Latest news with #AndhraPradesh
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Cabinet approves remission for 17 life convicts and other key proposals
The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet has approved a proposal by the Home Department to grant special remission to 17 life-convicted prisoners eligible as of February 1, 2025. Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy announced this at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The prisoners who have undergone an actual sentence of 14 years for offences punishable with death and seven years for offences punishable with life imprisonment are eligible for remission. He said: 'The decision for rehabilitation of life convicts and their transformation to live in society provides a new direction to the correctional system. Released prisoners will have to appear before the probation officer and police station within their jurisdiction once every three months. If they commit any crime in the future, the remission will be cancelled'. Land transfer for police academy The Cabinet has also approved the proposal by the Revenue (Lands) Department to transfer 94.497 cents of government land in Pinnamareddypalli village and Nugondapalli village, Agiripalli Mandal, Eluru District, free of cost to the Home Department for the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy, subject to obtaining NOC from local authorities. Additionally, the Cabinet also approved the proposal by the Home Department for promotion of 248 constables to head constables in the Andhra Pradesh Special Police Force (APSPF), with a corresponding reduction in the number of constables by 248. Yoga Day The minister said that the Cabinet approved the proposal by the Health, Medical, and Family Welfare Department to ratify short tenders called by APMSIDC, district-level committees, and other departments to establish a world record as part of International Yoga Day celebrations scheduled for June 21 under YOGANDHRA-2025. The main event will be held in Visakhapatnam under the theme 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health,' and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest. Mass yoga programs will be conducted statewide with the participation of approximately 2 crore people to surpass the Guinness World Record of 1.53 lakh people set in Surat in 2023. The main event will be held from RK Beach to Bheemili, and the Chief Minister has suggested expanding the program to accommodate up to 5 lakh participants along the coastline from Bheemili to Srikakulam, he added.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
Former Kia India workers, scrap dealers face probe over theft of 1,008 engines
Two former Kia India workers are under investigation over accusations that they colluded with scrap dealers to steal 1,008 engines from the carmaker's factory over three years, police investigation documents showed. Though the engines were worth only $2.3 million, the police investigation noted the case had "widespread impact on industrial operations, stakeholder trust and employment security", and raised concerns about inter-state crime networks. Kia in March complained to police in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh that a review of internal records found engines sourced from its sister carmaker, Hyundai , were missing and it suspected a conspiracy between past and present employees. An initial police investigation found two former Kia India factory workers - a team leader and a head of section in the engine dispatch section - were involved in illegally transporting the engines from the factory using forged invoices and manipulated gate passes, according to an April 16 police document. They worked with at least two other individuals who helped arrange transport, and two other scrap dealers who helped sell them to buyers as far away as the capital city New Delhi. "The entire operation involved repeated illegal transactions, use of multiple trucks bearing manipulated or pseudo registration numbers," Inspector K. Raghavan said in his investigation document dated April 16, seen by Reuters. Raghavan declined to comment when contacted, citing confidentiality. In a statement to Reuters, Kia India said it identified the discrepancies as it enhanced its inventory management processes last year. Kia India conducted an internal investigation, reported the case to police and was continuing to strengthen internal process governance and reinforce stringent monitoring systems, it added. 'DISAPPEARANCE' OF ENGINES The former head of the engine dispatch section at Kia's factory, Vinayagamoorthy Veluchamy, 37, is currently under arrest in custody, and has applied to the state High Court for bail, according to court papers seen by Reuters. He denied any involvement in the alleged thefts, the papers showed. He left the company in 2023. The other Kia worker accused is 33-year-old former team leader Patan Saleem, who worked at the factory from 2020 to 2025, police documents showed. His whereabouts were not known and two phone numbers cited in the police document were not in service. The two former employees are yet to be formally charged with any offence, but have been named as accused in the investigation, which is still in initial stages. Given the "high-level preplanning, internal access manipulation", they could face punishment of 10 years imprisonment or more under Indian laws if charged and convicted, the police document said. While theft is relatively common in India, such large-scale, prolonged corporate-level cases such as the one involving Kia are rare. Kia first reported the matter of the "disappearance" of engines to police after stock reconciliation in January 2025, a month after it also found unauthorized vehicle movement in the factory's CCTV footage. Its March complaint put the missing engines number at 940, documents show. Police recovered nine mobile phones containing WhatsApp screenshots, transport invoices and truck photos. "The proceeds of crime were either spent on personal needs, clearing debts, purchasing immovable property or reinvested in businesses," said the police document.
