Sunday, December 28, 2025

Centre spent Rs 3,623 cr on steps to curb burning of crop stubble: Union Minister

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi: The Centre has spent Rs 3,623.45 crore on crop residue management, since 2018, in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh informed in the Lok Sabha.

Punjab has been allocated the highest amount of Rs 1,681.45 crore, followed by Haryana with Rs 1,081.71 crore. Uttar Pradesh was allocated Rs 763.67 crore, NCT of Delhi Rs 6.05 crore, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) got Rs 83.35 crore, according to the figures tabled in the Lower House.

The funds have been used to subsidise crop residue management machinery and set up custom hiring centres (CHCs) to curb stubble burning and promote sustainable practices, the minister told the Lower House.

Over three lakh machines have been distributed, including 4,500 balers and rakes for collecting paddy straw for ex-situ utilisation, he said.

The government has also committed to up to Rs 1.4 crore for pelletisation plants and up to Rs 2.8 crore for torrefaction plants, depending on the plant’s capacity. So far, 17 applications for such plants have been approved, with 15 of them expected to process up to 2.70 lakh tonnes of paddy straw annually, the minister stated.

In 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched a scheme aimed at supporting the purchase of crop residue management machinery and the establishment of CHCs in NCT of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh for in-situ management of paddy straw. In 2023, the Ministry revised the scheme’s guidelines to enhance support for establishing a crop residue/paddy straw supply chain, providing financial assistance for the capital cost of machinery and equipment.

In collaboration with state authorities and with agencies like ISRO, ICAR, and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the government has launched a comprehensive action plan to address the widespread issue of crop residue burning, the minister said.

To manage crop residues directly in the fields, the government has allocated crop residue management (CRM) machinery, essential for effectively handling paddy straw. It has also introduced high-yield, short-duration paddy varieties as substitutes for PUSA-44.

The government has also mandated the use of Super Straw Management Systems (SMS) with combine harvesters, which chop and evenly spread the straw across the fields, eliminating the need for burning. Additionally, the use of bio-decomposers developed by IARI is encouraged to naturally decompose paddy straw, converting it into a valuable fertiliser.

Delhi-NCR air quality deteriorates as AQI nears ‘severe’ levels

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi :  The air quality in Delhi-NCR remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 396, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The worsening pollution levels have escalated health concerns for the region’s residents, with several areas in Delhi witnessing AQI levels above 400, indicating a potential shift to the ‘severe’ category.

Mundka reported the highest AQI at 443, followed by Rohini and Vivek Vihar at 432 each. Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 431, while Jahangirpuri stood at 422. Other severely affected areas included Sonia Vihar at 425, Shadipur at 423, and Punjabi Bagh at 413. Alipur (416), Narela (415), and Ashok Vihar (420) also saw AQI levels firmly in the ‘severe’ range, further highlighting the dire situation.

The neighbouring NCR cities have experienced a slight dip, with Faridabad recording an AQI of 184, Gurugram at 160, and Noida at 257. While these levels are relatively better than those in Delhi, they still pose significant health risks.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, 401-450 ‘severe’, and above 450 ‘severe plus’, as per the CPCB.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to relax restrictions imposed under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), aimed at mitigating air pollution in the region.

Measures include a ban on the entry of trucks, except for those carrying essential goods or using clean fuel such as LNG, CNG, BS-VI diesel, or electric power. Construction activities at public infrastructure projects have also been suspended to curb dust emissions.

The deteriorating air quality has drawn attention to the urgent need for effective and sustained pollution control measures. Residents have been advised to limit outdoor activities and take precautions as the region grapples with hazardous air conditions.

Shiromani Akali Dal seeks elections for Panjab University’s senate

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Chandigarh : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia expressed solidarity with Panjab University student organisations demanding elections for the varsity’s Senate and urged Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to intervene and scrap the false cases registered against students.

