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February 20, 2025 10:20 PM

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Evening News

THE HEADLINES:

 

  • Rekha Gupta assumes charge as fourth women Chief Minister of Delhi; Chairs first Cabinet meeting.
  • All North East states to be connected to Delhi through rail and air by 2027, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
  • External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar meets counterparts from Singapore and Brazil on sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg.
  • Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet U.S. envoy to Russia and Ukraine in Kyiv; To discuss path to end the war.
  • In ICC Champions Trophy, India require 68 runs to win against Bangladesh in opening match in Dubai.
  • In Snooker, Pankaj Advani clinches 14th Asian Championship title in Doha.

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Rekha Gupta today assumed charge at Delhi Secretariat. She was welcomed by Chief Secretary Dharmedra Kumar and other senior officials. Talking to media after taking charge, Mrs Gupta said, the Delhi government will continuously work towards the mission of Viksit Delhi.

Mrs. Rekha Gupta chaired her first Cabinet meeting at Delhi Secretariat this evening. Major announcements are expected following the Cabinet meeting.

“The main highlights of the swearing in ceremony was again taking over of a women Chief Minister in the city. While the National Capital has seen three women Chief Ministers before, the election of Rekha Gupta as Chief Minister reflects the women-led development vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A Government has been formed in the city where a women is leading and several communities are represented in the Cabinet. We saw the enthusiasm among BJP workers at Ramleela Ground as the party has returned to power after a long period of 27 years. If we talk about Rekha Gupta government in the city, the BJP has promised many things in its manifesto like, to give 2500 rupees to poor women, provide gas cylinder at 500 rupees, implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, to open Atal canteen in JJ clusters and to increase old age Pensions to 2500 rupees. It has also promised to continue old schemes and bring efficiency in it. Now all eyes are on the Cabinet meeting today where many key decisions are expected to be taken. ANUPAM MISHRA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI “

 

Earlier, BJP’s first-time MLA Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the new Chief Minister at the iconic Ramlila Maidan in the national capital this afternoon. Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ms Gupta and six Cabinet Ministers. They are Parvesh Sahib Singh, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj Singh, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Kumar Singh. Rekha Gupta has become the fourth woman Chief Minister after Sushma Swaraj, Sheila Dikshit and Atishi and the second woman BJP Chief Minister of Delhi.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired a meeting of NDA Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers in New Delhi. Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda were also present in the meeting. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were among those who attended the meeting.

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Home Minister Amit Shah today said that all 8 states of the North East will be connected to Delhi through rail and air connectivity by 2027. Addressing the Unity Utsav- One Voice, One Nation in New Delhi today, Mr Shah underscored that the Central government has opened numerous avenues for the North East in every field, from tourism to technology, sports to space.

Mr Shah emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a new dimension to the identity of the North East in the whole of India by establishing it as Ashtalakshmi.

The Home Minister mentioned that since 2014, more than 10,500 militants have laid down their arms in the North-East and 12 peace accords have been signed in the region between 2019 and 2024. He said that many disputes had been going on in the region for decades, but the Modi government took two steps forward and made the youth believe that a lot of opportunities are available for them.

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Now we go to live as Delhi CM Rekha Gupta is briefing on the Cabinet Meeting.

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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has reached Johannesburg in South Africa to take part in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM). Dr Jaishankar’s participation in the G20 FMM will strengthen India’s engagement with G20 countries and bolster the voice of the Global South in this important forum.

On the sidelines of the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Dr Jaishankar met Foreign Minister of Brazil, Mauro Vieira. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said, they discussed bilateral ties and global developments. Dr Jaishankar also met Foreign Minister of Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan. He said, during the meeting they discussed the state of the world and the work in furthering bilateral ties. The External Affairs Minister also met his Ethiopian counterpart Gedion Timotheos. Both Ministers agreed to work together to strengthen the longstanding partnership between India and Ethiopia. Dr Jaishankar also caught up with his counterpart Foreign Ministers at the G20 meeting.

