THE HEADLINES:
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah calls for concerted efforts by Centre and the States to deal with drug menace in the country.
- Grand three-day celebrations commence in Ayodhya, commemorating first anniversary of consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram temple.
- In Assam, rescue teams retrieve another body from flooded coalmine in Dima Hasao.
- Northern states reeling under severe cold wave conditions; In Ladakh, temperatures plummet to extreme low with Zojila recording minus 31 degree Celcius.
- In Malaysia Super 1000 badminton tournament, Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to play the Men’s Doubles Semifinal in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that drugs worth more than sixteen thousand nine hundred crore rupees were seized in year 2024, marking the largest figure since independence. Chairing the regional conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security in New Delhi today, the Minister said, If we aim to make India supreme, it cannot be achieved without a drug-free India. He said, this battle must be fought collectively by the central and state governments on a united platform.
Mr Shah highlighted that over last ten years, nearly 24 lakh kilograms of drugs were seized, while drugs worth more than 56 thousand 800 crore rupees were disposed off. During the event, the Home Minister inaugurated the Drug Disposal fortnight and the extension of the MANAS-2 helpline to all states and Union Territories. Mr Shah also inaugurated the new office complex of the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Bhopal zonal unit. The Drug Disposal fortnight drive will begin from today to 25th of this month. During this period, a total of 44 thousand seven hundred ninety two kilograms of seized narcotics worth 2 thousand four hundred eleven crore rupees in market value will be disposed of.
Highlighting the Fortnight, the Minister asserted that it will deliver a strong message to the public against drug trafficking.
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In Uttar Pradesh, a grand three-day celebration has commenced in Ayodhya to commemorate the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol at the Ram temple. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the programme.
The Shri Ram temple was decorated with more than 50 quintals of flowers. Ram Lalla was anointed with Panchamrit and water from Saryu and 56 dishes were offered as prasad and Maha Aarti was performed. More from our correspondent:
There is enthusiasm and joy in Ram Nagari. The entire Ayodhya is reverberating with the chants of Jai Shri Ram. As this is the first anniversary of the consecration of Ram Lalla in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, the devotees from all over the country and the world have reached Ayodhya. On this special occasion, Ram Lalla is giving darshan to the devotees wearing a pitamber woven with gold and silver. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the three-day Pratishtha Dwadashi festival. During the Pratishtha Dwadashi festival, 21 Vedic Acharyas will chant 6 lakh Shri Ram Beej Mantras on all three days. Also, there will be a bhajan programme for Lord Ram Lalla every day from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Apart from this, there will be Ram Katha, discourses and cultural programs every day at Angad Tila, in which common people can participate. In view of the first anniversary program, no passes will be made for darshan on all three days. Also, live telecast is being done on Doordarshan so that more people can have darshan of Ram Lalla. Tight security arrangements have also been made for the convenience and safety of the devotees. Om Awasthi, Akashvani News, Lucknow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the countrymen on the occasion. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said, this temple was built after centuries of sacrifice, penance, and struggle. He called it a great heritage of India’s culture and spirituality. He expressed confidence that Ram temple will become a great source of inspiration in the accomplishment of the resolution for a developed India.
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With just two days left for the Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, special arrangements have been made for pilgrims and tourists to reach the city through different modes of transport. Our correspondent reports, more than 10 thousand trains, over 350 specially designed shuttle buses and additional flights will be put into service to ferry the pilgrims from various parts of the country. For more details, let’s listen to this report:
“Indian Railways has made robust arrangements to ensure the safe and efficient travel of millions of devotees to and from Prayagraj. Railways operating more than 10 thousand trains, including three thousand 300 special trains to cater to the large number of passengers travelling for the Amrit Snan. Special measures have been put in place to manage crowds, including colour-coded waiting and holding areas at stations for unreserved passengers. To handle the massive crowd, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation has deployed over seven thousand buses, including 350 shuttle buses designed specifically for navigating the fair area. With the addition of new flights, Prayagraj will have direct air connectivity with 25 major cities during the Maha Kumbh. With Anand Kumar, Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News, Mahakumbh Nagar, Prayagraj.”
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In Assam, rescue team has retrieved another body from the flooded coal mine at Umrangso of Dima Hasao district this morning. Rescue operations by multiple Central and State agencies continue for the 6th day today to locate the remaining workers who have been stuck inside the illegal rat-hole coal mine after water gushed into it. More from our correspondent:
“The Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, ONGC, Coal India and district administration are working jointly to trace and rescue the remaining rat-hole coal miners. Two person have been so far arrested in connection with the tragedy, one Punush Nunisa, the block holder of the mine and Hanan Laskar, who was responsible for overseeing worker engagement and payments. Aminul Jwadder, Akashvani News, Guwahati.”
