Winter session Nagpur of the State legislature will begin on December 11 and conclude on December 22. The working of the session will be of only 10 days. The decision was taken at the advisory committee’s meeting of State Legislature held on Tuesday at Vidhan Bhavan.
The Opposition has demanded to extend session to four weeks evoking a similar sympathetic response from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat to utilize all 10 working days for productive use.
A discussion on supplementary demands will be held during the session.
The Government expects smooth working of the legislature and would strive to get justice to the problems faced by the people, he said.
During this session the government table a proposal for naming Shirdi airport.
A meeting of the Working Advisory Committee will be held on December 20. In this the issues related to backward region of Vidarbha will be discussed by extending daily sitting time of both the houses, he said.
The Winter Session of the Maharashtra Legislature, which includes both of its houses, the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad, is held in Nagpur in November–December-January every year. Nagpur is the auxiliary capital of the state. The session is held at Vidhan Bhavan, Nagpur. Winter session Nagpur The Budget session of the Maharashtra legislature takes place at Mumbai, which is the main capital of the state.
The leader of opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde has demanded that the Winter session Nagpur be extended He said the working of the house should be at least of four weeks in a backward region like Vidarbha.
The discussion on Kelkar Committee’s report was held during the Winter session Nagpur of 2014 and now it is necessary to hold discussion on action taken on Kelkar Committee’s report. Balanced development in backward areas is must..
Google has finally ‘corrected’ the placement of the cheese slice in the burger emoji on Android, after facing some ridicule on Twitter earlier this month. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had responded to the Twitter trend, saying he would ‘drop everything’ to fix it. It appears he has. The latest Android 8.1 Oreo Developer Preview 2 comes with a handful of tweaked emojis, including the Android Burger emoji, which now has the cheese slice on top of the patty instead of below.
The corrected versions of emojis were first spotted by Emojipedia, which is now available under the Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2. As per the report, a new and improved cheeseburger emoji will have the cheese placed atop the patty, as opposed to underneath it.
The intense debate on Twitter over the cheese placement in a burger was also joined by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who promised to ‘drop everything’ to address this irregularity with a burger. Later, Google also served ‘Android Burger’ to its employees at its Seattle office.
The debate started when Thomas Baekdal, Founder of Baekdal Media, tweeted on the difference in the placement of the cheese slices in the Android and Apple burger emojis. His tweet got multiple interactions, which ultimately became a social media trend. The key difference between ‘Android Burger’ emoji and any other is that the slice of cheese is placed beneath the patty and atop the lower bun. Apart from Pichai’s humorous response, Google’s Seattle office had also chimed in on the controversy, and served Googlers the ‘Android burger’, with cheese below the patty. Besides, Google has also refreshed a few more emojis Another emoji that has been fixed is of the cheese, which now has refined edges on the holes and readjusted color tone.
WhatsApp for iPhone has been updated, and brings two new features – the ability to watch YouTube videos directly within a conversation, and, the ability to lock recording so users can record a voice message without holding the button down. Notably, the YouTube feature comes with Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, allowing users to keep watching the video even when they navigate to another chat. The new WhatsApp v2.17.81 app for iPhone is now available to download via the App Store, and details the changes in the What’s New section.
The update was first spotted by WABetaInfo, which adds that the YouTube feature may need to be enabled with a server side switch. We were also not able to replicate the built-in player or PiP on the latest version of the iPhone app, but, the voice message recording lock is there.
“When you receive a link to a YouTube video, you can now play it right within WhatsApp. With picture-in-picture, you can also keep watching the video while you navigate to another chat,” the App Store description reads.Earlier, when users clicked on the link, the YouTube video would open in YouTube app installed on the smartphones.
The latest update can also help you record long messages with ease. “Want to easily record long Voice Messages? When recording a Voice Message, just swipe up to lock recording so you can continue to record without keeping your finger down,” read the description. WhatsApp is also working on a new feature that will allow users to quickly switch from voice to video call while the voice call is in progress.
“WhatsApp is also testing a feature that will allow to directly mute a video,” the report added.WhatsApp has over 200 million monthly active users in India and 1.2 billion users worldwide.
Here’s further proof that the Internet is completely in love with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. The cricketer-actor couple was recently in attendance at actor Sagarika Ghatge and cricketer Zaheer Khan’s wedding reception in Mumbai. And now a video showing the two dancing the night away during the celebrations has taken over the Internet. Various versions of the video have been posted by fanclubs on social media.
Pictures and videos from Sagarika Ghatge and Zaheer Khan’s wedding have been doing the rounds since the couple’s court marriage ceremony on November 23. The function was followed by a reception, a mehendi and sangeet ceremony and finally a grand reception.
The video surfaced online shows Virat and Anushka joining the newlyweds on the dance floor. In case it wasn’t already clear, Virat proves once again just what a fabulous dancer he is.
This isn’t the first time a video of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma dancing together made hearts flutter online. The pair was earlier spotted shaking a leg at cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Hazel Keech’s wedding in Goa back in December last year.
Nagpur: Environmentalist Shripad Vaidya has entered in this year’s Limca Book of Records for his eco-innovation Rooter Pot. His environment friendly work is mentioned in Nature chapter of Limca Book on page 243. The specialty of this innovation is that of its simplicity, inexpensive and replicable qualities. It also suggests the use of empty plastic bottles which are becoming a nuisance now a day. Hence this innovation is useful to the society at large.
Generally in homes the plants are grown in pots / kundi. Eco-innovation Rooter Pot Many people have a hobby to grow plants but it does not become possible for them to regularly give water to these plants. Many plants die due to unavailability of regular water supply. Many times complete family has to go out of station for a few days and the fear always remain whether the plants will survive or not? Every time we put a lot of water to our home plants and this water flow away or evaporates in this way lot of water gets wasted every day. If we calculate number of plant pots/kundi in every home and number of homes and multiply the water wasted in every kundi /pot then we can imagine the total loss of water per day in liters. This innovation can also become useful to plants which we grow directly on the ground. This method can become useful in summer season when water supply is limited.
This Eco-innovation Rooter Pot method is also useful for primary school children to learn basic science regarding plant growth by doing practical.
Shripad Vaidya is the pioneer record setter in the field of Environmental Human Development. He has multiple national and world records under his belt. International Publishing House has already taken his note as, “The Eco-champion”.
