Junior Digest

June 29,2024: India produced a brilliant performance to defeat South Africa by just seven runs in a dramatic men’s T20 World Cup final, ending a long 13-year wait for the cricket-obsessed nation since its last World Cup win.

It was a nail-biting finale in Bridgetown, Barbados as India set a total of 177 to win – the highest ever score in a men’s T20 final – but South Africa matched it run for run, even pulling ahead at points before some exceptional bowling from India and an outstanding catch from Suryakumar Yadav restricted the Proteas right at the end.

Victory sparked jubilant and emotional celebrations for India after a year of heartbreak for many of its players who lost to Australia in the finals of both the ODI Cricket World Cup and World Test Championship.

India was under pressure early in its innings as some sharp South African bowling reduced it to 39-3 after five overs. But with Axar Patel and talismanic batter Virat Kohli at the crease, India rebuilt.

Together, they put on a 72-run partnership as Axar lofted several sixes over the boundary before a moment’s hesitation allowed Quinton de Kock to run him out at the non-striker’s end and he departed with 47 off 31 balls.

Shivam Dube walked out to the middle and added a quickfire 27 while at the other end, Kohli ticked along and reached a half century – even as he struggled to find the boundary for much of the game. Perhaps spurred by the knowledge that he was playing in his final T20 match for India, as he revealed in his post-match interview, Kohli accelerated in the final three overs to score 76 off 59 balls – a match-changing innings.

He departed in the 18th over, and India lost several late wickets as it chased any possible runs to set a total of 176-7.

Jasprit Bumrah, who has already enjoyed a phenomenal tournament and was named its best player after the match, gave India the perfect start as he bowled Reeza Hendricks in only the second over and South Africa found itself 12-2 shortly afterwards.

But there was still time for the game’s momentum to shift once more as De Kock and rising star Tristan Stubbs sprinted towards a 50-run partnership before Stubbs was bowled by Axar, much to the frustration of De Kock.

South Africa continued to build steadily and almost found itself in a match-winning position when Heinrich Klaasen produced an astonishing performance in the 15th over, hitting Axar for 24 runs and racing towards a half century in just 23 balls, the fastest ever in a men’s T20 World Cup final, according to Opta.

He was finally out after edging Hardik Pandya to Rishabh Pant, giving India a lifeline.

With the match poised on a knife-edge, India’s captain Rohit Sharma sent Bumrah in to bowl his final two overs well ahead of schedule and the star bowler repaid his captain by stymieing the run rate and taking the wicket of Marco Jansen for good measure.

Then, as the tide turned towards India, it seemed as if David Miller had hit a six for South Africa in the penultimate over but for a brilliant catch from Suryakumar Yadav on the boundary, where he caught the ball, threw it up in the air and caught it again as he jumped back inside the ropes.

That gave India the platform it needed and it held on to take the victory by the narrowest of margins.

New Delhi , June20,2024: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Wednesday said that the Centre has kept an overall 7.5 per cent of the budget for the tribal community of India.
He said the government has initiated various schemes for the tribal community which has significantly brought a change in their lives.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Union Minister on tribal budget said, “We have a budget of more than Rs 5 lakh crores for the tribal community that can be spent on their welfare projects. Also, each Ministry has its tribal component. So, in total, we have an overall 7.5 per cent allocation of budget for tribal communities.”
Speaking about the projects for the tribal community, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram asserted, “We are working on the Eklavya Model Mission Schools. We are working on constituting 740 Eklavya Model schools. During the reign of Atal Ji, the targeted mission of schools was 100 from which we had constituted 84. But when the Congress party came into the rule, the mission became relatively slow. But after Narendra Modi Ji came into power, the speed of the project is revamped and now, we have funds of more than Rs 1.50 lakh crores available for the project.”
On the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) – Aajeevika he said, “Along with it, we are working on the livelihood scheme. In the livelihood scheme, we have provided MSPs on more than 87 products which has increased the income of tribes, as, initially the middlemen used to purchase those items at lower rates.”
“We have made 3,958 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra operational. We have built various storage godowns. We are providing marketing support to tribes for the non-timber forest products, which has brought a significant change in their life,” said Jual Oram on other welfare schemes of tribes.
Non-timber forest products are any products or services that come from forests but are not timber
He further stated, “One of the most important aspects was the constitution of the National Education Society (NEST) for tribal students which is very similar to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs). Recruitment is continued for NEST.”
In the meanwhile, preparation for the upcoming Union Budget 2024-25 commenced in Delhi on June 13. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has directed officials to initiate the budget preparation process, emphasizing the need for meticulous planning and comprehensive analysis.
This early start aims to ensure a well-structured budget that effectively addresses the country’s economic priorities and challenges. The collaborative efforts of the ministry’s team are expected to contribute to a robust and strategic financial plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
According to sources, the Union Budget for 2024-25 is likely to be tabled in Parliament by the third week of July. Earlier, on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the interim budget for 2024-2025 in Parliament due to the election year.

