murder, Ganesh, who was one of the MLAs reportedly under the BJP lens for desertion, has been charged with causing grievous injuries and giving threats. Singh alleged that on Saturday night Ganesh waylaid him when he was on way to his room after dinner. According to the FIR, Singh said in his complaint that Ganesh was upset with him for not helping him financially during the assembly elections in May. The argument had..
                 

Sena, Cong claim oppn show of strength gives PM the "shivers"; Jaitley, Rajanth say oppn fears Modi's popularity

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The opposition's show of unity last week sparked a fresh war of words on Monday with BJP's estranged ally Shiv Sena and opposition Congress claiming it has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "shivers" ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Hitting back, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it is only the "fear" of Modi's popularity and a "certain comeback" and BJP's successes that is bringing multiple disparate forces to come together against the prime minister. Jaitley said any opposition grouping will be an "unviable and an unworkable" short-lived combination and asked, "Is it Modi vs Chaos? In a Facebook post titled 'Agenda for 2019 - Modi Vs Chaos', he also said it will be advantage BJP in the general elections as an aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" by voting for a short-lived political alliance. Echoining Jaitley's views, Rajnath Singh said it was the fear of BJP's successes that made the opposition parties come .....
                 

HC rejects plea for CBI probe into case against TN Minister

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Madras High Court Monday dimissed a petition seeking transfer of a case pending against Tamil Nadu Commercial Taxes Minister K C Veeramani and others over a property dispute to the CBI. Justice Anand Venkatesh concurred with the submissions of state public prosecutor A Natarajan that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioner had not moved the magistrate court in Vellore as directed by a division bench of the court earlier. The judge dismissed the petition with a direction to the petitioner to approach the magistrate court under Sec. 156(3) CrPC (power of magistrate to order investigation by police). Petitioner Jayaprakash had levelled various allegations against the Minister over the case pertaining to the property dispute involving several crores of rupees and sought transfer of the investigation from the state police to the CBI...
                 

For Lok Sabha polls, Shah to kick-start BJP's Bengal campaign with rally in border-district Malda

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The BJP will kick-start its campaign in Bengal for the national elections with a public meeting by party chief Amit Shah in Malda on Wednesday, three days after Mamata Banerjee's mega rally featuring opposition leaders from across the country. Malda, a border district in north Bengal, was a Congress stronghold for decades with its politics being dominated by party veteran A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury and his family. However, ruling Trinamool Congress have built a strong presence there after regime change in the state in 2011. "Amit Shah will start Bengal's Lok Sabha campaign from Malda district tomorrow. It will be followed by two other rallies on January 23 at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum district," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said. The series of rallies were originally scheduled to begin on Sunday, however had to be postponed after Shah was taken ill and was admitted at the AIIMS in Delhi with swine flu. State BJP leaders feel Shah's rallies will help the party give a .....
                 

Kinnar Akhara, a group of transgender saints, to build ashram in Allahabad

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Kinnar Akhara, a group of transgender saints in Prayagraj Kumbh announced on Monday that it will set up an ashram in the city, according to a statement issued here by the Ministry of Culture. The group, which had attended the Ujjain Kumbh in 2016, have been taking part in the holy baths at the Kumbh Mela this year along with the other akharas. "Transgenders were badly exploited in the society and even their parents were forced to live a disgraceful life. Transgenders have been part of Sanatan Dharm and they have been given respectful status in religious epics and books of Hindu mythology. The Akhara has provided a forum to transgenders to pursue a dignified life with religious rituals. We will build an ashram at Prayagraj," Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Lakshmi Narayanan Tripathi, the chief of the Kinnar Akahara has been quoted as saying in the statement. He said the Juna Akhara, a traditional and powerful akhara, has given the recognition to Kinnar Akhara and has allowed it to be a part ....
                 

President to confer national awards to children tomorrow

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
President Ram Nath Kovind will confer the national awards to 26 shortlisted children Tuesday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Women and Child Development Ministry said. This year's award function was mired in controversy after the government dissociated itself from the NGO Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) that has been organising the award since 1957 over financial embezzlement. The ICCW had shortlisted 21 children for this year's national awards whose names have been sent to the Prime Minister's Office, but no response has been received, ICCW president Gita Siddhartha said. The ministry, meanwhile, reinvented the national children's awards for this year and included bravery as one of the categories under the awards now called the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2019. The different categories of award this time is innovation (six awards), scholaristic (three awards), social service (three awards), art and culture (five awards), sports (six awards) an bravery (three .....
                 

