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Punjab Lok Sabha elections 2024: A look at BJP candidates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Punjab, comprising 13 parliamentary constituencies, is gearing up to vote for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in a single phase on June 1. This time, the state is witnessing a multi-cornered contest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Despite being members of the INDIA bloc, AAP and Congress have decided to go solo in Punjab, while the two former allies — BJP and SAD — earlier failed to revive their alliance.

During the 2019 general elections, the Congress won eight out of 13 seats in Punjab, while the BJP and SAD received two seats each. The remaining seat went to the AAP.

Amid its growing dominance, the BJP is aiming to improve its tally in Punjab in the 2024 elections.

In recent years, the saffron party has welcomed multiple senior leaders from various opposition parties, including former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, his wife and sitting Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, two-time Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu and AAP’s Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku among several others.

Also, this will be the party’s first general elections in Punjab under the leadership of its state unit president Sunil Jakhar, who joined the BJP in 2022.

Voting dates

Voting for the 2024 elections in Punjab will be conducted in the last phase on June 1. The counting of votes will be done on June 4.

During the 2019 polls, the state registered a total voter turnout of 65.94%.

Total seats

The state has 13 parliamentary constituencies, out of which four seats are reserved for SC candidates, while the remaining nine are unreserved.

BJP candidates

With the support of several prominent names in the state, the BJP is hoping for a better performance in Punjab this time. Here’s a complete list of candidates announced by the party in Punjab for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections:

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India warns against vulnerability in Android devices, suggests ways to protect personal data

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the government’s cybersecurity agency, has issued a high-severity warning for vulnerabilities that can affect multiple versions of the Android operating system.

Identified in CERT-In Vulnerability Note CIVN-2024-0161, these vulnerabilities pose a major threat to the privacy and device security of Android users.

These flagged vulnerabilities can affect various components of the Android system, which includes its “Framework, System, Google Play system updates, Kernel, Kernel LTS, Arm components, MediaTek components, Qualcomm components, and Qualcomm closed-source components,” the agency warned.

Risks involved

Once successfully exploited, these vulnerabilities may have severe consequences for Android users. They may allow hackers to potentially steal sensitive information, including users’ data like contacts, messages, browsing history and login credentials among others.

Further, it allows the attacker to gain elevated privileges on the targeted system. The hacker may gain control of the Android device and install malicious software to monitor activity or to steal data.

Also, this can disrupt device functionality, it added.

Android versions that can be affected

CERT-In warning applies to multiple Android versions that are currently in use. These include Android 12, Android 12L, Android 13 and the latest Android 14.

How to protect your devices?

To protect the devices, the CERT-In has urged users to update the software whenever available by the respective OEMs.

Notably, tech giant Google has already released a fix for the vulnerabilities. “Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform. We encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible,” it said in a bulletin on May 6.

For this, users are advised to make sure they have enabled automatic updates on their respective devices to receive and install the latest security patches as soon as they are available.

Meanwhile, users should stay aware of suspicious apps and download and install apps from a trusted source like the Google Play Store. Besides this, pay close attention to permissions requested by the various apps.

Users can also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) which adds an extra layer of security to the accounts.

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More than just a hoax? A look at bomb threats received in various cities in past few weeks

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In the past few weeks, a panic wave swept through multiple cities in the country after schools, hospitals, airports and railway stations received bomb threats.

However, nothing suspicious was found in any of these places. It became apparent that these bomb threats were nothing but a hoax; police authorities continued to investigate the matter. Let’s take a look at how this started.

Delhi: Over 100 schools get threat mail

It all started on May 1 when more than 100 schools across Delhi-NCR received identical bomb threats via email. This incident sparked widespread panic among students, school authorities as well as parents. While the authorities initiated mass evacuations and conducted extensive searches of the school premises, investigations revealed the threats to be false alarms, as nothing suspicious was discovered during the searches.

Later on, the cyber cell of Delhi Police tracked the IP address of the threatening emails, which originated from Russia and might have been sent via VPN, according to reports.

Ahmedabad

Nearly a week after Delhi, several schools in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city received alarming bomb threats via email on May 6, sparking panic among both staff and parents. However, in a swift response to the situation, the law enforcement authorities initiated an investigation and found out that these threats were nothing but again a hoax. According to reports, the emails to Ahmedabad-based schools were sent from the Russian domain ‘mail.ru’ — the same which was used to send the bomb threats to the Delhi-NCR schools earlier.

