India

Visakhapatnam, April 13 (IANS) Eight persons were killed and six others injured in an explosion in a firecrackers unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district on Sunday.

The incident occurred at Kailasapatnam in Kotlavuratla Mandal, police said.

The firecrackers unit was completely gutted in the fire, triggered by an explosion. Fourteen workers were working in the unit at the time of the explosion.

Eight persons died on the spot, and their bodies were found shattered at the blast site. Some of the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

Locals rushed to the scene upon hearing the blast and shifted the injured to a local hospital. They were later taken to King George Hospital at Visakhapatnam. The condition of two of them is stated to be critical.

Local police, along with emergency services, fire tenders, rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

Home Minister V. Anitha, who visited the accident site, said eight persons, including two women, died in the accident.

The deceased have been identified as Appikonda Tatababu (50), S. Govind (40), Devara Nirmala (38), P. Papa (40), G. Venubabu (34), D. Ramalaxmi (35), Hemanth (20), S. Baburao (55). Five of the deceased were local residents while the remaining had migrated from other villages in the district.

The Home Minister announced Rs 15 lakh compensation each for the deceased. She spoke to locals and the senior officials.

Anitha asked officials to ensure the best possible treatment to the injured. She ordered a probe into the incident. She said action would be taken against those found guilty.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh expressed shock over the incident.

The Chief Minister spoke to the Home Minister, District Collector and Superintendent of Police and enquired about the incident.

District Collector Vijayakrishnan said the investigation was on to ascertain the cause of the blast. He called on the families of the victims and consoled them.

The bodies of the deceased were shifted to hospitals at Anakapalli and Narsipatnam.

--IANS

ms/uk

Kolkata, April 13 (IANS) A 21-year-old youth, missing from Bhagalpur district of Bihar for over 15 years now, was reunited with his mother by authorities in West Bengal through the efforts of amateur radio operators.

In 2019, the police rescued an injured youth from close to the toll plaza in Dhulagarh, Howrah, and got him admitted to the district hospital. While his injuries healed, doctors realised that he had lost his memory due to the trauma.

The youth spent the next six years at the hospital.

Doctors say that he would only smile when asked any question about his past. Finally, they got in touch with the West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) - an organisation of amateur radio operators or HAMs - that has been using its vast network across the country to reunite such people with their families.

"We collected the youth's photograph and sent it to our friends in other states. Soon, we were able to trace his home in the Deuri Maheshpur village of Bhagalpur, Bihar. His mother Jhaji Devi is the only one living there now. Her mentally challenged elder son wandered away from home over 20 years ago. Her husband was killed in a lightning strike while working in the fields. After her husband's death, Jhaji Devi would take her younger son Sagar with her when she went to work in the fields," said Ambarish Nag Biswas, secretary, WBRC.

One evening, nearly 15 years ago, she was returning home from work with little Sagar following. When she reached home, the boy was nowhere to be found. Nobody has any idea as to where he was for the next 10 years and how he ended up at Dhulagarh, over 600 km away from home.

"The saddest part was the attitude of other villagers. They claimed that Sagar had died and the village was being tormented by his ghost. Finally, she was forced to travel to Gaya, nearly 10 years ago, and do 'Pind Daan' for the departed souls of her husband and younger son. She was overjoyed when we showed her the photograph of her son. Sagar, who doesn't even remember the name of the state where he belongs, broke down and wept like a child on seeing his mother on a video call. The headwoman of the village then intervened and helped Jhaji Devi reach Howrah to meet her son. Both of them are now back home," Nag Biswas said.

--IANS

jayanta/pgh

Aizawl/Shillong/Kohima, April 13 (IANS) Northeastern states, especially Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland, celebrated Palm Sunday with religious fervour, to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem ahead of his crucifixion.

Palm Sunday processions are held in the morning in various parts of the northeastern states. People came out to the streets in towns and villages carrying palm leaves, chanting ‘Hosanna’ and singing songs to celebrate Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry to the holy city.

