Haryana ban on outside crops negates Centre’s free market policy

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, September 29

Haryana has barred the farmers of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan from bringing paddy and bajra crops for sale in the state's markets, much against the "one nation, one market" spirit of the new agriculture laws.

Though the three contentious farm laws cleared by Parliament recently are yet to be notified, the state government's action is being viewed as contrary to what the Centre has been propagating: farmers can sell their produce anywhere in the country.

As crops fetch lower rates in their home states, Uttar Pradesh farmers have been trying to sell their produce in Karnal and Panipat markets. Police personnel manning barricades at these two places claimed they had "orders from Deputy Commissioners that PR varieties of paddy shouldn't enter the state". In Hisar, Divisional Commissioner Vinay Singh has issued directions to check the entry of outside bajra for sale in Hisar, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri markets.

Paddy is procured in Haryana by central agency FCI under a decentralised system where the state government's expenditure is reimbursed by the Centre. The MSP for grade-A paddy variety this time is Rs 1,888 a quintal. However, crops like bajra, maize and moong are purchased by the state government at a support price on the condition that the entire stock will be consumed in the state itself.

An official said the ban on the sale of outside crops could also be due to an illegal practice adopted by unscrupulous traders. "The traders purchase bajra outside the state at a lower price (around Rs 1,400 a quintal) and get it procured in Haryana at a higher MSP — Rs 2,150 per quintal. The neighbouring states don't offer any support price," he said.

To counter the illegal practice, the government has made it mandatory for state farmers to register on "meri fasal mera byora" portal and mention in advance how much land they had sown their crops on. "But traders have been making fake entries to skirt this norm too," said the official.

PK Das, Additional Chief Secretary, Food Supplies and Consumers Affairs, said prior registration on the portal was a must for paddy farmers bringing their produce for procurement. "The same norm applies to non-Haryana farmers, but they have to wait for a message we send prior to procurement," he said.

As far as bajra, moong and maize were concerned, Haryana didn't purchase these crops from outside farmers, maintained Das.

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How long will you detain Mufti, Supreme Court asks JK

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

With PDP leader and former Jamp;K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti remaining under continued detention for almost 14 months, the Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know from the government how long it wanted to keep her under preventive detention.

"How long do you propose to continue the detention," a Bench headed by Justice SK Kaul asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Noting that detention could not be forever, the Bench said "some via media" should be explored. It sought to know the maximum period for which a person could be detained.

The stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) had been slapped on former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and former IAS officer and Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement leader Shah Faesal and several others. Abdullahs and Faesal have been released.

The top court is seized of a petition filed by the PDP president's daughter Iltija Mufti against her mother's detention under the PSA. The court had on February 26 issued notice to the Centre and the Jamp;K Administration.

On Tuesday, Mehta told the top court that the Centre had filed its reply to Iltija's petition. But the Bench said it had not received a copy of the affidavit.

The court posted the matter for hearing on October 15 as Iltija sought permission to file an amended petition.

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1st in a month: Cases below 75K, deaths 1K

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

In a positive sign for India's Covid-19 response, daily new cases dropped below 75,000 and daily new deaths below 1,000 for the first time in a month.

Besides, 24-hour recoveries outstripped 24-hour infections on all days barring two since September 19.

On Tuesday, the country reported 70,589 new cases and 84,877 new recoveries, with the national caseload reaching 61,45,291. The recovery rate rose to 83.01 per cent. Daily new deaths fell below 1,000 to 776.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India's recoveries of more than 51 lakh were the highest and deaths per million (70) the lowest. "Daily recoveries are now outnumbering daily new cases despite high levels of testing. We hope this trend will hold," Bhushan said.

The government, however, warned people against laxity and asked everyone to wear masks in the festive and winter seasons, which would present fertile conditions for the Covid spread. The warning followed ICMR's launch of the second sero survey findings that estimate around 6.6 per cent of people over 10 years (one in 15 people) had likely been exposed to the virus by August. "Disease prevalence in 18 years plus population is estimated at 7.1 per cent, up from 0.73 per cent in the first survey," ICMR chief Balram Bhargava said.

---

'Have funds for vaccine cost'

Countering Serum Institute, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said: "We do not agree with the Rs 80,000 crore vaccine math, but the government has funds."

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Bombay High Court reserves order on Rhea, Showik’s bail

Mumbai, September 29

Justice SV Kotwal of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday reserved the order in the bail pleas of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik in a drugs case filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The court completed the hearing of the arguments by Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh and the siblings' lawyer Satish Maneshinde and reserved the order in the matter.

Opposing the bail pleas filed by Chakraborty siblings, the NCB told the HC that a strong message needed to be sent out to the society, especially youths, to ensure they did not consume drugs.

The NCB said the Chakraborty siblings were "active members of a drug syndicate connected with high-society personalities and drug suppliers", besides her involvement in procuring and financing the drugs.

Meanwhile, the AIIMS' forensic chief Dr Sudhir Gupta said today the board of doctors has given a conclusive medico-legal opinion in Sushant's death to the CBI and that they were on the "same page" with the probe agency in the matter. A source said the doctors' panel did not find any trace of poison in the actor's viscera, but this information could not be verified further.

On his part, Dr Gupta refused to divulge any details, stating the case is sub judice. — Agencies

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India targets Pak, says 26/11 accused not yet punished

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

India today said while assisting the victims of terrorism, the world should not lose sight of their right to get justice for the crimes committed against them.

The victims of 2008 Mumbai terror attack and 2016 Pathankot attack, for instance, are yet to get justice due to the unwillingness and non-cooperative attitude of a particular country in an oblique reference to Pakistan, outgoing Secretary (East), MEA, Vijay Thakur Singh said at a meeting organised by foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Spain and the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT).

"It is important that we must work towards redressing deficiencies in the international efforts to ensure that perpetrators of terrorism are brought to justice," she emphasised.

"While terrorists can never succeed in achieving their objectives, they leave behind a trail of death and destruction. Even amid the ongoing pandemic, terrorism continues to pose a critical threat to international peace and security. Terrorists have stepped up the use of ICT for propaganda and for issuing threats further exacerbating the stress on victims of terror," she said.

"This meeting is, therefore, very timely to discuss our collective way forward to address the critical needs of the victims of terrorism," said the MEA Secretary.

She pointed out that the first UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism in 2021 and the 7th Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy should help build on the momentum gathered so far.

A dedicated voluntary fund to support the victims of terrorism would strengthen United Nation's capacity-building and technical assistance to requesting member states in assisting and supporting victims of terrorism, she suggested.

However, the three options proposed for setting up of a funding mechanism by the Secretary General need further deliberations at the expert level so that the funding can be effective and efficiently use resources, she added.

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Hathras rape victim’s death sparks protests

New Delhi, September 29

In a grim reminder of the December 16, 2012, Delhi gang rape that shook the national conscience, a 19-year-old victim of brutal sexual assault at Hathras in UP died in a government hospital here this morning, sparking protests across the Capital.

Edit: Another reprehensible rape

The girl, first admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh, after the gang rape on September 14, was brought to Safdarjung Hospital last night with spinal injuries, paralysis and cuts in the tongue. She died at 3 am, according to the Hathras police. Although the four men identified for the crime have been arrested, civil society activists and political leaders cutting across party lines attacked the BJP government over the "lax" law and order situation in the state and sought justice for the victim.

The protests were held outside the hospital as well as at Vijay Chowk. — TNS

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Opposition wants middlemen, not farmers, to prosper: Prime Minister Modi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated six sewage treatment plants worth over Rs 500 crore in Uttarakhand under the Namami Gange mission, saying with the projects' completion the sewage treatment capacity of the state has gone up nearly four-fold in six years.

"

Check on black money

Congress leaders are peeved as the govt has plugged one more avenue to amass black money —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

"

The six STPs were inaugurated at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Muni-ki-Reti and Badrinath via video-conference.

On the occasion, the PM lashed out at the Congress for having made it a "habit" to oppose Union government's reform measures, including the three agricultural laws enacted by Parliament during the monsoon session.

They do not want welfare of any section of society, be it youth, women, poor, farmers or Defence Force.

He accused them of challenging everything from GST, One Rank One Pension, Rafale deal, Statue of Unity, 10 per cent reservation for the poor and celebration of November 26 as Samvidhan Diwas.

