Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India:
1. Modi's foreign travel in 2015-16 has cost AI Rs 117 crore
Air India spent Rs 117 crore in 2015-2016 on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign travel, a 25% increase from the previous year. Modi visited 22 countries including Russia, France, Germany , Korea, Mongolia, China, UAE, Ireland, UK, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey among others till December last year. In comparison, the national carrier spent Rs 108 crore on air travel of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during 2013-2014.
Responding to an RTI application by Comm (retd) Lokesh Batra, Air India said it spent Rs 117 crore till December 2015 while it spent Rs 94 crore in 20142015. Modi visited 12 countries in his first year of office including Bhutan, Australia, Myanmar, Fiji, Japan, Seychelles, Brazil and Mauritius among others according to the ministry of external affairs.
Among PM Modi's most expensive trip last year was in April 2015 when he visited France, Canada and Germany which cost the exchequer Rs 31 crore, the Times of India reported. The PM signed several agreements in France and Canada and attended the Hannover Messe where India was the partner country . While his trip to China, Mongolia and Korea cost Rs 15 crore, Air India raised a similar bill for the PM's Central Asia visit.This included countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.
2. Jammu and Kashmir moves to identify land in Valley for Sainik colonies
Moving on a proposal fast-tracked when the state was under Governor’s rule earlier this year, the Jammu and Kashmir government has asked officials to identify land in Srinagar and Budgam for Sainik colonies to house troops and their families.
The state government maintains it has received no such direction from the Centre and has "no plans to settle soldiers" in the Valley, The Indian Express reported. But the Sainik colonies project is already being opposed by the Opposition National Conference and separatist organisations.
In April 2015, the Rajya Sainik Board (RSB), headed by Governor NN Vohra, approved establishment of a Sainik colony in Srinagar close to the old airport. In a note to the Home department, the RSB said 173 kanals (21.6 acres) of land had been identified for a Sainik colony and approval had been sought from then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
3. 80 deaths in just 3 months in `suicide village' Badi
With a vacant expression on his face and bloodshot eyes, Rajendra Sisodiya, the newly appointed sarpanch of Badi village in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, sits in front of his house in a blazing May afternoon, wondering how he will discharge his new responsibilities.
Sisodiya was made sarpanch two months ago after his cousin Jeevan, the elected village head, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in front of his house, the Times of India reported. His mother and brother, too, had killed themselves.
In a bizarre combination of financial distress, superstition and clinical depression, Khargone, officially one of the country's 250 most backward districts, has reported 381suicides in the past one year.
4. Assam migrant worker killed in Kerala: ‘More than 50 men watched… nobody bothered to help’
More than 50 men watched as Kailash Jyoti Borah (29), a migrant worker from Assam who was mistaken for a thief, tied up and left to die in the sun, struggled to free himself in his final moments, an eyewitness said.
"More than 50 men watched …Although he was foaming at the mouth, no one took him to hospital. Everyone waited till police arrived," said Salamma, who runs a grocery shop near Chiramuttam Mahadevar Temple. Kailash was chased by a mob till he collapsed outside the temple, The Indian Express reported. "He turned violent after people tied his legs. First he tried to free his legs. When he failed, he started throwing stones at the mob, which overpowered him and tied his hands behind his back,” Salamma added. Kailash was reportedly left out in the sun from 11 am to 1.15 pm.
5. For defying HC order, Haryana officer to plant 5K trees
The Punjab and Haryana high court has given a tough lesson in gardening to Haryana's director of elementary education for defying its orders.
Director RS Kharab was told on Wednesday to plant 5,000 trees in middle-level schools of the state for not promoting some drawing teachers as elementary school headmasters as ordered by it.
The director has been asked to plant tree saplings at the beginning of monsoon and submit a compliance report as well, the Times of India reported. Justice Rajesh Bindal passed the order while disposing of a contempt petition filed by Sandeep Singh and other teachers of Jind.
6. Inducing Child to Purchase Consume Tobacco? Get Ready to Face 7 Years' Jail
Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi wants a statutory warning to this effect on cigarette packets. Gandhi on Thursday wrote a letter to health and family welfare minister JP Nadda and urged him to consider the proposal, the Economic Times reported.
Gandhi wrote if Nadda gave “an inprinciple approval“ to the suggestion then both the ministers can "jointly finalise the content". She is hoping for “an early reply“ from Nadda.
Gandhi has drawn Nadda's attention to Section 77 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which came into effect this January. The said Section reads, “If a person gives or causes to be given, to any child any intoxicating liquor or any narcotic drug or tobacco products or psychotropic substances, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment which may extend up to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine which may extend up to one lakh rupees."
7. Left and Congress, two JNU students invoke Kanhaiya in Kerala
A month ago, Mohammed Mohsin and Roji M John stood on a common platform at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Today, these two JNU students are in rival camps in Kerala.
The politics over recent controversies might have given some people the impression that JNU carries an anti-national tag but Mohsin and John believe it gives them an advantage against their opponents. Mohsin is the LDF candidate in Pattambi, Palakkad, while John is the UDF candidate in Angamaly, The Indian Express reported.
8. Dawood plotted social unrest to maim Modi govt
D-Company, led by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, “wanted to spread communal tension in the country by attacking religious leaders, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leaders and churches“, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed.
The agency will file a chargesheet on Saturday against ten 10 members of D-Company who were assigned to “create unrest“ and target RSS leaders and churches, a plan hatched soon after Narendra Modi-led BJP came to the power in 2014, sources said.
As part of the “larger conspiracy“, D-Company sharpshooters killed two right-wing leaders -Shirish Bangali and Pragnesh Mistry --in Bharuch (Gujarat) on November 2, 2015. The shooters were arrested and they claimed that the RSS leaders were killed to avenge the hanging of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts accused Yakub Memon.
9. Dry Shirdi struggles to quench bhakts' thirst
Water scarcity knows no barriers in parched Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Even the cash-rich Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi is finding it difficult to quench the thirst of thousands of devotees.
The trust is among the richest in the country and can easily buy water. Officials told the Times of India that the trust has precious stones and diamonds worth Rs 9.16 crore, and 392 kg gold, 4,178 kg silver and bank deposits amounting to Rs 1,578 crore.
Despite being flush with funds, there is hardly any water in the rivers, canals or wells that dot the district which the trust can source and buy . The daily footfall is nearly 50,000 and the trust is struggling to cater to their water requirements, he admitted.
10. Mumbai kids who signed up for summer course humiliated, traumatised
Around 90 students from Mumbai began a journey to the idyllic Panchgani to attend a private 21-day 'commando' training camp that promised to teach them personality development and survival skills, they didn’t have the faintest idea of the horror lying ahead.
According to a report in Mid-Day, in just two days, the participants’ spirit was allegedly crushed by high-handedness, threats, mental trauma, assault and humiliation. Some of them allegedly contemplated running away or even suicide to escape the torment.
Three of the participants managed to make a short SOS call to their parents — their contact with the world outside was cut off by the organisers, Pune-based Marshal Cadet Foundation — and returned to Mumbai on Wednesday. The fee for the 21-day training camp was around Rs 18,000 per participant, but the only thing they got was a lesson in having their confidence broken.
Comments
0 comment