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Uninterrupted power supply and access to medical care remain important worries for Asia’s oldest monastery in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang. The waste left behind by the monastery’s expanding number of tourists has also become a source of concern for Abbot Shedling Tulku Thupten Tendar Rinpoche, the monastery’s chief. The Rinpoche, who has been the head of the Tawang Monastery for a year, is pleased with the monks and learners under him, but he is concerned about other facilities accessible to them. Tawang Monastery is Asia’s second largest and oldest. It was established between 1680 and 1681. Speaking to PTI in his native Tibetan through an interpreter, Rinpoche said, “The monks of our monastery are much disciplined and concentrate on their studies. They have been following the laid-down traditions well enough. “For us, one major issue is healthcare facilities. In case of any health-related emergency, our monks have to travel to Guwahati or Tezpur. If the government can ensure simil

A strict enforcement of the firecracker ban promises to provide Delhi with the greatest air quality on Diwali day in eight years on Sunday. Delhi residents awoke to bright sky and plenty of sunshine, and the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was 202 at 7 a.m., the highest in at least three weeks. An AQI of zero to 50 is regarded ‘good,’ 51 to 100’satisfactory,’ 101 to 200’moderate,’ 201 to 300 ‘poor,’ 301 to 400’very poor,’ 401 to 450’severe,’ and over 450’severe plus’. The 24-hour average air quality index was 220 on Saturday, the lowest for the day before Diwali in eight years. This time, Delhi saw a sharp improvement in air quality just ahead of Diwali which can be attributed to intermittent rainfall on Friday and wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants. To put this in perspective, Thursday’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 437. Delhi recorded an AQI of 312 on Diwali last year, 382 in 2021, 414 in 2020, 337 in 2019, 281 in 2018, 319 in 2017, and 431 in 2016, according

Ayodhya has set a new Guinness world record by lighting over 22.23 lakh ‘Diyas’ (earthen lamps) during ‘Deepotsav 2023’. The temple town broke its world record of 15.76 lakh Diyas lit last year on the Diwali eve. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who attended the celebrations said, “When the programme for the Deepotsav began, it felt as if every person had only one wish and that was the construction of the temple (Ram Temple)…” आज 22 लाख से अधिक दिव्य दीपशिखाओं से दीप्त श्री अयोध्या जी की पावन धरा अलौकिक आनंद की अनुभूति करा रही है। आज दिव्य दीपोत्सव से उत्पन्न ‘प्रकाश’ प्रदेश वासियों के जीवन में समता, सद्भाव, आध्यात्मिकता और मानवीय मूल्यों की ‘मर्यादा’ को अभिवर्धित करे, यही प्रार्थना है। जय जय श्री… pic.twitter.com/kS9WvtelJj — Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 11, 2023 Adityanath said the government is investing crores of rupees to build the city and transform Ayodhya in anticipation of the construction of the Ram Mandir. The Uttar Pradesh Government’s ‘

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on enhancing India-US relations and jointly advancing efforts to promote an open and secure Indo-Pacific region. Blinken emphasised the commitment to ongoing collaboration in technology, clean energy, and space, paving the way for a promising future. “In New Delhi I discussed with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi how the U.S. and India are working to promote an open and secure Indo-Pacific region. I look forward to continuing our innovations in technology, clean energy, and space for a brighter future,” Blinken said. In New Delhi I discussed with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi how the U.S. and India are working to promote an open and secure Indo-Pacific region. I look forward to continuing our innovations in technology, clean energy, and space for a brighter future. pic.twitter.com/yCDTBEkOgc — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 10, 2023 PM Modi after m

A special song on millets featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially been nominated for this year’s coveted music award Grammy under the best global music performance category. The song called ‘Abundance of Millets’ is sung by Mumbai-based singer Falguni Shah, popularly known by her stage name Falu, and her husband Gaurav Shah. It highlights the health benefits of millet. The song features PM Modi’s speech on the benefits of millet. The year 2023 has been designated as the “International Year of Millets” after a proposal for it was brought forward by India and endorsed by the members of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) governing bodies as well as the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly. Ahead of the song’s release this year, Falu said, “Prime Minister Modi has written a song with me and my husband Gaurav Shah.” The “Abundance in Millets” track featuring Modi was released in June in celebration of the “International Year of Millets”. “Abun

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into the killing of a Sikh separatist in June this year, which has sparked a significant diplomatic dispute between New Delhi and Ottawa. The relationship between India and Canada came under severe strain after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September that there was a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Blinken, along with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, was in Delhi for the fifth edition of the ‘2+2’ dialogue. “We think it is very important that India works with Canada on its investigation, and that they find a way to resolve this difference in a cooperative way,” Blinken said. “But that really does go with Canada moving its investigation forward and India working with Canada on it. And that’s something that I’ve discussed with our Indian counterparts, including today,” he said at a media briefing here.