Srinagar, June 21,2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the world is looking at yoga as a powerful agent of global good.

Modi was addressing an event while leading celebrations of International Day of Yoga at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake.

The Yoga celebration was disrupted due to rain and the event was shifted indoors at SKICC. The event was originally slated to be held in the lawns of SKICC.

“The theme of this year’s International Yoga day is ‘Yoga for Self and Society’. The world is looking at Yoga as a powerful agent of global good. Yoga helps us live in the present moment without baggage of the past,” Modi said while addressing the participant.

“Yoga helps us realise that our welfare is related to the welfare of the world around us. When we are peaceful within, we can also make a positive impact on the world.”

The Prime Minister said the expansion of yoga has created employment and said the tourists across the globe were visiting India to learn authentic Yoga.

“People from all over the world are coming to India in pursuit of learning authentic yoga. And as a result of this, sectors related to hospitality, tourism, apparel, etc. are booming from the huge inflow of people. This is creating new avenues for employment opportunities for youth,” Modi said.

Modi said he proposed the celebration of International Yoga Day at the United Nations in 2014 and the proposal was supported by 177 nations, which was a record in itself.

“Yoga is now being celebrated all over the world,” he said.

He said the attraction towards Yoga in entire Jammu and Kashmir has given a new impetus to the tourism sector.

Modi arrived in Srinagar on Thursday for his first visit to the union territory after being sworn in as Prime Minister for the third time.

June 14,2024: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has denounced an agreement by Western countries to provide Ukraine with a loan package using frozen Russian assets and pledged retaliation.

Speaking at a meeting on Friday with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Putin said leaders in the West were trying to come up with “some kind of legal basis” for the asset freezes, “but despite all the trickery, theft is still theft and will not go unpunished”.

He added that Moscow’s treatment was proof that “anyone” could be next and punished by an asset freeze.

Putin’s comments came after the Group of Seven (G7) members agreed on an outline deal for a $50bn loan package for Ukraine using interest from Russian sovereign assets frozen after Putin sent his troops into the neighbouring country in February 2022.

The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union also participates in all discussions.

Following the announcement at the G7 annual summit in Italy, US President Joe Biden said the frozen assets agreement was a “significant outcome” and “another reminder to Putin that we’re not backing down”.

The details of the agreement are expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, and the money is expected to reach Ukraine by the end of the year.

However, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the deal on Friday, saying it was “just pieces of paper”.

“These agreements are about nothing. They do not have legal force,” Zakharova was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

Washington DC [US], June 22,2024: The US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that applications are open for USD 850 million in federal funding for projects that will help monitor, measure, quantify, and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Oil and natural gas facilities are the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, a climate “super pollutant” that is many times more potent than carbon dioxide and is responsible for approximately one-third of the warming from greenhouse gases occurring today.
The funding opportunity announced today is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to reduce harmful methane emissions across economic sectors, as outlined in the US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan.

MOSCOW, June 29,2024: President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia should resume production of intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles and then consider where to deploy them after the United States brought similar missiles to Europe and Asia.

Putin’s move finally kills off all that remains from one of the most significant arms controls treaties of the Cold War amid fears that the world’s two biggest nuclear powers could be entering a new arms race together with China.

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in 1987, marked the first time the superpowers had agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals and eliminated a whole category of nuclear weapons.

