LIVE! No schools in afternoon: Delhi's heat action plan

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Thu, 17 August 2023

No schools in afternoon: Delhi's heat action plan

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23:47 No schools in afternoon: Delhi's heat action plan

Delhi will alter school timings, suspend non-essential water use, provide uninterrupted power supply to health facilities and survey vulnerable locations daily to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on susceptible populations in peak summers, according to the city's first heat action plan.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which prepared the plan and submitted it to the Centre last month, also plans a pilot project to paint roofs in identified areas with white colour to help keep the indoors cooler.

"The DDMA started working on Delhi's first heat action plan in September last year after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena convened a meeting in this regard. The National Institute of Disaster Management vetted it and provided suggestions," a DDMA official told PTI.

The heat action plan (HAP), which has now been sent to the National Disaster Management Authority, will be updated on an annual basis and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate at DDMA will act as the nodal officer for its implementation, the official added.

Delhi is one of the hottest cities in India and ranks among the most susceptible to heat waves due to its large population and a significant concentration of lower-income groups.

Heat waves are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.

India reported 706 heatwave incidents from 1971-2019 which claimed more than 17,000 lives, according to a paper authored by M Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, along with scientists Kamaljit Ray, S S Ray, R K Giri and A P Dimri.

A study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar says India could witness a staggering 30-fold increase in severe heat waves by 2100. A 75-fold rise is predicted under a business-as-usual scenario.

The Delhi HAP relies on heat wave forecasts from the India Meteorological Department for the next seven days for issuing colour-coded alerts to the local population.

A 'red alert' will be triggered when the maximum temperature exceeds the normal temperature by at least 6 degrees Celsius. An 'orange alert' will be issued if the maximum temperature is four to five degrees Celsius above normal, while a 'yellow alert' will be given for a departure from normal ranging from 0 to 3.9 degrees Celsius.

Based on land surface temperature maps, the plan lists 10 wards -- Harkesh Nagar 092s, Harkesh Nagar 092s, Khyala 008s, Wazirpur 072n, Bijwasan 048s, Vishwas Nagar 017e, Hari Nagar A 010s, Jahangirpuri 021n, Delhi Gate 088n and Shastri Park 025e -- as thermal hotspots in the capital, emphasising the importance of rapidly equipping them with amenities to cope with extreme heat. -- PTI

The father of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput Thursday approached the Delhi high court against an order refusing to restrain the continued online streaming of a film based on his son's life.

A bench of Justices Yashwant Varma and Dharmesh Sharma issued notice on Krishna Kishore Singh's appeal against a single judge's decision to several people, including the filmmakers, whom he has accused of taking "unfair commercial advantage" of his deceased son's life.

Rajput, 34, was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai's suburban Bandra on June 14, 2020.

Last month, the single judge had dismissed an application by Rajput's father who had claimed that the movie, 'Nyay: The Justice'', which was streaming on an online platform, was based on defamatory statements and violated the personality rights associated with Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR).

Advocate Varun Singh, appearing for the appellant, Thursday contended that besides being in violation of the personality rights of the deceased Bollywood star, a film based on his life would also infringe the privacy of the family members which cannot be permitted.

The senior counsel appearing for the makers of the film said a right to privacy cannot be claimed after the death of a person.

The court said the matter called for consideration and asked the respondents to file their replies to the appeal.

In the appeal, Rajput's father has said several people were making movies, web-series and writing books etc based on SSR's life without due consent.

He said he has the "absolute right to protect the reputation, privacy, and rights of his deceased son" as well as the right to protect the "reputation, privacy and rights of himself as well as members of his family".

The single judge has disregarded the law while dismissing the application seeking interim relief of stay, he has said.

On July 11, the single judge, while holding that the film was a "retelling" of "SSR's life and times, leading up to this tragic death", had ruled there was no case for an interim relief as what was sought to be protected was the "inheritable" rights of privacy, publicity and personality which vested in SSR who was no longer alive.

The application had formed part of a lawsuit by SSR's father against the filmmakers for making the movie without his consent.

Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that there are security concerns involved in the decision to restrict import of laptops.

The minister said that there will be no disruption in the availability or the price and the government will be ready to engage with industry and look at other options also.

"Here is an issue, which is a serious security matter. Even Tesla car is not allowed anywhere near where Xi Jinping (President of China) is present. Because they're very conscious of the risks of security, even for a car being present in the vicinity of the premier of China. India also has to protect ourselves from countries who are antagonistic to India," Goyal said.

While speaking at an event of book launch of journalist Nalin Mehta, Goyal said that the present government is a listening and accessible government.

"We are conscious that laptops are our continuous companion. Laptops are being used for all our privileged and confidential information. And they can be quite a potent source of leakage," Goyal said.

The minister shared an anecdote that while watching news, his television suddenly went to HDMI 1 port.

" I don't know, we had not touched any instrument...like what happened just now...now I am even scared about my phone, will have to get this checked too," Goyal said, in reference to his phone going in emergency mode during the event.

Talking about ONDC platform, Goyal said he has contacted three large e-commerce companies' owners directly and he has got feedback that their progress is slow.

"I personally call all three of them. And they are personally giving me messages back on the progress that their companies are doing on ONDC," Goyal said. -- PTI

RPF constable Chetansinh Chaudhary

22:50 Killer RPF cop's mental condition bad: Lawyer

Sacked Railway Protection Force constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who is accused of shooting dead his colleague and three passengers on board a train last month, does not remember anything "about the incident, his arrest or custody", his lawyer said on Thursday.

Lawyer Amit Mishra, who met his client in jail in neighbouring Thane during the day to discuss the case, told PTI the latter did not answer any of his questions.

"He has said he does not remember anything about the incident, his arrest or his custody," Mishra said, adding that Chaudhary's "mental condition is bad" due to which personnel "monitoring and protecting him in jail custody are also worried".

The personnel accompanying Chaudhary have said his behaviour is "very unusual and he is in deep shock" and that he just eats "occasionally", the lawyer claimed.

Responding to a question, the accused said he does not know about his caste but only that his name was Chetan and that he was Hindu, Mishra informed.

On July 31, Chaudhary allegedly shot dead his superior Tikaram Meena and three passengers, identified as Abdul Kadar Mohamed Hussain Bhanpurawala, Sayyad Saifuddin and Asgar Abbas Shaikh, on board the Jaipur Mumbai Central Superfast Express near Palghar station.

Chaudhary was nabbed with the weapon allegedly used in the crime and was charged with murder, kidnapping as well as Indian Penal Code section 153A for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion etc.

On Monday, he was dismissed from service through an order issued by the RPF's senior divisional security commissioner.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday asserted that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is flexible and is not imposed on states by the Centre.

States can adopt the policy according to their requirements, she said at the launch event for 'Desia' and 'Kuwi' (tribal languages) primer books in Bhubaneswar, along with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

"NEP is a flexible policy. It is not something that the Centre decides and imposes on all the states. It is a broad framework and the states can adopt it according to their requirements," Sitharaman said.

She said the NEP is a result of different people putting their minds together after extensive consultation.

Sitharaman also said that "when one learns, speaks and thinks in one's mother tongue, there's clarity of thought. That is why learning in the mother tongue is important. The central government is making all-out efforts for the education of tribal children."