NAGPUR: A SpiceJet flight with over 50 passengers on-board to Jabalpur from Hyderabad made emergency landing here on 24th afternoon following a technical snag.
All the passengers and the crew were deplaned safely, the airline said.
The pilot of the Bombardier Q400 aircraft noticed the glitch and sought landing at the Nagpur airport this afternoon, an airport official said.
A SpiceJet spokesperson, confirming the incident, said the passengers were put on an alternate plane but did not offer the timing.
“SpiceJet flight SG 1096 from Hyderabad to Jabalpur was diverted to Nagpur due to a technical problem,” the spokesperson said in a statement. There were over 50 passengers on board, he added.
After the problem was noticed, the pilot informed the Air Traffic Controller.
Earthquakes are one of those natural disasters that have destroyed the world a lot over the ages. In fact, no other natural disaster has destroyed the world so much as earthquakes have done. This is because these cannot be predicted ahead of time. These have always stricken the Earth without any warning. Tectonic earthquakes occur anywhere in the earth. Now, the scientists have predicted that 2018 will prove the worse year because of a lot of earthquakes during this year. Scientists Predict Huge Earthquakes in 2018, slow rotation movement of the Earth will be one of the major reasons.
Here, it is important to mention that there is no mechanism to predict the earthquakes before time. The scientists predict these only through past seismic records. The geophysicists note some important patterns under the surface of the Earth. The change in these patterns over the period of time enables them to predict earthquakes.
Last week, the scientists reported that there might be more earthquakes in 2018 due to the slow rotation movement of the earth along its axis. This report has raised many concerns about the people living in earthquake-prone regions all across the globe. The scientists have shown a close relation between the rotation of the Earth and the spike in Earthquakes. They have derived this relation after the research of more than hundred years.
Earthquakes that caused the greatest loss of life, while powerful, were deadly because of their proximity to either heavily populated areas or the ocean, where earthquakes often create tsunamis that can devastate communities thousands of kilometers away. Regions most at risk for great loss of life include those where earthquakes are relatively rare but powerful, and poor regions with lax, unenforced, or nonexistent seismic building codes.
The scientists and geophysicists at the University of Colorado say that if the frequency of earthquakes increased, the scientists would become able to predict it before time. The scientists have also said that certain factors influence the chances of earthquakes taking place in a given time. Those factors are still unknown to us all.
Many scientists and geophysicists do not believe in this co-relation between the slow rotation of earth and increase in earthquakes. The time will decide who is right and who is wrong.
NAGPUR: With a view to celebrate World Heritage Week with new ideas, the central museum at Civil Lines has come up with novel initiatives this year to attract children.It will go on till November 25. Being organized by the epigraphy and pre-history departments of Archeological Survey of India, the schedule aims to bring educational activities to the fore by medium of workshops and demonstrations.
The World Heritage Week celibration kicked off with a monument cleaning campaign held at Nagardhan fort, where 120 children from the local Nandivardhan school participated in brooming the area inside and near the fort and disposing the plastics. A photo exhibition depicting the excavations carried at Nagardhan fort in Nagpur and Malli fort in Gondia was displayed by the archaeology department at the museum.
On Tuesday, the museum presented a photo exhibition on the Muslim inscriptions discovered by epigraphy department in Arabic, Persian and Urdu. It will also showcase important monuments of Vidarbha. It will continue for another day.
Also for the first time in Nagpur, a pre-historic tool making workshop has been set up at the museum for World Heritage Week. “Such workshop has only happened in Mumbai earlier, and we are one of the first museums to demonstrate the technique, degree and the force applied by stone age men while making the tools,” said curator Virag Sontakke, adding that two PhD students from Deccan College Pune have come for the workshop.
Also on Wednesday, a workshop has been organized in order to educate visitors regarding ancient vessels and toys, both of which were made out of mud. “Visitors will get to see how they were made on a potter’s wheel, and it will be a hands-on activity for the children,” and he museum has started work for installing 190 CCTV cameras and solar panels, both of which will be inaugurate during the winter assembly.
Nagpur: New units and educational institutes in Mihan will get better connectivity to the city as Mahametro has decided to extend the Metro by 3km and construct two new stations. Another new station will come up at Cotton Market.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mahametro managing director Brijesh Dixit said that at present the terminal station on south side was Khapri. “Beyond this lies the Mihan depot.2 new stations added as Metro goes beyond Khapri Now, the track will go alongside the depot up to almost the Outer Ring Road. We will construct Ecopark and Metro City stations there. Metro City will become the terminal station. The distance between Khapri and Ecopark stations is 2.2km while Metro City is 0.6km from Ecopark,” he added.
Commenting on new stations, Dixit said, “In the original project, there were 36 stations. Now, the number has increased to 40. One new station — Airport South — was approved earlier and is nearing completion. Cotton Market, Ecopark and Metro City were approved in a board meeting held recently.”
The MD informed that Nagpur Metro’s oscillation self trial results for at grade section had been accepted by Research Development and Standards Organization (RDSO), Lucknow. RDSO is a Ministry of Railways undertaking, which tests new railway projects.
“RDSO will issue a certificate in a week. This will be sent to Railway Board. After the board approves it, we will invite commissioner of Metro rail safety (CMRS) for inspection.2 new stations added as Metro goes beyond Khapri All this is expected to take some time and the commercial operation of at grade section will begin in January next year,” Dixit further said.According to him, 95% of the track was found okay during the self trial. “We had to carry out corrective measures in just two to three places. All the parameters were within limits,”.
Nagpur: After all someone has finally taught to make use of the hot climate of Nagpur city, that is Solar energy in Nagpur Metro that promises to roll out its services using the solar power! Till now Nagpurians were complaining about the hotness which in summer peaks to beyond 45 degrees Celsius, but now they should be thanking their stars, as MahaMetro promises to convert the heat by tapping Sun’s energy to make money so that it can subsidise the cost of Metro tickets. Explaining its gamut, Dr Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, MahaMetro, on Tuesday, said the 10 lakh sq.ft. of space is going to be used for putting-up solar panels and the energy generated can rake in money but also keep power cost low.
