Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for News & Politics / India

Tipu Sultan’s notebook on artillery to be displayed at Victoria Memorial

by

TIPU

Kolkata: A historic notebook belonging to Tipu Sultan, the legendary ruler of Mysuru and India’s foremost freedom fighter will soon be displayed for the first time at Victoria Memorial Hall, here.

The notebook written in Persian (Shikasta) touches on a variety of subjects but is mainly a treatise on the art of artillery. It is divided into eight chapters with introduction dealing with certain tenets of Islam and chapters dedicated to rules for horsemen and piyada (foot soldiers) of his army.

Each page of the notebook consists of nine lines of script. Some pages bear the stamp of the three royal seals while ten sketches explain the use of muskets with details on how to load and hold them.

Sahebzada Ghulam Mohammad, one of Tipu Sultan descendants, had donated the notebook to the trustees of Victoria Memorial in 1904.

“The notebook reflects his keen interest and the first hand information on the use of arms and artillery along with the fact that he was introducing modern equipment in his armoury. In fact Tipu Sultan was one of the few great kings who died fighting,” Gholam Nabi, head of VMH documentation and photography unit said.

Mr. Nabi said the King of Mysore who wrote in Kannada, had dictated the contents of the note book to his calligrapher who wrote it in Persian. Historians believe that Tipu Sultan was one of the first kings to have made use of rockets in war as early as 1790s.

“The artefact is going to be part of an exhibition on ‘Life and Times of Tipu Sultan’ which we have been planning for quite some time. The exhibition is likely to be held at the end of this year,” Jayanta Sengupta, the secretary and curator of VMH said.

(Agencies)

UPSC results 2015 declared; four women in top five

by

upsc

New Delhi: Women candidates have bagged all the three top slots in the prestigious Civil Services examination to select IAS and IPS officers among others.

Ira Singhal has topped the examination followed by Renu Raj and Nidhi Gupta, who have secured second and third positions respectively, according to the results announced by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Saturday.

Ira and Nidhi, who hail from Delhi, are Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise) officers whereas, Renu Raj is a doctor by profession. She hails from Kerala.

“I am really very happy. I can’t believe this. I just prepared for the examination,” Ira said.

Ira topped the exam in general category despite being physically handicapped. “I want to be an IAS officer. I want to do something for the benefit of physically-handicapped people,” she said.

Renu Raj got the second rank in her first attempt. “I am extremely happy to know the result. I have been preparing for the exam for the last one year,” she told PTI from Thiruvananthapuram.

Renu Raj, who works in a hospital in Kollam in Kerala, hails from Kottayam.

Third rank holder Nidhi said it is a proud moment for her to get selected in the examination. “It is really a proud moment. I put in lot of hard work and finally it paid,” she said. Nidhi is presently Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise.

A total number of 1,236 candidates, including 590 in General category, 354 belonging to Other Backward Class, 194 from Scheduled Caste and 98 from Scheduled Tribe, have been recommended for appointment to various central government services, the UPSC said.

A total of 1,364 posts are to be filled through the civil services examination.There are 254 other candidates in the waiting list. It is the first time that the Commission has declared the final results on the fourth day of the closing date for the personality tests or interviews, a senior UPSC official said.

The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages — preliminary, mains and interviews — to select candidates for the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.

The civil services preliminary examination was conducted on August 24 last year at 2,137 venues in 59 centres across the country. About 9.45 lakh candidates had applied for it but approximately 4.51 lakh appeared for the examination.

Of these, 16,933 were declared qualified for the main examination, the official said. The main examination was held in December last year and, out of the 16,933 candidates, 16,286 appeared for it, he said.

The result of civil services main examination was declared on March 13, this year. 3,308 candidates were declared qualified for the personality test. Of these, 3,303 appeared for the personality test, which were held from April 27 to June 30, the official said.

“In terms of the number of candidates and number of centres or sub-centres, this was the biggest examination ever conducted by the Commission,” he said

The candidates can check their results on upsc.gov.in.

(Agencies)

Impossible for Yasin Bhatkal to smuggle mobile into jail, says Telangana DG Prisons

by

Yasin Bhatkal

New Delhi: Telangana Director General (Prisons) V.K. Singh on Saturday said that the call made by Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal was made by an official telephone in the Cherlapally Jail, adding that it is impossible for him to smuggle a mobile phone into the high security prison.

