MacBook Air with 15-Inch Screen Debuts Alongside New Mac Pro and Mac Studio

Apple on Monday announced a new MacBook Air model with a 15-inch display, powered by the company's M2 chip under the hood. It features an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU that is claimed to perform up to 12 times faster than the fastest Intel powered MacBook, according to the company. Apple also announced new Mac Studio and Mac Pro models at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event. These computers are powered by M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, and a powerful new M2 Ultra chip.

MacBook Air 15-inch, Mac Studio (2023) and Mac Pro (2023) price in India, availability

The new MacBook Air 15-inch price in India is set at Rs. 1,34,900 and is available in Midnight, Silver, Space Gray, and Starlight colour options. The Mac Studio (2023) is priced at Rs. 2,09,900, while Mac Pro with the tower enclosure and Rack enclosure are priced at Rs. 7,29,900 and Rs. 7,79,900, respectively.

MacBook Air 15-inch specifications

The MacBook Air 15-inch features a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with up to 500 nits of brightness. It measures only 11.5mm, making it the world's thinnest 15-inch laptop, according to Apple. It features MagSafe charging, two Thunderbolt ports for connecting accessories and up to a 6K external display, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The MacBook Air 15-inch features an 8-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, a 10-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. You also get a 1080p webcam and a three-mic array for clearer voice calls. The laptop also features six speakers and runs macOS Ventura. 

Mac Studio (2023) specifications

The new M2 Max SoC in the Mac Studio (2023) is said to be up to 50 percent faster than the previous gen Studio with an M1 Max, while the new M2 Max SoC is said to be up to three times faster. The Mac Studio (2023) has higher-bandwidth HDMI, enabling up to 8K resolution and 240Hz framerates. With the M2 Ultra, Mac Studio supports up to six Pro Display XDRs. You also get Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gbps Ethernet port, and two USB Type-A ports. 

Mac Pro (2023) specifications

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Apple's annual developer conference is just around the corner. From the company's first mixed reality headset to new software updates, we discuss all the things we're looking forward to seeing at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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What Happens If WTC Final Ends In Draw? Could Reserve Day Be Used?

The ICC World Test Championship final is just days away, with India taking on Australia in the deciding contest at the Oval in London. India, who lost the final of the previous edition to New Zealand two years ago, would be keen to go the distance this time around, against the Australian side that finished top of the WTC points table. While cricketing action across 5 days should be enough to decide the name of the winner, there are chances that the match could end in a draw if both sides cancel out each other from June 07 to June 11.

In case of a possible rain interruption, the ICC has kept a sixth reserve day in place for the WTC final. But, the match could still end in a draw. What happens in such a case?

If the ICC WTC final ends in a draw, the trophy would be shared by both India and Australia, with the two nations being joint-winners. Even in a case where the match ends in a tie, the trophy will be shared.

In other events, the prospect of boundary count, Super Over and even league standings can be used to determine a winner in case of stalemates. But, there would be no such measure in the WTC final.

Reserve Day in WTC Final

The Reserve Day only comes into the picture in case rain plays spoilsport in the match and time is lost due to extreme weather conditions. To make up for the lost time, the Reserve Day can then be used in order to find out a winner.

But, if no rain takes place and the match remains deadlocked in 5 days, the Reserve Day would not kick-in. For the extra day to be added, rain has to play some sort of role in the match, be it for the entire day or a few hours.

