THE HEADLINES:
- Election Commission to announce Lok Sabha Polls schedule this afternoon; Implementation of Model Code of Conduct to follow.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally at Nagarkurnool in Telangana as part of BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign.
- New Delhi strongly condemns all forms of religiophobia in the UN and warns against dividing the organisation into religious camps.
- Centre bans J&K People’s Freedom League for five years; Also extends ban on JKLF Yasin Malik faction.
- All England Open Badminton Championships, Lakshya Sen to take on Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in Men’s Singles Semifinal today.
<><><>
The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls this afternoon. The Commission will also declare the election schedule for the Assembly Polls due in some states this year. With the announcement of poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct will come into force
The Model Code of Conduct, a set of guidelines for political parties, candidates, and government during elections, will come into effect as soon as the dates for the Lok Sabha polls are announced. The term of the current Lok Sabha will end on the 16th of June this year. It is expected that this time as well polling will be conducted in several phases, as was done in the 2019 General Elections during the month of April and May. The BJP had registered a resounding victory in the last Lok Sabha polls bagging 303 out of 543 seats. So far, the ruling party has announced the names of 267 candidates for Lok Sabha elections while the main opposition Congress has declared the names of 82 candidates. Left, TMC, Aam Aadmi Party and some other parties have also announced the names of their candidates for several Lok Sabha seats. With Diwaker’s report, this is Swati Rakheja from News Desk.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that no corrupt leader will be spared in his fight against corruption in the State. Addressing an impressive gathering at Praja Sankalp Sabha- Public meeting at Nagarkurnool in Telangana, criticising the BRS and the Congress, he said, the family-centric parties share a common history of nepotism, corruption and appeasement. Mr Modi assured people of the State that all assurances given to people will be fulfilled like in case of article 370, Ram Mandir and many such things.
The Prime Minister sought people to give him double digit Lok Sabha seats from Telangana so that he can resolve people issues without any delay.
This is the second public appearance in Telangana for Mr Modi in last two days.
Later today, he will reach Karnataka and address a public rally in Kalaburagi district.
The Prime Minister is holding mega road shows and rallies in the southern states as part of the party’s election campaign for Lok Sabha polls.
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will be visiting Andhra Pradesh. He will be participating in the joint political meeting of BJP-TDP-Jana Sena Party at Chilakaluripet in Palnadu district setting the stage for the upcoming general and state assembly elections in the state.
<><><>
Noted Singer Anuradha Paudwal today joined the Bhartiya Janta Party. She was inducted in the party in the presence of Party General Secretary Arun Singh at party headquarters in New Delhi.
<><><>
In Bihar, portfolios of different departments have been allocated to the newly inducted 21 Ministers after the expansion of Nitish Kumar-led government. Departmental responsibilities of Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, other Ministers who were holding multiple portfolios, have been rationalised.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has retained the portfolios of General Administration, Home, Cabinet Secretariat, Vigilance and Election department. From the JD (U) quota ministers have mostly retained their previous departments which they were holding in earlier governments.
<><><>
The Prime Minister has expressed delight on registration of over one crore households under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. He said, registrations have been pouring in from all parts of country. The Prime Minister added that Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have seen over five lakh registrations.
The Prime Minister assured that Muft Bijli Yojana will encourage Lifestyle for Environment on a grand scale and contribute to a better planet. He urged the people to register at the earliest. Registrations can be done on website pmsuryaghar.gov.in.
<><><>
Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court today granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against arrest for skipping Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) repeated summons in a case related to the alleged excise policy scam. The Court asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader to furnish a personal bond of 15,000 rupees and a security bond of one lakh rupees for the bail.
The Delhi Chief Minister violated Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code. The section deals with disobeying a legal order to be at a certain place in person or by agent.
Mr. Kejriwal appeared before the court following the Enforcement Directorate’s complaints that the AAP Chief was not complying with agency’s summons in connection with the case. The ED also told the Court that the Chief Minister skipped eight summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The next hearing in the case will be held at 10 AM on the 1st of April.
<><><>
The Centre has declared the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, JKLF (Mohd. Yasin Malik faction) as an unlawful association for another five years. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, the banned outfit continues to engage in activities that foment terror and secessionism in Jammu and Kashmir. He said, anyone found challenging the security, sovereignty and integrity of the nation will face harsh legal consequences.
