Page 13 - Gujarat

The Gujaratis: Salil Tripathi's book shines but falters under its ambition

The book, he says in the epilogue, has been the labour of love: Eight years of interviewing 213 people and the reading of more than 100 books about the state

E10 bullet train to debut in India and Japan simultaneously in 2030

The Shinkansen E5, with a top speed of 320 km/hr, was India's earlier plan. However, the transition to E10 model offers a more advanced version with a top speed of 400 km/hr, enhancing speed & safety

Gujarat PMJAY angioplasty deaths: Pvt hospital's absconding chairman nabbed

The police have arrested the chairman of a private hospital in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, who evaded arrest for more than two months in connection with the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries after botched angioplasty procedures, an official said on Saturday. Kartik Patel, the chairman of Khyati Multispeciality Hospital, was arrested after he landed at the Ahmedabad airport from Dubai late on Friday night, inspector V B Aal of the Ahmedabad crime branch said. Seven persons underwent angioplasty, a procedure that widens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart, at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital on November 11, last year, following which two of them died, prompting Vastrapur police to register three FIRs the next day. The probe showed the hospital organised free check-up camps in villages to convince Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) cardholders to undergo angioplasty despite no medical necessity. They were shown in the "emergency" category to expedite

Maharashtra to set up Innovation City on lines of GIFT City: CM Fadnavis

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced plans to establish an Innovation City in Maharashtra on the lines of Gujarat's GIFT City, underscoring the need for efforts to maintain the state's leadership in India's start-up ecosystem. Speaking at a forum on startups and technology here, he said this initiative would create a hub for technology and innovation, providing fertile ground for start-ups, particularly in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI). The way GIFT City has been created, we aim to develop an Innovation City in Maharashtra at an even faster pace, Fadnavis said. The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is India's first International Financial Services Centre under the Special Economic Zone Act. The financial and technology hub between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar is designed to attract businesses from India and abroad. Highlighting Maharashtra's achievements, Fadnavis said the state is home to over 25,000 start-ups and continues to

SC to hear appeals filed by Gujarat govt in Godhra case on Feb 13

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it will hear on February 13 the appeals filed by the Gujarat government and several other convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar made it clear that no adjournment will be given in the matter on the next date of hearing. On February 27, 2002, 59 people were killed when the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Gujarat's Godhra, triggering riots in the state. Several appeals have been filed in the apex court challenging the October 2017 verdict of the Gujarat High Court which had upheld the conviction of several convicts and commuted the death penalties of 11 people to life term. The Gujarat government had in February 2023 told the apex court that it will be seeking death penalty for the 11 convicts whose sentences in the case were commuted to life imprisonment by the high court. When the matter came for hearing on Thursday, a lawyer, appearing for a convict, submitted that no

Gujarat CM approves Rs 188 crore for road safety measures, upgrades

This funding will support 76 projects over a total length of 786.41 kilometres. This decision by CM Patel is expected to significantly reduce road accidents in the state, ensuring safer transportation

9-month old tests positive for HMPV in Gujarat, cases rise to four in state

Gujarat has reported its fourth human metapneumovirus (HMPV) case, with a nine-month-old child contracting the infection in Ahmedabad, officials said Saturday. All the cases have been reported in less than a week. The baby boy was admitted to a private hospital in the city on January 6 with a cold, cough and difficulty in breathing. He has no history of foreign or other travel, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said. On Friday, an eight-year-old boy from Sabarkantha district was confirmed to be infected with HMPV, making him the third case in the state. Two days back, an 80-year-old man tested positive for the viral infection in Ahmedabad. The patient, who has been suffering from asthma, is currently being treated at a private hospital. Gujarat recorded its first case of HMPV on January 6, when a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan was found to be afflicted with the viral disease, which has symptoms like fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough. He was discharged after being .

143 flyers from 47 nations participate in International Kite Festival

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday inaugurated the four-day International Kite Festival, which has drawn 143 participants from 47 countries. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said Gujarat has a 65 per cent share of the country's kite market, with exports to countries like the US, UK, and Canada. The 'International Kite Festival-2025' is being organised at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad from January 11 to January 14. Apart from Ahmedabad, the festival has also been organised at the Statue of Unity (Ekta Nagar), Rajkot and Vadodara on January 12 and Surat, Shivrajpur, and Dhordo on January 13. State Tourism Minister Mulu Bera said this year, 143 international kite flyers from 47 countries and 52 kite flyers from 11 states in India are participating in the festival. Patel said as the then chief minister of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced modern elements to the festival by integrating it with tourism. "Thus, this kite festival has given .

