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The wife of a lawyer arrested in connection with Bhima-Koregaon violence incident in Maharashtra moved the Supreme Court today seeking to intervene in a petition filed by noted historian Romila Thapar and others against the recent arrest of Left-wing activists by the Maharashtra Police for suspected links with Maoists.

The petition was filed by Minal Gadling, wife of lawyer Surendra Gadling, who was arrested on June 6 along with Head of English Department of Nagpur University Shoma Sen, Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, activist Mahesh Raut and Kerala native Rona Wilson.

The Pune Police had arrested them for allegedly having close links with Maoists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). An FIR was registered under the Act in January and conspiracy charges were added in March.

Minal Gadling, in her petition, claimed that all the arrested five, including her husband, have been in a false and mala fide way implicated in the case even when there was no involvement on their part in any such activity.

"It is stated that all the five persons hold significant position in the society and have dedicated their lives for fighting social injustices. They are being targeted in this case for being voice of dissent, and for taking up battles against forces perpetrating injustice," the plea said. &nbsp

Minal Gadling alleged that her husband was harassed inside the jail and as a result he had to be admitted to a hospital.

She claimed the medical reports were not handed over to her.

She also alleged that the prison authorities were not giving him any books to read nor allowing him to carry any law books which were allowed by the court.

The apex court had on August 29 ordered that the five human rights activists, arrested later in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence case, be kept under house arrest till September 6, saying dissent was the "safety valve" of democracy.

Prominent Telugu poet Varavara Rao, activists Vernon Gonzalves, Arun Farreira, trade union activist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj and civil liberties activist Gautam Navalakha were arrested by Pune police from their respective homes, on August 28, in connection with an FIR lodged there following an event -- 'Elgaar Parishad' (conclave) -- held on December 31 last year that had triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village.

Thapar, along with, economists Prabhat Patnaik, Devika Jain, Satish Deshpandey and Maja Daruwala had moved the apex court against the arrest of these rights activists and got relief. &nbsp

Dhawale, a Dalit activist and editor of a Marathi magazine Vidrohi, was one of the organisers of the Elgar Parishad. It was organised to commemorate 200 years of the Koregaon Bhima battle on December 31 at Shaniwarwada.

According to the FIR registered at the Vishrambaug police station after the event, Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) activists had allegedly made provocative speeches leading to violence at Bhima-Koregaon.&nbsp

The Pune Police had arrested them for allegedly having close links with Maoists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). An FIR was registered under the Act in January and conspiracy charges were added in March.

The wife of a lawyer arrested in connection with Bhima-Koregaon violence incident in Maharashtra moved the Supreme Court today seeking to intervene in a petition filed by noted historian Romila Thapar and others against the recent arrest of Left-wing activists by the Maharashtra Police for suspected links with Maoists. The petition was filed by Minal Gadling, wife of lawyer Surendra Gadling, who was arrested on June 6 along with Head of English Department of Nagpur University Shoma Sen, Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, activist Mahesh Raut and Kerala native Rona Wilson. The Pune Police had arrested them for allegedly having close links with Maoists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). An FIR was registered under the Act in January and conspiracy charges were added in March. Minal Gadling, in her petition, claimed that all the arrested five, including her husband, have been in a false and mala fide way implicated in the case even when there was no involvement on their part in any such activity. "It is stated that all the five persons hold significant position in the society and have dedicated their lives for fighting social injustices. They are being targeted in this case for being voice of dissent, and for taking up battles against forces perpetrating injustice," the plea said. Minal Gadling alleged that her husband was harassed inside the jail and as a result he had to be admitted to a hospital. She claimed the medical reports were not handed over to her. She also alleged that the prison authorities were not giving him any books to read nor allowing him to carry any law books which were allowed by the court. The apex court had on August 29 ordered that the five human rights activists, arrested later in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence case, be kept under house arrest till September 6, saying dissent was the "safety valve" of democracy. Prominent Telugu poet Varavara Rao, activists Vernon Gonzalves, Arun Farreira, trade union activist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj and civil liberties activist Gautam Navalakha were arrested by Pune police from their respective homes, on August 28, in connection with an FIR lodged there following an event -- 'Elgaar Parishad' (conclave) -- held on December 31 last year that had triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village. Thapar, along with, economists Prabhat Patnaik, Devika Jain, Satish Deshpandey and Maja Daruwala had moved the apex court against the arrest of these rights activists and got relief. Dhawale, a Dalit activist and editor of a Marathi magazine Vidrohi, was one of the organisers of the Elgar Parishad. It was organised to commemorate 200 years of the Koregaon Bhima battle on December 31 at Shaniwarwada. According to the FIR registered at the Vishrambaug police station after the event, Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) activists had allegedly made provocative speeches leading to violence at Bhima-Koregaon.

Wife of lawyer arrested in Bhima-Koregaon violence case moves SC

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for Swapna Barman, who won India's first-ever Asian Games gold medal in heptathlon.

Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb called on Swapna's family in Jalpaiguri and made her mother speak to the Chief Minister on phone, West Bengal Athletic Association secretary Kamal Maitra told.

"The CM announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for Swapna. The minister (Deb) spent about half an hour at Swapna's house, and also assured them full support," Maitra said.

Swapna is likely to return around September 3-4 and the WBAA is&nbsp;also planning to felicitate the golden girl from Jalpaiguri, Maitra added.

The 21-year-old from Jalpaiguri scripted history in Jakarta when she achieved her personal best score of 6026 points in the seven-event competition to earn India a first heptathlon gold in Asian Games.

Wishes poured in from all quarters including Bengal icon Sourav Ganguly, who congratulated Swapna on his official Twitter handle.

"Congratulations to Swapna Burman @Swapna_Barman96 ..For her gold ..We in India and Bengal are so happy and proud," Ganguly wrote.

Swapna is yet another story in Indian Olympic sports that has seen her battle poverty and physical difficulty to run with ill-fitting shoes that always pinch the six toes on each of her feet.

One of the four children of her parents, her story is a story of survival.

Her father Panchanan Barman pulled rickshaw van till a stroke forced him to stay at home, while mother Basana Devi worked as a maid and plucked leaves in tea garden.

Seeing his youngest daughter Swapna's interest in sport, her father Panchanan Barman, used to fix bamboo sticks on the field in the backyard of his tin-roofed house for her to practice high jump.

After returning from school, Swapna used to practice there and that's how her journey from Jalpaiguri to Jakarta began for her.

The family income was too meagre and there was no infrastructure for athletics but the biggest challenge was poverty.

Her mother Basana Devi used to encourage her after noticing her win the first prize in high jump among all the primary school.

To ensure that Swapna did not miss out on her practice, her mother used to drop her to Jalpaiguri Sports Complex ground.

Her brother, Asit Barman said Swapna had left SAI camp hostel in 2015 never to return to the athletics track, but her coach Subhas Sarkar dissuaded her from doing so and stood like a pillar of strength.&nbsp;

Swapna is yet another story in Indian Olympic sports that has seen her battle poverty and physical difficulty to run with ill-fitting shoes that always pinch the six toes on each of her feet.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for Swapna Barman, who won India's first-ever Asian Games gold medal in heptathlon. Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb called on Swapna's family in Jalpaiguri and made her mother speak to the Chief Minister on phone, West Bengal Athletic Association secretary Kamal Maitra told. "The CM announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for Swapna. The minister (Deb) spent about half an hour at Swapna's house, and also assured them full support," Maitra said. Swapna is likely to return around September 3-4 and the WBAA is also planning to felicitate the golden girl from Jalpaiguri, Maitra added. The 21-year-old from Jalpaiguri scripted history in Jakarta when she achieved her personal best score of 6026 points in the seven-event competition to earn India a first heptathlon gold in Asian Games. Wishes poured in from all quarters including Bengal icon Sourav Ganguly, who congratulated Swapna on his official Twitter handle. "Congratulations to Swapna Burman @Swapna_Barman96 ..For her gold ..We in India and Bengal are so happy and proud," Ganguly wrote. Swapna is yet another story in Indian Olympic sports that has seen her battle poverty and physical difficulty to run with ill-fitting shoes that always pinch the six toes on each of her feet. One of the four children of her parents, her story is a story of survival. Her father Panchanan Barman pulled rickshaw van till a stroke forced him to stay at home, while mother Basana Devi worked as a maid and plucked leaves in tea garden. Seeing his youngest daughter Swapna's interest in sport, her father Panchanan Barman, used to fix bamboo sticks on the field in the backyard of his tin-roofed house for her to practice high jump. After returning from school, Swapna used to practice there and that's how her journey from Jalpaiguri to Jakarta began for her. The family income was too meagre and there was no infrastructure for athletics but the biggest challenge was poverty. Her mother Basana Devi used to encourage her after noticing her win the first prize in high jump among all the primary school. To ensure that Swapna did not miss out on her practice, her mother used to drop her to Jalpaiguri Sports Complex ground. Her brother, Asit Barman said Swapna had left SAI camp hostel in 2015 never to return to the athletics track, but her coach Subhas Sarkar dissuaded her from doing so and stood like a pillar of strength.

West Bengal government announces Rs 10 lakh cash award for Swapna Barman

Aviation regulator DGCA has blamed error on part of the pilots for the near-crash of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's chartered plane at Hubli in North Karnataka that happened nearly four months back.

On April 26, the 10-seater plane carrying Gandhi suddenly tilted heavily on the left side and the altitude dipped steeply with violent shuddering of the aircraft body before landing at the Hubli airport in north Karnataka.

Besides Gandhi, there were four other passengers, two pilots, one cabin crew and one engineer when the incident took place, according to the DGCA.

The incident, which took place during the campaigning for the assembly polls in the state, had triggered a political uproar, with the Congress alleging an "intentional tampering" with Falcon 2000 private jet.

The party had demanded a probe into the "suspicious and faulty performance" of the aircraft.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu had then ordered a detailed probe into the incident.

In its report made public today, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) said, "(the) Crew initiated action only when the master cautions warning i.E after 15 seconds of autopilot disengage."

Such a warning appears in the form of a red light and audio warning in the cockpit for the pilot to take action and avoid in the split second any mishap.

"Due to lack of institutional awareness, the crew actions to control of the aircraft manually were slightly delayed," the two-member panel said in its report.

The panel recommended corrective training for the cockpit crew and a regulatory audit of the organization to check the compliance of regulations as part of its safety recommendations.

Incidentally, the report, which was prepared on July 2, was made public on a day when Gandhi began his Kailash Mansarovar yatra, which he had announced as a thanksgiving after escaping death in the near-crash.

The DGCA panel, in the report, ruled out any prior snag in the Ligare Aviation-operated aircraft, registered as VT- AVH.

When the aircraft was at(41,000 feet), the commander requested Hyderabad ATC for direct routing to waypoint (BOGAT), the DGCA report said.

"At this time, the yaw damper (which is a device to reduce the rolling and yawing oscillations) failed, indication came on primary flight display and the autopilot got disengaged.

"Both the pilots got busy in isolating the autopilot failure and did not realise that the aircraft has gone into the right bank (steep turn).

"After 15 seconds of autopilot disengaged, the bank angle warning got activated that was the time when the crew realized that the aircraft has gone into a bank," the panel said in its report.

According to the report, the commander took over control manually, by the time aircraft had gone into "excessive bank" of around 65 degrees.

