PM Modi seeks to quell concerns on farm laws

 

Farmers say the reforms would make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations, erode their bargaining power and weaken the government’s procurement system, whereby the government buys staples, such as wheat and rice, at guaranteed prices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought to dispel concerns about recently enacted farm laws that he said had opened up new opportunities for cultivators, in the backdrop of protests by farmers in Punjab and Haryana who have marched to the Capital.

"New dimensions are being added to agriculture and its related activities in India. The agriculture reforms in the past few days have also now opened new doors of possibilities for our farmers,” Modi said in his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat.

Decades-old demands by farmers that political parties at various times had promised would be fulfilled are now being met with Parliament having passed the three farm laws after rigorous brainstorming, Modi said.

“These reforms have not only broken shackles of farmers but have also given new rights and opportunities for them. These rights started mitigating problems that were being faced by farmers in a short span of time,” he said.

Farmers want the Modi government to revoke the three contentious laws approved by Parliament in September. The laws essentially change the way India’s farmers do business by creating free markets, as opposed to a network of decades-old, government-controlled agricultural markets.

Together, the laws allow businesses to freely trade farm produce outside the so-called government-controlled “mandi system”, permit private traders to stockpile large quantities of essential commodities for future sales, which earlier only government-approved agents could, and lay down new rules for contract farming.

Farmers say the reforms would make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations, erode their bargaining power and weaken the government’s procurement system, whereby the government buys staples, such as wheat and rice, at guaranteed prices.

The Prime Minister cited the example of a Maharashtra-based farmer, Jitendra Bhoiji, who used the new law to recover money that was owed to him. After failing to get the amount that was due to him even four months after selling his produce, Bhoji invoked a provision that it was mandatory to pay a farmer within three days of the purchase.

“If the payment is not made, the farmer can make a complaint. Under the law there is a provision that the SDM {sub-divisional magistrate} of the area must address the complaint of the farmer within a month,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister also cited the example of Mohammad Aslam in Rajasthan’s Baran who is creating awareness among farmers by updating them about the day-to-day rates in the local agricultural markets. Aslam is the CEO of a farm producers federation. A third example that the Prime Minister cited was that of Virendra Yadav, who returned from Australia to Haryana‘s Kaithal and has found a solution to farm stubble burning.

Instead of burning stubble, which hurts air quality, Yadav has been selling the stubble to paper mills and agro energy plants and has made a profit in two years.

With thousands of farmers continuing their protest against the Centre’s new laws, Union home minister Amit Shah said in Hyderabad on Sunday said they were meant for the welfare of farmers and called their agitation apolitical. He told reporters: “The new farm laws are meant for the welfare of farmers. After a long time the farmer is going to come out of a locked system. Whoever wants to oppose it politically, let them do it. I have never said the farmers’ protest is political and would never say (that it is political).”

The Congress party, meanwhile, continued to attack the government over the farm laws. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said on Sunday that the new laws were “anti-farmer” and their endorsement by the PM raises questions over the outcome of upcoming talks between the government and farmers’ leaders.

"In this cold weather, the agriculture minister is making the farmers wait till December 3 to speak to them…PM Modi in his Mann ki Baat said that the three laws are right for the farmers, then what is the point of talks,” Surjewala said.

The Congress leader also demanded an apology from the Bharatiya Janata Party for equating farmers with terrorists.

“Chief Minister of Haryana, ML Khattar, called them atanki (terrorists), head of the IT Cell Amit Malviya has dubbed them Khalistani. The Modi government and the Haryana government have filed over 12,000 cases against farmers who had opted for a Gandhian protest,” Surjewala said.

He alleged that the government wanted to benefit big business and not small farmers.Surjewala said the Congress wanted all three laws to be suspended and the cases filed against farmers to be taken back. The PM should hold talks with the representatives of farmers protesting in Delhi, he said.

“The law says farmers can move around to other states to sell their produce. When they are not able to sell their produce properly in their own area, then how will this benefit them and with contract farming, the government has started another kind of zamindari law. The farmers, under contract farming, won’t be able to fight against the corporate houses, who will become their owners,” Surjewala said.

