4 Flats Destroyed In Fire After Generator Blast At UP Housing Complex
Four flats in a society in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad were engulfed in a massive fire that broke following a blast in a generator.
Namo Rapid Train: Good news! Timing of Namo Bharat train will change from May 20, check details
Ghaziabad News: There is a good news for the passengers traveling by Namo Bharat train. Actually, the train time table is going to change from May 20. Now passengers will be able to travel by train at 10 pm. Ghaziabad. There is a good news for the passengers traveling in Namo Bharat train. Keeping in [] The post Namo Rapid Train: Good news! Timing of Namo Bharat train will change from May 20, check details first appeared on informalnewz .
The accused, identified as 30-year-old Shyam Goswami, strangled his wife, Priya, 28, to death and stayed beside her dead body for hours before hanging himself around 1:00 pm
Summer of discontent in the Hindi heartland
If there is one striking difference between the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, its the lack of a wave - be it a Modi wave, NDA wave, INDIA wave or even a Mandir wave. With the hyper-nationalist fervour in 2019 after the Pulwama blasts and Balakot air strikes, several voters clearly stated that the BJP candidate didn't matter and that their vote for the party was essentially one for Modi. This time, in the absence of a national narrative, local candidates and local issues are playing a role in determining voter choices in Uttar Pradesh. The 'Modi factor' isnt strong enough for them to vote for a disapproving candidate. So far, the team and I have travelled to 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that have voted in the first four phases - from west UP's Ghaziabad, Meerut, Bijnor, Nagina, Saharanpur, Kairana and Muzaffarnagar towards Etawah, Kheri, Dhaurahra, Kannauj, Badayun, Mainpuri and Hathras. We identified influential communities in each constituency and visited villages and townships where these communities have a strong presence to understand how voters are thinking, the issues determining their votes and if and why their voting preferences have changed since 2019. On average, we covered at least two Vidhan Sabha areas in each of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies. One of the most prominent issues across castes was the agrarian crisis. Even those of the Brahmin community who praised Modi as 'king' and were supporting BJP consistently spoke about their struggles as farmers. One of the specific issues all farmers faced was the menace of the stray cattle that destroyed crops in the fields. With the Yogi government's increased restrictions on slaughterhouses and the fear of cow vigilantes, many farmers are left in a lurch. They are clueless about how to deal with their male cattle, essentially an economic burden on farmers who are anyway dealing with growing financial distress. These policies have robbed farmers of an additional source of income, and they are now forced to abandon their male cattle and older cows and buffalos who can no longer produce milk. The state government has unsuccessfully attempted to build cow sheds to address the issue. The stray cattle run over crops, graze on them and destroy them. The losses thus incurred are substantially higher than the quarterly cash transfer of Rs 500 a month from the central government as part of the much-hyped Kisan Samman Nidhi. Will UP's rural voters spring a surprise in this election? Add to this the shrinkflation in ureathe sacks have become smaller while the price has remained constant. Meanwhile, the state-mandated price for sugarcane has grown by only about Rs 45 a quintal in the last seven years, lower than under previous regimes. This has resulted in the drifting away of several non-Yadav, non-Jat agrarian Other Backward Classes from the BJP in west UP. This includes castes like Lodhi Rajputs, Kurmis, Kushwahas and Sainis, who are mostly marginal farmers. The exact percentage of this shift is hard to determine, but a significant breaking away is evident. When asked about a possible alliance with the BJP during the 2022 UP assembly elections, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary had said, I am not a chavanni (25-paise coin) that can be flipped. Two years later, this March 2, the RLD that has a significant Jat following in West UP, joined the NDA. It was in the hope of consolidating Jat voters for the BJP-led alliance. But in many seats like Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh and Agra, Jat voters haven't shifted to the NDA to the extent hoped for. The ripples from the historic thirteen-month-long farmers' movement of 2020-21 continue to impact the Jat voters of the region and they remain suspicious of the new alliance. In many of these constituencies, the lower turnout is a result of core BJP communities voting in fewer numbers. Another factor that could hurt the BJP in the first three phases is the massive Rajput panchayats held in Meerut, Kairana and Muzaffarnagar against the party. This was in response to a couple of speeches made allegedly against the community by BJP leaders. On March 22, Parshottan Rupala, a BJP candidate from Rajkot, said, Even kings and royals bowed down to the British but not Rukhi samaj (a Dalit community). He was seen to praise Dalits at the expense of Rajputs and Kshatriyas, whom he accused of entering into roti-beti relations with the British (breaking bread and entering into marital relations). Many also accused the BJP of 'keeping silent' when the caste name Gurjar was inscribed on the statue of Mihir Bhoj who they claim is a Rajput. While there is a level of disillusionment with the ruling party, the opposition INDIA bloc has not been able to win over these communities. As a result, voter enthusiasm has been minimal and many have chosen not to vote. What is also evident is a simmering anger against the ruling dispensation among large sections of the rural and semi-urban poor and even middle classes. Issues of inflation and unemployment are soaring and oft-repeated by voters. In Meerut, many voters talked about how BJPs key campaign points like the scrapping of Article 370 in Kashmir have no impact on their lives. One of them said, We are not buying land there! The anger among the youth was further fuelled when the Uttar Pradesh Constable Recruitment and Promotion 2024 examination was cancelled. The exam was held on February 17 and 18 this year and over 48 lakh aspirants vied for 60,244 posts. It was later revealed that the examination papers had leaked. The state government announced that the exam would be held again after the Lok Sabha elections. Repeated incidents of paper leaks under the Yogi government have increased the despondency among young voters who eye government jobs. Young people from across rural western UP have always eyed a job in the army. The recently unveiled Agniveer scheme has proven to be yet another wet blanket. Apart from the anger on unemployment and inflation that's evident among Dalits across UP, there is another concern. This March 25, BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde from Karnataka called for 'rewriting' the Indian Constitution, which would not be possible without winning 400 of the 543 seats. At least three other BJP candidates have openly stated the same intention. The videos of their statements have gone viral. So the BJP's slogan of ' Abki baar , 400 paar' has caused a growing insecurity among Scheduled Caste voters about reservation. This includes non-Jatav SC communities, large sections of which have in the past few years been voting for the BJP. Another factor that could have worked in BJP's favour but is proving to be a dampener is that the BSP and SP couldn't ally. In 2019, because of the SP-BSP alliance, on many seats which didn't have a BSP candidate, there was a shift of a substantial number of Dalit votes to BJP. This time, in constituencies like Meerut, Saharanpur, Nagina, Kairana, Etawah, Lakhimpur Kheri and Mainpuri, there is a visible shift of such voters from the BSP to the INDIA bloc, essentially looking to vote for the strongest candidate against the BJP. It must be noted that a substantial share has also been retained by the BSP. In some places, even Muslims are looking to consolidate in favour of not just the strongest candidate against the BJP but also voting beyond traditional patterns. For example, in the Nagina constituency, there is a strong consolidation of both Muslims and Dalits in favour of Chandrashekhar Azad from the Azad Samaj Party. This is because Muslims were looking for an alternative owing to the SP's silence on many issues related to the Muslim community. As one moves further away from west UP, it seems Akhilesh Yadav's PDA slogan - with P for pichhde or backward classes, D for Dalits, and A for alpsankhyak or minorities - has rung a bell. Many voters are also calling it 'Pandit harao abhiyan ' (Defeat the Brahmins campaign). The importance of being Akhilesh Yadav in this Lok Sabha election Women voters in rural areas are particularly upset with the lack of allocation of houses under the PM Awaas Yojana. Village after village, they were keen to show their abysmal living conditions. Many who got gas cylinders for the first time because of the government's much-touted Ujjwala Yojana are back to using clay stoves since they can't afford to refill their cylinders with the skyrocketing prices. Yet, despite the growing discontent among various communities, it would be wrong to underestimate the BJP. Numerically significant castes like Brahmins and Baniyas have consolidated behind the BJP across UP. Also, unlike west UP, the Rajput anger doesn't seem to have much of an impact in central and eastern UP. The BJP still has a strong cadre base across castes. As one voter in Kairana said, The voters are silent and that could mean anything. Nakul Singh Sawhney is an independent documentary filmmaker and founder of Chalchitra Abhiyaan. (Views are personal) Amethi: A tryst with destiny that wasnt to be
Married couple arrested in Delhi for duping people on pretext of providing jobs
Married couple arrested in Delhi for duping people on pretext of providing jobs A married couple have been arrested for allegedly duping people on the pretext of providing government jobs, police on Wednesday said. Both the accused were allegedly changing their address and identities for last six months to evade arrest, they said. The accused have been identified as Vikas Tyagi (35), and his wife Amita Tyagi, both residents of Ghaziabad, police said. ''On May 10, the staff of the north district police received a tip-off regarding a proclaimed offender couple involved in a case of cheating registered against them in Laxmi Nagar Police Station,'' Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) said. The officer further said that they were hiding themselves inside a rented flat in Govind Puram in Ghaziabad and a raid was conducted and both were apprehended. ''Both told police that they have been cheating people on the pretext of providing government jobs to the candidates who are preparing for the government jobs examinations,'' said the DCP.
CUET-UG: NTA postpones May 15 exam in Delhi
NEW DELHI: In a late-night development, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday said the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG 2024 scheduled for May 15 stands postponed for centres across Delhi due to unavoidable reasons. The examination in Delhi will now be held on May 29. Speaking with this paper, Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said, Due to unavoidable reasons, the four papers scheduled on 15 May in the Centres of Delhi city only have to be rescheduled to 29 May 2024. NTA has done this in the best interest of the students. The revised admit cards will be issued. Exams have been canceled in 258 centres in Delhi, he added. The announcement came few hours before the exams were to begin in 380 exam centers across India, including 26 outside India. The news was greeted by students and parents alike with great dismay as it came at the very last minute. In a public notice, the NTA said, It is being informed to all the concerned candidates and stakeholders that due to unavoidable reasons, the test papers (Chemistry -306, Biology - 304, English - 101, and General Test - 501) which were earlier scheduled on 15 May 2024 stand postponed for the candidates appearing in centres across Delhi only. It further said that the examination scheduled for May 15 will be held in all other cities across the country, including in Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Noida, and abroad. Further examinations scheduled on other dates May 16, 17, and 18, 2024 at all centers including those in Delhi will be held as scheduled, said Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Senior Director, NTA. Candidates are advised to be in touch with the NTA website.
Delhi's CUET-UG Postponed to May 29 from May 15, Announces NTA
Delhi's CUET-UG Postponed to May 29 from May 15, Announces NTA The Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG scheduled for May 15 has been postponed for centres in Delhi due to unavoidable reasons, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Tuesday night. This is the third edition of the undergraduate admission test. The examination will now be held in Delhi on May 29 and revised admit cards will be issued for candidates. There are 258 centres for CUET-UG across the city. ''It is being informed to all the concerned candidates and stakeholders that due to unavoidable reasons, the test papers (Chemistry - 306, Biology - 304, English - 101, and General Test - 501) which were earlier scheduled on 15 May 2024 stand postponed for the candidates appearing in Centres across Delhi only,'' said Sadhna Parashar, Senior Director of NTA. ''The examination scheduled for May 15 will be held in all other cities across the country, including in Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida, and abroad. Further examinations scheduled for other dates (May 16, 17 and 18) at all centres, including those in Delhi, will be held as scheduled,'' Parashar added. The NTA had last month announced that the third edition of the CUET-UG will be completed in seven days and there will be no normalisation of scores as all exams will be conducted in a single shift. For 15 subjects, the tests will be in pen-paper mode and for the other 48 subjects, the exam will be held in computer-based mode. This year, over 13.4 lakh candidates have registered for the common entrance test for admission to undergraduate courses in 261 central, state, deemed and private universities. In the first edition of the exam in 2022, the test was plagued by technical glitches. Also, as a result of tests for a subject being conducted over multiple shifts, scores had to be normalised during the announcement of results.
CUET-UG scheduled for May 15 postponed for Delhi centres: NTA
NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) said Tuesday the The Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG scheduled for May 15 stands postponed for centres across Delhi due to unavoidable reasons. The examination will now be held in Delhi on May 29 and revised admit cards will be issued for candidates, it said. It is being informed to all the concerned candidates and stakeholders that due to unavoidable reasons, the test papers (Chemistry - 306, Biology - 304, English - 101, and General Test - 501) which were earlier scheduled on 15 May 2024 stand postponed for the candidates appearing in Centres across Delhi only, the NTA said in a statement. It further said that the examination scheduled for May 15 will be held in all other cities across the country, including in Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida, and abroad. Further examinations scheduled for other dates (May 16, 17 and 18) at all centres, including those in Delhi, will be held as scheduled, the NTA added.
Six dead as car hits truck in UP's Hapur
HAPUR: Six people have died and one was grievously injured when their car collided with a truck here, police said on Tuesday. The incident occurred late on Monday night near Brajghat toll plaza, when the driver const control over the car and it hit the truck, they said. The injured person has been referred to a hospital in Meerut. Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma said the accident took place at around 12.30 am. Those killed have been identified as Rohit Saini (33), Anoop Singh (38), Sandeep (35), Nikki Jain (33) and Vipin Soni (35), all residents of Ghaziabad, and Raju Jain (36), a resident of Meerut, police said.
