Jammu Apr 21 PTI Five people were killed and thirty-four others injured in two separate road accidents in Reasi and Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir officials said on Thursday While three people were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Reasi district on Thursday two persons died and 28 suffered injuries in a similar incident in Udhampur district on Wednesday night A vehicle which was on its way from Tukson to Mahore along the Bagga-Gulabgarh road skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge near Angralla in Reasi the officials said Three persons were killed and six others were injured they added In Udhampur a bus carrying a marriage party skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge near Rang-Udak village late on Wednesday night the officials said Two persons were killed on the spot while twenty eight others sustained injuries they said The injured were shifted to Ramnagar hospital Of them twelve with critical injuries were referred to Udhampur Hospital they added The deceased have been identified Rajjo Devi 66 and Vimla Devi 48 the officials said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives My condolences to bereaved families prayers for the speedy recovery of injured Have directed district admin to provide immediate relief to families of deceased best medical assistance to injured he tweeted PTI AB AB AQS AQS

Jammu Mar 30 PTI Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday launched My Gov-the robust citizen engagement platform for the union territory in an effort to bring the administration closer to the common man Sinha said the innovative platform to build the partnership between citizens and the administration will promote participatory governance and policymaking MyGov will bring the JK administration closer to the common man while providing them opportunity to share opinions ideas and suggestions on a range of issues for socio-economic transformation of the UT the Lt Governor said We are setting new benchmarks of participatory governance providing technology driven solutions real time monitoring of government schemes and programmes and making public services easily accessible to the people of JK he said Later the Lt Governor also launched the UT Dashboard which will monitor development works and flagship schemes of various government departments for ease of decision-making PTI TAS TAS AQS AQS

Jammu Mar 30 PTI Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday reviewed the modalities for redressal of service-related matters and grievances of tribal employees an official spokesman said Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare Sheetal Nanda along with Secretary Tribal Affairs Shahid Iqbal Choudhary convened the first meeting of the Internal Grievance Committee IGC to look into the issues of employment and service-related grievances of scheduled tribe employees across various departments the spokesman said He said the meeting discussed the modalities for handling tribal employees grievances related to non-maintenance of reservation roster non-filling of reserved vacancies discrimination in promotion or seniority non-appointment on compassionate grounds discrimination in transfer posting termination from services and denial of pensioner benefits as per the mandate notified by the General Administration Department Accordingly taking necessary action for immediate redressal of grievances Nanda asked for putting in place a transparent mechanism for handling the issues and grievances of the ST employees by the committee She discussed about a common platform for all complaints and inter-departmental coordination on the service matters It was decided that the monthly meeting of the committee to examine all the issues will be held on the 26th of every month and a sub-committee will scrutinise all the representations for the consideration of IGC the spokesman said Choudhary discussed the modalities for online portal for receipt of complaints communication with departmental nodal officers for a time-bound response action in fake-ST certificate cases maintenance of roaster for promotion and filling vacancies and other grievances of tribal employees A portal will be developed by Tribal Research Institute in coordination with the IT department for ease of management of grievances he said A team of tribal affairs has been nominated for processing of all such grievances and taking them up with concerned departments and other relevant authorities the spokesman said PTI TAS TAS AQS AQS

New Delhi Mar 28 PTI A bus hit two cars and damaged a gas pipe line in west Delhis Moti Nagar area on Monday police said Police received information about a road accident following which a team was rushed to the spot they said It was found that a cluster bus had damaged two cars as well as a gas pipeline of IGL in front of crown plaza on Nagafgarh Road Moti Nagar a senior police officer said No one was injured in the incident he said Bus driver Chand Singh a resident of Sonipat district in Haryana was apprehended the officer said adding legal action is being taken in the matter PTI NIT NIT AQS AQS

