Mamata right in raising voice against Centre: Akhilesh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav (Photo: Facebook)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday extended support to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee who has accused the Union government of “deploying the army” along two highway toll plazas while keeping the state government “in the dark”.

“I feel whatever Mamataji is doing, the way she is raising her voice against the Centre, is a good thing. Things should happen within the knowledge of the state government. Mamataji has the right to know what is being done in her state by the centre, she is doing the right thing by voicing her concerns,” he said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.

“I don’t feel it is a healthy democracy where things happen in a state without the knowledge of the state government,” said the Samajwadi Party leader.

While the Indian Army has denied the Chief Minister’s charges asserting the exercise has been conducted in coordination with local police authorities, Banerjee wondered if there was a military coup.

Akhilesh Yadav said similar incidents also happened in his state.

“I am the Chief Minister of UP… don’t I have right to know how much money is being sent to the banks?

“For example if a terrorist is arrested (by the central agencies) from a state and the Chief Minister is not aware of that, is that acceptable? Such incidents have happened in UP also but I kept quiet as it was matter involving the country’s security,” he said.

Banerjee who has been virtually at war with the Modi government over the demonetisation issue, spent Thursday night at the state secretariat, demanding “withdrawal of the army” and dubbed the motive behind the deployment “political, vindictive, unconstitutional, unethical and undemocratic”.

She has also got support from her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, who earlier on Friday said that Banerjee was targeted by the central government for daring it on demonetisation.

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People converting black money into white will not be spared, warns Govt

Representational image (Photo: Getty Images)

Giving a stern warning to those who were converting black money into white, the Finance Ministry on Friday said that the trails were being watched by the income tax officials and a coordinated action was underway.

“Those indulging in or colluding with money laundering or converting black money into white will not be spared,” Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said in a tweet.

“Trails being pursued by agencies. Coordinated action underway. Result already visible. Will be more visible in coming days,” he said in another tweet.

Meanwhile, Das told reporters on Monday that demonetisation has led to excess cash in the system which was being tackled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

“It is a situation of excess liqudity and the RBI is managing it. It is definitely on the higher side,” he told reporters here.

To manage surplus liquidity, the central government, on RBI’s advice, on Friday revised upwards the ceiling for issue of securities under the Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) to Rs 6,00,000 crore.

In June 2016, the ceiling for the outstanding balance under MSS for 2016-17 was fixed at Rs 30,000 crore.

In another measure to absorb a part of this surplus liquidity, the RBI on November 26 had announced additional cash reserve ratio (CRR) of 100 per cent for banks on the increase in net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) between September 16, 2016 and November 11, 2016.

The additional CRR directive came into effect from November 26.

Simply put, CRR is the percentage of the total deposit that banks have to keep with RBI.

The RBI will review the incremental CRR on December 9 to decide the future course.

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Magnetic brain stimulation can activate ‘forgotten’ memories

(Photo: Getty Images)

With a technique that uses magnets to stimulate the brain, it is possible to bring back short-term “forgotten” memories stored in the brain, new research has found.

The researchers conducted a series of experiments in which people were asked to remember two items representing different types of information — they used words, faces and directions of motion — because they would be tested on their memories.

When the researchers gave their participants a cue as to the type of question coming — a face, for example, instead of a word — the electrical activity and blood flow in the brain associated with the word memory disappeared.

But if a second cue came letting the participant know they would now be asked about that word, the brain activity would jump back up to a level indicating it was the focus of attention.

“People have always thought neurons would have to keep firing to hold something in memory. Most models of the brain assume that,” said Brad Postle, Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.

“But we’re watching people remember things almost perfectly without showing any of the activity that would come with a neuron firing. The fact that you’re able to bring it back at all in this example proves it’s not gone. It’s just that we can’t see evidence for its active retention in the brain,” Postle said.

The researchers were also able to bring the seemingly abandoned items back to mind without cueing their participants.

Using a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to apply a focused electromagnetic field to a precise part of the brain involved in storing the word, they could trigger the sort of brain activity representative of focused attention.

“We think that memory is there, but not active,” Postle said.

“More than just showing us it’s there, the TMS can actually make that memory temporarily active again,” Postle pointed out.

The study — published in the journal Science — suggests a state of memory apart from the spotlight attention of active working memory and the deep storage of more significant things in long-term memory.

The findings may have implications for treatment of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, in which patients focus on hallucinations instead of reality, and depression, which seems strongly related to spending an unhealthy amount of time dwelling on negative things.

