Kerala Floods: Pinarayi Vijayan urges Malayalis to donate one month's salary to help rebuild state

As relief and rehabilitation work initon in flood ravaged Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today urged all Malayalees to donate one month salary to rebuild the state,where the death toll has now touched 302 and over four lakh are still in relief camps.In many districts, people have started moving from camps to their homes after cleaning work has been completed.

The receding flood waters had left mounds of mud and debris in their homes and surroundings.The toll today climbed to 302 with more bodies being recovered, a government press release here.Pinarayi Vijayan has also reviewed ongoing relief operations.There are still 4.62 lakh people in 1,435 relief camps. At least three lakh houses have been cleaned so far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed the humanitarian assistance rendered to victims of Kerala floods by people from all walks of life, saying that irrespective of age group or area of work, people are contributing for the cause.

More funds sent to flow in for Kerala flood victims

He also put on record his appreciation for the role rendered by the Army, Air Force, Navy, NDRF, BSF, CISF and the RAF in relief and rescue operations."Yesterday was the festival of Onam. We pray for Onam to provide strength to the country, especially Kerala, so that it returns to normalcy on a newer journey of development. Once again on behalf of all Indians, I would like to reassure each and everyone in Kerala and other affected places that at this moment of calamity, the entire country stands by them," PM Modi said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

He said the loss of lives cannot be compensated, but he assured the grief-stricken families that in this moment of suffering, every Indian stands by them shoulder to shoulder.As Kerala struggles to stand on her feet, water logging of homes in various places, especally in Kuttanad region of the worst hit Alapuzha district continues to be a worrying factor.

Huge pumps will be used to flush out water from homes and premises, after which the cleaning process will be taken up by removing the accumulated silt, authorities said.Vijayan, who had accompanied PM Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during the aerial surveys, said they were touched by the intensity of the devastation and he hoped that the Centre would provide more funds.

The union government has already released Rs. 600 crore as immediate assistance against the state's demand for Rs. 2,000 crore.Opposition leader in the assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, said more central funds were needed for Kerala and there was nothing wrong in accepting foreign aid to help rebuild the state.

With the floods having left a trail of massive destruction and rehabilitation and reconstruction requiring huge financial resources, Mr Vijayan wanted Keralites, both in the country and outside, to exhibit their generous self and contribute one month's salary to the state.

"We need to find our strength. It will be difficult to contribute one month's salary at a stretch. But Keralites, including from outside, can at first contribute three days' salary a month and over a period of 10 months, donate the remaining sum', Mr Vijayan told.

In the coming days, relief camps in schools and colleges will be wound up and people, whose homes were fully waterlogged even now, would be shifted to marriage halls and convention centres, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac told reporters in Alapuzha.

As Kerala stares at a loss of Rs 19,512 crore, here is who donated how much

The estimated loss caused by Kerala floods stands at around Rs 19,512 crore. Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has urged for generous contributions, as the state fights a long battle to restore the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited the state announced a Rs 500 crore grant. This is apart from the Rs 100 crore announced by Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh.With killer rains subsiding, Kerala focuses on emergency supplies and essential services

The relief work has begun, with nearly 200 persons losing their lives. There have been some generous contributions to Kerala from various states and let us take a look at who has given what.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 500 crore grant.
• Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced a Rs 100 crore grant.
• Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal announced Rs 10 crore as grant and the one month salaries of all AAP MLAs and MPs will be given to Kerala.
• Congress MLAs and MPs too have pledged their one month's salaries.
• Bihar Chief Minster, Nitish Kumar announced a Rs 10 crore grant.
• Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik announced an additional grant of Rs 5 crore to the earlier sanctioned Rs 5 crore.
• Tamil Nadu- Rs 10 crore
• Andhra Pradesh- Rs 10 crore
• Puducherry- Rs 1 crore
• Jharkhand- Rs 5 crore
• Maharashtra- Rs 20 crore
• Gujarat- Rs 10 crore
• Punjab- Rs 10 crore
• Telangana- Rs 25 crore
• Himachal Pradesh- Rs 5 crore
• Uttarakhand- Rs 5 crore
• Chattisgarh- Rs 3 crore
• Madhya Pradesh- Rs 10 crore
• Karnataka- Rs 10 crore
• West Bengal- Rs 10 crore
• Manipur- Rs 2 crore
• 
  

