Posts

Showing posts from June, 2017

Opposition Prez candidate Meira Kumar files nomination papers today

Image
She is slated to launch a campaign from the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on June 30 Opposition presidential candidate  Ram Nath Kovind VS Meira Kumar  on Wednesday filed her nomination in the presence of top Congress and opposition leaders. Kumar, who filed her papers with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on one side and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on the other, will launch her campaign from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on June 30. Politics News :  Accompanying the former Lok Sabha Speaker as she filed her nomination in Parliament House were a host of opposition leaders, including NCP's Sharad Pawar and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury. Also Read :  Sonia leads Oppn support to Meira, says Prez polls an ideological battle Sonia Gandhi and other top Congress and opposition leaders were amongst those who proposed and seconded her nomination. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on Thursday. Kumar, who will contest against NDA's Ram N

Modi-Trump meet: India, US name Pakistan, demand action on 26/11, Pathankot

Image
Joint statement issued after visit vows action against Pak-based LeT, JeM and D-Company Current Affairs  : India and the US today vowed to strengthen cooperation against terror outfits like Jaish-e- Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and D-Company, while urging Pakistan to ensure that its soil is not used for terror strikes against other nations. In a joint statement released after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, the two nations also called on Islamabad to "expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other cross-border terrorist attacks perpetrated by Pakistan- based groups." Briefing reporters on the meeting, Foreign Secretary, S Jaishankar said counter-terrorism was a major issue that was discussed between Trump and  Modi Trump Meet  during the day. ALSO READ:  In meet with Trump, Modi vows to destroy terror hideouts, tackle extremism On the reference to Pakistan, he said the joi

Eid 2017: Delhi to get respite from heat today, says IMD

Image
There are fair chances of rains on Monday night or early Tuesday: IMD The national capital on Sunday sizzled at 39.4 degree Celsius, two notches above the season's average, but respite is likely on Monday, when  Eid Mubarak  falls this year, would see light rains, said the weather department. Current Affairs  : According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there are fair chances of rains on Monday night or early Tuesday. Beside, thundery conditions on Sunday night would abate the weather situation and bring down the mercury to 35-36 degrees. "Sunday was humid but Monday, the day of Eid, would be calm and weather would be pleasant throughout the day. Rains are most likely towards night, followed by early morning," an IMD official said. The minimum temperature on Sunday was 30 degrees, two notches above the season's average, while the humidity oscillated between 40 to 80 per cent. The maximum temperature on Saturday settled at 37.6 de

Cartosat-2 launch tomorrow: Countdown for Isro's 'eye in the sky' begins

Image
When Indian Army soldiers conducted surgical strikes, they had help from an 'eye in the sky' The 28-hour countdown operation of the PSLV-C38/ Cartosat-2  series satellite mission started on Thursday at 05:29 hours IST. This comes after the Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorisation Board cleared the countdown on Wednesday. Current Affairs  : The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is gearing up to launch its Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 30 co-passenger satellites. Isro's workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its 40th flight (PSLV-C38), will carry these satellites into orbit. The rocket is scheduled to take off from the Sriharikota space port near Chennai at 9.29 am on Friday. The rocket will carry the 712 Kg Cartosat-2 series satellite and 30 co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 243 Kg at lift-off, into a 505 Km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. Also Read :  Isro to

Full text of Kumble's resignation letter as he quits as India head coach

Image
Kumble stayed back in England instead of travelling with the team for their next assignment Current Affairs  : Legendary leg-spinner  Anil Kumble  has decided against continuing as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, it was announced on Tuesday. According to reports, Kumble, whose one-year tenure was scheduled to end at the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales, stayed back in England instead of travelling with the team for their next assignment in the West Indies. Here is the full text of his resignation letter: Also Read: India after Kumble: 5 contenders who have applied to be next head coach Coach vs Captain: Partnership with Kohli had become untenable, says Kumble Anil Kumble decides to step down as Team India head coach

Why NDA chose Bihar Governor Kovind, a Dalit leader, as President nominee

Image
Kovind's name was a surprise to those who wanted somebody with a Hindutva image to be the candidate Politics News  : Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will be the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and in all likelihood the next President of India. The BJP Parliamentary Board decided Kovind's candidature at its meeting on Monday. Kovind is widely respected among political circles for his integrity and people remember his family to have led an abstemious lifestyle during his political career, including when he was a Rajya Sabha member from 1994 to 2006. The BJP-led NDA has 48.6 per cent votes in the electoral college and has been promised support from regional parties like the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, YSR Congress Party, and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Also Read :  Why NDA chose Bihar Governor Kovind, a Dalit leader, as President nominee BJP chief Amit Shah s

ICC Champions Trophy: Pakistan army mocks India after victory

Image
Pakistan won the Champions Trophy cricket final on Sunday by defeating India by 180 runs Current Affairs  : Pakistan Army has mocked India after the country’s resounding victory in the  Champions Trophy  cricket final, sharing photos of celebrations in restive Balochistan with a caption “To whom it may concern’. Lay off”. After posting photos of Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa with victory sign and soldiers dancing over Pakistani triumph over India at the Oval, military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor shared pictures from Balochistan where people were celebrating the victory. “And this is Our Balochistan. ‘To whom it may concern’. Lay off,” he wrote along with photos. The pictures were apparently in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech last year in which he had raised the issue Pakistan’s atrocities on people of Baluchistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Ghafoor also posted a video showing people in Srinagar purportedly ce

Where is no sex in booklet? AYUSH min slams reports on 'lust guidelines' for pregnancy

