Niti Aayog, GCMMF working jointly to implement Gujarat cooperative model in Uttarakhand

By

-

September 8, 2022

To promote inter-state cooperation, Niti Aayog and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation are working jointly to implement Gujarat’s successful dairy cooperative model in Uttarakhand, a senior official said on Thursday.

Niti Aayog senior adviser (Agriculture) Neelam Patel said regular engagements with states/Union Territories are convened at the Aayog to enable dissemination of best practices across the states.

One such initiative is establishing cooperative dairy plants and developing vegetable value chains in Uttarakhand by Gandhinagar District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), Patel said.

While per capita availability of milk in Uttarakhand is 447 grams/day against 615 grams/day in Gujarat during 2019-20, cooperatives in Uttarakhand procured only around 4 per cent of the milk produced in the state against 52 per cent in Gujarat.

Dairy cooperatives in Gujarat have the highest member producers (3.7 million against 1.6 lakh in Uttarakhand), milk procurement (24.6 million kgs per day against 1.9 lakh kgs) and sales of liquid milk (5.4 million litres per day against 1.6 lakh litres in Uttarakhand).

She said Niti Aayog has now come up with the plan of implementing Gujarat’s successful model of dairy cooperatives in Uttarakhand in collaboration with the best in business.

“We at Niti Aayog try to take the best models from one part of the country and use it in another if it is feasible,” Patel said.

Indore: DRI arrested 3 people in 7.1 Kgs gold smuggling, worth rs 3.72 crore

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Indore Zonal Unit has arrested three people in 7.1 Kgs gold smuggling, worth Rs 3.72 crore.

Out of the three people nabbed, two were apprehended in Indore and one other in Mumbai. A specific intelligence was developed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Indore Zonal Unit that two people carrying a huge quantity of smuggled gold would be coming to Indore in a car.

Accordingly, surveillance was mounted for the suspected vehicle, and officers of DRI intercepted the car on Mumbai-Indore road near Indore.

On a thorough search of the car, 8 foreign-origin gold bars totally weighing 7.1 kgs were recovered from a specially built cavity in the said car. Both the occupants of the vehicle confessed to their crime.

Further, they revealed that one of the members of their syndicate, who supplied them with smuggled gold bars is in Mumbai.

A follow-up search operation was conducted by the DRI officers and the person in Mumbai was also nabbed. The person also confessed to his crime. The goods and the vehicle used for concealment and transport have been seized and all three accused were arrested under provisions of the Customs Act 1962.

The three accused have been remanded to Judicial Custody by the Hon’ble Court at Indore. Further probe on the investigation is awaited. In a similar incident, in April the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Indore Zonal Unit received a tip that four persons carrying a huge quantity of smuggled gold would be coming to Indore in a car, 3 kgs of gold were recovered.

After getting the initial tip, surveillance was mounted for the suspected vehicle, and officers of DRI intercepted the car on Mumbai-Agra Highway near Indore.

On a thorough search of the car, 3 foreign-origin gold bars totally weighing 3 kgs were recovered from a specially built cavity concealed in the car. All four occupants of the vehicle confessed their crime.

Further, they revealed that one of the members of their syndicate, who supplied the said gold bars is in Ulhasnagar (MH). Immediately a follow-up operation was conducted by DRI officers and a jeweler in Ulhasnagar was nabbed. The jeweler also confessed his crime.

The goods and the vehicle used for concealment and transport have been seized and all five persons have been arrested under provisions of the Customs Act 1962. All five accused have been remanded to Judicial Custody by Indore Court on 16th April.

Earlier this calendar year, officers of DRI Indore Zonal Unit had seized approximately 5 kgs of Foreign Gold and 1600 kgs of Cannabis worth Rs 5.65 Crore. Also, so far this year, DRI Indore has succeeded in recovering Rs. 5 Crores Customs Duty evaded in Customs-related frauds.

Bajrang Dal members protested against actor Ranbir kapoor over controversial ‘Beef’ statement

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

Alia Bhatt, RanbirKapoor , portest — Image : Screengrab/ Twitter

Members of the Bajrang Dal, recently protested against Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt during their visit to Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple after the ‘Rockstar’ actor’s controversial ‘beef’ statement.

