All stories by Virendra Singh Rawat
UP polls: Battle field shifts to digital war rooms
Rediff.com24 Jan 2022Given the vital role played by cyberspace in new-age electioneering, the UP police have constituted a digital monitoring cell to curb objectionable and defamatory social media posts on the eve of the elections.
Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari dies in freak accident
Rediff.com5 Jan 2022Multi-core loan default accused and promoter of Rotomac Group 73-year-old Vikram Kothari died in a freak accident at his Kanpur residence on Tuesday morning. According to reports, the erstwhile stationery czar sustained grievous head injuries after slipping in his bathroom and later succumbed to his injuries. He was reportedly alone at his Tilak Nagar residence at the time of the incident. Vikram, also known as 'India's Pen King', was accused in a bank loan scam worth thousands of crores pertaining to Rotomac Global, which exported writing instruments overseas.
UP polls: Akhilesh Yadav ropes in small parties to make a comeback
Rediff.com23 Nov 2021While Yadav began to tour different constituencies and address public meetings to mobilise the SP rank and file, he has concurrently started the tedious process of cobbling up an alliance of smaller outfits representing a mlange of castes and sub-castes, reports Virendra Singh Rawat.
Smaller parties maybe a force to reckon with in UP polls
Rediff.com27 Oct 2021In the backdrop of the ongoing farm protests, back into public consciousness in the aftermath of the recent Lakhimpur Kheri episode, smaller parties are expected to not only enliven the election theatre, but also queer the pitch for the Opposition.
Lakhimpur violence adds to Yogi's woes ahead of UP poll
Rediff.com5 Oct 2021The Lakhimpur violence, in which the son of senior BJP leader and Union minister of state Ajay Mishra Teni are accused of trampling four protesting farmers to death, has opened another front for the CM to deal with, after the mysterious death of Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri last month and the death of a Kanpur-based trader in Gorakhpur recently.
Can name-changing spree help BJP again in UP 2022?
Rediff.com15 Sep 2021The BJP's bucket list this time includes districts such as Sultanpur, Aligarh, Firozabad, Deoband, Ghazipur, Basti and Mirzapur -- to rename a few. Virendra Singh Rawat reports.
As Covid ebbs, 70 die of mystery fever in western UP, Firozabad worst hit
Rediff.com1 Sep 2021Firozabad has been the worst hit district, with nearly 50 casualties. It has also gripped Agra, Mathura, Mainpuri, Etawah and Kasganj in the past few days.
Will Modi's new induction in UP pose problems for Yogi?
Rediff.com7 Jul 2021'Sharma was sent to Lucknow for a purpose, but he has merely been adjusted in the party hierarchy because the chief minister refused to induct him into his government. He was secretary in the Central government and was holding a much higher office than the state ruling party's vice-president' Virendra Singh Rawat reports.
Mamata all set to take the battle to BJP in UP polls
Rediff.com21 Jun 2021The TMC, fresh from its resounding victory in West Bengal, is renewing efforts to mark its presence in the country's most populous state as well as politically crucial elections before the Lok Sabha battle in 2024, reports Virendra Singh Rawat.
Yogi faces panchayat poll test amid farmers' stir
Rediff.com2 Mar 2021The panchayat polls will be seen as a kind of verdict from the hinterland for Yogi Adityanath ahead of the crucial 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections.
100 per cent placements for IIM Lucknow
Rediff.com26 Feb 2021IIM Lucknow has concluded its 2020-21 final placements.
Why farmers in UP are not protesting
Rediff.com16 Jan 2021Robust procurement of paddy and wheat since 2017 and prompt payment to farmers have helped the UP government cultivate a positive and pro-farmer perception, defusing possible farm face-off situations.
Priyanka's Lucknow bungalow has deep links to Nehru
Rediff.com21 Jul 2020The renovation of the property is underway, encompassing painting of walls, cleaning, and other necessary repairs befitting the new entrant's stature and requirements. The bungalow, spread over about 1.5 acres, belongs to the family of veteran Congress leader the late Sheila Kaul, who was the sister-in-law of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Virendra Singh Rawat reports.
Buffalo meat exports hit hard as livestock auction gets stuck
Rediff.com9 Jun 2020Livestock auctions remained on hold for the majority of the lockdown as there was no clarity on the matter.
How Yogi will tackle the homecoming migrants' crisis
Rediff.com20 May 2020The CM recently instructed officials to prepare a roadmap for providing local jobs to about two million people, especially in the rural-based industries, such as khadi, dairy, and food processing units and MSMEs.
Iran's coronavirus outbreak leads to cheaper basmati
Rediff.com1 Mar 2020Following the outbreak, Iran has stopped Indian basmati shipments. This has led to exports already falling 18-20 per cent this fiscal year. Iran and the rest of West Asia account for the largest imports of Indian basmati, and comprise more than 30 per cent of the shipments.
UP sitting on 2900-tonne goldmine at Sonbhadra
Rediff.com22 Feb 2020According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and UP geology and mining directorate reports, gold reserves totalling 2,944 tonnes have been found in the Sona Pahadi and Hardi blocks of the backward Sonbhadra district.
Highest salary offered at IIM Lucknow is...
Rediff.com30 Jan 2020The management institute also clocked 100% placement, says Virendra Singh Rawat.
3 tests will decide if Opposition's ready for UP polls
Rediff.com27 Jan 2020This year promises to offer ample opportunities on the electoral turf to the SP, BSP and Congress to get their act together and play the "semi-final" of sorts before the "final match" two years later, reports Virendra Singh Rawat
UP plans subsidy for Patanjali's Rs 6,000 cr food park
Rediff.com23 Jan 2020The land transfer or subleasing would allow the Patanjali Group to set up the food processing facility and entitle it to other incentives under the central policy guidelines.