Curfew after attack on pro-CAA procession.

Source – telegraphindia.com

A procession of 4,000 people, including women, out in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was attacked in Lohardaga on Thursday, prompting the police to clamp an indefinite curfew in the town.

Over 50 persons, including policemen, were injured in the attack on the procession organised by local Hindutva outfit Jai Sriram Samiti with permission from the administration.

The procession, starting from the Lalit Narayan stadium, was supposed to end at Kutchery Chowk. But around 12.15pm, when it reached Somar Bazaar, a predominantly minority settlement, people, many from rooftops, started pelting stones on the procession. Eyewitnesses said at least 20 vehicles and a couple of houses and shops were also torched.

“They set my jewellery shop on fire and attacked my house. In front of my eyes, they set as many as four bikes on fire,” said Manoj Soni, owner of Shobha Jewellers.

Attackers then fanned out to Lohardaga Sadar Hospital and Amla Toli Chowk areas. They pelted stones at Lohardaga Sadar Hospital. Stray bullets were also fired.

“Patients were screaming in fear,” a hospital employee said. “Somehow we managed to lock the main gate.”

People, including women, ran for shelter and frantically called up the police.

Lohardaga superintendent of police Priyadarshi Alok and deputy commissioner Akanksha Ranjan hit the streets to control the situation. Additional forces arrived from Simdega.

Police also fired teargas shells and bullets in the air to disperse the crowd.

Later in the afternoon, the district administration imposed indefinite curfew.

South Chotanagpur range deputy inspector-general of police A.V. Homkar said everything was being done to prevent the flare-up from snowballing. “Attackers had resorted to arson. Firefighting vehicles have been pressed to douse the fires. We are carrying out heavy patrolling,” he said.

Unconfirmed sources said that the mob even snatched the gun of a cop.

A bodyguard of the Lohardaga SP was heard saying that stones pelted from near the site of worship left him injured.

An employee of sadar hospital said not only was there heavy stone pelting, gunshots were also fired at the hospital. “Patients were screaming in fear,” he said. “Somehow we managed to lock the main gate of the hospital.”

Lohardaga civil surgeon Dr Vijay Kumar said patients and employees were safe. “As many as 25 injured persons were treated here (sadar hospital) and discharged. One seriously injured person has been referred to RIMS in Ranchi,” he said.

Bihar: A govt school that runs for one student.

Source – hindustantimes.com

Patna: The low student-teacher ratio has been a problem across the country. But in a village in Bihar’s Gaya there is a government school that has two teachers for one student. There is also a cook who prepares mid-day meals for the lone student.

Officials said it costs the government over Rs 59,000 monthly for the education of the lone student of class one, who studies in a one-storey school building with four classrooms and a kitchen. The government pays about Rs 58,000 to the two teachers and Rs 1,500 to the cook monthly.

Dharmaraj Paswan, the village head, said the people in the area where the school is located are more inclined towards sending their children for quality education to private schools. “…there are many options for private schools for the people. So they do not send their kids to the Mansabigha primary school,” he said.

The lone student, Jhanvi Kumari, said she gets all the attention from the two teachers and the cook, Gyanti Devi.

“Sometimes food for her is even brought from a nearby hotel, as preparing it for a student sometimes becomes a difficult task,” said one of the teachers, Priyanka Kumari.

She added that altogether nine students were enrolled in the school, but just one attends the classes. “She will also leave the school after some time,” she said. When asked about the syllabus and how her exams are conducted, Priyanka Kumari said, “We teach her to our best ability.”

“We will soon launch a drive to sensitize parents to send their kids to the school, which may increase the enrolment,” said district education officer Mustafa Hussain Mansuri

Khizarsarai block development officer Uday Kumar expressed surprise over the condition of the school. “I will inquire why the enrolment in the school is low,” he said.

Anti-CAA protests spread to 11 Bihar districts.

Source –

The ongoing protest at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register has spread to at least 11 districts of Bihar.

Protesters, mostly women and girls, can be seen waving national flag, singing patriotic songs and reciting poems at dharnas in parks and open areas. In Patna alone, such protests are being held at three places for the past several days.

‘No party flags’

Politicians and social activists like Brinda Karat, Kanhaiya Kumar, Yogendra Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and Shivanand Tiwari have addressed the protesters, explaining the implications of the CAA. “We don’t allow them to make political speeches here. They come to lend us support, nothing more,” said Omair Khan, who has been leading one such protest at Gaya’s Shanti Bagh.