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said there are over 62 tribes covering 23 per cent of Odisha's population, and it becomes necessary to teach the students with the help of pictures, stories and songs based on their local nature and culture to improve their cognitive development.

At another event in the state capital, Sitharaman called upon the chartered accountants' fraternity to make itself familiar with new technologies and global developments like carbon accounting and environment, social and governance (ESG) norms.

Noting that India's economy is driven by start-ups, new-age industries, and those transitioning from traditional methods to modern approaches, she said such activities require the support of CAs.

Earlier in the day, the two Union ministers attended a series of events under the nationwide Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign. -- PTI

Edtech firm Unacademy has sacked a teacher, identified as Karan Sangwan, who appealed students to vote for educated candidates.

Sangwan has started his own YouTube channel and announced that he will post details around the controversy on August 19.

"From the past few days a video has been going viral due to which I am in controversy and because of that controversy my several students who are preparing for judicial services examinations are facing a lot of consequences. Along with them I have to also face consequences," Sangwan said.

In the controversial video mentioned by Sangwan, he appealed to students to vote for educated candidates next time.

The former teacher at the edtech firm shared with his students that his job has been terminated.

Unacademy did not comment on the queries in this regard. -- PTI

In a bid to check digital frauds, the government has made verification of dealers selling SIM cards mandatory and discontinued the provision of issuing bulk connections, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.

Earlier, while announcing the new measures, the minister had said that the government has made police verification of SIM card dealers mandatory.

He later clarified that the verification of SIM card dealers will be carried out by "the licensee" or the respective telecom operator and added that a penalty of Rs 10 lakh will be imposed on violators.

In a widespread crackdown against SIM card related digital frauds, the minister said that the government has disconnected 52 lakh mobile connections. While 67,000 dealers have been blacklisted, 300 FIRs have been registered against SIM card dealers since May 2023.

Further, the minister said WhatsApp on its own blocked around 66,000 accounts that were involved in fraudulent activities.

"Indisputable verification of SIM dealers will be mandatory to curb frauds. Penalty of Rs 10 lakh will be imposed on dealers found violating norms," Vaishnaw said.

The verification will be done by telecom operators who will collect the details of each business owner and his business related documents for verification before appointing a dealer.

Earlier, detailed documentation of dealer was not prescribed in the rule.

Vaishnaw said that there are 10 lakh SIM card dealers and they will be given sufficient time for verification.

The minister said that the Department of Telecommunications has also discontinued the provision of issuing bulk connections and instead a new concept of business connection will be introduced.

"Besides, KYC of businesses, KYC of person taking handover of SIM will also be done," Vaishnaw said.

The new rule will be implemented from October 1 and dealers will be given about six month time for the compliance. -- PTI

INS Vindhyagiri

21:48 Seventh stealth frigate to be launched next month

The seventh and last of the stealth frigates being built by MDL under Project 17 Alpha will be launched on September 1, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said in Kolkata on Thursday.

The Navy had placed orders for seven stealth frigates, four of which went to Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and three to GRSE.

"The fourth stealth frigate being built by MDL under P17A will be launched on September 1," the CNS told reporters in Kolkata following the launch of the third and last stealth frigate built by GRSE under P17A by President Droupadi Murmu.

He said that various ships of the Indian Navy are under construction in 19 shipyards.

"Sixty-three ships are under construction out of which 61 are being built in India... We are giving thurst to self-reliance as per the directives of the government," Kumar said.

Noting that patrol boat INS Ajay, the first naval ship to be built in India, was by GRSE, he said that the country has come a long way from there to build various ships like landing crafts, landing ships, corvettes, frigates, destroyers and aircraft carrier.

The CNS said that the Navy wants to be fully self-reliant by 2047, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a goal for India to be 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant) by the same year.

"All effort is being put in to ensure that we make all the warships, submarines and aircraft required for the Navy to be built in India," he said.

Describing the launch of the state-of-the-art stealth frigate 'Vindhyagiri' as a landmark event, Kumar said that the addition of the combat platform adds to the potential of the Navy and the nation.

He said that the ship is much more potent than its previous avatar - a Leander class anti-submarine warfare frigate, which was decommissioned in 2012.

"She has got all capabilities desirable of a frigate of its size," he said.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police on Thursday arrested businessman Sujit Patkar, a close friend of Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut, in a case related to Lifeline Hospital Management Services, an official said.

Patkar, earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the same case on money laundering charges, was in the judicial custody.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who had filed the original complaint about the alleged scam in the running of Jumbo COVID centres, also posted a message on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter) about the development.

This is the fourth arrest in the case by the EOW which is probing alleged irregularities in the setting up and management of Jumbo COVID care centres of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The EOW also found that documents submitted for the contract of COVID centres at Dahisar and Worli were forged, the official said.

Last week, the sessions court had rejected Patkar's pre-arrest bail plea in the EOW case.

Subsequently, Patkar was brought to the agency's office on Thursday and placed under arrest following interrogation, the official said.

He was produced before a court which sent him in police (EOW) custody for five days. -- PTI

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

21:22 Average user spends Rs 200-400 on OTT: Survey

An average user spends less than Rs 100 on online gaming and Rs 200-400 on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, according to a report by technology and policy think tank Esya Centre.

Published in a working paper of IIM Ahmedabad, the survey outlines that users spend the maximum time about 194 minutes a day on social media, compared to 46 minutes on online gaming and 44 minutes on OTT.

Also, 28 per cent of the surveyed population consider online gaming important for their employment prospects.

The report assesses market forces and user behaviours across social media, OTT and online gaming, including real money gaming, e-sports and casual gaming, among 2,000 respondents from Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Mysuru, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Bhopal and in-app data from over 20.6 lakh users across 143 mobile applications.

As per the report, "Policymakers' concerns around online gaming are unsupported by user time-spend and money-spend data."

The report comes after the GST Council's meeting that changed the GST levied on the online gaming industry from 18 per cent on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) to 28 per cent on deposits, leading to a 350 per cent to 400 per cent jump in the industry's GST outgo.

User addiction and loss of money were cited as key reasons behind this steep hike in tax rate.

A 30 per cent increase in participation fee for online games may lead to a 71 per cent dip in engagement, which indicates higher price sensitivity in contrast to 17 per cent population affected by price hike on OTT platforms, according to the survey.

While all users are active on social media once a month, the corresponding number for OTT and online gaming stood at 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively.

The survey also found that 89 per cent of the users remain active every day on social media, while just 22 per cent of surveyed users access online gaming on a daily basis. Daily active population on OTT from the survey universe stood at 12 per cent. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in Gujarat for over 25 years, had spent over Rs 209 crore in the 2022 state assembly polls, according to details submitted by the party to the Election Commission.

The expenditure report was put in public domain by the poll panel on Thursday.

According to the main election expenditure report on Gujarat polls submitted by the party on July 15, it spent Rs 209.97 crore on general party propaganda and funding of candidates.

The BJP returned to power in Gujarat last December, scoring a landslide win.

The party paid nearly Rs 41 crore to candidates contesting the polls and over Rs 15 crore was spent on travel expenditure, including use of aircraft and helicopters.

