NEW DELHI, Aug 30: In yet another big milestone for Adani Group of Industries founder Gautam Adani, he has become the world’s third-richest person as per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Elon Musk retained the top spot with his net-worth touching $251.4 billion, followed by Jeff Bezos ($153.4 Billion) and Mr. Adani at $137.4 billion. This is the first time an Asian person has broken into the top three as Mr. Adani overtook France’s Bernard Arnault.
Mr. Adani added $60.9 billion to his fortune in 2022 alone, five times more than anyone else. He first overtook Mukesh Ambani as the richest Asian in February, and then surpassed Microsoft Corp.’s Bill Gates as the world’s fourth-richest person last month.
Mr. Adani (60) has been expanding his coal-to-ports conglomerate to avenues like data centers, cement, media and alumina in the past few years, as per a Bloomberg report. The Adani group now owns India’s largest private-sector port and airport operator, city-gas distributor and coal miner. Moreover, Mr. Adani has pledged in November to invest $70 billion in green energy to become the world’s largest renewable-energy producer, the report said.
The report also cited CreditSights as saying this month that the Adani Group’s growth has been predominantly funded with debt and his empire is “deeply over-leveraged.” “Some lawmakers and market watchers have also raised concerns over opaque shareholder structures and a lack of analyst coverage at Adani Group companies,” it said.
Mr. Adani’s recent ascent to the top three is partly because of greater philanthropy among the top billionaires. Mr. Gates said in July that he was transferring $20 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, while Warren Buffett has already donated more than $35 billion to charity. On his part, Mr. Adani too pledged in June to donate $7.7 billion for social causes to mark his 60th birthday. (Agencies)
Gautam Adani is now world’s 3rd richest person, first Asian to be in top 3
Mainly clear sky likely in J&K
Srinagar, Aug 30: Weather was cloudy in Jammu and Kashmir during the last 24 hours as the Meteorological (MeT) department said on Tuesday that mainly clear to partly cloudy sky is likely during the next 24 hours in the union territory.
“Mainly clear to partly cloudy sky is likely in J&K during the next 24 hours,” an official of the MeT department said.
Srinagar had 16.6, Pahalgam 12.1 and Gulmarg 9.2 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.
Drass in Ladakh region had 7.1, Leh 11.3 and Kargil 15.4 as the minimum temperature.
Jammu had 24.6, Katra
Searches launched in several Rajouri villages
Rajouri, Aug 29: Security forces on Monday launched searches in different villages of Rajouri after reports of suspicious movement in the area.
Officials told that an information was received by security forces that some suspicious movement has been noticed in villages include Daggal Halal in Khawas police post area of Rajouri. Soon after the suspicious movement report was received, teams of army and police rushed to the area launched an operation.
“Atleast four villages in the area have been covered under this operation which is going on since Monday late afternoon hours.” said officials. They said that this operation is still going on but there is no major development as of now.
Woman drowns in nallah Sindh in Sonamarg, body retrieved
Ganderbal, Aug 30: The body of a 38-year-old woman who had drowned in nallah Sindh in Sonamarg on Monday evening was fished out from Gagengar area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Tuesday morning, officials said.
A police official told Greater Kashmir that Masrat Bano, a resident of Banibagh Kangan, drowned in Sindh under mysterious circumstances.
He said a rescue operation was launched which continued till late night but the body couldn’t be traced.
The official said that the rescue operation was resumed on Tuesday morning by teams of police, SDRF and local volunteers.
SHO police station Sonamarg Younis Bashir said that a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation taken up.
He said after legal formalities the body will be handed over to her kin.
India sees 28% decline in daily Covid tally with 5,439 fresh cases
New Delhi, Aug 30: India added 5,439 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,44,21,162, while the active cases declined to 65,732, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The active cases comprise 0.15 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.66 per cent, the ministry said.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.70 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 2.64 per cent, according to the ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,38,25,024, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry, 212.71 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year. (Agencies)
Economist, former Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen dies at 72
NEW DELHI, Aug 30: Economist Abhijit Sen, a former Planning Commission member and one of the country’s foremost experts on rural economy, died on Monday night. He was 72.