These are the top universities in India and around the world
Picture for representational purpose (Photo: DC archives) Picture for representational purpose (Photo: DC archives) Hyderabad: The Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) has released its list of top 2,000 universities across the globe on Monday. USA's Harvard University has topped the list while China's Yunnan Agricultural University secured the last spot. Indian Universities have failed to find a spot in the top 100 Universities, with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad being the only university in the top 500 list. IIM-Ahmedabad has ranked 410 in the global rankings with an employability rank of 11. Coming to Universities in India, the IIM-Ahmedabad has topped the list followed by Indian Institute of Science- Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research -Hyderabad (TIFR). Meanwhile, TIFR is the top University in Hyderabad followed by University of Hyderabad (UoH) and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. Top 10 Indian Universities: 1. IIM Ahmedabad 2. IISc Bengaluru 3. IIT Bombay 4. IIT Madras 5. TIFR Hyderabad 6. IIT Delhi 7. Delhi University 8. IIT Kharagpur 9. AcSIR Ghaziabad 10. Punjab University
Namo Bharat emerges as the busiest station on the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor
Namo Bharat emerges as the busiest station on the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor The Ghaziabad station of the Namo Bharat has emerged as the busiest among the eight currently operating stations, a statement said on Monday. The Namo Bharat train services recently crossed a significant milestone by transporting over one million passengers since its inauguration. It is currently operational on the 34-km stretch between Sahibabad and Modi Nagar North on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor, the statement said. ''Among the eight stations on the route, Ghaziabad station has emerged as the busiest, with most passengers travelling between Ghaziabad and Modi Nagar North. This popularity can be attributed to the presence of numerous educational institutions, including engineering colleges and coaching centres, catering to a large student population who are the most frequent users of the Namo Bharat,'' it said. The onset of summer has seen a rise in the ridership among the working professionals and senior citizens as well. The lost property office situated at the Ghaziabad station has become popular among the passengers, having returned numerous items, including cash, documents, ID cards, lunch boxes and keys since its inception on October 23. The retrieved item details are available on the RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) Connect application as well as the RRTS website, it said. Since its inception, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has prioritised passenger convenience in every aspect of the project. The passengers have the luxury of booking tickets from various ticketing options, including digital QR code-based tickets through the RRTS Connect mobile application and paper QR code-based tickets with 'one-tap' or origin-destination selection, it said. Additionally, the passengers can generate paper QR codes through UPI, National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), Debit-Credit Card and Bank Note from the Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) installed at the stations, the statement said. With a focus on accessibility and inclusivity, each Namo Bharat train comprises six coaches, with 72 seats in a standard coach and 62 seats in a premium coach. A dedicated compartment adjacent to the premium coach is reserved for women, while seats are also allocated for individuals with disabilities and senior citizens across other coaches. To ensure passenger assistance and convenience, a trained attendant is present on every Namo Bharat train, it stated. The RRTS stations are equipped with modern facilities for a convenient and comfortable travel experience, including drinking water and washrooms in both paid and unpaid areas. Notably, the women's washrooms feature diaper changing stations for passengers travelling with infants, the statement said. As construction progresses swiftly on the remaining segments of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, the NCRTC remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering a world-class transportation system by the anticipated operational deadline of June 2025, it added.
Property Dealer Shot Dead By Nephew In UP's Ghaziabad: Cops
A 55-year-old property dealer was allegedly shot dead by his nephew and his accomplices here, policed said on Sunday.
Muslim Cleric Arrested For Raping His Student In Ghaziabad, Recorded & Circulated Video Of Incident
The video, however, circulated on social media a few days ago, after which the family members of the woman informed the police about it
Ghaziabad girl beats surgery trauma, bags MBA from IIM-N
Char Dham Yatra Commences with Safety Concerns Amidst Large Devotee Turnout
New Delhi: The Char Dham Yatra commenced on Friday as the doors of Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri temples opened for devotees. On the first day of the yatra, there was a significant rush of devotees heading towards Yamunotri. A viral video surfaced, showing a large crowd of devotees tightly packed on the hillside path. The video raised concerns about the safety of devotees and questioned the arrangements made by the administration. Devotees complained of having to wait in line for hours and alleged mismanagement by the Uttarakhand government.In a telephone conversation withmedia, Arpan Yaduvanshi, the Superintendent of Police, Uttarkashi, clarified that the viral video was from the pedestrian route between Janaki Chatti and Yamunotri Dham, around 5 pm yesterday. Yaduvanshi explained that heavy rainfall worsened the situation, coinciding with a significant influx of devotees heading towards Yamunotri Dham. Consequently, people gathered to seek shelter from the rain, leading to the chaotic scene in the video.The police quickly brought the situation under control in the entire area, with no injuries reported. A video shot around 2:30 pm today showed pilgrims trekking along the hillside path as light rain lashed the area.Currently, the situation is normal, and the pilgrimage to Yamunotri Dham is proceeding smoothly, the police confirmed. Harvey Weinstein to Remain Behind Bars in New York While Awaiting Retrial for Rape Accused in Tata Steel Business Head Murder Case Killed in Ghaziabad Police Encounter Yogi Adityanath Hints at Renaming Akbarpur
Assam CM Slams Kejriwal for Accepting Interim Bail, Questions Self-Respect
Guwahati: A fter the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticized Kejriwal's decision to accept bail, suggesting that it lacked self-respect. Sarma expressed that anyone with a semblance of self-respect would have declined such bail, implying that Kejriwal's acceptance showed a lack of shame. In response, Kejriwal asserted that his party, the AAP, had faced unprecedented harassment in the past 75 years, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for purportedly claiming to combat corruption while allegedly sheltering corrupt individuals within his own party. During a joint press conference, Kejriwal issued a warning, stating that if the BJP-led NDA were to return to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, opposition leaders, including Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin, would face imprisonment. He highlighted the incarceration of various opposition leaders, implying a trend of targeting dissenting voices. Kejriwal also questioned the BJP's future leadership, referencing Prime Minister Modi's upcoming 75th birthday and the party's rule of retirement at 75. He speculated that if the BJP formed the government, they might replace Modi with Amit Shah as the Prime Minister. In a significant relief for Kejriwal, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail until June 1 in the excise policy case. The bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Dutta extended interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding the Delhi excise policy. Kejriwal's arrest by the ED on March 21 stemmed from a money laundering probe concerning alleged irregularities in the now-defunct Delhi excise policy for the years 2021-22. Harvey Weinstein to Remain Behind Bars in New York While Awaiting Retrial for Rape Accused in Tata Steel Business Head Murder Case Killed in Ghaziabad Police Encounter Yogi Adityanath Hints at Renaming Akbarpur
PM Modi Seeks Blessings of Padma Shri Awardee Tribal Poet Purnamasi Jani in Kandhamal
Puri: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought the blessings of Padma Shri awardee tribal poet Purnamasi Jani during a public meeting in Kandhamal, Odisha. The 80-year-old poet and social activist has composed over 50,000 devotional songs in Kui, Odia, and Sanskrit, and she was awarded the Padma Shri honor in 2021. The Padma Awards, instituted in 1954, are one of the highest civilian honors of India and are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. A video of the Prime Minister draping a stole on her and bowing down to touch the poet's feet, who is known as Tadisaru Bai, was widely shared on social media platforms. During the public address in Kandhamal, PM Modi also paid homage to Narishakti and expressed his gratitude to Tula Bahra Ji, a mother with nothing of her own, who honored him. Meanwhile, PM Modi challenged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to name the districts of Odisha and their respective capitals without seeing them on a paper. If the CM cannot name the districts of the state, will he know your pain? Modi asked. He also mentioned that after the elections in the state, which is holding simultaneous elections to Assembly and parliamentary constituencies, there will be, For the first time, a double-engine government in Odisha. India has made up its mind that the NDA will cross 400 (in the Lok Sabha). The people of Congress must note that the country has now decided that on June 4 they won't get the seats that are needed to be the opposition; they will be limited below 50 seats, PM Modi said. Additionally, he launched an attack on Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, whose comment on Pakistan went viral recently. Time and again, Congress tries to scare its own country. They say 'sambhal ke chalo Pakistan ke pass atom bomb hai'. They talk about Pakistan's bomb, but the condition of Pakistan is such that they don't know how to keep it, and they are looking for a buyer to sell their bombs, but no one wants to buy them as people know about the quality, PM Modi said. Assam CM Slams Kejriwal for Accepting Interim Bail, Questions Self-Respect Char Dham Yatra Commences with Safety Concerns Amidst Large Devotee Turnout Accused in Tata Steel Business Head Murder Case Killed in Ghaziabad Police Encounter
IMD predicts rain, thunderstorms across India
New Delhi: Several parts of the country are likely to witness a wet spell accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning is likely over Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan during the next 3 hours, IMD posted on X. The weather department also predicted light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning also likely over south Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh. Light rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms and lightning is also likely over south Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, south-east Arunachal Pradesh, south-east Assam, Manipur, south interior Karnataka and Kerala during the next 3 hours, it added. On Friday night, Delhi Police received 152 calls related to tree uprooting, 55 calls related to building damage, and 202 calls related to power disruption. After days of heightened temperatures, Delhi-NCR witnessed a major thunderstorm, strong winds, and rainfall on Friday evening, causing traffic disruptions and flight diversion in the national capital. Adjoining areas like Noida and Ghaziabad also experienced a sudden and intense dust storm. Delhi airport sources said that due to bad weather, 9 flights heading to the city were diverted to Jaipur. Traffic was also affected in the national capital and the adjoining areas as trees fell on the roads due to the gusty winds. Several cars were also damaged in Sector 58 of Noida after a shuttering installed to repair a building fell on the vehicles.
Armed with acrylics, brushes, sketchbooks and a ladder to help her paint street walls, Sneha Chakraborty, 30, a muralist of Delhi is on a colourful mission to paint walls with a message. From Coorg, down south to Himachal Pradesh in the north, her street art a part of her Travel and Paint India Tour echoes ideas of women empowerment, clean India, recycling waste and more. While Ive done many commercial projects, I always wanted to paint lesser-known communities and the unsung heroes of everyday life, says Chakraborty, who received an award from the Womens Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2022. Last month, she was called by TEDx to talk about her series and the tour. By the time the artist wraps it up, she aims to cover all states of India. I spoke about the way I create an artwork: I inhale the story, good or bad. I sleep over it to process it. Finally, I paint it by filtering out the unnecessary and keeping the most powerful aspects, she tells TMS. The first destination of her mural series that began this March was Coorg. She drew My Kodavathi Beauty, and its video went viral on Instagram. It portrays the indomitable spirit of female coffee plantation labourers, toiling under the sun to pluck ripe coffee cherries. At Fort Kochi, she painted the local fisherman community. I captured the fishermen and women with their nets on a beach in Kochi. Among them was a 70-year-old. Her eyes were clouded with cataracts. It reminded me of my grandfather who had a similar affliction. Observing her dedication towards work despite the cataracts, I felt like celebrating her fortitude, she says. Mural in Kochi as part of the Travel and Paint India Tour Chakrabortys next stop is Delhi. Towards month-end, she is scheduled to create a mural with a clean India message. When you create a beautiful wall, people think twice before spitting on it or throwing garbage near it, she adds. After that, she goes to Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. What will she draw in Haryana? In 2021, I painted 14 murals in Haryana. I went to a womans house in a village; she had employed 20 other women in her tailoring shop thus making them self-reliant. Women like her are the unsung heroes of our times, she says. Many of her artworks feature women as she believes that their stories are mostly neglected by society. An artists struggle Chakrabortys father is an engineer, her mother, a homemaker. She gravitated towards the arts since her early childhood. When I was seven, I followed a mehendi artist who would go from home to home to create Henna designs. I picked the art quickly in three months. By seven, I had started to draw on peoples hands! I also won several art competitions. Her fathers mining job also exposed her to various cultures. Living in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam though Delhi remains a base broadened her mindset. However, she did give into pressures of getting a steady job for a while, working as an interior designer and for an airlines as part of its cabin crew. I felt like a failure at these jobs they were not for me. By the time I reached 25, people thought I was not capable in any field, so it was better to get her married. Thats when I hit the rock bottom. She decided to listen to her inner voice. In 2017, I felt like buying acrylics one day. The next day, I woke up at 4 am and painted feverishly, like one possessed, for hours. Art became my catharsis, she says. In 2018, she decided to take the plunge and commit herself to art. And then the struggle began. Hope, strive, try She had to go from caf to caf, knock on the doors of start-ups and NGOs, show them her portfolio and ask for a wall to paint murals on. Amid the hustle, came moments of encouragement that went a long way. Once while drawing a mural in Ghaziabad, a father and his daughter keenly watched her paint. He told me that his seven-year-old is very interested in art, but he doesnt know how to utilise her talent. I told them about my journey. It clicked with him that if I can make it, others can, too. Witnessing my art inspire action was profoundly gratifying, she adds. After six years of struggle as an independent muralist in India, Chakraborty has become one of the few artists to exhibit AR (augmented reality) + NFT (non-fungible token) art in a physical gallery. Her murals decorate the walls of Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Ask her about creative block and she replies she doesnt have the luxury to say so as mural work is not just her hobby but her bread and butter. As Vincent van Gogh said, dont wait for inspiration. Draw what you feel and inspiration will come, she says.v
IMD warns of dustorm, gusty winds in Delhi-NCR
The storm would occur over and adjoining areas of entire Delhi and NCR - Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station, Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad. The maximum temperature in Delhi on Friday settled at 39 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to Regional Passport Officer Ghaziabad IFS Anuj Swarup, notice was sent to the applicants with files before 2023, but not all of them have contacted the office. Passport Application: This news is useful for those people who have applied for passport, whose files are pending for one year or more due to some reasons. [] The post Passport Application: Big news! Old passport files closed, now you will have to pay fees again, check your status immediately first appeared on informalnewz .