The Akali leader, who interacted with student organisations and sat on a sit-in protest in the university, called for convening a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to pass a resolution to demand the holding of elections, besides registering a protest against the allocation of land in Chandigarh to Haryana for building a separate legislative Assembly.

Majithia, who held a copy of the Constitution during his speech on campus, made an appeal for upholding the Constitution as well as the democratic structure of the country.

He also asserted, “I want to remind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that you need to uphold the Constitution in the real sense of the word instead of just pledging loyalty to it. The Constitution came into being to protect the democratic rights of the people they should have the right to elect the Senate.”

Praising the student bodies for rising above party lines to protest against the manner in which the Central government was seeking to do away with democratic bodies of the varsity, Majithia also condemned the police action against students when they tried to proceed to meet Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann when he was visiting the campus recently.

While condemning the Chief Minister for unleashing the police on the students which resulted in the manhandling of girl students in the absence of women constables, he said, “It is also condemnable that students were charged with non-bailable offences.”

Majithia also appealed to all students to come together to save the institution, besides assuring them that the Akali Dal would fight alongside them and would also assist them in their legal battle.

He also appealed to the students to submit an application to the Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police as well as the UT Administrator to protest against the false cases registered against them.

Earlier, Students Organization of India (SOI) president Ranjit Singh Dhillon highlighted how Panjab University was being centralised. He said repeated attempts were being made to finish Punjab’s right to the varsity with an attempt also being made to affiliate colleges in Haryana with the university.

Constitution Day : Kharge calls for renewed commitment to constitutional ideals

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday extended warm wishes to the nation as India marked the 75th year of the adoption of its Constitution.

Constitution Day celebrates the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The Constitution officially came into effect on January 26, 1950.

Declared an observance in 2015, Constitution Day honours the foundational principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity that underpin India’s democracy.

“The 75th year of adoption of the Constitution has begun today. I extend my warmest wishes to all Indians on this historic occasion, ” Kharge wrote on X.

He emphasised that the Constitution, meticulously crafted by the visionaries of the Constituent Assembly, is the “lifeblood of our nation, ” guaranteeing social, economic, and political rights to every citizen.

“It constitutes India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, ” he added.

Kharge reiterated the enduring relevance of the Constitution’s core values, stating, “Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity are not just ideals or ideas, they are the way of life for us — 140 crore Indians.”

He paid tribute to the remarkable efforts of the Constituent Assembly, saying, “Today, we recall the tremendous contribution of the Constituent Assembly and its prolific members. We are forever indebted to their vision and wisdom.”

Highlighting the contributions of key figures, Kharge mentioned, “Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, K.M. Munshi, Sarojini Naidu, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, and several eminent personalities are not just revered national icons for us; they are inspiring personalities who become the torchbearers of hope for generations together.”

He also acknowledged the role of women in shaping the Constitution, stating, “No mention of the Constituent Assembly should be complete without recalling the contribution of the 15 women members who provided equally important inputs for an inclusive India.”

Kharge underscored the participatory nature of the Constitution’s drafting process, noting, “We must also not forget that the Constituent Assembly received uncountable suggestions from ordinary citizens, which are a matter of record.”

Referencing historic milestones in the Assembly’s deliberations, he remarked, “The Objectives Resolution moved by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar’s momentous last speech to the Constituent Assembly form the Magna Carta in protecting the tenets of the Constitution.”

The Congress leader urged all citizens to actively uphold and defend the Constitution, saying, “We, the patriotic citizens of India, now have the onerous task of protecting the ethos of the Constitution. We, the people of India, should therefore come together to protect each and every thought expressed in the Constitution.”

Calling for a renewed commitment to the nation’s foundational values, he concluded, “In the 75th year of adoption, the struggle to defend India’s inherent philosophy must be reinvigorated and reignited, just like the era of the National Movement.”

Hemant Soren meets PM Modi, invites him for swearing-in ceremony

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delh :  Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and extended a formal invitation for the swearing-in ceremony of his government, which is scheduled to take place in Ranchi on November 28.

