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Editorial: ‘Incredible India’ Spiderman takes Spiderwoman on a bike ride, both arrested Implementation of UCC across India is Modi’s guarantee: Shah
Nainital forest fire reaches near IAF AAP 'war room' for LS
station; helicopters, Army deployed polls in Delhi inaugurated
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The forest de-
partment in Nainital has
called the Indian Air Force
(IAF) and the Indian Army to
help control the forest fire
that has been raging for over
36 hours and has burnt sev-
eral hectares of forests. The
district administration has
pressed helicopters in the
fire-fighting operations.
Uttarakhand chief minister
Pushkar Singh Dhami said
on Saturday that he will con-
duct a meeting on the Nain-
ital forest fire in the state's
Haldwani district.
Pushkar Singh Dhami
said Nainital is facing a big
fire. “The forest fires are a
challenge for us. This is a
big fire. We are working for
all the essential needs. We
have asked for help from the
Army,” he said.
Pushkar Singh Dhami said
the government has taken
measures to control the fire.
Mamata slips and falls while
boarding helicopter in Durgapur Owaisi says ‘Mukhtar Ansari
OUR CORRESPONDENT
BENGAL: West Bengal chief
minister Mamata Banerjee
slipped and fell Saturday
while taking her seat after
boarding a helicopter in
Durgapur. The chief minis-
ter was helped by her se-
curity personnel, reported
ANI. She continued with her
onward travel to Asansol to
address an election rally.
On March 14, the 69-year-
old Trinamool Congress su-
premo fell inside her Kalighat
residence in Kolkata and suf-
fered a grievous injury on her
forehead and nose. She had
to be admitted to hospital for
a few hours.
Banerjee's brother, Kar-
tik Banerjee, told a Bengali
news channel that the TMC
leader had a cerebral con-
cussion and had a sharp cut
S.India grapples with water scarcity as reservoir levels dip to 10-yr low
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The reservoir
storage levels in the south-
ern region — including
Andhra Pradesh, Telanga-
na, Karnataka, Kerala, and
Tamil Nadu — are at just 17
per cent of capacity, which
is significantly below his-
torical averages, according
to the recent bulletin from
the Central Water Commis-
sion (CWC).
The bulletin, released
late on Thursday, indicates
that the 42 reservoirs mon-
itored by the CWC in south-
ern India have a total live
storage capacity of 53.334
billion cubic meters (BCM).
According to the report,
the combined live stor-
age in these reservoirs
amounts to 8.865 BCM,
which is merely 17 per
cent of their total capaci-
ty. This indicates a decline
compared to the storage
levels at the same time
last year (29 per cent) and
ucknow news
VOL. 18 | ISSUE NO: 237 | Monday, 29 April 2024 | DAILY MORNING | Page 4 | Price Rs 1.00
"I am going to conduct a
meeting in Haldwani today.
We have conducted a meet-
ing in Dehradun also regard-
ing this. We will try to control
the fire as soon as possible,"
he added.
The forest fire has put the
High Court Colony in Nainital,
in peril. Dhami has ordered
the departments to douse
the fire after coordinating
among themselves.
The fire has spread near
the colony, which is situated
near the Pines area. It also
affected traffic movement.
on her forehead and nose
which was bleeding profuse-
ly.
The hospital director, Man-
imoy Bandyopadhyay, initial-
ly said that Banerjee had "a
fall within the vicinity of her
home due to some push
from behind".
This comment sparked
large-scale confusion and
speculations over the cause
of Mamata Banerjee's fall.
the ten-year average for
the corresponding period
(23 per cent).
The decreased storage
levels suggest worsening
water scarcity, which pos-
es potential challenges for
irrigation, drinking water
supply, and hydroelectric
power generation in these
southern states.
The eastern region, in-
cluding states like Assam,
Odisha, and West Bengal,
has exhibited a favourable
improvement in water stor-
age levels.
The bulletin stated that
in this area, 23 monitored
Meanwhile, Nainital Mu-
nicipal Corporation Executive
Officer Rahul Anand said:
"We received information of
IAF helicopters seeking per-
mission to take water from
Nainital to douse the fire.
To make arrangements, we
closed boating in the lake
for the day. Fire is reported
in Nainital in many places,
including very close to the Air
Force Station in the district.
The main purpose of bring-
ing in helicopters to douse
the fire was to keep the Air
Force Station safe".
Bandyopadhyay later clar-
ified that all he meant was
that the CM may have felt "a
sensation of push".
"This is a sensation of
pushing from behind which
led to the fall (of CM Baner-
jee). Our job is to treat and we
have done that. There was a
misinterpretation of what I
said last evening," Bandyop-
adhyay said.
At that time, senior BJP
reservoirs with a total live
storage capacity of 20.430
BCM currently contain
7.889 BCM of water, rep-
resenting 39 per cent of
their total capacity. This
indicates an enhancement
in the storage levels from
the same period last year
(34 per cent) and the ten-
year average (34 per cent).
However, the situation is
less encouraging in other
regions.
Moreover. in the western
region, encompassing Gu-
jarat and Maharashtra, the
storage levels of 11.771
BCM account for 31.7 per
Anil Joshi, a resident of the
area and assistant registrar
of the High Court, told PTI:
“The fire has engulfed an old
and vacant house located
near The Pines. It has not
caused any damage to the
High Court Colony but it has
reached dangerously close
to the buildings.”
The fire has reached dan-
gerously close to the Indian
Army's installation near the
Pines area.
The Nainital administra-
tion has barred people from
boating activities in Naini
Lake because of the forest
fire. Nainital's forest depart-
ment has pressed 40 per-
sonnel in the fire-fighting
operations.
Yesterday, within a 24-hour
period, 26 incidents of forest
were reported in the Kuma-
on region of Uttarakhand.
Five incidents were reported
in Garhwal. A total of 33.34
hectares of forest area was
affected during the period.
leader Suvendu Adhikari trig-
gered a controversy after he
apparently made a mockery
of Banerjee's injury.
Addressing a rally in West
Bengal's Khejuri, Adhikari,
without naming anyone said,
"TMC's pressure has gone
down and it is falling. The fall
of the TMC has just begun
from the top, it will percolate
to the grassroots levels."
His remarks drew sharp
condemnation from the rul-
ing TMC, which said the re-
marks reflect the anti-wom-
en mindset of the BJP.
"Such remarks against the
only woman chief minister
of the country reflect the an-
ti-women mindset of the BJP.
We condemn such remarks
and demand an apology,"
West Bengal Women and
Child Development Minister
Shashi Panja said.
cent of the total capacity of
49 monitored reservoirs.
They are notably lower
compared to the storage
levels of the previous year
(38 per cent) and the ten-
year average (32.1 per
cent).
Likewise, the northern
and central regions also
exhibit decreases in water
storage levels in compari-
son to historical averages.
The comprehensive anal-
ysis presented in the bul-
letin categorises reservoir
storage across different
river basins as "above nor-
mal", "near normal", “be-
low normal” or "critically
low".
River basins such as
Brahmaputra, Narmada,
and Tapi are labelled with
better-than-normal stor-
age levels.
While basins like Cauv-
ery and east-flowing rivers
between Mahanadi and
Pennar are categorised as
highly deficient.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aad-
mi Party's "war room" for
the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi
was inaugurated by senior
party leader Gopal Rai on
Saturday.
The party has fielded can-
didates on four of the seven
Lok Sabha seats in the na-
tional capital while its INDIA
bloc partner Congress is
contesting three. The con-
stituencies will go to polls on
May 25, the sixth round of
