Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, announced that Trinamool Congress will be organising ‘Nationalist Rally’ for two consecutive days on May 17 and May 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the state to celebrate the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.The Chief Minister’s announcement for organising the ‘Nationalist Rally’ on Wednesday came just few hours after the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari announced that the state unit of BJP will be organising ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Kolkata on May 16 to mark the success Operation Sindoor and to pay tribute to the courage of the Indian armed forces.Speaking to the media persons a couple of hours after Adhikari’s announcement, Mamata said that Trinamool Congress will be organising the ‘Nationalist Rally’ for two consecutive days both at bloc-levels in the rural areas and ward-level in urban areas to pay homage to the martyrs of Indian armed forces as well as to express sympathy towards their family members.“This will not be a political programme. Rather, this will be a reflection of our social responsibility,” the Chief Minister added.The state president of Trinamool Congress, Subrata Bakshi, had already sent a note to the respective district leadership of the party to start preparations for organising the ‘Nationalist Rally’ on Saturday and Sunday. Bakshi had also directed the party cadres to make an attempt to involve the family members of the martyrs in the areas concerned, if any, in that programme.Political observers feel that this sudden announcement of the ‘Nationalist Rally’ by Trinamool Congress is a counter to BJP’s ‘Tiranga Yatra’, so that the saffron camp cannot take advantage of the nationalist feelings of the people in general over Operation Sindoor, the reflection of which could be felt in the crucial West Bengal Assembly election due next year.–IANSsrc/uk

Manchester, May 14 (IANS) Manchester United fullback Diogo Dalot admitted that the team has not lived up to the standards of the club this season but said that securing UEFA Champions League qualification is the least they could do as the fans have suffered as much as the players this season.Manchester United currently sit in 16th place in the Premier League table, their worst ever domestic season by far, but can still end their season with a trophy, having reached the finals of the Europa League, where they will face England rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.“Winning the Europa League would mean less bad than the season actually is. Everybody knows this is not the standard for the club, nowhere near it. What we have been doing this season is not what this club deserves, so I think it is the least we could do for the fans because they suffer as much as us.“We have one more opportunity to be in the Champions League and to win a major competition, that is where we want to be, and if we have that opportunity, we need to grab it,” said Dalot in the press conference ahead of the finals next Thursday (IST).Joining Dalot was head coach Ruben Amorim, who has shown he is not one to shy away from having difficult and honest conversations during his brief time in England.The Portuguese head coach had blatantly said he may have to quit his current position, despite showing promise through his tenure, if the results continue after their 0-2 loss vs West Ham on Sunday.When asked about those comments, Amorim explained, “I am far from quitting. What I’m saying is since I arrived here I talk about standards. I cannot see the team having these results in the Premier League and say nothing and not take responsibility”.Although United will be expecting a tough fight against Spurs, they can take solace from the fact that the North London club is lingering below them on the points table at 17th place after having a horror season themselves.–IANSaaa/bsk/

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Low-cost carrier IndiGo on Wednesday said that it is resuming flight operations on all routes from Thursday it temporarily suspended due to the geo-political tensions.Indigo, Air India, and other domestic airlines had cancelled flight to several routes amid the India-Pakistan conflict. “Starting 15 May 2025, we are resuming our flight operations across routes that were temporarily suspended in view of recent developments in the northern region of the country. Some of these flights have already operated today, and more are progressively being restored,” said IndiGo in a statement.It further stated that thanks to the tireless efforts of its teams, “operations are stabilising well-enabling you to plan your travel with greater confidence and ease”.“Please continue to check your flight status on our website or app closer to departure. Timely updates will be shared across all official channels. We deeply appreciate your patience and trust, and look forward to welcoming you on board,” said the airline.Air India had earlier said that it will progressively resume flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot.Later, in view of the latest developments, it cancelled flights to and from Jammu, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot“We are monitoring the situation and will keep you updated,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had announced the resumption of civilian flight operations at 32 airports, a decision that was meant to remain effective until May 15.Among the airports that were cleared for civilian operations are Adhampur, Ambala, Awantipur, Bathinda, Bikaner, Halwara, Hindon, Jaisalmer, Kandla, Kangra (Gaggal), Keshod, Kishangarh, Kullu Manali (Bhuntar), Ludhiana, Mundra, Naliya, Pathankot, Patiala, Porbandar, Sarsawa, Shimla, Thoise, and Uttarlai.The reopening of these airports came after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding to halt military operations with immediate effect.—IANSna/