“Leaders are welcome to lend us support, but no party flags are allowed,” said Mohd. Sarfaraj, who has been sitting on protest at Patna’s Subzibagh.

Phulwarisharif and Mangal Talab are the other two areas in Patna which have been seeing continuous anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests. Hundreds of women of all ages and even small children can be seen sitting round-the-clock and raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s “anti-people” policies. Mothers holding babies in their arms discuss how CAA-NPR-NRC would impact their lives, while the men are mostly engaged in managing the crowd.

“We will not move from here till this law is withdrawn by the Modi government even if it takes months or years,” says a veiled Akbari Khatun, who has been coming to the protest site every day for the last 17 days.

Students at forefront

Similar protests are being held in Kishanganj, Katihar, Bettiah in West Champaran, Begusarai, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Gaya, Darbhanga and Madhubani districts. At some places like Bettiah, girl students from Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Milia Islamia have been leading the protests. “The CAA, NRC and NPR have put a question mark on our identity in our own country. Who are these people to ask us for our identity,” asked a young girl from Darbhanga.

“The day is not far when such protests will spread to all corners of the country and force the government to withdraw this law,” said Nafisa Parveen at Gaya.

Ranji Trophy Roundup: Delhi hand Vidarbha their first defeat since 2016, Jharkhand beat Uttarakhand.

Source – indiatoday.in

Nitish Rana displayed his T20 repertoire in full as he smashed a heroic unbeaten 68-ball 105 to help Delhi chase down a stiff target of 347 and win their Ranji Trophy group A encounter against defending champions Vidarbha at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Wednesday.

Resuming at 10/0, Delhi played out of their skins to down Vidarbha with Rana hitting eight fours and seven sixes in his blistering knock which would make all Kolkata Knight Riders fans and staff happy.

Besides Rana, openers Kunal Chandela and Hiten Dalal scored 75 and 82 respectively and shared a 163-run opening wicket stand to set the platform for Dhruv Shorey’s side.

Shorey himself scored 44 as Delhi blunted Umesh Yadav’s threat with the ball and recorded a memorable win.

Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan brought up his maiden triple century in first-class cricket to lead Mumbai’s fightback against Uttar Pradesh on day four in their Group B game. The match ended in a tie but it was Sarfaraz who stole the show as he remained unbeaten on 301 from 391 deliveries with the help of 30 fours and eight sixes.

Sarfaraz Khan’s 301 not out is now the second-highest score in first-class cricket while batting at number six. The highest is by Karun Nair who hit 328 in the 2014/15 Ranji Trophy final also at the Wankhede Stadium.

Manoj Tiwary also scored a triple hundred, his first too, for Bengal two days back at Kalyani in West Bengal.

Mumbai were in trouble at 16/2 at one stage with Jay Bista and Shashank departing early in pursuit of UP’s 625/8d.

But from there on it was the 22-year-old Sarfaraz all the way as he took charge and made mincemeat of all the bowlers.

Hardik Tamore (51), Siddhesh Lad (98) and Aditya Tare (97) added solidarity to the innings.

In other matches, Maharashtra thrashed Assam by 218 runs in Group C as Jharkhand beat Uttarakhand by six wickets in another Group C game.

Gujarat humbled Punjab by 110 runs in Group A.

UPSC CDS 2020: Check important instructions.

Source – indianexpress.com

UPSC CDS admit card 2020: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had released the admit card for the Combined Defence Service Examination (CSD) I 2020 at its official websites, upsc.gov.in and upsconline.nic.in. The exam will be held on February 2 (Sunday). A total of 418 vacancies are to be filled through this recruitment process.

With only few days left to the exam, the Commission has released some important instructions to aid the preparation and easy conduct of the candidates.

Reporting time: Candidates need to reach at least 10 minutes before the admit closing time of gates, as per the latest notice. The reporting time, venue and other details will be mentioned in the admit card.

Issue in question paper: Candidates may submit representations, if any, on the questions asked in the Question Papers of this examination to the Commission through the “Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)”

UPSC CDS admit card 2020: How to download

Step 1: Visit the official website, upsc.gov.in
Step 2: On the homepage, click on the admit card link in the ‘whats new’ section
Step 3: You will be redirected to a new page
Step 4: Log-in using credentials
Step 5: Admit card will appear in dashboard, download

Errors in admit card: In case the photograph is not visible or available on the e-admit card, candidates need to carry three identical photographs along with them to the exam hall.

Exam pattern: The exam will be of  a total of 300 marks, where 100 questions each are asked from English, GK and elementary mathematics. Each question is of one mark and for choosing an incorrect option, negative marking of 0.33 marks will be deducted.

