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Indian archers took silver in the Compound Women’s Team category following a narrow loss to South Korea at the 18th Asian Games here on Tuesday.
The Indians gave a tough fight to the overwhelming favourites before going down 228-231 in the final.
The Indian team of Muskan Kirar, Madhumita Kumari and Jyothi Vennam won the first set, but could not sustain the momentum, going down 59-57, 56-58, 58-58, 55-58.
(Ians)
Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here with six states for the construction of the Lakhwar multi-purpose project in the upper Yamuna basin to deal with water crisis.
Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh (Yogi Adityanath), Rajasthan (Vasundhara Raje Scindia), Uttarakhand (Trivendra Singh Rawat), Himachal Pradesh (Jai Ram Thakur), Haryana (Manohar Lal Khattar) and (Delhi Arvind Kejriwal) signed the MoU .
Under the agreement, the 204-metres high project will be constructed near Uttarakhand’s Lohari village with live storage capacity of 330.66 million cubic metres (MCM).
“The MoU has been signed to create storage facilities in the upper Yamuna basin to deal with the water crisis between January and June,” Gadkari said.
The agreement is an effort to conserve and utilise the monsoon flows of the Yamuna, said the Minister, adding that 90 per cent of the project will be funded by the Centre while the remaining amount will be paid by the six states.
The total project is worth Rs 3,966.51 crore.
Gadkari said that the water storage will provide irrigation for 33,780-hectare land and facilitate availability of 78.83 MCM water for domestic, drinking and industrial use in six basin states.
The project will also generate 300 mw of power and will be executed by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL), he added.
(Ians)
A day-long meeting of the BJP Chief Ministers’ Council began here on Tuesday to discuss plans of reaching out to the beneficiaries of the Centre’s welfare schemes as part of the party’s efforts to retain power in 2019.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah delivered the inaugural speech. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the meeting at 12 p.m.
The BJP has 15 Chief Ministers and seven Deputy Chief Ministers — two in Uttar Pradesh and one each in Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.
In Bihar, the BJP is part of the coalition government led by the Janata Dal-United while in Nagaland, it is part of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party’s Neiphiu Rio-led People’s Democratic Alliance.
The Council meeting has been an annual affair since 2014 after Modi took over as Prime Minister.
He will address the valedictory session later in the evening.
This is one war widow of Ahmednagar cast in the mould of her husband Kondaji Lakshman Malunjkar, who was killed in the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
Over five decades after she was widowed, Lahanbai Malunjkar is now waging a different battle with the local and state authorities to get possession of a 10-acre plot awarded to her as part of the compensation following the death of 23-year-old Kondaji on the war front.
“I am already 71. That land is my right, but I am too old and unable to take possession. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to help me before it is too late,” Lahanbai told IANS at her home in Rumbhodi village.
She said her simple life as a teenager was shattered when she was informed on October 2, 1965, that her young husband Kondaji, a soldier with the Maratha Light Infantry, had died in action in Jammu & Kashmir.
“My only son, 18-month-old Deepak was in my lap then. There were no other close male relatives on both sides in our families. I started all over as a widowed, teenager mother, and encountered huge difficulties, but somehow I managed,” recalls Lahanbai.
In 1972, a ray of hope appeared: Defence authorities allotted her 10 acres of agricultural land in Aurangpur village, around 6 km from Rumbhodi.
“My grandmother’s travails just began,” says Sachin Malunjkar, Lahanbai’s grandson.
“The people of Aurangpur would not allow us in. It meant that our land remained only on paper. We had no means to take physical possession of it,” says Sachin Malunjkar.
After waging a four-year war of nerves with the villagers, the family retreated by seeking another plot of land — measuring 2.5 acre — which the district administration allotted to Lahanbai.
But that land was was more than 25 km away, most of it rocky and unfit for cultivation. So Lahanbai rejected it and finally surrendered it after 30 years in 2007, according to Sachin Malunjkar.
Lahanbai’s son Dipak became adult, married and they have two sons, Sachin and Sagar. The joint family continued to eke out a modest living by farming on their own nine-acre ancestral plot in Rumbhodi, supported by Lahanbai’s war-widow pension which started with Rs 27.50 in 1965 and is now around Rs 25,000 per month.
Ahmednagar Resident Deputy Collector Prashant Patil says that the plot in question belongs to the woman. “It has not been taken away, but she will have to take possession and start cultivation there,” he said.