the seven-phase elections.
The "war room", located at
the A headquarters on DDU
Marg, will have 12 teams for
different purposes, Rai, who
is the convener of the par-
ty's Delhi unit, said.
While the A is contesting
from East Delhi, South Del-
hi, West Delhi and New Del-
hi, the Congress from North
East Delhi, North West Delhi
and Chandni Chowk.
In-charges have been ap-
pointed for the four constit-
uencies and they will ensure
that the A's poll campaigns
are run in an organised
is a martyr', triggers row
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: All India Maj-
lis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
(AIMIM) president Asadud-
din Owaisi has triggered a
row by calling the late ma-
fia-turned-politician Mukhtar
Ansari a martyr. Ansari died
due to cardiac arrest in Ban-
da jail last month.
While addressing a poll-
bound rally in Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's constituen-
cy Varanasi, Owaisi claimed
that Ansari was given poison
and it was the Yogi Aditya-
nath-led BJP government to
protect the politician.
Mukhtar Ansari was in ju-
dicial custody, and he was
killed by giving poison. He is
a martyr; don’t call him dead.
It was the responsibility of
the BJP govt to protect him,”
Times of India quoted Owaisi
as saying.
The AIMIM supremo further
recalled the assassination of
another gangster-turned-pol-
itician, Atiq Ahmad, and his
brother Ashraf, who were
shot dead by three men pos-
ing as journalists in April last
year while they were being
taken for a medical exam-
ination in Prayagraj. "It was
the responsibility of the BJP
Reliance gets thumbs-up from S&P, Fitch
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Reliance Indus
- tries Ltd has won a vote of
confi - dence from global rat-
ing agencies S&P and Fitch
after its robust earnings in
the fiscal year ended March
31, 2024, supported its
growth aspirations and kept
leverage under check.
S&P Global Ratings and
Fitch Ratings in separate
notes spoke of its EBITDA
(loosely known as pre-tax
manner, he said.
Dedicated teams for lo-
gistics, campaign manage-
ment, legal works, data
management and analysis,
and media and social media
among others will ensure
smooth and organised cam-
paigning in the four seats
being contested by the par-
ty, Rai said.
On incarcerated A supre-
mo and Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita
Kejriwal's maiden roadshow
in support of East Delhi can-
didate Kuldeep Kumar in
the evening, Rai said with
the event, the party's Lok
Sabha campaign "Jail Ka
Jawab Vote Se" will enter its
government to save the peo-
ple, but it failed. Nature gets
angry with the one who com-
mits atrocities,” he said.
Owaisi further slammed
the BJP government and
Akhilesh Yadav's SP saying
that Varanasi does not be-
long to PM Modi, but to Us-
tad Bismillah Khan, Tulsidas
and Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.
"I want to tell PM Modi and
Akhilesh Yadav that PDM will
not be limited to the limits of
Parliament only. This will be
the beginning of PDM in the
coming Parliament and also
in the legislativel assembly
elections," he added.
Meanwhile, the viscera
report of the slain gangster
revealed that no poison was
detected in the viscera of
Ansari, contrary to the allega-
tions of his family members'
profit) rising in the cur - rent
fiscal year and next on ris-
ing revenue and past invest-
ments.
"Reliance Industries Ltd's
(RIL) strong earnings will
keep leverage in check as
the com - pany continues to
pursue growth ambitions.
We expect the com - pany's
debt-to-EBITDA ratio to re-
main commensurate with
the rating (BBB+/Stable/--),"
S&P said in a note. Sepa-
rately, Fitch Ratings said
R.N.I. Reg. No.
third phase.
In the first two phases of
the "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se"
campaign, door-to-door
outreach was done in the
four constituencies and
"Sankalp Sabhas" were
held against the arrest of
Arvind Kejriwal by the En-
forcement Directorate last
month in a money laun-
dering case linked to the
now-scrapped Delhi excise
policy.
There is anger against the
BJP and "this election is be-
ing fought by the people of
Delhi", Rai said.
The nominations for the
polls for the seats in Delhi
will begin from April 29.
allegations.
The postmortem report of
Ansari had earlier said that
the reason for his death was
"myocardial refraction" or
heart attack. Ansari's fami-
ly, however, had been insist-
ing that he was subjected to
slow poisoning in jail.
"We have got the Forensic
Science Lab report that has
confirmed that no traces of
poison were found in the vis-
cera. This has been given to
the probe panel led by Ban-
da Additional Chief Judicial
Magistrate," a senior officer
was quoted by PTI.
However, Ansari's brother
Afzal said they do not trust
either the postmortem or the
viscera reports. "The correct
sample of viscera was not
sent for investigation," he
said.
RIL’s EBITDA net leverage is
likely to remain below 1x in
the medium term, supported
by increasing cash flows and
lower capex intensity, even as
the con - glomerate’s abso-
lute capex and investments
remain high in the near term.
The oil-to-telecomand-retail
conglomerate's growth aspi-
rations remain intact, it said,
adding the company has
ramped up investments in
the media business in recent
months.
THERE IS A LOT LEFT
IN THE TANK, SAYS DU
PLESSIS
HYDERABAD: Royal Chal-
lengers Bangalore skipper
Faf du Plessis expressed
his delight at his side end-
ing its six-fixture losing
streak in the IPL, reminding
one and all that there is still
a lot left in team’s tank. Bot-
tom-placed RCB emerged
victorious against third-
ranked SunRisers Hyder-
abad, winning by 35 runs.
With this win, RCB has two
successes in nine clashes,
having lost the remaining
seven. “We have worked
really hard for the last two
games to get to this point,”
de Plessis was quoted as
saying in an RCB release to
the players in the dressing
room after the conquest
on Thursday. “We have
scratched, we have fought,
and everyone can say that
they feel like they have given
everything, so we deserve
this feeling.
DEFENDING
CHAMPIONS ALCARAZ,
SABALENKA WIN
OPENING MATCHES
MADRID: Two-time de-
fending champion Carlos
Alcaraz showed no sign of
being hampered by a nag-
ging arm injury as he eased
to victory in his opening
match at the Madrid Open
on Friday. The third-ranked
Alcaraz brushed aside Alex-
ander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-1
on the outdoor clay inside
the Caja Magica in his first
match in nearly a month.
Defending champion Aryna
Sabalenka faced tougher
resistance in her opening
match before beating Mag-
da Linette 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on
the women’s side. Alcaraz
was coming off a right arm
injury that kept him from
playing in Monte Carlo and
Barcelona.
UPBEAT DC TAKE
ON STRUGGLING MI
AS PLAYOFF RACE
INTENSIFIES
NEW DELHI: An upbeat Del-
hi Capitals will look to keep
the winning momentum
going against an inconsis-
tent Mumbai Indians when
the two sides square off in
the IPL here on Saturday.
The Capitals have endured
a rollercoaster season so
far, showing flashes of
brilliance while also suc-
cumbing to embarrassing
defeats. But three wins in
the last four matches have
helped them climb to the
sixth spot and a win against
MI will strengthen their
claim to a play off spot.
On the other hand, after
a familiar poor start, MI
bounced back with three
wins in their next four
matches but a comprehen-
sive nine-wicket thrashing
by Rajasthan Royals put
an end to their resurgence.
They are tottering on the
eighth place on the points
table and can ill-afford to
lose. DC’s biggest positive
has undoubtedly been skip-
per Rishabh Pant’s form,
which appears to be im-
proving with each game.
He has looked sharp behind
the stumps and seems to
be batting with freedom. He
was at his belligerent best
during a match-winning un-
beaten knock against Guja-
rat Titans on Wednesday
2 Lucknow, Monday, 29 April 2024 Lucknow News (English Daily)

