Name: Nirmala Sitharaman answers opposition's 'why now?' question on 'White Paper'
Uploaded: 2024-02-09T20:58:53.000+05:30
Duration: T01M57S
Channel: Editorji News Desk
Description: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that investors would have lost confidence it the NDA govt that brought in the White Paper on economy earlier.

The Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Uttarakhand from January, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Wednesday.

Uttarakhand to implement Uniform Civil Code from January 2025

With this, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code after independence.

The Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Uttarakhand from January, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Wednesday.
During a meeting of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructure Development Board (UIIDB) in Dehradun, Dhami said that the state government has completed its "homework" and the UCC will be implemented across the state from January 2025.
With this, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code after independence.
On the last day of campaigning for the 2022 assembly elections, the chief minister had promised the people of Uttarakhand that if the BJP retained power, the UCC would be implemented in the state.
Dhami said that after the formation of the new government in Uttarakhand in March 2022, it was decided in the first meeting of the cabinet to form an expert committee to implement UCC in the state.
He said that a five-member expert committee was formed under the chairmanship of retired judge Ranjana Prakash Desai. On the basis of its report, the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand, 2024 Bill was passed in the state assembly on February 7, 2024.
Dhami said that the Act was notified on 12 March 2024 after presidential assent.
He said that now the rules of the Uniform Civil Code Act have also been prepared and Uttarakhand is fully prepared to implement the UCC from January.
"The Uniform Civil Code Act of Uttarakhand will give a new direction to the society by following the basic spirit of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. This law will open new doors of empowerment, especially for women and children of Devbhoomi," Dhami said.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that UCC will be implemented in all BJP-ruled states.
Dhami instructed the officials to provide proper training and facilities to the personnel for the implementation of the provisions of UCC.
The chief minister said that keeping in mind the convenience of the common people, a portal and a mobile app have also been prepared so that facilities including registration and appeal can be made available online.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari are set to be among the Congress representatives in the parliamentary panel that will scrutinise the two bills proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.

One Nation, One Election: Priyanka Gandhi to join Parliamentary panel

Among the BJP's allies, Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Jha of the JD(U) may be members of the key panel which is expected to have 21 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari are set to be among the Congress representatives in the parliamentary panel that will scrutinise the two bills proposing simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, while Kalyan Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress and P Wilson of the DMK are also expected to be its members, sources said.
The BJP, which will have maximum representatives in the joint committee of Parliament, remained tight-lipped about its choices amid a buzz that its seasoned MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur are being considered for the job.
Among the BJP's allies, Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Jha of the JD(U) may be members of the key panel which is expected to have 21 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha, the sources said.
Most of the parties have conveyed their choices to the government which will move a motion in Lok Sabha to send the bills to the joint committee. The Speaker will take a final call on the names for the panel and its chairperson.
Sukhdeo Bhagat and Randeep Surjewala are the Congress' other choices for the joint committee of Parliament. Saket Gokhale of the TMC and T M Selvaganapathi of the DMK are also expected to be part of the panel.
The sources said P P Chaudhary is also being considered as the probable BJP choice for the panel in which the saffron party and its allies will be in a majority due to their numerical superiority in Parliament.
While Prasad, a well known lawyer, has held the portfolio of law minister in the previous Modi government, Chaudhary was a deputy minister in the crucial ministry.
From the Telugu Desam Party, the BJP's biggest ally, either Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu or G M Harish Balayogi is likely to be in the panel.
The two 'one nation, one election' (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in the Constitution, lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections and were introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday after a fiery debate.
Opposition parties dubbed the draft laws -- a Constitution amendment bill and an ordinary bill -- as an attack on the federal structure, a charge rejected by the government.
Speaking to reporters on the Parliament premises, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi had termed the bills "anti-constitutional".
"It is against the federalism of our nation. We are opposing the bill," she had said.
The BJP and its allies such as the TDP, JD(U) and Shiv Sena have stoutly defended the bills, saying frequent elections are an obstruction to development programmes and simultaneous polls will boost them by cutting down on election expenditure.

Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday rocked by protests from Opposition members who demanded an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming his remarks in the House a day earlier were an "insult" to the architect of India's Constitution B R Ambedkar.

Rajya Sabha Uproar: Amit Shah vs Congress

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of misleading the country by using only a part of Shah's remarks made in the Rajya Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday rocked by protests from Opposition members who demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming his remarks in the House a day earlier were an "insult" to the architect of India's Constitution B R Ambedkar.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of misleading the country by using only a part of Shah's remarks made in the Rajya Sabha and asserted that the Home Minister had in very clear words mentioned how the Congress party had insulted Ambedkar.
"You (Congress) cannot use an 11-12 second clip out of Shah's entire speech and mislead the nation," Rijiju said and asserted that for the BJP, Ambedkar is equivalent to God.
However, the opposition was unrelenting. Amid sloganeering, the House was adjourned for the day soon after it met post-lunch.
In the morning, after the listed papers and reports were tabled and the House went ahead with the scheduled Zero Hour, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh rose and alleged that Shah insulted Ambedkar with his remarks during the debate on the Constitution.
Several other Congress members were on their feet and started raising slogans like "'Ambedkar ka apamaan nai sahega Hindustan' (India will not tolerate Ambedkar's insult)".
Countering them, Rijiju said it was the Congress that insulted Ambedkar and did not honour him with a Bharat Ratna.
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised a poster of Ambedkar. Amid an uproar, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings within a few minutes till 2 pm.
When the Upper House re-assembled post lunch at 2 pm, Rijiju said two Bills were listed for the day -- the Appropriation Bill and the Banking Regulation Bill. He requested the Opposition parties to allow the House to function and start the discussion on the Banking Regulation Bill.
However, as sloganeering by members of the opposition parties continued, Chairman Dhankhar said Babasaheb Ambedkar is a father figure for all, being the architect of the Indian Constitution.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari sought to raise a point of order, claiming that Shah "insulted" Ambedkar a day earlier.
Rejecting Tiwari's claim, Rijiju accused the Congress of misleading the country by using only a part of Shah's remarks made in the Rajya Sabha.
He said the Home Minister in his speech had in very clear words mentioned how the Congress party had insulted Ambedkar.
The Parliamentary Affairs minister said the Opposition was trying to mislead the nation by using only an "11-12 second" clip from Shah's entire speech.
Rijiju explained that the Home Minister had on Tuesday said that the Congress hatched a conspiracy to defeat Ambedkar when he contested for polls from Mumbai and later from Vidarbha.
The minister demanded that the Congress must apologise to the nation, alleging that Ambedkar wanted to get re-elected to the Lok Sabha but was not allowed to do so by the Congress, which forced him to leave electoral politics.
Rijiju also said that until 1990, the Congress-led government refused to give a Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar.
He accused the Congress of attempting to malign and remove Ambedkar's name from India's history while trying to garner votes by using his name.
"You (Congress) cannot use an 11-12 second clip out of Shah's entire speech and mislead the nation. It is not correct", he said, adding for the BJP, Ambedkar is equivalent to God.
At this, Kharge repeated Shah's remark and said it only showed the minister's disrespect towards the architect of the Constitution.
Kharge claimed that Shah had "made fun of" Ambedkar by saying that "if they (Congress) had taken God's name as many times, it would have attained a place in heaven in all of its seven births".
The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha argued that this was an insult to Ambedkar, to which Rijiju said that he was again trying to mislead the House.
Leader of the House J P Nadda stood up in Shah's defence, saying that Kharge was trying to "mislead" the nation through Parliament and accused the Congress of treating Ambedkar with disdain and disrespect.
Nadda rejected Kharge's claim and alleged that it was the Congress that had disrespected Ambedkar during his lifetime due to which he had resigned from the Union Cabinet.
Members of both treasury benches and the opposition raised slogans against each other and TMC MPs walked out in protest.Amid the uproar, Chairman Dhankhar adjourned the House for the day.

Khalid is an accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

2020 Delhi riots: Court Grants Umar Khalid 7-Day Bail

Khalid is an accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

A Delhi court on Wednesday granted seven days interim bail to former JNU student Umar Khalid, accused in the conspiracy case connected to February 2020 riots, to attend a family event.
Additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai granted him the reprieve for seven days to attend a family wedding. Khalid is an accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
A detailed order is awaited.&nbsp;

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah's alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.

