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Amitabh Bachchan gives up LPG subsidy; 700 pilgrims die in worst Hajj disaster
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717
The number of pilgrims who died in a stampede outside the Muslim holy town of Mecca, which is said to be the worst disaster to strike the annual Hajj pilgrimage in 25 years. At least 863 people have been injured. In July 1990, 1,416 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca. As on Thursday evening, over 220 ambulances and 4,000 rescue workers were sent to the stampede location to help the injured people. Different media reports say 1-4 Indians have been killed in this stampede. More than 2 million Muslims from 183 countries travel to Mecca for Hajj. Between 2012 and 2014, 3,46,323 Indian Muslims have gone on a Hajj pilgrimage from the Haj Committee of India and 95,490 through private tour operators.
29.8 lakh
The number of people who have given up their LPG subsidy so far. This March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had requested consumers to surrender their subsidies on LPG if they could afford to buy it at market rates. Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan is the latest celebrity to ‘Give it up’ (as the campaign is called). As on 28 July, the total number of people who had opted for no LPG subsidy stood at around 13.9 lakh. Of this, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi were the top three states that accounted for 44% of the total number of consumers who had given up the LPG subsidy.
1.9% versus 4.1%
The population growth a year in the district of Delhi compared to that of Gautam Budh Nagar, Delhi’s neighbouring area, between 2001 and 2011. It’s an example of how population growth has been faster in the peripheries of the major Indian cities, as pointed out by the World Bank in its recent report on urbanisation in South Asia. These peripheries do not come under the cities’ “official administrative boundaries". Talking about “hidden urbanisation", the report pointed out that the official national statistics in South Asian countries understated the share of the region’s population living in areas with urban characteristics. The number of urban agglomerations (urban spread constituting a town and its neighbouring areas or two or more towns) in India increased to 475 (Census 2011) from 384 (Census 2001).
₹ 1,000 crore
Cost of the education package that the Gujarat government has launched, a move that is seen to placate the agitating Patel community. This community has been holding public demonstrations demanding the other backward status. Applicable to students of all categories, the government would provide financial assistance for those who score above 90 percentile and whose parents’ annual income do not exceed ₹ 4.5 lakh per annum. The scheme will be implemented this year itself and around 70,000 students are expected to benefit from it. Gujarat had 25 colleges per lakh population (18-23 years) in 2011-2012 and average enrolment per college was 594. The state’s enrolment for undergraduate degrees in the same year totalled to over 9 lakh, about 4% of the all-India figure.
30
The number of Indian developers Facebook has partnered with for ‘Free Basic Services’, which is a part of its controversial Internet.org platform. With this, the total number of free services is up to 80. Internet.org is a partnership between the social networking company, telecommunication companies where it would provide free services including applications for learning English or providing information to farmers in developing countries. This has come under severe criticism for going against the ‘free spirit’ of the Internet. Facebook says that globally 50% of the users on this platform have moved on to accessing other websites by paying for data services and in India, the figure is eight times the number of users on the platform. The telecom regulator in India has said that it would make its position clear on net neutrality in a couple of months.
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