Category: India

A five-hour block will be taken from 11 pm to 04 am on the intervening night of 28th/29th August 2024. Due to this block, 22 Mumbai Suburban trains will be cancelled and 4 will be short terminated & short originated.

n connection with the work of 6th line between Goregaon & Kandivali, a five-hour block will be taken from 11 pm to 04 am on the intervening night of 28th/29th August 2024. Due to this block, 22 Mumbai Suburban trains will be cancelled and 4 will be short terminated & short originated.

According to Vineet Abhishek – Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, the details of these trains are as under:

Details On Cancelled Trains:

1. Train No. 90979 Churchgate – Borivali local of 28th August, 2024 departing from Churchgate at 22.24 hrs will remain cancelled.

2. Train No. 90996 Borivali – Churchgate local of 28th August, 2024 departing from Borivali at 23.25 hrs will remain cancelled.

The ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ protest has been planned by students, seeking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Gloom, anger and rage enveloped the City of Joy as thousands of people took to streets to protest against the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. It’s been almost a month but there seems no endgame in sight for the ongoing situation and the protesters have today planned ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ or march to Nabanna (state secretariat) in Kolkata.

As protesters plan to march towards the secretariat, the area around has been turned into a fortress with three-layered security by Kolkata Police and Howrah City Police in place. Kolkata Police and Howrah City Police, combat forces, Heavy Radio Flying Squads (HRFS), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) and water cannons have been deployed to tackle any untoward incident during the protests.

Traffic advisory has also been issued in view of the same.

‘Nabanna Abhijan’ In Kolkata Today: 10 Points

3. Students’ organisation ‘Paschimbanga Chhatro Samaj’ insisted that its August 27 ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ rally will be peaceful and focused on demanding the resignation of the CM.

4. Around 6,000 police personnel are set to form barricades at seven locations in Kolkata and Howrah to prevent the protesters from reaching Nabanna, as per reports.

5. Additional commissioner of police Kolkata Supratim Sarkar on Monday said it has rejected an application by the group to hold the march.

6. The state government has imposed prohibitory orders near Nabanna under Section 163 of BNSS preventing the assembly of five or more persons, it added.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/kolkata/kolkata-braces-for-nabanna-abhijan-as-rage-grips-city-of-joy-10-points-article-112820872

The newly-announced Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for central government employees may be a political response of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to the opposition and setbacks it has faced over the pension issue but, at least on the face of it, seems to offer a good balance between the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) that was extant before 2004 and the National Pension Scheme (NPS) that was ushered in thereafter. In the main, the UPS keeps the employee contribution part of the NPS, while adding the assured pension part of the OPS, with the exchequer ready to contribute to ensure it. The government’s contribution to the pension will increase from 14 per cent to 18 per cent, resulting in an additional fiscal burden of Rs 6,250 crore on the Centre. For its employees, the scheme ensures a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 for those who have served for a minimum of 10 years. At the higher end, employees will receive 50 per cent of the average salary drawn during the last 12 months of their service. These provisions are advantageous for employees, although they do not quite match the benefits offered under the OPS.

Although the unions are sceptical and await the fine print, the move offers the Opposition much to think about. The Congress party has gained traction in some states by promising to bring the OPS back in full. The UPS offers Congress governments a chance to partially fulfil the party’s promise and claim moral victory over the BJP while also escaping the long-term burden of generous government-funded pensions such as the OPS. The Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra has taken the lead to announce the implementation of the UPS, aimed at stealing the Congress’ thunder on the issue in the upcoming election. The BJP is likely to follow the same strategy in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, which are also headed for elections.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/editorial/pension-ups-offers-a-good-balance-3165169

During the Navy Day celebrations on 4 December, 2023, Modi inaugurated the 35-feet-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.

Mumbai: Hours after the large statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Sindhudurg district crashed down amid strong winds and rains on Monday, the Indian Navy has ordered a probe. The statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year

During the Navy Day celebrations on 4 December, 2023, Modi inaugurated the 35-feet-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/navy-orders-probe-into-the-collapse-of-shivaji-statue-3165399

According to police, they arrested a man, identified as Rajesh, on Sunday and seized 16 grams of heroin from him.

Gurugram: Two Nigerian nationals from Delhi’s Dwarka were arrested for allegedly supplying drugs, police said on Monday.

According to police, they arrested a man, identified as Rajesh, on Sunday and seized 16 grams of heroin from him.

Rajesh, a native of the Khojkipur Khurd village in Panipat district, told the police during interrogation that he got the drugs from two Nigerian drug peddlers, a police officer said.
Following this, the police conducted raids in Delhi on Sunday and arrested Fred and Michael from Dwarka for supplying drugs, the officer said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/two-nigerian-nationals-arrested-from-delhis-dwarka-for-supplying-drugs-3164786

According to their seat-sharing formula, the NC will contest 51 seats in J-K and the Congress 32.

The National Conference (NC) and the Congress Monday agreed to contest 51 and 32 seats respectively for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

One seat each has been allotted to the CPI(M) and the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the allies announced at a joint press conference at NC president Farooq Abdullah’s residence here after day-long negotiations.

According to their seat-sharing formula, the NC will contest 51 seats in J-K and the Congress 32.

They also said there will be a “friendly contest” on five seats of the Union Territory.

The leaders said the list of seats each party will be contesting, as well as the names of the candidates, will be issued later.

The NC president said the alliance is up for a fight against the powers “who are dividing the people not just in this state, but across the country.” “The INDIA bloc was made with an aim to fight those forces who are trying to create a communal divide in the country. Today, I am happy that the negotiations (over the alliance) have been concluded. They took place in a cordial atmosphere,” Abdullah said.

Trying To Protect Soul Of J&K: AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, said the two parties are aiming to protect the “soul” of J-K and the country.

“The BJP is trying to destroy the soul of J-K. Our INDIA alliance aims to save the soul of J-K. That is why the Congress and NC are coming together to form a government in J-K which is totally friendly with the people of J-K,” he said.

Venugopal also said the BJP has no moral right to criticise the NC manifesto, as it had earlier done.

“BJP had an alliance with NC earlier, they also had an alliance with the PDP. The same old NC is still NC and the same old PDP is still PDP. They had alliances with both the parties with the same programme,” he said.

“Every political party has their programme, manifesto and promises. We have our own promises and manifesto. When we will form the government, there will be a common minimum programme,” he added.

Heavy rush of devotees at the ISKCON temple in Patna on the occasion of the Janmashtami festival created a stampede-like situation on Monday evening, a police officer said.

A few devotees might have suffered minor injuries, while the police brought the situation under control quickly, Patna SSP Rajeev Mishra told reporters.

“A huge number of devotees thronged the ISKCON temple on the occasion of Janmashtami festival in the evening. An adequate number of security personnel had already been deployed there. We engaged more personnel when the situation turned chaotic as the devotees tried to outpace one another. It was a tough time for the security personnel. The situation was, however, immediately brought under control. It was not a full-blown stampede,” Mishra said.

Video clips that went viral on social media showed security personnel trying to control the onrushing devotees at the temple. A few of them fell on the ground and they were helped by the security personnel.

“The situation is completely under control. Our top priority is to manage the rush of devotees first. Women security personnel have also been deployed in large numbers,” said the SSP.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/stampede-like-situation-at-patna-temple-during-janmashtami-celebration-video-9028815.html

Manipur minister L Susindro said police would be deployed at petrol pumps in the state.

Addressing a press conference, he warned fuel retailers of legal action if they refuse to sell fuel despite having stock.

Susindro, the state’s consumer affairs, food & public distribution minister, said several instances have come to the fore in which people after re-fueling have left the petrol pumps without payment.

“Such incidents have led to many petrol pumps downing their shutters because of financial losses,” he said.

“We will be deploying police personnel and staff of the Food and Public Distribution Department at petrol pumps,” he said, appealing to people not to indulge in extortion.

With several petrol pumps closing down in the Imphal Valley, a severe fuel crisis has hit the region.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/amid-fuel-shortage-manipur-govt-says-it-will-deploy-police-at-petrol-pumps-9028846.html

Champai Soren met union home minister Amit Shah late Monday night in New Delhi along with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In a setback for the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), its senior leader and former chief minister Champai Soren would soon be joining the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), people aware of the development said.

Champai met union home minister Amit Shah late Monday night in New Delhi along with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the saffron party’s co-incharge of Jharkhand assembly elections, scheduled to be held in November-December.

Assam CM on Champai Soren joining BJP

Champai would officially join the BJP on August 30, Sarma said in a social media post.

“Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and a distinguished Adivasi leader of our country, @ChampaiSoren Ji met Hon’ble Union Home Minister @AmitShah Ji a short while ago. He will officially join the @BJP4India on 30th August in Ranchi (sic.),” Sarma said in a post on X.

Earlier, while giving enough hint of a political handshake, Sarma had too reporters in Ranchi on Monday that he wants Champai to join the BJP.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already issued notice for the first phase of the 3-phased Assembly polls in J&K.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and vice president of National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah will contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Ganderbal constituency.
This announcement was made by Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, a Lok Sabha member, and Nasir Aslam Wani, NC provincial president on Sunday in the presence of Omar Abdullah and Mian Altaf Ahmad, senior NC leader and MP from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency.

Omar Abdullah had come to Nuner village of Ganderbal district where Sayim Mustafa, a political activist joined the party.

Sayim Mustafa had unsuccessfully fought the Lok Sabha election for the Srinagar seat when Syed Ruhullah Mehdi defeated Sayim among other candidates.

Sunday’s announcement about Omar Abdullah deciding to fight the Assembly elections has negated his earlier statement that he would not stand for the elections as long as J&K remained a union territory.

Omar Abdullah served as the Chief Minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state from 2009 to 2015 and was also the president of his party. He is a three-time Lok Sabha MP and has represented the Assembly constituencies of Ganderbal (2008-2014) and Beerwah (2014-2019). He lost the 2002 Assembly elections to Qazi Mohammad Afzal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Ganderbal.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already issued notice for the first phase of the 3-phased Assembly polls in J&K.

In the first phase, 24 Assembly segments spread in the Valley and the Jammu division will go to vote on September 18.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/omar-abdullah-to-contest-j-k-assembly-polls-from-ganderbal-constituency-6414305

The BJP-led central government appointed a committee headed by Cabinet Secretary-designate T.V. Somanathan in March 2023 to review the New Pension Scheme.

The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) approved by the Union government on Saturday (August 24) — a mix of contribution and assured pension, to replace the New Pension Scheme (NPS), a wholly contributory mechanism — will provide some social security to government employees after retirement.

The NPS became applicable in all states, except West Bengal, which continued with OPS, from January 1, 2004.
The scheme, which is virtually akin to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) that NPS replaced in 2004, assures government employees 50% of their last drawn pay as a lifelong monthly benefit like OPS will be applicable to the central government employees; states can also extend it to its employees.

The genesis of the UPS lies in protests against the NPS by government employees from across the country, citing low pension benefits. In some cases, the pension was as low as ₹10,000 of the basic pay, even for class 1 government officials such as college lecturers. The NPS created two pension systems for the same set of government employees, one getting assured pension under OPS and other uncertain retirement benefits under the NPS.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/ecostani-unified-pension-scheme-a-moral-victory-for-the-opposition-101724686244136.html

All the 19 people were travelling in a tractor which got washed away while crossing a culvert.

“On 25/08/24, as per info received from SEOC and RAC Rajkot that a tractor has been washed away while crossing a culvert in which 19 people were onboard at Tehsil – Halvad, District,” an official statement said.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/gujarat-19-people-get-swept-away-after-tractor-overturns-in-morbi-search-on-for-9-article-112791849

CBI has sought court’s permission to put seven persons including Sanjay Roy and former principal of the medical college Sandip Ghosh through the polygraph test.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/what-accused-sanjay-roy-told-cbi-about-kolkata-doctors-rape-murder-during-polygraph-test-article-112791430 

As per the plea, these apps are addictive and have resulted in financial losses to many users, pushing some to the point of suicide.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Vijayanagar MLA M Krishnappa on Sunday inaugurated the Rs 13-crore ‘Palike Bazaar’, located next to the Vijayanagar metro station and the bus stand.

Bengaluru: South India’s first underground air-conditioned market has opened in Bengaluru.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Vijayanagar MLA M Krishnappa on Sunday inaugurated the Rs 13-crore ‘Palike Bazaar’, located next to the Vijayanagar metro station and the bus stand.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/south-indias-first-underground-ac-market-opens-in-bengaluru-3164067

Chavan who was 69, passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad, where he was undergoing treatment. The Congress MP’s last rites would be held in Nanded district around noon.

Mumbai: Congress MP from Nanded, Vasant Chavan, passed away on Monday following a prolonged illness.

Chavan who was 69, passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad, where he was undergoing treatment. The Congress MP’s last rites would be held in Nanded district around noon.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole confirmed the news of Chavan’s death.

“The news of the demise of a senior leader of Congress party, MP of Nanded Lok Sabha Constituency Vasantraoji Chavan is very shocking. He always remained loyal to the Congress party even in adverse conditions and brought the idea of the Congress party home…The entire Congress party is with the Chavan family in this grief,” he said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/vasant-chavan-congress-mp-from-nanded-lok-sabha-constituency-passes-away-at-hyderabad-hospital-3164217

Quoting a staff of the cafe, DCP Rohit Meena said some men had come to the eatery for dinner around 8.30 p.m. and one of them sat on a glass table. The cafe owner, Rohit, objected to this and a heated argument ensued, he added. Later, some more men arrived and a fight broke out during which one of them fired in the air outside of the cafe, the DCP said.