A speeding Toyota Innova slammed multiple vehicles on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link here on Friday, killing three people and injuring six others, according to a police official. At roughly 10.15 p.m., a Toyota Innova heading towards Bandra collided with a Mercedes just 100 metres before the toll booth, according to police. In an attempt to getaway, the car collided with numerous other vehicles in the toll queue. According to the official, two of the injured are in critical condition. According to Krishnakant Upadhyay, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) – Zone 9, the Innova first collided with a Mercedes Benz car on the northbound lane around 100 metres before the toll booth at the Bandra end of the sea link. The driver of the Innova tried to escape from the spot and sped away. As the vehicle reached the toll booth, it rammed into many cars, leaving nine people injured. Later, three of them were declared dead, the DCP said. Six of the injured persons, including the driver of the Innov

Taking a tough stance against a Rs. 8.5 lakh robbery from a businessman’s cashier outside the Inspector General of Police’s office here on Thursday, the local police chief suspended three officers and ordered an investigation, sources said. According to Circle Officer Shweta Yadav, the police have caught two criminals and recovered the looted money. According to them, the suspended cops include the in-charge of the police outpost. They further stated that a preliminary investigation has been ordered against SHO kotwali Dinesh Kumar and other cops stationed at the police station. They said that no direct action has been taken against the SHO since he took command only a week ago. Rs 8.5 lakh was looted from businessman Kapil Agarwal’s cashier Sharad Saxena near the IGP office in the city’s kotwali area, police said. Senior police officials, including the ADG PC Meena took strong exception to the incident as instructions to check loot and robbery in view of the ongoing festival seas

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in New Delhi to co-chair the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Blinken’s visit will further boost the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. “A warm welcome to US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken as he arrives in New Delhi to co-chair the 5th India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The visit will give a further boost to the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership!” Bagchi wrote on ‘X’. A warm welcome to US Secretary of State @SecBlinken as he arrives in New Delhi to co-chair the 5th 🇮🇳-🇺🇸 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The visit will give further boost to 🇮🇳-🇺🇸 Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership! pic.twitter.com/8zY3qCIeF6 — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) November 9, 2023 Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin also arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to attend the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. He

Parts of Delhi-NCR received light rainfall on Thursday night and early on Friday morning, bringing much-needed relief from the severe air pollution that was engulfing the national capital for the past few days. The visuals from Kartavya Path and the Delhi-Noida border showed light to moderate-intensity rain showers. The rainfall in the national capital comes amid the Delhi government’s ongoing efforts to implement the idea of ‘artificial rain’ to curtail the grave pollution situation in the city. On Thursday, the Delhi government decided to carry out ‘artificial rain’ to combat the air pollution in the city, said officials. The Delhi government has also fielded ministers to ensure the implementation of anti-pollution measures in the national capital. As part of the inspection process, several Delhi ministers were seen on Thursday inspecting different areas and borders connecting Delhi to neighbouring states. Currently, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been i

Not just in India, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been facing backlash from across the world for his “vulgar” comments about the role of women’s education in population control made in the state Assembly earlier this week. Acclaimed African-American singer Mary Millben, on Thursday, slammed Nitish Kumar for his statement and called for his resignation. She called on “a courageous” woman to “step up” and declare her candidacy to run for the post of Chief Minister of Bihar. Millben also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his stand for women, describing him as the best leader for India and the progress of Indian citizens. The singer, who has openly supported PM Modi in the past, has shared a message on X (formerly Twitter) in which she also asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “empower a woman to lead in Bihar”. “Today, India faces a defining moment. Right in Bihar. Where the value of women is being challenged. And I believe there is only one answer to this challeng

Things don’t look good for Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra. Embroiled in the cash-for-query row, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee has reportedly called her conduct “unethical” and “heinous” in nature. The committee, which will also meet today to adopt its draft report, has also recommended that the fiery MP be disqualified from the House for her involvement in the scandal. The news of her possible expulsion came just hours after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said the Lokpal has ordered a CBI probe against TMC MP Mahua Moitra on his complaint of alleged corruption by her. We take a closer look at what are the recommendations made by the Ethics Committee and what this means for Moitra’s political career. Ethics panel’s findings The ethics panel has drafted an exhaustive 500-page-long report against Moitra in the cash-for-query scam and has concluded that there have been multiple misdemeanours on the MP’s part. The panel in its report has concluded that the TMC MP had shared her pa

