Category: National

Senior Andhra govt official holds review meeting of flagship housing scheme

[ad_1]
Puttaparthi: The Andhra Pradesh government is working towards ensuring nobody lives without a house in the state, a senior bureaucrat said here on Tuesday during a review meeting.
Special Chief Secretary (Housing) Ajay Jain made these remarks during a visit to Puttaparthi in Sri Satya Sai district to review the state government’s flagship ‘Navaratnalu – Pedalandariki Illu’ housing scheme for the poor.
“As many as 17.18 lakh houses have been sanctioned across the state and out of them Sri Satya Sai district got 62,253 houses under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY YSR Urban),” an official release stated as quoted by Jain.

Out of 62,253 sanctioned houses, he said 55,750 houses have been registered until now while the construction of 9,542 houses are yet to begin.
Noting that progress is not up to the mark, he observed that 22,563 houses are below basement level and 15,759 at basement level while highlighting that Rs 1,400 crore-worth housing works are happening in the district.
Further, the senior bureaucrat noted that housing for poor is a prestigious programme of the state government and called on officials to make it a success.

Subscribe us on

[ad_2]
#Senior #Andhra #govt #official #holds #review #meeting #flagship #housing #scheme
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Scientific temper, secularism key parameters of Kerala’s new higher education ranking system

[ad_1]
Thiruvananthapuram: Taking a cue from the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala is adopting a state-level methodology to assess and rank higher education institutions, for which a key parameter used would be ‘Scientific Temper and Secular Outlook (STSO)’.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu will inaugurate the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF) to assess the level of higher education institutions in the state, on Wednesday.
An official said the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) would be the implementing agency and the ranking exercise would be carried out annually.

One of the reasons for setting up such a mechanism was to improve the quality of higher education in the state and check the flow of students going outside the state to pursue their studies, he said.
The KSHEC would invite institutions interested in participating in the ranking exercise to register on the KIRF portal on the KSHEC website, the official said.
Institutions under various categories such as universities and colleges as well as engineering, management, teacher education, pharmacological, medical, dental, law, architecture and nursing institutes can participate in the ranking process.
“If they desire to be included in the discipline-specific ranking list, they can register separately and provide data in a specific format,” KSHEC member secretary Dr Rajan Varughese said.

The data will be uploaded to an online facility created for this purpose. KSHEC with the help of suitably identified partner agencies will undertake the authentication of data, wherever necessary and where feasible.

KSHEC will extract the relevant information from this data and, through software, compute the various metrics. Based on this data, the institutions would be ranked.
The quality benchmark of higher education institutions being set by the public agency would help students and parents to select the right institution in the state for higher studies, Varughese told PTI.
Besides “Scientific Temper and Secular Outlook (STSO)”, the performance parameters are organised into four other broad heads including Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), Knowledge Dissemination and Research Excellence (KDRE), Graduation Outcome (GO), and Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), officials said.
Under the ‘Scientific Temper and Secular Outlook (STSO)’ head, KIRF will assess the qualitative aspects of the higher education institutions applying for the ranking. Such institutions will have to submit a description in 500 words on the extension activities carried out to impart scientific temper and a secular outlook, and to sensitise students to social issues for their holistic development.
Under the STSO head, the institutions must also submit a description of strategies adopted by it to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and practise effective waste disposal, among other eco-friendly measures.
STSO was included as a criteria for ranking to highlight the importance of scientific temper and secularism in imparting education, a source said. Such a step was taken at a time when discussions are happening at the national level to wind up organisations such as Vigyan Prasar (an autonomous organisation set up by the union government in 1989 for popularising science and promoting scientific temper), the source added.
Officials said the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework was modelled along the lines of the National Institutional Ranking Framework, a methodology adopted by the union government’s Ministry of Education to rank institutions of higher education in the country.
They said that on the basis of many of the overall quantitative indicators, the higher education scene in Kerala was found to be favourably comparable with the national scene, and in some respects the situation in the state was better than some of the rapidly expanding higher education systems in southern states.
Hailing the Kerala government’s initiative, a higher education expert said the launch of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for higher educational institutions in the country by the Ministry of Education (then MHRD) in 2015 had been a watershed moment in the Indian higher education system.
“Although college and university rankings have been popular in many countries, the introduction of India-specific criteria for a sector that had been witnessing massive growth of institutions and student enrolments during the past decade raised many eyebrows. The NIRF is based on five overall parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources; Research and Professional Practice; Graduation Outcomes; Outreach and Inclusivity; and Peer Perception.
“Interestingly, by taking a cue from the NIRF, Kerala is going to launch the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework on May 3. This is the first State-specific ranking initiative for higher education institutions,” the expert told PTI.
Varughese said the state-level institutional ranking framework was formed without altering the core qualities and components of the NIRF. But it also incorporates the socio-cultural heritage and values that the state has sculpted over the period of its democratic era, he said.
He said that the KIRF had been evolved after intense deliberations and collective discussions among scholars of expertise and stakeholders of higher education inside and outside the state of Kerala.
[ad_2]
#Scientific #temper #secularism #key #parameters #Keralas #higher #education #ranking #system
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Emirates wins ‘Best Airline Worldwide’ award for 10th year in row
[ad_1]
Abu Dhabi: A Dubai-based Emirates airlines has once again been crowned as ‘Best Airline Worldwide’ for the 10th year in row at Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2023 held in Dubai on Monday.
The airline also received high marks for consistently delivering better experiences through its best-in-class services and pioneering products.
Emirates bagged four prestigious awards in the following categories:

