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Bengaluru: Congress corporator G Padmavathi has emerged as a winner in the BBMP mayoral polls held here on Wednesday to become the 50th mayor of Bengaluru.
Padmavathi, from Prakash Nagar ward defeated BJP candidate D H Laxmi and won with a margin of 22 votes.
(Agencies)
An initiative to create an all inclusive environment for individualswith spinal cord injury (SCI) and to help them back on saddle
Bengaluru: The month of September being marked by UN as the “Spinal Cord Injury Awarness Month”. On this occasion Sakra World Hospital launched “Sakra Spine Disability Support Group” in the city. The one of its kind initiative created with the core philosophy to create a holistic enviroment towards the care and rehabilitation of Spinal cord injured individuals. The number of cases of spinal cord injury have increased over the years the majority of them include Young individual, farmers, labourers etc. Motor vehicle accidents, fall from heights remain main cause for this debilitating problem. It involves irrespective of socio-economic status of the individuals & has severe impact on financial, social and psychological aspect of the individual, family & on the nation as a whole.
In most patients withSpinal Cord Injury (SCI), the situation worsenes due to the prejudice of the society which shatters the self-confidence and hope of the individual. The aim of the Spine Disability Group is to look past these problems and motivate individuals to make the best use of their situations. The recent Paralympic Event at Rio De Janeiro where the sportspersons from India won various medals is an ideal example of what a man can achieve if motivated.
The group aims to create an environment where empathy is showcased instead of sympathy. It hopes to motivate individuals and their families alike to push forward and never the disability come in way of their abilities.
“As a surgeon we do our best to save life,relieve the pain and take pressure off the spinal cordas a first step which helps in reducing the risk of secondary injuries on the spinal cord.Stabilisation of the spinewhen required helps in recovery of the spinal cord. But, I feel the support of the family which makes greatest contribution in bringing spinal cord injury patients back into the main stream. The goal of the Sakra Spine Disability Support Group is to create a conducive atmosphere where family, we surgeons & rehabilitation specialist work as a cohesive group to make patient to achieve his potential & help him to get back to the society at the earliest” said Dr. Satish Rudrappa, Director –Neurosciences, Sakra World Hospital
“Spinal Cord Injury is the most devastating injuries and with prolonged survival, rehabilitation of individual is of utmost importance. The major goal of rehabilitation is to prevent secondary complications, to maximise the physical functioning and to reintegrate the person into the society.
Sakra Spine Disability Support Group creates a platform for patients and caregivers to connect with the various resources and avail the best services. It also helps the patients connect with people facing similar situations which can help boost the morale.”Dr. Maheswarappa BM, Senior Consultant & HOD – Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, Sakra World Hospital
With the Spine Disability Support Group Sakra Hospital aims to create a platform to connect the SCI individuals and their caregivers with other people with similar conditions. It is intended to create a symbiotic community which includes NGOs, Spine surgeons, rehabilitation experts including vocational trainers, corporate employers etc. It acts as an online community to share experiences and information to give quick expert opinion and connect various services providers to the members of the group.
The Sakra Spine Disability Support Group alsoaims to educate and encourage the masses on how to live a full life post spinal injury. The group also hope to create an independent and motivated community of patients as well as care givers who can create a spinal injury awareness amongst the masses in the future.
New Delhi: Apart from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan have also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.
Amidst heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the Summit late last night citing increased “cross-border” attacks.
While Bangladesh has categorically said that “the growing interference” in its internal affairs by one country has “created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the SAARC Summit”, Afghanistan pulled out citing “terrorism in the region” for its abstention.
“Bangladesh, as the initiator of the SAARC process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere. In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad,” it said.
Afghanistan has also conveyed to SAARC Chair Nepal that President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani would not be able to attend the Summit, sources said.
“Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan”, President Ghani “with his responsibilities as the Commander-in-Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit”, a communication by the country said.
Bhutan said while it is committed to the SAARC process and strengthening of regional cooperation, it is concerned over the “recent escalation of terrorism in the region, which has seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016.”
“Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of SAARC on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the SAARC Summit, under the current circumstances.”
