Month: July 2015

Rule added in Haryana Civil Services

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Haryana Cabinet which today decided to increase the pension of pre-2006 pensioners by adding rule 6A in Haryana Civil Services (Revised Pension) Part-I Rules, 2009.

“Under rule 6A, the pension of pre-2006 pensioners shall be stepped up with effect from February 6, 2015 to 50 per cent of the sum of minimum of pay in the pay band and the grade pay corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale (including Higher Administrative Grade Scale) from which the pensioner had retired,” said official release.

Germanwings crash panel recommends pilot support centres

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An aviation safety panel looking into the Germanwings crash that is blamed on a suicidal pilot recommended today that airlines set up mandatory support centres for staff with psychological problems.

The German taskforce also said it was open to proposals for randomised testing for alcohol, drugs and medications for pilots, following the crash that killed 150 people in the French Alps in March.

I will walk away from bad nuclear deal with Iran: Obama

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US President Barack Obama today warned that he will “walk away” from a bad nuclear deal with Iran, emphasising that the goal of the agreement is to ensure that Tehran does not get a nuclear weapon and that the pact has a strong verifiable mechanism.

“There are deep-seated disagreements and divisions between the United States and Iran. And those aren’t going to go away overnight.

Bomb blast near police station kills 3 in Egypt

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An Egyptian security official says a bomb blast near a police station killed three people, a day after the assassination of the country’s prosecutor general.

The blast took place today in the Six of October district.

The official says it is not immediately clear whether the three killed were assailants traveling in a car or civilians.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

Pictures posted on the Seventh Day news website showed torn body parts and wrecked vehicles at the site of the blast.

Raj Govt approves to fill up 33,679 Vidhyarti Sahayak posts

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Rajasthan Cabinet today gave its nod to fill up 33,679 posts of school assistant, ‘Vidhyarti Sahayak’, fulfilling the long pending demand of re-employment of ‘Vidhyarti Mitras’.

These posts will be only for non-teaching purposes and bonus marks would be given to those ‘Vidhyarti Mitras’ who worked for the state government from one year to three years, Parliamentary Minister R S Rathor said.

Also there would no age bar for them, he said while briefing media about the minutes of the Cabinet meeting chaired by Vasundhara Raje here today.

Second Tihar escapee nabbed in UP

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Two days after escaping from the high-security Tihar prisons, the second undertrial was today arrested from Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh by Delhi Police.

Jawed, who had escaped from Tihar prisons along with another prisoner, Faizan, on Saturday was arrested by a joint team of Delhi Police and jail authorities this evening.

“Jawed was arrested by a joint team of Delhi Police and prisons,” said DIG prisons and Tihar spokesperosn Mulseh Pratap.

Reports of death of 41 Vyapam accused baseless: MP govt

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Madhya Pradesh government today termed the media reports of death of 41 accused in VYAPAM scam as totally baseless, and said that since it was exposed on July 7, 2013, only 14 persons involved in the scam had died while 11 others had died prior to that.

Health Minister and government spokesman Narottam Mishra also clarified that of the 14 who died after the scam was exposed, four died outside Madhya Pradesh, and the police of concerned states hadn’t found any conspiracy behind the deaths.

Diesel to cost more in Himachal

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Diesel would be costlier by Rs 2.50 per litre in Himachal Pradesh as cabinet today decided to increase VAT on diesel from 11.5 per cent to 16 per cent.

The VAT on diesel is higher in neighbouring states and Himachal was under pressure to hike VAT to bring parity but diesel would be still cheaper in the state as compared to adjoining states, Excise and Taxation minister Prakash Chowdhary said.

The notification to this effect would be issued after ten days after giving due notice.

Injured woman who attempted suicide, dies

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A woman who was allegedly molested by a youth in Mongol village near Harishchandrapur and who had tried to commit suicide by hanging herself, died today at Malda Medical College and Hospital, the police said.

The woman was alone at her mother’s place on June 24 last, when a local youth of village identified as Goutam Halder, allegedly molested her.

The woman narrated the incident to her mother when she returned and the family then approached the local panchayat member for justice, the following day.

Greece crisis unlikely to have major impact on US: Obama

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US President Barack Obama today said the economic crisis in Greece is an issue of substantial concern, but is unlikely to have a major impact on the American system.

“In layman’s terms, for the American people, this is not something that we believe will have a major shock to the system, but obviously it’s very painful for the Greek people and it can have a significant effect on growth rates in Europe,” Obama told reporters at a White House news conference.

Indian eves swept aside by world champions Netherlands in HWL

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Indian eves crashed out in the quarterfinals of the Hockey World League Semifinals after they were drubbed 0-7 by world champions The Netherlands at the KHC Dragons Stadium, here today.

Swept away by the early onslaught in the quarterfinal contest, the Indian women’s hockey team’s defence wilted under the pace set by the Dutch girls, for whom Caia van Maasakker converted three penalty corners and Lidewij Walten scored twice.

India received 16 percent more rainfall than normal in June: IMD

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the country has received 16 percent more rainfall than its normal limit in June.

However, since the end of last week, monsoon seems to have slowed down in several parts of the country that has recorded deficient rains.