Patna, May 14 (IANS) With their athletes bagging 10 gold medals, Maharashtra maintained their position at the top of the tally and are all set to win the team championship title with a day left for the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 to end. Thanks to their athletes’ dominance in the track and field competition, Maharashtra has a huge lead over Haryana and Rajasthan, at No. 2 and No. 3 on the medal tally on Wednesday.Host Bihar may not be among the top 10 teams in this edition of Khelo India, but they continue to make an impression. Bihar’s tally of gold medals swelled to seven with victories from an unexpected quarter, Thang-Ta, a traditional martial art practiced in North-East India. Coached by a Manipuri, Bihar won two Thang-Ta gold medals in Gaya.Every evening, on the tracks of the Patliputra Sports Complex, Bihar has come to the party. On another sweltering evening, Khushi Yadav ran a lonely race to win the 2000m steeplechase gold with consummate ease. It was Bihar’s second gold in track and field after Alka Singh’s shot put gold.The weightlifting competition, which has produced 13 youth national records, came to an end in Rajgir on Wednesday. Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir won their first weightlifting medals of the Games in a sport where Maharashtra was dominant.These Games have been all about rising talent who train at several Khelo India centres or National Centres of Excellence. The boxing competition, which also came to an end, threw up a few surprises with Mizoram’s Samuel Zadeng catching the eye with his gold in the 70 kg category.As expected, Haryana boxers dominated the ring and have caught the attention of the talent spotters.In the men’s football final in Begusarai, Jharkhand defeated Odisha for the boys’ title. Meghalaya and Mizoram finished in joint third. The final was well contested with Odisha and Jharkhand finishing 2-2 after regulation time. In the shootout that followed, Jharkhand won 5-4.On the penultimate day of wrestling competition, Haryana grapplers dominated the podium, taking three of the seven gold medals on offer. In the girls’ 69kg weight division, Haryana’s Manisha emerged the champion after defeating Rajasthan’s Palak Yadav 4-0, while the bronze medals went to Anshika Yadav of Uttar Pradesh and Sukhdeep Kumari of Punjab.In the boys’ Greco-Roman category, Haryana’s Vineet (71kg) took home the gold while in the boys’ U-17 freestyle category, Sahil enriched the state with the third gold in the 55kg category after beating Delhi’s Chirag Dahiya. The bronze medals went to the Maharashtra duo of Soham Sunil Kumbhar and Dhanraj Ganapati Jamnik.Thursday will be the final day of the competition with seven wrestling gold medals up for grabs. Even if Haryana wins all seven, Maharashtra looks home and dry with a massive lead of 20-plus gold medals.–IANSbsk/

Chennai, May 14 (IANS) A video clip posted by Telugu star Ram Charan showing him…

New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is proving to be a boon for the residents of Bihar’s Begusarai district. The programme is creating ample opportunities for local people to explore self-employment and also initiate their own enterprises.A couple of beneficiaries in Begusarai have set up their own enterprises and are also giving jobs and employment to others. The aim of this scheme is to promote small scale industries in small cities, villages and towns.Amit Kumar, a resident of Sihama village who runs his own business, told IANS that he got information about PMEGP programme in 2021. He contacted UCO Bank, where he was given a loan of Rs 15 lakh under PMEGP.With the money obtained under bank loan, Amit bought a machine and installed a Bulk Milk Cooling Unit (BMCU) plant at his home and started his own business. Currently, 1,000 to 1,500 liters of milk is being collected every day.“We make paneer, curd, gulab jamun, sponge and curd and sell them in the nearby market,” he said.His business has also facilitated a network of cattle rearing farmers who are also drawing benefits indirectly.“We have given jobs to 10-12 youths from nearby areas. Earlier when we used to do farming, we used to do our own work, there was no support,” he said.”I buy milk from 50 people. This has engaged a lot of people from the village,” he said and added that they are all thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rolling out such scheme for unemployed youth.Locals and villagers are in awe of Amit over his successful enterprise.Raghav Kumar, a resident of Sihma village, said that Shwet Shakti has become a brand not only for the entire village but also for the people living nearby.“People come to meet him to ask how they can take advantage of the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Srijan Karyakram and what benefits they get from it,” he said.PMEGP is a major credit-linked subsidy programme, aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through the establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector. The scheme is implemented by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), as it functions as the nodal body.In the state level, the scheme is implemented through State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs), District Industries Centres (DICs) and banks.–IANSmr/pgh

