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Temperature on rise as pre-monsoon season starts

New Delhi (NVI): North, eastern, central and southern states of the country saw a rise in the day temperatures as the pre-monsoon season has begun from this month.

The first arrival of summer is also seen in the states of South and Central India, according to SkymetWeather.

As the mercury crosses the 35-degree mark in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka coastal areas, Maharashtra coastal areas, and Odisha.

Temperatures in northern India plains reach this level in mid-March.

At present, the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala are included in the list of 10 hottest cities during the last 24 hours.

Punalur of Kerala is the hottest place in the plains of the country, where the maximum temperature has been recorded at 37.2 degree Celsius.

Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, Madurai in Tamil Nadu and Malegaon in Maharashtra recorded maximum temperature at 36.6 degrees Celsius.

Apart from this, Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and  Paramathi in Tamil Nadu recorded maximum temperature at 36.5 and 36.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

Erode in Tamil Nadu and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh both recorded maximum temperature at 36 degrees Celsius.

Kerala’s Alappuzha and Kannur recorded maximum temperature at 35.8 and 35.7 degrees Celsius respectively.

Meanwhile, Delhi and NCR region also saw a slight decrease in minimum temperature to 14.3 degree Celsius from 14.7 degrees Celsius recorded yesterday.

The maximum temperature today is expected to be around 28 degrees celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The overall air quality in the national capital today is in “poor” category.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at 215 which falls in the “poor” category.

The SkymetWeather also predicted that scattered rain is expected to approach Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh due to an active Western Disturbance (WD) in the Western Himalayas.

Due to this system,there are also chances of moderate snowfall with isolated heavy spells in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during this span.

The weather system is also likely to impact the Indo-Gangetic plains in terms of moderate to heavy rain between March 5 and 7.

 

 

Rlwys losing traffic: Parl to discuss Rail Min’s demand for grants

Railways
Representational Image

New Delhi (NVI): With the Indian Railways steadily losing traffic to other modes of transport, the Parliament will discuss the Rail Ministry’s demand for grants so that the finances of the national carrier are not affected.

The Parliament reconvened today after recess for the second part of the Budget Session. The Demand for Grants for the Ministry of Railways is set to be discussed and voted this week.

The growth rate of both freight traffic and passengers has declined for Railways as it is losing traffic to road transport because of inadequate and poor service. As a result, most of India’s passengers and the bulk of freight go by road.

According to a recent estimate by the railways, currently 90 percent of India’s passengers traffic and 65 per cent of its freight uses road transportation.

The freight basket is also limited to a few bulk commodities such as coal, cement and iron ore. Any shift in transport patterns of any of these bulk commodities could affect the Railways’ finances significantly.

In addition, profits from freight operations are used to offset losses from passenger services. In 2017-18, 95% of the profit earned from freight operations was utilised to compensate for losses from passenger and other services.

High operating ratio (>90%) reduces the Railways’ ability to generate surplus for capital investments. As a result, the Indian Railways will fund only about 5% of this capital expenditure from its own internal resources in 2020-21. 52% will be financed through extra budgetary resources and the rest from the Centre.

The Railways finances were presented on February 1, 2020 by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with the Union Budget 2020-21. The Ministry of Railways manages the administration of Indian Railways and policy formation through the Railway Board. Indian Railways is a commercial undertaking of the government.

Railways’ revenue for 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 2,25,913 crore which is a 10% increase from the revised estimates of 2019-20.

Thinking of giving up social media accounts: Modi

surge in Covid cases

New Delhi (NVI): In a major surprise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted tonight that he may give up his social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube this Sunday.

The PM’s tweet, which gave no reasons for the proposed move, left many puzzled as he is among the world’s most-followed leaders on social media and remains very active on all platforms.

In his tweet, PM Modi also said that he will keep all posted regarding his decision to quit social media.

“This Sunday, thinking of giving up my social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube. Will keep you all posted,” Modi tweeted.

In less than an hour, PM Modi’s tweet got thousands of reactions. As per the present figure, the prime minister has 53.3 million followers on the microblogging site.

J&K: 2 former DMs sent in police custody for issuing fake gun licences

Representational Picture

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Two former District Magistrates (DMs) of Kupwara, who were arrested yesterday in arms license case, have been remanded in 10-day police custody by a special judge of CBI cases in Srinagar.

Kumar Rajiv Ranjan and Itrit Hussain Rafiqui, both former DMs of Kupwara district, were arrested for issuing gun licenses “fraudulently and illegally in lieu of monetary consideration” during their respective tenures.

While Ranjan was in office from 2013-2015, Itrit held the post from 2015 to 2016.

“The Special Judge CBI Cases, Srinagar has today remanded the then two District Magistrates, Kupwara ten days Police Custody in a case related to irregularities in issuance of arms licenses. Both the accused were arrested by CBI in an on-going investigation of the said case,” a CBI spokesperson said.

