The three charioteers: Meet the men picked to help implement BJP’s Mission 2024 biglotscomsurvey The party's UP success architect Sunil Bansal to be accompanied by Vinod Tawde, who was once sidelined under Fadnavis govt in Maharashtra, and Telangana rejuvenator Tarun Chugh; will work out strategies, identify seats needing extra push, help shortlist candidates biglotscomsurveyo The BJP, helmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has set an ambitious target of 400-plus seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, far higher than its 2019 tally of 303, in a House that has a total of 545 members. biographyly To ensure the success of its ambitious plan, BJP president J P Nadda on Wednesday appointed a three-member team to prepare for the general elections. The backroom team includes Sunil Bansal, Vinod Tawde and Tarun Chugh, all of whom are general secretaries of the party. bjsfeedback The team will work out details of strategies for candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The role entails working at grassroots to identify constituencies where their party’s candidate came second in the 2019 elections, and shortlisting the probable candidates, in coordination with the respective state BJP units. Apart from the poll exercise, the team will also strategise public outreach programmes to maximise acceptance of the organisation beyond its core supporters. bonafideworld Here’s a look at the men whom the BJP trusts to keep its electoral juggernaut rolling. crackerbarrellistenscom Sunil Bansal Sunil Bansal’s inclusion in the three-member panel is reaffirmation of the BJP leadership’s faith in his organisational and election management skills, and their trust in him when larger, national-level goals are involved. Bansal has proved his mettle by fine-tuning the party’s dexterity at winning elections — he is widely credited with the BJP’s barnstorming performances in the 2017 and 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, as well as in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. dadeschools In August, he was appointed the national secretary in charge of West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana — three Opposition-ruled states on which the BJP will put special focus in its electoral strategy for 2024. Bansal’s first visit to West Bengal, in the first week of September 2022, is seen as having put new energy in the Bengal unit, which had been losing steam since the 2021 Assembly polls, when it failed to bring down the Trinamool Congress government. Since then several top state leaders have left, leaving grassroot party workers complaining of being abandoned in the face of the TMC’s wrath. dgcustomerfirst Born in Rajasthan, Bansal, 53, has been with the RSS since his student days. He was handpicked by Amit Shah while he was preparing strategy for Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that brought Modi to power at the Centre. Known for his proximity with Shah, his new task indicates he has become a significant power centre in the organisation. dgcustomerfirst With the panel’s immediate task being the organisation of a series of national-level programmes across the country – including the BJP Foundation Day on April 6 and the ninth anniversary of PM Modi’s government at the Centre — Bansal and his team will be interacting with all state units. dgcustomerfirst Vinod Tawde All-India BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde has made quite a return after being systematically sidelined in Maharashtra during the Devendra Fadnavis government of 2014-2019, as he was seen as a competitor. The central BJP’s decision to entrust the new assignment shows their growing confidence in his ability to deliver results, giving him a fresh opportunity to prove his mettle. dgcustomerfirst In the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition government led by Fadnavis, Tawde had held important portfolios like School Education, Medical and Higher Technical Education, Sports, Culture and Marathi Bhasha (language). But in 2019, Tawde was denied a ticket to contest the Assembly elections at the eleventh hour. It was a rude shock for the leader who had taken his candidature for granted, having nurtured his constituency Borivali painstakingly for five years. At the time, Tawde had swallowed the humiliation in silence and, like a party faithful, started working for Sunil Rane, the candidate who replaced him. dgcustomerfirsto But in politics, nothing is permanent. Tawde was shifted to the central BJP as a national secretary in Nadda’s team in 2020. After evaluating his work for over a year, the party leadership elevated him from national secretary to national general secretary in 2021. Tawde had then responded by saying, “My patience has been rewarded. This is a lesson every karyakarta should bear in mind.” dgcustomerfirstu An organisational man and valued poll strategist, Tawde started his political career with the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. He rose in the ABVP to become its national president. Tawde also has to his credit the feat of becoming the youngest president of the Mumbai BJP, in 1999. Earlier, in 1995, he had served in the Maharashtra BJP as its general secretary (organisation). He was a member of the legislative council (MLC) in the state from 2008 to 2014, during the last four years of which, he was also the leader of the opposition in the council. dgcustomerfirstu Tarun Chugh Another BJP leader who entered the BJP via the ABVP and made a mark in the party as an skillful organiser, the 50-year-old Tarun Chugh is the key person who does the balancing of logistics