Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 3 (ANI): Slamming the Eknath Shinde government over the death of 24 people, including 12 newborns in 24 hours, National Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar asserted that the incident highlights the failure of government systems and called for a serious response to ensure the safety of patients in the future.Sharad Pawar took to X and said “The unfortunate incident of death of 24 people including 12 newborns in 24 hours in a government hospital in Nanded is literally shocking."The incident was reported at Shankarao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital here due to the alleged scarcity of medicines.Recalling a similar incident in which 18 people died in Kalwa Hospital of Thane Municipal Corporation, Pawar said, "Just two months ago, there was an unfortunate incident where 18 people died in a single night in Kalwa Hospital of Thane Municipal Corporation. However, due to not taking this incident seriously, such a very serious incident was repeated in the government hospital in Nanded. This shows the failure of government systems.”Pawar noted that the government's failure to address the seriousness of that incident led to a similar tragedy in Nanded's government hospital.Pawar urged the state government to take immediate and concrete steps to prevent such incidents from recurring, emphasizing the need to save the lives of innocent patients.“At least considering the seriousness of these unfortunate incidents, the state government needs to ensure that concrete steps are taken so that these incidents are not repeated and the lives of innocent patients are saved,” Sharad Pawar added.Dr Shyamrao Wakode, in charge dean of the Medical College, said that the deceased were suffering from various ailments including snake bites, arsenic and phosphorus poisoning etc."Around 12 children died in the last 24 hours and 12 adults also died due to various ailments (snake bites, arsenic and phosphorus poisoning etc.). Due to transfers of various staff, there was some difficulty for us. We were supposed to buy medicines from the Haffkine Institute but that also didn't happen. Also, patients come from far off to this hospital and there were many patients whose sanctioned budget also got disturbed," Dr Shyamrao Wakode said.Ex-CM and senior Congress leader from Nanded, Ashok Chavan, said that besides these deaths, another 70 patients, referred from other private hospitals in the district, are reported to be ‘critical’."Around 24 people's death has been reported at the Dr Shankarrao Chavan Medical College and Hospital and therefore I have come here and met the Dean. The situation is concerning and serious. The government should take this up and provide immediate help...Around 70 other people are critical. Replacement of a lot of nurses who were transferred has not been given,” Chavan said. (ANI)

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 3 (ANI): In recognition of the significant contributions made by space scientists from Tamil Nadu to the nation, Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced an award of Rs 25 lakh for each of the nine scientists affiliated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from Tamil Nadu.Additionally, a scholarship program has been initiated in honor of these scientists.“As a token of our appreciation, the Tamil Nadu Government is awarding each of these scientists Rs. 25 lakhs, recognising their immense talent and achievements. To nurture more young talents, I am pleased to announce scholarships in the name of these visionary scientists. Let us envision a future where the skies hold no limits for Tamil Nadu,” CM Stalin wrote on X.A scholarship named after renowned scientists would be provided to nine postgraduate engineering students to nurture the spirit to make scientific inventionsThe Scientists who were facilitated by the state government include former ISRO Chairman K Sivan, Dr Mayilsamy Annadurai, Dr V. Narayanan, Thiru. A. Rajarajan, M. Sankaran, J. Asir Packiaraj, M. Vanitha, Nigar Shaji and Dr. Veeramuthuvel.Stalin posted on X, "Honoured to felicitate these remarkable space scientists from Tamil Nadu, who have etched their names in the history of Indian Space Research with their incredible contributions. This event exemplifies social justice, as most of them hail from humble backgrounds and government schools. Two incredible women among them also inspire us all."Former ISRO Director K Sivan expressed his appreciation for the Tamil Nadu government's initiative, noting its potential to inspire young students.Speaking at the event, former ISRO director K Sivan told ANI,  "This type of arrangement, whatever the Tamil Nadu Government has done will be a big motivation for the young students studying in Tamil Nadu Government schools. They will be getting more enthusiastic and feel that one day, they also will become engineers. It is a great motivation; I would say that the Government of Tamil Nadu has done. The youth should inculcate a scientific temper. They can select their own area of interest and work hard and innovate in that area, then they can rise to a big level."P Veeramuthuvel, Project Director of Chandrayaan-3 welcomed the effort by the Tamil Nadu government and said that it will help the people coming from rural backgrounds."It is a welcome move and a great effort by the Tamil Nadu Government because these types of schemes will help many people who have come from rural backgrounds. Whatever the Tamil Nadu Government has announced, it encourages many people to come into this field and many more scientists will come. There is no doubt about it. We are very happy about this,” P Veeramuthuvel said.Regarding the Chandrayaan-3 mission, Veeramuthuvel stated, "As far as Chandrayaan-3 is concerned, our mission objective is completely met; it exceeded our expectations."Along with this, CM MK Stalin also launched a scholarship programme for Government school students who are pursuing Engineering under 7.5 reservations and wish to continue their master's in the same field will be provided Scholarships in the name of these nine scientists.Their expense including tuition fees, hostel fees etc. will be borne by the government.These students will be selected by the committee comprising of scientists.“I am informing you that a ten crore rupee corpus fund has been allocated for this scheme. Dear students, I ask you to develop an interest in science and leadership. Today’s student committee should become scientists,” MK Stalin said at the event.Further praising the efforts, A Rajarajan, Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre said “I feel what I have done is a very small thing for the building of the nation. On this occasion, when you get invited and felicitated by the Chief Minister, I feel privileged and humble. It also gives that we have to work harder to keep this recognition and make sure that the coming generation gets skilled properly in all so that we become a powerful India in the manufacturing area." (ANI)

