Author: LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a programme marking silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today via video conferencing.

The Prime Minister will also release a postal stamp to commemorate the occasion.
During the programme, Prime Minister will also launch a 5G Test Bed, developed as a multi-institute collaborative project by a total of eight institutes led by IIT Madras.

The other institutes that participated in the project include IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT).

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the project has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 220 crore. The Test Bed will enable a supportive ecosystem for Indian industry and startups which will help them validate their products, prototypes, solutions and algorithms in 5G and next-generation technologies.

TRAI was established in 1997 through the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. (ANI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a high-level meeting to review the security preparedness of the Amarnath Yatra as the annual pilgrimage is set to start on June 30 after a gap of two years.
The meeting was held days after Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla convened a similar meeting to review the security preparedness of the annual pilgrimage. Bhalla has so far held two similar meetings– one on May 13 here in Delhi and another in Jammu and Kashmir on April 15.

Those participating in the meeting are Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Chief Arvind Kumar, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Jammu and Kashmir Dilbag Singh, Director General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhary among other officers from Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Amarnathji Shrine Board members also participated in the meeting through video conferencing.

Shah will be apprised of security updates and the department of Central Armed Police Forces on specific locations during the pilgrimage as well as the situation in the region, sources said.

Resuming the Amarnath pilgrimage is a challenging task as Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed several incidences of targeted killings in the last few months by terrorists following which the Ministry of Home Affairs asked security agencies operating in Jammu and Kashmir to enhance counter-terror operations.

However, online registration for Amarnath Yatra 2022 has started from April 11 and the Home Ministry has already sanctioned nearly 50 companies of CAPF for the purpose to provide security during the pilgrimage as J-K is expecting nearly three lakh pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave shrine this year.

While online registration has already begun, the pilgrimage is scheduled to be held for 43 days between June 30 and August 11.

The Amarnath shrine pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva, located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, is held from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal.

The J-K administration had cancelled the annual Amarnath pilgrimage due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation in 2020 and 2021 after a discussion with Amarnathji Shrine Board members.(ANI)

After the survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded, lawyers on Monday claimed that a Shivling was found in the Gyanvapi Mosque.

“It was the third day of the survey. A stone was found there. We are claiming it to be Shivling. It is around 3 feet tall. It was at the spot where Muslims performed wuzu. They had claimed it to be a fountain but after cleaning it was found to be Shivling,” lawyer Deepak Singh told ANI.

“We have filed an appeal before the court that this place be secured as it can be tampered with. Court has ordered the same,” Singh added.

Advocate Subhash Chandra Chaturvedi, who was part of the survey team, said that the team found a pond and there is a well-like structure in the middle of the pond.

“They claimed it is a fountain. We raised the doubt that the fountain is constructed at the top but how can it be inside the water. After the water was removed, a black Shivling-like stone was found. It is definitely the Shivling of Adi Viseshwar. They claimed it was a fountain. But we are certain that the Shivling must be very deep under the ground. We had apprehensions that the Shivling might be tampered. Therefore, the administration has been requested to cordon off that area and keep it safe,” Chaturvedi said.

As the third day of the court-ordered videography survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded on Monday, the Hindu petitioner in the case, Sohan Lal Arya claimed that the committee found a Shivling at the complex.

Arya, who accompanied the court commission for the mosque survey, said that they have found “conclusive evidence”.

This comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing on a plea seeking a stay on the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. A bench, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, will hear the plea of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee tomorrow, May 17. The three days long survey, however, has been completed.

Speaking to media persons here, Arya said, “Shivling….Jiski Nandi pratiksha kar rahi thi… The moment things became clear the chants of ‘Har Har Mahavdev’ resonated in mosque premises.”

The survey was conducted in accordance with the Varanasi Civil Court’s order to continue the survey despite objections from the mosque authorities.

