Dehradun, Apr 28 (PTI) The Uttarakhand Government has expelled 45 teachers of Tehri district for being absent from duty for a long time.
According to the state School Education Directorate, Director General D Senthil Pandiyan expelled 45 teachers yesterday who were absent from duty from one to five years.
The decision was taken after conducting a survey in all schools of Tehri district where it was found that the teachers were absent for a long period of time.
Of the teachers expelled, 20 were from primary schools while the other 25 were from secondary schools, he said.
After Chief Minister Harish Rawat expressed concern over the falling standards of education in schools, survey is being conducted in different districts of the state to find out means to improve the situation.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) A Delhi court has acquitted a man of the charges of kidnapping and raping a girl after she stated that she had willingly married him.
Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav let off the man, a Madhya Pradesh resident, after the girl deposed that she was involved in a relationship with the accused, who was her neighbour, and they were now happily married.
“In view of the material on record, it appears that the prosecution (girl) was willing and consenting party and it seems that everything had happened with her sweet will,” the court said, while acquitting the man of of fences under sections 363(kidnapping), 366 (abducting woman to compel her for marriage) and 376 (rape) of IPC and under section 6 (sexual assault) of POCSO Act.
According to the prosecution, on March 27, 2014, the girl’s father had lodged a complaint alleging that his minor daughter was missing since five days.
The girl was found in Madhya Pradesh four months later with the accused, who was arrested.
After completion of the probe, charges under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) were framed against him.
However, the girl’s father accepted before the court that his daughter had willingly married the accused and was an 18-year-old adult.
During the trial, the accused claimed he was innocent and had been falsely implicated in the case as girl’s parents were against their marriage.
He further stated that at the time of their marriage, the girl was a major and presently they are living happily.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court today stayed the breach of privilege motion notice issued against author Shobhaa De by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker for her tweets on the state government’s decision to make it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Marathi movies during prime time.
A bench of justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant also issued notice to the parties concerned and sought their response within eight weeks on the plea of De.
The socialite-columnist had moved the apex court against the notice issued by the Assembly Speaker following a complaint against her by a Shiv Sena law maker alleging that her series of tweets insulted Marathi language and Marathi speaking people.
Senior advocate C A Sundaram, appearing for De, said, “Comments were made against the decision of the government and it does not breach any privilege of the Assembly”.
He also said that the apex court in its various decisions has described the privileges of the Assembly and the writer has not breached any.
Earlier this month, Legislature Principal Secretary Anant Kalse had issued a notice to De asking her to explain her tweets about the decision to make it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Marathi movies during prime time.
The notice was issued after Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik moved a breach of privilege motion in the state assembly against De.
The columnist had tweeted, “Devendra ‘Diktatwala’ Fadnavis is at it again!!! From beef to movies. This is not the Maharashtra we all love! Nako!Nako! Yeh sab roko!”
De had tweeted that it was nothing but hooliganism. “I love Marathi movies. Let me decide when and where to watch them, Devendra Fadnavis. This is nothing but Dadagiri.”
Reacting to the tweet, Sarnaik had moved a breach of privilege motion against De for allegedly “insulting CM Devendra Fadnavis and sentiments of Marathi speaking people.”
Reacting to the breach of privilege motion, De tweeted, “Now a privilege motion demanding an apology from me? Come on! I am a proud Maharashtrian and love Marathi films. Always have. Always will!”
Irked,Sena workers had also protested outside De’s house in South Mumbai against her remarks.
London, Apr 28 (AFP) Britain’s economy grew far slower than expected in the first quarter of 2015, official data showed today, delivering a blow to the government just nine days before a general election.
Gross domestic product expanded by 0.3 per cent between January and March compared with GDP growth of 0.6 per cent in the final quarter of 2014, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in an initial estimate.
Analysts’ consensus had been for a slowdown in growth to only 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, according to Bloomberg News.
GDP, the main indicator of economic growth, is the last major piece of data on the British economy before Britain votes in a knife-edge general election on May 7.
