Thousands of mostly young demonstrators take to the streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to protest tax hikes.
Farmer found murdered in agriculture field in Medak
The victim was Ragula Ashok (47). He was found dead with a head injury suspected to have been inflicted with a sharp weapon.
Updated On – 27 June 2024, 01:32 PM
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Medak: A farmer was found murdered in his agriculture field at Lakshmapur village in Ramayampet mandal on Thursday morning. The victim was Ragula Ashok (47). He was found dead with a head injury suspected to have been inflicted with a sharp weapon.
Ashok reportedly went to his field on Thursday morning to carry out some work. He was found in a pool of blood by neighbouring farmers a couple of hours later. Following a complaint from the family members, the Ramayampet police reached the spot with a dog squad and forensic team to collect evidence.
The family members suspect the hand of another farmer’s family in the attack with whom Ashok had a land dispute for a while. The body was shifted to the area hospital in Ramayampet. A case was registered and a probe is on. Ashok is survived by his wife and two children.
Shamsi Shares Moment With Dale Steyn After South Africa Enter T20 WC Final
South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi revealed that he met former Proteas pacer Dale Steyn and opened up about their heartwarming meeting after they stormed into the final of the ongoing T20 World Cup. South Africa broke the ICC tournament semi-final jinx with a dominating 9-wicket win over Afghanistan in Trinidad. Steyn, who witnessed the special moment in the commentary box, was “emotional” after their monumental win. “It’s emotional down here. We’re into a final,” Steyn wrote on X.
It’s emotional down here.
We’re into a final
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) June 27, 2024
Shamsi revealed that he had the opportunity to meet Steyn after the game and he got a massive hug from the iconic speedster along with words of encouragement.
“I actually did speak to him after the game. He gave me a massive hug and said the exact same thing: that, like I said to you, this is not just for us. It’s for the people back home and the players that have played before us. They have laid the foundation for the team to progress, and it’s just our duty to take it one step forward,” Shamsi said, as quoted from ESPNcricninfo.
It was a collective effort from the South African bowlers to restrict Afghanistan to 56 in just 11.5 overs.
Relying on their star-studded bowling line-up, Afghanistan to bat after winning the toss. In reply, South African bowlers brought their A-game and made short work of the Asian side.
The pace trio of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje cleared away the opening order, allowing Shamsi to come in and shine with a three-wicket haul with his spin and clear off the tail end.
Despite losing Quinton de Kock early in the game, Reeza Hendricks and skipper Aiden Markram chased down the target without breaking a sweat.
Before this semi-final, South Africa had found themselves in the semi-final a couple of times. Shamsi was asked if this time was different from the rest, and he pointed out the absence of a saviour.
“Everybody’s really relaxed, and in this team, no one is given the responsibility to win the game for the team. If you see maybe other teams or the Proteas teams of the past, there was a specific batter that was relied upon. There was a specific bowler that was relied upon. I personally cannot pinpoint which bowler is responsible for making us win or which batter is responsible for making us win,” he added.
After prevailing over Afghanistan, South Africa will gear up for the final of the extravaganza tournament. Their opponents are yet to be decided, with India and England set to fight for the final spot on Thursday.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Security beefed up in Jammu as Pakistan delegation visits to discuss Indus Water Treaty
Treaty was signed between then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan in 1960 with the World Bank as a signatory to the pact
Updated On – 24 June 2024, 11:21 AM
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Jammu: Security has been increased outside the hotel where the visiting delegation from Pakistan is staying in Jammu.
The delegation, which arrived in India on Sunday evening in connection with the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, is scheduled to visit Kishtwar to see the dam sites.
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan in 1960 with the World Bank as a signatory to the pact.
The treaty warrants the two sides to meet once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, the 2022 meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi was cancelled in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last meeting was held in March 2023
It sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission, which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries. It also sets out a process for resolving so-called “questions”, “differences” and “disputes” that may arise between the parties.
The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) is a bilateral commission of officials from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage the goals of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, brokered by the World Bank. It comprises the Indus Commissioners from both sides and discusses technical matters related to the implementation of the treaty.
India and Pakistan have engaged in a long outstanding water dispute over two hydroelectric projects. Pakistan has objected to the building of the Kishanganga (330 MW) and Ratle (850 MW) hydroelectric plants by India, saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty.
India insists on its right to build these projects and holds that their design is fully in compliance with the guidelines of the treaty.
The World Bank had asked both countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements over the Indus Water Treaty Dispute in 1960.
In 2015, Pakistan requested the appointment of a Neutral Expert to examine its technical objections to India’s Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs). In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate its objections.
Pakistan, despite repeated efforts by India to find a mutually agreeable way forward, has refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022.
