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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the enthusiastic response to the rooftop solar scheme as the number of households opting for the plan has already surpassed the 1 crore mark within the first month of its launch.

PM Modi said on X: “In about a month since it was launched, over 1 crore households have already registered themselves for the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Registrations have been pouring in from all parts of the nation. Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have seen over 5 lakh registrations. Those who haven’t registered yet should also do so at the earliest.

"This initiative promises substantial reductions in electricity expenses for households, along with ensuring energy production. It's poised to encourage Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) on a grand scale, contributing to a better planet," the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister launched the Rs 75,000 crore rooftop solar scheme on February 13 under which consumers will get free electricity of up to 300 units a month.

"From substantive subsidies, which will be given directly to people’s bank accounts, to heavily concessional bank loans, the Central Government will ensure that there is no cost burden on the people. All stakeholders will be integrated to a National Online Portal for further convenience," PM Modi announced.

The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on February 29 under to provide Central financial assistance of 60 per cent of system cost for 2 kW systems and 40 per cent of additional system cost for systems between 2 to 3 kW capacity.

The financial assistance will be capped at 3 kW. At current benchmark prices, this will mean Rs 30,000 subsidy for 1 kW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW systems and Rs 78,000 for 3 kW systems or higher.

The households will apply for subsidy through the National Portal and will be able to select a suitable vendor for installing rooftop solar.

The National Portal will assist the households in their decision-making process by providing relevant information such as appropriate system sizes, benefits calculator, vendor rating etc.

Households will be able to access collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7 per cent at present for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.

--IANS

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Jaipur, March 16 (IANS) With a total of more than 5.32 crore people, including 15 lakh voting for the first time, have registered across Rajasthan for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the state is all set to participate in the biggest-ever festival of democracy, a top electoral officer said.

This time the percentage of female voters' registration has been more than that of males, which indicates the growing role of women in shaping democracy, said Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta, adding, "More than 22.54 lakh female voters have been included in the voter lists since 2019. This is an increase of 9.7 per cent as compared to the 9.27 per cent increase in registration of male voters."

He also said that due to intensive efforts towards gender parity, the electoral roll gender ratio, too, has surged positively.

The gender ratio increases from 919 in 2019 to 923 in 2024, Gupta added.

Speaking on participation of youth in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in the state, the Chief Electoral Officer said, "More than 15 lakh youth, between the age of 18-19 years, have been added to the electoral rolls.

In 2019, total number of people between the age of 18-19 years were 12,82,118 while in 2024 they increased to 15,70,490.

The number of people belonging to the third gender has increased from 265 in 2019 to 616 in 2024.

There has been a 31.3 per cent increase in the number of differently-abled people voting since 2019, Gupta added.

A thorough house-to-house verification has been made and names of deceased, permanently shifted, and duplicate voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls. This comprehensive cleanup ensures the integrity and purity of the electoral process. It resulted in deletion of 2,65,707 voters due to death, duplicate names, shifting or absent voters during the last quarter of registrations since 2023 state Assembly elections, the Chief Electoral Officer said.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Security was stepped up at the Enforcement Directorate office on Saturday morning, a day after Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha was arrested and brought to Delhi in connection with the excise policy case.

"We have deployed additional police personnel to maintain law and order situation in the area," said a senior police official.

At the Rouse Avenue court, the probe agency will be seeking her remand for custodial interrogation.

It is anticipated that the BRS leader may be confronted with senior members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), such as Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia, who are currently under judicial custody in this matter.

Additionally, Amit Arora, a witness who purportedly confessed to the ED regarding the alleged bribery scheme related to the liquor policy, might also be brought into direct confrontation with K. Kavitha, according to sources.

K. Kavitha, the daughter of party President and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, was arrested on Friday in a money-laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case after searches at her residence in Hyderabad.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP has launched a new campaign: a song on the theme 'Main Modi ka Parivar Hun'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared this song on his X account and has captioned it: "Mera Bharat, Mera Parivaar."

This comes the very day the Election Commission will announce the dates for the upcoming general elections.

The three minutes 13 seconds long video features Prime Minister Modi interacting with several people who appear to be beneficiaries of various welfare schemes announced by the Central government. The song also shows people from all sections of society connecting with the Prime Minister through these schemes and how the nation has progressed under his leadership over the past decade.

