Adani News

Tag: Delhi

  • Mukhtar Ansari gets life sentence in Awadhesh Rai murder case

    Mukhtar Ansari gets life sentence in Awadhesh Rai murder case

    A court in Varanasi on Monday sentenced gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari to life imprisonment for the murder of Awadhesh Rai, the brother of a Congress leader, more than 30 years ago.

    Awadhesh Rai, the brother of former MLA Ajay Rai, was shot dead on August 3, 1991, at the gate of his Lahurabir residence in Varanasi. A case was registered against Mukhtar Ansari and others.

    The MP-MLA court’s special judge Avanish Gautam awarded life sentence to Ansari in the case, a lawyer told reporters outside the Varanasi court.

    Reacting to Ansari’s conviction earlier in the day, Ajay Rai said, “This is the end of our many years of waiting. I, my parents, Awadhesh’s daughter and the whole family kept patience… Governments came and went and Mukhtar strengthened himself.

    “But we did not give up. Because of our lawyers’ efforts, today the court has found Mukhtar guilty in the murder case of my brother,” Rai added.

    Lawyers said that around 1 am on August 3, 1991, Congress leader Ajay Rai and his brother were standing at the gate of their house in Varanasi when some assailants, including Ansari, came there in a car and shot Awadhesh.

    Ajay Rai fired from his licensed pistol in retaliation, following which the assailants fled, leaving the car behind, they said. Awadhesh was rushed to a hospital in Kabirchaura, where doctors declared him dead.

    Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat, did not contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election and the seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari on a ticket from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, which had tied up with the Samajwadi Party.

  • No relief to Manish Sisodia as High Court denies interim bail in money laundering case

    No relief to Manish Sisodia as High Court denies interim bail in money laundering case

    The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant interim bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case arising from the alleged excise policy scam.

    Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, however, allowed him to meet his ailing wife in custody for one day as per her convenience between 10 am and 5 pm.

    The former Delhi deputy chief minister had sought release on a temporary basis for six weeks on grounds that he was the sole caretaker of his ailing wife. His plea for regular bail in the matter is pending before the high court.

    Sisodia, who was arrested on March 9, is currently in judicial custody in the case lodged by the ED.

    The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the plea for interim bail on grounds of possibility of evidence tampering.

    The ED lawyer has also claimed that Sisodia’s wife has been suffering from such a medical condition for the last 20 years.

    The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

    On May 30, the court had dismissed the bail plea of Sisodia in the excise policy scam being probed by the CBI, saying he is an influential person and the allegations against him are very serious in nature.

    In the CBI case, the high court has kept the interim bail plea pending for July.  

  • Pre-monsoon showers leave a trail of destruction in Karnataka

    Pre-monsoon showers leave a trail of destruction in Karnataka

    Pre-monsoon rains have claimed over 50 lives in the state, including two each in Mysuru and Mandya districts.

    Besides, 9,398 hectares of agriculture crops are affected in 16 districts, including 28 hectares in Chamarajanagar and one hectare each in Mysuru and Hassan districts.

    Horticulture crops

    As many as 10,067 hectares of horticulture crops are lost in 21 districts, including 248 hectares in Mysuru, 88 hectares in Chamarajanagar and six hectares in Hassan district.

    While 19 houses are fully damaged, 795 houses are partially damaged. In all, 155 big and 183 small domestic animals have been killed. The rains have damaged 1,446 electricity poles and 249 transformers.

    Manoj Rajan, commissioner, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, told DH that the damages were recorded due to pre-monsoon rains from March 1 to May 22. 

    1 per cent excess rains

    The state recorded 1 per cent excess pre-monsoon showers from  March 1 to May 31. South interior Karnataka recorded 18 per cent excess rainfall, including 5 per cent excess in Mysuru, 9 per cent excess in Mandya, 16 per cent excess in Chamarajanagar, 25 per cent deficit in Chitradurga and 36 per cent deficit in Davangere.

