Hyderabad: The Indian Air Force on Saturday inducted its first batch of women pilots, comprising three cadets into its fighter squadron.

Bhawna Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, will undergo another six months of training in the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer before they start flying the fighter jets in regular missions like their male counterparts.

They graduated from the IAF academy in Dundigal in December and proceeded to specialised fighter training in the IAF establishment in Hakimpet in Andhra Pradesh.

Six female cadets were competing to become fighter pilots after the government, in a landmark move, approved an IAF plan in October to induct them as fighter pilots. However, only three female trainees were selected for the fighter stream.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was present to witness the passing-out parade at the Indian Air Force Academy in Hakimpet, Hyderabad.

First batch of women fighter pilots inducted into IAF

Hyderabad, Jun 18 (Agencies): The Indian Air Force on Saturday inducted its first batch of women pilots, comprising three cadets into its fighter squadron.

Bhawna Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, will undergo another six months of training in the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer before they start flying the fighter jets in regular missions like their male counterparts.

They graduated from the IAF academy in Dundigal in December and proceeded to specialised fighter training in the IAF establishment in Hakimpet in Andhra Pradesh.

Six female cadets were competing to become fighter pilots after the government, in a landmark move, approved an IAF plan in October to induct them as fighter pilots. However, only three female trainees were selected for the fighter stream.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was present to witness the passing-out parade at the Indian Air Force Academy in Hakimpet, Hyderabad.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Karnataka Cabinet is all set to be revamped in a day or two with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today saying he has got the green signal from the Congress High Command to drop some ministers and induct fresh faces.

“We discussed all names to be dropped and inducted with AICC President and Vice President Sonia and Rahulji. We have convinced them. High Command has authorised me to go ahead with the reshuffle,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here after the second round of consultations in as many days with the Congress Chief.

He said “the list will be prepared in a day or two and will be submitted to the Governor”.

Amid pulls and pressures for ministerial berths, the discussion held yesterday in connection with the much talked-about reshuffle had remained inconclusive.

Before the meeting, Siddaramaiah discussed the matter with Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

Sources said that the chief minister has proposed dropping of at least 10-14 ministers from the Cabinet and inducting young legislators and senior Congress leaders in order to balance caste and regional factors.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara and Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh were present in the meeting. Gulam Nabi Azad, who was in charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka in 2014, joined the deliberations later.

The exercise is being undertaken to tone up the government after Congress’ debacle in recent Assembly polls in four states, especially Assam.

Karnataka is the only major state where the Congress is in power after being recently ousted in Kerala and Assam.

“By tomorrow or the day after, I will prepare a list and submit it to the Governor, after which they will take oath,” the chief minister said.

Siddaramaiah, however, declined to comment on names and number of Ministers who would be dropped.

With 34 ministers, the Karnataka ministry is up to its full strength.

Indicating ministry reshuffle before the Assembly session next month, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday had sought cooperation from his council of Ministers.

Signalling that some ministers would have to take up party responsibility, he had said that the cabinet reshuffle would be done keeping the next Assembly elections in mind.

The talk about the ministry reshuffle had been doing the rounds for long but various reasons like drought and elections to local bodies, Council and Rajya Sabha have been cited for its deferment.

Siddaramaiah had earlier said that reshuffle would involve “dropping a few and inducting a few”, and yardstick for it is giving opportunity for new people.

Several “like-minded” Congress MLAs have held meetings and demanded reshuffle.

They had also sought dropping of “non-performing” ministers from the cabinet.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: US-based online taxi-booking app Uber has questioned Karnataka government’s new regulations for ride-hailing apps, terming them as “regressive” and “practically impossible to comply”.

It had written a letter to state Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, saying a few mandatory clauses like keeping a fleet of a minimum of 100 taxis, generating printed receipts and capping of charges are “unfortunately redundant and similar to the radio taxi scheme introduced by Karnataka way back in 1998”.

The mandatory clauses “are regressive in nature and not in line with our business model”.

Uber, which competes with the likes of Ola and Meru in India, requested the minister’s intervention on the matter.

“(Uber) would be grateful if you can kindly direct the authorities concerned to look into our submissions on mandatory clauses, which are not only regressive, but also practically impossible to comply with,” it argued.

Uber followed up the letter with another one on June 7, saying it had submitted all necessary documents required by the Transport Department to ensure compliance of some 100 vehicle rules for getting the licence.

“However, your office refused to accept our documents or even acknowledge our document submission,” it wrote to the Commissioner for Transport and Road Safety on June 7. “In view of this, we are submitting all the documents through Speed Post acknowledgment due today.”

Under the new rules, Karnataka has mandated ride-hailing start-ups to provide digital printers, install panic buttons and have taxi signage on their vehicles.

The company contended that it applied for a licence in Bangalore with all the required documents, but its application has not been accepted.

India, Uber’s third-largest market, continues to be strategically important for the company, which has committed to investing over USD 1 billion here.

“In Karnataka… we have committed an economic contribution of Rs. 99 crore towards creating livelihood opportunities to over 20,000 more driver partners in the next 5 years,” the letter said.

Making a case for its technology-led business model, Uber maintained that many state governments in India have realised its potential in creating livelihood opportunities for citizens.

“Uber is committed to working with the state governments to frame rules that are progressive and support innovation and champion ease of doing business,” it said.

This is not the first time the start-up, which is valued at over USD 60 billion, is facing issues with government regulations. It has had earlier run-ins with regulators across the world like France and the US as it competes with local taxi operators.

(Agencies)

Mumbai: In an apparent snub to BJP ahead of the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, Shiv Sena has not invited its ally for its 50th anniversary celebrations on Sunday.

“We have not invited the BJP because it is an internal celebration of our party which is aimed at gearing up our party workers. Recently, BJP held its National Executive meet in Allahabad for which none of its allies were invited. Similarly, every party has its own celebrations, meetings which is only for its members,” Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande told PTI.

When asked if the move is an indication to the BJP that the party may decide to go solo in the upcoming BMC polls, she said, “Our mission for the BMC election is 100 per cent Sena. Every party would want to win an election. The Sena has always been at the helm of affairs in the state and has never required anybody’s support to grow which has not been the case with the BJP.”

Reacting to the development, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, “It is their internal programme thus their choice on who has to be invited. We only wish them good luck.”

Opposition parties, meanwhile, have taken an opportunity to take a dig at the saffron allies, saying their internal bickering will only add to their misfortunes in the upcoming BMC polls.

“Both the BJP and the Sena know their chances of retaining power in BMC are negligible owing to the massive corruption that has taken place in their tenure. The slugfest between both parties will be an added advantage for the Opposition parties,” NCP legislator Kiran Pawaskar said.

Congress spokesperson Al-Nasser Zakaria said, “from the time of formation of government, both parties’ postures have been that of one-upmanship. Alliance has to be followed in letter and spirit. People of the state should have the confidence in them. Bickering on petty issues is irrelevant to the people. However, if Sena wants to sit on opposition benches they are most welcome.”

The Sena will be staging a grand mega event on June 19 at Goregaon Easts NSE grounds showcasing its 50 years of political journey that has been shaped by the contribution of late party chief Balasaheb Thackeray and family.

(PTI)

Srinagar: In a significant move, separatists have decided to hold talks with Kashmiri Pandit migrants to discuss their return to the Valley, marking their first “serious attempt” to bring back the community which was forced to leave over 26 years back due to militancy.

Making the announcement during his sermons after the Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid here, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said there is no precondition for the return of Pandits who are “part and parcel” of Kashmiri culture and ethos and they can support any political ideology while being in the Valley.

“We have decided to form a joint committee from the resistance (separatist) camp — both groups of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF led by Mohammad Yasin Malik — which will interact with members of the Kashmiri Pandit community in the state and elsewhere as part of efforts to pave way for their return to Kashmir,” he said.

Mirwaiz said the joint committee would hear out the Kashmiri Pandits to understand their reservations about returning to their homes in the Valley.

“This is not just a lip service but a serious effort for bringing the Kashmiri Pandits back to the Valley as they are part and parcel of our culture and ethos,” he said.

The Hurriyat chairman said the separatist camp wanted the Pandits to return to their native places instead of being nestled in isolated townships.

“They are free to support whichever political ideology they want…They may support India. That does not deprive them of their rights as Kashmiris,” he said.

This will mark the first serious effort by the separatists to bring back the Pandits who were forced to leave the Valley starting from late 1989 after the onset of militancy.

At present, there are about 62,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families, who have moved from the Valley to Jammu, Delhi and other parts of the country.

Various governments have from time to time devised policies for return of Kashmiri Pandits but those attempts have been unsuccessful. Even the present PDP-BJP government is working on such a policy.

Later, Mirwaiz led a protest rally against the new industrial policy of the state government, alleging it was part of the RSS’ design to change the demography and occupy the resources of the state.

“There is no clarity on whether land in industrial estates will be given to outsiders. Four statements have come from the government within a short span of time. The government will do well to make its stand clear or face the consequences,” he said.

(PTI)

Ahmedabad: Calling the Gulberg massacre as the “darkest day” in the history of civil society, a special SIT court here today sentenced 11 convicts to life imprisonment in the case of burning alive of 69 people, including former Congress MP Eshan Jafri in the 2002 post-Godhra violence.

Rejecting the demand for death sentence for all the convicts, the court said life imprisonment for the 11 will be till death if the state does not exercise power to remit the sentence.

The court awarded ten year jail term to one of the 13 convicted for lesser offences while 12 others have been given seven-year sentence each. The prosecution had argued that all the 24 convicts should be given death penalty.

While describing the massacre as the darkest day in the history of civil society, Special court Judge P B Desai refused death penalty saying, “If you look at all aspects, no previous antecedent has been placed on record”.

Post the incident, 90 per cent of the accused were released on bail, yet no complaints against them have been given even by victims, and there is no record to show that they committed any offence during the time of bail, the judge further said, while giving reasons why he thought that this was not a fit case to give capital punishment to the convicts.

The court said it has decided to award imprisonment for life without any time frame to 11 accused, who have been convicted for murder, while requesting the state not to use its power to remit the sentence after 14 years of imprisonment.

“CrPC provisions give power to the state to remit sentence after 14 years jail, section 433-A imposes some restriction on that power. In case the state does not exercise power to remit the sentence, life imprisonment will mean that it is till death,” the court said.

“I cannot add beyond what has been prescribed under section 302, it is not necessary for a state to exercise power to remit sentence, state may not exercise power of remittance,” the judge said, adding the court’s direction cannot be binding as he cannot take away the executive powers of the state.

As regards the 13 others accused convicted for lesser offences not including murder (302), the court awarded 10 years imprisonment to one Mangilal Jain, while 12 others were awarded seven-year sentence each.

The Gulberg Society massacre, which took place here on February 28, 2002 when Narendra Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister, shook the nation when a mob of 400 people set about attacking the society in the heart of Ahmedabad and killed the residents including Jafri.

It was one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT.

“All the sentences will run concurrently as the Supreme Court has laid it down clearly that if the crime had single purpose, sentences given for different sections of IPC should run concurrently,” the court said.

The prosecution and the victims had demanded that sentences awarded to all the accused should not run concurrently as all the 24 convicts will have to spend their entire life behind bars.

Earlier on June 2, the court had convicted 11 persons for murder and other offences, while 13 others, including VHP leader Atul Vaidya, were charged with lesser offences. It had acquitted 36 others in the case.

Those given life sentence in the case are – Kailash Dhobi, Yogendra Shekhawat, Jayesh Jingar, Krishna Kalal, Jayesh Parmar, Raju Tiwari, Bharat Rajput, Dinesh Sharma, Narayan Tank, Lakhansinh Chudasama and Bharat Taili.

One Mangilal Jain, who was convicted for lesser offence, has been sentenced to 10 years jail term.

Besides, VHP leader Atul Vaid, Mukesh Jingar, Prakash Padhiyar, Surendrasinh Chauhan, Dilip Parmar, Babu Marwadi, Manish Jain, Dharmesh Shukla, Kapil Mishra, Suresh Dhobi, Ambesh Jingar and Sandeep Punjabi have been sentenced to seven years imprisonment each.

During the argument on quantum of sentence, special public prosecutor and counsel for Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), R C Kodekar had asked the court for nothing less than death sentence or jail term till death for all 24 convicts.

Lawyer for the victims, S M Vora, also sought maximum punishment for the accused and argued that sentencing for each offence should not run concurrently so that they spend their entire life in jail.

However, lawyer of the accused, Abhay Bhardwaj, has refuted the demand of capital punishment or maximum punishment in his arguments saying that the incident was spontaneous and there were enough provocations for it.

The Gulberg society massacre was one of the nine cases of 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the SC-appointed SIT.

The incident had taken place a day after S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt near Godhra train station in which 58 ‘kar sevaks’ returning from Ayodhya were killed.

During the course of trial, as many as 338 witnesses were cross-examined, with four different judges having presided over the case.

(Agencies)

Thiruvananthapuram: The suspect in the April 28 brutal rape and murder of a 30-year old Dalit woman at Perumbavoor in Kochi is in police custody, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said.

“Investigation team has received full information about the accused. From yesterday onwards, the accused was under police radar,” he said reacting to reports that the accused, Amir Ul Islam, a migrant labourer from Assam, had been nabbed by the Special Investigation team probing the murder.

Police have received all information, he said.

“The people of Kerala were waiting for such a news”, he said to a question.

“The development is a feather in the cap of Kerala Police”, the Chief Minister said.

A report from Kochi quoting police sources said that a Special Investigation Team probing the murder of the woman was questioning the suspect. They said the 23-year-old Islam’s arrest is expected to be recorded today, only after which his DNA samples will be taken.

The LDF government, after assuming power on May 25 had changed the investigation team and entrusted the probe to ADGP B Sandhya on its first cabinet meeting itself.

The rape and murder was in focus during the Assembly polls campaign with political parties attacking the then UDF regime for tardy progress in the investigation and failure to nab the culprits. The woman was murdered in her home on April 28.

The attack, which took place at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district, had been a major campaign plank of the LDF in the run up to the May 16 Assembly elections.

(PTI)