Guwahati: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday said that efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has led to peace being restored across the country.He appealed to those still engaged in armed movements to return to the mainstream for ensuring peace and prosperity for the future generations.Speaking at a public rally here to mark first anniversary of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government in Assam, Sonowal said, From Jammu and Kashmir to Assam and across the country, there is peace everywhere now due to the efforts of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah.Sonowal, the union minister for ports, shipping and waterways and AYUSH, also appreciated the efforts towards establishing permanent peace, especially in Assam and other NE states.Sonowal said, Assam was earlier known as a disturbed' area. Development was very slow. Even after being in power for over 60 years, Congress couldn't do anything to resolve the problems.But after Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, he has achieved much success in resolving most of the problems, he added.Appealing to the militants to abjure violence and return to the mainstream, he said, Violence doesn't solve anything, it breeds counter-violence. I appeal to all to come for peace talks so that we can ensure development and prosperity for our future generations.Sonowal, who had headed the first BJP-led government here before being replaced by Sarma when the saffron party returned to power in 2021, also congratulated the incumbent government on completing its first year.Assam has been witnessing continued progress in the last one year under Himanta Biswa Sarma and Team Assam'. I am confident they will continue to work for the people, he added.—PTI

 Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday said that efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has led to peace being restored across the country.

Peace in country due to efforts of Modi, Shah: Sonowal

The silent shores of the french riviera are all set to host the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. As the focus country at the Opening Night of ‘Marche Du Films’ this year, India intends to give the global audience a flavour of the country’s cinematic excellence, technological prowess, rich culture and illustrious heritage of storytelling.

India: Content Hub of the World is ‘Country of Honour’ at Cannes

Delhi: The country's wheat output is estimated to drop by about 3 per cent to 106.41 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June) from the previous year, agriculture ministry said in its latest estimate released on Thursday. The production is, however, lower by 4.61 per cent from the earlier estimate of 111.32 million tonnes projected for the 2021-22 crop year, the data showed.Wheat production stood at a record 109.59 million tonnes in the 2020-21 crop year. Agriculture secretary Manoj Ahuja had last week attributed the the fall in wheat production to lower crop yields, mainly in Punjab and Haryana due to the heat wave. He had also indicated wheat production could decline to 105-106 million tonnes this year.According to the third advance estimate of foodgrains production released by the ministry, besides wheat, a marginal fall is expected in cotton and coarse cereals output.In case of other foodgrains and cash crops, the production figures are higher than the previous year.Rice production is estimated to increase to 129.66 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year when compared with 124.37 million tonnes in the previous year.Pulses production is projected to increase to 27.75 million tonnes in 2021-22 from 25.46 million tonnes in 2020-21 crop year.Production of coarse cereals is expected to decline marginally to 50.70 million tonnes from 51.32 million tonnes in the comparable year.Notwithstanding likely fall in wheat and other two commodities' output, the country's overall foodgrain production is estimated to touch a new record at 314.51 million tonnes in 2021-22 compared with 310.74 million tonnes in the previous year.In case of oilseeds, production is estimated to be a record 38.49 million tonnes in 2021-22 as against 35.94 million tonnes in the previous year.As far as cash crops are concerned, the ministry said cane output pegged at record 430.4 million tonnes this year as against 405.39 million tonnes in the previous year.Cotton output, however, is estimated to be lower at 31.54 million bales of 170 kg each in 2021-22 compared with 35.24 million bales in the previous year.Jute and mesta production is expected to be 10.22 million bales of 180 kg each in 2021-22 compared with 9.35 million bales in the previous year, as per the ministry's latest estimate.The ministry releases three advance estimates of foodgrains production before the final one at different stages of harvesting.—PTI

The country's wheat output is estimated to drop by about 3 per cent to 106.41 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June) from the previous year, agriculture ministry said in its latest estimate released on Thursday.

