Latest news with #NMA
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
India's monuments and heritage need to recognise it's civilisational history
The history of India is not just about slavery. The history of India is about emerging victorious… The mistake of not keeping those events in the mainstream is being rectified now' — Narendra Modi Putting the Maratha Military Landscapes on the UNESCO World Heritage list is a significant step towards recognising Indian monuments of victory and glory and decolonising the heritage space. The momentum must be taken further as this area had been neglected for a long time post-Independence. Monuments are our collective memory etched in stone. After Independence, there was little effort to correct the mindset of teachers and those preparing history books. The colonial mindset continued even in the preservation of monuments and archaeological sites. Teaching took place under the shadow of what PM Modi has called the history of our defeat and the stories of enemies' victories. It is only under the Modi government that the decolonisation drive has begun, giving us new insights into the history that the British and the Left cabal sought to bury. It has highlighted the stories of King Suheldev, Rani Durgavati and Lachit Barphukan. The founder-king of Delhi, Maharaja Anangpal Tomar, was long ignored — now, Anang Tal, which was a neglected sewer reservoir, has been designated a Monument of National Importance. Excavations at Rakhigarhi have restarted. The Navy has new insignia inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji. There have also been efforts to delve into the history of tribal communities' wars of independence in the Northeast, specifically the Tai-Khamti War (1839). These are just a few examples of the Modi government's vision of resurrecting India's glorious history and detoxing colonised minds. As chairman of the National Monuments Authority (NMA), I had an opportunity to flag some anomalies and suggest changes in the way we look at preservation. We have created a list of 3,695 Monuments of National Importance that have brought out interesting facets of Indian history. Afzal Khan, the cruel general serving the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, believed a prophecy about his death before his 'meeting' with Shivaji. Some tales suggest that he killed his many wives the night before he departed to encounter his foe. We know Shivaji killed him. But the graves of his wives are now a Monument of National Importance in Bijapur. Maharani Tarabai Bhonsle fought the Mughals and ruled as a Maratha queen for 30 years. But her samadhi is in ruins in Satara. It deserves the honour of being a Monument of National Importance. The great Sikh warrior Baba Baghel Singh conquered Delhi in 1783, made the Mughal emperor pay fines and constructed seven gurdwaras including Sis Ganj Sahib. His 30,000 Sikh soldiers camped near the Red Fort — and so, the camp became known as Tis Hazari. But nowhere, even in the Red Fort Museum, is there any mention of this conquest. The National Monuments Authority was asked to approach the Tis Hazari court to ask if it would like to have the name explained in its precincts. The Marathas conquered Delhi in 1757 under Raghunath Rao and in 1771 under Mahadaji Shinde. They controlled the Red Fort and continued to rule until 1803, when the British overpowered them in the second Anglo-Maratha War. The British took Delhi from the Marathas and not the Mughals. This fact, too, is completely missing from the Red Fort museum. The NMA struggled for two years to have this mentioned on a wall of honour inside the fort without any success. On the Delhi-Meerut highway, there lies a nondescript grave of British soldiers who were killed by local revolutionaries in 1857. This was declared a Monument of National Importance. But the Kali Paltan Augharnath temple, Meerut, a renowned place that housed revolutionaries and Purabia soldiers — a shelter for the marching armies of the freedom struggle — has been refused the honour. There isn't a single Monument of National Importance connected with the Dalit struggle and B R Ambedkar's life. His first primary school in Satara and the Sayaji Baug Vadodara Banyan tree, where he resolved to bring equality for all Indians, now known as Sankalp Bhumi, have yet to be accepted as national monuments. After a detailed site inspection by the NMA, the Governor of Kerala sent a recommendation to declare the birthplace of Adi Shankara, Kalady, a Monument of National Importance. It was not even responded to. Mangarh has been a place of the greatest reverence for PM Modi. He visited the place many times before he became Gujarat CM, and recently, as PM. The NMA visited the site and recommended that it be declared a Monument of National Importance. It was the site of the massacre of more than 1,500 Bhil tribals by the British army in November 1913. We are still waiting for action on the matter. There are more than 100 monuments like Tota-Maina Ki Kabr that have absolutely no history. Nobody knows what they represent and why they have been declared Monuments of National Importance. Similarly, some Monuments of National Importance, like the Mohammad Gauri Ke Senapati Ki Chhatri and Babur Ka Bagicha (where he is said to have stayed for a few hours), defy any logic. Not a single Monument of National Importance from Kashmir, like Martand, Parihaspore or Harwan, was ever recommended to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and none has been given even a security guard. I had recommended a relook at the functioning and mandates of all the agencies working on monuments to unshackle them from the colonial mindset. We need an Archaeological Foundation to preserve civilisational and revolutionary monuments of India. The writer was chairman, National Monuments Authority
