Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has done precious little in his one month in office and failed to give clarity on crucial issues like agriculture loan waiver and tuition fees reimbursement, State Congress President Ponnala Lakshmaiah alleged here today.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was non-committal today on giving any deadline for implementing the Food Security Act as the new law will not include the entire poor people in the state who are at present covered under the current PDS mechanism.
Since Jammu and Kashmir is one of the few states, where universal public distribution system (PDS) has been in force since 2002 covering every poor family in the state, it is facing a shortfall of 5,953 tonnes of foodgrains in a month.
It is “too early” to say whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the heart of the people of the state, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said here today.
After a meeting with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Omar was asked whether the Prime Minister was able to win the heart of people after his recent visit to the state.
“It has already been a month for the new government. Let’s wait and see. How can I say whether he has succeeded in winning the heart of the people in a month’s time? It’s too early to say,” he replied to a question from reporters.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today congratulated newly-appointed BJP President Amit Shah and exuded confidence that the party will be strengthened with him at the helm.
Raje lauded the decision saying Shah displayed strong leadership qualities and carved his identity at the national level in a short span, especially by crafting BJP’s unprecedented victory in Uttar Pradesh in Lok Sabha elections.
She said Shah has been elevated to the post of party president from a dedicated worker owing to his extraordinary leadership and organisational skills.
Reacting to the Economic Survey 2013-14 presented in the Parliament today, Ajay Shriram, President, CII, said it portrays a realistic picture of the economy with GDP growth estimated in the range of 5.4 to 5.9 per cent during the current fiscal.
“The growth outlook, as projected by the Economic Survey, is realistic and in consonance with CII’s prognosis which predicts that the pro-reform approach of the new government would work to revive the India growth story’ said Shriram.
Government on Wednesday rejected studies of WHO and Yale University which talked about India and its cities being among the most polluted, asserting that the parameters for determining air pollution were not considered by them.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said pollution is caused by many factors and the survey took cognisance of only air pollution and that is why India’s ranking in Yale University report has come down.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Wednesday said that choosing BJP General Secretary and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close aide Amit Shah as party president reflects the kind of path the BJP wants to take.
“Choice of the president of a political party is an internal matter of that party. But the BJP has chosen the man who was banned from entering campaigns because of his hate speeches. He was also charge sheeted in fake encounter cases. Choosing him has shows what way the BJP wants to take,” said Karat.
Mercury and other unusually metal-rich objects in the solar system may be relics left behind by hit-and-run collisions in the early solar system, scientists say.
The origin of planet Mercury has been a difficult question in planetary science because its composition is very different from that of the other terrestrial planets and the moon.
This small, innermost planet has more than twice the fraction of metallic iron of any other terrestrial planet. Its iron core makes up about 65 per cent of Mercury’s total mass; Earth’s core, by comparison, is just 32 per cent of its mass.
The opposition Wednesday attacked the government on the issue of price rise in the Lok Sabha and questioned the steps taken to control the increase in prices of essential commodities.
Congress deputy leader in the house, Amarinder Singh asked “where is the achche din (good days)” promised by the BJP during the election campaign and slammed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s statement that food prices are under control and there is no need to panic.
He demanded a complete ban on onion exports to control the vegetable’s soaring price.
A court here Wednesday granted bail to BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in a defamation case filed against him by former JD-U leader Shabir Ali for linking his name with Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal.
Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain granted bail to Naqvi and asked him to furnish a personal bond of Rs.10,000.
Naqvi appeared before the court in pursuance to the summons issued against him. However, Ali did not appear in court.
The court observed that no suitable explanation was given by complainant (Ali) regarding his absence.
The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government may restructure the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which offers minimum-wage employment for the rural jobless.
The Economic Survey 2013-14 which Finance Minister Aurn Jaitley presented in parliament said there was an urgent need to revamp the scheme to “prevent its misuse” and create “meaningful” infrastructure.
The Survey listed six reasons for the reorganisation of the scheme.
Do you know there is an “on-off” switch in our brain that controls consciousness? Scientists have found one that can help coma patients regain consciousness.
Researchers at George Washington University made an epileptic patient go to sleep by applying an electrical impulse in a specific brain region.
After they stopped the stimulation, the patient came out of coma and had no memory of what had just happened.
A patient committed suicide by jumping from the 4th floor of Indo-American Cancer Centre. It is said that 64-year-old, Durgaiah resident of Rajahmundry was suffering from cancer for quite few days. Distraught over his illness he jumped from the 4th floor of hospital building and committed suicide. Police registered a case in this connection and shifted the body to Osmania Hospital.
