Open paan shops or raise cows, don't chase govt jobs:

Tripura CM Biplab Deb

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has often found himself in the middle of controversies lately, thanks to his foot-in-mouth statements that trigger strong reactions and criticism. After receiving enough rap for his statements over “internet in the age of Mahabharata” and remarks on why Diana Hayden should never have won world pageants, even as Aishwarya Rai winning was fine, the Tripura chief minister has done it again.This time, it is with a bizarre career advice to the jobless youth of his state. Deb suggested that they should chase self-employment through setting up paan shops and rearing cows instead of going after government jobs. He asked the educated youth not to run behind politicians for government jobs and instead become “self-employed” for a better living.

According to the Tripura Chief Minister, the youth of Tripura can become self-employed by starting various projects under the animal resource sector with bank loans, under the Prime Minister's Mudra scheme.It is interesting to note that Deb’s comments come despite and days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned all the BJP leaders to steer clear of controversies and not make irresponsible statements.

"The youth here runs after political parties for several years to get a govt job and wastes the vital time of their life, had the same youth instead of running after parties set up a paan shop he would have by now had a bank balance of Rs 500,000," said Deb.

He said while addressing a seminar organised by Tripura Veterinary Council on 'The role of the veterinary profession in sustainable development to improve livelihoods, food security, and safety', on the eve of World Veterinary Day, at Pragna Bhavan in Agartala.According to Deb, any unemployed youth with a minimum amount of Rs

75,000 borrowed from the bank and with little self-effort, can easily earn at least Rs 25,000 every month, but the hurdle in this is the culture that has grown in Tripura during the last 25 years.He said that there are narrow-minded concepts like a graduate cannot opt for farming, start poultry, or piggery because if he does so, his class will go down.Deb added that the Narendra Modi government at the centre has provided various bank loans provisions for the startup projects under the Mudra scheme so that people can get self-employed and live with prestige.However, due to the mindset, the educated youths do not opt to join the various traditional sectors in agriculture and allied sectors, which are also equally important for sustainable development to improve livelihoods and food security of the nation.

Earlier Deb had also mentioned that civil engineers are better suited for civil services as compared to mechanical engineers."Those who are from a mechanical engineering background should not opt for civil services. Society has to be built up. Civil engineers have this knowledge... Because those in the administration have to build society," he said in the event.Arts graduates use to appear for the civil services examination and now, medical and engineering graduates are also joining the services, he said.Deb said civil service officers should be all-rounders as "people who are expert in all disciplines have the highest demand".To drive his point home, he cited the examples of Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev."People take names of special players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev. Dev's bowling was good, but batting was also excellent. This is the age of speciality. All-rounders are accorded highest priority," Deb said.Deb is no stranger to making controversial statements.A few days ago, he had questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as "Miss World" in 1997 and alleging that international beauty contests were a farce.Earlier this month, Deb, an arts graduate, had claimed that Internet and satellite communication existed in the days of Mahabharata, drawing criticism from Twitterati, intellectuals and his political adversaries.

ARTICLE SOURCE- BUSINESS STANDARD.

HMD Global to adopt notch screen, resurrect Xseries with Nokia X6

HMD Global, the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer behind Nokia-branded devices, might bring back the old Nokia X-series smartphones. The first smartphone in the series will purportedly be called the Nokia X6. And the official images shared by the company on the Chinese social media platform Weibo shows that the phone will sport a notchbased screen, a first for Nokia smartphones.Those who have seen the original Nokia Xseries devices would agree that those phones offered a value-for-money proposition. The series had its spot fixed between the premium Nokia N-series and the budget Nokia Cseries, therefore it took cues from both. The X-series devices usually had a distinct design language, unconventional mostly, and featured a colourful outlook. The Nokia X7-00 with razor cut metallic design and unconventional pseudo speaker grilles on each corners was the last device of the X-series that came out.Nokia X6 specifications and features-Speaking of the purported Nokia X6, the Android-based smartphone is expected to sport a notch-based 5.8-inch screen with a 19:9 aspect ratio on the front.

The phone is expected to use either a MediaTek P60 system-on-chip (SoC) or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The earlier leak also hinted that the phone would sport dual camera set-up on the rear. However, just like original Nokia X-series, it may not feature Carl Zeiss lenses.Nokia X6 launch While nothing is officially confirmed about the said Nokia X6, a purported media invite shared on Weibo hints at a possible China launch on May 16. The said invite shows a phone’s notch-based screen cut-out with a launch date marked on it. However, the source of the invite could not be verified yet.Recent Nokia launches Nokia 8 Sirocco-HMD Global on April 4 launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco in India. Priced at Rs 49,999, the Nokia 8 will go on sale starting April 30 and be available only in black colour. The phone would go on sale either through Nokia phones' official portal or home-grown e-commerce portal Flipkart. The phone would also be available at select retail outlets like Sangeetha, Poorvika, Big C, Croma and Reliance Digital.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is an unconventional flagship smartphone with a premium design, top-tier innards, wireless charging, water-dust resistance and the Android One promise of guaranteed future OS updates. The phone’s camera might not impress everyone, especially those who like nightlife photography. But the three omni-directional Nokia OZO microphones compensate for that by allowing crisp sound recording, even during live jamming sessions.Nokia 7 Plus-The Nokia 7 Plus is a mid-range premium smartphone with modern looks and smooth performance. It does not have top-tier innards, but it manages to run without any lag or jitters, even during demanding tasks. At Rs 25,999, the phone is an all-rounder with powerful battery, fast charge support, good screen and the Android One update promise.Nokia 6 (2018)-Built on the blueprint of the original Nokia 6, the new Nokia 6 (2018) packs more power and performance. The phone is powered by Qualcomm 630 processor, coupled with 32GB internal storage and 3GB RAM. The phone is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery, which supports fast charge technology. According to company’s claim, the fast charger takes 30 minutes to charge over 50 per cent battery. The phone boasts a 16MP primary camera and 8MP selfie camera.

HMD Global India outlook Since HMD Global entered the handset business in 2016, it has sold over 70 million devices. India, being one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets globally, is among the company’s top three global markets as the country shows better potential than other European markets.After making a mark in the feature phone market within a year, HMD is now eyeing the top spot. The Finnish firm wants to clinch a significant share of the smartphone market that is currently dominated by Asian manufacturers.Pekka Rentala, chief marketing officer of HMD, has set the standards of the local market as a global benchmark. Unlike earlier, when Nokia used to dominate the market, its market share is less than 10 per cent. The market has over 200 handset brands.Rentala wants to rely on the nimbleness of a start-up, rather than taking the conventional approach. He wants to focus on strengthening distribution.While, Nokia has an established e-commerce channel in Europe, penetrating offline and online distribution channels in India is crucial.

However, the emergence of brands such as Vivo and Oppo had made the job difficult, he added. Instead of penetrating the market with high margins and discounts, Nokia will offer products that are value for money.

Nokia is KKR team's principal sponsor in IPL 2018 Nokia and the Shah Rukh Khanowned Kolkata Knoght Riders (KKR) franchise of Indian Premier League (IPL) have a history together. The Finnish mobile phone brand had been the principal sponsor of KKR from 2008 until 2014. However, after a gap of three years, HMD Global revived the association for two years starting with the present season (IPL 2018).

ARTICLE SOURCE- BUSINESS STANDARD.

IPL 2018: Kolkata beat RCB by 6 wickets; Chirs Lynn scores match-winning 68

In 29th match of Vivo IPL 2018 Kolkata Knight Riders won it by 6 wickets against Royal Challengers Banglore. Chris Lynn made match-winning 62

In the 29th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 6 wickets at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. KKR pulled up a great show with the bat and chased the target of 176 runs on the last over. RCB bowlers could not get an early breakthrough and dropping Chris Lynn on 7 runs cost RCB the match as he went on for a match-winning knock. There was a little contest in the last few overs as wickets fell, but overall it looked like a one-sided match as RCB bowlers and fielders failed to perform. After winning today's match Kolkata Knight Riders consolidated their position in Vivo IPL points table with 8 points.

