International Chess Day 2025: Know the significance, history, theme and objectives
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Liquor kickbacks bankrolled YSRCP's polls, African forays: AP probe
New Delhi: The chargesheet filed by Andhra Pradesh police into the alleged ₹3,500 crore liquor scam points to a well-oiled web of kickbacks paid by private distillers once in five days, involvement of gold merchants to facilitate bribes and use of payoffs by former chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's YSRCP in 2024 elections . The 317-page chargesheet, filed in a Vijaywada court and accessed by ET, names Reddy's former advisor Kesireddy Raja Shekhar Reddy as the mastermind of the alleged scam and former Rajya Sabha MP Vijai Sai Reddy and Lok Sabha MP P V Midhun Reddy as co-accused. The state CID has alleged in the chargesheet that YSRCP functionaries facilitated a policy change-from an automated market-driven system of raising demand for liquor cases to a manual system-to edge out known brands and promote selected manufacturers and distilleries who were coerced into paying kickbacks. According to the chargesheet, officials who were willing to play along were posted in Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL). Though Reddy had promised complete prohibition and the new liquor policy introduced in 2019 was touted as a step towards this election promise, the reverse happened with specific brands capturing the market. "Even though the new policy i.e., sale of liquor through GROs, was intended as a step towards complete ban of liquor in the state of Andhra Pradesh, it only envisaged a new mode and manner of sale, but not otherwise. Evidently, the policy was introduced with an underlying intent of having full control over the supply and sale of liquor, thereby to achieve their broader goal of earning commissions/kickbacks," the chargesheet said. Live Events According to the CID probe, the kickbacks were handed over to main accused Kesireddy Rajashekar Reddy, who allegedly channelled the money into a web of shell companies, before distributing it among others. The chargesheet pegs the monthly kickbacks at ₹50-60 crore and overall extent at ₹3,570.87 crore. The chargesheet alleges kickback per case of liquor. It says while the kickback was ₹150 per case for cheaper brands, it was ₹200-350 for medium priced and ₹600 for more expensive brands. The state CID has alleged that money from kickbacks was used during elections in 2024 and after YSRCP lost, it scouted for iron ore business in African countries to channel this money. The chargesheet names former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and says he was instrumental in moving cash from Hyderabad and other locations to specific constituencies. "During the course of investigation into the present crime, it was revealed that Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy would direct his close aides to transport cash from Hyderabad, Vijayawada and other places to several constituencies around Prakasam and Chittoor," the chargesheet said.
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Skills ministry launches AI programme for school students
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The ministry of skills development and entrepreneurship, on Tuesday, launched a national level initiative SOAR (Skilling for AI Readiness) aimed at embedding AI awareness and foundational skills among school students (classes 6–12) and building AI literacy among educators.'The programme seeks to bridge the digital divide by ensuring equitable access to AI education across geographies, thereby supporting the national agenda of inclusive, future-ready skilling,' the ministry said in a statement issued to mark the 10 years of Skill India Mission SOAR comprises three progressive 15-hour modules for students—AI to be Aware, AI to Acquire, and AI to Aspire—and one independent 45-hour module for teachers titled AI for program introduces concepts such as AI basics, generative AI, AI in daily life, programming fundamentals, ethics, cybersecurity and future career the occasion, Jayant Chaudhary, minister of state (independent charge), MSDE, said his ministry, through the National Skills Development Corporation , has mobilised $14.4 million through Skill Impact Bond (SIB) to transform how skilling is financed, with a clear focus on employment the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) operationalized its advanced digital enterprise portal (DEP), officially named KaushalVerse and launched its revised comprehensive guidelines for the recognition and regulation of assessment agencies, 2025.'This state-of-the-art platform has been developed to streamline and democratize the core regulatory functions of NCVET, ensuring efficient, transparent, and responsive service delivery in the skill ecosystem,' the ministry guidelines mark a significant step forward ensuring standardized, transparent, and outcome-based assessment across the country, it the revised guidelines for the recognition and regulation of awarding bodies, 2025, were unveiled to align with the evolving education and employment ecosystem and the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Credit Framework (NCrF).'These guidelines accentuate the integration of vocational education into mainstream systems, promoting flexible, multidisciplinary learning pathways,' it added.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
BSF raises 'drone squadron' for Indo-Pak border post-Operation Sindoor
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Border Security Force (BSF) is raising a maiden "drone squadron" for deployment along the India-Pakistan border even as it has begun "hardening" its defences and posts against lethal UAV attacks in the wake of lessons drawn during Operation Sindoor The squadron, to be based in specific border outposts (BoPs) at this front, will comprise an assortment of reconnaissance, surveillance and attack drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and specially-trained personnel who can operate these machines, official sources in the security establishment told squadron will be navigated by a control room based in the western command headquarters of the BSF in Chandigarh, the sources said. The BSF is primarily tasked to guard the India-Pakistan international border (IB).The decision to raise the unit was taken after a recent review of the strengths, weaknesses and threats facing the force post-Operation operation was launched by India to strike at terrorist and defence bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a retaliation against the Pahalgam attack of April 22 in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Baisaran BSF actively participated in the operation, launched on May 7, along with the sent thousands of drones, including a swarm of these flying objects, in response to Operation Sindoor to target Indian bases as well as civilian areas along the western May 10, a bomb-laden Pakistani drone dropped explosives at its border post Kharkola in the RS Pura sector of Jammu. Two BSF personnel and an Army jawan deployed at the post were killed while four troops were critically injured, with one of them undergoing a leg amputation during said the BSF drone squadron will be located in a specific number of BOPs located along the more than 2,000-km-long India-Pakistan border running from Jammu in the north to Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat on the western side of the squadron will be equipped with a variety of small and large surveillance, reconnaissance and attack drones that will be launched during operations or any 'hot war' like situation similar to Operation Sindoor, the sources in the security establishment said.A small team of about 2-3 personnel each will be deployed in "vulnerable and specified" BOPs. Some drones and gadgetry are being procured for the maiden squadron and the personnel chosen for the task are being trained in batches, they BSF, learning from the May 10 drone attack, has also begun hardening its defences and bunkers, along the border with Pakistan to fend off attacks in which enemy drones cross over and drop bombs and roofs and walls of the BOP bunkers are being strengthened using alloy sheets. Some more measures are being taken to fortify the posts that are vulnerable to drone attacks, sources said as they refused to elaborate, citing operational confidentiality.A BSF officer deployed along this front added that the force is in touch with defence research and intelligence agencies to deploy counter-drone machines at select border posts so that "rogue or armed drones" flying in from across the frontier can be Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the BSF destroyed more than 118 Pakistani posts and "completely dismantled" their surveillance system during Operation Sindoor.
