Jammu Apr 25 PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed keen interest in a photo exhibition depicting rural heritage organised by the Jammu chapter of INTACH during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir officials said on MondayThe Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage INTACH held the exhibition at Palli panchayat the venue of the prime ministers public rally to commemorate the National Panchayat Day in Samba district on Sunday they saidPrime Minister Modis speech was relayed to all gram panchayats across the country and during the event he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several projects for the union territoryThe officials said the photo exhibition was based on heritage temple corridors of MandalPurmandal Uttar-behni and Birpur as well as the traditional route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrineConvener of INTACH Jammu Chapter S M Sahni along with Shastri Rajinder Kumar of the Purmandal complex briefed the prime minister about the rural heritage corridor photographs the officials said PTI TAS IJT

New Delhi Apr 24 PTI As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir for the first time for a public engagement since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 the Congress on Sunday took a swipe at the government asking whether the situation has become normal there after the passage of two-and-a-half yearsPrime Minister Modi said Jammu and Kashmir is presenting a new example of democracy and determination as numerous development initiatives were undertaken in the last two to three yearsAsked about Modis visit at a press conference Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said We always support if any concrete work has been done then it is a good thing for the country for everyone After two-and-a-half years can you call the situation normal there he askedHas the movement to and fro from there become normal he asked and accused the government of indulging in self-congratulatory rhetoric over Jammu and Kashmir PTI ASK ANB ANB

New Delhi Apr 23 PTI The Congress on Saturday slammed the Union government over the inflation issue and asked what it was doing to bring down the prices of essential commodities which were grinding the households of common peopleFormer Congress president Rahul Gandhi said while the rate of inflation was 695 per cent the interest rate of fixed deposits in banks was only 5 per centForget depositing Rs 15 lakh to your bank accounts PM Modis masterstrokes have demolished your hard-earned savings he said on TwitterCongress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that whenever the party raised the issue of rising prices the debate got centred around petrol diesel and LPG but the reality was that Consumer Price Inflation Index has seen a higher percentage rise than petrolShe claimed that 235 out of 299 things on that list that included that includes poultry fish milk ghee basic flour Atta edible oil pulses onion brinjal and many other vegetables have seen a higher percentage price rise than petrol in the last eight yearsShrinate also claimed that the cost of getting treatment in a hospital has gone up 71 per cent while medicines eating out tuition fees and house rents have all seen a steep price rise than even fuel pricesWe have two questions to raise before the government What is the governments strategy to rein in inflation This price rise has come at a time when 84 per cent of people have seen their incomes erode and 15 crore of the poorest households have seen their incomes half due to this government she saidWe demand that the government cuts the prices of diesel petrol and LPG sharply which will have a cascading effect on most of these things It is high time that instead of distracting and shifting the blame the government must present a white paper on high prices and the economy Shrinate said PTI SKC NSD NSD NSD

Jammu Apr 22 PTI A multi-tier security setup has been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Samba on Sunday officials said hours after two suspected Pakistani terrorists were killed during an encounter in Jammu An alert has also been sounded along the border and a high degree of vigilance is being maintained at vital installations in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the visit they said Their remarks came after an attempt by banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed JeM to carry out a suicide attack ahead of the PMs visit was foiled as two suspected Pakistani terrorists were killed in the encounter in Jammu A CISF officer also died during the gunfightA multi-tier security setup has been put in place in Samba and adjoining areas as a part of foolproof security a senior official told PTI The venue of the public function has been made out of bounds for the general public and a three-tier security arrangement has been made after conducting a full-fledged anti-sabotage checking officials said The administration has been making arrangements for the participation of one lakh people in the programme The officials said checkpoints have been raised on all the roads leading to the venue and vehicles and people using highways and peripheral roads in the area are being thoroughly checked and frisked They said they have made elaborate deployments and carried out area-domination in view of the visit Alertness in border areas has been raised and vigilance on vital installations in the region enhanced by various security agencies they said Security establishment carried out several drills on Friday including landing of choppers and movement of vehicles they said Sources said there are inputs about a greater threat perception this time Intercepts have also been received about possible threats they said adding one group terrorist was neutralised Friday Some high-end surveillance equipment have been inducted into security setup to ensure fool proof security they said In Jammu and Kathua security has been beefed up with frisking and checking of vehicles increased they said This will be Modis first visit to Jammu and Kashmir other than his trip to borders post since the abrogation of the special status of JK in August 2019 Modi is expected to launch industrial investments worth Rs 70000 crore and inaugurate and lay foundation of some developmental projects including two power projects PTI AB AB TIR TIR