Doubling down on the Congress, Modi said its government did nothing to strengthen the Army and the Indian Air Force, in spite of the latter raising concerns periodically.

Attacking those opposing the new farm laws, the PM said they wanted only the middlemen to thrive and referred to the burning of a tractor in Delhi by Congress workers as an insult to farmers.

"They are opposing the freedom of farmers and want their problems to continue forever. By torching farming equipment, which the agriculturists worship, these people are now insulting farmers," he said without naming the Congress.

He asserted that the government would not be deterred by the opposition and the reform measures would continue apace.

Referring to the farm laws, he said they would emancipate the farmers, including from middlemen and brokers, as they give freedom to sell produce in the open market.

The MSP regime would continue simultaneously.

Regarding the agitation against the laws, he said the Congress leaders were peeved as they "plug one more of their avenues to amass black money".

He said the project to clean the Ganga during earlier governments was pockmarked with loopholes.

Homing in on the government's flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), he announced a project under it to connect all schools and anganwadi centres in the country with piped water within 100 days.

He also inaugurated a museum on the Ganges at Chandi Ghat in Haridwar.

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Haryana ban on outside crops negates Centre’s free market policy

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, September 29

Haryana has barred the farmers of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan from bringing paddy and bajra crops for sale in the state's markets, much against the "one nation, one market" spirit of the new agriculture laws.

Though the three contentious farm laws cleared by Parliament recently are yet to be notified, the state government's action is being viewed as contrary to what the Centre has been propagating: farmers can sell their produce anywhere in the country.

As crops fetch lower rates in their home states, Uttar Pradesh farmers have been trying to sell their produce in Karnal and Panipat markets. Police personnel manning barricades at these two places claimed they had "orders from Deputy Commissioners that PR varieties of paddy shouldn't enter the state". In Hisar, Divisional Commissioner Vinay Singh has issued directions to check the entry of outside bajra for sale in Hisar, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri markets.

Paddy is procured in Haryana by central agency FCI under a decentralised system where the state government's expenditure is reimbursed by the Centre. The MSP for grade-A paddy variety this time is Rs 1,888 a quintal. However, crops like bajra, maize and moong are purchased by the state government at a support price on the condition that the entire stock will be consumed in the state itself.

An official said the ban on the sale of outside crops could also be due to an illegal practice adopted by unscrupulous traders. "The traders purchase bajra outside the state at a lower price (around Rs 1,400 a quintal) and get it procured in Haryana at a higher MSP — Rs 2,150 per quintal. The neighbouring states don't offer any support price," he said.

To counter the illegal practice, the government has made it mandatory for state farmers to register on "meri fasal mera byora" portal and mention in advance how much land they had sown their crops on. "But traders have been making fake entries to skirt this norm too," said the official.

PK Das, Additional Chief Secretary, Food Supplies and Consumers Affairs, said prior registration on the portal was a must for paddy farmers bringing their produce for procurement. "The same norm applies to non-Haryana farmers, but they have to wait for a message we send prior to procurement," he said.

As far as bajra, moong and maize were concerned, Haryana didn't purchase these crops from outside farmers, maintained Das.

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2HISOIc

India rejects China's 1959 claim line

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

India on Tuesday again rejected a Chinese statement affirming a "1959 claim line'' as the border between the two countries in Ladakh and asked the neighbouring country to refrain from advancing an "untenable unilateral" interpretation of the de-facto border.

New Delhi has been consistently rejecting the Chinese offer to settle the border in Ladakh according to the line espoused by then Chinese Premier Chou en-Lai in 1959.

A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said India had never accepted the "so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control (LAC)'', a position that is consistent and well known, including to the Chinese side.

MEA protests Gilgit poll

• New Delhi: India has protested Pakistan's plan to hold elections for the so-called "Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly" on November 15. The MEA said Jamp;K and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, were an integral part of India by virtue of its accession in 1947.

India also pointed out that the Chinese furtherance of the so-called 1959 line proposal ran counter to several agreements that were framed to reach a common understanding of the LAC alignment.

After engaging in an exercise to clarify and confirm the LAC, the process could not proceed after 2003 as the Chinese side did not show a willingness to pursue it, the MEA regretted.

It pointed out that at the last high-level meeting between the two Foreign Ministers in Moscow on September 10, China had reiterated its commitment to abide by all the existing agreements. These include the

1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility, the 1996 Agreement on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) in the military field, 2005 Protocol on Implementation of CBMs and 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for settlement of the India-China Boundary Question.

"

'No war, no peace'

The present security scenario along our northern frontiers is at an uneasy no war, no peace status. — Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria

"

All these pacts commit India and China to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of its alignment, it said. "Therefore, the insistence now of the Chinese side that there is only one LAC is contrary to the solemn commitments made by China in these agreements,'' noted the MEA statement.

Making it clear that the Indian side had always respected and abided by the LAC, the MEA said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated in Parliament that Chinese troops had tried to transgress the LAC in several parts of the western sector in an attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo.

As China has repeatedly said the current situation should be resolved in accordance with the agreements signed between the two countries, "we, therefore, expect that they will sincerely and faithfully abide by all agreements and understandings and refrain from advancing an untenable unilateral interpretation of the LAC,'' added the MEA statement.

Incidentally, China had last spoken of the 1959 line after troops had scuffled along the Pangong Lake in August 2017.

---

Twists and Turns

• 1959: Then Chinese Premier Chou en-Lai proposes a border line in Ladakh, but India says no
• 1993: Pact on maintenance of peace is inked and efforts begin to confirm the LAC
• 2003: Process stalled as Chinese side doesn't show willingness to pursue it
• 2017: China again harps on 1959 line after troops scuffle along Pangong Lake in August

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Don’t recognise UT status for Ladakh: Beijing

Beijing, September 29

China on Tuesday voiced its opposition to India undertaking infrastructure development for military purposes in the border areas of Ladakh. It said both countries should avoid any activity that might complicate the situation upsetting the consensus reached between them to ease the situation.

"China has not recognised Ladakh Union Territory (UT) 'illegally' set up by the Indian side," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a press briefing while replying to a question by a journalist that India was prioritising construction of high-altitude road network on its border with China in the Ladakh region. "We are opposed to conducting infrastructure development for military purposes in the border area," Wang said. — PTI

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How long will you detain Mufti, Supreme Court asks JK

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

With PDP leader and former Jamp;K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti remaining under continued detention for almost 14 months, the Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know from the government how long it wanted to keep her under preventive detention.

"How long do you propose to continue the detention," a Bench headed by Justice SK Kaul asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Noting that detention could not be forever, the Bench said "some via media" should be explored. It sought to know the maximum period for which a person could be detained.

The stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) had been slapped on former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and former IAS officer and Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement leader Shah Faesal and several others. Abdullahs and Faesal have been released.

The top court is seized of a petition filed by the PDP president's daughter Iltija Mufti against her mother's detention under the PSA. The court had on February 26 issued notice to the Centre and the Jamp;K Administration.

On Tuesday, Mehta told the top court that the Centre had filed its reply to Iltija's petition. But the Bench said it had not received a copy of the affidavit.

The court posted the matter for hearing on October 15 as Iltija sought permission to file an amended petition.

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1st in a month: Cases below 75K, deaths 1K

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

In a positive sign for India's Covid-19 response, daily new cases dropped below 75,000 and daily new deaths below 1,000 for the first time in a month.

Besides, 24-hour recoveries outstripped 24-hour infections on all days barring two since September 19.

On Tuesday, the country reported 70,589 new cases and 84,877 new recoveries, with the national caseload reaching 61,45,291. The recovery rate rose to 83.01 per cent. Daily new deaths fell below 1,000 to 776.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India's recoveries of more than 51 lakh were the highest and deaths per million (70) the lowest. "Daily recoveries are now outnumbering daily new cases despite high levels of testing. We hope this trend will hold," Bhushan said.

The government, however, warned people against laxity and asked everyone to wear masks in the festive and winter seasons, which would present fertile conditions for the Covid spread. The warning followed ICMR's launch of the second sero survey findings that estimate around 6.6 per cent of people over 10 years (one in 15 people) had likely been exposed to the virus by August. "Disease prevalence in 18 years plus population is estimated at 7.1 per cent, up from 0.73 per cent in the first survey," ICMR chief Balram Bhargava said.

