New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has proposed to develop a technology data bank in the country.

Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, it also proposes to scout for technologies to be acquired, demonstrate high risk technologies in PPP mode and extend angel funding for promising technologies, Minister of State of Science and Technology Y S Chowdary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

He said that as the Digital India programme entails making available all databases and information electronically, the corporation has “proposed to develop an Indian technology data bank”.

He said the corporation has also proposed adoption of a gram panchayat and promote innovative technologies therein for socio-economic transformation.

To a related question, he said the corporation is also being advised to raise its income from commercial activities to promote domestic research and development growth.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) A BJP member today questioned the relevance of TV programmes showing self-styled godmen asking people to wear certain types of clothes or eat sweets for good luck.

Mansingh Ram Patel (BJP) said in the age of science and technology when people are hooked to television for latest updates, they see “these babas” (religious figures) on the channels asking people to wear certain types of clothes for good luck.

He said some of them even ask people to eat certain types of sweetmeat for better luck and asked why should so much space be given to them on the channels.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he also referred to surrogate advertisements by liquor companies selling CDs and club soda and sought a ban on them.

Another BJP member Keshav Prasad demanded a central law against cow slaughter. Seeking government grants for ‘gau shalas’ (cow shelters), he said the people working there should be given honorarium.

Pressing for a ban on slaughter houses, he said dairy products should be encouraged so that cows are protected.

Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF) referred to the recent killing of some labourers from Assam in Meghalaya and said people from the state were often targeted by militant groups in the neighbouring states of the Northeast.

New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) The government today said that India has emerged as a leading nation in disaster response, after having very swiftly directed its rescue and relief efforts in quake-struck Nepal.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that Indian planes were already on their way to Nepal in less than an hour after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high level meeting last Saturday to assess the situation.

Speaking in the Question Hour, Rijiju also told Rajya Sabha members that technology was extensively used by the country to respond to natural calamities and the 10,000- strong National Disaster Response Force was ready to meet any situation round the clock.

Responding to questions by members on India’s preparedness, Rijiju said that Rs 61,220 crore has been allotted to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the period 2015-20 to provide assistance to people affected by natural calamities.

He said 58.6 percent of India’s land was prone to earthquake, 8.5 per cent vulnerable to cyclone and 5 per cent to floods, as per vulnerability Atlas of India published by Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council under the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation ministry.

Rijiju also said that the government has not appointed any agency to estimate the economic losses from disasters.

He said the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015, the risk profile in India estimates that average annual loss from multi-hazarad disasters in India is approximately 9.8 billion dollars per year. Of this, the average annual loss from floods is 7.4 billion dollars.

The Minister however added that these figures are not vetted by the government.

Further in his reply, he said that damage and losses due to natural disasters are assessed by the state governments concerned, as they were primarily responsible for managing the situation after any natural disaster.

One man is freed after 18 hours of being trapped next to a friend who was killed

The house built atop a hill in Swyambhu, a neighborhood west of Kathmandu’s city center, stood at three levels before Saturday. But it couldn’t resist the wrath of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck outside of Nepal’s capital, killing more than 4,000 people and becoming the country’s worst quake in more than 80 years.

The earthquake flattened parts of the house, trapping two men side-by-side—one dead, the other alive—for more than 18 hours. Prakash Mathema, an Agence France-Presse photographer based in Kathmandu, was documenting the recovery efforts across the ravaged city when he heard that a rescue team had found the men.

“The top floor of the house had collapsed,” he told TIME on Sunday. “And the men were trapped by this beam.”

The house had been cordoned off, but Mathema requested access, aware of the risks. He entered by a window and shadowed rescuers as they worked to free the man who survived, identified as Saroj Shrestha. “It lasted seven to eight minutes,” he said.

Shrestha is now in a hospital with a broken leg, Mathema said. “I want to visit him,” he added, “but right now I have to document the rescue operations. I think it’s important [to show] what’s happening, what’s going on. There are a lot of places [in Kathmandu] where this has happened—people trapped in their houses. No one knows how many people are out there, [still alive] after 18 hours. The manpower is limited.”

(Courtesy Time Magazine)

Mountain guide Ang Tshering Lama claimed luxury hotel Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu were only letting ‘a few rich people and westerners’ in to seek sanctuary in its 37 acres of open land. Mr Lama took a series of pictures which he claimed showed people with rucksacks lounging on the grass while others were left outside to set up makeshift camps on roadsides outside the complex.

Kathmandu Medical College situated at Sinamangal in Kathmandu has refused treatment to a 10 year old Salina Dahal. She was sent to Bir hospital as the family did not have enough funds for her treatment. Salina was injured in her hometown in Kabhre Anekpur, and was brought to the capital for treatment for her injuries on the head eyes and hands.

Due to panic is Kathmandu at least 80,000 people are going down to the plains for refuge. In the process of a large number of people traveling a Sumo which charged Rs 437 to a small town in foothills Heatauda which is only 75 kms from Kathmandu are now charging Rs 40,000 for 10 passengers.

New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) With airfares witnessing sharp fluctuations, a Parliamentary panel today pitched for regulation of air ticket prices to ensure that they remain within a “reasonable range”.

Observing that currently there is no transparent mechanism to regulate airfares,the panel said even the benefit of reduction in the price of ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) is not passed on to passengers.

The observations have been made by the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in its report on Demands for Grants of the Civl Aviation Ministry.

Airlines are free to charge as much as they can and travellers are caught unaware about the fares, it said.

