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Editorial: Escaping hazard ‘Modi 1st PM to lower dignity of public discourse’: Ex PM Xi pledges Gaza aid and talks trade at summit with Arab leaders
India's FY24 GDP stays strong at US prez Biden presents
8.2%, Q4 economy growth at 7.8% new Israel ceasefire plan,
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: India's econo-
my grew by 7.8% in the Jan-
uary-March quarter from a
year earlier, compared with
8.4% growth in the previ-
ous quarter, government
data showed. Growth in the
January-March period was
lower than the 8.6 per cent
expansion in the December
quarter. Manufacturing out-
put rose 8.9% year-on-year
in the three months ending
in March, compared with a
revised expansion of 11.5%
in the previous quarter. Farm
output growth accelerated
to 0.6% after revised 0.4%
growth in the previous quar-
ter, the data showed.
DELHI POLICE
ISSUES TRAFFIC
ADVISORY AHEAD OF
MAHASAMADHI DIVAS
NEW DELHI: The Delhi
Police issued an adviso-
ry stating that the traffic
will remain affected in the
southern part of the city giv-
en the Mahasamadhi Divas
on Friday. According to the
advisory, Mahasamadhi
Divas will be celebrated at
Guruji Ka Ashram (Bade
Mandir) on Bhati Mines
Road, Mehrauli on Friday.
A huge public gathering
of around 85,000-90,000
from all parts of Delhi, NCR
and neighbouring states is
expected to come. Move-
ment of general traffic
will be regulated on Bhati
Mines Road, Bandh Road,
Sant Shri Nagpal (SSN)
Marg, CDR Chowk, Anuvrat
Marg, Abdul Gaffar Khan
Marg (Vasant Kunj Road),
Mehrauli-Gurugram Road,
Dera Road, Main Chhattar-
pur Road, etc. from 9 am to
11 pm, the advisory said.
To avoid inconvenience,
devotees travelling from
Faridabad and Gurugram
are advised to reach Guruji
Ka Ashram (Bade Mandir)
via the Dera border.
DEFAMATION: COURT
CONCLUDES HEARING
ARGUMENTS ON
SENTENCING PATKAR
NEW DELHI: A court here
on Thursday concluded
hearing the arguments on
sentencing activist Med-
ha Patkar in a defamation
case lodged against her by
incumbent Delhi lieutenant
governor V K Saxena when
he headed an NGO in Gu-
jarat. Metropolitan Magis-
trate Raghav Sharma, who
had convicted Patkar of
criminal defamation un-
der the Indian Penal Code
(IPC), also sought a victim
impact report (VIR) from
the Delhi Legal Services
Authority (DLSA). The re-
port is prepared after the
conviction of an accused
to assess the quantum of
loss suffered by the vic-
tim. During the arguments,
Saxena’s lawyer sought
maximum punishment for
Patkar, saying an example
needed to be set. The of-
fence entails a maximum
punishment of simple im-
prisonment of up to two
years or fine or both.
ucknow news
VOL. 18 | ISSUE NO: 270 | Saturday, 01 June 2024 | DAILY MORNING | Page 4 | Price Rs 1.00
Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 6.2 per cent in
the January-March period of the 2022-23 fiscal year
Data released by the Na-
tional Statistical Office (NSO)
showed that the gross do-
mestic product (GDP) ex-
panded 6.2 per cent in the
January-March period of the
Prajwal Revanna, accused of
rape, sent to 6-day SIT custody
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Prajwal Revan-
na has been sent to 6-day
SIT custody in the obscene
video case for which the
special investigation team
sought the suspended JD(S)
MP's custody for 14 days.
Prajwal was arrested late
last night from Bengaluru air-
port as he arrived in India to
join the SIT investigation af-
ter being incommunicado for
a month as the allegations
against him, his father sur-
faced and snowballed into a
major political storm.
In this one month, he was
suspended from the party,
his father was arrested and
then released on bail, and
his grandfather former PM
HD Deve Gowda made an
appeal to him to come back
to India and join the investi-
gation.
The ministry of external
affairs initiated the process
of revoking his diplomatic
passport on which he went
to Germany a day before the
issue surfaced. Prajwal has
been accused of sexually as-
saulting several women and
recording them. In police
custody, Prajwal's lawyers
will be allowed to meet him
Video: Man stabs multiple on live
stream at 'anti-Islam' event in Germany
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK: Police detained
a knife-wielding assailant
who injured several people
in a square in Mannheim,
southwest Germany on Fri-
day. Officers fired at the at-
tacker, who was also injured.
The incident occurred
around 11:30 am (local
time) in an event organised
by the Citizens' Movement
Pax Europa, described as
“anti-Islamisation”.
Mannheim police report-
ed a major operation at the
market square, with a rescue
helicopter and suspended
tram services.
"A firearm was used
against the attacker," Mann-
heim police said in a state-
ment. Authorities assured
the public that there was no
2022-23 fiscal year. As per
the data, Indian economy
expanded 8.2 per cent in
2023-24 against a 7 per cent
growth in 2022-23. The NSO
in its second advance esti-
Prajwal Revanna has been
sent to police custody till
June 6 in the Karnataka
sex scandal
for one hour in the morning.
The 33-year-old contested
the Lok Sabha election from
Hassan, the seat that he won
in 2019.
Prajwal Revanna Arrested:
A timeline of events in the
last one month
Prajwal's advocate said
he was extending full coop-
eration to the SIT probe the
custody was not needed.
Karnataka home minister G
Parameshwara said the gov-
ernment has been appealing
to more victims to come for-
ward without any fear.
“Prajwal Revanna landed
around 12.40-12:50 am
from Germany's Munich. As
there was an arrest warrant
against him, SIT accordingly
arrested him and took him
into custody and further legal
procedures they will follow
today,”the home minister
said, adding, “..naturally he
should have cooperated to
the arrest.
His immigration papers
were cleared and he was
brought out (of airport). As he
had a diplomatic passport,
longer a threat, though the
motive behind the attack re-
mains unknown.
GERMANY KNIFE
ATTACK VIDEO GOES
VIRAL
A live streamed footage
from the scene shows ci-
vilians attempting to sub-
due the attacker, who also
stabbed a police officer. An-
other officer eventually shot
the suspect while he was
grappling with another man.
ANTI-ISLAM ACTIVIST
TARGET?
A livestream showed an-
ti-Islam activist Michael
Stuerzenberger getting ready
to address a small audience.
The video was marked with
a watermark associated
with Stuerzenberger's "Open
Eyes" anti-Islam tour.
His organisation Pax Euro-
mate of national accounts
had pegged India's growth at
7.7 per cent for 2023-24.
This comes as Moody's
Ratings projected India to
grow 6.8 per cent in the cur-
rent year, followed by 6.5 per
cent in 2025 citing strong,
economic expansion and
post-election policy continu-
ity. It said, “We believe the
Indian economy should com-
fortably register 6-7 per cent
annual real GDP growth and
we forecast around 6.8 per
cent growth.”
In comparison, China's
economy grew 5.3% year-on-
year and the US economy ex-
panding at 1.3% annualised
rate in March quarter amid
signs of inflation easing.
things happened easily. After
completing all the due pro-
cess, he was arrested.”
The SIT deputed an
all-woman police team to ar-
rest Prajwal which was seen
as a strong message to the
rape-accused leader. Soon
after he came out from the
plane from Munich, he was
received by women cops.
During the procedure of exe-
cuting the arrest warrant, he
was flanked by the women
police personnel who were
led by two IPS officers, Su-
man D Pennekar and See-
ma Latkar.
From the airport, Prajwal
was then taken in a jeep in
which only women police
were present. They took him
to the CID office. "It was a
conscious call to send wom-
en officers to arrest Prajwal,
sending home a message
that the JD(S) leader exploit-
ed his seat and power as an
MP with women.
The same women have au-
thority to arrest him through
all legal proceedings," a
source in the SIT said. There
was also a symbolic mes-
sage to the alleged victims
that women officers were
not afraid of anyone, the
source added.
pa said Stürzenberger was
among those injured, Deut-
sche Welle reported.
However, police said they
could not yet give details
about any injuries among the
demonstrators in the square.