Hemant Soren was accompanied by his wife Kalpana Soren, the newly elected MLA from the Gandey constituency.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Hemant and Kalpana Soren on their electoral success and shared pictures of the meeting on X.

Earlier, Hemant Soren also met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and party President Mallikarjun Kharge, inviting them to the ceremony.

The swearing-in ceremony is set to take place at Morabadi Ground, Ranchi, on November 28 at 4 p.m. Along with the Chief Minister, several other ministers are expected to take the oath. Hemant Soren was unanimously elected as the leader of the INDIA bloc in the state on Sunday.

JMM spokesperson said that invitations have been sent to various prominent political figures, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, CPI-ML leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, and the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Punjab, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Jammu and Kashmir.

The results of the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly elections, announced on November 23, gave the Hemant Soren-led JMM-Congress-RJD alliance a resounding victory with 56 seats. The JMM won 34, the Congress 16, the RJD 4, and the CPI-ML 2 seats. This marks the first time a government in Jharkhand has secured a two-thirds majority.

Hemant Soren will make history as the first leader to be sworn in as Jharkhand’s Chief Minister four times. He first took oath on July 13, 2013, leading a Congress-RJD-supported government until December 2014.

He returned as CM on December 29, 2019, but had to resign after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31, 2024. After his release on bail, he was sworn in for the third time on July 4, 2024.

Earlier, his father Shibu Soren, and BJP’s Arjun Munda have each served three terms as Jharkhand Chief Minister.

Transformative shift in Indian Agriculture, says PM Modi on NMNF

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the cabinet-approved National Mission on Natural Farming scheme marks a transformative shift in Indian agriculture.

PM Modi in a post on X on Tuesday said, “The National Mission on Natural Farming, which has been approved by the Cabinet, marks a transformative shift in Indian agriculture. Through this effort, we are nurturing soil health, protecting biodiversity, and securing our agricultural future.”

“It reaffirms our commitment to sustainable farming and prosperity for farmers, ” he added.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved the launching of the National Mission on Natural Farming as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 2, 481 crore of which the government of India’s share is Rs 1, 584 crore while the state share is Rs 897 crore, till the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26).

The government of India has launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to promote natural farming in a mission mode across the country under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, according to an official statement issued after the cabinet meeting.

“Rooted in the traditional knowledge inherited from their forefathers, farmers will practise Natural Farming (NF) as chemical-free farming which involves local livestock integrated natural farming methods, diversified crop systems, etc. NF follows local agro-ecological principles rooted in local knowledge, location-specific technologies and is evolved as per the local agro-ecology, ” the statement said.

NMNF aims to promote NF practices for providing safe and nutritious food for all.

The Mission is designed to support farmers in reducing the input cost of cultivation and dependency on externally purchased inputs. Natural farming will maintain healthy soil, promote biodiversity and encourage diverse cropping systems to enhance resilience as suitable to the local agroecology are the benefits of natural farming.

NMNF has been launched to scientifically revive and strengthen agricultural practices towards sustainability, climate resilience, and healthy food for farmer families and consumers.

Congress upbeat as NSUI reclaims DUSU Prez post

By
Priyanka Tanwer
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New Delhi : A day after securing the top position in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, the Congress is seemingly in an upbeat mood and hopes that the upward trend would continue in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly polls.

NSUI broke the seven-year dry spell by winning the President and Joint Secretary seat in the Delhi University election.

Speaking to Tehelka.com, senior Congress leader Jagjivan Sharma said that there is resentment among the youth of the country against the present government.

“We have secured two main positions in this DUSU poll and it is a very good sign for the party that the youth of the country is backing the Congress ideology,” Sharma said.

Speaking on the upcoming assembly poll in Delhi, he said that these youngsters, who have supported us in DUSU elections, are also voters in assembly elections. “The society is always guided by the educated youngsters. It is a very good sign for us and for the upcoming assembly elections,” he added.