    North interior Karnataka recorded 21 per cent excess rainfall. Malnad region recorded 21 per cent deficit rainfall. Coastal Karnataka recorded 60 per cent deficit rainfall. 

    Rain deaths 

    The rain deaths included 34 due to lightning, including two each from Mysuru, Mandya, Bidar, Gadag, Belagavi and Vijayanagar districts, one each in Chitradurga, Haveri, Dharwad and Chikkaballapur districts, three each in Raichur, Ballari and Kalaburagi districts, four in Vijayapura and five in Koppal district.

    Seven died due to house collapse, including two each in Koppal and Bagalkot, one each in Mysuru, Ballari and Raichur districts.

    Five deaths were due to drowning in floods, including two in Bengaluru and three in Bidar.

    Also three people died due to flooding-induced electrocution in Bidar. Three have died due to tree collapse, including two in Udupi and one in Chikkamagaluru district.

    Five districts with highest loss of agriculture crops due to pre-monsoon rainfall include 5,577 hectares in Bidar, 925 hectares in Belagavi, 853 hectares in Yadgir, 716 hectares in Raichur and 510 hectares in Chitradurga district. 

    Also top five districts with highest loss of horticulture crops include 6,272 hectares in Kolar, 1,666 hectares in Bidar, 549 hectares in Bagalkot, 269 hectares in Chitradurga and 248 hectares in Mysuru district. 

    Monsoon likely soon

    According to Met department sources, South West monsoon is likely to enter the state this week and it will be normal.

  • NIRF 2023: IIT Madras occupies top spot for 5th consecutive year

    NIRF 2023: IIT Madras occupies top spot for 5th consecutive year

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI:     The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras continued to bag the top spot in the National Institute Ranking Framework, 2023 for the fifth consecutive year, while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has been ranked as the best university, according to the Ministry of Education.

    IISc Bengaluru has bagged the second spot in the “overall” category followed by IIT Delhi.

    Among the engineering institutions, IIT Madras retained the top spot for the eighth consecutive year. IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay have been ranked second and third, respectively in the category.

    Delhi University’s Miranda House and Hindu College have bagged the first and second spot among colleges followed by Presidency College, Chennai.

    IISc Bengaluru has been ranked as the best institution for research, while IIT Kanpur has been ranked the best for innovation.

    Among the management colleges, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad has been ranked at the top followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode.

    In pharmacy, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad has been ranked first. Jamia Hamdard and BITS Pilani have been ranked in the second and third spots, respectively.

    Similarly for law, the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru followed by the National Law University, Delhi and NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad have figured in the ranking.

  • Odisha Train Accident: Interrogation of Bahanaga Station Master underway

    Odisha Train Accident: Interrogation of Bahanaga Station Master underway

    Balasore: The investigation on the Coromandel train accident near the Bahanaga station of Balasore district is in full swing. The Bahanga Bazar Station Master SB Mohanty is presently being interrogated by the Railway Safety Commissioner team.

    Station Master SB Mohanty was in charge when the fatal accident occurred. He is being interrogated about the status of the signal and what changes were made, said reliable sources. Similarly, a public hearing on behalf of the commissioner will be done today. Local people have been asked to give their opinion.

    According to reports, Bahanaga Assistant Station Master SB Mohanty, who was on duty, fled from the spot after the train accident took place. Meanwhile, a case regarding the train accident has been registered at the Balasore GRP Police station.

    On the other hand, the Railway Board has recommended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

    Earlier, train movement was resumed after up and down lines were restored after 51 hours after the Coromandel train accident. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present when the train movement was resumed after the completion of the restoration of the track on Sunday.

    Yesterday at 10.40 pm, the good train passed through Bahanga Bazar station. However, the railway department has not specified when the passenger train will run through this route.