Leading Charge
EDITORIAL
‘Incredible India’
Here’s an unpopular opinion. Have we dropped the ball
on the ‘Incredible India’ campaign? Now, now… before we
start talking about how Lakshwadeep is more happening
than Maldives, let me elucidate. India is simply not attract-
ing enough foreign tourists, and the numbers, which were SCIENTISTS AT INDIRA GANDHI ATOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING TEACHER SHORTAGES
never comparable to China, have not recovered from the
Covid-19 pandemic nosedive. More Indians may be check- THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PRESENTING A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR NATIONWIDE EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
ing out foreign shores but not enough foreign tourists, es- My recent visit to a village, to
pecially quality ones, are visiting ours. participate in a programme
The ‘Incredible India’ campaign led by Amitabh Kant in felicitating teachers work-
2002 and championed by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee govern- ing in public schools, specif-
ment had come at a time when much of the western world ically Adi Dravida schools,
was wary of travelling to countries such as India. 9/11 and a organised by a group of
slew of other national and international terror events paint- scientists, enabled me to
ed a poor picture of the nation, and the tourism campaign identify a model of social
went a long way to correct that image. work that brought unfath-
The positive buzz showcased India in its glory, steeped omable consequences to
in history and beauty alike, and resplendent in its slogan the households of margin-
of “atithi devo bhava” (guests are akin to God). As per re- alised communities.
ports, the campaign helped increase foreign tourists from Scientists from the Indira
2.38 million in 2002 to 7.7 million in 2014; and yet India Gandhi Atomic Research In-
remained nowhere close to China that received a stagger- stitute, stationed near Chen-
ing 56.9 million foreign tourists in 2015. While we compete nai at Kalpakkam, formed
with China on all things, why not tourism? their staff association and
Today, almost all our endeavours are to highlight India as operated it for some time,
the favoured destination for foreign capital. Invest in India, primarily for staff welfare.
set up factories in India, become wealthy in India — but In one meeting, they de-
what of the soft powers of tourism and cultural exchange? cided to visit nearby villag-
Are we doing enough to encour- es without a fixed agenda,
age country-to-country relation- Travel and tourism seeking connection with
ship-building that is spearhead- contribute just 5.9 per the communities around
ed by tourism? And are we taking cent (as of 2022) to their institute. Witnessing
advantage and promoting an in- India’s gross domestic the dire living conditions
dustry that can create millions of product; While foreign of marginalised families
jobs and small businesses? tourist arrivals are during their visit to villages
In my overseas travels to Eu- yet to return to pre- around Kalpakkam on a
rope, I’ve often been intrigued by pandemic levels, India Sunday, particularly those of
the perception that the common squanders a golden poor and Dalit families, mo-
European has of India. From opportunity to boost tivated them to resolve to
organ theft to fear of rape, the the job-creating sector work toward transformative
depiction of our nation is woeful change in their lives.
among Europeans. A retired scientist, while
A few rave about the magical powers of yoga and Ayurve- interacting with me during
da, but most are simply scared to visit. They consume hor- the programme, shared, “as
rid tales of violence and gangrapes of foreign tourists via long as we sit in our room
social media; they see the teeming masses and are easily and laboratory we do our
overwhelmed; most importantly, they lack a balanced un- job consciously and earn
derstanding of what life in India truly is. A nation of contra- our livelihood. The moment Through 18 years of continuous work in public schools, scientists have demonstrated that Dalits and the poor are not inferior in capacity and skill
dictions and paradoxes — India is not an enigma but a coun- we move out from the four to realise that it is shame- that the government had pointed by the government strengthening the bond be-
The work done by
try to be avoided. walls of the institution and ful to send their children to provided infrastructure fa- have cooperated with the tween the community and
scientists at Indira
The European tourist may willingly travel to Thailand, Cam- connect ourself with the private schools, indicating cilities but not enough staff. teachers recruited by the the scientists.
Gandhi National Atomic
bodia, and China, but for most, India is a no-go, especially community, we find social an underestimation of their Public schools in Tamil Nadu scientists in all teaching The impactful activities
Energy Research Institute
for women travellers. Shocking cases of violence against consciousness in us and own teaching capacity. were operating with an in- and learning activities. The in schools have attracted
shows the emergence of
women and instances of gruesome rapes continue to rattle it will not allow us to sleep Therefore, the scientists sufficient number of qual- scientists have not stopped resources from external do-
a new culture of social
both Indians and foreigners. Some instances of assault of till something happens to have opted to work with ified teachers, resulting in with the appointment of nors who have begun con-
responsibility among the
foreigners have exacerbated an already notorious visage. the families which we have students from poor families a significant decline in the teachers but have also be- necting with the scientists’
middle class
Incidents such as the recent alleged gangrape of a Bra- seen in the villages. in public schools, aiming to quality of education. gun visiting the schools reg- team. Now, these activities
zilian biker tourist and her husband’s assault in Jharkhand Thus we moved out from make a significant impact The public schools were ularly and interacting with have expanded to many vil- played a culture of high civil-
have done no favours. In 2018, a British woman was al- our institution and connect- in rural areas. However, they in dire need of teachers, parents and teachers. lages due to support from ity in their activities, driven
legedly raped in Goa; in 2016, an American woman was al- ed with community in the recognise the challenges but the government had not This increased the com- donor agencies. What is solely by the desire for trans-
legedly drugged and gangraped in a five-star hotel in Delhi; nearby villages”. He empha- ahead. Firstly, they need gov- taken steps to appoint them munity’s attention to school significant about the work formative change, serving
while in 2013, a Swiss tourist was allegedly gangraped and sised the need for leader- ernment approval to work despite repeated pleas activities. Continuous moni- done by scientists at the In- as a model for public insti-
her husband thrashed. ship in meaningful activi- with public schools, cooper- from the community. The toring of the schools yielded dira Gandhi National Atomic tutions and higher learning
Police action is swift and the cases are few and far be- ties, highlighting the role of ation from the teachers, and scientists’ group also took positive results, improving Energy Research Institute is institutions nationwide.
tween, but India’s image as a safe haven for women re- Sridhar, a brilliant scientist support from students and initiative to meet with ap- attendance and pass per- the emergence of a new cul- During my participation in
mains chequered in the long-term. The foreign investor and who led the group. families. propriate higher officials to centages. During school ture of social responsibility their programme, teachers
industrialist might view India as a ready market swelling Though Sridhar is no lon- Bringing all stakeholders address this need but were visits, scientists were ac- among the middle class. appointed by the scientists
with consumers, but the average European Union (EU) cit- ger with us, his dreams have on board is no easy task unsuccessful. companied by their family Although they operate demonstrated a high level of
izen is unaware of the rich history, cultural tapestry, and been realised by his friends in rural areas. The Govern- Therefore, they have re- members, further engaging through a trust, they are commitment to their duties,
largely hospitable and kind people that Indians are. It’s to and their families. He set ment of Tamil Nadu aims to solved to address the issue both scientists and their neither a NonGovernmen- setting an example for other
be noted that here I refer to high value European tourists an example by inviting stu- strengthen the public school by appointing teachers, with families. Orientation and tal Organisation nor a civil public institutions.
with greater spending power and not the usual Russian dents from Dalit families in system through school man- their salaries being covered training programmes were society organisation; rather, Despite receiving lower
tourists that throng Goan beaches, content in thriving in a surrounding villages to stay agement committees but by resources contributed organised for final-year they are a group of volun- pay compared to govern-
peaceful country where their Russian Ruble fetches slightly in his house and provided faces difficulty in obtaining by the scientists. To recruit students to prepare for en- teers committed to bringing ment-employed teachers,
more against the Indian Rupee. necessary assistance for active cooperation from teachers for these public trance examinations into transformative change to they exhibit maturity and
So, in terms of brand-building — business scores high their education. teachers. The teachers do schools, the scientists have professional courses. marginalised households dedication in service deliv-
but tourism and cultural exchange perform abysmally low. This inspired other scien- it as a ritual, and beyond it, identified individuals with Some students from through education. ery, buoyed by the support
Contrary to what you may have been made to believe, India tists to join him in serving they are not evincing keen the necessary qualifications these schools gained ad- Through 18 years of extended by the scientists.
doesn’t feature in the global preferred tourist destinations’ the villages, contributing a interest in strengthening the in the same area, properly mission to professional continuous work in public This support includes not
list. As per the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & portion of their salary to sup- schools. assessed them, and ap- courses, inspiring others to schools, they have demon- only moral support but also
Tourism Development Index comprising 117 countries, the port service activities, partic- Even the Local Body lead- pointed them with moder- focus more on their stud- strated that Dalits and the care for their children, with
top five nations are Japan, the United States, Spain, France, ularly focusing on school-go- ers have not been allowed ate salaries, not equivalent ies. Coaching classes were poor are not inferior in ca- teachers envisioning their
and Germany. We were at the 54th position, 8 spots lower ing children from poor and to participate meaningfully to those given by the govern- arranged, with some scien- pacity and skill; given edu- offspring as future scien-
than we were in 2019. Dalit families. From their in the management com- ment to regular staff. tists also acting as teachers. cational opportunities, they tists.
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), compris- perspective, working with mittee. In such a way pub- Their efforts did not stop To stimulate student curiosi- are equally competent to This model should be em-
ing 1,700 in-bound travel operators, wrote to the central school-going children will be lic schools are being run in with teacher recruitment; ty, a cash incentive scheme face life’s challenges. ulated by higher learning
government in December highlighting the drop in foreign more effective and efficient Tamil Nadu. Against this they also oriented and called “Smart Test” was in- Many former students institutions in India to effect
tourist arrivals. in bringing about transfor- backdrop they have decided groomed them for their troduced. now working in companies fundamental societal trans-
The association stated that the numbers (85.9 lakh in mational change, not only to work in the public schools new roles as professionals. Both teachers and stu- have participated in the pro- formation. Currently, higher
2022) were “way below” pre-pandemic levels (3.14 crore in among the children but also to improve the school per- Through their continuous dents participated in a se- gramme, acknowledging education institutions in In-
2019). IATO proposed ways to boost foreign tourists includ- in the families. Hence, they formance. First, the scien- participation in school ac- ries of tests. The school pro- the assistance provided by dia struggle to implement
ing a 5 per cent incentive on net foreign exchange earnings have decided to work with tists’ group has decided to tivities, both the teachers gramme not only engaged scientist Sridharan. Employ- the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
for in-bound tour operators and a budget devoted to aggres- public schools. address the demands of appointed with the scien- students and teachers but ees of the Institute also re- scheme, despite having var-
sive overseas promotion. In Tamil Nadu, public the community. When they tists’ resources and those also involved the communi- member the late Mr. Sridha- ious support structures and
Infrastructure development for tourism, competitive schools are intended for the interacted with the com- appointed by the govern- ty in a continuous manner. ran, who generously opened limited resources.
package deals for foreign tourists, sops for operators, poor and marginalised. Con- munity, the villagers, most- ment have improved their Since 2005, the scientists’ his house to students for The scientists, by using
heightened safety protocols, and enhanced people-to-peo- sequently, teachers working ly parents, demanded that capacity and commitment consistent work in public study. Now led by his wife, their resources to fulfil their
ple interactions would strengthen India’s tourism fortunes. in public schools enrol their schools should have ade- to delivering services to stu- schools has dramatically im- the team continues his lega- social responsibility, present
Travel and tourism contributes just 5.9 per cent (as of 2022) children in private schools quate teachers to educate dents at the highest level of proved school performance, cy with the same dedication a model that should be ad-
to India’s gross domestic product (GDP) — a sector whose rather than in the schools their children. efficiency. garnering serious attention and capacity for leadership. opted by all higher learning
potential still remains largely untapped. where they teach. They fail Parents informed them The regular staff ap- from the community and The scientists have dis- institutions.