After the conclusion of the survey, the Varanasi court ordered the District Magistrate of Varanasi, Kaushal Raj Sharma, “to seal the area where the Shivling was found and to bar people from going to the place.”

In its order, the court said that the DM, police commissioner and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant Varanasi will be responsible for the security of the sealed area.

The civil court had appointed a court commissioner to conduct the survey and videography of the site and the same was challenged before Allahabad High Court, which dismissed the appeal on April 21. The April 21 order of the High Court was challenged in the apex court.

Five women had filed a petition in the court seeking permission for daily worship at the Shringar Gauri temple, which is claimed to be situated inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises.

The order of the civil court for undertaking survey and videography at the premises was subsequently given by the court.

Another petition, which was filed by one Vijay Shankar Rastogi, had contended that the entire premises belonged to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and that the Gyanvapi Mosque is only a part of the temple complex, is also pending in the court since 1991.

Rastogi had also claimed that the Kashi Vishwanath Temple had been built over two thousand years ago and the temple was demolished by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Advocate Vishal Singh, the Court-appointed special assistant commissioner, in Varanasi, said that the survey was conducted in an unhindered manner.

Commissioner of Police Varanasi, Satish Ganesh thanked the people of Kashi for their cooperation during the three-day survey, and said, “We spoke with all stakeholders and reached a consensus that it’s important to follow court’s order. We also cleared people’s misconceptions and worked on confidence building. The three-day survey has ended.” (ANI)

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Monday said that water supply shall be affected in parts of the national capital from Tuesday morning due to depletion of pond level of the Yamuna river at Wazirabad and reduction in release of raw water from Haryana.

Among the areas to be affected were Civil Lines, Hindu Rao Hospital and adjoining areas, Kamla Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Karol Bagh, Pahar Ganj and NDMC areas, Old and New Rajinder Nagar, Kalkaji, Govindpuri, Tughlakabad, Sangam Vihar, Ramlila Ground, Delhi Gate, Punjabi Bagh, Jahangirpuri, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Burari, parts of Cantonment area and South Delhi, added the DJB.

The DJB said water production had been affected at treatment plants in Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla and requested the residents, suffering from a scorching summer, to store adequate quantity of water in advance as per requirement. It added water tankers would be provided on request as supply would remain affected till the pond level improved to normal.

“Due to depletion of pond level of Yamuna at Wazirabad Water Works 669.40 feet against the normal level of 674.50 feet and reduction in release of raw water by Haryana in river Yamuna, water production has been affected from Water Treatment Plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal & Okhla,” it said. (ANI)

All the Chinese teachers at Karachi’s NED University have left the country due to security concerns after a suicide attack on April 26 that killed three people.

The teachers, who originally taught in Karachi University, were transferred to the NED University under tightened security after the suicide attack that killed three of the Chinese teachers, News International reported.

On Sunday afternoon, 11 Chinese teachers of the NED University suddenly returned home. Dr Sarosh Lodi, the NED University vice-chancellor said that all of a sudden at 2 pm, the varsity administration was informed that the Chinese teachers had ordered a van and they were returning home, the report said.

“Now we are worried what will happen to all these students but we have to find a solution,” Dr Nasiruddin Khan, the Pakistani director of the Confucius Institute at the Karachi University, the report said.

When asked about the future of the Confucius Institute, he reportedly said the issue had to be resolved at the diplomatic and governmental level, not at the university level.

Dr Khan further said that the suicide attack had caused great damage to the university. He lamented that even during the announced wars, teachers and medical staff were not targeted.

The Confucius Institute was established at the KU in 2013 and Chinese teachers were given accommodation at the varsity to teach Chinese, the report said. (ANI)

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in an address to the nation on Monday gave an account of the grave economic situation facing the island nation and said that the people need to be prepared to make sacrifices.

The Sri Lankan PM’s address came a day after his talks with the representatives of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he discussed the possible course of action to address the economic crisis in the country.

