LIVE! Majority of users to stop using UPI if...: Survey

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Sun, 03 March 2024

Majority of users to stop using UPI if...: Survey

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20:38 Majority of users to stop using UPI if...: Survey

A majority of people will stop using UPI if a transaction fee is levied on it, according to an online survey by LocalCircles.

However, a sizable number of respondents claimed that they have experienced a transaction fee being levied on their UPI payment once or more in the last one year, it added.

LocalCircles on Sunday said the survey received over 34,000 responses from citizens in over 364 districts, comprising 67 per cent of male respondents and 33 per cent of women.

In August 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a discussion paper proposing a tiered structure charge on UPI payments based on different amount bands. Following the RBI discussion paper, the finance ministry clarified that there was no proposal to levy charges on UPI transactions, LocalCircles said in its report on UPI transaction fees.

"Only 23 per cent of UPI users surveyed are willing to bear a transaction fee on payment. 73 per cent of those surveyed indicated that they will stop using UPI if a transaction fee is introduced," the survey said.

When asked about the frequency of UPI usage, the survey found that 1 in 2 UPI users conduct over 10 transactions every month.

The number of responses varied on each question asked in the survey.

"37 per cent of UPI users surveyed claim that they have experienced a transaction fee being levied on their UPI payment once or more in the last 12 months," the survey report said. -- PTI

Actor Richa Chadha

20:36 ulquer Salmaan, Richa Chadha condemn Spanish tourist's gang-rape

Actors Dulquer Salmaan, Richa Chadha and Vir Das on Sunday expressed shock over the gang-rape of a Spanish tourist in Jharkhand's Dumka district and demanded that perpetrators be brought to justice.

The woman from Spain was allegedly gang-raped at Kurumahat in Hansdiha police station area, around 300 km from the state capital Ranchi, on Friday night when she was spending the night in a tent along with her husband, police said.

Three persons, who were arrested in connection with the case, were produced before a court on Sunday. An official, on condition of anonymity, said seven to eight local youths were involved in the incident.

Salmaan said he was "crushed" to hear the news.

"You both recently visited Kottayam where close friends hosted you for a meal. This should not happen to anyone anywhere (sic)" the actor wrote on his Instagram Story.

Chadha termed the act "shameful".

"Indians are treating foreigners like they treat their own women. Shame on our rotten society," she wrote on X.

Das called for immediate intervention by the authorities in the matter.

"The 7 men responsible for Jharkhand need to be found and given the strictest punishment the law can provide. A shameful act that we MUST show will not be tolerated," he said on the microblogging site.

"I hope there's a rapid investigative closure to the rape of the Spanish tourist in Jharkhand and some exemplary punishment handed out soonest.

Believe some suspects have been arrested already. This is beyond disgusting n horrific (sic)" said photographer-producer Atul Kasbekar.

Reacting to a Seattle-based reporter's alleged experience with "sexual aggression in India," singer Chinmayi Sripada said: "Now they'll say this is an excuse to defame India, toolkit etc."

The couple had reached Dumka from Bangladesh on two motorcycles and was en route to Bihar and then Nepal. -- PTI

Farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday gave a call to the farmers across the nation to reach Delhi on March 6 for a protest while they also gave a four-hour 'rail roko' countrywide call for March 10 in support of their various demands.

The two farmer leaders asserted that the farmers' ongoing agitation will be intensified at the existing protest points and will continue till their demands are met by the government.

They were speaking in Bathinda district's Balloh village, the native village of a farmer who died recently during clashes with the Haryana security personnel in Khanauri.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by the farmers to press the government to accept their demands, which includes that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

Both forums decided that while the farmers from Punjab and Haryana will continue to support the ongoing agitation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, the farmers and farm labourers from other states should reach Delhi on March 6 for a protest in the national capital in support of the farmers' demands.

"The farmers from far away states, who cannot reach on tractor trolleys, should head to Delhi by trains and by other means of transport. It will also become clear whether the government allows those farmers to enter those farmers who go without tractor trolleys," Pandher said addressing the gathering at Balloh.

"At Shambhu and Khanauri, the agitation will continue like before and will be further intensified. Our agitation will continue till the demands are met," he added.

Pandher said the two forums to spread this agitation countrywide call upon the farmers and labourers across the country that the 'rail roko' protest will be held in the country from 12 pm to 4 pm on March 10 to put pressure on the government to meet the farmers' demands.

Pandher said that all Punjab panchayats should pass a resolution in support of the farmers' demands and from every village a tractor trolley reaches the protest border points.

He said that the Centre had never before used drones in the farmers agitation as the Haryana Police used recently.

