LIVE: You won't face troubles your parents did: PM Modi to Kashmir youth
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 "Narendra Modi")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a gathering at Palli Panchayat in Samba district to participate in the celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day. Photo: ANI
Rajnath, Jaishankar to address 4-day Navy commanders conference
Top commanders of the Indian Navy will carry out a comprehensive review of the country's maritime security, including the situation in the Indian Ocean region and the possible implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, at a four-day conclave beginning Monday.
The Navy said the conference will be addressed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who will also interact with the commanders.
It is perhaps the first time in many years that the external affairs minister will also address the naval commanders' conference that serves as a platform to discuss important maritime matters at the military-strategic level.
The commanders are expected to have specific deliberations on the Chinese Navy's increasing forays into the Indian Ocean as well as its increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
"The conference would also dwell upon dynamics of the geostrategic situation in the backdrop of security scenario in the neighbourhood as well as changes emerging due to ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict," Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.
He said Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari will also interact with the naval commanders on issues like ensuring convergence among the three services vis--vis a common operational environment with an aim to augment tri-services synergy and readiness.
"During the conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will address and interact with the naval commanders on matters pertaining to the national security," Commander Madhwal said.
Beijing on high alert to curb COVID clusters; 39 deaths in Shanghai in a day
China's capital Beijing has gone on high alert as the situation turned grim following the emergence of clusters of COVID-19, while the country's financial hub Shanghai reported 39 more deaths due to the virus, the highest in a day so far during the current outbreak since last month.
The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 21,796 cases, including 1,566 positive cases and the rest asymptomatic cases mostly in Shanghai, China's National Health Commission reported on Sunday.
Beijing, the seat of China's top leadership, went on high COVID-19 alert as the city braced to test some sections of the population after the city recorded 22 new community cases on Saturday.
The city went on high alert after 10 middle school students tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday following which city officials suspended classes in the school for a week.
Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said undetected local transmissions started in the city about a week ago, and involved schools, tour groups and families.
There were hidden transmissions for a week and the infected people came from different backgrounds and a wide range of activities, Pang was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Delhi govt to meet stakeholders on cloud kitchen policy on Tuesday
The Delhi government will hold a stakeholder consultation on Tuesday on the formulation of a cloud kitchen policy announced in its annual budget for 2022-23.
Several cloud kitchen operators and food delivery aggregators have been invited to the session to be chaired by Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) vice-chairman Jasmine Shah, said an official statement.
Cloud kitchens have a huge potential to attract investments, increase the market size of the food and beverages sector, and generate large-scale direct and indirect jobs, Shah said.
The consultation, organised by the DDC in collaboration with the industries department, aims at understanding the various challenges faced by Delhi's cloud kitchen operators and exploring the potential and viability of setting up cloud kitchen clusters across the city.
The government is deliberating upon the provision of land and other incentives to cloud kitchens, easing of licence regulations for such units and setting up of cloud kitchen clusters with plug and play features across different land parcels in Delhi, the statement said.
Fresh Covid norms in Karnataka after video meet with PM Modi on Apr 27: Bommai
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said that the state government will bring guidelines after the video conference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers regarding COVID-19 on April 27.
Amid apprehensions of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Modi is set to hold a video conference with the Chief Ministers of the states on April 27 to discuss the precautions to tackle it, Bommai informed.
Speaking to media persons, Bommai said, "The Union government has already issued a caution alert. A slight increase in cases has been recorded in Kerala and Maharashtra in the last 8-10 days. Based on the experience of the last three waves, experts too have suggested suitable precautionary measures. The health minister has already issued a few instructions. Clear instructions would be issued for COVID management in the State after the video conference with the Prime Minister."
"It is important for people to be careful. COVID second wave started slowly and later exploded. The scientists are studying the virus variants," he added.
UK Minister backs coal mine opening to cut energy dependence on Russia: Reports
UK Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, is supporting plans to launch the first coal mine in the United Kingdom in decades, aiming to curtail the dependence on Russian energy supplies, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Sunday, citing sources in the UK Conservative Party.
According to Telegraph, Gove is backing opening a coal mine in Cumbria County in northwestern England. The pit will focus on extracting coking coal widely used in steel production.
Opening the first pit in the UK in over three decades was endorsed by the UK government back in October 2020. Yet the protests by environmental activists forced the Ministers to revisit this issue. At the same time, the government sources claimed that in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis, the UK cabinet unilaterally stands for putting the mine into operation, the Telegraph said.
Gove must make an ultimate decision until July 7, meanwhile, the sources said that the decision could be pronounced earlier in mid-May, the newspaper added.
The UK's dependence on Russian energy is primarily confined to the coal sector. In 2021, the UK imported over 50 per cent of its all coal supplies, with Russia accounting for 43 per cent of those. Moreover, Russia occupies a leading position in exporting both steam coal and coking coal to the UK, ensuring 46 per cent and 39 per cent of deliveries, respectively.
After Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, the UK alongside the United States and European allies embarked on the path of completely abandoning Russian energy commodities. On April 6, UK Prime Minister Boris Jonson pledged to halt Russian coal and oil imports by the end of 2022, with UK marginal gas imports to be ceased as soon as possible thereafter.