Accused in Tata Steel Business Head Murder Case Killed in Ghaziabad Police Encounter
Lucknow: Ghaziabad Police encountered and killed Akki, also known as Daksh, the prime suspect in the murder case of Vinay Tyagi, the business head of Tata Steel Pravesh Almira. Originally from Harisinghpur village in Mainpuri, Akki aspired to become a gangster. He had arrived in the village six months ago, and his family members arrived in Ghaziabad to claim his body after the encounter. On May 3, Vinay Tyagi, a 42-year-old resident of Rajendra Nagar Sector 5, Ghaziabad, was robbed and murdered. His body was discovered on May 4 in a house near Khaitan Public School in Ghaziabad. The police launched a murder investigation following the recovery of Tyagi's body.The encounter between Ghaziabad Police and two motorcycle-borne criminals occurred at 5 am on Friday. During the encounter, Akki, a resident of Shelampur, Delhi, was shot, and a police inspector sustained injuries. Akki succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The police recovered the mobile phone looted from Vinay Tyagi during the encounter. Akki, a high school graduate from Kishni, moved to Delhi for work after completing his studies. He hailed from a modest background, with his father, Satendra, working as a laborer, and his younger brother, Akshay, pursuing his education. Akki's arrival in Harisinghpur raised suspicion among the villagers, who observed his involvement in thefts and assaults from the beginning. He often expressed his desire to become a gangster to his friends. Akki's father, Satendra, was informed about his death by the police and has since arrived in Ghaziabad to claim his son's body. Amit Shah Asserts India's Sovereignty Over PoK, Slams Congress for Questioning India's Stand Taranjit Singh Sandhu Files Nomination Papers for Amritsar Lok Sabha Seat Andhra Pradesh High Court Halts Cash Transfers Amid Election Season
Many times the attendants of patients have to face problems in government-run hospitals because after getting blood and urine tests done, they have to stand in long queues for the reports, sometimes even going from one department to another to get the reports. One has to take rounds, due to which one sweats, but now there is relief news for you. The test report will be available on mobile UP government has started a new facility for patients in its hospitals, now no one will have to run from door to door to get test reports. They can be obtained online only. You can download it through mobile. This will save time and effort and you will be saved from unnecessary problems. The facility in 75 hospitals of UP Till now this facility has been started in 75 government hospitals of UP, you will get an alert of getting the test report through SMS on your mobile phone. According to the information, in the future 18 more hospitals in the state will be added to the list of this facility, where the trial is still going on. 'No need to come to the hospital for reports' Principal Secretary of Health and Medical Education Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma says that the facility of providing lab test reports in government hospitals on mobile through SMS will help many patients and their families. Their time will be saved and they will not have to come to the hospital and stand in line again just to get the report. Presently this facility has been started in 75 such hospitals and we will endeavor to start such service in other hospitals also. These hospitals of the capital Lucknow are included This facility is being provided to patients in Balrampur Hospital, Lokbandhu, Civil Hospital, Jhalkari Bai, Rani Lakshmi Bai Hospital, Thakurganj District Hospital, and Ram Sagar Mishra Hospital in Lucknow, the capital of UP. Apart from this, this facility has been started in 30 government hospitals of Eastern UP, 7 government hospitals of Central UP, and 31 government hospitals of Western UP. Where are the facilities available in East UP? Talking about East UP, there are 4 hospitals each in Prayagraj and Varanasi, 3 hospitals each in Ayodhya and Basti, 2 each in Balrampur, Mau and Barabanki, Azamgarh, Ballia, Gonda, Jaunpur, Kushinagar, Bhadohi, Chandauli, Rae Bareli, Sant Kabir Nagar. Patients have got freedom from long queues in 1-1 hospitals of Shravasti and Sitapur. Where is the facility available in Central and West UP? Talking about Central UP, this facility has been started in 2-2 hospitals in Kanpur and Mahoba, and 1-1 hospital in Unnao, Orai, and Mainpuri. In West UP near Delhi, 3 each from Ghaziabad and Rampur, 2 each from Bareilly, Etawah, Agra, Farrukhabad, Hathras, Muzaffarnagar, Lalitpur, Moradabad and Sitapur, Amroha, Badaun, Bijnor, Kannauj, Pilibhit, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, In every hospital of Gautam Buddha Nagar, reports have started being received on mobile through SMS, due to which the attendants are getting a lot of relief. (PC: Freepik)
Supreme Court adjourns hearing on plea challenging provision in passport law
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned till after summer vacations a petition challenging the constitutional validity of a provision of passport law and a notification providing for issuance of passport for only a year to an accused on receipt of a 'no objection certificate' from a court.A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhyan deferred the matter after it was informed that senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, was not available. The summer vacations of the top court will commence on May 20 and the court will resume its sitting on July 8. The apex court had earlier issued notices to the Centre and Regional Passport Office at Ghaziabad on the plea filed by lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who gets passport for a period of only one year on account of some FIRs lodged against him for allegedly taking part in protests and 'dharna'. Bhushan has filed an appeal in the top court against the Delhi High Court's January 2016 verdict which had rejected his plea against the provision of the Passport Act. Petitioner had challenged the constitutional validity of section 6(2)(f) of the Passports Act, 1967 which states that passport shall not be issued/reissued to a person accused of committing any offence, the plea has said. The blanket prohibition in section 6(2)(f) has been partially lifted vide a notification issued in 1993 which states that passport may be issued/reissued if the applicant produces an NOC from the court concerned and if no period is mentioned in the NOC, then the passport shall be issued/reissued for only one year. The petitioner had also challenged the constitutional validity of this notification, it said. Bhushan's counsel had told the top court that the provision concerned does not make distinction between serious and not so serious offences and puts equal restriction on accused in getting new or renewed passport and it is violative of the right to equality.
Amid heatwave, 1 million individuals travelled on Namo Bharat so far
NEW DELHI: Going by the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) data, a staggering 1 million individuals have boarded Namo Bharat till date, with a 17 km section inaugurated initially and a subsequent 34 km stretch opened to the public from March 2024. The 34 km operational stretch of the DelhiGhaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor is proving to be a saviour for passengers amid the blistering heat, providing a comfortable and convenient travel experience Notably, travellers often encounter not only heat but also dust, and pollution while on the move. In this stretch, there were no reliable and comfortable public transport systems like Namo Bharat for commuters. Hence people now prefer Namo Bharat Trains for comfortable and convenient travel. Maintaining a comfortable ambiance, each coachs temperature is regulated at nearly 25 degrees Celsius, adjusted seasonally to accommodate varying weather conditions such as summer, winter, and monsoon. Recognizing the heightened demand for cooling during summer, the AC system of the Namo Bharat train has been tailored accordingly. Not confined to the younger demographic, both professionals and seniors also prefer Namo Bharat for travel, especially during hot weather spells. Furthermore, to conserve the conditioned air, the Namo Bharat train employs a passenger-controlled door operation system, a pioneering feature in the countrys railway infrastructure. By facilitating passengers to manually open doors using push buttons only when required, energy consumption is minimized, preventing the escape of cool air, thus alleviating stress on the AC system. This innovation underscores both energy efficiency and passenger convenience. The air-condition system undergoes regular maintenance and checks, including the cleaning of AC filters every 15 days, ensuring optimal functionality.
We are also covering: In Ghaziabad, Jilted Lover Kills Ailing Woman's Daughter, Injures Son-in-Law Over Her Affair and top stories
Ghaziabad: Jilted Lover Kills Ailing Woman's Daughter, Injures Son-in-Law Over Her Affair
Reportedly, police said that the accused -- Bobby -- was released from the Gautam Buddha Nagar jail just 15 days ago
Video: CCTV captures dog mauling teenager inside Noida housing society lift
In Sector 107 of Noida, a girl faced a terrifying encounter with a dog inside a lift at the Lotus 300 Society, which was captured on viral CCTV footage showing her visibly trembling with fear. This incident echoes a recent alarming event in Ghaziabad, where a German Shepherd aggressively approached a six-year-old child within an apartment complex, sparking significant apprehension among residents.
Bars in Noida, Ghaziabad to Open Till 4am? Report Suggests UP Govt Planning to Boost Excise Revenue
Noida, Ghaziabad Bar Timings: The committee has reportedly been tasked with submitting a report within 15 days to explore additional revenue streams for the excise department.
CEF Group launches city forest project in Ghaziabad
CEF Group partners with Ghaziabad Development Authority, IOCL for creation of two-acre urban forest using Miyawaki technique
Fire breaks out in factory at Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh`s Ghaziabad
Upon receiving the information, 18 fire tenders rushed to the spot and started dousing the fire.
Spices In Your Kitchen May Not Be What You Think; Delhi Police Busts Massive `Masala Racket`
The factory was supplying adulterated spices to not only Delhi but also the local markets of National capital region including Noida, Ghaziabad and Gururam.
The National Capital Region, after its creation nearly 40 years ago to facilitate administration in the Capital, has become almost synonymous with Delhi. With the capital city lying at its heart, the NCR, comprises several other districts in the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The prominent cities of the greater NCR include Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Noida, surrounding Delhi, and vital to the stability of the Capital. Situated so close to Delhi, the governance, administration, but most-importantly, the politics proliferating in these cities particularly interests city residents; while people across the country, too, keep a keen eye on the developments and dynamics here. With the general elections underway, political heat is sweeping across the entirety of NCR with politicians rigorously campaigning in an effort to garner peoples support; promising them further development of their respective constituencies. While we have extensively discussed the political currents and under-currents in the Capital city, Delhi, and the elections in Ghaziabad and Noida during the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, in this weeks edition, we look into the three important districts of the NCR, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Sonipat, all of them in Haryana, and set to go for polls along with Delhi on May 25. Whether Gurugram, Faridabad, or Sonipat, every district has its issues that warrant a deeper look. So do the candidates in the fray vying for peoples sanction as they seek a seat in the Lower House of the Parliament. And how can we ignore the voters, their affections and aversions, their concerns and polling patterns over past years! Now, as we hit the expressways that lead us outside the city, we also remember that these are the roads that will also bring us back. Just like the millions who move between these places on a regular basis, so do their politics; and their choice. Skyscrapers of contrast Situated approximately 25 km from the national capital, Gurugram, the bustling economic powerhouse across the Haryana border is poised for a significant electoral showdown in the month of May. The city stands as a cornerstone of Indias financial and technological prowess, attracting a staggering 70% of total investments into Haryana. The millennium city boasts the presence of over 250 Fortune 500 companies, including corporate giants like PepsiCo and Nestle, alongside hosting the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance. Renowned as a prime manufacturing hub for automobiles, electronic components, chemicals, and FMCG goods, the city symbolises economic dynamism. Yet, beneath the veneer of prosperity lies a persistent challenge of inadequate civic infrastructure, becoming starkly evident during the monsoon season. The city in 2016 witnessed the infamous Gurujam with commuters stuck in a mammoth gridlock on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway for nearly two days after over 52mm of rainfall descended upon the city during the course of a single day. It flooded all arterial roads, inundated houses. While the episode hasnt occured again in the last seven years, residents say nothing much has improved. Persistent waterlogging, substandard drainage systems and crippling traffic congestion remain the pressing concerns for residents. Many of the sectors have huge drainage issues. The infrastructure prepared to pass rainwater through storm drains or other means are not well equipped to handle torrential rainfall. The whole area flood during the period of monsoon months forcing us to lock ourselves in our homes, without the slightest possibily to continue our regular livelihood, said Monu Bhati, resident of Sector 57. A Triangular turmoil The millenium seat is entwined in a high-voltage triangular contest. The BJP has once again fielded Union Minister and five-time MP Rao Inderjit Singh, who will be pitted against Congresss Raj Babbar and Jannayak Janta Partys Rahul Yadav Fazilpuria. This will be the first time when the Congress has fielded a non-Yadav candidate on the seat sidelining the veteran leader of the Ahirwal area and former minister Captain (Retd) Ajay Singh Yadav. While the move to field Babbar from Gurgaon may be an attempt to eat into the BJPs urban vote bank, the move has sparked discontent within the partys Haryana unit. Ajay Singh Yadav, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 polls from the Gurugram seat was once again hoping for a ticket this year. He voiced his displeasure over the partys decision to choose Babbar over him. Meanwhile the JJP has declared popular Haryanvi singer Rahul Yadav alias Fazilpuria as its candidate in an attempt to consolidate the Yadav vote in Gurugram. Rapper-singer Fazilpuria joined JJP in 2022. Some stats According to Haryana Chief Electoral Office (CEO), Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency has the highest voter count for a parliamentary constituency in the state with more than 25 lakh voters. Among the 25,46,916 registered voters, 13,47,521 are male, 11,99,317 are female, and 78 are transgenders. The total number of eligible voters in Gurgaon, which includes assembly segments Gurgaon, Badshapur, Sohna, Pataudi, Bawal, Rewari, Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka and Punhana, has gone up from 21.5 lakh in 2019 Lok Sabha to 25.3 lakh this time, an increase of around 18%. Haryanas largest constituency by voter count, Gurugram will have 2,407 polling booths, 74 auxiliary booths and 86 others for voters from vulnerable sections, the electoral officer has said. The deadline for filing nominations for contesting the Lok Sabha polls is May 6. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on May 7, with candidates eligible to withdraw nominations until May 9. In the 2019 LS polls, the voting percentage in the city was 64%. This time the target is to increase it to at least 75%, the Haryana CEO said. To achieve this, several unique initiatives have been undertaken by the election department, including launching the Voter in Queue app, sending polling invitations to voters akin to wedding invitations, and setting up 31 polling booths in the multi-storey societies of Gurugram. Battle of SONIPAT Sonipat, Sonepat for some, is one among the ten Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana and is considered as one of the high profile seats in the state. Sonipat, under the NCR, is situated nearly 50 km from Delhi and around 250 km from the state capital Chandigarh. Sonipat Lok Sabha seat comprises nine Assembly segments. The general elections for Sonipat are scheduled for May 25 in phase 6 and counting of votes will be done on June 4. The nine assembly constituencies are Ganaur, Rai, Kharkhauda (SC), Sonipat, Gohana, Baroda, Julana, Safidon, Jind. Sonipat parliamentary seats. While a host of aspirants have filed their nominations in this edition of the general elections, the main contenders remain the BJP and the Congress. Key candidates include BJPs Mohal Lal Badoli and the Congress Satpal Brahmachari. The INLD has fielded Anup Dahiya and the JJP has given ticket to Bhupinder Malik.In 2019, total voter turnout was 13,01,474 while the male voter turnout was 7,06,599 while the female voter turnout was 5,91,424. Similarly, in 2014, total votes polled were 9,83,234 out of which male voter turnout was 5,51,168 and the female voter turnout was 4,34,469. In the 2019 Sonipat Lok Sabha elections, Ramesh Chander Kaushik of the BJP won with 5,87,664 votes, securing a lead of 1,64,864 votes and a vote share of 52.03%. Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from the Congress was the runner-up with 4,22,800 votes and a vote share of 37.43%. In the 2014 Sonipat Lok Sabha elections, Ramesh Chander of the BJP emerged victorious with 3,47,203 votes, leading by 77,414 votes and obtaining a notable vote share of 30.74%. Jagbir Singh Malik from the Congress was the runner-up with 2,69,789 votes and a vote share of 23.89%. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the voter turnout for the constituency reached 75.8%, a notable increase from the 69.6% recorded in 2014. Female voters in 2019 numbered 6,83,042, while male voters were 8,10,843. In comparison, in 2014, male voters were 7,77,824, and female voters were 6,39,364. Both 2019 and 2014 saw intense political battles in Sonipat, involving parties like the BJP, Congress, and others. In 2009, however, the seat was with the Congress party as its candidate Jitender Singh Malik defeated BJP candidate Kishan Singh Sangwan with over 1.5 lakh votes. The Congress party candidate had got 3,38,795 or 47.56% votes while the saffron party candidate had got 1,77,511 or 24.92% votes only. BSPs Devraj Diwan had secured the third position by getting 1,12,837 or 15.84 percent votes. Haryana Janhit Partys Umesh Sharma got 42,400 or 5.95% votes in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Surender Panwar of the Congress clinched victory in the 2019 Sonipat Assembly election with 79,438 votes, leading by 32,878 votes and capturing a substantial vote share of 59.51%. Kavita Jain from the saffron party came in second with 46,560 votes and a vote share of 34.88%. Faridabad Faridabad - one of the Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana comprises of nine assembly segments including Hathin, Hodal, Palwal, Prithla, Faridabad NIT, Badkhal, Ballabgarh, Faridabad and Tigaon. It is a general category seat and not reserved for SC or ST. In the Faridabad assembly, BJP and the Indian National Congress are the key contenders. The key candidates are- BJPs Krishan Pal Gurjar while that of INC is Mahendra Pratap Singh. In the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 25, the Faridabad constituency anticipates an intriguing contest as BJPs Krishan Pal is aiming for a third consecutive victory and has emerged as a strong contender. However, he also faces stiff competition from Congress Mahendra Pratap and JJPs Nalin Hooda. Talking about the voters in this assembly- there were as many as 1328127 total votes in the 2029 Lok Sabha Polls out of which male voters were 741280 while 583185 were female voters. In 2019 polls, BJP had secured a significant lead with 68.8% votes. However the Congress candidate Avtar Singh had only got 20.72% votes. Similarly in the assembly polls held in 2019, BJP had emerged as the winner securing 54.41% votes as compared the Congress candidate who had got 36.48% votes. Considering the fact that in last Lok Sabha polls, Faridabad had witnessed only 62% voter turnout, more than eight lakh people gathered in various establishments, including schools, colleges, industries, offices, anganwadi centres, Panchayat ghars, and public spaces, on April 8 and took pledge to ensure maximum voter turnout during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. According to many residents of Faridabad, the worst things about the constituency include issues with waste management, air pollution, and traffic congestion. Additionally, there have been concerns about the development of illegal colonies and inadequate infrastructure in certain areas. One of the residents Chaitanya Jonker said, The waterlogging in the area is common after a downpour, the residents are at risk of falling into pits as they are left with no option but to wade through slush and dirty water that remains stagnant for days. Alleging that the authorities have failed miserably in providing the basic facilities of water supply, sanitation, roads, drains, streetlights, garbage, and solid waste disposal in certain parts of Faridabad, another resident, Kapil Ahuja said, This is apparently a blot on the face of the Smart City project, on which `3000 crore had been spent in the past few years. We expect a lot from the new government. (Contributed by Ashish Srivastava, Anup Verma, Ifrah Mufti and Ujwal Jalali)
Uttar Pradesh: Fire breaks out in a factory at Sahibabad Site 4 Industrial Area in Ghaziabad
Uttar Pradesh: Fire breaks out in a factory at Sahibabad Site 4 Industrial Area in Ghaziabad
NCRTCs first EV charging station operational at Sahibabad RRTS
NEW DELHI, May 5: The National Capital Region Transport Corporations (NCRTC) first Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station at Sahibabad RRTS station in Ghaziabad has been made operational, a statement said on Sunday. Situated at gate number 1 of the Sahibabad Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) station, the newly operational EV charging station boasts a comprehensive []
Noida, Ghaziabad may extend bar hours in catch-up with Delhi, Gurugram
UP government committee is reviewing extending Noida, Ghaziabad bar hours to boost revenue. Noida owners propose bars open until 4 am. Currently, bars in Delhi can be open until 3 am while those in Gurgaon operate 24/7.