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"Hygiene Left The Chat": Viral Video Of Murmura Making Shocks Internet

Bhel puri is possibly one of the most popular street foods across India. Made with a delightful blend of puffed rice, sev, chopped vegetables, tangy tamarind chutney, and zesty spices, bhel puri offers a burst of flavours to our palate. Whether enjoyed as a street food snack, a party appetiser, or a quick bite during a leisurely stroll, bhel puri never fails to satisfy a desi soul. What we enjoy the most are the variations available in different parts of the country, with each region adding its own twist to the beloved snack. Well, we recently found a video that might disappoint a true bhel puri lover! A video, shared by 'foodie_incarnate' on Instagram, showcased the process of making the main ingredient, murmura (or puffed rice). Surprisingly, it depicted individuals using their feet to mix the ingredients. You read that right.
Also Read: Maggi Or Khichdi? This Street Side Noodles Recipe Leaves Internet Confused
Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amar Sirohi (@foodie_incarnate)

In no time, the video clocked more than 1.3 million views on social media, with people reacting to it strongly. A user wrote, “This channel is dedicated to kill my liking for all my childhood food items. Thanks for destroying my memories, one video at a time.”
Also Read: After Flying Dosa, New 'Helicopter Bhel' Has Become A Hit Online
Raising his concern, another added, “Bhai tu ye videos banana band kr de warna khane ke liye kuch bachega hi nahi [Stop making such videos, or we will be left with nothing to eat]”.
Some of the treet food fans stood up for their favourite snacks despite all facts.
“Sari duniya 1 taraf or bhel puri, pani puri 1 taraf uske bare me kuch bhi galat nahi bolne ka re baba. [On one hand we have the entire world and, on the other hand, bhel puri and pani puri. Don't speak ill of these dishes].”
“Itne salo se kha rahe kabhi bimar pade? Nehi na? To khao ...hygiene gaya bad me. [Have you ever fallen ill despite eating bhel puri for so many years? No, right? So enjoy, and let hygiene go to hell].”
One hilarious comment that caught our attention read, “Hygiene left the chat”.
While different people seemed to have different reactions to the video, what are your thoughts on it? Share it with us in the comments below. 

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"World Stood By Our Side": S Jaishankar On Odisha Train Tragedy

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday the condolence messages and the outpouring of suppot that he received in the wake of the horrific train accident in Odisha shows how connected the world is with India.

"A lot of leaders from all over the world and the foreign minister from here [Namibia] also has expressed solidarity and sent sympathy," EAM Jaishankar said while addressing the Indian expatriates in Namibia on Sunday.

"I received many messages and foreign ministers and friends from across the world. The Prime Minister also received lots of messages. This is an example of how globalised today's world is and how the world is connected with India," he said further.

"A tragedy happened in India and the world decided to stand with India," the EAM added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday reached the Namibian Capital Windhoek to further strengthen relations with Namibia.

The Balasore derailment incident, involving two passenger trains and a goods train, claimed 275 lives and left over 1,000 injured.

The three-way accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods trains on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar station in the Balasore district.

Expressing grief over the accident, S Jaishankar said, "I am physically here but the heart is in india. Our prayers today are for it."

During the visit to Namibia, the EAM will call on the country's top leadership.

He was received by the deputy minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, Jenelly Matundu.

"Arrived in Windhoek. Thank Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, Jenelly Matundu for receiving me so warmly. Look forward to a productive visit that takes our time-tested ties forward," S Jaishankar tweeted earlier.

He will also meet other ministers in the Namibian government while also co-chairing the inaugural session of the Joint Commission Meeting with the Namibian deputy PM and Foreign minister.

Before arriving in the Namibian capital on Sunday, the External Affairs Minister was in Cape Town, South Africa to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

In Cape Town, S Jaishankar invoked the three-decade-old ties between India and South Africa stating that there is a very "deeply emotional" connection between the two countries. He said India's and South Africa's respective struggles were "deeply intertwined".

S Jaishankar made these remarks while interacting with the Indian expatriates in Cape Town.

S Jaishankar also recalled that when South Africa got its independence, there was as much celebration in India as there was in there.

The EAM also said that India had invited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in 2019.

"We have really India and South Africa located at two different continents, but working together very closely in the United Nations, in the BRICS of which we are members in a body called IPSA, which is India, Brazil and South Africa, and in a variety of ways between the two of us directly now," he added.

