Month: January 2020

Equity benchmark indices crashed by nearly 2 per cent on Monday as geopolitical tensions shot up crude oil and gold prices.

The fears of oil supply disruption also led to possibilities of inflationary pressures after US President Donald Trump threatened sanctions on Iraq, the second-largest producer among OPEC, after its parliament voted in favour of expelling the US and foreign troops.

A day earlier, Iran said it no longer considers itself bound by the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated with the United States and other world powers in the fallout from the killing of Gen Qassem Soleimani.

Meanwhile, oil prices shot up by more than 2 per cent higher with Brent rising above 70 dollars a barrel, stoking fears of a rise in the government’s import bill.

The BSE S&P Sensex closed 788 points or 1.9 per cent lower at 40,677 while the Nifty 50 tumbled by 234 points at 11,993. All sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange wound up in the red zone.

Nifty PSU bank cracked by 4.3 per cent, metal by 2.9 per cent, private bank by 2.4 per cent and auto by 2.3 per cent.

Among stocks, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finance, metal major Vedanta and Zee Entertainment eroded values by nearly 4.5 per cent. Yes Bank, IndusInd Bank, Hindalco, Bajaj Finserv, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Coal India lost between 3.1 and 3.8 per cent.

However, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Titan and Dr Reddy’s witnessed thin gains.

Reports said gold prices in Indian markets jumped over 2 per cent to record levels as investors rushed to safe-haven assets globally as well as a steep fall in the rupee.

Local gold futures hit an all-time high of Rs 41,096 per 10 grammes while the rupee traded at 72.09 per US dollar.

Meanwhile, Asian shares fell from 18-month highs. Japan’s Nikkei slid by 1.91 per cent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng by 0.79 per cent and South Korea’s Kospi by 0.98 per cent.

(ANI)

Internet facility was on Monday provided to students for filling National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2020 forms in Awantipora town of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

“Internet facility provided to students for filling NEET 2020 forms,” stated Awantipora District Police.

NEET is an entrance examination for students who wish to undertake undergraduate medical courses and dental courses in government or private medical colleges and dental colleges across the country.

The registration for the examination had started from Dec 2 and today was the last day for filing it. The examination will be conducted on May 3.

Internet facilities were on January 2 restored in health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir while the connection at rest of the place is also being restored on a “war footing”.

SMS services were also restored in the Kashmir Valley from midnight on December 31. Earlier on October 14, post-paid mobile services were also restored.

All mobile networks and landline connections were suspended across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, in view of security concerns in the region following the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile State.

The Central government had abrogated Article 370 and also bifurcated the former State into Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The new UTs came into being on October 31. (ANI)

A masked mob on Sunday entered the Sabarmati Hostel on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and assaulted several students and professors with sticks and rods.

“I have been brutally attacked by goons wearing masks. I am bleeding. I was brutally beaten up,” JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh told reporters.

She has been admitted to the AIIMS here for treatment. Several other students were also injured in the incident.

In a video of the incident, a group of goons with their faces covered can be seen assaulting students with wooden sticks and rods.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Jawaharlal University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Sunday jumped to trade blame after a masked mob of goons entered the campus premises and assaulted several students.

Terming the attack in JNU as “undeclared emergency”, ABVP shared a video of its national general secretary Nidhi Tripathi.

“It is unfortunate that for the past two months, Naxals have halted the academic process. They stopped the registration for papers. When the students demanded to register, they entered the hostels and assaulted them,” Tripathi said in the video message.

In the tweet, ABVP claimed that the attack was organised “by the leftist goons of SFI, AISA and DSF on ABVP karyakartas and students in JNU.”

JNUSU, on the other hand, accused the JNU unit of ABVP of the attack.

“AVBPJNU, you have attacked your own university, your professors and your classmates. By encouraging ABVP terrorists to enter the campus, by giving them information to help them single out Union Representatives, you have enabled terrorists like your ideological predecessors,” JNUSU said in a tweet.

A tweet from the official handle of the JNUSU said, “Sabarmati Hostel: right now. They are beating the students who are inside. Knocking on doors with rods. People are jumping from balconies. #SOSJNU #EmergencyinJNU.”

Meanwhile, the ABVP’s JNU unit claimed in a tweet: “Emergency in JNU. Leftist goons of JNU accompained with their cadre from other universities have crossed every limit. They have proceeded with unimaginable violence on ABVP activists of JNU.”

ANI

Eighteen people from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) came to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre for treatment, hospital officials said on Sunday.

“Eighteen people from the JNU have come to the AIIMS Trauma Centre with complaints of bleeding in the head and abrasions among others. Investigations are underway,” they said.

They also said that JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh has got lacerations on her forehead and is undergoing investigations.

According to the Delhi government officials, seven ambulances were sent to the JNU and 10 more are on standby.

This comes after a masked mob entered the university campus and assaulted several students with sticks and rods.

Meanwhile, students of the varsity are protesting outside the Delhi Police headquarters against the attack.

Heavy police were deployed at the main gate of the university, which entered the varsity campus after receiving a written request from the university administration.

