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[V.Balasubramani]

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Recognition of voluntary service to the society

[h=1]Meet the Padma awardee from K’taka who helped deliver babies for 70 yrs, free of cost[/h]

When Narasamma helped deliver the very first child in 1940, the mother told her that her hands were 'special'

It was the year 1940. Narasamma was only 20 years old when she helped bring the first baby into the world. This child was her aunt’s. And even as an overwhelmed Narasamma took on the role of a midwife for the very first time, little did she know that what she would one day win a national honour for it.

‘Sulagatti’ Narasamma has been delivering babies for 70 years in backward areas of Tumkur district in Karnataka. And her life-long services to women whose children she helped deliver without taking a penny were finally recognised – she was honoured with a Padma Shri on Thursday.

Narasamma, now 97, is currently admitted at a nursing home for treatment.

TNM spoke to Sriram Pavagada, one of Narasamma’s 12 children. He says that Narasamma would always observe her grandmother Margamma deliver babies, when she was a child.

Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...a-who-delivered-babies-70-yrs-free-cost-75435

 

[V.Balasubramani]

We are marching ahead..
[h=1]MODI ON RIGHT TRACK TO MAKE INDIA WORLD POWER[/h]There are individuals, not least in the media, who have proffered more criticisms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi than they have had a lifetime of hot meals. The latest one, which resurfaced in the aftermath of Republic Day when the entire ASEAN galaxy was present in Delhi as chief guests, is that he is essentially an accomplished event manager.

This sneering accusation had its origin in the days Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat and initiated the Vibrant Gujarat summit of business leaders — a practice that, incidentally, has been emulated by all States regardless of the political complexion of the Government. When he became Prime Minister and travelled to the United States in 2014, there was a spectacular rally organised for overseas desis at the Madison Square Gardens in New York. This too was replicated in nearly all the foreign cities the Prime Minister has travelled to, including an event at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London in 2015.

Overseas Indians apart, there have been the foreign policy initiatives. At his swearing-in ceremony in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in May 2014, Modi ensured the presence of the SAARC leadership, including the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Then there was the Africa Summit, a huge gathering involving considerable groundwork and logistical bandobast that saw the leadership of an entire continent — including countries that had never been on India’s foreign policy radar — descend on Delhi. Then there have been special red carpet treatment accorded to visiting leaders, notably Xi Jinping of China, Shinzo Abe of Japan and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. And now, there is this grand outreach to the ASEAN bloc.

Read more at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/modi-on-right-track-to-make-india-world-power.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Train Travel; Besides being the most stress-free and relaxing one, it is also considered cheap nowadays when compared to Bus fare.

[h=1]50% jump in sale of railway tickets[/h]

The number of unreserved tickets sold in Madurai division has gone up by almost 50% ever since the State Government increased the bus fare, said Madurai Divisional Railway Manager Neenu Ittyerah.

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-pape...n-sale-of-railway-tickets/article22532298.ece

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Positive side of DeMO and GST.....

[h=1]Impact Of DeMo And GST: India Added 40 Lakh New Filers To The Tax Base

The introduction of goods and services tax (GST) and demonetisation of high-value currency notes brought significant number of people into the income-tax net, this was revealed in the Economic Survey 2017-18 released on Monday.[/h]"One of the aims of demonetisation and the goods and services tax (GST) was to increase the formalisation of the economy and bring more Indians into the income tax net, which includes only about 59.3 million individual taxpayers (filers and those whose tax is deducted at source in 2015-16), equivalent to 24.7 per cent of the estimated non-agricultural workforce," said the report.
Has this happened and to what extent?

According to the report, at first blush, there does seem to have been a substantial increase in the number of new taxpayers.
[h=1]Read more at: https://swarajyamag.com/insta/impac...-to-the-tax-base-than-it-would-otherwise-have[/h]

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]China is continuously taking steps to…..[/h][h=1]Under the Guise of Public Safety, China Demolishes Thousands of Mosques[/h]The Chinese government has destroyed thousands of mosques over the past three months in the restive Xinjiang region in Beijing’s latest attempt to “rectify” the largely Muslim population there, RFA’s Uyghur Service has learned.

