"Excellent Move", Says PM Modi After Defence Panel Clears Massive Deal

Applauding the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)'s approval for capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 2.23 lakh crore to enhance the operational capabilities of the armed forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said this marks a crucial stride in the pursuit of self-sufficiency in the defence sector.

"Excellent move towards bolstering our Armed Forces' operational prowess. The commitment to 'Make in India' in this decision marks a crucial stride in our pursuit of self-sufficiency in the Defence sector," the Prime Minister posted from his official handle on X.

Earlier, on Thursday, the DAC, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave approval to Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various capital acquisition proposals amounting to Rs 2.23 lakh crore.

Excellent move towards bolstering our Armed Forces' operational prowess. The commitment to 'Make in India' in this decision marks a crucial stride in our pursuit of self-sufficiency in the Defence sector. https://t.co/EpZJYshSM2

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 30, 2023

Of the total, acquisition worth Rs 2.20 lakh crore (98 per cent) will be sourced from domestic industries.

"This will give a substantial boost to the Indian Defence Industry towards the aim of achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbharta'," a defence ministry statement said.

The council accorded the AoN for procurement of two types of Anti-tank Munitions namely, Area Denial Munition (ADM) Type-2 and Type-3, which are capable of neutralising Tanks and Armoured personnel carriers and enemy personnel.

To replace the Indian Field Gun (IFG), which has completed its service life, AoN for procurement of a state-of-the-art Towed Gun System (TGS) has been granted which will become a mainstay of Artillery forces of the Indian Army.

The AoN was also accorded for 155 mm Nubless projectile for use in 155 mm Artillery guns which will enhance lethality and safety of the projectiles. All this equipment of the Indian Army will be procured under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

The AoN for procurement and integration of Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) and Digital Basaltic Computer (DBC) for T-90 Tanks under the Buy (India) category have also been accorded which will help in maintaining a combative edge of T-90 tanks over adversary platforms.

The AoN for procurement of Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM) for surface platform of Indian Navy under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category has also been accorded. The MRAShM is envisaged as a lightweight Surface-to-Surface Missile which will be a primary offensive weapon onboard Indian Naval Ships.

In addition, the DAC accorded AoNs for procurement of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for IAF from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. The AoNs have also been accorded by the DAC for upgradation of Su-30 MKI Aircraft indigenously from HAL.

While procurement of these equipment will provide enormous strength to the IAF, acquisition from domestic defence industries will take the indigenous capability to a new height. It will also reduce dependability on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) substantiall

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/hpmwnTU

Fraud Cases In Supreme Court Tend To Increase As Polls Near: Chief Justice

The number of "fraud cases" in the Supreme Court tends to increase as elections draw closer and the court becomes a site for political engagement, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Constitution Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Chandrachud said we all exist together and the Indian Constitution tells us that "we either survive or we perish together".

"But above all, I think it is important that on a day where we celebrate the Constitution, we learn to discharge our duties to the cause of justice. Our duty to the cause of justice ranks much higher than the success or failure in individual cases," he said.

"Just yesterday, I had to deal with a fraud case. The Supreme Court deals with fraud cases every day. Some courts have more than their share of fraud cases and there are some times as elections come, the number of fraud cases tends to increase in the court and we as judges realise it," the CJI said.

Constitution Day is celebrated across the country on November 26 every year.

Chief Justice Chandrachud said after elections get over, things settle down and "as the polls come closer and closer, the court becomes a site for political engagement. That is a truth of our society. I am not looking at it with any value judgement".

Chief Justice Chandrachud, who also addressed the gathering in Hindi for a few minutes, said freedom and the Constitution have an unbreakable relationship.

Speaking about the legal profession, the CJI said it is a profession of diversity, including diversity in terms of gender. He said be it the judges or lawyers, all have come from different parts of the country in search of a better livelihood.

"But in the process of giving each one of us a better livelihood, we are also engaged in providing a better existence to our fellow citizens. That is the big power which all of you command as lawyers," he said.

Referring to the attire of judges and lawyers, the CJI said it reminds us that the "similarity of our attire is a symbol of the common existence which we share". It was for the members of the Bar to make the legal profession broad-based and inclusive, Chief Justice Chandrachud said while highlighting the need to encourage young lawyers.

"And remember, ultimately, it is if you support the institution of justice, which is to ensure that you support the independence of your own judiciary, that the judiciary can truly be able to discharge its duties," he said.

"If you are not giving to the judiciary its own sense of due, how will you expect them to discharge their own obligations towards society. Because your judges come from you and they return to you. They are not distinct from you," he said.

He said members of the Bar are also here for the betterment of the profession, to serve the cause of justice and to ensure that the other side of the profession, the judges, who are duty bound to act in aid of justice, continue to do so.

"You have to not merely protect your judges, but you have to hold them to account as well," he said.

Sharing a story, Chief Justice Chandrachud said sometime back, one of his colleagues had an attack of dengue and there was a need for blood transfusion.

"But we drew on the credit of the blood which was given by our employees during the last blood donation camp…my colleague came back to normalcy very quickly by the blood transfusion," he said, adding this was again a reminder that all of us are bound together in this cycle of existence.

"None of us in that sense is different from the other. None of us stands alone," Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/bvVEQ8G

"Tenant Cannot Dictate How Landlord Should Use Property": Delhi High Court

Landlords cannot be deprived of beneficial enjoyment of their property and are vested with the right to decide how to utilise their possessions, the Delhi High Court said on Wednesday while upholding an order for vacation of tenanted premises.

The high court said it is trite law that a tenant cannot dictate to the landlord as to how the property has to be utilised.

“Landlords cannot be deprived of the beneficial enjoyment of their property. Further, the court is not to sit on the armchair of landlords to dictate as to how the property should be utilised. It is the sole discretion of the landlords to get all the tenanted premises vacated and use as per their need,” Justice Jasmeet Singh said.

The high court passed the judgement while dismissing a revision petition filed by a tenant challenging a trial court's order of eviction of a shop at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg here.

The landlord said he and his son are joint owners of the property, where several shops have been given on rent, and he has been running a hotel on the first floor and those above that.

He said his son, who has completed his education abroad, wishes to run an independent business, and has decided to start a plush restaurant for which they require the tenanted portions back.

The tenant, in his plea, said the landlords in their eviction petition did not disclose the exact area under their possession and the space occupied by 14 tenants.

He claimed the eviction petition was nothing but an afterthought as property prices and rent in the area have risen astronomically. He said the petition was filed in order to seek higher rent from him or to sell the tenanted premises at a premium.

The high court, in its verdict, said there was no material on record to show that the need of the landlords was either malafide or fanciful. It dismissed the revision petition, saying it had no merit.

“The desire of the landlords of running a restaurant cannot be faulted with as they are the best judge of their requirement and it is trite law that tenant cannot dictate to landlords as to how the property has to be utilised,” it said.

The high court noted that the material placed on record showed that the tenanted premises was genuinely required for running a restaurant. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/u6MvZm2

Gujarat High Court Dismisses Petition Seeking Ban On Loudspeakers At Mosques

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest Litigation seeking a ban on the use of loudspeakers for 'azaan' or the Islamic call to prayer at mosques, terming the plea as "wholly misconceived." A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha P Mayee also asked, during the hearing, if it was the petitioner's case that the noise of bells and gongs during 'aarti' at a temple is not heard outside.

The petition, filed by Bajrang Dal leader Shaktisinh Zala, claimed that "noise pollution" caused by 'azaan' when played through loudspeakers affects people's, especially children's health and causes inconvenience otherwise. However, the High Court noted that the claims in the petition had no scientific foundation.

Azaan is conducted for a maximum of ten minutes at a time at different hours of the day, the court pointed out. "We fail to understand how the human voice making azan through loudspeaker in the morning could achieve the decibel (level) to the extent of creating noise pollution, causing health hazards for the public at large," it further said.

"We are not entertaining this kind of PIL. It is a faith and practice going for years, and it is for 5-10 minutes. In your temple, the morning aarti with drums and music also starts early at 3 am. So it does not cause any kind of noise to anyone? Can you say the noise of ghanta (bell) and ghadiyal (gong) remains in temple premises only, does not percolate outside the temple?" the court asked the petitioner's lawyer.

There is a scientific method for measuring noise pollution, but the petition does not provide any data to show that a ten-minute 'azaan' causes noise pollution, the court noted. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/wPOufGT

After 4 Highest Peaks, Kerala Official To Scale Mount Vinson In Antarctica

Early next month, 36-year-old Shaikh Hassan Khan will start his expedition to climb Mount Vinson in Antarctica. Once complete, it will be the fifth-highest peak to be scaled by this Kerala government employee.

"The motto of the expedition is to create awareness about climate change and promote world peace," Mr Khan told PTI.

In his pursuit to scale the highest peaks in the seven continents, so far, he has climbed four peaks -- Mount Everest (Asia), Mount Denali (North America), Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa) and Mount Elbrus (Europe).