The processions held by respective churches were also joined by some adults.

Special prayer services were held at churches of different Christian denominations in the region. Special teas were served by churches as part of the celebrations.

In Mizoram, Palm Sunday, which is known as ‘Tumkau Ni’ in Mizo, was celebrated across the state with solemnity and religious fervour.

Special church services were held, and Palm Sunday processions were taken out in different parts of the state.

Believers of the Christian faith observed Palm Sunday, commemorating the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem as King of Israel. The Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday.

Signifying the importance of Palm Sunday, a large number of believers took out a procession on the roads in different parts of the state, chanting ‘Hosanna’.

The Palm Sunday processions were held at an early hour of the day with people holding palm leaves signifying the spirit of the Christian faith.

Palm Sunday services were held in Churches in all parts of Mizoram.

Meanwhile, taking to his official X handle, Nagaland Chief Minister said: “Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem; a powerful symbol of peace, love, and sacrifice. As we begin Holy Week, may His grace inspire us, His example guide us, and our hearts be renewed with hope, purpose, and peace. Wishing everyone a blessed Palm Sunday.”

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma also greeted the people on the occasion.

“Wishing everyone a blessing on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, celebrating Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Let us reflect on peace, humility, and the journey toward Easter. Let us also remind ourselves of Jesus’ sacrifice, miracles, humility and His undying love,” Sangma said.

Over six million Christians live in Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, while there are a significant number of Christians in the other northeastern states.

--IANS

sc/dan

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Several Union government websites have started using web addresses in Hindi -- a major step forward in making the internet more inclusive for Indian language users.

This move follows years of effort under the Universal Acceptance (UA) initiative, which aims to make the internet accessible in languages other than English.

A key part of this initiative includes the use of Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs), which allow website addresses and email IDs to be created in regional languages.

For example, the Ministry of Home Affairs now uses the Hindi web address गृहमंत्रालय.सरकार.भारत. This URL is a Hindi version of the ministry’s older English website address, mha.gov.in.

Both the English and Hindi versions of the website can now be accessed from this new address.

The Hindi address replaces the standard English country code domain “.in” with a Hindi-language version “.भारत”.

Other Indian language equivalents, such as .இந்தியா for Tamil, are also available under this system.

For a long time, the domain name system (DNS) could only handle English characters due to early computer coding standards based on ASCII, which is mainly limited to English letters.

This made it difficult to create websites or email addresses in other languages. But since the 1980s, researchers have been working on ways to support non-English characters online.

Today, most web browsers and email services do support IDNs, although they rely on a system called ‘Punycode’ to make it work behind the scenes.

This means the browser reads a converted, code-like version of the address, but the user sees the name in their language.

However, while many websites in India are available in local languages, their web addresses still use English letters.

The Indian government has been trying to promote the use of domain names like .भारत in multiple Indian languages.

Several government bodies have taken the lead in this area. Ministries like the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) have added Hindi versions of their web addresses.

NIXI, which manages the .in domain and other Indian language domains, also runs a platform called Bhashanet to help government agencies adopt IDNs.

--IANS

pk/dan

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Sunday reiterated that there is an ongoing power struggle for control within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) between Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, with both trying to outdo the other by raising frivolous issues.

He stated that on Saturday, former Chief Minister Atishi made a derogatory post on the social media platform X, targeting current Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her husband, to which our party gave a strong rebuttal.

Sachdeva stated that along with himself, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and the BJP’s media head condemned Atishi’s post and raised questions regarding former CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and journalist Bhupendra Chaubey's roles during the AAP government.

He asked, “Is it not true that during the Kejriwal government, officials were instructed to refer to his wife as ‘Madam CM’?”

Sachdeva said following his questions, Atishi failed to respond and, according to information, flew out of the country.

The Delhi BJP President expressed surprise that Bharadwaj, Delhi AAP chief, has come forward with similar baseless questions, which Atishi raised over Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her husband.

