Mondays with Manjul, Aug 16

This female Sarpanch and her all-women team have changed the face of their village in Rajkot

A woman Sarpanch and her all-women team have shattered stereotypes and broke the glass ceiling in Khambha village near Lodhika, Rajkot. The Panchayat is the primary level of self-governance in India and, Sarpanch Annapurna Jadeja and her team of eight women, are becoming the trailblazers in bringing about long-awaited changes in their village. A small […]

Cups for Pups, a young man tries to ease stray dogs’ suffering

Angad Singh Bhatia, a resident of Pune and ardent dance lover may well be one of the youngest animal welfare activists in India. At just 19 years of age, he is in the process of organising a drive to feed as many stray dogs as he can, as well as spraying them with anti-tick spray […]

DNH, Daman and Diu to celebrate five years of governance

Taking a cue from Gujarat’s five-year celebrations of governance, the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH) and Daman and Diu will celebrate five years of governance by Administrator Praful Patel. A four-day celebration will be conducted from August 24-27 to mark the five years of governance of Praful Patel. A special programme will […]

Run for the robe: 4742 charters issued in 1.5 years

Pandemic pushed the entire world online, including the courts. In such a scenario, there were many junior lawyers who changed their profession owing to a deteriorating financial situation. However, in the year 2020, 4742 people from across the state obtained registration certificates from the State Bar Council for the practice of advocacy. This figure is […]

GMB scam: ED attaches assets of more than Rs 134 crores of Ahmedabad-based firm

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday, August 14, attached assets worth Rs 134.38 crores of an Ahmedabad-based firm Aatash Norcontrol Limited (ANL). This was done under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) scam. The attached assets are in the form of the plant, machinery, […]

Seven decades this J&K village finally gets electricity, a macadamized road and the Internet

Kupwara: 65 km away from the frontier district headquarters Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir; Keran is located very close to the Line of Actual control (LAC). Early in June 2021, Keran, Mandiyan and Kundiyan villages saw scenes of jubilation when they were finally connected to the rest of the world, via mobile connection towers. “The […]

Promise for next 25 years, Sainik School for girls, Gati Shakti Plan for New India: PM Modi

As India celebrated its 75th Independence Day on August 15, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted in his eighth I-Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort the importance of Aatma Nirbhar and ‘Sab Vikas’ for building a new India. He also announced that the Centre will soon launch the Rs 100 lac-crore Gati […]

Thol and Wadhwana wetlands from Gujarat added to Ramsar list

Image courtesy: Mihir Dhamecha Four more Indian sites – two each from Gujarat and Haryana – were added to the Ramsar Convention list on August 14. Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary and Wadhwana Wetland from Gujarat and Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar are wetlands from Haryana, that were added to […]

State of the children of Independent India: Sell flags in daily fight against hunger

It’s Independence Day and we are all buying Indian flags. You might have also seen the one selling them; little children, clad — if at all — in torn bits of clothing, bones sticking out, standing outside your car window, waving those Tricolours at you. It’s an Independence Day ritual, almost. However, will those bits […]

Piyush Goyal’s take on TATA national interest vs business initiates debate

Addressing at an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal criticised Tata and in wider perspective said that the local businesses should not just focus on profits or think of bypassing local laws. Following which, he faced the criticism on social media today for his remarks. […]

PM Modi declares August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

PM Modi on Saturday said that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people for independence. The partition era in 1947 is known as one of the darkest periods in the history of India as the division had displaced hundreds of thousands of […]

The ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan will reverberate across India in coming days: TMC

TMC MLA Madan Mitra said that ‘Khela Hobe’ to be reverberate across India on Saturday. “Khela Hobe to be celebrated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Haryana, Bihar and many other states. Some will celebrate it under the flag of Trinamool Congress while others may not use any party symbol. But the slogan will reach across […]

CBI’s Joint Director Manoj Sashidhar awarded with President’s Police Medal

CBI’s Joint Director Shri Manoj Sashidhar is a Gujarat cadre officer who was awarded President’s Police Medal for distinguished services. He has served as Commissioner Surat, Head of Ahmedabad Crime Branch Service, Head of Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad, IG Rajkot, etc. As JD, CBI he is in charge of Anti Corruption Headquarters-II, SIT, and System […]

The tales of Param Vir Chakra recipients are those of valour and sacrifice

Krishna Kant Sharma “Awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air.” These innocuous sounding lines describe the criteria for being awarded the Param Vir Chakra; India’s highest military decoration. Instituted on 26th January […]

Taliban appreciates India’s capacity building efforts in Afghanistan

The Taliban militant group, talking about humanitarian initiatives and developmental efforts by India in Afghanistan, said, “We appreciate everything that has been done for the people of Afghanistan like dams, national projects and infrastructure.” Qatar based Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen also assured that Afghan soil will not be used against any foreign country including India. […]

Mixing of two vaccines can be risky: SII Chairman Cyrus Poonawalla

After the approval of the proposal for a study on the mixing of two COVID-19 vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin by Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI), the Chairman of Serum Institute of India, Cyrus Poonawalla indicated the mixing of the vaccines to be risky on Friday. He said, “I am against the mixing of […]

A generation hustles, student entrepreneurs on the rise

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has had one unlikely side effect: some enterprising young people have taken advantage of this unique situation to turn themselves into successful entrepreneurs.  Take 22-year-old Nidhi Arora, a student of Fashion Design, who started her own jewellery business. Her handmade, one-of-a-kind designs are sold via her social media page, @berserkbiwi.shop. Arora […]

Surat’s initiative of schooling in dual languages sees its implementation pan Gujarat

Jayesh Brahmbhatt  Bhulka Vihar and Bhulka Bhavan School of Surat, in the year 2016 took a giant leap of faith by initiating dual language as a medium of instruction for subjects like Maths and Science right from the third grade for students studying in Gujarati medium. Taking this experiment stepwise to the next level, as […]

UNESCO and Netflix collaborate to celebrate Indian cultural heritage

Netflix and UNESCO have come together to celebrate India’s rich cultural heritage through the popular animated series “Mighty Little Bheem” which encompasses the adventures of Bheem. The animated series premiered on the streaming platform in 2019. A series of short videos, ‘One Country, Incredible Diversity’ featuring Bheem will focus on India’s cultural journey, including monuments, […]