“The incident took place at around 5 pm when a scuffle broke between two groups. They vandalised university property, damaged private vehicles and moved towards the hostel. JNU administration made a written request to the Delhi Police to intervene. That’s when the police entered the campus. A flag march was conducted. The situation is normal now,” said the police.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Jawaharlal University Students’ Union (JNUSU) traded blame for the attack on the students.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his shock over the violence in the JNU and said how will the country progress if the students are not safe on the university campuses.

“I am so shocked to know about the violence at JNU. Students attacked brutally. Police should immediately stop violence and restore peace. How will the country progress if our students will not be safe inside the university campus?” tweeted Kejriwal.

In a video of the incident, a group of goons with their faces covered can be seen assaulting students with wooden sticks and rods.

(ANI)

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday wrote letters to his counterparts in 11 states including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asking them to consider passing a resolution against the amended Citizenship Act.

This came days after the Kerala Assembly recently passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, or the CAA, 2019.

Vijayan wrote to letters to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar of Bihar, where BJP is sharing power with Janata Dal (United).

“…Kind attention is drawn to the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly on December 31, 2019, expressing its concern regarding the impact the CAA will have on our nation’s secular credentials. The resolution requested the central government to repeal the CAA, 2019. States, which have the opinion that CAA should be repealed can also consider similar steps so that it will be an eye-opener to the proponents of the CAA and the NRC,” Vijayan said in the letter.

The Chief Minister said that apprehensions have arisen among large sections of the society consequent to the CAA. “The need of the hour is unity among all Indians who wish to protect and preserve our cherished values of democracy and secularism,” he added.

Vijayan also said that the activities of the National Population Register (NPR) have stayed in the state.

“Kerala has decided to address the apprehensions about NRC and that preparation of NPR will lead to NRC by staying all activities relating to NPR in the state,” he stated.

BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao has filed a petition with the Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu seeking to initiate breach of privilege and contempt proceedings against the Kerala Chief Minister after the state Assembly had passed a resolution seeking the withdrawal of CAA.

(ANI)

India on Friday strongly condemned the “wanton acts of destruction and desecration” at Nankana Sahib Gurdwara and called upon Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the members of the Sikh community.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed concern at vandalism carried out at the revered gurdwara on Friday.

It said that members of the minority Sikh community have been subjected to acts of violence in the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Devji.

Terming the actions reprehensible, MEA said these followed actions followed the forcible abduction and conversion of Jagjit Kaur, the Sikh girl who was kidnapped from her home in the city of Nankana Sahib in August last year.

The MEA said that Pakistan “is enjoined to take all measures to protect and preserve the sanctity of the holy Nankana Sahib Gurudwara and its surroundings”.

India also asked Pakistan to take strong action against the miscreants who indulged in the desecration of the Gurudwara and attacked members of the minority Sikh community.

“We are concerned at the vandalism carried out at the revered Nankana Sahib Gurdwara today. Members of the minority Sikh community have been subjected to acts of violence in the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji. These reprehensible actions followed the forcible abduction and conversion of Jagjit Kaur, the Sikh girl who was kidnapped from her home in the city of Nankana Sahib in August last year,” the statement said.

“India strongly condemns these wanton acts of destruction and desecration of the holy place. We call upon the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of the members of the Sikh community. Strong action must be taken against the miscreants who indulged in desecration of the holy Gurudwara and attacked members of the minority Sikh community,” it added.

An angry group of local residents pelted stones at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on Friday evening. The group was led by the family of a boy who had allegedly abducted Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur, daughter of gurdwara’s pathi.

(ANI)

Iran on Friday vowed to take a “vigorous revenge” over the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (IRGC). Amid rising tensions, US asked its citizens to leave neighbouring Iraq.

Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei paid a tribute to Soleimani as a “martyr” and announced three-day national mourning in the country, reported Al Jazeera.

Iran Foreign Minister summoned the Swiss Charge d’affairs to Tehran, the US interest section in Iran, to convey protest against US’ “terrorist” act.

Iran Foreign Minister Javed Zarif took to Twitter soon after Pentagon confirmed the killing of Soleimani. He said that Washington bears responsibility for all consequences of its “rogue adventurism”.

The Green Zone in Baghdad was completely locked down by Iraqi security forces to prevent any emergency following the strike, two Iraqi security officials told CNN.

“The US’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani–THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al–is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism,” Zarif tweeted.

The US carried out a strike near Baghdad’s international airport killing Soleimani, a US-designated terrorist, along with six others on the direction of President Donald Trump.

Washington had accused Soleimani of orchestrating several attacks on coalition bases in Iraq including the December 27 attack in which American and Iraqi personnel were killed.

The strike has escalated the tensions between the United States and Iran. The attack has come days after an Iran-backed militia and other protestors attacked the United States Embassy in Baghdad. The attack on the embassy came as a retaliation to a deadly US airstrike that killed at least 25 people of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

The US has vowed to take action against the breach by protestors. Earlier in the day, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said it’s time for Iran to start “acting like a normal country”.

(ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday led a protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) here and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by stating that he always talks about Pakistan.

“I am fighting against the National Register of Citizens and Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Join hands with me. Requesting all people to come forward to save our democracy,” Mamata said.

“He (Modi) is the Prime Minister of India, but always talks about Pakistan. Why? We are Indians and we will definitely discuss our national issues,” she said.

Mamata further stated that she will hold a similar rally in Darjeeling on January 22 and requested people to join her movement to save democracy.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

(ANI)