Under the “Mosque Rectification” campaign launched by the Chinese Central Ethnic-Religious Affairs Department and overseen by the local police, the mosques were demolished as a way to sort out dilapidated buildings that allegedly posed a safety threat for worshippers in the Uyghur Autonomous Region, officials told RFA.

“Convincing the people that one of the purposes for demolishing the mosques was for the safety of the worshipers was a bit difficult,” said Eysajan Yaqup, a police officer in Toqquzaq township. “Some of them laughed at us when we explained the purpose, and some of them stared at us to show their disagreement.”

Eysajan Yaqup said he and other officials ignored the laughter and the stares and “most of the prayers were silenced.”

“We successfully completed our duty within three months,” he said.

China estimates that it is home to 23 million Muslims, although some independent sources claim as many as 50 million Muslims live in the country.


Read more at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/udner-the-guise-of-public-safety-12192016140127.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Great initiative for better relation
[h=1]Abu Dhabi’s First Hindu Temple To Be Inaugurated By Prime Minister Modi During His Visit Next Month[/h]

The first Hindu temple ever constructed in Abu Dhabi will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the United Arab Emirates as part of his West Asia tour starting 9 February, the Economic Times has reported.

According to the report, the UAE currently has only one Hindu temple, which is located in Dubai. By some accounts, UAE is home to as many as 2.6 million Indians, who form around 30 per cent of the total population of the country.

Around 20,000 square metres of land was allotted for the construction of a temple in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba during Modi’s visit to the oil-rich nation in 2015.

Prime Minister Modi will land in Abu Dhabi on 10 February and travel to Dubai the next day. He will address a large gathering of Indians living in the country in Dubai Opera on 11 February sixth World Government Summit, a three-day event in Dubai to which India has been invited as the guest country.


Read more at: https://swarajyamag.com/insta/abu-d...ime-minister-modi-during-his-visit-next-month

 

[V.Balasubramani]

It is indeed great to note that India was the best performing wealth market globally in 2017.
[h=1]'India 6th wealthiest country with total wealth of $8,230 billion'[/h]

India has been ranked sixth in the list of wealthiest countries with total wealth of USD 8,230 billion, while the United States topped the chart, says a report.

According to a report by New World Wealth, the United States is the wealthiest country in the world as the total wealth held in 2017 amounted to USD 64,584 billion, followed by China at the second place with USD 24,803 billion and Japan with USD 19,522 billion at third.

Total wealth, refers to the private wealth held by all the individuals living in each country/city. It includes all their assets (property, cash, equities, business interests) less any liabilities. The report, however, excludes government funds from its figures.

Others in the list include United Kingdom (4th, USD 9,919 billion), Germany (5th, USD 9,660 billion), France (7th, USD 6,649 billion), Canada (8th, USD 6,393 billion), Australia (9th, USD 6,142 billion) and Italy (10th, USD 4,276 billion).

Read more at: http://www.businesstoday.in/current...ountry-8-230-billion-dollar/story/269143.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]Hope this will provide more job opportunity and growth for the Center and State[/h][h=1]First defence corridor will connect Chennai and Bengaluru: Nirmala Sitharaman on Budget 2018[/h]

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday presented the Union Budget 2018 wherein he announced that two defence industrial production corridors would be developed.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday presented the Union Budget 2018 wherein he announced that two defence industrial production corridors would be developed in the country. Following the announcement, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hailed the move and divulged details on the road ahead.

The Defence Minister said that of the two defence corridors announced by the Finance Minister, the first one would be built connecting Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Bengaluru in Karnataka. She further said that an announcement on the second corridor would be made soon.
Making the announcement during his Budget speech in Parliament, Jaitley had said that the government would develop two defence industrial production corridors and bring out an industry-friendly military production policy to promote the domestic defence industry.

