Latest news with #Panaji
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Scheme to empower women digitally gets green signal
Panaji: The state cabinet on Monday approved the IT department's Mahila Digital Sashaktikaran Yojana whose aim is to digitally empower women across Goa, particularly in rural areas. It said women play a vital role across all sectors of society which is why it is imperative to focus on their empowerment, particularly those from economically weaker sections and rural areas. The cabinet mentioned that despite progress in gender equality, women continue to face significant barriers in accessing education, employment, and economic opportunities. Bridging the digital divide through targeted training programmes can serve as a powerful enabler for women by enhancing their skills, confidence, and socio-economic mobility.
India.com
4 days ago
- General
- India.com
Good news for Goa! Panaji clinches THIS big award, Sawant government says…
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu presented the 'Swachh Sheher' award to Panaji at a function organised by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs in New Delhi. Panaji stood first among small cities in the country with a population of 20,000 to 50,000. The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu to Goa's Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane, along with CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate and Commissioner Clen Madeira, who accepted it on behalf of the city. Sanquelim featured in the list of small towns that show promise in being clean, bagging the ninth position at the all-India level and second among all municipalities in Goa. Both the awards were received by urban development minister Vishwajit Rane. Here is the full list: Swachh Shehar in 5 Population Categories More than 10 Lakh Population 3-10 Lakh Population MIRA-BHAYANDAR (Maharashtra) BILASPUR (Chhattisgarh) JAMSHEDPUR (Jharkhand) 50,000-3 Lakh Population DEWAS (Madhya Pradesh) KARHAD (Maharashtra) KARNAL (Haryana) 20,000- 50,000 Population PANAJI (Goa) ASKA (Odisha) KUMHARI (Chhattisgarh) Series of Reforms: It is important to note that Panaji has undergone a series of structured reforms in waste management, public sanitation, and civic infrastructure, over the past two years. Speaking at the ceremony, Rane termed the award a 'moment of immense pride' for Goa, attributing the success to sustained groundwork like door-to-door waste collection, Garbage-Free City certification, and scientific waste processing. Significantly, under Rane's leadership, Panaji has been focusing on long-term cleanliness standards rather than ad-hoc clean-up drives. Officials point to systematic waste segregation enforcement and the push for decentralised waste treatment as key contributors. Rane issues Statement: 'This is not just a trophy. It is proof that consistent governance and citizen participation can make a difference,' Rane said in a statement, thanking Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for his support and Mayor Monserrate for ensuring on-ground implementation. Observers note that Panaji's achievement also reflects a shift in urban governance priorities in Goa, moving beyond tourism-centric narratives towards everyday quality of life issues. With this recognition, the focus now turns to sustaining these benchmarks. As Rane put it, 'We move forward with renewed determination to build a sustainable and Swachh Goa, aligned with the vision of a Viksit Bharat.' Indore: Cleanest city in India Nationally, Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai entered the premier Super Swachh League, with Indore continuing its reign as the cleanest city in the country. The new generation of clean cities were Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow, which emerged as the top 'Swachh Shehar' or clean cities.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Surreal feeling to wear India colours: Jeshua
Jeshua will be the first from the state to be part of the Indian Universities men's basketball team and compete against the best Panaji: Jeshua Antonio Pinto cannot contain his excitement as Goa's top player is set to don the India colours at the FISU World University Games 2025 which begins at the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region of Germany from Saturday. The 23-year-old will be the first from the state to be part of the Indian Universities men's basketball team and will compete against the best student-athletes in the world. 'It was a surreal feeling when I received the India kit,' Jeshua told TOI on a phone call from Germany. 'I understood the responsibility.' With over 10,000 participants from 150+ nations across 18 sports, this edition of the Games is being hailed as one of the largest multi-sport university events ever. Jeshua is currently pursuing his master's at the University of Kota, Rajasthan. His foundation was laid at the Lourdes Convent, Saligao, where mother and coach Helen Pinto polished the rough diamond at Lourdes Basketball Club. The men's basketball team underwent a high-intensity national camp at the Starting Five RSC Basketball Academy, Kochi. Gujarat's Krishnapalsinh Gohil will lead the team which is coached by Dhyan Chand awardee Ram Kumar. 'It was a hectic 15-day camp. There are players from different universities, but we managed to get along fast and built a strong bond. The facilities provided were great,' said Jeshua. India will face a tough challenge in group B, up against traditional powerhouses US, Romania, and Latvia. They will take on the US in the opening game on Saturday, followed by Romania the next day. India face Latvia in their last group match on Monday. 'We know we might be smaller in size than the other teams, but we will beat them in hustle and spirit. Pooled with the US, it will be an extremely tough match. Nevertheless, we will put up a tough fight. Romania and Latvia are comparatively easier but still tough opponents. We play to win each match and will go all out,' said Jeshua. A gold medallist at the Khelo India University Games 2023, a silver at the All-India University 3x3 Basketball Championship 2024, and selection to the Delhi Dribblers for the inaugural INBL U-25 League 2025, Jeshua has kept growing. He is now an inspiration for talented youngsters in the state, proving you can make far in the sport, if you stay focused. The Calangute resident remains grounded and knows he must catch the eye on the world stage. 'I'll get game time for sure, but it's all about the team and the situation. Whether I'm in or out, we must give our complete support to the team. Anything to get the win,' said Jeshua.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Counselling for med seat admissions on Aug 1