The decision by India and three countries of the eight- member grouping not to attend the summit would lead to its collapse since as per the SAARC charter the Summit can not be held even in the absence of one head of the government.
The Uri attack has triggered a strong response from India which has reviewed the 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty (IWT), and decided to reconsider the MFN status granted by it, unilaterally, to Pakistan.
The Foreign Secretary had also issued a demarche yesterday to Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit over the attack while confronting him with the proof of “cross-border origins” of the terror strike.
(Agencies)
Patna: Former Supreme Court judge Markanday Katju’s comment of offering Kashmir to Pakistan on condition that it should take Bihar too drew sharp criticism here with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ridiculing him for trying to become ‘Mai-Baap’ (guardian) of the state.
Katju’s post on Facebook clubbing Bihar with Jammu and Kashmir triggered sharp reaction with some leaders demanding that he should be tried under sedition law.
“We offer you Kashmir but you should take Bihar also,” Katju had said in one of his Facebook post.
“I have just received authoritative information from the Govt. of Pakistan. They have point blank refused the offer of taking Kashmir along with Bihar, and they have profusely apologised for ever asking for Kashmir at all and have promised never to ask for it again. Evidently the idea of getting Bihar too has horrified them out of their wits,” he wrote.
Katju further commented, “Once Firaq Gorakhpuri, my English teacher in Allahabad University, said to me ‘hindustan ko khatra Pakistan se nahin hai, Bihar se hai’.”
Without naming Katju, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made a strong remark on him.
“Ghar baithe ‘mai-baap’ ban rahe hai Bihar kaa…(trying to become guardian of Bihar while sitting at home),”Kumar said in his speech here after launching two of his seven resolves of providing drinking water and toilet to every household.
“A few people are gripped with disease of getting printed in newspapers,” he said in an apparent retort on Katju.
The CM spoke in detail about the glorious history of Bihar which is land of Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavira, Chanakya and Aryabhatt who invented ‘Zero’ among others.
“Patliputra, the ancient name of present Patna used to be capital of the Magadh empire whose territory extended to the entire country,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav also took strong exception to Katju’s comment saying, Bihar may be lacking in resources but it did not give Katju a free hand to humiliate the state. “Bihar has always shown the way to the country in good and bad times,” said the son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad.
JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi and senior party leader Shyam Rajak sought trial of Katju under sedition law.
Madhepura MP and Janadhikar Party leader Pappu Yadav also condemned Katju’s comments and sought public apology from him.
Faced with barrage of protests, Katju sought to backtrack and wrote on Facebook “I was only joking about Bihar.
(Agencies)
New Delhi: Former bureaucrat BK Bansal, who was out on bail in a corruption case, today committed suicide along with his son, two months after his wife and daughter had hanged themselves for the same reason.
BK Bansal, who was a former Director General in the Corporate Affairs Ministry, and his son were found hanging from the ceiling of their flat in Neelkanth Apartment in east Delhi’s Madhu Vihar area. His son is believed to have been suffering from depression for some time.
Police said the two men were found hanging bodies around 9.30 am today. Their bodies, which were first discovered by their maid, have been sent for autopsy.
Two suicide notes were also found. Apparently, five set of suicide notes have been found in the house and each of the set had a family photo attached to it.
It was in the same house that Bansal’s wife Satyabala, 57, and daughter Neha, 27, had committed suicide two months ago after the CBI raided it.
They had left separate suicide notes, saying the CBI raid had “caused great humiliation” and that “they did not want to live after that”. They, however, held nobody responsible for their deaths.
Bansal was arrested two days before their death in multiple cases involving illegal assets and bribery. He was granted bail last month.
He was caught red-handed in a hotel while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 9 lakh for favouring a pharmaceutical company after the CBI carried out searches at eight locations in connection with the case during which the agency had claimed to have made cash recoveries.
A senior officer in the Indian Corporate Law Service, Bansal used to check and report on serious corporate frauds.
Jailed bureaucrat BK Bansal granted bail after wife, daughter commit suicide.
(Agencies)
New Delhi: A day after Karnataka expressed inability to release Cauvery water, Supreme Court today asked it to discharge 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till Friday despite its assembly resolution, but called for a political solution to the impasse by convening of a meeting of Chief Ministers of the two states and the Centre.
