JAMMU, Aug 26: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 on the Richter scale hits Katra in Jammu and Kashmir on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) informed.
The earthquake occurred at around 03.28 am. The depth of the earthquake was 5 Km below the ground.
“Earthquake of Magnitude:3.4, Occurred on 26-08-2022, 03:28:33 IST, Lat: 33.17 & Long: 75.57, Depth: 5 Km, Location: 62km ENE of Katra, Jammu and Kashmir” NCS tweeted.
Earlier on Wednesday (August 24) night, within a span of an hour two earthquakes of magnitude 3.2 and 4.1 on the Richter scale had hit Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) had informed.
The second earthquake occurred at 11:52 PM on Wednesday. The depth of the earthquake was 5 Km below the ground.
“Another earthquake of magnitude 3.2 occurred 60km E of Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, at around 11:52 pm on August 24th. The depth of the earthquake was 5 km below the ground,” NCS had tweeted.
Earlier on Wednesday night at 11:04 PM, an earthquake of magnitude 4.1 on the Richter scale had hit Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) had informed. The depth of the earthquake was 5 Km below the ground.”An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 occurred 62km ENE of Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, at around 11:04 pm today. The depth of the earthquake was 5 km below the ground,” NCS had tweeted. (Agencies)
Earthquake Strikes Jammu And Kashmir’s Katra Again; Total 11 Quakes In Last 4 Days
Active Covid cases in country decline to 90,707
New Delhi, Aug 26: India logged 10,256 new coroanvirus infections taking the total tally of cases to 4,43,89,176, while the active cases declined to 90,707, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll climbed to 5,27,556 with 68 fatalities which includes 29 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active cases comprise 0.20 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.61 per cent, the ministry said.
A decline of 3,340 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
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)
Apni Party gets a big boost in the Karnah constituency as several senior activists and Panchayat leaders from NC, PDP, and PC including their supporters join the party
Srinagar: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday said that new joining in the party, on an almost daily basis, indicates that Apni Party’s agenda has extensive acceptance among the masses and the political workers across J&K.
He was speaking at an event at the party office, wherein a large group of political activists and Panchayat leaders from Budnumbal (A&B) area of north Kashmir’s Karnah constituency joined Apni Party.
According to a statement issued here, the Panchayat leaders from Karnah’s Budnumbal area, who joined Apni Party today include Punch Mohammad Sultan Lone from NC, Sarpanch Ghulam Nabi Lone from PDP, Panch Ghulam Mohammad Malik, Punch Habibullah Lone from PDP, Reyaz Ahmad Lone from PC, Abdul Rashid Malik (NC), Fayaz Ahmad Bhat (PC), Deputy Sarpanch Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone (NC), Mushtaq Ahmad Lone (PDP), and others. These Panchayat leaders joined Apni Party along with their workers and supporters.
On the occasion, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari while welcoming the new entrants into the party fold said, “I wholeheartedly welcome you into the party fold, and I assure you that entire party leadership will be behind you when you are out there to serve the people in your respective areas. I am sure your joining would strengthen the party cadre further in Karnah.”
He further said, “I feel pleased to see that seasoned political activists and leaders join Apni Party from each and every corner of Jammu and Kashmir. These joinings indicate that people trust our politics of truthfulness and our unambiguous agenda.”
Home Minister Amit Shah reviews situation in Jammu and Kashmir
New Delhi, Aug 25: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday reviewed the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, including the security arrangements along the border with Pakistan, officials said.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and senior officials of the Centre and the Union Territory administration attended the meeting chaired by Shah.
The meeting discussed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.
The security review comes following attacks on security personnel, infiltration bids and killings in the Union Territory.
Three infiltrators were killed by security personnel along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kamalkote sector of Uri on Thursday.
There have been at least three infiltration bids by terrorists from across the border in the last four days in Jammu and Kashmir.
A group of terrorists tried to infiltrate into the Indian territory in the Pallanwala sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday night. Alert troops fired at them, forcing them to retreat.
On August 21, soldiers deployed in the Jhangar sector of Rajouri’s Naushera spotted the movement of two to three terrorists on the Indian side of the LoC and challenged them, the officials said.
One of the terrorists tried to flee, but was injured in firing by the soldiers and captured alive. The two other terrorists managed to flee, the officials said.
On the intervening night of August 22 and 23, a group of two to three terrorists tried to infiltrate in the Lam sector of Naushera. As they moved ahead into minefields, a series of mines got activated and two ultras were killed on the spot.
Terrorists attacked an Army camp in Rajouri district on August 11, killing four soldiers. The two attackers were gunned down in a shootout after the pre-dawn suicide strike that marked the return of “fidayeen” attackers to Jammu and Kashmir after more than three years.
