BJP launches mega membership drive in Jharkhand

Ranchi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday launched its mega membership drive in Jharkhand. Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi kicked off the drive at Khoron village in Giridih district. I attended the divisional level workshop of the organisations Mahaparv of membership drive at Khoron in Belwana Panchayat of my Dhanwar assembly constituency, Marandi posted Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

BJP's membership drive begins in Jharkhand

The BJP launched its membership drive in Jharkhand on Sunday, aiming to add 60 lakh members. Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi initiated the drive, with events held at 5,628 centers. The party will conduct an active membership drive in January, followed by the formation of booth, Mandal, and district committees in February.

Indias forest and tree cover increased to 25.17 per cent in 2023

India's total forest and tree cover has increased to 25.17 per cent in 2023 from 24.62 per cent as per the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023. The forest cover has minimally increased, compared to tree cover in the country. Meanwhile, first-time trees grown under agroforestry have also been covered. The ISFR 2023 report recorded forest cover and tree cover was 25.17 per cent. The total forest cover was 7,15,342.61 sq km which is 21.76 per cent of the geographical area of the country and the tree cover is 3.41 per cent of the geographical area of the country. With these two, total forest and tree covers are 8,27,356.95 sq km. The scrub area covers 43,622 sq km (1.33 per cent) and the non-forest area covers 24,16,489 sq. km (73.50 per cent). States that added forests and tree covers are Chhattisgarh, UP, Odisha, Rajasthan and Jharkhand and states which reduced its forest and tree covers are MP, Karnataka, Nagaland, Bihar and Tripura. The latest 18th biennial assessment ISFR of Indias forests by the Forest Survey of India was delayed by over a year. It was supposed to be released by last year. The report estimates of growing stock, the extent of trees outside forests, mangrove cover, bamboo resources, and assessment of forest carbon stock. According to the ISFR 2021 report recorded forest cover and tree cover was 24.62 per cent. The total forest cover was 7,13,789 sq km which is 21.71 per cent of the geographical area of the country. Tree cover is 2.91 per cent of the geographical area of the country.

Indias forest, tree cover increased to 25.17 per cent in 2023

NEW DELHI: India's total forest and tree cover has increased to 25.17% in 2023 from 24.62% as per the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023. The forest cover has minimally increased compared to tree cover in the country. Meanwhile, first-time trees grown under agroforestry have also been covered. The ISFR 2023 report recorded forest cover and tree cover was 25.17%. The total forest cover was 7,15,342.61 sq km which is 21.76% of the geographical area of the country and the tree cover is 3.41% of the geographical area of the country. With these two, total forest and tree covers are 8,27,356.95 sq km. The scrub area covers 43,622 sq km (1.33%) and the non-forest area covers 24,16,489 sq. km (73.50%). States which added forests and tree covers are Chhattisgarh, UP, Odisha, Rajasthan and Jharkhand and states which reduced their forest and tree covers are MP, Karnataka, Nagaland, Bihar and Tripura. The latest 18th biennial assessment ISFR of Indias forests by the Forest Survey of India was delayed by over a year. It was supposed to be released by last year. The report estimates growing stock, the extent of trees outside forests, mangrove cover, bamboo resources, and assessment of forest carbon stock. According to the ISFR 2021 report recorded forest cover and tree cover was 24.62%. The total forest cover was 7,13,789 sq km which is 21.71% of the geographical area of the country. The Tree cover is 2.91% of the geographical area of the country.

GRPF busted trafficking of minor girls for employment

Visakhapatnam: A human trafficking ring was uncovered at Visakhapatnam railway station, resulting in the rescue of 11 individuals, including nine minors. The operation was conducted by the Government Railway Police (GRP) during a routine check on the Visakhapatnam Kirandul Express, where they intercepted young girls. The primary suspect, Ravi Bisoy, the contractor of Handloom Company, was arrested and is alleged to have trafficked over 100 girls using fake Aadhaar cards to place them in employment at a private company. The rescued individuals were identified as coming from Navrangpur, Odisha, with others originating from various villages in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Nepal. According to GRP Circle Inspector (CI), the minor girls were reportedly en route to Tirupur to work in a handloom factory. These girls came from impoverished families, highlighting the vulnerability of such communities to trafficking schemes. Following their rescue, the minor girls were sent home, and authorities obtained an undertaking letter from Ravi Bisoy. The case has since been transferred to Navrangpur for further investigation.

SSB removed 1,100 encroachments in No Man's Land: Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah lauded SSB's efforts in removing over 1,100 encroachments while maintaining India-Nepal ties. SSB freed thousands of acres of government land. The force secured borders with Nepal and Bhutan. SSB also combated Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand. Their presence in the Siliguri corridor ensures national safety. Shah urged SSB to curb anti-national border activities.

SSB played key role in securing borders and combating Naxalism: Amit Shah

SILIGURI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for its pivotal role in securing the country's borders with friendly nations such as Nepal and Bhutan and its contribution to combating Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand. Addressing the 61st Raising Day celebrations of the SSB in West Bengal's Siliguri, Shah said, The Sashastra Seema Bal has played a key role in securing our borders with friendly nations such as Nepal and Bhutan. Its alertness and presence have ensured a sense of security in the Siliguri Corridor and the Eastern region. Referring to the SSB's efforts in tackling left-wing extremism, the Home Minister noted, The SSB has played an important role in ending the menace of Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand. Their proactive approach along with other security agencies and local police has significantly weakened naxalism activities in Chhattisgarh. On the occasion, Shah urged the force to curb the activities of anti-national elements during border movements and ensure that they are handed over to law enforcement agencies. The 61st Foundation Day of the SSB is a day to reaffirm our commitment to national security. The soldiers of the SSB have done a wonderful job in prioritising national interests and preventing illegal activities, he said. Shah also commended the SSB for its unique initiatives in fostering cultural integration. The SSB has done a commendable job by connecting the culture, language and heritage of border villages of India with the mainstream of the country. This initiative strengthens the bond between the nation and its border communities, he added. J&K review meeting: Amit Shah vows complete dominance over terrorism, deliberates security roadmap for 2025

CM Majhi highlights governments efforts to strengthen education in Odisha

KEONJHAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said the state government is mounting efforts to strengthen the education sector of Odisha by building infrastructure and recruiting teachers. Speaking at the diamond jubilee function of Mahtab government high school at Champua in the last leg of his visit to Keonjhar district, Majhi said the government has already appointed 16,009 primary teachers while infrastructure for primary education is being ramped up. He said the high school is celebrating its 75th foundation day when the country observes the 125th birth anniversary of former chief minister Harekrushna Mahtab. The institution has not only offered the gift of education to thousands of students of Champua sub-division but also to those in Mayurbhanj district and bordering areas of Jharkhand. The CM said the government is working in a coordinated manner to usher in development to Keonjhar district by harnessing its natural resources while addressing other needs. The government has formulated a task-force for creation of North Odisha Development Council for northern districts of the state. Since the district is vulnerable to road mishaps, a trauma care centre will be established at Keonjhar medical college and hospital. Besides, a bypass is being planned while the large irrigation project on Baitarani river will be completed by June next, he added. School and Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond, MLAs Sanatan Mahakud, Fakir Mohan Naik, Akhila Chandra Naik and headmaster of the school Prakash Sahoo were present. On Wednesday evening, Majhi inaugurated the Gonasika-Kendujhar Mahotsav and Saras Mela at Keonjhar town. On the occasion, Majhi highlighted the unique folk art, culture, heritage and literature of Keonjhar district. The CM also unveiled a souvenir at the 7th All India Santali Writers Conference at Ashok Vatika here. He gave away awards to several writers for their contribution to the enrichment of Santali literature.

Telangana excise police yet to lay hands on ganja queen Neetu Bai

Hyderabad : With over 20 NDPS cases against her, a daily average earnings of around Rs 2.60 lakh, owner of immovable asserts worth crores of rupees, gangster Neetu Bai from Dhoolpet tops the wanted list of TG excise police. Special teams from TG-STF have spread a dragnet to nab Neetu Bai alias Ganja Neetu alias Ganja Bai alias Ganja Kalavati, a close relative of recently arrested woman don Angoori Bai. Neetu Bai, 45, entered ganja trading as her family business. She married Munnu Singh and has two sons. Neetu has over a dozen note counting machines in her house. She is a bulk ganja importer and supplier, not only in the twin city but in the entire state, police said. Neetu, referred to as Kalavati in Visakhapatnam, Odisha, Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and UP, is said to be having a strong nexus with ganja cultivators from these states. She has changed her modus operandi after police started Operation Dhoolpet. Our special teams will get her very soon, he said. Neetu Bai, having over 300 peddlers and suppliers working under her, is said to have the strongest network in twin city. She also has a strong network of consumers who want doorstep delivery, mostly from IT fields, police said, adding Neetu Bai has assets worth crores of rupees in posh localities in the twin city. She was arrested by TGANB and Golconda police in August 2023 Police found that she had a bank balance of over Rs 180 crore and immovable properties of over Rs 4.80 crore that were seized by the police. She did not give up her illegal business after her release till March this year when TGANB again arrested her with 13 customers and contraband worth over Rs 23 lakh. She was released in 2022. We have installed CCTV cameras in identified areas, developed a strong network after forming an SIT. She is under constant surveillance, a senior excise officer told Deccan Chronicle . During questioning, Angoori Bai and others disclosed the name of Neetu who used to stay in Dhoolpet and operates both in Dhoolpet and Nanakramguda. The state excise department arrested Anguribai and 150 of her workers during Operation Dhoolpet`. During investigation, we found that Nitu Bais full name is Kalavati Nitu Bai, 45, popularly known as Ganga Neetu Bai who owns a house in Lodhabasti Nanakramguda.

Jharkhand Lynching: 'Maybe He Was Killed Due to Cap & Beard,' Say Kin; Cops Deny

The police countered and said that Tajuddin was beaten up on theft suspicion.

Nine Jharkhand officers to become IAS without appearing for UPSC exam; here's how

The Jharkhand government had prepared a panel of eligible senior JAS officers from various departments.

Jharkhand JAC Class 10, 12 Board Exams 2025 Datesheet Out, Details Here

Jharkhand Board Exams 2025: The Class 10 examination will begin with IIT and other vocational subjects, while the Class 12 examination will start with vocational subjects.

'It's Sign Of...': Jharkhand Bride Calls Off Wedding After Groom Faints Due to Winter Chill

The bride from Jharkhand claimed that the groom was unable to withstand the cold, and that was a sign of underlying health issues.

Man rapes minor, inserts rod in her genitals; Congress, BJP sparover incident

In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old girl was raped by a 30-year-old man identified as Vijay Paswan, a native of Jharkhand. The brutal assault occurred in the Jhagadia industrial area of Gujarats Bharuch district on Monday, December 16. According to the police statement, the incident took place when the young victim was playing near her Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Jharkhand Class 10th, 12th Exam Schedule Released: Check complete timetable here

The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) has announced the 2025 Class X and XII board exam dates, starting from February 11 and ending on March 3. Class X exams will be held in the morning, while Class XII exams will take place in the afternoon. Students are advised to check the JAC website for the detailed subject-wise schedule and exam instructions.

Jharkhand man among three killed in separate accidents in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Three persons, including a man from Jharkhand died in three separate accidents in and around the city. The cases have been registered by the Harohalli police in Ramanagara district, Kengeri and Hebbal traffic police in the city. Kanaka Madara (19), a native of Bagalkot, died in an accident on the NICE Road in Kengeri traffic police limits on Wednesday morning. The victim who was working in a private firm at Mayasandra in Attibele was travelling for work on his bike, when the incident happened. He reportedly rammed into a truck parked on the side of the road. The NICE patrolling staff shifted him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The body was shifted to the RR Nagar Hospitals mortuary for postmortem. Ramesh (56), a construction labourer died after he came under the wheels of a tractor that was reversing after unloading cement blocks at a construction site in Hebbal. The incident happened at Jakkur Layout on Tuesday evening around 7 pm. The victim was a resident of Lakshmipura. N Sarju Prajapathi (36), from Jharkhand died in a hit-and-run case on the Bengaluru-Kanakapura main road near Harohalli on Sunday night. The victim was crossing the road to go to his labour camp, when the accident happened between 7.30 pm and 8 pm. He was run over by a vehicle coming towards the city from Kanakapura side. He was working for a private firm, who had taken a contract to lay BWSSB pipe. The labour contractor L Amrica Prasad Gupta filed a complaint in this regard. Prajapathi had returned from his hometown on Sunday.

