Mumbai, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Maharashtra cabinet has announced a drought relief package, and Rs 5,000 per farmer as advance aid ahead of Diwali, in a move to mitigate severe agricultural distress across the state.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a high-level Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, announcing a series of crucial relief measures, including an advance financial aid of Rs 5,000 to affected farmers before Diwali.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and key members of the state council of ministers to assess the escalating drought situation across multiple regions.

The government added 40 more talukas to the drought list, taking the total count to 305 affected talukas across Maharashtra.

CM Fadnavis told reporters that each affected farmer will receive Rs 5,000 directly into their bank accounts as advance aid before Diwali. The government has finalised a list of 3.5 lakh farmers for the loan waiver scheme, with processing underway.

Groundwater levels in Marathwada have plummeted by over three meters. Adequate water tankers will be deployed, equipped with GPS tracking to prevent mismanagement. Over 16,000 illegal water connections have already been disconnected, he said.

Unconditional waiver on educational fees and strict instructions have been issued to banks and microfinance institutions against forcefully collecting loan repayments or electricity bills, said CM Fadnavis.

The government will directly purchase fodder and encourage fodder-crop cultivation among farmers to maintain livestock, he added.

CM Fadnavis highlighted that historically, drought declarations and subsequent relief measures were pushed to November and December. However, recognising the severity of the current crisis, the state government accelerated administrative protocols to issue notifications in October itself.

"We are well aware that this Diwali brings severe hardship for our farmers. Central government relief protocols involve procedures and timelines that cannot be finalised before Diwali. Understanding this urgency, the state cabinet decided to step in immediately and will be using state resources. The Rs 5,000 advance transfer will ensure our farmers have immediate liquidity in hand during the festive season," stated CM Fadnavis.

The state administration has reaffirmed that reserving water for drinking purposes remains the top priority. In addition to the direct transfers, farmers across the 305 declared drought-hit talukas will continue to receive benefits under 12 comprehensive government relief schemes, he noted.

Source: IANS

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Chennai, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Tamil Nadu government is considering selling rice at Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg through cooperative stores to provide relief to consumers as retail prices rise.

The proposal involves procuring rice from the Food Corporation of India and other states for distribution through cooperative outlets. Officials are gathering information on availability and procurement costs before deciding whether the programme can be implemented.

Rice that sold for Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg in August now costs between Rs 70 and Rs 80, putting additional pressure on household budgets.

Prices of other essential commodities, including pulses and cooking oil, have also increased, prompting the government to review measures to contain the rise.

Food Minister Venkataramanan chaired a meeting of the price monitoring committee at the Secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday to discuss the situation and possible interventions. Chief Secretary Saikumar, Food Secretary Amudha, Finance Secretary Siddique and other officials attended.

The discussions focused on steps to control essential commodity prices and make supplies available to consumers at more affordable rates.

The proposed rice sales through cooperative stores were among the measures considered during the review. An official from the Cooperation and Food Department said the government was examining the possibility of purchasing fine rice from the Food Corporation of India and suppliers in other states.

The aim, the official said, was to offer rice through cooperative stores at prices ranging from Rs 40 to Rs 50 a kg.

Officials are identifying states with rice available for sale and assessing the rates at which supplies could be purchased. These details will help determine whether sufficient quantities can be secured for the proposed intervention.

The official said the government would take steps to launch the lower-priced sales once the availability of one lakh tonnes of rice was confirmed.

Securing that quantity is therefore a key requirement before the proposal moves forward. The plan remains under consideration, with procurement arrangements yet to be finalised.

No date for the start of sales was specified. If implemented at the proposed rates, the initiative would offer consumers rice at prices below the current retail range cited by officials. Its rollout will depend on confirmation of supplies and the completion of the government’s assessment of procurement options and costs.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Street vendors in Janpath Market and adjoining commercial areas of the national capital on Wednesday said that they are facing heavy losses due to the protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that road closures and market shutdowns on October 10 and 11 severely disrupted customer footfall during the crucial festive shopping season.

They also said that the decision to change the protest site was welcome, because the businesses were being affected badly.

Speaking to IANS, a vendor, Radha Sundar said, “ The business is running at a loss. We brought products for the Garba season, but due to the protests, we are facing heavy losses. They should protest during the summer- during May and June. This season is for work; they(protestors) should understand this.”

“No one should be troubled during festive seasons, ” she added.

Sundar said, “First it was the Cockroaches, then some other minister. This happened three or four times in the month. Saturday and Sunday were most important for business. Both days our shops were closed due to the protests.”

She added that she was selling the products at a loss because if the items don’t get sold at the right time, they won’t be sold for the entire year and thus will be ruined.

“They have a lot of money in the banks; that is why they have the privilege to get on the streets; it's the less privileged who are suffering due to the protests,” Radha Sundar added.

Another vendor said the protests ruined all of Connaught Place. Common people were affected. Small vendors faced big losses because their shops were closed.

“The entire business has been halted. I have a glasses shop and a garments shop. All were closed due to the protests,” he said.

"Jantar Mantar is nearby; all the main places are nearby. This is wrong; they should not be allowed here. I am relieved that the protestors left," he added.

Another vendor, Vinod Sharma, said that not just the shop owners, but the entire city was affected. “If all of Delhi is closed, how will the customer come to the shop?”

He said, “ Janpath Market, Pallika Bazaar, and Connaught Place were all affected. Protesters can exercise their political right, but it should not hamper the general public.”

“Protesting is their constitutional right, but they should not harm the general public. The way they are going about it is harming the masses, rather than benefiting them.,” he added.

He said, “I don’t know if there was vote theft; I am sure my vote was not stolen.”

Another vendor said, “Those who are creating havoc are not arrested, but the common people are getting harassed.”

The vendor added that customer footfall has reduced by 90%. He also said that it was the right decision to change the protest site to Burari ground and Ramleela Maidan.

Another one said, “Changing the protest site was the right decision because this is a market area and it is expected to be crowded.”

A shopkeeper named Saqir Abbas said, “The shops opened after three days; only two pieces were sold. What should we sell, and how do we feed the children?

Abbas said that the opposition’s agenda is not his priority but his livelihood was, and feeding his children is. He added that the step to change the protest sites should have been taken earlier.

On October 12, Jantar Mantar was de-notified as the "designated" protesting site. Three new locations that were allotted in Delhi are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and East Delhi's CBD Ground. The move came against the backdrop of the protests in the national capital against the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Source: IANS

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Chennai, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tamil Nadu’s transport department will operate 6,199 special bus services from Chennai for the puja holidays and 9,086 additional trips for Diwali to meet the festival rush, Transport Minister A. Vijay Tamilan Parthiban said in a statement.

The puja special services will run from October 15 to 18, while the additional Diwali services will operate from November 5 to 7. Temporary bus stands will be set up at Maraimalai Nagar and on vacant land near Climate Park in Kilambakkam to accommodate passengers and facilitate departures.

With 2,191 buses operating daily from Chennai, the department will provide 8,764 regular trips during the four-day puja holiday period. Combined with the special services, the total number of trips will reach 14,963, the minister said.

For Diwali, the department has planned 6,573 regular trips over three days. The addition of 9,086 special services will bring the total to 15,659 trips, providing capacity for passengers travelling from the city to their hometowns.

Services will be distributed among the terminals and temporary facilities. Buses bound for Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam will depart from Maraimalai Nagar. Those heading to Puducherry, Erode, Dindigul and Tiruvannamalai will operate from the temporary bus stand near Kilambakkam.

Buses serving the southern districts will continue to depart from the Kilambakkam bus terminus. Operations at Koyambedu and Madhavaram will continue as usual, Parthiban said.

The department will also make arrangements for passengers returning to Chennai after the festival holidays.

The minister said a meeting would be held with omnibus operators to regulate fares and streamline services during the festival season.

The discussions will address operations during a period when demand for travel rises sharply as passengers leave Chennai for the holidays.

The Southern Railway has been requested to run additional unreserved trains to other cities to support the increased passenger movement.

The department has also sought additional suburban train services to help travellers reach Kilambakkam and connect with buses departing from the terminus and nearby temporary facilities.

MTC managing director Jayaseelan said free shuttle services would operate between Kilambakkam and the temporary bus stand at Madhavaram.

The shuttle arrangement, alongside the proposed additional train services, forms part of the transport measures announced for the festival period, when regular services will be supplemented by thousands of additional departures from Chennai across holiday schedules.

Source: IANS

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Srinagar, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The season’s first snowfall lashed many higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir in the last 24 hours, with the Meteorological Department forecasting inclement weather for the next 24 hours as well.

Fresh snowfall occurred in Gulmarg ski resort while the Zojila Pass, Razdan Pass, Sinthan Top and several other mountainous areas received the season’s first snowfall.

Tourists were thrilled at the Gulmarg ski resort as fresh snowfall occurred on Tuesday. Most of them said they had seen more beauty and grandeur in Kashmir than they ever expected.

Some youngsters said it was the first time in their lives that they had seen a snowfall outside a movie theatre. Tourists were seen playing with snowballs and dancing as a pristine white blanket covered the tourist resort.

The Meteorological Department has forecast more precipitation in the next 24 hours, saying that from October 15 afternoon onwards, the weather will improve and the union territory will have generally dry weather during the next ten days.