The others:

• In addition to this several NGOs too have come forward and contributed. The Qatar government allocated Rs 35 crore towards the relief fund of Kerala. The UAE too formed a committee to provide relief.
• Star India donated Rs 2 crore, while Sun TV made a donation of Rs 1 crore. Asianet employees have pledged Rs 25 lakh. State Bank of India has donated Rs 2 crore, while TVS & Sons CEO Raghavan handed over Rs 1 crore.
• Malayalam actors, Mammooty and Dulquer Salman contributed Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively. Mohanlal has contributed Rs 25 lakh. Kamal Hassan has donated Rs 25 lakh, while Dhanush contributed Rs 15 lakh. Vishal and Sivakarthikeyan gave Rs 10 lakh each.

• Telugu actor Vijay donated Rs 5 lakh, while Anupama Parameswaran donated Rs 1 lakh.
• Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi donated Rs 25 lakh and actress Rohini donated Rs 2 lakh to the relief fund.
• 21-year-old student from Kerala who was trolled for selling fish, Hanan also donated Rs 1.5 lakh. DMK donated Rs 1 crore, as well. BJP MP Varun Gandhi has also donated Rs 2 lakh.
• Attorney General K K Venugopal has donated Rs 1 crore.

Kerala Floods: Death Toll Touches 114, Modi to Visit State Today

With the death toll in the devastating floods rising to 114 in Kerala, and more than one lakh people living in relief camps across the state, the Centre on Thursday, 16 August, deployed all three wings of the armed forces in a massive rescue operation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the state on Friday, 17 August.

• CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that water levels are expected to increase, and assured deployment of additional helicopters
• 
• A red alert has been issued in all 14 districts
• 24 dams across the state had been opened, leading to flooding of towns and villages
• The Kochi airport will remain shut till 26 August

RS passes Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 commonly by voice vote

The Parliament on Monday passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 which ensures strict sentence for those who found guilty of raping girls below 12 years of age.This bill was passed in the Lok Sabha last month .On Monday it was commonly passed in Rajya Sabha by voice vote.

After the bill was passed in the Parliament, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told that both houses of the Parliament have passed Criminal Law Amendment Bill and now Government will ensure that this act takes effect in the manner in which it has been envisage. He assured that there are various other steps are taken to ensure speedy trial.

Worth mention here the bill will now replace the Criminal Law Ordinance, propagated by President Ram Nath Kovind on April 22. In the wake of an increase in incidents of sexual assault of minors, the Union Cabinet on April 21 gave its nod for a number of measures to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 specifies a minimum jail term of 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death penalty, for the rape of a girl under 12 years. While convicted in the gang rape of a girl below 12 years of age will get life imprisonment or death.

School syllabus to be cut by 50% for sports

 In a bid to promote sports in the country, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said on Monday that a games period will be made mandatory in schools after reducing the syllabus by 50% by next year.

"We have come to a stage where sports is not a part of education; it is education. The ministry of education is ensuring that by 2019, the syllabus in schools is reduced by 50% and there will be a sports period on a regular basis," Rathore said.

Rathore said the ministry is planning several things to make sports more relevant."We are also ensuring that the SAI (Sports Authority of India) reduces its manpower by 50% by 2022 so that it can cater to sports and it has a lean body and money is spent on sports.

"This year, we will have 20 specialized sports schools and the government of India will pump in about Rs 7-10 crore each. The idea is to have a very pointed approach so that each school will have only two or three main sports. They will be very focused," he said.

Online shopping may not be cheap anymore as govt looks to regulate deep discounts

You may not be able to enjoy those great discounts anymore, with the government looking to tighten the noose around deep discounting, which is a practice to lower prices on e-commerce platforms.

The draft e-commerce policy shared with stakeholders on Monday for consultations has proposed that such pricing policy be stopped to regulate the sector. The proposed legislation will also cover food delivery sites and other online service aggregators.

The plan is to include multiple aspects in the legislation - from consumer protection and grievance redressal to ownership, FDI, local storage of data, protecting micro, small and medium enterprises and mergers and acquisitions. The draft, which will undergo a revision before public consultations, has also suggested appointing a regulator for the sector.

