Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], October 13 (ANI): As many as 700 incidents of stubble burning reported so far this year, said Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Wednesday.

New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday called upon the state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to strive for achieving zero stubble burning in the very near future.

New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): The Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) M Jagadeesh Kumar on Thursday informed that the application process for Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for the admission to Post Graduation (PG) courses will start today.

Mumbai Maharashtra India NewsVoir With the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic finally showing signs of abating in India students across the country are all set to resume full-time offline classes After nearly two years of online education almost everyone - from students to teachers and parents will be welcoming this return to campus - albeit in the era of the new normal Cleanliness and safety will be the top priority for all stakeholders In such a scenario services like EduCare by Sodexo specially curated to prepare education campuses for this new normal will assume paramount importance Sodexo provides unmatched Food Hospitality Campus care services to the education sector across the world Leveraging its vast global footprint Sodexo has launched EduCare in the year 2020 under their Education Services Segment - an industry first India-centric solution that prepares for post COVID reopening with scientifically proven heightened health hygiene protocols A comprehensive campus management solution EduCare addresses all key touchpoints that ensure the safety and peace of mind of all concerned stakeholders They prioritize safe commuting to the campus entry point controls frequent disinfection and cleaning of washrooms and classrooms and providing nutritious fresh and immunity-boosting food on campus The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the educational community both financially and psychologically said NitinTrikha Country Head Sodexo Education Services Segment As we prepare for resumption of off-line education in this new normal it is important for all stakeholders to have complete trust and peace of mind EduCare our industry-first comprehensive and highly curated program focusing on health and wellness solutions is the ideal partner for education institutes in this journey By working together and leveraging the Sodexo expertise with its nuanced focus on preparation and planning campuses across the country can be ready to resume operations in a manner that will inspire a high level of confidence in schools students and parents alike Primary focus of Sodexo has been to enhance the quality of campus life for students teachers and campus communities and EduCARE will help reassure students parents faculty and staff about the hygiene and wellness protocols in place Some of the key protocols include safe commuting to reach the campus entry point controls like temperature checks mask discipline and contactless hand sanitizers The classrooms and washrooms are frequently cleaned and disinfected Safety and hygiene is ensured in the corridors and play areas The health and welfare of students staying in hostels is prioritized with fresh nutritious and healthy food in the cafeterias and thorough care is taken to ensure social distancing and touch-free services Refreshments are available as grab-and-go vending solutions and tuck shops where payments can be made digitally Since we are a residential school Sodexos contribution has been instrumental in making sure our campus communitys needs are met throughout this tough pandemic Be it delivering meals to doorsteps during quarantine periods or ensuring a hygienic cafeteria experience Our students were especially grateful for the way Sodexo staff managed to keep them well fed during their periods of quarantine Additionally the Grab-n-go on campus has created many healthy snacking options for students and faculty We are grateful for the pleasant and hardworking Sodexo staff every day They truly make a valuable contribution to our college said Dr Dale Taylor Head of UWC Mahindra College Pune We were amongst the first campuses that opened in NCR Region post 1st 2nd wave said Mr Samiran Baral Director of Finance Administration Great Lakes Institute of Management Gurgaon Campus With COVID positivity declining and everything opening up again post 3rd wave students have returned back to the campus and Sodexo played a pivotal role in ensuring every return to be seamless and safe The heightened safety and hygiene requirements in the wake of COVID-19 is a crucial requirement for Educational Institutions EduCare by Sodexo is the perfect fit with the most comprehensive campus care program Jain Heritage School in Bangalore had biggest concern on safety of staff and students as they reopened the school on 14th February 2022 MrsArchana Vishwanath School Director said The Sodexo teams planning and execution is at its best with all COVID safety SOPs protocols in place which is boosting the confidence levels of our staff teachers parents and students Team Sodexos assurance to our parents has resulted in exceptional attendance of students to our campus The key to a nurturing campus experience lies in ensuring the physical and mental wellness of the students Col Ganesh Sharma ex-CEO Jain International Residential School expressed Were happy to have sustained a 20 years partnership with Sodexo to support the holistic well-being of students through their integrated campus management services Constantly evolving with enhanced wellness practices food solutions they are extensively supporting the campus to make backtocampus effortless for the students Be it with enhanced disinfection services to provide well-nourished delicious meals much more EduCARE by Sodexo a comprehensive campus management solution helps us to better prepare and reopen with confidence Team Sodexo has been a strong pillar of support in reopening the Institute said Shri H Satyanarayanan Additional GM-Administration Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai Sodexo Education Services has played a pivotal role in ensuring this return will be seamless and safe The heightened safety and hygiene requirements in the wake of COVID-19 played a key role in determining who our partner should be and EduCare by Sodexo Education was the perfect fit with the comprehensive solutions program they offered Being back on campus one of the biggest challenges was to make students feel connected cared for We know that the best way to do so is FOOD we could not have done it without Sodexo Thank you for all the delicious treats said Ms Marci Carrel Elementary School Principal at American School of Bombay Mumbai EduCARE by Sodexo has been integral part of the reopening and smooth operations of the CV Raman Global University ensuring safe return of the students on campus from hygiene safety from the COVID point of view said DrBinita Panda Registrar CV Raman Global University Bhubaneswar About Sodexo Education Service Segment Sodexo is proud to serve iconic 4600 education campuses across 42 countries with exceptional food facilities campus care services for over 50 years In India currently they work with premium schools universities across 15 states 20 cities serving more than 50 million healthy nutritious meals every year to 100000 students and 10000 staff and faculty Sodexo also manages 30 million sqft of facilities including complete maintenance of 10000 hostel rooms on campus Image Sodexos chef providing unmatched Food Hospitality to students on campus PWR PWR