Read more at: http://zeenews.india.com/india/firs...irmala-sitharaman-on-budget-2018-2078053.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]India leading the world… clinch victory fourth time…[/h][h=1]இந்தியர்கள் பெருமை கொள்கிறார்கள்': உலக சாம்பியன் இந்திய அணிக்கு மோடி பாராட்டு[/h]

19 வயதுக்குட்பட்டருக்கான உலகக் கோப்பையை 4-வது முறையாக வென்ற இந்திய அணிக்கு பிரதமர் நரேந்திர மோடி ட்விட்டரில் வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்துள்ளர்.

நியூசிலாந்தில் நடந்த 19 வயதுக்குட்பட்டோருக்கான உலகக்கோப்பைப் போட்டியில் ஆஸ்திரேலியா அணியை 8 விக்கெட் வித்தியாசத்தில் இந்திய அணி தோற்கடித்தது.

இதன்மூலம் 4-வது முறையாக சாம்பியன் பட்டத்தைக் கைப்பற்றி வரலாற்று சாதனையைப் படைத்தது. இதுவரை எந்த அணியும் 3 முறைக்கு மேல் உலகக் கோப்பையை வென்றது இல்லை என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

இந்திய அணியின் வெற்றியைப் பாராட்டி பல்வேறு முன்னணி கிரிக்கெட் வீரர்கள் பாராட்டு தெரிவித்து வருகிறார்கள்.
இந்நிலையில் பிரதமர் நரேந்திர மோடி தனது அதிகாரபூர்வ ட்விட்டரில் இந்திய அணிக்கு வாழ்த்துக் கூறி ட்வீட் செய்துள்ளார்.
"இளம் இந்திய கிரிக்கெட் வீரர்களின் விளையாட்டு மிகவும் மெய்சிலிர்க்க வைத்துவிட்டது. மிகச்சிறந்த சாதனையை செய்து இருக்கிறார்கள். 19 வயதுக்குட்பட்டோருக்கான உலகக் கோப்பையை வென்ற இந்திய அணியினருக்கு வாழ்த்துக்களை தெரிவிக்கிறேன். இந்த வெற்றியால் உலகில் உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு இந்தியரும் உண்மையில் பெருமை கொள்கிறோம்" இவ்வாறு
அவர் ட்விட்டரில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.


Source: http://tamil.thehindu.com/sports/article22643261.ece

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]Welcome initiative. This will help to monitor the interaction between the traffic police and the motorists. Perhaps may prove evidence to violations.[/h][h=1]Body worn cameras introduced for traffic cops in Chennai[/h][h=1]CHENNAI: The city police today introduced body-worn cameras for traffic personnel to record their interactions with motorists in a bid to ensure cordiality between them.[/h]

[FONT=&quot]Image for representational purpose only.[/FONT]

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The move would also help in "probing complaints made against traffic policemen and clear doubts regarding traffic violations," a city police release said.

The move comes close on the heels of a 21-year-old taxi driver committing suicide, alleging assault by traffic police here.
"To address differences between traffic police officers and public and create cordiality, policemen have been provided with body worn cameras," the release said.

In the first phase, four such equipment have been given on an "experimental basis" to traffic police inspectors under four police stations, it said.

The cab driver Manikandan set himself ablaze in full public view here January 25 after an alleged tiff with traffic policemen over spot fine for allegedly not fastening his seat belt while driving his car on the busy Rajiv Gandhi Salai.
[h=1]Read more at: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cit...uced-for-traffic-cops-in-chennai-1767411.html[/h]

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]India in pact withdeveloping infrastructure with neighbouringislands.[/h][h=1]Budget 2018: Modi government sends out message to China, here is how[/h]

[FONT=&quot]Budget 2018: Countries like Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Maldives got budget allocations. Indian Ocean region is a crucial region as China as been trying to gain supremacy.Budget 2018: Budget India was presented in Parliament. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had made a host of announcements in budget 2018 India. The Modi government's Union Budget has something to offer for everyone. Budget highlights show that the Modi government has come up with a maritime strategic diplomacy through Union Budget.
[/FONT]

Budget 2018: Budget India was presented in Parliament. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had made a host of announcements in budget 2018 India. The Modi government’s Union Budget has something to offer for everyone. Budget highlights show that the Modi government has come up with a maritime strategic diplomacy through Union Budget. Island nations located in the Indian Ocean region were granted a large sum of money. Countries like Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Maldives got budget allocations. Indian Ocean region is a crucial region as China as been trying to gain supremacy.