The Haryana authorities have barricaded Shambhu and Khanauri, and made it like the Punjab-Haryana international border, he said. -- PTI

The Congress on Sunday said no amount of "slick PR" can hide the manner in which the Indian Railways has been "utterly mismanaged" during the Modi government, with Rahul Gandhi alleging that policies for the national transporter were being framed keeping only the rich in mind.

Gandhi also claimed that the trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a "guarantee of betrayal".

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi alleged that by showing the dream of making those wearing "hawai chappal" (slippers) travel by "hawai jahaz" (airplane), Prime Minister Modi is even distancing them from "gareebon ki sawari" (vehicle of the poor) railways.

"Amidst a 10 per cent increase in fare every year, loot in the name of dynamic fare, rising cancellation charges and expensive platform tickets, people are being lured by showing them a picture of an 'elite train' that the poor cannot even set foot on," the former Congress chief said.

The government has collected Rs 3,700 crore from senior citizens in the last three years by "snatching away" the exemptions given to them, he claimed.

Common persons' trains are made to languish to give precedence to the train selected for publicity, Gandhi alleged.

He claimed that the poor and middle class passengers have been left out of railways' priority.

"To increase the number of AC coaches, the number of general coaches is being reduced. Not only labourers and farmers but also students and service class people travel in these (general) coaches. The production of AC coaches has also been increased to three times that of normal coaches," he alleged.

"In fact, ending the tradition of presenting the Railway Budget separately was a conspiracy to hide these exploits," Gandhi charged.

The railways' policies are being framed keeping only the rich in mind and this is a "betrayal" of 80 per cent of India's population that depends on it, he said.

"Trust in Modi is a 'guarantee of betrayal'," Gandhi claimed.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "No amount of slick PR, social media posts by Ministers, and grand announcements can hide the manner in which the Indian Railways has been utterly mismanaged during the Modi regime - a decade of degradation with an anti-poor mindset."

Ramesh said five key issues have emerged - "ticket vasooli, anti-poor infrastructure priorities, lagging train speeds, callous attitude to passenger safety and deteriorating railways finances".

Explaining the issues, Ramesh said the railways reports an average price per passenger, per km.

In 2013-14, this was Rs 0.32/passenger-km and by 2021-22, this had more than doubled to Rs 0.66/passenger-km, a 107% increase, he said.

"If we compare this to the UPA's performance from 2003-4 to 2013-14, we see a much more reasonable increase from Rs 0.24 to Rs 0.32 (a 33% increase). @INCIndia sees the Railways as the backbone of India's society and economy, not just as a vehicle for vasooli collection!" Ramesh said.

"If we look past the averages and at specific ticket types, the Vasooli becomes even more clear and insidious. We must credit the Modi government for coming up with so many different ways to extort India's people!" Ramesh said.

The following four tactics are deployed for "Vasooli" - fake superfast surcharges, senior citizen concessions withdrawn, dynamic pricing fraud and long extensions of so-called 'special' trains, the Congress leader said.

He said the first means for "ticket vasooli" is the fake 'superfast surcharges', adding that originally meant to apply only to premium trains, it has now been applied to any train service the Modi government chooses.

In October 2022, for example, over 130 ordinary mail express trains across the country were labelled as "superfast", he said.

Passengers are being made to pay up to Rs 180 extra per reservation in sleeper class, without even getting any real improvement in speed or quality, he claimed and tagged a media report on it.

"In fact, the CAG found that up to 95 per cent of 'superfast'-tagged trains are delayed or do not attain superfast speed, despite collecting crores in surcharges," he alleged.

"In a move that requires a special kind of cruelty, the Modi government withdrew rail ticket concessions for senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior citizens who may be relying on trains for pilgrimage, to visit their children, or to avail medical treatment, are now being charged much higher fares," the Congress general secretary said.

In the three years since this policy, over Rs 3,700 crore has been "looted" from senior citizens, Ramesh said.

"Dynamic pricing fraud is perhaps the most visible form of loot by the Modi government. Fares are hiked up by up to 50% on high-demand routes, leading to unaffordability for poor travellers.

"For example, the ticket price for Mumbai to Patna in 2013-2014 was Rs 533 for sleeper class. It has since jumped to Rs 2625 for sleeper class during festivals due to dynamic pricing," he said. -- PTI

The BJP in Karnataka on Sunday slammed the Congress government for turning the city into 'Bomb Bengaluru' instead of 'Brand Bengaluru', drawing condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar.

The saffron party posted a poster on 'X' which read, "They said Brand Bengaluru'. They made it Bomb Bengaluru'."

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra claimed there was a link between the 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogan shouted inside Vidhana Soudha on February 27 and the blast in Rameshwaram Caf in Bengaluru on March 1, which left 10 people injured.

Speaking to reporters, he claimed that he has information that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) investigation report on the sloganeering has already been submitted to the Congress government but it is yet to be made public.

