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Before Hemant Soren's Arrest, Drama Outside Raj Bhavan In Jharkhand

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Before Hemant Soren's Arrest, Drama Outside Raj Bhavan In Jharkhand

He will be replaced by state minister Champai Soren, a veteran leader of the ruling JMM.

New Delhi:

High voltage drama was seen outside the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi on Wednesday evening before the Enforcement Directorate formally arrested Jharkhand’s former Chief Minister Hemant Soren in an alleged money laundering case. Mr Soren signed his arrest memo only after meeting Governor CP Radhakrishnan and submitting his resignation. He will be replaced by state minister Champai Soren, a veteran leader of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

“The former chief minister insisted on meeting the Governor before signing his arrest memo,” a senior official in charge of the investigation told NDTV.

Mr Soren, he said, wanted to parade his MLAs before the Governor. “Three buses full of MLAs had reached the Raj Bhavan. But not all were allowed inside. He submitted a list of MLAs and only then he relented,” the official added.

Mr Soren was questioned by the Central agency for seven hours on Wednesday before he went to meet the Governor. 

Officials said during questioning, Mr Soren was asked to pen down his statement, which he was unwilling to do. “He was uncooperative, so he was arrested,” a senior official said.

The agency claims Mr Soren and his aides used to forcibly acquire land. “Acres of land have been acquired allegedly by Chief Minister and the people known to him. We have arrested him in a money laundering case for a land scam involving 8 acres of land,” the official claimed.

The agency, he added, has “documentary evidence to prove that the proceeds of crime went to Hemant Soren,” which is why he has been arrested.

The ED claims the investigation points to a sophisticated operation involving a network of brokers and businessmen who manipulated land records to create fake deeds – legal documents that transfer ownership of land or real estate from one party to another – for valuable parcels of land.

“These falsified documents were then used to sell off the land to various individuals and companies, leading to substantial financial gains for the perpetrators,” an official said.

The agency is expected to produce Mr Soren before a special anti-money laundering court in Ranchi on Thursday. The ED will seek his remand for custodial interrogation.

The central agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who served as the director of the state’s Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

Assembly elections are due in Jharkhand in November.

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ED attaches property worth Rs 61 lakh of Al Kabeer Exports Private Limited

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ED initiated investigation on the basis of complaint filed by TSPCB in the Court of Special Mobile Judicial First Class Magistrate, Sangareddy, in which it complained that Al Kabeer Exports was engaged in processing of frozen buffalo meat

Published Date – 31 January 2024, 11:52 PM


ED attaches property worth Rs 61 lakh of Al Kabeer Exports Private Limited


Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached movable property in the form of fixed deposits worth Rs 61 lakh of Al Kabeer Exports Private Limited under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), a press release said.

The ED initiated investigation on the basis of complaint filed by Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) in the Court of Special Mobile Judicial First Class Magistrate, Sangareddy, in which it complained that Al Kabeer Exports was engaged in processing of frozen buffalo meat.

The accused company obtained permission from the TSPCB that all the solid waste generated during the animal slaughter in the premises shall be properly classified and disposed off as per the norms of TSPCB. However, the company did not follow the norms prescribed by the TSPCB to treat the solid waste generated in processing of frozen buffalo meat and committed offenses under sections of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the press release said.

ED investigation revealed that Al Kabeer Exports did not comply with the statutory requirement of treatment of hazardous solid meat waste generated in their premises. Instead, the company disposed off the hazardous waste in open area which resulted in pollution of surface and ground water in the surrounding areas, the press release said.

The ED investigation also revealed that by committing the said scheduled offense, the company generated proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 1 lakh, which has been provisionally attached, the press release from ED said, adding that further investigation is under progress.

