Tension Along Border In Manipur After Myanmar Work In No Man's Land

Imphal: Some tension prevailed along the India-Myanmar border in Manipur's Tengnoupal district on Sunday, a day after Myanmar Army started levelling the no-man's land, officials said.

Tension Along Border In Manipur After Myanmar Work In No Man's Land

Tengnoupal's Collector K. Raghumani, who toured the area with Superintendent of Police S. Ibomcha, said the official team inspected illegal constructions like pig pens of Indians at the no man's land and told told the owners to dismantle these illegal constructions failing which the district administration shall move in.  

On Saturday, the Myanmarese officials had started levelling the ground in the no man's land. 

Mr Ibomcha said that as both countries should not encroach upon the no man's land, police stopped it.

Mr Raghumani said that there was no official word to the district administration from the Myanmarese authority about the levelling works. He clarified that Indians also cannot construct anything on the no man's land. 

Officials said that in absence of a clear-cut boundary, there had been some instances of disputes. Last year Myanmarese officials and army personnel intruded into Hollenphai village in Tengoupal district and had allegedly dismantled a saw mill and carted away the machinery and other items claiming that the village is within Myanmar. 

However protesting villagers said "this Indian village has been within Manipur for a long time". Some constructions in Moreh town for the legalised border trade were suspended following claims by Myanmar that the areas are within Myanmar. 

Mr Raghumani said that the issue of levelling the ground in the no man's land will be brought to the notice of the Central government.

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Soldier Killed In Terror Attack On CRPF Training Centre In Kashmir

Srinagar: in a pre-dwan attack, at least two heavily-armed terrorists stormed a Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF training centre in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, injuring 3 personnel, a senior official said.

Soldier Killed In Terror Attack On CRPF Training Centre In Kashmir

A CRPF jawan was killed in the attack, officials said. 

The terrorists threw grenades and opened fire before breaching the perimeter of the training centre of the 185 Battalion of the CRPF in Pulwama, about 30 km from Srinagar. A gun-battle between the terrorists and security forces was underway when last reports came in. The injured paramilitary personnel have been rushed to a hospital.

The incident happened at around 2:10 am at Lethpora.

In a similar attack on the CRPF in August, eight security personnel lost their lives when terrorists targeted a district police complex in Pulwama. The three terrorists who launched the suicide attack were killed after an intense gunfight that went on for over 12 hours.

Two months later, three suicide attackers carrying a massive arsenal of guns and explosives broke into a Border Security Force (BSF) camp near the Srinagar airport before dawn and opened fire, killing one soldier.

All three terrorists were killed after nearly 10 hours of gunbattle. A unit of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed that called itself the "Afzal Guru squad" claimed the attack.

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Why A 15-Year-Old Girl's Win Sends A Big Message From Uttar Pradesh

Meerut: In her heart, the 15-year-old was disappointed when she came second in the competition on Friday. But somewhere this school girl from Uttar Pradesh knew well that her feat was no less impressive than the student who beat her to the first prize, probably more.

Girl's Win Sends A Big Message From Uttar Pradesh

Alia Khan, a Muslim by religion from Meerut, had beaten thousands of children across the state to win the second prize for the Gita recitation competition organised by the Yogi Adityanath government

It is a win that symbolises inter-faith harmony.

Bhagwad Gita, which is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, is highly cited and considered a valuable guide for spiritual seekers. The young girl, who recited portions of the holy book dressed in Lord Krishna's attire, may not understand the vision but she knows well that the philosophy outlined in the Gita transcends religion.

Alia Khan's mother, Afroz, said they were praying that she wins the first prize. "It is all because of the prayers and hard work of teachers that she reached till here," she said.

Alia asserted that no one discouraged her from learning the scriptures of a different religion. "Even if someone says anything, I have a straight-forward answer. I do not read Gita for religion. I read Gita for knowledge and we can access knowledge from anywhere," she said, matter-of-factly.

Alia Khan isn't the only one to have achieved this distinction.

A few days back, Afreen Rauf, 16, from a municipal school in Lucknow had secured the first place in Lucknow division. A labourer's daughter, Afreen Rauf, who wears a hijab, said the most important lesson that she had learnt from the Gita was to do good deeds, be honest every time and not wish bad for anyone.

"These are the things we have learnt," Afreen Rauf, who had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath as her inspiration to learn the Gita, said.

