HC seeks Centre, DGCA reply on plea seeking cap on air fare New Delhi, May 9 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Central government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to file response on a plea seeking capping of air fares charged by the various airlines in the country. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar has also asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to reply on the on the plea as it listed the matter for August 8. The court was hearing a plea filed by consumer rights activist Bejon K. Misra who has said that the authorities are behaving like "silent spectators" to the "arbitrary" fixing of fares by the airlines. Misra said that capping of air fares or guidelines to regulate them are necessary to ensure "greater transparency and accountability" and "discourage profiteering and undue enrichment in the business of civil aviation". 'India calls for dialogue to resolve Iran nuclear accord dispute NEW DELHI, May 9 (Reuters): India on Wednesday called for diplomacy to resolve the dispute over the Iran nuclear deal after the United States announced it was pulling out of the accord agreed with Tehran in 2015. New Delhi has longstanding ties with Iran, which is also one of its top oil suppliers. But it has developed close political and security ties with the United States and the foreign ministry was measured in its response to President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the accord is formally known, to limit Tehran's nuclear programme. "All parties should engage constructively to address and resolve issues that have arisen with respect to the JCPOA," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Tremors felt across north India after Afghan quake New Delhi, May 9 (IANS): A large part of north India felt tremors on Wednesday as an earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, occurred near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, a Met official said, adding no casualty or damage was reported. The tremors, from the quake classified as "moderate", were also in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and the Delhi-NCR region, the meteorological department official said. No loss of life or property was reported as of now, the official added.According to a Met official in Srinagar, shock waves were felt in both the Valley and the Jammu region. At many places, people rushed out of homes, offices and other places in panic. "The epicentre of the tremor was in the Afghanistan-Tajakistan region. Its latitude was 36.9 degrees north while its longitude was 71.3 degrees east. Its depth was 96 km," he said. Tribals join MNS protest against Bullet Train Palghar, (Maharashtra), May 9 (IANS): Two days after disrupting survey works for the upcoming Bullet Train project in Thane, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and local tribals on Wednesday carried out protests against the fortnight-long land survey initiated here on Wednesday, an activist said. The tribals here have to walk 20 kms daily for getting drinking water in summer. The situation is the same every year after February-March. Instead of providing development, employment and basic amenities like drinking water, the government is wasting away huge amount of money on unnecessary projects like the Bullet Train," said MNS leader Kundan Sankhe.He said a similar situation prevailed not only in Palghar, but also in adjoining state's tribal regions from where the proposed Rs 108,000 crore Bullet Train route from Mumbai to Ahmedabad will pass. On Wednesday afternoon, when the MNS activists and tribals gathered for their agitation, the local police warned them of action in view of the election code of conduct enforced in the district ahead of the May 28 Lok Sabha bye-poll, Sankhe said, adding that they told police that they were "only highlighting the genuine problems facing the tribals here and protesting peacefully".The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd is carrying out the ground surveys on the entire route for India's first - and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project - Bullet Train, coming up with Japanese collaboration and funding.
