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India welcomes ASEAN's outlook on Indo-Pacific

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Welcoming ASEAN's outlook on the Indo-Pacific, India Wednesday said it sees important elements of convergence with its own perspective on the region. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Sunday officially disclosed its outlook for the Indo-Pacific, viewing the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions not as contiguous territorial spaces but as a closely integrated and interconnected region. The regional grouping, in its outlook, also saw the Indo-Pacific a region of dialogue and cooperation instead of rivalry, besides envisaging development and prosperity for all. "Given our Prime Minister's enunciation at the Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2018 of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, of which India is an important part, we warmly welcome ASEAN's decision to articulate its own views of the concept," said Raveesh Kumar, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, in response to a query on India's view on the ASEAN Outlook announced on June 24. "While we are ...
                 

IndiaMart IPO subscribed 36 times; receives bids for 96.92 mn shares

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Bringing order to the DNA business

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Budget wishlist: Alternative funds seek angel tax breather, GST rate cut

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Lack of skilled labour make Indian SMEs deploy robots on factory floors

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Nifty nears record highs, but just 15 stocks bringing in value: Expert

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Derivatives Strategies: Nifty support range from 11,600-11,700

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Thousands protest in Hong Kong as Xi Jinping heads to Japan's G20 summit

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Ahead of Trump-Xi meeting, US set to delay additional tariffs on China

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RBI panel report suggests big role for NBFCs in developing MSME sector

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Rising tariff clashes, WTO reforms on PM Modi's agenda for G20 Summit

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What ails democratic politics?

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TN govt order to close unit is 'naked' discrimination, Sterlite tells HC

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Glacier meltdown

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Payment firms must return data to India for storage within 24 hours: RBI

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Indian Davis Cup team likely to travel to Pakistan after 55 years

3 hours ago  
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An Indian Davis Cup team is likely to travel to Pakistan after 55 years with the national tennis federation AITA hinting that the central government will allow the players to compete against the neighbouring country in September. No Indian Davis Cup squad has travelled to Pakistan since March 1964 and in that tie, held in Lahore, India had won 4-0. "We have written to the government and hopefully we will go to Pakistan, that's the impression we have," All India Tennis Association (AITA) Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI on Wednesday. "It's not a bilateral series, it's (like) a World Cup, so the government will allow. I am confident we will go and play in Pakistan. We will announce it in a day or two. Pakistan Federation has mentioned that the tie will be played in Islamabad." The The winner of the Asia/Oceania Group I tie will move to the World Group Qualifiers. The last tie between the two nations was played in Mumbai in 2006, which India won 3-2. Current non-playing .....
                 

Delhi BJP may go for reshuffle if Assembly polls are not held early

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The Delhi BJP may go for an organisational reshuffle in September-October if the Assembly polls in the national capital, scheduled for early next year, are not advanced, party sources said Wednesday. The preparations for the Assembly elections and the party's membership drive, to be launched on July 6, were discussed Wednesday in a meeting of senior Delhi BJP leaders in the presence of national general secretary (organisation) Ramlal. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari asked the leaders to work hard to ensure the membership drive is a success and the party's "Vanvas" (exile) in the city is ended. The BJP has been out of power in Delhi for over two decades and is eyeing a comeback after its massive victory in recent Lok Sabha polls, when it won all seven seats on offer in the national capital. "Ramlal said that elections of the Delhi unit from booth upto state level may be held by September-October, if the Assembly polls are held as per schedule in early next year," said a senior Delhi ....
                 

Governor urges educational institutes to wake up to drug abuse

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Nagaland Governor P B Acharya Wednesday urged educational institutes in the state to wake up to the problem of drug abuse. Educational institutes should wake up to the problem because just giving academic knowledge is not the end of the goal but they have to outreach and strengthen the society. Addressing a function on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the governor said the state is in a danger zone of drug abuse and prevention is better than cure. How to work about for the affected people should be the concern for all stake holders including family, friends, educational institutions and religious bodies as well as the government, Acharya said. He said that unless one's mind is occupied for creativity activities this type of problems (drug abuse) will prevail in our society. Principal Secretary of School Education department, Menukhol John said that drug abuse and other related issues are very personal matters and must be .....
                 

Senior police officials of northern states hold meeting on drug issue

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The Haryana Police Wednesday organised a meeting of top police officials of several northern states and Union Territory Chandigarh aimed at evolving strategies for fighting drug abuse and trafficking. During the meeting, organised on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking here, challenges of drug abuse and trafficking, and strategies to combat the same were discussed, officials said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also addressed the participants during the concluding session in the evening. Khattar urged the police officers to adopt a three-pronged strategy-- Treatment, Enforcement and Awareness (TEA) -- which, he said, is considered most important to combat the menace of drugs from society. Addressing the senior police officers, Khattar said police should increase the enforcement and maximum awareness should be given in the society in coordination with various departments concerned. He also asked the police officers to work together ....
                 

Gujarat RS bypolls: Papers of Jaishankar, others accepted

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Nomination papers filed for next month's Rajya Sabha bypolls in Gujarat by two BJP and as many Congress candidates, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, were accepted by election authorities after scrutiny Wednesday. The returning officer for the July 5 Rajya Sabha by- elections for two seats, however, rejected the candidature of a Karnataka resident, who claimed to be a BJP nominee, for failing to produce valid papers to back his claim. The bypolls on the two seats were necessitated after sitting BJP MPs, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani, had resigned after their election to the Lok Sabha last month from Gandhinagar and Amethi, respectively. While the BJP has fielded Jaishankar and OBC leader Juglaji Thakor, the Congress has nominated Chandrika Chudasama and Gaurav Pandya for the bypolls in which Gujarat MLAs will vote. Their nomination papers were found to be in order, an official said. Along with them, two "dummy" BJP candidates - A P Shah and Kiritsinh Rana -..
                 

