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Haryana revises sub-regional plan, but builders must wait for change of land use licences

CHANDIGARH/GURGAON: There is a ray of hope for real estate projects awaiting change of land use (CLU) licences from the state government. The department of town and country planning on Tuesday submitted a revised sub-regional plan to the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB). The builders, however, will have to wait till the board approves the revised plan. Last month, the Punjab and Haryana high court had barred the state government from issuing CLU licences to developers or government agencies in NCR because of the same reason. Earlier, the NCRPB had highlighted loopholes in Haryana’s draft of the sub-regional plan, but the government failed to incorporate the changes. After a rap from […]




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HC sets aside order to ‘benefit’ landowners

Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 21 Displaying the humanitarian side of law, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a rare judgment has set aside a lower court order, though it was neither illegal, nor erroneous. Justice Rajiv Narain Raina made it clear that the judgment granting yet another opportunity to farmers to plead their case for a higher compensation for acquired land was being passed to “avoid miscarriage of justice”. The order came on a petition filed by Vijay Kumar and another petitioner against Haryana and other respondents. Their evidence in support of plea to enhance compensation awarded by the Land Acquisition Collector was turned down on the ground […]




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Chandigarh Board scraps housing scheme amid poor response

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has terminated its housing scheme, which was announced last year, amid poor response. Applicants who were picked on the basis of a demand survey will get their paid amounts refunded while a new scheme is framed. The housing scheme in Chandigarh, which would have offered homes in Sector 53, has reportedly been scrapped by the housing board, CHB. Officials have been asked by the government to frame a new, which would be more affordable. The scheme was criticised for being so expensive. For 492 flats, Chandigarh Housing Scheme received only 178 applications despite the board reducing the prices of the flats twice and also extending the […]




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Indian home prices fell most in 52 nations, says IMF

NEW DELHI: Is India’s real estate bubble finally bursting? The International Monetary Fund’s recently-launched data series on global housing prices hints at that. Among 52 major markets for which IMF has collated house price data, India has witnessed the steepest fall. IMF’s calculation on the annual percentage change in property prices shows that prices in India fell by 9.1 per cent, the highest among major real estate markets. The fall is even worse than in countries struggling with the ongoing European Union’s financial crisis. Property prices in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal have all come down, but at a much slower rate. Ireland, on the other hand, registered a […]



  • Delhi
  • Real Estate India

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PM’s plan for 100 smart cities: Government set to ease norms for FDI in construction

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government is set to substantially ease norms for foreign investment in the construction sector, hoping to drum up interest in the prime minister’s plans for 100 smart cities as well his affordable housing initiative. The government is seriously considering the removal of all restrictions on size and minimum capitalisation for the smart cities as well as affordable housing projects. “The discussions are on for exempting smart cities from all FDI conditionalities. We need to give them a push by making it attractive for investors,” said a government official. The new policy is also expected to provide easier exit windows.The proposal could be moved for the […]



  • Delhi
  • Real Estate India

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Rayner, BAE Systems, and Cody

This week we’re very fortunate to speak with Rayner Saggers. Rayner is a Senior Systems Engineer on the F-35 Program at BAE Systems in the UK. That’s already pretty cool, but in addition to that, he’s a pillar of the MATLAB community at BAE Systems. He is the editor of... read more >>




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Nor’easters and Wind Roses

Where I live, in the northeast part of the United States, we have a special storm that goes by the name “nor’easter”. Do we call it that because that’s where we live? No. We call it that because, during a nor’easter, the wind blows hard and steady from the northeast.... read more >>




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Stay Connected using MATLAB and Simulink

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, engineers and scientists are finding themselves suddenly working from home or other remote locations. We’d like to help you continue to use MATLAB and Simulink productively. We hope this brief collection of resources will help you access MATLAB, collaborate and connect with others, and... read more >>




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Community Q&A – Kalyan Acharjya

Kalyan Acharjya has been contributing to MATLAB Answers since 2017. This past year his participation skyrocketed and he is currently a Rising Star. Here is a recent Q&A I had with Kalyan... read more >>



  • Q & A

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‘Language revolt': This activist tweets against erasure of first languages in South Africa

A language reclamation activist confronts linguistic imperialism and the dehumanisation of two South African first languages through digital inclusion advocacy.




