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Thu, 01 August 2024

Railways promotes Olympic hero Kusale as OSD

Timeline Refresh

Air India on Thursday cancelled its flight from the national capital to Tel Aviv, citing operational reasons.

The cancellation also comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terror group Hamas.

Air India operates four flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv every week.

In an update on its website, Air India said it has cancelled its flights AI139 from Delhi to Tel Aviv and AI140 from Tel Aviv to Delhi on August 1 due to operational reasons.

"Passengers having confirmed bookings for travel on these two flights, will be provided with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. The inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted," it said. -- PTI

Central Railway on Thursday promoted shooter Swapnil Kusale, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and appointed him as officer on special duty. Kusale clinched the first ever Olympic bronze in 50m rifle 3 positions event, taking India's overall tally to three at the ongoing Paris Games.

On the basis of his performance in the Paris Olympics, Kusale has been promoted as OSD, Sports Cell in Mumbai from travelling ticket examiner, CR chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said.

The promotion order for Kusale has been issued, Nila added. Kusale, hailing from Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, had joined as a commercial cum ticket clerk in Central Railway's Pune Division in 2015.

Earlier, in a release, CR said Kusale's success, which has come after years of dedication and training, makes him a role model for the country's aspiring athletes.

"Kusale has made history by bagging a bronze medal. This achievement not only adds to India's medal tally but also establishes Swapnil as a significant figure in Indian shooting sports," CR said in a release.

"His success comes after years of dedication and training, making him a role model for aspiring athletes in the country," the release added. -- PTI

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23:25 SpiceJet passengers got stranded at Dubai after flight cancellations

Hundreds of SpiceJet passengers were stranded at the Dubai airport on Wednesday after flights were cancelled due to issues related to non-payment of dues to the airport authority, according to a source.

A SpiceJet spokesperson on Thursday said few flights from Dubai to India were cancelled due to operational reasons on Wednesday but did not elaborate.

The source in the know said around 10 SpiceJet flights, which were to be operated to various Indian cities from Dubai, were cancelled due to non-payment of dues.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Dubai, the source said .

"On July 31, 2024, a few flights from Dubai to India were cancelled due to operational reasons," the airline spokesperson said.

"The airline took immediate steps to mitigate the impact by rebooking affected passengers on subsequent flights and providing hotel accommodations," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that all its scheduled flights from Dubai are now operating as planned. -- PTI

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23:13 Three Maoists held in Telangana

Three Maoists cadres including an area committee member of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist and a Maoist sympathiser were on Thursday arrested in Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana, the police said.

The four including a woman Maoist were nabbed in Damaratogu forest area of the district by special police parties who were on combing operation in the area following an exchange of fire between the ultras and police on July 25, they said.

The three Maoists were involved in various extremist offences in Telangana and neighbouring Chhattisgarh, the police said, adding they seized one INSAS rifle along with 29 rounds of the weapon from the possession of the area committee member.

The arrested Maoists along with other sympathisers were holding a meeting to revive the Maoist party when they were caught by the police, a police release said.

Two of the Maoists belong to Chhattisgarh and the woman Maoist and the sympathiser hail from Telangana, it said.

A case was registered against them at Gundala police station. -- PTI

23:02 IndiGo to start flights to Jaffna from Sep 1

IndiGo will commence direct daily flights connecting Chennai and Jaffna from September 1.

For the airline, Jaffna will be the second destination in Sri Lanka after Colombo and the 34th international destination.

In a release on Thursday, IndiGo said it will have non-stop daily flights between Chennai and Jaffna, starting September 1.

The demand for travel between Chennai and Jaffna is evident, with over 21,000 passengers flying the route in just nine months last year, it added.

Vinay Malhotra, head of global sales at IndiGo, said that in addition to these daily flights to Jaffna, the airline offers 30 weekly frequencies from 4 points in India to Colombo. -- PTI

A view of the devastating landslide in Wayanad, Kerala/Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

22:53 Landslide: Kerala bars scientists' media interactions

The Kerala government requested the state's scientific community on Thursday to refrain from sharing their opinions and study reports on the Wayanad landslides with the media.

Tiku Biswal, the state relief commissioner and principal secretary for disaster management, in an order directed all science and technology institutions in Kerala not to undertake field visits to the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad, which has been designated a disaster-affected area.

In one of the worst disasters in the state's history, heavy rain-induced landslides claimed more than 290 lives in Wayanad.

Scientists from the state and beyond attributed the disaster to a deadly mix of forest cover loss, mining in the fragile terrain and climate change.

"You are requested to direct all science and technology institutions in the state of Kerala not to undertake any field visits to Meppadi panchayat, Wayanad, which is notified as a disaster-affected area," according to Biswal's order to KP Sudheer, principal secretary in the state's science and technology department.

"The scientific community shall be directed to restrain themselves from sharing their opinions and study reports to (the) media. If any study is to be undertaken in the disaster-affected area, prior permission shall be obtained from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority," it said. -- PTI

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22:33 12 killed in lightning strikes in Bihar

Twelve people were killed by lightning strikes across four districts in Bihar in the last 24 hours, an official statement said on Thursday.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, Gaya reported five deaths, Jehanabad (3), and Nalanda and Rohtas recorded two each.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his condolences and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.

He also urged people to adhere to advisories from the Disaster Management Department.

The latest Bihar Economic Survey (2023-24), presented during the state assembly's budget session in February, said the state saw 400 lightning-related deaths in 2022.

The districts with the highest fatalities were Gaya (46), Bhojpur (23), Nawada (21), Banka (21), Aurangabad (20) and Nalanda and Kaimur, each with 18 fatalities.