---

'Have funds for vaccine cost'

Countering Serum Institute, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said: "We do not agree with the Rs 80,000 crore vaccine math, but the government has funds."

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/33eW9Hm

India targets Pak, says 26/11 accused not yet punished

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

India today said while assisting the victims of terrorism, the world should not lose sight of their right to get justice for the crimes committed against them.

The victims of 2008 Mumbai terror attack and 2016 Pathankot attack, for instance, are yet to get justice due to the unwillingness and non-cooperative attitude of a particular country in an oblique reference to Pakistan, outgoing Secretary (East), MEA, Vijay Thakur Singh said at a meeting organised by foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Spain and the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT).

"It is important that we must work towards redressing deficiencies in the international efforts to ensure that perpetrators of terrorism are brought to justice," she emphasised.

"While terrorists can never succeed in achieving their objectives, they leave behind a trail of death and destruction. Even amid the ongoing pandemic, terrorism continues to pose a critical threat to international peace and security. Terrorists have stepped up the use of ICT for propaganda and for issuing threats further exacerbating the stress on victims of terror," she said.

"This meeting is, therefore, very timely to discuss our collective way forward to address the critical needs of the victims of terrorism," said the MEA Secretary.

She pointed out that the first UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism in 2021 and the 7th Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy should help build on the momentum gathered so far.

A dedicated voluntary fund to support the victims of terrorism would strengthen United Nation's capacity-building and technical assistance to requesting member states in assisting and supporting victims of terrorism, she suggested.

However, the three options proposed for setting up of a funding mechanism by the Secretary General need further deliberations at the expert level so that the funding can be effective and efficiently use resources, she added.

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3jlUohe

Bombay High Court reserves order on Rhea, Showik’s bail

Mumbai, September 29

Justice SV Kotwal of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday reserved the order in the bail pleas of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik in a drugs case filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The court completed the hearing of the arguments by Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh and the siblings' lawyer Satish Maneshinde and reserved the order in the matter.

Opposing the bail pleas filed by Chakraborty siblings, the NCB told the HC that a strong message needed to be sent out to the society, especially youths, to ensure they did not consume drugs.

The NCB said the Chakraborty siblings were "active members of a drug syndicate connected with high-society personalities and drug suppliers", besides her involvement in procuring and financing the drugs.

Meanwhile, the AIIMS' forensic chief Dr Sudhir Gupta said today the board of doctors has given a conclusive medico-legal opinion in Sushant's death to the CBI and that they were on the "same page" with the probe agency in the matter. A source said the doctors' panel did not find any trace of poison in the actor's viscera, but this information could not be verified further.

On his part, Dr Gupta refused to divulge any details, stating the case is sub judice. — Agencies

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Punjab sees 600 farm fires in 10 days

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 29

The health authorities in Punjab are a worried lot. Over 600 cases of stubble burning in the last 10 days have adversely affected the air quality in the state.

Officials are concerned about its impact on Covid patients since the virus attacks lungs and leads to breathing problem.

Read also: Exploring all avenues to oppose farm legislations, says Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister

Sources say if immediate steps are not taken, the smoke from Punjab would soon reach the neighbouring states and even Delhi. Information gathered by The Tribune reveals that the air quality in Punjab deteriorated suddenly from "good" or "satisfactory" in August to "moderate" in September. An analysis of data from air quality monitoring stations in six cities shows the pollution has doubled in less than a month, with three districts recording high pollution levels soon after the paddy harvest season began. The air quality index (AQI) in Jalandhar has now risen to 89 from 50 in August; in Patiala 103 from 41; in Mandi Gobindgarh 130 from 53; in Ludhiana 80 from 50; in Khanna 94 from 51; and in Amritsar 104 from 54.

The National Capital's air quality was recorded at 170 on Tuesday, which falls in the "moderate" category.

A senior official says farmers are burning stubble since they only have about four weeks to prepare fields for sowing wheat. "With farmers waging a war against the contentious farm laws, any major action against them is likely to see stiff opposition," he adds. Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary, BKU (Ugrahan), says: "We have been demanding compensation to manage stubble, but the government did not pay any heed. We have no other option but to burn the stubble to prepare fields for the next crop."

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Donald Trump & Joe Biden first presidential debate 2020: Key points

from US News Headlines, Latest USA News, US Election 2020 news on Times of India https://ift.tt/2GlMtSp

Mahindra unveils electric three-wheeler

Mahindra Electric Mobility has launched its electric three-wheeler Mahindra Treo in Telangana at ₹2.7 lakh (ex-showroom) post FAME scheme subsidies.Th

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/mahindra-unveils-electric-three-wheeler/article32728185.ece

Farm laws: Punjab BJP sets up 8-member panel to talk to farmers

They would talk to the agitating farmers and make them aware of the benefits of the new laws for the peasant community, says state party chief Ashwani Sharma

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/farm-laws-punjab-bjp-sets-up-8-member-panel-to-talk-to-farmers/article32728176.ece

NDRF personnel plug acid leak on highway

Hydrochloric acid began leaking from a tanker at a toll plaza

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/ndrf-personnel-plug-acid-leak-on-highway/article32726136.ece

Coronavirus | Galloping COVID-19 infections cross 10,000 in Karnataka

Kerala test positivity remains high at 13.9%; A.P. reports 6,190 new infections; Telangana cases remain in 2,000 band.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-galloping-infections-cross-10000-in-karnataka/article32726173.ece

Lufthansa cancels all October flights from India

No extension to bilateral deal on flights between India, Germany.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lufthansa-cancels-all-october-flights-from-india/article32726255.ece

I’m a mail carrier and this sweetheart is one of the best parts of my day! We have been friends since 2012. I love him! :D

https://ift.tt/3ijon7Y via /r/aww https://ift.tt/2GlFpoR

Halloween Dog

https://ift.tt/30hgHNk via /r/aww https://ift.tt/33eAvTC

10L cases, equal recoveries in 11 days

New Delhi, September 28

India's Covid caseload surged well beyond 6 million on Monday topping 60,74,702, while recoveries crossed 5 million settling at 50,16,520 and pushing up the national cure rate to 82.58 per cent.

The recent trend of daily new recoveries nearly matching daily new cases continued over the past few days with the country witnessing its last one million cases (50 lakh to 60 lakh) over 11 days and the last one million recoveries over the same period.

Medical experts say if the daily recoveries continue to match new infections and outstrip these on days, as has been seen over the last week, the Covid graph could start plummeting. India's case fatality rate has declined to 1.57 per cent as against the global average of over 3.1 per cent with the toll touching 95,542 after 1,039 deaths in the last 24 hours. Current infections in India are 9,62,640 and recoveries are five times the active cases. As of the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry recorded 82,170 new cases and 74,893 recoveries.

India had crossed 20 lakh cases on August 7; 30 lakh on August 23; 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16 and 60 lakh on September 27. The country added the last 20 lakh cases over 22 days ndash; 10 lakh each over 11 days. — TNS

Portal for updates on vaccine launched

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday launched an ICMR vaccine portal, which will update the country on the vaccine-related progress, including the stages of development of various vaccine candidates at different stages of human trials.

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Domestic flights at T2 to resume from Oct 1

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 28

The Delhi airport will resume domestic operations from terminal-2 (T2) in phases from October 1, its operator DIAL said today.

The airport has been operating flights only from the T3 terminal since March 23 when flight operations in the country were curtailed drastically due to the Covid pandemic. However, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA were allowed.

"The resumption of operations at T2 will be with 96 air traffic movements (48 departures and as many arrivals) per day and increase progressively up to 180 by October-end," said DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) in a statement.

From October 1, IndiGo and GoAir will operate all their flights from T2, it said, adding 27 counters — 16 for IndiGo and 11 for GoAir — had been created.

India resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights from May 25, but in a curtailed manner. The airlines are currently allowed to operate not more than 60 per cent of pre-Covid period flights.

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Ex-DGP Saini named accused in Behbal case

Faridkot, September 28

The SIT probing the Behbal Kalan police firing incident on Monday nominated then Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal as accused in the case. The SIT claimed that on the basis of documentary evidence and witnesses' account, both Saini and Umranangal had been prima facie found guilty.

