Archives for January 2022

NEW DELHI: If everything goes according to plan, the Ministry of Railways will move ahead with a proposal for the creation of four new high-speed rail corridors under the National Rail Plan in 2022 in order to link more cities like Guwahati, Jammu and Patna with other metros through high speed rail connectivity.

As of now, the railway ministry is already working on eight bullet train corridors, including the first between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The 618km-long Hyderabad – Bangalore, 855 km -long Nagpur – Varanasi, 850km long Patna-Guwahati and 190 km long Amritsar-Pathankot-Jammu high-speed rail corridors are likely to be proposed under the National Rail Plan in 2022. In fact, the railway ministry is mulling over connecting all major cities of the country with high speed rail connectivity.

Sources further said that the sanctioned and proposed high speed rail corridors will run along the expressways and National Highways with beautiful greenery on either side of the railway tracks.

Work on the country’s first Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed bullet train corridor, covering a distance of 508.17-km to connect Mumbai with Ahmedabad, is in progress at the estimated cost of Rs. 1.1 lakh crore. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) has prepared the DPR of the country’s first bullet train project from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

The total number of high speed rail corridors will increase from 8 to 12 after a proposal for the four new corridors is moved in 2022.

Meanwhile, railway sources said that after the Mumbai – Ahmedabad high speed corridors, Detailed Project Report (DPRs) are being prepared on the approved Delhi – Varanasi, Delhi – Ahmedabad, Mumbai – Nagpur, Delhi – Amritsar, Mumbai – Hyderabad and Chennai – Mysore corridors.

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik

Chandigarh: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday said the Centre will have to work with honesty to withdraw cases registered against farmers during the agri laws protest and give a legal framework to MSP for crops.

The farmers’ agitation has only been suspended, and if there is any injustice, it will start again, he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri where he was honoured by the Phogat Khap.

“The government will have to work with honesty to withdraw the cases against the farmers and give a legal framework (guarantee) on MSP. This is the government’s responsibility,” he said in response to a question.

“But if the government thinks the agitation has ended, it is not so. It has only been suspended. If there is injustice or if there are any excesses with farmers, then the stir will start again,” he added.

Taking advantage of the opportunity after the farm laws have been repealed, farmers should get decisions made in their favour such as a legal framework for MSP, Malik said.

On his remark that he was not scared of being asked to step down from his post, Malik said, “I am always with farmers.”

Appointed governor — in Jammu and Kashmir and Goa, before being posted to Meghalaya — during Narendra Modi’s term as prime minister, Malik has been taking swipes at the government.

On the loss of lives in a landslide at the Dadam mining site in Bhiwani, Malik said, “I am saddened by the deaths and injuries to people in the incident.”

There have been several instances of rules being violated in mining operations, he said, adding, “The incident should be probed, and if anyone is found guilty of any violation, action should be taken.”

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Sunday decided to conduct all hearings in virtual mode for two weeks starting from January 3, in view of rising number of cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The Supreme Court administration issued a circular announcing the decision on Sunday evening.

It stated that an earlier circular prescribing standard operating procedure (SOP) for physical hearing (hybrid hearing) will remain suspended for the time being.

“It is hereby notified for the information of the members of the bar, party-in-person and all concerned that keeping in view the rising number of cases of Omicron variant (COVID-19), the competent authority has been pleased to direct that modified Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) notified on October 7, 2021, for physical hearing (hybrid mode) will remain suspended for the present, and all hearings before the courts for a period of two weeks from and with effect from January 3, shall be through virtual mode only,” the circular read.

The top court is reopening on Monday after its winter vacation.

On October 7, 2021, it had issued an SOP stating matters that require lengthy hearings will be taken up on Wednesdays and Thursdays for physical hearing.

To avoid overcrowding on miscellaneous days like Mondays and Fridays, hearing of cases was done through virtual mode only, and on Tuesdays, it was through a hybrid mode.

The top court has been hearing cases through video-conferencing since March 2020 due to the pandemic. The October 7, 2021 SOP was issued after several bar bodies and lawyers demanded that physical hearings should be resumed immediately as there was a fall in coronavirus cases at that time.

Meerut: Hitting out at previous governments in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said gangsters and criminals used to play their own games here earlier but the Yogi Adityanath government now plays “jail-jail” with them.

Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for Major Dhyan Chand Sports University here, PM Modi said, “During previous governments, criminals used to play their games and the mafias used to play their own.”

