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Tag: india

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin will visit India today

    US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin will visit India today

    US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will pay a two-day visit to India beginning Sunday (today) to discuss ways to further expand bilateral strategic engagement ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington.

    People familiar with Austin’s visit said he and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are set to discuss a number of new defence cooperation projects that are set to be unveiled after Modi’s talks with President Joe Biden in Washington over two weeks later.

    The General Electric’s proposal to share technology with India for fighter jet engines and India’s plan to procure 30 MQ-9B armed drones at a cost of over USD 3 billion from US defence major General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) are likely to figure in the Singh-Austin talks on Monday.

    India has been looking for manufacturing of jet engines in India under the framework of technology transfer to power its fighter aircraft.

    China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific as well as along the Line of Actual Control and ways to combat the threat of terrorism are also likely to figure in the discussions between Singh and Austin.

    Separately, Germany’s Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius will arrive in India on Monday on a four-day visit.

    The Pentagon said in a statement this week that Austin will further deepen the US-India ‘Major Defence Partnership’ as ties between the two countries enter a “new and exciting chapter”.

    The US Defence Secretary will arrive in India on Sunday from Singapore on a two-day visit, the defence ministry said.

    It will be Austin’s second visit to India. His previous trip to India was in March, 2021.

    The ministry said the German Federal Minister of Defence is also visiting New Delhi for bilateral talks with Singh that will take place on June 6.

    A host of bilateral defence cooperation issues, with focus on industrial cooperation, are likely to be discussed during Singh’s meetings with Austin and Pistorius, it said.

    “US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius are visiting New Delhi for bilateral talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,” the ministry said in a statement.

    “The Defence Minister’s meeting with the US Secretary of Defence will be held on June 5, while talks with the German Federal Minister of Defence will take place on June 6,” it said.

    India-US defence and strategic ties have been on an upswing in the last few years.

    The two countries have inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.

    The two sides also signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.

    In October 2020, India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) agreement to further boost bilateral defence ties.

    The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

    The German defence minister will be on a four-day visit to India beginning June 5. He will arrive from Indonesia.

    Apart from his meeting with Singh, Pistorius is likely to meet officials of a few defence start-ups during an event to be organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in New Delhi.

    On June 7, he is scheduled to travel to Mumbai where he is likely to visit the headquarters of the Western Naval Command and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, the ministry said.

  • 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.

  • People should stop burgling fence on express highway: MP Pratap Simha

    People should stop burgling fence on express highway: MP Pratap Simha

    MP Pratap Simha urged the people not to burgle fence, anglers and bracings on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Express Highway.

    Speaking to media persons here on Friday, he said that they are planning to seek Rs 80 crore from the state government to install CCTV cameras for surveillance on the expressway.

    “Until then, people should not steal these fences, as it is their own property. Express highway is access controlled, since vehicles move in high speed. People should not remove the fence to cross roads, for their own safety,” he said.

    Regarding water logging on the expressway, during rain, Simha said, “It is only when it rain, we will know the problems, we will clear blocked holes and fix the issue.”

    Ch’nagar Covid death investigation

    Reacting to the state government’s plan to order an investigation into the death due to oxygen shortage in Chamarajanagar during the Covid pandemic, Simha said, “The government should order investigation regarding all allegations made during the election, including 40% commission. Those who have taken a bribe should not be in the BJP. They should be in jail. We want the BJP to be clean.”

    On appointment of leader of opposition in the Assembly, he said that it would be decided before the new state government presents its new budget.

    Simha said that they have finished land acquisition for Mysuru-Kushalnagar four-lane road. The work will begin shortly, he added.

  • Coromandal Express Accident: Restoration work begins, says Vaishnaw

    Coromandal Express Accident: Restoration work begins, says Vaishnaw

    Bhubaneswar: Nearly 18 hours after the massive train tragedy in Odisha’s Balasore district, restoration work has begun at the accident site, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday.

    The overturned coaches are being removed from the tracks through cranes, he said.

    “We will conduct a detailed investigation to reach out the root cause behind the accident and we will take necessary steps to ensure that such an accident will not reoccur in future,” Vaishnaw said.

    Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was at the accident site, sought cooperation from the locals to carry out the restoration and relief work by the Railway. He also thanked the locals for extending help in the rescue operation.

    Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the accident spot. She will take stock of the rescue work and interact with the injured passengers from West Bengal at the hospital.

    The death toll in the massive accident of three trains including two express trains rose to 261.

    According to information given by South Eastern Railway, the death toll in the train tragedy has been increased to 261 and the figure may go up as rescue operation is yet to complete.

    Over 900 persons have been injured in the mishap. The injured passengers have been admitted in Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak, Soro and Cuttack SCB hospitals, the Railway officials said.

  • CM Naveen Patnaik thanks local people for carrying out rescue operations at accident spot

    CM Naveen Patnaik thanks local people for carrying out rescue operations at accident spot

    Balasore: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Saturday reached Balasore to assess the aftermath of the horrific train accident that took place at near Bahanaga Station in Balasore on Friday evening.

    He also went to the Balasore District Head quarters Hospital to take stock of treatment requirements of the injured persons.

    CM Naveen Patnaik said, “An extremely tragic train accident.I have to thank the local teams, local people & others who have worked overnight to save people from the wreckage.Railway safety should always be given the first preference.The people have been taken to hospitals in Balasore and Cuttack so that they recover as fast as possible.”

    In response to the tragedy, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also inspected the accident site and ordered a thorough high-level inquiry into the mishap. “A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted, and the rail safety commissioner will also conduct an independent investigation,” Vaishnaw announced.

    Union Minister of Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan, curtailed his visit to Kolkata and immediately headed to Balasore where several coaches of a passenger train derailed after colliding with a goods train.