India

Kolkata, April 7 (IANS) West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on Monday approached the Supreme Court seeking a modification to its earlier order cancelling 25,753 appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

The apex court’s Division Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI), Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, recently upheld an earlier order by the Calcutta High Court’s Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi cancelling 25,753 appointments made by the WBSSC.

In the petition, the WBBSE has stated that till the time the fresh recruitment process as directed by the court last week is completed, those candidates who have been identified as “genuine” should be allowed to attend to their duties.

However, there is confusion on this particular plea by the Board since the apex court last week accepted the earlier observation by the Calcutta High Court that all the 25,753 appointments had to be cancelled because of the failure of the state government/commission to segregate genuine candidates from the tainted ones who allegedly got jobs by paying money.

Even Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, questioned the basis on which the state government derived the number of genuine candidates.

He said that the state government should furnish at the apex court two lists, one of genuine candidates and the other of tainted ones along with relevant details.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee often claims to be a lawyer. So I request her to personally appear in the apex court while making a review petition of the order and submit the lists of ‘genuine’ and ‘tainted’ candidates to the court,” he said.

Earlier in the day, while addressing a meeting with job-losers at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata, CM Mamata Banerjee claimed that the state government would seek clarifications from the apex court on the exact division in genuine and tainted candidates.

She also said that the state government would seek clarifications from the apex court on what needs to be done with the existing teachers till the time the fresh recruitment process starts through examinations.

At the meeting, CM Banerjee also asked those hit by the apex court’s ruling to give voluntary service at their respective schools during the interim period.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) The government on Monday announced that it has increased excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 each, with effect from Tuesday, but there will be no increase in the retail prices of the two fuels as oil prices have come down in the global market.

The lower crude oil prices will reduce the cost of production for oil refining and marketing companies such as Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum and increase their retail margins. This will enable the government to raise more revenue from an excise duty hike without increasing the burden on consumers.

"The PSU Oil Marketing Companies have informed that there will be no increase in retail prices of petrol and diesel, subsequent to the increase effected in Excise Duty Rates today," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas posted on X.

The excise duty on petrol has been increased to Rs 13 per litre and that on diesel to Rs 10, according to the order.

The move aims to mop up more revenue as crude oil prices have fallen to a four-year low in the global market with the benchmark Brent crude falling to $63 a barrel - the lowest since April 2021 - and the US West Texas Intermediate crude declining to $59.57. India, the world’s 3rd largest importer of crude, stands to gain as oil prices have fallen.

Oil prices extended losses on Monday, falling close to 4 per cent as growing trade tensions between the United States and China triggered fears of a recession that would lead to a decline in the demand for crude, while the OPEC+ oil cartel has decided to increase supply.

Brent futures lost $2.43, or 3.7 per cent, to $63.15 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 3.9 per cent, at $59.57.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, on Sunday slashed crude oil prices for Asian buyers in May by up to $2.3 per barrel.

The decline in oil prices augurs well for the Indian economy as the country imports around 85 per cent of its crude requirement, and any decline in oil prices leads to a reduction in the country’s import bill. This, in turn, leads to a lowering of the current account deficit (CAD) and strengthening of the rupee.

Apart from strengthening the external balance, a decline in oil prices also leads to lower prices of petrol, diesel and LPG in the domestic market, which eases inflation in the country.

The government has also helped to reduce the country’s oil import bill by allowing the oil companies to buy Russian crude at discounted prices despite Western pressures in the wake of the Ukraine war. The Narendra Modi government has stood firm in maintaining its ties with Russia despite the sanctions against Moscow imposed by the USA and Europe.

Russia has now emerged as the largest supplier of crude oil to India replacing Iraq and Saudi Arabia which occupied the top slot earlier. India has in fact become the largest purchaser of Russia’s seaborne oil which accounted for close to 38 per cent of India’s total oil imports.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu on Monday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after the Centre approved a major railway infrastructure project for Chhattisgarh.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, on Friday, cleared four railway multitracking projects worth Rs 18,658 crore. These include a new 615 km railway line in Chhattisgarh with an investment of Rs 8,741 crore, aimed at boosting connectivity and reducing logistical costs in the region.

