On Sunday (September 18), a convention of madarsas will be held at the Darul Uloom Deoband in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
The development came days after the Yogi Adityananth-led-Uttar Pradesh government announced that a survey of unrecognised Islamic seminaries will be conducted across the State.
The convention was earlier scheduled to take place on September 22 but has now been preponed to Sunday (Sunday 18). According to the Vice-Chancellor (Darul Uloom Deoband) Abul Qasim Nomani, a total of 250 madrassa representatives will attend the programme.
UP | A convention of madrassas of UP will be held in Darul Uloom, Deoband on September 18 on the survey of unrecognized madrassas by the state govt. Earlier this conference was to be held on Sept 22nd. Over 250 madrassa representatives will attend this: Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani
“In this meeting the issue of government survey in non-aided and self-financed madrasas would be discussed in detail,” seminary spokesperson Ashraf Usman had earlier remarked.
The objective behind conducting the survey is to gather information about the basic facilities, teachers and curriculum taught at the unrecognised madrassas. Besides, information regarding the ownership of the madrassa, affiliation, funding, place of operations and availability of toilets, furniture, electricity, and potable water will be collected.
The survey is in line with the requirement of NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) to provide basic facilities to madrassa students. Following the Sunday convention, madrassa owners and Darul Uloom Deoband will together decide the future course of action.
Opposition cries foul, claims evil intent of BJP
On Thursday (September 15), the district administration of Lucknow and the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education began its survey with the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in the city.
According to Lucknow minority officer Sone Kumar, a 12-point proforma has been created by the State government for the purpose of collecting information. The move has drawn the ire of the Opposition with BSP supremo Mayawati accusing the BJP of terrorising Muslims.
She claimed, “The complaints of the Muslim community being exploited, neglected and being affected by riots have been common since the time of the Congress, and now they are being oppressed and terrorised by the BJP who came to power by doing narrow politics in the name of appeasement. This is sad and condemnable.”
2. इसी क्रम में अब यूपी में मदरसों पर भाजपा सरकार की टेढ़ी नजर है। मदरसा सर्वे के नाम पर कौम के चन्दे पर चलने वाले निजी मदरसों में भी हस्तक्षेप का प्रयास अनुचित जबकि सरकारी अनुदान से चलने वाले मदरसों व सरकारी स्कूलों की बदतर हालत को सुधारने पर सरकार को ध्यान केन्द्रित करना चाहिए।
Mayawati added, “The BJP government has an evil intent on madarsas in Uttar Pradesh. The attempts to interfere in the private madrassas, which run on donations by the community, in the name of survey is inappropriate. They should focus on improving the condition of the government and government-aided madrassas,” she said.
The idea of surveying unrecognised madarsas has been criticised by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind as well.
On September 17, a few photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi went viral on social media, where it was claimed that he tried to click photographs of Cheetah released on Konu National Park while the lens cover was on. There are two types of photographs making rounds.
In the first type of photograph, assuming that the lens cover or the lens cap was on because the lens glass was not visible, several netizens tried to mock PM Modi. Among those, the majority were leaders and ‘proud’ workers of Congress including Renuka Chowdhury of Congress and other opposition parties.
Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury wished PM Modi for his birthday and added an image that had text “Modi does not even know he has to remove Lens Cap to click a photo.”
Tweet by Renuka Chowdhury. Source: Twitter
Congress leader Suprabha said, “He was clicking photos without opening the cover of the lens. Such a joker.”
Tweet by Suprabha. source: Twitter
Upon examination of the photographs in circulation, it was clear that the lens cover was not on. PM Modi was using a Nikon camera with a zoom lens attached to it. The Nikon lens cover not only has visible curves and depression from where the lens cover lock is pressed to release but also has Nikon written on it in bold letters.
Nikon Lens Cover. Source: Nikon
There is slight writing on the rim of the lens visible in the photograph when we zoom in. That is because of the UV lens filter that photographers often use to save the lens glass from scratches and dust. It also reduces the UV impact on the lens and sensor. Such filters, especially those of high quality, have detailed written on the rim. When they are attached to the camera, everyone can’t differentiate between the rim of the lens and the rim of the filter. With the filter on, it is generally not possible to see the lens glass from a far distance, and in this case, it completely vanished due to the light and angle of the photograph.
