On April 17, one of the prominent Hindu festivals, Ram Navami will be celebrated. The festival falls on the ninth day of the Chaitra Navaratri, which is also celebrated as birthday of Lord Ram. In the view of grand inauguration of the historic Ayodhya Ram Temple, this will be the first Ram Navami since the Pran Pratishthan of Lord Ram's idol in Ayodhya Temple. On the eve of Ram Navami, union minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that it will be after 500 years, Ram Lalla will celebrate his birthday within the temple premises rather than in a temporary tent. As per ANI report, on Tuesday, Shah said, "Today is Ashtami, tomorrow is Ram Navami and after 500 years, Ramlalla is going to celebrate his birthday in a grand temple instead of a tent. It is a matter of great fortune that we have witnessed the Pran Pratishtha of Ramlalla in our lifetime. During the 5-year rule of Modi ji, the decision regarding Ram Mandir came, the Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir was performed, and the Pran Pratishtha was also done," Amit Shah said. Ayodhya has geared up for the magnificent celebrations at the Ram Janambhoomi Temple. 56 types of Bhog Prasad will also be offered to Ram Lalla. Speaking to ANI, the chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi temple, Acharya Satyendra Das informed that all the arrangements for the festival are being managed by the trust and the occasion of Ram Navami will be celebrated with great enthusiasm. At noon on Ram Navami Wednesday, the Sun's rays will fall on the forehead of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, a 'Surya tilak' of the deity made possible by an elaborate mechanism involving mirrors and lenses. The system was tested by the scientists on Tuesday, reported PTI. A member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Anil Mishra, told PTI, "During the Surya tilak, devotees will be allowed inside the Ram temple. Around 100 LEDs are being put up by the temple trust, and 50 by the government, which will show the Ram Navami celebrations. People will be able to see the celebrations from where they are present." (With PTI and ANI inputs)
16 April,2024 09:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAt least 29 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Tuesday, police officials said. Three security personnel suffered injuries in the fierce gun-battle and a large quantity of weapons was also recovered from the spot, they said. The gunfight took place at around 2 pm in Hapatola forest between Binagunda and Koronar villages under Chhotebethiya police station limits, when a joint team of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said. The operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of senior cadres of north Bastar division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Shankar, Lalita, Raju and others, he said. During patrolling in the area, a fierce gun-battle broke out between the two sides, the senior IPS officer said. "Bodies of 29 Maoists along with a huge cache of weapons, including AK-47, SLR, Insas and .303 rifles, were recovered from the spot," the IG said. Polling in the Naxalite-hit Bastar Lok Sabha seat will take place on April 19 in the first phase, while the Kanker constituency, part of the Bastar region, will vote in the second round of general elections on April 26. The search operation was still underway in the area amid intermittent firing between security personnel and Naxalites, said Sundarraj. "Three security personnel sustained injuries in the gunfight and their condition was stated to be out of danger," he said, adding they were referred to hospital for treatment. After the latest encounter, 79 Naxalites have been killed in separate gun-battles with security forces in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Kanker, so far this year. On April 2, as many as 13 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur district. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
16 April,2024 08:51 PM IST | Kanker | PTICongress leader Pawan Khera on Tuesday said leaders of his party who went to the BJP will try to return once the government at the Centre changes, but doors are closed for them. Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was having sleepless nights as he was aware of what was going to happen in the elections. "PM Narendra Modi is afraid that when he loses and the INDIA bloc forms the government, we will institute inquiry against him and take action against him," Khera claimed. "We will also take action against the officials who acted in connivance with him. Those who became chief ministers in the BJP after leaving us are also afraid. Our doors are closed for them. When we win, they will want to return but we won't take them back," he added. He alleged that the BJP was trying to "silence" all opposition voices. "Those who are intimidated by their threats join them and are made CMs. Those who refuse to give in, ED and CBI are put after them, or they are sent to jail," Khera alleged. "There are 25 such examples, starting from Himanta Biswa Sarma and Praful Patel to Suvendu Adhikari, who went through their washing machine," he said.Khera claimed the opposition alliance would win the elections. "Sarma cannot sleep nowadays as he knows what is going to happen. Let him sing and dance for a month, after that he will be busy visiting the ED office," he said. Khera alleged the BJP has failed to keep its promises not just in Assam but across the country. He asserted that the Congress will keep every promise made in its manifesto 'Nyay Patra'. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 April,2024 08:47 PM IST | Dibrugarh | PTIThe AAP has named Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is behind bars in a money laundering case, and his wife Sunita Kejriwal as star campaigners for the Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat. The names of senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both of whom are also in jail, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak are also on the list of 40 star campaigners that has been submitted by the party to the Election Commission. Names of Rajya Sabha MPs Harbhajan Singh and Swati Maliwal are missing from the list. Sunita Kejriwal stepped into the limelight after her husband was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. She has addressed three digital briefings so far in which she read out Kejriwal's messages from ED custody and Tihar jail, where he is currently lodged. She also attended the opposition INDIA bloc's 'Loktantra Bachao' rally on March 31 and read out her husband's letter. "Sunita Kejriwal is likely to visit Jharkhand to campaign for INDIA bloc ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha," an AAP source said. JMM chief and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED in January in a money laundering case. His wife Kalpana Soren had met Sunita Kejriwal when she had come to Delhi to attend the March 31 INDIA bloc rally. Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP targeted the AAP over the inclusion of Sunita Kejriwal's name in the list of its star campaigners. "Along with corruption, nepotism is also welcome in the AAP," said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva. Asked about the BJP's criticism, AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai said the saffron party has nothing else left to say. "They put an elected chief minister behind bars. His wife is not allowed to meet him in person. Aren't they ashamed? Such atrocities are being committed. Such atrocities have never been committed on a chief minister. But people are watching and they will respond to this with their votes," he asserted. In an interaction with PTI editors here earlier this month, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj had said Sunita Kejriwal was the best person to keep the party together in the prevailing circumstances and asserted that her presence has had a "positive effect" on the cadre. Of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, the AAP is contesting two -- Bharuch and Bhavnagar -- as part of the INDIA bloc, while its ally Congress is contesting the remaining 24. The AAP has fielded Chaitar Vasava from Bharuch and Umesh Makwana from Bhavnagar. The Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7. The counting of votes for all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections will be taken up on June 4. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 April,2024 08:40 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIAn under-construction bridge collapsed at Mallippady in Bantwal near here on Tuesday, leaving seven persons injured, police said. The injured people were swiftly transported to hospitals in Puttur and Mangaluru for urgent medical attention, they said. According to police, three persons - one each from Nanjangud, Gadag and Puttur were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Puttur. Meanwhile, three people from Kolkata, employed at a concrete mixing plant in Mani, are receiving advanced medical care at a hospital in Mangaluru. One person has been discharged from a Puttur hospital after receiving initial first aid. Preliminary investigations suggested the collapse occurred during the construction phase over a significant trench passing through Mallippady, a senior police officer said. Reports indicate that the collapse occurred while the labourers were engaged in slab work using double centering method, police said. The displacement of the bottom centering rod, caused by pouring concrete mix from above, led to the collapse of the upper section, the police official said. The absence of supervisors at the construction site has been cited as a significant factor contributing to the mishap, he added. However, experts have highlighted negligence in the planning and execution of the work as the primary cause of the incident. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 April,2024 08:30 PM IST | Mangaluru | PTIUdayanraje Bhosale, the current Rajya Sabha member of BJP, earlier in the day was finally declared as the Lok Sabha candidate for Maharashtra's prestigious Satara constituency. Reacting after announcement of his candidature, Bhosale expressed confidence that he would win by a margin of more than two lakh votes, and said the constituency was no longer a Congress-NCP bastion. Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, also said that the atmosphere in the country is favourable for the saffron party. Speaking with the PTI, Bhosale said, "This is a national election and candidates were announced as per the phases. Satara votes in the third phase on May 7 and the candidature has been announced at the right time. I am confident of winning the seat by over two lakh votes," he said. Notably, Udayanraje Bhosale is the three time Lok Sabha MP from Satara from undivided NCP. In 2019 too, he won the Satara seat as a candidate of the undivided NCP, but resigned within a few months and joined the BJP. But in the by-election he lost as a BJP candidate to NCP's Shrinivas Patil. He was later nominated to Rajya Sabha by BJP. "Now, four assembly segments (in Satara) are with the Mahayuti alliance. In Karad North and Karad South, the BJP had secured the second place," he said speaking with PTI, adding that he has already completed first round of campaigning. Bhosale will contest against Sharad Pawar-led NCP has fielded Shashikant Shinde from Satara. Satara, in western Maharashtra is a crucial and historical constituency for Maharashtra. It is where the descendants of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's reside. The constituency has been traditionally dominated by Bhosale, but as NCP undivided candidate. The belt in Maharashtra is one, where the NCP has been a powerhouse. Udayanraje will have a tough fight against the Sharad Pawar led-NCP. The constituency will go for polling on May 7. (With PTI inputs)
