Latest news with #Ahuja
New Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Odisha govt asks collectors to complete rural drinking water projects
BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Friday asked all district collectors to ensure that rural households in their jurisdiction have access to safe drinking water. Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja reviewed the progress of rural drinking water projects at a high-level meeting on Friday and directed all collectors to make field visits along with other district level officers to make sure they are completed in time. The chief secretary said that problems for execution of drinking water projects like electricity connection and clearances from different departments should be solved by regular meetings of the collectors with officials of the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development departments. The chief secretary was informed that the state government has sanctioned 18,677 single village piped water supply schemes (SVPWSS), out of which 12,289 in different stages of completion. The government aims to complete 238 SVPWSS by June 2025 and 752 by December 2025. Similarly, 16 mega drinking water supply schemes are nearing completion, while 191 are still under construction. These projects are expected to be completed by March 2027. Besides, 4,855 solar based drinking water schemes have been sanctioned, with 3,652 under implementation. Ahuja said that the target of the state government is to provide piped water supply to 3,652 villages through solar-powered schemes by September 2025. The chief secretary also asked the officials of both departments to review implementation of the drinking water schemes in various districts regularly.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SC panel seeks chief secy response on green zone norms ‘flout' in Satkosia
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: The central empowered committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court has sought a response from Odisha chief secretary Manoj Ahuja regarding alleged violations of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in the draft proposal of the wildlife wing to carry out tourism activities in Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Satkosia Abhayaranya and Praja Surakshya Samiti (SAPSS), which filed the petition in SC, stated that Satkosia is a Ramsar Convention site and the forest department is attempting to modify the 2011 ESZ norms to allow the tourism department to undertake massive projects in the reserve. In the new draft proposal, the ESZ has been reduced to almost zero in the Baliput and Badmul areas, enabling the tourism department to proceed with construction, it claimed. The petition cited a 2022 SC judgment stating that if tourism inside a tiger reserve is to be promoted, it must be eco-tourism. While seeking response from Ahuja, CEC chairman Siddhant Das on May 16 wrote, "I am forwarding herewith a soft copy of the complaint on May 9 from Satkosia Abhayaranya and Praja Surakshya Samiti on the subject mentioned above. It is requested that the detailed response/comments of the state of Odisha may please be sent to the CEC at the earliest." "Satkosia authorities have plans to dilute the borders of the reserve to favour the tourism department. Promoting commercial tourism in the core area goes against the spirit and concept of eco-tourism, which is developed in buffer areas. Without approval from the State Board for Wildlife and National Board for Wildlife, Satkosia authorities have allowed construction by Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Ltd. The department also plans to reconstruct the Gharial Research and Conservation Unit (Gracu) at Tikarpada," said Naba Kishor Bisoyi, president of the samiti, quoting the petition he sent to the Chief Justice of India. Bisoyi also drew the attention of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), additional director general (wildlife), ministry of environment, forests and climate change, and deputy director general of forests, regional office. "The 2011 norms allows for a 10-km ESZ from the Satkosia boundary. We filed the draft proposal to demarcate the ESZ afresh, which was done in consultation with people," said Saroj Panda, divisional forest officer, Satkosia. Prasanna Behera, a local wildlife activist, said the way the draft plan has been drawn, the reserve will be almost devoid of the ESZ in its core area close to the Mahanadi gorge. "It is appalling that the wildlife wing was so lenient in redrawing the ESZ to suit tourism needs. Apart from compromising tiger conservation, it will severely affect the conservation of crocodiles and gharials," Behera said.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Odisha raises upper age limit to 42 years for entry to govt jobs
The Odisha cabinet on Wednesday raised the upper age limit for entry into government services in the state to 42 years from the existing 32 years. Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja said the upper age limit for entry into government services in the state governed under the Odisha Civil Service (Fixation of Upper Age Limit) Rules-1989 has been raised from 32 to 42 years. 'As per the existing rules, the upper age limit for entry into government jobs is 32 years. The state government had received several representations from various quarters to raise the upper age limit to enable the overaged aspirants to participate in the recruitment process,' said Ahuja. Also Read: Chandigarh: Now, retired teachers at Panjab University can serve as guest faculty 65 The upper age limit will be relaxed further for candidates of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), women, ex-servicemen and people with disabilities (PwD), said the chief secretary. However, the enhancement in the upper age limit will not be applicable for jobs, where a higher upper age limit has already been prescribed by the government. The enhancement in the upper age limit will not be applicable for uniformed services including police, fire services, forest and excise services. Officials said raising the upper age limit to 42 years will provide an opportunity for older aspirants who missed earlier recruitment cycles due to delays. Many candidates, particularly those who crossed the previous age threshold of 32 or 38, will regain eligibility to compete for government jobs. They also pointed out Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana have similar upper age limits. Goa has the highest upper age limit for general candidates at 45 years, followed by Telangana and Assam, both at 44 years.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Finance Expert Hails Indian Diaspora's "Soft Power in US", Reveals Impressive Stats
