January 2023 - Page 29 of 60 - Lokmarg

Law Soon To Fix Working Hours For Truck Drivers: Gadkari

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for everyone’s efforts to reduce road accidents by 50 percent before the end of 2025.

Participating in a 4-hour telethon and outreach campaign ‘Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan’ during the Road Safety week, the Union Minister said a law would soon be brought into the country to determine the working hours of truck drivers.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said it is committed to a reduction in road fatalities and injuries and has undertaken multiple initiatives across all 4Es of road safety — Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Care.

This year, MoRTH observed Road Safety Week (RSW) between January 11-17 under ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’, to propagate the cause of Safer Roads for All.

During the Week, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry conducted multiple activities at various locations in Delhi including Nukkad Nataks (street shows), sensitization campaigns, competitions for school and college students, Road Safety Exhibition in collaboration with corporates, walkathons, talks shows, and panel discussions with senior government officers and industry leaders.

In addition, road-owning agencies such as NHAI, NHIDCL, etc. conducted special drives related to traffic rules and regulation compliance, pedestrian safety, eye check-up camps for drivers at Toll Plazas, and other road engineering-related initiatives.

Transport and police departments of states and UTs, NGOs, private companies, and the general public across the country also actively participated in the event by conducting awareness campaigns, first responder training, ensuring strict enforcement of rules and regulations up to grass root levels and conducting other activities, workshops and advocacy programs related to road safety, said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. (ANI)

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‘If Only Cuddles Had A Language Of Their Own…’ Karan Shares Note For His Kids

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

Ever since director-producer Karan Johar embraced parenthood, he is on cloud nine.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Karan posted a string of black and white pictures with his little munchkins Yash and Roohi.
Pouring his heart out, Karan captioned the frames as, “Being a parent is not an emotion … it’s an explosion of every emotion you may have experienced …. Words are not the best way to describe the feeling of being a parent… if only cuddles had a language of their own.”

In two of the pics, Yash and Roohi were seen on the lap of their ‘Dada’. In another frame, Yash was posing for the camera and Roohi looking downwards.

A large number of Bollywood celebs posted comments on Karan’s adorable post. Taking a cue from Karan’s words, most of the celebs chose emoticons over words to express themselves. Kiara Advani, Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Manish Malhotra, and Tahira Kashyap reacted to Karan’s post.

The five-year-old two siblings are an integral part of Karan’s toodles (a short Instagram video) stories. While the little duo are often seen passing comments on their father’s sartorial choices and pout selfies, their child-like innocence wins the internet.

A few days back, Karan was spotted with actor Raveena Tandon and her husband Anil Thadani at a school event.

Welcoming him on board, Raveena wrote in her insta-post, “Also was fun to see @karanjohar in his paternal avatar, ‘new parent at school’ enjoy Karan.”

The cine-lovers are eagerly waiting for Karan Johar’s directorial ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’, in which Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh will rekindle their on-screen romance after ‘Gully Boy.’ (ANI)

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A vaccinator draws a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pediatric vaccine in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S., December 5, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah Beier - RC2G8R9PPG6Q

NTAGI May Include Covovax In CoWIN Portal As Heterologous Booster

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is likely to meet soon to discuss inclusion of Covid vaccine Covovax on the CoWIN portal as a heterologous booster dose for adults to boost uptake of booster doses, said official sources.
According to official sources, the Serum Institute of India has also written a letter to the Union Health Ministry seeking the inclusion of its Covid vaccine Covovax on the CoWIN portal as a heterologous booster dose for adults to boost uptake of booster doses.

On January 16 Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved market authorisation for the Serum Institute of India (SII) COVID jab Covovax as a heterologous booster dose.

Recently last week the Government panel Central drug regulatory authority Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) recommended market authorisation for Serum Institute of India’s Covid vaccine Covovax as a heterologous booster dose for those who have already taken two doses of Covishield or Covaxin.