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Former Kia India workers, scrap dealers face probe over theft of 1,008 engines
NEW DELHI :Two former Kia India workers are under investigation over accusations that they colluded with scrap dealers to steal 1,008 engines from the carmaker's factory over three years, police investigation documents showed. Though the engines were worth only $2.3 million, the police investigation noted the case had "widespread impact on industrial operations, stakeholder trust and employment security", and raised concerns about inter-state crime networks. Kia in March complained to police in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh that a review of internal records found engines sourced from its sister carmaker, Hyundai, were missing and it suspected a conspiracy between past and present employees. An initial police investigation found two former Kia India factory workers - a team leader and a head of section in the engine dispatch section - were involved in illegally transporting the engines from the factory using forged invoices and manipulated gate passes, according to an April 16 police document. They worked with at least two other individuals who helped arrange transport, and two other scrap dealers who helped sell them to buyers as far away as the capital city New Delhi. "The entire operation involved repeated illegal transactions, use of multiple trucks bearing manipulated or pseudo registration numbers," Inspector K. Raghavan said in his investigation document dated April 16, seen by Reuters. Raghavan declined to comment when contacted, citing confidentiality. In a statement to Reuters, Kia India said it identified the discrepancies as it enhanced its inventory management processes last year. Kia India conducted an internal investigation, reported the case to police and was continuing to strengthen internal process governance and reinforce stringent monitoring systems, it added. 'DISAPPEARANCE' OF ENGINES The former head of the engine dispatch section at Kia's factory, Vinayagamoorthy Veluchamy, 37, is currently under arrest in custody, and has applied to the state High Court for bail, according to court papers seen by Reuters. He denied any involvement in the alleged thefts, the papers showed. He left the company in 2023. The other Kia worker accused is 33-year-old former team leader Patan Saleem, who worked at the factory from 2020 to 2025, police documents showed. His whereabouts were not known and two phone numbers cited in the police document were not in service. The two former employees are yet to be formally charged with any offence, but have been named as accused in the investigation, which is still in initial stages. Given the "high-level preplanning, internal access manipulation", they could face punishment of 10 years imprisonment or more under Indian laws if charged and convicted, the police document said. While theft is relatively common in India, such large-scale, prolonged corporate-level cases such as the one involving Kia are rare. Kia first reported the matter of the "disappearance" of engines to police after stock reconciliation in January 2025, a month after it also found unauthorized vehicle movement in the factory's CCTV footage. Its March complaint put the missing engines number at 940, documents show. Police recovered nine mobile phones containing WhatsApp screenshots, transport invoices and truck photos. "The proceeds of crime were either spent on personal needs, clearing debts, purchasing immovable property or reinvested in businesses," said the police document.