Two men were arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday night, who allegedly fired gunshots at a cafe in southwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, following an argument over sitting arrangements, officials said. The accused were identified as Ahmed (26) and Mangal (26), both residents of Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi.

Deputy Commissioner Of Police Rohit Meena Speaks On The Incident

Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Rohit Meena said a call was received by the South campus police station around 9 p.m. regarding the shooting. Beat staff from the police station reached the spot and nabbed one of the accused after a chase, he added.

Quoting a staff of the cafe, the DCP said some men had come to the eatery for dinner around 8.30 p.m. and one of them sat on a glass table. The cafe owner, Rohit, objected to this and a heated argument ensued, he added. Later, some more men arrived and a fight broke out during which one of them fired in the air outside of the cafe, the DCP said.

Police said a case was being registered in connection with the matter. According to police, initial investigation revealed that the accused came from Jahangirpuri to celebrate a birthday.

Dr Ramesh Babu Peramsetty is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are settled in the United States.

Dr Ramesh Babu Peramsetty, an Indian-origin physician from Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, was shot and killed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Friday. The details on his killer are yet not known.

Dr Ramesh, a well-respected figure in the healthcare community, was found dead at the scene. He was a prominent doctor who operated multiple hospitals across the United States and was one of the founders and medical director of the Crimson Care Network, a group of local medical officers.

Who Was Dr Ramesh Babu Peramsetty?

According to an NDTV report, Dr Ramesh had a long and distinguished career in medicine. He graduated from Sri Venkateswara Medical College in 1986 and had over 38 years of experience in the field. He specialised in Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine, working in Tuscaloosa and several other locations.

He was affiliated with the Regional Medical Center and held a Diploma in Child Health (DCH). His contributions to the medical profession, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, earned him notable recognition and he received several awards for his work.

Crimson Care Network Pays Heartfelt Tribute

The Crimson Care Network, where Dr Ramesh was a key figure, expressed deep sorrow over his passing. In a Facebook post, the team acknowledged the outpouring of love and support they had received and requested privacy for the Peramsetty family as they grieve. They also indicated that more statements would be made in the coming days to honour his memory.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/us-renowned-indian-origin-physician-dr-ramesh-peramsetty-shot-dead-in-alabama

Days after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday conducted searches on the premises of former principal Sandip Ghosh, ex-medical superintendent Sanjay Vashisth and 13 others, in and around the city. The searches were conducted at a total of 15 locations, in connection with the alleged financial irregularities at the institute.

A case against Ghosh and three Kolkata-based private entities — Ma Tara Traders of Madhya Jhorehat, Banipur, Howrah; Eshan Cafe of 4/1, Belgachia and Khama Louha, was registered by the CBI on the directions of the Calcutta High Court. The premises of all these entities, named in the First Information Report (FIR), were also searched during the operation.

FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES AT RG KAR MEDICAL COLLEGE: TOP POINTS

• The anti-corruption branch of the CBI, accompanied by central forces, arrived at Ghosh’s residence at nearly 6 am on August 25, but was made to wait for nearly one-and-half hours before he opened the doors, news agency PTI reported.
• At nearly 8 am, at least seven officials from the central probe agency began questioning Ghosh. Other CBI officials, meanwhile, grilled ex-MSVP (Medical Superintendent and Vice Principal), Sanjay Vashisth, along with another professor at the forensic-medicine department of the medical establishment, among others.
• Another team of CBI also searched the office of the ex-principal and went to the canteen in the academic building. Residences and premises of those engaged in supplying materials for the management and care of patients at the hospital were also searched.
• The search operations continued for more than 12 hours, after which the probe agency came out at nearly 8.50 pm, carrying piles of documents which they reportedly seized from the premises. When asked about the evidence, a CBI official told reporters, “bahut kuch hai,” (there is a lot).
• Following the search operation, a team of CBI officials arrived at the residence of Debabish Shom, Demonstrator, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The officials took Shom to their office at Nizam Palace. However, it was not clear if he had been arrested or detained for questioning.
• The agency has filed an FIR against Ghosh and other private entities under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, under the Indian Penal Code.
• Earlier too, Ghosh was questioned by the CBI’s special crime unit for nine consecutive days since August 16, in connection with the doctor’s rape and murder. According to CBI sources, they were trying to track the links between the two cases.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/kolkata-rape-murder-sandip-ghosh-rg-kar-medical-college-hospital-financial-irregularities-cbi-search-9027669.html

The incident took place at Doctor Hedgewar Hospital in Karkardooma on late Saturday night.

Days after the central government ordered all hospitals under it to review security protocols and increase their security force by up to 25%, a resident doctor and a medical dresser were allegedly physically assaulted by a patient’s attendant in Delhi.

The incident took place at Doctor Hedgewar Hospital in Karkardooma on late Saturday night, according to the PTI.

The doctor, who requested anonymity, told the news agency that he was attacked while he was providing critical care to the patient. He also said that the patient was intoxicated.

“Late Saturday night, around 1am, a patient with a forehead injury was brought to the hospital. I took him to the dressing room to stitch the wound. After I finished the first stitch and was working on the second, the patient suddenly pushed me and began hurling abuses,” the doctor said.

“His son, who was outside the room, came in, slapped me and they both started abusing me further.”

The incident comes days after resident doctors across the country returned to work on August 24 following an 11-day nationwide strike over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.

The clash broke out after 9 pm, with both sides engaging in a series of chases.

Violent clashes erupted between students and Ansar members near the Secretariat in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Sunday night. The confrontation left several people from both sides injured, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
The clash broke out after 9 pm, with both sides engaging in a series of chases. During the turmoil, police intervened in an attempt to restore order.

Earlier, students from various dorms of Dhaka University began gathering at the Raju Memorial Sculpture to march to the Secretariat to confront Ansar members, whom they were calling “agents of autocracy,” according to Dhaka Tribune.

This escalation followed reports that a group of Ansar members were detaining Nahid Islam, an adviser in the interim government and coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination movement, along with coordinators Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, and others, at the Secretariat.

Student Protest Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah in a Facebook post blamed former director general of Ansar, Maj Gen AKM Aminul Haque, for a continued blockade of the Secretariat, even after the demands of protesting Ansar members were met. Hasnat also urged everyone to gather in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University, Dhaka Tribune reported.

AKM Aminul Haque is the elder brother of former deputy minister of water resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim.

Hasnat Abdullah on his Facebook wrote, “Everyone, come to Raju. The autocratic forces are trying to make a comeback through the Ansar force. Even after their demands were met, we were kept locked in the Secretariat.”

The top prize for the lottery is a whopping Rs 1 crore. We at FPJ are keeping track of the results. If you have bought a lottery ticket and want to know the winners, you can find the list here.

Nagaland State Lottery results for Dear Stork Saturday Night Lottery at 8 PM will be announced today, August 24, 2024. The top prize for the lottery is a whopping Rs 1 crore. We at FPJ are keeping track of the results. If you have bought a lottery ticket and want to know the winners, you can find the list here.

You can view the results for the Dear Stork Saturday Weekly Lottery August 24, 2024, here:

Official websites to check the lucky draw

The users can also check the results on the official website of the Nagaland State Lottery on www.nagalandlotteries.com, www.lotterysambad.com and www.nagalandlotterysambad.com and follow the steps.

Playing lottery is legal in only 13 states in India

Lottery is legal in 13 states in the country. These states consist of Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram. Among these states, the lotteries of West Bengal State Lottery and Nagaland State Lottery are highly reputed as the prize money in these state lotteries are high. The first prize in the Nagaland State Lottery and West Bengal State Lottery amounts to Rs 1 crore. The poor can also afford to buy the tickets of Sikkim State Lottery, Nagaland State Lottery and West Bengal State Lottery as the prize of the ticket is as low as Rs 6 and the winning prize is huge.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/nagaland-state-lottery-result-august-24-2024-8-pm-live-watch-streaming-of-winners-list-of-dear-stork-sambad-night-saturday-weekly-draw

In the viral video posted on X, one can see a schoolgirl being mercilessly beaten up by a group of girls in broad daylight. The girls can be seen abusing her, throwing punches, pulling the victim’s hair and also kicking her simultaneously during the assault.

A disturbing video has surfaced on the internet from Mumbai showing scenes of brutal assault against a school-going girl by a group of other girls. According to reports, the video is said to be shot in the Yari Road area of Versova.

Video Shows Brutal Assault

In the viral video posted on X by activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, one can see a schoolgirl being mercilessly beaten up by a group of girls in broad daylight. The girls can be seen abusing her, throwing punches, pulling the victim’s hair and also kicking her simultaneously during the assault.

The victim somehow frees herself from the attackers and reaches to her friend. However, the girls once again grab her and continue the assault, this time, dragging her near a puddle in an attempt to throw her into dirty waters.

The whole scene of assault is caught on video showing no one coming to the poor girl’s rescue, including her schoolmate accompanying her. The girls involved in assaulting the schoolgirl were accompanied by a couple of boys who enjoyed the scene rather than stopping their friends.

A few passersby also didn’t bother to intervene and rescue the girl from the brutal assault. The video finally concludes with the school girl leaving with her friend and the group of girls who attacked her continue their abuse.

Activist Tags Mumbai Police To Bring Matter To Notice

Activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, who shared the video captioned it, “A school going girl studying at a school in yari road in Mumbai mercilessly beaten up by a girl gang.” She also tagged the Mumbai Police’s official account on X in order to bring the assault to their notice.

The video has gone viral on the internet with many demanding action against the group of girls involved in the assault. However, there are no confirmed reports of when did the incident take place or any sort of action taken against the accused girls.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-viral-video-school-student-abused-brutally-thrashed-by-group-of-girls-in-versovas-yari-road-area-netizens-demand-strict-action

Singh is in the US on a four-day official visit to further boost the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the US and India.

Washington: India and the US look forward to working together and benefiting from each other’s experiences, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said, as he visited a top American naval surface warfare facility in Maryland.

Singh is in the US on a four-day official visit to further boost the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the US and India.

“Visited the Naval Surface Warfare Centre at Carderock and witnessed the pathbreaking experiments at the facility,” Singh said in a post on X.

“India and the US look forward to work together and benefit from each other’s experiences,” he wrote after he visited the top American naval facility on Saturday.

Earlier during the visit, Singh met the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.

Austin praised the momentum behind the US-India relationship during the meeting with Singh.

He noted the countries’ increased cooperation on a range of defence issues, including efforts to strengthen critical supply chains and interoperability between their militaries.

“We share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and our defence cooperation continues to grow stronger and stronger,” Austin said.

“We’re expanding our defence industrial ties and working to co-produce more capabilities and strengthen supply chain resilience,” he said.

He said that the countries have increased operational cooperation across all domains and highlighted India’s participation in this summer’s Rim of the Pacific, a large-scale exercise led by the US Navy in Hawaii that brought together 29 partner nations.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-us-look-forward-to-working-together-defence-minister-rajnath-singh-3163567

At least 7 officers of the CBI have been questioning Ghosh at his Beliaghata residence since 8 am, while others are grilling Vashisth, the former medical superintendent and vice principal of the hospital, and another professor of the forensic department of the medical establishment, among others.

CBI sleuths on Sunday launched search operations on the premises of former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, ex-MSVP Sanjay Vashisth and 13 others in and around Kolkata in connection with their probe into alleged financial irregularities at the institute, officials said.

The anti-corruption unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also searching the residences and offices of those engaged in supplying materials for management and care of patients.

At least seven officers of the central probe agency have been questioning Ghosh at his Beliaghata residence since 8 am, while others are grilling Vashisth, the former medical superintendent and vice principal of the hospital, and another professor of the forensic department of the medical establishment, among others, they said.

Accompanied by a huge team of central forces, the CBI team, which reached Ghosh’s residence around 6 am, was made to wait for nearly one-and-half hours before he opened the doors, the officials said.

Another team of CBI officers also conducted searches at the ex-principal’s office at the hospital and also went to the canteen in the academic building.

A postgraduate trainee woman doctor was allegedly raped and murder in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9, following which a Kolkata Police civic volunteer was arrested.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/financial-irregularities-cbi-searches-at-premises-of-former-principal-of-rg-kar-medical-college-3163563

Delhi Police has registered an FIR after a porn video was displayed on a digital advertisement board in the Connaught Place area, officials said on Saturday.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), under whose jurisdiction the area falls, issued a statement saying it could be a case of ”hacking” the screen by using advanced technology.

The matter came to fore when passersby spotted the video being run on one of the LED screens put up for advertisements in Connaught Place’s H Block on Thursday night, the officials said.

The video clip spanning a few seconds was later removed from the board with the help of NDMC officials, a police officer said.

The NDMC said it operates two type of panels in the areas under its jurisdiction– one for advertisement and another an interactive touchscreen.

”Both panels are of international standard and controlled by a server which is completely secured with a firewall and antivirus. We are also providing hotspots free of cost for public usage in the NDMC areas,” the statement read.

The civic body said this incident is ”one of its kind”, adding that it is trying to find out how the firewall was breached.

The NDMC said it has put up advertisement boards at 50 locations under its jurisdiction.

It pointed out that a board at only one of these locations was breached and there was no issue at other places, somebody might have hacked the particular LED board ”using some advance technique” which the civic body is ”trying to find out”.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/porn-video-runs-on-ad-board-in-delhis-connaught-place-ndmc-suspects-hacking-9027074.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) aligns with the government’s commitment to the well-being of government employees and ensures a secure future for them.

