 Indian Institute of Technology Madras has raised a historic all-time high sum of Rs. 131 crore from alumni, donors, and corporate firms during the financial year of 2021-22 to further its philanthropic and socially-relevant projects.

IIT Madras fundraising soars to an All-Time High of Rs 131 Cr from Alumni & Corporates in 2021-22

Chennai: A G Perarivalan alias Arivu is now a free man following a legal battle, and that long fight provides scope for throwback moments of Tamil sentiment that propelled the struggle which was backed by most political parties and successive governments in Tamil Nadu. The clamour by pro-Tamil outfits for the release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts began well over a decade ago and their demand's undercurrent was that they were Tamil people who had championed the Tamil cause and have undergone punishment for decades. "Ezhu Tamizhar Viduthalai,' which means 'The release of 7 Tamils', became a popular outcry over a period of time in Tamil Nadu.The demand had the strong backing of Dravidian majors, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna DMK, and the Tamil Nadu Congress, apparently in view of the sentiments involved was prompted to declare in 2020 that if the court announces the release of the seven convicts it was acceptable to it. The Congress party however said then that political parties demanding their release was completely unacceptable. On top of all such factors, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his election campaign last year in Puducherry, had said that he had forgiven those responsible for his father Rajiv Gandhi's killing. The demand for their release was backed by almost all other parties including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. The May 17 Movement is among the prominent pro-Tamil outfits in Tamil Nadu. Though the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party was opposed to their release, it became apparent over the years that the saffron party too found it a touchy subject and tried its best to handle the matter in a subtle fashion. The Tamil sentiment in the Rajiv case context stems from the sufferings of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, political commentator M Bharat Kumar said. "The Tamil nationalists' argument is that the case against Perarivalan was fabricated and they see those convicted in this case as people who championed the Tamil cause and regard them as victims and hence a need to fight for their cause," he told PTI. Since these convicts have also suffered punishment in the case, the demand for their release found acceptance with several other sections of the people and their voices grew stronger, he said. "When this demand found acceptance, and especially when it is associated with Tamil sentiments, the AIADMK and DMK have no choice but to back it," he said. "Tamil nationalist supporters also have pointed out repeatedly that late LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran had said in 2002 that the killing of Rajiv Gandhi was a tragic incident," Kumar added. Social media posts from the Tamil diaspora also showed jubilation over the release of Perarivalan and a new hope for the release of others in the case.Naturally, all those sympathetic to the Tamil cause lent their support to the legal battle of the Rajiv case convicts. Perarivalan, aged 19 when he was arrested in 1991, allegedly bought two batteries that went into the making of a bomb used for assassinating Rajiv Gandhi. V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, P Ravichandaran and Nalini are in jail since 1991. Together with Arivu, they are the seven people who are referred to as the '7 Tamils.'When late chief minister J Jayalalithaa declared in 2014 that the sentences of life imprisonment of all the seven Rajiv case convicts would be remitted and that they would be released, the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court against that move. During the AIADMK regime (2011-21), the DMK exerted political pressure on the ruling party over the issue. In February 2021, K Palaniswami, who was the chief minister then, accused the DMK of enacting a 'political drama' on the issue of release of seven convicts with an eye on assembly elections. An important factor to the Tamil sentiment background may be traced to the 1980s. There is a perception among several sections of people in Tamil Nadu that then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi sending a peace keeping force (Indian Peace Keeping Force-IPKF) to Sri Lanka, though well-intentioned, resulted in 'brutalities' against the Tamil people. It was also alleged by some parties that the IPKF functioned in a one-sided manner, often siding with the island nation’s authorities. A fear perception also emerged among some Tamil groups in Sri Lanka that if the Congress party were to win the 1991 Lok Sabha polls in India, it may be detrimental to their interests. It is an open secret that AIADMK founder leader and late chief minister M G Ramachandran was very sympathetic to the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka and the violence unleashed against the Tamil people in the neighbouring country had socio-political resonance in Tamil Nadu. In May 1999, the apex court upheld the death sentence of four -- Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan and Nalini -- commuted the death sentence of three to life, and freed the remaining 19. On April 19, 2000, a cabinet meeting of the then DMK government recommended to then governor Fathima Beevi to commute the death sentence of Nalini Sriharan to life imprisonment out of the total four people whose capital punishment was upheld by the Supreme Court.The death sentence of the remaining three convicts was commuted in February 2014 by the apex court on the ground of inordinate delay of 11 years in deciding on their mercy petitions. Petitions of convicts seeking various reliefs saw a long legal battle both in the Madras high court and the Supreme Court. The AIADMK government took a cabinet decision on September 9, 2018, and recommended to the governor the release all seven convicts. Days after assuming office in 2021, Chief Minister M K Stalin urged President Ram Nath Kovind to accept the recommendation made by the state government in 2018 and remit the life sentences of the seven Rajiv case convicts and direct their immediate release. Despite such sentiments and efforts to get them released, the families of victims of the 1991 suicide bombing staunchly opposed their release all along. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by woman suicide bomber Dhanu, just before the top Congress party leader was to address an election campaign at Sriperumbudur near Chennai.—PTI