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3 Killed On Delhi-Lucknow National Highway Due To Dense Fog, Low Visibility

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: Three persons were killed when their car rammed into a stationary mini-truck on the Delhi-Lucknow National Highway amid heavy fog, police said. 

3 Killed On Delhi-Lucknow National Highway Due To Dense Fog, Low Visibility

The accident took place near Zed village last night, killing three persons including two women on the spot, senior police officer Joginder Kumar said.  

Efforts were on to ascertain the identity of the deceased - all in the age group of 25 to 40 years, the officer said. 

Heavy fog last night had hit visibility and appears to be the cause of accident, police said.

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Mumbai: The debt-ridden Reliance Communications is to stay within the family as Anil Ambani has signed an agreement to sell its wireless assets to telecoms arm of elder brother Mukesh Ambani's oil conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. The decision coincidentally came on the day of their father Dhirubai Ambani's 85th birth anniversary, giving the move a symbolic colour. 

On Father's Birthday, Mukesh Ambani Bails Out Brother, Signs RCom Deal

The two companies made the decision public in two different statements. The amount of the transaction, however, has not been revealed. Banking sources speculate the deal to be worth Rs 24,000-25,000 crore.

Noting the development, industrial bodies expressed their appreciation for it. "The move shows that the industry continues to consolidate around serious players who have deep pockets and financial where-with-all to play effectively and delivery value to customers in future," Industry body Cellular Operators' Association of India or COAI Director General Rajan Mathews told news agency PTI. He further said the deal is "good for the industry".

The sale marks the return of the telecom company back to the fold of Reliance Industries, which forayed into telecoms in 2002, spearheaded by elder Ambani, under the name of Reliance Infocomm Ltd.

The deal is being seen as homecoming-of-sorts for RCom. A feud between the Ambani brothers in 2005 led to the split of Reliance Industries when Mukesh Ambani kept the cash cow oil and gas business and Anil Ambani walked away with telecoms and power.

The launch of Reliance Jio marked Mukesh Ambani's reentry into the telecom space in September 2016. Jio, with cut-price data and free voice service, rattled the telecom industry pushing RCom into a debt spiral.

A statement by Jio -- which now has over 160 million -- on Thursday said the assets covered under the latest deal are strategic in nature and expected to contribute significantly to its large scale roll out of Wireless and Fiber-to-Home and Enterprise services.

The latest deal will bring immediate relief to RCom, which is reeling under Rs 45,000 crore debt, and the company hopes to use the entire proceeds to pare its liabilities.

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Last Rites Performed For Major Prafulla Moharkar Who Was Killed In Cross-Border Attack By Pak Troops

Nagpur: The last rites of Major Prafulla Moharkar, who was killed in a cross-border attack by Pakistan troops in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, were performed with full military honours at his village in Maharashtra. During the last rites, gun salutes were offered by the Army and the state police to the young martyr. The 32-year-old Major is survived by his wife Avoli Moharkar. His mortal remains were consigned to flames early morning today at Bhandara district's Pavni, his native village, in the presence of his father Ambadas Moharkar.

Last Rites Performed For Major Prafulla Moharkar Who Was Killed In Cross-Border Attack By Pak Troops

Thousands of people gathered in the village to pay their respects to Major Praffulla. State minister Rajkumar Badole and former member of the parliament Nana Patole were among those who were present. Local markets remained closed during the day as a mark of respect for the martyred solider.

 

Major Prafulla Moharkar Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were killed by Pakistan's Border Action Team or BAT in a cross-border firing along the Line of Control in Keri sector of Rajouri district on Saturday. Pakistan troops infiltrated almost 400 metres across the Line of Control to target Indian Army soldiers, sources said.

 

"Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the army had said in a statement.

 

To avenge killing of the four valiant Indian soldiers, five army commandos of the "Ghatak" battalion crossed the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch on Monday evening and killed four Pakistani soldiers.

 

In April, two soldiers were murdered and mutilated near the Line of Control. It was suspected to be an attack by the Border Action Team. Weeks later, the Army released a video of a massive fire assault on Pakistani posts on May 23.

 

India had thwarted the last such effort in September this year when a large team of BAT soldiers were forced to retreat. In June, India had managed to kill two of the intruders when a similar attack by a much-smaller team was carried out but two Indian soldiers had also lost their lives.

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98-Year-Old Man Receives Masters Degree From Nalanda University

Patna: A 98-year-old man has become the recipient of a postgraduate degree at the 12th annual convocation of Nalanda Open University in Bihar.