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 3 (ANI): In a groundbreaking initiative, Kudumbashree has unveiled the 'Thirike Schoolil' (Back to School) campaign, marking the largest training program in its history. As many as 46 lakh Kudumbashree women came back to school as 'students'.The campaign was inaugurated by M.B. Rajesh, Minister of the Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala, at K.B. Menon Memorial Higher Secondary School in Thrithala, Palakkad, on October 1, 2023, read an official statement.Despite heavy rains, the enthusiasm of Kudumbashree women remained undaunted. The campaign will bring 46 lakh Kudumbashree NHG members back to classrooms on holidays until 10 December 2023. The campaign is launched with the aim of strengthening the  three-tier structure of Kudumbashree and for equipping the NHG women to take up novel ventures in tune with the changing times. On the inaugural day alone, approximately 4 lakh NHG members actively participated across the state.As part of the campaign being conducted in collaboration with the General Education Department, the NHG members are coming to the schools under the respective CDSs during available holidays from October 1 to December 10, 2023, to gain knowledge on various subjects.Over 2,000 schools in the state have been sanctioned for the campaign. The campaign activities have been designed in a way reminiscent of the school days, with classes running from 9.30 AM to 4.30 PM. The Assembly is from 9.30 AM to 9.45 AM. Kudumbashree's Mudra Geetham (Anthem) will be sung during the Assembly.  The Lesson topics include Organizational Strength Experience Lessons, Vibrancy of NHG is in Mathematics, Community-Life Security Our Happiness, Livelihood-Ideas Projects and Digital Age.More than 15,000 Resource Persons are leading the classes across the state. There will be a 10-member team of Resource Persons in each district which includes 2 Kudumbashree Training team members, 2 Auxiliary Group members, 2 Micro Enterprise Consultants, District Programme Manager in charge of Organizational Strengthening, Assistant District Mission Coordinator and 2 Gender team members. There are Resource Persons in Block level as well as in the CDS level.The inaugural day of the 'Back to School' campaign was notable with the active participation of people's representatives along with collective and organized activities. District Level Inauguration programmes were organized in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts.Minister V. Sivankutty, K. N. Balagopal, Saji Cherian, V. N. Vasavan, P. Rajeev, Roshi Augustine and K. Radhakrishnan participated in the District Level Inauguration Programmes respectively. Chittayam Gopa Kumar, Deputy Speaker, Legislative Assembly participated in the Inaugural function held at Pathanamthitta District. Baby Balakrishnan, President, Kasaragod District Panchayat and C.C Divya, President, Kannur District Panchayat participated in the Inaugural functions held at Kasaragod and Kannur Districts respectively.V. Abdu Rahman inaugurated the campaign in Malappuram district, today. The campaign will start on 8 October 2023 in Kozhikode district. This is because there are restrictions in the case of Nipah. The NHG members have wholeheartedly received the campaign. (ANI)

