New Delhi: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will virtually inaugurate the second phase of the 'Saansad Khel Mahakumbh' on Wednesday, according to a statement released by his office.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that the 'Khel Mahakumbh' is an innovative programme that gives young people in Basti and nearby areas a chance to show off their sports skills and encourages them to choose sports as a career.
It said that Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the second phase of "Saansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23," which is being held in the Basti district, on January 18, 2023, at 1 p.m. via video conferencing.—Inputs from Agencies

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will virtually inaugurate the second phase of the 'Saansad Khel Mahakumbh' on Wednesday, according to a statement released by his office

PM Modi will inaugurate the second phase of  'Saansad Khel Mahakumbh' on Jan 18.

New Delhi: On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open 'Aadi Mahotsav,' a massive national tribal celebration, as part of the ongoing campaign to publicise and celebrate India's indigenous peoples. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Modi has been instrumental in improving conditions for the country's indigenous peoples and giving them recognition for their role in the country's progress. The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Limited (TRIFED) operates annually under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to host the Aadi Mahotsav, a festival honouring the spirit of tribal culture, crafts, gastronomy, trade, and traditional art. As stated in the announcement, it will take place in Delhi's Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium from February 16th to the 27th this year.
Over 200 vendors will display the culture and history of various indigenous groups from all over the country.
Approximately one thousand indigenous craftspeople will take part in the activity. As the year 2023 is being recognised as the International Year of Millets, the statement continued, "Shree Anna," a recent official nomenclature for millets grown by tribals, will be shown prominently with the customary attractions such as handicrafts, handloom, ceramics, and jewellery.—Inputs from Agencies

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open 'Aadi Mahotsav,' a massive national tribal celebration, as part of the ongoing campaign to publicise and celebrate India's indigenous peoples.

PM Modi to inaugurate "Aadi Mahotsav" on Thursday

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

New Delhi: On Sunday, the new Parliament building was dedicated, but 21 opposition parties boycotted the ceremony, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was treating it as his "coronation" and that democracy is controlled by people and not by structures.
The opposition leaders also claimed that by not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the celebration, the administration was in violation of Constitutional principles. Wrestlers were allegedly removed from Jantar Mantar when they attempted to march towards the new Parliament House during the inaugural ceremony, after they had accused a BJP MP of sexual harassment.
No procedure was broken, and Modi has the utmost regard for the President, according to the government, who has thus far refused to accept the opposition's stance.—Inputs from Agencies

On Sunday, the new Parliament building was dedicated, but 21 opposition parties boycotted the ceremony, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was treating it as his "coronation" and that democracy is controlled by people and not by structures.

PM Modi treated Parliament inauguration like his coronation, alleges Opposition

New Delhi: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will go to the states of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh on July 7 and the states of Telangana and Rajasthan on July 8, according to a statement released by his office on Wednesday.
Elections are scheduled for later this year in all of these states except Uttar Pradesh.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone for several development projects at a public programme in Raipur on July 7 at approximately 10:45 am.—Inputs from Agencies

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will go to the states of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh on July 7 and the states of Telangana and Rajasthan on July 8, according to a statement released by his office on Wednesday.

PM to visit 4 states on Jul 7-8, inaugurate, lay foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 50,000 crore

New Delhi: On Tuesday, the new integrated terminal building at Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference.
With the inauguration of the new integrated terminal building, which cost over Rs 710 crore to construct, the island union territory's accessibility would be much improved.
With a total built up area of around 40,800 sqm., the new terminal building will be capable of handling about 50 lakh passengers annually.
An Apron that can fit two Boeing-767-400 and two Airbus-321 aircraft was also built at the Port Blair airport at a cost of Rs 80 crore. This implies that the airport can now park ten aircraft at once.
The architectural design of the airport terminal, which was inspired by nature, resembles a structure in the form of a shell that depicts the ocean and islands.
The new integrated terminal building will boost air traffic and help enhance tourism in the region, official sources said.
It will also stimulate regional economic growth and provide locals with more employment opportunities.—Inputs from Agencies

On Tuesday, the new integrated terminal building at Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference

PM to inaugurate new terminal building of Port Blair airport tomorrow

Mysuru: Karnataka Minister for Forest Eshwar Khandre on Friday inaugurated 'Gaja Payana' which marks the commencement of the majestic march of elephants from jungle camps to premises of the Mysuru palace to participate in the historical Dasara festival.  The event is regarded as the festival of the land and the state government celebrates it with all grandeur.
People from across the country and abroad visit the city during the festivities. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced that noted Kannada music composer and activist Hamsalekha would inaugurate Dasara this time.  The event was organised at the base camp at Veeranahosalli in Nagarahole National Park in Hunsur taluk. First batch of nine elephants participated in the inaugural function.  The elephants are expected to reach Mysuru on Saturday.  They will be accorded traditional welcome at the Mysuru Palace on September 4. The group of elephants which started the journey included Abhimanyu, which will carry the golden howdah in the famous procession. Dhananjaya, Gopi, Kanjan, Vijaya, Arjuna, Bhima, Varalaxmi and Mahendra are the other elephants.  Minister Eshwar Khandre inaugurated the Gaja Pay an event by paying flower tribute and offering traditional worship to the group of elephants.
—IANS

Karnataka Minister for Forest Eshwar Khandre on Friday inaugurated  'Gaja Payana' which marks the commencement of the majestic march of elephants from jungle camps to premises of the Mysuru palace to participate in the historical Dasara festival.

Mysuru Dasara 2023: Majestic march of elephants begins in K'taka

Karnataka Minister for Forest Eshwar Khandre on Friday inaugurated  'Gaja Payana' which marks the commencement of the majestic march of elephants from jungle camps to premises of the Mysuru palace to participate in the historical Dasara festival.


Hyderabad: The Telangana government's efforts to expand Information Technology to Tier II towns gathered further momentum with the IT Hub almost ready for the inauguration at Nalgonda.  Minister for Information Technology K. T. Rama Rao stated that the IT Hub at Nalgonda will be inaugurated in a few weeks.  “Telangana Govt’s efforts to develop IT sector in Tier 2 towns is going on at a brisk pace After Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Siddipet and Nizamabad now it’s Nalgonda,” he shared on X.
Nalgonda is about 200 km from Hyderabad, a key global IT destination.  Construction of the IT Hub was taken up at Nalgonda at a cost of Rs 95 crore.  A total of 14 IT companies have expressed their intent to establish offices in the Nalgonda IT hub.  A job mela, themed ‘local placements for local youth,’ was held in the town on September 1. Over 12,000 individuals took part in the job fair for 325 job vacancies.  The respective companies conducted online assessments for eligible job seekers who had applied.  Local educated unemployed youth are happy that the IT facility is providing them jobs in their home town.  This will be the seventh IT tower to be opened in tier-II towns in the state. Last month, the IT Tower in Nizamabad was inaugurated.  Fifteen companies have commenced their operations at Nizamabad IT Tower. The state-of-the-art 55,000 square feet building has been constructed at a cost of Rs.50 crore.  Minister KTR said 1,400 youth will get jobs in the facility. He said the IT Tower will help the local youth to fulfill their dreams of securing technology jobs in Hyderabad and abroad.
—IANS

The Telangana government's efforts to expand Information Technology to Tier II towns gathered further momentum with the IT Hub almost ready for the inauguration at Nalgonda.

Another Tier II town in Telangana to get IT Hub soon

Guwahati: In just the last six months, Assam has attracted investments of more than 11,000 crores of investments which will in turn generate around 12,000 jobs in the state, the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday.
He inaugurated the process of setting up of PepsiCo India Food Manufacturing Plant at Nalbari earlier in the day.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said: “On 9th May, eight MoUs were signed worth Rs 8,201 crores, with employment generation of 6,115 jobs. The state Cabinet has also approved the incentives for the next set of industrial investors numbering six who are investing approximately Rs 3,113 crores with employment creation of 5,100 including direct and indirect jobs. The MoU signing will be held in the next few days.”&nbsp;
Talking about the PepsiCo India project, Sarma said that the State government has positively approached the proposal from PepsiCo and provided various incentives to facilitate establishment of this ambitious industrial investment in Assam, including quality infrastructure support of road, power supply etc and also financial incentives.
He said that the plant in Nalbari is expected to be operational by 2025. It is designed to generate employment for over 500 individuals, with a focus on achieving a 100 percent diverse workforce, of at least 75 per cent women.
He said that the plant is also expected to generate significant opportunities for businesses representing the MSME industry including packaging products like laminates, carton scrap and other local ancillary industry, positively impacting the local families.
He said that farmers of the state will also adequately be benefitted as the company will buy the raw materials like potato from the local farmers.&nbsp;
—IANS