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Nicole Kidman begged for her ‘To Die For’ role

Nicole Kidman (PHOTO: Facebook)

Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman had to beg for her role in the 1995 film To Die For.

Kidman and her To Die For co-star Casey Affleck reminisced about the 1995 Gus Van Sant thriller during the Actors on Actors session of variety.com.

At that point in her career, Kidman was mainly known for her roles opposite her then boyfriend Tom Cruise, including Days of Thunder and Far and Away.

“No one thought I could do it and I think the studio didn’t want me, and I think it went through a bunch of other actors,” Kidman said.

“I called Gus and I said, ‘Please, give me the chance, I beg you,’ because the writing was so strong,” she added.

Kidman later went on to become one of the highest rated actresses of Hollywood.

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Barcelona under pressure in ‘El Clasico’

Madrid are on top with 33 points from 13 matches, ahead of second-placed Barcelona’s 27.

Cristiano Ronaldo (L), Lionel Messi (R)

Reigning champions FC Barcelona will be under pressure to limit the gap at the top of the standings with leaders and traditional rivals Real Madrid in La Liga's showpiece derby football match, the “El Clasico”, here on Saturday.

The game is without doubt the main course of 14th round of matches of the competition, reports Xinhua news agency.

Although it comes at a relatively early stage of the season, the high-voltage match at Barcelona's home ground, the Camp Nou stadium, could potentially decide this season's title winners, given that Madrid already enjoy a six-point lead from Barcelona. A win would lift them nine clear.

Madrid are on top with 33 points from 13 matches, ahead of second-placed Barcelona's 27.

Madrid have stars Gareth Bale and Tony Kroos out through injury, but defensive midfielder Casemiro will be back after proving his fitness.

Barcelona go into the game with big question marks over their form following draws against Malaga and Real Sociedad and also away to third tier Hercules in their midweek Kings Cup tie.

Defender Samuel Umtiti reappeared after injury in that game and coach Luis Enrique has commented that midfield maestro Andres Iniesta should play at least some part in the Clasico.

Meanwhile, most eyes will be fixed on the performances of superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the best two players in the world go head to head once again.

In other matches, Granada look for their first league win of the season at home to Sevilla, who are third in the table level on points with Barcelona, but having inferior goal difference.

Granada will take heart from their Kings Cup win at home to Osasuna in midweek, while Sevilla know they have the chance to strengthen their own titles claims.

Hosts Leganes will be looking for their second home win of the campaign against Villarreal, who have slipped to sixth after losing their last two league matches.

Atletico Madrid will also look to bag three points in their home clash against Espanyol.

Atletico seem to have rediscovered some of their former defensive steel in recent games, while Espanyol have three away wins this season and have not conceded a goal in over 400 minutes league football.

On Sunday, Real Betis entertain Celta Vigo, while Athletic Club Bilbao have to overcome the absence of suspended duo Aritz Aduriz and Raul Garcia for what is certain to be a tough derby against seventh-placed Eibar.

Alaves, who last week won convincingly in Villarreal, look for their second home win of the season when they host Las Palmas before a key battle at the bottom of the table as Sporting Gijon entertain Osasuna.

Osasuna have shown no signs of improvement after replacing former coach Enrique Martin with Joaquin Caparros, while Sporting Gijon coach Aberlado Fernandez is under pressure without a win in 10 league matches.

Fernandez lost his temper with a local journalist in his post-game press conference following a Cup defeat at home to Eibar midweek.

Valencia will be searching for desperately needed points at home to Malaga, while Real Sociedad look to keep the good times rolling away to Deportivo la Coruna, who have lost their last two games after conceding goals in injury time.

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UPSSSC to fill 293 posts, apply online before Dec 17 at www.upsssc.gov.in

upsssc.gov.in

UPSSSC revealed on the official website upsssc.gov.in that the officials have planned to fill 293 Instructor posts. Candidates interested to apply for UPSSSC Instructor post online have to visit the official and need to follow the instruction.

As per the latest update, UPSSSC 2016 online registration for Part-I exam will close on December 17. While, the last date to apply for Part-II examination is December 21.

UPSSSC 2016 examination application fee is different for different category i.e.

– General and OBC category: Rs 105

– SC/ST category: Rs 65

– PWD category: Rs 25

Candidates are advised to take a print out of the UPSSSC application form after submitting it online.

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Fantasy Premier League Pundit Picks: Gameweek 14

Is your team ready for the manic weekend that is almost upon us?