Jaipur

On Monday, over 50 schools in Rajasthan’s capital city received bomb threats via email, triggering panic among students and their parents. However, here, too, the authorities did not find any explosives or anything suspicious while conducting a thorough search operation in these schools.

Tihar Jail

Delhi’s Tihar Jail received a bomb threat email, adding to a series of similar warnings sent to schools and hospitals

The jail authorities alerted the Delhi Police about the threat, leading to thorough searches within the prison premises. Tihar jail houses several high-profile inmates, including key politicians.

Hospitals, airports targeted

Before the Jaipur incident, a total of 20 hospitals, the IGI Airport and the Northern Railways’ CPRO office in the national capital also received bomb threats through emails on Sunday.

While earlier threats were received from a Russia-based mailing service, this time the mail was received from a Europe-based mailing service company ‘beeble.com’, PTI quoted officials as saying.

The email was sent to one hospital, while copies were marked to others with the same content. The mail was generated from the id ‘courtgroup03@beeble.com’. Police officials suspect the e-mail to be sent with the help of a VPN (virtual private network) or proxy server so that the IP address of the sender can not be traced.

On Sunday, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport also received a similar threat, which police said later on turned out to be a hoax.

Bengaluru

In Karnataka’s capital city, six private hospitals received bomb threats via email on Sunday, which turned out to be a hoax.

Soon after the threats, police started an extensive search operation along with dog and bomb disposal teams in these city hospitals. However, nothing suspicious was found, an official informed.

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Oil India issues clarification on reports of losses due to delayed projects, shares gain over 3%

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Shares of Oil India Ltd gained more than 3% on Tuesday after the company issued a clarification on media reports claiming that the company had incurred significant losses due to project delays and other irregularities in Assam.

The news reports were based on a recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Shares of Oil India Ltd gained as much as 3.76% to hit an intraday high of ₹627. However, the oil stock pared some gains to trade 2.81% higher at ₹621.2 apiece at 2:52 pm.

The audit report had highlighted three findings. Firstly, losses due to non-recovery of liquidated damage from the contractor and contractual deficiencies in constructing an effluent treatment plant at Tengakhat in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.

Secondly, the idling of the Baghjan Madhuban Pipeline for over two years post-commissioning and thirdly, delays in the construction of the Oil Collecting Station (OCS) in Nadua and Group Gathering Station (GGS) in East Khagorijan.

In an exchange filing, Oil India said that the liquidated damages reported on the construction of the effluent treatment plant at Tengakhat have been recovered.

Regarding Baghjan Madhuban Pipeline, the company said that it has completed the project within the designated timeframe, and efforts were underway to connect it to the National Gas Grid, in alignment with the NorthEast Hydrocarbon Vision 2030.

On the Nadua-Khagarijan OCS and GGS project, Oil India Limited said they were scheduled for completion by December 2024 and any potential delays would be addressed according to contractual provisions upon their commissioning.

The state-owned oil exploration and production company added that it has been responding to queries raised by the CAG.

Following the grant of Maharatna status to Oil India Limited, the company said restructuring and automation of activities at its field headquarters in Duliajan, Assam, were ongoing. It has also denied media reports about office relocation and said plans to develop Duliajan into a smart city were underway.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Peninsula Land shares rally nearly 17% on plans to raise ₹150 crore via OCDs

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Shares of Peninsula Land have rallied nearly 17% after the company announced a fundraising proposal of up to ₹150 via optionally convertible debentures.

In a filing to the stock exchanges on May 10, the real estate firm informed the bourses that its Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on June 3, 2024, to consider a proposal to raise funds through the allotment of optionally convertible debentures.

The company said that the unsecured OCDs will be issued on a preferential basis by way of private placement to Arsenio Strategies Pvt Ltd.

Peninsula Land also said that a total of 2.65 crore OCDs in two tranches will be issued to Arsenio Strategies Pvt Ltd. The 2.65 crore issue will be done in two tranches to raise ₹150 crore.

The first tranche of the issue will comprise 1.99 crore OCDs and the second tranche will comprise an issue of 66,37,168 OCDs. The face value of the OCDs is ₹56.5 each.

The Proposed Investor shall have the option to convert the OCDs into fully paid-up equity shares of face value ₹2 each of the Company at any time within a period of 18 months from the date of allotment, the company informed the bourses.

Shares of Peninsula Land gained as much as 16.84% to hit an intraday high of ₹69.99 apiece on the BSE. However, the realty stock pared early gains and traded 14.56% higher at ₹68.63 apiece at 12:46 pm.