In just the last six months, Assam has attracted investments of more than 11,000 crores of investments which will in turn generate around 12,000 jobs

Assam attracted more than 11,000 crore investment in four months: CM

New Delhi: Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth received a rousing welcome as he arrived at the New Delhi Airport on Thursday for the G20 Summit that will be held here in the national capital from September 9-10. He was recieved at the Airport by Shripad Naik Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping. As he came out of the Delhi airport he was accorded with a traditional folk dance performance.
India has close, longstanding relations with Mauritius, owing to historic, demographic and cultural reasons. A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian origin people comprise nearly 70% of the island’s population. India has traditionally been the ‘first responder’ for Mauritius in times of crisis, including during the recent Covid-19 and Wakashio oil-spill crises. India was the first country to supply Covid-19 vaccines to Mauritius. Meanwhile, New Delhi is geared up to host the G20 Leader’s Summit in the national capital at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam on September 9-10. This is the first time that the G20 Summit is taking place under India’s presidency. The event will be graced by many global leaders and delegates. Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both India’s soft power as well as modern face. Formed in 1999, the G20 was formed to maintain global financial stability by incorporating middle-income countries. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. The next G20 presidency is going to be taken over by Brazil in 2024, followed by South Africa in 2025.
—ANI

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth received a rousing welcome as he arrived at the New Delhi Airport on Thursday for the G20 Summit

Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth arrives in Delhi for G20 Summit

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has cancelled his visit to Kota where he was scheduled to inaugurate the much-awaited Rs 1,400 crore Chambal Riverfront on Tuesday.
Gehlot in his post on X late Monday said, “The inauguration of Kota was proposed by me on 12-13 September, for which I was eagerly waiting, but due to unavoidable reasons, I would not be able to attend the programs on 12 September. The programs of September 13 will remain the same. Congratulations to all Hadoti residents.”
He also mentioned that the project will boost the tourism prospects in the region.
“Our senior fellow UDH Minister Shri Shanti Dhariwal has given a historic gift to Hadoti in the form of Kota RiverFront. Hadoti region is lagging behind in the field of tourism but this riverfront will prove to be a milestone in increasing tourism here and will write a new story for the development of Kota. During the last tenure, Dhariwal ji had gifted Seven Wonders to Kota, on which now even shooting of films takes place.”
Gehlot, earlier, was scheduled to inaugurate the Chambal Riverfront along with his entire cabinet on Tuesday.
While no reasons have been claimed for the sudden cancellation of this trip, sources said that allegations levelled by a BJP MLA from Kota, Prahlad Gunjal can be the reason for the cancellation of this trip.
Gunjal raised questions on the Chambal Riverfront project on Monday. He has described the construction of the riverfront as completely “illegal”, and said that this riverfront has been created by flouting the orders of the Supreme Court and NGT.
Gunjal has made it clear that he will challenge the matter in the Supreme Court.
Prahlad Gunjal had also demanded from CM Ashok Gehlot to cancel the inauguration. Gunjal has also alleged that an amount of Rs 100 crore is being spent on the name of inauguration of the Chambal Riverfront, which is the money of people.
The Chambal Riverfront was to be inaugurated on Tuesday, in which the entire cabinet, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress MLAs, and many famous personalities from across the country were to participate.
Preparations are going on in full swing in Kota and strict security arrangements were also made.
However, a sudden cancellation of this trip has left one and all surprised and triggered much speculation.
A senior leader told IANS, “Most probably, it is because of Prahlad Gunjal’s allegations that the CM’s visit seems to have got cancelled. There is no other point why the visit has been cancelled.”&nbsp;
—IANS

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has cancelled his visit to Kota where he was scheduled to inaugurate the much-awaited Rs 1,400 crore Chambal Riverfront