On general party propaganda, it spent Rs 160.62 crore. -- PTI

20:39 Himachal rains: Death toll climbs to 74

The death toll in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh rose to 74 as another body was pulled out of the rubble of a Shiva temple here and two more people killed in Chamba district, officials said on Thursday.

Twenty-one of these deaths were in the three major landslides in Shimla alone --at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill and in Fagli and Krishnanagar.

Eight persons are still feared buried in the temple debris.

On Wednesday, workers at the Summer Hill landslide site retrieved the body of P L Sharma, head of the Mathematics department at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI.

Two rain-related deaths were reported in Chamba district where a person fell from a height and another drowned, taking the death count over the past four days to 74, according to the state emergency operation centre.

The state recorded heavy rains for three days, beginning Sunday. After Tuesday, there has been less rain. There were light showers at some places on Thursday.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 24, 217 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh.

Operations are on at the landslide sites in Shimla. So far, 14 bodies have been recovered from Summer Hill, five from Fagli and two from Krishnanagar, SP Gandhi said.

The Indian Army, Air Force and other rescue personnel evacuated 309 people from the flood-affected area in Kangra district's Fatehpur and Pong Dam in Indora.

Over the last three days, 2074 people have been evacuated from these areas.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad said a majority of Indian Muslims have converted from Hinduism, adding that an example of this can be found in the Kashmir Valley where a majority of Kashmiri Pandits converted to Islam.

Asserting that religion should not used to get political mileage, Azad said whoever takes refuge in religion in politics is weak.

"Some BJP leader said some (Muslims) have come from outside and some have not. Nobody has come from outside or inside. Islam came to existence just 1,500 years ago. Hindu religion is very old. Around 10-20 of them (Muslims) must have come from outside, some were there in the Mughal army," the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief told a gathering in Doda district.

"All other Muslims converted from Hinduism in India. An example of this can be found in Kashmir. Who were the Muslims in Kashmir 600 years ago? All were Kashmiri Pandits. They converted to Islam. All are born into this religion," the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said.

Azad said that when Hindus die, they are cremated. "They are burnt in different places. Their ashes are placed in the river which mixes the water, and we drink that water," he said.

"Later, who sees that the water contains their burnt ashes? People drink that water," the DPAP leader said.

Similarly Muslims' flesh and bones become a part of the nation's soil, Azad said. "They, too, become a part of this land. Their flesh and their bones become a part of Bharat Mata's soil. Hindus and Muslims both merge into this land. What difference is there between them?" he added.

Taking a dig on the use of religion for votes, Azad said, "Whoever takes refuge in religion in politics is weak. Religion should not be used as a vote bank in politics. Voting should not be based on Hindu and Muslim names." -- PTI

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted that he is the right person for the UK's top job, especially at a time of rapid technological change and tough economic challenges, as he gets back into the full swing of work after a rare family holiday in California.

In an interview with The Times' on Wednesday, the 43-year-old British Indian leader pointed to the latest official figures showing a fall in inflation from 7.9 per cent to 6.8 per cent as a sign that the economy was moving in the right direction with him in charge at 10 Downing Street.

As he edges closer towards his first year in office after he was suddenly elevated to the post of Prime Minister in October last year when predecessor Liz Truss was forced out amid financial turmoil, Sunak pointed to how he had not "got this job in not the easiest of circumstances" but is the right choice as the leader going into a general election expected next year.

"I think I'm the right person, the right Prime Minister, at a time when technological change is so important to help lead the country through that change so we can benefit from it, Sunak told the newspaper.

"This is the country that benefits from those changes in technology, this is where those companies are locating, where they're growing, where they're investing, where they're creating jobs," he said.

Asked if people struggling with a cost-of-living crisis will feel better off in a year's time, he said it was his job to make sure that people can feel that happening.

He noted: You can start to see now that there is a prospect of wages growing faster than inflation going forward. I'm really proud of our country and what makes us special. I'm really optimistic about the future.

"We've got a challenge right now to overcome but I'm entirely confident we will do it. Is it taking a bit longer than anyone would like? Of course, it is, but we're making progress. The last couple of months show that the plan is working."

With a general election expected around mid-2024, the Conservative Party government under his leadership is quite obviously now pitching its tent to start wooing the electorate. -- PTI

At least 11 girls studying in a higher secondary school at Bicholim in North Goa were hospitalised on Thursday after some fellow students used pepper spray on them as part of mischief, a senior police official said.

The incident occurred when the girl students were inside the classroom, he said.

"As per the complaint received from the management of the school, some girl students started feeling uneasy and breathless when another group of students used pepper spray on them as mischief," the official said.

"Eleven girl students were initially referred to the Community Health Centre at Bicholim, and three of them were later admitted to the District Hospital in Mapusa town," he said.

Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye, who rushed to the District Hospital, said the condition of all the students admitted there was stable.

Majority of the students, except two, would be given discharge soon, he said.

The police have asked the school management to set up a disciplinary committee and investigate the incident, the legislator said.

"Initial inquiry has revealed that some students sprayed the pepper from outside the classroom through the window," he said.

The management has told police that it has already suspended four students from the school for their misconduct, the MLA added.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar along with party MLA Carlos Ferreira also visited the students at the district hospital.

"It is unfortunate that students are resorting to this kind of mischievous behaviour," he told reporters.

According to him, some parents informed him that a similar incident had happened on last Friday in the school, although it was at smaller scale. --PTI

Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday expressed confidence that Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar will one day support Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his vision to make India strong and self-reliant.

The BJP leader was speaking to reporters at Nagpur airport in response to a query on the recent meeting between Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who joined the Eknath Shinde-led government along with eight NCP MLAs last month.

The 'secret' meeting in Pune last week between the two Pawars created a buzz. Sharad Pawar is still a member of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance which includes the Shiv Sena-UBT and the Congress.

The Sena-UBT and the Congress have expressed concern over the meeting between the two leaders.

When asked about it, Bawankule said, "Sharad Pawar has himself clarified that it was a family meeting."

"I feel that Sharad Pawar will one day support Modiji in his vision and dream of making India strong and 'aatmanirbhar'," he said. -- PTI

A bank account analysis of arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji and his wife shows they received "huge cash deposits", the Enforcement Directorate said Thursday, days after filing a chargesheet against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader in a money laundering investigation liked to 'cash for jobs scam' in the state's transport department.

The prosecution complaint, filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), was submitted by the central agency on August 12 before a special court in Chennai and it took cognisance of the chargesheet on Wednesday, it said in a statement.

The about 3,000-page chargesheet includes more than 2,000 pages of annexures and 168-170 pages of operational documents.

The agency alleged that Balaji, 47, "abused" his official position as the transport minister of Tamil Nadu (during the previous AIADMK regime) along with his brother RV Ashok Kumar and personal assistants B Shanmugam and M Karthikeyan and "entered into a criminal conspiracy" with the then managing directors of state transport undertakings (STUs) and other officers of transport corporations.

It claimed the accused obtained "illegal gratification" from candidates to recruit them as drivers, conductors, junior tradesmen, junior assistants, junior engineer and assistant engineer in the transport corporations.

"During ED investigation, the bank statement analysis revealed that there were huge cash deposits in the bank accounts of accused V Senthil Balaji and his wife S Megala."

