6.0-magnitude earthquake hits off Solomon Islands
6.0-magnitude earthquake hit off the Solomon Islands in the early hours today.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 02:43 am local time at a depth of 4.0 kilometres (2.5 miles), some 170 kilometres north-northeast of the capital city Honiara. No tsunami warning was issued.
The Solomon Islands are part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of tectonic activity known for frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions. In 2007, an 8.0-magnitude quake in the Solomon Islands claimed 52 lives and left thousands homeless when it created a 10-metre tsunami.
Missing Nizamuddin dargah clerics back home
Missing Nizamuddin dargah clerics return to Delhi from Pakistan. They now have a date with MEA Sushma Swaraj.
Swaraj yesterday tweeted that the two Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan, are safe and well and will be back in Delhi today. The clerics are Syed Asif Ali Nizami, the head priest of New Delhi’s Nizamuddin Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami. The two had gone on a visit to Pakistan on March 8 and were said to have gone missing over the weekend.
Swaraj, who had taken up the issue with the Pakistan government, tweeted on Sunday morning, saying she had spoken to Syed Nazim Ali Nizami.
Kumar Mangalam Birla new chairman of Vodafone India:
Idea Cellular today approved its amalgamation with Vodafone India and Vodafone Mobile Services. Idea said, in a regulatory filing, that the board of directors of Idea Cellular at its meeting held today approved the scheme of amalgamation of Vodafone India Limited (VIL) and its wholly owned subsidiary Vodafone Mobile Services Limited (VMSL) with the company.
The telecom biggies Vodafone India and Aditya Birla group firm Idea Cellular on Monday after their merger announced Kumar Mangalam Birla as the Chairman of the new entity.
“I am pleased and honored to be the chairman of the new company,” said Kumar Mangalam Birla who is expected to create India’s largest telecom firm with a revenue share of around 40 percent and a subscriber base of over 380 million.
“It gives me immense pleasure that we reached to an agreement to merge our companies Idea Cellular and Vodafone. We are number two and number three companies in present telecom sector with a customer base of 400 million,” he added.
The transaction is subject to necessary approvals from concerned authorities, including SEBI, Department of Telecom, RBI and others. The Idea-Vodafone merger will create the country’s biggest telecom services provider with a customer base of over 394 million.
The merger will facilitate VIL and VMSL’s entire business to be vest in the company, excluding VIL’s 42 percent share in Indus Towers.
The merger will come into effect after new shares are issued in Idea to Vodafone and would result in Vodafone deconsolidating Vodafone India.The merger is said to increase competition in the telecom space where players are in a tussle to increase revenue and subscriptions.
BJP Manipur won Floor Test in Assembly
BJP wins Manipur Floor test Vote.
BJP-led government in Manipur won the Floor Test in the Assembly today. The government, led by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, won the vote of confidence by voice vote. First time MLA Yumnam Khemchand of BJP was elected Speaker of the Assembly.
Our correspondent reports that the first BJP-led government in the state under the Chief Ministership of Nongthombam Biren Singh has won the vote of confidence on the floor of the state assembly this afternoon.
State Chief Minister Biren Singh moved the motion of confidence on the council of ministers led by him and the motion was carried by voice vote. Before that BJP legislator Yumnam Khemchand has been elected as Speaker of the 11th state legislative assembly.
He defeated Congress candidate for the post Govindas Konthoujam by voice vote. BJP-led government in the state is enjoying support of four legislators each from National People’s Party and Naga People’s Front, one legislator each from Lok Janshakti Party, All India Trinamool Congress and Congress. One Independent MLA is also supporting the BJP-led Government.
Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh proves majority in the floor of the assembly winning 32 votes in the 60-member house.
This is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s first government in Manipur.
With 21 BJP MLAs, the government claims support from four MLAs of National People’s Party, and one legislator each of the Lok Janshakti Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Congress.
BJP claims support of 32 MLAs in the 60-member assembly.
five-month-long economic blockade on the two National Highways of Manipur by the United Naga Council has come to an end since last night.
This comes after successful tripartite talks among the representatives of the Centre, new BJP State Government and the UNC at Senapati District Headquarters yesterday.
Now, the State Government has agreed to release the arrested leaders of the UNC without any condition and all the cases related to the economic blockade against Naga leaders including its student leaders will also be closed.
