A day after the Republic Day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi called on President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday.
It was not clear why Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan a day after the President hosted “At Home” reception on the Rashtrapati Bhavan lawns on the 69th Republic Day on Friday.
Rahul Gandhi, who was seated in sixth row of the dignitaries to witness the Republic Day parade on Friday, unlike his mother who was always seated in the front row, however, took it in a lighter vein and paid the visit to President.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted after his meeting with President, saying,”I had a wonderful meeting with President Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.” The meeting was made to a customary one though.
Earlier on Thursday, Congress party described the seating arrangement as BJP’s “cheap politics” to insult Rahul Gandhi. But in a strange turn of the things, the Congress Party president was further pushed behind to sixth row when he was actually shown the sixth row at the Rajpath parade on Friday.
When media coverage highlighted the incident, the government brushed it aside as a security risk consideration.
Reportedly, the humiliation meted out to Rahul Gandhi did not go down well with the foreign dignitaries present at the Republic Day from the 10 ASEAN countries either as some of them had closer ties with the Congress Party when it was in power.
A delegation of Central University Non-Teaching employees met Union Minister of State PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Jitendra Singh in New Delhi on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 and demanded resumption of “festival allowance” which, according to them, they were receiving earlier but had got discontinued .
The delegation led by Surjit Manhas, President od Delhi University and College Karamchari Union stated that that non-continuation of festival allowance had affected nearly 4 lakh employees of 44 Central Universities and autonomous bodies all over India, who were earlier getting this bonus/allowance on the occasion of festivals like Deepawali, Dusshera or Eid.
The members of the delegation also presented to the Minister, a memorandum wherein, it was pointed out that whenever in the past, the Government of India passed an order for extension of grant of “Non-Productivity Linked Bonus” to its employees, the order always automatically got implemented also for the Central Universities and autonomous bodies.
However, the order for the extension of the bonus issued for 2015-16 and 2016-17 was not implemented in case of employees of Central Universities and autonomous bodies. Jitendra Singh said that he will seek the views of concerned departments on the issue.
The Vice President of India, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that India is committed to provide all support to the agricultural sector in Cambodia, which has a great potential. He was interacting with the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Mr. Hun Sen, in New Delhi on Saturday, January 27, 2018. Senior officials from Cambodia and India were present on the occasion.
The Vice President conveyed his best wishes to the visiting Cambodian Prime Minister who is the longest serving Prime Minister in the world. He further complimented Cambodian Prime Minister’s son Mr. Hun Money for being bestowed with the Padma Shri Award, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, by the Indian Government.
The Vice President recalled fond memories of his personal visit along with his family to the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia few years back, which is the largest religious monument in the world. He further said that India is committed to continue its assistance in capacity building, developmental and social projects as well as preservation of historical and cultural heritage of Cambodia and the restoration and conservation of Angkor Wat temple and the continued work by Archaeological Survey of India at Ta Prohm temple was an evidence for the same. India is proud to become the co-chair of International Coordinating Committee for Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Preah Vihear, he added.
The Vice President appreciated Cambodian government for the remarkable economic growth of over 7% consistently year after year in the last two decades. He further said that the economic developments in our two countries present opportunities for greater commerce and investment. Hope Cambodia will provide easy access to the Indian professionals, businessmen and service providers, he added.
The Vice President said that Indian Chair for Buddhist and Sanskrit studies at Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University further deepens the interactions and understanding between our scholars. He further said that a project development fund with a corpus of 75 million US Dollars for catalyzing Indian investment in CLMV countries is created. Our EXIM Bank teams are conducting feasibility studies in the region including Cambodia to identify potential sectors, he added.
The Prime Minister of Cambodia has recalled the assistance provided by the Indian Government during it’s difficult times. He invited the Vice President to make a state visit to Cambodia at his convenience.
The family members of the Vice President welcomed the visiting Cambodian Prime Minister with a traditional Pochampally Shawl.
List of MoUs/Agreements signed during the State Visit of Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia to India ( January 27, 2018):
S. No.
Agreement/MOU/Treaty and Purpose of MoU
Name of Minister/officials who exchanged Agreement from Indian and Cambodian side
1.
Cultural Exchange Programme with Cambodia for the year 2018-2022. The CEP seeks to promote cultural exchange and strengthen the friendly relations between India and Cambodia.
Indian side:
Dr. Mahesh Sharma Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Culture Government of India
Cambodian side:
Mrs. PHOEURNG Sackona Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia
2.
Credit Line Agreement between the EXIM Bank, Government of India and the Government of Cambodia for a Line of Credit to finance the Stung Sva Hab Water Resource Development Project for US$ 36.92 million.
Indian Side:
Smt. Preeti Saran Secretary(East) Ministry of External Affairs
Cambodian side:
Mr. PHAN Phalla, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Economy and Finance. Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia
3.
Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. It seeks to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the prevention, investigation and prosecution of crimes through cooperation and legal assistance in criminal matters.
Indian side:
Smt. Preeti Saran Secretary (East) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Cambodian side:
Mr. SIENG Lapresse Adviser of the Government in Charge of Transnational Crime, Ministry of Interior (MLAT). Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia
4.
MoU on Cooperation for Prevention of Human Trafficking. It seeks to increase the bilateral cooperation on the issues of prevention, rescue and repatriation related to human trafficking.
Indian side:
Smt. Preeti Saran Secretary (East) Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Cambodian side:
Mrs. CHOU Bun Eng Secretary of State, Ministry of Interior (Human Trafficking) Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia
Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor of Myanmar, called on President Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, January 27, 2018.She was one of the 10 ASEAN leaders who graced the Republic Day parade on Friday as Chief Guest.
The President thanked Suu Kyi for her presence at the Republic Day and the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. The President stated that India had a longstanding relationship with her and her family as she studied in New Delhi in the 1970s.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Mughal Gardens also have a special connection with her. The President presented her bush roses from the Long Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The President said that Myanmar occupies the highest priority for India under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies. He assured India’s continued support to the Government of Myanmar in its peace process, and efforts towards national reconciliation and economic and social development.
The President said the India-Myanmar relationship will get a boost “if we ensure that our strong political and cultural bonds are supported by commerce. Bilateral trade of just over US $ 2 billion is not reflective of our close ties. There is immense scope for cooperation in sectors such as power, renewable energy, hydrocarbons and health.”
For the current academic year 2018-19, COMEDK will hold an online examination all over India on Sunday, the 13th May 2018, across 300 centres for the Engineering programs and about 20,000 seats are being offered by around 190 colleges in the state of Karnataka. The test will be followed by offline counseling.
Following the National Eligibility -cum- Entrance Test (NEET) being mandated as the only acceptable entrance exam for admission to Medical and Dental courses in the country, Karnataka private colleges consortium COMEDK will continue the entrance only for engineering and allied subjects.
The COMEDK UGET 2018 may perhaps be the last time in its history of over two decades and the cutoff rank is likely to be higher this year.
Eligibility:
The qualifying examinations prescribed for admission for B.E. is second PUC or 10+2 Higher Secondary or equivalent examination recognized by State / Central Government, and the students should have studied Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with English as a compulsory subject.
The General Merit candidates should have passed with a minimum aggregate of 45% marks (40% in respect of SC, ST and OBC candidates of Karnataka State) in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and should have passed these subjects individually.
Physics and Mathematics are compulsory subjects along with Chemistry or Bio Technology or Biology or Computer Science or Electronics as one of the optional subjects. However, changes, if any, in the eligibility criteria by the AICTE will be adopted.
An attempt in the COMEDK Entrance Test seeking admission to Engineering courses is considered adequate for figuring in the rank list. Diploma candidates are not eligible to take the Entrance Test as there are no lateral entry admissions for COMEDK.
Note: The candidates shall submit the original marks card of the examination during counseling for proving their eligibility vis-a-vis marks scored as evidenced by the original marks card. Candidates seeking admission to B. Arch course shall submit separate application form for counseling as per the notification on COMEDK website.
Rank Card will be generated only for those candidates who become eligible for admission to under Graduate Courses as per the regulations of AICTE / VTU, said COMEDK 2018 notification.
19th April 2018
THURSDAY
Last date for online payments and Last date for Submission of completed application online
4th May 2018
FRIDAY
Start date for download of Test Admission Ticket on the website
12th May 2018
SATURDAY
Last date for downloading of Online Test Admission Ticket(TAT)
13 TH MAY 2018
SUNDAY
COMEDK UGET & Uni-GAUGE E 2018 Engineering Entrance Exam 2018
17th May 2018
THURSDAY
Publishing of Provisional Answer Keys and start date for online submission of objections/challenge of Provisional Answer keys
21st May 2018
MONDAY
Last date for receiving challenges/objections pertaining to Provisional Answer Keys
25th May 2018
FRIDAY
Publishing of Final Answer keys
28th May 2018
MONDAY
Test Score cards made available online
Test Pattern:
COMEDK said there will be no provision for making correction in the application form which was to be made online.The admit card will be available from May 5 onwards for download. The printout of admit card should be produced at the time of exam along with other documents required by the candidates. The invigilator’s signature is a must on the card and candidates have to ensure that, said COMEDK under its instructions.
Here is a list of entries which are necessary:
Test Admission Ticket Number (TAT number)
Candidate’s name
Candidate’s address and contact details
Candidate’s photo
Test Center details
Test timings
ID Proof details
Pasted passport size photograph
The admission test will have 180 questions given in English under multiple choices carrying one mark each, with no negative marking. Each of the three subjects – Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics – will have 60 questions each. In case of a tie, the person who has made maximum wrong answers stands to loose in the determination of merit/ rank.
Here are the indicative cutoff points for COMEDK 2018:
For R.V.College of Engineering, the No.1 college in Bangalore, the cutoff rank for CSE or Computer Science Engineering in the last two years was in the range of top 373, for ECE or Electronics & Communication Engineering, it was 856, for ISE or Information Systems it was 597 and for EEE or Electrical & Electronics Engineering, it was 2480 rank.
The 2018 Filmfare Award ceremony clearly lacked a powerful film like Bahubali but many fresh faces have made it to the top, besides some known actors like Irrfan Khan and Vidya Balan. What’s missing was “Baahubali” euphoria that marked last year’s awards ceremony.
Irrfan Khan has won the Filmfare Best Actor in Leading Role (Male) award for “Hindi Medium” while Vidya Balan received the Filmfare Best Actor in Leading Role (Female) Award for “Tumhari Sulu” at the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards held in Mumbai on Saturday night.
Among the veterans Rekha was present and she presented the award to Vidya Balan. Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, R. Madhavan, Arjun Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Saqib Saleem, Armaan Malik, Amaal Malik, Karan Johar, Preity Zinta, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit among others.
Rajkumar Rao bagged two awards — the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) for “Bareilly Ki Barfi”, and the Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Male) for “Trapped”, while Meher Vij won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) for “Secret superstar”.
Dangal fame actress Zaira Wasim won the Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Female). Konkona Sen Sharma won the Best Debut Director Award for “A Death In The Gunj”.
She said while receiving the award: “Thank you so much… It’s unbelievable. I would like to thank Jio Filmfare. I would like to extend my biggest thank you to my team.” Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari won the Best Director Award for “Bareilly Ki Barfi”.
Amit V. Masurkar bagged the Best Original Story Award for his Oscar-nominated film “Newton”, which won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film. “Hindi Medium” won the Best Film (popular) Award.
Ayushmann Khurrana has presented some Hindi evergreen songs like “Jab koi baat bigad jaaye”, “Tera mujhse hai pehle ka nata koi”, “Ruk jaana nahi tu kahi haar ke”, “Kehdu tumhe ya chup rahu” and “Janu meri jaan main tere qurbaan” on stage.
Ranveer Singh appeared in an interesting outfit that clubbed poster motifs of various classic Hindi films and when asked by host Shah Rukh Khan, he quickly replied saying: “People eat movies, drink movies, I even wear movies.”
Music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri won the Jio Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award this year.
The ongoing severe cold wave is hitting the Himalayan region unseen before with many of Indian and Nepal towns gripping under shivers on Sunday.
In Nepal, extreme cold weather is sweeiping the region due to disturbance in weather though the minimum temperature of Kathmandu was recorded at 6.3 Degree Celsius on Sunday.
According to Meteorological Forecasting Division, the extremely cold weather could be due to covered skies during the daytime as night times anyway see unprecedented fall in temperature.
The neighbouring major city Shimla in India witnessed a biting 1.3 degrees Celsius despite the season registering long sunny conditions. Shimla is expected to see many more coldest nights, expect the meteorological experts.
“The night temperature remained sub-zero in most of the towns in the state,” said a local weather official.
Nearby towns of Kalpa and Manali have registered minus 5 degree Celsius while it was 0.8 degree in Dalhousie, 0.7 degree in Chamba, 5.2 degrees in Dharamsala and 1.5 degrees Celsius in Palampur.
Met officials said the entire hill areas of Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Kullu and Chamba districts will undergo extreme cold weather this time of the season while some points may even go up to minus 15 degree Celsius.
As of now, Keylong town in Lahaul-Spiti district recorded the lowest at minus 12.6 degree Celsius.
The forecast for the region in Nepal, according to the Forecast Outlook for the Winter Season (December 2017 – February 2018), precipitation and temperatures over South Asia will be below normal. Precipitation is likely during winter season over some areas of northeastern part of India and Nepal.
RJD leader and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad has been sent to three and a half years jail and fined Rs.5 lakh in a fodder scam case that has kept his political career chequered in the last one decade.
Special CBI judge Shivpal Singh on Saturday announced the sentence following a procrastinated hearing in the case. Lalu was convicted on December 23 along with 15 others in the case relating to fodder scam. The case will now move to Bihar High Court.
Meanwhile, Lalu’s son and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “Laluji had to go to jail many times but everytime. That time too, people said the party would split. But, it grew stronger… People are watching everything. People gave a befitting reply every time.”
Lalu Prasad was the Chief Minister of the undivided state of Bihar from 1990 to 1997.
