Junior Digest

Chennai, Mar 5,2024: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed and validated an Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM-3) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) product that determines the intricacies of air quality dynamics over the Indian sub-continent like never before.
In an update, ISRO said researchers are invited to unlock the power of this open data and generate unprecedented insights into aerosol dynamics.
This data product enables determining the intricacies of air quality dynamics over the landmass of the Indian subcontinent.
It is developed using the SAC Aerosol Retrieval (SAER) algorithm, an innovative tool. It utilises EOS-6 satellite data.

“The product is accessible for researchers and students through MOSDAC after the formal registration. This data repository beckons researchers to unravel air quality intricacies like never before. The data serves as a benchmarking air quality simulation model, providing valuable insights for scholars and policymakers towards a cleaner and healthier future,” ISRO said.

This advancement is enabled by the 1 km spatial resolution of the OCM-3 onboard EOS-6. The satellite EOS-6, launched in November 2022, is equipped with a state-of-the-art OCM sensor, marking a significant leap in the ability to monitor atmospheric aerosols.

OCM-3 AOD product data provides unprecedented insights into aerosol concentrations across the Indian landmass. It delves deep into the particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere, empowering researchers to navigate the complexities of air quality dynamics with precision.

Its high-resolution data reveals the dynamics of particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10), offering insights into their distribution and transport over metropolitan areas.

Beyond the Indian skies, the OCM-3 AOD product serves as a global resource for monitoring aerosols worldwide, offering insights into aerosol blankets from diverse sources such as South Asian fires and Canadian wildfires.
As case studies, the recent investigation unveils a notable increase in AOD values post-October 13, 2023, particularly over the Indo-Gangetic plain. Delhi consistently exhibits high AOD values, spotlighting the enduring impact of pollution during and after Deepavali. Mid-December witnessed some improvement in air quality, followed by another spike in AOD levels during mid-January 2024,” ISRO said.

The AOD and fire products, coupled with trajectory modelling, corroborate extensive fire activities, underscoring the role of agricultural residue burning in severe air pollution.

Feb 15,2024: IN a historic verdict barely weeks before the Lok Sabha polls are set to be notified, the Supreme Court struck down Thursday the Narendra Modi government’s 2018 electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding.

Highlighting that “the information about funding to a political party is essential for a voter to exercise their freedom to vote in an effective manner”, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India

D Y Chandrachud, said that changes made in the laws to implement the scheme were unconstitutional.

Holding the scheme “violative” of the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression and right to information, the court did not agree with the Centre’s contention that it was meant to bring about transparency and curb black money in political funding.

In its two separate but unanimous verdicts spanning 232 pages, the court also directed the SBI, the authorised financial institution under the scheme, to submit by March 6 the details of electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019 till date to the Election Commission which will publish the information on its official website by March 13.
“SBI must disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties which shall include the date of encashment and the denomination of the electoral bond,” the bench said.

On April 12, 2019, the SC, in an interim order, had asked political parties to submit details of donations via electoral bonds to the EC in a sealed cover to be kept in the safe custody of the commission till further orders.

The SC also directed that electoral bonds which are within the validity period of 15 days but have not been encashed by political parties shall be returned by the political party or the purchaser — depending on who is in possession of the bond — to the issuing bank which shall refund the amount to the purchaser’s account.

The bench, also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, struck down a set of amendments. “The Electoral Bond Scheme, the proviso to Section 29C(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (as amended by Section 137 of the Finance Act 2017); Section 182(3) of the Companies Act (as amended by Section 154 of the Finance Act 2017); and Section 13A(b) (of the Income Tax Act) (as amended by Section 11 of the Finance Act 2017) are violative of Article 19(1)(a) and unconstitutional,” the bench said.

It held that “the deletion of the proviso to Section 182(1) of the Companies Act, permitting unlimited corporate funding to political parties is arbitrary and violative of Article 14”.

Section 29C of the RPA as amended by the Finance Act 2017 stipulated that the political party need not disclose financial contributions received through electoral bonds. Section 13A of the IT Act as amended said that the political party does not have to maintain a record of contributions received through electoral bonds. Section 182 of the Companies Act 2013 was amended by the Finance Act 2017 by which the earlier requirement of disclosure of particulars of the amount contributed by companies to political parties in their profit and loss accounts was deleted and donors were only required to disclose the amount contributed without disclosing particulars about the political party to which the contribution was made.

The court did not agree with the Centre’s submission that the political party which receives the contribution does not know of the identity of the contributor as neither the bond would have their name nor could the bank disclose such details to the party.

The court argued that “de jure anonymity of the contributors does not translate to de facto anonymity.” Saying that the scheme is not fool-proof, the court said that there are “sufficient gaps” in the scheme which enable political parties to know who paid how much.

