Gali Nagaraja

Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy has emphasized on the role played by competition and regulation, saying that both the mechanisms acted like an ‘invisible hand’ that worked towards betterment of the society.

Murthy was delivering a keynote address at the sixth annual day lecture on ‘Creating a Better India – Musings on Economic Governance Ideas for India’ organised by the Competition Commission of India

(CCI) on Wednesday.

He said that competition brings out the best in any company and leads to innovation, new ideas, services and products.

The Congress Party on Thursday alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is abusing the bureaucracy and the constitutional authority of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung with his remark that the officers were running ‘transfer-posting industry’ in Delhi.

Budget passenger carrier AirAsia India on Thursday commenced commercial operations from New Delhi to Goa, Bengaluru and Guwahati.

The airline’s maiden flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru was operated on an Airbus A320 aircraft with code VT-JRT titled ‘The Pioneer’ and carried 180 passengers on board.

“Offering greater connectivity and convenience is a key part of our strategy as we continue to grow our business, and new destinations like Delhi, Guwahati and Vizag further strengthens our route network,” said Mittu Chandliya, chief executive of AirAsia India.

The Supreme Court was moved Thursday seeking a direction to restrain AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa from being sworn-in again as chief minister, likely on May 23, following her acquittal in an illegal assets case by the Karnataka High Court.

Petitioner G.S. Mani, who is practicing advocate at the apex court, in his petition contended that the acquittal by the high court would not automatically suspend Jayalalithaa’s disqualification from state assembly membership following her conviction by the trial court in a disproportionate assets case.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said his government would provide portable ventilators and x-ray machines to quake-hit Nepal as well as software and hardware support to maintain the database of Nepalese living in India.

The announcement was made during a meeting between Nepalese Ambassador Deep Kumar Upadhyay and Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat. Among other issues, they discussed the situation in Nepal after the devastating earthquake.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promised “better days” (achche din) are “turning from illusions into a nightmare”, the CPI-M said in an editorial released on Thursday.

The one year of Modi’s rule has also witnessed a sharp widening of the hiatus between the two Indias, the editorial in “People’s Democracy”, the party’s mouthpiece, said.

It also mocked at claims that no corruption scam had emerged during Modi’s one year in office.

Islamic State forces on Wednesday seized control of the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria’s head of antiquities said.

“This is a disaster for the entire world, not just for the Syrians,” Maamoun Abdul Karim said by telephone from Damascus, referring to the threat posed by IS to Palmyra’s famed 2,000-year-old ruins.

Authorities managed to remove around 100 statues before IS fighters reached the Roman-era archaeological site on the city’s southwestern edge, Abdul Karim said.

Small groups of government soldiers and other opponents of IS remain in and around Palmyra, he said.

Govt. of Telangana issued orders for the constitution of Telangana State Paramedical Board. It will consist of 6 members. Principal Secretary, Dept. of Medical and Health will be its ex-officio Chairman. V.C. of Kaloji Narayan Rao Health University, Warangal will be its Vice Chairman. The other members are: Principal Secretary, Dept. of Finance, Director of Medical and Health Services, Director of Medical Education. Mr. Suresh Chandra, Principal Secretary, Dept. of Medical and Health issues these orders yesterday.

–Siasat News

An All Party Protest Meeting against Alair encounter will be held on 24th May under the Chairmanship of Maulana Syed Hamid Husain Shuttari at Husaini Alam. Govt. of Telangana has not yet suspected the police officials involved in the fake encounter held at Alair last month. Muslim leadership of TRS and other political parties is maining silence. Hence this meeting is being arranged. This will be addressed by Mr. Osman Shaheed, Advocate, Mr. Amjadullah Khan Khalid, Mr. Syed Saadath Ali, Mr. Ali Masquati, Mr. Osman Al-Hajiri, Mr. Alauddin Ansari, Mr. Mohammed Mushtaq Malik, Mr.

Mr. M. Somi Reddy, DEO of Hyderabad District has issued a circular making it compulsory for the private schools to use only Govt. prescribed text books for class I to V. Action will be taken against the managements who violate these instructions. The affiliations of these schools could be cancelled. Govt. had received complaints from the parents of the students that the private management have been pressing them to buy the text books only through their book stalls.

–Siasat News

Social Activist, Ms. Teesta Setalwad will deliver a lecture on “Human Rights and the social and political situation of the country” at 6 p.m. today at Sudarayya Vigyana Kendram, Bagh Lingampally, Hyderabad. This Sudarayya Memorial Lecture has been organized by the managing committee of Sudarayya Vigyana Kendram. This was notified by Mr. S. Vinay Kumar, Senior Journalist and Secretary of the managing committee. Mr. B.V. Raghavulu, Chairman of Sudarayya Vigyana Kendram Trust and Politburo of CPI (M) will preside over the lecture. All are welcome to attend.