Alleging that the ruling government in the state was trying to cover up the FSL report, the BJP leader said he would not be surprised if they brought out another FSL report.

Vijayendra said people of Bengaluru are feeling unsafe due to these incidents.

Siddaramaiah hit out at the BJP for their statement.

"What should we call it when there were four bomb blasts during the BJP's tenure? Who was ruling when the Mangaluru cooker blast took place? There was a blast in front of the BJP's office in Malleswaram. Who was ruling then? Who is in charge of NIA, IB? It's not their failure?" Siddaramaiah sought to know while talking to reporters in Chikkamagaluru.

"I am not supporting the bomb blast. I am condemning it but BJP should not do politics over it," he clarified.

Shivakumar too lambasted the BJP for tarnishing the image of Karnataka for petty political gains. -- PTI

18:52 5-time Odisha MLA Arabinda Dhali joins BJP

Five-time Odisha MLA Arabinda Dhali on Sunday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a day after resigning from the ruling Biju Janata Dal.

Dhali went to the BJP office in Bhubaneswar along with his supporters in a procession, and formally joined the party in the presence of its state president Manmohan Samal and MP Aparajita Sarangi, among others.

Former MLA Mukunda Sodi, who also resigned from the BJD, joined the BJP along with Dhali.

Addressing the press, Dhali alleged that there was no democracy within the BJD and senior leaders were being neglected.

"After feeling suffocated, I left the BJD and joined the BJP, which has internal democracy," he said.

Dhali, the MLA of Jaydev in Khorda district, claimed that the BJP will form the next government in the state by winning more than 100 of the assembly's 147 seats.

He was first elected to the assembly from the Malkangiri seat in a by-election in 1992 on a BJP ticket. He retained the seat for two more terms.

He then joined the BJD, and was elected to the assembly from Jayadev in 2009. He also won the 2019 election from the seat.

A law graduate, he served as a minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

He held portfolios such as Cooperation (2000-2004), and Textiles and Handloom (2000-2002), besides Commerce and Transport (2002-2004).

The BJD claimed that Dhali joining the BJP will have no impact on it. -- PTI

Calcutta high court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, whose rulings on various education-related issues in the state stirred political debates, said he will resign on Tuesday.

While media reports suggested that Justice Gangopadhyay would be joining politics, he refused to comment on it, stating that he would address all media inquiries after submitting his resignation.

"I will resign from the post of Justice of Calcutta high court on Tuesday," he told reporters outside his residence here on Sunday.

Justice Gangopadhyay said he will submit his resignation to the President of India in the first hour on Tuesday, with copies sent to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court.

He has issued several directives instructing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe allegations of irregularities in the recruitment processes of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and -aided schools.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday contributed Rs 2,000 to the BJP's campaign to strengthen efforts to build a "Viksit Bharat".

He contributed Rs 2,000 to the party fund and urged people to be a part of the "Donation For Nation Building".

Modi also shared on X a screenshot of the receipt of his contribution.

In his post on X, Modi said, "I am happy to contribute to @BJP4India and strengthen our efforts to build a Viksit Bharat."

"I also urge everyone to be a part of #DonationForNationBuilding through the NaMoApp!" he added. -- PTI

Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday raked up the Kashmir issue in his maiden address but pledged to improve ties with all leading nations, including the country's neighbours.

Shehbaz said that Pakistan would not become part of any "great game" and his government would increase the number of friends.

He pledged to build and improve ties with all leading nations, including neighbours.

"We will keep ties with neighbours on the basis of equality," Shehbaz, 72, said as he easily won the election in the National Assembly to become Pakistan's prime minister for a second time.

Shehbaz, however, raked up the Kashmir issue and equated it with Palestine. "Let's all come together [] and the National Assembly should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians," he added.

He also thanked his allies in the coalition government for putting their trust in him and making him Leader of the House.

"When my Quaid (leader Nawaz) was elected the prime minister thrice, the development that followed in the country is an example of its own. And it is not wrong to say that Nawaz Sharif is the one who built Pakistan," Shehbaz said in his victory speech.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president thanked his elder brother Nawaz and all the allies for putting their trust in him and making him Leader of the House.

Shehbaz, who was the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), received 201 votes in the 336-member house.

Shehbaz's challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes.

Shehbaz said that the country was facing challenges primarily due to the fragile economy. He said that he was starting his tenure when the country was facing a budgetary deficit of more than one trillion rupees.

"How we will pay the salaries for armed forces and how to pay the civil servants," he wondered and added that reforming the economy was the biggest challenge faced by the country.

Shehbaz highlighted the burden of debt paying and said that the country was required to pay billions of rupees in interest only. -- PTI

With sitting MP Harsh Vardhan's name not figuring from his Chandni Chowk constituency in the list of candidates announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, he on Sunday announced bowing out of active politics.

