NEW DELHI: Narendra Jadhav, member of erstwhile National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, was today nominated by the Modi government to Rajya Sabha along with BJP leaders Subramanian Swamy and Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi, journalist Swapan Dasgupta and boxer Mary Kom were also nominated as the new Rajya Sabha members.
@ Agency report.
New Delhi, Apr 22 ,2016: The Supreme Court today stayed till April 27 the judgement of the Uttarakhand High Court quashing the imposition of President’s rule, giving a new turn to the continuing political drama in the state by restoring the Central rule there.
Before passing a brief order, a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Shiva Kirti Singh recorded an undertaking given by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that the “Union of India shall not revoke the Presidential proclamation till the next date of hearing”.
The apex court clarified that it was keeping in abeyance the judgement of the High Court till the next date of hearing on April 27 as a measure of balance for both the parties as the copy of the verdict was not made available to the parties.
The High Court judgement had also directed Rawat to prove his majority in the Assembly on April 29.
While listing the matter for hearing on April 27, the bench said that the High Court shall provide the judgement passed yesterday to the parties by April 26 and on the same date the copy of the verdict shall also be placed before the apex court.
The Supreme Court’s stay has the effect of undoing the revival of the Congress government led by Harish Rawat by the High Court judgement yesterday.
During the hearing, the bench also observed that as a matter of propriety the High Court should have signed the verdict so that it would be appropriate for it to go into the appeal.
The apex court issued notice to Harish Rawat and Chief Seceretary of the state on the petition by Centre challenging the quashing of Presidential proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution in the state.
@ Agency report.
An 18-karat solid gold toilet seat is set to be installed at a U.S. museum bathroom and the ‘piece of art’ will not just be for viewing but could be used too.
The Guggenheim Museum here will install the fully functional, 18-karat solid gold toilet by Maurizio Cattelan in one of its public bathroom stalls.
“You can lock the door and have your experience, whether that be just looking at the toilet or using it,” Guggenheim publicist Molly Stewart told the New York Daily News.
Ms. Stewart said she believes this work, titled ‘Maurizio Cattelan: America’, to be the first time a toilet that is available to public use will be on display at the Guggenheim.
The lavatory masterwork marks an end to its creator’s self-imposed retirement.
Mr. Cattelan (55), walked away from the art world in 2011, right around the time the Guggenheim held a retrospective for his work. He said at the time the demands of the art world had sent his inspiration down the drain. The idea for “America” though, brought him roaring back to the scene.
Mr. Cattelan told the New York Times that he alluded to economic inequality as a theme of the toilet piece, but said the meaning is left up to the seer — or the sitter.
“It’s not my job to tell people what a work means. But I think people might see meaning in this piece,” Mr. Cattelan said.
The museum said in a statement that the piece “makes available to the public an extravagant luxury product seemingly intended for the 1 per cent.”
The work will replace one of the museum’s Kohler toilets in a unisex bathroom.
It will even have its own full-time security guard — standing outside the restroom to “check in” occasionally and make sure it’s not vandalised, Ms. Stewart said.
Doing one’s duty, though, will not count as defacement.
“I don’t think peeing in it or defecating inside it is considered vandalising the object,” Ms. Stewart said.
“America’ will remain on display in the stall for the long term,” she said.
@ Agency report.
New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) India has replaced China as top destination for foreign direct investment by attracting USD 63 billion worth FDI projects in 2015, says a report.
“India was the highest ranked country by capital investment in 2015, with USD 63 billion-worth of FDI projects announced,” according to fDi Intelligence, a division of The Financial Times Ltd.
Also there was an 8 per cent increase in project numbers to 697.
Major companies such as Foxconn and SunEdison have agreed to invest in projects valued at USD 5 billion and USD 4 billion, respectively, in India in 2015, it said.
“India replaced China as the top destination for FDI by capital investment following a year of high-value project announcements specifically across the coal, oil and natural gas and renewable energy sectors,” the report said.
It said the biggest change in greenfield FDI in 2015 was the near tripling of greenfield FDI into India, with an estimated USD 63 billion.
