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60-kg Taj Mahal chandelier crashes, ASI orders investigation

August 23, 2015

Agra (UP), Aug 23: A 60-kg British-era copper chandelier at the main entrance of 17th century Taj Mahal crashed down recently, prompting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to initiate a probe into the matter.

tajThe six-feet high and four-feet wide chandelier, gifted by Lord Curzon and installed at the Royal Gate of Taj Mahal in 1905, fell down on Wednesday, sources said.

A probe under ASI’s superintending archaeologist Bhuvan Vikram has been initiated into the matter, they said.

Though there was no official word as to what caused the chandelier to fall, the sources said it probably came down due to “aging and wear and tear”. “Luckily, there was no one around or else it would have resulted in a major tragedy,” a tourist guide Ved Gautam said.

On Thursday, Agra ASI chief Bhuvan Vikram Singh had said the decision to fix the chandelier would be taken only after carefully examining its structure and its present state.

Meanwhile, some tourist guides have accused the ASI officials of “gross negligence” and questioned their expertise in handling the monument’s artifacts.

E-tickets for night visit

Tourists visiting the Taj Mahal at night would soon be able to buy tickets online till 3 pm of the day of their visit, instead of booking in advance, PTI?reports from Agra.A proposal in this matter has already been cleared and an order would soon be issued, Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma said.

Currently, tickets need to be purchased manually in advance, ASI officials said adding night view is allowed between 8:30 pm to 00:30 am and the duration of visit is 30 minutes.

The night viewing facility is available for five nights, two before and two after the full the moon night.

Arrangements were also being made to allow night-time visitors’ entry to the 17th century monument through the western gate in the compound, the minister said on Wednesday.

Presently tourists for night viewing are permitted entry from the eastern gate, which creates problem for the locals, whose movements gets restricted.Efforts are also being made to develop infrastructure at Mehtab Bagh opposite to the Taj Mahal, so that tourists can see the Taj Mahal at night according to their convenience, tourism ministry sources said.

“A large number of tourists are denied from seeing the Taj Mahal after sunset for various reasons including security concerns,” said K C Jain, president of the Agra Development Foundation, an NGO trying to promote tourism in the city.

“If the facilities are developed at Mehtab Bagh, the visitors would benefit and there would be an additional attraction in the city,” he said.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Mumbai, Jul 30: Counterfeiting incidents have increased 24 per cent in the country in 2019 over the previous year, creating an over Rs 1 lakh crore hole in the economy, according to a report.

The report also said counterfeiters are having a free run due to the pandemic-driven disruptions to organised supply chains and the resultant spike in consumer demand.

According to the report by ASPA, a self-regulated industry body of anti-counterfeiting and traceability solutions providers, counterfeiting has risen steadily in the last few years, and exploiting the pandemic as a cover for their activities.

Between February and April 2020, over 150 incidents of counterfeiting cases were reported, mostly about fake PPE kits, sanitisers and masks taking advantage of the high demand for these products, it noted.

"There was a 24 per cent increase in counterfeiting in 2019 over 2018, leading to the loss of more than Rs 1 lakh crore to the overall economy," said Nakul Pasricha, president of Authentication Solution Providers Association.

The association works with global authorities like the International Hologram Manufacturers Association, Counterfeit Intelligence Bureau of the Interpol, and domestic industry lobbies like Ficci, he said.

Counterfeiting is a universal issue and is 3.3 per cent of global trade, according to the OECD data, impacting social and economic development across the world.

The report lists the currency, FMCG, alcohol, pharma, documents, agriculture, infrastructure, automotive, tobacco, lifestyle and apparel, as the 10 sectors impacted most by counterfeiting.

Among these, currency, alcohol and FMCG continue to be the top three sectors with the highest counterfeiting in the last two years. The FMCG sector is most vulnerable, as counterfeit incidents rose 63 per cent between 2018 (79) and 2019 when the reported cases jumped to 129.

Within the states, the fakers have a free run in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Punjab, Jharkhand, Delhi, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand, calling for urgent actions to frame anti-counterfeiting policy measures.

According to the report, UP continues to be on top followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, and together these three states represent almost 45 per cent of all counterfeiting reported in the last two years.

What is more alarming is that counterfeiting is not limited to high-end luxury items today, as common everyday items as fake cumin seeds, mustard cooking oil, ghee, hair oils, soaps, baby care vaccines and medicines are aplenty in the markets.

"There is an urgent need for building and nurturing authentication ecosystems in the country with the active involvement and active participation of all stakeholders," said Pasricha.

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News Network
January 18,2020

Kanpur, Jan 18: Kanpur has witnessed an Unnao-like incident as the out on bail accused in rape case attack the family members of the victim. The mother of the victim, who later died in the hospital, was brutally attacked by the accused. The accused reportedly attacked the victim's mother and her aunt on January 8.

The actual rape case goes back to 2018 when a group of men abducted a minor girl from her own society. The accused had reportedly raped her and also beaten up her mother.

A video of mother being beaten up reportedly went viral soon after.

The mother of the victim had reportedly filed a complaint against one of the accused for abducting and molesting her daughter two years ago at a tannery falling under jurisdiction of Chakeri police station. The main accused along with five others was booked under section 354 of the IPC (sexual assault of children) and sent to jail. Around two weeks ago, the accused got bail and on January 9 they attacked the deceased and her sister.

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News Network
March 27,2020

New Delhi, Mar 27: The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 17 in the country on Friday and the number of coronavirus cases climbed to 724, according to the Health Ministry. In its updated figures at 9.15 am, the ministry stated that four deaths were reported from Maharashtra while Gujarat had registered three deaths.

Karnataka has reported two deaths so far, while Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have reported one death each.

According to the data, the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 640, while 66 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated. The total number of 724 cases included 47 foreign nationals, the ministry said.

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