Airfares on domestic routes observed to be fairly normalized at present: Civil aviation minister

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Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that as domestic airlines have started inducting more aircraft in their fleet, airfares on domestic routes are "observed to be fairly normalised at present". In a written reply to a query whether the Centre is aware about the "unjustified tariff hike" imposed by airlines to various sectors in the country, the minister said, "Due to suspension of operation of Jet Airways and grounding of Boeing B737 Max, there was a reduction in capacity in few domestic sectors." "With a view to maintain transparency, as advised by Ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) started monitoring of airfares on certain routes selected on random basis to ensure that the airlines do not charge airfares outside the range declared by them." The minister said that during monitoring, civil aviation regulator DGCA observed that though there was a marginal hike in airfares, it remained within the "fare brackets .....
                 

Plea for stay on MLA's conviction: HC sends case back matter to sessions court

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The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday set aside a sessions court order refusing to stay disqualified Congress MLA Bhagvan Barad's conviction in an illegal mining case, and once again sent the matter back to the lower court. Justice S H Vora remanded the case back to sessions court at Veraval in Gir Somnath district observing that its order refusing to stay Barad's conviction did not give the reasons properly. Barad, who represents Talala constituency, was on March 1 sentenced to two years and nine months in jail by a magistrate's court in a 24-year-old case of illegal mining. The sessions court had earlier stayed his conviction. The order was challenged by the state government in the high court, which remanded the matter back to the sessions court. The sessions court again heard the case and held in its April order that the conviction cannot be stayed. Barad then challenged the order before the high court. The high court Wednesday once again set aside the sessions court's order and .....
                 

RBI releases directions on rupee interest rate derivatives

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Wednesday issued Rupee Interest Rate Derivatives (Reserve Bank) Directions consolidating and simplifying all previous regulations with a view to protect small and retail participants. Regulations on interest rate derivatives (IRDs) have so far been issued separately for each product, including for products traded on exchanges. These regulations were framed with a view to guide the initial evolution of the market through prescriptive requirements. "Given the evolution of the market, there is now a need to permit flexibility for exchanges and market-makers in the design and innovation of products while ensuring that relatively less informed participants using these derivatives markets are adequately protected," the RBI said while issuing the directions. The directions consolidate, rationalise and simplify all previous regulations issued on interest rate derivatives, the central bank said. Exchanges have been provided with the flexibility to design and .....
                 

No proposal to close MTNL, BSNL; revival plan under preparation: Prasad

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The government Wednesday clarified there is no proposal to close state-run BSNL and MTNL, which are facing financial stress due to stiff competition and high employee costs, and added that a comprehensive plan for their revival is under preparation. "No proposal of closure of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is under consideration," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Lok Sabha. In a separate reply, he said there was no such proposal under consideration for BSNL as well. "Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and M/s Deloitte were engaged to facilitate the preparation of the revival/ restructuring plan of BSNL and MTNL respectively. Pursuant to their recommendations and approval of respective Boards, a comprehensive revival plan for BSNL and MTNL is under preparation," Prasad added. The loss making telecom firms have approached the Department of Telecom for immediate help as they are facing financial stress, which has aggravated due to the tariff war .....
                 

Denotification of Dadupur-Nalvi canal project betrayal with farmers: Surjewala

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Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala Wednesday condemned the denotification of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project, describing the state government's move a 'grave injustice, betrayal and deception with farmers of northern Haryana. "The decision of the Khattar government, asking affected farmers to return the compensation amount along with interest has dealt a severe blow to them," said the Kaithal MLA, accusing the government of pursuing "anti-farmer policies". He said while farmers of northern Haryana were staring at bleak future due to depleting water table, the government told them to return the the compensation along with interest. "The decision has once again shown the anti-farmer attitude of the BJP government," he alleged, claiming that project was the "lifeline of northern Haryana". Surjewala said the "anti-people" decision would deprive around one lakh hectares in 225 villages of Ambala, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra of an essential irrigation facility. "The Dadupur-Nalvi .....
                 

ED seizes Rs 9,778-crore assets of Sterling Biotech, promoters in PMLA case

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Doing everything we can to ensure crude imports to India: US

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The US on Wednesday assured India that it is "doing everything" to ensure crude oil imports to New Delhi in the wake of the situation arising out of sanctions on importing oil from Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during a policy speech here, said India has made "hard choices" to cut off oil imports from Iran. "You have gone away from purchasing Venezuelan oil. Those decisions weren't without cost. We are doing everything we can to ensure you have crude imports. We appreciate your efforts in pushing these regimes to behave like normal countries," he said. The issue of energy security was also discussed during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his American counterpart Pompeo earlier in the day. In the wake of the situation arising out of US sanctions on buying oil from Iran and the US-Iran tensions in the Persian Gulf, Jaishankar said: "We have a certain perspective on Iran. The Secretary shared with me the American concerns on Iran...For us it is important ...
                 

Total debt of Air India is Rs 58.3 crore: Civil Aviation Minister

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Road Min issues advisory to states for using colour coded stickers on vehicles based on fuels

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The Road Transport and Highways Ministry Wednesday asked states to ensure implementation of hologram-based colour coded stickers on vehicles indicating nature of fuel they are using, as per direction of the apex court. The Supreme Court in October last year had accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for hologram-based light blue colour sticker for vehicles using petrol and CNG fuel and orange sticker on diesel-run vehicles for quick identification. "lt has been mandated that the background colour for the self-destructive type chromium based hologram sticker shall be orange and it shall be light blue for the petrol and CNG vehicles," the Ministry said in an advisory to states. It added that in view of the direction of the Supreme Court and notification issued by this Ministry, it is once again requested to ensure compliance of the above directions of Supreme Court and to ensure use of colour coded stickers...
                 

