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Anisha Dutta

Articles by Anisha Dutta

Iranian bank to open in Mumbai by March

India has permitted an Iranian private bank to open a branch in Mumbai that is expected to begin operations by March to handle transactions related to New Delhi’s oil purchases in view of American sanctions on Tehran.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari welcomes Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at his residence, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019.(PTI file photo)

india news

Updated on Jan 09, 2019 02:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta and Rezaul H Laskar

Window closing for Aadhaar-driving licence link law

The government is racing against time to implement the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with driving licences — a proposal that is part of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill. Activists fear the legislation may lapse if not passed in the current Parliament session.

Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday the government will change the law to make it mandatory for linking Aadhaar with driving licences in a bid to avoid duplication of the latter.(PTI)

india news

Published on Jan 08, 2019 07:36 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Land acquisition remains a hurdle in building transport infrastructure: Road ministry

Key impediments include the high cost of land and the lengthy process of land acquisition, the ministry said in a presentation to the Commission at the meeting held by MoRTH and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari and XVFC chairman NK Singh on Wednesday.

Land acquisition remains a major challenge in building transport infrastructure, the ministry of road transport and highways said.(HT File Photo)

india news

Published on Jan 05, 2019 10:56 PM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta, New Delhi

Transport ministry hopes to get ₹81,000 crore in vote on account

An interim budget refers to the budget presented by a government going through a transition period, usually ahead of polls.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the last six months of its tenure may present an interim budget for the coming financial year, transport ministry officials said.(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Jan 04, 2019 11:33 AM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Government completed 40% of 700 ongoing national highways projects in 4 years

The total length of NHs increased from about 91,287 km in 2014 to about 131,326 km at present followed by the central decision to declare about 39,040 km length of state roads as new national highways.

india news

Published on Jan 03, 2019 09:27 AM IST

Hindustan Tiimes, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Experts fear motor vehicles bill may lapse

Road safety experts and members of opposition in Parliament have called for early enactment of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill, 2017 fearing it may lapse if not passed in the current session of the Rajya Sabha.

The amended Motor Vehicle Bill aims to usher reforms in the transport sector and would amend the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.(HT file photo)

india news

Published on Dec 30, 2018 06:54 AM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Cabinet okays death penalty for aggravated sexual assault of children

To curb child pornography, the amendment levies heavy fine for not deleting, destroying child pornographic material. Not reporting child pornography will also invite a hefty fine, the minister said.

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved death penalty for aggravated sexual abuse of children as part of amendments to make the law governing crimes against children more stringent(Reuters/Representative Image)

india news

Updated on Dec 28, 2018 11:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Nitin Gadkari steps in to control crowd that mocked Arvind Kejriwal at govt event

Gadkari and Kejriwal were participating in a function to lay the foundation stone of nine projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation under the centre’s Namami Gange Programme.

Gadkari and Kejriwal were participating in a high-security function of the central government at Vigyan Bhawan to lay the foundation stone of nine projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation under the Namami Gange Programme.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Dec 28, 2018 02:25 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Centre considering subsidy on electric vehicles, says power minister RK Singh

The move came against the backdrop of the government’s target of achieving full electric mobility by 2030.

Union power minister RK Singh in New Delhi, India on Thursday, March 10, 2016. ( Photo by Sonu Mehta/ Hindustan Times)(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 24, 2018 03:47 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta, New Delhi

Centre to roll out prepaid metering across India from April, says power and renewable energy minister RK Singh

If state governments want to give subsidy, they can give as much as they want. However, whatever subsidy state governments decide to give, they have to give that amount to the DISCOMs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government is planning to introduce prepaid electricity recharge cards like in case of mobile phones at the fag end of its tenure from April 2019, says power and renewable energy minister RK Singh.(HT file Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 24, 2018 01:51 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta and Rajeev Jayaswal

6 years after Dec 16 gangrape, Nirbhaya fund disbursal still a work in progress

The Nirbhaya fund was announced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2013 in the aftermath of the gruesome gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student in New Delhi on December 16, 2012.