How the West Bengal school job scam unfolded
KOLKATA: Days after the Calcutta High Court invalidated the fraudulent appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff by the state's School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools, SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumdar said the number of irregular hires was around 5,300 or 20.5%. In the affidavits the SSC filed before the high court bench, it quantified the illegal appointments as 4,327, which works out to 16.8%. When the order's challenge was heard in the Supreme Court on April 29, the figure on questionable appointments mentioned by the state government's counsel was 8,000 or 31%. So, what is the actual size of the fraud? Sources in the state government claim the illegal appointees paid bribes in the range of Rs 5-15 lakh. Going by the 8,000 figure mentioned in the SC, a back-of-the-envelope calculation would suggest a rip-off of at least Rs 400 crore (8,000 x 5,00,000). 19,000 school job losers likely to be eligible recruits: Bengal SSC A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud refused to stay the high court order canceling all the appointments but asked if it was possible to segregate the valid and the invalid recruitments. The matter will come up before the bench on May 6 when the state government is expected to respond. What went against the Bengal government in the eyes of the high court bench was the complete lack of cooperation by its agencies and institutions like the SSC and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Whatever has been unraveled so far is because of writ petitions by the aggrieved, the pesky judiciary and the Central probe agencies. Not all dodgy recruitments flagged by the courts have been acted upon by the SSC yet. In sum, the SSC is yet to take the trouble of cleaning up the recruitment process on its own to instill faith and confidence in the system. To most of the writ petitions on rank jumps and illegal appointments, its affidavits claimed they were inadvertent errors due to oversight. Unintentional errors in 16.8% or 20.5% or 31% of the recruitments, whichever figure you choose to go with, would mean some really careless chaps are handling hiring without oversight. Is there an internal system of accountability? West Bengal: Will HC order on teacher job scam have an impact? Around 4,000 teachers who lost their jobs because of the sweeping judgment despite figuring on the rank list demonstrated at the Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata. Grain and chaff test The high court division bench of justice Debangsu Basak and Md. Shabbar Rashid was constituted following a direction from the Supreme Court. It heard 350 petitions and appeals before delivering its judgment. The judges knew their verdict was unusually harsh because thousands of candidates who had sailed through on merit were also rendered jobless. Cancelling all appointments is unacceptable if it is possible to separate the grain from the chaff, the Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions. But the high court bench said applying the grain and the chaff test in the present case was impossible because the entire selection process was tainted and compromised. For starters, the selection process involved a written test for four categories of candidates - Group C, Group D, assistant teachers for classes 9 and 10, and assistant teachers for classes 11 and 12. All candidates had to fill up Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets for the written test in 2016. The SSC destroyed the original OMR sheets a year later after their mirror images were captured by an outsourced agency, M/s NYSA. The SSC claimed it had a copy of the mirror images. But a CBI probe could not find the mirror images in the SSC server. Yet, when RTI requests came up from candidates for copies of their OMR sheets, the SSC provided them, as the processing was done by NYSA. The CBI recovered from NYSA staffer Pankaj Bansal at UP's Ghaziabad three hard disks that had original scanned images of the OMR sheets and the evaluated marks. Their veracity is not disputed. NYSA, the company hired for scanning and evaluating the OMR sheets, outsourced the job to another company, Data Scantech. But SSC's chairman told the court he had no knowledge of Data Scantech's role in the selection process. Who authorised NYSA to engage Data Scantech is yet to be disclosed. Jobs were sold for lakhs of rupees: Shah slams Didi govt All OMR sheets were scanned at the SSC's office. That is again not disputed. How the SSC allowed Data Scantech to work out of its premises without authorisation for the physical scanning, raises serious questions about the integrity, sanctity and validity of the entire selection process, the bench observed. Besides, the choice of NYSA as the evaluator was opaque. NYSA was appointed without an open tender. The SSC did not disclose the parameters/qualifications required to participate in the bidding process despite the court's request. The conduct of the evaluator affects the validity of the evaluation process, the bench reasoned. The non-cooperative attitude of the SSC, the state and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education added to the hassle. The entire selection process is shrouded in such mystery and in such layers that it is difficult to fathom the quantum of illegalities performed. That illegalities had vitiated the selection process of M/s. NYSA stands established, the bench observed. The plausible inference from the materials made available on record and the conduct of the relevant parties is that the entire machinery was devised for the purpose of effectuating a scam which will be hard to discover and even if discovered difficult to prove, it said. Fraud perpetrated and perpetuated is deep and pervasive. Any attempt to shift the proverbial grain from the chaff would be an unprofitable exercise, prolonging the agony and would put premium on dishonesty, the high court bench added. Around 4,000 teachers who lost their jobs because of the sweeping judgment despite figuring on the rank list demonstrated at the Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata. Blank OMR sheets Some candidates had submitted blank OMR sheets, yet the evaluator's score showed they did sufficiently well in the test and were recruited. The CBI found ample evidence of OMR sheet manipulation besides fraudulent rank jumps of candidates. The exact number of such illegal beneficiaries is yet to be quantified but according to the SSC's own admission, as many as 45% of Group D appointments were questionable (see table). Political football Coming as the verdict did bang in the middle of the general elections, the job scam turned into political football. The corruption witnessed in school recruitment under the TMC's watch is deplorable. Numerous deserving and genuine candidates have suffered due to this scam. I have asked the Bengal BJP unit to create a separate legal cell and social media platform to provide help to genuine candidates and teachers. No matter even if the elections are on, the party would extend all help to the genuine candidates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said. In her riposte, Trinamool Congress boss and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, The BJP snatched away the jobs of school teachers in West Bengal. The party is now saying they will help those who lost their jobs. Now because of elections, the prime minister is making such remarks. It is the BJP which was part of the court case that took away the jobs. Now they are making false promises. Senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee said, Just as we've heard of match-fixing in cricket, what is happening now is 'fixing of orders', a collaboration between a certain section of the judiciary and the BJP to inflict suffering on people. The recent joining of an ex-judge to the BJP further validates our claims, he said. Bag panel In 2021, a different high court bench appointed a panel headed by retired Justice Ranjit Kumar Bag, former judge of the high court, to monitor and supervise the probe into the Group C and D recruitments. Its findings tally with those of the CBI. For example, it found that as many as 609 Group D vacancies were filled by preparing false recommendation letters. Of them were 318 candidates whose names did not figure in the Group D panel for selection or in the waiting list. In other words, they flunked the test. The dodgy candidates made their first move by seeking re-evaluation of their OMR answer sheets through the RTI Act. Then the rigged system took over. None of these candidates appeared for the mandatory personality test, nor were they part of the counseling process. Their false recommendation letters were sent from the SSC office using fictitious memo numbers of the Regional Commissions and by affixing scanned signatures of the Chairpersons of the Regional Commissions while keeping them in the dark after the expiry of the selection panel. How the scam broke Separate panels of the successful candidates in the four categories of jobs were published in 2017 and 2018. But candidates could only see their individual score and rank online after entering their roll number and date of birth. It didn't give them a sense of transparency. Some of them moved the high court seeking the full list of successful candidates together with their scores and ranking. The high court consented, forcing the reluctant SSC to publish the list on June 20, 2019 after hauling it up for contempt of court. But before releasing the full list, the SSC changed the ranks of the dodgy candidates despite the high court fiat to publish it as is. Can of worms The full list opened a can of worms as it showed candidates with lesser scores getting jobs over better performers. A section of the aggrieved candidates went to court. The rest is history. In August 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former education minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee in the case. Several SSC officials, including Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya were also arrested. In its first chargesheet filed in September 2022, the ED said it traced cash, jewellery and immovable property worth Rs 103.10 crore linked to the duo. All the shady appointments were made by a five-member committee approved by Partha Chatterjee. The panel was tasked to supervise, monitor and guide the SSC on the recruitment process. Justice Gangopadhyay After the initial writ petitions were assigned to Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, the trickle of litigants soon turned into a torrent. In May 2022, Justice Gangopadhyay ordered a CBI probe into the job scam. The West Bengal government challenged it in the Supreme Court, which directed a bigger bench of the Calcutta high court to address the matter. Later, the CBI got to probe the case and reveal the dirty secrets. It was Justice Gangopadhyay's dogged pursuit that helped unravel the scam. He ranted and raved against the Bag probe panel before he realised it was equally committed in ferreting out the truth, picked quarrels with brother judges and violated judicial discipline, but also successfully coaxed the government through various means to spill out the facts. Gangopadhayay resigned from service on March 5, joined the BJP two days later and was fielded from the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat in East Midnapore district. Reacting to the verdict, Gangopadhyay said, The real culprits are sitting in top positions of state administration and hiding behind their security bubble. If they have the courage and any shame left in them, they should quit their positions of power, shred their protective cover and face investigations. Supernumerary post Instead of going after the candidates who got jobs through the back door by fraud, what was appalling was the SSC seeking the court's permission to create a supernumerary post for them. Supernumerary posts are created for a limited period to accommodate government employees with retrospective effect when no regular post is available. As for the state government, it did not oppose the request. Documents placed on record suggested that the West Bengal government, at the level of the Cabinet, had approved creation of the supernumerary posts to accommodate these illegal appointees. The Principal Secretary shared with the Justice Gangopadhyay bench a Cabinet note and a Cabinet memo on creation of the supernumerary post. The high court in its sweeping verdict had also directed the CBI to probe the role of the West Bengal government officials in the scam and those involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts for the illegal appointees. It gave the CBI the freedom to consider custodial interrogation of such individuals, if needed. However, the SC last week stayed the CBI probe order. The high court also said that those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank OMR sheets but were hired, must return all their remuneration and benefits with 12% interest per annum within four weeks. It is shocking that at the level of the Cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing full well that such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum, the high court verdict said. Unless here is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries, efforts to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is inconceivable, the division bench observed. The division bench directed the SSC to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Illegalities in the selection process SSC appointed M/s NYSA for scanning and evaluating the OMR sheets by closed-door tender in violation of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India NYSA engaged another agency, Data Scantech, to scan the OMR sheets Scanning was done at the office of SSC. But SSC claims it never engaged Data Scantech to scan the OMR sheets or authorised NYSA to engage Data Scantech or any other agency SSC destroyed original OMR sheets; claimed scanned mirror images saved in its server CBI did not find any scanned mirror image of OMR sheets in the server of SSC OMR sheets had been destroyed without the scanned mirror images being preserved in the server of SSC But SSC provided scanned OMR sheets to RTI applicants from 2018 to 2023 claiming that such OMR sheets were from its database although CBI did not find any OMR sheets in the server of SSC Appointments higher than the declared vacancies had been given in all 4 categories Appointments given to persons who were not even in the panel who cleared the test Appointments given to persons who submitted blank OMR sheets Appointments given to persons after the expiry of the panel Persons placed lower in rank given appointment in preference to persons placed higher in the pecking order in the merit list Counseling held even after the expiry of the panel Total beneficiaries of the illegalities yet to be identified because of non-cooperation by the SSC, Board and State SSC had applied for permission to create supernumerary posts to accommodate the illegal appointees Recruitment rules governing the four categories never adhered to
Exec on way home stabbed in Ghaziabad, dies during treatment
42-year-old Vinay Tyagi, Delhi zone sales head, fatally stabbed near Khaitan Public School in Ghaziabad. Robbery suspected due to missing laptop and wallet. Police investigating with 10 teams after registering an FIR.
