THE HEADLINES:
• Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis takes oath for third time as Maharashtra Chief Minister; Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar also sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers.
• Parliament passes bill to empower Government to make rules regulating design, manufacture, export or import of aircraft.
• President Droupadi Murmu calls upon all stakeholders of judicial system to find a way to avoid culture of adjournment in interest of common people.
• Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
• ISRO successfully launches European Space Agency’s PROBA-3 mission satellites from Sriharikota.
• Supreme Court allows Commission for Air Quality Management to relax GRAP Stage-IV restrictions in Delhi to GRAP-Stage II.
<><><>
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis today sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in a grand ceremony at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office as secrecy to Mr. Fadnavis in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda and over two thousand other dignitaries and close to forty thousand supporters.
Resting all speculations, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. NCP Chief Ajit Pawar was also sworn-in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
This is the third time that Mr. Fadnavis has been sworn-in as Chief Minister while Mr. Pawar has been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister for the sixth time.
Maharashtra’s cabinet can be expanded to 43 portfolios and accordingly the swearing-in ceremony of ministers and ministers of state is likely to be scheduled next week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Devendra Fadnavis on taking oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar on taking oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of the state. In a social media post, Mr Modi assured all possible support from the Centre in furthering development in the state.
Today’s grand ceremony was attended by Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal along with Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states. Numerous celebrities from Bollywood including Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit, industrialists Kumar Mangalam Birla and Mukesh Ambani and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar were also in attendance for the grand ceremony.
<><><>
The Parliament has given its nod to the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak 2024 with the Rajya Sabha passing it today. The Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill in the Monsoon session this year. The Bill empowers the Central Government to make rules regulating the design, manufacture, maintenance, sale, export, or import of any aircraft and to secure the safety of aircraft operations. The Bill is also aimed at empowering the government to make rules for the investigation of any air accident or incident.
Replying to a debate on the Bill, Minister for Civil Aviation K Rammohan Naidu said, Government is committed to take the aviation sector to another level and aims to make the country an aviation hub.
Participating in the discussion, Shambhu Sharan Patel of BJP said, a lot of development has taken place in the aviation sector. He said, the number of airports in the country in 2014 was 74, which has increased to 157 in 2024.
Sulata Deo of BJD demanded action against dynamic costs of air travel.
Kanimozhi NVN Somu of DMK said, high food and water prices inside airports should be checked.
Sagarika Ghose of Trinamool Congress demanded that the tendering process for airports and bidding must be transparent. A A Rahim of CPI (M) alleged that private companies are dictating airfare.
JD(S) MP and former Prime Minister H D Devegowda, Ghanshyam Tiwari of BJP, Ramji Lal Suman of Samajwadi Party, S Niranjan Reddy of YSRCP, Haris Beeran of IUML and Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) also participated in the discussion.
Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day following opposition ruckus after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey made certain allegations against top Congress leaders as well as on the issue of Sambhal violence.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu has called upon the judiciary to focus on giving justice rather than punishment. The President was speaking after inaugurating the new court complex at Bhubaneswar in Odisha this evening.
The President also called upon the legal fraternity to stop the culture of adjournment as it causes unnecessary problems to the poor people. She said, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has ended the colonial judiciary system in the country bringing an end to the Indian Penal Code and the main aim behind this is to make the people fearless towards police and courts. She said fear has no place in independent India and courts, police stations and government offices must ensure a friendly atmosphere for the common people.
The President, who is on a 5-day visit to her home state Odisha from Tuesday, will be visiting her native village Uperbeda in Mayurbhanj district tomorrow and also attend a number of programmes in Mayurbhanj.
President Droupadi Murmu has expressed her concern towards the ‘Black Coat Syndrome’ in the Indian judiciary as common people in our country are still afraid of going to courts. The poor suffer the most due to the culture of adjournment. They have neither the money nor the manpower to come to the court frequently. She expressed confidence that all stakeholders will give priority to find a way to avoid the culture of adjournment in the interest of the common people and make the judiciary system more friendly. The President also called for making the judicial orders in local languages for the benefit of the common people. She said as India is focussing on women-led development, participation of women should also increase in judiciary. Prakash Dash, Akashvani News, Bhubaneswar.
