Month: January 2015

University of Hyderabad wins visitor’s award for ‘Best University’

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President of India Pranab Mukherjee will present Visitor’s Awards for Central Universities in the categories of ‘Best University’, ‘Innovation’ and ‘Research’ for the year 2015 at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 4, 2015.

This function will coincide with the third Conference of Vice Chancellors of Central Universities scheduled to be held from February 4-5, 2015.

The Visitor’s Award for the ‘Best University’ will be awarded to University of Hyderabad.

Hyderabad issues record 6.95 lakh passports

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The Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad, has issued a record number of 6.95 lakh passports in calendar year 2014. This achievement made the RPO Hyderabad, the top and largest passport office out of 37 RPOs in the country.

Danam slams T-Cong leaders meet with Governor

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Former minister Danam Nagender has strongly criticised TPCC President Ponnala Lakshmaiah and accused him of promoting groupism in the Congress party.

Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, Danam said that a delegation of Congress leaders, led by former MLA Marri Sashidhar Reddy, called on Governor ESL Narasimhan over the issue of land regularisation. He alleged that they neither consulted him on the issue nor informed him about their visit. He said he was totally ignored although he holds the post of President of Greater Hyderabad Congress.

My dismissal from KKR’s cabinet was undemocratic: Shankar Rao

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Former minister D P Shankar Rao on Thursday criticised TPCC Vice-President Mohammed Ali Shabbir for justifying his dismissal from the cabinet of Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Speaking to media persons in the Assembly premises here, Shankar Rao said that he was removed from the cabinet of the then Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in 2012 in an undemocratic manner. He condemned Shabbir Ali for justifying his dismissal.

Harish Rao to visit Michigan Varsity

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The Michigan University of USA has invited Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao to give a lecture on the ambitious project of Mission Kakatiya, which aims at restoration of over 45,000 lakes in Telangana State.

White House highlights Obama trip with pics and fun video

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The White House posted the highlights of President Barack Obama’s visit to India with several pictures and a light hearted video report anchored by Indian-American Hollywood star Kal Penn.

First Lady Michelle Obama @FLOTUS tweeted followers Thursday to “Check out the photos of the President and First Lady at the Republic Day parade in India at go.wh.gov/ij5fVCa¿

Hamas gives 17,000 Gaza youth paramilitary training

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Around 17,000 youth from Gaza finished a one-week training course in paramilitary activities Thursday, which was organised and supervised by the Islamic Hamas movement’s armed wing.

The youths, aged between 16 and 21 years, were trained on how to get involved in gun battles and how to defend themselves by members of Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, Xinhua news agency reported.

A large graduation ceremony for the young people was held at Gaza’s main sports stadium.

BJP fires first set of five questions at Kejriwal, AAP retorts back

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday fired the first set of its five daily questions for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, asking him why he took the Congress’s support to form the government in Delhi and travelled in a private jet.

The party also sought to know why Kejriwal used a Sports Utility Vehicle for work and accepted Z+ security when he was the chief minister.

They also demanded to know why he hadn’t ordered a probe against senior Congress leader and three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

17 killed in Afghanistan suicide bombing

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At least 17 people were killed and 39 injured in a suicide attack at a funeral ceremony in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Laghman Thursday.

“Our latest figures show 17 people were killed and 39 others wounded in Thursday afternoon’s suicide bombing which took place in provincial capital Mehtarlam city, during a funeral ceremony,” Xinhua news agency quoted the provincial government as saying in a statement.

Those killed include 12 civilians, four police officials, including the head of the provincial criminal investigation department (CID) and the bomber, according to the statement.

More Bodo terrorists nabbed in Assam

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Two terrorists and three ground workers of a Bodo militant group, responsible for killing over 75 people in Assam last year, were arrested from the state Thursday.

The terrorists belonging to National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) were held during operations by the army and police from Chirang and Kokrajhar districts, a statement said.

Arms and ammunition, including one 7.65 mm pistol and two hand grenades, were recovered during the operations.

Airlines bestow discount fair to attract flyers

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A day after budget passenger carrier SpiceJet announced its discount scheme, full service airline Jet Airways launched its special fare offer starting at Rs.4,459.

The airline’s offer is valid for return journey in economy class on flights operated by Jet Airways. The offer is for bookings till March 31, for travel period on or before March 31, 2015.

On Wednesday, cash-strapped budget passenger carrier SpiceJet launched its discount scheme starting at Rs.1,499 for one way advance booking on all direct flights.

Youth Congress, BJYM activists clash in Shimla; 12 injured

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At least 12 activists of both the Youth Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha were injured during a protest here against the central government’s land acquisition ordinance, the police said.

The Youth Congress activists, led by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh, held the protest. During the demonstration, the activists smashed the windowpanes of the BJP’s party office, police said.

Vikramaditya Singh is the state Youth Congress president.

Eyewitnesses said more than 100 Youth Congress activists protested outside the BJP office.