“We are proud of the hard work of all government employees who contribute significantly to national progress. The Unified Pension Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for government employees, aligning with our commitment to their well-being and a secure future,” PM Modi said in a social media post, shortly after the Union Cabinet announced that under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) government employees will now be eligible to get 50 percent of the average basic pay drawn over the last 12 months before the superannuation as pension.

The latest pension scheme for government employees, the UPS, includes a provision for a fixed assured pension, unlike the New Pension Scheme (NPS), which does not guarantee a fixed pension amount.

Central government employees will have the option to choose between staying in the National Pension Scheme (NPS) or switching to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). Similarly, state governments can decide whether to adopt the new UPS module.

The Union Cabinet on Saturday also approved an assured 50 percent of salary as pension for 23 lakh government employees who joined service under the National Pension System (NPS).

The National Pension System is applicable for government employees joining the service after April 1, 2004. It was based on the premise of contribution rather than defined benefit applicable for employees prior to the NPS.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/ensures-dignity-financial-security-pm-modi-on-unified-pension-scheme-for-govt-employees-9026938.html

The father of the 14 year old girl who was raped in Nagaon, Assam spoke out about the state of the victim and the need to properly punish those accused

The father of the 14-year old girl who was gang-raped in Nagaon, Assam on August 22, said that his daughter could barely talk when he met her after the incident.

The minor is currently admitted at the Nagaon Medical College and Hospital, where she was taken after locals found her in a semi-conscious state on Thursday evening near the main road leading to her village. The area had no lights and was surrounded by only paddy fields.

The girl lived with her grandparents and her aunt as her father worked in Guwahati and her mother had passed away. Her grandmother said she had been worried on Friday when the girl did not return from tuition classes in another village, around 6 kilometers away.

Her cousin stated that she was the only girl in the village who travelled to another school to study as it was an English medium institution. The teen did not have a mobile phone and when she didn’t return home at 6 pm, her grandmother found out from a friend that she had left from her tuitions long back.

Her father returned from Guwahati that night and said, “When I met her, she couldn’t even talk… Everyone in our village is in fear,” he told The Indian Express.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-rape-father-says-traumatised-teen-victim-couldnt-talk-101724543127919.html

A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items that you should check out

On Saturday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) unveiled its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, promising to restore Jammu and Kashmir to its “original status” and advocate for regional cooperation between India and Pakistan. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti presented the manifesto at the party headquarters in Srinagar, alongside senior leaders. The manifesto emphasizes the party’s commitment to reinstating the constitutional guarantees that were previously removed, ensuring the protection of the region’s rights, and addressing the concerns of its people. This release marks a significant step in the PDP’s electoral strategy, reflecting its focus on regional autonomy and diplomatic engagement. Dig Deeper

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s concerns about the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project in a letter dated August 21. Yadav assured that “exemplary mitigation measures” have been implemented to minimize environmental impact, while balancing strategic, national, and defense interests. He responded to worries about forest diversion by highlighting that despite the project’s impact, 82% of Great Nicobar remains under protected forests, eco-sensitive zones, and biosphere reserves. This, Yadav noted, exceeds the norm of maintaining two-thirds of the area under forest cover, reinforcing the project’s adherence to environmental regulations. Dig Deeper

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/morning-brief-pdp-promises-to-restore-j-k-s-original-status-union-minister-defends-great-nicobar-project-and-more-101724553737752.html

Here’s a brief round-up of the global media’s coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine and his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky

The global media has covered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine and his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky as a positive step. PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ukraine since its independence in 1991.

Here’s your 5-point cheat sheet to this story

1. The New York Times: “Mr Modi has carefully calibrated his country’s relations with the two warring nations. On a trip to Moscow last month, Mr Modi hugged President Putin, and India has remained an important trading partner with Russia. India sent a representative to a Ukrainian-organised peace summit in June that Kyiv hoped would win backing for its negotiating positions in potential talks. But India did not join the nations that signed a communique at the end of the summit supporting three points of the Ukrainian plan.”
2. BBC: “India had never been neutral in the war, he [PM Modi] insisted. ‘Right from the first day our side was peace,’ Mr Modi argued, pointing out that he came from the land of Mahatma Gandhi, whose statue in Kyiv he visited earlier. But behind the language, the fact remains that India has never condemned Russia’s full scale invasion and, in effect, has been helping to power Moscow’s war economy with Delhi overtaking Beijing last month as the biggest importer of Russian oil – at a time it has been hit by Western sanctions.’
3. The Guardian: “The trip is the first to Ukraine by an Indian leader since the country’s 1991 independence from the Soviet Union. It follows a period of strained relations. Zelenskiy criticised Modi’s recent trip to Moscow, which came on the same day Russian missiles flattened a children’s hospital in Kyiv.”
4. Nikkei Asia: “Despite Western pressure, India has not explicitly condemned traditional ally and weapons supplier Russia for invading Ukraine. Instead, it has repeatedly called for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. At the same time, the South Asian country has been doing brisk business with Moscow, particularly through buying discounted Russian oil.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/foreign-media-on-pm-narendra-modi-and-volodymyr-zelensky-meeting-in-ukraine-5-points-6406391

The CCTV footage showed his wife and minor children were present in the room where Sukhchain Singh, an American resident, was attacked. His family was seen pleading to the attackers with folded hands.

A non-resident Indian (NRI) was shot at by armed attackers at his home on the outskirts of Amritsar in Punjab today. The unidentified attackers entered his house and fired three bullets at him in front of his family members. The attack was captured on CCTV.

The CCTV footage showed his wife and minor children were present in the room where Sukhchain Singh, an American resident, was attacked. His family was seen pleading to the attackers with folded hands.

Mr Singh was approached by the attackers who asked him to enter a room in his house at Daburji village They asked him for ransom. When he resisted, they fired at him. The bullets hit him in the head and near the chest. He was rushed to a hospital in Amritsar with critical injuries.

Investigation is underway for the incident, with the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav instructing the Police Commissioner of Amritsar to ensure the swift arrest of the attackers.

Special DGP Rajender Dhoke, who has also been assigned to oversee the investigation, is expected to arrive in Amritsar later today. The police are actively pursuing leads through the CCTV footage as they intensify their search for the criminals.

In response to the incident, Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler expressed grave concerns about the worsening security situation in Punjab. “It is not without reason that the Punjab chief minister has to stand behind a bullet-proof shielding glass during his speech. Today’s incident demonstrates gangsters continue to roam freely in Punjab,” he said. He held the Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann accountable for today’s incident and demanded his resignation.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/amritsar-news/attackers-barge-in-to-nris-residence-in-amritsar-fire-shots-demand-ransom-6407999

Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni said he would have demolished the N-Convention Centre himself if the court where the matter is pending had decided against him, but the court had ordered an interim stay on the demolition work

Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni has strongly condemned the authorities in Hyderabad for what he claimed was “unlawful” demolition of his N-Convention Centre in the city’s Madhapur neighbourhood.

He said he would have demolished the structure himself if the court where the matter is pending had decided against him, but the court had ordered an interim stay on the demolition work.

The authorities had said the N-Convention Centre was allegedly built on encroached land which is part of Tammidikunta lake.

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), the municipal body, town planning, irrigation and revenue departments have been removing encroachments from the buffer zones of the lake. The N-Convention Centre was one of the unauthorised structures, the authorities said in a statement.

Responding to the demolition of his project, Nagarjuna Akkineni said he will go to court against the “wrong actions carried out by the authorities.”

“Pained by the unlawful manner of demolition carried out in respect of N Convention, contrary to existing stay orders and court cases. I thought it fit to issue this statement to place on record certain facts for protecting my reputation and to indicate that we have not done any actions in violation of law,” Nagarjuna Akkineni said in a post on X.

“The land is a patta land, and not even an inch of tank plan is encroached. In respect of the building constructed inside the private land, there is a stay order granted against any earlier illegal notice for demolition,” Nagarjuna Akkineni said, referring to the Telangana High Court’s interim order halting the demolition of N-Convention Centre, following a petition by the facility’s management.

“Today clearly, the demolition was carried out wrongfully based on misinformation. No notice was issued prior to carrying out the demolition this morning. As a law-abiding citizen, if the court before which the matter is pending, had decided against me, I would have carried out the demolition myself,” the actor said.

“I am placing this on record for the purpose of correcting any public misimpression about wrongful constructions or encroachment by us. We would be seeking appropriate relief from the court in relation to the wrong actions carried out by the authorities,” he said.

According to the HYDRAA, in 2014, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) issued a notification for Tammidikunta lake describing its buffer zones. N-Convention had then approached the high court. The final notification was issued in 2016.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/hyderabad-news/would-have-demolished-n-convention-centre-myself-actor-nagarjuna-slams-hyderabad-civic-bodies-6412817

Amit Shah said that along with fighting problem of Naxalism, the security forces are also monitoring the development works in the left extremism affected areas.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government will be able to free the country from the menace of Naxalism by March 2026. Amit Shah also said that a strong and ruthless strategy is required for the final assault against Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The home minister also said Naxal violence is a challenge to democracy and the menace has claimed about 17,000 lives in the country.

“100% saturation of Central govt and Chhattisgarh govt’s schemes in the naxal affected areas, the progress of infrastructure projects in such areas and to remove the challenges faced during such projects, this meeting was for that. Time has come to carry out the final assault along with ruthless politics to tackle leftism and naxalism”, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.

“In the first 10 years, 6617 security personnel and citizens were killed and now there has been a 70% reduction. Similarly, we have witnessed a 69 per cent reduction in the deaths of citizens. I believe that our fight has reached the end phase and by March 2026, we will be able to free the country completely from naxalism,” Shah added.

He added, “We were successful in generating faith in development against the ideology of left-wing extremism among people. We worked for two purposes, one to establish the rule of law and develop the region”.

Urging Naxals to shun violence, Shah announced that the Chhattisgarh government would announce a ”new look” surrender policy in 1-2 months.

Amit Shah said that the ‘Bastariya Battalion’ was raised in CRPF in 2017 in which all the jawans were from the Bastar region. He said that after taking approval from the Union Cabinet, 400 tribal soldiers from Dantewada, Sukma and Bijapur were recruited in this battalion under a special campaign in 2022.

Union Home Minister said that along with fighting this problem, the security forces are also monitoring the development works in the left extremism affected areas. He said that in the last 10 years of Modi government, a lot of work has been done in Chhattisgarh towards connectivity, road construction and financial adjustment.

Source : https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/will-be-able-to-free-country-of-naxalism-by-march-2026-time-for-final-assault-amit-shah-12805931.html

Gandhi Hospital has been designated as the referral centre for suspected monkeypox cases in Telangana. The hospital has established a dedicated isolation ward with 14 beds, seven each for male and female patients.

B Ravinder Nayak, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, announced that the central government has supplied Telangana with 100 RT-PCR testing kits for monkeypox, which are now available at Gandhi Hospital’s testing lab.

“As of now, no cases have been reported in the State. However, all necessary measures are in place for early detection and management of any potential cases,” he stated.

On August 19, Minister for Health C Damodar Raja Narasimha conducted a review of the State’s preparedness for monkeypox.

Dr. Nayak added, “As a precautionary measure, the Telangana government has ensured that all hospitals are equipped and are on alert to detect, isolate, and treat any cases that may arise.”

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/monkeypox-isolation-ward-set-up-at-gandhi-hospital/article68562201.ece

The Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had earlier refused to grant the Delhi Chief Minister interim bail; today, it adjourned the case to September 5.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday told the Supreme Court that Arvind Kejriwal is likely to tamper with evidence and hamper its ongoing probe in the Delhi Excise Policy case, if he is released on interim bail [Arvind Kejriwal v. Central Bureau of Investigation]

The CBI stated the same in an affidavit in response to the plea filed by the jailed Delhi Chief Minister to quash his arrest by the central agency and to release him on interim bail.

“Being a prominent politician and Chief Minister of Delhi, the Petitioner is very influential, and he may influence the witnesses and evidences already exposed before him during the custodial interrogation and also the potential witnesses. He would also likely tamper with the evidence to be further collected and may hamper the ongoing investigation.”

The CBI added,

“The Petitioner is simply attempting to politically sensationalize the case before this Hon’ble Court, despite repeated orders passed by various courts being prima facie satisfied of the commission of the offences herein, for which cognizance already has been taken. Such unwarranted averments are liable to be discarded.”

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan today adjourned the case to September 5, to enable the filing of a rejoinder as well a counter-affidavit opposing the grant of bail to Kejriwal.

The Delhi High Court had on August 5 refused Kejriwal’s pleas in this regard, and asked him to approach the trial court for bail.

This has led to the instant appeals by Kejriwal before the apex court.

The Supreme Court had on August 14 sought the response of the CBI in the matter, but refused bail at that stage.

The CBI arrested Kejriwal on June 26 while he was in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

He and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders are accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy to create loopholes in the Delhi Excise Policy to favour some liquor sellers. The investigation agencies have alleged that the funds garnered from this exercise were used to fund the AAP’s election campaign in Goa.

He was first arrested by ED on March 26, but was later granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the ED case.

However, he continues to remain in jail since he is yet to get bail in the CBI case.

Kejriwal had filed two separate petitions before the Delhi High Court – one seeking interim bail and another challenging his arrest by the CBI.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/india-threats-neighbours-must-learn-bangladesh-crisis-bci-chairman-manan-mishra

The prime suspect in the alleged rape of a minor girl in Assam drowned on Saturday morning after jumping into a pond while attempting to escape the police.

