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Sivaramakrishnan, Chauhan, Khurasiya apply for Nat'l selector's post

an hour ago  
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Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has applied for a position in the national selection panel along with former off-spinner Rajesh Chauhan and left-handed batsman Amay Khurasiya. All the three former India internationals have confirmed to PTI that they are offering their candidature for a place in the selection committee. The last date for applying is Friday, January 24. The BCCI will be replacing MSK Prasad (South Zone) and Gagan Khoda (Central Zone) from the current committee while Sarandeep Singh (North Zone), Jatin Paranjpe (West Zone) and Devang Gandhi (East Zone) will be continuing for one more season. Sivaramakrishnan, hero of India's Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket triumph, has been a commentator for 20 years and has also been a spin bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy besides being part of the ICC's Cricket Committee. Former junior chairman of selectors Venkatesh Prasad and former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar could also throw their..
                 

Medicine shops' strike called off in Bihar

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Medicine shops across Bihar on Thursday resumed normal business as a three-day strike that began on the previous day was called off after an assurance from the state government that concerns raised by the association of chemists and druggists will be squarely addressed. According to a statement issued by the Bihar Chemists and Druggists Association, the decision to call off the strike was taken late Wednesday night after its delegation met state health minister Mangal Pandey. The association, which has been livid over making mandatory the deputation of a pharmacist at every medical store, because of inadequate number of such professionals, was told by the minister that the provision was introduced "in accordance with a central law". "The health minister gave an assurance that he would meet the Union health minister to find a way out until the deficit of pharmacists was made up for. "He also said that at present there were two colleges in the state with approved pharmacy..
                 

Security upped for first R-day celebrations in Union Territory of J&K

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Security has been beefed up in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir ahead of the Republic Day with a massive deployment of forces around the venues of the January 26 functions across the Valley, officials said on Thursday. It will be the first Republic Day celebrations in the Valley after Jammu and Kashmir's special status was withdrawn on August 5 and the erstwhile state was divided into two Union Territories. The security has been tightened at various places in the city as well as in other districts of the Valley ahead of the Republic Day, the officials said. They said various security measures have been put in place to ensure the Republic Day passes off peacefully. The presence of security forces around vital installations in and around the city as well as other district headquarters has been increased, they said. Security has also been strengthened around the venues for the Republic Day functions including the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium here, where the main function in the .....
                 

Confusion about CAA being spread at Shaheen Bagh: BJP

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The BJP on Thursday said Shaheen Bagh has become "Shame Bagh" where "grand confusion" is being spread about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The BJP also hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party for allegedly supporting the protesters at Shaheen Bagh. Thousands of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh and nearby Jamia Millia Islamia against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has given a statement that he stands with Shaheen Bagh. I want to say anarchists stands with anarchists...at Shaheen Bagh, grand confusion is being spread (about CAA)," Patra said. Another senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel said, "AAP is running away from its responsibilities. Why haven't AAP leaders gone to Shaheen Bagh yet?...Shaheen Bagh has become Shame Bagh"...
                 

Household incomes drop by more than half after mining ban: Report

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With the household income falling by more than half after the mining ban in Goa, incidences of domestic violence have increased due to joblessness and financial crunch to run families, a report has claimed. The ban on mining has not only affected the families dependent on mining but also the families whose livelihoods are dependent on the ancillaries of the mining industry, the report titled 'Mining, A Prudent Perspective' based on a survey conducted across five major mining states in India, namely Goa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Karnataka said. Women and children are the worst sufferers due to the policy decisions to close down mining, the report by the Forum for Integrated Development and Research (FIDR), a non-profit, social change organisation, said. Of the 2,415 household surveyed, 70 per cent felt that mining had helped create jobs for them in the first place. Today, these jobs have vanished. Around 65 per cent of the respondents said that their family lives are under ...
                 

KEC International bags new orders worth Rs 1,255 cr

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Engineering, procurement and construction major KEC International Ltd on Thursday said it has bagged new orders worth Rs 1,255 crore across various businesses. In a statement, the RPG Group company said it has bagged orders worth Rs 510 crore for "transmission and distribution (T&D) projects in Africa, Middle East and the Americas." In the railway business, the company has secured orders of Rs 449 crore for overhead electrification (OHE) and associated civil works in the country. The civil business, it said, has secured orders of Rs 161 crore for residential and industrial projects in India. The company secured orders of Rs 135 crore for various types of cables/cabling projects. "We are pleased with the new order wins in the face of challenging global headwinds. Our geographical and business portfolio diversification is paying off well in the current environment. The orders in T&D, especially in the Middle East region, enable us to strengthen our presence in the international ...
                 

Govt plans to garner Rs 10,000 cr from 7th tranche of CPSE ETF

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The government is planning to raise over Rs 10,000 crore from CPSE ETF's seventh tranche that would be launched by the end of the current month, according to market sources. The issue is likely to open for anchor investors on January 30 and for other institutional and retail investors, the next day, they added. Central Public Sector Enterprises ETF runs a concentrated portfolio with a handful of stocks having weights of as high as 20 per cent on the underlying index. The portfolio is concentrated towards the energy and oil sector. Nippon Life India Asset Management, formerly known as Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management, is managing the CPSE ETF on the government's behalf and has already filed 'scheme information document' for CPSE ETF FFO 6 with markets regulator Sebi. Sources privy to the development said the offer will have a base issue size of Rs 10,000 crore. Besides, there will be a green-shoe option. The decision to launch seventh tranche of CPSE Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) has..
                 

With rallies by Shah and Nadda, BJP to hold 149 public meetings in poll bound Delhi today

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New Delhi [India], Jan 23 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will on Thursday launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign for Delhi by taking part in multiple political events.Shah would be addressing two public meetings and will undertake one padyatra (foot march) in the national capital today evening, with as many as 149 public meetings scheduled by different party leaders for today.BJP president JP Nadda will address two meetings whereas Union Minister Prakash Javadekar is set to address four meetings in Rohini assembly constituency.Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat too will address four meetings in Shalimar Bagh assembly constituency. Dharmendra Pradhan would address 3 public meetings in RK Puram constituency, whereas CP Joshi and Monoj Sinha both will address three meetings each in East Delhi. The party believes that small public meetings will be helpful in gaining the support of decisive floating vote and party would be able to explain public about the .....
                 

Small aircraft makes emergency landing on expressway near Delhi

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A two-seater aircraft made an emergency landing on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway here on Thursday, officials said. The incident took place around 1.45 pm on the highway near Sadarpur village, Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani said. "The plane had two pilots on-board and both of them are safe," Naithani told PTI. "The incident is said to have occurred due to a technical glitch in the plane but its cause could be ascertained by authorities concerned only," the officer said. The left wing of the aircraft suffered some damages in the incident, but traffic movement on the highway remained normal, he said. The Eastern Peripheral Expressway or KundliGhaziabadPalwal Expressway or National Expressway 2 is a 135-km-long, six-lane expressway passing through the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. It is located around 50 km from the national capital...
                 