10k Houses at Depots: MahaMetro has planned two housing projects at maintenance depot sites. Stating this Dr Dixit said that 5,000 housing units would come-up at Khapri and Lokmanya Nagar. Also, two level parking below the ground would be available at Patwardhan Ground, near the Sitabuldi Inter-Change Station, and above it a massive commercial complex would come-up.Solar energy in Nagpur Metro The programme was organised by Unnati Foundation and Chhatra Jagruti at Shrimant Baburao Dhanwate Hall of Rashtrabhasha Sankul. Ajay Sancheti, Member of Parliament (MP), was the chief guest, while Girish Vyas, MLC, presided. Vilas Kale of VED and Anees Ahmed, ex-Minister, were the guests of honour. Atul Kotecha and Adv. Nishant Gandhi, corporator, were also seated on the dais.
A salient point of Zero Mile Station would that the Metro tack would be going through the 20-storeyed tower planned at Zero Mile Stone. It would be a place where Nagpurians would love to hang around, and it would also have an amphitheater and also a Museum on Survey to give idea about history of Zero Mile from where the distances of all cities and towns are measured.
Globally, Europe continues to dominate the world talent ranking, with Switzerland, Denmark, and Belgium being the most competitive countries. Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Luxembourg made up the top 10.
India has improved its world talent ranking by three steps to 51 globally in terms of ability to attract, develop and retain talent while Switzerland topped the list compiled by leading global business school IMD.
“The skilful education systems in Europe sets them apart from the rest of the pack. This allows them to develop local talent and at the same time attract foreign, highly- skilled professionals, which many European businesses rely upon to perform,” the report said.
The world talent ranking are based on a country’s performance in three main categories — investment and development, appeal, and readiness — and India was ranked 62nd, 43rd and 29th on these terms, respectively
According to Arturo Bris, Head of Competitiveness, IMD Switzerland, India is not doing a good job at retaining local talent and attracting foreign labour. On both fronts, remuneration levels, quality of life, security and property rights are deterrent to domestic employment, Bris said.
Going ahead, Bris said “India needs to emphasise the education system as a key to prosperity. It also needs to prevent brain drain by providing better opportunities to local talent”
Meanwhile, leading Asian economies — Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan — have cemented their global status as hubs of attracting and retaining highly-skilled workers though they trail Europe in this regard.
From past few years India climbs 6 steps from 57 to 51. On education Indian GDP contributes its 3% while on every student India contributes its GDP’s 16.8% which is still on 45th rank worldwide.
On average, each European country has a high level of investment in education accompanied by a superior-quality educational system, from primary to tertiary levels. This allows them to develop local talent and at the same time attract foreign, highly-skilled professionals, which many European businesses rely upon to perform.
Android phones gather your location data and send it to Google, even if you’ve turned off location services and don’t have a SIM card, Quartz reported.
The term “location services” oftentimes refers to exact GPS data for app usage, such as Google Maps finding your best commute route, or Uber figuring out exactly where you’re standing to let drivers know your pickup point. Quartz’s report details a practice in which Google was able to track user locations by triangulating which cell towers were currently servicing a specific device.
IT’S A PRACTICE THAT CUSTOMERS CAN’T OPT OUT OF
Since January, all kinds of Android phones and tablets have been collecting the addresses of nearby cellular towers and sending the encrypted data to Google’s push notifications and messaging management system when connected to the internet. It’s a practice that customers can’t opt out of — even if their phones are factory reset.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge that all modern Android phones use a network sync system that requires mobile country codes and mobile network codes, so tower info called “Cell ID” codes were considered an “additional signal to further improve the speed and performance of message delivery.” Google ultimately discarded the cell tower data and didn’t go through with the original plan.
A source familiar with the matter stated that Google added the cell tower data-collecting feature to improve its Firebase Cloud Messaging, where devices have to ping the server at regular intervals in order to receive messages promptly.
The findings are surprising, given that cell tower data is usually held by carrier networks and only shared with outside companies under extreme circumstances. Through Google’s practices this year, an individual’s particular location within a quarter-mile radius or less could be determined with the addresses of multiple cell towers. This has particular security implications for individuals who wish to not be tracked, meaning that the safest way to avoid being tracked at all is probably to stick to burner phones. It could also create a bigger target for hackers looking to obtain personal information.
An update that removes this cell tower data-collecting feature will roll out by the end of this month, according to Google. Google’s terms of service, at the time of publish, still vaguely state, “When you use Google services, we may collect and process information about your actual location” using “various technologies… including IP address, GPS, and other sensors that may, for example, provide Google with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points and cell tower.” Google does offer details on how to control Google’s location access points, though after reading through the instructions, the company could admittedly do a better job of making this clearer and simpler for its general consumers.
Uber has taken plenty of wrong turns over the past few years. But the latest is certainly one of the most damaging. Bloomberg has revealed that the company concealed for more than a year a massive data breach that exposed sensitive records of millions of drivers and customers. The breach, which occurred in October 2016, was reportedly hidden by Uber’s Chief Security Officer, Joe Sullivan, and others. Sullivan and one of his deputies have been ousted by the company. Travis Kalanick, the firm’s cofounder and former CEO, was made aware of the breach not long after it happened.
In a press release published shortly after Bloomberg’s story appeared, Uber’s current CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, said hackers had been able to download files containing a significant amount of information, including the names and driver’s license numbers of around 600,000 drivers in the United States, as well as personal information such as names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers of 57 million Uber users around the world. The company says outside forensic experts it called in to analyze the breach haven’t seen any indication that credit card numbers, bank account details and social security numbers have been downloaded. But it didn’t say that such details hadn’t been breached.
As with previous mega-hacks, more details will emerge in coming days and weeks. But there are already pressing questions that demand swift answers. Who exactly within Uber’s staff knew about the hack after it occurred and how many people were actively involved in the cover up, which involved paying the hackers $100,000 to delete data and keep the breach quiet? Was anyone on Uber’s board told about the intrusion at the time? If not, why not? And why did Uber fail to inform regulators swiftly about the hack?
Bloomberg’s report says that when the breach occurred, Uber was already talking with US regulators about separate privacy violations and had just settled a case with the Federal Trade Commission over mishandling of consumer data. It also reported last month that the company’s board had launched an investigation into the activities of Sullivan’s security team. It was the outside law firm leading that effort that uncovered the hack and the cover up.
The breach also raises questions about the state of Uber’s security practices. According to Bloomberg, the intruders were able to able to find login credentials from Uber engineers left on Github, a widely used code repository, that gave them access to an Amazon cloud computing server holding the data. That’s a startling breach of security fundamentals. It’s also astonishing that such large amounts of sensitive personal data were being held on a third-party service without apparently being encrypted.
