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21Nov

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India slips on climate list but still a high performer | India News – Times of India

BAKU: India slipped from 7th rank a year ago to 10th in the latest Climate Change Performance Index, but the country along with the UK (6th) are the only G20 nations on the high-performers list, showed an annual report released on the sidelines of CO on Wednesday.Despite the drop, India remains on the list of top 10 high-performing countries for the sixth year in a row. India, which ranked 31st in 2014, entered the top 10 in 2019.Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK take the lead as fourth, fifth and sixth rankers with the top three ranks remaining vacant like the previous years in the absence of a perfect score to any country.The world's biggest emitter China ranks 55th and the second biggest, US, remains at 57th position - they are among very low performers, according to the 20th edition ...

20Nov

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Maoist leader Vikram Gowda’s encounter death in Karnataka: A case file

Vikram Gowda, a key Maoist leader from Karnataka, was killed in an alleged exchange of fire with the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) at Peetabailu village near Hebri in Udupi district on November 18 night. The incident marks the first killing of a Maoist leader in an encounter in Karnataka since 2012. ANF, police intensify combing operations after Maoist leader Vikram Gowda encounter Six members of Maoist’s ‘Kabini Dalam’, including Vikram Gowda, were searching for a safe place in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts. They were reportedly contacting their old contacts to initiate the process of surrendering to the police. | Video Credit: The Hindu Gowda (44), a class 4 drop...

19Nov

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Ecuador: Wildfires trigger national emergency – Times of India

Ecuador grapples with relentless wildfires (Reuters) Ecuador's government declared a 60-day national emergency due to forest fires, with a severe drought worsening the situation, risk management officials said on Monday.The state of emergency will allow the freeing of funds to tackle the multi-faceted crisis.According to state officials, the country currently faces 13 active wildfires, with another nine wildfires having been controlled, according to an update from the government's communications office.'Ravages of drought'Eight helicopters were combating fires, with three of them having been sent by Peru and Italy."The whole country is suffering the ravages of this great drought that has already lasted almost 120 days," Risk Management Secretary Jorge Carrillo told local broadcaster FM Mu...

19Nov

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Parts of Great Barrier Reef suffer highest coral mortality on record – Times of India

SYDNEY: Parts of the Great Barrer Reef have suffered the highest coral mortality on record, Australian research showed Tuesday, with scientists fearing the rest of it has suffered a similar fate. The Australian Institute of Marine Science said surveys of 12 reefs found up to 72 percent coral mortality, thanks to a summer of mass bleaching, two cyclones, and flooding. In one northern section of the reef, about a third of hard coral had died, the "largest annual decline" in 39 years of government monitoring, the agency said. Often dubbed the world's largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300 kilometre (1,400-mile) expanse of tropical corals that house a stunning array of biodiversity.But repeated mass bleaching events have threatened to rob the tourist drawcard of its wonder...

19Nov

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Delhi air pollution crisis discussed at COP29 sidelines | India News – Times of India

BAKU: The air pollution crisis in Delhi was discussed here on the sidelines of UN climate talks COP29 on Monday, with experts from the global health community urging India to chart a future that is not dependent on fossil fuels. They also called for reforms to ensure climate policies prioritise people, not polluters, by transitioning towards renewable energy and strengthening public transport infrastructure in cities.In the context of vehicular pollution and emissions from coal-based power plants that pollute cities round-the-year, they underlined that there is broad consensus among health communities on the need to phase out fossil fuels sooner than later, redirect health-harming subsidies from the sector, and apply some of the lessons learnt from tobacco control to check fossil fuels use...

18Nov

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Heatwave preparedness should be a 365-day effort

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government made a gazette notification that heatwave is a state disaster, clubbing it with 13 other eventualities such as deaths caused by electrocution, thunderstorm and lighting, floods and snakebite. Families of victims including relief workers who died due to heatwave, would be eligible for an ex-gratia of ₹ 4 lakh. These are significant steps as greater onus is now on the State Government to take various measures to reduce heatwave-related causalities in the State (remember, heatwaves are not yet notified as a disaster at the national level under the existing disaster relief policies). Anup Kumar Srivastava, former senior consultant, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), says prevention, preparedness, mitigation, monitoring and relief, in that...

