Author: Arita Banerjee

Atmanirbharta in defence seems to be attainable more than ever as India over achieves its target of utilizing 64% of defence capital acquisition budget on Indigenous procurements. “At the end of FY 2021-22, the MoD has been able to overachieve this target and has utilised 65.50 per cent of the Capital Acquisition Budget on indigenous procurements through Indian Industry to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’,” the defence Ministry said in a press release confirming the feat.   Defence procurement refers to the acquisition of defence equipment, systems and platforms which is undertaken by the Ministry of defence, for…

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The Northern and central main lands in India are grappling with the intense heatwave. India recorded the hottest March in 122 years and April too recorded historic highs in different regions across India. On 9th April, Delhi recorded the hottest day in five years with the temperature reaching 42.4 ºC.  According to a statement by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the average maximum temperature in March 2022 touched the record-breaking mark of 33.10 ºC. The earlier high of 33.09 ºC was recorded in 2010. The average monthly mean temperature of 26.67 ºC is the second warmest since 1901 (The warmest year…

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Politics in the cold desert of Ladakh is experiencing warm currents. The recent trigger is a notification issued by the administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, which has announced a compulsory government service policy for students being admitted under the reservation quota. An attempt to secure admission under ST quota, Ladakh union territory quota or any other quota, would imply medical students to sign a bond confirming post education services in Ladakh, i.e. five years for MBBS students and three years for BDS students. In case of non compliance, an MBBS and BDS student would have to pay Rs 50…

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Rainfalls in hilly terrains aren’t merely about disruption of routine life caused by loss of life, livelihood and critical infrastructure. At times they trigger diversion of natural river course, threat of which is often underscored. Apart from spelling the havoc for anything and everything in region, the recent spell of massive rainfall which lasted for 3 consecutive days in Uttarakahand induced diversion in the natural course of 4 rivers of Kumaon division in Uttarakhand, namely Nandhaur, Gaula, Kosi, Dabka. Rohit Joshi, Additional Assistant Engineer, Irrigation department, Haldwani division tells The Voices “Haldwani’s Nandhaur river, which flows for 125 Kms between…

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 Torrential downpour in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand for three consecutive days has led to heavy loss of lives, livestock and property, even as disaster response teams struggle to rescue people from flooded areas and recover the dead. The death toll stood at 64 on Thursday.Agencies report that Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced relief of Rs.4 lakh for the family of the deceased and Rs. 1.9 lakh for those who lost their houses.Heavy rainfall began on October 17, 2021 causing landslides and house collapse in several areas. Crops standing on several hectares of land were destroyed, as were roads…

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हिमाचल के तर्ज पर उत्तराखंड भू कानून की मांग को लेकर सोशल मीडिया पर चल रहा आंदोलन चर्चाओं में है। आंदोलन की अनुगूंज राजनीतिक गलियारों में भी सुनाई पड़ने लगी है। जहाँ एक ओर मुख्य विपक्षी पार्टी कांग्रेस, उत्तराखण्ड वाम दल, आम आदमी पार्टी भू कानून सुधार की मांग का पुरज़ोर समर्थन कर चुके हैं वहीँ सत्ताधारी भारतीय जनता पार्टी में इस मुद्दे पर एक आम राय नहीं बन पायी है। हाल ही में भाजपा के पूर्व प्रदेश मीडिया प्रभारी अजय अजेंद्र ने इस संबंध में एक विशेषज्ञ समिति बनाये जाने की मांग की। राजनीतिक विश्लेषकों के अनुसार आगामी विधानसभा…

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A delayed Foot over Bridge (FoB) Project over a railway line in Govind Nagar, Moradabad (UP) has hit the pace of daily life for locals. It won’t be hyperbolic to say that commuters have been risking life to complete their daily business.   The work of the FoB has been stalled due to a range of reasons. Since the groundbreaking ceremony in 2018, the progress of the bridge was hampered by reasons such as shifting of electrical poles and transformer, boundary wall disputes etc. And now the COVID-19 Pandemic has significantly impacted the pace of the completion of the project.   The very…

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    Tussle between Government and MCD, forces people to live in unhygenic conditions  A tussle between authorities has put the Dil of Delhiwalon ki at stake. Heaps of Garbage continues to pile up as the strike of cleanliness workers continues in pockets of national capital due to their unpaid salaries. Class-IV employees of Municipal corporation have halted cleanliness operations as their salaries of about six to eight months has not been released by civic bodies.   Public anger on the issue is clearly visible. With streets littered like never before and sewer lines choked with garbage, Delhi seems to be grappling with hygiene crisis. The chances…

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All that glitters isn’t merely gold. For Brass has been inspiring fortunes with its shimmer for the City of Moradabad since ages. With over 75% of the population dependent on the metal work, ‘Peetal Nagari’ or the Brass City of India – Moradabad has carved a niche of its own through its fine craftsmanship of utility and decorative brassware. Reports reveal that industry generates the revenue of 15000 Crore within which export incomes stands at 10000 Crore. An Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) report traces USA, Germany and UK as the major export destinations for the brassware artifacts from…

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