Sachdeva reiterated that CM Gupta has won the hearts of Delhi’s citizens through her service and hard work, having progressed from being Delhi University Student Union Secretary and President, to being elected as a municipal councillor from Pitampura three times, and now holding the post of Chief Minister.

He emphasised that it is normal for family members of elected representatives and senior party officials to meet and discuss matters to resolve daily issues faced by the public.

Sachdeva questioned how AAP’s Delhi chief, who is now raising concerns about CM’s husband meeting with officials, has nothing to say about their leader Kejriwal making the wife of Minister Jitender Tomar, who was caught in a fake degree scam, contest elections and become an MLA?

He said that the BJP would prefer Kejriwal, Atishi and Bharadwaj to respond to the question: Is it not true that during the Kejriwal government, officials referred to his wife as “Madam CM” in official files?

“If not, why did Mr. Kejriwal never take action against the officers who wrote 'Madam CM' in government files?” he asked.

He also sought answers on why journalist Bhupendra Chaubey was constantly seen around Atishi's office or residence when she was the CM. Are the two related?

Sachdeva concluded by saying that while we believe politics should be a means to serve the people, it is unfortunate that even while in power, AAP leaders limited politics to blame games.

Now, even in opposition, they continue to degrade the level of political discourse, he said.

--IANS

rch/uk

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) India and Germany reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovation during a high-level meeting on Sunday between Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Minister-President of the German State of Bavaria, Markus Soder.

A one-on-one bilateral meeting between the two leaders, was followed by high-level delegation level talks led by the two Ministers.

Welcoming the German delegation, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised the potential for bilateral cooperation in priority areas including Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Biotechnology, Clean Energy, Electric Mobility, Cyber-Physical Systems, and Green Hydrogen.

"India has embarked on mission-mode programmes under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We seek economic and sustainable solutions through scientific and technological interventions, and Germany is a natural partner in this endeavour,” Minister of State (independent charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said.

He applauded the Indo-German 2+2 collaboration model involving joint efforts between academia and industry from both countries, calling it a landmark step toward creating future-ready, innovation-driven ecosystems.

"The 2+2 collaboration is a futuristic model. It brings together universities and industries from both countries to solve global challenges through innovation, co-development, and commercialization,” the minister said.

Singh spotlighted India's remarkable progress in the biotech sector, boasting over 3000 startups and leading globally as the largest vaccine manufacturer. He noted the significance of the recently approved BIOe3 policy, which focuses on Energy, Economy, and Employment to drive the next wave of biotech innovation.

He outlined India's emergence as a biotech powerhouse with over 3000 startups and the recent launch of the BIOe3 policy, aimed at driving Energy, Economy, and Employment through biotech innovation.

The Science and Technology Minister stated that India’s Space-Tech and Nuclear sectors, now open to private players, offer tremendous collaborative opportunities. He further stated that India ranks 3rd globally in startups and unicorns, making it a vibrant destination for tech partnerships.

“India's academic outreach to Germany continues to deepen, with over 50,000 Indian students enrolled in German universities—mostly in STEM disciplines—a number that has tripled in the last seven years”, Jitendra Singh said.

He called for a reciprocal increase in German students studying in India, particularly in the areas of Oriental Studies, Indian Culture, and Traditional Knowledge Systems.

“Germany has emerged as a favoured academic destination for Indian youth. Now we hope to see more German students exploring India’s intellectual heritage and scientific capabilities,” he said.

The German side was represented by Dr. Markus Soder, along with Dr. Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador to India, and other senior delegates. From the Indian side, Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST); Dr. Praveen Somasundaram, Head of International Cooperation, and Dr. Alka Sharma, Senior Advisor, Department of Biotechnology, also participated in the deliberations.

--IANS

sps/pgh

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) BJP leader Amit Malviya on Sunday lashed out at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s policies and the ruling Congress in Karnataka for burdening citizens with hefty utility bills and hiking water and sewerage charges.

In a social media post headlined “Another day, another price hike in Karnataka,” Malviya blamed the financially straining freebies promised by the ruling party before Assembly elections for the forced hike in utility charges.

