Page 19 - Gujarat

Cong MP demands splitting of OBC quota for caste representation in Gujarat

Congress MP Geniben Thakor has demanded that the existing 27 per cent reservation quota in place for the Other Backward Classes be divided into two parts for better representation of all castes under the OBC category in Gujarat. In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, Thakor said the split in OBC quota was necessary because out of the total 146 backward castes in Gujarat, only five to ten castes were getting majority of the benefits while other "extremely backward castes" received only one or two per cent benefits. These extremely backward castes in Gujarat include Thakor, Koli, Vadi, Dabgar, Kharva, Madari, Nat, Salat, Vanzara, Dhobi, Mochi and Vaghri, said Thakor, who represents Banaskantha seat in Parliament as the lone Congress Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat. To end the disparity, Thakor suggested that the 27 per cent OBC quota be split in two parts - 7 per cent quota for those who receive maximum benefits so far and a separate 20 per cent quota for the .

Australian university to start its courses at GIFT City from November

The University of Wollongong (UOW) will be one of the first Australian universities to start courses at GIFT City of Gujarat from November, it said on Tuesday. It will start post-graduate courses with intake of 50 students each in courses including Master of Computing (Data Analytics), Graduate Certificate in Computing, Master of Financial Technology, extended Master of Financial Technology, and Graduate Certificate in Financial Technology, said Executive Director, Global Student Recruitment, UOW, Kath McCollim. It has introduced "inaugural scholarship" offering financial benefits to students enrolling in Computing and Financial Technology programs, he said. UOW India has also partnered with IBM whereby students will gain access to IBM's Innovation Centre for Education (ICE). Gujarat International Finance Tec-City or GIFT City is a business district under development in Gandhinagar district.

19-year-old Gujarati girl Rhea Singha wins Miss Universe India 2024 crown

A TEDx speaker and aspiring actor, Rhea Singha will next represent India in Miss Universe, which will take place later this year

Gujarat leads way as India sets ambitious renewable energy targets

Gujarat's expansive solar initiatives are setting the standard for the rest of the country

Railway track tampered with in Surat, police suspect sabotage attempt

Unidentified persons allegedly tampered with a railway track by removing fish plates and loosening several bolts in an attempt to derail trains in Gujarat's Surat district on Saturday, police said. The sabotage attempt came to light before a train could pass through the affected track between Kosamba and Kim railway stations as a lineman detected the damage and alerted the railway authorities in the early hours of the day, officials said. Unidentified persons removed two fish plates that bolted the ends of two rails on the railway track and placed them on the parallel track, Superintendent of Police, Surat (rural), Hitesh Joysar said. They also loosened some 40-50 bolts, he said. Deputy Superintendent of Police RR Sarvaiya said a lineman inspecting the track discovered the tampering around 5.30 am and alerted the railway administration. "Railway engineers and other staff reached the site and repaired the line, and the movement of trains resumed," he said. Sarvaiya said the railwa

Gujarat floods: Swift relief operations, over Rs 20 cr in aid for victims

Chief Minister advised people to follow the guidelines issued by the disaster management authorities

Gujarat, TN, Karnataka biggest gainers from 1990s reforms: PM-EAC report

Though Tamil Nadu's share declined, from 8.7 per cent in 1960-61 to 7.1 per cent in 1990-91, it saw a turnaround, with its share in the national GDP touching 8.9 per cent in 2023-24

Hindalco plans to start solar module manufacturing in Gujarat: Report

The solar module manufacturing will be a good fit given Hindalco's dominance in aluminium manufacturing, one of the sources said

Two years of Project Cheetah: Triumphs, trials and road ahead this year

Several promising births, fewer but painful losses, growing optimism and some criticism marked the second year of the internationally acclaimed Project Cheetah, which looks ahead with renewed hope and ambition amid many challenges. As the grand initiative completes two years on Tuesday, authorities are speeding up efforts to bring in a new batch of cheetahs from Africa to the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which will be their second home in India, and setting up a conservation breeding centre in the Bunni grasslands in Gujarat. They also aim to establish a larger cheetah habitat, spanning the territorial divisions of Neemuch (about 1,000 sq km) and Mandsaur (500 sq km) in Madhya Pradesh, along with the Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (208 sq km) and Chittorgarh (around 1,000 sq km) in Rajasthan. In a major boost to the project, 13 cubs were born on Indian soil in the second year, though two of them did not survive. Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs in January. Anoth

PM Modi launches Phase II of Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro: Stations, fares

The metro extension adds eight stations spanning 21 kilometres with ticket price set at Rs 35

Tata Electronics to build two semiconductor manufacturing fabs in Gujarat

Construction Tata Electronics' first chipmaking unit in Gujarat is already underway with its first phase valued at Rs 91,000 crore

PM Modi participate in renewable energy investor's meet in Gujarat tomorrow

Taking to his social media handle, Prime Minister Modi posted on X, "After memorable programs in Jharkhand, I landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago

USFDA cites manufacturing lapses at Zydus Lifesciences' Gujarat plant

The US health regulator has pulled up Zydus Lifesciences for manufacturing lapses at its Gujarat-based plant. In a warning letter to company's Managing Director Sharvil Patel, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) noted that the drug maker failed to investigate contamination identified in drug products at its Jarod-based plant in Vadodara district. The USFDA said it inspected the manufacturing facility from April 15 to 23, 2024. "This warning letter summarises significant violations of current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals," it added. It further said: "Because your methods, facilities, or controls for manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding do not conform to CGMP, your drug products are adulterated." A warning letter is issued when the US health regulator finds that a manufacturer has significantly violated its regulations. Elaborating on the manufacturing issues at the facility, USFDA noted: "Your firm failed to thorough

PM Modi to flag off 1st Vande Metro between Ahmedabad-Bhuj in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the country's first 'Vande Metro' service on Monday during his two-day visit to Gujarat, an official said. The Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro is a fully unreserved air-conditioned train for which passengers can buy tickets from the counter shortly before its departure, Western Railway (Ahmedabad division) public relations officer Pradeep Sharma said on Saturday. "It will accommodate 2,058 standing and 1,150 sitting passengers. WR carried out a trial of the service early this week," he added. According to WR officials, the Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro service will stop at nine stations and cover the 360 kilometre distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour. It will depart from Bhuj at 5:05am and reach Ahmedabad Junction at 10:50am, they said. The 'Vande Metro' concept is designed on the lines of the indigenous semi-high-speed train Vande Bharat service with fully air-conditioned coaches and the 'KAVACH' ...

Centre sets up surveillance as undiagnosed fever claims 15 lives in Kutch

In the wake of an undiagnosed fever claiming 15 lives in Gujarat's Kutch, the Union health ministry has set up a surveillance mechanism to immediately respond to such outbreaks, official sources said on Saturday. They said points of entry such as airports, land ports and seaports are also being monitored for the disease. The government has established an effective surveillance mechanism through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), IHIP network and also through the One Health Mission to immediately respond to any such outbreaks, according to the sources. The ICMR's network of laboratories will take care of diagnostics and there is enough capability to step up the supply of diagnostic kits if required, they said. Under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), the government has strengthened tertiary care across the country through AIIMS institutes, apart from bolstering emergency services through ...

PM Modi to visit Jharkhand, Gujarat & Odisha for key development projects

In Jharkhand, PM Modi will flag off Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train; in Gujarat, he will inaugurate Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project; and in Odisha, he will lay foundation stone for various projects

PM Modi to visit Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Odisha during September 15-17

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jharkhand, Gujarat and Odisha from September 15 to 17 during which he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various projects worth more than Rs 12,460 crore. On September 15, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Jharkhand and flag off the Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station around 10 am, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement. Around 10:30 am, he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various railway projects worth more than Rs 660 crore through video conference and also distribute sanction letters to 20,000 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) beneficiaries in Tatanagar. He will also lay the foundation stone for the Madhupur Bypass line in Deoghar district and the Hazaribag Town Coaching Depot in Hazaribag district. After its completion, the Madhupur Bypass line will facilitate avoiding the detention of trains on the Howrah-Delhi mainline and also help in reduci

Communal clash in Bharuch over putting up religious flags, 2 injured

Members of two communities indulged in a violent clash over the issue of installation of religious flags in a locality in Gujarat's Bharuch city, leaving two persons injured, police said on Wednesday. Seventeen persons have been detained in connection with the incident which took place on Tuesday night in Gokul Nagar area, they said. The police rushed to spot and dispersed the rioters. The situation is currently under control, an official said. People from the two sides gathered in large numbers and then hurled stones at each other, which left two persons injured and caused damage to some vehicles parked there, said Bharuch Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda, who rushed to the spot with security personnel after learning about the clash. Based on a complaint given by members of one community, police registered an FIR and detained 17 persons belonging to another community, who were involved in the violence, Chavda said. "People from two different faiths had an altercation in Goku

Gujarat announces formation of 'GRIT', NITI Aayog-like think tank

The Gujarat government on Tuesday announced the formation of Gujarat State Institution for Transformation or 'GRIT', a think tank modelled on the NITI Aayog to help realise the vision of 'Viksit' or developed state by 2047. GRIT has crafted a vision document and roadmap for 'Viksit Gujarat @ 2047', stated an official release here. The Chief Minister will head the governing body of GRIT with the Finance Minister as vice-chairman and the ministers of agriculture, health, education and industry serving as members, it said. "Following the model of NITI Aayog, the 'GRIT' has been established, chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel," the release said. Among other things, it will review the implementation of recommendations from its task force committee for achieving the target of becoming a five-trillion-dollar economy, it said. The ten-member executive committee of GRIT, headed by its CEO, will handle its day-to-day operations. Its governing body will include the chief advisor to

Surat violence: Locals clash after stone-pelting by children, 33 arrested

Surat clashes: Authorities resort to lathi charge and use tear gas to disperse agitated crowd; 1,000 police personnel deployed in the area