Due to snow on the surrounding mountains and rain in the plains, the maximum temperature fell to 20 degrees Celsius on Tuesday in Srinagar, while it was 14.2 degrees and 11.8 degrees in Pahalgam and Gulmarg, respectively.

Farmers and apple growers have been advised to ensure safe storage of harvested grains and the apple crop, as there is a possibility of thunderstorms, gusty winds, rain, and snow in higher reaches till October 15.

Travellers and tourists have been advised caution, while trekkers have been advised to avoid mountain treks till the weather starts improving.

Kashmiris have started wearing woollens, and the choicest wear is the tweed overgarment called the ‘Phiren’.

All the Paddy crop in the Valley has already been harvested, while nearly 90 per cent of the apple crop has also been picked by now.

Local farmers are now preparing to sow the Rabi crop, such as oilseeds, etc., in their fields, and the current rain has come in handy.

With fresh snowfall in the mountains, water levels in various springs, mountain streams, lakes and wells are expected to rise to suffice for the ensuing winter months.

Source: IANS

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Chennai, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Water storage in Chembarambakkam lake, one of Chennai’s main drinking water sources, has fallen following inadequate rainfall, but officials have assured residents that the decline will not lead to a drinking water shortage under the present circumstances.

The reservoir held 1,275 million cubic feet of water against its total capacity of 3,645 million cubic feet, according to figures recorded on Tuesday. This puts its storage at about 35 per cent of capacity, reflecting the impact of insufficient rain on an important source of water for the city.

The fall in storage is particularly visible around the lake’s sluice structures. Areas near the five-vent and 19-vent sluices have dried up as the water has receded, highlighting the extent of the reduction in the reservoir’s level.

Chembarambakkam plays a significant role in Chennai’s drinking water supply. Water drawn from the lake is treated every day before being distributed to residents through the city’s supply network.

Maintaining supplies from the reservoir remains an important part of meeting household requirements. At present, water from Chembarambakkam and the Sikkarayapuram quarries is being treated and supplied to the city. The quarry water is contributing to drinking water distribution while storage in the lake remains below full capacity.

Officials said they were monitoring the reservoir’s water level and regulating withdrawals according to the available storage. The monitoring allows the authorities to assess the position regularly and decide how much water can be drawn for distribution.

They stressed that the lower level should not be taken to mean that Chennai would immediately face a drinking water shortage. Under the current supply arrangements, drinking water distribution to residents is continuing, they said.

The assurance comes amid a marked decline in the lake’s storage, with the dry stretches around the sluices providing a visible indication of the changed conditions. Despite this, the reservoir continues to supply water for treatment and distribution.

Officials maintained that the situation was being watched continuously and that the amount supplied would be managed in line with water availability. Their assessment, based on the present conditions, is that residents will not face a drinking water shortage even though Chembarambakkam’s water level has fallen. For now, the authorities are continuing to draw on the lake and quarry sources while keeping track of the reservoir’s storage.

Source: IANS

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Chennai, Oct 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The award of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has sparked celebrations among her relatives in Pazhaya Vattalagundu in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district, bringing international recognition close to home.

For the family, the honour has revived memories of ancestral migration and a reunion nearly two decades ago.

Relatives say Pillay’s forefathers left the town for Sri Lanka in 1890 before moving to South Africa in search of a livelihood.

Muthumani, a relative, said Pillay was the daughter of his grandfather’s elder brother. Despite generations overseas, the family continued to cherish its connection with Pazhaya Vattalagundu, also known as Batlagundu.

“She pursued higher education in law, overcame numerous challenges and achieved great success, bringing pride to our entire family,” he said, wishing her good health and continued success.

The Nobel announcement has also renewed interest in photographs from Pillay’s visit to the town in 2007.

According to relatives, she travelled to Rameswaram to perform religious rites following her father’s death before meeting family members in Pazhaya Vattalagundu.

Tirupathi, who described Pillay as his aunt, said he was a young child during the visit but still treasured the family photographs. “They came here, enquired about everyone’s well-being and extended whatever help they could,” he recalled.

He said the award had brought the family happiness and pride.

The relatives said her success had given renewed significance to those memories.

Born in Durban on September 23, 1941, Pillay grew up facing poverty and apartheid discrimination.

She studied law at the University of Natal and earned a doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1988. Her career included defending anti-apartheid activists and becoming the first non-white woman appointed to South Africa’s High Court in 1995.

She subsequently served at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

At the Rwanda tribunal, she helped deliver the landmark 1998 Akayesu judgment, which recognised that rape and sexual violence could constitute genocide under specified circumstances.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured her efforts to promote peace and international law.

For her Dindigul relatives, that global recognition carries a deeply personal meaning: a family connection preserved through stories and photographs has become a source of pride for their ancestral town and the wider Tamil community.

Source: IANS

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Aizawl, Oct 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday that 131 new bank branches had been opened and 126 new ATMs installed across the Northeastern region between December 2024 and March 2026.

He added that 6,905 of the 9,479 villages identified for connectivity through banking and postal services had already been covered.

Addressing the 'North East Bankers' Conclave 3.0' in Aizawl, the DoNER Minister announced that to ensure more people benefit effectively from banking services, the existing guideline requiring a minimum population of 3,000 to establish a brick-and-mortar branch has been lowered to a population threshold of 2,000 specifically for the Northeastern states.

He also noted that 90.2 per cent of non-branch transactions in the Northeastern states are conducted through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Along with these positive developments, Scindia stressed the need to accelerate efforts to quickly connect the remaining 2,574 villages that lack bank or postal service links.

"Targets have been set to increase the Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio of banks from 47 per cent to 60 per cent for Tripura, 60 per cent for Arunachal Pradesh, and 67 per cent for Mizoram," he said.

The Union Minister noted that raising the CD Ratio increases the circulation of money within the state, making it a vital tool for development, and remarked that the acronym CD Ratio could even stand for 'Credit for Development'.

Scindia highlighted that the Northeastern states possess a large working-age youth population, high literacy rates, and abundant natural resources.

He shared that this marks his 35th visit to the Northeastern states during his tenure of 2 years and 8 months as the DoNER Minister.

He emphasised the crucial importance of collaboration between banks and the government for the development of the region.

The DoNER Minister said that during the North East Bankers' Conclave 2.0 held in Agartala (Tripura), various targets were set, including opening new bank branches, installing more ATMs, and connecting unbanked rural villages to banking systems.

He added that the DoNER Secretary Katikithala Srinivas held individual consultations with representatives of each state to set specific targets.

Scindia lauded Mizoram as a state successfully implementing digital payments, as well as the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) schemes.

At the same time, he stressed the importance of boosting efforts for registration under the PM Jan Dhan Yojana and PM Vishwakarma, noting that banking operations must place greater emphasis on expanding credit and lending.

Scindia said that the deliberations at Tuesday's NE Bankers' Conclave 3.0 were divided into four session themes: Last Mile, Loans, Livelihoods, and Lifelines.

These encompass connecting unbanked villages to banks, Business Correspondents, or the India Post Payments Bank; intensifying loan disbursements to MSMEs and women entrepreneurs; undertaking initiatives to ensure sustainable livelihoods for farmers; and building better connectivity and infrastructure.

The Union Minister urged the gathering to formulate ten recommendations from each of the four sessions on Tuesday, along with forty (40) actionable paths to fulfill them.

He asked them to set timelines and clear metrics to execute these proposals, expressing his hope that the North East Bankers' Conclave 4.0 will showcase even greater progress.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma in his address said that the most important function of a bank is not merely safeguarding the public's money, but creating opportunities for human upliftment and empowerment.

He described banks and financial institutions as crucial drivers of state development, catalysts for various businesses, pillars of support for entrepreneurs, avenues for wealth creation, and vital tools for establishing sustainable livelihoods.

He said that during the 2025-26 fiscal year, while Assam's Credit-Deposit Ratio stood at 73.52 per cent, Nagaland's at 61.1 per cent, and Tripura's at 61 per cent, Mizoram lagged behind at 55.83 per cent.

The Chief Minister added that this highlights the urgent need to step up efforts, with a target set to scale it up to 67 per cent by the 2028-29 fiscal year.

Lalduhoma stressed that banks must expand their footprint beyond Aizawl into other districts and rural areas to remain easily accessible to those in need.

Given that Mizoram boasts a high loan recovery rate, the Chief Minister urged banks to leverage this positive trait effectively.

Source: IANS

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Gariaband (Chhattisgarh), Oct 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) The 'Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' is proving to be a source of relief for residents in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district. Under this scheme, solar panels have been installed at several houses in the district's Atarmara village, providing beneficiaries relief from the burden of electricity bills.

Under the PM Surya Ghar yojana, both the Central and state governments are providing subsidies to install solar panels and connect households to solar energy.

Mahendra Pratap Sinha, a resident of the village, is among those benefiting from the scheme.

Sinha said that installing solar panels has relieved him of the heavy monthly electricity bills he used to face and has also benefited his business.

Previously, he used to pay electricity bills ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 6,000 per month.

He was distressed by these recurring high bills. Consequently, he opted to install solar panels at his home under the 'Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana', which has now eased his electricity expenses.

The beneficiary installed a solar panel system with a capacity of 3 kilowatts.

Speaking to IANS, Sinha expressed that installing the solar panel under the Prime Minister's free electricity scheme has been highly beneficial for him.

He mentioned that while the total cost of the 3-kilowatt solar panel system was Rs 1.9 lakh, he received a total subsidy of Rs 1.08 lakh from the Central and state governments, significantly reducing the financial burden of the installation.

