Karnataka : FIR Registered Against Mohammad Nalapad

The police have registered an FIR against Mohammad Nalapad, the Bengaluru district youth Congress leader and son of Shantinagar MLA N A Haris in Karnataka, 

Mohammad Nalapad has been charged for allegedly beating up a person along with 10 of his supporters in a restaurant last night in UB city of Bengaluru. He has also been accused of threatening the victim at a hospital not to register any police complaint. The state Congress has already expelled Nalapad from the party for six years. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has tweeted that he has directed the police to take action as per the rules. Nalapad's whereabouts were not known. The man, identified as Vidwat, has been hospitalised, police said. Nalapad, General Secretary of Bengaluru District Youth Congress, is the son of Shantinagar MLA N A Harris.

According to the FIR, Nalapad and 10 of his supporters thrashed Dollars Colony resident Vidwath after a heated exchange. Vidwath, who already had a fractured leg, was rushed to a nearby hospital, but Nalapad and his supporters reportedly followed him there and threatened against pressing charges.

Read More

Chabahar port : Historic Deal Finalized

Iran has awarded a much-awaited agreement to India over the management of part of its strategic Chabahar port. The historic move could enable India to dodge Pakistan and reach markets in Afghanistan, Central Asia and beyond.

The agreement was signed during a visit to New Delhi by President Hassan Rouhani would lease the operational control of Shahid Beheshti port – phase one of Chabahar port - to India for 18 months, said Press TV, 

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi who oversaw the signing of the agreement together with Rouhani later told reporters in a joint press conference that the expansion of connectivity was important for New Delhi. Modi also emphasized that his country was interested in the construction of a rail link between Chabahar and Iran’s southeastern city of Zahedan – a crucial link that India would need to expand its reach northward. 

"We will support the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan rail link so that Chabahar gateway's potential could be fully utilized," he said.

"We want to expand connectivity, cooperation in the energy sector and the centuries-old bilateral relationship."

Rouhani for his part emphasized that Chabahar could reinforce Iran and India’s historical ties by serving as a bridge connecting the subcontinent to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.

“We are ready to sign bilateral and trilateral agreements to turn the transit route passing through Chabahar into a strategic pathway serving the reinforcement of regional ties,” he said.

On a related front, Iran’s Minister of Road and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi said Iran and India would jointly operate Shahid Beheshti port, adding that New Delhi would invest as much as $87 million in the project.  Akhoundi emphasized that this would be part of a total investment of $2 billion that India would make in Iran’s port and rail projects.  

Read More

India, Iran Ink Nine Agreements in Different Areas

India and Iran have reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and stressed that there can be no justification for any act of terrorism. 

In a joint statement issued after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New Delhi, the two leaders expressed their conviction that the fight against terrorism should not only seek to disrupt and eliminate terrorists and terrorist organizations but should also identify and address conditions conducive to terrorism as well as extremist ideologies. 

The two sides also urged for an immediate end to all support and sanctuaries enjoyed by terrorist groups and individuals. They said, States that aid, abet and directly or indirectly support terrorism should be condemned. 

India and Iran welcomed the growing interaction between their National Security Councils and agreed to enhance regular and institutionalized consultations between them and others concerned on terrorism and security. Both sides also expressed interest in enhancing cooperation possibilities in maritime domain.

Read More

Talks with Iranian President Fruitful : PM Modi

The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has termed his talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as fruitful.
India and Iran on Saturday signed nine agreements in different areas after delegation-level talks between PM Modi and President Rouhani in New Delhi. 
The fields in which the agreements were inked include extradition treaty, Chabahar port, medicine and agriculture. 
In a joint statement, Modi said, he had a fruitful discussion with Dr. Rouhani on a wide range of issues of mutual interest. He said, the Iranian President's visit will further deepen and strengthen bilateral ties. 
Modi also said, both countries would like to see a prosperous and terror-free Afghanistan. He said, India and Iran are connected by common Sufi strain and want the region to be free of terror. 
The Prime Minister also thanked Mr Rouhani for providing leadership in developing Chabahar Port which is a gateway to Central Asia.
Both leaders also released a special postal stamp. Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on the visiting dignitary and discussed ways to strengthen co-operation in energy, connectivity, IT, education, culture and people-to-people contact. 
The Iranian President was accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan Saturday morning. He also visited Rajghat to pay tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.
Rouhani will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu later on Saturday.
The Iranian President, who is on three-day visit to India, arrived in New Delhi last night after his stay in Hyderabad.

