Railways Earned Rs 600 Crore Through Convenience Fees In The Past Year

The Railways has earned more than Rs 600 crore through convenience fee, which it retains from passengers on the cancellation of a ticket, so far in 2022-23, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the cancellation or clerkage charge is levied on cancellation of tickets as per the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Tickets and Refund of Fare) Rules 2015.

In addition to the normal fare indicated on the reserved tickets issued through computerised passenger reservation system counters, the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) also charges convenience fee from passengers who book tickets online.

The minister said the convenience fee amount charged is Rs 30 for air-conditioned classes and Rs 15 for non-AC classes.

On cancellation of ticket, this convenience fee is not refunded.

He said that convenience fee collected by the IRCTC during 2019-20 was Rs 352.33 crore, during 2020-21 it was Rs 299.17 crore, in 2021-22 it was Rs 694.08 crore and Rs 604.40 crore in 2022-23 till December.

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एक ने ठोका T20 में 3 शतक, दूसरे के नाम ट्रिपल सेंचुरी, नागपुर में 2 खिलाड़ियों का डब्यू डन!

भारत और ऑस्ट्रेलिया के बीच खेली जाने वाली टेस्ट सीरीज टीम इंडिया के दो खिलाड़ियों के लिए यादगार होने वाली है. पहले टी20 में रनों का अंबार लगाने वाले सूर्यकुमार यादव और दूसरे विकेटकीपर केएस भरत. मिडिल ऑर्डर बल्लेबाज श्रेयस अय्यर चोटिल हैं और विकेटकीपर ऋषभ पंत भी कार एक्सीडेंट में बुरी तरह से घायल होने की वजह से टीम का हिस्सा नहीं हैं. ऐसे में इन दोनों ही खिलाड़ियों को ऑस्ट्रेलिया के खिलाफ बॉर्डर-गावस्कर सीरीज केक दौरान डेब्यू का मौका मिल सकता है. 

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MH17 Airline Probe Ended Despite "Indications" Of Putin's Involvement

International prosecutors said on Wednesday they had found "strong indications" that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the use in Ukraine of a Russian missile system that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over eastern Ukraine in 2014.

However, they said evidence of Putin's and other Russian officials' involvement was not concrete enough to lead to a criminal conviction, and that they would end their probe without further prosecutions.

Russia has denied any involvement with the downing of the civilian airliner, which killed 298 passengers and crew.

"The investigation has now reached its limit," prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer told a news conference in The Hague. "The findings are insufficient for the prosecution of new suspects."

In November, a Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader of murder for helping arrange the Russian BUK missile system that was used to shoot the plane down. The three men, who were tried in absentia, remain at large.

At the time the plane was shot down, Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province.

While Russia had annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014, it denied military involvement in fighting in Donetsk at that time.

But as part of the conviction of the three men in November, the Dutch court ruled that Russia had in fact had "overall control" of separatist forces in Donetsk starting from May 2014.

Prosecutors said on Wednesday they could not identify the specific soldiers responsible for firing the missile system that downed the plane, which came from Russia's 53rd brigade in Kursk.

They cited a 2014 phone intercept between Russian officials as evidence that Putin's approval had been necessary before a request for equipment made by the separatists could be granted.

In addition, they played a 2017 conversation between Putin himself and the Russian-appointed chief administrator of Ukraine's Luhansk province in which they discussed the military situation and a prisoner exchange.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in what it terms a "special military operation" and in September said it had annexed Donetsk and three other Ukrainian provinces.

Piet Ploeg, who heads a foundation representing victims, said he was disappointed that the investigation had ended, but was glad prosecutors had laid out their evidence for Putin's involvement.

"We can't do a lot with it, Putin can't be prosecuted, he said. "We wanted to know who was ultimately responsible and that's clear."

Ploeg's brother, his brother's wife, and his nephew died on MH17.

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No Gurugram Traffic Restrictions Tomorrow For President's Visit: Cops

There will be no traffic restrictions in Gurugram tomorrow when President Droupadi Murmu goes to an official event on the outskirts, the administration of the city in Haryana said today.

