India
Low turnout marks India's high-profile Bengal bypoll
Low turnout marked India's most high-profile bypoll held in the eastern state of West Bengal's capital Kolkata on Thursday.
Till evening, a little over 53 percent voters cast their ballots in the by-election to the Bhawanipur seat in south Kolkata, where Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting to retain her constitutional post.
Polling began at 7am amid tight security and Covid-safety protocols.
The by-elections to two more seats in Bengal -- Jangipur and Samserganj in Murshidabad district -- were also held on the same day.
Nearly seven lakh people were eligible to cast their ballots in the constituencies. The results will be out on October 3.
In Bhawanipur, 66-year-old Mamata has to pull off a win to continue as Bengal CM. India's ruling and Bengal's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pitted a little-known woman lawyer against Mamata.
Though her Trinamool Congress party swept back to power in Bengal in May's assembly polls, Mamata lost her own seat in Nandigram to her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by around 2,000 votes.
Mamata has, however, challenged Suvendu's election in the Kolkata high court.
India's main opposition Congress, on the other hand, has not fielded any candidate against Mamata. The party's decision was announced by West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury earlier this month.
On May 2, Mamata single-handedly pulled off a landslide victory in the assembly election for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In June, Mamata moved the high court to declare Suvendu's election win "null and void' on the grounds that he had indulged in corrupt practices and sought votes on the basis of religion.
"Suvendu Adhikari has indulged in several corrupt practices that have enhanced his winning chances and materially altered Mamata Banerjee's chances of success in the election," her petition read.
In her petition, Mamata also alleged discrepancies in the counting of votes, Mamata's lawyer had said.
West Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool rule.
Dual gauge railway from Bogura to Sirajganj under LoC soon
A new direct Rail Link from Bogura to Shahid M. Mansur Ali Station, Sirajganj will be developed under a Line of Credit (LoC) from India in a significant step towards further modernization of Bangladesh’s railway infrastructure.
The project is aimed at enhancing railway connectivity between Bangladesh and India. The funds will be disbursed through EXIM Bank of India.
As the first step, an agreement between Bangladesh Railway and Indian consultant (JV of RITES Ltd. and Aarvee Associates) was signed on Monday.
Read: Rail operation on Padma Bridge may start from Dec 2022: Minister
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami were present.
The signing ceremony took place in Rail Bhaban with Railway Secretary Mohd Salim Reza in the chair.
Senior officials from Railways Ministry, Bangladesh Railway, Indian High Commission, Dhaka, Exim Bank of India’s Dhaka Representative Office, RITES Ltd. and Aarvee Associates Architects Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd. were also present.
The scope of Consultancy Services includes updating the project feasibility study, detailed engineering design and drawings of all infrastructure including bridges, embankments, railway track, stations, signalling and all other facilities, route alignment, mathematical modeling, tendering services and construction supervision services.
Read:50 railway stations are getting facelift with modern amenities, says railways minister
Cyclone Gulab to hit India tonight; heavy rains likely in Bangladesh
Barely four months after 'Tauktae' and 'Yaas' hit India, another cyclone is likely to make landfall in the country on Sunday night -- the remnants of which could trigger heavy showers in neighbouring Bangladesh.
'Cyclone Gulab' -- meaning rose, a name given by Pakistan -- is expected to hit the eastern state of Odisha and neighbouring southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh with wind speeds of up to 95kmph, the Indian weather office said this morning.
Read: Cyclone ‘Gulab’: Warning signal 2 issued for maritime ports
"The Cyclonic Storm 'Gulab' over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved nearly westwards lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of 26th Sep, over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal about 270km east-southeast of Gopalpur & 330 km east of Kalingapatnam," it tweeted.
Gang war in Delhi court: Notorious gangster among 3 killed
India's national capital Delhi was witness to a bloody gang war on Friday.
Dressed as lawyers, two members of an extortion gang walked into a courtroom in Rohini and gunned down a rival gangster in front of a judge. Policemen escorting the gangster retaliated and shot the duo dead.
The deceased gangster has been identified as Jitender Gogi. The two dead members of the rival 'Tillu gang' are yet to be identified. The shootout, however, left several people, mostly lawyers, wounded.
A video of the shootout -- in which at least 30 rounds were exchanged and lawyers and cops could be seen running for cover -- has gone viral, raising serious questions over security arrangements in courts in Delhi.
Read: Indian gangster Vikas Dubey killed in encounter
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana told the local media that notorious gangster Gogi was brought to the court from Delhi's Tihar jail for a hearing when the rival gang members opened fire on him.