Airline with the Best Premium Economy Class
Airline with the Best First Class
Best Airport Lounge in the Middle East
UAE’s Etihad Airways also earned three awards:
Airline with the Best Cabin Crew
Airline with the Best Economy Class
Airline with the Best Frequent Flyer Programme
Also, flydubai bagged the ‘Best Low-Cost Airline Serving the Middle East’.
Qatar Airways took home two awards:
Airline with the Best Business Class
Best Regional Airline Serving the Middle East
We’ve been recognised by Business Traveller Middle East Awards 👏
🏆 Best Cabin Crew for the 3rd consecutive year
🏆 Best Economy Class
🏆 Best Frequent Flyer Programme
We’re thrilled about this acknowledgment and look forward to making memories with you on board, from Abu… pic.twitter.com/oqXffMpTWh
— Etihad Airways (@etihad) May 2, 2023
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Emirates #wins #Airline #Worldwide #award #10th #year #row

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )
May 2, 2023
BJP team blames Odisha’s BJD govt for Sambalpur violence, demands CBI probe

[ad_1]
Sambalpur: The BJP MP’s team that visited Sambalpur, the scene of violence between two communities during Hanuman Jayanti processions last month, on Tuesday, “blamed” the BJD government in Odisha for it and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
Three members of the team – Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha member Brij Lal, party MP from Jharkhand Samir Oraon and Jyotirmay Singh Mahato from West Bengal visited the western Odisha city and will submit their report to BJP president J P Nadda.
During the visit, the team members interacted with Biswanath Sikka alias Kalia of Bhawanipali, who was injured in the incident. However, they could not meet the family of Chandrakant Mirdha, a tribal, of Jharmunda village, who was murdered on April 14.

Talking to reporters, Brij Lal, who led the delegation, said, the violence during the bike rally on April 12 was a “planned” incident.
The ruling Biju Janata Dal strongly opposed the BJP team’s visit to the violence hit Sambalpur and said that the saffron party would be “held responsible” if there is any recurrence of violence in the region.
“These people want violence to prevail and therefore instigating communities. The BJP team visits the place as they have no faith in police, administration, national human rights commission or even the national commission for ST,” BJD Mahila wing president Snehangini Chhuria told reporters at a press conference in Jharsuguda.
Brij Lal told reporters that the special branch of Odisha police had alerted the state government about the possibility of the violence. Even the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had also issued an advisory. But the deployment of police in such a sensitive place, where the violence took place on April 12, was “very poor”.