Stürzenberger, who calls
himself Islam-critical journal-
ist, has been associated with
far-right anti-Islam organisa-
tions, including the PEGIDA
movement.
European Parliament cam-
paign nears its end
The assault took place at
Marktplatz, in Mannheim's
downtown area. The city,
with a population of around
3,00,000, is located south
of Frankfurt. The incident
comes at a time when the
European Parliament cam-
paign nears its end and elec-
tions are due in a week.
calls on Hamas to accept it
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK: U.S. President
Joe Biden on Friday called
on Hamas militants to agree
to a new offer from Israel
on releasing hostages in
exchange for a Gaza cease-
fire, saying this is the best
way to begin winding down
the deadly conflict. "With a
ceasefire, that aid could be
safely and effectively dis-
tributed to all who need it,"
Biden said.
"As someone who's had
a lifelong commitment to
Israel, as the only American
president who has ever gone
to Israel at a time of war, as
someone who just sent the
U.S. forces to directly defend
Israel when it was attacked
by Iran, I ask you to take a
step back, think what will
happen if this moment is
lost," he said. "We can't lose
this moment."
An earlier hostage propos-
al put forward earlier this
year called for the release
of sick, elderly and wound-
ed hostages in Gaza in ex-
change for a six-week cease-
fire that could be extended to
allow for more humanitarian
aid to be delivered into the
enclave.
The proposed deal fell
apart earlier this month after
Israel refused to agree to a
King Charles III and Prince William came
‘ready for a fight’ with Prince Harry: Memoir
OUR CORRESPONDENT
UNITED KINGDOM: King
Charles III and Prince Wil-
liam almost came “ready
for a fight” during a private
meeting with Prince Harry.
The Duke of Sussex's rela-
tionship with his father and
brother has been strained
since Prince Harry made sev-
eral bombshell claims about
the Royal Family in his mem-
oir, ‘Spare’.
However, Prince Harry has
tried to mend the rift with his
family over the years.
In Spare, Harry recounts
how he arranged to meet
Charles and William at Frog-
more Cottage after their
grandfather, Prince Philip, 's
funeral.
He was left waiting until
Charles and Prince William
finally arrived, and he noted
that they did not look happy.
Harry wrote that he tried to
keep his “emotions in check”
Severe shortage: Mad scramble for water in several areas
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The water crisis
has become too real to ignore
in Delhi as people across ar-
eas were seen scrambling
with empty buckets to water
tankers, some even jumping
the queue to get to the top
of them to fill their vessel.
While the Delhi government
has announced a slew of
emergency measures, in-
cluding a ban on usage of po-
permanent end to the war as
part of the negotiations and
ramped up an assault on
the city of Rafah in southern
Gaza. Hamas said on Thurs-
day it had told mediators it
would not take part in more
negotiations during ongoing
aggression but was ready for
a "complete agreement," in-
cluding an exchange of hos-
tages and prisoners if Israel
stopped the war.
Talks mediated by Egypt,
Qatar and others to arrange
a ceasefire between Israel
and the Islamist movement
in the Gaza war have repeat-
edly stalled, with both sides
blaming the other for the
lack of progress.
A U.S. official, speaking
on condition of anonymity,
said White House national
security adviser Jake Sullivan
would meet on Friday with
diplomats from 17 countries
who have citizens held hos-
In 'Spare,' Prince Harry details a heated discussion with
King Charles III and Prince William at Frogmore Cottage
and explain his side. But the
discussion quickly took a
negative turn.
“I'd vowed not to let this en-
counter devolve into another
argument. But I quickly dis-
covered that it wasn’t up to
me,” Harry wrote.
“Pa and Willy had their
parts to play, and they'd
come ready for a fight. Every
time I ventured a new expla-
nation, started a new line of
table water for car washing
and its use at construction
sites, people in Sanjay Camp
in Chanakyapuri were seen
lining up on footpaths to fill
water from tankers.
As soon as an NDMC tank-
er arrived, people, carrying
pipes, rushed towards it and
some climbed on its top to fill
their buckets. In Vivekanan-
da Colony in Chanakyapuri,
children, men and women
climbed atop the water tank-
R.N.I. Reg. No.
tage in Gaza by Hamas. Is-
rael will not agree to any halt
in fighting that is not part of
a deal that includes the re-
turn of surviving hostages, a
senior Israeli security official
said on Friday.
Overshadowing Biden was
an Israeli airstrike in Rafah
on Sunday that killed 45 Pal-
estinians.
White House national se-
curity spokesperson John
Kirby said on Tuesday that
recent Israeli ground oper-
ations in Rafah would not
prompt a U.S. withdrawal of
more military aid.
Palestinian health author-
ities estimate more than
36,280 people have been
killed in Gaza since Israel
attacked the enclave in re-
sponse to an Oct. 7 Hamas
assault in southern Israel.
The Hamas attack killed
around 1,200 people, ac-
cording to Israeli tallies.
thought, one or both of them
would cut me off.”
William ‘didn’t want to hear
anything’ from Harry
Prince Harry highlighted
that William “didn’t want to
hear anything” from his side.
Harry claimed that his
brother interrupted him mul-
tiple times. This led to a heat-
ed argument between the
two brothers. The situation
escalated until Charles inter-
er. Deepak Srivastava, a res-
ident of one of the affected
areas in Chanakyapuri said,
“We need water, otherwise
we will die.
Earlier, six to seven water
tankers used to come, but
now there is just one, exac-
erbating the crisis.” Janki,
another resident from the
same area, accused politi-
cal parties of indulging only
in electoral politics and not
thinking about the common
WATER CRISIS: BJP
MAHILA MORCHA
PROTESTS OUTSIDE
ATISHI’S HOME
NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP
Mahila Morcha’s office
bearers on Thursday held
a protest outside min-
ister Atishi’s residence
over water crisis in the
national Capital. The
protestors were carry-
ing earthen pots on their
shoulders and placards
during the demonstra-
tion. They raised slogans
against Delhi Chief Minis-
ter Arvind Kejriwal outside
Water Minister Atishi’s
residence. The women lat-
er broke the earthen pots
there. One of the protest-
ers in a statement said
the water crisis in the city
has forced many women
to leave their homes even
at “52 degrees Celsius”
temperature for portable
water. She alleged that
the chief minister had
promised free clean water
to the people of Delhi but
“today leave alone clean
water even potable water
is not being provided on
time”. “The Delhi govern-
ment should think about
what arrangements they
have made regarding wa-
ter in this heat,” the pro-
testor said. Kejriwal and
his ministers, who have
always blamed Haryana
for their shortcomings,
are once again blaming
the state but the Haryana
government is providing
more water to Delhi than
agreed upon in the agree-
ment, she claimed in the
statement.
vened with a heartfelt plea.
The Duke of Sussex re-
called, “It got so heated that
Pa raised his hands. Enough!
He stood between us, look-
ing up at our flushed faces:
Please, boys—don’t make
my final years a misery.”
Prince Harry and William
have not seen each other in
years. The last time Harry
met with his father was in
February, when the monarch
was diagnosed with cancer.
During his UK visit earli-
er this month, Prince Harry
wasn't able to meet his fa-
ther due to Charles' “full pro-
gramme.”
A spokesperson for Harry
said in a statement, “It, un-
fortunately, will not be pos-
sible due to His Majesty's
full programme. The Duke
of course is understanding
of his father's diary of com-
mitments and various other
priorities and hopes to see
him soon.”
people.