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Musheer Reveals Chat With Sarfaraz After Brother's Maiden Test Call Up

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File photo of Sarfaraz Khan, his father and brother Musheer




As Sarfaraz Khan earned his maiden Test call-up for the second match between India and England in Vizag, younger brother Musheer is taking Under-19 World Cup by storm, having already slammed two centuries in the tournament. After his ton took India past New Zealand in the Super Six clash of the World cup, Musheer revealed how Sarfaraz called up to inform him about his selection into the Indian team for the second Test against England. Musheer, understandably, couldn’t be happier for his elder brother.

“My brother called me yesterday and he said that he has been selected in the Indian squad for the second Test. I want to congratulate hi for this,” said Musheer after scoring a centrury against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Speaking of his own heroics in the U19 World Cup, Musheer said that he is quite confident of doing well, having already slammed two hundreds in the tournament.

“It feels really good that I have scored two centuries and I want to continue batting well. It gives a sense of confidence. It was a bit of a slow pitch and our bowlers are in good flow and we got the results. I focus on the process and focus on bowling in tight areas,” said Musheer.

On a perfect batting wicket here at the Mangaung Oval, Musheer tore apart the Kiwis bowling line-up to become the first batter in the current competition to breach the 300-run mark, going past Pakistan’s Shahzaib Khan with his stupendous effort.

En route his 131, Musheer blasted 13 fours and three sixes off just 125 balls and once showed admirable temperament to up the ante just when it was required.

Busy at the crease constantly, the 18-year-old Musheer motored on from one end unleashing strokes in all directions, while he began with an upper-cut for a four.

His innings was spruced with fine running between the wickets and ended in the death overs when he was looking to accelerate.

With PTI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

India

Lunar Polar Exploration Mission will pave way for human mission by 2040, says top space scientist

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“LUPEX will also be a precursor to the country’s ambitious lunar sample return mission and human missions on Moon by 2040,” the space scientist said.

Published Date – 31 January 2024, 10:10 PM


Lunar Polar Exploration Mission will pave way for human mission by 2040, says top space scientist


Bengaluru: The joint lunar mission by ISRO and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will pave the way for landing humans on Moon by 2040, said Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) Director Anil Bhardwaj on Wednesday Speaking at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium here, Bhardwaj said the two space agencies are collaborating on the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX).

“LUPEX will also be a precursor to the country’s ambitious lunar sample return mission and human missions on Moon by 2040,” the space scientist said.

The target of LUPEX will again be landing on the south pole of the Moon where India’s Chandrayaan-3 made a successful touchdown.

 

 

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Explained: Canada's 2-Year Cap On Foreign Students And Who Will Be Impacted

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Explained: Canada's 2-Year Cap On Foreign Students And Who Will Be Impacted

Foreign students contribute about $16.4 billion annually to the Canadian economy. (Representational)

Toronto:

Canada on Monday announced a two-year cap on new international student permits after explosive growth in recent years aggravated the housing shortage.

Last year Canada issued more than 650,000 study permits to foreign students, according to government data, taking the number of international students entering the country to a record more than a million, roughly triple the number who entered the country a decade ago.

Here is how the new plans will work and what is at stake.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS?

Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, said the Liberal government will introduce a temporary, two-year cap on new student permits, which will result in the issue of about 364,000 permits in 2024.

The proposals will also set limits on work permits handed out after graduation to foreign students who attended some institutions. The permits have been seen as an easy path to securing permanent residency. People pursuing master’s or post-doctorate programs will be eligible for a three-year work permit.

Spouses of international students enrolled in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible, Miller said. The acceptance of new study permit applications in 2025 will be subject to reassessment at the end of the current year, he said.

WHY IS GOVERNMENT CRACKING DOWN?

Canada has emerged as a popular destination for international students since it is relatively easy to obtain work permits after finishing courses.

But the surge in international students led to an acute shortage in apartments, pushing up rents. In December, rents nationwide rose 7.7% from a year earlier, according to Statscan.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity has been dented mainly due to affordability issues, and opposition Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has taken a commanding lead over Trudeau in opinion polls ahead of an election next year.

Apart from the rental crisis, the government has also been concerned about the quality of education provided by some of the institutions.