Earlier in the day, along with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, MoS Tokhan Sahu announced a major boost to railway connectivity.

He took to X and posted, "With Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a major boost to clean transport infrastructure in Chhattisgarh, today at a joint press conference held at Rail Bhawan."

"This is a huge gift to the people of Chhattisgarh. The new railway line from Khairagarh to Parmalkasa, passing through Bilaspur and Raipur bypass, will directly connect the state to Maharashtra. On behalf of 3 crore citizens, heartfelt thanks to PM Modi and Railway Minister Vaishnaw," MoS Tokhan Sahu told IANS.

The Kharsia–Naya Raipur–Parmalkasa line is expected to cut logistical costs by Rs 2,520 crore compared to road transport. It will also provide access to Baloda Bazar and facilitate the establishment of new industries, including cement plants.

"Several new railway lines are being inaugurated in Chhattisgarh, and various other developmental projects in the connectivity sector have also been approved, with ongoing work," he said.

"With the expansion of railway connectivity, transportation facilities in the region will significantly improve. Currently, only 30 per cent of connectivity exists, but in the coming time, it is expected to increase to 60–70 per cent. It will open doors for employment, industrial growth, and regional development," the MoS said.

He further added that both central and state governments are committed to developing the state.

"This is PM Modi's guarantee -- every guarantee will now be fulfilled," the MoS said.

Referring to internal security in the state, MoS Tokhan Sahu said, "The Maoist threat in Chhattisgarh is nearing its end. Our brave security forces have achieved major successes, and the fight continues. Soon, Chhattisgarh, including Bastar, will be Maoist-free and witness historic development."

--IANS

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Jamshedpur, April 7 (IANS) Communal tension flared in Dhalbhumgarh area of Jamshedpur on Monday after miscreants allegedly uprooted religious flags near a temple and scattered banned meat at the site.

The incident occurred near Hanuman Vatika temple, located at the block headquarters, where flags had been installed to mark Ram Navami.

The news spread rapidly on Monday morning, triggering protests.

Hundreds of residents took to the streets, blocking National Highway-18 near Dhalbhumgarh from 9 a.m. The blockade continued till 1 p.m., resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway.

In response, local markets in Dhalbhumgarh and Narsinghgarh were shut down. Protesters raised slogans demanding immediate action against those responsible.

East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur) Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Rishav Garg, Ghatsila Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sunil Chandra, Musabani Police Station Incharge Sandeep Bhagat, and other officials reached the spot and tried to pacify the agitated crowd.

Residents alleged that such acts are not new and demanded strict action against those targeting religious sentiments.

They recalled that a similar incident had occurred a year ago at the same location, when banned meat was found near the temple, sparking prolonged unrest.

According to locals, a grand Ram Navami procession was taken out on Sunday, and numerous religious flags were put up near the temple. The procession concluded late in the evening.

On Monday morning, residents discovered the flag uprooted, banned meat strewn nearby, and several items from the temple, including a bell, missing.

Locals suspect the act was carried out at night as part of a deliberate attempt to disturb communal harmony.

Rural SP Rishabh Garg said a special cell has been formed to investigate the matter from all angles.

“Strict action will be taken after identifying those involved in this,” he assured.

--IANS

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Mumbai, April 7 (IANS) The Indian stock markets went through a major sell-off on Monday amid global crash, with domestic benchmark indices falling sharply – registering their biggest one-day fall since June 4 last year when the Lok Sabha election results were announced.

However, a slight recovery in the final trading window helped the Nifty climb back above the 22,100 mark, easing some of the day’s earlier losses.

The Sensex tumbled 2,226.79 points, or 2.95 per cent, to close at 73,137.90. During the session, it swung between an intra-day high of 73,284.24 and a low of 71,425.01. Investors lost over Rs 13.5 lakh crore at the closing.

