Two more infants rescued from a fire that ripped through the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College and Hospital have died in Jhansi, taking the total toll in the blaze to 17, a senior official said on Sunday. Thirty-nine newborns were rescued from a devastating fire in the medical college hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit on the night of November 15. Dr Narendra Singh Sengar, the medical college’s principal, said that of the 39 infants rescued, two more died on Saturday. While 10 babies died on the night of the fire, the remainder succumbed to their “illnesses”, he said. A post-mortem of the two bodies was done on Saturday and the cause of death was confirmed as “illness” in both cases. The bodies have been handed over to the family members. Meanwhile, Congress sources said on Sunday that the party’s state chief Ajay Rai and Barabanki MP Tanuj Punia would travel to Jhansi and visit the medical college. They will also meet the families whose babies died in the fire. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 November,2024 07:40 AM IST | Jhansi (UP) | AgenciesIn the wake of violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, the Congress on Sunday alleged that the Yogi Adityanath administration is squarely responsible for killing innocents and only the BJP-RSS is guilty of "setting fire" to the peace and harmony there. The opposition party said the videos of direct firing on the protesters in Sambhal depict the horrifying result of a "well-planned conspiracy" by Adityanath and the BJP-RSS. Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said Adityanath's administration has once again shown a blatant disregard for communal harmony. "In this entire matter, the BJP neither wanted the survey to proceed nor to stop it; its sole objective was to destroy harmony," he alleged. Three people were killed and scores of others, including around 20 security personnel, were injured as the protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque Sambhal clashed with police on Sunday. "No citizen in Uttar Pradesh is 'safe' under CM Adityanath, who gave the reprehensible slogan of 'Batenge toh Katenge'. This is evident by the highly deplorable incidents of Sambhal today," Khera said in a statement. The videos of direct firing on the protesters in Sambhal depict the horrifying result of a "well-planned conspiracy" by Adityanath and the BJP-RSS, he alleged. Western Uttar Pradesh, which has been a symbol of goodwill and harmony for years, has today witnessed three people killed and many injured under a "well-planned conspiracy", the Congress leader said. "We say with full responsibility that the Adityanath administration is squarely responsible for killing innocents and only the BJP-RSS is guilty of setting fire to the peace and harmony of Sambhal. Modi-Yogi 'double assault' governments, which consider the minority community as second-class citizens, hurriedly got a petition filed in court," Khera said. It is public knowledge that the court ordered an immediate survey without hearing the other side, he said. "No action was taken against the rioters who accompanied the survey team. This makes it clear that after the by-elections in the state, the Yogi government has further intensified the politics of violence and hatred," he added. The Congress leader said that questions are being raised about the role of the police and the administration because many innocent people have lost their lives in this violence and more than two dozen people have been injured. "Inciting communal hatred and driving a wedge between two communities - is the DNA of BJP-RSS!" Khera said. "On one hand, there is an empty slogan of 'Ek Hai Toh Safe Hain' - on the other hand, they divide communities! On one hand, there is lie of 'Sabka Saath- Sabka Vishwas' that has been going on for a decade, on the other hand, the minority community is constantly being targeted in Uttar Pradesh," he added. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is destroying communal harmony and brotherhood for political gains, which is highly condemnable and objectionable, Khera said. "We appeal to the BJP to prioritize the nation's interests over their political ambitions," he added. "We want to ask Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Adityanath whether they will follow the statement of their own Mohan Bhagwat ji in June 2022 (even if it is pretentious!) in which he said that 'History is something that we cannot change. Neither today's Hindus nor today's Muslims made it, it happened at that time.... Why see Shivling in every mosque?.... Now we do not have to do any agitation..?'" Khera said. "Neither Modi ji, nor Chief Minister Adityanath nor Mohan Bhagwat ji have the answer to this!" he added. Khera said Rahul Gandhi has been continuously and stridently talked about 'Nafrat Ke Bazaar Mein Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' and in such a situation, an appeal is made to the people of Sambhal to recognise the politics of hatred, maintain mutual unity, amity and harmony, and take steps to protect their rights in a legal manner. Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said the protesters torched vehicles and pelted stones at the police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob. "Shots were fired by the miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the police circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence," he said. Singh said that a constable also suffered a serious head injury, while the deputy collector fractured his leg. Internet services have been suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday on November 25 for all students up to Class 12. Purported images shared on social media showed the protesters pelting stones at cops from atop buildings and in front of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Later, the police personnel were purportedly seen cornering and hitting people as they tried to disperse a large crowd in a narrow alleyway. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 10:33 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThree people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, the police said, adding that they suspect the driver was allegedly misled after a GPS navigation error led to taking the unsafe route, reported the PTI. The fatal accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road in Uttar Pradesh. The primary investigations revealed that the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said. "Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had allegedly not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said, as per the PTI. According to the news agency, the driver was allegedly using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said. There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said. Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added. The circle officer said that the bodies had been sent for post-mortem and further investigation into the matter is underway. Uttar Pradesh: Car rams into stationary tractor in Raebareli; 3 killed, 8 injured Meanwhile in an another incident, at least three persons were killed, and eight others injured when an SUV rammed into a tractor-trolley parked on the road near a village on Saturday evening, police said, according to the PTI. Police reached the spot in Sultanpur village and took the injured to a community health centre where they were given first-aid. Those with serious injuries in the accident were taken to the district hospital and later to a trauma centre in Lucknow, SHO of Bachhrawan police station Om Prakash Tiwari said. Dhunnilal (40), Nirmala (40) and Ramesh (48), all residents of Rae Bareli district, died in the accident. All the deceased and the injured were in the car, according to the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
24 November,2024 09:42 PM IST | Bareilly (UP) | mid-day online correspondentThe Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that the Ladki Bahin scheme, women's participation in voting in large numbers, and religious polarisation may have played a role in Mahayuti's victory in Maharashtra assembly election 2024, reported the PTI. Sharad Pawar said that the Maharashtra election result 2024, declared on Saturday, are not on the expected lines but he would revitalise the party. Responding to a query on his retirement from active politics, Sharad Pawar tersely said he and his party colleagues will decide. Speaking to reporters in Karad city in Satara district, Sharad Pawar acknowledged that the NCP led by his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar secured more seats than the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), adding "Everyone knows who founded the NCP," according to the PTI. "The Ladki Bahin scheme and religious polarisation played a role. Women's participation in large numbers could be the reason for the Mahayuti sweep in Maharashtra. We will study the reasons for the debacle and take necessary steps," he said. Sharad Pawar asserted that the NCP (SP) would go to people by re-energising the new leadership. Responding to a query on EVMs, a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed doubts over the massive verdict in Mahayuti's favour, Pawar said he would speak about EVMs only if he has official data, as per the PTI. Sharad Pawar suffered the worst-ever defeat in his political career in Maharashtra polls with the NCP faction led by him winning only 10 seats in the 288-member House, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP bagged 41. The Mahayuti scored a massive victory with the BJP winning 132 seats, Shiv Sena led by Shinde 57, and NCP 41. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was restricted to 46 seats. Pawar said the poll outcome he had witnessed in his public life was unprecedented. "The MVA coalition put in a lot of hard work but the desired results were not achieved even though people responded positively to MVA during campaigning," the NCP (SP) chief added, the news agency reported on Sunday. Pawar said that the MVA was more confident after achieving success in Lok Sabha elections, adding that more work needs to be done. When asked if he was jolted by the poll outcome, Pawar said, "The poll results were declared yesterday. Today I am in Karad. Those who were demoralised would have sat at home". He also said fielding his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar against Ajit Pawar on the home turf of Baramati wasn't a wrong decision as someone had to contest the elections. Ajit Pawar defeated Yugendra by a margin of over 1 lakh votes to win the eighth term in Baramati. "Ajit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar cannot be compared. We were aware of this fact," Sharad Pawar added, as per the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
