Maharashtra aims to finish key infrastructure projects
MUMBAI: The BJP government in Maharashtra is going all out to ensure that some of its key infrastructure projects are ready to be showcased as achievements before Assembly polls kick off next year.
The projects selected for this include new ones that have been completed at a fast clip and some old irrigation jobs which had been languishing for years under previous governments but have made progress under the current one.
According to officials, the projects the state government wants to finish or be on the verge of finishing include the Navi Mumbai airport, the metro rail projects in Mumbai, the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Corridor, and irrigation projects like the Gosikhurd, among others.
Assembly polls in the state are due in October 2019. The officials cited earlier said the deadline is “ambitious” as some of these projects are facing hurdles. For instance, in the case of the Nagpur-Mumbai eight-lane Super Expressway, land acquisition for the project has reached just 60%. The government had planned to start construction early this year, but a realistic deadline for beginning construction would be August. However, the officials associated with the project claimed that a sizeable portion of the road could be completed by September next year.
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, whose wife alleged him of abuse, cheating and match-fixing, breathed a little easy on Thursday after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) waived off the match-fixing charges against him.
As a result of the wrong-doings that Hasin had accused Shami of, the pace bowler’s name was taken off the newly released Central Contract and his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils were also unsure of his participation in the current circumstances. With the Anti-Corruption Unit clearing Shami of fixing charges, the Daredevils have confirmed the bowler’s return in their squad.
On hearing about BCCI’s decision to hand include him in the list of players in Central Contract with Grade B, Shami said that he was sure about being proven innocent. “I was sure I would be proved innocent. I have always tried to give my 100 percent in the game and I will continue to do so,” he said while speaking to ANI.
Shami’s IPL franchise, Delhi Daredevils, had earlier expressed dilemma over the bowler’s participation in season 11. The management had confirmed that based on the report by ACU, a final call will be taken on Shami’s immediate career.
With the charges now waived off, franchise CEO Hemant Dua confirmed of Shami’s inclusion in the squad. “With the ACU clearing Shami, we are all set to have him back in the team,” Dua told.
Even the official Twitter account of the Daredevils welcomed BCCI’s decision. “We’re glad to hear the verdict! @MdShami11 has been cleared to play by the @BCCI,” the franchise tweeted.
We’re glad to hear the verdict! @MdShami11 has been cleared to play by the @BCCI.
The Daredevils had earlier confirmed that a unilateral decision on Shami’s participation in IPL 2018 can’t be taken and they have to get a BCCI clearance first.
“Look Daredevils management can’t take any unilateral decision in this matter. All players who play in the IPL have a tripartite contract involving the franchise, BCCI and the player. Yes, we are well aware of the sensitive situation and we are having discussions with top BCCI officials. There is a clause about any player bringing disrepute but it is for the lawyers to interpret it,” a senior franchise official had told.
Last week, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had written to the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) head Neeraj Kumar to investigate the charges levelled against Shami by his wife. The CoA, led by Vinod Rai, gave a seven-day deadline to Kumar to submit the report on the issue.
Among the complaints that were registered against Shami, are extra-marital affairs and physical, mental abuse. Though Jahan retracted the fixing allegations a few days ago, the CoA had taken note of it and asked the ACU to investigate the matter. However, Shami had rejected all the allegations and even claimed that someone was misleading his wife.
Furthermore, Shami has been included in Grade B of the BCCI’s annual retainer contracts after the board found no evidence of match-fixing against the Indian pacer.
Oscar winning A.R. Rahman, on the occasion of World Poetry Day on Wednesday, launched lyricist Irshad Kamil‘s INK Band music series, via which eight music videos consisting of the writer’s non-film songs will be released.
Kamil, who has penned songs like “Matargashti”, “Agar tum saath ho” and “Aaj din chadeya”, has carved a niche for his kind of film lyrics — poetic, melodic and yet conversational.
His brand of poetry is carried forward with The INK Band, which performs verses recited by Kamil interspersed with singing, and music, making for unusual but easy listening.
Having performed at events and live gigs since 2015, and having garnered a tremendous positive response, The INK Band will now release eight music videos consisting of the writer’s non-film songs. This collective will form Season 1 and subsequent seasons will follow.
The first video “Vo Ladki” was launched digitally by Rahman.
“What will life be without poetry…What will Hindi film industry be without Irshad Kamil… Some of the songs he has written have become iconic in people’s hearts. I wish him the very best for his new venture, sharing his gift of imagination with all of us,” Rahman said in a statement.
On this collection, Kamil said: “The INK Band reflects simple, conversational songs and poems with music. We have built an easy connect with young listeners and poetry aficionados across all age groups because what we do makes for easy listening, much like in a college jam session.
“We will focus on my non-film poetry to offer something fresh to our audience. Starting off on World Poetry Day is our tribute to this art of weaving words.”
Each of these songs will also be available for radio listeners on Fever 104 and My FM in a weekly programme called “Cafe Irshad: ft. the INK Band”. It will later be available for download on digital music stores also.
Apart from Kamil, members of The INK Band include Prajakta Shukre, Agnel Roman, Ragini Shankar, Shridhar Nagraj, Ankush Boradkar and Deepanshu Pandit.
Here’s good news for Reliance JioPhone users as soon they will be able to experience WhatsApp on the 4G-enabled feature phone. Reliance JioPhone runs on KaiOS which doesn’t offer support for WhatsApp. However, since last year it was being speculated that the company is in talks with WhatsApp and will try developing a seperate app for the JioPhone. It seems that this will soon become a reality.
According to WaBetaInfo (@wabetainfo), a Twitter account that tracks changes in WhatsApp’s beta builds, the company is working on developing an app for the KaiOS. This means that JioPhone users will soon be able to use WhatsApp on their device.
In an official blog post WaBetaInfo wrote, “Important references about the development of a new native KaiOS app had been found in the latest WhatsApp beta for Windows Phone 2.18.38, indicating the presence of a new platform that can be connected to WhatsApp servers.
”This can be bad new for the other telecom operators Airtel and Vodafone. As the only hurdle which refrained the customers to go for JioPhone was the availability of WhatsApp. Now, with the messenger on board there are chances that people will go for JioPhone as it offers more data at a lesser price and has both WhatsApp and Facebook.Presently, WhatsApp has over 1.5 billion users every month and with the app coming to KaiOS it is expected to expand further as JioPhone has a user base of about 6 million users.
Last month, Reliance Jio announced the roll out of Facebook app for JioPhone users. The Facebook app on JioPhone supports push notifications, video, and links to external content. Moreover, the app is optimised to accommodate the cursor function on JioPhone.