Juan Mata (L), Harry Kane (C) and Sadio Mane (R)

The action never stops in the English Premier League, throwing up results that guarantee only one thing: Expect the unexpected!

As they bid to outscore one and other, all that uncertainty isn't good for millions of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers. However, each week, thestatesman.com will help to make the right moves on the FPL with a comprehensive article on who to buy for the coming gameweek.

The indicators are:

Teams in BOLD are top 4 contenders.

Prices marked with a (+) indicate an increase in Base Price.

Prices marked with a (-) indicate a decrease in Base Price.

Goalkeepers

Ben Foster

Team: West Brom

Fixtures: Watford (H), Chelsea (A), Swansea (H), Man Utd (A) and Arsenal (A)

Price: 4.7 (+)

Score: 45

Ownership: 15.6%

Why yes: The Baggies have been in good form of late and their custodian is doing a commendable job between the sticks. His saves per game ratio is quite good, making him among the top five goalkeepers in FPL.

Why no: Fixtures aren't great, and it is unlikely that Forster will be able to keep too many clean sheets. At best, a good second-choice keeper.

Defenders

Danny Rose

Team: Tottenham Hotspur

Fixtures: Swansea (H), Man Utd (A), Hull (H), Burnley (H) and Southampton (A)

Price: 5.9 (-)

Score: 34

Ownership: 5.3%

Why yes: Rose is back from a one-match suspension and will immediately slot in at left-back. Swansea may have won in thrilling fashion last weekend, but they will find the going against Spurs tough. Marginally cheaper than Spurs right-back Kyle Walker. Rose is a good bet for points on both ends of the pitch.

Why no: Those who have Kyle Walker or Hugo Lloris should steer clear of Rose. He is slightly more expensive than teammate Jan Vertongen, who has more points than him currently.

Glen Johnson

Team: Stoke City

Fixtures: Burnley (H), Arsenal (A), Southampton (H), Leicester (H) and Liverpool (A)

Price: 4.7 (-)

Score : 13

Ownership: 0.1%

Why yes: Stoke have been in good form of late and Glen Johnson has been instrumental in their surge up the table. While rumours of a Barcelona move are exaggerated, he is definitely a good pick against a Burnley side who are struggling for goals at the moment.

Why no: Games after Burnley are tough and Stoke aren't known for backs-to-the-wall defending anymore.

Midfielders

Juan Mata

Team: Manchester United

Fixtures: Everton (A), Spurs (H), Crystal Palace (A), West Brom (A) and Sunderland (H)

Price: 7.5

Score: 47

Ownership: 4.2%

Why yes: United’s best performing midfielder (FPL stats), the diminutive Spaniard actually performs better against stronger opposition. After being rested midweek, Mata should cause havoc at Everton. Considerably cheaper than the rest of the United starters.

Why no: Those who are opting for the in-form Zlatan Ibrahimovic should stay away as United do not look like a free-scoring side at the moment at least.

Sadio Mane

Team: Liverpool

Fixtures: Bournemouth (H), West Ham (H), Middlesbrough (A), Everton (A) and Stoke (H)

Price: 9.2 (+)

Score: 70

Ownership: 18.0%

Why yes: With Coutinho’s injury, there are only two viable options from Liverpool: Mane and Roberto Firmino. Mane is a very direct option to have and many times plays at the tip of an explosive Liverpool formation.

Why no: Considerably more expensive than Firmino, who has more points. While he will certainly score big over the course of a season, it is difficult to guarantee that he will be on the scoresheet week in, week out.

Forwards

Harry Kane

Team: Tottenham Hotspur

Fixtures: Swansea (H), Man Utd (A), Hull (H), Burnley (H) and Southampton (A)

Price: 10.9 (-)

Score: 47

Ownership: 8.8%

Why yes: Just signed a bumper contract and in good form, there isn't any reason why Kane won't score against a leaky Swansea side at home. Fixtures look good as Spurs bid to climb back into the top four.

Why no: Christian Eriksen, Heung Min Son and Dele Alli are good options in midfield to have and are much cheaper.

Alvaro Negredo

Team: Middlesbrough

Fixtures: Hull (H), Southampton (A), Liverpool (H), Swansea (H) and Burnley (A)

Price: 6.3 (-)

Score: 52

Ownership: 13.0%

Why yes: Negredo grabbed a priceless brace against Leicester last time around and against a hapless Hull side could extend his form quite easily.Except for the Liverpool game, Middlesbrough pretty neat opponents lined up.