The incident took place in Dhing, Nagaon district, where the accused, Tafazzul Islam, drowned in a pond near the crime scene, sources told News18.

According to the Assam Police, Islam, who was arrested on Friday, was taken to the crime scene for a re-enactment around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday.

“The accused escaped from police custody and jumped into the pond. A search operation was launched immediately and his body was recovered after nearly two hours,” a police official told PTI.

On Thursday, a 14-year-old girl, a class 10 student, was allegedly gang-raped by three men in Dhing. She was found in a semi-conscious state near a pond with her bicycle beside her.

Police stated that the incident took place around 8 p.m. when the girl was returning home from tuition on her bicycle.

Three men arrived on a motorcycle, surrounded the girl, and allegedly raped her. They then left her injured and unconscious by the roadside near a pond. The class 10 student was later rescued by local residents, who notified the police.

She was initially taken to a health centre in Dhing and later shifted to a hospital in Nagaon for treatment and medical examination.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/key-suspect-in-assam-teen-gang-rape-drowns-in-pond-while-trying-to-escape-police-9025952.html

Sources in Mantralaya said the report highlighted the school’s negligence in filing an FIR against the accused

In a detailed 50-page report submitted to the state government regarding the Badlapur school sexual assault case, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has highlighted several serious issues, including the failure of the school management to act within 48 hours after the parents of the two four-year-old survivors reported the incident.

According to the commission’s findings, the school principal informed the management about one of the incidents on August 14, but the authorities did not engage with parents for two days. HT had reported about this on August 22.

The report also stated that even though the management was made aware of the second case on August 16, when the parents approached the school with the police and a political party worker, the authorities failed to take cognisance of the first case and approach the police, which led to a delay in criminal action.

Sources in Mantralaya said the report highlighted the school’s negligence in filing an FIR against the accused. It also identified multiple lapses in the school, such as the girls’ washroom being in an isolated area away from the staff room, and the pathway leading to classrooms not being covered by CCTV. The report stated that the accused, a cleaning staff member, and other employees were seen walking around the school premises without any identification cards.

The report also highlighted the school management’s failure to comply with several safety guidelines for students, including insufficient CCTV cameras on the premises.

Sources further revealed that the report was submitted to state education minister Deepak Kesarkar on Friday. A copy will soon be provided to chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

State forms another committee

The state government on Friday formed a committee under the chairmanship of Women and Child Development Commissioner Dr Prashant Naranvare tasked with proposing additional measures to improve children’s safety in schools.

Kesarkar, who held a meeting with Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare and other department officials, said, “This committee should immediately listen to the suggestions of NGOs working in the fields of citizens’ rights and education, and female students and propose additional measures. All schools should be connected to the commissionerate. At least one interactive TV should be provided to every school, and students should be trained through it. This training should be included as a fun Saturday activity, teaching students to recognise good and bad touch.”

Tatkare added that the government plans to include good-touch-bad-touch lessons in the curriculum, which will be taught through animated films.

Meanwhile, Kesarkar informed that his department suspended the Thane district education officer, Balasaheb Rakshe, for not reporting the Badlapur incident on time. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s education officer, Rajesh Kankal, was also suspended for not installing CCTV cameras in civic schools in the city.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/badlapur-sexual-assault-state-child-rights-commission-highlights-several-lapses-by-school-101724441093715.html

NEET PG Result 2024 Out: The candidates can view their NEET PG 2024 scores from the official NBEMS website– natboard.edu.in.

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has declared the result for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024. The candidates who appeared for the test can view their scores from the official NBEMS website — natboard.edu.in.

NBEMS said there will be no re-evaluation, rechecking, or re-totaling of the responses marked by candidates.

The qualifying cutoff percentile for the general or EWS category for the NEET PG exam 2024 is 50th, while for the SC/ST/OBC (including PwD of SC/ST/OBC), it is 40th and for UR PwD, it is 45th.

The students must download and take a print of the NEET PG results and keep a copy for the future. The validity of the result of NEET PG 2024 will be only for the current admission session — 2024-25, for admission to MD/MS/PG Diploma courses and cannot be carried forward for the next session of admissions.

The entrance exam was conducted on August 11 in two shifts.

NEET PG 2024: Tie-breaking criteria

In the event of two or more candidates obtaining the same score, the merit position shall be determined using following tiebreaker criteria in descending order:

1. Candidate having greater number of correct responses in the question paper will be placed at a better merit position.
2. Candidate having lesser number of negative responses in the question paper will be placed at a better merit position.
3. Older candidate will be placed at better merit position.
4. Candidate securing higher aggregate marks (in percentage) in all MBBS Professional Examinations will be placed at a better merit position. In case of Indian citizens/ OCI who have obtained their primary medical qualifications from outside India, their FMG Examination marks (in percentage) shall be considered in lieu of aggregate marks (in percentage) in all MBBS professional examination.

Source : https://indianexpress.com/article/education/neet-pg-result-2024-declared-neet-pg-scorecard-nbems-cutoff-natboard-edu-in-9502766

Following the ban on over 150 cocktail drugs, all eyes are on the next move of top pharmaceutical brands like Cipla and JB Pharma as they also sell medicines which fall under the banned category.

The central government has banned 156 cocktail drugs, also known as Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) — many of which you might have at home. These banned products include those used for hair growth, skin care, pain relief, cold and flu medicines, multivitamins, antiparasitic, antiallergic, antibiotics and more.

Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) are medicines that combine more than one drug in a single pill and are also referred to as “cocktail” medicines.

The list in the ban notification issued by the government includes a combination of “Cetirizine + Paracetamol+ Phenylephrine” which is one of the popular combinations used in the treatment of common cold and used to relieve symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, pain and fever.

Under this category, Cipla sells Cheston Cold as well as Alerid Cold. The brand ‘Cheston Cold’ featured among the “anchor consumer brands in India” list in an investor presentation of the Mumbai-based drugmaker in 2022. The brand registered 33 per cent year-on-year growth in 2022. JB Pharma’s Ifimol 3C also falls under the same combination. Tweaking the dosage a bit, Glenmark’s Glenrest Cold also uses the same combination.

Another combination of “Aceclofenac (50mg) + Paracetamol (125mg)” part of the list is sold by several drug makers to lower fever, body pain and inflammation among infants and children – both in tablet and syrup format. Intas Pharmaceuticals’ Nimucet AF Suspension is a popular brand in this category.

News18 attempted to contact all of these drug manufacturers via email and messages to understand which brands are affected and their potential next steps, but received no replies. This story will be updated if any of the pharmaceutical companies respond.

Drugmakers Silent But Their Lobbies Support Move

While drugmakers continue to evaluate the impact of the government’s announcement on their products and revenues, their lobbies support the government’s move of banning FDCs calling it a move in the right direction and public interest.

According to Sudarshan Jain, Secretary-General of India’s largest lobby of domestic drug makers, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) “the discussion on FDC is going on over a period of time with recommendation from Kokate committee and Nilima Kshirsagar committee.”

“This is a right step in the interest of patients and all aspects have been taken into consideration,” he told News18 on Thursday when the list of banned FDCs was released.

IPA represents top pharma companies in India including Cipla, Alkem, Glenmark, Intas, Ipca, Lupin, and Sun Pharma among others.

Similarly, the lobby of 100 generic drug makers have requested Union Health Minister JP Nadda for permission to sell already manufactured stock of prohibited FDCs with a commitment to cease further production.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/top-selling-cold-flu-drugs-may-go-off-shelves-in-india-as-govt-bans-156-cocktail-medicines-9025973.html

Modi-Zelensky meet: The hand over the shoulder gesture is being seen as PM Modi’s assurance of India’s solidarity with Ukraine amid a fierce Russian assault.

Around six weeks ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hug and firm handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin became one of the lasting images from his trip to Moscow amid criticism from the West and Ukraine. On Friday, in the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine, Modi took it up a notch higher, sharing a warm hug with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and keeping his hand on his shoulder as the duo visited a memorial for children killed in the war.

The hand over the shoulder gesture is being seen as PM Modi’s assurance of India’s solidarity with Ukraine amid a fierce Russian assault, which is now in its third year. Zelenskyy was seen getting emotional as they toured the war-torn country’s Martyrologist Exposition.

The camaraderie comes weeks after PM Modi’s visit to Moscow, his first since the war began, did not resonate well with the West. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, said India’s relationship with America should not be “taken for granted”.

Zelenskyy was particularly critical, saying he was “disappointed to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow”. Modi’s visit to Moscow also coincided with the bombing of a children’s hospital in Kyiv, further angering the West and Ukraine.

At a press briefing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave a curt reply to a BBC reporter who questioned him on Modi’s hug with Putin.

“It may not be part of your culture. It is part of our culture. We do embrace. We seem to have a slight cultural gap on what these curtsies mean,” Jaishankar said.

DECODING OPTICS OF PM MODI’S UKRAINE VISIT

The optics of PM Modi’s Ukraine and Russia visits, however, had one stark difference. During his Moscow visit, Modi paid respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and did not visit any memorial for Russian soldiers who died in the war.

On Friday, PM Modi visited the Martyrologist exposition on children at the National Museum of History of Ukraine in Kyiv. It was set up in memory of children who had lost their lives in the conflict.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said PM Modi expressed “sorrow at the tragic loss of young lives” and, as a mark of respect, placed a toy in their memory.

A crowd had gathered at the site, with some carrying placards reading, “Ancient India should save the world”.

In Russia, after the two leaders hugged each other, Modi and Putin were seen chatting over tea at the President’s dacha and watching a horse show. Putin was also seen driving PM Modi around his residence in a golf cart.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-modi-ukraine-president-zelenskyy-hug-russia-vladimir-putin-gesture-2586853-2024-08-23

A two-year-old child in Meghalaya has been confirmed to have polio, raising concerns as India was declared polio-free by WHO in 2014. WHO is looking into the vaccine-derived infection cases

As the world, including India, grapples with rising Mpox cases, the reports of a two-year-old Meghalayan child testing positive for polio, a highly contagious viral disease that can even result in fatal paralysis, is worrying the authorities. However, the health ministry officials said the case was vaccine-derived and there was no cause for concern.

Even though this case does not put India’s polio-free status in jeopardy, the West Garo Hills region where it was discovered is on high alert to prevent the infection from spreading.

What is vaccine-derived polio infection?

A strain that is related to the virus’s weaker form and is used in the oral polio drops for vaccination is called a vaccine-derived poliovirus. Despite the fact that the vaccine is safe and has helped the majority of nations successfully eradicate the infection, it can, in very rare cases, trigger the disease in children who don’t have a strong immune system.

The vaccine virus can get excreted while triggering an immune response in the body, and undergo genetic changes over time, in the bloodstream.

Dr T Jacob John, former professor of virology at Christian Medical College Vellore stated that, “The oral polio vaccine can lead to vaccine-derived polio strains in two ways. One, the weakened virus can continue circulating from child to child, gaining back its ability to transmit quickly and cause severe infection every time it spreads. Two, the vaccine virus can cause chronic infection in children with weakened immune systems, replicating in their gut for years and slowly gaining its ability to cause severe infection. In the Meghalaya case, it seems like the virus replicated within one child. It is easier to control further spread of such vaccine-derived variants because the other children in the area are likely fully immunised”.

He further added, “One in every 150,000 children given the vaccine in India gets the infection from it.” Therefore, even if all children in the area have been fully immunised, health professionals would still need to re-immune them as a preventative measure.

Has India previously seen cases of polio caused by vaccines?

In 2011, the Howrah district of West Bengal was the location of the nation’s recent wild poliovirus infection. In 2014, the nation was declared polio-free after successfully preventing any wild polio infections. However, cases of polio caused by the vaccine have been reported during this time.

In 2013, a child with immuno-deficiency who was 11 months old and lived in the Beed district of Maharashtra died of vaccine-derived polio. It was also reported in a child from Delhi who was 2.5 years old. In 2022, polio virus derived from vaccines was found in sewage samples in Kolkata. In India, these aren’t the only cases of polio caused by the vaccine.

Unless cases of wild poliovirus infection are identified, India will continue to be a polio-free nation.

Worldwide cases of Polio

There have been 72 confirmed cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus cases in 2024, with 68 type 2 infections and four type 1 infections, according to WHO data. 30 (42%) of the 72 cases in 2024 took place in Nigeria. The vaccine-derived poliovirus has been found in the environment in Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe but no cases have been reported there.

In 2023, there were 527 confirmed cases of vaccine-derived polio, 393 of which were type 2 infections and 134 of type 1. In 2023, 224 (43%) of the 527 vaccine-related cases reported occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Government response and concerns over Polio in India

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has focused on the gravity of the condition, mentioning that the government is carefully reviewing the case prior to issuing an official statement and planning an action. “We need to be very careful. The government is still determining the specifics of the case, and we will come up with an official statement and plan of action shortly,” Sangma stated.

One of the clusters in which the suspected case was found has a significant number of unvaccinated residents, highlighting the significance of ongoing surveillance and vaccination efforts.

Source : https://www.business-standard.com/health/as-the-world-grapples-with-rising-mpox-cases-india-detects-a-polio-case-124082200959_1.html

Nepal bus accident: The bus was travelling from the tourist city of Pokhara to the capital Kathmandu when the accident happened.

