Month: February 2015

Sensex closes 261 points down; auto stocks fall

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A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) closed Thursday’s trade 261 points or 0.90 percent down, as interest-sensitive stocks like automobile, capital goods and banks plunged.

The day’s biggest trigger — the rail budget — failed to enthuse investor confidence, even as it proposed various plans to re-energise one of the largest railroad networks in the world, while seeking to improve passenger amenities and safety.

HC asks hospital to provide dialysis to poor patient

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The Delhi High Court, while issuing notice to the Centre on the plea of a daily wage labourer suffering from total kidney failure, has asked a city based hospital to provide him hemodialysis and other medical facilities.

Nagender Prasad, 29, was denied treatment due to insufficient contribution to the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) fund. He was on regular hemodialysis since 2012, and was getting it done at Bhagwati hospital here thrice a week as an ESIC-insured patient.

Fake IPS officer held in Delhi

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A 44-year-old PhD degree holder and former college professor was arrested from west Delhi’s Karol Bagh for cheating people by impersonating as an IPS officer, officials said Thursday.

Accused Satheesh Nair, a resident of Kochi in Kerala, was arrested by Delhi Police Tuesday on a tip-off. A uniform of an IPS officer along with a wireless set was recovered from him. Nair stayed at Hotel Rama in Karol Bagh, and was heading to his hotel when he was arrested.

Sakshi Tanwar to join ‘Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar’?

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Actress Sakshi Tanwar is said to be in talks to star in the soap opera “Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar”.

According to a source, Sakshi’s character will reveal a big mystery about the past of Neil (played by Ronit Roy) and Ragini (essayed by Pallavi Kulkarni).

Sakshi is known for her lead roles in popular TV shows like “Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii” and “Bade Achhe Lagte Hain”.

The makers of the show reportedly wanted an actress, who can suit Ronit’s image, so they approached Sakshi for the role. Her entry will bring a lot of twists in the show.

Modi government is RSS government, says Yechury

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Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury Thursday termed the Narendra Modi regime an “RSS government” and accused it of promoting interest of “private business” in the land acquisition ordinance.

Participating in the motion of thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha, Yechury alleged that the “worst form of vote bank politics” was being practised under the National Democratic Alliance government.

Australian mercenary killed fighting against ISIS in Syria

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A 28-year-old Australian man, who was one of dozens of foreigners to have travelled to Syria to join Kurds battling ISIS militants, has been killed in the strife-torn country, becoming the first Westerner to die fighting the dreaded terror group.

“An Australian man was killed in an assault on Tuesday by the Islamic State against a position of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) near Tal Hamis in Hasakeh province,” Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, was quoted saying in ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.

Government committed to protecting all groups: Jaitley

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The government is committed to protecting the rights of all communities, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken repeatedly on the subject, said the BJP leader while participating in a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks to President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to a joint session of both houses of parliament.

TN Priest Warned He Will Be Killed If He Returns To Afghan

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Jesuit priest Father Alexis Prem Kumar, who had been in captivity for over eight months in Afghanistan, today said he was released with a warning that he would be killed if he returned to the trouble-torn country.

“At the time of my release, I was told that I will be shot if I chose to come back to Afghanistan, though they are releasing me this time round,” Kumar told reporters here, a day after he arrived in the city.

No hike in train passenger fare, no new trains

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Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today spared passengers from any hike in fares but made changes in freight rates to rake in more money while ruling out privatisation.

Presenting the first full-fledged Rail Budget of the Modi government for 2015-16, he made adjustments in freight rates that exempted salt but would hike rates on carriage of cement, coal and coke, iron or steel and petroleum products.

The Budget also revised the commodity classification and distance slabs for carriage of commodities that can raise freight rates upto 10 per cent in some of the items.

Mulayam Singh praises Railway Budget

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Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday praised the railway budget for its lack of populist measures like announcement of new trains and lauded Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for focusing on fulfilling projects unveiled in past budgets.

Woman beheaded, family members injured by relatives

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A 45-year-old woman’s head was chopped off and three of her family members seriously injured allegedly by her relatives in Dakshini Daulatpur village in the district, police said on Thursday.

Some people carrying sword, rifle and other weapons raided one Mahendra Pal’s house and chopped off his wife Mira Devi’s head while she was serving lunch to her husband this afternoon, Superintendent of Police Aditya Kumar said.

Venkaiah Naidu lauds Prabhu for ‘realistic’, ‘pragmatic’ budget

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Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday complimented Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu for coming up with a ‘realistic’ and ‘pragmatic’ Railway Budget and said that the latter has given a roadmap to make railways the backbone of transportation in the country.

Naidu said security, cleanliness and service to the people have been given top priorities in the Railway Budget.

India bans Islamic State under UAPA

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Dreaded terror group ISIS and all its affiliate organisations, responsible for series of savage attacks and killings in Iraq and Syria, have been banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Recruitment of youths to the outfit from India and their radicalisation is a matter of serious concern for the country especially with regard to its likely impact on national security when such youth return to India, the Home Ministry said while banning the terrorist group.