Read More

PNB fraud: CBI arrests PNB's ex-Deputy Manager Gokulnath Shetty

The CBI today made the first arrest in the alleged 11,400 crore rupee Punjab National Bank fraud case in which businessman Nirav Modi and his partner Mehul Choksi are accused. The CBI has arrested three people - former Deputy Manager of the bank, Gokulnath Shetty, Single Window Operator of the bank, Manoj Kharat, and the authorised signatory of Nirav Modi group of firms, Hemant Bhat. The three will be produced before a CBI special court in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, massive searches by the Enforcement Directorate that began on Thursday continued on Friday against Nirav Modi, a jewellery designer and main accused in the PNB scam.

Friday saw raids being conducted in Delhi, Mumbai, Surat and Jaipur. Raids by CBI also continued at various places connected with Mehul Choksi. The investigating agency raided 20 locations belonging to Gitanjali group of companies spread across 6 cities in 5 states.

In the raids diamond, gold and jewellery worth 5649 crore rupees have been seized. CBI also registered a case against Mehul Choksi based on the complaint by PNB.

FIR has been filed against 3 companies of Choksi group, Gitanjali Gems, Gili India and Nakshatra Brand Limited. Apart from crackdown by ED, External Affairs Ministry has also tightened its noose around Nirav Modi. It suspended the validity of passports of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi for four weeks.

Amidst reports of Nirav Modi slipping out of the country, Interpol has also been alerted. Agencies have issued diffusion notice through Interpol.

As investigations into the fraud continue, PNB has suspended 8 more employees which has taken the number of suspended PNB officials to 18.

Government and the BJP have categorically said strict action is being taken in the case and those guilty will not be spared. BJP has alleged that in 2013 during UPA government's tenure, the finance secretary had received a complaint pertaining to the case but owing to some pressure, no action took place.

BJP also said Congress President Rahul Gandhi visited Nirav Modi's jewellery exhibition in 2013.

The scam involving Nirav Modi and Mehul Chowksi came to light when the PNB said it had discovered fraudulent transactions dating back to 2011. The fraud pertains to issuance of letters of undertaking to three companies associated with Nirav Modi.

Read More

India's First Radio festival in Delhi Today

The first ever radio festival of India is being held in New Delhi today to mark World Radio Day. The festival is being organized by International Association of Women in Radio and Television, in collaboration with UNESCO. 
In the inaugural session, Paralympian Deepa Malik in her address said, radio talks about positivity and it is pivotal in celebrating sports. 
She said, at every crucial point of her life, Radio was an integral part. Ms Malik said, a documentary made on her life by All India Radio boosted her self-confidence and help create a hero out of a differently abled woman. 
Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Anju Nigam, Director General of AIR Fayaz Sheheryar, Director General of Door Darshan Supriya Sahu and UNESCO representative to India Shigeru Aoyagi addressed the gathering. 
The festival includes live performances, an exhibition, and slotted panel discussions. Apart from touching on the theme for World Radio Day 2018 - radio and sports - the festival is also examining the potential of the medium as a platform for social change, ways to make it more creative and will trace the journey of music on the radio.

Read More

Five killed, Four injured in blast at Cochin Shipyard

In Kerala, five workers were killed and four injured in a blast that occurred in the maintenance dock of Cochin Shipyard today. The blast occurred inside ONGC ship, Sagar Bhusan which was under maintenance in the dock.
All the injured workers have been admitted to hospital. The condition of one injured is reportedly critical. The situation is under control now as per official reports. The deceased were believed to be contract workers.
Minister of Shipping, Nitin Gadkari has directed MD Cochin Shipyard to provide all medical support to victims and initiate enquiry into the incident. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death of the five persons in the blast.

Three injured people have been admitted to a private hospital here, a CSL official said adding that the condition of one of them, who suffered 40 per cent burns, is stated to be critical.
The CSL spokesperson earlier today said 11 people trapped inside the ship were evacuated and rushed to city hospitals.
City Police Commissioner M P Dinesh visited the accident site and said those trapped on the ship were evacuated and the situation was under control now.
The blast reportedly occurred in a water tank on the front side of the ship docked in the yard for repair.
The incident occurred at around 10 AM when those on the vessel were about to deboard it for breakfast break.

Read More

Metro project of Pune Much Faster Than Expected - Mahamatro CEO

"The Metro project of Pune is much faster than expected. By eliminating all obstacles, the Metro will run in Pune till 2021. The project is an attempt to start the project in the public from time-to-time using appropriate technology of world-class technology. It will also be made available to all the world-wide facility providers," said Maharashtra Metro Executive Chairman Ramnath Subramanyam.