“This is not all, even police were not equipped to deal the situation. Anti-national slogans were raised during the rally. It is the complete failure of the state government and the police. Had there been adequate deployment, the violence could have been averted”, he said.

Brij Lal further said, the man who was murdered was the only son of the family. However, “we could not meet the family as the house was closed. Surprisingly, the administration has no answer on the whereabouts of the family,” he said and alleged that the tribal tradition had not been followed while performing the last rites of the tribal man, Chandarakant Mirdha.
The Sambalpur Superintendent of Police B Gangadhar said that police arrested at least six persons in connection with Mirdha’s murder.
His death had nothing to do with the violence in the city on April 12 and 14, the SP claimed, adding that many people including 10 police personnel were injured and a number of shops gutted during the clash.
The city was placed under curfew for several days and internet services were suspended in view of the violence.
Brij Lal said: “We met Biswanath Sikka who was injured in the incident and interacted with him. We also interacted with the different civil society organizations. During the visit, we found that the violence in Sambalpur was result of complete failure of the BJD.” He accused the BJD of doing appeasement politics.
“We will submit a report to our national president JP Nadda over the entire incident. We also demand the state government to write to the union government for investigation into the entire incident by CBI in assistance with the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” he said.
[ad_2]
#BJP #team #blames #Odishas #BJD #govt #Sambalpur #violence #demands #CBI #probe
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
2020 Delhi riots: ‘Entire case is a farce’, Shahrukh Pathan tells HC

[ad_1]
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday was informed by Shahrukh Pathan that there is no role attributed to him and that the “entire case is a farce” in a matter related to rioting and causing injuries to police personnel, including one Rohit Shukla, by an armed mob during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma was hearing Pathan’s bail plea. Simultaneously, Pathan is facing charges in another case in connection with pointing a pistol at a policeman.
A trial court had rejected Pathan’s bail plea in December 2021.

It is to be noted that the charges have already been framed against Pathan in the matter, and he had moved the high court in January last year seeking bail.
Even though there are four more accused in the case, the petitioner is the only one not named in the FIR or identified by anyone and yet he is behind bars whereas others have been released on bail, Pathan’s counsel Khalid Akhtar told the court.
“The bail application and arguments on the charges were heard together. Bail was rejected on the ground that he [Pathan] is accused in another case, that he could be a flight risk and that there were contradictions in his statements which are the subject matter of trial. There are total five accused persons in the FIR. I am the only person who is neither named nor identified while all others were named and identified. Their addresses were also disclosed by the victim and yet all of them have been granted bail and I am the only one behind bars. This entire case is a farce,” Akhtar submitted on behalf of his client.
Akhtar also apprised the court that the bail application has been pending for 15 months now, and that his client is lodged in jail for three years and one month.

“No role is attributed to me. It is not their case that I shot the victim. Examination of the main victim is complete. That is full of contradiction. There is nothing,” he submitted.

Justice Sharma then directed the special public prosecutor for Delhi Police to file a chart indicating the role of the accused persons, including Pathan, and the evidence attributed against them.
The court then listed the matter for further hearing on July 24.
Earlier in February, Pathan had informed the high court that the conclusion of the trial has been delayed for a long and that for more than a year now, only two witnesses have been examined out of 40.
Akhtar had earlier submitted: “There is a huge delay in the conclusion of the trial. Only two witnesses have been examined so far out of about 40. I have been attacked in jail too.”
[ad_2]
#Delhi #riots #Entire #case #farce #Shahrukh #Pathan #tells
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Hyderabad: Over 200 attend 3-day Wiki Conference India 2023

[ad_1]
Hyderabad: Readers in India visit Wikipedia and its other projects more than 797 million times each month, the fifth highest number of views from any country, said the organisation on Tuesday.
Wiki Conference India 2023 (WCI 2023), a conference of Indian and South Asian contributors to Wikipedia and its other projects was held in Hyderabad on May 2.
Wikipedia said in a press release that Indian volunteers are integral and valued contributors to the website, which is available in 24 languages spoken across India. In addition, Indian volunteers contribute to the wider ecosystem of Wikimedia projects such as Wikimedia Commons, Wikisource and Wikidata, and also help in improving technology development and features on Wikimedia websites.

