New Delhi: Sikkim Chief Minister P. S. Tamang met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament House in the national capital on Monday and discussed key issues related to the state including the demand for tribal status by some communities.
Tamang thanked PM Modi for the Centre’s support in the early relief attempts following the flash floods in Sikkim.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed several important issues, including the demands for tribal status for 12 indigenous communities, the Limboo-Tamang seat reservation in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, and the visit of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorji to Sikkim.
The Chief Minister also briefed PM Modi on the initiative to build a multimodal corridor with an integrated check-post between Sikkim and eastern Nepal at Chewa Bhanjyang.
Additionally, he presented the Post Disaster Need Assessment report, estimating Rs 3673.25 crore for recovery and reconstruction, emphasising the need for continued support.
Meanwhile, being a strategically important route, the Chief Minister also requested a permanent solution to frequent landslides on NH-10 which is causing recurrent disruptions of connectivity.
Taking to his social media handle, the Sikkim Chief Minister wrote: “I also sought urgent intervention to restore NH-310A, which connects Gangtok to the Indo-China border, following recent cloudbursts in North Sikkim. I also proposed the development of a Himalayan Railway Line between Bakrakote in West Bengal and Rorathang in Sikkim, presenting historical correspondence from 1917 to support this initiative.”
The meeting was also attended by Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba and RS MP D.T. Lepcha.
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s decision to strike down the award of 5 per cent additional marks in the Common Eligibility Test (CET) under the garb of socio-economic criteria.
A vacation bench, headed by Justice Abhay S. Oka, refused to entertain a batch of special leave petitions filed by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and state government assailing the validity of the high court’s May 31 judgement.
Dismissing the pleas, the Bench, also comprising Justice Rajesh Bindal, said that it found absolutely no error in the impugned judgment of the high court.
In its decision, the Punjab & Haryana High Court said that once reservations have already been provided statutorily under the EWS category, as well as on account of social backwardness by providing reservation for Backward Class, further granting benefits under socio-economic criteria would lead to breach of 50 per cent ceiling limit imposed by the Supreme Court and recognised by the Constitution framers.
It added that the socio-economic criteria introduced by the Human Resources Department of the Haryana government was clearly an act of arbitrariness and discrimination created by similarly situated persons and no person ought to be given benefits. The writ petitions filed before the Punjab & Haryana High Court contended that the grant of 5 per cent bonus marks provided on different accounts was wholly violative of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution and created an artificial classification amongst equals on the basis of residence, family, income, place of birth and the status in the society.
It added that before laying down the socio-economic criteria, neither quantifiable data was collected nor any extensive study was conducted.
New Delhi: Sikkim Chief Minister P. S. Tamang met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament House in the national capital on Monday and discussed key issues related to the state including the demand for tribal status by some communities.
Tamang thanked PM Modi for the Centre’s support in the early relief attempts following the flash floods in Sikkim.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed several important issues, including the demands for tribal status for 12 indigenous communities, the Limboo-Tamang seat reservation in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, and the visit of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorji to Sikkim.
The Chief Minister also briefed PM Modi on the initiative to build a multimodal corridor with an integrated check-post between Sikkim and eastern Nepal at Chewa Bhanjyang.
Additionally, he presented the Post Disaster Need Assessment report, estimating Rs 3673.25 crore for recovery and reconstruction, emphasising the need for continued support.
Meanwhile, being a strategically important route, the Chief Minister also requested a permanent solution to frequent landslides on NH-10 which is causing recurrent disruptions of connectivity.
Taking to his social media handle, the Sikkim Chief Minister wrote: “I also sought urgent intervention to restore NH-310A, which connects Gangtok to the Indo-China border, following recent cloudbursts in North Sikkim. I also proposed the development of a Himalayan Railway Line between Bakrakote in West Bengal and Rorathang in Sikkim, presenting historical correspondence from 1917 to support this initiative.”
The meeting was also attended by Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba and RS MP D.T. Lepcha.
The Election Commission (EC) has started preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. This process includes updating the electoral rolls in these regions, with July 1, 2024, set as the qualifying date for voter registration.
The legislative terms of the current Assemblies end on November 3 in Haryana, November 26 in Maharashtra, and January 5, 2025, in Jharkhand. Therefore, elections must be held before these dates.
For Jammu and Kashmir, this will be the first Assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370 and the region’s reorganization into two union territories. The Supreme Court had previously mandated the EC to conduct these polls by September 30, 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during his Yoga day visit to the UT that Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be held soon, with plans to restore statehood to the region. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar noted the significant voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections as a positive indicator for the forthcoming Assembly polls.