At least 27 Indian nationals were killed and another 16 got injured after a bus carrying tourists plunged off a Nepali highway and into a river on Friday. The victims, mostly from Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, were travelling as part of a pilgrimage group when their bus veered off the highway and plunged into the fast-flowing Marsyangdi River.

“We are deeply pained by the tragic death of 27 Indian nationals in a road accident in Tanahun district of Nepal. We convey our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” the ministry of external affairs said on X.

The ministry confirmed that 16 others were injured in the accident, all of whom have been airlifted to Kathmandu for medical treatment.

The bus, which was en route from Pokhara to Kathmandu, was carrying 43 passengers when the accident occurred. Nepalese authorities, supported by local rescue teams, faced significant challenges as they battled the raging river currents to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of those who died.

Who were the victims of Nepal bus accident?

The Maharashtra government identified 16 persons from Jalgaon as “reported deceased”. Ramjeet alias Munna, Sarla Rane (42), Bharti Jawade (62), Tulshiram Tawade (62), Sarla Tawade (62), Sandeep Sarode (45), Pallavi Sarode (43), Anup Sarode (22), Ganesh Bharambe (40), Nilima Dhande (57), Pankaj Bhangade (45), Pari Bharambe (8 years) , Anita Patil, Vijaya Jhawade (50), Rohini Jhawade (51) and Prakash Kodi reportedly died in the accident, it said.

The Indian Embassy has set up emergency helpline numbers to facilitate communication and support.

“They are in constant touch with local authorities and with affected families and are making arrangement for early transportation of mortal remains to India. Embassy would be giving regular updates on the matter,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Friday’s accident is the latest in a series of deadly road incidents in Nepal. Just a month ago, two buses with 59 passengers on board were swept into a river by a landslide in Chitwan district.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nepal-accident-27-indian-tourists-killed-16-injured-after-bus-falls-into-river-101724428804426.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that India was ‘never neutral’ in its stance on the ongoing war between Russia-Ukraine and had chosen the side of ‘peace’ since the onset of the conflict.

“India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace,” PM Modi said during his meeting with Zelensky.

He reiterated to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky India’s willingness to facilitate early return to peace during his three-hour meeting with the latter and also urged the warring parties to engage with one another through dialogue and diplomacy as tools to resolve the conflict.

“I assure you that whatever the need may be from a humanitarian point of view, India will always stand with you and will be two steps ahead,” PM Modi said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine seeks India’s continued cooperation in the process to restore peace in the region through the Ukrainian Peace Summit. He said that it is important that nations respect the UN charter.

Actor Payel Mukherjee alleged that she was attacked by a biker after a “minor accident” on a Kolkata road.

Actor Payel Mukherjee today alleged that she was attacked by a biker after a “minor accident” on a Kolkata road. Taking to her official social media accounts, she shared a video while sitting in the damaged car and said that a man stopped his two-wheeler before her on Southern Avenue after a “minor accident”, and asked her to come out of the vehicle. The police said it was a “road traffic accident” and the accused person had been arrested.
“As I refused to come out fearing for my safety, the man banged against the glass on my right side window and broke it into pieces injuring my hand,” Ms Mukherjee said while sobbing in the video.

According to the news agency PTI, the man said that Payel’s car grazed past his bike and that he apologised to the police for the incident.

“I don’t know where we stand now. If a woman can be accosted and heckled in such a way in a crowded street in the evening, then that exemplifies the real situation. And this happens amid rallies taken out all over the city on the issue of women’s safety,” the actor, who is also a known face in the south film industry, said in the video in Bangla.

She also said that there was no minimum safety for women in Kolkata despite the situation right now.

“I shudder to think what would have happened to me had this incident taken place in a deserted spot,” Ms Banerjee added.

In another video, she showed the bike involved in the accident and asked “if anyone can see any damage”.

The police responded to her social media post and said that they “swiftly intervened” and arrested the accused.

“Today evening a renowned Bengali actress was seen live-streaming an incident of RTA (road traffic accident) and hooliganism at Southern Avenue on social media. The on-duty police of Tollygunge police station swiftly intervened and the accused person had been arrested from the spot,” a senior police official said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/payel-mukherjee-actor-says-she-was-attacked-by-a-biker-in-kolkata-amid-rape-murder-protests-if-a-woman-can-6405635

The SPG team was totally on alert during the 7-hour visit of PM to Kyiv and BR shields were unfolded to foil any sniper as PM Modi walked into the Peace Park

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered tributes to Mahatma Gandhi statue at Oasis of Peace Park in Kyiv, the sleuths of Special Protection Group (SPG) deployed the bullet-resistant shields to protect the Indian PM after anti-India sentiment in Ukraine was conveyed by the Indian diaspora.

No less than 60 SPG commandos led by Director SPG Alok Sharma were deployed at the Mahatma Gandhi statue venue after the PM’s team was told about the anti-India sentiment prevailing in Ukraine due to New Delhi’s perceived proximity to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

During PM Modi’s meeting with the Indian diaspora, it was conveyed that Indians were facing a tough time in the country as Ukrainians blame Indians for siding with Putin and Russia.

It is learnt that the Indian SPG team was totally on alert during the seven-hour visit of the PM to Kyiv and bullet resistant shields were unfolded at the Park to foil any sniper as PM Modi walked into the Peace Park. Videos aired by the news channels showed the BR shields being deployed and the entire place was swarming with security personnel.

The PM’s security team heaved a sigh of relief after Narendra Modi boarded the train back to Poland, from where he is flying to New Delhi tonight.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-spg-thwarted-a-possible-threat-to-pm-modi-at-gandhi-statue-venue-in-kyiv-101724434667746.html

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Ukraine on Friday to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The trip comes just weeks after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The visit is significant because Kyiv and some Western capitals had reacted sharply to Mr Modi’s visit to the Russian capital in July.
Mr Zelensky was particularly critical, saying he was “disappointed to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow”.
So, is Mr Modi visiting Kyiv to placate Mr Zelensky and other Western leaders?
Not entirely.
It’s not surprising to see India balance its relations between two competing nations or blocs. The country’s famed non-alignment approach to geopolitics has served it well for decades.

India, the world’s largest importer of arms, has diversified its defence import portfolio and also grown domestic manufacturing in recent years but it still buys more than 50% of its defence equipment from Russia.
India has also increased its oil imports from Russia, taking advantage of cheaper prices offered by Moscow – Russia was the top oil supplier to India last year.
The US and its allies have often implored India to take a clearer stand on the war but they have also refrained from applying harsh sanctions or pressure.
The West also sees India as a counterbalance to China and doesn’t want to upset that dynamic. India, now the fifth largest economy in the world, is also a growing market for business.
Mr Kugelman says the West will welcome the visit and see it as Delhi’s willingness to engage with all sides.
“Mr Modi has a strong incentive to signal that it’s not leaning so close to Moscow that there’s nothing to salvage with Kyiv,” he says.
This is important because India wants to keep growing its relations with the West, particularly with the US, and wouldn’t want to upset the momentum. Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India, recently said the relationship should not be “taken for granted”.
India also needs the West as China, its Asian rival, and Russia have forged close ties in recent years.
While Delhi has long viewed Moscow as a power that can put pressure on an assertive China when needed, it can’t be taken for granted.
Meanwhile, many media commentators have spoken about the possibility of Mr Modi positioning himself as a peacemaker, given India’s close relations with both Moscow and the West.
But it’s unlikely that he will turn up with a peace plan.
“Is India really up to it, and are the conditions right? India doesn’t like other countries trying to mediate in its own issues, chief among them Kashmir. And I don’t think Mr Modi would formally offer mediation unless both Russia and Ukraine want it. And at this point, I don’t think they do,” Mr Kugelman adds.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e9zrywq9o

Amid protests against rape and murder of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking strict laws to tackle with the incidents of rape in the country.

Kolkata: Amid protests against rape and murder of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking strict laws to tackle with the incidents of rape in the country.

“According to available data, the horrifying incidents of 90 cases of rapes happens daily across the country. This shakes the confidence and conscience of the society and the nation. It is a bounden duty for all of us to put an end to it so that the women feel safe and secured. Setting up of Fast Track special courts for speedy trial in such cases should be considered in the proposed legislation. To ensure quick justice, trial in such cases should preferably be completed within 15 days,” said the letter.

This development comes on the day when the Supreme Court had taken strong stand against the West Bengal government and Kolkata police which was initially probing the RG Kar rape and murder incident.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/kolkata-cm-mamata-banerjee-writes-to-pm-modi-for-stricter-rape-laws-and-fast-track-trials-amid-protests-over-rg-kar-medical-college-incident

People faced a difficult time booking cabs and autorickshaws through app-based aggregator services as the auto-taxi strike in Delhi-NCR entered its second day on Friday.

The two-day strike was called by the Delhi Auto Taxi Transport Congress Union to demand adequate compensation services from aggregators. This along with the launch of bike taxis has further hit livelihood of cab and autorickshaw drivers, the unions have alleged.

Fifteen unions are part of the strike in Delhi and the National Capital Region Commuters claimed that while some auto drivers were charging extra on the usual fare, some were refusing to go to certain destinations.

After the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, there have been only a few countries in the world whose heads of government have visited both nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first among the most popular leaders of the world to have visited Russia during the war and is now on a visit to Ukraine.

Although there have been four heads of countries who have visited both Russia and Ukraine before PM Modi, their fame is nothing compared to that of the Indian prime minister who has been advocating for peace between the two countries.

PM Modi may be present in Kyiv for only seven hours, but this will be one of the most important diplomatic developments in the world.

Although Ukraine has been visited by leaders of many major western countries, including US President Joe Biden, the leaders have not turned to Russia, except for one or two exceptions.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month ruled that state governments have the authority to create subclassifications within the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for the purpose of preferential reservations

Thousands of workers belonging to various political outfits, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi party (SP), on Wednesday joined a nationwide strike (Bharat Bandh) and took out marches across the district to protest against the Supreme Court’s verdict on the sub-categorisation of quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) groups and the controversy over lateral entry into central civil services.

The Bharat Bandh was called by 21 Dalit organisations, including National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) and Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, seeking the Parliament to enact a law to nullify the Supreme Court verdict clearing decks for sub classification of SCs in the quota regime.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month ruled that state governments have the authority to create subclassifications within the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for the purpose of preferential reservations, in a verdict that will have far-reaching implications for reservation policies for marginalised communities.

By allowing subclassification, the Supreme Court has opened the door for states to identify and provide targeted benefits to the most disadvantaged subgroups within the broader SC/ST categories, provided they base their decisions on empirical evidence and rational criteria.

A sea of protesters from the BSP, bearing banners supporting the “Bharat Bandh” and opposing the SC decision, took out a march from Ghanta Chowk to the Surajpur Collectorate.

“Government must make some immediate interventions as several issues can arise in the education sector through this decision. This is a loophole to deny rightful reservation to the scheduled classes and make way for general category students,” Lakhmi Singh, a BSP worker, said.

The Samajwadi party too took out a similar protest and said the objective of the Bharat Bandh was to “expose the BJP’s double face and anti-reservation ideology, and to increase awareness among the marginalised classes”.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/noida-news/workers-take-out-marches-in-noida-and-ghaziabad-against-sc-sub-classification-verdict-101724268027572.html

About his being the first Indian Prime Minister in Poland, PM Narendra Modi had a joke to crack. “It is my good fortune to bring about many firsts,” he said, citing his visit to Austria as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to Poland — a first for an Indian Prime Minister in more than four decades. The last Prime Minister to visit Poland was Morarji Desai in 1979.
Joking that the “first visit” had been one of the biggest headlines back home, he told a gathering of expat Indians that his recent visit to Austria has been another first in four decades. “It is my good fortune to bring about many firsts,” he added to laughter and cheers.

This string of firsts, he indicated, was due to a 180 degree shift in foreign policy.

“For decades, India’s policy was to maintain distance from all countries,” PM Modi said. “The situation has now changed… Today, India’s policy is to maintain close ties with all countries. Today’s India wants to connect with everyone,” he added, in a subtle jab at the Non-Aligned Movement of the 1970s under then Congress government.

“Today’s India is with everyone and thinks about everyone’s benefit. Today the world respects India as Vishwa Bandhu (friend to all),” he added.

Over the last years, PM Modi has been to several nations for the first time, the one that made the biggest headlines being Israel. It acknowledged the shift in the ties between the two nations that was already in progress — from the traditional military-security paradigm to economic and developmental issues.

The current visit to Poland underscores India’s heightened participation in matters involving Europe and the middle-east. In both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel’s war on Hamas, PM Modi has played the role of a peacemaker. He is expected to visit Ukraine today.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-outlines-shift-in-indias-foreign-policy-in-poland-6388686

The flight with 135 passengers landed safely at the airport around 8 am and was moved to an isolation bay, airport sources said.

A full emergency was declared at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport today following a bomb threat on an Air India flight from Mumbai, airport sources said.
The flight with 135 passengers landed safely at the airport around 8 am and was moved to an isolation bay, they said.

Passengers were safely evacuated from the flight by 8.44 am, they said.

The bomb threat was communicated by the pilot at 7.30 am as the aircraft approached the Thiruvananthapuram airport, the sources said.

Subsequently, full emergency was declared at the airport at 7.36 am, they said.

The explosion occurred during the lunch break at pharmaceutical company Escientia at the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone. A huge fire broke out following the explosion in the company premises during lunch break, officials said. There was panic among workers, who ran out for safety.

Fourteen workers were killed and 50 others injured in a reactor explosion in a pharmaceutical company in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district on Wednesday, officials said.