New York [US], December 18 (ANI): Despite the rise in the cases of COVID-19 due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, nationwide school closures should be avoided whenever possible, said Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)

New Delhi Oct 29 PTI Celebration cannot be at the cost of others health the Supreme Court said on Friday and clarified that while there is no total ban on use of firecrackers those fireworks which contain Barium salts are prohibited Warning that top officials at various levels shall be held personally liable for any lapses the apex court said it is unfortunate that despite various directions issued by it there is a blatant violation going on Despite the ban on use of Barium Salts in the firecrackers prohibited crackers are being manufactured transported sold and used it said A bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna said that no authority can be permitted to violate the directions issued by it and allow banned firecrackers in the guise of celebration Everybody including the implementing agencies are bound to see that the directions issued by the courts are implemented and followed in true spirit and in toto the top court said Prima facie it appears that the implementing agencies of the concerned states either lack desire to implement the directions issued by this Court or they close their eyes for whatever reasons it said The apex court further asserted that celebration cannot be at the cost of the others health Under the guise of celebration nobody can be permitted to infringe the right to health of others guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and nobody can be allowed to play with the life of the others more particularly the senior citizens and the children it said It is made clear that there is no total ban on use of firecrackers Only those firecrackers are banned as directed hereinabove which are found to be injurious to health and affecting the health of the citizens more particularly the senior citizens and the children the bench said It further noted that under the guise of green crackers banned chemicals firecrackers are being sold and there is a mislabelling on the boxes and even the QR codes provided on the boxes of green crackers are alleged to be fake There is a report submitted by the CBI submitted pursuant to the earlier directionsorders passed by this Court and it prima facie appears that there is a blatant violation of the directions issued by this Court by the respective manufacturers and the banned firecrackers are being sold and used in the markets The allegations if found to be true are very serious and cannot be tolerated the apex court said The court reiterated the directions issued by it earlier including banning the use of Barium Salts in the firecrackers and manufacturing and selling joined firecrackers It directed all the statesUnion Territories to see that the directions issued earlier by it as also on Friday are strictly complied with in true spirit and in toto Any lapse on the part of the State Governments State Agencies and UTs shall be viewed very seriously and if it is found that any banned firecrackers are manufactured sold and used in any particular area the Chief Secretary of the concerned States the Secretary Homes of the concerned States and the Commissioner of Police and DSP of the concerned area and the SHOPolice Officer in-charge of the concerned police station shall be held personally liable the bench said Nobody can be permitted to flout and disobey the directions issued by the top court it said adding that any wilful and deliberate disobedience shall have to be viewed very seriously It directed all the statesUTs to give due publicity through electronicprint media and local cable services to make the people aware of the directions issued by the court on manufacture use and sale of banned firecrackers The matter is listed for further consideration on November 30 The SC Thursday had dispelled the impression that it was against a particular group or community by banning firecrackers and said it cannot allow violation of rights of citizens under the guise of enjoyment It had made it clear that it wants full implementation of its orders to send a message that it is here to protect the rights of people and can even pass an order for CBI investigation concerning those manufacturers who are selling fake green crackers Under the guise of enjoyment you manufacturers cannot play with the lives of citizens We are not against a particular community We want to send a strong message that we are here for the protection of fundamental rights of citizens the bench had saidThe bench had said that it is not averse to the celebration but not at the cost of the life of other citizens The apex court said that celebration does not mean the use of loud crackers and it can also be from Fuljhaddi etc which are not noisy It had ordered six manufacturers to show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of its orders It had said it cannot infringe the right to life of other citizens under the guise of employment while considering a ban on firecrackers and its prime focus is the right to life of innocent citizens The apex court had earlier refused to impose a complete ban on the sale of firecrackers and said that sales can happen through only licensed traders and that only green crackers can be sold The online sale of firecrackers has been completely banned The verdict had come in response to a plea seeking a ban on the manufacturing and sale of firecrackers across the country to curb air pollution In the past the apex court had said that while deciding on a ban on firecrackers it is imperative to take into account the fundamental right of livelihood of firecracker manufacturers and the right to health of over 13 billion people of the country PTI PKS SA

