After Balbharti releases a 27-page list of corrections, teachers and parents flag more wrong concepts, methodology.
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Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Mumbai's pothole horror: Concrete the w(hole)some solution
BMC picks low-cost, non-durable and high maintenance asphalt over expensive, durable and low maintenance concrete. The result is for all to see.
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Mumbai gets less rain than Delhi? Maharashtra Class 10 textbooks filled with basic...
More than 16 lakh students take the Class 10 Maharashtra board exams every year, and such error-ridden, poorly written textbooks are rapidly becoming a cause for concern.
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Delhi Metro Station Inundated Days Before Inauguration, Adjoining Footpath Caves in
The station, which falls on the Pink Line of Delhi Metro, is part of the Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-Lajpat Nagar section, which is likely to be inaugurated early August.from Top India News- News18.com https://ift.tt/2LH319e
RSS Sent Ghar Wapsi Man on 'Indefinite Leave' as it Threatened Mobilisation Efforts of BJP, Says Book
In their book, RSS: A View to the Inside by Walter K Anderson and Shridhar Damle claim the issue had threatened to stall Prime Minister Modi’s legislative agenda in the first year in office with opposition raking up the issue in parliament.from Top India News- News18.com https://ift.tt/2AqYd2v
1 more dead dolphin washes ashore Mumbai's beach, fourth in one month
Forest officials said the carcass was decomposed and could not be sent for an autopsy to find the cause of death
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FYJC third list today, 99,735 seats up for grabs for students in Mumbai
While the list would be declared after a series of delays, there is a growing concern among students as 58,283 vacant quota seats in minority colleges are still not a part of Centralised Admission Process
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Maratha reservation is back at the centre of politics in Maharashtra
Over a year ago, the community outfits took out 58 silent marches that were applauded for the disciplined manner in which they were organised. However, this round is violent.
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3 commuters killed in train accidents in Thane
While two were railway track accidents, the third took place on the platform at Thane station, the police said.
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Cash and gold worth ₹3 lakh stolen from Mika Singh's Mumbai residence
An FIR has been registered against Singh’s associate of 14 years.
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Bombay high court asks BMC to reveal its sea pollution control strategy
93% of sea water pollution around the city was caused by the discharge of untreated sewage
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Teenager dies of suspected leptospirosis; sixth victim in Mumbai this monsoon
While municipal health officials are yet to ascertain the exact cause, Tanmay’s medical history revealed that he fell ill after swimming in a nearby pond.
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Shiv Sena asks CM Fadnavis to call special Assembly session to discuss Maratha ...
Sena chief appeals to people to not resort to violence, even as reports of unrest come in from parts of Pune and Solapur.
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Fourth dead dolphin washes ashore on Mumbai beach in 3 weeks
Officials said the carcass of the six-foot-long Indian Ocean humpback dolphin was so decomposed that an autopsy could not be done to determine its cause of death.
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Congress and Shiv Sena call meeting to discuss Maratha reservation
The move comes a day after Maratha youths declared non-cooperation movement from Wednesday. Maratha outfits have also announced a sit-in protest outside the residences of MPs and MLAs from August 1.
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They sow for all to reap: Students of Mumbai school plant 200 saplings
Around 350 students of NES International School in Mulund planted 200 saplings along a 200-metre median around their school last week.
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128% rise in new projects in Mumbai, but realty sales stay stagnant
Sales remained low, with 32,412 houses being sold this year compared to 32,077 units last year despite 10-15 % discount on prices.
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Mumbai grows, pollution soars: Construction dust ups risk of stroke, shows data
Level of dangerous particles in the air you breathe has risen drastically in 3 years; PM 10 levels in city 2.5 times the annual safe limit, shows environment ministry study
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Leopard attacks dog, mauls man as he rushes to his pet's rescue in Mumbai's Mul...
Both owner and his pet are undergoing treatment; this is the second instance of a leopard entering a residential area in Mulund this year.