“India is a key strategic partner of the US and we’re dedicated to advancing that partnership, every single day,” said a top White House official ahead of the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue scheduled in New Delhi on November 10. The White House official also said it is for New Delhi to decide what their stance is going to be on any particular crisis or contingency around the world including the Middle East. “India is a key strategic partner, and I think you saw that on full display when Prime Minister Modi was here,” John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House said at a news conference in Washington. “But we’ll leave it to the Indian government and to the prime minister to decide what their stance is going to be on any particular crisis or contingency around the world, to include the Middle East,” Kirby said. “They (India) remain a key strategic partner. And we’re dedicated to advancing that partnership every single da

One terrorist, affiliated with the proscribed out The Resistance Front (TRF), has been neutralised by security Forces in an encounter in the Kathohalan area of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. TRF is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The encounter in Shopian began in the wee hours of Thursday and was a joint operation conducted by the local police and the Indian Army. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kashmir Zone Police informed: “One (01) terrorist affiliated with proscribed terror outfit TRF neutralised. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition recovered. Search going on.” #ShopianEncounterUpdate : One (01) #terrorist affiliated with proscribed #terror outfit TRF neutralised. Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice https://t.co/Eqq0TQi2wL — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) November 8, 2023 The police further said the identity of the deceased terrorist is yet

Delhi’s air has left its people gasping for air. Mumbai is breathing heavy too. As the air quality dips in different parts of the country, leaving Indians gasping for clean air, the Supreme Court reiterated its earlier decision on firecrackers, stating that only the use of green firecrackers will apply not just to Delhi-NCR but across the country. The order from a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh came after they were hearing an application seeking to direct Rajasthan to implement the court’s order banning use of certain firecrackers and reducing air and noise pollution. “At this juncture, no specific order will be necessary in as much as this Court, in the course of hearing the petitions, has passed several orders, where steps have been indicated to minimise and avoid air as well as noise pollution. Hence the said orders will bind every state in the country, including the state of Rajasthan. Therefore, we make it clear that the state of Rajasthan would also take note of

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, alongside his Malaysian counterpart Zambry Abdul Kadir, co-hosted the 6th India-Malaysia Joint Commission meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting primarily centered on matters related to security, trade, finance, and collaborative efforts in the maritime domain between the two nations. In addition to this, both leaders engaged in discussions regarding the Indo-Pacific region, ASEAN, West Asia, and various other regional and global issues. Jaishankar said on X, “Co-chaired along with FM @ZambryOfficial the 6th India-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi. Reviewed progress on our political, defence & security, trade and finance, health, energy, education, maritime cooperation, culture, tourism and people-to-people cooperation. Also shared perspectives on the Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, West Asia and other regional and global issues.” Co-chaired along with FM @ZambryOfficial the 6th 🇮🇳-🇲🇾 Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi.

In a significant move aimed at safeguarding mobile subscribers from cyberfrauds and optimizing the delivery of government-sponsored economic benefits, the Department of Telecommunications is in the final stages of implementing a new initiative that will allocate a unique customer ID to mobile users. The forthcoming mobile customer ID system will not only simplify the tracking of SIM cards under a single ID but also record the locations where users acquired their SIM cards, as reported by Financial Express. Furthermore, it will facilitate the seamless identification of individuals who own these SIM cards, among other functionalities. This unique customer ID will serve as a comprehensive identification point for all aspects related to both primary and supplementary phone connections. This innovative concept shares similarities with the 14-digit Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Account (ABHA) health ID, which is linked to the Aadhaar Card. ABHA facilitates easy access to medical records a

08:58 (IST) Chattisgarh Elections LIVE Updates BJP can't compete with Cong, that is why they are using ED, says Congress candidate Mohan Markam #WATCH | After casting his vote for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, Congress candidate Mohan Markam from Kondagaon says "I am confident that I will win for the third time from Kondagaon. BJP cannot compete with Congress in Chhattisgarh, that is why they are using ED...."… pic.twitter.com/e7AQXAqXLK — ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2023 08:45 (IST) Chattisgarh Elections LIVE Updates Chhattisgarh’s worst Maoist-affected areas to vote today in 1st phase Voting will commence today in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly election for 20 seats, most of in Maoist-affected Bastar region. Over 25,000 security personnel have been deployed in the first of the two-phase election. Among the 20 seats, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and one for Scheduled Castes. The highest number of contestants is in Rajnandgaon consti