98-Year-Old Man Receives Masters Degree From Nalanda University

Raj Kumar Vaish was awarded a masters degree in economics by Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad at the convocation function of Nalanda Open University, Patna. He had enrolled for MA (Economics) in 2015.

"I am happy today. I had worked hard. For long, I had cherished the dream of completing my masters... the young should concentrate on their education and not on career alone," Mr Vaish told reporters in Patna after receiving the degree.

The university's Registrar SP Sinha told news agency PTI that a total of 22,100 students were awarded various degrees this year. Mr Vaish was among the 2780, including 29 gold medalists, who were invited to the convocation ceremony.

"It is really a big achievement for Nalanda Open University. Hats off to Raj Kumar Vaish and his sheer determination to pursue studies at this age. We wonder where he draws his energy from," Mr Sinha said.

Mr Vaish is probably the oldest person to get a post graduate degree from this university, he said.

The university will preserve his notebooks as a source of inspiration for the youth, Mr Sinha added.

"We are glad that my father fulfilled his dream. At the convocation ceremony, my father was offered a wheelchair since he had difficulty in climbing stairs, but he chose to move with the help of a walker and received his degree," Mr Vaish's son, Santosh Kumar, a retired professor of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Patna, said.

"Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad told my father - 'you are a source of inspiration'," Mr Kumar said.

Mr Vaish completed his graduation from Agra University in 1938 and secured a degree in LLB in 1940, but did not pursue post-graduation after getting a job as a 'law officer' with Christian Mica Industry at Koderma (now in Jharkhand). He retired as a general manager from the company in the early 1980s, his son said.

 

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Jai Ram Thakur Takes Oath As Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Today, PM Modi To Attend

Shimla: As Jai Ram Thakur takes oath as Himachal Pradesh chief minister in Shimla this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, several Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will be in attendance. The swearing in ceremony will be held at 11 am at the historic Ridge Maidan which turned saffron with BJP flags fluttering all around and cut outs of PM Modi, Amit Shah and Jai Ram Thakur spread over. 

Jai Ram Thakur Takes Oath As Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Today, PM Modi To Attend

The names or number of ministers in the new Himachal government have not been officially revealed, but the new Himachal Pradesh cabinet will be a blend of old and new faces, as indicated by Mr Thakur. "The cabinet will have both experienced and new faces," he had told reporters in his first official interaction with reporters on Monday, a day after being elected as the BJP Legislature Party leader in the Assembly. 

The new ministers in his 11-member cabinet likely are former Cabinet ministers Rajeev Bindal, Kishan Kapoor, Sarveen Chaudhary, Mohinder Singh, Congress rebel Anil Sharma, Narinder Bragta and Ramesh Dhawala and new faces could comprise Gobind Thakur, Vikram Jaryal, Rakesh Pathania and Rajeev Sahjal, reports news agency IANS.

Massive security and other arrangements have been made for the grand function and the Ridge, Annandale helipad and Jubbar-Hatti airport were under the protection of the Special Protection Group or SPG. It will be the fourth time that the swearing in ceremony is taking place outside Raj Bhawan at the Ridge.

Most of the VVIPs would land at the Jubbar-Hatti airport and be flown to the Annandale helipad by choppers and finally taken to the venue of the rally in a motorcade to avoid disruption of normal traffic and a corridor has been kept for emergency services like movement of ambulances.

Jairam Thakur, a five-time legislator was picked as the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, a day after Prem Kumar Dhumal -- whom the BJP had named as its prospective Chief Minister 10 days before the elections - pulled out of the race. The 73-year-old had lost the election to his Congress opponent and one-time protege Rajendra Rana, even though his party won 44 of the state's 68 seats. But he remained in the race as several loyalists offered him their fresh-won seats.

52-year-old Mr Thakur, who represents Seraj, a constituency near Mandi, had earlier been the party's state unit chief and a minister in a government headed by Mr Dhumal. During the counting of votes on Monday afternoon, as the trends showed Mr Dhumal was heading for defeat, he was the first off the block to take a flight to Delhi to meet the party's central leadership.

Considered a popular Thakur face, the lawmaker from Seraj constituency served as the BJP's state chief between 2006 and 2009 and was credited with striking a balance between the warring factions.

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China To Maintain Communication With India On Artificial Lakes In Brahmaputra

Beijing: China will maintain communication with India to deal with massive lakes formed by landslides on the Brahmaputra river following an earthquake, which caused concerns of a sudden flooding on the Indian side, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said today.