Maruti Suzuki posts record Rs 3,878 cr net profit in Q4

NEW DELHI: India's largest
carmarker Maruti Suzuki
on Friday its highest quar-
terly net profit in March re-
ported quar - ter net profit
as sports utility vehicles
drove an increase in sales
and favourable commod -
ity prices helped margins.
Consolidated net profit of
Rs 3,877.8 crore in Janu-
aryMarch (fourth quarter
of fiscal year April 2023 to
March 2024) soared 47.8
per cent when com - pared
with Rs 2,623.6 crore in the
same period a year back,
the company said in a stock
exchange filing and media
statement.
The company, in which Ja-
pan's Suzuki Motor Corpora
- tion holds 58.19 per cent
stake, sold 13.4 per cent
more cars in the fourth quar-
ter at 5.84 lakh (including
78,740 units exported) while
material cost as percentage
of sales dropped 190 bps to
74.2 per cent.
Maruti, however, does not
share an exact number of
SUVs sold. It sold 71.5 per
cent more utility vehicles --
mostly SUVs and multi-pur-
pose vehicles (MPVs) -- at
1.81 lakh.
Utility vehicle share was 36
per cent in the March quar-
ter, up from 24 per cent last
year. In an investor presen-
tation, it attributed the rise
in profit to "improved capac-
ity utilisation, cost reduction
efforts, softening of com-
modity prices, improved re-
alisation and higher nonop-
erating income."
Lucknow News (English Daily) Lucknow, Monday, 29 April 2024 3

Implementation of Uniform Civil Code

InBrief
AICTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH APNA.CO LAUNCHES
FIRST-EVER NATIONWIDE CAREER PLATFORM

across India is Modi’s guarantee: Amit Shah

LUCKNOW: To transform the landscape of career oppor-
tunities for engineering students across India, All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and apna.co
– India’s leading jobs and professional networking plat-
form – today launched ‘AICTE Career Portal’, a career
platform designed to empower more than 3 million stu- OUR CORRESPONDENT Other Backward Classes enforced in the entire coun- Singh were present. The
dents from 12,000+ colleges affiliated with AICTE with and tribals have the first try,” he also said. Congress governments in
jobs and internship opportunities. AICTE Chairman Prof. BHOPAL: Union Home Min- right”, the Union Minister Congress used to scare, the past kept sitting on
T.G. Sitharam, Vice Chairman Dr. Abhay Jere, Member ister Amit Shah on Friday said. saying rivers of blood would the Mandal Commission’s
Secretary Prof. Rajive Kumar and Nimrit Parikh, Founder said that is Prime Minister Asking the gathering, flow through Kashmir if Ar- report that recommended
& CEO of Apna.co were present at the launch ceremony Narendra Modi’s guarantee Shah said if the Congress’ ticle 370 was abrogated, reservation, Shah alleged.
at AICTE HQ, New Delhi. Following a Memorandum of to implement a Uniform manifesto is to be read this is not a Congress gov- He also accused the grand
Understanding (MoU) signed in February 2024 between Civil Code (UCC) across the carefully, it has been prom- ernment, this is Narendra old party of creating hur-
apna.co and AICTE, the strategic partnership highlights country, he accused Con- ised to reintroduce the Per- Modi’s government that dles on the Ram temple
a shared commitment to empower individuals and drive gress of promising to imple- sonal Laws and they (Con- scrapped it on August 5, issue for 70 years. “But
national advancement. This collaboration gains particu- ment the Personal Laws in gress) want to bring back 2019, at once, Shah added. within five years, the Modi
lar significance in the dynamic employment sector, high- its manifesto. Triple Talaq, can you permit “Leave aside blood, even government laid the foun-
lighting their collective focus on leveraging technology Shah was addressing them to run the country by a pebble could not be dation of the temple and
and empowering recruiters to capitalise on emerging an election rally in Ashok- Sharia? “Rahul Baba, do thrown there in the last five also held the consecration
opportunities. The strategic partnership also offers an nagar district that falls un- whatever you feel like doing years,” he further added. ceremony. Congress former the Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat tion by 1.21 Lakh votes.
exclusive opportunity for students to participate in the Sil- der the Guna Lok Sabha for appeasement. No per- PM Modi has eradicated presidents Sonia Gandhi where former CM Digvi- By fielding Yadvendra, Con-
icon Valley Immersion Program. This immersive experi- seat where BJP has fielded sonal law will be introduced terrorism and Naxalism and Rahul Gandhi were in- jay Singh is contesting the gress has tried to corner
ence includes a fully-sponsored trip to Silicon Valley, USA, Union Minister Jyotiradi- as long as the BJP is there. from the country, he said. vited to the event, but they election on Congress ticket Scindia to sympathise with
where students will engage directly with industry leaders tya Scindia who contested UCC and the Constitution Our government has did not have the time to while BJP has fielded tow- Yadav voters who have a
at renowned companies such as Google, Apple and Mic- the previous elections on will run this country. eliminated the Naxal men- attend it,” Shah also said. term MP Rodmal Nagar substantial population in
rosoft, among others. a Congress ticket and lost This is our Constitution’s ace in Madhya Pradesh, On the other hand, Madhya there. The Congress has pit- the constituency. Before
REALME C65 5G: SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN the election with a huge dif- spirit”, Shah attacked Ra- Shah said. At the rally MP Pradesh Chief Minister Mo- ted Yadvendra Singh Yadav losing the election from
SMARTPHONE INNOVATION ference. hul Gandhi. We have im- CM Dr Mohan Yadav, BJP han Yadav took his cabinet against Scindia in the Guna Guna last time, Scindia had
NEW DELHI: realme, the Most Reliable Smartphone Ser- “For the Congress, Mus- plemented UCC in Uttara- candidate Scindia and the colleagues along to Ayo- seat. BJP’s Dr K P Yadav, won the seat four times
vice Provider, today announced the launch of realme C65 lims have the first right over khand, he said. “It is the party’s cluster head of the dhya to take ‘darshan’ of who was denied ticket by since 2002. the seat was
5G, the newest addition to its Champion Series - realme the country’s resources but, BJP’s promise and Modiji’s Gwalior-Chambal division Ram Lalla, he added. Shah the party this time defeated considered a bation of the
C Series. This new smartphone is a combination of inno- for the BJP, the poor, Dalits, guarantee that UCC will be former Minister Bhupendra also addressed a rally in Scindia in the 2019 elec- Scindia family.