The policy would affect consumers who plan on checking discounts, something that offline retail lobbies have been pitching for. The e-commerce companies have however said that the seller offers the discount and not the marketplace.

The policy also says that discount curbs would not be limited to only to the marketplace, but also would be extended to group companies as well. The deep discounts would include checks on differential pricing, which will restrict brands from offering two sets of prices for the same product sold offline and online.

Kerala: Idduki Dam to be reopened because of rising water levels; several threatened

                                      In the face of rising water levels, authorities in Kerala were forced to consider reopening the Idduki Dam, one of the highest arch dams in Asia, making nearly thousands of people evacuate from the downstream areas.

As per a report in The New Indian Express, the Idduki Dam water level rose to nearly 2,935 feet on Sunday, July 29, making the officials deciding to reopen the dam which will affect several people between between Thadyambad, Karimban and Injivarakkuth areas near Cheruthoni on the banks of the Cheruthoni river.

The released water from the dam will flow through the same river, which is a tributary of the Periyar river. The Idduki Dam news today has left the local people under a lot of anxiety.The decision was taken urgently to regulate the rising water levels in the Periyar, caused by record rain in Kerala this season. Idduki experienced 192.3 cm of rainfall this year, which is 49 per cent more than what it had received last year.

According to report in The News Minute, a high-level meeting was conducted with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan where it was decided that the dam will be opened the moment the water levels reached 2,400 feet.

"We decided that we would open the shutters in a trial run even before this. If the water reaches 2400 feet, we would be forced to open the shutters to reduce the levels. So instead of risking this, we will open the shutters in a controlled manner before the level reaches 2,400 so that the pressure is less on us," the report quoted Idukki Collector Jeevan Babu as saying.

The district administration decided to set up temporary shelters but given the high number of displaced people who are also poor, it will be a difficult task to rehabilitate them all in a smooth manner.

Moreover, when the dam as opened last time in 1992, the water flow had caused significant harm and it took years for the affected people to overcome the hardships.The authorities were keeping a close watch on the Idukki Dam water level today (July 30) while the local people were awaiting consequences of the Idduki Dam shutter opening.

Nation remembers 'missile man' APJ Abdul Kalam on 3rd death anniversary: Inspiring quotes and interesting facts

   

The nation on Friday paid homage to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who is fondly remembered as the 'People's President' and the 'Missile Man of India' on his third death anniversary.

Born on October 15, 1931, in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram, Dr APJ Kalam served as the 11th President of India between 2002 and 2007. Kalam, who had penned several books and inspired millions through his philosophy of 'simple living and high thinking', died due to a cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong on July 27, 2015.

India’s missile man and former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam used to look normal but achieved abnormal achievements, described his associate for several years Dr V Seshagiri Rao, who has worked as scientist at SHAR earlier.Speaking at a one-day programme organised by Centre for Translational Research (CTR) and NSS Bureau of Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visva Vidyalayam (SPMVV) in collaboration with All India Radio, Tirupati on “Science Spoorthi Pradata – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam” in Tirupati on Thursday, he has shared his personal association with Abdul Kalam and narrated the way how the great scientist inculcated values, leadership qualities, commitment and innovative thinking among other scientists.

As an eminent scientist, educationist, author, visionary, philanthropist and orator, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam donned several hats in his life. Fondly known as the 'missile man', he played a crucial role in the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests. He was also associated with India's space program and missile development program.

After serving his full term as the President, Kalam did what he loved the most till he breathed his last – teaching.

In the honour of the late scientist and 'People's President', Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu last year.

He was honoured with several prestigious awards including India's highest civilian honour "Bharat Ratna" in 1997. 

He was very popular among the children and the country's youth and inspired them to think big in life. He also penned nearly 25 books, including India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, Wings of Fire: An Autobiography, Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India, Mission of India: A Vision of Indian Youth.

Govt confident of defeating no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, BJP issues whip to MPs

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident that the no-confidence motion moved against it will fail with even parties outside the broader National Democratic Alliance (NDA) grouping supporting the government on Friday as it faces the first floor test in Parliament in 15 years.

Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said allies of the BJP, such as the Shiv Sena, the Akali Dal, Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and others would throw their weight behind the BJP, which, on its own has 273 MPs, enough to dismiss the challenge.