The Nifty followed a similar path, falling 742.85 points or 3.24 per cent to settle at 22,161.60. Tata Steel fell the most by dropping over 7 per cent on both the exchanges.

This sharp decline followed the biggest drop in Asian markets in 14 years, triggered by a slump in Wall Street.

The domestic market sentiment turned negative after US President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs, which were met with retaliatory measures from China.

This standoff between two major global economies has raised fears of a full-blown trade war, which could push the world into recession.

"The market tumbled as the carnage over high US tariffs and the retaliation by other countries may kickstart a trade war,” said Vinod Nair of Geojit Investments Limited.

He added that though the overall impact on India may be limited when compared with other countries, investors are advised to play cautiously during this fray.

“Focus will be on pure-play domestic themes, where the rebound is likely to be fair when the dust settles," Nair stated.

The broader market also faced heavy selling pressure. Both the Nifty Midcap100 and Smallcap100 indices ended over 3 per cent lower.

Sector-wise, metal and realty stocks were the worst hit. The Nifty Metal index fell 6.75 per cent, while the Nifty Realty index dropped 5.69 per cent.

Other sectors like IT, banking, auto, and financial services also posted losses of up to 4 per cent. Even a better-than-expected US job report, which typically boosts global sentiment, failed to calm the nerves of investors as trade concerns took centre stage.

According to Sundar Kewat of Ashika Institutional Equity, the downturn was primarily driven by escalating global uncertainties.

“Weak cues from Wall Street -- where markets closed lower last Friday -- spilled over into global markets, including India,” Kewat said.

“Investor sentiment took a hit amid growing recession fears, exacerbated by heightened global trade tensions,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Indian rupee slightly weakened against the US dollar, closing 61 paise lower at 85.84, compared to Friday’s close of 85.23.

“Rupee is expected to trade in a wide range of 85.25–86.25, with elevated volatility anticipated in the near term," Jateen Trivedi of LKP Securities said.

Gold traded in a volatile range between Rs 87,900 and Rs 88,500 as markets digested the broader impact of the ongoing China-US tariff war.

Sentiment remained cautious with investors looking for further clarity from the US on its next course of action, especially amid escalating trade tensions.

The upcoming US CPI data is expected to play a crucial role in shaping rate cut expectations, which could influence gold's direction globally. Domestically, the RBI policy meet later this week will be closely watched, as rupee volatility is likely to add another layer of uncertainty for MCX Gold, said Trivedi.

--IANS

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Jaipur, April 7 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court has extended the interim bail of Asaram until July 1, while maintaining the conditions set by the Supreme Court. The hearing, which took place on Monday, was conducted by the division bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Vineet Kumar.

Asaram, who is currently serving a life sentence for the rape of a minor at his ashram in Jodhpur, was granted relief after his case was reviewed by the Gujarat High Court.

Asaram had been on interim bail from January 14 to March 31. After the bail period ended, he surrendered on April 1. He was then admitted to a private hospital the same night, where he remains hospitalised.

Asaram's lawyer, Nishant Bora, clarified that the hearing on the case took place on April 2. During this hearing, the victim's lawyer, P.C. Solanki, accused Asaram of violating the Supreme Court's condition, which prohibited him from giving sermons.

Following this accusation, the Rajasthan High Court directed Asaram to present an affidavit. Nishant Bora added that the affidavit was submitted to the court. The court inquired whether Asaram had preached during his interim bail period. An affidavit was also requested from the victim. The victim's lawyer asserted that Asaram had indeed violated the conditions of his interim bail, as outlined by the Supreme Court.

After the interim bail period concluded, Asaram surrendered at the Jodhpur Central Jail at 1.30 p.m. on April 1. After spending about 10 hours in jail, he was transferred to the Arogyam private hospital on Pali Road at 11.30 p.m. on April 1.

On April 3, Asaram went to AIIMS for a follow-up checkup and returned to Arogyam later that evening. He remains admitted at this hospital.