Uber’s now scrambling to limit the damage to its reputation. The company has hired a former general counsel for the NSA to help it rethink its security practices and has also retained Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm that has dealt with the fallout from many high-profile breaches. Khosrowshahi only recently learned about the breach, which occurred in late 2016. “None of this should have happened,” he said in the release,” and I will not make excuses for it”. That’s just as well because the behavior and practices that led to this fiasco are inexcusable.
Nagpur: Filmmaker Kundan Sad’s visual storytelling has given the city a reason to be proud. Nagpur city filmmaker’s movie ‘Life Syndrome’ was selected for the official screening at Echo Film Festival BRICS, an initiative by Moscow’s television channel Pro-TV.
The movie was shown under the ‘short feature film category’ along with other films and was screened on November 18 at 2pm Moscow Time.
Nagpur city filmmaker’s movie The ten-minute film is a tale of a couple who go through love, loss and redemption. “Both partners are affected with HIV, and both of them think its their own fault. However, they keep loving each other,” explains Sad, who is currently shooting as the director of photography for marathi film ‘Aamhi Butterfly’.”Life Syndrome’ has been directed by Sad along with Anirudh Singh and Shivani Joshi. Singh, Kunal Sharma and Shabad Nadeem have together written the script. Singh also crafted the film’s screenplay and dialogues. Aditya Sharma was the creative director of the film, while Vishal Bagul has provided the original background score.
Nagpur city filmmaker’s movie the film was made last year in December with Singh and Joshi in the lead. It was shot in the city. The movie has also been screened at Real Time International Film Festival in Nigeria and has won the first prize at Chaos International Film Festival, hosted by IIM-Ahmedabad. For the film festival, the audience.
The festival aims to introduce different countries to the Russian audience and focuses on history, cuisine, traditions, sport, modern problems and others.
The Third Edition of “The Nagpur Marathon 2K17” will be held on 26th November Sunday. The event is organized by ADVENTURES AND YOU in association with INDIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION and NAGPUR RUNNERS ACADEMY.The Second Edition saw the Legendary Flying Sikh MILKHA SINGH grace the occasion as the Chief Guest and Chief Minister, Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis, preside over the function.6700 Runners from across India participated in the event.This year we are targeting a participation of 10000 Runners. MAJHI METRO was the title sponsor of last year’s event.
The other prominent sponsors of the event for The Nagpur Marathon 2K17:
INDIAN OIL, ITC, RADISSON BLU, UBER, 94.3 MY FM, GLOBAL LOGIC, INFOCEPTS, ISUZU, SENGUPTA HOSPITALS, AROMA HERBALS.
Weather during the month of November in Nagpur remains very pleasant and extremely good for running. The flat track of the run is also conducive for a Personal Best Timing of the runners.The event will be in three different categories:
5kms FUN WALK/JOG/RUN.
10kms ENDURANCE RUN.
The 10kms run will pass by the Vidhan Bhavan where the Winter Session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is held in the month of December. It will also pass by the ‘0’ Mile Stone of India. The ‘0’ Mile Stone is the Centre Point of India from where all the distances are measured. The route also passes by the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of Maharashtra and cross the Majestic High Court Building towards the city.
21kms ORANGE CITY RUN, in The Nagpur Marathon 2K17 Prizes will be given to the Top Three Positions in:
5kms : 5-8yrs, 8-10yrs, 10-14yrs, 14-18yrs, 18-30yrs, 30-45yrs, 45-55yrs and 55+yrs in Men and Women.
10kms: 18-30yrs, 30-45yrs, 45-55yrs and 55+yrs in Men and Women.
21kms: 18-30yrs, 30-45yrs, 45-55yrs and 55+yrs in Men and Women.
India are likely to play the final two Tests of the Sri Lanka series on pitches helpful for fast bowlers as preparation for the forthcoming South Africa tour, which starts on January 5 in Cape Town. The second Test of the Sri Lanka series will be played from November 24 in Nagpur, and the final Test in Delhi from December 2.
ESPNcricinfo understands that during the Australia ODI series in September, the Indian team management, led by coach Ravi Shastri, spoke to concerned officials in the BCCI and stated that the pitches for the Sri Lanka Tests should act as preparation for the South Africa tour. It is understood that Shastri emphasised that the pitches ought to be “lively greentops”, which are “hard and bouncy”.
It is also understood that the Nagpur pitch is covered evenly with grass and is expected to retain a greenish tinge when the second Test begins on Friday. According to concerned officials, the role of the spinners is likely to be negligible in the first half of the match, and more effective during the final two days.
Such a request from the team management is unusual only because India have fashioned Test victories at home against oppositions mostly on bald, turning tracks, which assist the spinners from the first day. Incidentally, India had played a Test on a rank turner, during Shastri’s time as team director, in 2015 against South Africa. The match ended in three days and was rated poor by the ICC match referee.
However, under Virat Kohli, India are keen to challenge themselves overseas and with Tests lined up in South Africa, England and Australia in the next 18 months, India’s players and coaches want to be prepared.
The greentop at Eden Gardens on the first morning of the first Test was a clear indication of the team management’s thought process. Although Suranga Lakmal silenced the Indian top order in the first hour on a damp pitch, India, led by their new-ball pairing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, nearly stunned the visitors on the final day, taking seven wickets in a little over 26 overs.
After the first day’s play was truncated by rain in Kolkata, India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar pointed out that India are now a team which “doesn’t really want to play in easy conditions”. He said players were “open” to playing on such challenging pitches as it only led to improvement.
On Monday, India opener KL Rahul admitted that such surfaces were a good test for the batsmen. “It’s very clear that we’re preparing for the next two years that we’re going to travel abroad and play a lot of cricket overseas, and we are going to find wickets like this, and it is going to be challenging for all of us, so we wanted to prepare in that way.”
India scored a major diplomatic victory on Monday as its nominee to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Dalveer Bhandari was re-elected after the United Kingdom withdrew its candidate Christopher Greenwood.
The U.K. chose to withdraw after it became clear that it would not win the contest in the General Assembly (GA) and it did not have adequate support in the Security Council (UNSC) for its attempts to derail the voting process itself.
This is the first time in the 70-year history of the United Nations that the U.K. will not be on ICJ; and this is the first time that one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council lost out to an ordinary member in a race. This is also the first time that one sitting member of the ICJ lost to another sitting member.
