Most Sudan blast victims are from T.N., U.P., Bihar: embassy.

Source – thehindu.com

Most of the Indians hospitalised or reported missing after the LPG tanker blast at a ceramics factory in Sudan belonged to Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and authorities are trying to ascertain the identities of the victims, officials said on Thursday.

The Indian Embassy has issued a detailed list of the Indians who were reported missing, hospitalised, or survived the blast at the Seela Ceramic Factory in the Bahri area in Khartoum on Tuesday that killed at least 23 people. Eighteen Indians were among the dead.

“Six have been identified and the Embassy is contacting families in India to send back their mortal remains,” the Indian mission tweeted.

It said efforts are on to identify other victims. “The bodies have burnt beyond recognition. We are trying to establish their identity,” an Indian official told PTI over phone from Khartoum. The official said one more person died on Thursday and identified the victim as Niraj Kumar Singh from Bihar.

More than 130 people were injured. Seven Indians have been hospitalised and 16 still missing.

Among those missing are Ramakrishanan and Venkatachalem from Tamil Nadu; Ram Kumar, Amit Tiwari and Nitish Mishra from Bihar, Jishan Khan, Mohit Kumar, Hari Nath and Pradeep Verma from Uttar Pradesh, and Pawan and Pradeep from Haryana.

Intezar Khan from Delhi, Bahadurbhai Somabhai Pagi from Gujarat and Rajasthan’s Jaideep are also reported missing.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said 60 Indians were employed in the factory and 53 of them were understood to be present at the factory and the residential area at the time of the accident. “We are working with the Sudanese authorities to facilitate the identification of the deceased at the earliest,” he said, expressing his grief.

Bihar Police SI Recruitment 2019: Apply for 212 vacancies for enforcement SI @ bpssc.bih.nic.in

Source – indiatoday.in

Bihar Police SI Recruitment 2019: Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC)has invited online applications for the post of sub- inspector. Interested candidates can apply online at Bihar Police official website–bpssc.bih.nic.in.

Bihar Police SI Recruitment: Total number of vacancies

There are a total of 212 vacancies.

Last date to apply for Bihar Police SI Recruitment

The online application process began on December 2 and the last date to apply is January 6, 2020.

BPSSC recruitment 2019: Eligibility criteria

Applicant must be a graduate from any stream from a recognised university.

Selection process:

Students must note that the selection process will comprise of the preliminary exam, main exam, physical standards test, and interview.

Bihar Police SI Recruitment: Age limit:

For a male candidate belonging to general and EWS category, they must not be younger than 21 years and older than 42 years. Notably, the age limit will be calculated as on August 1, 2019.

Application fees for Bihar Police SI Recruitment 2019

The application fee for SC, ST category students is Rs 400 while for other categories, it is Rs 700.

Exam pattern:

Candidates will have to appear for two papers. First paper will be an objective exam (prelims) carrying 200 marks. Those who clear the exam will have to appear for the descriptive (main) exam.

Bihar: Burnt body of woman found in Samastipur, second such incident in 24 hours.

Source – indiatoday.in

Charred body of a woman was found at a secluded spot in Bihar’s Samastipur district on Wednesday, making it the second such incident in 24 hours, according to police.

The body was found in Dardari Chaur in Warisnagar police station area, said officials who suspect that that the woman was killed elsewhere and later dumped there.

They said the woman could not be identified as the body was charred beyond recognition from head to knees.

“The clothes of the woman are also burnt, making identification difficult. It appears she was killed elsewhere and her body was dumped at the spot after being set afire,” Warisnagar’s Station House Officer Prasunjay Kumar told PTI-Bhasha.

“We have sent the body to a hospital in Samastipur town for post-mortem which would ascertain whether she was subjected to sexual assault,” he said.

A similar incident was reported from Buxar district in south Bihar on Tuesday, triggering outrage amid nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad days back.

Expressing dismay over such incidents happening in Bihar, state women’s commission chairperson Dilmani Mishra said in Patna, “It appears that the sensitivity of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar towards the female population is being done in by a callous administration.”

“There have been instances when the local administration has not cared to even reply to a notice issued by us about a crime against a woman,” she lamented.

Reacting to the incidents, former chief minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi slammed the ruling dispensation.

“Every day women are being raped across Bihar but those in power do not even deign to utter a word of regret on these disgusting incidents, let alone being moved to take some concrete action,” she said.

Crores of people in Bihar set to form 1,600 km long human chain on January 19, 2020.

Source – newindianexpress.com

PATNA: Come January 19 Bihar will set yet another world record of over 16,200-km long human chain formation with more than 8 crore people across Bihar to reaffirm commitment towards liquor ban.