Ex-minister Yogendra Sao threatening probe officer: Jharkhand govt tells SC

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Jharkhand government told the Supreme Court on Monday that former state minister Yogendra Sao, against whom several cases of rioting and instigating violence have been registered, was threatening an investigating officer and his bail needs to be cancelled. The state government told a bench of justices S A Bobde and Deepak Gupta, that Sao and his MLA wife Nirmala Devi, who is also an accused in similar cases, have violated several bail conditions imposed on them by the top court. Standing Counsel Tapesh Kumar Singh for Jharkhand said Sao recently threatened the investigating officer posted at Barkagaon police station in Hazaribagh district and a case has been registered against him. He said the IO is a crucial witness in the case against him and Sao has violated apex court's bail condition of not contacting any witnesses in the case. "They (Sao and Devi) should be put back in jail for violating bail conditions," he said. Singh said they were not staying in Bhopal as directed by the..
                 

Japan's KRT plans 100 temperature-control warehouses in Bengal

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Japanese warehousing major Kawasaki Rikuso Transportation Co Ltd (KRT) on Monday said it would install 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses in West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore. The state government on Monday launched a similar commercially-exploitable demonstration warehouse built by KRT here, with grant from Japan International Cooperation Agency India (JICA). "KRT is going to invest in the state with a five-year plan of building 100 solar-powered, temperature-controlled warehouses in that area," KRT President Keiichi Higuchi said. West Bengal is the first foray for the Tokyo-headquartered warehousing and logistics company outside Japan. "In 2019, KRT is planning to build warehouses in north Bengal at the 'Krishak Bazaars' in Phansidewa and Dhupguri," he said. Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration event, he said KRT will stay focused on West Bengal, as there is huge potential for the company, and the state government is .....
                 

Stray dogs maul 7-yr-old to death in Odisha

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Zensar Q3 net profit dips 6% to Rs 56.5 cr, sees strong deal momentum

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Mid-sized software services firm Zensar Technologies Monday reported a six per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 56.51 crore during the December 2018 quarter as compared to the year-ago period. The Pune-headquartered firm had posted net profit of Rs 60.17 crore in the October-December 2017 quarter. The net profit was negatively impacted on two main counts -- foreign exchange losses and lower operating margins as several of the deals won are currently in transition, Zensar Technologies Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Sandeep Kishore said. However, the deal momentum remains strong and Zensar saw win some significant large deals in the December 2018 quarter with total contract value (TCV) booking crossing the USD 200-million mark for the first time, he added. Its revenue from operations rose 30.5 per cent to Rs 1,035.55 crore, compared with Rs 793.76 crore in the year-ago period. The company's board has declared an interim dividend of Re 1 per share. Digital .....
                 

First phase of agitation for rights of PoK people to end

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
SOS International, an organisation representing displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) will end its 26-day long 'chain dharna' to demand their rehabilitation, it said here on Monday. However, the organisation will start the second phase of the agitation next week with mass demonstration-cum-dharna at Poonch followed by similar programmes at various district headquarters across Jammu division. "The first phase of the agitation, which began on December 27 with holding of chain dharnas, will culminate tomorrow (Tuesday)," chairman SOS International Rajiv Chuni told reporters here. He said the PoK displaced persons were not demanding anything extra ordinary but only their "due rights", which include implementation of the whole package passed by state cabinet in October 2014, facilities to all displaced persons at par with Kashmiri Pandit migrants and reservation of eight assembly seats. The SOS International is also seeking permission to visit religious places in PoK, .....
                 

Hygiene on board trains: ECoR installs 91 sanitary napkin vending machines in 36 trains

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The East Coast Railway has installed 91 sanitary napkin vending machines in 36 trains as part of the railways' drive to improve hygiene on board its trains, a release from the national transporter said Monday. These are important trains, originating from its jurisdiction - Puri, Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam. Thirty-five coaches of 10 trains include Purusottam Express, Puri-Ahmedabad Express, Tapaswini Express, Puri-Durg Express, Utkal Express, Jagannath Express, Neelachal Express, Puri-Chennai Express, Puri-Ajmer Express, Puri-Shirdi Express originating from Puri have been installed with these machines. Similarly, 28 coaches of 15 trains originating from Bhubaneswar - Hirakhand Express, Rajdhani Express group of trains, Prashanti Express, Dhanbad Garib Rath Express, Bhawanipatna Link Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Bhubaneswar-Tirupati Express, Bangalore Cant Express, Balangir Inter City, New Delhi Duronto, Krishnarajpuram Humsafar Express, Bangiriposi Express have been provided with ...
                 