Former SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, two SP-rank officers and many other police officials have already been named as accused in the case. A week after the killing of two Sikh protesters in police firing at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, an FIR was registered under Section 302, 307, 34 of the IPC and 25, 27, 54, 59 of the Arms Act at Bajakhana police station in Faridkot.

Earlier last week, the District and Sessions Court in Faridkot granted permission to the SIT to make prime accused Inspector Pardeep Singh, then reader of former SSP Sharma, an approver in the case. Pardeep had told the court that Saini and Umranangal had issued instructions to the former SSP to act tough against protesters and get the dharna site cleared at any cost. — TNS

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Not possible to defer exams, UPSC tells Supreme Court

New Delhi, September 28

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which conducts the civil services examinations for selection of IAS, IPS, IFS and allied central services, on Monday told the Supreme Court that it was not possible to defer the examinations any further.

"It's not possible to defer civil services exams," the counsel for the UPSC told a Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar.

The commission's advocate sought to highlight the fact that the civil services exams had already been delayed by several months and the preliminary examination was scheduled to be held on October 4.

Asking the UPSC to file an affidavit, the top court posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

Amid the growing number of Covid-19 cases, a group of 20 students had moved the Supreme Court last week seeking postponement of civil services examinations by two-three months. The seven-hour-long offline civil services preliminary exam, 2020, on October 4 was expected to be taken by approximately six lakh aspirants at test centres spread over 72 cities across India.— TNS

SC: Decide by Oct 5 on deferred EMIs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday gave time till October 5 to the Centre to inform it about the decision on charging interest on loan instalments deferred during the moratorium announced by the RBI due to Covid-19. tns

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Delhi High Court notice to govt on farm fires

New Delhi, September 28

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking immediate steps to prevent stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana on the grounds it would aggravate Covid-related problems.

A Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Centre on the plea contending stubble burning would drastically increase air pollution in Delhi and could aggravate the health problems among people in the city in view of the pandemic.

The petition, moved by advocate Sudhir Mishra, urged the court that the Centre should be directed to coordinate a meeting between chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and UP to address the issue. The court listed the matter for hearing on October 22. — PTI

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Lockdown-hit labour edgy as farm stir rages

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 28

Having suffered job loss due to the Covid-induced lockdown recently, a large number of factory workers, who had started working as farm labourers, are once again a harried lot.

Prakash and Ranju Devi, both natives of Bihar, had started working in the fields of BKU (Doaba) president Manjit Rai in Hoshiarpur after the factory they were employed with shut due to the lockdown.

Now once again, they find themselves faced with a similar situation in view of the farmers' agitation against the recently passed farm legislations. They feel if the farmers suffered, they would also have to face the consequences.

Disho (55) also lost her job as a peon in a school due to the lockdown and started working in the fields of Gurtej Singh of Shahkot block. "Employment worries are back to haunt her again. Yesterday, she asked me what would she do if farmers faced hardship," Singh said.

Moosapur farmer and BKU (Doaba) member Kirpal Singh said, "The agitation is worrying labourers. They have started asking what they will do if it does not end."

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Himachal Pradesh to use Haryana tribunal for RERA appeals

Chandigarh, September 28

The Haryana Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (HREAT), Karnal, will now hear appeals made against the directions or decision or order made by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Himachal Pradesh, too.

The move comes following a request in this regard by the Himachal Pradesh Government to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who approved the draft notification here today.

The notification also authorises the HREAT to get reimbursement of charges on a quarterly basis.

An official spokesman said here today the approval of the state government had been conveyed to the HP Government to authorise HREAT, Karnal, to hear appeals made against the orders of RERA, Himachal, and to perform other functions prescribed under the Real Estate (Regulations and Development) Act, 2016, in respect of Himachal by bearing 10 per cent of the annual budget of HREAT on a quarterly reimbursement basis. — TNS

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In utter disrepair, Aut tunnel nightmare for Manali tourists

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, September 28

Even as Himachal Pradesh gears up for the October 3 inauguration of the strategic Manali-Leh Atal tunnel, another tunnel en route to Manali from Chandigarh in Aut has been crying for maintenance.

Ill-equipped to handle heavy traffic, the tunnel lacks a road divider and the pedestrian path is in a pitiable condition too.

The ventilation is poor and dust accumulates inside, causing low visibility. This along with inadequate lighting are considered the main reasons for fatal mishaps. In August last year, a Muktsar man had died following a collision between two vehicles.

Anilkant Sharma of Kullu says the tunnel gets flooded during monsoon, which makes travel even riskier. Since speed-breakers are lacking, overspeeding is another reason for accidents, he asserts.

"As the traffic mostly goes unregulated, long traffic jams become a routine during tourist season. The tunnel gets choked—both in terms of traffic and ventilation," says Budhi Prakash, another Kullu resident.

At times, even stray cattle enter inside, adding to the woes of commuters. "Since its opening, no effort has been made to address any of the problems. It also lacks fire-fighting arrangements," adds Prakash. Inaugurated in 2006, the 2.8-km-long double-lane tunnel was built by the state electricity board as part of the Larji power project. It is horse-shoe shaped, 10.5 metres in diameter and had incurred a cost of Rs 43 crore.

In 2017, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) took its control after work started on the Kiratpur-Manali four-laning project.

Naveen Mishra, NHAI project director, says another tunnel is being built at Aut. "The heavy traffic inside the tunnel makes its maintenance difficult. It will be repaired once the new tunnel is completed," he maintains.

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No conclusion reached in SSR death case: CBI

New Delhi, September 28

Amid reports of it going slow in probing actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today said, "No conclusion has yet been reached in the matter under probe and all aspects of it are under investigation."

According to an official statement issued here, agency spokesperson RK Gaur said, "The CBI is conducting professional investigation related to Sushant's death in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date."

The CBI had taken over the probe from the Bihar Police into the alleged abetment to suicide case filed by the actor's father KK Singh in Patna against Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family.

Last week, Singh's lawyer Vikas Singh had expressed "helplessness" over the slow pace of the CBI probe in the Rajput's death case. — TNS

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Domestic flights at T2 to resume from Oct 1

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 28

The Delhi airport will resume domestic operations from terminal-2 (T2) in phases from October 1, its operator DIAL said today.

The airport has been operating flights only from the T3 terminal since March 23 when flight operations in the country were curtailed drastically due to the Covid pandemic. However, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA were allowed.

"The resumption of operations at T2 will be with 96 air traffic movements (48 departures and as many arrivals) per day and increase progressively up to 180 by October-end," said DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) in a statement.

From October 1, IndiGo and GoAir will operate all their flights from T2, it said, adding 27 counters — 16 for IndiGo and 11 for GoAir — had been created.

India resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights from May 25, but in a curtailed manner. The airlines are currently allowed to operate not more than 60 per cent of pre-Covid period flights.

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MoD tweaks purchase rules, drops offset clause for deals

New Delhi, September 28

Less than a week after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) slammed the existing offset policy for foreign military equipment makers, the Ministry of Defence has altered the policy for certain categories of purchases.

The "offset policy", introduced in 2005, required foreign suppliers to reinvest a certain percentage ndash; usually 30 per cent — of the deal into the Indian market.

The new Defence Acquisition Policy (DAP-2020) announced on Monday removed the need for reinvesting for three types of purchases. The policy comes into force from October 1 and will apply to future deals.

Purchases exempt from offset policy

• All government-to-government deals. Most deals with the US have been on this pattern
• Inter-governmental agreements (IGAs). Purchase of 36 Rafale was an IGA deal
• Purchases made when there is a single vendor

Director General, Acquisitions, Apurva Chandra told mediapersons: "All government-to-government deals, all inter-governmental agreements (IGAs) and purchases made when there was a single vendor will be exempted from the offset policy."

The CAG in its report on September 23 had said "it did not find a single case where the foreign vendor had transferred high technology to the Indian industry. Thus, the objectives of the offset policy remain largely unachieved".

The new DAP will also allow the armed forces to take military equipment from global or Indian suppliers on lease. "This opens new avenues and will meet operational requirements and save huge capital investment," Chandra said. Also, the parameters of buying new equipment called "staff qualitative requirement" will be made more realistic after seeing what all is available globally and domestically. The DAP has been aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, the Ministry of Defence said. — TNS

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India inks 1st green pact with Denmark

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 28

India and Denmark on Monday decided to elevate their bilateral ties to a "green strategic partnership", the first of its kind, during a virtual summit between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mette Frederiksen.