“India continues to be a key region of expansion for Wikimedia’s knowledge communities, with a growing number of volunteer contributors and enormous potential to expand our reader base in the country. Wikiconference India is an opportunity to celebrate our local communities and their achievements in increasing access to free knowledge across languages,” said the chief advancement officer of the foundation, Lisa Seitz-Gruwell
Lisa added that the weekend’s event created an important platform to enable active growth and collaboration within the South Asia region.
“Wiki Conference India stands as a testament to the power of leadership and community collaboration in advancing knowledge-sharing and creating a more informed society. Through trust building and language diversity, this conference has become a vital platform for community members to connect, collaborate and contribute to the growth of Wikimedia’s global communities,” said the lead volunteer coordinator for WikiConference Nitesh Gill.
“It is encouraging to see the sheer enthusiasm and participation of Wikimedians at WCI 2023, and I am looking forward to seeing its impact on the development of open knowledge in not only India but the broader South Asia region. I hope this conference provides the grounds needed for further community growth and engagement,” said Nivas Ramisetty, WikiConference India coordinator.

The event was co-organised with a local partner, IIIT Hyderabad and was supported by the Telangana Department of Language and Culture who arranged a cultural dance show and excursion tour.

The three-day conference which was attended by over 200 people concluded on Sunday evening. The conference explored ways to increase the access and sharing of Indian history, culture and experiences on free knowledge projects globally. Participants from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka met for the first time since 2016.
The conference provided a common platform for Wikimedians (volunteer contributors and Wikimedia Foundation staff members), invitees and stakeholders interested in Indic-language Wikimedia projects and other aspects of the movement in India and South Asia.
WCI 2023 centred around the theme of “Strengthening Bonds,” chosen to underscore the vital role of building and maintaining robust connections within Wikimedia’s open source communities. The theme was rooted in the belief that a strong support system and opportunities for cross-learning are essential for achieving collective success.
[ad_2]
#Hyderabad #attend #3day #Wiki #Conference #India
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Indian pilgrim saved after cardiac arrest while performing Umrah

[ad_1]
Riyadh: The medical team saved the life of an Indian pilgrim who suffered a cardiac arrest while performing the rituals of Umrah in the Grand Mosque of Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The ambulance teams from the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Makkah have successfully saved a man in his sixties, who experienced severe shortness of breath, resulting in a loss of consciousness.
According to Dr Mustafa Baljoun, Director General of the Authority’s branch in Makkah, the medical command and control room received a distress call at 9:44 am on Sunday regarding a pilgrim who fainted after his heart had stopped while performing the sa’i ritual in the wheelchair tracks in the mas’a area (the area between Safa and Marwa).

The medical teams immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the pilgrim.
The patient was transferred to Ajyad General Hospital, where he was convalescing in the intensive care unit.
A similar incident occurred during the Umrah season this year.
In March, emergency rescue teams in Makkah demonstrated their expertise in dealing with medical emergencies by saving a 32-year-old Egyptian pilgrim.

The patient’s heart stopped twice, and he developed severe shortness of breath and lost consciousness for 27 minutes.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Indian #pilgrim #saved #cardiac #arrest #performing #Umrah
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Army helicopter accompanying Prime Minister’s chopper trapped in mud

[ad_1]
Raichur: An army helicopter that was accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chopper in Sindhanur was trapped in the mud for some time due to heavy downpour on Tuesday.
After much effort, the helicopter was taken out of the mud, viral videos showed.
Once the Prime Minister had left in his helicopter after addressing a gathering in Sindhanur, a helicopter that was accompanying it started to take off but got stuck in the mud.