Power corridor | Panel flags lapses in scheme for tribal groups

A parliamentary standing committee has expressed concern over the lack of funds disbursed to key states under the Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) scheme during 2022-23. No allocations were made to states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which have significant tribal populations, making the committee to question how planned developmental work was carried out in the absence of resources. The parliamentary panel report on social justice and empowerment for demand for grants by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs emphasised the need to avoid the pitfalls of previous programmes, citing underutilisation of allocated funds, delays in submission of utilisation certificates by states and procedural inefficiencies. Nadda, other ministers meet v-p After the Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday following a row over Amit Shahs statements, BJP chief JP Nadda, who is also the Leader of the House in RS, along with Union ministers Kiren Rijiju, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jayant Chaudhary, met Chairman of the Upper House Jagdeep Dhankhar at Parliament House. The ministers held a discussion over the House proceedings and other related works for Thurday, as well as how to ensure functioning of the House amid continuous protests by the Opposition parties. Congress showing only part of shah speech Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of misleading the country by using only a part of Amit Shahs remarks made in the Rajya Sabha and asserted that the Home Minister had in very clear words mentioned how the Congress had insulted Ambedkar. You cannot use an 11-12 second clip out of Shahs entire speech and mislead the nation, Rijiju said and accused the Congress of attempting to malign and remove Ambedkars name from Indias history while trying to garner votes in his name. TMC submits privilege notice against shah As the Opposition sharpened its attack over Amit Shahs remarks on Ambedkar, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien on Wednesday submitted a privilege motion against the home minister over the issue. The notice was filed under Rule No 187 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha. TMC MPs raised the issue in the House and also staged a walkout in the post-lunch sitting. Lashing out at Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused him of making derogatory remarks against BR Ambedkar. This is a display of BJPs castiest and anti- Dalit mindset, she said.

Paper leak: HC rejects plea against blacklisting of Jharkhand exam agency

RANCHI: A day after staying the results of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination, the Jharkhand High Court rejected a petition challenging the blacklisting of the agency that conducted the examination. The petition was filed by Satvat Infosol Private Limited, the agency outsourced to conduct the JSSC-CGL examinations. Advocate Sanjoy Piparwal represented JSSC during the proceedings, emphasizing the seriousness of the allegations and defending the Commissions decision. The controversy started after the JSSC-CGL exam paper was leaked, prompting JSSC to issue a notice to Satvat Infosol Private Limited seeking an explanation. After the agency failed to give satisfactory response, the JSSC blacklisted it. Notably, the JSSC had told the court that prima facie it appears that company was involved in the paper leak, due to which it had been issued show cause notice asking to file a reply. Then the agency filed a plea in the court seeking a stay on the show cause notice issued by JSSC, which was rejected by the HC. In response, Satvat Infosol Pvt. Ltd. approached the Jharkhand HC, challenging the order of the court filing a civil review, which was rejected on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the HC had stayed the publication of the final results of the recently held JSSC-CGL examination. The order was passed while hearing PIL seeking CBI probe into the paper leak case. The court also directed the state government to register an FIR under the Examination Conducting Act 2023 in response to the complaint lodged regarding the leak of the JSSC CGL exam paper. Blacklisted The controversy started after the JSSC-CGL exam paper was leaked, prompting Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission to issue a notice to Satvat Infosol Private Limited. After the agency failed to give satisfactory response, the JSSC blacklisted it.

Supreme Court questions Jharkhands action in Deoghar airport case

The State has initiated a case of criminal trespass and endangering the lives of others against BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari and some others for entering Air Traffic Control room to seek clearance for their chartered flight

Jharkhand man held in Gujarat for assaulting minor - Gujarat Samachar

Jharkhand man held in Gujarat for assaulting minor Gujarat Samachar

Jharkhand govt initiates process for legal action to realise 'coal dues' from Centre

The Jharkhand government has initiated legal proceedings against the central government to recover Rs 1.36 lakh crore in outstanding coal dues. The state government authorized the Secretary of Revenue to commence legal action following a cabinet meeting decision.

Coal India Share Price Live Updates: Jharkhand govt initiates process for legal action to realise 'coal dues' from Centre

Jharkhand HC holds publication of CGL exam results till January 22

A Division Bench of Chief Justice M.S. Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan heard the petition in the alleged paper leak case in the JSSC-CGL exam

Shikha Mukerjee | Centralising India amidst imperatives of coalitions

Reversing the inexorable advance towards centralisation of executive power, programmes and election schedules reflected in the Narendra Modi 0.3 governments rush to get legislative approval for the One Nation-One Election blueprint appears impossible. Stick as it might in the gullets of the anti-BJP Opposition and a scattering of voices, mostly muffled, within the ruling NDA, the proposed bill amending the Constitution will be approved by a tame Parliament that has learnt to submit to the will of the executive in the person of the Prime Minister, who claims a direct connection to both God and to the Hindu majority, bypassing the diversity of religious minorities, especially Muslims. By using the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition in the recent Maharashtra election and the partys third-term win in Haryana, the Modi government has effectively overcome the numbers deficit of the Lok Sabha 2024 election. The fact that the BJP doesnt have a majority on its own strength and therefore doesnt have the mandate to bring in a paradigm-shifting constitutional legislation like the One Nation-One Election proposed bill is a piece of irrelevant quibbling. It is in this context that Mamata Banerjees difficult to refuse offer to lead the anti-BJP INDIA bloc, which is in considerable disarray is, for now, a losers gambit: as a better late than never move. The responsibility of the INDIA blocs dismal performance after the 2024 Lok Sabha election, in which it won 238 seats versus the 240 seats won by the BJP and the NDAs 293 seats of the total 543 seats lies with the Congress. It failed miserably in Haryana, snatching defeat from anticipated victory; it failed in J&K and in Maharashtra by under-performing and it failed to sustain the momentum the INDIA bloc picked up during the Lok Sabha election. The point that the Congress and INDIA bloc should have acted on was the wide gap between the Congress tally and the BJPs; it didnt and neither did the INDIA bloc, preferring to squabble over seat-sharing, instead of realizing that its hold on voter imagination and support was tenuous. As the Prime Minister claims, his Ek Hain to Safe Hain mantra resonated with Maharashtras voters, giving him the plausibility he lost in the Lok Sabha election just six months earlier. He and the BJPs social media activists, as well as those of the RSS and the wider Sangh Parivar, have been hard at work covering up the BJPs failures in Jharkhand and J&K Assembly polls, by pointing out that the BJP has won in Maharashtra and in byelections to 48 Assembly seats, where it won 28. Voter confidence in a squabbling coalition is never high; the acceptability on which winnability is dependent of the parties of the coalition squabbling also tends to drop. There was the fact that as a result of the BJP-engineered splits, the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP and the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray were limping. By adding the incomprehensible focus by the Congress on the Adani Groups alleged misdoings, aided and abetted by the Narendra Modi government, the INDIA bloc and the Maha Vikas Aghadis credibility as an alternative were unappealing. The need to come back again and again to why the losses in Haryana and Maharashtra were damaging to the INDIA blocs effectiveness in Parliament and in national politics is necessary, never more so than now when the Modi government, armed with a mandate from the election results in these two states, prepares to change the basic structure of Indias politics. The One Nation-One Election is an unequivocal declaration of the supremacy of the executive over the legislature, where the judiciary can go take a walk. It is a reordering that cements a hierarchy between the Centre and the states, upending the uniquely federal structure that the Constitution established. The One Nation-One Election arrangement will prioritise the schedule for elections determined by the Centre over that of the states. The draft proposal said as much by working out what would happen to elected state governments that were midway through their five-year terms as and when the next Lok Sabha election was called. It laid down details of what would happen should an elected state government lose its majority. It specified that fresh elections to let the people decide would not be allowed under the One Nation-One Election template. There is no way that the INDIA bloc in Parliament can stop the BJP and the Modi government, armed with its new and in this context irrelevant mandate from the Maharashtra and Haryana state elections, from passing the bill on One Nation-One Election. The Congress failed to anticipate that it needed to lead the coalition and create the pressure necessary to stall for time over this legislation that every political party knew was going to happen. The Congress, by failing to win in the two states and win significant seats in the 48 byelections, has to own up to its entirely irresponsible actions of allowing Rahul Gandhis obsession over the alleged nexus between the Adani Group and Narendra Modi to supersede the larger responsibility it needed to fulfil in leading the INDIA bloc and strengthening the opposition against the BJP. Whereas the regional parties need bifocals or progressives to see clearly where Indias politics is headed, the intractably myopic view of most regional parties, including Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamul Congress, is also responsible for the triumphant progress of the subversion of the basic structure of the Indian State as established by the Constitution in which the executive, the legislature and the judiciary maintain a balance and keep each other in check, on the one hand, and the constituent states of the Union have the freedom to conduct their politics on their own terms and as per their schedules, so long as whatever they do is permissible under the Constitution. There was never any confusion about the nature of the Indian State that the BJP wanted; its political DNA drives it towards centralisation and hierarchy and laying down the law by which the most insignificant of pracharaks and karyakartas function. Armed with this mindset, a centralising constitutional legislation is the obvious outcome. With a vote share of 36.7 per cent for the INDIA bloc against the 43.6 per cent vote share of the NDA, the collective of leaders of the opposition have a duty to voters to represent their aspirations and their interests. By succumbing to the counter-pressure of the BJP and failing to fight back, the INDIA bloc has enabled the Modi government to centralise power and turn the structure of representative democracy upside down.

JMM threatens to halt mining activities in Jharkhand if dues are not cleared

RANCHI: As politics heats up following the Central Governments reply in the Lok Sabha that the Centre or its PSUs do not owe anything to Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Tuesday threatened to stop all mining activities in the state if the dues are not cleared. JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya also warned coal companies to clarify their position within fifteen days, or none of the coal mines will be allowed to operate in Jharkhand. Bhattacharya said that when Pappu Yadav raised the question of dues in the Lok Sabha, it was stated that no money of Jharkhand is pending with the Centre. He accused the Minister of State for Finance of deliberately hiding the facts by not mentioning the coal-related payments. According to government sources, out of the total amount of Rs 1,36,000 crore, Rs 1,01,142 crore is due as land compensation, Rs 32,000 crore under Common Cause, and Rs 2,500 crore are due as coal royalty. Bhattacharya stated that until the dues of Jharkhand are paid, not a single coal truck will be allowed to leave the state. The state government is prepared to fight the battle legally, he said. Dont compel us to take strict actions not a single coal mine will be allowed to operate in the state. Not a single piece of coal will go out of the state until the dues are cleared, said Bhattacharya. The JMM General Secretary also reiterated that if Coal India does not respond to its queries within 15 days, the party will ensure that no coal is allowed to leave Jharkhand. Now, we will also charge for the railway freights passing through Jharkhand. If we are compelled to fight, we are ready for it, said Bhattacharya. This is not a government that bows down; this is a government that will snatch its rights, he added. We will not ask for our rights humbly but we will snatch it, vowed Bhattacharya. The misconception the BJP is spreading will not last longer, he added. Bhattacharya mentioned that the Union Coal Minister had earlier visited Jharkhand, met the Chief Minister, and discussed returning the states dues, but the Centre is now denying its commitment. Meanwhile, the Revenue and Land Reforms Department of the Government of Jharkhand issued an order on Tuesday appointing the Special Secretary of the department to address legal hurdles in recovering the states dues from Coal India Limited. The Revenue Department has also sought a status report from the Special Secretary regarding the legal action being undertaken by the department within 15 days. Sources claimed that the state government is preparing to file a money suit very soon to recover the due amount from the Jharkhand Government. Commenting on the matter, State BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shahdev said that the government must make public the specifics of the claimed Rs 1,36,000 crore, including which department it pertains to and the respective years, with full details. Notably, Jharkhand gets the highest royalty of about Rs 5,500 crore from coal. About Rs 3,200 crore in royalties can be obtained from iron ore. The remaining royalty is received from gold, uranium, stone, limestone, copper, and other minerals.

Jharkhand HC puts stay on JSSC-CGL results over alleged paper leak

RANCHI: In a significant setback for the Hemant Soren government, the Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday placed a stay on the results of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam. The court asked the state government to file an FIR under the Conduct of Examination Act 2023, following the complaint about an alleged paper leak, and to submit a report after completing the investigation. The order was passed by the court while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the JSSC-CGL examination paper leak case. The court directed that the results should not be released until it issues further instructions. The court will hear the matter next on January 22, 2025. Advocates Sanjoy Piparwal and Prince Kumar argued on behalf of JSSC, while senior advocate Ajit Kumar represented the petitioners. The court in its speaking order has put a stay on the publication of the final merit list of JSSC-CGL examinations conducted on September 20 and 21, 2024, said former Advocate General Ajit Kumar. Notably, students have been protesting for a long time, demanding the cancellation of the results declared by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), citing significant irregularities in the process. JSSC-CGL Exam: Police lathi-charge again to disperse agitating students, detain union leader According to the students, only 82 candidates qualified in the exam held on September 21, whereas 2,178 passed in the exam held on September 22. They also alleged that the answers to the questions were available to many candidates even before the start of the first shift of the examination on September 22. Students have three main demands: first, the immediate cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam; secondly, the assurance of transparency and fairness in the examination process; and lastly, a high-level investigation into the irregularities in the examination and recruitment, with strict action against the culprits. Notably, the JSSC-CGL examination had sparked controversy earlier as well, following the state governments decision to disrupt internet services across the state for more than six hours during the exams on September 21 and 22. Internet services were restored across the state on September 22 only after the intervention of the Jharkhand High Court.