The relations between India and South Africa in these three decades have "flowered in every conceivable sense", Jaishankar noted.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Restaurant Employee Arrested After Cocaine Found In Customer's Hot Dog

A restaurant employee in New Mexico, US, was arrested after he lost his bag of cocaine that somehow landed up on a customer's hot dog, police said on Sunday. According to New York Post, the man, identified as 54-year-old Jeffrey David Salazar, was working at Sonic Drive-In restaurant. He is now facing a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance, the Espanola Police said. 

As per the cops, illegal narcotics were discovered in a customer's food at the restaurant. The substance was inadvertently placed in the food as Mr Salazar was preparing the order. Police said that a "field test" confirmed that the substance discovered in the food was cocaine. 

In the incident report, the cops said that a woman called the police on Tuesday after she bit into her food only to discover she had bitten into a plastic bag. She believes any of the powered substance went into her mouth. 

According to the arrest warrant, Mr Salazar was observed on video surveillance conducting "what appeared to be a hand-to-hand transaction with a female employee". He was even seen preparing the customer's food before appearing to frantically search the area "as if he lost something".

According to the Post, Mr Salazar admitted to the police that he purchased the cocaine from someone in the restaurant's parking lot.  

Also Read | Emirates Is Giving Away Free Hotel Stay To All Passengers Travelling To Or Stopping Over Dubai

Meanwhile, in another such incident, earlier this year, a Brazilian drug dealer's usage of readily available cocaine for personal use became harmful for him after police arrested him while he was sleeping on a bed made of cocaine bricks. Police officers conducted a raid in the Sitio Conceicaozinha neighbourhood, in the Vicente de Carvalho district of Guaruja, to bust the local drug ring. 

The dealer was discovered intoxicated and lying over the cannabis bricks when the police arrived at the scene, seizing 105 cocaine bricks.

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Woman In South Korea Arrested For Murdering Victim ''Out Of Curiosity''

A 23-year-old true crime fanatic in South Korea has been arrested for killing and dismembering a woman, the Independent reported.

According to the police, the killing was done "out of curiosity,"  as the woman was obsessed with true crime TV shows and books and wanted to experience murder first-hand, South Korea's oldest newspaper The Chosun Ilbo reported.

The woman, identified as Jung Yoo-jung, 23, confessed to the killing and was indicted for murder on Friday. She initially claimed to have killed the victim during an argument. However, she later retracted the statement and called it a lie, per The Chosun Ilbo.

"Jung was found to have premeditated the crime driven by a desire to kill someone after she became obsessed with murder from TV programs and books," a police spokesman said.

As per the police, she had carefully planned the murder and planned it months in advance. An investigation of her mobile phone revealed that she had been searching the internet for ways to hide a body three months prior to the tragedy. She had also allegedly watched numerous true crime TV shows and borrowed crime books from a library.

She then found her victim through an app that connects parents with private tutors and posed as the mother of a ninth-grader. She told the victim her daughter would come to her home for a consultation.

On the day of the crime, Jung went to the home disguised as a student wearing a school uniform and then fatally stabbed the victim. 

She then dismembered the body, placed some of the corpse in a suitcase, and dumped it in a wooded area by a river to make it look like the ''victim had disappeared''. She also kept the victim's mobile phone, ID card, and wallet, attempting to ''commit a perfect crime.''

However, the taxi driver who took her to the wooded area got suspicious and alerted the police, following which cops found blood-stained clothes in the bags.

Police said they are conducting tests to see if Jung is a psychopath.

"Jung also said she feels sorry for what she did. We are conducting tests to see if she is a psychopath. Jung was a loner and a recluse who has been unemployed since graduating from high school five years ago,'' police said.

 

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Video: Railway Minister Prays As Movement Resumes At Train Crash Site

Restoration of the tracks where the worst train crash that India witnessed in decades occurred has been completed, 51 hours after the tragedy unfolded. Videos showed the first train movement in the section as Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw prayed on the side-lines.