Why no: They aren't known to be free-scoring, more for their miserly defence than anything else. Negredo hasn't exactly been super consistent too, scoring once and then going AWOL for a while.

PS: The Gameweek deadline is 11.30 am GMT/4 pm IST. Make sure all transfers are completed before it!

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Obama’s last Christmas tree lighting

IAAF extends Russia’s all-round doping ban

Russia was suspended by IAAF since Nov 2015 over a massive doping scandal by WADA.

Rune Andersen, Head of the IAAF Taskforce (Photo: AFP)

The Athletics’ world governing body IAAF has voted to extend Russia’s doping ban from international competitions, reports said on Friday.

Russia was suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations since November 2015 over a massive doping and corruption scandal uncovered by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Russian athletes also missed the Rio Olympics after the ban was twice extended in March and June, Xinhua news reported.

Head of the IAAF Taskforce, Rune Andersen, reported that Russia’s athletics federation (RusAF) has progressed towards satisfying the reinstatement conditions as of June.

However, the 207th IAAF council meeting said that RusAF was still not ready to return to competition.

According to Andersen, the RusAF’s progress would include rolling out key measures like anti-doping education modules for coaches and athletes.

Besides, securing cooperation between Russian criminal authorities and their French counterparts and the Russian parliament passing a new law criminalising the supply of prohibited substances to athletes.

The key remaining issue was how the IAAF and RUSADA (the Russian Anti-Doping Agency), once it is reinstated, would conduct anti-doping programme in Russia without outside interference, Andersen said.

Meanwhile, Russian athletes could still apply to the IAAF doping review board to compete individually if they were subject to robust testing.

The next major international track and field event for Russians is the European Indoor Championships to be held from March 3-5, 2017 in Belgrade, Serbia.

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McGrath was the greatest fast bowler I ever faced: Dravid

“No one challenged my knowledge of the off-stump as much McGrath did.”

Glenn McGrath (Photo: Facebook)

Some of his best centuries have come against the mighty Australian attack which comprised a battery of fearsome pacers, but batting legend Rahul Dravid admitted that the greatest fast bowler he had faced was Aussie Glenn McGrath.

“They (Australia) were the best cricket team in my generation. Amongst them all, the greatest bowler that I played against, not only the greatest Australian bowler, but the greatest fast bowler (that) I played against has to be Glean McGrath,” said Dravid, who was known for his impeccable defense, at an event here.

The right-handed batsman was in conversation with Link Group MD John McMurtie at the Link Lecture Series, which was launched here last night.

“He (McGrath) was absolutely (brilliant), no one challenged my knowledge of the off-stump as much as McGrath did. He was relentless and gave you nothing. A lot of times, whether he is bowling in first hour of the morning or late in the afternoon of in the evening, he (McGrath) was going to give you nothing, he was relentless (and the) accuracy,” said Dravid, who scored a whopping 13288 runs in 164 Test matches.

Heaping praise on the legendary Australian fast bowler, Dravid said, “He was not mean as he looked, but he could be very very mean with the cricket ball because he gave you nothing. He was one of those guys you, while batting, think how to score a run and where is the extra-run going to come from. He just had that level of accuracy and control.

“He had good pace, bounce but a good game sense as well.”

“McGrath was probably the greatest fast bowler I played against,” said the former India captain, who has scored heavily against the Australians.

McGrath, regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game, had taken 563 wickets in 124 Tests and 381 wickets in 250 ODIs.

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Companies leaving US will face ‘consequences’: Trump

Donald Trump (Photo: AFP)

US President-elect Donald Trump has warned American firms wanting to relocate abroad that they will face punishment, as he announced a deal with air conditioning manufacturer Carrier to keep jobs in the country.

“Companies are not going to leave the United States any more without consequences. Not going to happen,” Trump told workers at the Carrier plant in Indianapolis in his first major public remarks on Friday since winning the White House.

“They can leave from state to state, and negotiate deals with different states, but leaving the country will be very, very difficult,” Trump added.

During the presidential campaign, the Republican billionaire threatened to slap tariffs on firms that decamped for places like Mexico or Asia where labor costs are cheaper.

It became a repeated refrain of his victorious campaign.

Trump specifically singled out Carrier, a brand of United Technologies Corporation, saying he had been encouraging the company not to shift thousands of jobs to Mexico.

If they did, he said his administration would impose major tariffs on Carrier products as they made their way back into the United States.

“But I called Greg (Hayes, UTC's chairman) and I said it's really important, we have to do something because you have a lot of people leaving and you have to understand we can't allow this to happen anymore with our country,” Trump said as he recalled an early exchange with the firm's top executive.

