THE HEADLINES ::
- Rekha Gupta to take oath as Chief Minister of Delhi at iconic Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi this afternoon.
- Uttarakhand Cabinet approves strict land law to protect resources of state, cultural heritage and citizens’ rights.
- External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to participate in G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Puducherry to accord organ donors with state honours.
- In Cricket, New Zealand thrash defending champions Pakistan by 60 runs in opening match of ICC Champions Trophy in Karachi; India to take on Bangladesh in Dubai today.
- And in FIH Pro Hockey League, Indian Men’s team defeat reigning world champions Germany 1-NIL in Bhubaneswar.
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Mrs Rekha Gupta will be sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi today. Her name was announced as the new Chief Minister following Delhi BJP legislative party meeting in New Delhi last evening. She met Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at the Raj Niwas and staked claim to forming the new government. Mr Saxena accepted the claim and invited her to form the new government. Our correspondent reports that Rekha Gupta will take oath as the Chief Minister at the iconic Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
“Rekha Gupta will be the fourth woman Chief Minister and the second woman BJP Chief Minister of Delhi. The oath of office and secrecy will be administered by Delhi LG VK Saxena at around 12:35 PM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh among others will attend the swearing in ceremony. Chief Ministers and Deputy chief Ministers of around 20 states have also been invited to attend the event. Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory in anticipation of large crowds. To manage the traffic during the event, certain diversions and restrictions will be in place. Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
In a social media post, Mrs Gupta thanked the top leadership of the BJP for entrusting her with the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister. She pledged to work with full honesty, integrity and dedication for the welfare and development of the people of Delhi.
Rekha Gupta is the first time MLA, who has been elected from Shalimar Bagh seat. She began her political journey with ABVP at Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, in 1992. She became the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union. She has also served as the General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha in Delhi.
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After the announcement of Rekha Gupta’s name as next Chief Minister of Delhi, several BJP leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah and other Union Ministers have congratulated her. In a social media post, Home Minister Amit Shah said that he has full faith in Rekha Gupta. He added that BJP’s New Chief Minister in Delhi will work with dedication in the direction of the resolution taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make Delhi one of the top capitals of the world.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also congratulated Mrs Gupta. In a social media post, Mr Vaishnaw wrote that he looked forward to working with her on developing IT ecosystem and Railways in Delhi, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Outgoing Delhi Chief Minster Atishi and Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal have congratulated Mrs. Gupta on being elected as the new Chief Minister and expressed hope that she would fulfil all promises made during the election campaign.
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In Uttarakhand, state Cabinet has approved a stringent land law preventing people from buying limitless land, officials said. Soon after the Cabinet decision, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a post on X, said that fully respecting the longstanding demand of the people of the state and their sentiments, the Cabinet has approved the strict land law. He said this historic step will protect the resources of the state, cultural heritage and the rights of the citizens, as well as play an important role in maintaining the original identity of the state. He said the state government is fully committed to protect the interests of the people and he will never let their trust get broken.
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will begin a two-day visit to Johannesburg, South Africa from today to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM). He is visiting at the invitation of Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, Ronald Lamola. The External Affairs Minister’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.
Dr Jaishankar is expected to hold a few bilateral meetings in the margins of the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
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And now news from Mahakumbh 2025 underway in Prayagraj.
A symposium on spirituality and culture- “Mahakumbh Dialogue: Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of India” was organized at the Kala Kumbh Complex during the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. The symposium highlighted the significance and references of the Mahakumbh throughout history, featuring delegates from UNESCO, Allahabad University and other educationists.
“The program was inaugurated by UNESCO Director of the South Asia Region, Tim Curtis along with Prof. Heramb Chaturvedi, former Head of Department of History at Allahabad University. In his address, Mr Curtis highlighted the significance of Kumbh and mentioned that UNESCO recognized the Kumbh Mela as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity back in 2017. He added that its social, economic and environmental impacts were being monitored since 1923. He said that the Kumbh Mela provides a new vision to the world as a natural and cultural heritage.
Prof. Chaturvedi, while highlighting the historical aspect of Kumbh, said that Kumbh Mela is also mentioned in the travelogue of the 7th century Chinese Buddhist monk, Hiuen Tsang.
The symposium was organised by the Department of Culture, Uttar Pradesh and Prayagraj Mela Authority. With Abhishek Kapil, Adarsh for Akashvani News, Prayagraj.”
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The Puducherry government has announced that organ donors will be accorded state honours as a mark of respect for their life-saving contributions. Guidelines have been formulated to implement this initiative. The government has directed hospitals to promptly report brain-dead cases to district collectors and regional administrators. As per the new guidelines, district collectors and regional administrators will visit the residences of organ donors and pay homage. Additionally, on occasions such as the Republic Day and the Independence Day, the Lieutenant Governor or the Chief Minister will invite the families of organ donors to official functions and honor them publicly.
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The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM) is all set to organize the third edition of SARAS Aajeevika Mela, a vibrant celebration of India’s art, culture, and traditions, from today to March 1 at Kala Kendra, Jammu. Organized under Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the 10 day event aims to highlight the country’s diverse Art and craft while empowering rural artisans and entrepreneurs.