Training: As the applicants are aware, those who clear the exam, will be trained at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air force Academy (AFA), Indian Military Academy (IMA), and Officer’s Training Academy (OTA).

UPSC NDA 2020 Online Registration closes on 28 Jan: Know how to apply online!

Source –

UPSC Online Registration is going to end on 28th January 2020 (6:00 PM) at its official website – upsconline.nic.in. Eligible male candidates must apply before 28th January 2020 for the recruitment of 418 vacancies in Indian Armed Forces, i.e., Army, Navy and Air Force. UPSC NDA (1) 2020 Exam will consist of Written Exam and SSB Interview. Below are the Important Dates of UPSC NDA (1) 2020 Exam:

Important Dates for UPSC NDA & NA I 2020 Exam
Dates for submission of online applications8th Jan to 28th Jan 2020
Last date for Online Payment28th January 2020 (6:00 PM)
Last date for Offline Payment (Pay by Cash)27th January 2020 (23:59 Hrs)
Facility to withdraw application form4th Feb to 11th Feb 2020 
UPSC NDA & NA (1) 2020 Written Exam19th Apr 2020 (SUNDAY)
145th Course for the NDA and 107th Course for the Naval AcademyCommencing from 2nd January 2021

The Online Application Process consists of Part-I and Part-II Registration:

  • In Part I registration, candidates will have to fill basic information. On submission of details, candidates will be prompted to check the details and make the correction, if any, in the application.
  • Part-II Registration consists of filling up Payment details (except for fee exempted candidates), uploading of Photograph, Signature, Photo Identity Card Document and Declaration.

How to Apply?

For your ease, we have listed down step by step process and some relevant information needed while filling the application form. Let’s look at the Application Process for UPSC NDA (1) 2020 Exam:

Step-1: Go to the Official Website of UPSC

The submission of the application will be online only through the official website of UPSC – www.upsconline.nic.in. Click on the link ‘ONLINE APPLICATION FOR VARIOUS EXAMINATIONS OF UPSC’ as highlighted in the image given below:

Step-2: NDA (1) 2020 Part-1 & Part-2 Registration

A new page will open where candidates can begin registration by clicking on the links Part-1 & Part-2 Registration as shown in the image given below:

Step-3: Part-1 Registration

In Part I registration, candidates will have to fill basic information. Fill in your Personal details like Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Father’s Name, Mother’s Name, Nationality, Marital Status, Community, Educational Qualification, Address, Mobile Number and E-mail ID:

Educational Qualifications for National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (I)Qualification CodeQualification01Passed 12th class of 10 plus 2 pattern of school education or an equiv. exam. but not having Physics and Maths together as subjects in class XII.02Passed 12th class of 10 plus 2 pattern of school education or an equiv. exam. with both Physics and Maths among the subjects.03Appeared/Appearing at 12th class of 10 plus 2 pattern of school education or an equiv. exam. but not having Physics and Maths together as subjects in class XII.04Appeared/Appearing at 12th class of 10 plus 2 pattern of school education or an equiv. exam. with both Physics and Maths among the subjects.

Step-4: Generation of Registration Number

Candidate must press “I agree” button after he /she finds that information supplied by him /her is in order and no correction is required. Thereafter no correction/modification shall be allowed. When “I agree” button is pressed, a page with Registration Number will be generated. Please note down Registration Number or take a print out of the page.

Step-5: Part-II Registration

The application is incomplete without Part-II registration which involves payment, selection of centre, uploading of scanned photograph, signature, Photo Identity Card Document and agrees to declaration.

Step-6: Upload Photograph, Signature and Photo ID Proof

  • Photograph: Scanned photograph should be in JPG format and must be uploaded first. The digital size of file should not exceed 300 KB each and must not be less than 20 KB and resolution 350 pixels (Width) X 350 pixels (Height) minimum, 1000 pixels (Width) X 1000 pixels (Height) maximum and Bit Depth of image file should be 24 bit.
  • Signature: After uploading your photograph then upload your scanned signature in JPG format. The digital size of each file should not exceed 300 KB each and must not be less than 20 KB and resolution 350 pixels (Width) X 350 pixels (Height) minimum, 1000 pixels (Width) X 1000 pixels (Height) maximum and Bit Depth of image file should be 24 bit.
  • Photo ID Proof: Next upload your photo identity card document in PDF format only. The digital size of PDF file should not exceed 300 KB and must not be less than 20 KB. The same photo ID Proof is required at the time of Personality Test/SSB/Examination at the venue. Candidate must provide detail of one photo ID viz. Aadhar Card/ Voter Card/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Driving License/ School Photo ID/Any other photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government.

Step-7: Application Fee and Mode of Payment:

Candidates can pay the application fees online, through Credit/Debit Card/Net banking facility of any Banks or by cash challan in SBI bank. Eligible Candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees One Hundred only):

CategoryApplicable Fee
Male Unmarried CandidatesRs. 100
SC/ST candidatesNo Fees
Sons of serving/ex-Junior Commissioned Officers/ Non-Commissioned Officers/ Other Ranks of Army and equivalent ranks in the Indian Navy/ Indian Air Force are also not required to pay the prescribed fee if they are studying in Military School (formerly known as King George’s School)/ Sainik School run by Sainik Schools Society.No Fees

Mode of payment: Fee can be paid either by depositing the money in any Branch of SBI by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using Visa/MasterCard/Rupay Credit/Debit Card. Applicants who opt for “Pay by Cash” mode, should print the system generated Pay-in-slip during Part-II registration and deposit the fee at the counter of SBI Branch on the next working day only. “Pay by Cash” mode option will be deactivated at 23:59 hours of 27th January 2020, i.e., one day before the closing date.

Step-8: Final Submission of Application

On the successful completion of your complete application, an auto-generated email message will be sent on your registered email-id. In case the email is not received by you please check/ensure that submission of Part-II of the Application has been made by you.

Important Points to Remember while applying online for UPSC NDA (1) 2020 Exam:

  1. FACILITATION COUNTER FOR GUIDANCE OF CANDIDATES:

In case of any guidances/information/clarification regarding their application, candidature etc. candidates can contact UPSC’s Facilitation Counter near Gate ‘C’ of its campus in person or over Telephone No.011-23385271/011-23381125/011-23098543 on working days between 10.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs.

  1. MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS:

Applicants should avoid submitting multiple applications. However, if due to any unavoidable circumstances any applicant submits multiple applications then he must ensure that the application with higher Registration ID is complete in all respects.

  1. WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATIONS:

The online Applications can be withdrawn from 4th February 2020 to 11th February 2020 till 6:00 PM. Request for generating OTP for withdrawal of application will be accepted only till 5:30 PM on 11th February 2020.

UPSC IFS 2019 Interview Schedule Released at upsc.gov.in, Check here for Important Dates.

Source – pagalguy.com

According to the latest notice released by the Union Public Service Commission, it has published the P.T. Board Schedule for Indian Forest Examination, 2019.

On January 21st 2020, UPSC has announced the Interview schedule for candidates who are selected provisionally for the UPSC IFS 2019 exam. Therefore, the candidates can check the schedule by visiting the official website i.e. upsc.gov.in.

The Interview session of the UPSC IFS 2019 will be conducted from 10th February 2020 to 14th February 2020 at:

Office of the Union Public Service Commission at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, and New Delhi‐110069.

Therefore, the candidates who have qualified for the Interview session can visit the official website and check the Interview schedule. The candidates will finally be selected on the basis of their performance in the Interview session.

After qualifying this round, the candidates will be selected for the post. The candidates should note that the UPSC is organizing this recruitment process in order to fill the vacant seats under the IFS Recruitment 2019.

The UPSC IFS interview will take place in two shifts. The first session of the Interview will be conducted at 9:00 AM while the second session will take place at 1:00 PM. However, the officials of the UPSC will announce the release of the e-call letter for the Interview.

The call letter for the UPSC IFS 2019 Interview session will be available from 24th January 2020. So, the candidates can visit the official website and access their call letters.

If the candidates come across any difficulty or other problems, they should contact the Office of the Commission immediately on any of these contact numbers:

011‐23385271, 011‐23381125, 011‐23098543 or Fax No. 011‐23387310, 011‐23384472

The candidates can also share their problems by sending it to the email id of skindo-upsc@gov.in. An important thing to be noted by the candidate is that there will be no issue of the paper summon letters for the Personality Test or  Interview.

Over 4,000 chemists go on three-day strike in Patna from January 22.

Source – newindianexpress.com

PATNA: Patna’s famous Govind Mitra road and other adjoining areas, which have the maximum number of retail as well as wholesale chemist shops, wore a deserted look on Wednesday with 4,0000 chemists going on a three-day strike from January 22.

The chemists, who are a part of the Bihar Chemists Association, staged a dharna in support of a charter of their demands including an immediate check on unnecessary harassment on the pretext of completing formalities of work.