18Nov

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Joe Biden announces major climate initiatives from Amazon rainforest, says ‘protecting planet a fight for humanity’ – Times of India

President Joe Biden, second right, joined by daughter Ashley Biden, third from right, and granddaughter Natalie Biden, right, meets with indigenous and other leaders during a tour of the Museu da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil (Photo credit: AP) President Joe Biden announced major climate initiatives on Sunday during his historic visit to the Amazon rainforest, pledging an additional $50 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund and asserting that no future administration could reverse America’s progress on clean energy. Speaking from Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, Biden described the fight against climate change as a cornerstone of his presidency. "It’s true, some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America. But nobody, nobody can reverse it, nobody — not w...

17Nov

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Biden in historic Amazon trip as Trump return sparks climate fears – Times of India

MANAUS: Joe Biden will make the first trip to the Amazon rainforest by a sitting US president Sunday -- but his visit will be overshadowed by incoming leader Donald Trump's vows to roll back his green policies.Biden is heading to Manaus in Brazil, a city in the heart of the world's largest jungle, as part of a tour of South America that is likely to be the last major foreign swing of his single term in office.The 81-year-old will have an aerial tour of the Amazon and visit a museum before speaking to the media, the White House said. Biden will also meet indigenous and local leaders working to protect the Amazon.US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Biden was making the "historic stop in the Amazon to underscore his personal commitment and America's continuing commitment... to com...

17Nov

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G20 role in climate finance critical: UN body chief – Times of India

BAKU: With world leaders heading to Rio de Janeiro for the G20 summit next week, the UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Saturday urged them to send a strong signal that climate action is core business for the world's biggest economies and step up climate finance globally as it requires action both inside and outside the COP process.His remarks come as negotiators here continue to brainstorm on finalising post-2025 climate finance goals without making much headway on the latest iteration of the draft decision text during multiple negotiations at CO. It is believed that the leaders' declaration by G20 leaders at Rio may give a push to the ongoing negotiation here."Here in Baku negotiators are working around the clock on a new climate finance goal. There is a long way to go, but everyone is ver...

4Aug

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Will be injustice to SC communities if internal reservation is delayed by Karnataka government: Basavaraj Bommai

Basavaraj Bommai. Representational Image. File | Photo Credit: PTI Former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai has urged the Congress government in Karnataka to take immediate measures to provide internal reservation to Scheduled Caste communities in the wake of the Supreme Court upholding such internal quota for them. Mr. Bommai, whose government had recommended such internal reservation to SC communities in March 2023, made such a demand while being felicitated by SC community leaders in Bengaluru on August 4, for such a measure taken by the erstwhile government led by him. Also Read: Karnataka to ask Centre to amend Constitution to allow internal reservation among SC communitiesExpressing concern that...

4Aug

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Wayanad landslide: More than 1,000 government employees engaged in 24×7 relief operations, says CMO

Forest Department officers rescue children from a landslide-affected area of Wayanad district. | Photo Credit: PTI More than a 1,000 government employees are currently engaged in the disaster management and relief operations in the landslide-ravaged regions in Wayanad district, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office said on August 4. The 24x7 activities are being coordinated by the Civil Station at Kalpetta and the temporary control room opened at Chooralmala. Also Read: How can Wayanad reduce landslide risks?Mobilised under 15 teams, the government staff are handling the coordination of the search and rescue effort, collection and distribution of relief materials, food and medicines, counselling, manage...