Earlier, DCGI had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, for ages 12-17 on March 9, 2022, and also for children who come under 7-11 years on 28th June 2022 subject to certain conditions.

Covovax is manufactured through technology transfer from Novavax. It has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorization. It was granted an emergency-use listing by the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 17, 2021.

Recently, Bharat Biotech’s nasal Covid vaccine for adults above 18 years old was approved by the Government of India and will be used as a heterologous booster dose.

The vaccine will be available in private hospitals and included in the Covid-19.

As per officials, iNCOVACC is the World’s first Intranasal Vaccine to receive both Primary series and Heterologous booster approval. (ANI)

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British Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe Makes A Bid To Buy ManU

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

The official purchase bid for English Premier League giants Manchester United has been made by INEOS, a business owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.

One of Britain’s richest individuals, Ratcliffe, wants to finish the purchase of the Premier League heavyweights, as per ESPN.

With an estimated net worth of £9.8 billion, Ratcliffe is one of Britain’s wealthiest people. He has articulated an interest in acquiring the club from the Glazer family, who disclosed in November that they are considering “strategic alternatives” such as outside investment or a sale.

Ratcliffe’s chemical company, INEOS, declared that it had formally taken its interest to the Glazers.

A spokesman told ESPN on Tuesday, “I can confirm that we have formally put ourselves into the process.”

The fact that Ratcliffe would be interested in purchasing United has never been a secret. He reportedly continues to be a fan after supporting them as a young man.

When Chelsea’s ownership became available following the commencement of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the 70-year-old billionaire was one of the interested parties.

His bid of £4.25bn, was rejected under the sale process ordered by the Government when Roman Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea was sanctioned for his ties to Vladimir Putin.

Ratcliffe has experience with significant sporting investments. He also owns the Ligue 1 team Nice, the cycling team INEOS Grenadiers, and the Swiss Super League team FC Lausanne-Sport.

Saudi Arabia’s plans to acquire United, which are estimated to be worth $5 billion, were previously announced by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the country’s minister of sports. Apple, a major player in technology, has reportedly also expressed an interest.

Since 2005, the Glazers have been the club’s owners. During the preceding 18 years, there has been significant fan unrest over the team’s decline in performance.

The last time the team won the Premier League was in 2013, the year Ferguson resigned, and the club has not won a trophy since 2017. Prior to the 2-1 victory over Liverpool in August, over 10,000 supporters participated in a demonstration against the Glazer family’s ownership. (ANI)

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Hansika Motwani Wedding Shoot To Stream On OTT Platform

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

Hansika Motwani and Sohael Khaturiya’s wedding was a grand affair that made headlines across the country. Now fans will get a glimpse of the celebrations on the OTT platform.

From showcasing festivities, drama, and excitement as it happened behind the scenes, leading up to the dream day.

Taking to Instagram, Hansika treated fans with a glimpse of the upcoming show along with the caption, “What is a shaadi without a little drama? #HotstarSpecials #HansikasLoveShaadiDrama coming soon!”

In the video, she was heard saying, “Hi, this is Hansika Motwani and something very special happened in my life, I got married.”

She also flaunted her wedding ring and added, “Guess you can see the wedding glow and you can watch the entire wedding only on Disney+ Hotstar.”

Hansika continued to reveal the name of the show when she was interrupted. With a confused expression, she said, “Mereko dar lag raha hai.”

The show ‘Hansika’s Love Shaadi Drama’ will showcase everything that happened from the time the actress announced her decision to tie the knot with Sohail, as an army of wedding planners, designers and families race against time to pull off a fairy tale wedding in just six weeks, that was truly spectacular in every sense of the word. Hansika and her family also address the scandal that surfaced prior to her wedding, which threatened to derail her dream day.

Hansika and Sohael exchanged vows on December 4, 2022 at Mundota Fort and Palace in Jaipur.

Although their wedding festivities were a private affair, many photos and videos have gone viral on social media.

She had a dream proposal in Paris in November, photos of which posted on the couple’s social media handles had kept the fans’ interest high. If reports are to be believed, Hansika and Sohael are childhood friends and have been dating for several years.

Hansika revealed the first look with the release date slated to be announced soon.

Hansika debuted on TV as a popular child artist in a popular show ‘Shaka Laka Boom Boom’ and went on to be part of the blockbuster ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ alongside Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta. She made her debut as a lead actor in Puri Jagannadh Telugu directorial ‘Desamuduru’, which also earned her a Filmfare. (ANI)

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Murmu Delegates Fresh Powers To Delhi LG Amid Stalemate With Kejriwal

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

President Droupadi Murmu has delegated two fresh powers to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 to formulate the rules only in the areas of the Union territory of the National Capital Territory of Delhi where it is required.

It is directed that the Delhi LG will exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the appropriate government or state government under these rules until further order, mentions two separate notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on January 16.

As per the notifications, administrators and the Lieutenant Governors of five other Union Territories, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Lakshadweep, were also delegated similar powers by the President.

“In pursuance of clause (1) of article 239 of the Constitution, the President hereby directs that

the administrator or Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Lakshadweep shall, subject to the control of the President and until further order, exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the appropriate Government or State Government under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (35 of 2020), to formulate the rules only in the areas where the Union territory of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Lakshadweep are required to formulate rules either as appropriate Government or State Government,” states one of the notifications.

Under Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the appropriate government may exempt any new industrial establishment or class of establishments from the provisions of the Code in the public interest.

Another notification mentions regarding delegation of powers of state government and appropriate government under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 to the administrator and Lieutenant Governor of these six UTs.

“In pursuance of clause (1) of article 239 of the Constitution, the President hereby directs that the administrator or Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Lakshadweep shall, subject to the control of the President and until further order, exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the appropriate Government or State Government under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (37 of 2020), to formulate the rules only in the areas where the Union territory of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, Puducherry and Lakshadweep are required to formulate rules either as appropriate Government or State Government,” said the notification.

The delegation of two fresh powers to Delhi LG is significant amid his stalemate with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The recent flashpoint between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has triggered ahead of the January 23 election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). AAP has accused the LG of issuing orders on “practically everything” and bypassing the elected government. (ANI)

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Cong Punjab Chief Slams Badal After Saffron Switch

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Wednesday hit out at Manpreet Singh Badal following his switchover to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling him “congenitally power hungry”.

Hours after resigning from the Congress on Wednesday, Badal joined the BJP in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goel and BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh.
Raja Warring alleged that Badal had joined the Congress in anticipation that it was winning the last Assembly polls.

“Good riddance. @MSBADAL is congenitally power-hungry. He joined @INCIndia knowing the party was winning (the Punjab Assembly polls). 5 yrs is a long time for someone like him to stay out of power for unknown reasons. Instead of crying martyrdom, he should be apologising to Congress for betrayal,” tweeted the Congress state president.

Badal on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the Congress alleging that the party’s state unit was actively aiding and abetting ‘factionalism’.

A nephew of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet Badal started his political career in 1995, winning the Gidderbaha Assembly bye-election on a Congress ticket.

BJP is the fourth party that Badal joined in an almost three-decade-long political career. He had previous dalliances with the People’s Party of Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal and most recently, the Congress.

According to reports, he had a tenous working relationgship with the Congress state chief Raja Warring and his resignation is being seen as a fallout of his differences with him.

Speaking to mediapersons after his saffron switch, Badal said, “
Main aaya BJP office mein, aapne mujhe hatho pe nahi aankho pe bitha lia
(I came to the BJP office and they accorded me a rousing reception).”

In a parting shot at his former party earllier, Badal wrote to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi claiming that a coterie of leaders based in the national capital, New Delhii, was running party affairs in the state and it had given rise to factionalism.

He added that the way the Congress was conducted itself and taking decisions, especially with regard to Punjab, was ‘disappointing’.

