News Digest: Pawar stand on JPC creates piquant situation for Congress

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, April 08, 2023
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Pawar stand on JPC creates piquant situation for Congress NCP remains in agreement with 19 other opposition parties: Congress Dynasty, not democracy, is in danger: Shah slams Rahul Democracy isn’t in danger in India but the idea of dynasty politics is, Union home minister Amit Shah said at twin rallies in UP focused on highlighting how people had “unwavering faith” in PM Narendra Modi while his detractors like Congress’s Rahul Gandhi were busy spinning “false narratives” abroad. More India News»

		Science
		New policy will push for private investment; DPIIT to issue FDI norms: Isro chief AI better than humans at key heart test: Study Skyroot successfully conducts long duration endurance test of Dhawan-II cryogenic engine More Science News»

		Technology
		Alibaba invites businesses to trial 'ChatGPT rival' AI chatbot: Report The free-to-use ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM) application created by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, was released to the public last November and can generate articles and essays on demand in response to user prompts. New online gaming rules announced: What games banned, what not and more The Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity), the government of India, has announced new rules for online gaming. The online gaming rules have been included as an amendment in the IT Rules of 2021. The aim of these new rules is to enforce greater due diligence by online gaming and social media intermediaries in respect of online games. The minister of state for IT & electronics, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that the government had come up with the rules for online gaming companies after detailed consultations with the industry as well as other stakeholders, and these should now help in promote the growth of the sector while ending ambiguity around the policy environment. These rules are said to address the twin challenges of catalysing and expanding online gaming innovation and, at the same time, protect citizens from illegal betting and wagering online. Here are the new rules and what they mean. Krafton's New State Mobile "Chicken Survivor" mini-game: A guide to getting max scores BGMI maker Krafton’s New State Mobile has more than 10 million users on Google Play Store. The developer has introduced a new chicken survivor minigame in its popular first-person shooter game. To play this mini-game, you need to have the New State Mobile title installed on your mobile device. The mini-game is currently available inside the game. Users can play this mini-game to win daily rewards and chicken medals. More Technology News»

		Business
		Drunk passenger onboard Delhi-Bengaluru flight booked Gas price for April at $7.92 but price for consumers capped at $6.5: Govt order US hiring eases in March as unemployment edges down More Business News»

		Sports
		IPL: Allround Krunal Pandya helps Lucknow beat Hyderabad by 5 wickets All-rounder Krunal Pandya shone with both ball and bat to guide hosts Lucknow Super Giants to a comprehensive five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday. The win propelled the Lucknow side to the top of the Indian Premier League 2023 standings with four points from three games. Ponting backs Suryakumar, says he can win World Cup for India Australia legend Ricky Ponting has come out in full support of out-of-form star India batter Suryakumar Yadav and feels that India should stick with him because he's the sort of player who can win you a World Cup. IPL 2023 Stat Attack: The most interesting statistics after week 1 Week 1 of IPL 2023 saw 9 matches being played. The race to finish as the table topper this season is well and truly on, especially after KKR humbled RCB, who were looking like a well balanced team after their big win vs MI. After week 1 of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League, TimesofIndia.com lists some of the most interesting statistics for teams and individual players here More Sports News»

		Education
		Inspired by mother' story, UPPCS topper wants to uplift women, girls in rural areas It was an overwhelming moment for 26-year-old Divya Sikarwar who was lying in her mother’s (Saroj Devi) lap and refreshing the website of UPPSC when she found her name at the top of the list of deputy collectors (sub-divisional magistrate). UKPSC Patwari Result 2023 announced on psc.uk.gov.in, direct link to download The Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) has declared the UKPSC Patwari Result 2023 for the Revenue Sub Inspector (Patwari/Lekhpal) Exam-2022 on April 6, 2023. Candidates can check and download the UKPSC result, cut-off, and answer key for all regions from the official website. The selected applicants should appear for the Physical Measurement Test and Document Verification. Contemporary journalism has become more resilient and proactive: Press Secretary to the President of India According to Ajay Singh, Press Secretary to the President of India, contemporary journalism is now more resilient and proactive than in the past, but sensationalism threatens the field's credibility, causing chaos and confusion, especially in the age of digital media. Singh also emphasized that journalism encompasses various disciplines and encouraged students to pursue pure intentions to succeed. More Education News»