According to reports, the country is likely to receive eight per cent less rainfall in July while August would witness 10 per cent less rainfall. (ANI)

Pic of BJP minister touching woman doctor’s collar goes viral

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A photograph of Jammu and Kashmir Minister Chaudhary Lal Singh purportedly touching the collar of a woman doctor has gone viral on social media.

The BJP leader, who is Minister for Health, had gone to the government hospital in Lakhanpur to check preparedness ahead of the start of Amarnath yatra.

In the hospital, he found that the collar of the doctor was not in proper place and corrected its posture.

Clinton breached national security by hiding e-mails: Jindal

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Bobby Jindal, the first ever Indian-American to run for White House, today attacked Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, alleging that as the top American diplomat in the first term of the Obama Administration she “breached national security”.

The Louisiana Governor, who last week announced his bid for the 2016 presidential elections, said Clinton as the Secretary of State, created a major breach of national security by hiding her e-mails on a personal server and that the US may be the only superpower in the world who has not seen the Secretary’s e-mails.

Iran nuclear talks deadline extended to July 7

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Iran and six major powers today gave themselves until July 7 to clinch a historic nuclear deal as a midnight deadline approached in marathon talks with no breakthrough in sight.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who joined the talks in Vienna earlier today, said however he believes that, after almost two years of trying, a deal ending the 13-year standoff is “within reach”.

Mexico won’t send contestant to Miss Universe

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Mexico’s national beauty pageant director confirms the country won’t send a contestant to the Miss Universe contest because of insulting remarks by Donald Trump, an owner of the pageant.

Lupita Jones says via her official Twitter account that she was offended and angry “like everyone else” with Trump over his comments referring to Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists.

KMC announces fresh waiver scheme for property tax defaulters

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Facing a huge burden of more than Rs 2,000 crore as outstanding property tax, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) today offered a fresh waiver on the interest and penalty on the outstanding amount.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee told reporters after a Mayor-in-Council meeting that the civic body has decided to waive 50 per cent of the accumulated interest amount and 99 per cent of the penalty amount levied on outstanding property tax.

CAG points to Rs 70 crore lacuna in fund released by DoE

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The Government auditor CAG today pointed an irregular release of Rs 70 crore to Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) by the Directoratre of Education (DoE) for infrastructure improvement of government schools.

The DoE released Rs 343.13 crore to DSIIDC although the Cabinet had approved only Rs 272.94 crore for the project, it revealed.

The project was assigned by DoE to DSIIDC without any formal Agreement and detailed scope of work in the absence of which it could not ensure that DSIIDC carried out all the work envisaged under the project.

Mahila Bank to merge with SBI? Bhattacharya says ‘no-brainer’

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Amid speculation about newly created Bharatiya Mahila Bank being merged with SBI, the state-run behemoth today said it can easily absorb the youngest state-run lender.

Following reports that BMB could be merged with SBI, the State Bank of India’s Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said she has not been approached with any such proposal but “if it happens, it is a no-brainer”.

No system for monitoring sanitation services: CAG

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Government auditor CAG has pointed out several irregularities in garbage collection and disposal by municipal corporations and stated that civic agencies neither have “perspective plan”, nor any system for monitoring sanitation services.

The CAG report highlighted that Delhi, on an average, produces 7,172 tonnes of garbage, 2,773 ton of construction and demolition (C&D) waste and 664 ton of silt daily.

Delhi Youth Congress to protest against VAT Bill

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The Delhi Youth Congress will today stage a protest against the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill passed by the Delhi Assembly.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come under harsh criticism after the VAT Bill was passed yesterday.

The newly passed bill will make enabling provisions for levy of VAT in respect of goods enlisted in the Fourth Schedule at flexible rates instead of a flat slab of 20 percent. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir government sacks 63 ‘tainted’ civil servants

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In a closely guarded move, the Jammu and Kashmir government overnight served sealed cover letters to 63 officials conveying their forced retirement from civil services.

Special messengers delivered sealed cover letters containing orders of forced retirement to the government officials at their places of posting/residences across the state late on Tuesday evening.

Official sources told IANS that the list of “highly tainted” government officials had been given to Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed by a committee headed by Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Khanday.

Over 1,000 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath Yatra

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Over 1,000 pilgrims of the first batch of this year’s annual Amarnath Yatra left Jammu on Wednesday for the high-altitude cave shrine in Kashmir Valley.

State Health Minister Chowdhary Lal Singh flagged off a convoy of 34 vehicles carrying 1,280 pilgrims from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here towards the valley.

This year’s yatra to the 14,500 ft. high Himalayan cave shrine in south Kashmir Anantnag district is spread over 59 days. It will begin on Thursday.

Pilgrims use the south Kashmir Pahalgam and the north Kashmir Baltal routes to reach the cave shrine.

Cuba first country to eradicate mother-to-child HIV transmission: WHO

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Cuba on Tuesday became the first country in the world to eradicate the transmission of HIV and syphilis from mother to newborn, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO announced in a press release that it validated Cuba’s success in eliminating mother-to-child transmission.

“Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest public health achievements possible,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said.