STATE

Srinagar, June 28 (IANS) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday reiterated his government’s commitment to making Jammu and Kashmir one of the premier golf destinations in the country.

The Chief Minister made these remarks during a prize distribution ceremony held here at Srinagar, where winners and runners-up of the day’s golf tournament were felicitated.

Earlier, the Chief Minister joined golfers to tee off the tournament at the Royal Springs Golf Course, which saw participation from eminent golfers from across the country, including former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Welcoming the golfers to Kashmir, the Chief Minister said their presence was highly encouraging. He also expressed his gratitude to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) for organising the Golf tournament and tourism stakeholders’ interaction in Kashmir.

“It is very reassuring for us to see you all here. There is no doubt that your presence goes a long way in reinforcing what we are trying to do, which is essentially to bring tourism back on track after it had derailed,” he said.

Reflecting on recent challenges, the Chief Minister acknowledged the apprehensions tourists may have felt following the Baisaran tragedy.

“I understand why people would be afraid to visit. I understand the impact of the visuals from Pahalgam on the psyche of those who would otherwise not think twice about coming here,” he said.

“That is why your presence here carries immense significance — the message you take back with you amplifies what we are trying to achieve, in ways perhaps we cannot.”

Highlighting the power of word-of-mouth communication, the Chief Minister noted that the impressions shared by visitors hold greater weight than official statements.

“If I speak about Jammu and Kashmir as a tourism destination, my words will naturally be seen through the lens of a local. But when you return home and share your experiences here, the impact is far greater,” he said.

“I am not being frivolous when I say this, we truly hope each one of you goes back as ambassadors of Jammu and Kashmir, conveying that although the region has faced a difficult few months, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and better days lie ahead.”

On the development of golf infrastructure, the Chief Minister assured the gathering that all necessary efforts will be made to provide world-class golfing facilities in both Jammu and Kashmir Valley.

Referring to the recent tournament held in Gulmarg, he shared: “For the first time in over a decade, we were able to organise a small, locally-participated golf tournament using nine holes. By August or September, we hope to have all 18 holes operational. Work on the greens is underway.”

He further added, “Similarly, we will continue to enhance the quality of golf courses in Srinagar and Jammu. Rest assured, we are committed to ensuring that each time you return, you experience an improved game and setting.”

–IANS

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Jaipur, June 28 (IANS) Without taking Congress’s name, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday said that the achievements of his government outshine the record of the previous government.

He said 10.5 lakh bicycles have been distributed against 3.5 lakh in 18 months of the previous government. Also, 3 lakh youth were trained in skill development. Further, 30,000 scooties have been distributed to girl students against 6,400 in 18 months of the last government.

Speaking at the 29th State-Level Bhamashah Samman Samaroh at the Takshila Auditorium of Maheshwari Public School, he said over 88,000 students benefited from tablet-laptop distribution.

He assured that, unlike the previous government, there have been no paper leaks under the current government. A recruitment calendar has already been issued by RPSC and the Staff Selection Board, with a target of 1 lakh government jobs annually and 4 lakh jobs over five years

The Chief Minister outlined several steps taken by the government to ensure modern and inclusive education across Rajasthan:

He said, “Smart classrooms have been launched in 13,000 government schools, ICT labs have been established in around 14,000 schools, Pre-primary classes have been started in 402 PM Shri Vidyalayas, and Primary education has been introduced in Swami Vivekanand Vidyalayas, highlighting schemes focused on girl empowerment,” he claimed.

Sharma said more than Rs 90 crore has been transferred directly to 2.27 lakh girls under the Gargi Puraskar and Balika Protsahan Yojana.

“Our goal is to support girls’ education and help them achieve their dreams,” he said.

Chief Minister Sharma on Saturday said that the goal of the state government is not just to provide education, but to shape students into ideal citizens by instilling values, ethics and culture in them.

He also highlighted the vital role being played by the “Triveni” of Bhamashahs, educationists and motivators in transforming Rajasthan into a leading state in education. Calling donation a sacred tradition, the Chief Minister said that even ancient scriptures describe donation without expectations as the highest virtue.

“In the same spirit, Bhamashahs are supporting schools financially—constructing buildings, providing infrastructure and helping improve educational quality,” he added.

CM Sharma stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, multiple schemes are uplifting women, youth, labourers and farmers.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Giving a conspiracy twist to a youth’s murder in East Delhi’s Geeta Colony, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra on Saturday urged the Delhi Police not to treat the incident merely as a case of road rage.

They urged police to ascertain the true motive behind the killing, as the bereaved family has voiced some concerns and suspicions.

The two BJP leaders expressed grief over the murder of Yash, 21, on Friday, and stressed that the matter requires a swift and thorough investigation.

Malhotra, accompanied by local MLA Anil Goel, visited the victim’s residence in Rani Garden earlier in the day and met the grieving parents and offered their condolences and support.

The MoS assured the family that Delhi Police would investigate the case with full diligence, and a strong and watertight case would be prepared.

He stated that, if required, the Delhi government would provide the best legal assistance for action against the accused.