For example, Clause 12 of the scheme says the bond can be encashed only by the party by depositing it in the designated bank account. “The contributor could physically hand over the electoral bond to an office-bearer of the political party…or the contributor could after depositing the electoral bond disclose the particulars of the contribution to a member of the political party for them to cross-verify. …ninety four percent of the contributions through electoral bonds have been made in the denomination of one crore. Electoral bonds provide economically resourced contributors who already have a seat at the table selective anonymity vis-à-vis the public and not the political party,” the court said.

The government had argued that the scheme was intended to curb black money and ensure that contributions to parties flow through legitimate banking channels.

But the bench held that the scheme does not satisfy the least restrictive test necessary for imposing curbs under Article 19(2) on the right to information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. “The purpose of curbing black money is not traceable to any of the grounds in Article 19(2)”.

The court added that the scheme “is not the only means for curbing black money in Electoral Financing” and “there are other alternatives which substantially fulfil the purpose and impact the right to information minimally when compared to the impact of electoral bonds on the right to information”.

For contributions below Rs 20,000, electronic transfer is the “least restrictive” and “Electoral Trust” for amounts above that, it pointed out.

The bench held that “the right to informational privacy extends to financial contributions to political parties which is a facet of political affiliation” but added that “the Constitution does not establish a hierarchy between the right to information guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) and the right to informational privacy to political affiliation, traceable to Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(b), 19(1)(c), and Article 21”.

The SC said, “we are unable to see how the disclosure of information about contributors to the political party to which the contribution is made would infringe political expression. .. Under the current Scheme, it is still open to the political party to coerce persons to contribute. Thus, the argument of the Union of India that the Electoral Bond Scheme protects the confidentiality of the contributor akin to the system of secret ballot is erroneous”.

On the amendment to Section 182 of the Companies Act permitting unlimited political contributions by companies as manifestly arbitrary, the SC said “the ability of a company to influence the electoral process through political contributions is much higher when compared to that of an individual.”

A company, the bench said, has a “much graver influence on the political process, both in terms of the quantum of money contributed to political parties and the purpose of making such contributions.” It added: “Contributions made by individuals has a degree of support or affiliation to a political association. However, contributions made by companies are purely business transactions, made with the intent of securing benefits in return. The amendment to Section 182 is manifestly arbitrary for treating political contributions by companies and individuals alike”.

The apex court said, “Companies before the amendment to Section 182 could only contribute a certain percentage of the net aggregate profits. The provision classified between loss-making companies and profit-making companies for the purpose of political contribution and for good reason.. the underlying principle of this distinction was that it is more plausible that law-making companies will contribute to political parties with a quid pro and not for the purpose of income tax benefits”.

“The provision as amended by the Finance Act of 2017 does not recognise that the harm of contributions by loss-making companies in the form of quid pro quo is much higher. Thus the amendment…is manifestly arbitrary for not making a distinction between profit-making and loss-making companies for the purposes of political contribution”.

The court pointed out: “The purpose of Section 182 is to curb corruption and electoral financing. For instance, the purpose of banning a government company from contributing is to prevent such companies from entering the political fray. Amendment to Section 182 by permitting unlimited corporate contributions authorises unrestrained influence of companies in the electoral process. This is violative of the principle of free and fair elections and political equality captured in the value of one person, one vote.”

The verdict said financial contributions to political parties are usually made for two reasons — they may constitute an expression of support to the political party or the contribution may be based on a “quid pro quo”.

“The huge political contributions made by corporations and companies should not be allowed to conceal the reason for financial contributions made by another section of the population: a student, a daily wage worker, an artist, or a teacher. When the law permits political contributions and such contributions could be made as an expression of political support which would indicate the political affiliation of a person, it is the duty of the Constitution to protect them,” it said.

In October last year, the bench began hearing arguments on the four petitions, including those filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Feb 16,2024: Farmers demanding higher prices for their crops will postpone a planned protest march to New Delhi until unions hold another round of talks with government ministers on Sunday.

Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who met farmers’ representatives on Thurdsay along with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, said the talks were “positive”.

“We have decided that the next meeting to take the discussion forward will take place on Sunday at 6 pm…We believe we will all find a solution together peacefully,” he told reporters following Thursday’s meeting.

Protest leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal also told reporters the farmers would hold off their march for now.