Coin Geek
30-05-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Landless farmers in India reap benefits of CBDC: report
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... What once seemed like a far-off concept—using a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as an alternative to traditional money—is now becoming a reality in India. Initially met with skepticism, the digital rupee has moved beyond the experimental stage and is actively being used, with the State Bank of India (NASDAQ: SBKFF), the country's largest public sector bank, leading its real-world application. In partnership with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), SBI is delivering agricultural credit through CBDC to tenant farmers—those who cultivate land without owning it—in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha provinces. This initiative goes beyond theory, demonstrating how digital currency can streamline credit delivery, prevent misuse, and ensure that benefits reach genuine cultivators, not middlemen or landlords. According to a Financial Express report, NABARD and SBI are running pilot projects to help landless farmers get access to agricultural loans in select districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha provinces. These pilots use the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) CBDC to offer Kisan Credit Card (KCC) benefits to tenant farmers. SBI is conducting the pilots in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna, East and West Godavari districts, and in Odisha's Cuttack and Puri districts. The initiative aims to prevent misuse of credit by ensuring that loans are used only for farming purposes, such as buying seeds and fertilizers from approved vendors. So far, in FY2025, the report stated that over ₹4.5 crore has been sanctioned under this pilot. In Odisha, 501 tenant farmers have benefited with loan approvals, while in Andhra Pradesh 218 farmers have benefited from the loan sanctions. The report stated that 30–40% of India's cultivated land is currently farmed by tenants who don't own the land. However, KCC loans are usually given only to landowners. Although the government has tried forming joint liability groups to offer loans to landless farmers, banks still face issues verifying who the actual cultivators are. The report stated that under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), KCC holders can borrow up to ₹3 lakh (about $3,508) at a 7% annual interest rate. If the loan is repaid on time, farmers get a 3% interest discount, reducing the effective rate to 4%. From FY2026, the loan limit will increase to ₹5 lakh (about $5,847) per year. KCC loans help farmers meet working capital needs for purchasing agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, as well as for allied sectors like dairy and fisheries. The pilot programs in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha mark a turning point. Using the digital rupee, tenant farmers receive direct benefit transfers (DBT) and agricultural loans. These funds are being used to buy essential inputs like seeds and fertilizers from authorized vendors, ensuring that credit is used for its intended purpose. By integrating digital currency into agricultural credit systems, the initiative offers a transparent, traceable, and efficient way to support the backbone of Indian agriculture: its farmers, especially those without land titles. The initiative also addresses long-standing gaps in rural credit delivery, particularly for tenant farmers, who have historically struggled to access formal loans due to a lack of documentation and land records. With CBDC and digital wallets, these barriers are starting to break down—signaling a shift toward more inclusive, accountable, and tech-enabled rural finance. The RBI started its first digital rupee pilot in the wholesale segment on November 1, 2022, to settle secondary market transactions in government securities. It started the pilot with nine banks—State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank (NASDAQ: HDB), ICICI Bank (NASDAQ: IBN), Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank, and HSBC (NASDAQ: HSBC). The retail digital rupee pilot started on December 1, 2022, and users were able to transact through a digital wallet offered by the participating banks and stored on mobile phones or devices. In 2024, India's blockchain-based digital rupee made significant progress as the RBI achieved notable advancements with its CBDC use cases. In December 2024, former central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das said India's CBDC has a lot of potential and is likely to become the future of money. Watch: Finding ways to use CBDC outside of digital currencies title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Time of India
28-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
AP EAMCET 2025 Answer Key out at cets.apsche.ap.gov.in: Check how to download the key, objection window last date
AP EAMCET 2025 Answer Key: How to Download Live Events AP EAMCET 2025 Answer Key Released: Objection Window AP EAMCET 2025 Answer Key: Exam Conducted in Two Sessions AP EAMCET 2025 Answer Key: Qualifying Marks Criteria (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education ( APSCHE ) has released the provisional answer key for the AP EAMCET 2025 engineering exam on May 28, 2025. Candidates who appeared for the Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test can now check the answer key on the official website — Visit on the 'AP EAMCET Answer Key 2025 for Engineering' link on the homepageSelect the relevant paper on the new pageThe answer key will appear on the screenDownload the answer key and keep a printout for referenceCandidates can raise objections to the provisional answer key until 5 PM on May 30, 2025. The objection window is available on the same official website. Candidates are advised to carefully review the answer key and submit their objections within the given AP EAMCET 2025 engineering examination was conducted from May 21 to May 27, 2025. The exam was held in two sessions each day: the morning session from 9 AM to 12 noon and the afternoon session from 2 PM to 5 per the official notice, 'the qualifying percentage of marks for the AP EAPCET-2025 is 25% of the maximum marks considered for the ranking. However, for candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, no minimum qualifying mark is prescribed.'For more updates, candidates are advised to regularly check the official AP EAMCET website.
