Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) was on Wednesday reconstituted with the induction of six new members, an official notification said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B R Sharma was appointed as the chairman of commission last month.
Lieutenant governor Girish Chander Murmu on Wednesday appointed the six new members of the JKPSC.
The new members of commission include director general of the prosecution department Ahfadul Mujtaba, former development commissioner Syed Iqbal Aga, retired associate professor higher education Showkat Ahmed Zargar, former IFS officer Sameer Bharti, chief engineer PWD, Jammu, Des Raj and former district and sessions judge Subash Gupta.
They will hold the position of a member of the JKPSC till they attain the age of 62 years, it said.
Mujtaba, who was an inspector general police, oversaw the investigation into the January 2018 rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua.
The Chinese statement mentioned the exchange of “candid and in-depth” views on the border situation and how both sides should earnestly implement the “important consensus” reached between the Foreign Ministers during their June 17 phone conversation, and “actively cooperate” with the armed forces to implement outcomes reached at the June 6 and June 22 military talks.
The Chinese Defence Ministry, however, struck a jarring note, echoing Beijing’s claim to the Galwan Valley. “China has sovereignty over the Galwan Valley region and the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and on duty in this region for many years,” it said. This is the first time that the Chinese armed forces have staked claim to an area that India says is well within its territory.
Senior sources in the Army confirmed that “the tent which was removed on June 15 has been reported back by our ground troops at PP-14 (Patrolling Point 14)”. Reached for comment, the Army did not confirm or deny the existence of Chinese structures visible in the satellite images.
A close-up view of road construction near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) border in the eastern Ladakh sector of Galwan Valley June 22. (Photo: Maxar Technologies via Reuters)
As India and China hold diplomatic and military talks to disengage troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, new satellite images show that the Chinese have built a defensive position at the Galwan Valley site of the June 15 clashes in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.
Senior sources in the Army confirmed that “the tent which was removed on June 15 has been reported back by our ground troops at PP-14 (Patrolling Point 14)”. Reached for comment, the Army did not confirm or deny the existence of Chinese structures visible in the satellite images.
The images from Maxar, a space technology company, are from June 22 and show that the Chinese have built a defensive position “astride” the LAC near PP-14. The position has been built between June 16 and June 22 because Planet Labs satellite images of the location on June 16, a day after the clashes, do not show any such infrastructure.
On June 20, the Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement, had said that “as regards transgression of LAC, it was clearly stated that the violence in Galwan on 15 June arose because Chinese side was seeking to erect structures just across the LAC and refused to desist from such actions”.
After analysing the new satellite images, Lt General (retd) AL Chavan, who also served as Division Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, responsible for eastern Ladakh, told The Indian Express “it appears to be a proper defensive position which has been developed by the Chinese”. He said it appears that “the hillside, which is to the southern side, has also got some defensive positions”
“Between June 15 and June 22, it is clear that the Chinese have developed that position,” he said. Chavan said “about 20-30 soldiers can occupy the position” which appears to be an equilateral triangle “with approximately 65 metres frontage”.
Army jawans pay gun salute to Rajesh Orang during his last rites at his ancestral village Belgoria in Birbhum district of West Bengal, Friday. (PTI)
He said he was not sure if the position was built on the Indian or the Chinese side of LAC “because without an accurate survey and enlarged maps, ascertaining the exact alignment of the LAC as claimed by the two sides is not possible”. But “definitely one thing is clear that it appears to be astride the LAC,” he said.
Lt General (retd) AL Chavan, who also served as Division Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, responsible for eastern Ladakh, told The Indian Express “it appears to be a proper defensive position which has been developed by the Chinese”.
“If it is on our side of the LAC, it changes the status quo, because defences have been developed,” he said.
But even if it is not, Chavan said, “as per the agreements, which we have in force since 1996, they are not supposed to be developing these defences where there is a difference in perception. Such a construction clearly violates the agreements”.
He said PP-14 should be around the junction of the Galwan Nala and the Nala coming from the north and that “all the patrolling points have been so developed that our perception of the LAC lies ahead of that”.
A former Army Commander, who has also served in the region, said the structures appear to be “stone walls with sheets on top for protection against the weather,” which can be used “just to house troops”.