The United States under former President Donald Trump formally withdrew from the INF Treaty in 2019 after saying that Moscow was violating the accord, an accusation the Kremlin repeatedly denied and dismissed as a pretext.

Russia then imposed a moratorium on its own development of missiles previously banned by the INF treaty – ground-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 km to 5,500 km.

Putin said Russia had pledged not to deploy such missiles but that the United States had resumed their production, brought them to Denmark for exercises and also taken them to the Philippines.

“We need to respond to this and make decisions about what we will have to do in this direction next,” Putin was shown on state television telling Russia’s Security Council.

“Apparently, we need to start manufacturing these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where – if necessary to ensure our safety – to place them,” he said.
DISINTEGRATION

Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed regret about the disintegration of the tangle of arms control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Trump in 2018 said he wanted to terminate the INF Treaty because of what he said were years of Russian violations and his concerns about China’s intermediate-range missile arsenal.

Putin has said in the past that the U.S. withdrawal would trigger a new arms race.

The United States publicly blamed Russia’s development of the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile, known in NATO as the SSC-8, as the reason for it leaving the INF Treaty.

In his moratorium proposal, Putin suggested Russia could agree not to deploy the missiles in its Baltic coast exclave of Kaliningrad. Since leaving the pact, the United States has tested missiles with a similar profile.

Putin said earlier this month he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with long-range Western weapons.

In his comments on Friday, Putin gave no indication of where the missiles could be deployed.

New Delhi, June 21,2024: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday greeted the entire global community, especially the citizens of India, on the occasion of International Day of Yoga and said that yoga is a way to physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
“Greetings to the entire global community, especially the fellow citizens of India on International Yoga Day! Yoga is India’s unique gift to humanity. In view of rising lifestyle-related problems, Yoga has become far more important today. Yoga is a way to physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Let us resolve to adopt yoga as an integral part of our day-to-day living,” the President posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people of the country to make yoga a part of their daily lives as the world celebrated the 10th International Day of Yoga on Friday.
PM Modi performed Yoga at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar today.
“As we mark the 10th International Day of Yoga, I urge everyone to make it a part of their daily lives. Yoga fosters strength, good health and wellness. Wonderful to join this year’s programme in Srinagar,” the Prime Minister posted on social media platform X.
He congratulated all the people of the country and those doing Yoga in every corner of the world and said the world is witnessing a new Yoga economy going forward for the last 10 years.
Speaking at the event in Srinagar, the Prime Minister said that India’s proposal regarding the celebration of International Yoga Day at the United Nations was supported by 177 nations.
“Today, from the land of Kashmir, I congratulate everyone around the world on International Yoga Day! Ten years ago, I proposed the celebration of International Yoga Day at the United Nations. India’s proposal was supported by 177 nations, which is a record in itself. In 2015, on Kartavyapath in Delhi, 35,000 people performed Yogasanas together,” he said.
“On International Yoga Day, I have had the privilege of coming to Kashmir, the land of yoga and meditation. In Srinagar, we are feeling the power that yoga gives us. I congratulate all the people of the country and those doing Yoga in every corner of the world on International Yoga Day from the land of Kashmir,” PM Modi said.
He said that in the last 10 years, the expansion of Yoga has changed the perception related to Yoga adding that the world is seeing a new Yoga economy going forward.
“In the last 10 years, the expansion of Yoga has changed the perception related to Yoga. Today, the world is seeing a new Yoga economy going forward. From Rishikesh and Kashi to Kerala, we can witness a new trend of Yoga Tourism emerging in India. People from all over the world are coming to India in pursuit of learning authentic yoga. Accordingly, sectors related to hospitality, tourism, apparel, etc. are booming from the huge inflow of people. This is creating new avenues for employment opportunities for youth,” PM Modi said.
This year’s theme, “Yoga for Self and Society,” emphasizes yoga’s vital role in fostering both individual well-being and societal harmony.
Since 2015, the Prime Minister has led the International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations at various iconic locations, including Kartavya Path in Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Ranchi, Lucknow, Mysuru and even the United Nations Headquarters in New York

SYDNEY/WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on Wednesday to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that will set him free after a 14-year British legal odyssey and allow his return home to Australia.

Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.

The deal marks the end of a legal saga that has seen Assange spend more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London as he fought accusations of sex crimes in Sweden and battled extradition to the U.S., where he faced 18 criminal charges.

The U.S. government viewed him as a reckless villain who had endangered the lives of agents through WikiLeaks’ mass release of secret U.S. documents – the largest security breaches of their kind in U.S. military history.

But to free press advocates and his supporters, which includes world leaders, celebrities and some prominent journalists, he is a hero for exposing wrongdoing and alleged war crimes, and was persecuted for embarrassing U.S. authorities.

On Wednesday, Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, at 9 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Tuesday).

The U.S. territory in the Pacific was chosen due to Assange’s opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said.

Australian-born Assange left Belmarsh maximum security jail in the early hours of Monday, before being bailed by the London High Court and later boarding a flight, his wife, Stella Assange said. He was currently on a stopover in Bangkok, she said.

“I feel elated,” Stella, who flew to Australia from London on Sunday with the couple’s two children, told Reuters.

“I also feel worried … Until it’s fully signed off, I worry, but it looks like we’ve got there.”

A video posted on X by Wikileaks showed Assange dressed in a blue shirt and jeans signing a document before boarding a private jet. After the hearing in Saipan, Assange will fly to Canberra where he will arrive on Wednesday, his wife said.

He had recently won permission to appeal against the approval of his U.S. extradition and the case was due to be heard at London’s High Court next month, a factor that Stella Assange said helped galvanise talks over a deal.

New Delhi, June 26,2024: NDA candidate and three-time BJP MP Om Birla was on Wednesday re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker by voice vote, marking a rare contest between the Treasury and Opposition benches for the Chair.

Soon after Birla’s election as Speaker for a second successive 5-year term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated him and escorted him to the Speaker’s Chair.

PM Modi addressed the House and highlighted Birla’s achievements as Speaker and MP.

New Delhi, June 27,2024: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the resolve of “reform, perform and transform” has made India the world’s fastest-growing economy.

Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament for the first time after the formation of the third Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, President Murmu said, “In 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the 5th largest economy and despite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate”.

“The resolve to reform, perform and transform has made India the world’s fastest-growing economy,” she said.

“This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in national interest in the last 10 years” he added.

Speaking about the reforms undertaken by the Modi government in the last 10 years, the President said, “Today, India contributes 15 percent of the global growth and the government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world”.

Highlighting the other development projects, the President said the government is giving equal importance to all three pillars of the economy – manufacturing, services and agriculture.

The President added that PLI schemes and Ease of Doing Business are increasing investment and employment opportunities on a large scale.

Talking about farmers, President Murmu said that more than Rs. 3 lakh 20 thousand crore has been given to them under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

The President said the government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops.

“Today’s India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs. Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world. Indian farmers have the full capacity to meet this demand” she further added.

Turning to the Defence sector, the President said, following the reforms, India has upped its defence manufacturing to more than Rs 1 lakh crores

“In the last decade, our defence exports have increased by 18 times and touched Rs 21,000 crores” she said.

The President also congratulated the new Members of parliament and the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla.

She said, “A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Government for the third time.

“People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations…The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways” she said.

On the upcoming Union Budget, the President said, it would be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision…Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget”.

Hailing the role of Election Commission for the successful conduct of the “free and fair” Lok Sabha elections, the President said, “This was the biggest election in the world…Decades-long records of voting have been broken in J&K”.

“For the past 4 decades, Kashmir witnessed low voting amid shutdowns and strikes. India’s enemies propagated it as the opinion of Kashmir, on international forums. But this time, Kashmir valley gave a befitting reply to all such forces” she said.

Touching upon the issuea in the Northeast, The President said for the development of the Northeast, the government has increased the (budget) allocation by over 4 times in the last 10 years.

“My Government is working continuously to bring peace in the Northeast. In the last 10 years, several old issues have been resolved, several agreements have been made and phase-wise repealing of AFSPA is underway in areas with unrest after making rapid progress there” she said.

