BJP attacks Sonia, says PM relief fund misused in UPA rule

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BJP attacks Sonia, says PM relief fund misused in UPA rule

The BJP on Friday continued with its attacks against Congress interim Chief Sonia Gandhi on the issue of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) receiving donations from the Chinese Embassy here, as ruling party president J. P. Nadda accused her of diverting the money of the citizens during the UPA rule into a family-run foundation.

Nadda said it was not only brazen fraud but a big betrayal to the citizens of the country. While targetting Sonia Gandhi, he said one family’s hunger for wealth has cost this nation immensely and demanded Congress’ imperial dynasty to apologize.

“The PMNRF (Prime Minister National Relief Fund), meant to help people in distress, was donating money to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in UPA years. Who sat on the PMNRF board? Sonia Gandhi. Who chairs RGF (Rajiv Gandhi Foundation)? Sonia Gandhi. Totally reprehensible, disregarding ethics, processes, and not bothering about transparency,” Nadda said in a series of tweets.

He said, “People of India donated their hard-earned money to the PMNRF to help their fellow citizens in need. To divert this public money into a family-run foundation is not only a brazen fraud but also a big betrayal of the people of India.”

While attacking the Gandhi family, the BJP President said, “One family’s hunger for wealth has cost the nation immensely. If only they have devoted their energies towards a more constructive agenda. The Congress’ Imperial Dynasty needs to apologize to the unchecked loot for self-gains.”

On Thursday, a controversy erupted after a startling revelation that the government of the Peoples Republic of China and the Chinese Embassy in India has been funding the RGF led by Sonia Gandhi. She is the Chairperson of the RGF, and its board includes former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others.

However, the Congress responded to the BJP’s allegations and said, “the BJP should stop living in 2005” and alleged that the ruling party is adopting “diversionary tactics” to avoid answering questions on the Chinese transgressions in Ladakh.

On Thursday evening, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Please stop living in 2005 and start answering questions in 2020”. Firing a salvo at the BJP, Surjewala asked: “Why is the government mum about the Chinese presence in the eastern Ladakh area? In the national interest, the nation wants to know the answer to these questions instead of diversionary tactics of the present BJP government.”

Surjewala said, “I can ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, is it not true that the only Chief Minister (as Gujarat CM) who visited China four times is none less than Prime Minister Modi, the only Prime Minister who visited China five times is Prime Minister Modi, the only Prime Minister who called the Chinese premier three times is Prime Minister Modi.”

11 new COVID-19 cases take Agra count to 1,177

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11 new COVID-19 cases take Agra count to 1,177

Despite the consistent execution of the multi-dimensional COVID-19 containment strategy, the daily tally of new cases and death figures shows no signs of decline.

Till Friday morning, Agra reported two deaths and 11 fresh cases. The total number of deaths now stands at 84, while the total number of cases has gone up to 1,177. Of these, 984 have recovered and been discharged.

The S.N. Medical College management has now constituted a committee of five senior doctors to focus on the vulnerable group, after a random survey revealed that a majority of deaths were those of the elderly, with comorbidities. The death audit of some cases brought out the fact that in many cases patients died within 48 hours of being admitted to the COVID hospital.

This revelation had led to a Twitter duel between the Agra District Magistrate and the Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The district health department has now decided to opt for a daily audit of deaths, to find out the reasons. This initiative will help control the death rate, the officials hoped.

The district administration is clearly alarmed by the rising graph of COVID-related deaths, after the lockdown was lifted on June 1. According to a revised strategy, information on all serious cases in private nursing homes will be collected on a daily basis.

The S.N. Medical College, where COVID patients are admitted to a special ward, will now brief family members, twice a day, the progress, and the state of health of the patients. A local COVID helpline will bridge the communication gap, doctors said.

Meanwhile, the district administration has announced that there would be no Shiva temple parikrama and fairs, in the holy month of Shravan beginning July 5. The annual Goverdhan Mela, which attracts more than a crore devotees, has already been canceled.