BJP suffered for changing names of govt schemes: Gehlot

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the BJP "suffered" in the state because it changed the name of existing government schemes when it was in power and "now it's time" for it to face defeat at the Centre. Gehlot cited the example of the previous BJP government's decision to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra as Atal Seva Kendra to say that the saffron party will have to repent for changing names of government schemes. He said the Congress government in Rajasthan has decided to retain the name. "The scheme will remain Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra and we have directed the chief secretary to take further action," he told reporters outside Rajasthan Assembly. He said nobody would have objected had the BJP government named a new scheme after their leader. "Be it Centre or state, they did not leave any chance to change names. Such thinking develops bitterness and spoils ambience. They did not realise and now they will have to suffer. They have already suffered in Rajasthan and now it's ...
                 

India needs renewable energy policy to achieve 175 GW solar capacity by 2022: CSE

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
India would fall short of the government's target of achieving 175 GW of solar capacity by 2022, city-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Monday. CSE Director General Sunita Narain said this at a national conference where she released a report titled the "State of Renewable Energy in India 2019". Emphasising the need for a renewable energy policy to meet the needs of the poorest people in the country, she said there were several challenges like air pollution, climate change and lack of clean fuel for cooking for which renewable energy was essential. "We believe that India needs a renewable energy policy that is less about industry and more about ensuring supply to meet the needs of the poorest in the country. It should be a means to both de-carbonise the economy and provide access to large numbers of people who are energy-deprived. "Renewable energy is not just another infrastructural challenge, rather this sector is important to achieve the challenges of..
                 

BJP knocks at EC door, demands action against AAP for propaganda on deletion of voters' names in Delhi

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Under sustained attack from the AAP over alleged illegal deletion of 30 lakh voters' names in the national capital, the BJP Monday knocked at the door of the Election Commission seeking action against Delhi's ruling party for levelling "unfounded allegations" with the aim to dent the faith of people in the poll panel. A delegation of the BJP's Delhi unit, headed by its president Manoj Tiwari, demanded the commission de-recognise the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) for carrying out "baseless and scurrilous propaganda" against it. "It is being portrayed as if the Election Commission is under the clutches of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)," according to a memorandum submitted by the delegation. Tiwari said the Chief Election Commissioner has assured appropriate action in the matter, and added his party might approach the high court against the AAP's "propaganda". AAP leaders, including party head and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have alleged the names of about 30 lakh voters, especially .....
                 

Directing a Hindi film definitely on the cards: Prithviraj Sukumaran

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
South star Prithviraj Sukumaran on Monday revealed that he will soon direct a film in Hindi. The actor, who has featured in Hindi films such as "Aiyaa", "Aurangzeb" and "Naam Shabana", said the offers from Bollywood are not exciting enough for him to take time out off his career in South. "I'm not in talks with anyone as of now for a Hindi film. I have occasionally read a script or two. But nothing has excited me to be finding time from in between my southern career and do it. I'm waiting for an interesting script in Hindi. "Directing a film in Hindi is definitely on the cards. Hopefully it should happen sooner than later," Prithviraj told PTI in a telephonic interview from Kochi. This year the actor will be making his directorial debut with Malayalam language film "Lucifer", featuring Mohanlal. Prithviraj said he feels blessed as a debutante director to have the South legend lead the film. "Directing Mr Mohanlal was a delight. He's completely there and wanting to know what you want ....
                 

Lockheed sees potential exports of 200 F-16 jets from proposed Indian plant

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Top Stories  
                 

BJP MLA Akula Satyanarayana joins Jana Sena

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
: BJP MLA from Rajamahendravaram Urban, Akula Satyanarayana, joined the Jana Sena here Monday. Satyanarayana resigned from his post as well as the BJP on Sunday to formally join the Jana Sena. His resignation as MLA is yet to be accepted. Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan formally welcomed the legislator into his party. He said Satyanarayanas entry would strengthen the Jana Sena in East Godavari as the latters family enjoyed good reputation in the district. Satyanarayana said a corruption-free rule was possible only with Kalyan, adding he was confident that the actor-turned-politician would cleanse the current political system. Satyanarayana was one of the four MLAs to have been elected on behalf of the BJP, which fought the 2014 election in alliance with the TDP. He had been staying away from party affairs for some time now, reportedly disgruntled that the BJP did not honour its promises made to the state post-bifurcation...
                 