Kolkata Knight Riders innings analysis after end of innings

Tim Southee came for the first over and conceded 5 runs, Umesh Yadav was attacked as soon as he came to bowl for the second over. Narine smashed him for a four and a six and rotated the strike after that. Yadav did get Narine's top edge but the batsmen were safe. Southee started the third over and Narine was on fire, smashing two boundaries in the first two balls. KKR were 29/0 after 3 overs. Sunil Narine 23 (14) and Chris Lynn 3(4) were at the crease.

The fourth over started with a boundary by Chris Lynn, a chance came to eliminate Lynn but he was dropped on the 4th ball. KKR picked 7 runs off it. Umesh Yadav came for the next over, Lynn smashed the first ball for a six and repeated the same on the fourth ball. Chahal came for the sixth over, Lynn smashed a boundary on the fourth ball. Mohammed Siraj just gave 4 runs in the sixth over. KKR collected 51 runs in 6 overs. Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine were at the crease.

After the brief halt as rain intervened, the match started with Lynn cutting Siraj's ball for the boundary. Murugan Ashwin gave the first and the much-needed breakthrough to his team on the first ball of his over. Uthappa hit a shot on the long-off, fielder was just short of catching the ball and it went for a six. After 8 overs, KKR were 68/1. Mohammed Siraj came for the 9th over, Uthappa went for a boundary on the fourth ball. KKR collected 74 runs in 9 overs. Chris Lynn 31(27) and Robin Uthappa 12 (8) were at the crease.

Royal Challengers Banglore innings analysis after end of innings

Put in to bat first, Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock opened the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Piyush Chawla Chawla came to bowl the first over and gave only 1 run as he didn’t allow de Kock and McCullum to score big shots. Sunil Narine came to bowl the 2nd over and Quinton de Kock hit 2 consecutive boundaries of him, sweeping square in the leg-side region. Mitchell Johnson came to bowl the 3rd over and McCullum fast hands brought first four of the over. Quinton de Kock hit the last ball of the over for 6 to collect 14 runs from the first over of Johnson. Piyush Chawla came to bowl the 4th over and McCullum hit the first ball for 4 in the leg-side region. Chawla pulled it brilliantly and conceded only 2 runs in the remaining five deliveries. Dinesh Karthik brought back Sunil Narine to get a wicket in the powerplay but de Kock swept the 4th ball for four to show his intentions, still Narine conceded only 7 runs in his second over. Shivam Mavi came to bowl the 6th over of the innings and gave only 4 runs, brilliant bowling by a youngster.

After the end of the 6th over Royal Challengers Bangalore scored 40 runs with Quinton de Kock (24 runs off 21 balls) and Brendon McCullum (13 runs off 15 balls) on the crease.

Kuldeep Yadav started the 7th over and the over was going fine, McCullum smashed him for a six on the last ball. Piyush Chawla came for the 8th over, McCullum couldn't hit the ball and changed the strike McCullum came and smashed two boundaries, after a dot ball, he smashed the ball for a big six to the long-on. After 8 overs, RCB were 67/0. Both the batsmen have maintained a decent strike rate so far but RCB would have to increase the pace. Kuldeep Yadav got the first breakthrough and removed De kock on the first ball of the next over. Captain Virat Kohli came to the crease, took a single. Just 3 runs came from the over.

Caste 'stigma': How Dalit bridegrooms on horses are challenging status quo

Such stand-offs are a manifestation of a deeper struggle within society: upper-caste resistance to the rise of Dalits and how the criminal justice system still fails them

As a wedding procession of 200-odd people danced to the hit Bollywood song Ghoomar, Ramprasad Bamnia, 27, dapper in a dark blue suit, a multi-coloured turban, and sword in hand, sat proudly atop a white-coloured mare.

“This was the third most important day of my life,” Bamnia said. The happiest was when he started studying at a special boarding school for children from the scheduled castes (SC)–the constitutional name for those who were considered at the bottom of the social hierarchy in India–and the second happiest when he was selected in Madhya Pradesh’s (MP) police force, after several failed attempts.

As the procession made its way to the house of the bride Sonia Bamnia, in Ghatiya village, 20 km north of the religious city of Ujjain, in the central Indian state of MP, Bamnia and his guests were accosted by about a dozen people between the ages of 20 and 28 years. They threatened to burn the music system if the procession didn’t stop playing the song Ghoomar–a traditional Rajasthani folk song adapted for the movie Padmavat, which the Karni Sena, a Rajput fringe group protested alleging that it defamed the Rajput queen Padmavati. The crowd also insisted that Bamnia get off the mare as he crossed the houses of Rajputs, considered to be a higher caste in the traditional system. Bamnia refused to get off the mare.

Over the last couple of years, Dalit weddings have been interrupted by upper castes in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. In April 2018, in Uttar Pradesh (UP), a Dalit, Sanjay Jatav, was denied the right to ride a mare to his wedding. When he protested, water and electricity supply to his and his fiancé’s family were stopped by some upper caste families.

In 2018, a 21-year-old Dalit, Pradip Rathod, was allegedly killed in Gujarat, by upper caste men, for owning and riding a horse. The Dalit community in Gujarat has also been assaulted for sporting a moustache and performing Garba–a Gujarati folk dance.

Such stand-offs are a manifestation of a deeper struggle within society: Men and women from upper castes are increasingly anxious that Dalits–who make up 16.3% of India’s population–previously considered untouchables, and relegated to jobs considered impure, are enrolling in schools in greater numbers, studying in colleges, finding better jobs and aspiring for long-denied equality.

This is the first part of a two-part series on upper-caste resistance to the rise of Dalits and how the criminal justice system still fails them. The second part explores opposition to inter-caste romantic relationships, and the struggle Dalits face getting justice.

Poverty rates for the SC population have fallen sharply: In urban areas, it fell from 40.6% in 2004-05 to 21.7% in 2011-12, comparable to the fall in poverty rates for the rest of the population, excluding other backward classes (OBCs). In rural areas, poverty rates for SCs fell from 53.5% in 2004-05 to 31.5% in 2011-12, less than the rest of the urban population, excluding OBCs.

Dalits question the status quo

Hidden behind these numbers, on the ground, Dalits are questioning the status quo in small ways.

In Dhuwaliya village, in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, Prakash Meghwanshi’s wedding procession, or Bindauli, as it is locally called, was stopped by a group of upper caste men and women who asked him to get off the horse in front of the houses of the upper castes, police said. Meghwanshi refused, and when his family threatened to call the police, those stopping the procession let it proceed.

“Since years, no Dalit had ridden a horse at his wedding in our village. People either didn’t even think of doing it or if they did, they would be scared of what the upper caste people would say,” Rampal Balai, the father of the bride in Dhuwaliya, who arranged for the horse, said. “I wanted my daughter to have a big wedding and I was aware of our rights” to mount a horse.

Those who had stopped the procession said it was not caste-related, and that no one rides in front of the temple on a horse. Police said the temple was just a pretext for stopping the procession and that the procession was just passing the side wall of the temple.

“It’s an issue of dignity,” Satish Kumar of the Jaipur-based Centre for Dalit Rights told IndiaSpend. The upper castes feel that if someone considered lower caste can mount a horse, and ride on the main path of a village, “hamari izzat mitti me mil jaayengi (we won’t be respected any longer)”. Dalits, especially those who migrated to urban areas for study and work, want to have the right to ride a horse, just like everyone else does, Kumar said.

“Earlier there was a lot of child marriage in Dalits so such processions were not common. That’s changed now,” said Bhanwar Meghwanshi, who works for Dalit rights in Rajasthan, and is a national council member of the People Union for Civil Liberties.

“This happens because of old attitudes. The upper castes would consider themselves above all, and believe that old traditions would continue forever,” said Panchuram Saraswat, station house officer, who first appeared at the scene of the wedding procession in Dhuwaliya.