Sarthak Ahuja, a Chartered Accountant (CA) and financial expert, often discusses the Indian diaspora's financial achievements in the US, including their high earning potential. Despite being only 1.5% of the population (around 5.1 million people), Indians contribute over 5% of US tax revenue, showcasing their economic influence through high earnings, innovation, and intellectual capital. In an Instagram video, Mr Ahuja emphasised Indian-Americans' valuable contributions to innovation, intellectual capital, and tax revenue, demonstrating the community's substantial influence. Mr Ahuja also shed light on the Indian diaspora's multifaceted success in the US, highlighting their achievements not only in education, business, and tech but also in philanthropy. He shared key facts and figures to underscore the community's significant contributions. In the video, he noted that Indian Americans account for 10% of US patents, 10% of doctors (serving 30% of patients), and 11% of unicorn founders. They own 60% of US hotels, and 70% of colleges have Indian leaders. With 78% holding college degrees (compared to the national 36%) and 76% in high-skill roles, they excel professionally. Indian children dominate, winning over 80% of recent Spelling Bee competitions. Indian restaurants, though just 1% of US eateries, make up 3% of Michelin-starred venues. In 2023, they donated $1.5 billion in the US and $800 million to India, showcasing their immense soft power and respect earned through generations of hard work. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarthak Ahuja (@casarthakahuja) Javed Akhtar, the renowned screenwriter and lyricist, also showed his appreciation by sharing the video on X. — Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) May 27, 2025 The comments section was flooded with praise and admiration for the Indian-American community's remarkable accomplishments, with users applauding their contributions to the US economy, innovation, philanthropy, and more. Reacting to the video, one user wrote, "This stat clearly shows when given the right opportunities and direction, Indian origin people can bring so much positive change in the world. We have so much untapped potential within our country's bounds. Give us the right environment to grow and we can take better care of ourselves. ' Another person commented, "The US economy runs well because of the Indians." As per Pew Research Centre, the median income among Indian American households was $145,000 in 2022, meaning that half of households headed by an Indian American person earned more than that and half earned less. This is greater than the median household income among Asian Americans overall ($100,000).
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
New Covid-19 subvariant detected in India: Here's what you should know
As various states report a surge in cases of Covid-19, at least one sample of a new subvariant, NB.1.8.1, has been detected in India. This was collected and sequenced in April. The sample has been submitted to India's Covid-19 genome sequencing consortium INSACOG from Tamil Nadu. Most of the Sar-CoV-2 samples sequenced in India over the last couple of weeks were BA.2 and JN.1 variants. Recent media reports have highlighted an increase in Covid-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong in the last few weeks. As per the preliminary information available, the cases are mostly mild, not associated with unusual severity or mortality. The World Health Organisation's Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution has designated the Sars-CoV-2 variant NB.1.8.1 as 'Variant Under Monitoring' — a variant with significant changes in virus characteristics but whose epidemiological impact remains unclear. The variant is derived from a recombinant ancestor XDV.1.5.1, with the earliest samples reported from January 22, 2025. This variant carries six mutations in the spike protein as compared to the currently circulating LP 8.1 and eight mutations as compared to JN.1. Some of these mutations are known to be linked to increased affinity to the human receptors which could increase its transmission, and a reduction in neutralisation, which could result in the virus evading existing immunity more effectively. As of May 18, there were 518 NB.1.8.1 sequences submitted to the global Covid-19 genome sequence database from 22 countries, representing 10.7 per cent of the globally available sequences. 'This is also a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant and does not appear to be lethal. So far, there is no sign that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness than previous strains. But it binds to human cells faster. Early research from China suggests the variant binds more effectively to human cells, which could make it more contagious than its predecessors. Hence it is more easily transmissible,' says Dr Jatin Ahuja, infectious disease specialist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi. Although we do not have a specific vaccine for this sub-variant, he says, the Omicron wave not too long ago can give us some protection. 'Past infection can still trigger memory T cells which can sense the similarity of the virus and can limit disease severity,' says Dr Ahuja. Symptoms too are similar like sore throat, cough and fever, all akin to symptoms of flu-like illnesses. Just rest, hydrate yourself, self-isolate and take antivirals. Those with co-morbidities need to mask up and be more hygiene-conscious. How prepared is India? The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) has found the current Covid-19 situation in India to be under control. Almost all of the cases so far have been mild, with no hospitalization required. A robust system for surveillance of respiratory viral illnesses, including Covid-19, also exists in the country through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR. The Health Ministry remains vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation closely. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