Govt sees 3% fall in wheat output in 2021-22

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple, which he called India's victory against invaders and a symbol of the country's unity.The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2020, after a landmark verdict by the Supreme Court that settled the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.Wednesday's "shila pujan" marked the beginning of the next phase of construction -- that of the main temple -- now that a base for it has already been built. This part of the temple is expected to be built and open to people a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.Adityanath laid the stone amid the chanting of mantras in the presence of Ram temple trust officials and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya."This is India's victory against the invaders," he said at the event, calling it a great moment of pride for every Indian.The Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 by right-wing kar sevaks, claiming that a temple marking Lord Ram's birthplace once stood there but was razed on the orders of Babar who founded the Mughal empire in India."This temple will be a symbol of people's belief. It will be a temple of the nation (rashtriya mandir),” Adityanath said."The 500-year old suffering (tadpan) suffered by the devotees is going to end,” he said, calling it a ”very special day” in the construction of the Ram temple.The chief minister said India's faith was attacked by invaders. ”Now, in the end, India has won." "Once again the slogan of Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs) has proved its significance," he said. The "victory" has been achieved through the path of "Dharma, Truth and Justice", he added.”The struggle of seers and leaders like (Vishva Hindu Parishad's) Ashok Singhal and the efforts of lakhs of workers associated with the Rashtriya Swayamseak Sangh seem to have taken shape today. The day gives new inspiration that if we always move on the path of righteousness, truth and justice, nobody can stop us from winning."Yogi said the construction will now proceed at a fast pace.”The day is not far when the temple of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram will be built in Ayodhya and will become a symbol of faith of all Sanatan devotees in the country and the world. The Ram Janambhoomi temple will be the symbol of India's unity," the CM said.Earlier, Deputy CM Maurya said the first phase of the Ram temple construction is complete and the second phase begins now. He called it a day of great happiness for Ram devotees.Temples and 'maths' in the holy town were decorated with flowers and lights to mark the day.Acharya Satyendra Das, the temple's chief priest, said there was enthusiasm all over the country over this moment."Since the construction work of the temple started, it has been the hope of the devotees to be able to see the grand temple. Now, they can see the grand construction of the temple in a few days,” he said. —PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple, which he called India's victory against invaders and a symbol of the country's unity.

'Victory Over Invaders': Yogi At Ram Temple Sanctum

New Delhi: &nbsp;The single day rise in new coronavirus infections were recorded above 4,000 after 84 days, taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,68,585, while the active cases rose to 21,177, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.A total of 4,041 new cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours while the death toll climbed to 5,24,651 with 10 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.The active cases comprise 0.05 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.An increase of 1,668 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.—PTI

  The single day rise in new coronavirus infections were recorded above 4,000 after 84 days, taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,68,585, while the active cases rose to 21,177, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

Active COVID-19 cases in country rise to 21,177

  The single day rise in new coronavirus infections were recorded above 4,000 after 84 days, taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,68,585, while the active cases rose to 21,177, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.



Kanpur Dehat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he hopes for a strong opposition in the country and that the parties which are entangled in nepotism, should rise above it, to strengthen democracy.PM Modi’s remarks came during his address at the ancestral village of President Ram Nath Kovind, Paraunkh, in Kanpur Dehat of Uttar Pradesh.“The dynastic parties are huddling against me… I want to tell them that I don’t have any personal issues with anyone, I just want a strong opposition in the country. These parties entangled in nepotism should rise above it to strengthen democracy,” he said.The Prime Minister said he wants the parties stuck in nepotism to free themselves from it and treat themselves and only then the country’s democracy will be strengthened. Only then, the country’s youth will get more and more opportunities to enter into politics.He said that it is nepotism that throttles talents not only in politics but in every field, and prevents the people from progressing.“I see that people who fit my definition of familism are angry with me. In every nook and corner of the country, these family members are uniting against me,” PM Modi said.He added, “It is our responsibility that we do not let evils like nepotism breed in the country.”“The sons and daughters of poor people living in villages must also get the opportunity to rise to the positions of Prime Minister and President. Hence, it is important to stop the parties from doing nepotism,” he further stated.Talking about the empowerment of the villages of India, PM Modi said that it is one of the top priorities of the government as the villages in India have got the most potential and labour force.Today the nation is working for the improvement of villages, poor, farmers, labours and institutions like Panchayat,” he said.He added, “Today, optical fibre is being laid down, roads are being constructed and houses are being built at a fast pace in the villages. Our villages should develop at a similar pace as the cities are getting developed, is the resolution and thought of New India.”Earlier on Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Pathri Mata temple at Paraunkh village in Kanpur. They performed puja to Pathri Devi, a deity widely revered in the village.Governor Anandiben Patel and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also part of the visit.Paraunkh has been developed as a “model village” with a yoga park, open-air gym, and an Anganwadi centre with its own “nutrition Vatika”, among other facilities.The Kendra is the ancestral house of the President that was donated for public use and converted into a community centre (Milan Kendra). The Milan Kendra helps women get trained in job-oriented courses such as weaving, stitching, embroidery and other courses.—ANI

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he hopes for a strong opposition in the country and that the parties which are entangled in nepotism, should rise above it, to strengthen democracy.