The government had informed Parliament that till last month, as many as 118 civilians, including five Kashmiri Pandits and 16 other Hindus and Sikhs, were killed in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019.
The killings of Kashmiri Pandits triggered protests by the members of the community, who demanded enhanced security and transfer of government employees to safer locations.
In May, four Hindu pilgrims were killed and at least 20 injured when their bus caught fire near Katra in Jammu. Police suspect a sticky bomb might have been used to trigger the fire.
Article 370, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated on August 5, 2019 and the state was bifurcated into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (Agencies)
Three infiltrators killed along LoC in Kamalkote sector of J&K’s Uri: Police
Srinagar, Aug 25: An infiltration bid was foiled along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.
Army and Baramulla Police neutralised 03 infiltrators near Madiyan Nanak post in Kamalkote sector of Uri. More details are to be followed, tweets Kashmir Zone Police
Army troopers noticed suspicious movement along the LoC in Kamalkote area of Uri sector in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the officials said.
They said the troops challenged the intruders and there was an exchange of fire.
BJP has set aside Rs 800 cr to topple Delhi government: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that the BJP had kept aside Rs 800 crore to buy 40 AAP MLAs in a bid to topple the AAP government, and questioned the source of the money.
In a tweet, Kejriwal said, “They have kept aside Rs 800 crore to bring down the Delhi government — Rs 20 crore per MLA. The country wants to know, whose money is it, and where is it kept. None of our MLAs will break. The government is stable. The good work in Delhi will continue.”
After a meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators at his residence, Kejriwal, along with his MLAs, went to Rajghat to pray for the failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “Operation Lotus”.
“Even mattresses and walls at my deputy Manish Sisodia’s residence were searched by the CBI but not even a single unaccounted penny was found. A day after the CBI’s raids, Sisodia was approached by the BJP with an offer of the chief minister’s post and to betray Kejriwal. I am lucky to have Sisodia, who has no greed for the chief minister’s post,” Kejriwal told reporters.
He said people have elected a “hardcore honest” government in Delhi, which will not betray them.
Earlier in the day, the AAP alleged that 40 of its Delhi MLAs were targeted by the BJP with an offer of Rs 20 crore each to switch sides, even as all the 62 of its legislators were accounted for during a meeting at Kejriwal’s residence.
The AAP government has also convened a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Friday over CBI, ED probes, raids targeting its ministers and the “poaching” efforts made by the BJP.
The saffron party has challenged the AAP to reveal the names of those who allegedly contacted its MLAs with an offer to switch sides and charged that the Kejriwal-led party is trying hard to divert attention from the Delhi government”s liquor “scam”.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said his party has been consistently asking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to come clean on its excise policy, but the Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation has been trying every possible trick in the book to divert people’s attention elsewhere.
“The fact that they (AAP leaders) have gone to the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi means they have definitely committed an act which is to be considered a sin. So, in order to purify it, the BJP workers will sprinkle Ganga Jal on the Samadhi,” Trivedi said.
“The BJP is asking pointed questions. However, the AAP is beating around the bush and evading the questions,” he added.
Will offer Friday prayers at Srinagar’s grand mosque after 3 years: Mirwaiz
SRINAGAR, Aug 25: Hurriyat Conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Thursday said he will offer congregational Friday prayers at Srinagar’s grand mosque for the first time since his detention ahead of the revocation of Jammu & Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status in August 2019. He is expected is deliver a sermon at the mosque, where he is the chief priest, days after lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha’s claimed the Mirwaiz was not under house arrest.
“I am going to offer Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid tomorrow [Friday]…,” the Mirwaiz said even as people close to him added that the administration has so far conveyed nothing to him except moving a truck blocking his residence a bit far from its gates. Security personnel remained deployed there.
PM Modi To Address Smart India Hackathon Finalists Via Video-Conferencing Today
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the students taking part in the grand finale of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) on Thursday via video-conferencing, news agency PTI reported.
Speaking at a press conference, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been interacting with the student participants of the Smart India Hackathon every year since its inception and he is expected to interact with the students even this year at 8 pm on August 25.”
Launched in 2017, SIH is a nationwide initiative to provide students a platform to solve the pressing problems of society, organisations, and government. The objective of the initiative is to inculcate the culture of product innovation, problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking among students.
Notably, over 15,000 students and mentors will be travelling to 75 nodal centres to take part in this year’s SIH grand finale.
According to the report, students from over 2,900 schools and 2,200 higher education institutions will handle 476 problem statements from across 53 Union ministries in the SIH finale, including optical character recognition (OCR) of temple inscriptions and translations in Devanagari scripts, IoT-enabled risk monitoring system in cold supply chain for perishable food items, high-resolution 3D model of terrain, and infrastructure and roads conditions in disaster struck areas.