“Political parties come
here to ask for votes, but no
one gives us water. I have
been living here for the last
30 years and have only seen
tankers. We need some de-
velopment from the upcom-
ing government, like tap wa-
ter,” she said. Chanakyapuri
falls under the New Delhi As-
sembly constituency, which
is represented by Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
2 Lucknow, Saturday, 01 June 2024 Lucknow News (English Daily)

Catastrophic event
EDITORIAL
Escaping hazard
Understanding the patterns of human mobility and how they
relate to different environmental risks is key to developing ef-
fective adaptation strategies. To this end, this study applied
large-scale mobile phone data to examine the differential
mobility responses to and interaction between air pollution
and extreme cold events and attempted to identify nonlinear- DEMAND-DRIVEN OVERLOADING OF AIR CONDITIONERS AND TRANSISTORS — WHICH MAY CATCH FIRE DUE TO
ities in the relationship between short-term movements and
the two environmental hazards. The results revealed that ex- EXCESSIVE HEAT — HAVE MADE MATTERS WORSE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS THAT VIOLATE FIRE SAFETY NORMS
treme cold events had a strong influence on the mobility de- Northwest and central In-
cisions of residents in the city of Chengdu, China. Residents dia, along with recording
were more likely to react to climate-related hazards in their unusually high tempera-
daily mobility than air pollution, which is often characterized tures over the last couple
as a slow-onset, small-impact, and frequent concern. The of weeks, have also been
findings from the estimation of an interaction term indicat- reporting deadly fire acci-
ed an antagonistic effect; that is, the combined effect of air dents in buildings.
pollution and extreme cold events on short-term movements The consecutive massive
was significantly lower than expected from the sum of their blazes in a gaming arena in
individual effects. Using a piecewise regression approach, Gujarat’s Rajkot and a hos-
this study uncovered nonlinearities in mobility as a response pital for newborns in Delhi
to air pollution and cold events as the number of trips from last week claimed many
hazardous places to less hazardous places increased more lives and created an out-
than proportional to the differentials in air quality and mag- rage among citizens, since
nitude of cold events. 14 people lost their lives on May 13 in both cases, the estab-
afternoon in Mumbai, when the city was struck by a sudden lishments were found to be
dust storm, and a huge billboard collapsed and fell due to the flouting building and safety
high speed of the wind, on unsuspecting passersby. norms.
Media reported, a day later on May 14, that the Municipal The fire service helpline in
Corporation of Mumbai did ask the advertiser to remove the these areas have been bus-
huge (illegal) hoarding, just a prior, and if complied, it would ier than usual, indicating a
have saved the fatal disaster. Now, this oversized billboard rise in such accidents: The
or hoarding was not supposed to be put up in the first place. department in Delhi, where
There are well set out SOPs and size caps on fixtures that the mercury breached 50
can be laid out in the public space. Of course, it’s flouted with degrees Celsius on May 29,
impunity by the concerned Babu’s of all the Municipal Cor- 2024, is getting more than
porations, across the country, which is a different issue alto- 220 calls a day at present,
gether! The basic reason is greed. according to news publica-
To earn some extra nickels, turning a blind eye to such bla- tion Business Standard.
tant violations of the SOPs These many calls to the
with disregard to existing Although there exist fire department in the capi-
policy resulted in several in- well-established SOPs tal have only been recorded
nocent lives being lost. Most and size caps for fixtures on Diwali day so far, accord-
probably, the culprits would that can be laid out in ing to officials.
go scot-free, thanks to the the public space, they In 2022, 7,435 Indians
cumbersome process of the are conveniently flouted; perished in the 7,566 fire
fact-finding committee, to Learning from the May accidents recorded in the
ascertain fault lines, besides 13 billboard collapse country, according to the
a web of (mis)administrative in Mumbai, municipal Accidental Deaths & Sui- In 2022, 7,435 Indians perished in the 7,566 fire accidents recorded in the country
procedures. bodies should regularly cides in India, 2022 — the ed for the movement of fire ing.” The power demand in apartment exploded. Sri- were not taken, the entire
Such an ordeal is to contin- audit billboard stability latest of such reports re- engines was not provided, the National Capital Territo- nivas explained what may market would have been In order to escape
ue in future also for sure. Gen- and restrict oversized leased by the National according to a report pub- ry of Delhi breached 8,300 have happened: AC units reduced to ashes. overheating, cities
erally, all the municipal cor- signboards to ensure Crime Records Bureau on lished last June in the Jour- megawatts, the highest in exposed to sunlight heat up In the case of the Rajkot should restore and
porations/civic bodies have public safety as well as to December 1, 2023. More nal of Failure Analysis and the region’s history. both internally and external- incident, the main prob- build more blue and
well laid outdoor advertising increase revenue than half of these fatalities Prevention. Invariably, a lot of over- ly. lem was mismanagement, green infrastructure –
policies. In the national capi- were in residential / dwell- In 2023, a major fire at loading takes place when Internally because the according to Srinivas, who waterbodies and areas
tal, MCD set up this policy in 2007, which was duly amended ing buildings. RC Hazra Memorial Hospi- the power demand is this efficiency of the machine was with the Town and with tree cover
in 2008 and 2017. Around 10 fire incidents tal in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, high, due to which some of reduces due to higher Country Planning Organisa- preserved and increased.”
This policy was formulated by updating the Prevention & were recorded in the com- due to a short circuit killed the transformers get burnt, temperatures, causing the tion, India’s apex advisory In the 1970s and 80s,
Control of Environmental Pollution policy, with the sole aim mercial buildings of Delhi, five people, the report not- the expert underlined. In the parts inside to go on an body on urban planning and Delhi had more than 200
to reduce the cobweb and clutter of different types of bill- killing 5, the NCRB data ed. central business districts overdrive and heating up, development, for 12 years waterbodies. Today, there
boards, signboards, festoons, posters etc. which are aesthet- showed. As many as 37 The same year, another and city core areas, typical- and externally because the till 2022. are around only 20. “Back
ic eyesore to any city/town, and if left unchecked, are bound people died and 14 were hospital fire at Honey Chil- ly the congestion results in casing material receives “There were no emergen- in the day, the tempera-
to create an ugly and dangerous situation (as in case of the injured in the 37 cases of dren’s hospital in Ahmed- higher temperatures, direct heat for prolonged cy exits, resulting in casu- tures never went up to 45
Mumbai disaster). During the 2010 Commonwealth Games fires in residential buildings abad, Gujarat, claimed one Srinivas said. “This is be- periods of the day. A combi- alties.” The expert added degrees Celsius.
held in Delhi, the then LG, that occurred in the capital life, the authors of the re- cause virtually every house nation of these may lead to a glimmer of hope to this So, clearly, the rapid con-
Hon’ble Shri Tejendra Khanna Ji, asked me to pay attention in 2022. port wrote. or shop uses ACs. Not only the components of the AC plethora of grim statistics cretisation has had an im-
to such details and ensure compliance to improve the skyline The same year, two fac- While fire incidents in does this have an impact on machines to catch fire. In and incidents. We are all pact on the local climate
and look and feel of the national capital for the many visitors tory fires were reported in the cities of the region are the powerload, but the com- the split AC, the cooling unit sitting atop a volcano and and, therefore, we see an
from 71 different countries who were visiting to participate in Delhi that killed 28 people, not rare because of faulty pressors of these machines is normally kept outside. these kinds of incidents increase in temperatures.”
the games. the analysis stated. More- planning amid unchecked also sometimes burn be- This makes them all can happen at any moment Moreover, the heat island
Marching with our motto of ‘Atithi Devo Bhavo’ and ‘Va- over, one person died in an urbanisation, the re- cause of the atmospheric the more vulnerable to in a city like Delhi which has effect caused by glass
sudevai Kutumbakam,’ it is always expected that the best be accidental fire that broke cord-breaking heat over the heat, resulting in building blasts. Creating a shade a burgeoning migrant pop- facades of buildings and
presented before the guests. out in a passenger vehicle last few days is the main fires,” he explained. As the for these units is, thus, ab- ulation and has seen ram- some other design and hab-
While closely monitoring the MCD from 2007 to 2013, in the city, the report add- cause for the fires taking cities heat up, AC units are solutely necessary, Srinivas pant urbanisation to make it flaws have resulted in the
serving as OSD to LG Delhi, to spruce up this aspect, a team ed. At least four of all the place in the buildings, ac- particularly at danger of ex- stressed. The power sup- space for more people, he increase of surface tem-
of ex-defence personnel was deputed, and a separate subde- fires in 2022 broke out at cording to R Srinivas, for- ploding. ply infrastructure of cities said. peratures, he highlighted.
partment was created in the MCD with full support from the hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai, mer Secretary of the Delhi “This is because of over- undergoing intense heat- But there are ways to “This is a huge problem.”