PM Modi wants strong opposition in country, asks parties entangled in nepotism to rise above it

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today chaired a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming "International Coastal Cleanup Day 2022" on 17th September, 2022 at Prithvi Bhavan, Ministry of Earth Sciences headquarters here.The Union Minister said that the annual event, which is organized on the 3rd Saturday of September every year, is falling on 17th September this year which is, coincidentally, the birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who has been pioneering the cause of cleanliness (Swachhta), sea beach protection, environment and climate protection in all its forms.Dr. Jitendra Singh said that this year’s event also coincides with the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the 75th year of country’s independence. He said that the coastal cleanup drive will be carried out at 75 sea beaches across the country for 75 days from 3rd July to 17th September, 2022.Talking about the uniqueness of this year’s event, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that it will be the first-of-its-kind and longest running coastal cleanup campaign with highest number of people participating in it. He said that the participation of common man is essential to convey the message of “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” for the prosperity of not only coastal areas but also other parts of the country.Dr. Jitendra Singh also suggested that other than coastal regions, non-coastal regions should also plan to disseminate the message to the local people on the International Coastal Cleanup Day through environment and climate change departments / divisions in various universities, colleges and other institutions. He was of the view that sharing knowledge and information regarding coastal cleanup and security is in the overall interest of the country and not only a few coastal states / districts.The Union Minister previewed the logo ad tag line for the day and other thematic aspects related to it. He also directed the officials involved for blitzkrieg of pre-event activities in the run up to the main event.The 75-day long event will start on 3rd July, 2022 with the release of brochure and a media interaction. There will be formal launch across the country, more so in the coastal States, with opinion makers and celebrities attending the local events.The target of the drive is to remove 1,500 tonnes of garbage from the sea coasts which will be a huge relief to marine life and the people staying in coastal areas.The meeting was attended by DG, Indian Coast Guards, senior officials of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and other organisations which are involved with hosting the event.

 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today chaired a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming "International Coastal Cleanup Day 2022" on 17th September, 2022 at Prithvi Bhavan, Ministry of Earth Sciences headquarters here.

75 Sea Beaches To Be Cleaned Up Across The Country For 75 Days

New Delhi: Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday appealed to the youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme to shun violence and come forward for talks, asserting that the government is ready to look into their grievances with an 'open mind' and make changes 'if required'. The Information and Broadcasting Minister said the Agnipath scheme is a 'historic decision' taken by the Narendra Modi government towards making the country 'more secured' in future and also provide 'opportunities' to the country's youth.Thakur said the country's youth, who want to join Army, would never take the path of the violence. But some political parties, which keep looking of every opportunity under an agenda to block any change taking place, have 'provoked' the youth, he alleged, without naming any party."I would like to appeal to the country's youth that path of violence would not take you anywhere. In a democracy, you have right to protest but not by setting government property on fire. Violence has no place in a democracy," he said replying to questions at a conclave organised by the TV9 media group. He also urged the political parties not to 'provoke' the youth, and asked them to express their views on the issue in their respective 'platforms or media'."If you have any better suggestion, you can place your views at your platform, media in a democracy or tell us. Government is always ready to consider with an open mind," he said.The minister suggested the protesting youths can come for talks with the central government raising their grievance through the governors and chief ministers of their states or through their elected representatives and the Union ministers. (Contd On Page 2)

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday appealed to the youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme to shun violence and come forward for talks, asserting that the government is ready to look into their grievances with an 'open mind' and make changes 'if required'.

Govt 'Ready To Talk' To Protesters

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has scored the highest in business environment, that is 40.80 and has improved its performance by two places in India Innovation Index 2021 - a comprehensive tool for the evaluation and development of the country's innovation ecosystem.The State has been ranked 'seventh' amongst the major states as compared to ninth rank in the year 2020. The India Innovation Index 2021 report was released by NITI Ayog.It is due to improvement in overall business environment, high cluster strength and significant share of manufacturing and service sector as a percentage of GSDP.According to the official spokesman , the state has emerged in the top five states under the knowledge-output pillar. This high score is an outcome of a rise in start-ups and new businesses.Chief Executive Officer of Invest UP, Abhishek Prakash said: "Innovation led entrepreneurship is key to 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' programmes and we are determined to create an innovation-friendly environment to give further impetus to start-ups, manufacturing and services."With the score of 6.18, Uttar Pradesh has scored above the national average of 5.81 in Knowledge Diffusion due to a high share of ICT exports, high-tech exports and citations.Knowledge Diffusion indicates knowledge absorption capacity of the state. It has two sub pillars -- knowledge dissemination, and creative goods and services.Knowledge Dissemination includes indicators linked to sectors that are key to innovation, such as- software exports, high-tech exports, high and medium-high-tech manufacturing entities.India Innovation Index, prepared by NITI Aayog and the Institute for Competitiveness, is an assessment framework which ranks the states and the union territories on their innovation performance.The third edition of the index released by NITI Ayog highlights the scope of innovation analysis in the country by drawing on the framework of the Global Innovation Index.The number of indicators has increased from 36 (in the India Innovation Index 2020) to 66 (in the India Innovation Index 2021) which are distributed across key pillars like human capital, investment, knowledge workers, business environment, safety and legal environment, knowledge output, and knowledge diffusion. —IANS

Uttar Pradesh has scored the highest in business environment, that is 40.80 and has improved its performance by two places in India Innovation Index 2021 - a comprehensive tool for the evaluation and development of the country's innovation ecosystem.

