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Amid Exposition work, tourists throng Basilica of Bom Jesus Roque Dias Old Goa: With the 18th decennial Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier set to begin on November 21, Old Goa is bustling with activity as final touches are being given to works taken up by the government authorities. From the attractive pandals of various sizes erected on the premises of the Basilica of Bom Jesus to the tents put up in the area near Se Cathedral, everything is well designed to accommodate the expected huge number of devotees who will visit Old Goa during veneration of the sacred relics. Several people were on Sunday seen diligently working, both inside and outside the Basilica. Some electricians were busy fitting fans inside the pandals in front of the Basilica, while many other workers were occupied with setting up lights and CCTVs. Some were busy giving final touches to the erected structures even as stage arrangements were under way. These preparations are being closely monitored at every level by various committees formed by the Church and the volunteers. Interestingly, huge crowds of tourists were seen pouring at the Basilica in the midst of the preparations. "We are fully prepared from the Church side. We are satisfied with the infrastructural works taken up by the government. You can see the pace at which the work is under way at the pandal here. We have been closely working with the Exposition Commissioner and his team, other government committees and senior officers. They have been careful to see that we are satisfied with the works. Never said something can't be done," said Fr Henry Falcao, convenor of the Exposition Committee of the Church. "We had rounds of meetings with top police officials to ensure that all the security measures are in place. Police are strictly maintaining security at the Basilica, Se Cathedral and the surrounding areas. The entry of tourists will be stopped from Monday to sanitise the place. The District Collector will also stop the movement of tourist vehicles at these places with an official order soon," Fr Falcao said. He said 'Pilgrim Village', a new addition this time, is almost ready. It will have the capacity to accommodate nearly 200 pilgrims per day. The state government is coordinating well with District Collector, North, Sneha Gitte, IAS and additional collectors visiting the site at Old Goa. Gitte has taken stock of the ongoing preparations and the seating arrangements inside the pandals. "Government machinery is working hard to maintain law and order and safety of the attendees. Everything is going on smoothly," said Gitte, after inspecting crucial points at the site. Senior police officials were present to evaluate the situation and provide guidance to the deployed police force. "We have employed some 80 to 100 labourers to clean the outside areas with weed cutters and other machines. While the Church and the PWD would be focussing on the interior areas, we have decided to extend our support to clean these outside areas. These workers will be at work until November 20," said Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor Rohit Monserrate, who visited Old Goa on Saturday. Traffic police have also intensified their efforts with a lot of new signboards seen kept ready at a corner; these will be used during the religious event.
Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 8 (ANI): The Indian Army with support from an NGO, M3M Foundation, organised the Gujjar-Bakerwal Mela at Aishmuqam in South Kashmir's Anantnag district, aimed at supporting the nomadic community ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra. Speaking to ANI, Dr Aishwarya Mahajan, Managing Trustee of M3M Foundation, said, "Discussions with the Indian Army were going on from a long time, on furthering their community initiatives in the valley. One of them was, that as soon as the Amarnath Yatra begins, facilities are needed here for the Gujjar Bakarwals who accom ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Uttarkashi (U'Khand) | Nine construction labourers went missing early Sunday after a landslide triggered by a cloudburst hit their shelters along the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, officials said. The labourers, who are said to be of Nepali origin, were engaged in the construction of a hotel. District Magistrate Prashant Arya said the landslide occurred at Silai bend about 4 km ahead of Paligad, Uttarkashi The labourers were engaged in the construction of a hotel, he said, adding a new landslide zone has developed close to the hotel. "There were 19 labourers at the camp ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 27 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the State government will take action against BJP MLC N Ravikumar for his derogatory comments against Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner. Shivakumar said that many IAS officers had met him on this issue, and they were all enraged by the BJP MLC's comments. 'Since morning, more than half a dozen IAS officers have met me. They are all in a very agitated mood. The law will take its course. The government will take action,' Shivakumar told ANI. He wanted the BJP leadership to react to the ...Read More >
Aizawl, June 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) All the government and private schools in Mizoram remained closed on Monday due to heavy rains that triggered landslides, rockfalls, and waterlogging in different parts of the mountainous state, officials said. A senior official of the School Education Department said that Deputy Commissioners of all 11 districts issued separate notifications closing the schools on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the students. After the beginning of the current spell of heavy rain, earlier, schools were closed across the state for two days on May 29 a ...Read More >
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Nunwan and Chandanwari base camps, on Sunday and reviewed the arrangements for the holy pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji, which is scheduled to begin from July 03. At Nunwan Base camp, the Lieutenant Governor inaugurated a foot overbridge for smooth movement of pilgrims. The new facility will ensure efficient security checks and reduce the waiting time for devotees. The Lieutenant Governor interacted with the administrative and security officials deputed for the holy Yatra, and took stock of the security arrangements and preparations of sta ...Read More >
