India Narrative

  At least 106 people have died and 52 others injured in rain-related incidents across Pakistan, according to the country’s disaster management authority. In a report, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said Sindh province was the worst-hit where 24 houses were also damaged, reports Xinhua news agency. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the media yesterday that 80 people were killed in in the province with 47 fatalities recorded in capital Karachi alone. He said 604-mm rainfall was recorded in Karachi during August, breaking the years-long record. A total of 29 people were killed, and the same number of others injured with 196 houses destroyed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the NDMA said, adding that two bridges and three mosques were also swept away by the waters gushing through the residential areas, roads and open fields. The rains caused a disastrous situation in Balochistan province where scores were left homeless after their houses were swept a...

  India has received the highest rainfall in August this year since 1976 — 25 per cent more than the average, after recording 10 per cent less downpour than the average in July, thus setting a new record after 44 years, the IMD said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) however, has forecast that the monsoon may slow down in September. “The forecast so far has been correct regarding the monsoon. The distribution of monsoon across the country has been better and consistent. There was strong rainfall in August, but in September, the monsoon may gradually weaken. However, areas that received less rain may see increased rainfall,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told IANS. The latest IMD report said: “From August 1-28, India has received 296.2 millimeters of rainfall, while the average rainfall during the month is 237.2 millimeters. Thus, the country has received 25 per cent more rainfall in August than the average.” “Previously in 1976, the month of August received 28....

  Thursday night was power-packed and eventful for the television news channels. News channels NDTV, AajTak and the latter’s sister channel India Today TV telecast a detailed interview of Rhea Chakraborty , the late Sushant Singh Rajput’s partner. Small wonder that the channels promoted it as if they got the biggest scoop of the year, as if there were no other pressing issues at hand. For instance, it was also the day when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the first time officially said that the economy could contract in 2020-21 due to the coronavirus and its impact. However, NDTV anchor Sonia Singh promoted the “big” interview, tweeting “#RheatoNDTV- Victim or Villain,” while Rajdeep Sardesai flew down to Mumbai amid coronavirus restrictions for the same. Both Sonia Singh and Sardesai gave a patient hearing to Chakraborty who seemed well prepared for the “exam.” She even went on to tell the viewers that Sushant Singh came to her dreams and nudged her to speak the truth. The ...

  National Award-winning filmmaker Prakash Jha feels the social media space has become toxic because people are not using their freedom of expression responsibly. Rather, they are doing so randomly. He feels forcing opinions and victimizing people who are on the other side of the debate is wrong. Jha is currently gearing up for public reaction to his new web series “Aashram”, which premieres on Friday. The show could ruffle a few feathers, what with Bobby Deol , as the protagonist, essays a corrupt godman. “I think most people these days use their freedom of expression not with responsibility, rather randomly. There is nothing wrong with protesting or rejecting. But if someone has an opinion, let them have their opinion too. You can disagree and say ‘I do not agree with you, thank you!’ and move on. But to make sure that you are changing others’ opinions by scaring them is wrong,” Jha told IANS. “In fact, that is why I am not on social media — whether it is Twitter or Facebook. I ...

  China threatened to conduct a “military mission” anytime from now till September 4 in the north of the Taiwan strait, provoking Taipei to warn Beijing against any attempt to annex the democratic island nation. Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Xi Jinping government, said that China’s Maritime Safety Administration had announced that it was going to conduct a “military mission from August 28 to September 4 in the Bohai strait and northern Yellow Sea”. china news The Global Times also claimed that China had “expelled” and destroyed the US spy plane U-2, which flew in the Chinese-designated “no-fly zone” on Tuesday when China was conducting a live-fire naval drill in the Bohai Sea off its north coast. Ridiculing the US, the Global Times in a sarcastic piece wrote: “China’s military museum invited US pilots to visit the U-2 wreckage following their recent trespassing into China’s no-fly zone, which is applauded by Chinese netizens. Some said that it is ok if the US wants to provide...

  The Supreme Court has ruled that final-year examinations in the universities will be held in September as it upheld the UGC circular for conducting the examinations by September 30. The apex court’s decision has been welcomed by Professor R.C. Kuhar, Chairman of the University Grant Commission ’s (UGC) expert committee that decides the rules of university examinations. He is also Vice-Chancellor of Haryana Central University. The UGC committee has worked out a solution on how to conduct examinations in all universities across the country and how and when to start the new session of universities amid the coronavirus crisis and lockdown. Prof Kuhar told IANS, “Keeping in mind the future and career of the students, we emphasized that it is imperative to hold the exams because the acceptance of the degree obtained through the examinations is at the global level. The Supreme Court, while keeping in mind this basic sentiment, has underlined the importance of examinations.” Prof Kuhar s...

  In past three years, people living on the International border and near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have become the victim of Pakistan’s unprovoked firing, causing massive loss of lives and property. According to information provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs in reply to a Jammu-based Right to Information (RTI) activist Raman Sharma, 8,571 ceasefire violations were committed by Pakistan between 1 Jan 2018 to July 2020. The information provided by the office of Director Security (J&K Wing) of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), dated 18 Aug 2020 says that these ceasefire violations by Pakistan killed 119 Indians – 63 civilians and 56 security force personnel – besides causing injuries to 308 civilians and 300 security force personnel. The communication by MHA also discloses that as compared to year 2010, the aggression by Pakistan in J&K in 2019 increased around 50 times and till July 2020 further increased 60 times. As on 2010 there were on...

  A domestic intelligence agency for the German state of Saarland has revealed that Pakistan had sought technology for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) “in order to retain a serious deterrent potential against the ‘arch enemy’ India”. “Iran, Pakistan and, to a lesser extent Syria, made efforts to procure goods and know-how for the further development of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems,” an intelligence report released by the West German state Saarland, and accessed by Israel’s leading daily,  The Jerusalem Post , has revealed. The intelligence report titled ‘Overview of the situation’ released last week, noted the apparent illicit nuclear weapons activities of Pakistan in Germany and elsewhere abroad. “Pakistan also operates an extensive nuclear and carrier technology program and continues to endeavor to expand and modernize, in order to retain a serious deterrent potential against the ‘arch enemy’ India. Although Pakistan is largely technically self-s...

  Riding on the success of its Galaxy A71 and A51 devices, Samsung grabbed the top position in the premium smartphone market (Rs 25,000-Rs 50,000) in India for the first six months this year, a new report said on Friday. While the South Korean giant captured 37 per cent market share in H1 2020, Apple continued its impressive run in the premium segment, growing by 14 per cent (year-on-year) with 26 per cent market share in the country, according to the ‘CMR India Mobile Handset Review Report’. OnePlus was a distant third with 15 per cent market share in the premium segment in H1 2020. “Owing to the pandemic, H1 2020 was a tough period for the overall smartphone industry in general, with multiple challenges. However, the premium smartphone segment was one of the least affected segments. In fact, the segment grew owing to strong consumer demand and good supply-side dynamics,” said Anand Priya Singh, Analyst, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR. Overall, the smartphone shipments in...

  The 41st meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council proved inconclusive because the political class is yet to come to terms with the fact that the economic crisis, exacerbated by the Chinese virus pandemic, is humungous. Routine statements, normal policy responses, and political posturing will not take anybody too far; the need of the hour is a paradigm shift, for which nobody seems to be ready. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called the pandemic as an “Act of God” that will contract the economy in 2020-21. By the way, it is the first official acceptance of decline this fiscal. The two options offered to fill the estimated compensation shortfall Rs 2.35 lakh crore pertain to borrowing; one of them engages the Reserve Bank of India to facilitate the borrowing. The Centre as well as states are clueless about the situation. They have been unable to comprehend its enormity; this seems to be the reason they are still bickering in the old-fashioned, pre-Covid manner. Many ...