    It is worth mentioning that the entire world has mourned the terrible Odisha train tragedy that occurred at Bahanga station in the Balasore district of Odisha on Friday evening. In this accident, as many as 275 people have lost their lives and at least 1175 people have been injured.

  • Balasore: Train movement resumes after 51 hrs of Coromandel Express accident

    Balasore: Train movement resumes after 51 hrs of Coromandel Express accident

    Balasore: The train movement has been resumed after up and down lines were restored after 51 hours of the Coromandel train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present when the train movement was resumed after the completion of the restoration of the track on Sunday.

    Yesterday at 10.40 pm, the good train passed through Bahanga Bazar station. However, the railway department has not specified when the passenger train will run through this route.

    Union Minister was seen folding hands and praying when the train movement was resumed. He also thanked and praised the workers who helped in the restoration of the tracks. The movement was resumed after running a trial good train.

    Earlier, Railway Minister said that the root cause of the Coromandel train accident has been identified. He also said that the Railway Board has recommended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

    Speaking to the media here, Vaishnaw said, “Keeping in mind the circumstances and situation and administration information that we have got, so for further inquiry and investigation, the Railway Board is recommending a CBI probe.”

    It is worth mentioning that the entire world has mourned the terrible Odisha train tragedy that occurred at Bahanga station in the Balasore district of Odisha on Friday evening. In this accident, as many as 275 people have lost their lives and at least 1175 people have been injured.

    As per the report total of 1175 injured persons were admitted to various government and private hospitals. Out of the total, 793 have been discharged after treatment. Currently, 382 passengers are now undergoing treatment in various government and private hospitals. Identification of the bodies is also underway.

  • Delhi’s AQI improves, PM level down by 30%: Kejriwal

    Delhi’s AQI improves, PM level down by 30%: Kejriwal

    New Delhi (IANS) | Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that his government has been successful in bringing down the city’s PM level by nearly 30 per cent, thereby improving the air quality from ‘poor’ to ‘good’. The Chief Minister was speaking on the occasion of World Environment Day. In the last seven years, there has been a significant reduction in pollution levels and poor air quality, benefiting the residents.

    Kejriwal said, there are two types of pollution, PM 2.5 and PM 10, both of which contribute to poor air quality. We have seen a 30 percent reduction in both these pollutants in the last seven years. In 2016, Delhi was engulfed in smog for 26 days and it was almost impossible to breathe. In 2022, there were only six days with poor air quality. I am confident that in future, Delhi will not experience any day with poor air quality. ,

    He said that in 2016, there were 109 days with good air quality, which he called good days. However, in 2022, there were 163 such days when the air quality was good.

    In 2016, we had 100 days with a ‘good’ air quality index, while in 2022, we will have 163 ‘good’ days, he said. We are making continuous efforts to improve the air quality.

    Kejriwal said that dust is also a big contributor to air pollution. He announced plans to introduce mechanical sweeper system for vacuum cleaning of Delhi roads. Additionally, all the roads in Delhi will be cleaned with water every week, making them comparable to the roads in European countries.

    The Chief Minister spoke about a mobile application called ‘GreenApp’, through which anyone can register complaints related to pollution. He told that the Delhi government has received 58,000 complaints through this app, out of which about 90 per cent have been resolved.

    He further said that the government in Delhi is committed to build 380 lakes with the aim of making it a city of lakes. At present, the work of 26 lakes has been completed.

    He said, I visited Dwarka lake. The ground water level has risen by about five metres. Now we can use ground water for drinking purposes.

    –IANS

  • Tobacco growers oppose WHO’s recommendation of substitute crops

    Tobacco growers oppose WHO’s recommendation of substitute crops

    Farmers, especially tobacco growers, have opposed the World Health Organisation (WHO), on its recommendation on substituting tobacco with alternative crops, terming it as unsubstantiated.