Nashik (Maharashtra) [India], October 3 (ANI): On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Nashik Central Prison has reintroduced its 'Galabhet' program, enabling families to reunite with their incarcerated loved ones.Under this initiative, children below the age of 18 are now granted access to meet their parents behind bars. Aruna Mugutrao, the superintendent of Nashik Central Jail, revealed that an overwhelming 150-200 inmates, had submitted applications to participate in the program.She said, “This campaign is for prisoners under the age of 18. This programme received applications from 150-200 convicts.”She further announced that the initiative will be made permanent and from now onwards, the 'Galabhet' program is set to be scheduled every six months.The programme, 'Galabhet', which means 'to embrace', has facilitated the prisoners to meet their families. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 3 (ANI): Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai accused Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar of misleading the people regarding the inflow of the Cauvery water.While speaking to reporters, he said that Shivakumar had said that there had been a heavy inflow of water. However, when they got information from the authorities, they said that the inflow was around 2,000 cusecs of water. "Why is Shivakumar misleading people? Why he was speaking so lightly on this serious issue? It was not enough for the Dy CM to always talk about Brand Bangalore, but Cauvery water should be saved for Bangalore. Otherwise, it will be a 'Bad Bangalore'," he said. Asked about a distress formula, the former CM said that before 2018, there was no such situation to implement the distress formula. After the establishment of CWMA, the problem of water has now come. So, it was necessary to implement the distress formula.Further talking about the prevailing law and order situation Shivamogga Bommai said the stone palters and troublemakers have no fear for law in the incumbent Congress Government.“It is unfortunate that Home Minister Dr G Parameshwar has described the Shivamogga incident as small. Houses have been stoned in Shivamogga. A similar incident has happened in Kolar also. The government was indirectly supporting such elements. The home minister's statement has been childish. Due to this kind of attitude, the gamblers, anti-social elements, and rioters were roaming freely,” said Bommai.According to the police, a group of miscreants pelted stones at some vehicles and houses during the Eid Milad procession in the Shantinagar-Ragigudda area. (ANI) 

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 3 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that Mahatma Gandhi's dream of decentralization and reservation for women was prefaced by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Siddaramaiah was speaking at the inauguration of the 2023 Gandhi Gram Puraskar award ceremony and Swachha Sarvekshana Rural State level award distribution programme organized by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department held at the Banquet Hall, Vidhana Soudha. "Decentralization was Gandhi's dream. This is the only way democracy can succeed. He believed that the development of the country and the state would be possible through decentralization. Thus he advocated grama swaraj," Siddaramaiah said.The Chief Minister explained that Gandhi believed that the country would not develop without the development of villages."Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as per the aspirations of Mahatma Gandhi, wrote a preface for decentralization," Siddaramaiah said.He explained that it was Rajiv Gandhi who amended the Constitution for democratic decentralization and former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao implemented it.Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress government were responsible for implementing 50 per cent reservation in local bodies and panchayats, Siddaramaiah said adding that it is the Congress that has written the rationale for political reservation for women, which is now claimed to have been implemented by the central government."Now it is our insistence that reservation should be made for backward class women as well," Siddaramaiah said.Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge, Vidha Parishath Chief Whip Salim Ahmed, Chief Minister's political secretaries Nasir Ahmed, Govindaraju and other leaders and senior officers were present as well.The Chief Minister said that the government has thought of setting up village courts with the ambition that the disputes of the villages should be settled in the villages."According to Mahatma Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi's vision of village swaraj and decentralization of power, the establishment of village courts will be of great benefit to the villagers," he said.Speaking about the development of Khadi-village industries the Chief Minister assured that steps will be taken to expand the market for 'gramodyoga' products. (ANI)

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 3 (ANI): The Anti-Narcotics cell of Pune Police arrested three people and seized Mephedrone (MD) drugs worth Rs 2.14 crores on Sunday, police said.According to Crime Branch DCP Amol Zende, the accused have been identified as Subhash Mandal, Rauf Shaikh and Lalit Patil.Acting on a tip-off, the Anti-Narcotics Cell of Pune Police laid a trap in the nearby area of Sasoon Hospital on Sunday and apprehended Subhash Mandal and recovered MD drugs weighing around 1 kg 71 gm from his possession."Later in the investigation, it was revealed that Rauf Shaikh who was working at a canteen situated in Sasoon Hospital and another accused Lalit Patil who was undergoing treatment in hospital for TB and currently serving jail term in Yerwada jail also involved in drug supplies," DCP Zende added.Zende also informed that they have sought custody of inmate Lalit Patil for further investigation.Pune police have registered the case against all three accused in Bundgarden Police Station under the NDPS act. Further details are awaited. (ANI)