Interestingly, in 2003, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government faced a floor test in the last monsoon session before an election year.

The signal is clear that the party, while taking disgruntled allies such as the Shiv Sena on board, will strive to get support from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two regional powerhouses that are vehemently opposed to the Congress. However, BJD's Lok Sabha leader Bhartruhari Mahatab said, 'We are sitting in the Opposition and in the debate we will oppose the government.'

First time in 20 years, Cauvery River dams brimming with water after heavy rains in Karnataka

All four major Cauvery River dams in Karnataka - Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS), Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathi - are full even before July has ended after over 20 years because of heavy rains.

Karnataka has been releasing nearly one lakh cusecs of water from the Cauvery to Tamil Nadu as a result. The two states have been involved in a water sharing dispute for decades.

The last time such heavy inflow was seen was in 1992-93, according to a Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Ltd (CNNL) official, who did not want to be identified. CNNL is a Karnataka government undertaking responsible for managing irrigation projects

'For instance, the full capacity of KRS in Mysuru is 124.8 feet. We are now already at 123.05 feet. Last year at the same time, we were at 78.25 feet,' the official added. He said they have released enough water till August as the Cauvery Water Management Board has mandated.

The official said there is unlikely to be an issue in sharing water with Tamil Nadu this year with heavy rains forecast at least for the next week and continued inflow in the catchment areas.

'The release of the copious amount of water all along the Cauvery delta will ensure recharge of groundwater, fill up lakes and ponds which will aid both states,' he added.

He said the national disaster rescue force, fire and emergency services, home guards and civil defence forces were ready to aid anybody affected by the rains and consequent floods.

Entry of visitors to the Ranganthitu bird sanctuary on the banks of Cauvery in Srirangapatna has been barred.

Heavy rains continue to lash Mumbai

Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai and its adjoining areas, affecting normal life in several parts of the Mumbai. The city received 54 per cent of its average monsoon season rainfall just in the last 20 day, the city's civic body noted.

Mumbai was hit with 144.47 mm of rain, the eastern suburbs got 107.21 mm and the western suburbs received 131.32 mm till 8.30 a.m. It has continued with short spells of break. A 5-day day weather alert has been issued by the met office for Uttarakhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra region.

Train service have been disrupted as incessant rains continue to lash Mumbai and adjoining areas. "Due to heavy rains, Up and Down through line at Nala Sopara is halted. However, local trains on Western Suburbs are running late by 10 to 15 minutes between Virar to Churchgate," said Divisional Railway Manager, Western railway, on Tuesday morning.

Due to incessant rainfall, the Mumbai dabbawalas have cancelled services today.

Several private schools closed in Mumbai due to continuous downpour. No government advisory has been issued for office and education institutions in the city in the wake of continuous downpour and severe waterlogging in Mumbai.

Captain cool the one who changed the history of Indian cricket

The most successful skipper of Indian cricket team, MS Dhoni is celebrating his 37th birthday today and in that age when most of the time cricketers take retirement, MS Dhoni proved that fitness is the only thing that is necessary for cricket. Even after more than 14 years in the cricket field, MS Dhoni is the best wicketkeeper in the world in current time.

If we say MS Dhoni is the Rajinikanth of India cricket then it will not be wrong but how it all started is an interesting story. The day was 31st October 2005, when Sri Lanka came to India for 7 ODI series. In this series, in the second match, Sri Lanka set the target of 299 runs in front of India with the help of Kumar Sangakkara's 138 runs inning.

While coming to chase this score, India lost its first wicket in the form of Sachin Tendulkar on 7 runs. Then came to bat MS Dhoni, he was struggling in his career and he didn't have any big chance to stay in the game. Then what happened, Dhoni arrived and he changed the whole scenario of the game.

One hand when the team was loosing back to back wickets, MS Dhoni stood by and made not out 183 runs on 145 balls. This inning also broke the legendary Adam Gilchrist's record of 173 runs. This match and this inning of MSD turned out as one of the favourite innings of Indian cricket.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Evacuation of Indian pilgrims in 'total control'

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has confirmed that the evacuation of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims in Nepal is almost over and that everything is in "total control."