for the BJP and prepares the programme calendar for the party and its senior leaders dickssportinggoodsfeedback Since 2020, the man from Amritsar has been the general secretary in-charge of the BJP unit in Telangana, a state where the party is trying to cement its position as a formidable opposition force. Under him, the Bandi Sanjay Kumar-led state unit began its rejuvenation by roping in Etala Rajender, a key player in the state’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The party also won two MLA seats in by-elections, and improved its tally in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections in December 2020 ten-fold. Since Chugh took charge, the Telangana unit has become one of the most active BJP state units in the country, a party leader said. dollargeneralsurvey Chugh’s expected role in the team will be to coordinate with senior leaders and Union ministers for the multiple programmes the party is going to hold in the days ahead of elections. He will be coordinating with all state units to finalise these, said sources. dqfanfeedback Women’s Reservation Bill: BRS leader Kavitha begins hunger strike; 12 parties to attend, Congress missing dqfanfeedback Inaugurating the protest, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Left parties would stand with the BRS and fight with it till the Women’s Reservation Bill is passed in Parliament. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that his government would make reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies a reality. dqfanfeedback New Delhi: Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLC K. Kavitha during a hunger strike seeking early passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (PTI) dunkindonutssurvey Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha on Friday began a day-long hunger strike in Delhi demanding passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill providing for the reservation of one-third of the total number of seats in state assemblies and Parliament for women. Telangana ministers Sabitha Indra Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod are accompanying Kavitha, who is the daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. fivepillarsof-islam The BRS said 12 political parties have so far confirmed participation in the event – the Congress was not among them. gaylessandwichshopchicago Inaugurating the protest, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Left parties would stand with the BRS and fight with it till the Women’s Reservation Bill is passed in Parliament. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that his government would make reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies a reality. httpspostalexperiencecompos Inaugurating the protest, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Left parties would stand with the BRS. (Express Photo) iarbyswemakeitright “He (PM Modi) has been in power for nine years. The Bill has not even been introduced,” he said, arguing that the representation of women in Parliament is now dismal. In Lok Sabha, only 14 per cent of the MPs are women. In Rajya Sabha, it is 11 per cent, he said. “We ask the government to table the Bill in this session itself,” he said. ipizzaranchfeedback In her address, Kavitha said, “If India needs to develop at par with other countries of the world, then women should be given more representation in politics. Therefore, the Women’s Reservation bill becomes much more important.” She said the BJP has a full majority in Parliament and hence it has a historic opportunity to pass the Bill. itellculvers The BRS said leaders of 12 parties have agreed to participate in the day-long protest, including AAP’s Sanjay Singh, Naresh Gujral of Akali Dal, Sushmita Dev from TMC, K C Tyagi of JD(U), Pooja Shukla of of the Samajwadi Party and Shyam Rajak of RLD. jacklistens Man lynched in Bihar’s Saran district on suspicion of carrying beef; 3 held, including area sarpanch jacklistens The incident took place at Jogia village on Monday morning. The police, however, did not confirm the seizure of any beef from the victim. jacklistens Jogia village falls under the jurisdiction of Rasulpur police station. The Rasulpur police did not confirm any seizure of beef from the spot. jacklistenso After a 56-year-old man, Naseem Quereshi, was allegedly lynched in Bihar’s Saran district on the suspicion that he was carrying beef, the police said they have arrested three people, including the area sarpanch. The police, however, did not confirm the seizure of any beef from the victim. jcpenneycomsurvey The incident took place on Monday morning when Naseem was travelling to Rasulpur from Siwan with his nephew Firoz Quereshi to meet relatives, as per the FIR filed by Firoz. The duo were stopped at Jogia village by a mob, allegedly on the suspicion that they were carrying beef in a bag. While Firoz managed to escape, Naseem was allegedly beaten up by the mob and later handed over to the local police. jcpenneycomsurvey Land for jobs ‘scam’: ED searches Lalu Prasad’s family, RJD leaders jcpenneycomsurvey The case pertains to people allegedly given employment in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and its associates, they said. krogerfeedbacka The Enforcement (ED) Friday conducted searches in multiple cities of Bihar in connection with a money laundering investigation into the land for jobs 'scam' case in which RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi were questioned recently by the CBI. (PTI) mcdvoice The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday conducted searches in multiple cities of Bihar