Places of worship geared up to re-open in Maharashtra from today with all SOPs in place for devotees visiting them amidst the Covid pandemic. As per the Standard Operating Procedures released by the Maharashtra government, religious places located out of COVID-19 containment zones will be allowed to remain open as per the timings decided by authorities, and devotees will be allowed inside in a staggered manner. Face masks will be mandatory for devotees along with social distancing protocols. Earlier this year, all major organisers of the state’s biggest festival Ganeshotsav cancelled their celebrations and even the iconic Mohammed Ali Road…
Author: Our Correspondent
Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar chief minister for a fourth straight term on Monday at a ceremony in Patna in presence of Union Home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda even as RJD decided to boycott the event. Replacing Sushil Modi, who had been Kumar’s deputy for 15 years, BJP leaders Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi took oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar. Kumar was administered the oath of office at Raj Bhavan by Governor Phagu Chauhan, a day after he staked claim for the formation of a new government in the state.…
On Thursday night, a scuffle broke out between the Bally police and a few residents of a five-storeyed building, Ashok Vihar in Belur over bursting of crackers despite the recent firecrackers ban. As per reports, the cops had received a complaint about 20 residents bursting firecrackers on the rooftop of the building. On seeing the cops, several women and children fled from the scene. Many residents stayed back and explained to the police that the firecrackers were a year old and that children wanted to celebrate Diwali by burning the unused firecrackers. When the cops began to seize the existing…
India on Saturday summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to register a strong protest over the heavy shelling by Pakistani forces on multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday that left at least nine people dead. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India also condemned, in the strongest terms, the “deliberate targeting” of innocent civilians by Pakistani forces, saying it was highly deplorable that Pakistan chose a festive occasion in India to disrupt peace and perpetrate violence in Jammu and Kashmir through coordinated firing along the…
Sadat Rahman Shakib from Bangladesh won the International Children’s Peace Prize 2020. The award was presented to Sadat on Friday by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai during a ceremony in the Netherlands. He was awarded the prize for his involvement in setting up his social organization and mobile app ‘Cyber Teens’ to stop cyberbullying. The KidsRights (award-giving organization) says the International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of the international children’s rights organization KidsRights. From an impressive 142 applicants from 42 countries, the KidsRights’ Expert Committee selected Sadat Rahman from Bangladesh as winner. By winning the award, he has…
At least 14 scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Banaras Hindu University have figured among the top two per cent scientists in a global list compiled by the prestigious Standford University. The list also includes 22 faculty members or researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati. The US-based Stanford University has recently released a list that represents the top 2 per cent of the most-cited scientists in various disciplines. The exhaustive list has 1,59,683 persons with nearly 1,500 scientists, doctors and engineers in India. “The list includes the name of 14 professors of Indian Institute…
In a first, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is going to attempt to bring a sample of Mars back to Earth for scientists to study. Nasa released an independent review report on November 10 indicating the agency is now ready to undertake its Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign to bring pristine samples from Mars to Earth for scientific study. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1326204224200433666 “The agency established the MSR Independent Review Board (IRB) to evaluate its early concepts for a groundbreaking, international partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) to return the first samples from another planet,” Nasa said in a statement. Following…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with Indian Army soldiers in Jaisalmer on Saturday. Speaking to the soldiers, he said, “When I went to Siachen during my first year as Prime Minister in 2014, people were surprised. But today, everyone knows my emotions and feelings. Being among the soldiers is being among my family. Today, I am here to celebrate Diwali with my family.” He further said, “Whether you live on the snowy hills or in the desert, my Diwali is completed by coming between you. I see the beauty of your faces, see the happiness on your face, then…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a subtle but significant swipe at China, has hit out at “expansionist” forces that show a “distorted mindset which belongs to the 18th century”. The Prime Minister warned such forces against taking advantage of India’s tolerance and said the nation’s soldiers would give a “prachand jawab (fierce reply)” if borders were threatened. “India believes in a policy of understanding and making others understand… but if an attempt to test our resolve is made, then the country will give a fierce reply,” the Prime Minister said Saturday while spending Diwali with soldiers at the strategically key…
On the occasion of Diwali, the French embassy in India has put out a video sharing greetings on the auspicious Hindu festival. While several foreign embassies in India have followed suit, the case of the French embassy is extraordinary. Emmanuel Lenain, the official ambassador in India, tweeted, “We wish you all a very happy and prosperous Deepavali!” In a video shared by Lenain, the Consulate General in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Puducherry and Chennai had shared greetings for Diwali in Indian languages of the particular region. For instance, French Consulate General in Mumbai, Sonia Barby, wished Diwali in Marathi while the…