		Environment
		Ozone-depleting CFCs hit record despite ban: Study Their power to dissolve the ozone layer shielding Earth from the Sun prompted a worldwide ban, but scientists on Monday revealed that some human-made chlorofluorocarbons have reached record levels, boosting climate-changing emissions. Eco-friendly goods defy downward trade trend: United Nations Environmentally friendly products like electric cars and wind turbines have bucked the current downward trend in overall global trade, continuing to show strong growth, the United Nations said Thursday. Storm-weary California lashed with 12th 'atmospheric river' cloudbursts The newest onslaught, arriving early on the second official day of spring, was concentrated mostly in Southern California, the state's central coast and its agricultural heartland, still sodden from a relentless string of storms that began in late December. More Environment News»

		World
		One tourist killed, five injured in Tel Aviv attack An Italian tourist was killed and five other tourists were wounded in a Tel Aviv car ramming attack on Friday, Israeli and Italian officials said. An Israeli security source identified the assailant as an Israeli Arab from the town of Kafr Qassem. Russia hits illegally annexed Ukraine areas from ground, air Russian forces used ground- and air-fired missiles, rocket launchers and weaponized drones to bombard the provinces of Ukraine it has illegally annexed but doesn't fully control, causing casualties, building damage and power outages Friday.The Ukrainian military said Russian forces launched 18 airstrikes, five missile strikes and 53 attacks from multiple rocket launchers between Thursday and Friday mornings. Any Ukraine peace talks should be about 'new world order': Russia's Lavrov Moscow wants any Ukraine peace talks to focus on creating a 'new world order', Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on a visit to Turkey on Friday. He also threatened to abandon a landmark grain deal, which Turkey helped broker, if obstacles to Russian exports remain. More World News»

		Environment
		Ozone-depleting CFCs hit record despite ban: Study Their power to dissolve the ozone layer shielding Earth from the Sun prompted a worldwide ban, but scientists on Monday revealed that some human-made chlorofluorocarbons have reached record levels, boosting climate-changing emissions. Eco-friendly goods defy downward trade trend: United Nations Environmentally friendly products like electric cars and wind turbines have bucked the current downward trend in overall global trade, continuing to show strong growth, the United Nations said Thursday. Storm-weary California lashed with 12th 'atmospheric river' cloudbursts The newest onslaught, arriving early on the second official day of spring, was concentrated mostly in Southern California, the state's central coast and its agricultural heartland, still sodden from a relentless string of storms that began in late December. More Environment News»

		Hyderabad
		PM Modi to lay foundation for Rs 11,000 crore works today in Hyderabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various developmental projects worth 11,000 crore in Hyderabad on Saturday. The Railways and BJP have made elaborate arrangements for the PM's visit. Shops & restaurants can remain open 24x7 in Telangana Catapulting Hyderabad into the league of country's few metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, the state government has come out with fresh guidelines allowing shops, restaurants and other establishments to stay open 24x7 across Telangana. Third TSPSC paper leak busted, couple in Khammam held The lid was blown off another TSPSC question paper leak - third in a row - with the arrest on Friday of a Khammam couple, who reportedly paid Rs 6 lakh to scam kingpin P Praveen Kumar to secure the divisional accounts officer (DAO) paper. More Hyderabad News»

		Chandigarh
		Punjab police cancel leave of personnel till April 14 Punjab police have cancelled leave of their personnel till April 14, an official order said on Friday. Sidhu Moosewala's new song 'Mera Naam' released on YouTube; third since his death After over ten months after his gruesome killing and five months after the previous song was posthumously put to the charts, the third song of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was released on Friday morning. Named ‘MeraNaam’, the song is in collaboration with Nigerian singer and rapper Burna Boy and UK-based musician Steel Banglez. Himachal Pradesh logs 367 Covid cases, 318 in Haryana & 111 in Punjab One death and 367 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday as the total number of active cases went up to 1,933. According to the state health department, a total 5,021 people were tested, out of which 367 were found to be positive. More Chandigarh News»