“He suffered a heart attack around 11 p.m. We rushed him to the hospital, but it was all over by the time we got there,” said Dr. Pronab Sen, his brother.
In a career spanning more than four decades, Abhijit Sen taught economics at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, and held several important government positions including the chair of the Commission of Agricultural Cost and Prices.
He was a member of Planning Commission from 2004 to 2014, when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister.
Jammu and Kashmir | 9.8 km tunnel on Banihal-Katra rail link completed
Jammu, Aug 30: The 9.8 km tunnel connecting two stations on the 111 km under-construction Banihal-Katra railway link in Jammu and Kashmir has been completed, officials said.
It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project. This is the third tunnel following the 12.6 km tunnel T-49B, the longest tunnel of Indian Railways, which was completed in January this year.
On August 14, the world’s highest rail bridge over the Chenab river in the Kouri area of Reasi district achieved a milestone when the overarch deck of the bridge was completed with a golden joint.
The breakthrough was executed by conducting a blast and with it, the work on the escape tunnel T-13 was started, said the officials engaged in the work.
“We have succeeded in completing the construction work on the tunnel between Dugga and Sawlakote stations in the Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL),” an official said on Monday.
The officials said USBRL is a national project and Indian railways is committed to its time bound completion.
“We completed the 9.8-km-long tunnel today which connects two railway stations located on each side,” the official said.
The Dugga railway station located on its Jammu end has been connected with Basindadar (Sawalkote) railway station towards Srinagar end by completion of this tunnel, the officials said.
“Two out of seven railway stations located in Katra-Banihal section of this railway project have been connected through this tunnel,” they said, adding that the work on the tunnel was started in 2018.
Of the 272-km USBRL project, the work on 161 km was commissioned in phases. The first phase of 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was commissioned in October 2009, followed by the 18-km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013 and the 25-km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014.
The under-construction 111-km Katra-Banihal section has a total of 37 bridges and 35 tunnels. (Agencies)
Jammu and Kashmir DGP Called for ‘Strategically Planned’ Final Assault on Terrorism
SRINAGAR, Aug 30: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Monday said a “strategically planned” final assault on terrorism is required to eradicate the menace from the Union territory. The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has shown a marked improvement in the past around three years and the culture of bandh has almost ended.
“We have to put in more efforts to consolidate peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said while chairing a crime review meeting at the police headquarters here. Addressing the meeting, the DGP said, “With the joint efforts of police and other security forces, the security situation in the Union territory has shown a marked improvement during the past around three years.” He directed officers to increase the area domination exercise, particularly in border belts, to restrict terror activities. “At present we have reduced the number of active terrorists in J&K and…strategically planned final assault is required to march towards a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The DGP stressed on all-out efforts to demolish the terror ecosystem which, he said, is providing oxygen to the terror ranks. He said investigators have to equip themselves with the best investigation skills and take each and every necessary measure to ensure convictions in terror and narcotics smuggling cases. He directed that one officer be assigned for ensuring result-oriented investigation in every district. Calling for an intensified war on drugs, the DGP said it not only affects the youth but a major amount of terror funds is being generated from narcotics smuggling as well. (Agences)
Reliance Jio to roll out 5G services by Diwali: Mukesh Ambani
New Delhi, Aug 29: Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries, on Monday announced that Reliance Jio will roll out standalone 5G services in select cities in the country by Diwali, which falls on October 24. To build pan-India true 5G network, Jio has committed a total investment of Rs 2 lakh crore.
To begin with, Jio announced the launch of 5G services in four metro cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
These will be expanded to other cities and towns in phases rapidly to cover the entire country by December 2023.
At the ‘Reliance AGM 2022’, Mukesh Ambani said it will be ‘world’s largest’, ‘standalone’ Jio 5G services.
“Jio 5G services will connect everyone, every place and everything with the highest quality and affordability. We are committed to making India a data-powered economy even ahead of China and the US,” said Muksesh Ambani.
Jio 5G will be the world’s largest and most advanced 5G network. Unlike other operators, Jio’s 5G network will be stand alone with zero dependency on 4G network.