BJP activists arrested for inflammatory posters against

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ITAT exploring possibility of arbitration, mediation for faster disposal of tax disputes

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The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) is exploring the possibility of arbitration and mediation as well as increasing the number of benches for faster disposal of disputes. "In informal discussion (with the government), we have suggested that there should be some mechanism in the form of arbitration and mediation so that certain types of disputes can be taken care of," ITAT president Justice (Retired) P P Bhatt said here. He further said this was discussed with both Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur and CBDT Chairman P C Mody. Both have welcomed the suggestion and the government will take a view on this, Bhatt said. "We have volunteered to suggest some modalities on this," he added. "Mediation process can be controlled by ITAT. If parties volunteer to go for mediation and if a bench feels dispute can be resolved by it by mediation then the bench can refer it," he added. Observing that a panel of experts having judicial experience would take at least 4 to 5 sittings,..
                 

NIRDPR, UNICEF establish 'Communication Resource Unit'

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: City-based National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) on Thursday said it has joined hands with UNICEF to establish a 'Communication Resource Unit' (CRU) to act as an institutional mechanism for providing strategic communication support to national flagship programmes. It provides Social and Behavioural Change Communications (SBCC) to state governments as well as to central government schemes such as POSHAN Abhiyaan, National Health Mission and Swachh Bharath Mission among others, a release from NIRDPR said. It is currently operating in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka and has demonstrated management of strategic communications, the release said. It aims to cater to strategic communication needs of different government department through consultations, technical support and, capacity building. CRU is equipped with a skilled team to support SBCC strategies development, rollout plans, capacity building and developing IEC (Information .....
                 

Ajit Pawar, Anil Deshmukh review Bhima Koregaon cases

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A high-level meeting, which took place at the State Secretariat on Thursday, reviewed Bhima Koregaon cases.The meeting was attended by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, and other senior police officers.After the meeting, Home Minister Deshmukh said that there would soon be another meeting in this regard.On January 1, 2018, violence erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle.The violence had left one dead and several others injured. Police had filed 58 cases against 162 people.A few days back, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said at a programme in Pune that the review of cases related to Bhima-Koregaon protest was a must.Sources said that today's meeting also the schedule of the next meeting, the future course of the investigation and the possibility of a new SIT to look into these cases...
                 

Goa: Budget committee seeks details of previous allocations

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The Goa legislative Assembly's budget committee on Thursday sought details from various departments about budgetary allocations and utilisation of funds. The committee, headed by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, met on Thursday to take stock of the financial situation with respect to the last budget. The Budget Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly would be held from February 3 to 7. The committee has asked the finance department to furnish details such as allocation, sanction and utilisation of budgetary provisions made for various departments, Sardesai said. It has also sought to know whether the state government had reappropriated the budget and if the money, which was borrowed from the RBI, was used to pay salaries of government servants, he added. Sardesai said the committee wanted to know if financial provisions were made for additional 5,000 jobs, which the state government has sought to fill in the days to come. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is also the finance..
                 

Bedi intimidating, pressuring officers of AFT Mill: Pondy CM

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Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Thursday accused Liuetenant Governor Kiran Bedi of intimidating and pressuring officers of the government-owned AFT Mill here and giving directions to them to close the century-old mill. Addressing a meeting of the ruling Congressmen to celebrate the 123rd birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Chief Minister said the cabinet, headed by him, had taken a decision that the AFT Mill should never be closed. "Workers opting for the voluntary retirement scheme should be given it and at no cost should the mill be closed," he said. The Lieutenant Governor, however, had allegedly taken a unilateral decision directing the officers to close the mill. "The Lt Governor is also pressuring and intimidating the officers and the AFT Mill management directing them to close the undertaking of the territorial government," he said. Narayanasamy recalled that he, along with his cabinet colleagues and leaders of the ...
                 

Canara Bank's net profit rises 3.8 pc to Rs 330 cr in Q3

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State-owned Canara Bank on Thursday reported a 3.8 per cent rise in its net profit to Rs 329.62 crore in the third quarter of the current financial year, mainly due to a decline in proportion of bad loans. The bank's profit was Rs 317.52 crore during the December 2018 quarter. Its total income stood at Rs 14,001.63 crore during the quarter ended December 2019, up from Rs 13,513.35 crore in the year-ago period, Canara Bank said in a stock exchange filing. The net non-performing assets (NPAs) as a percentage of total assets stood at 5.05 per cent, down from 6.37 per cent a year ago. Similarly, the percentage of gross NPAs also narrowed to 8.36 per cent from 10.25 per cent. In absolute terms, the net NPAs stood at Rs 21,337.74 crore, down from 26,591.07 crore. The bank made a provisioning of Rs 1,802.91 crore during the quarter under review, compared with Rs 1,977.34 crore a year ago. Canara Bank's shares were trading at Rs 221.10 apiece on the BSE, up 1.03 per cent...
                 

Sebi bans Equicom Financial, directors from providing investment advisory services

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Markets regulator Sebi has barred Equicom Financial Research and its two directors from acting as an investment advisors for luring innocent investors by making assured profit commitment and presenting misleading information to clients. Besides, they have been barred from capital markets, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in an order. After receiving several investors' complaints, Sebi conducted an examination in relation to the affairs of Equicom. This is registered as an Investment Adviser (IA) with effect from April 25, 2014 and, Amit Kukda and Akhilesh Raghuvanshi are the two directors of Equicom through whom the company functions. The probe found that Equicom was involved in luring the innocent investors by making assured profit commitments; extracted more and more money from the clients by offering more and more services; presented misleading information to clients to influence their decision to invest, took advance payments for services and made false .....
                 

Power ministry appoints Ashish Upadhyaya as govt nominee director on NTPC board

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MP govt should form special teams to tackle cancer: Scindia

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Congress general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia has suggested that special teams be formed by the Madhya Pradesh health department for the treatment of cancer patients in the state. He was speaking during a visit to the Indian Institute of Head and Neck Oncology here late late Wednesday evening. State health minister Tulsiram Silawat was also present at the institute. "Efforts must be taken right from the state government level to form special teams to treat patients suffering from cancer and other serious ailments," Scindia said. In this campaign against cancer, help can also be taken from specialists working in the non-government sector, he added. The institute's secretary and noted cancer surgeon Dr Digpal Dharkar said Scindia was impressed with the work at the medical facility and donated Rs 25 lakh for the construction of an operation theatre. Scindia has also suggested identifying two to three backward districts in the state to start a campaign against cancer at .....
                 

