New Delhi : India on Tuesday sent to Turkiye relief materials, a mobile hospital and specialised search and rescue teams in two C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft to help the country in the wake of the devastating earthquake and multiple aftershocks that killed over 4,000 people.
Two more flights are expected to carry more relief items, including medical supplies, soon to Turkiye while another one is set to be sent to Syria which was also hit by the earthquake on Monday, people familiar with the matter said. Several countries around the world have extended help to both countries in their rescue and recovery efforts.
Amritsar : Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed grief over the loss of lives and property due to earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and offered assistance from Sikh body, SGPC.
Dhami expressed solidarity and condolences after writing letters to Firat Sunel, Ambassador of Turkey in India; Dr Virander Paul, Ambassador of India in Turkey; Bassam Siefeddin Alkhatib, Ambassador of Syria in India; and Surender Kumar Yadav, Chargé d’affaires of Indian Embassy in Syria.
SGPC President wrote that in Sikh faith ‘Vand Chhakna’ (sharing) and ‘Sarbat Da Bhala’ (Welfare of All), are important principles taught by Sikh Gurus (masters) and in light of the same, the Sikh body offer humanitarian aid to the earthquake affected areas of Turkey and Syria. He said the SGPC works in light of Sikh principles to help those in need.
He said that the SGPC has always been active to serve humanity during natural calamities and has been providing clothes, ration, food and other necessary items as assistance to the needy as per the requirement.
He said the Sikh body is extremely pained to learn about the loss of lives and damage to property from devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. He said that he shares the suffering of the people at such a time and appeals to the concerned ambassadors and governments to coordinate with the SGPC, by offering humanitarian aid from the Sikh body to the affected people.
Amritsar : Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the current political stability and quick decision-making mechanism, along with out-of-box ideas, will soon make Punjab a front running industrial state in the country.
Interacting with industrialists here during the run-up for progressive Punjab Investment Summit scheduled to be held on February 23-24 in Mohali, he said Punjabis are born to be number one as they have traits of hard work and dedication in their blood.
Mann said due to this spirit, the Punjabis have always excelled in every sphere, adding the entrepreneurs from the state have carved a niche for themselves across the globe.
The day is not far when Punjab will be on the high growth trajectory of industrial growth, he added.
Announcing a major boost to the tourism industry across the state by harnessing the immense potential of this sector, the Chief Minister said the state is blessed with several natural resources which can be developed into international tourist points.
The government is coming up with a concrete proposal for developing Ranjit Sagar Dam, Chohal Dam, Nurpur Bedi, and others into tourist destinations. Mann said these tourist spots have huge potential to put the state on the roadmap of international tourism.
The Chief Minister said the holy city of Amritsar will be further developed into a hub of religious and patriotic tourism. No stone will be left for this noble cause and every effort will be made for the promotion of the tourism sector.
He assured the local industrialists that while promoting the tourism sector, preference will be given to the local industry. Rather than inviting the big players from within the country and abroad, priority will be given to the local industrialists for developing these tourism spots, he said.
Mann said this will allow the local industrialists to flex their muscles in the sector and emerge Punjab as a hub of tourism.
The Chief Minister also said the government is also planning to boost the agro-industry in a big way.
He said Punjab produces 80 per cent of the total Basmati produced in the country, adding this production will be further enhanced in the coming days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 on Monday. Participants from different countries gathered to discuss the most pressing issues in the energy market.
Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin also visited IEW 2023 and participated in a ministerial session. The topics discussed at the session were price and supply volatility, and energy cooperation between Russia and India.
According to the IMF’s recent estimates, India and its neighbours will account for half of global economic growth this year. In contrast, the contribution of the US and the Eurozone will amount to only 10 per cent. India’s “enlightened national interest” principles are highly respected.
Based on these principles, the government implements an independent, pressure-free economic policy in harmony with its partners. Cooperation opens up new horizons.
India, as the world’s most populous nation, has become a leader in global economic dynamics, demonstrating rapid improvements in the lives of its people. It is a big country with a young, ambitious population, where dynamics are of the utmost importance.
New Delhi : Passengers on a low-floor DTC bus had a close shave after the vehicle suddenly caught fire in Kanjhawala area on Delhi’s outskirts on Monday afternoon, officials said.
According to information, the bus was of route number 106, plying between Old Delhi Railway Station and Qutubgarh.
The Fire Department said that they got a call of the incident at around 2 p.m..
“We got a call that a low floor DTC bus caught fire near Ladpur village in Kanjhawala area. A tender was sent but by then the fire had been extinguished, ” a fire official said.
