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TRAI Chairman R S Sharma has said that apps should collect minimal data just as UIDAI does to give 12-digit Aadhar numbers to people.

Some apps are ridiculously collecting more than required data and the customers are unaware of what is being done with it, he said.

"For Aadhar enrollment, we collect just four sets of data your name, date of birth and your communication address. Nothing more, nothing less. Similarly, every app must collect as much data as is required," Sharma told that in an interview&nbsp;yesterday.

"Data minimisation should be one of the principles just as Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) adopts to collect data of people," he said.

TRAI had noted that the existing framework of data protection of telecom consumers is "not sufficient" and that all entities in the digital ecosystem which handle personal data should be brought under a data protection framework.

These recommendations are expected to have wide-reaching implications for tech titans like Apple and Facebook as well as apps like Paytm.

Asked whether the DoT has powers to create rules or regulations proposed by TRAI, Sharma said it is for the government to decide.

Asked whether TRAI has the power to implement such rules before the government legislates them, Sharma said he has the jurisdiction to protect consumers' interest in the telecom sector.

Sharma said, there is a regulatory imbalance because these entities are not following any law and till the government comes up with a broad framework, it is but prudent to apply telecom rules on them.

Replying to a query, Sharma said TRAI is not for applying same encryption standards for different sectors including telecom or Aadhar.

"There are different rules for different sectors. For example in telecoms, the maximum encryption is proposed to be 40 bits. UIDAI has the highest level of encryption where it is 2048 bits. So, what we are saying is that probably there is a need to have a general policy on encryption and we are not saying that we should apply same encryption standard," he said.&nbsp;

Sharma said the encryption standard should be proportional to the security that needs to be achieved.&nbsp;

RS Sharma said that some apps are ridiculously collecting more than required data and the customers are unaware of what is being done with it.

TRAI Chairman R S Sharma has said that apps should collect minimal data just as UIDAI does to give 12-digit Aadhar numbers to people. Some apps are ridiculously collecting more than required data and the customers are unaware of what is being done with it, he said. "For Aadhar enrollment, we collect just four sets of data your name, date of birth and your communication address. Nothing more, nothing less. Similarly, every app must collect as much data as is required," Sharma told that in an interview yesterday. "Data minimisation should be one of the principles just as Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) adopts to collect data of people," he said. TRAI had noted that the existing framework of data protection of telecom consumers is "not sufficient" and that all entities in the digital ecosystem which handle personal data should be brought under a data protection framework. These recommendations are expected to have wide-reaching implications for tech titans like Apple and Facebook as well as apps like Paytm. Asked whether the DoT has powers to create rules or regulations proposed by TRAI, Sharma said it is for the government to decide. Asked whether TRAI has the power to implement such rules before the government legislates them, Sharma said he has the jurisdiction to protect consumers' interest in the telecom sector. Sharma said, there is a regulatory imbalance because these entities are not following any law and till the government comes up with a broad framework, it is but prudent to apply telecom rules on them. Replying to a query, Sharma said TRAI is not for applying same encryption standards for different sectors including telecom or Aadhar. "There are different rules for different sectors. For example in telecoms, the maximum encryption is proposed to be 40 bits. UIDAI has the highest level of encryption where it is 2048 bits. So, what we are saying is that probably there is a need to have a general policy on encryption and we are not saying that we should apply same encryption standard," he said. Sharma said the encryption standard should be proportional to the security that needs to be achieved.

Apps should collect minimal data like Aadhar: TRAI chief

Three bodies have been recovered by the National Disaster Response Force at the site of the building collapse in Greater Noida. Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident, one is the builder and his two associates. However, the necessary action and rescue operation not adequate.

Greater Noida building collapse: Necessary action and rescue operation not adequate

The IMD has forecast a good monsoon this year. This brings cheer to farmers and many others who depend on agriculture. The same hope though is not held out about the Monsoon Session of Parliament that begins today.

Relations between the government and Opposition parties have remained in a cynical stalemate since at least the Winter Session of Parliament last year. The Budget Session was also an almost wash out with even the Budget itself getting passed without debate or discussion.&nbsp;

The opposition parties had tried unsuccessfully, and perhaps prematurely, to move a no-confidence motion during the Budget Session mainly because they were outmaneuvered by the BJP that was said to have tacitly backed AIADMK and TDP disruptions. Citing ‘lack of order’ in the House the Speaker disallowed the opposition’s no-confidence motion.&nbsp;

Opposition’s No-confidence&nbsp;motion&nbsp;a Symbolic Victory?&nbsp;

It’s not an easy question to answer. Even though BJP’s tally of seats&nbsp;hovers around&nbsp;the majority figure of 272, it&nbsp;still has a&nbsp;brute majority in the&nbsp;Lok&nbsp;Sabha&nbsp;and can easily win the trust-vote.&nbsp;But giving Opposition hope is the fact that&nbsp;a lot has happened since the Budget session. BJP’s failure to dislodge Congress from power in Karnataka where the grand old party managed to muster an alliance with arch rival&nbsp;JD(S)&nbsp;and the subsequent show of opposition unity at the swearing-in of&nbsp;Kumaraswamy&nbsp;as Chief Minister has induced a new energy among opposition ranks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The consolidation of Opposition unity has also been tested successfully at the various&nbsp;Lok&nbsp;Sabha&nbsp;bypolls. 
 
In UP,&nbsp;Bahujan&nbsp;Samaj&nbsp;Party’s&nbsp;Mayawati&nbsp;and&nbsp;Akhilesh&nbsp;Yadav&nbsp;of&nbsp;Samajwadi&nbsp;Party have shown&nbsp;the&nbsp;way by winning three by&nbsp;bypolls&nbsp;including the Gorakhpur seat, which was considered a BJP bastion and which was held by Chief Minister&nbsp;Adityanath.&nbsp;Lately, the two parties joined hands with the&nbsp;Rashtriya&nbsp;Lok&nbsp;Dal and were able to win oust BJP from&nbsp;Kairana&nbsp;Lok&nbsp;Sabha&nbsp;seat, which has further bolstered the opposition.&nbsp;In Maharashtra too, BJP lost one of two&nbsp;Lok&nbsp;Sabha&nbsp;bypolls&nbsp;to NCP-Congress combine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In&nbsp;bypolls&nbsp;held in Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya, non-BJP parties have performed well and won most of the&nbsp;bypolls. In&nbsp;Meghalaya where Congress had been ousted from government by a BJP-engineered coalition, it&nbsp;is once again the&nbsp;single-largest party after it won the&nbsp;Ampati&nbsp;bypoll.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Outside the Parliament, things are certainly looking better for the opposition compared to the last monsoon session when it was on shakier ground and had still not come together to fight elections.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Skyrocketing fuel and food prices, the cascading effects of US-China trade war on our economy, and the crumbling state of public sector banks have all negatively impacted both the average Indian consumer and investor confidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The perception of&nbsp;jobless&nbsp;and insipid growth,&nbsp;an increasingly fragile state of law and order with a&nbsp;spate of mob killings,&nbsp;and crucial judicial developments such as the alleged dilution of the Atrocities Act- all these give enough firepower to the Opposition’s plans to corner the government. But, as we have seen in the past sessions, only a united Opposition can outsmart the treasury benches inside the house. The presence of even one chink in its unity can derail Opposition plans. 
 
Though nobody expects the no-confidence motion to pass,&nbsp;the fact that it has been&nbsp;moved&nbsp;gives the Opposition&nbsp;a symbolic victory&nbsp;and morale booster&nbsp;ahead of the next round of assembly elections, and the general elections next year. Now that&nbsp;the no-confidence motion has been moved we can perhaps hope that once it is over the Parliament can carry on with its primary&nbsp;job-to deliberate on laws and policies- no less than 18 new Bills are to be introduced in the Parliament, and a total of 108 pending Bills (both Houses) need to be taken up in this session.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

No less than 18 new Bills are to be introduced in the Parliament, and a total of 108 pending bills need to be taken up in this session.