Mumbai, February 26,2024:: Globally renowned Ghazal maestro and Padma Shri recipient Pankaj Udhas passed away on Monday at the age of 72.
Taking to Instagram, Pankaj Udhas’ daughter Nayaab shared a statement on Instagram which read, “With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padmashri Pankaj Udhas on 26th February 2024 due to a prolonged illness.”
The legendary singer passed away after a prolonged illness.
Soon after Nayaab shared the news of the singer’s demise, his fans swamped the comment section and posted their condolences.
Among the evergreen ghazals that Pankaj Udhas lent his vocals to were ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’, ‘Chandani Raat Mein’, ‘Na Kajre Ki Dhaar’, ‘Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein’, ‘Ek Taraf Uska Ghar’ and ‘Thodi Thodi Piya Karo’.
Udhas and his elder brother Manhar Udhas were both known for their soulful singing. While the younger brother made his singing debut in 1970s with several Bollywood projects, Pankaj Udhaas was best known for ‘chhitthi aayi hai‘ from 1986 blockbuster ‘Naam’.
The song made Pankaj Udhas a household name in 80s. Indian cinema’s ultimate showman Raj Kapoor once told Udhas that this song had immortalised him – ‘tu amar ho gaya.’ During a media interaction, Udhas had said that this song was recorded in a single take.
Born on April 17, 1951, in Gujarat’s Savarkundla, Pankaj Udhas belonged to a family deeply rooted in music. His elder brother, Manhar Udhas, had established himself as a prominent Hindi playback singer in Bollywood. Pankaj Udhas later relocated to Mumbai and pursued his education at St. Xavier’s College.

Apart from ‘chitthi aayi hai‘ from the 1986 hit Naam, other memorable Bollywood number by Pankaj Udhas include 1994 chart-topper ‘na kajre ki dhar‘ from the film Mohra. Not only Bollywood, Udhas made a mark with his non-film songs such as ‘chandi jaisa rang hai tera,’ ‘chupke chupke sakhiyon se‘ and ‘ahista‘.

Krishnanagar, Mar 2,2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled development projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in West Bengal on Saturday. The prime minister unveiled the projects at an official function in Krishnanagar in Nadia district.

He said the projects would help Bengal to be self-reliant, and more investments would come. He said that for modernization, a state needs to be self-reliant on power, which helps industrial development, railway networks, and technologies.

Modi said he was expecting an investment of Rs 11,000 in Bengal. Once highly developed, Bengal gradually lost its importance following negligence immediately after India became independent.

Modi said he inaugurated and laid foundation stones worth over Rs 7,000 crore for the development of the state on Friday. He said the state is the gateway to eastern India. Among others, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station Phase II (2×660 MW), located at Raghunathpur in Purulia district. This coal-based thermal power project of the Damodar Valley Corporation employs highly efficient, critical technology.

The new plant will be a step towards strengthening the energy security of the country.

Besides, the flue gas desulfurisation (FGD) system of Units 7 and 8 of Mejia Thermal Power Station. Developed at a cost of about Rs 650 crore, the FGD system will remove sulfur dioxide from flue gases, produce clean flue gas, and form gypsum, which can be used in the cement industry.

He also unveiled the road project for four laning of the Farakka-Raiganj Section of NH-12 (100 km). Developed at a cost of about Rs 1986 crore, the project will reduce traffic congestion, improve connectivity, and contribute to socio socio-economic development of North Bengal and the Northeast region.

The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation four rail projects worth more than Rs 940 crore, including the project for the doubling of the Damodar-Mohishila rail line; the third line between Rampurhat and Murarai; doubling of the Bazarsau-Azimganj rail line; and a new line connecting Azimganj and Murshidabad. These projects will improve rail connectivity, facilitate freight movement, and contribute to economic and industrial growth in the region.

Dehradun, Feb 7,2024: The Uttarakhand assembly on Wednesday passed the landmark Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill, that proposes the same set of laws governing issues like marriage, divorce, and inheritance for all religions.

Uttarakhand has become the first state in India to pass such a legislation in its Assembly.

Speaking in the assembly during the discussion on the issue, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the UCC was introduced under constitutional provisions. The bill will become law once it is cleared by the governor.

“After independence, the makers of the Constitution gave the states the right under Article 44 to introduce the UCC at an appropriate time… People have doubts regarding this. We made the draft as per the constitutional system,” he said.

The UCC bill proposes to have the same set of laws governing issues like marriage, divorce, and inheritance for all religions.

Among the many proposals, the legislation makes it compulsory for live-in relationships to be registered under the law.

Once the proposed UCC Bill is in place, “live-in relationships” must be registered under the law within 1 month from the “date of entering into the relationship.”To live in a live-in relationship, adults must obtain consent from their parents”.

The bill also imposes a ban on child marriage and introduces a uniform process for divorce.

UCC provides equal rights to women of all religions in their ancestral property.

February 27,2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the names of the four astronauts, who would fly to low-Earth orbit as part of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Gaganyaan — the first crewed Indian space mission.