Article Source: Business Standard

Aadhaar privacy row: SC raps govt as 134,000 Indians' data leaked; updates

UIDAI accepted in Aadhaar case that there was no Supreme court order to make it compulsory to link Aadhaar with mobile phone number. Find latest news on Aadhaar data breach and privacy issues

 

 

 

Aadhaar privacy row: On reasonable grounds, the benefits that Aadhaar offers to citizens are immense. But the actual costs stem from the possible misuse of Aadhaar data. Despite a robust legislation on data protection by UIDAI, Aadhaar numbers and bank details of over 134,000 beneficiaries on Andhra Pradesh Housing Corporation's website have been leaked. The Andhra Pradesh government’s cyber security researcher Kodali Srinivas has revealed how a state-run agency has disclosed the Aadhaar data, bank accounts information with IFSC codes, caste and religion besides geo-location of 134,000 beneficiaries of housing schemes. The leaked details have now been taken off the website.

Even after repeated claims by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) that Aadhaar data can never be used for surveillance or to track religious and caste information, this new data leak of sensitive information is likely to bring the authenticity of the nodal agency’s regulations on data protection under question. The latest Aadhaar data breach took place just a day after Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Cyber Security Operations Centre (APCSOC).

The Andhra Pradesh government has used Aadhaar to build profiles of their housing beneficiaries. All of this information is in public domain and it could be misused by political parties for voter profiling, reported Free Press Journal.

According to an NDTV report, the Andhra Pradesh government said that it adhered to the rules and regulations of the Aadhaar Act, 2016. The leaked data were part of a list titled ‘Beneficiary Details belonging to Entry Report for Scheme Hudhud’ on the housing website. "We are investigating this report and once we understand the full situation we will update you," the government said.
Under the Aadhaar law, strict provisions determine how the biometric data collected by the UIDAI can be used. In fact, the country’s nodal agency for data protection needs to bring in tough legislation to prevent other governmental departments from collecting and misusing the database.

Here are the top 10 developments on the latest Aadhaar data breach, challenges to its authenticity and privacy issues:

 

1. Aadhaar data leak of over 134,000 beneficiaries: Andhra Pradesh Housing Corporation's website has allegedly disclosed personal information and bank details of about 134,000 people with several private agencies. An independent cybersecurity researcher Kodali Srinivas brought to light the latest Aadhaar leak case and informed the UIDAI and government officials. The concerned Aadhaar users are anxious over the safety of their leaked data and that eventually the hackers would get their hands on the information and can misuse them. Srinivas told the New Indian Express that he had not hacked the website, but the Aadhaar details were already publicly-available for anyone to see and download. The leaked data can be prone to the misuse by hackers and corporations, especially for voter profiling by the political parties.

 

2. Not the first Aadhaar data breach: According to a report in the New Indian Express, Kodali Srinivas reasoned that it was not for the first time the data leak has taken place. “This is not the first time. They had done this earlier too. In an order to build a massive database of its citizens, the Andhra Pradesh government is collecting details of each and every citizen in the name of transparency and e-governance. But all these details are not necessary if the purpose is just transparency," the researcher explained. He also clarified that UIDAI has not linked citizen’s Aadhaar data with their caste, religious and occupational information but other governmental units seem to be doing so. UIDAI has no idea what all is being linked to your unique ID, he tweeted with a screenshot.

 

Click Here: Aadhar Privacy Row 

Modi-Xi Jinping summit in China's Wuhan starts with first meeting: Updates

The Wuhan summit will see Modi and Xi discussing issues ranging from Trump's trade policies, protectionism, globalisation, Xi's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to the border dispute

 

The informal two-day Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping summit commenced on Friday in the Chinese city of Wuhan, with the Indian Prime Minister and Chinese President holding a one-on-one meeting after a formal greeting at the Hubei Provincial Museum. The meeting will be different from past such encounters as the talks will be freewheeling, instead of being choreographed. Further, only one Mandarin-speaking Indian interpreter will be present.

Ahead of the Modi-Xi talks, Chinese media was largely optimistic of its outcome and stressed the need for setting aside differences to focus on cooperation. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Wuhan a little past midnight on Friday. Before departing for China, Modi had said President Xi and he "will exchange views on a range of issues of bilateral and global importance" at the summit and "review the developments in the India-China relations from a strategic and long-term perspective".

The Wuhan summit will see Modi and Xi reportedly discuss issues ranging from US President Donald Trump's trade policies, protectionism, globalisation, Xi's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the India-China border dispute, even as the two leaders take lakeside walks and boat rides together.

With the future of Sino-Indian ties hanging in the balance, Chinese President Xi is hosting Modi for the informal summit where officials said the two leaders would spend most of their time interacting in one-on-one conversations. According to official statements from both sides, the Modi-Xi summit aims to create a broad framework for India-China ties and build trust between the two leaders. The summit is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties, which have faced stumbling blocks and were hit by the 73-day-long Doklam standoff last year.

Even though official sources have said that the Modi-Xi summit will eschew looking into specific issues in favour of the big picture of India-China ties, a section of the Chinese media has accorded high importance to the summit. The Modi-Xi Jinping Wuhan summit could be as significant as the one between former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then leader of China Deng Xiaoping in 1988, the official Chinese media commented on Tuesday. "The meeting can be as significant as the one in 1988 when Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi met, and will set the course for bilateral ties," an op-ed in Global Times said.

Here are the top 10 developments around the two-day Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping Wuhan summit in China that starts today:

1) Modi, Xi hold one-on-one meeting at Wuhan: Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi on Friday began their two-day informal summit with a one-on-one meeting in China's Wuhan. Before the one-on-one, the leaders witnessed a cultural programme at the Hubei Provincial Museum. Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui tweeted: "First handshake between President Xi and PM Modi in Wuhan, where they will make history. Let us expect together."

Modi-Xi talks to begin after a tour of Hubei Provincial Museum: Modi arrived at picturesque Wuhan city in Central China past midnight on Friday for the two-day informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi will commence his meetings with Xi at 3:30 pm on Friday at the Hubei Provincial Museum. After touring the museum for about an hour, Modi and Xi, accompanied by six top officials from each side, will hold talks at the sprawling East Lake Guest House, where Xi is staying. This will be followed by the leaders' walk. Dinner will be hosted by Chinese President Xi at the guest house in central Wuhan.

CLICK HERE : MODI IN CHINA 

Inter-Korean Summit- North's Kim Jong-un meets South's Moon

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a historic North-South Korea summit to improve bilateral relations. Catch the latest updates here

A prospect that seemed unthinkable just a few months ago has become a reality. At a historic summit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, clad in his trademark black Mao suit, met South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the world's most heavily armed border on Friday morning. The two leaders spontaneously shook hands and posed for the photographs at the Demarcation Line Zone dividing the North from the South. Both Kim and Moon headed to the Panmunjom's Peace House, where the official historic summit will take place."I am happy to meet you," Moon Jae-in told Kim Jong-un, ABC report said.Kim Jong-un has become the first North Korean leader to cross over to the southern side of the Demilitarised Zone since the Korean War ended in 1953. Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in have decided to hold talks over the subjects of worldwide implications -- the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, a formal peace agreement and the improvement of bilateral relations. The outcomes of this meeting will likely help determine the possible future meeting with Donald Trump and Kim. The North's nuclear arsenal will be high on the agenda at the highly anticipated summit talks.

Here are the top developments on the historic summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in:

1. Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in come face-to-face: The scenes that unfolded at the

Panmunjom truce village on Friday were unimaginable a few months earlier. South Korean President Moon Jae-in greeted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the military demarcation line at 9:30 am local time (0030 GMT), making Kim the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War. “I had so many mixed feelings as I was crossing the demarcation line,” Kim spoke before live television cameras, reported The Age.