The survey also noted that Bihar allocated Rs 430.92 crore for disaster management in 2022-23, with the largest portion - Rs 285.22 crore - dedicated to local disasters like lightning and drowning. -- PTI

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa (middle)/File image

21:53 Court extends judicial custody of actor Darshan, other accused till Aug 14

A Bengaluru court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of arrested Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 associates in the Renukaswamy murder case till August 14.

The 24th additional chief metropolitan magistrate court, presided over by Judge Vishwanath C Gowder, issued the order after all the accused persons appeared for the hearing via video conference from Parappana Agrahara and Tumkur jails.

According to the police, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan and prompted him to plan and execute his murder. Renukaswamy's body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.

One of the accused, Raghavendra, who is part of Darshan's fan club in Chitradurga, brought the fellow admirer of Darshan to a shed in R R Nagar here on the pretext that the actor wanted to meet him.

It was in this shed that Renukaswamy was allegedly tortured and murdered. According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamy, a native of Chitradurga, died due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries. -- PTI

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21:31 Indian fisherman dies, another missing as Lankan vessel, Indian boat collide

An Indian fisherman was killed and another went missing following a collision on Thursday morning between a Sri Lankan naval vessel and an Indian fishing boat allegedly poaching in the island nation's territorial waters, the Navy said in Colombo.

The incident happened off the coast to the West of the Delft islet in Jaffna, Navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickremasuriya said.

"The Navy was trying to arrest or to make them flee. But they moved aggressively, causing a collision with the Naval craft," he said.

He claimed that the Indian trawler, carrying four fishermen, capsized due to aggressive manoeuvres and rough sea conditions.

The Indian trawler was toppled and sunk when the four fishermen jumped to the sea to avoid being arrested, Wickremasuriya said.

One fisherman is missing and the Navy is conducting a search operation to locate him.

One of the rescued fishermen was admitted to the Punkuduthivu Hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

The other two remain in Naval custody.

The magisterial inquiry on the dead would be held in Jaffna on Friday, the Naval spokesman said.

In New Delhi, the Sri Lankan acting high commissioner was called to the ministry of external affairs and a strong protest was registered over the incident. -- PTI

US journalist Evan Gershkovich/Dmitry Chasovitin/Reuters/File Photo

21:13 Russia frees US scribe, ex-marine in prisoner swap

Just In: Russia released US journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US marine in the biggest prisoner swap with the West since Cold War, said a BBC report.

The US journalist was freed under the prisoner exchange pact between Russia and the US, reported BBC quoting the Wall Street Journal.

A former US marine, Paul Whelan and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva are also expected to be released as per the deal, said the report quoting a senior US official.

More details soon.

The Centre's fiscal deficit at the end of the first quarter touched 8.1 per cent of the full-year target, government data showed on Wednesday.

In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit -- the gap between expenditure and revenue -- was Rs 1,35,712 crore as of June-end, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

The deficit stood at 25.3 per cent of the Budget Estimates (BE) in the corresponding period of the financial year 2023-24. In the Union Budget, the government projected to bring down the fiscal deficit to 4.9 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the current 2024-25 financial year.

The deficit was 5.6 per cent of the GDP in 2023-24. In absolute terms, the government aims to contain the fiscal deficit at Rs 16,85,494 crore during the current fiscal.

Unveiling the revenue-expenditure data of the union government for the first three months of 2024-25, CGA said the net tax revenue was Rs 5,49,633 crore or 21.1 per cent of the BE for the current fiscal.

The net tax revenue collection was 18.6 per cent at end-June 2023.

The central government's total expenditure in the first quarter stood at Rs 9,69,909 crore or 20.4 per cent of BE.

The expenditure had just crossed 23 per cent of the BE in the year-ago period.

Of the total expenditure, Rs 7.88 lakh crore was on the revenue account and Rs 1.81 lakh crore was towards the capital account.

Of the total revenue expenditure, Rs 2,64,052 crore was on interest payments.

Fiscal deficit is the difference between the total expenditure and revenue of the government. It is an indication of the total borrowings that are needed by the government. -- PTI

20:29 BSE Sensex: Top gainers today

From the Sensex stocks, Power Grid, NTPC, HDFC Bank, Nestle India, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Maruti Suzuki India and Reliance Industries were the major gainers.

In contrast, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv, State Bank of India, Larsen & Toubro and Tata Motors were the laggards.

20:28 Markets hit record high levels for 5th day

Stock markets remained on a record-smashing course for the fifth straight day on Thursday, with Sensex and Nifty settled at record-high levels after buying in index heavyweights HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 126.21 points or 0.15 per cent to settle at a new lifetime high of 81,867.55.

In the intra-day session, it soared 388.15 points, or 0.47 per cent, to hit an all-time intra-day high of 82,129.49.

The Karnataka government on Thursday 'strongly advised' the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to withdraw his 'show-cause notice' to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam' and alleged a concerted effort to destabilise the Congress regime.

The Council of Ministers discussed the show-cause notice, and alleged 'gross misuse of the Constitutional Office ' of the Governor and said a concerted effort is being made to destabilise a lawfully elected majority government in Karnataka for political considerations.

Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, the Governor issued the notice on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.

'...Hence, the request of the petitioner needs to be processed as per provisions of section 17(A) and 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 218 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023...,' the Governor had said in his notice to the chief minister.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, the Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the Governor failed to take note of the fact that Abraham comes with criminal antecedents having criminal cases of blackmail and extortion registered against him.

The Council strongly urges the Governor to withdraw the notice and to proceed forthwith to reject the application for sanction filed by Abraham, he said.

