US recognises Arunachal Pradesh as India’s integral part: WHThe US has recognised Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India and strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by renaming localities, the White House has said. The US reaction came in response to Beijing announcing Chinese names for 11 more places in Arunachal Pradesh which the neighbouring country claims as the southern part of Tibet.The first batch of the standardised names of six places in Arunachal Pradesh was released in 2017 and the second batch of 15 places was issued in 2021. China’s renaming of the places in Arunachal Pradesh came in the midst of the lingering eastern Ladakh border standoff that began in May 2020. Following the standoff, India bolstered its overall military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as well. The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a nearly three-year-long confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement of troops from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.


Former Assam DGP takes oath as Chief Information Commissioner

Former Assam DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta took oath as the State Chief Information Commissioner at Raj Bhawan, Guwahati. Governor Gulab Chandra Kataria administered the oath in the presence of DGP GP Singh, ADGP Hiren Nath and a host of other dignitaries. Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta was an Assam-Meghalaya cadre Ips officer from the 1988 batch (41RR) and had previously served as Director General of Border. He retired as the Assam DGP on January 31.

CM to lead team to Japan for investment

A high-level delegation led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will visit Japan to promote opportunities in Odisha.

The delegation includes the Minister of Industries, MSME and Energy Pratap Keshari Deb, Chief Secretary PK Jena, Industries Principal Secretary Hemant Sharma, E&IT Principal Secretary Manoj Mishra and IPICOL Managing Director Bhupendar Poonia.

The delegation will also visit the Kimitsu Steel Works and the R&D Centre of Nippon Steel Corporation. Further, it will explore avenues of collaboration in the areas of Skill development and high-tech startups.

Besides, the delegation will also hold a roundtable discussion in Kyoto on opportunities for collaboration between Japan and Odisha in the tourism sector focusing on Buddhist and ecotourism-related sites in Odisha. Moreover, in view of the significant strides made by Odisha in development of the Sports ecosystem, the delegation will also explore possible collaboration in Training and Development of sports talent in Odisha.

NEP cant be accepted fully, says TN higher education minister Ponmudy

Stating that the common exams for classes III, V and VIII and multiple exits in the degree programmes will increase dropouts, Naduhigher Education ministerK Ponmudy said the National Education Policy (NEP) cannot be accepted fully.

The minister said the enrolment in government colleges had increased by 95,000 due to opening of 31 new government arts and science colleges in the past two years.

He said the State Government had sanctioned Rs 100 crore for improving the Infrastructure in 55 government arts and science colleges under Perunthalaivar Kamarajar College Development Scheme.

Kerala has no dearth of funds for effective waste management projects

Even whenwaste managementin various places across the state is turning out to be a serious Health and environmental hazard, records show that there is no dearth of funds available for setting up effective Waste Management projects. Crores of rupees are left unused due to the government’s inability in implementing projects.

The AMRUT fund to the tune of Rs 600 crore to Rs 700 crore said to be unutilized for the current year stands as testimony to the low profile of functioning of the LSGIs as far as waste management is concerned,” said the minutes of the review meeting. As per records, there are 19 projects proposed under theAMRUT schemealone, of which 12 have not even started.

These projects are proposed to be undertaken by various agencies -KeralaWater Authority, AMRUT, IMPACT Kerala (special purpose vehicle for KIIFB projects in local self-government institutions) and Suchitwa Mission. These projects are worth Rs 633.65 crore, of which the implementing agencies have received Rs 198.23 crore. Of this, Rs 50.23 crore only has been utilized so far, data shows.

Bgavi has 2nd highest no. of centurion electors in state

According to the district survey reports,Belagavidistrict has 1,536 voters who have crossed 100 years, eligible to vote in the assembly Elections, scheduled on May 10.

Belagavi stands second in the state, while Mysuru tops the list. According to the office of the chief electoral officer in Karnataka, there are 16,973 registered voters who have crossed 100 years, of whom 9,985 are Women. Mysuru, Belagavi and Bengaluru (Urban, North, South) have nearly 40% of all the centurion voters in the state. The top-5 districts listed in terms of centurion voters are Mysuru (1,744), Belagavi (1,536), Bengaluru Urban (1,191), BBMP North (1,133), and BBMP South (922).