In Mathura, there were 15 fresh cases, including an SDM who has been admitted to the district hospital. With five new cases, Firozabad’s tally has gone up to 503.

Inter Milan defender Skriniar handed three-match ban

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Inter Milan defender Skriniar handed three-match ban

Inter Milan’s defender Milan Skriniar will miss the following three Serie A games as the Slovakian has been handed a three-match ban don account of his misbehavior in the league.

The 25-year-old was irritated and expressed his anger to the referee after being sent off in the Inter Milan 3-3 draw against Sassuolo, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Disciplinary Commission pointed out besides the one-match ban for the red card, deciding to suspend Skriniar for another two games, meaning the starting defender will miss Inter Milan’s trip to Parma and two home games against Brescia and Bologna.

In addition, the coach of Inter Milan Antonio Conte will also be banned for one match after collecting his fifth warning.

US Fed caps bank dividend payments, suspends share repurchases

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US Fed caps bank dividend payments, suspends share repurchases

The US Federal Reserve Board has voted to require large banks to preserve capital by suspending share repurchases and capping dividend payments in the third quarter of this year after the latest round of stress tests and additional sensitivity analyses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In aggregate, loan losses for the 34 banks ranged from $560 billion to $700 billion in the sensitivity analysis and aggregate capital ratios declined from 12.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 to between 9.5 percent and 7.7 percent under the hypothetical downside scenarios,” the board said in a statement on Thursday after the vote.

Under the so-called U- and W-shaped recession scenarios for the US economy, “most firms remain well-capitalized but several would approach minimum capital levels”, the statement said, mentioning that the central bank took several actions following its stress tests to ensure large banks remain resilient despite the economic uncertainty from COVID-19, reports Xinhua news agency.

“For the third quarter of this year, the Board is requiring large banks to preserve capital by suspending share repurchases, capping dividend payments, and allowing dividends according to a formula based on recent income. The Board is also requiring banks to re-evaluate their longer-term capital plans,” said the statement.

But Fed Board Governor Lael Brainard said he “cannot support” the requirement.

“I do not support giving the green light for large banks to deplete capital, which raises the risk they will need to tighten credit or rebuild capital during the recovery. This policy fails to learn a key lesson of the financial crisis, and I cannot support it,” Brainard said in a statement also released on Thursday.

“Despite the substantial likelihood that banks will need larger capital buffers to absorb losses under plausible scenarios, the authorization permits distributions that will deplete capital buffers,” Brainard said, adding that the Fed’s action creates a significant risk that banks will need to raise capital or curtail credit at a challenging time.

Since 2009, the Fed has used the annual stress tests to measure large US banks’ ability to respond to severe economic and market turbulence.

If a bank’s capital is found to be inadequate, the central bank can block it from buying bank shares or paying dividends.

Given unprecedented uncertainty about the novel coronavirus and economic growth, the Fed incorporated three hypothetical recession scenarios into this year’s stress tests to assess the resiliency of large banks. These scenarios included a V-shaped recession and recovery; a slower, U-shaped recession and recovery; and a W-shaped, double-dip recession.

Anushka on ‘Bulbbul’: Wanted to show strong women through cinema

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Anushka on ‘Bulbbul’: Wanted to show strong women through cinema

Actress-producer Anushka Sharma says she always wanted to show strong, independent women through cinema and her latest production venture, “Bulbbul”, is a step in that direction.

“The idea that Clean Slate Filmz (her production house, which she runs with her brother Karnesh) would one day create a genre of our own was never an intentional move. We, however, always wanted to create a style of storytelling that celebrates women and their spirit. We always wanted to show strong, independent women to audiences through cinema and ‘Bulbbul’ is our new offering in this regard,” she said.

Anushka stressed that the portrayal of women “in our cinema has always been skewed and lopsided”, adding: “I felt that as an actress and I decided that I will correct this as much as I can through my productions.”

“We are really proud that ‘Bulbbul’ is being loved by the audience because Karnesh and I really put our necks on the line to make projects that we hope will be clutter-breaking. The fact that people have called each and every attempt of ours as daring and adventurous is validation enough for us,” she said.