He affirmed that East Delhi BJP stands firmly with the bereaved family and for any assistance, the family can reach out to local MLA Goel or Shahdara District President Deepak Gaba.

In the evening, Gaba and other local BJP officials attended the last rites of the deceased Yash.

Yash’s relatives alleged that the incident was pre-planned and that he was killed allegedly due to his friendship with a girl from another community.

The accused, including a juvenile, were identified as relatives of Yash’s friend, they alleged.

The slain youth was stabbed in the back after his scooter brushed past the accused juvenile. The juvenile chased Yash and, with the help of his kin and stabbed him near the Geeta Colony Pushta flyover.

The victim’s family also alleged that the parents of Yash’s female friend had once come to their house and issued life threats to him.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday visited schools in Surat and said that an advanced education system featuring AI, smart boards, and robotics, on the lines of Gujarat, will soon be implemented in the capital’s schools.

Speaking to the media in Gujarat, Sood expressed confidence that this initiative would not only raise the quality of education in Delhi’s government schools but also enhance students’ exposure to modern technologies.

Sood criticised the so-called Delhi education model flaunted by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

He said the self-proclaimed Delhi model of the AAP government and its Education Minister, who went to jail over the liquor scam, have completely failed.

Despite being the national capital with all available resources, Delhi’s government schools have just a few hundred smart boards. In contrast, Gujarat, despite facing natural challenges such as annual floods in several districts, has successfully established over one lakh smart classrooms, he said, adding that this completely exposes the failure of the so-called Delhi model.

On his educational trip to Surat, Sood visited Suman High School Number 6, Udhna, operated under the Surat Municipal Corporation.

The Education Minister visited various classrooms in the school and observed the teaching and learning process being conducted through smart boards.

He interacted with students to understand the utility of smart boards and the educational benefits they receive from this technology.

Sood also visited the school’s AI and Robotics Lab, where he observed practical projects being carried out by students on topics such as drones, 3D printers, and advanced sensor security systems.

While interacting with the students, he appreciated their efforts and extended his best wishes.

Sood’s visit was aimed at observing the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the best educational practices adopted by different states.

He remarked that the reforms introduced by Gujarat in government schools are commendable and that other states should take inspiration from them.

Present on the occasion were the District Education Officer of Surat, administrative officers from the Municipal Primary Education Committee, the District Primary Education Officer, and school administrators, along with other officials.

–IANS

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Agartala, June 28 (IANS) Union Ministry of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) is actively considering a Tripura government project worth Rs 132 crore to expand the area of cultivation of Queen variety of pineapple and to make the delicious fruit as a global brand, Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath said here on Saturday.

The Minister said that several rounds of meetings were held with DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and he assured to help the state to expand the area of cultivation of the Queen variety of pineapple and to make the tasty fruit a global brand.

“Scindia assured us that he, along with officials, would visit the state to see the pineapple cultivation in the state. According to our discussion with him, we recently submitted the Rs 132 crore project to the DoNER ministry,” Nath told IANS.

He said that through a staggering process, the Queen variety of pineapple being cultivated in Tripura across 365 days of the year, not just as a seasonal fruit, has decided to start with 2,000 hectares.

Tripura is renowned for its Queen and Kew pineapple varieties, both of which flourish in the state’s unique hilly and humid climate with minimal chemical intervention. These pineapples are golden yellow in appearance and have a distinct, pleasant aroma upon ripening, said Nath, who also holds the power department.

According to the Minister, the fruit cultivation area in Tripura is 58,491 hectares, out of which 11,862 hectares are now under pineapple cultivation, producing around 1,74,016 metric tonnes annually, with an average productivity of 14.6 tonnes per hectare, slightly below the national average of 17 tonnes per hectare.

“The organic Queen pineapple yields about 12 tonnes per hectare, while the Kew variety has a higher productivity of 15.71 tonnes per hectare. The Queen variety pineapple was granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag status, which highlights the unique quality and distinctiveness in the state,” Nath said.

He said that before the BJP government came to power, farmers cultivating pineapple never reaped benefits.

“However, after the BJP government came to power in 2018, they have started reaping those benefits, and the government is helping them by facilitating exports to other states and countries,” said the Minister.

Tripura, for many years, has been exporting pineapples and lemons to many countries and many Indian states as well.

Tripura has occasionally exported the queen variety pineapples to Dubai, Qatar and Bangladesh, facilitating crores of trade for the state’s farmers.

Officials said that besides pineapples, Tripura also exported various other fruits, including lemon and horticultural products, to the UK, Germany and many other countries.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind, at a function in Agartala in 2018, announced the “Queen” variety of pineapple as Tripura’s state fruit. Besides pineapples, Tripura also exported a large quantity of jackfruit, tamarind, stone apple, betel leaf, ginger to the UK, Germany, Dubai, Bangladesh and other countries, as well as various Indian states.

–IANS

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Gwalior, June 28 (IANS) Amid ongoing barbs exchanged between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress over the Constitution and its architect B.R. Ambedkar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Saturday, launched a scathing attack at the grand old party.