"I am hopeful that the Governor will withdraw the notice, and will uphold the dignity of his office in spite of any pressure."

Shivakumar said it expressed the view that the Governor in issuing the 'show-cause notice' has acted in undue haste, throwing to wind all procedural requirements.

He described the Governor's decision as a 'murder of democracy and the Constitution'.

"There is no case for prosecution here."

In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been 'acquired' by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA 'scam' is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.

The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'.

The chief minister skipped today's meeting of the Council of Ministers and authorised Shivakumar to chair it. Home Minister G Parameshwara said since the Cabinet was slated to discuss the notice issued to him by the Governor, Ministers requested the Chief Minister not to attend it. -- PTI

19:25 Wayanad landslides a national disaster: Rahul

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with sister Priyanka visited landslides-hit areas of Wayanad on Thursday and said he was 'deeply pained' to see people who have lost family members and homes in the tragedy, calling it a 'national disaster' and demanded an urgent comprehensive action plan.

Gandhi, a former Congress MP from Wayanad, said it was a 'terrible tragedy for Wayanad, Kerala, and the nation'.

"We have come here to see the situation. It is quite a painful experience to see that people lost their family members and houses. It's very difficult to speak to people in these circumstances because you really don't know what to say to them. It's been quite a difficult day for me, but we are going to try and help make sure that the survivors get what is due," he told reporters.

"To me, this is a national disaster for sure, but let's see what the government says," he said in response to reporters' queries.

Both Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, visited the landslide-hit Chooralmala area of Wayanad.

Vadra spoke along similar lines, saying the pain people in the area were experiencing was unimaginable.

"We are here to help them and to give as much support and comfort as we can." she said.

Both of them were speaking to reporters after visiting the landslide-affected area of Chooralmala here, a hospital and community health centre in Meppadi, and two relief camps.

After visiting the landslide-hit spot, Gandhi in a Facebook post said that witnessing the scenes of disaster and tragedy deeply pained his heart.

"In these difficult times, Priyanka and I stand with the people of Wayanad. We are closely monitoring the relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts, ensuring that all necessary assistance is provided. The UDF is committed to extending all possible support."

"The repeated incidents of landslides and natural calamities are extremely concerning. A comprehensive action plan is urgently needed," he said in his post.

After reaching Chooralmala, Gandhi and his sister -- donning translucent blue raincoats -- crossed the temporary wooden walkway built there, witnessed the construction of the Bailey Bridge, and walked around the area, braving the rain and muddy terrain.

'LoP Shri @RahulGandhi & AICC General Secretary Smt. @priyankagandhi ji visited the Chooralmala landslide site in Wayanad where devastating landslides have claimed many lives and left families devastated.'

Congress said on social media platform X and shared photographs of the visit.

Thereafter, they visited two relief camps, Dr Moopen's Medical College and the Community Health Centre in Meppadi where the bodies of the victims were kept in refrigerated coffins and interacted with the grieving families there.

AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal and various other Congress leaders also accompanied them.

Gandhi, who won from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections, had emerged victorious this year as well.

However, as also won from the Raebareli LS seat in Uttar Pradesh, he gave up the Wayanad segment, from where Vadra is expected to contest when a by-election is held there.

Gandhi and Vadra landed at Kannur airport at 9.30 am and then travelled to Wayanad by road. -- PTI

A court in Delhi on Thursday allowed the second bail plea of an SUV driver, arrested for his alleged role in drowning of three civil services aspirants in the basement of a coaching centre.

During the proceedings, the Delhi police told the court that they have decided to drop harsher charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Manuj Kathuria, the SUV driver.

Additional sessions judge Rakesh Kumar was hearing an appeal against the denial of bail to Kathuria by a magisterial court on Wednesday.

"The bail is allowed," the judge said. A detailed order of the court is awaited.

Kathuria was accused of driving his Force Gurkha car through the street that was flooded by rainwater, causing the water to swell and breach the gates of the three-storey building housing the coaching centre and inundate the basement.

During the proceedings, the Delhi police told the court that they have decided to drop 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' charge against Kathuria.

"During the further investigation, as carried out in the preceding 48 hours, it has transpired that the ingredients of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) is, at this stage, not being sufficiently established," the investigating officer (IO) said in his reply to the appeal.

"The same can be better assessed when the expert team from IIT-Delhi visits the spot and post inspection, submits its findings. Thus, as of now, the primary offence against the accused is of Sec 281 BNS (rash driving or riding on public way) for which the court may kindly pass appropriate orders as deemed fit," the IO added.

On Wednesday, terming the offence as "serious", the magisterial court had denied bail to Kathuria, saying the plea was "untenable at this stage".

18:28 Leave Lebanon, embassy tells Indian nationals

The Indian embassy in Beirut on Thursday strongly advised Indian nationals against travelling to Lebanon till further notice and leave the country amidst the growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

Since October 8 last year, violence has flared across the border between Israeli troops and Hezbollah.

On Tuesday, Israel targeted Hezbollah's top military commander Fouad Shukur in a strike in southern Beirut.

Israel later confirmed that it had killed Shukur, who it said was behind the weekend rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 youths.

"In view of the recent developments and potential threats in the region, Indian nationals are strongly advised against travelling to Lebanon till further notice," the Indian embassy in Beirut said in an advisory posted on X.

"All Indian nationals are also strongly advised to leave Lebanon," it said.

"Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the embassy of India in Beirut through their email id: cons.beirut@mea.gov.in or the emergency phone number +96176860128," the Indian embassy in Beirut said in an advisory posted on X.