The selected astronauts are Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, (Group Captain) Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubanshu Shukla. They are all either wing commanders or group captains with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and have extensive experience working as test pilots.

The announcement came just days after ISRO said it had successfully tested the human readiness of the cryogenic engine, which will be used on the LVM3 vehicles for all of the Gaganyaan missions.

The Gaganyaan missions include both manned and unmanned missions. The first unmanned Gaganyaan-1 mission, a test flight to check the technology readiness for the final mission, is scheduled to take off by the end of 2024. The manned mission, which will fly a three-membered crew into a low earth orbit at an altitude of 400 km for a period of three days, is scheduled later.

New Delhi, Feb 27,2024: The Congress on Tuesday attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government saying that if it has eliminated poverty, then why people were forced to commit suicide due to financial constraints and the poorest five percent spending only Rs 46 daily.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, party leader Supriya Shrinate said, “In 2022, more than 7000 people committed suicide due to financial constraints, every hour two farmers are forced to end their lives and everyday 40 youth die by suicide out of despair”.

Supriya said that according to Modi Government, if only seven crore people are poor in the country then why do 81 crore people have to be given free ration? Moreover why do 35 crore people have no means of transportation and 45 crore people have no television?

She further alleged that there has been a decline in daily use items which proves that people are not able to spend. Adding that two years ago India’s domestic saving rate was 11 percent above GDP but in two years this ratio has fallen to five percent.

“The reduction of savings rate to less than half proves that people are struggling with inflation, poverty and economic inequality,” the Congress leader said.

She also alleged that the NITI Aayog was giving different figures related to poverty and demanded from the government that which these reports were true.

Supriya said that the NITI Aayog survey has proved that the gap is growing between the rich and the poor of the country.

Citing the report, the Congress leader said that if the five percent richest living in rural areas are spending Rs 350 daily then the five percent poorest spend Rs 46 per day. While, the five percent richest in urban area spend Rs 700 daily, the five percent poorest spend Rs 67 a day.

“Our leaders Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have been raising the issue of wide gap between the rich and the poor,” she said.

Supriya Shrinate said that the country’s economic credibility was being destroyed by bringing such misleading surveys and demanded that the government comes up with the correct report.

Feb 25,2024: Kumar Shahani, the pole star of the parallel cinema movement in India, passed away in Kolkata on Sunday at 83 due to age-related illness. He was always a critic’s choice. He captured the truth in every frame and his distinct portrayal of the changing human condition in Maya Darpan (1972), Tarang (1984) and Kasba (1990) has withstood the test of time.

Having resisted the temptations of popular taste, he would build half the bridge, offer his hand, and then expect his audience to embrace his unique point of view. For him, it was not just the individuality of a person that had to be respected and reflected but also that of the objects that surrounded him and the events that he was part of. He would often say self-realisation didn’t come from taking a selfie.

Born in Larkana in the Sindh region of undivided India, Shahani’s family shifted to Mumbai after Partition via Karachi. He found his voice at the Poona Film Institute under the guidance of the maverick Ritwik Ghatak and Marxist historian D.D. Kosambi, who helped shape his worldview. A strong critic of the manipulative power of capitalism, his works echoed the concerns and compromises of the working class, without being didactic.
Shahani went to Paris on a French government scholarship and assisted Robert Bresson on Une Femme Douce (1969). He experienced the student unrest of May 1968 against capitalism, consumerism, and American imperialism. Strictly against the commodification of emotions, he was inspired by the minimalism of European masters but did not shun decorative metaphors that defined the Indian tradition altogether. Having studied the epic tradition in Hindu and Buddhist mythology and iconography as part of the Homi Bhaba scholarship, the amalgam of European formalism and Indian mythology and music resulted in a unique visual signature where no ism screamed for attention. Against putting cinema into brackets of parallel and commercial, Shahani often praised the contribution of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar but maintained that popular cinema should make an effort to look beyond the image.

The connoisseurs of cinema loved to engage with his contemplative imagery, brought to life by his friend and trusted cinematographer K.K. Mahajan, that was not bound by geographical boundaries. When he emerged on the scene with Maya Darpan, his distinct voice was recognised as a breakthrough in cinematic language in the European and American circuits. Though the film that dealt with a woman’s desire caught in a feudal society won him the National Film Award, he found resistance on his home turf and it took him 12 years to mount his next film, Tarang, where he astutely examined the class struggle in a capitalist society functioning under the garb of democratic socialism.
In love with literary sources, for Maya Darpan, Shahani drew from Nirmal Verma’s short story but gave it his interpretation, which the author took time to come to terms with. In Tarang, Janaki’s character recalls the mythical Urvashi analysed by Kosambi in Myth And Reality. In Kasba, he reimagined Chekov’s In the Ravine in the Indian milieu to tell the tale of a local businessman who indulges in malpractices, and Char Adhyay was based on Rabindranath Tagore’s novel. However, the availability of funds proved to be a lifelong hurdle, as many of his ambitious ideas, including an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, could not fructify.