To recall, the company announced the JioPhone in July last year and the device comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA TFT display and is powered by dual-core processor. Running KaiOS the 4G-enabled feature phone offers 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB.
The Jio Phone runs on 4G VoLTE network and comes with a host of pre-installed apps like JioTV, JioMusic and JioCinema. The device offers support for 24 Indian languages and voice commands.
On the connectivity front, the device offers 4G VoLTE, headphone jack, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth.
The makers of Salman Khan‘s Race 3 have been sharing the character posters of the cast on social media back to back and today, it was Daisy Shah’s turn, who was introduced by the superstar as, “Sizzling Sanjana waiting to explode.”
Salman Khan’s look from the film was revealed earlier this week and after him, Jacqueline Fernandez and Bobby Deol’s characters were introduced. We are now waiting for Anil Kapoor and Saqib Saleem’s character posters too. “It’s time to get dangerous! You think you can handle it?” wrote Daisy while sharing her poster from Race 3. she had debuted opposite Salman in 2014’s Jai Ho.
Race 3 is directed by Remo D’Souza and this is the first time Salman Khan will star in a Race film. The previous two Race films, directed by Abbas-Mastan, were headlined by Saif Ali Khan. “Who better than Salman Khan for this? I wish both of them luck,” Saif had earlier told.
Anil Kapoor has been part of all the three films while Jacqueline starred in the second part. “The entire team (of Race 3) is very rocking and we are having a great time. We are very psyched about the action we will be doing and the twists and turns in the film,” she told.
Race 3 is expected to hit the screens on Eid and will be Salman Khan’s first release of this year.
IPL 2018 : Franchise Captains Of 6 Teams Will Not Attend Opening Ceremony
The Board For Cricket Control in India (BCCI), has decided to only have two captains be present at the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 7.
The first match will be between defending champions Mumbai Indians and returning contenders Chennai Super Kings. Their respective captains, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni will the only captains present in the ceremony. Rest, have to shoot a special video on April 6 and leave for their respective cities.
The confusion happened because senior Indian Premier League officials didn’t consider the logistical aspect of four other franchises who have matches next day.
Till last year, the convention was to have an opening ceremony a day before the first match, which captains would attend and sign the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ pledge.
Kings XI Punjab host Delhi Daredevils for a 4 PM match and Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at 8 PM on April 8. Logistically, for captains of these four teams to be present at the opening ceremony would not be possible and rather tiresome for Ravichandran Ashwin (KXIP) and Gautam Gambhir (DD).
“Sample this. If Ashwin and Gambhir would have attended the opening ceremony, they could only board a 9 pm flight from Mumbai to Delhi as there are no late evening flights from Mumbai to Chandigarh. Now from Delhi, they can’t take a flight to Chandigarh on Sunday morning because the airport would remain closed. So either they travel by car during the night, which is a dangerous proposition or in the morning of the match to play at 4 pm. The less said, the better it is,” a BCCI senior official fumed.
Paving way for construction of Metro Rail work near Ambazari embankment, Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) to bear the cost of strengthening of 342 mt earthen dam and State Government to pay for strengthening of remaining portion of 952 mt dam.
The safety of the dam has been compromised due to constructions carried out in last several decades and hence the High Court directed Dam Safety Organisation or Water Resources Department to prepare a plan for protection and strengthening of 145 year old earthen dam by April 15 and directed all stakeholders to bear the expenditure.
The High Court after taking note of various permissions obtained by NMRCL including one by Dam Safety Organisation held that there was no threat to safety of Ambazari dam due to ongoing construction of Metro Rail. However, the High Court pulled the NMRCL for starting its construction before obtaining final nod from Dam Safety Organisation, but made it clear that project work can not be stopped at this stage.
NMRCL has repeatedly claimed that its work of digging pits and elevated corridor near Ambazari Hill, does not in any way endanger the dam.
A division bench consisting of Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Murlidhar Giratkar also pulled up the planning authority including Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for permitting various constructions including memorial and (Swami Vivekanand) statue within prohibited zone and permitted the State Government to recover the cost of strengthening of Ambazari dam from NMC and NIT.
The High Court was hearing a PIL filed by Mohd Shahid Sharif challenging the ongoing work of Metro Rail apprehending irreparable damage to embankment and earthen dam. The PIL claimed that it poses a threat to lake and nearby Nag River and claimed that without obtaining any permission from Dam Safety Institute and prior nod of State Government the work was started by NMRCL. According to petition, no construction is permitted within 200 mts of any dam and hence ongoing work near Ambazari is in contravention of norms and must not be allowed without adequate security measures in place.
Since Ambazari embankment was created using earthen soil, heavy construction activities would pose a danger to its safety, the public interest litigation (PIL) claimed while making it clear that he was not against Metro Rail work.
The NMRCL in its affidavit claimed that requisite safety certificates were obtained and a team of DSO had visited Ambazari embankment work in April, 2016 and gave conditional clearance. The site was handed over by NMC to NMRCL for execution of Metro work and safety measures suggested by him were implemented so also changes suggested by VNIT experts. Recently, Heritage Conservation Panel had also accorded its nod to work with certain riders.
BrahMos, said to be the world’s fastest and most formidable anti-ship cruise missile, was today successfully test fired with an indigenous seeker at a Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. This marks a big achievement and breakthrough for the supersonic missile. Giving a big boost to PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, for the first time the country developed a seeker for a missile of this calibre and class. The BrahMos weapon system has been jointly developed by India and Russia and is said to be one of the most formidable and precision-strike weapons in the world. The BrahMos missile that was test fired today “flew in its designated trajectory and hit the target with pin-point accuracy”, say government sources.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated BrahMos, DRDO and Indian scientists stating that today’s successfully test firing will bolster national security. The indigenous seeker has been developed with the joint effort of BrahMos Aerospace MD and CEO Sudhir Mishra and DRDO Secretary Dr S Christopher. Talking about the big acheivement for India’s defence, Sudhir Mishra the CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace says, “With today’s successful test flight we taken yet another important step towards building indigenous defence equipment manufacturing capability.” “We have demonstrated that Indian scientists can develop the world’s most advanced technology and equipment,” Mishra tells FE Online.
Formidable Supersonic Cruise Missile #BrahMos was successfully flight tested at 8:42 AM today at Pokhran test range, Rajasthan.
