Page 3 - Anurag Thakur

450 mn Jan Dhan accounts have accumulated Rs 2.1 trillion: Anurag Thakur

Addressing an audience of the officials and employees of the bank, the Minister at the very outset, congratulated Federal Bank for an all-time high share price

Anurag Thakur welcomes release of 8 Navy vets facing death row in Qatar

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday welcomed the release of eight Navy veterans who were facing death row in Qatar and said it strengthened the belief in seriousness and the ability of the Modi government to protect its citizens at any cost. Qatar released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel nearly three-and-a-half months after they were handed down death sentences in a case of suspected espionage. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said seven of them returned to India in the early hours of Monday. "This homecoming of our Navy veterans is a moment of happiness and this further strengthens our belief in the seriousness and ability of the Modi government to protect its citizens at any cost," Thakur said on X. "Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi means the guarantee of life, limb and liberty of the people of India across the globe," he said, adding that the veterans were detained "under some false charges". The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qata

White Paper presented by Centre exposed Congress, says Anurag Thakur

Anurag Thakur, during a visit to Dharamshala, said "The White Paper has exposed the Congress...Family was important for Congress. The policies of Congress have caused great harm to the country...

Anurag Thakur flags off first Aastha Special Train from Himachal to Ayodhya

Union Minister Anurag Thakur flags off first Aastha Special Train from Himachal Pradesh to Ayodhya to take pilgrims to the newly built Ram Temple

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See what happens next: Anurag Thakur takes a jibe over rift in INDIA bloc

Thakur also said that the INDI alliance was meant to be scattered as the Congress failed to do justice to its allies

Opposition should stop commenting on Ram temple consecration: Anurag Thakur

Union minister and Senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the opposition parties should stop commenting on the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as the structure has been built after a long wait of 500 years. Thakur took part in cleaning the Hanuman mandir premises at Connaught Place on Tuesday, under a campaign launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Some people are still not happy with the construction of the temple, Thakur told reporters when asked about the opposition parties' charge that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have turned the "pran pratishtha" ceremony of Lord Ram into a political event. There are some who are pained at the construction of the temple, there are some who are pained by the "pran pratishtha" ceremony and then there are some who have to give statements on it for the sake of their politics, the Union minister said. "I just want to

Editors Guild calls draft Broadcast Services (Regulation) Bill 'vague'

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has said the draft Broadcast Services (Regulation) Bill circulated by the government is "vague and excessively intrusive". In a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, the Guild said the new bill would prove "adverse to the spirit of freedom of speech and freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution" and lay the ground for the creation of an "overarching censorship framework" through the establishment of a broadcast advisory council. Outlining four major concerns, the Guild said the bill would result in an "overbearing system of self-regulation" mandating the creation of content evaluation committees in a manner that allows the government to have a greater degree of control on those committees. The press body said the bill allows the government to regulate, or even prohibit, the transmission of channels or programmes on vague grounds. "Provisions that allow government excessive delegation of rule-making are also .

Congress' Nyay Yatra a hoax, its leaders leaving party: Anurag Thakur

Thakur referred to the exit of leaders such as Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hardik Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia, RPN Singh and Sunil Jakhar from the Congress

Lawlessness, corruption at peak in West Bengal, says Anurag Thakur

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Monday flayed the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging a severe breakdown in law and order and unprecedented levels of corruption in the state. Thakur's remarks come in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the assault on three Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a raid at the residence of a TMC leader, accused in a ration distribution scam. "Law and order in West Bengal has collapsed under Mamata Banerjee's rule. The TMC ensures that public money from the Centre meant for welfare is being siphoned off through its infamous cut money (commission) system. Corruption is at its peak in Bengal; if action is taken against the corrupt, even the ED team is being attacked, stones are pelted at them," Thakur, who is in the city to attend a programme, told reporters at the airport. On January 5, three ED officers were injured and their vehicles vandalised during a raid at the house of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali in North 24

People will reject them in upcoming elections: Anurag Thakur slams Congress

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav termed it unfortunate and claimed that the grand old party is insulting the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony

Done with wrestling: Here's what Brijbhushan said after WFI suspension

Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, the former chief of the WFI, clarified that he was not going to intervene in the matters of wrestling anymore and his sole focus would be on the Loksabha elections 2024

