August 2023 - Page 14 of 44 - Lokmarg

Akshay Mourns Demise Of Pankaj’s Father

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

Actor Akshay Kumar on Monday expressed sadness at the demise of his ‘OMG 2’ co-star Pankaj Tripathi’s father Pandit Banaras Tiwari.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Akshay wrote in Hindi, “Deeply saddened by the news of the demise of my friend and co-star @TripathiiPankaj ‘s father. No one can fulfil the absence of parents. May God give place to his father’s soul at his feet. Om Shanti.”

Pandit Banaras Tiwari, passed away on Monday at the age of 99.

Pankaj and his family confirmed the news.

In a statement, they said, “It’s with a heavy heart to confirm that Pankaj Tripathi’s father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari is no more. He lived a wholesome life of 99 years. His last rites will be performed today amongst his close family. Pankaj Tripathi is currently on his way to his village in Gopalganj.”

On the work front, Pankaj and Akshay have worked together in films like ‘Bachchhan Paandey’ and the recently released drama film ‘OMG 2’.

‘OMG 2’ has entered the Rs 100 crore club.

On Sunday, the film minted Rs 12.06 crore which took the film’s total India collection to Rs 113.67 crore.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared a post on Instagram and wrote, “Critical acclaim is important… But audience validation is the ultimate reward… #OMG2 puts up a SOLID SHOW in Weekend 2… To withstand a GOLIATH like #Gadar2 is a humongous achievement… [Week 2] Fri 6.03 cr, Sat 10.53 cr, Sun 12.06 cr. Total: ₹ 113.67 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice.”

Helmed by Amit Rai, ‘OMG 2’ also stars Yami Gautam in the lead role. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

BJP Convenes Core Committee Meet Of Senior Leaders In Karnataka

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) convened a core committee meeting on Monday at the party’s state office.

BJP state president and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Central Parliamentary Board member and former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, another former Chief Minister of the state Basavaraja Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda and former BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi were the prominent names present in the meeting.

Former state ministers Govinda Karajola, K.S. Eshwarappa, R. Ashok, Dr C.N. Ashwatthanarayan, B. Sriramulu, State Vice President Nirmal Kumar Surana, State Organizing General Secretary Rajesh GV also participated in the high-level core committee meeting.

The meeting was held at the party office “Jagannath Bhavan” here.

Earlier, on Saturday, Congress legislator Vinaya Kulkarni claimed that at least 13-14 former MLAs are keen to join the Congress.

“Many people are very keen to join Congress. 13-14 ex-MLAs are keen to join us. We will welcome them if they wish to join,” MLA Kulkarni told reporters here. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar Southpaw's Asia Cup

Tilak Varma Is Promising: Agarkar On Southpaw’s Asia Cup Inclusion

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said on Monday that batter Tilak Varma is a promising talent and his inclusion in India’s Asia Cup squad will offer him a lot of exposure.

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and selector Agarkar held a press conference in Delhi after a meeting to announce the Asia Cup 2023 squad.

On Tilak Varma’s inclusion in the squad, Agarkar said, “Tilak Varma is promising. Asia Cup is a big opportunity for him. We saw some real promise not only in terms of performances but also temperament during the T20I series against West Indies. This will give him exposure. He is also a left-hander,” said Agarkar in a press conference.

In the recently concluded India-West Indies T20I series, Tilak impressed fans with his composure and maturity on the field, putting a big prize on his wicket. In five matches, he scored 173 runs at an average of 57.66, with one half-century and a strike rate of around 139.

On all-rounder, Hardik Pandya’s role in the Asia Cup, skipper Rohit said that his role will stay the same.

“He has done it for years. His role is going to be the same, to bowl overs, bat the way he bats and field. There is nothing different we want him to do. What he does is what is required of us. If he keeps doing that, the team will be well-balanced,” said Rohit.

Talking about the lack of batters who can bowl, Rohit said that the current squad is the best the team has and they cannot create a batter who can bowl overnight.

“Whatever we have right now, they are the best. We give them chances to play and perform. You cannot make batters who can bowl overnight. These guys are batters, they have scored runs, and that is why they are here. Maybe Rohit and Kohli can roll some arm in the World Cup. (laughs),” said Rohit.

