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Gaganyaan astronauts to begin training in Russia this month

New Delhi (NVI): The four astronauts shortlisted for India’s first-ever manned space mission ‘Gaganyaan’ will start their training in Russia from third week of this month, Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said today.

The training will be for 11 months, after which these astronauts will receive module-specific training in India, he said.

Gaganyaan is proposed to be launched in 2022 and the astronauts are expected to be in space for at least 7 days.

Singh, who is also Minister of State in the PMO, said all the four astronauts selected for the mission are men but their identities cannot be revealed. According to an earlier plan, a woman was also to be a part of the crew.

Under the module-specific training, the four astronauts will be trained in crew and service module designed by ISRO, learn to operate it, work around and do simulations.

The government has sanctioned Rs 10,000 crore for the Gaganyaan project.

Though the first Indian to go into space was Rakesh Sharma in 1984 but the spacecraft in which he went was not Indian. Therefore, Gaganyaan will be the first of its kind human space mission conceived and developed in India.

Nirbhaya: Delhi govt rejects mercy plea

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI): The Delhi government today rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh, one of the convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case.

After the rejection by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government, the recommendation of the mercy plea was forwarded to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal,  who sent it to Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the further processing.

The Home Ministry will form its own recommendation now  and forward that to President Ram Nath Kovind.

According to the law, the President has the power to commute death sentence to life imprisonment.

Mukesh Singh and the three other convicts– Vinay Sharma, Akshay Kumar and Pawan Gupta– are scheduled to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail.

Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old girl, was brutally raped and murdered on the night of December 16, 2012, in a south Delhi area.

Delhi receives showers 

New Delhi (NVI): Parts of Delhi received showers today while the minimum temperature rose to 9.5 degrees celsius from 6.4 degrees celsius recorded yesterday.

The maximum temperature  today is expected to be around 16.0 degrees celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The weatherman has forecast that the temperature is expected to dip in Delhi and adjoining places.

Meanwhile, the overall air quality in the national capital today remained in the “poor” category.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR),the Air Quauity Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at  245 which falls in the “poor” category.

The worst affected areas are Dhirpur, Delhi University, Chandni Chowk, Pusa, Lodhi Road, Mathura Road, IGI Terminal 3 and the neighbouring Noida.

J&K: Rs 6,000 crore due for release by Centre under CSS

Jammu (NVI): An amount of over Rs 6,000 crore is due for release to Jammu and Kashmir as a component of the Central government funds towards different centrally-sponsored schemes.

This information was provided at a meeting held here on Wednesday by Financial Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir Arun Kumar Mehta to review proper utilization of the funds for the Union Territory provided under different centrally-sponsored schemes (CSS).

The meeting was also informed that all the departments are pursuing the release of these funds by liaising with the ministries concerned.

The Financial Commissioner urged the line departments to vigorously pursue the process of getting balance funds from the Government of India (GOI) being provided under different CSS.

He urged the officers to show eagerness to take up projects and utilise the funds properly.

“J&K is in dire need of such kind of assistance and its proper utilisation will definitely change the developmental scenario here,” the FC asserted.

Several administrative secretaries and the officers of the Finance department attended the meeting.

Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) are schemes that are implemented by state governments of India but are largely funded by the Central Government with a defined State Government share. Some examples of such schemes are Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, etc.

FICCI suggests govt to formulate national railway plan

New Delhi (NVI): To facilitate industry participation in the rail sector, industry body FICCI has suggested the government to formulate a national railway plan and reform procurement policy.

Apart from this, the industry chamber has also recommended phased manufacturing program, expansion of PPP (public-private partnership) model to new areas, and closer collaboration with industry for absorption of technology.

The FICCI report also said railways will offer new manufacturing opportunities worth Rs 28,000 crore per year.

The report also identifies specific opportunities for industry across various areas such as rolling-stock manufacturing, sub-assembly or component manufacturing, machinery and tool manufacturing, and project execution.

The report has also enlisted 10 recommendations for policy makers to further facilitate industry participation in these opportunities.

Russian Foreign Minister meets PM

New Delhi (NVI): The year 2020 should be the one to implement the decisions reached between India and Russia in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

He made the suggestion while receiving Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov here and noted that several important decisions and outcomes were reached between the two countries last year.