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मराठा आंदोलन की आग और हुई तेज, पुणे में उपद्रवियों ने मचाया ‘आतंक’
मराठा आंदोलन की आग में झुलस रहे महाराष्ट्र में आग की लपटें और तेज होती जा रही हैं। अब उग्र प्रदर्शनकारियों ने पुणे में आतंक मचाया है। यहां 100 से ज्यादा गाड़ियो को आग के हवाले कर दिया है। देखिए तस्वीरें।
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VIDEO: बिजली गुल होने पर चमकी थी रफी की किस्मत, मौत पर आसमान भी रोया था
एक फनकार जिसने अपने गीतों से लोगों को हंसाया भी रुलाया भी, यहां तक की उनकी मौत पर आसमान भी रोया था। जिसे दुनिया हिंदी सिनेमा के शहंशाह- ए-तरन्नुम के नाम से जानती है।
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#AUTVReview: संजू की कामयाबी ने फेल करा दी साहब, बीवी और गैंगस्टर 3, टॉम क्रूज का एक्शन हिट
संजू के बाद क्लीन इमेज के साथ सिल्वर स्क्रीन पर साहेब बिवी और गैंगस्टर 3 से गैंगस्टर के रोल में लौटे संजय दत्त बुरी तरह से विफल हुए हैं ।
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बॉलीवुड कॉकटेल 25: रणबीर कपूर की अगली बायोपिक, सलमान की दोस्ती 20 साल की और एक लेटेस्ट दुश्मन
बॉलीवुड कॉकटेल का ये सिल्वर जुबली एपीसोड है। इस 25वें एपीसोड में देखिए कुछ और एक्सक्लूसिव खबरें, इनसाइड स्टोरीज और लेटेस्ट स्कूप।
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Cheese-less toast, cutlets sans chicken on Deccan Queen leaves commuters irate
On Monday morning, actor Khurshed J Lawyer, popularly known as Swami from Munnabhai MBBS, grumbled on Twitter about the cheese and chicken-less grub being served in the iconic dining car of the Mumbai-Pune Deccan Queen.
His tweet echoed what other regulars of the train have been complaining about for months - a steady dip in the quality of food served in the car since the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) brought on board a new catering contractor last November.
Deccan Queen's famous dining car, the only one on a CR train, can serve 32 passengers and offers affordable vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. And most commuters have not been able to digest this shift. "The complaints have been persistent since the new contractor appointed by IRCTC took over in November. It's not that the food is worse, but it seems like they are not able to match the earlier catering standards," Lawyer told mid-day.
IRCTC brought in a new caterer for the dining car in November 2017
Chicken cut-less
He'd tweeted on Monday about eating cheese toast that barely had any cheese and chicken cutlet from which the 'chicken appears to have flown'. The only edible thing he had was the omelette, which had an abundant amount of onions. "Even Merwan's patties priced at Rs 12 and Rs 15 offer loads of chicken," he joked.
Lawyer then pointed out another serious problem in the car - inadequate wait staff. "There's just one waiter serving so many tables, and the wait keeps getting longer and longer. The tea I ordered came after 45 minutes - as coffee. There's surely scope for improvement," said Lawyer.
Khurshed J Lawyer
Different rates
Lawyer is among many commuters who feel the same way. Harsha Shah, chairperson of the Pune-Mumbai passenger association, who has been associated with the Deccan Queen for over a decade now, said there have been complaints about the quality of food from the time the change came into place with the temporary contractor.
"One thing I've seen is that the rates of the items seem to be different in the morning and evening. Many have approached me with complaints, and I have asked them to lodge formal complaints," she said.
Apart from the quality, several items that were on the previous menu seem to be missing too, and those that are available don't taste the same. Some of the popular items on the earlier menu were baked beans with buttered bread, cheese toast sandwich, cheese omelette, pomfret bread with potato chips, and chicken cutlet, served in customised crockery.
Lost its charm
Ambernath resident Akash Karnani, who has been a regular commuter for several years, says the food is causing a dip in the footfall as well, "Deccan Queen is the most loved train for Mumbai's office crowd. But since the caterers changed, the footfall has dropped. The reason behind this is the poor tasting and low-standard food served by the new contractor. There have been instances when travellers are left with fewer food choices than those shown on the menu."
"Even the tea served now feels like it is missing the love that was added by the previous catering staff. I recently tried the cheese omelette, which was surprisingly low on cheese. Even the cheese toasts are full of oil and don't appeal to us anymore. It feels like CR's most iconic train has lost its charm with its food," he added.
IRCTC says
Despite complaints from regular commuters, IRCTC vehemently denies their claims. Arvind Malkhede, IRCTC's group general manager (western region), said "We're trying to streamline the processes and we'll never allow any compromise on the quality of food. Attention is paid to all kinds of complaints on food and catering."
