BJP MLA seeks closure of meat, liquor shops along Kanwar Yatra route
The MLA said in his letter that a temporary ban on liquor and meat shops will 'respect the sanctity of the Yatra' and prevent any possible 'untoward incident'. This year, the Yatra will begin from July 11.
Speaking to the press on Monday, Mr. Marwah said, 'During Navratri, we achieved great success with 70-80% of shops remaining closed for all nine days.'
Mr. Marwah, a member of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, said the Sri Guru Singh Sabha is a religious body that honours all religion. The Sabha will approach the owners of meat and liquor shops, urging them to respect the religious sentiments of the devotees, he added.
Drinking water, medicines and resting camps for kanwariyas will also be arranged by gurdwaras, he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Govt transport facilities lifeline for edu in Maha villages without schools, says minister Bhuse
Pune: Lawmakers seem to have different views about the situation of school education in the state's rural parts. While Parner MLA Kashinath Date recently told the Assembly that 8,123 villages across Maharashtra do not have either primary or upper primary schools, presenting a grim situation for rural education, school education minister Dada Bhuse said the statistics were "partially true" and that children were not missing out on education as the state govt was providing a facility to transport them to nearby villages that have schools. Date had based his statement in the Assembly on statistics from the Union education ministry's Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) that collects data from all recognised and unrecognised schools in India — from pre-primary to Std XII. The data showed that of the 8,123 Maharashtra villages mentioned by UDISE, 1,650 had no primary schools and 6,563 no upper primary schools. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune In his written reply to the Assembly, Bhuse said the statistics were "partially true", because state govt provided services to transport students to nearby villages that have schools. He said: "The children are not missing out on education because of unavailability of schools in their villages. We have made adequate transport arrangements to ensure schooling for such children in nearby villages." Bhuse said: "According to Part 3 Section 6 (3) (1) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, transportation facility is provided under Samagra Shiksha to students from settlements where schools are not available within the prescribed area limits — 1km for primary level, 3km for upper primary and 5km for secondary levels". Senior officials in the education department said a provision of Rs 60,000 has been sanctioned for transportation facilities at the rate of Rs 600 per student for 10 months. An official said a detailed survey would soon be conducted to assess the educational needs of the villages without schools and, accordingly, new schools would be planned in such villages. As per the UDISE data, the situation is grim in the Ratnagiri, Parbhani, Yavatmal, Solapur and Ahmednagar regions where maximum number of villages lack schools, said Date. Places such as Pune, Nashik and Thane are also in the bracket with few schools. However, the deteriorating infrastructure in several existing schools compounds the crisis. For instance, in Chandrapur's Sonapur village, students have been studying under the open sky for two months after the school's roof was blown away. Date said: "These shortcomings in the education department underline the urgent need for stronger policy and immediate intervention to improve rural education in Maharashtra. " Regarding the infrastructure shortcomings, Bhuse said as per a govt decision dated June 29, 2000, if a permanent drinking water facility is not available, instructions have been given to make arrangements for temporary storage of drinking water. Also, as per a govt decision dated April 16, 2025, instructions have been given to provide pure drinking water through tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission Minor Mineral Scheme. Under Samagra Shiksha, 1,668 separate toilets for boys and 1,087 for girls are being constructed this year. "A districtwise review has been conducted to identify the worst-affected districts and prepare an action plan. Govt is focusing on steps to avert educational losses and ensure that children in all villages get the equaly opportunity to study," a senior education official told TOI on the condition of anonymity.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Renaming of Bengaluru City University after Manmohan Singh draws mixed reactions