He was speaking at the first session of the fourth National Construction and Transport Council organized by MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Rajbagh, College of Management, Loni Kalbhor. Meanwhile, the inaugural ceremony of the fourth National Council, sports chief Shantilal Kataria, Director of Mitcamp Pvt. Sunita Mangesh Karad, Vice Chancellor of MIT ADT University Dr. Sunil Roy, Registrar of the University Dr. Mahesh Deshpande, Pune Metro Advisor Shashikant Limaye, PCERF Chairman Mr. Vishwas Lokar, Yusuf Inamdar of Jayakumar Infrastructure, Rajiv Nehru, Vitek Singh of Mitkom and others were present on the occasion.

Subramanyam said that the transport system is important for the citizens. For this, local governments and governments play an important role. The Government has a duty to provide facilities to the citizens. So work is being done to strengthen the transport system. Apart from Mahamatro, the metro work is being done in other metropolitan cities except Mumbai. After Nagpur, the work of Pune Metro is going on in the state. Mahamatro will try to provide world-class facilities to the citizens in less time. Common mobility cards, Green Metro Solar stations, different types of station designs, free Wi-Fi, bicycle services, parking facilities, connecting all stations to the city's transport service, providing free footpaths, rainwater harvesting facilities. We are focusing on building Metro Tourism along with world-class Metro facilities. A large number of employment opportunities will be available to the youth through Metro. He said that Mahamatro is working to take the Metro out of the field through efficient manpower.

Chief guest  Shantilal Katariya said that India is a developing country. Therefore, there are huge opportunities for young people in the construction sector in this country. Planning is needed for planned and strong construction. The construction sector does not have importance due to lack of planning. Those who work in this field and who look forward to it as a career, should not be employed, but many have to become workers in the hand. There are a large number of opportunities for students working in the construction and technology and transport system. While working in this field, it can be successful if you experience working experience on the site rather than the AC office.

Pvt. Sunita Mangesh Karad said that infrastructure is the economic tool of India. Greater investments from all over the world in the construction and transport system are being held in India. To create a skilled manpower for this, it is necessary to provide technology and actual work experience. He said at this time that such a national level conference will be required.

Pune Metro Advisor Shashikant Limaye said that setting up of infrastructure is a big challenge ahead of the country. Highways, metro, airports, construction of river basins, flyover are being constructed in large numbers in the country. It requires a skilled manpower. He also said that there are huge opportunities for future successes in many challenges. '

PCERF President Mr. Vishwas Lokar said that students should make a career using the right technology. Pay attention to quality work rather than running behind money. If you work together for the country and for the sake of community building then success will definitely be achieved.

Read More

50% Attendance Must in Mumbai University : Bombay HC

For the students in the Mumbai University, the students must muster 50% attendance or face disqualification. That is what Bombay High Court has said. 

The HC has held that the Mumbai University's ordinance mandating a minimum 50 per cent attendance was in the interest of students and thus, even the highest authority in the university had no power to allow any undue relaxation in the rule.

In the order passed on Thursday, a bench of justices B R Gavai and B P Colabawalla also held that the discretionary powers over students' attendance was vested only with the colleges' respective attendance committees and their principals and that the university can't claim to be the "supreme appellate authority" in such cases. The bench was hearing a petition filed against the Mumbai University's grievance cell by a college in Kandivli.

The petitioner had alleged that the university's cell did not take strict action against the attendance defaulters and that it often allowed such students, who did not have the minimum requisite attendance, to appear for exams.

The petitioner alleged that in March 2017, about 100 commerce students were barred from appearing for their second semester exams since they had less than 50 per cent attendance.

Thirty-eight of these students had approached the university's grievance cell (commerce) and it asked the college to allow the defaulters to take the exams despite the fact that they had less than 50 per cent attendance.

The university's ordinance on students' attendance mandates that each student maintains 75 per cent attendance.

Read More

Finally a Relieving News on Aadhaar

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked the government departments, Ministries and State governments to ensure that no essential service or benefit should be denied to a genuine beneficiary for want of Aadhaar. The news has come as a relieving piece for countless people. 

In a statement, the authority said, it has taken a serious note of some of the cases reported in media about the denial of essential services like hospitalisation or medical help. It said, such claims of denial are being investigated by the concerned agencies and strict action will be taken in case denial has occurred. It said, Aadhaar is meant to bring transparency and accountability in public service deliveries through effective use of technology and it should not be misused and made an excuse to any denial in the services.

