Veterans To Return Medals, Rejects OROP November 06, 2015 17:18
Ex-servicemen rejected the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme that was announced by the government and announced further escalation of agitation as a demand to implement the approved and accepted definition early. As a part of the first step of the agitation, veterans would return their medals all through India and abroad early next week. The decision was taken as the government is likely to issue the notification to implement the long pending scheme early next week as it is the time of end to the Bihar polls. Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), said, “Time is over for the government to shift goalposts. The agitation is going to the second phase. As the first step medals will be returned across the country and abroad. We will inform further steps as we go forward.” Grp Capt VK Gandhi (retd) said, “The government has not spoken to us after the announcement. If we are a burden on the government, the medals are a burden on us.” Veterans in the country would return medals to District Commissioners in all the 647 Indian districts, while veterans abroad would return medals on 9 November and 10 November at Indian missions. Several veterans are also getting set to restart ‘fast unto death’ at Jantar Mantar beginning next week. Deviations listed by Veterans include: Annual equalisation The base year for calculating pension - 2013-2014 financial year Taking the highest pension scale of 2013 as the base for calculation and not the average, as the government announced Not to link OROP with the seventh pay commission and Accept that OROP once implemented is everlastingly and in perpetuity. In general, in 2011, the government and Parliament agreed to the definition given by the Parliamentary Committee that was headed by Bhagat Singh Koshiyary. OROP seeks parity in pension for all those retiring in the same rank with same duration of service, irrespective of the time of retirement. A total of 2.6 million veterans and more than six lakh war widows are expected to get benefitted by the OROP for parity in pension based on rank and length of service irrespective of the retirement date. -Sumana
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Nestle Set To Begin Maggi Noodles’ Sales Soon November 04, 2015 15:33
Swiss giant Nestle will begin to start manufacturing of Maggi Noodles at two of its plants Pantnagar and Tahliwal. According to the company, the newly manufactured samples of instant Maggi noodles were approved safe by the government. The company is planning to begin the retail sales of Maggi Noodles, the popular snack, this month. As per the instructions from the Bombay High Court, all the samples of the newly manufactured batches from its three plants Moga (Punjab), Nanjangud (Karnataka), and Bicholim (Goa) were cleared by three NABL accredited labs. A statement from Nestle India said, “Now that the orders of the Bombay High Court have been complied with, we will make our best endeavour to commence the sale of MAGGI Noodles Masala within this month as well as continue engaging with states where permissions are needed or specific directions may be necessary.” “...for the other two locations at Tahliwal and Pantnagar, we are engaging with the relevant authorities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to obtain directions for commencing manufacture of MAGGI Noodles,” it added. Also Read: Blow To Nestle With $100M Charge From India Government According to Nestle India, samples representing more than 200 million packs underwent 3,500 tests at both national and international accredited laboratories and earned a clear report. Moreover, countries like USA, Singapore, UK, Australia and others found MAGGI Noodles exported from India as safe to consume. “We have received results from all three NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited laboratories mandated by Bombay High Court to test newly manufactured MAGGI Noodles samples. All the samples of the MAGGI Noodles Masala have been cleared with lead much below permissible limits,” the statement added. -Sumana
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Schoolboy Lost Life Trying To Take Selfie Atop Train In Mumbai November 04, 2015 12:33
Selfies are definitely coming in the way of life these days. Especially, lives of youth who try to click selfies at dangerous places either to show their bravery or to take the thrill are lost. Another incident happened in Mumbai when a 14-year old schoolboy was trying to click a selfie with his mobile phone atop a stationary train wagon. He got electrocuted and lost life a few hours later, officials said. The incident took place in Nahur station yard in Mumbai. Sahil C. Eshwarkar, the victim had allegedly climbed atop a goods train wagon that was parked. By accident he came in contact with a 25,000V overhead electrical wire and eventually was electrocuted. The victim who suffered 80% burns was rushed to the Rajawadi Hospital, at which he was declared dead. A case of accidental death was reported by the police. Sahil was a Class-IX student of the St. Francis Xaviers High School. He was with few friends as they went to try the new phone gifted by his father just two days back. This is the second time in the city this year that a teenager was dead while taking a selfie. Earlier in January, Ganesh Kumkumwati (16 year old) met with a similar accident as he tried to click a selfie atop a train wagon in Jogeshwari. The boy lost life by touching 25,000 volt overhead wire. It is high time to create awareness among youth regarding the cautions to be taken while clicking selfies! -Sumana
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First blind friendly railway station in Mysuru November 03, 2015 16:45