Exploiting cracks in the Congress amid alleged factionalism in its Punjab unit, the BJP had earlier weaned away a dozen former party leaders, including heavyweights Captain Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar. (ANI)

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EC Announces Bypolls To 6 Seats Across 5 States On Feb 27

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the bye-elections to six assembly seats across five states.

Bye-elections to one assembly constituency, each in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and two assembly constituencies in Maharashtra will be held on February 27. The parliamentary constituency of Lakshadweep will also vote in bypolls on February 27.
The counting of votes to all bypolls will be held on March 2.

Lakshadweep’s parliamentary constituency will go to the polls due to the disqualification of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mohammed Faizal PP.

In Arunachal Pradesh’s Lumla the seat was vacant after the death of BJP leader Jambey Tashi and in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh the election was necessary because of the disqualification of Congress leader Mamta Devi.

The election was necessitated after the death of Congress leader Thiru E Thirumahan Everaa from Tamil Nadu’s Erode (east) and West Bengal’s Sagardighi seat was vacant after the death of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Subrata Saha.

The election in Maharashtra’s Kasba Peth and Chinchwad was necessary because of the death of BJP leaders Mukta Shailesh Tilak and Laxman Pandurang Jagtap respectively.

The date of the issue of gazette notification is January 31, while February 7 is the last date for filing nominations.

The scrutiny of nominations will be done on February 8 while the last Date for Withdrawal of candidatures is February 10.

Earlier, the Election Commission also announced the schedule for Assembly elections to the northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland to be held in February-March this year. The results of all three states will be declared on March 2, 2023.

“Voting for Assembly elections in Tripura will be held in a single phase on February 16 and in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27. The results will be declared on March 2,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said during a press conference.

The Assembly polls in the northeastern states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura were announced on Wednesday, thus beginning the election season in 2023.

The CEC said that the terms of the poll-bound states of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura are coming to an end on March 12, 15, and 22 respectively. (ANI)

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Punjab: Vigilance Team Raids Cong Leader’s Residence Over ‘Disproportionate Assets’

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

A Punjab Vigilance team on Wednesday raided the residence of senior Congress leader and Madan Lal Jalalpur for allegedly holding assets not proportional to his known sources of income.

A team of at least seven to eight Vigilance officers were undertaking a search operation at Jalalpur’s residence at the time of filing this report.
Jalalpur is a former Congress MLA from Ghanaur Assembly constituency of Punjab.

Further reports are awaited. (ANI)

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18 Including Ukraine’s Interior Min, Killed In Helicopter Crash Near Kyiv

By LokMarg 18th January 2023

At least 18 people have been killed in a helicopter crash near a kindergarten in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, CNN reported citing officials. Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin, and Secretary of State Yuriy Lubkovychis have been killed in the crash, Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to the ministry said.

At least 29 people were injured in the helicopter crash on Wednesday in Brovary on the outskirts of Kyiv, CNN reported citing the head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksiy Kuleba.
Oleksiy Kuleba said that the helicopter landed near a kindergarten and a residential building. On Telegram, Kuleba wrote, “At the time of the tragedy, there were children and the staff in the kindergarten. At the moment, everyone was evacuated.” He further stated that police and firefighters have responded at the site, according to CNN.

Anton Gerashenko in a post on social media said that investigators are finding the “cause of the tragedy.” Gerashenko called everyone present in the helicopter as “patriots of Ukraine,” as per the news report. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, said that nine people onboard the helicopter died, while the other victims were locals who were “bringing their children to the kindergarten.”

Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba has offered condolences to the families of the victims of a helicopter crash. He wished speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Dmytro Kuleba stated, “Tragedy far from the frontline, in Brovary. My condolences to the relatives of the victims, especially the children. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured. Denys Monastyrskyi and Yevhenii Yenin were close colleagues & friends of mine, true Ukrainian patriots. Huge loss for all of us.”

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted, “Tragedy strikes at the heart of war-torn Ukraine. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, @ZelenskyyUa

and the entire country following the helicopter crash at #Brovary.” (ANI)

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