Category: News

Modi To Observe 11 Days Fast Ahead Of Pran-Pratishtha Of Ayodhya Temple

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he will commence a special 11 day ‘anushthan’ (ritual) from today till January 22, the day of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the new idol of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.

In an audio message, PM Modi said he was fortunate to be a witness to what he described as a “historic” and “auspicious” occasion.

“There are only 11 days left for the pran prathishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. I am fortunate that I too will witness this auspicious occasion. The Lord has made me a medium to represent all Indians during the consecration. Keeping this in mind I am starting a special ritual of 11 days from today. I seek blessings from all of you,” PM Modi said in an audio message on social media platform X.

Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the new idol of Ram Lalla at the sanctum sanctorum of the upcoming Ram Temple in Ayodhya is scheduled for January 22. The ceremony is set to be performed by PM Modi.

Prime Minister Modi said he has decided to rigorously follow all the rituals despite hectic schedule and responsibilities. As a result, he has embarked on a 11-day anushthan.

PM Modi further said that he is fortunate to witness the ceremony.

“I am going through this feeling for the first time in my life. I am experiencing a different kind of devotion. For me, this emotive journey (bhav yatra) is a moment of realisation, not expression. I am unable to expresse its depth, prevalence and intensity in words. You are able enough to understand my situation. The dream with which several generations lived, I have got the opportunity to attain this,” the PM added.

In the scriptures, the consecration of a deity’s idol is a detailed and extensive process and for this, rules have been given which have to be followed several days before the consecration.

Dev Pratishtha has been described as the ritual of infusing divine consciousness into an earthly idol. For this, rules for fasting before the ritual have been prescribed in the scriptures.

The PM said “It is my good fortune that I am starting my 11 day ritual from Nashik Dham-Panchavati. Panchavati is the sacred land where Lord Shri Ram spent a lot of time.”

“As it is also mentioned in our scriptures, we have to awaken divine consciousness in ourselves for the Yagya and worship of God. For this, fasts and strict rules have been prescribed in the scriptures, which have to be followed before consecration. Therefore, according to the guidance I have received from some ascetic souls and great men of the spiritual journe and the Yama-Niyams suggested by them, I am starting a special ritual of 11 days from today.

“On this holy occasion, I pray at the feet of God… I remember the virtues of the sages and ascetics and I pray to the people, who are the form of God, to bless me. So that there is no lack from my side in mind, words and deeds,” he said. (ANI)

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Election Commission of India Lok Sabha

ECI Organises Conference With Chief Electoral Officers Of States, UTs

By LokMarg

With the Lok Sabha elections only a few months away, the Election Commission of India began a two-day Conference on Thursday with the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories to review preparedness for the polls.

The conference which began in New Delhi at India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) on Thursday will deliberate on the preparedness for the next general elections, scheduled to take place this year.

The full Commission, led by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), senior EC HQ officials and CEOs are participating in the meeting.

“A two-day Conference of Chief Electoral Officers of all States/UTs began in New Delhi this morning. The meeting, being held at IIIDEM, is reviewing preparedness for General Elections 2024. The full Commission, led by the CEC, senior EC HQ officials and CEOs are participating,” the poll body said.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP scripted history by winning a record 303 seats out of 542 whereas the Congress could manage only 52 seats. Narendra Modi, the first non-Congress full majority Prime Minister to be re-elected, has done so with a stronger majority.

With just six months remaining until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, political parties have already launched campaign plans to reach out to voters.

Amid talks between the INDIA partners to arrive at a seat-sharing agreement for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP national president JP Nadda on Tuesday arrived in Guwahati to chair key party meetings in the state.

However, the seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections remains a major point of contention for members in the INDIA bloc.

The allocation of seats for the general elections is especially significant for the Congress after the heavy defeats in the assembly elections in the heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. (ANI)

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COVID RBI

Indian Banking System Well-Placed To Support Growth: RBI Governor

By LokMarg

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Thursday that India’s banking sector as a whole has emerged stronger from the unprecedented challenges of the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent geopolitics.

Today, the Indian banking system is well-placed to support India’s growth story in the years ahead, Das said.