Dr Reddy’s profits decline by 7.09 percent

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Pharmaceuticals major Dr. Reddy’s consolidated net profits declined by 7.09 percent due to muted growth in the US, increased in expenses and impairment charges.

Its net profit was Rs.574.53 crore for the quarter ended Dec 31, against Rs.618.42 crore during the same time period last fiscal. Consolidated net sales were up by 8.75 percent at Rs.3,843.10 crore during the quarter compared to Rs.3,533.76 crore in the third quarter of the last fiscal.

The operating margin for the company stood at 18.8 percent with an EBITDA of Rs.1,050 crore.

BJP nervous, scared: AAP

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The BJP’s decision to ask “old and boring” questions to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal till Feb 5 clearly shows that panic has set in the party, an AAP leader said here Thursday.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Yogendra Yadav said he was amazed that the BJP has same “old and boring” set of questions and was “making a mountain out of a mole hill”.

Delhi votes Feb 7 to elect a new 70-member assembly and the results will be out Feb 10.

Snowden files now snare Canadian spy agency

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Canada’s electronic spy agency intercepts and analyses millions of videos and documents downloaded online everyday by people around the world to identify extremists, media reported.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) project, named “Levitation”, was carried out in partnership with countries including the US, Britain, New Zealand and Australia, Xinhua news agency reported citing a CBS News report Wednesday. The report is based on a document recently released to CBC News by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Congress, BJP spar over change of foreign secretary

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The Congress Thursday questioned the abrupt replacement of foreign secretary Sujatha Singh before the ending of her tenure and demanded that the government explain the reasons for the change — but the ruling BJP retorted it was well within the government’s rights to decide on appointments.

Congress leader Manish Tewari wondered if the decision was a belated result of the stern stand taken by Sujatha Singh on the Devyani Khobragade issue.

‘…Marigold Hotel’ cast surprises Tina Desai with gifts

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Actress Tina Desai, who has a pivotal role in forthcoming Hollywood film “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”, was in for a pleasant surprise when the cast of the movie showered her with gifts.

The actress got the gifts when she went to London for the film’s editing last week.

Tina, who will celebrate her birthday Feb 24, feels that the gesture is special and a perfect pre-birthday celebration.

Hyderabad varsity gets ‘Best University’ award

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The ‘Visitor’s Award’ for the Best University will be given to the University of Hyderabad, it was announced Thursday.

Visitor’s Award for ‘Innovation’ will be given to Vijay K. Chaudhary and Amita Gupta of the University of Delhi who have invented ‘TB Confirm’, a rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis,” an official statement said here.

Sri Lanka’s Tamil party rejects domestic probe

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Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party Thursday said it would oppose any domestic inquiry into the alleged human rights violations during the final stages of the country’s civil war and reiterated its call for an international probe.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesperson Suresh Premachandran told reporters that the Tamil minorities in the island nation had no faith or trust in a domestic inquiry, noting that numerous domestic commissions were futile in the past.

Police complaints filed against Togadia, Jugal Kishore

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Police complaints were today filed against VHP international president Pravin Togadia and its national secretary Jugal Kishore for making hate speeches at two different programmes in Rampurhat and Kharmadanga areas of Birbhum district, a police official said.

However, the official pointed out that no police complaint has been received about the alleged “conversion” of tribal Christians at a programme organised by the VHP at Kharmadanga yesterday.

Only woman can express intention of man who touches her: Court

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Only a woman can express the intention of a man who touches her, a Delhi court has observed while dismissing a plea of a man seeking quashing of charges against him for allegedly outraging woman’s modesty.

The order came on a petition filed by a couple challenging a magisterial court’s order framing charges under IPC sections 354 (assaulting a woman to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insulting woman’s modesty through word or gesture), against them.

Telangana: Swine flu claims 21 lives in January

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As many as 21 people lost their lives due to swine flu in Telangana this month, the state government said here today.

The samples of 1,398 people have been tested for the H1N1 virus till yesterday and 509 turned out to be positive, a bulletin on swine flu issued by the government said.

101 samples were tested yesterday, of which 42 were found to be H1N1 positive, it added.

Between January 1 and 28, as many as 1,398 samples were tested, out of which 509 were found to be positive and the number of deaths because of swine flu and other complications reached 21, it said.

President lauds awareness programmes about leprosy

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Awareness programmes about leprosy will help bring an attitudinal change in society towards the disease and boost the morale of persons afflicted with it, President Pranab Mukherjee said Thursday.

In a message to the Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh (Indian Leprosy Association) on the occasion of anti-leprosy day, the president said: “It is good to know that the organization is engaged in constructive humanitarian work in the field of leprosy”.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi gets bail, courts stays conviction

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A district court has stayed the conviction of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for violating prohibitory orders in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha election, and granted him bail.

District judge P K Goyal granted relief to the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Wednesday after his lawyers contended that police action was “politically motivated” and there was no evidence to support their allegations against Naqvi.