Vijayawada, May 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend International Yoga Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam on June 21, in which about two lakh people are expected to participate.Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand on Wednesday held a preliminary review with the officials of the concerned departments in Vijayawada on the arrangements to be made in this regard.The state government is making arrangements to celebrate the Yoga Day in the coastal city with the participation of about 2 lakh people in collaboration with the Union Ministry of AYUSH, Art of Living, Isha Foundation, Yoga Sports Association, various universities and other organisations.During the public meeting in Amaravati on May 2 to re-launch capital works by the Prime Minister, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had invited him to attend the Yoga Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam. The Prime Minister accepted the invitation.The state government will make appropriate arrangements to organize the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam with the slogan “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”.Chief Secretary Vijayanand said that elaborate arrangements have to be made to successfully organise the event. He said that the government has appointed Special Chief Secretary of the Medical and Health Department M.T. Krishnababu as the nodal officer at the state level to supervise the arrangements.He instructed the officials to start the arrangements from now onwards. He said that all students studying from 8th class to degree and PG from various educational institutions in Visakhapatnam city should be involved in this programme.Similarly, Vijayanand suggested that representatives of the Ayush Mission across the state, yoga instructors, yoga sports associations, yogasana sports associations, PETs, sports coaches, and various central government institutions in Visakhapatnam should be involved on a large scale.Union AYUSH Ministry Secretary Rajesh, who participated virtually in this meeting from Delhi, said that the event management will be finalized in a few days and two lakh T-shirts and yoga mats will be sent to the state. He made it clear that all necessary support will be provided to the state government to organise these International Yoga Day celebrations successfully.In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. On June 21, 2015, the first International Yoga Day was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.To celebrate the 11th International Yoga Day, the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga has already launched a global campaign in the name of 100 organizations in 100 cities in 100 days from March 13 to June 21 to create awareness about the importance of yoga in protecting everyone’s health. In line with this, the Andhra Pradesh government is taking large-scale steps to create awareness about yoga among the people with the slogan “Yogandhra-2025”.In this meeting, Special Chief Secretary and Nodal Officer M.T. Krishnababu made a power point presentation regarding the International Yoga Day celebrations and said that arrangements will be made for about two lakh people to participate in these celebrations. He said that the Union AYUSH Ministry will soon finalise the event management. He said that the place to organise this event in Visakhapatnam has to be finalised.The state government decided to implement a four-week four-pronged campaign action plan from May 29 to increase awareness among the people about yoga. The awareness campaigns will be organized at the district level in all districts for the first week, at the assembly constituency level for a week from June 5, at the village level for a week from June 12, and at the educational institution level from June 17 on a large scale.–IANSms/pgh

Bhubaneswar, May 14 (IANS) The Odisha Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to the introduction of reservation of 11.25 per cent to students of Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) categories in admission to Higher Secondary & Higher Education Courses in the state from the academic year 2025-26.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. While addressing a press meeting after meeting here, the Chief Minister announced the state Cabinet’s nod to introduce 11.25 per cent reservation in admissions for students belonging to SEBC categories. He further stated that the policy will be implemented uniformly across State Public Universities, government, and aided higher secondary and higher education institutions from the academic year 2025–26. Calling the Cabinet decision historic, the Chief Minister said, “This is a significant decision by the Odisha government towards social justice, especially for the people who are economically backward.” The Chief Minister claimed that the BJP government has given the people of backward classes their constitutional rights, which were denied by the previous governments ruling the state. As per the official press statement, this initiative ensures uniform implementation of reservation in admission for students belonging to ST (22.5 per cent), SC (16.25 per cent), SEВС (11.25 per cent), PwD (5 per cent) & ESM (1 per cent) reservations in all State Public Universities, State Govt and aided Higher Secondary and Higher Education institutions under the School & Mass Education Department (for HSS, Teacher Training & Vocational Courses), Higher Education Department (U.G, P.G, Teacher Education, LL.B., Integrated Law Courses), Odia Language and Literature & Culture Department (Bachelor in Performing Arts Course) and Sports & Youth Services Departments (B.P.Ed. / M.P.Ed. Courses) of the state government. “Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this initiative aims to promote access, equity, and inclusion in education, while also enhancing the Gross Enrolment Ratio and expanding opportunities for marginalised and disadvantaged communities across Odisha,” said the Chief Minister.In another major decision, the state Cabinet also approved to implement the state scheme ‘MAMATA’, a conditional cash transfer maternity benefit scheme, in convergence with Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) in a co-branding manner as ‘MAMATA-PMMVY’ from April 1. The state government further informed that beneficiaries earlier used to get Rs 10,000 for the birth of a girl child under MAMATA Yojana. Now, under MAMATA-PMMVY, they will get Rs 12,000. “Women from the PVTG community will be given Rs 12,000 for the birth of a girl child and Rs 10,000 for the birth of a boy for all live births. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs), who were earlier getting Rs 200 and Rs 100 respectively as incentive amount, will now get Rs 250 and Rs 150 under MAMATA-PMMVY,” informed an official statement. The eligibility criteria of the government of India’s PMMVY scheme will also be applicable to the MAMATA-PMMVY scheme. The state government is targeting to spend about Rs 2,670 crores in the next five years on MAMATA-PMMVY. Several other proposals of different departments have also been approved by the state cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday.–IANSgyan/dan