Talking about where Ishan Kishan would fit in when KL Rahul plays, Rohit said, he wants players who are fine with batting anywhere.

“One thing I want in this team is to make sure everyone is okay to bat anywhere. You need flexibility, guys who can step up at any position. No one should say, ‘I am good at this position or I am good at that position’. You want guys to be able to bat anywhere, that is the message conveyed to every individual. Not now, but over the last three-four years. I know it is tough for guys on the outside to understand why a guy who bats at six is batting at four, but the message has been given. You do not want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position. Having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. All seven-eight [positions] are open to anyone, that’s the message we have sent out for so many years now,” said Rohit.

Talking about the openers, Agarkar said that it is unfortunate that veteran Shikhar Dhawan, who last played for India in December last year, has to miss out.

“Rohit is not bad (laughs), Shubman has had a phenomenal 2-2.5 years and Ishan as well. Shikhar has been terrific and we all know his records. But at this moment, there are three players who are doing really well and are our preferred openers. Unfortunately, someone has to miss out,” said Agarkar.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced a strong 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 which will begin on August 30 with Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul returning to the squad and Tilak Verma also getting a place in the team.

The 2023 Asia Cup will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the tournament running from August 30 to September 17.

Asia Cup will serve as an important benchmark for India’s preparations for the World Cup starting in October and will also help selectors make choices for the marquee event.

India will open their Asia Cup campaign with an iconic clash against Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been appointed Rohit Sharma’s deputy in Asia Cup 2023.

The squad also marks the return of Jasprit Bumrah to ODI cricket after a gap of more than one year. After proving his fitness in the ongoing T20I series against Ireland, Bumrah is set to test himself in the 50-over format heading into the World Cup. India’s pace attack will be boosted by the return of Mohammed Siraj, who was not in the team for some time due to a sore ankle.

Tilak Varma made it to India’s Asia Cup squad on the back of his strong performance against West Indies during the tour that ended this month.

A big question ahead of Team India’s selection meeting for the Asia Cup 2023 was the fitness of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Both have made it to the squad.

Bowling all-rounders Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are also in the squad to give the captain more diversity in choices. Apart from Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja is also in the team as an all-rounder.

The tournament will kick off with a clash between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan, Pakistan.

Pakistan, India and Nepal are in Group A while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are in Group B. The tournament will follow a hybrid model with Pakistan hosting four matches across two venues and Sri Lanka hosting the remaining games.

The six group-stage matches will be followed by the Super Fours, beginning September 6.

The final will be played by the top two teams at the end of the Super Fours on September 17 in Colombo.

Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Manipur Violence: Three-Judge Committee Submits Reports To SC

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will pass orders on Friday to facilitate the proper functioning of a committee headed by Justice (retd) Gita Mittal which was set up to monitor relief work, rehabilitation, compensation and healing of violence-hit Manipur.

The committee has submitted three reports before the top court, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

The bench hearing the Manipur violence cases said that certain procedural directions would be required to be issued for administrative assistance, to meet the financial expenses of the committee, etc.

It said three reports filed by the Committee be given to advocates in the case.

The committee in its report flagged that victims of ethnic violence in Manipur have lost their necessary documents in the violence and need to be reissued. It further highlighted that the Manipur victim compensation scheme may be updated and the proposal of the committee for the appointment of domain experts.

After reviewing the reports, the bench also underlined that the committee had bifurcated the cases under several heads such as compensation, violence against women, mental health care, medical health care, relief camps, data reporting and monitoring etc.

The bench posted the matter for direction on Friday.

The apex court had set up the three-member committee of former High Court judges — Justice Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, former Judge of the Bombay High Court and Justice Asha Menon, former Judge of the Delhi High Court.

A three-member committee was set up to look into humanitarian aspects of the issue including relief, remedial measures, rehabilitation measures, and restoration of homes and places of worship.

The top court seized the cases relating to the violence in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki communities.

The violence in Manipur between the Hindu Meiteis and the tribal Kuki, who are Christians, erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3.