"During this time, aircraft had lost around 125ft from its cruising altitude. While the commander was in the process of controlling the bank angle, the aircraft continued to lose height by another 610ft in 9 seconds from the time when bank angle warning activated.

"Thereafter, the commander stabilized the aircraft and climbed back the aircraft to its assigned level of FL 410 (41,000 feet)," the report said.

The Hyderabad ATC was monitoring VT-AVH on radar noticed descend of aircraft and immediately called up VT-AVH for reasons of the&nbsp;descend.

The PIC (pilot-in-Command) intimated that they had descended due technical reasons and later informed ATC that the autopilot had tripped, it said.

"When the aircraft banked to the right and descended, the PIC did not declare any emergency to Hyderabad Controller. The crew as per the procedure tried to re-engage the autopilot however it did not happen... The PIC thereafter flew the aircraft manually and got in touch with Hubli ATC at around 70 Nm," the panel said in its report.

After the incident, Gandhi's close aide Kaushal Vidyarthi, who was also travelling with him, had filed a complaint with local police besides writing to the Karnataka Director General of Police expressing concern over the series of events.

Subsequently, the DGCA had set up the panel, with one member each from the safety and airworthiness wings, to investigate the incident.&nbsp;

The DGCA had set up the panel, with one member each from the safety and airworthiness wings, to investigate the incident.

Aviation regulator DGCA has blamed error on part of the pilots for the near-crash of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's chartered plane at Hubli in North Karnataka that happened nearly four months back. On April 26, the 10-seater plane carrying Gandhi suddenly tilted heavily on the left side and the altitude dipped steeply with violent shuddering of the aircraft body before landing at the Hubli airport in north Karnataka. Besides Gandhi, there were four other passengers, two pilots, one cabin crew and one engineer when the incident took place, according to the DGCA. The incident, which took place during the campaigning for the assembly polls in the state, had triggered a political uproar, with the Congress alleging an "intentional tampering" with Falcon 2000 private jet. The party had demanded a probe into the "suspicious and faulty performance" of the aircraft. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu had then ordered a detailed probe into the incident. In its report made public today, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) said, "(the) Crew initiated action only when the master cautions warning i.E after 15 seconds of autopilot disengage." Such a warning appears in the form of a red light and audio warning in the cockpit for the pilot to take action and avoid in the split second any mishap. "Due to lack of institutional awareness, the crew actions to control of the aircraft manually were slightly delayed," the two-member panel said in its report. The panel recommended corrective training for the cockpit crew and a regulatory audit of the organization to check the compliance of regulations as part of its safety recommendations. Incidentally, the report, which was prepared on July 2, was made public on a day when Gandhi began his Kailash Mansarovar yatra, which he had announced as a thanksgiving after escaping death in the near-crash. The DGCA panel, in the report, ruled out any prior snag in the Ligare Aviation-operated aircraft, registered as VT- AVH. When the aircraft was at(41,000 feet), the commander requested Hyderabad ATC for direct routing to waypoint (BOGAT), the DGCA report said. "At this time, the yaw damper (which is a device to reduce the rolling and yawing oscillations) failed, indication came on primary flight display and the autopilot got disengaged. "Both the pilots got busy in isolating the autopilot failure and did not realise that the aircraft has gone into the right bank (steep turn). "After 15 seconds of autopilot disengaged, the bank angle warning got activated that was the time when the crew realized that the aircraft has gone into a bank," the panel said in its report. According to the report, the commander took over control manually, by the time aircraft had gone into "excessive bank" of around 65 degrees. "During this time, aircraft had lost around 125ft from its cruising altitude. While the commander was in the process of controlling the bank angle, the aircraft continued to lose height by another 610ft in 9 seconds from the time when bank angle warning activated. "Thereafter, the commander stabilized the aircraft and climbed back the aircraft to its assigned level of FL 410 (41,000 feet)," the report said. The Hyderabad ATC was monitoring VT-AVH on radar noticed descend of aircraft and immediately called up VT-AVH for reasons of the descend. The PIC (pilot-in-Command) intimated that they had descended due technical reasons and later informed ATC that the autopilot had tripped, it said. "When the aircraft banked to the right and descended, the PIC did not declare any emergency to Hyderabad Controller. The crew as per the procedure tried to re-engage the autopilot however it did not happen... The PIC thereafter flew the aircraft manually and got in touch with Hubli ATC at around 70 Nm," the panel said in its report. After the incident, Gandhi's close aide Kaushal Vidyarthi, who was also travelling with him, had filed a complaint with local police besides writing to the Karnataka Director General of Police expressing concern over the series of events. Subsequently, the DGCA had set up the panel, with one member each from the safety and airworthiness wings, to investigate the incident.

Pilots' error to blame for near-crash of Rahul Gandhi's plane: DGCA

The National Conference on Friday raked up the demand to identify the "fake" natives of Jammu and Kashmir and oust them from the state.

NC's Jammu region president Devender Singh Rana raised the demand amid a plea pending at the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Article 35A of the Constitution that accords various rights and privileges to the "permanent residents" of the state.

Rana raked up the issue, launching a blistering attack on the PDP-BJP government, accusing them of sitting over the issue and undermining the rights, dignity and identity of the state natives.

The erstwhile coalition had a sinister design to trample the special status of the state, which is why the forces inimical to the legacy of the permanent resident laws have been let loose to challenge the Article 35A," said Rana.

Accusing the BJP of unleashing a "misinformation campaign" against Article 35 A, Rana said the Constitutional provision instead protects the interests of the state's "permanent residents".

Accusing the BJP of trying to create a "hysteria over the issue", Rana dared it to carry out a referendum across Jammu to find out the will of the people in this regard.

Rana said the BJP's "consistent tirade" against the Article 35A may be because of some "clandestine deal" reached with illegal non-state subjects, who want to strengthen their hegemony in Jammu.

Rana said "the overt and covert attempts to repeal Article 35A has put the state at crossroads of history."

He said tampering with it would be economically detrimental to the people of Jammu in particular as the youth would be deprived of jobs and the local business community would suffer due to influx of big business houses and traders from outside the state.

Generating hysteria is a BJP's ploy to hide its three years of all-around failures and to push the state to political instability, he added.

Senior NC leader and former MP Sheikh Abdul Rehman questioned the alleged bids to have the Article 35A abrogated and said he wondered why the forces seeking its repeal were were silent over the unique status being enjoyed by Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh and Goa as per various sub sections (A to G) of the Article 371.&nbsp

NC's Jammu region president Devender Singh Rana raised the demand amid a plea pending at the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Article 35A of the Constitution that accords various rights and privileges to the "permanent residents" of the state.

The National Conference on Friday raked up the demand to identify the "fake" natives of Jammu and Kashmir and oust them from the state. NC's Jammu region president Devender Singh Rana raised the demand amid a plea pending at the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Article 35A of the Constitution that accords various rights and privileges to the "permanent residents" of the state. Rana raked up the issue, launching a blistering attack on the PDP-BJP government, accusing them of sitting over the issue and undermining the rights, dignity and identity of the state natives. The erstwhile coalition had a sinister design to trample the special status of the state, which is why the forces inimical to the legacy of the permanent resident laws have been let loose to challenge the Article 35A," said Rana. Accusing the BJP of unleashing a "misinformation campaign" against Article 35 A, Rana said the Constitutional provision instead protects the interests of the state's "permanent residents". Accusing the BJP of trying to create a "hysteria over the issue", Rana dared it to carry out a referendum across Jammu to find out the will of the people in this regard. Rana said the BJP's "consistent tirade" against the Article 35A may be because of some "clandestine deal" reached with illegal non-state subjects, who want to strengthen their hegemony in Jammu. Rana said "the overt and covert attempts to repeal Article 35A has put the state at crossroads of history." He said tampering with it would be economically detrimental to the people of Jammu in particular as the youth would be deprived of jobs and the local business community would suffer due to influx of big business houses and traders from outside the state. Generating hysteria is a BJP's ploy to hide its three years of all-around failures and to push the state to political instability, he added. Senior NC leader and former MP Sheikh Abdul Rehman questioned the alleged bids to have the Article 35A abrogated and said he wondered why the forces seeking its repeal were were silent over the unique status being enjoyed by Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh and Goa as per various sub sections (A to G) of the Article 371.

Identify fake Jammu and Kashmir natives and oust them: National Conference

Eleven family members of six policemen have been kidnapped by terrorists, who raided the homes of several police officers across four districts in south Kashmir.

WION Gravitas: Terrorists are targeting families of policemen in Jammu and Kashmir

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team today took Sachin Andure, the alleged main shooter in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar's killing case, to the crime spot here in Maharashtra.

According to a police officer, Andure, who had his face covered was taken to the Omkareshwar Bridge, where Dabholkar was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on August 20, 2013 while he was on a morning walk.

Based on information provided by Andure, who is in his late 20s, the CBI team recreated the entire crime scene as part of its investigation into the case, he said.

According to the CBI, Sharad Kalaskar was the "second shooter" in the case.

Currently, Kalaskar is in the Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad's custody till September 3 in another case.

Kalaskar was arrested by the ATS earlier this month in connection with the seizure of explosives from different parts of Maharashtra.

Five people were arrested in the arms haul case and one of them gave the input about Andure's involvement in Dabholkar's killing, which the ATS shared with the CBI, a spokesperson of the central agency had said earlier.

Acting on the input from the ATS following the arrest of Kalaskar and other accused, the CBI arrested Andure, a resident of Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, on August 18.

According to a police officer, Andure, who had his face covered was taken to the Omkareshwar Bridge, where Dabholkar was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on August 20, 2013 while he was on a morning walk.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team today took Sachin Andure, the alleged main shooter in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar's killing case, to the crime spot here in Maharashtra. According to a police officer, Andure, who had his face covered was taken to the Omkareshwar Bridge, where Dabholkar was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on August 20, 2013 while he was on a morning walk. Based on information provided by Andure, who is in his late 20s, the CBI team recreated the entire crime scene as part of its investigation into the case, he said. According to the CBI, Sharad Kalaskar was the "second shooter" in the case. Currently, Kalaskar is in the Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad's custody till September 3 in another case. Kalaskar was arrested by the ATS earlier this month in connection with the seizure of explosives from different parts of Maharashtra. Five people were arrested in the arms haul case and one of them gave the input about Andure's involvement in Dabholkar's killing, which the ATS shared with the CBI, a spokesperson of the central agency had said earlier. Acting on the input from the ATS following the arrest of Kalaskar and other accused, the CBI arrested Andure, a resident of Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, on August 18.

Dabholkar killing: 'Main shooter' taken to crime spot in Pune

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday lashed out at the Central government over the issue of demonetisation that the government undertook almost two years back.&nbsp;

Chidambaram noted that people still hoard&nbsp;money and that the cash-in-hand with people is "almost 1.4% more then what it was on Nov 8, 2016".&nbsp;

"People are less confident of putting cash in banks and more comfortable in keeping cash at home," Chidambaram reacted.