Niche pollution control solutions being offered by Denmark include those to curb stubble burning. "Danish companies are already talking to Indian companies to take it forward," said MEA's Joint Secretary (Central Europe).

PM Modi in his address indicated that Indian expectations from Denmark went well beyond pollution control initiatives and partnerships. Mentioning the extensive reforms in the manufacturing, labour, regulatory and taxation sectors, he recalled Denmark's constant attendance at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit since 2009 and cautioned against the risks of overdependence on a single source.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed the risk involved in excessive dependence of the global supply chain on any single source. —Narendra Modi, PM

The PM then spoke of virtual conferences with India, Japan, Australia and France to diversify supply chains and invited other like-minded democracies to join this endeavour.

PM Modi observed that India and Denmark could set up energy parks where a large number of Danish companies were present. India had recently intensified its conversation with Denmark and the groundwork for this summit was laid during talks between the two Foreign Ministers in January, followed up with more online interactions.

India amp; Denmark have agreed to collaborate in several sectors on basis of an action plan that will set targets for next few years. —Mette Frederiksen, Denmark PM

Besides tapping Denmark for technology and manufacturing, another reason for India's attempt to build closer ties is strategic. Denmark is a leading player in the group of five Nordic countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland — which, like Russia, are interested in the opportunities in the Arctic Sea.

Denmark is the only Nordic country that has made a maritime foray in the Straits of Hormuz along with seven other countries with active assistance from the UAE with which India enjoys close ties.

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10L cases, equal recoveries in 11 days

New Delhi, September 28

India's Covid caseload surged well beyond 6 million on Monday topping 60,74,702, while recoveries crossed 5 million settling at 50,16,520 and pushing up the national cure rate to 82.58 per cent.

The recent trend of daily new recoveries nearly matching daily new cases continued over the past few days with the country witnessing its last one million cases (50 lakh to 60 lakh) over 11 days and the last one million recoveries over the same period.

Medical experts say if the daily recoveries continue to match new infections and outstrip these on days, as has been seen over the last week, the Covid graph could start plummeting. India's case fatality rate has declined to 1.57 per cent as against the global average of over 3.1 per cent with the toll touching 95,542 after 1,039 deaths in the last 24 hours. Current infections in India are 9,62,640 and recoveries are five times the active cases. As of the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry recorded 82,170 new cases and 74,893 recoveries.

India had crossed 20 lakh cases on August 7; 30 lakh on August 23; 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16 and 60 lakh on September 27. The country added the last 20 lakh cases over 22 days ndash; 10 lakh each over 11 days. — TNS

Portal for updates on vaccine launched

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday launched an ICMR vaccine portal, which will update the country on the vaccine-related progress, including the stages of development of various vaccine candidates at different stages of human trials.

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Himachal Pradesh to use Haryana tribunal for RERA appeals

Chandigarh, September 28

The Haryana Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (HREAT), Karnal, will now hear appeals made against the directions or decision or order made by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Himachal Pradesh, too.

The move comes following a request in this regard by the Himachal Pradesh Government to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who approved the draft notification here today.

The notification also authorises the HREAT to get reimbursement of charges on a quarterly basis.

An official spokesman said here today the approval of the state government had been conveyed to the HP Government to authorise HREAT, Karnal, to hear appeals made against the orders of RERA, Himachal, and to perform other functions prescribed under the Real Estate (Regulations and Development) Act, 2016, in respect of Himachal by bearing 10 per cent of the annual budget of HREAT on a quarterly reimbursement basis. — TNS

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Not possible to defer exams, UPSC tells Supreme Court

New Delhi, September 28

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which conducts the civil services examinations for selection of IAS, IPS, IFS and allied central services, on Monday told the Supreme Court that it was not possible to defer the examinations any further.

"It's not possible to defer civil services exams," the counsel for the UPSC told a Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar.

The commission's advocate sought to highlight the fact that the civil services exams had already been delayed by several months and the preliminary examination was scheduled to be held on October 4.

Asking the UPSC to file an affidavit, the top court posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

Amid the growing number of Covid-19 cases, a group of 20 students had moved the Supreme Court last week seeking postponement of civil services examinations by two-three months. The seven-hour-long offline civil services preliminary exam, 2020, on October 4 was expected to be taken by approximately six lakh aspirants at test centres spread over 72 cities across India.— TNS

SC: Decide by Oct 5 on deferred EMIs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday gave time till October 5 to the Centre to inform it about the decision on charging interest on loan instalments deferred during the moratorium announced by the RBI due to Covid-19. tns

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Delhi High Court notice to govt on farm fires

New Delhi, September 28

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking immediate steps to prevent stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana on the grounds it would aggravate Covid-related problems.

A Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Centre on the plea contending stubble burning would drastically increase air pollution in Delhi and could aggravate the health problems among people in the city in view of the pandemic.

The petition, moved by advocate Sudhir Mishra, urged the court that the Centre should be directed to coordinate a meeting between chief secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and UP to address the issue. The court listed the matter for hearing on October 22. — PTI

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No conclusion reached in SSR death case: CBI

New Delhi, September 28

Amid reports of it going slow in probing actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today said, "No conclusion has yet been reached in the matter under probe and all aspects of it are under investigation."

According to an official statement issued here, agency spokesperson RK Gaur said, "The CBI is conducting professional investigation related to Sushant's death in which all aspects are being looked at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date."

The CBI had taken over the probe from the Bihar Police into the alleged abetment to suicide case filed by the actor's father KK Singh in Patna against Rajput's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her family.

Last week, Singh's lawyer Vikas Singh had expressed "helplessness" over the slow pace of the CBI probe in the Rajput's death case. — TNS

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Chittoor police draw plan to provide security to temples

Digital surveillance will be mounted at all vulnerable points: SP

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/chittoor-police-draw-plan-to-provide-security-to-temples/article32720793.ece

BJP’s twofold agenda: drum up support for farm Acts, attack AAP

Party to hold meetings across 360 villages over new laws

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/bjps-twofold-agenda-drum-up-support-for-farm-acts-attack-aap/article32720780.ece

Man sentenced to RI for sexual harassment

Sixth Additional District and Sessions Judge Sayeedunnisa here has sentenced Nagesh, a 30-year-old resident of K.R. Nagar, to seven years rigorous imp

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/man-sentenced-to-ri-for-sexual-harassment/article32720766.ece

The neighborhood cat. He will snuggle anyone who will give him attention. 😌

https://ift.tt/337MPoy via /r/aww https://ift.tt/349LNaH

Morning Digest: WHO to provide 120 million rapid COVID-19 tests to poorer countries, States told to strengthen security ahead of Babri verdict, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/morning-digest-who-to-provide-120-million-rapid-covid-19-tests-to-poorer-countries-states-told-to-strengthen-security-ahead-of-babri-verdict-and-more/article32720672.ece

BJD to form a panel to study farm laws

“I would like to assure farmers that their welfare will be paramount in any of our interventions,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bjd-to-form-a-panel-to-study-farm-laws/article32719212.ece

We are nowhere near herd immunity: Harsh Vardhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

As the Covid-19 caseload in India breached the six-million mark on Sunday night, the government said the country was way off the herd immunity and masks, physical distancing and maintenance of hygiene were sole protections available to people against the virus.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the ICMR's sero surveys that traces the Covid spread across India should not create a sense of complacency and asked the people to wear masks even in places of worship.

"The first sero survey in May 2020 revealed that the nationwide prevalence of the infection was only 0.73 per cent. The second sero survey indications are that we are far from having achieved any kind of herd immunity which necessitates that all of us should continue to take appropriate precautions. Low prevalence of infection means a large population remains vulnerable to the virus," Vardhan said.

In his social media interaction with people, Vardhan warned against over-dependence on Remdesivir and plasma therapy, saying these are only investigational therapies with no proven benefits. He added that after evidence of Covid impacting other organs apart from lungs, especially heart and kidneys, the ministry had formed committees of experts to examine these areas.

"The ICMR is investigating re-infection cases. Although such instances are negligible at this moment," he said.

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Vehicles torched, property vandalised in Dungarpur

Jaipur, September 27

The situation in Rajasthan's Dungarpur remained tense on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday as a group of protesters torched a pickup van and vandalised property.