"I will be starting my expedition to climb Mount Vinson in Antarctica early next month. The expedition is expected to be completed in 15 days. Once it is complete, I will look to climb Mount Aconcagua in Argentina (South America), which is also the world's highest peak outside the Himalayas," he said.

Khan, a native of Pandalam in Kerala, is on leave from his Kerala government job.

About his expedition, he said that Vinson Massif is a large mountain massif in Antarctica and is located about 1,200 kilometres from the South Pole, one of the coldest places on Earth.

According to Mr Khan, he will also attempt to scale Ojes Del Salado in Chile next year. It is the highest peak in Chile and also the highest active volcano in the world.

He takes the help of his close friends for planning the trips and is a firm believer that society always helps in one way or the other when needed.

Last year, when Khan was climbing Mount Everest, he ran out of oxygen. In his words, there was a near-death experience as his body slowly began to freeze, and the struggle continued for around 20 minutes before he managed to get a new oxygen cylinder. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/8OV4pLW

"Will Definitely Reach Out To Independents If...": Rajasthan Minister

Every party tries to get in touch with Independent candidates with a high probability of winning elections, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, adding that communications will be established with them in case of a neck-to-neck fight in the upcoming elections.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, "Every party will try to get in touch with Independent MLAs who have a high probability of winning seats. BJP will also try this. Those who want to transform their shops into a showroom and then into a government will definitely try to establish contacts. Ashok Gehlot, BJP everyone will try it. If there is a neck-to-neck situation, definitely contact will be established."

"If any Independent candidate has done good work, he will definitely win. I have no problem with Independent candidates," he added.

Mr Khachariyawas exuded confidence that Congress will sweep victory from the Civil Lines Assembly constituency and form the government in the state.

"We will win Civil Lines with a huge margin, more than the number of votes we got last time. I think the silent voter also voted for me. The Congress will form the government in Rajasthan. We gave the slogan for winning 156 seats. Time will tell how many seats we will get," the Congress leader said.

In Rajasthan, 199 out of 200 seats went to the polls as, due to the death of a Congress candidate in Sriganganagar's Karanpur seat, Gurmeet Singh Koonar the election in this constituency was adjourned.

Approximately 74.13 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Rajasthan on Saturday in the mainly direct contest between the Congress and the BJP to form a new government in the state, according to the latest data from Election Commission.

In 2018, the Congress won 99 seats, while the BJP won 73. Ashok Gehlot assumed the Chief Minister position with the support of BSP MLAs and independents.

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/RXeQv1g

"Companies Waiting": What S Somnath Said About Retired ISRO Scientists

ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Saturday emphasised the necessity of deregulating unnecessary controls in the space sector to foster improved growth.

He also attributed India's significant progress in the space industry to the opening up of the sector.

Speaking to media here during the celebration of 60 years since India's first sounded rocket launch, Somanath highlighted that the involvement of the private sector in space science development has led to remarkable expansion in India's satellite-building capabilities.

"Earlier, it was only ISRO for the development and production of satellites, launch vehicles, and related technologies. ISRO has only 17,000 people and a budget of Rs 13,000 crore. It remained so for all these years," S Somanath said.

He said that India now has more than 130 startups in the space sector, with some companies boasting a workforce of 400 to 500 employees and a turnover ranging from Rs 500 to 1000 crores.

"Some of them are paying better salaries than ISRO, and the scientists retired from ISRO are in great demand. In fact, these companies are waiting for people who are retiring from ISRO," Mr Somanath said.

The ISRO chief further said that India has the potential to become an excellent hub for satellite manufacturing and could significantly expand its presence in the business.

"Technology development and progress in space science are all fine, but business is important. It has to bring money," he noted.

Currently, there are five Indian companies with the capability to manufacture satellites, and three of them have successfully manufactured and launched their satellites from foreign countries, he pointed out.

"We don't want them to launch their satellites from outside, and we want them to use our facilities. We want them to build satellites here; they can bring in the technologies from wherever they want, but build them here and launch them from here." He clarified that the expansion of the private sector in space science does not imply a reduction in ISRO's role.

"ISRO will continue to do what it does at present. We are now talking about sending men into space. ISRO will continue to strategise and grow. This is not scaling down, but scaling up," Mr Somanath said.

He said that the GSLV rocket has undergone regular upgrades, demonstrating its capability to carry a higher payload than its original design specifications.

"GSLV was designed to carry 4 tonnes of payload, but we have already successfully launched a 7.5-tonne payload. Its cryogenic stage is also being upgraded. In the semi-cryogenic stage, the new SE 120 is being developed," Mr Somanath said.

He mentioned that the PSLV, which initially had a payload capacity of 850 kg, now boasts a payload capacity of two tonnes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/gA0GfWS

Ahead Of 2024 Polls, Congress Appoints 16 Vice Presidents In UP Unit

The Congress on Saturday rejigged its Uttar Pradesh unit, appointing 16 vice presidents, 38 general secretaries and 30 secretaries.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made the fresh appointments months after the party named Ajai Rai as the head of the state unit.

An organisational overhaul of several state units of the Congress has taken place and is likely to take place in other states.

Former Youth Congress chief Keshav Chand Yadav, Suhail Ansari, Rahul Rai and Prem Prakash Agarwal are among the 16 vice presidents appointed in the Uttar Pradesh unit. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/I7CxYV1

Punjab Minister Orders Online Attendance System For School Students

Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday ordered to start an online attendance system for students of government schools from December 15.

While issuing an order in this regard to the officials of the Education Department, Mr Bains said that all the necessary requirements regarding online attendance should be completed by December 12.

According to an official statement, he further said that information regarding absentee students will be sent to the parents every day through SMS on their registered mobile numbers.

Under the online attendance system, teachers mark the attendance of students online using tabs or the school's computer system.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/l3XBhtT

Retired Army Official Duped Of Over Rs 3 Lakh By Travel Agent: Cops

A retired officer of the Indian Army was allegedly duped of over Rs 3 lakh by a travel agent in Gurugram, police said on Friday.

The travel agent made the booking for Mauritius after taking Rs 3,68,500 online from the retired officer, but later cancelled the booking and got the refund fraudulently, they said.

Major (Retd) Naresh Kumar Mawa, a resident of Sector 23 in Gurugram, in his complaint, said that he had to go to meet his son, who is pursuing a medical course in Mauritius, and contacted a travel agent named Krishan Kant Sharma, a resident of Rajasthan's Jaipur, police said.

"I had made a total payment of Rs 3,68,500 to the travel agent through UPI payments in parts, but the agent cancelled the tickets after booking them including total stay without informing me and made a fraud of this amount. He switched off his phone and is not reachable," Major (Retd) Mawa said in his complaint.

An FIR was registered against the travel agent following the complaint under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Palam Vihar Police Station on Thursday, police said.

A senior police officer said they are investigating the matter and the accused will be arrested soon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/w9ZPA8C

2 Labourers Die Of Suffocation While Cleaning Water Tank In Karnataka

Two labourers died of asphyxiation while they were allegedly cleaning an underground water tanker at a factory in Anekal taluk near here, police said on Thursday.

Chandan Rajvanshi, 29, and his brother Pintu Rajvanshi, 21, both belonging to Bihar, had been working in the factory for sometime now, police said.

While cleaning the tank on Wednesday evening after being asked to do so, they felt suffocated and screamed for help as they faced difficulty in breathing, a senior police officer said.

Two people rushed to their help and tried to pull them out but the brothers fell unconscious and did not survive, he said.

"We have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against the factory manager and owner. Further investigation is underway," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/YDx5btS

Bihar Urges Centre To Add Its Quota Hike In Constitution's 9th Schedule

The Bihar government on Wednesday decided to urge the Centre to incorporate the hiked reservation for deprived castes from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions in the 9th schedule of the Constitution, so that it is guaranteed immunity from legal scrutiny, an official said.

The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution includes a list of Central and state laws that cannot be challenged in courts. In 1992, the Supreme Court capped reservations for the backward classes at 50 per cent.

The Cabinet also increased the dearness allowance of government employees in Bihar by 4 per cent. They will get a DA of 46 per cent with effect from July 1 this year, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), S Siddharth, told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday issued gazette notifications for raising the quota for deprived castes to 65 per cent, after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar gave his assent to two bills, paving the way for implementing the new reservation system.

On Wednesday, the Bihar Cabinet in a meeting chaired by the chief minister passed a resolution on asking the Centre to include the provision in the 9th schedule of the Constitution, Siddharth said.

"The state government is of the opinion that keeping in view the special circumstances, the inclusion of amended provisions of hiked reservation in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution will help in ensuring justice to deprived and backward sections," Siddharth said.

The resolution was mooted by the General Administration Department.

Following a caste survey in Bihar, the state government tabled an analysis of it in the assembly earlier this month. The House then passed two bills - Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services Amendment Bill and the Bihar Reservation (Admission In Educational Institutions) Amendment Bill - to increase the quota.