Derek O'Brien files privilege notice against Home Minister Amit Shah over Ambedkar remarks

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah's alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien on Wednesday submitted a privilege notice against Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on B R Ambedkar, a source said.
According to the source, the notice has been filed under Rule 187 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha.
The notice also quoted the statement the home minister made in the Upper House on Tuesday during his reply to a debate on the 75 years of the Constitution.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah's alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.
Criticising the Congress for repeatedly taking the name of B R Ambedkar, Shah had said in his remarks that if they had taken God's name so many times they could have earned a place in heaven.
"Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar'. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)," Shah had said.
Shah also said the BJP is happy that the Congress is taking Ambedkar's name but the party should also speak about its real sentiments towards him.
Shah pointed out how Ambedkar had to resign from the first Cabinet citing his disagreement with the then Congress-led government's policies including Article 370.
The home minister also said most of the memorials of Ambedkar were built when the BJP came to power.
"How appropriate is it for you to use the name of a person for vote bank politics whom you used to oppose?" Shah asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Editorji News Desk and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The top court said, "We clarify that the court's doors are always open to any suggestion or demand by farmers directly or through their authorised representative."

Court doors always open to suggestion, demand: Supreme Court after Punjab says farmers refusing talks

The top court said, "We clarify that the court's doors are always open to any suggestion or demand by farmers directly or through their authorised representative."

The Punjab government on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that continuous, elaborate meetings were held with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a farmer leader who is on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border, and other farmers, but they declined to interact with the high-powered committee constituted by it.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was informed by Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh that the committee invited them on December 17, but protesting farmers did not engage with it.
Singh said the state government was trying to persuade the farmers on a daily basis and suggested they could be permitted to submit their demands directly to the court.
The top court said, "We clarify that the court's doors are always open to any suggestion or demand by farmers directly or through their authorised representative."
The apex court also took note of Dallewal's health and asked the Punjab government to provide medical aid without delay.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Editorji News Desk and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shyam Sundar Prasad, Deputy Director General of Mines Safety, SE Region, inaugurated the initiative, calling it a “pathbreaking step” that exemplifies how industries can transform with inclusive policies.

Tata Steel's Noamundi Mine Launches India’s First All-Women Mining Shift

Shyam Sundar Prasad, Deputy Director General of Mines Safety, SE Region, inaugurated the initiative, calling it a &ldquo;pathbreaking step&rdquo; that exemplifies how industries can transform with inclusive policies.

In a first for India&rsquo;s mining sector, Tata Steel has deployed an all-women shift at its Noamundi Iron Mine in Jharkhand. The groundbreaking initiative challenges traditional norms in a male-dominated industry, placing women at the forefront of operations such as operating heavy machinery and supervising shifts.
A Milestone for Gender Inclusion
This historic move comes years after the Mines Act of 1952 was amended in 2019 to permit women to work in mines across all shifts. Tata Steel, a frontrunner in embracing diversity, became the first company in India to implement this change, steadily increasing women&rsquo;s participation in mining through its Women@Mines initiative.
The Noamundi mine&rsquo;s all-women shift represents the culmination of this effort, with women now handling critical operations like operating shovels, dozers, loaders, drills, and more.
Shyam Sundar Prasad, Deputy Director General of Mines Safety, SE Region, inaugurated the initiative, calling it a &ldquo;pathbreaking step&rdquo; that exemplifies how industries can transform with inclusive policies.
From Policy to Practice
This achievement follows years of targeted training and skill development under Tata Steel&rsquo;s Tejaswini program. Women from local communities were trained in operating heavy earth-moving machinery (HEMM), learning technical skills, safety protocols, and physical fitness. The program&rsquo;s success has enabled dozens of women to take on roles that were once exclusively male.
Tata Steel&rsquo;s inclusion strategy hasn&rsquo;t stopped at gender diversity. Earlier this year, the Noamundi mine inducted nine transgender individuals as HEMM operators, underscoring its broader commitment to workplace equity.
A Long Road Ahead
While the all-women shift marks a significant milestone, experts say systemic challenges persist in India&rsquo;s mining industry, which continues to see low female participation. Initiatives like these are critical not only to break stereotypes but also to create viable career pathways for women in technical and operational roles.
This shift is not just a symbolic victory for gender equality but a step toward reshaping perceptions in industries where women have been historically underrepresented. It reflects a growing understanding that workplace diversity isn&rsquo;t just about fairness&mdash;it&rsquo;s about building a more efficient and innovative workforce.
Industry-Wide Implications
Tata Steel&rsquo;s decision to prioritize inclusion could encourage other mining companies to follow suit. As the sector grapples with workforce shortages and evolving technologies, leveraging a diverse talent pool may prove essential for long-term sustainability.
For now, the women of Noamundi&rsquo;s all-women shift are not just mining iron ore&mdash;they are digging deep into the bedrock of India&rsquo;s patriarchal work culture, carving out a space for future generations to thrive.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday announced that 'Sanjivni Yojna' would be launched for free treatment of people aged above 60 years after his party returns to power in Delhi.

