India

Hyderabad, Dec 25 (IANS) Governors and Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday greeted the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas.

Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma extended greetings to the Christian fraternity and the people of the State on the occasion of Christmas.

"Christmas is a joyous occasion to celebrate the birth of Jesus and cherish his ideals. His life symboliSes love, forgiveness, truth, compassion, brotherhood, and sacrifice," the Governor said in his message.

"I wish this Christmas to bring boundless joy, love, peace and prosperity to all. In the true spirit of Christmas, let us resolve to make this world more peaceful, and compassionate," he added.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy extended heartfelt greetings to the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas. The Chief Minister said that the teachings of Jesus Christ are a guiding force for the entire humanity forever.

CM Revanth Reddy stated that Jesus spread the message of love, tolerance, peace and service towards others. He said: "The people's government is committed to the welfare and development of all religions by following the teachings of Jesus Christ."

The government resolved for all-round development of Christian minorities, CM Revanth Reddy said, appealing to the Christian community to celebrate Christmas with joy and happiness across the state.

Andhra Pradesh Governor S. A. Nazeer also greeted the Christian community on Christmas. "I convey my hearty greetings to all the Christian brothers and sisters of Andhra Pradesh on the auspicious occasion."

"Christmas is a time of commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and his joyous remembrance," he said in his message.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also conveyed his greetings to the Christian fraternity.

He noted that the birth of Jesus Christ, who gave the message of peace to the entire humanity, is a festive day for the world. "My greetings to Christian brothers and sisters on the occasion of Christmas. Our duty is to do good to our fellow men by following the path of Jesus Christ, who proved through his life that the path of love can conquer anyone's heart," he said.

"Let us make our lives peaceful by cultivating the qualities of love, compassion, patience, kindness, and sacrifice. Let us pray to the Lord for the good of all humanity," CM Naidu added.

--IANS

ms/svn

Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS) Security agencies, central and state, have identified certain remote islands in West Bengal's Sundarban area as the probable safe shelters for the Bangladeshi infiltrators illegally crossing over to the Indian side.

Sources said the 13 most vulnerable islands were identified in the Gosaba block in the South 24 Parganas district considering the lack of security arrangements there because of the remote nature of such islands. The Sundarban area falls in the South 24 Parganas district near the border with Bangladesh.

As per reports, the Border Security Force (BSF) has its camp in just one of these 13 islands, which are often used as temporary shelters by the fishermen from the district frequently venturing to the deep seas for fishing.

This factor, sources added, is making these islands the preferred safe shelters for illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. They first enter the Indian territory posing as local fishermen, then take shelter for some time in these islands and finally after getting their fake Indian documents get mixed with the larger population in the entire district and subsequently in the adjacent state capital, Kolkata.

Another factor that makes these islands the preferred safe shelters for illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators is because of their easy and quick access to Kolkata through the Basanti Expressway.

Already, security agencies, both central and state, have beefed up surveillance at the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Bangladesh in the state of West Bengal, apprehending illegal crossover of Bangladeshi citizens, including members of underground outfits who have become active again amid the ongoing crisis in that country.

Sources said that the decision to beef up the surveillance has been taken following two recent developments, the first being two Bangladeshi marine vessels being nabbed for crossing the IMBL and entering the Indian waters illegally.

The second development, sources added, is the intelligence input that some members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HUT) were suddenly trying to become active in the bordering districts of West Bengal with Bangladesh making attempts to set up sleeper cells there.

--IANS

src/dpb

Chennai, Dec 25 (IANS) Fishermen leaders from Nochikuppam in Chennai are set to meet the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner, J. Kumaragurubaran, on Thursday to demand the withdrawal of the Blue Flag project tag for Marina Beach.

They are also expected to request the establishment of roadside shelters for fish vendors from Nochikuppam, whose sales have significantly declined since being relocated to a new market.

The fishermen have further urged authorities to declare the area from Nochikuppam to Srinivasapuram as a Fisheries Conservation Zone.

They argue that the Chennai Corporation’s plan to transform Marina Beach into a tourist destination will adversely impact their livelihoods. “If the Blue Flag certification and related developmental works proceed along the Loop Road, more than 200 families in Nochikuppam will be affected,” said S. Ethiraj, a fisherman from the area. “Based on the outcome of the meeting with the Commissioner, we will decide whether to escalate our protests,” he said.

Fishermen and vendors have warned that if the Corporation does not withdraw the proposed projects, they will stage a road blockade until the state government addresses their concerns.

The fisherfolk living along the Loop Road near Marina Beach have been distressed for months, particularly after being moved to the new fish market.