Bajrang Dal members stated that Ranbir and Alia will not be permitted to enter the premises of the temple, as Ranbir has hurt their religious sentiments.

Some social media users went through the old archives and dug up Ranbir’s old interviews in which the ‘Besharam’ actor once said that he likes to eat beef and circulated the clip on social media.

Due to his 11 years old comment, the actor is currently facing a lot of backlash on social media and trollers are using the hashtag #BoycottBrahmastra on Twitter, asking the people not to watch the film.

Talking to Agencies, Bajrang Dal member Ankit Choubey said, ” Ranbir Kapoor is considered an idol among the Hindu youngsters of our country, and all his films get a great response from the netizens. But his statement about eating ‘beef’ in front of a Pakistani anchor was not acceptable, and we opposed it. If anyone talks like this about our religion and culture, he will be opposed. We got to know that Ranbir is arriving at Baba Mahakaal temple to get the blessings, and we opposed it. In future also, if any Bollywood celebrity comments like this on our religion and culture, Bajrang Dal will oppose it again.”

Bajrang Dal members held black flags and placards at the Mahakaleshwar Temple, as a sign of protest against the film.

Local police took the situation under control and some protesters were beaten up by the officials for breaching security.

Talking about the protest, Collector and President of Mahakaleshwar Temple Trust, Ashish Singh told Agencies, “Earlier the group told us that they are not going to protest at the temple, still, full security was put in place from our side. Some members of the team visited the temple and sought the blessings of the deity but some members couldn’t. We will take care of this type of situation in the future. “

Yakub Memon grave ‘beautification’ irks BJP; Mumbai police order probe

By

PTI

-

September 8, 2022

A controversy has erupted over the burial place of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon in Mumbai, with the ruling BJP claiming the grave was “beautified” and attempts made to turn it into a shrine of sorts.

Mumbai police swung into action on Thursday, removing the LED lights put around the grave of the terror convict, who was hanged at Nagpur jail in 2015 and buried at the Bada Qabrastan in south Mumbai.

A DCP level police officer will probe how the LED lights and marble tiles came to “adorn” the terror convict’s grave, an official said.

While some Maharashtra BJP leaders claimed the grave was converted into a tomb while Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister, the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said the whole issue was an attempt to divert people’s attention from more important issues like inflation and unemployment.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Thackeray should apologise to the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra for this “beautification” attempt of the grave of a person responsible for killing 250 people.

Another local BJP leader said NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should also apologise over the issue.

A police official said halogen lights were installed in the Bada Qabrastan on the occasion of Badi Raat (Shab-e-Barat) and have been removed by the Qabrastan trustees.

Shab-e-Barat is a major celebration for the Muslim community is also known as the night of fortune and forgiveness.

The marble tiles around Memon’s grave were put up three years ago, he said. There are 13 other graves at the place, he added.

Oscar nominee actor Catherine Keener joins Joaquin Pheonix and American singer Lady Gaga in ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

Oscar nominee actor Catherine Keener is all set to join the academy award winner Joaquin Pheonix and American singer Lady Gaga in ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’. The official confirmation of Keener joining the star cast of the upcoming sequel from Warner Bros is still awaited.

‘Joker: Folie a Deux’, is all set to hit the theatres on October 4, 2024, and the production is expected to get underway this December, as per Deadline.

The follow-up to 2019’s blockbuster “Joker” will be a musical, with Lady Gaga expected to play the Clown Prince of Crime’s co-conspirator Harley Quinn.

Helmed by Todd Phillips, the plot details of ‘Joker: Folie a Deux.’ are under tight wraps, the title ‘Folie a Deux’ which means shared delusional disorder, hints at how Arthur’s villainy might be embraced by the residents of the fictional Gotham City.

Joker’s partner in crime, the famous and crazy Harley Quinn might feature in the sequel.

However, these are just speculations.

The first part of the film garnered more than USD 1 billion worldwide and was declared a blockbuster, reported Variety. ‘Joker’ earned 12 Oscar nominations for best director, best picture, and best-adapted screenplay.