AAP's Sanjeevani Yojana: Free Elderly Care

Kejriwal said registration for the Sanjeevani scheme will begin within two-three days.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday announced that 'Sanjivni Yojna' would be launched for free treatment of people aged above 60 years after his party returns to power in Delhi.
Assembly polls in Delhi are due in February next year.
Kejriwal said registration for the scheme will begin within two-three days.
AAP volunteers would go door to door for registration of the eligible elderly for the scheme, he said at an event at the party headquarters here.
After the elections, the AAP government will implement the scheme, Kejriwal added.

BJP leader Rajneesh Singh, in his letter to the chief minister on December 10, said that since the apex court's verdict, "no substantial endeavour has been undertaken by the Muslim community to construct the mosque".

BJP Leader Urges CM Yogi to Reclaim Ayodhya Mosque Land Citing Non-Compliance

BJP leader Rajneesh Singh, in his letter to the chief minister on December 10, said that since the apex court's verdict, "no substantial endeavour has been undertaken by the Muslim community to construct the mosque".

A BJP leader from Ayodhya has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asking him to reclaim the land allotted for the construction of a mosque here and claiming that no substantial endeavour has been undertaken to build it.
On November 9, 2019, settling a fractious issue that went back more than a century, a five-judge bench headed by the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, at the site where the 16th century Babri Masjid once stood. It also ruled that an alternative five-acre plot would be found for a mosque in the holy town.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/676288b2ac9c6_1734510770.jpg" width="500" height="327">
The Sunni Central Waqf Board later formed the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation to build a new mosque on the land allotted by the state government in the Dhannipur area of the district.
BJP leader Rajneesh Singh, in his letter to the chief minister on December 10, said that since the apex court's verdict, "no substantial endeavour has been undertaken by the Muslim community to construct the mosque".
Their "intention was never to establish a mosque there but to perpetuate the discord under the pretext of a mosque", he alleged.
"In compliance with the Supreme Court's order, the land allocated to Sunni Central Waqf Board in Ayodhya is being used by the mosque's responsible persons for other purposes. The Muslim community's intention was never to construct the mosque but rather to keep the disturbance and disorder alive under the guise of a mosque. However, this has not been possible due to your leadership," Singh said in the letter to Adityanath.
Asserting that "a mosque is not necessary for offering prayers anyway," he appealed to the chief minister to "issue strict instructions to the officials of the Ayodhya mosque trust to use the land in compliance with the Supreme Court orders".
In case of being unable to do so, issue directives to return the land to the government to prevent its misuse, Singh said.
In a conversation with PTI, he said, "The Muslim community merely wishes to preserve Babar's legacy through this mosque and aims to manipulate Hindu sentiments in the name of Babri Masjid."
When PTI contacted Athar Husain, the secretary of the Ayodhya Masjid Trust, for his reaction to the issue, he refused to comment.
In 2022, Singh petitioned the Allahabad High Court, claiming that the Taj Mahal mausoleum is an ancient temple dedicated to the deity Lord Shiva and is known as the "Tejo Mahalaya". (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Editorji News Desk and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Pakistan high commission on Wednesday said it issued 84 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit the Shree Katas Raj temples in Punjab province's Chakwal district.

