AISNEWS

Tokyo, December 31 Japan’s Ministry of Defence is arranging to develop multiple long-range missiles with a range of up to about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) and aims to deploy them in the 2030s, Japan’s leading news agency Kyodo reported on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the matter. The Japanese government is looking to deploy a 2,000-km range missile by the early 2030s and a 3,000-km hypersonic missile that can reach anywhere in North Korea and some parts of China by around 2035, the report by Japanese news agency said.

President Droupadi Murmu wished everyone a 'Happy New Year' on Twitter on Sunday.

New Delhi, December 31 Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was confident that India’s G20 and SCO presidencies would build multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries as well as strengthen stability and security in Asia and the entire world. “I am confident that India’s recently started SCO and G20 presidencies will open new opportunities for building multi-dimensional Russia-India cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, in the interests of strengthening stability and security in Asia and the entire world,” he said in his New Year message to President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi. India took over the G20 presidency on December 1 and the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on September 16. The latter consists of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Putin said the two countries carried out large-scale trade and economic projects in addition to energy, military technology and other areas ...

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police busted what is said to be the country`s "biggest ever" job fraud and arrested the key accused from Uttar Pradesh. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police said it unearthed a huge job fraud scam being run from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. The scammers targeted the unemployed youth in at least five states - Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha. According to Odisha Police, EOW arrested one of the primary accused namely Zafar Ahmed (25) a resident of Civil lines, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in connection with the case. Zafar is an engineer (B.Tech) by profession and one of the masterminds of this scam. He was produced before a local court in Aligarh. The court granted 5 days transit remand. He will be produced before the court at Bhubaneswar. "We are very thankful to Aligarh Police of Uttar Pradesh for assisting us in arresting the accused. The investigation is still going on to unearth the involvement of others and the huge a...

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (December 31, 2022) hailed the troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and said that no one can encroach even an inch of India when they are there at the borders. While inaugurating the residential and administrative complexes of the ITBP in Karnataka's Bengaluru, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the ITBP works in the most difficult area amongst all CAPFs. "We cannot even imagine their morale and great patriotism to protect the country's borders in minus 42 degrees temperature," Shah said. I am always assured and never worry at all about the Indo-China border when our ITBP soldiers are patrolling or camping because no one there can encroach even an inch of our land," he said.

NEW DELHI: In 2023, Isro will launch big-ticket interplanetary missions like Aditya L1 Sun and Chandrayaan-3, besides the first uncrewed Gaganyaaan mission. The space agency also has plans to conduct the first runway landing experiment of the reusable launch vehicle early next year from the aeronautical test range in Karnataka's Chitradurga. The year 2022 was equally significant for India’s space sector as Isro not only launched five crucial missions, including a launch dedicated to a foreign customer (OneWeb), but also helped the launch of India’s first privately-produced rocket built by a Hyderabad-based startup, Skyroot Aerospace. The year also witnessed the establishment of the country’s first private launchpad set up by another startup, Agnikul Cosmos, at the Isro launch centre complex in Sriharikota. From 2014 to December 2022, Isro, under the Modi government, has launched 44 spacecraft missions, 42 launch vehicle missions and five technology demonstrators. Isro i...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday took a veiled dig at Pakistan and sent a stern message to China in an address during his Cyprus visit on Friday. The minister said there would be no compromise on the core issues because no country has suffered from terrorism as much as India. We have been very clear that we will not normalise and rationalise terrorism, he said. Without mentioning Pakistan, the foreign minister said, "We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table. We want good neighbourly relations with everybody, but that does not mean excusing or looking away or rationalising terrorism." On border issues with China, S Jaishankar said challenges have intensified during Covid and relations with China are not normal. "We have challenges on our borders which have intensified during Covid. Relations with China are not normal because we will not agree to any attempt to change the LAC unilaterally," he said, days after Chin...