Narainpur, May 14 (IANS) Tripura climbed to the top of Group D in the Swami Vivekananda Men’s U-20 National Football Championship after defeating Himachal Pradesh at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram Ground on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mizoram began their campaign with a win against Maharashtra.Tripura defeated Himachal Pradesh 2-1, while Mizoram notched up a 4-0 victory against Maharashtra. Mizoram, playing their first match in Group D, earned a comfortable 4-0 victory against Maharashtra.Lalhruaitluanga opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a shot from a distance. Laldawngzuala added a second, a few minutes later. F Malsawmtluanga curled in a free-kick from around 30 yards out just after the hour mark to make it three.Stephen Ngurchhuanmawia scored in the second half injury time to earn a big win for Mizoram, who now have three points from one game, and have gone second in the group.Tripura defeated Himachal Pradesh 2-1 in a tightly contested match. All goals were scored in the first half.Naba Kishore Singha scored both goals for Tripura. His first was a finish at the near post after he was played in behind the Himachal defence via an aerial through ball from the left in the 11th minute.Aryan Thakur levelled things up for Himachal Pradesh in the 21st minute with a deftly-placed left-footed strike, but Naba Kishore scored the decisive goal, a tap-in from inside the six-yard box, to win the match for his side.Tripura are now top of Group D, having earned six points from their two matches. Maharashtra are third, while Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh occupy the respective bottom two spots.On Tuesday, in the Swami Vivekananda Men’s U-20 National Football Championship, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh emerged victorious in their respective matches against Manipur and Ladakh in the Group C matches. While Punjab defeated Manipur 1-0, Uttar Pradesh were victorious against Ladakh by a 4-2 margin.–IANSaaa/bsk/

Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) Amid reports of a merger or tie-up between the two factions ahead of the upcoming civic and local body elections, both the NCP and NCP (SP) have categorically submitted on Wednesday there has been no talks or initiatives in this regard.NCP chief spokesperson Anand Paranjape set the tone saying: “As far as the news about merger or both factions will come together, no proposal has come from the NCP (SP). Whenever the proposal comes from the Sharad Pawar led party, the national president Ajit Pawar, working president Praful Patel, state party chief Sunil Tatkare and the core committee members will consider the proposal and take its decision. I reiterate no proposal has come from the NCP (SP) and therefore in the near future there is no state wherein both the parties will merge or come together.”NCP working president Praful Patel has recently ruled out the possibility of both NCP factions coming together saying that the issue has not been under discussion.On the other hand, former minister and veteran NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse said: “Those who wanted to leave the party have already taken their decision. There is no possibility of any merger or both factions coming together at this juncture. However, the decision taken by our president Sharad Pawar will be acceptable to us.”Incidentally, state executive of the NCP (SP) held a marathon meeting today in the presence of the state unit chief Jayant Patil.The NCP (SP) has not considered a possible merger or tie up with Ajit Pawar led NCP. Instead, the statement released by the chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase clearly said that the party discussed a comprehensive road map for its future initiatives and electoral strategy.“Jayant Patil laid out the party’s immediate priorities, emphasising robust preparedness for the upcoming local self-government elections. He urged all district and taluka-level units to gear up at the grassroots level and strengthen booth-wise machinery to ensure electoral success. The state party chief further said that there is a need to expose the rampant corruption prevailing in various government offices under the current regime. The NCP(SP) is committed to fighting for transparency, accountability, and justice for the common man & party cadre should address the same,” said Tapase in his statement”In a bid to empower the new generation, the party will actively work to strengthen its Youth and Women’s Wings by enrolling enthusiastic new volunteers, ensuring greater representation and dynamic participation in political processes. The leadership has also decided to undertake statewide tours, wherein senior leaders will engage with citizens, listen to their grievances, and highlight the anti-people policies of the present government. Special attention will be given to addressing farmers’ distress, unemployment among the youth, and other burning issues affecting the daily lives of people across Maharashtra,” said Tapase.Tapase said that the state party chief also hinted at fresh appointments and restructuring if needed aimed at energising the cadre and making the party more agile and responsive.–IANSsj/pgh