Sports Ministry suspends WFI-led by Sanjay Singh till further notice

The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) till further orders after the newly-elected body made a "hasty announcement" of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals "without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers" to prepare. The WFI elections were held on December 21 with former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel winning the polls by big margins. "The new body has not followed the WFI constitution. We have not terminated the Federation but suspended till further orders. They just need to follow the due process and the rules," a sports ministry official told PTI. The source further explained the reasons for suspension. "Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly-elected president of WFI announced on 21.12.2023, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year. "This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice t

In NEP, arrangements being made to study sports as formal subject: Pradhan

"In the last 9 and half years, Fit India, and Khelo India were introduced and Yoga was taken to the international level. Making a person physically strong is an important thing," Pradhan said

INDI Alliance set of leaders facing corruption charges: Anurag Thakur

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday dubbed the opposition INDIA bloc as a set of leaders facing corruption charges with no common ideology or a political programme. Thakur, speaking to reporters here, also said the opposition coalition disrupted the Winter session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday out of frustration of their defeat in the recently held assembly elections. The senior BJP leader's remarks came a day after the INDIA alliance held nationwide demonstrations against the suspension of 146 MPs during the Winter session for unruly behaviour in demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach on December 13. "Where is the alliance? They are struggling in Punjab, they are struggling in other states. They can't speak in one voice. They are a set of people facing corruption charges and have come together," Thakur, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, said. "They do not have a common ideology, they do not have a common minimu

It's Bajrang's personal decision to return Padma Shri: Sports Ministry

The Sports Ministry on Friday said Bajrang Punia's decision to return his Padma Shri award in protest against Sanjay Singh's election as Wrestling Federation of India president is a personal one but it will still try to convince him to rethink the move. Olympic medallist grappler Bajrang decided to return the honour a day after Sanjay, a Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist, was elected to the top post at WFI. On Thursday, Sanjay was elected as the president of the WFI after the panel led by the close aide of Brij Bhushan won 13 of the 15 posts. Sakshi Malik, Bajrang and Vinesh Phogat addressed a press conference after Sanjay's election in which Sakshi, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced that she would quit the sport as a mark of protest. But ministry sources said the WFI elections were conducted in a free and transparent manner. "It is Bajrang Punia's personal decision to return Padma Shri. The WFI elections were held in fair and democratic manner," a ministry .

Sanjay Singh, close aide of Brij Bhushan, appointed as WFI president

Singh and his associates said that they had the support of wrestling federations from most states

Centre spent Rs 967.46 cr on ads in print media from 2019-24: Anurag Thakur

The government on Tuesday said it had spent Rs 967.46 crore through the Central Bureau of Communication for publicity of its schemes in the print media from 2019-20 to 2023-24. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) releases awareness/publicity campaigns through print media in accordance with the Print Media Advertisement Policy, 2020. "The details of expenditure incurred by CBC, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on awareness/publicity campaigns about schemes and programmes of the government of India through print media from 2019-20 to 2023-24 (till 12.12.2023) is Rs 967.46 crore," Thakur said. The minister said as of March 31, 2019, 1,19,995 periodicals, including newspapers, were registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI). The number was 1,43,423 in 2020, 1,44,520 in 2021, 1,46,045 in 2022 and 1,48,363 in 2023.

Khelo India is famous among millions of people in country: Anurag Thakur

He added that the athletes from the campaign won medals for India at different multi-sport events like the Olympics, Asian Games and Para Asian Games

Wrestlers urge Anurag Thakur to stop Sanjay Singh's WFI poll candidacy

Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik on Monday requested Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to ensure that Sanjay Singh does not contest for the post of WFI President since he is a close associate of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassing women wrestlers. The much-awaited Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections are scheduled to be held on December 21 and the results will be declared the same day. Bajrang, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi had spearheaded the protest against Brij Bhushan, accusing the BJP MP of sexual harassment of several women wrestlers, including juniors. A Delhi court is hearing the matter. Tokyo Games bronze medallist Bajrang said they withdrew their protest after the government assured that no one related to Brij Bhushan will contest the polls. Two candidates -- Brij Bhushan-loyalist Sanjay Singh and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran are in the running for the WFI president's post. "Yes, we met with the spo