Pinakin Morawala, IRCTC spokesperson said, "We have taken up the complaints. We do not compromise on quality and quantity of food. As far as the cheese toast is concerned, cheese can't be seen when it is mixed with batter and fried. Chicken is finely shredded and mixed with masala while preparing the cutlet. However, will try to incorporate more of cheese and chicken. Omelette can be ordered by passengers without chilli, onion, etc. Regarding service staff in dining car, the peak hours have full occupancy in coaches as well as dining car. However, all efforts will be made to involve more staff as and when required.
"We would like to reiterate that a majority of our passengers have appreciated, in writing, the services and quality of food served by IRCTC on Deccan Queen."
Also read: IRCTC orders enquiry into complaint of quality of food served on Duronto Express
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Kriti Vyas murder: Charge sheet filed against Siddhesh Tamhankar, Khushi Sajwani
The Mumbai Crime Branch yesterday filed a 962-page charge sheet in the Kirti Vyas murder case against two the arrested accused — Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sajwani, Vyas's colleagues at BBlunt who allegedly murdered her in March. Vyas, a finance manager at the salon's Andheri branch, had gone missing on March 16.
"We will continue with the investigation, as the search for her body is underway and we are yet to recover it," said an officer, adding that as part of the evidence, they had attached the DNA report from the state forensic lab at Kalina.
Officers said they had booked the duo under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 363 (punishment for kidnapping), 364 (whoever kidnaps or abducts any person in order that such person may be murdered or may be so disposed), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
DNA findings
Investigators suspect the accused may have strangulated Vyas, which led to her bleeding from the nose, a drop of which was found on the car mat. Experts at Kalina forensic lab found it and sent it for DNA testing. It matched with that of her parents.
Also read: Kriti Vyas murder: Now, improved drones to search for body
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Mumbai: Kandivli teenager dies of Leptospirosis, second such death this month
One more Mumbaikar fell prey to leptospirosis this monsoon. The Kandivli resident succumbed on July 28 in a private hospital. Tanmay Pradnye, 16, had been admitted at Malad's Siddhivinayak Hospital a week ago.
A doctor said, "He was admitted here on July 24 for fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. After two days, his condition started deteriorating due to multiple-organ failure. He was kept on ventilator but died on Saturday."
Executive health officer, BMC, Dr Padmaja Keskar, however, said, "The latest leptospirosis death (Pradnye's) is still not registered with BMC's epidemiology cell."
Also read: Mumbai Rains: Teenager dies due to suspected leptospirosis
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Mumbai: Leopard enters chawl in Aarey colony, chases stray dog
After a series of thefts at Unit 7 in Aarey Milk Colony, a local resident installed CCTV cameras to capture cat burglars in the act. But on Friday, he was shocked when the camera caught a completely different sort of cat.
"I heard dogs barking in the area, so I immediately switched on the TV that is connected to the cameras. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a fully grown leopard stalking in the chawl's narrow lanes," recalled Anand Kannan.
Unusual sighting
The leopard was spotted on camera at 3.48 am, right after Kannan had returned from answering nature's call. Without wasting any time, he immediately informed his neighbours about the animal's presence, and warned them to be more vigilant while stepping out the house. Another local had reportedly also spotted the big cat crossing the road before entering the chawl.
The leopard was spotted on camera at 3.48 am, when it chased after a dog and then returned empty-handed
While leopards are hardly new to Aarey, the residents were surprised to see the shy animal roaming in a human settlement that has a population of 1,000. Interestingly, the cameras caught the leopard chasing a dog in the lane. However, the canine was able to escape, and the leopard returned empty-handed.
Awareness drive
Speaking to mid-day, Santosh Kank, range forest officer, said, "Our team members, including Forest Ranger Sameer Inamdar, visited the spot on the next day along with volunteers from Aarey. The locals have been informed about the dos and don'ts in case of an encounter with a leopard."
Locals show the spot where the leopard was spotted
Volunteers Rajesh Sanap and Kaushal Dubey cautioned the locals to ensure their children are not out alone. "It is good that the forest department team visited the spot and held a basic awareness drive. I also think that locals should keep the lights outside their houses switched on throughout the night," said Balamurugan Subramanian, another resident.
Also read: Mumbai: Man tries to save dog, gets attacked by leopard in Mulund
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Mumbai: Man lies on railway track in suicide attempt at Kurla
A 54-year-old man on Monday attempted to commit suicide at Mumbai's Kurla railway station. The incident took place at around 1:30 pm when the man suddenly jumped off and lied on the railway track.