"Everyone has done a great job. I feel great sadness for the affected families but we will get to the root cause of the incident and whoever is responsible will be severely punished," the Railways Minister said.

Earlier today the Railways ministry sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the three-train pile-up in Odisha's Balasore. More than 270 people have died in Friday's accident, which is being described as one of the worst in the country.

"Keeping in mind all that happened, the information that the administration has, the Railways board has made a recommendation that the investigation be handed over to the CBI," Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.

The Railways said due to a "signalling interference", the Coromandel Express met with an accident and its engine and coach crashed into a goods train laden with iron ore stationed on one of the loop lines. Critics, though, have flagged an audit report of railways which cited several serious lapses in rail safety. The report was tabled in the Parliament in September last year.

On Sunday, the Odisha government revised the number of fatalities in the triple train accident, bringing it down to 275 from 288, and put the number of injured at 1,175. The figures indicate that it is the third worst rail disaster in the country.

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Restoration Work At Odisha Train Accident Site On At War Footing: Railways

The Railways Ministry informed on Saturday that the restoration work is ongoing at war footing in Odisha's Balasore where two passenger trains and a goods carriage were involved in a horrific accident, leaving 288 passengers dead and over 803 injured.

The crash involved the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and a goods train.

The Ministry of Railways in its tweet said that the officials are closely monitoring the restoration process at the accident site.

Railways also informed that more than seven Poclain machines, two accident relief trains, 3-4 railway and road cranes have been deployed for early restoration.

Officials are closely monitoring the restoration process at the accident site.

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) June 3, 2023

Earlier, on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the accident spot, accompanied by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

"It's a painful incident. We might not bring back the lives lost but we are with the families of the victims at this hour of grief. The government has taken very serious note of the incident and will leave no stone unturned in treating the injured passengers. An investigation has been ordered and those found guilty will not be spared," PM Modi said.

48 trains have been cancelled, 39 diverted and 10 trains have been short terminated due to the accident, which happened on the Howrah-Chennai main line in the Kharagpur division of the South Eastern Railway.

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Odisha Train Accident Shifts Focus From New Trains To Safety: 10 Points

1. The Friday's crash, the country's deadliest rail accident in more than 20 years, has come as a jolt to railways' plan for a makeover, experts say. "The safety record has been improving over the years but there is more work to do," Prakash Kumar Sen, head of the department of mechanical engineering at Kirodimal Institute of Technology in Chhattisgarh, says, according to news agency Reuters.
2. The railways have been introducing more and more trains to cope with soaring demand but the workforce to maintain them are not trained adequately or their workload is too high, railway experts say.
3. The east coast route on which the three-train collision occurred, is one of the country's oldest and busiest, as it also carries much of India's coal and oil freight, Mr Sen said. "These tracks are very old ... the load on them is very high, if maintenance is not good, failures will happen," Mr Sen, who is also the lead author of a 2020 study on "Causes of Rail Derailment in India and Corrective Measures", adds.
4. Srinand Jha, an independent transport expert and author at the International Railway Journal, says the railways have been slow to install safety mechanisms such as anti-collision devices and emergency warning systems across the network. "They will always tell you that accidents are at a very manageable level because they talk about them in terms of percentages," he says. Anti-collision system "Kavach" was not available on the route involved in Friday's accident.
5. Indian Railways maintains that safety has always been a key focus. Pointing to its low accident rate over the years, a railways ministry spokesperson says: "This question (on safety) is arising because there has been one incident now. But if you see the data, you will see that there have been no major accidents for years".
6. The number of accidents per million train kilometres, a gauge of safety, had fallen to 0.03 in fiscal 2021-22 from 0.10 in 2013-14, the spokesperson adds.
7. Long-considered the lifeline for Indians, the 170-year-old system has seen rapid expansion and modernisation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to boost infrastructure and connectivity in the fast-growing economy.
8. A Rs 1-trillion, five-year safety fund created in 2017-18 has been extended for five years from 2022-23, with a further Rs 450 billion of funding, after the first plan led to an "overall improvement in safety indicators", according to the Railways.
9. The Indian Railways runs the fourth largest train network in the world. It transports 13 million people every day and moved nearly 1.5 billion tonnes of freight in 2022. This year, the government made a record Rs 2.4-trillion-rupee capital outlay for the railways, a 50% increase over the previous fiscal year, to upgrade tracks, ease congestion and add new trains.
10. Friday's train accident in Odisha's Balasore ranks as India's third worst, and the deadliest accident since 1995, when two express trains collided in Firozabad, near Agra, killing more than 300 people.

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Disciplinary Action To Be Taken Against Delhi IAS Officer For Corruption

The Delhi government has said since it has received several complaints against him, it will initiate disciplinary proceedings against IAS officer YVVJ Rajasekhar, who is probing vigilance matters related to excise policy and renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bungalow.

Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has submitted a formal request to the CM, appealing for immediate transfer of YVVJ Rajasekhar, according to an official statement.

There was no immediate reaction from the officer on the development.

YVVJ Rajasekhar is currently posted as Special Secretary, Vigilance, in the Delhi government.

According to the services minister, swift action needs to be taken against him to protect official records and ensure the safety of employees.

In a detailed dossier submitted to the CM, the minister noted that the officer has a long history of being on radar of CBI, Central Vigilance Commission, CBI, and the vigilance department for several incidents of corruption, and is in habit of keeping unauthorised possession of sensitive vigilance files for "ulterior motives." "The minister expressed grave concerns regarding the negative impact of Rajasekhar's presence in the Vigilance Department, highlighting the urgent need for his transfer or removal. He has denounced Rajasekhar for his continuous dissemination of false, frivolous, and concocted misinformation for personal gain," the government statement said.

The minister called for disciplinary proceedings to be initiated against YVVJ Rajasekhar alleging that he violated AIS (Conduct) Rules 1968.

He recommended that all complaints received against him for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices and misconduct must be referred to an investigative agency.

Charges against YVVJ Rajasekhar include blatant insubordination, undisciplined behaviour, falsification of material facts, and other serious transgressions, the statement added.

As per the note submitted by the Services Minister to the CM on May 13, all work assigned to YVVJ Rajasekhar was withdrawn with immediate effect in lieu of a complaint that alleged that he was running an extortion racket and demanding protection money.

In another note the same day, the Services Minister further said that all assistant directors of the Vigilance department should present their files directly to the Secretary (Vigilance) and not YVVJ Rajasekhar.

The secretary, vigilance, was further directed to take custody of all files being held by YVVJ Rajasekhar under the apprehension of fear of tampering or destruction by him.

"At no stage, as is amply clear from the above referenced orders, were any instructions issued to Secretary (Vig.) to put up files to the office of the Minister. Despite these written orders, Shri YVVJ Rajasekhar has deliberately, willfully and illegally held hostage umpteen files pertaining to Vigilance Department, seemingly due to ulterior motives.

"Furthermore, rather than complying with instructions of his superiors and submitting himself to fair investigation, he resorted to concocting false and frivolous stories and sharing them widely in the media to undermine the credibility of the functioning of Minister In-charge and Secretary(Vig) of GNCTD," the note reads.

The note said YVVJ Rajasekhar is guilty of "blatant violation" of AIS Rules which prescribe the general as well as specific behaviours for the conduct of officers to ensure integrity and devotion of duty.

"Here, it would be prudent to place on record that just in the last week, a serious allegation has been received against Rajasekhar who has been alleged to be the mastermind behind a 'Cash for Compassionate Jobs scam' totalling to Rs 15 crore in the Services Department," the note states.