Hans India
07-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Nepal: Doctors announce boycott of non-emergency services; thousands left without treatment
Kathmandu: Thousands of patients across Nepal will be left without medical care on Monday as the Nepal Medical Association (NMA), the umbrella body of medical doctors, has announced a nationwide boycott of medical services except for emergency care. The protest comes for the second time in two months in response to the recent verdicts of the Consumer Court of the country that imposed heavy penalties on doctors found guilty of gross negligence in treatments leading to serious complications and patient death, local media reported. "The situation has escalated in such a dramatic way that we can no longer continue our work smoothly. Doctors cannot pay millions of rupees in fines for trying to save lives, and our experience shows that authorities do not listen unless we resort to stern protests," leading Nepalese newspaper, The Kathmandu Post, reported, quoting Anil Bikram Karki, president of the association, as saying. Reports suggest that the recent court ruling slapped hefty penalties on three private hospitals in Nepal -- Rs 5.68 million on the Chabahil-based Om Hospital (8 per cent to the hospital and 20 per cent to the doctors involved); Rs 5.7 million on Grande City Clinic (Rs 4 million to the doctors and Rs 1.7 million to hospital); and Rs 14.5 million on Himal Hospital (70 per cent to the doctors and 30 per cent to hospital). "Halting hospital services and depriving ailing patients of treatment has become a major tool for the association to put pressure on the government to meet its demands. Without knowing what the Consumer Court's verdicts actually say, the NMA and its member doctors are again depriving patients of treatment, which in itself is a serious crime," said Jyoti Baniya, chairman of the Forum for the Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal. "The details of the verdicts are yet to be made public, and they have already started punishing patients. Courts have long been issuing verdicts in cases of gross negligence and have also slapped fines against those found guilty," Baniya added. Experts, as well as former office-bearers of the Nepal Medical Council, condemned the boycott of medical services, stating that protests against court verdicts cannot be justified under any circumstances. "Patients and their relatives have the right to seek legal remedies if they feel they or their patients have been harmed due to medical negligence. The council's investigations have shown sheer negligence by doctors, and actions have been taken," said a former office bearer of the Nepal Medical Council, on condition of anonymity. "Not all doctors are equally competent, and no doctor can guarantee that there will be no negligence from their fellow doctors. Are we again encouraging the public to take the law into their own hands by depriving them of the right to go to court?" said another former council member. Earlier in April, in a similar demonstration, non-emergency services remained shut across the South Asian country following a nationwide protest called by the NMA. The association then took the step in solidarity with resident doctors pursuing MD/MS degrees in private colleges, who had been demanding allowances equal to those of government-owned colleges.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
NMA makes online application mandatory for construction near protected monuments from July 1
NEW DELHI: The National Monument Authority (NMA) will accept only online applications seeking permission to carry out construction or repair of structures located in regulated or prohibited areas of monuments. As per the new directives, all such applications must be forwarded to the National Monument Authority (NMA), by the competent authorities with their recommendations, within 15 days of submission. The NMA is expected to make a decision on the application within 30 days. Exceptions have been made to protect sites, where the colour coded zonal maps (CCZMs) have not been approved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) yet. The authorities will continue to accept applications for grant of permission for those sites in offline mode. CCZMs are crucial for defining regulated and prohibited areas around centrally protected monuments and sites, guiding construction and development activities to ensure preservation. As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010; 300 m area around the heritage sites is divided into two sections; prohibited area, which is upto 100m and remaining 200 is regulated area. 'For grant of permission for carrying out construction, re-construction, repair or renovation within the prohibited or regulated areas of Protected Monuments and sites, shall be mandatorily submitted through the NMA online application procession system (NOAPS) portal w.e.f July 1, 2025, to further streamline the processing of applications, in line with the Central Government's 'Ease of Doing Business' initiative,' read an official note.
Business Upturn
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Nimanode Presale Skyrockets with over 38% Allocation Scooped, Is this the Next DeFi Mover for Altseason?