A G Perarivalan alias Arivu is now a free man following a legal battle, and that long fight provides scope for throwback moments of Tamil sentiment that propelled the struggle which was backed by most political parties and successive governments in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil sentiment strongly backed the 7 Rajiv case convicts for 31 years

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary.The former prime minister was assassinated in 1991 by terrorist organisation Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Tamil Nadu where he was on an election campaign.He was 46. Modi tweeted, ''On his death anniversary, paying tributes to our former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi.''—PTI

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary.

Modi pays tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on death anniversary

New Delhi:&nbsp;India's COVID-19 case tally rose by 1,675 to reach 4,31,40,068, while the number of active infections increased marginally to 14,841, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll has climbed to 5,24,490 with 31 fatalities reported from Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. Active cases, which rose by nine in a day, comprised 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate was 98.75 per cent, the health ministry said. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.41 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was 0.49 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 4,26,00,737, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent.The total number of Covid vaccine doses administered in India so far under the nationwide inoculation drive has exceeded 192.52 crore. India's COVID-19 case tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, 2021, and three crore on June 23 last year.—PTI

 India's COVID-19 case tally rose by 1,675 to reach 4,31,40,068, while the number of active infections increased marginally to 14,841, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

India logs 1,675 Covid cases in a day, 31 deaths

New Delhi: National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case in Delhi on May 31, official sources said on Friday. The questioning is reported to be in connection with a case of alleged financial irregularities in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association that is being probed by the federal agency. The summon has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for appearance at its headquarters here on May 31.The ED had in 2020 attached assets worth Rs 11.86 crore of Abdullah in this case.The 84-year-old NC patron has been questioned by the ED a number of times in the case.The ED had alleged that Abdullah "misused" his position as the president of the JKCA in the past and made appointments in the sports body so that the BCCI sponsored funds could be laundered.—PTI

National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case in Delhi on May 31, official sources said on Friday.