Cold wave grips north, Srinagar shivers at -5.3 deg C

A cold wave has gripped many parts of north and east India, with Srinagar recording a minimum temperature of minus 5.3 degrees Celsius. Other areas experiencing below-freezing temperatures include Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Konibal, Qazigund, Kupwara, and Kokernag in Kashmir. Himachal Pradesh has issued an orange warning for severe cold wave conditions in several districts. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 5.9 degrees Celsius, while Faridkot in Punjab was the coldest in the region at 0 degrees Celsius. Extreme cold conditions also continued in parts of Rajasthan and Jharkhand. The Met office has forecast mainly dry weather until December 26, with the possibility of light snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir on the intervening night of December 21-22.

Jharkhand police register FIR for creating fake Facebook account of President Murmu

RANCHI: Ranchi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR at the Cyber Police Station in connection with an attempt to commit fraud by creating a fake Facebook account of President Droupadi Murmu. The matter was brought to the notice of Jharkhand Police following which; it conducted an investigation and subsequently registered an FIR, launching a probe into the matter. According to Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha, an FIR has been registered at the Cyber Police Station regarding the case. The URL of the fake ID has been obtained from the concerned individual, based on which, a thorough investigation has been initiated, he said. Notably, a resident of Hazaribagh, Mantu Soni, who alerted both the Jharkhand Police and Delhi Police, posted on his X handle that he had received a message from the account, which displayed the Presidents photo. The message read, Jai Hind, how are you? I use Facebook very rarely; please send me your WhatsApp number. When Mantu sent his number to the alleged cybercriminal, he received a message on his Facebook Messenger stating, We have saved your number. We have sent the verification code to your WhatsApp; please send us the code quickly. Mantu quickly realized that the President would not send such a message. Mantu shared the digital evidence with Rashtrapati Bhavan and other agencies, including Jharkhand Police, on X. When I was asked to share the six digit OTP sent on my messenger, I shared a wrong OTP. But, I was asked to share the OTP sent again on my messenger, but I did not reply and informed Jharkhand Police, Ranchi Police and CID about the suspected fake account through social media platform X, said Mantu Soni. Later, Mantu was asked by Ranchi police to share the URL of the fake ID, which he did immediately, he added. Mantu provided all the details to the Ranchi police, enabling Ranchi police to register a case against the unidentified cyber-criminal. The technical cell and the cybercrime branch team are investigating the matter.

Challenges stack up for wildlife officials as tigress Jamuna moves out of Similipal after Zeenat

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the wait for tigress Zeenats return from Jharkhand continues, Jamuna, another big cat which was relocated to Similipal from Tadoba in Maharashtra, has moved out of the tiger reserve to Kuldiha, adding to the challenges for the state wildlife officials. As per reports, Jamuna, the first tigress to be relocated to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) as part of a big cat supplementation programme in November this year, ventured out of the protected area on Sunday night and moved into the forests of neighbouring Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary in Balasore. The dispersing female tigress has been exploring the Kuldiha landscape has prompted STR authorities to work with the Balasore Wildlife Division to monitor its movement. The issue has piled up challenges for the officials of the STR and state wildlife wing who are spending sleepless nights to make Zeenat return to Similipal from the forests of neighbouring Jharkhand for the last nine days. The movement of the tigress is being monitored by both the STR and Balasore Wildlife Division officials. Though Kuldiha falls under a separate jurisdiction, it is well connected to STR and is very much a part of the Similipal landscape, said PCCF Wildlife Prem Kumar Jha. Deputy director of Similipal South Samrat Gouda said it is quite natural for the big cats of Similipal to use the Similipal-Hadgarh-Kuldiha corridor that was declared as a conservation reserve last year. Jamuna, after its release into the core of Similipal south, has roamed for over 300 km in the tiger habitat and has also ventured close to Kuldiha sanctuary multiple times, Gouda said. The tigress is still exploring its new habitat and has covered the entire Similipal three to four times looking for a suitable site to establish its territory, he said. Gouda said their team along with forest officials of Balasore Wildlife Division are closely monitoring the movement of the big cat. We are hopeful that it will establish its territory in the Similipal landscape soon, he said. Jamuna was the first tigress translocated to STR on October 28 to supplement the existing big cat population of the tiger reserve and bring diversity to their gene pool. It was released into the core area on November 9. Gouda said the behaviour of the 31-month-old tigress has been absolutely normal and it is in good health. Meanwhile, STR officials said their team is still camping in Jharkhand helping the the wildlife officials of the neighbouring state in tracking the movement of the tigress. The tigress is still in the same forest block of Jharkhand where it had moved on December 9, forest officials said.

National Archery | Neeraj eclipses Tarundeep while Ankita leads Jharkhand from the front

The star Olympian pair of Deepika and Atanu sizzles as Petroleum Sports Promotion Board books a place in the mixed team final

Man Gets Stuck In Grinder While Making Chinese 'Bhel' In Mumbai, Dies

A man has been killed after he got stuck in a grinder while making food in Mumbai, officials said. The victim, 19-year-old Suraj Narayan Yadav, was a resident of Jharkhand and had recently started working at a roadside Chinese food stall in Worli.

He Was Making A Chinese 'Bhel', Gets Stuck In Grinder, Dies

A man has been killed after he got stuck in a grinder while making food in Mumbai, officials said. The victim, 19-year-old Suraj Narayan Yadav, was a resident of Jharkhand and had recently started working at a roadside Chinese food stall in Worli.

Jharkhand CEO directs probe into allegation of foreign funding for JLKM during polls

In the recently held Jharkhand Assembly election, the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha fielded candidates in 76 seats and played a significant role in the defeat of BJP-led NDA in 25 of them. Party founder Jairam Tiger Mahto said he hever hid it and that Our friends, villagers living in 18 countries collected money and sent it.

JSSC-CGL Exam: Police lathi-charge again to disperse agitating students, detain union leader

RANCHI: Police resorted to lathi-charge once again on Monday to disperse students gathered near the Jharkhand Staff Service Commission (JSSC) office to protest alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL recruitment examination held in September this year. Jharkhand State Students Union (JSSU) leader Devendra Nath Mahto, along with some other students, was also detained by the police. Earlier on December 10, police had to use batons and fire tear gas shells to disperse the agitating students in Hazaribagh . Thousands of students took to streets demanding cancellation of the results declared by the JSSC alleging huge irregularities in it during a bandh called on December 10. After the information was received about the students' agitation, the JSSC office was barricaded; almost every road leading to the JSSC office was blocked. Looking at the possibility of clashes between the agitating students and successful students who had reached there for documentation verification, the district administration had also implemented Section 163 of BNS (Prohibitory orders) around a 500-meter radius of the JSSC office . Police had to use batons when the agitating students were trying to cross the barricading to reach out to the JSSC office to register their protest. The agitating students, however, claimed they were staging a peaceful demonstration around a km away from the JSSC office, while the prohibitory orders were imposed in a 500-metre radius. Even though we did not break any law, police used batons on us and took away, beat our leader Devendra Nath Mahto and took him away, said a protesting student. Meanwhile, State BJP President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi strongly condemned the incident calling it a barbaric act by Jharkhand Police at the behest of the state government. According to Marandi, the lathi-charge on students protesting against the irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination is inhuman and condemnable. The state government is trying to crush democratic rights with lathi, he said. Instead of finding a solution to the peaceful protest of the students, this attempt to suppress them with the help of lathi and violence exposes the insensitivity of Chief Minister Hemant Soren towards the students and the unemployed, said the State BJP President. JSSC forms committee to investigate CGL exam complaints following Jharkhand Governor's letter According to the students, only 82 candidates qualified in the exam held on September 21, whereas 2178 passed the exam held on September 22. They also alleged that the answers to the questions were available to many candidates even before the start of the first shift of examination on September 22. Students have three demands; first, the JSSC-CGL exam should be cancelled immediately, secondly, transparency and fairness should be ensured in the examination process and lastly, a high-level investigation should be conducted into the irregularities in the examination and recruitment, and strict action against the culprits. Notably, the JSSC-CGL examination had sparked controversy earlier also after the state governments decision to disrupt the Internet services across the state for more than six hours for conducting the examinations on September 21 and 22. Internet services all over the state were restored on September 22 only after the intervention of the Jharkhand High Court.

Tata Steel starts an all-women shift at Noamundi iron mine

Tata Steel launched an all-women mining shift at its Noamundi iron mine in Jharkhand, a first in India. This initiative builds on their Women@Mines program and aims to empower women in mining. The company trained local women to operate heavy machinery through the Tejaswini initiatives, leading to this milestone. Tata Steel also achieved 20% diversity in its India workforce.

'Conduct Of Elections Has Become Suspicious'

'Whenever the hike in voting percentage is more, the NDA gains more, and when the hike is negligible, the NDA falls.' 'I have established this in UP, Haryana and Jharkhand.'

Centre urged to ensure devolution of Tamil Nadu funds without bias

CHENNAI: The AIADMK general council meeting on Sunday urged the central government to ensure devolution of funds to Tamil Nadu without any partiality. A resolution adopted in this regard at the meeting also urged the 16th Finance Commission to hike the devolution of funds up to 50%, besides bringing cess and surcharge under the ambit of devolution of funds. The resolution said the financial allocation provided to the states by the Finance Commission is high for states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and less for developed states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Not even one-fourth of the revenue that goes to the central government treasury from Tamil Nadu is devolved to Tamil Nadu. Due to this, a situation arises where development projects cannot be implemented. At present, according to the criteria for financial allocation followed by the central government, manufacturing states like Tamil Nadu are being severely affected. This financial allocation method should be reconsidered, the resolution added. The meeting adopted 16 resolutions on various topics. The resolutions condemning the DMK government included the hike in power tariff, property tax, house tax, water tax, milk, registration fee, stamp paper cost, etc. Other resolutions against the state government included failure to take steps for releasing convicts who have been imprisoned for more than 20 years in prison, failure to safeguard the rights of the SC/STs, and failure to take any step to abolish NEET as promised. Resolutions against the state also included failure to fulfil electoral promises on reverting to the old pension scheme, setting right the anomalies in the salaries for teachers, doctors and nurses, etc, and delay in taking timely action to prevent giving license to tungsten mining in Madurai district and urging the centre to give up this proposal. Another resolution urged the DMK government to conduct a caste census on the lines of other states. AIADMK deputy general secretary KP Munusamy said those who were part of the AIADMK regime in the past and those who had benefitted from being part of the power, should wholeheartedly extend financial assistance to grassroots-level functionaries who have no wherewithal to spend for party events. AIADMK organising secretary CVe Shanmugam said, The media is being used to psychologically weaken us. The DMK knew the strength of AIADMK better than the members of AIADMK. That is why to demoralise the AIADMK cadre, false news about AIADMK is being spread. AIADMK has faced these things from the times of party founder MG Ramachandran.