CBI had registered a case on the consent of J&K Government and further Notification from the Centre and taken over the investigation of FIR number 18 of 2018 (dated 17.05.2018), earlier registered at Police Station Vigilance Organisation Kashmir.

The allegations in the case, as per the CBI spokesperson, were that during the period 2012 to 2016, the Deputy Commissioners of various districts of J&K, including District Kupwara had fraudulently and illegally issued bulk arms licenses in lieu of monetary consideration.

“During investigation to unearth the deep-rooted conspiracy in issuance of illegal arms licenses, CBI has arrested a private person on February 24 on the allegations of working as conduit of gun dealers and officials of various districts of the then State of J&K and also indulged in various financial transactions with other co-accused persons, including public servants,” the spokesperson said.

The arrested person is in CBI custody till March 5.

“During further investigation, the alleged role of both the then District Magistrates, Kupwara surfaced during their tenure as District Magistrate, Kupwara (J&K). Investigation is continuing,” the spokesperson added.

The roots of this massive scam go as back as 2012 when it first came to the fore.

Between 2009 and 2013, the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued over 92000 gun licenses, 40587 of which were alone issued in 2011 and 2012.

Overall, the case involves the issuance of over two lakh arms licenses in eight districts of the erstwhile state.

157 militants killed in J&K last year; 138 infiltration bids

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New Delhi (NVI): 157 militants were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, while 25 were terminated this year, Minister of State (MoS) for Defence, Shripad Naik said today.

“157 militants were neutralised in the year 2019 in Jammu & Kashmir. There have been 138 cases of infiltration by militants along Line of Control and International Border,” Naik said in Rajya Sabha.

In 2020, 36 persons including 25 militants were killed in the first two months, he said.

Besides 25 militants, a policeman, 4 army soldiers, a CRPF man and 2 army porters and three civilians were also killed, he added.

The first two months of 2020 witnessed 15 gunfights between militants and the security forces. Two army porters were killed in Kasalian Pooch in Pakistan shelling in the month of January.

A civilian identified as Ghulam Nabi Mir was killed in February after militants fired upon him at Tral Payeen.

Another 62-year-old civilian was killed after Pakistan Army fired at forward posts in Shahpur and Kerni areas along LoC in Poonch district.

Encounters took place in Khari Taharat forest area of Rajouri, Charsoo Awantipora, Gulshanpora Tral, Behrampora area of Central Kashmir’s Chadoora town, Doda, Wachi Shopian, Zantral Khrew, Hari Pari Awantipora, Arwani Bijbehara, Nagrota Jammu, Lawaypora Srinagar, Kuchlaman Tral and Sangam Anantnag.

Soldiers who were killed in different gunfights were identified as Naik Sawant Sandip Raghunath of Maharashtra and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar of Nepal, soldier Rahul Rainswal and SOG man Shahbaz Chowdary of Manjkot Rajouri and CRPF trooper Ramesh Ranjan.

Some of the slain militants included Shahid Dar, a resident of Arwani Bijebehara, Hamad Khan of Seer Jagir, Faizan Hamid from Mandora and Adil Bashir from Monghama Tral,Adil Ahmed of Chadoora, Harun Hafiz of Doda,Wasim Ahmed of Nagabal, Adil Ahmed of Zainpora and Hadayatullah of Shadipora Shopian, Qari Yasir, Burhan from Tral, Shahid Ahmed Ahangar of Qaimoh Kulgam, Zia-ur-Rehman of Arth Budgam and Khateeb of Wagam Bijbehara, Rayees Ahmed Dar from Gulistan Tral, Jahangir Rafiq Wani of Amirabad Tral, Raja Umar Maqbool of Lurgam Tral and Sadat Ahmed Thokar of Wagam Bijbehara, Naveed Ahmed Bhat and Aqib Bhat both residents of Qoimoh Kulgam.

However, the number of militants killed in 2019 is down as compared to the previous year. In 2018, the security forces had neutralised a total of 254 insurgents in the Valley.

Avoid travel to China, Iran, Korea, Singapore, Italy: Harsh Vardhan

New Delhi (NVI): Hours after two more positive cases of coronavirus were confirmed in India, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China, Iran, Korea, Singapore and Italy.

“We are screening passengers coming from 12 countries, at present. Initially, universal screening was being done for passengers coming to India from China, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. Later, passengers from Vietnam, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran and Italy were also added,” the Union Health Minister said in a tweet.

The minister also confirmed the two new COVID-19 positive cases reported in Delhi and Telangana. He was addressing a presser at the Ministry of Health today after a meeting with Group of Minister on coronavirus.

Vardhan added that screening of passengers is being conducted at 21 airports, 12 major and 35 minor seaports.