Violence has gripped the entire state for over three months now and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Welcome, Buddy! Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Greets Chandrayaan-3 Lander

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

In a significant development, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter which was already fixed around the moon established a two-way connection with the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 on Monday.

“‘Welcome, buddy!’ Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM (lander module). Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX (Mission Operations Complex) has now more routes to reach the LM,” ISRO posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 IST.

Live actions will be available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV from 17:27 IST on Aug 23, 2023.

Ahead of the much-awaited soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the Moon, former director of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and in-charge of the previous lunar mission ‘Chandrayaan-2’, K Sivan on Monday said that the mission will be a “grand success”.

“It’s a very anxious moment…I’m sure that this time it will be a grand success,” Sivan said while speaking to ANI.

“We have our own system and we will be establishing a soft landing without any problem. But it is a complex process,” he said while responding to a question asked whether there would be any impact after the failure of Russia’s Luna-25 mission. Russia’s moon mission failed after its Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and smashed into the moon on Sunday.

He said that corrective measures have been taken after going through data generated by the Chandrayaan-2 mission. When asked if those additional systems too were indigenous, Sivan said, “Everything is indigenous.”

Earlier today, ISRO released images of the lunar far side area captured by the Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera (LHDAC). This camera assists in locating a safe landing area — without boulders or deep trenches — during the descent.

Notably, the ‘Vikram’ lander module of the spacecraft successfully separated from the propulsion module recently, and subsequently underwent crucial deboosting manoeuvres and descended to a slightly lower orbit. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971), who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme.

A GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle was used for the launch of the spacecraft that was placed in the lunar orbit on August 5 and since then it has been through a series of orbital manoeuvres been lowered closer to the moon’s surface.

It has been a month and seven days since the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission on July 14. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota.

The stated objectives of Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, are safe and soft landing, rover roving on the moon’s surface, and in-situ scientific experiments.

The approved cost of Chandrayaan-3 is Rs 250 crores (excluding launch vehicle cost).

Chandrayaan-3’s development phase commenced in January 2020 with the launch planned sometime in 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic brought an unforeseen delay to the mission’s progress.

The key scientific outcomes from Chandrayaan-2 include the first-ever global map for lunar sodium, enhancing knowledge on crater size distribution, unambiguous detection of lunar surface water ice with IIRS instrument and more.

Moon serves as a repository of the Earth’s past and a successful lunar mission by India will help enhance life on Earth while also enabling it to explore the rest of the solar system and beyond. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal

We Will Join The INDIA Bloc Meeting In Mumbai On Aug 31: Kejriwal

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday annound that the Aam Admi Party would attend the third meeting of the INDIA alliance scheduled for the end of the month in Mumbai.

“We will go to Mumbai and will let you know whatever the strategy is,” said Kerjriwal while speaking to the Media.

The announcement from Arvind Kejriwal comes after the AAP and the Congress were involved in a war of words when Congress leader claimed that the party had asked the Dehi unit to prepare itself on all 7 seats of the city-state. The comments had caused the AAP to threaten a walk out of the INDIA alliance meet. The crisis was put to rest when Congres’ Delhi in-charge Deepak Babariya clarified that the Congress had not discussed any such thing in their meeting with the party president.

The AAP has also been under fire from certain quarters after Arvind Kejriwal openly targeted both the BJP and the Congress in his election speeches in Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Speaking at an election rally in Satna,MP, Kejriwal had said ” The people of the state have tried these two parties (Congress and BJP) for the last 75 years, but none of them provided electricity in the state. If you want power supply, vote for AAP and if you want power cut vote for these two parties”.

The INDIA alliance will be holding its third meeting in Mumbai. AAP had not attended the first meeting as the Congress had not comitted its support against the National Capital Territory bill. With the Congress backing the AAP on this legislation the AAP attended the second meeting in Bengaluru on July 17-18 and is now poised to attend the third meeting in Mumbai. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

SC Allows Gujarat Rape Victim To Terminate Pregnancy

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

Observing that pregnancy outside marriage is injurious and a cause of stress, the Supreme Court on Monday allowed a rape victim from Gujarat to terminate her 27-week pregnancy.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan took into note the victim’s medical report and said she is fit to terminate the pregnancy.