All key indicators of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs)–capital adequacy, asset quality, and profitability–have shown improvement in the last four years, noted the RBI Governor, addressing the Mint BFSI summit in Mumbai.

“The credit growth has now become broad-based and backed by the strong fundamentals of the financial institutions. The financial indicators of non-banking financial companies are also in line with that of the banking system as per the latest available data,” Das asserted.

Not very long ago, the Indian banking sector was beset with a host of issues, including high levels of non-performing assets (NPAs), while the returns on assets and equity were in a negative zone.

Eleven banks were under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) as of the end of June 2018, Das said.

“Even as we were coping with the stress in the financial sector, the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of the year 2020 came as a shocker, which led to major disruptions across all sectors,” he contended.

Against that backdrop, during the last five years, the central bank took a series of initiatives on the regulatory and supervisory fronts, while banks themselves, to their credit, responded to the challenges by strengthening their internal defence mechanisms.

To provide immediate debt service relief to borrowers whose income-generating ability was impaired by the lockdowns, a moratorium on repayment of loans was provided to all eligible borrowers, initially for a period of three months, which was subsequently extended by another three months, taking the total to six months from March 2020 to August 2020.

Das said that as a result of these concerted efforts, there has been a gradual and consistent turnaround in the banking system, despite the multiple headwinds emanating from COVID-19, geo-political conflicts and sharp monetary policy tightening across the world.

In the US, notably, one of the most prominent lenders in the world of technology startups, Silicon Valley Bank, which had been struggling, collapsed on March 10, 2023, after a run on the bank by the depositors. Its closure led to a contagion effect and the subsequent shutting down of other banks.

Further, on questions often raised as to how this turnaround in the banking sector took place, Das responded by saying that it was the result of all the “good work” of various stakeholders in the system.

“Our ultimate objective is the mutual coexistence of price stability, sustained growth and financial stability that works best for the Indian economy.”

In conclusion, he said the remarkable turnaround in the Indian banking system has been a cornerstone of India’s success story in recent years. (ANI)

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Rishi Was Never A Friend To His Kids, Shares Neetu

By LokMarg

Actor Neetu Kapoor in a recent episode of the chat show ‘Koffee with Karan 8’ talked about late actor Rishi Kapoor’s relationship with his children Ranbir and Riddhima.

Neetu graced the coffee couch along with veteran star Zeenat Aman.

During a conversation with the show’s host Karan Johar, the ‘Jug Jugg Jeeyo’ star recalled the time she spent with her late husband in New York when he was receiving treatment for cancer.

She said, “So Karan for me, I don’t like to remember the sad part. I like to remember the good part of our relationship and of our time in New York. So New York was really sad, but we had the best year, I had the best year of my life.”

She also revealed how the ‘Karz’ actor would rarely be casual and friendly with his kids but that changed in the final days.

“Because you know Chintu Ji (Rishi Kapoor) is a very loving person. He had a lot of love in him. But there was something he never really showed his love. He always kept his distance and bullying people, not show his love. Especially with me and my children, he was like a big thing. Respect and all and with that he lost out on a lot with his children. He was never a friend to them,” she said.

She added, “But that year, he opened up. He showed love, went towards me also he was so lovely. We had the best time.”

Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30 in the year 2020 at the age of 67.

He was suffering from leukaemia. He was in New York for a considerable amount of time for his treatment. Neetu was there for him as a rock-solid partner through thick and thin.

Rishi and Neetu got married on January 22, 1980, and share two children, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and superstar Ranbir Kapoor.

Back in the 70s and 80s, the couple starred in several hits together, like ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Khel Khel Mein’, ‘Rafoo Chakkar’, ‘Kabhi Kabhie’, ‘Besharam’ and many more, and inspired generations with both their on-screen and off-screen romance. (ANI)

Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt Performs ‘Pind Daan’ In Gaya

By LokMarg

Actor Sanjay Dutt on Thursday performed ‘pind daan’ at Vishnupad Temple in Gaya, Bihar.

Sanjay prayed for the peace of the souls of his departed parents, Sunil Dutt and Nargis.

Pind daan is a Hindu ritual that involves paying homage to the deceased. It’s performed by relatives of the deceased at three holy sites in Gaya: the Phalgu River, Vishnupad Temple, and Akshay Vat tree. The ritual can take about two hours and can be completed in one day.