then MCD Commissioner, Mr. Mehra, and the Mayor of Delhi, Jabalpur and Hyderabad, chapter of the Institute of loading because every watves is also at risk of tackle this urban crisis, he The only solution, according
Ms. Arti Mehra. It’s on record that this team of exdefence per- claiming nine lives. Town Planners, house uses ACs,” the plan- bursting into flames when noted. “Unprecedented mi- to him, is that cities should
sonnel did splendidly well to improve the skyline of Delhi by Eight of these people India. The intense heat ner shared. Because of this, the mercury soars to record gration has led to a tremen- restore and build more blue
removing several thousand illegal hoardings from all over the perished in the fire at New has an adverse effect on he added, transformers in highs, the expert observed, dous increase in the built- and green infrastructure –
national capital. Life Multispecialty hospital the air conditioning (AC) the 33 kilowatt power sta- adding: In Tilak Nagar, a up space. Now, there is no waterbodies and areas with
Most importantly, the revenue of the MCD from billboard in Jabalpur. The main rea- systems, he said. tions also become prone to colony in West Delhi, there harm in developing more tree cover. “Second, there
and hoarding advertisements improved manifold as the au- sons for the accident and “In the past 2-3 days, fires. was a spark in the overhead and more buildings and has to be a national obses-
thenticity of each billboard on display in all municipal zones fatalities were that only there have been many in- On the morning of May transmission wire all of a going vertical to absorb the sion with the tree planta-
was thoroughly scrutinised and checked. Only those with val- one emergency evacuation cidents of fire in compres- 30, 2024, a flat in a Noida sudden a couple of days pressure of migration. But it tions, which is mindful. It
id approval, as per specifications laid out in the policy, were route was created and the sors. This is because of highrise caught fire after ago. This was because of is important to ensure that should start with the resi-
allowed to be put up. 3.6 metre side space need- overheating and overload- one of the AC units in the overloading. If precautions the bluegreen areas are dents’ welfare association.”

RIL, Tata on TIME’s list of most influential cos

Thus, this issue was checked and regulated to a great ex-
tent. To avoid repetition of such sad fatal accidents due to the
collapse of oversized or illegal hoardings, like in Mumbai, it
is mandatory that all municipal bodies in all cities and towns
ensure a fair audit of the structural stability and strength of
each hoarding or billboard in their respective jurisdictions, Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s
and avoid allowing any oversized billboards or signboards. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL)
and Tata Group have made it
to the prestigious TIME’s list
of 100 World’s Most Influen-
tial Companies of 2024. TIME
called Reliance ‘India’s Jug-
gernaut’.
This is the second time that
Reliance has found its way
into the TIME list. Jio Plat-
forms, the firm that holds
digital properties of the con-
glomerate, was included in
the inaugural TIME 100 Most
Influential Companies List
of 2021. Serum Institute is
the other Indian company on
To avoid repetition of fatal accidents like the Mumbai billboard col- the list. TIME listed Reliance
lapse, it is mandatory that municipal bodies avoid allowing any over- in the ‘Titans’ category (one
sized billboards or signboards. of the five categories under
which the companies were
divided, other being Leaders,
Disrupters, Innovators, and
Pioneers). Tata was listed in
‘Titan’s’ category while Serum
Institute under ‘Pioneers’.
“Reliance Industries was
founded as a textile and poly-
ester company 58 years ago
by Dhirubhai Ambani. Today
the sprawling conglomer-
ate — which has aligned its
growth with Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s vi-
sion for a ‘self-reliant’ India —
is the country’s most valuable
company, with a market cap-
italisation of more than $200
billion,” TIME said. Now led by
Dhirubhai’s son Mukesh, the
Mumbai-based company has
The ratings are looked
at by investors as a
barometer of the country’s
creditworthiness and has
impact on borrowing costs
ventures in energy, retail, and
telecommunications, among
others, and has made its
chairman Asia’s richest man,
it said.
The publication went on to
stated that in February, Re-
liance came out on top in a
fiercely competitive race to
dominate India’s burgeoning
streaming market by striking
a $8.5 billion merger deal
with Disney’s India business.
“The deal will bring togeth-
er more than 100 televi-
sion channels and give the
combined group around a
31 per cent share of India’s
streaming market compared
to rivals Netflix and Amazon
Prime with 8 per cent each,”
according to analytics firm
Comscore.
Reliance has revolutionised
several economic sectors in
the world’s most populous
country by making world-
class products and services
available at affordable prices
with multiple innovations.
Under Mukesh Ambani,
the firm’s telecom arm Jio
revolutionised India’s digital
landscape and drove digital
inclusion on an unprecedent-
ed scale with the most afford-
able mobile data tariffs in the
world. It set up the world’s
largest single location refin-
ing complex.
Reliance Retail is ranked
among the top 100 retailers
globally and in FY24 it reg-
istered 1.06 billion footfalls
across its 18,800+ stores
(67 per cent of which are in
small towns and villages).
Reliance is investing $10
billion in building the most
comprehensive ecosystem
for new energy and new ma-
terials in India and has set
an ambitious goal to reach
net-zero carbon by 2035.
TIME described Serum as
the world’s biggest vaccine
maker, churning out billions
of vaccines.
The company makes 3.5
billion doses every year, in-
cluding for measles, polio,
and most recently, HPV. “Se-
rum’s CEO Adar Poonawalla
says the company’s success
can largely be chalked up to
its private ownership. Not
being beholden to share-
holders allows it to keep
vaccine prices low (the R21
will cost $4 a shot),” the pub-
lication said.
Tata Group, it said, was
founded in 1868 and has
a vast portfolio extending
from steel, software, watch-
es, subsea cables, and
chemicals, to salt, grains,
airconditioners, fashion.
Lucknow News (English Daily)
Beer-makers launch Brewers Association of India
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: India’s largest
beer-makers, United Brew-
eries (a Heineken compa-
ny), AB-InBev, and Carlsberg
on Wednesday jointly an-
nounced the launch of Brew-
ers Association of India (BAI),
a new industry body focused
on growing the beer category
in India, and drive innovation,
moderation, and sustainabil-
ity in the Indian beer market.
BAI is being established in
partnership with the World
Brewing Alliance (WBA), the
global industry body consist-
ing of brewers and brewing
Aakash Educational Services Limited
unveils Aakash iTutor in Hindi Language
OUR CORRESPONDENT
LUCKNOW: To facilitate the
seamless continuation of
studies and help more stu-
dents realize their dream of
becoming doctors and en-
gineers, Aakash Education-
al Services Limited (AESL),
India’s leader in test prepa-
ratory services, is proud to
announce the launch of the
Aakash iTutor in Hindi lan-
guage.
This is a significant step
towards democratizing
quality education for stu-
GOLD TUMBLES `350 TO
`72,850 PER 10 GRAMS
NEW DELHI: Gold prices de-
clined Rs 350 to Rs 72,850
per 10 grams while silver
prices retreated from record
highs in the national capi-
tal amid weak trends in the
global markets on Thursday.
According to HDFC Securi-
ties, silver prices tumbled Rs
1,100 to Rs 96,000 per kg. It
had closed at Rs 97,100 per
kg on Wednesday. Mean-
while, gold prices fell Rs 350
to Rs 72,850 per 10 grams.
In the previous session, it
had settled at Rs 73,200 per
10 grams. In the internation-
al markets, spot gold at Co-
mex was trading at $2,339
per ounce, down $13 from
the previous close. In addi-
tion, silver also traded lower
at $31.65 per ounce.
ONGC, EVERENVIRO TO
SET UP 10 CBG PLANTS
IN INDIA
NEW DELHI: Energy Ma-
haratna, ONGC and EverEn-
viro Resource Management
Pvt. Ltd., a leading developer
of compressed biogas in In-
dia have formed a joint ven-
ture (JV) to set up 10 Com-
pressed Biogas (CBG) plants
across India. The two com-
panies have inked a Mem-
orandum of Understanding
(MoU) for the same. These
plants, being set up in the
first phase, are expected to
reduce India’s reliance on
imported gas and boost
domestic renewable energy
production. The 50:50 JV be-
tween ONGC and EverEnviro
aligns with the Government
of India’s initiatives, including
the Global Bio-Fuels.
trade associations from Aus-
tralia, Canada, the UK, the
USA, Europe, Japan, Korea,
Latin America, Brazil, New
Zealand, Nigeria and now
India.
