Modi to make his maiden appearance at Davos
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his maiden appearance at Davos where the world’s top CEOs and a large number of heads of government gather for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in January. Modi will be the first Indian PM to attend the meet in over two decades but officials said, it will be the first time that an Indian Prime Minister will be treated like the chief guest with the country expected to dominate the show, where nearly a hundred Indian corporate chiefs and policymakers will be present. “The India theme will be in focus at the conference with several sessions around India,” said an official, pointing out that there is a lot of interest to invest in the country. India should not allow this golden opportunity to slip out of its hands and press hard to convince the investing nations and companies to accept its wholehearted invitation.
2 cops suspended for negligence
Two Noida policemen were suspended for directing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cavalcade into an unplanned route, leading to a major security lapse. The two cops who were in an anti-demolition vehicle that was leading the cavalcade, took a wrong turn and led the PM and his security detail into the stream of traffic on the Noida expressway. The cavalcade slowed down there and remained on the expressway for 200 metres before it turned back into its original route. The security lapse happened when Prime Minister Modi was en route to the Botanical Garden helipad from the Amity University campus. As is the protocol, a multilayered security cordon was set up for the PM and 5,000 police personnel were deployed along his route. To reach the helipad, 6 km away, the cavalcade was supposed to take the service lane of the expressway, but the two cops drove on to the main expressway instead of taking the earlier left turn. Officials said the route had been rehearsed, and there was no scope for confusion. UP chief minister Yogi Aditya Nath, who was also present along with the PM, pulled up Noida police officers for negligence.
Special Olympics gold medallist working as labourer
Whenever a sportsman wins an international medals, with much fanfare the government usually promises huge prize money, but after some time they forget about the promise. A recent victim of such government apathy is double gold medallist in cycling, Rajbir Singh, who won at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. He now works as a labourer in Ludhiana to make ends meet. His father, Balbir Singh said, "The Punjab Government is yet to give the prize money of Rs 30,00,000 promised three years ago." At the 2015 Los Angeles Special Olympics, Rajbir made India proud by winning two gold medals. He suffers from a disability, with below-average intellectual and adaptive functioning. After the victory, the Punjab government had announced Rs 15,00,000 for each of the gold medals he won, while the Central Government promised the family Rs 10,00,000.
A railway station being managed by villagers
Rajasthan’s Rashidpura Khori is unique in its own way as it is perhaps the only railway station in India which is being managed by villagers. Railway services which was suspended for over two years for track conversion has now been resumed. In May 2005, the railways had stopped the services at the 90 years old station in Sikar district citing low passenger load. But the people of three villages Palthana, Rashidpura and Khori made repeated appeals to the railway officials to resume the services. The railways then put on one condition that villagers would have to make sure that the station generates at least Rs 40,000 every month. The villagers accepted the offer and started motivating people to use the train. “We collected Rs 5,00,000 from villagers and used the money to publicise train schedules. A vehicle was used for a door-to-door campaign seeking people’s cooperation in meeting the monthly target. People responded enthusiastically,” one of the villagers recalled. The services finally resumed in 2009, after four years.
Sachin airs views on social media
Sachin Tendulkar wanted to share his thoughts in the Rajya Sabha but could not do so because of the din. But he was not disheartened and shared his thoughts on the social media. The former cricketer, now an MP, spoke his heart out on subjects that matter to him “more than anything else” - specifically, inculcating a sporting culture and promoting a healthy lifestyle. “We rejoice when medals come, we’re happy when we are so carefully planning the development of sports at a macro level. We say we love sports. We’re doing good in so many aspects. But are we focused on getting better?” he wondered. He says, “sports should compulsorily be made part of our curriculum. Look at the way the world is changing around us. In fact, we have brought out a sample book on India’s unforgettable sports heroes, which if looked at in detail, is an endless list. There are inspiring stories to tell, stories that children need to grow up reading so that they learn a slice of their own history.” own history.”
Man found hiding in washing machine
Criminals know how to commit a crime and evade the policeman. But it is impossible to escape from eyes of the law for ever. A 54-year-old man who had been evading arrest since the past 14 years was caught hiding inside the washing machine in his house in Mumbai recently. The police went to his house to arrest him but were stalled by his wife. Finally, the wife allowed the police team to search the house. The police team searched the house and were about to leave when they couldn't find him but decided to check once again. One of the constables, just to ensure they do not miss out on anything, decided to open the washing machine. To his surprise, he found the accused, Manoj Tiwari, under a pile of clothes staring up at the constable. Police said the accused was declared an absconder by court and he had been on the run and had also shifted residence from time to time to avoid getting caught.