24 November,2024 08:43 PM IST | Karad | mid-day online correspondentThe Maharashtra excise department on Sunday cancelled the permit for serving alcohol at actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh's concert in the Kothrud area of Pune later in the evening, an official said, reported the PTI. The department cancelled the permit after people from different quarters, including Kothrud's newly elected BJP MLA Chandrakant Patil, objected to plans to serve liquor at the programme. According to the PTI, State Excise Commissioner C Rajput said, "The state excise department has cancelled the permission to serve liquor during the programme." BJP MLA Patil raised an objection against the concert scheduled at Kakade Farm in Kothrud later in the evening. The BJP leader, in a statement, said, "Such shows are not part of the city's culture. This will create a major disturbance for residents of the area. The event will also cause traffic jams. Hence, I have urged the city police commissioner to cancel the programme." Recently, Diljit had performed in Hyderabad where he received a legal notice from the Telangana government, asking him not to sing songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence. The notice, issued just hours before his performance cited a complaint from a Chandigarh resident who claimed that Dosanjh had performed songs promoting alcohol and violence at a previous concert. Reacting to the same, Diljit had also shared a video where he called out all the states for not doing enough to stop liquor sales since it is a huge "revenue" generator. He also stated that he would stop making songs on alcohol if the government declared a nationwide ban on it. Earlier, Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh finally announced the dates for his show in Mumbai as a part of the 'Dil-Luminati' Tour. Diljit had announced the India leg of his world tour in September. The original list of cities included only Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Indore, Chandigarh, and Guwahati. Diljit took to Instagram and shared a poster announcing his show in Mumbai. It is set to take place on December 19th at 7 pm. On the acting front, Diljit is all set to star in the upcoming movie 'Border 2', where he will be seen alongside Sunny Deol and Varun Dhawan. The film, based on the historic Battle of Longewala. (with PTI inputs)
24 November,2024 06:35 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentJMM leader Hemant Soren on Sunday met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and staked claim to form the government, soon after leaders of the INDIA bloc in the state unanimously elected him as the legislature party leader. He resigned as the chief minister, before staking claim to form the government. He will officiate as the acting chief minister till oath is administered to him on November 28. "I met the governor. We staked claim to form the government, and handed over support letter of alliance partners to him. He invited us to form the government. The swearing in ceremony will be held on November 28," Soren told reporters after meeting Gangwar. Soren, who drove to the Raj Bhavan in his car, said the governor asked him to officiate as the acting chief minister in the interim. Soren will be sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar on November 15, 2000. He will be sworn in as the chief minister for the fourth term. Earlier, leaders and MLAs of the alliance, during a meeting at Hemant Soren's residence here, unanimously elected him as the coalition's leader. Congress's Jharkhand in-charge and party general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and senior party leader Rajesh Thakur also attended the meeting, besides legislators of the coalition parties. In a stunning comeback, Hemant Soren's JMM-led alliance on Saturday stormed to power in Jharkhand for a second consecutive term, winning 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, despite an all-out blitz by the BJP-led NDA which managed only 24 seats. The majority mark in the state assembly is 41 seats. Soren retained the Barhait seat by defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes. Soren had to resign as the CM in January before being arrested by the ED in a money laundering case. He is out on bail after he was released from jail on June 28 after nearly five months, as the high court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He had resigned as the CM shortly before his arrest on January 31 by the ED. Hemant Soren, the son of JMM supremo Shibu Soren, began his political career in 2009 as a Rajya Sabha member, but his tenure in the upper House of Parliament was short-lived. He resigned in 2010 to become the deputy chief minister in the BJP-led Arjun Munda government. However, the alliance collapsed in 2012, leading to President's Rule in the state. Despite this setback, Soren's resolve to lead Jharkhand never faltered. In 2013, Soren became the state's youngest chief minister at the age of 38, forming the government with the support of Congress and RJD. However, his first term was short-lived, as the BJP took power in 2014, and Soren became leader of the opposition. A pivotal moment in his career came in 2016 when the BJP-led government attempted to amend laws protecting tribal land, such as the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act. Soren led a massive movement to protect tribal rights, which not only earned him widespread support but also set the stage for his return to power. In 2019, Soren, with the backing of his allies Congress and RJD, reclaimed the chief minister's office. His JMM party won 30 seats. This time, the party won 34 seats, its highest ever tally in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, signaling the growing popularity of his leadership. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 05:49 PM IST | Ranchi | PTIThree people were killed as protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, clashed with security personnel on Sunday. The protesters tried to torch vehicles and pelted stones at the police who used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob. "Gunshots were fired by the miscreants and some pellets struck our policemen. We are investigating where the shots were fired from, particularly in the Deepa Sarai area," an officer said. Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said. "Three people identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman have been killed. Some policemen including the gunner of the superintendent of police have also been injured." The trouble started on Sunday morning when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began their work in the Shahi Jama Masjid. Tension has been brewing in Sambhal sinhce Tuesday when the Jama Masjid was surveyed on the orders of a local court following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple stood at the site. Ten people have been detained and a probe has been launched, an official said, adding some people even tried to set afire some motorcycles parked on the roadside. The official said the accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the BJP, saying the ruling party, government and the administration orchestrated the violence "to divert attention from electoral malpractice". According to the local administration, a second survey by an "Advocate Commissioner" as part of a court-ordered examination into the disputed site started around 7 am and a crowd began gathering there. "Some miscreants in the crowd threw stones at the police team. The police used minor force and tear gas to bring the situation under control," Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi said. He said those who engaged in stone pelting and those who incited them will be identified and action taken against them. "We are in the process of registering an FIR in the incident. The accused will also be booked under the NSA," the police officer added. District officials said the survey work was planned in the morning to avoid interference with prayers in the mosque that is usually held in the afternoon. The survey team concluded its work for the day shortly after the stone pelting incident occurred. District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia said, "Some miscreants resorted to stone pelting but the situation is peaceful now." "Around 10 people have been detained in connection with the stone-pelting incident. They are being interrogated," he added. Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar told PTI that the situation was under control in Sambhal. "We are monitoring everything. All police and civil administration officials are handling the situation on the spot. They are patrolling those areas. Anti-social elements will be identified very soon and strict action will be taken against them," the director general of police (DGP) said. Videos of youths throwing stones at police, purportedly near the site of the survey in Sambhal have surfaced on the Internet. Additional police units have been deployed near the mosque to ensure law and order and officials are closely monitoring the situation. At a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav said, "A serious incident occurred in Sambhal. A survey team was deliberately sent in the morning to disrupt discussions about the elections. The intention was to create chaos so that no debate on election issues could happen." "I don't want to go into the legal or procedural aspects, but the other side was not even heard. This was intentionally done to provoke emotions and avoid discussions on election rigging," he said. "What happened in Sambhal was orchestrated by the BJP, the government and the administration to divert attention from electoral malpractices," the former UP chief minister alleged. On Saturday, the Sambhal district administration bound down 34 people on a bond of up to Rs 10 lakh on apprehension of a breach of peace. Subdivisional Magistrate Vandana Mishra told PTI on Saturday that among the people bound down is Mamlukur Rahman Barq, the father of the Samajwadi Party's Sambhal MP Zia ur Rahman Barq. Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "Advocate Commission" to survey the mosque. The court has said that a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said. The Central and Uttar Pradesh governments, the mosque committee and the district magistrate of Sambhal have been made parties in the petition concerning the mosque, Jain said last Tuesday. Vishnu Shankar Jain and his father Hari Shankar Jain have represented the Hindu side in many cases related to places of worship, including the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, told PTI on Friday that in his petition filed in the court, he mentioned that "Baburnama" and the "Ain-e-Akbari" has confirmed that a Harihar temple was at the site where the Jama Masjid now stands. He also claimed that the temple was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529. Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq had objected to the developments. "The Jama Masjid of Sambhal is historical and very old. The Supreme Court had given the order in 1991 that whatever religious places are there in whatever condition since 1947, they will remain at their places," he had said. The next date for hearing in this case is January 29. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 05:10 PM IST | Sambhal | PTIA fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the indictment of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani who has been charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud, saying the move "unveiled malpractices carried out by the conglomerate." The plea has been filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari as an interlocutory application in the batch of pleas in the Adani-Hindenburg row over allegations of stock price manipulation by the Indian corporate giant. The US Department of Justice has accused Adani of being part of an elaborate scheme to pay USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts in four Indian states. The Adani Group has denied the charge, saying the allegations levelled by the US prosecutors are baseless and that the conglomerate is compliant with all laws. It also vowed to pursue all possible legal recourse. In his plea before the apex court, Tiwari contended that the allegations against Adani are of "serious nature" and should be investigated by the Indian authorities. "The SEBI has to inspire confidence by concluding the investigations and placing on record the report and conclusion of the probes. As there were allegations of short selling in the SEBI investigation and the present allegations levelled by the foreign authorities might have connection or may not have, but SEBI's investigation report should clear this so that the investors may not loose confidence," the plea said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 03:24 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIA day after BJP-led Mahayuti retained power in Maharashtra, the Congress on Sunday said that the party and other partners of the Maha Vikas Aghadi will collectively introspect the reasons of their 'shocking' drubbing in the crucial Maharashtra elections 2024, reported PTI. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance on Saturday won 230 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi managed to garner just 46 seats. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said that the assembly poll results in Maharashtra was 'shocking' and 'unbelievable', reported PTI. "We don't understand what happened. It was not just the debacle of the Congress party but that of the entire Maha Vikas Aghadi. Let us first get a clear picture of what has happened," he told a TV channel, reported PTI. Venugopal said they felt surprised about the entire election procedure after the Maharashtra and Haryana drubbings. When asked whether the grand-old-party suspected any sabotage in the Maharashtra elections 2024 results, the leader said they were not raising any such allegation soon after the debacle. "We suffered huge setbacks in the strongholds of Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and that of the Congress. It is the failure of not just the Congress party but that of the entire alliance," he said, reported PTI. So, we will sit together and collectively introspect (its reasons), Venugopal added. The Election Commission announced that the BJP had won 132 seats, the Shiv Sena 57, while the NCP 41 seats. In the MVA, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidates won 10 seats, Congress 16, while Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) 20 seats. When asked about Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's huge majority win in Wayanad, the AICC general secretary said it was the result of collective work of the entire party leaders and workers. "The party expected this huge majority in Wayanad. Soon after the polling, there was a huge concern about the majority. But, after the internal assessment of the party, we were sure that the low poll percentage would not impact Priyanka's majority," he said, reported PTI. He also made it clear that the Wayanad landslide tragedy and the subsequent issues would be one of the issues that would be raised by Priyanka in the Lok Sabha. Rejecting the opposition campaign that she would not visit Wayanad frequently, Venugopal said she would prove them wrong through her actions. He also said that Priyanka would continue her interventions in north Indian politics as well, along with being the MP of Wayanad. Congress general secretary Priyanka on Saturday won the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll with a thumping margin of over four lakh votes, surpassing her brother Rahul Gandhi's victory margin in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, in her electoral debut. (With inputs from PTI)
24 November,2024 02:11 PM IST | Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe air quality in the national capital improved from the 'severe' to the 'very poor' category on Sunday morning. At 8 am, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 357, falling under the 'very poor' category, compared to the 24-hour average AQI of 412 at 4 pm on Saturday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. However, Anand Vihar remained in the 'severe' category with an AQI of 404. Delhi's air quality has remained hazardous for nearly a month. On October 30, it first slipped into the 'very poor' category and stayed there for 15 days. It worsened further last Sunday as Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality and stayed so on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, the air quality was in the 'severe plus' category. Favorable wind conditions brought slight relief on Thursday but the air quality began deteriorating again, nearing the 'severe' category, on Friday. Delhi's air quality slipped back to the 'severe' category on Saturday. The 'severe' category poses serious health risks, especially due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing long-term health issues. The weather office said the minimum temperature was recorded at 12 degrees Celsius. It has forecast shallow fog during the morning or night hours, with the maximum temperature expected to hover around 28 degrees Celsius. The humidity level at 8:30 am stood at a high 75 percent. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi government and Police to immediately set up checkpoints on all 113 entry points to Delhi to check the entry of trucks in the national capital. It appointed 13 members of the Bar as court commissioners to visit the entry points to Delhi and verify whether entry of trucks is being stopped. The apex court expressed dissatisfaction with the compliance of GRAP IV measures saying despite orders passed by the apex court and CAQM, there is a failure on the part of the Delhi government and Police to comply with clauses under GRAP stage IV. "So far as complaince is concerned, we are not satisfied. Government has not stated clearly as to at how many entry points there are officers present to comply with measures of GRAP IV," it said. "We direct the Delhi Government and Delhi Police to ensure that checkposts are immediately set up at all 113 entry points," the bench ordered. As per the GRAP-IV restrictions imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the entry of trucks is prohibited to Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution. Keeping in view the rising level of pollution, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) activated Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), imposing restrictions like bans on truck entry and a halt to public construction projects. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged Chief Secretary Dharmendra for strict enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to address the worsening air quality in the national capital. The minister highlighted the need for coordinated efforts in all departments to implement the Winter Action Plan-2024 and achieve sustained improvements in air quality. Rai directed that all departments should also submit daily reports on actions taken and the progress made in implementing GRAP. He stressed the importance of strict enforcement mechanisms to penalize violators of air pollution norms. (With inputs from Agencies)
24 November,2024 02:01 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA "Viksit Bharat Young Leaders' Dialogue" is scheduled to be held on January 11 - 12 in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday. He claimed the idea was part of an initiative to introduce young people without a political background to politics, PTI reported. In the 116th episode of his monthly radio broadcast called "Mann Ki Baat", he said that Swami Vivekananda's 162nd Jayanti on January 12 would be celebrated in a very special manner. PM Modi said that on January 11-12, the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders' Dialogue will be conducted at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. "From the ramparts of Red Fort, I appealed to such youth to join politics whose entire family has no political background. To connect one lakh such youth with politics, many special campaigns will be run in the country. The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders' Dialogue is one such initiative," Modi said, PTI cited. He also praised on the country's youth for their contribution to the country's progress and said that when youth get together to brainstorm on ideas to take the country forward "concrete results" are obtained. "Youth have a big role to play in making India a developed nation. When youth come together to brainstorm on taking the country forward, we definitely get concrete results. Swami Vivekananda's 162 birth anniversary, which is also celebrated as Youth Day. On January 11-12 at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, a large gathering of young ideas is going to take place and this initiative is called, "Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue," he said, ANI cited. As per ANI, in his address on the National Cadet Corps Raising Day, the Prime Minister recalled his own "invaluable" experience as a NCC cadet. "I have been an NCC cadet, so I can say with full confidence that the experience I got from it is invaluable for me. The NCC instils a spirit of discipline, leadership and service in the youth," he said. "In case of a disaster, flood or any accident, NCC cadets are always present there. In 2024, more than two million youth are part of NCC. Compared to earlier, over 5000 schools and colleges are now part of NCC. And most important, girl cadets in NCC were nearly 25 per cent but now it is around 40," PM Modi said, ANI cited. During his radio broadcast, Modi also urged listeners to celebrate inspiring stories who made their mark globally, contributed to freedom struggles and preserved "our heritage", PTI reported. "Share such stories on the NaMo App or MyGov using the hashtag 'Indian Diaspora Stories'," he said. Modi praised the kindness and energy of India's "Yuva Shakti" in helping senior citizens, citing the example of youth from Lucknow helping the elderly submit digital life certificates, PTI cited. He also talked about a person from Ahmedabad who is warning and creating awareness among the elderly about cybercrimes, including digital arrests. (With inputs from PTI and ANI)
24 November,2024 01:34 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
