Midday News

THE HEADLINES:

Election Commission to announce schedule for General Elections 2024 tomorrow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds rally in Tamil Nadu as part of BJP’s poll campalign.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stresses the need for greater coordination between Centre, States and local bodies for all reforms to reach grass-root level.
UK government unveils new definition of extremism to counter radical ideology.
In Badminton, Lakshya Sen to take on Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in Men Singles quarter-final of All England Open Championships tonight.
In WPL Cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore to face Mumbai Indians in Eliminator match in Delhi this evening.

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The Election Commission will announce the schedule for General Elections 2024 tomorrow. The announcement will be made in the afternoon at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Along with Lok Sabha polls, the Commission will also declare the schedule for assembly polls to be held in some states. The term of the current Lok Sabha is going to end on 16th of June this year. In 2019, the Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases during April and May. It is expected this time as well, polling will be conducted in several phases in April and May.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had registered a resounding victory bagging 303 seats out of 543 Parliamentary constituencies in the country. So far, the ruling party has announced 267 candidates while the main opposition Congress declared the names of 82 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Left, TMC, Aam Aadmi Party and some other parties have also announced the name of their candidates for several Lok Sabha seats.

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The newly-appointed Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu assumed charge of the office today. The Election Commission of India (ECI) in a statement said that Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar welcomed the two newly appointed Election Commissioners at Nirvachan Sadan in the national capital to the action-packed and intense twelve weeks ahead. It said that the Chief Election Commissioner emphasized the significance of their joining at this historic point when the team ECI is all set to conduct the Lok Sabha election, 2024 in the world’s largest democracy. Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sandhu were appointed election commissioners by the selection panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday.

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Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a massive public meeting at Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu as part of party’s poll campaign for Lok Sabha elections. The meeting was organized by the State BJP Unit. Speaking at the rally, Mr Modi said, to improve connectivity in the state, BJP led Central government is building a network of Railways and Highways. He said in the last ten years, several infrastructure projects worth crores of rupees have been implemented in the state.

Mr Modi said, while the BJP believes in developing the Nation, the Opposition dwels on divisive politics and corruption. The Prime Minister said, his Government was instrumental in the release of Indian fishermen from Sri Lankan prison. Besides Tamil Nadu, the Prime Minister will hold mega road shows and rallies in Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as well during next few days as part of the party’s election campaign. From Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Modi reached Pathanamthitta district in Kerala a short while ago to participate in the election campaign of NDA candidates in Pathanamthitta and Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituencies.

Mr. Modi will address a rally where around one lakh party workers will be participating in the event. Our correspondent reports that the Prime Minister will visit Salem and Coimbatore in the state on Monday and Tuesday to address Public meetings. From Kerala, Prime Minister Modi will reach Telangana today, where he will be holding a road show at Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituency. Tight security arrangements have been made for the roadshow. After an overnight stay at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, the Prime Minister will reach Nagarkurnool tomorrow to hold a rally in the district. Mr Modi will address another rally at Jagityal on Monday. Our correspondent has the details

“With a focus on strengthening the party ahead of General Elections in Telangana BJP senior leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the state frequently. Mr Modi visited earlier on 4th and 5th of this month Adilabad and Sanga Reddy in the state and inaugurated and laid foundation stone to several development projects worth thousands of crore rupees. Later he also flagged off virtually another Vande Bharat Train from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam besides several other railway projects. However, the Prime Minister will be addressing two public meetings at Nagurkurnool and Jagityal for the next three days besides holding a road show this evening at Malkajgiri to boost the morale of BJP leaders and cadres ahead of the announcement of election Schedule. Lakshmi, Akashvani News, Hyderabad.”

Mr Modi will reach Karnataka tomorrow, where he will address a public rally in Kalburgi and another meeting in Shivamogga on Monday. On Sunday the Prime Minister will be visiting Andhra Pradesh. He will be participating in the joint political meeting of Bhartiya Janata Party-Telugu Desam party-Jana Sena Party at Chilakaluripeta in Palnadu district setting the stage for the coming general and state assembly elections in the state. The Telugu Desam Party has recently rejoined the NDA fold after a gap of 5 years.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stressed the need for greater coordination between Centre, States and local bodies for reforms across sectors to reach grass root level. Speaking at a conclave of a private news channel today, Ms. Sitharaman further added that empowering people by giving them basic facilities will automatically enable recognition of rights.