The explosion occurred during the lunch break at Escientia at Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone near Visakhapatnam. A huge fire broke out following the explosion in the company premises, officials said. There was panic among workers, who ran out for safety.

A dozen fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the fire. Initially, there were reports of seven deaths. However, the toll later rose sharply as the bodies of at least seven workers were found under rubble. Nine of the deceased were identified as plant AGM V. Satyanarayana, lab head Rami Reddy, chemist Harika, Parthasarthi, Y. Chinna Rao, P. Rajasekhar, Mohan, Ganesh, H. Prashanth and M. Narayan Rao.

Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire services personnel, and police rescued the workers trapped on the third floor of the building. The injured were shifted to various hospitals in Anakapalle and Visakhapatnam. Officials said the death toll may go up as the condition of some of the injured was critical.

A tribal woman returning from a fair on Rakshabandhan was gang-raped by 10 people in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district. As per information received, the accused include a friend of the woman, and his 10 companions including a minor. After facing the brutal sexual assault, the victim self-reached police station and lodged the complaint.

A tribal woman returning from a fair on Rakshabandhan was gang-raped by 10 people in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district. As per information received, the accused include a friend of the woman, and his 10 companions including a minor. After facing the brutal sexual assault, the victim self-reached police station and lodged the complaint.

As per information received, the 27-year-old woman resident of Pusaur block has been living separately from her husband for a few years. The woman was brutally raped while she was returning from the fair on Rakshabandhan.

When she reached near NTPC Lara her friend raped her first. Then the accused youth’s friends who were at the spot also sexually assaulted the woman one by one. After the crime was committed, the accused dumped her and fled out of the scene. However, after the incident the woman somehow reached the police station and lodged an FIR.

After the FIR was lodged, police acted swiftly and arrested 7 accused including a minor. We are carrying out raids to nab the other absconding accused, Raigarh Police said.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Raigarh Divyan Patel informed, police took prompt action in the case just after the complaint was lodged. Support was provided in getting medical tests and treatment and now she was normal.

According to sources, Dr. Manas Bandhopadhyay is likely to become the new Principal of RG Kar medical college and hospital.

Amid students protest over the RG Kar medical College and Hospital incident, the newly appointed Principal Suhrita Pal also got sacked.

Notably, after the vandalism in the hospital premises in the wee hours of August 15, the students demanded removal of those on duty that night during the vandalism, following which Dr. Pal also got removed.

According to sources, Dr. Manas Bandhopadhyay is likely to become the new Principal of RG Kar medical college and hospital.

Incidentally, earlier this day students of RG Kar hospital protested and met with officials in Swasthya Bhawan to raise their demands for removal of all those who were in administrative duty on the night when rampage took place inside the hospital premises.

Champai was Jharkhand chief minister from February 2, days after his predecessor and JMM acting president Hemant Soren was imprisoned, till July 3. He made way after Hemant was released from jail.

Former Jharkhand chief minister and state cabinet minister Champai Soren on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of a reconciliation with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and indicated that he may float his own political party before the upcoming assembly elections, days after he travelled to Delhi amid rumours that he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Champai was Jharkhand chief minister from February 2, days after his predecessor and JMM acting president Hemant Soren was imprisoned, till July 3. He made way after Hemant was released from jail.

The changes were made after protesting doctors marched to the headquarters of Bengal health department yesterday and made several demands

Kolkata: Under fire after the rape-murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal government has made a string of changes in top posts in the hospital’s administration, as demanded by protesting medicos

Here are facts from this big story

Speaking at a demonstration by Bengal BJP at the five-point crossing in Shyambazar, which is close to the R.G. Kar Medical College, Adhikari claimed that all sorts of irregularities, including a drug racket and black marketeering of medicines, were rampant in the hospital which the victim doctor somehow came to know of.

The leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed on Wednesday that the junior doctor who was found raped and murdered on August 9, became a victim because she knew too many secrets related to the rampant irregularities at the hospital.

Speaking at a demonstration by Bengal BJP at the five-point crossing in Shyambazar, which is close to the R.G. Kar Medical College, Adhikari claimed that all sorts of irregularities, including a drug racket and black marketeering of medicines, were rampant in the hospital which the victim doctor somehow came to know of.

“That is why she met such a brutal end. All sorts of attempts were made to destroy evidence after the incident. The duty roster for the night when the crime took place was also destroyed,” Adhikari claimed.

Demand Made For An Enforcement Directorate-Le Probe Into The Case

A judgment of the Court cannot contain the Judge’s personal opinions on various subjects, the Bench said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Calcutta High Court verdict that had called for adolescent girls to “control” their sexual urges instead of “giving in to two minutes of pleasure”. [In Re: Right to Privacy of Adolescent].

Here are the four key takeaways from the judgment by the Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan.

UP NEET UG Counselling 2024: Eligible candidates can apply for it on the counselling portal, upneet.gov.in.

UP NEET Counselling 2024: The online application process for Uttar Pradesh NEET UG counselling 2024 has started. Eligible candidates can apply for it on the counselling portal, upneet.gov.in. The direct link and other important details are given below.

UP NEET Counselling 2024: The online application process for Uttar Pradesh NEET UG counselling 2024 has started. Eligible candidates can apply for it on the counselling portal, upneet.gov.in. The direct link and other important details are given below.

As per the counselling schedule, candidates have to register online and upload their details by 11 am on August 24. The fee can be submitted up to 2 pm on that day.

The merit list will be announced on August 24 and candidates can fill their choices between 5 pm (August 24) and 11 am (August 29).

Seat allotment result for UP NEET counselling will be announced on August 30. Selected candidates can download their allotment letters and take admissions from August 31 to September 5.

The registration fee is ₹200 and it should be paid online.

In addition, candidates must also deposit a security fee of ₹30,000 for government seats, ₹2,00,000 for private medical seats and ₹1,00,000 for private dental seats.

Only those candidates who deposit the security fee online and whose records are verified will be allowed to fill choices, an official statement said.

How to apply for UP NEET UG Counselling 2024?

1. Go to upneet.gov.in.
2. Open the “REGISTRATION FOR STATE MERIT” link.
3. Fill the registration form after logging in.
4. Pay the registration fee.
5. Pay the security fee.
6. Once done, proceed to fill choices.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/admissions/up-neet-ug-counselling-2024-begins-direct-link-to-apply-at-upneetgovin-101724131769433.html

Jaishankar said both India and Japan are resolute in their opposition to terror, including cross-border terrorism.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the cooperation between India and Japan is set against a larger context of a “free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific”.

In his opening remarks at the third India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Meeting, the minister said,”For India, this is a natural extrapolation from our Act East policy. Indeed, the proportion of our activities and interests East of India has been steadily growing.”

Jaishankar, who met his Japanese counterpart Kamikawa Yoko earlier in the day, said in the last decade, India-Japan ties assumed the form of a “Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”

“The logic of this evolution is our expanding interests and growing activities. As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences,” the external affairs ministry quoted Jaishankar as saying.

“As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each other’s endeavours, comprehend each other’s objectives, strengthen each other’s positions and work with other nations of shared comfort. Our Strategic Partnership will continue to grow as we embrace mutuality and display sensitivity,” the minister added.

During the press interaction, Jaishankar once again reiterated a “free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific” as the top priority for both the countries.

“We explored the possibility of coordinating our respective security and development assistance where our interests converge,” he added.

Terrorism

Jaishankar said both India and Japan are resolute in their opposition to terror, including cross-border terrorism. “We discussed strengthening our capacity-building cooperation, including on dealing with challenges emanating in the cyber space and through the misuse of digital technologies,” he said.

“We have underlined our interest in deepening information-sharing, and cooperation for protection of critical information infrastructure,” Jaishankar added.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/at-2-2-india-japan-ministerial-meet-jaishankar-bats-for-free-rules-based-indopacific-101724168060714.html

The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Poland was Morarji Desai in 1979.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Poland today, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 45 years. The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Poland.
The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Poland was Morarji Desai in 1979.

“Leaving for Warsaw. This visit to Poland comes at a special time- when we are marking 70 years of diplomatic ties between our nations. India cherishes the deep-rooted friendship with Poland. This is further cemented by a commitment to democracy and pluralism,” PM Modi said in a statement.

Leaving for Warsaw. This visit to Poland comes at a special time- when we are marking 70 years of diplomatic ties between our nations. India cherishes the deep rooted friendship with Poland. This is further cemented by a commitment to democracy and pluralism.

“I will hold talks with President @AndrzejDuda and PM @donaldtusk. I will also be addressing the Indian community at a programme in Warsaw this evening,” he added.

The Prime Minister’s two-day visit from August 21-22 will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, with discussions likely to cover a wide range of topics, including strategic partnerships, defence cooperation, and cultural exchanges.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-leaves-for-poland-first-indian-pm-to-visit-country-in-4-decades-6382993

The Stage 5 dam has been defunct after the Lhonak glacial lake burst after a cloudburst in Sikkim in October 2023.

A massive landslide has destroyed the power station of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s (NHPC) Teesta Stage 5 dam in Sikkim on Tuesday morning
The hill adjacent to the 510 MW power station was said to be under threat due to frequent minor slides over the past few weeks. On Tuesday morning, a major chunk of the hill slid and cover the power station in debris.

No injuries or casualties were reported in the incident as the power station was evacuated a few days ago due to frequent landslides. In videos recorded by people working close to the power station, a portion of the cliff can be seen shifting and moments later a huge portion of it fall on top on the power station as people scream.

The Stage 5 dam has been defunct after the Lhonak glacial lake burst after a cloudburst in Sikkim in October 2023.

Jairam Ramesh’s remarks came after Union minister Jitendra Singh wrote to the chairperson of UPSC on cancelling the lateral entry advertisement.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at several Union ministers on Tuesday, saying that those who had criticised former prime minister Manmohan Singh over lateral entry recruitment issues were now compelled to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the Centre’s cancellation of the latest recruitment drive.

His remarks came after Union minister Jitendra Singh wrote to the chairperson of Union Public Service Commission on cancelling the lateral entry advertisement as per directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The move came a day after Bharatiya Janata Party ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday voiced concern over making any appointments in government posts without providing reservation, as the political row over lateral entry escalated, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging it was an “attack” on the Dalits, OBCs and adivasis.

“Till last evening, Dr Manmohan Singh was being blamed by Union Ministers for the mass lateral entry scheme into the bureaucracy. Some friendly commentators expectedly even extended the line of blame back to (Jawaharlal) Nehru,” Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X (foremerly Twitter).

“Now the very same ministers have suddenly been derailed and are being forced to hail the non-biological PM as a champion of social justice. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai (There is no limit to hypocrisy)!” he added.

He said that lateral entry was promoted by the NITI Aayog in 2017 and introduced the next year as a major reform intended to revamp the civil service.

“Since 2019, there have been 63 appointments through lateral entry. A further 45 were planned this year but these have just been cancelled,” Ramesh said.

“The non-biological PM is now trying to do much damage control. His drumbeaters are trying to shift responsibility, while the plain and simple truth is that it was hailed as one of Mr Modi’s transformational initiatives when it was launched,” said Jairam Ramesh.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hypocrisy-ki-koi-seema-nahin-hai-jairam-ramesh-takes-a-jab-at-union-ministers-on-lateral-entry-101724169622393.html

The Congress has made it clear that Siddaramiah will not step down as CM. But there is pressure from within and from the opposition calling for his resignation.

The Karnataka Governor’s nod to prosecute chief minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam has deepened the fissures within the Congress party.

What pushes the Congress further into disarray is the party’s inability to counter the opposition’s repeated attempts to target the government’s poor governance record.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/southern-lights-cm-siddaramaiah-s-legal-and-political-woes-101724156626102.html

The supreme court ordered the removal of the name, photos and videos, of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered, from social media.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of the name, photos and videos of a trainee doctor, who was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, from all social media platforms.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, pointed out that disclosing the identity of a victim of sexual assault was a violation of the Supreme Court order passed in the Nipun Saxena case, which emphasised the need for a victim to be protected from scrutiny.

“This court is constrained to issue an injunctive order since the social and electronic media have proceeded to publish the identity of the deceased and photographs of the dead body after the recovery of the body,” CJI Chandrachud ordered all social and electronic media platforms to comply with the directive.

The bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was hearing a plea filed by lawyer Kinnori Ghosh and others against the disclosure of the trainee doctor’s identity on social media.

The plea said the name of the victim and related hashtags had been widely spread on electronic and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier in the day, the top court had said it was deeply concerned that the name of the deceased had been published all over social media.

“Photographs and video clips are all over the media. This is extremely concerning. We are first to recognise free speech but there are well-settled parameters. There are judgments of the court like in Nipun Saxena (case) that names of survivors of sexual assault will not be published,” the Supreme Court said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kolkata-rape-murder-case-remove-rg-kar-hospital-doctors-name-photos-from-social-media-orders-supreme-court-101724199198700.html

The four earthquakes occurred within just four minutes, triggering panic among locals who stepped out of their homes for their safety.

Four back-to-back earthquakes jolted parts of Kashmir valley on Tuesday morning with the strongest one being a 4.9 magnitude quake which occurred at 6:45 am. Strong tremors were felt in several parts of the state as the quake hit Baramulla and surrounding areas.

The other earthquakes measured magnitude 4.4 and magnitude 4.8 on the richter scale.

The four earthquakes occurred within just minutes, triggering panic among locals who stepped out of their homes for their safety. Some moved to safer places amid anticipation of more tremors.