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 2 (ANI): Following the successful trial on the Plate Girder Bridge in Himachal's Shimla which collapsed due to floods in August, the first toy train departed after almost three months on Monday.The trains were stopped on July 7 on the Kalka-Shimla heritage line after the track was damaged at several locations in Himachal Pradesh in Solan and Shimla districts. Two trains were resumed on September 26 till Taradevi.“We did successful trials yesterday on this bridge as it collapsed on August 14. The NDRF was doing rescue operations, so we started restoration on August 26 and after completion, the first train departed to Kala today. Now the department would decide to resume all trains, the route is good to run the track and we have run the first train successfully today," Randhir Singh, Senior Section Engineer Northern Railway said.The local residents were also delighted as the train resumed after the damages caused due to the floods. The local councillor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Virendra Thakur from Summerhill ward said that it was a tough time and now this train would be easy for locals and revive the tourism business in the region."I am thankful to the Railway authorities that they have completed restoration. Over 200 people were working here to restore this railway bridge which collapsed. Now it is good that people will be able to commute by train, the roads are damaged till Dharampur, and people feel safe to travel by train which has been restored today," said Thakur."It will definitely help the tourism business in the days to come. The railways have restored the bridge but still, the electricity supply on the streets of this area needs to be restored,” he added.The first train arrived in Shimla on November 9, 1903; all the steam engine run trains used to come here until 1970, and after 1970, all trains were being run through the diesel engine.The Kalka Shimla railway line was declared UNESCO's world heritage line in 2008. It has been a great tourist attraction after these tourists would rush through this train in the hills.This first Vista Dome coach was attached to one of the regular trains in December 2018 and was started in December 2019 on a regular basis. This year, due to the rain, floods, and damages, the train was stopped on the Kalka-Shimla railway line on August 7, and finally, the toy train arrived here.On August 14, the railway bridge collapsed at Summerhill, and lines were damaged at several locations between Summerhill and Solan. After the restoration, the train was resumed until Taradevi railway station. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 2 (ANI): Amid rumours of the Karnataka government reportedly banning carpooling in Bengaluru city, Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified on Monday that there is no such ban in the city."Carpooling is not banned, it is false news. First, let them take permission. When they have not taken the permission where is the question of banning? Everyone should follow the rules and regulations," Ramalinga Reddy said in a post on 'X'.Reddy however pointed out that it is illegal to use "non-commercial private vehicles with white number plates" for carpooling purposes."It is illegal to use non-commercial private vehicles with white number plates for carpooling purposes. Commercial Vehicles with yellow number plates, can be used for carpooling by following appropriate guidelines," he added.Reacting to the reports of the alleged ban on carpooling in Bengaluru, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tejasvi Surya said that given traffic congestion in the city the state government should encourage the use of public transport."Bengaluru, like most of the other urban cities in India, faces a huge problem of traffic jams. The objective of the policymakers must be to discourage private car ownership and encourage public transport as much as possible. Carpooling is one such option where common people can come together and go to a particular destination in one vehicle, and share resources and expenses," the BJP Yuva Morcha National President said speaking at Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara."This will help decongest the city, especially during the peak hours. State government should update its redundant laws and encourage the use of public transport," Surya added.The Bengaluru South MP said the transport department is trying to enforce their policy in such a way that people will be fined Rs. 10,000 if they are carpooling."In Karnataka, the transport department is penalising people and is planning to enforce it in such a manner that if people use carpooling they would be fined Rs. 10,000. This is regressing and will contribute to more traffic jams. I demand the state government to relook at the policy propositions that they are making...," Surya added. (ANI) 

Kochi (Kerala) [India], October 2 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has launched seven mega projects for Cochin International Airport Limited, ideated to address future traffic, cargo growth, and safety upgrades.In his inaugural speech, the Chief Minister said that the public sector organizations in Kerala are an alternative to the idea of liberalization which endorses that it is not the government's responsibility to run industries that benefit the entire society or to market intervention.“This is a time when even strategic public sector institutions including airports are being privatized. The thinking behind this is that such institutions can only be run successfully in the private sector as they require huge capital investment, framing of futuristic development vision, and professionalism in management," CM Vijayan said."Behind this is the conventional idea that it is not the government's duty to run industries that benefit the entire society or intervene in the market. However, an alternative to this can be seen in public sector institutions in Kerala. The public sector in Kerala stands as a testament to the success of government-backed institutions. Here they are protected and prospering," the CM added.He said that the Kerela government took over and operated the institutions that were even slated for disinvestment by the Central Government. The best example of this alternative is the Cochin International Airport Limited, which is under the direct control of the Government of Kerala, Vijayan said.“This is the fourth mega project to be inaugurated in CIAL in the last 2 years. The three projects that were commissioned earlier - Aripara hydroelectric power plant, Payyannur solar power plant, and Business Jet Terminal are making notable strides. CIAL is an alternative that renders irrelevant the argument that only the private sector can operate airports efficiently and profitably in this ever-changing world, where new technologies are constantly being introduced,” said the Chief Minister. The projects inaugurated include the Import cargo Terminal, DigiYatra e-boarding software, Modernization of Airport Emergency Services, International Terminal Expansion: Phase 1, Golf Tourism venture, Construction of India’s biggest Aero Lounge, and the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS). The Chief Minister stated that all these projects validate CIAL’s vision of 'Flying into Tomorrow'. (ANI)