India

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Hours after a high-intensity earthquake jolted Myanmar, causing widespread devastation, India came to the quick rescue of the neighboring country by sending rescue teams and providing humanitarian aid to assist in evacuation efforts as well as comforting the displaced populace.

IAF aircraft and Navy vessels have been pressed into service to assist the quake-torn nation.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar took to X on Saturday to share pictures of the second tranche being sent to Myanmar.

“Indian Navy ships INS Satpura & INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and headed for the port of Yangon,” EAM Jaishankar wrote on X.

He also informed that an 80-member dedicated team of NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force) has been rushed to Myanmar to help with search and rescue operations.

Earlier in the day, India launched ‘Operation Brahma’, following the quake that has claimed more than 1,000 deaths so far and thousands injured.

About 15 tonnes of relief material reached Yangon this morning, via an Indian Air Force cargo plane.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared images of IAF C-130 J aircraft carrying the first tranche of humanitarian aid, including tents, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, essential medicines and more.

He said that India acted as a ‘First Responder’ in assisting the people of Myanmar affected by Friday’s massive earthquake.

“Our first tranche of 15 tonnes of relief material, including tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, generators, and essential medicines, has landed in Yangon,” he wrote.

“The first consignment of relief material was formally handed over to Chief Minister of Yangon U Soe Thein by Ambassador Abhay Thakur in Yangon today,” he informed in another post.

A series of powerful earthquakes rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction. Many videos of collapsing buildings surfaced on social media, gripping the netizens in fear and shock.

The devastating quake prompted many countries, including the US, to offer help to Myanmar.

--IANS

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Kolkata, March 29 (IANS) The body of an unidentified woman, suspected to be a victim of rape and murder, was recovered from a village under the Duturdaha village panchayat in the Minakhan block of Basirhat subdivision, North 24 Parganas district, on Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The woman's body was found floating in a water body within a fisheries area. When recovered, her clothes were in disarray, and multiple wounds were visible on her body.

Local residents informed the police, who retrieved the body and sent it for post-mortem examination.

The police suspect a sharp weapon may have caused the injuries. Villagers believe the condition of the body suggests sexual assault before murder.

However, authorities have not confirmed these claims.

“Whether this was a case of rape and murder or just murder will be clear only after the detailed post-mortem report is available. However, we have started our investigation and our prime task is to get to know the identity of the victim,” said a district police official.

At the same time, investigators are also determining whether the crime occurred at the site where the body was found or the crime has been committed elsewhere and thereafter the body was dumped.

Local people said that both theories are possible. “The place from where the body has been recovered is at the border of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts and this particular spot remains deserted almost throughout the day. So it is quite possible that either the victim was raped and murdered at this spot or the crime was committed elsewhere and subsequently the body was dumped there,” a local villager told newspersons.

West Bengal has witnessed several cases of rape and murder since mid 2024, including instances involving minors. One of the most shocking incidents was the rape and murder of a woman within the premises of Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in August last year.

--IANS

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Raipur, March 29 (IANS) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that the state is moving towards Maoist-free status by 2026 and also showered praise on the security forces after they eliminated 16 Maoists in an operation in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Saturday, in which two soldiers were also injured.

“Chhattisgarh’s growing steps towards eradicating the cancer of Naxalism. In an ongoing encounter between security forces and Naxals in the Upampalli area of the Kerlapal police station in Sukma district, 16 Naxals have been killed so far. It is reported that 2 DRG personnel have been injured. I pray to God for their speedy recovery,” the Chief Minister wrote on ‘X’.

The Chief Minister also expressed admiration for the bravery of the security forces, saying that in the fight to end anti-human Maoism, security forces are entering the Maoist strongholds and eradicating them from the roots.

“Certainly, this achievement of the soldiers is commendable, and I salute their bravery. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chhattisgarh is moving rapidly towards becoming Naxal-free by March 31, 2026. Under their able leadership, the nation and the state will soon be free from left-wing extremism. Bharat Mata ki Jai,” the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told IANS that security forces achieved significant success in their encounter with the Maoists in Sukma district.

“We are rapidly moving towards our goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 2026, and consistent progress is being made in this direction. Additionally, Chhattisgarh has implemented a Naxal surrender policy, which has shown positive results so far,” said the Deputy Chief Minister.

--IANS

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New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday called for nurturing and protecting the environment for the next generation, saying it is a "moral responsibility" of parents towards their children.

Inaugurating a two-day National Conference on 'Environment – 2025', the President said, "It is our moral responsibility to provide a legacy of a clean environment to the coming generations. For this, we will have to adopt an environmentally conscious and sensitive lifestyle so that the environment is not only protected but also enhanced."