"ED has collected incriminating evidences indicating the utilisation of proceeds of crime and establishing the nexus and modus operandi of the 'cash for jobs scam'," the ED alleged.

It said Balaji was confronted with "incriminating evidences but he failed to rebut the same and offer any plausible explanation, instead he remained non-cooperative and evasive during the investigation proceedings".

The agency claimed it has collected incriminating evidence indicating the utilisation of the "proceeds of crime" and establishing the "nexus" and modus operandi of the alleged 'cash for Jobs Scam'.

Balaji, lodged in the Puzhal central jail in Chennai, continues to be a minister without portfolio in Chief Minister M K Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government after he was arrested by the ED on June 14 in this money laundering case.

The agency had earlier claimed that Balaji "misused" his office for illegal gratification and "engineered" a job racket scam in the state transport undertakings during 2014-15 with purported kickbacks paid by candidates through his associates who include his brother R V Ashok Kumar and personal assistants B Shanmugam and M Karthikeyan.

"This led to jobs being awarded at the expense of deserving candidates", the ED had alleged. -- PTI

18:58 Man found dead in BJP office in Assam

A 43-year-old man was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the Cachar district BJP office in Assam, police said on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Sudhangshu Das, was found dead inside the VIP room of the office located in Itkhola area of Silchar town on Thursday morning.

Nantu Roy, a canteen staffer who alerted BJP district president Bimolendu Roy after Das did not open the VIP room where he was sleeping, claimed that the deceased had worked with him in the canteen for the last one year.

Roy, however, claimed he was unaware that Das was working in the canteen or had slept in the office on Wednesday night. He claimed Das was not a staffer in the BJP office.

"Nantu Roy called me up early in the morning and told me that the VIP room could not be opened. We informed the police. They broke open the door and found the body," Roy told PTI.

Police said Nantu Roy was not able to provide the address of Das even though he was working with him for the last one year.

A senior police officer said that an investigation is underway and the body has been sent for post-mortem examination to Silchar Medical College and Hospital.

"We are investigating the case from all angles. We hope to solve it very soon," he added.

A day after differences surfaced between INDIA block allies Aam Aadmi Party and Congress over contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, the city's ruling party on Thursday said the Congress has now clarified its stand and the "matter is over".

The row had erupted on Wednesday following the remarks of Congress leader Alka Lamba that they have been directed by the party leadership to work strongly in all seven seats ahead of the 2024 polls.

Senior AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Thursday the Congress has itself now "denied its own statement".

"It's fine. The matter is over. The Congress has given a clarification and everything is clear now. The spokesperson cannot decide on seat sharing. All parties sit together with their calculations and then such things are decided. spokespersons make statement," he said.

AAP Delhi state convener and Cabinet minister Gopal Rai advised patience in the current circumstances.

"The Congress party specified that statements of some of its leaders were individual remarks. I think, some patience is required at present and there will be a way forward by the next meeting (of INDIA alliance) to be held in Mumbai," he said.

Congress leaders from Delhi on Wednesday held a meeting with the party's top leadership to review its preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed ways to strengthen the organisation.

After the meeting, Lamba had said, "No decision has been taken on whether to have an alliance, but we have been asked to prepare ourselves on all seven seats. We will go to the people strongly after preparing ourselves properly in all seven seats."

Following her remarks, the AAP had said there was no point of attending the next meeting of INDIA alliance in Mumbai, if the Congress wants to go solo in Delhi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, who were present at the meeting, asked the party leaders to remain united and stay connected with people, sources said. -- PTI

Randeep Surjewala

18:27 Congress gives Surjewala charge of MP in election year

Effecting an organisational shake-up, the Congress on Thursday appointed Randeep Surjewala as general secretary in-charge of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and former MLA Ajai Rai as the chief of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit.

Also, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Mukul Wasnik as general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, replacing Raghu Sharma.

Surjewala, who is the in-charge of Karnataka, has been given the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh, replacing Jai Prakash Agarwal.

Kharge appointed Rai, who had unsuccessfully contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, as the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect, replacing Dalit leader Brijlal Khabri.

"The party appreciates the contribution of the outgoing PCC president Brijlal Khabri, Ex-MP, and all the zonal presidents," the party said in a statement issued by general secretary organisation K C Venugopal.

Surjewala was recently appointed as a senior election observer by the party in Madhya Pradesh which goes to polls later this year.

An organisational overhaul of several state units of the Congress is underway and more appointments are likely to be made in the coming days.

18:09 CPI-M delegation to visit Manipur from Friday

A four-member delegation of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, led by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, will visit the ethnic strife-torn Manipur for two days from Friday.

Besides Yechury, the delegation will also have the party's Central Committee members Jitendra Chaudhury, Suprakash Talukdar and Deblina Hembram, CPI-M said in a statement on Thursday.

"Apart from the strife-torn areas, the delegation will also visit relief camps at Churachandpur, Moirang and Imphal. The delegation will also meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey and various other civil society organisations, it said.

A group of MPs of the opposition bloc INDIA visited Manipur for two days from July 29. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also visited the northeastern state in June.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Manipur in May.

The ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, after a Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi "remained silent" on the ethnic violence in Manipur, and asserted the least he could have done is "issue an appeal for peace".

Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal said the prime minister "remains silent" whenever a crisis situation hits the nation.

"The prime minister is like a father figure. He turned his back on the daughters of Manipur. You kept sitting in your room. The entire country is asking the reason for PM's silence. It is not the first time that he is silent. Whenever there is a crisis situation over the past nine years, the prime minister has remained silent," Kejriwal alleged.

Talking about the recent protest by women wrestlers against former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief minister said the champion grapplers alleged sexual harassment by Singh, but the PM remained silent.

"When they won medals at the Olympics, PM Modi was the first one to click pictures with them. He had told them 'you are my daughter'. But when they were protesting, he remained silent. At least he could have said, 'I am there. I will get it inquired into and get people punished'," said Kejriwal.

The women wrestlers had to go to the Supreme Court to get an FIR registered, he said. "In the case of Manipur, he could have at least issued an appeal for peace." -- PTI

17:42 PeeCee out of New York-based restaurant

Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas is no longer associated with Sona, her Indian cuisine restaurant which was opened in 2021 in New York City.

A spokesperson for the Citadel star confirmed the news to People magazine.

"Priyanka has stepped away from her partnership at Sona. Bringing Sona to life will invariably be a proud and significant moment in her career.

"Priyanka has always endeavored to bring Indian culture to the fore through storytelling, whether that's via engaging content for film and TV, or a beautifully plated dish that embodies the haute cuisine of India," a representative said in a statement.

The 41-year-old actor will, however, continue to take interest in the hospitality and food scene.

"Stepping away from Sona allows her to broaden these ambitions on a more global scale, and she's excited about the possibilities that await," the spokesperson added.

Maneesh K Goyal, Sona co-founder and Chopra Jonas' friend and former business partner, said working with the actor was "a dream come true".

"We're grateful for her partnership and support. While she will no longer be involved as a creative partner moving forward, she remains in the Sona family and we are excited for our respective new chapters ahead," Goyal added.