“The scope of the Smart India Hackathon has been widening with every passing year, since its launch in 2017. The increased enthusiasm among participating students and problem statement providing organisations could be seen in their growing participation over the years. Every year, SIH is impacting lakhs of students and provides them with a national platform to test their educational learning for solving real-world challenges,” PTI quoted Sarkar as saying.
“It also aligns their interest toward innovation and entrepreneurship. A total of 476 problem statements were received from 53 government organisations for the SIH this year. The winner teams of institute level hackathons organised under Smart India Hackathon 2022, comprising more than 15,000 students, will participate in this year’s SIH grand finale at national level. These teams will travel to the assigned nodal centre and will work on these problem statements during grand finale,” he added.
It is to be noted that SIH hardware grand finale is scheduled from August 25 to 29 and the software grand finale will be held from August 25 to 26.
Each year SIH is conducted at various nodal centres and this year, as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and All India Council for Technical Education have identified 75 higher educational institutes and incubators as the nodal centres to host the participants.
“At each nodal centre, an officer designated by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell will monitor and preside over the proceeding during the entire duration of SIH grand finale. The participation of females in the Smart India hackathon is also very impressive. The male to female ratio of participants that are travelling to the nodal centres for the hackathon grand finale is almost 1.5:1,” Sarkar said.
“SIH has seen a four-fold growth in the number of teams registering from around 7,500 in the first edition to about 29,600 in the ongoing fifth edition,” he added.
The SIH winners on each problem statement will be awarded a prize amount of Rs 1 lakh. Under the category of student innovation, three prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 will be awarded to the winning teams.
Delhi HC refuses stay on Agnipath scheme, asks Centre to file detailed reply
The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a detailed reply from the Centre on a group of pleas against Agnipath scheme while refusing to pass any interim order on the newly-launched scheme for the Armed Forces of the country.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma granted four weeks to the Centre for filing a detailed response in the matter and slated it for further hearing on October 18.
Refusing to pass any interim order, the bench, also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad, said it will be hearing the matter finally.
During the course of the hearing, the court noted that the bunch of pleas are related to various issues of recruitment for various posts in the armed forces and said the Centre has to give the details in this regard.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, on behalf of the Centre, apprised the court that a consolidated response would be filed in the matter.
The Supreme Court had recently transferred all the pleas challenging the Agnipath scheme to the Delhi High Court, where similar challenges against the scheme are already pending.
Last week, a former Army Colonel had approached the Delhi High Court seeking to set aside the Agnipath scheme of short-term recruitment into the armed forces and not to cancel the selection of the candidates who have already cleared the recruitment exam for the Indian Air Force in 2019.
Another PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court seeking the resumption of all previous recruitment processes cancelled following the Agnipath scheme.
The plea of a candidate, filed through Advocates Vijay Singh and Pawan Kumar, said the petitioner had applied for the post of Soldier General Duty in Army Recruitment Rally at Sirsa from July 30, 2020 to August 8, 2020.
Another PIL is against the Indian Navy’s recruitment process and shortlisting criteria of Person Below Officer Rank (PBORs).
A writ petition was filed by a group of persons shortlisted for airman selection in the Indian Air Force, who sought a direction that the recruitment process which commenced in the previous years should be completed regardless of the Agnipath scheme.
Two LeT associates held with arms and ammunition in Bandipora: police
Srinagar 25 Aug: Police in Bandipora on Thursday claimed to have arrested two LeT terrorists along with arms and ammunition.
“Today after receiving a specific information regarding the movement of some terrorist associates of LeT in the JD of police Station Pethkote. Bandipora police along with 26 Assam Rifles arrested two terrorist associates of LeT outfit from Lal Qilla Mode Pethkote during a joint naka.The arrested LET Associates were travelling in a white scorpio bearing Registration No JK05H/0622,” a police spokesman said.
“During serach of the vehicle huge catche of Arms and Ammunition which includes 03 Pistols along with Magzines, 24 Live 9MM Rounds, 05 No. of Hand Grenades, a blanket, Fake police I Card, Fake ID Card of Health Department and other daily use items were recovered from there possession. Both the terrorist associates have been identified as Mohd Yousuf Wani R/o Pethkote Bandipora and Manzoor Ahmed Shah R/o Bagh Bandipora, ” it said.
“During preliminary investigation it was revealed that they where in touch with some active terrorists of LeT and the duo were tasked to revive militancy by motivating youth to join militancy and spread terrorism in the district, besides giving logistic support to terrorists.Timely action/ arrest of these terrorist associates averted a major terror activity in the district.In this connection Case FIR under relevant sections has been registered and further investigation taken up”.