Violence erupted in the region on Thursday when the candidates of teachers' recruitment examination-2018 blocked the Udaipur-Ahmedabad Highway, threw stones at police, damaged several properties and torched vehicles, demanding appointment of ST candidates on 1,167 vacant posts of general quota.

Recruitment exam row

• Violence erupted on Thursday when candidates of teachers' recruitment examination-2018 blocked the Udaipur-Ahmedabad Highway, demanding appointment of ST candidates on 1,167 vacant posts

• A man was shot on Saturday night during the protest and two others were injured, while a group of protesters torched a pickup van around 3 am on Sunday

The violence continued on Friday and Saturday, when a man was shot dead. An official of the Dungarpur police control room said a pickup van was torched in the Ransagar area around 3 am on Sunday.

The protesters have so far torched over 25 vehicles, ransacked several shops, hotels and a petrol pump, he said.

A man was killed in firing during the violent protests on Saturday. The police said it was not confirmed whether the man was killed in police firing or was hit by one of the bullets fired by the protesters.

However, the situation improved in the district on Sunday after the Udaipur-Ahmedabad highway, which was blocked by candidates of a recruitment exam for three days, was cleared after a meeting between a delegation of the protesters and public representatives and officials.

Tribal Area Development Minister Arjun Singh Bamniya was also part of the meeting.

"The situation by and large remained peaceful today. The highway in Dungarpur is clear for traffic movement now," Inspector General of Police (Udaipur range) Binita Thakur said.

However, incidents of stone-throwing took place in Rishabhdev and Jhadol area of adjoining Udaipur district, Thakur said.

The police control room said stones and other obstacles on the highway in Dungarpur were removed.

"Traffic will resume on the highway by tomorrow. After the meeting, which was held in a positive manner today, we conducted a march on the highway to review the situation. Now, the things are under control in Dungarpur," former Udaipur MP Raghuveer Meena said.

"We have appealed to the protesters to stop the violence and restore peace. There was general consensus on this in the meeting," Bamaniya said.

In Jaipur, DGP Bhupendra Singh reviewed the situation. "Two companies of the Rapid Action Force were deployed in the area today. Three senior police officers were sent to Dungarpur and the situation at present is peaceful," he said. — PTI

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SAD third major ally to quit NDA in three years

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

The Shiromani Akali Dal became the third major ally of the BJP-led NDA to quit the alliance after the Shiv Sena in 2019 and TDP in 2018.

While the separation may have made no difference to the NDA, the fact is that the saffron party's relationship with two of its oldest supporters ndash; the Shiv Sena and SAD — has ended. The two allies decided to part ways to save their "individual political identity" and "core voters".

Alliance politics

• 2017: JD(U), which had walked out of alliance in 2013, rejoins

• 2018: TDP pulls out over special status for Andhra Pradesh; BJP abandons PDP over concerns related to Jamp;K; RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha resigns from the Cabinet

• 2019: TN-based AIADMK joins NDA; Shiv Sena parts ways over Maharashtra CM's post; Haryana's JJP joins hands with BJP

• 2020: SAD quits alliance over contentious farm laws

The current NDA allies include the JD(U), LJP and HAM(S) in Bihar, JJP in Haryana, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, Apna Dal in UP and some other minor parties like the Ram Das Athawale-led RPI in Maharashtra.

Party leaders claim the BJP never initiated move to sever ties with any party and those who left have either joined back or regretted the move.

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, after faring poorly in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, "openly admitted regret" over his decision to quit the NDA, they claim.

Both JD(U) and the AIADMK have joined the alliance, while the Shiv Sena may have parted ways in Maharashtra, it stood with the NDA in the Lok Sabha. Similarly, the HAM(S) is back. In all, the NDA is an alliance of around 25 parties, they say.

So far as the PDP is concerned, the BJP pulled out because of "genuine concerns" related to Jammu and Kashmir, they claim.

The leaders claim that there is no state, including Punjab, where the BJP's organisational structure is not as strong as that of regional parties. Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik says: "They (Akali Dal) quit the alliance. There was no such move from our side. Why did they not leave earlier? Why were they giving favourable statements regarding farm ordinances? The BJP has always taken them along on issues concerning Punjab."

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Jaswant Singh: The Rathore from deserts who defended Pokhran

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

"We are going to come down on those guys like a ton of bricks," then US President Bill Clinton had thundered soon after the US establishment had got over the shock of not getting a whiff about India's five nuclear tests in three days at a site 1,200 km away from major Department of Atomic Energy facilities.

• Also read: A worthy scholar, soldier and politician

A month after those tests and Clinton's dire admonition, Jaswant Singh bravely landed in Washington to engage the US President's college-mate and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott in the first of 14 meetings over the next 30 months in 10 locations on three continents.

It finally turned out to be the most intense and prolonged set of India-US exchanges ever at a level higher than that of ambassadors. The jury is still out whether those exchanges in Rome, London, Frankfurt, Moscow etc turned around US policy. According to Talbott, they didn't. The sanctions were lifted not because it was a mistake to impose them, but because by then they had passed the point of diminishing returns.

But as his most trenchant critic AG Noorani conceded, that serial dialogue, conducted with not a single paper, file or folder in Jaswant's hand, lifted Indo-US relations out of the trap of cyclical ebbs and flows. He deployed elements of conciliation and contest to catch the deep and constant undercurrents, enabling the duo to set the foundational basis which then matured into the specifics that we see today.

Jaswant, however, was more than the man of the desert who set out to defend his government's policies for conducting nuclear tests not more than 100 km from where he was born.

He was the man who intimately knew the story of the cold war through protagonists from both sides of the fence. For, his life-long friends were the famous communist power couple Romesh and Raj Thapar. A person who took a liking for him was PN Haksar, the man who shaped the Indian foreign policy's sunshine years of the 70s. It is little wonder that he never hid his admiration for Nehru that was also gained from years of deep scholarship.

Apart from the nuclear tests, there were other tumultuous episodes in his stint as Foreign Minister in the Vajpayee government. The seven sleepless nights during the hijack of the Indian airlines plane, the double-crossing when he bravely landed in Kandahar — because "somebody had to go". And at the end, "there was relief because so much accumulated pain and agony had burst open like a long throbbing carbuncle".

Fortified by spirited interactions with the framers of India's security and strategic environment such as K Subrahmanyam, Maj Gen Rajinder Singh Sparrow and Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Jaswant was as much at home in discussions of disarmament as he was on regional issues with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Though this Rathore from the deserts is best remembered for telling the world not to negotiate with him on nuclear issues "as if with a gun to my temple", his interactions and experiences straddled a range of other issues.

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Jaswant Singh: A worthy scholar, soldier and politician

KV Prasad

The death of former Union Minister Jaswant Singh brought an end to a rare breed of personality who shaped a successful political career after leaving the Indian Army. The 82-year-old politician breathed his last on Sunday after remaining in coma for the last six years, as a result of a fall at home.

• Also read: The Rathore from deserts who defended Pokhran

Hailing from Rajasthan and having entered politics in 1980s, Jaswant Singh was a member of the Lok Sabha on four occasions, including once representing Darjeeling backed by the Gorkhas and in the Rajya Sabha for five terms. He left the BJP after being denied a ticket in 2014 and contested the Barmer Lok Sabha as an Independent.

Much before he came into national limelight, the suave and articulate preferred to identify in his baritone voice as Major Jaswant Singh, with pride of being associated with Central India Horse, an armoured regiment.

Jaswant Singh came in contact with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and their friendship grew as fellow travellers in the Bharatiya Janata Party. Although he did not have association with the RSS, he had the trust of both Vajpayee and LK Advani since the inception of the party.

A gentleman and mild natured person, Jaswant Singh was a scholar in his own right with deep interest in foreign affairs, an aptitude that helped him share interests with Vajpayee.

As the External Affairs Minister in the Vajpayee government, it was left to him to navigate the country's international engagement after the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998.

Jaswant Singh was among the few Indian politicians who had the distinction of serving in three of the four prime ministries on the Raisina Hill — External Affairs, Defence and Finance and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

Yet for all his achievements, he had to face severe criticism for the handling of the Kandhar hijack in 1999 and live with barbs from opposition for having taken terrorists Masood Azhar and two others to Afghanistan in exchange of the passengers held hostage on a Indian Airlines plane. He wrote several books, including "A Call to Honour", an account of his days in politics and "Jinnah: India Partition Independence" in which he held Congress leaders responsible for it.