She is happy that “Bulbul” is garnering a good response among viewers and positive reviews: “Karnesh and I aren’t sacred storytellers. We make each project thinking we have nothing to lose. We are non-conformists and that’s what has really, really helped us to explore and create. It is a huge milestone moment for us because both ‘Pataal Lok’ and ‘Bulbbul’ have got great reviews and Janata appreciation.”

Anushka is proud to have backed new writers, directors, musicians, and actors who are making their mark in Bollywood.

“The success shows that we are on the right track and we will continue to make cinema that is brave, and back immensely talented filmmakers like Anvita Dutt, Sudip Sharma, Prosit Roy, Avinash Arun, and Anshai Lal, whose bold cinematic voices need to be heard,” she said.

Google rejigs Photos to place your best memories on top

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Google rejigs Photos to place your best memories on top

Google on Thursday launched a redesigned Photo that gives memories more prominence, bringing search front-and-center with a new three-tab structure: Photos, Search, and Library.

The main tab contains all the photos and videos but users will see larger thumbnails, auto-playing videos, and less white space between photos.

“At the very top, you’ll also notice a larger Memories carousel. It’s become one of our most beloved features, with more than 120 million people viewing Memories every month,” informed Google.

Google said it is putting search front and center to give you quick access to the people, places, and things most important to you.

“The library tab contains the most important destinations in your photo library, like Albums, Favorites, Trash, Archive, and more. If you’re in the US, EU, or Canada, you’ll also see our Print Store, where you can purchase printed products featuring your own photos,” Google explained.

As part of the new search tab, users will see an interactive map view of photos and videos. One can pinch and zoom around the globe to explore photos of his or her travels.

“If you enable location from your device camera, Location History, or manually add locations, those photos have always been organized and searchable by place in Google Photos. Rolling out today, they’ll also show up on the map view,” said Google.

Google has also moved automatic creations — like movies, collages, animations, stylized photos, and more — from the “For you” tab (which is now gone) and into Memories.

The company has also simplified the Google Photos icon while retaining that familiar pinwheel shape to remind you of past memories.

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son steps down from board of Alibaba

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SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son steps down from board of Alibaba

SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son on Thursday announced that he would step down from the board of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

The announcement made at the annual general meeting of shareholders marks the end of an era as Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma’s resignation from the board of SoftBank Group also went into effect from Thursday.

SoftBank did not cite any reason when it first announced in May that the Alibaba co-founder would be stepping down from its board, after serving it for nearly 13 years.

Son invested $20 million in Alibaba in 2000 — a bet that turned into $60 billion when Alibaba went public in 2014, according to CNN.

The two business leaders have maintained close relationships over the years.

SoftBank on Thursday also announced additional corporate governance enhancements, including the election by shareholders of two new independent directors.

Lip-Bu Tan, Founder and Chairman of Walden International Inc. and CEO of Cadence Design Systems Inc., and Yuko Kawamoto, Professor at Waseda Business School (Graduate School of Business and Finance), were elected with the support of voting shareholders.

Yoshimitsu Goto, Senior Vice President, CFO, CISO & Chief Sustainability Officer at SoftBank Group, was also elected to the Board of Directors.

The new additions will expand SBG’s Board to 13 Directors, including four independent directors.

“Our latest efforts build on SoftBank’s commitment to increase the diversity of our Board and add new and fresh perspectives, as well as bring our corporate governance in line with both global standards and the expectations of Japanese and international investors,” said Son.

“We welcome Tan-san, Kawamoto-san, and Goto-san to the Board, and we are confident our new Board reflects the right mix of skills, experience, and perspectives as we execute on our vision.”

Carter was a committed leader, respected mentor: Atlanta Hawks

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Carter was a committed leader, respected mentor: Atlanta Hawks

NBA legend Vince Carter was a committed leader, respected mentor and influential example on the court, his side Atlanta Hawks said in a statement on Thursday.

Carter announced his retirement from professional basketball on Thursday after 22 seasons in the league with eight teams.