The bills sought a hike in the quota for Scheduled Castes (SC) from 16 to 20 per cent, Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 1 to 2 per cent, extremely backward castes (EBCs) from 18 to 25 per cent and other backward classes (OBCs) from 15 to 18 per cent to elevate the total quantum of caste-based reservations from 50 to 65 per cent.

On the increased dearness allowance, Siddharth said, "The increased dearness allowance will be effective from July 1, 2023. With the hike, the state government will spend an additional Rs 966 crore." 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/eoxCjQu

"Congress Took Revenge...": PM Modi's Open Letter To People Of Rajasthan

Ahead of the Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wrote an open letter to the people of Rajasthan, promising to take the state to newer heights and accusing the Congress government of causing unimaginable damage to the state's reputation.

"It seems as if the Congress has taken revenge for some old enmity with Rajasthan in these five years," he said and claimed the people of the state are embarrassed by the Ashok Gehlot government.

Attacking the Congress government over a range of issues, including crime against women and corruption, PM Modi alleged the ruling party has made Rajasthan the number one state in crimes.

Because of its appeasement policy, the Congress government has avoided taking action against criminals and gave a free hand to anti-social elements in Rajasthan, the Prime Minister claimed.

"Today, the situation is such that even following one's faith has become difficult in Rajasthan."

"Rajasthan is the land of those who sacrificed their lives for the respect of women power. But the last five years became the most unsafe years for women power in Rajasthan. Therefore, today the women of Rajasthan have resolved to uproot this Congress government,” PM Modi said.

He claimed that the BJP on the other hand has always thought about the development and prosperity of the state. After the BJP forms government in Rajasthan, water resources will be the government's top priority, PM Modi said.

"Our vision is the path of effort, prestige and progress. The coming BJP government in Rajasthan will work as a double-engine government. For this double engine government, fast development, respect for the poor and a policy of zero tolerance towards corruption will be the basic mantras of good governance," PM Modi added.

Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 25 and votes will be counted on December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/3Gjl2Ik

Man Dupes People By Creating Fake Websites Of E-Commerce Platforms: Cops

The Delhi Police has arrested a man who allegedly duped scores of people across the country by creating fake websites of e-commerce platforms and posting lucrative offers on groceries and other household items, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested accused, identified as Shahrukh Akhtar, was the kingpin of the entire network, police claimed in a statement.

A complainant claimed that while he was surfing social media platforms, he came across an advertisement of lucrative offers. He clicked the link and followed the directions eventually losing Rs 98,000 from his credit card, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO, special cell) Hemant Tiwari said.

Police said the money trail and digital footprints were investigated. It was found that the racket was spread across many states and operated in multiple tiers, he said.

Financial analysis revealed that there are transactions worth more than Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and more than 15 people have been duped by the gang, police said.

Two accused -- Sonam (21), and Juned Akhtar (28) -- were arrested on October 5. Sonam disclosed that she was working as a telecaller on the directions of one Shahrukh Akhtar, the police officer said.

"We arrested Shahrukh Akhtar from Ghaziabad. He is the mastermind of the racket. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

"Akhtar told police that he cheated people and used to earn Rs 30 lakh a month by making fake e-commerce websites. We have so far seized, six mobile phones, 12 SIM cards, one laptop and a car from the accused," the DCP said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/kRdtVUH

Rajneesh Goel appointed as Karnataka's new Chief Secretary

The Karnataka government on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer Rajneesh Goel as the next Chief Secretary, with incumbent Vandita Sharma due to retire at the end of November.

Mr Goel, a 1986-batch IAS officer, is currently the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) in the Home Department of the Government of Karnataka.

In May this year, after the Congress government came to power, he was given concurrent charge of the post of ACS to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"Dr Rajneesh Goel IAS, (KA:1986), Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Home Department, Government of Karnataka is appointed as Chief Secretary to Government of Karnataka" as the incumbent "Smt. Vandita Sharma IAS is retiring from service on superannuation on 30.11.2023," an official notification said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/nUv4I0u

Supreme Court's Big Order On Extra-Territorial Pre-Arrest Bail Requests

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Monday held that a high court or sessions court can grant anticipatory bail for a limited period to a person apprehending arrest in connection with an FIR registered outside their territorial jurisdiction, saying it was necessary to protect a citizen's right to life, personal liberty and dignity.

The top court in its order, having wide ramifications in criminal matters where accused apprehend arrests in cases lodged in other states, laid down several conditions for grant of such a relief.

“We are of the view that considering the constitutional imperative of protecting a citizen's right to life, personal liberty and dignity, the High Court or the Court of Session could grant limited anticipatory bail in the form of an interim protection under Section 438 of CrPC in the interest of justice with respect to an FIR registered outside the territorial jurisdiction of the said court,” a bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said.

At the same time, it said such power to grant extra-territorial anticipatory bail should be exercised in exceptional and compelling circumstances.

The verdict came on an appeal of a woman challenging the grant of anticipatory bail by a Bengaluru local court to her estranged husband and his family members in connection with a dowry harassment FIR lodged at Chirawa Police Station at Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan.

This gave rise to a legal question of whether a sessions court can grant anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in connection with an FIR lodged outside its jurisdiction.

Answering in affirmative, Justice Nagarathna, in her 85-page judgment, laid down certain conditions for granting such a relief.

“Prior to passing an order of limited anticipatory bail, the investigating officer and public prosecutor who are seized of the FIR shall be issued notice on the first date of the hearing, though the court in an appropriate case would have the discretion to grant interim anticipatory bail,” it said.

The bench said the order of grant of “limited anticipatory bail” must record reasons as to why the applicant apprehends an inter-state arrest and the impact of such grant of limited anticipatory bail or interim protection, as the case may be, on the status of the investigation.

“The jurisdiction in which the cognisance of the offence has been taken does not exclude the said offence from the scope of anticipatory bail by way of a State Amendment to Section 438 of CrPC,” it said.

The person, seeking anticipatory bail, must satisfy the court regarding his inability to seek anticipatory bail from the court which has the territorial jurisdiction to take cognisance of the offence, it said.

The grounds raised by the applicant may be “a reasonable and immediate threat to life, personal liberty and bodily harm in the jurisdiction where the FIR is registered”, it said.

The person apprehending arrest will have to prima facie establish the violation of the right to liberty or impediments owing to arbitrariness and “the medical status/ disability of the person".

Dealing with the facts of the case, the bench took note of the social reality of “criminal complaints relating to dowry harassment, cruelty and domestic violence arising out of unsuccessful matrimonial relationships”.

“With the increasing migration of young people for marital and career prospects, supplemented by the forces of economic liberalisation, a significant number of couples hail from two different states, with the corollary being that the matrimonial home of a complainant-wife is located in a different state from where her parental home is located,” it said.

The judgment said it would be impossible to fully account for all exigent circumstances in which an order of extra-territorial anticipatory bail may be imminently essential to safeguard the fundamental rights of the applicant.

“We reiterate that such power to grant extra-territorial anticipatory bail should be exercised in exceptional and compelling circumstances only - which means where denying transit anticipatory bail or interim protection to enable the applicant to make an application under Section 438 of CrPC before a Court of competent jurisdiction would cause irremediable and irreversible prejudice to the applicant,” it said.

The court, while considering such an application for extra-territorial anticipatory bail, in case it deems fit may grant interim protection instead for a fixed period and direct the applicant to make an application before a court of competent jurisdiction, it said.

By this judgment, the top court set aside verdicts of the Patna High Court and the Calcutta High Court “to the extent that they hold that the High Court does not possess jurisdiction to grant extra-territorial anticipatory bail that is even a limited or transit anticipatory bail.” The judgement also answered a query with regard to jurisdiction.

The question was if a person commits an offence in one state and the FIR is lodged there, can he approach a court at his native place in another state seeking “transit anticipatory bail for a limited duration”? “We have held that the accused could approach the competent court in the State where he is residing or is visiting for a legitimate purpose and seek the relief of limited transit anticipatory bail although the FIR is not filed in the territorial jurisdiction of the District or State in which the accused resides, or is present depending upon the facts and circumstances of each case,” it held. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/hExTaqI

Over 930 FIRs Registered Against Farmers For Burning Stubble: Punjab Police

Punjab Police has registered 932 FIRs against farmers for burning crop residue since November 8 while a fine of Rs 1.67 crore has been imposed in 7,405 cases, a senior official said on Sunday. According to the Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla, red entries were made in the revenue records of 340 farmers for stubble burning.

He said concerted efforts by the Punjab Police to prevent stubble burning have yielded significant results as case of farm fire fell "drastically" in the last two days. On Sunday and Saturday, the state recorded 740 and 637 farm fire cases respectively.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November. Delhi's air quality index stood at 290 at 7 am.

The 24-hour average AQI of Delhi, recorded at 4 pm every day, was 319 on Saturday, 405 on Friday and 419 on Thursday. In many parts of Haryana and Punjab, air quality indices remained in 'very poor' and 'poor' categories.