A lot has happened in the defence arena over the last 12 months, and the year 2022 will go down in history as a turning point for the Indian military. This is because India introduced the Agnipath scheme, which overthrows the earlier process of recruitment into the military. In 2022, India also allowed women in other ranks in all streams of the Navy and the Air Force, including combat. While the year will be remembered for Agnipath, the fallout of which will only be understood a few years down the line, 2022 also witnessed some major inductions by the Indian military, which give it additional offensive and defence capability. ThePrint takes a look at the four major inductions of 2022. INS Vikrant Meant to be a floating airfield armed to the teeth with its own battle group, INS Vikrant was commissioned into the Indian Navy this year, culminating a 13-year-long journey. This is a big achievement for India since it now joins a select group of countries capable of making an air...

The UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has received proposals worth over Rs 1 lakh crores from investors for setting up industrial units in various districts of the state. Of these investment proposals, MoUs worth Rs 83,000 crore have been signed, the UP government said in a statement. These MoUs will be finalised during the Global Investors Summit to be held in Lucknow from 10-12 February 2023. Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UPSIDA, Mayur Maheshwari said the state government is making complete efforts to make Uttar Pradesh a trillion-dollar economy. To achieve the target, nine teams of senior officials of UPSIDA were constituted. In the first phase, meetings were organised with investors and entrepreneurs in 22 districts of the state. MoUs were signed with investors in the seminars to encourage investment. The investors have shown interest in setting up units in sectors such as food processing, textile, automobile, private industrial park, warehousing, pape...

There are some who question the relevance of space activities in a developing nation. To us, there is no ambiguity of purpose," Dr. Vikra Sarabhai had said as he laid the foundation of India's space program as the country was still emerging from the shadows of the British empire and a brutal partition. December 30 marks the 51st death anniversary of the physicist, who envisioned India's rise into space and the need to go beyond the borders of our planet, even as the country was struggling to put three meals on the table. He laid the foundation of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in 1969 and, in the five decades since then, India has not only left the planet but has also ventured onto the Moon and Mars. WHO WAS VIKRAM SARABHAI? Vikram Sarabhai was born on 12 August 1919 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and came from an illustrious business family, who were industrialists at the time. Vikram Sarabhai was one of the eight children of Ambalal and Sarla Devi. Whi...

India on Saturday invited a major bid to construct one of the country’s highest airfields at Nyoma in Ladakh, which is less than 50 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Once ready, it will be India’s answer to rapid infrastructure development by China on its side of the border. This upgraded advance landing ground will be ready for fighter aircraft operations in two years. According to the bid document reviewed by News18, the project will cost around Rs 214 crore. The site for the new advance landing ground will be spread over 1,235 acres, where a 2.7-km runway with allied military infrastructure will come up. The Border Roads Organisation has invited the bid, seeking contractors to execute the job. The runway’s alignment will be such that aircraft can land in both directions, and it will be over 45 m in width. The location of the new runway will be near Leh-Loma Road and the airfield will be a strategic asset resulting in quick movement of both troops and material in ...

Indian Railways is working on an ambitious plan of electrification of its entire Broad Gauge network. In a bid to reduce the dependency on petroleum- based energy resources, and with an aim to become pollution free and energy efficient, the Railways has extended its electrified network to 83 per cent. More than 32,000 Route Kilometers (RKMs) have been electrified in the last eight years (since 2014). The Indian Railways has set a target to become world’s largest ‘Green Railways’ with Zero Carbon Emission by 2030.

FOUR OF the nine states which are headed for Assembly polls in 2023 are in the Northeast, a region dominated by the Congress for the most part after Independence, till the Narendra Modi-led BJP set its sights on it. In 2016, the BJP formed its first-ever government in Assam. Now, it is part of the ruling coalition in one form or the other in all the Northeast states. As Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland go to polls in early 2023, followed by Mizoram in November, it is this, then, that will be on test. The four states might collectively send only six MPs to the Lok Sabha but for the BJP, the region with its diversity of beliefs and faiths is crucial to its ideological agenda, as well as its political narrative as a party spanning the length and breadth of the country. If the party has forged alliances across regional parties to achieve that goal, the Congress has gone the other way, left behind by not just the rapid ascent of the BJP but also regional players as well as partie...