The precision strike weapon with Indian-made seeker flew in its designated trajectory and hit the target with pin-point accuracy.@PIB_India@MIB_India
Indigenous seeker or BrahMos – why it’s a big breakthrough
Seeker is one of the most critical elements of any missile, honing in on the target and improving the precision strike capability of the weapon system, says Avinash Chander, former DRDO chief and the man behind the Agni missile series. “This is a very very big breakthrough and I would like to congratulate Indian scientists because the country will no longer have to depend on help for such an important component of the missile. Also, once the indigenous seeker is tested extensively and proves its capability, the knowledge can be used for other missile systems as well,” Chander tells FE Online.
BrahMos missile’s successful test comes within months of the weapon system being test-fired for the first time from a Sukhoi-30 MKI. The successful test fire from a Sukhoi-30 MKI was a first for the world since no missile as heavy as BrahMos has ever been fitted on a frontline fighter jet of a nation. Meanwhile, with India becoming a part of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), it has now been able to extend the range of the BrahMos missile from 300 km to around 450 km. BrahMos Aerospace, the joint venture between India and Russia, is already working to extend the missile range from 450 km to 800 km – something that will give India unprecedented fire power against both China and Pakistan.
BrahMos missile – a universal weapons system
BrahMos missile is a universal weapons system that has already been inducted by the Indian Army and Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force is in the process of doing so. The missile derives its name from two rivers – Brahmaputra in India and Moskva in Russia. The BrahMos missile can be fired from land, ships, submarines and fighter jets – a fact that gives it unparalleled capability. Not only that, the BrahMos missile is said to have one of the best test success rates in the world. BrahMos is a two-stage missile which can attain a cruise speed of 2.8 Mach. The missile can carry a conventional warhead of almost 300 kg. On sea, it can be launched both in the vertical and the inclined configuration. The BrahMos missle has also generated a lot of export interest from various countries including Vietnam, Chile.
Chinese satellite space station ‘Tiangong-1’ is in the news for quite a while now. It is the first space station launched by China to contribute towards space exploration launched back in 2011. However, as latest as 2016, the space agency lost control over Tiangong-1 and later, it was decommissioned and deorbited. After losing control over the space lab which has been falling towards the Earth since a few months now, researchers across the globe are trying to pinpoint the exact location of its re-entry and crash as well as the date at which it will enter, however, there are certain constraints on estimated the re-entry date and sites such as its velocity relative to the Earth, its rotating and mass, and other parameters.
Both European Space Agency (ESA) and Aerospace Corporation estimated that the space lab will make a re-entry between March 24 and April 6. According to the recent data collected and presented by a paleolithic archaeologist Dr. Marco Langbroek who is an avid satellite tracker, the space tab might make its re-entry in the Earth’s atmosphere on March 31 give or take 3 days. However, knowing the estimated date of en-entry is just one side of the coin. On the flip side, the location where it will crash or plunge is still unknown and not estimated due to many reasons.
According to Popular Mechanics, knowing the pinpoint location of its re-entry is impossible. It is because the space station revolves around the Earth several times per day which means, even a difference of few minutes can take the station to a completely different part. According to the estimates, the station might plunged into the Earth’s atmosphere within 45-degree North latitude and 43-degree South latitude which is coincidentally the region with most human population that includes countries but not limited to India, Australia, Brazil, United States, Egypt, China, Mexico, etc while the major portion of this region is covered with a lot of oceans.
Even if the space station plunges into a populated area, it won’t cause much harm since it will burn upon entry. Even if some pieces of the spacecraft escape from the atmosphere, the chances of getting hit by any piece are equivalent to 1 in 10 million chances of getting hit by a lightning bolt in a year which is extremely low. Although scientists are still concerned with the toxic substance that it might contain such as Hydrazine for which, even a trace amount if escapes the Earth’s atmosphere can cause a problem.
Dr. Marco Langbroek has been tracking the fall of the space station for a few weeks now. He pointed out the current altitude of the space station which is at 215 km off Earth as on March 20. It is estimated that the station is oscillating at around 5.5 days peak-to-peak and falling towards Earth at a velocity of 2 to 3 km per day which will increase rapidly in the coming days due to Earth’s gravitational pull. He pointed out that the space station will start burning up at 100 km from Earth’s surface and eventually initiate breaking apart at 70 to 80 km of altitude. Once again, the space station might plunge on March 31, give or take 3 days. When it will enter into the Earth’s atmosphere, it will form into a spectacular fireball which will be worth watching
Instagram stories to get all new features including ‘official’ reshare button
Instagram, a popular photo-sharing app, is all set to revamp how users interact with its ‘stories’ feature. Instagram’s next big ‘Stories’ feature, their official reshare button, could let users compliment or trash other people’s feed posts, or embed a “see post” button to promote their own feed.
“We’re always testing ways to make it easier to share any moment with friends on Instagram,” TechCrunch quoted an Instagram spokesperson as saying.
Instagram hasn’t had an authentic “regram” feature with the feed before. Previously, there have only been slews of unofficial apps
Moreover, users often screenshot feed posts and share them in Instagram stories. With this new feature, one can pick any public, permanent Instagram post and tap a button to embed it in their Story.
Further, they can tap to change the design to highlight or downplay the post’s author, move and resize it within their Story post, and add commentary or imagery using Instagram’s creative tools. When people view the story, they can tap on the post embed to bring up a “see post” button which opens the original feed post.
Users who don’t want their posts to be “quote-Storied” can turn off the option in their settings, and only public posts can be reshared.
Indian Railways launches no bill, free food policy! A new policy has been adopted by Indian Railways under which if no bill is provided for food and beverages purchased on trains, then you don’t have to pay for it!
Now onward, trains will display this message in order to protect railway passengers from overcharging. The move has been taken by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal so that the railway passengers do not have to pay higher cost from overcharging caterers. Also, passengers can ask for bills, in order to keep a record. Interestingly, most complaints under railway catering are related to overcharging, as in most of the trains, the food price is not included in the ticket fare.
The new policy will be displayed across all trains by March 31, where food is purchased by passengers during the journey. Also, to publicize this policy, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has started displaying this message on on its ticket-booking web portal. To ensure whether the new policy is functioning fairly or not, Indian Railways has deployed inspectors to check that every transaction is fair in terms of prices charged, and also a bill is issued to the customer.
According to Railway Ministry officials, a major cause is that the food servers do not provide bills to passengers, even when they ask for it. Also, the food servers or vendors come up with excuses like unavailability of bill book, the bill will be handed over towards the end of the journey, or they will hand over the bill once the food service time is over.
Last year between the month of April and October, there were over 7,000 overcharging complaints. The move has been taken, following Railway Minister Piyush Goyal’s instruction, according to which strict action will taken against erring vendors or food servers, including cancellation of their licences if prices are not mentioned on food boxes. Last year, the contracts of two caterers were terminated by Indian Railways over overcharging complaints, also, many caterers were fined around 5,000 times, the report stated.
IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation announced a partnership with cab hailing firm Ola on Monday to provide end-to-end transportation service to Indian Railways passengers, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation said on microblogging site Twitter.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, the online ticketing arm of Indian Railways, along with Ola now gives first to last mile connectivity and covers more than 110 cities across the country. The tie-up, a six-month pilot project, gives customers access to Ola booking services when they visit the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation rail connect app and on its website, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation said in a statement on its website – irctc.co.in.
Facility of hiring cab through IRCTC Rail Connect app and website started. IRCTC partners with OLA to provide end to end transportation. pic.twitter.com/jHuT53Wv3c
Ola cab facility on Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation rail connect app and website provides all the services offered such as Ola Micro, Ola Mini, Ola Auto, Ola Share, Prime Sedan, Outstation, Rental, etc, as mentioned on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s official website. Customers can choose to book cabs up to seven days in advance or upon reaching the railway station.
In addition, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation outlets at railway stations or Ola’s self-serving kiosk will also enable commuters to book cabs, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation further added.
Steps to book an Ola cab through IRCTC app/website:
Log on to Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website/app (irctc.co.in) using credentials
In the services section, select ‘Book Cab’
You will be redirected to book.olacabs.com
Choose your pick and drop location
Now, select whether you want an immediate ride or wish to schedule it for future
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Hawk jet trainer plane crashed in Odisha’s Mayubhanj on Tuesday(20 March). The IAF Hawk jet went down near Odisha-Jharkhand border. As per the initial reports, the trainee pilot of the plane has sustained injuries has been taken to the nearby government hospital in Jharkhand. Meanwhile, other injured people have also been taken to a nearby hospital.
While the investigation is underway. The cause of the plane crash is yet to be ascertained. A court of inquiry will investigate the cause of the accident, an Indian Air Force official said in a statement. The aircraft was airborne from Kalaikunda on a routine training sortie before the crash. However, the trainee pilot had managed to eject safely from the aircraft.
This incident comes a month after the Microlight Virus SW-80 helicopter of the Indian Air Force had crashed in Majuli island in Assam. The crash in Assam killed both the pilots, Wing Commander J James and Wing Commander D Vats. Despite trying for an emergency landing both the wing commanders died as the aircraft had crashed in a sandbar.
The Hawk trainer jet Aircraft is used for ground attack, flying training and weapon training for trainee pilots in the Air Force. The Aircraft is a low wing and an all-metal structure. It is powered by an Adour Mk 871 turbofan engine.
itel Mobile Launches S42, A44 And A44 Pro Budget Smartphones in India
itel, mobile brands in India has changed gears and introduced its latest range of budget smartphones that will address the needs of the entry segment smartphone users. The new range of smartphones includes S42 and A44 will be available across key markets from March 20, 2018, at price point of Rs 8,499 and Rs 5,799 respectively, and A44 Pro will hit the market around mid-April.
The trio comes with 18:9 full-screen display and fingerprint sensor. S42, the selfie phone features 13MP front and rear camera, runs on the latest Android Oreo operating system, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.
itel S42 Specifications
S42 comes equipped with 5.65-inch display and 18:9 HD+ resolution ultra-thin bezel design. The smartphone offers dual flash 13 MP PDAF rear & 13 MP front camera, supported by f/2.0 aperture, 5P lens and clubbed with 120-degree wide selfie angle and the bokeh beauty mode.
itel’s flagship smartphone, S42 is powered by Qualcomm Sn the dragon 425 with quad-core 1.4Ghz processor and latest Android Oreo operating system. The device houses a 3GB RAM and internal memory of 16GB which is expandable up to 128 GB.
The S42 is packed with dedicated dual-SIM capabilities and connectivity options like- 4G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The 3000mAh Li-Polymer battery allows the device to run for up to 16 days on standby the company said in a statement.
itel A44 And A44 Pro Specifications
itel A44 and A44 Pro feature a 5.45-inch full-screen display with 18:9 ultra-thin bezels. Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, the smartphones are powered by MT6737M 64 bit quad-core processor. The phones come equipped with multi-functional fingerprint sensor technology that allows users to do much more than just unlocking. Both A44 & A44 Pro also come equipped with a smart key to enable Bike mode function.
Sara Ali Khan to star opposite Ranveer Singh in SIMMBA
Ever since the first look of Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar’s ‘Simmba’ is out, there has been immense curiosity tat who will be the lead actress alongside Ranveer Singh.
Well, now it’s confirmed. Newbie Sara Ali Khan has been roped in for the film for the title role.
Yes, Sara will be seen opposite Ranveer, who plays the role of a notorious cop, Sangram Bhalerao.
Recently, Karan Johar tweeted about same saying, “Sara Ali Khan in #Simmba with @RanveerOfficial directed by ROHIT SHETTY! Releasing on the 28th of December 2018 ! This winter gets hotter!!!!”
The film, which brings together the fresh pairing of Ranveer and Sara, also marks the debut collaboration between Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar.
All the Sara fans were quite worried after the budding actress first film ‘Kedarnath’ was shelved but now seems like everyone will soon be able to see her in ‘Simmba.’
‘Simmba’ is set to release on December 28th this year and we just can’t keep calm to see that.
Dharma Productions makes an official announcement
Earlier today, Dharma Productions confirmed the news about Sara Ali Khan joining the Simmba family with a picture of the actor with Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar. “All your speculations end here!” says the accompanying tweet. “Presenting to you the leading lady of #Simmba opposite @RanveerOfficial – #SaraAliKhan! Roaring to cinemas near you on 28th December, 2018. @karanjohar @apoorvamehta18 #RohitShetty @RelianceEnt @RSPicturez”. Not only will Simmba give Bollywood fans a chance to check out a new on-screen pairing, it also marks the very first time Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar have come together.
‘Phir Halla Bol’, the anthem of Rajasthan Royals of Indian Premier League(IPL), beautifully showcases the culture heritage and grandeur of the land of royalty.
Versatile Rajasthani folk singer Ila Arun‘s powerful voice conveys great passion in defining the ‘Land Of Rajputs’.
“Our anthem has been unique in the sense that it is soaked in the flavour and colour of Rajasthan. ‘Phir Halla Bol’ is a tribute to our fans who have awaited with anticipation to see us back in the IPL,” Rajasthan Royals co-owner Manoj Badale said.
The official twitter of the team tweeted, “The new Rajasthan Royals anthem is here????