The apex court, which was strongly urged by Tamil Nadu not to hear Karnataka till it complied with the previous orders, asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to facilitate a meeting of the executive heads of both states with the Centre over the next two days to find a resolution to the impasse.
“We think it appropriate that Karnataka releases 6,000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu in three days by following the order passed by us, despite the resolution passed by the assembly,” a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit said.
While the order was being dictated by the bench, senior advocate F S Nariman, appearing for Karnataka, vehemently opposed any direction asking the state to release water, saying there was “no logic in it” and the order amounted to “a direct confrontation”.
Blaming Karnataka’s “obstructionist and obstinate” attitude for the impasse and non-compliance of the apex court directives, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu, submitted: “On instruction, I am saying that the state (Tamil Nadu) is fed up. We are simply tired of this litigation. We are not getting what is our legitimate rights.”
“We are in a federal structure and in a democracy like India, no state can say it will not obey the Supreme Court’s order. You cannot pick up fight with everyone. It is not about Karnataka or Tamil Nadu or any state, there has to be federal cooperativism ,” the bench said, asking both states to cooperate in finding a solution to the water feud.
The bench, on being repeatedly pursued by Tamil Nadu to get its orders enforced, said “Have patience for few days. This is not an ordinary litigation. Let us see how things shape up.”
In its plea before the apex court yesterday, Karnataka had sought modification of its order asking it to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, saying it could release the water only by the end of the year, as it first needs to provide for its own state for drinking purposes.
The Karnataka assembly had last week passed a unanimous resolution during a special session directing the state to release the water only for drinking purposes to Bengaluru and regions surrounding Cauvery basin.
(Agencies)
Islamabad: Pakistan will approach the UN and the International Court of Justice if India suspends the 58-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, the country’s top diplomat Sartaj Aziz said today, insisting the revocation of the treaty can be taken as an “act of war”.
“The international law states that India cannot unilaterally separate itself from the treaty,” Aziz, Advisor to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, said while briefing the National Assembly on the issue.
He said unilateral revocation of the treaty can pose a threat to Pakistan and its economy. He said that if India violates the treaty Pakistan can approach the International Court of Justice.
“This Indian act can be taken as breach of international peace and hence giving Pakistan a good reason to approach the UN Security Council,” Aziz said. He said Pakistan is considering to draw attention of the international community on the dangers of such an action if it is considered seriously.
“Between the two countries, this act of revocation can be taken as an act of war,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday chaired a review meeting of 56-year-old Indus Water Treaty during which it was decided that India will “exploit to the maximum” the water of Pakistan-controlled rivers, including Jhelum, as per the water sharing pact.
The meeting came as India weighed its options to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack that left 18 soldiers dead, triggering demands that the government scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on that country.
Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six rivers – Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum – were to be shared between the two countries.
Pakistan has been complaining about not receiving enough water and gone for international arbitration in a couple of cases.
(Agencies)
The meeting of the old boys’ association of St Germain’s High School held at the school premises at Promenade Road, Fraser Town, on Sunday, united all the old students and memories.
About 600-odd alumni turned up for the meet. The day began with mass at 7am, followed by the annual general body meeting, cultural programmes and lunch. Resolutions were passed and a new alumni team constituted.
Committee members: Manimaran /president(1983), Govind Raj V.P (1981),Thagaraj/treasurer (1982), Snell Christopher /secretary(1980), Subhas periera/jt,secretary(1981). AB.Rajan(1982), Kevin smith(1981), Clary arul(1981), Vigneeh rajan(1995), Steven(1981).
Kozhikode: Accusing opposition parties for propagating a “distorted definition” of secularism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invoked Jan Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya to say that Muslims should not be treated as mere tools to garner votes nor neglected but should be treated as “own”.
Addressing the National Council meet, he vowed his commitment to his call for “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” and also pitched for electoral reforms by advocating simultaneous elections of the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.
“At a time when ‘vikrat paribhasha (distorted definition)’ of secularism is being propagated in the country and even patriotism is cursed, what should be the way to see towards Muslims?” Modi asked and recalled that long back, Upadhyaya, founding father of the Jan Sangh — the predecessor of the BJP — had said that Muslims should not be mere tools to garner votes nor neglected.
“Don’t reward nor rebuke Muslims but refine them. They are not items of vote market nor are they substance of hate. Treat them as your own,” Modi quoted Upadhyaya as saying.
“It is in this context, we have launched our developmental programmes based on the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” Modi said, adding this was not a mere slogan for his government but a commitment.
“When we talk of this idea, we talk about the last man standing in the queue… we need to empower them socially and economically. The union government is moving ahead with the vision and will now much be focussed towards it.”
Modi also stressed the need for creating an alternate politics as advocated by Upadhyaya who had always suggested that no section of people should be left neglected or considered as tools to garner votes.
“We have always tried to uphold his principles and today we again pledge ourselves to rededicate for the cause of such inclusive development,” he said.
He said it was high time we extended a helping hand to the last man — the poorest man in each corner of the country.
Reissuing his call for electoral reforms, Modi said it was imperative to strengthen democracy.
“I think this is time to bring about electoral reforms. In the centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, we can organise seminars across the country on electoral reforms,” he said.
“At least we should start brainstorming the issue, and we will see what amrit (nectar) will come out of this churning,” he said.
“To strengthen the roots of democracy, we will have to bring about electoral reforms, we will have to add a few new things, have to delete a few obsolete things from the electoral procedures,” he said.
He said that even members from other political parties have been asking him to bring about electoral reforms, but it would be better if changes emerged after thorough brainstorming.
This was at least the third time in as many months that the Prime Minister has called for electoral reforms.
Modi also announced that India will ratify the 21st Conference of Parties (CoP) protocol on combating climate change on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on October 2.
“Now the time has come to ratify the COP21 protocol. India will do it on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2,” he said, noting Gandhi lived his life with a minimum “Carbon footprint”.
It was also on October 2 last year that India had submitted its action plan, called the ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contribution’, to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which eventually led to a deal at COP 21 in Paris in December 2015.
Earlier, paying tributes to Upadhyaya, the Prime Minister asked if politicians today can change Indian politics by following his ideals.
“Through our thinking and conduct, can we change people’s perception towards politicians? Can we become symbols of the ideals of Pandit Deendayal?” Modi said, adding that Upadhyaya gave the mantra that the Indian politics should be rooted in Indian culture.
(Agencies)
Sriharikota: In its longest-ever flight, the PSLV C-35, carrying India’s SCATSAT-1 meant for ocean and weather studies and seven other satellites including from the US and Canada, today lifted off from the spaceport, here.
The launch marked PSLV’s longest mission spread over two hours and it is the first time that the rocket is putting its payloads in two different orbits. The 44.4 metre tall PSLV rocket blasted off at 9.12 AM and 17 minutes later injected SCATSAT-1 in orbit.
“SCATSAT-1 has been successfully injected in orbit,” ISRO said. The 371 kg SCATSAT, the primary satellite meant for weather forecasting, cyclone detection and tracking, was first injected in a Polar Sunsynchronous Orbit (SSO) orbit while the seven others will be injected in a lower orbit after over two hours, the first time the rocket is putting its payloads in two different orbits. The total weight of all the eight satellites onboard is about 675 kg.
Besides SCATSAT-1, the PSLV rocket is carrying two Indian university satellites, three from Algeria and one each from the US and Canada. SCATSAT-1 is a “continuity” mission for the Ku-band scatterometer payload carried by SCATSAT-1, which has enhanced features compared to a similar one carried by Oceansat-2 satellite in 2009.
The two academic satellites are PRATHAM, from IIT, Bombay, and PISAT, from BES University, Bengaluru and its consortium. While PRATHAM’s objective is to estimate Total Electron Count, PISAT’s mission is to design and develop a nanosatellite for remote sensing applications.
The foreign satellites onboard the PSLV are ALSAT-1B, ALSAT-2B and ALSAT-1N (all from Algeria) and Pathfinder-1 and NLS-19, from USA and Canada, respectively.
(PTI)