Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India (PTI) is India’s premier news agency, having a reach as vast as the Indian Railways. It employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.

Singapore firm commissions first power project in India

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Singapore firm Sembcorp Industries’s first power project in India has commenced commercial operation.

The firm on Monday announced completion of the first 660-megawatt unit of the Thermal Powertech Corporation India (TPCIL) plant in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

The 1,320 MW coal-fired power plant in the coastal town of Krishnapatnam comprises two units of 660 MW each, with the second unit expected to begin commercial operation in the third quarter of 2015.

Yogendra, Bhushan may face action in AAP’s national executive

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Peeved at its senior leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan’s criticism of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s approach, the party here on Monday hinted at acting tough against the duo in the national executive meet on Wednesday.

The party’s official stand became clear a day after a joint letter by Yadav and Bhushan was leaked to the media which questioned the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) “one person-centric” approach and criticised it on various fronts.

Jaishankar meets Hasina, hands over letter from Modi

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Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Monday met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his willingness to visit Bangladesh and inviting her to visit India.

Jaishankar handed over the letter to Hasina at her Sangsad Bhaban office in the evening when he paid a courtesy call on her.

Hasina’s Press Secretary A.K.M. Shameem Chowdhuri, briefing reporters after the meeting, said that Modi in his letter stated that he is eagerly waiting to visit Bangladesh, the Daily Star reported.

LIC ups its Reliance Industries holding to 9.084 percent

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Insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Monday said it has increased its holding in Reliance Industries by 2.097 percent to 9.084 percent.

In its regulatory filing to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), LIC said it has acquired 2.097 percent stake in Reliance Industries.

Prior to the acquisition, LIC was holding 6.987 percent stake in Reliance Industries.

Reliance Industries stock closed at Rs.864.95 on Monday.

(IANS)

I-League: Salgaocar to host Lajong

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Salgaocar FC, which will host Shillong Lajong FC on Tuesday, are wary of the challenge the contingent from eastern Indian can throw at them here at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda in the ninth round of the I-League.

Myanmar president meets Aung San Suu Kyi

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Myanmar President U Thein Sein had a special meeting with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, a media report said.

It was the first meeting between the president and the chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in a year since March 9, 2014.

The bilateral meeting focused on the issues of constitution amendment and upcoming general election, Xinhua news agency reported citing an evening news broadcast of state radio and TV.

Arthur Papas bids farewell to Dempo

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Local football giants Dempo SC confirmed on Monday they have parted ways with Australian coach Arthur Papas, who was with the club since 2013.

The club said the parting of ways was agreed to last week after the Australian resigned citing personal reasons.

“I wish to place on record my thanks to Mr. Shrinivas Dempo, support staff and the players for the period of employment as head coach of Dempo SC, and wish the club continued success for the rest of the season and beyond,” Papas was quoted as saying by the I-League website.

Kerry urges Iran to ‘make difficult decisions’ for n-deal

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US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday urged Iran to take more decisive steps to meet the requirements for reaching a final deal over its nuclear programme.

“Unless Iran is able to make the difficult decisions that are required, there won’t be a deal,” Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying at a press conference after addressing the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council here in Geneva.

“Right now, no deal exists, no partial deal exists,” he said.

Odisha to provide meal for Rs.5 to urban poor

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In order to provide an affordable meal in five urban areas of the state, the Odisha government is all set to introduce “Aahar” scheme from this April, an official said here on Monday.

Under the scheme, the government would provide a meal for five rupees to the urban poor in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela.

The menu of the meal will comprise plain rice and dalma (a combination of dal and vegetables).

Lok Sabha passes bill to amend Citizenship Act

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The Lok Sabha Monday passed a bill that allows the central government to notify that Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card-holders shall be considered Overseas Citizen of India card-holders.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which was passed by a voice vote, seeks to replace the ordinance brought by the government in January.

The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 and provide, among other things, for “registration of overseas citizen of India card-holder and also that the persons of Indian origin card-holders shall be deemed to be overseas citizen of India card-holders”.

Rs.7 lakh crore to be collected as income tax this fiscal

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India will meet its projected target of collecting Rs.7 lakh crore in income tax in the ongoing 2014-15 fiscal, an income tax official said here on Monday.

“I am sure we will meet this target of collecting Rs.7 lakh crore in income tax by the end of the fiscal,” principal chief commissioner for West Bengal and Sikkim C.L. Denzongpa told IANS on the sidelines of a CII organised event.

However, he did not give the national revenue collections till date.

Denzongpa said it was estimated that the income tax collection from West Bengal and Sikkim would be Rs.31,500 crore in 2014-15.

Chinese firms launch world’s first graphene phones

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Two Chinese firms have beaten global competition to launch phones with touch screens, batteries and thermal conduction incorporating graphene, a recently isolated material with outstanding electrical, chemical and mechanical properties.

A batch of 30,000 such phones was jointly put on sale by the Moxi and Galapad technology firms on Monday in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, Xinhua news agency reported.

The use of graphene can make touch screens more sensitive and prolong battery life by 50 percent, according to the producers.

Two held in Delhi with 900 live cartridges

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A man and his woman associate have been arrested in the national capital for carrying 900 live cartridges, leading Delhi Police to bust an inter-state syndicate involved in barter trade of firearms and cartridges, officials said on Monday.

