QAhmedabad: Land Allotted for Rail Varsity, 23% Engg Seats Vacant

Here is your roundup of the top stories from Ahmedabad.

Image used for representative purposes.

(Photo: PTI)

1. Gujarat Government to Provide 31 Hectares of Land for New Rail University in Vadodara

In a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday 21 August, the Gujarat government decided to provide 31 hectares of land, at 50 percent of the existing market price, for building India’s first Railways University in Vadodara.

“About 31 hectares will be allocated in Pipaliya village of Waghodia taluka of Vadodara. The decision to allocate land for this priceless gift, given to Gujarat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was taken today in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani,” said Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. He said the Indian Railways had requested for more than 30 hectares of land from the state government.

The deputy CM said the cost of this land will be over Rs 1 crore, adding that the land fell in rural parts of Waghodia and the jantri rates (decided by the state government) were very low in the area. “The price of the land should not be the main concern here, Gujarat will be getting a central institution of repute. It has been done keeping in mind the long-term benefits to the state,” he added.

(Source: Indian Express)

2. No Takers for 23% Seats in Gujarat's Govt Engineering Colleges

Close to 23% of engineering seats in various government and grant-in-aid colleges in the state remained vacant even after the final round of admission.

As per the data made available by the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC), of the 13,479 vacancies for various branches of engineering in government and grant-in-aid colleges of the state, a total of 3,048 seats remain vacant. Of this, the highest vacancies in terms of numbers (absolute vacant seats) is in electronic and communications while the highest in terms of percentage is in metallurgy.

However, what has academicians worried is the vacancies in core engineering branches like civil, electrical, electronics and communication and mechanical. The fee in government engineering and grant in aid colleges are much less than private colleges.

(Source: DNA)

3. Aid From the US for Laid-Off Diamond Polishers of Surat

With thousands of diamond polishers being laid off due to a recession of sorts in the diamond cutting and polishing industry in Surat, the Gems and Jewellery Association of the United States has expressed interest in providing financial help to the families of such workers.

Around 5 lakh diamond polishers work in 3,500 small, medium and large diamond factories in Surat city, out of which around 6,000 of them have been laid off as many factories had to reduce their production. Diamond polishers’ salaries have also gone down.

The Gems and Jewellery Association members of the US recently contacted their Surat counterparts to find out how they could help diamond polishers who had been laid off. One Nitin Patel, who is a member of the GJA and a businessman dealing in polished diamonds, came down to Surat few days ago, and held a meeting with known diamond merchants in Surat.

(Source: Indian Express)

4. 2017 Chudasama Election Case: Judge Slams Delays by Respondents’ Lawyers

Hearing an election petition of Congress leader Ashwin Rathod challenging the 2017 Assembly poll win of now state education and law minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama from Dholka constituency, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday slammed the respondents for delays.

Senior advocate Jal Unawala, representing Shaktisinh Sisodiya who had contested as an independent candidate and is supporting Chudasama, was pulled up by the court for not submitting his affidavit — as per an unspoken norm — a day before the deposition, to legal representatives of other parties including Rathod.

Justice Upadhyay told Unawala and Chudasama’s counsel Nirupam Nanavaty that such delays are unfair to the justice system, to the plaintiff and to the court. “Unreasonable accommodation (of adjournment, dates) has been granted to you…I’ll be very conservative in accommodating you (henceforth),” he said

(Source: Indian Express)

5. Police Mistake Two Students for Feared Terrorists From Afghanistan

Two students freshly enrolled in a college in Navsari were suspected of being the terrorists from Aghanistan that have sent all security units in Gujarat into high alert. They were nabbed and released on Wednesday after their documents were verified and found to be legitimate.

Earlier in the month, there were reports from the Intelligence Bureau of four terror-suspects with Afghani passports having infiltrated the state. On August 17, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) also circulated a photo of one of the men, reported to be the leader of the group, with all Special Operations Group units (SOG) posted in the state.

On Tuesday, the Surat Rural police control room received tip-off about two suspicious-looking men seen on a bus headed from Vadodara to Navsari. They relayed the message to the Crime branch, SOG and other senior officials, and an investigation was launched.

(Source: DNA)