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Maharashtra Assembly Monsoon Session: MVA Leaders Protest Against State Govt On Steps Of Vidhan Bhavan In Mumbai

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Mumbai: MVA leaders staged protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan In Mumbai on the morning of July 11. Massive sloganeering against the Maharashtra Govt could be seen in the video of the protest that has surfaced on social media. Leaders of MVA protested on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan against the state government for reportedly labelling MVA as corrupt. Placards were held and slogans were raised criticizing the Maharashtra state Govt.

MVA leaders had also staged a protest on July 2, against the NEET exam issue. Slogans were raised calling for stringent laws to curb paper leaks and ensure fairness.

Meanwhile, as the monsoon session of the state legislature is currently underway, the session is witnessing massive political accusations and counter-accusations between the ruling party and the opposition. The ruling and the opposition have come face-to-face over several issues, with top focus on Maratha and OBC reservations and the Budget presented on Friday.

Monsoon session highlights

Monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature commenced in Mumbai on June 27 and will continue till July 13, 2024. The ruling Mahayuti alliance presented a budget of the state in both houses of the legislature on June 28. MVA leaders had staged a protest outside Vidhan Bhavan against the state budget presented on June 28.

Political atmosphere is also triggered in Maharashtra due to the Legislative Council elections that will be held on July 12. Fear of cross voting looms large with parties keeping on toes for the battle. This election will be held as 12 applications have been received for 11 seats of Legislative Council. To avoid crossvoting in this election, all parties have kept their MLAs in hotels.

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Bandra’s Nargis Dutt Nagar Slum Redevelopment To Generate ₹10000 Crore Revenue

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Mumbai: Nargis Dutt Nagar, Bandra’s largest slum settlement, is set to transform into an affluent address. The project is expected to generate revenue of Rs 10,000 crore.

Located at Bandra Reclamation, the area will be redeveloped by Roshni Developers in collaboration with Godrej Properties under the state’s Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA).

Plans are afoot to build 3-4 BHK apartments on this sea-facing land parcel. To be managed by Roshni Developers, the rehab component will cover 5.4 lakh sq ft, accommodating 1,515 slum families. Similarly, Godrej Properties will develop the free-sale component covering around 10 lakh sq ft.

Out of 1,515 tenants, a total of 851 were deemed to be eligible for rehabilitation after completing the necessary due scrutiny and compliances. Roshni Developers have taken the responsibility to facilitate the eligibility process of the remaining tenants after reviewing their applications in adherence with SRA rules.

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Maharashtra

Govt reforms, private partnerships behind Indian space industry growth in 2024: ISpA

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New Delhi, Dec 24: Reforms made by the government coupled with private partnerships played a crucial role in the growth of India’s space industry in 2024, said the Indian Space Association (ISpA), noting that 2025 is poised to be a year of transformative developments.

Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd), Director General, ISpA stated that government reforms like the Foreign Direct Investment policy, the Rs 1,000 crore Venture Capitalist fund, and a thriving startup ecosystem, coupled with dynamic public-private collaborations propelled space sector growth.

“The Indian government’s continued focus on strategic policy reforms not only opens the door for significant private sector investment but also ensures that India stays at the forefront of global space innovation. With the continuous support from the government and the push for the public,” Bhatt said.

“The private space sector is witnessing a major growth in the startup ecosystem driven by favourable policy reforms like the liberal FDI policy announced this year,” he stated, adding that this will give the country “access to the latest tech advances and funds” both from Indian and global investors.

The FDI policy in the space sector was launched under the Indian Space Policy 2023 in March. It allows for 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route for satellite components and systems, up to 74 per cent for satellite manufacturing and operation, and 49 per cent for launch vehicles and spaceports.

In October, the Cabinet approved a Rs 1,000 crore VC Fund for the space sector, bolstering startups and private players.

It also approved Phase III of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS-III) project, targeting the launch of 52 satellites to enhance surveillance. This involved the manufacturing of 31 satellites by the private sector, providing immense opportunities to the industry.

Further, the year also witnessed the laying of the foundation stone for India’s second spaceport in Kulasekharapattinam, Tamil Nadu.

Tata Advanced Systems and Satellogic launched India’s first private sub-metric high-resolution Earth Observation satellite in April.

In May, Agnikul Cosmos made history with the launch of “Agnibaan – SOrTeD,” the world’s first rocket powered by a fully 3D-printed, semi-cryogenic engine.

Funding for Indian space-tech startups reached $76.79 million in 2024, bringing total funding to $463.24 million to date. This includes Pixxel, GalaxEye, Dhruva Space, XDLink Labs, Piersight, and EtherialX.

Notably, this year, ISRO’s commercial arm, NSIL, invited private firms to apply for the end-to-end manufacturing of the Launch Vehicle Mark-III, used in Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3.

IN-SPACe, under the Department of Space, also called for initial bids from domestic companies to design, build, and operate Earth Observation satellites. These initiatives mark the Centre’s push to become a key customer for India’s private space sector through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, transforming the space sector, Bhatt said.

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Mumbai: Byculla zoo bids final farewell to its last elephant Anarkali

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Byculla lost its last elephant when the 59-year-old Anarkali passed away on November 10. With her death, there will be no more elephants at the iconic Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, in compliance with a central government ban on the intake and housing of elephants. “Due to central government regulations, we cannot bring another elephant here,” confirmed an official from the  administration. As part of the ’s expansion plans, the enclosure that housed Anarkali will be repurposed for another species.

Rescued from a circus in 1977, Anarkali arrived at the Byculla  at the age of 12 along with several other elephants, including her long-time companion, Laxmi. The duo quickly got close, drawing countless visitors and schoolchildren eager to see their playful interactions. Anarkali and Laxmi were once used for joyrides at the  until protests by animal activists led to the practice being discontinued in 1992. “Anarkali remained very playful and responsive to her mahout and caretakers. She continued to be one of the crowd-pullers right up until her demise,” said Abhishek Satam,  biologist and education officer.

According to  officials, Anarkali died of old age complications. Sources at the  said that the post-mortem report revealed a stomach tumour, which likely contributed to her declining health. Despite her condition, she maintained a calm demeanour, said her caretakers. Anarkali’s passing follows the death of her companion Laxmi in 2020. Laxmi, believed to be around 64, died of a chronic heart failure brought on by old age. Their bond was so strong that Anarkali reportedly mourned deeply after Laxmi’s death, refusing food for days.

The story of elephants at Byculla  stretches back several decades. Five elephants initially lived at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, three female elephants named Radha, Laxmi, and Anarkali, a male elephant that was later transferred to Thiruvananthapuram after showing aggression, and there was another female elephant in the  at that time called Champakali.

Radha, died of tuberculosis in 2005, leaving Anarkali and Laxmi to form a close-knit pair until Laxmi died in 2020. “Usually, elephants in captivity have a lifespan of about 62 to 65 years,” said Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of the Byculla. “Anarkali had a calm attitude and listened to her mahouts. She will be missed. She was buried in the  premises with all the rituals, near her old friend and companion Laxmi.”

Byculla zoo to remain open on Christmas: BMC

In a release issued on Monday, the civic body said the zoo is generally shut on Wednesdays but will remain open on the day this week to allow people to visit keeping in mind the Christmas holiday. “As per a resolution passed by the civic body earlier, if there is a public holiday on Wednesday, the zoo will remain open on the day and remain closed the next day. Therefore, the zoo will remain shut on Thursday,” the release informed. 

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