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Mon, 08 August 2022
Uddhav yet to formally resign as MLC

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23:35   Despite announcement, Uddhav yet to formally resign as MLC
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has not formally resigned as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council even after 40 days when he announced this decision while stepping down as the chief minister.
          
A senior Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan official on Monday said that technically Uddhav Thackeray is still an MLC as he has not submitted a written resignation.
        
"He has not yet officially resigned as a member of the Legislative Council. His resignation as the chief minister of Maharashtra was approved by Governor B S Koshyari but we have not received any written communication from him regarding his membership of the Upper House of the state legislature,� the official said.
        
Deputy chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council and Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe refused to comment.
        
There has been no explanation available from Shiv Sena on why Thackeray has not yet formally resigned as an MLC after he announced his decision on the night of June 29.
        
Thackeray's son Aaditya is an MLA from Mumbai.
        
When Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the chief minister in November 2019 after the Maha Vikas Aghadi was formed, he was not a member of the either House of the state legislature.
        
He was elected as MLC on May 18, 2020, with a tenure of six years.
        
Thackeray announced his resignation as the Maharashtra CM on June 29 night after the Supreme Court refused to stay a floor test necessitated after 39 of the 55 MLAs of Shiv Sena aligned with rebel Eknath Shinde.
        
Shinde took oath as the chief minister on June 30 along with Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who is Deputy CM. -- PTI
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22:44   Maha cabinet expansion: BJP leaders meet Fadnavis
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Monday assembled at the Mumbai residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the names of the probables to be inducted into the state cabinet on Tuesday. 
                 
Besides finalising the names of new ministers who will take the oath at Raj Bhavan, the BJP leaders are learnt to have discussed the organisational appointments to be made ahead of crucial civic elections in Mumbai and other cities and the 2024 Lok Saba elections.
               
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday evening said he will expand his 40-day-old ministry on August 9.
                
Shinde was sworn in as the CM on June 30 along with Fadnavis, who took oath as Deputy CM.
                
"The ministry expansion is slated for tomorrow," Shinde told reporters at Nanded in the Marathwada region.
                
A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday's ceremony at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai at 11 am, an aide of Shinde had told PTI on condition of anonymity.
                
The next round of expansion would take place later, he added.
               
Currently, Shinde and Fadnavis are the only two ministers in the 40-day-old government. -- PTI 
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22:31   19 incidents of drones, UFOs flying around Indian airports since 2019: Govt
There have been 19 incidents of drones or unidentified flying objects (UFOs) flying around Indian airports since 2019, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said on Monday.
 
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the number of cases wherein drones or UFOs were detected around airports across the country were 11 in 2019, he said in his written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
There was no incident of drones or UFOs around Indian airports in 2020, he mentioned.
In 2021 and 2022, there were six and two incidents wherein drones or UFOs detected around Indian airports, respectively, he noted.
"Of the above-mentioned cases, two have been reported in border states or Union Territories -- Surat Airport (Gujarat) on February 2, 2021, and Jammu Airport (Jammu and Kashmir) on June 27, 2021," he mentioned. -- PTI
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22:27   Parliament passes Gati Shakti bill
Parliament Monday passed a bill to convert the National Rail and Transportation University, a deemed-to-be-university, into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous central institution.
 
The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, which also seeks to expand the scope of the University from beyond the railways to cover the entire transport sector to support the ambitious growth and modernisation in the field, was passed by a voice vote after a brief discussion.
Union Railways and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded to the debate on the bill. -- PTI 
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22:26   Pak Army transfers former ISI chief in reshuffle
In a major reshuffle on Monday, the Pakistan Army transferred former ISI chief, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, and appointed him as the Bahawalpur Corps Commander.
Hameed was serving as Peshawar Corps Commander and overseeing the talks with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which are being facilitated by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement on Monday that Lt Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat was posted as the new Peshawar Corps Commander.
He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and appointed as the military secretary in 2020.
In another high-profile appointment, Lt Gen Khalid Zia has been appointed as the military secretary of the Army.
Earlier, Lt Gen Asif Ghafoor was appointed as the Commander XII Corps (Quetta) last week. The appointment was made after the tragic death of Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali in a helicopter crash.
The transfer of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was serving as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief when he was transferred and appointed as the Peshawar corps commander in October 2021. Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum replaced him as the spy chief of the country.
Hameed made the headlines when he was spotted in a Kabul hotel after the Taliban took over, giving air to speculation about Pakistan playing a role in ironing out differences among the top rebel leaders over the spoils of their victory.
He also visited Kabul this year to take part in talks with the TTP as Pakistan tried to tackle home-grown militancy through a dialogue. As head of ISI's internal security wing, he played a role in ending a protest by a Sunni extremist group in 2017.
The Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan had laid siege to the capital Islamabad over the issue of alleged changes by the then government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the oath of lawmakers who were required to swear that they believed in the finality of the prophet of Islam.    
Hameed is also known as being close to former Prime Minister Imran Khan who had refused to approve the move by the army to transfer him as Peshawar Corps Commander. The refusal apparently soured his (Khan) ties with the powerful military and, according to some accounts, it ultimately led to his ouster in April this year.
It is also believed that Khan was planning to promote Hammed as a four-star general and appoint him as the new army chief after the completion of his term by the incumbent in November. However, Khan in some interviews rejected the reports by saying that he never thought along those lines.
The transfers and postings in the Pakistan Army are considered as a routine affair but due to the dominant position of the armed forces in the country's politics, every high CVXD-profile appointment is keenly watched. -- PTI 
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22:03   BJP in 'wait and watch' mode ahead of key JD-U meet
With the Janata Dal-United leadership taking aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party over a host of issues, a senior leader of the country's ruling party claimed on Monday that his party has adhered to "coalition dharma" in its alliance with the Bihar party and will continue to do so.
 