"I hope your relatives are now out danger. It has been a very difficult evacuation process but now almost over and we are in total control," First Secretary (Consular) Embassy of India, Kathmandu Pranav Ganesh said.

"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during our operations but we couldn't have singled out one person for evacuation at other's expense," he added.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had announced that 883 pilgrims, who had been stranded due to inclement weather, have been evacuated from Simikot to Surkhet and Nepalganj in the last three days.

On July 2, a Mission representative conducted a head count and found that 437 pilgrims were stranded in Simikot and 250 pilgrims were stranded in Hilsa.

Day after SC verdict AAP order returned by bureaucrats

Just a day after the Supreme Court order and the Aam Aadmi Party hailed it as a major victory, a file has been returned citing that it was legally incorrect. The Delhi government had introduced a new system for transfer and posting of bureaucrats, making the Chief Minister as the approving authority.

However, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was told by the services department that the order issued by him cannot be implemented as it was "legally incorrect".

The bureaucrats have claimed that the service matters still lie with the office of the Lieutenant Governor because Delhi is a union territory. The officials say that a May 2015 notification of the Ministry for Home Affairs which said that service matters fall under the purview of the LG has not been set aside by the Supreme Court.

According to the order issued by Sisodia, the chief minister will approve transfers of IAS, DANICS, all-India services officers, equivalent officers of the central civil services and provincial civil services. Such orders were earlier being approved by the L-G.

Kerala Village Breaks Ground in Sustainable Living

At a time when excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides has become the norm in agriculture across India, a small community near Kozhikode in Kerala is making an effort to return to much healthier practices of organic farming.

"The basic aim of cultivation is never only harvesting only. It is an attempt to make our lifecycle complete," Babu Parambath, green activist and Project Director of Niravu, told VillageSquare.in . "That is what the Niravu initiative is trying to communicate to society."

Niravu, which means fullness, is today a proven example of the successful efforts of a community to regain a bygone lifestyle. It is a collective engaged in organic cultivation and related nature-friendly activities. Niravu started as a residents association of 101 households in Vengeri, a small village on the outskirts of Kozhikode.

In 2006, VS Achuthanandan, the then Chief Minister of Kerala, requested social workers to focus on the development of Kerala in his golden jubilee year speech to the state. Keeping these words in mind, some social activists in Vengeri planned to conduct a survey with the help of National Service Scheme (NSS) students of Providence Women's College in the neighbourhood.

Insurance firms, banks want to be a part of India's roads growth story

 The insurance sector wants to be part of India's road growth story. In a meeting held by Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari with bankers in Mumbai on Friday, Kotak Mahindra Bank chief executive officer Uday Kotak signalled the sector's eagerness.

A senior government official on condition of anonymity said: "Uday Kotak, along with LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) chairman said they were keen on exploring opportunities in post-construction lending for highway projects. Both insurance and highway projects have the basic characteristic of being long-term projects with investment returns by 15-25 years and can be gelled easily."

Gadkari liked the proposal and further possibilities are likely to be explored to bring in insurance sector investments, said the official on condition of anonymity.

India Seeks to Cut Iran Ties

The Indian government has asked state-owned oil firms to prepare a blueprint of alternatives sources as it considers acquiescing to US President Donald Trump's demands for ending oil imports from Iran by 4 November, government and industry officials said on 28 June.

While New Delhi says it does not recognise unilateral restrictions imposed by the US on any country and instead follows United Nations sanctions, oil firms have been asked to be prepared for channels to pay for Iranian oil getting blocked by November, following sanctions against the Persian Gulf nation, they said.

Imports from Iran, which currently is India's third largest supplier of oil after Iraq and Saudi Arabia, are likely to come down and will have to be replaced with more purchases from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, they said. Imports from Iran after 4 November will be possible only if Iran accepts alternates like Rupee payments, the officials added.

The Trump administration is piling pressure on India, China, and other buyers to end all imports of Iranian oil by a 4 November deadline as it looks to choke the Persian Gulf state's economic lifeline with sanctions over its nuclear programme.

Pre-monsoon showers lash Delhi, bring respite from scorching heat

Delhi on Wednesday morning witnessed pre-monsoon showers that brought temperature several notches down. The showers brought a much needed respite from heat in the national capital which has been reeling under scorching heat for close to a month now.