Another remarkable feature of his work is the seamless integration of Indian classical music, dance, and visual arts in his storytelling. In Khayal Gatha, he traces the history of the Khayal genre of Indian classical music. His seminal documentary Bhavanatarana, on the legendary Odissi exponent Kelucharan Mohapatra, continues to inspire, and so does The Bamboo Flute, his tribute to the Indian flute.

Shahani introduced talents like Rajat Kapoor and Mita Vashisht, and worked with mainstream actors Amol Palekar, Girish Karnad, Smita Patil, and Shatrughan Sinha without pandering to their star image.

When cinema is reduced to just a utilitarian device, Shahani will be missed but then his ideas will live on through his students, including Rajat Kapoor, Fareeda Mehta, Paresh Kamdar, and Gurvinder Singh.(courtesy: The Hindu)

New Delhi, Feb 26,2024: To give a boost in the infrastructure of Indian Railways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 2000 projects worth over Rs. 41,000 crore via video conferencing.

This includes the projects of redevelopment of 553 railway stations, 1500 Road Over Bridges and Underpasses across the country.

The redevelopment of 553 stations spread across 27 States and Union Territories, will be redeveloped at a cost of over Rs. 19,000 crore, which will act as ‘City Centres’ integrating both sides of the city”.

The Road Over Bridges and Underpasses are spread across 24 States and Union Territories. The total cost of these projects is around Rs. 21,520 crores, and it “will reduce congestion, enhance safety and connectivity, and improve the capacity, and efficiency of rail travel”.

Speaking at the event, Modi said, “Today’s programme is symbolic of the new India’s work ethic with an unprecedented speed at an unprecedented scale”.

The PM said, “The pace of laying new railway lines has doubled in the last 10 years. From Jammu and Kashmir to North-East… Indian Railways is reaching places where people had not even imagined.”

“Ten years ago, advanced and luxurious trains like Vande Bharat and Namo Bharat were beyond our imagination. While, today, this has become a part of our daily lives” he added.

Modi noted the youth will be the top beneficiaries of these projects.

“It will provide them with new employment opportunities. ‘Viksit Bharat’ is the Bharat of young aspirations.I want to tell the youth that your aspirations are my resolve” he further added.

The Prime Minister said as the economy jumps to 5th place in global ranking from 11th, there is a massive increase in the railway budget from 45,000 crore 10 years ago to 2.5 lakh crore today.

“Just imagine how much our strength will increase when we become the third largest economic superpower in the world”, Modi said.

During the event, the PM also launched Inaugurates redeveloped Gomti Nagar Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi, Feb 29,2024: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant permission to Vedanta, to reopen its Sterlite copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin saying the company has committed ‘repeated breaches’ and ‘serious violations.’
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra dismissed the special leave petition filed by Vedanta Limited against the Madras High Court order which dismissed a batch of pleas by the company against the closure of its copper plant in Tuticorin and the orders of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
The Supreme Court said, “. Although the unit has been contributing to the productive assets of the nation and providing employment and revenue in the area, the well-settled principles of environmental jurisprudence must be remembered.” Reminding the company of the principles of sustainable development, The apex court held that the health and welfare of the residents of the area are of utmost concern, and in the ultimate analysis, the state government is responsible for preserving and protecting their concerns.

The Supreme Court held that “After capable evaluation, we have concluded that the special leave petition by the industrial unit does not warrant interference under Article 136. The special leave petition stands dismissed.”

The court was hearing the Vedanta’s plea where it challenged the Madras High Court orders which had refused to grant renewal permissions for their plant at Tuticorin.

The Tamil Nadu Government had ordered the closure of the unit because the company was violating environmental norms. The Madras High Court had agreed to look into all aspects of the matter to decide on both the closure and renewal of the plant. The petitioner consented to this. If the orders were set aside, the government and board could ask the high court to send the case back for a fresh decision, but the petitioner agreed to let the high court decide everything.

The High Court after long deliberations rejected Vedanta’s plea challenging the Tamil Nadu government decision which had refused.to renew the Sterlite copper plant’s permission to operate.

On the Pollution Board’s behalf, Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan emphatically argued that the facility had been closed due to extensive pollution in the surrounding area. Despite recommendations from several committees urging the company to take corrective actions, these measures were not implemented, he alleged.

The High Court ultimately ruled against the Indian multinational mining company, holding that the company had committed many violations.

New Delhi Feb 3,2023: Former Deputy Prime Minister and veteran BJP leader L K Advani will be conferred with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his social media handle X.