"We will discharge our coalition dharma," he said as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called a meeting of Janata Dal-United MPs and MLAs on Tuesday amid his party's worsening ties with the BJP.
Amid speculation that the JD-U is reconsidering the alliance, senior BJP leaders have maintained a studied silence on the ally's accusation related to the fallout of R C P Singh, once the closest aide of the Bihar chief minister, with Kumar and also Chirag Paswan.
"It is difficult to comprehend what Kumar is up to. We will wait and watch," a BJP leader said.
Paswan's decision to field candidates against the JD-U in the 2020 Bihar assembly polls had hugely dented its prospect and its president Lalan Singh suggested on Sunday this was part of a larger conspiracy, a veiled dig at the BJP.
The development related to R C P Singh was another attempt based on the "Chirag model", he had said without naming any party.
The JD-U's decision to deny him another Rajya Sabha term had led to his ouster from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet amid growing belief in his party that the bureaucrat-turned-politician had tilted decidedly towards the BJP and ignored the interests of his own party. 
He recently quit the JD-U after the party sought his explanation on alleged corruption charges.
BJP sources noted that Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent visit to Patna had explicitly told its leaders that the alliance with the JD-U will continue in the next Lok Sabha and the assembly polls, scheduled in 2024 and 2025 respectively. 
After that the JD-U should have no reasons to complain, a BJP leader said.
The JD-U, however, has also been nursing a grievance about the BJP ignoring its claim to three berths in the Union Council of Ministers. -- PTI
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21:39   Hindu family attacked in Pak for 'overtaking' car
A Hindu family was attacked allegedly by a relative of a Pakistani politician and his guards in Pakistan's Sindh province after the family tried to overtake his vehicle, police said on Monday.
 
The Inspector General of Sindh Police has ordered an inquiry into Sunday's incident after the incident triggered an uproar on social media as a video of the harassment went viral and people demanded justice for the victims, which included a man, three women and two children, belonging to the minority community.
The alleged attacker named Shamsher Pitafi, said to be a cousin of Sindh's Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Abdul Bari Pitafi, and his guards allegedly harassed and misbehaved with the family near Ghotki area after they tried to cross his vehicle but they were repeatedly denied the right to overtake.
"Apparently, as the family's car overtook Pitafi's car on the highway, one of the children threw an ice cream wrapper outside, which hit the windshield of Pitafi's vigo car and he was upset that the family did not even stop and sped away," police said.
The family, which lives in Sanghar, was returning after visiting a temple known as Raharki Sahib, later stopped at a roadside restaurant in Ghotki.
Pitafi followed them there, and he and his men then allegedly misbehaved with the Hindu family and broke the windows of their car.
People on the spot intervened to defuse the situation after which Pitafi left the scene. -- PTI 
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21:14   No proposal for setting up 8th Pay Commission: Govt
The government is not considering setting up 8th Pay Commission for central government employees, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed Lok Sabha on Monday.
   
"No such proposal is under consideration with the government for constitution of 8th Central Pay Commission for the central government employees," Chaudhary said in a written reply to a question if the government proposes to ensure timely constitution of Pay Commission for central government employees so that it could be implemented on January 1, 2026.
 
In order to compensate central government employees for erosion in the real value of their salaries on account of inflation, dearness allowances (DA) is paid to them and the rate of DA is revised periodically every six months on the basis of rate of inflation as per All lndia Consumer Price lndex for Industrial Workers released by Labour Bureau under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, he said.
 
The government had set up 7th Pay Commission in February, 2014. 

The recommendations of the panel were effective from January 1, 2016. -- PTI 
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20:38   Ambulance halted briefly for TN minister's convoy
An ambulance was briefly stopped, so were other vehicles in Tamil Nadu's Kumbakonam, about 293 km from Chennai, on Monday to allow a convoy of a state minister. 

A video showing the ambulance with the sirens blaring and being halted by a police constable went viral on social media. 

The constable was seen saluting the vehicle in which State School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was reportedly travelling. 

More than a dozen vehicles were in the convoy and the ambulance was made to wait a few minutes till the convoy passed. 

When contacted, a senior police official in Kumbakonam claimed the scope of halting an ambulance to provide a quick passage to the minister's convoy was remote. 

he functionaries of the Opposition AIADMK criticised the ruling DMK by citing the video.
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20:20   Fight over Sena: Uddhav calls for membership boost
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday exhorted party workers to focus on increasing the membership, as this will prove crucial before the Election Commission.
                  
Addressing party workers at his residence 'Matoshree', Thackeray said the party's membership should swell 10 times and alleged that the Eknath Shinde-led faction had engaged professional agencies for this work.
                
Following the split in the party, the EC had asked the rival factions led by Thackeray and Shinde to submit documents by August 8 in support of their claims on the election symbol of the Sena.
                
The EC has sought documents, including letters of support from the legislative and organisational wings of the Sena and the written statements of the rival factions.
        
The Shinde faction has support of the 40 of 55 MLAs of Shiv Sena and at least a dozen MPs. 
        
The rebellion has dented the Shiv Sena's traditional support base at many places in the state with local leaders and sainiks crossing over to the Shinde faction. 
        
"Our membership should reach a level, where no one even dares to needle the Shiv Sena. The EC will ask about membership and the number of affidavits the party (his faction) has," Thackeray said.
               
With both rival groups claiming to be the original party, membership will play a crucial role when the fight goes before the EC to decide which faction is the real Shiv Sena.
               
"The membership should swell 10 times. It should go over a lakh in Nashik. They (the Shinde faction) have engaged professional agencies for the task, but I only have you (workers)," the Sena chief said in his appeal to party workers.
               
Thackeray asked the party workers to hold on to the bhagwa (saffron flag of the Sena) tightly.
               
"Forget snatching, the hand that dares to touch the bhagwa should break," Thackeray said. -- PTI 
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19:45   Lawyers seek AG's consent for contempt action against Sibal
Two lawyers on Monday wrote separate letters to Attorney General K K Venugopal seeking his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal for allegedly making statements "scandalizing" the verdicts delivered by the Supreme Court.
 
As per section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, the nod of the Attorney General or the Solicitor General is a condition precedent to set the criminal contempt proceedings in motion before the apex court.
Two lawyers -- Vineet Jindal and Shashank Shekhar Jha -- have requested the top law officer to grant consent for initiating contempt proceedings against Sibal, a former law minister.
 