To fill up director posts at Air India, govt may take search-select route

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Latest News  
                 

Supreme Court admits Trai plea against TDSAT predatory pricing order

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Latest News  
                 

NCLT approves merger of debt-ridden Tata Teleservices with Bharti Airtel

12 hours ago  
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Indian economy poised to pick up in 2019, do better than China's: IMF

12 hours ago  
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BJP has reaped political benefits on Sabarimala issue; SNDP

12 hours ago  
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: The BJP has reaped political benefits from the agitation against the Kerala government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict on the Sabarimala women's entry issue,the SNDP Yogam,an outfit of the numerically strong Ezhava community, said here Monday. "If you ask me who gained from the Sabarimala agitation, I think the BJP has moved forward so far on the basis of their Hindutva ideology," SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan told reporters here. The statement of Natesan, considered very close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, came amid speculations in political circles in Kerala on who would stand to benefit from the Sabarimala issue in the coming Lok Sabha polls. The observation of the prominent Backward Community leader has also surprised political circles as the BJP itself was not ready to accept that the stir was a complete success. The BJP, which had been spearheading the nearly two-month long stir against the government's decision to .....
                 

NCLAT dismisses Jignesh Shah plea against insolvency of his investment firm La-Fin Financial Services

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Monday dismissed the petitions filed by erstwhile MCX promoter Jignesh Shah and others challenging an NCLT order that allowed insolvency proceedings against investment firm La-Fin Financial Services. Jignesh Shah along with Pushpa Shah and others had appealed against the order of Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which on August 30, 2018, allowed the insolvency proceedings against Shah's investment firm La-Fin Financial Services over a plea filed by IL&FS Financial Services. Rejecting the petitions, a two-member NCLAT bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya held that IL&FS Financial Services "is the 'Financial Creditor' and there is a debt and default, the application under Section 7 is to be admitted." "We find no merit in these appeals, we accordingly dismiss both the appeals," the appellate tribunal said. IL&FS Financial Services had moved the insolvency plea before the NCLT on May 25, 2017,..
                 

Congress suspends MLA Ganesh over resort brawl

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Congress in Karnataka Monday suspended itsMLA J N Ganesh who allegedly hit his lawmaker colleague Anand Singh during an alleged brawl at private resort here on Saturday night. As serious allegations have been made with regards to the incident, on the orders of KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA J N Ganesh has been suspended with immediate effect, the Pradesh Congress said in a release here. In order to conduct detailed inquiry about the incident a special inquiry committee committee had been constituted under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara. It also includes Ministers K J George and Krishna Byre Gowda, the release said, adding that the committee had been asked to submit the report at the earliest. The statement said that party leaders have conducted preliminary inquiry about the 'unpleasant' incident that happened on January 19 and have also collected information from Anand Singh. A jittery Congress had shifted its legislators to the resort on .....
                 

OPS takes dig at Stalin over 'yagna for CM post' claim

12 hours ago  
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Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam took a dig at M K Stalin on Monday over his "yagna for CM post" claim, saying the DMK president was "very confused" and seeking to know whether he believed in superstition. Rejecting Stalin's claim that a 'yagna' (havan) was performed by him at his office in the state Secretariat so as to get the "Chief Minister's post", the senior AIADMK leader said he had only offered prayers as per a usual practice. "Does Stalin believe that I can become the CM by performing a yagna? doest he believe in superstition?...Stalin has been very confused of late," he told reporters here. He said if one can become the Chief Minister by performing yagna, all MLAs will do it. Even to become the Prime Minister, such yagna can be performed. Hence, Stalin need not find a new meaning to such superstitious practices, he added. Stalin had Sunday claimed that Panneerselvam held a 'yagna' at his office in the Secretariat in Chennai and objected to it, saying Fort St ...
                 

Adolescent school students to be made aware of HIV-AIDS

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Odisha AIDS Control Society has launched a programme to sensitize adolescent students in schools on HIV, AIDS and sexual transmission diseases, an official said Monday. The adolescent education programme was launched in Ganjam district, having the highest number of HIV positive persons in the state. The children will be made aware of the cause of the spread of STDs by the teachers in the district, AIDS control programme officer in Ganjam, Hemant Sahu, said here. As many as 60 teachers - half of them women - of 30 high schools in at least 14 out of the 22 blocks, have been sensitized on the cause of HIV and how to prevent them, Sahu said. The programme has been launched in collaboration with the school and mass education department. Teachers from highly vulnerable blocks have been selected for training, he said adding that those teachers would create awareness among students, especially those studying in classes IX and X, at least once a week. "If the school students ...
                 