The lyrics of the song go: "He lives in the house of my heart, always cares about me…He understands my pain and suffering, remains involved in my happiness…He is not standing alone here, I am his world…I am Modi's family."

The campaign song depicts the faith people have in Prime Minister Modi and BJP's poll mantra 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'.

The slogan 'Mera Bharat, Mera Parivaar' was coined by the Prime Minister in response to a personal remark made by an opposition leader.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, March 15 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, K.S. Eshwarappa, announced on Friday that he will contest as an Independent candidate from Shivamogga in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Eshwarappa announced this after a meeting with his supporters in Shivamogga on Friday.

B.Y. Raghavendra, the son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, is the BJP candidate from Shivamogga, while the Congress has fielded Geetha Shivarajkumar as its candidate from the seat.

Geetha Shivarajkumar is the daughter of late former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa, and the sister of state Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa. She is married to Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar.

Meanwhile, Eshwarappa said on Friday that he will contest the polls as an Independent nominee to highlight how the state BJP is under the clutches of Yediyurappa's family.

"The Hindutva activists are pained over family politics in the state," he said.

Reacting to the development, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he never 'cheated' Eshwarappa, adding that he had even told the party high command to give ticket to Eshwarappa's son K.E. Kantesh based on social justice.

Talking to reporters in Haveri, from where he is contesting, Bommai said he was not aware of the meeting convened by Eshwarappa.

"I had requested to consider Kantesh for Gadag-Haveri based on social justice. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President J.P. Nadda asked me to contest from the seat. That is why I am contesting from Haveri," Bommai said.

The senior BJP leader also said that Eshwarappa has built the party in the state of which he is a loyal soldier.

Bommai also said that he along with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi will speak to Eshwarappa.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the guidelines set out by the Calcutta High Court in connection with the dissemination of information regarding the raids and search operations conducted by the probe agency in the alleged scams in West Bengal.

At the very outset, a Bench headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the ED, that it would not pass any interim order staying the guidelines issued by the High Court.

“Mr Raju, if you want to withdraw the plea, you withdraw it. Otherwise, we will dismiss it,” added the Bench, also comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra.

Sensing the disclination of the apex court to entertain the petition, ASG Raju chose to withdraw it.

“Accordingly, without entering into the merits of the impugned order, the SLP stands dismisses as not pressed,” ordered the apex court.

Before the Calcutta High Court, Rujira Narula Banerjee, wife of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, had contended that the ED officials leak information relating to the investigation to assassinate her character and malign her family.

In its order, a bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya of the Calcutta High Court said: “The investigating agencies in general and the ED in particular should not involve or be accompanied by media persons during their raids/interrogations/search and seizure procedure, since such act on the part of the investigating agency compromises fair trial as well as privacy of the concerned individual, raising presumptions of guilt/involvement before being established in due process of law before the competent court.”

The High Court had also asked the media to not publish the photographs of the accused before the final charge sheet in the matter is filed.

--IANS

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Agartala, March 7 (IANS) Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy to the two new ministers -- Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, both from Tipra Motha Party (TMP), at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, his council of ministers, and senior civil and security officials were present at the swearing-in ceremony, held at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan.

After year-long hectic parlays and six days after signing of a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government, the opposition and the tribal-based TMP decided to join the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura adding a new twist to Tripura politics.

TMP legislator Animesh Debbarma, who was the opposition leader before becoming a cabinet minister, and lawyer turned politician Brishaketu Debbarma, took oath as minister of state and both are the new entrants in the council of ministers in Tripura.

Both the tribal leaders, who took the oath in tribal ‘Kokborok’ language, were elected to the state assembly twice.

Before taking the oath, Animesh Debbarma resigned from the post of Opposition Leader in the state assembly.

Since the BJP-led alliance assumed charge for the second consecutive term on March 8 last year, three ministerial berths are lying vacant as the total strength of the cabinet is 12.

After Wednesday’s expansion of the cabinet, one ministerial berth will remain vacant.

Another tribal-based party, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), is also an ally of the BJP-led government, and its lone MLA Sukla Charan Noatia is a Cabinet minister in charge of Cooperation, Tribal Welfare (TRP and PTG) and Welfare of Minorities Departments.