He further enquired if demonetisation was initiated with an aim to enable people with black money to convert it to white.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
If all has come back to RBI then the logical conclusion is 3-4 lakh crore of black money has been converted to white. So there is a suspicion infact it's a charge that you devised this demonetisation only to enable people with black money to convert into white: P Chidambaram <a href="https://t.co/mpCceOi1lO">pic.twitter.com/mpCceOi1lO</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1035510515420737536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"If all has come back to RBI then the logical conclusion is 3-4 lakh crore of black money has been converted to white. So there is a suspicion, in fact, it's a charge, that you devised this demonetisation only to enable people with black money to convert into white," Chidambaram stated.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday also targetted the Modi government over demonetisation stating that demonetisation was a "scam". And that the aim was to take people's money, and put it in the hands of Prime Minister Modi's "crony capitalists".&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: "Infact many of us think that Finance Minister was not taken into confidence when <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Demonetisation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Demonetisation</a> was announced," says P Chidambaram <a href="https://t.co/zsqjs1fPLB">pic.twitter.com/zsqjs1fPLB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1035513135401074688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The crony capitalists, he said, "market" Modi. And in return, Modi gave them money (via demonetisation).&nbsp;

"Notebandi was not a mistake," Gandhi said at a press conference in New Delhi. "It was an attack on farmers and small businesses."

 
&nbsp;

He further enquired if demonetisation was initiated with an aim to enable people with black money to convert it to white.

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday lashed out at the Central government over the issue of demonetisation that the government undertook almost two years back. Chidambaram noted that people still hoard money and that the cash-in-hand with people is "almost 1.4% more then what it was on Nov 8, 2016". "People are less confident of putting cash in banks and more comfortable in keeping cash at home," Chidambaram reacted. He further enquired if demonetisation was initiated with an aim to enable people with black money to convert it to white. If all has come back to RBI then the logical conclusion is 3-4 lakh crore of black money has been converted to white. So there is a suspicion infact it's a charge that you devised this demonetisation only to enable people with black money to convert into white: P Chidambaram pic.twitter.com/mpCceOi1lO — ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2018 × "If all has come back to RBI then the logical conclusion is 3-4 lakh crore of black money has been converted to white. So there is a suspicion, in fact, it's a charge, that you devised this demonetisation only to enable people with black money to convert into white," Chidambaram stated. Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday also targetted the Modi government over demonetisation stating that demonetisation was a "scam". And that the aim was to take people's money, and put it in the hands of Prime Minister Modi's "crony capitalists". #WATCH: "Infact many of us think that Finance Minister was not taken into confidence when #Demonetisation was announced," says P Chidambaram pic.twitter.com/zsqjs1fPLB — ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2018 × The crony capitalists, he said, "market" Modi. And in return, Modi gave them money (via demonetisation). "Notebandi was not a mistake," Gandhi said at a press conference in New Delhi. "It was an attack on farmers and small businesses."

People still hoard money, cash-in-hand is 1.4% more than before demonetisation: Chidambaram

One of the five relatives of policemen kidnapped last night by militants in south Kashmir was released today, sources said.

The released man was related to a police man from Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said.

Mohammad Shafi Mir, brother of Constable Nazir Ahmad, was released by the terrorists at an unknown location this afternoon, the sources said.

They said Mir, who was kidnapped by the terrorists last night from his house, reached home, much to the relief of the family members.

The outlaws have been targeting the family members of policemen in south Kashmir and have kidnapped eight of them over the past 48 hours.

The militants kidnapped the nephew of a deputy superintendent of police from Trenz area in Shopian district, a police official said.

Adnan Ahmad Shah (26) was abducted by militants from his home late last night, the official said.

In another incident, son a police officer was kidnapped by the ultras from his home in Wathoo village of Shopian, he said.

Yasir Bhat, whose father is presently on Hajj pilgrimage, was kidnapped late last night.

The terrorists also threatened to set afire the house of a constable at Berthipora in Shopian, the official said.

The terrorists began kidnapping policemen's relatives from some areas in south Kashmir. Five of them were abducted in Kulgam and Anantnag districts yesterday.

The militants' action came on a day when the NIA arrested the second son of globally wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin amid reports that some relatives of active militants have been detained by police for questioning.

The security forces had gone on rampage on Wednesday after killings of four policemen in Shopian in south Kashmir by militants and damaged some houses belonging to them.

Unconfirmed reports said the total number of kidnapped family members of policemen has reached 11 but police said the details and circumstances in which the relatives of the police personnel were abducted are being ascertained.

"Some incidents of abduction have come to the notice of police in south Kashmir. We are ascertaining the details and circumstances. In due course it shall be placed in public domain," the spokesman said.

The released man was related to a police man from Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said.

One of the five relatives of policemen kidnapped last night by militants in south Kashmir was released today, sources said. The released man was related to a police man from Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said. Mohammad Shafi Mir, brother of Constable Nazir Ahmad, was released by the terrorists at an unknown location this afternoon, the sources said. They said Mir, who was kidnapped by the terrorists last night from his house, reached home, much to the relief of the family members. The outlaws have been targeting the family members of policemen in south Kashmir and have kidnapped eight of them over the past 48 hours. The militants kidnapped the nephew of a deputy superintendent of police from Trenz area in Shopian district, a police official said. Adnan Ahmad Shah (26) was abducted by militants from his home late last night, the official said. In another incident, son a police officer was kidnapped by the ultras from his home in Wathoo village of Shopian, he said. Yasir Bhat, whose father is presently on Hajj pilgrimage, was kidnapped late last night. The terrorists also threatened to set afire the house of a constable at Berthipora in Shopian, the official said. The terrorists began kidnapping policemen's relatives from some areas in south Kashmir. Five of them were abducted in Kulgam and Anantnag districts yesterday. The militants' action came on a day when the NIA arrested the second son of globally wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin amid reports that some relatives of active militants have been detained by police for questioning. The security forces had gone on rampage on Wednesday after killings of four policemen in Shopian in south Kashmir by militants and damaged some houses belonging to them. Unconfirmed reports said the total number of kidnapped family members of policemen has reached 11 but police said the details and circumstances in which the relatives of the police personnel were abducted are being ascertained. "Some incidents of abduction have come to the notice of police in south Kashmir. We are ascertaining the details and circumstances. In due course it shall be placed in public domain," the spokesman said.

J&K: One of the abducted kin of cops released by militants

<a href="wionews.com/india-news/scst-members-of-one-state-cannot-seek-quota-in-jobs-admissions-in-another-state-supreme-court--162616">SC/ST members of one state cannot seek quota in jobs, admissions in another state: Supreme Court</a>

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that a member of an SC/ST community from one state cannot claim the benefit of reservation in government jobs or admission in another state, if his or her caste is not notified there.

<a href="wionews.com/sports/luka-modric-beats-cristiano-ronaldo-mo-salah-to-win-uefa-player-of-the-year-162603">Luka Modric beats Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah to win UEFA Player of the Year</a>

Luka Modric, who helped Real Madrid to win the Champions League for a consecutive third season won the UEFA Player of the Year in Monaco on Thursday.

<a href="wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-withdraw-from-world-trade-organization-report-162610">Trump threatens to withdraw from </a><a href="wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-withdraw-from-world-trade-organization-report-162610">World</a><a href="wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-withdraw-from-world-trade-organization-report-162610"> Trade Organization: Report</a>

US President Trump has threatened to pull out of the &nbspWorld Trade Organization(WTO) if it "doesn't shape up", US media reported.

<a href="wionews.com/india-news/china-has-alerted-india-on-rising-water-in-siang--brahmaputra-arunachal-pradesh-mp-ering-162612">China has alerted India on rising water in Siang & Brahmaputra: Arunachal Pradesh MP Ering</a>

China has alerted India about the rising water in river Tsangpo, called Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam, leading to the possibility of floods in downstream areas, Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering said on Thursday.

<a href="wionews.com/world/apple-to-launch-new-iphone-models-on-september-12-162613">Apple to launch new iPhone models on September 12</a>

Apple Inc said on Thursday it will host an event on September 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in the company's Cupertino, California, campus, where it is widely expected to unveil new iPhone models.

&nbsp

SC/ST members of one state cannot seek quota in jobs, admissions in another state: Supreme Court In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that a member of an SC/ST community from one state cannot claim the benefit of reservation in government jobs or admission in another state, if his or her caste is not notified there. Luka Modric beats Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah to win UEFA Player of the Year Luka Modric, who helped Real Madrid to win the Champions League for a consecutive third season won the UEFA Player of the Year in Monaco on Thursday. Trump threatens to withdraw from World Trade Organization: Report US President Trump has threatened to pull out of the &nbspWorld Trade Organization(WTO) if it "doesn't shape up", US media reported. China has alerted India on rising water in Siang & Brahmaputra: Arunachal Pradesh MP Ering China has alerted India about the rising water in river Tsangpo, called Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam, leading to the possibility of floods in downstream areas, Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering said on Thursday. Apple to launch new iPhone models on September 12 Apple Inc said on Thursday it will host an event on September 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in the company's Cupertino, California, campus, where it is widely expected to unveil new iPhone models.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Maharashtra Police on Thursday sought to justify the arrest of five Left-wing activists for alleged Maoist links, saying they are in possession of "digital" evidence about a "larger conspiracy" to mobilise cadres for "action" against security forces.

The Pune Police had arrested the activists after conducting raids in various cities on August 28.

"We have all the digital evidence to expose this large conspiracy about how to mobilise cadres, how to take action against security forces, which sort of weapons need to be procured and how to raise funds," Pune Police Commissioner K Venkatesham told reporters.

The Supreme Court, after being approached by some prominent people challenging the arrests, ordered yesterday that the five activists be kept under house arrest till September 6.

Venkatesham said the police would continue their investigation even though the apex court had ordered the five to be placed in house arrest.

"Our investigation will go on and we will take the case to the logical end. We have certain key leads and will take them forward," he added.

The raids were carried out as part of a probe into a conclave -- Elgar Parishad -- held in Pune on December 31 last year, which had allegedly triggered violence at Bhima Koregaon in the district the next day.

Left-leaning poet Varavara Rao from Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira from Mumbai, trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj from Haryana's Faridabad, and Gautam Navlakha were arrested after the raids.

When asked about seized documents that purportedly talk about procurement of weapons from Nepal and Manipur and the "role" Rao, Venkatesham said, "There are discussions in the seized communications on type of weapons that need to be

procured, from where they should be procured and from which route they should be brought in".

"We have all the evidence and we will present them in the court," he said.

During the arguments in Pune court yesterday, the prosecution had claimed that the accused were planning to "wage a war" against the country and were involved in procuring arms, funding Naxal activities and recruiting students from reputed educational institutes.

Meanwhile, a senior police officer, who is privy to the investigation, said the police have "conclusive evidence" to prove that the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1, 2018 was "pre-planned".

"CPI (Maoists) was preparing for the Elgar Parishad for the last several months. The objective of the conclave was to instigate people so that unrest can be created which eventually would overthrow the current government.

"The result of all this (preparation) we saw on the next day at Bhima-Koregaon in the form of the caste violence," he said.

The Pune Police had yesterday said it had "evidence" which suggested that there was a plan to target the "higher political functionaries". The police also claimed to have evidence to suggest that the arrested people had links with Kashmiri separatists.

The Bhima-Koregaon clashes had taken place during an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle between British forces and the Maratha Army led by Peshwas.

The British Army, comprising a large number of Dalits, had defeated the Marathas in the battle.

Dalits perceive the battle as the defeat of casteism of Peshwas who were Brahmins.&nbsp

The Pune Police had arrested the activists after conducting raids in various cities on August 28.