UP Scores Highest In Business Environment

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Opposition of obstructing development works, saying they keep their political interests above that of society and the country."Many times, the opposition parties put some obstacles in the government's work as they could not implement the decisions taken by them when they were in power," PM Modi said addressing virtually a programme on the 10th death anniversary of former Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Harmohan Singh Yadav."Now, if they (decisions) are implemented, they oppose it. People of the country don't like it," he added, stressing in recent times, a trend of keeping "ideology or political interests above the interests of society and the country" is being witnessed. Drawing attention to the swearing-in of Droupadi Murmu as the country's new President, PM Modi said, "For the first time after the Independence, a woman from tribal society is going to lead the country."—PTI

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Opposition of obstructing development works, saying they keep their political interests above that of society and the country.

Opposition Obstructs Deve-lopment Works: PM Modi

Colombo: Newly elected Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday thanked India which he said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided the crisis-hit island nation "a breath of life" in tough times.President Wickremesinghe made the remarks while presenting the government's policy statement during the third session of Parliament during which he invited political parties to form an all-party government."I wish to specially mention the assistance provided by India, our closest neighbour, in our efforts of economic revitalisation. The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given us a breath of life. On behalf of my people and that of my own, I convey the gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, the government and the people of India," said Wickremesinghe in his address.The Sri Lankan Parliament met for the first session under President Wickremesinghe after he was sworn in on July 21. Wickremesinghe in his address reiterated the formation of an all-party government to help the country tide over its economic crisis.He said that Parliament must be united and not divided to address the current crisis and added that some political parties have already expressed interest to join the all-party, according to Colombo Gazette, which published Wirckremsinghe's full speech."An All-Party Government is not a government that acts on the sole opinion of one party. It is a government that comprises the views of all parties within a common policy framework, and implemented after decisions are made.I wish to reiterate to this House, the importance of an All-Party Government in order to resolve this crisis and establish stability in an expeditious manner," the Sri Lankan President said.He said that they are preparing a National Economic Policy for the next 25 years, which "lays the foundation for a social market economic system, securing development for the poor and underprivileged groups and encouraging small and medium entrepreneurs."Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. The United Nations warned that 5.7 million people "require immediate humanitarian assistance."With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March. The protests led then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resign the following day.Wickremasinghe became acting president, and parliament elected him as the new president on July 20 with the support of the Rajapaksas' political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. Meanwhile, India under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, has always come forward to help the debt-ridden island country. Recently, India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in the past 10 years."Government of India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in sectors including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, petroleum and fertilizers in the past 10 years," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a written reply to question put by DMK Lok Sabha MP S Ramalingam. "In January 2022, India extended a USD 400 million currency swap to Sri Lanka under the SAARC Framework and deferred successive Asian Clearing Union (A.C.U.) settlements till July 6, 2022. A Line of Credit of US$ 500 million was extended to Sri Lanka for importing fuel from India," the minister added.More than 25 tons of drugs and medical supplies which were donated by the government and people of India during the last two months are valued at close to SLR 370 million. This is in addition to the economic assistance of around USD 3.5 billion and supply of other humanitarian supplies such as rice, milk powder, and kerosene.These humanitarian supplies are in continuation of the government of India's ongoing support to the people of Sri Lanka in multiple forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply, and many more. These efforts prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighborhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement is still active.India is becoming a stronger and more mutually beneficial partner to Sri Lanka. Apart from assistance during the pandemic and fertilizer chaos, India is also donating basic products to the island nation.&nbsp;—ANI

Newly elected Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday thanked India which he said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided the crisis-hit island nation "a breath of life" in tough times.

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe Thanks PM Modi For India's Support To His Country

Copenhagen: The Danish government announced the opening of a project office in Rwanda's capital Kigali, as part of the Nordic country's plan to eventually set up an asylum centre in the East African nation.
"Denmark and Rwanda share a wish to help more refugees better than today and to fight irregular and life-threatening migration, including across the Mediterranean," Immigration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek said in a statement issued by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday.
"Our shared goal is to reform the current, flawed asylum system and ensure a dignified and sustainable future for refugees and migrants. I am therefore pleased that we will soon be able to open an office in Rwanda," he added.&nbsp;
According to the statement, the project office will also enable Denmark to expand cooperation with Rwanda in areas of mutual interest, including climate, good governance as well as asylum and migration.
The project office, expected to strengthen bilateral relations, will work in line with the two cooperation agreements reached between the two countries last year: one on asylum and migration issues and the other on political dialogue and cooperation, said the document.
The "outsourcing of migrants" was an initiative of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and passed into law by Parliament in June 2021.
The law provides for migrants to be flown out to partner countries while their asylum applications are being examined.
The plan is mired in controversy at home and abroad with critics arguing that it violates the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and EU law.
Denmark, however, is not bound by EU law in this instance because of a series of special opt-out clauses that apply to its membership in the bloc.&nbsp;
—IANS

The Danish government announced the opening of a project office in Rwanda's capital Kigali, as part of the Nordic country's plan to eventually set up an asylum centre in the East African nation.

