Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held three back-to-back meetings with top officials of the security establishment to assess the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including the recent killings of civilians, as well as reviewed arrangements for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra for which the UT administration will provide RFID tags to every pilgrim. While Lt Governor of J&amp;K Manoj Sinha was present in all the three meetings, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande attended the meetings to discuss the security situation in the UT. Senior officials from the Centre, paramilitary forces and the UT administration were also in these meetings., Later in a statement, the Union home ministry said the J&amp;K chief secretary informed the meeting that each pilgrim will be provided with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card and will be insured for Rs 5 lakh.Shah said a "hassle-free" journey for the pilgrims is a priority of the Modi government and directed that all arrangements, including additional electricity, water, and telecom facilities be made. The home minister also stressed for the enhancement of mobile connectivity along the yatra route as he directed that earth-moving equipment should be placed at vantage points to clear the route in case of landslides. This is the first yatra after the Covid-19 pandemic, and due to the high altitude, adequate arrangements will have to be made for yatris who have any health-related problems, he said. The home minister asked for an adequate number of oxygen cylinders, medical beds at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet and deployment of ambulances and helicopters to deal with any emergency medical situation.All categories of transport services should be increased during the Amarnath Yatra for the convenience of passengers.During the meeting, it was also decided to enable WiFi hotspots to ensure connectivity throughout the 39 km of the Yatra route from Pahalgam in South Kashmir. The other route is through Baltal in central Kashmir where pilgrims treks for nearly 15 km. The yatra, which presents a big security challenge for the government, could not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and was cut short in 2019 just before the abrogation of Article 370. About three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in the pilgrimage, scheduled to begin on June 30 and expected to end on August 11. About 12,000 paramilitary personnel (120 companies) in addition to the Jammu and Kashmir police are expected to be deployed along the two pilgrimage routes, one from Pahalgam and the other via Baltal, officials said. Drone cameras will help the security forces to ensure the protection of the pilgrims. Besides the Amarnath pilgrimage, the meetings also reviewed the security arrangement especially in the wake of several targeted killings, including of Kashmiri Pandits, in Kashmir. There has been a spurt in attacks on non-Muslims and outsiders living in the Kashmir valley since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in August 2019. The security review comes following a spate of killings in the Union territory.On May 12, Rahul Bhat, a government employee, was killed by terrorists inside his office in Budgam district. A day after, police constable Reyaz Ahmad Thokar was shot dead by terrorists at his residence in the Pulwama district. Also last week, four pilgrims were killed and at least 20 injured when the bus they were travelling in caught fire near Katra in Jammu. Police suspect a sticky bomb might have been used to trigger the fire. Bhat's killing triggered protests by members of the Kashmiri Pandit community who staged protests in the Valley demanding enhanced security and transfer of government employees to safer locations.On Sunday, the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a conglomerate of major J-K parties, urged Kashmiri Pandit employees not to leave the Valley as it was their home and it would be painful for all. Top officials of the ministries of health, telecom, road transport, civil aviation and IT took part in the meeting to discuss logistics for the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva at an altitude of 3,888 metres.—PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held three back-to-back meetings with top officials of the security establishment to assess the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including the recent killings of civilians, as well as reviewed arrangements for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra for which the UT administration will provide RFID tags to every pilgrim. 

Amit Shah holds 3 meetings on J-K, including on Amarnath Yatra security

New Delhi: A three-member Pakistani delegation has arrived in India for the annual meeting under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) signed between the two nations in 1960. The two-day meeting is scheduled to get underway on Monday. With new Indus Commissioner of India Ashish Pal heading the Indian side, the meeting comes within three months of the last such meeting held at Islamabad. The 117th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held from March 1-3 in Islamabad. The Indian team was led by P.K. Saxena, the then Indus Commissioner for India.Asked if the issues that the World Bank will be taking up – as raised by both the parties about hydropower projects in UT of Jammu &amp; Kashmir – will be part of the agenda for the meeting, Pal said: “Now those issues are out of the purview of Indus Commissioners. We are meeting to finalise the annual report.”The meeting will also be more of a familiarisation meeting for Pal, who took over as the new Indus Commissioner after Saxena retired on March 31 on his super annuation. As per the provisions of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) 1960 – between India and Pakistan over sharing of the waters of the six rivers of the Indus basin – both the countries are to have Indus Commissioners and the Permanent Indus Commission is to meet at least once every year, alternatively in India and Pakistan. Of the six rivers in the Indus Basin, India has complete rights over three eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, while Pakistan has rights over the western rivers – Chenab, Jhelum and Indus.—IANS

A three-member Pakistani delegation has arrived in India for the annual meeting under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) signed between the two nations in 1960.