UGC Chief Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar in an interview with IANS highlighted that universities from major countries will be setting up campuses in India. " Universities from the USA, UK, France, Australia and Italy have expressed their interest. It is expected that once this regulatory provision is announced, well-performing foreign universities featuring in the global rankings will come forward to apply," stated Kumar when asked about prominent foreign universities that are going to set up campuses in India. Kumar has also highlighted that 49 foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) have collaborated with Indian institutions with the UGC also approaching the Ambassadors and Heads of Missions of nearly 66 countries whose universities are eligible for collaboration, which include the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, etc.

A frost-covered grassland at Cement Palam, near Lakkad, Munnar, on Friday morning. The hill station of Munnar on Friday witnessed the lowest temperature of the season, with Devikulam, Lakkad and Gundumala recording zero degree Celsius in the morning. According to sources, 1° Celsius was recorded at the Letchmi estate on Friday morning. 

Shilpa Sreekumar playing the chenda at her wedding in Guruvayur. The video went viral | Dressed in her red wedding sari and decked up in finery, Shilpa Sreekumar drummed up excitement as she entered the wedding venue in the company of percussion team Ponnan’s Blue Magic.

On 20 December 2022, the Indian Navy (IN) took delivery of the INS Vagir, the fifth submarine under the Project-75, Kalvari class submarines. Constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, in collaboration with the Naval Group, the Vagir is a state-of-the-art submarine featuring advanced stealth features, including acoustic absorption. It is designed for multifarious missions such as anti-surface, anti-submarine, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and mine-laying. The submarine was launched in November 2020 and has undergone outfitting, machinery, and weapons trials in just over two years, well on track for commissioning in early 2023. The tempo of its testing and evaluation suggests that the navy is expediting efforts to modernise the submarine fleet.

Indian cotton prices have begun to align with market fundamentals and global rates now that the demand, including for exports, has rebounded, industry participants and traders say. Prices, however, have recovered from the lows of ₹56,000-56,500 a candy (of 356 kg) witnessed early this week. The reported move of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) to introduce new cotton contracts has helped buoy the market to some extent.  Currently, ginned cotton is quoted at ₹59,500 a candy at Rajkot. In comparison, cotton futures for delivery in March is quoted at 83.1 US cents a pound (₹54,450/candy) on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), New York.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in West Bengal on Friday to launch development projects worth over ₹7,800 crore in the state and flag off the Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri.

Tata Consultancy Service is giving a 20% Christmas salary hike to 70% of its employees and the rest of the employees get a salary hike based on their performance. There are almost 6 lakh employees in the firm. 10-20% of the employees' salary is dependent on variable pay. TCS has planned to roll out 100% variable pay to 4 lakh employees for the financial year 2022. 

Srinagar: Various parts of Kashmir, particularly the higher reaches, and Ladakh received fresh snowfall on Thursday while the Meteorological Department predicted more precipitation during the next 24 hours. “There was light to moderate snowfall over the higher reaches on Thursday,” the MeT officials said. “The plains also received light snowfall late Thursday afternoon. Precipitation will continue on Friday.” They said that there is a 70 percent possibility of intermittent light to moderate snow at scattered places from December 29 evening to December 30.

The stock of Bharat Dynamics, the public sector defence firm, has gained more than 14 per cent in five trading sessions as brokerages reiterate buy ratings on expectations of government procurement, strong order book, growth in exports and stable operating profit margins. The trigger is news that the state’s Defence Acquisition Council has approved 24 capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 84,300 crore and including a missile system for the Indian Air Force. Amit Dixit of ICICI Securities and other analysts say that specifics for contracts, timeline or category-wise break up is not available, but they expect Bharat Dynamics to benefit the most (for missile systems) among listed firms. ICICI Securities believes that the proposals do not have a long gestation period and their execution might be quick. The company has entered air-to-surface missile systems, a new segment with a market size of $6 billion. Bharat Dynamics will make the smart anti-airfield weapon (HELINA) and the...