“In Indian society, within the institution of marriage, pregnancy is a source of joy for couples and society. In contrast, pregnancy outside marriage is injurious, particularly in cases of sexual assault or abuse and is a cause of stress and trauma affecting the physical and mental health of pregnant women. Sexual assault of a woman is itself distressing and sexual abuse resulting in pregnancy compounds the injury. This is because such a pregnancy is not voluntary or mindful,” the bench said.

The apex court in its order stated, “In view of the above discussion and the medical report, we permit the appellant to terminate her pregnancy. We direct her to be present in hospital tomorrow so that the procedure for termination of pregnancy can be carried out.”

The top court also said if the foetus is found to be alive, the hospital shall give all necessary assistance, including incubation to ensure the foetus survives. “If it survives, the State shall take steps to ensure the child is adopted in accordance with the law,” the apex court said.

The victim’s counsel also requested the apex court for the preservation of tissues of the foetus for use as DNA evidence in the rape case trial.

The top court directed the doctors to explore the feasibility of preserving tissues of the foetus, if it is possible, so that it may be handed over to the investigating agency for DNA examination in the rape case filed by the woman in the matter.

The apex court once again criticised the Gujarat High Court for the manner in which it passed an order in the rape victim’s plea seeking termination of her pregnancy.

Today, as the matter came up for hearing, the apex court was informed that after the Supreme Court heard the matter and passed an order in a special sitting on Saturday, the High Court passed another order seemingly attempting to clarify its earlier order.

Justice Nagarathna said, “We do not appreciate the High Court’s counterblast to the Supreme Court’s orders. What is happening in the High Court of Gujarat? Do judges reply like this to a superior court’s order? We do not appreciate this. These kinds of attempts are being made by High Court judges to circumvent something we have said, like this. There is no need for any judge of the High Court to justify its order,”

Judges do not have to justify their orders by passing a subsequent order, Justice Bhuyan said.

Solicitor General Tushar requested the bench to refrain from making comments about the High Court judge.

“No judge can counterblast the Supreme Court’s order,” Justice Nagarathna said.

The bench in its order stated, “We restrain ourselves from saying anything on the High Court order dated August 19 (Saturday).”

On Saturday, the top court heard plea of a rape victim to terminate her pregnancy and ordered a fresh medical examination.

That day also, the bench criticised the High Court which rejected the victim’s plea to terminate the pregnancy and said that in such cases, “there should be a sense of urgency” and not a “lackadaisical attitude treating it as a normal matter”.

It had noted that a lot of time had been lost with the High Court initially adjourning the case. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

G20 Summit: Police Conduct Mock Drill To Review Traffic Arrangements

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

With the 18th Heads of State and Government Summit of the G20 (Group of 20), scheduled to begin next month in the national capital under India’s presidency, Delhi police authorities are busy making special arrangements to ensure smooth vehicular movement during the arrival of the high-profile delegates, including heads of states for the mega event.

As part of the preparations, Delhi traffic police on Monday morning conducted a mock drill exercise on major roads connecting Pragati Maidan – the main venue of the summit, with various hotels, to review restriction and diversion arrangements.

Multiple teams of traffic police personnel were deployed at different junctions and barricades were erected at diversion points and junctions as part of the exercise.

The venue of the summit will be the newly opened International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre named ‘Bharat Mandapam’ at Pragati Maidan.

Delhi Police started preparations a few months ago and training staff who are to be deployed at various locations is on.

In addition, police are training their staff to handle chemical and biological weapons and also focus on their soft skills.

Nineteen “markswomen” of the Delhi Police, women commandos of its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit have undergone a four-week specialised training course, conducted by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at its training centre in Karera, Madhya Pradesh.

Apart from this, Delhi Police has procured special kinds of weapons, ammunition, bulletproof jackets and X-ray machines.

“G20 is a matter of great pride for India, its main event is to be held in the month of September, in view of that anti-terror measures are being taken, swat commandos are at the forefront of anti-terror measures,” Ingit Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell said on the precautions being taken for the Summit.

