NEET 2017: Kerala girl forced to remove bra; 4 teachers suspended

NEET 2017: Teachers were suspended for the 'overzealous act' by the CBSE

 

As outrage grew over a student in Kerala being asked to remove her bra at a medical entrance test, four teachers at the exam centre in a school were today suspended for the "overzealous act" by the CBSE which also ordered the principal to apologise to her.

Late tonight, Kannur Police registered a case under section 504 of IPC (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and section 509 of IPC (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) on the basis of a complaint by the girl student who was forced to remove her bra, police said.

Police went to the residence of the girl and recorded her statement, sources said.

Earlier, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) directed the principal of the institute where the incident occurred on Sunday to apologise.

The directive for the apology came after CBSE Chairman RK Chaturvedi met Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi, two days after the incident to check cheating was reported from a school in Kannur.

The CBSE described the incident that occurred before the girl was allowed to sit for the exam on Sunday as an "overzealous" act and suspended the four teachers pending inquiry. The incident also rocked the Kerala Assembly.

In a related incident, examination officials at a school in Ernakulam in Kerala were booked for allegedly trimming the shirt sleeves of a student as part of the CBSE's steps to curb cheating in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), held on May 7.

The CBSE, which conducts the examination at over 1,900 centres across India for admission to undergraduate medical and dentistry courses, however, defended the stringent dress code it had imposed.

It was a measure to "secure the sanctity" of the high- stake examination in which 11 lakh students vie for 95,000 seats, it said.

"The incident reported in Kannur is unfortunate and a consequence of the overzealousness of a few persons involved in the process. However, the inconvenience caused to the students inadvertently in the process is regretted by the Board," CBSE spokesperson Rama Sharma said in New Delhi.

Sharma said the principal had been directed to apologise to the candidate who was made to remove her bra and added that the Board would "sensitise" the frisking staff at exam centres to prevent such incidents.| Read full story

Baseless Aadhaar and its many flaws: When the poor lose their thumb prints

When machines don't recognise their thumb prints, Aadhaar turns into a device of exclusion

 

Wardi Devi, a senior citizen, hails from a remote town of Rajasthan. She’s tried to enrol for the Aadhaar thrice and even paid Rs. 150 and Rs. 50 to agents while making the first two attempts. Tired of coughing out her hard earned money from her meagre wages, she refused to pay anything the third time. Despite having visited the Aadhaar centre on multiple occasions, she is yet to receive her UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). Since she is not an Aadhaar Card holder, she is not entitled to subsidised food grains under the public distribution system (PDS). In the absence of an Aadhaar Card, she is also deprived of various other government entitlements, including the right to work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Ninety-year-old Fefi Devi and her husband Nathu Singh haven't received ration from the local Fair Price Shop (FPS) ever since Aadhaar-based biometric authentication was introduced in their village, Kukerkheda in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, in 2014. The Point-of-Sale (PoS) machine doesn’t recognise their thumb impressions since the lines on their thumbs have disappeared due to rigorous manual labour — their source of daily wages.

UIDAI — more commonly known as Aadhaar — which was introduced in 2009 is “essentially a paperless online anytime-anywhere identity assigned to a resident to cover his/her entire lifetime”. The project “assures” inclusion of the entire Indian population into various government entitlements and programmes from which citizen were often “wrongly excluded”. The project aims at making the downtrodden and underserved independent by removing the middlemen, thereby reducing corruption and challenges related to implementation. However, as is evident from the cases above, a number of people are losing out on their basic rights such as food and work.

Citizens are still in search of their identity

The Constitution guarantees both Fefi Devi and Wardi Devi the Right to Life and, hence, right to be included in government welfare schemes. However, a mandate like Aadhaar, for accessing these schemes, does not. If we dig a little deeper, we realise that the project’s initial claims were based on a basic misunderstanding of the causes for exclusion. Worse, the experience of the past eight years of the project suggests that nothing has changed, except the project itself has become a source of exclusion from government programmes for thousands. (READ FULL STORY)

IT professionals protest sacking in Cognizant

Cognizant trimmed 5% of its 260,000 workforce in March

 

#LATEST | Two groupings — the Forum of IT Employees (FITE) and NDLF IT employees wing — are petitioning the Tamil Nadu government against what they call unjustified dismissals of employees at Cognizant.

The FITE has filed a petition at the Tamil Nadu labour department to protect the interests of software engineers who have been sacked on performance grounds, even as companies struggle with changing technology and business shifts. 