“Over the last two years, Vince Carter has been a committed leader, respected mentor, and influential example on the court, in the locker room and in the Atlanta community. Throughout his historic 22-year journey covering an unprecedented four different decades, his evolving career arc was perhaps like none other in league history – from Top 5 Draft Pick to Rookie of the Year to Slam Dunk Champion to superstar and eight-time All-Star to Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year and valuable role player.

“It’s an honor to the Hawks organization that he completed his Hall-of-Fame career wearing Atlanta across his chest and representing our city,” said Hawks in a statement.

After the NBA got postponed on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Carter said by the end of the month he was confident he had played his last game.

“I felt that it was pretty much over, and that’s kind of how I handled it,” Carter said. “If there was any disappointment because of the season, if there was any of that, it was kind of easier to put it aside and handle it that way. It’s something bigger than my career,” he was quoted as saying by USA Today on their website usatoday.com.

Ananth Mahadevan: Police brutality is a global subject now

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Ananth Mahadevan: Police brutality is a global subject now

Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan, whose film “Mai Ghat: Crime No 103/2005” is being screened at ‘Marche du Film Online of 73rd Cannes Film Festival, says that the film holds more relevance in the present time than ever, considering police brutality is a global phenomenon now.

Mahadevan’s film is based on the real-life story of Prabhavati Amma from Kerala, who lost her son Udayakumar due to police brutality in 2005.

Citing the example of the killing of African-American George Floyd by the police that took place in the US, Ananth said: “I think suddenly the rage against the police brutality has gone to its pick, a lot of protests are taking place worldwide. Whether it is in our country or in abroad, there are so many videos and news coverage we get to see on police brutality these days. Although it is not a new practice where innocents are brutalized by the police, the conversation around it has come into the forefront.”

“On the other hand, the story of my film is also of quiet rage, and the battle of a mother who has to wait for justice to be served, for her son who died owing to police brutality.”

The film features Usha Yadav as the female protagonist. It was selected for the Indian Panorama section and screened in International Film Festival in Goa last year. Usha bagged the Silver Peacock as Best Actress.

About casting Usha Yadav as his leading lady in his Marathi film, Ananth said: “Usha Yadav is a brilliant actress! In the film, she aged from the age of 25 to the age of 60 years old. With the kind of body language, the expression she played the older version of the character, it is really impressive. For the rest of the characters, I cast actors from theatre because I looked for real faces.”

TN corona count gallops to 70,977, death toll at 911

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TN corona count gallops to 70,977, death toll at 911

Tamil Nadu’s coronavirus count galloped to 70,977 infections with 3,509 persons testing positive for the virus in the last 24-hours, the State Health Department said on Thursday.

In a statement issued here, the Health Department also said, 45 Covid-19 patients died in Tamil Nadu taking the death toll due to the pandemic to 911.

For the past few days, the new infection rate was in the 2,000 range, and for the first time since the pandemic broke out in the state, the new infection touched a record high of 3,509.

The statement said a total of 32,543 samples were tested taking the total tally to 10.08 lakh.

On the positive side, a total of 2,236 Covid-19 patients were discharged from various hospitals, which was also a record high to date.

Factoring the Covid-19 cured patients to date and the number of persons who died due to the virus, the total number of active cases in Tamil Nadu stands at 30,064.

The number of infected children in the state in the age group 0-12 went up to 3,481.

The state capital Chennai continued to top the infection table with 1,834 persons testing positive for the virus and the total tally stands at 47,650 in the city. The active cases in the city stand at 18,969.

India says H1B visa suspension to affect professionals

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India says H1B visa suspension to affect professionals

India said on Thursday that the proclamation by US President Donald Trump on H1B visas will affect the movement of skilled Indian professionals.

“We have seen the Proclamation issued by President Trump on June 22 temporarily suspending entry of certain categories of non-immigrant visa-holders & their family members till December 31, 2020”, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

This is likely to affect the movement of Indian skilled professionals who avail of these non-immigrant visas to work in the US, it said.

“We are assessing the impact of the order on Indian nationals and industry in consultation with stakeholders,” it added.