WHOM WILL THIS IMPACT?

International students contribute about C$22 billion ($16.4 billion) annually to the Canadian economy. The move will hurt many educational institutions that had expanded their campuses in the hope of a continued inflow of students.

Ontario, the most populous province, received the biggest share of international students. Some businesses, including restaurants and retail sectors, have warned that a cap on foreign students will create a shortage of temporary workers.

Restaurants across Canada are grappling with labour shortages with nearly 100,000 vacancies, and international students made up 4.6% of 1.1 million workers in the food service industry in 2023, a lobby group told Reuters last week.

Canadian banks had benefited from the influx of new students, as each student is now required to have a Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GIC) of more than C$20,000, a prerequisite for international students to cover living expenses.

A plurality of foreign students, about 40%, come from India, with China coming in second with about 12%, according to official data from 2022.

The University of Toronto said in a statement that it looks forward to working with all levels of government to ensure that the allocation of study permits recognizes institutions like U of T and addresses the problem where the challenges lie.

International students made up almost 30% of the U of T’s 86,297 students last year, according to the 2022-23 enrollment report.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Did Any Sitting Chief Minister Ever Get Arrested In India?

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Did Any Sitting Chief Minister Ever Get Arrested In India?

Hemant Soren was arrested on Wednesday in a money laundering case. (File)

New Delhi:

Jharkhand leader Hemant Soren’s arrest in a money laundering case on Wednesday prompted queries over how many Chief Ministers in the country have been behind the bars. He resigned as Chief Minister before his arrest, joining a long list of former chief ministers to have faced such an action. His party’s minister Champai Soren will take over as the next Chief Minister.

The long list of (former) Chief Ministers in the country who have been behind the bars includes Bihar’s Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tamil Nadu’s J Jayalalithaa – two very powerful leaders in their respective states. Others are Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Om Prakash Chautala (Haryana), Madhu Koda (Jharkhand).

Lalu Prasad Yadav, patriarch of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, was convicted in the fodder scam in 2013 along with former chief minister Jagannath Mishra. He and his son Tejashwi Yadav are currently being probed in a land-for-jobs case.

Mr Yadav was the Chief Minister of Bihar twice between 1990 and 1997.

Jayalalithaa, who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu several times between 1991 and 2016, was arrested in a corruption case in 1996. She was convicted and jailed in 2014.

Mr Chautala was convicted in a teachers’ recruitment case in 2013 and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. He was awarded another four years in prison in a disproportionate assets case in 2022. He served as the Chief Minister of Haryana multiple times between 1989 and 2005.

Mr Naidu was arrested last year in connection with an alleged scam of 317 crore in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation during his tenure. He was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 2014 and 2019.

Madhu Koda, who served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand between 2006 and 2008, was arrested in 2009 in a mining scam.

However, no sitting Chief Minister has ever been arrested in India.

Only the President and state governors are immune from civil and criminal proceedings as long they hold their office, and are given protection from arrest. A sitting Chief Minister enjoys no such protection and can be arrested if an investigating agency has enough reason to take such action.

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"Blow To Federalism": M Kharge After Probe Agency Arrests Hemant Soren

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'Blow To Federalism': M Kharge After Probe Agency Arrests Hemant Soren

New Delhi:

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said “forcing” Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to resign after putting the Enforcement Directorate against him is “a blow to federalism”.

Soren resigned as chief minister Wednesday evening after over seven hours of questioning by the ED on money laundering charges linked to alleged land fraud. Thereafter, he was arrested by the agency.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress chief Kharge said, “The one who did not go with (Narendra) Modi ji will go to jail. Putting ED against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign is a blow to federalism.” Intimidating opposition leaders by making the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) draconian is part of the BJP’s toolkit, he alleged.

The BJP’s work of destabilising opposition party-led governments one by one as part of a conspiracy is continuing, the Congress chief further alleged.

“What went into the BJP’s washing machine is clean as white, what didn’t is tainted? If democracy has to be saved from dictatorship then the BJP will have to be defeated. We will not be afraid. We will continue to fight from Parliament to streets,” he also said.

Targeting the government over the development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that agencies such as the ED, CBI and the I-T Department “are no longer government agencies, now they have become BJP’s ‘eliminate opposition cell’.”

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi alleged that in its obsession for power, “the BJP, which is steeped in corruption, is running a campaign to destroy democracy.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Blow To Federalism": M Kharge After Probe Agency Arrests Hemant Soren

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'Blow To Federalism': M Kharge After Probe Agency Arrests Hemant Soren

New Delhi:

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said “forcing” Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to resign after putting the Enforcement Directorate against him is “a blow to federalism”.

Soren resigned as chief minister Wednesday evening after over seven hours of questioning by the ED on money laundering charges linked to alleged land fraud. Thereafter, he was arrested by the agency.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress chief Kharge said, “The one who did not go with (Narendra) Modi ji will go to jail. Putting ED against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign is a blow to federalism.” Intimidating opposition leaders by making the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) draconian is part of the BJP’s toolkit, he alleged.

The BJP’s work of destabilising opposition party-led governments one by one as part of a conspiracy is continuing, the Congress chief further alleged.

“What went into the BJP’s washing machine is clean as white, what didn’t is tainted? If democracy has to be saved from dictatorship then the BJP will have to be defeated. We will not be afraid. We will continue to fight from Parliament to streets,” he also said.

Targeting the government over the development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that agencies such as the ED, CBI and the I-T Department “are no longer government agencies, now they have become BJP’s ‘eliminate opposition cell’.”

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi alleged that in its obsession for power, “the BJP, which is steeped in corruption, is running a campaign to destroy democracy.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Middle East

Completely ready for war with Israel: Hezbollah official

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File photo of Hezbollah’s fighters

Amid continued Israeli-triggered border confrontations between the occupying regime and Hezbollah, a senior official with the Lebanese resistance movement says the group is completely ready for potential warfare with Tel Aviv.

Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, made the remarks on Wednesday, addressing a ceremony in Beirut.

“Hezbollah’s [potential] response to any Israeli miscalculation concerning Lebanon will be very powerful and swift,” Lebanon’s al-Manar television network reported, citing the official.

Hezbollah fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006, forcing a humiliating retreat upon the Tel Aviv regime’s military on both occasions.

The regime began waging sporadic attacks against the country following the onset of its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, prompting a firefight with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s confrontation with Israel grew remarkably in intensity following a spate of assassinations carried out by the regime, including against Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior official of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, who was martyred in a targeted assassination on January 2.

Recently, the movement began using its surgical-strike missiles, including Falaq (Dawn)-1 and Burkan, in its retaliatory operations against Israeli targets.

Safieddine affirmed that Hezbollah had deliberately introduced the new weapons in the border battle.

“This is a mere part of what we have,” he said, asserting that all Israeli threats against the country were fruitless, and that the enemy would fail to frustrate the movement in the cross-border confrontation.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

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Opinion: Curriculum must run on skills

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India is not capable of employing more than half of its labour force, which points to a significant mismatch between academic qualifications and industry requirements

Updated On – 1 February 2024, 12:01 AM


Opinion: Curriculum must run on skills


By Adapureddy Nagesh Babu

India is in the midst of the demographic phase where the proportion of young within the population is higher and this will continue for another two to three decades. By employing a greater number of younger people in productive work, a country can effectively reap the demographic dividend. In the case of India, on the contrary, the proportion of younger people in the age 15-24 are increasingly out of the labour force.

In fact, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), only one-fifth of the people in this age group are either employed or seeking jobs. The remaining 80% are actually out of the job market. According to the ILO, the youth Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India stands at 28.1%. In comparison, youth LFPR is much higher in developing countries. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023, the unemployment rate among graduates in India is higher than in many other developing countries. This simply indicates that India is not capable of employing more than half of its labour force and 60% of the youth in a phase when the proportion of the younger population is much higher. These statistics highlight the alarming unemployment rates among graduates, pointing to a significant mismatch between academic qualifications and industry requirements.