Panaji: 'Counselling will be held for medicine, dentistry, nursing, and allied health programmes. For ayurveda and homeopathy seats, the counselling schedule will be declared when the respective council declares their admission schedules,' said an official. There are around 170 state quota MBBS seats in Goa. 'The eligibility list will be declared by July 24 and the merit list by July 30 for NEET-based programmes. Admissions for pharmacy seats too will be held along with the medicine seat admissions as the NEET scores have come now. Pharmacy seat admissions are done either on the NEET score or the JEE Main score — whichever is higher — in physics and chemistry,' the official said. The first round of engineering seat admissions was completed, and the second round is expected to be held in Aug. Around 450 of 1,700 seats went vacant after the first admission round. 'Vacancies have been observed after the economically backward sections (EWS) quota was introduced. Before the quota, there were around 1,200 engineering seats in the state, of which around 1,100 would be filled. After the quota seats were added, a similar number of seats have been getting filled, but the additional ones are going vacant,' said an official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo As has been the trend in recent years, the directorate has proposed to state govt to relax the JEE criteria in the subsequent engineering admission rounds to allow the vacant seats to be filled. 'Even after relaxing the criteria, just around 50 more seats are seen to be getting filled in subsequent rounds. Relaxing JEE criteria allows any student with 45% marks in physics, chemistry, and maths in Class XII to apply for an engineering seat, even if he or she has not appeared for the JEE for some reason,' said the official. Most of the vacant seats are at the state's private engineering colleges, while those at the govt-run Goa Engineering College have mostly been taken.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Study by GEDA shows huge potential for expansion of solar energy in Goa
Panaji: A study exploring renewable energy (RE) potential in Goa found that solar energy emerged as the primary candidate for expansion, with the total estimated technical potential reaching up to 3GW, including rooftop, floating, and agro-PV installations. It stated that biomass offers an additional 200MW of distributed potential, particularly valuable for rural and agricultural zones. Wind energy, while less exploited, presents up to 100MW of site-specific capacity, pending further validation. 'With sustained commitment and phased investments, Goa has the opportunity to lead India's clean energy transformation while ensuring economic resilience, energy security, and environmental sustainability,' the final report on 'Capacity Enhancement Planning of Renewable Energy in Goa' by the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA), said. The Clean Energy Roadmap, 2050 (CER), which was released by state govt in July 2023, outlines several sector-specific initiatives that must be carried out to reach 100% renewable energy supply and net zero emissions by 2050. However, three major recommendations of the CER were to assess the technical means to utilise the full RE potential of the state while ensuring grid stability and system integration. The CER also highlighted the importance of planning to strengthen the transmission and distribution network in the state to uptake RE. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Further, to understand the network augmentation required for absorbing higher RE supply, a proper operational analysis of the electrical power system along with RE potential assessment will be essential. A senior GEDA official said the major objectives of the project were to analyse the power distribution network of the state and conduct power system analysis for RE integration and augmentation to enhance the overall share of RE in total electricity consumption to achieve the overall target of 100% RE share by 2050. One of the major objectives of this study is also to identify the location-specific RE capacity addition potential in Goa, which will provide ample benefits to the departments concerned to identify and plan for RE capacity enhancement with immense granularity up to the distribution feeder level. A senior govt official said two simulation scenarios for RE integration were conducted. The integration of 2.11GW solar showed high midday utilisation but also highlighted significant curtailment during peak hours and over-dependence on coal in the evening. Adding battery energy storage systems (BESS) drastically improved system balance, reduced curtailment, and enabled load shifting, validating storage as essential for unlocking full RE benefits. 'The site suitability framework, using multi-criteria decision modelling, identified the most promising substations and zones for RE uptake, taking into account technical, geographic, and infrastructural constraints,' the senior official said. '
