By-poll to Jaya’s constituency Dec 21
New Delhi: By-elections to five state Assembly seats, including Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar (RK Nagar) Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu, which fell vacant following the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, will be held December 21, the Election Commission announced here Friday. The other four constituencies are Sikandara (Uttar Pradesh), Pakke-Kasang and Likbali (Arunachal Pradesh) and Sabang (West Bengal). The counting and results will be announced on December 24. The EC had announced by-election to RK Nagar on April 10, though it was cancelled after reports of widespread cash distribution. The Madras High Court had on Tuesday asked the EC to conduct by-poll before December 31.
Body in fort adds to ‘Padmavati’ row
Jaipur: A man was found hanging at the Nahargarh Fort near here Friday, with messages referring to the Bollywood epic drama ‘Padmavati’ scribbled on nearby stones, a police official said. Chetan Kumar Saini (40), a handicraft worker and resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, was found hanging from the boundary wall of the fort, DCP North Satyendra Singh said. He said that messages was found scribbled on stones, but it was premature to connect the incident with ‘Padmavati’ protests. One of the messages read, “Padmavati ka virodh karne walo, hum kile par sirf putle nahi latkate… Hum mein hai dum (Padmavati protesters should know we don’t only hang effigies… we are strong)”. Further investigation is on.
S&P retains India’s rating as stable
New Delhi: Standard & Poor’s Global Rating Friday kept India’s sovereign rating unchanged at ‘BBB-‘ with stable outlook saying vulnerabilities stemming from low per capita income and high government debt balances strong GDP growth. The rating stance taken by S&P comes days after Moody’s Investors Service raised India’s sovereign rating for the first time in over 13 years, saying that growth prospects have improved with continued economic and institutional reforms. “The ratings on India reflect the country’s strong GDP growth, sound external profile, and improving monetary credibility. India’s strong democratic institutions and its free press promote policy stability and compromise, and also underpin the ratings. These strengths are balanced against vulnerabilities stemming from the country’s low per capita income and relatively high general government debt stock,” it said in a statement.
NPPA caps prices of 51 essential drugs
New Delhi: National drug pricing regulator NPPA Friday said it has capped prices of 51 essential formulations, including those used for the treatment of cancer, pain, heart conditions and skin problems. The prices have been slashed in the range of 6 to 53 per cent. In separate notifications, the drug price regulator said it has notified ceiling prices of 13 formulations, while revising the same for 15 formulations. Moreover, retail prices of 23 essential formulations have also been notified, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said. Drugs whose ceiling prices have been capped includes colon or rectal cancer treatment drug oxaliplatin (injection 100mg), Japanese encephalitis vaccine and measles rubella vaccine.
Winter Session from December 15 to January 5
New Delhi: The Winter Session of Parliament will commence December 15, a day after the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections, and conclude January 5. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh met here Friday to decide the dates of the Winter Session. The CCPA recommended that the session be held from December 15 to January 5, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters.
Aaadhar helps ‘find’ about 500 children
New Delhi: As many as 500 missing children have been traced over the last few months through Aadhaar, the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Ajay Bhushan Pandey, said Friday. He was addressing a session at the Global Conference on Cyberspace (GCCS) 2017. He said this happened in instances where a child found in an orphanage underwent Aadhaar enrolment and it was found that his/her 12-digit biometric identifier had already been made.
Mnangagwa sworn in as Zimbabwe president
Harare: Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as Zimbabwe’s president Friday, marking the final chapter of a political drama that toppled his predecessor Robert Mugabe after a military takeover. Mnangagwa took the oath of office at the national sports stadium on the outskirts of Harare before thousands of supporters, dignitaries and foreign diplomats. Snipers took up positions around the stadium amid tight security as jubilant Mnangagwa supporters streamed in, many dancing as music played. The man known as “The Crocodile” wore a dark suit, red tie and matching handkerchief, and a row of medals on his chest for the ceremony.
Pak to issue UID codes to animals
Karachi: Animals in Pakistan’s Sindh province will soon be registered and given unique identity codes as lawmakers have passed a law to maintain a computerised record of livestocks, a media report said Friday. The identification code hanging around the neck of the animals will not be removed or replaced without permission, Livestock Minister Mohammad Ali Malkani said. Authorities will maintain birth and death records of the animals after their registration, The Express Tribune reported. The law, passed Thursday, will establish a database of animals for their registration, tagging and identification in the province, the report said. The database would be similar to the National Database Registration Authority, an independent and autonomous agency responsible for issuing computerised national identity cards to the citizens of Pakistan.
Youths in school uniforms stab man to death in bus
New Delhi: A group of youths in school uniforms allegedly stabbed a man to death in a moving bus on southeast Delhi’s Mathura Road, police said. The incident took place Thursday when the victim was checking the pockets of the accused on the suspicion that they had stolen his mobile phone. One of the youths restrained him while the other stabbed him. They are yet to be apprehended, the police said. The victim remains unidentified and the accused, who seemed to be in their teens, were wearing school uniforms, they said.