The fund was announced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2013 in the aftermath of the gruesome gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student in New Delhi on December 16, 2012.(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 23, 2018 08:20 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

PM Narendra Modi to open bridge over Brahmaputra to boost Northeast connectivity

The 4.94 km bridge is touted as the longest rail-and-road bridge in India and is situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh city in Assam.

A security personnel stands guard at Bogibell Bridge in Dibrugarh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate on December 25 the Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-road bridge, connecting the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra, falling in the eastern part of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Dec 23, 2018 04:48 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta & Faizan Haider

Decline in Centre’s funds for key women-centric schemes in 2018

The Ujjawala scheme, for prevention of trafficking and for rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and repatriation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation saw a decline in funding too — from ₹2,450.54 lakh the previous financial year to ₹523.72 lakh thus far in 2018-19.

Beti Padhao Beti Bachao by NCP Women's Wing at Vashi Navi Mumbai in May 2017. Central assistance for key women-centric schemes has seen a decline in 2018-19, largely because of poor implementation by the states.(Bachchan Kumar/HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 19, 2018 07:10 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Transport ministry issues SOP for e-Challans

The DigiLocker platform of the ministry of electronics and information technology has the facility to pull a citizen’s driving license or the certificate of registration details in an electronic form.

On Monday, the transport ministry finally released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for validating information or impounding the documents in electronic form.(Yogesh Kumar/HT File PHOTO)

india news

Published on Dec 19, 2018 12:05 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Government may not amend opposing clauses in Motor Vehicle Bill

Ministry officials said they won’t negotiate with states on clauses which have been opposed.

A view of Parliament House Building during the Parliament Winter Session in New Delhi on December 12.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Dec 14, 2018 06:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Thai envoy lays stress on motor vehicles pact

The nearly 1,400-km trilateral highway is aimed at giving a massive boost to trade in Southeast Asia and is an integral part of India’s “Act East” policy.

Thai ambassador Chutintorn Gongsakdi has said India, Myanmar and Thailand should expedite negotiations on a motor vehicles pact and legal infrastructure.(HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 14, 2018 04:54 PM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta and Rezaul H Laskar

Assembly Elections 2018: Decline in women and Muslim candidates, says think tank

The findings are based on the data compiled by a think tank the day after the assembly elections results for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh and Telangana were declared.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje speaks to the media after the announcement of Assembly election results, in Jaipur, Dec. 11, 2018.(PTI)

elections

Published on Dec 13, 2018 12:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Crime against women: Gujarat gets highest distress calls

Over four lakh women in Gujarat called on government’s women helpline number 180 in the last three years. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh received maximum number of complaints by women at government One Stop Centres (OSCs) with 26,884 and 21,747 complaints, respectively.

The women helpline at Gujarat received 435,378 complaints by women till November, while Uttar Pradesh got 314,455 complaints, Bihar (377,917), Andhra Pradesh (393,676), Telangana (275,324) and Punjab (106,622).(AFP/Picture for representation)

india news

Updated on Dec 08, 2018 10:51 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Maneka wants NCW to have powers similar to civil court

Gandhi wants the NCW to have power akin to the civil courts as it would help the body to address all complaints that come to it. The focus of the meeting would be to strengthen the women’s commission, the minister added.

Union minister of women and child development (WCD) Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.(File photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 08, 2018 07:40 AM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Patna set to receive its first cargo vessel next week

Inland Waterways Authority of India vessel MV RN Tagore will be the first cargo vessel to reach Patna’s Gaighat IWT terminal next week. The vessel, which set sail from Kolkata on Thursday carrying 16 units of cargo, will anchor at Patna after a 815-km voyage.

According to the World Bank analysis, of the 1.5 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities to be created due to interventions under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP), 50,000 will be in Bihar alone.(Parwaz Khan /HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Dec 07, 2018 06:00 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

All cars sold from April 2019 to have fuel stickers, high-security registration plates

As part of guidelines, the transport ministry said stickers on car windscreens — “in the form of the third registration plate” — will be light blue colour for petrol and CNG vehicles and orange for diesel.

