Latest news with #HiteshPatel
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India-Pakistan conflict: Traders in Udaipur, Pune push for ban on Turkish imports
Traders in Udaipur and Pune urge ban on Turkish marbles and apples UDAIPUR/PUNE: In a move driven by national sentiment following revelations about the origin of drones used against India, marble traders from Udaipur, Rajasthan — considered the country's marble capital — have called on the central government to ban imports from Turkey. The appeal comes in the wake of reports shared during Operation Sindoor, which revealed that Turkish-made Asisguard Songar drones were deployed by Pakistan in the recent attack. The Udaipur Marble Processors Association has already halted imports from Turkey on its own and urged similar action nationwide. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, they requested formal sanctions, especially targeting marble imports. 'We fully support the historic decisions he has taken in the last few days,' said association president Kapil Surana, referring to the Indian response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Backing the government's stand, Hitesh Patel, general secretary of the association, added, 'We feel that business and industry cannot be bigger than the nation and national interest.' He further said that if trade bodies across India unite and cut off imports from Turkey, it would be a strong signal of national solidarity. 'If other associations across India too decide to stop imports from Turkey, it will send a clear message to the world that Indian businesses are fully backing the government in this critical time,' he noted. The association pointed out that India imports between 14-18 lakh tonnes of marble annually, with Turkey accounting for about 70% of the supply. The trade is estimated to be worth Rs 2,500 to 3,000 crore, they said. Patel also suggested that the ban shouldn't be limited to marble alone, hinting that broader restrictions on Turkish products could follow in light of the country's alleged military links with Pakistan. The Udaipur-based association has over 125 members, most of whom have backed the call for a complete halt on Turkish imports in solidarity with the armed forces and the national interest. No sale of Turkish apples in Pune Fruit traders across Pune have completely halted the sale of Turkish apples, leaving the imported variety missing from city markets. The boycott, which gained momentum in the wake of Turkey's perceived support for Pakistan, has also found strong support from local consumers, who are deliberately steering clear of Turkish produce and turning to apples from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Iran and other regions. This move is expected to hit seasonal sales significantly, as Turkish apples generally contribute Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 crore in annual fruit market revenue in the city. 'This is not just a business decision — it's a stand in support of our armed forces and the government's actions,' said Suyog Zende, a prominent trader at Pune's APMC market. He confirmed that demand for Turkish apples has plummeted and that local vendors have stopped sourcing them altogether.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Banaskantha district tops with highest pass percentage in GSHSEB Class 10, 12 exams
Banaskantha, one of the largest districts after Kutch, has been the outlier in Gujarat with the highest pass percentage in both Class 10 and 12 examinations of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB). The district's pass percentage rose from 66.62 per cent in 2023 to 89.29 per cent in 2025 in the Class 10 exams; and from 79.38 per cent in 2023 to 97.2 per cent this year in Class 12 (General stream) exams. The GSHSEB Class 10 exam results were declared on Thursday. Out of a total of 41,637 students who appeared in the Class 10 board exams, 37,178 cleared — recording a pass percentage of 89.29 against the state's percentage of 83.08. This was 86.23 per cent in 2024 and 66.62 per cent in per cent in 2023. In Class 12 General stream, Banaskantha recorded the highest pass percentage of 97.2 against the state's 93.07 per cent. Out of the 20,500 students from the district, who appeared in the Class 12 exams, 19,821 passed. This was 94.61 per cent in 2024 and 79.38 per cent in 2023. While the district authorities claimed that measures taken in the last two years have led to the improvement in the results, experts believe that changes in the question paper format — with 24 out of 80 marks allotted for objective questions — has also resulted in better performance by students. '…The major improvement has been witnessed among students of government schools. While students would stop coming to schools month and a half before the exams would commence earlier, we made sure they continue attending schools right till a day before the exams,' Banaskantha District Eduction Officer (DEO) Hitesh Patel told The Indian Express. To prepare students for the exams, the district education department also made students solve question papers, apart from providing them helping material. 'An initiative named 'Safalta nu Panchamrut' was taken this year for English as results in the subject were poor in the district. Subject experts were roped in under the initiative of 'Pariksha Nu Path Darshak'. They were available 24×7 on call,' the DEO stated. Further, to ensure teachers could help students, the education department ensured they were not roped in administrative works during the exams. The state Education Department added that during the recent appointment of teachers and principals for government schools, vacancies were filled on a priority basis in Banaskantha and Kutch, where the shortage was the highest. The district has a total of 662 schools — 171 government, 190 grant-in-aid and 272 private. Out of around 3,000 teachers, 800 are posted at these government schools. Though a notification is awaited, Banaskantha district was divided on January 1, to create a new district of Vav-Tharad, with its headquarters in Tharad. It was carved out of the western part of the former Banaskantha district.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Time of India
Bootleggers use maternity ward at Patan hospital for ‘special' deliveries
Ahmedabad: Patan Civil Hospital's maternity ward is in the news for deliveries of a different kind. The storks in this story are two bootleggers and the 'babies', bottles of liquor. Things were on a roll for the accused — Hitesh Patel (50) and Saurabh Patel (29) — till Monday, when Patan City A Division police caught a whiff of the racket they had been running for around six months and caught them red-handed mid-delivery. Police officials said the men lived close to the hospital and deemed no place as safe as the maternity ward, to deliver booze to their clients. Police said Hitesh and Saurabh smuggled liquor from neighbouring Rajasthan, and distributed it to customers either inside or outside the ward, adding that the duo had turned the ward into a whisky room, bringing in consignments on two-wheelers. It has been learnt that the bootleggers had made close to 50 'special' deliveries. Police seized what amounted to a full bar menu being disguised as medical supplies. Police have registered a case under the Prohibition Act and are now reviewing CCTV footage to determine the full extent of this 'happy hour' operation.