16 April,2024 07:07 PM IST | Satara | mid-day online correspondentUnion minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Nagpur, Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday released his own manifesto, underlining his vision for Nagpur for next five years. Nagpur, which falls in the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra, will vote for Lok Sabha elections in the first phase on Friday, April 19. Gadkari in his 'Nagpur Sankalp Patra'- the election manifesto he promised to create one lakh jobs in the next five years if re-elected and put the urban constituency in Maharashtra among top five cities in terms of development and cleanliness, reported news wire PTI. Gadkari is the sitting MP from Nagpur, a very popular national leader and has been nominated the third time this Lok Sabha polls. As per PTI report, Gadkari also said that with the help of state and central governments he will help towards giving ownership rights to residents of unauthorised slums on regularisation and help them in construction of new houses. He added that 100 gardens will come up in various parts of the Nagpur, including the existing ones which will be renovated. Addressing a press conference after releasing the document three days ahead of polling, the 66-year-old senior BJP leader also gave account of the work done by him as an MP in the last ten years. Gadkari emphasised that in his third term he will work towards making Nagpur 'sundar and swachh' (beautiful and clean) and putting it among top five cities in the country in terms of development, sanitation and hygiene, reported PTI. The union minister for transport, Gadkari said creating truck terminals, metro gauge lanes, new four-lane railway tracks and logistics parks in Nagpur, among other initiatives, will be among his priorities. Nagpur is considered as the second capital of Maharashtra, and also popularly known as the 'orange city' as it produces oranges majorly. The city will not face water shortage till 2070 and 25 lakh orange saplings will be also planted, Gadkari said. Gadkari fought the Lok Sabha polls from Nagpur for the first time in 2014 and and defeated seven-times Congress MP with high vote margin. He retained the seat defeating present Congress state president, Nana Patole in 2019. This election, the Congress has fielded Vikas Thakre against Gadkari. (With PTI Inputs)
16 April,2024 06:40 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its 12th list of candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, which includes seats in Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. In a calculated move, the BJP has nominated Abhijit Das (Bobby) to face Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in the Diamond Harbour constituency. This seat is considered a stronghold of the ruling Trinamool Congress Party, reported ANI. Notably, in the preceding Lok Sabha Elections 2019, Abhishek Banerjee defeated the BJP's Nilanjan Roy by a margin of 3,20,594 votes, the report stated. Additionally, the BJP has named Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhonsle as its candidate from Maharashtra's Satara constituency. BJP releases its 12th list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. #LokSabaElection2024 pic.twitter.com/DihIkG6caV — ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2024 In Punjab, the party's candidates include Manjeet Singh Miawind from Khadoor Sahib, Anita Som Parkash from Hoshiarpur, and Parampal Kaur Sidhu from Bathinda, the report added. For Uttar Pradesh, Vishwadeep Singh and Shashank Mani Tripathi will contest from Firozabad and Deoria respectively on BJP tickets in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The BJP has also named candidates for Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. In Uttar Pradesh, the party's nominees for various constituencies include Arvind Singh, OP Shrivastava, Shailendra Singh Sahu, and Shravan Gond. Meanwhile, TN Vamsha Tilak will run from Secunderabad Cantt in Telangana. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in West Bengal will be held in numerous phases, from April 19 to June 1. The elections in Maharashtra will take place in five phases from April 19 to May 20, while Punjab will vote for 13 seats on June 1. Vote counting for the general elections is scheduled for June 4. Udayanraje Bhosale on his nomination for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 BJP's candidate for the Satara seat, Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, speaking about his nomination said, "This is a national election and candidates were announced as per the phases. Satara votes in the third phase on May 7 and the candidature has been announced at the right time. I am confident of winning the seat by over two lakh votes."
16 April,2024 05:26 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday announced results for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023. Aditya Srivastava has topped the civil services examination 2023, with Animesh Pradhan and Donuru Ananya Reddy getting the second and third ranks respectively. Others in top 10 include - P K Sidharth Ramkumar (4th), Ruhani (5th), Srishti Dabas (6th) Anmol Rathore (7th), Ashish Kumar (8th), Nausheen (9th) and Aishwaryam Prajapati (10th). In recent years, women have demonstrated remarkable achievements in securing top positions in the UPSC examinations. The written exam for the UPSC 2023 was held in September 2023 and the interviews for the Personality Test were held in January-April 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his wishes for all the candidates. He congratulated successful candidates, and also applauded efforts of candidates who did not clear the exam. "I congratulate all those who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2023. Their hard work, perseverance and dedication has paid off, marking the start of a promising career in public service. Their efforts will shape the future of our nation in the times to come. My best wishes to them," he posted on X. "I want to tell those who didn't achieve the desired success in the Civil Services Examination - setbacks can be tough, but remember, this isn't the end of your journey. There are chances ahead to succeed in Exams, but beyond that, India is rich with opportunities where your talents can truly shine. Keep striving and exploring the vast possibilities ahead. Wishing you all the very best," PM Modi added. A total of 1,016 candidates (664 men and 352 women) have cracked the examination and have been recommended by the UPSC for appointment to various services. In the General category, 347 candidates have been selected, from Economic Weaker Section-115, Other Backward Caste-303, Schedule Caste-165 and Scheduled Tribes-86. Following Rule 20 (4) and (5) of the Civil Services Examination Rules 2023, the Commission also issued a consolidated Reserve List of candidates. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
16 April,2024 03:59 PM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday launched her campaign for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency with a road show here with a promise of raising the voice of voiceless people in Jammu and Kashmir. "I have started my election campaign to raise voice against this enforced silence, the wanton arrests and atmosphere of suffocation that prevails here," Mufti told reporters after the road show here. "Pulwama and Shopian have always supported us and I have started my campaign from here. I hope people will make our voice, which talks about the wounds of Jammu and Kashmir, successful," she added. The former chief minister, who is up against National Conference candidate and influential Gujjar leader Mian Altaf Ahmad, alleged that a process of arresting youth has been started since the elections were announced. "Entire Kashmir has been converted into a jail. No one is allowed to talk. Since the elections have been announced, the process of arrests has also started," Mufti said. "You must have heard that recently militants shot at a tourist guide in Shopian which is an unfortunate development. But it does not mean that you will arrest hundreds of youth and place them under the public safety act," she added. Mufti said the situation was not peculiar to Shopian and Pulwama district. "It is not about Pulwama and Shopian districts only, this atmosphere has been unleashed across Kashmir. If they are claiming that everything is normal, then why these wanton arrests?" she asked. The PDP president was accompanied by her party's youth president and candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat Waheed Para. "Waheed is here with me. He has suffered everything in the past few years. I feel that he reflects Kashmir and what is happening with its people and its youth," she said. Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat is going to polls in the third phase of the elections on May 7. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
16 April,2024 03:39 PM IST | Pulwama | PTIIndia's unemployment rate is likely to decline by as much as 97 basis points by 2028 as the country's economy hits the USD 5 trillion mark, fuelling a rise in employment, a new report said on Tuesday. Unemployment rate -- the percentage of people in the labour force who are without jobs -- is projected to fall from 4.47 per cent in 2024 to 3.68 per cent in 2028, the India Employment Outlook 2030 report by thinktank Observer Research Foundation (ORF) said. "India's job market is experiencing a transformation as the country has become the world's fastest growing large economy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic," the report said. The country's young population, whose median age is 28.4 years, holds a key to fuelling economic expansion. "With a GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent, India could potentially achieve its target of becoming a USD 5-trillion economy by 2026-27, with such growth being underpinned by strong private consumption and public investment," it said. India's gross domestic product (GDP) size is estimated at just under USD 4 trillion in 2024. An ORF press statement said the report identifies sectors that the country's 600-million-plus population of people aged 18-35 years regard as aspirational, as these sectors could act as engines of growth in the years ahead. "The report forecasts that as India approaches its USD 5 trillion goal, overall employment could rise 22 per cent, while unemployment could decline by 97 basis points by 2028," the statement said. The service sector in particular is set to witness significant job creation with each unit rise in services output expected to contribute to a substantial 0.12 per cent increase in employment. The report singles out ten especially high-opportunity sub-sectors in the services space. These include digital services, financial services, and services related to health, hospitality, consumer retail, e-commerce, and renewable energy. Other areas poised for rapid growth are global capability centres, and MSME and startup ecosystems. The burgeoning service sector also offers encouraging avenues for women's employment. Hence, investing in women's skilling, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship needs to be prioritised further, argues the report. "The projections for India's manufacturing sector are less optimistic. In spite of the US' growing imports from India, India's competitive cost structures and labour resources, and the government's push for manufacturing through flagship schemes such as Make in India, employment in the sector appears to have declined. "Technological advances and increased automation continue to cast doubts upon the country's ability to absorb its expanding workforce," the statement said.In this context, transitioning towards industrial value chains associated with the service sector could help rejuvenate employment. Nilanjan Ghosh, a director at ORF and one of the authors of the report said, "Policymakers and public sector schemes could partner more closely with other stakeholders to identify employability and skilling gaps. The next step would be to upgrade curricula and skills to make India's talent pool more industry ready."Ghosh added that nurturing entrepreneurship would be crucial for improved next-gen employment. "A new class of entrepreneurs could stimulate job creation, expand India's startup ecosystem, spur innovation, and promote youth participation. But we also need to ensure that the workplaces of the future are gender-sensitive and inclusive," he said. The report concludes that a multistakeholder approach towards employment generation and enhancement could help realise India's vision of a digitally empowered, skilled, innovative, and self-reliant economy. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
16 April,2024 03:27 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