The IMD has forecast a good monsoon this year. This brings cheer to farmers and many others who depend on agriculture. The same hope though is not held out about the Monsoon Session of Parliament that begins today. Relations between the government and Opposition parties have remained in a cynical stalemate since at least the Winter Session of Parliament last year. The Budget Session was also an almost wash out with even the Budget itself getting passed without debate or discussion. The opposition parties had tried unsuccessfully, and perhaps prematurely, to move a no-confidence motion during the Budget Session mainly because they were outmaneuvered by the BJP that was said to have tacitly backed AIADMK and TDP disruptions. Citing ‘lack of order’ in the House the Speaker disallowed the opposition’s no-confidence motion. Opposition’s No-confidence motion a Symbolic Victory? It’s not an easy question to answer. Even though BJP’s tally of seats hovers around the majority figure of 272, it still has a brute majority in the Lok Sabha and can easily win the trust-vote. But giving Opposition hope is the fact that a lot has happened since the Budget session. BJP’s failure to dislodge Congress from power in Karnataka where the grand old party managed to muster an alliance with arch rival JD(S) and the subsequent show of opposition unity at the swearing-in of Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister has induced a new energy among opposition ranks. The consolidation of Opposition unity has also been tested successfully at the various Lok Sabha bypolls. In UP, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party have shown the way by winning three by bypolls including the Gorakhpur seat, which was considered a BJP bastion and which was held by Chief Minister Adityanath. Lately, the two parties joined hands with the Rashtriya Lok Dal and were able to win oust BJP from Kairana Lok Sabha seat, which has further bolstered the opposition. In Maharashtra too, BJP lost one of two Lok Sabha bypolls to NCP-Congress combine. In bypolls held in Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya, non-BJP parties have performed well and won most of the bypolls. In Meghalaya where Congress had been ousted from government by a BJP-engineered coalition, it is once again the single-largest party after it won the Ampati bypoll. Outside the Parliament, things are certainly looking better for the opposition compared to the last monsoon session when it was on shakier ground and had still not come together to fight elections. Skyrocketing fuel and food prices, the cascading effects of US-China trade war on our economy, and the crumbling state of public sector banks have all negatively impacted both the average Indian consumer and investor confidence. The perception of jobless and insipid growth, an increasingly fragile state of law and order with a spate of mob killings, and crucial judicial developments such as the alleged dilution of the Atrocities Act- all these give enough firepower to the Opposition’s plans to corner the government. But, as we have seen in the past sessions, only a united Opposition can outsmart the treasury benches inside the house. The presence of even one chink in its unity can derail Opposition plans. Though nobody expects the no-confidence motion to pass, the fact that it has been moved gives the Opposition a symbolic victory and morale booster ahead of the next round of assembly elections, and the general elections next year. Now that the no-confidence motion has been moved we can perhaps hope that once it is over the Parliament can carry on with its primary job-to deliberate on laws and policies- no less than 18 new Bills are to be introduced in the Parliament, and a total of 108 pending Bills (both Houses) need to be taken up in this session. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Give us a good Monsoon Session

A hospital in Bengaluru has registered its first case of texting addiction.

With the growth of mobile usage in India, Bengaluru based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences or NIMHANS has registered the first case of texting addiction of a 19-year-old.

The 19-year-old patient was spending 8-10 hours on the phone responding to an average of 200 texts every day. The addiction was identified at the service for healthy use of technology or SHUT clinic when the patient showed an inability to stay away from her mobile phone.&nbsp;

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Co-ordinator of SHUT Clinic, NIMHANS said that the patient used to develop psychological problems such as irritability, anger whenever she was asked to restrain herself from texting.&nbsp;

The doctor said that due to the excessive texting habit the girl was not taking out time for social activities and texting had become the first and the foremost thing in her life.&nbsp;

The clinic assessed the impact of the texting behaviour on the girl and gave her a feedback that texting was becoming a compulsive behaviour and the excessive texting was having an adverse impact on her activities.

The doctor further said that initially,&nbsp;the girl was not willing for the treatment&nbsp;however later the clinic convinced.

After conducting clinical interviews, NIMHANS has started&nbsp;working on the treatment of the teenager.

The treatment involves making the patient face the reality of her situation and then slowly wean her away from her mobile phone.&nbsp;

Though this is the first registered case, experts feel that there are many serious ramifications of early exposure to technology. A recent research had shown that an average young adult sends around 110 text messages every day.&nbsp;

Swarnalath Iyer, Psychologist who is actively involved in counselling students says that most youngsters use mobile phone as a comforter to counter the social anxiety that they face in the real world.&nbsp;

The 19-year-old patient was spending 8-10 hours on the phone responding to an average of 200 texts every day. The addiction was identified at the service for healthy use of technology or SHUT clinic when the patient showed an inability to stay away from her mobile phone

A hospital in Bengaluru has registered its first case of texting addiction. With the growth of mobile usage in India, Bengaluru based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences or NIMHANS has registered the first case of texting addiction of a 19-year-old. The 19-year-old patient was spending 8-10 hours on the phone responding to an average of 200 texts every day. The addiction was identified at the service for healthy use of technology or SHUT clinic when the patient showed an inability to stay away from her mobile phone. Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Co-ordinator of SHUT Clinic, NIMHANS said that the patient used to develop psychological problems such as irritability, anger whenever she was asked to restrain herself from texting. The doctor said that due to the excessive texting habit the girl was not taking out time for social activities and texting had become the first and the foremost thing in her life. The clinic assessed the impact of the texting behaviour on the girl and gave her a feedback that texting was becoming a compulsive behaviour and the excessive texting was having an adverse impact on her activities. The doctor further said that initially, the girl was not willing for the treatment however later the clinic convinced. After conducting clinical interviews, NIMHANS has started working on the treatment of the teenager. The treatment involves making the patient face the reality of her situation and then slowly wean her away from her mobile phone. Though this is the first registered case, experts feel that there are many serious ramifications of early exposure to technology. A recent research had shown that an average young adult sends around 110 text messages every day. Swarnalath Iyer, Psychologist who is actively involved in counselling students says that most youngsters use mobile phone as a comforter to counter the social anxiety that they face in the real world.

Bengaluru hospital registers first case of texting addiction

By Manish Shukla

China will soon be delivering eight submarines — the deal had been struck earlier — to Pakistan.&nbsp;

The delivery is expected to tilt the balance of power in the Indian Ocean.

India currently has 16 submarines, Pakistan has 10. With the additional eight submarines, Pakistan will have more submarines in its waters than India.&nbsp;

Along with the submarines, China will also be giving Pakistan anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters, missile boats, corvettes, surface-to-air missiles, and combat aerial drones.&nbsp;

The ASW helicopters are able to detect and hunt down enemy submarines hidden underwater.&nbsp;

Defence ministry sources said Chinese naval officers were recently spotted training their Pakistani counterparts on the new weapons at Wuhan Naval Base.

China is also building Pakistan a forward operating base at Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan. And setting up a VLF (very low frequency) communication station at Karachi port. The VLF station is expected to help Pakistan communicate with its submarines.&nbsp;

India is currently bulding&nbsp;six&nbsp;Scorpene-class submarines.

The third of them, the Karanj, was launched in January this year but the pace of India's defence modernisation, compared to China-aided Pakistan's, has been slow.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Along with the submarines, China will also be giving Pakistan anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters, missile boats, corvettes, surface-to-air missiles, and combat aerial drones.

By Manish Shukla China will soon be delivering eight submarines — the deal had been struck earlier — to Pakistan. The delivery is expected to tilt the balance of power in the Indian Ocean. India currently has 16 submarines, Pakistan has 10. With the additional eight submarines, Pakistan will have more submarines in its waters than India. Along with the submarines, China will also be giving Pakistan anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters, missile boats, corvettes, surface-to-air missiles, and combat aerial drones. The ASW helicopters are able to detect and hunt down enemy submarines hidden underwater. Defence ministry sources said Chinese naval officers were recently spotted training their Pakistani counterparts on the new weapons at Wuhan Naval Base. China is also building Pakistan a forward operating base at Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan. And setting up a VLF (very low frequency) communication station at Karachi port. The VLF station is expected to help Pakistan communicate with its submarines. India is currently bulding six Scorpene-class submarines. The third of them, the Karanj, was launched in January this year but the pace of India's defence modernisation, compared to China-aided Pakistan's, has been slow.

China to soon deliver 8 submarines to Pakistan, expected to tilt balance of power in Indian Ocean

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has removed party vice-chairperson and national coordinator Jaiprakash Singh after he called Congress president Rahul Gandhi unfit for the prime ministerial post.

While addressing a press conference in the capital on Tuesday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also mentioned about Singh's speech in which he spoke against her party's ideology.

"I came to know about BSP national coordinator Jai Prakash Singh's speech in which he spoke against the ideology of BSP and also made personal remarks against the leadership of rival parties. It's his personal opinion.

So, he has been removed from his post with immediate effect," said Mayawati.

She warned party cadres against committing similar mistakes. Instead, the party workers were advised to speak only about the party's ideology and senior leaders who have inspired millions of people in the past.

She categorically told party's rank and file not to disclose any information about the party's prospective alliances for the upcoming polls.

"In Uttar Pradesh and other states as well, until an alliance with a party is announced, members of the Bahujan Samaj Party should refrain from speaking anything about it at any level. They should leave it to the high command, " said BSP supremo.

Mayawati also advised her party leaders that while addressing public meetings they should read from written speeches rather than speaking extempore. This practice would help avoid the scope of committing a mistake.

