MASJID DARSHAN PROGRAMME HELD AT VIJAYPUR
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vijaypur and Jamiya Masjid Committee jointly organised a Masjid Darshan programme at historical Jamiya Masjid Vijaypur, Karnataka on January 8. About 150 brothers and sisters from the majority community and 200 Muslims participated in the function. It was a grand success. Many brothers and sisters expressed their good opinions, saying that many misunderstandings regarding activities inside mosques were cleared. They witnessed calling of Adhan and offering of Asr prayers.
75 VANDE BHARAT TRAINS BY THE END OF THIS YEAR
After the launch of the Secunderabad-Vizag Vande Bharat Express train, the Indian Railways is planning to launch three more similar trains connecting Hyderabad with Bengaluru, Pune, and Tirupati soon, officials said. The additional Vande Bharat Express trains would run between Kacheguda and Bengaluru, Secunderabad and Pune, and Secunderabad and Tirupati. The South Central Railways (SCR) has upgraded its rail network on these routes for the trains to run at a maximum speed of 130 kmph. Railway officials have been advised to establish at least one major coach depot in Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Vijayawada divisions. The depots will be upgraded for training staff for the upkeep of Vande Bharat trains. The railway divisions were asked to expedite the preparedness for the maintenance of Vande Bharat trains and other related activities. The Indian Railways plans to run 75 Vande Bharat trains by the end of this year and 400 over the next three years.
TWO HYDEL PROJECTS GOING JOSHIMATH WAY
Two hydel projects backed by the Bengal government in Darjeeling’s Bijanbari-Pulbazar have run into public protests, the disapproval coming close on the heels of the devastation in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, where thousands turned homeless due to soil subsidence blamed on ill-planned constructions. The Teesta basin along Darjeeling and Sikkim hills is dotted with hydel projects such as Teesta Low Dam Project III (132MW), Teesta-IV (160MW), Teesta-V (510MW) and Ranjit (60MW). Nearly a dozen more are coming up along the basin. “The construction of these projects has largely remained protest-free in Bengal. This is the first time that local people are coming out in large numbers to protest against the hydel projects in Darjeeling…. The protests can be linked to what we have seen in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath,” a report citing a source in the district administration said on January 22. People in Bijanbari have stopped the construction of notches and installation of gauge for recording the discharge of water at rivers Chotta Ranjit and Balawas on two occasions this month.
V-P FLAYED BASIC STRUCTURE DOCTRINE, CJI CALLS IT GUIDING LIGHT
Days after Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned the “basic structure” doctrine — as laid down by the Supreme Court in the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati case — Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said here Saturday it was “like the north star,” providing invaluable guidance for the interpretation of the Constitution here — and elsewhere. “The basic structure of our Constitution, like the north star,” CJI Chandrachud said, “guides and gives certain direction to the interpreters and implementers of the Constitution when the path ahead is convoluted.” Elaborating on this, the CJI said that “the basic structure or the philosophy of our Constitution is premised on the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law, separation of powers, judicial review, secularism, federalism, freedom and the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.” The CJI was delivering the 18th Nani Palkhivala Memorial lecture on “Traditions and transitions: Palkhivala’s legacy in an interconnected world” at Tata Theatre, National Central for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai on January 22.
J&K GOVT TO APPOINT CHILD MARRIAGE PROHIBITION OFFICERS
The administration of Jammu and Kashmir has unveiled the draft rules for implementation of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in the Union Territory. In a notification, the Department of Social Welfare has unveiled the draft “Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of Child Marriage Rules, 2023”. The Social Welfare department has asked interested individuals, organisations, Government statutory bodies and all other interested stakeholders to submit their feedback on the proposal within 15 days. One of the key features of the draft rules is that the Government has proposed to designate certain officers as “Child Marriage Prohibition Officers” within their respective jurisdiction. The officers to be designated include Chief Education Officer, Zonal Education Officer, Block Medical Officer, Block Development Officer, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner (Panchayat), District Social Welfare Officer, Child Development Protection Officer, Tehsildar and Naib-Tehsildar. According to the draft rules, it shall be the duty of every Child Marriage Prohibition Officer to act immediately upon any information of solemnisation of any child marriage that may be received through any mode of communication including written or oral i.e. through a letter, telephone, telegram, e-mail etc. or by any other means and forthwith initiate all necessary action.