People-to-people linkages and trade & economic cooperation, especially in technology and innovation sectors, are an important dimension of the US-India partnership, the MEA said.

High-skilled Indian professionals bring important skill sets, bridge technological gaps, and impart a competitive edge to the US economy, it said.

“They have also been a critical component of the workforce that is at the forefront of providing Covid-19 related assistance in key sectors, including health, information technology, and financial services.

“The US has always welcomed talent and we hope our professionals will continue to be welcomed in the USA in the future,” it said and that India has communicated this to the US.

Railways readies 1.91 PPE kits for Covid-19 warriors

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Railways readies 1.91 PPE kits for Covid-19 warriors

The Indian Railways has prepared 1.91 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, 7.33 lakh face masks, and over 66,400 liters sanitizers for Covid-19 warriors.

A senior Railway Ministry spokesperson said the railways in coordination with other Ministries and state governments were geared up to meet the challenge of providing protection to its front-line medical workers and other operational staff.

He said the railway’s workshops took up the challenge and raw material for producing these items was also procured by the field units. The PPE coverall target for June and July has been set at 1.5 lakh each, which is likely to be revised upwards.

The officer said during the lockdown, centralized procurement and distribution of the raw material and manufactured products throughout the railway’s network was accomplished under testing circumstances.

“Northern Railway was nominated for centralized procurement of raw material required for the manufacture of PPE coveralls, a critical component with respect to quality. All in-house manufactured products satisfy all applicable quality standards,” he said.

“To further strengthen the preparedness of railways, an order for 22 lakh PPE coveralls, 22.5 lakh N95 masks, 2.25 lakh liters hand sanitizer, and other items was centrally placed by Northern Railway on HLL Life Care (PSU under MoHFW), for requirements of railway units,” he said.

The national transporter has designated 50 railway hospitals as COVID dedicated hospitals and COVID dedicated health centers.

It also converted 5,231 railway coaches into isolation wards to serve as the COVID care centers to augment the capacity of health infrastructure. To date, 960 coaches have been stationed at several locations based on requests received from the states.

Sukumar is heard to be very particular in the order of scenes

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Sukumar is heard to be very particular in the order of scenes

The analytical reasoning in the scenes and their perfection with the crisp presentation in Sukumar’s films leave us in awe many a time. He just can’t be beaten at it. Director Sukumar is heard to be very particular in the order of scenes and also the output of every scene he shows us is almost what he imagined it to be. Such a mastermind is now upset with his calculations and sequence of tasks, all going tossed into confusion and blur.

Sukumar joined hands with his favourite, Allu Arjun for Pushpa and the first look of the same is released during the lockdown. The talented director wanted to shoot Pushparaju’s introduction song in the red sanders backdrop, probably in Seshachalam forests, where he also wanted to shoot some key scenes on the hero.

Sukumar’s strong will was to start the filming of Pushpa with this introduction song and the crucial scenes. He wanted to gain confidence by shooting the said scenes so they steer him to complete the complicated subject with the same energy. Sukumar also got some 1000 junior artists readied for the song shoot, but all in vain.

Neither coronavirus nor the authorities allow any film to shoot with a large crew. While many filmmakers are revving up their halted projects with a limited people taking part in the shoot, Sukumar is heard to be not interested to shoot normal scenes and that too with limited cast and crew first. It looks like the master of perfection is in dilemma and lets us see how he overcomes it.

Jharkhand govt circular on fees disappoints parents

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Jharkhand govt circular on fees disappoints parents

A Jharkhand education department circular on Thursday disappointed parents in the state.

The parents association has condemned the education department circular which says that “there will be no hike of tuition fees during lockdown”. Many states have issued guidelines that private schools will not charge tuition fees during the lockdown period.

Jharkhand Abhiwak Sangh president Ajay Rai said ” We were demanding to waive off the tuition fee of lockdown period but the state govt buckled under the pressure of the private schools. The state govt decision has given a weapon to private schools and demoralized the parents.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party has also criticized the Jharkhand government move.