The goal of World Brew-
dents across the nation
who aspire to crack NEET.
This marks AESL’s plan to
offer training in regional
languages for students of
various state boards of ex-
amination. The same will
be provided for JEE as well
Egis leads the way in Aviation Infrastructure
development inaugurating 3 airport projects
OUR CORRESPONDENT
LUCKNOW: Egis, a global
leader in the consulting, con-
struction engineering and mo-
bility sectors, has announced
the successful completionof
three major airport infrastruc-
ture projectsin India. Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi
inaugurated thenew integrat-
ed passenger terminal build-
ings atTrichy Airport, Pune
Airport, and Lucknow Airport,
greatly enhancing capacity,
energy efficiency and passen-
ger experience.
Sandeep Gulati, Manag-
ing Director, Egis South Asia
said“This achievement sig-
nifies our commitment to
excellence and innovation
in the aviation infrastructure
sector. Egis expresses grati-
BJP TO BE WIPED
OUT FROM HARYANA:
HOODA
CHANDIGARH: Former
Chief Minister and Leader
of Opposition Bhupinder
Singh Hooda has said that
recent statements by BJP
leaders indicate their ac-
knowledgment of an im-
pending defeat in the Lok
Sabha elections. Hooda
said the former BJP Chief
Minister is threatening state
officers and employees out
of frustration over the antic-
ipated loss.
Hooda emphasized that
such threats are beyond the
former CM’s authority, and
questioned the legitimacy
of these actions.
Lucknow, Saturday, 01 June 2024
The new Association is set
to be the unified voice of the
Indian beer industry as ABIn-
Bev, Carlsberg and United
Breweries, together account
for around 85 per cent of the
beer sales in India.
These companies also
have significant investments
in India with Carlsberg op-
erating 7 breweries, Unit-
ed Breweries operating 19
ing Alliance is to exchange breweries and AB-InBev In-
knowledge and best practic- dia operating 10 Breweries
es among brewers and other across India. Together, these
stakeholders. It is the global, companies employ over
unified voice of the industry 7000 people directly and in-
to various audiences and directly in India.
stakeholders. The Association will also
cater to diverse linguistic
preferences, Aakash iTu-
tor is extending its com-
prehensive online learning
platform to cater to the Hin-
di-speaking student com-
munity.
This strategic initiative
aims to bridge the language
in future. gap and provide accessible,
Aakash has been running high-quality educational re-
Hindi medium batches in sources to students prepar-
various cities across the ing for competitive exams
state successfully since the such as NEET (National Eli-
last academic session. gibility cum Entrance Test)
With a mission to reach and various school board
every corner of India and exams.
tude to all stakeholders and teemed dignitaries inaugu-
contributors for their invalu- rated two new passenger ter-
able support in achieving minal buildings at Lucknow
these milestones. Special and Pune airports. Egis’proj-
thanks to the project site ect management consul-
team and contributors inside tancy services at Chaudhary
and outside egis.” Charan Singh International
LUCKNOW AND PUNE Airport in Lucknow ensured
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORTS
seamless execution, result-
ing in a terminal equipped
On 10th March 2024, with sevenpassenger board-
Prime Minister Shri Narendra ing bridges, and 76 check-in
Modi, along with other es- counters.
Utkarsh SFBL expands with 7
new outlets across three States
OUR CORRESPONDENT The Bank's extensive infra-
structure, digital banking ca-
RANCHI: Utkarsh Small Fi- pabil-ities, and ATM network
nance Bank Limited (Utkarsh aim to provide integrated
SFBL) proudly announces customer service.
the inaugura-tion of 900th Commenting on the ex-
outlet of the Bank at Khu- pansion, Mr. Govind Singh,
nti, Ranchi, Jharkhand. This MD & CEO of Utkarsh Small
milestone is part of a broad- Finance Bank Limited,"To-
er expansion, which includes day is a landmark day for
7 new outlets launched to- us as we inaugurate our
day across Bihar,Jharkhand 900th banking outlet of
and UttarPra-desh. With this, the Bank at Khunti, Ranchi,
the Bank now operates 81 Jharkhand. Jharkhand is a
banking outlets in Jharkhand significant state for us, and
and a total of 903 out-lets the inauguration of our 7
nationwide. new banking outlets across
Customers in Khunti, Ran- Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar
chi will now have access to Pradesh further reinforces
a wide range of the Bank’s our commitment to these
products and services. These regions. Our new banking
include savings accounts, outlets will not only foster
current accounts, fixed de- local entrepreneur-ship but
posits, recurring deposits, would also provide essen-
and various loan products tial resources to strengthen
such as housing loans, busi- the financial resilience to
ness loans, loans against enhance the livelihoods of
property, credit, insurance, these entrepreneurs and in-
and investment products. dividuals alike”.
XI PLEDGES MORE GAZA AID AND TALKS TRADE
AT SUMMIT WITH ARAB LEADERS
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated calls
for the establishment of an inde - pendent Palestinian
state and promised more humanitarian aid for people
in Gaza as he opened a summit with lead - ers of Arab
states Thursday in Beijing. “Since last October, the
Palestinian-Israeli con - flict has escalated drastically,
throwing people into tremen - dous suffering,” Xi said
in a speech opening the ChinaArab States Cooperation
Forum. “War should not con - tinue indefinitely.”
be open to other brewers, In-
dian and international, who
share the belief in growing
Indian beer industry respon-
sibly. Headquartered in Del-
hi, BAI is to be headed by
Vinod Giri, who will assume
office on June 1, 2024. Giri,
a wellknown face of the Indi-
an alcoholic beverage indus-
try, until now was heading
the Confederation of Indian
Alcoholic Beverage Compa-
nies (CIABC), the apex body
of the Indian alcoholic bever-
age industry. Prior to CIABC.
Speaking on his new role, Vi-
nod Giri, the Director General
of the Brewers Association
Swarrnim University and
CCMO honor 306 top students
at Pratibha Samman Samaroh
OUR CORRESPONDENT
LUCKNOW: Swarrnim Start-
up and Innovation Uni-
versity headquartered in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in
association with the Career
Counselling and Motiva-
tional Organisation(CCMO),
recently organised the
‘Pratibha Samman Sama-
roh’ in Balia, Uttar Pradesh.
The event celebrated the
achievements of 306 ex-
emplary students from the
districts of Mau, Deoria,
Jaunpur, and Balia, in Ut-
tar Pradesh who exhibited
excellent performance in
their Class XII Board exam-
inations, securing first-class
results.
The felicitation ceremo-
ny was graced by the chief
guest, Shri Ram Pratap
Singh, Balia Pradhan, who
presented medals and cer-
tificates to the outstanding
students. During his ad-
dress, Shri Singh empha-
India to grow 7% in FY25: RBI
OUR CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI: Indian economy
is projected to grow at 7 per
cent — the fastest among
major economies across
the world — in the current
fiscal year, underpinned by a
sustained strengthening of
macroeconomic fundamen-
tals, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) said in its latest
annual report on Thursday.
The RBI’s balance sheet
size surged 11.08 per cent
to Rs 70.48 lakh crore
(about $845 billion) as of
March 31, 2024. This was
nearly 2.5 times that of Pa-
kistan’s entire GDP of close
to $340 billion. The Indian
economy, it said, expanded
at a robust pace in 2023-24
(April 2023 to March 2024
financial year), with real
GDP growth accelerating
to 7.6 per cent from 7.0 per
cent in the previous year —
the third consecutive year of
7 per cent or above growth
pace. The economy showed
resilience in FY24 (2023-24
fiscal) despite persistent
headwinds. The GDP growth
is robust on the back of solid
investment demand which
is supported by healthy
balance sheets of banks
and corporates, the govern-
ment’s focus on capital ex-
penditure and prudent mon-
etary, regulatory and fiscal
policies, it said, adding the
Indian economy is navigat-
ing the drag from an adverse
global macroeconomic and
financial environment. Also,
MSPs for both kharif and
of India, said: “I have spent
over a decade with the beer
industry in India and abroad,
so its homecoming for me.
Beer is the globally preferred
form of alcohol, many times
larger in size than the higher
strength alcohol.
