Ministry of

More than Rs 28 crore has been spent on the first five editions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ’Pariksha Pe Charcha’ with students, parents, and teachers, according to the Ministry of Education. The sixth edition of the annual interaction was held on January 27 at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium. The numbers have been shared by the Union Minister of State for Education, Annapurna Devi, in her written response to a question in Lok Sabha. Read | ‘Digital Fasting’ to ‘Creativity of Cheaters’: What Modi Told Students During ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’ The amount spent on the first edition of PPC in 2018 was Rs 3.67 crore, followed by Rs 4.93 crore in 2019, Rs 5.69 crore in 2020, Rs 6 crore in 2021 and Rs 8.61 crore in 2022. The details of expenditure on the event this year was not mentioned in the response. ’Pariksha Pe Charcha’ is an annual event where Modi interacts with students appearing in board examinations. The first edition of the prime minister’s interactive programme … [Read more...] about Over Rs 28 Cr Spent on 5 Editions of PM’s Pariksha Pe Charcha: Education Ministry

There is no proposal to bring legislation to ensure menstruation leave in educational institutions, according to the Ministry of Education. The information was shared by Union Minister of Education for State Subhas Sarkar in response to a written question in Lok Sabha. ”No such proposal is under consideration in the ministry,” he said when asked whether the government will bring legislation to ensure menstruation benefit leave in educational institutions. Read | Kerala Govt Allows Menstrual, Maternity Leave Across All State Universities The minister informed that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced ”Guidelines for Basic facilities and amenities for safe, secure environment for Women and Women Cell (for sensitization, policy implementation, monitoring and grievance redressal) in HEIs”. ”The guidelines state that the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should ensure easy access to basic sanitation and hygiene facilities for women such as clean, … [Read more...] about No Proposal to Introduce Menstruation Leave in Educational Institutions: Education Ministry

Delayed infrastructure projects will cause a cost escalation of nearly Rs 3.2 lakh crore. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways accounts for over half the number of delayed infrastructure projects while the cost escalation is highest in delayed projects of the Railways. This is as per the latest data with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation as on January 1, 2023, which says 835 central infrastructure projects are delayed in the country. The original cost of these 835 projects was Rs 10.88 lakh crore but the anticipated cost of these projects will now be Rs 14.07 lakh crore due to inordinate delays. Of these delayed projects, 428 are of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways while 117 belong to the Ministry of Railways. While the cost escalation on account of delayed highway projects is to the tune of Rs 17,019 crore, the same is higher at Rs 1.42 lakh crore for the Railway projects. Eighty-eight projects of Petroleum Ministry are delayed and expected … [Read more...] about Delayed Infra Projects to Cost Rs 3.2L Cr More; Cost Escalation Highest in Railways, Highways Culprit too

It was in October, 2017 when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) mandated the road ministry to develop 35 Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLP) across the country. However, after over five years, land has been identified for just 13 of these, official data shows. For the remaining 22 locations, respective state governments are yet to identify the land, the ministry said. In a statement in the Lok Sabha last week, the ministry said the lands have been identified for: Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nasik in Maharashtra; Hyderabad in Telangana; Bangalore in Karnataka; Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh; Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu; Indore in Madhya Pradesh; Patna in Bihar; Guwahati in Assam; and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir. A ministry official told News18 that the Letter of Award was issued for development of MMLP in Chennai in November 2022 while bids received for MMLP Bengaluru are under evaluation. Further, bids have been invited for MMLPs at Wardha (Nagpur) and Indore. Target … [Read more...] about Multi-Modal Logistics Parks: 35 Planned, Land Identified Only for 13 Including Mumbai, Hyderabad

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails A man who was arrested on the grounds of Windsor Castle with a loaded crossbow pleaded guilty to treason on Friday for planning to attack Queen Elizabeth II . Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, admitted to a charge under the Treason Act of intending to “injure the person of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, or to alarm her Majesty.” He also pleaded guilty to making threats to kill and possessing an offensive weapon. Chail appeared at London’s Central Criminal Court by video link from Broadmoor , a secure psychiatric hospital where he is detained. He is due to be sentenced on March 31 after the judge assesses psychiatric reports. Chail was arrested at the royal residence west of London on Dec. 25, 2021, when the queen was staying there. The monarch died in September 2022 at age 96. Prosecutors say the former … [Read more...] about UK man admits treason over crossbow plot against queen