It’s time to turn up the volume and #HallaBol with us!”
With a renewed spirit and exuberance, the anthem beautifully captures the essence of Rajasthan in the backdrop of its bold contours and myriad hues. It vividly portrays the passion and emotions, the love for the game of cricket in the region, and above all, the pride of place that Rajasthan Royals occupy in the hearts of fans. The anthem showcases the artistic and cultural traditions of the state known for its rich culture, tradition, heritage, and historical monuments.
While the inaugural champions retained Steve Smith during IPL player retention event, they bought the services of talented Caribbean Jofra Archer, Australian youngster Darcy Short among others during the auction last month.
Rajasthan Royals, along with Chennai Super Kings, is making a comeback to the multi-team tournament after two years, having been suspended due to spot-fixing in 2015.
The upcoming season of the IPL is set to begin on April 7, with the final on May 27.
Upcoming 700km Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway reduce travel time by half
The upcoming Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway (NMSCE) is an eight-lane 700km road project which will cut the present travel time of 16 hours between these cities by half. The express corridor will connect the Nagpur, Buldhana, Amravati, Wardha, Washim, Thane, Aurangabad, Akola, Bhiwandi and Nashik districts with Mumbai.
The Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway NMSCE will have underpasses for foot traffic, along with flyovers and interchanges at major road intersections. The route will avoid major towns and cities and provide for vehicular underpasses and pedestrian underpasses at every village and town which it crosses. This new Mumbai-Nagpur expressway is expected to be ready by 2021.
Being built at a cost of Rs46,000 crores, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) project will also include the development of the industrial clusters, townships, IT hubs and educational centres along the way.
The project will provide for amenities like solar lighting to ensure energy efficiency. There are expected to be telephones, food plazas, restaurants, shops every 5 km and other amenities such as trauma centres, bus bays and truck terminals. Users will also get free Wi-Fi access. CCTV cameras will be placed along the entire route and there will be the close traffic surveillance.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation MSRDC has already acquired 60 per cent of the 9,330 hectares of land it requires for the project. The project will take three years to complete once the tendering process, being floated by the government on April 10, is complete. This road, while improving connectivity within Maharashtra, may also provide a leg up to the economy in terms of job creation and investment in the districts it will pass through.
Nagpur: Chairman of Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) Deepak Mhaisekar will present the civic agency’s budget for 2018-19 on March 23.
This raises a big question about the state government’s announcement of abolishing Nagpur Improvement Trust. Also, Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority ( NMRDA ), headed by CM Devendra Fadnavis, has convened a meeting on March 26 to discuss and approve the Metro Region’s budget for 2018-19.The government had announced NIT would be abolished by December 2017, but failed to implement it.
In last over one year, nothing has been transferred from Nagpur Improvement Trust to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).A couple of months ago, Fadnavis had directed NIT to continue execution of ongoing development projects of the city through NMRDA, instead of transferring them to NMC.
Also, Fadnavis had asked NMRDA to execute proposed projects, including Gokulpeth Shopping Mall.
Accordingly, Mhaisekar had incorporated all ongoing and proposed projects in Metro Region budget of Rs1,759 crore presented before NMRDA executive committee headed by additional chief secretary (home) Sudeep Shrivastav on February 6.With no decision coming from the government, NIT will have to continue functioning.
1.Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. –Mahatma Gandhi
2. The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters. –Audrey Hepburn
3. Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be. –Abraham Lincoln
4. The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are. –Goldie Hawn
5. Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. –Marcus Aurelius
6. Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy. There’s going to be stress in life, but it’s your choice whether you let it affect you or not. –Valerie Bertinelli
7. The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it. –Mother Teresa
IPL 2018: McClenaghan replaces Behrendorff in Mumbai Indians squad
The IPL Technical Committee has approved New Zealand’s Mitchell McClenaghan as a replacement for Australian left-arm fast bowler Jason Behrendorff in the Mumbai Indians squad.
Behrendorff, who is suffering from a back problem, has been ruled out of this edition of the Indian Premier League.
New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan is all set to replace injured Australian player Jason Behrendorff in the Mumbai Indians squad for the Indian Premier League 2018 (IPL 2018), beginning April 4.
“In accordance with the Player Regulations, the Mumbai Indians were allowed to choose a replacement from the Registered and Available Player Pool (RAPP),” an IPL media release said.
“The IPL Technical Committee has approved a replacement for Jason Behrendorff – left-arm fast bowler from Australia – in the Mumbai Indians squad. Behrendorff is suffering from a back problem and has been ruled out of the VIVO IPL 2018. In accordance with the Player Regulations, the Mumbai Indians were allowed to choose a replacement from the Registered and Available Player Pool (RAPP),” the BCCI said.
The Mumbai Indians subsequently picked McClenaghan at his base price of INR one crore.
“The Mumbai Indians subsequently picked New Zealand’s Mitchell McClenaghan at his base price of INR 1 Cr,” the BCCI said.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on two-time winners Chennai Super Kings in the opening game of the tournament.
McClenaghan was a part of the Mumbai Indians squad since 2015, but remained unsold in the auctions for IPL 2018.
After the auctions in January, he had sent out a tweet thanking the Mumbai Indians team and Rohit Sharma for the time he spent with the team.
Apple is using a secret facility in California to design and manufacture prototype MicroLED screens, according to a report from Bloomberg. Engineers are said to have produced fully functional Apple Watch-sized MicroLED screens at the facility, with a view to using the technology commercially for the first time in the watch. The Apple Watch currently uses OLED screens from LG Display.
MicroLED is a complex new emissive display technology where, like OLED, each pixel gives off its own light instead of relying on backlighting for the entire panel. This can give MicroLED excellent contrast, power efficiency, and viewing angles without OLED’s compromises on brightness or longevity. Samsung is also working on MicroLED and showed off a 146-inch modular TV using the technology at CES in January. The TV, dubbed “The Wall,” will supposedly go on sale in August, although no price has been announced.
Apple’s interest in MicroLED technology has been established for some time. It bought the startup LuxVue in 2014, and there have been many subsequent reports on how the purchase might be put to use. Last year Nikkei said that Apple planned to use MicroLED in the Apple Watch, identifying a facility in Taoyuan, Taiwan as being dedicated to the tech’s development. The facility was previously owned by Qualcomm and used for Mirasol displays.
Bloomberg speculates that if Apple were to master the design of MicroLED to the point where it could be mass-produced for use in mainstream devices, it’d be the first time Apple is able to design screens “end-to-end.” But since the report also notes that Apple will likely have to outsource the actual manufacturing of its screens, the result may not be too different to what happens today, where companies like Samsung and LG Display produce LCD and OLED panels to Apple’s designs and specifications.