GE T&D India bags Rs 173-crore order from JKPDD

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GE T&D India Ltd on Thursday said it has bagged a Rs 173-crore order from Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD). GE T&D India Ltd was awarded a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and advanced distribution management solution (ADMS) project by JKPDD for the distribution operations in Jammu and Srinagar, according to a statement by the company. The order worth about Rs 173 crore, won through a competitive bidding process, includes a five-year maintenance services contract and the supply and integration of a host of solutions in the overall distribution network in the two cities, said the statement. Pitambar Shivnani, chief executive officer of GE T&D India Ltd, said, "The commitment towards the implementation of this technology is a major step towards realising the vision of 24x7 power supply to all consumers in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar." The technology solution being executed for this project is used mainly for 24x7 power supply, .....
                 

Will invite Cong, NCP to join Thackeray on Ayodhya visit: Raut

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Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said their allies Congress and NCP are welcome to join Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray when he visits Ayodhya in March to mark the completion of his 100 days in power. He said offering prayers to Lord Ram has got nothing to do with the common minimum programme, on the basis of which the three ideologically different parties came together to form government in Maharashtra. It will be the first visit of Sena chief Thackeray to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh since his party severed ties with the BJP over sharing of power after results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections were declared in October last year. "We will invite everybody, including our allies to join. Everyone worships Lord Ram at home. So, they can join us in offering prayers at Ayodhya," Raut told PTI. He said offering prayers to Lord Ram had nothing to do with the common minimum programme decided by the three parties while forming the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi .....
                 

Full dress rehearsal of Republic Day parade, traffic snarls in parts of Delhi

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Thousands of commuters faced difficulties in reaching their destinations as several roads were closed in view of full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day parade, leading to traffic snarls in the Lutyens' Delhi on Thursday. There was heavy traffic congestion at Dhaula Kuan, Bhikaji Cama Place, ITO and Pragati Maidan. The rehearsal parade began at 9.50 am from Vijay Chowk and proceeded towards the Red Fort via Rajpath, C-Hexagon, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg, according to the Delhi Police. Traffic on Rajpath - from Vijay Chowk to India Gate - was restricted during the rehearsal on Thursday, the police said. Metro services were available for commuters but entry and exit gates at Udyog Bhawan and Central Secretariat stations were closed. No heavy transport vehicles were allowed to enter the national capital from borders from 10 pm on Wednesday till the rehearsal concluded in the afternoon on Thursday. They were allowed to ply between ISBT Sarai Kale Khan and..
                 

Eminent journalist honoured by Kerala Media Academy

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Eminent journalist and chairman of The Hindu Group of Publications N Ram has been selected for the Kerala Media Academy's national media award for his outstanding contribution to journalism. The award carries a purse of Rs 1 lakh, a citation and a memento, Media Academy chairman R S Babu told reporters here on Thursday. The national award was instituted as part of 40th anniversary celebrations of the academy for fearless and meritorious contribution to journalism, he said. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would present the award during a media conclave here in March this year, he said. Ram was selected for the award by a jury comprising former state Education Minister M A Baby, senior journalist Thomas Jacob, general education department secretary A Shajahan, media analyst Sebastian Paul, Asianet editor M G Radhakrishnan and Planning Board member Mridul Eapen. The jury considered contributions of Ram to journalism in the last 40 years, officials said...
                 

Will decide next course of action depending on Nitish Kumar's reply: Pavan Varma

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JD(U) general secretary Pavan Varma on Thursday said he will decide his next course of action depending on the reply from party president Nitish Kumar to his letter and asserted that he will continue to speak "what he believes is for the good of the country and the party". Varma's comments came after Kumar, who is the chief minister of Bihar, snubbed him saying he is free to go wherever he wants and slammed him for raising his concerns over the party's stand on a host of citizenship measures of the Modi government. "I have not received a reply. Depending on the reply from the party president or its absence I will decide on my course of action. I will continue to speak what I believe is right, what is for the good of the country and the party," the former Rajya Sabha member said. The former diplomat has drifted from the JD(U) over its support to the amended citizenship law and the national population register exercise, as he has often claimed that these measures along with the national..
                 

Gun used to kill TN police officer recovered from drain

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: A gun allegedly used to kill a Tamil Nadu police officer early this month was recovered from a drainage near the KSRTC bus stand here by the 'Q' branch team probing the case, police said here on Thursday. The gun, reportedly made in Italy, was recovered in the presence of the arrested suspects --Abdul Shameem and Taufeeq--while they werebrought here as part of gathering evidence in connection with the case, they said. Police suspect that the gun allegedly used by the assailants was meant only for Army supply. Personnel of the Tamil Nadu 'Q' branch, which handles matters related to extremists and involving national security, had taken the duo into custody last week. Two unidentified men had shot Special Sub Inspector Wilson with a pistol and stabbed him when he was on duty at Kaliyakavilai checkpoint in Kanyakumari on the border with Kerala around 9.30 PM on January 8...
                 

Airtel, Voda Idea to pay AGR dues after Supreme Court hearing, Jio to pay Rs 177 cr

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Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have communicated to the telecom department that they will not pay AGR dues of Rs 88,624 crore, the deadline for which ends on Thursday, and will wait for the outcome of modification petition listed for hearing before the Supreme Court next week, according to official sources. The apex court has set January 23 as the deadline to pay adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. Both companies have requested the Department of Telecom (DoT) to give them time to make payment based on the outcome of their modification petition listed for hearing before the Supreme Court next week, sources said. New entrant Reliance Jio, however, is likely to make payment of Rs 177 crore towards AGR liability on it. "Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel have communicated to the DoT that they will not be making payment on January 23 when the last date to clear AGR ends. They have said they will comply with the outcome of modification petition filed before the Supreme Court which is listed .....
                 

French firm ENGIE inks pact with EIYP, to pare debt of EUR 400 mn

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French energy utility firm ENGIE has announced a strategic partnership with Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus (EIYP) for solar assets in India in order to pare debt of around EUR 400 million (around Rs 3,159 crore). "In line with both ENGIE's and EIYP's strategies, ENGIE has agreed to sell (once the transaction has closed in accordance with its terms) a 74 per cent stake in 12 solar assets aggregating 813 MWp of operating capacity collectively to EIYP and Sekura Energy, a portfolio company of EIYP," the utility firm said in a statement. EIYP is an infrastructure focused fund managed by Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors and part of diversified Indian financial services conglomerate Edelweiss Group. According to statement, the completion of this transaction (subject to the usual conditions associated with this type of operation) is expected to occur during the first half of 2020 and will allow ENGIE to reduce its net debt by more than EUR 400 million. In India, as in many other .....
                 