The beneficiary added: "I was very troubled by the electricity bills. I have benefited greatly. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The solar panel scheme that has been implemented is excellent."

The eco-friendly measure is impacting the lives of millions in more ways than one – replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, keeping nature clean, and also empowering PM Surya Ghar beneficiaries to generate income from surplus power.

Last month, beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba, also said that their monthly electricity bills have dropped significantly after installing solar panels, leading to higher savings. They praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed gratitude for the scheme's benefits.

Beneficiary Jageshwar Chaurasia told IANS that his monthly electricity bill previously ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500, but after installing solar panels, it has dropped to zero.

Source: IANS

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Chennai, Oct 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) A revision of auto-rickshaw fares and action on drivers’ concerns will be the focus of a candlelight march by the Federation of All Auto Trade Unions from Egmore to Fort St George in Chennai on Tuesday evening.

The protest will also serve as a tribute to Mohamed Ibrahim, a 61-year-old driver from Vyasarpadi. Before his death by suicide, Ibrahim had released a video urging Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to raise auto fares.

The unions hope to highlight how rising expenses and changing travel patterns have affected drivers’ ability to earn a living and meet their families’ needs.

S. Balasubramaniam, the federation’s coordinator, said the government had revised fares in 2013. Drivers were operating under that fare structure despite increases in fuel prices, insurance premiums and spare parts costs.

He said the delay in revising fares had placed a burden on individual drivers, whose earnings were being squeezed by higher expenses.

Balasubramaniam alleged that drivers had faced harassment from transport officials and police over the enforcement of meters during earlier fare revisions.

Meanwhile, he said, app-based aggregators, including Ola, Uber and Rapido, charged higher amounts through surge pricing. The federation argued that this disparity had left individual operators at a disadvantage and called for a fare structure that reflected the cost of running an auto-rickshaw.

It also attributed declining earnings to the expansion of Chennai Metro Rail, free bus travel for women and the growth of bike-taxi services, saying these developments had affected demand for auto rides.

According to the unions, mounting household expenses and medical bills, combined with delays in obtaining fitness certificates, had made it difficult for drivers to remain in the profession. Several drivers had consequently left the trade and taken up other jobs, the federation said.

Among its demands are revised meter fares and a government-backed mobile application for auto-rickshaws. The federation also wants the government to regulate or ban bike-taxi services and address alleged corruption in regional transport offices.

The federation said its proposals sought to ease the financial and administrative pressures on drivers, allowing them to sustain their work while meeting vehicle maintenance expenses and other obligations.

It urged the government to respond promptly, warning that delays could worsen the hardship faced by drivers and households. The unions called for measures to address the difficulties threatening their livelihoods.

Source: IANS

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Guwahati, Oct 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) unloaded 1,094 freight rakes across its zone in September 2026, ensuring the supply of essential commodities and industrial goods to the Northeastern states and strengthening regional supply chains, officials said on Monday.

According to NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, food grains, food-grade items, fertilisers, sugar, coal, salt, tank wagons and other commodities were handled at various goods sheds across the zone during the month, facilitating their timely distribution and supporting economic activities.

Assam accounted for the highest number of unloaded freight rakes at 585, highlighting the crucial role of the Railways in meeting the requirements of public distribution systems, industries and consumers, he said.

Sharma said that during September, 102 freight rakes were unloaded in Tripura, 28 in Manipur, 15 in Nagaland, six in Arunachal Pradesh and five in Mizoram.

Outside the mountainous Northeastern states, West Bengal recorded the unloading of 208 freight rakes, while Bihar accounted for 145, further strengthening trade connectivity and regional supply chains, he stated.

The CPRO said that for NFR, the uninterrupted movement of essential and other commodities was vital for meeting daily requirements and supporting industrial and commercial activities across the region.

He added that regular monitoring at various levels had helped reduce turnaround time and improve unloading efficiency, contributing to the smooth handling and distribution of goods. “The freight operations underline the Railways' role in supplying essential commodities to the Northeast, where rail connectivity remains important for transporting goods from other parts of the country,” the NFR official said.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), headquartered at Maligaon near Guwahati, operates across the Northeastern states as well as in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid protests in Central Delhi, the Delhi Metro on Monday evening said that it has restored the functioning of all stations.

In a message posted on X around 5 p.m., the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced, “Entry and exit gates of all Metro Stations of the Delhi Metro network are now open. The interchange facility at all the concerned Metro stations is also available.”

Earlier in the morning, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) suspended entry and exit facilities at six Metro stations in central Delhi till 4 p.m.

The six stations included Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House and Barakhamba Road.

During the day, the Delhi Metro issued an advisory, “Due to security reasons, Metro stations on the Delhi Metro network are being temporarily closed intermittently. Regular updates on these closures as well as re-openings are being provided on DMRC's official social media channels and the official website.”

The Delhi Metro had suspended entry and exit facilities at six metro stations in central Delhi from 6 a.m. till 4 p.m., citing security concerns, as the Congress-led INDIA bloc prepared to hold a protest march towards the Supreme Court.

In a post on social media platform X, the DMRC said, "Due to security reasons, the entry and exit at the following metro stations will remain closed from 06:00 AM till 04:00 PM on 12th October, 2026. Further, the situation will be reviewed by the security agencies, and necessary updates will be shared accordingly. However, interchange facilities will remain available at all the concerned metro stations."

The Corporation said the situation would be reviewed by security agencies and further updates would be issued as necessary. However, interchange facilities would continue to operate at all six affected stations.

The restrictions on Monday came two days after authorities temporarily closed 45 Metro stations in view of a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Source: IANS

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Hyderabad, Oct 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Mohammed Yousuf Ali, an Indian techie who died in the attack on Riyadh airport, had called his family to Saudi Arabia for ‘Umrah’ and they were about to leave for the holy city of Madina when the airport came under attack.

Yousuf Ali (46), an IT engineer from Hyderabad employed in Riyadh for the last 10 years, had called his wife and three children to Saudi Arabia about 10 days ago to perform ‘Umrah’ (mini pilgrimage).

According to information received by his relatives here, Yusuf Ali, his wife, two sons, a daughter and his aunt were at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday. As they were waiting in the lounge to board a flight to Madina, the airport was hit by a missile fired by Houthis.

The debris fell on Yousuf, his family members and other ‘Umrah’ pilgrims. The techie was critically injured and was admitted to a hospital, where he later succumbed.

The Indian embassy in Riyadh on Sunday night confirmed that an Indian died in the attack.

Yousuf’s sons -- 18-year-old Aman Ali and 16-year-old Wasi Ali -- were injured. Aman underwent knee surgery while his brother lost three of his toes. Both are students in Hyderabad.

The techie’s wife, Sameera, and their 11-year-old daughter, Maryam, a student of Class 6 in a school in Hyderabad, escaped with minor injuries.

On receipt of the information about Yousuf’s death, his relatives and friends reached his residence at Mehdipatnam.

One of the relatives said the last rites of Yousuf are likely to be performed in Riyadh.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi urged Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar to provide every possible assistance to the family.

The MP said he was in touch with Yousuf’s brother-in-law in Riyadh.

Another man from Telangana was also injured in the attack, which claimed 13 lives and left 300 injured.

Shaik Saeed (42) from Kamareddy district, who was employed at a café at the airport, was injured when the debris fell on him. He was reportedly admitted to King Fahad Military Hospital and was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

Saeed’s two brothers are also employed in Saudi Arabia.

Eleven Indians were among those injured in the attack.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy said in a post on ‘X’ that five of the injured were undergoing treatment while others have been discharged.

“Our Embassy officials have visited all hospitals where Indian nationals injured in the attack have been admitted. As mentioned earlier, 1 Indian national unfortunately passed away today, 3 are in ICU but stable, 2 more are admitted in normal wards while others have been discharged,” the Embassy said.

“We thank the Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to the injured Indian nationals and assure the families that the Embassy will provide all possible support,” it added.

Source: IANS

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Chennai, Oct 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) A sharp contraction in Kharif paddy cultivation has left Tamil Nadu relying on the rabi season to meet its annual foodgrain target. A delayed opening of Mettur Dam and lower Cauvery inflows have been identified as the principal reasons for the decline.

Paddy acreage during April-September stood at 12.52 lakh hectares, compared with 17.5 lakh hectares in 2025-26. The loss of 4.98 lakh hectares represents a 28 per cent fall, underscoring the impact of water shortages on cultivation.

The agriculture department is counting on increased sowing during October-March to bridge the shortfall. It has kept the state’s 2026-27 foodgrain production target at 125 lakh metric tonnes, with paddy expected to contribute 79 lakh metric tonnes.

Normal rainfall forecast for the Rabi season has reinforced expectations of a recovery. The cultivation target for the season remains 30.26 lakh hectares. In 2025-26, Tamil Nadu produced 122.43 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains against a target of 130.23 lakh metric tonnes. Districts have received crop contingency plans, with farmers encouraged to adopt direct sowing instead of transplantation. The method requires less water and could also reduce the risk of crop damage during northeast monsoon rains.

Samba cultivation has begun gathering momentum, and the department considers the next 45 days crucial for the season’s progress. Officials maintain that the reduction in kharif acreage does not indicate an impending foodgrain shortage.

