QBullet: NTPC Plant Blast Kills At Least 22, India Breaks NZ Jinx
Here are the top stories of the day.
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1. At Least 22 Killed, Scores Injured in NTPC Plant Blast
An explosion ripped a boiler in the state-run power giant NTPC's Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district on Wednesday, killing at least 22 persons while scores suffered severe burn injuries. The toll may rise further.
The NTPC initiated a probe to ascertain the reasons behind the blast while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the grievously injured, they added.
In a statement, the NTPC said that at around 1530 hrs at unit number six of its Unchahar plant, there was a sudden abnormal sound at 20 meters elevation. There was an opening in corner number two from which hot flue gases and steam escaped affecting the people working around the area, the central public sector undertaking said. It added that around 80 people were rushed to NTPC hospital, most of them were discharged after giving first-aid.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Special Courts Needed to Deal With Cases Involving Politicians: SC
The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Centre six weeks to come up with a roadmap for setting up special courts for speedy trial of lawmakers facing criminal charges, saying “this is in the interest of the nation”.
The court also sought the status of the 1,581 criminal cases mentioned in poll affidavits by the candidates in 2014, when elections were held for the Lok Sabha and eight state Assemblies.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Junaid Case: Addln ADG Resigns After Allegedly Helping Lawyer of Accused
In connection with the Junaid Khan murder trial case, Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan on Wednesday said that Additional Advocate General (AAG) Naveen Kaushik has tendered his resignation and it has been forwarded to the government for acceptance.
Earlier in the day, Mahajan had sought Kaushik’s resignation. Kaushik had allegedly assisted the defence counsel in the case. He was among the first lawyers to be selected on the government panel when the BJP came to power in the state in 2014.
Kaushik, against whom the Faridabad’s Sessions Judge has sought action for "suggesting questions to be put to the witnesses" at the trial, has maintained that he had nothing to do with the proceedings of the case.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. RaGa-Jaitley Spar Over Ease of Doing Business
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and finance minister Arun Jaitley sparred on Wednesday over whether it had become easier to do business in India, a day after a key World Bank index showed that business climate had improved in the country.
Within the hour, Jaitley retorted on Twitter: “The difference between the UPA and NDA – the ease of doing corruption has been replaced by the ease of doing business.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Drones May Be Allowed to Make Home Deliveries
Drones may soon be doing doorstep delivery of packages you ordered on e-commerce sites. The government on Wednesday proposed to allow commercial use of drones, said aviation secretary RN Choubey.
The ministry released draft rules for drone use which, on the one hand allow children to fly small drones (weighing less than 250 grams) without registering them or requiring a licence for them. And on the other, says aviation minister Jayant Sinha, permit "air rickshaws" when that technology is available.
However, the draft rules list out some areas where drone flying by private individuals is prohibited due to aviation safety and security reasons.
(Source: Times of India)
6. With Manifesto, Congress Charts Himachal Fight
With just a week to go for polling, the Congress on Wednesday released its manifesto for the 9 November Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, manifesto committee chairman Kaul Singh Thakur and All India Congress Committee observers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Ranjeet Ranjan were among those present. Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhwinder Sukhu, however, kept off the function, which was low-key compared with the show put up by the BJP when Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released its vision document for the state last week.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Goa Safest for Women, Delhi Near the Bottom
The report was prepared by Plan India and released by the women and child development ministry on Wednesday. The index puts Goa on top with a GVI of 0.656, more than the national average of 0.5314.
(Source: Times of India)
8. India Break New Zealand Jinx
India finally tasted success against the team that has been their Achilles heel for long in the format when they outplayed butter-fingered New Zealand by 53 runs in the first Twenty20 International here on Wednesday.
At the end of the lopsided game that was also veteran seamer Ashish Nehra's last in competitive cricket, hosts India sauntered to a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Fittingly, Delhi players Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan carried Nehra on their shoulders after the win. This was India's first win against the Kiwis in six T20 outings. New Zealand innings ended at 149 for eight.
(Source: Times of India)
9. Ashish Nehra Bids Farewell to Cricket
Having endured much pain in his 18-year-long injury-littered yet successful career, Ashish Nehra says his body will be at peace as he bids adieu to international career tonight.
“I will miss all this. That’s what you train for. One thing which will definitely be at peace will be my body. I said earlier that I can go a couple more years, but there can’t be a better time to walk away,” Nehra said after his swansong game in international cricket.
Nehra was asked by skipper Virat Kohli to bowl the last over the first T20 match, which India won by 53 runs.
“I must be the one bowler who sent down the last over most number of times for India. But those times were different. There was no pressure today.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)