In the Budget 2018, Seychelles was given Rs 300 crore. The allocation saw a 50 per cent hike as the Modi government is planning to develop the infrastructure of Assumption island. This is one of the 115 islands of the nations. Rs 350 crore were allocated for another island nation Mauritius. The amount of allocation was marginally increased from than the current fiscal’s Rs 335 crore. Notably, in Mauritius, India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the improvement in sea and air transportation facilities at the Agaléga island.

Sri Lanka was allocated Rs 150 crore in the Budget 2017. With an aim to counter Chinese expansion in Sri Lanka, India is planning to reconstruct Kankesanthurai Port of Sri Lanka. Notably, earlier Chinese firms had built Hambantota port project, near Colombo. China has another port project going on at Gwadar Port in Pakistan. Maldives was allocated Rs 125 crore. This allocation comes even as there has been a reported strain in the relationship between India and that country. These were revealed in Budget allocation for the Ministry of External Affairs.

Apart from these island nations, Chabahar Port in Iran was allocated Rs 150 crore. Bhutan was granted Rs 2,650 crore, Nepal got Rs 650 crore for projects in Budget 2018. In the Union Budget, Myanmar was granted Rs 280 crore. Notably, the Ministry of External Affairs was granted Rs 15,011 crore in the Union budget, up from last year’s Rs 213 crore.

Read more at: http://www.financialexpress.com/bud...nds-out-message-to-china-here-is-how/1045905/

 

[V.Balasubramani]

There is political crisis.

Maldivian Government reported to have declared state of emergency. It has suspended lot of constitution, suspended some of the courts, suspended parliament….


[h=1]Maldives crisis deepens as President Abdulla Yameen declares state of emergency[/h]

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen (Reuters photo)
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NEW DELHI: Maldives President Abdulla Yameen on Monday declared a 15-day state of emergency in the country, a critical turn of events amid a deepening political crisis in the island nation.

The move, announced by the president's close aide Azima Shukooron live television, suspends all basic rights and gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects.

Yameen, who has run the country with an iron hand since 2013, has been facing mounting pressure at home and from the United States and India to release former president Mohamed Nasheed from a 13-year jail sentence, and free eight other political opponents from prison.

The Maldives, home to 400,000 people and best known as a tropical paradise for tourists, has experienced political unrest since Nasheed, the island's first democratically-elected leader, was forced to quit amid a mutiny by police in 2012.

Earlier in the day, President Yameen said the Supreme Court had overstepped its authority in ordering the release of the imprisoned opposition leaders.

The surprise judicial ruling last week had led to an increasingly tense standoff between President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and the Supreme Court, with protests spilling into the streets of the capital, Male, and soldiers in riot gear deployed to the parliament building to stop lawmakers from meeting.


Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...n-declares-emergency/articleshow/62793669.cms

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Perhaps, it is nothing but corruption…while some are starving for food, it is reported that food grains to the value of several crores missing at few States….


[h=1]In Kashmir, Food Corporation of India is under a cloud after grain worth Rs 14 crore goes missing[/h][h=2]The CBI was put on the case but its investigation was stayed by the High Court.[/h]

All year round, trucks move along the Srinagar-Jammu highway, bringing supplies of subsidised foodgrain from Punjab, which is sold at government ration shops in Kashmir. But before it reaches ration shops, the foodgrain is stored in privately-owned depots rented by the Food Corporation of India.

In August 2017, the corporation’s vigilance department filed a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation alleging that, at one depot in Baramulla in North Kashmir, 26,047 quintals of rice and wheat valued at over Rs 14 crore had been siphoned off. According to the corporation’s officials, speaking off the record, this had happened between 2015 and 2016. The vigilance department’s report, however, does not mention dates.