Kuruvai cultivation also suffered a substantial decline. Statewide acreage dropped from 5.05 lakh hectares last year to 3.91 lakh hectares, a loss of 1.14 lakh hectares. In the delta districts, the cultivated area fell from 2.55 lakh hectares to 1.85 lakh hectares.

The slowdown has affected agricultural supplies and cooperative lending. Fertilisers and seeds valued at Rs 300 crore have accumulated across the state’s 4,400 primary agricultural cooperative credit societies as demand weakened.

The cooperative marketing federation has widened access to fertilisers, allowing supplies to farmers outside cooperative society membership. The move seeks to stimulate cultivation and clear accumulated stocks. Subsidised fertilisers had previously been available only to society members who obtained crop loans.

Meanwhile, the cooperation department has put crop loan recovery on hold as cooperative banks report substantially lower disbursements. The lending slowdown reflects reduced cultivation, while the department continues to bank on the rabi season to restore agricultural activity and help meet the annual production target.

Source: IANS

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Ambaji (Gujarat), Oct 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ambaji temple’s traditional 'Mohanthal' prasad has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, providing legal protection for its name and helping preserve its traditional identity and preparation.

The official certificate was presented to the Shree Arasuri Ambaji Mata Devasthan Trust at a ceremony held at Chachar Chowk in Ambaji on the first day of Navratri.

The certificate was issued on October 1, following an application by the temple trust and completion of the prescribed statutory procedures.

The ceremony was chaired by Prof. Dr Unnat Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks and Registrar of Geographical Indications, in the presence of Banaskantha District Collector Mihir Patel and other officials.

Speaking at the event, Pandit stressed the importance of preserving the original identity and quality of traditional products. "The GI tag would help ensure that devotees visiting Ambaji receive authentic Mohanthal prasad," he said.

He also highlighted the role of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad, which has established a dedicated GI store to promote and sell GI-tagged products.

The store displays products from different parts of the country, helping preserve their traditional identities while improving their marketability.

Pandit said the recognition honoured not only the distinctive identity of Ambaji’s Mohanthal but also the faith of millions of devotees in Ma Jagdamba and the region’s spiritual heritage.

"The GI tag would provide legal protection against unauthorised use and duplication of the name, while supporting the preservation of the prasad’s traditional preparation," he said.

With the recognition, Ambaji’s Mohanthal joins other well-known Indian religious offerings that have received GI tags, including Tirupati Laddu and Palani Panchamirtham.

Kaushik Modi, administrator of the Ambaji temple and additional collector, delivered the address, outlining the significance of the GI tag and the efforts made by the temple trust to secure the recognition.

The ceremony was attended by officials of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) Gujarat Task Force on Intellectual Property, representatives of collaborating organisations, members of the temple trust, trust officials and employees, and devotees.

The GI recognition gives Ambaji’s traditional offering a distinct geographical identity and a framework for protecting its name from unauthorised use, while reinforcing its association with the temple and its established traditions.

Source: IANS

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Thanjavur, Oct 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Farmers in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district have begun ploughing their withered samba paddy crops back into the soil as an acute irrigation shortage threatens cultivation around Melattur, prompting protests and demands for compensation.

Around 1,000 acres are under samba cultivation in Ranganathapuram and neighbouring areas near Melattur. Farmers said standing crops had dried up without adequate water, leaving them with little option but to destroy the damaged plants using tractors and plough their fields again.

The affected farmers entered their fields to stage a protest, urging the authorities to assess the losses and provide suitable compensation. They warned that their farmers’ organisation would lay siege to the District Collector’s office if their demands were not addressed.

According to the protesters, inadequate storage at the Mettur reservoir had disrupted irrigation supplies. They said water was released from the dam only after an 81-day interval, while samba paddy in several parts of the Cauvery delta continued to suffer from a lack of water.

Farmers said groundwater had offered little relief. Water drawn through pump sets was saline and unsuitable for irrigating their crops, preventing them from using it as an alternative to canal supplies. They alleged that thousands of acres of samba paddy across Melattur, Ranganathapuram, Vilithiyur, Annappanpettai and surrounding areas had been damaged by the shortage.

With crops drying beyond recovery, cultivators said they had incurred substantial losses and were now spending more to clear and plough the affected fields.

The protesters also complained that neither the Agriculture Minister nor officials had visited their fields to inspect the damage. They demanded that the departments concerned send teams to examine the affected paddy, record the extent of crop loss and arrange appropriate compensation.

For the cultivators, destroying the standing crop marks the loss of an entire season’s effort.

The absence of dependable irrigation, coupled with unsuitable groundwater, has left farmers in the affected villages struggling to protect their fields.

The protest has brought attention to the distress facing samba growers in this part of Thanjavur district.

Farmers said an official assessment was urgently needed to establish the scale of the damage and ensure that affected cultivators received timely financial relief. They reiterated that the Collector’s office blockade would follow if the authorities failed to inspect the damaged crops and respond to their compensation demand.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Oct 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) West Bengal will soon have 375 fair price medicine shops for pet animals and birds to be run by the Directorate of Animal Resources and Animal Health under the state Animal Resources Development Department.

The department has issued a notification, saying that these fair price medicine shops for pet animals and birds, popularly known as Pashu Aushadhi Vikray Kendras (PAVKs), will be part of the Union Government’s Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme.

A department insider said that these PAVKs will not only cater to home pet owners but also to those who depend on livestock for their livelihoods. “Of the 375 PAVKs, the main one will be at the state level, which will be at the state capital of Kolkata. Similarly, there will be 30 district-level PAVKs and 344 block-level PAVKs,” said the department official.

At the PAVKs, medicines and vaccines for pet animals, including dogs, will be available at much cheaper rates compared to those sold in private pet shops or pet clinics.

“It is often alleged, which to an extent is true, that a major scam has been going on for quite some time with animal medicines and vaccines involving a section of the veterinary doctors and representatives of pharmaceutical companies manufacturing veterinary medicines and vaccines,” the state government official said.

Explaining the nature of the scam, he said that a section of veterinary doctors is often accused of prescribing medicines and vaccines from particular brands instead of generic medicines in return for hefty commissions and other benefits in kind from the representatives of pharmaceutical companies manufacturing veterinary medicines and vaccines.

“Once these fair price medicine shops are operative, such alleged scams will automatically get restricted, and pet owners will benefit as they will be relieved of purchasing branded medicines at exorbitant prices,” the department official said.

He also said that these PAVKs will address another major problem faced by people residing in remote areas, and dependent on livestock for their livelihoods. “That is exactly why as many as 344 PAVKs will be opened at the block-levels, keeping in mind the requirements of such people,” the department official said.

The information has brought cheer to the pet lovers. “Often, we have to purchase medicines and vaccines for our pets, especially rabies vaccines for our puppies, at exorbitant prices since the veterinary doctors only prescribe branded medicines at premium prices. Now this initiative by the state government will solve that problem to a great extent,” said Jayita Srakr, a city-based pet lover.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday wrote to brave Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, likening his heroics to those of the Indian troops who risked their lives over a century ago to liberate cities in the Holy Land, calling the Indian pilot a hero of Israel, India and all of humanity.

“Your heroics place you in the distinguished ranks of Indian troops, who risked their lives over 100 years ago to liberate cities in the Holy Land, forever becoming a part of Israel’s history. You too, Captain Machchhar, will henceforth be a treasured part of our people’s history, further amplifying the warmth and connection between the Republic of India and the State of Israel,” Herzog wrote in a letter.

The Israeli President said the pilot had received the letter over the weekend.

“Captain Smit Machchhar, you are a hero of Israel, India, and all of humanity! In my letter to you, which you received over the weekend, I shared our prayers for your full and speedy recovery,” Herzog posted on X.

“As I wrote in my letter, I look forward to welcoming you to Jerusalem once you regain your strength. On behalf of the people of Israel, I would be honoured to present you with Israel’s highest recognition of civilian heroism, the Israeli Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism,” he added.

In the letter, Herzog thanked the pilot for steering the aircraft to safety and said his actions showed the strength of his character.

“Your ability to find the strength to rise above the pain, to combat the immediate threat to your life, and to operate sound judgment demonstrates the strength of your character and the great valour you possess,” he wrote.

Herzog announced on Friday that Captain Machchhar, who fought against the attacking co-pilot in a Flydubai aircraft and helped save 174 people onboard, will receive Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, the country’s highest bravery award for civilians, once he recovers.

“Alongside the Israeli heroes whom we honour today, we send our heartfelt wishes for the full and speedy recovery of Captain Smit Machchhar of India. Captain Machchhar’s sheer courage and bravery and sound professionalism helped avert a catastrophe. Once he regains his strength, it will be my honour and privilege to award him, on behalf of the people of Israel, the State of Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism,” Herzog said.

According to the United Arab Emirates probe, Hamam Al-Hammami, the co-pilot of the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight, attacked Indian pilot Captain Machchhar with the cockpit’s crash axe in what the UAE authorities have described as a “terrorist attack”.

Source: IANS

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Kolkata, Oct 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Salima Tete, captain of the Asian Games gold medal-winning Indian women's hockey team, was felicitated at the South Eastern Railway (SER) headquarters in Kolkata on Friday.

Nikki Pradhan and Deepika Soreng, two other members of the team, were also felicitated during the occasion. All three are from Jharkhand and work for SER.

Salima led her team to a historic gold medal at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by defeating world champions China in the finals. This was the first Asian Games gold medal for the women's hockey team in 44 years.

The Indian captain has humble roots in a Jharkhand village and has had to struggle hard to reach the top. She displayed her exceptional talent throughout the continental tournament. In the extremely tough final match, she had to leave the field for a while after suffering a severe hand injury. There was major concern regarding the Indian defence till she returned to the field. The Asian Games victory also got the Indian women's team entry to the Los Angeles Olympics.

Her humble background made the win especially special, Salima said after the victory. She also said that the players had gone to the tournament with the determination to win. Every match was treated as a final, she said.

The win was a great achievement after a disappointing start earlier in the year when the team missed out on reaching the World Cup semi-final spot.

During the day, the three players were felicitated by SER general manager Anil Kumar Jain. The victory has brought immense pride to the railway fraternity and the nation, he said, pointing to how their dedication, teamwork and sporting excellence have brought many laurels to Indian hockey.

He also wished them all the best for the future and assured all support. "SER has always stood by sportspersons, and there have been several nationally and internationally acclaimed ones serving with us. The job provides them with the major support that they need to pay full attention to sports without worrying about anything else. Our efforts will continue," a senior official said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) The number of Delhi Metro stations slated for closure amid security arrangements for the proposed Opposition protest in the national capital has been reduced from 57 to 45, with entry and exit at the identified stations to remain shut from 9 p.m. on Friday until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The Delhi authorities had earlier announced that 57 Metro stations would be closed from 9 p.m. on Friday until the situation normalised in view of the protest. However, the Supreme Court on Friday directed that there should be no complete stoppage of Metro train services ahead of the proposed demonstration on Saturday.

The apex court asked the Centre to ensure that Metro and other railway services continued to operate in a suitably regulated manner to minimise inconvenience to the public.

In a revised advisory, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said entry and exit at 45 stations would remain closed for security reasons during the specified period. The situation would be reviewed by security agencies, and further updates would be issued accordingly.

The affected stations include Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Seva Teerth, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, ITO, Delhi Gate, Khan Market, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Jhandewalan, Supreme Court, Indraprastha, Shivaji Stadium, Dilli Haat-INA, Hauz Khas, Jor Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, Ashram, Jamia Millia Islamia, Chawri Bazar, Jama Masjid, Karol Bagh, Rajendra Place, Vishwavidyalaya, Kashmere Gate, Inderlok, Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Netaji Subhash Place, Azadpur, Jahangirpuri, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Majlis Park, Seelampur, Maujpur-Babarpur, Jafrabad, Welcome, Yamuna Vihar, Khajuri Khas, Shahdara and Rithala.

The DMRC clarified that interchange facilities would remain available at all the affected stations, except New Delhi Metro station, even as entry and exit were restricted.

The revised arrangement partially modifies the earlier announcement regarding the closure of Metro stations. Security agencies will assess the situation and decide on further measures depending on the prevailing circumstances.

The restrictions come ahead of the proposed Opposition protest in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged electoral irregularities. Opposition leaders have also been demanding Kumar's resignation.

The Supreme Court's direction seeks to balance security requirements with the need to maintain essential public transport services, ensuring that commuters are not subjected to a complete shutdown of Metro operations during the protest.

Source: IANS

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Agartala, Oct 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Border Security Force (BSF) and Tripura Police will further tighten security along the India-Bangladesh border ahead of the five-day Durga Puja festival, beginning on October 16, while the state police will launch a special drive against drug-related activities during the festivities, top officials said.

Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Rao said the BSF would further strengthen its vigil along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura during the Durga Puja festival. Tripura Police would also step up surveillance in border villages, the state police chief told the media.

Responding to a query about the proposed Smart Border Project, Rao said that of the total 856-km-long international border between Tripura and Bangladesh, 806 km had been fully fenced so far, while the remaining 50 km remained unfenced for various reasons, including difficult terrain, water bodies and forested areas.

“The BSF and Tripura Police are jointly preparing proposals for the Smart Border Project, and both agencies would jointly implement the scheme,” Rao said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited Tripura in June this year, had earlier announced that the Modi government would establish an impregnable border grid by launching the Smart Border Project, equipped with drones, radars, modern cameras and other advanced technologies.

The Home Minister had directed the BSF in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal to work in coordination with district administrations, police stations, panchayats and patwaris to prevent infiltration and strengthen border security.

Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh and is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making the Northeastern state particularly vulnerable and sensitive to issues related to cross-border migration, infiltration, smuggling and other crimes.

DGP Rao said that during the festive season, Tripura Police would launch a special drive against drug-related activities in Agartala and other urban areas of the state. He said around 11,000 personnel of Tripura Police and the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) would be deployed across the state to maintain law and order during the festive season.

“Hundreds of plainclothes security personnel would also be deployed on running trains and at crowded and important places to maintain a close watch on anti-social activities and crimes,” the senior IPS officer said.

He further said that watchtowers, 218 CCTV cameras, and police and traffic assistance booths would be set up in Agartala and other district towns to maintain round-the-clock surveillance and ensure the safety of the public during the festival.

A green corridor would be opened to facilitate the movement of ambulances and other emergency vehicles during the Puja days, the DGP said, adding that the movement of vehicles and two-wheelers would be restricted during peak hours when large numbers of people visit Durga Puja pandals.

The traffic restrictions are intended to help manage the expected rush of devotees and visitors at major Puja venues and ensure smoother movement for emergency services during the festivities.

More than 2,900 community Durga Pujas and over 100 family Pujas are likely to be organised across Tripura this year, including around 720 in West Tripura district, attracting large crowds and requiring extensive security and traffic management arrangements.

Source: IANS

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Bhopal, Oct 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday struck down the law providing 27 per cent reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs and higher education, ruling that the quota would remain at 14 per cent, directing recruitment agencies to fill the 13 per cent of posts kept on hold within three months.

A division bench of Justices Anand Pathak and Vinay Saraf declared unconstitutional the 2019 amendment through which the then Congress government led by Kamal Nath had increased OBC reservation from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.

The court directed the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC), the Staff Selection Board (earlier known as Vyapam) and other recruitment agencies to fill the pending posts from the selection list of the unreserved category. The agencies have been asked to complete the process within a maximum period of three months.

The order is significant for candidates awaiting appointments in several recruitment processes affected by the legal dispute. The appointments to 13 per cent of the posts had been kept on hold pending a final decision on the validity of the enhanced OBC quota.

The bench held that the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation laid down in Supreme Court judgments had to be followed and that the exceptional circumstances required to justify increasing the OBC quota from 14 per cent to 27 per cent had not been established. The court referred to the Supreme Court's rulings in the Indra Sawhney vs Union of India and Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil cases while examining the validity of the amendment.

According to advocate Dheeraj Tiwari, the verdict followed a joint hearing of several connected petitions, including Ashita Dubey and Others vs State of Madhya Pradesh and Others (Writ Petition No. 5901/2019).

The court had reserved its judgment on August 5, 2026.

The 27 per cent OBC quota was introduced in 2019 during the Kamal Nath -led Congress government, which was subsequently challenged in the court, leading to prolonged litigation over recruitment to government posts and reservation in higher education.

The High Court also held appointments made on the basis of OBC reservation exceeding 14 per cent as invalid, according to the details shared by Tiwari.

Tiwari told media persons that the court allowed petitions challenging the enhanced OBC quota but dismissed petitions seeking separate relief concerning Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and horizontal reservation.

Source: IANS

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Patna, Oct 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two girl students suffered burn injuries after an electric shock incident occurred at Shahbazpur Higher Secondary School in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on Friday. 

Source: IANS

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Ranchi, Oct 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) What began as a playful childhood pastime four or five years ago has taken 11-year-old Aashvi Vashishtha of Ranchi into the Guinness World Records.

The Class 6 student of DAV Kapildev School has achieved a Guinness World Record by completing 80 hula-hoop rotations around her nose in just one minute.

The achievement became an especially memorable moment for her family when the record certificate and medal arrived at her home on Thursday.

Aashvi accomplished the feat on May 3 this year with her record attempt filmed on the school premises.

Maintaining the hula hoop's speed and rhythm while keeping it balanced around the nose makes the feat particularly challenging.

Speaking to IANS, Aashvi said she started practising with a hula hoop about four or five years ago. Initially, it was simply something she enjoyed doing, and people at home and in her neighbourhood would often appreciate her speed and rhythm.

Gradually, however, the pastime turned into dedicated practice.

Around six months ago, Aashvi began thinking about attempting a hula-hoop record. Once she set the goal, she started training with greater focus, turning years of casual practice into preparation for a world-record attempt.

And the Guinness achievement is not her only record.

Aashvi has also found a place in the Asia Book of Records after completing 397 anti-clockwise hula-hoop rotations around her nose in 6 minutes and 40 seconds while wearing inline skates.

She also holds an India Book of Records feat for completing 226 hula-hoop rotations in 3 minutes and 46 seconds while balancing on skates.

Born on September 23, 2015, Aashvi is the daughter of Rahul Vashishtha and Kavita Vashishtha, residents of Ranchi's Upper Bazaar area. She credits her family for encouraging her throughout her journey and said her grandfather Ashok Sharma has always motivated her.

For Aashvi, the record is more than a personal milestone. She has dedicated her Guinness World Record to her grandfather, mother, and father.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Canadian classicist, author and academician Anne Carson, whose oeuvre defies traditional genres by merging poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction, and translation, including a work juxtaposing Helen of Troy and Marilyn Monroe and was referenced in American TV lesbian drama "The L Word", was on Thursday awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2026.

Carson, 76, was awarded "for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature", the Swedish Academy, which chooses the literary laureate, announced.

The third Canadian to win the Nobel in Literature and the first after Alice Munro (2013), Carson is the fifth woman to be conferred the award in the last 10 years, with the prior winner being South Korea's Han Kang in 2024.

With a background in classical Greek and Latin literature, but a yen for more modern literary works, as well as history and anthropology, which often crop up in her work, Carson is mainly known for translating, referencing, modernising works of ancient authoris like Aeschylus, Euripides, Homer, Sappho, Sophocles, and Thucydides (Ancient Greece) and Catullus (Ancient Rome).

However, she has also taken inspiration from more recent writers, including novelist Emily Bronte, poet John Keats, German philosophers like Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Martin Heidegger, as well as Franz Kafka and Virginia Woolf.

Carson's translations of Ancient Greek works include "Electra" (2001), based on the eponymous play by Sophocles, "If Not, Winter" (2002), based by the works of Greek poetess Sappho, "Grief Lessons" (2006), an ensemble of Euripides' "Herakles", "Hecuba", "Hippolytus", and "Alcestis", "An Oresteia" (2009), bring together Aeschylus's "Agamemnon", Sophocles's "Electra", and Orestes's "Euripides", "Iphigenia Among the Taurians" (Euripides), "Antigone" (2015), and "Bakkhai" (2015) (Euripides' "The Bacchae").

Her first published work was "Eros the Bittersweet: An Essay" (1986), a reworked version of her 1981 doctoral thesis, "Odi et Amo Ergo Sum (I Hate and I Love, Therefore I Am)", which examined the concept of 'eros' or the state of being in love, in ancient Greece as manifested in writings then.

This was the work referenced in the debut of "The L Word" in an exchange between the characters Jenny and Marina.

Among her other works, there is the poetry collection "The Beauty of the Husband: A Fictional Essay in 29 Tangos" (2001), fusing erotic, painful, and heartbreaking scenes from a doomed marriage, and dedicated to Keats for his definition of beauty in "Ode on a Grecian Urn".

Then there is "Men in the Off Hours", an eclectic pot-pourri of short poems, verse essays, epitaphs, interviews, scripts, and translation, where references to old and modern writers and thinkers, as well as to historical and mythological figures, include Anna Akhmatova, Aristotle, Samuel Beckett, Beethoven, Bertolt Brecht, Catherine Deneuve, Jacques Derrida, Rene Descartes, John Donne, George Eliot, Sigmund Freud, Maxim Gorky, Oedipus, Satan, Socrates, Thucydides, and Leo Tolstoy.

Standing out - and not only in their non-traditional formats - are the spoken/recited performance piece "Norma Jeane Baker of Troy", which debuted in New York City in 2019, superimposing Marilyn Monroe over the legendary Helen of Troy (loosely inspired by Euripides's 412 BCE "Helen"), and "The Trojan Women: a Comic" (2021), a comic-book version of Euripides’ classic "The Trojan Women" recounting the fates of Queen Hecuba, Andromache and Kassandra after Troy has been sacked and its menfolk killed off by the victorious Greeks, and a poignant timeless indictment of warfare on non-combatants!

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court has quashed criminal proceedings against six persons accused of abetting the suicide of a woman after her lover allegedly refused to marry her, holding that a refusal to marry following a consensual relationship cannot, by itself, be treated as abetment to suicide.

A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran set aside the proceedings pending before the II Additional Senior Civil Judge-cum-Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Medchal-Malkajgiri District in Telangana’s Kushaiguda, observing that there was no material to establish instigation by the accused to drive the woman to suicide.

The case arose from the suicide of a woman who had been living with the first appellant, her alleged lover, for around three months.

The deceased’s siblings alleged that the first appellant refused to marry her, following which she took the extreme step.

The FIR was registered on the basis of a statement given by the deceased's sister. According to the prosecution, the deceased had been living with the first appellant at his house, and their relationship was consensual.

It was alleged that the first appellant’s friend had spoken ill of the deceased, while his sister and parents had opposed the relationship. The prosecution further alleged that the sister’s proposed bridegroom had refused to marry her if the first appellant married the deceased, leading to pressure on the relationship.

In its order, the Justice Pardiwala-led Bench recorded that the deceased had called her eldest sister before taking the extreme step and informed her that the first appellant had refused to marry her. However, the Supreme Court said there was no material to establish that the accused had instigated the deceased to commit suicide. "We are unable to find any instigation by the accused/appellants to drive the deceased to death by suicide. It was neither intended nor can it be said to be abetment," the order said.

The apex court further observed that even if the allegations of the informant were accepted in their entirety, the case at best involved a refusal to marry, which was followed by the woman's suicide. "At the worst, even if we fully believe what has been stated by the 1st informant, there was a refusal of marriage, which led to the woman committing suicide," it said.

The Justice Pardialwa-led Bench stressed that people respond differently to situations, and a suicide following a breakup cannot automatically be characterised as abetment. "People react differently to situations, and if a breakup ends up with suicide, it cannot always be termed an abetment to suicide," the top court said.

It added that the refusal to marry was neither intended to drive the woman to suicide nor could the accused be attributed with knowledge that she would take her life following the refusal. "The refusal to marry was not with an intention to drive the woman to death by suicide, nor can knowledge be attributed to the accused that on such refusal, she would commit suicide," the Supreme Court said.

It also questioned why the deceased had been taken away from the first appellant's house when the relationship was consensual and had been accepted by his family.

It further said that when the deceased subsequently informed her eldest sister about her intention to end her life, no steps were taken to avert the threatened suicide. "We are unable to sustain the prosecution initiated against the accused on such frivolous allegations, and we quash the proceedings in Sessions Case No.101 of 2024," the Justice Pardiwala-led Bench said.

The apex court directed that the accused, if in custody, be released forthwith unless required in any other case. It further ordered that their bail bonds would stand cancelled if they were already on bail.

Source: IANS

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Kozhikode, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pinarayi, Mattannur, Kalliassery, Koothuparamba, and DC Office - the names may sound like places on a political map of Kerala, but at the University of Calicut, they are the names of rooms in the men's hostel.

The names Pinarayi, Mattannur, Kalliassery and Koothuparamba are all CPI-M's strongholds that have found their way onto hostel doors, along with the DC Office.

Whether the names represent political influence, student humour, or simply the imagination of hostel residents is now part of the debate.

And now, those names have brought the hostel under the university authorities' scanner.

The university has decided to inspect the hostel following complaints from students over the naming of rooms after areas identified with the CPI-M.

The university said the inspection was being ordered after receiving complaints.

The decision has added a new political interest to what might otherwise have remained an unusual hostel naming practice.

If this were the time of a Left government, there might have been little mystery about where the campus debate would eventually lead.

But with the Congress-led UDF government now in power, the question being quietly asked in campus and political circles is: what will the inspection finally find?

The names themselves have become the talking point.

The Students' Federation of India (SFI) says students often give names to blocks and rooms according to their interests and imagination and that similar practices could be seen in hostels across Kerala.

The SFI also turned the spotlight on the university authorities, alleging that the hostel had not received proper painting or maintenance for a long time.

The controversy, however, has moved beyond the question of what students chose to write inside hostels.

With the university now deciding to inspect the premises, the findings are likely to be watched closely.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The NCW on Monday issued guidelines for the safety of women using app-based cabs, stressing physical panic buttons, real-time route-deviation alerts, monitoring of prolonged or suspicious stoppages, and the creation of a 24×7 command and control centre by aggregators.

National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said, “These guidelines seek to strengthen existing safety and accountability measures at the time of booking, during the journey and after completion of the ride, thereby ensuring the safety of women in public spaces.”

“The Commission requests all States/Union Territories to take appropriate measures for implementation of these guidelines,” said a statement.

The “Guidelines for Safety of Women Passengers Using App-Based and Digital Transport Mobility Services” also recommend a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism, verification of driver and vehicle and a facility for penalty-free cancellation in case of a mismatch between the driver or vehicle details displayed on the application.

The guidelines also stressed regular review of safety protocols and standard operating procedures by aggregators, time-bound grievance redressal mechanism, escalation of complaints to law-enforcement authorities and periodic compliance and safety reporting.

“Any unauthorised change in the driver or vehicle shall be appropriately flagged in the application and treated as a safety concern. This is in accordance with Clause 15.4 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, which requires an in-app mechanism to verify the identity of the driver undertaking the journey, and Clause 14.9, which requires a clear and high-resolution picture of the driver to be displayed,” said the guidelines.

Stressing the need for building a verified pool of women drivers, the NCW guidelines said, “Aggregators may endeavour to maintain a verified pool of women drivers. Subject to availability and feasibility, women travelling alone may be provided an option to request a woman driver through the application.”

Calling for enhanced security during late-night hours, the guidelines said, “Aggregators shall adopt enhanced mechanisms for verification and monitoring of drivers operating during late-night hours.”

“Measures may include mandatory driver photo verification at trip commencement, measures addressing driver intoxication, auto-sharing of ride details with trusted contacts where opted for by the passenger, enhanced Command and Control Centre monitoring and a safe-drop option at the end of the ride,” said the guidelines.

Apart from focusing on periodic safety and gender-sensitisation training for drivers, the guidelines underlined the need for verification of criminal antecedents, police verification and background checks before onboarding and periodically thereafter.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) A 13-volume biography of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spanning 8,848 pages and 2,146,447 words, has been recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s longest biography by a single author.

Titled "Brahmaswarup Pramukh Swami Maharaj: Vistrut Jivan ane Karya", the biography has been authored by Sanskrit scholar Sadhu Adarshjivandas. It chronicles the 94-year life and legacy of Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921–2016), the late spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

The work documents Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s spiritual leadership, humility, devotion and selfless service, as well as his work serving and inspiring individuals and communities around the world. It was researched and written over 38 months, from July 2017 to August 2020.

Recognised as the world’s longest biography by a single author, the 13-volume scholarly work comes as a landmark contribution by the BAPS to documenting spiritual history and preserving Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s legacy.

The Guinness World Records certificate was presented to Mahant Swami Maharaj at OVO Arena Wembley on Sunday, during celebrations marking his 93rd birth anniversary. The presentation was witnessed by 11,000 people at the arena, with tens of thousands more watching via a live webcast around the world.

Carl Saville, Senior Adjudicator, who presented the certificate, said: “Today’s presentation for the Longest Biography by a Single Author has been a true pleasure, privilege and honour to deliver on behalf of Guinness World Records.

“Guinness World Records’ main objective as a brand is to document the incredible from around the world, to share unique and special achievements which, ultimately, no one else on earth has managed to achieve to date, so what a powerful relevance to this specific title which has been documented over a whole lifetime,” he added.

Author Sadhu Adarshjivandas said, “The subject of this biography is infinitely more important than the author. His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj lived a life defined by deep spirituality, profound humility and an unwavering commitment to global harmony, compassion and empathy. It was an honour and a privilege to chronicle his divine life and enduring legacy.”

More than an account of remarkable scale, the biography is an extensive historical record of a life dedicated to spirituality, service and the wellbeing of others. It preserves Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life and work for present and future generations. More than 310,000 copies of the volumes have already been sold.

This recognition follows another Guinness World Records title achievement by BAPS. In February 2026, 12,723 children gathered in Vadodara, India, for a simultaneous recital of Sanskrit verses from the Satsang Diksha, setting the record for the Largest Simultaneous Hindu Text Recital. More than 15,000 children had memorised all 315 Sanskrit verses as part of the wider initiative.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to ensure effective measures to prevent recurring floods, riverbank erosion and drainage-related problems in Assam and the Brahmaputra Valley.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, while declining to entertain the plea filed by advocate Ujjawal Gaur, directed the registry to forward a copy of the petition to all the respondent authorities, asking them to look into the issues raised and take appropriate remedial measures.

Appearing in person, Gaur submitted that the administrative lapses highlighted in the petition were amenable to judicial scrutiny and urged the apex court to issue notice to the authorities. However, the CJI Kant-led Bench observed that the various suggestions and deficiencies highlighted by the petitioner ought to draw the attention of the concerned authorities, but the issue was "not essentially legal" in nature.

Declining to entertain the PIL, the top court directed its registry to forward the petition to all the respondents, who would look into its contents and take appropriate remedial measures. The plea had sought judicial intervention to ensure effective implementation of the statutory framework governing flood and erosion management and had proposed, among other measures, a high-level expert mechanism to examine the recurring problems.

The petitioner had contended that the recurring devastation caused by floods could not be treated as wholly inevitable when statutory frameworks and specialised institutions had been created for flood control, bank erosion and drainage management.

The plea referred to the Brahmaputra Board Act, 1980, the Assam Embankment and Drainage Act, 1953 and the River Boards Act, 1956, arguing that these laws contemplated scientific investigation, integrated river-basin planning and implementation of measures relating to floods, erosion and drainage. It relied on successive reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) which, according to the petitioner, had recorded deficiencies in flood-control planning, execution and maintenance, drainage management, floodplain management and monitoring of projects.

The petition specifically referred to the CAG's Performance Audit on "Flood Control in Assam", contained in Report No. 5 of 2018, which, it claimed, identified deficiencies in integrated basin-wise planning, floodplain zoning, hydrological and morphological studies, execution and monitoring of flood-control works. It also relied on official records concerning drainage congestion, backflow, inadequate drainage through sluices, encroachment upon natural drainage channels, sedimentation and river morphology as factors aggravating flood vulnerability.

The petitioner further highlighted a shortage of technical manpower in the Brahmaputra Board, referring to an official Lok Sabha reply dated December 12, 2024, which disclosed that 65 of its 182 sanctioned technical posts remained vacant in 2024. The plea also referred to a CAG State Finances Audit Report, claiming that Rs 1,112.50 crore remained uninvested in the State Disaster Response Fund as on March 31, 2025, and pointed to savings of Rs 555.13 crore under the Water Resources grant during 2024-25.

The petitioner had argued that the issue was not about eliminating floods altogether or directing authorities on specific engineering designs, but ensuring that statutory institutions discharged the functions entrusted to them. The plea had sought directions for updated scientific hydrological, morphological and drainage studies, an integrated basin-wide flood, erosion and drainage management framework, assessment and maintenance of flood-control infrastructure, protection of natural drainage channels and vulnerable floodplains, strengthening of technical capacity and mechanisms for monitoring and accountability.

The petitioner had sought directions to the Union government, Central Water Commission, National Disaster Management Authority, Brahmaputra Board, Assam government and other concerned states and authorities.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former colleague of Captain Smit Machchhar, Tina Goswami, said on Monday that Machchhar showed presence of mind and quick thinking while fighting off his co-pilot.0

She said pilots and crew members are generally taught to deal with external threats as a team through crew coordination, but this was an internal threat, and he had to fight it alone.

In the aftermath of flydubai’s alleged “attempted terror attack”, which was averted following Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar’s intervention despite being attacked with an axe by his flight’s co-pilot, his former colleague Tina Goswami said that saving even one life is a major achievement.

Speaking to IANS, Goswami said: “The first reaction was that we were all scared and wondering whether everyone was safe. This was not a normal incident. It was a very serious and unusual matter because, generally, as pilots, all the training we undergo and all the emergencies we prepare for depend on teamwork and coordination among the crew.”

She added that when they first heard about the incident, they were shocked because it was not an external threat but an internal one. “Once we realised that he (Capt Smit Machchhar) saved everyone and the flight landed safely, we were very proud,” she said.

Goswami explained that when one joins an airline, one undergoes extensive training. “After that, every six months, we have simulator training, and every year we have CRM and crew coordination training, in which we are taught how to show respect.

“It is not that because you are the captain, you are above everyone else. We are also taught how to respect every individual. A co-pilot is entitled to speak if they feel that the captain is doing something wrong,” she said.

Goswami said: “As he said, he has been flying for 17 years, so he can tell even with his eyes closed. We call this the ‘feeling of flight’. Just as I have also been flying for 25 years, we can tell.

“If the aircraft is descending, climbing, its speed is decreasing or increasing, whenever the aircraft behaves unusually, even if you are asleep, even if your eyes are closed, you can still tell how the aircraft is behaving.”

“Ultimately, saving even one person’s life is a very big thing. Yesterday, we also saw an interview of his with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In it, he explained how he used his last bit of strength to try to open the door,” she said.

Goswami said this demonstrated his presence of mind. He knew that if the door was opened, he would be able to save everyone.

“He knew that, given the way he was injured and the way the aircraft was out of control, he would not be able to do anything.

“He realised very quickly that the only thing he could do was open the door, and only then could something happen,” she said.

About Capt Machchhar being called a hero, Goswami said it was well deserved because he did something of that stature.

“It was a big thing to achieve. The only thing we could see was that he was able to save 170-180 passengers, but it could have turned into something bigger, something worse,” she said.

“He was able to avert plausible geopolitical tensions. Not only for the country, but he also brought laurels to the pilot community,” she added.

Source: IANS

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Gandhinagar, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Gujarat authorities plan to install rooftop solar systems on 15,000 more government buildings during 2026-27, with the expansion expected to add around 65 MW to the state's installed rooftop solar capacity, taking the programme's cumulative capacity beyond 160 MW.

The announcement comes after 6,014 government buildings across Gujarat were equipped with grid-connected rooftop solar systems with a combined installed capacity of 95 MW by March this year.

The programme, implemented by the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) under the Climate Change Department since 2011-12, is aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing government expenditure on conventional electricity.

"During 2025-26, rooftop solar systems were installed on 1,377 government buildings, adding 17.1 MW of renewable energy capacity. With this expansion, the cumulative number of government buildings equipped with rooftop solar systems reached 6,014 by March 2026, taking the total installed capacity under the initiative to 95 MW," Climate Change Minister Arjun Modhwadia said.

The state has earmarked Rs 314 crore for the programme in 2026-27. Of this, Rs 278 crore has been allocated for general government buildings, Rs three crore for buildings under the Social Justice and Empowerment Department and Rs 33 crore for buildings managed by the Tribal Development Department.

"The biggest expansion of installation of rooftop solar systems on government buildings is taking place this year, as we plan to install on 15,000 government buildings. The proposed expansion is expected to add around 65 MW of solar capacity, further strengthening the use of renewable energy across the state’s public infrastructure," Modhwadia said.

Under the scheme, rooftop solar systems are being installed on buildings under the jurisdiction of the state government, with 100 per cent capital-cost support provided from the annual budget allocation of the Climate Change Department.