"The speech of the contemnor is not only against the Supreme Court and its judges but is a process to undermine the dignity and independent nature of the Supreme Court by scandalizing the authority of both the Supreme Court and its judges," Jha said in his letter.
Similarly, Jindal has claimed that statements by Sibal have "scandalized the judgments" passed by the Supreme Court judges.
"If this kind of precedent was allowed, political leaders would start making a reckless allegation against the judges of the highest court of our country and this trend would soon lead to the failure of an independent judiciary system," he said in his letter.
In his letter to the Attorney General, Jha claimed that in his speech, Sibal had raised "doubt" on the independence of the Supreme Court and "undermined the dignity with a malafide intention to malign the image" of the top court.
 
Sibal had on August 6 made the statement as a speaker in an event organized here.
In his statement, Sibal was critical of the apex court's recent judgements in the Zakia Jafri case as well as on the pleas pertaining to the interpretation of certain provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. -- PTI
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19:13   Rajinikanth meets TN governor, says no to politics
Tamil film-star Rajinikanth on Monday said he discussed several issues, including politics, with Governor R N Ravi but has no plans to enter politics. 

Describing his meeting with Ravi at the Raj Bhavan, a day after returning from the national capital, as a courtesy call, the Kollywood actor said the governor was prepared to do anything for Tamil Nadu. 

"It was a courtesy call. I spoke for about 25-30 minutes," he told reporters outside his Poes Garden residence in Chennai. 

He said Ravi had spent much of his time in the North and loves Tamil Nadu and its people. 

He likes the Tamils' hard work and honesty. Importantly, he is impressed by the spiritual consciousness here. He says he is ready to do anything for the welfare of Tamil Nadu," the actor said. 

"Yes, we discussed politics and several things which can't be revealed to you," he said when asked if politics was discussed during the meeting. 

The popular actor replied in the negative when asked if he would plunge into politics in future and also declined to comment on the levy of goods and services tax (GST) on essential items like milk and curd. 

The shoot for his upcoming movie Jailer would commence either on August 15 or 22, he said. 

Releasing a photo of their meeting, the Raj Bhavan said the Governor had a delightful meeting with Rajinikanth.
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19:02   AI reported 184 snags in last 1 year, IndiGo 98, SpiceJet 77
Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet reported 184, 98 and 77 incidents due to technical snags during the one year period till June 30, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said on Monday.
 
Go First, Vistara and AirAsia India reported 50, 40 and 14 incidents due to technical snags in the aforementioned period, he said in his written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
 
While the government-run airline Alliance Air reported five incidents, Air India Express had 10 incidents in the one year period, he stated.
The Tata Group took control of Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express on January 27 after successfully winning the bid for the airline on October 8 last year.
 
Overall, a "total of 478 incidents of technical snags were reported in last one year between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022", Singh noted.
An aircraft may experience technical snags due to malfunctioning of components or equipment fitted on the aircraft, he said.
These technical snags are reported by the flight crew on receiving an aural or visual warning in the cockpit or when there is an indication of an inoperative or faulty system or while experiencing difficulty in handling or operating the aircraft, he noted

Currently, SpiceJet is operating not more than 50 per cent of its flights as per the orders of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
 
The regulator had in July imposed the curb on the airline's flights for a period of eight weeks as its planes were involved in at least eight incidents of technical malfunction in the June 19-July 5 period. 
During the last two months, planes of other Indian carriers have also reported multiple incidents of technical malfunction. -- PTI 
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18:37   Sebi places Biba Fashion's IPO on hold
Capital markets regulator Sebi has kept in "abeyance" the proposed initial share sale of ethnic wear fashion label Biba Fashion. 

However, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) did not clarify further. 

The company, which is backed by Warburg Pincus and Faering Capital, had filed preliminary papers with Sebi on April 12 to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). 

Without disclosing the reason, Sebi said, "Issuance of observations (has been) kept in abeyance" with regard to the IPO of Biba Fashion, in an update on the regulator's website showed on Monday. 

The information was updated on August 5. 

The issuance of observations by Sebi implies its go-ahead for an IPO. 

Sebi usually gives its observations on IPO papers in 30 days. 

Going by the draft papers, the proposed IPO comprises fresh issuance of equity shares worth Rs 90 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of 2.77 crore equity shares by the promoter and existing investors. 

As a part of the OFS, promoter Meena Bindra and private equity investors Warburg Pincus-backed Highdell Investment and Faering Capital India Evolving Fund are proposing to offload shares. 

The company plans to use proceeds from the fresh issuance of equity shares towards debt payment and for general corporate purposes. 

Launched in 1986, the company's flagship brand 'BIBA' is a 'category creator' in the women's Indian wear segment. The company develops, designs, sources, markets and sells a wide portfolio of Indian wear for women and girls across multiple brands. It also offers consumers a range of products across jewellery, footwear, wallets and fragrances. 

JM Financial, Ambit, Equirus Capital, DAM Capital Advisors and HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India) are the book running lead managers to the issue.

-- PTI
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18:25   Cong urges SC to take cognisance of Ayodhya 'land scam'
The Congress on Monday urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of an alleged "land scam" in Ayodhya and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his "silence" on the issue.
 
The Congress' attack came after the Ayodhya Development Authority accused 40 people, including the City mayor, a local BJP MLA and a former party legislator, of illegally trading plots and building infrastructure there.
Tagging a related news report, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet in Hindi, "BJP scam in the name of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram. Why is Home Minister Amit Shah silent on this?"
 
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged a "huge property scam" is happening in Ayodhya.
 
"We have been saying this since June 2021 when things came to light on how the land scam is happening in Ayodhya but now the Ayodhya development authority has put out a list of 40 people who have been involved in a land scam in the building of the Ram temple and prominent among those are the Ayodhya's BJP MLA Ved Prakash Gupta BJP mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay, former BJP MLA Gorakhnath Baba and multiple officers in the UP government whose relatives have bought land," Shrinate said.
 
She said people donated out of faith, but when their money is "played around" it is like "stealing from that donation".
"Why are BJP leaders acquiring more land at low cost and then selling it at steeply high prices to the temple trust with the cognisance of temple trust members," she asked.
"The only probe that is happening into the land scam is at the district magistrate-level. How can the DM probe the MLA, the ex-MLA, the ministers in the UP government," he said.
Shrinate questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah on the matter.
 