‘19,000 cases pending in family courts in Telangana, 1 1 lakh in India’

JusticeV Ramasubramanianof The Supreme Court said 11.4 lakhcaseswerependingwith in Inida, including 19,000 cases inTelanganafamily courts.

The family courts complex in Hyderabad is equipped with modern court halls, meditation halls, separate waiting rooms for men and Women, play areas and creches for children and separate feeding area for new mothers.Officialssaid the complex will provide a whole new experience to the litigants and their families. There are e-filing desks as well and dedicated staff to assist them.

Andhra Pradesh: Kakinada aims to be industrial hub of east coast

The port city of Kakinadais all set to become the major Growth centre on the east coast and is likely to boost the economy ofAndhra Pradesh.

The KG basin with rich oil and natural gas reserves, and large-scale exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons have accelerated development in the area. Many gas-based industries have already come up and some are in the pipeline.

The 7,440-acre Kakinada SEZ, with 1,589-acre Kakinada Gateway Port land on one side, and the petroleum, chemical and petrochemicals region (PCPIR) on the other, has raised hopes among theindustrialhouses of taking advantage of the situation and setting up industries there.The in-principle approval for Bulk Drug Park in Kakinada by Union ministry of chemicals & fertilisers is seen as a boon for the region. Kakinada will become anindustrial hubon the entire east coast and is destined to guide the future of AP.

Rs 1k crore to drive better quality roads across Goa

A provision of Rs 1,000 crore has been made in the state budget to take up improvement of riding quality surface in all assembly constituencies. A total of 1,700km of road length will be resurfaced during 2023-24. Chief ministerPramod Sawantsaid on Wednesday that the target is to complete 500km at a cost of Rs 280 crore before the onset of the monsoon.

He said that the has already prepared an annual plan for 2023-24 for Rs 3,630.8 crore worth of highway projects, which will be soon submitted to the Union Government and we are confident of receiving the sanctions at an early date.

The projects will include four-laning of Ponda to Bhoma section (Rs 750 crore), four-laning of existing road fromSanjeevanisugar factory toKhandepar(Rs 600 crore), four-laning of Anmod to Mollem section (Rs 1,500 crore) and construction of foot overbridge at Fulancho Khuris, Bambolim (Rs 7 crore).

Additionally, four-laning from Cortalim, Nagoa to Verna section (Rs 550 crore) and four-laning of Karmal Ghat section (Rs 200 crore) will also be taken up, Sawant said.

Also, during 2023-24, Rs 2.5 crore has been allotted per assembly constituency under MLA-Local Area Development Scheme, Goa Scheme with a total outlay of Rs 100 crore, he said.

Peoples drive in Maharashtra on water conservation reaches UN

Mission 500 Crore Litre Water Storagea farmers movement in Maharashtra based on the principle of the people, by the people, for the peoplewas showcased as part of the United Nations Water Conference 2023 in New York.

Driven by the idea put the diesel and use the machine for constructing small check Dams and water bodies, the movement was started in 2017 by IRS officer Dr Ujjwalkumar Chavhan in his hometown of Dhamangaon village in Jalgaons Chalisgaon tehsil.

As part of the mission, river deepening and widening is carried out to buid dams and ponds in villages, through peoples participation and planning by the gram sabhas. So far 450 crore liters of water reservoirs and trenches have been created in 80 villages of nine districts, and 30 km of farm roads have been repaired besides plantation of 45,000 trees.

The Indian delegation from The Peoples World Commission on Drought and Flood (PWCDF) established on the occasion of World Water Week 2022 in Stockholm, Sweden, under the Chairmanship of Magsaysay awardee Dr Rajendra Singh attended the conference. A World Water Dialogue on Drought and Flood: Indigenous Innovations for Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience was held at New Jersey.