The man was saved by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and other co-passengers.
The man said that he was fed up with family issues and which is why he tried to commit suicide. Later on, the man was handed over to his family after police verification.
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#WATCH: A man was saved by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel & other passengers after he attempted to commit suicide at #Mumbai's Kurla railway station. (30.07.2018) (Source: CCTV) pic.twitter.com/6Yz5WB2Tsw
— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018
Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI
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Mumbai: BMC to finally shut down Mulund dumping ground
BMC will finally shut Mulund dumping ground this October. It has appointed a contractor to start the reclamation of land in one of city's biggest dumping grounds, spread across 24-odd hectares.
A senior civic official from the Solid Waste Management department said, "From October 1, dumping of waste at Mulund will be stopped. Recently, BMC issued a Letter of Intent to the contractor to start the work. The process of land reclamation includes biomining and systematic disposal of waste to some other location. Currently, Mulund gets 2,000 metric tons of waste daily. Once shut, this quantity will be diverted to Deonar and Kanjurmarg dumping grounds."
'Reached full capacity'
The official added, "The Mulund ground reached its full capacity long back. Several plans were made and a contract awarded to close it, but it did not yield results. Finally, the time has come... it will be the first city dumping ground to be shut."
In June, BMC had awarded a contract of Rs 731 crore for six years to reclaim land at the dumping ground in a phase-wise manner. According to the data available with the civic body, about 70 lakh metric tons of garbage will be cleared from the dumping ground.
Consortium gets contract
Earlier, BMC had failed to get a response from contractors on this project, and they had to re-invite the tenders three times. "In November 2015, October 2016 and March 2017, the civic body had issued tenders to shut down the dumping ground and reclaim the land. But we failed to get a good response, and all three times, the tender had to be scrapped. However, the fourth tender, which was floated in February, got a response, and the consortium of Prakash Constrowell Ltd, Infotech International Ltd and EB Enviro Biotech Pvt Ltd was awarded the contract."
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Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier
Baking into a sweat
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana seems bogged down by the heat before cutting a cake at an event meant to mark Kishore Kumar's birthday, in Andheri on Monday. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
Virat Kohli
Where there is a Willis, there is a way
We've not heard from Bob Willis now that Virat Kohli will take on the England Test bowlers without the help of a county stint. The former England fast bowling great and captain expressed his displeasure when Surrey got Kohli to play for them as part of the India captain's preparation for this week's Test series. Willis felt overseas recruitments hamper the development of local English talent. In the end, Kohli's county ambitions were shot down due to his injury. All the same, Willis's view was not a popular one and was viewed cynically even by his fellow countrymen. However, he has always been obsessive about England finally gaining and winning.
Bob Willis
Here's an example. Willis spent four months in the Subcontinent as a senior member of the England team in 1981-82. After losing a boring six-Test series in India, the Englishmen flew to Sri Lanka for the island nation's inaugural Test at Colombo. The hosts competed well in Colombo and even stood a chance of beating England. But Willis wouldn't have any of it and lectured his team before they went out to field on the final day. He remarked: "After four months out here I don't want to go home losing to this lot. If we lose to Sri Lanka, then you won't want to go home." The verbal tonic worked and England ensured they won the Test. As for Willis, he became England's next captain. Kohli should be "made to suffer", Willis recently emphasised. Extra motivation for you, Virat? Over to Birmingham.
A building with Art Deco architecture features on Marine Drive
What's on the table? Art deco
The euphoria around the Art Deco buildings in Mumbai being included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list hasn't settled yet. And proof of that lies in an upcoming auction to be held in the city.
The highlight of the collection is a set of furniture in the Art Deco style, including chairs (Above), tables and cabinets. The starting price for these gems is Rs 15,000, going up to Rs 6.3 lakh. It's an online auction, though, so stay glued to your smartphone or computer on August 8 and 9 if you want to pick up a piece.
Kanika Kapoor and Cesc Fabregas
Having a ball
Away from the city's gloomy weather, singer Kanika Kapoor is happy holidaying in Spain with family. The highlight of her trip, though, was attending the wedding party of Spanish footballer Cesc Fàbregas and Daniella Semaan in Ibiza. Dressed in an embellished Monisha Jaising gown, the Baby Doll singer partied with football greats and their spouses including Thierry Henry, Luis Suárez, Mathieu Flamini, and Lionel Messi (Kapoor is friends with his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo). Kapoor tells us that Fàbregas and Semaan are old friends from London. Partying goals, indeed!
