JUST IN: Jawaharlal Nehru University registration deadline for 2020 Winter Semester has been extended up to January 15, without any late fine.

The university had on January 7, extended the date till Sunday since the servers had not been restored.

More details awaited.  -- ANI

The government is in the process of acquiring around 200 aircraft to cope with the depleting aerial inventories of the Indian Air Force, defence secretary Ajay Kumar said in Kolkata on Sunday.

The contract for Hindustan Aeronautical Limited-manufactured 83 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark 1 A advanced fighter jets are in the final stages, he said.

Apart from these, Expression of Interest (EOI) has been floated for another 110 aircraft, based on which Request for Proposal (RFP) will be floated, Kumar said.

"Roughly (for) 200 aircrafts, the acquisition is in process," he said.

"We are in the process of finalising the contract for 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1 A, which are advanced fighters to meet the urgent needs of India," the defence secretary told reporters on the sidelines of commissioning Indian Coast Guard vessels in Kolkata.

Kumar said that the contract for the LCAs will be signed 'definitely this year'.

"We want to do it as soon as possible," the defence secretary said when asked whether a time frame has been finalised by which the new aircraft are to be acquired.

Kumar said that with the design having been finalised, state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be ramping up production of the LCA Mark 1 A jets from 8 to 16 per year.

"If required, through outsourcing, we can further enhance it," he said.

The Air Force has Sukhoi 30 MKIs, Mirage 2000s, Mig 29s and the ageing Jaguars and Mig 21 Bisons in its inventory of fighter jets at present.

The last fleet of seven swing-wing MiG-27 fighters, which played an important role during the 1999 Kargil war, was decommissioned on December 27.   -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya in four months.

He also said the government 'will not rest' until each oppressed Pakistani refugee is given Indian citizenship.

He was speaking at a public meeting organised in Jabalpur to drum up support for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

"Congress people, listen...Oppose (CAA) to the extent you can. But we won't sit quiet till each oppressed refugee from Pakistan gets Indian citizenship," he said.

"We will rest only after giving citizenship to all these people. Nobody can stop us from doing so," he added.

"The Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Christian refugees from Pakistan have the same rights in India as we have," he said.  -- PTI

Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with the police and security forces in the Tral region of Pulwama district, according to the Kashmir Zone Police on Sunday.

The forces also recovered arms and ammunition and are attempting to find out the identity and affiliation of the killed terrorists

'Tral Encounter update: 3 terrorists killed. Arms and ammunition recovered. Identities and affiliations being ascertained,' read a tweet by the Kashmir Zone Police on Sunday.

The encounter between terrorists and security forces had started earlier in the morning today.Further details are awaited. -- ANI

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Sunday said that the decision to raise hostel fees was not taken in haste and a committee was formed for the purpose in 2016.

"The decision of hostel fee hike was not taken in a hurry. The committee for this purpose was formed in 2016 and I am sure several discussions took place at the warden level," said Kumar.

"Whatever happened has happened in the past, let us leave that. We should focus on how to make the university function properly and look for a positive future," he added.

JNU rector Chintamani Mahapatra acknowledged that the students have a right to protest but insisted that it should be done in a democratic way under the rules and regulations.

"We know students have the right to protest as we have a democracy but protests should be done without breaking the law. They have the right to boycott but they have no right to stop faculty from entering into various places at the campus," said Mahapatra.

On being asked by a teacher on students fearing to reside in the hostels, Mahapatra said: "You can come up with the suggestions that how we can encourage students to stay in the hostels. There is a sense of insecurity surely. But I strongly feel that soul searching should be done by faculties."

While speaking to ANI Kumar expressed hope that the new semester starting from January 13 would see huge participation from the students and faculty members.

"We routinely hold meetings with the deans and faculty members. We had a long meeting with them. We have explained to them the steps taken to bring normalcy to the university. From tomorrow the classes will start," he said.

"All the teachers expressed the difficulties caused to them in the last few days as they were stopped from going into the schools. All laboratory experiments have stopped. The teachers are happy that the classes are going to start. We are positively looking forward towards starting the new semester," he added.

V-C Jagadesh Kumar categorically stated that appropriate action will be taken against the outsiders staying in the hostels.

"There is a concern that there could be outsiders in the hostels. The Dean of the students has requested all the wardens to identify any such outsider so that appropriate action is taken," he said.

"The students have behaved in a militant way at times which is wholly unacceptable. They have a right to protest but that should be done in a civilised way. We have considered the students' feedback and my appeal is for them to come back and take part in academic activities in the university," he added.  -- ANI

The Ramakrishna Math and Mission on Sunday distanced itself from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, contending that it was a strictly apolitical body which did not respond to 'ephemeral' calls.

The prime minister, during his address from Belur Math -- the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission -- had said that the new law would not take away anybody's citizenship.

Modi also said that a section of the youth was being misguided about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Addressing a press meet here, Swami Suvirananda, the Ramakrishna Math and Mission general secretary, said, "The organisation will not comment on the prime minister's speech on CAA. We are a strictly apolitical body. We have come here after leaving our homes to answer eternal calls. We do not respond to ephemeral calls."

He said the mission believed in inclusivity.

"We are an inclusive organization, which has monks from Hindu, Islam and Christian communities. We live like brothers of the same parents.

"To us, Narendra Modi is the leader of India and Mamata Banerjee the leader of West Bengal," Swami Suvirananda added.  -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in prayers with saints and seers at Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, on the last day of his two-day visit to West Bengal.

He also paid tributes to the 19th century saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

Addressing a gathering after prayers, Modi said, "For countrymen, coming to the sacred land of the Belur Math is nothing less than a pilgrimage. For me, it has always been like coming home."

"The last time I came here, I had taken the blessings of Swami Atmasthanandaji. Today he is not physically present with us. But his work, his path, will always guide us in the form of Ramakrishna Mission," the prime minister added.

Modi also paid homage to Swami Vivekananda on his 157th birth anniversary today.

"On the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda here in Belur Math, it is my honour and luck to spend some time in a room where he used to live. I could feel as if he's inspiring us to work harder and was helping us with more energy," he said.

"Swami Vivekananda had said that we should forget everything and dedicate our life to Mother India. Let us walk on that dream," Modi said.

The prime minister, who spent the night at Belur Math after reaching here on Saturday evening expressed his gratitude to the West Bengal government and administration for allowing him to stay at the mutt. -- ANI

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday took out a march in Lutyens' Delhi in support of the amended Citizenship Act.

Carrying cut-outs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, party volunteers participated in the march from Delhi BJP's office on Pandit Pant Marg to Central Park in Connaught Place.

They were led by New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi.  -- PTI

West Bengal police on Sunday detained some students affiliated to Left organisations for protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata Port on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

On the second day of his two-day Kolkata visit, Prime Minister addressed a public gathering here on Sunday.

Opposition parties including Congress are demanding that the CAA should be withdrawn.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.  -- ANI

A one-day mourning will be observed throughout India on Monday as a mark of respect to Oman's Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, who passed away at the age of 79.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the national flag will be flown at half-mast and no official programmes will be held on that day.

'His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman passed away. As mark of respect, the Indian government has decided that there will be one day's state mourning on January 13 throughout India. National flag to fly at half mast and there will be no official entertainment on that day,' Joint Secretary (CS) S K Shahi, MHA, said in the order.

Sultan Qaboos, who breathed his last on Saturday, was one of the Middle East's longest serving rulers.

He was ill for a long time and served as the ruler of Oman since 1970 when he ousted his father in a bloodless coup.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of the Omani King and remembered him as the 'beacon of peace for India and the world'.

The prime minister also said that Sultan Qaboos was a 'visionary leader and statesman' who transformed Oman into a modern and prosperous nation.

'I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. He was a visionary leader and statesman who transformed Oman into a modern and prosperous nation. He was a beacon of peace for our region and the world,' he tweeted.

'Sultan Qaboos was a true friend of India and provided strong leadership for developing a vibrant strategic partnership between India and Oman. I will always cherish the warmth and affection I received from him. May his soul rest in peace,' Modi said in a follow-up tweet.

A three-day mourning period has been declared in Oman in view of Sultan Qaboos' demise.  -- ANI

One more illegal lakeside apartment complex in  Kochi was demolished on Sunday using controlled implosion method, complying with a Supreme Court order.

     

The 55-meter high Jain Coral Cove, built in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms in Maradu Municipality, was brought down at around 11.03 am with the area in a 200 metre radius kept out of bound for people and all kinds of traffic.

     

With this, three of the four luxury complexes ordered to be demolished by the apex court for CRZ violations have been razed down.

     

Another building of the same height will be demolished at 2 pm, marking the completion of implementation of the court order passed last year.

     

On Saturday, two complexes -- H2O Holy Faith and the twin towers of Alfa Serene -- abutting the bakwaters were destroyed in the similar implosion method in which explosives filled in the structures blasted in a controlled manner.

    

Mumbai-baed Edifices Engineering carried out the explosion with the assistance of experts from South Africa-based Jet Demolition. -- PTI 

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday came out in support of actor Deepika Padukone, who is facing flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party and some other quarters over her visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in Delhi to express solidarity with students who were recently attacked by armed assailants.

Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member and the executive editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, said the country cannot be run in a "Talibani" style.

After Padukone's visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday, many appreciated her "silent solidarity", but some others criticised her for "supporting Leftists", saying it was a promotional stunt for her latest film Chhapaak.

Some also demanded a boycott of her film, based on the life of an acid attack survivor, played by Padukone.

A section of BJP leaders also criticised the 34-year-old actor over her JNU visit.

Talking to PTI, Raut said, "The demand for boycott of the actress and her film is wrong. The country cannot be run in a 'Talibani' style."

Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar, hit the theatres on Friday.

The Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on Thursday declared the film tax-free in the two states.

Declaring a movie tax-free means the state has waived the entertainment levy imposed on it, thereby bringing down the ticket rates and encouraging more people to watch it. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the opposition of spreading misinformation about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and reiterated that the act is not to revoke anyone's citizenship.

"You understood this very clearly. But those playing political games purposely refuse to understand. People are being misled over the Citizenship Amendment Act," Modi said at the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission.

"I repeat again, Citizenship Act is not to revoke anyone's citizenship, but it is to give citizenship. After independence, Mahatma Gandhiji and other big leaders of the time all believed that India should give citizenship to persecuted religious minorities of Pakistan," he added. 

Modi arrived in Kolkata on Saturday evening on a two-day visit amidst protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and "Go back" slogans.

An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.

   

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Gulshanpora area of Tral in the south Kashmir district Sunday morning after receiving specific intelligence about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

 

He said as the forces were conducting the searches, the militants fired at them, triggering an encounter.

 

The exchange of fire was going on, the official said, adding further details are awaited. -- PTI  

Authorities on Sunday will bring down two more lakeside illegal apartment complexes, implementing the Supreme Court order to bring down four unauthorised buildings in Maradu municipality in Kochi.

   

Two luxury apartment complexes  -- H2O Holy Faith and Alfa Serene twin towers -- were brought down on Saturday in compliance with the last year apex court order.

 

While the 55-metre-high Jain Coral Cove will be brought down at 11 am on Sunday, another building of the same height, Golden Kayaloram, will be demolished at 2 pm, official sources said.

However, the exact time of implosion could change depending on weather conditions and safety. The blast will last only a few seconds and the debris will be contained to the site, they said.

 

A mock drill to condition the team of police, fire force, health officials and other experts for the Sunday's exercise was carried out at Golden Kayaloram on Saturday evening.

 

The mock drill at Jains Coral Cove was carried out on Friday.

The two high-rises will be demolished in controlled implosion by Edifices Engineering. Experts from South Africa-based Jet Demolition have arrived here to assist the Mumbai-based company in the process. Section 144 has come into force at 8 am at 200 metres around the structures. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party asserted on Saturday that "no force on earth" can stall the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act and accused the Congress of duplicity over the law and the National Population Register process. 

   

The BJP's response came after the Congress Working Committee, the apex body of the opposition party, demanded in its meeting that the CAA be withdrawn and process of NPR be stopped forthwith. 

  

"The CAA has already come into effect and no force on earth can stall its implementation. In all its outreach efforts, the BJP has been highlighting the Congress' duplicity on CAA and NPR," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said. 

    

He said the Congress had made a promise in Rajasthan election manifesto on citizenship for Hindu refugees. 

 

"Citizenship for Hindu refugees in Rajasthan and Gujarat was extended by the Manmohan Singh government on two occasions in 2005 and 2006," Rao said, adding Singh as leader of the opposition had demanded citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

 

"On the NPR too, the Congress needs to explain why the NPR in 2010 was secular and acceptable while it becomes dangerous in 2020. On both CAA and NPR, the Congress is hypocritical. The BJP would expose the Congress party's double speak," Rao added. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tribute to Swami Ramakrishna Paramhamsa at Belur Math.

Modi spent the night at the Belur Math, the headquarters of  Ramakrishna Mission and is likely to meditate at the temple of Swami Vivekananda on Sunday, the birth anniversary of the monk.

After reaching Belur Math, located in Howrah district across the Hooghly river, the prime minister met RKM president Swami Smaranananda.

Modi was received by senior monks of the order after he reached Belur taking the river route from Kolkata.

The meeting held in the evening went on for several hours to screen the names of ticket aspirants, said a member of the election committee.

"On an average, 15-25 names have been received from each constituency... More than 1400 names have been shortlisted," he said.

Another member of the committee said further screening of the names will be done in the next meeting of the panel, and the list will then be sent to the party high command which will announce the finalised names.

The process to file nominations will get underway on January 14. 

The votes will be counted on February 11. 

Union minister and BJP in-charge of Delhi polls Prakash Javadekar said the BJP is like a family which operates in a democratic manner.

"There are 50 prominent BJP workers in every assembly constituency, that means in 70 assembly constituencies we have almost 3500 workers who have suggested the name of their favourite candidate, now after considering all those names, candidates will be selected for the Delhi assembly elections," he said in a statement.

The BJP will get full majority in the assembly election and after a long time it will come to power in Delhi, he added.

The BJP has been out of power in Delhi since 1998. 

The Aam Aadmi Party swept the 2015 assembly elections and the saffron party could manage to win just three seats. -- PTI 

The US State Department on Saturday expressed concern over the continued detention of political leaders and restrictions on internet in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The restrictions were imposed on August 5 last year when the Indian government had announced the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under the Article 370 and its bifurcation into two Union Territories. 

 

The twitter handle of US State Department's bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) said that it was closely following the visit of US Ambassador to India Keneth Juster and other foreign envoys' visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

The bureau, on behalf of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells, who will be travelling to South Asia next week, expressed hope for return of normalcy.

"Closely following USAmbIndia and other foreign diplomats' recent trip to Jammu and Kashmir. Important step," the bureau of SCA said in a tweet.

"We remain concerned by detention of political leaders and residents, and Internet restrictions. We look forward to a return to normalcy. AGW," it said in the tweet. 

In first such trip by foreign diplomats post August 5, envoys of 15 countries, including the US, visited the Kashmir valley on Thursday where they interacted with select political representatives, civil society members as well as military top brass with the Indian government rejecting criticism that it was a "guided tour".

 

Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcating it into two union territories.

Reacting sharply to India's decision, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled India's high commissioner.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. 

It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. -- PTI