Death Toll Rises To 17 In Reactor Blast At Andhra’s Anakapalli 2
The death toll rose to 17 on Thursday following a reactor blast at a pharma company in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Atchutapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli.
Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan confirmed the fatalities on Thursday.
The incident occurred after a 500-kiloliter capacitor reactor exploded at the pharma company, where approximately 200 workers were present at the time.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. The Chief Minister is expected to visit the families of the deceased and injured on Thursday.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and stated that he was “pained” by the loss of lives in the mishap. The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased, according to the PMO.
“Pained by the loss of lives due to a mishap at a factory in Anakapalle. Condolences to those who lost their near and dear ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and the injured will receive Rs 50,000,” the PMO mentioned in a post on X.
Police Arrest Over 40 People in Badlapur for Protesting Against Minors' Sexual Assault 4
Maharashtra Police have taken action against more than 40 individuals, arresting them and registering FIRs against 300 people, following massive protests over the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Badlapur. The unrest included stone-pelting, train service disruptions, and a lathi-charge on Tuesday. The arrested individuals will be brought to court on Wednesday.
Increased security measures have been implemented at the railway station, with police personnel deployed to prevent any recurrence of Tuesday’s outbreak. Internet services have been suspended in Badlapur, and shops have been ordered to close. DCP Manoj Patil of the Railway Police stated that the situation has returned to normal.
Patil remarked, ‘The situation is normal now. Railway movement is also normal. No section has been imposed. Internet services will be suspended for a few days to prevent the spread of rumors.’ On Tuesday, police used lathi charges to disperse protestors who had blocked the railway track, halting local trains. As a result, 12 mail express trains were diverted and 30 local trains were partially canceled.
After a 10-hour disruption, railway services resumed late at night following the dispersal of protestors by police. Speaking to the media, GRP Commissioner Ravindra Shisve reported that the tracks had been cleared and operations could resume.
The protests erupted after the alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls by a school attendant in Badlapur, Maharashtra. The attendant was arrested on August 17. Earlier on Tuesday, police resorted to tear gas to disperse residents who began stone-pelting at the school.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the alleged assaults and announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. Fadnavis has also ordered the immediate suspension of several police officials for their delayed response in the initial stage of the incident.
Taking to his social media handle on X, Fadnavis announced, ‘In the unfortunate Badlapur incident, IG rank officer IPS Arti Singh has been appointed to conduct the inquiry. A charge sheet will be filed immediately and the case will be heard in a fast-track court. Our police department is committed to punishing the perpetrators swiftly.’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said he has directed the police that the accused arrested for sexually abusing two girl students at a school in Badlapur in Thane district be booked under the attempt to rape charge.
He also said that the case will be fast-tracked and a special public prosecutor will be appointed for the case.
“I have spoken to the Thane Commissioner of Police. The accused has been arrested. I have asked the case to be fast-tracked and book the accused under the charges of attempt to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,” he said.
Hundreds of parents of the children studying in the school at Badlapur have been staging a ‘rail roko’ protest at Badlapur railway station since Tuesday morning to condemn the incident of sexual abuse and to demand strict action against the accused. The protest has affected the movement of suburban trains.
CM Shinde appealed to the parents to exercise restraint as the rail blockade was hampering the functioning of local trains.
Thane district’s guardian minister Shamburaj Desai termed the incident as unfortunate.
He said he has asked Thane district collector to probe the matter.
“Two probes will be conducted – one by the education department and second by the zonal deputy commissioner of police to ascertain as to why there was a delay in registering the offence as alleged by the parents,” he said.
School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said a police official has been transferred because no cognisance was taken for 12 hours after the parents lodged the complaint with the police.
A notice has also been served to the school, and its principal and a class teacher have been suspended, he said.
He said he has ordered setting up of Vishaka committees in the schools, Kesarkar said.
The police arrested the attendant at the school for allegedly abusing two girls studying in the kindergarten at the school.
According to the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school.
The girls had told their parents that the attendant touched them inappropriately, following which a complaint was lodged and a case was registered against him. He was later arrested, the police said.
Protest Over Girls' Sexual Abuse Turns Violent in Badlapur; School Vandalised, Stones Hurled During 'Rail Roko' 7
The protest against the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur town of Maharashtra’s Thane district turned violent on Tuesday as the angry agitators vandalised the school and also indulged in stone-pelting at the local railway station during the ‘rail blockade’, police said.
Two girl students of a kindergarten at the school in Badlapur were allegedly sexually abused by a male attendant recently. The accused was arrested last week, they said.
Angry parents of the school children and local citizens, including many women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning and also held a ‘rail roko’ protest at the Badlapur railway station, blocking the path of suburban trains from around 8.30 am. They demanded action against the school and strict punishment against the accused involved in the incident.