This advisory comes after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on Wednesday and the killing of Shukur by Israel in Beirut a few hours earlier, increasing the risk of a dangerous escalation in West Asia.

17:58 Puja Khedkar denied anticipatory bail

A Delhi court on Thursday denied anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar who has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing of OBC and PwD (person with disabilities) quota benefits.

Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala said Delhi Police 'must also investigate if anyone from inside the UPSC helped Khedkar'.

The judge also widened the probe in the case and directed Delhi Police to investigate if other persons have availed of benefits under OBC and PwD quotas without entitlement.

The UPSC on Wednesday cancelled Khedkar's candidature and debarred her from future exams.

The judge had on Wednesday reserved the order after hearing arguments on the application filed by Khedkar, who claimed through her lawyer that she has 'imminent threat of arrest'.

During the proceeding, the prosecution as well as the counsel appearing for the UPSC had opposed the application, claiming that she has 'cheated the system'.

"This person has abused the law and process of law. The chances of her abusing the law is still there. She is a resourceful person," the counsel appearing for the UPSC had claimed before the court.

She was accused of 'misrepresenting information' in her application for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination, 2022. -- PTI

The Delhi police on Thursday told a court that they have decided to drop harsher charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the SUV driver in the coaching centre death case.

The decision to drop the charge was conveyed by the investigating officer (IO) to additional sessions judge Rakesh Kumar who is hearing an appeal against the denial of bail to the SUV driver, Manuj Kathuria, by a magisterial court on Wednesday.

The judge has also reserved the order on the second bail plea of the driver, arrested for his alleged role in drowning of three civil services aspirants in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Delhi.

The Allahabad high court on Thursday ruled that the trial in 18 cases relating to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura can continue, dismissing a petition filed by the mosque committee that challenged the maintainability of these suits.

Justice Mayank Kumar Jain had on June 6 reserved his judgment on the plea moved by the Muslim side on maintainability of the suits. The court has now fixed August 12 as the date for framing of issues.

The suits filed by Hindu litigants seek "removal" of the Shahi Idgah mosque adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple.

The petitions claim that the Aurangazeb-era mosque was built after the demolition of a temple that marked the spot where Lord Krishna was born.

But the mosque management committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board argued that the suits were barred under Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 that prohibits changing the status of any place of worship from what it was on the day of the country's Independence.

Hindu side counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain told reporters that with the dismissal of the plea challenging maintainability, the high court will continue to hear all the cases.

He said the Hindu side will next move the Supreme Court asking it to vacate its stay on an earlier Allahabad high court order that had allowed a survey of the mosque.

"We will also file a caveat regarding today's order in the Supreme Court," Jain said.

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that 148 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome have been reported in the country since June, and 59 patients have died.

Chandipura virus (CHPV) has been confirmed in 51 cases, the ministry said in a statement.

Till July 31, 140 AES cases have been reported from 24 districts of Gujarat, four from Madhya Pradesh, three from Rajasthan and one from Maharashtra.

The ministry said that since early June, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases have been reported from Gujarat in children under 15 years of age.

The situation was reviewed on Thursday jointly by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and DG Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Regional offices of Health and Family Welfare of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

"A declining trend of the daily reported new cases of AES is evident since 19th July 2024," the statement said.

Gujarat has undertaken various public health measures such as insecticidal spray for vector control, IEC, sensitization of medical personnel and timely referral of cases to designated facilities, it stated.

A National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) has been deployed to assist the Gujarat government in undertaking public health measures and for conducting a detailed epidemiological investigation into the outbreak.

A joint advisory from NCDC and the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) is being issued to guide the neighbouring states reporting AES cases.

The ministry stated that CHPV is a member of Rhabdoviridae family and known to cause sporadic cases and outbreaks in western, central and southern parts of the country especially during the monsoon season.

It is transmitted by vectors such as sand flies and ticks.

Vector control, hygiene and awareness are the only measures available against the disease.

The disease affects mostly children under 15 years of age and can present with a febrile illness that may progress to convulsions, coma and in some cases, may result in death.

Although there is no specific treatment available for CHPV and management is symptomatic, timely referral of suspected AES cases to designated facilities can improve outcomes. -- PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday held discussions with his cabinet colleagues in the wake of the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot reportedly issuing him a "show-cause notice", seen as a precursor to sanctioning his prosecution in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'.

The governor has reportedly asked the chief minister to explain why prosecution sanction must not be accorded in connection with the alleged irregularities in the distribution of sites to land losers by MUDA, including to his wife Parvathi.

During a breakfast meeting, Siddaramaiah is said to have discussed with the ministers regarding a political and legal strategy and the Congress high command's directions on the issue. Later, he also skipped a cabinet meeting to discuss the show-cause notice, and authorised Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to chair the meeting.

The governor's move comes after a delegation of BJP legislators met the him on July 25 and submitted a memorandum demanding transfer of the MUDA case to CBI for a probe and the chief minister's, and advocate-activist T J Abraham seeking sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah.

In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

BJP leaders have claimed that the MUDA "scam" is of the magnitude of Rs 4000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.

The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former high court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'.

The India meteorological department (IMD) issued forecasts for significant rainfall activity along the west coast of India on a regular basis and a red alert for Kerala in the early morning of July 30, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Thursday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the Kerala government did not heed the Centre's warning regarding a possible natural calamity in Wayanad due to heavy rains.

Heavy rain-induced landslides claimed over 150 lives in Wayanad district on Tuesday morning (July 30).

Responding to Shah's claim, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday that the IMD had only issued an orange alert in the district ahead of the landslides.

However, he said that the district received over 572 mm of rainfall, which was significantly higher than what was predicted by the IMD.

During an online press conference, the IMD chief said the weather department had issued an extended range forecast for significant rainfall activity along the west coast of India on July 18 and July 25.

"The long-range forecast issued on July 25 indicated good rainfall activity along the west coast and central parts of the country from July 25 to August 1. We issued a yellow warning on July 25, which continued until July 29, when we issued an orange warning. A red warning was issued in the early morning of July 30, indicating that very heavy rainfall, up to 20 cm, was expected," Mohapatra said.

The IMD chief said that an orange warning means "be prepared for action and one should not wait for red warnings."

Similarly, warnings were in place for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, he said.

14:37 Now, 3 drown in basement flooding in Jaipur

Three people, including a minor girl, drowned after rainwater gushed into the basement of their house in Vishwakarma area of Jaipur city early Thursday morning, officials said.

The bodies were recovered after a rescue operation that lasted for several hours, they said.

After the water entered the basement of their house, the family members began removing their belongings, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) West Amit Kumar said.

During this time, three people from two families got trapped in the basement as it filled with water, Kumar said.

A rescue operation was initiated and mud pumps were deployed to pump out the rainwater, the DCP said.

He said the operation concluded after a team from the SDRF retrieved the bodies of Kamal, his niece Purvi and Pooja. Pooja and Purvi belonged to one family, while Kamal was from another family, the DCP said.

Police said the passage to the basement of the house was narrow and deep. Residents of similar houses in the area have been being advised not to stay in their basements during rainfall, they said.

The bodies of the victims have been shifted to Kanwatiya Government Hospital for postmortem, the police said.

Most areas of the Jaipur city experienced waterlogging due to heavy rainfall that began on Wednesday night and continued into the morning.

According to the Meteorological Department, Jaipur, Karauli, Sawaimadhopur, Alwar, Churu, Bharatpur, Tonk, Sikar, Hanumangarh, Dholpur, Nagaur and Jhunjhunu recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday.

Jaipur recorded the highest rainfall of 173 mm during this period, the weather office said.

Rainwater accumulated on roads and in residential areas, causing significant commuting issues.

Rainwater also accumulated outside the Jaipur airport terminal building. Jaipur Collector Prakash Raj Purohit visited rain-affected areas, such as Vishwakarma area, Sikar Road and Jaipur airport, and directed officials to make necessary arrangements for the situation.

Several schools in Jaipur declared a holiday due to the continued rainfall. -- PTI

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14:02 Security forces fire tear gas shells to disperse crowd in Manipur

Clashes erupted between Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in a relief camp and security forces in Manipur's Imphal East district on Thursday after tear gas was used to disperse a protest rally, the police said.

Approximately 100 IDPs from Akampat relief camp in the district attempted to stage a protest but were stopped by security forces, leading to an altercation, they added.

The relief camp residents, holding placards and banners, were demanding their rehabilitation and a resolution to the ethnic violence in the state so they could return to their homes at Moreh in Tengnoupal district, and other areas.

Ethnic violence in the state which started in May 2023 has so far claimed 226 lives and left over 59,000 people displaced, officials said.

Locals also joined the fray, hurling stones at the security forces. The protesters managed to continue their rally for about 1 km but were stopped at Singjamei in Imphal West district after additional security reinforcements, including CRPF personnel, arrived.

Reports of assaults and injuries have surfaced but the numbers remain unconfirmed.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh told the assembly on Wednesday that 226 people have died due to the ethnic violence in the state. Singh noted that over 59,000 displaced people are currently sheltered in relief camps and 11,133 houses have been burned in the unrest.

India is predicted to record above-normal rainfall in August and September, with a good chance of favourable La Nina conditions developing by the end of August, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it. The primary rain-bearing system is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water and power generation across the country.

The IMD said that rainfall over India in August and September would be 106 per cent of the long-period average of 422.8 mm.

The country has so far recorded 453.8 mm against the normal of 445.8 mm since June 1, a surplus of two per cent, owing to a wetter-than-normal July after a drier June.

Normal to above-normal rainfall is predicted in most parts of the country. Below-normal rainfall is expected in parts of the northeast, adjoining east India, Ladakh, Saurashtra and Kutch, and pockets of central and peninsular India, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said during an online press conference.

The IMD chief anticipated deficient rainfall in parts of western Himalayan region in August-September.

He said above-normal maximum temperatures are expected over most parts of the country.

"Normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely in some areas in the Gangetic plains, central India, and the southeast coast of India," Mohapatra said.

India recorded nine per cent more rainfall than normal in July, with the central region receiving 33 per cent excess rain.

Mohapatra said that central India, which heavily relies on monsoon rainfall for agriculture, has been receiving good rainfall for the third consecutive monsoon season, benefiting agriculture.

IMD data showed significant rainfall deficits in east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and parts of the northeast.

The rainfall deficit in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir ranged from 35 per cent to 45 per cent.

The Indian monsoon is characterised by inherent fluctuations and changes that occur over time due to various natural factors. This is called natural variability.

However, research shows climate change is making the monsoon more variable. Increased variability means more extreme weather and dry spells. -- PTI

Pic: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

13:12 Rahul, Priyanka land in Kerala, head to relief camps

Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Kerala on Thursday and will visit various relief camps set up in the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad district, party sources said.

Gandhi, who won from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections, had again won from there this year. However, as he also won from the Rae Bareli LS seat in Uttar Pradesh, he gave up the Wayanad constituency from where Priyanka is expected to contest when a by-election is held there.

Gandhi and Vadra landed at Kannur airport at 9.30 am and then travelled to Wayanad by road. They are expected to reach Meppadi soon, party sources said.

AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP K C Venugopal is also accompanying them. According to their itinerary shared by the party, Gandhi and Vadra are scheduled to visit the Chooralmala landslide spot as well as a Community Health Centre, Dr Moopen's Medical College and two relief camps at Meppadi.

Imran Khan. Pic: Getty Images/Rediff archives

12:57 British journo deported for seeking interview with Imran Khan

A 73-year-old British-American author and journalist, who sought an interview with Pakistan's jailed former premier Imran Khan, has been deported after his tourist visa was revoked, a media report said on Thursday.

Charles Glass, an author, journalist, broadcaster, and publisher who specialises in the Middle East, was told by law enforcement agencies on Wednesday that his visa had been cancelled and he had five hours to leave the country, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Glass has served prominent media organisations such as Newsweek, ABC TV, and The Telegraph, among others, and currently works as a freelance journalist. He had been trying to secure a meeting with Khan.

Sources told the paper that Glass, who was recently spotted outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi alongside Khan's sister Aleema, was at the residence of Islamabad-based senior journalist Zahid Hussain when they were visited by a large police contingent. Around noon on Wednesday, a team led by an assistant superintendent of police (ASP) arrived, initially saying they wanted to meet the foreign journalist.

They then informed Glass that his visa had been cancelled, After arguing for nearly an hour, the ASP reportedly told the journalist he had to leave the country by 5 pm.

"Mr Glass wondered how he would secure a flight and said his luggage is still at [his lodgings]. The ASP offered to accompany him to the hotel to collect his luggage and informed him that there was a flight to Abu Dhabi available at 4 pm, which he should take to leave the country. The ASP said he had a clear order to deport the journalist," the paper quoted sources as saying.

Sources said that Glass was initially taken to his lodgings to collect his luggage, and then deported to the Middle East.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

12:38 Is a goon working in Delhi CM's house, asks SC

Is this kind of goon supposed to work in the CM's residence, the Supreme Court asked on Thursday as it came down heavily on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar who allegedly assaulted AAP MP Swati Maliwal earlier this year.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan posted Kumar's bail plea for next Wednesday and told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi that the court was shocked with the details of the incident recorded by the Delhi high court.

Kumar has challenged the July 12 order of the Delhi high court denying him bail in the case and claimed the allegations against him are false. He has also said his custody was no longer required as the probe was over. The apex notice issued notice to the Delhi government on his plea.

"Is CM residence a private bungalow? Is this kind of 'goon' supposed to work in the CM's residence?" the bench asked Singhvi, who said there were non-serious injuries and the FIR was lodged after three days of the incident on May 13.

In its scathing remarks, the bench also asked Singhvi what Maliwal, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP, calling the police helpline during the assault incident indicated.

"Every day we grant bail to contract killers, murderers, robbers but the question is what kind of incident, the bench said, while asserting that the manner in which the incident had taken place bothered it.

The bench said, "He (Bibhav Kumar) acted as if some 'goon' had entered the official residence of CM."

"We are shocked? Is this a way to deal with a young lady? He (Bibhav Kumar) assaulted her even after she told about her physical conditions," it said in its scathing remarks.

Kumar has challenged the July 12 order of the Delhi High Court denying him bail in the case and claimed the allegations against him are false. He has also said his custody was no longer required as the probe was over.

Kumar, a political secretary to Kejriwal, has been in judicial custody for the past 75 days, Singhvi told the bench.

He allegedly assaulted Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal's official residence.

An FIR was registered against Kumar on May 16 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to criminal intimidation, assault or using criminal force on a woman with the intent to disrobe, and attempt to commit culpable homicide. He was arrested on May 18.

While denying him bail, the high court had said that the accused enjoys "considerable influence" and no ground was made out to grant him the relief. It cannot be ruled out that witnesses may be influenced or evidence tampered with in case the petitioner is released on bail, the high court had said.

Congress' Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has urged Home Minister Amit Shah to declare the Wayanad landslides as a "calamity of severe nature" under the MPLADS guidelines in order to facilitate urgent assistance from MPs to the affected areas.

In his letter to Shah, Tharoor said that on July 30, in the dead of night, a series of devastating landslides struck the Wayanad district of Kerala, claiming over hundred lives and leaving many more severely injured in hospitals, while countless others remain missing, trapped beneath the debris.

This disaster of unimaginable proportions has left behind a harrowing tale of death and destruction, the senior Congress leader said.

The rescue operations involving the armed forces, the Coast Guard, the National Disaster Response Force and other agencies continue their pitched battle against the vagaries of nature, he said.

The landslides have wreaked havoc upon countless lives and as such, it is of grave importance to extend all possible support to the people of Wayanad, Tharoor stressed.

Such is the scale of the disaster that it necessitates a coordinated and generous response from all sections of the society, he added.

"In light of this catastrophe, I am writing to you to declare this event a 'Calamity of Severe Nature' in terms of Paragraph 8.1 of the MPLADS Guidelines which would allow Members of Parliament to recommend works up to Rs 1 crore from their MPLADS funds, for the affected districts/ areas," Tharoor said in his letter dated July 31.

The willing Members of Parliament would then be able to generously contribute funds for relief and rehabilitation works in the areas affected by this tragedy, he said. -- PTI

12:19 18 BJP MLAs suspended from Jharkhand assembly

Altogether 18 Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs were suspended from the assembly till 2 PM of August 2, after they created ruckus in the House on Thursday, in protest against the eviction of opposition MLAs by marshals on the previous day and Chief Minister Hemant Soren's "refusal" to reply to their queries.