Earlier in the day, the police said traffic would be restricted on the Delhi-Jaipur highway for six hours.

President Murmu is going to Om Shanti Retreat Centre, off the Delhi-Jaipur highway, to attend a national convention for women. The Brahma Kumaris, a women-led spiritual organization, runs the 28-acre retreat about 40 km from the city centre in Gurugram.

The Gurugram administration said they have made alternative arrangements for smooth traffic on the Delhi-Jaipur highway tomorrow. They said the highway is not shut for motorists.

District Administration Gurugram wishes to inform that there will be no disruption to traffic movement during the visit of Hon'ble President of India to #Gurugram on 9th Feb.

Adequate arrangements have been made to maintain smooth traffic flow.@nishantyadavIAS

— DC Gurugram (@DC_Gurugram) February 8, 2023

There could be minor stoppages at some points on the highway to ensure the President's cavalcade passes securely, the traffic police said, adding they will deploy teams at key intersections to manage traffic.

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पूर्व कोच ने दिया युवा शुभमन गिल का साथ, रोहित शर्मा और केएल राहुल की जोड़ी पर नहीं भरोसा

India vs Australia, 1st Test: भारत के पूर्व कोच रवि शास्त्री चाहते हैं कि फॉर्म में चल रहे बल्लेबाज शुभमन गिल नागपुर में शुरू होने वाली बॉर्डर-गावस्कर सीरीज के पहले टेस्ट में उप-कप्तान लोकेश राहुल की जगह प्लेइंग इलेवन में जगह लें. शास्त्री का मानना है कि उप कप्तान होने के नाते चयन होना तय नहीं होना चाहिए.

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Over 2,500 Arrested In Assam Crackdown On Child Marriage

As the total number of arrests in the continued drive against child marriage in Assam reached 2,528 on Tuesday amid protests by affected women outside transit camps, the DGP said the biggest challenge for the force now is filing charge sheets within the stipulated timeframe.

The police during the day arrested 87 more people in the crackdown, which started on Friday.

"Crackdown continues. Total arrest so far - 2528," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet.

Protests against the arrests by women activists were reported during the day from Matia in Goalpara district and Silchar in Cachar district.

They protested before a transit camp in Matia and a stadium in Silchar, which were converted to temporary jails to accommodate those arrested in child marriage cases. Four of the protestors were arrested in Silchar and released on personal bond, police said.

The Director General of Police (DGP) G P Singh said that the biggest challenge for the police is now to file charge sheets within a 60 to 90 days period.

Singh said that the police did not aim to harass anybody but its role was to stop child marriage completely in the state by the next two to three years.

"We have registered 4,074 cases and over 2,500 people have been arrested till this morning. All the accused in these cases have been identified and they will be arrested and charge sheets filed against them," Singh told PTI.

On the 65 accused people already securing bail, the DGP said the focus is on ensuring that charge sheets are filed within the stipulated time frame.

"Bail is okay. To me, it is not important who stays in jail for how long. It is important that they have to be charge-sheeted and they face the music of law," he asserted.

Chairperson of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) Sunita Changkakoti told PTI that the crackdown was a much-awaited move and it will send a strong message to the society against this menace.

"We have been campaigning against child marriage for long and hold regular district review meetings in which we involve all stakeholders, including government departments like the health and education and NGOs. A concerted effort by all sections of society can help in ending the problem," she said.

The Assam police had launched the crackdown on child marriage on Friday with over 2,000 people, including Hindu and Muslim priests who officiated these weddings, arrested within the first two days.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier asserted that the drive will continue till the 2026 Assembly election.

Justifying the crackdown, Sarma had pointed out that teenage pregnancy accounted for nearly 17 per cent of over 6.2 lakh pregnant women last year in the state.

The opposition parties have criticised the manner in which it is being carried out, terming the arrests of teenage husbands and family members as "abuse of law" for political gain and equating the police action with "terrorising people".

