
Amit Shah hails cabinet decisions on agri scheme, enhancement of NTPC's investment limit
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.
"Today is a very significant day for the country's agricultural sector. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, the Union Cabinet has today approved the 'Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana'," Shah wrote on X.
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Indian Express
a few seconds ago
- Indian Express
PM Modi talks of Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Tamil Nadu: What is this initiative, who benefits
During his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the country's railway infrastructure has entered a new era of modernisation. While addressing a public rally in Thoothukudi on Saturday (July 26), Modi said, 'Tamil Nadu is a major center of the modernisation campaign of railway infrastructure. Our government is redeveloping 77 stations in Tamil Nadu under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.' Launched in 2022, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) aims at development and upgradation of stations over the Indian Railways network. The ABSS has a long-term vision that involves creating master plans, promoting multimodal connectivity, better station accessibility for passengers, etc. The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was launched to make railway stations cleaner, more comfortable and future-ready. After the revamp, the railway stations are supposed to have better circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lifts, escalators, free Wi-Fi, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc. These facilities are to be developed keeping in view the necessity at each station. How many railway stations are covered under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme? The Ministry of Railways is executing the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in a phased manner. Under the ABSS, over 1,300 stations have been identified for development. In May, PM Modi inaugurated 103 redeveloped railway stations, situated in 86 districts across 18 states and Union Territories. These stations have been developed at a cost of over Rs 1,100 crore. Redeveloped railway stations These railway stations have been covered under phase-I of the project: Andhra Pradesh: Sullurupeta Assam: Haibargaon Bihar: Pirpainti, Thawe Chhattisgarh: Dongargarh, Bhanupratappur, Bhilai, Urkura, Ambikapur Gujarat: Samakhiali, Morbi, Hapa, Jam Wanthali, Kanalus Junction, Okha, Mithapur, Rajula Junction, Sihor Junction, Palitana, Mahuva, Jam Jodhpur, Limbdi, Derol, Karamsad, Utran, Kosamba Junction, Dakor Haryana: Mandi Dabwali Himachal Pradesh: Baijnath Paprola Jharkhand: Sankarpur, Rajmahal, Govindpur Road Karnataka: Munirabad, Bagalkot, Gadag, Gokak Road, Dharwad Kerala: Vadakara, Chirayinkeezh Madhya Pradesh: Shajapur, Narmadapuram, Katni South, Shridham, Seoni, Orchha Maharashtra: Parel, Chinchpokli, Vadala Road, Matunga, Shahad, Lonand, Kedgaon, Lasalgaon, Murtizapur Junction, Devlali, Dhule, Savda, Chanda Fort, NSCB Itwari Junction, Amgaon Puducherry: Mahe Rajasthan: Fatehpur Shekhawati, Rajgarh, Govind Garh, Deshnoke, Gogameri, Mandawar Mahuwa Road, Bundi, Mandal Garh Tamil Nadu: Samalpatti, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Vriddhachalam Junction, Mannargudi, Polur, Srirangam, Kulitturai, St Thomas Mount Telangana: Begumpet, Karimnagar, Warangal Uttar Pradesh: Bijnor, Saharanpur Junction, Idgah Agra Junction, Goverdhan, Fatehabad, Karchana, Govindpuri, Pokhrayan, Izzatnagar, Bareilly City, Hathras City, Ujhani, Siddharth Nagar, Swaminarayan Chappia, Mailani Junction, Gola Gokarannath, Ramghat Halt, Suraimanpur, Balrampur West Bengal: Panagarh, Kalyani Ghoshpara, Joychandi Pahar Anish Mondal is a business journalist with over nine years of experience. He writes on diverse subjects such as Infrastructure, Railways, Roadways, Aviation, Politics, Market, Parliamentary affairs, Corporate earnings, General and International news etc. ... Read More


Indian Express
a few seconds ago
- Indian Express
Rajasthan school building collapse: Deaths of children demand more than government's ‘condolences'
Written by Jyotika Kalra It's difficult to imagine that a country that enshrines the Right to Education as a fundamental right could allow its classrooms to become death traps. But that's precisely what unfolded at Piplod village, in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, where the roof of a government primary school collapsed, killing seven children and leaving more than two dozen injured, including nine in critical condition. The children, most of them under the age of 14, had gathered in the classroom for the day's lessons. Moments before disaster struck, one girl stepped outside and warned teachers that 'kankar (gravel)' was falling from the ceiling. Her plea went unheeded. Minutes later, the roof caved in on the children. The teachers who were reportedly outside at the time of the incident were unhurt. The incident is a culmination of long-standing oversight failures and a deeper, often unspoken reality: Children from underprivileged communities are rarely treated as a priority. The school building had long shown visible signs of structural decay, cracked beams, water-stained ceilings, and sagging concrete slabs, which became even more vulnerable during the monsoon. The Rajasthan