2. The focus of the leadership summit talks: The leadership meeting is likely to facilitatenegotiations over Kim Jong-un’s commitment of denuclearisation of nuclear weapons programme. The summit is the result of months of diplomatic negotiations and discussions to make North Korea freeze and denuclearise its nuclear arsenals permanently.Last year Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear blast, by far its most powerful to date, and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. Its actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war. Moon Jae-in had seized on the South's Winter Olympics as an opportunity to broker dialogue with North Korea and had observed that his meeting with Kim will serve to set up the summit between Pyongyang and Washington.
3. Will North Korea denuclearise its nuclear arsenal?: If North Korea fulfils its commitment to completely dismantle the development of nuclear weapons and missiles, initiated by his grandfather, it would mean a significant reversal for the young Korean leader who has staked his security on his nuclear arsenal and spent years celebrating such weapons as an integral part of his regime’s legitimacy and power. South Korea said the rogue regime’s decision signified "meaningful" progress toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and would create favourable conditions for successful talks.
4. North Korea's nuclear test site collapses: Research by Chinese geologists shows the mountain above North Korea's main nuclear test site has collapsed, rendering it unsafe for further testing and requiring that it be monitored for any leaking radiation, reported AP. This may shed new light on North Korean President Kim Jong Un's announcement that his country was ceasing its nuclear testing programme.
5. Donald Trump hails North Korea’s commitment for denuclearisation: After the announcement about the suspension of the nuclear testing by the North Korea, US President Donald Trump tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!" He also said he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim.

ARTICLE SOURCE- BUSINESS STANDARD.

IPL 2018 grabs 423 million eyeballs in two weeks across the country

In terms of viewership, impressions in million, the tournament has seen a 27 per cent jump over the last year

 

The second week of the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) saw it reach 423 million viewers across the country on multiple platforms from the Star India stable. The league, currently on air on the Star Sports network on TV and Hotstar on digital, has thus registered 10 per cent growth across platforms over the last year (the first two weeks).

According to BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council of India) data provided by Star India, the IPL registered a cumulative reach — total number of people to have sampled the tournament — of 303 million in the first two weeks in TV homes, and an additional 9.5 million in out-of-home TV viewing (restaurants, bars and pubs). Last year, the IPL registered a reach of 295 million viewers in the first two weeks. This includes only home viewership, not out of home. The tournament’s reach on Hotstar for the first weeks was 110 million. This data is for the all India market, including viewers 

above 2 years old.

Star India MD Sanjay Gupta says, “We set out with the aim of increasing the total reach (TV+digital) of the IPL this year to 700 million and given the trend in the first two weeks, we are on way to achieving it. Since this is the first time that TV and digital rights rest with the same company, it is also now possible to look at TV reach and viewership holistically across platforms. Media is getting fragmented with the emergence of digital and this way, advertisers now have access to total viewership data.”

In terms of viewership, impressions in million, the tournament has seen a 27 per cent jump over the last year at a total viewership across platforms amounting to 289 million in urban markets measuring viewers above 2 years old. Since viewership refers to the number of people watching the IPL at any given point in its telecast, an increase in reach means that the time spent on the tournament is also increasing. Of the 289 million impressions, TV viewing audiences at home contributed 247 million, while out-of-home TV viewing accounted for 5.5 million and 36 million came from Hotstar.

With Star India pushing localisation of the IPL broadcast in the South Indian markets and West Bengal, the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh/Telangana along with West Bengal saw viewership increase 39 per cent to 100 million. Viewership on Hotstar in these states was 12 million, while viewership at home was 87 million.

Read More : IPL Points table 

IPL 2018, SRH vs KXIP: Sunrisers defend 132, break Punjab's winning streak

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers picked wickets at regular intervals. Kings XI Punjab batsmen had no answer to bowling attack. With this 13-run win over KXIP, SRH are now 2nd on VIVO IPL points table

In the 25th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by 13 runs. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) gifted the match to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and pushed them to the second spot of the Vivo IPL points table as none of the batsmen barring Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul showed any signs of building a partnership and chase the below-par target of 133. It seemed that the match would not even go until the last over but surprisingly, it did. Wickets fell in quick succession and irresponsible shots from Kings XI Punjab batsmen added to their woes.

 

With an aim to build their innings after a string of setbacks, Kings XI Punjab suffered yet another blow as Sandeep Sharma eliminated Manoj Tiwary. The tail-enders shouldered the responsibility but with the run-rate increases and practically no big hitter left, Kings XI Punjab needed a miracle but it happened to SRH. The remaining batsmen looked in a hurry to gift their wickets and SRH accepted it with open hands. The victory came for SRH as Basil Thampi bowled Ankit Rajpoot on the second ball of the last over. SRH gloriously won the match by 13 runs.

 

Kings XI Punjab innings analysis after the powerplay

Chasing the small target of 133 runs, Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul came to open the innings for Kings XI Punjab. Sandeep Sharma opened the bowling for SRH and have only 2 runs. Mohammed Nabi came to bowl the 2nd over the innings and Gayle hit the 2nd ball of the over for six but Nabi pulled it back for SRH as he only gave 2 runs in the last 4 balls. Sandeep Sharma continued from other end and didn’t allow SRH batsmen break free and gave only 4 runs in his 2nd over. Mohammad Nabi came to bowl the 4th over and Rahul collected 15 of the last 4 balls as hit a six and 2 fours. Sandeep Sharma came to bowl the 5th over and bowled another economical over for SRH as runs were flowing from the other end. Siddarth Kaul came to bowl the last over of the powerplay and Rahul hit the ball down the ground for four. Siddhartha gave away 9 runs in his first over as KXIP batsmen are scoring at a run-rate of 7.33 much ahead the required rate of 6.32 runs per over.

 

After the end of the 6th over, KXIP were 44 for no loss with Chris Gayle (15 runs off 15 balls) and K L Rahul (29 runs off 21 balls) at the crease Basil Thampi came to bowl the 7th over of the innings and Gayle hit the third ball of the over for six over long-on as he gave away 9 runs in the over. Rashid Khan came to bowl the 8th over of the innings and foxed Rahul to provide first break-through for SRH. Rahul scored 23 runs off 22 balls with the help of 2 sixes and a four. Rashid Khan gave away 3 runs in his first over and took the wicket of in-form Lokesh Rahul. Thampi continued from the other end and as he took the wicket of Gayle. Thampi gave 5 runs in his 2nd over as both the openers were out in the successive overs. Karun Nair came to the crease after the dismissal of Chris Gayle.

 

Shakib Al Hasan came to bowl the 10th over of the innings and gave runs per ball as Nair and Mayank were trying to build a partnership. Kaul came to bowl the 11th over of the innings and gave only 6 runs in his 2nd over. Rashid came to bowl the 12th over and gave only 4 runs as for the first time KXIP required run-rate supersede the current run-rate. Shakib Al Hasan came to bowl the 13th over and took the wicket of Mayank Agrawal as he again failed to perform for Kings XI Punjab. Shakib Al Hasan gave only 3 runs as required run-rate past 7 rpo mark. Rashid Khan came to bowl the 14th over and the wrist spinners did it again for SRH as Rashid trapped Nair in front of the wicket and gave only 2 runs.

 

Sunrisers Hyderabad innings analysis after end of innings

 

Kings XI Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin won the toss and elected to field first, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson came to open the innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Ankit Rajpoot came to open the bowling for Kings XI Punjab and took the wicket of SRH captain Kane Williamson, who scored a duck, of the 4th ball and gave SRH their initial scare. Wriddhiman Saha came to the crease after the dismissal of Williamson. Barinder Sran came to bowl the 2nd over of the innings and gave away 2 runs in the first 3 balls but hit for a boundary of the 4th ball and 6th ball of the over. SRH collected 9 runs in the Sran’s first over. Ankit Rajpoot continued from the other end and Dhawan greeted him with a late cut but the young pacer bounced back and got the outside edge which was brilliantly taken by Karun Nair standing at first slip. Rajpoot sent both the openers back to the dug-out in the space of 15 balls. Shikhar Dhawan scored 11 runs off 8 balls with a strike rate of 137.50. Manish Pandey came to the crease after the wicket of Dhawan. Ankit Rajpoot gave away 4 runs in his 2nd over. After the end of 3rd over SRH were tottering at 16/2 with a run-rate of 5.33

 

Barinder Sran came to bowl the 4th over of the innings and didn’t allow Saha to score a single run of the first two ball. Manish Pandey hit the 4th ball in the mid-wicket region for four before Ashwin dropped the miss hit from Pandey, it might become a costly miss for KXIP. Sran gave away 7 runs in his 4th over. Rajpoot continued to bowl his 3rd over and gave 3 runs in first 3 balls as Ashwin dived to stop a well timed shot of Pandey. Meanwhile, the SRH batsmen were able to take a double. The misery of Saha continued in IPL 2018 as he again played a horrific shot to gift his wicket to opponents. Saha scored 6 runs off 9 balls with a strike rate of 66.66. Shakib Al Hasan came to the crease after the dismissal of Saha and Rajpoot nearly got his 4th wicket but Andrew Tye dropped an easy catch. Sran came to bowl the 6th over and took the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan of a no ball. Shakib sends the free-hit for four in the deep square leg region. Sran gave away 10 runs in his 3rd over.