LEEDS, United Kingdom, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The highly anticipated Nimanode (NMA) Presale has so far surpassed expectations, rapidly filling its presale allocation with 38% already scooped so far which has fuelled intense investor FOMO. Nimanode is drawing serious attention from early adopters seeking exposure to the next phase of Web3 automation. As more participants secure their share of $NMA, the window for entry is almost closed by the hours as it narrows quickly. Analysts have predicted $NMA could deliver high returns with anticipation of a major breakout post-launch, early participants are moving quickly to secure $NMA tokens at presale pricing. $NMA Presale Presale Participation Surges as Investor Demands Intensifies Nimanode is capturing attention for good reason: it's pioneering zero-code, on-chain AI agents that can automate complex blockchain tasks from deploying smart contracts and managing DeFi strategies to running real-time compliance checks and providing intelligent customer support. FOMO is already set in place as the Nimanode Presale momentum already indicates strong confidence from early investors citing a belief in the project. Demand for the NMA token has also surged as tokens are set to be listed at an upward 25% price from presale prices at top XRPL exchanges like Magnetic, so instant returns for early investors are expected. Pioneering the AI x Blockchain Wave on XRP Ledger The platform's unique value lies in its accessibility. Anyone regardless of coding ability can create and monetize autonomous AI agents, all powered by the speed and cost-efficiency of the XRPL. Unlike static automation or off-chain bots, Nimanode agents operate on-chain, interact with smart contracts, and generate on-chain earnings; creating a new form of programmable, decentralized labor. Though independent from Ripple's official roadmap, Nimanode leverages XRP Ledger's speed, low fees, and increasing developer adoption to help reignite the bullish energy seen in previous cycles. To put it in perspective, XRP once saw an explosive 137,000% surge during the 2017–2018 bull market. Now, as the XRP ecosystem rebounds with the token retracing back to $2.20 Nimanode's emergence offers a timely opportunity to capture investor interest around intelligent automation, agent-powered DeFi, and tokenized real-world utilities built directly on XRPL. Reimagining the Future of Work Through AI Agents, A Core Value Nimanode isn't just riding the wave of XRP's momentum, it introduces a suite of pioneering features designed to fuel long-term growth and ecosystem resilience. It is working to be a part of the future of work. Zero-Code Agent Builder: Create and launch AI agents through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface Autonomous On-Chain Agents: Agents can interact with dApps, execute logic, and respond to events Decentralized Agent Marketplace: Allows the community to deploy and monetize AI Agents Cross-Chain & Off-Chain Integration: Enable automation across multiple networks and external APIs Don't Miss Out Nimanode Presale With early interest accelerating and a powerful utility-driven token model, investor excitement around Nimanode is building fast. As more participants secure their share of $NMA, the window for entry is almost closed, by the hours it narrows quickly. Joining in the NimaNode Presale is quite straightforward Purchase XRP: Acquire XRP from reputable exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, or Bybit Send to an XRP-Compatible Wallet: Ensure you have a non-custodial wallet capable of receiving XRP native tokens Xaman recommended. Participate in the Presale: Visit the NimaNode presale page ( ), send your XRP to the provided presale address, and secure your $NMA tokens. As Nimanode Presale gains momentum, now is a perfect opportunity to position at the next wave of Blockchain innovation poised for massive gains through the integration of Web3 and AI. Connect with Nimanode Website: Twitter/X: Telegram: Documentation: Contact:Nick Lambert [email protected]
Mint
26-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
This chemicals maker is betting on a gasoline boost to ease its margin pain
Specialty chemicals company Aarti Industries Ltd is struggling with acute margin pressure—its consolidated Ebitda margin fell to 13.8% in FY25 from 15.3% the year before. However, the stock has rebounded 37% from its 52-week low of Rs344.20 on 7 April. That's because the company's key product, NMA (N-Methylaniline, which is used as an octane booster for gasoline), is poised to get a volume push from a higher gasoline-naphtha spread (decline in naphtha prices without a similar decline in gasoline prices). Naphtha is a key component in gasoline production. NMA is part of Aarti Industries's energy business, which accounted for 36% of the company's FY25 revenue, 80% of which came from exports. 'Energy business outlook is expected to improve on favourable gasoline-naphtha spreads, and see sequential growth in volume from Q2FY26 on a lower base,"Emkay Global Financial Services said in a report on 23 June. Emkay estimates that the gasoline-naphtha spread is expected to reach $13.6 per barrel in the April-June quarter (Q1FY26), up from $11.0 in Q4FY25 and $7.2 in Q3. This should lead to higher naphtha blending in gasoline and higher NMA to meet the global gasoline specification requirement. To increase volumes from new capacity commissioned in Q3FY25, Aarti Industries is expanding to the US and Europe, beyond its key West Asian market. Also, a plant for a new product, Chlorotoluene, used in agro and pharma business segments, will be commissioned in H2FY26. Global uncertainties Capacity expansion is key to Aarti Industries's plan to double Ebitda by FY28 from ₹1,001 crore in FY25, driven by higher capital expenditure, ramping up assets, and cost-saving initiatives. For FY26, capex is pegged at Rs1,000 crore from around Rs1,400 crore in FY25. Elevated capex pushed Aarti Industries's net debt/Ebitda ratio to 3.5x in FY25, but it is expected to decline to 2x by FY27. The company maintained its three-year Ebitda guidance of Rs1,800-2,200 crore, but refrained from giving FY26 guidance owing to uncertainties around tariffs and geopolitics. This is not surprising considering that exports account for 60% of its revenue. Aarti Industries faces significant pricing pressure, primarily due to excess capacity in China affecting agrochemicals and a subdued automotive industry affecting its polymer and additives segment. However, favourable US tariffs on India compared with those on China could benefit Aarti Industries's agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals businesses. In FY25, the company recorded volume growth of 17%, higher than its revenue growth of 15%.In FY26, management expects growth to be volume-led with little improvement in pricing. Meanwhile, over the past year, the Aarti Industries stock has tanked by 32% due to margin woes. Consequently, the valuation multiple has dropped lower than its long-term average. At FY26 price-to-earnings, the stock trades at a multiple of 37x, according to Bloomberg data.