The TMP, in its maiden electoral battle in the February 16 Assembly polls held last year, had fielded 42 candidates, including 20 on the tribal reserved seats. The party had won 13 seats with a vote share of 19.69 per cent, as it highlighted its demand for 'Greater Tipraland' or a separate state for the tribals under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

After the Assembly polls, the TMP with overwhelming dominance among the tribals, became the second-largest party in the state to secure the main opposition party status.

After wresting power in the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in April 2021, the TMP intensified its agitation in support of its ‘Greater Tipraland’ demand, which has been strongly opposed by the ruling BJP, Left Front, Congress, Trinamool Congress and other parties.

The TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura's 10,491 sq km area, and is home to over 12,16,000 people, of which around 84 per cent are tribals, is, in terms of its political significance, the second most important constitutional body in the state after the Tripura Assembly.

On March 2, the TMP signed a tripartite agreement with the Center and the Tripura government 2 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and others.

According to the agreement, a Joint Working Group/Committee would be formed to work out and implement the mutually agreed issues in a time-bound manner to ensure an 'honourable' solution to tribals' demands.

“The agreement was signed amicably to resolve all the issues of the indigenous people of Tripura relating to their history, land rights, political rights, economic development, identity, culture, language etc.,” the agreement said.

--IANS

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Kanpur (UP), March 7 (IANS) A team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday began conducting raids at the residence of jailed Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Irfan Solanki in Kanpur district.

According to reports, the probe agency team is currently present at Solanki's Jajmau residence.

The residence of his brother, Arshad, is also being raided under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ED is conducting search operations at builder Haji Wasi's residence. Wasi, closely associated with Irfan Solanki, is accused in the arson attack in Kanpur in 2022, along with several other individuals of Bangladeshi origin.

Irfan Solanki has been lodged in Maharajganj jail for the past one year after being accused of land encroachment by a woman. More than a dozen cases have been filed against him.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft C-17 has airdropped an indigenously developed heavy platform that can carry a maximum load of over 22 tonnes.

An IAF official said that it was a major milestone on its path towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

"The extra long and heavy platform, indigenously developed by ADRDE and capable of carrying approximately 45,000 Lbs of load, was successfully air-dropped during trials from an IAF C-17 aircraft," the official said.

Capable of carrying multiple such platforms, combat capabilities of C-17 aircraft will be further enhanced in its varied missions to air-deliver critical loads to troops on ground.

ADRDE is the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment which is a premier defence research laboratory.

The Defence Ministry is stressing on indigenous techniques and indigenously developed modern equipment for the armed forces. It also launched 'Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI)' scheme on March 4. It is to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.

Under the scheme, startups are eligible to receive grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development, and innovation endeavours in defence technology.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, March 7 (IANS) A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team was in Karnataka's Bellary city in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast case.

The team reached the city in the early hours of Thursday, and sources said that more than 10 NIA officers in two vehicles were gathering information.

Sources also said that the alleged bomber had travelled to Tumakuru from Bengaluru after carrying out the explosion and from there he had come to Bellary city.

Another NIA team had reached a Tumakuru bus stand where the suspect was said to have been seen.

The sources said that the NIA has got information in Bellary that the accused had boarded a bus moving towards Gokarna city in coastal Karnataka from Mantralayam in Andhra Pradesh. It is suspected that the bomber was in Bhatkal town in Uttara Kannada district and may have plans of escaping to a foreign country.

The investigating agencies had earlier tracked many suspected terrorist activities in the coastal town of Bhatkal. It is suspected that the bomber is getting support from the sleeper cells to escape from the country and the NIA has intensified the probe to nab him, according to sources.

The sources also said that the bomber had come to the Sujatha Circle in Bengaluru in the heart of the city and boarded the bus for Tumakuru city. From here he had boarded another bus to Bellary city.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Bengaluru cafe blast case, on Wednesday released the photo of a man suspected of carrying out the explosion and also announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for providing information/ clues about him.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara earlier had said that the NIA has got a vital clue in connection with the blast that took place at the Rameshwaram Cafe here on March 1 in the Whitefield area.

Parameshwara further said that the case is being jointly probed by the NIA and the Special Wing of Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru Police.

--IANS

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