Seeking to send a strong message that laxity in enforcing law and order will not be tolerated, the Uttar Pradesh police have suspended over 100 policemen since the Yogi Adityanath government assumed office.Most of these suspensions were in Ghaziabad, Meerut and Noida. In Lucknow, seven inspectors have been suspended. The crackdown followed directives issued by DGP Javeed Ahmed a few days ago to identify the “black sheep” among the policemen.U.P. Police PRO Rahul Srivastava said, “More than 100 policemen, mostly constables, have been suspended as per the directives of the DGP to identify the black sheep and take exemplary action against them.” The order was issued to all the superintendents of police after Mr. Adityanath assumed office. read more

West Bengal topped the list of states with the maximum number of human trafficking cases in 2016 followed by Rajasthan as the two accounted for around 61 per cent of such cases in the country.Of the 8,132 such cases registered across the country last year, 3,576 were from West Bengal and 1,422 from Rajasthan, government officials said.Rajasthan was followed by Gujarat where 548 such cases were reported last year. Maharashtra reported 517 cases.Among the Union Territories, Delhi recorded the maximum number of human trafficking cases in 2016. Of the 75 cases registered among the UTs, 66 were registered in Delhi.However, the national capital data for 2016 showed an improvement compared with the 2015 numbers — when 87 such cases were reported.Among the UTs, Delhi was followed by Daman and Diu which reported seven cases. One each was reported from Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Chandigarh.Among the southern states, the maximum number of cases were reported from Tamil Nadu which registered 434 cases in 2016. It was followed by Karnataka where 404 such cases were registered.Andhra Pradesh and Telangana registered 239 and 229 such cases respectively, while in Kerala 21 cases were reported.No case of human trafficking was reported in Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.Among the northeastern states, the highest — 91 cases — were reported in Assam. The state, however, recorded huge improvement since 2014. It had reported 380 cases of human trafficking in 2014 and 1,480 such cases in 2015.There were seven cases in Meghalaya, three in Manipur, two each in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh and one in Sikkim.To prevent human trafficking, the governments in these states have set up anti-human trafficking squads.There are 10 such squads in Assam, eight in Arunachal Pradesh, five in Manipur, three in Meghalaya, four each in Mizoram and Nagaland and two each in Sikkim and Tripura in 2016, the officials said.Himachal Pradesh reported eight cases of human trafficking, while neighbouring Uttarakhand 12.Among the eastern states, Jharkhand had the maximum number of reported cases of human trafficking in 2016. A total of 109 cases were registered there. Neighbouring Odisha had 84 and Bihar 43 cases.Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have registered 79 and 51 cases respectively last year.To put a check on human trafficking, the Centre had signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh and United Arab Emirates, they said. read more

Nearly at the end of the counting in Kanthi-Dakshin [South] by-election in Purba [East] Medinipur district in south Bengal, ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is comfortably ahead of its nearest rival by a margin of about 40,000 votes.But significantly Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has replaced the Communists and the Congress in Kanthi Dakshin.After 14 rounds of counting, TMC got little over 85,000 votes, while the BJP got about 45,000, decimating the Left Front and the Congress.CPI polled 14,000 votes, while Congress got little over 1200 votes.However, the counting is still on and the results are yet to be declared.Even in 2016 Assembly election– about a year back– in West Bengal, the Left-Congress alliance did reasonably well in Kanthi-Dakshin constituency.In the 2016 poll the alliance bagged the second position, after TMC, with about 60,000, approximately 35 %, votes.The Left Front and the Congress contested separately in the by-poll. read more