New Delhi Mar 24 PTI India is on track to meet its nationally determined contributions NDCs which are compatible with a well below 2 degree Celsius scenario the Centre said on Thursday reiterating that developed nations need to take the lead in climate action including providing climate finance Responding to a query raised in the Rajya Sabha Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey said climate change is a global collective action problem that has arisen mainly because of the historical emissions by developed countries Climate change is a global collective action problem Reports from various sources including the Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC highlight that challenges faced due to global warming are mainly due to cumulative historical and current greenhouse gas emissions of the developed countries he said in a written reply India is a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement Choubey said the UNFCCC notes that the emissions originating in developing countries including India will grow to meet their social and development needs Developed countries have to take the lead in mitigation and provide climate finance low-cost climate technologies and capacity building India is on track to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions which are compatible with a well-below-2C scenario Further the Prime Minister at the recent 26th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 26 presented Indias vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070 India for its part abides by commitments to the UNFCCC in letter and spirit he said India with more than 17 per cent of the global population has contributed only about 4 per cent of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019 the government has maintained Even though we are not part of the problem India is committed to being part of the solution and has done far more than its fair share India has progressively continued decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions In key sectors of the economy the mitigation efforts have been undertaken with a vision of low-carbon sustainable development the minister told the House Replying to a question on whether the government has issued any notice to the big oil and gas companies and their policy makers regarding the process of making the country carbon free Choubey said Indias commitment to emission intensity reduction of the economy is an economy-wide target that encompasses various sectors including transport and energy sectors The Government stands committed to combating climate change through its several programs and schemes Government has taken a series of measures to enhance energy security and improve efficiency in use of energy for inclusive growth and sustainable development These inter alia include diversification in sources of imports promotion of alternate fuels increasing production of oil and gas substitution of energy demand improving refinery processes notification of fuel efficiency norms etc he said The cental government has been promoting the use of bio-fuels with multiple objectives of reducing import dependency generating employment providing better remuneration to farmers reduction in environment pollution etc in line with the National Policy on Biofuels 2018 he added PTI AG AG AQS AQS

New Delhi Mar 24 PTI The Centre on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that it was not considering setting up of a media commission as recommended by a parliamentary panel to check irregularities in print electronic and digital platforms Noting that media was gradually losing its credibility and integrity the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology had in December 2021 recommended setting up of a Media Council with statutory powers to check irregularities in print electronic and digital platforms Responding to a query raised in the Upper House of Parliament Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the government regularly meets stakeholders for policy formulation The government regularly holds consultations with stakeholders and utilises datainformation available from various sources for policy formulation building strategies etc The setting up of a Media Commission is not considered necessary at present Thakur said in a written response The parliamentary committee headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in its Twenty-Seventh Report had suggested the creation of a media commission comprising experts for wider consultations amongst the interested groupsstakeholders to evolve a consensus on setting up of Media Council The Committee had said the commission will look into all the complex issues concerning the media and submit its report to the Committee within six months of its inception PTI AG AG AQS AQS

Jaipur Mar 21 PTI The Rajasthan legislative assembly on Monday passed the state budget by voice vote with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot making several announcements including discontinuation of 10 percent monthly deduction from the salaries of state government employees for the new pension scheme from April this year He also announced a policy regarding the opening of medical colleges in the private sector to provide more opportunities for medical studies in the state Now I declare to do away with the monthly deduction of 10 percent from the salary payable on April 1 2022 for the employees appointed on and after January 1 2004 Gehlot said He said the deduction made earlier from the salary will be given to the employees with interest payable on GPF at the time of their retirement The chief minister had announced the revival of the old pension scheme for the state government employees appointed on and after January 1 2004 in the state budget presented on February 23 On Monday Gehlot was replying to the debate on the Rajasthan Appropriation Bill Number 2 2022 and the Finance Bill 2022 in the House After his reply the bills were passed He said the government has presented the budget for the coming financial year with full commitment Gehlot whiling dismissed apprehensions raised by some members of the opposition regarding the budget announcements said I assure the members of the House that you should rest assured this budget has been presented with the commitment We will implement it The financial management in Rajasthan has been excellent during my governments tenure and we are confident that it will continue he said Attacking the BJP Gehlot said it has mastery over fabulous marketing even if they work less On the other hand we keep doing work and dont market it He said the opposition is deliberately raising accusations over budget implementation Why are you worrying We are in government If we are not able to implement budget announcements then we will get a bad name We have fabulous financial management and we will implement budget announcements on the ground and there is no need to doubt it We have already given 100 administrative approvals for the 100 announcements made in the budget Gehlot said He said after the Rajasthan government brought all its employees under the purview of the old pension scheme OPS Chhattisgarh has also announced it and many other states are also mulling the idea He said he has urged the prime minister to implement the old pension scheme so that the employees of the central government as well as All India Services along with the employees of state governments can get financial security guarantee after retirement Replying to the debate that the state is burdened with massive loans the chief minister said The state government cannot take loans without the approval of the Centre If the GSDP is high then more loans are sanctioned The governments take loans for developmental work A loan is taken if you have the capacity to repay it We have the capacity to repay the loan so we have taken it Among the major announcements that Gehlot made based on the suggestions received from legislators include Janta clinics which will run on government expenditure for which an amount of Rs 200 crore has been proposed In the next financial year also 100 new public clinics will be opened along with the previous Janta clinics that were started on PPP mode Besides Gehlot announced the formation of the Food Safety and Control Commissionerate to deal with adulteration upgradation of 500 government primary schools to upper primary and 250 upper primary to senior secondary providing self-defense training to 2lakh girls in government schools next year priority to winners in rural Olympics on contractual jobs in rural panchayat pension of Rs 20000 per month for sportspersons above 40 years of age formation of cadre of female sub-inspectors recruitment of 2000 additional Home Guard jawans and link command control center with panic button in bus taxi and other public transport PTI SDA AG AG AQS AQS