"Why is Mr Modi and Amit Shah conspicuously silent. Why are they not breaking their silence especially when it has come to light that members of your party are involved in a land scam in a place like Ayodhya which is seeing the building of Ram temple," she said.
 
"The Congress expects Prime Minister Modi to break his silence and urges the Supreme Court, under whose instruction the Ram temple trust was set up, to take suo motu cognizance of the matter and to act against these people," she said.
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18:06   Monsoon session of Parliament ends 4 days early
The monsoon session of Parliament ended on Monday, four days ahead of schedule. 

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the house sine die, saying it met for 16 days and passed seven legislations. 

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure will end on August 10, adjourned the house sine die, saying that detailed statistics pertaining to the session will be circulated during the course by the Rajya Sabha secretariat. 

Generally, before adjourning the house sine die the chair reads out the statistics about the business transacted in the house in detail. 

The session was scheduled to be held from July 18 to August 12.

The winter session is expected to be held in the new Parliament complex.
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17:40   Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die ahead of schedule
Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die four days ahead of schedule
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17:39   Bose's grand-daughter under house arrest in Prayagraj
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's great-granddaughter Rajshree Chaudhary Bose has been put under house arrest in reserve police line in Prayagraj, he police said on Monday.

They said she was asked to deboard the train on Sunday and put under house arrest which continues.

Reporters are not allowed inside the reserve police lines where she has been kept in a guest house.

Bose was going to Varanasi to attend an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Sena as the chief guest.

The right-wing organisation's president, Arun Pathak said they were going to Varanasi for 'jalabhishek' at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and pay obeisance to the goddess there.

-- PTI
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17:35   73 people die due to flood, rain-related incidents in Karnataka
As many as 73 people lost their lives while 7,386 people have taken shelter in 75 relief camps in Karnataka due to floods and rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon, state Revenue Minister R Ashoka said on Monday.
        
The minister said 161 villages in 14 districts were badly hit by the heavy rains and floods affected 21,727 people in recent days.
        
"As many as 73 people lost their lives, which comprises 15 deaths due to lightning, five due to tree collapse, 19 due to house collapse, 24 swept away in rivers, nine due to landslide and one due to electrocution. These incidents happened from June 1 to August 7,"  the minister said at a press conference.
        
As many as 8,197 people were shifted to safety, Ashoka said, adding, 75 relief camps have been opened where 7,386 people have taken shelter.
        
The minister said 666 houses have been completely damaged while 2,949 were severely damaged and 17,750 houses were partially damaged. Agriculture crops in 1,29,087 hectares and horticulture crops in 7,942 hectares were damaged, the minister said.
        
He also said the rains this year damaged 11,768 km of road, 1,152 bridges and culverts, 122 primary health centres, 2,249 anganwadi centres and 95 irrigation lakes.
        
"We have directed the deputy commissioners to intensify the relief work. The districts have a fund of Rs 857 crore (to take up relief works)," Ashoka said.
        
The minister said Rs 5 lakh is given as compensation to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in flood-related incidents, which includes Rs 4 lakh from the National Disaster Response Fund.
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17:21   Lok Sabha passes bill to promote non-fossil fuels
A bill seeking to mandate the use of non-fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.
 
Piloting the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Power Minister R K Singh said "this is the bill for the future," and urged the members to approve it.
The bill was later passed by the House after rejecting amendments moved by some Opposition members.
The minister said the renewable energy capacity addition in the country was fastest in the world.
The bill provides for penalties for violations by industrial units or vessels, and on manufacturers if a vehicle fails to comply with fuel consumption norms.
"With the passage of time, and in the context of the energy transition with special focus on the promotion of new and renewable energy and National Green Hydrogen Mission, a need has arisen to further amend the said Act to facilitate the achievement of 'Panchamrit' as five nectar elements presented by India in Conference of Parties -26 in Glasgow last year," the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill said.
The amendments also seek to promote renewable energy and the development of a domestic carbon market to battle climate change. 
 
It also seeks to introduce new concepts such as carbon trading and mandate the use of non-fossil sources to ensure faster decarbonisation of the Indian economy and help achieve sustainable development goals in line with the Paris Agreement. -- PTI 
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17:07   Names of 4 children of rebel Sena MLA appear in TET scam
The names of three daughters and a son of rebel Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar appeared in the list of the 7,880 candidates who were disqualified and banned in connection with the alleged rigging of the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) 2019-20.
          
Sattar, a former minister in the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government, on Monday said he will seek an inquiry into how the names of his two daughters cropped up in the list though they had "failed" to clear it. He claimed his son never appeared for the exam but was evasive about his third daughter. 
                
The Maharashtra State Council of Examinations last Wednesday said it had disqualified 7,880 candidates for their involvement in the manipulation and tampering of marks in the TET 2019. 
                
While 7,500 of the 7,880 candidates allegedly tampered with the results in the exchange for money to show themselves "eligible" in the results of the final exam, 293 candidates secured forged/fake certificates projecting themselves as eligible candidates after the final results.
               
Sattar said his two daughters had appeared for the MAHA TET-2019 exam which was conducted on January 19, 2020.
                
"My two daughters (Heena Kausar Abdul Sattar Shaikh and Uzma Nahid Abdul Sattar Shaikh ) appeared for the TET exam held in January 2020. My son is pursuing an LLB. He didn't appear for the test. My two daughters did not clear the exam and thus were ineligible. We have certificates to show that they were ineligible. I will seek an inquiry into how their names appeared in the list," Sattar, the MLA from Sillod in the Aurangabad district, told PTI over the phone.
                
Apparently, Sattar's two daughters work in the education society belonging to him. 
                
"As my daughters were ineligible (for the final TET), their salaries were stopped. Had they become eligible wouldn't they have taken the benefits in the education institute over the last four years (by claiming their salaries)?" Sattar asked.
               
Alleging a conspiracy against him, Sattar said a detailed inquiry will expose the people behind this "fake list".
                
Asked about his third daughter, whose name also appeared on the list, Sattar evaded a direct reply, saying this is a bogus case. 
                