Governments all over the
world actively shape regu-
latory policies to guide con-
sumers toward low-alcohol
beverages such as beer. BAI
is a great platform to align
India with the international
consensus of moderate and
responsible drinking and I
am very excited to be part of
this journey.”
sised on the importance of
education to achieve further
success in life. He urged the
students to make their fam-
ilies, society, and the nation
proud through their contin-
ued hard work and contribu-
tions to the country's devel-
opment.
Shri Singh's words res-
onated with the young
achievers, as he said, “Your
achievements today are
just the beginning. With de-
termination and persever-
ance, you can reach greater
heights and play a signifi-
cant role in shaping a bright-
er future for our nation.”
The event also saw the
presence of 30 teachers
from various schools in
Balia, who have been in-
strumental in guiding these
young minds and honing
their skills. Their dedication
to education and mentor-
ship was acknowledged and
appreciated by Swarrnim
University.
The Indian economy
expanded at a robust pace
in FY24, with real GDP
growth of 7.6% from 7.0%
in previous year — third
consecutive year of 7% or
above growth pace
rabi seasons 2023-24 en-
sured a minimum return of
50 per cent over cost of pro-
duction for all crops, it said.
Indian economy, the report
said, is well-placed to step
up growth trajectory over
the next decade in an envi-
ronment of macroeconomic
and financial stability.
“As headline inflation eas-
es towards the target, it will
spur consumption demand
especially in rural areas,”
it said. It further said the
external sector’s strength
and buffers in the form of
foreign exchange reserves
will insulate domestic eco-
nomic activity from global
spillovers.
The report, however, add-
ed that geopolitical ten-
sions, geoeconomic frag-
mentation, global financial
market volatility, internation-
al commodity price move-
ments and erratic weather
developments pose down-
side risks to the growth out-
look and upside risks to the
inflation outlook. “The real
GDP growth for 2024-25
is projected at 7.0 per cent
with risks evenly balanced,”
it said. On its finances, RBI
said its balance sheet in
FY23 (April 2022 to March
2023) stood at Rs 63.44
lakh crore.
3
InBrief
SONY'S ULT POWER SOUND SERIES DELIVERS DEEP,
PULSATING SOUND FOR MUSIC LOVERS
LUCKNOW: Sony India has today announced the launch
of ULT POWER SOUND series – a new series of wireless
speakers and noise-cancelling headphones designed to
make you feel like you have dived into the front row of the
arena. Built for music lovers, it produces powerful deep
sound designed to make your heart pulsate. The new
range consists of wireless speakers ULT TOWER 10, ULT
FIELD 7, ULT FIELD 1, and wireless noise-canceling head-
phones ULT WEAR. All models in the series include the ULT
button, providing signature sound quality by enhancing the
music with one or two different sound modes. ULT TOWER
10: Turn your home into party central with Massive Bass,
360° Party Sound, 360° Party Light and karaoke, thanks to
a supplied wireless mic. You can even connect the speak-
er to your TV to boost the sound of the things you love to
watch. ULT POWER SOUND - Enhance all your low-end
frequencies for exceptional bass. Enjoy two different type
of bass-emphasised sound mode. Hit the ULT button for
deeper bass for low-frequency sound that will make your
heart tremble with ULT1. ULT2 delivers powerful punchy
bass to feel the beat and get you dancing.
FASHIONTV LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER, PREMIUM
F-SALON IN LUCKNOW
LUCKNOW: FashionTV world’s largest Fashion and Life-
style, Media Television Channel present in 196 countries
and with over 2Billion+ Viewership, is thrilled to announce
its first-ever F-salon by FashionTV in Lucknow, located at
Patrakar Puram, opposite Sahara Plaza, Gate No. 2. The
Grand launch of the first ever premium F-Salon by Fash-
ionTV is done in partnership with Trilaik Corp, a new and dy-
namic player in the
wellness and beau-
ty industry. This
premium F-Salon
offers a compre-
hensive range of
hair, beauty, skin,
nail art, manicure,
and pedicure ser-
vices, all within the
luxurious and premium interiors of F-Salon by FashionTV.
The F-Salon brings with it the legacy of FashionTV, world’s
largest Fashion & Lifestyle, Media Television Channel
founded in 1996 by Michel Adam Lisowski. Over the years
FashionTV has evolved beyond fashion and the brand is
now leading in franchising, events, licensing, media, and
concepts. Mr. Michel Adam Lisowski and Mr. Kashiff Khan
have both recognized the potential of the ever-growing
Wellness industry in India. Currently F-Salon by FashionTV
is present in Key cities like Chandigarh, Jammu, Hyderabad,
Noida, Pune, Ludhiana, Patna, Kerala and many more, and
the mission is to launch 100+ F-Salon by FashionTV across
India by the end of 2025.
HERO MOTOCORP LAUNCHES THE LATEST
GENERATION SPLENDOR+
LUCKNOW: Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufac-
turer of motorcycles and scooters, has launched the latest
generation of the iconic Splendor – the Splendor+XTEC
2.0 – to celebrating the 30th anniversary of the world’s
highest-selling motorcycle. This premium and tech-laden
Splendor keeps its iconic design while integrating mod-
ern elements such as LED headlights with HIPL (High In-
tensity Position Lamp), a unique H-shaped signature tail
lamp that givesit a distinctive appearance and multiple
convenience & safety features. Showcasing its all-around
dominance,the motorcycle boasts excellent fuelefficien-
cy of 73 kmpl. The Splendor+ XTEC 2.0 includes a digital
speedometer with Eco-indicator for better fuel efficiency,
RTMI (Real Time Mileage indicator), Bluetooth connectivi-
ty for call and SMS alerts, and hazard lights for enhanced
safety. Additionally, the longer seat offers increased com-
fort, while a larger glove box with a hinge-type design
provides added convenience for riders.The bike offers an
exclusive feel and is instantly recognizable through its du-
al-tone colour theme.
LAVA BRINGS THE POWER PACKED 5G EXPERIENCE
FOR YOUTH WITH YUVA 5G
LUCKNOW: Lava International Ltd., the leading Indi-
an Smartphone brand, announces the launch of power
packed Yuva 5G, engineered to offer exceptional speed
and performance. Introduced in two memory variants,
Yuva 5G is a full day companion with enhanced battery
backup, lightning speed and quality camera features.
Priced at INR 9499 [64 GB] and INR 9999 [128 GB], Yuva
5G will be available for
sale on Amazon, Lava
e-store and Lava retail
outlets from 5th June
2024. Designed for to-
day’s youth, Yuva 5G
offers opulence in a premium sleek look with matte finish
and two stunning colour variants – Mystic Blue and Mystic
Green. The ‘Made in India’ smartphone features superior
glass back design, side fingerprint sensor, 4GB+4GB(Vir-
tual) RAM and 64/128GB UFS 2.2 ROM for high-capaci-
ty storage of data - pictures, videos, and large files. The
50MP AI Dual Rear Camera with 8MP selfie camera offers
good quality pictures of landscapes and selfies along-
side bottom firing speaker and 18W Fast Charging with
Type-C USB Cable. Committed to enhanced consumer
experience, Lava Yuva 5G features Clean Android 13 with
no ads, no bloatware and face unlock feature. Assured 2
years of security updates and an upgrade to Android 14.
Additionally, 1-year warranty on handset and 6- months
warranty on accessories is offered by Lava.
US-BUILT PIER IN GAZA BROKE APART
WASHINGTON: A string of security, logistical and weather
problems has battered the plan to deliver desperately need-
ed humanitarian aid to Gaza through a US military-built pier.
Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a
week after it became opera - tional, the project faces criti
- cism that it hasn’t lived up to its initial billing or its $320
million price tag. US officials say, however, that the steel
causeway con - nected to the beach in Gaza and the float-
ing pier are being repaired and reassembled.