Donald Trump
Trump gets newspaper treatment
Trust Donald Trump to be a never-ending reservoir of entertainment on Twitter. The latest piece of drama that the US President has provided involves an "off the record" meeting he wanted to have with the publishers of New York Times in the White House. Instead, he tweeted about how the two parties had apparently discussed "fake news" and "the enemy of the people" aka the media. In response, NYT put out a statement rubbishing these claims, saying what they had actually discussed was how Trump's demonisation of the press is unhealthy for democracy. We'll leave it to you to figure whose version is closer to the truth.
Pankaj Udhas feeds Anup Jalota his birthday cake at the festival
Time for number crunching
You have heard of the adage, "Saying it with flowers." Here, we say it with figures. Numbers packed a punch at the two-day annual Khazana ghazal festival in aid of cancer and thalassemic patients held at a Nariman Point five-star over the weekend. Here's a look at some of them. 17: Number of years the festival has been held. `1 crore: The amount collected this year for charity, the highest ever. 200: The number of thalassaemic children helped over the years. 75,000: The number of cancer patients treated thanks to the festival.
Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas said about the festival, "I had never expected that Khazana would sustain for so long. Anup Jalota, Talat Aziz and I thought about hosting a ghazal festival in India, with a two-pronged approach — popularising ghazals and supporting those in need."
And another happy number that day was bhajan maestro Anup Jalota celebrating his 65th birthday. We hear Jalota flew in from Auckland and went straight to the hotel to mark the occasion. The clock struck 12 when the ghazals stopped and "Happy birthday" broke out on the speakers. Now that's a proper celebration.
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Mumbai: Cop helps Sakinaka girl win chess-boxing gold 2 years in a row
For the second year running, Madhavi Gonbare, 22, has won the gold medal in the World Amateur Chess Boxing Competition, thanks to the support of a good cop.
The Sakinaka resident, who made Mumbai and the nation proud with her win in Kolkata on July 29, was never short on talent. But as the daughter of a widow who works as a school peon, finances were tight. mid-day had reported last year, it was Avinash Dharmadhikari — then a senior inspector at the Sakinaka police station — who helped her with the R30,000 participation fees for the competition.
Dharmadhikari was later promoted to assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in Dongri. Despite his new posting though, Dharmadhikari did not forget Gonbare. When the time came for her to enter the contest again this year, he stepped up and raised the participation fees through donors a second time.
ACP Dharmadhikari said, "I am very happy that she won the gold medal in the World Amateur Chess Boxing Competition, in which more than 100 competitors participated from Russia, Finland, USA, Germany and other countries."
Basking in the golden glow of her medal, Madhavi told mid-day, "I am very happy. The entire credit goes to Dharmadhikari sir, who helped me. That is how I won gold medals two years in a row."
Madhavi also mentioned her gratitude for another repeat donor, Sakinaka resident and social worker, Lavita Powell, who donated R1.5 lakh in educational fees and boxing training.
What is chess boxing?
Chess boxing is a hybrid fighting sport that combines two traditional pastimes: chess, a cerebral board game, and boxing, a physical sport. The competitors fight in alternating rounds of chess and boxing.
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Dhangars' Maratha tune is double trouble for Devendra Fadnavis
It will be a while before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis can catch a break. While the Dhangar community, after the Marathas, is now up in arms against the Bharatiya Janata Party for the exact same reason, Shiv Sena has demanded that the CM ditch the Backward Class Commission's report and give Marathas their deserved reservation. Of Sena's 63 MLAs, 40 are Marathas.
Sena shenanigans
Criticising the state for not taking a clear stand, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, in a press briefing, said, "Either the government appoints a committee or pushes everything on the legal system."
Uddhav had called a meeting of all MLAs and ministers to discuss the issue. While the government will hold a special session to talk about the reservation, Sena has said it should be done right away without waiting for the report.
Marathas have been demanding 16 per cent reservation in education and employment. From August 1, the community has decided to protest by holding sit-ins outside the homes of several MPs and MLAs. While the state has been waiting for the commission's report, the Nationalist Congress Party met with the chairperson of the commission and requested him to release the report at the earliest.
Dhangar demands
Meanwhile, the Dhangars have been left out completely, as the state has handed over the issue to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences to study. The Dhangar community falls in the category of Nomadic Tribes (NT), and hence, it wants reservation under Scheduled Tribes (ST), as the benefits are more — while NT is specific to the state, ST gives them the liberty of applying for national reservations in education and employment.
