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December 23, 2024 9:58 PM

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Evening News

THE HEADLINES:

 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi joins Christmas celebrations in Delhi; Condemns attempts to spread disharmony and violence.

• President Droupadi Murmu highlights importance of collaboration between medical and engineering institutions in view of increasing use of technology in medical field.

• Centre scraps No Detention Policy for classes five and eight students failing Year-End Exams.

• Former Supreme Court judge V Ramasubramanian appointed Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission.

• Noted Filmmaker Shyam Benegal passes away.

• And In Women’s Cricket, India to take on West Indies in second ODI of three-match ICC Championship series in Vadodara tomorrow.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said it pains his heart when there are attempts to spread violence and disharmony in society. Speaking at the Christmas Celebrations hosted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India CBCI in New Delhi this evening, Mr Modi cited Germany’s Christmas market attack, just a few days ago. He urged people to come together to fight against these challenges.

 

Addressing the event the Prime Minister said India prioritizes both national interest and human interest in its foreign policy. He said, today’s India sees it as its duty to bring its citizens to safety, no matter where they are or what crisis they face. He said, it was a very satisfactory moment for him when Father Alexis Prem Kumar was safely brought back from war-torn Afghanistan, a decade back he was stuck for eight months and was held hostage. He also recalled that Father Tom was rescued from Yemen after months of captivity.

 

Mr Modi said, when the Covid pandemic struck, many countries that talk big on human rights backed down from helping poor countries. He said, India even moved beyond its capabilities to help poor countries during Covid and provided medicines to over a 150 nations.

 

The Prime Minister said, the nation’s youth have given the confidence that the dream of a Viksit Bharat will surely be fulfilled. He added that today, the country is moving ahead with the common goal of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas.

 

On the occasion, Mr Modi also interacted with key leaders from the Christian community, including Cardinals, Bishops and prominent Lay leaders of the Church. He said, it is a moment of pride that Pope Francis has made George Koovakad a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

 

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President Droupadi Murmu has said that increasing use of technology in the medical field has made collaboration between medical and engineering institutions extremely important. The President was addressing the 6th convocation of Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi this evening.

 

The President said, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital can collaborate with engineering and technology institutes located in Delhi for research and innovation. She said interdisciplinary knowledge sharing would be in everyone’s interest.

 

President Murmu said young doctors will play an important role in achieving the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.

 

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The Central Government has scrapped the No Detention Policy for students of classes five and eight. Speaking to media, Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said students, who failed in the annual examination of class five and eight will have a chance to retake the test within two months. After the retest if they fail again they will not be promoted. He added that these students will not be expelled from any school till the completion of their elementary education. The secretary added that this decision has been taken to improve the learning outcome among children.

 

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The Supreme Court has directed the Medical Counselling Committee to conduct a special round of counselling to fill vacant medical seats for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate courses while noting the acute shortage of doctors in India.

 

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan further directed that the vacant NRI seats would also be converted into the general category quota and should be filled through the State Admission Authorities. The court in its order stated that the precious medical seats should not go waste when the country is facing acute shortage of Doctors. It said the Admission Authorities are, therefore, directed to hold a fresh stray or special counselling for the seats remaining vacant and complete the admission process before the 30th of December 2024, in any eventuality.

 

The bench further directed that no college would be permitted to admit students directly and admission should be conducted only through the State Admission Authorities.

 

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Retired Supreme Court Justice V. Ramasubramanian has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today. President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Ramasubramanian. Priyank Kanoongo and Dr. Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi (Retd.) have also been appointed as Members of the Commission.

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, full utilisation of the potential and talent of the country’s youth is a priority of the government. He said around ten lakh government jobs have been provided to the youth of the country in the last one and half year. Mr Modi said this while distributing more than 71 thousand appointment letters to newly appointed recruits through video conferencing today.

 

Mr Modi said, India is committed to becoming a developed nation by 2047 as the country’s policies and decisions focus on empowering its talented youth. The Prime Minister highlighted that the government has launched several schemes like Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Startup India, Stand Up India, Digital India and every scheme has been made keeping the youth at the centre.

 

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National Farmers’ Day, or Kisan Diwas was observed in the country today. The day honours the contributions of farmers to the nation’s growth and development. Kisan Diwas is observed on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh to recognise his contribution to the agriculture sector and welfare of farmers.