During an inspection of a memorial of Ambedkar being established in Jorasi area in Gwalior district, CM Yadav alleged that when Ambedkar’s mortal remains were transported to Mumbai’s Chaitya Bhoomi, his wife had paid the entire expenses.

“Congress didn’t give a portion of land in New Delhi to perform the last rites of Ambedkar, and when his mortal remains were flown to Mumbai, the Congress government took air expenses from his wife. This is what the Congress did with Ambedkar,” the Chief Minister said while talking to media persons.

The Congress and BJP have been engaged in a political war of words over the installation of Ambedkar’s statue at the premises of the Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The proposed development, which snowballed into a political controversy, is being examined by the Supreme Court.

Faced with the allegations from the Congress over installation of Ambedkar’s statue in the court premises, Chief Minister Yadav hit out at the grand old party during his inspection visit to Ambedkar’s memorial being established by the BJP government in Gwalior.

The Chief Minister said that the first phase of work of Ambedkar’s memorial is near completion, and he will perform the ‘bhoomi pujan’ for the second phase of the work by next month.

In a targeted attack at the Nehru-Gandhi family, CM Yadav reiterated that Congress missed no opportunity to insult Ambedkar.

“The Congress never thought of putting a photo of Ambedkar in the Parliament, but the BJP government established a memorial of Ambedkar in his birthplace in Indore’s Mhow. Now, another memorial of the architect of the Indian Constitution is being established in Gwalior,” he said.

Launching a pointed attack on the grand old party for imposition of Emergency in Indore 50 years ago, the Chief Minister said that the Emergency was a blot on Congress which it can never remove from itself.

“Those who invoked Emergency in this country to eliminate democracy can never be forgiven. They will never be free from this stigma. And the irony is that they are questioning the BJP government,” CM Yadav added.

–IANS

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Kolkata, June 28 (IANS) A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013.

As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school.

The timing of the complaint coincides with the ongoing major stir in the state over the rape of a law student within her college premises at Kasba in South Kolkata on the evening of June 25.

The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party.

Even the parents of the woman junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, who was raped and murdered within the hospital premises in August last year, have attracted the ire of the BJP leaders after they expressed apprehension on Saturday that there might attempts by a politically influential section in the state and a part of the state administration to shield the accused in the Kasba rape case.

State Trinamool Congress General Secretary Kunal Ghosh on Saturday claimed that the parents of the R.G. Kar rape and murder victim should not act in a politically biased manner and also express what they think of the accusations against Kartik Maharaj, who has denied all the allegations levelled against him.

The woman accusing Kartik Maharaj of raping her at least 12 times between January and June of 2013, had also claimed that the accused monk threatened her that he would commit suicide if she approached the police or reported the incident to any individual.

The district police in Murshidabad had already lodged a case in the matter and started an investigation.

The West Bengal BJP unit, too, had questioned the timing of the complaint.

“First, the complaint had been lodged 12 years after the alleged incident of multiple rapes took place. Secondly, the complaint had been lodged exactly at a time, when the state administration and the ruling Trinamool Congress are cornered over the Kasba law college rape case,” said West Bengal BJP leader and Calcutta High Court advocate Kaustav Bagchi.

–IANS

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Chennai, June 12 (IANS) Amid rising concerns over a possible fresh wave of COVID-19 cases across the country, the Tamil Nadu government has announced that the state’s population continues to show a very high level of immunity against the virus, thanks to effective vaccination coverage.

According to the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH&PM), the fifth phase of the statewide serological survey revealed that 97 per cent of blood samples collected had developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

The survey, which began in April this year, focussed on elderly individuals across the six districts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirappalli, Dharmapuri, and Kanniyakumari.

A total of 3,643 blood samples were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies.

Officials stated that the presence of antibodies even after three years since the onset of the pandemic highlights the long-term effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines administered across the state.

These antibodies play a crucial role in the body’s defence mechanism by neutralising the virus and preventing severe illness.

“The high prevalence of antibodies among the general public is the primary reason why recent COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu have shown only mild symptoms, and fatalities are almost nil,” the DPH&PM said in a statement.

Dr. Rajani Varrier, Associate Professor of medicine at a private medical college in Salem, noted, “When any infection enters the body, it naturally develops antibodies to fight it. However, vulnerable groups — such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with comorbidities — should continue to exercise caution despite the presence of antibodies.”

While the Tamil Nadu government claims that no COVID-19-related deaths have been reported so far this year, data from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare indicates otherwise.

According to the Centre, six COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in the state since January, with over 200 active cases currently under observation.

In response to the nationwide uptick in cases, the Union government recently convened a high-level meeting to assess preparedness.

All states and Union Territories have been instructed to ensure adequate supplies of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines.

As a precautionary measure, Tamil Nadu’s health authorities have begun reintroducing certain safety protocols.

In the last week of May, the Directorate of Public Health issued an advisory recommending the use of face masks and physical distancing in public places.

Following this, the Coimbatore Government Medical College Hospital made mask-wearing mandatory within its premises.

Officials maintain that while the current situation is under control, continued vigilance and preventive measures are essential to avoid any resurgence of the virus.

–IANS

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