At this point, though, MicroLED isn’t a mature technology, and Apple’s move into actually manufacturing screens itself — even at a small scale for testing purposes — is further evidence of the company wanting to have more of a say in what goes into its products. If Apple is able to master certain aspects of designing MicroLED screens and keep its breakthroughs to itself for as long as possible, it may still be able to hold advantages in quality even if the panels have to be made by somebody else.
NASA’s new instrument to help measure Sun’s incoming energy
WASHINGTON: To continue long-term measurements of the Sun’s incoming energy, NASA has powered on a new instrument installed on the International Space Station (ISS).
The instrument, Total and Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1), became fully operational with all instruments collecting science data as of this March, NASA said.
“TSIS-1 extends a long data record that helps us understand the Sun’s influence on Earth’s radiation budget, ozone layer, atmospheric circulation, and ecosystems, and the effects that solar variability has on the Earth system and climate change,” said Dong Wu, TSIS-1 project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
TSIS-1 studies the total amount of light energy emitted by the Sun using the Total Irradiance Monitor, one of two sensors onboard.
This sensor’s data will give scientists a better understanding of Earth’s primary energy supply and provide information to help improve models simulating the planet’s climate.
The second onboard sensor, called the Spectral Irradiance Monitor, measures how the Sun’s energy is distributed over the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of light.
Measuring the distribution of the Sun’s energy is important because each wavelength of light interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere differently.
For instance, spectral irradiance measurements of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation are critical to understanding the ozone layer — Earth’s natural sunscreen that protects life from harmful radiation.
“All systems are operating within their expected ranges,” said Peter Pilewskie, TSIS-1 lead scientist at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in the US.
Xiaomi is set to host its sale on Tuesday, March 20 where multiple products will be up for grabs. The Xiaomi ‘mega’ sale on Tuesday will see the sale of Xiaomi-Redmi 5, Mi TV 4, and Mi TV 4A in India. All three products will be available to purchase across online and offline channels including Flipkart, Amazon, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores.
The Tuesday sale will be the first for Xiaomi-Redmi 5 while both Mi TV models have gone up for sale in the past where the stock ran out within seconds. The Redmi 5 is too likely to go out of stock in a few seconds from the start of the sale, much like other products. However, to beat the rush and get yourself a device, you need to be really quick while booking one.
The online sales will begin at 12 pm on March 20.
Xiaomi Redmi 5, Mi TV 4, Mi TV 4A Price and Offers in India
The Xiaomi Redmi 5 is priced at Rs 7,999 for the 2GB/ 32GB model, Rs 8,999 for the 3GB/ 32GB model, and Rs 10,999 for the 4GB/ 64GB variant. It will be available in Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and Lake Blue colour options on Amazon, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores, including other offline retailers. on the purchase of Redmi 5, you can get the Jio Football offer with a cashback worth Rs 2,200 and a 5 per cent discount on SBI credit cards on Amazon.in and Mi.com.
The Xiaomi Mi TV 4 costs Rs 39,999 in India while the Mi TV 4A is available at Rs 13,999 for the 32-inch model and Rs 22,999 for the 43-inch model. Both the models will be available to buy via Flipkart, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores. The Mi TV 4 comes with an offer where customers can get a free 3-month subscription to Sony Liv and Hungama Play worth Rs 619, a free Mi IR cable worth Rs 299, and free on-site installation service worth Rs 1,099.
Xiaomi-Redmi 5, Mi TV 4, Mi TV 4A Features and Specifications
Last week, Xiaomi launched the much anticipated Redmi 5 in India. Targeting the budget segment, Xiaomi Redmi 5 is priced starting at Rs 7,999 for the base variant. The Redmi 5 bears specifications such as a 5.7-inch HD+ display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor paired with three RAM options – 2GB, 3GB, and 4GB. The storage options on the smartphone include – 16GB and 32GB with support for microSD card for expansion. The handset runs on MIUI 9 based on Android 7.0 Nougat. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash while the front camera is a 5-megapixel shooter with a selfie flash.
Coming to the Xiaomi Mi TV models, the Mi TV 4 was launched last month while the Mi TV 4A is a newer model that was launched earlier this month. The Xiaomi Mi TV 4 and Mi TV 4A run on PatchWall, an Android Marshmallow based platform developed by Xiaomi for televisions. The Mi TV 4 comes with 2GB of RAM while the Mi TV 4A packs 1GB of RAM. Both the models come with 8GB of onboard storage. The Mi TV 4 comes with a 55-inch 4K display while the Mi TV 4A comes in two – 32-inch and 43-inch – models where the former sports an HD Ready resolution and the latter has a full-HD (1080p) display. The Xiaomi Mi TV 4 also comes equipped with Dolby and DTS-HD audio along with support for HDR10 and HLG picture technology.
NMRCL to set up multi-modal hub in 17 acres of cotton market land
On a large scale infrastructure is being developed in many different areas with the introduction of Metro Rail Project in the city. NMRCL (Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.) is keeping an eye on such a place where there is a possibility of development. One such place is cotton market, which is an area of major vegetable market. It is just adjacent to the Nagpur Railway Station East. The metro station is going to be built at Cotton Market Chowk along the eastern part of the station.
Metro officials feel that this entire terrain should be developed like a big business center. Due to this thinking, there is a plan to make a multi-model hub in 17 acres of land. The Metro Corporation has already started work on this plan and the round of negotiations with the Railways and the State Government are also on.
According to Maha metro Chief Dr Brijesh Dixit, if the Metro project gets sanction to realise the plan then a great commercial center can be set up in central Nagpur. The people who are doing business in this project in 17 acres of land will be provided space in the multi-model hub under RNR. After the controversy over the speed of Metro Rail between Khapri and New Airport station, NMRCL started the project’s work on Saturday. After that Dr Dixit spoke with the reporters in the NMRCL Metro House.
Zero Tolerance on Accident
Dr Brijesh Dixit said that no mistake will be tolerated in the work. The work has been given to private companies and if an accident takes at project work the blame would come on metro Since the work has started the construction companies have been fined Rs 40 lakh due to violation of safety rules.
Crazy Castle land for metro
According to Dr Dixit, the land of Crazy Castle in every condition will be given to metro. He said they have made plans to develop this place. In which other methods can be adopted to compensate. However, the divisional commissioner committee has been constituted to resolve the dispute with this issue. Finally, the decision has to be taken by this committee. Yet they believe that the dispute will have no effect on the work of the Metro.