Mr Shah said, the Narendra Modi Government has also designated the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League as an unlawful association for five years. He said, the organisation threatened India’s integrity by promoting, aiding and abetting the secession of Jammu and Kashmir through terrorism. The Home Minister said, the Modi government will remain unsparing to people and organisations involved in terror activities.
<><><>
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has approved the extension of resettlement facilities to cadets who are invalidated from military training on medical grounds during any military training. The Defence Ministry said, cadets and their parents have been demanding such resettlement opportunities for decades. The Ministry said, every year, young cadets at military academies undergo academic and military training with the prime objective of being commissioned as officers in the Armed Forces. As per the rules, such a cadet is treated as an officer only after commissioning. During Military Training, some cadets are invalidated on medical grounds.
The Raksha Mantri has cleared another proposal of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, allowing the extension of benefits of schemes run by the Directorate General Resettlement. This will help 500 cadets who have been boarded out on medical grounds to access the schemes and ensure a brighter future for them.
<><><>
India has said, it strongly condemns ‘all’ forms of religiophobia and has warned against dividing the United Nations into religious camps. This was stated by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj while addressing the UN General Assembly during the adoption of a resolution ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’ at its 78th session. Ms. Kamboj said, India, as a proud champion of pluralism, firmly upholds the principle of equal protection and promotion of all religions and all faiths.
<><><>
A mass evacuation has begun in Ukraine’s Sumy region near the Russian border due to intense shelling in the area. The military administration of Ukraine said on Telegram that over 180 residents near the Velikopysarska community were evacuated over the past three days. It added that a total of 4,500 residents have been evacuated from 22 villages. According to regional administration, three people were killed and 13 wounded over the past five days in the tense region.
<><><>
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar will be on a five-day visit to Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia from the 23rd of this month. The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations with the three countries and will provide an opportunity for engagement on regional issues of mutual concern.
<><><>
Former IAS officer Navneet Kumar Sehgal today took charge as the new Prasar Bharati Chairman. Mr. Sehgal is a 1988-batch retired bureaucrat of UP cadre. He is the successor of A Surya Prakash who completed his term as Chairman in 2020. Earlier President Droupadi Murmu appointed him after the Selection Committee for Chairman of Prasar Bharati headed by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar cleared his name.
Talking to media Mr Sehgal said, his focus will be on taking the right information to the people and apprise them about government’s welfare measures.
<><><>
Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda has called for an in-depth study and research on tribal icons who participated in the nation’s freedom movement. Addressing the gathering at the inaugural function of renovated building of Bharatiya Adim Jati Sewak Sangh at Jhandewalan in New Delhi today, Mr Munda said, tribal leaders have a long history of participation in India’s freedom struggle. He said that tribal culture, traditions and history need to be preserved and propagated. He hoped that the newly unveiled e-library and museum at the institute will serve as a knowledge centre.
Mr Munda also unveiled the statue of social worker Amritlal Thakkar, popularly known as Thakkar Bapa at the premises.
<><><>
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS New Delhi in collaboration with the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation has performed the first dual kidney transplant at AIIMS. The donor was a 78-year-old lady who was admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre with a severe head injury. She was declared brain dead and her family consented to organ donation. According to AIIMS, she was the second oldest organ donor at AIIMS in New Delhi.
<><><>
In All England Open Badminton Championships, Lakshya Sen stormed into the men’s Singles beating Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. The World no. 18 Indian shuttler defeated Zia 20-22, 21-16, 21-19 in the quarterfinal at Birmingham last night. Lakshya will take on world no. 9 Indonesian Jonatan Christie this evening.
<><><>
In the Women’s Premier League Cricket, Royal Challengers Bangalore have stormed into the final defeating defending champions Mumbai Indians last night. The RCB women defeated Mumbai women by five runs in a thrilling Eliminator match in Delhi.
With this win, Royal Challengers Bangalore have set up the title clash with the Delhi Capitals to be held in New Delhi tomorrow.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Election Commission to announce Lok Sabha Polls schedule this afternoon; Implementation of Model Code of Conduct to follow.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally at Nagarkurnool in Telangana as part of BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign.
- New Delhi strongly condemns all forms of religiophobia in the UN and warns against dividing the organisation into religious camps.
- Centre bans J&K People’s Freedom League for five years; Also extends ban on JKLF Yasin Malik faction.
- And, in All England Open Badminton Championships, Lakshya Sen to take on Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in Men’s Singles Semifinal today.
<><><>