Noting that the existing system has not worked, the panel said it “strongly feels that this is high time now that the Ministry must step in by putting a regulatory mechanism in place to see that airfares remain within a reasonable range”.

The recommendations also come at a time when there are rising concerns about steep fluctuation in airfares.

According to the panel, there is the problem of predatory pricing of air tickets that may also be due to some kind of cartelisation amongst airlines.

“The committee does not agree with the argument of the Ministry that some rules/regulations under Aircraft Act, 1934 regulate airfares in the country… The said Act and the Rules framed is more than 80 years old and the civil aviation sector during this period has undergone a sea change,” the report said.

It also said the Act needs to be overhauled now.

Among others, the panel said adequate seats should be reserved for last minute booking with affordable fares for persons having medical emergency or persons accompanying a corpse.

The committee cited instances of large number of students from not so well-to-do background going for higher studies to far off areas in the country and not being able to afford air travel to visit their family.

“In such cases, some kind of concessional fare may be devised (appropriately may be) under social obligation of the airlines,” it noted.

Lucknow, Apr 28 (PTI) At least 14 people lost their lives and scores were injured in thunderstorm and heavy rains that hit several parts of Uttar Pradesh today.

Four persons were killed in Pratapgarh district, three in Rae Bareli, two deaths each were reported in Lucknow, Ballia and Amethi, and one died in Azamgarh, a government spokesman said here. Storm, lightning and rains led to most of the deaths.

Most parts of the state witnessed rain or thundershowers, Meteorological department said.

Chief amount of rainfall recorded in cms was Pawayan 4, Bahraich and Kayamgunj 3 each, Utraula, Badaun, Moradabad, Sambhal, Amroha, Sahahjahanpur, Lucknow and Kheri 2 each, Bareilly, Sahaswan, Nighasan, Barabanki and Haideregarh 1 cm each.

Temperature was markedly below normal in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Faizabad, Allahabad, Lucknow, Bareilly, Moradabad, Jhansi, Agra, Meerut divisions.

The highest maximum temperature was 41.8 degree Celsius at Etawah.

New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) For about 70 climbers on Mount Everest base camp, hit by the devastating earthquake in Nepal, Captain Ritesh Goel of the Indian Army was a life saver.

Goel, who has also served in the Siachen, was part of the 30-member strong Indian Army expedition team to Mount Everest.

The 28-year-old not only provided first-aid and stabilised nearly 70 climbers, some with broken legs and hands, he also manage 8 casualties with serious head injuries for about 14-hours before they were rescued via helicopters.

“There was a massive avalanche. There was utter chaos at the base camp (17,500 ft) because the avalanche had engulfed a huge part of the base camp,” Major General Ajay Sah told reporters here at the Army headquarters.

Giving a description of what transpired, he said the base camp was like a mini city with hundreds of tents.

“Almost half of the base camp was engulfed by the avalanche which was accompanied by high velocity winds.

Fortunately, our team had followed basic precaution and had undertaken counter-avalanche drills like posting a look out person,” the Maj General said.

The officer explained that the team was able to get out of tents in time and get behind shelter, thus surviving the initial impact.

“A few suffered some minor bruises. Bulk of our tents and storage were either blow away or buried in the snow. Many other team camping in the base camp were not as lucky and were trapped in their tents leading to casualty,” he said.

The Army team managed to recover most of their material and Goel set up a small medical aid post.

“There were a few doctors available in the base camp who joined in. They were able to stabilise almost 70 casualties” the Maj General said pointing out that air evacuation could take place only the next day.

They had to manage these casualties for around 14 hours.

“Our doctor, who is quite an expert in high altitude medical problem, was able to manage 8 with serious casualties with head injuries,” he said.

Goel, who hails from Bangalore, had joined the Indian Army six years ago.

Chennai, Apr 28 (PTI) Two accomplices of a Delhi-based gang that swindled several lakhs of rupees online after getting account details of credit and debit card holders have been arrested and a hunt is on for others, police said today.

Delhi based Deepkumar and Praveenkumar Kashyap, retailers in mobile phone SIM cards were arrested by a Central Crime Branch team in the national capital for allegedly providing SIM Cards for ‘vishing’ (online fraud) to gang operators Ashraf Ali and Sunny after forging documents to get such cards.

Police said the duo was produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody yesterday and police are on the lookout for Ali and Sunny with a special CCB team camping in Delhi.

Police said that the case came into fore following complaint by ICICI Bank that details including CVV number of 42 of its customers who hold bank cards were collected through phone in a fraudulent manner by some claiming to be genuine agents. Similar complaints were also received from others.

Later, customers were billed and charged for things they never ordered and money debited in their accounts and credited to account in the name of Ali and Sunny.

During probe, it was found that Deepkumar and Kashyap took several photocopies of identity and address proof papers of customers and used one set of it to get new mobile numbers.

The duo forged the signatures of their customers and used another set of the same documents and allegedly used it in a fraudulent manner to get several other SIM cards in Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida.

Then they sold such cards to Ali and Sunny who were running online shopping firms “AM Shopping in” and “Kamkashi Solutions”, police said.

By using such SIM cards Ali, Sunny and their employees used to make phone calls and collect confidential data like CVV number from credit and debit cards holders based in states like Tamil Nadu by claiming to be genuine agents. They employed persons knowing languages including Tamil, Hindi and English to dupe bank card holders.

Later, they would send unsolicited articles to them and by misusing confidential data they got, would swindle money from their accounts online.