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New Delhi: Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee transformed India’s relationship with the United States and Russia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the third edition of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Lecture on Monday. “The fundamental basis including respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest, which we articulate today in the attempt to reach a modus-vivendi with China, a lot of it was visible when the then foreign minister Vajpayee visited China,” he added. “In our neighbourhood, prime minister Vajpayee saw a lot of opportunities for cooperation but was never impervious to the challenges of terrorism,” he added. Jaishankar said Vajpayee had a very nuanced and developed understanding of the contemporary world and he helped India transform its relationship with the United States. “He transformed India’s relationship with the United States in the post-cold war environment after recognising how important that the relationship had become for India...

People living in houses made of cow dung will not be affected in event of atomic radiation, while the animal's urine can cure many incurable diseases, observed Tapi district sessions judge Samir Vyas in November last year while sentencing a 22-year-old man to life imprisonment for transporting cows and bullocks from Gujarat to Maharashtra in violation of various laws. The order was recently made available. In his order, the judge expressed displeasure over slaughtering of cows and noted a cow is "our mother", not just an animal. "All the problems of the Earth will be solved the day no drop of cow's blood drops on the earth. Though we talk about cow protection, it is not implemented on the ground. Incidents of cow slaughter and illegal transportation are happening regularly. This is a disgrace to a civilised society," the court noted in the order. The judge said though 75 years have passed since India achieved independence, incidents of cow slaugh...

It was a momentous occasion as Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated 310- bed Bharati Vidyapeeth Medicover Hospitals in Navi Mumbai. The hospital will provide world-class medical care to those living in and around Navi Mumbai, and is a major milestone for healthcare access in the city. Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan, Dr Vishwajeet Kadam, Pro Vice Chancellor, Chancellor Dr. Shivajirao Kadam, Dr. Vivek Saoji, Dr. Asmita Jagtap, Swapnali Kadam of Bharati Vidyapeeth was also present during the occasion along with other dignitaries. Devendra Fadnavis said “I congratulate Bharati Vidyapeeth and Medicover Hospitals for launching this world-class facility. We can see a revolutionary change in the healthcare sector in terms of research, diagnostics, and technology. There are changes happening on a large scale in the healthcare sector. We need modern state-of-the-art institutions for the benefit of people. The common man will benefit due to moder...

New Delhi: The Centre is all set to cut the import duty on gold because higher taxes have made it more profitable for smugglers, government officials said. The decision was taken considering that smugglers were using the opportunity to offer hefty discounts and denting the market share of banks and refiners, he said. “The duty cut by the world’s second-biggest consumer could lift retail sales by making gold cheaper ahead of peak demand season and support global prices. It could also revive operations of local gold refineries, which nearly suspended refining for the past two months as they could not compete with grey market operators,” reported Reuters.

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet Monday decided to book men who marry girls below 14 years in the state under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. “Men marrying girls in the age group of 14-18, will be tried under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and necessary steps will be taken against them under this law,” the chief minister said. The state has an average of 31 percent marriages in the “prohibited age”, Sarma said at a press conference following the Cabinet meeting. The police have been directed to conduct a massive crackdown against child marriage across the state, Sarma said. A Child Protection Officer will be appointed in every village and it will be the duty of the Gram Panchayat Secretary to file a complaint against any child marriage taking place in their area, Sarma added. Assam has a high rate of maternal and infant mortality and the primary cause is child marriage. PTI

Indian Navy on Monday commissioned the fifth Kalvari class submarine Vagir at the naval dockyard in Mumbai in presence of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar. The newly commissioned submarine took her maiden sea sortie in February last year, marking the commencement of sea trials. The submarine has gone through a series of comprehensive acceptance checks and, stringent and demanding sea trials before its commissioning, according to the defence ministry. Speaking at the event, Admiral R Hari Kumar said Vagir is a lethal platform with a formidable weapon package. Highlighting that Vagir was the third submarine inducted into the Indian Navy in a span of 24 months, the Chief of Naval Staff said it was a shining testimony to the expertise of India's shipyards to construct complex and complicated platforms.

With the introduction of Vande Bharat Express trains, the Indian Railways has entered into a new era of mobility. After Rajdhani Express trains, the Vande Bharat Express is a major transformation in terms of speed and better convenience. The train can achieve a maximum speed of 160-180 kmph due to its faster acceleration and deceleration. Travelling on the blue and white colour train will reduce the journey time by 25 percent to 45 percent. In the Union Budget 2022, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that four hundred new-generation Vande Bharat Express trains will be developed and manufactured during the next three years. It is being expected that in the upcoming budget, more funds will be provided for new Vande Bharat trains and Vande Bharat 2.0 with sleeper class.  In line with Government of India’s efforts towards the ‘Make in India’ campaign, the Railways has launched the country’s first indigenous Semi High Speed train – Vande Bharat Express. ...