Latest news with #Rao
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Have 2026 Asiad Selection Plan Ready by Aug 29: Sports Secy to NSFs
Sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao on Thursday urged National Sports Federations (NSFs) to finalise their selection mechanism for next year's Asian Games by August 29 to ensure a greater focus on preparations for the showpiece in Japan. Rao was addressing NSFs in the one-day 'Khelo Bharat Conclave' in the national capital where an action plan to take Indian sports forward is being discussed by various stakeholders, including sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, representatives of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and corporate houses, and prominent former athletes. "Let's have a selection plan for the Asian Games by August 29, which is also the National Sports Day (and the birth anniversary of hockey icon Dhyan Chand). If we do that, we will have one entire year to prepare ourselves," Rao, who is also the Director General of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), told the gathering. The Asian Games is scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4 next year in Aichi-Nagoya. India would be aiming to better their best performance of 106 medals, including 28 gold, that was achieved in the previous edition in Hangzhou, China. Rao's suggestion to the NSFs comes months after the Sports Ministry laid down strict guidelines on selection processes for quadrennial showpieces and the world and continental championships. The ministry has asked NSFs to publicise the selection criteria for showpieces such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, Para Asian Games and Commonwealth Games at least two years in advance. However, as is clear from Rao's statement, the plan is still a work in progress for next year's showpiece. The directives also make it mandatory for NSFs to upload selection policies on their respective websites and amend them only if there is a three-month window before a competition. It has also been made compulsory to videograph selection trials. Standardisation of the selection criteria has been a long-standing demand in sports like shooting where renowned pistol coach Jaspal Rana has stated that policies which are not codified in advance negatively impact athletes. Get Online Rao, who was formerly an additional secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), also called on the NSFs to digitise their Annual Calendar of Training and Competition (ACTC) and upload them on the National Sports Repository System in the next couple of months. "I request cooperation from everyone, let's go online by October 1. Let's get rid of this offline ACTC documentation," he said. Rao also revealed that three task forces, as mandated by the recently-released Khelo Bharat Niti, are in the works. "The three task forces would be entrusted with the responsibility of improving the quality of coaches, create a good pool of administrators and make India a sports manufacturing hub. These task forces would be constituted soon," he said. Also, the two labs for at the National Forensic Sciences University in Ahmedabad are now operational and testing supplements for possible presence of banned substances to ensure that athletes are saved from ingesting anything that is prohibited. "Our athletes, a lot of times, take supplements which are contaminated. They are not aware, and these labs will go a long way in saving them," Rao said. Good Governance With the National Sports Governance Bill, which emphasises on accountability of administrators set to be introduced in the Parliament next week, Rao said it is the right time for the NSFs to act. "I say on the upcoming National Sports Day, take a vow to announce three good governance measures in your NSF. It will reflect a commitment," he said.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bengaluru gold smuggling case: Ranya Rao sentenced to 1-year jail under Cofeposa Act, no bail allowed
The Advisory Board for the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act has confirmed the Centre's April 22 detention order for Kannada actress Ranya Rao for a year in connection with the alleged Bengaluru gold smuggling case, and denied her bail for the duration of the jail term. Her detention was subject to confirmation by the Cofeposa Act Advisory Board. A source in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) confirmed that the Advisory Board's sentencing, and said a periodic review meeting would be held after three months. The imprisonment order is also applicable to businessman Sahil Sakariya Jain, 26, an alleged hawala dealer and associate of Rao, and Telugu actor Virat Konduru alias Tarun Konduru Raju, 36, a US passport holder. The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of Finance issued the order for the detention of Ranya alias Harshavardini Ranya, 34, under the Cofeposa Act on April 22, at the request of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), and following multiple bail rejections by the Special Court for Economic Offences. The Cofeposa Act Advisory Board in Bengaluru, headed by Karnataka HC judge Justice K S Mudgal and comprising Justice E S Indiresh and Justice B S Shyam Prasad, recently confirmed the detention order of Ranya Rao and two others after arguments by counsels for the actress and officials of the Ministry of Finance. An order must be served on them by authorities regarding the confirmation of the Centre's detention order by the Advisory Board, sources said. Meanwhile, her bail plea is scheduled to come up in the Karnataka High Court next week. On May 12, Ranya Rao's mother, Rohini H P, challenged her daughter's detention under the Cofeposa Act by filing a habeas corpus plea in the Karnataka High Court. The high court has adjourned the hearings on her bail plea multiple times while awaiting the decision of the Advisory Board. The court is scheduled to hear the habeas corpus plea next week. Ranya Rao was granted default bail in the Customs Act case in which she was arrested in March this year. She has not paid the surety to avail herself of the bail due to her detention for a year under the Cofeposa Act. On March 3, DRI arrested Rao at the Bengaluru airport upon her arrival from Dubai, and recovered 14.2 kg of gold bars valued at more than Rs 12.56 crore from her possession. On March 9, DRI arrested Konduru. DRI failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated timeframe, and she remained in custody due to ongoing proceedings under the Cofeposa Act, which allows for preventive detention of up to one year based solely on suspicion of violating foreign exchange and anti-smuggling laws. Investigation revealed Ranya Rao's suspicious travel pattern, having visited Dubai alone 34 times between 2023 and 2025. Subsequent raids at her residence uncovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash, indicating the scale of the smuggling operation. Rao also faces charges under sections 135 and 104 of the Customs Act, with proceedings under Section 108 also underway. Her legal counsel has accused DRI of document manipulation, and argued that the offences are compoundable. Konduru was also denied bail in April. Although the court had granted default bail to both accused on procedural grounds, requiring two sureties each and a Rs 2 lakh bond, they were prohibited from leaving the country and warned against committing such offences again.
