The Congress party has urged the Centre to expedite the safe return of BSF constable Purnam Sahu, who was detained by Pakistan Rangers after inadvertently crossing the border in Punjab. The incident occurred amidst heightened tensions following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Sahu's family awaits his return as discussions between border forces are underway.
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Shukla Debnath, a 37-year-old NGO worker from Bengal, was trampled during a stampede at Maha Kumbh, causing her to lose consciousness. The lack of crowd control was evident, with no barricades or drop gates segregating the crowd, leading to panic and injuries among pilgrims.
On the final day of his official visit to Tibetan settlements in West Bengal, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, visited various Tibetan monasteries, addressing the oppressive policies of China.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched a 'Kumbh War Room' at Rail Bhawan ahead of Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Operating 24x7, it features live CCTV feeds from 1,176 cameras across nine stations and multilingual announcements. With Rs 5,000 crore invested in infrastructure, 13,000 trains will ensure smooth operations. This enhances coordination between railway officials and district authorities.
IAS officer Mannuamching takes over as DC of Pherzawl district, while Asish Das is transferred to Ukhrul district. Meanwhile, Myanaglambam Rajkumar is moved to Imphal West, and L Nandakumar Singh is the new DC of Chandel. Several SPs have also been transferred, including Rakesh Balwal to Imphal East and Shivanand Surve to Senapati.
Chhattisgarh cabinet's new policy will aid Maoist violence victims and reintegrate surrendered Maoists. It offers land, compensation, and legal help. Civilian victims get land or financial support, and employment subsidies. Surrendered Maoists receive cash, land, and weapon surrender incentives. Free education and scholarships are provided for victims’ children. Development projects are set for villages with full Maoist surrender.
Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat top Niti Aayog's fiscal health index due to effective revenue mobilization and low interest payments. Conversely, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and Haryana lag behind, struggling with deficits and debt. Fiscal performance is crucial for economic stability, given states' significant public spending and revenue contributions.
Rajya Sabha Congress MP Vivek K Tankha has urged the Central government to discuss with Pakistan the creation of a corridor to Sharda Peeth, a revered Hindu temple in PoK, similar to the Kartarpur corridor. He emphasized the need for the rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and providing them religious access, highlighting security and essential facility concerns.
Another Ayyappa devotee, Manjunath Waghmore, died due to burns sustained in a cylinder blast in Hubballi, raising the death toll to six. The blast occurred on December 24, injuring nine devotees. Three others are still receiving treatment. They were planning to visit the Ayyappa temple in Kerala.
Airlines faced 24 hoax bomb threat calls this year till March 25, as per the government. Since 2022, a total of 836 such calls have been received. Stringent protocols by BCAS, including the Bomb Threat Contingency Plan, help manage these threats. Arrests were made and systems are in place to ensure minimal disruption to flight operations.
The supreme court of India quashed proceedings against a firm accused of manufacturing sub-standard drugs, ruling that the trial court's summoning order lacked reasoning. Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih called the order "non-speaking" and set aside the Andhra Pradesh high court’s 2023 decision. The case stemmed from a 2018 drug sample test, but the supreme court dismissed the trial court’s July 2023 order due to procedural lapses.