The year 2020 is the 20th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between India and the Russian Federation.

Lavrov, who is on a visit to India to participate in the Raisina Dialogue, briefed the Prime Minister on Russia’s position on key international and regional issues.

During the discussion, Modi referred to the wide-ranging conversation he had with President Vladimir Putin over telephone on January 13.

He also noted the progress in the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries in the previous year.

The Russian Foreign Minister conveyed to Modi that President Putin looks forward to the visit of the Prime Minister to Russia in May 2020 to participate in the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Victory Day, and in July 2020 for the BRICS and SCO Summits.

Earlier, while speaking at the Raisina Dialogue today, the Russian Foreign Minister hit out at the US over the concept of the Indo-Pacific, while saying that it was initiated to disrupt the existing structure and contain China.

He also said that an equitable democratic order should not be influenced by use of brutal force. Lavrov also backed India and Brazil to be permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Nirbhaya: Delhi says no hanging on Jan 22

New Delhi (NVI): In an interesting turn of events in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder, the Delhi High Court today refused to set aside the trial court’s order issuing death warrants to the convicts.

The Delhi government had informed the High Court that the four death row convicts cannot be hanged on January 22 as one of the convicts has filed a mercy plea, which is pending before President Ram Nath Kovind for consideration.

The court also has asked Mukesh’s counsel to approach trial court and apprise it about the pending mercy plea.

Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old girl, was brutally raped and murdered on the night of December 16, 2012, in a south Delhi area.

Government begins commercial coal auction process

New Delhi (NVI): The government has released a list of 74 coal mines which it plans to auction under commercial mining after it lifted restrictions on the mining regime and opened the gates for private entry.

A company or a joint venture company incorporated in India is eligible to participate in commercial coal auctions, the coal ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry of Coal is initiating the process for auction of coal mines for its sale. Expected to be held in multiple tranches, the first tranche is proposed to be launched in the current financial year.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi said this is a historic step towards Ease of Doing Business and democratization of coal and mining sectors. Moving ahead after the recent amendments in Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015.

While releasing a list of 74 mines which it plans to auction under commercial mining, the Ministry of Coal has urged the interested stakeholders to view the Discussion Paper and the mine specific details, submit their views and suggestions, indicate their preferences for the mines to be considered for auction under the first tranche, as per the instructions provided in the Discussion Paper.

 

Audi Q8 launched in India at Rs 1.33 crore

New Dehi (NVI): Audi India has launched its flagship crossover SUV, the Q8 with the price starting at Rs 1.33 crore.

The German luxury carmaker, Audi new Q8 is the new face of the Q family which currently includes Q3, Q5 and Q7.

The new Audi Q8 combines the elegance of a four-door luxury coupe with the practical versatility of a large SUV.

Some of the more prominent styling cues on the new Q8 include the massive front grille, distinctive LED headlights, its coupe-like roofline, frameless doors and flared wheel arches.

The rear features an angular tailgate and bumper design, but what dominates this area is the full-width tail-lights.

The Q8 is wider than the Q7 but lower and shorter than the latter. It gets a 605 litre-boot.

There are standard 21-inch alloys, with an option for 22-inch alloys.

The Q8 is powered by a BS6-compliant 3.0-litre TFSI engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system that puts out 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque.

This unit comes coupled with an 8-speed automatic gearbox and is offered with an AWD drivetrain.

The interiors of the Q8 conveys a luxurious charm and, together with the optionally-adjustable rear seat, also offers plenty of space in the rear.

The lounge character of the interior makes it an ideal companion for business or leisure.

J&K: Internet services partially restored

Srinagar (NVI): Internet services were partially restored in Jammu and Kashmir today.

This comes after the J&K administration on Tuesday issued orders to restore broadband services in all government offices and institutions offering essential services like hospitals and banks.

However, there will be a complete ban on social media, the government order said. A review will be conducted after a week and the Lieutenant-Governor will then take a call on the restoration of cellphone internet services, it said.

The order came days after the Supreme Court, on January 10, had asked the UT administration to review all curbs, including a ban on the internet after the abolition of Article 370 in August last year.

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