NCRTC Chief Inspects Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor
NCRTC Chief Inspects Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor National Capital Region Transport Corporation's managing director Kuldip Narayan on Saturday undertook a comprehensive inspection of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, according to a statement. His visit commenced with an inspection of the under-construction section between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi, it said. Narayan reviewed the progress of the ongoing construction activities, emphasising the importance of timely execution and adherence to safety protocols, it said. He proceeded to the operational RRTS corridor between Sahibabad and Modinagar North and Duhai Depot to evaluate the operational efficiency and passenger experience. Later, Narayan headed to the Meerut section of the corridor where he closely examined the construction progress and also interacted with the engineers and on ground staff members, it stated. Currently, a 34-km section between Sahibabad and Modinagar North of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, comprising eight stations, is operational and construction on the remaining stretches is going on. The entire 82-km corridor, spanning from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut, is expected to be operational by June 2025, it added
Supreme Court to Review Acquittal of Surendra Koli in Nithari Killings Case
Supreme Court to Review Acquittal of Surendra Koli in Nithari Killings Case The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea challenging Allahabad High Court's order acquitting Surendra Koli in the 2006 Nithari serial killings case. A bench of Justice BR Gavai, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued a notice on an appeal filed by one Pappu Lal, the father of one of the victims. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra and advocates Rupesh Kumar Sinha and Sataroop Das, appearing for Lal, submitted that the high court erred in its finding. The bench issued the notice and sought the response of Koli on Lal's plea and directed the registry to call for records from the trial court and the high court. In his plea, Lal challenged the high court's October 16 order and has arrayed only Koli as the party. Koli was the domestic help of Moninder Singh Pandher. In the case of Lal, Pandher was acquitted by the sessions court while Koli was awarded the death penalty on September 28, 2010. The case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On October 16, the high court pronounced verdicts on several appeals filed by Koli and Pandher, who were awarded the death penalty by the trial court. It acquitted the pair while holding that the prosecution failed to prove the guilt ''beyond reasonable doubt'' and that the investigation was ''botched up''. The verdict brought back memories of the chilling crime targeting children that came to light after skeletal remains were found behind a bungalow in Noida. Reversing the death sentence given to Koli in 12 cases and Pandher in two, the high court noted the prosecution had failed to prove the guilt of both the accused ''beyond reasonable doubt, on the settled parameters of a case based on circumstantial evidence'' and that the probe was ''nothing short of a betrayal of public trust by responsible agencies''. Pandher and Koli were charged with rape and murder and sentenced to death in the killings that horrified the nation with its details of sexual assault, brutal murder and hints of possible cannibalism. The high court had observed that prosecution was based on the confessional statement given by Koli to the Uttar Pradesh Police on December 29, 2006, but the procedure required to be followed for recording his disclosure, leading to the recovery of biological remains ie skulls, bones and skeleton etc, were given a ''complete go by''. It allowed multiple appeals filed by Koli and Pandher, who had challenged the death sentence awarded by a CBI court in Ghaziabad. The high court noted that the prosecution's stand kept changing from time to time as it initially attributed recoveries jointly on Pandher and Koli but, over time, the ''guilt was fastened exclusively'' upon Koli. In all, 19 cases had been lodged against Pandher and Koli in 2007. The CBI filed closure reports in three cases due to lack of evidence. In the remaining 16 cases, Koli was earlier acquitted in three and his death sentence in one was commuted to life. The sensational killings came to light with the discovery of the skeletal remains of eight children from a drain behind Pandher's house at Nithari in Noida, bordering the national capital, on December 29, 2006. Further digging and searches of drains in the area around Pandher's house led to more skeletal remains being found. Most of these remains were that of poor children and young women who had gone missing from the area. Within 10 days, the CBI took over the case and its search resulted in the recovery of more remains.
Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), May 4: A day after Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Rae Bareli as the Congress candidate putting to rest speculations of Priyanka Gandhi entering the electoral arena, former Congress leader Pramod Krishnam on Saturday made a startling claim and alleged that the Congress could soon split into a Rahul Gandhi faction and a Priyanka Gandhi faction. The way Rahul Gandhi has left Amethi, Congress party workers morale is down. Priyanka Gandhi not contesting the election, this [] The post Former Congress leader Pramod Krishnam claims party could soon split into Priyanka and Rahul factions appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Delhi: Absconding criminal shot during crossfire with cops, arrested
NEW DELHI: A 35-year-old desperate criminal wanted in a murder case in Ghaziabad was nabbed after a gunfire encounter in Rohini in the early hours of Friday, police said. Mohd Faizan alias Nanhe, who is also known as Kalu and Goga, received a gunshot wound in his leg in the encounter that took place near Japanese Park in Rohini at about 3 am, they said. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik, a secret tip-off was received that Faizan was coming to meet an associate of his near Japanese Park. A team led by Inspectors Man Singh and Sanjeev laid a trap. But on seeing the police team, Faizan opened fire at them. In retaliation, the team members also opened fire and one bullet hit his right leg, Kaushik said. Police confiscated his gun, a sophisticated semi-automatic pistol, and three live cartridges found in his possession. The motorcycle he rode on was also seized, he said. Faizan was rushed to nearby Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital where police formally arrested him. Kaushik said Faizan is a desperate criminal and is connected with the Gogi and Kala Gang. He was previously involved in seven cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and Arms Act in Delhi, UP, and Haryana, the officer said. He is wanted in a murder case in Loni of UPs Ghaziabad, UP and had been evading his arrest, he said.
Hundreds fall ill at Ghaziabad high-rise, water contamination suspected
Hundreds fall ill at Ghaziabad highrise water contamination suspected
Rahul's Strategic Chess Move: Amethi to Rae Bareli Shift in Lok Sabha Election
Rahul's Strategic Chess Move: Amethi to Rae Bareli Shift in Lok Sabha Election Rahul Gandhi describes himself as the best chess player among Indian politicians, and his latest gambit appears to be his decision to contest from Rae Bareli instead of his home ground Amethi. Gandhi obviously hopes that the move will checkmate opponents but the BJP sees it as a cowardly retreat from the battleground. ''He is an experienced player of politics and chess. The party leadership takes its decisions after much discussion, and as part of a larger strategy. This single decision has befuddled the BJP, its supporters, and its sycophants,'' Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on the much-anticipated decision. ''The BJP's self-proclaimed Chanakya, who used to talk about 'paramparagat seat' is now not sure how to respond,'' he said. The chess reference by Ramesh comes days after the Congress put out a video of Gandhi talking about his interest in the board game and its similarities with politics. In the video, when Gandhi is asked who is the best chess player among Indian politicians, he said, ''Me''. Gandhi filed his papers from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli constituency in the afternoon, barely an hour before nominations closed for the Lok Sabha seat on Friday. He was accompanied by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as he filed his papers around 2 pm. Gandhi had made his poll debut from Amethi in 2004 and saw relative smooth sailing in the first 10 years with the UPA being in power, while the last 10 years have been challenging. He won the 2014 polls against the BJP's Smriti Irani by over a lakh votes but she had run a spirited campaign and made inroads into the Congress citadel of Amethi. She finally breached the fortress in 2019, beating the Gandhi family scion by over 55,000 votes. However, Gandhi's 'Plan B' seemed to have worked as he contested the polls from two constituencies and won from Kerala's Wayanad, ensuring that his stint in Parliament continued. Some of the earlier electoral gambles of Gandhi such as pitching the 2019 polls campaign of the Congress on the Rafale issue have not paid off but Gandhi has always stuck to his convictions and maintained his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including on the Adani issue. He has been at the receiving end of criticism from various quarters and often been dubbed a ''reluctant politician'' or ''part-time politician'', but he has remained unfazed by such criticism. At a press briefing in Ghaziabad a couple of weeks ago, Gandhi had taken a swipe at the media for dubbing him a ''non-serious'' politician. He had cited his involvement with the MGNREGA scheme, the Land Acquisition Bill, the Bhatta Parsaul movement, Niyamgiri Hills matter, and had said for the media all this was ''non-serious while talking about Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Virat Kohli was serious''. In 2004, Gandhi announced his entry into Indian politics, contesting his first election from Amethi, the same seat that was represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi (1999-2004) and his late father Rajiv Gandhi between 1981-91. Rahul Gandhi won by an overwhelming margin of almost three lakh votes. He again won in 2009 but his margin was reduced in 2014 and was defeated by Irani in 2019. He had been criticised for not spending enough time in the constituency, allowing the BJP to make inroads into the Congress fortress. Gandhi was appointed vice president of the Congress in 2013 and took over the reins of the party on December 16, 2017. He stepped down as its president in May 2019 after the drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls. Since then, he has taken out to yatras -- a cross country Kanyakumari to Kashmir march on foot and a hybrid Manipur to Mumbai yatra, initiatives which were hailed by Congress leaders for galvanising cadres and enthusing supporters. Gandhi had recently said it is now his life mission to ensure justice for the SCs, STs, OBCs and the deprived people. He has pitched the Congress campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha on five Nyays -- Yuva Nyay, Nari Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedari Nyay. Born on June 19, 1970 to Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi, he is the elder of the two siblings and spent his formative years in New Delhi, studying at St. Columba's School and then went on to study at the Doon School in Dehradun. His father Rajiv Gandhi then entered politics and became prime minister after the assassination of Rahul's grandmother and then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Due to constant security threats, Rahul and his sister Priyanka were home-schooled. A year after attending St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, for his undergraduate studies, he moved to the US to attend Harvard University. Following the assassination of his father and the security concerns that surfaced, Rahul Gandhi shifted to Rollins College in Florida. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1994. Thereafter, he went on to pursue and complete his M.Phil. in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge (Trinity College) in 1995. Upon graduation, Rahul started his professional journey at the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm in London. He later returned to India and eventually joined politics. Gandhi is a certified scuba diver and is known for his fitness. He also holds a black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art.
Dharmendra Pradhan richer by Rs 4 Lakh in 2 years, has over Rs 2.32 crore
BHUBANESWAR: Union Education Minister and BJP candidate from Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat Dharmendra Pradhan has declared movable and immovable property worth over Rs 2.32 crore and liabilities of over Rs 32.79 lakh. Pradhan had declared total assets including movable and immovable properties worth over Rs 2.28 crore with liabilities of over Rs 45 lakh on March 31, 2022. His assets have grown during the period by over Rs 4 lakh. The movable assets declared by the minister include deposits in bank accounts, joint accounts with wife Mridula Thakur Pradhan worth over Rs 60.94 lakh and Rs 35,000 cash in hand. He also owns jewellery worth Rs 13.5 lakh including 200 gram gold and 2.5 kg silver. He has computers and other articles worth Rs 2 lakh. Immovable property declared by Pradhan include agricultural land at Satyabandha within Khamar police limits of Angul district, the current market value of which is Rs 12 lakh. He had purchased the land on July 13, 2011 for over Rs 1.3 lakh. Pradhan owns non-agricultural land worth over Rs 20.50 lakh. Besides, he owns a residential building in Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh having current market price of Rs 60 lakh. The Union ministers wife has movable and immovable properties worth over Rs 2.95 crore and Rs 1.37 crore respectively. She has liabilities of Rs 20.57 lakh. Besides, their daughter Naimisha and son Nishant have immovable properties worth over Rs 25.29 lakh and Rs 1.62 lakh respectively.
What are UP's Muslim voters up to in this Lok Sabha election?