In the meetings between Corps Commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies on June 6 and June 22, it was decided that as part of stage-wise disengagement, a de facto ‘buffer zone’ will separate the troops — the clashes on June 15 had taken place over vacating this buffer zone.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is considering advising colleges and universities to cancel their final year examinations and semester examinations in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
It may also recommend further delays in the academic calendar, with the next session pushed back to October.
On Wednesday, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tweeted that he had advised the UGC to revisit its earlier guidelines on these issues. “The foundation for revisited guidelines shall be health and safety of students, teachers and staff,” he said.
This comes a day before the Supreme Court hearing on cancellation of Class 12 and 10 examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) due to the spread of COVID-19. The Ministry and the CBSE told the court that a final decision on the issue would be communicated by Thursday. The Class 12 examination is scheduled to begin on July 1.
In April, a UGC panel, headed by Central University of Haryana Vice-Chancellor R.C. Kuhad, had recommended that final year examinations could be held in July, while intermediate semester students could be graded based on internal assessment or examinations where possible. UGC’s guidelines, based on the panel’s report, had also recommended that the new academic year begin on August 1 for the second and third year students, and September 1 for the first year students.
However, Ministry officials say the Kuhad panel has updated its suggestions due to the rapid spread of the pandemic. UGC will consider its recommendations to cancel the examinations and delay the calendar, and is likely to issue fresh guidelines later this week.
There are concerns regarding the alternative assessment methodology to be adopted if examinations are cancelled. Internal assessments usually translate to project work. “For a small college with 500 students in the final year, their project reports can be checked and graded. But for large State universities, with two to three lakh students from affiliated institutions, it will be impossible to check that many project reports,” said a senior official, detailing the difficulties. Another option would be to use students’ performance in previous semester examinations instead.
Although UGC’s guidelines are only advisory in nature, with each university making its own decision in accordance with local conditions and State government rules, several Vice-Chancellors said they would await the Central body’s norms before taking a final call.
UGC regulates 945 universities across the country, including 412 State universities and 53 Central universities. All educational institutions have been closed since mid-March, although many have continued classes through online and distance education.
The Chinese Army started its build up along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh sector from May 4 and deployed more than 10,000 troops along with heavy artillery, armoured regiments and defence batteries.
Even as India and China continue to talk, the Chinese have continued the build-up all along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including the Finger area where they have strengthened themselves with more positions and constructions.
The Chinese Army started its build up along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh sector from May 4 and deployed more than 10,000 troops along with heavy artillery, armoured regiments and defence batteries.
The Chinese side has been aggressively trying to bring newer areas under its control in the Finger area, the sources said. (AP file photo)
“In the Finger area along the Pangong Tso lake, the Chinese have continued to indulge in heightened military activities like deployment of troops and construction,” a source told ANI.
The Indian side claims the areas up to Finger 8 but the Chinese Army during the recent face-offs have been blocking Army patrols from going beyond Finger 4.
The Chinese side has been aggressively trying to bring newer areas under its control in the Finger area, the sources said.
In the Galwan river area, where the violent face-off took place between the two armies resulting in a high number of deaths on both sides, the Chinese have built some of their structures after the clash, the sources said.
An observation post-like structure of the Chinese removed by the Indian Army troops on June 15-16 night has also come up again near the Patrolling Point 14, they said.
The build up on the Indian positions PP-15, PP-17 and PP-17A also continues to exist as the Chinese have been using a road, which moves close to Indian patrolling points from its side, to send both men and equipment urgently to the Indian side.
In areas opposite the Daulat Beg Oldie sector, the Chinese are trying to create troubles for the Indian patrols near PP-10 to PP-13.
In the rear positions also at its air bases including Hotan and Gar Gunsa, the Chinese Army’s Air Force has brought in its strategic bombers and the number of fighter aircraft numbers have gone up including their own Russian-made Su-30s.
Security agencies suggest that the Chinese have also rushed in long-range air defence systems acquired from Russians opposite the Indian territory.
India and China have held two rounds of Corps commander-level talks after which they have agreed to disengage.
However, the disengagement process supposed to start after the June 6 talks did not yield much result and there was also a violent face-off in which both sides suffered major casualties.
On June 22 also, the two sides met at Moldo after which there has been a consensus for mutual disengagement but it has not yet shown any change in ground positions.
Islamabad: The pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane that crashed last month were not focussed and they were discussing coronavirus during the flight, the country’s aviation minister told Parliament on Wednesday as he pointed out their “overconfidence and lack of concentration” as some of the reasons for the tragedy that killed 97 people on board.
The domestic flight from Lahore to Karachi crashed in a residential area near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on May 22.
The Airbus A320 aircraft of the national carrier had 91 passengers and a crew of eight when it crashed into the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir on Friday, minutes before its landing. One girl died on the ground after suffering burn injuries.
Two passengers miraculously survived the crash.
Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan presented the interim investigation report on the PIA plane crash in the National Assembly, saying that the pilots were not focused and their lack of concentration had caused the crash.
Human error by the pilots and air traffic control caused the crash of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane, he said.
The minister said that the pilots had ignored the instructions of the air traffic control on the height of the aircraft.
“The pilots and the ATC both did not follow the protocol,” he said.
“The pilot ignored the instructions of the air traffic controllers and the ATC, on the other hand, did not inform the pilot about the engine colliding.
“The pilots were discussing corona throughout the flight. They were not focussed. They talked about corona […] their families were affected. When the control tower asked him to increase the plane’s height, the pilot said ‘I’ll manage’. There was overconfidence,” he said.
Sarwar said that the cabin crew and ATC were also responsible for the tragedy.
“Those who are responsible will be held accountable,” he said, promising that the complete investigation report will be presented in one year’s time.
Sarwar said that the initial report pointed out that there was no technical fault with the aircraft and even the pilot had not said the same in his conversation with the air traffic controllers.
The minister noted that the aircraft touched the runway thrice without the landing gear which caused damage to its engines.
“When the plane took off again, both its engines had been damaged,” he said.
Sarwar said that the conversation between the pilot and the air traffic controllers had been recorded and he had heard it himself.
The minister said that the equipment from the aircraft had been extracted and decoded. He said that the recording obtained would be made part of the final report of the PIA plane crash.
The minister said that 40 per cent of pilots of the national flag bearer were flying aircraft with fake licenses. He said that these pilots had not given the exams themselves nor did they have the proper flying experience, he added.
“Pilots are also appointed on a political basis, unfortunately,” he said.
“Whilst appointing pilots, merit is ignored,” he added, disclosing that degrees of four PIA pilots had been found out to be fake.
Sarwar said that the government will take action against PIA pilots who were found guilty of the above offenses. He said that the government will ‘restructure’ the PIA and will take it back to its days of glory.
Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Mohammed Hafeez has tested negative for COVID-19, a day after the PCB found him positive for the deadly virus ahead of the team’s much-anticipated tour of England.
Hafeez and Wahab Riaz were among the 10 Pakistan players, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. The team is due to leave for England on Sunday for a Test and T20 series in August.
On Wednesday, Hafeez took to twitter and clarified that he and his family members have tested negative and also posted the medical report to back his claim.
“After Tested positive COVID-19 acc to PCB testing Report yesterday,as 2nd opinion & for satisfaction I personally went to Test it again along with my family and here I along with my all family members are reported Negetive (sic) Alham du Lillah. May Allah keep us all safe,” Hafeez tweeted.
Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Haris Rauf are the other eight players who tested positive as per PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan.
PCB had earlier said all who have tested positive did not report any symptoms prior to testing.
“The PCB medical panel is already in contact with these players and the masseur, who have been instructed to observe strict quarantine at their homes for their and their families’ wellbeing,” the PCB said in a statement on Tuesday.
Khan had said that players testing positive for the virus is a warning for the general public.
He also revealed that a support staff member, masseur Malang Ali, had also tested positive for COVID-19.
Khan said that the players and officials would now assemble in Lahore and another round of tests would be carried out on Thursday and a revised squad would be announced the next day.
“It is a matter of concern but we shouldn’t panic at this time as we have time on our hands,” Khan said.
The players and officials would be retested on reaching England.
Despite the developments over two days, Khan said the tour is on track.
“The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on 28 June.
“Fortunately, all the first-choice red-ball squad, barring Mohammad Rizwan, are negative, which means they can start training and practising immediately after they have been tested and given the all clear when they arrive in England.”