The Mysuru Railway station has become the first one to unveil and facilitate train schedules and tactile maps of the railway station in Braille for the sake of visually impaired train passengers. Pratap Simha, Mysuru MP, has inaugurated the facility. After inauguration Divisional Railway Manager Rajkumar Lal said spoke to reporters saying that Mysuru railway station has become the country's first visually challenged friendly station in India. The tactile maps of station describe the location and distance of platforms, entrance, washrooms, counters etc. Schedule of trains display their arrival and departure time. Also, 400 metal signages have been put up in Braille by the authorities besides the railings of the staircases, which lead to various platforms easily. According to a Railway official, the menu cards at food plaza and the canteen at the station would also be available in Braille now. An NGO, Anuprayaas assited the railways in making the Mysuru railway station blind-friendly. - Sumana
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Russian Airliner Crashes In Sinai, More Than 200 On Board October 31, 2015 17:56
A Russian airliner had crashed in Sinai peninsula in Egypt. It was carrying 224 passengers and crew member, according to the Prime Minister’s office of the Egypt and civil aviation ministry. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, a cabinet level crisis committee was formed by Sherif Ismail to deal with the crash of the airliner. Kogalymavia, Russian airline, operated Airbus A-321was flying from the Sinai coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia. The Airbus with registration number KGL-9268 went down in a desolate mountainous area of central Sinai as soon as the daybreak, said the aviation ministry. However, there is no information on casualties yet. According to Egyptian security sources, no indication was found to indicate that the plane was shot down, in the wake of Islamist militants being active in the parts of Sinai. Russian aviation authority Rosaviatia, spokesman, Sergei Isvolsky, told Interfax news agency that the ground contact with the plane that took off at 6:51 a.m.(0351 GMT) from Sharm el-Sheikh was lost with it about 25 minutes later. An Egyptian security officer told Reuters after arriving at the scene that the passenger plane crashed in Egypt's Sinai. It was destroyed totally. And it is likely that most of them onboard are dead. -Sumana
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Folk Singer Held In Tamil Nadu For Derogatory Remarks Against Jayalalithaa October 30, 2015 17:09
Cybercrime police arrested S Sivadas alias Kovan, Tamil folk singer, for writing lyrics with derogatory remarks against Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The singer was nabbed by a police team from Chennai. Kovan (45) was nabbed from his residence at Maruthanda Kurichi at 2am near Tiruchi and was brought to the State capital for further inquiry. According to the police, Kovan was associated with the Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam. It is an outfit indulging in revolutionary activities in Tamil Nadu. Police said that the lyrics written by Kovan were a demand to close Tasmac shops or liquor shops in Tamil Nadu, and they involved derogatory remarks against the CM. The video of the song was uploaded online. Police booked the singer under many IPC sections, including 124 (A) (sedition). Meanwhile, Jim Raj Milton, advocate, said that he was not allowed to meet Kovan by the police in Chennai. According to Milton, a habeas corpus petition was filed by him regarding this in the Madras high court and it would be taken up by the court in the afternoon. -Sumana
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Sanap Sentenced To Death For AP Software Professional’s Murder Case October 30, 2015 15:34
A special women's court in Mumbai has sentenced the accused Chandrabhan Sanap to death for committing murder of Andhra Pradesh software professional, Esther Anuhya. A Special judge pronounced the sentence and observed, "This is the rarest of rare case. For the charge of murder, the accused shall be hanged by the neck till death." Sanap was sentenced by the court to life imprisonment under the rape charges under IPC section 376A for committing rape and causing injury that causes death. The court also sentenced ten years imprisonment under 376 (2) (m) for committing constant sexual assault. Esther's uncle Arun Kumar said as a reaction to the sentence that, "The family is happy with the sentence." After the court sentenced him to death, Sanap broke down outside court telling media persons, "I have been wrongly implicated. I have not committed any crime. I never expected to be given death. There is no evidence against me. I have been punished for something I have not done. I have not seen my daughter. What should I do with my life?" A 23-year old employee of tech company, Esther Anuhya was working in Mumbai. She returned to the city after her visit to Machilipatnam, where her family stays. She met Sanap, after she arrived at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in suburban Kurla. He offered to drop her at her place located in Andheri for Rs. 300. Then, Sanap raped and killed Anuhya. He threw the body in the bushes along the Eastern Express Highway in Bhandup, which was found by her family on 16 January. The court that convicted Sanap on Tuesday, termed the incident as, "a case of cold-blooded pre-planned murder", where the motive was "to satisfy unbridled lust.” -Sumana
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Earthquake Of Slight Magnitude In India’s North-Eastern States, Bangladesh October 30, 2015 12:36
In the early hours of Friday, an earthquake of low intensity hit north-eastern states of India and few parts of Bangladesh, according to an official. No reports of damage or causalities are available yet. The quake that occurred at 3.45 a.m., is measured to be 4.9 on the Richter Scale with epicentre in Karimganj district of Assam. The central seismological centre seismologist said, "The quake, measuring 4.9 on the Richter Scale, occurred at 3.45 a.m. and had its epicentre in Assam's Karimganj district bordering Bangladesh." The quake was felt in few areas of Meghalaya, Assam, besides adjoining areas of north-eastern region and some areas in Bangladesh. The time span was for nearly 10 to 12 seconds. Seismologists consider north-eastern states of India including Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur as the sixth major earthquake-prone belt in the world. -Sumana