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Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh today inaugurated Nausena Bhawan in New Delhi. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Navy Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. The newly built Nausena Bhawan is situated at Delhi Cantonment Area.

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The UK government has issued a new definition of extremism under which certain groups will be blocked from government funding and meeting officials. The new definition of extremism is more precise and aims to counter radical ideology.

Extremism in the UK is now defined as the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others or undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights. The previous definition, introduced in 2011 under the government’s counter-terrorism strategy programme known as Prevent, defined extremism as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and belief. Communities Secretary Michael Gove said a surge in extremism, since the Hamas terror attacks in Israel and subsequent war in Gaza in October last year, poses a real risk to the United Kingdom. BIAK FROM NEWS DESK.

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Voting is being held in Russia for a three-day presidential elections from today. The polling began from the country’s easternmost regions, Chukotka and Kamchatka this morning. People across Russia are voting to elect their President for the next six years. This will be the first time Russia will use an option to vote online. The candidates who are contesting for the top state post in the 2024 election are Russia’s incumbent President Vladimir Putin, New People’s Party’s Vladislav Davankov, LDPR party’s Leonid Slutsky and Communist Party of Russia’s Nikolay Kharitonov.

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President Droupadi Murmu will be gracing the Global Spirituality Mahotsav in Hyderabad this evening. The four-Day, one-of-a-kind spiritual congregation began yesterday and will continue till Sunday. The event is bringing spiritual leaders from all faiths and beliefs to one platform at the world’s largest meditation centre.

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Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar today presided over the meeting of the Selection Committee for Chairman and other members of Prasar Bharati at Upa-Rashtrapati Niwas. Press Council of India Chairperson Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Secretary of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Sanjay Jaju were present in the meeting.

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The Central government has proposed a ban on the sale and breeding of ferocious dogs. The Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Ministry issued a directive to states and Union Territories to ensure prohibition on the sale, breeding, or keeping of as many as 23 dog breeds that are dangerous for human life. In a social media post, the Ministry said that concerns about public safety have led to the government’s consideration of a ban on several dog breeds deemed ferocious. It said that breeds like Rottweilers, Pitbulls, and American bulldogs are under scrutiny. The government, in a letter, also directed that dogs that have already been kept as pets should be sterilised to prevent further breeding.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms over East and Central India for the next few days. According to the weather department, isolated to scattered moderate rainfall is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh and isolated light rainfall over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura till 20th of March. The IMD also forecasts scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorms, lightning, and winds gusting up to 40 kmph over Gangetic West Bengal till the 19th of this month. On hot and humid weather, the MeT department has said that these conditions are likely to prevail over Kerala, Mahe, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal during the next 5 days.

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In Badminton, India’s Lakshya Sen will face Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the quarter-finals of All England Open Championships in Birmingham tonight. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sen has stormed into the Round of eight defeating Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in the pre-quarter-finals in a hard fought match.

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In the Womens Premier League Cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator match today in Delhi. The match will begin at 7:30 PM. The winning team of today’s match will face Delhi Capitals in the final on Sunday. Delhi Capitals has finished at the top of the points table to directly proceed into the finals. Delhi defeated Gujarat Giants by 7 wickets at the same venue on Wednesday.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN

Election Commission to announce schedule for General Elections 2024 tomorrow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds rally in Tamil Nadu as part of BJP’s poll camapign.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stresses the need for greater coordination between Centre, States and local bodies for all reforms to reach grass-root level.
UK government unveils new definition of extremism to counter radical ideology.
In Badminton, Lakshya Sen to take on Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in Men Singles quarter-final of All England Open Championships tonight.
In WPL Cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore to face Mumbai Indians in Eliminator match in Delhi this evening.