She called for actions with which the environment can become more vibrant and said, "Balancing clean environment and modern development is both an opportunity and a challenge."

The President said: "We all have to make India a developed nation by 2047 with clean air, water, greenery, and prosperity that would attract the entire world community."

She highlighted that elders in every family worry about which school or college their children will study in, and what career they will choose. "This worry is justified," the President said.

"But, we all must also think about what kind of air our children will breathe, what kind of water they will get to drink, whether they will be able to hear the sweet sounds of birds or not, whether they will be able to experience the beauty of lush green forests or not," the President said.

She said that these topics have economic, social, and scientific aspects, but the most important thing is that the challenges related to all these topics also have a moral aspect.

Environmental protection and promotion will be possible only through continuous activism based on awareness and everyone's participation, she said.

The National Conference on 'Environment – 2025', organised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), aims to bring together key stakeholders to discuss pressing environmental challenges, share best practices, and collaborate on future action plans for sustainable environmental management.

The President said that the NGT has played an important role in the environmental governance of the country.

Hailing the decisive role played by the green tribunal in environmental justice or climate justice, the President said: "The historic decisions given by the NGT have a wide impact on our lives, our health, and the future of our earth."

She urged the institutions associated with the environmental management ecosystem and citizens to continuously strive for environmental protection and promotion.

The President said India has presented many exemplary examples to the world community through its green initiatives and hoped the nation would continue to play the role of a green leader.

--IANS

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Lucknow, March 29 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a corruption and conspiracy case against two officers of the Military Engineering Service (MES) in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for demanding a bribe or Rs 2.88 lakh from a manpower supplier.

Ravi Singh, Garrison Engineer (West), MES, Prayagraj, and Vimal Kumar, Assistant Garrison Engineer (Contract), were booked on the complaint of officials of Delhi-based company Rudraksh Enterprises.

The FIR was registered on Friday after the two MES officers were caught accepting the bribe.

A CBI official said the bribe was demanded from the contractor, Pawan Kumar Tiwari, whose firm had won a tender related to manpower outsourcing.

The two MES officials wanted the bribe to issue a ‘letter of acceptance’ regarding the bid won by his company, the official said.

The FIR said, “A complaint dated March 28 of Pawan Kumar Tiwari s/o Shri Lalit Kumar Tiwari (Proprietor of M/s Rudraksh Enterprises), R/o- 90, Ground Floor, Lane No. 2, Dada Dev Hospital, Vaishali Colony, South-West, Delhi, has been received.”

“It is alleged in the complaint that Ravi Singh, GE(West), MES, Prayagraj and Vimal Kumar, Assistant GE (Contract) O/o GE(West), MES, Prayagraj have demanded undue advantage of Rs. 2.88 lakh from the complainant for issuance of Letter of Acceptance in respect of Bid No. GeM/2024/B/5664427 allotted to his firm Rudraksh Enterprises,” the FIR said.

The complaint has been discreetly verified, which substantiated the allegations of demand of undue advantage of Rs. 2.88 lakhs on the part of Ravi Singh and Vimal Kumar, said the CBI FIR.

“The above-mentioned facts and discreet verification prima facie disclose commission of offence punishable under section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of BNS, 2023, and Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018),” said the FIR registered by CBI’s Lucknow Branch.

--IANS

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Saharanpur, March 29 (IANS) Congress lawmaker Imran Masood said on Saturday that not just meat shops, liquor establishments should be shut during the nine-day festival of Navratri and called for embracing and promoting the spirit of brotherhood and communal harmony.

"Everybody is demanding a ban on meat shops during Navratri. Why is no one asking for a ban on liquor shops? Why is there no outpouring on the free flow of liquor during Navratri? Will this not spoil the purity and sanctity of the festival?" Saharanpur MP said in a special interaction with IANS.

The Congress Parliamentarian said that peaceful celebration supersedes everything, and it is incumbent upon all communities to maintain decorum during festivities and also make certain sacrifices, be it Eid or Navratri.

Notably, Eid-ul-Fitr and Navratri are coinciding on the same day this year. Both festivals are set to fall on Monday, with little possibility of change in the Eid schedule on account of moon sighting.

Days ago, the Congress MP also extended support to the demands of a meat ban during Navratri celebrations. In an apparent message to the Muslim community, he said that nothing would change if one did not eat meat for ten days.

"What matters above everything is the peaceful co-existence of communities. At no point in time, the differences over food preferences lead to communal strife," Masood told newspersons.

Congress MP, when asked questions on the party's strategy for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, said that the Opposition is fully prepared to take on the Centre on "partisan legislation".