"I suggest that each leader of the BSP should first write their views on a piece of paper before giving out any speech in public, " she said.

Mayawati also advised her party leaders that while addressing public meetings they should read from written speeches rather than speaking extempore.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has removed party vice-chairperson and national coordinator Jaiprakash Singh after he called Congress president Rahul Gandhi unfit for the prime ministerial post. While addressing a press conference in the capital on Tuesday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also mentioned about Singh's speech in which he spoke against her party's ideology. "I came to know about BSP national coordinator Jai Prakash Singh's speech in which he spoke against the ideology of BSP and also made personal remarks against the leadership of rival parties. It's his personal opinion. So, he has been removed from his post with immediate effect," said Mayawati. She warned party cadres against committing similar mistakes. Instead, the party workers were advised to speak only about the party's ideology and senior leaders who have inspired millions of people in the past. She categorically told party's rank and file not to disclose any information about the party's prospective alliances for the upcoming polls. "In Uttar Pradesh and other states as well, until an alliance with a party is announced, members of the Bahujan Samaj Party should refrain from speaking anything about it at any level. They should leave it to the high command, " said BSP supremo. Mayawati also advised her party leaders that while addressing public meetings they should read from written speeches rather than speaking extempore. This practice would help avoid the scope of committing a mistake. "I suggest that each leader of the BSP should first write their views on a piece of paper before giving out any speech in public, " she said.

Mayawati removes BSP leader from post for Rahul Gandhi comment

Taking a strong stand over several incidents of mob lynchings in the country, the Supreme Court has urged the Parliament to create a separate law to deal with cases of mob violence.

Supreme Court urges Parliament to create separate law for mob violence

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Parliament to make a law to deal with lynching.&nbsp;

"Horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become new norm and has to be curbed with iron hands," the court said.&nbsp;

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Violence by vigilante groups/cow vigilantism: Supreme Court says, "no citizen can take law into their own hands. In case of fear and anarchy, the state has to act positively. Violence can't be allowed." <a href="https://t.co/ryE18JbTCP">pic.twitter.com/ryE18JbTCP</a>
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Supreme Court has said that it is the duty of the states to ensure inclusive social order, no mobocracy can be allowed: Tehseen Poonawalla, Petitioner in violence by vigilante groups matter <a href="https://t.co/pwRvCUAqNF">pic.twitter.com/pwRvCUAqNF</a>
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There have been a plethora of lynchings in the recent past. Most of them are sparked by rumours of child-lifting, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pehlu-khan-lynching-rajasthan-police-gives-clean-chit-to-6-accused-20205">cow slaughter</a>, or the consumption of beef.&nbsp;

According to news reports, some 29 people have so far been lynched as a result of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/5-lynched-in-maharashtra-on-suspicion-of-being-child-lifters-148227">child-lifting rumours</a>, and close to 20 because of the rumours of cow slaughter and beef consumption.&nbsp;

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM&nbsp;Khanwilkar, and Justice DY Chandrachud has been hearing a plea asking for the formulation of guidelines to curb such vigilantism

The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed the matter for further hearing on August 28.&nbsp;

The US government meanwhile has reopened an investigation into the 1955 lynching of black teenager Emmett Till in Mississippi, saying it had discovered new information in the case, which helped spark the nation’s civil rights movement.&nbsp;

In August 1955, Till was beaten, shot and mutilated in Money, Mississippi, four days after it was alleged that the black 14-year-old from Chicago had flirted with a white woman.

The woman’s husband, Roy Bryant, and JW Milam were charged with Till’s murder, but the two white men were later acquitted of the crime by an all-white jury. The pair later confessed in a paid magazine interview to abducting and killing the teenager. The two men have since died, in 1994 and 1981, respectively.

“We are happy that they got new evidence to reopen the case. It’s just kind of sad that it’s taken so long,” Charles Hampton, president of the Mississippi NAACP, told Reuters.

The federal case regarding Till was closed in 2007 after the Justice Department had earlier concluded it could no longer prosecute the case. It was referred the district attorney in Mississippi, where a grand jury declined to issue new charges, the department said.

Interest in the case was revived in 2017 with the publication of the book, “The Blood of Emmett Till,” which reportedly quotes the white woman in the case, Carolyn Bryant Donham, saying she had lied when she testified against Till.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

'Horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become new norm and has to be curbed with iron hands,' the court said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Parliament to make a law to deal with lynching. "Horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be allowed to become new norm and has to be curbed with iron hands," the court said. Violence by vigilante groups/cow vigilantism: Supreme Court says, "no citizen can take law into their own hands. In case of fear and anarchy, the state has to act positively. Violence can't be allowed." pic.twitter.com/ryE18JbTCP — ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018 × Supreme Court has said that it is the duty of the states to ensure inclusive social order, no mobocracy can be allowed: Tehseen Poonawalla, Petitioner in violence by vigilante groups matter pic.twitter.com/pwRvCUAqNF — ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018 × We were confident that Supreme Court would give us justice. No one should be killed in the name of cow smuggling: Salim, brother of the victim killed by cow vigilante groups in Hapur pic.twitter.com/13txTgjWYB — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 17, 2018 × There have been a plethora of lynchings in the recent past. Most of them are sparked by rumours of child-lifting, cow slaughter, or the consumption of beef. According to news reports, some 29 people have so far been lynched as a result of the child-lifting rumours, and close to 20 because of the rumours of cow slaughter and beef consumption. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar, and Justice DY Chandrachud has been hearing a plea asking for the formulation of guidelines to curb such vigilantism The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed the matter for further hearing on August 28. The US government meanwhile has reopened an investigation into the 1955 lynching of black teenager Emmett Till in Mississippi, saying it had discovered new information in the case, which helped spark the nation’s civil rights movement. In August 1955, Till was beaten, shot and mutilated in Money, Mississippi, four days after it was alleged that the black 14-year-old from Chicago had flirted with a white woman. The woman’s husband, Roy Bryant, and JW Milam were charged with Till’s murder, but the two white men were later acquitted of the crime by an all-white jury. The pair later confessed in a paid magazine interview to abducting and killing the teenager. The two men have since died, in 1994 and 1981, respectively. “We are happy that they got new evidence to reopen the case. It’s just kind of sad that it’s taken so long,” Charles Hampton, president of the Mississippi NAACP, told Reuters. The federal case regarding Till was closed in 2007 after the Justice Department had earlier concluded it could no longer prosecute the case. It was referred the district attorney in Mississippi, where a grand jury declined to issue new charges, the department said. Interest in the case was revived in 2017 with the publication of the book, “The Blood of Emmett Till,” which reportedly quotes the white woman in the case, Carolyn Bryant Donham, saying she had lied when she testified against Till. (With inputs from Reuters)

Supreme Court asks Parliament to make law to deal with lynching

A video has reportedly emerged showing Naxals allegedly running a school in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur.&nbsp;

ANI reported that the school was training children. &nbsp;

Bastar DIG Ratan Lal Dangi however told ANI that "we have not got any evidence regarding this."&nbsp;

He added that "most of their (the Naxals') camps have been destroyed now and their cadres have surrendered before the police."

He however said that there is a "there is a possibility that something of this sort may have existed in the past."&nbsp;

Dangi added that "Naxals have always tried to involve the youth and children in their cadre by brainwashing them."&nbsp;

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Something like this may have existed in past.Naxals always tried to involve youth&children in their cadre: DIG Bastar RL Dangi on video of Maoist schools in area. (Earlier tweet deleted as it had archival shots of Maoist school in'13, was part of a feature story. Error regretted) <a href="https://t.co/aKFQL5ywVD">pic.twitter.com/aKFQL5ywVD</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1019062704584224768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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ANI however did not release the purported video.&nbsp;

Bastar DIG Ratan Lal Dangi said 'we have not got any evidence regarding this' but added 'there is a possibility that something of this sort may have existed in the past'

A video has reportedly emerged showing Naxals allegedly running a school in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur. ANI reported that the school was training children. Bastar DIG Ratan Lal Dangi however told ANI that "we have not got any evidence regarding this." He added that "most of their (the Naxals') camps have been destroyed now and their cadres have surrendered before the police." He however said that there is a "there is a possibility that something of this sort may have existed in the past." Dangi added that "Naxals have always tried to involve the youth and children in their cadre by brainwashing them." Something like this may have existed in past.Naxals always tried to involve youth&children in their cadre: DIG Bastar RL Dangi on video of Maoist schools in area. (Earlier tweet deleted as it had archival shots of Maoist school in'13, was part of a feature story. Error regretted) pic.twitter.com/aKFQL5ywVD — ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018 × ANI however did not release the purported video.