		Ahmedabad
		Ahmedabad records 93 new Covid cases Gujarat on Friday recorded 328 new Covid cases, of which 93 were from Ahmedabad city, 31 from Surat city, 26 from Mehsana, 25 from Vadodara city, and 23 from Morbi among others. Driver takes panipuri break in Gujarat's Adalaj, suspended A BRTS driver found it impossible to resist panipuris as he drove past a roadside stall in Adalaj. He parked the bus full of passengers outside a residential society and took a 10-minute panipuri break. The incident took place last Saturday. After a video of the bus driver having panipuris went viral on social media, the civic body had to initiate action against him and the bus operator firm. Crime branch to bring Kiran Patel to Ahmedabad today A team of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, which got the custody of alleged conman Kiran Patel from Srinagar cops on Thursday, entered Gujarat on Friday night, said police sources. They are expected to reach Ahmedabad in the wee hours of Saturday. More Ahmedabad News»

		Chennai
		'None of Tamil Nadu toll plazas eligible for 60% fee waiver' The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has informed the Parliament that none of the 58 toll plazas in Tamil Nadu, including four on the outskirts of Chennai, are eligible for a 60% toll fee waiver. This announcement was made in response to DMK MP P Wilson's query about the reason behind NHAI's failure to implement Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari's announcement to reduce the leviable fee to 40% at toll plazas over the recovery of capital costs. In response, Gadkari indicated that there are currently no such sections of NH, bridge, tunnel/bypass in Tamil Nadu, where capital cost is realised, and user fee is not reduced to 40%. With faster trains, it will take less time to reach Bengaluru from Chennai Southern Railway is all set to reduce travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru as it plans to operate premium trains such as Chennai-Bengaluru Shatabdi express and Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat express along with some other trains at 130kmph between Chennai and Jolarpet starting June. As a result, these trains are expected to save between 30 to 45 minutes on the Bengaluru route. However, travel time for other trains to Bengaluru is likely to reduce as many of them use the Jolarpet route taken by the above mentioned trains. Chennai: CMRL scraps inter-corridor circular route plan in phase-2 Metro commuters will have to switch platforms by taking the stairs or the escalator at Sholinganallur to move from corridors 3 to 5 as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has scrapped plans for a line to link the two. More Chennai News»

		Bangalore
		Karnataka HC refuses to stay probe against Zameer Ahmed Khan in DA case In a setback for Zameer Ahmed Khan, former minister and Congress MLA from Chamarajpet, the high court has refused to stay an ongoing investigation against him in a disproportionate assets case. Campaign on social media needs panel nod: BBMP official Campaigning or influencing voters on behalf of candidates or political parties on social media without permission from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee may attract legal action. Karnataka assembly election: Congress looks to maximum caste equation through distribution of tickets Congress, which has announced 165 candidates so far for the 224 assembly seats, has allocated 30 tickets to members from the Lingayat community and 24 to Vokkaligas, the two dominant castes in the state. More Bangalore News»

		Bangalore
		Karnataka HC refuses to stay probe against Zameer Ahmed Khan in DA case In a setback for Zameer Ahmed Khan, former minister and Congress MLA from Chamarajpet, the high court has refused to stay an ongoing investigation against him in a disproportionate assets case. Campaign on social media needs panel nod: BBMP official Campaigning or influencing voters on behalf of candidates or political parties on social media without permission from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee may attract legal action. Karnataka assembly election: Congress looks to maximum caste equation through distribution of tickets Congress, which has announced 165 candidates so far for the 224 assembly seats, has allocated 30 tickets to members from the Lingayat community and 24 to Vokkaligas, the two dominant castes in the state. More Bangalore News»