Secretary calls for BCCI ‘PM is scared, may even shed tears
vative features and design, & offers a comprehensive and
superior smartphone experience to the users. The realme
C Series has set benchmarks in the industry with its ad-
recognition of 35 districts
on stage’: Rahul’s fresh salvo at Modi
vanced fast charging, camera technology, and design
aesthetics. Each new generation of the C Series smart-
phones distinguishes itself by leading the segment with OUR CORRESPONDENT different districts and states.
remarkable and exciting upgrades across four critical ar- Sharma emphasized the
eas: charging, camera, storage, and design. Commenting LUCKNOW: In a bid to pro- detrimental impact this OUR CORRESPONDENT in the present scheme of
on the launch, a realme Spokesperson said, “At realme, mote cricket across all disjointed system has on things, there is “no scope”
we believe in empowering every individual with the pow- corners of Uttar Pradesh, the development of crick- VIJAYAPURA/BALLARI: Con- for Dalits, OBCs, tribals, mi-
er of technology and today marks a defining moment in Secretary of the Uttar et in Uttar Pradesh. He gress leader Rahul Gandhi norities and poor general
our journey of innovation as we proudly unveil the realme Pradesh Cricket Associ- asserted that the current on Friday took potshots at category people. “I will just
C65 5G, a groundbreaking addition to our popular realme ation, Shri. G.D. Sharma, setup leads to a wastage Prime Minister Narendra tell you a clear thing in a
C Series. As the world's first smartphone featuring the has penned a compelling of both time and resources Modi over his attack on the simple one line. The wealth
MediaTek Dimensity 6300 5G Chipset, the realme C65 letter to top officials of the for aspiring cricketers from grand old party, saying he is Modi has given to those bil-
5G is set to redefine user experience with its superior per- Board of Control for Cricket the overlooked districts. By scared and may even shed lionaires, the same money
formance and advanced features. Our realme C Series in India (BCCI). Sharma's obtaining recognition from tears on the stage. He called we are going to give to the
has always been about bringing innovative technology to missive urges the BCCI to the main body, these dis- the BJP ‘Bharatiya Chombu poor people of the country,”
more people, and with such advanced features available recognize and affiliate his tricts and their cricketing Party’. he said.
at an accessible price point, this series has indeed made organization, citing the ex- talent stand to benefit sig- Chombu in Kannada Gandhi also promised
its mark in the industry.” clusion of 35 districts from nificantly. means round water pot, lsutra”, “redistribution of and price rise, and claimed the youth that his party will
INDRAPRASTHA APOLLO HOSPITALS ACHIEVES the state's cricketing fold. Highlighting the preva- which is sometimes used wealth” and “inheritance that only Congress can erad- scrap the ‘Agniveer’ scheme
SUCCESS IN COMPLEX CARDIAC SURGERY For over eight decades, lence of similar structures in to convey emptiness and tax” charges. icate unemployment, con- if it is voted to power. He
LUCKNOW: In a recent medical breakthrough, doctors at these 35 districts have oper- other states across the na- deception. “You have heard The former Congress chief tain price rise and give peo- dubbed the scheme in the
Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals successfully performed a ated independently from the tion, Sharma's plea extends the prime minister’s speech- accused Modi of ‘diverting ple their due share. armed forces offering three
complex cardiac surgery on a 54-year-old male patient state's main cricketing body, beyond Uttar Pradesh's bor- es. He is scared. It’s possi- public attention’ through “Modi has only snatched years services to the youth
with a rare condition. The patient was diagnosed with an resulting in a disconnection ders. He has taken proactive ble that he may shed tears various means. “Some- money from poor people. from 18 years to 21 years
ascending aorta aneurysm and dilated arch, along with from crucial resources and measures by reaching out on stage,” Gandhi said, ad- times he talks about China He has made some billion- as an insult to the Army
proximal descending thoracic aorta dilation. The surgery, opportunities. The lack of af- to key figures, including the dressing public meetings and Pakistan, and some- aires. There are 22 people and soldiers. “Narendra
known as "replacement of ascending aorta and arch with filiation has forced talented Chief Justice of the Supreme in the district headquarters times he will make you beat who have wealth equivalent Modi snatched the Army
frozen elephant trunk," was carried out utilizing a special- players from these districts Court of India and other dig- towns of Vijayapura and plates and ask you to switch to the 70 crore people of the jobs from the youth of India.
ized hybrid device under the expert care of Dr. Mukesh to seek opportunities else- nitaries, to garner support for Ballari in the party-governed on the torch light of your mo- country. Just one per cent He brought the Agniveer
Goel, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgeon , Heart where, often representing his cause. state. Modi has targeted the bile phones.” He pointed out people are controlling 40 scheme, which is an insult