Singh was referring to media reports, which claimed that Bhatkal made calls to his wife via a mobile phone smuggled into the jail. The reports further stated that he had ‘hinted’ to his wife that he would be out of jail soon, possibly with help from Damascus, which led to speculations of the IM having links to dreaded terror group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“To smuggle a mobile phone into the jail is impossible. However, they have the facility to talk to family members via official telephones. Yasin Bhatkal was also granted this facility on the orders of the court. These conversations are all recorded and these recordings are shared with investigative agencies,” Singh told ANI in a telephonic interview.

“All these calls are recorded and this is a routine exercise, and all the prisoners are aware of such a procedure. We cannot comment on the call. We have shared all the information with the concerned agencies and they will decide on the issue. This is a high security prison and proper checks are carried out on a routine basis,” he added.

Bhatkal had reportedly undertaken training in arms and explosives in Pakistan to launch terror attacks in India. He was on the NIA most wanted list before being arrested at the Indo-Nepal border in 2013.

(ANI)

Met Dawood Ibrahim in London, he wanted to return to India: Ram Jethmalani

by

Ram Jethmalani

New Delhi: Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani on Saturday claimed to have met Dawood Ibrahim in London, where the underworld don had told him that he was willing to return to India.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Jethmalani rejected a newspaper report, which claimed that he had met Dawood’s close associate Chhota Shakeel in London.

The senior Supreme Court lawyer maintained that Dawood had offered to surrender to Indian authorities, but the then Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar had rejected the offer.

However, Jethmalani said that saying no to Dawood’s proposal wasn’t only Pawar’s decision, but the UPA government was also a part of it.

While recalling his encounter with the underworld don, Jethamalani said that Dawood was ready to return to India and be placed under house arrest during the trial, as he feared he would be bumped off in jail.

Jethamalani further said that Dawood told him that he was not involved in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and wanted a guarantee from Indian authorities for his return that he will not be subjected to third-degree torture by the police during his detention.

The senior lawyer’s claim comes after Dawood’s trusted aide Chhota Shakeel in an interview to The Times of India, said that the underworld don had wished to return to India after the Mumbai blasts and had even spoken to Jethmalani in London, but the Indian government refused.

The newspaper reported that Shakeel had met Jethmalani in London and put forward Dawood’s proposal for the Indian authorities.

(Agencies)

Socio-economic census paints a grim picture of rural India

by

rural India

New Delhi: The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 has painted a grim picture of rural India, indicating that one out of three families living in villages is landless and depends on manual labour for livelihood.

The SECC 2011, also the first paperless census conducted on hand-held electronic devices by the government, said 23.52 per cent rural families have no literate adult above 25 years, suggesting a poor state of education among rural masses.

The census, carried out in 640 districts under the aegis of the Rural Development Ministry, was released jointly by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh here.

According to the census, there are a total number of 24.39 crore households in the country, of which 17.91 crore live in villages. Of these, 10.69 crore households are considered as deprived.

The deprivation data reveal that 5.37 crore (29.97 per cent) households in rural areas are “landless deriving a major part of their income from manual labour”. As many as 2.37 crore (13.25 per cent) families in villages live in houses of one room with ‘kaccha’ walls and roof.

It further said 21.53 per cent, or 3.86 crore, families living in villages belong to SC/ST categories.

Releasing the census, Jaitley said, “It’s after seven-eight decades that we have this document after 1932 of the caste census… It’s going to be very important document for all policy makers both at central and state governments… this document will help us target groups for support in terms of policy planning.”

The data, Singh said, “addresses the multi-dimensionality of poverty and provides a unique opportunity for a convergent, evidence based planning with a Gram Panchayat as unit”.

Singh added a caveat, saying though the name of the census suggests caste, it does not include castes.

“The name of the report indicates (caste), but caste is not reflected in our data … still the name is Socio Economic and Caste Census,” he said.

“We are now on the cusp of a huge development shift that will move the numbers of poverty to the names of the village that needs government intervention. The idea is to deal with all aspects of the family simultaneously,” Singh said.

The census further said just 4.6 per cent of all rural households in the country pay income tax.

As for sources of income, 9.16 crore households (51.14 per cent) depend on manual casual labour followed by cultivation (30.10 per cent).

It further said 2.5 crore (14.01 per cent) rural families are dependent on income from other sources which include government service, private sector and PSUs.

Besides, 4.08 lakh households fall back on ragpicking while 6.68 lakh depend on begging and charity alms.

“It’s also a document which contains various details with regard to the specifics of regions, communities, caste groups, economic groups and give us an opportunity to measure the progress which households in India have made.

“Who are the ones who have qualitatively moved up in terms of quality of life and who are the ones in terms of geographical regions, social groupings which in future planning need to be targeted,” Jaitley said.

“The data is an opportunity to make evidence-based selection, prioritisation and targeting of beneficiaries in different programmes,” Singh added.

The Rural Development Ministry has taken a decision to use the SECC data in all its programmes.

“SECC data would have meaningful use in housing for all, education and skills thrust, MGNREGA, the National Food Security Act, interventions for differently-abled, interventions for women-led households, and targeting of households/individual entitlements on evidence of deprivation, etc,” he said.

It paves the way for a Mission Antyodaya to work simultaneously in addressing the poverty of households through a Gram Panchayat Poverty Reduction Plan, he added.

The basic idea, the Minister said, is to implement a convergent, integrated poverty reduction plan, with Gram Panchayats and deprived households as a priority.

(PTI)

SC gives Karnataka eight more weeks for Bengaluru civic polls

by

Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission eight more weeks to hold the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palika (BBMP) polls, declining the state’s plea for more time for delimitation of wards on the basis of 2011 Census.

A bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Amitava Roy said it may give more time for the conduct of the election but would not change a word from its May 5 order.

The court’s assertion came as a battery of lawyers representing the Karnataka government and other parties sought modification of the May 5 order directing the State Election Commission to complete the election process within three months by August 5.

The government requested postponement of the polls to help complete the delimitation exercise.

The eight weeks allowed on Friday are in addition to the three months the apex court gave by the May 5 order, which recorded the Karnataka government’s submission that it had “no objection if the election for the BBMP is held”.

The parties opposing the Karnataka government plea for postponement of the polls recalled the submission it made during the earlier hearing.

(Agencies)

Sand mafia chops off woman’s hand in Bengaluru

by

Sand mafia chops off woman hand

Bengaluru: In a gruesome incident, three members of a sand mafia chopped off the hand of a housewife after they allegedly mistook her for the wife of their rival at Herohalli, Tavarekere, on the outskirts of the city.

The victim, Mangala Gowri (38), is now undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Though the police have surgically joined her severed left hand, which was chopped off, the victim needs to wait for a week to ascertain whether she can regain movement.

The incident has shocked the IT Capital of the nation because the rowdies dared to barge into the house of the victim and slashed her family members with swords.

Around 8 p.m. on Thursday, three persons involved in sand mining barged into a house, and on spotting Mrs Gowri, attacked her. While the men were in search of Nanje Gowda, who runs a sand-mining business, they mistook Mangala – who owns the house – as his wife and chopped her left hand, said Tavarekere Police.

The assailants — Krishna of Kunigal, Sandeep of Bhattarahalli and Kumar, who run a sand-transportation business — had an argument with Nanje Gowda over a consignment which wasn’t delivered on Wednesday.

The three had earlier on Thursday come to threaten Nanje Gowda, who lives in a rented house. However, they met the house owner Raghavendra who asked them to go away.

Later in the evening, armed with knives and machetes, they entered the house where they spotted Ms. Gowri who was oblivious to the threats, said the police.

Taverekere police registered a case of attempt to murder and a search is on to find the accused.

(Agencies)

‘Girl could’ve been saved if taken to hospital with Hema Malini,’ relatives say

by

Sonam

Jaipur: Relatives of the four-year-old girl, killed in a car crash with Hema Malini’s Mercedes, have alleged that the child was lying at the accident spot for nearly 20 minutes and could have been saved had she been taken to the hospital along with the BJP MP.

“Hema Malini was taken to a hospital in Dausa by a doctor immediately after the incident. He then took her to Fortis hospital while Sonam was lying at the spot for 15-20 minutes. Nobody asked about her,” alleged Shirish Gupta, uncle of Sonam who succumbed to her injuries on way to hospital in Dausa last night.

“Had she (Sonam) been taken to the hospital along with Hema Malini, she would have been saved,” Gupta said.

Sonam’s father Hanuman Mahajan, his wife Shikha (35), Somil and Seema were shifted to the SMS hospital here.

Mahajan has filed a complaint with the Kotwali police station in Dausa against Ramesh Chand Thakur, who was driving Hema’s car when it met with the accident in Dausa, 60 km from here.