		Mumbai
		Bombay HC cites citizens' right to protest, quashes FIR against green activist Backing the democratic right of citizens to protest, the Bombay high court has quashed a 2018 FIR against the director of an online campaign organization who was booked for messages sent to the then Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation managing director Ashwini Bhide to save Aarey trees, reports Rosy Sequeira. 'Maharashtra can't apply Rs 1 crore penalty on family pension after death' Holding that pension rules don't state that penalty, if any, recoverable from an employee who has faced a departmental enquiry, can be recovered from his legal heirs or wife after his death, the Lokayukta on April 3 passed an order that the state cannot recover Rs 1.3 crore from the family pension and gratuity of one such government employee who died in 2017 and to refund amounts deducted so far. 'Low power tariffs for commercial consumers' In its latest order for state power utility MSEDCL, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has announced marginal tariff for industries across the state while also giving relief to several shops, private offices and commercial establishments across Maharashtra. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Bikers snatch gold chain in Delhi's Shahdara The gold chain of a 41-year old man was allegedly snatched by two bike-borne assailants in Shahdara's Balbir Extension. BJP wants to raze MCD school: AAP AAP on Friday alleged that BJP wanted to demolish a primary school under the MCD that was adjacent to its central office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg to make way for a park. Addressing a press conference, party functionary Sanjay Singh said: "When the BJP built its office, the first goal it set was to encroach upon a children's school....As long as the AAP government is there in Delhi, no school will be allowed to be demolished," Singh said. His party colleague, Durgesh Pathak, too made the same charge. Web of deceit: Morphed photos used for blackmail The parents of a 21-year-old woman from north Delhi were left shocked after they received nude pictures of their daughter on WhatsApp, followed by a call from a woman who asked them to pay off a loan of Rs 3,500 that their daughter had taken. More Delhi News»

		Delhi
		Bikers snatch gold chain in Delhi's Shahdara The gold chain of a 41-year old man was allegedly snatched by two bike-borne assailants in Shahdara's Balbir Extension. BJP wants to raze MCD school: AAP AAP on Friday alleged that BJP wanted to demolish a primary school under the MCD that was adjacent to its central office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg to make way for a park. Addressing a press conference, party functionary Sanjay Singh said: "When the BJP built its office, the first goal it set was to encroach upon a children's school....As long as the AAP government is there in Delhi, no school will be allowed to be demolished," Singh said. His party colleague, Durgesh Pathak, too made the same charge. Web of deceit: Morphed photos used for blackmail The parents of a 21-year-old woman from north Delhi were left shocked after they received nude pictures of their daughter on WhatsApp, followed by a call from a woman who asked them to pay off a loan of Rs 3,500 that their daughter had taken. More Delhi News»

		Delhi
		Bikers snatch gold chain in Delhi's Shahdara The gold chain of a 41-year old man was allegedly snatched by two bike-borne assailants in Shahdara's Balbir Extension. BJP wants to raze MCD school: AAP AAP on Friday alleged that BJP wanted to demolish a primary school under the MCD that was adjacent to its central office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg to make way for a park. Addressing a press conference, party functionary Sanjay Singh said: "When the BJP built its office, the first goal it set was to encroach upon a children's school....As long as the AAP government is there in Delhi, no school will be allowed to be demolished," Singh said. His party colleague, Durgesh Pathak, too made the same charge. Web of deceit: Morphed photos used for blackmail The parents of a 21-year-old woman from north Delhi were left shocked after they received nude pictures of their daughter on WhatsApp, followed by a call from a woman who asked them to pay off a loan of Rs 3,500 that their daughter had taken. More Delhi News»

		Allahabad
		Uttar Pradesh to have 10 new Sanskrit schools The Uttar Pradesh government has started the process of setting up of 10 new government Sanskrit secondary schools in the state to promote the ancient language. 7-judge HC bench directs striking Kanpur lawyers to resume work Umesh murder: Court rejects pre-arrest bail of Atiq's wife More Allahabad News»

		Bhopal
		Mob attacks police station in MP's Burhanpur, frees accused from lock-up; four cops injured A mob of more than 60 people launched an attack on a police station in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district on Friday and freed three accused persons, including a dacoit, lodged in the lock-up, an official said. Man shot, stabbed to death over love marriage in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh The victim, Lakhan Rajput, lived in Dhanoda in Machalpur area, 200km from Bhopal, and was married to Neetu Kunwar, who is from the same village. Madhya Pradesh: Over 150 bones of tiger found in a well inside Bandhavgarh Skeletal remains of a tiger were found in a well inside the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. The well is located in Milli village, under the Magadhi range of Bandhavgarh, from where villagers were relocated in 2016. More Bhopal News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Tusker hit by train near Jarapada dies A 30-year-old Tusker tragically died after being hit by a train at Para near Jarapada railway station in Angul district last night. Kalahandi gets govt medical college after nearly 20-yr wait Nearly 20 years after it was first proposed, a government medical college in Kalahandi district will start operations after the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Thursday gave its nod to the admission for 100 MBBS seats at the Government Medical College in Bhawanipatna from the current academic year. 'We plan to add six more PG courses at PGIMER' More Bhubaneswar News»

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