“The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives. We must prepare ourselves to make some sacrifices and face the challenges of this period,” Wickremesinghe said.

The Sri Lankan PM also said that he did not request to take up the position of the Prime Minister last week, but took over on the invite of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in face of the challenging situation facing the country.

“Last Thursday, I accepted office as the Prime Minister. I did not request this position. In face of the challenging situation facing the country, the President invited me to take up this position. I assumed this duty not only as a political leader, but also as national leader who has benefited from free education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo,” PM Wickremesinghe said.

The Sri Lankan PM gave a detailed account of the grave economic situation the country finds itself in, saying that the “Sri Lankan economy is extremely precarious.”

“In November 2019, our foreign exchange reserves were at USD 7.5 billion. However, today, it is a challenge for the treasury to find USD 1 million. The Ministry of finance is finding it difficult to raise USD 5 million required to import gas,” the Sri Lankan PM said.

Saying that he had no desire to hide the truth from the public, Wickremesinghe prepared the nation for a number of drastic economic steps that his government might take in the coming days to address the economic crisis.

“I have no desire to hide the truth and to lie to the public. Although these facts are unpleasant and terrifying, this is the true situation. For a short period, our future will be even more difficult than the tough times that we have passed. We will face considerable challenges and adversity. However, this period will not be long,” Wickremesinghe said.

“In the coming months, our foreign allies will assist us. They have already pledged their support. Therefore, we will have to patiently bear the next couple of months. However, we can overcome this situation. Doing so will require taking a new path,” he added.

“Against my own wishes, I am compelled to permit printing money in order to pay state-sector employees and to pay for essential goods and services. However, we must remember that printing money leads to the depreciation of the rupee,” Wickremesinghe said.

The Sri Lankan PM also announced that the government plans “to present a new alternative budget to the development budget proposed for 2022,” adding that the intention is “to present it as a concessionary budget.”

“I am undertaking a dangerous challenge. In the Caucasian Chalk Circle, Grusha crossed the broken rope bridge carrying a child that was not her own. This is an even more difficult undertaking. The precipice is deep and its bottom cannot be seen. The bridge is made of thin glass and there is no handrail. I am wearing shoes with sharp nails that cannot be removed. My task is to safely take the child to the other side. I am accepting this challenge for our nation,” the Sri Lankan PM said in an emotional appeal to the nation.

He said that his government will “build a nation without queues for kerosene, gas, and fuel; a nation free of power outages, a nation with plentiful resources where agriculture can freely flourish; a nation where the future of the youth is secure; a nation where people’s labour need not be wasted in queues and in struggles; a nation where everyone can lead their lives freely with three square meals a day.”

PM Wickremesinghe also emphasized that a national government needs to be established soon in Sri Lanka to address the ongoing crisis.

“This will enable us to discuss with all parties and to arrive at decisions for short-, medium-, and long-term action plans that will enable us to rebuild our nation within a specified time frame,” he said.

Earlier today, the Sri Lankan government announced the imposition of a fresh curfew from 8 pm on Monday till 5 am Tuesday in light of raging violence across the country.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens, resulting in massive protests over the government’s handling of the situation.

The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies including the government’s last year’s move to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka’s agriculture “100 per cent organic”.

Due to an acute shortage of foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on the entirety of its foreign debt amounting to about USD 51 billion.

The economic situation led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, with the former finally succumbing to public pressure and resigning on Monday, soon after the protests outside the Prime Minister’s residence turned violent. (ANI)

Seems like Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa and ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ Sri Lankan hitmaker Yohani have joined hands for a new song.

On Monday, Yohani took to Instagram and shared a few pictures with Guru.

“Collab Loading,” she captioned the post. Yohani and Guru’s pictures have garnered a lot of likes and comments from social media users.

“Two Amazing Talented Singers,” a netizen commented. “Can’t wait for your song,” another one wrote.

However, the two have not disclosed any details regarding their collaboration.