Driver arrested after his vehicle rams into school bus in Naraina

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A cluster bus driver was arrested after his vehicle collided with another bus carrying school children, injuring six of them, on Thursday morning, police said.The cluster bus and a school bus of Salwan Public school situated in Rajendra Nagar collided at around 7.12 am in Naraina area. The bus was carrying 27 children out of which six were injured and rushed to the Kapur Medical Centre. Out of six, two students sustained grave injuries. Others were discharged after first aid."The bus was crossing the green light and was to stop for a student but before it was stopped, it was hit by cluster bus," said Geeta, a school bus attendant.National spokesperson of Aam Aadmi Party, Raghav Chadha, also visited the hospital while he was on way to an election campaign."I was on the way for the party's poll campaign and saw the accident site. I rushed to the Kapur hospital and took stock of the situation. Two children got a fracture in nose and leg," he said."The reason behind this accident should ....
                 

Power Min seeks Brazilian investment in energy sector

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Power Minister R K Singh on Thursday urged Brazilian investors to invest in the Indian energy sector, saying it is the fastest growing energy market and its consumption will treble in coming days. Singh also assured investors that India will provide stable policy and regulatory regime to facilitate them. "Meeting our aspirations require us to go on higher energy consumption pedestal.. with our low base (per capita) energy consumption, our energy consumption is going to double or treble in short while. "We want more and more companies to come here and invest here. We can promise of stable policy regime. We can promise a regulatory regime which is fair and decides and totally at arms length from the government. All of you are welcome to invest here," Singh said while addressing a seminar -- India-Brazil Opportunities in Energy and Mining -- here. As far as energy is concerned, no other country will grow as fast as India, the minister added. "We have to treble our energy consumption to ....
                 

Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Subhash Chandra Bose on birth anniversary

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid tribute to freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary."Respects on the birth anniversary of the great freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose #Netaji_Subhashchandra_Bose," Rahul Gandhi said on Facebook in Hindi.Padma Shree Awardee sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also paid tribute to the freedom fighter."Remembering #NetajiSubhasChandraBose on his birthday anniversary. My students created SandArt at puri beach," Pattnaik tweeted today along with a picture of a sand art of Netaji.Born to advocate Janakinath Bose in Odisha's Cuttack on January 23, 1897, Netaji went on to play a key role in the freedom movement.Subhash Chandra Bose is also known for establishing the Azad Hind Fauj.While there is controversy over Bose's death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in an RTI in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident...
                 

Bhumi Pednekar starts shooting for 'Durgavati'

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Actor Bhumi Pednekar on Thursday began filming her next, horror film "Durgavati". The actor, who is headlining the film, took to Twitter to share the news. "Durgavati" is directed Ashok, and presented by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar and filmmaker Bhushan Kumar. "With her blessings we start #Durgavati. Need all your support and love as I start the most special film of my career. @akshaykumar sir I am ready to stand tall and strong. Let's do this," Bhumi wrote on the microblogging site. "#Durgavati begins, with blessings and good vibes, as always need your best wishes as well," Akshay added. "Durgavati" is the Hindi remake of Telugu horror film "Bhaagamathie", which featured "Baahubali" star Anushka Shetty. It follows a woman imprisoned in a haunted house while being interrogated in a corruption case. The film is produced by Abundantia Entertainment...
                 

Intech Additive Solutions launches range of metal 3D printers

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Bengaluru-based Intech Additive Solutions on Thursday announced the launch of its new 'Made in India' range of metal 3D printers. The iFusion series of metal 3D printers is designed, developed and built at the company's facility here, and has been delivered to the Indian manufacturing industry, it said in a statement. The iFusion SF1 is a smaller format machine dedicated to R&D laboratories, universities, institutions and academies. The iFusion LFMulti is a large format multi laser machine with extensive features designed for industrial use of metal additive manufacturing, the company said. "These machines are a culmination of more than 30000 man hours of research, development and innovation spread over the past 36 months. We have 3D printed more than 800 parts for variety of industries in different materials," said Sridhar Balaram, MD & CEO of Intech Additive Solutions...
                 

SPJIMR's Programme for Management Education in the Development Sector Receives AMBA Accreditation

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/ -- The UK-based Association of MBAs, or AMBA, has accredited the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM) offered by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR). The formal accreditation announcement came in earlier this month, adding a new achievement to the PGPDM, a programme that has in the short span of a decade grown to be accepted, recognised and become an important part of the learning journey of many in the development sector. As a top-ranked school of management, SPJIMR offers programmes that help build managers and leaders not only for businesses but for a wide variety of roles and sectors that can benefit from professional management education. With its focus on the fast-growing development sector, SPJIMR's PGPDM helps prepare managers and leaders to serve some of the most under-served segments of society. The AMBA accreditation further cements the PGPDM programme leadership in management education for the .....
                 

Ajay Devgn thanks Maha govt for declaring 'Tanhaji' tax free

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Bollywood star Ajay Devgn has thanked Maharashtra government for making his latest film "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior" tax free in the state. The Maharashtra Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Wednesday approved a proposal to exempt the period drama of tax in the state. "Thank you Uddhav Thackeray ji for declaring #TanhajiTheUnsungWarrior tax-free in the state of Maharashtra. @OfficeofUT @CMOMaharashtra," Devgn tweeted. The film, based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's trusted lieutenant Tanaji Malusare, a legendary military leader who played a pivotal role in capturing the Kondana Fort (now known as Sinhagad Fort) located near Pune, has grossed over Rs 150 crore at box office since release on January 10. The film, which also stars Saif Ali Khan and Kajol, has been directed by Om Raut...
                 

3 held for suspected ISIS links were involved in spreading

4 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
: The three men with suspected links to the ISIS arrested in the district, were allegedly involved in spreading 'jihadi' ideology and plotting to kill those opposed to Islamic beliefs to spread fear among the public, police said. The trio-B Mohammed Ali, 'Pura' Gani and Amir- was held in the Devipattinam police limits following a tip-off when they tried to flee on Wednesday, police said adding one man, identified as Sheikh Dawood, however, managed to escape. They allegedly had links to the ISIS and were connected to cases being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), police said. They were allegedly involved in spreading 'jihadi' ideology in Ramanathapuram district and plotting to kill people opposed to Islamic beliefs to spread fear among the public, police said adding the three also indulged in acts against national integration. Also, they were allegedly involved in efforts to recruit people to ISIS and raising funds for the banned terror outfit. They were ...
                 

SGS Becomes Conformity Assessment Body for the Saudi Food and Cosmetics Certification Program

4 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
/ -- SGS is pleased to announce it has been approved by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as a conformity assessment body (CAB) for its food and cosmetics certification program. Effective January 1, 2020, SGS can verify and issue the relevant Certificate of Conformity for shipments of cosmetics and foodstuffs into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The scheme covers manufacturers and traders from over 120 countries around the world. This certification program includes all cosmetic products being exported into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The food products from India, that are covered under this program include - fish and aquatic products, red meat, rice, processed foods and vegetables, tea, coffee beans, spices and condiments, processed meat, sugar and sweets and honey. This approval follows the earlier authorization by SFDA, effective from November 2018, allowing SGS laboratories to test and certify food products being exported to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for .....
                 