When asked whether all his three daughters had appeared for the exam, the MLA said his daughters are married. "They live separately and I cannot keep a tab on which exams she (the third daughter) appeared for". 
                
Queried whether his daughters still work in the education institute, he said, "It is my education institute and if they choose to work without any remuneration, what should I do?" We have certificates stating that they are ineligible. I do not know how they became eligible. We saw their names in the list and after that, we sought probe".
                
Sattar shared the certificates of his two daughters showing they were "ineligible" for the exam.
                
The former minister questioned the timing of the list being published at a time when the state Cabinet expansion is around the corner. 
               
The cyber cell of the Pune Police had earlier arrested more than 15 people, including Tukaram Supe, commissioner (now suspended) of MSCE, and Pritesh Deshmukh, director of G A Software, the firm responsible for conducting the exam, in the case.
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16:25   'Take on BJP directly': Chirag attacks Nitish
Former Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan on Monday hit out at the Janata Dal-United and dared it to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party directly instead of accusing him of involvement in a conspiracy to dent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's popularity.
 
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Paswan claimed the chief minister faced "greater danger from his close aides than from me" even as he alleged that Kumar has insulted former JD-U national president RCP Singh, and had previously humiliated Sharad Yadav and George Fernandes.
"Never before has one heard of a party accusing its own former national president of corruption. But, this is Nitish Kumar for you," Paswan said.
Paswan, who had in the 2020 assembly polls fielded candidates, many of them BJP rebels, in all seats fought by the JD-U which saw its tally plummet from over 70 five years ago to under 45, bristled at the term "Chirag model" coined by Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, the party's current national president.
"If there is a Chirag model, it stands for our call for 'Bihar First Bihari First', our vision for the state which the CM never respected. He should stop blaming me for his party's debacle. The Janata Dal-United is, indeed, a divided house. RCP has been made to quit. But Nitish Kumar needs to be wary of people like Lalan and Upendra Kushwaha," he alleged.
Paswan mocked the JD-U's claim of Kumar having transformed Bihar during the more than a decade and a half he has ruled the state and cited the state's poor rankings in reports of the NITI Aayog.
"And when the NITI Aayog met yesterday, our CM refused to attend the meeting. It was an opportunity for him to air the state's demands before the prime minister. In the process, Bihar suffers on account of his arrogance," alleged the son of late Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
"What problem did Nitish Kumar have in attending the meeting even if he wants to oppose the BJP? Can he be a more vehement opponent than Mamata Bannerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, both of whom were present," Paswan asked.
He said that because of the "tantrums of the Bihar CM", the spotlight is on whether he will continue in chair when it should have been on the floods and the droughts that affect different parts of the state.
The Jamui MP, whose father's party was split by rebellious members of his family last year and who now heads a splinter group called LJP (Ram Vilas), seethed at the JD-U's allegation that he had worked as a "mohra" (pawn) in the last assembly polls.

"I act as per the values I have imbibed from my late father whom the chief minister never gave due respect. The JD-U should stop making allegations against me and if it suspects BJP of having hatched a conspiracy, it should take on the ally directly," he said.
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16:08   Its a new ED
'In the ongoing heat over the ED's harsh actions in the political arena, dubbed by its victims as spreading 'terror raj', the experienced eyes should note that the Narendra Modi government has broken the cardinal rule of the hardened nexus between political interests, business and industry interests and the bureaucracy's wily manoeuvring of these two powerful forces. 

'In New Delhi, and in all Indian state capitals, the dictum was 'those who live in glass houses never throw a stone',' writes Sheela Bhatt in The Print

'But Prime Minister Modi, who enjoys public support on his own strength and doesn't depend on even his party, the BJP, has opened Pandora's box by using the statutes available to the government to fix financial irregularities and corruption to weaken the opposition,' she points out. 

One ED officer says as a matter of fact, "The difference now is that we are pursuing the leads', Sheela Bhatt writes, here.
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16:02   Maharashtra cabinet expansion tomorrow
The much awaited expansion of the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra cabinet will take place on Tuesday, a senior state Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.

Shiv Sena MLA Shinde and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis were sworn-in as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively on June 30 after the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray due to a rebellion in the Sena ranks.

The duo had been functioning as a two-member cabinet since then, inviting criticism from opposition leaders.

"The cabinet expansion will take place tomorrow in Mumbai. I cannot divulge any details about it and who will be in the cabinet," a senior BJP leader told PTI on Monday.

Fadnavis and Shinde visited Delhi multiple times in the recent past regarding the issue of cabinet expansion.

Sources had on Sunday said CM Shinde is likely to expand his cabinet this week by inducting at least 15 ministers and deputy chief minister Fadnavis is expected to keep the crucial Home portfolio.

On Saturday, Shinde said the state government's functioning has not been affected in any way due to the delay in the expansion of the council of ministers and that more ministers will be inducted soon.   -- PTI
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15:42   Tree planted by Bal Thackeray falls due to heavy rains in Mumbai
A gulmohar tree planted by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai fell due to heavy rains and gusty winds on Monday, a civic official said.

After Thackeray's death in 2012, a memorial was built near the tree.

The wind speed has been high in the last couple of days and the tree fell in the early hours of the day on the opposite side of the memorial, the official said.

Former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar said that the tree had been planted by the Sena supremo and the party would like it to be replanted at the spot.   -- PTI
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15:15   Police incharge suspended for temple stampede
The in-charge of Khatu Shyam Ji police station was suspended on Monday, hours after three devotees died in a stampede in the premises of the famous temple, an official said. 

Station House Officer Riya Choudhary was suspended as she "did not handle the situation well" when there was a "heavy rush" outside the temple, Sikar Superintendent of Police K Rashtradeep said. 

"There was a heavy rush outside the temple. The pressure mounted as soon as the temple gates opened, which led to a situation that left three women dead. It was not handled well. SHO Riya Choudhary has therefore been suspended," he said. 

As the temple opened at 4.30 am, thousands of devotees began rushing in for 'darshan' on the occasion of 'Gyaras', an auspicious day as per Hindu calendar, resulting in the stampede. 

Besides three deaths, four people sustained injuries. 