–Siasat News

According to a press note issued by Mr. Mohammed Jalaaluddin Akbar, IFS, Director, Dept. of Minorities Welfare and in-charge of Wakf Board, Govt. of Telangana has given permission for the construction of a commercial complex near Hajj House, Nampally. GHMC has exempted payment of Rs. 4, 60, 50, 185 towards construction fee. Wakf Board thanked Mr. KCR and the successful efforts of Dy. CM, Mr. Mohammed Mahmood Ali. GHMC has given permission for the construction of a 7 storey building with a ground floor and two basements.

–Siasat News

Special Investigation Team constituted by Govt. of Telangana to probe into Alair encounter started its investigation under the stewardhip of Mr. Sandeep Shandalia. The other member of the team is Mr. Shahnawaz Qasim, SP Of Khammam. The team took the case file from Alair police station. It also seized the mini bus number MP 11/TR E 8217 which was used in the encounter. It took the position of cartridges and other articles. It inspected the handcuffs used for the slain undertrial prisoners.

Saudi Arabian authorities have posted advertisements to hire executioners as the nation steps up executions of death sentences, some of which are carried out in public.

According to the Express Tribune, an advertisement on a civil services portal said that no special qualification was listed for the job, while the job includes the responsibility of “executing a judgment of death”.

The job of executioner was classified in the application as ‘religious functionaries’.

Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday expressed his happiness over his comeback to India’s squad for the one off test match against Bangladesh scheduled to take place in June 2015.

“I am really happy that I have been picked to play the test match in Bangladesh and looking forward to it. I have really worked hard to get back into the Indian side and happy to be there…,” Harbhajan told ANI.

“Every game is an opportunity for me to do something better than what I’ve done and to make a comeback,” he added.

An NCC girls expedition to the 6,001-metre-high Mount Deo-Tibba peak was flagged off from here by Director General Lt. Gen. A. Chakravarty on Wednesday.

This is the first of a series of training and preparatory expeditions for the NCC Everest expedition in 2016.

These cadets have been selected after extensive trials conducted at hubs all over the country followed by rigorous training at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling where cadets were trained in ice/rock craft survival skills and rescue.

Militants of the Islamic State terrorist group beheaded three men it accused of treason in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Ezzor, a monitoring group said on Wednesday.

One of the men was a former IS fighter and the other two were purportedly collaborating with anti-IS movements in neighbouring Turkey, the Britain-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory reported.

The trio was beheaded in the eastern town of al-Shil after being arrested by IS militants when they crossed back into Syria from Turkey, the watchdog said.

The family of model-turned-actress Shikha Joshi, who was found dead at her friend’s Mumbai apartment, wants the case to be transferred to Delhi as they fear Mumbai police will not conduct a fair probe.

They also shared with IANS a series of SMSes sent by the 40-year-old Shikha on her father’s cell phone two days before her death on Saturday.

Shikha’s father K.N. Joshi told IANS: “On May 14, I got three messages (SMS) from Shikha in three minutes, between 9.15 p.m to 9.17 p.m. The messages clearly show there was something wrong.”

The US on Wednesday cast doubt on Pyongyang’s claimed capacity to miniaturise and diversify its stockpiled nuclear weapons.

“Regarding that specific claim of miniaturisation, we do not think they have that capacity,” State Department spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters, Xinhua reported.

North Korea said earlier in the day that it has entered the phase of miniaturisation and diversification of its nuclear weapons for quite some time, with the successful test-firing of a strategic ballistic missile from a submarine on May 8.

A pilot programme launched by Israeli Defence Minister Mosehe Yaalon forbade Palestinians from riding the same bus as Israelis in the West Bank but the order was withdrawn after an outcry, media reports on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu and Yaalon suspended the controversial measure on Wednesday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 71 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) eliminator at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium here on Wednesday.

Opting to bat first, RCB scored 180/4. In reply, RR were bowled out for 109.

–IANS

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday said that the frequency with which Pakistani flags are being waved in India is virtually mocking the unity and sovereignty of the country.

“The manner in which Pakistan flags are being waved is virtually mocking the unity and sovereignty of India. It hasn’t even happened in the worst days of militancy. Either this government is absolutely incompetent or it’s a part of a grand orchestrated strategy,” said Tewari.

Bollywood actor and Congress leader Raj Babbar on Wednesday alleged that the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “suit, boot and loot Sarkar”.

Addressing media persons here, Raj Babbar accused the central government of having failed to fulfil its electoral promises even after completing one year in office.

“Prime Minister, Maharaja Narendra Modi-led government is a suit, boot and loot sarkar.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to reiterate that Aadhar Card will not be mandatory for voting in elections.

Yechury said in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi that voters who had provided details of their Aadhar card to Election Commission officials had been told they no longer need to produce their electoral cards while casting their vote.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur on Wednesday played down the controversy stirred by Virat Kohli when he met his girlfriend Bollywood star Anushka Sharma during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match, saying no player is above the game.

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Kohli met Anushka in the stands at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during a rain-break against Delhi Daredevils on Sunday, violating IPL’s anti-corruption code.