In a long post on X, Vardhan said he will return to his roots after over 30 years of a "glorious electoral career".

Looking back at his journey, he said, "I shall continue to pursue my work against tobacco and substance abuse, against climate change and teaching simple and sustainable lifestyles."

"After over thirty years of a glorious electoral career, during which I won all the five assembly and two parliamentary elections that I fought with exemplary margins, and held a multitude of prestigious positions in the party organisation and the governments at the state and centre I finally bow out to return to my roots," he said on X.

In the first list of 195 candidates declared by the BJP, Praveen Khandelwal has been fielded from Chandni Chowk, a seat which Vardhan holds at present.

The former Union minister said service to mankind was his motto when he joined MBBS in GSVM Medical College, Kanpur 50 years back with a desire to help the poor and needy.

"A swayamsewak at heart, I have always been an ardent admirer of Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji's Antodaya philosophy of striving to serve the last man in the queue. It was at the insistence of the then RSS leadership that I jumped into the electoral fray.

"They could convince me only because for me politics meant opportunity to fight our three main enemies - poverty, disease and ignorance," he said in the same post.

The MP said he had twice served as Delhi health minister and Union health minister.

"Without remorse, I must say that it has been a marvellous innings during which my passion to serve the common man was quenched. I served as Delhi Health Minister as well as twice Union Health Minister, a subject close to my heart.

"I had the rare opportunity bestowed upon me to be able to first work towards creating a Polio free Bharat and then to take care of the health of millions of our countrymen grappling with the dreaded COVID-19 during its first and second phases," he recalled.

He said it was a great privilege to work with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I must acknowledge that I consider it a great privilege to have worked closely with the most dynamic Prime Minister in India's history, Shri Narendra Modi ji. The country wishes him a heroic return to power again," he said. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers in what is likely to be the last such exercise during the second term of his government.

Many ministries are scheduled to make presentations on their future agenda in the meeting in which Modi is expected to speak at length about his 10-year government's successes and future priorities, especially the goal for making "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.

The prime minister has been holding meetings of the entire Council of Ministers from time to time to discuss key policy and governance issues but this meeting has assumed political significance in view of the Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April-May.

The Election Commission (EC) is likely to announce the poll schedule in a couple of weeks.

The meeting is being held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in the national capital's Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has expressed confidence of retaining power at the Centre for a third term under Modi on the back of its development and welfare planks.

The EC has begun reviewing the preparedness of various states for holding the Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014, the EC had announced the schedule for the nine-phase Lok Sabha elections on March 5 and the results were declared on May 16.

In 2019, the poll panel had announced the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on March 10 and the results were declared on May 23. -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a general manager of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in an alleged bribery case of Rs 20 lakh in Maharashtra's Nagpur, officials said on Sunday.

Arvind Kale, who is also a project director, allegedly received the bribe from a private company, they said.

The CBI recovered Rs 45 lakh cash, including the bribe of Rs 20 lakh, during a search operation following Kale's arrest, the officials said.

A case has been registered against Kale and 11 others, including the private company, they said. -- PTI

Workers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector are at the maximum risk of getting impacted by the influx of generative artificial intelligence, IT industry body Nasscom's chairman Rajesh Nambiar has said.

Nambiar, who is also the chairman and managing director of global technology major Cogniozant's India unit, said workers in the software services industry, the Indian tech industry's mainstay, do not have much to worry.

"People who work on process related industry, which we traditionally used to call as BPO (business process outsourcing)... Some of that runs the risk of getting replaced with an AI engine pretty quickly," he said at a seminar organised in Pune over the weekend.

He stressed that the USD 48.9 billion BPM (business process management) industry has evolved quite a bit from merely managing simple business processes.

There are heightened concerns around the impact of AI on jobs, especially in the over USD 250 billion Indian tech sector which contributes substantially to the overall GDP of the country.

In the case of software services industry, Nambiar said professionals who do not use AI as part of their work "run the risk of getting replaced" by those using AI.

A majority of IT services players are deploying their investments in training their workforce on the AI-related skills to help clients' demands in the future.

"...I think at the end of the day, it is the human ability to leverage and make a difference," Nambiar said, adding that the real impact happens when AI is integrated with an existing system or directed to solve a problem.

Generative AI will impact white collar jobs more, he said, adding that this is a departure from the past, where every technological input aimed at productivity gains has focused on automating tasks being executed at the lower end of the spectrum.

"...this is the first time you are going to have a productivity enhancer, which will actually impact more if you are using your brain a lot more," he said. -- PTI

LoP Jai Ram Thakur with HP CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

16:07 Anything can happen in coming days in HP: BJP

Indicating a change of guard in Himachal Pradesh, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday asked his party workers to get ready and said that anything can happen in the coming days.

