The Allahabad High Court has quashed the order that cancelled the licence of a drug company in 2023 after around 15 children died in Samarkand, Uzbekistan due to consuming a syrup manufactured by the company. Justice Dinesh Pathak, allowing a writ petition filed by M/s Marion Biotech Private Limited, observed that he was surprised that Indian authorities are "trying to validate their proceedings" based on the judgement of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The judge quashed an order dated October 4, 2023 passed by the reviewing authority that the drug company (petitioner) shall produce the certified copies of the orders passed by different courts of Uzbekistan and submit a report to the Drugs Licensing and Controlling Authority, UP and Drug Controller General of India after implementing the process of corrective and preventive action. The petitioner is a private limited company having its manufacturing unit at Noida Sector 67. A Joint Inspection Team of central and state drug authorities conducted several inspections at the factory premises of the petitioner in between and collected samples of drugs for testing and analysis. Later, they found the samples to not be of standard quality. Subsequently, the drugs licensing-cum-controlling authority in the state cancelled the licence of the petitioner by an order dated March 13, 2023. Quashing the order, the court observed, "I am surprised to see that Indian authorities are trying to validate their proceedings conducted under the Indian law on the basis of judgment passed by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan". Indian laws relating to drugs are exhaustive and self-sufficient code which does not require any validation of the judgement passed by a foreign court, the high court order said. The court added that the premises of the petitioner's factory has been inspected more than once and the samples collected from the factory has been examined by the government analyst, as per provisions. Authorities concerned have delved deep "to examine the manufacturing process of the drugs at the factory premises of the petitioner and the quality of drug as well as legal requirement enunciated under the Act 1945 and Rules 1945," it said. "There is nothing convincing, as to what special the state and central authorities have found in the judgement passed by the foreign courts intending to validate their official duties performed under the Indian law. "Nothing special has been demonstrated before this court in the orders passed by different courts of Republic of Uzbekistan except certain observations with regard to the quality of drugs, which have been found unfit for use and the said observation was subsequently modified to certain extent," the judge said. "The order impugned is illegal, unwarranted under law and without jurisdiction. Existence of such order would prejudice to the right and interest of the petitioner and amounts to miscarriage of justice to him", the court added in its judgment dated May 19. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
15 June,2025 09:12 AM IST | Prayagraj (UP) | PTIThe primitive Sabar tribe in Jharkhand has been dependent on honey collection from the forest for centuries, but now, with the help of a government scheme they have began a “sweet revolution” by making their produce reach more people with branding, packaging and marketing, officials said. The transformation began in Khokhro village in East Singhbhum’s Boram block in September last year, when the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) was established under the PM-JANMAN (Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) scheme, they said. “Earlier, the Sabars used to collect around two tons of forest honey annually, but their hard work often went in vain due to a lack of proper marketing channels, price mechanisms, and storage facilities,” a senior district official said, “Now, we are seeing a remarkable shift,” he added. Traditionally dependent on non-timber forest produce like mahua, leaves, brooms, and honey, the Sabar community has moved from subsistence to a structured enterprise, officials said. They were given training in scientific honey collection, beekeeping, processing, and branding. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
15 June,2025 08:54 AM IST | Jamshedpur | AgenciesThe Congress on Saturday attacked the Centre for abstaining from voting during the UNGA resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza and alleged that India’s foreign policy is in shambles. The party also demanded answers from the government on whether India has abandoned its principled stand against war, against genocide, and for justice. “It is shameful and disappointing that our government has chosen to abstain on the UN motion for the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations in Gaza,” said Congress MP from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi, “This is a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy. “ “It is now increasingly evident that our Foreign Policy is in shambles. Perhaps, PM Modi must now take a call on his EAM’s repeated blunders and set some accountability,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said. “Have we abandoned India’s consistent stand advocating for a ceasefire, peace, and dialogue in the Middle East and West Asia?” he asked. Echoing similar sentiments, AICC general secretary, KC Venugopal said, “India always stood for peace, justice, and human dignity. But today, India stands alone as the only country in South Asia, BRICS, and SCO to abstain on a UNGA resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. He called on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to explain what had changed in the last six months that led India from supporting a ceasefire to abstaining from the vote. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