Till about a decade ago, the voting behaviour of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh used to be a decisive factor in about two dozen Lok Sabha seats. The main political parties in those elections, such as the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, whether in alliance or separately, used to bank heavily on the support of Muslims. This used to be the norm from the 1970s till the general election of 2014, when the Narendra Modi wave made all such factors redundant. Riding high on it, the Bharatiya Janata Party got the majority community to vote in such numbers so as to make the Muslim vote bank irrelevant. However, ten years of BJP rule at the Centre has taken away much of the wind from beneath that wave. With two phases of polling having already been completed in the state, the significance of the electoral heft of Muslim voters has once again come into play with both the SP-Congress alliance and the BSP renewing their efforts to wrest Muslim support. UP's Muslims have over the last few years and till this election been caught in a dilemma as they have not been able to consider any one party in the state their benefactor. Earlier, from the heydays of Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party used to be their go-to party since the late former CM had made the welfare of Muslims nothing short of a sacred political pledge for himself and his party. But as Akhilesh Yadav inherited the party in 2017, he very quietly shelved the pro-Muslim policy and started pursuing a brand of ambivalent-- often so-called soft -- Hindutva. In the recent past, Akhilesh vociferously backed the construction of a statue of Parashuram, the deity revered by Brahmins, proposed the construction of a huge Krishna temple in Vrindavan, inaugurated a Lord Krishna statue in Saifai, and generally avoided having Muslim leaders in his core team of Samajwadi Party after the jailing and subsequent sidelining of Azam Khan. All this changed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In order to counter the charge of ignoring Muslims, Akhilesh skipped the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, visited the family residence of late Mukhtar Ansari in Ghazipur to pay condolences (albeit belatedly) and risked disaffection in the party by ignoring upper caste-Hindus for key bye-elections. The importance of being Akhilesh Yadav in this Lok Sabha election Mayawati, meanwhile, had appeared to be softer towards the BJP in the beginning, but her Bahujan Samaj Party has still stuck to fielding Muslims in key elections in the past few years, and the trend is highly visible in this year's list as well. The party's candidates for 54 seats so far includes 14 Muslims. Then there is the AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who had declared his intention to fight from all seats in collaboration with Apna Dal (K) and some smaller parties with much fanfare, but the initiative seems to have lost steam. The Muslim vote in UP According to several estimates, Muslims account for 19% to 23% of the state's population. Based on figures from various organisations and development programmes, the districts with high Muslim population (above 25%) are: Rampur 50.57%, Moradabad 47.12%, Bijnor 43.04%, Saharanpur 41.95%, Muzaffarnagar 41.30%, Amroha 40.78%, Balrampur 37.51%, Bareilly 34.54%, Meerut 34.43%, Bahraich 33.53%, Shrawasti 30.79%, Baghpat 27.98%, Ghaziabad 25.35%, and Siddharthnagar 29.23%. Polling was completed in the first phase on April 19 in eight constituencies -- Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Nagina, Moradabad, Rampur and Pilibhit. The eight constituencies where voting took place on April 26 were Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Mathura. Of these 16 constituencies, at least 11 constituencies have a Muslim population above 20%. There are indications that in these two phases, Muslim voters may have resorted to voting to bring about a change, and the candidate's faith may not be a factor. This has been often referred to as actical voting where the sole aim is to ensure the defeat of a candidate whose party is considered to be apathetic to Muslims interests. Advantage INDIA bloc? In this case, voting to ensure the BJP's candidates defeat could have led Muslim voters to support either the SP-Congress INDIA bloc, or the BSP. It appears that the community could have preferred the former in most places, while the BSP could be preferred only in places where the INDIA combine is thought to be weaker. This is endorsed by Professor Hilal Ahmad, a veteran political analyst and social scholar. He says that Muslim voters appear to be in favour of the INDIA bloc, regardless of the result. In many districts, there have been reports of voters, including women, having voted in favour of the SP-Congress combine, he said, but added emphatically that the Muslim voter is totally silent with no proclamations from community leaders whatsoever. This, however, does not mean that the results will be follow the same pattern in all the Muslim-dominated seats. For the record, the 2014 Lok Sabha election saw the BJP winning at least eight such seats, including Amroha, Bijnor, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Nagina, Rampur, Saharanpur and Sambhal. But in 2019, the SP-BSP fighting in alliance, won 15 seats including in Muslim-dominated Amroha, Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur and Sambhal. Another fact to be remembered is that despite general perception that Muslims were voting against the BJP, the party succeeded in getting a percentage of the Muslim votes in the 2022 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. This came out in a post-election survey by CSDS-Lokniti which suggested that least eight per cent of the Muslim votes went to the BJP. Also, the BJP has gone into the 2024 election in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal which has been favoured by Muslim voters in its stronghold areas. Even during the campaign for the first phase, BJP leaders accompanied RLD leaders in Muslim-dominated areas. UP battle shifts from Jat land to Yadav stronghold All this could mean on the one hand that Muslims are disillusioned that no party has shown faith in them, but rather than abstaining, they will vote for the candidate considered to be the BJP's strongest rival. On the other hand, they could also accept the BJP candidate for the simple fact that the state has a BJP government headed by Yogi Adityanath and no purpose may be served in getting identified as a non-BJP voter till 2027 (when the next Assembly election is scheduled). According to Anshuman Shukla, a veteran political analyst and columnist, although Muslims have increasingly voted in a unified way, political and social mobilization has highlighted divisions along sub-identities like caste and sect among them. This explains the BJP's outreach -- and success -- with Pasmanda Muslims, a term that includes backwards, Dalits and tribal Muslims. According to many researchers, the held belief of Muslims voting en bloc may not be completely true, an idea also suggested in a study Mapping Muslim Voter Behaviour in India by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Even some Muslim scholars agree that Muslims are increasingly getting divided along caste and sectarian lines, an example of which is the lukewarm response to Asaduddin Owaisi after he announced his decision to contest in UP with the Apna Dal (K). Anshuman Shukla says that even though figures show that Muslims could play a crucial role in deciding the result in more than 25 seats in UP, the results will show a different picture. Kashi: A date with the present
Delhi-NCR Schools Face Mass Bomb Threats, Turned Hoax
New Delhi: At least 100 schools in the Delhi-NCR area received identical bomb threats by email on Wednesday, triggering mass evacuations and large-scale searches as panicked parents rushed to pick up their children. The threat was declared a hoax as nothing objectionable was found during searches. The Union home ministry said the bomb threats turned out to be a hoax. The Delhi government has, meanwhile, issued an advisory to schools asking them to ensure that emails received at their official email addresses are checked timely. Police sources said the email the schools received had the same source, suspected to be sent from Russia, aimed at creating panic. They added it was also possible that culprits may have masked their identity using the DarkNet. The special cell anti-terror unit of the Delhi police will investigate the bomb threat. The case is being registered with the special cell and a dedicated team will be formed to conduct the investigation. The matter is related to national security. It needs a deeper probe, the official said. The police will also probe foreign involvement, including of the Islamic State. Some schools of Delhi received emails regarding bomb threats. The Delhi police has conducted thorough checks of all such schools as per protocol, the Delhi police said in a post on X. Nothing objectionable has been found. It appears that these calls seem to be a hoax. We request the public not to panic and maintain peace, it said. The police said the content of the email to every school was the same, adding that it was sent from a user with email id, sawariim@mail.Ru. Kill them wherever you meet and drive them out of the places from which they drove you. There are many explosive devices in the school... reads the identical email sent to all schools. The investigation so far has revealed that Sawariim (clashing of the swords) is an Arabic word, which has been used by the Islamic State since 2014 to spread Islamist propaganda. Thus, the police is investigating if there is a conspiracy of any organisation behind these threatening emails Sources claimed that a single IP address was used to send the email to all schools. The police received at least 131 PCR calls regarding the bomb while the Delhi Fire Service got over 109 calls from different schools. They started receiving calls about the bomb threat at 6 am, an officer said. An official said that DFS also received calls even after noon and firefighters are still on the ground. Multiple private schools in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon also received the bomb threat, but the local police dismissed them as a hoax. The bomb threat was received in 16 schools in Outer district, 24 private schools in East Delhi, 18 schools in South Delhi, 21 schools in West Delhi and 10 schools in Shahdara, four in Northeast Delhi and several schools in other areas too. Special CP (Crime) Ravinder Yadav said: These emails were received in several schools. Some hospitals also received these emails on Tuesday. Thorough checking was done Even if it was a hoax call, we cannot take chances. We will conduct an investigation. Earlier in the day, the Union home ministry said there was no need to panic as the threat appeared to be a hoax. It said the Delhi police and security agencies were taking all the necessary steps as per protocol, it said. The Delhi police said it has conducted a thorough check of all schools that received the bomb threat but found nothing. Delhi lieutenant-governor V.K. Saxena visited one school and said that the Delhi police has traced the origin of the threat emails. Delhi education minister Atishi said nothing was found in the schools and requested parents not to panic. We are in constant touch with the police and schools. Would request parents and citizens not to panic. The school authorities will be in touch with parents wherever needed, Atishi said in a post on X. Parents and guardians rushed to the schools to pick up their children. The school administrations made announcements on the microphone as parents rushed to collect their wards. Fire tenders, ambulances and lines of police vehicles were seen on standby outside the schools, while bomb detection teams and bomb disposal squads were conducting searches inside the schools.
Likely to be hoaxes, says Delhi Fire chief after over 80 schools receive bomb threats
Likely to be hoaxes, says Delhi Fire chief after over 80 schools receive bomb threats Director of Delhi Fire Services Atul Garg on Wednesday said that email bomb threats received by over 80 schools in the Delhi-NCR area today were most likely hoaxes. Many schools sent their students home after receiving the threat mails that triggered panic among parents. We have received more than 80 calls in Delhi only. There were calls about bomb threats, and we responded to all the calls and sent fire tenders to all the locations. But some schools have started sending their vehicles back. I believe all these calls are likely to turn out to be hoaxes, Garg said. Garg emphasized that it is critical to attend to every call, even if it might be a false alarm, as safety is the top priority. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it appeared to be a hoax threat and that there was no need to panic. Every call was attended; we can't take chances with any call. If we receive a call, we have to attend to it. So, we attended all the calls. Since I received the information around 8 AM, I immediately alerted all the stations, and all the officers in our stations are ready to move wherever required. We have postponed other work, Garg said. The Fire chief also appealed to the public to remain calm and assured them that the fire department is well-prepared to handle any emergency. There's no need to panic, he said. We are fully prepared. As some schools have already sent their vehicles back, I think these calls are all false and likely the work of miscreants attempting to create panic, Garg said. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena said that he had sought a detailed probe from the Delhi Police Commissioner. He had earlier visited a school in north Delhi after news of the bomb threat. Delhi Police's Special Cell has initiated an investigation but nothing suspicious has been found yet, said police officials. According to sources the initial investigation revealed that that the email address, used to send the threat mail to over 80 schools in Delhi-NCR had a Russian domain. However, the Police are yet to ascertain whether the email actually originated from Russia. The police is now tracking the IP address of the email address. Sources have told ANI that these kind of emails are usually send using a VPN connection to enable the sender to mask the original IP address. The Cyber team is confident of tracing the IP address. Sources in the investigation team also say that the Dark Web could have been used to send the threat mail. The Noida, Ghaziabad, and Delhi police are conducting a joint investigation to address the situation. As news of the threats spread, the Delhi Government's Directorate of Education issued a statement confirming that no dangerous devices or suspicious activity were found in any of the affected schools. Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa confirmed that nothing suspicious was found at any of the schools during investigation. Several schools have approached us that they have received an email regarding a bomb in their campus. Delhi Police has conducted search operations but nothing untoward has been found so far...It seems someone has done this to create panic...I just want to request the parents to not get panicked. We are conducting an investigation regarding the same, the Delhi Police PRO said. Ravinder Yadav, Special CP, Delhi Police Crime Branch, said, These emails were received in several schools. Some hospitals also received these emails yesterday. Thorough checking is going on. Bomb Disposal Squad, Dog Squad and fire tenders are present here...Even if it is a hoax call, we cannot take chances. We will conduct an investigation... All schools in Delhi-NCR to which threat emails have been sent have been closed as a precaution, and the children have been sent back. (ANI)
Threat mail to Delhi schools sent using Russian domain, Cyber Police tracking IP address, location
Threat mail to Delhi schools sent using Russian domain, Cyber Police tracking IP address, location After over 80 schools across Delhi-NCR received a bomb threat via email on Wednesday morning the investigation agencies suspect that the email originated from a server located in Russia, sources said. Sources say a single IP address was used to send the email to all schools. The Cyber team of the Delhi Police has also joined the investigation. Sources say the initial investigation shows that the email address, used to send the threat mail to over 80 schools in Delhi-NCR, had a Russian domain. However, the Police are yet to ascertain whether the email actually originated from Russia. The police is now tracking the IP address of the email address. Sources have told ANI that these kind of emails are usually send using a VPN connection to enable the sender to mask the original IP address. The Cyber team is confident of tracing the IP address. Sources in the investigation team also say that the Dark Web could have been used to send the threat mail. In order to cover all flanks different teams of the Delhi Police are working on different aspects of the investigation. The Noida, Ghaziabad, and Delhi police are conducting a joint investigation to address the situation. As news of the threats spread, the Delhi Government's Directorate of Education issued a statement confirming that no dangerous devices or suspicious activity were found in any of the affected schools. Today, few schools of Delhi got hoax bomb calls/ mails. Nothing adverse/ questionable was found anywhere by Delhi Police. All our students and teachers are safe. All are requested not to panic. To relieve the parents, students were allowed to leave if parents had reached school, Delhi Government's Directorate of Education said in a post on X. Meanwhile, a Delhi police senior officials meeting going on in police headquarters. Special CPS along with joint CP and officer of the social media cell also present. Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa confirmed that nothing suspicious was found at any of the schools during investigation. Several schools have approached us that they have received an email regarding a bomb in their campus. Delhi Police has conducted search operations but nothing untoward has been found so far...It seems someone has done this to create panic...I just want to request the parents to not get panicked. We are conducting an investigation regarding the same, the Delhi Police PRO said. Meanwhile to prevent panic among parents and faculty and prompting frenetic searches, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an official statement earlier, saying that the email appeared to be a 'hoax'. Delhi Police's Special Cell has initiated an investigation into the bomb threats sent to several schools but nothing suspicious has been found yet, said police officials. Earlier, Delhi LG VK Saxena who is inspecting one of the schools that received the threat said that he had sought a detailed probe from the Delhi Police Commissioner. Spoke to the Police Commissioner and sought a detailed report into the bomb threats at schools in Delhi-NCR. Directed Delhi Police to carry out a thorough search in school premises, identify the culprits & ensure there are no lapses. I request the parents not to panic and co-operate with the administration in ensuring safety of schools and the children. The miscreants & culprits will not be spared. LG VK Saxena said. (ANI)
Ghaziabad Development Authority Supervisors Removed from Duty in Corruption Probe
Ghaziabad Development Authority Supervisors Removed from Duty in Corruption Probe Three supervisors of the Ghaziabad Development Authority were suspended on Tuesday for their alleged involvement with the builders promoting illegal construction in the Rajendra Nagar area due to which the sewer infrastructure collapsed, an official said on Tuesday. Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) vice chairman Atul Vats in his sudden inspection of the Rajendra Nagar area on Monday found a number of illegal constructions. The orders for suspension of GDA supervisors Anil Tyagi, Arvind Chauhan and Raju Diwakar are applicable from Tuesday, Vats said. Besides, show cause notices were issued to the concerned junior engineer and assistant engineer of the Rajendra Nagar area. Vats said the maps are sanctioned for housing purposes, but the builders constructed shops in the stilt area, which was reserved for parking. He said that no technical person was present on the sites during the inspection and they could not produce the sanctioned maps. Vats urged the buyers not to purchase the illegal houses and flats. He also warned the builders not to construct illegal buildings or else the buildings would be demolished.
Ghaziabad pet dog attack: German shepherd attacking kid goes viral on Twitter
In response to recent dog attacks in Ghaziabad, the UP government banned 23 dog breeds deemed 'ferocious', like pitbull terriers and rottweilers. This decision follows a circular from the Centre to prohibit their import, breeding, and sale.