Auto firms have neither any wish-list, nor any suggestion for Budget 2019

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NIA court gives 10 yrs of imprisonment in FICN case

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Two persons were sentenced to 10 years in Jail by a special NIA court in Vijayawada in a Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) case.Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) unit of Visakhapatnam had seized FICN of face value Rs.10,20,000 from the two accused persons- Mohammed Mahaboob Baig and Syed Imran- travelling in Howrah-Hyderabad East Coast Express at Visakhapatnam Railway Station, an NIA release said.They were arrested later following the proceedings under Section 135 of the Customs Act, 1962. In April 2018, NIA registered a case and filed a charge-sheet in the Special Court here.Both the accused, who hail from Karnataka, were convicted under Section 489B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes), 489C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency/bank-notes) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code."NIA Special Court sentenced two accused persons to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 489B of IPC, 7 years' rigorous .....
                 

RBI issues norms for setting up FBAs for fixing efficient benchmarks for financial instruments

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday issued guidelines for setting up of financial benchmark administrator (FBA) for administering "significant benchmarks" in the markets for financial instruments. Benchmarks administered outside India do not fall under the scope of the guidelines, the RBI said in a statement. Significant benchmark means any benchmark notified by the Reserve Bank of India, it said adding that the central bank will notify a benchmark as a 'significant benchmark' taking into consideration its use, efficiency and relevance in domestic financial markets. "No FBA will administer a 'significant benchmark' without obtaining authorisation of the Reserve Bank under these directions. However, FBAs that were already administering the 'significant benchmark' may continue to do so till the disposal of their applications by the Reserve Bank," it said. FBA will be a company incorporated in India and will maintain a minimum net worth of Rs 1 crore at all times, it said. FBAs ...
                 

BJD MLA expresses concern over new River Basin Management Bill

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A ruling Biju Janata Dal MLA Wednesday expressed concern over the new River Basin Management Bill which has been placed in the Parliament. Former minister and senior BJD MLA Debi Prasad Mishra while speaking in the state Assembly during the Zero Hour said the new bill may not be in the interest of Odisha which is located in the coast. Taking the member's concern into consideration over the new bill, Speaker S N Patro directed the Water Resource minister to inform the House on the state government's stand on the issue. Citing an instance of Odisha getting affected due to the new bill, Mishra said though Brahmani and Baitarani are separate rivers, the bill treats them like one. "Baitarani river is 1,400 km long and spread across 40 sq km in Jharkhand. The new policy provisions allows the Jharkhand government to intervene in Odisha government's decisions if it decides to construct anything on the rivers," Mishra said. Noting that Mahanadi is the lifeline of Odisha, Mishra ...
                 

Bajaj Allianz Life expects biz from pension to jump to 15-18

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Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance will push pension products in the current fiscal and expects its share to increase to 15-18 per cent out of total first premium income in the current fiscal. Pension currently contributes mere one per cent now in the total first premium income. "Retirement related goal is one of the top priorities among the people cutting across age profile. We are focusing on products like pension and expect its share will jump to 15 -18 per cent from almost nil now," Bajaj Allianz Life MD & CEO Tarun Chugh said Wednesday. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of unveiling of the life goal preparedness survey conducted by the company. Based on the findings of the survey, Chugh said, the company will now work on new or upgraded products for specific needs for women, millennials, entrepreneurs and health. Bajaj Allianz gets almost half of its business through non-agency channels and was actively working on the India Post Payment tie up to expand its..
                 

Sebi fines 3 entities Rs 19 lakh for manipulative trade in BSE stock options segment

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Capital markets regulator Sebi slapped a total penalty of Rs 19 lakh on three entities for indulging in unfair trade practices in the illiquid stock options segment on the BSE. The two firms, Hotel Polo Towers Pvt Ltd and Hollyfield Traders Pvt Ltd, have been fined Rs 5 lakh each, while a penalty of Rs 9 lakh has been imposed on Jaideep Halwasiya for violating the provisions of Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trading Practices (PFUTP) regulations, Sebi said in three separate orders. During an investigation between April 2014 and September 2015, Sebi found that a total of over 2.9 lakh trades, comprising 81.38 per cent of all the trades executed in bourse's stock options segment, involved reversal of buy and sell positions by the clients and counterparties in a contract. Sebi noted that the three entities were among those clients whose reversal trades involved squaring off transactions with significant difference in the sell and buy value and resulted in generation of artificial ....
                 

More leaders, including INLD MP, join BJP

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Ram Kumar Kashyap, sitting INLD MP in Rajya Sabha, joined the BJP on Wednesday in the presence of party working president JP Nadda. Besides him, two-time former MP from Kannur in Kerala A P Abdullakutty, who had been in the CPI(M) and the Congress and was ousted from both parties for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar also joined the saffron party. They met Nadda and were enrolled into the BJP. Kashyap was the lone Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MP in the upper house. With this, the BJP's strength in the Rajya Sabha has increased to 76. Abdullakutty was expelled from the CPI(M) in 2009 for praising the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He then joined the Congress, which recently axed him after he credited Modi government's welfare measures for the BJP-led NDA's big win in the Lok Sabha polls. On Tuesday, two INLD MLAs Zakir Hussain and Parminder Singh Dhul had also joined the BJP...
                 

Mamata announces compensation for 3 pushed out of train for not chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday announced compensation for three people who sustained injuries after being pushed off a train in the city for allegedly refusing to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. A madrassa teacher and two others were allegedly pushed off a moving train in the city on Monday. "I have spoken to the victims and have announced compensation of Rs 50,000 each for the three persons. We condemn such incidents and stern action should be taken by the police in this case. We will not allow such things in the state," Banerjee told reporters. Hafeez Mohd Sahrukh Haldar, who received minor injuries in the incident, said he was beaten up by a mob, which was shouting slogans and asked him to follow suit. "We were attacked by a group of men. We were thrashed and then I along with two other persons, who were also beaten up by the mob, was thrown out of the train at Park Circus railway station (in the city)," he told reporters. Banerjee had also announced compensation for .....
                 