Three weeks after the successful completion of India’s first uterine transplants, both patients — one from Solapur and another from Gujarat — were discharged on Thursday. The transplants were performed by the doctors at the city-based Galaxy Care Laparoscopy Institute (GCLI).The woman from Solapur, who suffers from congenital uterus absence, was fitted with her mother’s womb, which was retrieved mainly through laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery after a nine-hour operation on May 18. The second womb transplant, of a woman from Baroda with a dysfunctional uterus and suffering from Asherman’s Syndrome (adhesions or internal scar tissues), was achieved in even lesser time the following day. “Two doctors each in Gujarat and Solapur have been asked to monitor the women,” said Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar, Medical Director, GCLI, who led the team which performed the surgeries.“Both patients are in good health. After internal tests, we find that the inner lining of the uterus in both cases has thickened while the blood parameters are within normal range. Menstruation is expected by day 40 since the conclusion of the operation,” said Dr. Puntambekar, He said the pregnancies in the future would be in-vitro fertilization as opposed to natural conception.The cervical biopsy tests to gauge organ rejection after the uterus transplant carried out on both patients in the first and second weeks after the operation showed no signs of organ rejection, said Dr. Sanjeev Jadhav, a cardiovascular thoracic surgeon who played a major role in the operations.Dr. Puntambekar said that sperms had been taken from the respective husbands of the patients and that eight embryos had been frozen. “We will have to wait for another six months at least before the embryos would can be implanted in the transplanted wombs.” Both women expressed happiness that the surgeries were successful and hoped they would be able to become pregnant in the near future. The hospital has received more than 80 applications since the transplants. Most cases are those of women with congenital uterus absence. About 20 uterine transplant operations have been performed around the world to date. read more

The government is likely to prosecute nine Srinagar youth for raising Islamic State (IS) flag outside historic Jamia Masjid three years ago.A order of the state Home Secretary said the investigating officer has established a prima-facie case against the accused persons under Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.“…the state government is of the view that there is sufficient material and evidence available against the accused persons for their prosecution under the provisions of law,” it said.A case was registered on October 17, 2014 against unknown people for unfurling the flag of IS in the premises of historic Jamia Masjid.One of the accused, Sajad Ahmad Gilkar, was killed in an encounter this year in Budgam. All nine youth are from different parts of the old city in Srinagar. read more

A 12-year-old boy from Kandhla in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh died by throwing himself against a moving train on Friday, apparently as part of the online Blue Whale challenge game. The boy, Nishant, had reportedly crossed 48 stages of the deadly game in which committing suicide is the final task.According to the U.P. police, Nishant’s family was not aware that he was playing the online game. The family was informed by his friends after Nishant’s body was found on the railway tracks near Ailum railway station near Kandhla in Shamli. His father Vinod, who is in a state of shock, told the media that Nishant did not have a mobile phone and was playing the game on his friend’s phone. He was playing the game with his two friends Vipul and Anant, who had crossed 28th and 23rd stages respectively. Nishant’s death comes a month after the Centre asked all major social media and communication platforms to “immediately remove” links pertaining to the Blue Whale Challenge. read more

An online picture has provided a vital clue to security agencies in Kashmir valley to establish that a recently missing policeman has joined the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).A police official said a gun-totting picture of Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, who was posted at the Police Training Centre (PTC) in Kathua, was found online on the social media.Dar, a resident of Heff Shirmal village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, had applied for leave from duty. He was to report back to the PTC Kathua on October 23, but failed to show up for four days. An FIR was lodged in the case, proclaiming him missing.However, security agencies claim Dar has joined LeT as the militant group has posted his picture, where he is seen holding an AK-47 assault rifle, on the social media.Dar had joined the police services in 2012. read more

The BJP on Thursday formally announced its alliance with the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) for the Assembly elections in Tripura to be held on February 18. Ruling out the possibility of an alliance with any other regional party, Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) chairman Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We have struck a seat sharing deal with the IPFT, which will contest in nine seats. The BJP will contest in rest (of the) 51 seats.” He also released a list of nine seats that IPFT will contest. When asked about IPFT’s contentious demand of carving out a state of Tipraland out of Tripura’s tribal areas, he said the BJP would address only socio-economic, cultural and linguistic issues of tribals in the State.“BJP and IPFT would issue a joint statement on January 28 which will explain for itself. We forcefully stand for a united Tripura,” he asserted. read more