Thakur said it is "difficult for the Congress to stay in power" as the political situation in Himachal Pradesh is grim for the party.

"Even the ministers are now walking out of the cabinet meeting," he added.

Thakur's remarks come as high drama was witnessed during the cabinet meeting on Saturday with Revenue Minister Jagat Negi leaving the meeting in between and Education Minister Rohit Thakur also walking out after heated arguments.

The two ministers, however, later maintained that they had their engagements and Thakur returned after being pacified by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.

Thakur further said the Congress government has morally lost the right to be in power after nine MLA, including six Congress rebels, had voted in favour of the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls on August 27.

The Leader of Opposition was talking to the media persons on the sidelines of the Tridev Sammelan in Shimla. -- PTI

The schedule for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG is likely to be changed depending on the Lok Sabha elections schedule, according to UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced that the exam would be conducted from May 15 to 31 and the results declared on June 30.

India is gearing up for general elections to elect its 18th Lok Sabha, the schedule for which is likely to be announced this month.

"The dates announced by the NTA are tentative. Once the election dates are announced, the NTA will finalise the CUET-UG dates. The tentative schedule is from May 15," University Grants Commission (UGC) chief Kumar told PTI on Sunday.

The application process for CUET-UG began on Tuesday and will conclude on March 26.

Introduced in 2022, the CUET-UG provides a single-window opportunity to students seeking admission in any of the central universities or other participating organisations, including state, deemed and private universities, across the country.

Marking a shift, the NTA has announced that the exam would be conducted in a hybrid mode -- Computer Based Test for a few subjects and in pen-and-paper mode for others.

Officials had said that for subjects having a high number of registrations, the exam will be conducted in the pen-and-paper mode using the optical mark recognition (OMR) format. For others, it will continue to be computer based.

Last year, the testing agency had received approximately 14.9 lakh registrations for CUET-UG. -- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday emphasised the importance of "nyay" (justice) during his ongoing yatra, attributing the rise of hatred in the nation to prevailing injustices.

Addressing a gathering in Mohana, located in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, he flagged economic disparity, social inequality, and the mistreatment of farmers and youth as key concerns. The BJP has been denying all such charges.

Gandhi, on a brief stopover for his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', criticised the adverse effects of policies like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation, linking them to a surge in unemployment rates, which he claimed were the highest in 40 years.

"The GST and note ban have fanned extreme unemployment," he claimed, adding "the unemployment rate now was the highest of the last 40 years".

The Congress leader further claimed that India's youth unemployment rate was even higher than countries like Pakistan, attributing it to the impact of policies of the government which had taken a toll on small businesses.

Gandhi said while commencing his second phase of yatra he had incorporated the word "nyay" as he claimed that hatred was spreading in the country due to injustice in economic and social sectors and injustice against farmers and youth.

He expressed distress over the diminishing recognition and benefits for soldiers, particularly those enrolled in the Agnipath scheme, who he claimed were being deprived of essential support.

Now, the Agniveers (enrolled by the armed forces as part of the Agnipath scheme) would not get the martyr status on losing their lives for the country. They won't get pension and canteen facilities as well, he claimed.

The Congress leader also highlighted the marginalised status of 73 per cent of the population, comprising Other Backward Classes, tribals, and Dalits, stating they were excluded from governance and business opportunities.

Accusing the central government of favouritism towards industrialists over farmers, he criticised the waiver of massive loans for select industrialists while neglecting the debt relief needed by farmers. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend 29 programmes spread across 12 states and union territories over the next 10 days ahead of the likely announcement of the Lok Sabha polls.

Officials said he will be visiting Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi.

On Monday, he will unveil multiple development projects in Adilabad in Telangana and later visit the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) in Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu.

He will address public meetings in Adilabad as well as Chennai, the officials said.

Modi will launch several projects in Sangareddy in Telangana on March 5 and address an event before travelling to Odisha where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of numerous development initiatives.

He will then address a public meeting in Chandikhole in Odisha before travelling to West Bengal.

On March 6, he will unveil development projects in Kolkata and address a public meeting in Barasat. He will then travel to Bihar and inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects in Bettiah, the officials said.

The prime minister will be in Jammu and Kashmir on March 7 and attend a media event in Delhi in the evening.

On March 8, he will participate in the first-ever National Creator's Award in Delhi and then leave for Assam in the evening.

Modi will inaugurate the Sela tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng and then unveil multiple development projects in Itanagar.

Later, he will unveil a statue of legendary Ahom army commander Lachit Borphukan in Jorhat, Assam.

Thereafter, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects in Jorhat, the officials said.

He will also visit West Bengal and launch development projects in Siliguri and address a public meeting there. -- PTI

14:39 Shehbaz Sharif becomes Pak's PM for a 2nd time

Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday became the prime minister of Pakistan for a second time to lead a coalition government after he comfortably won a majority in the newly-elected Parliament.

Shehbaz, 72, who was the consensus candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), received 201 votes in the 336-member house.

Shehbaz's challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes.

The session of the new parliament convened amid ruckus and sloganeering by PTI-backed lawmakers.

Shehbaz will be administered the oath of office on Monday at the Presidential mansion, Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Shehbaz earlier served as prime minister of a coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023 before Parliament was dissolved to hold general elections. -- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday arrived in the Bihar capital to attend the 'Jan Vishwas Rally', which is being seen as a virtual show of strength for the opposition INDIA bloc ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The rally, which has been organised by the RJD, is being attended by top leaders including its national president Lalu Prasad, his son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has also reached the venue.

The historic Gandhi Maidan, a sprawling public ground situated in the heart of the city, is choc a bloc with supporters of the 'Mahagathbandhan', a coalition comprising Congress, RJD and Left parties, which was sharing power in the state until the abrupt exit of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD-U, recently.

The 'Jan Vishwas Rally' is being seen as a culmination of 'Jan Vishwas Yatra', a state-wide tour undertaken by Tejashwi Yadav, who lost his job as the deputy chief minister and embarked upon a drive to galvanise the public in favour of his commitment to job creation.

"Naukri matlab Tejashwi (Tejashwi means jobs)" is one of the slogans that reverberated across the venue of the rally. -- PTI

Representative image

14:08 Army jawan shoots himself dead at DRDO facility in Odisha

A 35-year-old army jawan allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle at DRDO's Radar Observatory Air Surveillance unit in Odisha's Kendrapara district, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place when the army jawan, identified as Sepoy Raj Sekharan, a native of Tamil Nadu, was on duty at the facility of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Kiyarbanka village in Mahakalpada police station area around 2 am on Sunday.

He was found lying in a pool of blood and was rushed to a nearby government-run hospital, where he was declared brought dead, a police officer said.

As per preliminary investigation, it seems to be a suicide case but further probe is underway, Inspector Bimal Kumar Mallik of Mahalakpada police station said, adding the rifle was seized and sent for examination. -- PTI

13:42 BJP's Asansol candidate Pawan Singh opts out

Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from West Bengal's Asansol, says he won't contest Lok Sabha polls.

"I express my heartfelt gratitude to the top leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party. The party trusted me and declared me as the candidate from West Bengal's Asansol but due to some reason, I will not be able to contest the elections from Asansol," Pawan Singh said on X.

13:18 Jai Shri Ram, chants Shah Rukh at Ambani event

Bollywood's three Khans -- Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan -- showed off their bromance on-stage on the second day of the grand pre-wedding event of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's son Anant and his fiancee Radhika Merchant.

And what better than grooving to the tune of Naatu Naatu, the high-spirited Oscar-winning Telugu song from RRR that celebrates bonhomie.

On early Sunday morning, dressed in all their finery, a bevy of Indian film stars descended on the stage, set up at a residential township situated close to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL)'s petroleum refinery near Jamnagar city to celebrate the upcoming wedding.

Fans waiting for Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir to collaborate on a film got a tiny glimpse of their combined star power when the trio tried to nail the iconic hook step of Naatu Naatu with RRR star Ram Charan's help.

When it didn't go as per plan, Salman took charge and performed the towel dance move from his hit song Jeene Ke Hain Chaar Din from Mujhse Shaadi Karogi with Aamir and Shah Rukh copying his steps.

Soon, Aamir and Shah Rukh followed suit with their tracks Masti Ki Pathshaala (Rang De Basanti), and Chaiyya Chaiyya (Dil Se) with all three joining in the celebration.

The Khans then danced to Naacho Naacho, the Hindi version of Naatu Naatu, and recreated Shah Rukh's signature open arms pose.

On stage, Shah Rukh also chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' as he introduced the "teen deviyaan" of the Ambani family: Ambani family matriarch Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani, Purnima Dalal (mother of Nita Ambani), and Devyani Khimji (wife of Merchant's grandfather). -- PTI

A police constable and a Naxalite were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Sunday, a senior police official said.

The gunfight took place in a forest near Hidur village under Chhotebethiya police station when a joint team of security personnel was out on anti-Naxal operation, he said.

The operation was launched based on a specific input about the presence of Naxalites in the Hidur forest, the official said.

Constable Ramesh Kurethi, belonging to Bastar Fighters - a unit of state police, was killed in the gunfight, he said.

The body of a Naxalite and an AK-47 rifle were recovered from the spot, he said.

Search operation was underway in the area, he added. -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a charge sheet against seven accused in connection with the looting of arms and ammunition from the Bishnupur police armoury during the Manipur ethnic violence last year, officials said on Sunday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation recently filed its charge sheet before the court of chief judicial magistrate in Kamrup (Metro) in Assam's Guwahati.

