A linga fracas over Hindi
Late in May, the Tamil Nadu government took the unprecedented step of moving the Supreme Court, seeking the disbursal of over Rs 2,000 crore in funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme (SSS), claiming the Union government had withheld it in a bid to coerce the state into implementing the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. Tamil Nadu has been vociferously opposing the NEP's three-language formula and the tacit pro-Hindi tilt ascribed to it.
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Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
On ED's plea, Bombay High Court sets aside magistrate's order accepting EOW's closure report in Topsgrup case
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday set aside a magistrate court's September 2022 decision of accepting a closure report filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in a case against Topsgrup Services and Solution Limited. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had relied on the EOW's case to register a money laundering case against Amit Chandole, a close aide of Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik, and had subsequently probed the leader. Ramesh Iyer, a former employee of Topsgrup and the original complainant, had informed the magistrate that he had no objection to the closure report, claiming that his complaint was filed 'due to a misunderstanding.' The court had then accepted the report, prompting the ED to challenge the decision before the high court. The ED's case was based on an FIR registered on October 28, 2020, based on Iyer's complaint. He had alleged that Topsgrup defrauded the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) of Rs 175 crore. As per the ED, the MMRDA contract awarded to Topsgrup was facilitated by Sarnaik, who allegedly received kickbacks of at least Rs 7 crore. On Wednesday, a single-judge bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar – while allowing the ED's plea – noted that the magistrate 'didn't apply mind' to the 'C' summary report (closure report) and it was accepted solely on the ground that the complainant had given no objection. The EOW had filed the C-summary report in January 2022. The order of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, dated September 14, 2022, noted the EOW's submission that after reviewing witness statements and relevant documents, it concluded that no cognizable offence could be made out. The high court bench has now sent the matter back to the magistrate court, directing it to reconsider the C-summary report filed by the EOW expeditiously. The high court clarified that it had not examined the merits of the closure report and that all contentions of the parties remained 'expressly kept open.' Justice Jamdar noted that the magistrate was duty bound to apply his/her mind to the facts of the case, the closure report and accompanying material before passing an order, either accepting the report, rejecting it and taking cognisance of the offence and initiating proceedings, or ordering further investigation. 'A bare perusal of said Order dated September 14, 2022 shows that the 'C' Summary Report is accepted without application of mind and only on the ground that the First Informant has given no objection,' the high observed. The bench further noted that the question of whether the case needs to be committed to the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) would arise only if the magistrate rejects the closure report and initiates proceedings. Accordingly, the high court sent the case back to the magistrate for reconsideration and disposed of the ED's plea.
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Crude jitters, not crisis: Oil firms eye margin hit, but rule out supply shock amid Israel-Iran tensions
Indian oil companies expect their profit margins to shrink due to rising crude prices but do not anticipate a major supply crisis after the Israel-Iran military conflict caused a sharp 9% spike in oil prices on Friday, reported TOI. Benchmark Brent crude briefly surged to $78.50 a barrel before settling at $75.55- $6.19 above the previous close- marking the sharpest single-day swing since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. After holding a review meeting with petroleum secretary Pankaj Jain and top officials of state-run oil refiners and retailers, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India has sufficient energy reserves. 'India's energy strategy is shaped by successfully navigating the trilemma of energy availability, affordability and sustainability under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi,' he posted on X. India consumes between 4.5 and 5 million barrels of oil per day. The country has emergency reserves of 5 million tonnes- about 37 million barrels- while refiners and oil firms hold additional stocks for 40–45 days. A significant volume of crude is also in transit, and fuel is stored across refineries and depots nationwide. Despite this preparedness, India relies on imports for over 80% of its oil and half of its gas requirements. Around 50% of these imports pass through the Hormuz Strait , a vital chokepoint handling nearly 20% of global seaborne oil flows. 'India doesn't buy any oil from Iran. So there's no worry on that count,' a senior oil company executive said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'As far as blocking Hormuz Strait is concerned, it is extremely unlikely. It has never happened before, even during earlier wars. Blocking Hormuz will draw in others in the region as both outbound crude and inbound refined products will halt. Iran itself will suffer.' According to a statement by the Iranian government, the country's refineries and fuel depots under the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company have not sustained any damage and are operating normally. The primary concern for oil companies is declining profitability. 'We are sure to end up taking a hit on profitability as under-recoveries return if oil remains elevated for an extended period,' another executive said. While some believe the market has already absorbed the geopolitical risk—as evident from the fallback in crude prices—most agree that insurance premiums will rise due to increased threat perception and the likelihood of vessels avoiding conflict-prone waters. 'Iran may not block Hormuz. But Teheran-backed rebels could target vessels. Even in such cases, interruptions of a cargo or two can easily be bridged from elsewhere as India has a diversified pallate,' the first executive added. Industry insiders said that margins on petrol and diesel sales are in single digits, while under-recoveries on domestic LPG cylinders have reached Rs 160–170. If crude remains costly, imported LNG- priced against Brent- will also see a rise in cost.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Air India plane crash: Parents flew to surprise daughter in London. She got news of their death
What was meant to be a joyful surprise turned into a devastating tragedy for 21-year-old Dhavni Patel, a student in the UK. Her parents and aunt, who had planned to arrive early in London to attend her convocation ceremony, were among those killed in the doomed Air India plane that crashed shortly after take off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. According to a report by NDTV, Dhavni's parents Rajnikant Patel and Divyaben Rajnikant, along with her maternal aunt Hemangi Ben, were flying from Vasad in Gujarat to London. They were originally supposed to travel on June 17, but preponed their trip to surprise her and spend more time together. But instead of reuniting with her family, Dhavni received the heartbreaking news of their death after the Air India 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a doctors' hostel near Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad. The crash killed at least 251 people, including passengers and residents of the hostel. Only one passenger survived the crash. Air India confirmed that the London-bound flight had 242 people on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the crash site near the Ahmedabad airport. He later met the lone survivor of the crash, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national, who is currently being treated at the Civil Hospital. Union home minister Amit Shah, who visited the crash site and met the injured at a local hospital, said the final death toll would be confirmed after DNA testing. "The forensic laboratories have been directed to complete the DNA testing in the shortest possible time," he said. The Centre has set up a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to investigate the Air India plane crash that killed over 250 people in Ahmedabad on Thursday. According to an order from the ministry of civil aviation, the panel will look into the causes behind the crash, review the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and suggest new safety guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future. The committee will have access to key evidence including aircraft maintenance records, air traffic control (ATC) recordings, black box data, and eyewitness accounts. The government has set a deadline of three months for the final report.