Cognizant has denied that there have been any layoffs and said employees had been let off because they did not meet performance requirements.

“Cognizant has not conducted any layoffs. Each year, as is the best practice across our industry, we conduct a performance review to ensure we have the right employee skill sets necessary to meet client needs and achieve our business goals. This process results in changes, including some employees transitioning out of the company,” said a company spokesperson on email. 

“Any actions as a result of this process are performance-based and generally consistent with those we’ve made in previous years. In the March quarter, we hired thousands of professionals — top talent from campuses, as well as from the lateral market,” the company said.

In March, Cognizant trimmed five per cent of its 260,000 workforce as it looked to shift its focus on emerging areas such as digital. 

ALSO READ : Vijay Mallya held guilty of contempt; SC asks him to appear in person

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ALSO READ : Baseless Aadhaar and its many flaws

READ MORE..

Is it the best time to buy a house? Yes, say experts

In a recent interview, Keki Mistry, chief executive at HDFC said it is best time to buy a property

 

#LATEST | Lower prices, lower interest rates and rising affordability have made it the best time to buy residential properties, say experts.

In a recent interview, Keki Mistry, chief executive at HDFC bank said it is the best time to buy a property.

" First, by virtue of the fact that interest rates are significantly low. Since 2008, e whave not seen rates as low as this. I don't believe rates will go down any further.Second, property prices haven't gone up in recent times so one would believe there is time correction of prices. Third, all incentives are provided by the government for people to buy houses,"Mistry said.

Rates:

Mortgage rates have come down by 150 basis points in the last two years bringing them down to 12-year lows, and this is gradually improving affordability. Every 100 basis points mortgage-rate cut is equal to 5-6 per cent price cut, CLSA has noted.

Prices:

Housing prices fell by 1.67 per cent to Rs 6,185 per sq ft in Q4 (January- March) from Rs 6,290 per sq ft in the December quarter in major cities such as Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai, data analytics firm PropEquity has said.

According to international brokerage firm CLSA,the price of a mass-premium house located in a metro city suburb having a ticket price of Rs 60 lakh has remained flat on a year-on-year basis.

"For buyers it is a good time to buy as buyers have remained stagnant in the last three years. In fact they can get discounts. But for investors, if they get a distressed valuation and no completion risk, it is not a good time," Amit Bhagat, chief executive at ASK Property Investment Advisors.| READ MORE..

Reliance Jio is offering 100% cashback on JioFi: Here's how to avail of it

In lieu of the exchange, Reliance Jio provides additional data worth Rs 2,010

 

#LATEST| Reliance Jio is currently offering 100 per cent cashback on its JioFi portable Wi-Fi device, which connects to 10 devices at the same time. The cashback offer is valid for those buying JioFi in exchange for an old dongle, router and 4G data card.

According to the terms and policies of the cashback offer available on Reliance Jio's online portal, customers seeking to avail of a 100 per cent cashback on JioFi need to exchange their old dongle, router or 4G data card. In exchange, Reliance Jio provides additional data worth Rs 2,010 – 5 GB data worth Rs 210 per month for 10 months – that equals 100 per cent of the device amount.

There also is another scheme where users who do not wish to exchange can get an offer worth Rs 1,005 on purchase of JioFi online. In purchases made without exchange, Reliance Jio provides additional data worth Rs 1,005 – 5 GB data worth Rs 210 per month for 5 months – that equals to 50 per cent of the device amount.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can avail of 100% cashback offer:

Step 1: To avail of 100 per cent cashback, you need to purchase JioFi device through Jio online portal by paying Rs 1,999.

Step 2: You have to visit a Reliance Jio store with original invoice, JioFi Box with or without old dongle or other device for exchange

Step 3: You need to purchase a Reliance Jio SIM card, which can be done at a Jio Store or any other partner store by furnishing identity proof, address proof and passport size photograph or Aadhaar card.

Step 4: You need to recharge with Rs 408 (309 + 99) or Rs 608 (509 + 99) plan and enjoy the benefits of a Jio Prime membership, along with Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan offer.

(read more)

NEET 2017 do's and dont's: No inner wear for girls, no sleeves for boys

The do's and don'ts for candidates who appeared for NEET reached an all-time extreme

 

Once in a while, we come across something truely surreal and bizzare. The do's and don'ts for candidates who appeared for National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), appears to top the ridiculous list. Many aspirants who appeared for NEET for the first time on Sunday, faced a piquant situation in parts of Tamil Nadu, with some even forced to resize the sleeves of their shirts and abandon their footwear to meet the norms.