<><><>
Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. During the meeting, Mr. Modi admired Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s vision for Bhutan’s progress and regional development. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said, both the countries are committed to advancing the unique and enduring partnership between India and Bhutan.
Bhutan’s King and Queen reached New Delhi this morning on a two day visit to India. External Affairs Minister Dr. S.Jaishankar received them at the airport.
Our correspondent reports that India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by mutual understanding and trust.
The India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit establishes a free trade regime between the two countries. The Agreement also provides for duty free transit of Bhutanese exports to third countries. India is Bhutan’s top trade partner both as an import source and as an export destination. Since 2014, India’s merchandise trade with Bhutan has almost tripled from 484 million dollars to 1606 million dollars in 2022-23. Apart from hydro-power cooperation, India-Bhutan development partnership has moved into new and emerging areas with full interoperability of the flagship digital project RuPay. Bhutan has also launched the BHIM app, further deepening the financial linkages between the two countries. Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.
<><><>
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said that India does not want to simply be a consumer market for other economies. Addressing the Bharat at 100 Summit in New Delhi today on the theme of ‘Fuelling Bharat’s Global Rise’, Dr Jaishankar said that global conglomerates and industries are coming to India not just for its market but also its talent. He added that the nation needs to create a good business reputation and climate for global collaboration, as it moves up the value chain. On China, the minister said that India wants a healthy trade relationship with it but does not want to be dependent upon it.
<><><>
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today successfully launched the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 spacecraft, marking a significant milestone in international space collaboration and solar research technology.
The mission’s primary goal is to study the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, using a unique formation flying technique. By maintaining a 150-metre separation with millimetre-level accuracy, the satellites will block the sun’s disk, enable continuous corona observation, and simulate “solar eclipses on demand”.
Talking to mediapersons, ISRO Chief S.Somnath shared optimistic updates about the project:
<><><>
The Supreme Court has allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management to relax the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-IV restrictions in Delhi to GRAP-Stage II. This decision comes in response to the recent improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI), which has shown a consistent downward trend. A bench comprising Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih took note of the submission by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati that the average AQI levels have been below the 300 mark since November 30.
<><><>
The 25th edition of Nagaland’s renowned Hornbill Festival, currently taking place at Naga Heritage village Kisama under Kohima district, is drawing both local and international visitors as it enters its fifth day. Known as the “Festival of Festivals,” it celebrates the rich culture, traditions, and history of Nagaland, highlighting the diversity of its 18 Naga tribes. On this milestone occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to the people of Nagaland, commemorating 25 years of the festival. In a social media post, he recalled on his fond memories from his visit to this festival a few years back and urged citizens to visit and experience the vibrant Naga culture.
The outstanding Cultural Troupes from all parts of Nagaland consisting of the 18 tribes continue to captivate visitors a glimpse into the rich cultural folk dances and songs, indigenous games, demonstrations of rituals, folk dramas of the tribes.
CULTURAL SHOW
Today, Sikkim, the partner state for the 25th Hornbill Festival 2024, stole the spotlight by showcasing its vibrant culture through an exciting Integration Dance performance to the people of Nagaland and visitors. This cultural display captivated the audience, adding a unique flavor to the festival’s diverse offerings.
SIKKIM ‘S PERFORMANCE
Some of the major highlights of the festival for Day -6 include the 17th Hornbill International Naga Wrestling Championship 2024 at Chiechama village, a State-level Tribal Go-Karting Competition, a Rice Husking competition, and the Hornbill International Loin Loom Fest, among other thrilling events. For Akashvani News Asonuo from Kohima.
<><><>
The stage is set for an exciting second Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia. The match will be played at the Adelaide Oval from tomorrow, and will be a day-night encounter with the pink ball. India, leading the series 1-0 after their convincing win in the first Test in Perth, will be looking to extend their dominance.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
• Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis takes oath for third time as Maharashtra Chief Minister; Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar also sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers.
• Parliament passes bill to empower Government to make rules regulating design, manufacture, export or import of aircraft.
• President Droupadi Murmu calls upon all stakeholders of judicial system to find a way to avoid culture of adjournment in interest of common people.
• Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
• ISRO successfully launches European Space Agency’s PROBA-3 mission satellites from Sriharikota.
• Supreme Court allows Commission for Air Quality Management to relax GRAP Stage-IV restrictions in Delhi to GRAP-Stage II.
<><><>