The Maharashtra Police on Thursday sought to justify the arrest of five Left-wing activists for alleged Maoist links, saying they are in possession of "digital" evidence about a "larger conspiracy" to mobilise cadres for "action" against security forces. The Pune Police had arrested the activists after conducting raids in various cities on August 28. "We have all the digital evidence to expose this large conspiracy about how to mobilise cadres, how to take action against security forces, which sort of weapons need to be procured and how to raise funds," Pune Police Commissioner K Venkatesham told reporters. The Supreme Court, after being approached by some prominent people challenging the arrests, ordered yesterday that the five activists be kept under house arrest till September 6. Venkatesham said the police would continue their investigation even though the apex court had ordered the five to be placed in house arrest. "Our investigation will go on and we will take the case to the logical end. We have certain key leads and will take them forward," he added. The raids were carried out as part of a probe into a conclave -- Elgar Parishad -- held in Pune on December 31 last year, which had allegedly triggered violence at Bhima Koregaon in the district the next day. Left-leaning poet Varavara Rao from Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira from Mumbai, trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj from Haryana's Faridabad, and Gautam Navlakha were arrested after the raids. When asked about seized documents that purportedly talk about procurement of weapons from Nepal and Manipur and the "role" Rao, Venkatesham said, "There are discussions in the seized communications on type of weapons that need to be procured, from where they should be procured and from which route they should be brought in". "We have all the evidence and we will present them in the court," he said. During the arguments in Pune court yesterday, the prosecution had claimed that the accused were planning to "wage a war" against the country and were involved in procuring arms, funding Naxal activities and recruiting students from reputed educational institutes. Meanwhile, a senior police officer, who is privy to the investigation, said the police have "conclusive evidence" to prove that the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1, 2018 was "pre-planned". "CPI (Maoists) was preparing for the Elgar Parishad for the last several months. The objective of the conclave was to instigate people so that unrest can be created which eventually would overthrow the current government. "The result of all this (preparation) we saw on the next day at Bhima-Koregaon in the form of the caste violence," he said. The Pune Police had yesterday said it had "evidence" which suggested that there was a plan to target the "higher political functionaries". The police also claimed to have evidence to suggest that the arrested people had links with Kashmiri separatists. The Bhima-Koregaon clashes had taken place during an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle between British forces and the Maratha Army led by Peshwas. The British Army, comprising a large number of Dalits, had defeated the Marathas in the battle. Dalits perceive the battle as the defeat of casteism of Peshwas who were Brahmins.

Activists' arrest: Cops claim to have unearthed 'larger conspiracy'

Godrej Aerospace, a unit of Godrej & Boyce, today handed over the first of the 100 orders for the airframes for the air-launched version of the prestigious BrahMos missile systems to Defense Research Development Laboratories (DRDL).

Godrej had won the orders for 100 sets of airframes for the air-launched missile in December 2017 from the DRDL.

The DRDL will now do the qualification tests of the ingeniously manufactured assembly unit, the company added.

The BrahMos missile is a supersonic cruise missile with a flight range of up to 290 km. It carries a conventional warhead weighing 200-300 kg and can cruise at an altitude as high as 15 km and as low as 10m above the ground and maintains supersonic speed (over 1 km per second) throughout the duration of its flight.

Being highly versatile, the missile can be launched from land, air or water to seek and destroy targets on land and on water and once fired, the missile doesn't need an further guidance from the control centre, making it a 'fire and forget' missile.

The first successful launch of the BrahMos missile took place on June 12, 2001 from a land-based launcher at the interim test range off the Chandipur coast in Orissa.

The missile section manufactured by Godrej will undergo testing processes set by DRDL, it said, adding the company will deliver the next set of airframes by December.

The company also aims to produce the first indigenous missile booster that till now has been imported.

Till date Godrej has supplied over 100 sets of the land version of the missile to BrahMos Aerospace.

Congratulating Godrej Aerospace for manufacturing the first airframe, Dashrath Ram Yadav, programme director for BrahMos at the DRDL, said "the delivery of the first air frame assembly for the air-launched version of the BrahMos missile in such a short time frame goes a long way in showcasin Godrej's commitment towards the project as the delivery comes in the span of just eight months."

Sudhir Mishra, director general and CEO of BrahMos Aerospace said, indigenous manufacturing of defence equipments brings down costs and enhances the know-how about critical technologies while ensuring reliability of spare parts.

Jamshyd Godrej, chairman and managing director of Godrej & Boyce said, it is a matter of pride that today we have handed over the first airframe assembly of the prestigious air launched version of the BrahMos missile in just eight months.

"Our partnership with BrahMos and DRDL is unique as it brings together the planning of defence units and the innovation of private enterprise to robustly achieve one strategic goal of securing the nation," he said.

Godrej Aerospace has been associated with the BrahMos programme since the inception in 2001 manufacturing most of the metallic sub-systems in the BrahMos missile system.

Besides the main airframe, Godrej also supplies control surfaces and nose-caps apart from supplying the mobile autonomous launchers, missile replenishing vehicles for the land launched versions, Godrej said.

Godrej had won the orders for 100 sets of airframes for the air-launched missile in December 2017 from the DRDL.

Godrej Aerospace, a unit of Godrej & Boyce, today handed over the first of the 100 orders for the airframes for the air-launched version of the prestigious BrahMos missile systems to Defense Research Development Laboratories (DRDL). Godrej had won the orders for 100 sets of airframes for the air-launched missile in December 2017 from the DRDL. The DRDL will now do the qualification tests of the ingeniously manufactured assembly unit, the company added. The BrahMos missile is a supersonic cruise missile with a flight range of up to 290 km. It carries a conventional warhead weighing 200-300 kg and can cruise at an altitude as high as 15 km and as low as 10m above the ground and maintains supersonic speed (over 1 km per second) throughout the duration of its flight. Being highly versatile, the missile can be launched from land, air or water to seek and destroy targets on land and on water and once fired, the missile doesn't need an further guidance from the control centre, making it a 'fire and forget' missile. The first successful launch of the BrahMos missile took place on June 12, 2001 from a land-based launcher at the interim test range off the Chandipur coast in Orissa. The missile section manufactured by Godrej will undergo testing processes set by DRDL, it said, adding the company will deliver the next set of airframes by December. The company also aims to produce the first indigenous missile booster that till now has been imported. Till date Godrej has supplied over 100 sets of the land version of the missile to BrahMos Aerospace. Congratulating Godrej Aerospace for manufacturing the first airframe, Dashrath Ram Yadav, programme director for BrahMos at the DRDL, said "the delivery of the first air frame assembly for the air-launched version of the BrahMos missile in such a short time frame goes a long way in showcasin Godrej's commitment towards the project as the delivery comes in the span of just eight months." Sudhir Mishra, director general and CEO of BrahMos Aerospace said, indigenous manufacturing of defence equipments brings down costs and enhances the know-how about critical technologies while ensuring reliability of spare parts. Jamshyd Godrej, chairman and managing director of Godrej & Boyce said, it is a matter of pride that today we have handed over the first airframe assembly of the prestigious air launched version of the BrahMos missile in just eight months. "Our partnership with BrahMos and DRDL is unique as it brings together the planning of defence units and the innovation of private enterprise to robustly achieve one strategic goal of securing the nation," he said. Godrej Aerospace has been associated with the BrahMos programme since the inception in 2001 manufacturing most of the metallic sub-systems in the BrahMos missile system. Besides the main airframe, Godrej also supplies control surfaces and nose-caps apart from supplying the mobile autonomous launchers, missile replenishing vehicles for the land launched versions, Godrej said.

Godrej aerospace delivers first of 100 airframes for BrahMos

India's economy reached an impressive 8.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2018-19, reports said on Friday.&nbsp;

The growth rate has reached a two-year high with the latest performance.&nbsp;

The GDP growth rate in the last quarter was 7.7 per cent&nbsp;while that in the first quarter of the previous financial year (2017-18) stood at 5.59 per cent.

India's GDP at constant (2011-12) prices in Q1 of 2018-19 is estimated at Rs 33.74 lakh crore, as against Rs 31.18 lakh crore in Q1 of 2017-18, showing a growth rate of 8.2 per cent, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Economic performance is back to very normal. We had over 8% of quarterly growth last time in first quarter of 2016-17. Now after 8 quarters,we are at 8.2%.From 8.1% we have come to 8.2% which signals economic growth now on steady high growth path: Subhash C Garg, DEA Secretary <a href="https://t.co/cZOdvnoX3j">pic.twitter.com/cZOdvnoX3j</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1035527073849401344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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India had missed the 8 per cent mark earlier in the fourth quarter of FY16 when it recorded 7.9 per cent.

The growth rate exceeded Street expectations, as a Reuters poll of economists had projected it to come at 7.6 per cent.&nbsp;

The Modi government was earlier criticised in the previous financial year when the GDP had dropped to a three-year low of 5.5&nbsp;per cent primarily due to the hurdles caused by the imposition of Goods and Services Tax (GST).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-&-economy/rupee-slides-to-71-against-us-dollar--162628">Rupee hit</a> an all-time low of 71 against the US dollar on Friday falling by 26 paise, making it the worst&nbsp;performing currency in Asia.&nbsp;

The GDP growth rate in the previous fiscal stood at 6.7 per cent.

India's economy reached an impressive 8.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2018-19, reports said on Friday. The growth rate has reached a two-year high with the latest performance. The GDP growth rate in the last quarter was 7.7 per cent while that in the first quarter of the previous financial year (2017-18) stood at 5.59 per cent. India's GDP at constant (2011-12) prices in Q1 of 2018-19 is estimated at Rs 33.74 lakh crore, as against Rs 31.18 lakh crore in Q1 of 2017-18, showing a growth rate of 8.2 per cent, news agency ANI reported. Economic performance is back to very normal. We had over 8% of quarterly growth last time in first quarter of 2016-17. Now after 8 quarters,we are at 8.2%.From 8.1% we have come to 8.2% which signals economic growth now on steady high growth path: Subhash C Garg, DEA Secretary pic.twitter.com/cZOdvnoX3j — ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2018 × India had missed the 8 per cent mark earlier in the fourth quarter of FY16 when it recorded 7.9 per cent. The growth rate exceeded Street expectations, as a Reuters poll of economists had projected it to come at 7.6 per cent. The Modi government was earlier criticised in the previous financial year when the GDP had dropped to a three-year low of 5.5 per cent primarily due to the hurdles caused by the imposition of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Meanwhile, the Rupee hit an all-time low of 71 against the US dollar on Friday falling by 26 paise, making it the worst performing currency in Asia.

India's GDP zooms to 8.2% in June quarter, highest in two years

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that a member of an SC/ST community from one state cannot claim the benefit of reservation in government jobs or admission in another state, if his or her caste is not notified there.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi also held that in Delhi, the central reservation policy applicable in jobs of the central government regarding Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), would be applicable.

It unanimously held that a person belonging to SCs or STs in one state cannot be deemed to be an SC or ST in other states where he has migrated for the purpose of employment or education, saying that such persons would be eating away the quota meant for the native SCs or STs.

The verdict came on as many as eight petitions that had raised the issue whether an SC/ST community member in one state can seek reservation in another state where his caste is not notified as SC/ST. The bench was also seized of the question whether SC/ST people of another state can seek quota benefits for government jobs in Delhi.&nbsp

The bench, which also comprised Justices N V Ramana, R Banumathi, M M Shantanagoudar and Justice S A Nazeer, said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes specified in relation to a State or a Union Territory does not necessarily carry the same status in another State or Union Territory.