Video shows Naxals allegedly running school in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

The International Monetary Fund has forecasted a growth rate of 7.3 per cent in 2018 and 7.5 per cent in 2019 for India as against 6.7 per cent in 2017, making it the fastest growing country among major economies.

IMF growth projections for India: India's growth rate to rise from 6.7% to 7.3%

The incident took place in Navi Mumbai's Taloja. There have recently been heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai

Mumbai: Car submerged under water, locals pull family to safety with rope

In an online video, a group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers can be seen breaking road in front of Mantralaya in Mumbai. The workers were protesting increased numbers of potholes in the city and associated deaths. The incident occurred last night.&nbsp

The 20-second long video clip shows agitated MNS workers break the road in front of the Mantralaya demanding better, pothole-free roads cross the 'Maximus'&nbspcity.&nbsp

MNS workers also vandalised a PWD office in Navi Mumbai over pothole-related deaths in the state. A video showed party workers throwing chairs and other objects in the PWD office.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> MNS workers break road in front of Mantralaya in Mumbai to protest against potholes in the city, late last night. <a href="https://t.co/IiSn7J8DFl">pic.twitter.com/IiSn7J8DFl</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1019072115604148225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Maharashtra PWD minister Chandrakant Patil, who earlier got criticised for claiming that potholes cannot be entirely blamed for accidents, said he didn't mean to hurt anyone's sentiments.

"I did not mean to hurt anyone's sentiments. I had made a general statement," Patil told ANI.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers vandalise the office of Public Works Department in Navi Mumbai over incidents of pothole deaths in the state. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maharashtra?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maharashtra</a> <a href="https://t.co/IT4qQpfMAW">pic.twitter.com/IT4qQpfMAW</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1018752017232224256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Last week, a man in Maharashtra's Kalyan was crushed to death by a truck after he fell off his scooter that tripped on a pothole.

"Five people have died so far due to potholes in Kalyan. Municipal Corporation will not fill the potholes until an important person dies due to them," ANI quoted a Mumbai resident.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp

Last week, a man in Maharashtra's Kalyan was crushed to death by a truck after he fell off his scooter that tripped on a pothole.

In an online video, a group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers can be seen breaking road in front of Mantralaya in Mumbai. The workers were protesting increased numbers of potholes in the city and associated deaths. The incident occurred last night. The 20-second long video clip shows agitated MNS workers break the road in front of the Mantralaya demanding better, pothole-free roads cross the 'Maximus'&nbspcity. MNS workers also vandalised a PWD office in Navi Mumbai over pothole-related deaths in the state. A video showed party workers throwing chairs and other objects in the PWD office. #WATCH MNS workers break road in front of Mantralaya in Mumbai to protest against potholes in the city, late last night. pic.twitter.com/IiSn7J8DFl — ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018 × Meanwhile, Maharashtra PWD minister Chandrakant Patil, who earlier got criticised for claiming that potholes cannot be entirely blamed for accidents, said he didn't mean to hurt anyone's sentiments. "I did not mean to hurt anyone's sentiments. I had made a general statement," Patil told ANI. #WATCH: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers vandalise the office of Public Works Department in Navi Mumbai over incidents of pothole deaths in the state. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/IT4qQpfMAW — ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2018 × Last week, a man in Maharashtra's Kalyan was crushed to death by a truck after he fell off his scooter that tripped on a pothole. "Five people have died so far due to potholes in Kalyan. Municipal Corporation will not fill the potholes until an important person dies due to them," ANI quoted a Mumbai resident. (With inputs from ANI)

Watch: MNS workers break road in Mumbai protesting pothole-led deaths 

A high-level delegation from the US today held crucial talks with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale over the US sanctions on import of Iranian oil amid indications that Washington may offer exemption to some countries from the restrictions.

The delegation led by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea also held separate talks with top officials of the Finance Ministry.

Official sources said the issue of US sanctions on import of Iranian oil figured in the talks the delegation had with Gokhale who explained to it India's position on the matter.

On the US sanctions, the government has been maintaining that it will go by what is in the country's national interest.

It was not immediately clear whether Gokhale requested the US delegation to consider providing India some waiver from the sanctions.

The talks here came on a day US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly said in Washington that US may consider providing waivers from the sanctions to some countries which require time to cut import of oil from Iran.

India has also been hoping that it will get some relief from the sanctions.

The US delegation is here as part of the Trump administration's efforts to reach out to countries who are major importers of oil from Iran.

The government is yet to take decision on cutting import of oil from Iran in compliance with the US sanctions.

There were no official comments from the Indian and the US side.

Yesterday, India and Iran had extensive deliberations on ways to deal with the impact of the US sanctions and decided that both the countries will maintain the momentum of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

In May, the Trump administration had pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and brought back economic sanctions against Tehran.

The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions. India is yet to take a call on complying with the US sanctions on Iran.

The first set of US sanctions will kick in from August 6.

Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iran supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil between April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of fiscal 2017-18).

Earlier this month, government sources said India is looking at the possibility of falling back on the rupee-rial arrangement for importing oil from Iran in the wake of US sanctions.

The rupee-rial arrangement was used to buy oil from Iran before sanctions were lifted against it three years ago.

Under the mechanism, India used to pay in euros to clear 55 per cent of its dues through Ankara-based Halk bank. The remaining 45 per cent payment was remitted in rupees in accounts Iranian oil companies had with the Uco Bank.&nbsp

Official sources said the issue of US sanctions on import of Iranian oil figured in the talks the delegation had with Gokhale who explained to it India's position on the matter

A high-level delegation from the US today held crucial talks with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale over the US sanctions on import of Iranian oil amid indications that Washington may offer exemption to some countries from the restrictions. The delegation led by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea also held separate talks with top officials of the Finance Ministry. Official sources said the issue of US sanctions on import of Iranian oil figured in the talks the delegation had with Gokhale who explained to it India's position on the matter. On the US sanctions, the government has been maintaining that it will go by what is in the country's national interest. It was not immediately clear whether Gokhale requested the US delegation to consider providing India some waiver from the sanctions. The talks here came on a day US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly said in Washington that US may consider providing waivers from the sanctions to some countries which require time to cut import of oil from Iran. India has also been hoping that it will get some relief from the sanctions. The US delegation is here as part of the Trump administration's efforts to reach out to countries who are major importers of oil from Iran. The government is yet to take decision on cutting import of oil from Iran in compliance with the US sanctions. There were no official comments from the Indian and the US side. Yesterday, India and Iran had extensive deliberations on ways to deal with the impact of the US sanctions and decided that both the countries will maintain the momentum of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. In May, the Trump administration had pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and brought back economic sanctions against Tehran. The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions. India is yet to take a call on complying with the US sanctions on Iran. The first set of US sanctions will kick in from August 6. Iran is India's third-largest oil supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iran supplied 18.4 million tonnes of crude oil between April 2017 and January 2018 (first 10 months of fiscal 2017-18). Earlier this month, government sources said India is looking at the possibility of falling back on the rupee-rial arrangement for importing oil from Iran in the wake of US sanctions. The rupee-rial arrangement was used to buy oil from Iran before sanctions were lifted against it three years ago. Under the mechanism, India used to pay in euros to clear 55 per cent of its dues through Ankara-based Halk bank. The remaining 45 per cent payment was remitted in rupees in accounts Iranian oil companies had with the Uco Bank.

Oil import from Iran: India, US hold crucial talks

Leading U.S. lawmakers, including numerous Republicans, criticized President Donald Trump for failing to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections.

US house speaker Paul Ryan slams Russia for meddling in 2016 US polls

Over 300 varieties of mangoes were on display at the mango festival held in Indian city of Dehradun.

Mango festival held in India: Over 300 varieties of mangoes at the festival

India’s first poet’s meet for the transgender community – ‘Transgender Poet’s Meet’ was held at the Sahitya Akademi today. This is the first such government-sponsored event organised by Sahitya Akademi, which is a part of the Union Ministry of Culture.&nbsp

The two and a half hour event was chaired by India’s first college principal Manabi Bandyapadhyay, who shared a lot of poems that she had written. This apart, six other transgender poets – Rani Majumdar, Aruna Nath, Anjali Mandal, Debdutta Biswas and Debojyoti Bhattacharya participated in the meet. Each of the poets was given close to 15 minutes to recite their poetry. In addition to this, the event also had two guest transgender poets, who also recited their poem.

Speaking at the occasion she said, “Such poet’s meet will only encourage the transgender community. We all have such talents but do not get the opportunity that we deserve. I’m thankful that Sahitya Akademi has come forward in support of the transgender community.”&nbsp

In the wake of the judgement on Section 377 being reserved today by the Supreme Court, Bandhyapadhyay said that she is hopeful of a positive outcome. “The country hugely respects us and thus they have recognised us a third gender. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will pass a judgement in our favour.”