Its leaders claimed that Fadnavis, during 2014 election campaigning, had promised the community to consider its demand on priority. Prakash Shendge, former legislator and president of Maharashtra State Dhangar Community Welfare Association, said, "We have called a meeting of all community leaders and representatives to decide the next course of action to take the agitation forward, as the state has not fulfilled its promise. There already is a mention of our community in ST, but the state is not considering it simply because of the spelling difference (the list mentions Dhangad), saying there is no such community here. But Dhangad and Dhangar is one and the same."
Under one umbrella
Uddhav has instructed his MLAs to consider the issue of other community reservations and ask the CM to include all in one recommendation and send it to the central government
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Mumbai: African-origin peddlers destroy their passports to evade deportation
After three years of chasing African drug peddlers, it was supposed to be a great victory for the police when they arrested nine of them last week. But now, it looks like the criminals may be the real winners after all. The Africans have either destroyed or hidden their passports and refuse to disclose their country of origin, leaving the cops no way to know where to deport them.
The African drug network has been notoriously difficult to tackle, and more often than not, the dealers manage to give cops the slip. But running from the police is not the only way the criminals have managed to hold on to the drug trade in Mumbai for so long.
The police combed 5 km of railway tracks to arrest the nine-member gang on July 28
Following the example of illegal immigrants across the world, the African drug pushers tear up their passport as soon as they arrive in India to avoid deportation. The interrogation of the recently arrested nine dealers indicates that they too might have done something similar. Officers from the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) said the peddlers were refusing to disclose their nationality, and despite searching their homes, mobile phones and other belongings, the cops were yet to find any clues.
The police arrested nine peddlers in the wee hours of Saturday, in the biggest crackdown till date
They won't leave
The peddlers have even figured out that getting arrested can help them stay on longer in the country. An officer said that many of them try to get arrested on purpose, since they cannot be deported until the investigation and the court case ends. This could take several months or even years.
One such example is Kofi Jems Romalik, 30, who was among the nine arrested on the intervening night of July 27 and 28. He had already been arrested earlier for a 2012 narcotics case, but would never attend court proceedings. In 2017, a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. He has now spent six years in Mumbai since his last arrest.
Kofi Jems Romalik, had also been arrested in 2012, but was never deported
African peddlers have told the police that there is so much poverty in their countries that they keep getting arrested so they can stay in India. Another officer from the ANC said that only two peddlers have been deported to Nigeria since 2017. This, even though the police arrested 45 African dealers in the same period (29 in 2017 and 16 in 2018).
Not cooperating
Cops said the peddlers were refusing to cooperate and disclose their nationality. In this case, the police suspect the accused still have their passports, but have hidden it.
Apart from charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, the police have now also added offences under the Passport Act, for illegal entry and concealing their citizenship.
Defencespeak
Advocate Shekhar Bhandary, appearing for some of the accused, said, "They were remanded in police custody till August 6. I am not aware of their home country or their passports."
The arrests
The ANC arrested the nine peddlers in the wee hours of Saturday, in one of the biggest operations against foreign drug peddlers after a recent attack on a cop. API Amar Marathe suffered a head injury after peddlers pelted stones at him last week during a raid. Marathe is still under treatment in hospital. The nine arrested are — Charles Ifini Ijia, 27; Okoro Jems Aja, 38; Mascells John Dino, 32; Samuel Baju Okeni, 30; Ken Kon Ishmel, 37; Kofi Jems Romalik, 30; Chikku Fry, 43; Nanna Harisans Agvu, 28; and Joku Humai Vachuku Pais, 32. While it's clear they are of African origin, it's not clear which country they hail from. The ANC seized 104 g of cocaine, worth R5.2 lakh, along with 9 g Mephedrone that is worth Rs 18,000. They also recovered two knives from the accused.
Rs 2K per day on chicken
ANC officers said the African peddlers refuse to eat anything but chicken and rice. As a result, the police are spending Rs 2,000 per day on meals for just nine accused.
Also read: Exclusive: Mumbai Police, GRP and RPF bust 'drugs mall' in dead of the night on CR
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Show cause notice served to hospital selling bio-medical waste to scrap dealer
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has issued a show cause notice to Central Hospital at Ulhasnagar, after its officers raided it and found it was selling bio-medical waste to a scrap vendor. A complaint has been lodged at Ulhasnagar police station regarding this.
