India pledged contributions of $13.36 million for the various UN agencies and development activities, emphasising that the world organisation should have the necessary resources to finance its activities in a balanced manner.

During the 2018 United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities Monday, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Mahesh Kumar said India has been a regular contributor to the UN since its founding and believes that the UN should have the necessary resources to finance its activities, in an appropriate and balanced manner.

India’s pledged contributions include $4.5 million to the UN Development Programme, five million dollars to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Near East, $1.92 million to the World Food Programme.

$790,000 to United Nations Children’s Fund, $500,000 to UN Population Fund, $150,000 to UN Commission on Human Settlements Programme and $100,000 each to UN Voluntary contribution for Financial and Technical Assistance for the implementation of Universal Periodic Review, UN Environment Programme and UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

As bobbing heads popped out of sunroofs of cars whizzing past Signature Bridge, which opened to the public on Monday after a long wait, Jitender Jha (50) cycled with his five-year-old grandson Basu across its length and breadth. While Basu marvelled at the cable-stayed structure, Jha, a construction worker from Khajuri Khas, said, “I’ve never seen anything like this before. I wanted my grandson to see it on the first day. Maybe now he will understand a little about what I do.”

From two septuagenarians who saw the bridge being built from scratch to a family that showed up after a political scuffle made news a day earlier, day one saw the bridge turn into a tourist spot. Many rushed to take selfies against the view of the Yamuna on both sides and the under-construction viewing gallery, which is at least 40 storeys high.

“I reviewed the bridge personally at 10.30 am and 4.45 pm… traffic was running smoothly on the Signature Bridge as well as the Wazirabad Bridge which is usually very congested,” said Shurbir Singh, managing director of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC).

Ravi Sharma (29), a Karawal Nagar-based businessman, was accompanied by a friend — on a video call. “We’ve been waiting for this bridge to open for eight years now. To go anywhere, I would take the Wazirabad Bridge which would mean losing at least an hour to the traffic,” he said.

Even as the bridge was inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, work on the viewing gallery is pending. “We hope to complete it by March 2019. The gallery will be able to accommodate 20-25 people in one go. This week, the bridge is open 24×7. After that, it will be shut from 11 pm to 5 am to complete the work,” said Singh.

The DTTDC is also working on a plan to introduce eating joints in the vicinity. “If that is approved, then washrooms will come up too,” said Singh.

On the name of the bridge, Singh said that from the day it was conceptualised, it was called Signature, “maybe because it’s a unique feature of Delhi”

AS a child, Adil Diwecha (57) would use the red packaging cartons of a popular toothpaste brand to fashion models of suburban trains. Then when he received pocket money for the first time, he rushed to Chor Bazaar to get spare parts of engines to make a train model.

An electrician, Andheri resident Adil said he has been fascinated with the railways since childhood. “I was not good at studies and I could not dare to take an entrance exam to get a railway job. I have always thought of myself as a creative person and so, I tried to make as many railway models as I could,” he says.

Adil is one of many railway lovers in Mumbai who make paper and electric models of trains and tracks. Over the past 40 years, he has also created models of many railway stations, signalling systems and overhead wires, to give his models a realistic feel. His trains run manually.

On Monday, he along with two other train modelists, presented their creations at the Churchgate station on Western Railway as part of the railway’s celebrations, as it turns 67 years on November 5.

“My mother encouraged me to make these models and the presentation. I would not spend the little money I earned by eating or hanging out with friends. I would go to Chor Bazaar where I would get the train engine spare parts. I enjoy making coaches of suburban trains,” says Adil.

He has made models of more than 250 coaches of trains, including the Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Mahamana Express and the recently introduced AC local trains on the Mumbai suburban section. He has also made more than 60 models of steam engines and diesel engines as display pieces.

He says, “I do not even remember the number of wagon models I have created. I have presented my models at many stations in Mumbai, including Andheri and Churchgate. I have also made train models to be displayed at Delhi and Gujarat. The working of trains is pure engineering, which I cherish.” He adds that his dream is to do a stint in the motorman’s cabin once. “I want to drive an entire train all by myself.”

Nitesh Poonia does not talk about the death of his father Dalbir Singh 16 years ago. What the 5’11’ does gather from conversations among village elders in Sardarpura in Rajasthan’s Churu district is that his father was more than six-and-a-half feet tall.

On Sunday, the 17-year-old broke Ashish Jakhar’s U-20 hammer throw national record by more than six metres with a throw of 81.47m at the 34th Junior National Athletics Championship in Ranchi. Nitesh’s national record with a 5Kg hammer also puts him in fourth spot at the world U-18 level, a list topped by Ukrainian Mykhaylo Kokohan, who managed 87.82m in Hungary in July.

After his achievement, Nitesh couldn’t help but recall how he started in the sport. “I was 18 months old when my father died. My mother teaches at a government school and earns Rs 28,000 per month. When I saw some hammer throwers training at the Government High School under coach Jaswant Poonia in Rajgarh, the circle and the technique fascinated me. As I won medals at national level, my training expenses increased and my mother would spend her savings on my younger brother’s education. While my training meant that I would only pass in the exams, this national record with a fourth in the world list will be like getting an A grade to tell my mother,” the youngster told The Indian Express.

The rupee recovered 21 paise to 72.91 against the US dollar early Tuesday on increased selling by exporters.

The dollar’s weakness against some currencies overseas and a better opening of the domestic equity market also supported the rupee, dealers said,.