High Security Registration Plate project being manufactured in a unit in Delhi. According to government notification issued on December 6, 2018, car manufacturers will have to fix high-security registration plates at point of sale.(HT File Photo)

india news

Published on Dec 07, 2018 11:56 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta, New Delhi

Vehicle makers to mandatorily provide high-security plates

Features: Chromium based hot-stamped hologram along with an image of the Ashoka Chakra; retro-reflective film, bearing a verification inscription ‘India’ at 45 degree inclination; and the permanent identification number of minimum 7 digits which will be laser branded into the reflective sheeting on the bottom-hand side of the registration plate.

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) would be providing HSRP number plates from April 1, 2019 for new vehicles(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 06, 2018 10:07 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

WCD ministry to formulate norms for children hostels amid crackdown on shelter homes

The WCD ministry has directed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to draft the guidelines in consultation with all stakeholders concerned. It also plans to have these guidelines notified under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Union minister of women and child development (WCD) Maneka Gandhi.(HT Photo)

india news

Published on Dec 06, 2018 12:11 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

Govt amends Motor Vehicles Act to include bio-fuel run farm tractors

Agriculture tractors, power tillers, construction equipment vehicles and combine harvesters can now be converted to run on bio-fuels.

In a bid to promote bio-fuel run vehicles, the government on Monday issued notification to include dual-fuel vehicles for agricultural tractors and construction equipment vehicles.(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Dec 04, 2018 04:28 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

To cut cost, railways to set up solar plants on its vacant land

Indian Railways plans to set up plants to generate 10 GW under the first phase of the initiative. This will also aid the railways in lowering its energy bill of around ₹30,000 crore each year.

india news

Published on Dec 03, 2018 12:04 AM IST

ByAnisha Dutta

Pakistan’s Kartarpur corridor project faces logistical hurdles

Pakistan will have to find a way to bridge the two water bodies before next year’s celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

The opening of the Kartarpur corridor that will connect the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan — the final resting place of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith — to Dera Baba Nanak in India faces several logistical challenges, apart from the obvious politico-diplomatic issues.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Dec 02, 2018 08:17 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnisha Dutta and Sudhi Ranjan Sen

15 states have 100% household electrification now, says govt

The announcement was made by union minister of state (independent charge) for power and renewable energy RK Singh after the Review, Planning & Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with states and state power utilities.

A family in the light of a bulb in a slum. Image for representation.(HT file photo)

india news

Updated on Nov 29, 2018 11:44 PM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

2 lakh more units to be built under PM’s housing scheme

Under the scheme, Maharashtra has been sanctioned 116,042 more houses and Karnataka, 31,657. The incremental number of houses sanctioned for Bihar is 26,880, while Tamil Nadu has been sanctioned 15,529 houses and Jammu & Kashmir, 15,334 houses.

Taking the cumulative number of houses sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to 6.5 million, the ministry of housing and urban affairs on Wednesday approved 205,442 houses to be added under the Prime Minister’s scheme.(PTI)

india news

Published on Nov 28, 2018 11:26 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnisha Dutta

PM to meet Chinese Prez Xi on sidelines of G-20 summit

This will be the fourth meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in last seven months, Gokhale said that a meeting with BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) head of states is also scheduled.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires on November 30, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said on Tuesday. Modi will be leaving for Argentina on Wednesday evening and return on December 2 .(Reuters Photo)

india news

Updated on Nov 27, 2018 11:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByAnisha Dutta

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to roll out four lane project for Kartarpur corridor on Monday

The Indian side of corridor starts from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur District of Punjab and extends upto the international border between India and Pakistan.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday will lay the foundation stone for the construction of Dera Baba Nanak - Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.(HT File Photo)

india news

Published on Nov 25, 2018 10:26 AM IST

New Delhi | ByAnisha Dutta

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Anisha Dutta

India has permitted an Iranian private bank to open a branch in Mumbai that is expected to begin operations by March to handle transactions related to New Delhi’s oil purchases in view of American sanctions on Tehran.