Pak Delegation In India For Indus Water Treaty Meeting

New Delhi: The Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, reviewed the overall preparedness to deal with floods in the coming monsoon at a high level meeting in Delhi today. Shri Amit Shah also took stock of the preparations made under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi by NDRF and NDMA in the flood affected areas. He also reviewed the long-term measures to formulate a wide and comprehensive policy to mitigate the flood-related problems of the country. Several decisions were taken in the meeting to minimize the loss of life and property during floods.The Union Home Minister directed officials to continuously strengthen the coordination between the Central and State level agencies by establishing a permanent system to provide detailed prediction up to the local level of flood and water level rise in the major catchment areas of the country. He directed that during the current flood season, the current and forecasted river levels should be monitored every hour and during floods all concerned stakeholders should take appropriate measures like- embankments, evacuations, temporary shelters etc. He directed the NDRF to prepare SOPs with the States for issuing rain early warnings at the local, municipal and state levels in areas with heavy rainfall.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/image001ZFNM.jpg">The Union Home Minister advised specialized institutions like the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and Central Water Commission (CWC) to continue to upgrade their technologies for more accurate weather and flood forecasting. He directed for timely dissemination of warnings about lightning to the public through SMS, TV, FM Radio and other mediums. Shri Shah said that NDRF and SDRF have been asked to make arrangements to convey lightning warnings to District Collectors and Panchayats so that there is minimum loss of life and property. He also directed to give maximum publicity to various mobile apps related to weather forecast like 'UMANG', 'Rain Alarm' and 'Damini' developed by IMD so that their benefits reach the target population. Shri Shah also directed to make 'Damini' app available in all local languages of the country. The 'Damini' app gives a lightning warning three hours in advance which can help in minimizing the loss of life and property. Shri Amit Shah directed the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the CWC to take timely action in advance to further strengthen the institutional arrangements at the State level and at the dam level under the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 to further reduce water level and floods and reduce the loss of life and property. Following the directions given by Shri Amit Shah during the flood review meeting held on June 15, 2021 last year, CWC, IMD and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have started monitoring the water level and flood situation in the rivers and sending the regular reports to Ministry of Home Affairs.Director General of India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Chairman of Central Water Commission (CWC) made presentations in the meeting and informed about the action taken on the directions given by the Union Home Minister in the flood review meeting held last year. He apprised them of improving weather and flood forecasting techniques and flood control measures. Director General of NDRF informed that all necessary preparations have been completed to deal with floods during the coming monsoon. He said that 67 teams of NDRF have been requisitioned by the States and 14 teams have been deployed so far.A large area in India is flood prone with Ganga and Brahmaputra being the main flood basins and Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal being the most flood prone States. The decisions taken in the meeting will go a long way in alleviating and mitigating the sufferings of lakhs of people of the country who have to face the wrath of floods on their crops, property, livelihood and lives.The Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of State for Home Shri Nityanand Rai, Home, Water Resources, River Development and River Rejuvenation; Earth Science; Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Secretaries of the Ministries of Road Transport and Highways; Member Secretary, NDMA, Director Generals of IMD and NDRF; Chairman and other senior officials from ISRO, the Railway Board, NHAI, CWC and concerned Ministries attended the meeting. PIB

The Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, reviewed the overall preparedness to deal with floods in the coming monsoon at a high level meeting in Delhi today.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah holds high-level meeting

New Delhi (The Hawk): In the 75th&nbsp;year of Independence, the country is setting for itself the goals for the next 25 years. While looking forward towards a bright future with full commitment and enthusiasm, it is also time to reflect on the achievements, celebrate them and move ahead to perform better. Towards this objective, Ministry of Women and Child Development is holding a series of Zonal and Sub-Zonal Meetings across the country starting from 4th&nbsp;June 2022.&nbsp;The meetings will be flagged off with the First Sub-Zonal Meeting to be held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh tomorrow i.e.,04.06.2022, which will include participation from the States of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Odisha.The meeting will be chaired by the Minister, WCD, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani.&nbsp;MoS, WCD, Sh Munjpara Mahendrabhai will also grace the occasion. The meeting will be attended by the Members of Parliament and Ministers of Social Welfare / Women and Child Departments of the participating States. Members of State Legislative Assembly from the district of Raipur will also participate in the meeting. Principal Secretaries/ Secretaries in-charge of WCD/SW and other senior officers from States will also attend the meeting. It will also be attended by the heads of Zila Parishad/Panchayat, NCW, SCWs, NCPCR, SCPCRs, and international agencies like the World Bank, UNICEF, UN Women and civil society organizations.With renewed commitment to empower women and children of India, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched three new Missions - Mission Saksham Anganwadi &amp;Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya.&nbsp;Mission Saksham Anganwadi &amp; Poshan 2.0 aims to ensure nutritional sufficiency of women and children, Mission Shakti aims to provide comprehensive solutions for women safety, rehabilitation and empowerment and Mission Vatsalya seeks to ensure comprehensive child welfare and development including child protection.The agenda of the meeting will be to not only celebrate the milestones achieved but also to reflect on the inspiration that can be drawn for continued endeavour and commitment by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to bring women and children to the centre-stage of the discourse of development and empowerment.

 In the 75th year of Independence, the country is setting for itself the goals for the next 25 years. While looking forward towards a bright future with full commitment and enthusiasm, it is also time to reflect on the achievements, celebrate them and move ahead to perform better.