The winning candidate required a majority in both the General Assembly and the UNSC, but 11 rounds of voting until last week had ended with India winning in the GA and the U.K. winning in the SC. With the U.K. announcing its exit from the race, in the 12th round, Mr. Bhandari received 183 of the 193 votes in the GA and secured all the 15 votes in the Security Council after separate and simultaneous elections were held at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
The U.K. had nine of the 15 UNSC votes in the previous rounds, leading to a stalemate though India had an overwhelming majority in the GA. It initially wanted to suspend the voting process and move to a conference mechanism that has never been used in the history of the U.N. to break the stalemate. But this move needed approval by the UNSC in an open voting while voting for the ICJ is through a secret ballot.
As Monday progressed it became clear that the U.K. would not have nine members to publicly support the proposal to suspend further rounds of voting, sources familiar with the developments told The Hindu. “Some members who voted for Britain’s candidate told them that they could not vote for the suspension of the voting process,” a U.N. insider said.
Support for India
Meanwhile, India’s diplomatic outreach led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Syed Akbaruddin was gathering more support for India in the GA. “It had become clear that India was moving towards getting two thirds of the votes, 128 of them, in the GA. No judge could have occupied the position on ICJ after two thirds of the member countries voted against him,” said a source.
Around noon, presidents of the UNSC, UNGA, Mr. Akbaruddin and British Permanent Representative to the U.N., Matthew Rycroft informally met take stock of the situation. India made it clear that it had no intention to back off, as its support among the member states was clear and demonstrated. By then, some members of UNSC had also assured India that they would not support the British proposal to suspend voting and institute an unprecedented conference mechanism.
One hour before the voting was to begin at 3 p.m., Mr. Rycroft wrote identical letters to the presidents of the UNGA and UNSC that Mr. Greenwood — a sitting judge on the ICJ — would withdraw from the contest. The presidents read out the letter as UNGA and UNSC met at 3 pm for the 12th round of voting. As per rules, voting proceeded simultaneously, with only Mr. Bhandari’s name on the ballot.
All other permanent members of the Security Council — USA, Russia, France and China — were understood to have been throwing their weight behind the fifth. So was Japan, a non-permanent member. But at least some of them were hesitant to vote for suspension of the voting, which stalled the British plans. Mr. Rycroft said in the letter that the current deadlock is unlikely to be broken by further rounds of voting.
Pleased to see ‘close friend’ win: U.K.
Congratulating Justice Bhandari, the U.K. said it will continue to cooperate closely with India at the United Nations and globally. “The U.K. has concluded that it is wrong to continue to take up the valuable time of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly with further rounds of elections,” Mr. Rycroft said.
“We are naturally disappointed, but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates,” Mr. Rycroft added. “If the U.K. could not win in this run-off, then we are pleased that it is a close friend like India that has done so instead. We will continue to cooperate closely with India, here in the United Nations and globally,” he said.
Nagpur: In a setback to tigers, the coal mining division of ministry of environment, forest, and climate change MoEFCC grants eco clearance (EC) to WCL’s Durgapur Extension Deep Opencast mine, which is just 12.25km from Tadoba in Chandrapur.
The Phase-II EC has been granted for an area of 1622.50 hectares to extract 3 MTPA coal. In 2012, Phase-I EC was granted for an area of 1354.64 hectares for extraction of 2.3 MTPA.
An additional forest area of 121.58 hectare has been added to the proposal. Earlier, forest area required for mining was 257.77 hectares. Now, it has increased to 379.35 hectares, which is equivalent to virtually 380 rugby fields.
The break-up of 379.35 hectare area includes 40.46ha, 136.54ha, 80.77ha, which has been granted forest MoEFCC grants eco clearance The remaining 121.58ha is awaiting final forest clearance.
A senior WCL official from Chandrapur said that even as area has been increased, mining capacity will remain the same. “On November 10, we have received the final EC. When the proposal will go before the forest advisory committee (FAC), it will ask for EC and we have that now,” he said.
However, former National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) member Kishor Rithe said that the extended Durgapur mine is located next to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) and will spell doom for not only tigers but also people, who are facing critical health hazards from pollution.
“Interestingly, the terms of reference (Tor) for the mines is almost a decade old,” he added.
“The site is close to TATR where human-wildlife conflict is already high. Tadoba tigers are already crying for space, and new open cast mines in this region will have devastating effect,” Rithe said.
The MoEFCC grants eco clearance has been granted despite forest officials’ site inspection reports mentioning that reserve forest compartment numbers 400, 401, 402 and survey no. 262/1 of zudpi jungle, that are proposed to be diverted, has presence of tigers and leopards besides rich fauna.
Nagpur: With union transport minister Nitin Gadkari pushing use of Electric vehicles electric charging biz in Nagpur, PSU oil companies are entering the sector too. Both Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), on Sunday, launched charging points for electric cars at one of their petrol pumps each at RBI Square and Lakadganj respectively
There are plans to gradually expand the operations in Nagpur as well as other cities. This comes after Gadkari’s insistence to start points at petrol pumps Electric charging biz in Nagpur which can make battery charging convenient for electric car users, say sources.
At present, IOC and HPCL are starting with one charging station each. The petroleum and safety organization (PESO), the government agency which regulates safety in the sector, has given approvals for 12 sites of all the companies. The other stations are expected to open eventually.
Competition is already evident among the oil companies in the sector. IOC has tied up Ola which has electric cabs. Ola will be using the space at IOC’s retail outlet at RBI Square. HPCL, on the other hand, has gone one step ahead Electric charging biz in Nagpur. It has directly purchased a charging dock and the service is open for all vehicles.
In May this year, Ola flagged off its first electric taxi from the city. It has also tied up auto major Mahindra & Mahindra for buying 250 vehicles. The effort was backed by Gadkari. With Ola plying electric cars in the city, it makes the major client for the charging outlets.
IN a major step to make the dream of affordable housing a reality, Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has decided NIT construct affordable houses to change the user of lands at Mouza Bharatwada-Punapur, Mouza Wanjri in Eastern part of the city and Mouza Jaitala in South West Nagpur. NIT plans to construct flats for Low Income Group (LIG) at Wanjri for the families whose income is between Rs 3 and Rs 6 lakh per year.