The pPolice said they had identified the deceased as Shanti from Haryana, Maya Devi from Uttar Pradesh and Kripa Devi from Jaipur.
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14:24   Prophet row: SC relief for Times Now's Navika
The Supreme Court Monday granted interim protection from arrest to Navika Kumar in connection with FIRs lodged against her over controversial remarks made by former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad during a TV debate moderated by the news anchor.

A bench of Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli issued notices to the Centre, West Bengal government and others on Kumar's plea seeking quashing of proceedings initiated against her.

Sharma's remark on the Prophet during a TV debate had triggered protests across the country and drew sharp reactions from many Gulf countries.

The BJP subsequently suspended her from the party.   -- PTI
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13:54   Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut sent to 14-day jail
A special court in Mumbai on Monday remanded Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to 14-day judicial custody  in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai 'chawl'. 

The court allowed Raut's plea for home food and medicines, but refused to pass an order on his prayer for bedding. 

The judge said as per the prison manual, jail authorities make adequate bed arrangements. 

Raut, 60, was arrested by the  Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl (row tenement) in suburban Goregaon. 

He was produced before special PMLA judge MG Deshpande at the end of his ED custody on Monday. 

The federal probe agency did not seek further extension of his custody. 

The judge then sent Raut in judicial custody. 

The ED probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra 'chawl' and related financial  transactions involving Raut's wife and associates.
Illegal portions in Shrikant Tyagi's residence being razed
Illegal portions in Shrikant Tyagi's residence being razed
13:41   Police announce Rs 25,000 reward for politician in assault case
The Noida police on Monday announced a reward of Rs 25,000 on the arrest of politician Shrikant Tyagi, accused of assaulting and abusing a woman inside a housing society in Noida. 

Tyagi was booked on Friday under Indian Penal Code section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman) over a spat with a co-resident of the housing society. 

The woman had objected to Tyagi planting some trees in the society's common area, citing violation of rules. He claimed he was within his rights to do so. 

Later, charges under IPC sections 447 (criminal trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) were added against him, according to officials. 

"A reward of Rs 25000 has been announced by the commissionerate Gautam Budh Nagar police on the arrest of accused Shrikant Tyagi, named in an FIR lodged at police station Phase-2 of commissionerate Gautam Budh Nagar," the police said in a statement. 

Tyagi, absconding since Friday night, has also been booked in a case under the Motor Vehicles Act for allegedly misusing the Uttar Pradesh government symbol on his car, officials said. 

While the Opposition has claimed that Tyagi is a member of the BJP, the ruling party has denied any link.
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13:15   Non-bailable warrant issued against UP minister
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Gorakhpur has issued a non-bailable warrant against Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad, in a 2015 case in which he is accused of inciting a mob during a protest.

The court directed the police to present Nishad before the court by August 10. The case dates back seven years ago.

On June 7, 2015, there was an agitation in Kasarwal area of Sahjanwan where protestors demanded 5 per cent reservation for the Nishad community in government jobs.

Agitators sat on the railway track and as the protest escalated police resorted to lathi-charged in which one person was killed.

It was alleged that the person was killed by police firing and the agitation turned violent and during this several vehicles were torched.

Following this, police filed a case against several people including Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad under sections related to rioting, sabotage, arson and other offences.

Now the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against minister Sanjay Nishad in this case.

Advocate Surendra Kumar Nishad, the counsel of the minister said, "This is not a non-bailable warrant issued against Nishad but it is a bailable one. This thing about the warrant that is going on are baseless rumours."

Notably, Sanjay Nishad's party is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh.

Nishad Party forged an alliance with BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Sanjay Nishad was made a Cabinet minister after the BJP formed government in the state.   -- ANI
Pic: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com
Pic: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com
12:48   Justin Bieber shows it's not too late to say sorry to Insta user
Justin Beiber is known to be very kind to his friends and fans and has on numerous occasions won the hearts of many with his generosity. On Sunday, the pop star took to his Instagram to apologise for "inappropriate comments" on a user's post. 

Justin mentioned that he had earlier posted a rude comment on someone's Instagram post and had come to the realisation that he shouldn't have written something like that. 

Justin issued a public apology to the unidentified Instagram user by posting a long note on his Instagram story. 

He wrote, "For some reason, I commented on some guys' page 'sad existence' because he was doing something I thought was dumb. Not quite sure why I felt the need to write that. If what he was doing makes him happy who am I to say anything, hope it didn't hurt his feelings, it's been eating me up all day. To the dude I wrote it to, man I'm sorry". 

Well, this gesture surely won the hearts of his fans who instantly started reposting his story. 

In other news, Justin recently resumed his 'Justice World Tour' following his recent health issues, and he is in Norway. He performed in Norway on Sunday as part of his tour of Europe. 

Justin will soon visit India. He is all set to perform in New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on October 18 as a part of his 'Justice World Tour'. The tickets for the concert are now live and are priced from Rs 4,000 onwards. 
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12:27   PM lauds Naidu as RS bids farewell to vice prez
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday hailed M Venkaiah Naidu's wit and one-liners as he praised his five-year term as vice president and Rajya Sabha chairman during which the 'productivity of the House increased 70 per cent'.

In his farewell speech for Naidu in Rajya Sabha, Modi said the outgoing chairman encouraged dialogue and has set standards and legacy that will continue to guide his successors.

Naidu completes his five-year term on August 10.

Modi said Naidu was of the opinion that disruptions of proceedings beyond a point were contempt of the House.

"He worked on the principle that 'let the government propose, let Opposition oppose, let the house dispose'," Modi said.

"One of the admirable things about Naidu is his passion for Indian languages. This was reflected in how he presided over the House," Modi said, adding as chairman he encouraged the use of mother tongue.

On Naidu's famous one-liners, the prime minister said 'they are wit-liners'.

"There is both depth and substance in what Naidu says," he said.

Modi said he has worked with Naidu closely over the years.

"I have also seen him take up different responsibilities and he performed each of them with great dedication."

"As our vice president, you devoted a lot of time to youth welfare. A lot of your programmes were focused on Yuva Shakti," he said.

Modi said Independence Day this year will be celebrated with the president, vice president, Lok Sabha speaker and prime minister all born in independent India.