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Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Business Standard
Actress Ranya Rao jailed for gold smuggling; no bail allowed for 1 year
Kannada film actress Ranya Rao has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment under the stringent COFEPOSA, in connection with a gold smuggling case. The Advisory Board handling the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA) matter recently ruled that Rao will not be granted bail during the entire term of her detention. Rao was earlier granted default bail on May 20 by a city court, along with her co-accused Tarun Raju, after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) failed to file a chargesheet within the legally mandated timeframe. Despite the bail being granted on a ₹2 lakh bond and surety conditions, both Ranya and Tarun continued to remain in custody due to the preventive detention order under COFEPOSA, which permits detention for up to one year even without formal charges, based on suspicion of smuggling activities. In March, Ranya Rao arrived at from Dubai and attempted to pass through the Kempegowda International Airport's green channel, typically reserved for passengers without dutiable items. She appeared anxious when questioned by DRI officials about whether she had any undeclared items. Her suspicious behavior prompted the authorities to conduct a detailed search by female officers. A total of 14.2 kilograms of gold, valued at approximately ₹12.56 crore, was recovered from her and she was immediately taken into custody. Ranya's earlier bail applications were turned down, twice by local courts and later by the Karnataka High Court. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
FSSAI Advocates for Swift Action Against Food Adulteration in Rajasthan, ETHospitalityWorld
'Samples of commonly consumed food items such as ghee, milk, paneer, and spices should be collected regularly, and the related cases must be disposed of promptly,' said the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), G Kamala Vardhana Rao, while addressing state food safety officials during a State review meeting held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He stressed the need for speeding up the process of the establishment of Food Safety Laboratory at Bikaner and assured FSSAI's support. Further, the CEO appreciated the proactive efforts of the Rajasthan government in promoting food safety and combating food adulteration. He also directed officials to ensure continuous monitoring to strengthen enforcement while emphasising the need for prompt disposal of pending food adulteration cases. Advt Advt During the review, Rao assessed efforts being undertaken under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 to prevent adulteration, including pending legal cases, manpower deployment, and other critical importance of concluding adjudication within 90 days of the first hearing of the case, as mandated by the FSS Act 2006 was also discussed in the meeting. The meeting was attended by Additional District Magistrates of various districts who are responsible and appointed as adjudication officers for handling food adulteration related CEO took stock of the vacant Food Safety Officer (FSO) positions in the state and advised that these be filled at the Food Safety Commissioner of Rajasthan, H. Guite, presented a detailed overview of food safety operations and upcoming food safety campaigns, particularly during the festive season and shared progress executive director of Regulatory Compliance Division, Satyen Kumar Panda and director, Rakesh Kumar, also addressed the meeting and shared strategic guidance for effective enforcement of the FSS Act 2006. The meeting was attended by Chief Medical and Health Officers, all Food Safety Officers who attended online and offline from various districts, along with other senior meeting concluded with a unified resolve by both central and state authorities to strengthen collaboration, enhance regulatory enforcement and food safety compliance throughout the state. By , ETHospitalityWorld Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETHospitalityWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETHospitalityWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
White spots on new television? Hyderabad engineer takes on brand & retailer, wins Rs 57k refund
HYDERABAD: What would you do if your brand-new TV started showing mysterious white spots within months and no one seemed willing to fix it? For 28-year-old electronic engineer Muttu Simhavardhan Rao from Bairamalguda, the answer was simple: fight back. After several complaints and failed repairs, Rao approached the Hyderabad district consumer disputes redressal commission-III. The Commission ruled in his favour and directed both the retailer and manufacturer to refund the full amount. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Rao had bought the high-definition television in Nov 2021, partially on loan. But within six months, white spots appeared on the screen. Though technicians attempted repairs twice, the issue persisted. With no response for a replacement, he filed a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act. Initially filed with the Rangareddy district consumer disputes redressal commission, the case was later transferred to the Hyderabad district consumer disputes redressal commission-III on orders from the state consumer commission. The retailer claimed Rao never contacted them and had only approached the service centre. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo The manufacturer argued that repairs had been attempted, and warranty terms didn't promise a replacement. The commission dismissed both claims. It said the defect persisted despite repairs, indicating a manufacturing flaw. The commission also noted that the inaction caused financial and mental stress to Rao. Citing previous legal precedents, it held both the seller and manufacturer jointly liable. They were ordered to refund Rs 57,671 with 12% annual interest. Rao also received Rs 10,000 for mental agony and Rs 3,000 in legal costs.