This would be the third human chain formation after an 11,292-km long human chain was formed in Bihar for the first time in 2017 comprising of 2 crore people.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that the 16,200-km long formation of human chain on January 19 in 2020 would be a manifestation of people’s resolve to ensure complete prohibition and fight against social evils like child marriage and dowry.

The human chain would also create awareness on the conservation of water for life and greenery.

“The people’s commitment on Jal-Jeevan-Haryali would be reflected through the formation of world’s longest 16,200-km human chain with more than 8 crore people,” a senior officer of education department said.

In 2018, around 4 crore people formed a 14000-km long human-chain showing solidarity to the liquor ban made effective in the state from April 5 in 2016.

According to official order issued to all district education offices, the formation of human-chain will start from 11.30 am to next 30 minutes on January 19.

The centre point of proposed third human-chain would be at the historic Gandhi maidan and all district headquarters would be linked with the formation of human-chain in all the 38 districts.

The longest 1320-km long human-chain will be formed in Muzaffarpur followed by 732-km long in Samastipur, 696-km long in Patna, 648-km long in each West and East Champaran, 576-km long in Saran, 564-km long in Sitamarhi, 516-km long in Gaya, 504-km in Rohtas and Nalanda each and other districts.

Elaborate security arrangement will be made to ensure the safety of people.

Among them, the participation of women and girls is expected to be in massive numbers.

“If everything goes well, this would be the world’s longest human-chain ever made for the causes of social reforms and anti-alcoholism The Indian satellites would be clearly capturing the human chain from the space”, said a senior preferring anonymity.

Toxic Air Leads to Increase in Cases of Respiratory Diseases in Bihar.

Source – weather.com

Persistently high pollution levels in Bihar have led to an increase in the cases of respiratory diseases, especially chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), across the state, according to a report in the Times of India.

As per the data released by the Bihar state health society, the cases of acute respiratory illness (ARI) in the state have increased from over 2 lakhs in 2009 to 11 lakhs in 2018.

Patna has consistently been among the most polluted cities in India. In fact, the current pollution levels in the capital of Bihar stand as a testimony to the persistent issue of deteriorating air quality.

On Tuesday (December 3) as well, the state capital was the most polluted city in the country, according to the daily AQI bulletin by the Central Pollution Control Board. The city has recorded an overall AQI of 380, which lies in the ‘very poor’ category. It is followed by Muzaffarpur, another city from Bihar, with an AQI of 336.

The rest of the positions in the top half are occupied by Uttar Pradesh-based Varanasi (335), Ghaziabad (326) and Kanpur (316). AQIs between 301 and 400 are all classified as ‘very poor’, and CPCB says that prolonged exposure to such pollution levels can cause respiratory illness.

Between April 1 and November 4 this year, 246 cases of respiratory illnesses were reported across four major hospitals of the city, viz. PMCH, NMCH, IGIMS and AIIMS-Patna. Out of these cases, the maximum were from the district of Patna (165), followed by Vaishali (17), Nalanda (14), Bhojpur (6), Saran (5), Begusarai (5) and other districts.

In an attempt to improve the air quality across the state, the government of Bihar has reportedly proposed a ban on the movement of state-owned vehicles that are more than 15 years old. The restriction could also be extended to commercial vehicles, but only for the Patna metropolitan area.

The state cabinet is expected to give its approval to the proposal as well, by Wednesday, December 4.

BPSSC SI Admit Card 2019 Released @bpssc.bih.nic.in, Download SI, Sergeant & Asst Superintendent Jail Prelims Exam Admit Card.

Source – jagranjosh.com

BPSSC SI Admit Card 2019: Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) has released the Admit Card of prelims exam for the post of Sub Inspector, Sergeant and Assistant Superintendent Jail (Direct recruitment)/Assistant Superintendent Jail (Ex-Serviceman). All candidates who have applied for BPSSC 2404 posts of Sub Inspector can download their BPSSC Admit Card from the official website www.bpssc.bih.nic.in.

BPSSC Police SI Admit Card 2019 Link is also given below. Candidates can get their BPSSC admit through the link by providing Registration No / Mobile No and DOB along with Captcha for verification.

BPSSC SI Exam will be held on 22 December 2019 (Sunday) at various exam centres of Bihar. The exam will be of 200 marks. There will be 100 questions on General Knowledge and Current Affairs. Candidates will be required to a minimum of 30% marks. The duration of the test is 2 hours.

 Candidates are advised to carry their BPSSC SI Admit Card along with and a valid photo Id proof at the examination centre.