Meanwhile, Yohani, who became an Instagram sensation with her popular song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’, will be seen singing the Bollywood version of the viral song in Indra Kumar’s Thank God, which features Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh in lead roles. (ANI)

The Chinese army is carrying out capability enhancement in terms of infrastructure, and operational capability close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in a large measure, said General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita on Monday.

Briefing mediapersons here, Lt Gen Kalita said, “We talk about border villages created close to LAC which has got dual-use possibility. If we put together everything, it would suffice to say that PLA is carrying out capability enhancement whether in infrastructure, or operational capability in a large measure.”
He emphasized that India is acting towards enhancing infrastructure and operational capabilities in order to respond to any emergent situation.

“All our agencies, including armed forces, are continuously monitoring this situation. We are also upgrading our own capabilities whether in terms of infrastructure or in terms of operational capabilities. If we talk about the LAC in the eastern theatre, across the LAC in Tibet there has been a lot of development in the infrastructure which is taking place. We all keep hearing about it,” Lt Gen stated.

“The other side is constructing and upgrading their roads and tracks and connectivity. New airports and helipads are being constructed. Activities being undertaken to improve infrastructure so that they are in better position to respond to any emergent situation,” he added.

The military standoff with China has been going on for over two years now when the Chinese side attempted to change the status quo unilaterally by moving troops in large numbers against Indian positions.

In view of the Chinese threat, the Indian Army has shifted six Divisions that were earlier deployed in counter-terrorism roles and after taking care of the Pakistan front. The Indian Army has been doing rebalancing and realignment of its forces which were earlier more prepared for the Pakistan threat than the challenges faced from the Northern borders.

Senior government sources told ANI that after this rebalancing and realignment exercise was done over the last two years, two divisions (around 35,000 troops) have been feeding up from counter-terrorism roles for looking after the China border deployment.

One division from Rashtriya Rifles was taken out from counter-terrorism roles from Jammu and Kashmir and has now been deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector and would be there along with the 3 Division already based there, they said.

Likewise, an Assam-based Division under the Tezpur-based Gajaraj Corps has been pulled out of its counter-insurgency role from the state and now its mandate is to look after the China border in the northeast, they said.

The 17 Mountain Strike Corps which earlier had tasks in the Ladakh sector also has now been confined to the Northeast only and has been given one more Division based out of Jharkhand. The division earlier was tasked to carry out strike operations along the Western front.

Two Army Divisions located in Uttar Pradesh have also now been assigned to the Northern Command for Ladakh theatre. The two formations were earlier tasked to fight on the Western front in case of a war, they said.

Similarly, a Uttarakhand-based Division of a Strike Corps has been reassigned to the Central Command to look after the entire Central sector where the Chinese have been attempting transgressions on multiple occasions, they said.

Sources said that the rebalancing has resulted in the deployment of two of the four Strike Corps in the Army with offensive elements on the China border whereas prior to April-May, 2022, three of them looked after Pakistan prominently, they said.

The heavy deployment by India has also sent across a message to the Chinese military that any misadventure to attempt altering the status quo on the LAC would not be possible, they said.

After the Chinese Army deployed on the Indian borders in heavy numbers, India also rushed in troops in the same manner and sent around 50,000 troops there. (ANI)

Activists of right-wing organisation on Monday filed a memorandum with the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya to allow worship of Anjaneya idol at Jamia Masjid in the city.

The activists claimed the structure had been originally a temple that was converted into a mosque. They demanded permission to perform puja in the mosque.

The activists claimed that Jamia Masjid has been built on the Anjaneya Temple. They also claimed that there is historical proof that the mosque was Anjaneya Temple.

They claimed that Tipu Sultan wrote about this in the letter to the king of Persia Khalif and demanded that the archaeological department must consider the documents and investigate the matter.

They also demanded permission for taking bath in the pond situated in the premises of the mosque. (ANI)