Man hacks to death brother in suspected honour killing

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In a case of suspected honour killing, a 24-year old man allegedly hacked to death his younger brother and injured his lover, a Dalit, at nearby Mettupalayam in full public view, police said Wednesday. Vinod Kumar, who was allegedly angry with his brother for being in love with the woman, saw the couple in a public place late Tuesday evening and scolded them. He then took out a sickle and hacked his brother and also his lover before fleeing the scene even as the shocked public looked on. His brother died on the spot while the woman with serious cut injuries had been hospitalised, police said. As a search was launched for him, Kumar surrendered before the local police Wednesday. A case under Indian Penal Code sections, including 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) had been registered against him and further investigation was on police said...
                 

Iranian woman's husband detained for 'involvement' in loot

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The husband of an Iranian woman who was arrested for allegedly looting a shopkeeper in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat district a day ago has been detained, police said on Wednesday. Umar and his wife, Samira Bodaghizadeh, are suspected to have formed a gang of four-five members and made several persons as their soft targets during their stay in the country, an officer said. According to the police, Bodaghizadeh, a resident of Iran capital Tehran, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly looting Rs 50,000 from a shopkeeper at Nehru Nagar in Rasulabad town, 70 km from Kanpur. The 28-year-old and her accomplices had fled after offering to exchange notes of Rs 200 with that of Rs 500. The woman was caught by locals, while her accomplices managed to flee with the money. Umar was detained after a preliminary probe confirmed his alleged involvement in a loot. He will be sent to jail on Thursday, Superintendent of Police Anurag Vats said. Bodaghizadeh was produced before a court on Wednesday and ....
                 

Neeraj ruled out of Amir Khan showdown after accident, Billy Dib replaces him

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Indian pro boxer Neeraj Goyat has been hospitalised after suffering "severe injuries" following a car accident, ruling him out of next month's WBC Pearl World Championship clash against British star Amir Khan. The 27-year-old from Haryana met with the accident when he was returning home after training. Neeraj was set to take on Khan, a two-time world champion, in the WBC Pearl World Championship bout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 12. "We are very sad to inform that our star Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat who was preparing for his mega fight against Amir Khan met with a car accident last night that has caused him severe injuries on his head, face and left arm. He is currently in hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery," Bill Dosanjh, Promoter of the Super Boxing League, said in a statement. Neeraj is the WBC Asia welterweight titleholder and has a record of 11 wins including two knockouts, three losses and two draws till date. Former Australian world featherweight champion Billy Dib, ....
                 

TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar joins BJP

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In a blow to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) its spokesperson Lanka Dinakar on Wednesday quit the party and joined the BJP in the presence of its working president JP Nadda at party headquarters here.Dinakar also submitted his resignation to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu."I, Lanka Dinakar, herewith submitting my resignation for my position in the party as National Spokesperson and primary membership of the party after unanimous decision of my family members," the resignation letter stated.Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Rajya Sabha member, Ram Kumar Kashyap and former MP AP Abdullakutty also joined the BJP today.Earlier, TDP Rajya Sabha MPs -- YS Chowdary, C M Ramesh, T G Venkatesh, all from Andhra Pradesh, and G Mohan Rao who hails from Telangana, had on Thursday claimed to have merged themselves with the BJP. They later joined the BJP in presence of its Woking President J P Nadda.This comes a month after TDP was decimated to just 23 seats in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly election while Jagan ...
                 

Naidu asks RS members to shed election campaign mode, focus on future

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Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu Wednesday advised ruling and opposition parties to focus on what needs to be done for the betterment of the country and not continue with election campaign speeches. Rajya Sabha Wednesday dispensed with Zero Hour and Question Hour so as to conclude debate on the Motion of Thanks to President by lunchtime. When Kirori Lal Meena of the BJP began to speak and mentioned of the Congress using tribal people as vote bank, Naidu interjected to say that he would like to request everyone that "elections are over. The campaign has ended. Results are out. It would be better if we now focus on what needs to be done in the future." "This suggestion applies to all," he said, adding there are five years of the government and parties can get into election mode again in the fourth year. His suggestion was received by a loud thumping of the desks by the opposition benches. Naidu also sought to discipline the members saying some of them are in the ...
                 

Bill to amend SEZ law passed by LS

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A bill which seeks to allow trusts to set up units in special economic zones by amending the SEZ law was passed by Lok Sabha Wednesday. The Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 became the first legislation to be passed by the newly-constituted 17th Lok Sabha. It will now be moved for passage in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers. Introducing the bill, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that special economic zones (SEZs) play an important role in promoting exports and economic growth of the country. The Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will replace the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, which was promulgated in March. The ordinance had paved the way for trusts to set up units in these zones. Responding to questions on the need to bring the ordinance by the previous government, Goyal said since Parliament was not functioning and the bill was stuck, the ordinance was issued. The minister also rejected .....
                 

Sena is firmly behind people: Uddhav

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Gadkari to inaugurate international convention on MSMEs Thursday

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Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will Thursday inaugurate an international convention on micro, small and medium enterprises here to mark the International MSME Day. The objective of the convention is to boost international competitiveness of Indian MSMEs by making them aware of global trends and practices and standards in export financing, along with experience sharing by successful exporters, an official statement said. The convention has been shaped as a platform for finding business and trade partners and enabling intensive business discussion with a specific focus on interaction between international entrepreneurs and selected small and medium entrepreneurs from India. The Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is organising the convention based on the theme "Indian MSMEs, Global Aspirations". Gadkari is the Union Minister for MSME and Road Transport & Highways. 175 participants from 44 countries and ambassadors from 15 European, African and Latin American .....
                 

