Month: May 2022

Lashing out at the TRS government in Telangana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that when parties dedicated to one family come to power, members of that family become the biggest faces of corruption.

Addressing a public meeting in the state, PM Modi said, “Due to political dynasties, the youth, talents of the country do not even get an opportunity to enter politics. Parivarwad crushes every dream of such youth and closes every door for them. Therefore, freedom from dynasties, freedom from family parties is also a resolution for the India of the 21st century.”

“The people of Telangana are seeing that when parties dedicated to one family come to power, the members of that family become the biggest faces of corruption. The people of Telangana are seeing that family parties only prosper and fill their coffers,” he added.

The Prime Minister highlighted that when political dynasties are removed from power, it opens up avenues of development. “Now it is the responsibility of my brothers and sisters of Telangana to take this campaign forward,” he said.

Notably, Telangana Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao’s son, KT Rama Rao, is a legislator from Sircilla and is the cabinet minister for IT, Municipal Administration and Urban Development. KCR’s daughter, Kavitha, served as MP from Nizamabad and currently serving as a Member of the Legislative Council, Nizamabad since 2020. KCR’s nephew, Harish Rao, is an MLA for Siddipet and Telangana’s cabinet minister for finance.

However, Telangana Chief Minister avoided meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second time in the last four months as he flew to Bengaluru on Thursday to call on former PM HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S).

PM Modi is in Hyderabad today to attend an event at the Indian School of Business.

In February, KCR had skipped meeting PM Modi at the airport when he had visited Hyderabad to unveil the statue of equality at Muchintal. Rao had cited health reasons. (ANI)

It was heartbreak for Pakistan on Thursday as they failed to qualify for FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.

Starting the day, Pakistan suffered a narrow loss to Asian Games champions Japan who came up with an excellent defence to win 3-2 in a crucial pool A match here in the Asia Cup 2022 being held at the sprawling GBK Sports Arena.

A win against Japan or even a draw would have put Pakistan in the Super 4s but after the loss, the men in green had no choice but to depend on the result of the India vs Indonesia match, where the defending champions India needed to win by a difference of 15 goals to edge past Pakistan into the Super 4s.

Later in the day, the Indian men’s hockey team lived up to their reputation as they leapfrogged Pakistan to enter the super 4s. India thrashed hosts Indonesia 16-0 in their final match of the Asia Cup 2022 Pool A in Jakarta.

With India’s win, Pakistan who are record four-time champions, are now out of contention to qualify for the next year’s world cup. The prestigious quadrennial tournament is scheduled to be held next year from January 13 to January 29 in India.

For the unversed, the top 3 teams in the Asia Cup 2022 were meant to qualify for the FIH World Cup 2023.

India 2023 will be only the second World Cup after Netherlands 2014 in which Pakistan have failed to qualify.

Men in blue’s win also mean Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan have qualified for the 2023 World Cup. (ANI)

Advocate Vishnu Jain, the lawyer representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi mosque case in Varasani district court, on Thursday said that the arguments by the Muslim side seeking rejection of the civil suit’s claims on Gyanvapi Mosque will continue on Monday (May 30) as it could not be completed today.

The next argument would take place at 2 pm on Monday.
Earlier, the Varanasi district court was hearing an application filed by the Anjuman Intezemia Masjid Committee challenging the maintainability of a suit filed by Hindu women, saying that it is barred by the Places of Worship Act.

Speaking to the reporters after the hearing, Advocate Vishnu Jain said, “Today, the Muslim side just read out paragraphs from our petition and tried to say that the petition isn’t maintainable. We interjected and pointed out to the court that we’ve specific rights and all pleadings were made. The Muslim side started their arguments today. The arguments could not be completed today. So, the arguments would continue at 2 pm on Monday (30th May).”

Earlier, the court of District Judge AK Vishevesh, while fixing the hearing on the maintainability of the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex case, said that the court will hear the matter as per directions of the Supreme Court.

District Government Counsel Rana Sanjeev Singh said to reporters on May 24 that the court also gave a week’s time to both Hindu and Muslim sides to file objections to the report of a court-mandated videography survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises. Also, on May 24, the court asked both sides to file an objection to the commission report and submit the report within one week, said Hindu petitioners’ Advocate Vishnu Jain.

The Hindu side has alleged that a Shivling (a representation of Lord Shiva) was discovered inside the mosque premises and the Muslim side claimed that the structure was part of the fountain at the mosque’s wuzu khana area.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, another civil suit was filed before a civil court in Varanasi, seeking the right to worship on the mosque premises. The suit, filed by one Kiran Singh, said the main case would take a considerable amount of time to be tried and that the Hindu worshippers should be given undeterred access to the mosque premises in the meantime. Significantly, on Wednesday, the civil judge in Varanasi transferred this suit to the fast-track civil court, which will hear the matter on May 30. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded the proposed outlay of Rs 400 crores for the development of General Bipin Rawat Defence and Industrial Corridor in Bundelkhand after the Finance Minister Suresh Khanna presented the state’s budget for 2022-2023 on Thursday in the state Assembly.

“We have proposed Rs 400 cr for the development of General Bipin Rawat Defence and Industrial Corridor in Bundelkhand. We also propose to set up anti-corruption organisation units in eight divisions of the state,” said the Chief Minister.

Stressing over the plans to boost ‘one district, one product’ scheme in the state, he said,”We propose over Rs 200 crores to promote the scheme in the state. A provision of Rs 300 crores is proposed for projects on optical fiber cable network.”