Earlier in the day, Congress’ Karnataka unit president D K Shivakumar’s helicopter made an emergency landing at HAL airport after a kite hit the glass of the cockpit.
The bird strike damaged the glass but Shivakumar, the crew and others in the helicopter, including a journalist of a Kannada news channel who was interviewing him, were unharmed.
Subscribe us on

[ad_2]
#Army #helicopter #accompanying #Prime #Ministers #chopper #trapped #mud

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Hyderabad: Neera Cafe to be launched at Necklace Road on May 3

[ad_1]
Hyderabad: The Neera Cafe and Food Court, which recently stew a controversy with its name, is set to be inaugurated on Wednesday by Telangana Prohibition and Excise minister V Srinivas Goud.
Neera, also called palm nectar, is extracted from toddy palms. Neera extraction is generally performed before 7 AM. Neera naturally ferments at room temperature within a few hours of extraction. Once fermented, Neera becomes toddy.
The drink Neera will reportedly be marketed as the ‘Telangana’s drink’ by the government. The cafe is built with Rs 12.20 crores in Necklace Road, Hyderabad.

The state is going to build four Neera procurement centres at the cost of Rs 8 crores each in Nandanam of Bhongir district, Mudwin of Rangareddy district, Munipally of Sanagreddy district and Sarvail of Nalgonda district. The state has recognised 319 toddy tappers and provided training to them.
Life insurance to toddy tappers
The Telangana government is set to provide Rs 5 lakh as insurance to toddy tappers under the scheme ‘Geeta Karmikula Beema’, which will be provided directly to the bank account of their family in case of death while on the job.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao made the announcement on Tuesday and expressed his concern that during toddy tapping, unfortunate incidents of accidental slips and loss of lives take place. He said that it is the responsibility of the government to support the families of the toddy workers who died in such unforeseen unfortunate circumstances.
Protest by Brahmins
Members of Brahmin associations staged a protest at Necklace Road on January 10 raising their objection over the naming of the Neera cafe, when rumours floated that the cafe would be named ‘Vedamrutham’.

However, excise minister V Srinivas Goud later clarified that the name Neeramrutham was being considered and justified his statement by saying, “When cow urine is being called Goamrutham, why can’t Neera, a healthy drink be named Neeramrutham”.

While Brahmins argued that naming a kallu (toddy) shop after the Vedas was highly objectionable, Jai Goud leaders contended that Neera is non-alcoholic and even finds a mention in the Vedas.
The issue has been settled as the cafe’s name is replaced by Neera Cafe and Food Court. Takeaway is also available at the cafe.
Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagendar, union minister for Tourism Kishan Reddy, minister for Animal Husbandry Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Industries minister K Taraka Rama Rao, Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali, Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker T Padma Rao Goud, GHMC Mayor Gadwal Vijaya Laxmi, and the chief secretary A Santhi Kumari will be present at the event.
[ad_2]
#Hyderabad #Neera #Cafe #launched #Necklace #Road
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Kuwait cancels over 1.15 million visas of expats in 3 years

[ad_1]
Kuwait: Over 1.15 million visas of expatriates was cancelled by Kuwait during the three years, untill the end of March 2023, local media reported.
The number of those who left the country between January 2022 and April 2023 reached 67,000, and 11,000 of them were issued “administrative deportation” decisions in the first quarter of this 2023.
In 2022, Kuwait has deported some 40,000 illegal expatriates, who violated residence and labour laws.

According to Arabic daily Al-Qabas, the year 2022 witnessed the cancellation of the residency of 56,279 expatriates.
The cancellation of these residences is due to many reasons, in addition to the desire of the residence owner to leave, and the issuance of deportation orders for violating the labor and residence laws.
The local labor market has recently seen the entry of large numbers of labor force, despite the closure that the market saw, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions on many sectors.
Official data stated that the year 2022 witnessed a significant recovery in the labor market, as 67,000 workers entered the country for the first time, 64 percent of whom were domestic workers.

In 2021, 227,000 expatriates left the country, with around 160,000 leaving without compensation, most of whom worked in the private and family sector as domestic workers.

The number of domestic workers in Kuwait is about 750,000 workers, who account for about 22 per cent of the total expatriate workforce, which amounts to a total of 3.4 million people.
[ad_2]
#Kuwait #cancels #million #visas #expats #years
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023