“The fair will feature 70 stalls representing 17 states, offering a wide range of handmade products, including textiles, jewelry, pottery, woodcraft, metalwork, paintings, and home decor. A special culinary section will showcase traditional delicacies prepared by Self-Help Group members, featuring regional favourites such as Kashmiri Wazwan, Dogri cuisine, additionally live demonstrations of crafts such as pottery, grass handicrafts, Basohli Art capturing the spirit of rural artistry and the cultural legacy of the region. Cultural performances by local artists will be a key highlight, showcasing the rich artistic legacy of Jammu and Kashmir. The fair will provide a unique platform for rural women artisans associated with Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM to exhibit and sell their products directly to consumers. This is N. Gulshan Raina for Akashvani News from Jammu.”
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The Indian Council of Agriculture Research – Eastern Region Research Complex (ICAR-RCER) is celebrating its Silver Jubilee function from today in Patna. A specially designed model of integrated farming for women will be launched on Saturday on the the foundation day. Talking to Akashvani News, Director of the institute Dr. Anup Das said it is a micro, nano homestead model which will ensure nutritional needs and round year income.
The silver jubilee celebrations is being held from today to Saturday.
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Arunachal Pradesh is celebrating its 39th statehood day today. The main state celebration will be held at IG Park in the capital city Itanagar. Governor Lt Gen (Retd) KT Parnaik will be the Chief Guest of the event. Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju will also attend the celebration.
Arunachal Pradesh attained full statehood on February 20, 1987.
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Now some news from the world of sports. We have a detailed report covering updates from Cricket and Hockey:
“In Cricket, the ninth edition of ICC Champions Trophy kicked off with a bang as New Zealand thrashed defending champions Pakistan by a commanding 60 runs in Karachi last night. New Zealand’s Tom Latham was adjudged as the player of the match for his brilliant ton. Today, Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will take on Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. The match will kick start at 2.30 PM Indian Time.
Moving towards Women’s Premier League (WPL) Cricket, Delhi Capitals defeated UP Warriorz by seven wickets at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara last night. In the next encounter, Royal Challengers Bengaluru wil take on Mumbai Indians at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru tomorrow.
Next we have from FIH Pro Hockey League, where the Indian men’s team defeated reigning world champions Germany 1-0 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar last night. On the other hand, the Indian Women’s Team faced a major defeat as Spain emerged victorious over India 1-0 in at the same venue yesterday. WITH SANYUKTA YADAV, CHIRAG JHA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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Israel has received the list of the deceased hostages who will be transfered from Gaza today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office informed this in a statement yesterday. In a social media post, the PMO said, It has updated the families of the hostages via the representatives of the Israel Defence Force.
Following this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep sorrow, acknowledging that the day will be incredibly difficult for the country, as Israel prepares to bring home four deceased hostages.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast scattered to fairly widespread rainfall and snowfall over Western Himalayan Region and isolated to scattered rainfall over plain areas of Northwest India during the next 48 hours. IMD said that light to moderate rainfall and snowfall with lightning are likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh today, and light rainfall and snowfall during 21st to 23rd February. It added that thunderstorms, lightning with isolated hailstorm activity are also likely in Uttarakhand today.
Meanwhile, National capital Delhi and its adjoining areas witnessed light rainfall this morning.
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The 9th Asia Economic Dialogue is being organised from today in Pune, Maharashtra. The Asia Economic Dialogue is External Affairs Ministry’s annual flagship ‘Track 1.5 Dialogue’ on Geoeconomics.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- The newly inaugrated office of RSS in Jhandewalan, New Delhi is covered by most of the dailies. Hindustan Times quotes RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat telling workers ” Work selflessly, be receptive to criticism.”
- “Rekha Gupta is Delhi Chief Minister ” leads The Pioneer.
- “Trump bellows at India” says The Pioneer. “No one can argue with me, Trump on reciprocal tariffs” writes The Hindu.
- Financial Express quotes US President Trump as saying “Very unfair for Tesla to set shop in India”.
- “Trump’s envoy arrives in Kyiv as US policy shifts towards Russia” reports The Statesman.
- “Act for peace or lose nation, Trump tells Zelenskyy” states The Hindu.
- “China building 90 villages along Arunachal border” reports The Tribune.
- Indian Express quoting Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge after the first meet following reshuffle in the party, writes “Promote those who stick around in tough times”.
- And finally, Business Standard citing a survey writes ” Salaries in India to rise by 9.2% in 2025″.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Rekha Gupta to take oath as Chief Minister of Delhi at iconic Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi this afternoon.
- Uttarakhand Cabinet approves strict land law to protect resources of state, cultural heritage and citizens’ rights.
- External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to participate in G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Puducherry to accord organ donors with state honours.
- In Cricket, New Zealand thrash defending champions Pakistan by 60 runs in opening match of ICC Champions Trophy in Karachi; India to take on Bangladesh in Dubai today.
- And in FIH Pro Hockey League, Indian Men’s team defeat reigning world champions Germany 1-NIL in Bhubaneswar.
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