A team of five MPCB officials raided the premises of Central Hospital on July 27 and found almost 10 tons of bio-medical waste there. MPCB officer, Manchan Jadhav said, "We raided the hospital and found bio-medical waste stored in one place. A scrap dealer was segregating it. This is illegal and we have sent a show cause notice to the hospital and given a report to seniors to take action against its officials."
A social worker, Satyajit Barman, who has been reporting on the illegal activities of the hospital for long, has complained to police. He said, "We have seen bio-medical waste lying outside and inside the hospital premises. It is a violation of the Bio-Waste Management Rules, 2016. We tried to meet chief surgeon Dr. Sudhakar Shinde but he avoided us." Dr Shinde was not available for comment despite being called several times.
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Mumbai: 19-year-old kills himself over girlfriend's 'torture'
After fighting with his girlfriend at Vitthalwadi railway station and recording four videos thereafter, alleging she drove him to suicide, Kalyan resident Rajesh Bhandari, 19, jumped in front of a train on July 27. The Kalyan GRP are now investigating the case and have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the matter for now.
According to officials, Bhandari, a resident of Ambivli in Kalyan, had been in a relationship with the girl since they were in Std IX. In 2017, their families had decided to get them married by the end of this year. However, the two had hit a rough patch recently. On July 27, they got into an argument at Vitthalwadi station. The girl said she would not marry Bhandari and left from the spot.
A police officer said, "After she left, Bhandari recorded four videos alleging the girl is 'responsible for his death' and sent them to his brother. He said she hasn't been behaving properly with him and keeps 'torturing' him over small things. Later, he tried to jump in front of a train, but was stopped by commuters. He hid for an hour and jumped in front of another train."
Senior GRP inspector Dinkar Pingle said, "Initially, we did not know the reason for his death, so we registered an ADR. But now that the family has come to us with the videos, we're investigating the matter. We'll take appropriate action against anyone found responsible."
Also read: 14-year-old girl and her boyfriend commit suicide by jumping into a canal
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Police nab 22-year-old drug addict for blackmailing, robbing minor neighbour
She probably needed funds for her daily fix and found the perfect prey in her 14-year-old neighbour. But she didn't realise she would get caught so soon. The Tardeo police have arrested a 22-year-old beauty salon staffer for allegedly blackmailing her neighbour into stealing gold ornaments from the latter's home. The minor had handed over gold worth Rs 30,000 to the accused.
The case came to light after the victim's mother found an earring on the floor while cleaning and asked her daughter about it, after which she broke down and confessed. An officer said the accused appears to be a drug addict and might have done the act to fuel her habit.
Scared into stealing
Narrating the sequence of events, the police said that on July 24, Dikshita Mandela saw the minor with a boy near their building and threatened to tell her mother about her "relationship".
An officer said, "The girl wasn't in a relationship with the boy; she had just bumped into him while coming home. But the way the accused threatened her, she got scared."
For three days, Mandela hounded the minor for money, but the latter begged her to leave her alone, saying her single mother didn't have much money and that she (the minor) was ready to do anything else Mandela wanted, the officer added. On July 27, Mandela saw the girl's mother leave for work and went to their house, asking the girl to give her ornaments. Mandela sent the girl's younger brother out to play, after which the minor stole one gold necklace, two nose rings and a pair of earrings from the safe and gave to Mandela.
The next day, the girl's mother found one earring on the floor. "Surprised, she checked the safe and saw that all the ornaments were gone. Scared, she asked her daughter, who then told her part of what had happened," said Sanjay Surve, senior inspector.
Caught with the booty
The police questioned the girl, but she was inconsolable. "She kept crying, in a dilemma whether to reveal the reason for the blackmailing. Finally, officers managed to calm her down and coax it out of her," said another officer. A team went to their building, where Mandela was nabbed. Cops said she feigned innocence, but the ornaments were found in her house.
Also read: Mumbai Crime: Jilted lover's bid to blackmail girlfriend's dad lands him in jail
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Mumbai: Off-duty female PSI, DCP save accident victims from bleeding to death
You might have heard that a police officer never goes off duty. Exemplifying that is police sub-inspector (PSI) YS Mulla and deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Shivdeep Lande, who rescued two accident victims near Wankhede stadium on Sunday night.