Mohammed Rabbani, 35, and Chunni Beghum, 30, were arrested on February 23 from east Delhi’s Anand Vihar inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) with two sophisticated pistols and 900 live cartridges.

India should play role in Nepal peace process: Former PM Bhattarai

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Amid political instability in Nepal, former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai said on Monday that India should continue to play a role in Nepal’s peace process, but added that New Delhi “should not be directly involved”.

Addressing a roundtable on “Current Developments in Nepal”, Bhattarai – leader of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – who is meeting political leaders in India, said that if there was instability in Nepal, it will adversely affect the geo-politics of the region and therefore it was in India’s interests to see a peaceful and stable Nepal.

Jagmohan Dalmiya: Wily cricket administrator makes a comeback

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At the peak of his career, cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya’s detractors rued that such was the man’s resilience that he had it in him to swim back to the shore if thrown deep into the sea, or rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. The 74-year-old’s almost unbelievable comeback at the head of the country’s premier cricket body has only reinforced the notion.

Bangladesh court warns government on blockades

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The Bangladesh High Court on Monday asked the government why its “lack of action” in imposing “reasonable restrictions” on blockades and shutdowns should not be declared “illegal”.

A bench of justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Abu Taher Md. Saifur Rahman also asked why the blockades should not be declared “unconstitutional”.

The observations came after the initial hearing of a petition filed by the country’s four major business bodies, bdnws24.com reported.

CAG has full right to audit discoms: Delhi government to HC

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The city government told the Delhi High Court on Monday that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has “full right” to carry out comprehensive audit of private discoms as the issue involves “public interest”.

“There is public interest in settling the issue and conducting the audit. Discoms are involved in distribution of power which is a public function and, so they come under the fold of CAG audit,” advocate Rajiv Dhawan, appearing on behalf of the Delhi government, told the court.

Wipro partners with Dutch firm for analytics solutions

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Wipro Ltd. on Monday announced a partnering with the Netherlands-based Flytxt to jointly develop solutions for mobile consumer analytics.

As a specialised firm in monetising mobile consumer data through big data analytics, Flytxt offers customer experience and revenue enhancement solutions worldwide.

“With Flytxt’s mobile consumer analytics technology and our expertise in telecom, we will provide solutions to generate measurable economic value from data streams,” the city-based software major said in a statement.

L&T executes two large substations in Maharashtra, Rajasthan

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Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has commissioned country’s first 765 KV Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) in Pune in an agreement with a Korean firm and executed 765 KV transmission line in Air Insulated Substation in Rajasthan.

The project in Pune is part of the transmission system associated with the Krishnapatinam UMPP (ultra mega power project) to strengthen the grid connectivity as well as strengthen power distribution of 400 KV in western India, a company statement said on Monday.

Study material for train blast accused: Government seeks time

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The government on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that it needed more time to decide on providing study material and publications on homoeopathy free of cost in jail to a prime accused in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts.

Justice Rajeev Shakdher posted the matter for May 15 after the central government sought four weeks to respond to the issue.

The court had earlier sought to know from the central and city governments why they could not provide publications on homoeopathy free of cost in jail to the accused.

UKIP names Sikh shopkeeper as candidate for British polls

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A Sikh man has been unveiled as the UK Independence Party’s (UKIP) candidate for Hull North in the British county of Yorkshire in the upcoming general election, media reported Monday.

Sergi Singh, a shopkeeper and the party’s Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire branch vice-president, stood unsuccessfully as a councillor for the Holderness ward in 2014.

As the owner of Jackpot Wines in east Hull, Singh has been a prominent member of the small business community for several years.

Free treatment for swine flu in Maharashtra

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Maharashtra has decided to provide free treatment for swine flu across the state, following the death of nearly 150 people due to the viral disease, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced here on Monday.

The state government will bear all medical expenses related to treatment of swine flu (H1N1) patients in government or private hospitals, Fadnavis said.

Fear of infections has grown in Maharashtra following unseasonal rains and a sharp dip in temperatures in most parts of the state in the past three days.

Kerry wants Iran to ‘make difficult decisions’ for n-deal

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US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday urged Iran to take more decisive steps to meet the requirements for reaching a final deal over its nuclear programme even as he said that that any such deal will make Israel safer than it is today.

“Unless Iran is able to make the difficult decisions that are required, there won’t be a deal,” Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying at a press conference after addressing the High-Level Segment of the Human Rights Council here in Geneva.

“Right now, no deal exists, no partial deal exists,” he said.

Railways launches India’s first customer complaint mobile app

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Indian Railways on Monday became the first company in the country to provide customer complaint services on a mobile app besides providing the facility online by launching a complaint management system (Coms).

The Coms comprises the mobile app, an online portal backed by a centralised grievance redressal monitoring system and a mobile network messaging facility.

“Passengers can also SMS their complaints on the mobile number,” the railway authorities said in a statement.

K.K. Sharma to be Delhi’s new chief secretary

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The home ministry on Monday approved the name of K.K. Sharma as Delhi’s next chief secretary, official sources said.

“K.K. Sharma’s name has been approved to be the next chief secretary of Delhi,” a home ministry official told IANS.

Sharma, who is presently the chief secretary of Goa, was the second choice of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had requested Home Minister Rajnath Singh to appoint him if the ministry could not approve Ramesh Negi, Kejriwal’s first choice for the post.