While on Monday, the temperature was around 43-45 degrees, today it dropped to pleasant 27 degree Celsius in Delhi. 

The normal date for the monsoon to arrive in Delhi is June 29. The temperature in Delhi began to dip on Tuesday evening itself as there was cloud cover in the evening.By 4 pm yesterday, the temperature, which has been hovering around 40 degrees, had dropped to mid 30s. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)'s latest update said that the South West Monsoon may reach Delhi by June 28-30.

Maharashtra plastic ban: Restaurant delivers food in steel lunch boxes

A restaurant in Pune has started delivering food in steel lunch boxes after the Maharashtra Government imposed a ban on the use of plastic in the state.As part of the initiative taken by the restaurant, the customers are asked to return boxes after the delivery.

Those who order take away food at the restaurant are asked to deposit Rs 200 which will be reimbursed on returning the box.Because of the plastic ban a lot of restaurant chains in the state are facing different issues.

On March 23, the Maharashtra government had issued a notification, imposing a ban on the manufacture, use, sale and distribution of all plastic materials like plastic bags, spoons, plates, bottles and thermocol items.

On April 13, the Bombay High Court had called the ban 'reasonable' after seeing a quantity of 1,200 metric tons of waste every day in the state.

BCI lashes out at Chelameswar after his retirement

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has lashed out against Justice J Chelameswar for his "controversial" and "irrelevant" statements in the media, three days after his retirement as a Supreme Court Judge, saying such comments are liable to be "deprecated" and "cannot be tolerated" by lawyers.

Justice Chelameswar, who demitted office on June 22, had disapproved of the Centre's decision not to elevate Justice K M Joseph to the Supreme Court, terming the action as "not sustainable".

The judge, who had held an unprecedented presser along with three other senior Supreme Court judges in January to highlight the litany of allegations including discrimination in allocation of cases to benches, had also said that the credibility of the highest judiciary was "occasionally" in danger.

PM ignoring Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of consistently ignoring Kerala and its demands.

Vijayan's, who was yesterday denied permission to meet the prime minister, also alleged the Center was not paying heed to the country's federal structure.

The PM has been ignoring Kerala. The Center's aversion to Kerala's demands is leading to the collapse of several industries in the state. When we needed to see the PM and submit our requests, we were not allowed to do so, Vijayan said.

"We need a satisfied state and a strong Center in the federal system," Vijayan said, adding that the response of the previous governments to the state's demands was not as bad as it was now.

For instance, in the case of the Kanjikode rail coach factory, our requests were completely ignored. The Center's involvement must indicate a basic understanding of the federal system and the states' needs. Unfortunately, the central government does not recognize this need. The previous governments understood this. I am not saying that they took all necessary measures. But things were not as bad as they are now, he said.

Behind Uttarakhand HC ban on rafting and paragliding, a wake-up call for law to save Ganga, ensure safety

On May 14, a video and photos that went viral on social media showed a few tourists from Haryana boozing in their SUV that was parked in 2-3-foot-deep Ganga waters in Rishikesh. Passersby spotted the tourists and complained to the police.

On June 5, five tourists from Haryana were arrested on charges of drinking alcohol on the Triveni ghat of the Ganga in Rishikesh.

Young tourists, mostly from the National Capital Region, Haryana and Punjab, visit Rishikesh for rafting. In 2014, Rishikesh-based social activist Hari Om Kashyap filed a petition before the Uttarakhand high court, underlining that rafting in Ganga waters is carried out without any law. A division bench of the court, in its order on Thursday, said sanctity of river is compromised as people are seen (in photos) drinking alcohol on the riverside and partying.

The court banned rafting until a policy is framed to regulate water sports. The order, which also covers paragliding, has come as a shocker to the adventure sports industry.

From Baba Ramdev to ministers, International Yoga Day celebrated with great enthusiasm

The 4th International Yoga Day has got off to a grand start with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the celebrations in Dehradun. Kick-starting the celebrations at Forest Research Institute in Dehradun, PM Modi joined thousands of volunteers in performing asanas and hailed yoga as India's gift to the world.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu, Uma Bharti, Ram Vilas Paswan and Ravi Shankar Prasad also took part in yoga events in Lucknow, Nagpur, Chennai, Rudraprayag, Hajipur and Patna respectively.