Nikon len filter. Source: Nikon
The next photograph was a morphed one that was shared by many Congress and other opposition party leaders and senior workers, Congress Sevadal accounts of different states and Jawhar Sircar of TMC. To be noted, Sircar is ex-Prasar Bharti chief, where he must have spent at least one-fourth of his career around cameras. Sircar deleted his tweet after people pointed out the morphed lens cover.
Sircar wrote, “Keeping the lid on all statistics is one thing, but keeping the cover on the camera lens is sheer farsightedness.”
Now-deleted post by TMC’s Jawahar Sircar. Source: Twitter
State Spokesperson Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress Aman Dubey said, “The extraordinary art of photography without removing lens cover. I am a fan.”
Tweet by Aman Dubey. Source: Twitter
Daman and Diu Congress Sevadal wrote, “Photography without removing lens cover… who does that!”
Tweet by Daman and Diu Congress Sevadal. Source: Twitter
Maharashtra Congress Sevadal said, “The digital camera of 1980 must not have lens cover.”
Tweet by Maharashtra Congress Sevadal. Source: Twitter
Samyukt Kisan Morcha member and activist Himmat Singh Gurjar wrote, “The extraordinary art of photography without removing lens cover. I am a fan.”
Tweet by Himmat Singh Gurjar. Source: Twitter
Congress leader Inamur Nashtar said, “Who clicks photographs without removing lens cover. We have not seen such a great artist. He is more concerned about Cheetah and not pyres. Our leaders are connecting India and he is collecting Cheetah.”
National Secretary, Congress, Ishita Sedha said, “Only a extraordinary human can click photographs without removing lens cover. He is certainly a legend.”
Tweet by Ishita Sedha. Source: Twitter
Samajwadi Lohiya Vahini’s state President, Uttar Pradesh, Ram Karan Nirmal said, “Only a Prime Minister who works 18 hours a day can click photographs with lens cover on.”
Tweet by Ram Karan Nirmal. Source: Twitter
When we examined the photograph, it was clear that someone morphed the photograph and flipped it horizontally before adding the lens cover to it. Every camera has its company name imprinted on the in-built flash. In this photograph, Nikon can be clearly seen written on the flash on the camera, which is inverted horizontally.
Interestingly, the person who added the lens cover was visibly unaware of the photography equipment as he/she added a Canon lens cover on a Nikon camera lens. The size of the camera lens for different companies generally does not fit each other. Thus, the lens covers are of varying sizes. We also found the actual photograph of PM Modi that was flipped and used for propaganda.
Original photograph used for propaganda. Source: Twitter
So, no, PM Modi did not try to click photographs of Cheetah while the lens cover was on.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Logistics Policy at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today.
The policy is aimed at promoting a seamless movement of goods in the country and enhancing the competitiveness of the industry. It is expected to focus on areas such as process re-engineering, digitisation, and multi-modal transport. The policy will streamline rules and address supply-side constraints, besides providing a roadmap to reduce fuel costs and lower logistics costs.
Under this policy, the government will create a single point of reference for all logistics and trade facilitation matters. The govt expects to reduce costs in the logistics sector by 10% in the next 5 years. The draft logistic policy was released in 2019 by the Commerce Ministry, but its implementation was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Referring to the eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia, the PM said the National Logistics Policy launched today will give speed to India’s development journey.
Today India became home to Cheetahs, an animal synonymous with speed. The National Logistics Policy launched today will give speed to India’s development journey.
The need for a national logistics policy was felt since the logistics cost in India is high as compared to other developed economies. It is imperative to reduce the logistics cost in India for improving the competitiveness of Indian goods both in domestic as well as export markets. Reduced logistics cost improves efficiency cutting across various sectors of the economy, encouraging value addition and enterprise.
Since 2014, the government has put significant emphasis on improving both, Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living. National Logistics Policy, a comprehensive effort to address issues of high cost and inefficiency by laying down an overarching interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and multi-jurisdictional framework for the development of the entire logistics ecosystem, is yet another step in this direction. The policy is an endeavour to improve the competitiveness of Indian goods, enhance economic growth and increase employment opportunities.