SEOUL, June 20,2024: North Korea and Russia agreed to provide immediate military assistance if either faced armed aggression, under a pact their leaders signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit in 24 years.

The pledge is seen as the revival of a mutual defence agreement under a 1961 treaty adopted by the Cold War allies that was annulled in 1990 when the Soviet Union established diplomatic ties with South Korea.

The agreement for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday is one of the highest-profile moves in Asia by Moscow in years.

“If either side faces an armed invasion and is in a state of war, the other side will immediately use all available means to provide military and other assistance in accordance with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and the laws of each country,” Article 4 of the agreement says.

Article 51 of the U.N. Charter provides for the right of a member country to take individual or collective self-defence actions.

The pledge by the leaders of the two countries, which are facing increasing international isolation, comes amid growing concern among the United States and its Asian allies over how much Russia would support North Korea, the only country to have tested a nuclear weapon this century.

Kim echoed Putin’s statement explicitly linking their deepening ties to fighting the “hegemonic and imperialist” policies of the West and the United State in particular, including its support for Ukraine.

The agreement also said neither side would sign any treaty with a third country that infringes on the interests of the other and will not allow its territory to be used by any country to harm the other’s security and sovereignty, KCNA said.

The two countries will take joint actions aimed at “strengthening defence capabilities to prevent war and ensure regional and international peace and security”, it said.

South Korea and the White House did not immediately have comment on the reported content of the agreement.

Japan expressed “grave concerns” about Putin’s vow not to rule out cooperation with Pyongyang on military technology.

The reaction from China, the North’s main political and economic benefactor, has been muted.

Washington and Seoul have been increasingly alarmed by deepening military cooperation between Russia and the North, and have accused the two of violating international laws by trading in arms for use in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have said they have found North Korean missile debris inside their country.

Russia and North Korea deny any arms trade.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said Russia, a U.N. Security Council permanent member, has allowed “the most brazen nullification” of all sanctions imposed on North Korea to stop its weapons development.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the pact showed authoritarian powers are aligning.

On his first visit to Pyongyang since 2000, Putin thanked Kim for the support for Russian policy, and Kim reaffirmed “unconditional” and unwavering support for “all of Russia’s policies” including Putin’s war with Ukraine.

KCNA on Thursday released the full text of the agreement, which also included cooperation on nuclear energy, space exploration, food and energy security.

Cha Du Hyeogn, a former South Korean government official who is now a fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said the mutual defence pledge is similar to the one in the 1961 treaty between the North and the Soviet Union.

But the reference to the U.N. Charter and each country’s laws is open for interpretation and it was not clear whether the agreement would constitute an alliance, he said.

“It comes from Kim wanting to put everything in for this agreement, while Putin is being reluctant to do so,” Cha said.

New Delhi, June 20,2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University near Rajgir, Bihar, located close to the site of the ancient ruins of Nalanda.

Nalanda University, established by an Act of the Parliament of India, aims to revive the ancient glory of the historic Nalanda as an international institution for pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical, and spiritual studies.

In a post on X, the PM said: “Today, we are inaugurating the new campus of Nalanda University. It is a reiteration of our commitment to encourage learning, research and innovation. It is also an effort to draw the best scholars from the world to come and pursue their education in our country.”

Speaking at the inauguration, the PM said: “Nalanda is a symbol of India’s academic heritage and vibrant cultural exchange. It is not just a renaissance of India’s past, but the heritage of many countries are linked to this place,” he said.

“Our government is working towards making the country’s higher education system more advanced and research-oriented. I am confident that our youth will provide leadership to the entire world in the future,” Modi said.

He said education is an important tool for the development and prosperity of any country.

“To achieve the goal of a developed nation by 2047, educational institutions are being upgraded to global standards across the country,” the Prime Minister said, adding that all developed countries achieved the present status only due to their rich educational facilities.

Modi said the ancient Nalanda University was ruined by invaders and set ablaze with its rich library.

The Prime Minister said his government was committed to provide all assistance to the newly revived Nalanda University to develop it as a global centre of quality education and wisdom once again.

The government had already announced creation of research fund of Rs 1 lakh crores.

Modi said ten years back, only nine educational institutions had found their place among the top educational institutions in the world, which has now increased to 46. One university was being opened every week, while one ITI was being opened every day in the country, he added.

Modi said an IIT Delhi campus has been opened in Abu Dhabi, and similarly, a campus of IIT Madras has opened in Tanzania, adding that it was expected that the campus of the revived Nalanda University would also be opened in important cities across the globe in the days ahead.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while addressing the function, said then President APJ Abdul Kalam was the one who suggested the ancient Nalanda University be revived. On his suggestion, with the initiative of the Bihar government and the active cooperation of the Centre, ancient Nalanda University was revived.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also recalled the fame of the ancient Nalanda University as the seat of knowledge. He expressed his happiness that several countries had expressed their interest in the revival and development of Nalanda University as a world-class educational institution again.

The PM also planted a sapling of the Bodhi tree – an enduring symbol of Buddhist heritage and Indian spirituality, at the campus.

Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, MoS for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Chancellor of the University, Prof. Aravind Panagariya were among the dignitaries present on this occasion.

The Nalanda University Act provides the basis for implementing the decisions arrived at the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) (Philippines, 2007) for establishment of NU and at the 4th East Asia Summit (Thailand, 2009). While the Nalanda University Act was passed by Parliament in 2010, construction of the present university began in 2017.

The University adds meaning to India’s ‘Act East’ Policy.

Along with India, there are 17 Participating Countries in this endeavour – Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Ambassadors of these countries travelled to Nalanda to participate in the inaugural ceremony, a statement said.

The design and architectural elements of the new 455-acre campus are inspired by the original monasteries and buildings at the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara.

The new campus is also a ‘Net Zero Green Campus’ and includes over 100 acres of water bodies (Kamal Sagar ponds), an on-grid solar plant, a domestic and drinking water treatment plant, and a water recycling plant for reusing wastewater as well as over 100 acres of green cover. The University also has a 250-capacity Yoga Center, a state-of -the-art auditorium, library, an archival centre and a fully equipped sports complex.

The University places emphasis on higher education and research, and offers Post Graduate and Doctoral programs in Buddhist studies, philosophy and comparative religions; languages and literature; ecology and environmental studies; sustainable development and environment; and, international relations and peace studies. At present, students from over 20 countries, including India, are enrolled in various courses at the University.

New Delhi, June 20,2024: In a move that would give boost to wind energy, the Government on Wednesday approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for offshore wind energy projects at a total outlay of Rs 7,453 crore.

This includes an outlay of Rs 6,853 crore for installation and commissioning of 1 GW of offshore wind energy projects (500 MW each off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu), and grant of Rs 600 crore for upgradation of two ports to meet logistics requirements for offshore wind energy projects, an official statement after Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The VGF scheme is a major step towards implementation of the National Offshore Wind Energy Policy notified in 2015 with an aim to exploit the vast offshore wind energy potential that exists within the exclusive economic zone of India.

The VGF support from the Government will reduce the cost of power from offshore wind projects and make them viable for purchase by DISCOMs. While the projects will be established by private developers selected though a transparent bidding process, the power excavation infrastructure, including the offshore substations, will be constructed by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL).

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, as the nodal ministry, will coordinate with various Ministries/Departments to ensure successful implementation of the scheme.

Construction of offshore wind energy projects and its operations also require specific port infrastructure, which can handle storage and movement of heavy and large dimension equipment. Under the scheme, two ports in the country will be supported by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to meet the requirements of offshore wind development.

Offshore wind is a source of renewable energy which offers several advantages over onshore wind and solar projects, such as higher adequacy and reliability, lower storage requirement and higher employment potential.

Development of offshore wind sector will lead to economy-wide benefits by attracting investments, development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities, creation of employment opportunities across the value chain and technology development for offshore wind in the country. This will also contribute towards achieving India’s energy transition targets.

The successful commissioning of 1 GW offshore wind projects will produce renewable electricity of about 3.72 billion units annually, which will result in annual reduction of 2.98 million ton of CO2 equivalent emission for a period of 25 years.

Further, this scheme will not only kick start the offshore wind energy development in India but also lead to creation of required ecosystem in the country to supplement its ocean based economic activities. This ecosystem will support the development of initial 37 GW of offshore wind energy at an investment of about Rs 4,50,000 crore.

Ranchi (Jharkhand) , June 26,2024: Jharkhand CM Champai Soren, Minister Satyanand Bhokta, and others on Wednesday attended a state-level awareness programme against the consumption and sale of narcotic substances in Ranchi.
“Someone who gets affected by narcotics loses hope of going forward and doing good work. Action has been taken against such gangs who peddle drugs…Different types of drugs are being smuggled. Schools and its vicinity are the most affected. By targeting them, the future of youth is being pushed into darkness. If the youth are affected, the state will plunge into darkness once again. So, we should consider this very important. Awareness about this should created in our family and across the state…” said the Jharkhand CM while addressing the event.
CM Soren highlighted that the state is running an awareness campaign in which people have been communicated about narcotics addiction and made aware of how it could potentially destroy society, youth, and their future.
“We are running an awareness campaign in which we try to communicate with every person. We tried to make people aware of how the consumption of narcotics destroys society, youth, and their future. There is an entire nexus of it at work which promotes addiction to various things like brown sugar, opium, ganja, and many more,” said the CM.
Urging people to make a resolution against narcotics abuse, the CM said, “There must be awareness regarding the sale and consumption of narcotics in the state. We should take resolution against this so that we will stay away from narcotics and lead a happy and healthy life. We have given out information on how it can potentially affect the body. I request you to stay in connection with the administration so that you can report such matters and make Jharkhand and the country free of such addictions.”
He further emphasised that the campaign started on June 19 will ensure stringent actions against the peddlers to save the youth and Jharkhand free from the drug menace.

New Delhi, June 26,2024: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the courtroom, in connection with the Excise policy case.
CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal after the Vacation Judge of Delhi Court allowed CBI to examine/interrogate him in the courtroom so that the agency could proceed with his formal arrest.
The court also asked CBI to place on record the material that they have for his arrest.
Kejriwal was today produced before the court of vacation judge Amitabh Rawat in compliance of the production warrant issued by the court yesterday.
During the hearing, Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and AAP leader Dilip Pandey remained present in the courtroom.
CBI’s Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh extensively argued and opposed submissions by Kejriwal’s lawyer.
The advocate also moved an application seeking a supply of applications for interrogation by CBI and the order passed related to that.
Yesterday, Kejriwal was in Tihar Jail and recorded his statement related to the Excise Policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the Excise Policy money laundering case on March 21 this year and presently in Judicial Custody in the case.
One of the lawyers for the Aam Aadmi Party also posted on X, and said that, “The dirty tricks of the Modi government fears the release of Arvind Kejriwal by SC has asked to CBI to make arrest in the same matter almost a year after he joined the investigation. What it shows nothing changed the vindictive mindset of BJP. Shame.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of section 45 of Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.
The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court.
On June 20, the trial judge granted bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The next day, the ED moved an urgent petition before the High Court challenging the bail order. The High Court heard both sides extensively and reserved orders on the ED’s application to stay the bail order and halted the release of Kejriwal until the pronouncement of its order.

Washington, June 21,2024: Former President Donald Trump said in an interview with the All-In podcast that the possibility of NATO expanding to Russia’s border has always been understood to be off the table and such rhetoric now is provocative.

“They don’t want to have it, it’s always been understood, and that’s even before Putin,” Trump said in the podcast that aired on Thursday. “It’s always been understood that was a no-no… that was very provocative, and now it’s even more provocative.”

Trump said that it’s understandable that Russia would be bothered by NATO troops on its border, adding that NATO’s eastward expansion is a key reason for the conflict and that President Biden’s rhetoric about envisioning Ukraine eventually joining NATO is even more provocative.

“Biden was saying all of the wrong things and one of the wrong things he was saying: ‘Ukraine will go into NATO,’…Biden, he was saying the opposite of what in my opinion you had to say…and he’s still saying it,” Trump said.

In addition, Trump vowed to not put US troops on the ground in Ukraine if he returns to the White House.