Image
AYUSH said media paid selective attention to the suggestions on page 14 of the booklet Current Affairs : The Ministry of AYUSH on Wednesday termed the reports incorrect that said that an AYUSH booklet stated that pregnant women should control lust, hang "beautiful" pictures on the wall and shun non-vegetarian food to deliver a healthy baby. In a statement, the AYUSH said, "Some reports have appeared in the print and electronic media since June 13, 2017 concerning the publication 'Mother and Child Care' of Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH. Unfortunately, many of these reports are seen to be inaccurate, and some are even seen to misrepresent facts." The Ministry said that nowhere in the booklet 'no sex' has been mentioned. "Some news reports carry an assertion that the booklet puts forward the 'prescription' that 'pregnant women in India

Intense hate campaign against me by media knows no bounds: Vijay Mallya

Image
Former Indian politician and billionaire businessman Vijay Mallya , centre, arrives for his extradition hearing arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court in London . After mocking India saying "keep dreaming about a billion pounds", fugitive loan defaulter Vijay Mallya took on the media for running an "intense hate campaign" against him. "Intense hate campaign by Indian media against me knows no bounds. The GOI (Government of India) has filed a case which is before a UK court . Wait for verdict," he tweeted. The Twitter post came after a London court pushed back the date of a hearing to decide whether he should be extradited to India. Intense hate campaign by Indian media against me knows no bounds. The GOI has filed a case which is before a U.K. court. Wait for verdict. — Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) June 14, 2017 Current Affairs : Mallya has had run-ins with the media previously as well. After his brazen appearance at a Cham

India crush SA; to face Bangladesh in Champions Trophy semi-final

Image
Man of the Match Jasprit Bumrah (2/28 in 8 overs) was on target with his blockhole deliveries Defending champions India VS South Africa in all departments of the game to enter the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in London on Sunday. India will meet Bangladesh in the semi-finals in Birmingham on Thursday. The Proteas lived up to their 'Perennial Chokers' tag in a virtual quarter-final clash that turned out to be a thoroughly one-sided encounter. Shikhar Dhawan (78 off 83 balls) and skipper Virat Kohli (76 off 101 balls) made it look like a walk in the park as India chased down a target of 192 in only 38 overs. Current Affairs : It was Dhawan's third 50-plus score in the competition, while skipper Kohli made amends for a rare failure against Sri Lanka in style, notching up his 41st ODI half-century. On a day when it mattered the most, India brought their A-game to the fore while AB de Villiers&

Petrol pumps not to buy fuel from OMCs starting June 16, may go dry

Image
Move comes in protest of daily change in petrol, diesel prices effective from June 16 Current Affairs : Petrol pump owners in India have decided not to purchase fuel starting from June 16, protesting against the “unilateral” decision by the government to roll-out the daily revision of fuel prices nationally. Though the associations are not terming it as a strike, they claim that “no-purchase” from June 16 onwards means petrol pumps are likely to go dry from the day their stock gets over. “It is not a strike, but there will be no purchase of petrol or diesel, starting from June 16,” Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers' Association, told Business Standard. According to industry figures, India has about 57,000 fuel retail outlets, out of which state-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) have a combined network of close to 53,000 outlets. Currently, IOC, BPCL and HPCL review r

Virat Kohli only Indian in Forbes highest paid athletes list, earns $22 mn

Image
Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list with a total pay of $93 mn; Serena Williams sole woman listed Current Affairs : Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli is the sole sportsperson from the country to feature among the world's 100 highest paid athletes in the latest Forbes list topped by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Kohli, 28, has been ranked 89th on the 2017 Virat Kohli In Forbes List of 'The World's highest paid athletes' with a total pay of $22 million, which includes $3 million from salary and winnings and another $19 million from endorsements. Describing Kohli as the "Indian cricket phenom", Forbes said the sports star has "for good reason" already drawn comparisons to all-time great Sachin Tendulkar . It added that Kohli has continuously shattered batting records and in 2015 was named the captain of the Indian national team, making him one of the youngest players to ever hold the job. It noted that last year, Kohli made nearly $1 m

Flights to Doha longer as Indian carriers skip UAE; take Pak, Iran routes

Image
Flights from Mumbai and Kerala will also have to transit through these routes due torestrictions Current Affairs : Fliers from India will now spend an additional half hour on their flights to Doha, with the worsening crisis in the Persian Gulf prompting carriers to skip airspace over the UAE. Air India Express, IndiGo and Jet Airways operate flights between Indian cities and Doha. Flights out of Delhi fly over Pakistan and Iran to reach the Qatari capital. Those from Mumbai and Kerala used to fly over Oman and the UAE. These will now also fly over Pakistan and Iran. On Monday, Saudi Qatar Rift , the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. They also suspended air, sea and land transport. The UAE also asked all foreign airlines to obtain prior clearance to use its airspace for Doha flights. The situation worsened on Tuesday, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia revoking the licence of Qatar Airways to operate in their

ICC Champions Trophy: Top 8 memorable India vs Pakistan matches

Image
Ahead of the Champions Trophy clash, we look at India-Pakistan ODI matches in ICC tournaments The most awaited contest in the  ICC Champions Trophy, 2017 , will be the one between arch-rivals India and Pakistan -- on Sunday, June 4, at  Edgbaston , Birmingham. The match is sure to refresh the age-old rivalry followed closely over decades, and it promises to be one of the highlights of the tournament. While  India VS Pakistan  Cricket matches had been more common in earlier years of this decade, things have changed in the past few years, and India-Pak clashes on cricket field have become few and far in between. Matches in marquee ICC tournaments have an added significance, given the prize that any team wins is much bigger. While India has never lost a match to Pakistan in World Cup tournaments, it has been beated in two of the three times the two teams have met in Champions Trophy tournaments. India-Pakistan Cricket has been known to stop traffic, give people racing heartbeats