Marshals removed 18 saffron party MLAs on Thursday too since they refused to leave the House after being suspended.

The BJP legislators trooped into the well ahead of the start of the session and raised slogans demanding resignation of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. They were also seen tearing some documents in the well.

Members of the ruling and opposition parties were seen exchanging heated arguments before the start of the session.

Several BJP MLAs of Jharkhand spent Wednesday night in the assembly lobby after marshals evicted them from the well of the House where they were protesting against Soren's alleged refusal to reply to their questions on key issues including employment. -- PTI

In a majority verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that states are empowered to make sub-classifications of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for granting quotas inside the reserved category to uplift more underprivileged castes.

A seven-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud held by a 6:1 majority that the further sub-classification of SCs and STs by states can be permitted to ensure grant of quota to more backward castes inside these groups.

The bench delivered six separate judgments. The majority verdict said the basis of sub-classification has to be justified by "quantifiable and demonstrable data by the states, which cannot act on its whims".

The bench, also comprising Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Mishra, was hearing 23 petitions, including the lead one filed by the Punjab government challenging the 2010 verdict of the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The CJI wrote for himself and Justice Misra. Four judges wrote concurring judgments while Justice Trivedi dissented.

The top court had reserved the verdict on February 8 on pleas seeking review of the E V Chinnaiah judgment, which in 2004 had ruled that all SC communities which suffered ostracisation, discrimination and humiliation for centuries represented a homogeneous class incapable of being sub-categorised.

The verdict came on references to revisit the five-judge Constitution bench judgement of 2004 in the case of EV Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh in which it was held that SCs and STs are homogenous groups and hence, states cannot further sub-classify them to grant quota inside quota for more deprived and weaker castes in these groups.

11:29 Army rescues around 1,000 people from Wayanad

Military personnel on Wednesday intensified search and rescue operations in Kerala's Wayanad district where landslides have claimed more than 160 lives, with the Army saying that it recovered over 80 bodies and rescued nearly 1,000 people.

Extremely heavy rain triggered the landslides in the hilly areas of Wayanad early on Tuesday, leaving at least 167 people dead and more than 200 injured. Another 191 people were missing.

The Army has set up a Command and Control Centre headed by Maj Gen VT Mathew, General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, along with Brig Arjun Segan at Kozhikode for coordinating Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts, a senior official said.

Brig Segan carried out a reconnaissance of the affected areas in the early hours of Wednesday and guided the Army columns for further conduct of the rescue operation.

The troops are conducting rescue operations along a six-kilometre stretch of landslide-affected areas.

The troops forming part of the HADR columns were mobilised from Kannur, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

Two columns each belonging to the Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre, Kannur, and 122 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Madras, Kozhikode, having a total strength of 225 personnel, were the first responders and reached the location to commence rescue operations in conjunction with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies, the Army said late evening.

Two additional HADR columns, including two medical teams having a strength of 135 personnel, were airlifted from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode by AN-32 and C-130 aircraft.

The Army's Engineer Task Force from Madras Engineer Group and Centre (MEG & Centre), with 123 personnel, along with a set of 150-feet Bailey bridges, three earthmovers and other support equipment have been inducted into the affected area.

Construction of a bridge on the Meepadi-Choormala Road is under progress, including the induction of certain earthmoving equipment to the other side of the stream utilising air effort. The construction of a footbridge was completed overnight on July 30, the senior Army official said.

A C-17 aircraft carrying another set of a 110-feet Bailey bridge from Engineers Stores Depot, Delhi Cantonment, and three search and rescue dog teams have landed in Kannur. -- PTI

An all-party meeting, chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will be held in Wayanad on Thursday as search and rescue operations by various agencies and armed forces continue in the landslides-hit areas.

State ministers camping in the district, MLAs from Wayanad and political party leaders will participate in the meeting, the district administration said.

Besides the all-party meet, Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are expected to visit the relief camps set up in the landslides-hit areas of the district, according to a statement issued by the party.

According to the updates of the death toll on Wednesday night, 167 people have died and 191 are missing in the landslides with over 200 injured. Of the dead, 100 have been identified, the district administration said.

The rescue operations continued on the third day with teams of the army, navy and coast guard carrying out a detailed search at three locations at Attamala, Mundakkai and Chooralmala. A dog squad each would be attached to the teams, a statement said.

The construction of the bailey bridge to connect the landslides-hit areas is also going on, according to visuals shown on TV channels.

Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday, killing several people, including women and children. -- PTI

As many as 173 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district two days ago, with the numbers expected to increase even more as rescuers unearth debris, the district administration said on Thursday.

The 173 dead include 23 children and 70 women.

It said that 100 bodies have been identified and the post-mortem of 219 remains, including body parts, has been completed.

It further said that 221 people were admitted to hospitals from the disaster-hit areas and of them 91 are still undergoing treatment.

Several people remain missing in landslide-hit Wayanad, where rescue operators are contending with adverse conditions, including waterlogged soil, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings for survivors or bodies.

According to the government's official estimate on Wednesday evening, 191 people are missing, though official sources indicate that the actual number may be much higher.

The landslides occurred around 2 am and 4.10 am on Tuesday, catching people off-guard while they were sleeping, leading to a high number of casualties.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has launched a racially insensitive attack against Kamala Harris by questioning whether she is "Indian or Black", drawing a sharp reaction from his Democratic rival who termed his remarks "the same old show" of "divisiveness" and "disrespect".

Trump, 78, falsely claimed Vice President Harris had only emphasised her Asian-American heritage until recently when, he claimed, "she became a black person".