Earlier, Finance Minister had said that the state’s budget for 2022-2023 would focus on infrastructure, employment generation, youth and women. (ANI)

A 21-year-old Bengali actor Bidisha De Majumdar has been found dead at her apartment in Kolkata.

Bidisha was found hanging after police entered her house by breaking open the door on May 25. A probe has been initiated to identify whether it is murder or a suicide.
Police have sent Bidisha’s body to a hospital in Kolkata for postmortem.

The news of Bidisha’s demise comes days after the death of actor Pallavi Dey shocked the Bengal film industry.

Bidisha had worked in ‘Bhaar- The Clown in 2021’, which had popular actor Debraj Mukherjee in a lead role. (ANI)

Power Couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan stole the spotlight, raising the glam game at Karan Johar’s 50th birthday bash.

Taking to the Instagram handle of Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor, she posted some glimpses of the couple’s attire and thanked filmmaker Karan Johar for the night. “A night to remember…[?]Thank you @karanjohar Spectacular is the word…[?] she captioned the post.

Bollywood Diva Kareena Kapoor could be seen adorning a stunning silver-metallic midi dress, featuring a sleek belt tied around her torso. She opted for a minimal glam look. Her embellished box clutch complimented the entire look.

On the other hand, Saif looked dapper in a black and white tuxedo making a sheer fashion statment. The super-stylish power couple arrived at the star-studded night together walking hand-in-hand.

Giving justice to the ‘Black and bling’ theme of the party, the couple looked stunning and gave major couple fashion goals.

Karan’s birthday party was held at Yash Raj Studios on Wednesday. Celebrities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Shahid Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Gauri Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Kajol also marked their presence at the bash. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s biggest Drone Festival – Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 on May 27 at 10 am at Pragati Maidan in the national capital.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi will also interact with kisan drone pilots, witness open-air drone demonstrations and interact with startups in the drone exhibition centre.
Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 is a two-day event and is being held on May 27 and 28.

“Over 1600 delegates comprising government officials, foreign diplomats, armed forces, central armed police forces, PSUs, private companies and drone startups etc. will participate in the Mahotsav. More than 70 exhibitors will display various use cases of drones at the exhibition,” the PMO said in a statement.

Mahotsav will also witness a virtual award of drone pilot certificates, product launches, panel discussions, flying demonstrations, display of a Made in India Drone Taxi prototype, among others. (ANI)

Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

On May 23, Saxena, the chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission, was appointed Delhi’s new Lieutenant Governor after Anil Baijal resigned from the position last week.
A statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan informed that President Ram Nath Kovind has accepted Baijal’s resignation and appointed Vinai Kumar Saxena as the new Lieutenant Governor.

Baijal, who served as Delhi LG for five years and four months, resigned citing personal reasons.

“The President of India has been pleased to appoint Vinai Kumar Saxena to be the Lt Governor of National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” read the statement.

Saxena took charge as Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission on October 27, 2015. (ANI)

Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids at seven locations in Pune and Mumbai linked to Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab after the agency filed a case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The raids were carried out at Parab’s official as well as a private residence. In September 2021, Parab appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai for questioning in connection with the bribery and money laundering case against the former home minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh.
In its charge-sheet against Deshmukh’s two arrested aides, the ED last year said dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze, in his statement, claimed Parab allegedly received crores of rupees through Nagpur’s deputy regional transport officer Bajrang Kharmate as a bribe for transfers of 10 police officers in Mumbai.

The ED earlier questioned Kharmate for seven-and-a-half hours. Kharmate is believed to be a close aide to Parab. His name surfaced in the case following statements of some witnesses in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act case against Deshmukh.

On April 8 this year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Bombay High Court stated that Deshmukh was the “mastermind” behind the money laundering case and that he had misused his official position to amass wealth. (ANI)

German Ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner, on Thursday hailed the German government for recognizing the WHO-listed Bharat Biotech’s COVID vaccine, COVAXIN, for travel to the country starting June 1.

World Health Organization (WHO) in November last year issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for COVAXIN, adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Taking to Twitter, the Ambassador to Germany and Bhutan Lindner wrote, “Very happy that GER government just decided to recognize WHO-listed Covaxin for travels to GER, starting June 1! This Embassy has been pushing very actively for such decision (because of Covid-backlogs visa sections have longer waiting periods than normal, please have patience).”

WHO’s EUL procedure assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and is a prerequisite for COVAX vaccine supply. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer COVID-19 vaccines.

“This emergency use listing expands the availability of vaccines, the most effective medical tools we have to end the pandemic,” said Dr Mariangela Simao, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products said.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in April also granted an emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Covaxin for the age group of 6-12 years.

The Hyderabad-based Pharma company Bharat Biotech in a statement said that it had conducted phase II/III, open-label, and multicenter studies to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Covaxin in healthy children and adolescents in the 2-18 age group.

The clinical trials conducted in the paediatric population between June 2021 to September 2021 have shown robust safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity.

Covaxin is formulated uniquely such that the same dosage can be administered to adults and children alike. Covaxin is a ready-to-use liquid vaccine, stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius, with 12 months shelf life and a multi-dose vial policy.

Moreover, Biotechnology company Ocugen on Monday announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted the clinical hold on the Company’s Phase 2, 3 clinical trials for COVAXIN (BBV152).

Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Ocugen Inc., Dr Shankar Musunuri said, “We’re extremely pleased that we can proceed with our clinical trials for COVAXIN, our whole virus inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The need for delivering an additional, differentiated vaccine option, we believe, remains a priority.” (ANI)