Don't want to hurt Nitish, will decide course of action after reply to my letter: Pavan Varma

4 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
JDU national secretary Pavan Varma on Thursday said that he never wanted to hurt party supremo Nitish Kumar and added that he will decide his future course of action based on the reply to his letter by the Bihar Chief Minister."I welcome Nitish Kumar's statement that there is space for discussion within the party, as that is what I asked for. We need to have ideological clarity before we take a further decision, especially with regards to expanding alliance with BJP. It was never my intention to hurt him," Varma said."I want the party to have ideological clarity. For instance, we said no to NRC but we are supporting the CAA. BJP says CAA and NRC are hyphenated that NRC will follow CAA. BJP says NRC will be implemented across the country. Therefore, JDU should clarify its positions on many subjects," he said."I am awaiting a reply to my letter, will decide the future course of action after that. Once I get a reply or don't get it, I will decide my future course of action," the JDU .....
                 

Farmers are not beggars, don't need just loan waivers: Nana Patekar

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Bollywood actor Nana Patekar on Thursday said that farmers were not beggars and they need emotional support along with financial support to resolve the issue of farmers' suicide in Maharashtra."It is ok if political leaders do not give money to farmers. They do not only need loan waivers, but they also need emotional support and encouragement. We need to talk to them. Farmers are not beggars," he said while addressing a public event in Chinchwad city of Maharashtra.He also stressed up-on fixing the prices of the vegetables and urged people not to bargain with the vegetable vendors."Everything here has a fixed price but on our tomato and potato, there is no price label. Your fees is fixed, the prices of the cars are fixed...I request you all not to bargain with the vegetable vendors on the streets. We must all think about the problems farmers are facing.....
                 

Police brief Maha govt about probe in Koregaon Bhima case

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Maharashtra Police on Thursday informed state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh about the status of probe in the case of violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune on January 1, 2018, an official said. Pawar, Deshmukh and senior state police officials held a review meeting on the case at the state secretariat here in the morning. The meeting began around 8 am and went on for over an hour. "Senior police officers briefed the deputy chief minister and the home minister about the status of probe in the violence that took place on January 1, 2018," a home department official said. Another round of briefing is expected to take place soon, he added. The meeting assumes significance as NCP chief Sharad Pawar last month demand that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be set up under a retired judge to probe the action taken by Pune Police in the Koregaon Bhima case. NCP leader Deshmukh, after taking charge as Home minister, said earlier this month that he ...
                 

Woman, two children found murdered in Chandigarh

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A 45-year-old woman, her daughter and son were found murdered with their throats slit at their home in Chandigarh's Manimajra town, police said on Thursday. Bodies of Sarita, her daughter Sanchi (21) and son Arjun (16) were found lying in a pool of blood at their home in Modern Housing Complex here, they said. Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Nilambari Jagadale said it appears that a sharp-edged weapon was used to kill the three. "It is a clear case of triple murder," Jagadale said. Police said Sarita's husband Sanjay Arora was also seriously injured and was admitted to a local hospital. He would also be questioned in connection with the incident, they said. Police said they would scan the CCTV cameras installed at nearby areas of the complex. A forensic team also visited the spot to collect samples, police said, adding that a probe into the matter was underway...
                 

Resolutions against CAA 'political gesture', states hardly

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that bringing in resolutions against the CAA is more of a "political gesture" by the states as they hardly have any role in granting citizenships. In an interview to PTI, the lawmaker said that in the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed nationwide NRC, the states will have a vital part as it will be their officials who will conduct the exercise because the Centre doesn't have the required manpower. "That's more of a political gesture. The citizenship is given by the federal government only and obviously no states can give citizenship, so it has nothing for them to implement or not implement," Tharoor said. "They (the states) can pass a resolution or go to the court but in practice what can they do? The state governments can't say they won't implement CAA, what they can say is they will not implement NPR-NRC as they will have a crucial role in it," he added. Tharoor's party colleague Kapil .....
                 

Mphasis inks pact with QEDIT to offer privacy-enhancing tech

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Bengaluru-headquartered information technology solutions provider Mphasis on Thursday announced a partnership with Israel-based QEDIT to offer privacy-enhancing technology solutions on Blockchain to enterprises. QEDIT is an enterprise solution provider that uses privacy-enhancing technology and Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) cryptography to help companies transact and leverage their business data in a privacy-compliant manner, Mphasis said. Under this partnership, the two entities will co- innovate and develop ZKP solutions to enable enterprises fight fraud, verify identities, and uphold compliance with local data privacy regulations, it said in a statement. "All this while preserving full control over proprietary and confidential information", Mphasis, specialising in cloud and cognitive services, said. Blockchain is structured in a way that anyone with access to a blockchain transaction can view data provided across all nodes. This inherent principle of transparency is an ...
                 

Handling pressure will be key in upcoming T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Indian women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Thursday said handling pressure would be crucial in the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia, something that the side couldn't do in the last two global showpieces. She was speaking to reporters at the pre-departure press conference ahead of the tri-series involving England and hosts Australia, which will be followed by the T20 World Cup next month. India made a semi-final exit from the last T20 World Cup and in the previous ODI World Cup, they had finished as runners-up. "We were quite close in the last two World Cups, the only thing is we have to keep in mind how to handle pressure in the tournaments, last two World Cups we lacked in handling pressure," Harmanpreet said. "This time we want to enjoy rather than taking more pressure on ourselves, thinking that it is a big tournament. We have to avoid thinking like that and focus on giving our best," she added. The women's T20 World Cup will be played in Australia from ....
                 

'Free to go': Nitish Kumar slams Pavan Varma who questioned

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday slammed party leader Pavan Varma for publicly questioning the JD(U)'s tie-up with the BJP for Delhi assembly elections, saying he was "free to go" wherever he likes. Kumar, who heads the JD(U), also expressed strong displeasure over Varma, a national general secretary of the party, sharing on the social media a letter wherein he had made mention of the chief minister having expressed apprehensions "in private" about the BJP's "divisive" agenda. "He is a learned man for whom I have a lot of respect even if he may not have similar sentiments for me. But is it proper to share such things in public and not on a party forum? What if I start sharing what he said to me in public?", Kumar told reporters here. Responding to Varmas repeated demands for "ideological clarity", Kumar said, "The JD(U)s stand is very clear...he is free to go wherever he likes"...
                 

SC says it will consider after 3 months Swamy's plea for giving Ram Sethu national heritage status

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will consider after three months the plea of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a direction to the Centre for declaring 'Ram Sethu' as a national heritage monument. Ram Sethu is a chain of limestone shoals between coasts of India and Sri Lanka. According to the epic Ramayana, the Ram Sethu bridge was built by the 'Vanara army' to rescue Sita, who was kidnapped by Ravana. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the submissions of Swamy that his interim application be listed for urgent hearing for declaring the Sethu a national heritage monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. "You please mention this after three months. We will entertain this then," the bench which also comprised justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna said. The BJP leader submitted that he has already won the first round of the litigation in which the Centre accepted the existence of Ram Sethu. He further said the union minister concerned had called a meeting..
                 

Min of Shipping tableau on R-Day to showcase 150-yr-old Kolkata Port Trust

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The 150-year-old Kolkata Port Trust, which was recently renamed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, will be showcased in the tableau of the Ministry of Shipping during the Republic Day Parade. The float depicts a sea dock with labourers and engineers working on site in the backdrop of the iconic Howrah Bridge of Kolkata, and the iconic click tower of the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), along with containers. The front of the tableau reads 'Kolkata Port Trust' in Hindi and English, with a logo of its sesquicentenary next to it bearing tag line --'150 Years - Glorious Past. Vibrant Future'. The tableau of the Ministry of Shipping is part of the total of 22 tableaux, 16 of various states and Union Territories, and six of various ministries and departments chosen for this year's January 26 parade. The tableaux were unveiled on Wednesday at an event held at Delhi Cantonment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12 had announced the rechristening of..
                 

Go wherever you want, Nitish tells party men questioning JDU's CAA stance

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
"They should go wherever they want," Bihar Chief Minister and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar said on Thursday when asked of Prashant Kishor and Pavan Verma's repeated questions about the party's stand's on the newly enacted Citizenship Act."It is their personal decision. They should go wherever they want. We don't have an objection. Don't look at JDU in the context of statements by some people. JDU works with determination. We have a clear stand and don't have any confusion," the Chief Minister told reporters here."If they have something to tell, they should come and discuss it within the party. They should go wherever they want. They have my good wishes," he said.JDU spokesperson and national general secretary Pavan Verma has questioned his party's alliance with the BJP in Delhi Assembly polls while Kishor has more than once made his differences with the party known on the issue of the amended Citizenship Act, and National Register of Citizens...
                 

Seven students, teacher injured in collision between two buses

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

L&T shares gain over 3 pc on Q3 results

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Student, punished with 450 sit-ups, takes ill; teacher booked

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A private tuition teacher here in Maharashtra has been booked for allegedly asking an eight- year-old student to do "450 sit-ups" for not completing her homework, police said on Thursday. The girl, studying in Class 3 at a school in Thane district, took ill after the incident on Friday and had to be admitted to a hospital, they said. Before this incident, the teacher, identified as Lata, last month also allegedly stripped the girl and beat her with a cane stick for not doing the homework, Naya Nagar police station sub-inspector Sohel Pathan said quoting the complaint filed by the child's mother. On Friday, the teacher asked the girl, a resident of Shanti Nagar locality in Mira Road area, to do 450 sit-ups as punishment for not doing her homework, the official said. When the girl returned home from the tuition classes, her mother saw the child was unable to walk and found swelling in both her legs, he said. The girl was rushed to a hospital when she underwent .....
                 

Always maintained CM is supreme, he can take away or divide any dept: Vij

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said he has always maintained that the chief minister is supreme and can take away or divide any department, hours after he was stripped of the charge of CID. The portfolio of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been allocated to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, a Haryana government statement said here on late Wednesday night. "Governor of Haryana, on the advice of the chief minister, has allocated some new portfolios to the chief minister and to two ministers. As per a notification issued by the chief secretary, the portfolios of the Criminal Investigation Department, and the departments of Personnel and Training and of Raj Bhawan Affairs have been allocated to the chief minister, Manohar Lal, in addition to his existing portfolios, with immediate effect," the statement said. Apart from this, the portfolio of Elections has been allocated to Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma while the portfolio of Art and Cultural Affairs, ....
                 

More than 19 lakh children administered polio vaccine in J & K

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Directorate of Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization on Wednesday said that the recent Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme has succeeded in achieving 100 per cent coverage of target population in Jammu and Kashmir as 19,85,021 children in the age bracket of 0-5 years were administered oral polio vaccine against the target of 1985021 children.According to the figures compiled by Data and Media Cell, Directorate of Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization, in Kashmir division, against the total target of 10,69,470 children, 10,64,941 children were administered oral polio vaccine against the crippling disease.Whereas, in the Jammu division, against the target of 9,15,551 children, 9,20,439 children were given polio drops amounting to 100 per cent of the total target children.Respective divisional and district administrations had made elaborate arrangements to cover all the children in the age group of 0-5 years. Furthermore, health workers and volunteers carried door-to-door visits in their .....
                 

PM pays tribute to Bal Thackeray on his birth anniversary

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to the founder of Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray on his birth anniversary."Tributes to the great Balasaheb Thackeray on his Jayanti. Courageous and indomitable, he never hesitated from raising issues of public welfare. He always remained proud of Indian ethos and values. He continues to inspire millions," Modi tweeted.Thackeray, who had been an influential figure in Maharashtra, began his professional career as a cartoonist with the English language daily 'The Free Press Journal' in Mumbai, but left it in 1960 to form his own political weekly 'Marmik'.His political philosophy was largely shaped by his father Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, a leading figure in the Samyukta Maharashtra (United Maharashtra) movement, which advocated the creation of a separate semantic state.Through Marmik, Thackeray campaigned against the growing influence of non-Marathis in Mumbai. In 1966, Thackeray formed the Shiv Sena party to fight for the interests of .....
                 

Rupee slips 3 paise against US dollar in early trade

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The rupee depreciated by 3 paise to 71.22 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday amid rising demand for the greenback vis-a-vis other currencies overseas, even as crude oil prices eased. Besides, foreign fund outflows also weighed on the local unit, forex dealers said. However, a positive opening in the domestic equity market supported the rupee and restricted the fall, they added. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened weak at 71.21 and slipped further to hit 71.22 against the US dollar. The domestic unit had settled at 71.19 against the American currency on Tuesday. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, declined 1.36 per cent to USD 62.35 per barrel. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.02 per cent to 97.54. Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 176.43 crore on a net basis on Wednesday, provisional exchange data showed. Market benchmark Sensex jumped over 250 points ...
                 

World's most important human rights law: Roopa Ganguly on CAA

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Accusing the opposition parties of trying to mislead people, BJP MP Roopa Ganguly said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) should be regarded as the world's most important human rights law. Winding up her two-day Odisha visit, the actor- turned-politician said that the CAA will not take away anyone's citizenship. "In no way, the CAA will have any adverse impact on Indian citizens. Opposition parties are spreading lies and misleading people for narrow political purpose," she said. Ganguly, who met refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan settled in Malkangiri and neighbouring Nabarangpur districts during her visit, was addressing a meeting organised by the BJP in support of the CAA on Wednesday. "Despite all hue and cry over the issue, the fact remains that the CAA symbolises humanism. It can be described as the most important human rights law in the world. It aims at giving citizenship to people who come here after being tortured and harassed," the Rajya Sabha member ....
                 