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and yoga guru Baba Ramdev practiced yoga in Kota along with around 2 lakh people on the International Yoga Day on Thursday. The chief minister on Wednesday appealed to the people of the state to practice yoga to keep their mind, body and soul healthy and happy and make it a part of their lives. In her message, she said that yoga practice helps people connect with nature, ensuring their happiness.

Will Vohra continue as governor of Jammu & Kashmir?

As Jammu & Kashmir heads for another round of Governor's Rule, all eyes are on N N Vohra, whose second term in Raj Bhavan ends in the next 10 days, and whether the Centre will give him an extension.

The government has not opened its mind on whether it will want a change in Raj Bhavan, which will be the hub of activities in the coming months.

With the BJP withdrawing support to the PDP and Mehbooba Mufti resigning as chief minister, Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the state and the next steps to be taken. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba were among those present.

While there was no official word on the meeting, sources said the government has given its nod to the security forces to launch intensive operations against militants in the Valley. The Centre had on Sunday decided not to extend the suspension of offensive operations against militants that was in place for a month till Eid on Saturday.

BJP-PDP Breakup

The BJP has ended its alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.n 2014, the verdict in Jammu and Kashmir was a split one. Mehbooba Mufti's PDP emerged as the largest party (with 28 seats). Their traditional rivals, the National Conference, had mustered only 15 seats. On the other hand, the BJP had won big, getting 25 seats as opposed to the Congress' 12.

The PDP and BJP were ideologically opposed, but together, they had the strongest shot at forming a government, with as many as 53 seats between them.

The PDP and the BJP disagreed on most things in Kashmir. Or on many, at the very least.

• The BJP wants Article 370 of the Indian Constitution done away with. The PDP does not.

No alliance with Cong in MP polls, BSP says will contest on all 230 seats alone

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday said that it was not in talks with the Congress for an alliance for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls slated for later this year. A senior state leader of the Mayawati-led party added that it would, as things stand today, contest all 230 Assembly seats in the state.

Talking to news agency PTI, BSP state president Narmada Prasad Ahirwar said, "I was asked by the media that Congress leaders were saying that there are discussions underway with the BSP for an alliance for the next assembly elections. I clarified that we are not in discussions at the state level and, I think, neither at the central leadership level."

"As things stand today, we are going to contest all 230 Assembly seats. I have received no directives in this connection (alliance) from the central leadership," Ahirwar said.

The state Congress, meanwhile, has claimed that it never said alliance talks were underway with the BSP.

The Agenda for strategy document New India 2022 to be finalised in over a month: NITI Aayog

                     The federal think tank NITI Aayog on Sunday said that development agenda for 'New India 2022' — a seven-year strategy document for governance — would be finalised in little over a month from now after 'seeking final comments from the states'.

The think tank began working on the strategy document months after it replaced the erstwhile Planning Commission of India in 2015. The document was expected to the tabled in Sunday's meeting of the NITI Aayog's governing council chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by nearly two dozen chief ministers. The third meeting was held last year.

'Developed agenda for New India 2022 is still being revised. It was not presented in today's NITI's governing council meeting. We want the document to reflect ground realities,' NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said when asked as to why it was not taken up at the meeting.

'The decision was taken because the states should not feel that they have not been consulted in a more purposive and substantive manner,' he said.NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, 'The plan is ready and in its final shape... We will sent it to the states soon for comments. We needed more consultation. It will be finalised in one and a half months.'

The NITI Aayog had planned to come out with three documents — a three-year action agenda, seven-year medium term strategy paper and a 15-year vision document.In a presentation last year, it had said that the foundation for freedom from six problems — poverty, dirt, corruption, terrorism, casteism and communalism — will be laid by 2022 when India celebrates 75 years of independence.

Ambulances at L-G's house, Kejriwal says he and ministers shouldn't be removed

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues continued their sit-in protest at Lt Governor Anil Baijal's office on Friday, pitching the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders against the central government's representative for the fifth straight day.

Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, public works department minister Satyender Jain and development minister Gopal Rai have camped at Raj Niwas since Monday, refusing to leave until Baijal orders Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers posted in the Delhi government to call off their alleged strike.