Critical After Ghaziabad Shooting: Man in Life-Threatening Condition
Critical After Ghaziabad Shooting: Man in Life-Threatening Condition A 27-year-old man has been shot at by three people here and his condition is critical, police said on Monday. The incident occurred on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday at a canteen near a bus depot under the Loni Border police station, they said. Gaurav was shot at when he intervened to stop a fight between the three people and his friend Aditya, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ankur Vihar) Bhaskar Verma said. He was shot at by Nikhil and two others, the official said and added that the victim was admitted to the GTB hospital in Delhi for treatment by his friends. The assailants fired at Gaurav seven times and he suffered bullet injuries to his thigh, hand and legs, Verma said. Guarav had stopped at the canteen to eat dinner with his friends, the official said and added that he was returning after a ''jagran'' in which he had played the role of Hanuman. His condition is critical, Verma said and added that a case has been registered against Nikhil on a complaint by a member of the victim's family. Efforts are on to nab the accused, he said.
Video: German Shepherd bites girl, 6, at Ghaziabad residential complex
Video German Shepherd bites girl at Ghaziabad residential complex
German Shepherd Attacks 6-Year-Old In Ghaziabad's Housing Society | On Cam
On the basis of a complaint made by the 6-year-old girl's mother, Namita Chauhan, the police have now filed a case
Weather Alert: Strong Winds and Light Rain Expected in Delhi-NCR
New Delhi : D elhi is experiencing scorching heat with the maximum temperature rising due to strong sunlight during the day. The Meteorological Department has issued an alert for strong winds in Delhi from April 29th to May 1st. During this period, there is a possibility of light rain along with the movement of clouds. According to the IMD, Delhi-NCR will witness a mix of light clouds, drizzle, strong winds, and heat throughout the week. The maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to range between 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may vary between 22 to 25 degrees Celsius. Today, Delhi will experience partly cloudy skies during the day with strong surface winds. There is a possibility of drizzle at night, and an alert has been issued for strong winds for the next two days. Additionally, strong winds and light rain are expected again on May 4th and 5th. In Noida, IMD predicts light rain with thunder along with strong winds on April 29th. Strong winds will persist for the next two days. The maximum temperature in Noida is expected to range between 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may vary between 20 to 23 degrees Celsius throughout the week. Similarly, Ghaziabad may also experience light rain with thunder and strong winds on April 29th. The maximum temperature in Ghaziabad is expected to range between 35 to 39 degrees Celsius, with the minimum temperature varying between 20 to 23 degrees Celsius throughout the week. Gurugram, adjacent to Delhi, is expected to have clear skies with no chance of rain. According to IMD, the maximum temperature in Gurugram may range between 38 to 40 degrees Celsius throughout the week, while the minimum temperature is likely to be between 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. Seizures Worth Rs 33,000 Crore in UP During Election Period Prime Minister Modi Pays Tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur on His Birth Anniversary Supreme Court Reviews 2016 WB SSC Recruitment: Validity of 25,000 Appointments Questioned
Ghaziabad: Ex-BSF Soldier Shoots Daughter`s Boyfriend; Reports Incident To Police
The suspect summoned the victim to his daughter's apartment, where, amidst a heated argument, he allegedly fired several rounds at him.
Many Samajwadi Party Leaders Join BJP amidst Lok Sabha Polls
Lucknow: In a blow to the opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, several Samajwadi Party leaders switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Lucknow on Sunday. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Jai Choubey, along with several other leaders including Balram Yadav and Jagat Jaiswal, joined the BJP in a ceremony attended by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. Welcoming the new members, Deputy Chief Minister Pathak said, Former MLA and several district presidents have joined our party today. Welcome and congratulations to all of you. Those working at the block level are also joining us. They have a significant responsibility ahead of them.Addressing the gathering, Pathak emphasized, You all have decided to join the BJP... Under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP has connected with the masses. With PM Modi's guidance, we have committed to building a 'Developed India,' and I trust that all of you will contribute to this vision. Uttar Pradesh, the state with the highest number of parliamentary constituencies at 80, is undergoing polling in all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections.The first phase of voting was conducted on April 19 in eight parliamentary constituencies, followed by the second phase on April 26 in another eight constituencies.During the second phase, constituencies including Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, and Bulandshahr cast their votes. The state is scheduled for further polling in phases three and four on May 7 and May 13 respectively, and in phases five, six, and seven on May 20, May 23, and June 1. Vote counting is set for June 4. Controversy Surrounding Congress Manifesto and Allegations of Appeasement PM Modi Criticizes Rahul Gandhi for Double Standards on Historical Atrocities DK Shivakumar Slams Centre for Inadequate Relief Funds
Ghaziabad man shoots daughter's boyfriend, then calls cops
Ghaziabad man shoots daughters boyfriend then calls cops
Girlfriend's father guns down BTech student in her Ghaziabad
A third-year BTech student was shot dead by his girlfriend's father at a condominium in Crossings Republik, where both the youngsters lived but in separate flats, in the early hours of Saturday. Rajesh Kumar Singh, a retired BSF jawan, pumped 4-5 bullets into the chest of Vipul Verma after a spat with him at his daughters flat on the 14th floor of Paramount Symphony in the Ghaziabad township, police said.
Engineering student shot dead by girlfriend's father in Ghaziabad
GHAZIABAD: A 25-year-old engineering student was allegedly shot dead by the father of a woman he was in a relationship with, police said on Saturday. One Vipul, a BTech student, was shot dead in a flat in the Crossing Republic area around 3.30 am on Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Vivek Chandra Yadav said. Accused Rajesh Kumar Singh retired from the Border Security Force (BSF) and is currently working for a private security company. The victim was allegedly in a relationship with the daughter of the accused, the officer said. The accused reached the flat in the night and had an altercation with Vipul after which Singh shot him five times, he added. Singh was allegedly against Vipul's relationship with his daughter, the police said. The body has been sent for post-mortem and an investigation started, they said.
Health Tips: Why Menstrual Education is Important in Rural Areas!
Why Menstrual Education is Important in Rural Areas: India remains far ahead in the global social revolution, but when it comes to menstrual education and hygiene in rural areas, there is definitely a lack. This has come to light in many surveys that most of the women in villages do not use hygienic products during their periods, many women are unaware of hygienic methods. They often use dirty clothes during menstruation due to which there is a risk of infection. Let us know why menstruation education is important in rural areas. Why is menstruation education needed? 1. Breaking the taboo Even though menstruation is a normal biological process, it is considered a taboo in the village and people feel shy to talk about it openly. Apart from this, during menstrual cycle, women are often advised to stay away from the kitchen, not to touch food, and not to water the plants. If proper education about menstruation is given then it will help in eliminating such taboos. 2. Getting ready for your period Teenage girls in the village come to know about their periods for the first time when they suddenly see their blood spots, due to this they often get nervous and face mental stress. This means that girls should be told about this before menstruation starts so that they are prepared for it. 3. To be aware of hygiene It is very important to maintain hygiene during menstruation, otherwise infection, fungus, urinary tract related diseases may occur in the reproductive system. Therefore, girls and their parents need to be told to use clean sanitary napkins. With the help of any government center or NGO, you can buy and use sanitary napkins at low cost. 4. Lack of awareness According to Dr. Subhash Gupta, Chairman, Red Cross Society, Ghaziabad, menstruation education is important for rural communities as it provides knowledge about the lack of awareness among the people. In rural areas, where resources and access to healthcare are typically limited, knowledge about menstrual hygiene promotes equality, fairness and respect. To encourage self-care, break taboos and ensure women can manage their periods safely and confidently. Menstruation education also creates a good cause for positive social change by opening the doors to a more comprehensive conversation on human rights, gender equality and reproductive health. It is about empowering people and creating a future in which menstruation is no longer a barrier but a source of empowerment and understanding.
As Ghaziabad votes today, theres no clear wave but multiple ripples
NCRTC offers premium coach upgradation in NaMo Bharat train for voters on April 26
Presently, a 34-km section between Sahibabad and Modi Nagar North of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which includes eight stations, is operational
Noida, Ghaziabad residents to skip voting, will head to mountains for long weekend
Noida Ghaziabad residents to skip voting will head to mountains for long weekend
Man Thrown Off 8th Floor In Money Dispute In Delhi's Lodhi Colony; 2 Held
On the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, a tip-off was received and a trap was laid at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad from where the accused were nabbed
Check what's open and what's closed in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad tomorrow.
Video Of Ghaziabad Cop Assaulting Man Surfaces Online, Probe Launched
An investigation has been launched against a sub-inspector in UP's Ghaziabad after a video of him assaulting a man surfaced on social media, police said today.
Polls in UP tomorrow: Noida, Ghaziabad schools, colleges to remain shut
Polls in UP tomorrow Noida Ghaziabad schools colleges to remain shut
Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, likely to contest from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats: Sources
Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, likely to contest from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats: Sources By Sidharth Sharma Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively, sources said on Thursday. According to the sources, the final decision will be taken after April 26 and nominations can be filed next week. Phase 2 of the elections are scheduled for Phase 2. In this phase Wayanad from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting will go to the polls. Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat. As per the seat agreement between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Congress will contest 17 seats and the Samajwadi Party the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state. Apart from its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress is also contesting on Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Kanpur. Earlier, posters featuring Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, appeared outside the party's office on Wednesday in the Gauriganj area of Amethi. This raised speculations of a possible ticket for Vadra. However, the Congress appears to be wanting to put up a fight for every seat that it is contesting and has thus decided on fielding the Gandhi sibling. Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. However, Rahul Gandhi will not find the going easy in his erstwhile bastion as Union Minister Smriti Irani has been campaigning extensively in the constituency. On April 8, the Union Minister questioned Rahul Gandhi's loyalty to Amethi. BJP workers know that the Gandhi family will come to contest elections from Amethi. PM Narendra Modi sends ration to 19 lakh citizens in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, if the Gandhi family is against Narendra Modi, so these 19 lakh citizens who are getting free ration, what will the Gandhi family say to these families?... I went to Wayanad a few days ago and got the information that Rahul Gandhi has declared Wayanad as his family...Yesterday a Congress leader said that Rahul Gandhi chose Wayanad because Rahul Gandhi says that the people of Wayanad are more loyal. So what about the loyalty of Amethi, she said in a news conference. Rae Bareli is a Congress bastion since 1960 with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has been the MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by poll. With Sonia moving to the upper house, the Congress is likely to field Priyanka Gandhi who is a general secretary in the party. (ANI)
LS Polls: UP govt to provide medical kits for polling personnel in 2nd phase to combat hot conditions In view of the soaring temperatures in Uttar Pradesh, medical kits to address health conditions such as heatstroke, will be provided to the polling personnel for the voting scheduled on April 26 across 8 constituencies in the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Directions have also been issued to ensure all necessary facilities for polling personnel and voters at polling stations. The polling parties will depart for polling stations on April 25 (Thursday) to ensure fair and peaceful elections in the state. The eight constituencies of UP that are going to polls in the second phase include Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Mathura. These 8 Lok Sabha seats fall under 9 districts of the state, namely, Amroha, Hapur, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, and Mathura. State Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said that instructions have been given to all the District Election Officers to send polling parties on time for the second phase of voting in 8 Lok Sabha constituencies scheduled for April 26. He mentioned that directions have been issued to all the concerned District Election Officers to ensure necessary facilities for voters and polling personnel at polling centres and polling booths. Before the departure of polling parties, the polling personnel will be provided with medical kits to address health conditions such as heatstroke. Because of the heat, tents, sheds, drinking water arrangements and other necessary facilities will be installed as per the guidelines issued earlier. In compliance with the directives of the Election Commission of India, continuous operations are being carried out across Uttar Pradesh by the Police, Income Tax, Excise, Narcotics, and other departments. For thorough inspection, 480 interstate check posts and 1836 check posts within the state are operational. From March 16 to April 23, 2024, the Police department seized 495 licensed weapons from criminals whereas licenses for 4553 weapons were revoked and deposited. Notices have been issued under the CrPC to 2,532,068 individuals over concerns of peace disruption, of which 2,061,166 have already been restricted. Additionally, the Police department seized 7650 unlicensed weapons, 7753 cartridges, 2900.32 kilograms of explosives, and 411 bombs. Besides, raids were conducted on 3153 illegal weapon manufacturing centres, while 148 were busted. On April 23, licenses for 249 weapons owned by criminals were revoked and deposited by the Police department. Under the CrPC, 36,978 individuals were restricted as a preventive measure. Additionally, 105 unlicensed weapons and 171 cartridges were seized. Raids were conducted on 96 illegal weapon manufacturing centres by the police. (ANI)
BJP faces Rajput anger in its stronghold
Rajput discontent threatens BJP stronghold in Ghaziabad, with core support base shaken by ticket denial to VK Singh
UP police thrash minor Muslim driver in Ghaziabad; incident sparks outrage
In a disturbing incident, e-rickshaw driver Sohail was brutally thrashed by a police inspector in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad. The incident has sparked outrage. The video of the incident shows the inspector, named Bhanu Prakash, dragging the 14-year-old driver by his hair and mercilessly beating him. E-rickshaw driver Sohail was brutally manhandled by police inspector Bhanu Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
SKA Group Embarks on Premium Housing Project in Gr Noida, Investing Nearly Rs 600 Crore
SKA Group Embarks on Premium Housing Project in Gr Noida, Investing Nearly Rs 600 Crore Realty firm SKA Group on Wednesday said it will invest nearly Rs 600 crore to develop a premium housing project in Greater Noida as part of its expansion plan. The company has so far completed four housing projects comprising 3,200 units, while two residential projects are under construction totalling 1,800 units. It is also developing a commercial project comprising 600 units. These projects are in the Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad markets of Uttar Pradesh. ''We have launched a new housing project 'SKA Destiny One' in Greater Noida. The project spread over 6 acres will have 645 units,'' SKA Group Director Sanjay Sharma told reporters here. The price ranges between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 3 crore per apartment. The company had bought this land from Greater Noida development authority and the entire land price has been paid. The total saleable area is nearly 14 lakh square feet. Sharma said the total project cost, including land and construction, would be Rs 592 crore. The project will be delivered by 2029. SKA Group Director L N Jha said the company would fund the project cost from internal accruals and collections from customers against sales. ''We have applied for a Rs 100 crore bank loan which will be used as construction finance if required,'' Jha added. Sharma said the company has already sold 200 units in this project. The company is currently selling units at Rs 9,500 per square feet. He noted that the housing demand in Noida and Greater Noida remains high, while there is not much fresh supply in the market. ''The demand is primarily from end-users,'' Sharma said. Housing brokerage firm PropTiger.com data showed that housing sales grew by 41 per cent to 1,20,640 units during January-March 2024 across the top eight cities from 85,840 units in the corresponding period of the previous year. In Delhi-NCR, sales more than doubled to 10,060 units from 3,800 units during the period under review.