“If there are any legal issues, we are ever ready to help her, she can approach the local revenue official (tehsildar) for guidance,” Patil told IANS.
Local Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Vaibhavrao Pichad has promised to raise the issue in the Maharashtra Assembly and through the NCP, even in Parliament.
Aurangpur villagers claim they are opposed to the land allotment in their village since they are facing a shortage of grazing land for their cattle. Possession of land by Lahanbai could result in some farmers losing their land, they say.
“Besides, it is a forest land and cannot be allotted for farming,” said a villager.
Sachin pointed out that they had even approached former Maharashtra minister Babanrao Pachpute, tehsil officials, the collectorate and other officials, but nothing has happened in the last 46 years.
“My efforts with the tehsil office continue. Now they have asked us to measure and demarcate the plot, which we hope to complete soon,” said Sachin.
Unaffected by her 45-year experience, Lahanbai is grooming her younger grandson Sagar to either the join the armed forces or the police.
(Ians)
In a small village near this famous lake city in Rajasthan, thousands of physically challenged people are given a fresh lease of life. Not only do they receive corrective surgeries free of cost but, during the course of their treatment, they are also imparted training to repair computers and mobiles or learn the art of stitching to ensure they become self-reliant.
The Narayan Seva Sansthan houses in its premises a modern hospital, an orphanage, a smart school, skill imparting institutions, and centres for rehabilitation, physiotherapy and naturotherapy. It is branded as a “smart” village because it has all facilities and means of sustenance for all its inhabitants within the campus, including ATM machines, Internet connectivity and even its own toy train.
Set up by Kailash Agarwal ‘Manav’, a recipient of the Padma Shri for distinguished service, the sole mission of the organisation is to ensure that the differently-abled can stand on their own and start earning a livelihood when they leave the campus.
The organisation provides medical treatment not only to polio-affected people via corrective surgeries, but also offers surgeries to those suffering “by-birth” disabilities, Narayan Seva Sansthan President Prashant Agarwal told IANS.
“Besides caring for the rehabilitation of the poor, needy and differently-abled people, we also equip them and their attendants with skills through computer, mobile repairing, sewing and tailoring classes. Over 4,276 people have benefited from this till date,” Prashant, who is Kailash Agarwal’s son, said.
Vinod Kumar, a physically challenged man from Agra with deformities in his limbs, expressed excitement on being trained in mobile repairing. With twinkling eyes, he told IANS, “I want to set up a shop and start earning once I go back to Agra. The best part here is that I am being trained while undergoing treatment.”
Asha Devi, who was here to get her grandson operated, said: “Although I am 60, I am enjoying learning to stitch frocks and kurtis in different designs. No one in our village has this expertise; hence I am confident that I shall earn a decent income.”
She said the Narayan Seva Sansthan had promised her a sewing machine when she returned to her village.
“As our lodging, food, training and treatment is all free, we treat this place as a temple where all our prayers are heard,” she added.
The organisation has also been conducting regular “mass marriage ceremonies” twice a year for young, physically-challenged boys and girls from underprivileged backgrounds. Till date, 1,298 such couples have tied the knot here.
Agarwal senior, who set up the organisation in 1985, started working for the cause of humanity after visiting a bloody accident site in Sirohi district in 1976, where seven people lost their lives.
“My father was working as a clerk in a post office when he heard about a bus collision in Pindwara, Sirohi. Taking leave from his job, he rushed to the site and was shaken to see the blood-splattered mess. With help from others, he admitted the injured to the general hospital. He started visiting the hospital daily to look after their needs,” Prashant said.
During these visits, he realised how patients battle with daily challenges while also grappling with financial crises. He saw they were hesitant to buy medicines and food as they had no money left with them after incurring medical expenses.
“To help such people, he started distributing a few containers, with ‘Narayan Seva’ written on them, among his relatives and acquaintances and asked them to put some flour in it on a daily basis. Every morning, he and my mother used to prepare chapatis out of the flour they had collected and feed the hungry. Even my sister and I helped,” he said.
While Kailash Agarwal kept this up on his own from 1974 to 1984, he set up Narayan Seva Sansthan as a non-profit charity organisation in 1985 to serve patients belonging to the poorest of the poor of society.
Over time, the organisation grew and is now among the few centres in the world where over 100 corrective surgeries of polio and cerebral palsy are done each day. The institute has given a new lease of life to over 325,000 people with free-of-cost polio corrective surgeries.
Not only does it provide treatment to the patients, it also ensures their relatives are taken care of. Once they reach Udaipur, all expenses of patients and their attendants are borne as long as they are at the institute for treatment.
Prashant said the organisation is blessed with a strong team of medical practitioners.
“With its headquarter at Udaipur in Rajasthan, the organisation has a 1,100-bed hospital where patients from around the country and abroad make their way for treatment and surgeries,” he said.
Irrespective of caste, creed and religion, the organisation serves all — Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, he said.
It also runs a Narayan Children’s Academy, with its well-equipped classes, for tribal students residing nearby. It is a delight and surprise to see tribal students studying in e-classes. The organisation runs a school bus which picks up students in the morning, are given breakfast and lunch in school, and are dropped to their homes in the evening. This too is a free service.
The students are also provided school uniforms and stationery. The organisation also runs a residential school for the deaf and dumb, blind and mentally-challenged children.
However, Prashant said this was just a start as there are thousands awaiting their turn to get surgeries done.
“Our vision is to spread our wings to ensure that all differently-abled people walk with confidence, overcoming all odds — be it physical or financial.”
(Ians)
Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) patron Sharad Yadav on Monday urged the Election Commission to clarify doubts regarding electronic voting machines (EVM) and demanded that elections should be held on ballot paper.
“There are doubts over the EVMs in the minds of the people. And despite the Supreme Court order of May 2017, the Commission has not fulfilled its promise over VVPATs,” Yadav told the media here.
He said people might not take part in elections fearing that EVMs were faulty. “Which is very dangerous. The elections should be held through ballot paper.”
Yadav pointed out that many developed countries were using paper ballot.
Attacking the Modi government over unemployment, Yadav said that the government claims were different from the reality.
“In 2011-12, the growth rate of the country was 4 per cent and 3.3 per cent in 2013-14. This went down to less than half per cent in 2015-16.”
Yadav added: “About 550 jobs are cut every day and there are about 12 crore unemployed youth in the country.”
The crop insurance scheme, he said, had mainly benefitted insurance companies, not farmers. He said the insurance companies earned about Rs 9,929 crore from the scheme.
The former central minister alleged that the government was trying to intrude into people’s private lives.
“They used the social media before the 2014 elections. Now as they are being exposed, they are threatening the social media companies.
“In the name of fake news, they want to put restrictions on WhatsApp.”
(Ians)
Citing a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notification, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that the State Bank of India should declare Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) as bankrupt by 5 p.m.
The Congress leader said, On February 12, 2018, RBI issued a circular stating any company that owes more than Rs 20,000 crore to banks, should be declared bankrupt within 180 days.
“GSPC’s highest debt is from SBI. According to RBI’s notification, SBI should declare GSPC as bankrupt by 5 p.m. today (Monday),” said Ramesh.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s term as Gujarat Chief Minister, the GSPC was cited as one of the biggest successful Gujarat Model and was shown as an example for other states in India.
“In 70 years, for the first time the Central government has filed an affidavit in High Court against RBI, with the only intention of saving GSPC,” said Ramesh.
Even after the sanction of Rs 20,000 crore to GSPC, no oil or gas has been extracted from GSPC, he said.
“The company is in bankruptcy now and this is a burden on taxpayers and public has been lied to,” he added.
(Ians)
The RSS on Monday was critical of Congress President Rahul Gandhi for drawing comparisons of it with the Islamic State (IS) and the Muslim Brotherhood and plans to invite him for a three-day lecture series here next month to enlighten people about the organisation.
The sangh parivar fountainhead, which is holding a lecture series on “Future of Bharat: An RSS Perspective” between September 17 and 19, said it will invite all the political parties, including the Congress, to enlighten them about its vision and also to clarify the misconceptions about it.
Addressing a press conference, Arun Kumar, the Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will address and interact with a select audience comprising prominent citizens during the three-day event.
Responding to a volley of questions regarding Rahul Gandhi’s continuous attacks on RSS, including the recent comparison with the Muslim Brotherhood and the IS, Kumar said that Congress President’s remarks were due to his lack of knowledge.
“If Rahul Gandhi is clear about how the IS, the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic terrorism is haunting the entire world, he would have never drawn such comparisons,” Kumar said.
Questioning Rahul Gandhi’s understanding of India, he said that one cannot understand the RSS until he understands the country.
“Sometimes we feel and even he accepts that he is trying to understand the country. One who has not understood India can never understand the RSS. To understand the RSS one needs to first understand India at least,” he said.