“Karnataka is paying the price for Rahul Gandhi’s ‘khata khat’ model,” said Malviya, in-charge of the BJP's National Information and Technology Department, attaching a news article on the proposed hike in water charges in Bengaluru.

The news item cited by Malviya in his post highlights that Bengaluru’s water bills will go up by at least 32 per cent from May, and sewerage charges may also be hiked.

Citing figures to show that inflation in Karnataka was above the national average, the BJP leader sought to link the freebies to the financial mismanagement by saying, “That’s what happens when a party makes unrealistic promises.”

The post said, “Data released by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation show that in February 2025, inflation based on the Consumer Price Index was 4.49 per cent in Karnataka, above the national average of 3.61 per cent.”

Malviya’s fresh attack on the state government comes close to the Karnataka BJP holding an overnight protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru earlier this month against a series of price hikes and the Congress government's decision to provide 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government tenders.

The protest witnessed the participation of several senior BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister and BJP Parliamentary Board member B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former Dy CM Ashwath Narayan, senior leaders C.T. Ravi and B. Sriramulu, BJP Legislative Council Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, former ministers, MLAs, MLCs, defeated candidates, district BJP presidents, and key office-bearers.

The BJP leaders displayed milk cans with slogans against the Congress-led government. The party also released the charge sheet against the ruling party in the form of a five-page booklet.

The leaders displayed posters against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The posters condemning the government over the Muslim quota in government tenders were also displayed by MLAs and leaders.

BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, stating that it is a regime that guarantees price hikes.

"They advertise themselves as a government that delivers on its promises, but this is not a humane government,” he said.

Vijayendra urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step out of his air-conditioned office. "You are not just the Chief Minister of Bengaluru. Travel across the state with your ministers to districts like Raichur, Koppal, and Belagavi," he demanded.

He further pointed out that the prices of seeds have increased and questioned whether people were happy under the Congress government.

"Women receive Rs 2,000 and free electricity under various schemes, but these promises have not been properly implemented. This government is only burdening the people with price hikes," he alleged.

Vijayendra criticised the government for increasing prices on essential goods. "Poor people, farmers, and the common man are struggling to survive. Petrol, diesel, milk, and even government hospital fees have gone up. Just yesterday, diesel prices were hiked by Rs 2, which will further increase the prices of essential commodities," he said.

--IANS

rch/uk

Jammu, April 13 (IANS) J&K Chief Secretary (CS) on Sunday asked the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to monitor the growth indicators of children, while reviewing the impact and reach of several beneficiary-oriented schemes being run by the department.

An official said that during a comprehensive review of the schemes, the Chief Secretary took stock of the achievements and ongoing initiatives aimed at bolstering child development, nutrition and welfare of marginal sections of the society.

He said that CS had a specific review of schemes tailored for the empowerment of specially-abled, widows, old-aged persons and reserved categories of the society.

The CS also took appraisal of the efficiency of the legal framework aimed at ensuring social justice, protection and welfare of vulnerable groups.

He further impressed upon the department to enhance the capacity of the staff to impart quality education to the children enrolled in Anganwadi Centers as envisaged under NEP-2020.

He also enjoined upon them to extend different pre/post-matric scholarships to the students of marginalised communities to give them access to modern education, thereby empowering the communities in the real sense.

He asked the concerned department to monitor the growth indicators of both the young children and adolescent girls in all the AWCs, and directed them to make special interventions to provide them with supplementary nutrition on the recommendations of medical practitioners.

Presenting an overview of the functioning of the department, Commissioner Secretary, SWD, laid out that during 2024-25, funds to the tune of Rs 2,496.25 crore were available under different schemes against which an expenditure of Rs 2,147.24 crore (86 per cent utilisation) was made.

For the year 2025–26, a budget allocation of Rs 4,361.14 crore (68 per cent increase from 2024–25) was made in favour of the department, he added.

He added that scholarships for minorities, SCs and OBCs are being given by the department, besides providing prosthetic aids (ALIMCO) as a support for persons with disabilities.

He added that the financial support for girl children and marriage assistance for economically weaker sections is being given by the department under the Ladli Beti Scheme.

He pointed out that the department also ensures pensions and scholarships for the militancy-affected families, adding that the meeting was informed that the department runs Pahari hostels for the tribal communities along with proactive enforcement of more than 14 social justice laws in the length and breadth of J&K.

He said that the department manages 28,183 Anganwadi Centers, of these, the department had upgraded 136 AWCs into ‘Saksham Anganwadis’ with modern facilities during 2023-24.

--IANS

zi/dan

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in paying tributes to Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his 135th birth anniversary at Prerna Sthal in Parliament House lawns on Monday, an official said.

The event to honour the father of the Indian Constitution will be organised by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF), on behalf of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The Ministry, in a statement, said the celebrations will begin with a floral tribute ceremony to Babasaheb Ambedkar by esteemed dignitaries including President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, other Ministers, Parliamentarians and guests including scholars, students, and members of the public. The event will be open to public up to Noon.

Special bus services have been arranged by the DAF for the public to visit to Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial (DANM) to pay their respect to the leader. Mahaparinirvan Bhoomi, the Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial (DANM), is located at 26, Alipur Road, New Delhi.

The Dr. Ambedkar Foundation was constituted to disseminate the message and ideologies of Babasaheb. In 1991, a committee was constituted for Centenary Celebration of Dr Ambedkar.

It was headed by the then Prime Minister.

This committee decided to set up Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF).

On March 24, 1992, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF), an autonomous body was established under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, to disperse programmes and activities for furthering the visions and thoughts of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar on a pan-Indian scale.

The Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial (DANM) is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the life, work, and contributions of Dr Ambedkar, who was a renowned social reformer, orator, prolific writer, historian, jurist, anthropologist, and politician.

The DANM museum houses a collection of personal belongings, photographs, letters, and documents related to Dr. Ambedkar's life, including his education, social reform movements, and political career.

There are also audio-visual exhibits to showcase his speeches and interviews.

--IANS

rch/pgh

Srinagar, April 13 (IANS) Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Sunday denied any involvement in a land compensation case, terming it ‘April Fool’s joke’, adding that the allegations are ‘baseless and politically motivated’.

The case, connected to a two-decade-old land acquisition process in the Bemina-Durbal area, came to light through a chargesheet filed by Anti Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) that also names Ruhullah Mehdi among the alleged beneficiaries.

“I am the third in line of inheritance. I had no involvement in any negotiation or decision-making related to the land. I was neither summoned nor questioned by ACB or any government agency over the years. I came to know about the chargesheet the day it was filed, just like everyone else,” said Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi while addressing a press conference.

He reiterated that the land in question originally belonged to his grandfather, the late Agha Sahib and that compensation was awarded legally to all heirs, including his family.

He said that the land was acquired by the government in the early 2000s for the rehabilitation of Dal Lake dwellers, adding that the compensation was determined based on possession and agricultural usage, citing cabinet decisions and official surveys that legally justified the process.

“Thousands of kanals in that area were acquired and compensated similarly. If this is being projected as a multi-crore scam, then I invite the highest investigation. Bring in the ACB, or even the NIA, if needed. This feels like an April Fool’s joke, just delayed till April 13,” he said, adding that the move aims to suppress his outspoken criticism of the revocation of Article 370 and ongoing human rights issues in the region.

He said his share of compensation was just Rs 80,000, received nearly 20 years ago.

Expanding on the political backdrop, Ruhullah Mehdi accused the Union government of marginalising minorities and misusing legal institutions to stifle dissent.

“You cannot silence me with fabricated cases. If you want me to stop speaking, then restore Article 370, uphold minority rights, and return dignity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the firebrand MP from Kashmir Valley added.

He also spoke about non-communication from his party, the National Conference (NC), saying that nobody from the party leadership contacted him after the report about the ACB chargesheet against him became public.

--IANS

sq/dan