BJP hopes to make Telangana inroads with Hyderabad polls, but TRS confident ‘divisive agenda’ won’t work

 

The TRS is contesting all 150 divisions, whereas the BJP has fielded its candidates in 149 seats. The Congress is contesting in 146 seats, and AIMIM has given tickets to 51 contestants. As many as 1,825 candidates are in the fray.

Coming close on the heels of an unexpected bypoll victory, upsetting the TRS on its home turf, the BJP is clearly the party to watch out for in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections the voting for which will take place on December 1. With the party rallying bigwigs from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and party national president J P Nadda and the young MP Tejasvi Surya, apart from pulling in former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to release the party manifesto for the civic body, the BJP has made its intentions abundantly clear.

The newfound excitement in the Telangana BJP, whose leadership has been able to make the maximum noise and drive the agenda for electioneering in their favour, pushing the TRS into a reactionary mode, is the result of a change in approach which fetched positive results for them in recent assembly bypolls in Dubbak where it could upset the ruling party. If Dubbak was a morale booster for the party which does not have many victories in Telangana to boast of, winning a significant seat share in GHMC will mark its arrival at TRS’ citadel and emerge as a possible contender for power in the state in 2023 elections.

Phrases like a surgical strike on the old city, and flushing out Rohingyas and Pakistanis from Hyderabad have been repeatedly heard, the names of Babur, Akbar and Jinnah were called for political comparisons, and a promise to change the name of the city from Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar made in ways never seen before for a municipal poll here. With the campaigning raking up a communal cloud, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao himself has announced that the police will get a “free hand” to deal with “anti-social elements trying to incite communal tensions in the state”.

In 2016, the TRS and AIMIM had won 99 and 44 seats, respectively in the civic body with the BJP, Congress and TDP making up the rear with three, two and one seats each. While TRS won an absolute majority, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM remained unmoved in the Old City, its stronghold. However, the contest this time around in Greater Hyderabad is between TRS and BJP in 99 divisions and between TRS, BJP, and the AIMIM in the rest of the 51 seats.

The TRS is contesting all 150 divisions, whereas the BJP has fielded its candidates in 149 seats. The Congress is contesting in 146 seats, and AIMIM has given tickets to 51 contestants. As many as 1,825 candidates are in the fray. The polls are scheduled for December 1, and the counting of votes will be held on December 4. The high-pitched campaign came to an end Sunday evening.

Campaign: Not just toxic

The Hyderabad civic body has always been a hotly contested one. In the past, when TDP and Congress were major forces to reckon with, the BJP was in the fray, sometimes alone and sometimes in alliance with the TDP. Even before the BJP was conceived, its predecessor Jan Sangh used to contest municipal polls in the old city.

Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri, a senior journalist and AIMIM MLC, recalls: “Between 1978 and 1990, communal polarisation was happening in Hyderabad. Soon after any elections, a curfew used to be imposed in Hyderabad. Even in those times, this kind of language, narratives, and provocative statements were never made by both sides.”

Top BJP leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, have campaigned in the city in the past too. “But the kind of language used by the local leaders as well as others who have come for campaigning from elsewhere was never heard before. This means that the BJP sees the corporation polls as a precursor to the battles for the next general elections. They want to gain a foothold in Hyderabad and pose a challenge to the TRS” says Jafri.

Prof K Nageshwar, a political commentator, agrees the campaign has not just been toxic but also highly objectionable. It has been a fight between top leaders of either party, with none revealing their Mayor candidate, to settle political scores rather than solving the people’s problems, he says, adding that the issue of civic governance are being relegated to the backseat in the political slugfest. “This political fight will close after December 4. If the mandate is for terrorism, Rohingyas, etc, which are not a concern of the people of Hyderabad, how can you hold parties accountable to civic governance,” he asks.