Sona, which means 'gold' in Hindi and got its name after a suggestion from Chopra's husband, singer Nick Jonas, opened while Covid-19 restrictions were still in place.

An IndiGo pilot died after collapsing near a boarding gate at the Nagpur airport on Thursday, officials said. The 40-year-old pilot who was going to operate the airline's Nagpur-Pune flight collapsed around 1noon while sitting in the security hold area, they said.

Prima facie, he died due to "sudden cardiac arrest", said KIMS-Kingsway Hospital where he was rushed. Aejaz Shami, spokesperson of the hospital, said the emergency team of the hospital gave him CPR but he did not respond. The pilot was declared brought dead at the hospital. PTI

17:00 Pawar accuses BJP of breaking elected govts

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday accused the BJP of breaking duly elected governments in various states, even as the ruling party spoke of providing a stable government. "You talk of providing a stable government but break duly elected governments in states," Pawar said, addressing a public rally in Beed town of Maharashtra.

Pawar also said PM Narendra Modi is following in the footsteps of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by including a 'mi punha yein' (I'll come back again) element in his Independence Day speech. "Fadnavis did not return as CM, but came back at a lower position. One wonders what will he (Modi) return as," he said. PTI

Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi, arrested in connection with communal clashes in Nuh earlier in the month, was sent to a 14-day judicial custody on Thursday, police said.

Bajrangi was produced in a Nuh court on Thursday from where he was sent to judicial custody in Neemka jail of Faridabad district, a senior police officer said.

He was arrested by Nuh Police yesterday after a case was registered against him and 15-20 others.

16:24 BJP MLAs marshalled out of Delhi Assembly

Four BJP MLAs were marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly during its proceedings on Thursday for protesting against a discussion over the Manipur issue. AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak began a short duration discussion over the violence in the northeastern state following which BJP MLAs got up in protest, saying issues related to Delhi should be debated in the House.

Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla questioned the BJP MLAs over their protest saying, "Do they feel that Manipur is not an issue to be discussed in the Assembly? The UP Assembly also discussed the Manipur issue." The BJP MLAs continued their protest following which four of them -- Abhay Verma, Jitender Mahajan, Ajay Mahawar and OP Sharma -- were marshalled out of the House.

As the ruckus prevailed, Pathak said it was unfortunate the BJP did not want a discussion over the issue. Led by Pathak, AAP legislators also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI

Submerged homes in Rupnagar

16:20 Army, NDRF rescue 300 people in flooded Kapurthala

Army and NDRF teams on Thursday rescued nearly 300 people from marooned villages in Punjab's Kapurthala district. Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Karnail Singh said six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Army pressed six boats to rescue the people caught in the floods and all those evacuated have been shifted to relief camps.

A total of 22 villages have been affected by floods in the Beas river due to release of excess water from Bhakra Dam, he said while expressing hope that the situation would improve by Friday.

He said some flood affected people are living inside 'dhusi bundhs' (embankments) in 'deras' to look after their fields while nearly 40 people are reluctant to leave their marooned houses and their cattle.

Some parts of Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Rupnagar and Kapurthala districts were submerged following the release of excess water from the Pong and Bhakra dams this week.

The Army and NDRF teams were also assisting in the rescue and relief work in some of the affected areas of Gurdaspur district. Medical teams in the district have been sent to houses via boats to check on people stuck in their homes for three days and those who don't want to move out, said officials.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), which manages the Bhakra and the Pong dams, on Wednesday said it will release excess water in a controlled manner for the next four to five days to take the level in their reservoirs to a safe limit.

The Bhakra dam on the Sutlej river and the Pong dam on the Beas river -- both in Himachal Pradesh -- are brimming after heavy rain in their respective catchment areas.

Last month too, several parts of Punjab were affected by a downpour in the state between July 9 and 11 that flooded vast tracts of farmlands and other areas, besides paralysing daily life. PTI

Women belonging to the 'Meira Paibis' hold a torch protest

15:24 BJP busy with 2024 polls as Manipur burns: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday lashed out at the BJP, alleging the party is busy campaigning in other states while "Manipur is burning".

Addressing Mahila Congress members and workers at the Talkatora Stadium here, Kharge said the women leaders of the party will work hard and oust the BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"If Rahul Gandhi can go to Manipur, why can't the prime minister visit? What protection has the BJP provided to the women there? They are fleeing homes, getting raped, and killed. And the BJP is busy campaigning in other states," Kharge alleged.

"Our party's women cadre will discuss ideas and strategies for the upcoming general elections 2024 and I am certain they will oust the BJP government next year," Kharge added.

Kharge alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained silent on the atrocities being committed in Manipur and addressed the parliament on the issue only after the opposition moved a no-confidence motion.

"Riots are happening across the country. We requested the prime minister to speak about the atrocities happening in Manipur, but he spoke only after we moved a no-confidence motion. So many lives were lost, so many houses burnt and thousands of people displaced in Manipur, yet the prime minister spoke nothing about it," Kharge alleged.

He further said the motive of all party workers and leaders "should be to contribute towards the betterment of the country."

"This fight is for the citizens. It is not our personal fight. When Prime Minister Modi says '70 saal mein kya kiya (what have you done in 70 years)', I want to remind him that Morarji Desai and Atal Bihari Vajpayee also led the administration in the last 70 years. We all kept the democracy alive in the last 70 years," he said.

He further stated the women leaders of the party should take a pledge to work hard and oust the BJP in the upcoming general elections. -- PTI

Padma Shri and former ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai on Chandrayaan-3: "Now the important thing is softly and securely landing on the moon and for that, the lander has to separate from the propulsion module... Now 'Vikram' has to take its own course of action and for that, it has to separate. After separating, the major event comes. Four 800N thrusters, they have to fire to take it to the lower orbit. This will also be done in two steps..."

Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft comprising the lander and rover has successfully separated from the Propulsion Module, ISRO said on Thursday. In the next step Lander Module will descend to a slightly lower orbit around the Moon on Friday.

"Thanks for the ride, mate! said the Lander Module (LM). LM is successfully separated from the Propulsion Module (PM). LM is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a deboosting planned for tomorrow around 1600 Hrs., IST," ISRO said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

14:35 Man stabs minor to death for spurning him

A 20-year-old man fatally stabbed a 12-year-old girl for rejecting his proposal for a romantic relationship and tried to take his life by drinking disinfectant in Maharashtra's Thane district, the police said on Thursday.

Accused Aditya Kamble repeatedly stabbed the minor in the presence of her mother at Teesgaon locality in Kalyan on Wednesday evening, said the police. The girl succumbed to the stab wounds during treatment.

Citing neighbours' accounts, the police said Kamble made a few visits to the housing society where the girl lived to know more about her daily routine. On Wednesday, he waited there for the girl to return from her tuition classes.

When the girl and her mother arrived at the building, Kamble pushed her mother away and repeatedly stabbed the minor with a knife, leading to her death, said the police.

As Kamble was fleeing the spot, he was surrounded by locals. He then pulled out a bottle of phenyl and drank it, the official said. Kamble is being treated in a hospital, he said. -- PTI

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has clarified on "Bihari architects" remarks and said people from Bihar are "just like our brothers' and damage to buildings in the state in the wake of heavy rains was "fault of our structural engineering'.