Siasat news
The UN has commemorated the centenary of World War I, lauding the courage and sacrifice of soldiers including over a million from India, and underscored the importance of reconciliation through diplomacy.
The event ‘Learning from War to Build Peace’ was organised here yesterday, jointly by the Permanent Missions of France and Germany and co-sponsored by 25 nations including India.
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the country’s main opposition umbrella in exile, elected Hadi al-Bahra Wednesday as its new leader.
Hadi al-Bahra was elected president of the coalition after three days of intense negotiations in the small Black Sea resort of Sile close to Istanbul, Xinhua reported citing the coalition’s Facebook page.
Al-Bahra was born in Damascus in 1959. He spent most of his life in Saudi Arabia doing business and managing hospitals. As chief negotiator, Bahra led the opposition parties in peace talks with the Syrian government in Geneva in February.
The CBI Wednesday questioned Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in Hyderabad in connection with alleged graft in the procurement of AgustaWestland VVIP choppers for 556.262 million euros (Rs.3,726.96 crore), officials said.
Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned the governor at Raj Bhavan for nearly two hours.
The CBI team, which flew in from Delhi, recorded Narasimhan’s statement under section 161 of Code of Criminal Procedure. It also questioned him to gather information about the controversial deal.
Two people were killed and over a dozen injured Wednesday when crude bombs went off and firing followed in a Uttar Pradesh district court, police said.
Officials said the bomb blasts and firing at the Faizabad district court was part of an attack aimed at former legislator from Sultanpur Sonu Singh and his brother Monu Singh.
Angry lawyers roughed up senior police official Shailendra Singh, blaming him for laxity in providing security in the court premises.
Secretary AICC and member Rajya Sabha V Hanumanth Rao told that justice is not done towards Telugu states in the railway budget. Talking to media in Delhi he asserted that Narendra Modi, who showed the dream of good days, burdened the people financially.
Instead of declining, the prices are rising day by day. Prices of petroleum increased, railway fare was already enhanced, and now the railway budget presented by Sadanand Goud was disappointing.
Siasat news
Department of Library and Information Science Osmania University is conducting a 1-day workshop on the topic “Literature Searching for Research Scholar” on July 9, at 10 am, at New Seminar Hall, University College of Arts and Social Science.
The function will be inaugurated by Vice Chancellor Prof. S Satyanarayana. Prof. K Pratap Reddy registrar will be the chief guest.
Siasat news
Pakistan Wednesday called for a peaceful and negotiated settlement of differences over the presidential run-off election in neighbouring Afghanistan.
The call came a day after one of the presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah, rejected the preliminary results, which has raised concerns about a looming political crisis.
Afghan media had earlier reported that Abdullah was set to announce a parallel government in a speech to hundreds of supporters in Kabul Tuesday but delayed the announcement after a call from US President Barack Obama.
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Wednesday organised demonstrations across Odisha against the central government for neglecting the state the rail budget.
Party activists staged demonstrations near various railway stations across the state, a senior party leader told IANS here.
Similarly, the party legislators raised the issue during the zero hour in the ongoing monsoon session of the state assembly and raised slogans against the central government.
Holding placards and banners, they later staged a sit-in demonstration near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi within the assembly premises.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against England in the first Test of the five-match series at the Trent Bridge here Wednesday.
India have dropped Rohit Sharma for all-rounder Stuart Binny, who will be making his Test debut while Ravindra Jadeja is the lone spinner. England have included Ben Stokes for Chris Jordan.
Teams:
India: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain/wicketkeeper), Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.
Iraqi security forces Wednesday found some 50 bodies in the south of Babil province, a provincial police source said.
The bodies were found dumped at an orchard near the Shia town of Hamza, just south of provincial capital Hilla, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The dead were blindfolded and handcuffed and had bullet holes in their heads and chests, the source said, adding that the authorities have launched an investigation into the mass killing.
The opposition Wednesday urged the government to declare drought and take steps to contain a looming crisis caused by deficient rainfall.
Initiating a short duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav described the situation in northern India as “bad”.
“The situation is bad in northern India due to drought, specially in regions where paddy is grown. This will affect not just the present but the next crop as well,” Yadav said.
Janata Dal-United’s K.C. Tyagi said sowing was already less than average. “Why is drought not being declared?”
Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra is recalling around 23,000 units of a select variant of its popular sports utility vehicle Scorpio to rectify faulty pressure regulating valves.
The company said it would carry out preventive inspection of some parts of its Scorpio Ex variant manufactured between May 2012 and November 2013.
“This recall is limited only to the Scorpio Ex variant manufactured during the said period and does not affect any other Scorpio variants,” the company said in a statement.