30Jul

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Delhi coaching centre deaths: High Court to hear plea seeking setting up of panel to probe incident

Students protest outside the Rau’s IAS study circle in Old Rajinder Nagar area, where 3 students died in a coaching centre Saturday Night, after it was waterlogged in basement of IAS study circle building | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar The Delhi High Court has agreed to hear on July 31, a plea seeking to constitute a high-level committee to probe the incident in which three civil service aspirants drowned in the basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar.The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing on July 30 before a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela which said the matter be listed on July 31 if the petition is in order by afternoon. Petitioner advocate said he f...

28Jul

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Body of woman found near Uran railway station in Navi Mumbai

“The body of a 20-year-old woman was found in a thicket near Uran railway station in Navi Mumbai, after which a murder case was registered,” a police official said on July 28.“The body was found at 2.15 a.m. on July 27,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vivek Pansare confirmed.“The victim, who worked in Belapur, had taken half-day leave on July 26 and the murder may have taken place between 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. that day,” the DCP said."A case under Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against unidentified person(s.) Three teams have been formed to trace the accused. The Crime Branch is also probing the case independently," he informed.Source link

28Jul

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Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s ‘insult’ at NITI Aayog meeting doesn’t suit democratic norms: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said the “insult” of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is not good for democracy. File | Photo Credit: PTI Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on July 28 said the "insult" of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the NITI Aayog meeting held in New Delhi a day earlier was not good for democracy.“States have several issues, which need to be addressed and muting the microphone of a Chief Minister doesn’t suit democratic norms”, Mr. Raut said.Mamata Banerjee on July 27 walked out of a NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming she was unfairly stopped midway through her speech, a charge denied by the government asserting that her speaking time was over.M...

28Jul

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Nitish Kumar skipped NITI Aayog meet over refusal of special category status to Bihar: CPI(ML) Liberation leader

JD(U) leaders were tight-lipped over the absence of Nitish Kumar, the party president, at the NITI Aayog meeting held in Delhi (File) | Photo Credit: PTI The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML)L], a constituent of the INDIA bloc, claimed, that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting out of embarrassment over the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to the State.The party also slammed the National Democratic Alliance-led (NDA) Central government for "misleading" people over the special package and announced protest marches next month.However, JD(U) leaders were tight-lipped over the absence of Nitish Kumar, the party president, at the NITI Aayog m...

27Jul

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Will scrap Agnipath scheme when we come to power: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav. File | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said on July 27 that the Agnipath recruitment scheme will be cancelled “as soon as we come to power”. The declaration comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced reservation for retired Agniveers in the U.P. Police.“As soon as we come to power, the short-term ‘Agniveer’ military recruitment that compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers will be cancelled within 24 hours. This is our demand on ‘Agniveer’. Old recruitment should be reinstated,” wrote Mr. Yadav on X (formerly Twitter).Quota in jobsMr. Adityanath ann...

27Jul

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Parliamentary Panel highlights significant delays in installation of telemetry systems in critical flood-prone areas

The delay at Khanabal is attributed to a court case pending since 2018 while non-clearance from the forest department has stalled installations at Sara Thang and Dambong since 2017. (File) | Photo Credit: PTI A Parliamentary Panel has highlighted significant delays in the installation of telemetry systems vital for real-time data collection and flood forecasting in some critical flood-prone areas.The Committee's report on the performance audit of schemes for flood control and forecasting, submitted to the 17th Lok Sabha and tabled in the 18th Lok Sabha on July 26, underscores the need for urgent action to ensure timely and effective flood management.According to the report, the installation of telemetry systems...

21Jul

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Tamil Nadu government lists various welfare programmes implemented by MAWS Department

“Under the Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Programme, a total of 1,178 road works to the extent of 1,583 km have been taken up at a cost of ₹812.21 crore.” | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Tamil Nadu government on July 21 listed various welfare programmes being implemented by its Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department. It included ‘AMRUT 2.0’ being implemented at ₹2,391.72 crore, including various road projects, and urban development programmes. An official release issued by the State Government on July 21 said 515 road works and 11 bridge works were completed during the past three years since 2021 under the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) scheme at a total c...