It has been the vision of the PM to develop world-class modern infrastructure through the integration of all stakeholders in holistic planning and implementation so that efficiency and synergy are achieved in the execution of the project. The PM GatiShakti – National Master Plan for muti-modal connectivity – launched by the Prime Minister last year, was a pioneering step in this direction. PM GatiShakti will get further boost and complementarity with the launch of the National Logistics Policy.
What the PM said during the launch
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister called the launch of the National Logistics Policy a significant step in fulfilling the ‘Pran’ of India being a developed country. “To ensure quick last mile delivery, end transport-related challenges, save time and money of the manufacturers, prevent wastage of the agro-products, concerted efforts were made and one of the manifestations of those efforts is today’s National Logistics Policy”, he said. The resulting improvement in coordination will lead to the desired speed in the sector.
PM Modi noted that in India, which has become the 5th largest economy in the world, things are changing rapidly. Referring to this morning’s release of Cheetah, the Prime Minister said we all want that luggage should move quickly like a cheetah.
The Prime Minister said “the echo of Make in India and India becoming self-reliant is everywhere. India is setting big export targets and is also fulfilling them. The notion that India is emerging as a manufacturing hub, is stabilizing in the mind of the world. If we study the PLI scheme we will find that the world has accepted it.”
In such a situation, the Prime Minister said, the National Logistics Policy will bring new energy to all sectors. He said that policy is a beginning and policy plus performance is equal to progress. When parameters, roadmap and timeline for performance come together then policy plus performance equal to progress emerges, he elaborated. “Today’s India prepares the ground before bringing any policy, only then a policy can be implemented successfully. National Logistics Policy has not come out of the blue and there are 8 years of hard work behind it. There are policy changes, major decisions, and, if I talk about myself, it has my 22 years of governance experience behind it”, he said.
Launch of National Logistics Policy
PM Narendra Modi reiterated that schemes like Sagarmala, Bharatmala, expedited the work of Dedicated Freight Corridors to improve logistics connectivity for systematic infrastructure development. Shri Modi pointed out that the total capacity of Indian ports has increased significantly and the average turn-around time of container vessels has come down from 44 hours to 26 hours. For promoting export, 40 air cargo terminals have been constructed. 30 airports have been provided cold-storage facilities. 35 multimodal hubs are coming up in the country. “Through waterways, we can do eco-friendly and cost-effective transportation, for this many new waterways are also being built in the country”, the Prime Minister added. He also mentioned Kisan Rail and Kisan Udan experiments during the Corona time. Today 60 airports have the facility of Krishi Udan.
Stressing the need to adopt technology to strengthen the logistic sector, the Prime Minister said that the government has worked towards initiatives like paperless EXIM trade process through e-sanchit, faceless assessment for customs, provisions for e-way bills, FASTag etc. that have greatly increased the efficiency of the logistics sector. He also underlined the importance of a unified tax system like GST in smoothening the issues of the logistics sector. Change in drone policy and connecting it with the PLI scheme is promoting the use of drones in the logistics sector. “Only after doing so much, we have come out with a National Logistics Policy, ” he explained. “From 13-14 per cent logistics cost, we should all aim to bring it to single-digit as soon as possible. This, in a way, is a low-hanging fruit, if we have to become globally competitive”, the Prime Minister emphasised.
The Prime Minister said that Unified Logistics Interface Platform ULIP will bring all the digital services related to the transportation sector into a single portal, freeing the exporters from a host of very long and cumbersome processes. Similarly, under the policy a new digital platform Ease of logistics Services -E-Logs has also been started. “Through this portal, industry associations can directly take up any such matters which are causing problems in their operations and performance with the government agencies. A complete system has also been put in place for the speedy resolution of such cases”, he said.
PM Modi pointed out that the PM Gatishakti National Master Plan will be supporting the National Logistics Policy in all earnest. The Prime Minister also expressed happiness while mentioning the support that states and union territories have provided and that almost all the departments have started working together. “A huge data of information related to different infrastructure projects of state governments has been prepared. Today, data from the central and state governments in about 1500 layers are coming on the PM Gatishakti portal”, the Prime Minister informed. “Gatishakti and National Logistics Policy together are now taking the country towards a new work culture. The talent that will come out of the recently approved Gatishakti University will also help it a lot”, he added.