“Around 5,57,431 passengers have been screened so far at airports and 12,431 passengers have been screened on minor and major seaports,” he said.

He also said that apart from 15 labs at NIV Pune, 19 more labs are expected to be functional soon.

The Ministry of Health also released a statement in connection with the two fresh cases reported in India.

“As the situation develops, the travel restrictions may be further extended to other countries,” the Ministry said.

Meanwhile, China reported 42 more deaths due to coronavirus today, even as there is a reduction in the pace at which people were dying from the virus there. The global death toll has exceeded 3,000 mark.

Worldwide, there have been almost 90,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

J&K to conduct security audit of departmental websites

Representational image

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): In order to prevent cyber attacks, Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to conduct security audit of all the departmental websites before hosting them online.

According to the official documents accessed by NVI, Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked all the Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) of states and union territories to regularly audit the government websites.

“All the government websites and applications are to be audited with respect to cyber security prior to their hosting. Auditing of these websites and applications has to be conducted regularly to check any attempt of hacking,” read a document.

Besides, the Union government has also formulated Crisis Management Plan to assist state and Union Territory government’s including Jammu and Kashmir in countering cyber attacks and ‘cyber terrorism’.

“Government has launched a Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre). The centre is providing free tools to remove malicious programs,” according to the document.

Government has also empanelled 90 security organizations to support and audit implementation of Information Security Best Practices.

Around 44 mock drills have been conducted by government departments including finance, defence, power, telecom, transport, energy, space and information technology, to prevent cyber attacks.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has also issued alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats from locations including Algeria, Brazil, China, France, Netherlands, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, USA and Vietnam.

“It has been observed that attackers are compromising computer systems located in different parts of the world and use masquerading techniques and hidden servers to hide the identity of actual systems from which the attacks are being launched,” the document read.

A government official said all the departments were taking measures through their information technology team to secure their websites from hacking attempts.

“There have been many incidents when government websites have been hacked. All the departments are taking various measures to secure the department data on their websites,” he said.

Nirbhaya case: Execution of convicts deferred by Delhi court till further order

Supreme Court (File photo)

(Updating earlier story)

New Delhi (NVI): The hanging of four convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case, that was scheduled to take place tomorrow, has been put off till further orders by a Delhi court here. This is the third time that the execution has been deferred.

The deferment of execution of death warrant was ordered by the Patiala Court judge. The court said that the death sentence cannot be executed tomorrow as the mercy petition of convict Pawan Kumar Gupta is pending before President. Gupta sent a mercy plea to President Ram Nath Kovind after the Supreme Court rejected his curative plea earlier in the day.

In his curative petition before the apex court, convict Pawan (25) claimed juvenility to seek commutation of sentence to life imprisonment.

The hanging of four convicts in the case — Akshay Thakur (31), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Mukesh Singh — was scheduled to take place tomorrow in Tihar Jail at 6 am

However, the latest development in the case comes after a Delhi court had refused to stay execution of death sentences of the four rape convicts in the case, earlier in the day.

A five-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana said no case is made out for re-examining the conviction and the punishment of the convict.

Pawan was the last death row convict in the case to move the apex court with his curative petition — the final legal remedy available to a person.

The Supreme Court has already rejected the curative petitions of the remaining three convicts.

On December 16, 2012, a 23-year-old woman was gang-raped and assaulted inside a moving bus in South Delhi by six persons, before being thrown out on the road. She later died on December 29, 2012, at a hospital in Singapore.

 

Modi wishes speedy recovery to Oli

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wished a successful surgery and a speedy recovery to his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli.

The Nepal Prime Minister is to undergo his second kidney transplantation procedure this week.

“My dear friend @kpsharmaoli ji, wishing you a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. May Lord Pashupatinath bless you always with good health, happiness and a very long life. Look forward to your continued contribution to taking India-Nepal relations to new heights,” PM Modi said in a tweet.

The Nepal Prime Minister underwent a kidney transplant in India in 2007 after both his kidneys failed to function.  Since then, he has travelled abroad on several occasions for health-checkups and has undergone multiple rounds of dialysis.

Kejriwal announces Rs 1 cr compensation for slain IB official

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today announced Rs 1 crore compensation to the family of Intelligence Bureau (IB) official Ankit Sharma, who was killed in northeast Delhi violence.

“Ankit Sharma was a brave IB officer. He was brutally murdered in the riots. The country is proud of him. The Delhi government has decided that his family will be given an honorarium of Rs 1 crore and job to one of his family members. May his soul rest in peace,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted today.

As per media reports, Sharma, a resident of Chang Bagh in north east Delhi was brutally stabbed to death furing the violence. He was woring as a security assistant in IB. He went missing on Tuesday and his body was later found in drain on Wednesday morning.

Around 46 people have been killed in the violence which swept northeast Delhi area last week. Reports said that violence took place as anti and pro CAA protesters clashed with each other.

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