1. Corrupt? Rijiju Waves Shoe at 'Mischief Mongers'
Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday refuted allegations of corruption levelled against him in a power project scam in Arunachal Pradesh and said those who planted such news "will be beaten with shoes".
“People who planted the story will be beaten up with shoes when they come to our area. Is corruption helping the people of my constituency? This news is nothing, but mischief,” Rijiju, who appeared upset, told reporters in North Block.
He was reacting to reports appearing in a section of the media on Tuesday that he had written to Power Minister Piyush Goyal, seeking clearance of bills related to the ongoing hydro-electric projects in his home state. West Kameng district, the site for power projects in Arunachal Pradesh, is part of Rijiju's parliamentary constituency, Arunachal West.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Official of RBI in Note Net
An RBI official has been arrested for illegally exchanging old notes, CBI sources said on Tuesday, throwing up the question of who shall keep the keepers at a time countless citizens cannot access their own money in the banks.
The RBI, which is supposed to guide the country through the rapids of demonetisation, sought to downplay the disclosure by describing the official as "a junior functionary".
But the charge that an RBI official himself sought to game the system resonated on a day the Opposition asked how so many people were managing to get bundles of new notes when law-abiding citizens had to make do with a rationed amount of their own savings.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Not Fog, but Pilots, Airlines to Blame for Delays; Delhi Airport Tells DGCA
Airlines are largely to blame for flight disruptions at the Capital’s airport, rather than this winter’s first spell of dense fog, reveals a report submitted to the country’s aviation regulator.
The blinding fog between 30 November and 3 December affected more than 900 flights, forcing many to land at nearby airports.
A report compiled on the basis of daily records from the airport operator to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), listing reasons for delays and cancellations, says 811 flights were disrupted because airlines were not prepared to land in low visibility. Another 97 flights couldn’t operate because visibility dipped below 50 metres.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Vardah Damages Undersea Cable, Internet Slows Down
Internet network in some parts of the country was disrupted after cyclone Vardah – that hit Chennai and adjoining regions – caused damage to a critical undersea cable of Bharti Airtel and some other telecom companies and service providers.
While damage to Airtel's network was significant, there were disruptions in the terrestrial infrastructure of other companies, which resulted in a slowdown of internet speeds.
“Due to the severe cyclone at Chennai coast, one of our international undersea cables has been damaged and internet traffic has been partially impacted. As a result, customers in some locations may be experiencing slow internet/data speeds,” a spokesperson for Airtel said.
(Source: Times of India)
5. J&K Government Announces Compensation for Family of Burhan Wani's Brother
The PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday announced compensation for the older brother of slain Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed by the security forces in 2013.
The Wani family will get Rs 4 lakh and a government job from the state. In all, the state announced compensation for the families of 106 people who were either killed by security forces accidentally or by militants.
"According to the records with police and intelligence agencies, there was no FIR against Khalid. Besides, the intelligence agencies had ruled out his involvement in any terrorist activity. Therefore, we sanctioned the compensation to the next of kin of the deceased," Pulwama DC Muneer-ul-Islam said.
However, Khalid's and Burhan's father Muzaffar Wani told TOI that Khalid was "tortured to death and wasn't killed accidentally by the forces". "He had torture marks; his teeth were broken," he claimed.
(Source: Times of India)
6. BharatNet Project: Ground Work Ready, Connectivity Not so Much
With less than 25 per cent of the 65,475 gram panchayats in the country with optic fibre connectivity having active internet under the BharatNet project, the success of the Centre’s push for digital payments is expected to depend on the status of this key programme of the government to improve broadband penetration in India.
Out of the 65,475 gram panchayats where optic fibre cable has been laid, only 14,569 gram panchayats across 22 states have active connectivity as on 6 December, according to Bharat Broadband Network Ltd.
A senior official involved with the implementation process told The Indian Express that with the current model of BharatNet, while the government may succeed in getting infrastructure laid as per its target of covering 1,00,000 gram panchayats by March 2017, it may not be able to provide active connectivity in these hinterland areas.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. Child Born out of Rape Entitled to Compensation: Delhi High Court
A child born out of rape is entitled to compensation, independent of any such relief granted to the mother, the Delhi High Court has ruled.
The verdict to this effect, in which a man has been sent to jail for his entire "natural life" for raping his minor step-daughter, was delivered after the court noted that there was no such provision under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act or under the Delhi government's victim compensation scheme.
A bench of Justices Gita Mittal and RK Gauba said:
A child born out of rape, either of a minor or a woman who is an adult, is clearly a victim of the act of the offender and entitled to compensation independent of the amount of compensation paid to his/her mother.
Read the full story on The Quint.
8. Rules for Civilian Use of Drones Soon
The use of drones for weddings and parties may soon be approved, with the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) set to issue a notification on the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for civilian purposes this month.
While the draft guidelines on civil drones were released in April this year, sources say the notification laying down the rules and regulations of their usage will be issued by the end of this month. With technology being viewed as a vital investment by the government in the fight against terrorism, the use of drones was discussed at the recent meeting of top police officers of the country in Hyderabad.
Maharashtra Police chief Satish Mathur gave a presentation on the use of drones, especially to control highway traffic. “The Centre is soon going to issue a protocol on drones and how to use them, because if they are not regulated, others (anti-social elements) can use them too,” Mathur said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Available Online in India: Military-Grade Equipment Banned for Commercial Sale
Military-grade equipment banned for sale to civilians, including a device used by terrorists during a deadly attack in Punjab last year, can be bought online in India, an investigation by Hindustan Times reveals.
Among the merchandise listed for sale by popular shopping portal Amazon India are night vision telescopic sights for rifles, helmet-mounted night vision goggles and monocular sights that help in precision shooting even in darkness.
Indian law states goggles, rifle scopes and optical sights with night vision capability are “restricted” items and can be used only by the armed forces, police and government agencies. Civilians possessing or trading in night vision devices (NVDs) without Union home ministry permission can be prosecuted.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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