“We have trained 19 SWAT commandos as markswomen in urban scenarios, they are different from snipers. The training was held for four weeks in MP’s Karera,” he said.

The G20 Summit is slated to take place on September 9-10 at a recently-inaugurated state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam convention centre at Pragati Maidan.

Many heads of state and diplomats including US President Joe Biden, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to be attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Uttarakhand rainfall: Part of Tapkeshwar Temple In Dehradun Collapses

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

A part of the famous Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun has collapsed following incessant rain.

Devotees, who came to the temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Monday of Sawan, faced problems as the way leading to the temple’s entrance was partially blocked due to the falling of trees.

Earlier on Wednesday, as many as 15 houses collapsed and seven cowsheds were completely destroyed in subsidence and landslides at Jakhan village, part of Madrasu gram panchayat on Langha Road, near Dehradun.

Jakhan village is home to about 15 families, comprising 50 people. However, no loss of life was reported in these incidents, officials informed.

Heavy rains also disrupted normal life in the Kaluwala area of Dehradun last week. Rainwater entered the houses and caused waterlogging on the streets.

According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), information was received from the Disaster Control Room that incessant rainfall had created major waterlogging in the streets and that rainwater had also entered people’s homes in Dehradun’s Kaluwala area, disrupting daily life.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state and also reviewed the increasing water level of the Ganga river in Rishikesh.

Heavy rains in Uttarakhand this monsoon have triggered landslides and flash floods in several places. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Nag Panchami: Devotees Throng Ancient Nag Vasuki Temple In Prayagraj

By LokMarg 21st August 2023

A large number of devotees on Monday thronged the ancient Nag Vasuki temple in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh to offer their prayers to lord Shiva and Nag Vasuki on the occasion of the seventh ‘Shravan Somvar.’

Long queues of devotees could be seen outside the Nagvasuki Temple in Prayagraj today morning.

People queued up since the early hours to seek the blessing of Lord Shiva and Nag Vasuki at the temple entrance.

Visuals show the preparation of an assortment of delicacies being prepared on the occasion.

While speaking to ANI, Nag Vasuki Temple Head Priest Shyam Dhar said, “Nag Panchami is very important in Sanatan Dharma. All the festivals and festivals will start from today itself.”

On the day of Nag Panchami, Sanatan Dharma worships the snake as a deity. The temple of Nagavasuki, the king of serpents, is situated on the banks of the Ganges in Prayagraj. A large number of people come here on this day to offer prayers and pray for auspiciousness for their families, added the priest.

In Sanatan Dharma, the snake is also seen to be associated with the environment. It is believed that the cobra plays an important role in protecting the paddy crop, as it kills the rats. Things enriched by nature are offered to the serpent god on this day, he said.

Meanwhile, devotees worshipped the ‘Nag Devta’ or Nag deity at the Shesha Avatar Laxman Temple in Ayodhya.

Devotees from far and wide come here and offer water, milk, and raw gram to Lord Lakshman on this day.

The festival of Nag Panchami, which is being celebrated today, is an annual occasion where Hindus worship snakes. Its origins date back to the earliest days of the religion.

Offering milk to the snake god is among the primary rituals of this festival. There are numerous stories related to Nag Panchami.

As per Hindu mythology, as a child when Lord Krishna was playing by the Yamuna River, his ball became entangled in a tree’s branches. He was attacked by the snake Kaliya while trying to fetch the ball.

Lord Krishna fought valiantly, and the snake begged him not to kill it. The occasion is observed to commemorate Krishna’s success in sparing humanity from the threat of Kaliya, the most venomous snake.

Some of the snake gods that people in India pray to on Nag Panchami are Ananta, Shesha, Vasuki, Kambala, Padma, and Kaliya.

It is believed that anything offered to snakes on Nag Panchami would reach the serpent Gods. Hence, devotes worship live snakes on the day as representatives of serpent Gods.

The traditional offering for Nag Panchami is everything milk-based, from kheer to sweets, which are then offered to the deity.

Many observe fasts and feed the poor to mark this day. Some devotees also make snake idols at home with clay. Flowers and milk are offered to the idols and placed near snake holes or burrows. Houses are also decorated with rangoli. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/