Visas for Indian Pilgrims to Pakistan's Katas Raj

Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol.

The Pakistan high commission on Wednesday said it issued 84 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit the Shree Katas Raj temples in Punjab province's Chakwal district.
The group has been given visas to visit the Katas Raj temples from December 19 to 25.
The temples are also known as Qila Katas. It is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways.
Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year.Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol.
"The Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has issued 84 visas to a group of Indian pilgrims for their visit to the sacred Shree Katas Raj Temples in Chakwal district of Punjab," the Pakistani mission said.
Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich wished the pilgrims a "spiritually rewarding" and a "fulfilling" journey.
"Under the Pakistan-India protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974, each year thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to attend various religious festivals/occasions," the Pakistan high commission said.
"The issuance of pilgrimage visas is in line with the policy of the government of Pakistan to facilitate visits to religious shrines and promoting interfaith harmony," it said in a statement.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that investors would have lost confidence it the NDA govt that brought in the White Paper on economy earlier.&nbsp;

Nirmala Sitharaman answers opposition's 'why now?' question on 'White Paper'

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that investors would have lost confidence it the NDA govt that brought in the White Paper on economy earlier. 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that investors would have lost confidence it the NDA govt that brought in the White Paper on economy earlier.&nbsp;

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while replying to the discussion on the 'White Paper on the Indian Economy' tabled by her in the Lok Sabha addressed questions raised by the Congress about the timing of the document.&nbsp;
She said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in an interview in 2015-2016 spoken about receiving suggestions to bring a White Paper on the economic condition of the country.&nbsp; He had added that he was not doing so in 'national interests'
Sitharaman said that the prime minister believed that it would discourage investors.&nbsp;

Two cases of monkeypox (Mpox) have been reported in Kerala, state Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.

Two Monkeypox cases reported in Kerala

Kerala had reported a few cases of monkeypox in September this year, following the global outbreak of the disease.

Two cases of monkeypox (Mpox) have been reported in Kerala, state Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.
Two men, who recently returned to Kerala from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), tested positive for the disease, she said.
One of the men from Wayanad district was initially found to be infected, and the second person, from Kannur, tested positive later, according to her statement.
Following the reports of the disease, the Health Department has directed those who came in contact with the patients to monitor for any symptoms and report them accordingly.
Kerala had reported a few cases of monkeypox in September this year, following the global outbreak of the disease.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha related to B R Ambedkar.

Amit Shah: Congress Twisted My Statement on Ambedkar

Shah alleged that the Congress in the past has also misrepresented his and even PM Narendra Modi's comments to spread confusion and mislead people.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha related to B R Ambedkar after BJP leaders "exposed" the opposition party's repeated "insults" to the architect of the Constitution.
Addressing a press conference here, Shah alleged that the Congress in the past has also misrepresented his and even PM Narendra Modi's comments to spread confusion and mislead people.
"I condemn the Congress for twisting facts. Why did it happen? It happened because BJP leaders spoke on how the NDA governments upheld the Constitution and established with facts that the Congress is anti-Ambedkar, anti-Constitution and anti-reservation," Shah told reporters here.
The senior BJP leader said the Congress also insulted V D Savarkar and blew to smithereens the values enshrined in the Constitution by imposing Emergency.
"When all these facts came out, the Congress used its old tricks and made an effort to mislead the society by presenting twisted facts," Shah said.
Shah said he comes from a party that can never insult Ambedkar.
Asked about Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's demand for his resignation, the home minister said in a lighter vein that he can quit if this will make the Congress president happy but it will never solve his problems. He has to remain in his chair, a reference to his party being in the opposition, for 15 more years, Shah said.
Kharge, he added, has acted under Rahul Gandhi's pressure to be part of this "malicious" campaign against him by distorting his views on Ambedkar.

A passenger died and 66 were rescued, while search is underway around a dozen others aboard a ferry that capsized off Mumbai coast on Wednesday.