The ONS said that while output increased in services by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, the other three main industrial groupings in the economy decreased, with construction falling by 1.6 per cent, production by 0.1 per cent and agriculture by 0.2 per cent.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Major food companies in India including ITC, Nestle and PepsiCo India have come forward to help earthquake victims in Nepal, even as Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has asked others to join the relief operation.
The Food Processing Ministry is organising delivery of processed food articles for the earthquake victims of Nepal, an official statement said.
Nestle has donated two lakh packets of Maggi Noodles, while ITC has provided two lakh packets of Yippee noodles and CG group has donated 12,000 packets of YY noodles.
All India Food Processors Association are also sending 25,000 packets of namkeen by Haldiram, 5,000 packets of namkeen by Bikanerwala and 4,000 packets of namkeen by BTW.
PepsiCo India has also confirmed sending 60,000 one litre bottles of water contained in 5,000 cases, the statement said.
“Tragedy can happen on anybody any time, we all should rise to the occasion and contribute our bit,” Badal said.
She appealed to food processing units across the country to send ready-to-eat packaged food, bottled water, and other articles of daily use for Nepal earthquake victims.
“The food items are being airlifted by Air Force planes for earthquake victims,” the statement said.
The death toll in the devastating earthquake that has rocked Nepal climbed to over 4,350 today with more than 8,000 others injured.
Meanwhile, Fortis Charitable Foundation, in a separate statement, said it will send a team of 70 doctors, paramedics, nurses and support staff, and basic necessities to support the quake victims.
Patna, Apr 28 (PTI) The toll in the earthquake in Bihar has risen to 58 and around 100 people stranded at Pokhara in Nepal have been brought back safely to Raxaul on the India-Nepal border, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today before leaving for Raxaul.
Kumar said arrangements are in place in relief camps at Raxaul in East Champaran district, which is witnessing maximum flow of people returning to the country from quake-devastated Nepal.
Adequate arrangements of blankets, linen, food packets, water and medicines have been made at relief camps in Raxual and elsewhere for those returning from Nepal.
He said senior state minister Vijay Chaudhary has been appointed as minister in-charge and the secretary to social justice department Arvind Chaudhary has been made secretary in-charge to oversee relief operation at Raxual.
“After transporting 100 persons from Pokhara it seems there are no Indians left there,” he said adding 32 Bihar government buses have been sent to Kathmandu to bring back people stranded in the Nepal capital.
The buses sent by Bihar government would not only carry back people from the state stranded in Nepal but also those of other states and even foreigners.
The chief minister appealed to citizens of Bihar to come forward to help the earthquake victims in Nepal.
Kumar said he had to leave for Raxaul by road instead of chopper due to inclement weather there as well as here.
The Nepalese Government is trying its level best to cover the overwhelming disaster from all over the country. Foreign help especially from India is pouring on. However many feel due to poor management many feel the action is quite slow. Tribhuvan International Airport is totally conjested with the heavy increase of foreign planes landing with relief materials. Yesterday an Indian Air force plane had to return back to India due inadequate space in landing.
India presses six more teams of NDRF personnel into its relief and rescue operations in Nepal. With the induction of the new teams on the fourth day of the disaster, the total number of National Disaster Response Force teams in Nepal has gone up to 16 with 10 already engaged in rescue operations there for the last few days. Each NDRF team has about 45 personnel.
Food and water is very limited with people mostly depending on instant noodles. Nepal government says they presently have food just enough for two days.
The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake is now 4,356, but Mr Koirala said it could reach 10,000.”Eight million people in 39 districts have been affected, of which over two million people live in the 11 severely affected districts,” said the most recent report from the UN Office of the Resident Co-ordinator in Nepal.
Landslips and periodic bad weather in the remote mountainous region around the epicentre are adding to the challenge for rescue and relief teams.
Gorkha District which is close to the epic center has been affected severely with 90% houses flattened due to the quake.
Lainchour has an open ground just next to a high school. This ground has been home to many people since the quake happened. However very dirty conditions with empty water bottles and paper plates lottired around, chance of an epidemic cannot be ruled out.
