Month: May 2022

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced that the state government will provide Rs 1,500 per acre as financial assistance to farmers opting for the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique in the coming paddy season.

“To promote the DSR technology, our government has also decided to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre to the farmers who adopt this water-saving method of cultivating paddy,” CM Mann said kick-starting the ambitious drive, Direct Sowing of Rice (DSR), which promotes the cultivation of paddy by using a lesser amount of water from his native village Satauj.
Exhorting the farmers of his native village to go for this new technique of paddy sowing in a big way, the CM said that since the residents of Punjab have given a massive mandate to form the AAP government in the state and now it was our bounden duty to take path-breaking initiatives like DSR and several more for state’s overall development and prosperity, for which people’s wholehearted cooperation and support is immensely needed.

Expressing concern over depleting groundwater, Mann said it is the need of the hour to motivate our farmers to switch over from traditional paddy transplantation to the advanced technology of DSR. “Moreover, it is high time to adopt an alternate technique for paddy cultivation thus saving the much scarce and precious natural resource water as almost half of the land being cultivated by the farmers and they could play a pivotal role in this regard,” added Mann.

Calling upon the farmers of Satauj, Mann said that they will have to set an example for the entire Punjab by sowing paddy with the DSR method on a maximum area of land.

To encourage crop diversification in Punjab, the CM said that their government will provide MSP on alternative crops including maize, pulses and bajra and will sell the products.

The CM also assured the farmers that during the tenure of their government, they will be getting superior quality fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides.

To ease the power supply situation in the state, Bhagwant Mann said that there will be no problem with electricity supply as their government is going to resume mining of coal from Punjab’s allotted mine in Jharkhand which was shut since 2015.

He further pointed out that with an uninterrupted supply of coal, there will be a normal supply of power for agriculture, the domestic and industrial sector, as well. (ANI)

Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his viral video, BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore on Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi of doing ‘part-time politics’.

The BJP MP also slammed the Congress government in Rajasthan calling it ‘useless.’
Speaking to ANI, Rathore said, “Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra do part-time politics. Rajasthan govt is useless. Do as many press conferences or give as many justifications about his (Rahul Gandhi) partying as you want, why is your govt not working on its responsibilities?”

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was seen in a viral video at a nightclub in Kathmandu.

The viral video seemingly has a discotheque as its background with people around him seen consuming liquor.

The viral video has come at a time when Congress is seen to be in deep leadership crisis, with the party’s bid to onboard the poll strategist Prashant Kishor having failed.

The BJP leader further said that the law and order situation is deteriorating in Rajasthan and a bad example is presented of appeasement.

“Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is also the Home Minister of the state and police administration comes under him. Despite this, such a kind of appeasement is happening. In the Karauli incident, police have the information of the incident, but no steps were taken to maintain peace, and the Chief Minister is justifying the incident by saying that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans were raised. Why did the Jodhpur incident happen?” he said.

Further slamming the Congress Government in Rajasthan, Rathore alleged that 18 rapes happen in Rajasthan every day and the state is number one in the oppression of women.

He further said that the only motive of Ashok Gehlot is to be in power.

“He only wants to keep his chair safe and that’s the only motive he has, then who will protect the citizens? Rajasthan government has failed completely. Congress will be wiped out and BJP is coming to power because they are serving the people,” he added.

Rathore’s statements come in the backdrop of tensions in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur following the imposition of Section 144 as clashes erupted after Eid prayers on Tuesday morning.

Jodhpur district administration also suspended all mobile internet services in Jodhpur district from 1 am today as a precautionary measure. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday discussed the war in Ukraine with the Danish PM Mette Frederiksen during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) between India and Denmark in Copenhagen.