The authority said, it will again write a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all the States and Union territories to ensure that Aadhaar Act is implemented for all the schemes at the ground level in service deliveries to beneficiaries so that no denial happens due to want of Aadhaar.

The UIDAI last week had clarified that the Plastic or PVC Aadhaar smart cards are often not usable as the QR code commonly becomes dysfunctional during such unauthorised printing at some vendor/shop. Also, there could be a possibility of sharing Aadhaar details (personal sensitive demographic information) without informed consent with some devious elements.

Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO, UIDAI said, “So-called Aadhaar Smart card is totally unnecessary and a waste as during such printing its QR code often becomes dysfunctional. The Aadhaar card or the downloaded Aadhaar card printed on ordinary paper or mAadhaar is perfectly valid for all kind of uses. “If a person has a paper Aadhaar card, there is absolutely no need to get his/her Aadhaar card laminated or obtain a plastic Aadhaar card or so called smart Aadhaar card by paying money. There is no concept such as smart or plastic Aadhaar card.” 

In case a person loses his Aadhaar card, he can download his Aadhaar card free of cost from https://eaadhaar.uidai.gov.in. The print out of the downloaded Aadhaar card, even in black and white form, is as valid as the original Aadhaar letter sent by UIDAI. There is absolutely no need to print it on plastic/PVC card or get it laminated.

Read More

Tussle Over Andhra Pradesh Getting Interesting

The tussle between Bharatiya Janata Party and Telugu Desam Party over the special status to the state is getting interesting day by day. Days after the TDP launched offensive against the ruling party at center, BJP has retorted by saying that the Andhra Pradesh received utmost priority during last three and half yrs under Modi government.

The BJP on Saturday said, Andhra Pradesh has received utmost priority and importance under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government.

In a joint press conference in New Delhi, party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao and Party's AP President and Visakhapatnam MP K. Hari Babu presented a list of institutions, projects and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state.

“The state has received priority and the Centre is committed to its development,” the Rao said,

Referring to the charges made by MPs from AP representing TDP and YSRCP, Rao said it was all propaganda. Hari Babu said, the State has been provided funds for which is entitled to and the rest is under implemetion. The Party also refuted the criticism that the Centre has not done much for development of the State.

Hari Babu said that in a meeting held on Thursday, two major issues --- the revenue deficit the state had inherited at the time of bifurcation and the implementation of special package -- have been sorted out and concerns over other proposed projects and institutions were also addressed

The Centre will bear all revenue deficit for the entire period of the 14th finance commission and a total of Rs 22,113 crores will be paid to Andhra Pradesh as grant for the five- year period

The Centre has released a sum of Rs 1,269 crore to AP under different heads in the last few days with the gross grant including Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram multipurpose project, one of the contentious issues between the allies TDP and BJP, he said.

TDP MPs, along with YSR Congress, in both Houses of Parliament have been protesting for the last few days demanding implementation of all promises made by the NDA government under the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Read More

Fourth National Construction Techies Conference at MIT ADT University

MIT College of Management (MITCOM) of MIT Art, Design and Technology University has organized the 'Fourth National Level Construction Techies Conference. inSIGHT'18' at the University's campus between 12th and 13th February, 2018.

The experts from various fields will be enlightening on the theme of 'Advances in Infrastructure Development and Transportation Systems in Developing India' as said by Prof. Sunita Mangesh Karad (Director, MIT College of Management) in a press conference.

Prof. Sunita Karad said "The main aim is to make students aware about the advanced technology in construction industry and transport system. This national conference .inSIGHT'18 is the fourth edition organised by MIT ADT University."

The students of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Interior Designing, fresh graduates, faculty members and industry practitioners will participate in the conference. The guests will be covering the topics of 'Advances in transportation system, Urban development, Marching towards Smart India, New technologies and Trends in Construction industry, Smart and Sustainable Development' to name a few.

The list of guests invited includes Smart City Project Director Rajendra Jagtap, City Engineer, Pune Municipal Corporation Prashant Waghmare, President of CREDAI Shrikant Paranjpe, Executive Chairman of Maharashtra Metro Rangnath Subramaniam,  Founder of Lodha Trust Manju Lodha,  Chairman of PCERF Vishwas Lokre, Executive Vice President of HCC Group Chetan Hazaree, Kostas Kontomanos, . Member of India Planning Association Subhash Deshpande, VP BIM Neilsoft Praveen Sharma and Sunil Joshi, Sarpanch of Hussuri Osampur in Uttar Pradesh Dilip Tripathi, Chairman of Govardhan Village Gaurang Das,Executive Director of  Rohan Builders Rohan Lunka and Founder of Rurban Touch Solutions Sanjay Chokshi.