PM Modi pays tributes to Bal Thackeray on his birth anniversary

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Vyommitra - ISRO's half humanoid to go as trial to space before Gaganyaan mission

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
'Vyommitra' - the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) half humanoid to go as a trial to space before 'Gaganyaan' goes with astronauts.Union Minister Jitendra Singh tweeted a 31-second video and wrote, "In the run-up to the first Human Space Mission by India at @isro ... 'Vyommitra', the humanoid for #Gaganyaan unveiled. This prototype of humanoid will go as a trial before Gaganyaan goes with Astronauts. #ISRO"The Gaganyaan mission is aimed at sending astronauts to space in an orbital spacecraft.ISRO's half humanoid 'Vyommitra' will be placed in the first unmanned mission under 'Gaganyaan' and will simulate most of the human body functions.Speaking to ANI, Sam Dayal, ISRO scientist said, "Legs are not there. It will try to simulate a human and report back to us. We are doing this as an experiment."'Vyommitra' introduced herself as a prototype of the half humanoid being made for the first unmanned Gaganyaan mission to the visitors here at an event."Hello everyone. I am .....
                 

Andhra legislative council chairman cannot become 'servant' to political master: Rajendranath

11 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Andhra Pradesh cabinet minister Buggana Rajendranath on Wednesday said that the chairman of the state legislative council cannot become a "servant" to the political master.The reaction comes after it was claimed that before passing the decision of sending the Decentralisation Bill (for setting up of three capitals) to the select committee, the chairman of the state legislative council purportedly looked at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who was sitting in the gallery of the House and is against the three capital bill.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday issued a notification to the chairman to send the bills to the select committee."The sad part is that the chairman openly acknowledges that all the political parties that are there in the house are asking him to go by the rule. The chairman looked at Chandrababu Naidu who was sitting in the gallery and said that even if it is against the rules, he will use his discretionary powers. The chairman cannot become a servant of the .....
                 

Three held for trying to extort money from Goa PWD Min

12 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Andhra: 3 cameramen booked for recording woman constable changing clothes

13 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A case has been registered against three cameramen belonging to different news channels for allegedly filming a video of a woman constable while she was changing her clothes inside a room here.The woman constable who was on assembly bandobast duty complained to her higher authorities claiming that cameramen of some media channels shot a video of her while she was changing dress inside a room.The police have filed a case against all three cameramen under section 354C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under provisions of Nirbhaya act.Srilakshmi, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tenali has been made the investigating officer for this case."I came from Ongole PTC for assembly duty. As my health is not good, I came to the room. When I was about to change my dress, I saw a camera in the window. I immediately hid in a corner. Meanwhile, some person came and said sorry. I immediately came out and informed to our madam. I complained to the Superintendent of Police," said the woman .....
                 

'SAIL SERVICE' portal launched by Dharmendra Pradhan

15 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched SAIL Employees Rendering Volunteerism and Initiatives for Community Engagement portal.Pradhan also unveiled the SERVICE policy to encourage the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) employees and their families to participate in volunteer activities towards achieving social good."SERVICE is an employer-supported volunteerism scheme to make employees champions of peripheral area development through their Voluntary Philanthropic Activities (VPAs) #SAILinSERVICE," Pradhan tweeted.In another tweet, the Union Minister wrote that the aim of SERVICE is to incentivise the employees or groups taking VPAs and contributing towards social good."SERVICE aims to focus on education, health, women employment, sustainable income generation, assistance to Divyangs, sanitation, environment sustainability, etc and seeks to incentivise the employees or groups taking VPAs and contributing towards social good. ...
                 

Woman shopkeeper robbed of cash, jewellery by another woman in Kolkata

17 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

1 held in connection with murder of junior engineer in Mathura

17 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
One person was arrested here on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a junior engineer of power department last week, police said. Pradeep Kumar (35) was shot dead around 9.30 pm on January 16 in Jamuna Paar area when he was returning from Panigaon power sub station, a police official said. One of the accused, identified as Kishan, has been arrested and a search for his accomplice Pappu is on, said DIG/SSP Shalabh Mathur. Kishan and Pappu, a resident of Noida, planned to loot Kumar but fled immediately after killing as a few people came running towards them, he said. One country-made pistol, four live rounds and the motorcycle used in committing crime have been seized, the officer said. After Kumar's murder, employees of the Uttar Pradesh power department had closed their offices in Mathura district and took out a protest march demanding Rs 1 crore compensation for his family...
                 

Woman collecting Economic Census data manhandled in Kota, 1 held: Police

17 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
One person was arrested after some people allegedly obstructed a woman from collecting data for the Economic Census and manhandled her in Rajasthan's Kota district on Wednesday, police said. Nazeeran Bano, a resident of Friends colony, was allegedly manhandled while she was collecting data for the Census in Brijdham area under Borekheda police station limits, said Station House Officer (SHO) Mahesh Singh. The woman went to the locality, along with some other colleagues, when a man aided by a few other people allegedly snatched her mobile phone and deleted the census data from an App, the SHO said. She managed to contact her senior officials who rushed to the spot with police, he said. On the basis of Bano's complaint, police registered a case against one Safaaut Ansari under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him for breach of peace, the officer said...
                 

Dubai launches initiative in Davos to boost South-South trade

17 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A Dubai initiative to boost South-South trade was launched on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The World Logistics Passport (WLP) was inaugurated in the presence of government leaders and heads of major corporations from Asia, Latin America and Africa, according to a statement released by the Government of Dubai Media Office. The WLP links the Customs World, the DP World and the Emirates Group to enhance connectivity through Dubai and through expertise sharing and process development directly between partner countries, it said. A pilot project operational since July 2019 has already increased trade by participants by 10 per cent, the statement said. The World Logistics Passport has been designed to overcome non-tariff trade barriers such as logistics inefficiency that currently limit the growth of trade between developing markets. South-South trade is worth an estimated USD 4.28 trillion annually, more than half of total developing countries' exports in 2018, according ...
                 