Faridabad Noida Ghaziabad Expressway: 30mins travel time, route, distance, IIT link
Faridabad Noida Ghaziabad expressway: When completed, the Faridabad Noida Ghaziabad Expressway will be a huge help to people who commute between Faridabad and Ghaziabad and Noida.
Campaigning on eight LS seats for second phase in UP ends today
Lucknow: Campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in eight seats of western will conclude on Wednesday evening. The eight seats where polls will be held in the second phase are Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Mathura. Polling for the second phase will be held on April 26. Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Lot of work has to be done in next five years...: BJP candidate Hema Malini
Lot of work has to be done in next five years...: BJP candidate Hema Malini Bhartiya Janta Party Lok Sabha Candidate and two-term Member of Parliament from Mathura, Hema Malini, said on Tuesday that many developmental works have been completed and a lot of work has to be done in the next five years in Mathura with the support of the party. Hema Malini told ANI, I feel proud that I have done a lot of work and I have to do a lot of work in the next five years with the support of Prime Minister Modi Ji, Amit Shah Ji, Nadda ji and Yogi Ji. A lot of good development work has been done here, including the 84 Kos Parikrama, the purification of Yamuna, centres for girls education, and theatres as centres for cultural activities. Along with the darshan of the temple, you will get to see various cultural activities here. Responding to the question of how many seats the BJP will win this time, Hema Malini said that they will win 80 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Our party is saying that we will win from Mathura by a margin of more than 5 lakh votes. We will win by more votes than before. I appeal to all the people to vote when voting takes place on April 26th. Everyone should participate in it. I also appeal to the people of India that everyone should go and vote; each of your votes is very important, she said. Further, speaking on the Srikrishna Janambhoomi dispute, the BJP candidate from Mathura said that the issue is in the court and the court will decide but we are planning to make corridor for Banke Bihari Ji very beautiful, which is very congested and very soon work will start. Challenge is a challenge. You should not take it lightly. So, we will work hard, we have the capability to win. We have our work to show. Who will vote for someone who has not done anything? What has the INDIA bloc done till date? We will definitely cross 400, she added. The seats which will go to polls in the second phase on April 26 included-- Amroha, Meerut, Mathura, Baghpat, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Bulandshahar. (ANI)
The Gautam Buddha Nagar constituency will go to polls in the second phase on April 26 along with Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Mathura and Bulandshahr seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Student outreach initiative drives school students onto Namo Bharat trains, says NCR transport body
Student outreach initiative drives school students onto Namo Bharat trains, says NCR transport body The National Capital Region Transport Corporation's (NCRTC) student outreach programme drives school students onto Namo Bharat trains in order to enhance their awareness about the regional rapid transit system (RRTS), a statement said on Sunday. As part of this initiative, school students were invited to participate in rides aboard the state-of-the-art Namo Bharat trains. This immersive experience not only acquainted the students with the cutting-edge technology and comfort of the Namo Bharat, but also underscored the importance of sustainable and efficient transportation solutions for the National Capital Region (NCR), it said. This initiative has been a resounding success, with students from across the NCR actively participating in various educational activities aimed at familiarising them with the RRTS corridor. The outreach programme encompasses school visits, knowledge sessions, painting competitions, nukkad nataks (street plays), and most notably, exhilarating train rides on the Namo Bharat, the statement stated. Recognising the pivotal role children play as ambassadors for societal initiatives, the NCRTC has made concerted efforts to engage with these school children to make the awareness program engaging and interactive. It includes a painting competition with a specific theme related to the project, it said. They have been shown interactive videos to enhance their understandings. The children were encouraged to actively participate by sharing their understanding of the project. The session concluded with a street play that delivered key messages related to the project, it stated. These outreach programmes served as platforms for the students to not only learn about the RRTS project but also expressed their creativity and understanding through various mediums. By fostering an environment of curiosity and participation, NCRTC aimed to instil a sense of ownership and enthusiasm among the younger generation towards embracing the Namo Bharat trains as a preferred mode of transport in the future, the statement said. Presently, a 34-km section between Sahibabad and Modi Nagar North of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which includes eight stations, is operational for passengers. The construction is advancing swiftly on the remaining stretches and the entire 82-km corridor is anticipated to be operational by 2025, it added.
Samajwadi Party struggling to save its Mainpuri, Kannauj bastions: UP minister
Samajwadi Party struggling to save its Mainpuri, Kannauj bastions: UP minister The Samajwadi Party is struggling to save its bastions of Mainpuri and Kannauj in the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said on Sunday and claimed that there is no impact of its alliance with the Congress. The Congress virtually has no public support in the state. As a result, there is no impact of its alliance with the Samajwadi Party, he claimed. Chaudhary, the minister for sugarcane development, said, ''The Samajwadi Party is struggling to save its Mainpuri and Kannauj seats and it will be extremely difficult for the party to save those.'' In Mainpuri, the BJP has fielded UP Minister Jaiveer Singh against Dimple Yadav, the incumbent MP and the wife of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Mainpuri goes to the polls in the third phase on May 7. In Kannauj, which goes to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Subrat Pathak. The Samajwadi Party is yet to announce its candidate from the seat. Chaudhary further claimed that the BJP's alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will prevent the division of about 20 per cent Jat votes as more than 70 per cent people from the community have so far been voting for the saffron party. The minister also asserted that the BJP will sweep western Uttar Pradesh, like it did in previous elections. ''In Mathura, Hema Malini will set a record for victory margin in the state,'' he said. The BJP's Hema Malini is eyeing a third term in the Lok Sabha from Mathura. Owing to the welfare programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the administration of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP will register convincing victories in all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Chaudhary admitted that while the poll battle will not be a cakewalk for the party in a few areas due to the caste factor, the BJP will ultimately win the elections on the back of the government's welfare programmes. The minister also lashed out at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, saying, ''Her latest trick to give tickets to Muslims is not going to work. I have visited three constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh but did not find any support for the BSP.'' Chaudhary claimed the BJP will also get votes from Muslims after the Centre introduced a law criminalising triple talaq and other welfare programmes. Mathura will vote in the second phase of polling on April 26, alongside Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Aligarh.
39-Year-Old Woman Found Dead In Ghaziabad Home: Cops
A 39-year-old spinster was found dead in her house in Lajpat Nagar colony of Sahibabad police station area on Friday night, police said on Saturday.
39-year-old spinster found dead in UP's Ghaziabad
39-year-old spinster found dead in UP's Ghaziabad A 39-year-old spinster was found dead in her house in Lajpat Nagar colony of Sahibabad police station area on Friday night, police said on Saturday. The woman's brother was sitting by her body, they said. The police reached the spot after receiving a call on Dial 112. The officers observed wounds and scars on her eyes, hands and throat. The deceased woman has been identified as Geeta and her brother as Kishor Kumar Nayar, police said. Till 2018, he was working as a nano technologist in South Africa. Her mother lives in Kerala and one of her sisters lives in the same colony, ACP Sahibabad Rajneesh Upadhyay said. The neighbours told the police that Nayar and his sister often used to quarrel. Some of the neighbours of Geeta informed her sister Deepa about their tiff. Deepa reached upon getting information and found that her sister was lying dead on the floor. The body was sent for post-mortem examination, the report of which reveals that Geeta sustained some abrasion on her body and she suffered from lung infection. Nayar is under depression and could not tell about the death of his sister. Citing the statement of the neighbours, the ACP said that 10 days ago, Geeta had called police after an altercation with her brother.
Massive Fire Engulfs Warehouse in Ghaziabad's Khoda Area
Lucknow: A massive fire broke out at a warehouse in the Khoda area of Ghaziabad on Saturday morning, creating panic among the locals. Upon receiving the information, multiple teams of the fire brigade rushed to the spot to control the flames. Chief Fire Officer Rahul Pal stated that the firefighting operations are currently underway, and fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far. We received information about a fire at a godown in Khoda Colony this morning. Immediately, three fire brigade teams from Vaishali fire station, two from Sahibabad station, and three from Kotwali station were rushed to the spot. Additionally, a fire brigade team from Noida Sector 58 station was called in to assist in the firefighting operation. Efforts to douse the fire are underway, CFO Pal said. Further details about the incident are awaited as the firefighting operation continues. CBI Team Probes Alleged Crimes Against Women and Land Grabbing in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal Bus Carrying Policemen Returning from Chhindwara Election Duty Overturns in Madhya Pradesh, 21 injured YS Sharmila Files Nomination from Kadapa Lok Sabha Seat
Police Bust Terrorist Hideout in Reasi District, Jammu & Kashmir
Srinagar: Police have busted a terrorist hideout in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. During the operation conducted on Saturday, objectionable material was seized from the terrorists' hideout. The police spokesperson stated that the hideout was discovered in the Dalas Barneli area of the Arnas sub-division during a search and cordon operation. Acting on reliable information about the presence of terrorists in the hideout, the police initiated the operation. Two detonators, 12 AK assault rifle bullets, one IED-enabled tape recorder, one calculator, one battery, and some connecting wires were recovered from the hideout. Reasi's Senior Superintendent of Police, Mohita Sharma, mentioned that the search operation is ongoing in the area. No terrorists have been apprehended from the hideout yet. Further information is being collected in this regard. The police are committed to thwarting any nefarious designs of anti-national elements. It is noteworthy that elections are being held in five phases for the five Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir, and the police are on high alert. In early April, Lashkar terrorist Junaid Ahmed Bhat was spotted with his associates in the gardens of Kulgam. A meeting was also held. Given this situation, it is believed that terrorists may target various places in Kashmir before the general elections. Hence, police and security forces personnel are taking no chances. They are conducting searches of terrorist hideouts preemptively. It is worth mentioning that voting in the state is scheduled for April 19, 26, May 7, 13, and 20. The results will be announced on June 4. Additionally, the Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases across the country. Voting for the Udhampur seat in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for April 19, and for the Jammu seat on April 26. Voting for the Anantnag and Rajouri seats will take place on May 7. The Srinagar seat will go to the polls on May 13, and finally, voting for the Baramulla seat is scheduled for May 20. Massive Fire Engulfs Warehouse in Ghaziabad's Khoda Area Horrific Incident in Amritsar: Man Allegedly Sets Pregnant Wife on Fire, Killing Her and Unborn Twins CBI Team Probes Alleged Crimes Against Women and Land Grabbing in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal
Congress to Announce Candidates for Haryana Lok Sabha Elections; Deepender Hooda Likely from Rohtak
Chandigarh: Congress is set to announce its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana. A committee formed by the party has submitted its report to President Kharge, with Salman Khurshid and Deepak Bawariya suggesting nine names in their report. The Congress is contesting the elections in Haryana in collaboration with the Aam Aadmi Party under the India Alliance. The party currently holds nine seats, and it is speculated that Deepender Hooda might be the candidate from the Rohtak seat. Hooda's name has been a topic of discussion for this seat for a while now. According to sources, the party is also likely to field Kumari Shailaja from Sirsa, as her name has reportedly been finalized for this seat. Sources suggest that Raj Babbar may receive the ticket from the Gurugram seat. Rao Dan Singh, who is considered close to Bhupinder Singh Hooda, might be the candidate from Bhiwani Mahendragarh. Other potential candidates include Satpal Brahmachari from Sonipat, Varun Mullana from Ambala, Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad, Brijendra Singh from Hisar, and Virendra Rathore from Karnal. Voting for all 10 seats in Haryana will be held in a single phase. The Election Commission has scheduled May 25 as the date for the sixth phase of voting in the state. In this phase, voting will take place in Lok Sabha constituencies such as Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Gurugram, and Faridabad. It is noteworthy that the Aam Aadmi Party has secured the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat, with Sushil Gupta as its candidate. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept all 10 seats in the 'Jat Land'. The BJP secured over 58 percent of the votes, while Congress received 28 percent, and the JJP got about 5 percent of the votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won seven seats, while Congress won the Rohtak seat under the leadership of Deepender Hooda. The Indian National Lok Dal of Haryana, led by Om Prakash Chautala, secured two seats, Sirsa and Hisar. Wedding Celebration Turns Tragic as Guest Killed by Stray Bullet Massive Fire Engulfs Warehouse in Ghaziabad's Khoda Area Horrific Incident in Amritsar: Man Allegedly Sets Pregnant Wife on Fire, Killing Her and Unborn Twins
Top performing districts of UP Board class 10th exam results: Check their passing percentages
High School 2024 results: Bhadohi leads at 96.08%, followed by Prayagraj at 95.51%, Gautam Buddha Nagar at 95.11%, Agra at 94.98%, Kanpur Nagar at 94.38%, Ghaziabad, Fatehpur, Santkabir Nagar, Shamli, and Amroha.
Man arrested for booking cab in Lawrence Bishnois name, sending it to Salman Khans residence
Ghaziabad-based Rohit Tyagi booked a cab online to pick up Lawrence Bishnoi from Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, where the Bollywood actor Salman Khan resides
UP Man Books Cab From Salman Khan's Home Under Gangster's Name, Arrested
A 20-year-old man has been arrested for booking a cab from Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's home in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, said police on Friday. According to Mumbai police, the accused has been identified as Rohit Tyagi, a 20-year-old man from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
RRTS meant only for the rich, say Ghaziabad-Delhi commuters
Noida's Trident Realty raises Rs 1.2k cr through sale of assets
Noida-based Trident Realty has raised 1,200 crore through sale of assets, including Shipra Mall in Ghaziabad and a land parcel in Gurugram, as part of plans to focus on its residential business and exit non-core assets, said people close to the development.