Lok Sabha polls: Kerala

and Lung Transplant Surgery and Dr. Niranjan Hiremath, Congress on a variety of is- that there are three to four per cent of the wealth of the to the Indian Army and sol-
Senior Consultant , Cardiovascular and Aortic Surgery, sues in recent campaign core issues in India includ- nation,” Gandhi alleged. diers. We will scrap it,” he

records 70.22% turnout

Surgical Lead, Apollo Aortic Program. The patient, had rallies, including “manga- ing poverty, unemployment The Congress leader said said.
a history of long-standing hypertension. His aneurysm
not only affected the ascending aorta but also extended
into the arch, requiring a meticulous and intricate surgi-
cal approach. The surgery involved the replacement of
OUR CORRESPONDENT state. Stunting risk higher among children
living in India’s hills, mountains: Study
Two union ministers, most
the ascending aorta and arch with a specialized hybrid THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: of the current MPs, a state
graft, addressing the aneurysmal dilation and restoring Despite heightened politi- minister, three actors and
normal cardiovascular function. The use of a frozen el- cal fervour and anticipation a few MLAs are among the
ephant trunk, a technique involving deep hypothermia of about the general elections candidates who tried their OUR CORRESPONDENT 5 years (41 per cent) than
20°C and total circulatory arrest, further underlines the for the 20 Lok Sabha seats political luck this time in Ker- among those under 1.5
advanced nature of the procedure. During the surgery, in Kerala, the process con- ala, which saw intense and NEW DELHI: Children living years of age (27 per cent). In
the medical team encountered no complications. The cluded on Friday with a nota- aggressive poll campaigns in India’s hills and moun- their analysis, the research-
patient's condition remained stable postoperatively, and ble decrease in voter turnout, by the CPI(M)-led ruling LDF, tains are at an increased ers found that 98 per cent
he recovered well without any adverse events. This suc- as the figure stands at 70.22 Congress-headed UDF, and risk of stunted growth, with of the children lived at alti-
cessful outcome highlights the expertise and capabilities per cent. the BJP-led NDA. the risk increasing with rise tudes less than 1000 me-
of the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery department at This figure, while signif- Polling was carried out in altitude, according to new tres above sea level, and 1.4
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. Following the procedure, icant, is quite a drop from amidst tight security ar- research published in the per cent lived between 1000
the patient underwent a smooth recovery process and is the polling percentage of rangements, which included British Medical Journal Nu- and 2000 metres above sea
now being discharged with regular follow-up instructions the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. deployment of over 66,000 trition, Prevention & Health. level, and 0.2 per cent lived
to ensure continued well-being. At 8 pm, the state record- security personnel and live Analysing data of more at more than 2000 metres
ed 70.22 per cent turnout, monitoring of the election than 1.65 lakh children above sea level.
MASSIVE GIRDER JOINING MUMBAI’S COASTAL which compared to 77.84 process by an extensive under five years of age, re- those from Manipal Acad- mountainous regions tends Children living at locations
ROAD & SEA LINK INSTALLED per cent in 2019, falls short webcasting system. Vot- searchers observed that emy of Higher Education, to be more, arising out of 2000 metres or more above
MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation by over 7 per cent. ing began at 7 am after a stunting was more common Manipal, suggested that lower crop yields and harsh- sea level were found to be
(BMC) successfully launched a massive 25,000-ton gird- However, the final figures mock poll was carried out by among those born as a third continuous exposure to high er climate. Providing access 40 per cent more at risk of
er connecting the south-bound corridor of the coastal may vary, as despite the of- casting votes in favour of all or later child to parents, and altitude environment can re- to healthcare in these re- stunting than those living
road to the Bandra Worli Sea Link in the early hours of ficial time for polling ending candidates, including NOTA, those having a small size duce appetite, and limit oxy- gions, including implement- 1000 metres above sea lev-
Friday, the civic body said. In a release, the BMC said at 6 pm, huge crowds were listed on an electronic voting at birth. Data was included gen and nutrient absorption, ing nutritional programmes, el. The analysis also found
that the process to launch the bow-string-arch-type gird- seen in several polling booths machine (EVM). from the 2015-16 Nation- even as, they said, a direct is challenging, they said. that stunting was prevalent
er, spanning 136 metres, at Worli, started at 2 am and in various Lok Sabha constit- However, during the day, al Family Health Survey causal link was not estab- The overall prevalence of in 44 per cent of thirdborns
was completed at 3.25 am. According to the civic body, uencies including Vatakara, technical glitches and break- (NFHS-4) for analysis. The lished in the observational stunting among these chil- or children higher in birth
the engineering feat is the first in India to involve such Ponnani, Thiruvananthapur- downs in EVMs as well as in- WHO standards were used study. dren was found to be 36 per order among siblings, com-
installation in the sea.The girder, which is 18 to 21 metres am, Idukki and Kasaragod. stances of bogus voting were to define stunting. The team also said that cent. Prevalence was higher pared to 30 per cent in first-
wide, will connect the 10.5-kilometre stretch of the coast- Kerala has around 2.77 reported from several booths The researchers, including food insecurity in hilly and among children aged 1.5- borns.

Farmer’s son from Maha village aces JEE Mains

al road to the Bandra-Worli sea link. The southbound cor- crore registered voters, and in the state, leading to long
ridor of the coastal road between Worli and Marine Lines 194 candidates contested delays which in turn resulted
was opened for traffic on March 11 this year but had not this time from the 20 Lok in huge queues towards the
been connected with the sea link. “Another 143-meter Sabha constituencies in the end of the day. OUR CORRESPONDENT Nilkrishna followed a rigor- ness over his son’s success. archery,” Nirmal Gajare said.
long, 26-29 meter wide girder of the coastal road’s north- ous schedule, dedicating Nilkrishna did his primary The 19-yearold is pursuing
bound corridor has also reached Nhava Sheva port and T’GANA: 7 DIE BY SUICIDE AFTER EXAM FAILURE WASHIM: With persever- more than 10 hours to pre- schooling at Rajeshwar Con- his studies at Shree Dnyane-
its launch is planned for May-end. The transportation HYDERABAD: Seven intermediate students allegedly ance and hard work over the pare for the exams every vent in Akola and J C High shwar Maskuji Burungale
of the second girder will be planned after the launch of died by suicide across Telangana in the last 48 hours last two years, Nilkrishna day. School in Karanja Lad in Science and Arts College,
the first girder,” the BMC had said earlier. These girders, due to failure in the exams.Telangana Board of Inter- Gajare, son of a farmer from The results of the JEE Washim and had lived with Shegaon. Nilkrishna wakes
painted with anti-rust colours to protect them from saline mediate Examinations announced first year and sec- Maharashtra’s Washim dis- Mains conducted by the his aunt at the time, he said up by 4 am, studies for two
water and humidity, are being installed to ensure fishing ond year results on April 24. trict, has secured All India National Testing Agency “Nilkrishna has always been hours, and does “pranayam”
boats off the Worli coast do not face hassles, the BMC According to Mahabubabad Superintendent of Police, two Rank 1 in the Joint Entrance were announced on Thurs- a brilliant student and was (breathing exercises) and
said.“With the success of this first-of-its-kind experiment girls allegedly committed suicide after they failed in the ex- Examination (JEE) Mains. day. Nilkrishna’s father, Nir- good at sports. He partici- again starts studying from
in India, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation added amination. While a girl student hung herself at her residence Hailing from Belkhed, a mal Gajare, said he had no pated in the district and na- 8.30 am and sleeps by 10
a new feather in its cap,” the release said. in a village in the district the other jumped into a well. remote village in Washim, words to express his happi- tional level tournaments in pm, Gajare said.
4 Lucknow, Monday, 29 April 2024 Lucknow News (English Daily)