The EC will start pre-update activities on June 25 to ensure polling stations are conveniently located, particularly in group housing societies, slums, city outgrowths, and rural areas. The final electoral rolls will be published on August 20, 2024.
Srinagar: The decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold the 10th International Day of Yoga in J&K’s Srinagar city is both symbolic and assertive.
PM Modi chose to join the Yoga participants in Srinagar in the aftermath of a series of terror attacks in the Jammu division, including the one on innocent pilgrims in the Reasi district.
Nine pilgrims were killed and 44 injured in the Reasi terror attack on June 9 when terrorists first killed the driver of the bus and then kept firing at the overturned bus for 20 minutes to ensure that no pilgrim survived the cowardly attack.
The terror attack in Reasi and Kathua district followed the large participation of the people especially from the Valley in the Lok Sabha polls.
As the PM said the terror attacks were ‘the last ditch efforts of the enemies of Kashmir’s progress, India would teach them a befitting lesson’.
PM Modi chose Srinagar as the venue for the Yoga Day celebrations because he knew that the focus of the world would be on this event.
Yoga has caught the imagination of the world in such a large manner that has perhaps not been matched by any other event before.
A total of 177 countries at the UN supported the Indian resolution on Yoga which was passed in a record time of 90 days. Never before in the history of the UN has any other resolution been passed in such a record time.
It was under this backdrop that PM Modi decided to have the world’s attention focused on Kashmir by his presence in Srinagar.
Undeterred by the terror attacks, PM Modi made the big announcement that preparations for the Assembly elections are already underway and that the people of J&K would soon have an Assembly of elected representatives.
He also assured restoration of statehood to the UT saying that J&K would soon touch new heights of progress and prosperity with its statehood back.
This was a clear and loud message to the enemies of democracy in J&K. The country is determined to restore complete democracy in J&K and return political power to the elected members of the Legislative Assembly.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already issued the primary notification asking the political parties to apply for election symbols.
In all likelihood, Assembly elections would be held in J&K before the deadline of September 30 set by the Supreme Court.
PM Modi also spoke about the security situation when he said that the Centre is determined to eradicate terrorism at all costs from the soil of J&K.
He referred to two security review meetings taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard.
The detractors of PM Modi have been blaming him for denying the people of Kashmir a truly representative local government.
PM’s speech, which was watched by the World as he spoke from the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) by the banks of the Dal Lake, has put a full stop to his detractors.
The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019, by Parliament removed the last barrier between J&K and the rest of the country.
PM Modi’s assurance of early Assembly elections and restoration of statehood would serve two national objectives — the promise of complete integration of J&K with the country and an equal share of democracy, progress and prosperity for the people here who have seen over 30 years of worst violence and uncertainty.
Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu & Kashmir’ programme, in Srinagar, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (PTI Photo/S Irfan)(PTI03_07_2024_000192A)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Srinagar, for a two-day trip starting today. The visit involves the inauguration of multiple development projects and participation in the International Yoga Day event.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have implemented a multi-tier security system in Srinagar, with IGP Kashmir Zone Vidhi Kumar Birdi confirming high-alert security arrangements.
Srinagar police declared the city a ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for drone operations, warning that unauthorized drone activities will face penalties as per Drone Rules, 2021.
PM Modi will participate in the ‘Empowering Youth, Transforming J&K’ event at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) today at 6 PM. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects, including the Competitiveness Improvement in Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP). The Prime Minister will launch 84 major projects worth over Rs. 1,500 crore, covering road infrastructure, water supply schemes, and higher education infrastructure.
Projects like the Chenani-Patnitop-Nashri Section improvement, development of Industrial Estates, and construction of six Government Degree Colleges will also see foundation stones laid. The PM will introduce the Rs 1,800 crore JKCIP Project aimed at enhancing competitiveness in agriculture and allied sectors. This project will be implemented in 90 Blocks across 20 districts, benefiting 300,000 households and covering 1.5 million beneficiaries.
On June 21, PM Modi will attend the International Day of Yoga event at SKICC, address the gathering, and join the CYP Yoga session. The SKICC event, located along the scenic Boulevard road, is expected to attract 3,000 to 4,000 attendees. This year’s Yoga Day theme, ‘Yoga for Self and Society,’ emphasizes yoga’s benefits for individual and societal well-being.