ED summons Farooq Abdullah in money laundering case

Kochi: As the Thrikkakara constituency here is all set to go for polling on May 31 for the byelection, the three major political fronts -- the LDF, the UDF and the NDA -- in Kerala have expressed confidence in winning the seat for which the high-octane campaign had ended on Sunday.While the ruling Left Democratic Front candidate, Dr Jo Joseph, believes that the voters of Thrikkakara, which is a traditional Congress bastion, will opt for a positive change and elect a ruling party MLA, the United Democratic Front candidate, Uma Thomas, said the constituency will be retained by her party.Meanwhile, BJP candidate A N Radhakrishnan is confident that with the support of senior politician P C George, who was recently arrested and released on bail in two hate speech cases, the National Democratic Front will win the polls."Ernakulam is an economic hub of Kerala and Thrikkakara is one of the most important constituencies here. But Thrikkakara does not have the proportionate development. Since its formation, the constituency has been ruled by the UDF. The Left government got a second term because of the developmental agenda. So, the people of Thrikkakara have understood this and will vote for the Left," Joseph told PTI.Uma Thomas, widow of former MLA P T Thomas, told PTI that she would like to carry forward the development dreams of her late husband."First of all, this is a UDF constituency. Secondly, this constituency was well looked after by PT (Thomas). This byelection was necessitated by his untimely death. He used to meet the people and used to take proactive steps for them. PT was like a family member for the people here. It's a huge factor," Uma said, expressing confidence that she will win the bypoll.Uma said she entered into the fray because the party workers urged her to take over her husband's development plans for the constituency."I want to continue what PT had started. I will follow his footsteps and policies. I have 100 per cent confidence that I will win this election. All the party workers have efficiently worked for the election here," she said.LDF's Joseph said the result of this election was not going to affect the government which was already ruling with a massive majority of 99 seats in the 140-seat Assembly."The choice before Thrikkakara is whether they need a ruling party MLA or an opposition MLA. The people of Thrikkakara will definitely stand with the LDF," Joseph said.Senior BJP leader and the party's state vice president Radhakrishnan, who took out a comparatively quiet campaigning process, however, on Sunday expressed confidence as George, despite being summoned by the Thiruvananthapuram police in a hate speech case, came to campaign for the NDA candidate on the last day."With the help of P C George, the BJP will win this election. The Communists and the Congress parties are silent of what George has said. The Communists and the Congress party want to appease the minority community. This time we will win the election and I will be elected to the Legislative Assembly," Radhakrishnan had told his supporters at Palarivattom on Sunday.The constituency, which was formed in 2011, had elected senior Congress leader Benny Behanan as its first MLA.In the 2016 assembly election, P T Thomas secured 61,268 votes, which was 45.42 per cent of the electorate while CPI(M)'s Sebastian Paul bagged 49,455 votes. That year, BJP's S Saji secured 21,247 votes.However, in 2021, Thomas won with a slightly reduced of 59,839 while CPI(M) backed Dr J Jacob got 45,510 votes. BJP had bagged 15,483 in the 2021 polls.Meanwhile, Twenty20, a political party backed by an industrial group here, had fielded a candidate in 2021 and secured 13,897 votes.Even though Twenty20 had entered into an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party this time, they have not fielded a candidate but asked the people to vote judiciously.The byelection was necessitated due to the death of P T Thomas last year.The Left party has deployed all its party mechanisms in the constituency which the Congress considers as its Impregnable fortress. Several Left front leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues, and other MLAs were camping in the constituency to wrest back the seat from the Congress.The Congress leaders, however, are confident that its traditional seat that stood strong with it even when there was a Left wave in 2021 would elect Uma Thomas to the state Assembly.Both the parties have raked up the SilverLine project as an election campaign.While the Congress-backed UDF campaigned that the proposed K-Rail is an expensive project which will also evict people from their homes, the CPI(M) has projected the developmental aspects of the semi-high speed rail project.The election will take place on May 31 and the counting is on June 3.—PTI

 As the Thrikkakara constituency here is all set to go for polling on May 31 for the byelection, the three major political fronts -- the LDF, the UDF and the NDA -- in Kerala have expressed confidence in winning the seat for which the high-octane campaign had ended on Sunday.

Thrikkakara goes to polls tomorrow

As the Thrikkakara constituency here is all set to go for polling on May 31 for the byelection, the three major political fronts -- the LDF, the UDF and the NDA -- in Kerala have expressed confidence in winning the seat for which the high-octane campaign had ended on Sunday.



New Delhi: Four of the 10 most valued domestic firms together added a whopping Rs 231,320.37 crore in market valuation last week, with market heavyweight Reliance Industries contributing the most to the overall gains. Last week, the Sensex jumped 884.57 points or 1.61 per cent.While TCS, Infosys and ICICI Bank were the other gainers from the top-10 pack, HDFC Bank, HUL, LIC, SBI, HDFC and Bharti Airtel faced erosion from their market valuation. Their cumulative losses stood at Rs 68,140.72 crore.The valuation of Reliance Industries jumped Rs 138,222.46 crore to reach Rs 18,80,350.47 crore.The market capitalisation (m-cap) of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) rallied by Rs 64,618.85 crore to Rs 12,58,274.59 crore and that of Infosys zoomed Rs 25,728.52 crore to Rs 6,40,373.02 crore.ICICI Bank added Rs 2,750.54 crore, taking its valuation to Rs 517,049.46 crore.In contrast, the m-cap of Bharti Airtel tanked Rs 25,955.25 crore to Rs 376,972.75 crore. <img src="https://im.rediff.com/money/2022/jun/05mcap.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900">The valuation of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) tumbled Rs 13,472.25 crore to Rs 506,157.94 crore.HDFC's valuation plunged Rs 9,355.02 crore to Rs 413,299.36 crore and that of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) dived Rs 8,963.69 crore to Rs 538,561.56 crore. The market valuation of HDFC Bank declined by Rs 6,199.94 crore to Rs 766,314.71 crore and that of State Bank of India (SBI) dipped Rs 4,194.57 crore to Rs 414,369.71 crore.In the ranking of top-10 firms, Reliance Industries retained the title of the most valued firm, followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, Infosys, HUL, ICICI Bank, LIC, SBI, HDFC and Bharti Airtel.—PTI

Four of the 10 most valued domestic firms together added a whopping Rs 231,320.37 crore in market valuation last week, with market heavyweight Reliance Industries contributing the most to the overall gains.