 Denmark opens Rwanda office as part of new asylum centre plan

Chonburi: Krishnav Nikhil Chopra, making his debut at the 13th Asia Pacific Amateur Championships was the best Indian at Tied 20th after the first day at the Amata Spring Country Club, here.
The 17-year-old Chopraa had five birdies but twice hit into the water on the eighth for a bogey and a double bogey on ninth. "I made a good recovery on the back nine," said Krishnav, whose father, Nikhil, was his caddie, having taken a break from his commentary duties at the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Krishnav was five shots behind the leader, Bo Jin (65) at the end of the first round.
It was disappointing start for the other Indians as Shat Mishra (73) was tied 50th. Rayhan Thomas, Arjun Gupta and Milind Soni with 74 each were Tied 61st and Aryan Roopa Anand (75) was Tied 74th. Shaurya Bhattacharya (76) was Tied 80th in the 120-man field which has players from 38 countries and territories.
The leader was Bo Jin, who began the day with a bogey, had six birdies and an eagle after that in his 7-under 65. He held a two-shot lead at the end of the first day. Bo's brother, Cheng, won the championship in 2015 and Bo himself finished third and eighth in his previous two starts at AAC.
On a low-scoring day, Bo was followed by Singaporean James Leow, who missed a Korn Ferry Tour card by two shots, and the 15-year-old Thai sensation 'TK' Ratchanon Chantananuwat, who has won a pro event on Asian Tour. Leow and 'TK' shot 67 each.
Krishnav Chopraa, who joined the Long Beach State University in the US this year, said, "I started off with a birdie and hit my driver on fairway about 90 yards in to the pin. I left it 15-20 feet short but made the putt."
"I was 3?under through 7. On 8 I hit a bad tee shot into the water and on 9 again hit into the water. But after that I bounced back. My dad was on the bag. We knew that on the back nine we could recover. I had a good recovery on the back nine; it was bogey?free."
Krishnav got off to a flying start with a birdie on his very first hole. His also had birdies on third, seventh, 11th and 12th. There were some birdie chances in the last six holes but they did not fall. Yet, he finished his last six holes without a bogey for a card of 2-under 70.
Krishnav speaking of having his father as the caddie, added, "He's pretty good with the lines. He's a golfer, too. He knew what he was doing and he helped me with a few putts. Kept me hydrated. Kept me laughing even after hitting the bogey and double-bogey."
The father added, "This is his moment but I wanted to be right next to him. Ours has been a sporting family and for me to play here is a very proud moment. So, I took a week off from commentary duties at the World Cup in Australia to be here," said the senior Chopra.
Thomas, runner-up in 2018 at Sentosa, Singapore, was 1-under through 15 before he dropped a shot on 16th and then found water from the middle of the fairway for a double bogey in a card of 74. Arjun Gupta rallied from 3-over after three to even after 13 only to drop shots on 15th and 16th and finish 2-over. Shat Mishra was even par after 13 holes but then came two birdies and three bogeys including on eighth and ninth, his closing holes.
There will be a cut after 36 holes and the top 50 and ties will qualify for the final two rounds.&nbsp;
—IANS

Krishnav Nikhil Chopra, making his debut at the 13th Asia Pacific Amateur Championships was the best Indian at Tied 20th after the first day at the Amata Spring Country Club, here.

 Debutant Krishnav Chopra off to a good start in Asia-Pacific Amateurs; China's Bo Jin leads