Curfew was imposed in Kasganj city after one person was dead and three were injured in a communal clash on Friday noon. According to eyewitnesses, a group of youths took out a Republic Day rally in the Kotwali area of Kasganj during which a clash broke between two communities leading to firing and stone pelting. The group of bikers who took the flag rally allegedly raised slogans targeting a community, leading to further provocations and firing, local residents said. Several vehicles were damaged in the clash. After the death a cadre belonging to the ABVP, the situation got more tense with a group of people attempting to set on fire a local mosque.“Till now we have one confirmed casualty and three people who sustained bullet injuries, are under going treatment,” the Inspector General Sanjeev Gupta told the media. Additional Director General of police ( law and order) Anand Kumar said that many vehicles were also damaged in the violence which was erupted due to sloganeering and led to stone pelting from both the sides. “This was a sudden incident. But the situation is under control right now. The DM Kasgnaj RP Singh, SP Sunil Kumar Singh, heavy personnel from PAC and RAF have been deployed on the spot. Section 144 has been invoked in the area,” he said. “Our priority is to ensure that no one is hurt and no property is damaged further in the affected areas. The trouble makers are being identified and strict action will be taken against them,” Mr. Kumar said. “Chandan Abhishek who was hit by bullet was rushed to local hospital where he succumbed ot his injuries. Another injured Naushad has been referred to nearby town of Aligarh, said the DGP office PRO Rahul Shrivastava. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the local administration to ensure that the deceased family gets every possible help. “Chief Minister has expressed heartfelt condolence over the death of one youth during the communal clash and has asked the administration to provide every possible help to the victim’s family. He has appealed both the communities to maintain peace, and has also directed the local administration to deal very strictly with the rioters,” tweeted the Chief Minister’s Office.Considering the gravity of the situation the chief ministers office sent commissioner of Aligarh Subhash Chandra Sharma, IG Aligarh Sanjeev Gupta to Kasganj to take a stock of the situation. City limits have been cordoned off and no outsider is being allowed to enter the city. read more

Panaji: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has supported the call from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India, for a ban on all forms of manja, including cotton threads coated with glass, metal or other sharp materials. An open letter by both organisations read, “The IMA is aware of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s judgement dated July 11, 2017, which banned Chinese, nylon and plastic threads. However, as doctors who have been treating patients with manja injuries, we strongly recommend that cotton threads coated with glass, metal or any sharp material be banned too, as they are equally dangerous and capable of causing injuries or death to humans.”Sachin Bangera, Associate Director of Celebrity and Public Relations, PETA India, said his organisation will forward the letter in the form of an appeal by IMA to all State governments as well as the the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for immediate action. In a statement, Nikunj Sharma, PETA Public Policy Lead, said, “Glass-coated manja causes injuries and death in humans and birds, just as the banned varieties do, so they must also be prohibited in the interest of public safety and wildlife protection.” The prohibition on the use of synthetic and nylon manja was a life-saving step, but human and animal casualties will continue to occur till all dangerous varieties are banned, he said.PETA India had earlier filed a petition with NGT, and in December 2016, the tribunal issued an interim ban on the production, sale, procurement, and import of all forms of manja. It allowed kite-flying to be done with a plain cotton thread. However, on July 11, 2017, NGT diluted its earlier interim order by excluding from the ban cotton thread coated with glass, which it appeared to consider “degradable” material. Following PETA India’s push, in January 2017, the Government of Delhi banned all forms of sharp manja and permitted only plain cotton threads free of any sharp coating to be used for kite-flying.In 2014, MoEF&CC issued an advisory to all states and union territories asking them to address the threat posed by manja, and in 2013, the Animal Welfare Board of India too urged them to ban it.Mr. Bangera said manja kills thousands of birds, which often remain tangled in trees or buildings for weeks. read more