Guwahati: Alka Vaidya, a leading birdwatcher in India, has found a new moth in Arunachal Pradesh. 70-year-old Alka Vaidya, who has been studying moths since 2007, named the moth species ‘Urvashi’. “I have been studying moths since 2007. I have extensively covered Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. It was in 2017 that I found one beautiful moth that was looking different from other members of ‘Tridrepana’ from the ‘Drepanidae’ family. Further investigation confirmed that this moth was previously unknown to science. The moth was found at Mayodia in Mishmi Hills at an altitude of about 2,200 metres. Due to its intricate design and beautiful pattern, I decided to name it ‘Urvashi’ after the beautiful Apsara in Indra’s darbar. Subsequent efforts to locate other individuals of the species have so far not been successful,” Alka Vaidya told EastMojo.

Heeraben Modi death:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother Heeraben Modi, who passed away at the age of 100 on Friday morning. The Prime Minister said he always felt that she lived the life of an ascetic, and led a life committed to her values.  Prime Minister Modi tweeted, “A glorious century rests at the feet of God… In Maa, I have always felt that trinity, which contains the journey of an ascetic, the symbol of a selfless karmayogi, and a life committed to values.” He added his mother told him to work with intelligence and live life with purity when he met her for her 100th birthday. 

The IAF on Thursday successfully conducted a trial run of the 4.1 km emergency landing facility (ELF) constructed on a national highway here, with two Sukhoi fighter aircraft among others participating in the drill. The flights flew close to the ground without landing on the highway. The landing facility has been constructed at Picchikalagudipadu village on National Highway 16. "IAF fighter and transport aircraft carried out practice flying including circuit, approach and overshoot on newly constructed Emergency Landing Facility on NH-16 at Bapatla District in Andhra Pradesh on 29 Dec 22," the Southern Air Command of IAF tweeted. An IAF official said a transport plane AN-32, two Sukhoi fighter aircraft and as many Tejas light combat fighters participated in the trial. A Defence press release said that to check the feasibility of operations from the ELF, IAF fighter and transport aircraft from the Southern Air Command successfully carried out overshoots on the stri...

New Delhi: Indian Air Force on Thursday successfully test-fired the extended-range version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile against a Ship Target from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet in Bay of Bengal. According to Defence officials, the missile hit the target ship in centre. The extended range of the BrahMos missile is believed to have the ability to take out targets in sea 400 km away. The missile achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region, it said.

Small businesses are set to directly benefit from the elimination of import duties from Australia, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said at the launch of the interim trade pact between both nations. “Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are one to create jobs and use the benefit of the duty becoming zero as MSME accounts for the majority of our exports,” Goyal said. Small businesses are set to directly benefit from the elimination of import duties from Australia, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said at the launch of the interim trade pact between both nations. “Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are one to create jobs and use the benefit of the duty becoming zero as MSME accounts for the majority of our exports,” Goyal said.The interim pact, also known as the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), has the potential to double bilateral trade to $50 billion in half a decade. The trade deal was signed on April 2 and the negoti...

Amid global shocks and challenges, the Indian economy presents a picture of resilience and the regulators are ready to take appropriate actions to preserve financial stability, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Thursday. In his foreword to the 26th Financial Stability Report (FSR), Das said the international economic order stands challenged and financial markets are in turmoil due to monetary tightening in most parts of the world. Food and energy supplies and prices are under strain, debt distress is staring at many emerging market and developing economies, and every economy is grappling with multiple challenges, he said. "Amidst such global shocks and challenges, the Indian economy presents a picture of resilience. Financial stability has been maintained. Domestic financial markets have remained stable and fully functional. The banking system is sound and well-capitalised," Das said. In spite of formidable global headwinds, he said that India's external ac...

The Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which went into effect today, has been welcomed by the Australian government. According to a formal statement from the Australian side, the trade agreement demonstrates the country's commitment to providing options for trade diversification that are beneficial to Australian companies on a commercial level. From today, Australian businesses will have greater access to the Indian market of 1.4 billion people, and one of the world's fastest-growing major economies. "A serious window of opportunity has opened for our exporters to move into an export market valued at over USD 24 billion in 2021, ahead of many of our key competitors," read the statement. "Entry into force this year means Australian exporters will benefit from two tariff cuts in quick succession, the first takes place today and the second, on 1 January 2023."

Tirumala: As the auspicious event “Vaikunta Dwara Darshan” is inching closer, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has made elaborate arrangements for hassle-free darshan of Lord Venkateswara Swamy and prasadam distribution system from January 2 to 11. According to media reports, in a joint press statement, TTD Chairman YY Subha Reddy and Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal said that the TTDF will issue 45,000 slotted Sarva Darshan tickets per day from January 2 to 11 for the “Vaikunta Dwara Darshan” and the issuing of tickets will begin at 2 PM on January 1. For this, nine centres and a total of 92 counters have been arranged.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave guidelines to the officials for the successful organisation of the G-20 conferences to be chaired by India in the year 2023 in a high-level meeting held on Wednesday. Uttar Pradesh is all set to host G20 events across its various cities in 2023. The summit, scheduled to be held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, will be a year-long event that will witness several events in cities like Varanasi, Lucknow, Greater Noida and Agra. The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a high level meeting of officials on Wednesday and gave instructions to ensure that the state gets ready for the event.  Addressing the officials, Yogi said that this global event has brought immense possibilities for Uttar Pradesh. This event is a great platform to introduce 'Brand UP' to the world and the state government should leave no stones unturned to make this a success.  Yogi said that the infrastructure of cities hosting G20 events should be amplified. At...

TikTok received a major blow in the United States, as the US House of Representatives has ordered staff to delete TikTok from any House-issued mobile phones. Moreover, the governor of Kansas has also issued a similar ban. Other states are also planning to come up with similar legislation, which may see the app being banned on all government-issued devices.  TikTok has been banned from government-issued devices in 19 other states. It looks like TikTok may get banned for all users in the US, owing to allegations of spying on US citizens, and interfering with American elections. What this would mean, is that all staff, including the personal staff of the Representative, and Representatives themselves will not be allowed to have TikTok on their office-issued devices. In Kansas’ case, no government employee on any level will be allowed to have the social media app on their office-issued apps.  TikTok is already banned on government-owned devices by the local administrat...

The temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh stood in second place on the list of temples receiving the highest number of devotees in India, according to the OYO cultural travel report. The organization has surveyed various popular pilgrim places visited by devotees across the country. The survey found Varanasi stood at first place and Tirumala occupied the second place in the list. As the government relaxed the Corona restrictions this year compared to last year, the number of devotees who visited the hill shrine has increased rapidly. According to the officials concerned, there is a 238 percent increase in the rooms booked by the pilgrims compared to the same last year at Tirupati. The devotees have been paying respect to the presiding deity at Tirumala with utmost devotion treating Lord Venkateswara Swamy as their family god. There has been a rapid increase in the number of devotees visiting the hill shrine since 1950. According to official reports as ma...

New Delhi: Russia has become the first country to begin settlement of foreign trade in rupee, giving up dollar and euro all together. Recently, a few transactions in the Indian currency involving Russian firms have taken place. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in July this year introduced guidelines to promote the settlement of international trade in rupee.

London, Dec 28 (PTI) Akshata Murty, the Indian wife of Rishi Sunak, plans to make 10 Downing Street a more accessible place during her tenure as UK First Lady and has offered a peek into the official residence of the British Prime Minister, according to a magazine feature released on Wednesday. The February issue of Tatler, which hits the stands next week, features Murty on its cover and profiles the former fashion designer and venture capitalist daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and author Sudha Murty. In No. 10’s Chatelaine: Inside the Secret World of Mrs. Sunak, it goes behind the scenes with those involved in the flat’s refurbishment as well as close friends and associates who have been given Murty’s go-ahead to share some details of life at one of the world’s famous addresses.