Through his post, the PM said that he spoke to LK Advani and congratulated him on being conferred this honour.

Narendra Modi on X said, “I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour”.

“One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights,” he added.

Chennai, Feb 18,2024: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted one more accused in a case related to the revival of the proscribed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka and India.
A NIA statement here said, the chargesheet was filed on Saturday evening before the Special Court for NIA cases/Sessions Court for exclusive trials of Bomb Blast cases at Poonamallee here by the NIA Kochi branch.
Lingam.A alias Adilingam is the 14th accused to be chargesheeted in the case, in which 16 people were arraigned as accused so far.
Adilingam has been charged with conspiring and acting to revive the proscribed terrorist organisation through illegal trade in narcotic drugs and arms.
He had also acted as an agent for collection of hawala money obtained from the sale of narcotic drugs, which were being further distributed to promote LTTE activities.
In the supplementary chargesheet filed before the court, the agency has elaborated on the role of Adilingam in the entire conspiracy.
The chargesheet reveals that the accused was working as Production Executive in the Tamil film industry while he was clandestinely working as a key operative of the major LTTE leaders/cadres and drug traffickers, including Gunasekaran and his son Thilipan, both citizens of Sri Lanka.
Earlier, on June 15, 2023, the NIA had filed a chargesheet before the Special Court against 13 accused, charging them with hatching conspiracies in various parts of Tamil Nadu to carry out terrorist activities and drug trafficking in the territorial waters of the Indian Ocean.
One such case was registered and investigated by the NIA Kochi Branch following the seizure of a huge consignment, intercepted by central agencies in 2021. The consignment consisted of over 300 kgs of heroin, five AK-47 rifles and 1,000 rounds of Pakistan-made ammunition.

Chennai, Feb 28,2024: Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ platform that will offer courses developed collaboratively with the industry at an event in Delhi on Tuesday.

These employability and professional development‐focused programs have been developed with leading industry players such as L&T, Microsoft, CISCO etc. to bring to its learners, a release from IIT-Madras said.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will be operating the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ Platform. IIT Madras was among the founder institutions of Swayam-NPTEL, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform providing educational opportunities for a vast number of learners.

A popular e-learning platform, SWAYAM has the largest enrolment base today, with the total enrolment increasing from 31 lakh in 2017 to more than 72 lakh by end of 2023.

The establishment of SWAYAM Plus would enhance employability of both college students and lifelong learners. The industry-academia partnership would combine the academic rigour of SWAYAM’s educational platform with the real-world expertise and relevance offered by industry partners. SWAYAM Plus platform will offer programs in sectors like Manufacturing, Energy, Computer Science and Engineering/IT/ITES, Management Studies, Healthcare, Hospitality and Tourism besides Indian Knowledge Systems, among many others.

Launching the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ portal, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said, “The National Education Policy (NEP) is on roll and for the first time, reputed industrial houses will be coming with their own academy, partnering with the UGC, esteemed education departments, and prestigious institutes like IIT Madras. All these courses will be accredited.”

Elaborating he said, “SWAYAM Plus offers employability, entrepreneurial mode, and job-centric courses, emphasizing practical, hands-on learning. Our goal is to make education industry-fit, providing learners with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the professional world.”

“Higher education is no longer limited to the traditional student. It is now accessible to the working population as well. The NEP 2020’s provision for multiple entry and exit points allows individuals to pursue education at their own pace. This concept is embodied in SWAYAM Plus, a vehicle that enables working professionals to balance their work and studies by offering a plethora of online courses. With SWAYAM Plus, we are empowering individuals to upskill and reskill, enhancing their career prospects and contributing to India’s knowledge economy”, he added.

Reskilling and upskilling initiatives play a pivotal role in addressing skill gaps, ensuring employability, and fostering a culture of lifelong learning. Through collaborative efforts between academia, industry, and the government, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 endeavours to create a workforce that is well-prepared for the challenges of the modern world and can thrive in diverse sectors, driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive development.

Speaking during the launch event, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “There is an exponentially growing demand for trained manpower in core areas spanning across not restricted to health care, logistics, technology, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing. With rapid changes in these areas, there is a need to augment certain recent topics for fresh students and upskilling for the already employed. Swayam Plus will be a single window solution serving the above National cause.”

The exposure through these courses would equip students with not only theoretical knowledge but also the skills, practices and latest trends demanded by the job market. It would bridge the gap between academia and industry, making college graduates more job-ready and competitive.

New Delhi, Feb 28,2024: The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed the contempt of court proceedings against Ghaziabad Development Authority officials who had failed to adequately compensate certain landowners whose land was acquired by the authority in 2004 and said there seems to be no will full disobedience of the court’s orders.