Amid a barrage of attacks over the Muzaffarpur sex scandal, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has launched an ambitious scheme which promises to provide ₹54,100 from the birth of a girl child till she graduates.Mr. Kumar launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana’ in Patna on August 3 and expressed his government’s resolve for empowerment of women. In his speech, Mr. Kumar talked about his happiness over the start of the scheme, but at the same time said he was “standing here with mixed feelings” over the case of sex abuse at a State-funded girls’ shelter home at Muzaffarpur.The Chief Minister also made several other announcements like increasing the amount under the ‘Bicycle Yojna’ from ₹2500 to ₹3000. The scheme, launched by the Nitish Kumar government in 2006, providing bicycles to school going girls, has won laurels. Mr. Kumar also announced doubling of amount for purchase of sanitary napkins to ₹300 from existing ₹150 under the ‘Kishori Swasthya Yojna.’ The ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana’ will be run by three departments — education, health and social welfare. read more

Suspected militants triggered three grenade explosions in Srinagar, Shopian and Pulwama districts on Friday afternoon. There were no reports of any casualty, an official said.Unknown militants lobbed a grenade near the busy Ghanta Ghar in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, which houses CRPF’s bunkers in its vicinity. “We cordoned off the area to nab the attackers,” said an official.Three policemen injuredEarlier on Thursday, militants had thrown a grenade at a group of policemen at Rajbagh, injuring three of them. The Jaish-e-Muhammad claimed the responsibility for the attack.In a separate incident, a grenade exploded outside the camp of the State police’s Special Operation Group camp in Shopian’s Gagren.The JeM has again claimed responsibility for both the Srinagar and Shopian blasts.In the third attack, militants fired a grenade towards the Kakapora Police Station in Pulwama. It exploded outside the station but no damage was reported.R-Day advisoryThe police have issued an advisory to officers “on maintaining vigil round-the-clock and setting up new check-points” ahead of Republic Day. The advisory also asked school managements “to not allow any stranger and give necessary precautionary instructions to students”.The in-charge border police posts were also directed to keep a vigil on infiltration routes. read more

The police in Assam and Tripura have detained 61 Rohingya, including minors, since January 21 night. Local courts on January 22 sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.Officials in Tripura capital Agartala said the Border Security Force (BSF) handed over 31 Rohingya to the police at Rayermura in West Tripura district. Rayermura is about 15 km from Agartala.The 31 had been stranded for four days in no-man’s land beyond the barbed-wire fence along the India-Bangladesh border because of a stand-off between the BSF and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB). The two border forces had since January 18 been accusing each other of pushing the 31 Rohingya into their territories.“The decision to take the Rohingya in was taken after our headquarters in New Delhi obtained an approval from the Home Ministry. We have been providing food and shelter to these people,” a BSF officer said, declining to elaborate how the Rohingya happened to reach the no-man’s land – along the Zero Line on the border between two countries and 150 yards from the barbed-wire fence – in the first place.Abdul Sarkar, one of the Rohingya men, claimed they had come from their Jammu refugee camp and were trying to sneak into Bangladesh before the BSF personnel caught them and snatched their UN refugee cards.The police in Tripura could not confirm if the 31, including 16 children and nine women, belonged to the same group as 30 other Rohingya detained in Assam on Monday night.Following a tip-off from their Tripura counterparts, the police in southern Assam’s Karimganj district had caught the 30 including 12 children from a Guwahati-bound private bus at Churaibari on the border between the two States. Churaibari is about 200 km from Agartala.Noor Islam, one of the 30 detained in Assam, said the group had travelled from Jammu after a Kolkata-based youth offered them jobs in Tripura. “We left Jammu for Delhi partly to escape the winter and partly to get jobs. We arrived in Agartala via Guwahati and booked a hotel, but after a few days the hotel authorities asked us to leave because of our identity. So we boarded a bus to Guwahati but got caught,” he said after being produced at a local court in Karimganj town.A Karimganj district police officer said the detained Rohingya produced refugee registration cards provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “We will have to find out if they are authentic,” he said.According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are about 40,000 Rohingya spread across Delhi, Hyderabad, Jammu, and Kanpur. The UNHCR, however, has put the number of registered refugees at 18,000.Thousands of Rohingya, mostly Muslims, have fled Myanmar’s Rakhine area following ethnic violence. The last exodus from that country in August 2017 saw 7.20 lakh take refuge in Bangladesh. read more

Amid talks of his son Sujay joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat, senior Congressman and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday night. Sources said he also held talks with Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The Ahmednagar LS seat has become bone of contention between the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as the latter is not ready to give up its claim on this seat. Last week, the dispute appeared to have been solved after Sujay Vikhe-Patil reportedly moved to join NCP and contest on the party ticket. Howwever, following his meeting with BJP leader Girish Mahajan last week, he is said to have made up his mind to join the BJP. The seat is at present held by BJP’s Dilip Gandhi, and according to sources the party is looking for a replacement. Supporters of Mr. Dilip Gandhi created a ruckus at the BJP meeting at the party headquarters here on Monday following news reports of Mr. Sujay Vikhe-Patil being considered for the LS ticket.Mr. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Monday held a series of meetings in New Delhi in a bid to solve the matter. Mr. Gandhi, reportedly told him that if Sujay contests on a NCP ticket, the Congress will keep Aurangabad. NCP sources also said that the party was ready to accept him as its candidate in Ahmednagar and that Sujay has to take a final call. However, BJP sources on the other hand told The Hindu that Sujay is likely to join the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Kakade meets CMMeanwhile, BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kakade who had announced to leave the BJP to contest Pune LS seat from Congress held a met Mr. Fadnavis on Monday night along with the Cooperation Minister Subhash Deshmukh following which he is learned to have postponed his decision to join the Congress. Mr. Deshmukh’s son is married to Mr. Kakade’s daughter. He however, was reportedly not promised the ticket from Pune. read more

 Seven-day mourning in GoaThe Goa government declares one-day holiday on Monday and seven days of mourning. The Centre also announces that March 18 will be a day of national mourning. “The National Flag will fly at half-mast in the National Capital and capitals of States and UTs. State funeral shall be accorded to Shri Parrikar. A meeting of the Union Cabinet has been called at 10 am on Monday, March 18,” a statement from the Centre said.Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary SK Shahi, in an order issued on Sunday, says the Ministry of Defence is requested to make arrangements for a State funeral with full military honours.“It has been decided by the government that a State funeral will be accorded to the departed dignitary,” Mr. Shahi says.The final rites will be performed at 5 p.m. at the Miramar beach, next to the memorial of Goa’s first Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar, a BJP spokesperson says. “His mortal remains will be brought to the BJP office in the morning where they will be kept for an hour before being taking to the Kala Academy to allow people to pay their last respects before his final journey,” he says. Obituary: Manohar Parrikar, the original ‘aam aadmi’In a video clip from an alumni day function at IIT Bombay in 2014, Parrikar — who passed away on Sunday evening after a prolonged illness — is described as the “original Aam Aadmi”. Dressed in his trademark half-sleeved shirt and floaters, Parrikar had an image of an accessible yet go-getter politician.Read more  4:00 pmGoa Dept of Tourism has cancelled Shigmo festivities scheduled between March 21 and 24 as a mark of respect and observance of State mourning, which has been declared due to the demise of Parrikar.The new schedule will be announced at a later date3:10 pmPrime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pay their last respects to Parrikar at the Kala Academy in Panaji.The Prime Minister offers his condolences to the two sons and daughters-in-law of the late leader. Also Read | Photo Credit: Atish Pomburfekar Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays respects to Manohar Parrikar at Kala Academy in Panaji on Monday.  | Photo Credit: Prakash Kamat  2:50 pmPeople line up streets, party office to pay tributes to Parrikar People pay their last respects as Manohar Parrikar’s mortal remains arrive at Kala Acadamy,Panaji, Goa, March 18, 2019  | Photo Credit: Atish Pomburfekar  Thousands throng the streets of Panaji to catch a final glimpse of Parrikar, as his mortal remains is brought to the BJP office.A pall of gloom descends on the BJP office and hundreds of Parrikar supporters turn emotional when his mortal remains, wrapped in the Tricolour, was brought there.The truck carrying the body travelled 5 km from his private residence in Dona Paula to Panaji. His remains will be taken to Kala Academy, around three km from the BJP office, later in the day for people to pay their tributes to him.12:00 pmIIT-Bombay to hold condolence meet for alumnus ParrikarThe Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) will hold a condolence meet at 5 p.m. at the institute’s P.C. Saxena auditorium to pay tributes to Parrikar, its alumnus, an IIT-B spokesperson said.In 2017, he addressed the 55th convocation of the institute, where he told the graduates to take up jobs in social and development sectors.He also asked students to join politics and the Army, said a former IIT-B student who was present at the convocation ceremony.“Why can’t IIT graduates, who have had the best engineering education in the country, take up academics and run some of these colleges, and transform their quality?” he had said.The institute in its condolence message said Parrikar’s demise came as a shock to them.“He was the institute’s distinguished alumnus and keenly involved with many of its initiatives. He was also deeply involved with the launch of IIT Goa,” it said.On the Alumni Day in 2014, IIT-B felicitated Parrikar, who graduated in metallurgical engineering from the institute in 1978, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the country. — PTI11.30 a.mT.N. Governor condoles Parrikar’s deathTamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Monday, condoles the death of Parrikar. He terms the demise a great loss to the nation.”The sad demise of Shri Manohar Parrikar ji fills me with shock and grief. A gentleman to the core, an able administrator and an intellectual in his own right, Shri Parrikarji combined himself the quality of simplicity, sagacity and magnanimity”, a release from the Raj Bhavan said.11.00 a.m.Congress claims it has numbers to form govtGoa Congress president Mr. Chodankar says the party is working on a strategy to come to power, and that several non-Congress legislators were in touch with him.”We have some strategies in place and we are hopeful that the Governor calls us soon to form the government because we have the numbers that is required. We are in touch with many MLAs,” Mr. Chodankar told the media soon after the Congress legislative party meeting.At present, in the truncated House of 36 members, the Congress, with 14 MLAs, is the largest single party, while the BJP has 12 MLAs.10.30 a.m.BJP says decision on government formation after Parrikar’s funeralParrikar’s final rites are more important than government formation at this juncture, say senior BJP leaders.After the first round of talks failed early on Monday, State BJP president Vinay Tendulkar says Parrikar’s last rites would be handled before any government formation process is discussed again. “We will have to first pay a visit to Parrikar’s mortal remains. Then his body will be taken to the party office and after that, a decision will be taken,” Mr. Tendulkar tells the media after the meeting, which was held at a city resort.Talks were held by top Goa BJP leaders under the guidance of Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari and BJP national secretary B.L. Santosh.After the meeting with Mr. Gadkari, other State BJP leaders, Goa Forward president and former Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai said the discussions were inconclusive.Read more Union Minister Nitin Gadkari pays his respects to Manohar Parrikar, Panaji, March 18, 2019 Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was cremated with full state honours on March 18 evening. The four-time Chief Minister and former Defence