CPM worker injured in attack dies in Kannur

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A 42-year-old CPI(M) worker, who was injured in an attack allegedly by BJP activists in neighbouring Kannur district, died Thursday.

Preman of Koothuparambu municipality, who sustained stab injuries in the attack last night while returning home after attending a marriage function died at the Thalassery cooperative hospital this morning, police said.

The CPI(M) has called for a hartal in Kannur district this afternoon to protest the attack.

Rail budget realistic, not populist: Naidu

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Terming the Railway budget as “realistic and pragmatic”, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today rejected opposition criticism that it lacked substance and said NDA government has taken on its shoulders all the responsibility of implementing unfulfilled promises of earlier regimes.

He said the budget was “most reassuring” as it gives a very innovative account of the road ahead to make railways backbone of the country’s transportation and engine of economic growth.

Asaduddin Owaisi to hold rally in Nagpur on Feb 28; Sena, BJP opposes

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MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi will address a public meeting here on February 28, with the Shiv Sena and the BJP demanding a cancellation of permission for the rally.

This will be Owaisi’s first public meeting in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. He earlier addressed rallies in Mumbai and Pune as his party All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is trying to get a foothold in the state.

Owaisi, the Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, will address the public at a ground in Asi Nagar area here for which necessary permissions have been taken from the city police, a party release said today.

High speed 5G internet may be available by 2020

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Scientists are testing the speed for 5G service for the first time, and it may available sooner than you thought.

By 2020, it may just be possible have recording-breaking speeds to mobiles, where you can download 100 movies in just 3 seconds, the Daily Star reported.

Researchers at the University of Surrey managed to record an incredible one terabit per second speed during a recent test, and this service is around 65,000 times faster than current 4G speeds.

Hostel superintendent, aide booked for forcing girls into obscene chats

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The Superintendent of a hostel for destitute children and her associate has been booked for allegedly forcing minor girls into obscene phone chats and attempting to trade them in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, police said on Thursday.

A case was registered against Superintendent of Shree Chakradhar Bal Sadan hostel, Priya Gupta, and her friend Omprakash Rathore last evening based on a complaint by Chairperson of Child Welfare Committee Jessy Philip.

Efforts are on to arrest the duo, Station House Officer, City Kotwali Arun Netam said.

‘Swachh Bharat’ mission to give priority to women: Govt

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The government on Thursday said women will be accorded priority under the `Swachh Bharat` mission while constructing community and public toilets.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babul Supriyo said one community toilet seat per 25 women and one public toilet seat per 50 women will be built under the mission as against one community toilet seat per 35 men and one public toilet seat per 100 men.

Rly budget full of lofty ideas but no action plan: Nitish

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Unimpressed with the Railway budget presented in Parliament today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said it was full of “lofty ideas but without any action plan.”

“Its like there is a train coach but no passenger,” Kumar, who served as Railway minister during NDA regime of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told reporters.

Congress criticizes ‘below-average’ rail budget

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The Congress Party on Thursday criticized what it termed a ‘below-average’ budget, and questioned the absence of an indication of where finances for the sector would be generated.

“I have to regrettably say that this is a below-average budget. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu hasn’t told us where resource generation will happen from. The fundamental thing about the Railways is that there has to be money. Where it will come from, if Prabhu will take it from [Union Finance Minister] Arun Jaitley, we don’t know,” Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media.

Railway Budget lays out clear roadmap for economic growth: PM Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the Railway Budget for fiscal 2015-16 as the clear roadmap to make the railways the key driver of India’s economic growth.

Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter to express his views.

“#RailBudget2015 is a forward looking, futuristic and passenger centric budget, combining a clear vision and a definite plan to achieve it,’ Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Huma Qureshi to host Women’s Day special on TV

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Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi will feature as the host of a forthcoming TV special “Anmol Hai Tu – Nayi Soch Ko Salaam”, which will felicitate women who have endured a hard life, risen from the ashes and made an impact on society.

Social activists Chandralekha and Sindhutai Sapkal, HIV/AIDS activist Kousalya Periasamy, child rights activist Razia Sultana and women’s right activist and author Flavia Agnes will be recognised for their work.

“Anmol Hai Tu- Nayi Soch Ko Salaam” will be aired on Star Plus on International Women’s Day March 8.

IANS

Land bill: BJP panel holds consultations with farmers

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The BJP panel which is seeking suggestions on the proposed land acquisition bill has found that the amendments are unexpectedly being perceived “harmful” by farmers while there were certain issues which needed to be dealt with like dispute redressal, according to its members.

ED attaches Rs 232 crore assets of Jagan Mohan Reddy, others

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Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth over Rs 232 crore in connection with its money laundering probe against YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy and former BCCI top boss N Srinivasan in the alleged quid—pro—quo and illegal investments case between the business entities of the two and few others.