 

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Chaudhary Charan Singh on his birth anniversary today.

 

On the occasion of National Farmers Day, Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan participated in the event of Kisan Samman Diwas and Farmers and Rural Development Beneficiaries Conference in Pune, Maharashtra.

 

Talking about the development of the agriculture sector, Mr Chouhan said that Modi government has increased budget provision for agriculture upto 1 lakh 27 thousand crore rupees.

 

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that India has transformed from a regional leader to a global leader and shaping the direction of diplomacy, economics and security worldwide. Delivering the 37th Intelligence Bureau Centenary Endowment Lecture in New Delhi today, Mr Shah said that the working methodology of the Intelligence Bureau, its vigilance, proactiveness, decisive role, and the tradition of sacrifice and dedication have kept the country safe today.

 

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In Uttar Pradesh, three pro-Khalistan terrorists were killed in an encounter led by a joint team of UP and Punjab Police in Pilibhit district this morning. It is believed, the terrorists were involved in a grenade attack at a police post in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district on the 19th of this month.

 

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Acclaimed film director Shyam Benegal passed away in Mumbai today. He was 90 years old. Shyam Benegal breathed his last at a private hospital in Mumbai, where he had been undergoing treatment for chronic kidney disease.

 

The legendary Director won several National Awards for movies including, Manthan (1976), Bhumika: The Role (1977), Junoon (1978), Arohan (1982), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004), and Well Done Abba (2010). Here is a tribute:

 

“Widely regarded as one of the greatest visionaries in Indian cinema, Shyam Benegal is a name that evokes memories of iconic films like Ankur, Bhumika, Nishant, Manthan, Sardaari Begum and Zubeidaa. Born on 14th of December in 1934, in Hyderabad, Shyam Benegal began his journey with advertising films, but soon, his artistic vision led him to redefine Indian cinema. Shyam Benegal was a pioneer of the New Wave movement, a master who brought rural struggles and social realities to the silver screen. His contributions went beyond cinema – from his iconic TV series Bharat Ek Khoj to mentoring generations of artists. With awards like Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, Shyam Benegal remains a beacon of creativity and courage. His demise leaves behind a legacy of six decades that transformed Indian storytelling.

 

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Ministry of External Affairs has received a Note Verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, at this time, they have no comment to offer on this matter.

 

The interim government in Bangladesh had sent a diplomatic note to India to send back former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since her ouster as the Bangladesh premier in August, Hasina has been living in India in exile.

 

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In Women’s Cricket, India will take on the West Indies in the second ODI of the three-match ICC Championship series at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara tomorrow. The match is schedule to begin at 1:30PM Indian Standard Time.

 

India defeated the visitors by 211 runs in the first ODI played at the same venue yesterday.

 

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cold wave conditions in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh tomorrow.

 

In Himachal Pradesh, snowfall in the higher regions of the state and rainfall in some lower areas have led to a significant drop in temperature, plunging the entire state into a cold wave.

 

“Intermittent snowfall is occurring in the higher region districts of Himachal Pradesh like Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, and Chamba, including the state capital, Shimla, while light rainfall is being reported in some lower plains. Due to the snowfall and rain, the entire state is experiencing severe cold conditions. This precipitation is expected to be a boon for crops, bringing much-needed relief to farmers and orchardists. In Shimla district, popular tourist destinations like Kufri, Narkanda, and Chanshal have seen fresh snowfall, resulting in increased slipperiness on roads, which has affected traffic. However, tourists visiting Shimla and other tourist spots are thoroughly enjoying the snowfall. The meteorological department has predicted snowfall in the higher mountainous regions and rainfall in the lower areas of the state over the next 24 hours. Ritesh Kapoor Akashvani News, Shimla.”

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.

 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi joins Christmas celebrations in Delhi; Condemns attempts to spread disharmony and violence.

• President Droupadi Murmu highlights importance of collaboration between medical and engineering institutions in view of increasing use of technology in medical field.

• Centre scraps No Detention Policy for classes five and eight students failing Year-End Exams.

• Former Supreme Court judge V Ramasubramanian appointed Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission.

• Noted Filmmaker Shyam Benegal passes away.

• And In Women’s Cricket, India to take on West Indies in second ODI of three-match ICC Championship series in Vadodara tomorrow.

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