“We share many values. We are two democratic nations, we both believe in a rule-based international system. In times such as these, we need to build an even stronger bridge between us. As close partners, we also discussed the war in Ukraine,” said Frederiksen.
Talking about the Bucha killings, she stressed for an independent investigation. Hundreds of civilians were found dead on the streets in Bucha, beside their homes, and in mass graves. Ukraine has accused Russia of the massacre in Bucha. However, Russia has denied the allegations and claimed that it is Ukrainian propaganda.

“We discussed the consequences of horrible crimes committed against civilians and the serious humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The reports on the killings of civilians in Bucha are deeply shocking. We have condemned these killings and we stress the need for an independent investigation,” said the Danish PM.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities.

“Denmark and the entire European Union strongly condemn Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. My message is very clear, Russian President Vladimir Putin got to stop this war and end the killings. I, of course, hope that India will influence Russia in this discussion,” added Frederiksen.

Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia.

Welcoming PM Modi to Denmark, Frederiksen said that both countries share a strong relationship.

“Thank You so much. First of all, once again, a very warm welcome to Denmark, His Excellency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I had a very productive meeting today. The relations between our two countries are very strong. PM Modi, I deeply appreciate this important meeting,” said the Danish PM.

PM Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen held delegation-level talks in Copenhagen today to review progress in the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

“Denmark and India are moving fast in transforming our Green Strategic Partnership into some concrete results. The Indian government has high ambitions for the green transition and for making India more independent of fossil fuels. I am very proud that Danish solutions play a key role in realizing these important ambitions. Today, we have agreed on a number of concrete steps on green energy, clean water and to counter the next global health crisis. Just to mention a few examples. Hopefully, the two of us will lead by example by showing that green growth and green tradition can go hand-in-hand. I am convinced that India and Denmark have huge untapped potential for trade and investment,” added Frederiksen.

Further, she also talked about Nordic Summit 2022, Frederiksen said, “I look forward to continuing the discussion between the two of us tomorrow also with our Nordic colleagues at the Indo-Nordic Summit 2022.”

During Denmark’s visit, PM Modi will take part in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit along with Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway where we will take stock of our cooperation since the First India-Nordic Summit in 2018.

The Summit will focus on subjects like post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, the evolving global security scenario and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Danish counterpart Frederiksen on Tuesday, during which he expressed hope that the negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement will be concluded at the earliest.

On 8 May 2021, the EU and Indian leaders’ agreed to resume negotiations for a “balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial” trade agreement, and to launch separate negotiations on an investment protection agreement and another agreement on geographical indications.
They had agreed to link trade negotiations to finding “solutions to long-standing market access issues”.

PM Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen held delegation-level talks in Copenhagen today to review progress in the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

They also discussed India-EU relations, Indo-Pacific, and the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

“Today we also discussed many regional and global issues including India-EU relations, Indo-Pacific and Ukraine. We hope that the negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement will be concluded at the earliest,” PM Modi said while speaking at the joint press meet with PM Frederiksen.

The Prime Minister said that India and Denmark share values of democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law. “Together we both have several complementary strengths.”

“During the India-Denmark virtual summit in October 2020, we had termed our relations a Green Strategic Partnership. During our discussions today, we also reviewed the joint work plan of our Green Strategic Partnership,” he said.

PM Modi on Tuesday reached the Danish capital for a one-day visit that will include several engagements including talks with leaders from Nordic countries.

This visit started in Denmark shortly after PM Modi’s Berlin visit.

During his one-day Germany visit, PM Modi met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz. This was their first engagement since Chancellor Scholz assumed office in December 2021. (ANI)

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday convened a high-level meeting with the state’s Director-General of Police and other officials regarding the law and order situation in the state and directed them to rush to Jodhpur, following violence that broke out here between two communities.

Gehlot instructed Minister of State for Home Rajendra Yadav and Jodhpur in-charge minister Dr Subhash Garg, ACS Home Abhay Kumar, ADG Law and Order Hawa Singh Ghumaria to immediately go to Jodhpur via helicopter.
Rajasthan Police also detained three persons in connection with the clashes while the district administration imposed a curfew from 1 pm today to May 4 midnight, according to an official order.