IESA aims to create Rs 1,000 cr biz, 1 mn jobs from startups in 5 yrs

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Electronics and electronic chip maker body IESA expects to promote 100 startups to help them create 1,000 intellectual property rights (IPRs) and generate business worth Rs 1,000 crore in five years, a senior member of the association said. The association also expects that these steps will lead to creation of a million jobs in the country. "We have our charter according to which IESA has to incubate 100 startups, help them create 1,000 IPRs, generate business worth Rs 1,000 crore and create 1 million jobs over next five years," IESA executive council member Satya Gupta told PTI. IESA, whose members include electronic chip makers Intel, Texas Instruments, Samsung Semiconductor, eInfochips etc, has entered into an agreement with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) to set up incubation centre in every state. India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) has set up its first incubation centre in Delhi University campus. The centre has been operational for more than two .....
                 

Leopard sighted in Gr Noida, captured and released in forest

12 hours ago  
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A leopard whose appearance had caused panic among locals in Greater Noida was captured and released in a forest near Saharanpur, officials said Monday. The male leopard, aged around 7-8 years, was sighted near Sadullapur village in Greater Noida on Sunday morning following which police and the forest department were alerted, they said. District Forest Officer P K Shrivastava said it took authorities about 4-5 hours to capture the leopard ensuring the safety of both, the officials as well as the feline. Chief Forest Conservator of Meerut region Lalit Verma was also in the district on Sunday and oversaw along with specialists from the Delhi Zoo the combing operation that continued for over two hours, he said. According to officials, soon equipment like a cage, a safety net, a forest vehicle and a tranquilliser gun were arranged. The rescue operation started at around 4.15 pm with about five trained specialists from the Delhi Zoo and wildlife conservation NGO-- SOS Wildlife. "Around 5.30..
                 

MP: Two juveniles held for sodomising junior student

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Two youths were Monday detained for allegedly sodomising a class 8 student in their school hostel at Nipania area here in Madhya Pradesh, police said. The alleged incident occurred on the night of January 19 when the accused duo called the victim to their hostel room and sexually assaulted him, Vijay Nagar area City Superintendent of Police Pankaj Dixit told PTI. The youths are students of class 10 and 11 in a reputed English medium school. The police officer said a case has been registered against the accused duo under sections 377 (unnatural offences) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), after parents of the victim lodged a complaint with Lasudia police station Sunday afternoon. The principal of the school could not be contacted despite repeated calls...
                 

BJP alleges Bengal govt not allowing landing of Amit Shah's copter, Mamata says 'absolutely not true'

12 hours ago  
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The BJP alleged Monday the West Bengal government has denied permission for the landing of a helicopter carrying its president Amit Shah at an airstrip in Malda on Tuesday, a charge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said was "absolutely not true". Hitting out at the state government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal claimed that it showed Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state. "The desperation and fear of the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee are clearly visible in this decision. The state government is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah, be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper," he told reporters. Goyal also sought comments from opposition parties like the Congress on the matter, saying if a BJP government had obstructed political programmes of rival parties' leader, then it would be accused of "intolerance". In Kolkata, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh told PTI, "The administration has denied permission for landing at Malda airstrip .....
                 

Policy holders may get option to get accident/health claim benefits in installments

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Policy holders may get option to receive payment of claims in installments in respect of personal accident (PA)/ benefit based health insurance, once the recommendations of a committee are accepted by the Irdai. Various general/ health insurance companies have proposed to the insurance regulator the need to give an option to policy holders to receive payment of claim benefits in these two type of policies. The concept may be altogether new to the general/ health insurance industry, but it is in vogue since long in the life insurance industry, especially in respect of endowment policies, where maturity claim benefits are paid in installments to the policyholders. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) had set up a working group to study the proposal. The settlement of PA/ benefit based health insurance claims in installments should not be a default option, said the report, which has been made public. "The General and Health insurance companies may be allowed to..
                 

Equip farmers to reach global market: Kerala Guv

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam Monday said spices cultivators should be encouraged to think globally and make use of the latest farming technologies. It was important to help Indian farmers by providing better storage facilities, which in turn would facilitate consistent supply for value addition, Sathasivam said opening the 4th session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) established under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu wished success to the five-day meet through video conferencing. In his message, the Minister said with the implementation of agriculture export policy, importance has been given to promotion of organic spices' exports. "Ensuring transparency and equality in fixing global quality standards for spices and herbs can strengthen the global food safeguard without compromising on safety," the Governor said. Stressing the need to double the installed capacity of storage facilities which would help..
                 

India's first all-woman party launched, to contest Lok Sabha polls

12 hours ago  
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