In a shocking incident, some female students were allegedly told by the invigilators to remove their top innerwear and change their jeans to adhere to the dress code for the exam as prescribed by the CBSE.

According to TOI, at Payyannur centre in Uttar Pradesh, candidates who appeared for the examination at TISK English Medium School at Kovvappuram near Kunhimangalam in Payyannur, the girls were asked to remove dresses with metal hooks or buttons.

"It is shocking that my daughter had to undergo such an ordeal and remove her top innerwear to appear for the examination but there was no other option and she was forced to do so," said Renuka, mother of a girl who appeared for the exam to TOI.

"I am a teacher and I know the psychology of the teenagers; this will definitely affect their confidence, and we are thinking of taking legal measures," she added.

The girl said though she appeared for the examination after undergoing coaching in Thrissur for one year, the incident shattered her. "I am a 19-year-old girl and such incidents shatter us beyond imagination. I don't know how I appeared for the examination," she said.

Another parent, Rajesh Nambiar, said his daughter had to change her pair of jeans because it had metal buttons and pockets.

Pramod Madhav  

@madhavpramod1

As no full sleeves allowed, students tear it off before entering hall to write NEET!!

1:25 PM - 7 May 2017

(READ MORE)

Kejriwal's other headache: The alleged Rs 400-cr water tanker scam

Kapil Mishra has been pursuing a probe into the alleged scam, which has been in the news since 2015

 

Before sacked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Kapil Mishra dropped the bomb on Sunday with allegations of corruption against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, all indications had pointed towards some big revelation regarding the alleged Rs 400 crore water tanker scam — a case which saw FIRs against both Kejriwal and his predecessor Sheila Dikshit. 

Till Sunday morning, Mishra had maintained that he had been axed from the Delhi Cabinet for his insistence on bringing those involved in the alleged scam to justice. While news events have overtaken the issue, Mishra's May 6, 2017, letter to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) indicates that he has no intention of letting go of the findings he claims to have made while probing the matter. 

What is the scam all about and how did it come to light

The alleged scam came to light when Delhi's AAP government, in June 2015, constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the irregularities in hiring some 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012, during Dikshit's rule.

The five-member committee was formed by then Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra.

Its report, submitted to Kejriwal in August 2015, highlights alleged corruption of Rs 400 crore in the process of awarding tenders for hiring water tankers.

It recommended an FIR against Congress leader Dikshit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ACB.

In mid-June 2016, almost a year later, the report was sent to the prime minister and Delhi's lieutenant governor by the AAP government.

Subsequently, the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch filed an FIR against both Kejriwal and his predecessor Dikshit in connection with the water tanker scam.

Kejriwal's name got added due to a complaint by a legislator from the opposition. In June 2016, ACB chief M K Meena told IANS that Arvind Kejriwal's name also featured in the FIR due to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Vijender Gupta's complaint against the former "for causing delay and not cancelling the contract for water tankers".

What did the Delhi government do after the panel submitted its report

On June 12, 2016, then state Water Minister Mishra had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung recommending either a CBI or ACB probe against Dikshit in connection with the alleged scam. 

Mishra also said that the former Delhi chief minister should be behind bars for alleged corruption and that she was not facing any action as the BJP was not keen to punish the guilty. 

He also said that the state government had filed three FIRs against Dikshit for various corruption cases.

How did the ACB get involved

On June 16, 2016, Jung forwarded the report on the alleged scam to the ACB for further investigation. 

However, Jung also forwarded a complaint filed with him by BJP leader Gupta accusing Kejriwal of "suppressing" the committee's report into the tanker scam for 11 months.

(read more)

Nirbhaya gangrape case: SC shows no mercy; death sentence for 4 culprits

Here is a timeline of crucial developments in the case so far

 

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence on all four convicts in the December 2012 NIRBHAYA Delhi gang-rape. Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur were convicted on charges of brutally raping and assaulting a 23-year-old paramedical student inside a bus that led to her death.

'It is a barbaric incident', Supreme Court said in its order.

The Delhi High Court earlier upheld their conviction and death sentence. 

The matter was heard by the apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and consisting of Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan. 

"Taking the serious injuries, the severe nature of the offence committed by the convicts, we are upholding the sentence," the Supreme Court bench said.