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A war of words has escalated between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, AAP and the BJP ahead of the Assembly Elections in Delhi, with both the parties accusing each other of corruption and voter fraud. The BJP today launched a campaign song highlighting the alleged corruption under the AAP-led Delhi Government. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, State BJP President Virendra Sachdeva alleged that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal not only looted Delhi but also pushed its citizens towards destruction. Mr Sachdeva claimed that the people of Delhi are searching for development, but Mr Kejriwal is busy resorting to name-calling against the BJP.
On ther other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party levied a counter-allegation of voter fraud on BJP. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh claimed that several BJP leaders have submitted applications to get multiple votes registered at their addresses.
On the other hand, Congress today announced that senior party leader, Rahul Gandhi will address a rally at Seelampur Assembly Constituency in the national capital on the 13th of this month.
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The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced the establishment of a Regional Meteorological Centre at Jammu. Our Correspondent reports that this significant move is set to bolster meteorological services in Jammu and Kashmir, further enhancing disaster preparedness and climate resilience in the region.
Dr. Singh was addressing a landmark event “Stakeholders Workshop on Weather & Climate Services” on the eve of IMD’s 150th anniversary yesterday.
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With the ongoing dense fog conditions, Northwest India is expected to witness light rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm for the next two days. The Meteorological Department has forecast the possibility of rain and snowfall in parts of Northwest India until tomorrow under the influence of a western disturbance.
Talking to Akashvani News, IMD Scientist Dr Soma Sen said, dense fog conditions are also likely to prevail in northern states during early morning and night hours till 14th of this month. A yellow alert warning for dense fog has been issued for the national capital.
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In Himachal Pradesh, overcast conditions are prevailing in Shimla and most other parts of the state today. Dense fog in the plains has intensified the cold, reduced visibility, and disrupted vehicular movement.
“Cloudy weather persists in the higher and mid-hill regions of the state, further intensifying the cold wave. In the higher reaches of the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, the minimum temperature is being recorded below the freezing point in many areas. Meanwhile, in the plains like Kangra, Bilaspur, and Una, dense fog has reduced morning visibility to just 50 meters, further affecting traffic. The Meteorological Center in Shimla has predicted rain and snowfall in the hilly areas of the state over the next 24 hours. A yellow alert has also been issued for dense fog in the plains and lower regions during this period. Prabha Sharma, Akashvani News, Shimla.”
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In Ladakh, temperatures have plunged to extreme lows, with Drass recording close to minus 25 degree Celcius, followed by Kargil at minus 14.6 degree Celcius and Leh at minus 13.3 degree Celcius. The coldest temperature, however, was recorded in Zojila, where it dropped to a severe minus 31 degree Celcius.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, an unabated cold wave continued today as the MeT department forecast light rain in the plains of Jammu division and snow in the higher reaches of the Union Territory during the next 24 hours. Passengers are advised to travel on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway during day time and follow lane discipline. The Mughal Road remained closed for the last 15 days due to snow accumulation at Peer Ki Gali, Pass. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 3.6 degree Celsius.
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In the US, at least 11 people have been killed in the devastating wildfires raging across Los Angeles County. According to preliminary numbers from state and local officials, more than thirteen thousand structures have been destroyed in the fires. The sheriff’s department said, over one lakh people are under evacuation orders. At present four major wildfires are raging across the region. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an inquiry into the county’s water management after reports emerged that a critical reservoir was offline when the fires started and that the firefighters were left with dry hydrants.
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In Badminton, the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will take on unseeded South Korean pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho in the Men’s Doubles Semifinal of Malaysia Super 1000 tournament in Kuala Lumpur late afternoon today.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah calls for concerted efforts by Centre and the States to deal with drug menace in the country.
- Grand three-day celebrations commence in Ayodhya, commemorating first anniversary of consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram temple.
- In Assam, rescue teams retrieve another body from flooded coalmine in Dima Hasao.
- Northern states reeling under severe cold wave conditions; In Ladakh, temperatures plummet to extreme low with Zojila recording minus 31 degree Celcius.
- In Malaysia Super 1000 badminton tournament, Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to play the Men’s Doubles Semifinal in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
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