Two pilgrims die from cold en route to Himachal's Kinner Kailash

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Two pilgrims died from cold en route to Kinner Kailash in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district Wednesday, police said. The remaining three from their group were rescued, they said. Hundreds of pilgrims come every year to Kinner Kailash, a mountain at a height of 19,850 feet, to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva. The deceased have been identified as Piyush Verma (26), a resident of Bara Gaon in Kumarsain teshil of Shimla; and Varun Singh (25), a resident of Haryana's Jhajjar. According to information, a group of five youths, four from Bara Gaon in Shimla and one from Haryana, had left for the Kinner Kailash pilgrimage. Two of them died before reaching there due to severe cold whereas three others were rescued by a quick response team of the Kinnaur police. The group had reportedly left Ganesh Park for Kinner Kailash Wednesday morning. The rescued youths have been identified as Abhay Rana (23), Anshul Jaswal (21) and Anil Verma (17). The district administration had fixed 10 days from July 1 .....
                 

Rajya Sabha discusses water crisis; Govt promises clean

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The government would provide clean drinking water to every household of the country by 2024, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha. Besides, the government would also undertake and promote steps for water conservation and curbing extraction of underground water, which is depleting the water table and is a matter of concern, the minister said. The minister was replying to a short duration discussion in the Upper House on water crisis in the country during which members suggested a slew of steps like river interlinking, district-specific blueprint for water conservation and speedy approval for rainwater harvesting projects. Leaders fom Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra highlighted the plight of the people, with CPI-M's T K Rangarajan saying "gold is cheaper than water" in Chennai. "We would try to provide drinking to every household of this country by 2024," said Shekhawat and lauded the steps taken by governments of Karnataka and .....
                 

Two drug peddlers held in J-K's Ramban

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Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Two alleged drug peddlers were Wednesday arrested in separate incidents in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Rahul Singh, a resident of Bari Brahmana in Samba district, was arrested with 250 grams of charas, while Mudasir Ahmad, a resident of Sopore in Baramullah district, was arrested with 50 bottles of codeine phosphate, they said. Both were held from Banihal town in Ramban district. Cases were registered against the duo under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and they are being interrogated, an officer said. Meanwhile, a series of seminars and rallies marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking which was observed across Jammu on Wednesday. Various wings of police, army and other security forces joined NGOs and other government departments to organise events on the occasion and urge people to stay away from drugs, officials said. The events particularly attempted to sensitise the youth about the harmful aspects of drug .....
                 

WB: TMC delegates to visit Bhatpara on June 28 to take stock of post-violence situation

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A delegation of the ruling Trinamool Congress party will visit Bhatpara on June 28 to take stock of the situation after the violence which claimed lives of two people and left several others injured in the area.On June 20, clashes broke out between two groups suspected to be affiliated to the ruling TMC and the BJP in Bhatpara. The area comes under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, a seat won by the BJP. During the violence, the two groups hurled crude bombs at each other and gunshots were also fired.Earlier in the day, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP is "liable for Bhatpara.""Just see Bhatpara what's happening today after giving them vote... They are hiring thousands of RSS (members) from outside. We condemn the incident where a man was pushed out of the train for not chanting the slogan," she said in state Assembly.On Tuesday, a BJP delegation had submitted its report to party's national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the alleged..
                 

Valuation gains from non-cigarette businesses likely for ITC's investors

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Latest News  
                 

Privatisation of rlys' production units: Unrest brewing, warns workers union

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Upset with the government's plan to corporatise railways' production units, the Indian Railways' largest workers' union has warned the ministry of an unrest brewing among the national transporter's workforce. The Railway Ministry's first 100 days' plan under the new government envisages corporatisation of its seven production units and associated workshops under one entity called the Indian Railway Rolling Stock Company. The 100-day plan also said the ministry will soon consult various workers' unions on the issue and seek the Cabinet approval of the proposal within the first 100 days of the newly elected government. "It is worth mentioning here that serious unrest is brewing among the employees working in production units of the Indian Railways, against the 100-day action plan of the Ministry of Railways...," said All India Railwaymen's Federation general secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra in a letter to the Railway Board chairman. "...it may result in a serious threat to the industrial .....
                 

9 arrested over panchayat meeting clash

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

C'garh: Man commits suicide inside lock-up, ten cops suspended

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A 30-year-old man, accused of beating his wife, allegedly hanged himself inside the lock-up of a police station in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur distict Wednesday. Ten policemen were suspended after the incident, an official said. Krishna Sarathi, the deceased, had been arrested only a few hours earlier following a complaint lodged by his father-in-law at Chandora police station. The complaint said that Sarathi, native of neighboring Balrampur, arrived at his in-laws' house at Domhat in Surjapur district Tuesday to meet his wife Sundarmani. The couple quarreled and Sarathi allegedly beat her up and left. After Sundarmani's father lodged a complaint, Chandora police arrested Sarathi from Balrampur and brought him to the police station around 7 am Wednesday. Around 12 noon, he was found to have hanged himself from the lock-up's door with a bedsheet. He was declared dead before admission at a local hospital, the police official said. Surajpur Superintendent of Police Girija .....
                 