The NIT and NMC had identified 143 hectare open land to create affordable housing pool in next four years and NIT has been made nodal agency for affordable housing in Nagpur urban agglomerate. NIT has received 16,000 online applications under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). NMC and NIT have decided to construct around 50,000 houses for needy and poor people in Nagpur. Recently, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given a target of 25,000 houses to NIT.
The State Government has already allocated 3.82 hectare prime land at Wathoda and Sakkardara to Nagpur Improvement Trust for affordable housing scheme for homeless persons. NIT construct affordable houses At Wathoda, 2.40 hectare land and at Sakkardara 1.42 hectare land has been transferred to NIT by the Urban Development department from the retainable land accrued to the Government out of surplus land declared under Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act. it will definitely have cascading effect on artificially jacked up realty rates, the experts stated.
Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari who is promoting low cost housing in city has directed authorities to ensure that cost of affordable houses must be kept below Rs 5 lakh at any cost. The NIT Board also decided NIT construct affordable houses to transfer land under its possession to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) suitable for running milk booths on 30 years lease period as special case on nominal rent of Re 1.
Intl design contest for Nagpur An international design contest will decide the new look of three railway stations in the country – Nagpur in Maharashtra, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and Baiyyappanahalli in Bengaluru.
The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC), mandated to develop and redevelop new and existing railway stations, has called an international design competition to develop the stations according to international standards.
“This is for the first time that we have moved from the normal process of hiring architects and giving them three concepts for our projects for redevelopment. Intl design contest for Nagpur Now, we will get multiple concepts and thus have a wider scope,” S K Lohia, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of IRSDC told PTI.
We will begin with Nagpur, Gwalior and Baiyyappanahalli (Bengaluru),” he said.The competition, open to architects and students from both India and abroad will get the help of Indian embassies to facilitate entries from across the world.
While the architects will compete in two stages, the winner in the students group will be declared based on their design ideas in the first stage.
For the architects, in the second stage, detailed implementable design schemes for station areas and other facilities have to be presented.
“These should be intelligent, sensitive and highly functional designs to adequately capture land value. They have to be architecturally ambitious, intelligently frugal, financially viable and beneficial for all stakeholders and users,” the competition document states.
Only after the top three entries are finalized, will they (architects) be asked to submit their price bids and a final decision will be taken based on both design and pricing, Lohia said.
“In this way, we will get a number of concepts to choose from and finally, we will get a great design at the best price,” he said. PTI ASG NSD MVV
Nagpur: The 2nd Test India – Sri Lanka Test Match will be the 50th International Match to be staged by Vidarbha Cricket Association in its 83 years of existence.
Ticket sales for the 2nd Test match will be “ON-LINE” through “Book-My-Show” portal. Sale of tickets for Members will start from 12th to 14th Nov. 2017 from 09:30 am to 05:30 pm. Members are advised to carry their digital member’s card for obtaining their tickets. Each Member will be entitled to 2 free tickets, with an option to buy 4 tickets in any stand of denomination lower than that of Members free ticket. A Member can carry 4 other Member’s cards.
On-Line sale of tickets 2nd Test match for general public will start from 15.11.2017. Book here
The 2nd Test ticket rates for the match (all 5 days) are as under:
1.
East Stand
Rs. 200/-
2.
West Stand
Rs. 200/-
3.
North Stand (Ground)
Rs. 800/-
4.
North Stand (3rd Tire)
Rs. 600/-
5.
North Stand (4th Tire)
Rs. 500/-
6.
South Stand (G & H ground)
Rs. 2,000/-
7.
South Stand (3rd Tire A/c)
Rs. 1,500/-
8.
South Stand (K, L, M, N ground)
Rs. 1,200/-
9.
South Stand (4th Tire)
Rs. 750/-
10.
Corporate Box
(Hospitality & 2 Car Passes)
Rs. 1 Lac
Ticket holders should strictly follow the instructions printed on the reverse of the tickets.
London: Are you a dog owner? Your care and compassion for pets, especially dogs, can help you stay away from heart diseases, read great benefits of being a dog owner.
To study the link between dogs and longevity, researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden reviewed national registry records of Swedish men and women, ages 40 to 80. They focused on 3.4 million people who had no history of cardiovascular disease in 2001, and followed their health records—as well as whether they registered as a dog owner—for about 12 years. Dog owner registries are mandatory in Sweden, and every visit to a hospital is recorded in a national database.
They found that dog owner had a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease than people who did not report owning a dog, as well as a lower risk of death from other causes. That was true even after adjusting for factors such as smoking, body mass index and socioeconomic status.
Further, for people living alone, dog ownership showed dramatic health benefits. Other studies have found that living alone leads to increased risk of heart disease. In this analysis, single dog owners had a 33% reduction in risk of death generally and 11% reduction in risk of heart disease compared to single people without dogs.
The team behind the Swedish study also observed a link between hunting breed ownership and heart health, which was unexpected. Among canine owners, those who had terriers, retrievers, and scent hounds had lower rates of cardiovascular disease than owners of other dog breeds. But the statistical tie might have more to do with the lifestyles that those kinds of dog owners have, where they live—out in the country, rather than the city, say—and other factors, rather than anything specific to the actual breed of the dog.
There are other caveats to these findings. The study notes that a much smaller Norwegian study of the same subject, undertaken with similar methods, didn’t show a link between dog ownership and lower mortality. The Swedish team believes their results are reliable, however, because the sample size was so large. That said, when they looked at a subset of Swedes—42,000 twins engaged in an ongoing national analysis—they didn’t find a notable tie between dog ownership and longer life. They did note, however, that, for whatever reason, twins seemed to live in fewer one-person households.
Scientists can’t say that getting a dog will definitely help a person live longer, but Fall believes it’s not a bad idea. “I think that a pet brings a lot of joy and companionship into a house, so if a person has the capacity to take care of it, they certainly should,” she says. “There are numerous studies showing that dog owners get more physical activity, which could help to prolong a healthy life.”
Nagpur City experiences spirituality connect on Friday got a unique opportunity to interact with Art of Living Founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Divisional Sports Complex. Satisfied with the live interactions with their beloved spiritual master, each one attended Antarang Varta and learnt life transforming knowledge from him. In a very lucid manner and simplified words, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as usual has captivated and inspired the audience with his special style of meditation.