The complaint says the depot submitted false receipts showing the arrival of 130 trucks carrying grain from Punjab.

The transport contractors in Punjab, the complaint alleges, had “misappropriated the stocks” in collusion with the food corporation staff and government officials in Kashmir as well as the owner of the depot in Baramulla. The stocks had been despatched from Bhogpur and Kartarpur in Punjab. But before they could reach Lower Munda check post at Qazigund, where the trucks enter the Kashmir Valley before heading to depots in various towns, the stocks had been diverted, the complaint alleges. There were no entry records to show the trucks had passed through the check post.

Read more at: https://scroll.in/article/866130/in...ud-after-grain-worth-rs-14-crore-goes-missing

 

[V.Balasubramani]

India’s antitrust watchdog on Thursday imposed a Rs 136 crore fine on Google for “search bias” and abuse of its dominant position, in the latest regulatory setback for the world’s most popular internet search engine.
[h=1]Google fined Rs 136 crore for anti-trust conduct[/h]

NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI), the country's fair play watchdog, has found Google to have abused its dominant position in online general web search and web search advertising services in India and imposed a penalty of Rs 136 crore. The order was passed in response to information filed by Matrimony.com and Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) in 2012, a statement issued by CCI said.


"The commission has given thoughtful consideration on the submissions made by Google and finds it appropriate to impose a penalty at the rate of 5% of their average total revenue generated from India operations from different business segments for the financial year 2013, 2014 and 2015 as provided by Google during its submission..," the CCI said in its order.

The commission imposed a penalty of Rs 136 crore on Google for infringing anti-trust conduct and asked the company to deposit the amount within 60 days of receiving the order. The final order was passed by a majority of 4-2 with two members issuing a dissenting note.

Read more at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...r-anti-trust-conduct/articleshow/62842966.cms

 

[V.Balasubramani]

This is green revolution which is taking place slowly with the aid of technology


[h=1]How a Chennai man created an exclusive marketplace to popularise organic farming in the state[/h]

The 27-year-old has started a one of a kind rent-a-farm training programme

Just two years after he quit his job as an instructional designer at a multinational IT firm, Chennai-based Vishnu Vardhan is engineering a silent organic revolution in the state.

The 27-year-old has started a one of a kind rent-a-farm training programme for people interested in growing their own food in a bid to popularise organic farming.

Vishnu claims that learners will be able to not only recover their course fee at the end of the program but also earn more by selling their crops.

So how did it all start?

It was in October 2015 when Vishnu was working in Bengaluru that he came across the news of many farmers from Mandya committing suicide, and felt the urge to change how the system works.

“On weekends, I would go and talk to farmers and came to know that they were not getting any money for their crops, even though the retail price stayed almost the same. So, I felt the need to eliminate the middlemen from the process. Another problem I heard that farmers were facing was with marketing. So, we enabled them to do some value-addition to their products which ensures additional profits,” says Vishnu.

Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...tplace-popularise-organic-farming-state-61548

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Perhaps a case of fence itself eating the crops..

The real reason behind emergency in Maldives - $30 million bribe to SC judges.

The Maldives Government is expected to go public soon about the bribes after which the emergency is likely to be lifted.

The reason behind the February 5 imposition of a state of emergency for 15 days in Maldives by President Abdulla Yameen was not because of the India factor per se. Rather it was a call taken by the president in response to his face-off with the country's Supreme Court (after it overturned criminal convictions against nine of Yameen's opponents and ordered him to free those in jail).

More precisely, the Yameen government had specific intelligence that two SC judges, chief justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed, had allegedly taken hefty bribes.

Maldivian sources familiar with inside details that made the Yameen government take the unprecedented decision of imposing Emergency told this writer that the government had credible information that the two above-named judges had as much as $30 million in their accounts, $15 million each. This money was paid into their accounts in Malaysia.

Top officials of the government have been talking about the issue of SC judges accepting bribe, though no figure has been disclosed. It is
believed Malaysian intelligence picked up the details of this transaction and passed on this information to the Maldivian government. (Malaysia and Maldives, both Muslim countries, have very close relationship.)


