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Archive for: June 2020

Arnab Gets Clean Chit From Bombay High Court

(Mumbai)Bombay High Court suspends two FIRs against Arnab Goswami
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday suspended two FIRs lodged against Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for his alleged provocative and inflammatory comments on the Palghar mob lynching and gathering of migrant workers outside Bandra railway station amid lockdown.
In an interim order, a division bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Riyaz Chagla noted that prima facie, no offence was disclosed against Goswami and he had not intended to cause public disharmony or incite violence.
Goswamis counsel Harish Salve argued that the Congress party orchestrated multiple FIRs against Goswami across the country and told the court that such cases require balancing of free speech and criminal law.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Raja Thakare, appearing for the Maharashtra government, had opposed the petition and said a journalist has the right to freedom of expression, but does not have the right to declare that a person was killed only because he was of a particular religion.
Sibal and Thakare had read out transcripts of the two news shows and said there was a clear attempt to incite communal violence.

Fellowships for Books on Post-Independence India

(New Delhi)Fellowships for Books on Post-Independence India
The New India Foundation fellowships are awarded biennially to Indian citizens for a period of one year and carry a stipend of Rs 1.5 lakh a month in addition to editorial and publishing support.
In a statement, the foundation has announced August 31 as the deadline for applications for the tenth edition of its fellowship programme. The selected fellows will join a community of 21 published authors.
The proposals for the fellowship need to be oriented towards publication and outline a road map towards that destination, it said.
Spearheaded by Ramachandra Guha, Nandan Nilekani, Srinath Raghavan, Manish Sabharwal and Niraja Gopal Jayal, the foundation strives to foster interest in documenting the dynamic and rich landscape of post-Independence India and to encourage high-quality research.
Some of the works of non-fiction supported by the foundation and published in recent years include Rahul Pandita’s “Our Moon Has Blood Clots”, Akshaya Mukul’s “Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India”, Amrita Shah’s “Ahmedabad: A City in the World”, and Saba Dewan’s “Tawaifnama” to name a few.
According to founding trustee Guha, the foundation has published “more than 20 outstanding works of history and non-fiction, many by younger writers that have won a sheaf of prestigious awards”.
“Our ongoing fellowship programme aims to catalyse and produce many more such books that will illuminate in different ways the history and politics of India since Independence,” he said.
Based in Bengaluru, the New India Foundation encourages breakthrough research on contemporary Indian history by awarding fellowships to gifted, energetic, scholars and writers.

‘Indian-Americans for Trump’ Is Formed

‘Indian-Americans for Trump’ Is Formed

A group of Indian-Americans have launched a political action committee to actively campaign for President Donald Trump as they believe that he is the best hope for the US under the prevailing domestic and international conditions, including defeating terrorism and regulating immigration.
‘Indian-Americans for Trump’ has been formed with the only purpose to garner active support of all Americans, but particularly among Americans of the Indian Subcontinent, to have Trump reelected as the President, said its founder A D Amar.
This is for the second time Political action committee to support Trump is formed
Former US vice president and Democractic Party candidate Joe Biden, 77, is challenging the 74-year-old Republican incumbent President Trump in the November 3 presidential election.

Nobody Wants Khalistan: Punjab CM

(Chd,Pb)Nobody Wants Khalistan: Punjab CM
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday dismissed a recent statement of Akal Takht Jathedar that the Sikh community will accept Khalistan if the government offers it.
Sikhs living in the country are leading prosperous lives. Why would they want a Khalistan? Nobody wants it and I do not want it, said Singh while replying to a question on Khalistan during a press conference here.
Singh said every Sikh always stood for the unity and integrity of the country.
Do you know how many Sikh soldiers we have? They sacrifice their lives for the country. We fight for our country and this is our country, said Singh.
On June 6, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had said, The Sikh community will accept Khalistan, a separate state for Sikhs, if the government offers it.
The Jathedar (head priest) of Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of Sikhs) had raked up the Khalistan issue on the 36th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, which was carried out in 1984 to flush out heavily-armed terrorists holed up in the Golden Temple.
Even the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gobind Singh Longowal had also endorsed the Akal Takht jathedar’s views on Khalistan.