CM Gehlot cancels visit to Kota for riverfront project inauguration

Bengaluru: The swanky Terminal-2 of the KempeGowda International airport in Bengaluru built at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore started operating international flights on Tuesday.
All scheduled international flights have started arriving and departing from Terminal 2 from 10.45 a.m. onwards. The airport authorities have made arrangements for passengers to get adequate information in this regard on estimated queue wait time and flight information.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated terminal -2 of the KempeGowda International airport on November 11 last year. The terminal will handle an additional 2.5 crore air passengers.
The swanky terminal-2 is pegged as one among the biggest terminals in the world with a hanging garden for the first time in Asia.
Bengaluru Airport commenced its operations on May 24, 2008. In 2019 it handled over 33 million passengers. It is also one of the fastest- growing airports in the world. It is presently the busiest airport in south India.
Then Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had stated that with the inauguration of terminal-2, Bengaluru KempeGowda International Airport (KIAL) has become the second biggest airport of the country.
“Are you taking any international flights to or from BLR (Bengaluru) Airport on 12th September? Commencing 10:45 AM on 12th September 2023 all departing and arriving international flights will be operating from Terminal 2. Make note of the initial schedule and check with your Airline for detailed flight information and schedules,” the official statement from Bengaluru airport said.&nbsp;
—IANS

The swanky Terminal-2 of the KempeGowda International airport in Bengaluru built at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore started operating international flights

B’luru International airport Terminal 2 begins flight operations

Jaipur: A riverfront project worth Rs 1,400 crore has been completed in Rajasthan's Kota and will be inaugurated on Tuesday amid pomp and show even as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cancelled his participation. 
Officials claimed that this riverfront will create four world records.
The project built on the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam theme has 22 ghats. They all have different stories. Ambassadors of 25 countries will also be present for the first time to see this model.

The world record claims, as mentioned by the officials, will be made along the riverfront at Chambal Mata Statue, Face statue of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Nandi Ghat and Brahma Ghat.

It is claimed that the 242-ft Chambal Mata statue made of marble is the first one of its kind in the world. In this, seven lakh liters of water will fall from the urn in one hour.

Next, the world's largest gunmetal mask of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has been installed at Jawahar Ghat. The face mask is 12 meters high and three meters wide. Nehru had inaugurated the Kota Barrage in 1960. With this face mask you will be able to see the western end of the riverfront.

On Nandi Ghat, a 20-feet high statue of the Nandi weighing 1,000 tonnes has been installed. Officials claim that it is built on a single stone. This is visible from quite a distance. This statue is 15 feet wide and 20 feet high.

On Brahma Ghat, the largest bell hasbeen installed here. Engineer Devendra Arya said that its sound will be heard up to 8 kms. "Five records were made in this bell alone -- casting of joint less chain, casting of non-ferrous metal, largest in size, 35 furnaces being used for metal casting at one place, and molding box weighing 250 tonnes was used for the first time. .

With the inauguration of the riverfront, the Rajasthan government seeks to put Kota on the world tourism map. And this will be promoted by the urban improvement of trust (UIT) of the state government.

The state government has made Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as the brand ambassadors. UIT has signed a one-year agreement with both the stars. They will be visiting Kota on September 13, and then promote the city for a year.
—IANS

A riverfront project worth Rs 1,400 crore has been completed in Rajasthan's Kota and will be inaugurated on Tuesday

Kota's Rs 1,400 cr riverfront project to be inaugurated today

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday offered prayers at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. CM Yogi performed a sacred consecration ritual for Mahakal with cow's milk, ghee, curd, honey, sugar, and fruit juice. He reached Mahakal Lok by helicopter from Indore airport and posted on social media - "Jai Mahakal". He said that he worshipped Baba Mahakal and wished for the good health and prosperity of the people of Uttar Pradesh. The ceremony included the worship of Mahakal with Panchamrit, Rudraksh garlands, Bilva leaves, ‘Makhana garlands,’ saffron, sandalwood, and fragrant perfumes. During the worship of Mahakaleshwar, Umesh Nath Maharaj of Valmiki Dham, Higher Education Minister Mohan Yadav, and MLA Paras Jain were also present with him. Priests Rupam Guru and Navneet Guru conducted the puja. Following this ceremony, CM Yogi proceeded to the Bhartrihari Cave. As per tradition, he was welcomed with garlands of Rudraksha and pearls amidst chanting of mantras. Additionally, he was presented with a brass trident. Inside the cave, he visited the sacred meditation sites of Guru Gorakhnath, King Bhartrihari, and Gopichand Maharaj. After this, CM Yogi reached Indore, where he inaugurated the 40-foot-high flag pole in Shrinath temple. —ANI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday offered prayers at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain

CM Yogi Offers Prayers At Mahakaleshwar Temple In Ujjain

New Delhi: In view of the inauguration of ‘India International Convention &amp; Expo Centre’ (IICEC) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for commuters suggesting alternate routes due to special arrangements, an official said here.
According to the advisory, the route from NH-48 to Nirmal Dham Nala (UER-II) will remain affected the whole day and commuters are advised to avoid UER-II (NH-48 to Nirmal Dham Nala).
“The commuters are advised to take alternate routes for Najafgarh from NH-8: Bijwasan Najafgarh Road and NH-48 via UER-II from Najafgarh/Dwarka. Further the commuters can take a left turn from Dhulsiras Chowk,” stated the advisory.
The commuters going towards Dwarka Sector-23 can use Road No. 224 and vehicles going to Gurugram from Dwarka can use Dhulsiras Road towards Bamnoli Village or Najafgarh Bijwasan Road.
The advisory further advised that the residents of Dwarka Sub-city and West Delhi can use Palam Flyover to reach their destinations.
“In order to minimise problems, the general public are advised to plan their journey in advance,” the advisory added.
—IANS

In view of the inauguration of ‘India International Convention & Expo Centre’ (IICEC) by  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday

Traffic Police issues advisory ahead of IICEC by PM Modi on Sunday

Hyderabad: Hyderabad and Bengaluru are all set to be connected by Vande Bharat Express from September 25.
Kacheguda-Yeswantpur Vande Bharat will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually from Delhi on September 24. The commercial operations will commence the next day, railway officials said.
Union minister for tourism and culture G. Kishan Reddy and senior officials will attend the programme to be held at Kacheguda Station.
This Vande Bharat Express will cover a distance of 609 km between the two tech hubs in eight hours and 30 minutes.
Train no. 20703 Kacheguda – Yeswantpur will depart from Kacheguda at 5.30 a.m. on and will reach Yeswantpur at 2 p.m. with stoppages at Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, Anantapur, Dharmavaram and Hindupur.
On the return journey, Train no. 20704 Yeswantpur – Kacheguda, will depart from Yeswantpur at 2:45 p.m. and arrive at Kacheguda at 11:15 p.m.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate nine Vande Bharat trains on September 24.
These include Vijayawada-Chennai Vande Bharat. The train will be operated on all days of the week except Thursday.
It will depart from Vijayawada at 5.30 a.m. and reach Chennai at 12.10 p.m. with stoppages at Tenali, Ongole, Nellore and Renigunta. In the return direction, the train will depart from Chennai at 3.20 p.m. and reach Vijayawada at 10 p.m.
According to railway officials, new Vande Bharat trains have been incorporated with several new features for enhanced passenger comfort.
Currently, 25 pairs of Vande Bharat trains are being operated across Indian Railways. In South Central Railway, two pairs have been running successfully with 120 per cent patronage. These trains are Secunderabad-Tirupati-Secunderabad and Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad.
—IANS

Hyderabad and Bengaluru are all set to be connected by Vande Bharat Express from September 25.

Hyderabad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express from next week

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23 will visit Varanasi, where he will lay the foundation stone for an international cricket stadium. He will also inaugurate 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas built across Uttar Pradesh at a cost of about Rs 1,115 crore. During his day-long visit, Modi will also participate in the closing ceremony of Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav 2023. At around 1.30 p.m., he will lay the foundation stone for the cricket stadium which is being developed in a 30 acre area, at a cost of about Rs 450 crore. The thematic architecture of this stadium draws inspiration from Lord Shiva, with designs developed for crescent-shaped roof covers, trident-shaped flood-lights, and ghat steps-based seating. The stadium will have a capacity of seating 30,000 spectators. At around 3:15 pm, the Prime Minister will reach Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre and participate in the closing ceremony of Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav 2023. He will also inaugurate the schools during the occasion, official sources said. The 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalaya across Uttar Pradesh, built at a cost of about Rs 1,115 crore, have been started exclusively for children of labourers, construction workers, and those orphaned due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Each school is constructed in an area of 10-15 acres with classrooms, a sports ground, recreational areas, a mini auditorium, a hostel complex, mess, and residential flats for staff. These residential schools intend to eventually accommodate 1,000 students each, official sources said.
—IANS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23 will visit Varanasi, where he will lay the foundation stone for an international cricket stadium

PM Modi to visit Varanasi on Sep 23

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): A hoard of people were injured after a barricade collapsed at an event in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district. The incident took place during the inauguration of the 'Happy Street' program in the Annanagar area of Madurai.
Visuals show people struggling to rescue each other, while others check over their injured relatives.
Speaking to ANI, Kanchana, who was present at the event said, "This event was organized by Madurai Corporation. The police department did not properly provide security in the event."
As Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan along with Minister P Moorthy and District Collector M S Sangeetha inaugurated the program, people tried to rush to the front, she said. "Shortly after, the stage barricade collapsed and injured several people. Some people got suffocated and some were left unconscious in the incident," she added.
—ANI

A hoard of people were injured after a barricade collapsed at an event in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district.

Tamil Nadu: Several injured as barricade collapses in Madurai's Anna Nagar

Patna (Bihar): After Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains including one in Bihar, Union Minister of State (MoS) Ashwini Choubey on Sunday lashed out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, adding that despite giving the invitation, he did not come.  "Several ministers of the state (Bihar) did not come despite the invitation by the Railways. They are jealous of the country and state's development. The Chief Minister (CM Nitish Kumar) did not come despite the invitation. This is a matter of shame for Bihar," Choubey said.&nbsp;
Earlier in the day, PM Modi flagged off the Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express through video-conferencing on Sunday. "25 Vande Bharat Express trains are already running, now nine more have been added," he added.  PM Modi virtually flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains, and said that the speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with aspirations of 140 crore Indians.  "The speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with the aspirations of 140 crore Indians. Today people of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat will get the facility of Vande Bharat Express trains. These new Vande Bharat Express trains depict the new energy of the country," PM Modi said while speaking at the launch of new trains. PM Modi said that 25 Vande Bharat Express trains are already running, now nine more will be added to them. "The popularity of Vande Bharat trains is constantly rising. Over 1,11,00,000 crore passengers have already travelled on them," he added. The launch of these trains will connect religious and tourist destinations across 11 these states, a PMO statement said earlier. The new trains are Udaipur – Jaipur Vande Bharat Express, Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express, Hyderabad –Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, Vijayawada – Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express, Patna – Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express, Rourkela - Bhubaneswar – Puri Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi – Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express. The introduction of these Vande Bharat trains will herald a new standard of rail service in the country. These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel to common people, professionals, businessmen, student community and tourists," the PMO statement added.
—ANI

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains including one in Bihar, Union Minister of State (MoS) Ashwini Choubey

Vande Bharat flagging off: Bihar CM didn't come despite invitation, says Union MoS Ashwini Choubey

New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur once again relived his early days when he took a cricket bat in his hands.  Anurag played a single game for Himachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy back in the year 2000. Thakur on Sunday shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) of him playing a shot in which he attempted to go for a maximum with a caption that read, "You can take out cricket from a player's life, but you can't take out the cricketer in him."&nbsp;
Thakur was on a visit to Coimbatore where he inaugurated the Sri Krishna Stadium on Saturday.  "The other institutes should do something like this. Nobody can beat India in the field of sports. I am sure we will have a lot of sportspersons coming here. Chepauk Stadium is a really beautiful stadium and there are many other grounds that are also coming up. We need more tournaments and cricket can go to every local corner. Cricket has the money and the audience to look at and the state cricket associations can do that," he said to reporters.  Thakur said that the Government of India is building 1000 Khelo India centres across the country and he will personally look at the progress of the centres.  "The Government of India is bulding 1000 Khelo India centres across the country. I will personally look at how institutes can get a couple of Khelo India centres so that many players can get training there," Thakur said.
—ANI

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur once again relived his early days when he took a cricket bat in his hands. 

The Hawk

Tag : Inauguration

PM Modi will inaugurate the second phase of 'Saansad Khel Mahakumbh' on Jan 18.

Nidhi Khurana

Tag : Inauguration

PM Modi will inaugurate the second phase of 'Saansad Khel Mahakumbh' on Jan 18.

Nidhi Khurana

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