On March 28, the Gujarat High Court granted Asaram a three-month interim bail for the second time. Following this, when the Rajasthan High Court resumed on April 1, Asaram's lawyer, Nishant Bora, requested an urgent hearing regarding the application filed earlier.

The court heard the case on April 2, and after about half an hour of deliberation, the court decided to schedule the next hearing for April 7.

--IANS

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Bhubaneswar, April 7 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and former Sundargarh MLA Kusum Tete, on Monday, demanded a high-level probe into the rampant coal smuggling from opencast coal mines in the Hemgir block of the Sundargarh district in Odisha.

Tete, through a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has drawn his attention towards the rampant smuggling of coal from Sundargarh to outside the state.

She claimed that the illegal coal smuggling has been causing huge revenue loss to the state coffers. “Even though the rich mineral soil of Hemgir block's Gopalpur area under the jurisdiction of Sundargarh Assembly Constituency is bestowed with Asia's largest opencast coal mines and Government of India (GoI)'s Navratna company Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) has been tapping the 'Black Diamond' since the 1990s, anti-social elements and coal mafias are having a hey day with impunity by giving a damn to both the district and state administrations,” wrote Tete.

She further mentioned that the Central government has already leased out mining blocks formally to certain legal-lease-holding companies for coal mining operations and the state is earning revenue handsomely.

“Nevertheless, such rampant coal smuggling being committed clandestinely in a massive manner over the years from the Kulapada and Telendihi reserve forest area in Hemgir block's Gopalpur village periphery by the coal scamsters and unscrupulous traders not only is causing grave concerns to the law-abiding and conscious citizens, but also to the utter chagrin of hapless locals. The coal smuggling den in question here is claimed to be spread over a 30 km radius within the reserve forest area with more than 100 coal mining sites and over 40 coal stockyards,” the senior BJP leader added.

Tete asserted that the massively looted booty of coal is allegedly being smuggled out to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

She stated that these nefarious practices were recently exposed by some local media channels, following which a raid was launched jointly by the Sundargarh district administration, police and forest department sleuths led by the Sundargarh Sub-Collector.

“Despite the raids and startling revelations, the kingpins of the coal crime syndicate are still at large as the news channel nor the officials reported any arrests nor any breakthrough into the vicious circle. Therefore, your benign authority's swift action is highly solicited for a perennial curb on such a catastrophic crime, along with the passing of an order for a high-level probe into the plunder of precious public property. This is for your kind information and necessary action,” urged Tete.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) In simultaneous multi-city raids, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday searched former BSP legislator Vinay Shankar Tiwari’s properties in Mumbai, Delhi, and at least nine other locations in Uttar Pradesh over a Rs 1,500 crore bank loan fraud, an official said on Monday.

Offices of Gangotri Enterprises Limited, a firm promoted by Tiwari, were searched in a coordinated action at five locations in Lucknow and one each in Gorakhpur, Noida, Sitapur, and Maharajganj, apart from Delhi and Mumbai.

The search operations resulted in the recovery and seizure of several digital devices, various incriminating documents, and details of various movable and immovable assets, said an official.

Tiwari’s company, already booked by the CBI in a corruption case, is suspected to have diverted and laundered the Rs 1,500 crore it got as loans from a consortium of banks.

Gangotri Enterprises Limited is also allegedly involved in furnishing forged documents to seek loans, said an official.

Tiwari had served as a BSP legislator before joining the Samajwadi Party. He is the son of the late strongman and former UP minister Hari Shankar Tiwari.

In February 2024, the ED conducted search operations at 10 locations in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Noida, Ahmedabad, and Gurgaon in connection with the alleged bank fraud by Gangotri Enterprises Limited and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Even on that occasion, the ED sleuths had searched the residential and commercial properties of Tiwari, along with other directors and contractors of GEL to trace and unearth the proceeds of crime.

The ED initiated an investigation after the CBI registered an FIR over the GEL’s alleged bank fraud of Rs 754 crore in collusion with its directors/promoters/guarantors.

ED investigation revealed that the loan money was diverted and misappropriated by way of siphoning off to various related concerns operated and controlled by the main promoter of the company, Tiwari, and his family members and relatives, causing wrongful loss to the consortium of banks.

Many of his relatives are either directors, shareholders, or guarantors in the company M/s GEL. In this case, a Provisional Attachment order was issued in November 2023, attaching various properties worth Rs 72.08 crore.

During the searches last year, the ED found that funds were diverted under the garb of investment and interest-free loans, and advances were given to its group companies by GEL.

Some high-value properties were also transferred to Benami/paper entities without any consideration when the loan account turned into a non-performing asset (NPA).

--IANS

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Jammu, April 7 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was informed on Monday that Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has given assent to three bills passed by the House earlier.

Manoj Kumar Pandit, secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, informed the House that three Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly were assented to by the Lt Governor on March 25.

The Secretary read out in the House: “Three Bills, passed by the Legislative Assembly, have been assented to by the Lieutenant Governor on the 25th of March, 2025. The Bills include The Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (L.A. Bill No. 1 of 2025), The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill, 2025 (L.A. Bill No. 2 of 2025) and The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill, 2025 (L.A. Bill No. 3 of 2025).”

The House resumed question hour after ruckus marred the proceedings in the morning, forcing Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.

National Conference MLAs Nazir Gurezi and Tanvir Sadiq demanded that the question hour be deferred to allow a discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act.

The demand was supported by Congress, PDP and some other members, while the BJP opposed the move.

The Speaker ruled that since the matter is sub judice, he cannot allow a debate on the subject.

Former Chief Minister and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti termed the rejection of the adjournment motion on the Waqf Amendment Act "profoundly disappointing" and accused the NC government of yielding to the BJP's "anti-Muslim" agenda.

“It's profoundly disappointing that the speaker J&K Assembly has rejected the motion on the Waqf Bill. Despite securing a strong mandate, the government appears to have completely yielded to the BJP's anti-Muslim agenda, cynically attempting to appease both sides,” Mehbooba Mufti wrote in her post on X.

Senior religious and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also criticised the Speaker’s decision. The Mirwaiz said on X: “It is ridiculous and condemnable that Tamil Nadu which only has 6% Muslim population, passes a strong anti Wakf resolution in it’s assembly, while the Muslim majority J&K assembly speaker is struggling and refusing, by hiding behind technicalities, to discuss this deeply concerting issue for the Muslims of the state. The speaker would know that the strong peoples mandate given to his party was precisely for the reason that the party had promised to safeguard the interests of the people being trampled upon since August 2019 and take a stand for them in critical matters. Why is he capitulating so meekly?"

--IANS

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New Delhi/Dubai, April 7 (IANS) Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of UAE will be on a two-day visit to India starting Tuesday ​at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced Monday.

This would be Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's first official visit to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai and he will be accompanied by several ministers, senior government officials and a high-level business delegation.

Prime Minister Modi will host a working lunch for the visiting dignitary on Tuesday and the Crown Prince is also scheduled to hold meetings with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

After Delhi, the Crown Prince will visit Mumbai and will also participate in a business roundtable with prominent business leaders from both sides. The interaction will strengthen India–UAE economic and commercial cooperation across traditional and futuristic areas.

"Traditionally, Dubai has played an important role in India's commercial, cultural and people-to-people exchanges with the UAE. Majority of India's around 4.3 million diaspora in UAE reside and work in Dubai. The visit of His Highness the Crown Prince will further solidify the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and strengthen our multifaceted ties with Dubai," read a statement issued by the MEA.

EAM Jaishankar had extended Prime Minister's invitation to the Crown Prince to visit India at an early date during his visit to the United Arab Emirates on January 27-29, this year.

"Delighted to meet Crown Prince of Dubai and DPM and Minister of Defence of UAE HH Hamdan Mohammed. A warm conversation on our deep bonds of friendship and taking them forward for the good of our people," the EAM had posted on X after the meeting which strengthened further India's strong and ever-growing economic and people-to-people ties with Dubai.

--IANS

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