Opportunity for BJP to occupy space vacated by others

BJP’s confidence also stems from the fact that they have at different times in the past tasted success in Malakpet, Karwan, Goshamahal, Musheerabad, Uppal, Khairatabad, Amberpet assembly constituencies, all located within the city. The BJP has also been winning the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat regularly. According to Jafri, the BJP is now targeting the entire belt of LB Nagar, Uppal, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad Cantonment, Quthbullapur, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Chevella, and Rajendranagar.

In the 2016 GHMC polls, at a time when it had five MLAs from Hyderabad, the saffron party allied with TDP and could win only Gowlipura, Ghansibazar, and Begumbazar, all three divisions in the Hyderabad parliament constituency, whereas it lost all seats in Secunderabad parliament constituency that was considered a favourable ground. “The TDP, though contesting in over a hundred seats now, has virtually disappeared from the scene. The space vacated by the Andhra parties (TDP, YSRCP and Jana Sena), and the decline of the Congress, is an opportunity for the BJP.”

Internal surveys conducted by TRS have indicated that the party might end up with around 80 to 85 seats in the upcoming council. This means that AIMIM would retain its 45 seats and the rest (about 20 to 25 seats) would go to BJP. The AIMIM is hoping to better its performance and take its tally close to 50 seats.

According to Jafri, despite putting up a decent show in governance, the TRS will not have an easy run this time around. “In 33 seats of the 44 seats AIMIM won in 2016, the TRS came second. The party could get the majoritarian votes in the old city because the TRS wanted an end to coalition politics in the corporation and sought a full majority to ensure the city’s progress. There were no communal overtones. But that’s not the case today. The fight in the old city is three-cornered,” he says, suggesting that BJP will be able to cut into TRS vote share here. The AIMIM is not contesting 10 seats — Gowlipura, IS Sadan, Saidabad, Musarambagh, Gudimalkapur, Jiaguda, Begumbazar, Goshamahal, Mangalhat and Gun Foundry — in the Hyderabad parliament segment, making it a direct fight between TRS and the BJP like in the rest of Greater Hyderabad.

Prof Nageshwar feels BJP’s growth in Greater Hyderabad will be spread across and not limited to any pockets. “The BJP phenomena is not geographical (like MIM in Seemanchal region of Bihar) but purely political. TRS has a sizeable lead wherever they are strong. Whereas the BJP has only a marginal lead wherever it is strong. It still means BJP is coming closer to TRS,” he points out.

A strong BJP is a creation of the TRS

However, Prof Nageshwar feels for the BJP the GHMC elections is a political project to formulate its narrative for 2023. “The BJP is aggressive because it knows it cannot have the Mayor’s post at any cost. With 31 ex officio members at hand, the TRS needs to win only 75 seats. Since there cannot be a tie-up between AIMIM and BJP in the council for the Mayor’s post, the possible alliance, if required, will be between TRS and AIMIM,” says Prof Nageshwar.

Regardless of the absolute numbers or electoral verdict, he predicts five outcomes to the GHMC elections, barring a miracle. “The TRS will suffer significant erosion of vote share and seat share. The BJP will expand significantly. Congress will be relegated to the third position. The AIMIM will retain its hold. And the TRS will get the Mayor’s seat.”

According to him, the apparent rise of the BJP in Telangana is the doing of TRS itself. “Debilitating the Congress was KCR’s biggest mistake. It led to the invention of a strong and potential opponent in the form of the BJP. It will be more difficult for TRS to face a surging BJP than the Congress which is on a slippery slope. The BJP is an ideology-driven cadre-based party ruling the centre. It can polarise the voters and has all the wherewithal to face election,” he points out.

BJP says communal agenda set by TRS

The BJP’s strategy so far seems to have worked to some extent and it finds K Chandrasekhar Rao jittery. BJP Telangana spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao explains: “KCR’s usual narrative is about Telangana and his competence to lead. From day one this time, his party has been asking the voters if they want peace and development or communal disturbance. That is directly implying to us. Why did they make us their competition?” Rao says this shows KCR knows there is a shift on the ground. “He is unsettled after recent bypoll loss”.