NDMC Hikes License Fee for Cinema Halls to ₹ 6,120 p a

(New Delhi) NDMC Hikes License Fee for Cinema Halls to ₹ 6,120 per annum
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced a marginal hike in license fee for operation of various trades, ranging from dry cleaning shops to cinema halls, in its areas.
While the license fee for a meat shop in the area has been revised to Rs 1,224 per annum from Rs 1,200,
‘dangerous offence trades’ including petrol pumps, service stations and dry cleaning shops will be charged Rs 510 per annum from the earlier Rs 500.
Similarly, the license fee for cinema halls has been hiked to Rs 6,120 per annum from Rs 6,000.

Fmr CM of Gujarat Vaghela Test +ve for Coronavirus

(Ahmedabad)former C M of Gujarat Shanker Sinh Vaghela Test +ve for Coronavirus
He was suffering from fever for last three-four days and was quarantined at his home in Gandhinagar under doctor’s guidance
Now Shifted to Private Hospital

मेरठ में प्रतिष्ठित आनंद अस्‍पताल के संस्थापक हरिओम आनंद ने जहर खाया

(मेरठ,यूपी) मेरठ में प्रतिष्ठित आनंद अस्‍पताल के संस्थापक हरिओम आनंद ने जहर खाया,
स्थानीय पुलिस के अनुसार थाना नौचंदी के शास्त्रीनगर स्थित एच ब्लाक निवासी हरिओम आनंद ने शनिवार दोपहर गढ़ रोड के मुरालीपुर स्थित अपने फार्म हाउस पर जहर खा लिया। उन्हें आनंद अस्पताल में उनके ड्राइवर द्वारा भर्ती कराया गया जहां उपचार के दौरान उनकी मौत हो गई।
एसएसपी अजय साहनी का कहना है कि पुलिस मामले की जांच में जुटी है।
बताया जाता है कि हरिओम पर करीब 400 करोड़ रुपये का कर्ज था।

BJP Throws 10 Questions on Congress over RGF, China

(New Delhi)BJP Throws 10 Questions on Congress over RGF, China
BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday asked the opposition party 10 questions, including about alleged links between the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and China.
“Under the garb of China and COVID-19 crisis, one should not shy away from questions the nation wants to know,” Nadda told reporters while attacking Congress president Smt Sonia Gandhi.
Amid standoff with China, BJP President Nadda asserted that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is safe and secure, and that its brave armed forces are fully capable of protecting the country.
Nadda alleged that the RGF, which is headed by Sonia Gandhi, continuously received donations from the Chinese embassy between 2005-09, from the “tax haven” of Luxemburg between 2006-09 and NGOs with commercial interests.
National interest was “sacrificed” and donations into the family-run foundation were accepted, Nadda said.
The Congress had on Friday dismissed Nadda’s attack on the RGF over alleged donations to it from the Chinese embassy and the Prime Minister National Relief Fund as a “diabolical game of deception” by the ruling party to divert attention from the alleged Chinese occupation of Indian territory.
Nadda asked the Congress on Saturday to come clean on its “links” with China, and the details of its MoU with the Communist Party of China.
He said India’s trade deficit with China soared to USD 36.2 billion in 2013-14 from USD 1.1 billion in 2004 and asked if it was “quid pro quo” from the Congress. The Congress-led UPA was in power between 2004-14.

शराबनीति पर मंत्रियों से पंगा लेने वाले मुख्य सचिव करण अवतार सिंह को सेवानिवर्ती से एक माह पूर्व पद से हटाया