and other locations, including premises of former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s three daughters and RJD leaders, in connection with a money laundering investigation into the land for jobs ‘scam’ case. mcdvoiceo The searches are covering the premises linked to Prasad’s daughters Ragini Yadav, Chanda Yadav and Hema Yadav and former RJD MLA Abu Dojana in Patna, Phulwari Sharif, Delhi-NCR, Ranchi and Mumbai, officials said. mcdvoiceo The case pertains to people allegedly given employment in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and its associates, they said. The CBI has filed a charge sheet in the case against Prasad, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and 14 others under charges of criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and all the accused have been summoned on March 15, officials had said. mybkexperienceu The ED case, filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, stems from this CBI complaint. Both Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi were questioned by the CBI in this case recently. mykfcexperience The India-Australia relationship: Strategic and trade ties; the China factor mykfcexperience The two countries are important partners in the Indo-Pacific and cooperate closely in a wide range of sectors. With Australian PM Anthony Albanese's visit to India, here are some key aspects of the bilateral relationship. mykfcexperience After a visit to the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted about the fierce but friendly sporting rivalry between the two nations. mykfcexperienceu IND vs AUS 4th Test Day 2 Live Updates: Usman Khawaja (150) and Cameron Green (95) powered Australia to an even stronger position in the Ahmedabad Test, stitching together 92 runs in the first session on Day 2 with Australia finishing at 347/4 at Lunch. mykohlscard Earlier, on the first day of the play, the visitors were 255 for four at stumps against India in the series-deciding fourth Test. Opener Usman Khawaja struck Australia’s first century of the series to edge India on a grinding first day. Australia was in no hurry and fought hard in amassing 255/4 by stumps with Khawaja batting through the entire day to finish unbeaten on 104 runs. He faced 251 balls. myshopriteexperience After recovering from two losses to win the third Test on a perilously turning field, Australia will try to level the series 2-2 as the Day 2 of the final Test begins in Ahmedabad. myshopriteexperience Digital India Bill: A new law for the Internet, and why govt is rethinking ‘safe harbour’ norms for online platforms myshopriteexperience Currently, the Information Technology Act, 2000, is the core framework that regulates entities on the Internet. However, it needs an update as the Internet of today looks much different than since the law was first passed. mywawavisit Representational, phones.The proposed law will impact a host of entities on the Internet, including social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence-based platforms. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock) mywawavisit “Should online intermediaries be entitled to safe harbour at all,” asked Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday as he presented a broad overview of the upcoming Digital India Bill – the proposed successor to the decades-old Information Technology Act, 2000. pandaguestexperienceu The proposed law will impact a host of entities on the Internet, including social media, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence-based platforms. pandexpressfeedback The answer to Chandrasekhar’s question, should the government not lean on the current regulatory status quo, could bring about a fundamental change in how a crucial part of the Internet’s infrastructure – from big technology platforms like Google, Meta and Twitter to internet service providers Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea – offer services to their users. pandexpressfeedback Currently, the Information Technology Act, 2000 is the core framework that regulates entities on the Internet. However, the law needs an update since it was framed for an Internet era that looked very different from the Internet of today. Given its limitations, the government has also on occasion found it difficult to promulgate rules since the parent Act is limited in its scope. pandexpresssurvey Chandrasekhar said that the core objectives of the new Digital India Bill are to ensure an open and safe Internet in the country to ensure users’ rights and reduce risks for them online; accelerate the growth of technology innovation. The Bill is a key pillar of an overarching framework of technology regulations the Centre is building, including the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022; Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022; and a policy for non-personal data governance. portillossurvey Safe harbour – as prescribed under Section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 – is legal immunity that online intermediaries enjoy against content posted by users on their platforms. This is available as long as these platforms abide by certain due diligence requirements, such as censoring content when asked by the government or courts. The concept originally came from Section 230 of the United States’ Communications Decency Act, which has been termed “one of the foundational laws behind the modern Internet”. safewaysurvey It is one of the main reasons behind the meteoric rise of Internet giants such as Facebook that have defined the Web 2.0 era where users can post content on the internet. Tech experts