Smriti Zubin Irani to Chair Sub-Zonal Meeting in Raipur June 4

Mumbai: In a show of solidarity ahead of June 10 election for six Rajya Sabha vacancies from Maharashtra, Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with MLAs of the three parties in Mumbai on Tuesday. As leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of the Sena, NCP and Congress held parleys with Independent MLAs and smaller parties to cobble up support, the Sena also decided to shift its legislators to a city hotel to thwart attempts of poaching. “The chief minister said during the meeting that our victory is certain and asked the legislators of the three parties to stay united,” Sena MLA and spokesperson Sunil Prabhu told&nbsp;PTI&nbsp;in the evening. MLAs of smaller parties like the Bachhu Kadu-led Prahar and Independent legislators also attended the meeting, Prabhu added.This was the first such meeting of the MVA MLAs and its leaders after the formation of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in 2019.In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly (which forms the electorate for the Rajya Sabha polls), smaller parties have 16 MLAs, while the number of Independents is 13.With one Assembly seat lying vacant and two NCP MLAs (Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik) in jail, the quota of votes per winning candidate is 41.A total of seven candidates -- three candidates of the BJP, two of the Shiv Sena and one each of NCP and Congress -- are in the fray for six seats, which necessitated election for Rajya Sabha after more than two decades in Maharashtra.The contest for the sixth seat will be between the BJP's Dhananjay Mahadik and Sena's Sanjay Pawar.The BJP has asked its MLAs to come to Mumbai in the next two days.AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said the MVA should contact his party if they need support while the Samajwadi Party has sought Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's clarification on the Shiv Sena's language of Hindutva and the government's secular credentials.All 55 legislators of the Sena have been summoned to Mumbai and they will stay together till the polls on June 10, a Sena leader said."We were at 'The Retreat' (at Madh island in northwest Mumbai) and all our ministers too were present there. That was part of our strategy. We will be moving to hotel Trident (in south Mumbai) today," Sunil Prabhu had said earlier in the day.The Trident is a stone's throw from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly where voting will take place.Senior Shiv Sena leader and minister Anil Parab said talks are being held with all parties, be it the AIMIM and Samajwadi Party, who have extended their support to the MVA government.The AIMIM and the SP each have two MLAs in the House.Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh also met Parab.Shaikh told reporters that the SP has written a letter to CM Thackeray, asking him to clarify the government's secular credentials."The common minimum programme on which the government was formed and the language of Hindutva spoken by the chief minister in his speech...there is so much difference (between CMP and the Hindutva language). So (the CM should) clarify whether the government is secular or if Sena's Hindutva credible or the BJP's," Shaikh said.What has the government done in the last 2.5 years? The minority commission and the Haj Committee have not been formed until now, Shaikh said.When asked whether the Samajwadi Party is with the MVA, Shaikh said, "We are with the MVA, but look at the demands. It is ideological."BJP leader Girish Mahajan on Tuesday met Hitendra Thakur, seeking his support. Thakur's Bahujan Vikas Aghadi has three MLAs and he is known as a supporter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The Sena has fielded Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar while the BJP has nominated Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. The NCP has fielded Praful Patel and Congress nominated Imran Pratapgarhi). Given its strength in the Assembly (106 MLAs), the BJP has enough votes to win two seats, while the Sena, NCP and Congress can win one seat each.The Sena (55), NCP (53) and Congress (44) -- all constituents of the MVA-have enough votes together to ensure the victory for the second candidate of the Sena.—PTI

In a show of solidarity ahead of June 10 election for six Rajya Sabha vacancies from Maharashtra, Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with MLAs of the three parties in Mumbai on Tuesday.

MVA leaders hold meeting to showcase strength before RS poll

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he would within the next few days finalise the date for the "biggest protest in Pakistan's history. We have to go all-in for our campaign for true freedom in the next phase. I will give a date within the next few days," Dawn newspaper quoted Khan as saying. Addressing the PTI's&nbsp;<a href="https://aninews.in/topic/national-council-meeting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: transparent;">National Council meeting</a>&nbsp;in Islamabad, Imran Khan said his party is consulting with its lawyers but called on party workers to be prepared. "It will be the biggest protest in the country's history. This is our right." "I have told all party organisations to be prepared. We are waiting to get the all-clear from the Supreme Court. As soon as that is done, I will give the date," Khan said. Following his ouster from power, Khan has been holding several rallies, reiterating the foreign conspiracy allegations and his rebuke of the "selected government" against the Shehbaz Sharif government.During a recent rally, the beleaguered PTI chief even said Pakistan could "break up into three parts" if the establishment did not take the right decisions. In an opinion piece for Dawn, Pakistan analyst Zahid Hussain said such reckless statements by a former prime minister raise serious concerns about his motives. "He would prefer military intervention to the political process taking its own course. His destructive populist politics is extremely dangerous not only for democracy but also for national security," said Hussain. On Wednesday, Pakistan Defense Minister Khwaja Asif said Wednesday that Imran Khan was attempting to reach out to the establishment to escape a difficult situation. "Imran Khan is confused and bereft of senses as a result of frustration and failure. His rhetoric against the Pakistani army is still resonating in the air, but he is now seeking assistance from the establishment," Asif said during a programme on Geo News.—ANI

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he would within the next few days finalise the date for the "biggest protest in Pakistan's history. We have to go all-in for our campaign for true freedom in the next phase. I will give a date within the next few days," Dawn newspaper quoted Khan as saying.