China To Maintain Communication With India On Artificial Lakes In Brahmaputra

According to reports, three huge artificial lakes, whose size and volume of water in them are yet to be ascertained, were formed in the Brahmaputra river due to a landslide after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Tibet last month. 

The massive accumulation of water has caused concerns that if the lakes join or burst, millions of people residing along the banks of the river in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam - both of which are downstream - could get affected.

"The Chinese side, through the existing channels, will maintain communication with the Indian side on the cross-border rivers," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media persons in Beijing.

She said verification by the Chinese authorities has revealed that the lakes are on the eastern section of the India-China boundary.

"It is caused by natural factors. It is not a man-made accident," she said, referring to reports of the lakes being detected by satellites.

She said the Chinese officials concerned will maintain communication with the Indian side on the issue.

Earlier, China had refuted reports that the highly-polluted water in the river was caused by attempts to build a massive tunnel to divert the water to neighbouring arid Xinjiang region.

The issue was reportedly discussed during the recent 20th border talks between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor, Yang Jiechi on December 22 in Delhi.

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Koppal, Karnataka: Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde is in the centre of another controversy after he said that his party, the ruling BJP, will "soon change the Constitution," which mentions the word "secular." He was attacking what he called a "new fad where people project themselves as secular."

"We Are Here To Change The Constitution," Says Union Minister In New Controversy

The 49-year-old minister was speaking at a function in Kukanur of Koppal district in the state when he urged people to "claim with pride that they are Muslim, Christian, Lingayat, Brahmin, or a Hindu," adding, "Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity...They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals." 

He also said, "Some people say the Constitution says secular and you must accept it. We will respect the Constitution, but the Constitution has changed several times and it will change in the future too. We are here to change the Constitution and we'll change it."

The Karnataka Congress has asked if the BJP endorses its minister's views and suggested that if so, the party must face assembly elections in the state next year "on this agenda." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Mr Hegde has "clearly not studied the Constitution, does not know parliamentary or political language," and must know that "each and every individual in this country is an Indian, And every religion has equal right and opportunity."

Anant Kumar Hegde is a five-time Lok Sabha member from Uttara Kannada, who was made a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet reshuffle in August this year as part of the BJP's strategy to boost representation from states where elections will be held soon. The party hopes to wrest Karnataka back after losing the only southern state it has ruled to the Congress in 2013.

Mr Hegde, known for making controversial comments, has been in a series of rows since he was inducted as minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. A case was registered against him earlier this month for allegedly abusing Mr Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district.

Soon after he was appointed a minister CCTV footage of Mr Hegde slapping a doctor was widely circulated. He was seen striking the doctor, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against a wall. Mr Hegde was apparently furious because he felt the doctors were not paying enough attention to his mother, who had suffered multiple fractures after a fall at home.

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3-Feet-Tall Jaish Terrorist Killed Today Was A Big "Headache" For Forces

Jammu and Kashmir: Three-feet-tall Noor Mohammad Tantray aka Chhota Noora, top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist, was killed this morning in an encounter in Samboora village of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. He had been giving sleepless nights to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir for the last six months.

3-Feet-Tall Jaish Terrorist Killed Today Was A Big "Headache" For Forces

The 47-year-old Tral resident was said to be behind an attack on the BSF camp near Srinagar International Airport in October as well as the Uri attack in 2016, which was described as "the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades". In fact, he had played an important role in most major attacks in the Valley since taking over the reins of the jihadist group in 2015,police .said 

Security forces are calling it a huge success as he had become a "headache" in Kashmir. SP Vaid, Director General of police, said that Noora and his associates were planning to attack a convoy on Srinagar-Jammu highway. But they managed to eliminate him in time.

"It was a clean operation based on specific intelligence inputs," a senior police officer involved in the operation told NDTV. "However, by the time security forces laid cordon, two terrorists managed to escape. Search operations in area are on to identify and arrest them," he added.

 Noora was arrested in Delhi in 2003 and sentenced to life by a Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court in 2011. He jumped parole in July and joined the JeM.  "He was convicted for life, however, the court had allowed him to serve his life sentence in Kashmir. He was granted parole in 2015, but he had been on the run since then," the officer said.

According to intelligence officials, the JeM had consolidated their strength this year. However, in last three months, the forces have managed to eliminate 15 of their cadres in south Kashmir itself. "Their fighting strength has gone down. December and January are crucial months for us as most big attacks conducted by the JeM have taken place in these months," said a senior Ministry of Home Affairs official.