Kolkata: A two-member National Commission for Women team on Sunday visited the south Kolkata law college where a student was allegedly gang-raped last week.The team, accompanied by a videographer, was initially denied entry and asked to produce a formal order. After an hour-long discussion at the college entrance, the team, led by Archana Majumdar, was allowed in under two conditions -- no access to the crime scene and no videography permitted.The visit lasted 10 minutes. "We were denied access to the crime scene and other floors. I will include this in my report," said Majumdar, who was the f ...Read More >
A cloudburst near Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi has caused significant damage to a hotel construction site, leaving several workers missing as rescue operations are underway. Separately, heavy rainfall has blocked the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway, disrupting pilgrimage travel. Chief Minister Dhami has advised caution and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel due to the adverse weather forecast.A cloudburst in Baligarh, along the Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi district, caused sign ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Imphal (Manipur) [India], June 8 (ANI): The district magistrates of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur districts have issued prohibitory orders on Sunday. Citizens have been requested to cooperate with the orders, which include restrictions on gatherings. The assembly of four or more persons has been restricted in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, and Kakching districts. The orders have been issued in view of prevailing law and order situation. Also Read | Indian Citizen Dies in UAE: Civil Engineer Issac Paul Olakkengil From Kerala Dies During Scuba Diving Session at ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Imphal, June 29 (UNI) A series of successful operations carried out by Manipur Police and security forces during the last 24 hours led to the arrest of several individuals involved in vehicle theft, insurgent activity, and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition. Police arrested a vehicle lifter identified as Syed Riyaj from his residence at Lilong Chaobok in Thoubal District. The arrest was made under Lilong Police Station. Authorities seized a blue two wheeler without registration number, along with a key and an Aadhaar card believed to be linked to the suspect. In a s ...Read More >
Jammu, Jun 30 (PTI) Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, the token distribution centre for offline registration of the pilgrims was operationalised here on Monday, even as the authorities successfully conducted a dry run of the arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath will commence from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district -- on July 3. The first batch of pilgrims will leave f ...Read More >
New Delhi: Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, has moved the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma is scheduled to hear the plea on January 15. Khedkar has challenged the December 23 2024 Delhi High Court order which refused to grant her anticipatory bail. The high court said a strong prima facie case was made out against Khedkar and an investigation was required to unearth the "larger conspiracy" to manipulate the system ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to grant anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. The matter was heard by a bench consisting of justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma. "What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender", said the bench. "You should have a system or software. You complete the investigation. She has lost everything and will not ge ...Read More >
Rajkot: The administration of Devbhumi Dwarka district has enhanced security measures for pilgrims in the temple town of Dwarka following recent drowning incidents in the Gomti river. The authorities have deployed security personnel and installed ropes to prevent pilgrims from jumping into the river. District collector R M Tanna has urged people to refrain from bathing in the Gomti river. The administration is also considering the installation of iron railings as a preventive measure and has acquired a high-speed rescue boat for emergency operations. There have been three incidents of drowning ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Today, i.e. on 08.06.2025, Sri Dhiman Chakma, IAS (2021 batch), Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh, District Kalahandi, was caught red-handed by Vigilance officials while demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹10,00,000 from a local businessman. This amount was reportedly the first instalment of an overall demand of ₹20,00,000, made under threat of taking adverse action against the complainant's business. The accused had summoned the complainant to his official government residence in Dharamgarh, where he received the bribe amount. He physically verified all 26 bundles of ₹100 notes in va ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Char Dham Yatra resumed on Monday after the Uttarakhand government lifted a 24-hour precautionary suspension imposed due to adverse weather conditions, officials confirmed. Speaking to ANI, Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey stated, "The 24-hour ban on Char Dham Yatra has been lifted." He added that all District Magistrates along the Yatra route have been instructed to monitor weather conditions closely and halt vehicular movement if necessary to ensure pilgrim safety. The Yatra was suspended on Sunday following a heavy rainfall alert and a subsequent cloudbu ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: In the wake of a tragic incident during the Rath Yatra in Puri, the Odisha government Sunday removed Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vinit Agarwal from their posts and announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives. The state has also suspended two police officers for alleged negligence in crowd management. Senior IAS officer Chanchal Rana has been appointed as the new District Magistrate, and IPS officer Pinak Mishra will take charge as the Superintendent of Police. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep s ...Read More >