Amid a spike in pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on November 7 directed Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to ensure crop residue burning was stopped "forthwith", saying it cannot let "people die" due to pollution. Thereafter, DGP Gaurav Yadav appointed Arpit Shukla the police nodal officer to monitor action against stubble burning.

In a statement, Shukla said legal action is being initiated against those found burning stubble. He exhorted farmers to cooperate and not burn crop residue, which will not only lead to the deterioration of the environment but will also affect the health of children.

The Punjab police chief has also been holding daily meetings with senior officers, range officers, police commissioners, senior superintendents of police and station house officers to review stubble burning cases and issued show cause notices to SSPs of those districts, which have witnessed a high stubble burning cases.

Shukla, who has been visiting districts to review the ground-level situation, termed this significant downfall in farm fire cases a result of untiring efforts by the police personnel and civil administration officials working at the ground level. As many as 1,072 flying squads comprising police and civil officials have been keeping vigil, while senior police officials have been holding meetings with farmer leaders at a district level.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/gmTN9Uf

Sachin Pilot Responds To PM Modi's "Century Of Handshakes In 5 Years" Dig

"In our party, there is collective leadership by giving respect to all," Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Saturday responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's jibe that despite Pilot and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot having a hundred handshakes, they have sourness in their heart.

Addressing a public meeting in Nagaur, PM Modi said, "...When the time of elections has come, these people are reluctantly getting themselves photographed together... Big leaders from Delhi come here and make the chief minister and another leader who wants to become the chief minister shake hands in front of the camera."

"A century of handshakes in five years, but there is no reconciliation. These people are pretending to join hands but there is bitterness in their hearts," PM Modi went on to add.

Talking to reporters in Tonk, Mr Pilot said, "In our party, there is collective leadership by giving respect to all. It is true that we will fight the elections together. After getting the majority, our party and MLAs will decide who should be given what responsibility."

Mr Gehlot and Mr Pilot have been in tussle for power during the Congress rule of five years. The party has now projected a united face.

Mr Pilot continued, "The history, tradition and the mentality of the Congress party is that we should fight elections together. First priority for us to get the majority."

Campaigning is in peak in Rajasthan which is going to polls on November 25 and results will be declared on December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/sU51atm

Indian Railways Announces Special Trains From Mumbai For World Cup Final

Western Railway and Central Railway will be running six Cricket World Cup special trains for fans who will be travelling from Mumbai to Ahmedabad to watch the final of the Cricket World Cup.

The World Cup final will be played between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Central Railways will be running a Cricket World Cup special train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT) to Ahmedabad and back. Train No 09049 Mumbai Central - Ahmedabad Special will depart from Mumbai Central on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 23.55 hrs and will reach Ahmedabad at 08.45 hrs, the next day.

Similarly, Train No. 09050 Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Special will depart from Ahmedabad on Monday, 20th November at 06.20 hrs, & will arrive at Mumbai Central at 14.10 hrs, the same day.

Train No. 09035 Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Special will depart from Mumbai Central on Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 05.15 hrs. & will reach Ahmedabad at 10.40 hrs, on the same day.

Similarly, Train No. 09036 Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central Special will depart from Ahmedabad on Monday, November 20 at 02.00 hrs, & will arrive at Mumbai Central at 07.25 hrs, the same day.

Train No. 09001 Bandra Terminus-Ahmedabad Special will depart from Bandra Terminus on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at 23.45 hrs. & will reach Ahmedabad at 07.20 hrs, the next day.

Similarly, Train No. 09002 Ahmedabad-Bandra Terminus Special will depart from Ahmedabad on Monday, November 20 at 04.00 hrs, and will arrive at Bandra Terminus at 12.10 hrs, the same day.

Train No. 01153 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus--Ahmedabad Special will depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 22.30 hrs and will reach Ahmedabad at 06.40 hrs, the next day.

Similarly, Train No. 01154 Ahmedabad - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Special will depart from Ahmedabad on Monday, November 20 at 01.45 hrs and will arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 10.35 hrs, the same day.

Train No. 01155 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus - Ahmedabad Special will depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 00.20 hrs and will reach Ahmedabad at 09.00 hrs, on the same day.

Similarly, Train No. 01156 Ahmedabad - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Special will depart from Ahmedabad on Monday, November 20 at 05.00 hrs and will arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 14.30 hrs, the same day.

Train No. 09099 Mumbai Central - Ahmedabad Special will depart from Mumbai Central on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 05.00 hrs and will reach Ahmedabad at 11.20 hours on same day.

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/D4Xk2jT

Andhra Woman Forced To Dip Hands In Boiling Oil To Prove Fidelity, Saved

A 50-year-old mother of four in Andhra Pradesh was saved from dipping her hands into boiling oil to prove her fidelity to her husband, thanks to the timely intervention of a government official following a tip-off.

The incident was reported in a tribal community at Thatithopu village near Thenepalle of Puthalapattu mandal in Chittoor district on Thursday, an official said.

"Around 10:30 am, the woman was about to take the boiling oil test but I went there in the nick of time and rescued her," the Panchayat Raj Department official told news agency PTI.

As per the ritual, five litres of oil was brought to boiling point and poured into a new earthen pot decorated with flowers for the 'fidelity test', as elders and villagers gathered to witness it, said the official.

Incidentally, the woman's 57-year-old husband had been suspecting her fidelity for a long time and finally took it up with the elders of his tribal community to put her wife's character to test.

The woman's husband had allegedly manhandled her several times, the official said.

According to an old custom of the Yerukula tribe to which they belong, the woman whose fidelity is being suspected should dip her hands in boiling oil in the presence of the community members to see if her hands will get burnt or not, said the official.

In the event the woman's hands do not get scalded, then the tribe will come to a conclusion that she was faithful to her husband but if it does get burnt, then they will infer that she was 'unfaithful', said the official who intervened on a tip-off.

The woman with four grown up children agreed to go through this test to prove her fidelity and everything was ready when the local mandal parishad development officer (MPDO) arrived in time to stop this 'custom'.

"The woman agreed to the test as she thought it was better to prove her innocence than regularly suffer from her husband's thrashing," the official added.

No police case was booked against the people involved in this matter but the husband and other family members were summoned to the police station, counselled and let off.

Officials are monitoring the community and lined up further counselling and visits by police and other officials.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/weiC2I0

Air Pollution In Delhi Drops From 'Severe' To 'Very Poor', Curbs Revoked

The Centre on Saturday removed stringent curbs, including a ban on construction work related to linear projects and the entry of polluting trucks into Delhi, following an improvement in air quality due to an increase in the wind speed and a change in the wind direction.

These measures constitute the final stage, Stage IV, of the Centre's air pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, asked Delhi and NCR states to revoke all emergency measures, under which only CNG, electric and BS VI-compliant vehicles from other states are allowed to enter Delhi, with exemptions granted to those involved in essential services.

All medium and heavy goods vehicles not engaged in essential services were also banned in the capital under Stage IV of GRAP, according to the latest CAQM order.

The pollution control body said all other curbs under stages I, II and III of GRAP, including a ban on non-essential construction work, mining, stone crushers and diesel generators will continue.   The city's 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, improved from 405 on Friday to 319 on Saturday. It was 419 on Thursday, 401 on Wednesday, 397 on Tuesday, 358 on Monday, 218 on Sunday, 220 on Saturday and 279 on Friday.

Neighbouring Ghaziabad (276), Gurugram (322), Greater Noida (228), Noida (265) and Faridabad (309) also recorded "very poor" air quality.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", 401 and 450 "severe" and above 450 "severe plus".

The air quality forecasts by the India Meteorological Department/Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology do not indicate any steep degradation in the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR in the coming days, the CAQM said.

Recent findings from a joint project by the Delhi government and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur found out that vehicular emissions accounted for about 45 per cent of the capital's air pollution on Friday. This reduced to 33 per cent on Saturday.

Secondary inorganic aerosols -- particles such as sulfate and nitrate that are formed in the atmosphere due to the interaction of gases and particulate pollutants from sources like power plants, refineries and vehicles -- is the second major contributor to Delhi's foul air, accounting for 19 to 36 per cent of the air pollution in the city over the last few days.

Delhi's air quality dropped over the last few days despite the city government implementing stringent measures, including a ban on construction work and the entry of diesel-guzzling trucks into the national capital.

According to IQAir, a Swiss company that specialises in air-quality monitoring, Delhi was the second-most polluted city in the world on Saturday after Baghdad.

Doctors say breathing in the polluted air of Delhi is equivalent to the harmful effects of smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day.   Prolonged exposure to high levels of pollution can cause or exacerbate respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and dramatically raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, they said.   Unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers and other local pollution sources, contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during winters.   According to a report compiled by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) in August, air pollution is shortening lives by almost 12 years in Delhi.

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/abZRJU2

Cyrus Poonawalla Suffers Cardiac Arrest, Stable After Angioplasty

Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman and Managing Director of the city-based vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), suffered mild cardiac arrest and underwent an angioplasty procedure in a hospital in Pune, doctors said on Friday.

Poonawalla, 82, suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday.