Four of top-10 firms add Rs 2.31 lakh cr in m-cap; Reliance lead gainer

Four of the 10 most valued domestic firms together added a whopping Rs 231,320.37 crore in market valuation last week, with market heavyweight Reliance Industries contributing the most to the overall gains.



New Delhi: Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,90,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday. A total of 5,233 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 5,24,715 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.An increase of 1,881 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.67 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.12 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,36,710, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 194.43 crore.India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.The seven new fatalities include five from Kerala and one each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.A total of 5,24,715 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,866 from Maharashtra, 69,801 from Kerala, 40,108 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,213 from Delhi, 23,523 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,205 from West Bengal.<img src="https://newads.rediff.com/rediffadserver/www/delivery/lg.php?bannerid=5315&amp;campaignid=1829&amp;zoneid=385&amp;source=_blank&amp;loc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rediff.com%2Fnews%2Freport%2Findia-records-over-5000-covid-cases-after-3-months%2F20220608.htm&amp;referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rediff.com%2F&amp;cb=bd2e569ea5">The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities."Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.—PTI

Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,90,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday.

India records over 5,000 Covid cases after 3 months

Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,90,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday.



New Delhi: India added 13,615 new coronavirus infections in day while the active cases rose to 1,31,043, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday.The country's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,36,52,944 and the death toll climbed to 5,25,474 with 20 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.The active cases comprise 0.30 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.50 per cent.An increase of 330 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.23 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.24 per cent, according to the ministry.The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,29,96,427, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent.According to the ministry, 199 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.The 20 new fatalities include three each from Kerala and West Bengal, two each from Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan and one each from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Sikkim.A total of 5,25,474 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,978 from Maharashtra, 70,153 from Kerala, 40,124 from Karnataka, 38,028 from Tamil Nadu, 26,284 from Delhi, 23,547 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,246 from West Bengal.The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities."Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. —PTI

India added 13,615 new coronavirus infections in day while the active cases rose to 1,31,043, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday.