The BJP believes the communal agenda is actually TRS’s doing. Rao says it all started after the BJP first released a chargesheet against the TRS misgovernance. “The response from KT Rama Rao was ‘do you want peace or communal disturbance’. If he made it their central campaign theme, we had to react. And the communal agenda that KTR feels he has successfully trapped us in is the agenda they have led with, to send a negative connotation of BJP to the voters. We didn’t fall into the trap,” he says. “If we were to fall, there would have been communal disturbance. It didn’t happen, right?. It is all a build-up to send fear among the electorates.”

The BJP feels their electorate is every voter in the city. “Our target is not at all a Hindu vote bank. It is a perceptive image, the paint they want to brush us with. We have a track record of development across corporations in the country. We will protect the integrity of the local body because GHMC has lost its sanctity and has become the fiefdom of KCR’s family,” says Rao.

So who does the BJP think will vote for them? The party is capitalising on the anti-incumbency factor against TRS. Rao says all those disillusioned and dissatisfied with the TRS’ performance, those who have lost people and property in the recent Hyderabad floods, those who wished the city would present them with better opportunities, jobs, roads, sanitation, and housing, etc would vote for the BJP.

“We are aiming for 100 seats. Both the AIMIM and TRS are our rivals as they are conjoined twins. Except for our three seats, every other seat will be a close fight for BJP. It will not be an easy win but we are working hard to win even if the majority is wafer-thin,” Rao notes.

TRS will uphold the spirit of Hyderabad

TRS party’s spokesperson and Social Media convenor Manne Krishank countered that his party is doing everything to uphold the spirit of Hyderabad and the people are aware of that. The TRS is relying on its efforts to ensure a clean administration, a track record of no communal clashes, improved infrastructure, and global investments. “We overcame water and electricity issues. We don’t say 100 per cent of our promises were achieved but the good work has to continue. But is that the debate today?,” he asks, underlining how the agenda has “shifted to what we should eat, and what should be the name of our city”.

“For the municipal polls, the CM of UP wants to change the name of Hyderabad. Who is he to decide?”

He says Hyderabad is witnessing textbook style communal politics now. “We have seen such jumle baazi across the country and laughed at them. It is unfortunate to see it happening in our city. A lot of lies, deceit, and fake news are doing rounds,” he says, claiming that the TRS did not use the vaccine against COVID-19 for electoral gains as the government, even after GHMC polls, will continue to do what it does for the public. “Till this minute, we have been talking about integrity, infrastructure, and investments. We did not fall into the BJP’s trap of communal agenda,” he notes, adding that a defeat of the BJP in the GHMC will give the right signal to the party’s central leadership

Baba Ramdev on board of Ruchi Soya, brother Ram Bharat to be MD

 Yoga guru Swami Ram Dev, his younger brother Ram Bharat and close aide Acharya Balkrishna will be on the board of soya food brand Nutrela-maker Ruchi Soya that was recently acquired by Patanjali Ayurved. Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd in a notice to shareholders sought approval for appointment of Ram Bharat, 41, as the Managing Director of the company.

Subsequent to a consortium of Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Divya Yog Mandir Trust (through its business undertaking, Divya Pharmacy), Patanjali Parivahan Private Limited and Patanjali Gramudhyog acquiring Ruchi Soya in insolvency proceedings last year, the new management got right to appoint the board, the notice said.

"The board of directors of the company at its meeting held on August 19, 2020 appointed Shri Ram Bharat as managing director of the company with effect from August 19, 2020 to December 17, 2022 and his designation was changed from whole-time director to managing director," it said.

Now the shareholder approval is being sought for the appointment.

Bharat will be paid a salary of Re 1 per annum, the notice said.

Also, Acharya Balkrishna, 48, has been re-designated as chairman of the company. He too will be paid Re 1 per annum.

The notice also sought appointment of Ramdev, 49, as a director on the company board.

Besides, Girish Kumar Ahuja, Gyan Sudha Misra and Tejendra Mohan Bhasin are being appointed as independent directors on the board.

