India

Chennai, June 4 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has no information of 8 people of the 127 people from the state who had reserved tickets in the Coromondel Express that met with an accident in Odisha's Balasore on Friday, leaving at least 275 dead, an official statement said on Sunday.

The eight passengers were identified as Naragani Gopi, 34, Raghunath, 21, Karthik, 19, Kamal, 26, Arun, 21, and A. Jagadeesan, 47 (all males) and Kalpana, 19, and Meena, 66 (both females), the statement said, adding that the remaining 119 passengers are safe.

The state government communique called upon the relatives of these missing persons to contact the state helpline numbers: 1070, 9445869843.

Several passengers from the state on the accident-struck Coromandel Express reached Chennai's Dr MGR central railway station on Sunday morning in a special train. Of this 18 people were grievously injured.

--IANS
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New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) As the Congress on Sunday sharpened its attack on the BJP over the Odisha train tragedy, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that accountability should be fixed and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw must resign.

In a tweet, Priyanka said, "More than 24 hours have passed since the horrific train accident in Balasore, Odisha. Shouldn't the accountability of the people sitting on top positions be fixed on human and moral grounds?

"Who is responsible for ignoring the warnings and suggestions of experts, parliamentary committee, CAG report? Whose responsibility will be fixed for the vacant posts in Railways and lack of funds in important areas? Following the ethical path of Lal Bahadur Shastri ji, Nitish Kumar ji, Madhav Rao Scindia ji, shouldn't the Railway Minister resign?"

Her remarks came soon after the Congress held a press conference and demanded the resignation of the railway minister.

Congress leader Pawan Khera and Shaktisinh Gohil cited several internal reports of the Railways, CAG audit report to highlight the lapses.

In one of the horrific tragedies at least 275 people died while over 1,000 were injured when 21 coaches of two -- Coromandel Express and SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express -- and a goods train collided and derailed on Friday evening near Bahanaga Bazar Railway station in Odisha's Balasore.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, June 4 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar has said that the threat of pandemics is far from over and called for integrating and strengthening One Health-based surveillance system.

She was addressing the third health working group meeting under G20 India Presidency which began here on Sunday.

Underlining the importance of global collaboration and partnerships, she said "the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted that partnerships are most fruitful only when developed during peacetime and not amidst an ongoing pandemic; and that we need to focus on creating resilient health systems, with primary health as its cornerstone." She further stated that "partnership we share as G20 members is vital and facilitates in building trust, sharing knowledge, creating networks and working together to achieve meaningful impact and results."

The two-day meeting is being attended by top officials, representatives from the G20 member countries, special invitee countries, international organisations, forums and partners like WHO, World Bank and WEF.

Dr Pawar also highlighted the need for availability of safe, effective and quality medical countermeasures. Stating that India's G20 Presidency is working towards building consensus for an end-to-end Global Medical Countermeasure (MCM) ecosystem, following a Network of Networks approach and leveraging existing global and regional initiatives, Dr Pawar urged the leadership of G20 countries to create an interim platform which will be guided by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) process and will feed into the same.

Acknowledging the convergence between G7 and G20 priorities, including the launch of MCM Delivery Partnership during Japan's G7 Presidency which aligns with G20's proposal of an end-to-end MCM ecosystem, Dr Pawar urged the global community to strengthen ongoing efforts in that direction. "Pandemics may not wait for the finalisation of the Pandemic Treaty and hence, the time to act is now," she stated

Dr Pawar also informed the delegates about India's proposal of a Global initiative on Digital Health, a WHO-managed network to converge ongoing initiatives in use of technology in the global health arena. She stated that "this initiative can enable bridging the digital divide amongst nations and ensure that the fruits of technology are made available to every citizen of the world."

Underscoring the contribution of Indian traditional knowledge systems to healthcare, Union Minister of Tourism G. Kishan Reddy stated that the Indian traditional knowledge system propagated preventive and holistic wellbeing for all. He highlighted the significant impact of Ayurveda and Yoga across the world. He stated that "Indian civilization and cultural heritage has given us the Ayurveda or the Science of Lives which is a 5,000 year old medical practice. Similarly, Yoga has emerged as one of the most trusted practices to boost both physical and mental wellbeing."

Highlighting the vision of the Prime Minister to make India one of the new hubs of medical value travel, the Union Tourism Minister said that India is home to affordable, efficient and reliable healthcare which positions the country as a go to destination for medical value travel. He also informed that India is among the top ten countries preferred by people all over the world for health and wellness.

Kishan Reddy stated, "India takes great pride in being a reliable partner in the noble vision of saving lives and protecting livelihoods" and highlighted India's recognition as the 'Pharmacy of the World'. He stated that the Genome Valley in Hyderabad alone contributes close to 33 per cent of world's vaccine production.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prof S.P. Singh Baghel noted that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response require diverse multilateral efforts. "The recent Covid-19 pandemic taught us that only through a sustainable health system a sustainable economy can be built. Effective pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response can only be facilitated through continuous interventions in the health sector at the regional, national, and global levels," he stated.