Here is a timeline of crucial developments in the case so far

May 5, 2017: The Supreme Court to pronounced its judgment in infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape case.

March 27, 2017: The Supreme Court reserves verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case.

March 6, 2017: All the accused submit additional affidavits in the Court.

February 3, 3017: The Supreme Court decides to re-hear the case on the sentencing aspect, after the petitioners contend that there have been violations in procedure.

January 6, 2017: The Supreme Court seeks mitigating circumstances from the accused.

November 28, 2016: Senior Advocate and Amicus Curiae Sanjay Hegde argues against reliability of evidence in the case.

November 7, 2016: Senior Advocate and Amicus Curiae Raju Ramachandran makes his submissions, argues for the sentencing order to be set aside.

September 16, 2016: Former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Delhi) Chaya Sharma, who was transferred to Mizoram post the Delhi gang rape case, attends the hearing.

September 2, 2016: Advocate M. L. Sharma concludes his submissions.

August 29, 2016: High drama in the courtroom as allegation of the police tampering with evidence is made.

April 8, 2016: Senior Advocates Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde appointed Amicus Curiae.

April 3, 2016: Hearings begin in the Supreme Court, after 19 months of being in cold storage. Justices Dipak Misra, V. Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph to hear the case.

December 18, 2015: Delhi High Court refuses to stay release of the minor-accused, who walks free after three years in a juvenile home.

March 15, 2014: The Supreme Court stays execution of the accused after allegations of a denial of fair trial.

March 13, 2014: Delhi High Court Bench of Justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani upholds the trial Court verdict.

September 13, 2013: Four remaining accused sentenced to death by Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna.

January 29, 2013: The Supreme Court dismisses transfer petition.

August 31, 2013: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) presided over by Principal District Magistrate Geetanjali Goel finds the juvenile accused guilty of rape and murder of the medical student, sentences him to three years in Special Home.

March 11, 2013: Main accused Ram Singh commits suicide in Tihar jail.

December 16, 2012: Six men, including the 17-year-old juvenile, gang-rape a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus on December 16, 2012. The girl and her friend were returning home after watching a movie when they were coaxed into the bus by the accused, who then beat up her friend before taking turns in raping her.

The girl succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows.| READ MORE...

Want Rs 2,500 tickets under UDAN? Please book in advance on popular routes

Shimla-Delhi flights are sold out but others are available much below the capped limit of Rs 2,000

 

#LATEST| Five days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik”, or UDAN, scheme from Shimla airport, Tushar Patel tried to book tickets from Delhi to the hill station. To his surprise, he couldn’t find the subsidised Rs 2,500 fare. Instead, the cheapest fare in May was Rs 8,049 and on some days, it was as high as Rs 15,090.

Travellers lapped up the cheaper tickets soon after the scheme was launched. “On Delhi-Shimla route, all tickets reserved under UDAN scheme are sold out until June end. What’s available now are few seats that have market-linked rates,” says CS Subbiah, chief executive officer of Alliance Air, an Air India subsidiary.

This is quite a contrast to the other three routes that are operational at present. If you were to take a round trip between Mumbai and Nanded, the fares are Rs 4,000 – below the cap of Rs 2,500 one way. But if you are flying between Hyderabad and Kadapa or Nanded and Hyderabad, you can get a return ticket even for around Rs 2,000.

Shimla stands out among all other operational routes because of the holiday season. “The city is one of the most popular holiday destinations in India, hitherto inaccessible to many tourists due to lack of convenient air connectivity. It is also a state capital. There is a huge unmet demand,” says Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.

The number of seats available on the route are much lower, too, because the airport is at a high altitude. "From Delhi to Shimla, the 42-seater aircraft can only carry 35 passengers. Out of these, 24 are reserved for UDAN. But from Shimla to Delhi, the aircraft can carry only 15 passengers and all these seats are sold at Rs 2,500 or lower. While an individual can still pay a higher fare to go from Delhi to Shimla, there are no seats available for the return trip until July," explains Subbiah.| read more

Rajamouli's juggernaut rolls on: Baahubali 2 grosses Rs 600 crore worldwide

One trade analyst even said that the movie might have grossed Rs 710 crore already

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has grossed at least Rs 600 crore in worldwide box-office collections, according to IndiaToday.