MoE asks CBSE to work out logistics for board exams twice a year
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: In a significant
shift from traditional prac-
tices, the Ministry of Educa-
tion has directed the Central
Board of Secondary Educa-
tion (CBSE) to devise a strat-
egy for conducting board
examinations biannually
starting from the academic
year 2025-26.
This directive comes as
part of a broader effort to
overhaul the examination
system, although the previ-
ously considered semester
Nearly 61% turnout recorded in phase 2
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The second
phase of Lok Sabha elec-
tions, spanning 88 constitu-
encies across 13 states, wit-
nessed a preliminary voter
turnout of nearly 61 per cent.
Amidst minor issues with
electronic voting machines
(EVMs) and isolated incidents
of alleged bogus voting, the
electoral process was large-
ly peaceful. In certain villag-
es within Uttar Pradesh’s
Mathura, Rajasthan’s Ban-
swara, and Maharashtra’s
Parbhani, local issues initial-
ly led to a boycott of the polls,
but authorities were able to
convince the residents to ex-
ercise their voting rights.
The EC said polling is now
complete in 14 states and
Union Territories. The second
stage of the seven-phase
election began at 7 am and
wrapped up at 6 pm, with
some states experiencing in-
tense heat.
This follows the first phase,
which was held on April 19,
covering 102 seats in 21
states and Union Territories.
system will not be imple-
mented.
Sources reveal that the
ministry, in collaboration with
the CBSE, is set to engage
in discussions with school
principals in the upcoming
month to finalise the logis-
tics of this new examination
schedule.
The primary challenge lies
in integrating an additional
set of board exams into the
existing academic calen-
dar without disrupting the
timeline for undergraduate
admissions. A source famil-
PHASE 3 IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 7
60.96 per cent at 7 pm, with
expectations that this fig-
ure would increase once all
polling station reports were
tallied. The EC also noted
that voters present at polling
stations at the close of the
polling hour were permitted
to vote. The National Dem-
ocratic Alliance (NDA), led
by Prime Minister Modi, is
vying for a stronger majori-
ty in what would be a third
consecutive term, while the
Opposition INDIA bloc is aim-
ing to recover from previous
electoral defeats in 2014
and 2019.
Election Commission data
indicated that Tripura had
the highest voter turnout at
78.63 per cent, followed by
iar with the matter stated,
“The ministry has tasked
the CBSE with determining
the logistics for twice-year-
ly board exams. The board
is currently ironing out the
details, and a meeting with
school principals is sched-
uled for next month.” Explor-
ing the possibility of two sep-
arate board exam sessions
at the year’s end from the
2025- 26 session is under-
way, although the specifics
are yet to be determined.
The initial proposal aimed
to introduce biannual exams
53.84 per cent, respectively.
The elections included all
20 seats in Kerala, 14 of
the 28 seats in Karnataka,
13 seats in Rajasthan, 8
seats each in Maharashtra
and Uttar Pradesh, 6 seats
in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats
each in Assam and Bihar, 3
seats each in Chhattisgarh
and West Bengal, and 1 seat
each in Manipur, Tripura, and
Jammu and Kashmir.
Notable candidates in this
phase were Congress lead-
ers Rahul Gandhi and Shashi
Tharoor, Union minister Ra-
jeev Chandrasekhar, and ac-
torturned-politician Arun Go-
vil. BJP’s Hema Malini, Om
Birla, and Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat are contesting
from the 2024-25 session,
but plans have since been
deferred by a year. The new
national curriculum frame-
work (NCF), aligned with the
National Education Policy
(NEP) 2020 and spearhead-
ed by former ISRO chairman
K Kasturirangan, had sug-
gested a semester-based
approach for 11th and 12th-
grade students. Released in
August of the previous year,
the framework also recom-
mended offering students
the choice to sit for board ex-
ams twice annually.
for a high voter turnout early
in the day, emphasising its
importance for democracy.
Congress president Mallikar-
jun Kharge and party leader
Rahul Gandhi also made
heartfelt appeals for people
to vote in the second phase
of the Lok Sabha election.
Post-polling, Modi ex-
pressed his gratitude to the
voters and noted the strong
support for the NDA, sug-
gesting that it would lead to
disappointment for the op-
position. He highlighted the
role of youth and women
voters in bolstering the NDA’s
support. In Kerala, the voter
turnout was 65.23 percent.
The election process, con-
ducted under stringent secu-
rity measures, was mostly
incident-free, barring a few
instances of bogus voting
and EVM malfunctions that
caused delays in some
booths. However, three in-
dividuals in Kerala passed
away after casting their
votes, and a polling agent
died at a booth in Kozhikode.
The Tripura East Lok Sabha
constituency saw a turnout
“The CBSE is currently
brainstorming the schedule
to maximise student bene-
fits and achieve the objective
of stress-free board exams.
However, the logistical
challenges are significant, as
conducting exams is an ex-
haustive process, necessitat-
ing a flawless plan,” added
the source.
Union Education Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan, in an
interview last October, clari-
fied that students would not
be obligated to take board
exams twice a year. He com-
hattisgarh, a member of the
Madhya Pradesh Special
Armed Force on election
duty allegedly took his own
life.
Additionally, a polling booth
in Balod district was adorned
like a wedding ‘mandap’,
complete with traditional
wedding rituals, where sever-
al newlyweds cast their votes
in their wedding attire.
The EC reported that for
the first time in a Lok Sabha
election, residents from 46
villages in Bastar and Kanker
were able to vote in polling
booths set up in their own vil-
lages. Madhya Pradesh saw
a turnout of 55.77 per cent,
while Assam had 70.68 per
cent of its 77,26,668 voters
participate in this phase.
In Manipur, under height-
ened security, the turnout
was a notable 77.18 per
cent. There were reports of
intimidation by suspected
militants and altercations be-
tween political party support-
ers, leading to the damage of
an EVM at a polling station.
Karnataka’s overall voting
percentage was 64.85 per
pared the flexibility to the
engineering entrance exam
JEE, where students can opt
for the best score out of mul-
tiple attempts. This initiative
is not the first attempt to re-
form the board examination
system. The Continuous and
Comprehensive Evaluation
(CCE) model was introduced
for Class 10 in 2009 but was
discontinued in 2017, revert-
ing to the traditional end-
of-year exams. Additionally, measure during the Covid aim to provide students with
the board exams for classes pandemic, but the conven- greater flexibility and reduce
10 and 12 were divided into tional format resumed this the high-stakes nature of
two terms as a temporary year. The proposed changes board examinations.
Spiderman takes Spiderwoman
on a bike ride, both arrested
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Po-
lice have arrested a couple
who featured in a viral video
on social media, perform-
ing stunts on a motorcycle
dressed as Spiderman and
Spiderwoman in a bid for
fame, thereby violating sev-
eral traffic regulations.
The accused has been
identified as Aditya (20), son
of Rohit Verma, a resident
of Maksudabad colony, Na-
jafgarh, New Delhi, and An-
jali (19), daughter of Nand
Kishore, a resident of Gopal for riding without a mirror, pliance, prompting author-
Nagar, Najafgarh, New Delhi. 3/181 for riding without a li- ities to reiterate their warn-
According to the Police, the cense, 177 and 125(2) under ings against such reckless
rider was seen in the video CMVR/177 for general rule behavior.
performing dangerous stunts violations, 184 MV Act for “Engaging in such acts not
on a bike with his friend, both dangerous driving, and Sec- only endangers the life of
without helmets. tions 50, 51 CMVR/39/192 the rider but also the pub-
Moreover, the motorcycle MV Act for not displaying a lic. Such violations of traffic
used for the stunts in the number plate, among others. laws are dealt with strict-
video lacked a number plate Anjali’s involvement is ly,” a Delhi Traffic Police
and mirror, drawing signifi- currently under investiga- spokesperson commented.
cant attention. Delhi Traffic tion, with details yet to be The case serves as a stark
Police have booked Verma disclosed regarding her reminder of the importance
under several sections of the charges. of adhering to road safety
Motor Vehicles Act, includ- This incident highlights norms and the potential
ing Sections 5/180 for rid- ongoing issues with road consequences of neglecting
ing without a helmet, 194D safety and traffic law com- them.