believe that safe harbour is a crucial tenet for ensuring free speech on the Internet since platforms only have to act on speech that is deemed illegal. sakfcsurveycom “In the 2000s, intermediaries equalled safe harbour, but today they have morphed into multiple types of participants on the Internet that are functionally very different from each other and require different types of guardrails and regulatory requirements. Indeed, a question – how many of them should be entitled to safe harbour,” Chandrasekhar said. screenfury “What should we consider as a safe harbour for intermediaries? Who should be entitled for safe harbour and should the government at all be playing the arbiter between platforms and those who are aggrieved by content on them,” the minister said. “There is a greater diversity and complexity about the platforms that are on the Internet today and therefore, there is this legitimate question – should there be a safe harbour at all? If there is a need for safe harbour, who should get it?” skillmachine The idea behind revisiting the concept of the safe harbour has stemmed from the fact that in the two decades since the IT Act was formulated, intermediaries have become more complex, Chandrasekhar said. He also said that owing to this complexity, there is a need to classify different types of intermediaries and form relevant regulations for each of them. subwaysurvey “Whether we call them different types of intermediaries, or different types of players on the Internet, or types of service providers is a decision we have to take. Be it e-commerce, digital media, search engines, gaming platforms, significant social media intermediaries, and for good measure fact-checking portals too,” Chandrasekhar said. tacobellsurveyu The Indian Express reported in December 2022 that the government was considering the classification of intermediaries and separate norms for them and could include fact-checking platforms in it as well. talktohannaford Under the Information Technology Rules of 2021 and subsequent amendments to it, the government has reined in the safe harbour by introducing additional due diligence requirements such as appointing India-based employees to liaison with the government and address users’ queries. More recently, three government-appointed appellate committees were also formed to adjudicate unresolved user grievances. talktohannaford In fact, not just in India, but countries around the world are reconsidering their respective safe harbour norms, including in the US where the concept originated. talktohannaford The proposed law will also regulate a range of crimes that the government thinks are unique to the online space. Chandrasekhar said that “the weaponisation of misinformation” under the garb of free speech will not be entertained and will be regulated under the Bill. Other harms include cyberbullying, doxxing, and identity theft. The Indian Express had earlier reported on all these categories of harm the government was looking at. talktostopandshop An effective adjudicatory mechanism will also be explored under the Digital India Bill. The mechanism should be easily accessible, deliver timely remedies to citizens, resolve cyber disputes, and create cyber jurisprudence going forward, he said. talktostopandshop Chandrasekhar said that the Centre will hold extensive consultations before finalising the Bill. However, he remained non-committal about timelines around when the Bill can be finalised. talktostopandshop India launches portal to ensure availability of power during peak demand at high price talktostopandshopo The central government has launched a High Price Day Ahead Market (HP-DAM) and Surplus Power Portal (PUShP), a power ministry statement said. talktowendysu R K Singh newsUnion Power Minister R K Singh launched the portal at a virtual function in New Delhi on Thursday in presence of over 200 stakeholders from state governments and the power sector, the ministry said. (File image) tellcharleys Union Power Minister R K Singh has launched a portal to ensure greater availability of power during the peak demand season at a price higher than the ceiling of Rs 12 per unit by certain category of sellers. tellcharleys The central government has launched a High Price Day Ahead Market (HP-DAM) and Surplus Power Portal (PUShP), a power ministry statement said. tellcharleys Earlier in February, power regulator CERC had approved the HP-DAM segment where power can be sold at a price as high as Rs 50 per unit. tellcharleys HP-DAM will aid stranded gas and imported coal-based power plants to generate and sell expensive power to meet the high peak demand in summers which is expected to touch 239 GW this season. tellculverse Besides, the new segment will also ensure availability of electricity through an expensive battery energy storage system. tellculversu The Union Minister said that only those generating capacities which have a cost of producing power of more than Rs 12 per unit would be allowed to operate in HP-DAM. tellhappystaru If the cost of production is less than Rs 12, the generators will have to offer power in the Power Exchange’s Integrated Day Ahead Market (I-DAM) only with a ceiling price of Rs 12, he stated. tellhappystaru He asked the Central Electricity Authority and the Grid Controller to ensure that prices are reasonable in the HP-DAM and take necessary action to ensure that no Power Producers charge exorbitant prices, which are much more than the cost of production. telloutback Singh launched the portal at a virtual function in New Delhi on Thursday in presence of over 200 stakeholders from state governments and the power sector, the