The Prime Minister said that today, the world is looking at India as a ‘democratic superpower’. He highlighted the ‘extraordinary talent ecosystem’ of India that has impressed the field experts who praise the ‘determination’ and ‘progress’ of India. The Prime Minister said “today the world’s attitude towards India is changing. Today the world is evaluating India very positively, it is keeping a lot of expectations from India”.
He further remarked that the resilience shown by India and the Indian economy in the midst of a global crisis has filled the world with new confidence. “The reforms that India has done in the last years, the policies implemented are unprecedented. That is why the faith of the world has increased in us”, the Prime Minister said. He urged the nation to fully live up to the trust of the world. “This is our responsibility, we all have a responsibility. The National Logistics Policy, launched today, will help the country a lot in this”, he added.
The PM urged competitive behaviour in Indians and said “India, which is determined to become developed, now has to compete more with developed countries, so everything should be competitive.” He continued “be it service sector, manufacturing sector, automobiles, electronics, we have to set big goals in every sector and achieve them”, the Prime Minister remarked. The Prime Minister also pointed out the increasing attraction of the world toward products that are made in India. “Be it India’s agricultural products, India’s mobile or India’s BrahMos missile, they are discussed in the world today.” The Prime Minister also mentioned the Made in India covid vaccines and medicines that helped in saving millions of lives across the globe.
PM Modi underlined that for the products manufactured in India to dominate the world market, it is crucial to have a strong support system. “The National Logistics Policy will greatly help us modernize this support system”, he said. Shri Modi also pointed out that the issues related to logistics are reduced and when the country’s exports increase, small industries and the people working in them benefit the most. “Strengthening of the logistics sector will not only make the life of common man easier but will also help in increasing the respect of labour and workers”, the Prime Minister added.
In concluding his address, the Prime Minister said “The National Logistics Policy has immense potential for the development of infrastructure, for expansion of business and increasing employment opportunities. We have to realize these possibilities together” the Prime Minister said.
Representatives of Logistics sector, Shri R Dinesh, Managing Director, TVS Supply Chain Solutions; Shri Ramesh Aggrawal, CEO, Agarwal Packers and Movers; Shri Amitabh Saha, Founder and CEO of XpressBees Logistics also expressed their views on the occasion.
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Road, Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyodiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister of Port, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbanada Sonowal, Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Prakash were those present on the occasion.
On Saturday (September 17), Prime Minister Narendra Modi released 3 cheetahs from their wooden crates into the quarantine enclosures of Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. A total of 8 felines were brought from Namibia under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in January this year.
A special Boeing aircraft of Terra Avia, a Molodova-based airline, ferried the cheetahs from Namibia to Gwalior in India on Saturday (September 17) morning. Following the 10-hour-long journey, the felines were brought to Kuno via Air Force helicopter.
Reportedly, the Cheetahs remained without food throughout the course of the journey. They were provided with food following their release to quarantine enclosures at the Kuno National Park.
In a viral social media video, PM Modi was seen operating a lever and opening the gates of a closed wooden crate that housed a cheetah. The Indian Prime Minister was also seen capturing images of a feline using his camera.
Thereafter, other cheetahs were released into their respective enclosures. The in situ conservation site is spread across 344 square km. In total, 5 female and 3 male big cats have been brought from the African nation to reintroduce the animal species in India after it was officially declared extinct in 1952.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lauded the decision and informed that the historic step will increase tourism in the State. It is believed that the introduction of the big cats will help restore grassland ecosystems, open forests, and biodiversity. Moreover, it will increase water security, soil moisture conservation and carbon sequestration.
The inter-continental translocation project was carried out under ‘Project Cheetah’ of the Indian government in accordance with the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Reportedly, the big cats that were relocated from Nambia are aged between 2 and 5.5 years. They have been temporarily housed in quarantine enclosures and fitted with satellite collars.
A month later, they will be shifted to open forest areas of Kuno National park. A large contingent of security personnel has been deployed to prevent the poaching of the big cats. As per reports, a dedicated team will monitor each cheetah 24/7.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: Earlier visuals of the 8 cheetahs- from Namibia brought in the special chartered cargo flight that landed in Gwalior this morning.