government, while expressing grief, has announced a high-level committee to investigate the matter. But one wonders what is left to investigate? More so when the building was visibly unsafe. Immediately after the accident, the District Magistrate acknowledged on record that there was already a list of school buildings in dangerously poor condition. But when it came to the government's plan for making those buildings safe, he had nothing concrete to offer. The only 'solution' in place, it seems, was to shut the schools down. No thought was given to what would happen to the students in the meantime. Where would they go? How would they continue learning? From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, everyone extended their condolences over the tragic deaths. State Education Minister Madan Dilawar also expressed sorrow and stated that the government would cover all the medical expenses for the injured students. At the same time, he also acknowledged that a large number of government school buildings in the state are in a dilapidated condition. Repair work, he said, has begun, and Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for the effort. Announcing free medical treatment for the injured may sound generous, but let's be honest — that's a bare minimum. The painful truth behind these failures is that schoolchildren do not constitute a political constituency. Aged under 14, they don't vote, don't protest, and don't march. Their parents, often daily wage workers or small farmers, rarely have the clout to compel urgency. The result? School safety isn't prioritised, and it becomes just another forgotten line item in a forgotten budget. What makes the situation even worse is that the mindset is reactive: Wait for the accident, then offer the bare minimum compensation and sympathy. This same quiet neglect plays out in cities like Delhi, just with a different backdrop. I've been representing the petitioner in WP (C) No. 8828 of 2017, Kush Kalra vs. Union of India, a Public Interest Litigation. This is a case that brings to the fore disturbing questions about the safety of school buildings in the nation's capital. The petition highlights problems we'd all like to believe are unthinkable in a modern city: Narrow entrances, broken staircases, and classrooms without fire exits. You'd expect urgency, but instead, we've been stuck in limbo. The case is still pending before the Delhi High Court. In this petition, we've drawn the Court's attention to the Supreme Court's 2009 judgment in Avinash Mehrotra vs. Union of India, a case that should've set the baseline for school safety nationwide. That ruling clearly laid out minimum safety standards for schools, including mandatory adherence to the National Building Code of India, 2005 (specifically Part IV on fire and life safety), and compliance with the Bureau of Indian Standards' fire safety protocols for educational institutions. These aren't just technical guidelines; they're safeguards meant to prevent exactly the kind of tragedies that we keep on witnessing. And yet, the data presented by the government in response is deeply troubling. According to their own submissions in Court, at least 202 schools in Delhi don't even qualify for the No Objection Certificates (NOC) by the fire department because they're tucked away in lanes too narrow for fire engines to access. Another 198 schools don't even have the basic safety features; there are unfinished electrical setups, staircases are too narrow or single, there's a lack of water tanks or fire pumps, and even something as basic as proper exit doors in classrooms is absent. We often speak of India@2047, a developed, global power, one of the world's largest economies. But how do we reconcile that ambition with a country where children still die in collapsing classrooms? What does 'Viksit Bharat' mean when we can't guarantee that a child sitting on a classroom bench will be safe? The writer is an Advocate, Supreme Court of India and former member, NHRC


New Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor debate: Opposition slams Amit Shah for 'security lapses'
The Opposition on Monday held Union Home Minister Amit Shah accountable for the security lapses that led to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. During a special Lok Sabha debate on the Pahalgam strikes and Operation Sindoor, Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi demanded answers from the government on critical national security concerns and questioned the silence surrounding key details. Gogoi called on the government to reveal how many Indian fighter jets were downed during Operation Sindoor, stating, "Each jet costs crores of rupees. The nation deserves to know. Our soldiers are being misled, and the truth must come out. The Defence Minister must clarify." Citing US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he leveraged trade pressure to broker peace between India and Pakistan, Gogoi asked, "Before whom did Prime Minister Modi surrender? Trump has said it 26 times, we cannot ignore that." He also slammed the government's narrative of military success, questioning the repeated declarations that India "entered and destroyed terror infrastructure" after the Uri and Pulwama attacks. "Now again, after Pahalgam, similar statements are being made. If Operation Sindoor is still incomplete and Pakistan remains a threat, then how is this being projected as a success?" he asked.