Under a deal hammered out with the help of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who is Indiana's outgoing governor, the state offered Carrier USD 7 million in incentives over 10 years, “contingent upon factors including employment, job retention and capital investment,” the company said in a statement.

Pence said the deal will keep about 1,100 jobs in “the heart of the heartland.”

“This is a great day for Indiana and it's a great day for working people all across the United States of America,” Pence said.

The deal is seen as an extraordinary industry intervention by a president-elect.

His supporters have described it as the first tangible part of Trump's jobs creation plan.

But liberal Senator Bernie Sanders, who challenged Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, said the deal should worry Americans.

Carrier “took Trump hostage and won,” Sanders said in an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post.

Trump “endangered” other US jobs, Sanders said, “because he has signalled to every corporation in America that they can threaten to offshore jobs in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives.

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Obama’s visit to Pak unfulfilled due to ‘complicated’ bilateral ties

Barack Obama (Photo: AFP)

Outgoing US President Barack Obama at the beginning of his term had expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, but could not do so because of a “complicated relationship” with the country, the White House said on Friday.

“At one point in his presidency, I do recall President Obama expressing a desire to travel to Pakistan. For a variety of reasons, some of them relating to the complicated relationship between our two countries at certain times over the last eight years, President Obama was not able to realise that ambition,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.

The White House Secretary was responding to a question over Pakistan’s statement that President-elect Donald Trump in his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had said that he would love to visit the country.

“But one thing we do know is that it sends a powerful message to the people of a country when the President of the United States goes to visit. That’s true whether it’s some of our closest allies, or that’s also true if it’s a country like Pakistan, with whom our relationship is somewhat more complicated,” he said.

“But ultimately, when President Trump begins planning his overseas travel, he’ll have a range of places to consider, and Pakistan would certainly be one of them,” Earnest said.

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Army rebuts Mamata charges, says exercise done with police coordination

Gen Sunil Yadav (Photo: Twitter)

Army on Friday strongly rebutted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that its personnel were deployed at toll plazas without informing the state government and were collecting money, saying the exercise was being carried out in coordination with Kolkata Police.

“This is being done in coordination with local police authorities. The exercise was earlier planned for November 27 and 28. The dates were changed to November 30 to December 2 on a specific request by Kolkata Police due to Bharat Bandh called on November 28,” said GOC Bengal area (officiating) Maj Gen Sunil Yadav.

Reacting to the chief minister’s allegations he said, “We deny all charges with all contempt.” “Allegations of collection of money by Army personnel are also totally baseless,” the officiating GOC Bengal Area said.

Mamata had on Thursday alleged that the army had been deployed without informing the state government.

“This is unprecedented and a very serious matter”, she had said.

She had also claimed that the army personnel were collecting money from vehicles, which they were not supposed to.

Maj Gen Yadav said a similar exercise in Eastern Command was carried out in November 2015 at the same places.

The Maj Gen said that a recce was conducted with two inspectors of the Kolkata Police at toll plaza on November 27 last.

“The issues raised by the police were addressed and were telephonically informed to the police,” he said.

The exercise will continue as planned earlier and will end tonight, he said.

The Army also released letters written to the state government on the exercise.

“It is happening in nine states now across 80 locations,” he said.

“We have our specific targets for data collection. After doing the work for 36 hours our work was done and we had left the toll plaza near Nabanna,” he said.

A defence spokesperson on Thursday had said that the Army conducts biennial exercise throughout the country with the aim of getting statistical data about the load carriers that could be made available to the army in case of a contingency.

“There is nothing alarming about this and it is carried out as per government orders”, Wing Commander S S Birdi had said.

The exercise gives an estimate about the number of vehicles passing through a certain area that could be tapped during operations, he had said.

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Shahid, Mira to appear on ‘Koffee with Karan’

Mira Rajput, Shahid Kapoor, Valentines Day, Gift, Relationship

Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput (PHOTO: Twitter)

Actor Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Rajput are all set to appear on the popular talk show Koffee With Karan.

This will be the first time that the couple, who have always tried to maintained their privacy, will make an appearance on national television.

Shahid, 35, took to Instagram to share a picture from the shoot of episode of the chat show hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar.

“On the couch with my (love),” the actor captioned the picture.

In the photo both Shahid and Mira are seen wearing colour coordinated black outfits.

The couple tied the knot in July 2015 and were blessed with baby girl Misha on August 26 this year.