A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta after finding it plausible that there may have been miscommunications between the GDA and the lawyers who represented the authority in Court, said there was no wilful disobedience of the court’s orders by the GDA and disposed of the contempt case.

The court clarified that it had not decided on the validity of the compensation award and that the landowners were still free to challenge the same if required.

Any such challenge should be decided on within six months, the Court added.

The court said the state and its instrumentalities cannot project that they are being gracious in compensating the landowners, adding that the right to property under Article 300-A of the Constitution is still a constitutional right.

“Depriving a citizen of his Constitutional Right to use the land for 20 years and then showing graciousness by paying the compensation and beating drums that the state has been gracious, in our view, is unacceptable. The state is not doing charity by paying compensation to the citizen for the acquisition of land,” the Court said.

The case pertains to a contempt case filed by the land owners through Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu briefed by a team from Vachher against the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) officials who had failed to adequately compensate certain people whose land was acquired by the authority in 2004.

The top court noted that a compensation award was passed in December 2023 only after the issue of contempt notices to the GDA.

Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Siddharth Luthra, and Ravindra Kumar appeared for the alleged contemnors (officials of the GDA).

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the Ghaziabad Development Authority.

The Court commented that the GDA had taken seven long years to conclude that the land acquired was not residential land but agricultural land.

The GDA said that the delay had worked out well for the landowners since they would now get a “handsome amount” as compensation under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, instead of a lesser amount under the earlier 1956 land acquisition law, but the bench was not impressed. The court said that the argument on behalf of the State or its instrumentalities after holding the land of a citizen for 20 years and then taking a plea that the land owners are getting benefited, is something “unpalatable.”

Moradabad, Feb 21,2024: Putting an end on the speculations about a rift between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress over seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday made it clear that both the parties will jointly contest the Lok Sabha election and asserted that there is no dispute between the two parties.

Akhilesh said that there will be an alliance between SP and Congress in UP and both the parties will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election together.

He said that there is no dispute regarding seat sharing.

The SP President said, “Discussions have taken place between the two parties. Both the parties will contest the Lok Sabha election together. An agreement has been reached regarding seat sharing.

There is no dispute between the two parties now. Everything will become clear to you very soon.”

About participating in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of Rahul Gandhi, Yadav said that ‘all is well that ends well’.

New Delhi, Feb 7,2024: Addressing the logjam on the issue of funds devolution to Karnataka, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that making false claims against the Finance Commission in the media shows the separatist mindset of the Congress.

“Through this advertisement in the media, the Congress is taking forward the language of separatism. This is one of the ways to break the country into pieces, and that way is by making false claims against the Finance Commission,” she told reporters here.

Sitharaman said the Karnataka government has given full-page national newspaper advertisements by using taxpayers’ money, in which six claims have been made, but two of them are outrageously false.

“One, it says zero has been given by the Centre for drought, which is disaster relief. Not zero. I told you a total of Rs 12,476 crore, has been given for disaster management and capital investment.

“If we have given money for disaster relief, how are they (Karnataka government) mentioning it in the advertisement?” she asked.

Sitharaman also dismissed the Karnataka government’s claim on non-release of special grants to the state.

She said, “The ad also claims the special grant is a mirage. I mentioned in the beginning that the special grant was not even there in the final recommendation. So, there is no recommendation of the Finance Commission but you are mentioning that here.”

These false claims by the Congress are the offshoot of a separatist mindset, Sitharaman said.

“I would like to humbly say that all of these things are arising out of just one mindset – the mindset of separatism – what the Deputy CM’s brother said. Congress party today is with separatists and they don’t condemn them.

“In this case as well, through this advertisement, the Congress is taking forward the language of separatism. This is one of the ways to break the country into pieces. The way is by leveling false allegations on the Finance Commission,” she said.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led a “Chalo Delhi” protest by the state Congress leaders against the central government’s tax devolution policies.

Siddaramaiah alleged that for every Rs 100 given to the Centre, the state gets Rs 13 in return. He also said though Karnataka is the second-highest tax contributor nationwide, the centrally sponsored schemes grants have witnessed a consistent decline.

“From Rs 20,986 crore in 2021-22, it has sharply dropped to Rs 13,005 crore in 2023-24 – an alarming Rs 7,000 crore reduction,” he said.

The Centre is yet to release funds for flood relief and farmers issues in Karnataka, Karnataka CM alleged. “The reduction in our state’s share of central taxes from 4.71 percent in the 14th Finance Commission to 3.64 percent in the 15th Finance Commission has led to a staggering loss of approximately Rs 62,098 crore to Karnataka over five years,” he said.

New Delhi, February 18,2024: Looking back at 10 years of the government at the Centre under his leadership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the past decade at the helm bears testimony to courageous and far-reaching decisions.
Addressing party leaders and supporters on the closing day of the BJP’s National Convention at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi said, “The last 10 years of our government stands testimony to courageous and far-reaching decisions. We resolved tasks that had been pending for centuries. We fulfilled a dream and a wish going back five centurues by building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The country, in general, and Jammu and Kashmir in particular, were rid of Article 370 after nearly seven decades. Also, it took us six decadaes after independence to rename ‘Rajpath’ as ‘Kartavya Path’. The demand for ‘One Rank, One Pension’ was also fulfilled after four decades by our government,” PM Modi said.
Expanding on the signifcance of the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, a legislation aimed at raising the representation of women in Parliament and state legislatures, Prime Minister Modi said, “We brought a law that guarantees more reservation for women in the Parliament as well as state legislative assemblies after three decades. We also showed the courage to implement a law that puts an end to the practice of Triple Talaq (among Muslims). The requirement for a new Parliament House had been felt by many for long. It was our government that fulfilled this long-pending requirement.”
PM Modi further said the BJP workers are fortunate to have witnessed ‘revolutionary changes’ across the country over the last 10 years.
“The BJP workers are fortunate to have witnessed revolutionary changes over the past 10 years of our government. Any country can progress and reach its promised place when the people come to appreciate and cherish its heritage and history. During our decade in governance, the country has not only come to cherish its heritage but also flaunt it with pride,” PM Modi said.
Earlier, on the inaugural day of the national convention on Saturday, the BJP passed a significant political resolution titled ‘Viksit Bharat’, highlighting the achievements of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre under Prime Minister Modi. It added that the BJP would return for a third term at the helm and carry forward its roadmap for holistic development and welfare.
With the Lok Sabha polls around the corner, the BJP National Convention was aimed at fleshing out the party’s strategy and charging up cadres ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mumbai, Feb 23,2024: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi passed away on Friday morning following a cardiac arrest, party sources said.

86-year-old Joshi passed away at 3 a.m. at P.D. Hinduja Hospital.

His mortal remains have been kept at his house in Matunga, and the last rites will be performed at Shivaji Park crematorium.
Manohar Joshi served as chief minister from 1995 to 1999 and was the first leader from the undivided Shiv Sena to occupy the top post in the state. He was also elected as a Member of Parliament and was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004 when the Vajpayee government was in power.
Joshi began his career as a teacher and entered politics in 1967. He was associated with the Shiv Sena for more than four decades.
He was a municipal councilor in Mumbai during 1968-70 and Chairman, Standing Committee of the Mumbai municipal corporation in 1970. He was the Mayor of Mumbai during 1976-1977.
He was then elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1972. After serving three terms in the Legislative Council, Joshi was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1990 and was the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly during 1990-91.

In the 1999 general elections, Joshi won from the Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha Constituency as a Shiv Sena candidate, and was later Union minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

New Delhi, Feb 29,2024: Acknowledging India’s leading role in conserving tigers, other big cats and many of its endangered species, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved the establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with headquarters in India with a one-time budgetary support of Rs.150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

On the occasion of Global Tiger Day, 2019 the Prime Minister had called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to curb poaching in Asia. He reiterated this on the occasion of Commemorating 50 years of India’s Project Tiger on April 9, 2023 and formally announced launch of an International Big Cat Alliance aiming at securing the future of big cats and landscapes they thrive.

The pioneering and long standing tiger and other big cat conservation good practices evolved in India may-be replicated in many other range countries.

Seven big cats include Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and the Cheetah out of these five big cats viz. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah are found in India.

The IBCA has been conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries, non-range countries interested in big cat conservation, conservation partners and scientific organizations working in the field of big cat conservation besides business groups and corporates willing to contribute to the cause of big cats.

This is to establish networks and develop synergies in a focused manner so as to bring to a common platform a centralized repository of successful practices and personnel, backed by financial support which can be leveraged to strengthen the conservation agenda in the field to arrest decline in big cat population and reverse the trend.

This will be a demonstrative step in leadership position on big cat agenda, to bring range countries and others on a common platform.

IBCA has secured Government of India’s initial support of Rs. 150 crore for five years (2023-24 to 2027-28). For augmented corpus, contributions from bilateral and multilateral agencies; other appropriate institutions and mobilizing financial support from public sector organizations, national and international financial institutions and donor agencies will further be explored.

The Alliance ensures sustainable use of natural resources and mitigates challenges emanating from climate change. By safeguarding big cats and their habitats, the IBCA contributes to natural climate adaptation, water and food security and well-being of thousands of communities reliant on these ecosystems.

IBCA would instil cooperation among countries for mutual benefit and immensely contribute in furthering long term conservation agenda.