Dr Purvez Grant, a cardiologist from Ruby Hall Clinic said, "Cyrus Poonawalla suffered mild cardiac arrest and is recovering fast." 

Ali Daruwala, advisor of the hospital, said in a statement, "Dr Cyrus Poonawalla suffered mild cardiac arrest on November 16 and was admitted to the Ruby Hall Clinic early morning on Friday." 

"Dr Poonawalla underwent angioplasty under the supervision of Dr Purvez Grant, Dr Makle, and Dr Abhijeet Khardekar. He is recovering fast and is in good health," he added.

Dr Poonawalla is also the chairman of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, which includes the vaccine maker SII.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/Cwivrym

"Lahore Keeping An Eye On Polls In Rajasthan's Tonk": BJP MP Sparks Row

Lahore is keeping an eye on elections in Rajasthan and Tonk, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who recently courted controversy over his derogatory remarks in Parliament against BSP MP Danish Ali, said at a meeting of party workers.

"We will have to see whether laddus will be distributed in the country or in Lahore after the elections on the 25th... The enemy sitting outside the country is keeping an eye on this election. It is a question of our identity," Mr Bidhuri said while addressing a youth workers' meeting organised by BJP candidate in Tonk Ajit Mehta on Tuesday night. A video purportedly of Mr Bidhuri's remarks at the meeting appeared on social media on Thursday.

Sitting Congress MLA and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot is contesting from Tonk, which has a sizeable population of Muslim voters.

"The whole country is eagerly watching this election. Not just the country, Lahore is keeping an eye on elections in Rajasthan and Tonk. Who gives shelter to PFI people? When PFI people are caught, who provides them food? People sitting in Tonk feed them," he alleged, referring to the banned radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India.

Participating in a discussion in Lok Sabha on September 21, Mr Bidhuri had fired a volley of objectionable words at Ali, sparking outrage. The BSP MP was later accused by some BJP members of instigating Mr Bidhuri with remarks against the Prime Minister.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had warned Mr Bidhuri of strict action if such remarks were repeated but the opposition parties had demanded strict action against the BJP MP, including expulsion.

Mr Bidhuri's derogatory comments were condemned by his party colleagues as well, with BJP president JP Nadda issuing a show-cause notice to him.

However, nearly a week later, the South Delhi MP, who is a Gujjar leader, was appointed as Tonk district election incharge in Rajasthan, where voting will be held on November 25. Opposition leaders had hit out at the BJP, alleging the party "rewards hate".

"Terrorists like Hamas have an eye on this region that if someone dies in an accident, his family is given a job and Rs 50 lakh... and if an innocent Kanhaiya is murdered, then there is talk of giving Rs 5 lakh as alms," Mr Bidhuri is heard saying in the video.

Kanhaiya Kumar, a tailor in Udaipur, was murdered on June 28 last year by two cleaver-wielding men who accused him of insulting Islam.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/SoWgzpu

3 Drones, Heroin Seized Near Pakistan Border In Punjab Districts

Three drones and a 500-gram packet of heroin were seized near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts, a BSF official said on Wednesday.

Border Security Force (BSF) troops carrying out an area domination exercise ahead of the border fencing on Wednesday observed some suspicious items lying in a field near the Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar.

During a search operation, they seized a drone and a packet of heroin, weighing 500 grams, the official said.

In another incident, a joint operation by the BSF and the Punjab Police on the outskirts of Kalash Havelian village in Tarn Taran led to the seizure of a China-made drone, the official said.

In the third incident, BSF troops intercepted a drone on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday in Tarn Taran.

During the joint search operation with the police, the BSF troops recovered the damaged drone from a field in the district's Mianwali village, the official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/L0xZuQJ

Huge Crowds Welcome PM Modi On 10-Km-Long Night Roadshow In Ranchi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a 10-km roadshow in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi at 10 pm today. The roadshow began amid tight security soon after PM Modi landed at Birsa Munda airport in a special aircraft, officials said.

Thousands of people lined up on both sides of the stretch to greet PM Modi.

PM Modi is on a two-day Jharkhand visit beginning on the eve of tribal icon Birsa Munda's birth anniversary that also happens to be Jharkhand's statehood day on Wednesday.

PM Modi was welcomed by Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren at the airport.

In view of the roadshow, traffic restrictions were imposed along the stretch from the airport to Raj Bhavan, the route taken by PM Modi, from 8 pm to 10.30 pm.

The entire route from the airport to Raj Bhavan and from Governor's House to Birsa Munda Old Jail was declared as a no-fly zone for drones from 6 pm on Tuesday to 11 pm on Wednesday, district administration officials said.

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/7IXHJe1

Eating Paan, Gutka Inside Puri's Jagannath Temple Banned From Next Year

Authorities of Puri's Jagannath Temple have announced a complete ban on consumption of tobacco-related products like ‘paan' and ‘gutka' on the premises of the 12th century shrine from January 1, 2024.

The decision in this regard was announced by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Ranjan Kumar Das.

Das said the ban will be strictly implemented for devotees, servitors and temple employees.

“Awareness over non-consumption of ‘paan' and ‘gutka' on the temple premises will be carried out in November and December, while the prohibition will come into force from January 1. Penalty will be imposed on the offenders,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

The SJTA has also written to the ‘Chhattisa Nijog' (apex body of servitors) over the matter.

Though there is provision of penalty for consumption of such items inside the temple compound, “no one was obeying the rule”, it said in a letter to the servitors' body.

Last month, the SJTA had said it will enforce a dress code for devotees from January 1.

People wearing half-plants, shorts, torn jeans, skirts and sleeveless dresses will not be allowed entry into the temple, Das had said. PTI AAM RBT

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/y7NVnF9

Court Seeks Government's Reply On Rules To Secure Properties Of Orphans

The Delhi High Court is considering laying down norms for securing the assets and properties of children who lose their parents.

Hearing a plea by two minors who lost their parents, the court also sought a response from the Delhi government.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to the Delhi government on the petition and asked the authorities to file a reply within two weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on December 6.

The high court also appointed senior advocate Dayan Krishnan as amicus curiae to assist the court by giving his inputs to lay down a policy in cases of this nature.

The petition, filed through advocate Tara Narula, submitted that on September 6, 2022, the petitioners' father allegedly killed their mother and thereafter, he committed suicide.

The petitioner siblings aged 13 and nine are staying in a shelter home here by the order of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which has also directed the investigating officer to investigate the cash, property and jewellery and other assets belonging to their parents and place it on record.

The plea said that the children's relatives had expressed their willingness to take the minors but the kids refused to go with them as they felt that the relatives had done nothing to resolve the issues between their parents.

The two minor boys approached the court through the shelter home stating that the properties belonging to their parents are being frittered away and that the children have no other alternative but to move court to secure their interest.

"The movable and immovable properties need to be protected for the future benefit of the children," the plea said, adding that the authorities be directed to manage and maintain the assets in trust and be the benefit of the minors till they attain majority.

The minors also sought a compensation of Rs 30 lakh each for their immediate need as well as future sustenance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/X5ivnQe

Smriti Irani To Host Weekly Radio Show On Akashvani From Tomorrow

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani will host a show for Akashvani celebrating the incredible tales of empowerment of women with the aid of initiatives of the Government, and their role in shaping the lives of women in India, government said in a release on Tuesday.

As per the release, the stories celebrate the success of women in diverse fields including entrepreneurship, skill development, sports, health and finance. The weekly one-hour show 'Nai Soch Nai Kahani--A Radio Journey with Smriti Irani' will be broadcast on India's largest broadcaster Akashvani every Wednesday from 9 AM to 10 AM.

The first show will be aired on November 15, Thursday, on Akashvani Gold 100.1 MHz in Delhi. It will also be aired by the Akashvani stations across the country. The show will be available on the NewsOnAIR app, on Akashvani website www.newsonair.gov.in, on the Akashvani YouTube channel @airnewsofficial and on its various social media platforms.

The first show will feature women from start-ups and self-made businesswomen who will share their stories of success and how they are taking advantage of government initiatives in their endeavours. The show will also feature senior officials of various Central Government Ministries who will describe how to access the benefits of different government schemes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/usVDAcH

PM Modi To Hold Roadshow In Ranchi Tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi on Tuesday evening, officials said.

The roadshow is scheduled to begin from the Birsa Munda Airport soon after his arrival here around 8 pm and culminate at the Raj Bhavan around 9:30 pm, a distance of 10 km, they added.

As per Ranchi police traffic advisory, movement of vehicles has been restricted from 8 pm to 10:30 pm from Birsa Munda Airport to Raj Bhavan via Hinoo Chowk, Birsa Chowk, Satellite Chowk, Argora Chowk and New Market Chowk on November 14 in view of the Prime Minister's visit.

After an overnight stay at Raj Bhavan, the PM will head to Ulihatu, the birthplace of Birsa Munda around 9:30 am on November 15, the birthday of the tribal leader. The day is also celebrated as Jharkhand Statehood Day and Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.