 

After the end of the powerplay, SRH were 37/3 with Shakib Al Hasan (9 runs off 6 balls) and Manish Pandey (9 runs off 11 balls) were at the crease.

 

 

 

Apple iPad 2018 review: An education-centric tablet with stylus, AR support

The latest iteration of the iPad, at least outwardly, is a dead ringer for its predecessor from last year. The biggest change, however, is support for the stylus

 

Last week, I was reminded of my high school days, to be precise, one particular class. As a student of the biosciences, I had bitter-sweet memories of biology practical classes which involved dissection. On the one hand, my teacher praised me for my tissue slides (who called me a natural with the scalpel — no doubt influenced by my father’s rather pre-eminent reputation as a surgeon in our small town); but on the other, as an animal lover, I was sad at the loss of lives the classes led to — of the frogs and lab mice.

And last week, I dissected a frog, without the scruples and the messy bits. And for that, I had to thank the latest Apple iPad (from Rs 28,000). Oh, and in place of a scalpel, I used the Apple Pencil (Rs 7,600). The app that let me do this was Froggipedia, which also supports augmented reality (AR), and using which I could place a frog on my dining table, much to the dismay of my wife!

The latest iteration of the iPad, at least outwardly, is a dead ringer for its predecessor from last year. The biggest change, however, is support for the stylus (one can also use one’s finger). Also, it is powered by a zippier processor, which was in evidence when I played games such as Thumper: Pocket Edition and Asphalt 8: Airborne.

In many other respects, though, it remains the same — such as the screen and the connectors; that is, this iPad misses the TrueTone and TrueMotion screen, the Smart Connector and the speakers its elder sibling the iPad Pro sports. This means the 2018 iPad’s screen wouldn’t colour tones; the lower refresh rate means the stylus is a tad less responsive, but you’ll understand that only if you’re a professional artist; only Bluetooth keyboards can be connected to the iPad; and this one’s not as loud as its elder sibling.

The real heroes, however, are the apps. With Apple tweaking its iWork suite to support the Pencil, I realised one could easily annotate stuff in Pages, just like proofing a page. I wish Word comes out with this feature soon. Besides, the iPad also doubles up as a teleprompter — a godsend in these days of videos and vlogs.

Besides Froggipedia, Ahmedabad-based Designmate has a host of other educational apps. I also loved the WWF Free Rivers app, which allows one to place a river on one’s table and interact with it — for example, I built a dam across the river and the green fields started, cut off from water, began to disappear. And on Boulevard AR not only was I able to explore works of art, but was also able to place them on my walls, as also examine their frames. And of course there were old favourites such as Insight Heart, which any child or teacher would love to have. Plus there are tools for both teachers and students, something I wished I had as a student (and my mom had, when she taught in school). Apple will also debut Everyone Can Create specific to the Indian school curriculum later this year, and if I go by what I’ve seen already, this should be interesting.

The thrust that this iPad (and its apps) have towards education got me thinking: Was this the blackboard of the future? It could very well be if I go by the immense amounts of good educational apps developers are coming out with. As for the rest of us, it could be your first step towards a productivity tablet. And if you were craving for an iPad Pro, this is the “budget” version. If you don’t want support for the stylus and already own the 2017 iPad, stick with it.

Click Here : Technology News

Kathua rape case: SC to cosider accused's plea to transfer probe to CBI

The eight-year-old's father had moved the apex court earlier, apprehending a threat to the family, a friend and their lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat

 

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to consider a plea of two accused in the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua that the trial in the case be held in Jammu and the probe handed over to the CBI.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the plea of the accused, Sanji Ram and Vishal Jangotra, that they be impleaded as parties to the petition filed by the victim's father.

The eight-year-old's father had moved the apex court earlier, apprehending a threat to the family, a friend and their lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat.

Expressing satisfaction with the probe conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir police in the case, the father had also sought transfer of the trial from Kathua court to Chandigarh.

However, the accused are asking for the opposite, seeking a CBI probe and a trial in Kathua district itself.

The child from a minority nomadic community had disappeared from near her home in a village near Kathua in Jammu region on January 10. Her body was found in the same area a week later.

The state police's Crime Branch, which probed the case, filed the main chargesheet against seven persons and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile in a court in Kathua district last week. The chargesheet revealed chilling details about how the girl was allegedly kidnapped, drugged and raped inside a place of worship before being killed.

Article Source: Business Standard

Asaram verdict: Here's a chilling primer on the case against the 'godman'

Starting out in a hut in Motera on the banks of the Sabarmati, Asaram's consisting of 400 minor and major ashrams spread across multiple Indian states and abroad

 

Asaram Bapu has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons for years now, both before and after his arrest in September 2013. The latest amongst these incidents connected to the godman is the death of a third witness in criminal cases against him – Kripal Singh, who was shot by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Puwayan in the Shajahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Even by the murky standards of India’s self-styled spiritual gurus, the allegations whirling around the 74-year-old Asaram are exceptional: suspected black magic and human sacrifice; the deaths of four young male students of the residential schools in his ashrams, of which the bodies of two were found severely burned and mutilated, their limbs and internal organs missing; sexual assault of a minor girl under the pretext of ‘exorcism’; allegations of repeated rape and illegal confinement of two sisters, supposedly with the complicity of the godman’s son, the latter also having been accused of raping the victims; attacks in four states against nine witnesses in criminal cases against the godman, leading to the death of three, of which one was a former personal aide of the guru and another his former cook; threats and intimidation of complainants, witnesses and their families, apart from judges and investigating officers in multiple states.

These do not include other alleged crimes that seem to be associated with Asaram – the suspicious deaths of at least two ashram employees, rumours of widespread sexual exploitation of female devotees, nearly a dozen cases of land encroachment across states, and pervasive financial irregularity. All of it apparently carried out brazenly thanks to the blessings of a higher power – the political elite in his home state and elsewhere.

Who is Asaram Bapu?

Born Asumal Sirumalani in pre-Independence Sindh in 1941, Asaram moved along with his family to Ahmedabad following Partition. The young man who once drove a tanga in Ajmer carrying pilgrims to the Dargah, and spent many years wandering pilgrimage spots, was eventually taken into a religious order in 1964, thus acquiring the name he is now known by.

Starting out in a hut in Motera on the banks of the Sabarmati in the early 1970s, Asaram’s religious empire grew to become one of the largest in the country, today consisting of 400 minor and major ashrams spread across multiple Indian states and abroad, and attracting thousands of devoted followers.

Not surprisingly, political leaders across parties have at one point or the other sought the guru’s blessings, if not been outright followers; the list includes former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Raman Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal, all from the BJP, as well as Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath and Motilal Vora of the Congress. Narendra Modi had appeared on stage with Asaram on several occasions in his Gujarat days, although after the allegations surfaced, he warned other BJP leaders against defending the godman.

There is no doubt that Asaram commanded great loyalty. One well-known devotee, D.G. Vanzara, the jailed ‘encounter specialist’ of the Gujarat police, is said to have insisted on drinking milk only if it was brought from the godman’s Motera ashram. According to some reports, Vanzara’s bitter missive from prison accusing the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of using and then abandoning him was said to have been prompted by the news of his spiritual guru’s arrest. “My god (Modi) could not save my guru (Asaram). How will he save me?” Vanzara had written in his September 2013 letter.