Govt needs another 7000 acres for NIMZ-Zaheerabad, says Health Minister
The Minister handed over cheques worth Rs.22.72 crore to 229 farmers who lost 500 acres of land to the NIMZ during a programme at Jharasangam mandal headquarters on Wednesday.
Updated On – 26 June 2024, 09:14 PM
Health Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha is handing over a cheque to farmer at Jharasangam in Sangareddy district on Wednesday.
Sangareddy: Health Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha said the State government would have to acquire another 7,000 acres for the National Investment and Manufacturing Zone-Zaheerabad (NIMZ). He said the revenue department had acquired 5,000 acres from farmers in the Zaheerabad area. The Minister handed over cheques worth Rs.22.72 crore to 229 farmers who lost 500 acres of land to the NIMZ during a programme at Jharasangam mandal headquarters on Wednesday.
Addressing the farmers after distributing cheques, Rajanarasimha said the face of the Zaheerabad and Narayankhed assembly segments would change once the project was completed. He said the Telangana government was giving equal compensation to assigned landholders on par with registered landowners. Saying that the government was investing Rs.50,000 crore for the NIMZ, the Minister said it would get Rs 1.20 lakh crore income from it apart from creating employment for 2.5 lakh people.
Collector Valluru Kranthi, MLA K Manik Rao, Special Officer NIMZ Ravindar Reddy, Deputy Collector Nagalakshmi, RDO Raju and others were present.
PM Modi’s push for solar rooftops through ‘Muft Bijli Yojana’ hits technical hurdles
People are not able to register themselves for benefits of the scheme through the registration portal and the mobile application.
Updated On – 24 June 2024, 04:22 PM
Hyderabad: The much-hyped national scheme for residential rooftop solar, the ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana‘ is facing technical hurdles. People are not able to register themselves for benefits of the scheme through the registration portal and the mobile application.
For the last one month, vendors involved in installation of these projects and giving an impetus to the government scheme, have been struggling. Several of them have complained about the delay in the application process, tracking and executing other works through the central portal. Even in Telangana, people are finding it difficult to register themselves through the portal. It is estimated that over 5,000 applications are pending in the greater Hyderabad area alone.
“We are facing a lot of issues with the PM Surya Ghar scheme in Telangana. Portal is not been working for one month. Subsidies are not disbursed to customers. Portal is not accepting for Apartments and Societies Rs.18,000 per kilowatt scheme. There are a lot of issues and pending problems with the portal,” Telangana Solar Energy Association president Ashok Kumar Goud said.
The inability to register in the portal ultimately has led to delays in project executions. Several leading vendors working in multiple States have blamed the technical glitches in the website for the delays. In fact, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on June 21 wrote a letter to Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi requesting him to resolve the issue at the earliest as the people were suffering.
In fact, All India Renewable Energy Association(AIREA) founder director Amit Deotale on Monday has launched a hunger strike in Nagpur demanding the Centre to rectify the technical issues and restore the normal functioning of the portal.
The National Portal for Rooftop Solar is important for the consumers, vendors, discoms and the government too. This is the centralized system where consumers sitting anywhere in the country can register to get the benefits under the subsidized residential rooftop solar. The consumers use the portal to apply, find and select their vendors and also to get the central subsidies after submitting all relevant documents. The portal also enlists the financiers who are ready to finance the rooftop solar projects.
The “PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana” provides for a subsidy of 60 percent of the solar unit cost for systems up to 2 kW capacity and 40 percent of additional system cost for systems between 2 to 3 kW capacity. The subsidy has been capped at 3 kW capacity. At current benchmark prices, this will mean Rs. 30,000 subsidy for 1 KW system, Rs. 60,000 for 2 KW systems and Rs. 78,000 for 3 KW systems or higher.
ChatGPT Answers Went 'Undetected', Got Better Grades Than Students: Study
ChatGPT answers went ‘undetected’, secured better grades than students, study finds.
New Delhi:
Exam graders could have trouble spotting answers generated by AI-based chatbots, researchers said after their study found that these answers not only went undetected but were also graded better than those written by students.
On behalf of 33 ‘fake students’, the researchers at the University of Reading, UK, submitted answers generated by ChatGPT to the examinations system of the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences of the same university.
The team found that 94 per cent of the AI-written answers went undetected. Further, about 83 per cent of the chatbot’s answers secured better scores than real students’ submissions.
“We found that within this system, 100 per cent AI-written submissions were virtually undetectable and very consistently gained grades better than real student submissions,” the authors wrote in the study published in the journal PLoS ONE.
The researchers said their findings should be a “wakeup call” for educators across the world and called for the global education sector to evolve in the face of artificial intelligence.