Bihar man gets master’s degree at 98
Age is no bar to gain a degree. The latest example is Raj Kumar Vaishya who at the age of 98 received postgraduate degree from Nalanda Open University. The nonagenarian had enrolled in a master’s course in 2015. He received his degree recently at a ceremony. Born in 1920, Vaishya cleared Class X in 1934 from a government school in UP. He went on to secure a law degree in 1940. But that was not enough for him. Vaishya says his thirst for education stems from a desire to understand poverty so that he can contribute to eliminating the social evil. Vaishya is now working on an article titled ‘The government’s policy on senior citizens,’ which expresses concerns over falling interest rates on fixed deposits.
Rajasthan MLA’s son to join assembly as a peon
Getting a government job these days is a Herculean task. Ram Kishan, the son of Jamwa Ramgarh MLA Jagdish Narayan Meena of BJP, has to satisfy with the job of a peon in the state assembly. Following interview, he was selected as one of 18 from 18,008 candidates for grade-IV vacancies in the assembly. But the opposition has alleged nepotism in his appointment and demanded an investigation. Meena, a first-time MLA, said Ram Kishan, his eldest son, could study only up to matriculation and had to apply for the post of peon. One should not waste our time on prestige and take up whatever work comes to our way.
HC ruling on tobacco warning norm
The habit of smoking or tobacco chewing cannot be eradicated only by the size of pictorial warning on packets of cigarette, gutka and other products. For reducing such habit one has to educate the users about the bad effects the products can cause following its continuous use. In a significant ruling, the Karnataka High Court had struck down the 2014 Rules mandating that 85% of the principal display area on packets of tobacco products be covered by specified health warnings. The HC bench said the new stipulation under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014, was unconstitutional. Even the Supreme Court has refused to stay the ruling of the high court. Personal preferences cannot be dictated by law. Only persuasion on the part of authorities can reduce the use of such products.
Minister apologises for his remarks on constitution
One has to be very careful while commenting on the Constitution. Recently, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde had to apologise for his controversial remarks on Constitution following a deadlock in Parliament. The five-time Lok Sabha MP had stoked a controversy by hinting at changing the Constitution at a function in Karnataka. Hegde had reportedly questioned the secular nature of the constitution. He said people should identify themselves by their religion and “those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don’t have their own identity…They don’t know about their parentage.” He had also reportedly said “we are here to change the Constitution and we’ll change it.”
After leaving office, Sonia relaxes in Goa
After relinquishing the post of Congress president, Sonia Gandhi went to Goa on a holiday. She has been keeping herself busy by doing yoga and reading books, sources said, adding she has not been keeping track of news and politics during her visit. She appeared quite relaxed and cheerful during her stay, and was also seen cycling at a resort in south Goa. She had no inhibitions in interacting with guests at the resort, with some even taking selfies with her. Sources attribute her preference to the South Goa resort to the serene environment and relatively more privacy the location offers. Some of her close friends are accompanying Sonia on her Goa visit. As Sonia is on a private visit, the local party leaders are not forthcoming on the details of her itinerary.
AC local thrills Mumbai commuters, but high fare a dampner
The introduction of local AC train between Borivli and Churchgate has been welcomed by the commuters but the high fare has discouraged many to use it. A mother of two who travelled on the maiden run said, “The automated doors will save many lives that are lost daily due to overcrowding. We should have had those years ago, but it’s a good start to 2018.” While the comfort of travelling on an AC train impressed most, there were many who felt the fare was steep for daily commuters. One daily commuter between Andheri and Grant Road, said he could not afford it. But Mumbai may take a while to get used to automated doors during peak hours. Mahesh Patil, a curious passerby, jumped onto the train while it was preparing to leave Borivli. As the door shut, he kept asking security personnel on the train to open it for him. “It’s going to take some time before people are conditioned to the automatic doors,” said an official. A light beep goes off before the doors open or shut. For many passengers, access between coaches because of vestibules was a big plus.