Ranchi Diary | 500 CM Schools of Excellence in next 5 years

500 CM Schools of Excellence will be opened in Jharkhand in five years. According to School Education Minister Ramdas Soren, there are 80 such schools in the state, which will be increased to 160 in the next two years. To end the discrimination in the education system, government has planned to give the opportunity to the poor children to study in English medium as well, he said. The aim is to provide CBSE-recognized English medium education to poor students. After this, there will be a big change in the education system of the state and poor children will also become eligible for jobs in the country and abroad. CID probe into JSSC paper leak case After the intervention of CM Hemant Soren, the personnel and administrative department on issued a detailed order for a CID probe on Saturday. According to the order, the investigation of the irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination has been handed over to the CID. The order stated that the JSSC conducted this examination on September 21-22, 2024. Nearly 3.04 lakh candidates appeared in this examination at 823 centres in the state. At the same time, its result was released on December 4. JKLM accused of getting foreign funds Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JKLM) has been accused of raising funds through foreign funding during 2024 Assembly polls. A complaint was made to the Election Commission after which the commission has written a letter to Bokaro Deputy Commissioner directing him to take necessary action. The EC in its letter stated that Rahul Banerjee, a resident of West Bengal, has complained to the State Election Commission through email that JKLM had illegally raised funds through foreign funding, which was used in the Assembly elections. It has also been mentioned in the letter that most of the foreign money was brought from Saudi Arabia. Mukesh Ranjan Our correspondent in Jharkhand mukesh.r@newindianexpress.com

Prohibitory orders issued near JSSC office as protests escalate; CID probe ordered

RANCHI: Prohibitory orders have been issued within a 500-meter radius of the JSSC office, fearing a possible clash between successful candidates coming for document verification and students protesting for the cancellation of the JSSC-GGL exam due to alleged irregularities. A huge deployment of security forces has been deployed both inside and outside the JSSC office to prevent any untoward incidents. Thousands of students took to the streets in Hazaribagh on Tuesday, demanding the cancellation of the results declared by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), alleging major irregularities in the conduct of the examination. Police had to use lathi-charge and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd after students protesting against irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination turned violent. On Monday, the protesting students announced plans to gherao the JSSC office and prevent successful candidates from getting their documents verified. This has raised the possibility of a clash between the two groups, prompting a large deployment of security forces around the JSSC office. Let the administration apply as much force as it can, we will not let the documents of the successful candidates be verified at any cost. Students from all 24 districts have been reaching Ranchi on Monday, and we will strengthen our demand for the cancellation of the entire examination by staging a protest at the JSSC office, said one of the student leaders, requesting anonymity. JSSC Secretary Sudhir Kumar Gupta said on Saturday that there were no irregularities in the CGL exam. After thorough investigations, he confirmed that everything was conducted properly. Gupta further said that in the investigation of the allegations made in the complaint, it was found that the student did not appear in the examination in the seat mentioned. The picture of the question paper that went viral was taken after 5 pm. The result of any exam has been found to be normal. Candidates from every exam centre have passed, he added. JSSC Secretary further said that the CD provided by the protesters, claiming irregularity, was found to be blank. The allegations made by the complainants were asked to be given through an affidavit, but it was not given, he said. Meanwhile, a CID probe has been ordered into the alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination after Chief Minister Hemant Soren's intervention on Saturday. However, the protesters remain adamant in their demand for the cancellation of the entire examination. According to the students, only 82 candidates qualified in the exam held on September 21, whereas 2178 passed in the exam held on September 22. They also alleged that the answers to the questions were available to many candidates even before the start of the first shift of examination on September 22. The students have three main demands: first, the immediate cancellation of the JSSC-CGL exam; second, the assurance of transparency and fairness in the examination process; and third, a high-level investigation into the irregularities in the exam and recruitment, with strict action taken against those responsible. Notably, the JSSC-CGL examination had previously sparked controversy after the state government decided to disrupt internet services across the state for more than six hours on September 21 and 22 to conduct the exams. The internet services across the state were restored on September 22, only after the intervention of the Jharkhand High Court.

Garcetti vows commitment to protect minorities, amidst Bangladesh atrocities

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti expresses concern over atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh and reaffirms the importance of safeguarding religious minorities globally, during his visit to Dumka, Jharkhand.

Tejashwi vows Rs 2,500 a month to women if RJD forms govt

Bihar's former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav announced the 'Mai Bahan Maan Yojana,' promising 2,500 rupees monthly to underprivileged women if RJD wins the upcoming assembly polls. This pledge mirrors similar schemes in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand, aiming to alleviate women's hardships and garner support ahead of elections. Yadav urged women to back him, emphasizing their shared struggles.

Days after straying into Jharkhand, tigress looks set for Odisha return

Tigress Zeenat, relocated from Maharashtra to Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve last month, is nearing her return after an extraordinary 100km journey into Jharkhand. Forest officers are tracking her movement as she ventures back towards Odisha, just 15km from the border, displaying strong survival instincts.

Chirag Paswan wonders why alliance known for 'looting' Jharkhand elected again

Union Minister Chirag Paswan questioned the re-election of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand, alleging they had prioritized self-enrichment over the state's development during their previous term. He expressed his party's commitment to Jharkhand's progress and praised the central government's poverty reduction efforts. Paswan thanked voters for electing the LJP(RV) candidate from Chatra.

Urban Gujarat's unemployment rate soars to 8.7 per cent, then plummet to 2.3 per cent in two years

AHMEDABAD: The unemployment rate in urban Gujarat has experienced dramatic fluctuations, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment. In response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, the government revealed that the unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 and above in urban areas was 2.8% in 2021-22. However, this rate surged to 8.7% in 2022-23. In a recent query in the Rajya Sabha, MP Dr. Fauzia Khan sought details from the Ministry of Labour and Employment regarding the unemployment rate in urban areas across the country over the past three years. In response, the Indian government provided unemployment figures for urban areas nationwide. Specifically, the government revealed that the unemployment rate (UR) for individuals aged 15 and above in urban Gujarat stood at 2.8% for the year 2021-22. However, the urban unemployment rate in Gujarat experienced significant fluctuations in recent years, underscoring the region's economic challenges. In 2022-23, the unemployment rate surged dramatically to a concerning 8.7%, highlighting the pressure on the labor market during that period. However, there was a notable improvement in 2023-24, with the unemployment rate dropping sharply to 2.3%. This marked reduction signals a potential recovery in urban employment, raising hopes for economic stabilization. The data, derived from the usual status method, reveals the volatility in Gujarat's urban unemployment trends. It emphasizes the importance of implementing sustained measures to stabilize the labour market and mitigate future economic disruptions. The government informed the Rajya Sabha that, over the past three years, a total of 226,088 vacancies have been mobilized through the NCS portal in Gujarat. In 2021-22, Lakshadweep had the highest urban unemployment rate (UR) in India, with 21.1% for individuals aged 15 and above, based on the usual status method. The following year, 2022-23, saw Jharkhand take the lead with a 14.1% unemployment rate. In 2023-24, Meghalaya emerged at the top with a slightly lower rate of 14.0%. These figures reflect the ongoing challenges in addressing urban unemployment across various regions in India. Urban Unemployment in Gujarat: A Volatile Trend 2021-22: Unemployment Rate: 2.8% Context: Stable pre-pandemic recovery 2022-23: Unemployment Rate: 8.7% (sharp surge) Impact: Economic challenges post-pandemic 2023-24: Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (significant drop) Insight: Signs of recovery Key Takeaway : The sharp fluctuations highlight the need for robust and consistent measures to stabilize urban employment in Gujarat.

Villagers launch campaign against extremists; PLFI denies links to lynched individuals

RANCHI: Alarmed by a campaign launched by villagers in Chaibasa against extremists, the Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) has attempted to distance itself from those lynched by locals, who suspected them to be extremists. In a letter addressed to the villagers, PLFI in-charge Martin Ji claimed there is no member of the organisation by the name of Meta Tiger, asserting that the individuals targeted may have been members of a local gang of thieves trying to tarnish the PLFIs reputation. Want to give a message to the common people of Gudri that no any person named Meta Tiger has ever joined the organisation (PLFI) in that area. There is no such person named Meta Tiger in the organisation. There must be the person from a gang of thieves who is carrying out these incidents to defame the organisation, stated the letter issued by the PLFI President. Martin Ji further insisted the PLFI has always supported the common people and urged them to help identify those responsible. This (PLFI) is your own organisation, and all of you know that the organisation has always stood for the common people and whoever has done such things, the organisation is trying to identify them and the people are also requested to identify them, he added. More than 15,000 villagers from around 100 villages in the Gudri and Goilkera areas of Chaibasa have taken to the streets armed with bows, arrows, swords, and traditional weapons, launching a campaign against the Maoists operating in the region. Local sources reported that the campaign, coinciding with the traditional hunting festival known as Sendra, resulted in the deaths of PLFI group leaders Meta Tiger and Gomia, who succumbed to injuries inflicted by arrows. Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta confirmed suspicions that three Maoists had been killed during the villagers campaign. Appealing to the villagers, he urged them not to take the law into their own hands. We are trying to convince people that the police are doing its job and are committed to dragging the Maoists out of Chaibasa, as has been done in the other 23 districts of Jharkhand. If the villagers want to help us, they should give information to us, and we will take action accordingly, said the DGP. He added that the police are making efforts to prevent such incidents from recurring and have requested villagers to inform the authorities if any extremists are identified in the region. The police want that such things do not get repeated in the region and if any extremist is identified, the police should catch him, and not the villagers, he stated. The villagers anger against the Maoists in the Kolhan jungles stems from years of violence. The extremists have planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to deter security forces, resulting in frequent blasts during anti-Maoist operations. More than 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Jaguar jawans were injured in IED blasts in West Singhbhum district during recent operations. Additionally, numerous civilians have been killed by IED explosions over the last two years, and many villagers have been murdered by the Maoists on suspicion of being informers. The tipping point for the villagers was the brutal killing of three locals by the extremists last month. Frustrated by the lack of decisive action, the villagers decided to arm themselves and launch their own campaign against the extremists. Meanwhile, two individuals from Odisha who travelled to the area have been missing for three days and are feared to have been killed by the villagers, who may have mistaken them for PLFI members.

Five killed, three injured in road accident in Jharkhand's Bokaro

BOKARO: Five people were killed and three others injured after their vehicle hit a truck at the Bokaro-Ramgarh National highway in Jharkhand, a police officer said on Saturday. The accident occurred near the Dantu village under Bokaro's Kashmar police station area on Friday late evening. Bermo Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) BN Singh said that the four-wheeler hit the truck, which was stuck in a road blockade, from behind. Around eight people were travelling in the four-wheeler, of which five people were killed, the SDPO said. Singh said that the injured were admitted to Sadar hospital for treatment. A hospital official said that altogether eight people were brought to the hospital, of which five were brought dead. Before this accident, another accident took place on the road in which a person was killed and local people had blocked the road in protest, he said.

Will have to tranquilise Zeenat if she doesnt return on her own: PCCF

BHUBANESWAR: The state Forest department is seriously contemplating to tranquilise Zeenat, the tigress who moved out of Similipal into neighbouring Jharkhand if it does not come back on its own over the next few days. Zeenat had ventured into the Chakulia forest of Jharkhand about 15 to 20 km away from the Odisha border. It is now moving southwards and again getting closer to Similipal. Its current location is around 10 km from Odisha border, said PCCF (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha. However, if it does not return to Similipal on its own, the option of tranquilising it will be exercised. The tranquilisation will be for the safety of both Zeenat and the local human and domestic animal population along the site of its presence now, Jha told TNIE . The area that Zeenat is now moving around lacks adequate forest cover and prey base, leaving it vulnerable to a conflict situation. I have spoken to my Jharkhand counterpart and both of us have agreed to go for tranquilisation, if need arises, he said. Sources said the tranquilising team from Odisha stationed in the neighbouring state has already made an attempt to tranquilise Zeenat but failed. The team reportedly used a buffalo as a bait to sedate the big cat two days back. Zeenat attacked the buffalo but managed to escape as the dart missed the mark. Jha said the tranquilising team is on alert and may take another shot if required. However, given the big cats present movement and proximity to Odisha border, efforts are on to bring it back naturally, he said. Around 15 forest personnel from Mayurbhanj district and as many from Jharkhand have been deployed to keep track of the movement of the radio-collared tigress which headed to Jharkhand six days back, on Sunday night. They are monitoring its movement closely as there is also a possibility of venturing into the forests of West Bengal which is equally close to Jharkhand border. The PCCF said they are prepared to bring back the tigress safely to Similipal in all possible scenarios. Zeenat is the second tigress to be brought to Odisha from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) on November 14. The first tigress, 31-month-old Jamuna, brought from Tadoba on October 28 continues to roam the STR core and is in good health.

Jharkhand HC orders release of 3 convicts sentenced for murder over Rs 200 after 31 years

Three men convicted of murder over a Rs 200 debt in 1993 have been released by the Jharkhand High Court after serving over three decades in prison. The court commuted their life sentences to time served, effectively ending the 31-year legal battle that began in Deoghar and continued after Jharkhand's formation.

Coal scam: Nagpurs Manoj Jayaswal sent to 4-year jail for cheating

Nagpur: A Special CBI court in Delhi on Wednesday awarded separate jail terms to the senior officials of Nagpur-based Abhijeet Infrastructure Ltd in a case of irregularities related to the allocation of three coal blocks in Jharkhand. Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj handed out a four-year jail term to the companys then Managing Director Manoj Kumar [] The post Coal scam: Nagpurs Manoj Jayaswal sent to 4-year jail for cheating appeared first on Nagpur Today : Nagpur News .