New Delhi (The Hawk): Sukesh Chandrashekhar, an imprisoned con artist, has sent an open letter to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, asking him a number of pointed questions.
In a letter that he issued on Friday, he questioned the Delhi Chief Minister, "If I am the country's worst thug, on what basis did you accept Rs 50 crore from me and award me a Rajya Sabha seat."
Sukesh stated that he has also brought a new complaint against Kerjwal, AAP leaders Kailash Gehlot, and Satyendra Jain, to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's office.
Meanwhile, he posed a number of queries to Kejriwal through his letter.
He said in his letter, "In 2016, Kejriwal ji, why did you push me to bring 20 to 30 additional people to give Rs 500 crores in cash to the party in exchange for seats and appointments in AAP Karnataka and Tamil Nadu?
Even more outrageously, Sukesh claimed that in 2016, Kejriwal and jailed AAP leader Satyendra Jain attended his dinner party at a five-star hotel.
Why, he questioned Kejriwal, did you join Mr. Jain at my dinner party in 2016 at the Hyatt, Bhikaji Cama Place, where I was staying, after I had paid Mr. Satyendra Jain Rs. 50 crores at the Gehlot farm residence in Asola per your instructions?
He said, "Kejriwal ji, why have you insisted and followed up to ensure that Mr. Bhaskar Rao, the former commissioner of police of Bengaluru, only joins the AAP after his service as a super cop?"
"Kejriwal ji, why did you speak to me on Mr. Jain's phone when he visited me in Tihar Jail in 2017? The name was preserved as AK-2 in the black iPhone, Sukesh stated.
Why did you keep telling Mr. Jain to beg me to persuade a few Tamil Nadu actors and MLAs to join AAP, Kejriwal Ji? Why was there constant pressure on me in 2016 and 2017? Why were you "Ok" when Mr. Jain received 10 additional crores in 2019 for jail protection money? he questioned.
"Therefore, Kejriwal ji, before accusing me, trying to make the situation political, and changing the subject on people's minds, it is time for you to answer to the law because I will provide proof of every interaction and communication between you, me, and your other colleagues. I don't think I'll go back," he added.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Sukesh Chandrashekhar, an imprisoned con artist, has sent an open letter to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, asking him a number of pointed questions.

Why did you take Rs 50 cr from the country's biggest "thug"? Sukesh rips Kejriwal

Karachi (The Hawk): Despite being outlawed in its place of origin, Pakistan's "Joyland" can still be eligible for the upcoming Academy Awards for best foreign film, which were announced on November 12.
The Pakistani authorities outlawed Saim Sadiq's Oscar contender due to its 'extremely offensive' content.
According to a November 11 ruling from Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the country's censor board first gave the movie a censor certificate on August 17 but later changed its mind, Variety reported.
But according to the award-planning team behind "Joyland," they intend to give the movie its required seven-day theatrical run in France by November 30, which is the deadline for qualifying releases for the Oscars' international feature category.
According to the official Academy criteria, films may qualify outside of their place of origin if they are shown there for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theatre with paid admission in order to more easily fulfil the conditions for theatrical exhibition.
All questions about regulations and eligibility will be assessed by the International Feature Film Executive Committee.
To be clear, the US cannot be used for the seven-day theatrical run in order to be qualified for the international category only.
It would be necessary for the movie to have a seven-day release in the US if it intended to enter the general categories, such as best picture. The movie hasn't had any distribution, though, as of yet.
In addition, Pakistan is not permitted to choose a different movie after the fact. The movie, which was directed and co-written by Saim Sadiq, follows the tale of Haider (Ali Junejo), the youngest son of the Ranas family, who falls in love with transgender lady Biba (Alina Khan), while working as a background dancer.
"Joyland" had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm.
The Pakistani government's about-face, according to a statement from Sadiq via his Instagram account, is "completely unconstitutional and illegal."
(Inputs from Agencies)

Despite being outlawed in its place of origin, Pakistan's "Joyland" can still be eligible for the upcoming Academy Awards for best foreign film, which were announced on November 12.

Despite the country's ban, Pakistan's "Joyland" can still qualify for the Oscars

Patna (The Hawk): The Air Quality Index (AQI) is still above severe in the majority of the cities even if the temperature is dropping over much of the country.
Six of the ten cities with the worst air quality are in Bihar.
With an air quality index of 366, Saharsa is regarded as the most polluted city in the nation, posing health risks to those who suffer from asthma.
According to statistics gathered at 8 p.m. on Monday, Saharsa was at 344, Muzaffarpur was at 330, Bhagalpur was at 330, Patna was at 318, Begusarai was at 270, and Purnea was at 269 as well.
However, according to a representative, Saharsa and Muzaffarpur's AQI exceeded 400 during the day.
The official claimed that the key factor contributing to the decline in AQI in these cities is dust. The main causes of the decline in AQI are hurried construction and transportation of sand and building supplies. As a result, the levels of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were five and three times higher than on typical days.
AQI values between 0 and 50 are regarded as good, between 51 and 100 as moderate, between 101 and 150 as "unhealthy for the sensitive group," between 151 and 200 as "unhealthy for all," between 201 and 300 as "extremely unhealthy," and between 301 and 500 as dangerous for human health.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is still above severe in the majority of the cities even if the temperature is dropping over much of the country. Six of the ten cities with the worst air quality are in Bihar.