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More $10 Billion Credit Announced By Modi To Africa October 29, 2015 16:36
Addressing the India-Africa Forum Summit in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India and Africa must speak in a single voice at the international institutions such as the UN Security Council for reforms. He also made an announcement of $10 billion credit to Africa, besides the ongoing credit program. Modi said, "To add strength to our partnership, India will offer concessional credit of $10 billion over the next five years. This will be in addition to our ongoing credit program.” Like on Wednesday, Modi again made a common cause with African nations saying that international institutions do not represent the whole world, if no place is given to India and Africa. Modi reiterated that, "This is a world of free nations and awakened aspirations. Our institutions cannot be representative of our world, if they do not give voice to Africa, with more than a quarter of UN members, or the world's largest democracy with one-sixth of humanity. That is why India and Africa must speak in one voice for reforms of the United Nations, including its Security Council." Also, $600 million assistance was promised by the PM to the continent besides 50,000 scholarships for African students in India. "We will also offer a grant assistance of $600 million. This will include an India-Africa Development Fund of $100 million and an India-Africa Health Fund of $10 million.It will also include 50,000 scholarships in India over the next five years. And, it will support the expansion of the Pan Africa E-Network and institutions of skilling, training and learning across Africa," the PM said. -Sumana
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Eight Ministers Dropped From UP CM Akhilesh Yadav’s Government October 29, 2015 16:12
A Samajwadi Party spokesman has announced that eights Ministers, out of which five are cabinet ministers and three are State ministers, have been dropped from the Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav’s government. Akhilesh Yadav has sacked the eight ministers from his cabinet to project he's in charge. According to the Samajwadi Party, this could send strong message to people before the 2017 assembly elections that Team Akhilesh is the one firmly in command as few people feel CM Akhilesh has no free hand in running the UP government. A hint came from Akhilesh on Wednesday saying that there would be the expansion of the state's council of ministers after the Bihar assembly elections planned to end next month. As a reply to a question regarding impending reshuffle of the council of ministers, Akhilesh had said, "Let the elections in Bihar be over." On Wednesday, the Chief Minister of the Uttar Pradesh met Governor Ram Naik to discuss about the cabinet expansion. Maximum permissible strength of Uttar Pradesh for the council of ministers is 60. -Sumana
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SC Refuses Ban On Bursting Of Firecrackers On Diwali October 28, 2015 15:10
Plea for ban on bursting of firecrackers on Diwali was refused categorically by the Supreme Court, saying it might be dangerous to breach into the right of common man to enjoy his religious festivities. The judgment came as a refusal to plea made earlier by three toddlers against air pollution caused by crackers during the festival. Chief Justice H.L. Dattu led Bench said, "the court cannot stop people from bursting crackers in front of their homes." It was observed by the Chief Justice that, "If we try to stop, he will say it is my right. Such a ban will lead to a dangerous situation. Chaos." The arguments made by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi were dismissed by the court. Singhvi argued for the prescription of a time limit as well as designation of public spaces for people to burst crackers. The Chief Justice said, "Sorry. We cannot tell everybody to go to some Nehru maidan and burst crackers." However, the Centre was pulled up by the bench for not widely publishing advertisements in the media to warn health hazards and to follow regulations related to noise pollution. The court’s 2005 order was further reiterated, which prescribed the time limit for avoiding disturbance that could be caused to the public during ‘night time’, which court defined as the hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. -Sumana
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Sedition Charges Against Hardik Patel Upheld Gujarat HC October 27, 2015 18:21
Sedition charge against Hardik Patel was upheld by the Gujarat High Court, which was slapped by Surat Police. However, the police was asked by the court to withdraw one charge that claimed Mr. Patel guilty of promoting enmity between communities. The case of sedition was filed by the Surat police on the basis of purported video clip in which Hardik, which the quota agitation leader, is heard asking a distressed Patel youth to "kill 3-4 policemen, instead of killing yourself." Hardik and his key aides were also slapped by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch with sedition. They were accused of trying to destabilize the State administration and collapse the government using violence. The 22-year-old Patel community agitation leader striving for reservation was arrested and was booked on the charges of sedation by police on 19 October. The case was for allegedly exhorting youngsters from Patel community to kill police people instead of killing themselves. Pronouncing the order, the judge observed that, "Advising a person to resort to violence and disturb peace in the society amounts to sedition. It's open for Patidars (Patels) to demand quota by peaceful means, but what's not permissible is any act that may jeopardise public tranquility.” -Sumana
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