The accused named in the charge sheet are Laishram Prem Singh, Khumukcham Dhiren alias Thapkpa, Moirangthem Anand Singh, Athokpam Kajit alias Kishorjit, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha alias Michael, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei alias Romojit, and Keisham Johnson alias Johnson.

On August 3 last year, a mob looted more than 300 weapons, 19,800 rounds of ammunition and other accessories from two rooms of the 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion headquarters at Naranseina in Bishnupur.

A crowd had gathered there to march towards Churachandpur where tribals were planning to carry out a mass burial of their people killed in the ethnic clashes that broke out in Manipur on May 3 last year. -- PTI

A woman and her three daughters, aged between two and five, were killed after their 'kutcha' house collapsed in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, officials said on Sunday.

Moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of Jammu and Kashmir on March 1 and 2.

Dozens of structures including residential houses were also damaged by strong winds and hailstorm in different parts of Jammu region.

In the Reasi incident, Phalla Akhter (30), her daughters Nasima (5), Safeena Kousar (3) and Samreen Kousar (2) lost their lives when their house in Kunderdhan Mohra village in Chassana tehsil collapsed following heavy rains, the officials said.

Two elderly members of the family -- Kalu (60) and his wife Bano Begum (58) -- suffered injuries in the incident and were taken to hospital, they said.

The bodies were retrieved from the debris by rescuers, they added. -- PTI

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10:45 Doors still open for alliance with TMC: Congress

Even as the Trinamool Congress has decided to contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the Congress on Sunday said doors are still open for an alliance with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC for the upcoming general polls.

Ahead of the opposition's rally in Patna, Congress general secretary and in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh told PTI they are still hopeful and believe that when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says she is in the INDIA alliance, her priority is to defeat the BJP.

"We take that as a statement of her priority and intent," he said in Gwalior.

"We have not closed any doors. She has unilaterally announced that she will contest all 42 seats (in West Bengal), well that is her announcement. As far as we are concerned, talks are still continuing, the doors are still open and the final word will not be said till the final word is said," he said.

On the rally to be held in Bihar capital Patna, Ramesh said it is a joint opposition rally and coming after the prime minister went there on Saturday.

"It's a very significant political rally and it shows the opposition unity to defeat the BJP and its allies," he said. -- PTI

The full bench of the Election Commission is scheduled to arrive in West Bengal on Sunday to take stock of the law and order situation, and poll preparation in the state, a senior official said.

On Monday, it is scheduled to hold a meeting with all political parties in the state and have discussions with district magistrates and police superintendents, he said.

The visit of the EC bench is "primarily to take stock of the law and order situation and preparedness ahead of the Lok Sabha polls", he said.

"The full bench will also hold a meeting with the chief electoral officer here, the poll panel official said on Saturday. -- PTI

10:00 Trump projected to win Idaho Republican caucus

Former US President Donald Trump is projected to win the Idaho Republican caucus, The Hill reported citing Decision Desk HQ.

Trump won all 32 Republican delegates in Idaho, according to DDHQ.

The former US President also secured a win in Missouri caucuses and Michigan GOP convention.

The next voting is scheduled to take place in Washington, DC on Sunday.

Donald Trump's latest victory in Idaho increases his winning streak against rival Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary.

Former South Carolina Governor Haley remains the last major GOP candidate contesting against Trump for the Republican nomination.

Trump's latest win comes days after he registered a victory in the South Carolina primary and defeated GOP rival Nikki Haley at her home turf, according to an exit poll conducted by Decision Desk HQ, The Hill reported.

All eyes now lie on 16 states that will cast ballots on March 5 which is Super Tuesday.

These states are -- Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa (caucus), Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.

Furthermore, American Samoa is also scheduled to hold a nominating contest on March 5.

Donald Trump and Nikki Haley during the weekend spent most of their time to campaign in the states set to cast ballots on March 5.

During his campaign speech in North Carolina, Trump mainly criticised US President Joe Biden and made brief remarks about GOP primary rival Nikki Haley, CNN reported. -- ANI

The driver and the assistant driver of one of the two passenger trains that collided leading to death of 14 passengers on October 29, 2023 were watching a cricket match on phone, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday while highlighting the cause of the accident.

The Rayagada Passenger train hit the Visakhapatnam Palasa train from behind at 7 pm that day on the Howrah-Chennai line in Kantakapalli in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh.

Over 50 passengers were injured.

Vaishnaw referred to the Andhra train accident while talking about new safety measures that Indian Railways has been working on. -- PTI

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09:31 Modi to chair Council of Ministers meet today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday in what is likely to be the last such exercise during the second term of his government.

The prime minister has been holding meetings of the entire Council of Ministers from time to time to discuss key policy and governance issues but the meeting on Sunday assumes political significance in view of the Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April-May.

The Election Commission is likely to announce the poll schedule in a couple of weeks.

The meeting will be held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi.

One of the key points to be discussed during the exercise could be the highlights of the government's performance as the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance has expressed confidence of retaining power at the Centre for a third term under Modi on the back of its development and welfare planks.

The EC has begun reviewing the preparedness of various states for holding the Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014, the EC had announced the schedule for the nine-phase Lok Sabha elections on March 5 and the results were declared on May 16. -- PTI

Rain lashed parts of the national capital in the early hours of Sunday.

Areas including Mandi House, RK Puram, Indraprastha, Kartavya Path, and Central Delhi witnessed fresh showers.

Delhi witnessed a sudden change in weather on Saturday morning as well. Several areas in Delhi, including Greater Kailash, India Gate, RK Puram, and Janpath, experienced strong winds and light showers on Saturday morning.

On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department predicted scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi.

"Severe Weather Observed over Northwest India during 0830 hrs IST to 2030 hrs IST of yesterday, the 02nd March 2024," IMD posted on X.

The IMD said that a western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over north Afghanistan and its neighbourhoods, and a trough runs from this cyclonic circulation to the Northwest Arabian Sea in lower and middle tropospheric levels.

It further said that high moisture feeding is taking place from the Arabian Sea to northwest India and is likely to continue till March 3.

The minimum temperature departure was recorded above normal at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on Saturday, as per IMD. -- ANI

A student who allegedly leaked the Urdu language question paper in the Haryana class 12 board examination was apprehended, police said on Saturday.

The class 12 student was, however, let off on bail after he joined the investigation, they said.

After a copy of the question paper of Urdu went viral on social media on Friday, the Haryana School Education Board cancelled the test.

The police said an FIR was registered against the student who leaked the paper, his relative Mushtaq, examination centre supervisor Anwar Hussain, superintendent Ravindere Kumar and observer Vikram under relevant sections of the Haryana Public Examination Act, Section 188 (disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC at Nuh Sadar police station.

The question paper was leaked from Government Senior Secondary School Examination Centre Tapkan (B-2) of Nuh on Friday.

A team of the board's district question paper flying squad, Nuh reached the spot and caught the candidate. -- PTI

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08:32 Pakistan Senate to take up resolution seeking ban on social media sites

Pakistan's Senate is set to take up a resolution seeking a ban on mainstream social media sites in the light of possible misuse against the country and its armed forces, during its meeting scheduled for Monday, media report said on Saturday.

The resolution was moved by Pakistan People's Party Senator Bahramand Tangi, whose tenure as senator ends on March 11.

It calls for bans on social sites, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter now X, and YouTube, to save the young generation from their negative and devastating effects, The News International reported.

"Cognizant of the fact that social media platforms are adversely affecting the young generation in the country; acknowledging the fact that these platforms are being used for promotion of norms against our religion and culture, creating hatred amongst the people on the grounds of language and religion," the resolution read.

Tangi stated that there were concerns about the use of social media platforms against the interests of the country through negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan. -- PTI

Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Saturday.

Chaudhary met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital and announced the tie-up on his official X.

Notably, Chaudhary's RLS party was a part of INDIA bloc and his alliance with the BJP will come as another strong blow to opposition unity, aiming to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In a post on X, Shah shared photographs with Chaudhary and wrote, "I welcome Rashtriya Lok Dal President Shri @jayantrld ji to the NDA family. Expressing confidence in the policies of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, he joined NDA and will further strengthen our resolve for the upliftment of farmers, poor and deprived classes."

"NDA is committed to cross 400 in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and build a developed India in the Amrit Kaal," he added.

"Under the leadership of Shri @narendramodi ji, India is becoming a parallel witness to development and poor welfare! Met @AmitShah ji and @JPNadda ji and decided to join #NDA. NDA is ready to fulfill the resolve of developed India and the slogan of crossing 400 this time," Chaudhary's posted on X. -- ANI

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08:15 Indian Navy's sailor reported missing from ship

An Indian Navy seaman is reported missing from a naval ship since February 27 and a massive search operation has been launched to trace him.

The Mumbai-headquartered Western Naval Command said the sailor has been identified as Sahil Verma and that a high-level board of inquiry has been ordered into the "unfortunate incident".

"In an unfortunate incident, Sahil Verma, Seaman II, has been reported missing at sea from Indian Naval Ship whilst on deployment since 27 Feb 24. The Navy immediately launched a massive search operation with ships and aircraft, which is still continuing," it posted on X.

"Naval board of enquiry has been ordered for detailed investigations," it added.

The exact circumstances leading up to the incident are not immediately known. -- PTI

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