Prior to his journey to Ulihatu, about 65 km from here, the PM will visit the Birsa Munda Museum at Jail Chowk at 8:15 am, officials added. After Ulihatu, PM Modi will head to Birsa College Football Stadium in Khunti where he will hold a public rally and launch the PM PVTG Development Mission.

The Rs 24,000-crore scheme aimed at holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), officials said. In 2021, the Modi government announced that the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda will be commemorated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. The mission, announced in the 2023-24 Union budget, is aimed at improving the socio-economic condition of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups, the officials said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/ASH3ZiR

Most Drugs Entering Tripura Through Mizoram: Police

Tripura's 107 km-long boundary with Mizoram is a cause of concern for law enforcement agencies as most of the drugs from Myanmar enter the state through that border.

Vigil has been stepped up along the border between the two northeastern neighbours to prevent drug trafficking, said Bhanupada Chakraborty, Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district, which shares the boundary with Mizoram.

"Law enforcement agencies are working hard to curb drug trafficking but smuggling of drugs especially heroin continues along the inter-state border," Mr Chakraborty told PTI on Monday.

Chief Minister Manik Saha has declared a war against increasing drug trafficking and law enforcement agencies have adopted a zero-tolerance policy to curb the drug menace.

Till August 2023, a total of 746 people were booked in connection with 445 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases and contraband items including heroin amounting to Rs 91.84 crore was seized during the period, according to a police report.

"Myanmar appears a potential threat to the war against drugs declared by Tripura... We are sure these drugs are coming from Myanmar. Mizoram is just a transit point as far as drug trafficking is concerned," the police officer said.

According to Mr Chakraborty, drug mafias sometimes also use Silchar-Churaibari (entry point to Tripura from Assam) to transport drug items.

"We often foiled drug smuggling under Churaibari police station despite having severe staff constraints. The police need to be strengthened further to intensify war against the drug trafficking", the SP said.

"Police have sent two or three teams to Mizoram in connection with some specific NDPS cases but they did not make much progress as the origin of the drug peddlers could not be found. In the course of interrogation and probe, we came to know that Mizoram border is being used as a safe corridor for trafficking drugs to the state," Officer in Charge (OC), Damcherra police station, Raju Bhowmik told PTI.

Three police stations- Damcherra, Khedacherra and Vangmum share 107 km inter-state border with Mizoram with a skeleton staff.

"At present, Damcherra police station has only two sub-inspectors along with one inspector and six to eight constables and some Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans. It is very difficult to maintain close control at Nripen Chakraborty setu (bridge) which connects Mizoram's Mamit district to Damcherra in North Tripura," the OC said.

The bridge over river Longai connects Tripura and Mizoram.

Mr Bhowmik said, "We require adequate staff to maintain strict vigil at the entry point to Damcherra. Around 40/50 vehicles are coming to Damcherra through the bridge daily. If we want to check all vehicles, more policemen are needed at the check gate at Damcherra".

Taking advantage of skeleton police presence, the drug mafia are using Damcherra to smuggle drugs along with goods to the northeastern state, he said.

North Tripura, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Arunabh Chakraborty said the number of injected drug users (IDUs) among the inmates of Bruhapra resettlement village (Bru camp) under Damcherra police station has been on the rise over the past few years.

"... Tripura State AIDS Control Society (TSACS) is working in the field to check the menace. We have identified some potential pockets of drug users and opened two Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) clinics in two Public Health Centres (PHCs) at Jampui Hills (Vangmun) and Damcherra to provide them medical attention", he said.

Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will soon have a zonal-level office in Agartala to curb drug and narcotics trafficking effectively, officials said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/1GOSn28

40 Workers Trapped In Uttarakhand Tunnel Given Water, Food, Rescue Op On

A multi-agency operation is being carried out to rescue 40 workers trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand since yesterday morning.

An under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district partially collapsed at around 5 am yesterday, leaving 40 workers trapped inside.

The rescue operations are being conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) and the police.

A senior official told NDTV that all 40 workers are safe and are being supplied oxygen through a pipe. "Everyone is safe, we are in constant touch with the trapped workers," Prashant Kumar said.

Mr Kumar said that communication has been established with the trapped workers and they have been sent water and food items.

He said that the collapsed portion of the tunnel is located about 200 metres from the entrance and about 20 metres of the slab has been removed so far to open the tunnel.

"The team is removing the debris using excavators and other heavy machines," he said.

The tunnel is meant to connect Silkyara to Dandalgaon in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi. It is being built under the Char Dham Road Project and aims to reduce the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dham by 26 kilometres.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami yesterday said that he has been briefed about the rescue operation. "I have been in contact with the officials from the time I got to know about the incident. NDRF and SDRF are at the spot. We pray to God for the safe return of everybody," he said.

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/wbCfFNS

Delhi-NCR Air Reaches Toxic High As Cracker Craze Counters Rain Relief

The air quality in Delhi and nearby cities reached hazardous levels a day after Diwali with the widespread violation of the firecracker ban across the National Capital Region (NCR) on Sunday raising environmental concerns.

Most realtime air monitoring platforms this morning pegged the air quality index (AQI) above 500, with some places reaching as high as 900.

The average AQI was around 300 at most places, showed data recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The city yesterday recorded its best Diwali day air quality in eight years with clear skies and abundant sunshine. The AQI stood at 218 at 4 pm, the best in at least three weeks, with rains last week bringing about a slight improvement.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.

The Supreme Court last week clarified that its order banning firecrackers that has barium binds every state and is not just limited to the Delhi-NCR region.

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/kzd9rhB

S Jaishankar Meets Rishi Sunak, Gifts Bat Signed By Virat Kohli

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty at 10 Downing Street and conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Diwali on Sunday.

S Jaishankar along with his wife, Kyoko Jaishankar met with the UK PM and presented him a Lord Ganesha Statue and a cricket bat signed by Indian batting great Virat Kohli.

Taking to his official handle on X, EAM S Jaishankar shared details about his meeting with the UK PM, posting, "Delighted to call on Prime Minister @RishiSunak on #Diwali Day. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. India and UK are actively engaged in reframing the relationship for contemporary times. Thank Mr. and Mrs. Sunak for their warm reception and gracious hospitality."

The Prime Minister @RishiSunak welcomed @DrSJaishankar to Downing Street this evening.

Together they expressed their very best wishes as Indian communities around the world begin #Diwali celebrations.

???? pic.twitter.com/gjCxQ0vr8d

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) November 12, 2023

S Jaishankar is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, during which he is scheduled to hold a meeting with his UK counterpart James Cleverly. He arrived in Britain on Saturday and will conclude his visit on November 15.

He is also scheduled to meet several other dignitaries during his visit.

India and the UK have a "growing bilateral partnership", the MEA stated in a release earlier, noting that the two countries launched a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021.

"India and the UK share a warm and thriving relationship. The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030," the MEA stated in its release.

"The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both the countries. EAM's visit will give a new impetus to the friendly ties between the two countries," it added.

Significantly, India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. Talks for FTA between India and the UK started in 2022 and the 12th round of negotiations took place from August 8-31 this year.

Earlier, on November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak discussed the progress on the Free Trade Agreement during a telephone conversation.

Rishi Sunak also congratulated PM Modi on Team India's dazzling performances in the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

"Turning to the friendship between the UK and India, the leaders discussed recent progress on Free Trade Agreement negotiations. They agreed on the importance of securing an ambitious deal that benefitted both sides," the UK government stated in an official release.

"The leaders discussed the ongoing Cricket World Cup being held in India. The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the strong performance of the India team and said he hoped England would have more luck during their test series in India in January," it added.

PM Modi and Rishi Sunak also discussed the conflict in West Asia, especially in the context of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The two leaders condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel and reiterated that the terror group "did not represent" the Palestinian people.

The two leaders also reflected on the need to de-escalate tensions in the wider region.

PM Rishi Sunak underscored the importance of protecting innocent civilians in Gaza and ensuring aid was able to flow into the country, the statement added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/QT5meIf

"Ayodhya Will Receive 10 Times More Tourists After...": Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that Ayodhya will have ten times more tourists visiting the holy city after the inauguration of Ram Temple in January.

On the occasion of Diwali eve, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu river.

In his address after paying obeisance to Lord Shri Ram, Mata Janaki and Laxman ji on the occasion of Deepotsav, the Chief Minister urged the residents of Ayodhya to start preparations for that historic programme on January 22 from now onwards, with the resolution of 'Atithi Devo Bhava'.

"Ayodhya will have ten times more tourists after Makar Sankranti and the inauguration of the grand Ram temple on January 22, 2024, than currently being received by the temple town," CM Yogi said.

He said that Ayodhya is the favourite city of Lord Shri Ram and the double-engine government is determined to develop it as the most beautiful city in the world.

The Chief Minister further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should get a historic welcome in Ayodhya.