15 June,2025 08:29 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAfter allegedly killing her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, Sonam Raghuvanshi fled to Indore and went into hiding at a rented flat, police sources revealed. The flat had been leased by Vishal Singh Chauhan, one of the three men involved in the murder, just a week after the incident. Chauhan, who attacked Raja Raghuvanshi with a machete, claimed to be an interior designer while renting the apartment, located just five kilometres from his own home. The hideout was stocked with groceries worth '5,000, ordered online by Raj Kushwaha, Sonam’s lover and the alleged mastermind behind the plot. An advance of '16,000 was also paid to the landlord. What began as a missing persons case took a dark turn after Raja’s body was found in a gorge on June 2. The couple, both from Indore, had married on May 11, despite Sonam’s ongoing relationship with Raj, who worked at her family’s furniture business. Sonam and four others have been arrested for the matter. Raja’s brother also performed a “pind dan”, a ceremony for departed souls in Ujjain. Rs 16,000Advance rent paid by co-conspirator Vishal Chauhan This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
15 June,2025 08:25 AM IST | Indore | AgenciesMarkets in Rajkot remained closed for half of Saturday as a mark of respect for Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, who died in the Ahmedabad Plane Crash on Thursday, reported ANI. The senior BJP leader was among the 241 people on board the ill-fated London-bound Air India Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. Shops across the city stayed shut until noon, as traders and residents paid tribute to the well-known leader. Vijay Rupani had played a key role in the development of Rajkot, and many establishments voluntarily downed shutters in his honour. ANI reported that a resident named Navneet said that Rajkot will never forget Vijay Rupani. He admired the BJP leader for all the important development projects he started and finished in the city. Speaking to ANI, Navneet said, "This accident is something the people of Rajkot will never forget. Vijay Rupani loved Rajkot deeply, always meeting and connecting with everyone. He worked closely with his office and the government to provide vital facilities, such as the Rajkot Airport, hospitals, overbridges, and water resources. His dedication to Rajkot led to these developments, ensuring the city will always hold him dear. Rajkot will never forget him." Rupani, who was an MLA for Rajkot West, had strong political connections in the Saurashtra region. Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Shankersinh Vaghela meets Vijay Rupani's family Earlier in the day, Shankersinh Vaghela, another former Gujarat Chief Minister, visited Vijay Rupani's home to offer his condolences. Vaghela said he was shocked by Rupani's death and initially found it hard to believe. He wished for the departed soul to rest in peace. "At first, I didn't believe it. Then I heard he'd been taken to hospital. Even then, I had hope he'd survive. Then, when we heard he was no more, we offered our condolences... I hope his soul rests in peace and his family finds the strength to cope with this loss," Vaghela explained. Vijay Rupani served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat twice, from 2016 to 2021. He was also appointed the BJP's in-charge for Punjab. On Thursday, Air India AI171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 plane, heading for London's Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport. The airline stated that only one of the 242 people on board survived the crash. (With inputs from ANI)
14 June,2025 10:46 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentTripura's Chief Minister (CM), Manik Saha, attended the World Blood Donor Day 2025 celebrations in Agartala, where he urged people to donate blood to save lives. Speaking to ANI, Chief Minister Saha said, "We celebrate World Blood Donor Day every year in Tripura. This time, I saw that organisations and NGOs are setting up blood donation camps, and they were recognised for their efforts. Our main aim is to encourage people who might be hesitant to donate blood. Blood donation is a beneficial activity because it stimulates the formation of new blood cells, can help prevent heart and blood vessel problems, and can also help in diagnosing any underlying health issues. That's why individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 are encouraged to donate blood." Appreciating the citizens, he added, "In Tripura, people readily come forward when blood is needed in blood banks. There's a history of this. So, those who don't usually donate blood should step forward. Just one unit of blood can save three lives. These days, blood cells and plasma can be separated according to what the patient needs." Saha further mentioned that a region should ideally have a blood-to-population ratio of one per cent, a target Tripura has successfully