Thakur was arrested at Kotwali Thana in Dausa. Gupta said Sonam and others were taken to hospital by police.

The 66-year-old actress-turned politician underwent a surgery for her wounds at Fortis hospital here and was doing fine, doctors attending to her said. She was also treated for a minor fracture on her nose.

(PTI)

Lokayukta corruption row: Opposition mounts pressure for CBI probe

by

Bhaskar-Rao

Belagavi: Keeping up pressure for removal of Lokaykuta Bhaskar Rao and a CBI probe into alleged bribery scandal in the anti-graft body, Opposition BJP and JDS members today staged a walkout from the Legislative Council, accusing the government of shielding the corrupt.

As the House proceedings began, BJP and JDS sought to move an adjournment motion on the scandal that has rocked the Lokayukta office and demanded removal of Rao, alleging his son was involved in corruption amounting to crores of rupees.

In their joint notice for adjournment motion, both parties said several social organisations, legal fraternity and its associations had expressed their dismay against the “corrupt” Lokayukta which was weakening the very institution and he should be removed.

As BJP leader K S Eshwarappa began speaking, he was interrupted frequently by the ruling Congress members which enraged his party members who staged a walkout, followed by their counterparts in JDS also.

Minister and Leader of the House S R Patil told reporters it is very unfortunate that BJP and JD(S) members walked out only because some from the ruling bench interrupted them.

“The government has no intention of protecting anyone. But government has no power for removal of Lokayukta as per the Lokayukta Act 1984,” he said.

Later, Eshwarappa told reporters that the government should seek opinion from legal experts on the charges levelled against Lokayukta.

A situation had arisen where all officers are scared of Lokayukta due to threat from his son, Eshwarappa said. The was protecting a corrupt Lokayukta, he alleged.

JDS senior member Basavarj Horatti wanted to know as to why government is protecting the Lokayukta.

An FIR was filed yesterday against the Lokayukta’s son in connection with the alleged scandal on the basis of a complaint that an executive engineer was asked to pay Rs 1 crore bribe to avoid a raid.

Rao, a former High Court Chief Justice, has rejected allegations that his son was involved in the scandal and said he would resign if the charge was proved correct.

The case has been handed over to a Special Investigation team by the government on the request by the Lokayukta.

(PTI)

Killing or smuggling of cow is equivalent to raping a Hindu girl: RSS

by

rss

Hyderabad: RSS spokesman Jishnu Basu in West Bengal who shares a 2,216 km border with Bangladesh sparks a fresh controversy saying “Killing or smuggling a cow is equivalent to raping a Hindu girl.”

He demanded a stringent action against those who are involved in killing or smuggling of cattle.

Some 30,000 Indian soldiers guarding the border with Bangladesh have now new commands from the Govt “stop crossing of cattle into the neighboring Country”.

Roughly every night, troops armed with bamboo sticks and ropes wander through jute and paddy fields and swim across ponds to chase bovines, and smugglers, heading towards Bangladesh market.

Some BSF soldiers said “We could not understand why they were chasing cows. Some animals are caught and sell by the BSF.

Two soldiers were killed by a gang of Bangladeshi smugglers, while three dozen have been injured by the animals.

“It is a wild chase, but not of a kind a soldier appreciates,” said Vivek Tyagi, a BSF commander at the Ghojadanga check post.

“I was chained to a tree and beaten by members of the cow protection force. They forced me to recite a Hindu prayer,” said Mohammed Tarafdar, who was caught smuggling two calves near the Bangladesh border in April.

“My religion permits me to eat and sell beef, so why should Hindus have a problem?” said Tarafdar, sitting in a packed prison cell in Basirhat district.

The crackdown is one of the clearest signs yet of how Indian policies, increasingly influenced by extremist ideology, are having an economic impact not only on neighbouring countries but on the majorities living in India as most of them involved in cattle smuggling are hindus. Critics say tougher anti-beef laws discriminate against Muslims, Christians and lower-caste Hindus who rely on the cheap meat for protein.

About 2 million head of cattle are smuggled into Bangladesh annually from India. The $600 million-a-year trade has flourished over the past four decades and is considered legal by Dhaka.

So far this year, BSF soldiers have seized 90,000 cattle and caught 400 Indian and Bangladeshi smugglers.

The hit to GDP on Indian economy from the present govt policies is not yet known. But a political adviser said “obviously no doubt” that the beef trade and leather industries are suffering in India.

(Agencies)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives