Month: February 2022

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its election manifesto for the 2022 Manipur assembly polls on Thursday that promises a long list of ‘freebies’ while focusing on the protection of territorial integrity and preserving the rights of the indigenous people of Manipur and its rich culture.

Among the BJP’s top promises are two free LPG cylinders to be provided annually to all the PM Ujjwala
beneficiaries of the state. Free scooty would be provided to all meritorious college going girls of the state. Girls from EWS and backward sections will be provided with an incentive of 25,000 under the Rani Gaidinliu Nupi Maheiroi Singi Scheme.

The manifesto also promises free laptops which would be distributed to all the meritorious students passing

the class 12 exam to support their higher education. The monthly pension for all the senior citizens in the state will be increased from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. The financial assistance of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana will be increased for all the farmers from 6,000 to 8,000 per annum. Free of cost accidental insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided to all fishermen in the state.

Scholarships would be given to the children of small and marginal farmers and landless farmers pursuing technical education at the graduation and post-graduation level. Manipur Skill University will be established for skilling the youth of Manipur in various sectors. AllMS (All India Institute of Medical Science) will be established in Manipur to further advance the standard of healthcare services in the state. 100 per cent coverage of Ayushman Bharat and CMHT (Chief Minister-gi Hakchelgi Tenbang) scheme will provide health insurance of Rs 5 lakh to all the eligible beneficiaries. Expanding the people-centric initiatives like Go To Village and Go To Hills, doorstep delivery of all Central and State government schemes will be

introduced, the manifesto reads.

The manifesto added these points: Introduction of Aspirational Block Programme with special focus on overall development in selected blocks of the state. Introduction of One Sub Division One Product scheme to promote indigenous produce and boost the local economy. Interest-free loans will be provided to MSMEs for technology upgradation, capital requirements and to enable better market access. Establishment of Rs 100 crores Start-Up Manipur Fund to provide zero-interest loans of up to Rs 25 lakh.

FO-FO train (Follow Foothills train), a peripheral rail network along the foothills of the state will be launched to boost tourism and increase allied vocational opportunities in the state. To promote local tourism, cash incentives and subsidies for the homestay owners will be provided, aiming to generate around 1 lakh employment opportunities in the state. Loktak Mega Eco-tourism project will be undertaken to promote tourism in the state, it reads. (ANI)

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday backed lifting COVID-19 restrictions due to the recent decline in daily COVID-19 cases in the country.

Bennett made the remarks when he chaired a discussion of government officials, as the fifth wave of the coronavirus outbreak led by the Omicron variant started to decline.
“We were among the first countries to close gates in the Omicron wave. This is thus the time for a gradual relaxation,” Bennett said, according to a statement released by his office.

“We must prepare to lift the restrictions soon,” he added.

The country’s “Green Pass” scheme, under which only vaccinated people can enter certain public venues, will not be extended beyond March 1, the statement said.

Israel recorded 2,098 new COVID-19 cases over the past day, according to figures released by the Israeli health ministry on Thursday morning. (ANI/Xinhua)

The Income Tax (IT) Department on Thursday raided premises linked to Chitra Ramkrishna, former managing director (MD) of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), official sources said.

According to the sources, searches are going in Mumbai and Chennai at premises linked to Chitra Ramakrishna as part of a tax evasion investigation against her.
Chitra Ramkrishna was managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of the NSE from April 2013 to December 2016.

She has also been on the radar of the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Last week, the SEBI penalised Chitra Ramkrishna, her predecessor at the NSE Ravi Narain, two other NSE officials for lapses in hiring at the senior level.

The market regulator found that the NSE and its top officials violated securities contract rules related to the appointment of Anand Subramanian as group operating officer and adviser to the Managing Director. (ANI)

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre for its “fake nationalism and divisive policy”. He also said that the NDA government at the Centre has failed in its foreign policy.

The Congress leader also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attacking his predecessors, including Jawaharlal Nehru. Singh said that PM Modi should maintain the dignity of his position rather than blaming the history of the country.

In a message for Punjab Assembly elections, the former PM said, “People are remembering our (Congress) good work. They (BJP) tried to dishonor the Punjab Chief Minister and people of the state over PM Modi’s security breach issue. Rich people are getting richer while the poor people are getting poorer.”