Within days of returning from his US trip, where he addressed the Congress, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi with expectations of India’s help in implementing a peace formula with Russia as was proposed by Modi at the G20 Bali summit. Zelenskyy, like other world leaders, is aware of Modi’s equation with Russian president Vladimir Putin and the influence the Indian PM can exercise in helping end the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy‘s trust perhaps developed from a recent remark by CIA director William J. Burns that Modi had used his influence over Putin to avert the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The remark assumed significance since Putin had warned of the increasing threat of nuclear war and said that Russia would fight with all available means. The CIA chief’s remarks are considered as another endorsement of India’s position on the Ukraine conflict. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Modi and Zelenskyy have spoken on the ...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir that aids, abets and sustains the terrorist-separatist campaign to the detriment of the well-being of common people requires to be dismantled. At a meeting here, Shah reviewed the functioning of the security grid and various aspects related to security in Jammu and Kashmir and gave directions to officials to follow the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said services of the remaining 30,867 ”Pourakarmikas” (civic workers) working in the State will be regularised in the coming days. He also felt that they should be addressed as ”Poura Naukaras” and not ”Pourakarmikas”, stating that calling them by a different name will give them a sense of self-respect and dignity. He was speaking after distributing the appointment letters to the civic workers of various local bodies here. ”There are 42,000 civic workers working in the State, of which the services of 11,133 people have been regularised. The services of others will be regularised in the coming days,” Bommai said. Pointing out that the risk allowance of Rs 2,000 has been announced for the civic workers in the budget, he further said, the existing law has been changed to protect their interest and to make them live with a sense of dignity and self-reliance.

India is aiming to double the size of its automobile industry to Rs 15 lakh crore by the end of 2024, making it one of the world's top countries in this sector, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Gadkari also said that his ministry will carry out project works worth Rs 5 lakh crore next year, of which Rs 2 lakh crore will come from the government and the rest will be raised from the capital market.

The year 2022 has been a remarkable and historic year for the India-US relationship, top diplomats and experts from both sides feel and are confident that 2023 would be a momentous year for the ties between the world's largest and oldest democracies that will determine the future of technology and innovation. During the year, President Joe Biden met Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice - first on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo in May and second on the margins of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Two-wheeler electric vehicle maker, Ola Electric has sold around 1,50,000 EVs this year and is aiming to leverage its manufacturing capacity and technology to export from India to all relevant markets like South East Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. “We have sold almost 1,50,000 EVs this year and are working towards the Mission Electric – all 2W sold in India by the end of 2025 to be electric, and all cars sold in India by 2030 to be electric,” wrote Bhavish Aggarwal, founder and chief executive officer of Ola Electric in a blog post on Wednesday.

Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti 2022: Guru Gobind Singh is one of the most inspirational people who ever lived and this year will be marked as his 355th birth anniversary. Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti 2022 will be celebrated today, December 29. Guru Gobind Singh became the tenth Guru of Sikhs and therefore was called Dashmesh pita. He introduced the five Ks - Kanga, Kesh, Kachera, Kara, and Kirpan- in Sikhism. According to the Sikh calendar (Nanakshahi), Gobind Singh Ji was born in January (Paush) in 1666 to the ninth Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur and Mata Gujri as Gobind Rai in Patna Sahib, Bihar. On this auspicious occasion, here are a few quotes, messages, wishes you can send to your loved ones... 1. May Guru Gobind Singh Ji bless you and your family with joy, peace, and happiness for eternity; may he inspire us to be better human beings. Happy Gurpurab.” 2. He alone is a man who keeps his word: Not that he has one thing in the heart, and another on the tongue. Happy Guru Gobind Singh Ja...

Almaty (Kazakhstan) Fifteen-year-old Indian Savitha Shri B today won a bronze medal in the women’s event of FIDE World Rapid Championship here. Seeded 36th, she finished with an impressive tally of eight points from 11 rounds to end third.