The Delhi Assembly polls are due to be held in February 2025. Besides the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress will be in the fray for 70 seats.

NSUI chief Varun Chaudhary promised to fulfill promises made in the manifesto and hoped that the youth of the city would continue their support to the party.  Chaudhary further said that this victory is of students and constitution. “We will work on the manifesto and will bring positive change in Delhi University,” he added.

Rounak Khatri won the presidential position in DUSU election and defeated Rishabh Chaudhary from ABVP by over 1300 votes.

However, despite NSUI winning two key seats, RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured the vice president role and the secretary position.

Bhanu Pratap Singh who was the vice president candidate from ABVP received 24,166 votes and defeated Yash Nandal while NSUI’s Namrata Jeph Meena lost the secretary position to ABVP’s Mitravinda Karanwal who won with 16,703 votes in the elections.

The DUSU results were to be announced on September 28. However, there was a delay due to the Delhi High Court order. The court stalled the declaration of results until the defacement caused during the campaign was cleaned.

21 candidates took part in the student union election for the four central panel posts. Eight were contesting for the post of president, five for vice-president, and four each for the posts of secretary and joint secretary.

The DUSU is the representative body for students from the university’ member colleges, faculties, and teaching departments.

The Notable victory marks a revival of the Congress party’s presence in Delhi’s influential student body after nearly a decade of domination by the ABVP.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, father Dr Farooq Abdullah in Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, father Dr Farooq Abdullah and the other senior leaders of the ruling National Conference (NC) are in Saudi Arabia to perform pilgrimage.

Other NC leaders include Nasir Wani, Javed Dar, Tanvir Sadiq, and Mushtaq Guroo. They are  visiting the two holy cities of Madina and Mecca as part of their spiritual journey.

Upon their arrival in Madina, the leaders visited Masjid-e-Nabawi, the second holiest site in Islam, where they offered prayers, seeking divine guidance, and peace for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Alhamdulillah, we have arrived in the blessed city of Madina. Prayed at Masjid-e-Nabawi, seeking guidance, mercy, and peace for all,” senior National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq posted on Twitter.

Earlier Omar had also taken to Twitter to announce his pilgrimage, his first since taking over as the J&K chief minister. Earlier, in January also, Omar along with Dr Farooq Abdullah had performed Umrah. 

Jailed MP Engineer Rashid moves court, seeks interim bail to attend Parliament

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Jammu and Kashmir MP Engineer Rashid on Monday moved a Delhi court, seeking interim bail in a terror-funding case to attend the Parliament session.

After Rashid urged Principal District and Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav to grant him the reprieve, the court asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a response by November 27.

Engineer Rashid, appearing virtually in court from Tihar Jail, said, “I have been elected by my people. I was not allowed to attend the last session. With folded hands, I request that I may be granted interim bail.”

During the proceedings, the counsel for Rashid and the NIA jointly sought the matter to remain in the court and not transfer it to another court. The court would further hear both sides on November 27.

Fresh snowfall In upper reaches of Gurez valley in North Kashmir

By
Tehelka WebDesk
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A fresh light snowfall was reported in the upper reaches of Kilshay Tulail in the scenic Gurez Valley, located in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, officials said on Monday.

With more snow anticipated, local authorities are advising caution for those traveling in and around the area.

There were reports that a fresh weak Western Disturbance is set to impact Jammu and Kashmir from today. Under its influence, light rain/snow is expected in some parts of the Union Territory, continuing until the early morning of November 12.

The impact of the Western Disturbance will be mostly seen over the higher reaches of North Kashmir, Pir Panjal Range, and higher reaches of Bandipora and Ganderbal districts.

Another Western Disturbance, but weaker, is going to impact the UT between November 14 & 16. Generally, light snowfall is expected over a few higher reaches of Kashmir Valley.

Day temperatures are expected to fall by 2 – 6°C. A significant dip in night temperatures will be observed from November 17 onwards. 

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