“The Hemant Soren government is insensitive towards education and students of the state. It is playing in the hands of the private schools otherwise such decisions would not have been taken” said BJP leader Rabi Bhatt.

The education department circular says “there will be no hike in school tuition by the private schools, The tuition fees will be charged as taken previously. No student admission will be canceled in case of nonpayment.” The circular has exempted the parents from paying bus charges for the lockdown period.

The Jharkhand Education Minister had held a meeting with the parents association and private school managements regarding fees.

Kerala records over 100 Covid positive cases entire week

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Kerala records over 100 Covid positive cases entire week

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that for the entire previous week Kerala has been recording over 100 Covid-19 positive cases, with 123 testings positive on Thursday.

“Of the new cases, 84 came from abroad, 33 were those who came from within the country, while six were local infections,” said Vijayan.

He said at present there are 1,761 active cases, while in all 3,726 contracted the virus and 22 people so far died. Of the dead, 20 of them had other underlying ailments also.

At present, there are 1,59,616 people in isolation which includes 2,349 in various hospitals and there are 113 hotspots in the state.

“Experts have opined that with a large number of our people returning from abroad, isolation and quarantine by them have to be adhered to in letter and spirit. One reason why we have been able to keep the contact spread to just 7 percent is because of our successful and strict home quarantine rules and it has to be carried forward in the same manner,” said Vijayan.

By now 98,202 people have returned from abroad starting from the first flight which arrived on May 7.

According to those registered in the Norka-Roots website, another two lakh from abroad are expected, and given the rate at which new cases are going up, there are expectations by a study team that it might go up further by August.

“Starting tomorrow every day there will be around 40 flights from abroad and all arrangements for instant testing at the airports are ready and in 14 districts of the state 29 COVID hospitals and 29 COVID first-line treatment centers are also ready. If required, second line COVID treatment centers would also be opened,” added Vijayan.

He also said that none will be fleeced when they buy food materials while waiting at the airport for tests.

‘Dil Bechara’ is set to have a digital release

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‘Dil Bechara’ is set to have a digital release

In a disappointment to Bollywood hero Sushant Singh Rajput’s fans, his last film ‘Dil Bechara’ is set to have a digital release. Disney which has acquired HotStar has announced this taking to their social media.

“A story of love, hope, and endless memories. Celebrating the late #SushantSinghRajput’s legacy that will be etched in the minds of all and cherished forever. #DilBechara coming to everyone on July 24,” tweeted Disney+HotStar handle.

Initially ‘Dil Bechara’ was slated to release in theatres on May 8th. But due to lockdown, it did not happen. The film based on John Green’s 2013 bestseller ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ marks the directorial debut of Mukesh Chhabra.

Music is composed by AR Rahman and the film also stars Sanjana Sanghi and Saif Ali Khan in other lead roles.

However, fans of Sushant urged the producers of this film to release in theatres so that they can see him for one last time on the big screen. Well, this is not going to happen now.

IIT Bombay semester Exams will be run purely in the online mode

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IIT Bombay semester Exams will be run purely in the online mode

Amid spike in coronavirus cases across the country, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has become the first major institute to scrap all face-to-face lectures for the rest of the year “so that there is no compromise on the safety and well-being of the students”. In a Facebook Post last night, IIT Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri said the decision was made “after a long deliberation”.

“For IIT Bombay, students are the first priority. We took the first step in India in concretely deciding how we must bring a closure to the current semester to help our students,” Pofessor Subhasis Chaudhuri wrote in the post.

“But given the current condition of the pandemic, how do we plan for the next semester for our students? Again, after a long deliberation in the Senate, we have decided today that the next semester will be run purely in the online mode so that there is no compromise on the safety and well-being of the students,” he further said.

The semester for undergraduate and post-graduate courses is scheduled to begin in July. The post also had an appeal for donation for students “from economically less privileged families”.

“A large section of our students come from economically less privileged families and would require a helping hand to equip them with the IT hardware (i.e. laptops and broadband connectivity ) to take these online classes,” the post read.