Last year, Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved paid Rs 4,350 crore to take over Ruchi Soya. The acquisition helped Patanjali acquire edible oil plants as also soybean oil brands such as Mahakosh and Ruchi Gold.

In December 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ordered the start of insolvency proceedings against Ruchi Soya to recover unpaid loans.

Out of the Rs 4,350 crore offered by Patanjali group, Rs 4,235 crore was used to pay creditors while Rs 115 crore was used for capital expenditure and working capital requirements of Ruchi Soya.

Patanjali won the bid to acquire Ruchi Soya after Adani Wilmar, which sells edible oil under the Fortune brand, withdrew from the race citing significant delays in resolution process that led to deterioration of assets. ANZ MKJ.

Sanjay Raut’s conduct does not befit leader & MP: Bombay HC

 

MUMBAI: The HC said the conduct of 

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut “certainly does not befit a leader… who is also a Parliamentarian.” The bench said Raut “without being bothered that the rule of law should prevail, was determined to teach a lesson to the petitioner (Kangana Ranaut).” The HC said Raut has “not denied or disputed the contents of a video clip containing his interview” in which he used an expletive ‘h….r’ to describe Ranaut and “unabashedly retorted ‘Kya hota hain kanoon’?”

The HC noted a day after demolition, Saamna carried a headline ‘Uprooted’ “in a manner of rejoicing and victoriously” and said she “has received a good blow.” Raut in his affidavit “only refuted the allegation that he threatened the actor.” HC added, “As a cover-up, (he) tried to explain that... he had only responded to the derogatory statement...insulting 

Maharashtra and Mumbai, which...we do not accept.” On September 3, Ranaut had tweeted Raut gave her “an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai… why Mumbai is feeling like PoK?” On September 5, Saamna, edited by Raut, wrote, ‘Joining issues with Mumbai will prove costly.’ The same day, a BMC mukadam “lands up at the actor’s bungalow and detects alleged ongoing works,” HC said. TNN

Joe Biden will be a president who represents the best in us: Kamala Harris

 Joe Biden will be a president who represents the best of America, his deputy and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has said, asserting that he is a leader the world will respect.

Lavishing praise on 78-year-old US President-elect, Harris on Friday said that Biden will be a president for all Americans.

Know that Biden will be a president who represents the best in us. A leader the world will respect and our children can look up to, Harris said in a tweet.

Harris, 56, the daughter of an Indian immigrant from Chennai, has created history by becoming the first Black American woman to be elected as the country's Vice President.

While Indian-origin politicians have been elected as heads of the state in various parts of the world in the last several decades, from Mauritius to Fiji, Harris as the vice president of the United States would be the most powerful politician ever.

Biden, in a series of tweets, called for unity in the country.

This is our moment ours together to write a newer, bolder, more compassionate chapter in the life of our nation, Biden said in a tweet.

Each of us has a responsibility in our own lives to do what we can to slow the virus. Every decision we make matters. Every decision we make can save a life.

This is the moment where we need to steel our spines, redouble our efforts, and recommit ourselves to the fight against COVID-19. Let's remember: We are all in this together, he said.

According to Johns Hopkins data, there are 61,585,651 COVID-19 cases and 14,41,875 deaths across the world. The US has recorded more than 13 million cases and 264,000 deaths, the highest tolls registered anywhere in the world.

Iran accuses Israel, US in assassination of nuclear scientist

 

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was the head of research and innovation at Iran’s Ministry of Defense and widely seen as having a major role in the country’s nuclear program.

Iran accused Israel and the US of being behind the assassination of one of its top nuclear scientists on Friday and vowed revenge, sharply escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf in the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was the head of research and innovation at Iran’s Ministry of Defense and widely seen as having a major role in the country’s nuclear program. He was killed close to the Damavand campus of Islamic Azad University, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of central Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news reported.

“Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice -- with serious indications of Israeli role -- shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet, without offering any evidence for Israel’s involvement.