HC stays Jharkhand law on 75% quota for locals in private jobs

The Jharkhand High Court has temporarily halted a state law mandating 75% job reservation for locals in private companies. The court's decision follows a legal challenge by an industry association arguing the law violates constitutional equality principles. The ruling JMM party plans to appeal the stay, while emphasizing the government's intent to boost local employment.

Cabinet clears 'One Nation, One Election' bill, but political and logistical hurdles remain

The Union Cabinet has approved two bills , including a constitutional amendment, to implement the 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE), aimed at synchronising Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. This paves the way for the BJP's push for sweeping electoral reforma core pledge since it came to power in 2014. However, the proposal has faced consistent backlash from opposition parties , who argue that it undermines democracy and violates the Constitution's basic structure. Two draft legislations, including one simple bill to amend provisions in laws dealing with three Union territories having legislative assemblies to align them with the Constitution amendment bill, were given the nod by the Cabinet. The proposed constitutional amendment bill would deal with making provisions for holding Lok Sabha and state assembly elections together. Earlier this week, TNIE reported that the bills are likely to be introduced during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. Officials said the bill would be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussions with representatives of all political parties, aiming to build consensus on the proposal. ONOE -- Beginings and Kovind panel Simultaneous polls were held in the country between 1951 and 1967. The government is of the view that ONOE will reduce expenditure in the long run and different parts of the country will not be under the Model Code of Conduct throughout the year due to various polls. In September 2023, the government had formed a high-level committee, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to evaluate the feasibility of conducting simultaneous elections. The panel had submitted an 18,626-page report earlier this year to President Droupadi Murmu after 191 days of research and consultations with stakeholders and experts. The report argued that frequent elections disrupt governance and policy continuity. It recommended beginning with synchronized Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, followed by aligning municipal and panchayat polls within 100 days. The committee proposed a common electoral roll, requiring coordination between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and state election commissions. Currently, the ECI oversees national and state polls, while state bodies manage local elections. The recommendations include 18 constitutional amendments, most of which would not require state assembly ratification but would need parliamentary approval. Reforms, such as a unified voter ID system and a single electoral roll, would require support from at least half of the states. During the consultation process, 32 political parties supported the idea, while 15 opposed it, according to the Kovind panel's report. It claimed that although 15 parties opposed the concept, they had previously backed the idea of holding simultaneous elections at different times. Those who opposed simultaneous elections raised apprehensions that its adoption could violate the basic structure of the Constitution, be anti-democratic and anti-federal, marginalise regional parties, encourage the dominance of national parties, and result in a presidential form of government, the report said. Key recommendations by Kovind Panel 1. The government must develop a legally-tenable mechanism in order to restore the cycle of simultaneous elections. 2. In the first stage, elections for the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies can be held together. 3. In the second step, the elections to municipalities and panchayats will be synchronised with the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in such a way that the polls to municipalities and panchayats are held within 100 days of the holding of the parliamentary and Assembly elections. 4. For the purpose of synchronising the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the president shall notify the date of the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a general election as the appointed date. 5. The tenure of all state assemblies formed via polls after the appointed date and before the expiry of the full term of the Lok Sabha will only be for the period ending up to the subsequent parliamentary polls. After this one-time transitory measure, all Lok Sabha and Assembly polls will be held simultaneously. 6. Fresh elections could be held to constitute a new Lok Sabha in the event of a hung House or a no-confidence motion or any such event. 7. Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the tenure of the House will be only for the unexpired (remaining) term of the immediately preceding full term of the House. 8. When fresh elections are held for state legislative assemblies, then such new assemblies -- unless sooner dissolved -- shall continue up to the end of the full term of the Lok Sabha. 9. A single electoral roll and elector's photo identity card (EPIC) shall be prepared by the Election Commission (EC) in consultation with the state election commissions and the same will substitute any other electoral roll prepared by the EC. 10. For making logistical arrangements for the conduct of simultaneous elections, the EC may draw up a plan and estimate in advance for the procurement of equipment, such as EVMs and VVPATs, deployment of polling personnel and security forces and make other necessary arrangements. One Nation, One Election: Yet another Jumla Legislations and hurdles behind ONOE The legislative process to implement the ONOE involves three bills, but only two of these bills, which were cleared by the Cabinet, are expected to be introduced in Parliament. Two of the bills aim to amend the Constitution to enable the governments plan for holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies in a phased manner. These amendments include provisions to modify Articles 82A, 83(2), and 327 to facilitate the synchronization of elections, with changes to the end of terms for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, and the dissolution of these bodies. The bills will also amend Article 327 to include the term simultaneous elections. The third bill seeks to amend provisions in three laws governing Union Territories with legislative assembliesPuducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir. This bill aims to align their terms with those of other legislative bodies and the Lok Sabha. The statutes to be amended are the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act (1991), the Government of Union Territories Act (1963), and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act (2019). Currently, the Cabinet has approved draft legislation for holding simultaneous elections only for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, sources said. The original proposal by the Kovind-led panel also aimed to extend the ONOE policy to local bodies, including municipalities and panchayats, by inserting a new Article 324A in the Constitution. However, this provision has been deferred, as it would have required ratification by at least half of the state assemblies. Sources noted that since a single electoral roll is used by the ECI for Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, the bill does not address a common electoral roll or a bill for local body elections at this stage. The bills are likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha early next week, with the constitutional amendment bill potentially titled The Constitution 129 (Amendment) Bill, sources said. However, the path to passing these legislations is fraught with challenges. While the bill on Union Territories will require a simple majority in both Houses, the constitutional amendment bill will need support from two-thirds of the members in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to pass. Although BJP allies such as the TDP, Janata Dal (United), and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), all represented in the Union Cabinet, support the proposal, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will need backing from members of the opposition INDIA alliance and fence-sitters, including the BRS, BJD and YSRCP. The NDAs current strength in the Lok Sabha stands at around 293, short of the two-thirds majority mark of 361, with 542 members and one vacancy. The INDIA alliance holds support from around 235 MPs. In the Rajya Sabha, the ruling alliance has approximately 122 members, a number expected to rise once the ongoing process to fill vacancies is completed. With a sanctioned strength of 243, a two-thirds majority in the Upper House would require 162 votes. Political Backlash While the ruling BJP and its allies are pushing for simultaneous polls, several opposition parties have opposed the idea. The Congress has reiterated its opposition to ONOE and accused the government of trying to divert attention from questions being raised on the electoral integrity of the democratic system. Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, The Union Cabinet has cleared the bill on 'One Nation, One Election'. The views of the Indian National Congress on this subject were forcefully articulated by its President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji on January 17, 2024. Nothing has happened since then to modify them. Notably, Kharge, in a letter to the secretary of the high-level committee on ONOE sent on January 17, had said, The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of 'One Nation, One Election'. For the sake of maintaining a thriving and robust democracy, it is imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the high-level committee dissolved, he added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the move, terming it unconstitutional and anti-federal. The Union Cabinet has bulldozed their way through with the unconstitutional and anti-federal One Nation, One Election Bill, ignoring every legitimate concern raised by experts and opposition leaders. This is not a carefully-considered reform; it's an authoritarian imposition designed to undermine India's democracy and federal structure, she wrote on X. Our MPs will oppose this draconian legislation tooth and nail in Parliament. Bengal will never bow to Delhi's dictatorial whims. This fight is about saving India's democracy from the clutches of autocracy! she added. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Thursday termed the idea of simultaneous polls impractical and undemocratic. Describing the move as the collective hijacking of the electoral system, he claimed that it was a conspiracy of autocratic idea against democracy. Sometimes governments become unstable even in the middle of their term, then will the people there live without democratic representation? For this, the constitutionally elected government will have to be dissolved in the middle and it will be an insult to public opinion, he wrote on X. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also criticised the ONOE bill, calling it impractical and an anti-democratic move that will erase regional voices and erode federalism. The Union Cabinet has approved introducing the draconian One Nation, One Election Bill in Parliament. This impractical and anti-democratic move will erase regional voices, erode federalism, and disrupt governance. Rise up #INDIA! Let us resist this attack on Indian Democracy with all our strength! #SayNoToONOE Stalin wrote on X. Hitting out the Union government, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann asked, Why don't they hold 'one nation, one education' and provide health to all in the nation? They just want to go ahead with 'one nation, one election', but the issues of smaller and regional parties will remain buried, he told reporters in the Parliament complex. Citing the recent assembly elections and bypolls, he said, Why did they not hold elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in one go? Why did they hold Jharkhand elections in two phases when there are only 80 seats? Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday described ONOE as the BJP's agenda and said its implications need to be seen. They (BJP-led NDA) have the majority and they can take any decision. But, its implications and results need to be seen, Soren told reporters at the Jharkhand assembly premises. He said that all the elections were held simultaneously when the country became independent. This is their agenda. They will work on their agenda and we will work on our agenda, said Soren, the JMM executive president. The opposition BRS in Telangana said it needs more clarity on the ONOE' bill, before taking a stance on the issue. The BRS had supported the concept in 2017 when a meeting was convened on simultaneous polls, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao said. But this is Modi 3.0, the third government of the NDA. I'm not sure what they have in mind. We are firm proponents of federalism and strong advocates for regional parties to have their voices heard. We will have to wait and see in what form this bill will come, he said. Meanwhile, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi had flagged concerns over the practicality and implications of the proposed move, saying some key recommendations are flawed as he emphasised the need for a debate in Parliament on these issues. The former CEC had also highlighted constitutional requirements for implementing the proposal. Any amendment would require a majority vote in both Houses of Parliament, alongside ratification from at least half of the states, a process that could prove complex and contentious.

'One Nation, One Election': Opposition raises concerns over proposal; BJP, allies welcome it

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties raised concerns on Thursday over bills cleared by the government for holding simultaneous elections and said larger consultations are required while ruling NDA leaders asserted the burden on the exchequer will be lessened. The Union Cabinet approved bills to implement 'One Nation, One Election', and sources said the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter session. Opposition MPs questioned if the country is logistically ready to hold simultaneous elections, pointing out that recent polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand could not be held together with that in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Chaudhary welcomed the move and said, One nation, one election will be good for the nation. It will help in saving people's money. He also dismissed the reservations expressed by the opposition, and said, They are in a habit to oppose everything. Union Minister Chirag Paswan, the leader of BJP's ally Lok Janshakti Party (RV), came out strongly in support of simultaneous polls, saying it is in national interest. It will boost development, he told reporters. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a letter that was written by party president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier this year to Niten Chandra, the secretary of the High-Level Committee on 'One Nation One Election' headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. The Union Cabinet has cleared the bill on 'One Nation One Election'. The views of the Indian National Congress on this subject were forcefully articulated by its President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji on January 17, 2024. Nothing has happened since then to modify them, he said. Ramesh shared Kharge's letter where he strongly opposed the idea of holding simultaneous elections in the country and said it goes against the guarantees of federalism and the basic structure of the Constitution. The Congress chief had also demanded that the idea be abandoned and the high-powered committee formed in this regard be dissolved. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai questioned if the plan can be implemented in reality. One Nation one election sounds good if the nation can go in that direction, nothing like it. But what is the reality? Is the Election Commission ready for it? Do we have enough forces, infrastructure? he posed. Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana elections could have been held together with Maharashtra but it was not done. Even the Jharkhand election was held in two phases... If the government has some solution it can be discussed, but in the present situation it does not appear they can do it, Desai said. Congress Lok Sabha member K Suresh said his party has already made its stand clear that it is opposed to simultaneous polls. The entire opposition is against it, he said. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas said the move was against the federal spirit of the country. One nation, one election, is part of their slogan 'one leader, one country, one ideology, one language...' It's against the federal spirit of the country, he said. If they are keen on reform in the electoral scene, they should understand the issues plaguing the electoral system. If they were so keen on one election, why did they segregate the elections of Maharashtra and Haryana? They could not even hold four elections together, Brittas said. DMK leader Tiruchi Siva also said his party opposes the bill. Let them bring it, my party is totally against it, we have too many questions to raise, and they have to be replied comprehensively, he said. Siva questioned what would happen if a government came into minority. Suppose if Lok Sabha gets dissolved earlier, would they dissolve all state assemblies and hold elections? he questioned. BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said greater consultations need to be held. Greater consultation has to be done. What happens when there is a lack of majority, hung assembly or Parliament, or a government loses confidence mid-way, he said. Hitting out the Union government, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann asked, Why don't they hold 'one nation, one education' and provide health to all in the nation? They just want to go ahead with 'one nation, one election', but the issues of smaller and regional parties will remain buried, he told reporters in the Parliament complex. Citing the recent assembly elections and bypolls, he said, Why did they not hold elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in one go? Why did they hold Jharkhand elections in two phases when there are only 80 seats? The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which had supported the concept of simultaneous polls in 2017, said the proposed legislation needs more clarity. But this is Modi 3.0, the third government of the NDA. I'm not sure what they have in mind. We are firm proponents of federalism and strong advocates for regional parties to have their voices heard. We will have to wait and see in what form this bill will come, BRS working president K T Rama Rao told PTI Videos. Asserting that discussions about the delimitation of constituencies and the implementation of women's reservation might influence 'one nation, one election', he said the BRS would also like to hold internal consultations before forming an opinion on the issue. Moving ahead with its 'one nation, one election' plan, the government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies in a phased manner. Citing recommendations of the high-level committee, sources said one of the proposed bills would seek to amend Article 82A by adding sub-clause (1) relating to the appointed date. It will also seek to insert sub-clause (2) to Article 82A relating to the end of terms of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies together. During the consultation process on the issue, 32 political parties supported the idea while 15 did not, according to former president Kovind, who headed the high-level committee that studied the proposal.