Maharashtra Energy Minister and Nagpur District Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Yavatmal District Guardian Minister and Minister of State for Energy, Tourism, Food and Drugs Administration, Madan Yerawar; Mayor Nanda Jichkar, MLA Sunil Kedar, MLA Sudhakar Kohale, Nimesh Maheshwari were felicitated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Devotees, members of Art of Living Nagpur Centre, trainers and teachers presented him ‘Royal Jire Top’ and garlanded him.
Look within The spiritual Guru started speaking with devotees in a very soft and simple voice and City experiences spirituality connect explained meaning of Antarang as sacred place within the physical being. ‘Sunlight’ consists of different shades of colour. It looks white when all colours are mixed with each other, but when isolated one could identify separate shade.
Use heart and brain while understanding each other Sri Sri explained difference between ‘sensitivity’ and ‘sensibility’. A person when uses his brain and has good sense and judgment is a sensible person. Sensitive person is an emotional one, gets affected readily by feelings of others, he uses his heart more than brain.
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should become a symbol of harmony Sri Sri disclosed his views about Ram Mandir issue as, “Muslims and Hindus should sit together and respect the court judgment. They should settle the issue amicably, respect feelings of each other with peaceful agreement and co-operation. Muslims should build Ram Mandir while Hindus should take initiative to build Masjid.
A rail company in Japan has apologised after one of its trains departed 20 seconds early.
Management on the Tsukuba Express line between Tokyo and the city of Tsukuba say they “sincerely apologise for the inconvenience” caused.
In a statement, the company said the train had been scheduled to leave at 9:44:40 local time but left at 9:44:20.
Many social media users reacted to the company’s apology with surprise
The mistake happened because staff had not checked the timetable, the company statement said.
“The crew did not sufficiently check the departure time and performed the departure operation,” it said.
It added that no customers had complained about the early departure from Minami Nagareyama Station, which is just north of Tokyo.
The Tsukuba Express line takes passengers from Akihabara in eastern Tokyo to Tsukuba in about 45 minutes.
It is rare for trains in Japan, which has one of the world’s most reliable railways, to depart at a different time to the one scheduled.
The country’s Tokaido line, which runs from Tokyo to the city of Kobe, is by far the world’s busiest and carries nearly 150 million passengers a year.
Impressed railway users worldwide tweeted the story to their local train operators – particularly in Britain, where rail services are often delayed.
Tennis legend Serena Williams and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian set to get married
New Orleans: The fiance of tennis superstar Serena Williams was spotted arriving at the New Orleans museum where the couple are expected to wed in a ceremony reportedly drawing dozens of A-listers to the city known for its jazz and party atmosphere.
Despite the media frenzy, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and the tennis legend Serena Williams released few details of their ceremony. But unnamed sources told People magazine and the Daily Mail that some 250 guests were invited to the ceremony at the Contemporary Arts Center.
Workers in the Big Easy could be seen transforming the building for the ceremony, while the groom was seen arriving in shirt and shorts, with dress shoes in hand.
Music royalty Beyonce and Jay Z, along with actress Eva Longoria, were reportedly among the guests.
According to the entertainment website ETonline, the wedding was to have a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ theme. It said the tennis star’s sister Venus was seen late Wednesday leaving the arts center, while the parking lot beside the building was full of tents and trucks unloading flowers, tables, carpets, wardrobe, and musicians.
The Daily Mail said the event would cost more than $1 million and guests would be asked not to bring their cell phones because an exclusive photo deal has been signed with Vogue.
Williams, 36, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, and Ohanian, 34, welcomed their first child, daughter Alexis Olympia, on September 1.
They announced their engagement in December after meeting in 2015 in Rome.
Onlookers in New Orleans expressed enthusiasm for the wedding being in their city.
“We honestly love her,” said resident Mary Huber, who was among a small group taking a break from work to observe the hectic scene.
“We’re so glad she found happiness. Little baby Alexis is so precious!”
Serena Williams won this year’s Australian Open while pregnant, and is expected to defend her title in Melbourne in 2018 – just four-and-a-half months after giving birth to her baby girl.
Mumbai: The controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Padmavati refuses to end. While Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS) has warned to cut the nose of Deepika Padukone over the release of the upcoming film in December 1, a Meerut based Thakur leader, on Thursday, offered Rs 5 crore to anyone who beheads Padamvati director Bhansali and Deepika.
“Anyone who brings the head of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone will be rewarded with Rs 5 crore. Rani Ma Padmavati had sacrificed her life with 12,000 other women in mass immolation (Jauhar), and Bhansali has raised a question on her courage by showing her in bad light in his film,” the leader was quoted as saying in a leading daily.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai police has beefed up the security of Deepika after her getting threat calls that she could be physically harmed if she did not refrain from “inciting public sentiment’. Also, security has been provided to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s as he was found to be a risk.
While The Quint got in touch with a friend of Deepika, the pal said the actor can’t stop laughing over the threat. “You are threatening to cut a woman’s nose by giving a mythological parallel as justification. If that is not a sign of regression, what is? Anyway, Deepika is not the least scared. She has been provided security but her movement remains far from restricted. She will continue to promote Padmavati, though now the entire Padmavati team has advised her to exercise caution in her pronouncements. So she won’t make any comments about the vandals masquerading as protesters. Her outburst against regressive elements was spontaneous and emotional.”
Says Deepika’s friend, “She’s more worried for her director Sanjay Leela Bhansali than herself. Deepika doesn’t fear the goons. She once told a friend, ‘The more you give in to irrational forces, and the more you cow down to bullies, the more they attack you. Never show your vulnerability even to those whom you love the most.’”
On the other hand, B-Town has come out in full support of director Bhansali and the film. Ashoke Pandit noted that such threats were a form of terrorism towards the creative fraternity of this country. “I strongly feel that the whole entertainment industry is under siege today. We are being terrorised, we are being accused, we are being beaten and threats are being issued to the creative people of the country. The film industry is being told you cannot think on your own. It is a form of terrorism, cultural terrorism. I strongly condemn the entire attitude of the so called protectors of the Rajput culture,” Pandit told ANI.
The period drama, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing protests from various groups, including Shri Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts.
Virgin Hyperloop One on Thursday entered into a pact with the Maharashtra government to conduct a preliminary study to identify potential routes for the new transportation mode and analyse its economic impact. The US firm signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and will also identify the potential routes for hyperloop transportation. Watch Below the Hyperloop Complete Its First Successful Test Ride
The company said it will work with its partners in the region and the PMRDA will help navigate the regulatory requirements and support the report with data. “A hyperloop solution could revolutionise the transport experience,” the company said, adding that it would take just 14-minutes to travel between Mumbai and the fast-growing city of Pune – a journey that currently takes up to 3 hours by car.