Iran’s army said the US also bore responsibility, according to the Iranian Labor News Agency. The Minister of Defense, Amir Hatami, told state TV the killing was “clearly linked” to the US assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by drone in January.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment, as did officials at the Pentagon. The Central Intelligence Agency didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether the US had knowledge of plans to carry out an assassination.

Trump re-tweeted a New York Times report on Fakhrizadeh’s killing without comment, as well as a tweet by an Israeli journalist who called the killing “a major psychological and professional blow for Iran.”

Explained | How Roshni Act, the scrapped law of J&K, enabled land 'loot' by the high and mighty

 

The developments come ahead of the crucial election to the District Development Councils, first polls beginning November 28 in the erstwhile state since the abrogation of Article 370.

The administration of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has made public the list of influential people, including politicians, who got the government land under the now-scrapped Roshni land scheme.

The revelation has kicked up a political row with senior BJP leaders including Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad calling it a “conscious loot’ by powerful people demanding a thorough probe into the alleged scam.

The developments come ahead of the crucial election to the District Development Councils, first polls beginning November 28 in the erstwhile state since the abrogation of Article 370.

The Act and the amendments

In 2001, the National Conference (NC) government led by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah enacted the Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, also known as the Roshni Act, to regularise the unauthorised land. The NC was then part of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre. Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah was a minister in the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government.

The government then said that the Act would enable it to collect fees to a tune of Rs 25,000 crore which would be used to upgrade electricity generation in J&K and hence the name ‘Roshni’ which means electricity or light in Urdu-Hindi.

The NC government had set 1990 as the cut-off year for the scheme. However, in 2005, the then PDP-Congress government led by chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed amended the cut-off year to 2004. Later, CM Ghulam Nabi Azad government further relaxed the cut-off date to 2007.

The allegations

The investigations into land transfers found that the land in Gulmarg, the hill station in the north of Kashmir, has been allotted to ineligible beneficiaries. An FIR was lodged in 2009 by the State Vigilance Organisation against government officials for alleged criminal conspiracy. A 2014 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report revealed that not more than Rs 76 crore were generated as revenue from the transfer of land between 2007 and 2013, as against the target of Rs 25,000 crore.

In 2015, the Vigilance Organisation indicted over 20 officials, including three former deputy commissioners, for their involvement in misusing the provisions in the scheme.

In November 2018, the J&K High Court restrained beneficiaries of the scheme from carrying out any transaction. In the same year, J&K governor Satyapal Malik repealed the Roshni Act and ordered a CBI probe into the scam.

Recent developments

On October 9 this year, the High Court held the Roshni Act as ‘unconstitutional’. The court also directed the Union Territory government to make public names of those who grabbed the land under the scheme. On November 1, the J&K government issued an order cancelling all land transfers that took place under the Roshni Act.

On November 23, the Union Territory government began publishing the names of beneficiaries on its websites. The first set of names included prominent politicians, hotels, and a trust connected each to the National Conference and the Congress. Among politicians, former J&K finance minister Haseeb Drabu is also on the list, with his family members. National Conference’s Nawai Subah Trust and the Congress’s Khidmat Trust were also on the list of beneficiaries in the scheme

On November 24, the Union Territory administration released another list in which former CM Farooq Abdullah and his son, Omar Abdullah, also a former CM, were named for allegedly possessing state land, a charge denied by both. The list is however different from lists released by the administration since November 23 naming people who allegedly benefited from the now-scrapped Roshni Act.

Farooq Abdullah’s sister was, however, among the 130 people named in the second list of beneficiaries of the Roshni Act.

What next?

The UT government has said it will retrieve the land transferred under the Act within six months. The Print said in an earlier report that the principal secretary and revenue department have been asked to work out a plan to retrieve large tracts of state land vested under the Act. According to the high court order, a total of 6,04,602 kanals (75,575 acres) of state land had been regularised and transferred to the occupants. This included 5,71,210 kanals (71,401 acres) in Jammu and 33,392 kanals (4174 acres) in the Kashmir province.

NPCIL Recruitment 2020: Application window closing today for 302 vacancies for various posts

 

NPCIL Recruitment 2020: The application window for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) recruitment against 302 vacancies for the posts of Stipendiary Trainee/ Scientific Assistant (ST/SA), Assistant Grade-1, Steno, Sub Officer and others at Rawatbhata Rajasthan Site is closing on Tuesday.

NPCIL Recruitment 2020: The application window for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) recruitment against 302 vacancies for the posts of Stipendiary Trainee/ Scientific Assistant (ST/SA), Assistant Grade-1, Steno, Sub Officer and others at Rawatbhata Rajasthan Site is closing on Tuesday. Aspirants who have not appliedyet can do it before 4pm on November 24. They will have to visit the official website at npcilcareers.co.in to apply online.

NPCIL Recruitment 2020: Details of Vacancies and eligibility:

Stipendiary Trainee/ Scientific Assistant (ST/SA) - Candidates should be diploma holders in Engineering - Diploma with not less than 60% marks in Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation or Electronics Engineering recognized by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The Diploma in Engineering should be of 3 years duration after SSC / HSC.

Stipendiary Trainee/Scientific Assistant (ST/SA) – Candidates should be Science Graduates - B.Sc. with a minimum of 60% marks. B.Sc. shall be with Physics as principal and Chemistry/Mathematics/Statistics/Electronics & Computer Science as subsidiary OR with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as subjects with equal weightage.

Assistant Grade-1(HR)- Candidates should be having a Bachelor’s Degree in Science or Commerce or Arts with Minimum 50% Marks.

Assistant Grade-1(F&A) - Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce or Arts with Minimum 50% Marks.

Assistant Grade-1(C&MM) - Bachelor’s Degree in Science (with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics) OR Commerce with minimum 50% marks.

Steno Grade-1 - A Bachelor’s Degree in any subject with minimum 50% Marks.

Sub-Officer/B- HSC (10+2) (Science with Chemistry) or equivalent with 50% marks + Passed SubOfficer’s Course from National Fire Service College.

Leading Fireman/A- HSC (10+2) Science with Chemistry or equivalent with minimum of 50% Marks.

Driver-cum-Pump Operator-cum-Fireman/A - H.S.C.(10+2) (Science with Chemistry) or equivalent with minimum 50% of marks + valid heavy vehicle driving licence.

RJD offers CM Nitish Kumar to join Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, claims NDA government will fall

 In a suprising turn of events in Bihar politics, main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has offered Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal- United chief Nitish Kumar to join the RJD-led 'Mahagathbandhan'. It is to be noted that the other constituents of 'Mahagathbandhan' are the Congress and Left parties.

The offer to CM Nitish Kumar was given by senior RJD leader Amarnath Gami. According to Gami, CM Nitish should join the 'Mahagathbandhan' and lead the third front at the Centre against the BJP. Gami said that the NDA government will not last for long in Bihar.

Gami noted that the majority which NDA has got after committing fraud during recently concluded Assembly election is still not enough to keep the NDA government stable in Bihar. Gami said the majority won by NDA is weak and the government led by CM Nitish Kumar will soon fall down. Gami expressed confidence that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will become the new chief minister of Bihar after the fall of NDA government.

It is to be noted that NDA has the majority in Bihar Assembly with 126 seats in 243-member Assembly. The NDA has the support of BJP with 74 seats, JDU 43, HAM 4 seats, VIP 4 seats and one independent MLA.

On the other hand, the Mahagathbandhan is has 110 seats in Bihar Assembly with 75 seats of RJD, 19 of Congress and 16 of Left parties. Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM managed to win 5 seats, while the BSP and LJP won one seat each.

Raghav, Dharmesh, the Indian Idol team and the lead cast of Story 9 Months Ki to grace India’s Best Dancer’s Grand Finale episode

 Sony Entertainment Television’s popular dance reality show India’s Best Dancer which has been enthralling the audience for many weeks now with phenomenal dance performances by contestants, is nearing its finale.