'Biggest protest in Pakistan's history' within next few days: Imran Khan

New Delhi (The Hawk): The 12th&nbsp;BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting was held in virtual format on yesterday. Smt. Anupriya Patel, MoS for Commerce and Industry represented India. Intervention of the MoS mainly touched upon certain burning and relevant issues requiring attention. During&nbsp;COVID-19 pandemic, digitalization has emerged as the key driver for global economic growth. Recognizing that Digital Economy is central to the promotion of innovation, pursuing entrepreneurial ventures, creation of jobs, efficiency in services and importantly a marketplace for high value technology based products and solutions and the fact that almost half the world’s population does not have access to high-speed broadband and is hence deprived of the access to virtual platforms, tele-medicine, distance education and e-payments the MoS stressed upon making the digital revolution inclusive by creating an environment where nobody is left behind.On supply chains MoS mentioned that the supply chain disruptions,&nbsp;as a result of&nbsp;lockdowns, limited economic activities and economic slowdown has forced manufacturers everywhere to reassess their supply chains. The main point of supply chain resilience is minimizing negative impacts on people's lives and the economy even in the event of supply chain disruptions caused by pandemics, natural disasters, or regional conflicts. In this context, the MOS highlighted the statement made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that Transparent, Trusted Sources and Timeframe is critical for improving global supply chain resilience which is imperative for trade revival.While we are conscious of the climate change and the responsibility we have taken on ourselves through reduction of carbon footprint and preventing further degradation of the environment, we should be mindful that any measure taken to implement these should not be trade restrictive, arbitrary and discriminatory. While acknowledging that trade should become the engine for reviving global growth, the MoS stated that there is no alternative to the rules based multilateral trading system and that strong commitment to the WTO rules is the only way forward. The WTO reforms must strengthen the fundamental principles of the WTO including consensus-based decision making, inclusivity, equitable, non-discrimination, special and differential treatment. For MC12 to be successful, the WTO members need to build trust among each other and repose confidence in the multilateral trading system. The decision on the matter of public stockholding for food security needs to be delivered in order to honor the mandate decided by the Ministers. The MoS emphasized that while we look forward for a fair, balanced and equitable outcome in the Fisheries Subsidy Negotiationsin MC12, the principle of ‘Polluter Pays’ and ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibility’ should be applied. Moreover, it is imperative that the S&amp;DT provisions continue to be relevant for the developing countries. The MoS also emphasized upon the need for flexibility in order to make available vaccines, medicines, therapeutics etc. to world citizens in a timely manner and at affordable cost. In conclusion, the MoS stated that as a human society, today, we occupy a very unique position in history. Our immediate actions will decide the future course of life on our planet, Mother Earth.

The 12th BRICS Trade Ministers Meeting was held in virtual format on yesterday. Smt. Anupriya Patel, MoS for Commerce and Industry represented India. Intervention of the MoS mainly touched upon certain burning and relevant issues requiring attention.

There is no alternative to the rules based multilateral trading system

New Delhi (The Hawk): Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics &amp; Information Technology co-chaired the 14th Joint Committee Meeting from Indian Side to discuss and decide on all important issues related to execution of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project today. Dr. MORI Masafumi, Special Adviser to Prime Minister of Japan co-chaired the meeting from Japanese side.During the meeting, presentation and video film were shown regarding the progress of the project. Further, issues related to funding, contracts and execution were discussed for mutual resolution and targeted commissioning of the project.Joint Committee meeting between Government of India and Government of Japan is the highest consultative body for taking ahead projects of mutual interests and benefits. Japanese Government is committed to fund the MAHSR projects with a soft loan and technical and financial cooperation. The meeting was fruitful and productive and finalized strategic issues for early completion of the project. Both sides agreed to work to Hon’ble PM’s view of One Project- One team in the overall interest of the project.

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology co-chaired the 14th Joint Committee Meeting from Indian Side to discuss and decide on all important issues related to execution of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project today.

Vaishnaw Co-Chairs 14th Jt Committee Meeting On Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired a high level meeting to review the ongoing rescue and relief operation at Amarnath holy cave.Lt Gen A.S. Aujla, GoC 15 Corps and Dilbag Singh, DGP briefed the Lt Governor about the ongoing rescue efforts at the holy cave. GoC said all the agencies involved in the rescue and relief operations are working in excellent coordination and they are well equipped to clear the debris.The Lt Governor said the effort should be made to clear the debris within shortest period of time. The DGP while briefing the Lt Governor about the injured devotees said, majority of the injured have already been discharged and few others being treated at base hospital and Srinagar are likely to be discharged within 24 hours.The Lt Governor said, teams from Army, CAPFs, NDRF and SDRF are on the ground and doing commendable job."I request Yatris to stay put in camps. Administration is providing all facilities for their comfortable stay. We are trying our best to restore the Yatra at the earliest," Lt Governor said.He also directed senior officials, Deputy Commissioners and Camp directors to ensure best possible facilities are provided to the pilgrims staying at camps.Earlier, Lt Governor had visited SKIMS in Srinagar to enquire about the health of injured pilgrims and subsequently went to PCR Srinagar where he was briefed about the status of sending the mortal remains of deceased pilgrims to their respective hometowns.—PTI

 Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired a high level meeting to review the ongoing rescue and relief operation at Amarnath holy cave.

J&K LG Chairs High-Level Meet To Review Rescue & Relief Ops At Holy Cave

Chennai: A total of 16 resolutions were passed in the crucial All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Council meeting held on Monday in which Edappadi K Palaniswami was appointed as the party's interim General Secretary and O Paneer-selvam was expelled for "anti-party" activities.Along with OPS, his supporters - JCD Prabhakar, R Vaithilingam and PH Manoj Pandian were also expelled from the AIADMK. The resolutions were passed after the Madras High Court today dismissed a petition by OPS, who sought to stay the holding of a General Council (GC) meeting. He had contended that only the Coordinator and the Joint Coordinator can convene the GC meeting and that since the newly-appointed Presidium Chairman had done so, the meeting was technically illegal and hence untenable.The party has said that anyone who wants to contest for the post of General Secretary has to be a member of the party for 10 years. The candidature should be proposed by ten district secretaries and seconded by the same number of district secretaries of the AIADMK. Ahead of the GC meeting, supporters of EPS and OPS clashed in front of the party headquarters here.Here are the highlights of the resolutions adopted by the AIADMK during the General Council meeting.* The party passed a resolution to terminate the posts of coordinator and joint-coordinator, officially doing away with the dual leadership structure in the party. Earlier, OPS and EPS held these two posts, respectively.* The party passes a resolution naming EPS as interim general secretary* The post of General Secretary has been revived, for which primary members of the party will vote for in fresh elections that will be held within four months. The post which was held by late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was abolished after her death in the year 2016.* The party passed a resolution creating the post of Deputy General Secretary, who will be selected by the party's General Secretary. Both the General Secretary and the Deputy Secretary will serve a term of five years.* Anyone who wants to contest as General Secretary has to be a member of the party for 10 years. The candidature should be proposed by ten district secretaries and seconded by the same number of district secretaries of the party.* The party adopted a resolution congratulating newly elected members to various internal party posts.&nbsp;Edappadi K Palaniswami&nbsp;AIADMK assures action against Panneerselvam* The party passed a resolution seeking a Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour for E V Ramasamy 'Periyar', MG Ramachandran (MGR) and the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa* The party elected an Interim General secretary in this meeting itself * The party passed a resolution debating the present situation of AIADMK and future development for the party* The party condemned Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for terminating AIADMK's people schemes* Condemning DMK for not controlling raising prices of commodities* Condemning DMK who failed to take care of State law &amp; order* Requesting Centre and state government to put stop to Mekdatu Dam Project* Protecting Srilankan Tamil Rights - requesting state and Central government* Protecting weavers and sorting out their problems&nbsp;Edappadi K Palaniswami&nbsp;AIADMK GC meet: Officials to seal party HQ; Section 144 imposed* Condemning DMK for not doing what they said in the election manifesto* Requesting DMK to solve the issues for teachers and government employees which they promised in the election manifesto.After the demise of Jayalalithaa in 2016, the party has been following a dual-leadership formula with EPS as co-coordinator and OPS as coordinator.The clamour has been growing louder for a single leader in the party since the district secretary meeting on June 14 this year. Meanwhile ahead of today's court's ruling supporters of the EPS and OPS factions clashed on the streets of Chennai. Some people were injured in the clash.—ANI

 A total of 16 resolutions were passed in the crucial All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Council meeting held on Monday in which Edappadi K Palaniswami was appointed as the party's interim General Secretary and O Paneer-selvam was expelled for "anti-party" activities.

16 Resolutions Passed By AIADMK's General Council

Chennai: The AIADMK general council meeting held on Monday, passed a resolution and appointed former Chief Minister K. Palaniswami (EPS) as its interim general secretary. The party general council also moved resolutions to abolish the dual leadership structure in the party which was in effect in the AIADMK since the demise of J. Jayalalithaa but for a brief period, the close aide of the late Chief Minister became the interim general secretary.With the abolition of the posts of coordinator and co-coordinator held respectively by O. Panneerselvam (OPS) and K. Palaniswamy (EPS), the posts of interim general secretary have come back into the functioning of AIADMK.Meanwhile, the party general council adopted a resolution to expel former Chief Minister and former coordinator of the party O. Panneerselvam (OPS), and his close associates R. Vaithyalingam, Manoj Pandian, and JCD Prabhakar from the primary membership of the party. In an immediate reaction, OPS also expelled both Palaniswami and K.P. Munisamy from the party.While EPS having been appointed as the party interim general secretary has all the powers according to the party constitution, OPS will not be in a similar position to expel EPS and the expulsion of OPS and his associates will remain valid.OPS is a leader who has been with the AIADMK in its thick and thin and had stood behind Jayalalithaa like a rock in her time of crisis.The AIADMK headquarters on Monday witnessed clashes between the supporters of OPS and EPS with many injured and the cadres were dispersed with the arrival of the police.—IANS

 The AIADMK general council meeting held on Monday, passed a resolution and appointed former Chief Minister K. Palaniswami (EPS) as its interim general secretary. The party general council also moved resolutions to abolish the dual leadership structure in the party which was in effect in the AIADMK since the demise of J. Jayalalithaa but for a brief period, the close aide of the late Chief Minister became the interim general secretary.

AIADMK: EPS And OPS Expel Each Other From Party

The 16th round China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on 17th July, 2022. Building on the progress made at the last meeting on 11th March, 2022, the two sides continued discussions for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector in a constructive and forward looking manner. They had a frank and in-depth exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. The two sides reaffirmed that the resolution of remaining issues would help in restoration of peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations. In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector. The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

The 16th round China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on 17th July, 2022.

Joint Press Release of the 16th Round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting

Jaipur: An interesting case came to the fore during the public hearing session at the state Congress office when an MLA accused policemen of selling a stolen goat for Rs 2,000, and also shared a proof on this.Looking into the gravity of the situation, state sports minister Ashok Chandna who was attending the public hearing session, said the commissioner has been asked to look into the matter and investigate.In the public hearing of ministers at the Rajasthan Congress headquarters, Congress MLA Vedprakash Solanki made serious allegations against the police and termed it as "nikamma" and "nakara". In fact, he also gave video recordings to Sports Minister Chandna as proof and demanded action against the Kotkhavda Police of Jaipur.MLA Solanki and the villagers gave a memorandum during the public hearing and said that on July 22, a case of goat theft was registered at the Kotkhavda police station. The goat was later found, but it was sold to a person in connivance with the policemen. "There is complete evidence for this. The person with whom the goat was found, clearly said that it was sold by the policemen for Rs 2000", the memorandum said.Solanki said, "The police seem to be touching a new low as now they have started selling goats. Where will our cattle be safe, when the protectors become the eaters? That's why I came with this complaint here. We have even given video evidence of this entire incident."Ever since the Police Commissionerate was formed, all kinds of crimes, including thefts have increased. My demand is to bring the rural police stations out of the commissionerate, so that they can be monitored by the SDM. Incompetent policemen have been engaged in Kotkhavda and Chaksu areas."I have demanded that good policemen should be appointed so that crime can be controlled. The police have no time for the gravel and land mafia."Meanwhile, minister Chandna said the commissioner has been instructed to take action.Chandna was conducting the public hearing when the Chaksu MLA brought the matter of goat theft to the public hearing. "The police commissioner has been asked to investigate the matter at the earliest and take action. Now it will be clear in the investigation whether the goat was stolen by the police or someone else. Strict action will be taken after investigation."It needs to be mentioned here that Solanki comes from the camp of former deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and Chandna is from CM Ashok Gehlot's camp. The CM had once termed Pilot as "nikamma" and "nakara" and now Solanki termed police coming under Gehlot's home department as the same. Gehlot is the home minister besides being the CM. —IANS

An interesting case came to the fore during the public hearing session at the state Congress office when an MLA accused policemen of selling a stolen goat for Rs 2,000, and also shared a proof on this.

 Cong MLA shares video of police 'selling' stolen goat during Raj minister's meeting

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair NITI Aayog’s Governing Council meeting on August 7 and issues related to economy, agriculture and health are expected to be taken up for discussions, according to official sources. The council, the apex body of NITI Aayog, includes all Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers.Modi is the Chairman of NITI Aayog. The official sources on Thursday said the council is expected to discuss issues related to implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), urban governance, health and crop diversification.Besides, issues pertaining to the economy, achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds, pulses and other agri-commodities are expected to come up for discussions, they added.Generally, the full council meeting happens every year and last year, it was held under the chairmanship of Modi on February 20.The council meeting was not convened in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first meeting of the council took place on February 8, 2015.

PM Modi to chair NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on August 7

Lucknow:&nbsp;Samajwadi Party MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav's meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday has led to a huge controversy with former allies of SP demanding an explanation.Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and president of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL), said that Prof Ram Gopal Yadav was taking up the cause of only a select few.Prof Yadav had reportedly met the chief minister to draw his attention to false cases being heaped on the SP leaders and workers, particularly the backwards and Muslims."Why did the SP leaders not take up the issue when cases were being filed against Mohd Azam Khan, Nahid Hasan, Shahzil Islam and other party workers. Fight for justice is only for a select few?" Shivpal Yadav said on Wednesday.In the two-page letter that Prof Ram Gopal Yadav gave to the chief minister, he has mentioned how former SP MLA Rameshwar Yadav, his brothers and their families are 'being targeted by the Etah police' after criminal cases were lodged against them during the recent elections.The letter cites specific instances in detail on how police demolished commercial premises and brick kilns owned by the family and how even the women members were arrested and sent to jail.Deepak Mishra, the chief national spokesperson of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) said, "The problem is not that the SP leadership met the chief minister to seek help to Etah leaders, the problem is that they publicly claimed that they went to draw the Yogi Adityanath's attention towards backwards and Muslims. The letter does not talk of any other backward or Muslim except for one family in Etah."While Azam Khan spent over two years in jail with nearly 100 criminal cases lodged against him and his family, Nahid Hasan was arrested in the midst of 2022 polls despite being a party candidate.A sitting SP MLA Shehzil Islam recently made headlines when police demolished a gas station that he owned, claiming that it was built on encroached land.Meanwhile, some other former allies of SP have also questioned the purpose of the meeting.Arun Rajbhar, national general secretary of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), said, "Is there any deal being worked out? People in the country are scared of the ED and CBI inquiries these days in the country. Hope, the meeting was not meant to get bailed out of any such thing."Keshav Dev Maurya of Mahaan Dal said, "Hope nothing big is cooking up."—IANS

Samajwadi Party MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav's meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday has led to a huge controversy with former allies of SP demanding an explanation.

 Ex-SP allies question Ram Gopal's meeting with Yogi

New Delhi:&nbsp;A meeting of top health experts called by the Centre on Thursday deliberated on the need for revisiting existing guidelines on management of monkeypox amid rising number of cases of the disease in the country.India has so far reported nine cases of monkeypox including one death."It was a technical meeting to revisit the existing guidelines," an official said.The meeting was chaired by Dr L Swasticharan, director of Emergency Medical Relief and attended by officials from the National Aids Control Organisation, National Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation (WHO) representatives.According to existing 'Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease' issued by the Centre, any person having a history of travel to affected countries within the last 21 days presenting with an unexplained acute rash and symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, fever, headaches, body aches and profound weakness is to be considered to be a 'suspected case'.A 'probable case' has to be a person meeting the case definition for a suspected case, clinically compatible illness and has an epidemiological link like face-to-face exposure, including health care workers without appropriate PPE, direct physical contact with skin or skin lesions, including sexual contact, or contact with contaminated material such as clothing, bedding or utensils.A case is considered laboratory confirmed for monkeypox virus by detection of unique sequences of viral DNA either by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or sequencing.Defining contacts, the guidelines stated that a contact is defined as a person who, in the period beginning with the onset of the source case's first symptoms, and ending when all scabs have fallen off, has had one or more of the exposures-- face-to-face exposure, direct physical contact, including sexual contact, contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or bedding --- with a probable or confirmed case of monkey pox.Cases can be prompted to identify contacts across household, workplace, school/nursery, sexual contacts, healthcare, houses of worship, transportation, sports, social gatherings, and any other recalled interactions.Contacts should be monitored at least daily for the onset of signs/symptoms for a period of 21 days from the last contact with a patient or their contaminated material during the infection period. In case of occurrence of fever clinical/lab evaluation is warranted.Asymptomatic contacts should not donate blood, cells, tissue, organs or semen while they are under surveillance.Pre-school children may be excluded from day care, nursery, or other group settings.The ministry guidelines state that human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets generally requiring prolonged close contact.It can also be transmitted through direct contact with body fluids or lesions, and indirect contact with lesion material such as through contaminated clothing or linen of an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch of infected animals or through bushmeat preparation.The incubation period is usually from six to 13 days and the case fatality rate of monkeypox has historically ranged up to 11 per cent in the general population and higher among children. In recent times, the case fatality rate has been around three to six per cent.The symptoms include lesions which usually begin within one to three days from the onset of fever, lasting for around two to four weeks and are often described as painful until the healing phase when they become itchy.The WHO had recently declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern.According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis -- a virus transmitted to humans from animals -- with symptoms similar to smallpox although clinically less severe.Monkeypox typically manifests itself with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications. It is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting for two to four weeks.International passengers have been asked to avoid contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals including rodents like rats and squirrels and non-human primates like monkeys and apes.—PTI

 A meeting of top health experts called by the Centre on Thursday deliberated on the need for revisiting existing guidelines on management of monkeypox amid rising number of cases of the disease in the country

Centre holds meeting with health experts on monkeypox

New Delhi (The Hawk): As India&nbsp;commemorates 75 years of Independence, there is a reinforced need for the states&nbsp;to be agile, resilient and self-reliant and move towards ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in a spirit of cooperative federalism.&nbsp;In the drive towards building a steady, sustainable and inclusive India, the Seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog will be held on 7th&nbsp;August 2022 and will&nbsp;pave the way for synergies towards a new era of collaboration&nbsp;and cooperation between Centre and States/ Union Territories.Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will chair the seventh meeting of the Governing Council at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre, New Delhi.&nbsp;The agenda of the meeting, interalia, includes crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses and agri-communities; implementation of the National Education Policy–school education; implementation of the National Education Policy–higher education; and urban governance.As part of preparations for the meeting, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in Dharamshala in June 2022 which was the culmination of the six month long rigorous exercise by the Centre and States. The conference was chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs, along with senior officials of the Central and State Governments.&nbsp;The 7th Governing Council Meeting will endeavour to finalize a roadmap and outcome oriented action plan on each of the above themes.&nbsp;This would be the first in-person&nbsp;meeting of the Governing Council since July 2019. It is particularly important as we enter Amrit Kaal against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and in light of India hosting the G20 Presidency and summit next year. The meeting would also lay emphasis on the importance of the Presidency for India for the federal system and the role that states can play in highlighting their progress at the G-20 Platform.NITI Aayog’s Governing Council is the premier body tasked with evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies with the active involvement of States and Union Territories.&nbsp;The Governing Council presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues. It comprises the Prime Minister of India; Chief Ministers of all the states and union territories with legislature; Lt Governors of other UTs; Ex-Officio Members; Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Full-Time Members, NITI Aayog; and Union Ministers as Special Invitees.&nbsp;It provides one of the most important forum for deliberations between the Centre and States and identifying key strategies for cohesive action with a whole-of-Government approach.

As India commemorates 75 years of Independence, there is a reinforced need for the states to be agile, resilient and self-reliant and move towards ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in a spirit of cooperative federalism

PM to Chair 7th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog on  August 7

New Delhi:&nbsp;NITI Aayog's seventh Governing Council meeting, which will discuss various issues such as crop diversification, urban development and implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), began here on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing the meeting. This is the first physical meeting of the Council after July 2019. The Council, the apex body of NITI Aayog, includes all chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories and several Union ministers. The prime minister is the Chairman of NITI Aayog. Generally, a full council meeting happens every year. The meeting was not convened in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first meeting of the council took place on February 8, 2015.—PTI

NITI Aayog's seventh Governing Council meeting, which will discuss various issues such as crop diversification, urban development and implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), began here on Sunday

NITI Aayog governing council meeting begins

Patna:&nbsp;Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday skipped the crucial seventh governing council meeting of NITI Aayog.The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and chief ministers of all states were invited.Sources say Nitish Kumar skipped the meeting as he recently recovered from Covid infection.Of late, the gap between BJP and JD(U) seems to be widening. Sources say Nitish Kumar is not happy with the BJP's Prawas programme in 200 Assembly constituencies of Bihar.Sources say that the BJP wanted to give out a message that it will contest all 243 assembly seats in future elections.In reply to it, JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh also said that his party is also preparing for 243 seats.In the past, Nitish Kumar had questioned the parameters on which Niti Aayog evaluated the development works of a particular state. Niti Aayog, in its report, had placed Bihar at the bottom of the development index in the country. This could be another reason for skipping the meeting of the Aayog.—IANS

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday skipped the crucial seventh governing council meeting of NITI Aayog.

 Nitish Kumar skips Niti Aayog's meeting

Aizawl: A ministerial level meeting between Assam and Mizoram was held in Aizawl on Tuesday to evolve strategies for a lasting solution to the inter-state border disputes between the two northeastern states.
The Mizoram delegation was led by Home Minister Lalchamliana, while the Assam deputation was headed by Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora.
After the meeting, Bora told the media that both the states agreed to promote and maintain peace and to prevent any untoward incident along the borders, adding that the deputy commissioners of the bordering districts of Assam and Mizoram would meet at least once in two months.
A joint statement issued after the meeting said: "Both the states agreed that economic activities, including cultivation and farming, which have been practised by the people along the borders of the two states, shall not be disturbed and they would continue regardless of the administrative control presently exercised by either state at such locations, subject to forest regulations and after informing the deputy commissioners concerned."
Bora said the next meeting would be held in Guwahati in October.
At Tuesday's meeting, Mizoram Home Minister was accompanied by state's Information and Public Relations minister Lalruatkima and top officials of the state home department, while the Assam delegation also included Housing and Urban minister Ashok Singhal and three officials, including state border protection and development commissioner and secretary, G.D Tripathy.
The Mizoram and Assam delegations had met in August last year to find a permanent solution to the vexed border issues after a series of clashes in the last two years.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga met over the border issues in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi in November last year and agreed to form committees involving all the stakeholders to resolve the border disputes through talks.
Assam has border disputes with Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
The worst-ever violence along the 164.6 km long Assam-Mizoram border was reported on July 26 last year, which left six Assam Police personnel dead and nearly 100 civilians and security personnel of the two neighbouring states injured.
The decades-old boundary dispute between Mizoram and Assam mainly emerged from two colonial demarcations in 1875 and 1933.
While Mizoram accepted the demarcation under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BERF) notified in 1875, which covers vast stretches of area now falling under Assam, as its actual boundary, the Assam government said that the demarcation made under the 1933 notification was its constitutional boundary. —IANS

A ministerial level meeting between Assam and Mizoram was held in Aizawl on Tuesday to evolve strategies for a lasting solution to the inter-state border disputes between the two northeastern states.

The Hawk

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Amit Shah holds 3 meetings on J-K, including on Amarnath Yatra security

Karan

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Amit Shah holds 3 meetings on J-K, including on Amarnath Yatra security

Karan

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