State Congress president Bhupen Bora had said a humane approach was needed in dealing with the issue.

The AIUDF had claimed that the state government was cracking down on child marriage under provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) "without framing the requisite rules".

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had said that the Assam government should have concentrated on increasing literacy levels if it was actually seized of the problem of child marriage.

The state cabinet had recently approved a proposal to book men who have married girls below 14 years of age under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO).

Cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 will be registered against those who have married girls in the age group of 14-18 years, the cabinet had decided.

The offenders will be arrested and the marriages declared illegal.

Assam has a high rate of maternal and infant mortality, with child marriage being the primary cause as an average of 31 per cent of marriages registered in the state are in the prohibited age, according to reports of the National Family Health Survey.

Of the 4,004 cases of child marriage registered recently, the highest was reported in Dhubri (370), followed by Hojai (255), Udalguri (235), Morigaon (224) and Kokrajhar (204).

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Comedian Shares How She Was Mistaken For PV Sindhu, Internet Reacts

Crossing path with people who bear an uncanny resemblance to popular personalities is not rare. In such scenarios, people usually get excited and sometimes forget that the person is not actually a celebrity. This is what happened with a stand-up comedian recently. 

Abby Govindan, a 25-year-old stand-up comedian and writer based in the United States, was approached by a man at an airport in India. Taking to Twitter, Ms Govindan shared how the man asked for a picture with her and how she got all excited to be recognised. However, her excitement came crashing down when she realised the man had mistaken her for badminton star PV Sindhu. 

"Guy at the airport in India asked for a picture with me and I was so excited to be recognized until he said "I'm a huge badminton fan" and I realized he thinks I'm PV Sindhu," the 25-year-old wrote on Twitter. 

Take a look below: 

guy at the airport in India asked for a picture with me and I was so excited to be recognized until he said “I'm a huge badminton fan” and I realized he thinks I'm PV Sindhu

— abby govindan (@abbygov) February 6, 2023

Ms Govindan posted the tweet on Monday, and since then it has accumulated more than 1,600 likes and over 170,000 views. 

In the comment section, one user jokingly wrote, "She's like a foot taller than you, how did he mess that up so bad?" To this, the comedian replied, "She is 2 inches taller". 

Also Read | AI-Generated Baby Portraits Of 'Shark Tank' Judges Go Viral, Anupam Mittal Responds

Another user said, "Ngl (Not going to lie) you do look a tiny bit like her". A third hilariously commented, "At least he didn't say."I'm a huge tennis fan," and call you Sindhu." 

"This is hilarious bye," added fourth. "I'm cracking up," wrote fifth.

Meanwhile, in a similar incident last year, a hilarious video of a doppelganger of Ashneer Grover caught the attention of social media users. In the video, a man was seen energetically chanting and clapping. He was also seen wearing similar glasses to that of the former Shark Tank India judge. The clip drew many reactions on social media including one from Mr Grover himself. 
 

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'वेलेंटाइन डे मनाने के लिए मेरी मदद करो', फैन के सवाल पर दिनेश कार्तिक ने दिया Weird जवाब

दिनेश कार्तिक सोशल मीडिया पर काफी एक्टिव रहते हैं. वह अक्सर सोशल मीडिया पर फैन के सवाल का जवाब देते है. एक शख्स ने दिनेश से ऐसा अजीबोगरीब सवाल पूछा कि कार्तिक भी जवाब देने में नहीं हिचकिचाए. उन्होंने फैन के सवाल पर अजीबोग़रीब जवाब दिया.

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ZIM vs WI : अंग्रेजों ने बेइज्‍जत कर भगाया! जिम्‍बाब्‍वे लौटकर जड़ा सैकड़ा...2 देशों के लिए शतक ठोककर रच दिया इतिहास

वेस्‍टइंडीज की टीम ने जिम्‍बाब्‍वे दौरे (Zimbabwe vs West Indies) के दौरान पहले बैटिंग करते हुए छह विकेट के नुकसान पर 447 रनों पर अपनी पारी घोषित की. जिम्‍बाब्‍वे की टीम पहली पारी के दौरान 379 रनों पर ही ऑलआउट हो गई.

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Netflix To Make A Film On Prince Andrew's Explosive 2019 Interview, Reveals Cast

In 2019, BBC's explosive interview with Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Andrew wherein he talked about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, made headlines around the world. The interview is widely credited as being the final nail in the coffin of Prince Andrew's public role. 

Cut to 2023, Netflix has started production on 'Scoop'-a new movie based on the infamous interview, which provides a behind-the-scenes account behind the drama. The film is adapted from McAlister's book 'Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews', which shares details of what actually happened behind the scenes of the interview. 

Now, Netflix has revealed that it has cast Gillian Anderson to play former BBC news anchor Emily Maitlis, who conducted the infamous exchange. The actress is best known for her roles in the TV series The X-Files, The Fall and Sex Education. 

Meanwhile, Rufus Sewell has been cast as the disgraced royal, Billie Piper as TV producer Sam McAlister, who negotiated and secured the interview, and Keeley Hawes as Andrew's former private secretary Amanda Thirsk, Variety reported. Emmy and BAFTA winner Philip Martin is set to direct the project. 

In a tweet, Netflix UK and Ireland shared the update and wrote, ''Gillian Anderson, Keeley Hawes, Billie Piper and Rufus Sewell will star in SCOOP - a film based on Sam McAlister's memoir giving the inside account of Newsnight's bombshell interview with Prince Andrew.''  

See the tweet here:

Gillian Anderson, Keeley Hawes, Billie Piper and Rufus Sewell will star in SCOOP – a film based on Sam McAlister's memoir giving the inside account of Newsnight's bombshell interview with Prince Andrew. pic.twitter.com/OibWwtrTio

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 7, 2023

Netflix said the film will give viewers the "inside track" on how Price Andrew came to be grilled by presenter Emily Maitlis over his relationship with late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in November 2019. In the same interview, he was also asked questions about Virginia Giufffre's claims that she was forced to have sex with him under the orders of Jeffrey Epstein. He strongly denied the claims throughout the interview. However, Prince Andrew infamously claimed that he had remained friends with Epstein, even after he had been released from prison. 

Following the interview, the Duke stepped down from public life and was stripped of many of his patronages and roles. 

"The inside track of the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of The Queen's 'Favourite son. From navigating Palace vetoes to breaking through to Prince Andrew's inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal - to the jaw-dropping interview itself.,' reads the film's logline, according to Hollywood Reporter.  

No set release date has been given for 'Scoop' yet, and the film is currently in production. 

Philip Martin, who directs Scoop, said in a statement, "Uptempo, immersive and cinematic, I want to put the audience inside the breathtaking sequence of events that led to the interview with Prince Andrew - to tell a story about a search for answers, in a world of speculation and varying recollections. It's a film about power, privilege and differing perspectives and how - whether in glittering palaces or hi-tech newsrooms - we judge what's true.'' 

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Jharkhand Woman, Differently Abled Daughter Killed In Fire At Home

A septuagenarian woman and her 35-year-old daughter were charred to death in a fire that broke out in their house in Khunti district on Tuesday, a police officer said.

The victims were identified as Susana Kashyap,75, and her physically challenged daughter Pushpa Kashyap of Amritpur Mohalla, about 40 km from Ranchi, after the fire-fighters doused the fire.

Short-circuit was stated to be the cause of the fire. The old woman and her daughter were trapped inside their house in the fire.

"We came to know about their death only when the fire-brigade personnel retrieved the bodies after they doused the flames," local residents said.

They said the daughter was handicapped and speech impaired, so she could not even scream for help.

Officer-In-Charge of Khunti police station Inspector Pintu Kumar told PTI that police is investigating the incident from all angles including the possibility of a conspiracy behind it.