India Logs 13,615 New Covid Cases, Active Tally Rise

Mumbai: In one of the most brazen political coups in recent years, the 31-month-old unique experimental alliance of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress 'Maha Vikas Aghadi crashed in 10 days flat, peaking a sneaky but defiant drama by rebels, spanning 3 states.A group of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs -- the number dubiously coinciding with a famous tale in the glorious Arabian Nights -- decided to go ‘single and mingle' with ‘external forces' and the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray fell like a hapless ‘Humpty Dumpty'.Almost like a puzzled 'Ali Baba', Thackeray, who was once greeted with ‘Assalamo Alaikum' by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, rushed to bolt the stable…, but it was already too late as his trusted horses had bolted across the state's borders.The 40 MLAs zipped off in deluxe cars, air-dashed in chartered planes and were treated to ‘super-secure' lavish sojourns in five-star hotels - in Gujarat, Assam and Goa - before their ‘ghar-wapsi' to Maharashtra after a fortnight.The manner in which many of the lawmakers pulled off their nocturnal vanishing trick without arousing suspicions was both hackneyed and hilarious - slinking off with innocuous excuses of ‘tummy upset', ‘headache', ‘bodypains', etc, and one plucky MLA even ‘re-escaped' to Mumbai on a plea for a pee…!In Mumbai, the Sena went into a spin and mounted a belated damage control exercise as almost its entire legislative citadel and the MVA tumbled, Thackeray quit as CM, in 24 hours a new government propped up by the Bharatiya Janata Party was formed with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. The entire rebellion, as it turned out later, bloomed with the blessings of the BJP without waving its usual ‘Operation Lotus' flag, and it remained in denial mode till the two-member regime was sworn-in. With the embarrassing failure of a similar dawn operation that failed to germinate in late November 2019, when Fadnavis took oath as CM and the NCP's Ajit Pawar as Deputy CM, but falling in barely 80 hours - probably fresh in the mind, in June 2022, the BJP took pains to maintain ‘a safe distance' up to the end after the MVA was dumped into the bin, before sounding the ‘Horn, OK Please' triumphantly.Both sides headed by Shinde and Fadnavis even kept their proposed power-sharing formula a top secret -- and it was revealed only a few hours before the oath taking ceremony when the BJP shouted, ‘Open Sesame' before a boggled media.And the doors of power were opened for Shinde as the new surprise CM, and seconds prior to the swearing-in, Fadnavis was squeezed in at the last second as the ‘second-in-chief' to the CM, shocking the national and state polity. As a subsequent legal tangle unfolded, it transpired that the BJP offered the plum post to Shinde to dilute its ‘power-hungry' image, plus blame the ‘rebels group' in case it failed to limp for long, and - as Sharad Pawar and Sanjay Raut predict - pave the way for mid-term poll in a few months.Initially flustered, the Sena quickly went into offensive mode, took certain pre-emptive steps, but also dropped hints of rapprochement with the rebels as the party continued to split and leak incessantly.Undeterred, the rebels group kept chanting that it is the ‘real Shiv Sena', unnerving Thackeray and his loyal band of around 15 MLAs and some 16 MPs who are still sticking together. The 40-strong group, eyeing the upcoming ‘ministerial treasures' on the treasury side -- besides lapsing into a peaceful ‘sleep mode' with the invisible hanging swords of Central probe agencies off their heads -- became bolder.As a senior Sena leader rued, how - in just a fortnight - those who lacked the guts to even glance at the Thackerays, are now freely snapping, leering, jeering, and ‘ordering' the Sena to dump the NCP-Congress and embrace its ‘natural saffron ally' or prepare to be pushed to the political pavements…Down but not out, a determined Thackeray &amp; Co. hit back with several legal cases, pending in the Supreme Court, cautioned Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari against rewarding the rebel MLAs with ministries or offices of profit as their fate is hanging in the balance amid other remedies to safeguard the party apparatus and its assets like the Tiger logo and Bow &amp; Arrow poll symbol, etc.On his part, Thackeray has remained dignified and statesmanlike throughout the recent tumult and during his short-lived tenure as CM, with his image intact, despite multiple political assaults.—IANSThese included facing perpetually long-faced allies, an ultra-aggressive Opposition BJP, a hostile Raj Bhavan, hounding central investigative agencies, aloof bureaucracy, a large part of his term spent battling the corona pandemic and its huge fallout, disgruntled party MLAs, and finally the proverbial ‘stab in the back' that pulled the rug - and the CM's chair - from under his feet.—IANS

In one of the most brazen political coups in recent years, the 31-month-old unique experimental alliance of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress 'Maha Vikas Aghadi crashed in 10 days flat, peaking a sneaky but defiant drama by rebels, spanning 3 states.

Once Bitten In The Ajit Pawar Snafu, Now Bjp Got Its Coup Right

New Delhi: According to the company's chairman, R C Bhargava, Maruti Suzuki India is launching 'Maruti 3.0' with the goal of increasing production capacity by 20 lakh units in nine years, bringing the total number of models available to the market to around 28 by FY31.
In his address to the company's shareholders in the Annual Report for 2022-23, the CEO explained that the company, known for its small cars, is now restructuring its production facilities to "conform to the realities and what we are projecting for the future" as SUV sales continue to gain momentum in India and demand for the smaller entry-level car market shows no signs of recovering to the growth rates of the past.
Bhargava added that whereas the Chinese auto market "grew in double digits" in the past, the Indian auto market is "expected to maintain a 6 per cent growth rate until FY 2030-31."—Inputs from Agencies

According to the company's chairman, R C Bhargava, Maruti Suzuki India is launching 'Maruti 3.0' with the goal of increasing production capacity by 20 lakh units in nine years, bringing the total number of models available to the market to around 28 by FY31.

RC Bgargava: Maruti 3.0 to add 20 lakh units per year in 9 years, 28 models by FY31.

Nuh (Haryana): The Nuh District court has reserved till Saturday evening its order on the bail petition of Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan who is currently in judicial custody in connection with July 31 violence in Nuh. Mamman Khan’s lawyer had applied for bail and today arguments between both parties lasted for more than half an hour. The hearing was held in Court No. 2 of Additional District and Sessions Judge Sandeep Duggal. The court reserved its decision till 4 pm today. Khan the MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka was on September 15 arrested in connection with the communal clashes in Nuh and adjoining areas of the state was on September 19 sent to 14 days judicial custody. Earlier on September 17, the Nuh district court sent Khan to a further two days of police remand after completion of a previous two-day remand. Khan was reported to have been arrested from the house of one of his relatives on the Jaipur-Ajmer road and was brought to Nuh by police. Violence broke out in Nuh during a procession by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on July 31 this year. Six people were killed and a cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram. The Ferozepur Jhirka MLA had moved the court on September 12, seeking protection from arrest while claiming that he was being framed in the case, since he was not present in Nuh the day the violence broke out. —ANI

The Nuh District court has reserved till Saturday evening its order on the bail petition of Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan 

Haryana: Nuh court reserves order on MLA Mamman Khan’s bail plea till 4 pm today

Melbourne [Australia]: Despite bundling out Australia within a session and Abdullah Shafique and skipper Shan Masood scoring half-centuries, it was a disappointing day two for Pakistan during the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday. Coming out to bat in their first innings, Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq gave a decent start to their side, with Shafique being the key accumulator. Imam on the other hand succumbed to a great delivery by Nathan Lyon, giving a catch to Marnus Labuschagne for just 10. Pakistan was 34/1.
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Skipper Shan Masood was next up at the crease. Pakistan reached the 50-run mark in 19.1 overs. At the end of the second session (Tea), Pakistan was 68/1, with Masood (15*) and Shafique (39*) unbeaten.  After the break, Masood played Lyon's spin with a positive, attacking intent while Shafique also kept one end steady. Shafique reached his half-century in 90 balls with four boundaries. This was his fifth Test fifty. Pakistan reached the 100-run mark in 28.5 overs. Masood targeted spin while Shafique targeted pacers. A 90-run stand between them for the second wicket was ended by skipper Pat Cummins, who caught and bowled Shafique for 62 in 109 balls, with five fours. Pakistan was 124/2. Cummins got his second wicket when he rattled Babar Azam's stumps for just one run. Azam's terrible form continued with this inning, leaving Pakistan at 131/3. Masood playing a captain's knock, brought up his eighth Test fifty in 63 balls, with three fours and a six. But Lyon cleaned him up for a 76-ball 54, with three fours and a six. Pakistan was 147/4. Pakistan reached the 150-run mark in 43 overs. Josh Hazlewood's delivery ended Saud Shakeel's disappointing nine-run knock, ending his string of double-digit scores that lasted till now for eight Tests. Pakistan was 151/5. Cummins was running through the Pakistani middle-order, getting his third wicket, Agha Salman for just five runs after being caught by wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey. Pakistan was 170/6.
Mohammed Rizwan (29* in 34 balls, with a four and six) played some attacking shots, ending the day two at 194/6 with Aamer Jamal (2*) at the other side. Pakistan trailed by 124 runs. Cummins (3/37) and Lyon (2/48) were the top bowlers for Australia.  Earlier, Pakistan pacers had something to rejoice about as they bundled out Australia for 318 in the first session of day two of the second Test against Aussies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday. Australia started the day at 187/3, with Marnus Labuschagne (44*) and Travis Head (9*) unbeaten. With Head scoring a couple of boundaries, Australia reached the 200-run mark in 67.4 overs. Shaheen Afridi struck early for Pakistan, removing Head for 17 after he was caught at the slips. Australia was 204/4. Marnus joined forces with in-form Mitchell Marsh. He also brought up his half-century, his 17th, in 135 balls, with five fours. Australia reached the 250-run mark in 79.2 overs. Aamer Jamal continued his red-hot form from the first Test, removing Marnus for 63 off 155 balls, with five fours, with Abdullah Shafique taking a fine catch at slips. Australia was 250/5. Following Marnus' dismissal, Marsh was the only one who could put up a decent score, scoring 41 in 60 balls, with six fours and a six, before being removed by Mir Hamza.  The rest of the batting line-up did just enough to help Australia cross the 300-run mark in 93.3 overs. Australia was bundled out for 318 in 96.5 overs. Australia had managed to build on a solid 90-run opening stand between David Warner (38 in 83 balls, with three fours) and Usman Khawaja (42 in 101 balls, with five fours). Jamal (3/64) was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan. Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza and Shaheen also took two wickets while Agha Salman got one. 
Brief Scores: Australia: 318 (Marnus Labuschagne 63, Usman Khawaja 42, Aamer Jamal 3/64) lead Pakistan: 194/6 (Abdullah Shafique 62, Shan Masood 54, Pat Cummins 3/37) by 124 runs.
—ANI

Despite bundling out Australia within a session and Abdullah Shafique and skipper Shan Masood scoring half-centuries, it was a disappointing day two

AUS vs PAK, 2nd Test: Cummins' spell puts Aussies in driver seat despite fifties from Abdullah, Shan (Day 2, Stumps)

Lucknow: The Master Plan 2031 for Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Meerut, Aligarh and Mathura-Vrindavan districts was presented before Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a high-level meeting held at his official residence on Wednesday. The Chief Minister said that a comprehensive study should be conducted in view of the present situation and future needs of all the districts so that we can take them into account in the Master Plan. Clusters should be developed to encourage local crafts and traditional products. The Chief Minister said that the Inner Ring Road will have to be developed in all the cities. Facilities should be developed on various link roads next to this Inner Ring Road. To remove the congestion within the city, it is necessary to provide facilities for the development of different business activities on different routes outside the Ring Road. "For example, arrangements should be made to build warehouses for the textile market and the pharmaceutical market at different places. Similarly, an education hub should be developed on some other route. This work will also promote healthy competition," he added. CM Yogi said that while planning in urban areas, there should be a provision for generating income from one's sources. Bus stations should be established as far outside the city as possible. People should be provided with an electric bus facility to come to the city. The Chief Minister said, "Traffic management in cities is an important subject. We need to make concerted efforts for this. Give preference to electric buses in the city. Conventional fuel buses should be kept out of the city as much as possible. Determine suitable space for multilevel parking." He said that a logistics hub should also be prepared near Transport Nagar. Rehabilitation of the people affected due to various development projects should be carried out on priority. The Chief Minister said that it should be ensured that green area is reserved in the Master Plan of every city. Wherever there is a green belt, no new colony should be established under any circumstances. Include this instruction in the Master Plan. All types of basic facilities like roads, sewer, electricity, and water should be available in the newly developed colonies. CM Yogi further added that today Uttar Pradesh is hosting big national and international events. To ensure that every city of the state gets such opportunities, the development of infrastructure facilities is necessary. International-level convention centres should be developed by all development authorities. "All authorities/local bodies should ensure that illegal settlements/illegal residential colonies are not established anywhere under any circumstances. Every colony should have all the necessary facilities," he said. The Chief Minister also noted that the development authorities will have to explore new possibilities. The extension will have to take place outside the Municipal Corporation. Expand your scope. Create new sources of income. "The catchment of the river/pond should not be encroached upon. There should be a better action plan for solid waste management," he added. —ANI

The Master Plan 2031 for Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Meerut, Aligarh and Mathura-Vrindavan districts was presented before Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi 

Yogi Considers Master Plan For Development Of Various Districts In UP

Authorities in Pittsburgh closed McKees Rocks Bridge as a precaution after several barges broke loose on the Ohio River late Friday.
There is a risk that the barges could come into contact with the “substructure” of the bridge, the McKees Rocks Police Department said in a statement early Saturday confirming the closure. The department said it closed the bridge because it was “not willing to take the risk.”  The bridge opened in 1931 and stretches more than 1 mile across the Ohio River. As part of the Blue Belt, the innermost of several roads that loop around Pittsburgh, the bridge connects Pittsburgh and the borough of McKees Rocks.
Pittsburgh authorities were conducting a search for the barges after the first report about 11:25 pm. that several barges were adrift, according to a shift commander at Allegheny County’s 911 center. About 15 to 20 barges were loose, she said. It was unclear early Saturday why the barges had broken free, or whether there were any injuries or damage, she said.  A flood warning was in effect until Saturday evening in Allegheny County, which includes the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, where water levels had risen above the flood stage, 25 feet, by early Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
—International New York Times

McKees Rocks Bridge in Pittsburgh closes as barges break loose on the Ohio River, posing a threat to bridge safety amid rising flood waters.

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IIT Madras fundraising soars to an All-Time High of Rs 131 Cr from Alumni & Corporates in 2021-22

Sunil Aswal

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IIT Madras fundraising soars to an All-Time High of Rs 131 Cr from Alumni & Corporates in 2021-22

Sunil Aswal

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