However, in a humanitarian move, Prasan K Singh, president of the association, said that medicine shops opened in the premises of hospitals were exempted from participating in the strike.

Bihar Adopts Tariff of ₹4.15/kWh for Procuring 2 MW of Power from Floating Solar Projects.

Source –

The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) has approved ₹4.15 (~$0.058)/kWh as the tariff to procure 2 MW of power from floating solar PV projects in Darbhanga.

Floating solar projects have great potential in a state like Bihar, where land acquisition is a challenge.

This tariff was proposed by the Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Limited (BSPHCL) and Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA). The Commission added that the procurement would meet the stipulated long-term RPO trajectory of the DISCOMs.

Earlier, a joint petition was filed by BSPHCL and BREDA for the approval of the tariff. The project is being set up in Darbhanga, and the power is to be purchased by the North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL) and the South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL).

The Commission has also directed the petitioners to draft the PPA in line with the guidelines for the tariff-based competitive bidding process for the procurement of power from grid-connected solar PV power projects issued by the Ministry of Power (MoP).

The tender for the projects was initially floated on August 22, 2019, and the last date for the submission of bids was September 12, 2019. As there were no bidders, the tender was extended eight times. Finally, four bidders submitted bids on the last bid date, which was October 27, 2019.

After the competitive bidding, the price of ₹4.15 (~$0.058)/kWh, as quoted by Avaada Energy Private Limited, was found to be the lowest price.

The petitioners had claimed that during the year 2019-20 and 2020-21, they would face a deficit of solar power, whereas, in the year 2021-22, they would have surplus solar power. However, in its supplementary submission, BSPHCL revised its calculation and said that the DISOMS would face a shortage of power in all the three years.

The petitioners had also submitted that apart from the Bihar Renewable Energy Policy 2017, the state of Bihar has also started Jal-Jeevan Hariyali Program, which includes promoting solar projects to be installed on rooftops, ground-mounted, and water bodies.

The Commission observed that BREDA had not taken adequate care while floating the tender as certain provisions of the RfP were not in line with the draft PPA. The two inconsistent points were:

  • As per the RfP, the developer should commission the project within 12 months of the effective date of the PPA. On the other hand, the PPA mentions that the developer should commission the project within 18 months.
  • There is a provision to encash performance guarantee and a reduction in the rate of tariff in the RfP. In case the project is delayed beyond 24 months from the effective date of the PPA, the PPA should be terminated, the document states. However, in the PPA, it is mentioned that the PPA will be terminated if the project is delayed beyond 30 months.

The Commission asked the petitioner to reexamine the draft PPA and ensure that there are no discrepancies from the guidelines.

The Commission also noted that the petitioners had claimed that the price discovered during competitive bidding was lower than the BERC’s FiT (feed-in-tariff) of ₹4.17 ($0.06)/kWh, but the Commission observed that these two could not be compared as the FiT for the FY 2019-20 is applicable only for ground-mounted projects and not floating solar PV projects.

Last year, the state Commission penalized the DISCOM for not fulfilling its RPO shortfall.

IIM Ranchi ranks among top 20 B-schools in India.

Source – dailypioneer.com

With rising competition, students aspiring to pursue a Management in Business Administration (MBA) are in for some good news.

The ninth institute of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ranchi established in the year 2010 has made it to the top 20 business schools according to Inside IIM MBA Rankings 2020.

IIM- Ranchi is the first second generation IIM to be featured in the list beating its counterparts like IIM Rohtak which till two years was amongst the top 25 business schools in the country.

“The institute- IIM Ranchi is very serious with whatever it is doing and our main concern is that wherever our students go, they should be known as the products of IIM Ranchi. Institutes are known by their own faculty members and products. The faculty here also strives to mould the students not just academically but also prepare them for the society. It is our endeavour that our products should be appreciated wherever they go,” said Professor Shailendra Singh, Director IIM Ranchi.

The institute has also made it to T.I.M.E’s list of top B- schools in India. Making it to the fourth spot, IIM Ranchi is in the AAA+ category of institutes which offer high quality of education, faculty, infrastructure and also have a 100 per cent placement record. It has beaten institutes like Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurugram and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Mumbai which are in the fifth and sixth place respectively.

“The institute has immense potential and students get admission after facing difficult competition. They work extremely hard while our teachers are like potters who shape them with inspiration and motivation. Ultimately the products come out as good professionals who have a demand and stand out in the industry. It’s very encouraging to see our efforts being appreciated,” added the Director.