Srinagar Apr 22 PTI Private airliner Go First formerly known as GoAir has become the first airline to receive approval from the Airports Authority of India for night parking at Srinagar as well as Jammu airports officials said on Friday Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the night parking facility at the airports on Thursday This provision will ensure late night and early morning take-offs from the two airports This is a significant development for the union territory as the night parking permission will facilitate better flight operations from the region a Go First spokesman said We would like to thank the authorities for their kind consideration and will continue our commitment to the development of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Executive Officer Go First Kaushik Khona said Go First is the only airline appointed for the cargo movement of horticultural perishable and agricultural produce of the Jammu and Kashmir Horticulture Products a state-owned company he said Speaking at the launch event Sinha said the initiative will ease air travelling with a multiplier effect on the hospitality industry The new beginning reflects our commitment to strengthen connectivity and fulfil the mobility needs of the people The initiative will make travelling effortless for those looking for single-day travel Sinha said We are moving ahead to fulfil M Modis vision of making Jammu and Kashmir a vibrant industrial and tourism hub by developing infrastructure strengthening enabling environment and ensuring better connectivity he added The Lieutenant Governor said despite COVID-19 the Jammu and Srinagar airports had achieved new records In March 2021 1030 flight operations were recorded at the Jammu airport and more than one lakh passengers travelled This number soared to 1346 flights and roughly 155 lakh passengers he said PTI SSB MIJ NB SSB NB CJ CJ CJ

New Delhi Apr 22 PTI A technology exhibition will be held at an event to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu on Panchayati Raj Diwas to motivate start-ups and help create awareness about the enormous new avenues of livelihood being availed across the country Union minister Jitendra Singh said on FridayIn a statement the Ministry of Science and Technology said Singh held a thorough review of more than a dozen stalls put up by the ministry for the exhibition in JammuThe Union minister said the stalls put up by various departments and wings of the ministry will display latest technologies and innovations beneficial for rural areas and farmingHe had already inspected the 500 KV Solar Plant and other exhibition themes on Tuesday at the Palli Panchayat of Samba District which was completed in record time according to a statement by the Science and Technology ministryThe Minister of State MoS said the carbon-free solar plant has been installed on a total area of 6408 square metres and was completed in a record time of 18 days and will provide clean electricity and light to 340 houses in the panchayatIt was built by the Central Electronics Limited PSE under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Union Ministry of Science and Technology he addedSingh said some of the themes identified for the exhibition are poverty and enhanced village livelihood healthy village child-friendly village water sufficient village clean and green village self-sufficient infrastructure in village engendered development in village to be implemented by different departments of will bring about revolutionary transformation in augmenting the household income of the rural populaceSimilarly he said stalls showcasing integration of Science and Technology with the themes of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj will be put up for the benefit of common manHe added that instead of having conventional stalls at the event efforts are being made to showcase latest technology which can add value to farmers income and science-based demonstration with Panchayati Raj featuresPTI UZM SRY

New Delhi Apr 21 PTI Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday that next generation reforms in governance will be an important milestone to achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat self-reliant India Speaking during an event at the Vigyan Bhawan here to mark the 15th civil services day he said the ultimate objective of good governance is to bring ease of living in the life of a common manThere is a need for choosing right kind of indices for Vision India2047 he said and urged civil servants also to deliberate upon technology-driven growth that lies aheadThe Minister of State for Personnel said that soon after becoming Prime Minister in 2014 Narendra Modi had given a mantra of maximum governance minimum governmentThe minister said that within three months of coming to power in 2014 the first Modi dispensation abolished the century old colonial practice of attestation of documents by a gazetted officerThis gave a message to the people that now there is a government which has courage and capacity to trust the youth and citizens of its own country he saidHe said that in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2015 Prime Minister Modi had suggested the abolition of interview and making job selection totally on the basis of a written test for providing level playing fieldSince 2016 the Department of Personnel and Training DoPT subsequently abolished interviews for Group-B non- gazetted and Group-C posts in the central government Singh saidThe minister said that similarly in the last eight years the government has done away with around 1500 rules which had become obsoleteHe said that in 2014 at the time of formation of the government at the Centre the grievance cell of the government of India used to receive two lakh complaints in a year but today this has gone up to 25 lakh which means that the government is prompt and follows a timeline and our disposal rate is 95-98 per weekSingh said with the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi a path-breaking initiative has been taken to shift the working and functioning of the civil servants from rule to role through the governments most ambitious reform Mission Karmayogi so that they are confident and able to perform the task assigned to themReferring to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances good governance week campaign Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur he said it will create a national movement for good governance and motivate the stakeholders both in the government as well as outside the governmentIn his concluding remarks Singh said as the country is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav the next 25 years will decide about where India will be standing and what will be its stature when the country celebrates 100 years of its independenceHe said that the countrys plan of action for these 25 years is very important to achieve the vision of Modis new India PTI AKV AKV TIR TIR

