The Centre has given consent to the renaming of at least 25 towns and villages across India in the past one year and among the pending proposals is one for the state of West Bengal, according to officials.

Allahabad and Faizabad are the latest additions to the growing list of places that have been renamed. 

Several proposals, including the renaming of West Bengal as 'Bangla', are pending with the central government. The process is a long-drawn one with the involvement of multiple central ministries and departments. 

The Union home ministry has given consent to the proposals of name change in 25 villages and towns in different parts of the country in last one year, a senior ministry official said.

The proposals to change the names of Allahabad to Prayagraj and Faizabad to Ayodhya are yet to be received by the ministry from the Uttar Pradesh government, the official said.

Some of the approved name change proposals are: Rajahmundry as Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh; Outer Wheeler as A P J Abdul Kalam Island, situated in Bhadrak district of Odisha; Arikkod as Areekode in Malappura district of Kerala; Pindari as Pandu-Pindara in Jind district of Haryana; and Samphur as Sanphure in Kiphire district of Nagaland.

 

Other renaming proposals approved by the ministry include Landgewadi to Narsinhagaon in Sangali district of Maharashtra; Garhi Sampla as Ch. Sir Chhotu Ram Nagar in Rohtak district of Haryana; Khatu Kalan village as Bari Khatu in Nagour district of Rajasthan; Mihgawan Chhakka and Mihgawan Tilia as Mihgawan Sarkar and Mihgawan Ghat respectively in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and Shukratal Khadar as Sukhtirth Khadar and Shukratal Bangar as Sukhtirth Bangar in Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh.

However, a proposal to change the name of Kacharigaon to Phevima in Dimapur district of Nagaland was rejected by the home ministry recently, the official said.

The home ministry considers such proposals according to the existing guidelines in consultations with agencies concerned, another official said.

The home ministry gives its consent to the change of name of any place after taking no-objections from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India.

These organisations have to confirm that there is no such town or village in their records with a name similar to the proposed one.

The renaming of a state requires amendment of the Constitution with a simple majority in Parliament. For changing the name of a village or town, an executive order is needed.

The proposal to change the name of West Bengal to 'Bangla', as suggested by the state government, was recently forwarded by the home ministry to the ministry of external affairs for its opinion as the proposed name sounded similar to the name of neighbouring country Bangladesh, the official said.

On Thursday, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the state government was considering renaming Ahmedabad as Karnavati and the name change could be effected before next year's Lok Sabha elections.

BJP leader Raja Singh said on Thursday that the party would "aim" to rename Hyderabad and other cities in the state after the names of great people if it is elected to power in Telangana after the forthcoming assembly polls.

Last year, the Centre had approved the proposal to rename the iconic Mughalsarai railway station to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya station after the Jan Sangh leader who was found dead in the railway station in 1968. -- PTI

The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of benefitting "friends" by promoting private and crony capitalists at the expense of public institutions and demanded an independent judicial probe into the new '59-minute loan scheme' for the micro, small and medium enterprises sector.

 

Alleging the scheme is a "scam", Congress leader Gaurav Vallabh demanded that the affairs of portal www.psbloansin59minutes.com, processing loans to small industries, be fully investigated and its contract with the government cancelled.

There was no immediate response from either the government or the PMO or the ruling BJP over the charges made by the Congress.

Prime Minister Modi launched a new facility for MSMEs alongside a slew of measures for the sector, which, Vallabh said, incidentally has been battered for a long term due to demonetisation in November 2016.

He said a platform to facilitate quick loans was launched on November 2, 2018 with "pomp and promotion show typical in nature of various types of propaganda of this government".

The Congress leader alleged that the web portal is supported by public sector institutions such as SIDBI and PSU banks as partners, even though it is owned by Ahmedabad-based private company CapitaWorld Platform Pvt Ltd.

He alleged that the company is charging Rs 1,000 and another Rs 180 as GST from each small industry registered on its website and so far lakhs of entities have been "cheated" by it.

Based on the euphoric response, if 1 million MSMEs apply for the same, the said company stands to gain Rs 100 crore for lead generation, he said and asked, "Should a government scheme be allowed to enrich private parties?"

"The Congress party demands that the agreement with a private party (CapitaWorld) to 'loot' MSME sector should be cancelled with immediate effect and an enquiry on the role of Prime Minister's Office and Finance Minister in this 'massive financial fraud' should be initiated by an independent judicial body," Vallabh told reporters.

"To benefit his 'friends', Prime Minister Modi has given a contract to manage the 'www.psbloansin59minutes.com' to Ahmedabad-based CapitaWorld private limited and the company was incorporated on March 30, 2015 and as per financial year 2017 its income is Rs 15,000 odd without any operations till then," he said.

He also alleged that its chief executive officer has been a part of Modi's poll campaign in 2014 general elections, who has now been "benefitted" in this form.

The Congress leader said the company was valued at Rs 19.216 crore pre-investment as of April 2018 and based on this valuation nine entities, including SIDBI, Bank of Baroda and SBI, invested Rs 22 crore into this company for 54 pc shareholding and its post-investment valuation is Rs 41 crore.

"Why is the work of bankers being used for enriching private individuals while the nature of the work is not complex and banks have been doing the same earlier also? -- PTI

National Commission for Minorities chief Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi Sunday said Ram temple must be built in Ayodhya so that Muslims can live "peacefully" and "respectfully".

