Author: LokMarg

India’s eight core industries that include coal, cement, electricity, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, and natural gas, recorded a growth of 12.7 per cent in June against 9.4 per cent recorded in the same month last year, according to official data released on Friday.

The combined Index of Eight Core Industries increased by 12.7 per cent (provisional) as compared to the Index of June 2021, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Coal production (weight: 10.33 per cent) increased by 31.1 per cent in June 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 31.2 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Crude oil production (weight: 8.98 per cent) declined by 1.7 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 0.6 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Natural gas production (weight: 6.88 per cent) increased by 1.2 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 4.8 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Petroleum Refinery production (weight: 28.04 per cent) increased by 15.1 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 13.5 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Fertilizers production (weight: 2.63 per cent) increased by 8.2 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 13.2 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Steel production (weight: 17.92 per cent) increased by 3.3 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 6.6 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of previous year.

Cement production (weight: 5.37 per cent) increased by 19.4 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 17.1 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Electricity generation (weight: 19.85 per cent) increased by 15.5 per cent in June, 2022 over June, 2021. Its cumulative index increased by 16.8 per cent during April to June, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of the previous year.

The Index of Core Industries measures combined and individual performance of production in selected eight core industries viz. coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement and electricity.

The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). (ANI)

Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu and her husband Karan Singh Grover are all set to welcome their first child.

A source close to the couple confirmed to ANI that Bipasha and Karan are currently going through a very happy phase in their life and are going to announce their first pregnancy soon on their social media accounts after six years of marriage.

Soon after the news of the ‘Dhoom: 2’ actor’s pregnancy got viral, fans flooded the comment section with congratulatory messages and best wishes for the couple.

Apparently, the ‘Race’ actor is in her third month of pregnancy and will be welcoming her first baby by the end of the year.

Previously, rumours of her pregnancy started getting spread after fans spotted her baby bump in the photos shared by the actor from an Eid party.

Bipasha and Karan first met on the set of Bhushan Patel’s film ‘Alone’ in the year 2015, which marked their first on-screen collaboration and they tied the knot after one year of dating in April 2016.

The ‘Players’ actor recently dropped a shirtless picture of her husband on her Instagram, which she captioned, “100% hottie. Husband appreciation post”.

After actors Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, now Bipasha has joined the line-up of becoming a mother soon.

Fans are now waiting for the couple to officially announce the news of their pregnancy.

Meanwhile, talking about the work front, Karan was last seen in a web show ‘Qubool Hai 2.0’ with actor Surbhi Jyoti. The show was a romantic drama which premiered on Zee5 and gathered mixed responses from the netizens.

Bipasha, on the other hand, was last seen in a crime thriller miniseries ‘Dangerous’ along with her husband Karan Singh Grover. Directed by Bhushan Patel and written by Vikram Bhatt, the series got mixed responses from the audience. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta once again slammed veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar and said that if anything happens to her then the ‘Welcome’ actor and his ‘Bollywood Mafia friends’ will be responsible for that.

Taking to Instagram, the ‘Dhol’ actor shared a post which she captioned, “If anything ever happens to me let it be known that #metoo accused Nana Patekar, his lawyers & accociates & his Bollywood Mafia friends are responsible! Who are Bollywood Mafia?? Same people all whose names came up frequently in SSR death case. ( note that all have same criminal lawyer).”

Tanushree, in the year 2018 accused actor Nana of misbehaving with her when they were shooting for a special song in 2008 for their film ‘Horn Ok Pleasss’.

Nana, on the other hand, has denied all the claims.

Asking the audience to boycott films made by the ‘Bollywood Mafias’, Tanushree added to her statement, “Do not watch their movies, boycott them totally & go after them with a vicious vengeance. Go after all the industry faces & journalists who planted fake news about me and PR people too behind the vicious smear campaigns.”