There are also competitions such as call for papers, model presentation and mindful managers which have a cumulative prize of above one lakh rupees, as said by Prof. Sunita Mangesh Karad.

Read More

Kerala, Punjab & Tamil Nadu Top NITI Aayog's Health Index

Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu topped the list of Healthy State progressive report released by NITI Aayog today among the larger states in terms of overall performance. The NITI Aayog released the report in New Delhi this afternoon.

While releasing the report, CEO Amitabh Kant said that Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh were the the top three three states in the terms of annual incremental performance. He said, the health index has been evolved through comprehensive study and inputs from World Bank India and Ministry of Health. Mr Kant said, State and Union territory have been ranked in three categories namely larger states, smaller states and Union territories.

He said, among smaller states Mizoram ranked first followed by Manipur and Goa in terms of annual incremental performance. The NITI Aayog CEO said, among Union territories Lakshadweep showed best overall performance as well as highest annual incremental performance. He said, the study of incremental performance of states will ensure the government for better health outcomes.

The report said about one third of the states has registered a decline in there performance in 2016 as compared to 2015. It said, common challenges for the states is to address vacancies in key staff, establishment of Cardiac Care Units and quality accreditation of public health facilities. Speaking on the occasion, Member (Health) in the NITI Aayog, Dr Vinod Paul said, absolute and incremental changes in health outcomes as measured by the Health Index, promotes cross-learning between states and captures the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism.

Read More

Ayodhya Case Purely a Land Dispute Issue : SC

The Supreme Court has said the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case was purely a "land dispute" and will be dealt with in normal course.

The apex court commenced its final hearings on the Ayodhya dispute yesterday. During the course of an hour-long hearing the court clarified that it was first inclined to hear those who were parties to the dispute in the Allahabad High Court.

It further said those who have tried to wade into the matter before it and seeking impleadment as parties will have to wait as the case before it was a "pure land dispute".

A special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was hearing the civil appeals, arising out of 2010 verdict of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, which in a 2 to1 majority ruling, had ordered that the disputed land be partitioned equally among three parties, the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

The bench also comprised Justices Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer. The court in its order asked the original parties of the title suits to file within two weeks the English translations of documents, exhibits and excerpts from vernacular books, which have been used in the high court.

The bench also expressed its reservation on hearing the matter on day-to-day basis and said, once the matter will start it will go on in normal course. 

The bench said it would hear the appeals in the case on the 14th of next month.

Read More

Another Attack by US Shows Its Earnestness

The United States government has shown yet again that its resolve to fight terrorism is not just rhetoric but a serious preposition. US bombers have struck multiple Taliban targets in a new air offensive over the past four days in far northeastern Afghanistan near the China and Tajikistan borders.

Ever since Donald Trump has assumed charge as the President of US, he has repeatedly talked about fighting terror.

The Southern Command said in a statement that the strikes hit Taliban training facilities in Badakhshan province, preventing the planning and rehearsal of terrorist acts. The bombing also destroyed vehicles that it said the Taliban took from the Afghan National Army and were turning into vehicle-born explosive devices.

The strikes were carried out in part by a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, which dropped 24 guided munitions. The Southern Command, which oversees US military activities in the Middle East and Afghanistan, said it continues to carry out strikes against the Taliban and its support networks in Helmand Province in the south of the country as well.

Strikes and raids by US and Afghan forces have resulted in the removal of more than 30 million Dollars of Taliban revenue since the campaign began in November, 2017, the Command said.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis, defending the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan in a hearing by the House Armed Services Committee, said that the new US strategy of training and advisory support to local troops has the strong backing of NATO allies helping the effort.The number of allies in Afghanistan has actually grown to 41, he said.

Read More

Thank God, 22 Indian Sailors Are Now Free

An oil tanker, with an all Indian crew of 22 members that went missing off the coast of Benin in north-west Africa, has been released by pirates after four days.

Officials said, all the crew members, who endured the over four-day ordeal, are safe. Director General of Shipping Malini Shankar said, the ship, 'Marine Express', has been released and is back under the command of the captain. She said all 22 crew members are safe and the ship has resumed further sailing.

The Marine Express was at the anchorage Cotonou in the Gulf of Guinea in Benin when it was taken over by pirates on 1st February.