Govt lab confirms HMPV infection in 8-yr-old; cases in Gujarat rise to 3

An eight-year-old boy from Gujarat's Sabarkantha district has contracted human metapneumovirus infection, taking the number of HMPV cases in the state to three, an official said on Friday. The boy, who belongs to a family of farm labourers from Prantij taluka, was found positive for HMPV in a test run by a private laboratory but health authorities had sent his blood samples to a government lab for confirmation, he said. The child, who is currently admitted to a private hospital in Himmatnagar town, had been considered a suspected HMPV case until now. The government lab on Friday confirmed that the boy is infected with HMPV. He is currently under treatment and his condition is stable, said Sabarkantha District Collector Ratankanvar Gadhavicharan. Doctors at the hospital told reporters that the boy was on a ventilator. Gujarat recorded its first case of HMPV on January 6, when a two-month-old boy from Rajasthan was found to be afflicted with the viral disease, which has symptoms lik

First HMPV case in elderly reported in India amid China's recent surge

The patient, an 80-year-old man in Gujarat, is infected with virus. He has no travel history abroad, say officials

80-yr old man with no travel history tests HMPV positive in Ahmedabad

An 80-year-old man tested positive for human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat on Thursday, officials said. The patient is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital and he does not have any travel history abroad, a statement issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said. He was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday and his samples tested positive for HMPV on Thursday. The man has been suffering from asthma for some time and his condition is stable at present, it said. Gujarat recorded its first case of HMPV virus on January 6. A two-month-old boy from Rajasthan was found infected and discharged after undergoing treatment at a hospital here. On Wednesday, a suspected case was reported in Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district. The blood sample of the patient - an eight-year-old boy, who is currently on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Himmatnagar - has been sent to a government hospital for ...

Gujarat govt planning guidelines to restrict mobile use among children

The Gujarat government on Thursday said it will introduce guidelines restricting the use of mobile phones and social media for children, underscoring that too much screen time is not good for them. The aim is to keep the kids away from the devices and bring them to playgrounds and study tables, State Minister of Education Prafful Panseriya told reporters. The guidelines will be brought out after consulting experts, he said. We had earlier issued a government resolution banning mobile phones (for children) in primary schools. That resolution will be strictly followed from now on, he said. Teachers, students and parents will be made aware of the guidelines and the state will promote the initiative as a campaign, the minister said. Recently, Australia banned the use of social media for children aged under 16. The central government also plans to incorporate parental controls for data usage instead of a blanket ban on mobile phones for children under 18.

Rescue ops on for second day to save Gujarat teen who fell into borewell

Hectic efforts continued on Tuesday to rescue an 18-year-old girl, more than 24 hours after she fell into a deep borewell at a village in Gujarat's Kutch district, officials said. The incident took place at around 6.30 am on Monday at Kanderai village in Bhuj taluka of the district. The teenager was stuck at a depth of 490 feet in the 540-foot-deep borewell, they said. "Rescue efforts continued through the night, and we have not met with success so far. The girl is not showing any movement, but we are continuously supplying her with oxygen and making all efforts to bring her out," Kutch Collector Amit Arora said. The borewell has a diameter of one foot, and the fact that the girl is grown up and stuck deep into it is making the rescue efforts difficult, the collector said. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Border Security Force (BSF) were working along with the fire department personnel of Bhuj municipality, local emergency response team, police and officials

HMPV outbreak: 5 children test positive, Nadda says 'no reason to worry'

Five infants tested positive for the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat on Monday, the first reported cases of the virus in India. Union Health Minister J P Nadda sought to assuage fears, saying the government is closely monitoring the situation and there is no reason to worry. HMPV is a globally recognised respiratory virus that recently gained attention after its outbreak was reported in China. It is a viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups. While the Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra governments assured that there was no cause for alarm, the Delhi government directed all hospitals in the capital to remain fully prepared to manage a potential surge in respiratory illnesses with former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urging the Centre to act swiftly to prevent a potential health crisis. Two cases were detected in Karnataka by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) through routine surveillance for .