Mulla had finished her Sunday shift and headed to the Marine Drive promenade with her family, which includes her 8-year-old daughter, when the incident occurred.
"Around 12.30 am, I heard a bike skidding and saw two women fall to the ground from their Activa. They were bleeding," Mulla told mid-day.
Mulla rushed towards the women and took them on the footpath. Just then, DCP Lande was passing by the area and saw the crowd that had gathered around the girls. He stopped his vehicle and walked towards them.
Followed to hospital
Mulla said, "By that time, I was looking for the cops who usually patrol the locality, but their vehicle was far away and these women were lying in a pool of blood. Just then, DCP Lande came in, stopped a taxi, put the two inside it. He then sat in the cab. I was surprised to see him. Since I didn't see any other female police officials there, I asked my family to go home, started my Activa and followed the taxi to the hospital," said Mulla.
When they reached the GT hospital, she took them out with the help of the hospital staff, after which they were taken to the casualty ward. The accident victims' mothers work in the same hospital. Sources said that when DCP Lande left from the hospital, he paid the taxi driver and then continued his night rounds in another official's car.
Not a single scratch
mid-day visited the GT hospital to meet the accident victims, identified as Neha Kanekar, 21, and Nisha Waghela, 18. They weren't able to speak as they were in a lot of pain. Ganesh Pawar, 25, Neha's fiancé, told mid-day, "She is in pain. I'm quite upset seeing her in this situation. Her friend Tushar Gole, 24, was riding the bike, with these two seated behind. But when the accident occurred, Gole did not get a single scratch. We haven't filed a complaint against him as he belongs to the same area as us."
Meanwhile, Kanekar told mid-day, "We'd gone for a casual night round on the bike with Gole. When we reached near Wankhede stadium, the bike skid and we fell. I did not even realise when we reached the hospital for treatment. However, I want to thank PSI Mulla and DCP Lande from the bottom of my heart for helping us. I heard PSI Mulla did it when she was off-duty."
Also read: Killer roads: Race to save time ends up costing lives outside Sahara Star
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mid day editorial: City gaothans must be protected
This paper ran a report yesterday about Vile Parle gaothan locals fearing a takeover of their land. Residents of this century-old gaothan received a notice in March about the realignment of the road next to their houses, because the Western Railway wants to build a sixth line.
The residents have sent their objections to the authorities and are set to meet officials. Vile Parle residents also said that their settlement should not be considered a slum.
Reports show that there is fear, which is now coalescing into anger in several gaothans. This is because inhabitants are wary of attempts to term their lands as slums, paving the way for the land to be taken away from SRA projects. This would effectively mean the end of the gaothan as a physical entity and also the erasure of a unique way of life.
Many locals live in sprawling homes of 1,000 or more feet and will not even get one-fourth their space in an SRA building. Several times, encroachments on the periphery of gaothans are being used to misguide and misrepresent to the authorities that the entire area is a slum.
Gaothans are one of the last bastions of community living. They need to be preserved. One accepts that change is inevitable in our fast paced lives, but it must come fairly and equitably for the stakeholders involved.
Balance the new with the old so that the city can retain its pockets of culture and heritage. While some movers and shakers may dismiss culture as intangible and by that very yardstick unimportant, there are some aspects that one cannot put a commercial price on. We have seen far too much friction between gaothan dwellers and authorities of late. It is time to change the narrative. Discuss, debate and then develop, so that the original inhabitants of Mumbai are not left with bitterness, anger and feelings of injustice.
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CBSE UGC NET July 2018 Result Expected by 4th August at cbsenet.nic.in, Stay Tuned!
Earlier last week, CBSE had released the UGC NET July 2018 Question Papers along with the Answer Keys and Recorded Response Sheets of candidates who had appeared for the UGC NET July 2018.from Top India News- News18.com https://ift.tt/2LUHokS
If Voted to Power, BJP Will Publish NRC in Bengal: Dilip Ghosh
The much-awaited final draft of the NRC was published on Monday in Assam, the only state in the country to have such a document, featuring over 2.89 crore names of the total 3.29 crore applicants in the north-eastern state.from Top India News- News18.com https://ift.tt/2K8LsJt
'Any Ideas for my 15th August Speech': PM Narendra Modi Invites Suggestions Ahead of Independence Day
Last year also, the prime minister had sought suggestions for his speech during the 10th edition of monthly radio address ‘Mann ki Baat’.from Top India News- News18.com https://ift.tt/2v0eIO0