“Earlier, there used to be tournaments of illegal land grabbing. People making obscene remarks at daughters used to roam freely,” he said, adding people living in Meerut and adjoining areas can never forget how houses used to be set ablaze here.

“The result of these games played by earlier governments was that people were forced to leave their ancestral homes and there was an exodus,” the prime minister claimed.

“Now, the Yogi government is playing ‘jail-jail’ with such criminals. Five years ago, the daughters of Meerut used to fear leaving their homes after evening. Today, the daughters of Meerut are bringing laurels to the entire country,” Modi said.

Taking an apparent dig at Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Modi said, “The role of the government should be that of a guardian. Competence should be encouraged. In the event of youths committing a mistake, it should not be ignored by saying ‘boys do make mistakes’.” The Prime Minister apparently referred to a remark made by SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav a few years ago.

Akhilesh Yadav-led SP government ruled the state from 2012 and was succeeded by the BJP government in 2017.

Referring to the infamous Sotiganj Market of Meerut, which specialised in dismantling stolen cars and selling its parts, Modi said, “There has been ‘the end’ to the game played with vehicles in the market. Real sports are getting encouragement in UP. The youths of UP are getting an opportunity to make their presence felt in the sports world.” Accusing the previous governments of not making efforts to change the ‘narrow’ mindset towards sports, Modi said the sports world was marred by maladies like games of nepotism, casteism, corruption and discrimination earlier at every level right from the training to team selection.

The governments in the country earlier never bothered to build a better ecosystem for evolving technology, changing demands and evolving capacity, he added.

Attacking previous governments, he said the sugar mills were sold at throwaway prices in UP.

“But during the Yogi government, new mills are being opened instead of plants being shut down. Those who were earlier in power used to literally make you hanker to get payments for sugarcane price.” He also said the payment made to farmers during the Yogi government’s term was more than what was paid by the two earlier governments.

Modi’s efforts to turn Meerut into a sports hub is seen in the political circles as part of an attempt to counter farmers’ unhappiness over farm laws ahead of the state assembly elections.

The PM also mentioned that on Saturday lakhs of farmers from UP had got the money transferred to their bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and that it will benefit small farmers of this region.

The PM said over 1,000 boys and girls will pass out as excellent sportspersons from this upcoming sports university in Meerut.

“In other words, the city of revolutionaries will further strengthen its identity as the city of sportspersons,” he said, in an apparent reference to the 1857 revolt against the East India Company beginning in Meerut with its leader sepoy Mangal Pandey attaining an iconic status among the country’s freedom fighters.

Meerut has also been a top cricket bat manufacturing hub.

New Delhi: The technical committee appointed by the Supreme Court issued a public notice on Sunday asking citizens to come forward and contact the panel if they suspected that their mobile devices were infected by Pegasus malware.

The public notice asked such citizens to also specify the reasons as to why they believed that their device may have been infected with Pegasus malware, and whether they would be in a position to allow the technical committee to examine the said device.

The public notice, issued in leading dailies on Sunday, said “such person who suspects her/his device is infected” should send an email to the technical committee “before noon of January 7, 2022”.

“In case the committee feels your reasons for suspicion of the device being infected with the malware compel a further investigation, then the committee shall request you to allow examination of your device,” the notice said.

The public notice “is issued to request any citizen of India who may have felt her/his mobile device/instrument that may have been infected by Pegasus malware”.

“The committee requests any citizen of India who has reasonable cause to suspect that her/his mobile has been compromised due to specific usage of NSO Group Israel’s Pegasus software to contact the technical committee appointed by…

“Supreme Court of India with reasons as to why you believe your device may have been infected with Pegasus malware, and whether you would be in a position to allow the technical committee to examine your device,” it said.

The panel will give an acknowledgement for having received the instrument and also make and give the user a digital phone image for their records.

The collection point would be in New Delhi. “The mobile instrument collected from you will be delivered back on completion of the tests/investigation,” it said.

Last year, a row erupted over Israeli spyware Pegasus allegedly being used for targeted surveillance in India.

In October last year, the Supreme Court directed a panel of experts to investigate whether the government used military-grade private Israeli Pegasus spyware to surveil opposition leaders, activists, tycoons, judges and journalists.

The apex court had also observed that the state cannot get a “free pass” every time the spectre of national security is raised and that its mere invocation cannot render the judiciary a “mute spectator” and be the bugbear it shies away from.