Singh also stated that Congress never practiced divisive politics. “We never divided the country for vested political gains. We never tried to hide the truth. We never undermined the esteem of the country or PM’s position. People today are being divided. This government’s fake nationalism is empty and dangerous. Their nationalism is based on the British policy of divide and rule. Constitutional institutions are being weakened,” said Singh.

He further accused the BJP government of trying to suppress the issue of Chinese incursions at the line of actual control (LAC).

“They (BJP-led government) have no understanding of economic policy. The issue is not limited to the nation. This government has also failed on foreign policy. China is sitting at our border and efforts are being made to suppress it (the issue of incursions),” said Singh.

Former Prime Minister also said that the current government can’t escape “sins” by blaming India’s first PM Nehru or the history of the country.

“During this COVID period, the Central government implemented faulty policies. On one hand, people are facing problems due to rising inflation and rampant unemployment, while the current dispensation even after seven and a half years in power instead of resolving the issues of the common man and rectifying their mistakes is indulging in blaming Nehru,” he said.

Singh also stressed that PM Modi should maintain dignity (of the position) rather than blaming the history of the country as one cannot escape responsibility by blaming others.

The former PM further said that the UPA governments in two terms had raised the image of Indians in the international arena.

“During my tenure, I preferred to focus on work rather than speaking and have not indulged in divisive politics for gains. I have raised the image of Indians in the international arena,” he said.

In a veiled attack on PM Modi, Singh said that the relationships do not improve by giving hugs to politicians, or by going to eat biryani without invitation. (ANI)

Colleges of the University of Delhi reopen for all the undergraduate and postgraduate courses from today with all the COVID guidelines after two years of complete offline mode.

As per the directive of the university, colleges have to go completely offline from today.
Aditi, a 2nd-year student of Gargi College, while speaking to ANI said, “I am feeling very excited and nervous at the same time because I will make new friends, meet new people. Since I have joined the college, today will be the first day when I will be attending the class offline. It feels very weird that I am going to meet my classmates for the first time after interacting with them virtually. My parents have advised me to wear the mask all the time and sanitize my hands.”

Tisha, another 2nd-year student of Gargi college, said, “I am quite excited but I am worried as well. Even my mother cautioned me for everything because the colleges have opened with full capacity. In my class, there are about 70 students, but the sitting arrangement is actually for 50-55 students only. So, 5-6 students are sitting on a single bench and it’s hard to follow social-distancing norms.”

Prof. Dr Promila Kumar, Principal of Gargi College, said, “I think I am more excited than my students as life is back to college and I can see vibrant faces around me, colourful environment.”

“The students were losing a lot. College is an important part of their life which they were missing while sitting at home. Now they will also gain a lot in the college” he added.

“As far as the hybrid model is concerned, we are not so well equipped that each class can manage teaching in hybrid mode. But, I have asked my teachers if they can help the students by taking online classes or by giving them extra time or sharing their recorded lectures, PPTs to help them” Kumar added.

Kumar further added that for the past week, preparations in the college have been done for the benefit of the students. All the rooms were sanitized already. The canteen which was locked for two years has been whitewashed and cleaned. The Book shop is open. The sanitisers are placed at various spots of the college. We are putting on some extra masks if somebody is not getting the mask. The temperature check is already there at the gate. We are following all the COVID protocols and a recorded message at fixed intervals will be played telling the student to follow the protocols. (ANI)

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Thursday said that the state government is committed to appointing at least 20,000 teachers in the state by May 10 this year.

Speaking to ANI, Pegu said, “The state government is committed to appointing 20,000 teachers in the state by May 10 this year and it is under the ‘Mission 1 lakh jobs’ drive of the state government.”

The Minister informed that the advertisements for the recruitment on all the posts have been issued and the appointments will start as soon as the merit list is out.

“There are vacancies in different levels – Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Secondary and Post Graduate teachers, Assistant teachers and altogether this comes to around 20,000 posts. We have issued advertisements for all these posts. Now the document verification for teachers of Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Secondary is going on. Once it is completed, the merit list will come out and the government will start giving the appointment. It is under the ‘Mission 1 lakh jobs’ drive of the Assam government and it will be completed by May 10 this year,” Pegu said.

Talking about the New Education Policy laid down by the Centre in 2020, the Minister said that the government has started its implementation.