While Sahitya Akademi has many centres across the country, the Kolkata branch was the first one to hold a one of its kind and first ever Transgender Poet’s meet in Kolkata. The officer-in-charge, Eastern Region, Sahitya Akademi, Mihir Sahu said, “We have hosted several women empowerment sessions and events in the past. But, when Manabi Bandyapadhyay came to me saying that she wanted us to host a transgender poet’s meet, I could not say a no. In fact, a lot of people from Delhi are calling me and congratulating me for taking this step forward.&nbsp

The two and a half hour event was chaired by India’s first college principal Manabi Bandyapadhyay, who shared a lot of poems that she had written

India’s first poet’s meet for the transgender community – ‘Transgender Poet’s Meet’ was held at the Sahitya Akademi today. This is the first such government-sponsored event organised by Sahitya Akademi, which is a part of the Union Ministry of Culture. The two and a half hour event was chaired by India’s first college principal Manabi Bandyapadhyay, who shared a lot of poems that she had written. This apart, six other transgender poets – Rani Majumdar, Aruna Nath, Anjali Mandal, Debdutta Biswas and Debojyoti Bhattacharya participated in the meet. Each of the poets was given close to 15 minutes to recite their poetry. In addition to this, the event also had two guest transgender poets, who also recited their poem. Speaking at the occasion she said, “Such poet’s meet will only encourage the transgender community. We all have such talents but do not get the opportunity that we deserve. I’m thankful that Sahitya Akademi has come forward in support of the transgender community.” In the wake of the judgement on Section 377 being reserved today by the Supreme Court, Bandhyapadhyay said that she is hopeful of a positive outcome. “The country hugely respects us and thus they have recognised us a third gender. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will pass a judgement in our favour.” While Sahitya Akademi has many centres across the country, the Kolkata branch was the first one to hold a one of its kind and first ever Transgender Poet’s meet in Kolkata. The officer-in-charge, Eastern Region, Sahitya Akademi, Mihir Sahu said, “We have hosted several women empowerment sessions and events in the past. But, when Manabi Bandyapadhyay came to me saying that she wanted us to host a transgender poet’s meet, I could not say a no. In fact, a lot of people from Delhi are calling me and congratulating me for taking this step forward.

India's first transgender poet's meet held in Kolkata

Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday.

He is on&nbspa four-day visit to India.

During his stay, Balakrishnan will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.

The Singapore Minister will all pay a visit to Guwahati to meet Assam Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal on Wednesday.

During his stay, Balakrishnan will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Sushma Swaraj

Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday. He is on&nbspa four-day visit to India. During his stay, Balakrishnan will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. The Singapore Minister will all pay a visit to Guwahati to meet Assam Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal on Wednesday.

Singapore External Affairs Minister on a four-day visit to India

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC), &nbsp;party's highest decision-making body, with 51 new and old members.

The new CWC will have 23 members, 18 permanent invitees and 10 special invitees.&nbsp;

This the first CWC formed by the Congress chief after assuming charge of the party.

The prominent names missing from the list are former powerful organisation Secretary Janardhan Dewedi, Former General Secretary Digvijay Singh, Captain Satish Sharma sending a clear signal that dissent in public will not be tolerated.&nbsp;

Party veterans Digvijay Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Kamal Nath, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mohan Prakash, C P Joshi have been dropped from CWC, while Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel and Ambika Soni continue to hold their membership.

The list also excludes Bhupinder Singh Hudda.&nbsp;

Former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Oommen Chandy, Tarun Gogoi, Siddharamaiah and Harish Rawat have also found a place in the new CWC.&nbsp;

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In an attempt to give impetus to Congress' crumbling hold on state-level politics across India, the party president has mended the old Congress ways and okayed the induction of state incharges as permanent invitees of the CWC. &nbsp;

The reconstituted Congress Working Committee&nbsp;is a blend of young and old leaders.

The list includes all young leaders who were appointed as the state in charges like Deepak Babaria, Jitendra Singh, Gaurav Gogoi Randeep Surjewalan and Anugrah Narayan Singh.&nbsp;

Though old guards like Motilal Vora and Ahmad Patel have been accommodated a line has been drawn and new Congress leadership has ushered.&nbsp;

Congress leaders Sheila Dikshit, P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Balasaheb Thorat and Tariq Hameed Karra will be among the permanent invitees.&nbsp;

The CWC, which acts as an advisory panel on all key decisions of the party, was not in place since the plenary session in March.

Rahul Gandhi constituted Congress Working Committee with a blend of young and old, convenes the first meeting on July 22.

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC), party's highest decision-making body, with 51 new and old members. The new CWC will have 23 members, 18 permanent invitees and 10 special invitees. This the first CWC formed by the Congress chief after assuming charge of the party. The prominent names missing from the list are former powerful organisation Secretary Janardhan Dewedi, Former General Secretary Digvijay Singh, Captain Satish Sharma sending a clear signal that dissent in public will not be tolerated. Party veterans Digvijay Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Kamal Nath, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mohan Prakash, C P Joshi have been dropped from CWC, while Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel and Ambika Soni continue to hold their membership. The list also excludes Bhupinder Singh Hudda. Former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot, Oommen Chandy, Tarun Gogoi, Siddharamaiah and Harish Rawat have also found a place in the new CWC. INC COMMUNIQUE Announcement of the constitution of the Congress Working Committee and the Permanent and Special invitees to the CWC. pic.twitter.com/x9uBsEOZa7 — Congress (@INCIndia) July 17, 2018 × In an attempt to give impetus to Congress' crumbling hold on state-level politics across India, the party president has mended the old Congress ways and okayed the induction of state incharges as permanent invitees of the CWC. The reconstituted Congress Working Committee is a blend of young and old leaders. The list includes all young leaders who were appointed as the state in charges like Deepak Babaria, Jitendra Singh, Gaurav Gogoi Randeep Surjewalan and Anugrah Narayan Singh. Though old guards like Motilal Vora and Ahmad Patel have been accommodated a line has been drawn and new Congress leadership has ushered. Congress leaders Sheila Dikshit, P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Balasaheb Thorat and Tariq Hameed Karra will be among the permanent invitees. The CWC, which acts as an advisory panel on all key decisions of the party, was not in place since the plenary session in March.

Rahul Gandhi drops Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Janardan Dwivedi from CWC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today his government is working to double farmers' income by 2022, prompting the Trinamool Congress to 
Dub it an old but "yet-to-be fulfilled" promise made years ago by the BJP.

The Mamata Banerjee-led party also sought to know how the prime minister is going to fulfil the promise, even as it claimed that the income of farmers in West Bengal has more than tripled in the past seven years under the TMC rule.

Addressing a 'Kisan Kalyan' rally in Midnapore, Modi said: "My government is your government. It is a government of farmers. Our government worked for farmers...From quality seeds to market. It is important to have warehouse to save the produce."

"The farmers are the soul of India. A country can't develop fully until and unless there is development of farmers," he said.

Exhorting the TMC government to work for farmers, Modi said: "I hope the West Bengal government will take the required steps to create infrastructure for farmers. We want our farmers to use the latest technology."

On the plight of potato farmers in Bengal, he said the state government should build more warehouses so that crops don't go waste.

Referring to TMC posters with photographs of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee put up near the rally venue, Modi said: "I am thankful to Mamata didi. Even the TMC cannot deny our achievements. They have put up posters of didi with folded hands welcoming the prime minister."

But the TMC hit back saying that similar signages can be seen across the state for the party's July 21 'Shahid Diwas' rally. "He is obviously not well informed," it said.

The TMC also alleged that some of these posters and banners were defaced and pulled down by BJP workers.

Modi said the previous governments did not work for the development of farmers. Several commissions were set up to look into the issue of increasing MSPs but nothing happened.

Speaking about the increase in MSPs for paddy and other Kharif crops, he said the central government increased the price per quintal of jute, which would help the growers in Bengal.

Referring to Modi's statement that his government is working to double farmers' income by 2022, the TMC said it was a promise made many years ago in BJP's manifesto but is "yet-to-be fulfilled".

"May we now ask the BJP leader how he plans to double farmers' income? It was a promise made many years ago in his party's manifesto, but still not delivered", a joint statement issued by TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee and its Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said.

They claimed that the prime minister's meeting today was attended mostly by people from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha, and even vehicles from Patna were spotted.

"There were hardly any locals or farmers. There was a lot of corporate money spent on this political meeting but what has been the net result? How have the farmers benefited," they asked.

Claiming that farmers' income in the state has more than tripled in the past seven years, they said that in 2011 - when the TMC government came to power - it was Rs 91,000 and last year it went up to Rs 2,90,000.