The Jodhpur rape case

In August, 2013 the Delhi police filed a case against Asaram on a complaint made by a 16-year-old girl, who alleged that the religious godman sexually assaulted her in his Jodhpur ashram. In her complaint, the girl, who hails from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, said that she was asked to perform oral sex and was also touched inappropriately during what was supposed to be a ceremony to cure her of evil spirits. The incident took place on 15th August, 2013.

On August 31, 2013 Asaram Bapu was arrested and flown to Jodhpur, where he was imprisoned. Investigators also alleged that Asaram video-recorded his sexual acts with several women so as to blackmail them into granting him further sexual favours. He was booked under Sections 342, 376, 506 and 509 of the IPC, as well as under Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Asaram has remained in jail since then, his bail pleas having been rejected six times, despite having been represented by two of the most prominent lawyer-politicians in the country, Subramanian Swamy and Ram Jethmalani. One of the arguments made by Jethmalani in court stretched to the absurd; for instance, that the victim had a “chronic disease which draws a woman to a man”.

Read More: Asaram Convicted 

RCB vs CSK Match Highlights: Dhoni finishes off in style as CSK thump RCB

Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni chased down 206 runs to lead CSK to the top of points table, beating RCB by 5 wickets

Chasing a huge total of 206, Chennai Super Kings' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu held their nerves after wickets fell in the initial overs.

 

Dwayne Bravo hit some good shots in the last over to make it easy for MSD to hit the winning shot. With this win, CSK goes on the top of VIVO IPL points table.

MS DHONI'S TRADEMARK FINISH

After the West Indies batsman launched a massive six and a four, Dhoni calmly mauled a length ball into the stands at deep mid wicket to seal an epic win. Pure legendary stuff.

A CRUCIAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AMBATI RAYUDU AND DHONI

The partnership between Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni turned it around for CSK. Rayudu contributed a brilliant 82 runs to the run chase as CSK beat Royal Challengers Banglore by 5 wickets with two balls to spare.

RCB's bowling attack floundered in the penultimate overs, despite having built pressure on CSK by reducing them to 74-4.

Earlier, quick wickets and a few runouts helped CSK restrict RCB to 205 when they could have crossed 220 easily. Some brilliant bowling at the death helped CSK's cause. However, Washington Sundar hit it well and helped RCB touch 200 mark.

A CLASSIC SHOW BY 'CAPTAIN COOL'

Dhoni's 70 off 34 balls and the over-boundary finish was a déjà vu for cricket fans across India as his innings rekindled the memories of a classic Dhoni showdown.

Click Here: IPL 2018

Kushinagar bus-train collision kills 11 students; toll may rise: Updates

The Kushinagar school bus-train collision killed 11 students of Divine Public School. Injured students were shifted to nearby hospital for treatment. Catch latest updates on Kushinagar bus accident

An early-morning accident in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar on Thursday saw at least 11 school students being killed as the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a passenger train at an unmanned crossing. All the victims were students of the town's Divine Public School. The surviving students who suffered injuries were immediately shifted to the nearby hospital for further treatment.

A total of 18 school students were travelling in the vehicle involved in the Kushinagar accident. Anand Kumar, ADG (Law and Order), told news agencies that many of the other seven were critically injured, adding that the death toll could go up. Previous reports had said that a total of 20 students were travelling in the vehicle.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deepest condolences over this "very unfortunate incident" in a statement on the Kushinagar accident, according to news agencies. The chief minister directed the district administration to provide all the help and medical aid required by those affected.

Further, the statement said, Adityanath declared an ex-gratia of Rs 200,000 (Rs 2 lakh) to the next of kin of the victims and directed an inquiry into the cause of the accident.

In September last year, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had said that the target of removing all unmanned level crossings could be achieved within a year, instead of the initial goal of doing it in three years. "Initially, the Railways had a target of removing all unmanned crossings in three years. But, I told them, why not do it within a year," he had said.

The Uttar Pradesh director general of police expressed his condolences on the "loss of precious lives of children in the unfortunate train accident in Kushinagar", adding that he had directed the Gorakhpur zone additional director general of police to reach the spot immediately and supervise the relief and rescue work.

Article Source: Business Standard

Asaram broken after life imprisonment; Gujarat rape case pending: 10 points

Asaram has been sentenced to life imprisonment until his death by a Jodhpur court for raping a minor in 2013. Another case of alleged sexual exploitation on 2 Surat-based sisters remains pending

While a Jodhpur court on Wednesday sentenced self-styled godman Asaram to prison term for life until his natural death for raping a minor girl, two other women in Gujarat who have accused the 77-year-old preacher of sexually assaulting them are awaiting justice. The matter related to the alleged sexual exploitation of these two Surat-based sisters, who have alleged rape and illegal confinement by Asaram and his son Narayan Sai, is still pending before a court in Gujarat's Gandhinagar. Sai was arrested in December 2013 over the complaint lodged by these women.

In the Surat rape case, earlier this month, the Supreme Court gave the prosecution five weeks' time to complete the trial. The apex court pulled up the Gujarat Police for a delay in completing recording of evidence in the case, saying that "it cannot go like this for months".

Asaram, the man in the eye of a storm of his own making, reportedly appeared broken after his conviction on Wednesday and kept telling his legal team to "do something", even as arguments on the quantum of his sentence were being made. This was in stark contrast to how he had reportedly behaved with the victim in the case. Asaram had asked his victim, according to her statement, to 'surrender' to him, boasting that senior officials bowed their heads before him.

Meanwhile, following Asaram's conviction, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that nobody is above the law and promised "appropriate action" on an activist's demand that two places in Bhopal named after the jailed preacher be renamed. Reacting to Wednesday's developments, the Shiv Sena said that the Asaram rape case showed that the Hindu religion needed an "awakening", adding that the conviction and punishment handed down by the court was a "big victory" for the rape survivor.

Asaram was arrested in 2013 after a girl from Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur, then 16 years old and a Class 12 student at his Chhindwara Ashram in Madhya Pradesh, filed a complaint accusing Asaram of rape at his ashram in Manai village on the Jodhpur outskirts on the night of August 15, 2013.

Here are the top 10 developments following Asaram's life imprisonment until death sentence in the 2013 rape case:

1) After Jodhpur verdict, the pending Gujarat rape case judgment stares Asaram in his face: Two sisters from Surat who have charged Asaram with sexual assault are awaiting justice, with the matter related to their case still pending before a court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The sisters had alleged they were raped and illegally confined by Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. While Asaram was arrested in September 2013 in connection with the Jodhpur rape case, his son Sai was arrested in December 2013.

While the elder sister accused Asaram of repeatedly assaulting her sexually from 1997 to 2006 at his Motera ashram in Gujarat, the younger one alleged Sai sexually assaulted her from 2002 to 2005 at an ashram in Surat. One of the sisters also alleged that Asaram's wife and daughter helped the two men rape the women.

In its chargesheet filed in 2014, apart from Asaram, the state police mentioned his wife Lakshmi, daughter Bharti, and four other women followers -- Dhruvben, Nirmala, Jassi, and Meera -- among the accused.

2) SC pulls up Gujarat police for slow pace in Asaram rape case: The Supreme Court had on April 6 pulled up the Gujarat Police for a delay in completion of recording of evidence against Asaram in the Surat rape case and directed it to conclude the process within five weeks. The top court said "it cannot go like this for months".

A Bench of justices N V Ramana and S Abdul Nazeer, which sought to know the status of the trial, was told by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, that the victim's statement had been recorded. "The prosecutrix has recorded her statement. Only the star witnesses in the case now remain to be examined," Mehta had said. To this, the Bench had asked the ASG how much time was needed for examining the star witnesses.

Mehta had said that the process would take two-three more months to be completed. "How much more time do you want. It cannot go on like this for months. You have to complete it in five weeks. List the matter in five weeks," the Bench had said before turning down Asaram's bail plea.