The Union Minister stated that India aims to ensure best health facilities, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for all through the platform of the G20. He commended the efforts of the G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force and the G7 for prioritizing the issue of financing health systems and societies in the face of an emergency, besides preparedness financing.

--IANS
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Srinagar, June 4 (IANS) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti was issued a passport after three years.

Mehbooba confirmed to reporters that she has got the passport from the passport officer.

It must be recalled that the Delhi high court had asked the passport authorities in March to decide within three months the issuance of travel documents to Mehbooba.

Mehbooba was denied passport after the Jammu and Kashmir Police had cited an 'adverse report' in March 2021.

--IANS
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Bhubaneswar, June 4 (IANS) The Odisha government on Sunday said the death figure in the tragic triple train accident at Bahanaga station in Balasore stood at 275.

"Some of the bodies have been counted twice at the accident site and also in hospitals. So, after proper counting, the final death figure stood at 275," said Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.

Out of 275 dead bodies, 78 bodies were identified and handed over to their family members after autopsy, he said, adding that the handing over of another 10 bodies was also under process.

Jena said of the remaining 187 bodies, 170 bodies have been brought to Bhubaneswar while another 17 bodies were in transit to the capital city from Balasore.

The bodies have been brought to different mortuaries of Bhubaneswar in a dignified way by 85 ambulances. Only two bodies were brought in each ambulance, he informed.

Stating that the major challenge before the government was to identify the bodies, the chief secretary said, "We have uploaded the pictures of the dead bodies on websites. If someone can identify the body of their family member, he/she can contact the helpline number 18003450061 /1929 (24A-7)."

The pictures of bodies have been uploaded on the websites: https://srcodisha.nic.in/, https://www.bmc.gov.in, and https://www.osdma.org. The list of injured have also been uploaded in these websites.

The government has also taken steps to provide death certificates to the family members of deceased persons in a hassle-free manner, he informed.

As many as 1,175 patients were admitted to various hospitals, out of which 793 have been discharged. Most of the injured patients are in stable condition. A total of 382 passengers were undergoing treatment in various government and private hospitals.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, June 4 (IANS) The South Central Railway (SCR) has announced cancellation of few more trains due to train disaster in Odisha in Kharagpur-Bhadrak section of South Eastern Railway.

The authorities cancelled at least 10 trains and diverted a few more trains as the track at the accident site is yet to be restored for rail traffic.

The cancelled trains are train number 18046 Hyderabad-Shalimar, 22855 Santragachi-Tirupati, 22856 Tirupati-Santragachi, 12245 Howrah-SMVT Bengaluru, 18045 Shalimar-Hyderabad, 12841 Shalimar-MGR Chennai Central, 18048 Vasco-Da-Gama-Howrah, 18048/17604 (slip coaches) Vasco-Da-Gama-Shalimar/Kacheguda, 1703 Howrah-Secunderabad and 12840 Chennai Central-Howrah.

Train number 22305 SMVT Bengaluru-Jasidih was rescheduled to depart at 12.30 hours instead of scheduled departure of 10 hours. Train number 12864 SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah departed at 13.00 hours instead of scheduled departure of 10.35 hours. Similarly 12246 SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah departed at 13.30 hours instead of scheduled departure of 11.20 hours.

Train number 12663 Howrah-Tiruchirappalli and Train number 12504 Agartala-SVMT Bengaluru with original route Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam will be diverted through Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Rourkela and Jharsuguda.

Train number 12513 Secunderabad-Guwahati has been diverted via Kharagpur, Tata Rourkela and Jharsuguda.

The SCR also announced that 17603 Kacheguda-Yelahanka and 17604 Yelahanka-Kacheguda have been augmented with one coach each of AC II Tier, AC III Tier and Sleeper.

--IANS
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Lucknow, June 4 (IANS) Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will now address a party rally in Katra area of Kaiserganj, his constituency, on June 11.

The rally is being organised under BJP's Mahasampark Abhiyan for the 2024 elections.

After cancelling the Ayodhya rally, Singh will now address BJP rally in his Lok Sabha constituency.

Singh had previously announced the postponement of his June 5 'Jan Chetna Maha rally' in Ayodhya, citing a police investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment against him by seven female wrestlers, including a minor.

He had also said there were "serious directions of the Supreme Court".

In a Facebook post on Friday, Singh said, "It was decided to hold a Sant Sammelan in Ayodhya on June 5 to consider the evil spreading across society. But now that police are investigating the allegations, and respecting the serious directions of the Supreme Court, the 'Jan Chetna Maharally, June 5, Ayodhya Chalo' programme has been postponed for a few days."

He claimed that "my political opponents and their parties have levelled false allegations against me."

--IANS
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By Archana Sharma
Jaipur, June 4 (IANS) Rajasthan elections will be crucial this time and the fight will be interesting, say leaders of the Congress and BJP.


As such they do accept the fact that despite being a two-party state, this time, the state will witness new equations due to several small players entering the fray.

While AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi has already announced plans to make a foray in the state, it will change the prospects of many districts like Tonk, which is Sachin Pilot's constituency.

Most of the Muslim votes will go with him, say political sources, adding that they will mark a dent in Congress' prospects.

Similarly, RLD is already in alliance with ruling Congress and its MLA Subhash Garg is considered to be the right hand man of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and is a state minister. For now, it seems the alliance is there to stay.

Haryana's Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has also announced its entry in the state's electoral politics. It has decided to contest polls on seats where the BJP is weak. So it will help the saffron party to get support in the Jat belt of the state.

The party will contest elections on many seats, including Fatehpur, Suratgarh, Kotputli, Nohar, Bhadra and Lunkaransar, said JJP president Ajay Singh Chautala. The party is an ally of the BJP in Haryana.

It needs to be mentioned here that Jats have been Congress' vote bank, and hence the JJP's entry will help the saffron party to make an inroad in this community which is already annoyed with the BJP after Satish Poonia was removed as state BJP president.

Next regional player is Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) convenor Hanuman Beniwal, who had broken his ties with the BJP due to differences with the party over farm law issues. The Jat leader has invited Sachin Pilot to form his own party and said that he will support him if he forms a new party.

Recently, in a press conference, he said that his party is open to make alliance with any party opposed to the BJP and Congress.

He also announced that if a third front is formed, it can defeat both the Congress and BJP in the upcoming elections.

Another regional player is the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) which has its three MLAs. While the party extended support to the Congress during the Rajya Sabha polls, it split as one of its MLAs did not follow party's instructions and did not vote.

There are chances that this Gujarat-based party will witness a rift and there might be a new party coming in to address the issues of tribals in the state.

So a million-dollar question is will there be a third front emerging in the two-party state. While senior leaders shrug off this speculation, party leaders like Beniwal have been speaking with confidence that a third front will stop the Congress and BJP from forming a government in the next Assembly polls.

--IANS
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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday said that the government would take an informed and reasoned decision after consulting all stakeholders on the Law Commission's report for retaining the penal provision for the offence of sedition with model guidelines to curb its misuse.

Meghwal, in a tweet, said: "Now that we have received the report, we will also hold consultations with all the other stakeholders so that we take an informed and reasoned decision in the public interest".

"The law commission report on Sedition is one of the steps in the extensive consultative process. The recommendations made in the report are persuasive and not binding. Ultimately, the final decision will be taken only after consulting all the stakeholders".

The Law Commission, in its report submitted to the government, has said it is of considered view that Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with sedition needs to be retained, though certain amendments could be introduced to bring about greater clarity regarding usage of the provision and stressed that sedition being a "colonial legacy" is not a valid ground for its repeal.

It also recommended enhancing the jail term in sedition cases from a minimum of three years to seven years.

The Law Commission said it is cognizant of the views regarding the misuse of Section 124A, and recommends that model guidelines curbing the misuse be issued by the Centre.

22nd Law Commission's Chairman Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi (retd), in his covering letter to Law Minister Meghwal, said: "In this context, it is also alternatively suggested that a provision analogous to Section 196(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) may be incorporated as a proviso to Section 154 of CrPC, which would provide the requisite procedural safeguard before filing of an FIR with respect to an offence under Section 124A of IPC."

The commission, in its report, said: "in our considered opinion, it is imperative to lay down certain procedural guidelines for curbing any misuse of Section l24A of IPC by the law enforcement authorities, any allegation of misuse of this provision does not by implication warrant a call for its repeal."

The commission recommended enhancing the jail term in sedition cases from a minimum of three years to seven years. "It is, therefore, suggested that the provision be revised to bring it in consonance with the scheme of punishment provided for other offences under Chapter VI. This would allow the courts greater room to award punishment for a case of sedition in accordance with the scale and gravity of the act committed," it said.

The commission, in the report on the 'Usage of the Law of Sedition', said its earlier report had termed the punishment for Section 124A (law of sedition) of the IPC "very odd" as it has provisions for either life imprisonment or a three-year jail term, but nothing in between, and with the minimum punishment being only fine. "A comparison of the sentences as provided for the offences in Chapter VI of the IPC suggests that there is a glaring disparity in the punishment prescribed for Section 124A," it said.

--IANS
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Srinagar, June 2 (IANS) J&K's Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh on Friday chaired a meeting of the task force committee to review the progress of the UT-wide CCTV surveillance system project in J&K, an official statement said.

The DGP impressed upon the Police officers and representatives of the companies to expedite the work and complete the work within the stipulated time.

"He said that the timelines should be respected and achieved as per plan. He impressed upon the officers to accelerate the speed of work without compromising on the quality of the work," an official statement said.

"He impressed upon the officers to resolve all issues and directed to remove hurdles if any as quick as possible."

"There was thread bare discussions on the different components of the projects, and valuable suggestions were exchanged."

--IANS
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