"A person notified as Scheduled Caste in state A cannot claim the same status in another state on the basis that he is declared as Scheduled Caste in state A," it said.

Article 341(1) of the Constitution empowers the President to specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or that Union Territory.

The bench said the consideration for specifying a particular caste or tribe or class for inclusion in the list of SCs, STs or Backward Classes in any state depends on the nature and extent of the disadvantages and social hardships suffered by the concerned members of the class in that state.&nbsp

"These may be absent in another State to which the persons belonging to some other State may migrate," the bench said.

The top court accorded primacy to the list of SC/ST castes prepared by the President and said nobody, including the Court, can order addition or deletion of any caste into that list.

"The upshot of the ...The discussion would lead us to the conclusion that the Presidential Orders issued under Article 341 in regard to Scheduled Castes and under Article 342 in regard to Scheduled Tribes cannot be varied or altered by any authority including the Court," it said.

The court also gave another perspective to the issue and said, "If a member of a Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe of Andhra Pradesh who had migrated to Maharashtra is to be given the benefit of reservation, it will amount to depriving a member of a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe of Maharashtra by reducing the reservation earmarked for them."

The bench with a majority of 4:1 held that so far as Delhi is concerned, the central reservation policy, applicable in jobs of the central government regarding SC/ST, would be applicable here also.

Justice Banumathi, however, disagreed with the majority view on this aspect of applicability of central reservation policy on SC/ST in national capital territory of Delhi.

She said the services under the Union Territories, though these are Central Government services, were those under the respective Union Territories and not under the direct control of Union of India.

Justice Banumathi also pointed out that the procedure for recruitment to various posts for the services of UTs were different as followed by respective UTs.

"Such services under Union Territories cannot be said to be Central Civil Services, that is services under Union of India, to extend the benefit of pan-India reservation for recruitment to the services under respective Union Territories including Union Territory of Delhi," Justice Banumathi said.&nbsp

The verdict came on as many as eight petitions that had raised the issue whether an SC/ST community member in one state can seek reservation in another state where his caste is not notified as SC/ST.

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that a member of an SC/ST community from one state cannot claim the benefit of reservation in government jobs or admission in another state, if his or her caste is not notified there. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi also held that in Delhi, the central reservation policy applicable in jobs of the central government regarding Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), would be applicable. It unanimously held that a person belonging to SCs or STs in one state cannot be deemed to be an SC or ST in other states where he has migrated for the purpose of employment or education, saying that such persons would be eating away the quota meant for the native SCs or STs. The verdict came on as many as eight petitions that had raised the issue whether an SC/ST community member in one state can seek reservation in another state where his caste is not notified as SC/ST. The bench was also seized of the question whether SC/ST people of another state can seek quota benefits for government jobs in Delhi. The bench, which also comprised Justices N V Ramana, R Banumathi, M M Shantanagoudar and Justice S A Nazeer, said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes specified in relation to a State or a Union Territory does not necessarily carry the same status in another State or Union Territory. "A person notified as Scheduled Caste in state A cannot claim the same status in another state on the basis that he is declared as Scheduled Caste in state A," it said. Article 341(1) of the Constitution empowers the President to specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to that State or that Union Territory. The bench said the consideration for specifying a particular caste or tribe or class for inclusion in the list of SCs, STs or Backward Classes in any state depends on the nature and extent of the disadvantages and social hardships suffered by the concerned members of the class in that state. "These may be absent in another State to which the persons belonging to some other State may migrate," the bench said. The top court accorded primacy to the list of SC/ST castes prepared by the President and said nobody, including the Court, can order addition or deletion of any caste into that list. "The upshot of the ...The discussion would lead us to the conclusion that the Presidential Orders issued under Article 341 in regard to Scheduled Castes and under Article 342 in regard to Scheduled Tribes cannot be varied or altered by any authority including the Court," it said. The court also gave another perspective to the issue and said, "If a member of a Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe of Andhra Pradesh who had migrated to Maharashtra is to be given the benefit of reservation, it will amount to depriving a member of a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe of Maharashtra by reducing the reservation earmarked for them." The bench with a majority of 4:1 held that so far as Delhi is concerned, the central reservation policy, applicable in jobs of the central government regarding SC/ST, would be applicable here also. Justice Banumathi, however, disagreed with the majority view on this aspect of applicability of central reservation policy on SC/ST in national capital territory of Delhi. She said the services under the Union Territories, though these are Central Government services, were those under the respective Union Territories and not under the direct control of Union of India. Justice Banumathi also pointed out that the procedure for recruitment to various posts for the services of UTs were different as followed by respective UTs. "Such services under Union Territories cannot be said to be Central Civil Services, that is services under Union of India, to extend the benefit of pan-India reservation for recruitment to the services under respective Union Territories including Union Territory of Delhi," Justice Banumathi said.

SC/ST members of one state cannot seek quota in jobs, admissions in another state: Supreme Court

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that her government was giving food security to 90 per cent people of the state as she remembered the martyrs of the 1959 'Khadya Andolan.'

Under the 'Khadya Sathi' scheme food grains at Rs. 2 per kg or half the market price are given to the beneficiaries.

"Remembering the martyrs of 1959 Khadya Andolan (food movement). In Bangla, we provide food security to 90% (8.59 crore) of the state's people through the Khadya Sathi scheme under which food grains at Rs. 2 per kilogramme or half the market rate are provided to the beneficiaries," Ms Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle.

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Remembering the martyrs of 1959 Khadya Andolan. In Bangla, we provide food security to 90% (8.59 crore) of the State's people, through the Khadya Sathi scheme <a href="https://t.co/gaQNVXEEgV">pic.twitter.com/gaQNVXEEgV</a>
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/1035339387461021696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Banerjee said that special assistance was also being given to the people of once 'Maoist'-hit Jangalmahal, hill areas, cyclone 'Aila' affected regions, and Singur in Hooghly district.

West Bengal witnessed a mass movement in late 1958 by the then undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) and other left groups, protesting against the food crisis. The movement for food, the Khadya Andolon, reached its peak in August 1959. On this day the same year, several demonstrators, including farmers and women, were killed in police firing during a protest rally on the issue.

Banerjee who came to power in the state in 2011, also said her government also provides special assistance to the people of Maoist-infested Jangalmahal comprising of Bengal’s western districts, north Bengal hills and coastal regions of state that is often hit by cyclone.

Under the 'Khadya Sathi' scheme food grains at Rs. 2 per kg or half the market price are given to the beneficiaries.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that her government was giving food security to 90 per cent people of the state as she remembered the martyrs of the 1959 'Khadya Andolan.' Under the 'Khadya Sathi' scheme food grains at Rs. 2 per kg or half the market price are given to the beneficiaries. "Remembering the martyrs of 1959 Khadya Andolan (food movement). In Bangla, we provide food security to 90% (8.59 crore) of the state's people through the Khadya Sathi scheme under which food grains at Rs. 2 per kilogramme or half the market rate are provided to the beneficiaries," Ms Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle. Remembering the martyrs of 1959 Khadya Andolan. In Bangla, we provide food security to 90% (8.59 crore) of the State's people, through the Khadya Sathi scheme pic.twitter.com/gaQNVXEEgV — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 31, 2018 × Banerjee said that special assistance was also being given to the people of once 'Maoist'-hit Jangalmahal, hill areas, cyclone 'Aila' affected regions, and Singur in Hooghly district. West Bengal witnessed a mass movement in late 1958 by the then undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) and other left groups, protesting against the food crisis. The movement for food, the Khadya Andolon, reached its peak in August 1959. On this day the same year, several demonstrators, including farmers and women, were killed in police firing during a protest rally on the issue. Banerjee who came to power in the state in 2011, also said her government also provides special assistance to the people of Maoist-infested Jangalmahal comprising of Bengal’s western districts, north Bengal hills and coastal regions of state that is often hit by cyclone.

Our govt is providing food security to almost 90% of state: Mamata Banerjee

A Delhi court today sent the second son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin to National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody till September 10.&nbsp;

District Judge Poonam A Bamba allowed the plea of the probe agency for the custody of 48-year-old Syed Ahmed Shakeel till September 10.

The second son of the globally-wanted terrorist, Salahuddin, was arrested yesterday by the NIA in connection with a 2011 terror funding case for allegedly receiving money from his father.

Armed with a non-bailable warrant from a Delhi court, the NIA officials, accompanied by the state police and CRPF, placed 48-year-old Syed Ahmed Shakeel under arrest at Rambagh locality in Srinagar yesterday when he was on his way to Sher-e-

Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, where he works as a senior laboratory assistant.

He was then brought to the national capital and produced before a duty magistrate last evening, which sent to a day's NIA custody with a direction to produce him before the concerned judge today.

Shakeel is the second son of Salahuddin who has been arrested by the NIA in connection with the case. Earlier this year, his other son, Shahid, who was working in the agricultural department of the Jammu and Kashmir government, was also arrested in the same case.

The probe agency had claimed that during investigation, the involvement of Shakeel had surfaced in raising, receiving, collecting funds from terrorist organisation through its active cadres from Saudi Arabia.

It had also claimed that Shakeel had received money through Western Union several times which were sent by absconding chargesheeted accused Aijaz Ahmad Bhat alias Aijaz Maqbool Bhat.

The probe showed that Shakeel, the eldest son of Syed Salahuddin, self-styled chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terror group, had received funds from various countries from the operatives of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.&nbsp;

The case, registered by the NIA in April 2011, relates to transfer of money from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi, which the agency believed was used in funding terrorism and secessionist activities.

The NIA has so far filed two charge sheets against six people including G M Bhat, a close aide of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Siddiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga. All four are in judicial custody.

Two others -- Mohammed Maqbool Pandit and Bhat -- were also charge sheeted by the NIA but they are absconding and an Interpol Red Corner notice has been issued against them.

In this case, so far, three accused persons Mohammad Sidiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga have been convicted after they pleaded guilty.

Shakeel's father Mohammed Yusuf Shah -- better known as Syed Salahuddin -- was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State. Besides heading terror outfit Hizb-ul Mujahideen, he is the chairman of the United

Jehad Council (UJC), a conglomerate of terrorist outfits operating in the Kashmir Valley.

The NIA had also registered two others cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May this year. It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Syed Salahuddin in the April 2011 case.

In the recent case, the NIA arrested 10 people including some close relatives and aides of Geelani.&nbsp;

District Judge Poonam A Bamba allowed the plea of the probe agency for the custody of 48-year-old Syed Ahmed Shakeel till September 10.