4 Lucknow, Saturday, 01 June 2024
‘Unclaimed bank deposits surge 26% to ₹78,213 cr by March 2024’
OUR CORRESPONDENT
MUMBAI: Unclaimed depos-
its in banks have surged by
26 per cent year on year,
reaching Rs 78,213 crore by
the end of March 2024, ac-
cording to the RBI Annual Re-
Campaigning ends for final
phase of LS polls in 57 seats
OUR CORRESPONDENT
VARANASI/ CHANDIGARH:
The intense campaigning for
the seventh and final phase
of the Lok Sabha elections
in 57 seats across seven
states and the Union Territo-
ry of Chandigarh concluded
on Thursday evening, ahead
of the June 1 polling. Voting
is set to take place in all 13
seats of Punjab, four in Him-
achal Pradesh, 13 in Uttar
Pradesh, nine in West Ben-
gal, eight in Bihar, six in Odi-
sha, three in Jharkhand, and
one in Chandigarh.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is seeking a third con-
secutive term from Varana-
si. So far, voting has been
completed in 486 seats
across 28 states and Union
territories, with turnout per-
centages for the first six
phases recorded at 66.14,
66.71, 65.68, 69.16, 62.2,
and 63.36 respectively. The
counting of votes is sched-
uled for June 4.
During the campaign, BJP
leaders, led by Modi, ac-
cused the Congress and the
INDIA alliance of corruption,
antiHindu sentiments, and
engaging in loot, appease-
ment, and dynastic politics.
In contrast, the Opposition
claimed that the BJP is an-
tifarmer, anti-youth, and
Jammu: 21 killed, 47 hurt as bus falls
OUR CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU: Twenty-one people
lost their lives and 47 were
injured when a bus carrying
pilgrims veered off the road
and plunged into a gorge
in the Jammu district on
Thursday, officials reported.
Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant
Governor of Jammu and
Kashmir, expressed deep
sorrow over the tragic loss
of life.
The incident occurred at
Tungi-Morh in the Chow-
ki Chora area, where the
bus rolled approximate-
ly 150 feet down into the
gorge. According to a police
spokesperson, the accident
happened around 12:35
pm. The bus, registered as
UP81CT-4058, was trans-
porting devotees from Ku-
Monsoon sets in early over Kerala, northeast
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The southwest
monsoon has arrived in Ker-
ala and the northeastern
region ahead of schedule
on Thursday, heralding the
commencement of the vital
four-month rainfall period
essential for India’s agrarian
economy.
Cyclone Remal’s passage
through West Bengal and
Bangladesh last Sunday is
believed to have influenced
the monsoon’s early arrival in
the Bay of Bengal, according
to meteorologists. Previous-
ly, on May 15, the meteoro-
logical department predict-
ed the monsoon’s arrival in
Kerala by May 31. It is a rare
occurrence for the monsoon
port released on Thursday.
At the end of March 2023,
the Depositor Education and
Awareness Fund held Rs
62,225 crore. Banks, includ-
ing cooperative banks, trans-
fer unclaimed deposits from
accounts that have been in-
VOTING ON JUNE 1
would alter or scrap the Con-
stitution if they win the elec-
tions.
At a rally in Odisha, Con-
gress President Mallikarjun
Kharge alleged that BJP
leaders were trying to por-
tray Modi as the “eleventh
avatar” of Lord Vishnu, but
he insisted that the people
would reject this notion.
Former Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, on Thurs-
day, accused Modi of low-
ering the dignity of public
discourse and the prime
minister’s office by delivering
“hateful speeches” during
the campaign.
Appealing to voters in Pun-
jab, Singh emphasised that
only the Congress could en-
sure a progressive future that
safeguards democracy and
the Constitution. He also criti-
cised the BJP government for
rukshetra, Haryana, to Shiv
Khori in Jammu and Kash-
mir’s Reasi district. The jour-
ney had originated in Uttar
Pradesh.
The deceased have been
taken to Akhnoor sub-dis-
trict hospital. Of the injured,
seven were admitted to
Akhnoor hospital and 40
to the Government Medical
College (GMC) hospital in
Jammu. Rescue operations
are still underway. Initially,
to simultaneously begin in
Kerala and the northeast,
with previous instances re-
corded in 2017, 1997, 1995,
and 1991.
The India Meteorological
Department confirmed to-
day, May 30, 2024, that the
southwest monsoon has
commenced in Kerala and
has progressed into most
active for 10 or more years
to the RBI’s Depositor Edu-
cation and Awareness (DEA)
Fund. To assist account
holders and streamline ex-
isting instructions on inoper-
ative accounts, the Reserve
Bank issued comprehensive
imposing the “ill-conceived”
Agnipath scheme on the
armed forces. On Thursday
evening, Modi travelled to
Kanyakumari, where he will
meditate at a site associated
with Swami Vivekananda un-
til June 1.
Since the Election Com-
mission announced the Lok
Sabha election schedule on
March 16, Modi has partici-
pated in 206 public outreach
programs, including rallies
and roadshows.
In Punjab, the high-ener-
gy campaign saw the ruling
AAP and its INDIA bloc part-
ner Congress contesting sep-
arately in a multicornered
fight.
Senior BJP leaders, includ-
ing Modi, Union ministers
Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh,
and Nirmala Sitharaman,
BJP chief J P Nadda, and
the injured were treated at
Akhnoor hospital. Later, 36
of them, including six in crit-
ical condition, were trans-
ferred to GMC hospital in
Jammu via ambulance.
Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, prin-
cipal of GMC hospital, con-
firmed that over 36 passen-
gers were brought in, with
six in critical condition, and
that they are receiving time-
ly treatment.
Injured passengers re-
parts of the northeast. The
department also noted that
the monsoon has enveloped
much of the northeastern
region, including all of Na-
galand, Manipur, Mizoram,
Arunachal Pradesh, and
portions of Tripura, Megha-
laya, and Assam. Since
1971, the earliest monsoon
onset in Kerala was on May
guidelines earlier this year.
These guidelines cover var-
ious aspects of classifying
accounts and deposits as in-
operative or unclaimed.
The RBI has instructed
banks to periodically review
such accounts, implement
BJP-ruled state chief min-
isters participated in the
campaign. Congress leaders
Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led
the campaign for their party.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal, out on interim bail
in the excise policy case,
also campaigned vigorously
for his party alongside Pun-
jab Chief Minister Bhagwant
Mann. On the final campaign
day, Modi addressed a rally
in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, where
he accused Congress of
“strangling” the Constitution
during the Emergency and
ignoring it during the 1984
Sikh riots.
At the rally supporting
Hoshiarpur candidate Anita
Som Parkash and Anand-
pur Sahib nominee Sub-
hash Sharma, Modi also
discussed reservation, cor-
ruption, and the Ram Tem-
ple. He criticised the oppo-
sition for questioning the
Agnipath scheme, accus-
ing the INDIA bloc of politi-
cising the Army, which he
termed a “great sin.” In Uttar
Pradesh, the BJP claimed
in their speeches that the
INDIA bloc would introduce
Muslim reservation and put
a ‘Babri lock’ on the Ayod-
hya temple, while the Oppo-
sition urged people to vote
to protect the Constitution.
counted that the accident
occurred while the driver
was navigating a blind curve
and a speeding car ap-
proached from the opposite
direction.
Amar Chand, one of the
injured, explained: “A car
was coming from the oppo-
site direction.
The driver tried to negoti-
ate a blind curve but failed,
causing the vehicle to roll
down into the gorge.” The
pilgrims had come for a
visit to Shiv Khori. Senior
Superintendent of Police,
Traffic, Faisal Qureshi, along
with the transport commis-
sioner and other officials,
visited the scene and su-
pervised the rescue opera-
tion. Qureshi indicated that
it does not appear the bus
was overloaded.
18, 1990. Other early arriv-
als were noted on May 22,
1999, and May 23 in both
1974 and 2009. Kerala has
experienced significant rain-
fall in recent days, leading
to an excess of precipitation
for May, as per weather of-
fice records. Typically, the
monsoon begins in Kerala
on June 1 and in the north-
eastern states of Arunachal
Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Mani-
pur, and Assam by June 5.
The IMD declares the
monsoon’s onset over Ker-
ala when more than 14
weather stations in the
state and adjacent areas
record at least 2.5 mm of
rainfall over two consecu-
tive days post-May 10.
measures to prevent fraud,
establish a grievance redress
mechanism for swift resolu-
tion of complaints, and take
steps to trace customers of
inoperative accounts or un-
claimed deposits.