At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened strong at 72.98 and advanced further to trade at 72.91, reflecting a rise of 21 paise over its previous close of 73.12 against the dollar.

On Monday, the Indian rupee tumbled 67 paise to close at 73.12 against the US dollar on increased demand for the American currency from importers and unabated foreign fund outflows.

Meanwhile, the benchmark Sensex rose 118.44 points, or 0.34 per cent, to 35,069.36 in opening trade Tuesday

The Kerala government has launched its fastest inland ferry, Vega 120, which connects Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. The ferry is partly air-conditioned and can cruise at a speed of 25km/hour.

Owned and operated by the State Water Transport Department (SWTD),  the new vessel will cover the 35-km distance between Vaikkom and Ernakulam in 90 minutes, as compared to a two-hour timeframe of the buses on the same route.

The new vessel comes as a big relief for the commuters in the route, especially office-goers as this ferry service will be linked to other major points on the route through connection boats. The ferry can carry a total of 120 passengers – 40 in the AC cabin and 80 in the non-AC cabin with fixed ticket rates at Rs 80 and Rs 40 respectively.

Mathematician and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar will be awarded this week for his “pioneering” contributions to the field of education and illuminating the lives of many talented students. Kumar, 45, will be honoured with ‘Global Education Award’ on November 8 by ‘Malabar Gold & Diamonds’, flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate.

“We take pride in honouring Mr Anand Kumar who has made a positive difference in the lives of many with his meaningful innovations. Anand Kumar’s life has involved a lot of struggle and his contributions to the field of education is indeed pioneering,” P A Ibrahim Haji, co-chairman Malabar Group, said.

He said a 12-member jury shortlisted Kumar from a list of 100 names working in the field of education across the globe after a three-month research and consequent deliberations.

“Hundreds of students mentored by him have made it to IITs so far and most of his students are from poor families and are first generation learners,” Ibrahim said.

“What Anand Kumar has done through Super 30 is bring about a generational change in those families and become an inspiration for the poor worldwide to pursue education to ward off poverty. It has underlined the power of education to transform lives,” he said.

Anand is a well known mathematician whose Super 30 is hailed for facilitating students from poor background crack IIT entrance exams by providing free food, lodging and teaching.

More than 500 such students have made it to different IITs since inception of Super 30 in 2002.

India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant Monday returned from its first deterrence patrol, successfully completing the establishment of the country’s survivable nuclear triad. The crew of the Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine (SSBN) were felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who lauded the accomplishment calling it “historic” and a “fitting response to those who indulge in nuclear blackmail.”

Congratulating the crew, Modi said “Today is historic because it marks the completing of the successful establishment of the nuclear triad. India’s nuclear triad will be an important pillar of global peace and stability,” he said, adding that “our nuclear programme must be seen with regard to India’s efforts to further world peace and stability.”

The HRD ministry is to soon launch a campaign under which school kids will be encouraged to teach illiterate elderly members of their family, Prakash Javadekar said Sunday. Under the campaign, students from class 6 to 10 will be roped in for the eradication of illiteracy as they teach illiterate members of their family.

“The children will be the Guruji of their illiterate family members under the ‘padhna-likhna’ campaign which the HRD ministry is going to launch most likely in next two months,” the human resource development minister told reporters here.

“Proposal is that we will provide material to the students and they will be asked to teach their parents or grandparents who are illiterate,” he said.

The minister said he conceived the idea after recalling his school days when he used to help his mother, a teacher, in educating illiterate people. He said this during his visit to Jhalana kacchi basti where he met people and party workers and took feedback about the government’s work. He had tea with a family in the kacchi basti and spoke to the family members and children and there he motivated a child to teach his illiterate grandparents.

“I asked the boy to be the ‘sir’ (or teacher) of his grandmother. I motivated him and this is how I work. The scheme will be formally launched in two months but today I did an informal or soft launch by asking the boy to do so,” Javadekar said.

During his visit to the kacchi basti, he had lunch at a Dalit family’s residence. He had the meal at the home of Brij Mohan Kansotiya, whose wife is a beneficiary of PM Ujjwala Yojana and whose mother is a beneficiary of a social pension scheme. He also discussed with area residents and received feedback on government schemes and programmes. “Our work is to empower people,” he said.

State Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf, Mayor Ashok Lahoti and other leaders of the party accompanied him. PTI SDA  ABH

The country’s largest lender SBI Monday reported 69 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 576.46 crore in the second quarter ended September 30.

The bank’s net profit was Rs 1,840.43 crore in the July-September quarter of previous fiscal.

The bank had reported a net loss of Rs 4,875.85 crore in the first quarter of the current fiscal due to higher provisioning for bad loans.

Its total income (consolidated) rose to Rs 79,302.72 crore in the quarter under review, compared to Rs 74,948.51 crore in the year-ago period, State Bank of India (SBI) said in a regulatory filing.

On asset quality, the gross non-performing assets (NPA) of the bank rose to 9.95 per cent of the gross advances as on September 30, 2018 from 9.83 per cent a year ago.

Net NPAs or bad loans stood at 4.84 per cent of the net advances, down from 4.53 per cent.

The provisions for bad loans came down to Rs 10,381.31 crore during the quarter, from Rs 16,842.18 crore in the same period a year ago.

On standalone basis, the bank’s net profit was down at Rs 944.87 crore as against Rs 1,581.55 crore.

The lender’s income was Rs 66,607.98 crore in the July-September quarter, up from Rs 65,429.63 crore.

Shares of the bank closed 3.45 per cent higher at Rs 295.30 on BSE.