The complaint claims that YVVJ Rajasekhar has been running an organised racket, demanding Rs 5 lakh for each genuine placement on compassionate grounds, running the sum up to Rs 15 crore for 300 such candidates, the complainant being one of them.

The minister in the note also wondered whether YVVJ Rajasekhar misused his official position to extract crores of rupees from the dependents of employees of the Delhi government who died in service.

The BJP termed the call for action against YVVJ Rajasekhar a ruse to remove him since being in the Vigilance department, he is in part responsible for probes against excise policy and inordinate amount allegedly spent by Kejriwal on his official bungalow.

Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva alleged Arvind Kejriwal wants to appoint a pliable officer in YVVJ Rajasekhar's place to influence these probes. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Who Was Responsible?" Asks Siddaramaiah Over Odisha Train Crash Tragedy

Expressing grief over the horrific train accident in Odisha's Balasore, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday questioned the Railways ministry over accountability.

"The news of the terrible train accident is heart-rending. Such a terrible accident has never happened before. There is no information so far on the death of any Kannadiga. The railway ministry should come clean on who was responsible for this horrific accident. I have sent my Cabinet colleague Santosh Lad to the accident spot. He will collect information and share further details with us. May the departed souls rest in peace," CM Siddaramaiah told reporters here on Saturday.

He informed further that state minister Santosh Lad will oversee the rescue of passengers from Karnataka, if any.

Meanwhile, the Indian Railways put the toll in the Odisha triple train tragedy at 288, with 1,000 more passengers injured. It added that 56 passengers suffered grave injuries.

The preliminary report on the tragedy said the three-way accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in Balasore district.

It had said that 17 coaches of these two trains were derailed and severely damaged in the accident on Friday evening.

According to the Odisha Health Department, 1,175 injured passengers were admitted to private hospitals of which 793 have been discharged already while 382 passengers continue to be in hospitals. Of the 382 passengers, 2 are in critical condition while the rest are stable.

Earlier, on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the accident site in Odisha's Balasore. He was accompanied by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The three-way accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express and a goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station in Odisha's Balasore district.

At the site of the accident, PM Modi spoke to Cabinet Secretary and Health Minister, asking them to ensure that all help is provided to the injured and their families, government sources said.

After taking stock of the incident, PM Modi visited Fakir Mohan Hospital, Balasore, where some of the injured passengers are admitted.

After meeting the survivors, he said that directions have been issued to probe the accident and those guilty of lapses will not be spared."It's a painful incident. We might not bring back the lives lost but we are with the families of the victims in this difficult time. The government has taken very serious note of this accident and will leave no stone unturned in treating the injured," PM Modi said.

"I also thank the Odisha government and all officers of the state administration here, who helped in the rescue operation in whatever little way they could," he said, adding that the Railways was working to restore the damaged tracks at the earliest.

PM Modi also chaired a high-level meeting to review the accident.

Meanwhile, the death count from the triple train tragedy in Balasore was pegged at 288 by the Railways on Saturday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi High Court Seeks Hospital's Report On Manish Sisodia's Wife

The Delhi High Court on Saturday sought a report from the LNJP hospital on the health condition of AAP leader Manish Sisodia's ailing wife as it reserved its order on his interim bail plea for six weeks in a money laundering case arising from the alleged excise policy scam.

Senior advocate Mohit Mathur, appearing for Mr Sisodia, told Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma that pursuant to the court's directions passed on Friday, the former Delhi deputy chief minister was taken in custody to meet his wife earlier in the day but the latter's health condition deteriorated and was taken to be LNJP hospital before he could reach home.

Mr Mathur thus urged the court to release Mr Sisodia, his sick wife's sole caretaker, on a temporary basis.

"Arguments heard. Order reserved. Let a report be called from LNJP and be filed by today evening," said Justice Sharma after a hearing held on a court holiday.

On Friday, the judge had directed the Tihar Jail Superintendent to take Mr Sisodia to his residence where he was allowed to meet his ailing wife from 10 AM to 5 PM and listed the interim bail plea for consideration on June 3 after seeking a report from Enforcement Directorate (ED).

During the hearing, ED lawyer Zoheb Hossain opposed the plea for interim bail on grounds of possibility of evidence tampering.

He informed that an FIR has already been registered over "unauthorised removal" of certain documents from the special secretary vigilance's room.

"In the intervening night of the Supreme Court judgement on the services issue, there was unauthorised removal of several documents from the special secretary vigilance's room and including documents relating to the excise scam. This FIR has been registered. There is material which demonstrates that documents and evidence that are available probably with the department continue to be tampered with," Hossain said.

Mr Mathur said ED was making an "argument of prejudice".

Mr Hossain also said Mr Sisodia's wife has been suffering from such medical condition for the last 20 years and even the earlier pleas for interim bail on identical grounds were withdrawn by the former minister.

The agency's counsel further said Mr Sisodia held 18 portfolios as a minister and he could not have been the sole caretaker of his wife under such circumstances.

He also stated that the stringent conditions against grant of bail in money laundering cases should be kept in mind even while considering the issue of bail on humanitarian grounds.

Mathur, however, objected to the submission and questioned if a person is not entitled to take care of his spouse who is suffering.

Mr Sisodia, who was arrested on March 9, is currently in judicial custody in the case lodged by ED.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

On May 30, the court had dismissed the bail plea of Mr Sisodia in the excise policy scam being probed by the CBI, saying he is an influential person and the allegations against him are very serious in nature. 

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Bureaucrat Shares Question He Was Asked In UPSC Interview. See Post

Every year, hundreds of thousands of UPSC aspirants appear for the civil services exam, however, only a few lucky ones clear it. The exam comprises several out-of-the-box questions that can be tricky to answer. 

Now recently an Indian Forest Services (IFS) officer shared his experience of attending a Civil Service interview where he was asked about India's expenditure on space missions when the country had been suffering from poverty. Taking to Twitter, IFS Parveen Kaswan revealed his answer. He even asked his followers how would have they answered the tricky question. 

"My Civil Service interview !! '3rd Board Member: We are spending crores on space missions and here we do have such a poverty, how do you see it ??'" Mr Kaswan wrote.  

My Civil Service interview !!

"3rd Board Member: We are spending crores on space missions and here we do have such a poverty, how do you see it ??

Me: Sir, I think both the things are not competitive in nature. Back in 1928 Dr. CV Raman while enquiring about the colour of Sea…

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) June 2, 2023

"Me: Sir, I think both the things are not competitive in nature. Back in 1928 Dr. CV Raman while enquiring about the colour of Sea water came up with the idea of Raman Scattering and today Raman spectroscopy is extensively used in many fields including Medical Science. It takes time but research provides fruits," the IFS officer revealed. 

Mr Kaswan shared the tweet on Friday morning and since then his post has generated several responses. Several users even shared their point of view. 

"I would have used examples of geo satellites which help in accurate weather forecasts. India's major population is still agrarian and they depend a lot on the weather. ISRO reaching for the stars would eventually mean better awareness amongst farmers about weather," wrote one user. 

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"We can't address poverty by chopping down our costs in some field of exploration. People are poor because they are not earning. They are not earning because they are not skilled. They're not skilled because our education system is flawed. That's what we need to work on," said another. 

A third user commented, "Research multiplier is 100x, but yields come in 10 years. Space missions will help us to determine problems that nature-based calamities cause and help eradicate poverty." A fourth added, "This question arises if we do not have enough resources for both fields. But, poverty is due to the inefficient use of resources, i.e., manpower resources or any other resource. The problem lies in missions on Earth, not in space".

Mr Kaswan's tweet has accumulated more than 329,000 views and nearly 3,000 likes. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Xe8kysI

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