DPR of Phase II of the project by the end of April
The work of DPR for the second phase of the project is underway by Metro, which is expected to be completed by the end of April. The metro is likely to get 2.5-3 lakh riderships on this route. According to Dr Dixit, after the information of Union minister Nitin Gadkari, the work of the research is in the direction of taking the Metro to Ramtek. It will be a rapid metro if all goes well the metro will run to Ramtek. The track will be of railways, trains and operations by metro.
Ramjhula phase 2 to be ready in a year
The Nagpur Metro has shown its intention to finish Ramjhula phase-2 in one year. Peopla here are familar with the developments during the construction of the city-based Ramjhula phase 1 and so, the work of the bridge will be complete within a year. Project Director of Nagpur Metro Mahesh Kumar said that the last slab of the bridge was put on Friday and the road construction work would start soon.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is known for too ambitious targets. In one of the latest additions, it has announced that by the year 2019, it would be able to treat all of the solid waste generated in the city. Ashwin Mudgal, Municipal Commissioner, has included this particular statement in the budget document he prepared and submitted to the Standing Committee of NMC recently. Given the past experience, NMC will have to work really hard to see that this particular statement turns into reality. There are several reasons for this.
Nagpur city generates around 1,200 metric tonnes (MT) of solid waste daily. Of this, M/s Hanjer Biotech Energies Private Limited treats between 150-200 MT of solid waste and composting is done. However, Mudgal had told mediapersons, as the said plant was ‘not being run efficiently’, NMC was in the process of strengthening the composting plant or finding an ‘alternative’.
In this regard, it must be recalled that Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had pointed out in its report in July 2013 that a part of segregation unit and plastic recycling unit at Bhandewadi dumping yard were destroyed in fire and hence were not in operation since 2012.
As a result, the efficiency of the treatment plant was reduced and it could process only 200 MT of solid waste daily as against the capacity of 600 MT, leaving approximately 400 MT of solid waste ‘dumped’ per day. If one considers Mudgal’s budget speech for the year 2018-19, it is clear that even presently the amount of solid waste processed per day is between 150-200 MT. Even if one considers that 200 MT of solid waste is getting processed daily, it leaves 1,000 MT of solid waste going unprocessed.
There is another initiative called the integrated solid waste management plan. Under this plan, NMC had prepared a detailed project report and had submitted the same to State Government so that the local body got aid under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). The entire project of integrated solid waste management entails an expenditure of Rs 308 crore. Though the project report has been approved by the Centre and State Governments, an aid of Rs 96,22,65,615/- only has been sanctioned to NMC. Of this amount, NMC has received Rs 48.11 crore so far.
One of the components of the integrated solid waste management plan is ‘Waste to Energy’ project. For this particular project, M/s Essel Infraprojects Limited and Hitachi Zosen India Private Limited joint venture company has formed a special purpose vehicle M/s Nagpur Solid Waste Processing and Management Private Limited. On May 4, 2017, NMC also signed a concession agreement with this special purpose vehicle. However, if one goes back a little in time and refers to the budget speech of Shravan Hardikar, the then Municipal Commissioner, for the year 2016-17, it was mentioned clearly that it had called tender for treatment of only 800 MT of solid waste per day.
Within two years since then, the quantity of solid waste generated in the city per day appears to have gone up by 400 MT as per the latest budget speech of Mudgal for the year 2018-19. During these two years, what exactly has changed on ground as far as increasing the quantum of solid waste that is treated daily, is yet to be known fully to the people. Besides, (dis)interest shown by the elected body and office-bearers in discussing the matter in public domain, also leaves one wondering if treatment of solid waste is really an issue for them. Against this backdrop, it remains a big question as to how will the local body achieve the ambitious target of treating entire solid waste generated in the city by 2019.
After making an exciting announcement about their dance film, Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan have shared the first glimpse of their 3D dance drama, to be directed by Remo D’Souza.
Sharing the teaser on Twitter, Varun wrote, “We Dance to EXPRESS not to IMPRESS. THE #BIGGESTDANCEFILM EVER IN 3D is here, 8th November 2019.”
Earlier, the actor shared his excitement about the project. On Instagram, with a picture, he wrote, ““IT’s OFFICIAL- @katrinakaif and me are hitting the dance floor and your screens on 8th nov 2019. A lot more exciting news coming up. Back with my favourite @remodsouza for his third dance flick. Remo sir , me and Lizelle have been trying since Abcd2 to bring to u guys the biggest dance film and finally we have an amazing partner and producer #bhushankumar @tseries.official to back us and so proud of @lizelle2474 whose turning producer on this 3D extravaganza.”
Varun and Katrina have not failed to entice the audience with their dance moves. If Varun has a touch of Govinda and Salman Khan to his persona, Katrina has all the capabilities to set the screens on fire with her moves. Both the actors have numerous dancing numbers to their credit and now, watching them together on screen would be nothing less than a treat for their fans.
Talking about the project, Katrina kaif wrote on her Instagram profile, “It’s official .@varundvn and me are joining @remodsouza s third dance film. With #bhushankumar @tseries.official bringing u this incredible project in 3 d . 8 th November 2019 ???? ???? ???? ……. And when u get the choice to sit it out or dance …. I Hope u DANCE”
While the director has not revealed the title of the film, all the guess work leads us to the fact that this film could be the third installment from Remo’s ABCD franchise. Interestingly, ABCD 1 and ABCD 2 were blockbusters. While the first installment did not star anyone apart from real life dancers, ABCD 2 had Varun and Shraddha Kapoor as the lead. The on-screen pairing was loved so much that the film went onto become biggest hit of Remo’s career as a director.
Talking about the project, Remo D’Souza says, “Isn’t it just appropriate that a film about music and dance is produced by the man heading the biggest music company in Bollywood? And I get to direct — Varun, one of the best dancers today, and Katrina, who has shown us she can shake a mean leg.”
So, this time, is Remo bringing Katrina’s sass and Varun’s power-packed performance together? Well, only the director has the answer to it.
Meanwhile, apart from Varun and Katrina, the film will also star actor-choreographer-director Prabhu Deva besides Dharmesh Yelande, Raghav Juyal and Punit Pathak who have remained an integral part of the cast of ABCD franchise too. The film is expected to go on floors this year and will release on November 8, 2019.
Varun, who has worked with Remo earlier, spoke about pairing up with Katrina Kaif, “I performed once in New York with Katrina and it was electric. She’s gonna bring her A game so I need to get back into shape.” Katrina too seems charged up for the project, “I am super excited to be joining Remo’s vision to make India’s ultimate dance film. Varun’s passion is so wonderful; he works tirelessly to create magic. I can’t wait to start this journey.”
Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted in fourth fodder scam case
Ranchi: The special CBI court today convicted former Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav after he was found guilty in the fourth case in the fodder scam.
It acquitted former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra in the second fodder scam case.
The RJD supremo, who has been admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) after falling sick in the jail on Saturday, was not present in the court.
Lalu Prasad Yadav and others are accused of fraudulently withdrawing Rs. 3.13 crore from Dumka treasury between December 1995 and January 1996, when the former was the chief minister of undivided Bihar.
Prasad is already serving a jail term of 13.5 years in three fodder cases and lodged in the Birsa Munda jail in Ranchi.
The case is related to alleged withdrawal of Rs 3.13 crore from the Dumka treasury when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the chief minister of Bihar.
Besides Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and 29 people, including former IAS officers and some officials are also accused in the case.
On Friday, the Special CBI court had made three former bureaucrats of Bihar accountant-general’s office accused in the fodder scam.
The court issued summons to former Bihar Accountant General P.K. Mukhopadhyay, former Deputy Accountant General B.N. Jha and former Senior Director General of Accounts Office Pramod Kumar on the request of Prasad, who had sought a trial against the three former bureaucrats.
Chinese handset maker and the title sponsor of Indian Premier League (IPL), Vivo India has today unveiled Aamir Khan as the new face of their brand. Reportedly, the brand will be seen aggressively promoting the association with the actor through a high-budget marketing campaign. Khan will be replacing Ranveer Singh, who will end his association with Vivo, after a 20 months stint.
Vivo came into the picture in 2016, after PepsiCo’s sudden withdrawal of their 5-year contract. In 2016, Vivo Mobiles became the title sponsor of IPL for Rs 200 crore over a 2 year period. Vivo India has retained the IPL title rights till 2022. It has acquired the rights for Rs 2,199 crore, which translates to roughly Rs 440 crores per year being added to the BCCI coffers
Over the years, Aamir Khan has endorsed iconic brands like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Godrej, Tata Sky, Snapdeal, Star Plus, Titan, Samsung, Incredible India and others. The actor was also in the midst of severe controversy, following his statement on ‘rising intolerance in India’. Snapdeal decided to distance itself from the actor by not renewing their contract.
In the beginning of 2017, Tourism Ministry also reportedly dropped Khan as the ambassador for Incredible India, as a result of the negative image around the actor at that point of time. As per reports, the actor charges between Rs 3-3.5 crore for an endorsement deal.
The brand has recently announced that their new phone Vivo V9 will be launched at an event on March 23 in India. As per reports, the phone is said to get features like a 24-megapixel wide-angle selfie camera, Face Unlock, fast charging support, and fingerprint sensor. The handset is reported to run FunTouch 4.0 OS on top of Android 8.0 Oreo.
By far the biggest road project to be envisaged in the country, the Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway (NMSCE), is not being called a samruddhi mahamarg, or prosperity corridor, for nothing. To start with, the approximately 700-km road would be a greenfield project, cutting a swathe through 10 districts and using up about 9,330 hectares of land.
Designed for speeds as high as 150 kmph, Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway would have underpasses for animals, as well as flyovers and interchanges at major road crossings. There would also be vehicular underpasses (VUP) and pedestrian underpasses (PUP) at every village and town even as the route avoids cutting across major towns and cities.
The estimated cost of the project is `46,000 crore, including civil works, project management consultant’s (PMC’s) fees, land acquisition, and the development of industrial clusters and townships along the expressway. So far, 64% of the land has been acquired. Construction work has been divided into 16 packages, the value of which is estimated at `27,000 crore, though the exact cost would be known only after the financial bids are opened.
The Maharashtra Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the nodal agency for the project, has already floated the request for proposal (RFP) inviting PMCs to bid and the process is likely to be completed by April 10. For the construction work, the RFP documents the MSRDC has floated have drawn participation from over 20 companies. The bids are expected to be evaluated in two-three weeks. Construction is expected to take up to three years after the project is awarded later this year.
Financing from banks is expected to take care of the civil engineering or construction costs of the project. MSRDC already has commitments from 12 banks for Rs 12,000 crore. This does not include State Bank of India, which, according to sources, is expected to commit “a big amount”. The South Korean government, which had expressed interest in the project in September, 2017, is expected to fund at least one or two of the 16 construction packages.
But it is in its state-of-the-art planning and the amenities to be offered to users that the project would truly stand out. Solar lighting is expected to ensure energy efficiency. Prioritising passenger needs, there would be telephones every 5 km, food plazas, restaurants, shops and other amenities such as trauma centres, bus bays and truck terminals. For beautification, the median between the carriageways would have plantation and landscaping. Cleanliness, lighting, greenery and digitised signages are expected to create an ambience of efficiency and comfort. Passengers would also get free Wi-Fi access. Traffic surveillance would be ensured and CCTV cameras would help enforcement officials monitor the entire length of the expressway.
Information technology parks and educational hubs have also been planned along the route. Radheshyam Mopalwar, VC & MD, MSRDC, tells FE MSRDC already has proposals from educational institutions. “International schools have proposed to set up campuses. Symbiosis also has expressed interest. This is one place which will not suffer litigation or court cases. It is so difficult to acquire 100 or 50 acres of land otherwise. When government allots land, it is trouble-free, litigation-free, and with a clear title. This suits educational institutions very well,” he says.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s river cleanliness drive from April
NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is set to start the drive to clean three rivers — Nag, Pili and Pora — as well as nullahs from April 1st week. Municipal commissioner Ashwin Mudgal has directed the civic administration to be prepared for the monsoon season.
Mudgal convened a review meeting of all the assistant municipal commissioners, health officials and other department officials on Saturday and directed them to start preparations to take the annual cleanliness drive. He also asked the administration to seek funds from Western Coalfields Limited, Manganese Ore India Limited and other big industrial houses of the city under corporate social funds.
Following TOI-MT’s ‘Save Nag River — My City, My River’ campaign, NMC had launched a big drive on Nag river in May 2013. NMC had taken up a similar drive on Pili river in May 2014.
Mudgal pointed out that on July 17 last year many areas were waterlogged. He asked the zonal assistant commissioners to take stock of those places to ensure there is no water accumulation this year. Mudgal also directed the administration to write to Metro railway authority and cement road contractors to ensure no water logging at their construction sites.
Makar Sankranti Wishes : Makara Sankranti (Sankranthi) is a Hindu festival that encourages people to live in peace and harmony. Here are best quotes,...