Jharkhand government files FIR against Mumbai firm, five brokers for Cameroon job fraud

RANCHI: The Jharkhand Government has lodged FIRs against Mumbai-based M/s Transrail Lighting Limited and five middlemen for fraudulently sending 47 workers from the State to work in Cameroon (Central Africa). The labour department swung into action after the direction of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who had received a complaint regarding the non-payment of wages to 47 migrant workers from Jharkhand, currently stranded in Cameroon. According to an official statement released by the state government, the process to ensure payment of wages to these Jharkhand workers stranded in Cameroon has also begun. The Labour Commissioner has filed FIRs in Hazaribagh, Bokaro, and Giridih. According to the FIR, employers and middlemen sent these workers to Cameroon without registering them under the Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, and without obtaining the required license. This fraudulent and illegal act of sending workers abroad under false pretences has been strongly condemned. The five middlemen named in the FIR are Mannan (Mumbai), Akash, Satwik, Vijay Mahto and Mahesh. Notably, the Chief Minister was informed a few days ago about complaints from Jharkhand workers employed in M/s Transrail Lighting Limited, Cameroon. According to them, their wages had been pending for three months and they wished to return to India. Taking a swift action after receiving the information, the chief minister directed the State Migrant Control Room to take steps to ensure the safe return of the migrant labourers. Following the Chief Ministers orders, the State Migrant Control Room, under the guidance of the Labor Commissioner, contacted the workers and the employer company. The company revealed that they had paid the workers USD 100 per month and assured them that the remaining wages would be transferred to their Indian bank accounts. The workers have since confirmed receiving partial payments. In addition, the State Migrant Control Room has instructed the company to provide copies of the workers contracts, salary details, and other necessary documents. The Labor Department has also sent letters to the Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ranchi, and other relevant departments, requesting appropriate action. The company has assured the authorities of resolving the outstanding wage payments by consulting the sub-contractor. The remaining amounts will be deposited into the workers Indian accounts. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to ensure the safe return of these workers. The High Commission and Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India have been informed about the situation.

Maharashtra, Jharkhand and now Delhi: Will Arvind Kejriwal's cash-in-account scheme help AAP score hat-trick?

Tigress introduced in Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha strays into Jharkhand

Odisha forest department launches a drive to bring tigress back with possibility of her straying further into either Jharkhand or West Bengal

Jharkhand High Court stays law on 75% quota for locals in private jobs

The Jharkhand Small Scale Industries Association says the law violated principles of equality, non-discrimination, and the right to conduct business

Pradeep Yadav named Congress legislature party leader in Jharkhand

In Jharkhand, the Congress appointed Poreyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav as its legislature party leader and Khijri MLA Rajesh Kachhap as his deputy. Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato approved the appointments. Both Yadav and Kachhap secured significant victories in their respective constituencies during the recent assembly polls, contributing to the JMM-led coalition's second term in power.

Opposition raises concerns over simultaneous polls; BJP, allies say burden on exchequer will be lessened

Opposition MPs questioned if the country is logistically ready to hold simultaneous elections, pointing out that recent polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand could not be held together with those in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir

Jharkhand HC put stay on law giving 75 per cent reservation for locals in private companies

In a setback to the Hemant Soren Government in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday put a stay on the implementation of the 75 per cent reservation for locals in private companies in the state. A division bench of Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan, delivered the verdict, asking the state government to respond to the matter. The petition was filed by the President of Jharkhand Small Industries Association, Ajay Pacheriwala, challenging the 'Jharkhand State Employment of the Local Candidate in the Private Sector Act-2021' related to giving 75 per cent reservation to local residents in private companies and has demanded its repeal. Pacheriwala argued in court that the law requiring 75% of positions to be reserved for locals violates the principles of equality, non-discrimination, and the right to conduct business. They also contended that the law is unconstitutional. The petitioners counsel also informed the court that the Punjab-Haryana High Court had struck down a similar law enacted by the Haryana government. Notably, the Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates in Private Sector Bill 2021, was passed in September last year under which, 75 per cent reservation to locals in jobs with monthly salaries up to Rs 40,000 in the private the sector will be ensured. The act ensures that during the process of employment of local candidates, attention will be given to the representation of the displaced due to the establishment of the concerned institution, local candidates of the concerned district and all classes of the society. It also provides for the constitution of a committee headed by a designated officer that will include the local MLA, Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) and Circle Officer (CO) to supervise the employment procedure and issue directions to the employer concerned as it may deem fit. The bill was earlier cleared by a select committee of the Jharkhand assembly with some changes. It was tabled during the budget session in March 2021 and was referred for vetting to a six-member select committee formed by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto. The panel, chaired by Labour Minister Satyanand Bhokta, had added the words private sector in the amended bill, changing its name from 'The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2021' to 'The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates in Private Sector Bill, 2021'. The amended legislation also increased salary limit to Rs 40,000 from the earlier Rs 30,000. Jharkhand: 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs for locals from 2023

Ecofix Technology to Help BBMP in Instant Road Repairs in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Engineers of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) expressed satisfaction over a live demonstration of a pilot project steel slag based ECOFIX technology to fix deep and shallow potholes conducted on busiest Avenue road near Anjani Temple in Bengaluru city on Wednesday by scientists of CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), a premier road research institute of the country. The CSIR-CRRI Steel Slag road technology is well tested for its durability and performance in Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh. During the live demonstration, Principal-Scientist of CSIR-CRRI and inventor of the ECOFIX technology Dr Sanjay Pandey carried out a road repair demonstration on Avenue road and immediately after its repair, the road was opened for vehicular movement, making BBMP engineers happy. Engineer-in-Chief of BBMP Dr B.S. Prahallad stated to make use of the technology for eco-friendly sustainable road repair in Bengaluru city in coming days. He termed ECOFIX technology a boon to the city roads. After taking note of the advantages of the ECOFIX technology, Prahallad said during monsoon season when the majority of hot mix plants cannot be operated but with ECOFIX technology It is possible to carry out durable road repairs in an eco-friendly manner. The Principal Scientist Dr Sanjay Pandey stated ECOFIX technology is developed using industrial waste of steel industries (iron and steel) and has the unique ability to repair the water-logged pothole without any dewatering management. While conventional road repair technologies require dewatering of potholes and application of tack coat, Pandey said with ECOFIX technology can be used even under waterlogged conditions without any tack coat requirement. With ECOFIX technology, he said repaired road surfaces will perform better than regular roads, ensuring durability and longevity. The ECOFIX technology, Pandey said, does not need any heating of aggregate and bitumen hence it significantly reduces the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emission in the atmosphere caused by regular road maintenance techniques.

Eliminate PDS Rice Mafia, CM Naidu Tells Collectors

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has strongly come out against ration rice smuggling and instructed officials to initiate effective steps to check movement of smuggled rice from within and outside the state. Speaking at the collectors' conference on Wednesday, the chief minister said PD Act should be invoked against PDS rice smuggling. Regular rice and PDS rice are being sold together. PDS rice is also coming from Jharkhand. Illegal activities should not take place in AP. PDS rice mafia should be eliminated. Naidu also advised the collectors to focus on water recharge. All collectors should take up water-related work in NREGA works. District collectors must give high priority to water resource conservation measures in the districts, he said. Responding to a presentation given by the water resources department, Naidu said Unfortunately, in the last five years, dams, canal maintenance and gate repairs have been completely abandoned. There are dire situations where even contractors have not come forward to reinstall the project gates that were washed away. However, this time, we have used water resources effectively. We have been able to fill almost all the reservoirs with water without wasting water. The groundwater level, he said, should be at least 8 metres in the next two seasons. The interlinking of rivers is a critical goal and will cost ` 1 lakh crore. We are expecting help from the Centre. If the Krishna-Godavari rivers are linked, Rayalaseema will turn agrarian. Principal Secretary to water resources, Sai Prasad, said the work on the Polavaram project was being accelerated. Collectors should give priority to construction of check dams in the NREGA works. They should explore new areas with the potential to store additional water in the districts. Sai Prasad said that the Pulichintala dam was full and water would be released from this dam for the Kharif season in June.

69% growth in rural female employment during 2018-23, says government report

India has witnessed significant growth in its Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), particularly in rural areas, from 201718 to 202223, according to the government. A research paper authored by Dr Shamika Ravi, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the PM, and Dr Mudit Kapoor, EPU, ISIDelhi Center, suggests that this growth was primarily driven by various government schemes, especially those targeting rural women over the last decade. These schemes include 'Mudra' loans, the 'Drone Didi' initiative, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) mobilised under the 'Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana', among others. In the executive summary of the paper, the authors state: Our paper measures the final outcome of these initiatives as a cumulative growth in female LFPR across India, with a particular focus on rural areas. However, rigorous research is needed to assess the impacts of these programs and to explore the persistent inter-state and rural-urban disparities in Indias female LFPR. The study relied on data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which provides detailed employment and demographic information for over 2.5 million individuals. This dataset enables the analysis of trends and variations at the national, state, and rural/urban levels. LFPR is calculated as the percentage of employed and unemployed individuals (those seeking or available for work) relative to the total population aged 15 years and above, as explained in the executive summary of the paper. According to the findings in the paper, at the national level, rural female LFPR surged from 24.6% to 41.5% (~69% growth), while urban LFPR rose modestly from 20.4% to 25.4% (~25%growth) between 2017-18 to 2022-23. (But) there are significant interstate variations. In rural areas, significant increases are seen in states like Jharkhand (~233% growth) and Bihar (~6x growth). Northeastern states also showed remarkable growth (example, Nagaland: 15.7% to 71.1%). At the national level, urban areas witnessed modest increases overall, the authors noted. However there is notable growth in urban Gujarat (16.2% to 26.4%, ~63% growth) and marginal changes in urban Tamil Nadu (27.6% to 28.8%). The general trends show that female LFPR has increased in almost all states, with rural areas seeing larger gains than urban areas, the study revealed. We also find that married women in rural areas showed higher participation growth compared to unmarried women. States like Rajasthan and Jharkhand displayed significant growth, particularly among married women. There are, however, significant regional and interstate variations, the authors stated. The research findings showed that among the northern states, Punjab and Haryana continued to have low female LFPR. Among the eastern state, rural Bihar had the lowest LFPR in the country, but has shown significant improvements in the recent years especially for rural married women. Among the Northeastern states, there have been remarkable growth in rural areas with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh leading. Urban areas of the northeast have showed moderate increases among married women, unlike elsewhere in the country where urban areas have witnessed marginal increase for married women. Across the western and southern states, growth in LFPR is largely concentrated among rural women while urban areas have seen only modest increase. Andhra Pradesh stands out with a major decline in LFPR of urban women with children. As far as the impacts of gender, age, marital status on the LFPR, the study pointed out that the overall results show that female LFPR forms a bell-shaped curve, peaking at 3040 years of age and declining sharply after. The male LFPR, on the other hand, remains high (~100%) from ages 3050, declining gradually thereafter. Marital status is a significant determinant of LFPR- for both, women and men. Married men consistently exhibit higher LFPR across states and age groups, while marriage significantly reduces female LFPR, especially in urban areas. The presence of children under 14 years of age affects female LFPR significantly, especially for younger women (2035 years) and more strongly in urban areas, the study found.

BMW, UNICEF join hands to empower children in rural India

BMW Group and UNICEF joined forces to improve education for 100,000 Indian children. The program targets four states and emphasizes STEM skills. It will benefit marginalized girls in rural areas. The initiative includes Assam, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. This is part of a larger global partnership between BMW and UNICEF.