Some of the protesters, including women, later broke the gate of the school and vandalised it by breaking the window panes, benches, and doors, police said.
At the railway station, as the protest hampered the movement of trains and caused inconvenience to scores of commuters, police personnel and other authorities tried to convince the protesters to end the agitation, but in vain.
Some of the agitators hurled stones during the protest, but the situation was soon brought under control, the police said.
Commissioner of Government Railway Police (GRP) Ravindra Shisve is at the railway station to bring the situation under control and attempts were on to disperse the crowd, they said.
Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui Denies Plans to Join NCP Amid Claims of Party Sidelining 9
Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday amid claims of being sidelined by his party. Despite participating in the NCP’s ‘Jan Sanman Yatra,’ Siddiqui stated he has not yet decided to switch parties.
‘I met Ajit Dada today as he is the deputy chief minister, and I needed to discuss constituency issues. I haven’t decided to join NCP or any other party because there is still time for the elections, and my voters will ultimately decide my course,’ Siddiqui said. He added that Congress had been ignoring him and not inviting him to party events.
‘The Congress is sidelining me. I’m not invited to any party events, including a recent event in my constituency by Varsha Gaikwad,’ he added. Siddiqui also cited his unceremonious removal from the Mumbai Youth Congress president post as further proof of being marginalized. He claimed this started after his father, former MLA Baba Siddiqui, joined NCP.
‘Ever since my father joined NCP, I’ve been targeted. Despite examples in Congress where father and son are in different parties, like AK Anthony, I’m the only one targeted,’ Siddiqui said. Assembly elections in Maharashtra are set for later this year, with the Election Commission yet to announce dates officially.
Kolkata Doctor Rape Case: SC Says Case Raises Systematic Issue About Doctors' Safety Across India 11
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it took suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder case of a postgraduate medic at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata as it raises a systematic issue regarding the safety of doctors across India.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which had taken cognisance of the incident, said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, we are denying them equality.
The suo motu cognisance of the case, titled “In Re: Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issue,” assumes significance in view of the fact that Calcutta High Court is already in action and has transferred the probe into the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The doctors’ strike over the rape and murder of the medic completed a week on Sunday and is now entering its second week, causing difficulties for patients.
The protesting doctors want the CBI to catch the culprits and for the court to impose the maximum punishment on them. They also want an assurance from the government that “no such incidents occur in the future.”
The apex court bench also comprises Justices JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra.
The alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the state-run hospital has sparked nationwide protests.
The medic’s body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital’s chest department on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.
On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.
The high court ordered the transfer of the probe to the CBI while hearing petitions, including one moved by the victim’s parents praying for a court-monitored probe.
PM Modi Gives Clarion Call for Global South to Unite Amid Challenges in New World Order 13
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday gave a clarion call for the countries of the Global South “to unite, stand together in one voice, and become each other’s strength as this was the need of the hour” at a time when geopolitical conflicts and climate change have emerged as challenges to development.
In his opening remarks at the Inaugural Session of the Voice of Global South Summit 3.0, hosted by India in a virtual format, PM Modi said, “We are not only facing the challenges of climate change, but now there are also concerns about health security, food security, and energy security. The technology divide and new economic and social challenges related to technology are also emerging.”
“The need of the hour is to tackle the challenges created by the war situation and climate change for the development journey. Terrorism, extremism and separatism also remain serious threats to our societies, he added.
“The global governance and financial institutions created in the last century have been unable to meet the challenges of this century,” the Prime Minister remarked.
“Let us together give recognition to two-thirds of humanity. Let us learn from each other’s experiences, share our abilities and together, take our resolutions to success,” he observed.
“India is committed to sharing its experiences and its capabilities with all the countries of the Global South,” PM Modi said.
“In 2022, when India took over the G20 presidency, we resolved to give a new structure to the G20. The Voice of Global South Summit became a platform where we openly discussed problems and priorities related to development. India prepared the G20 agenda based on the hopes, aspirations, and priorities of the Global South,” the PM said.
Highlighting achievements during India’s G20 presidency, PM Modi said, “We took G20 ahead with an inclusive and development-oriented approach. The biggest example of this was the historic moment when the African Union received permanent membership of G20.”
“Today, we are meeting at a time when there is a sense of uncertainty across the world. The world has not been able to completely get out of the impact of Covid. On the other hand, war situations have posed challenges for our development journey,” he added.
The third Voice of Global South Summit, under the theme ‘An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future’, serves as a platform to build on discussions from previous summits. The event focuses on addressing complex global challenges, such as conflicts, food and energy security crises, and climate change, which affect developing nations.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday issued a new master direction on Friday to tighten rules for NBFCs on their peer-to-peer lending platforms.
The RBI said it has been observed that some of these platforms have adopted certain practices which are violative of its directions.
