Archives for February 2025

 Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was appointed as the next chief election commissioner on Monday, the law ministry said.

Kumar is the first CEC to be appointed under the new law on the appointment of the members of the Election Commission (EC).

His term will run till January 26, 2029, days before the EC is expected to announce the schedule of the next Lok Sabha election.

Vivek Joshi, a 1989-batch Haryana-cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed as an election commissioner.

During his tenure as the 26th CEC, Kumar will oversee the Bihar Assembly polls later this year, and the Kerala and Puducherry Assembly polls in 2026.

Similarly, he will oversee the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, which are also due in 2026.

Kumar, who played a key role in implementing decisions following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir during his stint in the Union home ministry, took charge as an election commissioner on March 15, 2024.

His appointment came hours after the Congress asked the government to defer its decision on the new CEC till the Supreme Court concludes its hearing on a petition challenging the composition of the selection panel.

The Congress’s demand was put forth by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during a meeting of the selection panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.

The meeting took place in the South Block office of the prime minister. Besides Modi and Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah is the third member of the selection panel.

Kumar is a 1988-batch Kerala Cadre IAS officer.

After completing his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, he studied Business Finance in ICFAI, India and Environmental Economics in HIID, Harvard University, US.

He has worked in the government of Kerala as the assistant collector of Ernakulam, sub-collector of Adoor, managing director of the Kerala State Development Corporation for SC/ST, municipal commissioner of the Corporation of Cochin, besides holding other posts.

As a secretary to the government of Kerala, Kumar handled diverse departments, such as finance resources, fast-track projects and the public works department.

In the government of India, he has rich experience of working as the joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence, joint secretary and additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation. He superannuated on January 31, 2024.

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on Monday imposed restrictions on the usage of drinking water for non-essential purposes in the city, citing rising temperatures and depleting groundwater levels.

Those found violating the prohibitory order would be fined Rs 5,000, it said.

According to the order issued in public interest, under Sections 33 and 34 of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Act 1964, the BWSSB has prohibited usage of potable water in the city of Bengaluru for cleaning vehicles, gardening, construction of buildings and roads, for entertainment purposes or decorations like fountains.

Malls and cinema halls are permitted to use water only for drinking.

“In case of violation of prohibitory order, a fine of Rs 5,000 will be applicable for the first time offence and recurrence of this violation will result in a fine of Rs 5,000 with an additional penalty of Rs 500 per day,” it stated.

Highlighting that the supply of drinking water to all is essential, the BWSSB said at present, temperature is rising in the city everyday and the ground water level has decreased due to lack of rains in recent days. So, it is necessary to prevent wastage of water in the city of Bengaluru.

It has been made necessary for the public to use drinking water sparingly, it said.

The public have been urged to use water judiciously and immediately inform the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s call centre 1916 if anyone is found violating the prohibitory order.

Maha Kumbh Nagar : President Droupadi Murmu on Monday visited the Maha Kumbh Mela and took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam.

She will also offer prayers at the Akshayavat and Bade Hanuman Temple, with Chief Minister Adityanath accompanying her.

Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Adityanath earlier received the President on her arrival in Prayagraj, officials said.

Maha Kumbh, which began on January 13, is the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. It will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26.

Malappuram : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said that Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s resignation was “long overdue”.

Violence has been “carrying on” in the northeastern state for two years, she told reporters here when her reaction was sought on the matter.

“It was long overdue…(For) two years, this has been carrying on in Manipur,” the leader said.

Biren Singh tendered his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Sunday.

More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless since ethnic violence broke out in the state in May 2023. Priyanka Gandhi, A Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, attended various programmes in the high-range constituency in the last two days.

She would visit the houses of persons who had lost lives in wild animal attacks in the constituency on Monday before leaving for New Delhi.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with MoS Sanjay Seth and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar during the inauguration of Aero India 2025

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to consider and give incentives to manufacturers of aircraft and helicopters to set up their manufacturing facilities in the state and the country.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the 15th edition of Aero India event here.

“Karnataka plays a crucial role in India’s aerospace sector, contributing 67 percent of the country’s aircraft and helicopter manufacturing for defence services and 65 percent of India’s aerospace-related exports,” Shivakumar said.

He said that despite these impressive figures, there is a significant gap in the industry.

“While aircraft servicing and repair are well-established in India, the manufacturing of aircraft and helicopters is not yet taking place in India. Most of the aircraft and helicopters used by the country are still purchased from other nations,” he said.

Noting that Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, boasts some of the best talent in the aerospace industry, making it an ideal location to establish aircraft and helicopter manufacturing facilities, the Deputy CM said, “By offering incentives to manufacturers, we could retain this talent within India, prevent the brain drain.”

“Hence I appeal to the Honourable Defence Minister to consider and give incentives to Manufacturers of aircraft and helicopters to set up their manufacturing facilities in Karnataka and India,” he added.

The Aero India, considered Asia’s biggest aerospace and defence exhibition, was inaugurated by Rajnath Singh at the Yelahanka Air Force Station here.

Noting that Bengaluru is the only city in the world to have both commercial and defence airports operating from the same strip, a testament to the city’s strategic importance in national and international aviation, Shivakumar said, “Innovation takes flight right here in Bengaluru.”

Bengaluru is India’s aerospace capital, home to over 60 percent of the country’s aerospace manufacturing and defence research, he said, over 1,50,000 people work in Bengaluru’s aerospace sector, making the city a global leader in aviation and defence technology.

Pointing out that Bengaluru is among top 3 global aerospace cities in attracting foreign investments, the Deputy CM said, the Government of Karnataka is also developing aerospace and defence hubs across the state — Bengaluru, Belagavi, Mysuru, Tumakuru and Chamarajanagara.

Bengaluru is also a pioneer in drone technology and unmanned aerial systems, which are changing both commercial and defense sectors, he added.

Shivakumar, also highlighted that Karnataka was the first state to announce an aerospace policy in 2013. “Our state has also set up a dedicated aerospace park in 1,000 acres near Devanahalli for aerospace companies.”

Bengaluru: The metal birds of the Indian Air Force soared with a thunderous roar in the clean sky marking the beginning of the 15th edition of the biennial Aero India 2025 here on Monday.

The audience were left spellbound as the aircraft performed breathtaking manoeuvres in the midair at the Yelahanka Air Force station.

The five-day event is considered one of the biggest such shows in Asia where several countries and firms take part and showcase their products and prowess in the aerospace sector.

Leading the team, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh took part in the first sortie of the event with the Tejas formation. He flew in the combat aircraft Tejas, indigenously developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The Shakti formation by the women pilots who flew Rafale, demonstrated the increasing role of women in the Indian Air Force.

The audience were awestruck as the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) displayed various formations.

Using the BAE Systems Hawk Mk 132 aircraft, the team flew nine aircraft in close formation.

The SKAT drew a tri-colour and a heart pierced by the cupid’s arrow.

Other manoeuvres that won accolades were Varun formation by the Indian Navy, the arrow formation by the Jaguar aircraft and Trishul formation by the three Sukhoi aircraft.

The HAL’s Light Utility Helicopters too impressed the visitors with their aerobatics. These helicopters have been quite helpful for the defence forces deployed in high-altitude locations.

The interesting aspect of this event is that the US combat aircraft Lockheed Martin F35 and Russia’s Sukhoi-SU-57 are taking part in the Aero India show together. “For the first time in history, Aero India 2025 will witness the participation of two of the world’s most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft – the Russian Su-57 and the American F-35 Lightning II,” a government statement said. It marks a milestone in global defence collaboration and technological advancement, offering aviation enthusiasts and defence experts an unparalleled prospect to witness these state-of-the-art warplanes, it added.

According to Defence officials, the F-35 will be for a static display during the biennial show.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed several states, including Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and J&K, summoning their chief secretaries over the “failure” to act against illegal advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said there was hardly any implementation of its orders.

The bench directed the chief secretaries to appear in court through video-conferencing to explain why these states were non-compliant.

Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing as an amicus curiae, submitted most states accepted an apology and took undertakings while acquitting violators.

“As rightly submitted by the amicus curiae, the issue of illegal advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha or Unani drugs will be substantially taken care of, if all the states start implementing Rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 in its true letter and spirit. Notwithstanding several orders passed by this court, the states are non-compliant,” said the bench.

The top court directed Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir to file affidavits, including the response on the enforcement of Rule 170.

“We grant time till end of this month to these states to file responses,” it said and posted the matter on March 7.

The top court on August 27 last year stayed a notification issued by the Ministry of Ayush, which omitted Rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 that prohibits misleading advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani drugs.

The court said the notification issued by the ministry was “in the teeth” of its May 7, 2024 order.

Clamping down on misleading advertisements, the apex court on May 7, 2024 directed that before an advertisement was permitted to be issued, a self-declaration should be obtained from the advertisers on the line of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

The Centre defended its August 2023 letter to states and union territories asking authorities not to initiate action against any entity for violating Rule 170.

The process of final gazette notification would take time and in order to avoid confusion among the various states and UT’s licensing authorities and to prevent avoidable litigations, Ministry of Ayush via its August 29, 2023 letter directed all such licensing authorities not to take any action, the Centre’s affidavit said.

The top court in May, 2024, questioned the Centre over the letter.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the Indian Medical Association alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali and yoga guru Ramdev against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.

New Delhi: The CBI has booked a chief engineer of the Konkan Railways for alleged bribery to clear the pending bills of a company involved in the construction of the Katara-Dharam section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link project, officials said on Monday.

Sumeet Khajuria, a 2005-batch IRSE (Indian Railway Service of Engineers) officer, was named as an accused in an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), along with Paras Railtech Private Limited and its directors Rajesh Kumar Jain, Pushp Raj Singh and Sulabh Rawat, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the officials said.

It is alleged that Khajuria and the directors of the company were indulging in corrupt practices in clearing pending bills and revising estimates related to the removal of tunnel muck in the execution of the ambitious project supervised by the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, they said.