Talking to ANI, the Chief Minister said people from Bihar were also stuck in the state due to heavy rains and he got them evacuated through helicopters.

The Indian Express earlier quoted the Chief Minister as saying that "migrant architects (masons) whom I call 'Bihari architects' come here and construct floor on floor'.

"I did not say anything as such. The people of Bihar were also stuck in Shimla. I got them evacuated by helicopters. Around 200 people from Bihar are still stuck here. They are like our brothers. It is the fault of our structural engineering, they are just labourers," the Chief Minister said.

He said rescue work is being carried out on war footing and will further pick up pace as weather improves. The Chief Minister said around 550 road blockades have been cleared.

"We are also thinking of deploying heavy machinery using helicopters so that blocked roads can be opened. The Chief Secretary is having a meeting with NHAI officials,"' he said.

Sukhu said water released from Pong dam has made Beas river change its course which caused flood. "No casualties have been reported in the region. We are evacuating people using IAF's Mi-17 and motor boats and nearly 2200 people have been evacuated," he said. -- ANI

13:47 India logs 33 new Covid cases

India logged 33 fresh coronavirus infections in a day while the active cases were recorded at 1,436, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,924 with two deaths, one each reported from Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The country's COVID-19 case tally is 4.49 crore (4,49,96,426). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,63,066 and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The case fatality rate stands at 1.18 per cent. -- PTI

Chandrayaan-3 mission: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the lander module (LM) is successfully separated from the propulsion module (PM).

The lander module is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a de-boosting planned for tomorrow around 4 pm, the ISRO said.

India's Thar Desert, known for its arid expanse, could undergo a transformative shift due to the effects of climate change, a study suggests. While many deserts across the globe are predicted to expand with rising temperatures, the Thar Desert might defy this trend and actually turn green within the next century, the researchers said.

The Thar Desert is located partly in Rajasthan, and partly in the Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan, covering over 200,000 square kilometres of territory.

It is the world's 20th-largest desert and the world's 9th-largest hot subtropical desert. Several studies have projected the growth of Earth's deserts under the influence of global warming.

For instance, experts have estimated that the Sahara Desert could increase in size by over 6,000 square kilometres annually by 2050. However, the newly published study, published recently in the journal Earth's Future, offers an unexpected perspective on the Thar Desert.

By employing a combination of observations and climate model simulations, the research team found that the mean rainfall over the semi-arid northwest regions of India and Pakistan witnessed an increase of 1050 percent between 1901 and 2015.

Under moderate greenhouse gas scenarios, this rainfall is anticipated to surge by 50200 percent, they said. Remarkably, the study indicates that an eastward shift of the Indian monsoon has been a pivotal factor contributing to the arid conditions in the west and northwest regions of India. Historically, these areas were thriving during the monsoon season, supporting the Indus Valley civilizations. -- PTI

A 35-year-old rape convict who was released after getting relief in a jail term, raped another minor girl in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday evening, a police official said on Thursday.

The accused has been identified as Rakesh Verma (35), a resident of Krishna Nagar area, Satna. He took the minor took by caressing her and then raped her. The health condition of the minor is critical and she has been referred to Rewa Medical College hospital for further treatment.

According to City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mahendra Singh Chouhan, 12 years ago, the accused Verma had raped a minor girl (around four and half years old) in the district following which he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.

The accused only served seven years of imprisonment and the remaining three years of jail was pardoned after his good behaviour in jail.

Around one-and-a-half-year back he was released from the jail after completing the sentence and now he has committed the same crime again.

CSP Chouhan said, "The accused Rakesh Verma took the girl with him by caressing her from Jagatdev Talab area in the district at around 5 pm on Wednesday. When we came to know about the matter, we searched for the minor and found that the accused had raped her."

The minor was brought to the hospital and after primary treatment she was referred to Rewa for further treatment. The police registered a case under relevant sections in the matter and arrested the accused. Further investigation into the matter is underway, says the Police.

When asked about the bulldozer action on the properties of the accused, the CSP said that they would take all the necessary action into the matter. -- ANI

12:20 Nehru known more for his work, not name: Rahul

Amid the raging controversy around the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in the national capital to Prime Ministers' Memorial Museum and Library (PMML), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his great grandfather was known more for the work he did in his time and not just for his name.

Speaking to ANI at the Delhi airport before departing for a two-day visit to Leh, Rahul said, "Nehru-ji ki pehchaan unke karam hai, unka naam nahi (Nehru-ji is known for his work and not his name)."

Earlier, a war of words broke out between the BJP and the Opposition parties over the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum to Prime Minister's Museum and Library.

Hitting out at the Centre over the official renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in the national capital, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi can never take away the gigantic contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru in the country's freedom struggle.

Taking to his official handle on X, formerly Twitter, Ramesh posted on Wednesday, "From today, an iconic institution gets a new name. The world-renowned Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) becomes PMML -- Prime Ministers' Memorial Museum and Library. Mr Modi possesses a huge bundle of fears, complexes and insecurities, especially when it comes to our first and longest-serving Prime Minister. He has had a single-point agenda of denying, distorting, defaming and destroying Nehru and the Nehruvian legacy."

Chetansinh Chaudhary

11:46 Sacked RPF cop had harassed Muslim man in 2017

RPF constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who shot dead his senior and three passengers on board a moving train last month, has been dismissed from service and he was involved in at least three discipline-related incidents, including the harassment of a Muslim man in 2017, an official said on Thursday.

The order to sack Chaudhary was issued on Monday by Railway Protection Force (RPF) senior divisional security commissioner, the official said. As per the official, Chaudhary was part of the force's dog squad in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain in 2017 when he once brought a Muslim man to the RPF post and harassed him for no reason.

Superiors ordered an inquiry against Chaudhary over the harassment and action was taken against him as per disciplinary rules, he said.

During his posting in Gujarat, Chaudhary assaulted a colleague on one occasion. In another incident, he withdrew money using a co-worker's ATM card, the official said.

The decision to sack him was taken based on the train killing incident, he added. Chaudhary (34) is accused of gunning down his senior officer, Tikaram Meena, and three passengers when the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express was near Palghar station on the outskirts of Mumbai in the early hours of July 31.

The three passengers, Abdul Kadar Mohamed Hussain Bhanpurawala, Sayyad Saifuddin and Asgar Abbas Shaikh, were travelling in different bogies of the train. Chaudhary was later arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP). The motive behind the chilling crime is still not clear.

11:20 The bizarre case of Umar Khalid

Arrested in September 2019 by the Delhi police for making 'provocative statements' when Donald J Trump was on his visit to India, Dr Umar Khalid has now spent three years in jail without being convicted of an offence, points out Aakar Patel.

Read the column here.

Search and rescue ops at the site is on for the 4th day

11:07 Shimla landslide: 13 bodies recovered, 8 missing

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Thursday said a total of 13 bodies, among 21 people who went missing after a massive landslide struck the Summer Hill area of Shimla earlier this week, have been recovered.

Speaking to ANI, NDRF Inspector Naseef Khan said, "The rescue and search operation has been underway for 4 days. The Army, SDRF and the police are engaged in the ongoing rescue operations in Shimla. Of the 21 people missing, 13 bodies have been recovered so far."