Modi said the previous governments did not work for the development of farmers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today his government is working to double farmers' income by 2022, prompting the Trinamool Congress to Dub it an old but "yet-to-be fulfilled" promise made years ago by the BJP. The Mamata Banerjee-led party also sought to know how the prime minister is going to fulfil the promise, even as it claimed that the income of farmers in West Bengal has more than tripled in the past seven years under the TMC rule. Addressing a 'Kisan Kalyan' rally in Midnapore, Modi said: "My government is your government. It is a government of farmers. Our government worked for farmers...From quality seeds to market. It is important to have warehouse to save the produce." "The farmers are the soul of India. A country can't develop fully until and unless there is development of farmers," he said. Exhorting the TMC government to work for farmers, Modi said: "I hope the West Bengal government will take the required steps to create infrastructure for farmers. We want our farmers to use the latest technology." On the plight of potato farmers in Bengal, he said the state government should build more warehouses so that crops don't go waste. Referring to TMC posters with photographs of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee put up near the rally venue, Modi said: "I am thankful to Mamata didi. Even the TMC cannot deny our achievements. They have put up posters of didi with folded hands welcoming the prime minister." But the TMC hit back saying that similar signages can be seen across the state for the party's July 21 'Shahid Diwas' rally. "He is obviously not well informed," it said. The TMC also alleged that some of these posters and banners were defaced and pulled down by BJP workers. Modi said the previous governments did not work for the development of farmers. Several commissions were set up to look into the issue of increasing MSPs but nothing happened. Speaking about the increase in MSPs for paddy and other Kharif crops, he said the central government increased the price per quintal of jute, which would help the growers in Bengal. Referring to Modi's statement that his government is working to double farmers' income by 2022, the TMC said it was a promise made many years ago in BJP's manifesto but is "yet-to-be fulfilled". "May we now ask the BJP leader how he plans to double farmers' income? It was a promise made many years ago in his party's manifesto, but still not delivered", a joint statement issued by TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee and its Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said. They claimed that the prime minister's meeting today was attended mostly by people from neighbouring Jharkhand and Odisha, and even vehicles from Patna were spotted. "There were hardly any locals or farmers. There was a lot of corporate money spent on this political meeting but what has been the net result? How have the farmers benefited," they asked. Claiming that farmers' income in the state has more than tripled in the past seven years, they said that in 2011 - when the TMC government came to power - it was Rs 91,000 and last year it went up to Rs 2,90,000.

PM Modi says NDA working to double farmers' income; TMC calls it old promise

The Centre today opposed in the Supreme Court a PIL for barring candidates from contesting from than one constituency in a general election, saying that the issue of electoral reforms would need legislative action and the plea failed to establish that fundamental rights of citizens were being infringed upon in any way.

In an affidavit, the central government said that the writ petition "maybe dismissed" as it has failed to show "any infringement" of any fundamental or constitutional rights of the people at large.

"It is prayed that amending section 33 (7) of the Representative of Peoples Act may cause the infringement of the rights of the candidates contesting elections as well as curtails choice of candidates to the polity," the affidavit filed by K K Saxena, Deputy Secretary with the Ministry of Law and Justice, said.

The affidavit, which would be considered by a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said that the petition filed by the BJP leader Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay failed to demonstrate any violation of fundamental rights.&nbsp;

The affidavit said that a person has been allowed under the Act to contest election from two constituencies simultaneously and the law has to be amended for disallowing the same.

"It is humbly submitted that the answering respondent is conscious of the need for electoral reforms in our country, however, electoral reforms is a complex, continuous, long-drawn and comprehensive process...," it said, adding that, relevant laws would be made from time to time.&nbsp;

The objective of curtailing the right of a candidate to stand for election from two seats would require a legislative amendment, the affidavit said and sought dismissal of the PIL.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), in its affidavit in December last year, had quoted its 2004 proposals on electoral reforms and said that the law should be amended to ensure that a person cannot contest from more than one seat.

The poll panel had also said that its proposal to bar candidates from contesting from more than one seat was rejected by a parliamentary standing committee way back in 1998, which had taken note of the view of an all-party meeting favouring to retain the provision.

Upadhyay has sought directions to the authorities to take appropriate steps to discourage independent candidates from contesting parliamentary and state Assembly elections as suggested by the National Commission to

Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC).

He has said the question of independent candidates is often connected with the issue of fragmented voting and instability in the electoral system and referred to the Law Commission's 170th report which said the time is now ripe for debarring independent candidates from contesting Lok Sabha elections.

"Similarly, the NCRWC has recommended discouragement of independent candidates, who are often dummy candidates or defectors from their party or those denied party tickets," the petition has said.

The affidavit said that a person has been allowed under the Act to contest election from two constituencies simultaneously.

The Centre today opposed in the Supreme Court a PIL for barring candidates from contesting from than one constituency in a general election, saying that the issue of electoral reforms would need legislative action and the plea failed to establish that fundamental rights of citizens were being infringed upon in any way. In an affidavit, the central government said that the writ petition "maybe dismissed" as it has failed to show "any infringement" of any fundamental or constitutional rights of the people at large. "It is prayed that amending section 33 (7) of the Representative of Peoples Act may cause the infringement of the rights of the candidates contesting elections as well as curtails choice of candidates to the polity," the affidavit filed by K K Saxena, Deputy Secretary with the Ministry of Law and Justice, said. The affidavit, which would be considered by a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said that the petition filed by the BJP leader Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay failed to demonstrate any violation of fundamental rights. The affidavit said that a person has been allowed under the Act to contest election from two constituencies simultaneously and the law has to be amended for disallowing the same. "It is humbly submitted that the answering respondent is conscious of the need for electoral reforms in our country, however, electoral reforms is a complex, continuous, long-drawn and comprehensive process...," it said, adding that, relevant laws would be made from time to time. The objective of curtailing the right of a candidate to stand for election from two seats would require a legislative amendment, the affidavit said and sought dismissal of the PIL. The Election Commission of India (ECI), in its affidavit in December last year, had quoted its 2004 proposals on electoral reforms and said that the law should be amended to ensure that a person cannot contest from more than one seat. The poll panel had also said that its proposal to bar candidates from contesting from more than one seat was rejected by a parliamentary standing committee way back in 1998, which had taken note of the view of an all-party meeting favouring to retain the provision. Upadhyay has sought directions to the authorities to take appropriate steps to discourage independent candidates from contesting parliamentary and state Assembly elections as suggested by the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC). He has said the question of independent candidates is often connected with the issue of fragmented voting and instability in the electoral system and referred to the Law Commission's 170th report which said the time is now ripe for debarring independent candidates from contesting Lok Sabha elections. "Similarly, the NCRWC has recommended discouragement of independent candidates, who are often dummy candidates or defectors from their party or those denied party tickets," the petition has said.

Centre opposes PIL to bar candidates from contesting from more than one seat

Ahead of next year's parliamentary elections, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP today announced a new team of office-bearers which included 11 vice-presidents, three general secretaries and 10 state secretaries

The new team also include one state chief spokesperson, 10 state spokespersons, five publicity, additional publicity and press secretaries and two office secretaries, the party said in a statement here.

BJP state president Ravinder Riana nominated the new team in consultation with BJP national vice-president and J&K 'Prabhari' (in-charge) Avinash Rai Khanna, state general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul and other senior leaders.

Those nominated as vice presidents of the party included Harinder Gupta, Pawan Khajuria, Arun Gupta, Poornima Sharma, Girdhari Lal Raina, Tsering Gonboo (Leh), Davinder Manyal, Parmod Kapahi, Sofi Yousuf and Rajeev Charak.

According to the statement, Narinder Singh, Sunil Sharma and Yudhvir Sethi have been nominated as state general secretaries, while Rajinder Sharma, Sunil Gupta (Poonch), Aseem Gupta, Anil Parihar (Kishtwar), Sanjay Baru, Veenu Khanna, Ragunandan Singh Babloo (Kathua), Praduman Singh, Ajay Gupta (Pargal) and Suresh Ajay Magotra have been nominated as state secretaries.

Sunil Sethi has been retained as state chief spokesperson and chairman of recently constituted state disciplinary committee of the party.

Those nominated as state spokespersons include Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, Priya Sethi, R S Pathania, S S Bijral, Ishtaq Wani, Balbir Ram Rattan, Khalid Jahangir, Altaf Thakur, Ashok Khajuria (refugee cell) and Tahir Choudhary, the statement said.

Jaidev Rajwal will continue to look after the IT and social media, it said.

Tilak Raj Gupta was nominated as state office secretary and Suresh Sharma as additional office secretary, the statement said, adding that Naresh Dogra is appointed as publicity secretary, Surinder Choudhary and Arun Chhibber as additional publicity secretaries, Pardeep Mahotra as state press secretary and Rakesh Mahajan as additional press secretary.