The first tremors were felt at 6:45 am on Tuesday and within just four minutes, another strong earthquake was reported. People in Baramulla, Bandipura, Sopore, Srinagar, Soyibug, and Skardu felt the tremors.

National Center for Seismology confirmed in a post on X that the earthquake measured 4.9 magnitude and occurred at 06:45:57 IST. The epicenter was Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir.

Videos Surface

Videos surfaced on social media showing the impact of the earthquake. While no casualties have been reported yet, the tremors were strong enough to shake the ground and push people out of their houses.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/breaking-news-earthquake-jolts-parts-of-kashmir-valley-article-112638900

Amid the ongoing investigation and protests following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Durga Devi, mother-in-law of accused Sanjay Roy, suggested the involvement of more people in the crime.

Amid the ongoing investigation and protests following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Durga Devi, mother-in-law of accused Sanjay Roy, suggested the involvement of more people in the crime as she said that Roy could not have done it alone.

Recounting her daughter’s experience with Roy while speaking to ANI on Monday, Durga Devi described the relationship as tense adding that Roy thrashed her daughter against which a police complaint was filed.

“My relations with him were very tense,” Durga Devi said, adding, “Initially, everything was good for 6 months. When she was 3 months pregnant, he caused a miscarriage. He thrashed her, and a police complaint was registered for the same. Following this, my daughter continued being ill, I bore all her expenses for medicines.”

“Sanjay was not good. Hang him or do whatever you want with him. I won’t speak about the crime. He could not have done it alone. He can’t do it alone,” she said.

The rape and murder of the trainee doctor have sparked widespread outrage and protests across various cities, with calls for justice and punishment for the accused. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the case, with a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud scheduled to hear today.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, CBI sources said earlier.

On August 18, the CBI team examined and conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

West Bengal government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an enquiry/investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities in R G Kar Hospital during the period between January 2021 till date.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kolkata-rape-murder-case-accused-sanjay-roy-mother-in-law-says-hang-him-6374503

A joint party of the CRPF and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police came under fire from the terrorists in the Dadu area of Udhampur.

Inspector Kuldeep Kumar, an officer from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed in action after terrorists fired on a patrol party in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur. Inspector Kumar was part of the 187 Batallion of CRPF.
A counter-terror operation has been launched in the area. A joint party of the CRPF and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police came under fire from the terrorists in the Dadu area of Udhampur.

Today’s attack took place in the Jammu region, which for several years, remained relatively silent compared to Kashmir. There has been a spurt of terror activities in Jammu, particularly in the southern reaches of the Pir Panjal range, which contains thick forests and steep mountains that provide cover for terrorists.

Rise In Terror Attacks In Jammu

The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear the plea related to the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata earlier this month.

Kolkata doctor rape-murder: The Supreme Court on Tuesday is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a suo motu plea related to the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata on August 9, in the RG Kar Medical Hospital. The plea has been listed as the first matter, and will likely be heard at 10:30am on August 20.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, has kept the matter on top of the cause list for hearing on Tuesday.

The suo motu case in the matter is titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue.” The plea seeks to widen the scope of judicial scrutiny in the case, and asumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The plea also keeps in mind the nationwide outrage regarding the horrific murder of the postgraduate student at the medical college, and the doctor’s protests and their demands of safety at hospitals.

Doctors’ bodies the Federation of Association of Medical Consultants of India (FAMCI) and the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), and lawyer Vishal Tiwari have also moved the top court by filing interim applications in the suo motu case.

In its plea, the FAMCI raised concerns regarding the safety of healthcare workers inside hospitals and the risky environment of medical facilities. Doctor’s bodies demanded for a central law to address these concerns, and urged the Indian government to address the gaps in state-wise laws for doctor’s safety.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/kolkata-doctor-rape-murder-august-20-2024-supreme-court-to-hear-plea-today-keeps-the-matter-top-101724112412600.html

The National Conference and Congress are in high-level talks for a possible alliance in upcoming UT elections, with Congress open to other like-minded parties.

Within days of the poll announcement for the UT, the National Conference and Congress have begun holding talks at the top level.

The two parties had contested the Lok Sabha polls jointly as part of the INDIA bloc, with NC winning from Srinagar and Anantnag seats. The Congress, however, lost both seats in the Jammu division.

The Grand Old Party has also kept its doors open for the Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party.

Newly elected Congress’s Jammu and Kashmir unit president, Tariq Hameed Karra, on Monday said the NC has approached the Congress leadership, adding, “To my knowledge the National Conference has already approached our central leadership.”

Karra, who was addressing media on the sidelines of a function at the Congress office in Srinagar, said the party was open for an alliance to every like-minded party opposing the hegemony and dictatorial policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Crediting the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra for changing the ground situation for the party, Karra said, “The priority of our team will be to take it forward by channelising and capitalising it in the interest of people.”

Karra said the Congress will try to address problems like economic, Constitutional, religion and regional distress, adding that the Congress has constituted a committee comprising senior J&K leaders to hold deliberations with like-minded political parties. Congress senior leaders said talks for an alliance will also be held with the PDP and other parties.

Omar, however, said talks are yet to be initiated with the Congress. “Congress cannot force or compel us to hold an alliance with any political party,” hinting towards the PDP.

The former CM, however, conceded that NC is also holding talks with like-minded parties. “At this point, I cannot reveal names of those political parties,” Omar said, adding, “Same is the case with Congress. We cannot force each other. We have been holding talks with Congress at the highest level. I don’t know in what context Karra was speaking.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/congress-nc-initiate-seat-sharing-talks-for-j-k-assembly-polls-101724092420488.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine this week is expected to last about seven hours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine this week is expected to last about seven hours and the trip will involve spending close to 20 hours on a train that has ferried world leaders such as US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron to Kyiv, people familiar with the matter said.

Modi will be in Ukraine on August 23 for the first visit by a senior Indian leader since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. After weeks of speculation, the visit was formally announced by the external affairs ministry on Monday.

Preparations for what is perhaps the first visit to by an Indian premier to an active warzone began several weeks ago and has involved close coordination on security matters and complex logistics, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. The Indian premier is expected to travel on the overnight train that was dubbed “Rail Force One” after it carried Biden from Przemyśl Główny in Poland to Kyiv in February 2023.

Ukraine has replaced electric locomotives with diesel engines since Russia inflicted considerable damage on the country’s electricity networks and power generation facilities, thereby increasing the time taken by the train to travel from the Polish border to Kyiv, one of the people cited above said.

The journey now takes close to 10 hours and Modi is expected to leave for Ukraine on August 22, after concluding his official meetings in Poland, the first stop on his two-nation tour. He is expected to reach Kyiv in the morning on August 23 and will spend about seven hours in Ukraine, before again taking the train operated by Ukrzaliznytsia or Ukrainian Railways to return to Poland.

Modi’s visit to Ukraine is widely being seen as a balancing act following his trip to Moscow during July 8-9 for the annual India-Russia Summit with President Vladimir Putin. That visit had triggered outrage in the West as the Indian leader’s arrival in Moscow had coincided with a Russian strike on Kyiv’s largest children’s hospital.

“This landmark visit, of course, takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which will also form part of discussions,” Tanmaya Lal, secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry, told a media briefing. He declined to discuss details about the elements in the programme for Modi’s visit.

Lal sidestepped questions on whether Modi will propose a peace plan while in Ukraine and whether the visit is a balancing act in the face of pressure from the West, especially the US, and said India has consistently pushed for diplomacy and dialogue to find a negotiated settlement. In this context, he noted that India had attended the Summit for Peace in Ukraine hosted by Switzerland in June.

“Dialogue is absolutely essential. Lasting peace can only be achieved through options that are acceptable to both parties and there can only be a negotiated settlement…India continues to engage with all stakeholders,” he said.

Modi has had conversations with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and India is willing to “provide all possible support and contributions” to help find a peaceful solution to this complex issue. “At this stage it is not for us to anticipate or prejudge what the outcome of these discussions will be between the leaders of India and Ukraine,” Lal said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Modi met on the margins of the G7 Summit in Italy in June and they also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan last year. Earlier, they met on the margins of the COP meeting in Glasgow in 2021, while Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba visited New Delhi in March to push India to take on a greater role in ongoing peace efforts.

Before the Russian invasion, bilateral trade between India and Ukraine was worth more than $3 billion. India was one of the largest importers of sunflower oil from Ukraine and there was cooperation in areas such as heavy industry, railways and defence. There were also about 18,000 students in Ukraine at the start of the conflict and most of them were evacuated through neighbouring countries. About 1,000 students are currently pursuing courses in Ukraine.

Defence cooperation and bolstering trade will figure in Modi’s discussions with Poland’s top leadership, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda. This will be the first visit by an Indian premier to Warsaw in 45 years and comes at a time when both countries are marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/prime-minister-narendra-modi-to-be-ferried-in-luxury-rail-service-on-ukraine-trip-101724093684668.html

Ever since the fiasco over the rape and murder of the young doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital started, his silence was conspicuous. He broke his silence only once – after a gang of hooligans vandalised RGKMCH during the women’s ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest on August 14-15 to seek justice for the murdered doctor.

Kolkata: Even as outrage over the rape and murder of a young doctor in a Kolkata hospital put the Trinamool Congress in a tight spot, Mamata Banerjee’s heir apparent and the party’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was so far conspicuously silent, fuelling speculation that he was not happy with the way the government was dealing with the situation.
Abhishek’s office withdrew itself from managing the media engagement of TMC over the past few days. The TMC supremo and the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appointed a new four-member committee to oversee the party’s engagement with media. The committee will set the framework of the party’s day-to-day interaction with the media.

Abhishek led TMC’s campaign during the Lok Sabha elections this year, ensuring the victory of the party’s candidates in 29 of the 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal. He also took a lead role for the party as Lok Sabha MP during the recent Budget session of Parliament.

But ever since the fiasco over the rape and murder of the young doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital started, his silence was conspicuous. He broke his silence only once – after a gang of hooligans vandalised RGKMCH during the women’s ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest on August 14-15 to seek justice for the murdered doctor.

“The hooliganism and vandalism at RG Kar tonight have exceeded all acceptable limits,” Abhishek posted on X late at night. “As a public representative, I just spoke with @CPKolkata, urging him to ensure that every individual responsible for today’s violence is identified, held accountable, and made to face the law within the next 24 hours, regardless of their political affiliations.”

He also wrote that the demands of the protesting doctors were fair and justified. “This is the minimum they should expect from the government. Their safety and security must be prioritized.”

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/kolkata-rape-murder-case-is-abhishek-banerjees-silence-a-sign-of-dissatisfaction-with-tmc-top-brass-3156423

The two accused detained on Sunday night are Prasad Mariappan Devendra (31), the patient who was reportedly intoxicated and had sustained bruises on his lip and nose, and his sister Shweta Mariappan Devendra (28).

In the recent assault on a female resident doctor at Sion Hospital, the police have released the two accused, including the patient, after issuing a formal notice. As the registered offenses carry a punishment of less than seven years’ imprisonment, an immediate arrest is not mandatory.

The police will now be recording witness statements from those who were in and around the crime scene, which will be included in the chargesheet. They will also review CCTV footage from the hospital, particularly from inside and outside the ENT ward, which will serve as crucial evidence in the chargesheet.

The two accused detained on Sunday night are Prasad Mariappan Devendra (31), the patient who was reportedly intoxicated and had sustained bruises on his lip and nose, and his sister Shweta Mariappan Devendra (28). The duo allegedly assaulted the female resident doctor in the ENT ward, where the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday around 3:45 a.m.

Donald Trump has posted a series of AI-generated images on his Truth Social account falsely claiming that Taylor Swift has endorsed him for president.

On Sunday night, Trump shared several screenshots of X posts showing women wearing “Swifties for Trump” shirts. Many of the photos appear to have been doctored, and one screenshot is of a satire news article claiming that the cancellation of Swift’s shows in Vienna due to a thwarted terrorist plot led Swifties to turn to Trump. Another screenshot is of Taylor Swift photoshopped as Uncle Sam next to the message: “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”

“I accept!” Trump captioned the post.

Representatives for Swift did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

Amid the ongoing investigation and protests following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Durga Devi, mother-in-law of accused Sanjay Roy, suggested the involvement of more people in the crime.

Amid the ongoing investigation and protests following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, Durga Devi, mother-in-law of accused Sanjay Roy, suggested the involvement of more people in the crime as she said that Roy could not have done it alone.

Recounting her daughter’s experience with Roy while speaking to ANI on Monday, Durga Devi described the relationship as tense adding that Roy thrashed her daughter against which a police complaint was filed.

“My relations with him were very tense,” Durga Devi said, adding, “Initially, everything was good for 6 months. When she was 3 months pregnant, he caused a miscarriage. He thrashed her, and a police complaint was registered for the same. Following this, my daughter continued being ill, I bore all her expenses for medicines.”

“Sanjay was not good. Hang him or do whatever you want with him. I won’t speak about the crime. He could not have done it alone. He can’t do it alone,” she said.

The rape and murder of the trainee doctor have sparked widespread outrage and protests across various cities, with calls for justice and punishment for the accused. The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the case, with a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud scheduled to hear today.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received permission to conduct a polygraph test on the arrested accused, CBI sources said earlier.

On August 18, the CBI team examined and conducted 3D laser mapping in the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Source  : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kolkata-rape-murder-case-accused-sanjay-roy-mother-in-law-says-hang-him-6374503

Participating in a rally at Freedom Park in Bengaluru to protest the Governor’s sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that Gehlot was ‘nalaayak’ (unfit) to continue in office.