Two-month-old infant in Ahmedabad hospital tests positive for HMPV; stable

A two-month-old boy admitted to a private hospital in Ahmedabad has been detected with Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection, an official said Monday. The infant, who hails from Dungarpur in Rajasthan, was admitted to the hospital, located in Chandkheda locality here, on December 24 with symptoms of respiratory infection. After tests, he was found positive for the HMPV, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's in-charge medical officer of health Bhavin Solanki said. "HMPV (infection) was detected in the patient on December 26, but we learnt about it today as the private hospital reported it to us late," Solanki said. The patient was kept in isolation, the official said. Earlier, the child was kept on a ventilator, and his condition is stable now, Solanki said. Before this, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has detected two cases of HMPV in Karnataka through routine surveillance for multiple respiratory viral pathogens. The Union health ministry emphasised that HMPV is alre

Woman booked for allegedly abetting husband's suicide in Gujarat's Botad

The Gujarat police have registered a case against a woman for allegedly abetting her husband's suicide after he left behind a video asking his family to teach her a lesson for causing his death, police said on Saturday. According to the police, Suresh Sathadiya (39) was found hanging from the ceiling of his house at Zamrala village in Botad district on December 30. His family members found a video recording on Sathadiya's mobile phone, in which he has urged them to "teach his wife a lesson for causing his death", an official from Botad rural police station said. Based on a complaint by the Sathadiya's father, a first information report (FIR) was registered on Friday against the deceased man's wife, Jayaben, he said. The complainant has alleged his daughter-in-law mentally harassed his son by frequently quarrelling with him and going to her parents' place every now and then. The FIR stated that Sathadiya had gone to his in-laws' place to persuade his wife to return home. But when s

Mosque trustee, 8 others held for evicting shopkeepers in Rajkot under Waqf

A trustee of a mosque in Gujarat's Rajkot city and eight others have been arrested for allegedly evicting three shopkeepers by citing a Waqf Board order, the police said on Friday. The shops, rented out by the trust to Hindu traders, are situated on the ground floor of Nawab Mosque in Danapith area. On December 31, a mob led by mosque trustee Farooq Musani allegedly broke the locks and took possession of the shops by throwing out all the merchandise onto the road, a police official said. When one of the shopkeepers, Virendra Kotecha, confronted Musani and others, they cited a Gujarat State Waqf Board order asking the mosque trust to take possession of the shops. Kotecha told reporters that his family had been running the shop since 1962, and no prior notice was served to him by the trust. Musani, on the other hand, told reporters before his arrest that the shopkeepers were evicted as per the Waqf Board's order, copies of which were given to them. State Waqf Board member Asif Sal

A burnt body and mismatched DNA: How police foiled Gujarat hotelier's plan

The Gujarat police foiled a hotelier's plan to escape his mounting debts, which led him to fake his own death with help from friends and family members in Banaskantha district

Ponzi scheme operator Zala collected Rs 450 cr from 11k investors: Police

Alleged ponzi scheme operator Bhupendrasinh Zala collected Rs 450 crore from 11,000 investors through 17 offices he set up across Gujarat between 2020 and 2024, a police official said on Monday. Zala, a resident of Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha, was held from Mehsana district on December 27 after being on the run for almost a month. He is in police custody till January 4. During interrogation, it was revealed that Zala, through his entity BZ Financial Services, collected Rs 450 crore from unsuspecting investors by offering them unusually high returns on deposits, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (CID-Crime) Parikshita Rathod. "He opened 17 branches across Gujarat to target investors. Our investigation has found he collected Rs 450 crore in four years and then purchased movable and immovable assets worth Rs 100 crore. Moreover, he did not pay Rs 100 crore to depositors as promised," she told reporters in Gandhinagar. "So far, we have learnt that nearly 11,000 individuals ..

4 die after inhaling toxic gas at chemical unit in Gujarat's Bharuch

Four workers died after inhaling toxic fumes following a gas leak at a chemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat's Bharuch district, police said on Sunday. The company said all four were given immediate medical care but could not be saved. It has announced Rs 30 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each victim. A company employee and three contractual workers fell unconscious after poisonous fumes leaked from a pipe at a production unit of the Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL) on Saturday night, Dahej police station inspector BM Patidar said. They were rushed to a private hospital where all four of them died, he said. The bodies were sent for postmortem and further probe into the incident was underway, the official said. The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Kumar Maganadiya (48), (hailing from Bharuch), Mudrika Yadav (29) (from Adhaura in Jharkhand), Suchit Prasad (39) and Mahesh Nandlal (25) (both from Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh), police said. In a media statement, GFL said the inci