Page 20 - Gujarat

India's second 700 MW nuclear power KAPS-4 starts ops at full capacity

India's second home-built 700 MW nuclear power reactor at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Gujarat on Wednesday started operating at its full capacity, the plant operator said. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) said Unit 4 at KAPS had been operating at 90 per cent capacity before raising it to full power of 700 MWe. "The full power operation of KAPS-4 after the smooth operation of its twin unit KAPS-3 at full power demonstrates the strength of the first of a kind indigenous 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) design," the NPCIL said. The KAPS-4 unit achieved first criticality on December 17 last year and commenced commercial operations on March 31. The power level of the unit, which commenced commercial operation on March 31, 2024 was raised in line with the permissions of the regulatory authority, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). India is building 14 more 700 MW nuclear power reactors of the same design which are expected to commenc

Guj CM okays Rs 381 cr for building road from Vadodara to Statue of Unity

CM Bhupendra Patel has approved the construction of this high-speed corridor to make it easier for tourists to reach the Statue of Unity, save time and fuel and boost the tourism development of the en

India's first indigenous semiconductor chip will be made in Gujarat: CM

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday said India's first indigenously developed semiconductor chip will be manufactured in the state, which has so far attracted an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in electronics and chip manufacturing sectors. He was addressing a gathering in Nadiad town of Kheda district in the state after hoisting the national flag on the occasion of Independence Day. "The 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit held earlier this year was instrumental in attracting new investment in emerging sectors like AI and semiconductor," he said. "We have so far attracted an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore in the electronics and semiconductor sector and India's first semiconductor chip will be manufactured in Gujarat," he said. On the occasion, he announced a significant increase in the monthly income limit set earlier by the state government for people wanting free ration under the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). At present, a

Arunachal's capital, Itanagar to get ropeway, electric buses soon

Arunachal Pradesh's capital, Itanagar, is set to improve its urban transport infrastructure with the introduction of a ropeway system and electric buses. The Mayor of Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC), Tamme Phassang, said on Tuesday night that discussions for the installation of the ropeway system are in the final stages. The IMC is engaging with companies based in Hyderabad and Gujarat to finalise the project, he said. The proposed ropeway will offer a scenic and efficient transport route connecting key areas of the city, operating between Lobi in Division 4, the Secretariat, Ganga Market, Chimpu and vice versa. In addition to the ropeway, the IMC is collaborating with Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services (APSTS) to operate 10 electric buses in the capital city, with the potential for future expansion, he said. It will depend on the success of the trials, he said. "These developments demonstrate IMC's dedication to modernising its transport network and promoting sustai

Suicide helpline of Gujarat diamond industry gets 1,600 calls since launch

A suicide helpline number launched on July 15 by the Diamond Workers Union Gujarat (DWUG) has received more than 1,600 distress calls from those in the sector, a functionary associated with the initiative said on Monday. Citing media reports, DWUG vice president Bhavesh Tank said 65 diamond workers have committed suicide in Surat in the last 16 months, most of them taking the extreme step due to hardships caused by salary cuts and loss of jobs, a result of the slowdown in the industry. Surat is among the premier centres of the sector, with about 90 per cent of the world's rough diamonds being cut and polished here by around 10 lakh workers employed in more than 2,500 units. "We launched a suicide helpline number on July 15. So far, we have received more than 1600 calls with many of them saying they are on the brink of ending their lives due to financial stress. Most of those who call have been rendered jobless in the last few months. They also call in distress looking for ...

Gujarat Congress launches Nyay Yatra for victims of state's major tragedies

The Gujarat Congress on Friday launched a 14-day 'Nyay Yatra', a foot march, here to seek justice for the victims of four major tragedies that took place in the BJP-ruled state over the last five years. The Bharatiya Janata Party was shielding the real culprits of these incidents including the recent Rajkot game zone fire, it alleged. Congress Legislative Party leader in the assembly Amit Chavda, Seva Dal president Lalji Desai and MLA Jignesh Mevani launched the campaign. The march will cover nearly 350 kilometers before reaching Gandhinagar on August 23, said party spokesperson Manish Doshi. Family members of the deceased from these tragedies -- 2019 Takshashila fire incident in Surat, Morbi bridge collapse of 2022, and this year's Vadodara boat capsizing incident and TRP game zone fire in Rajkot -- will join the the Yatra, he said. Mevani said that nearly 200 people died in these incidents due to the rampant corruption under the BJP government. "We are taking out this Nyay Yatr

Andhra Pradesh govt abolishes two-child policy for local body elections

The two-child policy was introduced in the then unified Andhra Pradesh in 1994, barring candidates with more than two children from local body elections

Gujarat NEET UG counselling 2024: Registration begins, check details here

Gujarat NEET UG Counselling: The last date to apply for the counselling round is August 13, 2024. Check how to register

NDRF rescues 7 people stranded due to heavy rainfall in Gujarat's Valsad

On Saturday, day-to-day activities stalled in several parts of Vapi in Valsad as it faced waterlogging following a heavy rain

Gujarat govt extends fishing ban in Arabian sea till Aug 15; Cong opposes

The Gujarat government has decided to extend the ban on fishing activities in the Arabian Sea by a fortnight till August 15, a move the Congress claimed to be "unfair and reckless" which will cause financial losses to fishermen. A senior official from the Gujarat fisheries department on Sunday said the decision was taken in consultation with the central government after considering a representation made by the fishermen's association to allow more time for fish to breed. The government also took into account scientific data and weather conditions to reach the decision, he said, adding the change is also likely to be adopted by other states on the western coast. Since 2021, the annual fishing ban in the state remained in effect from June 1 till July 31. The state fisheries department on July 31 issued a notification, amending the Gujarat Fisheries (Amendment) Rules, 2020, which stated no person shall carry out any type of fishing in the inland and territorial waters from June 1 to .