"A slogan echoed that "Yogi ji do one thing, build the temple...". Today, after 500 years of sacrifices, movements and campaigns, Lord Shri Ram is going to sit in his grand temple. Now it is the responsibility of the people of Ayodhya that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes on January 22 to enshrine Lord Shri Ram in his grand temple, his welcome in Ayodhya should also be historic," he said.

Congratulating people on Diwali, the Chief Minister said, "We all are fortunate that we are witnessing the festival of lights here. This festival of lights is happening live in more than 100 countries of the world. The world is watching how Lord Shri Ram would have come to Ayodhya in Pushpak Viman thousands of years ago and how the gods would have showered flowers on him from the sky. When we started this programme seven years ago, there was confusion."

"The programme, which was started here at that time with the cooperation of reverred saints and public representatives, is today realising the Prime Minister's vision of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. We all are seeing the new Ayodhya being built. Currently, work is being done on 178 development projects worth Rs 30,500 crores in Ayodhya," he added.

He further stated that PM Modi is realising the vision of Ramrajya.

"Be it a natural calamity, the problem of terrorism or other problems, work has been done for the welfare of the poor while eliminating fears from society. Free arrangements for housing, toilets, electricity connection and insurance of Rs 5 lakh have been made for the poor for their treatment. Not only this, the work of providing free tests, free treatment, free vaccine and free food grains is being done since the Corona period," he said.

On the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Governor Lord Ram is the bearer of Indian culture and social values.

"Lord Shri Ram and Ramayana are the bearers of Indian culture and social values. There is Ramayana in every house. In some form or the other, Lord Shri Ram has had his presence in every part of the world. Lord Shri Ram is revered by tribals and forest dwellers also. As a result of the construction of the temple here in Ayodhya, there will be a big change in employment and economy," the governor said.

On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, a large number of sages and saints and abbots of various monasteries, state government ministers Surya Pratap Shahi, Jaiveer Singh, Rakesh Sachan, Ayodhya MP Lallu Singh and other officials were present.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/TsDRlCy

Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel Meet Amit Shah Amid Crisis Over Maratha Quota

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and senior NCP leader Praful Patel on Friday met Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

The meeting took place amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra over the demand for reservation by the Maratha community and the hearing before the Election Commission on the claim over the NCP.

"Had a meaningful meeting with Hon'ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji in Delhi, extending warm Diwali wishes. Grateful for the opportunity to pay a courtesy call and share festive joy," NCP working president Patel said on 'X'.

Mr Pawar was accompanied by Mr Patel and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare for the meeting.

In June, Mr Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra with support of more than 40 of the NCP's total 53 MLAs and leaving his uncle and founder of the regional outfit Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar has since staked his claim to the party's name and election symbol, a case which is being heard by the Election Commission.

Ajit Pawar's meeting with the Union home minister came on a day when the Pawar family had a get together over a lunch in Pune.

NCP founder Sharad Pawar, his daughter and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule were present at the pre-Diwali family lunch that took place at the Pune residence of Prataprao Pawar, the veteran leader's younger brother.

Ajit Pawar reached the national capital from Pune. Both Patel and Pawar left Shah's residence without speaking to the media.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/82RVaLK

Three-Month-Old Among 6 Killed In Road Accident In Karnataka: Cops

An autorickshaw driver and five members of a family including a three-month-old baby died after the three-wheeler in which they were travelling collided with a cement tanker on a national highway near here on Thursday evening, police said.

A 10-year-old boy, who was also in the autorickshaw with his family, sustained serious injuries and is being treated at a nearby hospital, they said.

The impact of the accident was such that the autorickshaw toppled and the cement tanker allegedly dragged the three-wheeler for about 20 metres on National Highway 150 near Halakarti village, police said.

According to police, the victims hailed from Nalavara and had gone to Chittapur taluk in Kalaburagi district for Aadhaar card correction. On their way back, they met with an accident.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accident happened when the autorickshaw driver tried to overtake. It is a three-lane straight road and the cement tanker was proceeding in the middle of one of the lanes. However, prima facie, it appears that the auto driver tried to overtake from the left and somehow landed in front of the tanker, a senior police officer said.

"It appears to be a case of a head-on collision. The auto collided with the tanker and the impact was such that it toppled. The driver of the cement tanker tried to apply brakes but could not and the tanker dragged the autorickshaw till about 20 metres. As a result, those in the auto fell off the vehicle and got crushed under the wheels of the tanker," he said.

Among the victims were women and children. One of the male members of the family who had also accompanied them to Chittapur taluk was coming on a two-wheeler and managed to escape unhurt, he added.

A case of accident has been registered and further investigation is underway, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/LfhKMiN

"Who Stopped Caste Census? The Congress": Akhilesh Yadav In Madhya Pradesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the Congress did not implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission and has opposed the caste census.

Speaking to reporters in Rajnagar in Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, where Assembly polls are to be held on November 17, he said the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party were now talking about caste census with an eye on polls.

"The Congress, which never talked about social justice, is doing so today. Who stopped the Mandal Commission recommendations? The Congress. Who stopped the caste census? The Congress," Mr Yadav said.

"The SP believes social justice will be achieved only when there is caste census and everyone gets rights and respect in proportion to their population. Only then will Babasaheb Ambedkar's dream be fulfilled," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Asked about the loan burden on MP, Mr Yadav said the state's economy had collapsed despite a "double engine government", a term used by BJP to describe party-led dispensations in the state and at the Centre.

He said the BJP, which has been in power for several years in MP, was responsible for the precarious economic situation of the state.

However, if loans have to be taken to provide facilities to the poor, then one should not step back from it, he added.

Asked about Congress making the Ram Temple in Ayodhya an issue, Mr Yadav said it was nothing new if a person whose name is also the symbol of the BJP, a reference to MP Congress chief Kamal Nath, talks about it.

In an interview earlier, Mr Nath had said it was then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who had got the gates of the Ram Temple site opened (in the 1980s).

Asked about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's remarks in the Assembly there, Mr Yadav said the former had apologised and 'so we should not discuss it now".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/XqOhwZP

"Petty Quarrels Not Cruelty": Court Cancels Case Against Elderly Couple

Petty quarrels do not amount to cruelty, the Bombay High Court said on Thursday while quashing an FIR lodged against a senior citizen couple accused of harassing the estranged wife of their adopted son.

A division bench of Justices Anuja Prabhudessai and NR Borkar also castigated the police for the manner in which it conducted the probe in the case and for treating the accused as hardened criminals.

The court noted that while the mother-in-law died during the pendency of the plea, the case against her too was quashed as it was necessary to clear her name, image and reputation.

The bench, in its order, said the petitioners (the accused couple) were treated like hardened criminals by the police during the investigation by freezing their bank accounts and FDs too.

The court said such action was "manifestly arbitrary and against the mandate of law". "The action, which is totally high handed and arbitrary gives an impression of unfairness and /or ulterior motive," the High courtC said.

"By such drastic and high handed action, the Investigating Officer compelled the petitioner to beg and borrow money from their relatives for their survival and sustenance, striking at the very right to live with human dignity," the court said.

The court also noted that despite an earlier order directing the police to not file a chargesheet in the case, the police went ahead and submitted the same.

This gives rise to a suspicion that the investigation is tainted and far from being fair and impartial, the High Court said.

The court said the investigating officer does not have unfettered discretion to brand an innocent person as an accused, to file chargesheet and send him or her for trial.

Such an action on the part of the police would compel an innocent person to approach court for discharge, quashing or even to go through a trial, thereby, subjecting him to mental trauma, humiliation, stigmatization and loss of reputation, which would imperil his personal liberty that is sacred and sacrosanct, High Court said.

"Hence, the investigation, which is said to be the backbone of criminal justice system, should at all times be fair, proper and in accordance with constitutional guarantees and legal provisions," the order said.

The complainant had married the adopted son of the couple in 2018. She alleged that during her one-month stay with her in-laws, they had harassed her by constantly taunting her, smirking at her and not letting her touch the refrigerator.

The complainant said she later went to Dubai to live with her husband, but returned to her parents' home in India following harassment by him too.

The High Court, in its order, however, noted that to prove the offence of harassment under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, it has to be established that the woman has been subjected to cruelty continuously or persistently or at least in close proximity of time of lodging the complaint.

"Petty quarrels do not amount to cruelty. Allegations against the petitioners that they taunted the woman, looked at her with a smirk, that they did not allow her to touch the refrigerator and so on even if accepted in their entirety do not constitute 'cruelty' within the meaning of Section 498A of IPC," the court said.

The bench noted that, in view of constant threats and allegations from the woman and her father, the petitioners decided to distance themselves from their son to give him time and space to resolve his matrimonial dispute.

They also issued a public notice in 2019 stating they had decided to disown their son and they had nothing to do with his marital life.

The bench quashed the FIR and ordered for the bank accounts/ Fixed Deposits in the names of the petitioners to be de-freezed.

The court also directed for a copy of its judgment to be forwarded to police commissioner to make necessary entry in the service record of the investigating officer for filing chargesheet in the case despite an order from the court to not do so.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/GlIXAx9

Teen Among Five Arrested For Raping 16-Year-Old In Jharkhand: Cops

Five teens including a minor were arrested on the charge of raping a 16-year-old girl in a village in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharswan district, a police officer said on Thursday.