Their anxiety has intensified following the Corporation’s plan to redevelop Marina Beach, which includes obtaining a Blue Flag certification.

The Blue Flag certification, awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), is a voluntary recognition given to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators that meet strict environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility standards.

While it aims to promote sustainable development in marine and freshwater areas, it often comes at the cost of local livelihoods, as communities are frequently excluded from the decision-making process.

On Tuesday, fishermen from Nochikuppam protested against the GCC’s proposal for Marina Beach.

They alleged that the authorities forcibly relocated them to an inadequately constructed market, disrupting their sales.

The fisherfolk are demanding small shops in the area to revive their livelihoods and oppose any redevelopment plans that could further marginalise their community.

--IANS

aal/dpb

Hyderabad, Dec 25 (IANS) In a key development in the Formula-E race case, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has recorded the statement of complainant M. Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development.

With the recording of the statement, the anti-graft agency has prepared the ground for issuing notices to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former minister K. T. Rama Rao, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) former chief engineer B. L. N. Reddy.

On a complaint by Dana Kishore, the ACB on December 19 booked a case for alleged irregularities in organising the Formula E-car race last year. This followed permission given by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma at a request by the state government.

The First Information Report (FIR) was registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act on allegations of financial irregularities in conducting the Formula-E race when BRS was in power.

The complainant alleged a payment of over Rs 54.88 crore was made to UK-based Formula-E Operations Limited (FEO) and others in "gross violation of established procedures".

It is alleged that at the direction of then industry minister Rama Rao, the HMDA transferred money to FEO in violation of RBI guidelines. The payment was allegedly made without obtaining approvals from the Cabinet or the Finance Department.

The ACB registered the FIR registered under Sections 13(1)(A) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 409 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.

KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, denied the allegations of corruption and accused the Congress government of political vendetta. He claimed that the Formula-E race was hosted to make Telangana the hub of electric vehicles.

KTR on Friday filed a quash petition in Telangana High Court. In its interim order on the petition, the High Court barred ACB from arresting KTR till December 30.

While granting relief to KTR, the court allowed the ACB to continue the investigation in the case. The court adjourned the hearing to December 27.

Day after the ACB registered FIR, the Enforcement Directorate also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against KTR, Arvind Kumar and B.L.N. Reddy.

The ED is likely to issue notices after Monday to appear before the ED officials for questioning in the case.

The ED is probing the allegations of violations of PMLA and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in transferring money to a foreign entity. The agency is likely to proceed in the case after recording statements of KTR, Arvind Kumar and B. L. N. Reddy.

--IANS

ms/svn

New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) The Indian mutual fund industry saw a meteoric rise in 2024, as the assets under management (AUM) of all MF schemes increased by more than Rs 17 lakh crore this year.

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), the mutual fund industry's AUM was Rs 68 lakh crore at the end of November 2024, which is Rs 17.22 lakh crore or 33 per cent more than the December 2023 figure of Rs 50.78 lakh crore.

The mutual fund industry's AUM has increased by more than Rs 37 lakh crore in the last four years.

AUM increased by Rs 11 lakh crore in 2023, Rs 2.65 lakh crore in 2022, and about Rs 7 lakh crore in 2021.

The AUM of the mutual fund industry was Rs 50.78 lakh crore in December 2023, Rs 40 lakh crore in December 2022, Rs 37.72 lakh crore in December 2021 and Rs 31 lakh crore in December 2020.

Apart from this, the number of folios at the end of November 2024 was 22.02 crore, which was 16.89 crore in January. This shows an increase of 5.13 crore in the number of folios.

The figures for December 2024 have not been added to this, as they will be released in the first week of January 2025.

According to AMFI data, about 174 open-ended schemes were added in 2024. The total number of schemes was 1,552 in November. It was 1,378 in January.

This year, the highest number of 3.76 crore new folios were added to equity mutual fund schemes. Followed by 1.17 crore folios were added to the Fund of Funds investing in index funds, gold ETFs, other ETFs, and foreign funds.

Apart from this, 19.42 lakh folios were added to hybrid mutual funds in 2024. At the same time, 1.87 lakh folios were added to solution-oriented mutual funds.

Meanwhile, during this period, the number of folios in debt mutual funds declined by 3.11 lakh.

--IANS

avs/dpb

Chennai, Dec 25 (IANS) The PMK, the political arm of the influential Vanniyar community, has offered support to the DMK government if it implements a 15 per cent internal reservation for the Vanniyar community within the Most Backward Class (MBC) quota.