Indian Air Force choppers, carrying the felines, are enroute Kuno National Park where they’ll be reintroduced today pic.twitter.com/80G7pwjifQ
In 2020, the Supreme Court gave a green signal to introduce African cheetahs at carefully chosen locations in India on an experimental basis. According to Project Cheetah chief SP Yadav, Kuno was chosen due to the presence of large grasslands, small hills and forests. Earlier in 2012, the Supreme Court had blocked an attempt to bring Cheetahs to India due to a violation of norms. The then UPA govt had attempted to bring Cheetahs from Namibia, but a petition was filed against it because the Ministry of Environment and Forests went ahead with the project without the required approval from National Board for Wildlife.
In March 2020, it had come to light that the extinct Indian cheetah bore genetic similarities with its Southeast African counterpart. “The study has provided first scientific evidence to begin with reintroduction process of African Cheetah into India,” tweeted scientist Niraj Rai.
Our first ever genetic study on extinct Indian Cheetah confirmed that Southeast African Cheetah is genetically closer to Indian Cheetah. The study has provided first scientific evidence to begin with reintroduction process of African Cheetah in to India. https://t.co/TccGT5iomYhttps://t.co/aQDj4Co7uJ
While speaking about the historic feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “People will have to show patience & wait for a few months to see these #Cheetahs in Kuno National Park. These Cheetahs have come as guests, unaware of this area.”
“For them to be able to make Kuno National Park their home, we’ll have to give these Cheetahs a few months’ time. Following international guidelines, India is trying its best to settle these cheetahs. We must not let our efforts fail,” he added.
Following international guidelines, India is trying its best to settle these cheetahs. We must not let our efforts fail: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/pgpqgfajpx
The Congress party has meanwhile courted controversy by trying to hog credit for Project Cheetah. Despite its failed bid in 2013, it is now trying its best to eclipse the achievement of the incumbent BJP government. Had the Manmohan Singh govt followed proper procedures, the Supreme Court would not have stayed the effort.
When tigers were first translocated to Panna and Sariska during 2009-11, there were many prophets of doom. They were proved wrong. Similar predictions are being made on the Cheetah project. The professionals involved are first-rate and I wish the project the very best! 2/2
Cheetahs have been looked upon as prized possessions by royals and elites of India. Owing to their continued packing, hunting and habitat loss, the felines were declared extinct in 1952.
And then the last lot of cheetah. 3 cheetah hunted by King of Koriya (Chhattisgarh) in 1947. By 1952 government of India declared then extinct. The first step of species extinction in local population extinction. Many are facing now in India. Hope we will pay attention to them. pic.twitter.com/DSRxs17uBW
The iconic picture of Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo is believed to be the last recorded cheetahs in India in the late 1940s. The big cats continue to be listed as vulnerable by IUCN and only 7000 of them are alive today in African savannas.
A special Boeing 747 jet landed at Gwalior Airport in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday morning, carrying 8 cheetahs from Namibia. The big cats have been brought from Africa as part of the Cheetah reintroduction program, and were released in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh today by PM Narendra Modi. But while reporting the translocation, several media houses published misleading information, when they claimed that the plane was painted with a face of a tiger especially for this occasion.
When the special plane landed at the Namibian capital of Windhoek to pick up the cheetahs, the images of the aircraft went viral. The face of a tiger was seen painted on the nose of the Boeing 747, and the media reports said that the plane has been specially painted with the face of the tiger for the special operation of translocating the cheetahs from one continent to another. But this was completely wrong information.
Talking about the customisation of the plane, India Today wrote, “The B747 has been painted with the face of a tiger, signifying the importance of the flight mission.” The Hindu said that “it has been painted with the image of a tiger”, apart from the modification of the cabin. India TV also made the same claim. Hindustan Times went ahead and claimed that it was a cheetah face painted on the plane.
Several other media reports made the same claim, that the plane has been specially painted with a face of a tiger for the occasion. However, some others reported that the plane has a tiger face painted on its nose, but didn’t say it has been specially painted for the translocation of the cheetahs.