Massive parking tender

The Election Commission Manipur at 77.18 per cent. for their third consecutive of 78.63 per cent. cent. Legal actions were tak-
(EC) reported that the elec- Uttar Pradesh and Maha- wins in their respective con- Election officials promptly en against two BJP leaders COUPLE HELD WITH
tions proceeded peacefully. rashtra recorded lower turn- stituencies. addressed a few complaints for alleged electoral viola- NEARLY 800 GRAMS OF
The voter turnout stood at outs of 53.71 per cent and Prime Minister Modi called from certain booths. In Ch- tions. fraud uncovered in S.Delhi HEROIN

SC junks plea for 100% EVM-VVPAT matching,

NEW DELHI: A couple was
OUR CORRESPONDENT arrested with nearly 800
grams of heroin on alle-

allows verification of 5% EVMs on complaints

NEW DELHI: A major scam gations of selling it here,
involving the allocation of police said on Friday. The
parking tenders has come accused were identified
to light in Delhi, with the Mu- as Rajesh Rana (44), and
OUR CORRESPONDENT ingful exercise,” it said. clared — if candidates make nicipal Corporation of Delhi’s his wife Neelam Rana (43),
The court did, however, such a request. RP Cell (Profitable Project residents of Tilak Nagar,
NEW DELHI: As India voted pass two directions to the This request — which can Department) allegedly flout- were arrested after author-
in the second phase of the Election Commission of In- be made by candidates ing regulations to award ities received a tip-off, ac-
2024 Lok Sabha election, dia (ECI) in this regard. The placing second and third tenders. The case pertains cording to police sources.
the Supreme Court on Fri- first was that after com- in the election — must be to allegations of fraudulence The police was searching
day rejected a batch of pe- pleting the loading of sym- made within seven days of in awarding a parking tender officials. The complaint al- for Neelam, a proclaimed
titions seeking 100 per cent bols into the machine, the the declaration of results, to Sanjay Techno Pvt. Ltd. on leged misconduct by parking offender, an official men-
crossverification of votes SLU, or symbol loading unit, the court said. The expenses a vacant plot behind the Se- attendants and their asso- tioned.
cast using Electronic Voting should be sealed and stored for this verification will have lect City Mall in Saket, South ciates. Following the court’s CYBER FRAUDSTER
Machines (EVMs) with Voter for at least 45 days. Specif- to be borne by the candi- Delhi. The matter has been orders, in September 2022, HELD FOR SHARING
Verifiable Paper Audit Trail ically, the apex court said: date, the court also said. escalated to the Central Vig- the case was filed against PHONY WHATSAPP
(VVPAT) paper slips. “On completion of the sym- The cost will, however, be ilance Commission (CVC) af- responsible MCD and police LINKS
It said the possibility of bol loading process in the refunded if the EVM is found ter reaching the Saket Court officials under relevant sec- NEW DELHI: The Cyber
hacking or tampering with the vast size of the elector- plea that sought the right of VVPATs undertaken on or af- to have been tampered and the Rouse Avenue Court. tions, including threats to life Cell of the Delhi Police
the agnostic firmware in ate of nearly 97 crore, the the voter to physically veri- ter May 1, 2024, the symbol with. The Supreme Court The CVC has instructed the and extortion. has arrested a man for al-
the burnt memory of EVMs number of candidates who fy the printed slip from the loading units shall be sealed also suggested the ECI ex- CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch The court ordered that legedly siphoning off Rs
to tutor or favour results is contest the elections, the VVPAT machine and put it in and secured in a container. plore the possibility of using to conduct an investigation. an officer of a rank above 8,60,800 from a resident
unfounded. It, however, is- number of polling booths the ballot box for counting. The candidates or their a machine to count VVPAT The CBI has initiated an in- inspector should lead the here via deceptive online
sued a series of directions to and the problems faced “These are two separate representatives shall sign slips. Currently, VVPAT slips quiry into the roles of the Ad- investigation. In response to schemes on WhatsApp.
strengthen the existing sys- with ballot papers, the court aspects – the former is the the seal. The sealed contain- of five randomly selected ditional Commissioner, Dep- the ACP’s report, the court A complaint registered
tem. Giving its vote of trust would be undoing the elec- right itself and the latter is ers, containing the symbol EVMs in every Assembly uty Commissioner, RP Cell’s stated that there was suffi- on the National Cyber
to the EVM, a two-judge toral reforms by directing a plea to protect or how to loading units, shall be kept segment are verified. Section Officer, and SHO of cient evidence in the case. Crime Reporting Portal
bench of Justice Dipankar the reintroduction of ballot secure the right. The voters’ in the strong room along Rejecting the allegation of the Saket police station in They suggested that the alerted the police about
Datta and Justice Sanjiv papers. right can be protected and with the EVMs at least for a reprogramming and hack- this case. In 2022, the RP complainant could file a the fraud. The arrested
Khanna said: “We have dis- “EVMs offer significant safeguarded by adopting period of 45 days post the ing of EVMs by petitioners Cell awarded Sanjay Techno case under the Anti-Corrup- accused, identified as
cussed, elaborately, all pro- advantages. They have ef- several measures,” it said. declaration of results. They including the NGO ‘Asso- Pvt. Ltd. a three-year tender tion Act in the Special Court Kartik Dhiman alias Golu
tocols and technical aspects fectively eliminated booth The bench said giving shall be opened, examined ciation for Democratic Re- for parking, with a monthly of Rouse Avenue. (23), is a resident of Soni-
(and) we reject all pleas. capturing by restricting the physical access to VVPAT and dealt with as in the case forms’, the bench said: “To fee of about Rs 23 lakh, on a Meanwhile, Section Officer pat, Haryana.
Blindly distrusting a sys- rate of vote casting to four slips to voters is “problem- of EVMs.” us, it is apparent that a num- plot registered at an address Vinod Kumar of the RP Cell
tem can lead to unwarrant- votes per minute, thereby atic and impractical.” “It will The second was that the ber of safeguards and proto- in Bihar. appeared before the Saket Owner, Publisher,
ed suspicions.” It also main- prolonging the time needed lead to misuse, malpractic- burnt memory in five per cols with stringent checks Upon investigation, the ten- Court, revealing that when Printer Jamil Ahmad, 5,
tained that “democracy is and thus check insertion of es and disputes. cent of the EVMs, that is, have been put in place. Data der was found to be decep- they went to investigate the Shahanajaf Road (Bheri
all about striving to build bogus votes,” it said, adding This is not a case where the control unit, ballot unit and figures do not indicate tive. After winning the tender, complaint against parking wali Kothi) Lucknow.
harmony and trust between that EVMs have eliminated fundamental right to fran- and the VVPAT, per Assem- artifice and deceit. Repro- parking attendants began ex- attendants, they also en- Printed at National
all institutions”. invalid votes, which were a chise exists only as a parch- bly constituency/Assembly gramming by flashing, even torting over twice the autho- countered misconduct. The Art Press 207, New
The court also rejected a major issue with paper bal- ment, rather, the entire elec- segment of a parliamen- if we assume is remotely rised fee, charging Rs. 40 per company, in whose favor the Hyderabad, Lucknow.
plea to return to paper bal- lots and had often sparked toral process protocol, and tary constituency must be possible, is inhibited by the hour instead of the approved contract was awarded, was Published from 5,
lots. It added that in the Indi- disputes during the counting the checks as well as empir- checked by a team of engi- strict control and checks put Rs. 20. Advocate Vikas Bak- not registered at the Bihar Shahnajaf Road (Bheri wali
an context, keeping in view process. It also rejected the ical data, ensure its mean- neers — after results are de- in place.” shi initially complained to address provided. It is report- Kothi) Lucknow.
Police Commissioner Sanjay ed that this company has Editor
1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PROF SAMARVEER SINGH’S SUICIDE Arora and DCP South. With secured tenders at several Shabana
NEW DELHI: April 26 marks one year since the untimely demise of Prof Samarveer Singh, a revered figure at Delhi University’s Hindu College. He no action taken, in August other locations in South Del-
was 33 years old and had served as an ad-hoc assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy for seven years. However, his tenure abruptly 2022, he filed a complaint hi under similar fraudulent Mobile: 9450364562
circumstances. Many mu- E-Mail:
ended in February when the university opted to hire a permanent professor, leaving him jobless. Tragically, on April 26, 2023, Prof Samarveer Singh in the Saket Court, directing jamilindia@gmail.com
was found dead in his apartment in outer Delhi’s Rani Bagh, allegedly by suicide. His colleagues, students, and relatives assert that the uncertainty the court to initiate proceed- nicipal officials are allegedly
LucknowNews1@gmail.com
surrounding his job status led him to take this drastic step. ings against all responsible involved in this scam.