“In 2015, India was for the first time the leading country in the world for FDI, overtaking the US (which had USD 59.6 billion of greenfield FDI) and China (USD 56.6 billion),” the report noted.
In a tweet, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said: “India emerges on top in attracting FDI”.
Of the top 10 destination states for FDI in 2015, India claims five places, with the top place going to Gujarat, which attracted USD 12.4 billion. Maharashtra has been one of the strongest performers across the years attracting USD 8.3 billion, respectively, in 2015.
According to fDi Markets, the motives cited by companies investing in India and China are quite similar in nature. For both countries, companies identify domestic market growth potential and proximity to markets as the main two reasons for investing.
“The rapid growth of greenfield FDI in India shows that while economic development organisations try to attract FDI for the contribution greenfield FDI can make to employment and GDP, FDI is strongly attracted to high-growth economies.
“Success breeds success and to attract high volumes of FDI, locations need to create the conditions for strong economic growth and development to take place,” the fDi report said.
It said the Make in India campaign and the resultant boost in FDI has resulted in a whopping increase in FDI job creation from 1.16 lakh new jobs in 2013 to 2.25 lakh in 2015 the highest number in the world.
@ Agency report.
Kolkata, Apr 21,2016: The moon will appear to be smaller in size on full moon day tomorrow, a phenomenon known as ‘Mini Moon’ which will recur only after 15 years.
Tonight at 9.35 PM IST, the moon will be at apogee – the farthest point in its orbit around the earth which is a distance of around 4,06,350 km from the earth.
On an average the moon is 3,84,000 km away from the earth.
“When the full moon happens tomorrow it will still be very close to its farthest point from the earth. So it will be smaller than an average full moon,” Debiprosad Duari, Director of M P Birla Planetarium, Kolkata, told .
Sky-gazers will, however, not be able to see the ‘Mini Moon’ phenomenon which will happen at 10.55 AM tomorrow due to daylight.
However, at night the view of the ‘Mini Moon’ will only be a shade lighter, he said.
The next time when the moon will be farther than tomorrow will be on December 10, 2030, he said.
The colour of the celestial body will be its usual silvery pearl and not any shade of pink or green as was being rumoured over the internet, Duari said.
Compared to a supermoon, a phenomenon when the moon is nearest to the earth, the mini moon will be 14 per cent smaller in size.
@ Agency report.
Singapore, Apr 21 ,2016: If India wants to tap its immense potential and be a “global manufacturer” it should enact strong economic reforms and adopt a strategic approach with the rest of the world through global and regional trade agreements, a senior Singapore minister said today.
“To have a shining future, India must proceed steadily down the path of economic reform, development and modernisation. It must, in particular, pay greater attention to the development and skill training of its human resources, Singapore Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said at the launch of a new book, “India Rising – Fresh Hope New Fear” here.
“Its young population is as asset. But if they are not trained and cannot find jobs in the future economy, they could become a liability,” said Goh, 74, who had promoted bilateral economic relations between India and Singapore during his Prime Ministership in the 1990s.
“From sparking an India fever till today, I continue to believe in the immense potential of India,” he said.
In support of Make in India campaign, India should boldly venture beyond and strive to be a ” global manufacturer”, he said.
“This will require India to enact strong economic reforms and adopt a strategic approach in linking up India with the rest of the world through global and regional trade agreements,” he added.
“To be a “global manufacturer”, India has to be physically connected with the rest of the world through roads, rails, sea and air,” Goh said.
“I believe that India has not fully appreciated the importance of air connectivity in reforming and opening up its economy. Liberalising India’s aviation sector through policy reforms requires self-confidence and a mind set change,” he said.
“Air connectivity is infrastructure in the sky. As India grows, I see India becoming a major destination in its own right as well as a global aviation hub for air travellers,” said Goh.
“Our common purpose and complementary differences will release synergy for both countries over decades to come,” he said.
“Since our independence, we have remained steadfast partners of India. Indeed, while India will rise with high growth rates in the coming years, the output gap, as economists would put it, is still wide,” Goh said.