How to Download BPSSC SI Admit Card 2019?

  • Go to official website of BPSSC i.e. www.bpssc.bih.nic.in
  • Click on “Download Admit Card for the post of Police Sub Inspector/Sergeant/Assistant Superintendent Jail (Direct recruitment)/Assistant Superintendent Jail (Ex-Serviceman) in Bihar Police. (Advt. No. 01/2019) in Bihar”
  • A new window will open where you need to provide your details
  • Download BPSSSC SI Admit Card 2019
  • Take a print out for future use

Bihar Police Subordinate Service Commission had invited applications for 2404 posts out of which 2064 are for Police Sub Inspector, 215 for Sergeant and 125 for Assistant Superintendent Jail Posts

Nitish Kumar To Begin Bihar Tour Against Climate Change From December 3.

Source – ndtv.com

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will begin his statewide ”Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Yatra” against climate change from December 3, officials said on Monday. Emphasising the importance of water conservation and afforestation, the chief minister will undertake the four-day first phase of the tour in the northwestern districts of the state, they said.

“Nitish Kumar will commence the ”yatra” from Bagha in West Champaran district and after traversing East Champaran and Siwan districts, he will conclude the first phase of the tour at Gopalganj district,” a senior official said.

The chief minister will speak in public meetings on climate change, launch projects under his ”Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali  Abhiyan”, inspect ponds and waste management units and hold talks with officials concerned, he said.

The entire ”yatra”, during which the chief minister will traverse the length and breadth of the state, is expected to conclude by January 19, following which a human chain would be formed, the official said.

The human chain will showcase state government initiatives such as a ban on sale and consumption of liquor and drives against dowry and child marriage. The Bihar chief minister has won accolades from American business magnate Bill Gates for the initiative.

The tour comes less than a year ahead of the state Assembly elections, success in which will enable Nitish Kumar to return to power for the fourth consecutive time and ultimately make him the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar.

The JD(U) national president is known for conducting statewide tours to review progress made in the remote corners of Bihar.

The ”Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Yatra” shares a name with the chief minister’s drive launched a few months back against climate change.

The drive was conceptualised after an all-party meeting in July this year in which members of both the Houses of the state Assembly had unanimously agreed to make efforts in combating climate change. 

‘Maharashtra’s side effect could be visible in Bihar soon’: Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Source – hindustantimes.com

After a brief lull, speculations of ruling JD(U) realigning with the opposition’s RJD led alliance came into focus once again on Saturday when senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh asserted that both RJD-JD(U) were in talks for a new alliance. He claimed the ‘side effect’ of the recent Maharashtra political crisis would be visible in Bihar politics soon.

“There could be a political upheaval in Bihar soon. Internal talks are going on between RJD and JD (U) for a reunion and there are no objections from both sides,” Singh said.

“The side effect of Maharashtra’s politics where the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress came together will be visible in Bihar also,” he said, hinting that the RJD-JD (U) and Congress could come together once again. JD (U) is a senior partner in the BJP-led NDA in Bihar.

But Singh’s statement of RJD-JD(U) realignment, an experiment that both parties did in 2015, did not find traction within his own party with leader of the opposition Tejaswi Prasad Yadav, summarily, rejecting Singh’s assertion.

“There is no question of RJD having any truck with the JD (U) once again. It is not possible anymore,” Tejaswi said, in a press conference organized to show solidarity of the grand alliance partners towards RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha who has been on a fast onto death over education issues. Kushwaha later withdrew his fast.

JD (U) senior leader and minister Sanjay Jha also trashed Singh’s prophecy of a RJD-JD (U) alliance in the run up to the 2020 assembly polls, saying the JD (U) being a strong partner in the NDA would contest assembly polls with the BJP and LJP. “Like in 2010 assembly polls, the NDA in Bihar will win 206 seats,” he said.

However, Raghuvansh’s statement today just days after Jagdanand Singh took over as RJD state president has given credence to the ongoing speculations that all is not well within the NDA and chances of a political realignment in the state in the run up to the assembly was possible.

It is a different matter that Singh was pulled up by his own party a few months back for advocating that JD (U) and RJD should come together to strengthen the secular front in Bihar in a bid to oust the BJP from power. Singh had also said that RJD should align with JD(U) as it may prove beneficial for the RJD to salvage lost ground after its dismal performance in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

“Raghuvansh Singh is a senior leader but what he is talking about has nothing to do with the JD (U). The NDA is intact. But what will happen in politics is never predictable,” said Ram Lakhan, a senior JD (U) leader and former minister.