Boat capsizes near Gateway of India in Mumbai, one dead

The Navy and Coast Guard have launched a massive rescue operation, with 11 Navy boats and three boats of Marine Police and a boat of Coast Guard being deployed in the area.

A passenger died and 66 were rescued, while search is underway around a dozen others aboard a ferry that capsized off Mumbai coast on Wednesday, police said.
The ferry, called Neelkamal, was on way to Elephanta Islands, a popular tourist destination near Mumbai, when it capsized, a police official said. A small boat dashed against Neelkamal around 4 pm, he added.
The Navy and Coast Guard have launched a massive rescue operation, with 11 Navy boats and three boats of Marine Police and a boat of Coast Guard being deployed in the area, a defence official said.
Four helicopters are also involved in the search and rescue operation, the official said.
Personnel from police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and fishermen in the area are also involved in the rescue work, the official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Kuwait on Saturday on a two-day trip to further strengthen "multifaceted" ties between India and the Gulf nation.

PM Modi to visit Kuwait on December 21-22

During the visit, Modi will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait and will also interact with the Indian community.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Kuwait on Saturday on a two-day trip to further strengthen "multifaceted" ties between India and the Gulf nation.
It will be the first visit to Kuwait by an Indian prime minister in over four decades.
Modi is paying the visit at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
During the visit, Modi will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait and will also interact with the Indian community.
"India and Kuwait share traditionally close and friendly relations which are rooted in history and have been underpinned by economic and strong people to people linkages," the MEA said in a statement.
India is among the top trading partners of Kuwait. The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait.
"The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the multifaceted ties between India and Kuwait," the MEA added.

Hindi poet Gagan Gill and English writer Easterine Kire are among the 21 recipients of the annual Sahitya Akademi Awards, the organisation announced on Wednesday.

Gagan Gill, Easterine Kire: Sahitya Akademi Winners

The authors and poets will receive a plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh in an award ceremony on March 8, 2025.

Hindi poet Gagan Gill and English writer Easterine Kire are among the 21 recipients of the annual Sahitya Akademi Awards, the organisation announced on Wednesday.
Recommended by jury members in 21 languages, the awards recognise works in different categories including novels, short stories, poetry, essays and plays.
Gill was selected for her book on poetry "Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar", Kire made it to the coveted list for her novel "Spirit Nights".
The winning list includes eight poetry books, three novels, two short stories, three essays, three works of literary criticism, one play and one research.
Sohan Kaul will receive the award for her Kashmiri novel "Psychiatric Ward", while Paul Kaur has been selected for her Punjabi book on poetry "Sun Gunvanta Sun Budhivanta: Itihaasnama Punjab".
Other recipients of award in poetry include K Jayakumar (Malayalam), Haobam Satyabati Devi (Manipuri), Dileep Jhaveri (Gujarati), Sameer Tanti (Assamese), Mukut Maniraj (Rajasthani) and Dipak Kumar Sharma (Sanskrit).
Apart from Kire and Kaul, Aron Raja also made it to the winning list in the novels genre for his fiction book "Swrni Thakhai" in Bodo.
Yuva Baral's "Chhichimira" (Nepali) and Hundraj Balwani's "Purzo" (Sindhi) were the picks in the short stories section.
Mukesh Thali (Konkani), Mahendra Malangia (Maithili) and Baishnab Charan Samai (Odia) will receive the award for their essays, while AR Venkatachalapathy (Tamil), recognised for his research and Maheshwar Sorn for his play "Seched Sawnta Ren Andha Manmi" (Santali).
KV Narayana, Sudhir Rasal and Penugonda Lakshminarayana will be awarded for their literary criticism in Kannada, Marathi and Telugu, respectively.
The awards were approved by the executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi which met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of its president Madhav Kaushik, the academy of letters said in a statement.
The awards relate to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of the award, i.e. between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022.
The authors and poets will receive a plaque, a shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh in an award ceremony on March 8, 2025
Bengali, Dogri and Urdu language awards will be declared later.

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Nirmala Sitharaman answers opposition's 'why now?' question on 'White Paper'

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