“We have estimated that we need about Rs 5 crores to help those needy students. We look forward to your overwhelming support to help these bright young minds to continue their learning without any further hindrances or delays,” Mr Chaudhuri wrote, making an appeal for donations.

This is the first time in the institute’s 62-year history that a new academic year will start with no students on campus, news agency PTI reported.

Across India, the coronavirus tally has crossed 4.56 lakh cases. With 1.39 lakh cases, Maharashtra is the worst-hit and Mumbai alone has logged nearly 70,000 cases so far.

Earlier this week, sources in the Education Ministry told NDTV that pending board examinations and competitive tests for engineering and medical colleges are unlikely to be held in July. The Supreme Court will hear the matter today.

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ”Nishank” on Wednesday asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to revisit the guidelines for intermediate and terminal semester exams and the academic calendar. He said the foundation for revisited guidelines shall be the health and safety of students, teachers and staffm PTI reported.

Divya Khosla Kumar Allegation on Singer Sonu Nigam

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Divya Khosla Kumar Allegation on Singer Sonu Nigam

Bollywood director and actor Divya Khosla Kumar has posted a video rebutting a series of barbs from singer Sonu Nigam, who alleged recently that her husband Bhushan Kumar, the head of entertainment giant T-Series, begged him for protection from gangster Abu Salem over two decades ago.

Sonu Nigam, a popular singer who has been away from mainstream Bollywood in recent years, last week posted a video blog, the second after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. He went on a rant about the “cruel” machinations of the music industry and targeted Bhushan Kumar, the son of T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar who was shot dead in 1997.

In his first video, Sonu Nigam had said “You might soon hear about suicides in the music industry.”Divya Khosla Kumar on Wednesday posted an Instagram video with a point-by-point reply to Sonu Nigam’s allegations.

“When tragedy struck T-Series family after the death of Gulshan Kumar, Sonu Nigam thought the company will sink and so he signed up with an obscure music company. He was thankless, he did not think twice about standing with T-Series in a tough time, didn’t think about supporting Gulshan Kumar ji’s son Bhushan ji, who was only 18 then,” Divya Khosla Kumar said in the video.

“Rather he started working with another music company, after which the inexperienced Bhushan ji then used to go to him for small help. Sonu Nigam is now using that phase as a leverage today to hit out at T-Series. Sonu Nigam claims Bhushan ji asked him ‘mujhe Abu Salem se bacha lo’. I want to ask something now, Sonu Nigam ji, why would Bhushan ji come to you to save himself from Abu Salem? I want an investigation. Was there a link between Abu Salem and Sonu Nigam? Yes, definitely there was. That’s why Bhushan ji went to him for help. Sonu Nigam himself said in his video that Bhushan ji had come to him for help,” Divya Khosla Kumar said.

Sonu Nigam, in his video, had repeatedly requested the alleged “music mafias” to be kind and considerate towards new talent. “It’s very difficult for the new kids, very difficult… I speak to every one of them. They are troubled that the producer wants to work with them, the director wants to work, even the music composer wants to work with them but the music company will say: ‘This is not our artiste’,” Sonu Nigam had said.

Divya Khosla Kumar reacted sharply to the charge. “For the last few days Sonu Nigam has been running a campaign against T-Series and Bhushan Kumar ji. T-Series has helped thousands of creative professionals who are outsiders, not linked to industry, music directors, singers, actors, directors. I have myself given a chance to newcomers. Four of them – Neha Kakkar, Rakul Preet Singh, Himansh Kohli and composer Arko have grown and found success,” the T-Series’ owner’s wife said.

“It is very easy to talk hiding on social media, but how many talent on the ground level have you pushed forward? No one, except yourself. You have not given any chance to anybody new in the industry… And you are blaming us that we don’t give a chance to people, when in fact 97 per cent people working in T-Series are outsiders, not industry kids, they have no previous link with the industry. We are always looking for new talent,” she said.

