Prachi Thaker
Deadline for PUC, HSRP extended
With implementation of the new Motor Vehicles Act, the Gujarat Government extended the deadline for vehicle owners to get Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate to September 30 and High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) to October 16. This was done in view of the heavy rush of vehicle owners at PUC centres and the RTOs. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier set the deadline at September 16 for compliance of new traffic norms and implementation of the amended law.
Ø Gujarat cuts fines imposed under new MV Act
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 levied steep fines, which came into effect from September 1, although some states showed reluctance in implementation saying the people needed time to get acquainted with the enhanced penalties.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani found the new levies exorbitant and announced heavy cuts. While the new act stipulated a fine of Rs 1,000 for riding without a helmet, for instance, the state reduced it to Rs 500.
Other states, like Karantaka took a leaf from Gujarat and announced their own penalties. In all, 11 states have either refused to implement the new law or reduced the penalties drastically.
Ø Sardar Sarovar Dam water level crosses 137 meters
After heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh, a lot of water filled the reservoir in the neighbouring state, necessitating overflow from the dam if required. The State Government issued an alert for villages along the banks of the Narmada River after water level in the dam crossed 137 meters recently, the highest since its height was raised to 138 meters in 2017. It is good news for Gujarat which calls the Narmada River the state’s lifeline. Officials say this year’s rainfall could be enough for the next three years.Gujarat has so far received 109.99 per cent of its annual average rainfall, with 22 of the total 33 districts receiving 100 per cent rainfall.
Ø Devotees bid adieu to Lord Ganesha
Celebrated on the 14th day of the lunar fortnight, the festival of Ganeshotsava came to an end on Wednesday. This year’s festivities were marked by the administration’s resolve and the people’s cooperation not to pollute the River Sabarmati by immersing the Lord’s idols. Many devotees have turned to the eco-friendly idols. They used temporary ponds constructed by the municipal corporation to immerse their idols.
Ø IIT Gandhinagar among top 600 global institutions in the ‘2020 The World University Rankings’
The Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar (IIT-GN) has been ranked among the top 600 educational institutes worldwide and seventh in India in the 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
This year, the University, known for educational institutions’ rankings worldwide, ranked 1,396 institutions from 92 countries. It assessed the performance of research-driven universities on 13 different performance indicators, including teaching, research, knowledge-transfer and international outlook.
The 11-year-old IIT-GN entered global rankings for the first time this year in the 501-600 band worldwide. This year, 56 Indian institutes made it to the World University Rankings, up from 49 last year.