"I've known her a long time, indirectly, not directly very much, and she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black," Trump said at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago on Wednesday, as the race for the November 5 presidential election gained momentum with opinion polls showing that Harris has narrowed the gap with her Republican rival.

"So I don't know - Is she Indian? Or is she black?"

Harris' mother is originally from India, and her father is from Jamaica.

As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, a historically black school in Washington, and belongs to Alpha Kappa Alpha, the country's oldest Black sorority.

She was also the president of the Black Law Students Association while studying at the University of California's law school in San Francisco, and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus during her time in the Senate.

When one of the journalists who was interviewing Trump on stage tried to tell him that Harris had always identified as Black and had attended a historically Black university, the former president continued: "I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't. Because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she went -- she became a Black person. And I think somebody should look into that too."

Trump's comments prompted immediate criticism. -- PTI

09:48 Cloudburst in Shimla, over 30 missing

Over 30 people are missing following a cloudburst in Jhakhari area of Rampur subdivision of Shimla district early Thursday, officials said.

Roads have been washed away and a hydro power project in the area has also been damaged, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap told PTI.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police, police and home guards have started rescue operations.

Drones are also being used to locate the missing people, he added.

A Pakistani intruder has been shot dead by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said on Thursday.

The infiltrator was spotted moving into Indian territory near the Khora post late Wednesday, the officials said.

They said the intruder paid no heed to the warnings from BSF personnel and was subsequently fired upon.

Senior BSF and police officials have reached the area of incident and efforts are on to retrieve the body. -- PTI

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday headed to Wayanad to take stock of the situation in Kerala constituency that was rocked by devastating landslides in which death toll has risen to 167 and hundreds more still missing.

Two massive landslides struck Mundakkai and Churalmala in Wayanad in the early hour of July 30, causing extensive destruction.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were scheduled to visit Wayanad on Wednesday morning, but the authorities informed them that they would not be able to land due to incessant rain and adverse weather conditions.

"Priyanka and I were scheduled to visit Wayanad tomorrow to meet with families affected by the landslide and take stock of the situation. However, due to incessant rains and adverse weather conditions, we have been informed by the authorities that we will not be able to land. I want to assure the people of Wayanad that we will visit as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide all necessary assistance. Our thoughts are with the people of Wayanad at this difficult time," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X on July 30.

167 people have been declared dead in the aftermath of the landslides as per the Kerala Revenue Department.

Heavy rainfall unleashed chaos in the national capital on Wednesday evening, inundating large parts of the city with a 22-year-old woman and her toddler drowning in Ghazipur, while key stretches were choked with unending traffic and people left stranded as roads resembled rivers.

The torrential downpour prompted the weather office to include Delhi in its list of "areas of concern" in the National Flash Flood Guidance Bulletin. The department advised people to remain indoors, secure windows and doors, and refrain from unnecessary travel.

Delhi Education Minister Atishi announced late night that all schools in the city will remain closed on Thursday. "In light of the very heavy rainfall this evening and the forecast of heavy rainfall tomorrow, all schools both government and private will remain closed on August 1st," she posted on 'X'.

According to police in Ghazipur, Tanuja and her three-year-old son Priyansh were out to buy household items from a weekly market when they slipped into a drain due to waterlogging and drowned. The incident occurred near the Khoda Colony area, where the roadside drain was under construction.

The heavy downpour also led to a house collapse in north Delhi's Sabji Mandi area near Robin Cinema, injuring one person. In another incident in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj, a woman was injured in a wall collapse.

The inclement weather also hit air traffic. At least 10 flights scheduled to land at the Delhi airport were diverted -- eight to Jaipur and two to Lucknow -- due to inclement weather conditions. Airlines also warned of the possibility of more flight disruptions.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city's primary weather station Safdarjung recorded 79.2 mm of rainfall between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm; Mayur Vihar 119 mm; Delhi University 77.5 mm; Pusa 66.5 mm; and the Palam observatory 43.7 mm. -- PTI

The Union home ministry has posted on its website the Department of Personnel and Training's (DoPT) order revoking the ban on government employees' participation in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The public display of the July 9 office memorandum of the DoPT came as per the directive of the Madhya Pradesh high court which had said that the central government department and the ministry of home affairs must put it on the home page of their official websites.

'...it has been decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh from the impugned OMs (office memorendum) dated 30.11.1966, 25.07.1970 and 28.10.1980,' the DoPT order, which was uploaded on the MHA website, said.

The Madhya Pradesh high court had said that it took the Centre nearly five decades to realise that an 'internationally renowned' organisation like RSS was wrongly placed on the list of organisations banned for government employees.

The HC's remark came on July 25 while disposing of a writ petition of retired central government employee Purushottam Gupta.

Gupta had filed a petition in the high court on September 19 last year challenging the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules as well as the office memorandums of the Centre that were preventing the participation of government employees in the activities of the RSS.

'The court laments the fact that it took almost five decades for the central government to realise its mistake; to acknowledge that an internationally renowned organisation like RSS was wrongly placed amongst the banned organisations of the country and that its removal therefrom is quintessential,' a bench of the high court comprising Justices Sushruta Arvind Dharmadhikari and Gajendra Singh said.

'Aspirations of many Central government employees of serving the countries in many ways, therefore, got diminished in these five decades because of this ban, which got removed only when it was brought to the notice of this court vide the present proceedings,' the high court said.

The court said it was compelled to believe that perhaps there was never any material, study, survey or report at the relevant point of time that made the ruling dispensation conclude that involvement and engagement of central government employees even with the 'apolitical/non political activities of RSS' must be banned for maintaining India's 'communal fabric and secular character'. -- PTI

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