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Congress dares JJP to quit alliance in Haryana

New Delhi, September 27

A day after the BJP's oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) quit the ruling alliance at the Centre, the Congress on Sunday dared the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) to break ranks with the ruling dispensation in Haryana over "farm laws" which, it said, would make bonded labourers out of agricultural workers.

"Choudhary Devi Lal's soul must be cringing today to see his descendant Dushyant Chautala backing anti-farmer BJP. We dare the JJP, which sought votes in Haryana in the name of farmers, to dissociate itself from the ruling BJP in the state," said Kumari Selja, Haryana Congress president.

Selja, along with Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, appealed to all parties, including NDA supporters, to join hands against the farm laws.

Jakhar called the dissociation of SAD from the BJP "a drama" noting, "this dissociation is the permit the Akali Dal needed to enter Punjab where they have business interests". — TNS

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President nod to farm Bills as protests rage in region

New Delhi, September 27

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave assent to three contentious farm Bills that have triggered protests by farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana.

• Also read: Rs 19,444 cr sanctioned for MSP operations
• Capt Amarinder Singh to launch stir at Khatkar Kalan today

According to a gazette notification, the President gave assent to the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

"

PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat

Our farmers, our villages are the very basis of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a self-reliant India. If they remain strong then the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat will remain strong

"

Meanwhile, underscoring the tremendous contribution of the agriculture sector and farmers in playing a major role in making the country "atmanirbhar", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reiterated the recent reforms would liberate them from restrictions prevalent in the sector. "Even in this time of crisis, the agriculture sector of the country, our farmers, our villages are the very basis of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a self-reliant India. If they remain strong, the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat will remain strong," PM Modi said in his monthly "Mann Ki Baat" radio talk.

Modi said if the essence of Mahatma Gandhi's economic philosophy had been followed, there would not have been any need for the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign as the country would have become self-reliant much earlier. — TNS

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Rs 19,444 cr sanctioned for MSP operations

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the apex financing organisation of the Union Agriculture Ministry, has sanctioned as first installment, funds amounting to Rs 19,444 crore to Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Telangana for the kharif paddy procurement under the minimum support price (MSP) operations, according to an official statement.

The amount has been sanctioned to assist the states/state marketing federations in undertaking paddy procurement operations in a timely manner through their respective cooperative organisations. Chhattisgarh gets the highest amount to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.

Haryana has been sanctioned Rs 5,444 crore and Telangana Rs 5,500 crore.

This proactive step by the NCDC during the Covid-19 pandemic will give the much-needed financial support to farmers of these three states, which account for nearly 75 per cent of production of paddy in the country. The timely step will help the state agencies start procurement operations immediately. It will provide the support to farmers to sell their produce at the government notified minimum support price.

Managing Director, NCDC, Sundeep Nayak said in response to the clarion call given by the Prime Minister, NCDC, was ready to assist more states in carrying out MSP operations for giving fair value to farmers in the light of historic farm-related legislations.

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We are nowhere near herd immunity: Harsh Vardhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

As the Covid-19 caseload in India breached the six-million mark on Sunday night, the government said the country was way off the herd immunity and masks, physical distancing and maintenance of hygiene were sole protections available to people against the virus.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the ICMR's sero surveys that traces the Covid spread across India should not create a sense of complacency and asked the people to wear masks even in places of worship.

"The first sero survey in May 2020 revealed that the nationwide prevalence of the infection was only 0.73 per cent. The second sero survey indications are that we are far from having achieved any kind of herd immunity which necessitates that all of us should continue to take appropriate precautions. Low prevalence of infection means a large population remains vulnerable to the virus," Vardhan said.

In his social media interaction with people, Vardhan warned against over-dependence on Remdesivir and plasma therapy, saying these are only investigational therapies with no proven benefits. He added that after evidence of Covid impacting other organs apart from lungs, especially heart and kidneys, the ministry had formed committees of experts to examine these areas.

"The ICMR is investigating re-infection cases. Although such instances are negligible at this moment," he said.

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SAD third major ally to quit NDA in three years

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

The Shiromani Akali Dal became the third major ally of the BJP-led NDA to quit the alliance after the Shiv Sena in 2019 and TDP in 2018.

While the separation may have made no difference to the NDA, the fact is that the saffron party's relationship with two of its oldest supporters ndash; the Shiv Sena and SAD — has ended. The two allies decided to part ways to save their "individual political identity" and "core voters".

Alliance politics

• 2017: JD(U), which had walked out of alliance in 2013, rejoins

• 2018: TDP pulls out over special status for Andhra Pradesh; BJP abandons PDP over concerns related to Jamp;K; RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha resigns from the Cabinet

• 2019: TN-based AIADMK joins NDA; Shiv Sena parts ways over Maharashtra CM's post; Haryana's JJP joins hands with BJP

• 2020: SAD quits alliance over contentious farm laws

The current NDA allies include the JD(U), LJP and HAM(S) in Bihar, JJP in Haryana, AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, Apna Dal in UP and some other minor parties like the Ram Das Athawale-led RPI in Maharashtra.

Party leaders claim the BJP never initiated move to sever ties with any party and those who left have either joined back or regretted the move.

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, after faring poorly in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, "openly admitted regret" over his decision to quit the NDA, they claim.

Both JD(U) and the AIADMK have joined the alliance, while the Shiv Sena may have parted ways in Maharashtra, it stood with the NDA in the Lok Sabha. Similarly, the HAM(S) is back. In all, the NDA is an alliance of around 25 parties, they say.

So far as the PDP is concerned, the BJP pulled out because of "genuine concerns" related to Jammu and Kashmir, they claim.

The leaders claim that there is no state, including Punjab, where the BJP's organisational structure is not as strong as that of regional parties. Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik says: "They (Akali Dal) quit the alliance. There was no such move from our side. Why did they not leave earlier? Why were they giving favourable statements regarding farm ordinances? The BJP has always taken them along on issues concerning Punjab."

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Producer Kshitij Ravi Prasad sent to custody till October 3

Mumbai, September 27

A Mumbai court on Sunday remanded Kshitij Ravi Prasad, who was earlier hired as an executive producer by a firm of filmmaker Karan Johar, in the NCB's custody till October 3 following his arrest in a drugs case linked to Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

Prasad had joined Dharmatic Entertainment (sister concern of Karan Johar's Dharma Productions) in November 2019 as one of the executive producers on a contract basis for a project, which eventually did not materialise, Johar said in a statement on Friday.

Prasad was arrested on Saturday after questioning. He was produced before a magistrate court here via video-conferencing which remanded him in the probe agency's custody till October 3 for further investigation. — PTI

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Jaswant Singh: The Rathore from deserts who defended Pokhran

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 27

"We are going to come down on those guys like a ton of bricks," then US President Bill Clinton had thundered soon after the US establishment had got over the shock of not getting a whiff about India's five nuclear tests in three days at a site 1,200 km away from major Department of Atomic Energy facilities.

• Also read: A worthy scholar, soldier and politician

A month after those tests and Clinton's dire admonition, Jaswant Singh bravely landed in Washington to engage the US President's college-mate and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott in the first of 14 meetings over the next 30 months in 10 locations on three continents.

It finally turned out to be the most intense and prolonged set of India-US exchanges ever at a level higher than that of ambassadors. The jury is still out whether those exchanges in Rome, London, Frankfurt, Moscow etc turned around US policy. According to Talbott, they didn't. The sanctions were lifted not because it was a mistake to impose them, but because by then they had passed the point of diminishing returns.

But as his most trenchant critic AG Noorani conceded, that serial dialogue, conducted with not a single paper, file or folder in Jaswant's hand, lifted Indo-US relations out of the trap of cyclical ebbs and flows. He deployed elements of conciliation and contest to catch the deep and constant undercurrents, enabling the duo to set the foundational basis which then matured into the specifics that we see today.

Jaswant, however, was more than the man of the desert who set out to defend his government's policies for conducting nuclear tests not more than 100 km from where he was born.

He was the man who intimately knew the story of the cold war through protagonists from both sides of the fence. For, his life-long friends were the famous communist power couple Romesh and Raj Thapar. A person who took a liking for him was PN Haksar, the man who shaped the Indian foreign policy's sunshine years of the 70s. It is little wonder that he never hid his admiration for Nehru that was also gained from years of deep scholarship.