Haridwar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday demanded that hotel, dhaba and eatery owners on the Kanwar Yatra routes should display their names and identities on boards outside their business establishments. The owners, who hide their identities under fake names, on the Kanwar Yatra routes should not be spared, he told reporters here. "Tampering with faith of the Hindu devotees during the Kanwar Yatra will not be tolerated," said the Unnao MP. The food shops on the Kanwar Yatra routes should have a board outside with the names of their owners clearly written on them, h ...Read More >
Goa minister Mauvin Godinho said that Pope Francis's visit to India is likely imminent, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation. During the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Cardinal Luis Tagle conveyed appreciation for the event in Goa, which will likely encourage the Pope's visit, including Goa on his itinerary.Goa minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday said that Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, was likely to visit India "sooner than expected". Recalling that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Pope Francis, Godinho said Goa would certainly be on his itinerary when he ...Read More >
New Delhi [India] June 6 (ANI): AAP leader and former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain arrived at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) office on Friday in response to a summons issued over allegations of corruption in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. Earlier, Jain lashed out at the BJP government in Delhi, accusing them of 'playing the blame game' after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) summoned him. Jain claimed that the BJP government has failed to do anything in the past 3-4 months and alleged that the BJP has hiked school fees and summoned AAP leaders like himself and ...Read More >
A one-man inquiry commission, led by retired Justice John Michael Cunha, has been formed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede at the RCB victory celebration that resulted in 11 deaths. The commission will identify those responsible for any procedural lapses and suggest preventative measures.The one-man inquiry commission constituted by the Karnataka government under retired High Court judge John Michael Cunha to inquire into the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people, has been a ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jun 27 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Department (UDD) has launched a comprehensive plan to ensure cleanliness, lighting, and water arrangements for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra, Sawan Mela, and other festivals, the state government said in a statement on Friday. Principal Secretary of UDD, Amrit Abhijat, has directed urban bodies to carry out daily cleaning operations from 5:00 am to 8:00 am. Special emphasis will be placed on Kanwar Yatra routes and ghats, with dedicated sanitation workers deployed for thorough cleaning. Waste collected during the cleaning operations will b ...Read More >
Puri: Despite travel uncertainties due to recent conflicts in some parts of the world, people from Europe and elsewhere have reached Puri to witness the annual Ratha Yatra of the sibling deities.As non-Hindus are not allowed inside the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the Ratha Yatra provides a rare opportunity for devotees across the world to see the deities in their full glory atop their majestic wooden chariots."Back home, we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear. But here, I found peace. I came because this is my only chance to see Lord Jagannath. He comes out for the whole world. This is v ...Read More >
Digvijaya Singh, a senior Congress leader, has threatened legal action by the INDIA bloc if the Election Commission of India (ECI) doesn't address their concerns regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Singh alleges the NDA government is attempting to disenfranchise marginalized voters ahead of the state elections through this drive.Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday said all constituents of INDIA bloc may knock the door of judiciary against the o ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued transfer orders for the Puri Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) in the wake of recent incidents. Chanchal Rana, IAS, Collector and District Magistrate of Khurda, has been appointed as the new Collector and District Magistrate of Puri. Siddharth Shankar Swain, Collector and District Magistrate of Puri, has been appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the General Administration and Public Grievance Department. This post is equivalent in status and responsibility to that of an Additional Secretary in the IAS cadre of the state. Meanwhile, V ...Read More >
Puri, Jun 29 (PTI) Three persons, including two women, were killed and over 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri early Sunday during a ceremony related to the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities, officials said. The incident took place around 4.20 am when thousands of devotees had gathered near the chariots parked in front of the temple, they said. The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital where the condition of six people is stated to be critical. The Gundicha Temple, located around 3km from the 12th century shrine, is the aunt's house of Lord Jag ...Read More >
Dehradun, Jun 30 (PTI) The Chardham Yatra resumed on Monday with rains easing at most places in Uttarakhand though authorities urged pilgrims to be cautious, while rescuers searched for seven construction workers - who went missing following a landslide and cloudburst on Yamunotri highway - for the second consecutive day. The NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and the district administration teams are scouring along the Yamuna river and through the landslide debris in search of the missing labourers, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya said. Nine labourers engaged in the construction of a hotel went ...Read More >