   

Rizvi also stressed that the dispute should be resolved soon to help strengthen ties between communities. 

Some Muslim organisations had sought the panel's intervention in the Ayodhya title suit case, Rizvi said.

The commission in its November 14 meeting will decide whether to approach the Supreme Court for an early hearing on the matter or not, he added.

"The National Minority Welfare Organisation and some other outfits have sent us reports that the Muslim community in the country is living in fear," Rizvi told PTI.

"They have urged the commission to take an initiative to improve the current atmosphere," he added.

"During the November 14 meeting, we will hold discussions on the matter. But, as it is sub-judice, we can only urge the apex court for an early hearing," he said.

 

Rizvi further said that the organisations wanted Muslims to help in the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site and make sure that no such controversy erupts in future again.

The minority panel chief also made it clear that there was no possibility of building mosques or offering namaz in Ayodhya.    

 

"Even I believe that in Ayodhya, neither mosques can be built, nor namaz can be offered. The place has a sentimental value for 100 crore Hindus," Rizvi said.

 

"Therefore, Hindus must be allowed to build a Ram temple there (Ayodhya) so that Muslims can live peacefully, respectfully and without any fear while contributing to the development of the nation," he added. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate two major national highways and an inland waterways project at his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, on Monday.

 

The two roads have a combined length of 34 km and have been laid at a cost of Rs 1,571.95 crore. The 16.55-km Varanasi Ring Road Phase-I has been completed at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, while the four-laning and construction of 17.25-km-long Babatpur-Varanasi Road on NH-56 has cost Rs 812.59 crore, read a statement from the PM's office.

 

The Babatpur Airport Highway will link Varanasi to the airport and go on to link Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. With the flyover at Harhua and a road over bridge (ROB) at Tarna, the new road plan will reduce travel time from Varanasi to the airport, providing relief to the locals and tourists coming here, the statement said.

 

The Ring Road, with two ROBs and a flyover, is expected to reduce traffic, fuel usage and pollution on NH 56 (Lucknow-Varanasi), NH 233 (Azamgarh-Varanasi), NH 29 (Gorakhpur-Varanasi) and AyodhyaVaranasi highway, the statement said.

 

Further the ring road is expected to provide smooth road access to Sarnath, a renowned Buddhist pilgrimage site.

 

On the day, at a separate event, the prime minister will inaugurate the first multi-modal waterways terminal on the Ganga river as part of the Centre's Jal Marg Vikas Project which aims to develop the stretch of the river between Varanasi and Haldia for navigation of large vessels weighing up to 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes, an official statement said.

 

The objective of the project is to promote inland waterways as a cheap and environment-friendly means of transportation, especially for cargo movement. The Inland Waterways Authority of India is the project implementing agency.

 

National Waterway-1 (Haldia-Varanasi stretch) is being developed with technical assistance and investment support from the World Bank. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,369.18 crore, which will be shared between the Government of India and the World Bank on a 50:50 ratio.

 

The project entails construction of three multi-modal terminals (Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia), two inter-modal terminals, five roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal pairs, new navigation lock at Farakka, assured depth dredging, integrated vessel repair and maintenance facility, differential global positioning system, river information system, river training and conservancy works.

 

Operation, management and further development of the terminal is proposed to be entrusted to an operator on public-private partnership model and selection of the operator through an international competitive bidding is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed by December, an official statement said. 

The multi-modal terminal project and proposed freight village in Varanasi are expected to generate 500 direct employment and more than 2,000 indirect employment opportunities.

 

Later in the day, the PM will receive India's first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on inland waterways on October 30, carrying cargo belonging to PEPSICO (India). -- PTI

Growing public sentiment against the Centre's move to amend the Citizenship Act has given a "fresh lease of life" to  the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, which has recruited eight youths in the last two months, a senior officer of the Assam Police has said.  

 

Director General (Special Branch) of Assam Police Pallav Bhattacharjee said police foiled ULFA's plan to recruit another batch of eight youths and that a number of men from five districts have gravitated towards the banned organisation. 

"Since September 1, eight youths have joined ULFA, and another eight were apprehended in the process of joining it," he told PTI on Sunday.

The 1986-batch IPS officer said strong public sentiment against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Brahmaputra Valley has given a "fresh lease of life" to ULFA, which has been claiming that the bill "threatens the existence of indigenous people" of the state.

Bhattacharjee said a leader of the All Assam Students' Union's Dergaon unit, Pankaj Pratim Dutta, recently joined ULFA which is a very "disturbing" development.

The proposed amendment to the Citizenship Bill, 1955 seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.

A large section of people and organisations in the Northeast have opposed the bill, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971 as the cut off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

The DGP (SB) said police were keeping a strict vigil on ULFA's attempts to lure youths from Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Golaghat and Udalguri districts.

Five Bengali Hindus were killed by suspected ULFA militants in Tinsukia district on November 1.

The BJP MP from Meerut, Rajendra Agrawal, who is the chairman of the Joint Parliament Committee examining the bill, said the panel is likely to submit its report in the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session.

"This will be the last session of the current Lok Sabha. If we don't submit the report, it would mean we have not discharged our duties properly," he told PTI over the phone. 