Further, lead actor Joaquin bagged the best actor award as well. Todd’s film ‘Joker’ depicted the life of struggling comedian, Arthur Fleck played by Joaquin Phoenix who is reframed into an anti-hero, taking the name of Joker, inflicting horrific acts of violence.

Maha CM ask authority to be ready with relief mechanism in view of IMD predict rain squalls

By

PTI

-

September 8, 2022

Rains, Mumbai rains, IMD, IMD forecaster, Moderate rain, — Image: Agencies/ Representative

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asked authorities in several districts of the state to be ready with rescue teams and relief mechanisms in view of the India Meteorological Department predicting rain squalls.

These are sudden, intense bouts of rain with gusts of wind for a few minutes.

A statement from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said officials in districts in the Konkan, western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and Vidarbha have been directed to be on full alert for such weather activities.

The IMD has predicted that some parts of the state may get such rain squalls for the next four to five days, officials said.

Some parts of the state received heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening, with cloudbursts being reported at some spots.

The National Disaster Response Force has been asked to coordinate with states in the south that share borders with Maharashtra as they too have received heavy rainfall in the past 48 hours, the statement added.

Tamil Nadu: Girl commits suicide after failed to clear NEET exam in Thiruvallur

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

dead representative — Representative Image

A 19-year-old girl allegedly died by suicide after she failed to clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG-2022 exams in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district, said Chennai Police on Thursday.

She was found hanging at her residence. The NEET results were declared last night. Police said that the deceased has been identified as Laksha Swetha, resident of Cholapuram, Indira Nagar in Thirumullaivoyal.

The student was also pursuing a second-year MBBS in the Philippines. Swetha was the daughter of a government school headmistress and she completed Class 12 in 2019. She was living with her mother before moving to the Philippines since her mother became estranged from her father.

“After seeing her failure, she hanged herself with a shawl in the hall and died. At 3:30, his mother Amuda called for an ambulance. and The mother rushed her daughter to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH), Kilpauk, Chennai,” said police.

Earlier on September 2, a 21-year-old medical aspirant, preparing for the NEET died by suicide. She was identified as Rajalakshmi. It is said that Rajalakshmi, who wrote the NEET exam for the 3rd time, committed suicide after the answer keys of NEET were made available online, fearing that she would not be able to clear the exam and fulfil her father’s dream of becoming a doctor.

Last month too, a 17-year-old girl died by suicide after alleged torture by teachers in Kallakurichi. In the results of the NEET UG-2022, which were declared on Wednesday evening, Rajasthan’s Tanishka bagged the topmost rank among the 17.64 lakh candidates who appeared for the medical entrance exam.

Delhi’s Vatsa Ashish Batra and Hrishikesh Nagbhushan Gangule from Karnataka bagged 2nd and 3rd position respectively. Notably, Tanishka shared the same score (715) with those on the second, third and fourth rank.

Among the top 50 candidates across the country who came out with flying colours, 18 are females on the list while there are 32 male candidates who made it into the list of the top 50 in India.

Others who featured in the top 10 in the country include Rucha Pawashe (715) from Karnataka, Errabelly Sidharth Rao (711) from Telangana, Rishi Vinay Balse (710) from Maharashtra, Arpit Narang (710) from Punjab, Krishna SR (710) from Karnataka, Zeel Vipul Vyas (710) from Gujarat, and Haziq Parveez Lone (710) from Jammu and Kashmir.

As many as 4,29,160 males out of 7,63,545 who appeared in the exam and 5,63,902 females out of 10,01,015 cleared the NEET UG 2022.

The undergraduate medical entrance test had taken place on July 17. The tests were conducted at 3,570 centres spread across 497 cities in the country and 14 cities out of India.

American actor Tom Hanks states sequel of ‘Forrest Gump’ had been a serious possibility but for only 40 minutes

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

Hollywood star Tom Hanks has recently revealed that a sequel to his Oscar-winning movie ‘Forrest Gump’ had been a serious possibility but for only 40 minutes. According to Variety, Hanks made the revelation on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast.