This morning, police resorted to a lathi charge after clashes again broke out between two communities at Jalori Gate, following Eid prayers. This followed the tense atmosphere which prevailed here on Monday after stone-pelting between two groups over objections raised over the raising of a flag at Balmukand Bissa at the Jalori Gate intersection circle. After stone-pelting started, police tried to control the situation and disperse the crowd.

Following the incidents, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appealed to the people to maintain peace in the area. “I want to appeal to people to maintain peace. I’ve also instructed police to deal strictly with anti-social elements. Everyone should understand that we’ve to maintain brotherhood,” Gehlot told ANI.

Jodhpur district administration also suspended all mobile internet services in Jodhpur district from 1 am today, as a precautionary measure.

According to an order issued by Jodhpur Divisional Commissioner Himanshu Gupta, all internet services have been suspended in Jodhpur beginning from 1 am till further notice. (ANI)

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday said that the COVID-19 vaccine Covovax is now available in India for children.

He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision of providing another vaccine for children.
Covovax (Novavax), is now available for children in India. This is the only vaccine manufactured in India that is also sold in Europe and has an efficacy of 90 per cent. This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of providing yet another vaccine to protect our children,” he said in a tweet.

Last week, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) approved the Serum Institute of India’s Covovax COVID-19 vaccine for the age group 12-17.

However, the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) subject expert committee has sought more data from the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) on the Covovax vaccine for the age group of 7-12 years.

COVID-19 vaccination for minors in India started from January 3 onwards for those in the 15-18 age group with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. The drive later expanded on March 16 to include children aged above 12 for Biological E’s Corbevax. (ANI)

As many as 777 vital installations in India are currently under special security cover provided by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), working under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the state governments.

As per the recently published Annual Report 2020-2021, based on threat vulnerability, these installations are being guarded by Central Armed Police Forces and state forces.
The report says that the security categorization of vital installations has been reviewed, and they have been re-categorized as A, B, C, D and E, in view of their threat vulnerability and to include a wider range of vital installations.

These vital installations include nuclear and aerospace buildings, sensitive government departments, and power and energy setup among others.

The security of vital installations in the country is primarily the responsibility of the Union Ministry or Department or the state government concerned.

The MHA advises them on security norms and requirements of vital installations periodically, based on the review of existing arrangements by the Central Security Agencies.

Additionally, threat inputs received about the vital installations are promptly shared with the state government and UT administration and concerned ministries.

Based on the requests received from the organization and ministries, CAPFs are deployed for the security of certain vital installations, said the report.

The strength of the security personnel from CAPFs varies as per threat perception of the vital installations such as the civil secretariat, police headquarters, airport and various central government establishments in the country, said an MHA official, adding “most of such installations are guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)”.

According to MHA sources, most of the 777 vital installations in the country are secured by the CISF while the rest are secured by the state governments.

The security audit is usually carried out by a joint team of the Intelligence Bureau and local security heads.

The CISF at present provides security cover to 353 establishments that include nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports and power plants.

In addition, the CISF also protects important government buildings, iconic heritage monuments and the Delhi Metro.

Officials in the security and intelligence wings told ANI that the security of vital installations has been increased as terror agents from across the border are now training their guns on soft economic targets such as IT hubs, security installations and other sensitive locations like power plants. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen held delegation-level talks in Copenhagen on Tuesday to review progress in the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

“Delegation level talks led by PMs @narendramodi & @Statsmin Mette Frederiksen begin. Both sides to review progress in the Green Strategic Partnership. Will also discuss our wide-ranging cooperation in areas of skill development, climate, renewable energy, Arctic, P2P ties, etc,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted.
PM Modi on Tuesday reached the Danish capital for a one-day visit that will include several engagements including talks with leaders from Nordic countries.