"The police acted swiftly and killed both the assailants. Total three dead, including Gogi,” the police chief said, apparently ruling out a resurgence of gang wars in the capital.
Sources, however, told UNB that the two gangs had been at rivalry for the past four to five years and the attack inside the court was a spillover of the same. "Efforts are on to nab the mastermind behind the daring courtroom attack," an officer said.
Read: Fugitive gangster arrested in CTID raid
India's main opposition Congress party was quick to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal government and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Delhi government over the "deteriorating the law and order situation" in the national capital.
"Shocking news of shootout & violence within #RohiniCourt in the national capital.Why are the Modi-Kejriwal govts sleeping at the wheel? They must be held responsible for making Delhi the National Capital of Lawlessness & Disorder," the party tweeted.
Modi leaves for US to attend first in-person Quad Summit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for the US to attend the first in-person Quad Summit and hold face-to-face talks with President Joe Biden in Washington DC.
The Quad, acronym for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is an informal strategic group of four nations -- the US, Australia, Japan and India. The Quad was formed in 2007 as a counterbalance to China in Asia.
In his departure statement, the Indian PM said that his meeting with President Biden, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and PM Yoshihide Suga of Japan would provide an opportunity to take stock of the outcomes of a virtual summit in March.
Read: Modi to attend first in-person Quad Summit in US next week
"My visit to the US would be an occasion to strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with USA, consolidate relations with our strategic partners - Japan and Australia - and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues."
Modi added: "I will also meet Prime Minister Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Suga of Japan to take stock of the strong bilateral relations with their respective countries and continue our useful exchanges on regional and global issues."
The meeting of the Quad leaders is slated for September 24 in Washington DC amid the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban.
During his three-day US visit, Modi is also scheduled to meet President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and also address the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25 in New York.
"At the invitation of @POTUS @JoeBiden, I am visiting USA to continue our dialogue, and exchange views on areas of mutual interest. Also looking forward to meet @VP @KamalaHarris to discuss global issues and explore ideas for cooperation...," the Indian PM said in a separate tweet.
Read: Afghanistan, terrorism, Indo-Pacific, climate change on Modi's US trip agenda
About his UN General Assembly address, Modi said he would focus on "pressing global challenges", such as the pandemic, and the need to tackle terrorism and climate change.
The Indian PM's visit to the US comes over a month after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. In fact, India was among several countries that evacuated their diplomatic staff from Kabul when the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15.
However, two weeks later, India began direct communication with the Taliban, with the country's envoy in Qatar Deepak Mittal holding talks with Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban's Political Office in the Gulf state.
At the meeting, Ambassador Mittal had raised India's concern that Afghanistan's soil should not be used for anti-Indian activities and terrorism in any manner, to which Stanekzai assured him that these issues would be positively addressed, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Read: Mamata slams Modi govt as nephew summoned over coal scam
"Discussions focused on safety, security and early return of Indian nationals stranded in Afghanistan. The travel of Afghan nationals, especially minorities, who wish to visit India also came up."
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan on August 15, with the US troops ending their 20-year military presence in the South Asian country.
India is particularly worried about the implications of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, given it has already infused over three billion USD worth development aid into that country and the horrific memories of the Taliban's role in the hijacking of an Indian airliner in 1999.
Hybrid vehicles key to India’s electric shift, Schaeffler says
Hybrid vehicles are a better fit than battery-powered electric cars for India in the immediate future, given the nation’s shortcomings in EV infrastructure, according to the regional head of auto parts supplier Schaeffler NSE -0.65 % AG, reported The Economic Times.
“Hybrid vehicles will play an equally important role because they are able to address some of the immediate infrastructure challenges around e-mobility,” Dharmesh Arora, Schaeffler’s Asia Pacific chief executive officer, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Monday. “For electric mobility to become mainstream we could argue it will take some more years or longer than rest of the world.”
Schaeffler’s outlook echoes the stance of India’s biggest carmaker Maruti Suzuki NSE -2.49 % India Ltd., which is also glum about the uptake of electric vehicles and is focusing on hybrid models until charging infrastructure improves and EVs become more affordable for Indian buyers. Electric vehicles account for less than 1% of India’s annual car sales, compared to almost 10% in China.
Schaeffler is looking to make the Asia Pacific region an export hub, Arora said in the interview. Exports accounted for 14% of Schaeffler India Ltd.’s second-quarter sales, up from 11% in the first quarter. The company is seeing a good response for India-made products and intends to take advantage of their cost-competitiveness by exporting not just to Asia but the rest of the world, Harsha Kadam, chief executive officer of Schaeffler India, said on an earnings call in July.
Schaeffler is facing supply-chain related hurdles ranging from a shortage of steel and semiconductors to strong competition for shipping containers, Arora said. The company is negotiating long-term prices with suppliers to combat commodity price inflation. Schaeffler has reached 80%-85% localization on the automotive side in the region as part of its cost-cutting plan, he said.
India to restart Covid vaccine exports to COVAX, neighbours
India will resume exports of COVID-19 vaccines in the October quarter, prioritising the global vaccine-sharing platform COVAX and neighbouring countries first as supplies rise, the health minister said on Monday, reports Reuters.
India, the world's biggest maker of vaccines, stopped exports of COVID shots in April to focus on inoculating its own population as infections exploded.
The country's monthly vaccine output has since more than doubled and is set to quadruple to over 300 million doses next month, minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, adding that only excess supplies would be exported.
Total production could top 1 billion in the last three months of the year as new vaccines from companies such as Biological E are likely to be approved, he said.
"We will help other countries and also fulfil our responsibility towards COVAX," he told reporters.
Reuters reported last week that India was considering restarting exports of COVID-19 vaccines soon. It donated or sold 66 million doses to nearly 100 countries before the export halt. read more
The announcement on resumption of exports in the October to December quarter comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington this week where vaccines are likely to be discussed at a summit of the leaders of the Quad countries - the United States, India, Japan and Australia.
India wants to vaccinate all its 944 million adults by December and has so far given at least one dose to 64% of them and two doses to 22%.
India's inoculations have jumped since last month, especially as the world's biggest vaccine maker, the Serum Institute of India, has more than trebled its output of the AstraZeneca (AZN.L) shot to 200 million doses a month from April levels.
Indian companies have set up the capacity to produce nearly 3 billion COVID vaccine doses a year.
India warns of tit-for-tat action against UK's Covid vaccine policy
India Tuesday warned of a tit-for-tat action if Britain did not recognise Covishield as a legitimate anti-corona vaccine for its nationals travelling to the UK.
Terming Britain's new Covid vaccine policy as "discriminatory", Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla made it clear that India could "take reciprocal measures" if the matter was not resolved at the earliest.
"The non-recogition of Covishield is a discriminating policy and impacts our citizens travelling to the UK," Shringla told the media in the Indian capital.
"The External Affairs Minister has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary. I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue will be resolved," the Foreign Secretary added.
His warning came on a day Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar tweeted about raising the issue with his British counterpart Liz Truss on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
"Pleased to meet new UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz... Urged early resolution of quarantine issue in mutual interest," Jaishankar tweeted earlier in the day.
As per the new vaccine rules, Indian nationals travelling to the UK will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days even if they have received both doses of Covishield -- the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India.
37 Bangladeshi returns after serving jail term in India
Thirty-seven Bangladeshi nationals, most of them teenagers, returned home on Monday after serving up to three years of jail term in India for illegal entry into the neighbouring country.
Petrapole Immigration Police handed the returnees – 13 girls, 20 boys and four women to Benapole Immigration Police in the evening.
They were trafficked to India through different points of the border with promises of jobs, but unfortunately landed in jail. The boys and girls were aged between 12 and 18 when they got trafficked.
READ: 27 more Bangladeshis return through Darshana checkpost
Binoy Krishna Mallik, executive director of Jashore Rights, said the victims went to India’s Bangalore three and half years back.
Ahsan Habib, officer-in-charge of Benapole Check-post Immigration, said the Bangladeshi nationals returned through travel permits.
They were later handed over to Benapole Port police from where two NGOs will receive them, he said.
READ: 30 more Bangladeshis rescued from the Mediterranean return from Tunisia: BRAC
The returnees will have to stay there for 14-day institutional quarantine, he added.
Connectivity: Passenger Terminal Building (I) inaugurated at ICP Petrapole
A new passenger terminal building (I) was inaugurated at Integrated Check Post Petrapole - on India's side of the Benapole border -on Friday in a major boost to modernization of border infrastructure and to further strengthen Bangladesh-India connectivity.
ICP Petrapole, the largest land port in South Asia, is the most important port for passengers' movement between the two countries.
Read:Indian High Commission celebrates 'ITEC Day 2021' in Dhaka
It is also the ninth largest international immigration port of India, handling about 23 lakh passengers annually.
Built by the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), the new PTB (I) is spread across an area of 1,305 Sqm and is designed to handle around 550 passengers at any point of time.