Read our detailed copy on Asaram's conviction and life term in jail until death sentence in a rape case: Asaram verdict: Even if Brahma says he's rapist, won't believe say devotees

3) Once proud 'godman', Asaram 'broken' and 'restless' after life term verdict: Jodhpur Jail Superintendent Vikram Singh said Asaram appeared to be broken following his conviction by the Jodhpur Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Court. "Do something", the 77-year-old kept on muttering to his advocates during the hearing of arguments on the quantum of sentence, according to Singh.

"Asaram seemed nervous on hearing the verdict," said a police officer present on the premises of the Jodhpur central jail, where the judgment was pronounced. "Asaram appeared broken. He said he would now move a higher court," Singh said. Inside his cell, Asaram was restless and kept on lumbering for some time, he added.

Read what the court said about Asaram's actions: Asaram spoiled saints' image by his heinous act: Court

4) Sena says Hindu religion needs 'awakening': The Shiv Sena said that Asaram's conviction shows that the Hindu religion needs an awakening. Further, Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe told reporters in Mumbai that Asaram being sentenced to life in prison until his natural death was a "big victory" for the rape survivor. "Any person can today call himself an incarnation of God, when he is not. Asaram proved this through his actions. His bhakts may have been unhappy with the verdict, but it was a big victory for the minor who was raped by him," she said, adding: "This verdict also indicates that the Hindu religion needed an awakening before and it does so even now."

It was unfortunate that people who believed in the Hindu religion did not escape the clutches of fake godmen, she said. "One should only keep a relation with God and stay away from these middlemen," the Sena leader said....

Read More About Asaram's conviction

IPL 2018: Dhoni does it with trademark 6, CSK back on top of points table

Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni led the chase of 206 and made sure CSK cross the line in the end. CSK beat RCB by 5 wickets. CSK are now on the top of VIVO IPL points table

Chasing a huge total of 206, Chennai Super Kings' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu held their nerves after wickets fell in the initial overs. Rayudu made a brilliant 82 runs to make the chase possible. CSK beat Royal Challengers Banglore by 5 wickets with two balls to spare. Dwayne Bravo hit some good shots in the last over to make it easy for MSD to hit the winning shot. With this win, CSK goes on the top of VIVO IPL points table. RCB could not bowl well in the final overs, despite having built pressure on CSK by reducing them to 74-4. The partnership between Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni turned it around for CSK. Siraj gave a few extras in the penultimate over. Prior to that, Negi bowled a costly over that brought down the required run rate.

Earlier, Quick wickets and a few runouts helped CSK restrict RCB to 205 when they could have crossed 220 easily. Some brilliant bowling at the death helped CSK's cause. However, Washington Sundar hit it well and helped RCB touch 200 mark. CSK will now need 206 to win

Earlier, After a brilliant start given by AB De Villers and Quinton De Kock, RCB seemed to lose their way as wickets fell in packs. ABD, De Kock, Cory Anderson fell in back to back overs. Imran Tahir scalped ABD and Cory.

Chennai Super Kings innings analysis after end of innings

Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu came to open for CSK. Pawan Negi was introduced to restrict the run flow. Watson smashed him for a six but lost his wicket in the next ball. Raina walked in to accompany Rayudu. Umesh Yadav came to bowl the second over for RCB. The quick change took place on the bowling side and Washington Sundar came in but ended up conceding two sixes. CSK was at 24/1 after 3 overs. Rayudu 15(10) and Raina 2(4).

The fourth over started on a high note for CSK as Rayudu smashed a six on Umesh Yadav’s delivery, Raina soon joined in and hit a boundary. CSK were 35/1 after 4 overs. Rayudu kept the momentum in the 5th over as he smashed a Six to deep square leg on Mohammed Siraj’s second ball of the over. Raina yet again and smashed a boundary by creating some room off the fourth ball of the over. Rayudu ended the over with a boundary straight down the ground. CSK were 50/1 with the run rate of 10 per over.

Umesh Yadav came in to bowl the 6th over and got a leading edge of Raina on the very first ball, Raina flicked too early and Mandeep Singh made no mistake in backward point's and Raina was on his way to pavilion. Next ball, a big appeal for LBW but Umpire was not interested, Sam Billings took the advantage and hit a four to the deep square leg in the next ball. CSK were 55/2 after 6 overs with Rayudu at 31 (18) and Billings at 4 (5). The run rate was 9.28 with the required run rate at 10.79....

Royal Challengers Banglore innings analysis at the end of innings

Chennai Super Kings led by MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first, Virat Kohli and Quinton de Kock opened the batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Deepak Chahar came to bowl the first over of the innings and gave 5 runs as RCB batsmen were cautious. Shardul Thakur came to bowl the 2nd over of the innings and Kohli hit the third ball for four over the mid-off fielder. RCB batsmen collected 8 runs in the Thakur’s first over. Chahar continued from the other end and got a top edge of the 2nd ball. Dhoni ran for the catch but failed to reach and fielded brilliantly to save 2 runs. De Kock hit the third ball for six over mid-on fielder. Chahar gave away 15 runs in the third over of the innings.

Harbhajan came to ball the 4th over of the innings and de Kock hit the 5th ball of the innings for 6 over mid-on. Harbhajan gave away 7 runs in his first over. Shardul Thakur came to bowl the 5th over of the over and got the wicket of big fish Virat Kohli of the 2nd ball as Jadeja dives and takes it at mid-on. Virat Kohli scored 18 runs off 15 balls with the help of 3 classic boundaries. AB de Villiers came to the crease after the dismissal of Virat. Thakur bowled a brilliant wicket maiden over as he didn’t allow de Villiers to score a single run. Harbhajan continued from the other end and de Villiers belted Harbhajan all across the ground as he hit 2 sixes and a four to collect 17 runs in the 6th over of the innings. RCB were scoring at a run rate of 8.66....

Read More: IPL 2018

IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings are back with a bang; but not at home

They may not be playing at home but what has not diminished is the unquestioning adulation the team receives in Chennai

As Ravindra Jadeja slammed the ball for a six, little did everyone know that it would be the last time Chennai Super Kings would get to celebrate a victory at the Chepauk stadium in the latest iteration of the Indian Premier League. Days later, it was confirmed that Chennai Super King will play its remaining home games in Pune. The protests over the Union government’s inaction over sharing of Cauvery river waters had already seen calls for boycott of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders. As the threat perception grew more serious in the police’s eyes, CSK was asked to find a new home.

Ironically, the build-up to this campaign for the ‘Yellow Army’ was dominated by the narrative of 

return. After spending the last two years in suspension due to team official Gurunath Meiyappan’s involvement in betting, CSK’s comeback was eagerly awaited. Particularly by its loyal fan base which gave short shrift to the accusations of spot-fixing and conflict of interest. Rather, the supporters felt unfairly targeted.

CSK has always prided itself on the manic support it seems to attract. The uncritical adoration has been carefully nurtured by the franchise. Arguably, no other IPL side can boast of such loyalty. Even during the Cauvery protest last week, some agitators spoke of the difficulty in choosing their politics over their favourite team.

CSK itself gives rise to dilemmas as it reflects the contradictions which beset the IPL better than any other side. Like the league, the franchise entertains and succeeds in good measure; but it also replicates the IPL’s tendency to court controversy, leaving a miasmic trail behind.

It began with the charges of auction-fixing (2009) and then moved on to betting and conflict of interest in CSK’s ownership model. Moreover, Chennai has not been an entirely hospitable venue to the IPL. The ban on Sri Lankan players and officials is still fresh in memory while three stands at the Chepauk stadium have remained shut since 2012. Yet, the bumps in the road have not dimmed the enthusiasm of the CSK faithful.

As witnessed during this IPL, the franchise is mindful of playing up this emotional connect. In the lead-up to the tournament, we saw fan videos gain immense traction while CSK itself sought to play up its return to the Chepauk. To embellish its connection with Chennai, the franchise had its players mouth off lines from the trailer of Rajnikanth’s latest film Kaala. In another video, made by fans, supporters borrowed a famous line from the superstar’s hit movie, Kabali – “Tell them we are back,” they roared, with pride.