Six Bihar cities are among the most polluted in the country

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister for Science &amp; Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Vice President of CSIR (Council of Scientific &amp; Industrial Research), today announced the launching of "One Week, One Lab" countrywide campaign from 6th January, 2023. In this, each of the 37 premier Laboratories/Institutes of CSIR spread across the country will, one after the other in every successive week, showcase their exclusive innovations and technological breakthroughs to the people of India.
Addressing the 200th Governing Body Meeting of CSIR at the Science Centre in New Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the “One Week One Lab" theme-based campaign is expected to ignite the minds of young innovators, students, Start-ups, academia, and industry to look for opportunities through deep tech ventures.
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is President of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), had chaired the meeting of CSIR Society on 15th October, 2022 and appreciated the efforts of CSIR in the past 80 years.
The Prime Minister had urged CSIR in the Society meeting to develop a vision for 2042 when CSIR turns 100 years old and also highlighted the significance of documenting the journey of the past 80 years, which can help take a review of progress achieved and identify areas of lacunae which can be addressed. He also suggested that a virtual summit of all labs can be held regularly in which they can learn new things from each other's experience.
At the 200th Governing Body Meeting of CSIR today, Dr Jitendra Singh announced a Special Call for Research Grant Proposals for Women Scientists. The call for research grant proposal is for women scientists including those who have taken a career break and are interested in returning to research and reestablishing their career. Keeping in tune with the transformations happening in CSIR, the Minister of Science and Technology also released the new tagline, “CSIR-The Innovation Engine of India”.
The implementation of paperless E-office across all labs with effect 01 April 2023 and E-performance appraisal system for admin cadre staff for Reporting Year 2022-2023 was also approved.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed the Governing Body Members that he will soon write to Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and all the Chief Ministers of States to evolve a mechanism for wider sharing of CSIR technological breakthroughs and innovations in schools for students and aspirants who want to pursue fundamental science and research as a strong career option.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the legacy of CSIR is built on the cumulative contribution of its several national laboratories and institutes. He said, each laboratory of CSIR is unique and specializing in as diverse areas as genomics to geology, material technology to microbial technology and food to fuel.
Dr Jitendra Singh called upon a pool of over 4,500 CSIR scientists to reorient and revitalize the organization to emerge as Global Centers of Innovations in the Amrit Kaal. He said, they must focus on emerging innovations in areas like Hydrogen in the energy transition, Carbon capture and storage, Accessible solar power, Plastic recycling and Cheap energy storage.
Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR gave a presentation on CSIR activities and achievements from the 199th to the 200th GB meetings.
Members of the present GB include Prof Ajay Sood, PSA to the Government of India; Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary, DoD and Chairman, DRDO; Gurdeep Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC; Dr Srinivasa Reddy, Director, CSIR-IICT; Dr N Anadavalli, Director, CSIR-SERC; Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure); Shri Baba A Kalyani, Chairmand &amp; MD, Kalyani Group; Prof K VijayRaghavan, Former PSA to GoI; Dr Vijay Bhatkar; Dr K N Vyas, Secretary, DAE and Chairman, AEC and Dr N Kalaiselvi, DG-CSIR.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, CSIR breakthroughs in areas like Drone, Heliborne technology, state of the art Sewage cleaning machines, Aroma Mission has opened up huge opportunities for developing meaningful and equal stake partnership among Research, Academia and Industry. The Minister said, the state-of-the-art Heli-borne survey technology with cooperation from Jal Shakti Ministry was applied last year in States of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana and this could play an important role in positively contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision and Mission of “Har Ghar Nal Se Jal”. Similarly, the mechanized sewage cleaning system developed by CSIR for wider dissemination will help in achieving the target of Swachh Bharat Mission, he added. CSIR was established on 26 September 1942 and was registered as a CSIR Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The first meeting of the Governing Body was held on 09 March 1942 that framed the Bye Laws for the Council amongst other agenda items.

Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Vice President of CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research), today announced the launching of "One Week, One Lab" countrywide campaign from 6th January, 2023. 

Dr Jitendra Announces Launching Of CSIR’s 'One Week, One Lab' Countrywide Campaign From January 6