As reported earlier, as of Tuesday, the film's Indian gross business stood at Rs 395 crore approximately, while overseas business had been over $18-19 million in three days only (excluding previews). The worldwide figures, at Rs 506 crore, are for the three-day weekend and do not include previews, including which the total goes above Rs 520 crore, according to Box Office India. (Read more)

With this, SS Rajamouli’s epic extravaganza is more than half way through to becoming the first Indian motion picture to gross Rs 1,000 crore at the box office. The first part had opened to blockbuster collections in the range of Rs 50 crore on Day 1 and gone on to collect a massive Rs 650 crore (gross) at the worldwide box-office.

In fact, Trade analyst Ramesh Bala went a step further and said the film had already grossed Rs 710 crore.

The film, starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah, continues to shatter box office records. It netted Rs 320-325 crore over the first three days of its release. Having collected more than Rs 125 crore over the first weekend in its Hindi format, it even broke Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal's record, which had collected around Rs 107 crore.  

Filmmaker Karan Johar called the film "Indian Cinema's crowning glory" as he tweeted late on Tuesday that it had grossed Rs 383 crore in all the four languages it was released in. 

Follow

 Karan Johar

383 crores!!!! All languages in 4 days!!!!! #Baahubali2TheConclusion ....Indian Cinema's crowning glory!!!!!!

Johar has a reason to rejoice. After all, his Dharma Productions marketed and distributed the Hindi-dub version of the movie. Johar also called the movie a "cinema revolution" due to its earnings on Monday. (READ MORE)

Baahubali 2: Prabhas immortalised by Madame Tussauds; joins SRK, Salman

The euphoria surrounding Baahubali 2 has turned into an unstoppable force

It seems as though the tornado causedby Baahubali 2 is not going to calm down anytime soon. Not only has the movie broken several records, with minting nearly Rs 500 crore within the first 5 days of launch, but its protagonist Prabhas, has become the darling of the masses and has garnered rave reviews for his performance not only by the audiences but also from critics all over the world. 

In fact, he has now beaten the likes of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan to become the first South Indian actor to have a wax statue at Madame Tussauds. The feat has been attained only by Bollywood’s A-listers who have had the opportunity to become immortal through their statues at the several Madam Tussauds’ museums across the world.

According to the Hindustan Times, Prabhas'wax statute was unveiled at Bangkok museum. The statue features him as his popular character Amarendra Baahubali from Rajamouli's epic drama.

Ever since trade analyst Ramesh Bala broke the news, the stills of Prabhas have gone viral leaving his fans in a frenzy.

Prabhas joins Bollywood A-listers

Prabhas, a darling of the masses, has joined the long list of Indian celebrities who have their wax statues on display by Madame Tussauds.

Amitabh Bachchan is the first living Asian and Bollywood star to be immortalised at London's Madame Tussauds wax museum in 2000. Not only this, his wax statues were placed in New York in 2009, Hong Kong in 2011, Bangkok in 2011 and Washington, DC in 2012.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was the first Bollywood actress to have her wax statue at the prestigious Madame Tussauds wax museum in London in 2004, joining her father-in-
law Amitabh Bachchan. While Aishwarya is now married and a mother too, her wax statue draped in a saree, reminds of her yesteryear days. The much talked-about wax 

figure of the former Miss World was also displayed at Madame Tussauds museum in Times Square in New York, in 2007.

Hrithik Roshan was immortalised at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in London in 2011. The actor’s statue, resembling a Greek God, can be seen flaunting his six pack abs in his Dhoom look.

Katrina Kaif: The actress unveiled the carefully sculpted wax statue in March 2015. A team of 20 artists worked on her wax figure, which cost £150,000 to produce.

Other bollywood biggies like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor also have their wax models crafted by Madame Tussauds.

(read more)

Samsung rolls out red tint fix for Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ in India

The software update is 426MB in size and is being currently rolled out for Indian units

 

Beset by red tint on display and random restarts, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ units faced initial hiccups after witnessing great reception soon after the launch. Addressing the same issue, Samsung has started rolling out software upgrade in India.

To download the latest software upgrade, go to the phone settings and click on the software update option. The software update is 426 MB in size and is being currently rolled out for Indian units.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are the flagship smartphones launched to offset the infamous Galaxy Note 7 debacle. Prior to the Note 7 crisis, Samsung commanded around 50-55 per cent share in the premium smartphone market in India. The share reduced to 17 per cent after Note 7 crisis. 

A recent report indicates that Samsung's share in the premium mobile segment grew to 48 per cent, but it is still not on a par to what it used to be before Note 7 crisis.