The RSS functionary said that unless Rahul Gandhi understands “Sarva Dharma Sambhava (all Dharmas are equal to or harmonious with each other), We the people and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)”, he will not be able to understand the RSS.
“Because of lack of knowledge, he is drawing such comparisons (with IS and Muslim Brotherhood),” Kumar told reporters.
Asked about the invitees to the event, he said that top people from the fields of social, cultural organisations, media, columnists and even legal fraternity besides foreign ambassadors and high commissioners, will be invited to the event to get to know and understand the RSS perspective on various issues of national importance.
Asked whether the political parties opposed to the idea of the RSS would be invited to the event, Kumar said: “We will contact all the political parties. All means all.”
To a specific question about inviting Rahul Gandhi, he said, “It is our prerogative whom to invite. We will try to touch all the strata of the society.”
An RSS functionary, however, said that as President of the Congress party, Gandhi will also be an invitee.
Responding to Congress charges that the BJP and the RSS believed in divisive politics, Kumar said that political parties speak a lot for vote bank politics but it is the people of the country who decide.
“I don’t need to comment on it. People will decide,” he said.
Speaking at an event organised by Indian Journalists’ Association in London, Rahul Gandhi had once again compared the RSS with the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist organisation. Earlier he had compared the RSS with the IS.
According to Rahul Gandhi, Muslim Brotherhood was banned after the assassination of Anwar Sadat (the then Egyptian president) in 1981, while the RSS was banned after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination (in 1948).
“So, there are tremendous similarities. And the most interesting one, women are not allowed in either of these organisations. So, they are similar,” Gandhi said.
Describing the purpose behind organising the event, Kumar clarified that it has been organised due to growing eagerness about the RSS amongst larger sections of the society including the intellectuals and the youth and also to clarify about the questions which are being raised about it.
“India is moving ahead towards regaining its special and unique position in the world among the galaxy of nations. At the same time the RSS is realizing that there is a growing eagerness amongst larger sections of the society including the intellectuals and the youth to know and understand the RSS perspective on various issues of national importance. This lecture series has been organised in this context where Bhagawatji will present the RSS’ view on various contemporary issues of national importance,” he said.
To a question pertaining to Rahul Gandhi’s claim that Congress was not involved in the 1984 riots, Kumar said it would not hold water because late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, himself had said: “Jab bada ped girta hai to dharti hilti hai (when a big tree falls, the earth shakes)”.
(IANS)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s appeal to people to contribute a month’s salary in the wake of the flood disaster has elicited a good response.
Governor P. Sathasivam said on Monday that the appeal was reasonable.
“As the first citizen of the state, I have decided to do it and will hand over the cheque to the Chief Secretary,” said Sathasivam, a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
He had contributed Rs 1 lakh earlier to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. On Monday, he handed over a cheque for Rs 250,000 as the balance amount towards his contribution of one month’s salary.
Vijayan’s appeal, made through Asianet TV channel, on Sunday has gone viral on the social media.
He has suggested that those interested in contributing a month’s salary can do it over a period of 10 months.
Advocate General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad said: “I had already handed over Rs 1 lakh when the CM made his call asking everyone to contribute. Now, heeding to his call to hand over a month’s salary, I will do it when I get my next month’s salary.”
Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra told the media that he would pay his one month’s salary in one instalment.
“I have got numerous calls from my colleagues who too have promised to contribute one month’s salary. Kerala will bounce back very quickly,” said Behra.
Senior Congress legislator and former Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said he had also decided to hand over his one month’s salary too.
“But the state government should ensure that they stop all extravagance,” he said.
Mohammed Hanish, a senior bureaucrat who heads the Kochi Metro, also promised to donate a month’s salary. Many other officials and Ministers have also made the pledge.
The social media has welcomed Vijayan’s call.
Ever since monsoon rains began lashing Kerala on May 29, a total of 417 people have died. The flood fury this month has caused unprecedented destruction and forced more than one million people to take shelter in relief camps.
Over 50 militants were killed and dozens injured as aircrafts pounded Taliban positions in Afghanistan’s Faryab province on Monday, an official said.
A group of Taliban militants blocked a road to target military convoys but the government forces in efforts to disperse the militants, conducted a series of sorties, as a result 54 militants were killed and dozens other injured, army spokesman Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.
Amongst those killed were two senior Taliban commanders — Mullah Shah Wali and Mullah Qayum, Xinhua quoted the official as saying.
According to the official, ground operations backed by air power are continuing in the area.
Taliban has not released any statement yet.