After performing the rituals, he also met his fans, who were stationed outside the temple.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sanjay will be next seen in the sci-fi horror comedy film ‘The Virgin Tree’, which also features Sunny Singh, Mouni Roy, and Palak Tiwari in the lead roles.

Sharing more details about the film, Sanjay earlier said, “I am pleased to back the film, which was exactly the script I was looking for. The film is the perfect blend of comedy and horror, with the right balance of chills and thrills. I am so glad to have found a production partner in Deepak Mukut whose cinematic vision and ideals align with mine. I always wanted to encourage young, fresh talent in the industry and with this film, we launch a new director with a fresh vision. He has put together an eclectic cast and I wish them the best time and a glorious shoot ahead.”

He also has ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ alongside Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal and Disha Patani in his kitty. ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ is all set to hit theatres on December 20, 2024. (ANI)

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Deepika Padukone

Zeenat: Deepika Perfect Choice For ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ Sequel

By LokMarg

With her acting prowess, actress Deepika Padukone has found a home in the hearts of moviegoers. Even veteran actress Zeenat Aman is an admirer of her work.

In the latest episode of Disney+Hotstar’s ‘Koffee with Karan 8’, Zeenat Aman marked her gracious presence with Neetu Kapoor. The two went down memory lane as they discussed their busy work life, co-stars, marriage, motherhood, and even grandmotherhood with host Karan Johar.

Interestingly, during the rapid-fire segment, Karan went on to ask Zeenat about her choice of actress who would be appropriate to play the role of Rupa in the sequel to Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). Without any second thought, she took the name of Deepika Padukone.

‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ is a 1978 romantic drama film produced and directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Jainendra Jain. It starred Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman in the lead roles. In the film, she played the role of Rupa with a disfigured face.

During the episode, Zeenat recalled how she got the role in the iconic, albeit controversial film, directed by Raj Kapoor.

Zeenat Aman recalled, “I didn’t think that he would even think of casting me in this kind (Rupa) of role. Because she is the daughter of a priest. One day we were shooting at Esel Studios, which is on the road to RK (RK Studios). After packing up, I just dressed myself up in my version of what I thought he (Raj Kapoor) would think of Rupa.”

On how she prepared for the role, she added, “With tissue paper stuck on my face. And make-up, and choti (braid), and ghagra-choli. Then I went to RK Studios. He had this man on Friday, John, and then I said, John, please tell sir that Rupa has come. So he said, Rupa? Who is Rupa? Then he (Raj Kapoor) called me inside his cottage, and I went. Then he was gobsmacked,” Zeenat Aman recalled.

Zeenat Aman shared what Raj Kapoor said later to his wife, Krishna Raj Kapoor.

“He said that this girl is a huge star. She doesn’t need to do this. It’s her passion for this that makes me want to give her the part. You know what he did: on an old song of Nargis ji, Jago Mohan Pyaare, he shot a whole reel with his vision of Rupa. It was so exquisite what he shot. Better than the entire film.”

She added that he showed the clip to film distributors.

“He wanted to show them, yes, Zeenat Aman can be Rupa. All territories were interested,” she added.

Zeenat Aman is now all set to make a comeback to the silver screen with Manish Malhotra’s film ‘Bun Tikki’, which also stars Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi. The film is directed by Faraz Arif Ansari and also stars actor Abhay Deol. Jyoti Deshpande, Dinesh Malhotra, and Marijke Desouza will produce the film under the umbrella of Manish Malhotra’s Stage 5 Productions. (ANI)

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Shahid Kapoor

Shahid To Rock The Dance Floor In ‘Laal Peeli Akhiyaan’

By LokMarg

Shahid Kapoor is not only a great actor but he is also a versatile dancer. It’s been a long time since his fans saw him shaking a leg with full energy in films. Interestingly, the wait is now over.

Shahid is all set to set the dance floor on fire with the song ‘Laal Peeli Akhiyaan’ song from his upcoming film ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’, which also stars Kriti Sanon and Dharmendra.

On Thursday, Kriti and Shahid took to Instagram and dropped the song’s teaser.

In the brief clip, Shahid can be seen showcasing impressive dancing skills. He looked dapper in a black shirt that he paired with black pants and shades.

Kriti captioned the teaser, “Killer moves, banger beats… get ready ’cause @shahidkapoor is here to raise the heat!”

The dancing glimpse of Shahid left his fans elated.

“slaying the dance floor like a pro,” a social media user commented.

” I’m ready to fall in love with Shahid again,” another one wrote.

The film ‘Teri Baton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’ is written and directed by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah. Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande, and Laxman Utekar have produced it. The film will be out in theatres on February 9.

Shahid also has ‘Deva’ with Pooja Hegde in his kitty. The cast recently finished shooting for the film’s first schedule.Recently, production house Roy Kapur Films shared a picture on X (formerly Twitter) and made the announcement.

They wrote, “And it’s a wrap for #DEVA schedule one. See you in 2024!”

The makers shared a picture of a gun-shaped cake with the text, “Deva first schedule done and dusted.” The film is being helmed by Rosshan Andrrews, known for Malayalam films like ‘Salute’ and ‘Kayamkulam Kochunni’ and is produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur and Zee Studios.

The film will be released in theatres on the occasion of Dussehra 2024. (ANI)

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Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Modi

Modi Hands Over ‘Chadar’ To Be Offered On 812th Urs Of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti In Ajmer

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday handed over a ‘Chadar’ which will be offered on the 812th Urs of sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

The chadar was presented to Bharatiya Janata Party Minority Morcha national president Jamaal Siddiqui at the Prime Minister’s residence in the national capital.

Soon after meeting, PM Modi took to social media platform, X, and said, “Met a Muslim community delegation. During our interaction, I presented the sacred Chadar, which will be placed during the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at the esteemed Ajmer Sharif Dargah.”

The delegation will visit Ajmer and offer the chadar on behalf of PM Modi. The Urs festival is an annual festival held at Ajmer in Rajasthan which commemorates the death anniversary of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.

Siddiqui, after coming out of the Prime Minister’s residence, said, “This Chadar is a symbol of peace, harmony and Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister, while maintaining the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, has presented this Chadar as a tribute to the Dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz.”

The BJP leader said that the Prime Minister has once again given the message to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians to work together to make India a global leader and set an example of peace and brotherhood in the country.

On this occasion, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Smriti Irani, Syed Farid Nizami (Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah), Salman Chishti (Ajmer Sharif), party national vice president Tariq Mansoor, Delhi Haj Committee chairman Kausar Jahan, and Sufi Hazrat from Nagpur, Ahmedabad Jammu and Kashmir were present at the Prime Minister’s residence.

BJP Minority Morcha’s national media in-charge Yasir Jilani informed that PM Modi has sent flowers and ‘Chadar of Aqidat’ to be offered on the occasion of Urs of Khwaja Garib Nawaz.

He said, “Tomorrow we will head for Ajmer Dargah from Mehrauli Dargah and will present the Chadar at Ajmer Dargah on Saturday.”

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is a Persian-origin Sunni Muslim philosopher and religious scholar who is considered one of the most outstanding saints of the Indian subcontinent. He is also known as Garib Nawaz.

Chishti was born in Sijistan (modern-day Sistan) in Iran in 1141-42 CE. He came to the Indian subcontinent in the 13th century and settled in Ajmer, Rajasthan. He founded and spread the Chishti Order of Sunni Islam in the Indian subcontinent.

The Chishti Order emphasised the doctrine of the unity of being with God and members of the order were also pacifists. Chishti made Ajmer his home from 1192 till his death in 1236 AD. The shrine was built by Mughal King Humayun in honour of this saint. (ANI)

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General Manoj Pande Northern Border

Situation On Northern Border Is Stable But Sensitive: General Pande

By LokMarg

The Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, said on Thursday that the security situation on the northern border is stable but sensitive. The Army Chief was speaking at the Annual Press conference ahead of Army Day on January 15.

“The situation on the northern border is stable but sensitive. We continue to talk to find a solution to address and balance issues between the two sides. Operational preparedness is very high, and deployment is both- robust, and balanced…” Chief of Army Staff, Manoj Pande said.