    Vikram Raj Urs, joint secretary, Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), said, “Climate change and extreme taxation is pushing tobacco farmers’ livelihoods to the brink. Farmers’ earnings have shrunk cumulatively by more than Rs 7,500 crore since 2013-14, due to crop substitution. Over 100 million kg of tobacco production is affected due to severe climate events. WHO’s recommendation to grow alternative crops on semi-arid lands, where even a draught-resistant crop like tobacco is facing challenges due to climate change, is unscientific.”

    Urs has appealed to the government to investigate claims of the WHO and has demanded the WHO to deposit Rs 1,000 crore to the Tobacco Board, to compensate the farmers for the loss due to crop substitution.

    FAIFA, representing farmers and farm workers of commercial crops in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat, challenged the WHO to provide evidence on its recommendation that alternative crops should replace tobacco crops as they are negatively impacting sustainable agriculture and contributing to global food crisis.

    “High taxation results in a surge of illegal and smuggled cigarettes. These illegal cigarettes offer attractive pricing as they avoid GST and other taxes, providing higher margins to retailers. Illicit cigarettes increased by 44% over a decade, from 19.5 billion sticks in 2011 to 28.1 billion sticks in 2020, according to Euromonitor International,” Urs pointed out.

  • G20 India Presidency: 3rd HWG Meeting

    G20 India Presidency: 3rd HWG Meeting

    new delhi. The threat of pandemics is far from over. The need is to integrate and strengthen One Health-based surveillance systems.” This was stated by Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare during her address to the 3rd Health Working Group meeting under G20 India Presidency, here today. G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Prof SP Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog were also present on the occasion.

    Underlining the importance of global collaboration and partnerships, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said that “the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that partnerships are most fruitful only when developed during peacetime and not amidst an ongoing pandemic; and that we need to focus on creating resilient health systems, with primary health as its cornerstone.” She further stated that “partnership we share as G20 members is vital and facilitates in building trust, sharing knowledge, creating networks and working together to achieve meaningful impact and results.”

    Dr Pawar also highlighted the need for availability of safe, effective and quality medical countermeasures. Stating that India’s G20 Presidency is working towards building consensus for an end-to-end Global Medical Countermeasure (MCM) ecosystem, following a Network of Networks approach and leveraging existing global and regional initiatives, Dr Pawar urged the leadership of G20 countries to create an interim platform which will be guided by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) process and will feed into the same.

    Acknowledging the convergence between G7 and G20 priorities, including the launch of MCM Delivery Partnership during Japan’s G7 Presidency which aligns with G20’s proposal of an end-to-end MCM ecosystem, Dr Pawar urged the global community to strengthen ongoing efforts in that direction. “Pandemics may not wait for the finalization of the Pandemic Treaty and hence, the time to act is now”, she stated.

    Dr Pawar also informed the delegates of India’s proposal of a Global initiative on Digital Health, a WHO-managed network to converge ongoing initiatives in use of technology in the global health arena. She stated that “this initiative can enable bridging the digital divide amongst nations and ensure that the fruits of technology are made available to every citizen of the world.”

    Underscoring the contribution of Indian traditional knowledge systems to healthcare, Shri G Kishan Reddy stated that “Indian traditional knowledge system propagated preventive and holistic wellbeing for all”. He highlighted the significant impact of Ayurveda and Yoga across the world. He stated that “Indian civilization and cultural heritage has given us the Ayurveda or the Science of Lives which is a five-thousand-year-old medical practice. Similarly, Yoga has emerged as one of the most trusted practices to boost both physical and mental wellbeing.”

    Highlighting the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister to make India one of the new hubs of medical value travel, the Union Tourism Minister said that India is home to affordable, efficient and reliable healthcare which positions the country as a go to destination for medical value travel. He also informed that India is among the top ten countries preferred by people all over the world for health and wellness.

    Shri Kishan Reddy stated that “India takes great pride in being a reliable partner in the noble vision of saving lives and protecting livelihoods” and highlighted India’s recognition as the “Pharmacy of the World”. He stated that the Genome Valley in Hyderabad alone contributes close to 33% of world’s vaccine production.