Broadband India Forum seeks lower reserve prices for 5G spectrum auction

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Latest News  
                 

BSF Guwahati Frontier conducts seminar on prevention of narcotics crime

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A seminar on Prevention of Narcotics Crime was conducted on Wednesday at Frontier Headquarters, BSF Patgaon, Guwahati to educate and spread awareness among BSF personnel about prevention of Narcotics crime.DK Tripathi, Deputy Inspector Gen (PSO), BSF Guwahati Frontier delivered the inaugural address. He said, "Drug addiction is a very challenging issue related to youth these days. A major chunk of the youth is caught up in this addiction. These people are wasting their life, time and money by taking intoxicant substances like Cocaine, Charas, Hashish, Heroin, Opium, Ganja, Liquor and cannabis, etc.""Some anti-national elements are trying to smuggle these narcotic substances on the Indo-Bangladesh border. However, due to the alertness of BSF troops they have been nabbed in such trans-border crimes," he added.The seminar was attended by 40 officials of BSF Frontier Guwahati. It was an awareness seminar on the prevention of Narcotics Crime...
                 

Jet Airways' flying rights with 5 countries temporarily allocated to Air India: Govt

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Bilateral flying rights with five countries, which were previously allocated to Jet Airways, have now been temporarily given to Air India till the end of the summer schedule of this year, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Wednesday. As Jet Airways ran out of funds, it had shut down its operations on April 17 this year which lead to a sudden rise in domestic and international airfares. As a result, the central government decided to temporarily allocate the domestic slots as well as international flying rights of Jet Airways to other airlines who could start new flights immediately and fill the supply gap. "Bilateral rights of Jet Airways have been temporarily allocated to Air India/Air India Express till end of summer schedule 2019 for the sectors as follows - India-Dubai at 5,852 seats per week; India-Hong Kong at 1,792 seats per week; India-Qatar at 5,670 seats per week; India-Singapore at 1,620 seats per week; India-UK at 4,788 seats per week," Puri said in a written ....
                 

7-year-old girl dies after consuming 'poisonous' food

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

FDI in telecom sector down 43 pc to USD 2.6 bn in 2018-19: Prasad

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Foreign direct investment in the Indian telecom sector dropped by around 43 per cent to USD 2.6 billion in fiscal year 2018-19, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Wednesday. "The FDI equity inflow in the Financial Year 2017-18 was USD 6,211.84 million whereas the FDI equity inflow in the Financial Year 2018-19 was USD 2,667.91 million," Prasad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. He added that the quantum and nature of FDI inflows depend on many factors and accordingly no specific reasons can be attributed for increase or decrease of inflows on year-to-year basis. "There has been neither a regulatory uncertainty nor the lack of conducive environment to invest in the Telecom Sector which may be cited as a reason for the year-to-year decline in FDI. Stressed financial conditions, if any, cannot be held responsible for year-to-year decline," Prasad said. He said according to an inter-ministerial group report submitted on August 31, 2017, the total debt of the telecom industry..
                 

Railways has earned over Rs 400 cr in non-fare revenue during 2017-2019: Govt

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Indian Railways has earned Rs 204.10 crore and Rs 223.53 crore during financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively from non-fare revenues, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal informed parliament on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said the total sundry earnings of Indian Railways for 2018-19 were however, Rs 6,996.22 crore (provisional). "Overall, Indian Railways is not incurring losses. During 2017-18 and 2018-19, surplus generated by Indian Railways was Rs 1,665.61 crore and Rs 3,774.51 crore (provisional) respectively," he said. The minister further said that in order to generate more revenue, the railways has issued policies for generating non-fare revenues from sources such as mobile assets, out of home advertising, rail display network and content on demand...
                 

IMD predicts rain, thunderstorm in parts of UP today

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

HC rejects Patel's plea to remove names of Shah, Irani as respondents

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Gujarat High Court Wednesday rejected senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel's plea seeking deletion of Union ministers Amit Shah and Smriti Irani's names as respondents in a petition, which challenged his election to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2017. Justice Bela Trivedi rejected Patel's application on the ground that they are no longer Rajya Sabha members as they have been elected to the Lok Sabha in the recently-concluded general elections. Patel's application is in connection with the election petition moved by BJP leader Balvantsinh Rajput, challenging the Congress leader's election to the Rajya Sabha from the state after winning the August 2017 election. The court rejected his application, saying that Shah and Irani, who are now Union Home Minister and Union Textiles Minister respectively, were respondents from the beginning of the petition in view of the statutory requirement, and merely by vacating their offices, they do not cease to be the necessary parties. The court is ...
                 

Rlys to electrify its entire broad gauge network in 2 years: Govt

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Railways has set a target of 2021-2022 to electrify its entire broad gauge network, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament on Wednesday. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said the national transporter has 28,810 route kilometers left for electrification. "The Ministry of Railways has planned to electrify balance broad gauge routes of the Indian Railways by 2021-22," he said. Among those which will be electrified during this period are the Northeast Frontier Railways' 2,779 RKM, South Western Railways' 2,702 RKM and the Western Railways' 2,633 RKM. "No new infrastructure for production of diesel locomotives has been proposed by Railways after the decision of 100 per cent electrification in September, 2018. Diesel locomotives that will be manufactured at Diesel Locomotive Factory Marhowra shall be required by Indian Railways for strategic, emergency and certain operational reasons," Goyal said...
                 

Abellon CleanEnergy ties up with Germany's Agraferm to set up biogas plants in India

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Energy solutions provider Abellon CleanEnergy Wednesday said it has entered into a pact with Germany's Agraferm Group for setting up biogas plants in India. Under the strategic technical tie-up, Abellon will set up multiple biogas plants in Gujarat in the initial phase with technical support from Agraferm GmbH, a statement by Abellon CleanEnergy said. According to the statement, the biogas plants will be developed using different sets of feedstock, including animal waste, food and kitchen waste, garden waste and agricultural residues or process residues available in locations around the proposed projects. In phase 2, both the companies would endeavour to implement biogas projects on pan-India basis. "Since its inception, Abellon has been exploring all aspects of the bio-refinery value chain, with a view to contribute to sustainable energy generation in the country. "The announcement of SATAT (Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation), and national goal to set up 5,000..
                 