A Delhi court today sent the second son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin to National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody till September 10. District Judge Poonam A Bamba allowed the plea of the probe agency for the custody of 48-year-old Syed Ahmed Shakeel till September 10. The second son of the globally-wanted terrorist, Salahuddin, was arrested yesterday by the NIA in connection with a 2011 terror funding case for allegedly receiving money from his father. Armed with a non-bailable warrant from a Delhi court, the NIA officials, accompanied by the state police and CRPF, placed 48-year-old Syed Ahmed Shakeel under arrest at Rambagh locality in Srinagar yesterday when he was on his way to Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical Science, where he works as a senior laboratory assistant. He was then brought to the national capital and produced before a duty magistrate last evening, which sent to a day's NIA custody with a direction to produce him before the concerned judge today. Shakeel is the second son of Salahuddin who has been arrested by the NIA in connection with the case. Earlier this year, his other son, Shahid, who was working in the agricultural department of the Jammu and Kashmir government, was also arrested in the same case. The probe agency had claimed that during investigation, the involvement of Shakeel had surfaced in raising, receiving, collecting funds from terrorist organisation through its active cadres from Saudi Arabia. It had also claimed that Shakeel had received money through Western Union several times which were sent by absconding chargesheeted accused Aijaz Ahmad Bhat alias Aijaz Maqbool Bhat. The probe showed that Shakeel, the eldest son of Syed Salahuddin, self-styled chief of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terror group, had received funds from various countries from the operatives of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. The case, registered by the NIA in April 2011, relates to transfer of money from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi, which the agency believed was used in funding terrorism and secessionist activities. The NIA has so far filed two charge sheets against six people including G M Bhat, a close aide of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Siddiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga. All four are in judicial custody. Two others -- Mohammed Maqbool Pandit and Bhat -- were also charge sheeted by the NIA but they are absconding and an Interpol Red Corner notice has been issued against them. In this case, so far, three accused persons Mohammad Sidiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga have been convicted after they pleaded guilty. Shakeel's father Mohammed Yusuf Shah -- better known as Syed Salahuddin -- was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State. Besides heading terror outfit Hizb-ul Mujahideen, he is the chairman of the United Jehad Council (UJC), a conglomerate of terrorist outfits operating in the Kashmir Valley. The NIA had also registered two others cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May this year. It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Syed Salahuddin in the April 2011 case. In the recent case, the NIA arrested 10 people including some close relatives and aides of Geelani.

Son of Hizbul Mujahideen chief sent to NIA custody till September 10

The railways is contemplating opening a shorter 50-km section of bullet train route in August 2022, which was the deadline for making the entire 508-km high speed corridor operational, sources said here indicating that the bullet train project is running behind schedule.&nbsp;

The sources in the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the implementing agency of the project, told PTI that in the event of a missed deadline of August 15, 2022, India's 75th Independence Day, a small corridor from Surat to Billimora in Gujarat will be made operational.

A source said that "a more realistic deadline" for the bullet train project could be 2023, a year from the present deadline.&nbsp;

"The hurdles in execution of the bullet train project are not only confined to land acquisition. There are processes involved and the detailed planning, which are still underway.

"As per our assessment, the project might miss the target by a year. The entire 508 km stretch could be commissioned by end 2023," the source from NHSRCL said.

The entire high speed rail corridor will require 1,434 hectares of land with 353 hectares in Maharashtra and the rest in Gujarat. This is divided into 7,000 plots, in 195 villages in Gujarat and in 104 villages in Maharashtra. The project covers three districts in Maharashtra and eight in Guajarat, besides a small area in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. However, so far, only about 0.9 hectare in Bandra-Kurla Complex has been physically handed over, leading to this present predicament, the source said.&nbsp;

"This is one section which will meet the deadline. Besides, it could act as a prototype, helping us test the technologies involved in high speed operation," said another source.

The project involves construction of the Vadodara station right on top of the existing station of the Indian railway network. A 220 meter girder (which itself will be an engineering challenge) would be part of this station project.

This girder could only be completed around the end of 2022,? the source said listing out the numerous challenges in the project.

It is likely that NHSRCL will miss the December 2018 deadline for land acquisition for the Rs 1.08-lakh-crore project, being built with an 80 per cent loan from Japan, the sources said citing resistance from farmers in Palghar (Maharashtra) and Navsari (Gujarat).&nbsp;

A source said that 'a more realistic deadline' for the bullet train project could be 2023, a year from the present deadline.

The railways is contemplating opening a shorter 50-km section of bullet train route in August 2022, which was the deadline for making the entire 508-km high speed corridor operational, sources said here indicating that the bullet train project is running behind schedule. The sources in the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the implementing agency of the project, told PTI that in the event of a missed deadline of August 15, 2022, India's 75th Independence Day, a small corridor from Surat to Billimora in Gujarat will be made operational. A source said that "a more realistic deadline" for the bullet train project could be 2023, a year from the present deadline. "The hurdles in execution of the bullet train project are not only confined to land acquisition. There are processes involved and the detailed planning, which are still underway. "As per our assessment, the project might miss the target by a year. The entire 508 km stretch could be commissioned by end 2023," the source from NHSRCL said. The entire high speed rail corridor will require 1,434 hectares of land with 353 hectares in Maharashtra and the rest in Gujarat. This is divided into 7,000 plots, in 195 villages in Gujarat and in 104 villages in Maharashtra. The project covers three districts in Maharashtra and eight in Guajarat, besides a small area in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. However, so far, only about 0.9 hectare in Bandra-Kurla Complex has been physically handed over, leading to this present predicament, the source said. "This is one section which will meet the deadline. Besides, it could act as a prototype, helping us test the technologies involved in high speed operation," said another source. The project involves construction of the Vadodara station right on top of the existing station of the Indian railway network. A 220 meter girder (which itself will be an engineering challenge) would be part of this station project. This girder could only be completed around the end of 2022,? the source said listing out the numerous challenges in the project. It is likely that NHSRCL will miss the December 2018 deadline for land acquisition for the Rs 1.08-lakh-crore project, being built with an 80 per cent loan from Japan, the sources said citing resistance from farmers in Palghar (Maharashtra) and Navsari (Gujarat).

Railways likely to miss August 22 bullet train deadline, mulls opening shorter route

Coming down heavily on Rahul Gandhi on his Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the Congress president is obsessed with China.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while addressing a media briefing, asked Gandhi why he is behaving like a Chinese spokesperson and took a dig by reminding him that he is "Rahul Gandhi, not Chinese Gandhi".

Patra said, "Why did Rahul Gandhi want the Chinese Ambassador to India to give him a ceremonial see-off at the Indira Gandhi International Airport? Why is Rahul Gandhi behaving like a Chinese spokesperson rather than an Indian spokesperson?Why is Rahul Gandhi holding the brief of China across the globe? He advertises China as if he is the advertising man hired to advertise China. You are Rahul Gandhi, not Chinese Gandhi. Rahul ji has an obsession with China.

"Why is it that&nbsp;Gandhi always wants to get a Chinese view on everything but does not want to have an Indian perspective? Which politicians will he meet there?" he added.

The BJP leader alleged that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her entire family were given a ceremonial reception by the Chinese government in the 2008 Olympics.

The BJP leader used a Bollywood song to launch an attack in this regard and said, "Yeh rishta kya kehlata hai? (What does this relationship mean?) "The BJP spokesperson also criticised Gandhi for describing Doklam stand-off as `Dhokhalam`.

"During his recent Europe tour, he was asked about the Doklam issue. Rahul Gandhi refused to comment saying he has no knowledge about it. When you had no knowledge about it then how did you make such a serious allegation on the government?" Patra said.&nbsp;

The BJP leader alleged that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her entire family were given a ceremonial reception by the Chinese government in the 2008 Olympics.

Coming down heavily on Rahul Gandhi on his Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said that the Congress president is obsessed with China. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, while addressing a media briefing, asked Gandhi why he is behaving like a Chinese spokesperson and took a dig by reminding him that he is "Rahul Gandhi, not Chinese Gandhi". Patra said, "Why did Rahul Gandhi want the Chinese Ambassador to India to give him a ceremonial see-off at the Indira Gandhi International Airport? Why is Rahul Gandhi behaving like a Chinese spokesperson rather than an Indian spokesperson?Why is Rahul Gandhi holding the brief of China across the globe? He advertises China as if he is the advertising man hired to advertise China. You are Rahul Gandhi, not Chinese Gandhi. Rahul ji has an obsession with China. "Why is it that Gandhi always wants to get a Chinese view on everything but does not want to have an Indian perspective? Which politicians will he meet there?" he added. The BJP leader alleged that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her entire family were given a ceremonial reception by the Chinese government in the 2008 Olympics. The BJP leader used a Bollywood song to launch an attack in this regard and said, "Yeh rishta kya kehlata hai? (What does this relationship mean?) "The BJP spokesperson also criticised Gandhi for describing Doklam stand-off as `Dhokhalam`. "During his recent Europe tour, he was asked about the Doklam issue. Rahul Gandhi refused to comment saying he has no knowledge about it. When you had no knowledge about it then how did you make such a serious allegation on the government?" Patra said.

BJP mocks Rahul's Kailash Mansarovar visit, calls him 'Chinese Gandhi'

In a first for India, authorities have decided to install automatic rail track fracture detection system across the 508 km bullet train project connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad to prevent accidents.

The bullet trains will be laced with advanced fire detection system and anti-derailment measures while protecting the structures from earthquake-related incidents.

This system will be a key aspect of the safety net, said officials of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited, the executing agency of the bullet train project.

The existing rail network is yet to adopt this technology. But given the nature of high-speed operation, where trains would touch a peak speed of 320 kmph, use of such technology becomes critical, they said.

"This system will use electrical control circuit through rail tracks...failure in control circuits will help in identifying rail fracture on the tracks," said a report prepared by the corporation highlighting the technologies being used for the&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;1.08 lakh crore bullet train project.

This technology will save hundreds of man hours required for regular inspection of rail tracks focused on rail crack detection, the report added.

The officials said that the cost per kilometer in implementing the technology is being worked out though a decision had already been taken to adopt this technology.

The high-speed corridor is proposed to be commissioned by August 2022, carrying 17,900 passengers in one direction in a single day.

A feasibility study has projected that by 2033, the number of passenger travelling per day will increase to 31,700.

During peak hours, three trains are expected to ply on the 508 km stretch and two in off peak hours.

Each coach of a rake will be separated through fire rated sliding doors to prevent the spread of fire and each coach will be provided with sufficient number of fire extinguishers, the report said.

The corridor will have two maintenance depots - at Thane and in Sabarmati (Ahmedabad).

The Thane depot will carry out daily, monthly and special maintenance while the Sabarmati depot and workshop will cater to bogie maintenance and general maintenance.

The bullet trains will be laced with advanced fire detection system and anti-derailment measures while protecting the structures from earthquake-related incidents.

In a first for India, authorities have decided to install automatic rail track fracture detection system across the 508 km bullet train project connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad to prevent accidents. The bullet trains will be laced with advanced fire detection system and anti-derailment measures while protecting the structures from earthquake-related incidents. This system will be a key aspect of the safety net, said officials of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited, the executing agency of the bullet train project. The existing rail network is yet to adopt this technology. But given the nature of high-speed operation, where trains would touch a peak speed of 320 kmph, use of such technology becomes critical, they said. "This system will use electrical control circuit through rail tracks...failure in control circuits will help in identifying rail fracture on the tracks," said a report prepared by the corporation highlighting the technologies being used for the Rs. 1.08 lakh crore bullet train project. This technology will save hundreds of man hours required for regular inspection of rail tracks focused on rail crack detection, the report added. The officials said that the cost per kilometer in implementing the technology is being worked out though a decision had already been taken to adopt this technology. The high-speed corridor is proposed to be commissioned by August 2022, carrying 17,900 passengers in one direction in a single day. A feasibility study has projected that by 2033, the number of passenger travelling per day will increase to 31,700. During peak hours, three trains are expected to ply on the 508 km stretch and two in off peak hours. Each coach of a rake will be separated through fire rated sliding doors to prevent the spread of fire and each coach will be provided with sufficient number of fire extinguishers, the report said. The corridor will have two maintenance depots - at Thane and in Sabarmati (Ahmedabad). The Thane depot will carry out daily, monthly and special maintenance while the Sabarmati depot and workshop will cater to bogie maintenance and general maintenance.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train to have automatic rail track fracture detection system

China has alerted India about the rising water in river Tsangpo, called Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam, leading to the possibility of floods in downstream areas, Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering said on Thursday.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/future-will-be-dark-ex-assam-cm-says-china-diverting-brahmaputra-water-126732">Also Read:&nbspFuture will be dark: Ex-Assam CM says China diverting Brahmaputra water</a>

MP Ering said the communication from China came following heavy rains in that country which has swollen Tsangpo.