    The Union Tourism Minister emphasized that India is committed to achieving universal healthcare for all by 2030. He concluded his speech by stating that “there cannot be a better platform than the G20 to support, harness, and facilitate the power of Universal Healthcare to build a healthy and motivated world”.

    Prof S P Singh Baghel noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response require diverse multilateral efforts. “The recent Covid 19 pandemic taught us that only through a sustainable health system a sustainable economy can be built. Effective pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response can only be facilitated through continuous interventions in the health sector at the regional, national, and global levels”, he stated.

    The Union Minister stated that India aims to ensure best health facilities, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for all through the platform of the G20. He commended the efforts of the G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force and the G7 for prioritizing the issue of financing health systems and societies in the face of an emergency, besides preparedness financing. He also noted that International Financial Institutions and Multilateral Development Banks and Funds like the Global Fund and Pandemic Fund can play a significant role in assisting resource-constrained regions to build common goods and public capabilities.

    Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary stated that “’Health for All’ is an important agenda outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. It was also a pertinent theme in the recently concluded 76th World Health Assembly”. He noted that the theme of India’s G20 Presidency, i.e., “One Earth, One Family, One Future” also alludes to the wider concept of Universal Health Coverage. Underscoring the need to converge the ongoing parallel discussions in Global Health Architecture in Health Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Response; Medical Countermeasures and Digital Health, he stressed on the need to break the existing silos and reduce fragmentation. “It is critical to integrate all existing global health initiatives, global and regional health processes like G7, G20 and UNGA by jointly harnessing our strengths for a fit-for-purpose global health architecture”, he stated.

    The Indonesian and Brazilian Troika members commended the Indian Presidency for underlining the three health priorities. They stated the need to collectively accelerate our efforts towards strengthening pandemic preparedness, prevention and response measures and create a fit-for-purpose global health architecture.

    Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Dept of Health Research and DG, ICMR; Abhay Thakur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and Sous Sherpa of India’s G20 Presidency, Lav Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Hekali Zhimomi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, representatives from the G20 member countries, special invitee countries, international organizations, forums and partners like WHO, World Bank, WEF etc., and senior officers of the Union Government were present.

  • DA case against DKS: HC extends interim stay against CBI probe

    DA case against DKS: HC extends interim stay against CBI probe

    The petition filed by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in the disproportionate assets case has been referred to the Chief Justice for posting it before the appropriate bench. Meanwhile, Justice M Nagaprasanna also extended the interim order of stay in the matter.

    The CBI had registered a case against Shivakumar and his family members alleging disproportionate assets. The FIR stated that during the check period between April 1, 2013 and April 30, 2018, Shivakumar and his family members were in possession of Rs 74.93 crore disproportionate assets, which has not been explained with proper documents.

    In his petition, Shivakumar had stated that the CBI was causing mental stress by issuing repeated notices. It was also submitted that along with Shivakumar, his wife and daughter were also served with notices by the investigating agency. According to the petitioner, the CBI could not have initiated coercive measures against him in view of the earlier order of the high court.

    The matter was listed before the bench presided over by Justice Nagaprasanna, who is the designated judge at the high court for cases arising from Special Court for public representatives (MPs/MLAs). It was submitted before the court that the matter was marked as part-heard as it was extensively heard before the previous judge (Justice K Natarajan).

    Meanwhile, P Prasanna Kumar, special counsel for the CBI, submitted that the agency had filed an interlocutory application for vacating the stay on investigation granted on February 10, 2023. He further stated that the previous designated judge had expressed that the matter should go before the appropriate bench as the roster has been changed.

    However, on perusal of the earlier orders passed in the case, Justice Nagaprasanna said that it is expressly indicated that the matter was part-heard. The court said that the previous judge may have observed that the matter should be listed before the roster bench, but there is no order releasing the matter from the part-heard category. The court directed the registry to take necessary steps to place it before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders.