22042024-TTB-01.qxd 22-04-2024 00:20 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 111 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 HARYANA STEP UP EFFORTS TO BOOST FODDER QUALITY INFOCUS 22 KILLED AS ISRAEL ATTACKS SOUTHERN GAZA CITY OF RAFAH WORLD /thetribunechd PANWAR BOOKS OLYMPICS ROWING BERTH SPORTS PRESIDENT MURMU COMMENDS SERVICES OF BUREAUCRATS NATION monday | 22 april 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Leaders sure of defeat took RS route: PM’s dig at Sonia Says Cong to give wealth to infiltrators, cites Manmohan Tribune News Service From left: Tejashwi Yadav, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Kalpana Soren, Sanjay Singh, Bhagwant Mann, Akhilesh Yadav, Champai Soren & Farooq Abdullah. PTI Soren held for refusing to quit INDIA:Congat bloc’sunityshow Attempts being made to ‘kill’ Kejri in jail by denying insulin: Wife DEMOCRACY WILL END IF MODI GOVT RETURNS Modi-Shah govt will scrap the Constitution if it returns. Democracy will end. Mallikarjun Kharge, CONG CHIEF INDIA VOTES 2024 ❝ Shubhadeep Choudhury Tribune News Service RJD, CONG MEN CLASH; ‘JUNGLE RAJ’, SAYS BJP ■ RJD and Congress workers Kalpana Soren and Sunita Kejriwal at INDIA bloc rally in Ranchi. PTI clashed over some issue at the INDIA bloc’s rally, leaving many injured. The BJP called it display of ‘jungle raj’ INDIA bloc leaders gathered in a show of strength at the ‘Ulgulan (uprising) Nyay Ral- Kejriwal, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader continued on page 9 IN BRIEF Direct tax collections jump 18% to ~19.58 lakh cr NEW DELHI: India’s net direct tax collections surged by a massive 17.7% year-on-year to ~19.58 lakh crore in the fiscal year ended March 2024, surpassing even revised estimates, the tax department said. INSIDE Nomination of Cong’s Surat candidate rejected SURAT: The nomination form of Congress’ Surat nominee Nilesh Kumbhani has been rejected over alleged discrepancies in the signatures of proposers. The Congress said it would move the HC. PTI Aditya continuously sending sun data: ISRO chief KOLKATA: Indian Space Research Organisation chief S Somnath on Sunday said that the Aditya L1 solar mission of the premier space research agency was continuously sending data about the sun. PTI SC to hear plea on minor's 28-wk pregnancy today NEW DELHI: The SC will hear on Monday a plea of a 14-year-old alleged rape victim, seeking termination of 28-week pregnancy. The upper limit for pregnancy termination is 24 weeks. INSIDE ly’ in Ranchi today to show solidarity with arrested Delhi CM and AAP convener Arvind New Delhi, April 21 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer, Anil Tuteja, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 2,000-crore liquor scam. According to sources, the agency arrested Tuteja on Saturday from the office of the Economic Offences Wing/Anti-Corruption Bureau (EOW/ACB) in Raipur, where he, along with his son Yash Tuteja, had gone to record their statements in the same case. HAD GONE TO EOW OFFICE TO GET STATEMENT RECORDED Cong ‘uses’ Kangana photo, BJP moves EC Alleges vulgar remarks against actor Tribune News Service Shimla, April 21 The BJP has filed a complaint against the Congress and the Hamirpur Youth Congress Club with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for allegedly posting an objectionable picture of Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, on social media platforms. In a letter to the ECI, the BJP has alleged that the Hamirpur Youth Congress Club allegedly posted Ranaut’s picture from her ‘artistic pursuits’ in order to portray her as a negative character among the people. Also, the letter alleged that “double meaning” remarks had been posted about the image. Stating that it wasn’t the first time Congress leaders had made derogatory comments about Ranaut, the BJP has urged the ECI to initiate appropriate legal action against the Congress and the Hamirpur Youth Congress CONG DOWNFALL ITS OWN DOING The Congress is itself to blame for its present condition... The party, which had once won 400 seats, is unable to contest 300 seats on its own. ❝ Narendra Modi, PRIME MINISTER IF CONG & ALLIES WIN, THERE CAN BE RIOTS The Congress and its alliance partners are soft on terror and indifferent towards the uplift of deprived sections. If they win, there can be riots and atrocities. Amit Shah, UNION HOME MINISTER ❝ for the Lok Sabha elections intensified, saying it cannot run the country. He said the “grand old party” was a symbol of instability as it did not have candidates to field in the elections. There are 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan, of which polling was held in the first phase on April 19 for 12 seats, while on the remaining 13 seats, including Jalore and Banswara, the polling will take place on April 26. Ex-CM Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot is the Congress candidate from Jalore. They were issued summons by the ED to join the investigation and record their statements following which they were taken to the central agency’s office here. The former bureaucrat was questioned and later taken into custody under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). His son was allowed to leave after questioning. The sources said Tuteja was expected to be produced before a magistrate in Raipur continued on page 9 “In the first phase of voting, half of Rajasthan has punished the Congress. Rajasthan, which is full of patriotism, knows that the Congress can never make India strong,” Modi said. “The Congress has hollowed the country by spreading termites of nepotism. And today, the country is punishing the Congress for its sins. The Congress is itself to blame for its present condition... The party that once won 400 seats is unable to fight 300 seats on its continued on page 9 Students with 4-yr degree,75%marks can now directly enrol for PhD: UGC New Delhi, April 21 Students with four-year undergraduate degrees can now directly appear for NET and pursue PhD, according to University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. To pursue a PhD with or without a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), the candidates will require a minimum of 75 per cent marks or equivalent grades in their four-year undergraduate course. So far, a candidate for the National Eligibility Test (NET) needed a master’s degree with a minimum of 55 per cent marks. The exam this year will be conducted in the offline mode instead of a computer-based test. Tests for all subjects will be conducted on June 16. “The candidates with fourcontinued on page 9 ‘Supermajority’ in parl poll for Muizzu’s party ED arrests retd C’garh IAS officer in liquor ‘scam’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Amrinder Raja Warring and Partap Bajwa at the CEC meet. TRIBUNE PHOTO Cong ‘shortlists’ nominees for 2 of remaining 7 Punjab seats RajmeetSingh WHO’LL MAKE THE CUT? Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 21 Working on various permutations and combinations, the Congress is learnt to have shortlisted its candidates for the Faridkot and Hoshiarpur parliamentary segments at its central election committee meeting held on Sunday. Sources privy to the development said the party was likely to field women candidates on the reserved seats. A senior leader termed it “effort to address women quota and bring in new local faces”. The parliamentary seats for which the candidates are yet to be announced are Faridkot, Ferozepur, Khadoor Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur. ■ For Faridkot, names of for- mer Moga Zila Parishad chief Rajinder Kaur Sahoke & ex-MLA Sukhwinder Singh Danny “shortlisted” ■ In the case of Hoshiarpur, Yamini Gomar is reportedly the frontrunner, followed by former MLA Pawan Adia In the first list, the names of six candidates — Charanjit Channi from Jalandhar (SC), Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala, Gurjit Aujla from Amritsar, Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib, Sukhpal Khaira from Sangrur and Jeet Mohinder Sidhu from Bathinda — were announced. The sources said for the mazhabi Sikh-dominated Faridkot constituency, the names of former Moga Zila Parishad chairman Rajinder Kaur Sahoke and ex-MLA Sukhwinder Danny had been shortlisted. Sahoke’s husband Bhupinder Sahoke had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Assembly poll from the Nihal Singh Wala seat. In Hoshiarpur, Yamini Gomar was the frontrunner, followed by ex-MLA Pawan Adia. Gomar had left AAP in 2016 to join the Congress. In 2014, she had unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary elections. In Anandpur Sahib, the party in all probability is going to give the ticket to a Hindu leader. Hindu leaders have been demanding the ticket for at least three from the community. Male, April 21 Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has secured a “supermajority” in parliament by winning over 60 seats in Sunday’s crucial parliamentary election, seen as a litmus test for the pro-Beijing politician whose policies are being closely watched by both India and China amidst regional power dynamics. According to information released by the Elections Commission (EC), 2,07,693 people cast their ballots as of 5 pm local time, making for a voter turnout of 72.96 per cent. This includes 1,04,826 men and 1,02,867 women. A total of 2,84,663 people were eligible to vote to elect lawmakers for 93 constituencies in the 20th People’s Majlis. A total of 368 candidates were in the fray, including 130 independent candidates, 10 candidates from Jumhoory Party (JP), 39 from The Democrats, Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) 4, Adhaalath Party (AP) 4 and Maldives National Party (MNP) 2 nominees. According to a sun.mv news portal report, continued on page 9 Mohamed Muizzu, Maldivian President, casts his vote. PTI PNC BAGS 67 OF 93 ■ Pro-China Maldivian presi- dent Mohamed Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC) has bagged 67 of 93 seats ■ Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, which is pro-India, has won 12 seats; Independents won 10 seats ■ The elections are crucial for India amid strained ties ever since Muizzu assumed power last year riding on an ‘antiIndia’ stance in elections ■ Muizzu had been under fire ahead of polls with Opposition seeking impeachment over leaked report on graft Kangana Ranaut ‘FALSE’ CAMPAIGN, THAROOR FACES FIR Congress leader and Lok Sabha candidate Shashi Tharoor has been booked for allegedly carrying out a false campaign against Union Minister and rival BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the police said in Thiruvananthapuram. PTI Club for “using objectionable, scandalous and offensive language”. The BJP wrote that the derogatory remarks violated the mandatory guidelines of the model code of conduct. “Vile and vulgar remarks on social media platforms continued on page 9 IRDAI does away with age cap, those above 65 can now buy new health cover NewDelhi, April 21 With a view to widening the market and fostering adequate protection from healthcare expenses, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has removed the age limit of 65 years for individuals buying health insurance policies. This marks a significant departure from the conventional constraints that limited individuals in securing comprehensive coverage. By abolishing the maximum age restriction on purchasing health insurance plans, the IRDAI aims to fos- CAN’T DENY POLICY ON GROUNDS OF PRE-EXISTING DISEASES ISTOCK New Delhi, April 21 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged Hemant Soren was forced to resign from the post of Jharkhand Chief Minister and arrested by the ED because he refused to buckle under pressure and snap his ties with the INDIA bloc and join hands with the BJP . NewDelhi, April 21 In a veiled attack on Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said those who could not win elections had “fled the field” and had come to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. “Those who cannot contest elections, cannot win elections have fled the field. This time, they have come to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. The condition of the Congress is so bad,” Modi said, addressing a rally in Jalore. Former Congress chief Sonia is among the MPs elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in February. At a rally in Banswara, the PM suggested that if the Congress came to power, it would “redistribute wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh’s remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country’s resources”. Modi alleged the Congress planned to give people’s hardearned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”. At Jalore, Modi lashed out at the Congress as the campaign ■ As per earlier guidelines, individuals were allowed to purchase a new insurance policy only till the age of 65 ■ However, with a recent amendment, anyone, regardless of age, is eligible to buy a new health insurance policy ter a more inclusive and accessible healthcare ecosystem, ensuring adequate protection against unforeseen medical expenses. As per the earlier guidelines, individuals were allowed to purchase a new insurance policy only till the age of 65. However, with the recent amendment, which has been effective from April 1, anyone, regardless of age, is eligible to buy a new health insurance policy. In a recent gazette notification, the IRDAI said, “Insur- c m y b ■ Insurers have been mandated to offer health policies to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions of any kind ■ They have been allowed to offer premium payment in instalments for the convenience of policyholders ers shall ensure that they offer health insurance products to cater to all age groups. Insurers may design products specifically for senior citizens, students, children, maternity, and any other group as specified by the competent author- ity.” Besides, insurers have been mandated to offer health policies to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions of any kind. Consequently, insurers are prohibited from refusing to issue policies to individuals with severe medical conditions like cancer, heart or renal failure, and AIDS. According to the notification, insurers are allowed to offer premium payment in instalments for the convenience of policyholders. Travel policies can only be offered by general and health insurers, it said. There is no limit on AYUSH treatment coverage. Treatments under systems like ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy will receive coverage up to the sum insured without any cap, it said. Policyholders with benefit-based policies could file multiple claims with various insurers, enhancing flexibility and options, it said. The proposed regulation seeks to handle the complaints and claims of senior citizens via a specialised channel, ensuring a more tailored and responsive approach to their requirements, it added. — PTI
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