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Fiji general cites need to ‘stifle criticism’ in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic

"The COVID-19 pandemic is not an excuse for human rights violations. Excessive force and brutality are unacceptable from any of our enforcement or security forces."





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Nigerian atheist faces death threats for blasphemy against Islam

"Nigeria is a secular state and freedom of speech is one of the fundamental characteristics of a modern democratic state. Criticizing a religion is not a criminal offence."






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COVID-19, locusts and floods: East Africa's triple dilemma

East Africa's "triple threat" — the coronavirus, locusts, and floods — are not mutually exclusive. In fact, each is inextricably linked.





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‘While I breathe, I hope’: In conversation with Ali Gharavi of the #Istanbul10

Gharavi, a security consultant, was among ten human rights defenders arrested in Turkey in July 2017 at an information management and well-being workshop.




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The coronavirus pandemic intensifies Islamophobia in India

Since the start of India's COVID-19 lockdown on March 25, 2020, instances of Islamophobia have intensified, threatening the life, rights, and integrity of millions of Muslims.





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Benin's partial withdrawal from African Charter of Human Rights is a retreat from democracy

Benin drops 17 places in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, following the withdrawal from a key document of the African Charter of Human and People's Rights.





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Trump: COVID-19 task force not dismantling, just refocusing

One day after saying that the White House COVID-19 task force would be winding down, President Donald Trump said Wednesday it would continue indefinitely but focus more on rebooting the economy.




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Unanimous Supreme Court throws out “Bridgegate” convictions

A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday threw out the convictions of two political insiders involved in the “Bridgegate” scandal that ultimately derailed the 2016 presidential bid of then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The justices found evidence of deception, corruption and abuse of power in the scheme, but said “not every corrupt act by state or local officials is a federal crime.”




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Colorado Republican Chair Ken Buck in the hot seat after revelations over election results

Colorado Republican Chairman Ken Buck is facing criticism from within his own party after revelations that he pressured another party official to submit incorrect election results — and then spent party money to defend the move. At least two party executives say they were surprised to learn Buck — who’s also a U.S. representative — […]




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ADB President, Bangladesh Finance Minister Discuss Support for COVID-19 Response

ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and Bangladesh Finance Minister and ADB Governor A H M Mustafa Kamal today discussed ADB’s support to Bangladesh in its fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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ADB Announces $15 Million Loan to Help Palau Combat COVID-19

The Government of Palau will draw down on a $15 million policy-based loan from ADB's Disaster Resilience Program to help finance the country’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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ADB Announces $6 Million Grant to Help Marshall Islands Combat COVID-19

ADB today announced the release of a $6 million grant from its Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 2) to help finance the Government of the Marshall Islands’ response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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ADB Provides $6 Million Assistance for Solomon Islands' COVID-19 Response

ADB today announced the release of a $3 million grant and a $3 million concessional loan from its Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 2) to help finance the Government of Solomon Islands’ response to the COVID-19...




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ADB Approves $1.5 Billion Financing to Support the Philippines' COVID-19 Response

ADB has approved a $1.5 billion loan to help the Philippine government fund its novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response program and strengthen the country’s health care system in its fight against the pandemic.




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ADB Accelerating Renewable Energy in Mongolia with Advanced Battery Storage System

ADB has approved a $100 million loan to help supply renewable energy to Mongolia by installing its first large-scale advanced battery energy storage system.




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ADB President, Pakistan Minister of Economic Affairs Discuss Scaling Up Support to Combat COVID-19

ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and ADB Governor Makhdoom Khusro Bukhtiar today discussed how ADB can scale up its support for the government’s response to the COVID-19...




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ADB Approves $177 Million Loan for Road Improvement in India's Maharashtra State

ADB has approved a $177 million loan to India to upgrade 450 kilometers (km) of state highways and major district roads in Maharashtra State.




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ADB Needs to Strengthen Project Sustainability to Enhance Performance

ADB needs to address issues causing weak sustainability of its projects to improve performance, says the 2020 Annual Evaluation Review (AER) conducted by ADB’s Independent Evaluation Department.




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ADB Approves $200 Million Loan to Support the Philippines' Poor Amid COVID-19

ADB today approved a $200 million loan to support the Philippine government’s effort to provide emergency cash subsidies to vulnerable households amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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ADB Approves $1.5 Billion Financing to Support India's COVID-19 Response

ADB today approved a $1.5 billion loan to the Government of India to help fund its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for immediate priorities such as disease containment and prevention, as well as social...




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ADB Provides Fiji $400,000 Relief Grant After Cyclone Harold

ADB today announced a $400,000 grant to the Government of Fiji to help fund priority recovery activities following Tropical Cyclone Harold, which hit Fiji's western, central, and eastern divisions on 8 and 9 April.




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ADB Provides $346 Million Loan for Rural Electricity in Maharashtra, India

ADB has approved a $346 million loan to India to help provide efficient and reliable power connection to rural agriculture customers in the state of Maharashtra.




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ADB President, Nepal Finance Minister Discuss Support for COVID-19 Response

ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and Nepal Finance Minister and ADB Governor Yuba Raj Khatiwada today discussed ADB’s support to Nepal in its fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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ADB Approves $100 Million to Support COVID-19 Response in Bangladesh

ADB today approved a $100 million loan to support the Government of Bangladesh in its efforts to address the immediate public health requirements of combatting the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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Japan to Support ADB Developing Member Countries' Response to COVID-19 Challenges

ADB has provided several targeted interventions to support its developing member countries in combating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from its early stages. In support of ADB’s effort, the Government of Japan is...




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ADB Provides $200,000 Grant to Tonga for Cyclone Harold Relief

ADB today approved a $200,000 (460,000 pa’anga) grant to the Government of Tonga to help restore life-sustaining services following the damage from Tropical Cyclone Harold.




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ADB Approves $20 Million to Support Bhutan's COVID-19 Response

ADB today approved a $20 million loan to support Bhutan’s efforts to stimulate the economy, protect public health, and mitigate the effects of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on its people.




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ADB, Mongolia Sign Loans to Modernize Vegetable Production, Irrigation

ADB and the Government of Mongolia today signed $40 million in loans and a $2 million Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction grant to support the modernization of government-owned irrigation networks and vegetable production in Mongolia.




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ADB’s Trade Finance Program Supports Medical Supplies to Combat Pandemic in Sri Lanka

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided a guarantee for a $25 million trade loan to the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka (SPC) to purchase medical supplies as part of the country’s response to the novel ....




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ADB Approves $500 Million for Bangladesh's COVID-19 Response

ADB today approved an additional $500 million loan to bolster the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to manage the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the country’s economy and the public health.




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ADB President, Bhutan Finance Minister Discuss COVID-19 Response

ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and Bhutan Finance Minister and ADB Governor Namgay Tshering today discussed ADB’s support to the country in its fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.




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ADB Releases Annual Report of Development Effectiveness

ADB has released the 13th annual performance report of its corporate results framework, the Development Effectiveness Review, a management tool that monitors performance and progress during 2019.




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Indian Bank puts Gautham Menon’s property on the block

CHENNAI: The Kotturpuram branch of Indian Bank has invited tenders for auction of a property belonging to film producer and director Gautham Vasudev Menon in Adyar. As per details on Tenders India (a government tender information system), the auction process for the property located on First Main Road in Indira Nagar, has begun with the tender value being quoted at 12.26 crore. The winning bidder, expected to put up 50 lakh as a deposit. The property is 7,091 sqft, and the market price of each ground (2,400 sqft) in the area is 4.5 crore to 5 crore. “This particular account has been a non-performing asset (NPA) for some time and […]




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Home sales expected to rise 26 per cent in second half of 2014: Knight Frank

After a lacklustre first half, home sales across the top six cities in the country are expected to rise 26 per cent in the second half of 2014 compared to a year ago, according to a research report by property advisory firm Knight Frank. A negative sentiment among home buyers due to the slow economy, high interest rates, inflation and also political uncertainty had tempered home sales in the first half of the year. While new launches in the period dropped 32 per cent, sales volume was down 27 per cent. But now, with a positive election result, a stable government at the centre and sops for the housing sector […]