New Delhi Mar 21 PTI Delhi Police has arrested three persons from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly stabbing two brothers in south Delhi officials said on Monday The accused have been identified as Manish Lohia 29 Pawan alias Pannu 30 and Pawan alias Patil 32 all residents of Aya Nagar village in south Delhi they said Lohias father was also nabbed for his alleged involvement in the case police said According to the police they received information regarding the stabbing of two persons following which a police team rushed to the spot and found that both the injured persons were already evacuated to a hospital During investigation the mobile number of one of the accused persons was found active near Haridwar in Uttarakhand they said Police conducted a raid and three persons -- Lohia Pannu and Patil -- were arrested at a toll plaza between Meerut and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh they added Later Rambeer Singh 60 the father of Lohia was also arrested on the charge of abetment Deputy Commissioner of Police South Benita Mary Jaiker said During interrogation Lohia disclosed that he along with Pannu and Patil was in an inebriated state and abused children playing Holi police said One Vikas was coming from Aya Nagar and the accused started abusing him too He called his brother Vikki at the spot Pannu and Patil caught hold of the brothers and Lohia stabbed them in their stomachs the police said It was disclosed during interrogation that Lohia and Pannu are members of the Rohit Choudhary gang they said A knife was recovered from their possession police added PTI NIT NIT AQS AQS

New Delhi Feb 26 PTI The Indian Air Force has decided not to deploy its combat jets in a multilateral air exercise in the UK next month in view of the situation arising out of the crisis in Ukraine The announcement by the IAF to not send its aircraft for the Cobra Warrior exercise came just three days after it confirmed its participation in the drills from March 6 to 27 at Waddington in the United Kingdom In light of the recent events IAF has decided not to deploy its aircraft for Exercise Cobra Warrior 2022 in UK the IAF tweeted Though the IAF did not clearly mention the reasons for the pull-out it is learnt that the deepening crisis in Ukraine following the Russian military attack in that country prompted the decision The announcement by the IAF came hours after India abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution on the Russian military aggression against Ukraine Official sources said by abstaining from the resolution India retained the option of reaching out to all relevant sides to find a middle ground and foster dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis On Wednesday the IAF had announced that it will participate in the Cobra Warrior exercise with a fleet of five Tejas light combat aircraft LCA The IAF said the exercise Cobra Warrior 22 is aimed at providing operational exposure and sharing best practices amongst the participating air forces It said the exercise will be a platform for the indigenously developed Tejas aircraft to demonstrate their manoeuvrability and operational capability The exercise is aimed at providing operational exposure and sharing best practices amongst the participating air forces thereby enhancing combat capability and forging bonds of friendship the IAF had said PTI MPB AQS AQS

New Delhi Feb 26 PTI By abstaining from a UN Security Council resolution on the Ukraine crisis India retained the option of reaching out to all relevant sides to find a middle ground and foster dialogue and diplomacy official sources said on Saturday Russia vetoed the resolution that asked Moscow to immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops The sources said India has been deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine and maintained its consistent steadfast and balanced position on the matter that dialogue is the only answer to settle differences and disputes They said India has been in touch with all sides urging parties concerned to return to the negotiating table The UNSC draft resolution deplored in the strongest terms Russias aggression against Ukraine and demanded that Russia immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all its troops While abstaining from the voting India issued an Explanation of Vote after the vote in which it called for return to the path of diplomacy The sources said India called for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state and pitched for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities They said India called on all member states to honour principles of international law and the UN Charter as these provide a constructive way forward PTI MPB AQS AQS