Read more at: https://www.dailyo.in/politics/mald...-india-ties-abdulla-yameen/story/1/22275.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]Implementing programmes more efficiently[/h][h=1][/h][h=1]These 9 achievements indicate that the Narendra Modi government has surpassed UPA by miles[/h][h=1]Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack against the Congress in the Lok Sabha yesterday and mentioned the various ways in which his government had either improved upon or completed or implemented a novel scheme for the benefit of the economically weaker sections of the country. We look at 9 issues through which the NDA government has definitively surpassed the UPA.[/h][h=3]1. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT[/h]During the tenure of the Congress government, the rate of construction of National Highways was 11 km/day whereas the same for the Modi government has been 22km/day during the first 3 years of the Modi government. Moreover, around 80000 km of roads were constructed during UPA-2 whereas around 1,20,000 km of roads have been constructed under the Modi government until now.
Between 2011-14, optical fibres were provided to only 59 Panchayats, and since Narendra Modi took over, optical fibres have reached over 1 lakh Panchayats.

During the last 3 years of the previous government, only 12000 MW of renewable energy was produced and under this government, 22000 MW have been producedalready.

The shipping industry has been revolutionized by the NDA government with millions of rupees of investment and a string of new ports. The industry is set to play a major role in the grand economic story of India.
[h=3]2. THE BIDAR KALBURGI RAILWAY LINE[/h]The Bidar Kalaburgi line was announced by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and the foundation stone was laid in 2000. But even after 16 years, including 10 years of the UPA government, the project had not been completed.
During the UPA regime, only 37 km out of the 110 had been completed. It was only after Narendra Modi came to power that the remaining 73 km were laid and the line was finally inaugurated by the Prime Minister in October last year.
[h=3]3. THE BARMER REFINERY[/h][h=1]Read more at: http://www.opindia.com/2018/02/thes...a-modi-government-has-surpassed-upa-by-miles/[/h]

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Taking care of ally TDP

A total of Rs 22,113 crores will be paid to Andhra Pradesh as grant for the five- year period.[h=1]Amid widening rift between TDP and BJP, Centre releases Rs 1,269 crore to Andhra Pradesh for various projects[/h]

Amaravati: The Centre has released a sum of Rs 1,269 crore to Andhra Pradesh under different heads in the last few days amid a strain in ties between the NDA and its ally TDP over allocation given to the state in the Union Budget.

The gross grant included Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram multipurpose project, one of the issues of contention between the allies TDP and BJP.

"The release (of Rs 417.44 crore) is towards the amount already utilised by the state against the irrigation component (of Polavaram) after 1 April, 2014," an order issued by the Union water resources ministry's senior joint commissioner, RPS Verma, said.

The Centre, through the Polavaram Project Authority, had so far released Rs 4,329 crore for the project while the state government said it spent over Rs 7,200 crore after it was declared a national project.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/amid...hra-pradesh-for-various-projects-4344713.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Meet our rural scientist
[h=1]This 33-year-old Telangana rural scientist is helping farmers with his innovations[/h]

As a 15-year-old, Mallesh created a device which would enable his paralysed mother to operate the fans and lights at home on her own.
A crammed two bedroom with tools and equipment lying haphazardly in Brindavan Colony of Uppal, Hyderabad is what comprises Bommagani Mallesh’s workshop.

One day Mallesh hopes to convert this tiny space into a big manufacturing unit that will provide employment to scores of youth.
The 33-year-old rural entrepreneur from Hyderabad has a doctorate, although he has completed only Class 9. He received an honorary doctorate from the United Theological Research University, Secunderabad for his innovations.

Mallesh has received wide recognition for his innovations, which include a solar-powered pesticide sprayer, weed remover machine, device to switch water pumps on and off with your mobile, and so on.

“I want to expand my business and design more tools and products that will help farmers. I am a farmer too. The plight of farmers is sad, they take huge loans uncertain of their productivity. So my innovations are aimed at cutting their costs and increasing the productivity,” he says.

Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...ientist-helping-farmers-his-innovations-75554

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Here is an Ex-serviceman, now serving the community
[h=1]
Patent or Padma award, this army man aides rural innovators in the Telugu states[/h]

Palle Srujana has identified more than 200 innovators in the two states. Two of them have even won the Padma Shri!
"I learnt more in the last 12 years travelling from one village to another than I learnt in 60 years of my life before that. Each story I have heard is unique," says Brigadier (Retd) P Ganesham, beaming.

Seated in front of a laptop in a simple office, Ganesham sips green tea as he narrates the tale of 'Palle Srujana'. The name, which translates to 'Rural Creation', is a volunteer organisation that works to identify, aid and promote creativity at the grassroots-level in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Set up by Ganesham and other like-minded individuals, the organisation travels to villages to identify innovators. So far, they have
identified more than 200 innovators across the two states, besides documenting close to 2,500 traditional practices.

Among these, 13 innovators have won the Rashtrapati Award, and two have won the Padma Shri. The organisation has also helped 24 innovators patent their devices.

"The innovators have collectively generated a turnover of close to Rs 4 crore, affecting more than Rs 5 lakh families," the retired Brigadier said.


Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...an-aides-rural-innovators-telugu-states-76296

 

[V.Balasubramani]

[h=1]How can a convicted person head a political party, asks CJI Dipak Misra[/h]

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday questioned the logic behind having a criminal and corrupt person as the head of a political party. He said such a lapse was a huge blow to the purity of the election process.

Read more at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ead-a-political-party-cji/article22729402.ece

 

[V.Balasubramani]

We do have rich politicians, rich bureaucrats, rich businessman and poor citizens below poverty line.
[h=1]India’s Richest Chief Minister Has Assets Worth Rs 177 Crore, Poorest Has Rs 26 Lakh: Report[/h]

[h=2]The BJP, which has governments in 18 states, does not have a single CM in the top ten list. Six out of the top ten richest CMs are from the Congress and the rest belong to the TDP, TRS, BJD and SDF.[/h]New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reform (ADR) on Monday released its report on India’s 31 Chief Ministers, which also included the wealth held by each of them. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu topped the list of wealthiest CMs with assets valued at over Rs 177 crore. The poorest was Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, with assets valued just over Rs 26 lakh.

Naidu has moveable assets worth Rs 134.8 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 42.68 crore, taking his total over 177 crore. Following Naidu on the list is Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu with total assets worth Rs 129.57 crore. Rounding up the top three is Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, but the Maharaja of Patiala is a distant third with assets worth Rs 48.31 crore. Telengana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (Rs 15.15 crore) and Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma (Rs 14.50 crore) are the fourth and fifth richest CMs respectively.


Read more at: http://www.news18.com/news/india/in...has-26-lakh-no-bjp-cm-in-top-ten-1658585.html

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Crores of tonnes of Gold underneath..... Rajasthan may be a rich State

[h=1]Rajasthan sits over 11.48 crore tonnes of gold deposits, say experts[/h]

[h=2]Gold deposits are to be present at a depth of 300 feet under the earth’s surface.(Reuters File/Representative image)
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Besides gold and copper, scientists have also found traces of other minerals including lead and zinc.[/h]Nearly 11.48 crore tonnes of gold deposits have been confirmed by scientists and geologists in Rajasthan, with experts claiming that the deposits are mostly located in the cities of Banswara and Udaipur.

Speaking to the media, N Kutumba Rao, Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), said the deposits were expected to be present at a depth of 300 feet under the earth’s surface.

Rao said the work for exploration of copper and gold was going on after traces of these materials were found at these locations. The work is also going on in Neem Ka Thana area in Sikar district.

Besides, gold and copper, scientists have also found traces of other minerals including lead and zinc in Jaipur.