Russia strikes Ukrainian explosives factory
The Russian military says it has struck a Ukrainian explosives factory, several artillery depots and hundreds of other targets.
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov on Sunday said the Russian military used precision-guided missiles to destroy a factory making powder and explosives near Pavlohrad in the Dnipro region in central Ukraine.
Konashenkov said Russian forces also struck several depots with artillery munitions and rockets in Barvinkove, Nova Dmytrivka, Ivanivka, Husarivka and Velyka Komyshuvakha in the Kharkiv region.
He added that the Russian artillery hit 423 Ukrainian targets overnight, including fortified positions and troops concentrations, while Russian warplanes destroyed 26 Ukrainian military targets.
Preventive custody for agitators planning black flag demo against Shah
: Police said they have taken into preventive custoday around 145 cadres of the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam for allegedly planning a black flag demonstration against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Puducherry on Sunday.
President of Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee A V Subramanian, former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and a host of cadres of the opposition Congress shifted the venue of their agitation from Pakkamodayanpet through which Union Home Minister was scheduled to drive. They held demonstration on Kamaraj Salai and dispersed. None was arrested, said the police sources.
The Union Home Minister is here to launch different projects and attend events.
Germany's Left party to hold leadership vote amid turmoil
Germany's Left party said Sunday that it will hold a leadership vote in June amid a series of internal spats including over the handling of sexism allegations.
Co-leader Susanne Hennig-Wellsow resigned Wednesday, citing the sexism spat and unfulfilled hopes for the party's renewal.
In light of the party's difficult situation the executive board requires a new mandate from the party convention, it said.
The statement also cited the need to clarify its political direction and reform the party structure.
The anti-capitalist party barely scraped into parliament at the last election and internal splits have been exacerbated recently by Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Left, whose roots include the Socialist Unity Party that controlled East Germany until reunification, has long had close ties to Moscow.
German weekly Der Spiegel reported last month that several female members of the party in the central state of Hesse had made allegations of sexual harassment and assaults but received little support.
One of the men alleged to have been accused of harassment was in a relationship with Janine Wissler, who is now the party's second co-chair, Spiegel reported.
The Left is part of the government in four of Germany's 16 states.
Maha Govt intent on empowering police; over 7,200 posts in dept to be filled: Ajit Pawar
The Maharashtra government is committed to empower the police force, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Sunday, adding that recruitment process for 7,231 posts in the department will be carried out.
Speaking at the passing out parade of the 119th batch of cadets at the Maharashtra Police Academy (MPA) here, he also announced that as many as one lakh houses will be built for the police personnel in the state in the near future.
"There will be no compromise in strengthening the home department. Provision of Rs 737 crore in the 2021-22 budget and of Rs 802 crore in this year's budget has been made to provide houses to the police personnel. Besides that, Rs 1,029 crore have been allocated for strengthening the police force and the government is committed for the empowerment of its personnel," he said.
State Home Minister Dilip Valse-Patil, Food and Civil Supplies Minister and Nashik district guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Additional Director General of Police (Training and Special Squad) Sanjay Kumar, MPA director Rajesh Kumar and other officials were present on the occasion.
"Recruitment for 7,231 posts will be made in the police force and time-bound promotion has been structured in such a manner that a police personnel, who has been recruited as a sepoy, will certainly become a sub-inspector at the time of his retirement 30 years later," Pawar said.
A decision has been taken to repair and renovate old police station buildings and construction work of 87 police stations has already begun, he said, adding that the decision of reducing the duty time of women police personnel to eight hours has already been taken.
As many as one lakh houses will be built for the police personnel in the state in the near future, the senior NCP leader added.
ADB considering loan to Maldives bank: Ashok Lavasa
The Asian Development Bank is considering giving a loan to a Maldivian bank, according to ADB Vice-President for Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnerships Ashok Lavasa.
Speaking to PTI at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Manila over the weekend, Lavasa said, through that bank, we will be reaching the micro, small and medium enterprises.
"Sixty per cent of the loan will go to the micro and small enterprises, and 10 per cent to women," he said, without revealing the name of the bank.
"What the ADB is trying to do is to incorporate elements of sustainability in tourism infrastructure," he said.
The ADB is supporting both the government as well as the private sector. We support the governments by and large in promoting infrastructure and supporting tourism. For the private sector, ADB supports through direct enterprise, Lavasa said.
For example, we gave a loan to the Fiji Airways, he said, referring to the ADB inking a USD 65 million COVID-19 Liquidity Support Facility for Fiji's Air Pacific Limited last year.
During the pandemic, they suffered a lot, so they needed liquidity, he said.
Punjab govt transfers 24 IAS, nine state civil services officers
In an administrative reshuffle, the Punjab government on Sunday issued transfer and new posting orders of 24 IAS and nine PCS officers.
IAS officer Arun Sekhri has been posted as labour commissioner while Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu has been appointed as secretary, home affairs and justice, according to the official order.
DPS Kharbanda has been made the the director of technical education, replacing Kumar Saurabh Raj who has been given the posting of special secretary, excise and taxation.