met, ANI reported. "Blood volume should typically be one per cent of the population. We have 12 government and two private blood banks, and our population is 40 lakhs. Last year, we collected 42,000 units of blood. There's a good balance. If there's an emergency, like during elections or the covid-19 pandemic, I've urged people to donate blood, and they have always responded," he told ANI. Meanwhile, on Friday, Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated a new Cancer Care Facility at ILS Hospital in Agartala. In a post on X, Chief Minister Saha wrote, "Today I attended the inauguration of advanced radiotherapy services for the treatment of cancer at ILS Hospital, Agartala, in collaboration with the International Oncology Care Institute (IOCI)." Earlier on Saturday, on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day 2025, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also donated blood, stating, "Blood donation is a truly noble act. Today, on World Blood Donor Day, let's recognise the importance of donating blood, raise awareness, and volunteer to save lives." (With inputs from ANI)
14 June,2025 10:00 PM IST | Agartala | mid-day online correspondentAmid growing concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar on Saturday said the situation in Pune district is under control and there is no need to panic. Since January, the state has conducted 18,885 Covid-19 tests. A total of 1,700 individuals have tested positive for the virus. However, 1,064 patients have recovered and the current recovery rate stands at 62.58 per cent. According to the data shared by the health department, Maharashtra reported 102 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, of which 31 were from Pune. Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and is the guardian minister of Pune district, held a meeting with officials on the Covid-19 outbreak in the district. Briefing the media on this, Pawar said, "A few patients have tested positive for the infection in the state, including Pune and Pimpri. The situation is under control, and the health minister is monitoring the situation. A meeting was held with officials regarding steps that need to be taken in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad." "People should not panic. However, senior citizens need to take care of themselves. "It is important to avoid crowded places," he added. The Deputy CM of Maharashtra also reviewed the arrangements for the 'wari' procession to Pandharpur. "Every year, the 'palkhi' of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj travels through Pune district. The state government has allocated funds for the 'wari'. This year, the number of pilgrims is expected to increase. Work is underway at Dive Ghat to ensure warkaris (pilgrims) don't face any difficulties while walking through the ghat. "Instructions have been given to remove hoardings and advertisements along the 'palkhi' route," Ajit Pawar said. The Ashadhi 'wari' pilgrimage to Pandharpur will commence in Pune on June 18. The Sant Tukaram Maharaj 'palkhi' will travel from Dehu on June 18, and the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj 'palkhi' will depart from Alandi in the evening of June 19. Meanwhile, Pawar also inaugurated the police's 'Palanquin Tracking App (PTP)' on Saturday in Pune in a bid to enhance road safety and reduce traffic violations. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil were also present. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
14 June,2025 07:35 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentIn the ongoing salvage operations of MV WAN Hai 503, which is under massive fire, the Indian Navy augmented the efforts with the aerial insertion of a salvage team on Friday. In a daring operation, #IndianNavy successfully undertook aerial insertion of the salvage team onboard distressed vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which has been on fire since #09Jun 25.The salvage team, which embarked the Seaking helicopter at @IN_Garuda, #Kochi, was winched down the… https://t.co/rgtMmptxnq pic.twitter.com/1uXGJmSduQ — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) June 14, 2025 In a prompt response, the salvage team members embarked onboard a Seaking helicopter at INS Garuda, Kochi. The Naval helicopter successfully inserted the team on the vessel amidst challenging weather/sea conditions and fire onboard. The salvage team was winched down, who connected up tow with the salvage Tug Offshore Warrior. After the connection of the tow, the salvage team was successfully extracted by the Naval helicopter from the vessel. The towing operations of the vessel have commenced. Presently, the Indian Navy's INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively engaged in the salvage ops in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard and other maritime agencies. This swift insertion and extraction of the salvage team by the Indian Navy has significantly reinforced the rescue efforts. "INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively engaged with the India Coast Guard and other maritime agencies to augment the salvage ops. This swift insertion and extraction of the salvage team by the Indian Navy has significantly augmented the ongoing salvage efforts", the Indian Navy's 'X' post further mentioned. In a breakthrough, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully enabled the towing of the fire-stricken Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, marking a major milestone in ongoing efforts to control the blaze and protect the marine environment. The Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 has been ablaze in the Arabian Sea, approximately 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore, Kerala. In a post on X, the Indian Coast Guard said, "Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV Wah Hai 503 and protect the marine environment! India Coast Guard ships undertaking firefighting operations enabled the tow connection of the Salvage vessel in an extremely challenging and daunting operation." Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV #WahHai503 and protect #MarineEnvironment !@IndiaCoastGuard ships undertaking FF Op enabled tow connect up of Salvage vessel in extremely challenging and daunting operation. @indiannavy #Seaking… pic.twitter.com/KTFJl6I5fx — Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 13, 2025 "HQSNC tasked the Indian Navy helicopter to winch down salvors who shifted the tow from ICG ships to Salvage Tugs. The tow has now commenced, and the vessel is being pulled to keep away from our coast! ICG fire fighting operation continues," the post added. The vessel was carrying 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, posing a serious risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes
14 June,2025 06:07 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondentRajasthan's Mahesh Kumar has topped the medical entrance exam NEET-UG, while Madhya Pradhesh's has bagged the second rank, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday. More than 12.36 lakh candidates out of 22.09 lakh test takers qualified the exam. The number is down from last year's 13.15 lakh qualifying candidates. However, the number of test takers was also higher last year at over 23.33 lakh. Maharashtra's Krishang Joshi and Delhi's Mrinal Kishore Jha bagged the third and fourth ranks, respectively. Among females, Delhi's Avika Aggarwal emerged topper, bagging the fifth rank nationally. The maximum qualifying candidates are from Uttar Pradesh (over 1.70 lakh), followed by Maharashtra (over 1.25 lakh) and Rajasthan (over 1.19 lakh). The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is the largest entrance exam in the country in terms of the number of candidates appearing for the test. The NTA conducts the NEET every year for admission into medical colleges. A total of 1,08,000 seats are available for the MBSS course -- approximately 56,000 in government hospitals, and about 52,000 in private colleges.Admissions to undergraduate courses in dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha also utilise NEET results for admission. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 June,2025 05:03 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe death toll in the Ahmedabad Plane Crash tragedy has gone up to 270, doctors at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the bodies were taken from the crash site, said on Saturday. Officials said the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Service (AFES) recovered a corpse and some human body parts in the past 24 hours from the plane crash site, causing the toll to rise from 265. Meanwhile, the Centre has formed a high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary, to examine the causes that led to the Ahmedabad Plane Crash, and also to suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent such mishaps in the future.
14 June,2025 04:08 PM IST | Mumbai | Madhulika Ram KavatturThe Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday said the black box of Air India's crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has been recovered from the rooftop of the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, PTI reported. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane from Ahmedabad to Londono Gatwick crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College soon after taking off. However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR, reported ANI. "Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop," said the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s statement. The investigation into the traffic crash is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster. The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the Ahmedabad Plane Crash, with more than 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic Ahmedabad Plane Crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. There is only one passenger who survived the mishap. On Thursday, the AI171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, bound for London’s Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours, were flying the plane. According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1.39 pm from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to further calls. Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed into a medical hostel outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site. There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said. The only passenger who miraculously survived the Ahmedabad Plane Crash has been identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was seated in row 11, at the left window seat in the flight’s economy class section, right behind an emergency exit. (With ANI and PTI inputs)
14 June,2025 03:33 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