Voting will commence today in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly election for 20 seats, most of in Maoist-affected Bastar region. Over 25,000 security personnel have been deployed in the first of the two-phase election. Among the 20 seats, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and one for Scheduled Castes. The highest number of contestants is in Rajnandgaon constituency (29) while the lowest number of candidates is seven each in Chitrakot and Dantewada seats. The ruling Congress party has based its campaign on the series of welfare schemes of the Baghel government for farmers, women, tribals and Dalits as well as a promise to waive farm loans if it retains power. The first phase of campaigning in Chhattisgarh saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over the alleged Mahadev betting app scam, while other BJP leaders spoke on religious conversion, deteriorating law and order and corruption. Chhattisgarh Congress chief and MP Deepak Baij (Chitr

India and Bhutan on Monday reaffirmed their strong energy partnership, expanding it to include non-hydro renewables like solar and green initiatives for hydrogen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s unwavering commitment to its special friendship and cooperation with Bhutan. Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is on a visit to India, met with PM Modi in Delhi today. Pleasure to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk to India. We had very warm and positive discussions on various facets of the unique and exemplary India-Bhutan relationship. Deeply value His Majesty’s vision for the development and well being of… pic.twitter.com/asmCAaKMjG — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2023 A joint statement issued during the Bhutan King’s visit highlighted discussions between the two leaders covering various aspects of their bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest. The Bhutan King, accom

With Delhi’s air quality worsening since last week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called for a high-level emergency meeting on Monday. The Delhi Chief Minister has called the meeting at noon (12 pm) at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting, which will also be attended by Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai and other officials of all concerned departments, has been called on the issue of increasing pollution. Delhi’s AQI stood at 440 at 7 am on Monday. Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR were recorded around seven to eight times above the government-prescribed safe limit, as a toxic haze persisted over the region for the seventh consecutive day. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm every day, worsened from 415 on Saturday to 454 on Sunday, prompting the Centre to implement all emergency measures mandated under the final Stage IV of its air pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage

National capital Delhi’s air remained severely polluted for the seventh consecutive day on Monday morning with the Air Quality Index (AQI) still in the ‘Severe Plus’ category. Some of the worst-affected areas in the city include RK Puram (466), ITO (402), Patparganj (471), and New Moti Bagh (488). Due to the increasing air pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi government has extended the closure of all schools up to class 5 till November 10. Schools up to classes 6-12 are not required to close, but they have the option to run online classes if they wish. A suffocating blanket of toxic smog continued to cloak Delhi today, prompting doctors to raise concerns about the growing number of respiratory and eye ailments among children and the elderly. Microscopic PM2.5 particles, which can lodge deep in the lungs and cause health problems, soared to seven to eight times the government’s safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre in multiple locations across Delhi-NCR in the l

08:27 (IST) Rajasthan Polls LIVE Updates BJP announces names of candidates for 18 remaining seats The BJP presented two lists of 18 candidates for the forthcoming Rajasthan elections on Sunday, completing the process of naming candidates for all 200 assembly seats. There are several new faces on the lists, including a journalist and a businessman. Dharmnarayan Joshi, the incumbent MLA from Mawli (Udaipur), was replaced by K G Paliwal. 08:19 (IST) Delhi LIVE Updates Severe or worse air quality in Delhi for 4th day on trot Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR were seven to eight times higher than the government's permissible limit on Monday morning, as a poisonous cloud hung over the region for the seventh consecutive day. Stringent restrictions, including a ban on the entrance of polluting vehicles, went into place in Delhi on Sunday, as the city's air quality fell into the'severe plus' category for the second time in three days due to adverse wind conditions and a

India will discuss with Canadian authorities the threat posed to Air India flights to and from Canada by the separatist organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and request increased security for the airline. Gurpatwant Pannun, the general counsel for SFJ, issued the threat in a video that was made public on Saturday. He says to Sikhs in the video, “Don’t fly Air India after November 19, your lives may be in danger,” in Punjabi. Two times, that sentence is said. Pannun demanded a “global blockade” of the aircraft from Vancouver to London in a statement released with the video. Sanjay Kumar Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa reportedly told an Indian newspaper, “We shall take up the threat against Air India flights originating from and terminating in Canada, with the concerned Canadian authorities.”Air India flies directly to New Delhi several times a week from Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. “We have reviewed the video’s content, which blatantly violates the Chicago Conventio