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The Indian Express Dated May 13,2019 Shubhajit Roy  Iran Foreign minister Javad Zarif will arrive in India on Monday night and will meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tomorrow. The meeting comes in the backdrop of the United States ending sanctions exemptions to Iran’s eight oil customers, including India. India has been prohibited from importing oil from Iran after the waiver for India ran out on May 1, or else its state-owned or private entities will face US sanctions. The Indian Express had earlier reported that Washington conveyed to Delhi that it has stood by India on combating terrorism after the Pulwama attack and expects reciprocity on President Donald Trump’s commitment to disrupt Iran’s terror network. In its conversation with Delhi, the Trump administration had also assured that the exemption of the development of the Chabahar port project will continue, though its decision to halt the waiver on oil imports to India is guided by its objective ...

The Hindu Dated May 13, 2019 Nutrition al norms of ‘no onion, garlic’ mid-day meals not based on empirical evidence Doctors, researchers and activists on Monday addressed an open letter to scientists at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) urging them to withdraw a report that declared mid-day meals provided without onion and garlic by the Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) as compliant with the government’s nutritional norms on grounds that the conclusion is not based on empirical evidence. The Karnataka government had sought a technical report from NIN following complaints by the State Food Commission as well as civil society groups about the foundation’s refusal to provide onion and garlic in the food supplied to 2,814 schools in six districts in the State, which was in violation of norms prescribed by the local as well as the Central government. “The National Institute of Nutrition, to our utter shock and dismay, has made sweeping statements praising Akshaya Patra Foun...

NDTV May 13,2019 NEW DELHI:  The Home Ministry has cancelled the registration of Bengaluru-based NGO Infosys Foundation for alleged violation of norms in receiving foreign grants, officials said Monday. All non-government organisations (NGOs) are mandatorily required to be registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act or FCRA to receive foreign funding. The Home Ministry had last year served show cause notice to Infosys Foundation for failing to submit annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to six years despite repeated reminders, officials said. The registration was cancelled as Infosys Foundation allegedly did not file income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for the past few years, they said. As per FCRA guidelines, registered associations are required to submit electronically an online annual report with scanned copies of income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, balance sheet, etc., for e...

The Sangai Express Dated May 13,2019 IMPHAL, May 12: Maize plantations in Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts too have been invaded by Fall Armyworm which means all the districts of the State have been affected by the highly invasive pest which can cause extensive damage to standing crops within a very short time. According to information received from Agriculture Department, reports of extensive damages on maize plantations by Fall Army have been coming from different quarters of the State. Meanwhile, the department has been working to spray pesticides at all the areas affected by the pest within the coming week. Gwaltabi, Thawai, Kasom Khullen and Yessom of Ukhrul and Kamjong districts have been severely affected by the pest.  Fall Armyworm has also been reported from Khumji and Longmai areas of Tamenglong and Noney districts, informed the source.   It is said that around three hectares of maize cultivation have been devastated by Fall Armyworm at Longmai and Khumji vi...

The Business Standard March 14,2019 State-owned ONGC's nine biggest  oil and gas fields including Mumbai High and Vasai East came tantalizing close to being sold to private and foreign companies but the plan was nixed after strong opposition from within the government, sources said. A high-level committee headed by Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar late last year considered "transferring" western offshore  oil and gas fields of Mumbai High, Heera, D-1, Vasai East and Panna as well as Greater Jorajan and Geleki field in Assam, Baghewala in Rajasthan and Kalol oilfield in Gujarat to private/foreign companies. Multiple sources in Niti Aayog and government said, the plan to give away fields producing 95 per cent of India's current  oil and gas could not go through because of very strong opposition from Oil and Natural Gas Cor...

The Quint May 13,2019 Taha Siddiqui Pakistan's port city Gwadar came under attack once again less than a month after the last one from Baloch separatists, as they stormed a hotel and killed at least one person. This is a few weeks after the Baloch rebels had carried out a targeted killing of 14 security personnel after offloading passengers from a bus and identifying those working for the armed forces when the vehicles were about to reach Gwadar city. The Pakistani government had said the attackers had come in from the Iran border, which is around 100 kilometres away and a heavily militarised zone. This time around, some reports have emerged saying that the attackers came in a boat via the sea that Gwadar is connected to. Pakistan has earlier blamed Afghan and Indian backing for the attacks in Balochistan. But Pakistan's terror problem is not just external. While there is a possibility of the Baloch insurgency being exploited by foreign enemies, especia...

The Indian Express May 13,2019 Shivam Patel,  Manish Sahu A day after a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) team arrested two Nigerian nationals and seized nearly two tonnes of drugs from their rented home in Greater Noida, the house owner, who is an IPS officer, has claimed that he did not get the mandatory tenant verification done by local police because “it is the duty of the property dealer”. Advertising On Saturday, the NCB team arrested Henry Ideofor (35) and Chimando Okora (30) from the house owned by Devendra P N Pandey, an IPS officer posted as an SP in the Economic Offences Wing of UP Police. The NCB also seized over 1,818 kg of pseudoephedrine and 1.9 kg of cocaine from the house, calling it the “biggest ever seizure of pseudoephedrine outside factory premises”. On Sunday, asked why the police verification of his tenants was not done, Pandey told The Indian Express: “It is the duty of the property dealer to get police verification done...

The Indian Express dated May 13,2019 ADIL AKHZER Valley’s first toll plaza located on Srinagar – Jammu National Highway at Chursoo, Sangam in Anantnag district was made operational last week. This is the only highway that connects the South Kashmir to Central and north Kashmir. Advertising While the general public was using the new highway stretch from Qazigund to Srinagar from 2018, authorities started levying a toll tax on it since last week. A single journey on the highway for a four-wheeler costs Rs 85, while a return ticket costs Rs 130. For a commercial vehicle (three axles) the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has fixed Rs 310 for a single journey and Rs 465 for the return journey. For local non-commercialized vehicles, residing within a distance of 20 kilometres, a monthly pass of Rs 260 per month has been decided. Controversy over the toll plaza Calling the move an attempt to “choke the Kashmir economy,” the trade bodies and political parties...