“Walking the talk PM @narendramodi and @Statsmin PM Mette Frederiksen at Marienborg. The bonhomie between the two leaders mirrors the close ties between India and Denmark,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a tweet.

This visit started to Denmark shortly after his Berlin visit on Tuesday.

During his one-day Germany visit, PM Modi met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz. This was their first engagement since Chancellor Scholz assumed office in December 2021. (ANI)

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has become a guide for the United States to prepare a strategy to defend Taiwan against a possible attack by China, according to an analysis.

The US military has in a report on the strategic assessment of the Ukraine crisis detailed the need to prepare a strategy on how to defend Taiwan in case of a possible attack by China, air superiority is the deciding factor in defence against the Chinese forces.
Notably, the US did not agree to the Ukrainian request for enforcing a no-fly zone over its air space as that would have brought it into direct combat with Russia. However, Taiwan is not Ukraine as it is in a far more vulnerable position, The Hong Kong Post reported citing a military analysis website DefenseOne.

“No matter what other idea guides the defense of the island republic, air superiority will be critical. Washington and Taipei must prepare now to ensure this air superiority….planning for Taiwan’s air defense must be grounded in hard truth, the media outlet quoted the website as saying.

However, according to American military experts, Taiwanese airspace is “much more difficult to defend” than that of Ukraine as Taiwan is separated from US bases by thousands of miles of open Pacific waters and the closest supply routes are through “the Philippine Sea, south along the Ryukyus, or north from Luzon” and all these regions are beyond Taiwanese territory and its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Thus, approving a no-fly war zone over Taiwan means a large territory beyond the island of Taiwan will need to be defended. However, Seth Cropsey, a naval officer and former US Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy, has come up with a four-point strategy that is being discussed within the military circles.

According to this strategy, the US must ensure its naval and aerial superiority in the Ryukyu archipelago which can be turned into an anti-air nest, packed with forward-deployed US Marines and Air Defense Artillery. Further, the US should have an “integrated air defense network” to protect Taiwan from Chinese “missile bombardment”.

The US should also obtain more tanker aircraft as a “no-fly zone would require air combat over Taiwan and near the Taiwan Strait which is extremely close to Chinese territory. Lastly, the US must begin the fight with a significant numerical advantage as according to the naval officer, the fight will boil down to numerical superiority of either force.

In a comparison of the Russia-Ukraine situation to that of China-Taiwan, Cropsey laments US’ casual attitude toward Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attacks on the other Black Sea targets.

“Had we (Americans) taken more seriously (Vladimir) Putin’s attacks on such other Black Sea targets as Georgia and Crimea and acted with greater resolve years ago to help Ukraine defend itself, war might have been averted. Xi Jinping and his predecessors’ declared intent to subdue Taiwan–if needed, by force–is clear as blue skies. Those skies must be defended over Taiwan if the US is to remain the Pacific’s pre-eminent power and our friends and allies in the region are to continue casting their lot with us,” the media outlet quoted him as saying. (ANI)

The Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets and greetings at the Joint Check Post (JCP) Attari Border on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Tuesday.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims around the globe to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan.
On the occasion marking the culmination of the holy month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, and a number of other political leaders, including Venkaiah Naidu, JP Nadda, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi amongst others extended their wishes to the citizens.

According to the Islamic belief, Ramzan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

Ramzan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which involves rigorous fasting for about 30 days.

During this month, Muslims do not consume food or water from dawn to dusk. They eat Sehri (a pre-dawn meal) and break their day-long fast with ‘Iftar’ in the evening.

Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

The festival is celebrated by sharing a delightful dish Seviyan (Vermicelli) that comes under different varieties like ‘Hath Ka Seviyan’, ‘Nammak Ka Seviyan’, ‘Chakle Ka Seviyan’ and ‘Laddu Seviyan’. All these variants can be used in the dish called ‘Sheerkurma’, which is also prepared on Eid and distributed among friends and relatives. (ANI)