Bengaluru: Accusing Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot of acting like an agent of the BJP, Karnataka ministers Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan on Monday charged the former with trying to dislodge a ‘pro-Kannadiga’ government.

Participating in a rally at Freedom Park in Bengaluru to protest the Governor’s sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that Gehlot was ‘nalaayak’ (unfit) to continue in office. “The law is very clear. Petitions seeking sanction for prosecution in such cases should either be submitted by the Lokayukta or the DIG, but this Governor has approved the request, acting on a ‘passerby’ complaint. Does he have any right to continue as Governor?” asked the minister.

Deputy CM and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar underscored the irony of Gehlot, who swore the Congress government to power, was now trying to topple it. The people of Karnataka had blessed the Siddaramaiah-led Congress with 136 seats in the Assembly polls, said the Deputy CM. “Don’t tarnish the respectable post of Governor. It is ironic that the Governor has said that the allegations against the CM are serious, given that there has been no probe into the case by any agency,” Shivakumar added.

The alleged scam in MUDA is a conspiracy hatched by the JD(S), BJP and the Sangh Parivar, said Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/gehlot-unfit-to-continue-in-office-says-krishna-byre-gowda-3156390

7th Pay Commission: The central government is likely to announce a 3 per cent DA hike next month. With this 3 per cent likely hike in September, the total dearness allowance will reach 53 per cent. However, the government is unlikely to release the 18-month arrears for DA and dearness relief (DR) that were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the monsoon session of Parliament, two members recently asked queries regarding the government’s decision on the DA arrears. To a question ‘Whether the government is actively considering to release an 18-month dearness allowance/ relief of central government employees/ pensioners which were withheld during COVID outbreak’, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary replied, “No”.

He added that, “The decision to freeze three installments of Dearness Allowance {(DA)/Dearness Relief (DR) to Central Government employees/pensioners due from 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020 & 01.01.2021 was taken in the context of COVID-19, which caused economic disruption, to ease pressure on Government finances… As the adverse financial impact of the pandemic in 2020 and the financing of welfare measures taken by the Government had a fiscal spillover beyond FY 2020-21, arrears of DA/DR were not considered feasible.”

However, the central government is likely to announce a 3 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) in September 2024, which will become effective from July 1, 2024.

The DA will also not be merged with the basic pay even as it rises beyond 50 per cent. It will continue as it is until the 8th Pay Commission is formed. Instead of the merger, there are provisions of increasing allowances, including HRA, in case of DA crossing 50 per cent, which has already been increased, according to the people in the know of the matter.

DA is given to government employees, while DR is given to pensioners. DA and DR are hiked twice a year, with effect from January and July.

Source : https://www.news18.com/business/savings-and-investments/7th-pay-commission-will-govt-employees-receive-18-month-da-arrears-along-with-3-da-hike-in-september-9020175.html

According to the Additional Commissioner of Police (East Zone) Raman Gupta, the woman, who is a final year degree student in a city college, was returning home to Hebbagodi after a get-together in Koramangala.

A woman was allegedly sexually assaulted in the early hours of Sunday by an unknown biker whom she had hitchhiked, a senior police officer said.

According to the Additional Commissioner of Police (East Zone) Raman Gupta, the woman, who is a final year degree student in a city college, was returning home to Hebbagodi after a get-together in Koramangala.

“A man from whom she had taken a ‘lift’ made a criminal assault and raped her. We have registered a rape case and started an investigation,” Mr Gupta told reporters here.

He said prima facie it appeared she had gone for a get-together in Koramangala.

“There is only one suspect. The man who gave her a lift is suspected to be the rapist and our investigations are on,” the officer said.

The crew called in for CISF assistance, following which constables Priyanka Reddy (26) and Sonika Pal were dispatched to handle the situation. But Surekha responded aggressively and slapped and bit constable Reddy.

In a shocking incident, a Pune woman physically assaulted her co-passengers and bit a CISF constable while embarking on a Pune to New Delhi IndiGo flight at Lohegaon Airport, on Saturday, and was removed later on.

According to a report by The Times of India. the woman, named Surekha Singh, attacked her co-passengers – two siblings – Anvitika Borse and Aditya Borse during boarding after an altercation stemmed from disagreements over seating arrangements.

The crew called in for CISF assistance, following which constables Priyanka Reddy (26) and Sonika Pal were dispatched to handle the situation.

But, Surekha responded aggressively and slapped and bit constable Reddy.

According to TOI, the woman, who is a homemaker, was restrained and removed from the aircraft along with her husband, and handed over to the airport police.

A case of voluntarily causing hurt and assault or use of criminal force to obstruct a public servant from performing his/her duty has been filed by the airport police.

According to TOI, senior inspector Ajay Sankeshwari said, “We let her go after issuing her a notice asking her to join our probe as and when summoned.”

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/woman-allegedly-bites-cisf-constable-assaults-2-others-on-pune-delhi-flight-3155362

Since August 12, doctors have been on an indefinite strike, suspending all elective and non-essential services including OPDs and wards to demand justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and killed in Kolkata.

The statement read, “Resident doctors will be available for providing Elective OPD services of around 36 specialties including medicine, Surgery, Obs & Gynae, Pediatrics, Opthalmology, Orthopedics and others to patients outside Nitraman Bhawan, Emergency services will continue as before at our hospitals.”

Since August 12, doctors have been on an indefinite strike, suspending all elective and non-essential services including OPDs and wards to demand justice for the victim. A 31-year-old trainee doctor was found murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and copes later revealed that she was raped before being killed.

The incident sparked widespread protests with doctors demanding justice for the victim and a security act for medical personnel.

Meanwhile, a delegation of protesting doctors met with Health Ministry officials on Sunday and said that the discussions were inconclusive. They said they are not satisfied with the assurance given by the ministry.

The Health Ministry asked them to call off the nation-wide protest. The delegation, led by Federation of All India Medical Association, made it clear that any such decision would only be considered if the demands are fully met.

Protesting doctors are planning to meet the Health Ministry officials today as well to present a written representation of demands. For now, nationwide protest will continue.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/kolkata-horror-doctors-continue-protest-free-opd-outside-health-ministry-today-10-points-article-112616693

Both the father and mother of the victim, who spoke anonymously, have accused the Bengal CM of stifling the protests demanding justice.

The parents of the Kolkata trainee doctor who was brutally raped and then murdered on the premises of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the state capital on Sunday have spoken up to express their dissatisfaction at both the investigation done by the Kolkata Police and also Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They slammed the apparent attempts to hush up the case and the ensuing protests in the face of bad publicity for the state administration.

Both the father and mother of the victim, who spoke anonymously to ANI, have accused the Bengal CM of stifling the protests demanding justice.

“One person has been arrested. I am sure many more are involved in this incident. I think the entire department is responsible for the incident… The police did not do a good job at all. I feel that the Chief Minister is trying to stop the protest, today she imposed Section 144 here so that people cannot protest,” the victim’s mother added.

She had even harsher words for the Kolkata Police, saying, “They did not cooperate with us at all, they only tried to hush up the case as soon as possible. Their attempt was to get the post-mortem done as soon as possible and remove the body.”

The victim’s father echoed her words saying, “The CM is talking about providing justice, but then attempts are being made to put the common people demanding justice in jail. We are not satisfied with the CM. We have refused to take any compensation…”

Alleging foul play in the investigation, he said, “No results have come out of the inquiry that is being done. We hope we will get results… No one from the department or the college cooperated with us. The entire department is involved in this… There were three bodies at the crematorium but our daughter’s body was cremated first…”

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/kolkata-doctor-rape-murder-we-are-not-satisfied-with-cm-entire-department-is-involved-victims-parents-lash-out-at-mamata-police-3155029

Protests began here on Monday evening. Initially restricted to medical college campuses, doctors started taking to the streets from Friday over the incident at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

New Delhi: The doctors’ strike in the national capital over the rape and murder of a medic at a state-run hospital in Kolkata entered its seventh day on Sunday, as non-emergency services, including OPD, remained paralysed.

Protests began here on Monday evening. Initially restricted to medical college campuses, doctors started taking to the streets from Friday over the incident at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

According to an action plan, members of resident doctors’ associations (RDA) in Delhi took out a candle light march from outside Gate 1 of the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station at Connaught Place.

Dr Parth Mishra, vice president of UCMS and GTB Hospital RDA told PTI that as discussed, resident doctors from medical institutions participated in the march.

The demonstrators, who are demanding a central law to check violence against on-duty health personnel and justice for their peer, formed a human chain in the Connaught Place Inner Circle.

Efforts were also made to interact with the public to raise awareness about the incident.

Those part of the march, which ended around 9 pm, raised slogans in support of their demands. They displayed placards demanding justice for the victim and one them read “when the white coat turns red, society turns black”. A few children holding the tricolor were also spotted in march.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/kolkata-rape-murder-case-health-services-hit-in-delhi-as-doctors-strike-enters-7th-day-medics-hold-candle-march-3155235

Recently, the Mumbai Police uncovered several cybercrime cases in which the accused turned out to be bank employees who were assisting cybercriminals by creating accounts for illegal transactions.

Approximately 29,000 incidents of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) fraud have been reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, according to Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar. He recently shared this information in the Rajya Sabha. The Free Press Journal spoke with investigating agencies and industry experts to uncover the reasons behind these recurring cyber frauds.

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) [https://cybercrime.gov.in] was launched in 2020 as part of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The platform allows the public to report all types of cyber crimes, with a special focus on crimes against women and children. Incidents reported on this portal, their conversion into FIRs, and subsequent actions are handled by the respective State/UT law enforcement agencies according to legal provisions.

Experts believe that AePS-related fraud began to surge following demonetisation. “After 2016, many banks gradually started outsourcing various tasks, including documentation, technology, and even personnel. This led to the hiring of contract employees from outsourced firms. Nowadays, when you visit a bank, you’re likely to see new faces frequently. These contract employees come and go like daily wagers, yet they have full access to the banking system. Their contract jobs come with targets, such as opening 70 bank accounts a month. To meet these goals, they may resort to unethical means, as it directly affects their paychecks. Most of those arrested in connection with cybercrime are contract employees who had access to account holder information,” explained an expert who wished to remain anonymous.

Recently, the Mumbai Police uncovered several cybercrime cases in which the accused turned out to be bank employees who were assisting cybercriminals by creating accounts for illegal transactions. While the masterminds often evade capture, the bank employees end up becoming scapegoats.

N. Shankar, General Secretary of the All India Union Bank Employees Association, commented on the issue of outsourcing. “When the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved outsourcing, it issued guidelines covering both material and non-material outsourcing, emphasizing the ‘safety factors’ that banks must prioritize for customer security. The RBI also stressed the need for regular audits of outsourcing companies. If these audits are properly conducted, many potential issues could be identified in time,” he said.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/spike-in-aadhaar-payment-frauds-raises-security-concerns-experts-link-it-with-demonetisation-contractual-hiring

The Centre has opened a fresh round of lateral recruitments, from the private sector and elsewhere, into senior posts in the bureaucracy. Such appointments have also been criticised for not extending reservations to SC, ST and OBC communities.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday (August 17) issued an advertisement seeking applications for “talented and motivated Indian nationals for Lateral Recruitment” to the posts of Joint Secretary, Director, and Deputy Secretary in 24 ministries of the Union government.

A total of 45 posts have been advertised with individuals having appropriate qualifications and experience from State/UT governments, PSUs, statutory organisations, research institutes and universities, and even the private sector eligible to apply. The advertisement mentions that all posts are “suitable for candidates belonging to the category: of Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD).”

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/upsc-lateral-entry-bureaucracy-reservations-9520211/

World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in view of its prevalence and spread across many parts of Africa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi | Photo Credit: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been continuously monitoring the MPox situation with the principal secretary Dr. P.K. Mishra directing that surveillance be enhanced and measures be taken for prompt detection of cases. He further directed that the testing laboratories network should be geared up for early diagnosis. At present, 32 labs are equipped for testing.

In a release issued on Sunday the Union government said that in the last one week a series of measures have been put in place including meeting of experts convened by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on August 12, to assess the risk for India, Communicable Disease (CD) alert on Mpox issued earlier by the NCDC being updated to capture the newer developments and sensitisation of the health teams at International Airports has been undertaken.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-continuously-monitoring-the-mpox-situation/article68540677.ece

Monkeypox: Prithviraj Chavan demands strict testing, quarantine protocol at Mumbai airport

Mumbai, Amid concerns over Monkeypox, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, demanding strict testing and quarantine protocol at the Mumbai airport for passengers from high-risk countries.

The World Health Organisation has declared Monkeypox a public health emergency, and the virus has now reached Pakistan, former Maharashtra CM Chavan said on Saturday, urging the government to take proactive steps to prevent its spread in India.

“It has reached our neighbourhood. We have to act. I have written to the CM to implement a strict testing and quarantine protocol at the Mumbai airport for all the incoming passengers from high-risk countries,” the Congress leader said on X.

Timely action was necessary as any delay could lead to severe consequences, he said.

The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said there were no reported cases of Monkeypox in India even though cautionary measures will be put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

In a meeting chaired by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management.

The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person.

WHO had earlier declared Monkeypox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in July 2022 and subsequently revoked the same in May 2023.

Globally, since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to Monkeypox from 116 countries. Since the 2022 declaration by WHO, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case in March 2024.