“Sonu Nigam says the industry doesn’t give a right direction to talent. But you’re a legend, I want to ask, you are a big star, how many people have you given a chance till today? You’re a big legend and many people must be coming to you for help, like ‘Sonu ji mere bete ko madad kar dijiye, hume milwa dijiye T-Series mein’… But you have not even come once saying ‘isko chance dedo, yeh bada talent hai’, you have never introduced any new talent to the industry, you have never spoken about giving a chance to people,” Divya Khosla Kumar said.

“Let me tell you, Sonu Nigam used to sing at Delhi’s Ram Lila for five rupees. Gulshan Kumar ji spotted him and saw talent, gave him flight ticket, brought him to Bombay, and said, ‘beta I will make you a star’. Now you tell me, Sonu Nigam ji, this was said to you or not? Will you deny it now? Gulshan ji did films with you, took you to great heights, but what did you do?”

Arctic sea ice witnessed massive decline in 2019: Scientists

TB Team
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Arctic sea ice witnessed massive decline in 2019: Scientists

The National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) has found a dramatic decline in the Arctic sea ice due to global warming and said that the largest decline took place in July 2019.

The decline of sea ice has led to a localized increase in evaporation, air humidity, cloud cover, and rainfall. Arctic sea ice is a sensitive indicator of climate change and has strong retaliatory effects on other components of the climate system.

In its observations, NCPOR noted that the largest decline in Arctic sea ice in the past 41 years happened in July 2019. Between 1979 and 2018, the sea ice has been declining at a rate of -4.7 percent per decade, while its rate was found to be -13 percent in July 2019.

“The sea-ice loss at this rate, concerning all the lives on earth, can have a catastrophic impact due to rising global air temperature and slowing down of global ocean water circulation,” Avinash Kumar, a senior scientist at NCPOR, who is involved in the research, said.

With the help of satellite data collected from 1979 to 2019, NCPOR has tried to understand the rate of surface warming and the changes in global atmospheric circulation.

The study has also pointed out that the decrease of the Arctic sea ice area and the increase in the duration of summer and autumn seasons have affected the local weather and climate over the Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas.

“If this trend continues, there would be no ice left in the Arctic sea by 2050, which would be dangerous for humanity and the entire environment,” said the research institute.

Being a sensitive indicator of climate change, the loss of ice cover in the Arctic sea has had strong feedback effects on other components of the climate system such as prevention or reduction of heat and momentum, water vapor, and other material exchange between the atmosphere and the sea.

The worrying element to note is that the volume of ice formation during winters is unable to keep pace with the volume of ice loss during summers.

Digvijaya Singh booked for holding protest amid pandemic

TB Team
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Digvijaya Singh booked for holding protest amid pandemic

In a retaliatory political move, the Madhya Pradesh police have booked Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh and 150 others for leading a cycle protest against the hike in fuel price allegedly without taking permission and for neglecting lockdown precautions against the spread of coronavirus.

Digvijaya Singh, along with party workers, took out a bicycle rally in Bhopal on Wednesday. Former minister Jitu Patwari and many local Congress office-bearers held a similar protest in Indore.

Significantly, the prices of petrol and diesel increased for the 19th consecutive day on Wednesday. In some parts of Madhya Pradesh, the prices are higher than elsewhere in the country.

On Thursday also the rising trend continued. Petrol price was raised by 16 paise while diesel price was up by 13 paise per liter. In Bhopal, petrol is selling at Rs 87.55 and diesel at Rs 79.46 per liter.

Seventy-three-year-old Singh along with Congressmen took out the rally from Roshanpura square to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence on Wednesday which was stopped midway at Apex Bank tri-section, TT Nagar police said on Thursday.

Police said Singh has been booked for disobeying order promulgated duly by a government official, unlawful assembly, and negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath has taken to Twitter to slam the government saying that the price of petrol was highest in Madhya Pradesh. Kamal Nath Besides, lampooning the Centre, said for the first time in the country’s history – the price of diesel was more than that of petrol. Inflation was taking a toll on the poor continuously, his tweet read. A participant in the protest said the BJP had in 2014 promised to bring petrol prices to under Rs 25 a liter. Now the taxes on the commodity are more than Rs 30.

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