Minister died aged 63 at his private residence on Sunday after fighting pancreatic cancer for over a year.The Congress has formally staked its claim to form a government with Governor Mridula Sinha. It has claimed that it is the single largest party in the 36-member truncated Goa Legislative Assembly.Here’s the schedule of Parrikar’s final journey:9:30 AM to 10:30 AM: Mr. Parrikar’s mortal remains to be kept at the BJP head office in Panjim.10:30 AM: Mr. Parrikar’s mortal remains to be taken to Kala Academy, Panjim.11:00 AM to 04:00 PM: Public to pay their final respects to the late leader.04:00 PM: Funeral procession to move to Miramar.04:30 PM: Vidhi at Miramar.05:00 PM: Final ritesHere are the latest updates:(Inputs from Prakash Kamat, PTI)5:40 pmThe late Chief Minister was accorded a 21-gun salute. The national flag draped around him was handed over to his sons.5:30 pmThe final rites of Parrikar are being performed at the Miramar beach, next to the memorial of Goa’s first Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar.4.50 pmParrikar’s funeral procession begins. Thousands bid him farewell. BJP president Amit Shah, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States are at Miramar.The mortal remains of the 63-year-old senior BJP leader were kept in a flower-decked hearse, which left the Kala Academy here for the Miramar beach.4:30 pmMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pays tribute to Parrikar at Kala Academy in Panaji.4.10 pmWhen Parrikar helped shooter Tejaswini take aimWhen a young and little known Tejaswini Sawant was in urgent need of financial help to participate in a shooting world championship in Germany, Parrikar, as Chief Minister came as a ray of hope to her.The support not only enabled the shooter from Kolhapur in Maharashtra to participate in the competition in 2005, but also became a turning point in her career as she scaled new heights thereafter, Sawant said.Her only regret now is that she could not thank the Chief Minister enough for his generosity which made a big contribution in her life and shooting career.Read more  In a late evening development on Sunday, claiming to be the single largest party in the Assembly, the Congress formally staked its claim with Governor Mridula Sinha to form a government.Read more  The affection and popularity Parrikar enjoyed from ordinary Goans is on display as hundreds of common folks, and his party workers line up to pay tributes to him.Hundreds of people thronged the roads from Dona Paula to Panaji to catch sight of the popular leader, who was being carried from his residence to the party office.The area around the BJP office in the heart of the capital city is packed with peopleParrikar’s body is now laid in state at the Kala Academy for the public to pay homage.2:45 pmWhere do parties stand in AssemblyThe current strength of the Goa Assembly has been reduced to 36 with the demise of Parrikar and BJP MLA Francis D’Souza earlier this year. Two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte resigned last year.PartyNumber of MLAsBJP12Congress14Goa Forward Party3Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party3NCP1Independents32:30 pmA Congress delegation submits letter to Governor Mridula Sinha at the Raj Bhavan seeking to invite them first to form a government as they are the single largest party in the Assembly.All the 14 Congress MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, go to the Raj Bhawan and hand over a letter to Ms. Sinha.”We are saddened by the Chief Minister’s demise, but before his final rites are performed, a new government has to be formed…The Governor has acknowledged that the Congress is the single largest party and she said she will get back to us,” Mr. Kavlekar tells reporters.1:45 pm”The Goa BJP has offered the name of Pramod Sawant for the Chief Minister’s post, but we the allies have yet not endorsed the name,” says a former minister from allies on condition of anonymity to The Hindu.Read more  Parrikar was the builder of modern Goa: PMIn a tweet, the Prime Minister says “Shri Manohar Parrikar was the builder of modern Goa. Thanks to his affable personality and accessible nature, he remained the preferred leader of the state for years. His pro-people policies ensured Goa scales remarkable heights of progress.” Reactions | Manohar Parrikar was the builder of modern Goa: PM Narendra Modi  President offers condolencesAs news of Parrikar’s death breaks, President Ram Nath Kovind offers his condolences and pays tributes.”Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. An epitome of integrity and dedication in public life, his service  to the people of Goa and of India will not be forgotten,” he says.Read more  1:30 pmCongress delegation heads for the Raj Bhavan. They do not have an appointment. But the party is insisting they must be given a chance to form a government.Mr. Kavlekar admits that the Governor has not given the Congress delegation an appointment despite repeated requests and that the Congress “rightfully deserved to be called for staking a claim because it is the single largest party in the Assembly”.1.00 p.m.Decision on next CM by 2 p.m: Goa BJP chiefThe Goa BJP chief says a decision on the next Chief Minister will be made by 2 p.m., and the swearing-in will happen after 3 p.m. on Monday.According to BJP sources, Pramod Sawant are the Vishwajit Rane are the front-runners.12.17 pmUnion Cabinet condoles demise of Parrikar, terms him ‘CM of commoners’The Union Cabinet condoles the demise of Parrikar, saying he will be remembered for his simplicity and as an exceptional administrator. After observing a two-minute silence, the Cabinet passes a resolution, which said in his death the country has lost an able administrator who was affectionately called the “Chief Minister of commoners.”“Shri Parrikar will be remembered for his simplicity and his abilities as an exceptional administrator. His contribution to the building of modern Goa and to the modernization of India’s Armed Forces as well as improvement to the lives of ex-Servicemen will never be forgotten,” the resolution read.Whenever a senior leader of any political party, or a minister passes away, the Union Cabinet meets to condole the demise.12.15 pmPM leaves for GoaSoon after the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Goa to pay tributes to Parrikar.12:10 p.m.Mortal remains brought to BJP office read more

The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday the plea of a woman BJP activist challenging her arrest by the West Bengal police for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media.A vacation Bench, comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of advocate N.K. Kaul, representing the activist, that the issue of her arrest be accorded urgent hearing.The senior lawyer submitted that there had been a complete strike in West Bengal and it had forced the woman to challenge her arrest in the apex court. He said the activist was in judicial custody.BJP Yuva Morcha leader Priyanka Sharma allegedly shared on Facebook a photo in which Ms. Banerjee’s face was photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra’s picture from the MET Gala event in New York.Ms. Sharma, against whom a complaint was filed at the Dasnagar Police station, has been sent to two weeks judicial custody. She is seeking bail.The BJP and social media users have protested against her arrest. read more

Don’t like surprises in your hamburgers? New research may help ensure that you don’t get a serving of horse meat when you buy beef. Using Raman spectroscopy, a technique where light scattered off a sample is used to measure molecular vibrations, researchers have created a scoring system that can distinguish beef, horse meat, and mixtures of the two. The work, to be published next month in Food Chemistry, is timely considering a meat scandal that occurred early last year in Europe, where some of the products sold as beef in grocery stores and to caterers turned out to be partially or entirely horse meat instead. The motive appears to have been profit, as horse meat is generally cheaper than beef. Testing to check for horse meat is generally done using DNA analysis, but the new method allows for a simpler and quicker test that can be performed onsite.See more ScienceShots.Sign up for our daily newsletterGet more great content like this delivered right to you!Country *AfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia, Plurinational State ofBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’IvoireCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran, Islamic Republic ofIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinianPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRWANDASaint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofVietnamVirgin Islands, BritishWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweI also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, careers information & upcoming events.Required fields are included by an asterisk(*) read more

Premature babies are more likely to produce piercing cries than their full-term peers are, researchers report online today in Biology Letters. Scientists have studied infant crying as a noninvasive way to assess how well a baby’s nervous system develops. Previous research of full-term babies indicates that an abnormally high pitch is associated with disturbances in an infant’s metabolism and neurological development. The team recorded spontaneous crying in preterm babies and full-term babies of the same age and compared the pitch of their sobs. They found that preterm babies whimper in a shriller voice, but not because they are smaller in size or grew at a slower rate in their mothers’ wombs. Instead, the researchers suspect the high pitch could reflect lower levels of activities in a premature baby’s vagal nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the abdomen. Vagal nerve activities are believed to decrease tension in the vocal cords, thus producing a lower pitch. Previous studies show that giving preterm babies massage therapies can stimulate their vagal activities, improve their ingestion, and help them gain weight. read more

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