2 Killed in Celebratory Firings During Wedding Within 1 Week in Bihar.

Source – newsclick.in

Patna: Celebratory firing continues to claim lives of people in Bihar. Vijay Kumar and Manoj Shah alias Bittu were killed during celebratory firing at wedding ceremonies in the state in separate incidents within a week. These latest killings took place despite the fact that celebratory firing was banned by Bihar government following a guideline from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ignoring the government’s directives and warning of action against celebratory firings at social functions including marriages, influential members of society, particularly in rural areas, continue to indulge in this. The police and administration’s failure to take action against the perpetrators is further adding to the impunity of these violators.

In the latest cases, both the victims were photographer. Vijay was killed in a celebratory firing at a wedding ceremony in Samastipur district on late Thursday night (November 28). He was recording the dancing members of the groom’s marriage party near the bride’s house when a few members, who were intoxicated started the celebratory firing. “One or two bullets hit his chest, killing him on the spot,” according to an witness.Vijay was a resident of Begusarai district and was hired by the groom’s family to record the marriage party.

Another photographer cum videographer Manoj was killed last Friday night at a wedding ceremony in Chandi Dhanush village in Vaishali district. He was hit by a bullet when he was recording the exchange of garlands and died on the spot, as per the people present there.

What has left Manoj’s family members fuming is that the marriage party took his body in a vehicle and dumped it a few kilometres away from the venue to suppress the evidence of the incident. But the police has lodged a case against the family members of the groom and bride.

Not only these, several other cases of serious injuries after being hit by bullets during celebratory firing have been reported from a number of districts including Khagaria, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and Begusarai in the last ten days.

A senior police officer at the police headquarters in Patna told NewsClick, “Since January this year, during the traditional marriage season—locally knowns as lagan—more than two dozen people have been killed in celebratory firing and several others injured.”

He added, “Among the people killed, there was a music band member, two girl dancers as well as close relatives of the grooms and brides.”

In July 2019, a groom was killed in Patna district when a bullet hit him during celebratory firing during the wedding ceremony.

Celebratory firing is used as a way of displaying money and muscle power during wedding ceremonies, which is common particularly in the rural areas in Bihar. The practice of celebratory firing is most popular among the powerful and dominant upper castes like Rajput, Bhumihar and OBCs like Yadav, Kurmi and Kushwaha, during the traditional marriage season.

Talking about the increasing incidents of celebratory firing, social activist Mahendar Yadav, associated with the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) said, “In Bihar, it is not unusual if someone is carrying firearms. People are used to celebratory firing during wedding ceremonies, victory processions of political parties and even during religious functions.”

He said there is a provision to cancel arms licence of the accused but it has remained only on paper. Besides this, most of the arms used during celebratory firings are allegedly illegal. “It is for the local police to check such practices but police have failed totally,” he added.

A senior police official admitted that the central government has recently sent a letter to all state governments directing them to take strict action against those who are found guilty of engaging in celebratory firing.

This village in Bihar wouldn’t care even if onions cost Rs 500. Know why?

Source – indiatoday.in

Onion prices are skyrocketing all over the country retail rate of onion has gone up to Rs 70 per kg to Rs 100 per kg in different parts of the country.

In Bihar, the price of onion has gone up to Rs 70-80 per kg. Onion prices are increasing in such a way that Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Association Limited (BISCOMAUN) has been supplying onions at Rs 35 per kg for the last few days to provide relief to people in many areas of Bihar’s capital Patna.

Interestingly there is a village in Bihar that has no interest in the prices of onion even if it touches Rs 500. The Triloki Bigha village in Chiri Panchayat of Jehanabad district, which is 80 kilometers from Patna. There are 35 families in this village and the population is about 300 to 400 people.

No matter how high the prices of onions are across the country, people of this village don’t care as no one eats onions in the entire village.

Surprisingly enough it was discovered that every person in this village is pure vegetarian and do not consume onion or garlic. No one in the village touches liquor too.

Elders in this village say no one has eaten onion or garlic in this village for many centuries.

A native of the village, Rampravesh Yadav said, “The people of this village stopped eating onions since centuries because there is a temple of Lord Vishnu in this village.” Even today the people of the village follow the practice started by their ancestors with full sincerity.

Yadav further added that he doesn’t even know what the price of onion is.

Rampravesh Yadav also claimed that some villagers who ate onions in the past met with accidents. Then the villagers decided not to ever consume onions.

Yadav also said that the villagers definitely have some difficulties in following the tradition but they adhere to it, adding that if any person ever goes out of the village, he tries to eat food in a place where onion and garlic are not used.