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"Join Naxals, We'll Shoot You," Union Minister Hansraj Ahir Tells Doctors Absent From Event

Mumbai : Union Minister Hansraj Ahir, apparently furious at the absence of senior doctors at a function he was attending in Maharashtra, has provoked a controversy with his outburst. "If these people don't believe in democracy, they should join Maoists and we will shoot them," fumed the Minister of State for Home Affairs yesterday.

"Join Naxals, We'll Shoot You," Union Minister Hansraj Ahir Tells Doctors Absent From Event

Mr Ahir was speaking at the launch of a 24x7 store for medicines at a government-run hospital in eastern Maharashtra's Chandrapur, which he represents in parliament. 

"The mayor came, the deputy mayor came but what stopped the doctors from coming for the event?" demanded the minister, noting that doctors were missing.

The district civil surgeon, Uday Nawade, and dean of the medical college, SS More, were not present at the event organized to mark "Good Governance Day" on former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's birthday.

"What do the Naxals want? They don't want democracy... So these people (the absent doctors) don't want democracy, then they should join the Naxals. Why are you here? Then (once you join the Naxals) we will pump golis (bullets) into you, why you are giving goli (fooling/cheating us) here? I have come here and these people are on leave, what can I say?" said Mr Ahir in Marathi.

He also questioned whether it was appropriate for doctors to go on leave when a "democratically-elected" minister was on a visit.

Chandrapur is one of the four districts in Maharashtra that have been identified by the central government as affected by Maoist violence.

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Rajinikanth Meets Fans In Chennai, Political Announcement Expected This Week

Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth, who has kept everyone guessing on whether he will join politics, began meeting fans in Chennai today in a six-day outreach that is widely expected to end with him revealing his plans on December 31, New Year's Eve.

 Rajinikanth Meets Fans In Chennai, Political Announcement Expected This Week

During his meeting with fans in May, Rajinikanth had said, "Let us face the war when it comes".

 

Rajinikanth, who has dominated southern films like a colossus for the past four decades and enjoys almost demigod-like status among his legion of followers, is expected to announce his political debut on the last day.

 

"There is an expectation that he will spell out his stand on entering politics. He may do it or may not...only he knows...let no one speculate," a senior functionary of the All India Rajinikanth Fans Welfare Club told reporters.

 

The 67-year-old actor will meet some 1,000 fans across 18 districts.

 

For months, the superstar whose fans call him "Thalaivar" or "Ultimate Boss", has been cryptic about diving into politics. He had triggered fan frenzy in May this year when he said, "If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow". But when he was later asked about his remarks, the actor said, "Whatever I had to say I said, now I have nothing more to say".

In October, it was his wife Lata Rajinikanth who predicted that a "lot of change" would happen when her husband joins politics. 

 

Rajinikanth's fan meets come after the stunning result of by-polls at the RK Nagar constituency of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, which has reinforced the sense of a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu's ruling party after her death. The seat was bagged by TTV Dhinakaran, an AIADMK rebel and nephew of Jayalalithaa's closest aide VK Sasikala. Both were sidelined by the ruling party in a power struggle that started days after Jayalalithaa's death in December last year.

 

Dhinakaran's victory as an independent candidate has delivered a crushing setback to the ruling AIADMK led by Chief Minister E Palaniswami or EPS and his deputy O Panneerselvam or OPS.

 The opposition DMK, which also contested in RK Nagar, failed to make a mark either.

 

The possibility of Rajinikanth's entry into politics has been debated for about two decades, but amid the AIADMK turmoil, speculation is intense.

 

The actor has kept the buzz alive with hints. In May, he said the "system is rotten" despite the presence of "efficient" leaders like DMK's MK Stalin - the son of Karunanidhi - and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss.

 

Countering opposition from some pro-Tamil quarters that he is a non-Tamil (since he has Marathi roots and Karnataka origin), he had asserted that he was a "pachai Tamizhan (pure Tamilian)." 

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Delhi Metro Magenta Line: All You Need To Know About Its Route, Benefits, Fare

New Delhi: A section of Delhi Metro's Magenta line that connects Botanical Garden to Kalkaji was today inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 12.64-km stretch, part of the Botanical Garden-Janakpuri West corridor, aims to bring Noida closer to south Delhi. While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accompanied PM Modi as he travelled to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary station in the swanky train, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wasn't invited. 

