Category: INDIA

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Piplani police on Tuesday busted a gang of vehicle lifters and arrested four of its members who are BTech students of a leading engineering college in Vidisha.

The accused used to steal costly motorcycles and were experts in breaking their locks. Nine stolen bikes have been recovered from their possession.

During questioning, they revealed that they stole vehicles to live a lavish lifestyle, police officials said. Speaking to media persons, DCP Zone 2 Sanjay Agarwal said a special police team was roped in to crack cases of vehicle thefts.

Taking help of surveillance and available footages, police team arrested four suspects from Vidisha who were identified as Praveen Shukla (20), Atahrva Tyagi (19) of Vidisha district, Sanskar Mishra (19) of Anuppur and Abhishek Singh Baghel (19) of Shahdol district. Police seized five stolen bikes from their possession.

The accused claimed to have parked four other stolen bikes in Shahdol and Anuppur districts, DCP added. Piplani police station incharge Anurag Lal said the arrested youths were pursuing BTech from an engineering college in Vidisha. The accused used to steal bikes from different areas in Bhopal and then return to Vidisha.

The stolen motorcycles were sold to people in remote areas to avoid being caught. The accused are being questioned further to ascertain their involvement in other incidents of motorcycle theft and number of bikes they have stolen.

The 13-year-old legal dispute in the Bombay High Court over renting out the premises of the historical 189-year-old Robert Money Technical High School and Junior College, Grant Road, to an international school, has been settled. The disputing groups have signed consent terms and have withdrawn all claims and allegations against each other. 

According to the consent terms, the international school will continue to run after approvals from the Charity Commissioner which is hearing disputes relating to the trusts that own the school land. However, Protestant Christian groups, who have been opposing the conversion of an institution set up for educating poor children into an elite international school, said they would challenge the agreement.

The dispute over the school land began in December 2011 when the Bombay Diocesan Society, a trust from the Church of North India (CNI) which claims to be the custodian of the school land, signed a tenancy agreement with a group that planned an international school there. The old school, which combined a formal curriculum with industrial skills, was shut down.

The transfer of the school land and three buildings was challenged and called ‘illegal’ by the Bombay Diocesan Trust Association Private Limited, another church trust which claimed rights over the property. On November 28, 2019, the Bombay High Court appointed a Court Receiver and asked the international school to deposit Rs 33 lakhs per month as royalty for using the school property from January 2020 onwards. The group has deposited Rs 17.82 crores till June 2024.

In July 2024, the parties in the dispute signed consent terms and withdrew all allegations and claims against each other inter-se with certain terms and conditions. The consent terms said that new buildings in the premises will be used only for educational purposes. In October 2024, the Bombay High Court disposed of the suit in view of the consent terms. The Court Receiver was discharged. James Baker, BDTA trustee, said that the school will continue functioning but will need the approval of the Charity Commissioner, the body that has jurisdiction over public trusts. “As far as the Bombay High Court is concerned, the dispute is over. We had challenged how the tenancy was given to a third party,” said Baker.

The Bombay Diocesan Society and the international school did not respond to calls and messages asking for their response to the developments. The Charity Commissioner is hearing, among other things, a dispute between different groups, each claiming to be the BDTA. Church members are unhappy with the development. Advocate Cyril Dara, church activist and Secretary of the Christian Reform United People Association (CRUPA), said they will challenge the agreement. “The consent terms are very harmful for the Christian community.

The property was already illegally handed over to a third party in 2011. The Robert Money Technical High School and Junior College is being closed down completely which was built with a purpose to benefit the poor and underprivileged children students by a father in memory of his son. Now they must be cursing from heaven,” said Dara.Dara said that the members of the trusts that signed the consent terms are neither elected nor recognised by the Charity Commissioner. “But the deal has been accepted. The property is gone to the third party and is subject to the permission of the Charity Commissioner. However, the best part is that to date there is no permission from the Charity Commissioner’s office but still crores of rupees are being exchanged and the property is with a third party,” added Dara. “The Christian Community needs to be alert, wake up, and protect their property. 

The Robert Money Technical High School and Junior College, along with the playground should be immediately restored to the community.