Bengaluru: The renaming of Bengaluru City University has drawn mixed reactions from various stakeholders, even as opposition BJP is yet to take an official stand on the move. The varsity, based out of the iconic Central College campus, will be renamed as Dr Bengaluru City University, following a cabinet decision last week. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The decision to rename the university was first announced by chief minister Siddaramaiah during the budget session of the Karnataka legislative assembly in March this year. Former minister for primary education, S Suresh Kumar opined that the govt should have responded to local sentiments. "Dr Singh gave a positive turn to our economy and we are grateful to him," he said, while suggesting Dr H Narasimhaiah as an alternative. "Dr HN was one of the greatest sons of the soil, especially in academia. He was the vice-chancellor of BU and established the Jananbharathi campus. Coming from a poor rural background, he went on to earn a doctorate in the US," Kumar said. The BJP MLA said the party is yet to discuss this move and come out with an official plan of action. The National Students' Union of India – the student wing of the Congress party, has already stepped up, according to its BCU president Lakshya Raj V. "We welcomed the renaming when it was first announced in March, and have renamed our social media handles already," he said. He also stated NSUI would protest against any opposition to the renaming. "If met with resistance, we will make sure to erect a new name-board ourselves without waiting for the university to do it," he said. Prof BR Supreeth, a member of the university syndicate, said he was sceptical of the name change. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "A separate academic centre bearing Dr Singh's name could have been established. Bengaluru itself has got a brand value," he said. The academician also expressed concern for any problems the students might face due to renaming, especially in foreign countries, adding the name of the university was changed thrice in the last eight years. "My request to the govt is to not politicise this. Politics should be kept away from education sector," he said. Senior scholar and retired professor Dr G Ramakrishna strongly opposed the move and stressed that he is against naming universities after individuals. Well-known among the progressive intellectual circles in the state, he also lamented that anyone opposing the renaming would now be attributed with political motives, leading to a controversy. The university's first vice-chancellor Prof S Japhet said the govt, through this decision, has expressed gratitude to Dr Singh on behalf of all Kannadigas. "The university is special in terms of its location and jurisdiction, apart from its rich legacy. BCU is probably India's only university with affiliated colleges within a city's boundaries. This was the reason it was renamed Bengaluru City University," he said, adding there are 23 'city universities' across the globe. "BCU was rebranded on that line," he said. Prof Japhet took over as a special officer, and later as vice-chancellor of Bengaluru Central University, following trifurcation of Bangalore University in 2017. The university was renamed Bengaluru City University during his tenure.
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Siddaramaiah meets Rajnath; seeks defence corridors, land transfer and IAF air show for Dasara
Bengaluru: A delegation led by chief minister Siddaramaiah , his deputy DK Shivakumar and some cabinet colleagues met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday and sought central support for a wide range of proposals — from setting up two defence industrial corridors and securing defence land for major infrastructure work in Bengaluru, to hosting an Indian Air Force (IAF) air show during this year's Mysuru Dasara celebrations. In a letter to Singh, Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to establish a defence industrial corridor each in North and South Karnataka, like those announced in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2018. While requesting "similar support", Siddaramaiah, citing the state's strong aerospace base, wrote: "The proposed corridors will leverage this existing ecosystem and infrastructure, further cementing Karnataka's reputation as the defence capital of India." You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Karnataka contributes 67% of India's aircraft and helicopter production and 25% of the aircraft and spacecraft industry, he said. The corridors would aid the 'Make in India' initiative, strengthen industry-academia ties, and create skilled jobs. Siddaramaiah also detailed the industrial capabilities of Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Vijayapura in the north — home to major firms and the country's first precision manufacturing SEZ — and South Karnataka, which includes HAL's headquarters, TASL's C130 assembly line, and a hi-tech aerospace park in Devanahalli. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Siddaramaiah also requested the defence ministry to expedite transfer of land for three Bengaluru infrastructure projects: Twin tunnel project from Hebbal to Silk Board, a link road to Sarovara Layout, and Phase-3 of Namma Metro at Goraguntepalya. For the tunnel project, he wrote, "A vital ramp near Hebbal necessitates 2 acres of defence land, previously part of the Hebbal Defence Dairy Farm." The link road requires 6 acres, while 7 acres of defence land is needed for the Metro corridor. "The construction… will give huge benefit to the public, as it would solve long pending traffic issues at Goraguntepalya junction," he noted. Siddaramaiah also invited IAF to conduct aerobatic displays during Mysuru Dasara. "I request an aerial display by Surya Kiran, Sarang and other aerobatic teams," he wrote, recalling the public enthusiasm during similar shows in 2017, 2019, and 2023. "Like every year, programmes are being planned to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tradition of Karnataka. In this context, the state government intends to organise an air show as part of the Dasara celebrations in Mysuru," he wrote.
