Author: newshens

The FTA excludes India’s most sensitive agricultural segments, with no tariff concessions on dairy products, apples, oats and edible oils. India and Britain on Thursday signed a trade deal that is expected to boost two-way commerce by $35 billion in the long run, cut tariffs on goods ranging from textiles to whisky and enhance market access, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer unveiled the Vision 2035 strategy to drive collaboration in defence, technology, climate and migration. The two sides also unveiled the Double Contribution Convention (DCC) to give a fillip to the services sector, especially…

Adityanath directs officials to accelerate road development projects in Gorakhpur, Basti. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials here on Thursday to accelerate the construction of roads across Gorakhpur and Basti divisions, based on proposals submitted by MPs and MLAs. Chairing a high-level meeting, he reviewed upcoming road development projects in each assembly constituency and emphasised the need for a swift, priority-based rollout. The chief minister was presented with road infrastructure plans for each constituency by senior officials of the Public Works Department , following which he interacted directly with legislators to assess future road requirements. Stressing the importance…

Goa tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said that flight arrivals in the state have increased, and hotels are also mostly occupied. Goa minister Rohan Khaunte slammed “social media influencers”, alleging that they take money to create false narratives about a decline in the state’s tourism. He countered their claims with official data that shows Goa’s “strong upward trajectory”. Addressing the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon session, Khaunte said that the government has “nothing to hide as data speaks for itself”. He dared the influencers to show proof of the ‘decline’ they are making claims about. He spoke about the reports of…

NCP MLA’s brother is accused of firing in the air during the dance performance at the Lok Kala Kendra in Pune district’s Daund tehsil. Police have arrested three persons, including the brother of an NCP MLA, in connection with the incident of firing in the air during a dance performance at a folk art centre in Daund tehsil of Pune district, an official said. The incident took place late Monday evening at the Ambika Lok Kala Kendra near Yavat where traditional lavani and tamasha performances are held. A case was registered against four persons as one of them fired a…

Occurrence, filling up of vacancies in govt departments continuous process: Centre in RS. Occurrence and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process, depending upon the position and requirement in various departments of central government, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. In a written reply to a query in the Rajya Sabha, he said the total number of sanctioned posts across all ministries and departments under central government as on March 1, 2021 was 40,35,203. “The occurrence and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process, depending upon the position and requirement in various ministries/departments of central government,” said…

Minor boy’s testimony gets five-year RI for man under POCSO Act. Holding the testimony of a minor boy trustworthy, a special court has convicted a man under provisions of the POCSO Act for sexual assault and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment of five years. Special Judge D S Deshmukh also imposed a ₹5,000 fine on Ravikumar Rohidas, while acquitting him of the charges related to carnal intercourse against the order of nature and aggravated penetrative sexual assault . The fine amount will be paid to the victim as compensation. The copy of the July 19 order became available on Wednesday.…

Female police constable trainees protest against poor amenities at training centre in UP.  A large number of women police constable recruits on Wednesday staged a protest at the 26th Battalion Provincial Armed Constabulary campus here, alleging poor living conditions and mismanagement at their training centre. The demonstration highlighted a range of grievances, including inadequate basic amenities and concerns over privacy. According to police sources, the female recruits are blocking the roads to draw attention to their plight. Their primary complaints revolved around the unavailability of clean water, consistent electricity and functional toilets. A video circulating on social media purportedly shows…

The two home secretaries welcomed the finalisation of the text of the agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. India and Nepal discussed multiple issues at the home secretary-level talks on July 22, including a revised extradition treaty, framework for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and border management, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday. Tuesday’s meeting between delegations led by Union home secretary Govind Mohan and Nepal’s home secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadee in New Delhi is the first time after 2016 that home secretary-level talks between the two neighbours were held. “During the talks, both…

The incident happened in the flight ATR76, which was scheduled to depart from the Ahmedabad airport at 11 am. An Indigo flight from Ahmedabad to Diu, with 60 passengers on board, aborted takeoff when one of the engines caught fire. The incident was reported during the takeoff roll and the flight was immediately vacated. The aircraft had began its takeoff roll when the pilot sent “Mayday” call to the air traffic control. An IndiGo Spokesperson said the pilots informed the authorities after discovering the technical snag. “A technical snag indication was noticed just before take-off on IndiGo flight 6E 7966…

The Indian government addressed a UK report claiming a British national’s family received the wrong body after an Air India crash. India on Wednesday responded to a report about bungling in identifying the bodies of Britons killed in the crash of Air India flight 171 by saying it is working with the UK to address “concerns and issues”. The crash of the Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad on June 12 killed all but one of the 242 people on board, as well as 19 people on the ground. Fifty-two of the dead were British citizens. The aircraft lost power and crashed…