The preliminary study is intended to analyse the applicability and benefits of hyperloop technology, identify high priority routes within the state based on demand analysis and socio-economic benefits and inform the government in any future decision to progress to the full project stage. The hyperloop mode uses technology in which a vehicle in a special tunnel floats above the track, using magnetic levitation, at a top speed of over 1,000 km per hour.
“As it is the only company in the world that has built and successfully tested a full-scale hyperloop system, there is a growing demand for a hyperloop from governments and private sectors across the world,” Virgin Hyperloop One said. It is working on projects in UAE, the US, Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “A hyperloop route requires high-density traffic to become viable as a means of rapid public transit. “Mumbai and Pune, the most and seventh most populous cities in India respectively, have the potential to provide an optimal route with a high density. By reducing travel time to under 20 minutes, a hyperloop route will help intensify the connectivity between the metropolitan regions of Pune and Mumbai, transforming the two cities into India’s first and largest Megapolis, he added.
Huge potential
The company said in the statement said that looking at the present traffic scenario in Mumbai, Virgin Hyperloop One can reinvent and transform transportation in Maharashtra as it redefines speed with minimal time consumption.
A hyperloop solution could revolutionise the transport experience, it said.
It would take just 14 minutes to travel between Mumbai and Pune, a journey that currently takes up to three hours by car. It could also streamline airport connectivity, such as connecting Pune’s new Purandar Airport to the city center or Navi Mumbai International Airport to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
It could look at connecting Nagpur, which is in the easternmost part of Maharashtra, with Mumbai and Pune to vastly improve passenger and freight transportation, the statement said. Managing Director (Middle East & India), Virgin Hyperloop One, Harj Dhaliwal said that his company is the only one in the world that has successfully built and tested the first full-scale hyperloop system.
With this report, the State government will be able to identify viable routes that link commercial and knowledge hubs dispersed throughout the region with greater mobility and unparalleled efficiency, he said in the statement.
Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Park Sang Woo, Chief Executive Officer of KLHC; Ashwin Mudgal, Municipal Commissioner of Nagpur; Praveen Pardeshi, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, and other top officials of Korean delegation were present during the MoU signing ceremony held in Mumbai for Smart City development. The MoU was signed for ‘strategic partnership for Nagpur Smart City’.
Park Sang Woo and Ashwin Mudgal signed the MoU and exchanged the files. The MoU is for co-operation to share implementation strategy, policies, technologies, experience and information in the field of development, operations and maintenance of Smart City, citizen-friendly governance, and cost-effectiveness.
Fadnavis said that the MoU was important for Nagpur city’s development into a Smart City. With this MoU, he said, the works of Nagpur Smart City would get expedited. Park Sang Woo said that Korea and India enjoyed friendly relations and the MoU would strengthen the bond further. “We will give our best to Smart City development. A joint office will be started in Mumbai soon,” he said.
Later, Devendra Fadnavis tweeted, “Korea is trusted partner of Maharashtra and with this MoU we expect actual action and work on ground very soon. We intend for more & more collaboration with Korea in future too.”
Lee Jung Wook, Director General of International Business Officer, KLHC; Ashish Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of Public Works Department; Bhushan Gagrani, Chief Executive Officer of CIDCO; Ramnath Sonwane, Chief Executive Officer of Nagpur Smart City project; also were present prominently.
The condition worsens in the capital with pollution levels soaring, and particulate matter filling the air and subsequently our lungs. Meanwhile, the Delhi government struggles to come to terms with a solution and hence, the odd-even rule returned as an idea despite not being a particularly effective tool to combat pollution. That is because limiting the number of private vehicles on the road does halve the emissions that they emit since private four-wheelers only contribute to 10% of the total vehicular pollution. Bringing that down to 5% isn’t going to make a really big difference to the poor air quality of Delhi. Now the NGT and the government went at loggerheads arguing about who all should be included in the rule and who shouldn’t. The government, meanwhile shifted its sights to the fuels being used in vehicles as yesterday the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced that they would fast-track the availability of BS6 fuel in the Nation’s capital, bringing the new-gen fuel by April 1, 2018, instead of the pan-India rollout target of 2020. NCR and region around the national capital would need to be ready for the new-gen BS6 fuel by April 2019. Now while the move has been widely applauded, there are a few voices in the automotive industry that say this shift is not going to make much of a difference, especially in terms of the pollution that’s plaguing the NCR with the onset of winter.
Now the shift from BS4 to BS6 is not going to bring about a huge change in vehicles running on petrol including two-wheelers. A similar shift for diesel vehicles might still have some effects as the new diesel will have an even lower allowance for sulphur when you compare it to the BS4 fuel, which was earlier allowed 550 parts per million(PPM) of Sulphur. Most current fuels that get the low sulphur tag” carry only about 50 PPM. BS6 Diesel will require carrying only about 10 PPM of sulphur. Now naturally, this makes the fuel a lot cleaner than it is in terms of pollutants emitted, especially when you think of the fact that diesel is so commonly used. The problems begin when one begins to consider the implications of running a low-sulphur fuel on a BS 4 fuel rated engine which is designed to run with up to 550 PPM of Sulphur.
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Sulphur helps the injectors in a diesel engine, thanks to its chemical lubrication properties. Low sulphur fuels will damage and cause wear to injectors, and with damaged injectors, fuel may flood or not reach the engine with the correct pressure through the injectors. And more unburnt fuel subsequently contributes to more emission. Which means that after beating our way entirely around the bush we are at square one. Aside from a few German luxury vehicles and Bharat-Benz trucks, no other vehicles in India are really prepared for the switch to BS6. Which means that engines will be damaged while pollution remains essentially the same. Bringing this entire movement and all the hype around it to moot.
BS6 prepared cars, on the other hand, ll also face adverse effects when using BS4 fuels, even though their injectors and electronics will be updated to run on low sulphur, the added diesel particulate matter filter in the exhaust is likely to run out much faster on BS4 fuels. Which means that once again, the automotive industry has to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea on the basis of a government ruling. While no real quantifiable change will come through this switch.
Makar Sankranti Wishes : Makara Sankranti (Sankranthi) is a Hindu festival that encourages people to live in peace and harmony. Here are best quotes,...