The fact check
All these reports claiming that the tiger face was painted for a single flight are wong, and the plane was not specially painted with a tiger face for the cheetah transfer to India. The fact is, the tiger face on the nose of the Boeing 747 plane is there for the last several years. And either coincidently or by design, a plane with a tiger face on its nose was used for the transfer of the cheetahs from Namibia to India.
The first clue that it was not painted for the cheetah transfer is in the image itself, as it is a tiger face. If it was specially painted for the cheetah transfer, they would have painted a cheetah face on it.
The tiger face was painted on the nose of the aircraft in 2015, by Russian airline Transaero, which owned the plane at that time. It is a Siberian (or Amur) Tiger face, and it was painted to create awareness about the need to protect the tigers and the environment as a whole. The tiger face livery was a joint venture between Amur Tiger Centre and Transaero Airlines. Set up by the Russian Geographic Society at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin, the Amur Tiger Centre works on the preservation and research of the Amur tiger population in Russia.
Transaero Boeing 747 with tiger face on the nose
The tiger livery on the nose of the plane was unveiled by Transaero Airlines at the Moscow Vnukovo airport in June 2015. The rest of the aircraft retained the standard livery of the airline, featuring the word Transaero on the fuselage and a red-blue design on the tailfin.
However, Transaero went bankrupt in 2015 itself, and the Boeing 747 was sent for storage at Teruel Airport in Spain in October 2015. In 2021, the plane was purchased by Sharjah-based Aquiline International, but it was not used and remained in storage. Then in March this year, Terra Avia of the European country Moldova leased the jumbo jet from Aquiline, and it finally left the storage after seven years.
The Boeing 747-400 was originally owned by Singapore Airlines in 2001, and it reached Transaero in 2012.
After leasing it, Terra Avia replaced the Transaero logo on the plane with its own but retained the special tiger face on the nose and the blue paint on the belly. In the photos of the aircraft during the transfer of the cheetahs, the Terra Avia logo can be seen on the aircraft. Terra Avia offers its planes on rental, including this Boeing 747-400.
The Boeing 747 with tiger face in Terra Avia livery
Therefore, the aircraft was not painted with the tiger face for the operation, it was already there for the last seven years. But the aircraft did undergo significant modification for the operation. The interior of the plane was modified, and all economy class seats were removed to place the cages of the cheetahs.
It is not known whether this particular plane was chosen for the tiger nose, or it was just a coincidence. But most likely it was a coincidence, as not too many jumbo passenger jets are available from where the seats can be removed for a single flight.
In general, animals are transported by cargo planes, or in the cargo section of passenger planes. But that was not an option for the travel of the cheetahs. Veterinary experts travelled with the cheetahs, along with others associated with the project. The veterinary staff needed to keep monitoring the animals during the long transcontinental flight, and therefore both the cheetahs and the people needed to be in the passenger cabin. That is why the cheetahs were placed in the economy section by removing the seats, while the people accompanying them occupied the first-class and business-class seats. This would not have been possible in a cargo plane, or if the cheetahs were placed in the cargo hold of a passenger flight.
All kinds of precautionary measures were taken during the flight, including carrying a full set of spare wheels. In case the aircraft suffered wheel damage during take-off, they would have replaced them in the sky to avoid landing without wheels. Roman Trandafilov, the CEO of Aquiline which owns the plane said that the aircraft had underdone major maintenance a few weeks ago. The aircraft was arranged by Dubai-based Action Aviation for the Cheetah translocation project, which collaborated with the govt of India in the initiative.
Other planes with big cat faces
As the Transaero plane with the tiger face didn’t fly much as it was put in storage after a few months, later another Boeing 747’s nose was painted with the same Tiger face. In 2016, the tiger face was painted on the nose of a Boeing 747-400 belonging to Rossiya Airlines, which is a part of Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot. Along with that, the face of an Amur Leopard was also painted on a Boeing 777 of the Rossiya Airlines.
Rossiya Boeing 747 with tiger face
Rossiya Boeing 777 with leopard face
All the big cat faces were painted on the nose of the planes by hand, using a pre-designed sketch. A 2016 video shows the painting process of the Rossiya Boeing 747, including the tiger face on the nose.
A special court in Delhi on Saturday sent AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan to four days in custody of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with the Delhi Waqf Board corruption case. The development came after ACB’s disclosure in court that Khan received Rs 4 crore in ill-gotten money.
