Author: Indmedia

Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has held that the governor’s power to grant premature release under Article 161 of the Constitution is a sovereign executive power but cannot be exercised arbitrarily, as it remains regulated by the applicable rules and remission policy.A division bench comprising Justice JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena made the observation while quashing an order refusing premature release to a convict who had been sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.The court found that the decision refusing premature release suffered from an error apparent on the face of the record as it incorrectly recorded the period of…

Pollution monitor at TERI in the city Gurgaon: Is the daily air quality index (AQI) data you see an accurate reflection of your exposure to pollution? Not necessarily. How close is that AQI monitor to where you actually live? For 92% of Haryana’s population, the answer is: not within 2km.While Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) ambient air quality monitoring guidelines specifically emphasise representativeness when selecting monitoring locations, facts tell a different story — just 8.3% of Haryana’s population lives within 2km of a CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station) station.Even when the radius is stretched to 10km, only 40%…

Guwahati: Five Army personnel remained missing even on Monday, 72 hours after a cloudburst unleashed flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley, sweeping away their shelters on Friday evening, as more than 150 rescuers from various agencies battled the treacherous terrain to locate them. Search and rescue operations are being coordinated by Army, ITBP, civil administration, police and other agencies.Seven personnel were swept away in the incident, but two were rescued shortly afterwards on the same day.The valley, with narrow stretches, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), has made the search operation particularly challenging, officials said.“The terrain is…

Kanpur police with the arrest of two people recovered 15.320 kg of charas Police arrest two people, recover over 15 kg of charas from their carTimes News NetworkKanpur: With the arrest of two people, police recovered 15.320 kg of charas from a white Alto car at Dadanagar Dhal under Fazalganj police station limits on Monday.Police recovered the contraband from a bag in the car, bearing registration number UP 35 AM 6469, and arrested two men–Ashmit Gautam (26), son of Rakesh Kumar Gautam, a resident of Dooda Colony,and Ayush Tiwari (25), son of Santosh Kumar Tiwari, a resident of 392 Kazi…

Under the amended definitions, “active floodplain” refers to the area flooded under a one-in-five-year return period Noida: National Green Tribunal will hear an application on Wednesday challenging a gazette notification issued by Union Ministry of Jal Shakti on Aug 10, which amends River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, and opens the way for construction on the river’s floodplain.The ministry, exercising powers under Section 3 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, introduced two changes through the second amendment to the 2016 order. First, it removed the term “construction-free zone.” Second, it redefined “floodplain” to include an “active floodplain,” now…

PUNE: Ramanuj Mahto, a daily wager from Bihar, was at Pune railway station on Monday for the Pune-Danapur Express, when he felt compelled to buy two bottles of water for his wife and four children.”A bottle costs Rs 14. But I have my children with me. Railway stations are not known for clean drinking water,” Mahto said.His fears were backed by a CAG report this week, which said serious sanitation lapses had been found at 458 out of 512 railway stations nationwide, including eight stations where E coli bacteria was found in drinking water coolers. Four of the stations are…

Borkar accused govt of ignoring Bambolim beach violations Panaji: Revolutionary Goans MLA and president Viresh Borkar accused govt departments of colluding with land developers and hospitality firms by turning a blind eye to alleged violations along the Bambolim beach stretch. He demanded immediate action to stop encroachments and construction in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas.“The Bambolim creek has been encroached upon, and the road has also been widened from 3 metres to nearly 10 metres, and there is no action. The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and water resources department (WRD) should take suo motu action. BJP govt is…

MC set to tighten rules for meat shops, restaurants Chandigarh: The municipal corporation’s monthly general house meeting will be held on Aug 20, followed by the finance and contract committee (F&CC) meeting on Aug 19, with several key agenda items expected to come up for discussion and approval.The MC secretary, with the consent of the mayor, issued notices for both meetings Monday, directing councillors and officials concerned to attend.Sources said a majority of the table agenda items that were passed hurriedly without discussion during the previous house meeting are likely to be brought back for detailed deliberation. Several fresh proposals…

Lucknow Metro has opened a 30-day window from Monday for GoSmart Card holders to exchange their cards for National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC), free of cost at all metro stations. Passengers should first exhaust their existing card balance before surrendering it. NCMC offers a 10% discount on Lucknow Metro journeys and can be used across participating metros, buses, parking facilities and retail outlets. New users can purchase the card for Rs 100. Aadhaar help centresRPO opens Aadhar Help Centre: The Regional Passport Office (RPO), Lucknow, has launched an Aadhaar Help Centre at its Gomti Nagar headquarters to assist passport applicants…

Chief minister Samrat Choudhary at a workship in Patna on Monday Patna: Chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday urged investors to set up industries and mining ventures in Bihar, saying the state govt was offering multiple concessions and full administrative support to ensure safe, transparent and hassle-free investment.Addressing a workshop on the 8th Tranche of Auction of Critical and Strategic Mineral Blocks in Patna, organised by the Union Ministry of Mines, Choudhary said investors should come to Bihar “with an open mind” and proceed fearlessly. “You are completely safe here. The Bihar govt will cooperate with you in every way,”…