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday pitched for dialogues between India and China on various issues, saying differences between the two nations should not be allowed to become disputes.

   

Both India and China should respect each other and resolve issues through dialogues and join hands together for peace and prosperity, Sitharaman said.

 

There are various issues such as defence, border disputes, border trades and presence of Indian and Chinese defence forces in the Indian Ocean which can be resolved through continuous dialogues, the minister said.

 

"Competition is normal, but contest must not turn into conflict. Differences should not be allowed to become disputes, she said in Itanagar.

 

"Solution lies in dialogue, solution lies in peaceful engagement. But for this, mutual trust should be there." However, she added, mutual recognition of sensitivity in each country should be respected and resolved through dialogues.

Sitharaman was delivering the seventh memorial lecture of former RSS activist from Arunachal Pradesh, Rutum Kamgo, on the theme: 'Towards Bridging the Indo-China Relationship for an Emerging Asia'.

 

On a proposal of Chief Minister Pema Khandu for opening up border trade with China through Bum La Pass, Sitharaman said trade was possible with the border villages of both the countries, like the current border haats at Nathu La in Sikkim and Moreh in Manipur.

 

However, she added, the balance of trade between the countries was in favour of China. "Trade between India and China is done in large scale amounting to USD 80-90 billion. But, sadly, we are purchasing from them in huge quantities. But, for our products, their market is not open."

"We have several products like telecommunication, vegetables, tea, soya, raw sugar, pharmaceuticals etc in which China evinces keen interest," the defence minister said, adding that there were certain areas where both the nations could cooperate, especially in containing terrorism and promoting sustainable development. -- PTI

The terror infrastructure in Pakistan remains intact and around 160 terrorists are waiting across the Line of Control to infiltrate into Indian territory, a senior army officer said Sunday. 

Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh, who took over as the general officer commanding of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, commonly known as XVI Corps, also said that cross-border terrorism will stop only if Pakistan changes its policy and intentions.

The officer, involved in the planning of the 2016 surgical strikes on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, told PTI in an interview that the Army was not letting up on "our preparedness and the counter-infiltration grid is strong enough to deal with infiltrators".

 

Lt. Gen. Singh, who has served in all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, said, "140 to 160 terrorists at different locations in Pakistan are being pushed into the state."

 

"The terror infrastructure is intact, and Pakistan's intentions have not changed. The Pakistan Army and the ISI's complicity in planning infiltration and terror attacks is evident and it continues," the officer, who has a vast experience in high-altitude warfare, said.

To a question on the situation along the LoC, he said ceasefire violations have abated after the DGMO-level talks.

 

"For troops on the LoC, there is no ceasefire... though periodic unprovoked firing by the Pakistan Army and attempts to cause harm to forward posts continue. We do not initiate fire, but we give it back in adequate measure. There is no let up on preparedness and our counter-infiltration grid is strong to deal with infiltrators," he said.

Talking about challenges during winter, Lt Gen Singh, who is part of the elite Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), said the Army anticipates that Pakistani troops will make an attempt to push infiltrators through heavy snow-bound areas and non-traditional routes.

 

"We have all contingency plans ready. We have coordinated with all security agencies, and plans are being implemented smoothly," said Lt Gen Singh, who commanded a special forces' battalion that participated in the surgical strikes after the attack on an Army brigade in Uri in 2016.

Referring to the recent incident of firing of 107-mm rocket on the Poonch brigade, he said, "Despite Director General of Military Operations-level talks in May during which the two countries agreed to abide by the 2003 ceasefire agreement, Pakistani troops targeted these locations."

 

"In response, we conveyed that Pakistan must exercise caution before indulging in any misadventure," Lt Gen Singh said. -- PTI

India has slammed the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committees, saying they are opaque and lack accountability and never inform the reason for not acceding to requests for sanctioning terrorists, in an apparent reference to China repeatedly blocking New Delhi's bid to list Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

Addressing a UNSC debate on 'Strengthening Multilateralism and the role of the United Nations' Friday, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said even as the Council has spawned an entire range of subordinate bodies, the functioning of this "subterranean universe" of subordinate bodies has become "byzantine". 

"In an age where informed publics increasingly demand transparency from public institutions, the Sanctions Committees are the most egregious examples known to multilateralism in terms of their opacity and lack of accountability," he said. 

Akbaruddin said the Sanctions Committees "ostensibly" act on behalf of the entire membership of the UN, "yet, they do not inform us (general members) that due to a negative vote cast by any of their 15 (veto-wielding) members, they have decided not to sanction an entity or individual proposed by any member state".

Though he did not mention the name of any country, it is well known that China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UNSC, has repeatedly blocked India's move supported by the US, Britain and France to designate Azhar a terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the  Council. The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), founded by Azhar, is already in the UN's list of banned terror outfits.

Akbaruddin said it is obvious that the UNSC is facing crises of performance, credibility, legitimacy and relevance. 

"However, to blame multilateralism for the dismal situation of the Council, is, to use a New York sporting analogy, like 'blaming the Madison Square Garden for the failure of the New York Knicks in the NBA', year after year, for decades, he said.

He lamented that the Council's membership diverges from the distribution of global power and is unable to accommodate contemporary realities. Large sections of global populations are left disenchanted and nursing a sense of historical injustice due to the anachronistic composition, he said.

"Nimble organisations seek to replace routines with initiatives, continuity with ?exibility and rules with results. On one hand, the Council has expanded its remit by broadening definitions of violent conflicts, addressing issues of nuclear proliferation...and recognising a new generation of challenges relating to terrorism...On the other hand, it has remained rooted in the historical events that gave birth to it," Akbaruddin said. 

"The Council's 'path dependency' is reflected in its aversion to reform its membership and work methods," he added.

India along with Brazil, Germany and Japan -- which constitutes the G-4 grouping -- has been seeking a permanent seat on the Security Council to make the powerful UN body more representative and reflective of the changing global order. -- PTI

A Somali-origin man, who set a car on fire and stabbed three people, killing one of them, before being fatally shot in the Australian city of Melbourne, did not have a "definite link" to the dreaded Islamic State but was "inspired" by it, the government said on Sunday.

 

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali stabbed three members of the public and attacked police officers in the Bourke Street on Friday before he was shot and killed by the police.

The 30-year-old, who was driving a Ute, loaded with gas bottles, into the Bourke Street, allegedly set it alight and began stabbing members of the public.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said authorities did not believe Ali, who had his passport cancelled in 2015, was a member of the Islamic State and had not been known to be ready to act.

"There was no evidence available to the police... that any attack was imminent or that he had been part of planning," Dutton told reporters.

"The judgment that was made (by authorities) was that he was not in the planning stage of an attack,"  he added.

"In relation to his connections with ISIL (another name for IS) or with any terrorist group... there's not, as I'm advised, a membership of an organisation or a definite link to ISIL."

However, the terror group's propaganda outlet, Amaq, earlier said "The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting the Islamic State.

"The working theory is at the moment, (it's) a case where this person has been downloading information or receiving messages in his own mind about what he should be doing. It's an inspiral (sic) as opposed to affiliation," Duton said.

There was "no evidence" available to intelligence services that the terrorist behind the Bourke Street stabbings was preparing an imminent attack, Dutton added. -- PTI

Nearly one lakh security personnel have been deployed in the Naxal-affected districts going to polls in the first phase in Chhattisgarh on Monday, amid the threat from Maoists who have called for a boycott of the elections.

 

 On the eve of the polls, a sub-inspector of the Border Security Force lost his life when Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device in Kanker district while a Maoist was gunned down in an encounter in Bijapur district.

 

Voting will be held on Monday in 18 seats spread over eight Naxal-affected districts in the state.

 

Naxal outfits have given calls for boycott of the election and executed over half-a-dozen attacks in the last 15 days, three of them major ones which left 13 people dead including a cameraman of national broadcaster Doordarshan who was covering the election campaign.

 

According to police, escorting polling parties to their destinations and bringing them back after the polls pose challenges to them in the Naxal hotbed.

 

"Around one lakh security personnel, including central paramilitary force, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling in the first phase," Chhattisgarh's Special Director General (anti-Naxal operations) D M Awasthi told PTI.

 

All counter measures have been taken to thwart attempts by Maoists to disrupt the poll process, he said.

A total of 650 companies (roughly around 65,000 security personnel), including of paramilitary forces like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other state forces, have been sent by the Centre for poll duty, he said.

 

These units are apart from the paramilitary personnel and 200 companies of state forces already engaged in the anti- Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, Awasthi said.

 

He said around 650 polling booth parties were airlifted by helicopters on Saturday to remote areas while other teams were being sent by road on Sunday.

 

Choppers of the Indian Air Force and the BSF were pressed into service for the purpose, he said.

 

"The challenge is to escort all polling parties safely to their destination in Naxal-affected areas and later to conduct polls and bring back them safely," Awasthi said.

 

He said there are inputs of Naxals planning to plant IEDs to target security men. "Therefore, a hawk eye was being kept on roads in such areas," the official said.

 

Awasthi said forces that have arrived from other states have been advised to avoid using any road unless it has been sanitised by "road opening parties" or subjected to a de-mining exercise to detect and clear IEDs.

 

Security men have also been asked to avoid patrolling on foot as Naxals are known to place iron spikes to inflict injuries, he said.

 

They have also been asked to maintain extra caution and sanitise polling booths and other premises in sensitive areas, he said.

 

In the last 10 days, over 300 IEDs were recovered from the Bastar region and Rajnandgaon district by security forces, he added.

 

Another state police official said as many as 198 polling booths have been relocated in the eight districts going to polls, in view of the Maoist threat and convenience of locals. -- PTI

A 5-magnitude earthquake hit Pithoragarh, Didihat and Munsiyari sub-divisions of this border district of Uttarakhand Sunday. 

 

The quake occurred at 12.37 pm, the District Disaster Management office said here. 

It had a latitude of 29.7 degree north and a longitude of 80.6 degree east. Its epicentre was somewhere near the India-Nepal border and had a depth of 10 km, the office said.

District Magistrate C Ravishankar said no loss to life and property was reported. -- PTI

In the wake of a clash between the army and police personnel in Arunachal Pradesh's Bomdila town, Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said both the institutions should respect each other as they are serving the nation.

 

In a Facebook post, Rijiju said the army is country's pride which secures "our motherland" and police are the pillar of internal security.

"We must respect both great institutions. Every individual and institution functions under a system governed by law... Let's respect and strengthen each other," he wrote.

The minister's comments came in the wake of some soldiers allegedly vandalising the Bomdila police station, and assaulting police personnel and civilians last week.

During a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Rijiju took stock of the situation arising out of the clashes between the army and police personnel.

"Our uniform people sacrifice their personal comfort and family for the nation...There are always elementary human errors which can be taken care of and the matter will be resolved. I appeal everyone not to jump into the matter with loose comments without knowing the facts with prejudice mindset (sic)," he said.

Rijiju, who hails from the state, said the "spontaneous" decision of the defence minister to visit Bomdila, where she interacted with local people and district administration, has "generated a huge goodwill" among the residents.

Sitharaman met local people during a visit to Arunachal Pradesh to celebrate Diwali along with soldiers posted in the forward areas along the Sino-Indian border.

In a Twitter post, the Union minister of state for home said that due to "indecorous" acts at individual level, a "reprehensible" incident took place but the whole institutions can't be dragged along.

"My constituency people are peace loving. But some outside elements are making hateful comments on social media without any factual knowledge," he tweeted.

The Bomdila incident occurred when a group of soldiers allegedly misbehaved with civilians and police personnel at the Buddha Mahotsav celebrations last week, officials said.

Following this, the local station house officer went to the spot and two soldiers were brought to police station. After that some soldiers allegedly vandalised the Bomdila police station, assaulted police personnel and civilians, they said. -- PTI 

The Indian Air Force is "very much alive" to emerging threats that could arise in the Indo Pacific region, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said Sunday, and asserted that his force was prepared to deal with any challenge to protect India's national interests.

 

He also said there is cause for concern over the rate of modernisation and induction of new equipment in India's neighbourhood, even as India faces challenges emanating from "unresolved territorial disputes" and "sponsored" non-state and transnational actors. But the IAF is capable of, and is moving ahead, for countering them effectively, he told PTI in an interview.

 

Asked whether the IAF can play a role in smashing terrorist training camps across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, he did not rule out such a possibility.

 

"The IAF is well equipped to take on threats which occur from across the border, be it in the realm of sub conventional or other domains," the Air Chief Marshal said.

 

Referring to India's immediate security challenges, without naming China and Pakistan, he said, "The current challenges emanate from unresolved territorial issues, sponsored non-state actors and transnational actors who act against national interests through the global commons."

"The IAF is prepared 24x7 for any threat and is ready for a befitting response to any contingency with all our available assets," he said.

 

Dhanoa also made an indirect reference to China's rapid modernisation of its air force and also about the infrastructure development Beijing has carried out in the Tibet Autonomous Region bordering India.

"The IAF is well equipped to take on challenges across the entire range of threats that could emanate across our borders. While there is a cause for concern as regards to the rate of modernisation and induction of new equipment in our neighbourhood, the IAF is nevertheless, moving ahead with appropriate measures to cater to these new developments," he said.

 

Asked whether the IAF was capable of playing a role to expand India's geo-political influence in the Indo-Pacific region, he replied in the affirmative and talked about IAF's capabilities including having the second largest fleet of C-17s.

 

"We have the second largest fleet of C-17s in the world. Therefore, India will pull its heft in helping out friendly nations in times of human distress and humanitarian relief. In addition, the IAF is very much alive to the emerging threats that could arise in the Indo Pacific region," he said.

 

At present, the IAF has a fleet of ten C-17 Globemasters, used for strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo for long-range missions. -- PTI

A disgruntled Om Prakash Rajbhar, a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government and the chief of Bharatiya Janata Party ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, has mocked the saffron party over its renaming spree and suggested it to change the names of its three prominent Muslim leaders.

 

"The BJP says that the cities were named after Mughals. In the the BJP, there is Shahnawaz Hussain, who is the national spokesperson; Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who is a Union Cabinet minister; and, in UP, there is Mohsin Raza, who is minister of state in the Yogi Adityanath government. First, the names of these three persons should be changed," Rajbhar purportedly said in a video, which went viral on social media.

 

"The GT Road, which was built by a Muslim king, should be uprooted. After all, it was built by Sher Shah Suri. Why do you allow people to use that road? Similarly, the Red Fort in Delhi and Taj Mahal. Who built them?" asked Rajbhar, who heads the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced that Faizabad district would henceforth be known as Ayodhya. He also proposed setting up of a new airport, named after Lord Ram, and a medical college in the name of King Dasharath, father of Ram, in the district.

Last month, the state Cabinet had adopted a proposal to rename the historic city of Allahabad as Prayagraj.

When contacted by PTI on Sunday, Rajbhar said: "There is no point in renaming the districts of the state. The work which was done by the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, the same is being repeated by the BJP. There is nothing new in it."

 

However, UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said though Rajbhar was entitled to have his views as a minister, but should refrain from making such remarks.

"Faizabad and Allahabad were renamed as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively as per the sanctity of these places. It was only a corrective action, as centuries ago invaders with polluted mentality had changed the names of these places," the spokesperson claimed. -- PTI  

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar underwent a "routine check-up" at a state-run hospital near Panaji on Sunday, an official in the chief minister's office said.

   

Parrikar, 62, has been recuperating at his private residence near Panaji since October 14 upon his return from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, where he underwent treatment for a pancreatic ailment.

 

He was taken to the Goa Medical College and Hospital on Sunday morning for a "routine check-up", Parrikar's personal secretary Rupesh Kamat said in a statement.

 

A source said the chief minister was at the hospital for over an hour during which he underwent some tests.

 

The source, however, did not give any details of the check-ups done, saying they were "confidential".

"It was more like a routine check-up," he added.

Before being admitted to AIIMS, Parrikar had undergone treatment at a US hospital between March and August.

After his return to Goa, the chief minister had held a series of meetings with government officials and his Cabinet colleagues.

He had also chaired meetings of the state Cabinet and the State Investment Promotion Board.

 

All three Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Parliament from Goa -- Vinay Tendulkar (Rajya Sabha), Shripad Naik (North Goa), who is also a Union minister and Narendra Sawaikar (South Goa)-- had met Parrikar on Saturday at his residence to enquire about his health. -- PTI 

Photograph: ANI

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram Sunday asked the Centre what was its "tearing hurry" to "fix" the capital framework of Reserve Bank of India when the ruling dispensation had just four months to complete the term.

In a series of tweets, the senior Congress leader slammed the government for allegedly seeking funds from the RBI despite claiming that its (Centre) fiscal math was correct.

"The NDA government has competed 4 years and 6 months of its term. It has effectively 4 months left. What is the tearing hurry to 'fix' the capital framework of RBI?" he said.

Chidambaram said if the government did not need any more money this financial year, why was it "mounting pressure" on the central bank in the last four months of its tenure. 

"Why did it keep silent for 4 years and 6 months?" he said.

The Congress leader said the government had claimed that its "fiscal math is correct" and "boasts" that it had given up Rs 70,000 crore of borrowing for 2018-19.

"If so, why does it need money from the reserves of RBI this year?" he said.  

The central government had on Friday said it was discussing an "appropriate" size of capital reserves that the central bank must maintain, but denied seeking a massive capital transfer from the RBI.

The RBI has a massive Rs 9.59 lakh crore reserves and the government, if reports are to be believed, wants the central bank to part with a third of that fund -- an issue which along with easing of norms for weak banks and raising liquidity has brought the two at loggerheads in recent weeks.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg took to Twitter on Friday to clarify that the government was not in any dire need of funds and that there was no proposal to ask the RBI to transfer Rs 3.6 lakh crore.

"There is no proposal to ask RBI to transfer (Rs) 3.6 or (Rs) 1 lakh crore, as speculated," he tweeted. 

"Government's FD (fiscal deficit) in FY 2013-14 was 5.1%. From 2014-15 onwards, Government has succeeded in bringing it down substantially. We will end the FY 2018-19 with FD of 3.3%. Government has actually foregone (Rs) 70,000 crore of budgeted market borrowing this year," Garg said.  

The official said the only proposal under discussion was to "fix appropriate economic capital framework of RBI".

Economic capital framework refers to the risk capital required by the central bank while taking into account different risks. -- PTI

Former Karnataka minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy has been arrested in connection with Ambident Group alleged bribery case, news agency ANI reported.

Reddy, who the police said had been absconding, on Saturday appeared before the police in connection with an alleged ponzi scam,

He claimed that there was a political conspiracy and added that he had faith in the police.

The Central Crime Branch police had launched a hunt for him since Wednesday in connection with a money transaction worth crores of rupees, allegedly linked to a ponzi scheme.

The CCB was also on the lookout for Reddy's close aide, Ali Khan, who had allegedly struck a Rs 20-crore deal with Syed Ahmed Fareed of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd -- a company accused of involvement in the ponzi scheme -- to bail him out from the Enforcement Directorate investigation.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar had said on Wednesday that Reddy was absconding and the police were looking for him to question him in the case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday paid tributes to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I and said the country reiterates its commitment towards world peace so that the trail of death and destruction caused by wars does not occur.

   

"Today, as we mark one hundred years since the end of the horrific First World War, we reiterate our commitment towards world peace and pledge to work to further an atmosphere of harmony and brotherhood so that the trail of death and destruction caused by wars does not occur," he said in a series of tweets.

He said, India remembers its brave soldiers who fought in WW I. 

"This was a war in which India was not directly involved yet our soldiers fought world over, just for the cause of peace," the prime minister said.

Modi recalled that he had the honour of paying tributes at the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial in France and at the memorial in Israel's Haifa, places associated with India's role in World War I.

"When (Israel) PM Benjamin Netanyahu came to India, we paid tributes at the Teen Murti-Haifa Chowk", the Prime Minister said. -- PTI 

Posting too many selfies on social media may make you more narcissistic, a study has found.

 

Published in The Open Psychology Journal, the study looked at personality changes of 74 individuals aged 18 to 34 over a four-month period.

Researchers from Swansea University in the UK and Milan University in Italy also assessed the participants' usage of social media - including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat - during that same period.

Narcissism is a personality characteristic that can involve grandiose exhibitionism, beliefs relating to entitlement, and exploiting others.

Those who used social media excessively, through visual postings, displayed an average 25 per cent increase in such narcissistic traits over the four months of the study.

This increase took many of these participants above the clinical cut-off for Narcissistic Personality Disorder, according to the measurement scale used.

The study also found that those who primarily used social media for verbal postings, such as Twitter, did not show these effects.

However, for this group of people, their initial levels of narcissism predicted a growth in this form of social media usage over time. The more narcissistic they were to begin with, the more verbal postings they made later.

All but one of the people in the study used social media, and their average use was about three hours a day, excluding usage for work, but some reported using social media for as much as eight hours a day for non-work related purposes.

Facebook was used by 60 per cent of the sample, 25 per cent used Instagram, and 13 per cent used Twitter and Snapchat each. Over two thirds of the participants primarily used social media for posting images.

"There have been suggestions of links between narcissism and the use of visual postings on social media, such as Facebook, but, until this study, it was not known if narcissists use this form of social media more, or whether using such platforms is associated with the subsequent growth in narcissism," said Phil Reed from Swansea University, who led the study.

"The results of this study suggest that both occur, but show that posting selfies can increase narcissism," said Reed.

"Taking our sample as representative of the population, which there is no reason to doubt, this means that about 20 per cent of people may be at risk of developing such narcissistic traits associated with their excessive visual social media use," he said. -- PTI

Candidates failing to put out advertisements listing their criminal records during electioneering could face contempt of court proceedings and those publishing wrong info about their rivals' criminal antecedents could end up paying penalty for indulging in corrupt practices, the Election Commission has said.

   

Following a Supreme Court direction, the poll panel had on October 10 made it compulsory for candidates contesting polls to advertise their criminal antecedents in TV channels and newspapers at least three times during electioneering.

 

The directive comes into force in the assembly elections in five states -- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana -- in November-December.

According to the directive, political parties too will have to publicise criminal records of their candidates.

In a set of 'frequently asked questions' issued for the five poll-bound states, the commission has made it clear that candidates who do not have criminal record or ongoing cases, need not issue advertisement.

 

It said the candidates and their parties would have to bear the cost of advertisements and it would form part of their election expenditure.

To the question "what happens if such candidates or such political parties do not publicise in the manner prescribed", the commission said, "Such failure may be a ground for post-election action like election petition or contempt of Hon'ble Supreme Court."

 

Any candidate or voter of a constituency can file an election petition in the high court of that state challenging the election of the winning candidate.

 

On the issue of "someone publishing false information about criminal cases of another candidate", the EC said there are already provisions to deal with any case of publication of false statement in relation to a candidate, including Section 171G of the Indian Penal Code which deals with corrupt electoral practices and prescribes a fine for such offences. -- PTI  

Delhi's air quality remained in the "severe" category on Sunday owing to unfavourable weather conditions and a significant increase in contribution from stubble burning, authorities said.

 

The overall air quality index was recorded at 423, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.

The city's air quality was recorded in the "very poor" category on Saturday morning, but it again slipped to the severe level in the evening.

On Sunday, the PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) level was recorded at 299, while the PM10 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) level was recorded at 477, according to data from the CPCB.

Twenty-eight areas in Delhi recorded air quality in the "severe" category, while seven areas recorded "very poor" air quality, according to the CPCB.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". 

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the increase in PM2.5 concentration is due to stable meteorological conditions trapping of the pollutants in Delhi (very less dispersion) and significant increase in contribution from stubble burning.

Stubble burning in neighbouring states of Delhi on Thursday was the "largest-ever recorded" this year,  the IITM  had said Friday, adding that it could lead to a further deterioration in the already "severe" air quality of the national capital.

It said about 2,100 fire counts were observed on Thursday over north western region of India.

Delhi's air quality has remained in the "severe" category for the past two days with the highest pollution level of the year recorded a day after Diwali on Thursday at an AQI of 642. -- PTI

Russia, the United States, China and the Netherlands were the top countries from where cybercriminals attacked users in India, with over 6.95 lakh such incidents between January-June 2018, according to cyber-security firm F-Secure.

 

Interestingly, the top 5 countries that cyberattackers from India targeted were Austria, the Netherlands, the UK, Japan and Ukraine, with the number cumulatively tallying up to 35,563 in the said period, as per the report.

F-Secure, in its report, said the insights are based on data from "honeypots".

The company said it has deployed more than 41 such "honeypots" across the globe that "serve as sitting ducks for cybercriminals" and enables collection of the latest malware samples/shell scripts and new hacking techniques.

These "honeypots" are basically decoy servers that emulate the IT environment of a business. To the attackers, these look like actual servers of real companies with weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

This method, according to F-Secure, helps gain critical insights on attack types, popular targets, sources, volume, and TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures).

"Such insights are collected by deliberately allowing potential attackers to gain unauthorised access to the emulated services of a server, and then studying the attack path to the point that the attacker realises it is a honeypot," it added.

The report said the top five source countries that targeted India included Russia (2,55,589 attacks), followed by the US (1,03,458), China (42,544), the Netherlands (19,169) and Germany (15,330) - totalling 4,36,090 attacks.

On the other hand, Indian cyberattackers targeted a total of 12,540 attacks toward Austrian organisations, the Netherlands (9,267), the UK (6,347), Japan (4,701), and Ukraine (3,708), the report said.

The report said India ranks 21st in the global tally with 6,95,396 attacks hackers across various countries. However, India took the 13th spot in terms of hackers initiating attacks with 73,482 such incidents.

Globally, the UK was the biggest source country with a total of 97,680,746 attacks this year, while the US was the top destination country with 1,10,10,212 attacks, it said. -- PTI

A Maoist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattigsarh's Bijapur district on Sunday morning, a day ahead of polling in the region for the state assembly polls.

The exchange of fire took place at a forest in Bedre area when a team of the Special Task Force was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official told PTI.

As per the ground report, a body of a Naxal clad in 'uniform' and a rifle were recovered from the spot, located around 450 km from here, he said.

Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway, he added.

Security has been heightened in seven districts of Bastar division and Rajnandgaon district which go to polls in the first phase on Monday.  -- PTI

JUST IN: An assistant sub-inspector of Border Security Force was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in Kanker's Koyali beda in Chhattisgarh.

A set of 6 IEDs were planted in a series and were set off in one go between village Gome and Gattakal in Koyali beda.

The state is set to go to polls tomorrow.

More details awaited.  -- ANI

United States President Donald Trump on the last minute canceled plans to attend the commemoration ceremony of the soldiers killed in World War 1.

Quoting sources, Washington Post reported that the incessant rain in the French capital made it difficult to arrange transport for the US President.

Meanwhile, the last minute cancellation of the plan by the Trumps, especially amid the presence of other dignitaries at the memorial site, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, prompted different speculations and criticisms from some foreign policy analysts that the US President might not be up for it.

The US President was scheduled to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, located about 85 kilometers (50 miles) east of Paris, with his wife Melania, Washington Post reported.

The cemetery has a total number of 2,288 gravesites honouring those who died in the WW1, including many Americans soldiers and mariners.

The names of 1,060 more Americans who went missing and whose bodies were not recovered are also engraved on the walls of the cemetery.

Earlier on Saturday, after arriving at Paris, Trump held a bilateral meeting with French President Macron.

Both the leaders discussed the Iran Nuclear Deal; while the French President was in favor of maintaining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action treaty, the US President was 'sticking to his guns'.

Trump wanted a 100 per cent secure plan that could ensure the termination of nuclear projects in Iran, CNN reported. -- ANI

Rescue workers recovered the bodies of 14 people on Saturday who were killed by 'the most destructive wildfire' in California's history, bringing the total death toll to 23, the local sheriff said.

"Today 14 additional bodies were located, which brings our total number to 23," the sheriff told journalists.  -- Agencies

Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has enough numbers in Parliament and it should bring an ordinance to facilitate the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The BJP has a majority and the government should bring an ordinance for the construction of Ram Temple if the court does not deliver a verdict in time, he told reporters at a programme in Udaipur.

Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not respond to allegations and statements made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

He praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, saying the organisation has worked for the betterment of the mankind.  -- PTI

Congress in its manifesto in Madhya Pradesh has said if the party comes to power then Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 'shakhas' would not be allowed in government buildings and premises.

Also, an earlier order to allow government employees to attend RSS 'shakhas' will be revoked.  -- ANI

All the non-National Democratic Alliance parties are likely to meet on November 22 to decide on future course of action under a slogan of save democracy and save the nation.

As part of the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party campaign, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Congress party national general secretary and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot at his residence and discussed the future course of action.

Naidu said that efforts are on to bring together all non-BJP parties and that he had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi to discuss measures on protecting democracy.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said that the former is responsible for the present state of affairs in Central Bureau of Investigation and the Reserve Bank of India.

"The country's economy is in doldrums with the interfering of the central government on regulating authorities like CBI and RBI. RBI is a regulating authority and independently regulate the economy," he said while adding that the BJP government has been resorting to I-T raids on opposition leaders for political gains.

Referring to demonetisation, Naidu said that even after two years there is no result.

The BJP government claimed that demonetisation would help to bring the black money back but it turned as a futile exercise, he added.

"Country's economy is in the doldrums. There was a fall in rupee value, increase in prices of essential commodities, unemployment increased, intolerance among SC, STs and minorities, secular fabric damaged and unrest prevailed in the country.

"The central government is resorting to conduct raids on those questioning including media, politicians to frighten them," the chief minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Gehlot said that Naidu met Rahul Gandhi and discussed how to save democracy. He underlined that no one is happy with the Modi-led government including farmers, youth, women, poor and petty traders.

Gehlot said that the BJP government claimed to utilise demonetisation to end terrorism but failed.

"The Centre has been destroying Judiciary, CBI, Election Commission, I-T for the first time after independence.

"The present situation is an undeclared emergency in the country," Gehlot said.

"It is a time for an important role to play. We will gather all together on November 22 to finalise the future course of action. We will move forward with Rahul Gandhi's agenda," he added.

To establish anti-BJP platform, Naidu till date has met Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, National Congress chief Farooq Abdullah, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, veteran leader Sharad Yadav, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, Samjadwati party leaders Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.

The chief minister said that it is time to take a decision on the country's future.

"I have no personal interest. We have to protect the country, democracy', constitutional rights should be protected. We are strong in technology, Youths are more.

"Narendra Modi's negative attitude and unilateral decisions along with Amit Shah leading to problems in the country. The Modi-Shah duo is destroying the systems in the country and giving priority to their own man," he said.  -- ANI