The ACB moved a 14-day police custody remand before Special Judge Vikas Dhull, submitting that the agency needs Khan’s custody to question him thoroughly and ”confront” him on how he received the money.
The agency had recovered a dairy which allegedly listed many monetary transactions. Relying on the content of the diary, the agency stated that Khan had received the ill-gotten money. It pointed out the entry that said Khan had received Rs 4 crores in cash. The application then further added that the transactions were also recorded in Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttrakhand.
The agency also contended that the ACB was manhandled when they were undertaking a raid in connection with the case, and also played a video in court to support their arguments that Khan, if released from custody, would be a threat to law enforcement officers and witnesses in this case.
The Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch on Friday arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with the Delhi Waqf Board corruption case after recovering incriminating material and evidence against him during the raids conducted earlier yesterday.
On Friday, Anti-Corruption Branch raided multiple locations, including the home of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan. During the raid by the ACB, an unlicensed Beretta pistol was recovered from Hamid Ali Khan, the alleged close aide of Khan. During the raids, officials also recovered Rs 24 lakhs.
Violence erupted in a Gurudwara in Faridkot, Punjab, after two groups clashed with each other for the post of the presidency of the management of Gurudwara. Reportedly, the fight broke out in the German colony’s Gurudwara Sahib in Faridkot. Both sides engaged in a fight and attacked each other with swords.
गुरुद्वारा साहिब की प्रधानगी को लेकर हुआ ज़बरदस्त झगड़ा। गुरुद्वारा साहिब के अंदर चलीं किरपाने। खूब हुई धका मुक्की। एक औरत श्रद्धालु जख्मी। #Punjab के #faridkot की घटना। pic.twitter.com/fLn323BAGC
Sikhs made up both sides of the conflict, and they all engaged in violent combat, snatching each other’s turbans and even pulling decorative swords. While several ladies and children were present in the Gurudwara, both sides were abusing one another. A visitor woman has been reportedly injured in the incident.
According to sources, a heated argument evolved into a brawl during talks for the election of the head, when there was a conflict between the existing Gurdwara Sahib committee and the members of the prior committee. According to police, an FIR has been filed in the case against nine persons, and three have been apprehended thus far.
On Saturday, a bomb exploded during a session at an Urdu medium school in Titagarh, West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. The incident occurred on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at about 11 a.m. at Free India High School. The crude bomb exploded on the terrace of the school when the classes were going on. The explosion triggered panic among students and teachers.
According to reports, The explosion blew a section of the school’s roof off. The police were promptly informed. Titagarh police arrived on the scene and retrieved dispersed debris from the blast.
Aashish Mourya, DC, Central Zone Barrackpore, stated that no one is injured in the incident and an investigation has been initiated.
“There was a bomb blast. Nobody was hurt. The probe is underway. CCTV footage will be examined, and residents will be questioned. If necessary, forensic teams would be called,” Aashish Mourya added.
N 24 Parganas, WB | Bomb explodes on roof of a school in Titagarh during school hours
A bomb blast happened. No one injured. Probe underway. CCTV footage to be checked, locals to be questioned. Will call forensic teams if required: Aashish Mourya, DC Central Zone Barrackpore pic.twitter.com/wApENnhR5L
“When I walked to the school, I noticed a bomb exploded on the stairs,” claimed Zaleel Akhtar, vice-president of Titagarh Municipality. The bomb appears to have been thrown from an adjacent structure,” he added.
School teacher Khalid Tayyab said, “The blast was very loud. We were in the staff room at the time. We initially assumed that a bomb had exploded outside, and we noticed smoke coming out of the school. Then we got to the terrace and saw that the debris was all over the place. A serious accident may have occurred if the explosion occurred during the lunch break.
Such instances have occurred in Titagarh before, but this is the first instance of a bomb explosion in a school.
A shocking incident has come to the fore in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh where two men allegedly barged into the house of an 18-year-old girl and attempted to rape her before attacking her with a sharp instrument and gravely injuring her. The girl died 4 days later while undergoing treatment in a hospital.
The matter pertains to the Musepur village of Bhira Kotwali area of Lakhimpur Kheri. The victim’s family allege that on September 12, while their 18-year-old daughter was alone at home, Salimuddin alias Salim and Asif, two local men, entered the house and attempted to rape her. However, the girl resisted the rape attempt. Failing in their attempt, they attacked the girl with a sharp object and fled the scene.
The mother stated that immediately after the incident, she went to the police station and filed a complaint. According to the complaint, the accused attempted to rape and molest her daughter. However, the police simply filed an FIR under minor provisions, with no mention of rape or assault. According to reports, the culprits were arrested by the police but they were sent to jail under section 151 of the IPC, which relates to the minor offence of knowingly joining or continuing in an assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse.
After the girl died on September 16, her family members brought her corpse home from the hospital. When the police came to know about her death, they rushed to her home to retrieve her body for a post-mortem examination. However, the family refused to hand up the body. The SHO of the local police station, including the ADM and Additional SP, spent a long time clarifying everything to the victim’s family before they handed over the body. The body of the girl was sent to the district headquarters in Lakhimpur Kheri for a post-mortem examination by police.
Following the incident, police forces have been deployed in the area. Top police officials have also arrived in the area to ensure that situation does not worsen. In relation to the entire incident, SP Sanjeev Suman stated that there was a fight on September 12th. “The family members filed the complaint. The girl has now died. The charges in the case are being strengthened. The entire incident will be investigated,” he stated.
Rape and murder of two Dalit girls in Lakhimpur Kheri
The brutal rape and murder of the two Dalit minor girls, aged 15 and 17, by six men this week sent tremors through the state. The crime took place on Wednesday when two suspects called Sohail and Junaid brutally raped the two Dalit girls after dragging them to a sugarcane field.
Later, the girls were killed and hung by their dupattas from a tree. According to reports, other suspects assisted the pair in hanging the girls from the tree and erasing the evidence. Six people were detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police in connection with the case namely Junaid, Sohail, Arif, Hafiz, Karimuddin, and Chhotu (Gautam).
Delhi Police has registered three separate FIRs against the supporters of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for attacking an ACP of the ACB, and for possessing illegal weapons and live cartridges. Two FIRs have been registered against his aides Hamid Ali & Kausar Imam Siddique, and a 3rd for obstructing the raid party of ACB in the discharge of government work.
Delhi | South East Dist Police lodged 3 FIRs at Jamia Nagar PS following a raid at premises connected to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan & his aides y'day.
Two FIRs against his aides Hamid Ali & Kausar Imam Siddique & a 3rd for obstructing raid party of ACB in discharge of govt work.
ACB informed the Rouse Avenue Court during the hearing on the matter that their ACP was attacked by Amanatullah Khan’s relatives and supporters at the time of the raid.
The court was also shown photographic and video evidence of the attack. An FIR related to this incident has been lodged at Jamia Nagar Police Station in Delhi. AAP MLA’s lawyer Rahul Mehra argued that Amanatullah Khan was not present there at the time of the attack so he is not responsible for it.
In the video, Amanatullah’s supporters can be clearly seen manhandling and intimidating the ACB official who had gone there to conduct the raid.
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s supporters scuffle with the Delhi Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Team during the raid. pic.twitter.com/o7eY53Kx0u
On Friday, the Anti Corruption Branch arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with the Delhi Waqf Board corruption case after recovering incriminating material and evidence against him during the raids conducted earlier in the day.
Anti-Corruption Branch raided multiple locations, including the home of Amanatullah Khan. During the raid by the ACB, an unlicensed Beretta pistol was recovered from Hamid Ali Khan, the alleged close aide of Khan. During the raids, officials also recovered Rs 12 lakh. The raids on Khan are related to unauthorized appointments to the Waqf Board and misuse of Waqf properties for personal gains.
Amanatullah’s business partner Hamid Ali was also arrested by South East Delhi Police under Arms Act. A pistol, some bullets & Rs 12 Lakhs cash were recovered from Hamid Ali’s residence.
Delhi | AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s business partner Hamid Ali arrested by South East Delhi Police under Arms Act. His premises, along with that of Amanatullah Khan’s, was raided yesterday by ACB. A pistol, some bullets & Rs 12 Lakhs cash were recovered from Hamid Ali’s residence.