Such practices include, among others, violation of the prescribed funds’ transfer mechanism, promoting peer-to-peer lending as an investment product with features like tenure-linked assured minimum returns, providing liquidity options and at times acting like deposit takers and lenders instead of being a platform.
The new master direction states: “An NBFC-P2P shall not provide or arrange any credit enhancement or credit guarantee. NBFC P2P shall not assume any credit risk, either directly or indirectly, arising out of transactions carried out on its platform. In other words, the entire loss of principal or interest or both, if any, in respect of funds lent by lenders to borrowers on the platform shall be borne by the lenders.”
The RBI has also stated that an NBFC-P2P will not cross-sell any product except for loan-specific insurance products
“An NBFC-P2P shall be required to disclose the following: publicly disclose portfolio performance including share of non-performing assets (NPAs) on a monthly basis and segregation by age on its website. It may be noted that such disclosures shall also include all losses borne by the lenders on principal or interest or both.”
The P2P platform is also barred from promoting peer-to-peer lending as an investment product with features like tenure-linked assured minimum returns and liquidity options.
The master direction further stipulates that the aggregate exposure of a lender to all borrowers at any point of time, across all P2P platforms, shall be subject to a cap of Rs 50 lakh provided that such investments of the lenders on P2P platforms are consistent with their net worth.
The lender investing more than Rs 10 lakh across P2P platforms shall produce a certificate to P2P platforms from a practicing Chartered Accountant certifying minimum net-worth of Rs 50 lakh, the RBI said.
The platforms shall not utilise funds of a lender for the replacement of any other lender, the RBI said.
The direction further states that the pricing policy shall be objective and NBFC-P2P shall disclose the fees liable to be charged at the time of lending itself. The fees shall be a fixed amount or a fixed proportion of the principal amount involved in the lending transaction.
The fees shall not be dependent upon the repayment by the borrowers.
The practice of matching the participants within a closed user group, whether sourced through an outsourced agency or otherwise, is not permitted.
It also lays down that an NBFC-P2P shall explicitly and prominently mention its name (as mentioned in the Certificate of Registration) along with its brand name, if any, in all its touch points/customer interfaces including promotional materials and any communication with stakeholders.
Vinesh Phogat Receives Emotional Homecoming After Paris Olympics Heartbreak 17
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat returned home on Saturday to a heartwarming welcome at Indira Gandhi International Airport, following her campaign at the Paris Olympics, ending in a heartbreak.
As Vinesh exited the airport, loud cheers from her fans, family, and friends, who had gathered in large numbers despite the early hours, greeted her. The overwhelming support and affection from them moved the wrestling icon to tears.
Outside the airport, emotions ran high as people celebrated. Sakshi Malik, who retired from wrestling last year, and Bajrang Punia were among the first to welcome Vinesh home.
In a poignant moment, Vinesh and Sakshi, both of whom have faced immense challenges in their careers, embraced each other and broke down in tears, sharing the weight of their struggles.
Later, Sakshi, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, wrote on ‘X’, “Welcome back champion @vineshphogat.” Boxer Vijender Singh, who clinched a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics, was also at the airport to receive Vinesh. “Once a champion always a champion #Vineshphogat,” Vijender posted on ‘X.’
On Friday, Vinesh had expressed her deep sorrow over missing out on the Olympic podium, linking her personal disappointment to the broader struggle for women’s rights in India, which she had championed in her protests against the former wrestling federation chief.
In a three-page letter posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday night, Vinesh hinted at a return to the sport in the future, leaving the door slightly ajar despite her earlier decision to retire post being disqualified from women’s freestyle 50kg gold medal game earlier this month.
Despite the team’s efforts, Vinesh could not make weight in time for the weigh-in, leading to her disqualification from the gold medal game. Later, Vinesh’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal was dismissed on Wednesday.
MUDA Case: Karnataka Guv Gives Consent for Prosecution Against CM Siddaramaiah 19
In a major development, Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday in connection with the irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
The development is a major setback for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka.
The Karnataka Governor’s Secretariat released an official order in this regard on behalf of Governor Gehlot.
R Prabhushankar, Special Secretary to the Governor issued an order in this regard on Saturday.
“As directed by the Hon’ble Governor, I am enclosing herewith, the copy of the decision of the Competent Authority on the request of sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah, under Section 17 of the Prevention of the Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences mentioned in the petitions,” the order stated.
Social activists Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna had filed petitions against CM Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA land scam.
They had claimed that CM Siddaramaiah had misused his office to create fraudulent documents over 3.17 acres of land near Mysuru city and got 14 sites allotted from the MUDA in the name of his wife.
CM Siddaramaiah had refuted the allegations and maintained that the Congress government would fight politically and legally if the permission for prosecution against him in the case was granted by the Governor.
The Karnataka Cabinet had also taken a decision and advised the Governor to reject the petitions against CM Siddaramaiah and not to accord sanction for prosecution.