Suraj Singh was nominated as media secretary and Jugal Gupta as additional media secretary, it said.

Chander Mohan Gupta is state treasurer and Arvind Gupta is additional state treasurer, while Vikas Choudhary has been nominated as state president 'Yuva Morcha' (youth wing) and Rajni Sethi as state president 'Mahila Morcha' (women wing), the statement said.

Rajinder Singh Chib will be state president 'Kissan Morcha' (farmers wing), Jagdish Bhagat as state president Scheduled Caste wing, Sadiq Khan as state president minority wing, Ghulam Ali Khatana as state President Scheduled Tribe, Rashpal Verma as state president Other Backward Class wing, the statement said.

Sanjay Khanna has been nominated as protocol secretary, it said.&nbsp

BJP state president Ravinder Riana nominated the new team.

Ahead of next year's parliamentary elections, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP today announced a new team of office-bearers which included 11 vice-presidents, three general secretaries and 10 state secretaries The new team also include one state chief spokesperson, 10 state spokespersons, five publicity, additional publicity and press secretaries and two office secretaries, the party said in a statement here. BJP state president Ravinder Riana nominated the new team in consultation with BJP national vice-president and J&K 'Prabhari' (in-charge) Avinash Rai Khanna, state general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul and other senior leaders. Those nominated as vice presidents of the party included Harinder Gupta, Pawan Khajuria, Arun Gupta, Poornima Sharma, Girdhari Lal Raina, Tsering Gonboo (Leh), Davinder Manyal, Parmod Kapahi, Sofi Yousuf and Rajeev Charak. According to the statement, Narinder Singh, Sunil Sharma and Yudhvir Sethi have been nominated as state general secretaries, while Rajinder Sharma, Sunil Gupta (Poonch), Aseem Gupta, Anil Parihar (Kishtwar), Sanjay Baru, Veenu Khanna, Ragunandan Singh Babloo (Kathua), Praduman Singh, Ajay Gupta (Pargal) and Suresh Ajay Magotra have been nominated as state secretaries. Sunil Sethi has been retained as state chief spokesperson and chairman of recently constituted state disciplinary committee of the party. Those nominated as state spokespersons include Brig (retd) Anil Gupta, Priya Sethi, R S Pathania, S S Bijral, Ishtaq Wani, Balbir Ram Rattan, Khalid Jahangir, Altaf Thakur, Ashok Khajuria (refugee cell) and Tahir Choudhary, the statement said. Jaidev Rajwal will continue to look after the IT and social media, it said. Tilak Raj Gupta was nominated as state office secretary and Suresh Sharma as additional office secretary, the statement said, adding that Naresh Dogra is appointed as publicity secretary, Surinder Choudhary and Arun Chhibber as additional publicity secretaries, Pardeep Mahotra as state press secretary and Rakesh Mahajan as additional press secretary. Suraj Singh was nominated as media secretary and Jugal Gupta as additional media secretary, it said. Chander Mohan Gupta is state treasurer and Arvind Gupta is additional state treasurer, while Vikas Choudhary has been nominated as state president 'Yuva Morcha' (youth wing) and Rajni Sethi as state president 'Mahila Morcha' (women wing), the statement said. Rajinder Singh Chib will be state president 'Kissan Morcha' (farmers wing), Jagdish Bhagat as state president Scheduled Caste wing, Sadiq Khan as state president minority wing, Ghulam Ali Khatana as state President Scheduled Tribe, Rashpal Verma as state president Other Backward Class wing, the statement said. Sanjay Khanna has been nominated as protocol secretary, it said.

Jammu and Kashmir: BJP constitutes new team ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Opposition parties today decided to move forward with consensus for filling the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post and asked the Congress, the TMC and the Samajwadi Party to come out with a "suitable candidate" acceptable to all.

During a meeting in Parliament, opposition leaders decided they should unitedly move forward in fielding a joint candidate for the post that fell vacant after P J Kurien retired on July 1, but no names were discussed, sources said.

Those present at the meeting included leaders from the Congress, NCP, TMC, BSP, SP, RJD, DMK, CPI(M), CPI, JD(S), RSP, IUML and KC-M, among others.

The entire opposition agreed that there should be a consensus candidate and the same should have acceptance among all parties and not just from any one party, they said.

Leaders of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which are the largest opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha should sit together and find a "suitable candidate", the sources said.

TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy made it clear at the meeting that his party will not field any candidate for the post and will support any joint opposition candidate decided through consensus. Roy's name was among the probables for the post.

The name of Akali leader Naresh Gujral is doing the rounds for the post from the ruling NDA side, though no decision has yet been taken on his name.&nbsp

Though the post of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha goes to the opposition, the tradition has not been followed for some time now as both the previous deputy chairmen P J Kurien and K Rehman Khan were from the then ruling party at the time of their election.

ing a meeting in Parliament, opposition leaders decided they should unitedly move forward in fielding a joint candidate for the post that fell vacant.

Opposition parties today decided to move forward with consensus for filling the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post and asked the Congress, the TMC and the Samajwadi Party to come out with a "suitable candidate" acceptable to all. During a meeting in Parliament, opposition leaders decided they should unitedly move forward in fielding a joint candidate for the post that fell vacant after P J Kurien retired on July 1, but no names were discussed, sources said. Those present at the meeting included leaders from the Congress, NCP, TMC, BSP, SP, RJD, DMK, CPI(M), CPI, JD(S), RSP, IUML and KC-M, among others. The entire opposition agreed that there should be a consensus candidate and the same should have acceptance among all parties and not just from any one party, they said. Leaders of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which are the largest opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha should sit together and find a "suitable candidate", the sources said. TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy made it clear at the meeting that his party will not field any candidate for the post and will support any joint opposition candidate decided through consensus. Roy's name was among the probables for the post. The name of Akali leader Naresh Gujral is doing the rounds for the post from the ruling NDA side, though no decision has yet been taken on his name. Though the post of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha goes to the opposition, the tradition has not been followed for some time now as both the previous deputy chairmen P J Kurien and K Rehman Khan were from the then ruling party at the time of their election.

Opposition parties to move forward for filling Rajya Sabha deputy chairman post

China has set up an unmanned automatic weather observation station in Tibet near Arunachal Pradesh border to provide meteorological support to its military and assist operations of aircraft and missiles in case of "regional live-fire conflicts", a media report said today.

The station in Yumai township under Lhunze county of Shannan Prefecture in Tibet will eliminate a blind area of meteorological services, state-run Global Times reported.

It will also provide strong meteorological support for national defence and further promote border development as well as military-civilian integration, according to a statement by the Tibet weather bureau.

"The station can observe six factors, including air temperature, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and precipitation, with more accuracy than before," Tashi Norbu, a technician in charge of the station, was quoted as saying by the daily.

"Yumai is at the border. The station could provide data to help with transportation and communication in national defence. It could also offer support during regional live-fire conflicts," Tashi said.

Regional weather is an important factor that could influence the take-off and landing of aircraft and the launch of missiles during a battle, Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times.

The small weather observation station could provide such information, Song said.

Grasping accurate weather information could help seize good opportunities in the battles, Song added.

The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China covered 3488 kms which includes Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China as part of southern Tibet.

With nine households and 32 residents, Yumai is China's smallest township in terms of population.

Yumai is located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas and affected by the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean.

"We are now receiving accurate information sent by meteorological departments every day. The station is necessary as it fills the gaps in meteorological and hydrological information, which could support our development," Dawa, the secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China's Yumai committee, told the daily, noting that the station would help a lot in local pasture and road construction.

The only road linking Yumai and the outside world has been under construction since 2017. More weather stations will be set up when the road is completed, Dawa said.

The construction of the station began in early 2018. However, due to bad weather in the area, the construction could be completed in June. The first weather data was transmitted from the station on June 22, the report said.

Regional weather is an important factor that could influence the take-off and landing of aircraft and the launch of missiles during a battle, Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times

China has set up an unmanned automatic weather observation station in Tibet near Arunachal Pradesh border to provide meteorological support to its military and assist operations of aircraft and missiles in case of "regional live-fire conflicts", a media report said today. The station in Yumai township under Lhunze county of Shannan Prefecture in Tibet will eliminate a blind area of meteorological services, state-run Global Times reported. It will also provide strong meteorological support for national defence and further promote border development as well as military-civilian integration, according to a statement by the Tibet weather bureau. "The station can observe six factors, including air temperature, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and precipitation, with more accuracy than before," Tashi Norbu, a technician in charge of the station, was quoted as saying by the daily. "Yumai is at the border. The station could provide data to help with transportation and communication in national defence. It could also offer support during regional live-fire conflicts," Tashi said. Regional weather is an important factor that could influence the take-off and landing of aircraft and the launch of missiles during a battle, Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times. The small weather observation station could provide such information, Song said. Grasping accurate weather information could help seize good opportunities in the battles, Song added. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China covered 3488 kms which includes Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China as part of southern Tibet. With nine households and 32 residents, Yumai is China's smallest township in terms of population. Yumai is located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas and affected by the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean. "We are now receiving accurate information sent by meteorological departments every day. The station is necessary as it fills the gaps in meteorological and hydrological information, which could support our development," Dawa, the secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China's Yumai committee, told the daily, noting that the station would help a lot in local pasture and road construction. The only road linking Yumai and the outside world has been under construction since 2017. More weather stations will be set up when the road is completed, Dawa said. The construction of the station began in early 2018. However, due to bad weather in the area, the construction could be completed in June. The first weather data was transmitted from the station on June 22, the report said.

