15-yr-old student shoots school director for complaining against him to parents

Mysuru, May 19: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday announced the results of garbage free-star rating for Indian cities.

He said that Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, Rajkot in Gujarat, Mysuru in Karnataka, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra have got a five-star rating.

Puri extended the wishes to the cities who got a five-star rating and said it came at a time when the entire world, including India, are reeling under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was the intention of my senior colleagues and others to declare the result of star rating of garbage-free cities much earlier but we decided to postpone because we wanted at least some degree of opening to take place and we thought the timing is correct," Puri said.

The minister said that of all the flagship programmes Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced, Swachta Mission is the most important programme for him.

"I have often shared with you my assessment that of all the flagship programmes that the Prime Minister had announced after the 2014 election results. But my personal view, a view I have had a citizen and certainly a view that is fortified by my experience as Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, that the Swachta Mission by far is the most important programme of all the missions," Puri said

Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 7: The Managing Director of Muthoot Finance company was injured after miscreants allegedly pelted his car with stones here on Tuesday morning following which one person was reportedly taken into custody.

George Alexander Muthoot, who suffered head injury has been admitted to a private hospital, police said.

A section of employees have been agitating against the Muthoot management over dismissal of 160 staff from the company's 43 branches across the state in December.

The protest is being held under the aegis of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

While the Muthoot management alleged that "CITU goons" were behind the attack that occurred at around 9 am in front of IG office here, the union leaders have maintained that they have no role in the incident.

Reacting to the incident, Labour Minister T P Ramakrishnan said he does not think any of the Muthoot employees were behind the attack.

"The employees were protesting peacefully. Violence is not part of their protest. Even now, in today's incident, I don't think any of the Muthoot employees attacked the MD.

However, it was the management of the company which had always provoked them by not implementing the decisions taken at conciliatory meetings," the Minister said.

If the management was prepared to change its stance, all the issues would be resolved, he said.

CITU leader Ananthavattom Anandan told reporters that they do not believe in such type of violent mode of agitation.

An official of the Confederation of Indian Industries Kerala chapter condemned the incident, saying "it is a matter of great concern".

Well known businessman and founder chairman and CEO of V-Guard Industries, Kochouseph Chittilappilly condemned the attack and said it was unfortunate that such incidents still continue in the state.

“Earlier also such incidents have taken palace. It's highly condemnable. The union leaders will now claim that the incident took place without their knowledge. But without the backing of union, such incidents will never happen,” he said.

Kerala-headquartered Muthoot Finance is the largest gold financing company in India.

Mangaluru, Apr 1: Police have arrested a person on charges of spreading malicious comments against the Karnataka government staff engaged in the prevention of the novel coronavirus in the district.

City Police Commissioner Harsha on Tuesday tweeted, “One Nizam has been arrested and sent to judicial custody on court orders for spreading malicious content on social media through a platform idunammadhwani.. regarding various government functionaries engaged in anti-COVID-19 work and spreading rumours.”