Don't follow Jinnah's path, don't threaten 'Bharat', says Giriraj Singh to Owaisi

18 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Despite 'duplicate and bogus voting', BJP confident of winning Telangana Municipal polls: Dr K Laxman

18 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Targetting the ruling TRS-government in the state, BJP sate president Dr K Laxman on Wednesday alleged that "duplicate and bogus" voting took place in Telangana Municipal body elections."After the formation of Telangana, this is for the first time that local body elections were held in the state. We have contested on 85 per cent of seats without any alliance. Even after being targeted by the TRS, we are confident that we have done well and we will win the polls," Laxman told ANI.Alleging that the TRS has spent crores of money to win the local body election, he said: "We tried our level best to fight against the ruling government in a democratic way. However, there were lots of duplicate and bogus votes done."Voting for urban local body polls held in the state on Wednesday morning.The polling was conducted for 120 Municipalities and 9 Municipal Corporations in the State...
                 

Bengaluru MLA injured in explosion at b'day celebration

18 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Shantinagar Congress MLA N A Harris was injured along with three others in a suspected explosion at Vivek Nagar in the city on Wednesday night. According to Harris' son Nalapad, the incident occurred at about 9.30 pm when the MLA was addressing a gathering organised by party workers. "Someone threw an explosive at him which exploded with a great noise. Somehow, my father escaped. In this incident, three others were injured," he said. To a question on what could be the reason behind the incident, Nalapad said he has no idea as his father was friendly with everyone. Harris has been admitted to the St Philomena's Hospital. He sustained injuries in his leg and has received stitches, a family member said. Police rushed to the spot upon learning about the incident and began investigation. So far, no one has been arrested while investigations are on, police said...
                 

Nitin Gadkari meets Brazil's energy minister Bento Albuquerque

18 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari met Brazil's energy minister Bento Albuquerque here on Wednesday.During the delegation-level bilateral meeting, Gadkari stated that Indo-Brazilian ties are stronger than ever and are filled with huge synergies.He said that the two countries are encouraging technological partnerships and bilateral trade between each other.Meanwhile, Brazilian ambassador to India Andre Aranha Correa do Lago also called on the Union Minister today and held talks on adopting the best practices and technologies to develop sustainable infrastructure in the two countries."H.E. Andre Aranha Correa do Lago, Hon'ble Ambassador of Brazil to India called on today. In collaboration with Brazil, we are focused to adopt the best practices and technologies to develop sustainable infrastructure in our country," the minister said in a tweet.The meeting comes ahead of the visit of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who will be the chief guest during the Republic Day parade...
                 

Not a drop of water belonging to India will be allowed to flow into Pakistan: Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat

18 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
After the barrage project on the Ravi river is completed, not a single drop of water belonging to India will be allowed to flow into Pakistan, said Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday."All of the water which belongs to India will be used in the country. Not even a single drop will flow into Pakistan. The barrage project will provide the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan their fair share of water," said the Union Jal Shakti Minister after his visit to the under-construction barrage project on the Ravi river.After holding a meeting with the administrative officials of the Ranjeet Sagar Dam, the Union Minister hoped the project will be completed by 2022."The excess water, after the dam's capacity is filled, will be sent to more than 100 villages in the border areas. On this project, the Centre will provide 86 per cent funds while 14 per cent will be shared by the Punjab government," added Shekhawat...
                 

Three held for trying to 'extort money' from Goa minister

19 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The police here on Wednesday arrested three men from Maharashtra for allegedly trying to extort money from Goa PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar. Rishikesh Patil (27), Pravin Naik (28) and Amol Sami (28), all hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra, were booked under IPC section 384 (extortion). Inspector Sudesh Naik of Panaji Police said the three were arrested at the minister's official residence when they arrived to collect the money. Pauskar said he was receiving threatening calls from Mumbai and Dubai over the past few days. The callers were demanding Rs 3 crore from him. "They were threatening me that they would defame and even kill me. I ignored the calls initially, but later decided to hand them over to the police," the minister said. A trap was laid and when the people who were making the calls sent the three men to his bungalow on Wednesday afternoon, the latter were arrested. Pauskar said others involved in the racket were still at large...
                 

CAA is for giving citizenship: Prakash Javadekar

19 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Reiterating the Centre's stance, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said here on Wednesday the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is for giving citizenship to the persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and not taking away anyone's citizenship.Expressing dismay over some political parties politicising the issue and creating confusion among masses regarding the new legislation, Javadekarh said the provisions of Citizenship Act 1955 still exist and under which many have been given citizenship as well."The provisions of Citizenship Act 1955 are still there. Many have been given citizenship under it. Adnan Sami has been given citizenship under the same Act," said Javadekar while addressing the media here."When the Congress governments brought the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), nobody raised the objection. When they did, it was good but when we did the same, it is bad," he said."When Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka came, ....
                 

We are eager to explain to SC our view on how anti-Constitution CAA is: Shaheen Bagh protestors

19 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
With the Supreme Court giving four weeks to the Centre to respond to pleas challenging the CAA, protestors at Shaheen Bagh here on Wednesday said they were eager to put forth before the judges their point of view on how unconstitutional the amended citizenship law is. Tasmin Bano, a resident of Shaheen Bagh who has been coming to the demonstration site along with her one-year-old daughter Umema since the protest began more than a month back, said they will not move from the spot unless the CAA is revoked. "We have heard the Supreme Court has given time to the Centre and till that time they would not stay the CAA. We are also ready to prove our version and can tell the court how unconstitutional this law is," Bano said. Alexender Fleming, a protestor who was holding the Bible, said listening to only one party is not the way of solving an issue. "They (the other petitioners) also need to be heard and we are ready for that. We have full faith that we will prove our stand on how .....
                 

Owners of vehicles damaged on strike day get compensation

19 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
West Bengal Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday handed over compensation cheques to people whose cars and buses were damaged on the day of a strike called by some central trade unions on January 8. The owners of two private vehicles and managing directors of state transport undertakings, whose buses were damaged, were given compensation offered under an insurance scheme, state Transport secretary N S Nigam said. The maximum amount given to a single owner was Rs 2.34 lakh, he said. The state government had insured all vehicles that plied on January 8 for a maximum amount of Rs 5 lakh each. The minister also handed over sanction letters to 1500 Gatidhara scheme beneficiaries, under which the state government provides subsidy for buying commercial vehicles to jobless young people. The minister also flagged off 10 electric buses and two inter-state buses that would ply between Kolkata and destinations in Bihar and Odisha, Nigam said. Adhikari also flagged off .....
                 

PM Modi discusses nine delayed projects worth over Rs 24,000 crores during Pragati interaction

19 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the first PRAGATI meeting of the year 2020 and discussed nine delayed projects worth over Rs 24,000 crore, which are spread over nine states.The Prime Minister discussed eleven items of which nine are delayed projects, a PMO release said.These nine projects, worth over Rs. 24,000 crores, are in Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh and three Union ministries.These projects include three from the Ministry of Railways, five from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and one from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.The Prime Minister also reviewed progress work about grievances related to insurance schemes - 'Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana' (PMJJBY) and 'Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana'(PMSBY).The Prime Minister also assessed the progress under Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project- a comprehensive and integrated system for ....