New Delhi Apr 18 PTI Noting that the government has built toilets in over 115 crore households under its Swachh Bharat mission the BJP said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked to fulfil Mahatma Gandhis dreams about cleanliness and effected change in the lives of a large number of Indians Referring to the Open Defecation Free ODF campaign and the scheme to supply piped drinking water to households BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters that these measures will be written in golden letters in history He was addressing a press conference as part of the BJPs social justice campaign to highlight the governments initiatives specific to certain sectors or groups Over 58000 villages and 3300 towns have benefitted from the ODF Plus campaign he said claiming that the opposition had mocked Modis cleanliness campaign launched in 2014 but it went on to become a mass movement He noted that Rs 7192 crore has been allocated in the 2022-23 budget for the Swachh Bharat Mission Rural while Rs 141678 crore will be spent during 2021-2026 for the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban Earlier Modi said in a tweet that new stories are being written in the field of cleanliness and the campaign shows how public participation can fill new energy in the development of a country Taking to Twitter the prime minister shared a graphic detailing the achievements under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan such as construction of toilets in over 115 crore households and more than 58000 villages as well as over 3300 cities becoming open defecation free PTI KR SMN

New Delhi Apr 18 PTI Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday sought to draw Prime Minister Narendra Modis attention to the condition of some schools in Gujarat saying during a visit he found that toilets were broken and students did not have any desksThe senior Aam Aadmi Party AAP leader also shared on Twitter pictures from his visit to these schools that showed children sitting on the floor of classrooms Sisodia had visited two state-run schools in Bhavnagar the Assembly constituency and hometown of Gujarat Education Minister Jitu Vaghani last weekThe deputy chief ministers tweet came in response to one by Modi in which he stated that he will be visiting the Vidya Samiksha Kendra in Gujarat on MondayUpon reaching Gujarat tomorrow I will visit the Vidya Samiksha Kendra This modern centre leverages data and technology in order to improve learning outcomes I will also interact with those who are working in the education sector Modi had said in a series of tweets on Sunday sharing details of his three-day visit to GujaratReplying to Modis tweet Sisodia said Prime Minister You may not see from the modern centre of Vidya Samiksha Kendra the picture of these schools where there is no desk to sit there are cobwebs like those in closed junkyards toilets are broken I have personally seen such schools in the constituency of the education minister of Gujarat After his visit to the Bhavnagar schools Sisodia had claimed they were in a bad shape and guest teachers were managing them on a salary that is renewed every monthSeeking to highlight the Delhi model of education during his visit ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls he had said the ruling BJP had done little to improve the condition of government-run schools despite being at the helm for the last 27 yearsTwo days after returning from Gujarat Sisodia wrote to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and Vaghani asking them to keep political differences aside and visit Delhis government schools to witness the AAPs model of governanceAfter its stupendous victory in the Punjab polls the AAP is gearing up to contest all 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly elections by presenting itself as a viable alternative to both BJP and CongressTo woo the voters the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is showcasing changes it has brought in the education sector in Delhi and promising to replicate them in Gujarat the home state of Modi and a BJP bastion where elections are due in December this year PTI PK PK DIV DIV

New Delhi Mar 31 PTI Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning Pariksha Pe Charcha into a massive peoples movementThe prime ministers annual interaction with students is being organised for the last four years by the Education ministrys Department of School Education and LiteracyPosting a series of tweets a day before the event Pradhan said that Modis friendly advice and guidance like an elderly member of the family turned the event into a mass movementHe claimed the event was a special and a most sought-after day for the student community and that enthusiasm for it was unmatchedThe minister exhorted people to join the session which will begin at 11 am at Talkatora Stadium here on Friday Tomorrow is a special and a most sought-after day for the student community The excitement and enthusiasm for Prime Minister Narendra Modi Jis Pariksha Pe Charcha are unmatchedVisited the Talkatora stadium to overview the preparedness for PPC 2022 The prime ministers friendly advice and guidance like an elder of a family have made Pariksha Pe Charcha a massive peoples movement Pradhan said in a series of tweetsThe first three editions of Pariksha Pe Charcha were held in New Delhi in an interactive town-hall format The fourth edition was held online due to the pandemic on April 7 last year The fifth edition of the programme assumes special significance in the wake of the country coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and exams shifting back to offline mode a statement from the ministry saidThe students teachers and parents who will get to ask questions to the prime minister have been short-listed based on an online creative writing competition on a bouquet of themesThe competition was organized from December 28 2021 till February 3 2022 through the MyGov platform it addedNearly 157 lakh participants had registered in the Pariksha Pe Charcha Creative Writing Competition this year comprising more than 121 lakh students 27 lakh teachers and more than 90000 parents PTI SLB NSD NSD