The Donbas city of Bakhmut is seeing heavy fighting for "every house [and] every stairwell" as Russian forces press on with attacks on the symbolically key settlement. The Donetsk city has long been the focus of Russian attacks, and has endured months of shelling. Moscow's forces have been unable to declare definitive control over the bombarded city, despite reports of gains around Bakhmut following the fall of the nearby town of Soledar. Over the last week, Russian troops have continued to "make small advances" in encircling Bakhmut, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said on Sunday. Writing in its daily intelligence update, the ministry suggested the two main roads used by Kyiv's forces around the city "are likely now both threatened by direct fire, following the Russian advances." The city is "increasingly isolated," according to the government department, after Kremlin-backed Wagner Group forces likely captured a Ukrainian supply route to Bakhmut through the nearby town of … [Read more...] about Bakhmut update as Russian troops encircle key Ukrainian city

The first anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war happens in less than three weeks, and Ukraine has announced it anticipates possible Russian offensives to commemorate the date. Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that Russia "likes symbolism" and that strikes on February 24, 2023, on the war's anniversary wouldn't be far-fetched. "We still, of course, expect possible offensives from the Russians, because it's February, they like symbolism - February 24 will be a year since this invasion began, the open stage of the Ukrainian-Russian war, which began in 2014," Reznikov said Sunday at a press conference. "That's why we expect this pressure. We are ready, the Armed Forces are ready, the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is constantly monitoring, so there are no unexpected things for you and me." Russia began positioning troops along the Ukrainian border in late January 2022, particularly along Ukraine's eastern and northeastern boundaries. Russia this time last year … [Read more...] about Russian offensive “possible” on 1-year anniversary of war: Ukraine defense

Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are being boosted by a covert draft because Vladimir Putin fears the backlash that a widespread mobilization might cause, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said. The Russian president announced a partial mobilization in September, although the draft was widely criticized as being botched , as numerous anecdotes emerged of a lack of training and equipment for recruits, some of whom were older and infirm. The ISW said on Sunday that Putin is "evidently reticent" to announce a second call-up, and instead is "again leaning towards conducting 'silent mobilization' due to the concerns over the extreme unpopularity," of the first draft. However, Putin is also trying to gauge how Russians perceive the draft and has not made up his mind whether to implement another one, despite the announcement of wide-ranging military reforms on January 17 to boost personnel to 1.5 million. Last week, Kyiv reiterated its warning that Moscow was … [Read more...] about Putin pursuing “silent mobilization” as war proves unpopular in Russia—ISW

More than 58,000 teaching and non-teaching posts are vacant in Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya schools and Central Higher Education Institutes across the country, according to the Ministry of Education. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar in response to a written question in Lok Sabha. The minister informed that 12,099 teaching posts and 1,312 non-teaching posts are vacant in Kendriya Vidyalayas. Read | Recruitment of School Teachers in 7th Phase to be Held Soon: Bihar Education Minister In Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, 3,271 teaching posts are vacant. The number of vacant non-teaching posts in the residential schools is 1,756. In the higher education institutions, the highest number of vacant posts are in Central Universities where 6,180 teaching posts and 15,798 non-teaching posts are yet to be filled. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have 4,425 teaching posts that are vacant while there are 5,052 non-teaching … [Read more...] about Over 58,000 Teaching, Non-teaching Posts Vacant in KVs, Navodaya Schools, Higher Education Institutes: MoE

The number of students going abroad for higher studies almost doubled in 2022, as compared to the previous year. At least 7.5 lakh students went to foreign institutions to pursue higher studies last year compared to 4.4 lakh in 2021, the education ministry told the Lok Sabha on Monday. In a written response to a question, Minister of State (MoS) for education Subhas Sarkar told the LS that the purpose of Indians going abroad for higher education is captured manually, based on either their verbal disclosure or the type of visa of the destination country produced by them at the time of immigration clearance. “The number of Indians, who disclosed their purpose of visit as study/education while going abroad in 2022, was 7.5 lakh. This figure was 4.4 lakh in 2021, 2.59 lakh in 2020, 5.86 lakh in 2019, 5.17 lakh in 2018 and 4.54 lakh in 2017,” the minister’s response stated. He also said while the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) maintains departure and … [Read more...] about India Sees Spurt in Students Going Abroad for Higher Studies; UGC Head Says Figure Only Going to Rise