Rajiv Prashar has been posted as special secretary, forest and wildlife, while Vipul Ujwal has been deputed to the post special secretary, water supply and sanitation.
Gurpreet Singh Khaira has been deputed to the post of director, rural development, while IAS officer Babita has been appointed as the executive director of the scheduled caste land development and finance corporation under the department of social justice.
Madhvi Kataria has been posted as special secretary, higher education and languages, while B Srinivasan goes as director, mines and geology.
IAS officer Poonamdeep Kaur has been appointed as the managing director, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation, Patiala, under the department of transport , while Komal Mittal has been posted as additional secretary, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs.
CISF officer killed in Jammu terror attack cremated at native place in MP
The mortal remains of CISF assistant sub-inspector Shankar Prasad Patel, killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu, were consigned to flames with state honours on Sunday at his native Naugawan village in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district.
Hundreds of people, including CISF Central Sector, Bhilai, Inspector General Sanjay Prakash, CISF Central Zone DIG Himanshu Pandey and All India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, bid adieu to Patel as his elder son Sanjay lit the funeral pyre.
A number of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel from different units paid respects to their departed colleague.
People present at the cremation chanted slogans like: 'Jab tak Suraj Chand rahega, Shankar tera naam rahega".
Two Pakistani fidayeen (suicide) attackers belonging to proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and CISF's ASI Patel were killed in a pre-dawn gunfight near an Army camp on the outskirts of Jammu on Friday, two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the region.
You won't face the troubles your parents did: PM Modi to Kashmir youth
Reaching out to the youth of the Kashmir Valley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spelled out initiatives for peace and development, and assured they will not inherit the problems faced by their parents and grandparents.
In his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several projects worth around Rs 20,000 crore for the union territory. These included the opening of the Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel to establish all-weather connectivity between the two regions.
"The youth of the Valley, your father and mother, your dada and dadi, your nana and nani, had lived a life of trouble (museebat). My youth, you will not live such a life of trouble. I assure this," Modi said in a message to the Kashmiri youth.
The prime minister, who was addressing the Panchayat Divas rally here, also said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir should trust his word, and highlighted the peace and development initiatives taken by the government in the past few years.
"Projects worth Rs 20,000 crore related to connectivity and electricity have been inaugurated here today. In a bid to speed up the development in Jammu and Kashmir, many development initiatives are being taken up in the union territory," he said.
Modi said that these initiatives will provide huge employment opportunities to the union territory's youth.
"With the inauguration of a 500-KW solar power plant at Palli in Samba district, it is moving towards becoming the country's first panchayat to become carbon neutral...The people of Palli have demonstrated what 'Sabka Prayas' can do," he said.
Be it democracy or development, Jammu and Kashmir is setting a new example for the rest of the country. "New dimensions of development have been created in Jammu and Kashmir in the last two to three years," the prime minister said.
Exclusive township for dairy farmers to come up in Kota
An exclusive township for dairy farmers is set to come up in this city of Rajasthan with 738 houses, fodder stores and a single cattle shade capable to accommodate at least 28 cattle.
The one-of-its-kind township being built under the Rs 300 crore-worth Devnarayan Integrated Housing Scheme (DIHS) by Kota Urban Infrastructure Trust (UIT) will be completed by April 30, officials said on Sunday.
Preparations are underway to shift the animal rearers into the 738 houses attached with a cattle yard and fodder store in the first week of May, they said.
According to UIT officials, the township is spread over 105.09 hectares of land in Dharmpura and Bandha village amid natural greenery, away from the urban hurly-burly, around 7 kilometers from southern bypass.
"At least 738 houses of 35X90 feet, each with two rooms, kitchen, bathroom, verandah, fodder store and cattle shade capable to accommodate at least 28 cattle, have been constructed in the hi-tech township.
"Besides, a commercial activity zone for dairy units, straw (Bhusa) and 'KhalChuri' (fodder) has also been developed in the township. School, primary health centre, veterinary hospital, community hall, society office, police check post, GSS, water tanks, sewer line, park, drains, STP, cattle fair ground, milk mandi and theatre have also been designed in the township," they said.
SC judge inaugurates telemedicine centre in Kolkata
Justice Indira Banerjee of the Supreme Court on Sunday inaugurated India's first Teladoc centre in Kolkata, and said that it would benefit the patients of the eastern states.
The Teladoc consultation clinic in Kolkata's Elliot Road will be operated by the Meenakshi Mission Hospital of Madurai.
"Right to healthcare is a basic human right and I hope that people of West Bengal and the neighbouring states will benefit by the starting of Teladoc here in Kolkata," Justice Banerjee said.
Teladoc is considered the world's most advanced telemedicine platform, and the Kolkata centre is its seventh globally, an official of the hospital said.
Justice Banerjee said that during the pandemic, there has been a spurt in the use of computers and even the courts had to function virtually.
She said that as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, she had to go to Madurai once a month as the high court has a bench in the southern Tamil Nadu city.
Justice Banerjee said that at Madurai, she had the opportunity to visit the hospital's children's cancer section and had got engulfed in emotion.
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First Published: Apr 24 2022 | 7:06 AM IST