The famous 5th century Pashupatinath Temple here has survived the massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake that flattened several World Heritages like iconic Dharhara tower and Darbar Square in Nepal.
“The Pashupatinath Temple is safe, we have checked the shrine many times and it has developed no cracks,” a devotee at the temple said.
The temple, one of the seven monument groups in UNESCO’s designation of Kathmandu Valley as a cultural heritage site, is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu whose existence dates back to 400 AD.
Kolkata, Apr 27 (PTI) Already three of their top players injured, East Bengal will not risk further and field a second string side when they face table leaders Johor Darul Ta’Zim in the penultimate league round of the AFC Cup football tournament here tomorrow.
It is a gamble that paid off in their last outing against relatively weaker Balestier Khalsa FC as East Bengal had blanked the Singapore outfit 3-0.
The result meant East Bengal had climbed past BKFC to the third spot in the four-team group F table but against the reigning Malaysia Super League champions it may backfire.
East Bengal coach Eelco Schattorie is trying to be realistic and has given up hope on advancing to the knock out stage.
It’s an improbable task as they have to win their remainder two matches which includes one against Kitchee in Hong Kong.
“My biggest fear is to get more injuries so I will play mainly with my second team. I am going to try to win but my priority will be on the I-League,” East Bengal’s Dutch coach said about the injuries to Saumik Dey, Milan Susak and Leo Bertos.
“It’s a difficult decision…You always want to perform at the highest level. But I had to look for the bigger picture. Theoretically, we can still qualify but realistically it’s difficult.”
Schattorie further said he did not want to derail their campaign in the I-League where they are placed fourth with five matches left.
“If I put out my strongest team and if we get an injury, that will derail my I-League campaign. The wisest thing to do at this moment is to give more importance to the I-League.”
East Bengal will start with Baldeep Singh who had struck the opening goal in their win over Balestier Khalsa FC as Ranti Martins and Dudu Omagbemi may start on the bench.
To East Bengal’s advantage, JDT will be without a head coach after the team management had fired Bojan Hodak in a recent development.
The team will play under assistant coach Ismail Ibrahim as it remains to be seen how the players cope up to the change and also the artificial playing surface at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
East Bengal were thrashed 1-4 in the first leg match against JDT and their assistant coach Ibrahim they have come here to win.
“We have a full strength side and we have come here to get full points.
New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) Consent to indulge in unnatural sex is “immaterial”, a Delhi court has held while convicting a man of raping and committing unnatural act with a woman on the false promise of marriage, despite he being already married.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Virender Bhat held Noida resident Prashant Kaushal guilty of the offences saying though the sexual relations between him and the woman were consensual but the victim’s consent was not free and voluntary as she was falsely assured by him that he was obtaining divorce from his wife and would marry her.
“The consent is immaterial so far as carnal intercourse against the order of nature between a man and a woman is concerned and therefore, every act of unnatural sex committed by the accused with the prosecutrix is an offence under section 377 (unnatural offences) of the IPC,” the court said.
The court, which is yet to pronounce order on quantum of sentence, agreed with the submissions of the defence counsel that instances of physical relations between Kaushal and the woman could not have been forcible all the time.
It, however, said that it does appear that the woman was having sexual encounters with the man voluntarily but having belief in her mind that he has filed petition for divorce against his wife and is going to marry her at any cost.
The court said it was not only the man but his parents also who deceived the woman and persuaded her to continue sexual relations with their son on the promise that he would marry her after he gets divorced from his wife.
“Kaushal also used to force her to consume alcohol before engaging in sex with her in order to ensure that she does not offer much resistance and he gets more pleasure and satisfaction from it,” the court noted, adding her consent was not free and voluntary.
According to the prosecution, Kaushal and the woman were working in the same office in Gurgaon and they became friends and used to go for outing. When she fell ill, the man came to his house and raped her and on her resistance, he assured her that he would marry her.
It said the man took the woman to several places outside Delhi since 2012 to 2014 and after making her consume alcohol, he forcibly established physical relations including unnatural with her.
It added that the woman took transfer to Hyderabad where the man followed on one pretext or other and later on she quit her job.
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