Skill Gap

To bridge this gap, it is indispensable to integrate skilling into the mainstream education system. A shift in focus from theoretical knowledge to practical skills becomes crucial, considering the transformative impact of Industry 4.0 on the nature of evolving work and employment at a faster pace.

India’s quest to become a $10-trillion economy by 2030 necessitates a strategic approach to bridge the skills gap, and prepare the youth job-ready for Industry 4.0. Sectors like manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, BFSI, hospitality and life sciences are expected to witness substantial growth, creating millions of jobs.

It is expected that in the coming decade, 11 million manufacturing jobs will be created along with over 8 million jobs in hospitality by 2028 and 3.5 million green jobs by 2030 fuelling demand for a skilled workforce. (Aditya Ghosh, Chairman of CII National Committee on Skill Development & Livelihood). This involves sectoral identification of future jobs, carefully aligning educational programmes with industry needs, and ensuring that graduates possess the requisite skill sets.

Transferrable Skills

As the demand for skilled labour continues to grow through technological advancements, employers increasingly require employees who possess more than just bookish knowledge. Research published in ‘The Journal of Further and Higher Education’ emphasises the importance of developing key transferable skills in students. It stresses the fact that employers prioritise candidates with practical abilities such as problem-solving and creative thinking, highlighting the necessity for integrated skill sets.

Integrating skills with higher education curriculum refers to the process of combining knowledge acquired from formal educational training within an academic setting with appropriate industry-specific work practices and requirements necessary for one’s intended career. Through this incorporation and enrichment of current subject matter, graduates become prepared for further study, future job opportunities as well as longer-term professional success within their chosen field. Employers seek candidates with a balance of soft skills and technical qualifications, making graduates more competitive in the job market.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) must bring in experts from industry to their laboratories so that students are aware of the developments on the ground. Regular seminars and classes, apprenticeships/internships, on-the-job training and live projects are also excellent ways to learn the industry’s inner workings. Over time, this will allow academia to update existing learnings with newer methodologies and ensure an advanced pedagogy. This will prepare students for real-world challenges and provide them with a competitive edge in the job market.

The India Skills Report 2024 identifies States like Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as having a higher concentration of employable talent. As per the report, Telangana has the highest concentration of employable talent in the age group of 18-21 with 85.45% found employable in this group. Telangana has the potential not only to drive its growth but also to fuel the national economy through its employable youth.

Collaborative Innovation

The current scenario underscores the necessity of a curriculum that transcends traditional boundaries, integrating practical skilling component that aligns with the demands of the everchanging job market. A balanced education system, focusing on both academic proficiency and practical acumen, equips individuals to navigate the complexities of the professional world. The synergy between academia and industry not only prepares students for real-world challenges but also ensures that academic research remains relevant and impactful. This collaborative spirit serves as a catalyst for innovation, with academia contributing theoretical insights and industry providing practical applications. To bridge the gap between academia and industry, a symbiotic relationship is essential.

According to consulting firm McKinsey, around 69% of companies globally are focusing on skill-building and more than 50% believe that the pandemic and the challenges it threw up have increased the demand for a multi-skilled workforce. According to an Accenture report, ‘Fueling India’s Skill (R)evolution’, the country could lose 2.3% of its annual growth by 2028 if skill-building is not on a par with modern technological interventions. While our higher education system is currently undergoing several changes, the growing need for seamless coordination of a classroom-based curriculum and practical skills-based learning demands that our institutions and academicians begin designing a different kind of curriculum that focuses on research, development and training.

Embedding skilling into the curriculum is not just a policy imperative; it’s a strategic need to prepare the youth for the challenges and opportunities of the future. A proactive and collaborative approach will ensure that higher education becomes a powerful tool in empowering students through employability and fuelling the economic growth of the nation.

Op