Delhi Metro Magenta Line: All You Need To Know About Its Route, Benefits, Fare

This was the third Metro line to be launched by PM Modi in 2017. He had earlier "dedicated the Kochi Metro to the nation in June, and the Hyderabad Metro in November". He urged the commuters in Delhi-NCR to leave their cars at home and take the train instead. He said the Metro will help reduce the use of fuel and save the environment. 

Along the Magenta Line fall nine stations -- Botanical Garden, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Kalindi Kunj, Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh, Okhla Vihar, Jamia Milia Islamia, Sukhdev Vihar, Okhla NSIC and Kalkaji Mandir.

Earlier, passengers had to take a train from Noida had to switch Metro at Mandi house to go to south Delhi. Now, the journey that took 52 minutes can now be completed in just 19 minutes. This Metro line will immensely benefit the students of Jamia Milia Islamia and Amity University and officer-goers headed for Noida.

Noida and Faridabad have also come closer and those travelling to Faridabad will be able to change trains at Kalkaji Mandir and go directly to Faridabad, saving them a lot of time.

This line will also have an interchangeable station at Hauz Khas. Once this line opens completely, commuters from Noida to Gurgaon would be able to bypass the crowded Rajiv Chowk station and change trains at Hauz Khas station to reach Gurgaon.

The coaches will have LED information display, power charging capacity and colourful seats. The new stations have been decorated using themes of nature, yoga, and cultural landmarks.

This would be first line on the Delhi Metro network where driverless trains will be introduced along with the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology, which facilitates the movement of trains within a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.

The platform screen doors (PSDs) are also being used for the first time. PSDs are glass-made screens installed near the edge of platforms that open only when a train arrives and shut after it departs.

Metro rides in Delhi-NCR got costlier this year after the fare structure saw two revisions. Starting at Rs 10, the fare goes up to Rs 60. Divided into six fare slabs, the new fare structure, Monday through Saturday, is:

Rs 10 for up to 2 kms

 Rs20 for 2 to 5 kms

Rs 30 for 5 to 12 kms

Rs 40 from 12 to 21 kms

Rs 50 from 21 to 32 kms

Rs 60 for journeys over 32 kms

Those carrying a smart card and travelling during off-peak hours -- between 6am to 8am, 12pm to 5pm and 10 pm onwards -- can avail a discount of 20 per cent. On Sundays and national holidays (January 26, August 15 and October 2), there is a discount of Rs 10 across slabs. When the Metro had started operations in 2002, the minimum fare was Rs 4 and maximum was Rs 8.

The trains run from 6 am till about 11 pm.

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Mumbai's AC Locals Are Here. Hop On For A 'Chilled' Experience

Mumbai: Mumbai finally gets its long-awaited AC trains. The city need not sweat anymore as it can now board the new locals for a chilled ride to work. In its maiden journey, the AC coaches will ferry passengers from Churchgate to Borivali for the first week, and from Churchgate to Virar from the next. The service is being rolled out on a trial basis today, and will be fully operational from January 1.

Mumbai's AC Locals Are Here. Hop On For A 'Chilled' Experience

The trains will run on the Borivali-Churchgate section of the Mumbai suburban line under Western Railway, an official statement said. 

The AC trains will replace 12 existing non-air conditioned services - six services in up and six in down direction. The services will be available on weekdays only and won't operate on Saturdays and Sundays to keep them free for maintenance purposes.

Eight of the services will run as fast locals between Churchgate and Virar, stopping only at major stations like Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, Borivali, Bhayander and Vasai Road in both directions. Three fast services will run between Churchgate and Borivali stopping at Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra and Andheri stations in both directions. One slow service will operate between Mahalaxmi and Borivali.

The base fare of the single journey of the AC local will be 1.3 times of the base fare of the existing fare for a single journey by first class. However, passengers will be charged 1.2 times the first class ticket cost in the initial six months.

Unlike regular local trains, the AC service will have a special weekly and fortnightly season ticket. A weekly pass will cost anything between Rs 285 till Mahalaxmi and Rs 945 till Andheri going all the way up to Rs 1,070 till Virar. The fortnightly season ticket starts at Rs 430 going up to Rs 1,555 till Virar. 

The monthly pass will cost between Rs 570 and Rs 820 (till Bandra) to Rs 1,240 (till Andheri) to Rs 1,640 (till Borivali), and Rs 2,040 till Virar.

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