Jharkhand's development possible with Centre, States mutual cooperation: Governor Santosh Gangwar

The newly elected government will work to carry forward the healthy tradition of the federal structure, Santosh Gangwar said while addressing the maiden session of Jharkhand Assembly

Ranchi Diary: Resentment over not getting ministerial berth

Resentment over not getting ministerial berth Many of the Congress MLAs are unhappy with the party high commands decision over ministerial posts in Jharkhand. According to the party sources, there is huge resentment over Radha Krishna Kishore getting the most important ministerial post, finance ministry, despite the fact that he joined the party after jumping several parties. Congress MLAs are also clueless over MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey being made a minister under ST quota. There is controversy over the elevation of Irfan Ansari as minister as his name appeared prominently for creating a plot to topple the Hemant Soren government. Action for not releasing bodies over unpaid bills The newly appointed Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari has announced a move to ensure private hospitals do not withhold the bodies of deceased patients over unpaid bills. He warned that if a patient dies during treatment, private hospitals will be required to hand over the body to the relatives without a bill. If any private hospital refuses to do so, strict action will be taken against them. Ansari also voiced his concern over private hospitals treating health care as a business stating that the practice of turning health care into a money-making business has to be stopped at all cost. State-of-the-art bungalow for ministers The newly appointed ministers will soon move in state-of-the art bungalows beside the Assembly building. While inspecting the under construction bungalows on Monday, CM Hemant Soren emphasised that all work on the bungalows and the surrounding residential complex must be completed by January 15, 2025, enabling the allocation of houses to the ministers. These bungalows are surrounded by expansive lawns, and the complex features a shared clubhouse for recreational activities. The residential complex features 11 newly constructed bungalows with modern designs and state-of-the-art amenities. Mukesh Ranjan Our correspondent in Jharkhand mukesh.r@newindianexpress.com

JSSC-CGL Exam: Police resorts to lathi-charge, tear gas shells to disperse protesting students

RANCHI: The police on Tuesday resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd after the students protesting against the irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination turned violent in Hazaribagh on Tuesday. Thousands of students took to the streets demanding the cancellation of the results declared by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) conducted on September 21 and 22 alleging huge irregularities. Notably, Hazaribagh Bandh was called by the students on Tuesday under which the demonstration was being done. Students started marching peacefully from Matwari Gandhi Maidaan, reached Bharat Mata Chowk and blocked NH-33, due to which the vehicles remained stranded for over 10 kilometres on both sides for over four hours. Since the students were not ready to recede, police applied light lathi-charge to disperse the crowd but the students started pelting stones on police leading to the damage of more than half a dozen vehicles. Finally, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. People from both the sides, the police and students, reportedly got injured in the incident. According to Hazaribagh Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Ashok Kumar, despite a lot of persuasion, the situation went out of control and mild force was applied to disperse the crowd. Mild force had to be applied to disperse the crowd as students were pelting stones on the police, said the SDO. The movement was being led by Uday Kumar Mehta and Mahendra Yadav of Barkattha against whom legal action will be taken, he added. The SDO, however, said that the situation is under control. Other students leading the movement are also being identified and action will also be taken against them, he said. According to the students, only 82 candidates qualified in the exam held on September 21, whereas 2178 passed in the exam held on September 22. They also alleged that the answers to the questions were available to many candidates even before the start of the first shift of examination on September 22. Students have three point demands; first, JSSC-CGL exam should be cancelled immediately, secondly, transparency and fairness should be ensured in the examination process and lastly, high-level investigation should be conducted into the irregularities in the examination and recruitment, and strict action should be taken against the culprits. Notably, JSSC-CGL examination had sparked controversy earlier also after the state governments decision to disrupt the Internet services across the state for more than six hours for conducting the examinations on September 21 and 22. The internet services all over the state were restored on September 22 only after the intervention of Jharkhand High Court. Meanwhile, known for his aggressive stance on issues concerning youth, Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) legislator Jairam Mahto also raised the issue of the JSSC-CGL examination in the Assembly and demanded that the government to address the students concerns through discussions on the matter. Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi also demanded CBI inquiry after cancellation of the results. Thousands of students are accusing of irregularities in JSSC-CGL examination. Entire process of the exam should be investigated by CBI for the satisfaction of the students, said Marandi. After the candidates passing in serial order, the doubts of irregularities in the CGL exam have deepened in the minds of the candidates, he added.

Bengal on alert as tigress Zeenat stays put in Jharkhand

Districts affected by left-wing extremism down to 38 in 2024 from 126 in 2013: Home Ministry

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that the geographical spread of violence induced by left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country has fallen to 38 districts across nine states in 2024 from 126 districts across 10 states in 2013. In a written reply to a question in the House, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, To address the LWE menace holistically, the government approved the National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE in 2015. The policy envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities. The MoS (Home) said, The geographical spread of LWE violence has constricted substantially with reduction of LWE-affected districts from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts across nine states in 2024 (with effect from April-2024). He went on to add that the resolute implementation of the policy has resulted in consistent decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread. The LWE violence incidents have reduced by 73 percent from the high level of LWE violence incidents in 2010. The resultant deaths (civilians and security forces) have reduced by 86 percent from all time high of 1,005 in 2010 to 138 in 2023. In the current year (up to November 15, 2024), there has been a sharp reduction of 25 percent in LWE perpetrated incidents, the minister said, adding that the number of police stations reporting LWE related violence has also significantly reduced from 465 in 2010 to 171 in 2023. Rai said that during the past five years between 2019-20 and 2023-24, Rs 4350.78 crore have been released for capacity building of the LWE-affected states under the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), Security Related Expenditure (SRE) and Special Central Assistance (SCA) schemes. Further, Rs 560.22 crore have been given to Central Agencies during the same period for helicopters and addressing critical infrastructure in security camps in LWE-affected areas, under Assistance to Central Agencies for LWE Management (ACALWEM) Scheme, he added. List of districts affected by LWE: 38 Andhra Pradesh: Alluri Sitaramraju Chhattisgarh: Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Gariyaband, Kanker, Kondagaon, Mahasamund, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Mohalla-Manpur- Ambagarh chowki, Khairgarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai, Sukma, Kabirdham, Mungeli Jharkhand: Giridih, Gumla, Latehar, Lohardaga, West Singhbhum Kerala: Wayanad, Kannur Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori Maharashtra: Gadchiroli, Gondia Odisha: Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada Telangana: Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Mulugu West Bengal: Jhargram Specific developmental initiatives in LWE-affected areas: Road network: 14,469 km roads have been constructed Telecom connectivity: 6,567 mobile towers have been commissioned Financial inclusion: 5,731 Post Offices, 1,007 Bank Branches and 937 ATMs have been opened Skill development: 46 ITIs and 49 Skill Development Centers (SDCs) have been made functional Quality education: 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been made functional

Satish Sharma Declares 68th National School Games 2024-25 Closed

Jharkhand emerges U-17 Girls Football Champion JAMMU, Dec 10: Minister for Youth Services and Sports, FCS&CA and Transport, Satish Sharma, today declared the 68th National School Games in four sports disciplines of Judo, Fencing, Wushu and Football closed in a grand valedictory ceremony at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu. A total of around 4000 athletes and officials drawn from 44 state/UT/organisation teams across the country took part in these prestigious games, organised by the Department of Youth Services [] The post Satish Sharma Declares 68th National School Games 2024-25 Closed appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Satish Sharma declares the 68th National School Games 2024-25 closed

Jharkhand emerges U-17 Girls Football Champion Jammu Tawi, DECEMBER 10: Minister for Youth Services and Sports, FCS&CA and Transport, Satish Sharma, today declared the 68th National School Games in four sports disciplines of Judo, Fencing, Wushu and Football closed in a grand valedictory ceremony at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu. A total of [] The post Satish Sharma declares the 68th National School Games 2024-25 closed appeared first on Northlines .

JMM MLA Rabindra Nath Mahato unanimously elected as Jharkhand Assembly Speaker

RANCHI: Rabindra Nath Mahato, the JMM MLA from Nala Assembly seat, has been unanimously elected as the Jharkhand Assembly Speaker for the second consecutive term. Mahto is the only MLA to be elected Speaker of the Assembly for two consecutive terms, marking a historic achievement. Protem Speaker Prof Stephen Marandi read proposals for the post, following which, Mahto was unanimously elected as Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly. Seven panels had proposed Rabindra Nath Mahatos name for the post of Speaker. Both the ruling party and the opposition supported his name for the position. Chief Minister Hemant Soren first proposed Mahatos name for the Speakers position, with JMM MLA Mathura Prasad Mahato seconding the motion. Protem Speaker Stephen Marandi conducted the voting through a voice vote and Rabindra Nath Mahato was elected as the Speaker of the Assembly.

JMM's Rabindra Nath Mahato elected unopposed as Jharkhand Assembly Speaker

Chief Minister Hemant Soren proposed Mahato's name for the post and the proposal was seconded by JMM MLA Mathura Prasad Mahato during the second of the four-day session of the assembly.

Madras HC declines to interfere with NIA order over medical student tuition fee

Chennai: The Madras High Court has declined to interfere with an order of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) freezing the amount of tuition fee paid to a medical student studying in a private medical college here.The NIA claimed that the tuition fee was paid by a Maoist organisation operating in Jharkhand. A division bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and M Jyothiraman dismissed the petition filed by the girl student, challenging the order of NIA. When the case came up for hearing on Monday, it was submitted on behalf of the medical student that the college administration was refusing to issue a certificate to the petitioner, as the tuition fee was frozen and the NIA had summoned her to appear in this matter. Refusing to accept the submissions, the bench said it could not interfere with the order passed by the NIA. She could appear before the NIA and provide an explanation and make a request to defreeze the tuition fee. What guarantee was there that a student who studies well will not join an extremist group? the bench asked.

Tadoba tigress moves out of STR, traced to Jharkhand

BHUBANESWAR/BARIPADA : Zeenat, the tigress translocated from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), has exited her habitat and moved into neighboring Jharkhand. STR officials confirmed the development on Monday, stating that the three-year-old tigress was now roaming the forests of Jharkhand. Zeenat had been released into the wild in the Similipal North region on November 24, following an extensive acclimatization exercise. Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), Baripada, and Field Director of STR, Prakash Chand Gogineni, told TNIE that the forest team tracking the movement of the radio-collared tigress traced her location in the forests of Jharkhand. Gogineni explained that Similipal is well-connected to Jharkhand's forests, and the source tiger population of STR has been known to use the landscape in the past. After locating the tigress in Jharkhand, STR officials informed their counterparts in the neighboring state. A team of officials from the Jamshedpur forest division is now monitoring the tigresss movements in their jurisdiction. Though Similipal has a healthy prey base and adequate inviolate space, forest authorities stated that the dispersing female tiger may take some time to establish her territory in the protected area. We are continuously monitoring her movement and are hopeful of her return, given the abundant prey base in Similipal, said the field director. As long as Zeenat remains safely in the forests and does not venture toward human habitations, there is no need for recapture. Tigers are long-range animals and may disperse several hundred kilometers before establishing their territories. Zeenat is the second tigress brought from Tadoba under the tiger supplementation program aimed at improving the genetic diversity of the existing population in STR. She reached Jashipur on November 14 and was kept in a soft enclosure near Chahala for about 10 days before being released into the core of Similipal North on November 24. The first tigress, 31-month-old Jamuna, was brought to STR from Tadoba on October 28 and released into the core area of Similipal South on November 9. Jamuna has been circulating in the STR area for about a month and is in good health, Gogineni said. According to the All Odisha Tiger Estimation (AOTE) 2023-24 report, Similipal is home to around 27 tigers and 12 cubs.