The government is racing against time to implement the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with driving licences — a proposal that is part of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill. Activists fear the legislation may lapse if not passed in the current Parliament session.

Key impediments include the high cost of land and the lengthy process of land acquisition, the ministry said in a presentation to the Commission at the meeting held by MoRTH and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari and XVFC chairman NK Singh on Wednesday.

An interim budget refers to the budget presented by a government going through a transition period, usually ahead of polls.

The total length of NHs increased from about 91,287 km in 2014 to about 131,326 km at present followed by the central decision to declare about 39,040 km length of state roads as new national highways.

Road safety experts and members of opposition in Parliament have called for early enactment of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill, 2017 fearing it may lapse if not passed in the current session of the Rajya Sabha.

To curb child pornography, the amendment levies heavy fine for not deleting, destroying child pornographic material. Not reporting child pornography will also invite a hefty fine, the minister said.

Gadkari and Kejriwal were participating in a function to lay the foundation stone of nine projects for Yamuna Rejuvenation under the centre’s Namami Gange Programme.

The move came against the backdrop of the government’s target of achieving full electric mobility by 2030.

If state governments want to give subsidy, they can give as much as they want. However, whatever subsidy state governments decide to give, they have to give that amount to the DISCOMs.

The Nirbhaya fund was announced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2013 in the aftermath of the gruesome gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student in New Delhi on December 16, 2012.

The 4.94 km bridge is touted as the longest rail-and-road bridge in India and is situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh city in Assam.

The Ujjawala scheme, for prevention of trafficking and for rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and repatriation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation saw a decline in funding too — from ₹2,450.54 lakh the previous financial year to ₹523.72 lakh thus far in 2018-19.

The DigiLocker platform of the ministry of electronics and information technology has the facility to pull a citizen’s driving license or the certificate of registration details in an electronic form.

Ministry officials said they won’t negotiate with states on clauses which have been opposed.

The nearly 1,400-km trilateral highway is aimed at giving a massive boost to trade in Southeast Asia and is an integral part of India’s “Act East” policy.

The findings are based on the data compiled by a think tank the day after the assembly elections results for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh and Telangana were declared.

Over four lakh women in Gujarat called on government’s women helpline number 180 in the last three years. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh received maximum number of complaints by women at government One Stop Centres (OSCs) with 26,884 and 21,747 complaints, respectively.

Gandhi wants the NCW to have power akin to the civil courts as it would help the body to address all complaints that come to it. The focus of the meeting would be to strengthen the women’s commission, the minister added.

Inland Waterways Authority of India vessel MV RN Tagore will be the first cargo vessel to reach Patna’s Gaighat IWT terminal next week. The vessel, which set sail from Kolkata on Thursday carrying 16 units of cargo, will anchor at Patna after a 815-km voyage.

As part of guidelines, the transport ministry said stickers on car windscreens — “in the form of the third registration plate” — will be light blue colour for petrol and CNG vehicles and orange for diesel.

The WCD ministry has directed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to draft the guidelines in consultation with all stakeholders concerned. It also plans to have these guidelines notified under the Juvenile Justice Act.

Agriculture tractors, power tillers, construction equipment vehicles and combine harvesters can now be converted to run on bio-fuels.

Indian Railways plans to set up plants to generate 10 GW under the first phase of the initiative. This will also aid the railways in lowering its energy bill of around ₹30,000 crore each year.

Pakistan will have to find a way to bridge the two water bodies before next year’s celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

The announcement was made by union minister of state (independent charge) for power and renewable energy RK Singh after the Review, Planning & Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with states and state power utilities.

Under the scheme, Maharashtra has been sanctioned 116,042 more houses and Karnataka, 31,657. The incremental number of houses sanctioned for Bihar is 26,880, while Tamil Nadu has been sanctioned 15,529 houses and Jammu & Kashmir, 15,334 houses.

This will be the fourth meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in last seven months, Gokhale said that a meeting with BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) head of states is also scheduled.

The Indian side of corridor starts from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur District of Punjab and extends upto the international border between India and Pakistan.

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