However, he said, police did not find any clue of conspiracy after interrogating the victims relatives and local residents.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered based on the statements of the relatives.

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"Pervez Musharraf Was An Old Friend Of The Chinese. He Made...": China

China on Monday said it is ready to work with Pakistan to carry forward their "iron-clad friendship" and further deepen the bilateral all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

Condoling the death of Pakistan's former president Gen Pervez Musharraf, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning described the former dictator as "an old friend" of the Chinese people.

Musharraf, Pakistan's last military ruler, died on Sunday in Dubai after a prolonged illness. The 79-year-old retired general, was living in the UAE since 2016 on self-exile.

"Former President Musharraf was an old friend of the Chinese people. He made important contribution to China-Pakistan relations. We deeply mourn the passing of Mr Musharraf and extend our sincere sympathies to his family," Mao said in response to a question at a regular Chinese foreign ministry briefing.

"China stands ready to work with Pakistan to carry forward our iron-clad friendship, deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and advance the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era," she added.

Chinese and Pakistani leaders often describe the bilateral ties as "iron-clad" and "all-weather".

Pakistan considers China as one of its closest friends and partner and China considers Pakistan as its "Iron Brother", Pakistan's embassy in Beijing says on its website.

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How Much Elite Units Spend To Protect VIPs Explained: 10 Points

1. As per the demands for grant sanctioned by the Finance Ministry, the budget of the Special Protection Group (SPG), which is responsible for the Prime Minister's security, has increased by 12.3 per cent.
2. In the previous fiscal, Rs 385.95 crore was allocated. This time, Rs 433.59 has been allocated. This means the cost for the SPG's wide array of tasks comes to approximately Rs 1.18 crore a day, an officer said, asking not to be identified.
3. The budget for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) has increased by 8.2 per cent from Rs 90,870 crore in the previous fiscal to Rs 94,665.03 crore.
4. The budget for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which provides security to the maximum number of people compared to other units of the CAPFs, however, has been reduced by Rs 276 crore.
5. The CRPF has been allocated Rs 31,772.23 crore this fiscal, while it got Rs 31,495.88 crore in the last fiscal's budget. Currently, the CRPF provides security to 129 people, of which 21 are Z-plus and 26 are of Z category.
6. "There are 247 battalions in the CRPF, of which six battalions are dedicated for VIP security. We got about Rs 772 crore sectioned for duties related to VIPs," a senior CRPF officer told NDTV, asking not to be named.
7. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, for example, gets Z-plus security cover from the CRPF, which involves 30-40 personnel guarding him 24x7.
8. "On an average, about Rs 50 lakh is being spent to protect him, which means about Rs 1.5 lakh daily," the officer told NDTV.
9. According to Home Ministry data, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) protects the maximum number of VIPs. It provides security to 144 people, of which 9 are VIPs in Z-plus category and 11 in Z category.
10. Data shows the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the National Security Guards (NSG) provide Z-plus and Z category security to some 70 people.

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बिना 1 भी टेस्ट खेले बनाया वर्ल्ड रिकॉर्ड, नागपुर में मैदान पर उतरा तो समझो ऑस्ट्रेलिया की शामत!

टीम इंडिया के नियमित विकेटकीपर ऋषभ पंत कार एक्सीडेंट में बुरी तरह से घायल होने की वजह से सीरीज में नहीं खेल रहे हैं. चयनकर्ताओं ने ईशान किशन और केएस भरत को ऑस्ट्रेलिया के खिलाफ चुना है.

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मियांदाद मुंह खोलने से पहले 100 बार करेंगे तौबा! पूर्व भारतीय गेंदबाज ने कंबल में लपेटकर मारा जूता

भारत और पाकिस्तान की टीमों के बीच आईसीसी और एसीसी के टूर्नामेंट में ही मुकाबले खेले जाते हैं. एशिया कप की मेजबानी हासिल करने के बाद पाकिस्तान को उम्मीद थी कि भारत उसके घर खेलने जाएगा जिससे उसे मोटी कमाई होगी.

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