New Delhi [India], October 7 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the 'Devbhoomi' of Uttarakhand on Thursday for dedicating 35 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants across India.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation 35 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen Plants established under PM CARES, across 35 States and Union Territories, in an event to be held at AIIMS Rishikesh, Uttarakhand on 7th October, 2021 at 11 AM. With this, all districts of the country will now have commissioned […]

Bengaluru Sep 29 PTI Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday mooted the idea of creation of a mini-Punjab in central Karnataka by growing a variety of horticultural crops in the region between Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers and setting up over a 100 food processing units there The seven to eight-lakh hectare land between Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers can be utilised for a variety of horticulture crops where over 100 food processing units can be set up It will be like a mini-Punjab which will give jobs through growing natural horticulture crops Bommai said while sharing his thoughts on his vision for the State His talk was organised by the Karnataka Media Academy KMA on its 40th Foundation Day ceremony held through social media Bommai released the logo of the KMA on the occasion The Chief Minister said Karnataka is blessed with 10 agro-climatic zones making the State distinct from others The zones enable the State to grow a variety of crops an advantage which must be utilised he said The State is also gifted with a number of rivers flowing from west to east to other States which must be tapped and properly utilised he said Also the Chief Minister said he is planning to bring out a policy on the utilisation of the 350-km coastline for tourism and port development This week we will take a decision on inland and hinterland development When 60 per cent of Indonesias economy is growing due to its ports we can also explore that possibility he said Further Bommai wanted to explore the temple coastal and heritage tourism by improving the ports and airports Education is also an area of priority with emphasis on technical education in high schools and improving science and maths education in rural areas he said The Gross State Domestic Product GSDP is contributed by 30 per cent population which needs to be increased In this regard we want SCSTOBC and minorities and their women to become skilled workers and take part in economic activities Bommai said Upgrading hospitals in districts protection to the economically weaker sections and destitutes employment-centric policy for job creation art culture music and literature are also areas of focus the Chief Minister added PTI GMS RS NVG NVG

New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the World Patient Day celebrations in New Delhi on Friday, as per the release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.