The success of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ devices holds utmost importance for Samsung globally. Issues concerning hardware breakdown or software inefficiency could lead to a drastic downfall of Samsung’s brand value, which is still on top in India.

ALSO READ: Style and substance: Reviewing Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

ALSO READ: Samsung seeks to douse Note 7 fire with S8

ALSO READ: Infographic: Samsung leads India's smartphone market, followed   by Xiaomi

ALSO READ: Samsung regains top spot in Q1 smartphone market

(read more)

Anantnag bypoll cancelled: Why have Kashmir's parties gone underground?

Public anger against PDP is mounting and unknown gunmen are knocking on doors of political activists

 

#LATEST | Less than a year ago, when you entered the town of Anantnag in South Kashmir, you were greeted with party flags. The pen and inkpot of the People’s Democratic Party, the plough of the National Conference, even the odd Congress hand fluttered in Khanabal Chowk, close to the government quarters.

As you drove deeper into Anantnag district, there were rival political rallies held in the main town and surrounding villages. And there was graffiti on walls and shopfronts, calling for a boycott of elections.

That was just before the bye-election to the Anantnag Assembly seat, which had fallen vacant with the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in January 2016. His daughter Mehbooba Mufti, who had succeeded him as chief minister, won that election in June. And as mandated by law, she quit her Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. Which meant another bye-election was due.

The polling was scheduled on April 12 this year, three days after the bye-election to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat. But when eight people were killed in firing by security forces on protestors trying to disrupt the Srinagar bye-election, which saw a turnout of only 7.14%, the Anantnag election was postponed to May 25. On Tuesday, as the violence continued, the Election Commission cancelled the bye-poll .

Clearly, the political and security establishments could not take any chances, certainly not in South Kashmir. A season of unrest has swept through the district since last June, wrenching the flags off Khanabal Chowk. There is new graffiti, demanding “India Go Back”, declaring “Intifada 2016”, swearing allegiance to slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and Pakistan. Some such slogans have been painted over but many remain.| read more...

Jio effect? You could soon buy a 4G feature phone only for Rs 1,500

Prices of 4G feature phones currently start at about Rs 3,000

Last year, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio disrupted the telecom space with extremely affordable 4G tariffs. The company seems to be geared to continue its disruptive streak by launching low-cost feature phones that, apparently, will do away with the need for smartphones.

Business Standard in January had reported that Reliance Jio was considering to launch 4G VoLTE-ready feature phones that would cost around Rs 999, with access to Jio’s high-speed 4G internet, the Jio digital store and play music.

According to a report published by The Economic Times on Tuesday, Chinese mobile chip maker Spreadtrum Communications has said it is working on reducing starting prices by at least half from the current levels, which might bring the 4G feature phone prices down to Rs 1,500.

Shanghai-based Spreadtrum Communications has a two-year old partnership with Reliance Industries Ltd and has powered its affordable LYF Flame 5 smartphone.

Reliance Jio Infocomm is understood to be in talks with Chinese contract manufacturers like Techchain, FortuneShip and Uniscope to explore manufacturing of 4G VoLTE feature phones, said a Financial Express report.| READ MORE..

ALSO READ:   Infosys to hire 10,000 Americans over two years

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Pay Rs 1,500 cr by June 15, or go to jail, SC warns Subrata Roy

Apex court warns Roy he will be sent back to Tihar if cheque is dishonoured

 

#COMPANIES | Sahara chief Subrata Roy has been able to buy some time, with the Supreme Court on Thursday accepting his offer to pay Rs 2,500 crore to investors by July 15. However, the apex court warned Roy of dire consequences if the cheque was dishonoured.

While hearing a case involving embattled Sahara conglomerate chief Subrata Roy and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) over a dispute about returning money to its investors, the court warned Roy he would be sent to Tihar jail in case the cheque was not honoured.

Last Friday, a special Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) court had quashed a non-bailable warrant issued against Roy as he appeared before the court.

The warrant was also quashed on an assurance from Roy that he will appear in all hearings now as the court asked him to submit an undertaking for the same.

The next hearing in this matter will take place on May 18 when the argument on framing of charges will begin.

The apex court earlier on April 17 ordered the auction of Sahara's Aamby Valley over the business conglomerate's alleged failure to deposit money for refunding to its investors.

The top court ordered the selling of 34,000 crore rupees worth of Sahara properties and directed its chief Subrata Roy to appear before it on April 28.| read more..