SBI orders refund of compensation for overtime during demonetization paid to employees
The State Bank of India (SBI) has asked its 70,000 officers and employees of the associate banks to return the compensation paid for overtime following demonetization in 2016. The employees and officers include from State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur. An additional payment was made to the employees, officers for overtime, but now the State Bank of India management has asked all employees who have been associated with associate banks to return the money. SBI has written a letter to all its zonal headquarters and asked to withdraw the money given to the employees stating that only ‘its employees’ should be given the money for additional work, not the employees of former Associate Banks. The letter mentions that since the associate banks had not merged with the SBI during demonetization, the responsibility of paying compensation to the employees too lies with the associate bank management and not that of the SBI.
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NEET exam Students who scored zero in Physics, Chemistry got admission in medical colleges
A report published in an English daily on Monday has revealed shocking information about the process of medical admissions in the country. As per the report, about 400 students who scored single-digit marks in Physics and Chemistry and 110 students who got zero or negative marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) were admitted in private colleges for MBBS course in 2017. NEET does not have a cut-off for individual subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The entrance exam does not specify the minimum marks in each paper. Thus the report concludes that students who can afford Rs 17 lakh per annum find their way into medical colleges despite securing negligible marks in NEET.
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Tirupati Temple to shut down for Darshan for six days in August
One of the most popular and prestigious temples of the world, Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, would be shutting down for devotees and the ‘darshan’ would be restricted from August 9 to August 17. As per the information provided by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) on Saturday, ‘Maha Samprokshana’, which is a cleansing ritual performed once in 12 years, would be taking place. The temple would be shut down for devotees from 6 PM on August 9 to 6 AM on August 17. “Pilgrims will not be allowed to enter Vaikuntham Queue Complex for darshan after 6 pm on August 9. The darshan will resume to pilgrims only after 6 am from August 17 onwards. We, therefore, request the pilgrim devotees of Lord Venkateswara present across the globe to plan their pilgrimage accordingly”, informed a press release by the TTD board. The Tirupati temple receives a footfall of close to 70,000 pilgrims each day with numbers crossing a lakh during summer.
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Farmers protest in Maharashtra for hike in price of Milk by Rs 5
Farmers' organizations in Maharashtra suspended supply of milk to several districts of Maharashtra from Sunday midnight demanding a hike of Rs 5 per liter in the procurement price of milk. Tankers supplying milk to major cities including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, and others were blocked early morning leading to a sudden shortage of milk supply to major cities. Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel has also extended his support to the agitation, said Swambhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief Raju Shetti, who is leading the protest. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disapproved of the agitation and said the government is open for talks on any issue. According to ANI, SSS workers stopped vehicles near Pune early on Monday and prevented milk from being supplied to nearby cities. Protesters also dumped milk on the road in Ahmednagar district's Khed on Monday. Milk was distributed for free at certain places and was fed to animals in some others. "We are not happy to waste milk but the government is protecting dairies and not considering farmers' woes," Shetti alleged.
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Ex J&K CM Farooq Abdullah in multi-crore cricket scam
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a charge sheet against former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah in connection with the multi-crore Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) scam case. As reported by news agency PTI, Farooq Abdullah and three others have been charged under RPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust. This came after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in November directed the agency to complete the probe within three months. The scam had emerged in March 2012 after the association treasurer, Manzoor Wazir, filed a complaint against former office-bearers, Muhammad Saleem Khan (former general secretary) and ex-treasurer Ahsan Mirza.
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Shashi Tharoor’s Kerala office vandalized by BJP workers over 'Hindu-Pakistan' comment
Activists of the Bhartiya Janta Party’s youth wing allegedly vandalized Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor’s party office in Thiruvananthapuram over his "Hindu Pakistan" remark, the Congress leader tweeted about the incident. Tharoor on Friday had said the if the ruling party at the Centre returned to power in 2019, India would become a Hindu Pakistan. Tharoor was not present in the office when the incident took place. The activists barged into the office while shouting anti-Tharoor slogans and tied a banner which read "Hindu Pakistan" office. Questioning the protest, Tharoor asked if this is what people want in India. "People had come with their concerns but you scared them away from here. Is this what we want in our country? I am asking as a citizen, not as an MP. This is not the Hinduism that I know of," Tharoor said on Twitter.
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Rahul Gandhi offers unconditional support to PM Modi on women’s reservation bill
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting July 18. He shared a copy of his letter to the PM on social media site Twitter where he offered his party's unconditional support to the bill and said the time has come for a change, and for women to take their rightful place in state legislatures and Parliament. "Our PM says he's a crusader for women's empowerment? Time for him to rise above party politics, walk his-talk & have the Women's Reservation Bill passed by Parliament. The Congress offers him unconditional support," said Rahul Gandhi in his tweet. The Congress chief also urged Modi to ensure that the bill gets passed in this session itself so that women can participate "more meaningfully" in the state elections later this year and in the Lok Sabha polls next year.
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Dowry demand drove Delhi air hostess to suicide, alleges family
The family of the 39-year-old air hostess who committed suicide on Friday after jumping from the terrace of her residence in South Delhi’s Hauz Khas alleged foul play in the case. According to the air hostess's family and friends, she was a victim of domestic violence and was also being harassed for dowry. That may have pushed her to kill herself, the family added. Days before the suicide, her father, a retired Major General, had filed a complaint with the police, alleging torture by her husband and in-laws. Anissia Batra's husband Mayank Singhvi allegedly told the police that he got a text message from her on Friday evening, which said she was going to take the extreme step. He was home at the time, but by the time he reached the terrace, she had jumped, Mayank Singhvi reportedly told the police. He rushed her to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead on arrival, reports quoting police sources added.
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Man suspected to have killed Indian techie in Kansas shot by police
A suspect in the killing of 25-year-old Indian student Sharath Koppu in Kansas City has been killed in an exchange of fire with the police, leaving three undercover officers injured, US authorities informed the media on Monday. The shooting began at a motel where undercover and tactical officers found the suspect who was involved in a July 6 killing of a college student, the Kansas City Police Department told the media. The suspect had been under surveillance since the death of Indian student Sharath Koppu, who was fatally shot during a restaurant robbery in the US. Koppu was fatally shot in the back during a suspected attempted robbery at a restaurant where he worked.
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