Kochi, Aug 12: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh
today made an aerial survey of two rain-ravaged districts of Kerala and said the situation in the state was "very serious".
He assured the state government of all help from the Centre to meet the challenges posed by the unprecedented floods.
The minister was speaking to reporters at the airport here after conducting the aerial survey of Idukki and Ernakulam districts.
New Delhi, Jul 29: Calling touchdown of Rafale fighter aircraft at Ambala airbase as "historic day" for Indian Air Force and proud moment for India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that "world-class fighter jets will prove to be a game-changer".
In a series of tweets, Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Indian Air Force and the entire country on this "momentous day".
"Rafale touchdown is a historic day for our vigorous @IAF_MCC and a proud moment for India! These are the world's most powerful machines capable to thwart any challenge in the sky. I am sure Rafale will help our Air warriors to safeguard our skies with its mighty superiority," Shah said in a tweet.
"From speed to weapon capabilities, Rafale is way ahead! I am sure these world class fighter jets will prove to be a game changer. Congratulations to PM @narendramodi ji, DM @rajnathsingh ji, Indian Air Force and the entire country on this momentous day. #RafaleInIndia," he added.
Shah said that Modi government is committed to build India's defence capabilities.
"Induction of these next generation aircrafts is a true testimony of PM @narendramodi's resolve to make India a powerful and secure nation. Modi govt is committed to build on India's defence capabilities. I thank honourable PM for providing this unprecedented strength to our IAF," he tweeted.
Earlier today, the five French Rafale fighter jets touched down at Haryana's Ambala after covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km to join the Indian Air Force.
The jets were given a customary water salute upon their arrival at the airbase, some 220-km from the India-Pakistan border.
The formal induction ceremony of the aircraft would be held later. The aircraft would move out soon to another operational base for operational sorties.
The five Rafale fighter aircraft took off on Monday for India from an airbase in France.
Rafale has multi-directional radar system which can detect 40 targets at the same time in a range of over 100 Kms. It has advance radar warning receiver to identify hostile tracking system a towed decoy system to thwart incoming missile attacks.
Rafale will ensure that our pilots will not have to cross the border to strike the target, that is about 600 Km in enemy territory.
It will get French industrial support for 50 years. India had signed a deal worth over Rs 60,000 crore with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafales to meet the emergency requirements of the IAF.
New Delhi, Jun 20: Diesel price on Saturday hit a record high after rates were hiked by 61 paise per litre while petrol price was up 51 paise, taking the cumulative increase in rates in two weeks to Rs 8.28 and Rs 7.62 respectively.
Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 78.88 per litre from Rs 78.37, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 77.67 a litre from Rs 77.06, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies.
Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT.
The 14th daily increase in rates since oil companies on June 7 restarted revising prices in line with costs after ending an 82-day hiatus in rate revision, has taken diesel prices to new high. Petrol price too is at a two-year high.
Prior to the current rally, diesel rate had touched a peak of Rs 75.69 per litre in Delhi on October 16, 2018.
The highest-ever petrol price was on October 4, 2018, when rates soared to Rs 84 a litre in Delhi.
When rates had peaked in October 2018, the government had cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre each. State-owned oil companies were asked to absorb another Re 1 a litre to help cut retail rates by Rs 2.50 a litre.
Oil companies had quickly recouped the Re 1 and the government in July 2019 raised excise duty by Rs 2 a litre.
The 82-day freeze in rates this year was imposed in mid-March soon after the government hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel to shore up additional finances.
The government on March 14 hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each and then again on May 5 by a record Rs 10 per litre in case of petrol and Rs 13 on diesel. The two hikes gave the government Rs 2 lakh crore in additional tax revenues.
Oil PSUs Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), instead of passing on the excise duty hikes to customers, adjusted them against the fall in retail rates that was warranted because of a decline in international oil prices to two-decade lows.
International oil prices have since rebounded and oil firms are now adjusting retail rates in line with them.
In 14 hikes, petrol price has gone up by Rs 7.62 per litre and diesel by Rs 8.28 a litre.
Jammu and Kashmir, May 5: Awarding the prestigious Pulitzer Prize to three Indian photographers, the Pulitzer Board at Columbia University claimed that it was for their work in Kashmir as "India revoked its independence".
The award to Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin in the feature photography category for their pictures for the Associated Press was announced on Monday.
The prizes, considered the most prestigious for US journalism, are associated with the university's Graduate School of Journalism where the judging is done and is announced, although this year it was done remotely.
Besides a certificate, the prizes carry a cash award of $15,000, except the public service category for which a gold medal is awarded.
The public service prize went to The Anchorage Daily News for a series that dealt with policing in Alaska state.
In making the award to the three, the Board said on its website that it was "for striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout".
Besides making the false claim about "independence" of Kashmir being "revoked", the board that includes several leading journalists did not explain how their photographs could have reached the AP within hours of the incidents recorded "through a communication blackout".
India's Central government only revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and it was not independent.
Indian journalists were allowed to operate in Kashmir, while only non-Indian journalists were barred.
The wording of the award announcement calls into question the credibility of the Pulitzer Board that gives out what are considered prestigious journalism awards.
The portfolio of pictures by the three on the Pulitzer web site included one of a masked person attacking a police vehicle and another of masked people with variants of the Kashmir flag, besides photos of mourners and protesters.
One of the finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism was a reporter of Indian descent at The Los Angeles Times, Swetha Kannan, who was nominated for her work with two colleagues on the seas rising due to climate change.
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