China set up unmanned weather station in Tibet near India border

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News brief: Big stories of the day

The BJP on Tuesday described Congress president Rahul Gandhi's tweet that he stands with the last person in line as a "confession" of his reported remarks that his party is for Muslims.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters that Gandhi has not denied the comments, seized by the saffron party to accuse him of Muslim appeasement, and claimed that the Congress leader is in competition with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi to "usurp" the legacy of Pakistan founder M A Jinnah.

"He (Gandhi) has still not denied it. We could not see a negation of what Rahul Gandhi has said. It is a confession. He has clearly accepted it through his tweet that the Congress is a party for Muslims," Patra said.

The tweet has confused rather than clarified, he told reporters.

Patra was reacting after Gandhi tweeted that he stands with the persecuted and the last person in the line", breaking his silence on the controversy following a remark on the Congress being a "party for Muslims" attributed to him.

The BJP leader claimed that the Congress chose to send out a message as part of its "deliberate conspiracy" and leaked the information about Gandhi's meeting with Muslim intellectuals.

While Congress leaders claimed that their party would send a notice to the Urdu paper which first carried the report, they never did so and the party's minority department's head Nadeem Javed asserted in an interview to the same daily that Gandhi had indeed made those comments, Patra said.

He also referred to Owaisi's alleged comments over lack of representation of Muslims in the Army and said even an institution like this has become a matter of the AIMIM leader's divisive agenda. He said Congress leader Veerappa Moily had also spoken on similar lines.

There is a sense of competition between Rahul Gandhi and Owaisi as to who would usurp the ideology of Jinnah, he alleged. An attempt to carry out a religious census of Army was made during the UPA, he said.

"Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Owaisi have been trying to divide the country with their 'Jinnahwadi' ideology but it will not succeed," he said.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi over his tweet that he seeks out those in pain and embrace them and loves all living beings, and that he is the Congress, Patra said it was like the statement that 'Indira is India and India is Indira'.

The Congress only cheated the last man in the line during its rule of many decades, he said, adding that it is Deen Dayal Upadhyay, a key BJP ideologue who spoke about 'antodyaya', the rise of the last man in the line.

The Modi government with its vision of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' has been working in line with this ideology and benefitting all Indians with its development measures, he said.

The BJP leader claimed that the Congress chose to send out a message as part of its "deliberate conspiracy" and leaked the information about Gandhi's meeting with Muslim intellectuals

The BJP on Tuesday described Congress president Rahul Gandhi's tweet that he stands with the last person in line as a "confession" of his reported remarks that his party is for Muslims. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters that Gandhi has not denied the comments, seized by the saffron party to accuse him of Muslim appeasement, and claimed that the Congress leader is in competition with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi to "usurp" the legacy of Pakistan founder M A Jinnah. "He (Gandhi) has still not denied it. We could not see a negation of what Rahul Gandhi has said. It is a confession. He has clearly accepted it through his tweet that the Congress is a party for Muslims," Patra said. The tweet has confused rather than clarified, he told reporters. Patra was reacting after Gandhi tweeted that he stands with the persecuted and the last person in the line", breaking his silence on the controversy following a remark on the Congress being a "party for Muslims" attributed to him. The BJP leader claimed that the Congress chose to send out a message as part of its "deliberate conspiracy" and leaked the information about Gandhi's meeting with Muslim intellectuals. While Congress leaders claimed that their party would send a notice to the Urdu paper which first carried the report, they never did so and the party's minority department's head Nadeem Javed asserted in an interview to the same daily that Gandhi had indeed made those comments, Patra said. He also referred to Owaisi's alleged comments over lack of representation of Muslims in the Army and said even an institution like this has become a matter of the AIMIM leader's divisive agenda. He said Congress leader Veerappa Moily had also spoken on similar lines. There is a sense of competition between Rahul Gandhi and Owaisi as to who would usurp the ideology of Jinnah, he alleged. An attempt to carry out a religious census of Army was made during the UPA, he said. "Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Owaisi have been trying to divide the country with their 'Jinnahwadi' ideology but it will not succeed," he said. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi over his tweet that he seeks out those in pain and embrace them and loves all living beings, and that he is the Congress, Patra said it was like the statement that 'Indira is India and India is Indira'. The Congress only cheated the last man in the line during its rule of many decades, he said, adding that it is Deen Dayal Upadhyay, a key BJP ideologue who spoke about 'antodyaya', the rise of the last man in the line. The Modi government with its vision of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' has been working in line with this ideology and benefitting all Indians with its development measures, he said.

Rahul Gandhi in competition with Owaisi to seize Jinnah’s legacy: BJP

An open-air jail cafe is the latest attraction in Himachal Pradesh, as over 135 prisoners are working at six mobile vans in Shimla, Nahan and Dharamshala.

The mobile van canteen at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) and book cafe at the Taka Bench are popular attractions for locals and tourists here.

Conceptualized by the Himachal Pradesh Director General of Prisons, Somesh Goyal, the mobile canteens, book cafe and jail-made products including bakery, handloom and other cuisines have proved to be life changers for these prisoners.

While talking to ANI, Somesh Goyal said, "The idea is to give a chance to the inmates for reform, rehabilitation and go out of the prison. 135 inmates are being sent out of jail on the basis of good conduct. Prisons department wants to rehabilitate the prisoners. We're giving job opportunities to prisoners and skilling them up. All our efforts have led to a lot of turnover of jail products that we manufacture."

The prisons department is earning over Rs 3.5 crores annually from the produce and open-air jail concept.

Inmates are providing different bakery products, coffee, tea and books to the visitors here.

"We have applied for tag name for the handloom and bakery product to genuine and quality of the products. The inmates are not only helping themselves but also helping their families from the prison," said Goyal 
One of the inmates, Jai Chand, who has been in the prison for past eight years as he is serving a life imprisonment for murder, runs the book cafe.

"Coming here at the cafe to meet the students, tourists and literary people has changed my life. I am hopeful about the future. I am also contributing to my family. I feel happy and give all the credits to the Director-General for giving me the chance," he said.

Another jail inmate, Bhupender Singh, said that the huge rush of people coming for lunch keeps him busy throughout the day.

The establishment of these cafes and libraries is seen as a welcome move to encourage prisoners to engage in mainstream activities.

The prisons department is earning over Rs 3.5 crores annually from the produce and open-air jail concept.

An open-air jail cafe is the latest attraction in Himachal Pradesh, as over 135 prisoners are working at six mobile vans in Shimla, Nahan and Dharamshala. The mobile van canteen at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) and book cafe at the Taka Bench are popular attractions for locals and tourists here. Conceptualized by the Himachal Pradesh Director General of Prisons, Somesh Goyal, the mobile canteens, book cafe and jail-made products including bakery, handloom and other cuisines have proved to be life changers for these prisoners. While talking to ANI, Somesh Goyal said, "The idea is to give a chance to the inmates for reform, rehabilitation and go out of the prison. 135 inmates are being sent out of jail on the basis of good conduct. Prisons department wants to rehabilitate the prisoners. We're giving job opportunities to prisoners and skilling them up. All our efforts have led to a lot of turnover of jail products that we manufacture." The prisons department is earning over Rs 3.5 crores annually from the produce and open-air jail concept. Inmates are providing different bakery products, coffee, tea and books to the visitors here. "We have applied for tag name for the handloom and bakery product to genuine and quality of the products. The inmates are not only helping themselves but also helping their families from the prison," said Goyal One of the inmates, Jai Chand, who has been in the prison for past eight years as he is serving a life imprisonment for murder, runs the book cafe. "Coming here at the cafe to meet the students, tourists and literary people has changed my life. I am hopeful about the future. I am also contributing to my family. I feel happy and give all the credits to the Director-General for giving me the chance," he said. Another jail inmate, Bhupender Singh, said that the huge rush of people coming for lunch keeps him busy throughout the day. The establishment of these cafes and libraries is seen as a welcome move to encourage prisoners to engage in mainstream activities.

Tourists are dining at this Shimla prison

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