Gujarat: Heavy rains forecast in several districts; NDRF-SDRF teams on alert

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Gandhinagar, Aug 19 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a forecast of extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Gujarat over the next two days. According to the advisory, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Surat, Navsari, and Valsad districts are likely to witness very heavy rain on August 20, while Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, and Junagadh may experience similar conditions on August 21. The IMD has further predicted moderate to heavy rainfall across the state until August 25.A meeting …

Gujarat CM to chair Cooperative Leaders’ workshop in Gandhinagar on Aug 20

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Gandhinagar, Aug 19 (IANS) As part of the celebrations of the International Year of Cooperatives-2025, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will chair a workshop of cooperative leaders in Gandhinagar on August 20. The event, organised by the state’s Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, Cow-Breeding and Fisheries Department, aims to strengthen inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cooperative institutions in line with this year’s global theme, “Co-operatives Build the Better World.”The worksh…

ISRO working on 40-storey high rocket to place 75,000 kg satellite in space

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Hyderabad, Aug 19 (IANS) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on a rocket as high as a 40-storey building to place a 75,000 kg satellite in low Earth orbit, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said on Tuesday.The space agency has set several targets including launch of the NAVIC (Navigation with India Constellation System) satellite and the N1 rocket, besides placing a 6,500 kg communication satellite of the US into orbit using Indian rockets.The ISRO Chairman was delivering the convoc…

Rahul Gandhi embarrassed in Bihar: Woman retracts claim of name missing from voter list

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) In another setback to the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi who is on a Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, Ranju Devi of Chapla village of Nauhatta, Rohtas, who met Gandhi during his tour claimed that her name was deleted from the voter list but later claimed that her name is there in the list. In a U-turn, Ranju Devi has now claimed that her name is on the list that came on August 1, referring to the draft voter list.Targeting LoP Rahul Gandhi for spreading “lies”, BJP Presi…

Bihar prepared to teach ‘vote thieves’ a lesson, claims Mukesh Sahani

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Patna, Aug 19 (IANS) Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief and former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahani on Tuesday said that the Voter Rights Yatra being carried out by the Grand Alliance is receiving tremendous public support across the state. Addressing a gathering, Sahani alleged that the BJP, with the backing of the Election Commission, is attempting to steal the Constitution and democracy by manipulating votes.He said that the overwhelming public anger visible on the streets over the Special Inten…

460 students went abroad under National Oversees Scholarship in last five years: Govt tells Lok Sabha

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The Indian government’s National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme, aimed at supporting students from marginalised communities, has come under the spotlight as the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provided details on its operations. The information, presented in a written response by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, on August 19 sheds light on the number of beneficiaries and the funds disbursed over the last five years.Acco…

Assam CM lauds Centre for passing bill to build IIM in Guwahati

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The Lok Sabha on Tuesday gave its nod to the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, clearing the decks for a new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) to come up in Guwahati. The Centre has earmarked Rs 550 crore as capital assistance for the project. The upcoming institute will be the second IIM in the Northeast, joining IIM Shillong, and will hold the status of an institution of national importance. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who pilot…

Building next generation of Jihad: IS pushes women-led child radicalisation

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New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) In a disturbing trend, the Islamic State has changed its recruitment strategy, wherein the targets are women and children. In recent months, the security agencies have found that the target audience for the Islamic State recruiters has been women and children. In the initial days, women were recruited to be sex slaves in the outfit. They were often taken to either Iraq, Syria or later Afghanistan. Currently, the role of women is quite different, and most of the movement …

Prostitution racket busted in Hazaribagh hotels, 26 taken into custody

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Hazaribagh, Aug 19 (IANS) In a massive crackdown on illegal sex trade, Hazaribagh Police on Tuesday busted a prostitution racket allegedly being run from multiple hotels along the Ranchi-Patna highway in Jharkhand, officials said.A total of 26 young men and women have been taken into custody during simultaneous raids on six hotels across the city.Superintendent of Police (SP) Anjani Anjan said the operation was carried out after police received credible intelligence that several hotels in the di…

‘Villains of the nation’: Bihar Dy CM’s retort to Tejashwi’s ‘Rahul for PM’ pitch

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Patna, Aug 19 (IANS) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Tuesday took a pointed swipe at the Mahagathbandhan (Congress-RJD alliance), claiming that they are the villains of the nation and their foot march is not for people’s welfare but for serving their own political ambitions. Vijay Kumar Sinha’s jab followed RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s bluster during the voter Adhikar yatra, where he said that people of Bihar will throw out the NDA government in the next Lok Sabha elections…