A local police team also reached the spot.
The cause of the fire is not yet known but a short circuit is said to be the reason. No one was hurt in the incident.
Gulmarg will host the third edition of the Khelo India Winter Games. The big sporting event is set to begin on February 10, and is projected to draw over 1500 participants.
Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, and Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of J&K, recently inaugurated the 3rd Khelo India National Winter Games Anthem, Mascot, and Jersey.
They termed Gulmarg a “Sports City,” saying the resort would be able to welcome the largest number of 1500 players from across the country.
The first “Khelo India Winter Games” were held in February and March 2020 at Leh and Gulmarg. The inaugural event in India was held to promote winter sports such as skiing, Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snow rugby, ice stock sport, snow baseball, climbing, snowshoe running, ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2021 virtually inaugurated the second edition of the “Khelo India Winter Games” held at Gulmarg.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday got five new judges. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud administered the oath of office to Justices Pankaj Mithal, Sanjay Karol, P.V. Sanjay Kumar, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Manoj Misra as judges of the Supreme Court.
With this, the number of the apex court judges rose to 32 as against the sanctioned strength of 34 judges. The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judges, lawyers, and family members of the new judges.
Amid the long-drawn tussle between the Centre and the judiciary over the appointment of judges, the Centre on Saturday cleared the names of five judges for appointment to the Supreme Court.
Recently, constitutional functionaries, including Law Minister Kiren Rijiju , have questioned the collegium system for the appointment of judges, which was seen as the government’s bid to have a larger say in the appointment of judges.
On Friday, the Attorney General R. Venkataramani had informed a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S. Oka that the names of the five judges will be cleared very soon.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court had warned the Centre on the delay in clearing the transfer of high court judges recommended by the apex court collegium, saying it may result in both administrative and judicial actions which may not be palatable. The bench said, “Don’t make us take a stand which will be very uncomfortable…” and further added that if transfer of judges is kept pending then it is a serious issue.
On December 13, 2022, the six-member collegium had recommended Justice Mithal, Chief Justice, Rajasthan High Court (parent high court: Allahabad); Justice Karol, Chief Justice, Patna High Court (PHC: Himachal Pradesh); Justice Kumar, Chief Justice, Manipur High Court (PHC: Telangana); Justice Amanullah, judge, Patna High Court; and, Justice Misra, judge, Allahabad High Court.
On January 31, the collegium also recommended for the elevation of Justice Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court and Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court as judges of the top court. These recommendations are still pending with the central government.
New Delhi: Leaders of 16 opposition parties met here on Monday morning to coordinate their joint strategy in the House on the Adani issue and held a protest in Parliament premises demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter.
Among the parties that participated in the meeting held in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were the Congress, DMK, NCP, BRS, JDU, SP, CPM, CPI, JMM, RLD, RSP, AAP, IUML, RJD and Shiv Sena. Trinamool Congress members skipped the meeting of opposition leaders but joined the protests by opposition leaders outside Gandhi statue in Parliament complex.
Nanded: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday demanded Adani Group’s “scam” be discussed in a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) as he targeted the Centre over the import of coal and its “love” for Adani.
He claimed the Centre is pressuring Life Insurance Corporation to make a false statement over its exposure in the Adani Group.
The Indian banking system is involved in this problem and the whole country is worried, he alleged.
New Delhi: Pakistan’s former military dictator and President Pervez Musharraf, who passed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, had an old connection with Delhi where he was born in 1943.
The former Pakistani ruler was born at Neharwali Haveli, which is located in Pratap Gali in Gol Market in old Delhi’s Daryaganj area, and spent the initial four years of his life here before his family moved to Pakistan after Partition.
It was bought by Musharraf’s grandfather, Qazi Mohtashimuddin, a government official in Punjab following his retirement from service. Musharraf’s father Syed Musharrafuddin, who graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, moved to Pakistan and got a job in the Foreign Ministry while his mother became a teacher in Pakistan.
The Haveli, which has changed from its original structure, currently has over 15 families currently staying in it, including some of Musharraf’s relatives, who chose to stay in India.
A part of the Haveli forms part of Daryaganj’s famous Golcha cinema. People say that the original mansion was built on top of a huge complex spread over Kucha Sadullah Khan in the congested Faiz Bazar area. This four-storey complex, built in the Mughal architecture style was spread over 700 square yards.
The Haveli has now been converted into a residential complex that includes shops, houses, and commercial premises. In 2005, Musharraf’s mother Zarin also paid a visit to their ancestral house along with her son Javed and Musharraf’s son Bilal.