"We opposed the amendments in the JPC meeting, tooth and nail. We will strongly voice our dissent in Parliament too," he said.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Waqf Bill will not be delayed any further and will be reintroduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.

Only four working days of the Budget Session are left, as it concludes on April 4.

--IANS

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Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) The Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs 13.46 crore for a memorial in honour of Ashok Chakra awardee Tukaram Omble, the Mumbai police officer who captured 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab. The memorial will be constructed in his native village, Kedambe, in Satara district, an official said on Saturday.

Omble, a sub-inspector with the Mumbai Police, made the ultimate sacrifice while executing his senior officers’ order to capture Kasab alive. He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award.

An official circular issued by the state government said that the issue of disbursing funds for the construction of the said memorial was under consideration and it was decided to provide Rs 13.46 crore.

The first instalment for the purpose will be Rs 2.70 crore or 20 per cent of the approved amount of Rs 13.46 crore, it said.

The budgetary provision for the 26/11 hero’s memorial was made under the ‘Establishment of Memorials of Great Personalities in Rural Areas’ Scheme, said the circular.

The ASI was unarmed when he heroically held onto terrorist Ajmal Kasab's rifle, ensuring his arrest, even as he was shot and killed in the process.

On November 26, 2008, Kasab and his accomplice hijacked a vehicle and drove towards a checkpoint guarded by Omble and his team. The two terrorists opened fire at the police team and one of them was killed inside the vehicle.

Kasab, who survived the shootout, stepped out of the vehicle to surrender. But when Omble approached him, Kasab got up and opened fire. Omble stood in front of him and held on to the barrel of Kasab's rifle, which prevented the terrorist from targeting other policemen. Omble died in action, but his colleagues managed to overpower Kasab, whose capture and subsequent testimony helped the country expose the Pakistani conspiracy behind the attack.

Omble was awarded the Ashoka Chakra on January 26, 2009. Kasab was hanged to death on November 21, 2012.

The Indian government is trying to bring from the US 26/11 suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani origin businessman, who has been convicted for his role in the attack that resulted in the death of 164 people.

--IANS

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Aizawl, March 29 (IANS) A fresh outbreak of African Swine Fever (AFS) has killed over 510 pigs in Mizoram, officials said on Saturday.

An official from Mizoram's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) said that over 510 pigs died due to the ASF during the past two weeks in 13 villages and localities in two Mizoram districts -- Lawngtlai and Mamit.

Two teams of AHVD have culled around 100 pigs and piglets in the two districts so far.

The fresh outbreak was confirmed on March 20 through tests in the Northeast Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) in Guwahati.

According to the officials, earlier this month, the fresh outbreak of ASF hit Lawngtlai district, which shares unfenced international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Pig fatalities were also reported from the Mamit district, which shares an interstate boundary with Tripura and international frontiers with Bangladesh.

The state government is monitoring the situation closely, as efforts are being made to curb the spread of the deadly disease in the unaffected areas.

Last year, Mizoram suffered a loss of Rs 336.49 crore due to the outbreak of ASF, which left 15,000 pigs dead while around 24,200 pigs were culled to prevent the spread of the disease.

According to AHVD officials, over 15,000 pigs died while over 24,200 pigs were culled till December 31 (2024) after the outbreak of the ASF on February 9 last year.

The outbreak of the contagious disease started in mid-March 2021, and since then, the ASF has caused huge losses to the farmers and government farms.

In 2021, around 33,417 pigs and piglets died, and 12,568 were culled due to infectious disease, while in 2022, at least 12,795 pigs and piglets died and 11,686 were culled, and in 2023, 1,139 pigs and piglets died and 980 were culled.

In 2024, the first ASF case was reported on February 9 in Leithum village in Champhai district, which shares unfenced borders with Myanmar.

The northeastern state, which shares unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, has incurred financial losses of Rs 896.69 crore due to the disease since 2021.

"In view of the death and culling of pigs and piglets due to the ASF outbreak, Mizoram suffered a loss of Rs 334.14 crore in 2021, Rs 210.32 crore in 2022 and Rs 15.77 crore in 2023," an AHVD official told IANS.

The government has provided compensation to several hundred families for the loss of pigs due to the highly communicable disease, she said.

The ASF, which, however, does not affect humans, is a highly infectious disease among pigs and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate.

According to experts, the outbreak of ASF may have been caused by pigs or pork brought from neighbouring Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the adjoining states of the northeast.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.

Pork is one of the most common and popular meats consumed by both the tribals and non-tribals in the northeastern region.