This move has the potential to significantly alter Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. The PMK is, presently, allied with the BJP as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss recently announced that his party would provide unconditional support to the DMK in the 2026 Assembly elections if the reservation is implemented.

He also stated that the PMK would not demand any seats for contesting as part of this alliance. Tamil Nadu currently has a 69 per cent reservation policy, which includes 30 per cent for Backward Classes, 20 per cent for Most Backward Classes, 18 per cent for Scheduled Castes, and 1 per cent for Scheduled Tribes.

The PMK has argued that after the Supreme Court upheld the Arundhathiyar sub-quota within the Scheduled Castes category, a similar internal reservation should be extended to the Vanniyar community.

The Vanniyar community, which has a significant presence in northern Tamil Nadu, wields considerable political influence.

An alliance between the PMK and DMK could bolster the ruling party’s chances in the 2026 Assembly elections, potentially paving the way for an easy victory.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, PMK candidate Sowmiya Anbumani contested in the Dharmapuri constituency, finishing second. She lost to DMK’s A. Mani by a margin of 21,300 votes. Sowmiya, the wife of PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, secured 4,11,367 votes, while Mani received 4,32,667 votes. AIADMK candidate Dr R. Asokan polled 2,93,629 votes, placing third.

The PMK contested 10 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and garnered a 4.33 per cent vote share in the state elections.

Anbumani Ramadoss emphasised that the internal reservation for the Vanniyar community is not merely a caste issue but a matter of social justice. He pointed out that many Vanniyar community members live in impoverished conditions, working low-paying jobs such as road construction and bricklaying.

He argued that an internal quota is essential for their educational and professional progress. He further criticised the DMK government for allegedly hesitating to conduct a caste-based census in Tamil Nadu.

According to him, such an enumeration would reveal “harsh truths” and lead to demands for proportional representation in electoral constituencies based on population size. Ramadoss also highlighted that some other states in India have already completed caste-based censuses as part of their commitment to social justice.

The Vanniyars are a dominant community in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the northern districts. Historically classified as Backward Class, they were re-designated as Most Backward Class after a series of successful agitations in the 1980s.

This PMK's shift is aimed at securing greater educational and employment opportunities under the state’s reservation system. If the DMK implements the 15 per cent internal reservation for Vanniyars, it could lead to a political realignment in Tamil Nadu.

A PMK-DMK alliance would provide the DMK with a strong base of support in northern Tamil Nadu, strengthening its position in the 2026 Assembly elections and potentially extending its rule in the state.

--IANS

aal/dpb

Jaipur, Dec 25 (IANS) Three-year-old Chetna, who fell into a 700-ft deep borewell in Rajasthan's Kotputli on December 23, has still not been rescued, even as efforts continue.

The girl, a resident of Badiyali ki Dhani in Kiratpur, fell into the borewell while playing around 2 p.m. on Monday. She was initially stuck at a depth of about 150 feet. Using a makeshift tool, rescuers managed to pull her up only 30 feet. Since Tuesday morning, her movements have been unclear.

Meanwhile, four local techniques failed late on Tuesday night to bring out the girl and hence the use of the piling machine has begun now.

Yogesh Meena, in charge of the NDRF operation, explained that the piling machine can dig to a depth of 150 feet. "We will now dig a parallel tunnel, 150 feet long, using the piling machine. Once that's done, we’ll dig a small tunnel from the new tunnel to the borewell to reach the girl."

Rescuers plan to dig down to 160 feet to ensure the girl is above them, allowing them to reach her safely from below. Currently, Chetna is stuck at a depth of 120 feet with the help of a J-shaped hook. The indigenous method of pulling her up with a hook failed on Tuesday.

At around midnight on Tuesday, Kotputli Subdivision Officer Brijesh Kumar updated the media on the operation, stating that they were working nonstop to rescue the girl. "Our first plan was to extract the girl using various tools. When that failed, we moved to plan B -- digging a pit using the piling machine," he explained.

Meanwhile, Chetna’s grandfather, Harshaya Chaudhary, criticised the administration for negligence. He said, "The administration kept saying they were removing soil, but after 28 hours, they decided to use a machine to dig. This is negligence."

--IANS

arc/dpb

Bhopal, Dec 25 (IANS) Gwalior, the birthplace of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will celebrate his 100th birth anniversary as Pride Day on Wednesday.

A cultural event along with an exhibition on the life of former PM Vajpayee will be organised at Dattopant Thengadi Auditorium of Agricultural University in Gwalior.

Apart from an exhibition, a short film based on the life of Vajpayee will also be shown at the function.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will honour eight personalities of Gwalior who are doing remarkable work in different fields, including environment and sports.

Personalities who will be honoured with 'Gwalior Samman' include litterateur and educationist Jagdish Tomar, International Hockey player Karishma Yadav, Yoga teacher Akhilesh Pachauri, senior physician S. N. Iyengar and environmentalist Padma Shri Baba Seva Singh.

Non-government organisation Swarg Ashram, which has been engaged in the service of destitute and helpless people and Udbhav Sports and Culture Association, which organises sports and cultural activities at the international level will also be conferred with 'Gwalior Samman'.

As part of the celebrations, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated an exhibition to highlight the achievements of former PM Vajpayee at BJP headquarters on Tuesday evening.

The exhibition highlights former PM Vajpayee's achievements right from his formative years and the BJP's political success -- from just two seats in 1984 to the party coming to power at the Centre.

The main event that would be organised in Chhatarpur, during which, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa river linking national project, the country's first interlinking of rivers project under the national perspective plan.

On this occasion, PM Modi will release a commemorative stamp and coin marking the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Vajpayee.

PM Modi will also inaugurate a floating solar project established at Omkareshwar in the Khandwa district.

The project is expected to help in reducing carbon emissions and will pave the way for the government's mission of net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Former PM Vajpayee's native state of Madhya Pradesh played a huge role in shaping his political career as he was elected to the Lok Sabha twice (1971 from Gwalior and 1991 from Vidisha).

He breathed his last on August 16, 2018, in New Delhi.

--IANS

pd/svn

Srinagar, Dec 25 (IANS) Minimum temperature dropped further across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday as Srinagar city froze at minus 7.3 degrees Celsius.

The Meteorological (MeT) Department officials said that Srinagar city recorded minus 7.3 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature while Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded minus 6.6 and minus 8.4 as the minimum temperature respectively.

Jammu city recorded 7.1, Katra town 6.7, Batote 0.7, Banihal minus 1.3 and Bhaderwah minus 1.6 as the minimum temperature.

The MeT officials said that weather is likely to remain erratic till the first week of January while light rainfall in the Jammu division and cloudy weather are expected on December 28.

“Generally, there is going to be no change in the weather in J&K during the next 10 to 15 days,” the MeT officials said.

As the 40-day long period of harsh winter cold called the ‘Chillai Kalan’ started on December 21, extreme cold has tightened its grip on Kashmir Valley.

Chilly wind from snowclad mountains coupled with the sub-zero temperatures in the mainland, have added to the chill factor.

Water taps remain frozen in the mornings, as roads have become slippery and water bodies like rivers, lakes, streams and springs remain partially frozen.

Boatmen in the Dal Lake and other lakes of the Valley have to struggle their passage through frozen water by breaking sheets of frozen water.

Firepot woven in a basket of willow wicker called the ‘Kangri’ is kept under a loose tweed overgarment, the ‘Pheran’ to provide instant warmth during the intense winter cold by Kashmiris. Due to shortages of electric power in J&K, using electric appliances for warmth and boiling water has become dicey since unscheduled power shutdowns and curtailments have become a routine for the cold-stricken locals.

--IANS

sq/dpb

Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS) Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Kolkata to avert any untoward situation during Christmas festivities on Wednesday.

Since Tuesday night, 1,000 police personnel have been deployed on the streets of the state capital and Kolkata Police has decided to double the number to over 2,000.

Sources from the city police said that the entire security arrangements will be monitored by eight police officers in the ranks of Deputy Commissioner who will also be on the streets along with their forces throughout the day.

They will be seconded by 30 officers in the ranks of Assistant Commissioner, 27 Inspectors and 250 Sub-Inspectors.

A total of 11 watchtowers have been installed at different locations in the city, from where the cops will watch the crowd assembling in different pockets of the city. A total of three quick response teams (QRTs) will be deployed throughout the day in the city to promptly address any emergency situation.

At the same time, there will be a total of 40 police assistance booths scattered over different parts of the city. Heavy radio flying squads (HDFS) have also been deployed for elaborate security arrangements on the occasion.

"There will be an adequate number of women police personnel, plain-dress sleuths and combat team. Special protection and surveillance arrangements have been made in the important churches in the city. Checking points will be there at several entry points to the city," a senior police official said.

Besides the police, the state Disaster Management Department had kept their teams ready for any emergency. Trauma-care ambulances at different points of the city, and deployment of life-saving disaster management teams at the river-points in and around the city are some such arrangements.

The personnel of the River Traffic Police of the city will conduct constant patrolling on the water through speedboats.

--IANS

src/svn