Motown's slow ride: Car sales in Gujarat hit speed bump in H1 of 2024

Postponement of Ratha Yatra, unforgiving summer, election season led to saturation

JSW Neo Energy bags 192-MW power project from Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam

JSW Energy on Monday said its arm JSW Neo Energy has secured a 192-MW hybrid power project, including an additional 96 MW under the greenshoe option from Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam. The capacity is awarded against tariff-based competitive bids invited for setting up a 500 MW Grid connected Hybrid Power Projects (Phase II), along with a greenshoe option for additional capacity up to 500 MW, a company statement said. According to the statement, JSW Neo Energy -- a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Energy (or the company) -- has received a Letter of Intent (or LoI) from Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL), for setting up a 192 MW grid connected hybrid power project, including an additional 96 MW under the greenshoe option. Subsequent to this capacity award, the company's total locked-in generation capacity increases to 16.2 GW, including the total locked-in hybrid capacity of 2.1 GW, according to the statement. The company expects to have an installed generation capacity of 10 GW by FY25,

Fisheries scam: Gujarat HC rejects discharge pleas of two ex-BJP ministers

The Gujarat High Court has rejected the pleas filed by former BJP ministers Parshottam Solanki and Dileep Sanghani seeking their discharge in an alleged Rs 400-crore fisheries scam. The court of Justice Hemant Prachchhak on Friday dismissed the petitions moved by Solanki, Sanghani and one Arjun Suthariya challenging a March 12, 2021, order of a special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court rejecting their discharge applications in the case. Earlier, the HC had stayed criminal proceedings against the ex-ministers. While rejecting their pleas, the court on Friday extended its stay on criminal proceedings against the former ministers for another four weeks. The alleged scam is from 2008 when Solanki was the minister of state for fisheries and Sanghani was the cabinet minister for agriculture in Gujarat. At that time, a Palanpur-based businessman, Ishaq Maradia, moved the HC alleging that Solanki flouted rules by allotting fishing contracts without following the tendering process. Marad

Gujarat sees an increase of nearly 200K piped gas connections, says govt

A statement from the state government said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat is channelling economic development through environmentally friendly policies

Rajkot game zone fire: Police file over 100,000 page chargesheet against 15

Police on Wednesday filed a charge sheet running into 1 lakh pages against 15 accused in the Rajkot game zone fire tragedy that killed 27 persons in May. "Statements of 365 witnesses have been recorded. Altogether, 15 persons, including co-owners of TRP game zone and officials of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) have been arrested," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Parthrajsinh Gohil. As many as 27 people, including children, were charred to death in a massive fire that gutted the entire game zone facility on May 25. The charge sheet was filed by the crime branch in the court of Rajkot Judicial Magistrate First Class AP Dave. "It emerged during the investigation that the blaze spread and engulfed the entire structure within 3-4 minutes due to highly-inflammable construction materials such as foam sheet, plastic and wood, with sparks flowing from the welding work being carried out at that time," Gohil told media persons. The charge sheet runs into over 1 lakh pages and

Exports from Gujarat to Bhutan increase by 52% to $21.98 mn in five years

Upon assuming office as Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi made his first foreign visit to Bhutan in June, marking a pivotal moment in strengthening India-Bhutan relations

Gujarat CM Patel allocates Rs 100 crore for road repairs post-monsoon

To address this, CM Patel has adopted a proactive approach by allocating funds in advance, enabling municipalities to begin planning and repair work promptly

Gujarat reports 13 new suspected Chandipura virus cases, 5 fatalities

Gujarat on Sunday reported 13 fresh suspected Chandipura virus cases and five fatalities, the state health department said. With the latest additions, the tally of the confirmed and suspected infections in the state has gone up to 84 so far, while the death toll climbed to 32. New suspected cases were reported from Ahmedabad (2 infections), Aravalli (2), Banaskantha (2), Surendranagar (1), Gandhinagar (1), Kheda (1), Mehsana (1), Narmada (1), Vadodara (1) and Rajkot (1). Among five suspected deaths due to Chandipura virus, one each was reported from Mahisagar, Kheda, and Vadodara, and two from Banaskantha, the state health department said in a statement. The government has initiated several measures to control the viral infection transmitted by vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies, as per the statement. Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Saturday confirmed nine cases of Chandipura virus from Gujarat. On Sunday, no new confirmed cases were reported in the

Gujarat CM Patel visits Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project to take stock

Work is going on to increase the irrigation facilities in Sanand Viramgam and Bawala talukas in the Nalkantha area and Kowada area of the Fatewadi Canal and Narmada project command area

IMD issues red alert: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa brace for torrential rains

A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday, moving northwards towards Odisha