68th NSG: Jharkhand, Haryana set to face off in U-17 Girls Football final

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 9: The 68th National School Games U-17 Girls Football Championship, held at Sainik School Nagrota, has reached its climax with Haryana and Jharkhand securing their spots in the final. The two teams triumphed over their respective semifinal opponents and will now compete for the prestigious title tomorrow. In a hard-fought first semifinal, Jharkhand edged out Manipur by 1-0, while Haryana proved their dominance by defeating Rajasthan by 3-0 in the second semifinal. Both teams have [] The post 68th NSG: Jharkhand, Haryana set to face off in U-17 Girls Football final appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Arriving barefoot, taking oath holding Constitution: Some MLAs turn heads on Day 1 of new Jharkhand Assembly

RANCHI: The sixth Jharkhand Assembly is different in many ways from the previous assemblies. On the first day of the Special Assembly session on Monday, the newly elected MLAs reached the House in different styles. Some arrived barefoot, others were seen bowing their head, and many took their oaths in their regional language. Jairam Mahto of Jharkhand Loktantrik Kranti Morcha (JKLM), who reached the Jharkhand Assembly barefoot, bowed his head on the frame of the Assembly door before entering the House. Jairam has been elected MLA for the first time from Dumri seat. Explaining the reason behind entering the House barefoot, Jairam Mahto said, I am a farmer's son and just like a farm is for a farmer, Vidhan Sabha is for me. When we go to the farm, we go barefoot, therefore I have reached the House barefoot as well. Though the JKLM was able to win only one seat, it has made its strong presence felt in the Northern and Southern Chotanagpur Divisions of Jharkhand. JKLM contested 71 out of 81 assembly elections and caused damage to both the alliances INDIA bloc and NDA. Ghatsila MLA and School Education Minister Ramdas Soren took oath in Santhali language, Giridih MLA and Urban Development Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu took oath in Khortha, Jamtara MLA and Health Minister Irfan Ansari took oath in Bengala while Madhupur MLA and Water Resources Minister Hafizul Hasan took oath in Urdu. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey was seen holding the Constitution Book in her hand while taking oath as the MLA from Mandar. This time, 21 of the members, just over one fourth, are first-time MLAs. Four parties have a solitary member in the Assembly, one MLA each from JDU, LJP (R), AJSU Party and JLKM. Interestingly, this is the first time in the last 20 years that the Jharkhand Assembly doesn't have any independent member. Moreover, the Jharkhand Assembly this time consists of only 81 members, as the practice of nominating a representative from the Anglo-Indian community historically designated as the 82nd member of the House has been discontinued. Later, Chief Minister Hemant Soren took oath as MLA, following which, other 79 MLAs took oath one by one. Before that, as soon as the proceeding of the House started, Stephen Marandi was appointed as the Protem Speaker. Then Stephen Marandi informed the members about the process of appointment of the permanent speaker in the House. The 81-member House includes 34 MLAs from JMM, 21 from BJP, 16 from Congress, 4 from RJD and 2 from CPI-ML.

Threat message against PM: Mumbai cops nab man from Ajmer

Mumbai: A 37-year-old man was held from Ajmer in Rajasthan for allegedly sending a message to the Mumbai traffic police helpline threatening to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said on Monday. Jharkhand resident Mohammad Nadim Baig Mirza was held by a team of Worli police, the official added. Also ReadRathore urges patience on Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Woman strangles 8-year-old nephew to avenge son's death 'due to black magic'

In Jharkhand's Palamu district, an eight-year-old boy was tragically strangled by his aunt, Sunita Devi. Driven by superstitious beliefs and revenge, Devi suspected the boy's grandmother of witchcraft, blaming her for the death of Devi's five-month-old son. The incident occurred on Sunday in Saltua village, and the boy's body was recovered from an agricultural field.

CM Hemant Soren, ministers take oath as members of Jharkhand Assembly

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday took oath as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on the first day of the four-day session of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua, and Labour Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav were among the ministers in the Hemant Soren cabinet who also took oath as members of the assembly. The CM and the ministers were among 80 elected representatives who were administered the oath as MLAs by the assembly's pro-tem Speaker Stephen Marandi soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11 am. The House was adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday after the oath-taking ceremony. All MLAs and ministers took oath today. We will move for the next proceedings tomorrow, the CM later told reporters. The Speaker's election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, an assembly official said. Kishore said Nala MLA Rabindra Nath Mahato is likely to be elected as Speaker of the House unopposed as all members, including those of the BJP, have given their consent for it. The four-day session will conclude on December 12. Besides the Speaker's election, the governor's address, presentation of the second supplementary budget, and debate on the governor's speech are also scheduled during the session, the official said. Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony here on November 28, while 11 MLAs took oath as state ministers on December 5. The JMM-led alliance on November 23 stormed to power in Jharkhand for the second time in a row, securing 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the BJP-headed NDA managed 24.

Tejashwi Yadav promises social security pension hike if voted to power in Bihar

PATNA: Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Monday said that if his party--Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)--was voted to power in the assembly elections, he would enhance the amount to be paid under various social security schemes. The state assembly elections are scheduled to be held in October-November next year. Tejashwi said that the amount paid to senior citizens, widows and people with disabilities would be increased from Rs.400 to Rs.1500 per month. If we form the government after the assembly elections, people over 60 years of age or with disabilities as also widows will get Rs.1500 per month by way of social security scheme, the former Bihar deputy chief minister said. During an interaction with party workers, Tejashwi said that the amount paid to people by the state government under social security schemes is meagre. The state government at present provides Rs.400 per month to the beneficiaries under social security schemes, he pointed out. The latest announcement comes after the RJD leader promised to provide 200 units of electricity free of cost to people if his party was voted to power in the assembly polls due next year. He reiterated that he had delivered whatever he promised to people earlier. Tejashwi claimed to have provided jobs to people in various government departments when his party was part of the grand alliance government. We, as part of the grand alliance government, kept our promise of providing 10 lakh government jobs to people, he added. He had also tried to win the support of Jeevika Didis by promising to look into their grievances if RJD formed the next government. While taking a jibe at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi said, Nitish ji wants to make Jeevika Didis their voters only. But our party is more concerned about their problems, he said. RJD leader, whose party is a partner of coalition government in Jharkhand, has focused on winning over the beneficiaries under various social security schemes as they played a crucial role in the return of JMM leader Hemant Soren to power in Jharkhand.

Coal Scam: Special CBI court convicts Abhijeet Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, two others

A CBI court convicted Abhijeet Infrastructure Ltd's Managing Director and former director in a coal scam case. They were found guilty of using forged documents to secure coal block allocations in Jharkhand by misrepresenting the company's financials and land acquisition. The company fraudulently obtained Brinda, Sisai, and Meral coal blocks, defrauding the Ministry of Coal.

Released in Odishas Similipal, tigress Zeenat ventures into Jharkhand

Baripada: Three-year-old tigress Zeenat, which was released into the wild in Odishas Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district, has entered adjoining Jharkhand, a top forest officer said Monday. The tigress, which was brought from Maharashtra, was released into the wild in STR November 24. Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF)-cum-field director of STR, Prakash []

Jharkhand man sends ransom threat to Union Minister Sanjay Seth, arrested

A Jharkhand man was arrested for sending a ransom threat to Union Minister Sanjay Seth, demanding 50 lakh

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Ministers take oath as members of Jharkhand Assembly

Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th CM of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony in Ramchi on November 28, while 11 MLAs took oath as State Ministers on December 5, 2024

Jharkhand Assembly: CM Hemant Soren, ministers take oath as members

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday took oath as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on the first day of the four-day session of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua and Labour Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav were among the ministers in the Hemant Soren cabinet Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Talcher fertiliser plant revival delayed; only 63.75% work completed after a decade

BHUBANESWAR: More than a decade after the Centre initiated steps to revive the Talcher Fertiliser plant and redevelop it as the countrys largest and first coal gasification-based urea unit, it continues to remain non-operational due to inordinate delay in execution of the project. Talcher Fertiliser Ltd (TFL) was among the five fertiliser plants in the country taken up for revival in 2014. The revival of four other plants at Sindri (Jharkhand), Barauni (Bihar), Ramagundam (Telangana) and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) announced during the same time have been completed and the units are now functional. Sources said TFL, a consortium of four state-run companies, was established in December 2014 to revive the Talcher unit at an estimated cost of over Rs 13,270 crore to produce 12.7 lakh tonne urea per annum by leveraging coal gasification technology. The contracts for coal gasification and ammonia urea package were awarded to Wuhan Engineering Company Ltd (WECL), China by TFL in September 2019. The project was severely affected as Covid-19 pandemic struck in December the same year, having its epicentre at Wuhan. Locals and former employees of the plant are displeased with the prolonged delay in execution of the project which was to be completed by September this year. The revival of Talcher Fertiliser Ltd is a beacon of hope for industrial and economic growth in the region. We were rendered jobless after the sudden closure of the plant more than 20 years back. We were hopeful after the revival plan was announced. But the delay is disappointing, said Bijay Mallick, an ex-employee. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers recently acknowledged that the progress of the project was affected due to Covid pandemic that led to a backlog in procurement, construction and equipment erection by WECL. Around 63.75 per cent of the project has been completed so far. The outside pipe rack, renovation of non-plant buildings, boiler-1 and raw water treatment plant are in advanced stages of completion, Union minister Anupriya Patel informed this in the Parliament. The minister said efforts are being made by TFL for completion of the project with regular reviews with WECL, China engineering team to resolve the pending engineering issues. The TFL has also started deducting mutually-agreed damages from bills of WECL since July under the existing contract provisions due to slow progress and delays in project completion, she added. In 1971, FCIL had set up the Talcher unit over an area of 902 acre to produce urea using coal as feedstock and the production commenced in 1980. The unit, which was once producing 900 tonne ammonia and 1,500 tonne urea a day, fell sick in 1992 due to frequent power restriction, obsolete and mismatch of technology and was closed by 2002.

BJPs membership drive to begin in Jharkhand from Dec 22

RANCHI, Dec 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch its membership drive in Jharkhand from December 22. The announcement was made by state BJP president Babulal Marandi after a party workshop here on Sunday. Before the formal beginning of the drive, a district-level workshop will be conducted on December 15 and 16 and division-level []

Villagers launch campaign to kill Maoists in Jharkhands Chaibasa

RANCHI: In an unusual confrontation, more than 15,000 villagers of nearly 100 villages of Gudri and Goilkera area of Chaibasa have taken to the streets with bows, arrows, swords and traditional weapons, launching a campaign against the Maoists active in the area According to local sources, the villagers have launched operation Sendra (a traditional hunting festival celebrated primarily by the tribal communities in Jharkhand) during which a PLFI group leader, Meta Tiger and Gomia are said to have been killed after receiving injuries from the arrows shot by them. The villagers are on a hunt for one more rebel, who is still at large. The villagers were mobilized after the Maoists killed three village youths last month. However, no concrete action was taken by the police which enraged the villagers after which they decided to take up arms targeting the extremists. There are more than 100 villages in this area like Senregada, Saurli, Tomdel, Simko, Giru, Guddi, Burukel, and Bandu, where villagers could be seen armed with traditional weapons. Meanwhile, there is an atmosphere of undeclared curfew in the villages where the mass movement has been launched by the villagers. Entry of outsiders has been completely banned in the villages within a 40 km radius of Gudri. Carrying mobile phones is prohibited in these villages and those involved in the movement are also not allowed to carry a mobile phone. The teachers, however, have been allowed to visit their schools located in these villages for teaching purposes but they also cannot use mobile phones in the region, said a local requesting anonymity. According to the dictates issued in these villages, every household must send at least two members to join this campaign. The families, who will not join, will be imposed fines by the gram Panchayat and may be subjected to social boycott. The police, however, are yet to confirm the killing as they have not fond the bodies of the deceased. According to Chaibasa SP Ashutosh Shekhar, a massive search operation has been launched in the region but neither the villagers nor the bodies of the deceased has been found. We have information of the killing of a PLFI rebel by the villagers in the region but it is yet to be verified as no dead body has been recovered from the area, said the SP. DGP Anurag Gupta, who was also on a visit to Chaibasa on Sunday, said that this is not the first time that people have been opposing the Maoists. I think such incidents will increase further. If Maoists create problem for the villagers, they will drag them out of their villages, said the DGP. Notably, Gudri has a lot of sand ghats over the Koel River where the PLFI cadres used to collect levy from the tractors which used to lift sand from these ghats. After the arresting of PLFI Supreme Dinesh Gope and killing of Shanichar Surin and Jidan Guria, the PLFI was weakened, but PLFI Area Commander Radung alias Lambu, with the help of Meta Tiger, Gomia, Martin and others, formed a gang and killed three innocent youths of the village to collect the levy and dominate the area. This incited anger among the villagers and turned into a mass movement. Later, with the support of villagers, Radung alias Lambu was killed by the police on 1 December 2024. Notably, in January 2021 also, villagers killed seven people in the Burugulikera village of Gudri.

Jharkhand's ruling INDIA bloc discusses strategies for assembly session from Monday

Jharkhand's ruling INDIA bloc legislators met Sunday to strategise for the upcoming assembly session, beginning Monday. The session will include MLA oath-taking, Speaker elections, the governor's address, budget presentation, and debates. The ruling alliance, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, aims to address opposition questions based on the previous government's achievements and has endorsed Rabindra Nath Mahato for Speaker.

BJP's membership drive to begin in Jharkhand from December 22

The BJP in Jharkhand is launching a membership drive from December 22nd to 25th, aiming to expand its base. Workshops will be held at district and division levels before the drive. Following this, an active membership phase will run from January 2nd to 15th, culminating in the formation of booth, mandal, and district committees.