"The local authorities told me that the Chinese government has conveyed to Indian government that there is a possibility of floods in parts of Arunachal Pradesh. We have taken the alert seriously and cautioned people," he told PTI.

According to a Chinese government report, 9020 cumec of water was discharged into Tsangpo/Brahmaputra river as observed at various stations on Thursday.

In April, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said China had agreed to resume sharing of hydrological data of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers. The sharing of hydrological data is crucial to predict floods in India's northeast region, prone to natural calamities.

Under the existing bilateral Memorandums of Understanding, China provides to India hydrological information of the Brahmaputra river (Yarlong Zangbo) and the Sutlej river (Langqen Zangbo) during the flood seasons.

According to the arrangement, China provides flood season data of the Brahmaputra river between May 15 and October 15 every year.

Last year, China stopped sharing data soon after the 73-day long stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Dokalam over Chinese military's plans to build a road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor connecting North-Eastern states.

According to a Chinese government report, 9020 cumec of water was discharged into Tsangpo/Brahmaputra river

China has alerted India about the rising water in river Tsangpo, called Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam, leading to the possibility of floods in downstream areas, Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering said on Thursday. Also Read:&nbspFuture will be dark: Ex-Assam CM says China diverting Brahmaputra water MP Ering said the communication from China came following heavy rains in that country which has swollen Tsangpo. "The local authorities told me that the Chinese government has conveyed to Indian government that there is a possibility of floods in parts of Arunachal Pradesh. We have taken the alert seriously and cautioned people," he told PTI. According to a Chinese government report, 9020 cumec of water was discharged into Tsangpo/Brahmaputra river as observed at various stations on Thursday. In April, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said China had agreed to resume sharing of hydrological data of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers. The sharing of hydrological data is crucial to predict floods in India's northeast region, prone to natural calamities. Under the existing bilateral Memorandums of Understanding, China provides to India hydrological information of the Brahmaputra river (Yarlong Zangbo) and the Sutlej river (Langqen Zangbo) during the flood seasons. According to the arrangement, China provides flood season data of the Brahmaputra river between May 15 and October 15 every year. Last year, China stopped sharing data soon after the 73-day long stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops at Dokalam over Chinese military's plans to build a road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor connecting North-Eastern states.

China has alerted India on rising water in Siang & Brahmaputra: Arunachal Pradesh MP Ering

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With threats from China and North Korea looming overhead, Japan's defence ministry on Friday made its biggest-ever budget request in a bid to bolster-up its defence system.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-&-economy/rupee-slumps-26-paise-to-close-at-historic-low-of-71-level-162741">Rupee slumps 26 paise to close at historic low of 71 level</a>

The rupee today slumped by 26 paise breach the historic low of 71 level for the first time against the US currency due to firming crude oil prices and strong month-end demand from oil importers.

India's GDP zooms to 8.2% in June quarter, highest in two years India's economy reached an impressive 8.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2018-19, reports said on Friday. The growth rate has reached a two-year high with the latest performance. Trump readies to ramp up trade war with China, may slap tariffs on $200 billion more imports US President Donald Trump is prepared to quickly ramp up a trade war with China and has told aides he is ready to impose tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese imports as soon as a public comment period on the plan ends next week, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. Idea Cellular, Vodafone complete merger, create country's largest telecom operator Idea Cellular Ltd and Vodafone Plc completed the merger of their operations on Friday, creating the country's largest telecom operator by subscribers and revenue after the entry of a new player sparked a bitter price war. Amid N Korea, China threats, Japan pushes for record defence budget With threats from China and North Korea looming overhead, Japan's defence ministry on Friday made its biggest-ever budget request in a bid to bolster-up its defence system. Rupee slumps 26 paise to close at historic low of 71 level The rupee today slumped by 26 paise breach the historic low of 71 level for the first time against the US currency due to firming crude oil prices and strong month-end demand from oil importers.

It takes centuries to build what crumbles within seconds -- the deluge in Kerala and the destruction that followed sums it up. The helplessness of people returning to their humble abodes, only to find their hopes soiled in the muck left behind by the flood, is unfathomable.

I got a chance to speak to a group of young, bright lot from Kerala who dived headlong into the catastrophe to save people and help with the relief work. They waded, swam, went without food and water to ensure safety and relief to hundreds of flood-hit people.

This is an attempt to summarise their experiences and get a glimpse of the disaster from a different lens.

The start

Georgy Cherian, Amrit Appaden and Puja Barthakur became part of the rescue and relief work as volunteers. “I would say that WhatsApp and social media were the virtual control rooms. We all were part of some groups, some had people from the Navy in it. We all got in touch with the people from the Navy and started heading out as and when we got the co-ordinates of the locations” Puja, who works as the HR lead at Baker Hughes in Kochi, shared.

<img alt="Kerala_1.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Kerala_1.jpg" width="770" />

Challenges ahead

But the challenges were many, some of them had never been imagined by the rescuers.

“Reaching to the interiors was tough. One place was completely cut-off and was only accessible through a two-and-a-half hour long boat ride. Sometimes we met with false calls and wasted time travelling to those areas. Some people didn’t want to leave their houses, others wanted to be airlifted only. It was difficult to make them understand,” explained Amrit Appaden, an independent chef and co-partner of a Kochi-based sports management firm.

The team went to some of the worst-hit districts including heavily flooded areas like Aluva, Alleppey, Kuttanad and Chalakudy. Braving neck-deep, dirty water and the risk of contamination and deadly animals looming overhead, these youngsters ate whatever came their way and on most days, went without sleeping, eating or changing damp clothes.

“The priority was to rescue as many people as possible and get them food. I remember there was this day when the supplies were dropped over a relief camp and the makeshift roof had collapsed, we had to fix it. We had to swim to this bridge to get supplies and swim back to the relief camp. It would get pitch dark at night, water would get really cold, it was windy and raining,” Amrit recalled.

<img alt="Kerala-3.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Kerala-3.jpg" width="770" />

Undying motivation

But the suffering they saw only humbled them into sacrificing more. The team said they didn’t want to eat into the bits of food that came for the relief camps. On some days they survived on goods bits from a bunch of rotting bananas while on another day a volunteer shared a completely soiled, muddy piece of chikki with the rest of the team.

“You can’t even begin to assess the severity of the loss here. People are in a quandary everywhere. They don’t know whom to turn to in a situation like this. Getting your entire life’s savings wiped out in a jiffy and finally having to dispose or even burn everything right in front of your eyes, because of its non-usability, makes you ponder about survivability,” shared Georgy Cherian who recently returned to Kerala after working as an electrical engineer in New Zealand.

Road to recovery

According to Puja, the state will take at least a year to get back to normalcy, and that is for people like you and me. “What about those whose livelihood was connected to the land? The farmers, the fishermen, the construction workers, daily wage-earners -- they have no work. Tourism has taken a hit. Yesterday only I saw people from the Fisheries department trying to assess the loss incurred by the sector. Just imagine, these people have had no income ever since the deluge struck and have now lost everything. We also need rehabilitation of jobs,” she reasoned.

The team stated that now is the time when the story of the aftermath needs to be told. The story of that family which was stuck in floodwaters with a child who needed a liver transplant, of those simple people who lived, ate, bathed and slept by the riverside and now have nowhere to go.

While Puja pressed for more supplies, Georgy and Amrit noted that last-mile delivery is a challenge now. “Supplies are coming in from all across the globe, but whether or not that is reaching to the one in need is a different ballgame altogether,” Georgy said.

&nbsp;<img alt="kerala-1.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/kerala-1.jpg" width="770" />

As I closed my set of queries, each one of them came up with an interesting, thought-provoking message, what they described as their takeaways from the whole situation.

Final call

Georgy called for bolstered up disaster management, “People should shed their consumerist ways of living and turn to minimalism followed in countries like Japan. Disaster preparedness hasn’t been done and hence you see people still at loggerheads about what to do in such circumstances”.

Amrit focused on the prompt response from the youth of Kerala that, in a way, helped avert a lot of casualties, “It all went into disarray on August 15, the very next day, whoever I know was involved in the relief work. There were many success stories, cases of casualties averted. No one is focusing on the lives saved, the good deed done, the proactiveness displayed,” Amrit exclaimed.

Puja asked more and more people to come forward and help Kerala’s cause, leaving the differences behind. “I am from Assam, lived for 18 years in Delhi and moved to Kochi only two years back. I am not a Malayali, I don’t speak or understand Malayalam, but it was not a barrier for me. It did not stop me from helping. Why should it? I would urge people to send supplies -- books, blankets, medicines, clothes, anything -- every effort counts. Visit Kerala, it would help create jobs for some people,” Puja concluded. &nbsp;

Kerala is not wiped out of the map, do not think it is destroyed. Its charm, beauty and exuberance lives on and will resurrect. Its undying spirit twinkles in the humble eyes and magnanimous hearts of its people who you and I can help bounce back to normalcy.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Kerala is not wiped out of the map; do not think it is destroyed. Its charm, beauty and exuberance lives on and will resurrect