Apart from the nuclear tests, there were other tumultuous episodes in his stint as Foreign Minister in the Vajpayee government. The seven sleepless nights during the hijack of the Indian airlines plane, the double-crossing when he bravely landed in Kandahar — because "somebody had to go". And at the end, "there was relief because so much accumulated pain and agony had burst open like a long throbbing carbuncle".

Fortified by spirited interactions with the framers of India's security and strategic environment such as K Subrahmanyam, Maj Gen Rajinder Singh Sparrow and Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Jaswant was as much at home in discussions of disarmament as he was on regional issues with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Though this Rathore from the deserts is best remembered for telling the world not to negotiate with him on nuclear issues "as if with a gun to my temple", his interactions and experiences straddled a range of other issues.

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Jaswant Singh: A worthy scholar, soldier and politician

KV Prasad

The death of former Union Minister Jaswant Singh brought an end to a rare breed of personality who shaped a successful political career after leaving the Indian Army. The 82-year-old politician breathed his last on Sunday after remaining in coma for the last six years, as a result of a fall at home.

• Also read: The Rathore from deserts who defended Pokhran

Hailing from Rajasthan and having entered politics in 1980s, Jaswant Singh was a member of the Lok Sabha on four occasions, including once representing Darjeeling backed by the Gorkhas and in the Rajya Sabha for five terms. He left the BJP after being denied a ticket in 2014 and contested the Barmer Lok Sabha as an Independent.

Much before he came into national limelight, the suave and articulate preferred to identify in his baritone voice as Major Jaswant Singh, with pride of being associated with Central India Horse, an armoured regiment.

Jaswant Singh came in contact with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and their friendship grew as fellow travellers in the Bharatiya Janata Party. Although he did not have association with the RSS, he had the trust of both Vajpayee and LK Advani since the inception of the party.

A gentleman and mild natured person, Jaswant Singh was a scholar in his own right with deep interest in foreign affairs, an aptitude that helped him share interests with Vajpayee.

As the External Affairs Minister in the Vajpayee government, it was left to him to navigate the country's international engagement after the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998.

Jaswant Singh was among the few Indian politicians who had the distinction of serving in three of the four prime ministries on the Raisina Hill — External Affairs, Defence and Finance and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

Yet for all his achievements, he had to face severe criticism for the handling of the Kandhar hijack in 1999 and live with barbs from opposition for having taken terrorists Masood Azhar and two others to Afghanistan in exchange of the passengers held hostage on a Indian Airlines plane. He wrote several books, including "A Call to Honour", an account of his days in politics and "Jinnah: India Partition Independence" in which he held Congress leaders responsible for it.

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Vehicles torched, property vandalised in Dungarpur

Jaipur, September 27

The situation in Rajasthan's Dungarpur remained tense on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday as a group of protesters torched a pickup van and vandalised property.

Violence erupted in the region on Thursday when the candidates of teachers' recruitment examination-2018 blocked the Udaipur-Ahmedabad Highway, threw stones at police, damaged several properties and torched vehicles, demanding appointment of ST candidates on 1,167 vacant posts of general quota.

Recruitment exam row

• Violence erupted on Thursday when candidates of teachers' recruitment examination-2018 blocked the Udaipur-Ahmedabad Highway, demanding appointment of ST candidates on 1,167 vacant posts

• A man was shot on Saturday night during the protest and two others were injured, while a group of protesters torched a pickup van around 3 am on Sunday

The violence continued on Friday and Saturday, when a man was shot dead. An official of the Dungarpur police control room said a pickup van was torched in the Ransagar area around 3 am on Sunday.

The protesters have so far torched over 25 vehicles, ransacked several shops, hotels and a petrol pump, he said.

A man was killed in firing during the violent protests on Saturday. The police said it was not confirmed whether the man was killed in police firing or was hit by one of the bullets fired by the protesters.

However, the situation improved in the district on Sunday after the Udaipur-Ahmedabad highway, which was blocked by candidates of a recruitment exam for three days, was cleared after a meeting between a delegation of the protesters and public representatives and officials.

Tribal Area Development Minister Arjun Singh Bamniya was also part of the meeting.

"The situation by and large remained peaceful today. The highway in Dungarpur is clear for traffic movement now," Inspector General of Police (Udaipur range) Binita Thakur said.

However, incidents of stone-throwing took place in Rishabhdev and Jhadol area of adjoining Udaipur district, Thakur said.

The police control room said stones and other obstacles on the highway in Dungarpur were removed.

"Traffic will resume on the highway by tomorrow. After the meeting, which was held in a positive manner today, we conducted a march on the highway to review the situation. Now, the things are under control in Dungarpur," former Udaipur MP Raghuveer Meena said.

"We have appealed to the protesters to stop the violence and restore peace. There was general consensus on this in the meeting," Bamaniya said.

In Jaipur, DGP Bhupendra Singh reviewed the situation. "Two companies of the Rapid Action Force were deployed in the area today. Three senior police officers were sent to Dungarpur and the situation at present is peaceful," he said. — PTI

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Dems urge Barrett to recuse from election-related cases

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US Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration ban on new TikTok downloads from app stores

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All eyes on AIADMK meet amid ‘Sasikala factor’

Current round of power struggle between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam camps should end.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/all-eyes-on-aiadmk-meet-amid-sasikala-factor/article32710567.ece

Despite MTP Act, women forced to seek legal nod for abortion

Sharp rise in cases before courts though doctors can decide on medical termination upto 20 weeks into gestation.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/despite-mtp-act-women-forced-to-seek-legal-nod-for-abortion/article32710296.ece

Meet Buddy! This is my wild pet Bluejay! He isn’t actually my pet but he hangs out with us every day now which is pretty crazy! 😍

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Wife is pregnant with our first... I think our pup, Bandit, is onto us.

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Bengal Governor, CM in another letter war over law & order, PM Kisan

Mamata takes exception to Dhankhar seeking reports of probe against BJP MP.

source https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/bengal-governor-cm-in-another-letter-war-over-law-order-pm-kisan/article32710170.ece

Give hand for snuggles!

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Brazilian pianist regains the ability to play the piano after 22 years

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11-point agenda, but Sri Lanka won’t commit on Colombo port

New Delhi, September 26

PM Narendra Modi resolved to pursue closer bilateral ties with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa through a mutually agreed 11-point agenda that will seek to address key issues like resolving the demands of the Tamil community, ban on Indian imports, the Colombo port project and the harassment of fishermen.

Most of the points stated in the joint statement touched on programmes to provide social and medical assistance to Sri Lanka, including a $100 million credit line, stepping up people-to-people contact and increasing coordination between security agencies.

What they agreed on

• Social and medical assistance to Lanka, including a $100 million credit line
• Another $15 million grant for promoting Buddhist ties between the two nations
• Increasing coordination between militaries and security agencies
• Exploring opportunities in common heritage such as Buddhism, ayurveda amp; yoga
• Looking into import ban by Sri Lanka and deepening integration of supply chains
• Improving environment for trade and early completion of infrastructure projects

Rajapaksa gave no firm assurance on Indo-Japanese involvement in the Colombo port project, seen as a counter-balance to Hambantota port being allotted to the Chinese. Nor was there a firm commitment to resolving the issues of the Tamil community, almost a decade after the end of the civil war. On the port project, the joint statement merely resolved to work towards the "early realisation of infrastructure and connectivity projects" through bilateral agreements and MoUs.

In response to PM Modi's call on the Sri Lankan Government to address the aspirations of the Tamil people, Rajapaksa eschewed any commitment on the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. "Sri Lanka will work towards realising the expectations of all ethnic groups, including Tamils," he responded. PM Modi announced that a delegation of Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka will be aboard the inaugural international flight to the sacred city of Kushinagar, which has recently been announced as an international airport. The two leaders also agreed to facilitate tourism by enhancing connectivity and by early establishment of an air bubble. They also resolved to strengthen cooperation between the armed forces through personal visits, maritime security cooperation and support to Sri Lanka in the spheres of defence and security.

Recognising that BIMSTEC was an important platform for regional cooperation linking South Asia with South East Asia, both leaders agreed to work together to ensure a successful BIMSTEC Summit to be hosted under the Chairmanship of Sri Lanka.

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