The government said the installations are expected to reduce consumption of conventional electricity and electricity expenditure by government offices, while also reducing pollution associated with conventional power generation.

"The solar installations are expected to generate multiple environmental and economic benefits, including reduced consumption of conventional electricity, lower electricity expenditure for government offices and a reduction in pollution associated with conventional power generation," Minister of State for Climate Change, Pravin Mali, said.

The state has also introduced an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-based Renewable Energy Monitoring System this year to remotely monitor renewable energy installations on government buildings.

The system integrates smart meters, sensors and IoT gateways connected through GPRS, 4G and Ethernet networks.

"The system's robust infrastructure integrates smart meters, sensors, and IoT gateways connected via GPRS, 4G, and Ethernet. It delivers automated remote alerts and captures performance data every 15 minutes, generating up to 96 daily readings. The interface currently monitors significant capacities, including 142.5 MW of solar and 68.3 MW of wind generation," Modhwadia said.

The government said the monitoring system is intended to provide regular performance data from renewable energy installations and enable remote alerts for operational issues.

According to the latest data from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Gujarat has an installed renewable energy capacity of 47,178 MW and has overtaken Rajasthan to become the country's leading state in renewable energy capacity.

Solar and wind power account for a major share of the state's renewable energy capacity.

Source: IANS

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Bhubaneswar, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Sambalpur MP and former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday appealed to the people from all sections of society in his constituency to participate in a massive cleanliness drive, 'Swachhta Abhiyan', to be organised in Sambalpur district on October 10 under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.

In a video message shared on his X handle, Pradhan said, "I appeal to every citizen of Sambalpur, my young friends, mothers and sisters, people’s representatives and members of various organisations to participate in this drive and contribute to cleaning their villages, hamlets, wards, localities and public places. Come, let us turn the cleanliness drive (Swachhta Abhiyan) into a mass movement and make Sambalpur a clean, beautiful and healthy district."

Highlighting the importance attached to cleanliness and purity in Odia traditions and culture, he said, “Cleanliness is not confined merely to the four walls of our homes. Cleanliness is our way of life, our values and our character.”

The former Union minister further added that in the religious text 'Lakshmi Purana', it is clearly said that where there is cleanliness, Goddess Lakshmi resides there. Pradhan emphasised that no puja or religious ritual in an Odia household can be complete without cleanliness and purity.

"This is not merely an ordinary task; it is a spiritual and social value handed down to us by our ancestors," he added.

The Sambalpur MP noted that Mahatma Gandhi regarded cleanliness not merely as a personal habit, but as the foundation of a healthy society and a better life.

Gandhiji himself participated in cleanliness drives and taught the entire nation the importance of cleanliness through his example. Pradhan also highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasised one message: “Swachhata Hi Seva” -- cleanliness is service.

"When we keep our surroundings clean, we are serving society, the nation and our future generations. To carry forward this principle, this noble thought and the values of our culture, a massive cleanliness drive is being organised in Sambalpur district on the morning of October 10 under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan," noted Pradhan.

Referring to the great personalities from Sambalpur and the spiritual significance of the region, the former Union minister stated that Sambalpur is the heartland of Odia literature, culture, art and values.

"It is our paramount duty to keep this sacred land clean, beautiful, free from waste and healthy," noted Pradhan.

Source: IANS

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Kottayam, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) All roads seemed to lead to Melambara, near Kottayam in Kerala, as hundreds of people, including Christian priests and scores of elephant lovers, made a beeline on Monday to bid a final farewell to 'Pallatt Brahmadathan', Kerala’s much-loved pachyderm who died after being struck by lightning.

For years, 'Brahmadathan' had been a familiar and much-loved presence not just on temple festival grounds but also beyond them.

At times, the gentle giant would visit churches too, winning the affection of people across communities.

On Monday, priests and ordinary people came to pay their final respects to the elephant they had grown fond of.

There was little of the usual festive noise. Instead, there was silence, grief and a stream of people wanting to have one last look at the 54-year-old elephant.

Brahmadathan died at around 6.30 p.m. on Sunday after lightning struck him while he was resting in a shed near the house of his owner, advocate Rajesh Pallatt, at Melambara.

For elephant lovers, his death was not merely the loss of another celebrated tusker. Kerala’s festival grounds had lost a familiar personality.

Standing 10 feet 2 inches tall, Brahmadathan combined an imposing presence with an unusually gentle temperament.

His broad forehead, heavy tusks, sandalwood coloured temples and majestic bearing made him a favourite wherever he went.

But it was his gentleness that people remembered most.

For nearly 25 years, he was accompanied by his mahout, Kunnakkattu Damodaran Nair of Lakkattoor, affectionately known as Omanachettan.

Their relationship was unlike an ordinary mahout-elephant bond.

Omanachettan believed Brahmadathan did not need to be restrained with chains.

Even when crowds gathered around him, he remained confident that the elephant would harm no one.

At the Pallatt family home, Brahmadathan was allowed to remain without being chained as long as Omanachettan could see him.

Even during temple festivals, the stick carried by the mahout was more for the confidence of spectators than for controlling the elephant.

The bond went beyond words.

Brahmadathan did not initially understand Malayalam, and Omanachettan learned Hindi to communicate with him.

In return, he taught the elephant Malayalam commands.

One incident became part of their legend. During a festival at Ganeshmangalam Temple in Vadanappally, another elephant, which had become unruly, came towards Omanachettan.

Brahmadathan reportedly intervened and protected his mahout, putting himself between the danger and the man he trusted.

When Omanachettan died in June 2021, Brahmadathan was taken to his house.

He raised his trunk in what appeared to be a final tribute to his old companion.

The sight left those present in tears.

Brahmadathan had arrived in Kerala in 1999 from the forests of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, where he had been a kumki elephant.

He was brought to Puthuppally in Kottayam by Pothen Varghese and his brother Chacko and was known as Puthuppally Brahmadathan.

The Pallatt family acquired him in 2010, after which he became known as Pallatt Brahmadathan.

He went on to become a star of Kerala’s festival circuit, taking part in the Thrissur Pooram in 2015 and carrying the sacred idol during the Paramekkavu night Pooram in 2018.

Ettumanoor Ezhara Ponnana, Vaikom Ashtami, Thirunakkara, Sakthikulangara and Thodupuzha were among the other major festivals where his majestic presence was eagerly awaited.

He even had a ritual of his own. On returning from festivals, Brahmadathan would often be taken before Lord Krishna at Guruvayur, where he would raise his trunk in what devotees saw as a respectful salutation.

Fans called him ‘Saayippu’, ‘Pallatte Kutty’ and simply ‘Brahman’.

His popularity extended to social media, where an Instagram page dedicated to him attracted admirers.

On Monday, however, there were no festival lights, percussion or colourful caparisons.

There were only tearful eyes and folded hands.

And in the quiet that followed, Kerala is bidding goodbye to a gentle giant who had spent decades bringing grandeur to its festivals and affection to the hearts of people far beyond the temple grounds.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories to ensure that street vendors, hawkers, traditional artisans and small local traders are not unnecessarily displaced or prevented from carrying out their livelihood activities during the upcoming festive season, particularly Navratri, Diwali and Chhath Puja.

The Commission has issued fresh directions in view of the approaching festive season in October-November, stressing the need to protect the livelihoods and human rights of local vendors while also ensuring public and fire safety.

The NHRC directions cover street vendors, footpath traders and hawkers, Kumhars, local diya and murti makers and sellers, pottery sellers, small sweet vendors, malies, local vegetable sellers, rangoli colour sellers and other similarly placed small and local vendors and artisans.

The Commission said these groups should not be unnecessarily displaced, removed or prevented from carrying on their livelihood activities during the festive period. It has also asked local administrations to facilitate their traditional trades, safeguard their livelihoods and promote locally made products in furtherance of the government's "Vocal for Local" initiative.

The NHRC has specifically directed that where relocation becomes unavoidable due to the need to maintain emergency access or compelling fire or public safety requirements, suitable and accessible alternative vending spaces should be provided, as far as practicable, without adversely affecting vendors' livelihoods.

The directions also seek to prevent arbitrary action against small and local vendors. The Commission has asked local administrations to ensure that vendors are not subjected to unnecessary or arbitrary seizure of goods during the festive season.

It further directed that any action against vendors, wherever warranted, must be taken strictly in accordance with law and with due regard to their livelihood.

The NHRC has also expressed concern over complaints of harassment, extortion, coercion and undue interference faced by vendors. It directed that any such complaint should be promptly examined by the competent authority and appropriate action taken, wherever warranted, in accordance with law.

The latest directions follow the Commission's intervention last year concerning complaints of alleged unnecessary removal of local vendors and hawkers during the festive season, including seizure of their goods, imposition of fines and alleged harassment. The NHRC bench headed by Priyank Kanoongo had taken cognisance of the matter and directed the concerned states and local authorities to examine the allegations and take necessary action.

Observing that intervention was again required this year to protect the livelihoods and human rights of local vendors during the festive season, the Commission issued fresh directions to all states and union territories.

The Chief Secretaries have been directed to ensure wide circulation and effective implementation of the directions among all District Magistrates, Municipal Commissioners, Commissioners/Superintendents of Police and other concerned authorities throughout the festive period.

The Commission has also directed that additional or complete Action Taken Reports (ATRs) in pending matters be submitted by October 18.

Source: IANS

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