“Many institutions have moved away from traditional exams to make assessment more inclusive. Our research shows it is of international importance to understand how AI will affect the integrity of educational assessments,” lead researcher Peter Scarfe, an associate professor at the University of Reading, said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Modi takes oath as member of 18th Lok Sabha, says people want substance not slogans
Taking a jibe at Opposition, he says India wants debate, diligence, not disturbance in Parliament
Published Date – 24 June 2024, 11:59 AM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets media personnel as he arrives to attend the first day of the Parliament session of the 18th Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Monday. Photo: AP
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took oath as member of the 18th Lok Sabha on Monday, said people have given his government mandate for a third consecutive term and put a stamp of approval on its policies and intentions. He also said the 18th Lok Sabha begins with a resolve of building a ‘Shreshtha Bharat’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Addressing the media in the Parliament complex at the beginning of the first session of the new Lok Sabha, Modi asserted that his government will take everyone along in fulfilling the aspirations of the people. He also noted that Emergency’s 50th anniversary falls on June 25, and described it as a “black spot” on India’s democracy when Constitution was discarded.
Welcoming new MPs, he said the 18th Lok Sabha commences with a dream of building a developed India by 2047. People expect good steps from the Opposition but it has been disappointing so far, he said while expressing hope that it will fulfil its role and maintain democracy’s decorum.
India needs a responsible Opposition and people want substance not slogans. They want debate, diligence, not disturbance in Parliament, he said in a jibe at the Opposition. The Prime Minister noted that 65 crore voters participated in the just-held parliamentary elections and it was for the second time since Independence that a government was chosen for a third consecutive term. The occasion came after 60 years, he said.
Modi returned to power for a third consecutive term earlier this month. Modi and his Council of Ministers took oath on June 9.
This is the third term of Modi as a member of the Lok Sabha. He retained the Varanasi seat, which he has been winning since 2014.
As Leader of the House, he was the first one to take oath. Earlier in the day, B Mahtab took oath as member of the new House as well as that of Pro-tem Speaker at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
4th century Varahamurthy found in Kotla Narsimhulapalle, Karimnagar
The team members – Ahobilam Karunakar, Mohammed Naseeruddin and Kolluri Sai – found the 3-inch high Ishtadaivashilpam of Varahamurthy made in limestone at Kolluri Sai Birappagudi.
Updated On – 27 June 2024, 02:47 PM
Hyderabad: The research members of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, have found and identified a rare Varahaswamy expected to be from the 4th Century, in Kotla Narsimhulapalle of Gangadhara Mandal, Karimnagar district.
The team members – Ahobilam Karunakar, Mohammed Naseeruddin and Kolluri Sai – found the 3-inch high Ishtadaivashilpam of Varahamurthy made in limestone at Kolluri Sai Birappagudi.
This sculpture is characterized by the raised feet of Varahamurti with north-facing figure being quite incredible, said Sriramoju Haragopal, convenor, Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam. After examining the sculpture, Sthapathi and historian Dr. Emani Shivanagi Reddy opined that the sculpture belongs to the 4th century.
At Kotla Narsimhulapalle, potsherds of the Satavahana period, a fragment of a stone ax of the Neolithic age, and a fragment of stone implements of the Mesolithic age were found. This Chinnavarahaswamy Archamurthy sculpture is reminiscent of the Narasimhaswamy plaque found in Kondamotu, and it is historically significant to find Varahamurthy now in the Birappa temple, said Sriramoju Haragopal.
Kerala Finance Minister Meets Nirmala Sitharaman, Seeks Special Package
According to him, Kerala has a very good record of fiscal consolidation (File)
New Delhi:
Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Thursday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and made various demands, including a special package and allowing higher borrowings for the state.
A detailed memorandum about the state’s demands was submitted to Ms Sitharaman.
In the memorandum, he said that Kerala is on the path of fiscal consolidation but is facing a serious financial crunch due to the scarcity in central transfers and borrowing constraints.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Balagopal said it was a courtesy meeting after Sitharaman took charge as the finance minister post elections.
According to him, Kerala has a very good record of fiscal consolidation.
The state has demanded a special package of at least Rs 24,000 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25 to tide over the current liquidity stress by scheduling it over a period of two years from 2024-25.
Another demand is for special assistance for the Vizhinjam International SeaPort Ltd (VISL).
“Apart from direct investment from the Union government, we urgently need a special capital investment support of Rs 5,000 crore to fulfil our obligations in developing the Vizhinjam port region. We also request another Rs 5,000 crore to finance certain other infrastructure projects, such as the ‘Tunnel Road link between Calicut and Wayanad’,” the memorandum said.
As per the memorandum, the state will lose about Rs 4,710 crore in this and next financial year and this is due to the introduction of a new measure by the central government in retrospective effect to cut the borrowing limits of KIIFB and pension company.
“We have requested several times to reconsider this and stop cutting this amount from the borrowing limit at least for this financial year and the next financial year. Hence, permission may be granted to borrow Rs 4,710 crore each during the current financial year and the next financial year over and above the borrowing ceiling being fixed for these two years,” the memorandum said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