“The recently concluded India-Singapore Strategic Partnership will strengthen relations in traditional areas of collaboration, such as defence, trade, investments and culture, while providing the broad vision for new areas of bilateral engagement, Goh, who was also the former prime minister of the country said.
The book is authored by Ravi Velloor, who is associate editor at Singapore newspaper The Straits Times.
@Agency report.
Mumbai, Apr 20 ,2016: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday permitted the BCCI to hold the May 1 IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune, a week after it ordered shifting to other venues all post-April 30 matches planned in drought-hit Maharashtra.
A division bench of justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik granted the permission while hearing an application filed by BCCI’s general manager (games development) Ratnakar Shetty urging the court to allow the cricket body to hold the May 1 match as scheduled in Pune, citing logistical and other difficulties in moving it to another venue.
“As an exception, due to logistical reasons mentioned by BCCI in the application we are allowing the match to he held in Pune on May 1,” the order said.
The application was filed after the high court passed the order on April 13 directing all IPL matches from April 30 on wards to be shifted out of Maharashtra to avoid use of huge quantities of water for maintenance of stadiums when the state was reeling under a grim drought.
By that order, 13 matches were to be shifted to other states.
According to Shetty’s application, the Pune team is scheduled to play a match against Gujarat Lions on April 29 in Pune, and hence, it is “practically impossible” for BCCI and the Pune franchise to shift the May 1 match to an another venue outside Maharashtra and “make all arrangements for the same in just a single day”.
The High Court had issued its April 13 order on a PIL by NGO ‘Loksatta Movement’ which challenged the use of over 60 lakh litres of water for ground management despite drought in the state and sought for all the matches to be shifted out of Maharashtra.
The BCCI had given an assurance that IPL franchises of Mumbai and Pune would contribute Rs five crore to CM’s drought relief fund and that treated sewage water would be used for maintaining the stadiums, without wasting potable water.
@ Agency report.
Lucknow, Apr 20,2016 : Uttar Pradesh continued to reel under scorching heat as dry spell continued giving no respite to the people from sweltering heat even as mercury level touched 45.2 degrees in Allahabad.
According to Met office, heat wave prevailed at isolated places in the state and Allahabad was the hottest place.
Day temperatures appreciably rose in Faizabad and Varanasi division and were above normal in the remaining divisions of the state, they said, adding heat wave will continue at isolated places.
@ Agency report.
New Delhi, Apr 20 ,2016: Aiming to keep bags of school children light, CBSE has suggested that teachers should discourage senior students from carrying heavy reference books while schools may continue to keep books of kids up to class II in the school.
In a notification issued by it, CBSE has come up with various recommendations, including the suggestion that school heads and teachers should ensure that senior students bring books according to the time table, and discourage them from carrying heavy ‘reference’ books or other such materials to school.
It has also said it should be ensured that the school curriculum supports more activity-based, ICT-supported learning for all the main subjects in all classes, as far as possible.
Homework is to be ‘staggered’ to prevent overload and academic co-ordinators or supervisors may monitor this, is another suggestion offered by CBSE.
Schools have also been asked to explore the possibility of block scheduling of subject classes in the class time table.
Co-curricular activities should be conducted every day, and scheduled in the time table accordingly, to ensure the balance of bag weight throughout the academic session, the CBSE has said.
School heads should counsel parents and teachers about developmental issues caused by children carrying heavy bags to school, according to it.
Among other suggestions is restriction of number of textbooks to the prescribed norms [NCERT], particularly at the primary and upper primary levels.
It has also been recommended that books should not be covered with non-biodegradable plastic sheet.
Another suggestion is that schools may continue the practice of maintaining and keeping books of students up to class II in the school.
Schools may provide racks with locks in all classrooms, where reference books, sports equipment, uniforms can be safely stored without needing to be carried to school, is another suggestion.
Setting up of class libraries and asking students to carry well-designed backpacks correctly, to promote good posture, are among other recommendations.
@ Agency report.