New Delhi (The Hawk): The central Asian country of Uzbekistan's government claims that 18 kids have passed away after ingesting cough medicine made by Indian pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech.
The Doc-1 Max syrup, produced by the Indian business Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd, has been linked to the deaths of 18 out of 21 children with acute respiratory illness, according to a statement from the Uzbekistan Health Ministry.
"It was discovered that the deceased children took this drug at home for 2-7 days, 3-4 times per day, 2.5-5 ml, which exceeds the standard dose of the drug for children," according to the report.
DH's inquiries into the incident were not answered by sources from the Union Health Ministry. However, they insisted that a file had been presented to Health Minister Manuskh Mandaviya, who also serves as the Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and is in charge of the Department of Pharmaceuticals. Marion Biotech, situated in Noida, didn't return calls either.
The Uzbekistan Health Ministry's press release specifies two causes of the tragedy: overdosing on the medication in children who didn't need it and contamination of ethylene glycol, one of the two dangerous substances discovered in the Gambian case.
"The medicine was administered to every child without a prescription from a physician. Doc-1 Max syrup was improperly used by parents as a cold treatment on their own or at the advice of pharmacy salespeople because the drug's primary ingredient is paracetamol. This was the cause of the patients' conditions getting worse, according to the Uzbek Ministry.
According to preliminary laboratory tests, this line of Doc-1 Max syrup contains ethylene glycol. According to Uzbekistan officials, this drug is hazardous and roughly 1-2 ml/kg of a 95% concentrated solution can result in catastrophic changes in the patient's health, including vomiting, fainting, seizures, cardiovascular issues, and acute kidney failure.
The World Health Organization identified ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol as harmful pollutants in four samples of cough syrup (produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Haryana) in October. These samples are thought to be connected to the deaths of 70 kids in The Gambia. However, there have been numerous instances of EG and DEG being discovered in Indian-made cough syrups in the past, many of which resulted in fatalities.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The central Asian country of Uzbekistan's government claims that 18 kids have passed away after ingesting cough medicine made by Indian pharmaceutical company Marion Biotech. The Doc-1 Max syrup, produced by the Indian business Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd, has been linked to the deaths of 18 out of 21 children with acute respiratory illness, according to a statement from the Uzbekistan Health Ministry.

Uzbekistan claims Indian firm cough syrup kills 18 children

Guwahati: Inaugurating the first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of the northeastern region in Guwahati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the previous governments for doing precious little to uplift the healthcare infrastructure of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi pointed out, "The first AIIMS was built in Delhi during the 1950s. People from all corners went to AIIMS Delhi for treatment, but no government understood the need of setting up AIIMS campuses all over the country."

"It was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government that took the initiative of building AIIMS in other cities," he added.

Following the departure of Vajpayee's government in 2004, Modi said the projects were stalled, and after 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre, the process of setting up AIIMS across the country got underway.

He said, "We started to build 15 AIIMS campuses, and today at least more than 50 per cent of them are functional. The teaching of medical courses and providing treatment began in those institutes."

The Prime Minister also inaugurated three new medical colleges in Assam along with initiating the foundation work of a multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art hospital at IIT Guwahati.

Taking a potshot at the Opposition, Modi claimed that due to the erroneous principles of previous governments, the healthcare system took a beating.

According to him, the country experienced a huge shortage of medical professionals earlier.

"Prior to 2014, there were only 150 medical colleges in the country. In the last nine years, the BJP-led government has focused on that sector, and we have built 300 new medical colleges. Now, there are more than 1 lakh seats in MBBS courses. The PG seats also increased multiple times," Modi mentioned.

He also said that work is on to further increase the number.

PM Modi claimed that reservations in medical seats and providing medical education in regional languages were introduced to facilitate people from marginal backgrounds studying healthcare courses.

Without naming the Congress, he alleged that due to the credit-hungry nature of others, the northeast was lacking in development for many years.

He said, "Now, wherever I go and talk about development. I can see a new illness among some people. They keep on complaining about why they were not given credit."

Due to this credit-hungry nature, they (the opposition) earlier felt the northeast was too far. But, we do not need credit; rather, the BJP worked with 'sewa-bhav', and you can see the results. Today, anyone who comes to Assam and the northeast for the first time talks about the enormous development the region has witnessed in the last few years," he claimed.

The Prime Minister also said, "Along with better connectivity, the northeast is now witnessing a change in the social sector too. The MBBS seats have been doubled here. A number of new medical colleges have been set up."

He said that all these were possible due to a stable and strong government at the centre since 2014.

"I feel lucky to serve you. It is the love of the people of Assam that brings me here repeatedly," Modi said. IANS

Inaugurating the first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of the northeastern region in Guwahati.

Modi inaugurates AIIMS, Assam; targets earlier govts over lack of health infra

<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">New Delhi: As part of its contingency measures to remove stranded Indians from the African country, India has positioned two heavy-lift military transport planes in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and a naval ship at a vital port in violence-hit Sudan.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Some Indian nationals were among the 66 citizens of "brotherly and friendly" countries that Saudi Arabia stated it had evacuated from Sudan.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">It has come to light that three Indians working on the crew of a Saudi airliner in the Sudanese city of Khartoum were rescued by the Saudi government.—Inputs from Agencies&nbsp;

As part of its contingency measures to remove stranded Indians from the African country, India has positioned two heavy-lift military transport planes in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah and a naval ship at a vital port in violence-hit Sudan.

The Hawk

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Peace in country due to efforts of Modi, Shah: Sonowal

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Peace in country due to efforts of Modi, Shah: Sonowal

Karan

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