Archives for October 2023

Nasheman news

Two talented students from NMIMS University, Ms.
Amruta Mali and Ms. Poonam Patil, pursuing their Final Year B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture at
the School of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Shirpur, have emerged as shining
stars at the SmartIdeathon Competition, held at GITAM University Hyderabad. This
prestigious event was organized in collaboration with Startup India, IIC, Ministry of
Education, Govt. of India, and Northeastern University, Boston, USA, drawing
participants from universities and institutes across the country.

Amruta and Poonam, the founders of Agro-India, an initiative under SVKM’s NMIMS –
School of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Shirpur, showcased their praiseworthy
innovation during the competition. They presented a board game which has evolved
into a comprehensive simulation of the agricultural ecosystem. This game captures the
intricacies of crop management, resource allocation, and market dynamics in an
appealing and educational manner.
The SmartIdeathon Competition, a ‘Student pitching competition,’ saw the duo advance
to the final rounds, securing a coveted position among the Top 8 Finalists from
participants across the nation.

The competition drew participants from diverse fields of study and was a vindication of
the power of ideas and their potential to bring about big change in the industries. The
students’ passion for agriculture and strategic thinking resulted in a concept that
combined these two elements into an agriculture-based board game. The process
involved refining the game mechanics, designing the board, and devising challenges that
tested their innovation and creativity.

For the two students, reaching the top 8 is not only a personal victory, but also a
validation of the numerous hours they spent brainstorming, designing, and refining the
game. It speaks volumes about their capability for interdisciplinary thinking and the
ability to bridge gaps between traditional industries and modern innovation.
Dr. Suseelendra Desai, Dean, School of Agricultural Sciences & Technology,
expressed his pride for the students’ achievement and said, “Amruta and Poonam’s
outstanding achievement at the SmartIdeathon Competition highlights NMIMS
University’s firm belief in promoting innovation and nurturing their creativity. I am
certain that this is only the beginning of their journey and they will go on to win many
more accolades.”

About SAST:
School of Agricultural Sciences & Technology (SAST), Shirpur is the first School of
Agriculture under SVKM’s NMIMS to be started in 2019 to bring prosperity to the small
and marginal farm holders. The School focuses on teaching, research and outreach, the
three arms of agricultural research and education to meet the stakeholders’ aspirations
with more participatory devolutions. The School has air-conditioned class rooms with

smart boards, 117 acres of farm, and fully-equipped laboratories. The integrated
campus set-up provides an opportunity for the students to get exposed to engineering
& pharmacy faculties and thus promote holistic development. The robust
agricultural education curriculum in line with national agricultural education systems
as recommended by the ICAR provides a platform where knowledge, resources and
opportunities to address aspects of enhanced farm productivity, profitability and
sustainable livelihoods. The skills of the students are honed in basic and applied aspects
of agriculture and allied sectors; constant practical hand-holding; and assurance of
learning to develop into future researchers or entrepreneurs. The students involve in
experiential learning projects and agro-industrial attachments for beyond academic
expertise. NMIMS’s SAST is focused to give an extra mile to the knowledge and career of
graduates because we help them think both critically and creatively, and to express withenergy, precision, and dynamism.

NEW DELHI: The most-wanted suspected terrorist Shahnawaz Alam had conducted reconnaissances of some VIP political leaders in at least two states in order to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) so as to assassinate them, a senior Delhi Police official said.

“He [Shahnawaz Alam] conducted recce of some potential areas like crowded places, Mazar/ Dargah, routes of VIP political leaders in Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad for planting IEDs and target killings,” the officer said.

The accused, a highly-qualified Mining Engineer with an elaborate knowledge of explosives and blasting had also analyzed the map of West Rajasthan to find out the IED testing point.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police averted a major terror strike with the arrest of three suspected ISIS operatives among which one, Shahnawaz Alam, was most wanted on their list while two others were identified as Md Rizwan and Md Arshad.

According to a senior police officer, privy to the probe, the accused Shahnawaz met with Rizwan Ali in Shaheen Masjid, Shaheen Bagh, Delhi in 2016. Over a period of time, they became good friends.

“Shahnawaz already followed many pro-ISIS telegram entities/channels and used to discuss about those channels with Rizwan Ali who was also inclined to ISIS ideology,” the official said.

As per the official, Shahnawaz and Rizwan wanted to go for Hijrat and in order to collect some funds for it, both of them got involved in crime. Shahnawaz was arrested in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand in multiple cases of dacoity and theft in 2019 and remained in jail for around 9 months. In December 2020, he was bailed out of jail.

Later on, he started communicating with a foreign-based handler of ISIS. Meanwhile, Rizwan also established contact with the same handler.

Both Shahnawaz and Rizwan visited Lavasa Mahabaleshwar, Goa, Hubli, Saraswati Wildlife area in Karnataka, Udupi, Kerala, Valsad Wildlife Sanctuary, Nallamala Mountain ranges, Chandauli to find suitable hideouts for their stay in Western Ghats and to set up a base there.