The Haryana government has prepared an action plan to control pollution in all the 11 major drains that discharge treated or untreated effluent into the Yamuna river, the state assembly was informed here on Wednesday. "Due to the control of pollution in these drains, the polluted water will not fall into the Yamuna river, from which the Agra and Gurugram canals emerge," Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma said. He said this in response to a calling attention motion regarding polluted water in Agra and Gurugram canals. Sharma informed the House that the Haryana government has constituted a committee in this regard. The MLAs of Gurugram, Mewat, Faridabad and Palwal districts were made its members and member secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, as Member Convener, the house was informed. Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, and Principal Secretary, Irrigation, have also been nominated as members. Five meetings of this committee have been held, he sa...

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday emphasised the need to keep "our culture, traditions and customs alive", saying "it would also help to preserve our heritage". She said this while addressing the Sammakka Saralamma Janjati Pujari Sammelan, organised by the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, Telangana at Bhadrachalam. Noting that tribal people, especially from the Koya community, gather to offer prayers to Sammakka Saralamma, the President said that such festivals and gatherings strengthen social harmony. With these activities, our traditions

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate Goa's new Zuari bridge on December 29, 2022. Zuari bridge is an important link between North and South Goa and the project has been under construction for a long time. It's the second largest cable-stayed bridge in India, only behind Mumbai's Bandra-Worli sea link. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced that the new bridge would be inaugurated on December 29 by Union minister Nitin Gadkari instead of earlier planned December 26. He had said people could walk on the new structure and admire it before its inauguration. A large number of revellers gathered at the new bridge after it was thrown open for pedestrians ahead of the inauguration. The old bridge that runs parallel to it witnessed a huge traffic jam. Scores of vehicles, many of which were ferrying passengers to the Dabolim Airport, were caught in the massive congestion on Monday evening on the old bridge, where traffic cam...

Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) headed by Nita Ambani, on December 28 announced scholarship programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate students to mark the 90th birth anniversary of RIL patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani.  In a release, the foundation said it would be giving away 50,000 scholarships in the next 10 years for students pursuing higher education in India. 

Union Minister Anurag Thakur today released the Official Government of India Calendar for the year 2023. Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that the calendar is a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's belief of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. He commended the calendar for being an impressive collection of 12 images depicting a dynamically growing India. He further highlighted that the 12 themes for the 12 months are a glimpse into the strenuous efforts made by the Government towards public welfare.

Nagpur, December 28 The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed the Lokayukta Bill 2022, which brings the chief minister and the council of ministers under the ambit of the anti-corruption ombudsman. The bill was passed without discussion as the Opposition had staged a walkout over the alleged scam in the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET).

The government is likely to enhance the income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 2.5 lakh in the forthcoming budget for 2023-24, sources privy to developments said. The move, if it fructifies, may leave more disposable income in the hands of consumers. It will also boost consumption, which may also lead to an economic recovery, sources said. As of now, the maximum slab of income which is not chargeable to income tax is Rs 2.5 lakh. For persons in the age bracket of 60-80 years, the exemption limit is Rs 3 lakh and for senior citizens above 80, it is Rs 5 lakh. The move would also promote investments, sources said further. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Union budget for 2023-24, on February 1, 2023. --IANS

Sasaram, Bihar: Claiming that a distorted version of history has been taught in India by a particular group of historians, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Mahendra Nath Pandey said "Indian history needs to be revisited and efforts must be made to correct these distortions." Mr Pandey said this while addressing a conference organised by Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana at Gopal Narayan Singh University, Jamuhar in Bihar's Sasaram on Monday. "Most of the historians did not do justice to India or India's culture and civilization. A distorted version of history has been taught by a particular group of historians. This is the time to initiate deliberations, effect course corrections and rectify this mistake and finally glorify ancient Indian history. We must correct the distorted view of Indian history that has been presented to us by certain historians belonging to particular ideologies", th...