The Border Security Force (BSF) said on Thursday that in extensive search operations based on specific inputs, two China-made Pakistani drones were recovered in Punjab.
In the first incident, BSF troops recovered a drone from Rattankhurd village in Amritsar district. In the second incident, troops and Punjab Police recovered a drone from Dal village in Taran Taran district.
Both drones are Chinese-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic models.
The reliable information and swift action of BSF troops thwarted yet another attempt at drone intrusion in Punjab from across the border, said the BSF.
The BSF, responsible for safeguarding the 553-km long varied, tough and challenging India-Pakistan border in Punjab, said that in 2023 it detected and shot down 107 drones and seized 442.395 kg of heroin.
Last year, the BSF troopers of the Punjab Frontier handed over 12 Pakistani nationals, who had inadvertently crossed the International Border, to Pakistan Rangers.
Braving innumerable challenges, including inclement weather conditions and the spate of smuggling, BSF men are guarding borders around the clock with unflinching dedication.
New Delhi: Delhi Water Minister, Atishi Marlena, on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the water crisis in the national Capital and threatened to sit on an indefinite fast if Delhi doesn’t start getting “its share of water” by June 21.
Atishi claimed that the national Capital has been grappling with a water shortage and Haryana remains one of the major “culprits” in aggravating this crisis.
In the letter, she said that Delhi was being denied its share of water despite clear directions from the court.
Atishi said that she was unable to bear the pain and sufferings of Delhiites and would be forced to launch a ‘satyagraha’ and sit on an indefinite fast if no solution emerges in the next two days.
She also sought intervention by PM Modi to defuse the situation.
“I request you with folded hands to intervene in the matter and ensure that Haryana administration releases Delhi’s share of water, ” she wrote.
Holding the Haryana government responsible for leaving 28 lakh Delhiites without water, she said that never before had the city seen such a deep water deficit.
“On June 18, Haryana released 513 MGD water to Delhi as against the standard supply of 613 MGD. Decrease in water supply by about 100 MGD has impacted lives of at least 28 lakh city residents, ” she wrote in the letter.
She also said that AAP legislators went to meet the ministers concerned at the Centre and also approached top officials of the Haryana government for the release of the remaining 100 MGD of water to Delhi but nothing happened.
In the letter to PM Modi, she also urged the Haryana government to release 100 MGD water on humanitarian grounds.
New Delhi : The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) today demanded disbanding of the National Testing Agency which is responsible for conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical courses across the country.
The NSUI also announced to ‘gherao’ the parliament on June 24, the first day of the eighteenth Lok Sabha.
Addressing media persons at the AICC headquarters , the NSUI president Varun Choudhary also demanded that the NEET should be re-conducted afresh as every day new reports were emerging and confirming that papers had been leaked.
He reiterated the demand for a high level probe under some sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.
The NSUI president alleged that the way union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was trying to defend the NTA raises doubts that he might also be involved with the entire issue.
He alleged that Pradhan was defending the NTA and also trying to bide the time. He disclosed that when the NSUI activists staged a demonstration in Delhi and wanted to meet him, some of them were slapped with an FIR.
Quoting the instances of police action in the BJP ruled Gujarat and the NDA ruled Bihar, he pointed out, the action was not taken by any Congress ruled states. He said, if there is no paper leak why have officials been arrested in Gujarat and Bihar.
He also quoted recent revelations made by some students who admitted that they had been provided the question papers hours in advance.
Chaudhary said, even blank cheques and cash had also been seized, which leaves hardly any doubt that the question papers were leaked, thus making it necessary that the NEET must be conducted again.
He said, the confidence of students has been shaken by the NEET paper leak scam and necessary measures must be taken to restore their confidence.
He wondered why the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was observing silence and why he was not speaking about it the way he speaks ahead of exams, by holding, ‘pariksha pe charcha’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, for two days starting June 20, 2024. This marks his first visit to the state after the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
The visit is in connection with the International Day of Yoga, which is observed on June 21. The main Yoga event this year will be held in Srinagar, and PM Modi will be participating in it.
In preparation for his visit, Srinagar has been declared a ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for drone and quadcopter operations, according to an order issued by Srinagar police on June 18. Unauthorized drone activities in the area will be penalized under the Drone Rules, 2021. The theme for this year’s International Day of Yoga is “Yoga for Self and Society,” encouraging individuals and communities to incorporate Yoga into their daily lives. Various Yoga events will also be organized across all district headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir.