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Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today held a virtual meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to discuss the implementation and progress of agriculture and rural development schemes. Talking to the media in New Delhi today, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said that during the meeting, they discussed the issue of the chili farmers in the state.

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Indian Railways is taking strict action against miscreants indulging in acts of vandalism and destruction of railway property. The Ministry of Railways said in a statement that on the 10th of this month, some unruly passengers damaged 73 glass windows of AC coaches of the Swatantrata Senani Express at Madhubani Railway Station. In response to this act of vandalism, the Railway Protection Force, East Central Railway, took swift action by registering a case.

The inquiry into the case is actively in progress to identify and apprehend other individuals involved in similar incidents of vandalism.

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The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued an advisory for online curated content publishers (OTT platforms) and self-regulatory Bodies of OTT platforms. The advisory was issued to ensure strict adherence to India’s laws and the Code of Ethics prescribed in the Information Technology Rules, 2021. This advisory came after the Ministry received references from the Members of Parliament, representations from statutory organizations and public grievances regarding alleged spread of obscene, pornographic and vulgar content published by certain publishers of OTT platforms and Social Media.

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A five-member jury panel has been announced to select the semi-final winners of the ongoing Comics Creator Championship being organized as part of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, WAVES. The WAVES Comics Creator Championship is part of the “Create in India Challenge” to promote Indian creativity and innovation globally.

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And now news from Mahakumbh.

The Central Hospital at the Parade Ground in Prayagraj, has been a cornerstone for medical facilities at Mahakumbh. Special arrangements are in place to ensure quality medical services for the devotees and pilgrims, including 100 beds and round the clock services. Our correspondent reports the hospital caters to diverse needs, from OPD consultations to ICU care.

“The Central Hospital is staffed by 36 doctors, including specialists working round the clock and offering OPD services. The OPD services include – Paediatric, Orthopaedic, Dental, Physician, General, Surgeon and Gynaecology. Separate wards for males, females, and children are also set up, along with delivery rooms, emergency ward, and doctors’ rooms. Special tests are also available at the hospital, including OPD, X-ray, ultrasound, as well as arrangements such as ECG rooms, and minor and major operation theatres. Integration of cutting-edge technology is being utilised with the 10-bed ICU equipped with AI-enabled microphones near each bed. Talking to Akashvani News, several patients shared their experiences on getting timely treatment at the Central Hospital.

 

The healthcare facilities at the Mahakumbh Mela area have provided needful medical services to thousands of devotees from India and across the world. With Abhishek Kapil, Adarsh for Akashvani News, Prayagraj.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he will meet US Special Envoy to Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in Kyiv today. US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg is in Kyiv after recent US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia. Zelenskyy said he hopes for “constructive” cooperation with the US. Zelenskyy is ready to meet the envoy, a day after a public feud between the Ukrainian and American leaders threatened to derail diplomatic efforts toward peace talks.

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In the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, Team India were at 173 runs for 4 wickets in 36.5 overs, chasing a target of 229 runs against Bangladesh in their opening Group A ODI clash in Dubai, when latest reports came in. Earlier, opting to bat first, Bangladesh scored 228 runs, losing all their wickets in 49.4 over. Towhid Hridoy’s century played a crucial role in their total.

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Meanwhile, star pacer Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian bowler and second quickest overall to reach 200 ODI wickets during the Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh today in Dubai.

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Indian cue sports maestro Pankaj Advani today clinched 14th gold medal at the Asian Snooker Championship in Doha. With this latest win, he inches closer to an unprecedented achievement, winning the National, Asian, and World Snooker Championships in a single calendar year.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :

⦁ Rekha Gupta assumes charge as fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi; Chairs first Cabinet meeting.
⦁ All North East states to be connected to Delhi through rail and air by 2027, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
⦁ External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar meets counterparts from Singapore and Brazil on sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg.
⦁ Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet U.S. envoy to Russia and Ukraine in Kyiv; To discuss path to end the war.
⦁ In ICC Champions Trophy, India require 56 runs in 79 balls to win against Bangladesh in opening match in Dubai.
⦁ In Snooker, Pankaj Advani clinches 14th Asian Championship title in Doha.

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