During preliminary interrogation of the accused people, it was revealed that they even made Improvised Explosive Devices in Delhi and even tested them at some unknown places in the city.

Since December 2022, on the instructions of foreign-based handlers, Shahnawaz and Rizwan along with their other associates had started accumulating material in Delhi for the preparation of IEDs in furtherance of their conspiracy to carry out blasts in Delhi. 

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Tuesday morning conducted raids and seized laptops and mobile phones from journalists associated with the news portal NewsClick.

According to official sources, the Special Cell has registered a case in the matter under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Authoritiies have previously indicated that they suspect the owners of the portal to have received money from Chinese sources to fund the daily operations of the organization.

At the same time, it is unusual for journalists of an organization to be raided in a case involving financial mismanagement by the owners or the parent company.

In today’s raid, the journalists have been questioned and their mobile and laptops were seized by the cops. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Senior Journalist Abhisar Sharma took to social media to inform about the raid being conducted at his residence.

“Delhi police landed at my home. Taking away my laptop and Phone…,” Sharma wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Sources confirmed to the New Indian Express that searches are being made at around a dozen locations, including the office of NewsClick.
On August 5, The New York Times published a report titled “A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a US Tech Mogul” which claimed that the news portal NewsClick was part of a global network that received funding from American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media.

Referring to the NYT report, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur had alleged that the Congress, China and NewsClick are attached to an ‘anti-India umbilical cord’ and the agenda of the Communist Party of China is being pushed through the website.

Following the NYT report, the NewsClick had also issued a statement two days later and claimed that the allegations were made against it “are unfounded and without basis in fact or law.”

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Saturday iterated that security personnel involved in the “excessive use of force” against students during a crackdown on a protest rally here in connection with the alleged killing of two students will be punished.

He appealed to the people to remain united, maintain calm and collectively fight the enemies of the state, which has witnessed ethnic violence.

Expressing shock over the incident in Imphal area which more than 100 students were injured in clashes with security forces on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Singh, who was speaking at the sidelines of a programe here, said “I am really shocked at the excessive use of force … at what was done to the children. Ministers of the state have personally met the injured students.”

Inquiry is on into the serious injury to the students. “Those responsible for the extreme injuries will be arrested and be dealt with legally,” the chief minister said.

Two students were seriously injured in the clash with the state police and the Rapid Action Force during the two consecutive days.

One of them received more than 40 pellet bullets on his skull fired by security persons and another, 17-year- old L Kishan’s shoulder was shattered by pellets fired from a close range, authorities of the hospital where the two are being treated told reporters.

“Rs 50,000 has been provided as financial assistance to the badly injured students for treatment. Hospitals have also been informed that expenses for all their requirements will be borne by the government, including those who need to be taken outside Manipur,” the

chief minister added.

The crackdown followed the massive protests by students against the alleged killing of two youths who went missing on July 6. Photos of their bodies went viral on the social media recently triggering the protests and led to the sending of a CBI team from Delhi to the state for enquiry.

“A CBI special director is still in Imphal and investigation is on” Singh said.

Paying his respects to ‘Jana Neta’ Hijam Irabot, the founder of the Communist party in the state, on his 127th birth anniversary at the programme, he said “On this day, I want to urge all again to remain calm, stay united and collectively fight the enemies of the state. To come and sit together to resolve all misunderstandings so as to protect the integrity of the state and to live peacefully”.

Bengaluru : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said a review petition has been filed before the Cauvery Water Management Board regarding the Cauvery water release order.

The state government said in its review petition that it cannot release water, the Chief Minister’s office said in a statement.

Also, the government sought permission to build a balancing reservoir across Cauvery river at Mekedatu near Kanakapura in Ramanagara Taluk.

After reviewing the situation, a similar petition will be filed before the Supreme Court, he added.

Speaking to the reporters here, Siddaramaiah said he had convened a meeting with retired judges of the Supreme Court and the Advocate General and took suggestions. Accordingly action will be taken.

Karnataka had witnessed a bandh on Friday against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Prior to that, there was a Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday.

Ranchi: A special CBI court on Saturday convicted all three main accused in the Tara Sahadeo conversion case, including her former husband and her mother-in-law.

The court of special CBI judge Prabhat Kumar Sharma held the trio guilty in the case and has set October 5 as the next date for announcing the quantum of sentence.

The three convicted- Shahdeo’s husband Ranjit Kohli alias Raqibul Hasan, his mother Kaushar Rani and Mustaq Ahmed were sent to judicial custody.

Shahdeo had said in her complaint that she had married Ranjit Kohli alias Raqibul Hasan as per Hindu rituals on July 7, 2014 but just after second day of her marriage her husband and Ahmed, who was at that time serving as registrar of vigilance, had started forcing her to change her religion and go through a Nikaah.

The CBI had taken over the investigation in 2015 and registered a case in Delhi.

Shahdeo was granted a divorce by a family court in Ranchi in June 2018 on grounds of cruelty. She had petitioned to the court that Hasan had provided false information regarding his religion and tricked her into marriage. She had also accused Hasan of torturing for refusing to convert to Islam.