In a tweet, Swaraj said she is happy to inform that Merchant Ship "Marine Express" with 22 Indian nationals on board has been released. The Minister thanked the government of Nigeria and Benin for their help and support in the release of an oil tanker with 22 Indian crew.

Yesterday Swaraj had spoken to her Nigerian counterpart to seek assistance in tracing the missing oil tanker. An official said all the crew members, released by pirates are safe and the ship has resumed sailing. The vessel was at the anchorage Cotonou in the Gulf of Guinea in Benin when it was taken over by pirates on 1st February.

It was immediately not clear if a ransom was paid to secure the release of the vessel and the cargo. The Marine Express was at the anchorage Cotonou in the Gulf of Guinea in Benin when it was taken over by pirates on February 1.

All the communication systems on the vessel were switched off by pirates before making it sail. In a Facebook post, the ship manning agent Anglo Eastern said the Panama-flagged vessel was the subject of a “pirate attack and seizure”, and also confirmed the safe release. The cargo of 13,500 tonnes of gasoline remains on board, the post added.

An official at the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) had earlier confirmed that the waters in which the vessel was taken over are infested with sea pirates. There had been a few incidents where the pirates had let off hijacked vessels and crew after siphoning-off the on board cargo without demanding any ransom.

In respect of this incident, DGS officials were in contact with the Indian mission in Nigeria, which was coordinating rescue efforts with local agencies. The ship went missing less than a month after another vessel, ‘MT Barret’, disappeared off the coast of Benin in January, and was later confirmed to have been hijacked. The 22 crew members of MT Barret, most of whom were Indians, were reportedly released after a ransom was paid.

Read More

SC Gives an Earful to Khaps

Taking a strong exception to the diktats passed by Khaps on matters of marriage, Supreme Court has come out strongly against honour killings. Apex court said that even if a young adults marry within the prohibited degree of relation there are courts and law to declare it null and void.

CJI Dipak Misra warned that Khaps should not become self-appointed conscience keepers when there is law and courts to deal with marriages prohibited by law. He said that irrespective of tradition, gotra, if there is illegality in marriage, its is for law and courts to deal with it and not Khaps.

The court said that a marriage between two adults was governed by the law. The Supreme Court bench said it would set up a high-level committee consisting of senior police officers to deal with issues relating to intervention in marriages by bodies such as khap panchayats.

The SC had in the past said if an adult man and woman marry, no khap, panchayat, individual or society can question them. In a democracy, if an adult girl or boy gets into marriage, no khap, no individual or no society can question them.

Khap panchayats or associations are notorious for attacking men and women opting for inter- caste marriage. Khaps are caste or community organisations in villages which at times act as quasi-judicial bodies and pronounce harsh punishments based on regressive and age-old customs and traditions.

Read More

India Needs Scientific Temper: Dr. Jayant Narlikar

“We have not been able to develop a scientific temper despite 70 years of us achieving independence and we still get to see superstitions and irrational behavior around us,”said Dr. Jayant Naralikar, Padma Vibhushan, Emeritus Professor, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) while receiving the Vigyan Tantragyaan Shreshtha Award by Bharat Asmita National Awards Foundation for his contribution to the field of Science and Astrophysics. 

Other awardees felicitated at the Bharat Asmita National Awards along with Dr. Naralaikar were Smt. Rama Bijapurkar, Management Consultant and Educator in the category of Acharya Shrestha Award, Rajeev Satav, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha & Former National President, Indian Youth Congress in the category of Jana Pratinidhi Shrestha, Manoj Joshi, Padmashri, Well Known Actor, Pt. Rajan & Sajan Mishra, Padma Bhushan Renowned Khayal Style Singers all in the category of Jana Jagran Shreshta.

The Award Ceremony was held on 3rd February 2018 at the Swami Vivekanada Mandap, MIT World Peace University Campus and jointly organised by MIT School of Government, MIT World Peace University and Bharat Asmita Foundation.

Also present at the ceremony were Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Well Known Computer Scientist, Dr. Vishwanth Karad, Nanik Rupani, Eminent Industrialist, Rahul Karad, Executive President, MIT World Peace University and Sharad Chandra Darade Patil. The Award Selection Committee comprises of stalwarts like Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Dr. Vishwanath Kard, Shri. Shyam Benegal, Ritu Chhabria, Ritu Nanda, Nadir Godrej and Rahul V. Karad.

Dr. Jayant Naralikar further said, “Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru had envisioned an India which would imbibe scientific attitude or temper but sadly it has not happened. I, on my part, will keep trying to campaign towards restoring a scientific temper among people till my last breath”.

Rama Bijapurkar said, “Often in this world, when one is ready, a teacher will find him and develop him accordingly. The best Gurudakshina one can give to his or her teacher is by going beyond the guru. The most important thing in today’s world is to teach one how to learn.”

Rajeev Satav said, “When I was fighting the 2014 General Elections, I was advised that there is a ‘Modi Wave’ and I should not run for elections this year. But I fought and won against all odds. If you have that ignition in heart, nothing can stop you. I would appeal to today’s youth to join whichever party you like, but contribute to the field of politics in some or the other way.”

Manoj Joshi said, “My father was a teacher of Sanskrit and we led a very simple life. And that is why I feel that despite being in the entertainment industry for years, I have never been fascinated by the glamour world. Acharya Chanakya had said that there is nothing above nation, for us, Rashtraneeti has to be supreme.”

Pt. Rajan & Sajan Mishra said, “Despite achieving tons of knowledge and contributing tremendously to the society, the one who feels that whatever he has done is still little and strives to do more, that person is the real gem of the society. If competition from the education system is removed, then talent will blossom on its own.”

Dr. Vijay Bhatkar said, “The nation that stands for universalization of knowledge has a key role to play in the global society. We have a lot to learn from the awardees who are felicitated tonight. Their life journey holds the vital message of sheer hard work and passion for the field of their liking.”

Rahul Karad explained the background of the awards in his introductory speech. Prof. Gautam Bapat compeered the ceremony and Dr. Saylee Gankar gave away the vote of thanks.

Read More

Reason to Cheer for Donald Trump After Republican Memo's Release

United States President Donald Trump has reason to cheer after the release of the formerly classified Republican memo. "It totally vindicates me," he claimed on Twitter on Saturday (February 3).

Trump's fellow Republicans in the US House of Representatives released on Friday a previously classified memo that portrays senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department as being biased against him in the federal investigation into potential collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.

The memo raised questions about what its Republican authors called "the legitimacy and legality" of FBI and Justice Department interactions with a special court to gain permission to eavesdrop on former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page, an oil industry consultant with numerous contacts in Russia. It cited "a troubling breakdown of legal processes established to protect the American people from abuses" related to the court, set up under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

A remaining issue is whether Trump uses the memo as rational for firing Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller in May 2017 after the president fired FBI Director James Comey, and oversees Mueller's work.

Democrats said the memo mischaracterizes highly sensitive classified information as part of a coordinated propaganda effort to discredit the FBI and Justice Department and terminate Mueller's investigation, which potentially threatens Trump's presidency.

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team wanted to question President Donald Trump as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential elections. The investigation also reportedly involved a probe into whether the President obstructed justice when he allegedly asked ex-FBI Director James Comey to drop an inquiry into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian Ambassador, becoming the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in Mueller’s inquiry.

Read More

Maratha Light Infantry to Celebrate 250 Years

The Maratha Light Infantry, one of the oldest regiments of the Army and the recipient of 56 battle honours, has entered its 250th year. 

A host of events have been planned to celebrate its legacy. Colonel of the Maratha Light Infantry Lt Gen PJS Pannu told newsmen on Saturday that the celebrations will open with a function on Sunday at the Manekshaw Centre where a coffee-table book on the infantry, 'Victory and Valour', will be released.

He said, the Maratha Light Infantry was the first infantry to be designated as a light infantry during the British Raj, for being swift-footed. The regiment draws inspiration from the legacy of Maratha warriors, who were adept in guerrilla warfare.

The legacy of the Maratha Light Infantry is illustrious and includes two Victoria Crosses won during the Second World War.

February 4 has a historical significance for the regiment, as on this day in 1670 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had conquered Fort Kondana which is famously known as Sinhgad.

Read More

India Joins Ashgabat agreement

India has joined Ashgabat Agreement on the establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor between the Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The agreement was signed in April 2011, which envisages facilitation of transit and transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. 

External Affairs Ministry said the accession to the Agreement would diversify India’s connectivity options with Central Asia and have a positive influence on its trade and commercial ties with the region. Turkmenistan, as depository state of Ashgabat Agreement, informed India yesterday that all the four founding members have consented to the Accession of India. 

India’s accession to the agreement will come into force on 3rd of this month. India had deposited the Instrument of Accession with Turkmenistan in April 2016.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had given its approval for India to accede to the Ashgabat Agreement on March 23, 2016

The Ashgabat Agreement has Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as founding members. Kazakhstan has also joined this arrangement subsequently. Accession to the Agreement would enable India to utilise this existing transport and transit corridor to facilitate trade and commercial interaction with the Eurasian region. Further, this would synchronise with our efforts to implement the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) for enhanced connectivity. 

Read More

India Announces World's Largest Health Programme

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget 2018-19 in the Parliament on Thursday, where he had a challenge to not just realise the 'New India' dream by spurring growth, but also meet expectations of millions of people and different sections of society and businesses of the country.
World's largest government-funded health programme - 'National Health Protection Scheme' was announced. It will cover 10 crore poor and vulnerable families by providing upto Rs 5 lakh per family per year. The government will launch 'Revitalising of Infrastructure and Systems in Education' by 2022 with a total investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in next 4 years.
This budget is significant as it was Modi government's fifth and final full budget. It is also the first one after GST implementation. Clearly, the focus is on low-cost farming. He said besides 'ease of doing business', the government is also focusing on 'ease of living' now. “
Higher Minimum Support Price of all crops shall be increased to at least 1.5 times that of the production cost.Hardwork of farmers resulted in a record production of more than 275 million tonnes of food grain and about 300 million tonnes of horticultural produce,” FM  said.
The Finance Minister expressed hope that economy will grow at 7.2 percent to 7.5 percent in the second half of 2017-18. He exuded confidence that India is on track to grow at 8 percent.
He proposed to raise institutional credit for agriculture to Rs 11 lakh crore for 2018-19. National Livelihood Mission allocated Rs. 5,750 cr in 2018-19.
Bamboo is green gold and restructured National Bamboo Mission will be launched with an allocation of Rs 1,290 crore to promote bamboo sector in a holistic manner, Jaitley said.
Air Pollution in Delhi NCR is a cause for concern, special scheme will be implemented to support Govts of Haryana, Punjab, UP and Delhi NCT to address it and subsidize machinery for management of crop residue, FM said.
By 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal people will have 'Ekalavya' school at par with Navodaya Vidyalas.
Government plans to construct 2 crore more toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission, he informed.
Jaitley said the government has successfully implemented series of structural reforms as a result of which India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. He said FDI has gone up and Indian economy is now a 2.5 trillion economy.

Read More

Bravo India! Government Says Country Cannot Become Refugee Capital of World

The central government has taken a very bold stance that must be applauded by every right thinking citizen. The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it does not want the country to become the refugee capital of the world.

  Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told this to a bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which was hearing a fresh plea by two Rohingya refugees alleging that the BSF was using chili and stun grenades to stop the refugees from entering India.

The ASG said he needed time to respond to the allegations made by the refugees. He, however, said not everyone can be allowed to cross the border and these matters are best left to the government to decide.

The lawyer appearing for the refugees said the government must be prevented from stopping more Rohingyas from entering India because of the persecution faced by them in Myanmar. The court gave the Centre time till the 7th of March to respond to the fresh plea.

The Rohingya crisis has sparked a debate in the country for a time and has occupied central space in the national debate from time to time. There are two groups in India – one that see Rohingyas as "refugees” and another as “illegal infiltrators". A majority opinion inclines towards the view that Rohingya Muslims are certainly not entitled to the refugee status.

For one, India is an extremely densely populated country and it doesn't need more people. . India has accepted Tibetan refugees because Tibet was occupied by China. Besides, there was a humanitarian and cultural basis to what we did. Rohingyas cannot claim any such affinity.

The Indian government has already termed them as illegal immigrants who "will be deported". It is true that some organizations, mainly human rights bodies, are raising pith in the name of humanitarian cause about the planned deportation of Rohingyas from India. But it is because they want to appear politically correct in the world. The arrival of Rohingyas carry a concern with them that there are terrorists hiding in that big pool of people. Besides, India is not signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention therefore it is not obliged to accept them.

The government of India must be lauded as it has maintained its stand that the "issue of national security is involved with regard to illegal immigration which our country cannot undermine". The government had on August 9 told Parliament that more than 14,000 Rohingyas, registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, stay in India. However, aid agencies estimate there are about 40,000 Rohingyas in the country.

Illegal immigrants cannot claim fundamental rights which are otherwise available even to non-citizens, the Centre had told the Supreme Court early this month in its fresh response to the PIL of two Rohingya refugees challenging their deportation to Myanmar.

The National Human Rights Commission had in August issued a notice to the Centre, saying "India has been home to refugees, for centuries" and from the human rights angle, its "intervention is appropriate" in the matter.

The latest stand of the government has to be seen in this light.

Read More