The Ashok Piramal Group company has announced setting up a real estate firm in collaboration with Alpha Alternatives and Delta Corporation.

The new firm will be engaged in undertaking residential re-development in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and plotted development in neighbouring areas of MMR like Alibaug, Khopoli, Karjat and Pune. The new entity will have an aggregated funding of ₹765 crore.

The company informed the exchanges that it plans to deploy the funds raised via debentures in entities being jointly set up by Peninsula Land, Delta Corp Limited, and Alpha Alternatives Fund Advisors LLP and its affiliates.

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Jharkhand Lok Sabha elections 2024: All about INDIA bloc candidates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Jharkhand, a tribal-dominated state, comprises 14 parliamentary constituencies, where voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is being conducted in four different phases. While four constituencies went for polls in the fourth phase on May 13, three will vote during the fifth phase on May 20, followed by four seats in the sixth phase on May 25 and the remaining three seats in the final phase on June 1. The counting of votes will be on June 4.

A look back at the eastern state’s political history demonstrates how no single party has ever established dominance over the years.

During the 2019 general elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won 12 seats in Jharkhand, of which 11 went to the BJP. The alliance received a total vote share of 56%.

The Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) could manage only one seat each, with a combined vote share of 34.58%. However, the Congress-JMM alliance later that year won the Assembly elections in the state.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Jharkhand is witnessing a direct contest between NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc.

While BJP is contesting polls in alliance with All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), the INDIA bloc includes Congress, JMM, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (M-L)L.

Jharkhand Lok Sabha elections: Voting dates

Voting for the 2024 general elections in Jharkhand is being conducted in the last four phases. After May 13, the state will vote on May 20, May 25 and June 1.  In 2019, the state registered a total voter turnout of 66.80%.

Jharkhand Lok Sabha elections: Total seats

In total, Jharkhand comprises 14 parliamentary constituencies, of which five are reserved for the SC candidates and one seat is reserved for the ST candidates. The rest of the eight seats are unreserved.

Jharkhand Lok Sabha elections: INDIA bloc candidates

As part of the seat-sharing agreement in the INDIA bloc, the Congress has fielded its candidates on seven seats in Jharkhand, while the alliance is represented by JMM on five seats.

In the remaining two seats, RJD and CPI(ML)L have nominated their candidates. Here’s a complete list of INDIA bloc candidates in Jharkhand:

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Odisha Assembly elections 2024: Complete list of Congress-led INDIA bloc candidates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Odisha, once a stronghold of Congress, has seen the influence of the grand old party dwindle in the past few elections. Notably, its arch rival — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — too faces stiff competition from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which parted ways from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2009 and has since made Odisha its bastion.

In Odisha, voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls is being conducted simultaneously in four phases.

While polling for 28 Assembly seats and four Lok Sabha constituencies was held on Monday, May 13, 35 Assembly seats and five Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

It will be followed by 42 Assembly segments and six Lok Sabha seats on May 25 and the remaining 42 Assembly seats and six Lok Sabha constituencies in the last phase on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.

While the BJD and BJP have fielded their candidates in all 147 Assembly constituencies, the Congress is contesting the polls as part of the INDIA bloc, which also includes the Left Front.

During the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJD bagged 112 seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, securing a fifth consecutive term.

The BJP stood second after winning 23 seats, while the Congress was limited to just nine seats. The remaining two seats went to CPI(M) and an Independent candidate.

Odisha Assembly Elections 2024: Voting dates

In the state, polling for the 2024 elections is being conducted in four phases. After May 13, the state will go to polls on May 20, 25 and June 1. In 2019, Odisha registered a total voter turnout of 73.20%.

Odisha Assembly elections 2024: Total seats

Odisha has 147 Assembly constituencies, including 33 seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and 24 seats for the Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.

Odisha Assembly elections 2024: INDIA bloc candidates

The Congress-led INDIA bloc is aiming for a comeback in Odisha as the grand old party has suffered massively in the past few elections in the state.

Here’s a complete list of INDIA bloc candidates for the 2024 Odisha Assembly polls:

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Happy Birthday, Mark Zuckerberg: How much Meta CEO’s net worth has grown since the WhatsApp takeover

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta, is celebrating his 40th birthday on May 14. Zuckerberg, one of the most influential figures in the tech industry, has had a major impact on how people connect and communicate around the world.

At 40, Zuckerberg continues to steer Facebook and its parent company, Meta, toward new technological frontiers.

Born on May 14, 1984, Zuckerberg has grown from a Harvard dropout into a billionaire philanthropist, owning several tech ventures over the years. He started Facebook in 2004 and took it public in 2012.