Belagavi: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday told the Legislative Council that he is in favour of a “high-level” probe into the recent maternal deaths in Ballari district. He also said the government would take a final decision after discussing it with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

With members demanding a high-level probe into such deaths, he said the government would decide on it after reviewing the report by an expert committee, headed by the Development Commissioner, which is currently investigating the issue.

The Minister further said he has ordered a “maternal death audit,” which will help in identifying responsibility and pursuing the closure of the company that allegedly supplied the substandard Ringer Lactate solution, suspected to have caused the deaths.

“Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the maternal deaths and identify those responsible. However, several members (MLCs) have called for a higher-level probe, either through a Special Investigation Team (SIT), a judicial inquiry, or a house panel. I will discuss this with the Chief Minister before deciding on further action,” Rao said.

Making a statement in the House following the five maternal deaths at Ballari government hospital, he said, “We will also take a report from the committee headed by the Development Commissioner, which is probing the matter. I am also of the view that there should be a high-level probe. I will speak to the Chief Minister and decide. We are ready for a probe, and who should conduct it will be decided after consulting the CM.”

Noting that he has ordered an investigation into every maternal death that has occurred in the state this year, especially those since August at hospitals following the use of Ringer Lactate solution, the Minister said, “I have directed a maternal death audit and asked for the report to be submitted.”

“We want the truth to come out, and we don’t want to hide anything. There should be no tolerance for such incidents (deaths)… This is a failure in our system,” he said, while also calling for stringent laws to counter the pharma lobby in the country and a robust system to ensure drug quality is not compromised.

The Minister stated that a sudden surge in maternal deaths was reported at the Ballari district hospital between November 9 and 11. The deaths allegedly occurred following caesarean operations at the hospital.

Of the 34 caesarean operations performed during those three days, seven cases developed complications.

Out of the seven patients who developed complications, five died, while two were discharged from the hospital, he said.

Amid concerns that the maternal deaths could be linked to substandard Ringer Lactate solution, which is administered intravenously to restore hydration and fluid balance, Rao said all batches of the solution have been withdrawn from use.

The Chief Minister chaired a meeting following these maternal deaths and ordered a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased, Rao added.

He also directed the suspension of the Drugs Controller and the issuance of a show-cause notice to the Managing Director (MD) of Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (KSMSCL), Rao said.

The government has further decided to blacklist ‘Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical’, the company that supplied the solution, and to prosecute it. Additionally, the company has been asked to pay compensation to the families of the victims, Rao added.

Since the company’s manufacturing process was found to be “improper” by the Drugs Controller of India, the state government and the West Bengal government, a “stoppage notice” has been issued to the company. As a result, the company is prohibited from manufacturing any drugs at its facility until further orders, he added.

Pointing out that the government had also written to the Drugs Controller of India requesting a probe into Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical and appropriate action against it, the Minister stated that the existing legislation concerning drug quality in the country is weak, making it reportedly difficult to hold pharma companies accountable.

He said some companies manufacture one quality of drugs for export and a different quality for domestic supply. “There should be no difference in the quality of drugs; there should be only one standard, and it cannot be compromised. However, we are unable to implement this fully across the country.”

Highlighting that the batches of Ringer Lactate solution sent to Ballari were tested by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited labs, the Minister questioned the quality of tests conducted in those labs.

He added that an expert committee, chaired by the Development Commissioner, has been formed to investigate the deaths and all related aspects, including what led to them, where the fault lies, and who is responsible. “They are yet to submit a report,” he said.

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh sent special message to Tim Southee after the New Zealand pacer announced his retirement from Test cricket. Taking to Instagram, Yuvraj wrote, ‘Congratulations on a fantastic career pretty boy. You bowled your heart out on the field be proud of yourself! good luck and see you on the other side mate’.

Tim Southee retires

After announcing his retirement Southee said, “Playing for New Zealand was a dream come true. To do that at a young age was pretty special. Sitting here now, reflecting, it’s gone by extremely quickly. Over the next however long, I’ll reflect more. It’s been a great ride, and there’s still a little more to come. But when I took the field in Napier, I certainly didn’t think I’d be sitting here 17 years later. It’s been a real privilege and honour to fulfil a childhood dream and represent my country,” .

Following his retirement from Test cricket, Southee will decide whether to compete in the white-ball series against Sri Lanka after Christmas. He has also expressed his willingness to make himself available for the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s next year, should New Zealand qualify for the one-off Test decider.

Look at Tim Southee’s legendary career

Southee made his Test debut in March 2008 in the Napier match against England. He emerged as a consistent wicket-taker who could swing the ball both ways. He eventually finished with 391 wickets from 107 Tests at 30.26. His tally included 15 five-wicket hauls and an economy rate of 3.02.

Southee bowed out as the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in Test cricket. He is only behind the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee, who took 431 wickets in the format. Southee also has the distinction of recording 1,000 runs, 50 wickets, and 50 catches in Test cricket.

He took his first five-wicket haul aged 19 years and 102 days (his debut Test). Southee was also a potent batter down the order for the Kiwis in Test cricket. He scored 2,245 runs across 107 Tests, thereby getting the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in the format.

India’s largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank, has been slapped with a second administrative warning by the market regulator SEBI for alleged non-compliance with certain provisions of the regulator.

A new warning was issued by SEBI to HDFC Bank on Monday for a three-day delay in disclosing the resignation of senior employee Arvind Kapil and failing to explain the delay.

Last week, the market regulator had issued an administrative warning to HDFC Bank for non-compliance with multiple regulations, including provisions governing merchant bankers, capital issuance, and insider trading.

According to SEBI regulations on Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR), listed entities must inform the exchanges about any change within the company within 12 hours. However, HDFC Bank delayed this disclosure by three days.

“The above violation has been viewed seriously. You are therefore warned to be careful in the future and advised to exercise due caution to avoid the recurrence of such instances, failing which appropriate enforcement action may be initiated,” states the SEBI administrative warning letter to HDFC Bank.

The market watchdog deemed the violations serious and warned the bank to avoid recurrence and take corrective measures.

SEBI further directed the bank to place its response before the Board and disclose it to the exchanges.

The bank notified the exchanges about Arvind Kapil’s resignation on April 30, 2024, after a three-day delay and appointed Sumant Rampal as the Group Head of Mortgage Business from March 28, 2024, without the required regulatory filings.

Deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease were found to be lowest among taxi and ambulance drivers, who frequently process spatial and navigational information, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, suggest that working in these professions may have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease, an age-related condition that progressively deteriorates memory, thinking, and daily functioning.

Researchers, including those from Massachusetts General Hospital, analysed death data from the US National Vital Statistics System for adults across 443 different occupations.

Of the nearly nine million people whose occupational information was available, almost four percent had Alzheimer’s disease listed as a cause of death, the researchers found.

Among the 16,658 taxi drivers, about one percent (171) died from Alzheimer’s disease, while 10 of 1,348 ambulance drivers (0.74 percent) died from the neurodegenerative condition. Compared to the general population and all other occupations examined, taxi and ambulance drivers had the lowest proportion of deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Canva

This trend was not observed in other transport-related jobs, such as bus drivers or aircraft pilots, possibly due to their reliance on pre-determined routes, the authors noted. They also pointed out that the trend was not seen in individuals suffering from other forms of dementia, suggesting that neurological changes in the brain’s hippocampus region—or elsewhere—among taxi and ambulance drivers may explain the reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

The hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory, learning, and decision-making, plays a critical role in spatial memory and navigation. This area is also known to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease.

The authors referenced a previous study showing that London taxi drivers had an enhanced hippocampus compared to the general population.

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However, as this was an observational study, the researchers cautioned that no cause-and-effect conclusions could be drawn.”In an analysis of nearly all death certificates in the United States, taxi drivers and ambulance drivers, whose jobs require frequent spatial and navigational processing, were found to be the occupations with the two lowest risk-adjusted percentages of deaths due to Alzheimer’s disease,” the authors wrote.

“Further research is necessary to definitively determine whether the spatial cognitive work required in these occupations affects the risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease and whether any cognitive activities can potentially be preventive,” they wrote.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by GPlus’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed)