Green court okays registration of 3 diesel vehicles
The National Green Tribunal has allowed registration of three new diesel vehicles conforming to BS-IV norms to be used for transporting petrol or petroleum products.
A vacation bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim granted the relief to three petrol pumps in Delhi — Car Care Centre, Bhasin Service Station and Harshita Service Station — and directed them to use the vehicles for carrying petroleum products only.
The petrol stations’ plea said the green court had banned the registration of new diesel vehicles as well as re-registration of such vehicles after 10 years. Later, the Supreme Court also banned the registration of diesel SUVs and cars with engine capacity beyond 2000cc in Delhi and NCR. HTC
The ministry has now started preparing draft regulations for online programmes that will allow universities and higher educational institutes to offer degrees by conducting exams online; students will not have to attend classes physically. The draft came up for discussion before the UGC and the HRD ministry recently.
“World over online degrees and courses are offered by institutes and they have gained respectability. Students will not be required to attend classes but will take e-tutorials to help them understand the concepts. Institutes will have to apply to the UGC for approval and degrees by such institutes will be recognised,” said a senior official.
According to the official, the online platform will be integrated with Aadhaar to verify the identity of learners at the time of application as well as through the duration of the programme, including examinations. “The programmes can be designed for conventional learners, as well as working professionals depending on what the institute is looking for,” the official said.
Apart from the actual programme delivery, components such as the counselling process, online application processing and fee payment will also be provide online.
To qualify, a university would have to be NAAC-accredited with a minimum score of 3.25 on a fourpoint scale to ensure quality.
In Kolkata, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said there was a conspiracy to kill some of her cabinet colleagues during a visit to Darjeeling on June 8, the day the protests started in the hills over an alleged government move to impose Bengali in schools across the state.
Though the government later said the subject will be optional, the GJM has refused to back down and renewed its demand for a separate state.
On Thursday, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Darjeeling – one of the most popular hill stations in India – and Kalimpong district and clashed with police, officials said.
They set fire to a police outpost and a sericulture department office in Kalimpong. An attempt to torch government tourist lodge was foiled by police. In Darjeeling, protesters set a vehicle on fire, the officials added.
Police caned protesters and fired tear gas shells in retaliation to stone pelting by GJM supporters. The Ghayabari railway station of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was set ablaze at around 9pm but local people managed to douse the fire, officials said.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung, who went into hiding last week, lashed out at the Trinamool government in a video message.
“I am the chief executive of GTA which is equivalent to a cabinet minister’s rank. The way they have vandalised my office and residence on Thursday is enough to prove the black policy of the state government,” Gurung said in the message in Nepali and circulated through WhatsApp.
“It was carried out under the instructions of the chief minister which is highly condemnable,” Gurung added. He didn’t reveal his location.
In a statement earlier in the day, the GJM said the police bows and arrows seized during the raid were meant for an annual archery competition .
“All that they have found are a few bows and a couple of dozen arrows, few rusted spades, a rusted axe, a rusted sickle and a couple of boxes of fire crackers .... all these tools are found in almost every local household. Two boxes of firecrackers were left overs from our recent municipal election wins celebrations,” it said.
The Trinamool made major inroads in the hills in the municipal polls held in May, denting the GJM’s absolute hold over the electorate in the council area. Many believe the GJM is trying to revive its political fortunes through the statehood agitation.
Mamata Banerjee said the government was keeping a watch on the hills. “We want peace in the hills, and in Bengal. If anybody wants to create trouble, the administration will take action according to law,” Banerjee said at a police function in Kolkata.
Her government this week called in the army to control the situation in the hill districts.
“Explosiveswerestockpiledin huge quantities in the hills. I have never seen so many Molotov cocktails being hurled. The attack continued for two hours,” she added, referring to the first wave of violence that saw protesters set ablaze government buildings and vehicles on June 8.
The opposition BJP and CPM asked Banerjee to convene an allparty meeting in Darjeeling, besides initiate tripartite talks with the Centre and GJM. Congress said they are ready to cooperate participate in any dialogue.
In Delhi, a home ministry official said 400 additional paramilitary personnel have been rushed to Darjeeling to assist the local administration. The Centre had sent 1,000 paramilitary personnel on a request from the state.
India’s emphatic win underlined their status as the tournament’s most complete side. India coasted to 265/1 in 40.1 overs.
It will be India’s first ICC tournament final against Pakistan since the 2007 World Twenty20, when they beat Pakistan in a thrilling finish at Johannesburg. Like in that event, India have beaten Pakistan in the group stages this time. For a title clash between the rivals in a worldlevel 50-over tournament, one has to go back to 1985, when India defeated Pakistan in the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket final in Melbourne.
But for a 123-run third wicket stand between Tamim Iqbal (70) and Mushfiqur Rahim (61), Bangladesh failed to pace their innings and invited pressure by playing too many dot balls. Part-time offspinner Kedar Jadhav plotted Bangladesh’s downfall with the wickets of Tamim and Mushfiqur.
Bangladesh, playing their first semifinal of an ICC tournament, tried to take the game by the scruff of its neck but that ploy did not work.
Bred on a rich diet of IPL, Indian batsmen know a thing or two about chasing scores. Dhawan and Rohit Sharma began in furious pace, singling out Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed for special treatment.
Mustafizur, once the scourge of Indian batsmen, bowled the wrong lengths allowing Dhawan the luxury to free his arms to drive and cut. The white ball has barely swung in English conditions and Taskin went for runs for failing to control his pace and bounce.
On a sunny afternoon and in front of a record crowd, Edgbaston, drowned in saffron, white and green, gave Virat Kohli a lavish welcome to the crease. Kohli responded by putting on a matchwinning 178-run stand off 153 balls with Sharma to put the game beyond a hapless Bangladesh. “It was another complete game,” declared Virat Kohli after the win. “We needed to have a clean, collective game. We didn’t expect to win by nine wickets, but that’s the quality of our top order.”
Man-of-the-Match Rohit Sharma said: “It was a great knock, especially when it comes on a winning note… I kept telling myself to bat as much as possible. We’ve been playing good cricket. (Now) one last hurdle, a big game against Pakistan.”