“Go after everyone!! Make their lives a living hell because they harassed me so much! The law & justice may have failed me but I have faith in the people of this great Nation. Jai Hind…and bye! Phir milenge” she further added.

A few days back, the ‘Aashiq Banaya Apne’ actor posted a long note on her Instagram, in which she claimed of being harassed and targeted very badly by the ‘Bollywood mafias’ and the old political circuit of Maharashtra.

Soon after her revelation on her Instagram, fans seem concerned about the actor’s health and her life.

“After sushant singh Rajput’s death already left watching Bollywood movies.. may lord Shiva bless you with strength to face and fight those demon’s” a fan commented.

Another fan wrote, “Hope you are safe! Always remember the quote ” Kisi ke sath bura kar ke, apni baari ka intezaar zaroor karna” Hope God blesses you with plenty of strength and courage.”

In the year 2018, Tanushree began the #MeToo movement in Bollywood and accused actor Nana Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya and director Vivek Agnihotri of their inappropriate behaviour. (ANI)

The Karnataka government has decided to hand over the probe into BJP youth leader Praveen Nettaru’s murder case to the National Investigation Agency(NIA), Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

Speaking to media persons, the chief minister said the murder of the young BJP worker was a planned and organised crime.
“It has an interstate dimension. The issue has been discussed with state DG and IG and complete details have been sought. We will write to the Union Home Ministry requesting for investigation by the NIA,” he said.

Giving details on tougher security measures, Bommai said CCTV cameras would be installed at all border crossing spots along the Kerala border.

Checkposts would be set up, temporary police camps would be setup at sensitive spots in villages in the coastal region. The vacant posts in the police department would be filled, night patrolling would be intensified and an additional battalion of KSRP would be deployed in Dakshina Kannada district, the chief minister said.

It has also been decided to intensify the investigation into the murder that happened yesterday in Suratkhal. Special teams should be constituted to crack the case. The chief minister said peace meetings would be held with religious leaders at district level.

Earlier on Thursday Karnataka Police said that they have arrested two people in connection with the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha worker Nettaru.

Superintendent of Police (SP) of Dakhshin Kannada while speaking to ANI said that till now, a total of 15 people were questioned, out of which 2 people were arrested.

He further added that they are also probing the possibility of a Kerala registration of vehicle used in the crime.

Praveen Nettaru, a young BJP worker, was attacked with lethal weapons by unidentified people on a bike in Bellare in Dakshina Kannada late Tuesday evening.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra while making a statement on the incident said that the involvement of the extremist Popular Front of India (PFI), and its political arm Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), was suspected. (ANI)

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by three doctors who sought the quashing of regulation 9(3) of the postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations 2018 to the extent that it provides for minimum marks of 50th percentile as a mandatory requirement for the admission to postgraduate courses.

The bench of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramoniam Prasad on Friday while dismissing the petition said, “the question of quashing the statutory provision in the peculiar circumstances of the case does not arise merely because a large number of seats are lying vacant.”

The court also observed that the lowering of the standards of medical education has the potential of wreaking havoc in society at large– due to the risk that the practice of medicine entails– as it involves in its ambit the matter of life and death and therefore it would be unconscionable for this court to interfere in the standards duly and diligently set by the governing authority.

“This court therefore cannot issue a mandamus directing the respondents to fill up the seats, especially when the persons concerned have not obtained the minimum percentile as this court is dealing with admissions to postgraduate courses in various medical colleges and there can’t be any compromise on the issue of quality of doctors/ specialists as it involves the risk of human lives. Resultantly, no case for interference is made out in the matter,” the Court said in its judgement.

The court noted that the petitioners’ primary grievance is that the percentile system prescribed under Regulation 9(3) of the amended Regulation is a faulty system as, on account of the percentile system, a large number of seats are lying vacant even though candidates who are efficient and willing are available.