Reacting to Monday night’s development of three Pakistan players testing positive, ECB’s director of cricket Ashley Giles had expressed concerns but there was no threat to the tour as it was “far enough away”.
“We are far enough away from the start of the Test series to not worry about that too much at the moment. We are waiting on those other test results,” Giles said in a video interaction in England.
According to the SOP for the series, the Pakistan team will undergo at least five tests in the lead up to the first Test.
Fatehpur (UP): A 28-year-old man was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur for allegedly raping his minor cousin, resulting in pregnancy, police said on Wednesday.
According to them, the crime allegedly took place seven months ago in the Fatehpur’s Malwan area. The pregnancy was detected after the 14-year-old girl underwent an ultrasound, they said.
SP Kapil Dev Mishra said according to the FIR, the girl was raped by her cousin Jaikaran Pal in a forest area and the accused threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed it to anyone.
The girl’s family lodged a complaint after they came to know that the girl was pregnant, police said.
New Delhi: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Wednesday said it has approved Facebook’s proposed acquisition of 9.99 per cent stake in Jio Platforms.
In April, Facebook announced an investment of USD 5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crore) in Jio Platforms.
The acquisition was to be done through Jaadhu Holdings LLC.
In a tweet, the CCI said it has approved “acquisition of 9.99 per cent stake in Jio Platforms by Jaadhu Holdings LLC”.
Mumbai: The rupee pared its early gains to settle down by 6 paise at 75.72 against the US currency due to concerns over fresh trade tensions between the EU and the US and rising COVID-19 cases.
Forex traders said factors like weak domestic equities and India-China border tension also weighed on investor sentiment.
The rupee opened at 75.61 against the US dollar, but lost ground and closed at 75.72, registering a fall of 6 paise over its previous close.
It had settled at 75.66 against the greenback on Tuesday.
“Local equities fell during late trades and FII outflows led gains in dollar demand. Local stocks indices fell Wednesday tracking a weak opening in European shares and a correction in US index futures amid concerns over rising COVID-19 cases. Rupee is taking resistance near 75.60 and support near 76.00,” said Jateen Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst (Commodity & Currency) at LKP Securities.
Reports suggesting that the Trump administration is examining levying tariffs on around USD 3.1 billion of imports from European countries hit market sentiment.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.18 per cent to 96.81.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.87 per cent to USD 42.26 per barrel in futures trade.
Indian stocks also cut short their four-day rally due to weak cues from global markets.
The 30-share index settled 561.45 points, or 1.58 per cent, lower at 34,868.98. The NSE Nifty fell 165.70 points, or 1.58 per cent, to 10,305.30.
Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the capital market as they bought shares worth Rs 168.96 crore on Tuesday, according to provisional exchange data.
Traders said rupee traded lower Wednesday on likely overseas outflows from local stocks. Moreover, profit booking in domestic equities and dollar demand from gold importers dragged rupee lower, they added.
According to Devarsh Vakil, Deputy Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities, “the foreign fund inflows have been absorbed by the central bank dollar buying which are limiting the rupee movements.”
Vakil further noted that the dollar has found some support due to softening risk appetite. Forex market shrugged off concerns about the US-China trade situation but the ongoing spike in COVID-19 cases in the US helped the safe-haven greenback.
“Risk appetite is turning positive as economies are opening up giving rise to better-than-expected US and Eurozone economic data. However, the risk of Indo-China border still prevails. In our opinion it won’t escalate but will continue to grapple the market sentiments,” Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services.
Investor sentiment remained fragile amid rising coronavirus cases across the world.
The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed 92.73 lakh and the death toll has topped 4.77 lakh.
In India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 14,476 and the number of infections spiked to 4,56,183, according to the health ministry.
The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.7549 and for rupee/euro at 85.3308. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 94.3396 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 70.67.
Army jawans pay gun salute to Rajesh Orang during his last rites at his ancestral village Belgoria in Birbhum district of West Bengal, Friday. (PTI)
Lt General (retd) AL Chavan, who also served as Division Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, responsible for eastern Ladakh, told The Indian Express “it appears to be a proper defensive position which has been developed by the Chinese”.