With heavy demand for pork in the northeast region, its annual business is worth around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore, with Assam being the largest supplier.

--IANS

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Kolkata, March 29 (IANS) Following the devastating earthquake in Myanmar in which over 1,000 people have been killed, India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been placed on high alert. To oversee the preparedness, IPS Piyush Anand, the Director General (DG) of NDRF, is currently in Kolkata. He affirmed that NDRF teams are ready to assist Myanmar in coping with the disaster.

Addressing the media, DG Piyush Anand stated, "We all know that there has been an earthquake of a very high magnitude in Myanmar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has immediately committed that India is ready to help."

He added, "From our side, material assistance has already been sent and there are other things which are yet to happen and preparations are going on for that."

"I will just say that our teams are ready, we will go from here and try to provide more help there, so that we can respond there and provide relief to them and save some lives. The NDRF vows to support Myanmar to help them deal with the earthquake's impact," Anand added.

"Look, we have activated our entire resources and sent a 80-member team. Whenever a team goes, whatever the government requests us to do, we do that. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already said that he is ready to help Myanmar to the fullest extent. Now it remains to be seen what the Myanmar government is requesting from us, we are ready to provide every possible help," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar posted photos of the NDRF team sent to Myanmar with the hashtag 'Operation Brahma', stating, "80-member strong @NDRFHQ search & rescue team departs for Nay Pyi Taw. They will assist in the rescue operations in Myanmar."

Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand experienced a high-intensity earthquake on Friday, resulting in the destruction of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure. Reports indicate that more than 1,000 people have been killed in Myanmar and the number is expected to go up further as aftershocks continue to rock the region.

India had previously deployed NDRF teams abroad during the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2023 Turkey earthquake.

On Saturday, India sent approximately 15 tonnes of relief material to Yangon, Myanmar, via an Indian Air Force C130J military transport aircraft.

PM Modi expressed concern over the devastating earthquake on Friday, affirming that India stands ready to provide all possible assistance to both affected countries.

--IANS

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Thiruvananthapuram, March 29 (IANS) The highly anticipated Mohanlal film Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj, has come under sharp criticism from Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece. However, the Kerala unit of the BJP has distanced itself from the controversy, maintaining that it is just a film.

An article in Organiser claimed that Empuraan is not merely entertainment but a vehicle for pushing an "age-old political agenda."

It stated, "The film was widely marketed as a pan-India movie. Empuraan delves into the sensitive subject of the post-Godhra riots, but it does so with a clear and alarming bias. Rather than focusing on historical events, the film uses the backdrop of the 2002 post-Godhra riots to push a divisive, anti-Hindu narrative that poses a serious threat to societal harmony."

The article also criticises both Prithviraj and Mohanlal. Regarding Prithviraj, it alleges, "This overt political commentary is not disguised as fiction or creative liberty -- it is blatant and unambiguous. By portraying the BJP as a destabilising force and Hindu nationalism as inherently dangerous, Empuraan contributes to the current political rhetoric, deepening divisions in an already polarised country. This portrayal risks inciting further social unrest and resentment among communities."

Regarding Mohanlal, it states, "For fans who have admired him for his acting skills and portrayals of unity, seeing him endorse a project that targets one community so explicitly is heartbreaking. It is essential that the public, especially the millions who admire Mohanlal, critically engage with the content of the film and recognise its political overtones. Only then can we ensure that cinema remains a space for entertainment, not for furthering ideological divides."

However, newly appointed Kerala BJP state president and former MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismissed the controversy.

Speaking in Delhi on Saturday, he stated that he did not wish to comment, adding, "A film should be seen as a film." He blamed the media for spreading baseless reports and denied any BJP decision to boycott the film.

Kerala’s Union Minister of State for Fisheries, George Kurien, also downplayed the issue. Speaking to the media on Saturday, he remarked that Mohanlal started his career as a villain and has come a long way. "Everyone knows how PM Modi was seen in 2000 and where he is now," he added.

When asked about the controversy, actor-turned-Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi simply responded, "I have nothing to say on it."

However, BJP National Council member C. Reghunath took a stronger stance, demanding that Mohanlal be stripped of his honourary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.

"He has no business portraying the country’s rulers in a negative light. No one will believe that Mohanlal was unaware that the film paints those in power in a poor light. The Censor Board has also erred in its decision. Moreover, a probe should be launched to determine if foreign funds were used to finance this film. I will approach the court to revoke Mohanlal’s honourary rank," he said.

The film has received a mixed response so far. Producers are now concerned about whether the controversy will impact box office collections, as reports have emerged that some pre-booked tickets have been cancelled.

--IANS

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