He said, “I will say that, with a long time in between, we did take a stab at talking about another ‘Forrest Gump’ that lasted all of 40 minutes. And then we never…we said, ‘Guys, come on.’ “A smart thing I did is I’ve never signed a contract that had a contractual obligation to a sequel. I’ve always said, ‘Guys, if there’s a reason to do it, let’s do it. But you guys can’t force me.’ There is that natural inclination that is one of pure commerce that says, ‘Hey, you just had a hit, so do it again and you’ll have a hit,'” he added.

The Oscar-winning drama was based on the 1986 novel, which led to the 1995 book sequel ‘Gump and Co’.

The film adaptation of the first book was a box office powerhouse, earning USD 678 million worldwide and becoming the top-grossing film in the U.S. in 1994. Hanks won the Oscar for best actor, while the film won the prize for best picture and four more Academy Awards.

Despite the film’s popularity and Oscar success, a sequel never took concrete shape for Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis. Hanks’ career has not been jam-packed with sequels, and that’s because the actor rarely hears a good enough idea to warrant a return to one of his characters, reported Variety.

Meanwhile, Hanks and Zemeckis have reunited for Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio’, which begins streaming on September 8 on Disney Plus. As per Variety, this new project marks the fourth collaboration between the duo, who first teamed up for ‘Forrest Gump’ and then reunited on ‘Cast Away’ and again on the animated Christmas movie ‘The Polar Express.

Actor Idris Elba talks about the speculations of playing the iconic role of agent 007 James Bond

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

Hollywood star Idris Elba, during a recent podcast session talked about the speculations of him playing the iconic agent 007 James Bond. ‘I’m not gonna lie, every corner of the world I go and I’m talking about different cultures they always go: ‘Bond!,” Elba said.

According to Deadline, recently, speculations for the next James Bond started to spread around the corner about who will be the next James Bond after actor Daniel Craig? and actor Idris Elba came to the top to portray 007’s role in the upcoming movie of the secret agent.

Talking about playing Bond on screen Idris further said, “It is not a goal for my career, I don’t think that, you know, playing Bond will satisfy some of my personal goals. It will definitely satisfy the will of a nation,” Elba said, referencing the legions of fans who would like to see him as 007. “And I feel it is beyond me at this junction. It’s beyond me. You know, it’s not a question of, ‘Should I?,’ ‘Do I?,’ ‘Will I?,’ it is what the will of the nation dictates sometimes,” he added, before speculating that even just the discussion is a good thing, Deadline reported.

“I’m not that guy, but, in everyone’s world I might be. And that job is done. Because the truth is, you know, a lot of people are really seeing Idris playing Bond as the ‘alternative Bond.’ And as long as that alternative is existing, that’s great for the growth of casting,” Elba added.

As per Deadline, James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli earlier this year that the search for the next star who’ll drive the franchise’s iconic Aston Martin is still far off, nobody is in the running, and we are working out where to go with him. “There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away,” he said.

J-K to ensure rehabilitation of 6 lakh people from drug addiction by March 2023

By

ANI

-

September 8, 2022

As drug usage continues to grip Jammu and Kashmir, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has adopted a multi-pronged strategy involving 17 departments, local bodies, Panchayati Raj bodies and ground level workers to deal with the epidemic. Instructions have been issued to identify drug addicts within one month and rehabilitate them by March 2023.

Under the drug-free Jammu and Kashmir campaign which is taking place from September 1 to September 30, the government issued special instructions to reach from the UT to the Panchayat level. Under the campaign, 600,000 drug addicts will be identified and their rehabilitation will be ensured by March 2023. Through this campaign, they will be able to live a normal life by eliminating the drug habit.

7 government departments have been included in this campaign and have been asked to submit the action report to the nodal officer of the campaign, social welfare department and general administration department by October 1, 2022.

Notably, the Home Department has been asked to ensure strict implementation of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) to punish drug traffickers more severely.

The government has set a deadline of September 30 for setting up drug de-addiction centres with OPD and IPD facilities in all districts of Jammu and Kashmir.