New Delhi, Oct 18: Arshdeep Singh, 10, is among the winners of the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in the 10-years-and-under category for his photograph ‘Pipe Owls’, which is of two spotted owlets nested inside a pipe. Now in its 53rd installment, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is organised by the Britain’s Natural History Museum.
Among the junior winners, there were three categories 10 years and under, 11-14 years and 15-17 years.
While driving through Punjab’s Kapurthala with his father, Arshdeep saw a spotted owlet popping its head out from an old waste-pipe. He asked his father to stop the car and rested his father’s camera on the half-open window of the car at eye level. It wasn’t long before a second owlet put its head out. Although the spotted owlets are common in Punjab, these birds are rarely seen in the day as they are nocturnal.

Pipe Owls: This shot by Arshdeep Singh won him the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (10yrs and under age category) held at Natural History Museum, London. (Source: http://www.nhm.ac.uk)
Arshdeep started taking photographs at the age of six and ventured into the field of wildlife photography in 2012. The young photographer often travels with his father Randeep Singh who is also a well-known photographer.
Arshdeep recently won the Junior Asian Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. His work has previously been published in national and international publications such as Lonely Planet UK, Lonely Planet Germany, Lonely Planet India, BBC Wildlife UK etc.
Courtesy: indianexpress.com
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Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