All the three sides also agreed upon holding the next tripartite talks within one month. In the tripartite talks, the Centre was represented by the Joint Secretary (North-East) of the Ministry of Home Affairs-Satyender Garg, the state government by its Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr. J Sureshbabu and Commissioner (Works) K. Radhakumar and the UNC by its Core Committeee members including former President of the Council- Paul Leo, Samson Remei, All Naga Students Association and others.
Appreciating the development, Governor Najma Heptulla said the lifting of the blockade will usher in an era of peace and prosperity in the northeastern state.
Chief Minster N Biren Singh said the lifting of the blockade is just the beginning and that his government is trying to fulfil the promises Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made to the people of the state.
The blockade was imposed on NH-2 and NH-37 by the United Naga Council on 1st of November last year to protest against the creation of seven new districts by the erstwhile Okram Ibobi Singh-led Congress government in the state.
It led to steep rise in prices of essential commodities and severely affected the normal life and it became a major issue in the recent Assembly polls in the state.
Invitation for Vimarsha on ‘Nation and Nationalism’ by Shri M. J. Akbar 27th March :
19 Mar at 3:13 PM
Niti Ayog – Determine States Water Needs than WMI
March19, 2017 (C) Ravinder Singh progressindia2015@gmail.com
For over 100 years Rain, River Flow Gauges were installed in all rivers & River Basins, Cities, Towns and Now Villages also which monitored flows in river daily basis or hourly basis when in floods – these days most of them are Automatic – Recording River Flows.
NITI AYOG had not ‘Broadcast These Storages, Flows & Rainfalls Live’ even as Communication Cost these days is practically free – I access 50 Times more Data today than 3 years ago for the same price. We in Delhi don’t get any information about Rainfall, Flooding of Roads, Water Level Flows in Drains & Rivers on live basis.
It is Unfortunate GoI has appointed ‘Extreme Dullards’ in Planning Commission who are Promoting WEIRD ideas. They have all the Data about Water Stored in Dams, Consumed by sectors, Lost in Evaporation, Food Productivity, Industrial Value Addition etc. but no info provided on daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis in time.
1. These experts have on top of the agenda and others too are linked to it – ‘Restoration of Water Bodies’.
2. Firstly water use has substantially increased in past 50 years with introduction of 22 million Electric Tube-wells for Irrigation plus more, Motorised Hand Pumps etc.
3. These experts in BJP states had built CHECK DAMS – which reduces water flow in to Storage Dams.
4. Infrastructure Development like Roads had completely blocked flow of Rain or Surface Waters flowing in to Water Bodies, which were largely ‘Manmade Like Two Ponds Next SIRI Fort Auditorium’ that have Completely dried up since the built up of Roads houses etc. There is Flooding of roads even after few millimeters of rains but not a drop filling two old ponds. These EXTREME experts don’t understand that Bhakra Dam ‘Manages 18 Billion Cubic Meters of Water Annually’ – 15000 Liters Per Capita in India and delivers it at over 95% efficiency.
5. Ponds & Johads for example average 1000 M3 each, RWH about 12 M3 each – these operate at 0% to 10% efficiency and dry up much before Summer Season.
6. India need to build – 18 million Johads & Ponds to match Bhakra Dam – 180 m Johads when water efficiency is 10%, but would all DRY UP in March April.
90% of Water is used for Agriculture in India. Planning Commission used to give Rankings in respect of ‘Food Production of Every Crop’ separately in Excel format, both by ‘Weight & Yield,’, ‘Area Under Cultivation and Under Irrigation’ data.
Experts in Niti Ayog abandoned this and release Complete ‘Agriculture Year Book’ which is two years late or outdated on release when Mandi data is available on Daily Basis but no Released like USFDA– there are WIDE REGIONAL Variations in Rainfall, Cropping Pattern etc. Niti Ayog to Give Data on Water Used & Food Produced District Wise, State Wise – preferably village wise by 2019 – Determine Needs & Wastages.
Ravinder Singh, Inventor & Consultant, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROJECTS
Y-77, Hauz Khas, ND -110016, India. Ph: 091- 9871056471, 9718280435, 9650421857
Ravinder Singh* is a WIPO awarded inventor specializing in Power, Transportation,
Smart Cities, Water, Energy Saving, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technologies and Projects