(चंडीगढ़,पँजांब)शराबनीति पर मंत्रियों से पंगा लेने वाले मुख्य सचिव करण अवतार सिंह को सेवानिवर्ती से एक माह पूर्व पद से हटाया
शराब नीति पर मंत्रियों से पंगा लेने वाले करण अवतार सिंह को हटा कर विनी महाजन को मुख्य सचिव बनाया
पंजाब के दो मंत्रियों के साथ कहासुनी के कुछ सप्ताह बाद शुक्रवार को मुख्य सचिव करण अवतार सिंह को पद से हटाकर विनी महाजन को मुख्य सचिव का पदभार सौंप दिया गया है। वह प्रदेश की पहली महिला मुख्य सचिव हैं।
भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवा के अधिकारी करण अवतार सिंह को अगले महीने उनकी सेवानिवृत्ति से ठीक पहले पदमुक्त कर दिया गया। गौरतलब है कि एक बैठक में पंजाब के दो मंत्रियों द्वारा उनके व्यवहार का विरोध करने के बाद यह कदम उठाया गया है।
1987 बैच की आईएएस अधिकारी विनी महाजन के पति दिनकर गुप्ता राज्य पुलिस बल में पुलिस महानिदेशक हैं।
सरकारी बयान के अनुसार महाजन की आखिरी नियुक्ति निवेश प्रोत्साहन, उद्योग और वाणिज्य, आईटी और शासन सुधार और लोक शिकायत विभाग में अतिरिक्त मुख्य सचिव के रूप में थी। वह राज्य की स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र प्रतिक्रिया और अधिप्राप्ति समिति की प्रमुख भी थीं।
महाजन अभी राज्य में पंजाब कैडर की एकमात्र अधिकारी हैं जिन्होंने केंद्र में सचिव का पद संभाला है।
वह पंजाब में उपायुक्त के रूप में तैनात होने वाली पहली महिला अधिकारी भी थीं। तब उन्हें 1995 में रोपड़ जिला सौंपा गया था।
पंजाब सरकार के एक आदेश के अनुसार, 1984 बैच के आईएएस अधिकारी करण अवतार सिंह को अब शासन सुधार और लोक शिकायत विभाग में विशेष मुख्य सचिव के रूप में तैनात किया गया है।
मुख्यमंत्री अमरिंदर सिंह द्वारा 2017 में मुख्य सचिव पद के लिए चुने गये सिंह अगस्त के अंत में सेवानिवृत्त होने वाले हैं।

VINI MAHAJAN TAKES OVER AS PB’S 1ST WOMAN CHIEF SECY

(Chd,Pb)VINI MAHAJAN TAKES OVER AS PB’S 1ST WOMAN CHIEF SECRETARY
Vini Mahajan on Friday took over as the first woman Chief Secretary of Punjab, marking another milestone in an illustrious career which is notable for many landmark achievements.
A 1987 batch IAS officer, Vini has replaced Karan Avtar Singh at the prestigious post, where she brings to the table 33 years of experience in a host of key positions in the Central and Punjab governments. Karan Avtar takes over as Special Chief Secretary, Governance Reforms.
The only Punjab cadre officer currently in the state who is empaneled to hold position as Secretary, Government of India, Vini was till now serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Investment Promotion, Industries & Commerce, IT and Governance Reforms and Public Grievances. She has been playing a crucial role in steering the state government’s response to the Covid crisis as Chairman Health Sector Response & Procurement Committee.
An Economics graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, and a post-graduate from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta, where she was placed on the Roll of Honour and later also received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, Vini was pivotal in the state’s success in attracting over Rs 20,000 crore new investment every year during her tenure in Investment Promotion and Industries & Commerce.
it was with her at the helm of the department that Punjab participated for the first time in the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2019, and held a highly successful Investor Summit, with focus on MSMEs, in December 2019
It was during her tenure as ACS Housing & Urban Development, that the development of a 5,000 acres new township near Mohali Airport was initiated. Further, during her term as Additional Chief Secretary Revenue, Punjab became the first state in the country to roll out the National Generic Document Registration System.
Vini Mahajan served in the office of the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh from 2005-2012
Earlier in 2004-05 as Director in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (GoI), she was involved with India’s external assistance programme, as well as infrastructure issues.
In 1995, she became the first woman officer to be posted as DC in Punjab, when she took over as DC Ropar, in which capacity she carried out a highly effective Total Literacy Campaign, for which Ropar received the National Literacy Award for best performance in the country.
Vini Mahajan has received numerous academic awards, including the National Talent Search Scholarship. She was a Hubert Humphrey fellow based at American University in Washington DC in 2000 –2001. She could be the only student in the country who got admission to both IIT and AIIMS Delhi in 1982 after she finished her 12th grade from Modern School, New Delhi.
Her father, BB Mahajan, was also an IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. Topper of the 1957 batch and known to be a man of integrity, he held important positions, including FCR in Punjab, before retiring as Secretary Food, Govt. of India.