Earlier a family lost members spanning three generations in the mishap in which a temple in the Summer Hill area of rain-battered Shimla district was washed away following a landslide triggered by Monday's cloudburst.

According to officials, seven members of the family, including three children were inside the Shiv temple when it collapsed. -- ANI

Women belonging to the 'Meira Paibis' demonstrate in Manipur

10:44 112 rounds of ammo, 8 guns recovered in Manipur

Eight firearms and 112 rounds of ammunition were recovered from different districts of violence-hit Manipur during search operations by security forces, police said. Besides, the forces also seized six explosives, they said.

The recoveries were made on Wednesday from Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts, the police said in a statement.

"The situation in the state was tense with sporadic incidents of firing and congregation of protesters," it said.

Also, six bunkers have been dismantled in Tengnoupal district, it added. Meanwhile, four people from Assam were arrested in Mantripukhri area of Imphal East district with 1,240 bottles of syrups containing codeine phosphate, an opioid analgesic.

The arrests were made by the officers of Narcotics & Affairs of Border (NAB) on Tuesday, police said.

Ethnic clashes broke out in the state in May, and have been continuing for more than three months, leading to the deaths of over 160 people. PTI

A house collapse at Jakhan village

10:37 U'khand landslide: 15 house collapses, many homeless

As many as 15 houses collapsed and seven cowsheds were completely destroyed in subsidence and landslides at Jakhan village, part of Madrasu gram panchayat on Langha Road, 50 km from Dehradun on Wednesday, an official statement said.

After receiving word of these incidents, senior officials of the administration and police, including the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), reached the spot and shifted all the affected people to a nearby government school at Pachta village.Jakhan village is home to about 15 families, comprising 50 people.

However, no loss of life was reported in these incidents, officials informed.

Rescue personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed in the area and a rescue operation was underway till the filing of this report.

Restrictions were enforced on the movement of locals in the village, officials informed further.

In a related incident, a person died after a house collapsed near subsidence-hit Joshimath in Chamoli district, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the incident occurred in Helang village on the Badrinath highway between Pipalkoti and Joshimath on Tuesday late evening.

Kotwali Joshimath informed the SDRF that a two-storey house built near a crusher unit on the banks of the Alaknanda River collapsed, with some locals feared trapped under the debris, officials said.

The SDRF team reached the spot to find four people buried under the debris of the collapsed house. Subsequently, the SDRF team rescued 3 people and rushed them to a nearby hospital while another died on the spot.

Before a Niti Aayog task force on farmers' income, the conglomerate advocated to remove restrictions on corporates hoarding agricultural commodities. Read the report here.

10:01 For Gadar 3, Sunny Deol may be paid...

Anil Sharma's Gadar 2: The Katha Continues has broken several box office records on the day of its release. The first-day collections are on a par with the opening collections of Gadar in 2001, if not better.

"We expected it to open very big. But this has gone beyond anything we expected," a source from the film's producers Zee Studios informs Subhash K Jha.

The primary aftermath of Gadar 2's success is Sunny Deol's rebirth as the most dependable action hero of Hindi cinema.

"Gadar 2 proves Sunny is the only true and real action hero of Indian cinema," declares Roshan Singh, a leading film exhibitor in Bihar.

Zee Studios agrees.

They have decided to hike Deol's price for Gadar 3 by more than double of what he was paid for in Gadar 2.

A source in the know informs, "For Gadar 2 Sunny was paid about around Rs 25 crore. He will be paid close to Rs 60 crore for Gadar 3. He has proved his box office draw with Gadar 2."

Manipur women protest against Assam Rifles

09:57 500 trucks stranded in Manipur due to...

Heavy rains triggered massive landslides in Manipur's Noney district, blocking the Imphal-Silchar highway due to which at least 500 goods vehicles are stranded, officials said on Thursday.

The landslides happened on the National Highway 37 between Irang and Awangkhul part 2, Khongsang and Awangkhul, and Rangkhui village on Wednesday, they said.

Work is underway to clear the road, and re-start movement of traffic, officials said. Incessant rains over the last few days triggered the landslides, they said.

At least 500 goods vehicles are stranded in different parts of the highway due to the landslides, they added. In June last year, a massive landslide hit a railway construction site in the district, killing at least 61 people.

The landslide happened at Tupul railway yard construction site of the Jiribam-Imphal railway line on June 30. The supply of essential items is feared to be affected due to the landslides in the violence-hit state, where road blockades, which went on for days, affected the movement of goods vehicles, crippling daily lives.

Ethnic clashes broke out in the state in May, and have been continuing for more than three months, leading to the deaths of over 160 people. PTI

Congress leader Sachin Pilot

09:29 Gehlot slams BJP for insulting Sachin Pilot's father

Not known to share the best of equations with his former deputy, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday came out in support of Sachin Pilot amid allegations by the BJP that his father, former Union minister Rajesh Pilot, was involved in the bombings over Mizoram in 1966.

During his reply to the Opposition's motion of no-confidence in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress government, under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, used air assets to bomb Mizoram in 1966.

Taking to his official handle on X, formerly Twitter, CM Gehlot said, "Congress leader Rajesh Pilot was a brave pilot of the Indian Air Force. By insulting them, the BJP is insulting the sacrifice of the Indian Air Force. The whole country should condemn this."

Earlier, on August 13, BJP's IT Cell head Amit Malviya claimed Congress leaders Rajesh Pilot and Suresh Kalmadi were flying the IAF fighter, which bombed Aizawl on March 5, 1966.

"Rajesh Pilot and Suresh Kalmadi were flying the Indian Air Force planes that bombed Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, on 5 March 1966. Later both became MPs on Congress tickets and ministers in the government. It is clear that Indira Gandhi gave a place in politics as a reward, and gave respect to those who carried out air raids on their own people in the Northeast," Amit Malviya posted on X.

Refuting Malviya's claims, Sachin Pilot said the BJP leader quoted wrong dates and facts on this incident, adding that his father was not commissioned into the Indian Air Force on March 5, 1966.

Sachin Pilot wrote, "You have the wrong dates, wrong facts. Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966. He was commissioned into the IAF only on 29th October 1966! (Certificate attached) Jai hind and a happy Independence Day." -- ANI

09:23 RPF cop who killed 4 on board train dismissed

Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who shot dead his senior and three passengers on board a moving train last month, has been dismissed from service, an official said on Thursday.

The order to sack Chaudhary was issued on Monday by RPF senior divisional security commissioner, the official said.

As per the official, Chaudhary was involved in at least three discipline-related incidents in the past.

Chaudhary, 34, is accused of gunning down his senior officer, Tikaram Meena, and three passengers when the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express was near Palghar station on the outskirts of Mumbai in the early hours of July 31.

The three passengers, Abdul Kadar Mohamed Hussain Bhanpurawala, Sayyad Saifuddin and Asgar Abbas Shaikh, were travelling in different bogies of the train.

Chaudhary was later arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP).

The motive behind the chilling crime is still not clear. Chaudhary first shot dead RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Meena and a passenger in B5 coach with his automatic service weapon.

He then gunned down another passenger in the pantry car of the train and one more traveller in S6 coach, according to GRP.

Chaudhary is now in judicial custody, the official said. -- PTI

Deepak Babaria

08:50 On alliance with AAP, Cong Delhi in-charge says...

Deepak Babaria, Congress in-charge for Delhi, on Wednesday, distanced the party from its leader Alka Lamba's statement, saying that there was no discussion held on elections or alliance in today's meeting.

Babaria even termed her statement 'immature'.

Speaking to ANI, Babaria said, "I am finding myself for want of words to get some sense of the Aam Aadmi Party. Alka Lamba is not an authorised spokesperson for much larger issues. As an in-charge, I have said there has been no discussion on it (Lok Sabha seats)."

"After the completion of the meeting, I clearly said that there were no discussions regarding elections or alliance in the meeting. I also said that any discussion of the INDIA alliance will only take place in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge ji," he said.

Earlier in the day the Congress party held a meeting of its Delhi unit.

After the meeting, Congress leader Alka Lamba claimed that the party had asked its cadres and leaders to start making preparations for the seven Lok Sabha seats for the 2024 elections.

This statement triggered the AAP to threaten a walkout from the INDIA alliance.

Party spokesperson Priyanka Kakar said, "If they (Congress) don't want to form an alliance in Delhi, then it makes no sense to go for the INDIA alliance, it is a waste of time. The party's top leadership will decide whether or not to attend the next meeting of the INDIA alliance."

This forced Congress in charge for Delhi to make a clarification that no talks had been held on the alliance in Delhi.

He also cautioned the AAP on its media statement, saying, "The AAP should understand... to make such statements."

"They should also understand that the entire media wants to support the BJP..want to provoke you.. After provoking you, to make such statements..I think it is the most unfortunate thing," Babaria said, referring to Priyanka Kakkar's statement.

He further mentioned that there was no discussion held in the meeting today.

"To make some imaginary statements...And if someone believes the immature statements of our spokesperson..they should have clarified it with me," he said, terming it the 'mischief of media to favour the BJP'.

The INDIA alliance is scheduled to meet in Mumbai at the end of this month and a potential face-off between the AAP and the Congress would have hurt the alliance. -- ANI

The National Commission for Women on Wednesday hit out at the Delhi Commission for Women over the alleged death of a mentally and physically challenged rape victim.

The NCW alleged the victim was relocated by the Delhi Commission for Women to a shelter home falsely registered in Delhi but operating in Ghaziabad.

No immediate reaction was available from the DCW on the matter.

The incident involves a mentally and physically challenged woman who was allegedly raped by a neighbour.

Considering her immobility, People against Rapes in India, an NGO, contacted the DCW and requested that a shelter home be assigned for her, the National Commission for Women said in a statement.

PARI founder and social activist Yogita Bhayana inspected the condition of the shelter home she was assigned and requested the DCW to relocate the victim, the statement said.

"DCW kept delaying the formalities and a volunteer from PARI upon inspection realised that the victim died in the shelter. No information regarding her death was given to any authority. No inquest/post-mortem report was available for the deceased victim. Delhi Police confirmed their limited role in transporting the victim," the NCW statement read. -- PTI

01:35 Mild earthquake hits Noida

An earthquake of magnitude 1.5 occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, adjoining Delhi, on Wednesday night, according to the National Centre for Seismology.

The earthquake occurred at 8.57 pm at a depth of six kilometre with the epicenter in the Sector-128 area of Noida, the NCS website showed.

A tremor of magnitude 1.5 is rarely felt on the surface.

Earlier on Wednesday, a 2.9 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Pauri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand around 6 pm, while a 3.4 magnitude tremor was recorded in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, the NCS showed. -- PTI

VS Arunachalam (left)

01:31 Former DRDO chief VS Arunachalam passes away in US

VS Arunachalam, a former DRDO director general, died in the US on Wednesday, his family said in a statement.

He was 87.

"With great sadness and a sense of immense loss, we would like to convey the demise of Dr V S Arunachalam. He passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by close family in California," the statement said.

His distinguished career spanned across Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, National Aeronautical Laboratory, and Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory.

Arunachalam helmed the Defence Research and Development Organisation and was the scientific advisor to the defence minister from 1982-92.

He was conferred the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (1980), Padma Bhushan (1985), and Padma Vibhushan (1990) for his contribution to engineering science and technology.

In addition to being the first Indian Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), Arunachalam served as a member of the advisory and editorial boards of several universities and foundations, including the Materials Research Society Bulletin.

"Deeply grieved to learn of the passing away of Dr. V S Arunachalam, former Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri. Was a mentor to so many on defence, technology and nuclear matters.

"Had the privilege of working closely with him, especially on the India-US relationship. Our trip across the United States in 1986 is among the memories that I treasure," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said succeeding Raja Ramanna, Arunachalam guided and shaped the DRDO for a decade during 1982-92, a position occupied thereafter by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. -- PTI

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01:09 Dalit sarpanch says was not invited to hoist flag at MP school; probe ordered

A Dalit sarpanch has alleged that he was not invited to hoist the Tricolour in their village school on Independence Day and accused the principal of making casteist remarks against him in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district, an official said.

The official said a probe has been ordered to look into sarpanch Barelal Ahirwar's allegations of casteist comments.

Ahirwar, sarpanch of Bhagwantpur village, said that he was not invited by the principal of the local school to hoist the flag on I-Day.

She also made casteist remarks against him, said Ahirwar.

He claimed that according to the Panchayati Raj Act, the sarpanch is authorised to hoist the flag in the school.

Sub divisional magistrate Harshal Choudhary, however, said that Ahirwar hoisted the flag at the village panchayat office but the sarpanch is not authorised to do so at the school.

On the allegations of casteist remarks, Choudhary said a "Janpad Panchayat' official will probe into it and take action as per the law.

Meanwhile, former Union minister and Congress leader Arun Yadav has sought a reply from the chief minister over Ahirwar's allegations. -- PTI

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Wednesday said the party's top brass will discuss with Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar his controversial meeting with politically estranged nephew and state deputy CM Ajit Pawar when the Opposition alliance against BJP -- INDIA -- holds its conclave in Mumbai later this month.

Talking to reporters after a core committee meeting of the state Congress, Patole said there was no confusion in his party about senior Pawar, who is part of the anti-BJP alliance, but confusion prevails among people.

Patole said two representatives of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were part of the MPCC core committee meeting during which discussions took place on preparations for the conclave of INDIA, to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.

"Sharad Pawar has a different party. There is no confusion about Pawar sahab's (commitment towards the INDIA) in the Congress," he said.

Patole rejected speculation that a 'Plan 'B' was in place wherein the Shiv Sena-UBT and the Congress will contest the Lok Sabha polls together if the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) aligns with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He said the Congress's target is to defeat the BJP and its wants to take onboard those who will help in achieving that goal.

"Sharad Pawar is capable of taking his decisions. Our high command, during the INDIA alliance meeting, will discuss this (meeting with Ajit) with Sharad Pawar because he is a senior leader," Patole said when asked about the uncle-nephew hush hush huddle in Pune last week.

The meeting between the NCP patriarch and party rebel Ajit Pawar on August 12 at businessman Atul Chordiya's residence in Pune had sent political circles abuzz with speculation.

The meeting did not go down well with the Congress and the Shiv Sena group led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray. -- PTI

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