Centre asks AAP govt to review its decision to not start work on Delhi Metro Phase-4 project: Source

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Centre has asked the Delhi government to review its decision to not start work on Metro Phase-4 project till the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs revises its approval for the same, sources said Wednesday. The AAP government had in April directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) not to start the work on Phase-4 project till the ministry revises its approval in tune with the AAP dispensation's assent, a source said. Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra has written to Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev, asking him to review the decision of the GNCTD for stopping the work of Phase-IV and lift this embargo at the earliest in public interest, the source said. The Union cabinet had in March approved three of six corridors of the Metro Phase-4 approved by the AAP dispensation, sidelining the conditions imposed by the Delhi government while giving its nod to all six corridors. The three corridors approved by the Union Cabinet are Mukundpur-Maujpur ....
                 

Fire at Noida Authority office, no casualty

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A fire broke out at the Noida Authority office here Wednesday morning with some documents being gutted in the flames, officials said. Around half a dozen fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the flames doused within an hour, a Fire Department official said. The fire occurred inside the office of an assistant manager and in the Traffic Cell at the authority's office in Sector 6 around 10 am, they said. "The cause of the fire that engulfed the office of Work Circle 10 and Noida Traffic Cell is yet to be known. The Fire Department was immediately informed and the flames brought under control soon," Noida Authority's officer on special duty Rajesh Kumar Singh said. "Some damage has taken place in the office of an assistant manager, but all the records in Traffic Cell are safe," he added...
                 

Rlys has recruited over 3,000 women in technical categories in last 3 yrs: Piyush Goyal

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Indian Railway has recruited over 3,000 women candidates in technical categories in the last three years, Union minister Piyush Goyal informed Parliament Wednesday. In a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said in the past few years, against notifications issued for various technical posts, a total of 2,79,60,224 applications were received and out of these, 46,76,928 (16.73 per cent) were from women. "Around 3,650 women candidates have been given employment in the Indian Railways in technical categories in the last three years," he said. Goyal also said the application fee collected from women candidates are refunded to those who appear in the examination. Also, an upper age limit incase of widows, divorced women and women judicially separated from their husbands, who are not remarried, is relaxed up to the age of 35 years. In addition, for Level-1 categories, relaxed qualifying standards for the physical efficiency test (PET) for women candidates are applied. "Provisions ...
                 

SC issues new roster, to be followed from July 1

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Orange jersey row: Modi govt trying to saffronise everything, says Cong MLA

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Raising objection over team India's new proposed orange colored jersey, Congress MLA Arif Naseem Khan on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre has changed the colour of the jersey as part of its plan to "saffronise" everything in the country."For the past five years, the Modi-led government is trying to saffronise each and everything. Be it sports, cultural activities or anything for that matter, it is very unfortunate to see the saffron colour overpowering our national flag," Khan said.He added, "The previous government have always worked to promote the idea of unity among its people and it is unfortunate to see the current government running after one colour disrupting the unity and integrity of the country."While responding to the comments made by the Congress leader, Shivsena MLA Gulabrao Patil said, "It is up to the players to choose the colour of the jersey that they are going to wear in the match. There is nothing wrong in wearing .....
                 

Bihar: Police re-investigates 'FIR for protest' matter

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A team of police officials visited the Harivanshpur village in Bihar's Vaishali district on Wednesday to re-investigate the case in which an FIR was lodged against 39 people after they protested over lack of water supply and death of several children due to Encephalitis in the area."We have come here for investigation. Those found guilty will not be spared. We will see if there are any old people too," said investigating officer Satendra Kumar.The FIR was lodged against 39 people in Harivanshpur in Vaishali district on Tuesday after they protested the lack of water supply and death of several children due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in the area."Our children have died. We did a road gherao, but the administration has filed an FIR against us. Men against whom FIR has been registered have left the village and gone away. They were the only breadwinners," said a relative of a person against whom the FIR has been registered said.The fear of Encephalitis forced residents of .....
                 

Rs 4,100 crore allotted to build ROBs/RUBs in 2019-20: Railway Ministry

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The railways has spent over Rs 3,500 crore in building Road Over Bridges and Road Under Bridges in 2018-2019 and has allocated Rs 4,100 crore for the purpose in the current financial year, the government told Parliament Wednesday. In reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that in 2018-19, 1,477 Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) were constructed across the Railway network. He said all unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) line have been eliminated as on January 31. In 2019-20, 1500 ROBs/RUBs have been targeted for construction out of which 195 have been built till May, he said. "In 2018-19, Rs 3,543 crore were spent on construction of ROBs/RUBs. In 2019-20, Rs 4,100 crore have been allocated for construction of ROBs/RUBs out of which Rs 640 crore have been spent till May 2019. "Policy for construction of ROBs/RUBs to eliminate manned level crossings (MLCs) on Golden Quadrilateral/Golden Diagonal (GQ/GD) is under .....
                 

Commandos to guard jails in Kerala

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
:In the wake of seizure of mobile phones and drugs from prison inmates, Kerala government Wednesday decided to post commandos of the Indian Reserve Battalion to guard jails in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Stringent action will be taken against officials in case of violation of prison rules,Vijayansaid while replying to a submission moved by Congress MLA K C Joseph in the Assembly. He said the police had been conducting raids in jails in the past few days, as the the situation inside was not really "jail-like". "We have conducted raids in the jails after we came to know that the situation inside the prisons were not really jail-like. Police seized many materials, from the inmates, which were not allowed inside the jail," Vijayan said. Recently, in two separate raids in the Kannur and Viyyur Central jails,nearly 30 mobile phones, chargers, power banks, sim cards, knives, narcotic substances including Ganja were seized by police. In the wake of seizure ...
                 