"And each of them comes from very humble backgrounds."  -- PTI
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11:54   NIA carries out raids in Doda, Jammu in terror funding case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out searches at multiple places in Jammu and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir against members of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in a terror funding case, officials said.

Simultaneous raids are underway at nearly a dozen places at the premises of JeI office-bearers and members in different parts of the two districts since early this morning, the officials said.

Official sources said the raids are being carried out at Dhara-Gundana, Munshi Mohalla, Akramband, Nagri Nai Basti, Kharoti Bhagwah, Thalela and Malothi Bhalla in Doda district and Bhatindi in Jammu.

The searches are being carried out in a case related to terror funding, they said.

The case, registered by NIA suo-moto on February 5 last year, pertains to the activities of the JeI members, who have been collecting funds domestically and abroad through donations, particularly in the form of 'Zakat, Mowda and Bait-ul-Mal' purportedly to further charity and other welfare activities, but are using the money for 'violent and secessionist' activities.

According to NIA, the funds being raised by JeI are also channelised to proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others through well organised networks of JeI cadres.

"JeI has also been motivating impressionable youth of Kashmir and recruiting new members (Rukuns) in the Union territory to participate in disruptive secessionist activities," the NIA had said.

In February 2019, the Centre had banned JeI for five years under anti-terror laws on grounds that it was 'in close touch' with militant outfits and was expected to 'escalate secessionist movement' in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

A notification banning the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs after a high-level meeting on security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hundreds of JeI activists were arrested in a major crackdown across Jammu and Kashmir following the ban, which came just months ahead of the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation into two Union territories in August 2019.   -- PTI
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11:35   Ex-coal secretary gets 3-year jail in scam case
The Rouse Avenue court has awarded three-year imprisonment to former coal secretary HC Gupta in a coal scam case of irregularities in the allocation of a Maharashtra coal block to a Nagpur-based private company. 

The court also awarded two-year imprisonment to former joint secretary in the ministry of coal, KS Kropha. Both were convicted by the court last week. 

The court also awarded a four-year jail term to Mukesh Gupta, director of the private company, in this matter.
Representational image
Representational image
11:14   JEE-Main results out, 24 score perfect 100
At least 24 candidates have scored a perfect 100 in engineering entrance JEE-Main while result of five students has been withheld for using unfair means, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA). 

The cumulative result of two sessions of JEE-Main were declared on Monday. 

Maximum candidates who have scored 100 NTA score are from Andhra Pradesh (5) and Telangana (5) followed by Rajasthan (4). 

One candidate each from Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Jharkhand, has bagged the perfect score. 

According to officials, NTA score is not the same as percentage of marks obtained. 

"NTA scores are normalised scores across multi session papers and are based on relative performance of all those who appeared for the examination in one session. The marks obtained are converted into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each session of the examinees," a senior official said.
Former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee
Former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee
11:09   TMC censors Kunal Ghosh over remarks on Partha Chatterjee
The Trinamool Congress has asked the West Bengal general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh not to speak to the media about Partha Chatterjee for 14 days.

The move came in wake of the recent remarks by Ghosh against sacked TMC minister and suspended party leader Partha Chatterjee.

The party has instructed Ghosh to refrain from commenting on Chatterjee.

Ghosh on July 28 had urged his party to sack West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and also remove him from all party posts following allegations of his role in a massive school jobs scam.

'Partha Chatterjee should be removed from the ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement is considered wrong, the party has every right to remove me from all posts,' the state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said in a tweet.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday had arrested Chatterjee in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board recruitment scam.

The ED also claimed to have seized a huge amount of cash in the case. Partha Chatterjee, who is the current minister for industries and commerce of West Bengal, was formerly the state's education minister.

He was holding charge when the alleged illegal appointments were made in government-run and aided schools by West Bengal School Service Commision (WBSSC).

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials also claimed to have recovered cash amounting to approximately Rs 29 crore from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of the West Bengal minister.

The total cash recovered in the case is learnt to be higher.

Besides cash a number of other incriminating documents, records, details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold has also been recovered from various premises of the individuals linked to the scam.   -- ANI
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10:47   No salary for Mukesh Ambani for 2nd year in row
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani for the second year in a row drew no salary from his flagship firm Reliance Industries in the last fiscal as he voluntarily gave up remuneration in light of the pandemic hitting the business and economy.

In its latest annual report, Reliance said Ambani's remuneration for the financial year 2020-21 was 'nil'.

In June 2020, Mukesh D Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, voluntarily decided to forego his salary for the year 2020-21, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, which exacted a huge toll on the societal, economic and industrial health of the nation.

He continued to forgo his salary in 2021-22 as well.

In both these years, Ambani did not avail of any allowances, perquisites, retiral benefits, commission or stock options from Reliance for his role as the chairman and managing director.

Prior to that, the chairman and managing director had his salary capped at Rs 15 crore since 2008-09 in order to set a personal example of moderation in managerial compensation levels.

The Rs 15 crore salary in 2019-20 was the same as in the previous 11 years.

Ambani has kept salary, perquisites, allowances and commission together at Rs 15 crore since 2008-09, forgoing over Rs 24 crore per annum.

'In light of the COVID-19 outbreak in India, which has exacted a huge toll on the societal, economic and industrial health of the nation, Mukesh D Ambani, the chairman and managing director, has voluntarily decided to forego his salary,' the company had said in June 2020.

The remuneration of his cousins Nikhil and Hital Meswani remained unchanged at Rs 24 crore but this time it included a Rs 17.28 crore commission.

Executive Directors PMS Prasad and Pawan Kumar Kapil saw their remuneration fall marginally.

While Prasad drew Rs 11.89 crore in 2021-22, down from Rs 11.99 crore in 2020-21, Kapil got Rs 4.22 crore, lower than Rs 4.24 crore in the previous year.

The payment of Prasad and Kapil included 'performance-linked incentives for FY 2020-21 paid in FY 2021-22', the annual report said.

Ambani's wife Nita, a non-executive director on the company's board, earned Rs 5 lakh as a sitting fee and another Rs 2 crore commission for the year.

She had in the previous year got Rs 8 lakh sitting fee and another Rs 1.65 crore commission.