This includes contacting
‘Modi first PM to lower
dignity of public discourse’:
Ex PM Manmohan Singh
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: In a rare but
scathing attack on Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, for-
mer Prime Minister Manmo-
han Singh said Modi is the
first Prime Minister to low-
er the dignity of public dis-
course and the gravity of the
office of the PM by giving
“hateful speeches” during
the poll campaign. Mount-
ing an attack on Modi, the
former Prime Minister said:
“I have been keenly follow-
ing the political discourse
during this election cam-
paign.
Modi ji has indulged in the
most vicious form of hate
speeches, which are purely
divisive in nature. Modi ji is
the first Prime Minister to
lower the dignity of public
discourse, and thereby the
gravity of the office of the
prime minister.”
“No Prime Minister in the
past has uttered such hate-
ful, unparliamentary and
coarse terms, meant to tar-
get either a specific section
of the society or the Opposi-
tion. He has also attributed
some false statements to
me. I have never in my life
singled out one community
from the other.
That is the sole copyright
of the BJP,” he said in his
three-page open letter. In
an emotional appeal to vot-
ers of Punjab ahead of the
seventh phase of Lok Sabha
polls on June 1, Singh, 91,
said the voters must make
the most of a “final chance
to ensure our democracy
and Constitution are protect-
ed from repeated assaults
by a despotic regime.’’ He
asserted that only Congress
can ensure a growth-orient-
Woman nabbed for attempted
robbery posing as courier boy
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police
have arrested a 38-year-old
former civil defence em-
ployee who impersonated a
“courier boy” and allegedly
attempted to rob her neigh-
bor in southwest Delhi’s Ch-
hawla area, an officer said
on Wednesday.
The police recovered a cou-
rier bag, a toy pistol, gloves,
two ropes, an umbrella, and
a helmet from the accused,
identified as Rekha, a resi-
dent of Somesh Vihar in Ch-
hawla.
According to the police,
Rekha, a former civil de-
fence worker, had been un-
employed for some time and
was struggling to manage
her household expenses.
On May 23, police got a call
regarding an attempted rob-
bery.
The complainant reported
that around 11.30 am, a cou-
rier boy came to her house
and asked for a pen to sign
SC REGISTRY REFUSES URGENT LISTING OF KEJRIWAL’S PLEA FOR EXTENSION
NEW DELHI: The SC registry declined an urgent request on Wednesday to extend
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail by seven days for medical tests. The registry
rejected the application, stating that since Kejriwal had the option to seek regular
bail from the trial court, the plea was not admissible.
their nominees or legal heirs
to reactivate accounts, settle
claims, or close them. These
guidelines are intended to
support ongoing efforts by
banks and the Reserve Bank
to reduce the amount of
unclaimed deposits in the
ed progressive future where
democracy and the Consti-
tution will be safeguarded.
The veteran Congress
leader also hit out at the BJP
government for imposing
an “ill-conceived” a framed
photograph of the presiding
deity of the temple.
Later, he reached the rock
memorial by a ferry ser-
vice operated by the state
government-run shipping
corporation and began his
meditation at the ‘dhyan
mandapam.’ Before he em-
barked on the dhyan exer-
cise, for a while, Modi stood
on the stairs leading to the
mandapam that offers
breathtaking views of the
sea that surrounds the me-
morial from all sides.
The prime minister show-
ered flowers on the portraits
of Ramakrishna Parama-
hamsa, mother Sri Sarada
Devi and also paid floral trib-
utes to Swami Vivekanan-
da, whose life-size statue
on a high pedestal adores
the mandapam. Modi later
commenced the sadhana
(spiritual practice) in the
mandapam. Ahead of his
departure on June 1, Modi
is likely to visit the Thiruval-
luvar statue, next to the me-
morial.
Both the memorial and
on a delivery paper, a senior
police officer said. She said
that when she went inside
to get the pen, the person
followed her caught her and
hit her several times with the
toy pistol that made her face
bleed, the officer said. The
victim said the person had
his face covered with a towel
and was wearing a helmet
and gloves in his hands.
The person, however, had
to flee when the complainant
shouted for help, the officer
said. On May 24, police got
information that the accused
was hiding in Somesh vihar.
Later, on the basis of this
Lucknow News (English Daily)
banking system and return
the funds to their rightful
owners or claimants.
The revised instructions
apply to all commercial
banks (including Regional
Rural Banks) and coopera-
tive banks and took effect on
statue were built on tiny is-
lets, that are separate and
mound-like rocky forma-
tions in the sea. The PM had
undertaken a similar exer-
cise in a Kedarnath cave af-
ter the 2019 poll campaign.
Modi will meditate from
the evening of Thursday
to the evening of June 1
at Dhyan Mandapam, the
place where Vivekananda —
a spiritual icon admired by
Modi -- is believed to have
had a divine vision about
‘Bharat Mata’.
Security has been beefed
up ahead of Modi’s visit and
2000 police personnel will
stand guard during his stay,
even as the Indian Coast
Guard and Indian Navy
would also maintain tight
vigil.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi
ended his whirlwind Lok
Sabha poll campaign with a
rally in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur.
Modi notched up a total
of 206 public-outreach pro-
grammes, including rallies
and roadshows, since the
Election Commission (EC)
announced the poll sched-
ule on March 16.
The prime minister sur-
passed his nearly-145 pub-
lic engagements on the
stump during the 2019 polls
by a big margin.
CCTV footage, Rekha was ar-
rested, Deputy Commission-
er of Police (Dwarka) Ankit
Singh said.
According to Singh, Rekha
zeroed-in on the woman in
her neighbourhood for she
was rich and stayed alone
during the day.
As per the plan, on May
23, she disguised herself as
a courier boy, covering her
face with a towel and wear-
ing a helmet. She carried a
toy pistol, gloves, rope and
clothes in her backpack, a
courier bag in her hand, and
an umbrella over her head,
they said.
April 1, 2024. To help depos-
itors search for unclaimed
deposits across multiple
banks, the Reserve Bank
has developed a centralised
web portal called UDGAM
- Unclaimed Deposits Gate-
way to Access Information.
MOTHERS RALLY
AGAINST VAPING
EPIDEMIC ON WORLD
NO TOBACCO DAY
NEW DELHI: Mothers
Against Vaping united on
World No Tobacco Day to
combat the tobacco indus-
try’s influence on children.
Joined by Khushboo Sund-
ar and Kishwar Desai, they
pledged to protect chil-
dren from new-age gate-
way devices. The group
releases a 4-point agenda
to counter tobacco indus-
try strategies. Dr. Bhavna
Barmi highlights children’s
susceptibility to addictive
behaviors. The agenda
includes educating stake-
holders, providing health
hazard information, using
digital marketing tools,
and urging policymakers to
combat smuggling. Deepa
Malik led a pledge ceremo-
ny, emphasising the impor-
tance of awareness.
ARRESTED DOCTORS
NOW FACE JJ ACT
CHARGES
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Po-
lice has added sections of
the juvenile justice law to
the FIR registered in con-
nection with the fire at a
children’s hospital in Vivek
Vihar that killed six new-
borns, police said on Thurs-
day. The fire broke out at
the Baby Care New Born
Child Hospital on Saturday
night. Its owner Dr Naveen
Khichi and Dr Akash, who
was on duty at the time of
the incident, were arrested
on the basis of the FIR, ac-
cording to the authorities.
They said sections of the
Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Act
have been added to the
FIR. Following their arrest,
the doctors were in three-
day police custody, which
ended Thursday. They have
been sent to 14-day judicial
custody by a court here.
OWNER & DOCTOR
SENT TO 14-DAY
CUSTODY
NEW DELHI: A metropoli-
tan court in New Delhi has
sent the owner and on-duty
doctor of a private hospital
to 14 days judicial custody
following a fire incident that
claimed the lives of seven
newborns and injured five. Dr
Naveen Khichi and Dr Aaksh
face charges under IPC sec-
tions, including 336 (endan-
gering life), 304A (causing
death by negligence), and
culpable homicide. The fire
occurred at Baby Care New
Born Child Hospital in Vivek
Vihar. The hospital was al-
legedly operating illegally
with an expired license and
lacked clearance from the
fire department. Dr Aaksh
has filed a bail plea, sched-
uled for June 3. They were
arrested on Sunday and pre-
viously remanded in police
custody on May 27.
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