The five accused were arrested hours after the schoolgirl's parents lodged a complaint in this regard on Wednesday.

The victim had gone out for a stroll along with her boyfriend on November 6 evening to a football ground where another boy and a girl joined them. At around 8 pm, the victim started feeling cold and the two boys went home to bring a shawl, leaving the girls on the ground, according to the FIR.

At that time, five teenagers including a 16-year-old boy reached the spot and introduced themselves as friends of her boyfriend.

They asked the victim to come with them to a nearby river bank where, they claimed, her boyfriend was waiting. The youths, however, told the other girl to stay where she was.

After reaching the river bank, the youths took turns in raping her and then left.

Meanwhile, the two boys who returned with a shawl started searching for her and found her on the river bank, the police officer said.

The survivor stayed the night at his boyfriend's place, went to school from there the next day and returned home in the evening, according to the FIR.

"She told her parents what had happened and a complaint was lodged on Wednesday. We arrested the accused and started an investigation from all angles," the officer said.

The accused were charged with various sections of the IPC and POCSO Act.

Four of the accused who were in the age group of 19-20 were forwarded to judicial custody on Thursday while the minor boy was sent to a remand home.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/1bRAz5m

Day After Supreme Court Report, Punjab Reports Over 2,000 Farm Fires

More than 2,000 farm fires were reported from Punjab on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court issued directions to ensure stopping of crop residue burning "forthwith".

Sangrur district, the birthplace of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, recorded the maximum number of stubble burning incidents in the state on Wednesday.

Many parts in Haryana saw air quality indices in the 'severe' and 'very poor' categories.

The total number of farm fires jumped to 22,981 in Punjab with 2,003 fresh such cases being reported on Wednesday, according to Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data.

Out of the 2,003 stubble burning incidents, Sangrur continued to top with 466 such cases, followed by 221 in Bathinda, 216 in Barnala, 150 in Faridkot, 131 in Mansa, 106 in Patiala, 103 in Ferozepur and 96 in Ludhiana, according to the data.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav on Wednesday asked the police officers to work in tandem with the civil administration to prevent stubble burning in the state.

The DGP also appointed Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla as the police nodal officer to monitor action against stubble burning, according to an order.

"The police nodal officer shall issue suitable directions, hold meetings, conduct tours and collect and collate relevant information and put up to the DGP Punjab and the Chief Secretary so that monitoring of the actions being undertaken by the police to ensure compliance of the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court is done in an effective manner," the order read.

Out of total 22,981 farm fires recorded from September 15 till November 8, Sangrur is leading with highest number of stubble burning cases of 4,070, followed by 2,176 in Ferozepur, 1,888 in Tarn Taran, 1,719 in Mansa, 1,524 in Patiala, 1,454 in Amritsar, 1,436 in Bathinda, 1,129 in Barnala, 1,089 in Ludhiana and 1,014 in Faridkot.

Meanwhile, Haryana's Fatehabad recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 451, followed by Faridabad at 425, Jind at 406, Bhiwani at 400, Gurugram 385, Kaithal 380, Rohtak 362, Hisar 332, Panipat 323 and Sisra 319.

In Punjab, Bathinda reported AQI at 348, followed by Mandi Gobindgarh at 338, Ludhiana 292, Patiala 267, Jalandhar 266, Khanna 253 and Amritsar 240.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, saw an AQI of 201.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November.

As the window for wheat, a key rabi crop, is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing of the next crop.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/SjALtIm

Camera Traps Spot Snow Leopards Outside Kishtwar National Park

At least three camera traps have confirmed the presence of snow leopards outside the Kishtwar High Altitude National Park in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior official of the wildlife protection department said on Tuesday. The development can ensure proper conservation of the endangered species.

The presence of snow leopards was observed in three camera traps set up in the upper reaches of Padder, wildlife warden (Chenab Division) Majid Bashir told PTI.

In May, research teams of the department confirmed the presence of snow leopards in the Kishtwar National Park through camera trap photographs.

Bashir said a total of 48 camera traps were installed in Padder, Gandhari and Machail with the help of Mysore-based NGO Nature Conservation Foundation and eight of these cameras were retrieved recently with three of them confirming the presence of snow leopards in Padder area.

“This is for the first time that the presence of snow leopards was captured in camera traps outside the national park,” Bashir said.

Listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), snow leopards are mostly found at an altitude between 3,000 and 4,500 metres and have been sighted in the snow-bound areas of the Kishtwar National Park and its adjoining areas in Jammu region and parts of central and north Kashmir, besides parts of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

In November 2021, the wildlife department launched a first-of-its-kind snow leopard population assessment expedition under the snow leopard project of the Union Environment Ministry with a focus on identifying the landscape housing the species and challenges for their proper conservation.

Bashir, who is also in charge of the Kishtwar National Park, said nine snow leopards are present in the park based on the data gathered through the camera traps.

As many as 278 camera traps were placed at 135 locations across the national park before the onset of the winter last year. Over two dozen camera traps captured the presence of the snow leopards, he said. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/AMe19VZ

Sexual Harassment At Workplace Must Be Viewed Seriously: Supreme Court

Observing that sexual harassment in any form at workplaces must be viewed seriously, the Supreme Court quashed a Gauhati High Court verdict setting aside an order of penalty of withholding 50 per cent pension of a former employee of the Service Selection Board in a sexual harassment case levelled by a woman, who was his junior.

"Sexual harassment is a pervasive and deeply rooted issue that has plagued the societies worldwide. In India, it has been a matter of serious concern, and the development of laws to combat sexual harassment is a testament to the nation's commitment to addressing this problem. Sexual harassment has existed in India for centuries, but it was only in the latter half of the 20th century that it began to gain legal recognition," said a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The top court made these observations while allowing the appeal of the central government against the 2019 judgment of the high court restoring full pension to the retired officer of SSB, who was employed as the area organizer at Rangiya in Assam between September 2006 and May 2012.

The penalty order to withhold 50 per cent pension for all times to come was imposed on Dilip Paul in connection with the disciplinary proceedings initiated on the allegations of sexual harassment.

"We have reached the conclusion that the appeal (of the Centre) deserves to be allowed. The High Court committed an egregious error in passing the impugned judgment and order... The impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court dated May 15, 2019, is hereby set aside," Justice Pardiwala, writing a 104-page judgment for the bench, said.

While restoring the penalty imposed on Dilip Paul by the disciplinary authority, the bench, however, clarified that the Centre "shall not affect any recovery of the amount already paid so far to the respondent".

"We are dealing with litigation relating to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in any form at the workplace must be viewed seriously and the harasser should not be allowed to escape the clutches of law. We say so because the same humiliates and frustrates a victim of sexual harassment, more particularly when the harasser goes unpunished or is let off with a relatively minor penalty," it said.

The bench also dealt with the Visakha judgment and the consequential directions given by the top court to effectively deal with cases of sexual harassment. Paul had allegedly harassed the woman employee working as a field assistant under him.

Initially, she had lodged a complaint addressed to the Inspector General, Frontier Headquarters, Guwahati alleging sexual harassment by Paul.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/Rhv8JKF

Over 4,700 Vehicles Fined In Delhi For Pollution-Check Violations

Amid high pollution levels in the national capital, Delhi Traffic Police has issued over 4,700 challans to vehicle owners driving without a pollution under control (PUC) certificate in the last four days, officials said on Tuesday.

Stage IV of the Centre's pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force in Delhi on Sunday as the city's air quality plummeted to the 'severe plus' category. Under the final Stage IV of the plan, all kinds of construction work and the entry of polluting trucks into the city have been banned.

GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I - 'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - 'Severe Plus' (AQI>450).

Plying of old diesel or petrol vehicles and trucks carrying non-essential material in the national capital attracts a challan of Rs 20,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act.

According to data shared by police, a total of 4,785 challans were issued to vehicle owners driving without PUC certificates, 4,482 challans and 4,207 notices were issued for improper parking and 1,496 vehicles were towed away.

In the last four days, 814 challans were issued to BS-III petrol vehicles and 3,656 BS-IV diesel vehicles. A total of 495 challans were issued for driving against traffic flow.

While 3,038 challans were issued for no-entry violations, 12 challans were issued for carrying uncovered construction and demolition waste.

The data stated that 1,163 challans were issued on Monday to vehicle owners driving without a valid PUC certificate, while three old diesel and petrol vehicles were also fined.

A total of 973 challans were issued for obstructive or improper parking, 767 notices issued and 314 vehicles were towed away by traffic cranes, police said.

As many as 102 and 813 challans were issued for driving against the flow of traffic and no-entry violations.

Traffic police checked 1,045 vehicles and turned back 427. Only vehicles carrying essential commodities with valid permission were allowed.

Police said 202 BS-III petrol vehicles and 1,027 BS-IV diesel vehicles were also fined. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/cvK4teq