Apart from Ambani, the RIL board has the Meswani brothers, Prasad and Kapil as wholetime directors.

Besides Nita Ambani, other non-executive directors include Dipak C Jain, Raghunath A Mashelkar, Adil Zainulbhai, Raminder Singh Gujral, Shumeet Banerji, former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya and former CVC KV Chowdary.

While all independent directors got a Rs 2 crore commission, Yasir O Al-Rumayyan, Managing Director and a Board Member of PIF - the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, got Rs 1.40 crore.

He was appointed to the board with effect from July 19, 2021.   -- PTI
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10:16   ED to produce Sanjay Raut before special court
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will produce Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, arrested in a money laundering case, before a special court in Mumbai on Monday.

The court last Thursday extended Raut's ED custody till August 8, while noting the agency had made remarkable progress in the probe into the money laundering case involving the Shiv Sena leader.

The ED had then sought his further custody for eight days, saying it has unearthed a new trail of money.

Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, was found to be beneficiary of Rs 1.17 crore of proceeds of crime in addition of Rs 1.06 crore that had come to light earlier, it claimed.

The Shiv Sena leader was arrested on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl (row tenement) in suburban Goregaon.

The documents seized during the probe showed the purchase of properties at Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district by Raut involved substantial cash transactions, the ED had said.

As much as Rs 1.08 crore was found in the bank account of Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut, the probe agency had claimed.

The ED on Saturday questioned Varsha Raut for more than nine hours in connection with the case and recorded her statement.

Sanjay Raut, 60, is a close aide of Shiv Sena president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

He has denied any wrongdoing and called the ED case against him as 'false'.   -- PTI
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09:59   Heavy to very heavy rain expected in Odisha, Bengal as depression looms
Parts of Odisha received very heavy rain on Sunday, with the state and neighbouring Bengal bracing for downpour over the next two to three days due to a depression that is set to take shape over the Bay of Bengal.

A low pressure area, which formed on Saturday, concentrated into a well-marked system over the northwest Bay of Bengal, off the coasts of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh, the Met office said.

It is expected to intensify into a depression during the next 48 hours and move northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre explained.

A red alert of extremely heavy rainfall of over 200 mm has been issued for some places in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts till Monday morning, the Met office said, adding that the monsoon trough was passing through Jharsuguda.

The weather system is also likely to bring in its wake heavy rain in the parched Gangetic West Bengal.

Gangetic Bengal has suffered 46 per cent rainfall deficiency during this monsoon, from June 1 till date, according to the Met department Nabarangpur in Odisha recorded 126 mm of rain between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Sunday, followed by 44 mm in Malkangiri.

Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi received 36 mm of rain, while Koraput witnessed 26 mm precipitation, according to a bulletin.

Fisherfolk have been advised not to venture off the coast till Thursday morning as squally weather with wind speed of 45-55 kmph and gusting up to 65 kmph is very likely over the northwestern Bay of Bengal.

The weatherman issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rain in the districts of Khurda, Puri, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Koraput for Monday.

Downpour can also occur in a few places in Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Boudh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Subarnapur.

Extremely heavy rainfall was a possibility in a few places in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Keonjhar on Tuesday.

It may trigger flash floods, landslides or mudslides in vulnerable hilly areas and cause damage to susceptible roads and houses, the Met office stated.

In Bengal, isolated very heavy rain was likely in the south Bengal districts on August 9 and 10.

The weatherman has forecast heavy to very heavy rain in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, while the other districts in Gangetic West Bengal are likely to receive heavy rain during the period, the Met office added.   -- PTI
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09:20   Filmmakers booked after poster shows Lord Krishna image on sanitary pad
Police have booked the director and others in the team of Masoom Sawaal following a complaint a poster of the movie hurts religious feelings by showing a Lord Krishna picture on a sanitary pad, officials said on Sunday.

A senior police official in Ghaziabad said the FIR was registered on Sunday against director Santosh Upadhyay, his company and the entire team of the Hindi film on the complaint of of Hindu Rashtra Navnirman Sena President Amit Rathore.

Sahibabad Circle officer Swatantra Singh said the FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code section 295 (injuring or defiling places of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class).

The movie aims to create awareness about menstruation.

The complainant has alleged the film producer has used a picture of Lord Krishna on sanitary pads in a poster.

This has hurt religious sentiments of the followers of 'Sanatana Dharma' and can flare up communal riots in Uttar Pradesh and across the country, he has alleged.

The film producer and his team tried to spread communal hatred in a very well planned way in the country, he alleged in the FIR.

Rathore told PTI Hindu Rashtra Navnirman Sena functionaries and workers would protest outside the two cinema halls at Sahibabad and Ghaziabad where the movie is being screened.

Police have beefed up the security at the two cinema halls.

Action would be initiated against anybody who tries to disturb peace, the circle officer said.

"Law and order would be maintained at all cost."   -- PTI
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08:35   CWG medallist tells Kejriwal: 'Didn't get help'
Commonwealth games bronze medallist wrestler Divya Kakran on Sunday alleged she never received help from the Delhi government following which the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation said if she has ever applied for any of its sports schemes then it will be looked into.

Kakran won the bronze medal in women's 68-kg category in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated her for winning laurels for the country.

'I thank Delhi CM for congratulating me on my medal victory. I have a request that I have been living in Delhi for the last 20 years and have also been training in wrestling here, but I have not received any prize money from the state government, nor did I receive any help,' Kakran tweeted tagging Kejriwal.

'I request you that I should also be honoured in a similar way as Delhi wrestlers who are honoured despite they also play from other states,' Kakran said in another.

Responding to these remarks, the AAP government in a statement said, 'The Delhi government respects all sportspersons of the country and prays for their bright future.'

'Currently Divya Kakran plays for Uttar Pradesh. If she had played from Delhi or she had been part of any sports scheme of the government or she has applied in any such scheme then the government will surely look into it,' it said.

Kakran later tweeted a 2018 video of her telling Kejriwal that she is a CWG and Asian Games medallist and she did not get any help from his government despite they promised to do so.

Along with the video, she tweeted, It seems the time is repeating itself. Everything is the same. Neither was anything done for me then, nor now. -- PTI

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