It takes centuries to build what crumbles within seconds -- the deluge in Kerala and the destruction that followed sums it up. The helplessness of people returning to their humble abodes, only to find their hopes soiled in the muck left behind by the flood, is unfathomable. I got a chance to speak to a group of young, bright lot from Kerala who dived headlong into the catastrophe to save people and help with the relief work. They waded, swam, went without food and water to ensure safety and relief to hundreds of flood-hit people. This is an attempt to summarise their experiences and get a glimpse of the disaster from a different lens. The start Georgy Cherian, Amrit Appaden and Puja Barthakur became part of the rescue and relief work as volunteers. “I would say that WhatsApp and social media were the virtual control rooms. We all were part of some groups, some had people from the Navy in it. We all got in touch with the people from the Navy and started heading out as and when we got the co-ordinates of the locations” Puja, who works as the HR lead at Baker Hughes in Kochi, shared. Challenges ahead But the challenges were many, some of them had never been imagined by the rescuers. “Reaching to the interiors was tough. One place was completely cut-off and was only accessible through a two-and-a-half hour long boat ride. Sometimes we met with false calls and wasted time travelling to those areas. Some people didn’t want to leave their houses, others wanted to be airlifted only. It was difficult to make them understand,” explained Amrit Appaden, an independent chef and co-partner of a Kochi-based sports management firm. The team went to some of the worst-hit districts including heavily flooded areas like Aluva, Alleppey, Kuttanad and Chalakudy. Braving neck-deep, dirty water and the risk of contamination and deadly animals looming overhead, these youngsters ate whatever came their way and on most days, went without sleeping, eating or changing damp clothes. “The priority was to rescue as many people as possible and get them food. I remember there was this day when the supplies were dropped over a relief camp and the makeshift roof had collapsed, we had to fix it. We had to swim to this bridge to get supplies and swim back to the relief camp. It would get pitch dark at night, water would get really cold, it was windy and raining,” Amrit recalled. Undying motivation But the suffering they saw only humbled them into sacrificing more. The team said they didn’t want to eat into the bits of food that came for the relief camps. On some days they survived on goods bits from a bunch of rotting bananas while on another day a volunteer shared a completely soiled, muddy piece of chikki with the rest of the team. “You can’t even begin to assess the severity of the loss here. People are in a quandary everywhere. They don’t know whom to turn to in a situation like this. Getting your entire life’s savings wiped out in a jiffy and finally having to dispose or even burn everything right in front of your eyes, because of its non-usability, makes you ponder about survivability,” shared Georgy Cherian who recently returned to Kerala after working as an electrical engineer in New Zealand. Road to recovery According to Puja, the state will take at least a year to get back to normalcy, and that is for people like you and me. “What about those whose livelihood was connected to the land? The farmers, the fishermen, the construction workers, daily wage-earners -- they have no work. Tourism has taken a hit. Yesterday only I saw people from the Fisheries department trying to assess the loss incurred by the sector. Just imagine, these people have had no income ever since the deluge struck and have now lost everything. We also need rehabilitation of jobs,” she reasoned. The team stated that now is the time when the story of the aftermath needs to be told. The story of that family which was stuck in floodwaters with a child who needed a liver transplant, of those simple people who lived, ate, bathed and slept by the riverside and now have nowhere to go. While Puja pressed for more supplies, Georgy and Amrit noted that last-mile delivery is a challenge now. “Supplies are coming in from all across the globe, but whether or not that is reaching to the one in need is a different ballgame altogether,” Georgy said. As I closed my set of queries, each one of them came up with an interesting, thought-provoking message, what they described as their takeaways from the whole situation. Final call Georgy called for bolstered up disaster management, “People should shed their consumerist ways of living and turn to minimalism followed in countries like Japan. Disaster preparedness hasn’t been done and hence you see people still at loggerheads about what to do in such circumstances”. Amrit focused on the prompt response from the youth of Kerala that, in a way, helped avert a lot of casualties, “It all went into disarray on August 15, the very next day, whoever I know was involved in the relief work. There were many success stories, cases of casualties averted. No one is focusing on the lives saved, the good deed done, the proactiveness displayed,” Amrit exclaimed. Puja asked more and more people to come forward and help Kerala’s cause, leaving the differences behind. “I am from Assam, lived for 18 years in Delhi and moved to Kochi only two years back. I am not a Malayali, I don’t speak or understand Malayalam, but it was not a barrier for me. It did not stop me from helping. Why should it? I would urge people to send supplies -- books, blankets, medicines, clothes, anything -- every effort counts. Visit Kerala, it would help create jobs for some people,” Puja concluded. Kerala is not wiped out of the map, do not think it is destroyed. Its charm, beauty and exuberance lives on and will resurrect. Its undying spirit twinkles in the humble eyes and magnanimous hearts of its people who you and I can help bounce back to normalcy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Blog: What young rescuers braved in middle of Kerala deluge

The Congress today accused centre of selling petrol and diesel to other nations at far cheaper rates than to Indian citizens and alleged the people, who were suffering due to the all-time high prices, would give it a befitting reply in elections for this "betrayal".

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed the common man was suffering due to spiralling prices of such products and the government had "looted" the country of over&nbspRs&nbsp11 lakh crore due to levy of "monstrous taxes".

"The Modi government is selling cheap petrol and diesel to foreign countries, as Indians suffer due to the all-time high prices," he said.

"The monstrous taxes being levied by the government have resulted in the skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices. The Modi government has already profited by over&nbspRs&nbsp11 lakh crore from draconian taxes on fuel," he alleged in a statement.

The Congress leader claimed the petrol and diesel prices were at an all-time high and the common man, the middle class, the farmers, the transporters and small and medium businesses were bearing the brunt of it.

"Petrol and diesel in India are available in the range of&nbspRs&nbsp78-86 and from&nbspRs&nbsp70 to 75 respectively, but an RTI reply revealed the Modi government is selling petrol to 15 countries at just&nbspRs&nbsp34 per litre and diesel to 29 countries at&nbspRs&nbsp37 only. These include England, Australia, America, Malaysia and Israel. This is how the government betrayed and backstabbed the people of India," he alleged.

Surjewala claimed in July 2017, the Congress had demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under the ambit of the GST, but the government and the BJP refused to listen.

"Now, the people of India will answer the BJP by giving it a befitting reply in the upcoming elections," he said.

The Congress leader alleged the excise duty of petrol was just&nbspRs&nbsp9.2 per litre in May 2014, while it is&nbspRs&nbsp19.48 per litre now.

He claimed the excise duty of diesel was just&nbspRs&nbsp3.46 per litre in May 2014 to&nbspRs&nbsp15.33 per litre now. The central excise duty has been hiked 12 times since the BJP came in to power.

He said the prices of essential commodities were burning holes in the budgets of the all Indians and the people would "not forgive and forget" the government for the "fuel loot" and they "will give a befitting reply to the BJP in the forthcoming elections".

He said while skyrocketing diesel prices of&nbspRs&nbsp70.26 per litre in Delhi were impacting farmers' lifeline, besides a stinging effect on the runaway food inflation, the prices of petrol which touched a high of&nbspRs&nbsp78.57 per litre in Delhi had gravely impacted the transportation and commuting cost of the common man.

He said the prices of petrol and diesel in the country's financial capital Mumbai had touched&nbspRs&nbsp86 per litre and&nbspRs&nbsp74.59 respectively owing to taxes imposed by the BJP governments in the Centre and the state.

The Congress leader claimed the petrol and diesel prices were at an all-time high and the common man, the middle class, the farmers, the transporters and small and medium businesses were bearing the brunt of it.

The Congress today accused centre of selling petrol and diesel to other nations at far cheaper rates than to Indian citizens and alleged the people, who were suffering due to the all-time high prices, would give it a befitting reply in elections for this "betrayal". Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed the common man was suffering due to spiralling prices of such products and the government had "looted" the country of over&nbspRs&nbsp11 lakh crore due to levy of "monstrous taxes". "The Modi government is selling cheap petrol and diesel to foreign countries, as Indians suffer due to the all-time high prices," he said. "The monstrous taxes being levied by the government have resulted in the skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices. The Modi government has already profited by over&nbspRs&nbsp11 lakh crore from draconian taxes on fuel," he alleged in a statement. The Congress leader claimed the petrol and diesel prices were at an all-time high and the common man, the middle class, the farmers, the transporters and small and medium businesses were bearing the brunt of it. "Petrol and diesel in India are available in the range of&nbspRs&nbsp78-86 and from&nbspRs&nbsp70 to 75 respectively, but an RTI reply revealed the Modi government is selling petrol to 15 countries at just&nbspRs&nbsp34 per litre and diesel to 29 countries at&nbspRs&nbsp37 only. These include England, Australia, America, Malaysia and Israel. This is how the government betrayed and backstabbed the people of India," he alleged. Surjewala claimed in July 2017, the Congress had demanded that petrol and diesel be brought under the ambit of the GST, but the government and the BJP refused to listen. "Now, the people of India will answer the BJP by giving it a befitting reply in the upcoming elections," he said. The Congress leader alleged the excise duty of petrol was just&nbspRs&nbsp9.2 per litre in May 2014, while it is&nbspRs&nbsp19.48 per litre now. He claimed the excise duty of diesel was just&nbspRs&nbsp3.46 per litre in May 2014 to&nbspRs&nbsp15.33 per litre now. The central excise duty has been hiked 12 times since the BJP came in to power. He said the prices of essential commodities were burning holes in the budgets of the all Indians and the people would "not forgive and forget" the government for the "fuel loot" and they "will give a befitting reply to the BJP in the forthcoming elections". He said while skyrocketing diesel prices of&nbspRs&nbsp70.26 per litre in Delhi were impacting farmers' lifeline, besides a stinging effect on the runaway food inflation, the prices of petrol which touched a high of&nbspRs&nbsp78.57 per litre in Delhi had gravely impacted the transportation and commuting cost of the common man. He said the prices of petrol and diesel in the country's financial capital Mumbai had touched&nbspRs&nbsp86 per litre and&nbspRs&nbsp74.59 respectively owing to taxes imposed by the BJP governments in the Centre and the state.

Government selling petrol at Rs 34 per litre to US, Israel, UK: Congress

The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing on plea challenging constitutionality of Article 35A for the third time in a month, after the Centre requested the Supreme Court that the matter is very sensitive in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The next hearing is in January 2019.

J&K: Apex court adjourns article 35A hearing

Two people died due to dengue and 1,588 people were tested positive with the vector-borne disease during the rainy season this year in Himachal Pradesh, Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar informed the state Assembly today.

Replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Rakesh Kumar, the health minister said Bilaspur remained the worst hit district, where 783 cases of dengue were recorded.

Solan district recorded 681 cases of dengue followed by 91 cases in Mandi and three in Sirmour, he said.

Parmar informed the House that the Health Department had taken various steps to check the spread of the disease.

Replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Arun Kumar, he said CT simulator and linear accelerator machines would soon become operational at the Radiotherapy Department in Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Tanda.

According to Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) guidelines, trained medical physicist and radiotherapy technician are required for running these machines, he said, adding that these posts have been created and process has been started to appoint a medical physicist and radiotherapy technician.&nbsp

Replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Rakesh Kumar, the health minister said Bilaspur remained the worst hit district, where 783 cases of dengue were recorded.

Two people died due to dengue and 1,588 people were tested positive with the vector-borne disease during the rainy season this year in Himachal Pradesh, Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar informed the state Assembly today. Replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Rakesh Kumar, the health minister said Bilaspur remained the worst hit district, where 783 cases of dengue were recorded. Solan district recorded 681 cases of dengue followed by 91 cases in Mandi and three in Sirmour, he said. Parmar informed the House that the Health Department had taken various steps to check the spread of the disease. Replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Arun Kumar, he said CT simulator and linear accelerator machines would soon become operational at the Radiotherapy Department in Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Tanda. According to Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) guidelines, trained medical physicist and radiotherapy technician are required for running these machines, he said, adding that these posts have been created and process has been started to appoint a medical physicist and radiotherapy technician.

2 die, 1588 people test positive for dengue in Himachal Pradesh

The petrol prices have gone up by 21 paise per litre and diesel has gone up by 18 paise per litre. In Delhi, the prices of diesel advanced towards an all time high 70-mark at Rs 70.21 per litre.

Diesel prices at new high, petrol prices also increase

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to second week of January 2019 the hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35 A.

Article 35A: SC adjourns hearing on pleas to January 2019

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Blog: What young rescuers braved in middle of Kerala deluge

Government selling petrol at Rs 34 per litre to US, Israel, UK: Congress

J&K: Apex court adjourns article 35A hearing

2 die, 1588 people test positive for dengue in Himachal Pradesh

Diesel prices at new high, petrol prices also increase

Article 35A: SC adjourns hearing on pleas to January 2019