Environment ministry okays two-year construction order for Polavaram project

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Union Environment Ministry on Wednesday extended the construction period for the Polavaram Multipurpose Project in Andhra Pradesh by two years. Addressing the media at the Parliament complex, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said the two-year construction order was signed on Wednesday. In 2011, the then Union government had asked the Andhra Pradesh government to stop Polavaram construction. In 2014, the NDA government declared Polavaram a national project and the ministry kept the 'stop work order' in abeyance to allow construction work. The 'Stop Work Order' was kept in abeyance six times for a year each time, the ministry said in a statement. "Considering the immense importance of the project, the ministry is keeping the 'stop work order' in abeyance to allow the construction for two years without permission to impound water," a ministry source said. Javadekar said the project is important for Andhra Pradesh, as it will irrigate nearly ...
                 

Court acquits two gangsters in murder case of suspected IM operative

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Cong to prepare 'white paper' on Ker's financial status

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Opposition Congress in Kerala will prepare a 'white paper' on the financial status of the state. A seven-member committee headed by V D Satheeshan MLA has been constituted by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, the United Democratic Front (UDF) Parliamentary party secretary Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said in a release. "The treasury is empty and the state is facing the biggest financial crisis. Not only the development activities have halted, but it is becoming difficult to find funds for day-to-day activities. The state government is hiding these facts deliberately and reducing the funds for the projects," the release said. It also claimed administration of local bodies has been halted due to the state government's apathy and lack of financial management. Apart from Satheeshan the committee comprises MLAs K S Sabarinathan, K N A Khader, M Ummer, Monce Joseph, Jayaraj and Anoop Jacob...
                 

ZunRoof receives USICEF's grant

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Solar rooftop firm ZunRoof Tech said Wednesday that it has received a grant from US-India Clean Energy Finance (USICEF) in the fourth round of funding programme. The USICEF is a partnership between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the India Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and a consortium of foundations. The awardees have requested grant for various project-preparatory activities, including legal, technical and financial advisory. "We are glad to join the company of Indian clean energy firms chosen by USICEF and to receive this grant. It is not only a strong endorsement of ZunRoof's vision, but it also motivates us towards our mission of making clean energy accessible to homeowners across the country," Pranesh Chaudhary, founder and chief executive officer, ZunRoof, said in a statement. The USICEF grant to ZunRoof will cover the cost of up to 2 per cent of 10 megawatt (MW) of solar rooftop projects across the .....
                 

MANUUintroduces display system ofanswer scripts to students

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
: In a step towards bringing in transparency and helping students view their answer scripts, city-based Maulana Azad National Urdu University Wednesday said it has introduced the display system of answer scripts to the students after evaluating and before declaration of results. The display system has been introduced from the semester examinations held in May 2019 for all the regular courses offered by the varsity all over the country, a release from MANUU said. MANUU is the first Central University in the country to introduce this system, it said. The original answers scripts were shown and discussions on answers held for all those students who showed up (in the classrooms after evaluation), a MANUU official said. Thereafter, the results are declared in less than 20 days from the date of the completion of the examinations, he said. MANUU Vice Chancellor Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz initiated this system in the university to bring transparency in the examination and .....
                 

DHFL gets Sebi nod for exiting MF arm, sell its stake to JV partner

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Top Stories  
                 

MLAs ask minister about number of Kalia scheme beneficiaries

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Opposition Congress and ruling BJD MLAs Wednesday asked Agriculture and Farmers empowerment minister Arun Kumar Sahoo about the number of farmers who benefited from the state government's Kalia scheme. Under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (Kalia) scheme, each farmer household is entitled to get Rs 5,000 per crop for input cost for cultivation. The issue was raised during Question Hour in the Assembly when Congress member Tara Prasad Bahinipati wanted to know about the number of farmer households in the state in 2010 and now in 2019. He also wanted to know if the number of farmers household has declined over the nine years. Sahoo in his reply said according to the 2011 census there were 32.8 lakh cultivators in Odisha. In addition, there were over 24 lakh farm labourers, the minister replied. Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra sought to know from the minister how without having any recent data on number of sharecroppers, .....
                 

Court acquits two gangsters in murder case of 'IM operative'

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A court here Wednesday acquitted gangsters Sharad Mohol and Alok Bhalerao in the murder case of suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, Mohammad Qateel Siddiqui, giving them benefit of doubt. Siddiqui, a suspect in terror cases in Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune, was found strangled to death inside a cell of Yerawada Central Jail and Mohol and Bhalerao were arrested for allegedly killing him using a string of a pyjama. Giving the benefit of doubt to Mohol and Bhalerao, Additional Sessions Judge S H Gwalani acquitted both of them, public prosecutor Vilas Ghogare Patil said. "The extra-judicial confession of Mohol, which was taken in front of the jailer, was disbelieved by the court. By stating that the circumstantial evidence, also, was not reliable, the court acquitted Mohol and Bhalerao," he said. The prosecution's case was that the duo had used a string of pyjama to strangulate Qateel. However, the prosecution could not recover the string, Ghogare Patil said. "There were several .....
                 

Vice President suggests environment ministry should consider 'stop work order' on Polavaram

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday called Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to Rajya Sabha and suggested to him that his ministry should consider keeping in abeyance the 'stop work order' on the Polavaram Multipurpose Project by another 2 years in the nation's interest."Vice President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha called the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, today to his Chamber in the Rajya Sabha and suggested to him that the Ministry of Environment should consider keeping in abeyance the 'stop work order' on Polavaram Multipurpose Project by another two years in the interest of the nation in general and Andhra Pradesh as Polavaram Project is declared as a National Project and also is the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh," an official statement said.The last 'stop work order' has been kept in abeyance for one year from July 3, 2018 to July 2, 2019.Prior to that 'stop work order' had been kept in .....