Read More: IPL 2018

 

Akshaya Tritiya 2018: Offers raining on gold, diamond; all you need to know

It's raining sales on gold and diamond. Here is a list of portals offering tempting discounts to mark Akshaya Tritiya 2018

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Today is Akshaya Tritiya 2018, a day believed to bring good luck and success. It is believed that Akshaya Tritiya is good to initiate new beginnings and brings good fortune and luck. Most people start new businesses, buy land or jewellery, and invest in something on this day. All leading online portals – Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, etc – are enticing consumers with some heavy discounts on gold, platinum and diamond jewellery and giving an opportunity for shopaholics to shop to their heart's content. Moreover, leading jewellers have lined up attractive offers for buyers.

In order to cash in on Akshaya Tritiya, leading jewellers have lined up attractive offers. Tanishq, for example, is offering up to 25 per cent off on making charges of gold and value of diamond jewellery, while Malabar Gold & Diamonds is offering gold coins and gift cards. PC Jeweller claims to be offering the lowest prices on gold coins this Akshaya Tritiya.

Banks like HDFC are offering up to 5 per cent cashback on jewellery purchase. However, while you are excited to grab your diamonds and gold, the government, has in a tweet advised customers to purchase only BIS-Hallmarked Jewellery, which is available in 14, 18 and 22 carats.

It's raining sales on gold and diamond. Business Standard lists portals offering tempting discount to mark Akshaya Tritiya 2018:

1. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from Tanishq: Starting today, the Bengaluru-based jewellery brand will offer up to 25% off on making charges of gold and diamond jewellery. Tanishq tweeted,"Celebrate this Akshaya Tritiya with us, and avail of up to 25% off on making charges of gold jewellery and diamond jewellery value!"

The company is also offering a wide range of designs under its Mangalam jewellery collection starting from Rs 10,000. Customers can opt to upgrade their old jewellery by exchanging and getting 100% value on them.

2. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from Malabar Gold and Diamonds: The company has online 'AKSHAYA TRITIYA' offers, under which customers can get free gold coin on every purchase of jewellery worth Rs 15,000. If the order value is Rs 30,000, or more, you get two gold coins. The company also is offering 5 per cent value of jewellery purchased as e-gift card against a minimum shopping of Rs 15,000. This e-gift card can be redeemed online at the time of next purchase.

This offer is valid until April 25, 2018 on a single transaction done at www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com website only and not at any of retail showroom.

3. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from Orra Jewellers: To celebrate Akshaya Tritiya, the company is offering 0 per cent making charges on gold bars and coins. The offer is valid till April 18. The company is providing a discount of 27 per cent on diamond jewellery. Besides, there is also a 50 per cent off on making charges of golden jewellery also available for customers.

4. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from PC Chandra Jewellers: Anyone purchasing jewellery from here till April 22 will get gold coins. The offer is, however, not valid in Agartala.

5. Akshaya Tritiya 2018 offers from Om Jewellers: The company is offering a discount up to 51per cent on making of charges of jewellery of gold, platinum and uncut diamond. On IGI certified jewellery, the company is asking its customers 0% making charge.

6. Offers on Amazon: Brands like Senco Gold, Joyalukkas, Malabar Gold & Diamonds and TBZ-The Original are offering up to 50 per cent discount on jewellery.

7. Shopclues discount on Akshaya Tritiya 2018: Shopclues is offering up to 80% discount on diamond, gold and silver jewellery.

8. SBI Gold Deposit Scheme: State Bank of India offers a revamped gold deposit scheme (R-GDS). Customers can deposit their idle gold under R- GDS which will provide them safety, interest earnings and a lot more, says SBI on its website, sbi.co.in. The gold deposit will be accepted by SBI, the largest lender of the country, on behalf of the central government. On Akshaya Tritiya, which is considered an auspicious day for buying gold, you may consider investing in SBI's revamped gold deposit scheme.

9. Offers from Snapdeal this Akshaya Tritiya: Snapdeal will let you bag earrings, bangles, bracelets and more at wallet friendly prices, starting from Rs 199 only on Akshaya Tritiya.

10. Allahabad Bank wants you to invest in gold bonds this Akshaya Tritiya: Here's what Allahabad Bank has to offer on Akshaya Tritiya 2018:

IPL 2018: Rohit's 94 helps Mumbai secure maiden win, Kohli's 92 in vain

This is the maiden win for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018 after three losses. Royal Challengers Bangalore's captain Virat Kohli is the only man who looked to score runs for RCB.

Mumbai Indians managed to secure their first win of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) as they moved up to the 6th spot in Vivo IPL Points table. They defeated Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) by 46 runs. Chasing a mammoth target of 214, Virat Kohli's heroics could not save the day for RCB as no other batsman came to his aide. Krunal Pandya scalped three wickets for Mumbai Indians. Earlier Rohit Sharma scored 94 runs to help MI post a total of 213. This is the maiden win for MI in IPL 2018 after three losses.

Earlier, after being reduced to 0-2 in the first over, Mumbai Indians had a remarkable recovery. Lewis and Rohit Sharma first built the innings and then lead the onslaught to take the team's score to 213-6 in 20 overs. Royal Challengers Banglore bowlers failed to capitalise on the launch pad provided by Umesh Yadav.

MI captain Rohit Sharma made 94 and missed a well deserved century. Evin Lewis made 65 runs. 

Royal Challengers Banglore innings analysis: After end of innings

Chasing the mammoth target of 214 runs, Virat Kohli and Quinton de Kock came to open the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Jasprit Bumrah came to bowl the 1st over of the innings and gave only 3 runs of the 5 balls before Kohli hit the last ball of the over for 4. Krunal Pandya came to bowl the 2nd over and Kock greeted him with a boundary over fine leg. Kohli smashed 2 fours off the Krunal’s over as RCB collected 13 runs of the Krunal’s first over. Mitchell McClenaghan came to bowl the 3rd over of the innings as he gave only 3 runs before Kohli hit four of the last ball of the over. After the end of 3 overs, RCB was 27 runs for no loss. Mustafizur Rahman came to bowl the 4th over of the and de Kock greeted him with a boundary over midwicket. De Kock hit the 5th ball of the Rahman’s over for a six. RCB collected 13 runs of the Rahman’s first over. Mitchell McClenaghan came to bowl the 5th over and bowled de Kock of the first ball and took the dangerous AB de Villiers of a short ball. de Villiers tried to pull McClenaghan and get caught at the deep square leg. McClenaghan took 2 wickets and gave 4 runs. Mandeep Singh came to bat after the wicket of ABD. Mustafizur Rahaman came to bowl the last over of the powerplay, Yorker just outside off took outside edge of the Kohli’s bat and went for four as the ball just past the wicketkeeper. Mandeep Singh played a classic cover drive of the third ball of the Rahaman’s over to keep the hopes alive for the RCB. At the end of the 6 overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore was 55 for 2. RCB needed 159 runs from 14 overs with a required run rate of 11.35

Mumbai Indians innings analysis: After the end of innings

Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers won the toss and asked Mumbai Indians to bat first. Surya Kumar Yadav and Evin Lewis came to bat first. What a start for Royal Challengers Bangalore! Umesh Yadav strikes the first ball removed Surya Kumar Yadav, who scored a match-winning fifty while opening the batting, of a golden duck. Ishan Kishan came to bat after the dismissal of Surya Kumar and he cleaned him up too. Two in two for Umesh Yadav as he removed top two batsmen of Mumbai Indians, who scored the bulk of runs for MI in their previous matches. Rohit Sharma came to face the hattrick ball and he negotiated the hattrick ball. Umesh Yadav gave 3 runs and took 2 wickets in the first over of the innings. Chris, Woakes came to bowl the second over of the innings, Rohit Sharma beautifully timed the second ball for 4 in the cover region. Evin Lewis sensibly played first two balls then hit Woakes for a six over deep square for a six. Woakes gave 12 runs in his first over. After the end of the 2 overs, MI was 15 for 2. Umesh Yadav came to bowl the 3rd over of inning and strayed on the leg-side and Lewis helped to fine leg boundary. Yadav gave six runs in his 2nd over. After the end of 3 overs MI was 2 for 2 with Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma at the crease...

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