Petrol price cut; diesel's hits poll code, policy bump

October 1, 2014

Petrol price cut

New Delhi, Oct 1: Good times are rolling well into the festive season for petrol consumers. State-run fuel retailers on Tuesday reduced the fuel's price by approximately 54 paise a litre, excluding state taxes, marking the fourth cut since April 1.

But the wait for a much-anticipated reduction in diesel price, the first in four years, got longer due to the poll code and lack of clarity on whether it requires the Cabinet's approval.

The poll code did not apply to petrol because its pricing has been deregulated since January 2013 and has been revised every fortnight in tune with changing international prices of crude, motor spirit - trade name for petrol - in the regional trading hubs as well as the rupee's exchange rate against the dollar.

The latest cut will translate into a final reduction of 65 paise a litre in Delhi after including VAT. The reduction will vary in states according to the prevailing state taxes.

Announcing the reduction, market leader IndianOil said the move followed continued downward trend in international prices of petrol. But the news came with a cautionary note over a depreciating trend in the rupee exchange rate.

Diesel price has been revised upward by about 50 paise per litre every month since January 2013. This followed a Cabinet decision to raise prices in "small doses" every month till the gap between the government-capped retail price and production cost - called under-recovery - was wiped out.

These marginal price increases, together with declining global prices and improved rupee exchange rate, managed to completely wipe out the subsidy element and showed an "over-recovery" of 35 paise a litre since September 16. The margin is believed to have risen further in the subsequent fortnight.

Naturally, there was widespread anticipation of a price cut at the fuel's monthly review on Tuesday. But the poll code due to elections in Maharashtra and Haryana came in the way. The oil ministry is believed to have referred the issue to the Election Commission, which is yet to revert.

Besides, there was also the question that reducing diesel price may require Cabinet approval since the government controls the fuel and the Cabinet decision to raise its price did not have a provision for reduction.

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News Network
February 28,2020

Feb 28: For 30-year-old Shabana Parveen, it was nothing sort of a miracle — giving birth to a healthy baby boy after surviving a brutal attack by a mob who kicked and assaulted her and her husband in northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar.

Their home set afire by the mob, Ms Parveen's family is now pinning their hopes on the newborn who they called a "miracle baby".

Ms Parveen, her husband, two kids and mother-in-law were sleeping inside the house on Monday night when a mob barged into their house.

Narrating their ordeal, Ms Parveen's mother-in-law Nashima told PTI, "They hurled religious slurs, beat up my son. Some of them even kicked my daughter-in-law in the abdomen...as I went to protect her they came charging at me... We thought we would not survive that night. But with God's grace we somehow managed to escape from the clutches of the rioters."

"We rushed Parveen to a nearby hospital but doctors there asked us to go to Al-hind Hospital where she delivered a baby boy on Wednesday," she added.

Despite having lost their home for over two decades and all belongings, her family has overcome the initial shock and are now overjoyed with the birth of the "miracle baby".

Ms Nashima said she had no clue where the family would go after Ms Parveen was discharged from the hospital.

"It's all gone there. Nothing left. Maybe, we will go to some relative's place and see how we can re-build our life," she said.

Ali, 6, who held his one-day-old brother, caressing his forehead, said, "I will take care of him forever and save him from every ill."

The violence over the amended citizenship law in northeast Delhi has claimed 38 lives so far and left over 200 people injured. Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at locals and police personnel.

Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar are among the areas mainly affected by the clashes.

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April 8,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 8: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all universities and higher education institutions across the nation to set up helpline to combat mental health issues among students during the Covid-19 crisis and nation-wide lockdown period.

In an official circular, the UGC stated that, "It is important to address psychological concerns of students and to address mental health and for the well-being of students, universities/colleges and higher education institutions should setup mental health helplines."

These helplines need to be monitored by counselors and other identified faculty members. "It is important for students to stay calm and stress-free. This can be achieved through telephones, e-mails, digital and social media platforms," says UGC.

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News Network
March 4,2020

New Delhi, Mar 4: A court in Delhi on Wednesday convicted expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the death of the Unnao rape victim's father.

District judge Dharmesh Sharma said Sengar had no intention of killing the victim's father. “He was beaten in a brutal manner that led to his death,” the judge said.

The court had sent Sengar to jail on December 20 for the “remainder of his natural biological life” for raping the woman in 2017, when she was a minor.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had examined 55 witnesses in support of the case and the defence examined nine witnesses.

The court had recorded the statements of the rape survivor's uncle, mother, sister and one of her father's colleague who claimed to be an eyewitness to the incident.

Charges were framed against Sengar, his brother Atul, Bhadauria, sub-inspector Kamta Prasad, constable Amir Khan and six others in the case.

The case was transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the directions of the Supreme Court on August 1 last year.

In July, 2019 a truck rammed into the car the rape victim was travelling in with some family members and her lawyer.

Two of her aunts died in the incident. She was airlifted from a hospital in Lucknow and to AIIMS in Delhi.

The victim has been provided accommodation in Delhi and is under CRPF protection.

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