“We have already started the implementation of new education policy in the state. The new education policy is a broad framework of a new education system under which we have already notified that our Directorate of School Education will be of two school education in elementary education and secondary education. From 2022-23 we will start delinking Class 11 and 12 from the colleges and the colleges will be purely for degree and post-graduate courses only,” he said.

He further said that, for Pre-primary education, the government has constituted a committee of Social Welfare, Education, Health, Tribal Affairs department to look after the education as well as health and nutrition of students of pre-primary level.

“We have started our new education policy even in the higher secondary level also, multi-disciplinary approach that also we have started. The process has started and it will take a long time to implement in different stages,” he said.

The union cabinet had approved the NEP in July 2020 with an objective of universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level. The policy also aims to enable an individual to study one or more specialized areas of interest at a deep level, and also develop character, scientific temper, creativity, the spirit of service, and 21st-century capabilities across a range of disciplines including sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, among others. (ANI)

Family, friends and prominent members from Bollywood bid a tearful adieu to legendary singer-composer Bappi Lahiri as he was cremated on Thursday afternoon.

The mortal remains of the ‘Disco King’ were taken in a truck decorated with flowers from his residence to Pawan Hans cremation ground for the last rites.

As Bappi Lahiri loved wearing gold chains and a pair of sunglasses, his family members did not forget to adorn him with his signature style for one last time.

A large number of people thronged the roads from where the cortege passed as Bappi Lahiri embarked on his final journey. His daughter Rema looked inconsolable in the funeral’s viral pictures and videos.

Bappi Lahiri’s mortal remains were consigned to the flames by his son Bappa, who returned with his wife and son from Los Angeles in the wee hours of Thursday.

Vidya Balan, Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Ila Arun, Lalit Pandit, Rupali Ganguly, and Mika Singh among others were present at the funeral to offer their condolences.

Bappi Lahiri, who heralded disco-pop and ruled the 70s and 80s with a string of foot-tapping songs in India, had developed a chest infection and was treated for the same earlier this year. He was discharged from the hospital on February 15. However, his condition worsened and was brought back to the hospital.

Unfortunately, he breathed his last at around 11.45 pm on Tuesday night.

Bappi Lahiri, 69, is no more, but his unique voice and legacy will continue to live in the hearts of people. (ANI)

Refuting the rumours of his possibility of resignation from the party following the recent incidents of defections, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday said that he is not the “tenant but the partner” in the party suggesting that he does not intend to quit the party.

Speaking to ANI, Tewari said, “I have said this earlier also that I am not a tenant but a partner in the Congress party. If someone wants to push me out (dhakke mar kar bahar nikalega) of the party, that’s a different thing. As far as I am concerned, I have given 40 years of my life to this party, if somebody wants to push me out, that’s a different matter.”

Asked about the leaders leaving the Congress party, the MP said that such incidents cause damage to the party.

“Any leader who leaves the party causes damage and it should be thought about seriously,” he said.

Notably, former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday resigned from Congress after a long association of 46 years with the party after which Tewari had called it “unfortunate” and said that the ambition for Rajya Sabha seat makes people do many things.

Asked about his comment, the Congress leader said, “I think that every person has an ambition. And I said it in this context.”

Talking about Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal promises ahead of the Assembly elections in Punjab, Tewari said that the state needs political stability at the border and hoped that Congress would be voted back to power.

“Punjab needs political stability. It needs an experienced government. Punjab has special challenges being a border state. I want to appeal to the people of Punjab that there is a need to deliver a clear and decisive decision. I hope that the decision will be in Congress’ favour,” he said.

A young man’s Startup from Indore turned into a million-dollar company by finding bugs in the applications made by Google, Samsung, and Apple.

Aman Pandey started his company “Bugsmirror” after he was paid Rs 70000 by Google for finding a bug in one of their applications in 2019, while he was still studying.
Speaking to ANI, Aman said, “I along with the Co-founder of “Bugsmirror”, Manas, have found more than 600 bugs in various applications of Google, and the company has paid us crores of rupees in return. We have also found bugs in the applications of companies like Samsung and Apple.”

Pandey said that his company is now getting businesses from Indian companies as well now. “Till now we had only international clients but now Indian customers are also coming to us for security audits of their products,” he said.

The Startup has 15 employees, including two founders. (ANI)