The main thrust of the arguments of the petitioners is that on account of the percentile system, as the candidates have not been securing the 50th percentile, a large number of seats are not being filled and it is a national loss as it obstructs the doctors from obtaining postgraduate qualifications.

The petitioners further stated that on account of the faulty system which has been adopted by the respondents, the last minute applications are being filed to fill the unfilled seats and, said that this process leads to unscrupulous methods being adopted by colleges in granting admission wherever any such relaxation for reducing the percentile exists.

It has also been stated that there is a huge shortage of doctors who are specialists in the subject of Pathology, Microbiology and Anesthesiology, and a large number of seats are vacant on account of a faulty percentile system, therefore, the amendment in the Regulations deserves to be declared as ultra vires, the court noted. (ANI)

Former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee said that he is being framed in a conspiracy, a day after he was stripped of his portfolios and his positions in the Trinamool Congress by chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, six days after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam, in which the agency recovered cash worth RS 50 crore.

“I’ve been framed, I’m a victim of conspiracy,” Chatterjee said.

Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee – who is now suspended from the Trinamool Congress – and his aide Arpita Mukherjee have separately claimed that they are a “victim of conspiracy.”

“Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway,” Abhishek Banerjee said.

Trinamool Congress, which had been distancing itself from its arrested leader Partha Chatterjee, axed him as a minister on Thursday and suspended him from the party leaving it to him to defend himself in the Enforcement Directorate probe in the teacher recruitment scam in which crores of rupees have been seized from residences linked to his aide Arpita Mukherjee.

Trinamool Congress’ decision to part ways with one of its most senior leaders was announced by party leader Abhishek Banerjee at a press conference in which he said “if anyone commits something wrong then Trinamool Congress will not spare him” and ‘there will be zero tolerance for corruption”. He said Partha Chatterjee will remain suspended till probe is underway.

Party leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister in the state government. Partha Chatterjee was considered one of the most trusted lieutenants of the Chief Minister, a “go-to” man and was regarded third in party hierarchy after the chief Minister and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

After his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday, Partha Chatterjee had called Mamata Banerjee four times. She did not take his calls.

Political observers said that Partha Chatterjee has been virtually left in the cold by the party to defend himself in the face of apparently onerous allegations in the ED probe. (ANI)

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in a meeting with the Narco Coordination (NCORD) at the secretariat on Friday said that the goal of Drug-Free Devbhoomi is to be achieved by the year 2025.

He said that by the year 2025, work should be done in mission mode for drugs-free Devbhoomi and all the departments concerned should work together for this.

The Chief Minister said, “everyone has to work responsibly and in coordination to make Devbhoomi Uttarakhand drug-free. While on the one hand, the drug suppliers have to be hit hard, on the other hand, the children and youth have to be protected from the grip of drugs. To break the chain of drug supply, the police department should further strengthen the informer system. Police, Excise and Drugs Controller should work together to break the drug network.”

“Proper counselling arrangements should be ensured for children and youth taking drugs. Special counselling should be done at the time of admission to colleges. Special attention should be paid to the rehabilitation of children caught while taking drugs and not treating them like criminals. Parents’- teacher’s meetings should be conducted regularly in colleges. Social welfare and other departments should focus on the awareness of the youth. For this, social media and other media platforms should be used,” he added.

The Chief Minister directed to set up two government drug de-addiction centres in the state. Along with providing necessary facilities, attention should also be paid to skill development. The anti-drug task force should be activated by involving all the concerned departments. Strict guidelines should be made for private de-addiction centres and a follow-up should be done on it.

The Chief Minister directed Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi to regularly review the ‘Drug-Free Devbhoomi Abhiyan’ and DM at the district level to monitor continuously.

Additional Chief Secretary Radha Ratuli, DGP Ashok Kumar, Principal Secretary L Fanai, Secretary Shailesh Bagoli, Radhika Jha, Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Deependra Chaudhary, DIG Riddhim Agarwal and other senior officers were present in the meeting. (ANI)