ministry said. tellpopeyesu Last year the Ministry of Power, after taking note of the fact that on some days the prices in the electricity exchange had gone up to Rs 20, had given directions to the CERC to put a price cap of Rs 12 on the exchange, so that there is no profiteering, it explained. tellthebello The cap was imposed from April 1, 2022 in Day Ahead Market & Real Time Market, and further in all segments from May 6, 2022. tellthebello This move rationalized the price for buyers. Because of the high prices of gas in the international market; the electricity made by using gas was expensive — more than Rs 12 per unit — and this capacity could not be sold on the market. tellthebellx Similarly, the imported coal-based plants and the Renewable Energy stored in battery-energy storage systems could not be brought into operation, as their generation cost was high, it explained. toddwolfson Singh, said in the statement that the HP-DAM was part of the overall strategy to ensure that all available power capacity is utilized for supply to consumers. walmarsurvey Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State of Power and Heavy Industries expressed confidence that the new mechanism will ensure adequate availability of power. whataburgersurveyu Power Secretary Alok Kumar, while citing many benefits of the new market mechanism, clarified that as against some reports, Rs 50 per unit was only a technical cap and the market forces would ensure a much lower rate. wikihomegym The surplus power portal is a one-of-its-kind initiative, reflecting the ingenuity of the Ministry of Power and the Regulator. Distribution Companies have tied up long-term PPAs for power supply. wingstopcomsurvey They have to pay fixed charges even when they do not schedule the power. Now the DISCOMs will be able to indicate their surplus power in block times/days/months on the portal. Those DISCOMs who need power will be able to requisition the surplus power. wwwarbyscomsurvey The new buyer will pay both variable charge (VC) and fixed cost (FC) as determined by Regulators. Once power is reassigned, the original beneficiary shall have no right to recall as entire FC liability is also shifted to the new beneficiary. wwwarbyscomsurveyu Dwarf elephants? Giant rats? Strange island creatures at high risk wwwhomdepotcomsurvey Islands foster unique evolutionary dynamics. For large-bodied species, there is evolutionary pressure to get smaller because of limits to habitat area and food resources compared to the mainland. wwwjacklistenscom sicilian dwarf elephantA mounted skeleton of an extinct Sicilian dwarf elephant, the size of a Shetland pony, is seen at Museo Geologico “G. G. Gemmellaro” in Palermo, Sicily, Italy in this undated handout photo. (Roberto Rozzi/Handout via REUTERS) wwwjcpenneycomsurvey A dwarf elephant the size of a Shetland pony once roamed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. In the West Indies, a giant rat-like rodent tipped the scales at more than 400 pounds (180 kg), rivaling an American black bear. wwwlowescomsurvey They were examples of the “island effect,” a rule in evolutionary biology describing how large-bodied species tend to downsize on islands while small-bodied species upsize. These island dwarfs and giants – a menagerie also including pint-sized hippos, buffaloes and wolves – long have faced an elevated extinction risk that, according to a new study, is intensifying, imperiling some of Earth’s most unique creatures. wwwlowescomsurvey Focusing on island-dwelling mammals, researchers said on Thursday they examined 1,231 existing species and 350 extinct ones spanning the past 23 million years. Extinction risk was seen highest among species that underwent more extreme body size shifts compared to mainland relatives. And the arrival of people on the islands raised extinction rates more than tenfold. wwwpublixsurveycom “Unfortunately, the slope of the extinction curve that began with the arrival of the first human voyagers and continued with the later waves of colonization has become even steeper in recent decades,” said paleoecologist Roberto Rozzi of the Natural History Museum of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, lead author of the study published in the journal Science. wwwtellaldius Islands foster unique evolutionary dynamics. For large-bodied species, there is evolutionary pressure to get smaller because of limits to habitat area and food resources compared to the mainland. But small-bodied species, because there is a decreased risk from predators on islands, are emancipated from evolutionary constraints on their size. zaxbyslistens Some endangered island species today include: the dwarf buffalo Tamaraw on the Philippine island of Mindoro, 21% the size of its closest mainland relative; the spotted deer of the Philippine Visayan islands of Panay and Negros, 26% the size of its closest mainland relative; and Jamaica’s hutia, a rodent 4-1/2 times bigger than its closest mainland relative. zaxbyslistens Indonesia’s island of Flores is a remarkable laboratory for the island effect, also called “Foster’s rule,” based on observations by mammalogist J. Bristol Foster in the 1960s. It once was home to a dwarf elephant relative, giant rats and a giant stork, as well as a dwarf human species – Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the “Hobbit,” standing just 3-1/2 feet tall (106 cm) tall. The Hobbit disappeared about 50,000 years ago, shortly after our species Homo sapiens reached Flores. zaxbyslistens Islands are biodiversity hotspots. Although they cover less than 7% of Earth’s land area, they account for up to 20% of land species.