22.04.23

As many as 1.49 lakh Indians were caught trying to unlawfully enter the US between February 2019 and March 2023, according to data from theUS Customs and Border Protection(USCBP), revealing a grim truth that the “American dream” continues to lure Indian asylum-seekers despite several deaths in dangerous border crossings.

“Those detained are mostly fromGujaratand Punjab,” said a Police officer from Gujarat.

In January 2022, as many as 5,459 Indians were caught entering the US illegally. Of these, 708 were caught along the US-Canada border. The numbers rose 35.9% to 7,421 in January 2023, including 2,478 detentions made on the US-Canada border.

During his two-day visit to Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate Indias first-ever water metro that connects 10 islands surrounding Kochi using battery-operated electric hybrid boats. This innovative mode of transportation will provide seamless connectivity between the islands and the city, offering a similar level of convenience and travel experience as traditional metro systems. This transportation system is particularly beneficial in urban areas like Kochi

The metro project in Kochi will begin with eight electric hybrid boats developed by Cochin Shipyard Limited.

The project is being funded by the Kerala government and the German company KfW.

The water metro system will include 38 terminals and 78 electric boats

Mana village in Uttarakhand, which was previously recognized as the last Indian village, will now be acknowledged as the first Indian village. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has installed a signboard at the entrance of the border village to declare Manas updated status. This decision comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhamisassertion that Mana was the first village in the country, and all border villages should be recognized as such. PM Modi, who visited Mana in October last year, stated that areas that were previously viewed as the end of the countrys borders should now be viewed as the beginning of the countrys prosperity.

The Vibrant Villages Programme is designed to uplift the standard of living for residents in selected border communities.

The programme aims to develop a total of 2967 villages situated in 46 blocks of 19 districts located on the northern border of India.

The programme covers border communities in states such as Arunachal Pradesh, , Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The goal is to develop Infrastructure, provide basic amenities, and enhance the overall living conditions in these villages.

The programme will focus on providing better access to healthcare, Education, and clean drinking water.

The Vibrant Villages Programme will also aim to promote rural tourism and generate EMPLOYMENT opportunities in the border communities

TheWorld Health Organisation(WHO) is working with member nations, including India, to catch up the millions of children who missed out on Vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UN health body said its aim was to restore essential immunisation coverage to at least 2019 levels and strengthen primary healthcare to deliver immunisation.

The WHO initiative comes days after a report released by Unicef showed that routine immunisation was affected during the pandemic.

According to Unicefs State of the Worlds Children 2023 report, there were around 2. 7 million zerodose (unreached or missed out) under-5 children in India who did not receive a single dose of the necessary vaccines during 2021.

This number was 3 million in 2020 when the pandemic struck, severely impacting immunisation drives.