If the scientists’ estimates are to be believed, there are nearly 350 million tonnes of lead and zinc deposits in Rajpura-Dariba mines.
[h=2]Read more at: https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...say-experts/story-2WkUTji0UzirsuURvhuvbO.html[/h]
[FONT=&quot]Gold deposits are to be present at a depth of 300 feet under the earth’s surface.(Reuters File/Representative image)[/FONT]

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Can a politician, who came to lime light out of luck or favour or vested interest, etc be expected to act as a statesman...?


[h=1]Why the Cauvery verdict is a boost for Siddaramaiah ahead of 2018 Karnataka polls[/h]

Neither Siddaramaiah nor EPS were statesmen-like in their approach to the issue, unlike Hegde and MGR in the mid-80s. But all that doesn’t matter now for the K’taka CM.

An interesting anecdote from the mid-80s when Ramakrishna Hegde and MG Ramachandran were Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu respectively, is a pointer to the affable manner in which politics was then practised. The story, according to Tamil media reports of that time, goes that when MGR landed at Hegde's residence in Bengaluru during a particular period of Cauvery crisis, the Karnataka CM was not at home, and Hegde's mother offered MGR water to drink.

“Ask your son to release Cauvery water first as our crop is drying,” MGR is believed to have said.

When Hegde arrived, his mother told him the reason MGR was refusing to drink water at their home. The same night, Hegde released water to Tamil Nadu.

In the last week of January 2018, TN Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami wrote to Siddaramaiah, his counterpart in Karnataka, to request a meeting over Cauvery. But the Karnataka Chief Minister who has been busy both with electioneering and the Budget Session of the Assembly, did not reach out to schedule a meeting. Those in the know say that since the Cauvery verdict was expected in February, Siddaramaiah did not see any point in making promises to TN. The Karnataka side, after the judgement, would be happy he did not meet EPS and come under pressure to release water and risk Kannadiga wrath.

The two instances are a pointer to how the complicated Cauvery problem needed a statesman-like and out-of-the-box approach. Hegde and MGR had it in ample measure, while EPS did not show the foresight to do an MGR. Siddaramaiah on his part, was more content playing to the Kannadiga gallery two months before the elections.


Read as more: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...siddaramaiah-ahead-2018-karnataka-polls-76575

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Will this State which was ‘defiant’ and flouting orders of nation’s highest court, release water to Tamil Nadu as per the recent judgement….??
[h=1]
Why this TN farmer, who protested in Delhi last year, is happy with Cauvery verdict[/h]

Speaking to TNM, Ayyakannu explains that the apex judgement has addressed some key concerns of the state.

Remember P Ayyakannu? He had grabbed the nation’s attention last year, spearheading the 41-day protest by Tamil Nadu farmers in New Delhi. From holding skulls in their hands and snakes in their mouth to running nude in the South Block, Ayyakannu, who is the Tamil Nadu chief of the Desiya Thenidhiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam highlighted the desperation of the state’s farmers owing to the drought.

On Friday, Ayyakannu like thousands of farmers in the delta districts of Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Thiruvarur had their eyes on the Supreme Court in anticipation of the verdict on the age-old Cauvery water dispute. Modifying the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal order, the three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra pronounced that Karnataka will have to release to Tamil Nadu 177.25 tmcft of water as opposed to the earlier 192 tmcft.

While political leaders like DMK working President MK Stalin and RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran expressed disappointment at the reduction of the water allocated to Tamil Nadu, Ayyakannu, contrary to the other opinions stated he is happy and satisfied over the Supreme Court’s judgement.

Speaking to TNM, Ayyakannu explains that the apex judgement has addressed some key concerns of the state.

As per the 2007 Tribunal order, Karnataka was mandated to release 192 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu. “But this 192 tmcft was only on paper. In 11 years, Karnataka has not released this water. Tamil Nadu only got around 100 tmcft of water,” he points out.
Explaining why the judgement is good for Tamil Nadu’s farmers, Ayyakannu observes, “Karnataka has been always saying that Cauvery is our own. But the Supreme Court has now said that Cauvery is not the property of Karnataka. It is common property. This is very good.”

Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...d-delhi-last-year-happy-cauvery-verdict-76572