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Najeeb case: Varsity admin, JNUSU tussle intensifies

Jwaharlal Nehru University (Photo: Facebook)

Amid the indefinite sit-in by JNUSU in the campus, the JNU administration has blamed a section of student protesters of “maligning the image” of the university by “propagating false information” related to an incident leading to disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed.

Members of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) have been protesting for the last four days at the varsity’s administrative block protesting the university’s decision to not allow protests over the missing student case.

“Despite all these steps, certain groups of students and the university’s students union have been consistently spreading false information and making unfounded allegations against the administration.

“Outsiders are invited into the campus to participate in agitations aimed more against the administration and less on the need for all-out cooperation in the efforts made by the administration to locate Najeeb. Unnecessary politicisation of this incident has created hindrances for locating Najeeb and resolving the issue,” the JNU administration said.

In a statement released yesterday, the administration also said it has written several times to JNUSU to refrain from indulging in dharnas, sit-ins, loud protest marches, and offensive sloganeering in and around the administration building as per the university rules, but the JNUSU has “not desisted” from doing so.

“Due to the persistent defiance of protesters, the academic atmosphere and the administrative functioning of the university have been adversely affected,” it said.

The administration has also earmarked alternative spaces for organising democratic and lawful protests, it added.

JNUSU president Mohit Pandey has rejected the allegation about the students, as a “bunch of lies” and instead posed few questions to the administration over the issue.

Pandey alleged that the vice-chancellor was hell-bent on “destroying the culture of JNU through his high-handedness”.

He also accused him of not making public the proctorial report, which says that some “ABVP activists have been found guilty of hitting Najeeb.”

The students are protesting against alleged inaction by the administration on the issue. Najeeb Ahmed, a first year MSc student, went missing from the campus on October 15 after he was allegedly assaulted by ABVP members during a hostel election campaign a night before.

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Trade ties remain unchanged with India: Pakistan

Representational image (Photo: Getty Images)

Pakistan has not changed the trade regime with India despite strains in their relationship, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir has said.

Dastgir was speaking in response to the issue raised by Mohsin Aziz, the chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Textile Industry, that a huge quantity of raw cotton has been stopped at the Karachi port.

According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the minister said the government has not issued any notification in this regard.

However, Dastgir said the government has put restriction of importing 500,000 cotton bales in a year through Wagah border while there was not any such restriction on the Karachi port.

Aziz said the government should instead ban value-added products from India in a bid to protect the local textile industry.

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MP: 260 people killed in man-animal conflict in past 5 yrs

(Photo: Getty Images)

At least 260 people have been killed and 10,955 were injured in man-animal conflict during last five years in Madhya Pradesh, making it a serious cause of concern for the state forest officials.

Besides, 22 tigers, leopards, bears, wild boars, jackals and other carnivores have been killed by humans during the same period.

According to the Forest department data, 51 people were killed by wild animals in 2011-12, 48 each in 2012-13 and 2013-14; 61 in 2014-15 and 52 in 2015-16.

Likewise, 3,181 people were injured in man-animal conflict in 2011-12, 2,906 in 2012-13, 2,092 in 2013-14, 1,334 in 2014-15 and 1,442 in 2015-16, the data reveals.

25,344 cattle also killed in the past five years.

Recently, a minor girl was mauled to death by a tiger in Bagda forest range of Hoshangabad district on November 19.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey blamed the depleting forest cover in MP and encroachment in forested areas as the major reasons for rise in incidents of man-animal conflict.

The forest officials, on condition of anonymity, also said that encroachments in forest area is a disturbing trend.

With reports of tigers sneaking into human settlement and killing cattle around the state capital being received at regular intervals, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Jitendra Agrawal said.

It is because the settlements have come up just close to the forest areas, he said.

“Some times, these tigers are sneaking out of their habitat in search of prey and the area which acts like a buffer and divides the human and animal habitat is shrinking around Bhopal,” Agrawal said.

“We have placed four cameras around Bhopal and are maintaining vigil day in and day out to avoid man-animal conflict,” he stressed.

Agrawal said presence of 10 wild tigers, including cubs, has been reported in Bhopal forest division recently.

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Mamata right in raising voice against Centre: Akhilesh

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IAAF extends Russia’s all-round doping ban

Russia was suspended by IAAF since Nov 2015 over a massive doping scandal by WADA.

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McGrath was the greatest fast bowler I ever faced: Dravid

“No one challenged my knowledge of the off-stump as much McGrath did.”

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