“As far as the situation in JK is concerned, the ceasefire understanding along the LoC continues to hold. Even though we see infiltration attempts, which we have been able to thwart… We have a strong anti-drone mechanism in place to stop the use of drones to smuggle weapons and narcotics…. The area of Rajouri Poonch has seen increased terrorist activities. Support infrastructure for proxy tandems in the Rajouri Poonch sector from across the border continues…” General Manoj Pande added.

General Manoj Pande also highlighted that disruptive technologies have become the new arena of strategic competition.

“National interests remain paramount and the relevance of hard powers has been established… Disruptive technologies have become the new arena of strategic competition.” said General Manoj Pande.

He also affirmed that security forces are fully aligned to ensure a stable and secure environment for nation.

“…Our nation is on the rise firmly on the path of progress in the economic sphere. We are fully aligned to ensure a stable and secure environment, both internal and external, to help our country progress…”

Speaking about the security situation in North-East India, the chief of Army Staff said,”…The Northeast has witnessed positive developments in the last year because of the proactive policies of the government. The violence parameters have overall come down. Manipur witnessed violence in May last year, but with the combined efforts by the state administration, Army and Assam Rifles, they have been able to stabilise the situation. We are working to normalise the situation and ensure stability…”

General Manoj Pande also said that the Army has inducted better vehicles, drones and counter-drone systems.

“As part of emergency provisions, we have been able to induct some new technologies and address domains of warfare. We have inducted better vehicles, drones and counter-drone systems. We have terrain-specific electronic warfare systems.,” General Manoj Pande said.

“We have restructured our artillery unit. We also have restructured units of electronic warfare and electronic intelligence. We have started the process of reducing animals in our animal transport units and they are being replaced by drones…We have made a plan and optimise our strength by significant numbers and by 2027 we will achieve an optimisation of 1 lakh numbers. We have given the proposal to the government,” he added.

Speaking about Agniveers recruitment General Manoj Pande said, “The first two batches of Agniveers are now fully deployed in field units and the feedback is very exciting and positive… 120 women officers who have been given permanent commission and are in command roles are deployed in field areas, and they are doing a good job there.”

“…We also have moved from the current conduct of our competitive and promotion exams to fully online mode and by the end of this year, all our promotion exams will be held entirely online…” CoAS General Manoj Pande concluded. (ANI)

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Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel

Patel Explores Collaborations With UAE In Green Technologies, Infrastructure

By LokMarg

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel engaged in a high-profile meeting with Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE, during the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.

The discussions focused on fostering collaboration between Gujarat and the United Arab Emirates, with a particular emphasis on advancing green hydrogen technology and desalination plants.

Expressing enthusiasm for the potential collaboration, Chief Minister Patel stated, “Green hydrogen technology and desalination plants can progress through collaboration between the UAE and Gujarat.”

This signals a strategic move towards sustainable technologies, aligning with global efforts to address environmental challenges.

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE, highlighted the growing potential for UAE investors to engage with Gujarat, citing the country’s partnership in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit since 2017.

The meeting served as a platform to explore avenues for increased investment and cooperation between the two regions.

Acknowledging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat,” Chief Minister Patel welcomed UAE industry investors during the summit.

The focus extended beyond ongoing projects like Gift City, Dholera Sir, and the Diamond Bourse, with substantial potential identified in sectors such as renewable energy and green hydrogen.

The Chief Minister’s proactive approach to supporting UAE industries in Gujarat garnered praise from the business delegation accompanying Minister Al Zeyoudi.

The collaborative development efforts were encouraged to facilitate shared growth and progress.

Extending hospitality, Chief Minister Patel invited the UAE Minister for an extended visit to Gujarat, emphasising potential opportunities within the state’s tourism sector.

In a reciprocal gesture, Minister Al Zeyoudi invited Chief Minister Patel to explore opportunities in the UAE.

Discussions also revolved around significant opportunities for UAE companies in key sectors such as railways, roads, ports, and shipping.

Gift City, a flagship project, took centre stage in deliberations, aiming to strengthen economic ties between the two regions.

The meeting, attended by the Chief Minister’s Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi and Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries Department SJ Haider, aimed not only at economic collaborations but also at fostering deeper bilateral relations.

It marks a significant step towards mutual progress and strengthened ties between Gujarat and the UAE. (ANI)

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