Sisodia and Jain are on hunger strike and as four ambulances carrying medics drove in to the Raj Niwas, Kejriwal said in a tweet he suspected his ministers would be taken away forcibly. Kejriwal and the three ministers have been using Twitter to drum up support for their protest.

Kejriwal on Friday retweeted a post that said AAP will collect 10 lakh letters from Delhi's citizens requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to 'end IAS officers strike'.

Jain, who is on a hunger strike since Tuesday, in a tweet urged Modi to look into the matter.

'Have been waiting in the LG office from last four nights, but he could not mange even four minutes time. I hope the Prime Minister will look into this,' Jain tweeted.

Echoing same sentiments, Rai also tweeted adding that he hopes Modi will 'be concerned about the fitness of the democracy in Delhi'.On Thursday, Kejriwal in a letter sought Modi's intervention to end the IAS officers 'strike', as there has been no communication from Baijal's office.

Ganga Dussehra: The Worship of a Vanishing River

                     The festival is a mix of white cotton with bright yellow-red hues, fresh hot breakfast and an offering of redemption from sin. The summer morning air was filled with the smell of food, flowers and faith.

The roads leading to the Har Ki Pauri and other ghats were a mess of devotion and confusion. It is at Haridwar in Uttarakhand that the Ganga finally leaves the Himalayas, the abode of Gods, to then enrich the plains with fertility and her blessings.

The Ganga Dussehra, celebrated every year on Dashmi (the 10th day) of the Shukla Paksha (waxing moon cycle) in the Jyeshtha (high summer) month of the Hindu calendar, is a celebration of the Goddess' arrival on Earth from Heaven.

Celebrations are held at ghats in villages and cities all along the river Ganga. Considered extremely auspicious, a dip in the Ganga on this day is said to rid one of up to 10 lifetimes of sins.

Not the Actual Ganga

It is happening along the canal that comes from the Bhimgouda barrage, while the actual course of the Ganga - even on the day that marks her descent to Earth - remains dry.

The waters of the Ganga is absent for eight months a year as its flow is dammed and diverted for power and agriculture. We continue to celebrate the river we've created, instead of the actual entity that calls out for help.

If the celebrations are instead shifted to the banks of the actual river, who knows, the river might be allowed to flow through its actual course at least for a few days. Most visitors or pilgrims today are completely oblivious of this fact, assuming the canal to be the actual river.

The Celebrations

The celebration at Haridwar, much like any other festival, was an explosion of colour and activity, while also providing for livelihoods through endless products and services on sale. The many pandits with their rituals, street food vendors, toy sellers capitalising on the presence of children, selfie-stick sellers and those selling faith or objects of faith. Just the ability of finding peace and personal space in such an overwhelming situation might qualify one for karmic points.

Pilgrims from across the country had travelled for the Ganga Dussehra celebrations. All rituals aside, it was interesting to see how folks who had travelled from long distances, were navigating the tight spaces and language barriers.

There were multiple free food camps set up for visitors, far from the hustle of the main ghats that are mostly commercialised. We'd often also find people in deep conversation, discussing possible routes and timings of getting back to their villages.

What are Aadhaar-enabled ATMs and how will they help rural India

To make cash withdrawals easier in remote rural areas, fintech firm Mahagram has decided to deploy more than one lakh Aadhhar-enabled ATMs. But what are Aadhaar-enabled ATMs and how are they diferent from the usual ATM machines. Aadhaar Enabled Payment System or AEPS is a payment service

Pranab Mukherjee will attend Iftar hosted by Rahul Gandhi

Former president Pranab Mukherjee will attend the Iftar hosted by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on June 13.

Iftar marks the customary breaking of the daylong fast during the holy month of Ramzan.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said Mukherjee was invited by the Congress chief for the event and he has readily accepted the invite.

The ex-president had raised quite a few eyebrows with his recent visit to the RSS headquarters. The visit had left several Congress leaders and his own family members miffed and anguished.

"Multiple media houses have raised questions on Iftar invite to Pranab Mukherjee on behalf of Congress president. Congress president has extended an invite to Pranab Mukherjee and he has graciously accepted. Hope this will set to rest unwarranted speculation," Surjewala said.

He tweeted saying Mukherjee had attended the last Iftar organised by then Congress president Sonia Gandhi.