This weekend show will finally get its winner out of top 5 finalists namely Tiger Pop, Mukul Gain, Subhranil Paul, Shweta Warrier and Paramdeep.

TellyChakkar has learnt that the finale episode will witness a rally of stars gracing the show. Indian Idol judges Vishal Dadlani, Himmesh Reshammiya and host Aditya Narayan along with popular dancer and choreographer Raghav Juyal and Dharmesh Yelande will be part of the finale episode.

Also, Story 9 Months Ki lead Sukirti Kandpal and Aashay Mishra will also grace the show to promote their show.

As the contestants await India’s decision and eagerly hope it’s them lifting the coveted trophy, the hosts and judges of the show are leaving no stone unturned to prepare for a celebration. Judge Terence Lewis, who is known to evaluate the contestants on the technicality of dance, will showcase a grand act on various dance styles such as Bachata and Modern Jazz on a medley of songs.  Whereas judge Malaika Arora will enthrall the audience with her perfect moves on her blockbuster numbers. While hosts Bharti and Haarsh are planning to uphold the Grand Finale evening in their signature style infused with fun and banter.

Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik Join MS Dhoni In Dubai For Sakshi's Birthday Celebration

 

Sania Mirza and her husband Shoaib Malik joined MS Dhoni as the former India captain celebrated his wife Sakshi's birthday in Dubai.

MS Dhoni, his wife Sakshi and their daughter Ziva were spotted at Sakshi's 32nd birthday celebrations late last night. Sakshi posted a picture in her Instagram stories that showed her husband cradling Ziva in his arms and the Dhonis surrounded by their friends. Two birthday cakes were also seen placed on the table in front of them. Sakshi posted a series of pictures in her stories to thank her friends who wished her on her birthday. This was one of MS Dhoni's rare public appearances outside of his cricket commitments.

Dhoni was last seen in action during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 where he led Chennai Super Kings.

However, CSK didn't have the best season this year as they finished seventh and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in their history.

Dhoni, who had announced his retirement from international cricket in August this year, was far from his best form with the bat, too, as he managed just 200 runs at 25 from 14 matches at a strike rate of 116.27.

With the auctions for IPL 2021 around the corner, there have been calls for an overhaul of the CSK squad in order to rebuild for the future after their dismal performance in IPL 2020 where many of their senior players struggled to make any impact.

Former India opener and commentator Aakash Chopra has called on CSK to release MS Dhoni ahead of a mega auction and buy him back, if need be, through the right-to-match card.

MS Dhoni-Led CSK Most Tweeted About Team in IPL 2020

 Even though Chennai Super Kings had their worst Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2020, the MS Dhoni-led side was seemingly on everyone's minds on Twitter as it was the most tweeted team during the course of the tournament played in the United Arab Emirates. The 60-match tournament, which started on September 19, ended on November 10 with Mumbai Indians defeating Delhi Capitals to emerge as IPL champions for the fifth time.

CSK, three-time IPL champions, failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time and ended at the seventh spot in the group stage. After CSK, RCB were the most tweeted about team this IPL season, followed by Mumbai Indians, SunRisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals.

The IPL 13 opener between MI and CSK also emerged as the most tweeted about match of the season. This was followed by #MIvSRH (on October 4) and #MIvDC (the double Super Over match played on October 18). Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli was the most tweeted about player in the league.

The golden tweet of the season was the social media post from Sachin Tendulkar praising the fielding effort by Kings XI Punjab's Nicholas Pooran against Rajasthan Royals during match number nine of IPL 2020.

In the eighth over of Rajasthan Royals' chase of 224, Sanju Samson played a pull shot off Murugan Ashwin and it was then that Pooran, standing at deep mid-wicket, dived full length over the rope to catch the ball. The West Indian caught the ball while hanging in the air and realising that he wouldn't be able to come inside the boundary line, he threw the ball -- all while being in air -- back inside the boundary line to save his team vital six runs. "This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!!" Tendulkar had tweeted. The tweet received over 23,000 retweets.