In 2021, the social media platform changed its name to Meta to shift the company’s focus to the metaverse. Under his leadership, Facebook has grown into a global platform with over 2.8 billion active users.

Beyond this, he has also expanded his influence through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which is run by Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan and focuses on philanthropy in health, education, and scientific research with an investment of 99 per cent of the couple’s wealth over their lifetime.

Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth:

The net worth of Mark Zuckerberg has grown significantly over the last few years. According to Forbes, his net worth stands at $177 billion, making him the fourth richest person in the world.

Since the acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014 for $19 billion, his net worth has grown significantly. In 2014, his net worth was approximately $26.1 billion, which now stands at around $177 billion, reflecting a substantial increase in the net worth due to Meta’s expanding business and strategic acquisitions over the year.

Before turning 40, he gifted himself a brand-new superyacht, Launchpad in March 2024.

According to reports, Zuckerberg purchased $59 million worth of waterfront property on Lake Tahoe in California in 2019.

He spends his money on luxury vehicles and owns an Acura TSX, a Honda Fit, and a black Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Zuckerberg has led the acquisition of numerous businesses over the years, including Oculus VR, Instagram, WhatsApp, and several others.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Odisha Assembly elections 2024: Complete list of BJD candidates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Undeterred by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) growing dominance in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seems confident of securing his sixth consecutive term in the state, where voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly polls is being conducted in four phases.

Polling for the first phase was conducted in 28 Assembly seats and four Lok Sabha constituencies on Monday, May 13. In the fifth phase, 35 Assembly seats and five Lok Sabha constituencies will vote on May 20, 42 Assembly segments and six Lok Sabha seats on May 25 and the remaining 42 Assembly seats and six Lok Sabha constituencies in the last phase on June 1. The results will be out on June 4.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the ruling party in Odisha since 2000, is pitted in a three-way contest with the BJP and Congress-led INDIA bloc in the 2024 elections.

In the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJD secured a fifth consecutive term in the state Assembly after winning 112 of the 147 seats. The BJP managed a victory in 23 constituencies, while the Congress was limited to nine and the remaining two seats went to CPI(M) and an Independent candidate.

Earlier, there were talks of a pre-poll alliance between the BJP and BJD in Odisha, but the saffron party later decided to go solo after they couldn’t be on the same page.

Odisha Assembly Elections 2024: Voting dates

Polling for the 2024 elections in Odisha is being held in four phases. After May 13, Odisha will vote on May 20, 25 and June 1. In 2019, the state marked a total voter turnout of 73.20%.

Odisha Assembly elections 2024: Total seats

In Odisha, there are 147 Assembly constituencies. Of these, 33 seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and 24 seats for the Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates.

Odisha Assembly elections 2024: BJD candidates

After being in power for the last five terms, the BJD continues to be the dominating party in the state and is hopeful of securing another term in the state Assembly. Here’s a complete list of candidates announced by the party for the 2024 Assembly polls:

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Aarti Pharmalabs shares rally over 12% after March quarter net profit increases 52%

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Aarti Pharmalabs shares gained nearly 12% on Tuesday, May 14, after the company reported over a 52% growth in net profit for the March quarter. The company also announced a dividend payout for eligible shareholders after market hours on Monday.

The pharmaceutical company’s shares rallied over 12% to hit an intra-day high of ₹591.60 per share. It was trading 12.68% higher at ₹586 apiece at 12.05 pm.

The company reported a 52.2% jump in its consolidated net profit at ₹65.25 crore for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2023-24 from the previous year’s ₹42.87 crore. The net profit was also 23% more than the previous quarter’s ₹52.76 crore.

The company’s net profit for FY24 increased by 12.09% to ₹216.9 crore from ₹193.49 crore in FY23.

Aarti Pharmalabs’ total income increased by 4.5% to ₹507.8 crore, compared to the previous year’s ₹485.8 crore. The company also witnessed a nearly 13% jump in its total income from the December quarter’s ₹450.08 crore.

The pharmaceutical company’s total income for FY24 declined by 4.62% to ₹1,857.5 crore against ₹1,947.55 crores in FY23.

The board has recommended a final dividend of ₹1 per equity share of ₹5 each (20%) to the members for the financial year ended March 31, 2024. The dividend recommended by the board is subject to the approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting of the company.

Around 10:23 am, shares of Aarti Pharmalabs were trading 8.96% higher at ₹566.8 apiece on the BSE.

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow