Indian express

Opposing a draft proposal of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) giving powers to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to direct online platforms to take down news identified as ‘fake’, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has sought the intervention of MPs across party lines to ensure its withdrawal. In an open letter to the MPs, the IJU has appealed to the lawmakers “to lend their voice to the efforts to safeguard the most important fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution—the right to freedom of expression”. The journalists’ body has also demanded the formation of an independent body – on the lines of the Press Council of India – for regulation of online content. Also Read | MeitY to conduct ‘separate’ talks on PIB fact-check in Feb: MoS IT According to the ministry’s draft proposal, any piece of news that has been identified as ‘fake’ by the fact-checking unit of the PIB – the Centre’s nodal agency to share news updates – will not be allowed on online … [Read more...] about Indian Journalists Union opposes move to empower PIB to act on ‘fake news’, seeks intervention of MPs

After the heroic last-ball, last-wicket, last-session draw New Zealand squeezed out in Kanpur the year before, Rahul Dravid handed curator Shiv Kumar a cheque of Rs 35,000. The coach was not exactly pleased with the surface Kumar had put together—“the turn was low and slow, did not wear and tear,” he would complain—but found joy in the crowd getting to watch a game that lasted a full five days. “It had everything a Test match could offer, quality cricket as well as drama. The match was alive till the final ball, which is a victory for Test cricket.” A Test match lasting all five days in India is an utter rarity in India. Since Australia’s trenchant draw in Ranchi, in 2017, it has happened just thrice in 18 games, one of which was a rain-curtailed one in Eden Gardens. From 2021, the average days-span of a Test match has been 3.6 days. The much-maligned villain of the piece has been the pitch, the raging, kinking turners, where the skilled and shrewd spinners have woven an artful … [Read more...] about How Kohli and Pujara’s issues against spin can be exploited by Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais Sunday returned the domicile Bill — which defines a ‘local’ in the state on the basis of 1932 land records — to the state government to “seriously review” its legality. Relations between the Governor and Chief Minister Hemant Soren have been strained since September last year, over Bais not disclosing the contents of an Election Commission letter to him that reportedly disqualified the CM as an MLA in an office of profit case. Also in Explained | Visakhapatnam will be Andhra’s capital, says Jagan. What happens to Amaravati and the 3-capitals plan? What did the Governor say about the Bill? Bais said the Bill mentions that only local persons, as identified under it, would be eligible for appointment in class 3 and 4 positions of the state government. This is not in accordance with Article 16 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality in employment. The Governor also said that only Parliament has been empowered to impose any … [Read more...] about Jharkhand Governor sends back domicile Bill: Why, what next

The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday ordered premature retirement for three officials in the Prisons Department for their involvement in corruption, underperformance and anti-social activities. Pointing out that the decision was taken to make the administration more efficient and transparent, an official statement – issued without identifying the officials – said they conducted their duties in ways that were unbecoming of public servants and in violation of the established code of conduct. The exercise was conducted as part of regular process of scrutiny of records of officials who cross benchmarks of age/service period in terms of Article 226(2) of J&K Civil Service Regulations (CSR), it added. Among the officials, one was found involved in a serious criminal case and he had remained in custody for three years. Apart from this, the official had gained a bad public reputation, the statement said. Another official was found to be habitually violating official … [Read more...] about Poor conduct: 3 J&K govt officials ordered to retire prematurely

Earlier this week, a Siberian Husky named Mia went missing from her home in the US. Fortunately, three days later she was reunited with her family under the most unlikely circumstances. On Tuesday, the County Department of Animal Services in US’s San Diego rescued Mia after she got stuck in a 10-foot-deep mechanic’s well in a private garage. According to the County of San Diego Communications Office, the authorities were asked for help by the owner of a private garage in Ramona who informed them that a dog was trapped in an oil-filled well. ALSO READ | ‘This is so beautiful’: Family on vacation comes to rescue of dog after it fell into icy waters. Watch When the animal rescuers reached the scene, they found that Mia was weighed down by the oil. Fortunately, they were able to pull the dog out. They then brought the dog to a veterinarian. Mia is expected to make a full recovery soon. Subscriber Only Stories View All UPSC Key- February 2, 2023: … [Read more...] about Missing Siberian Husky rescued from mechanic’s oil-filled well in US

People in Turkey’s Bursa region were surprised when a rare cloud formation appeared in the sky on Thursday. A video of the incredible spectacle led some internet users to assume what they saw was an unidentified flying object (UFO) . The video, captured from a moving vehicle, shows a large circular cloud formation at sunset. There are circular patterns and a hole also seems to appear in the middle. The cloud formation seen hovering over buildings and hills is intriguing. ALSO READ | ‘Rafale or Aliens?’: Netizens take guesses after Pakistan pilot claims he saw UFO “Turkey’s Bursa region witnessed an incredible cloud formation…” Tansu Yegen captioned the clip. Since being shared on Friday, the video has racked up 1.1 million views. While several users were amazed by the clip, some others speculated it to be an UFO. A Twitter user commented, “I wanted that to be an alien ship so bad.” Another user wrote, “That’s a UFO.” A third user commented, “Aliens. Finally.” … [Read more...] about ‘That’s a UFO’: Bizarre giant cloud formation in Turkey stuns netizens