The Uttar Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Examination 2024 will conclude today, marking the end of a rigorous examination process that began on August 23. Akashwani correspondent reports that the examination, being conducted in two shifts across 1,174 centers in 67 districts of the state, witnessed participation from lakhs of candidates vying for 60,244 constable posts.   This recruitment drive attracted candidates not only from Uttar Pradesh but also from various states across the country. To ensure the integrity of the exam, especially in light of past allegations of paper leaks, the authorities implemented strict security measures. Police officials conducted thorough checks at all examination centers, with candidates being rigorously screened before entry. Director General, Prashant Kumar, said that this is the biggest police exam in the country. He added that in the coming year, the police department will recruit a total of 1 lakh personnel.

The Indian Embassy in Laos rescued 47 Indian nationals who were trapped in cyber scam centres located in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo province. In a social media post, the Embassy said that 29 individuals were handed over by Laos authorities following a crackdown on illegal activities in the SEZ, while the remaining 18 approached the Embassy directly.   The Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, met with the rescued group upon their arrival in Vientiane to discuss the challenges they faced and outline the next steps. Meanwhile, the Embassy has completed all necessary procedural requirements with the Laos authorities for the repatriation of these individuals. So far, 30 individuals have either returned to India or are on their way back home, while the remaining 17 are awaiting final travel arrangements.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off three Vande Bharat trains through video conferencing. The three trains are Meerut-Lucknow, Madurai-Bengaluru and Chennai-Nagercoil Vande Bharat. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi said, today from North to South a new chapter is being added to the development journey of the country. He said, with this expansion of Vande Bharat trains, the country is moving step by step towards the goal of Viksit Bharat.   The Prime Minister said, these three new Vande Bharat trains will connect the important and historic cities. He said, Temple city Madurai will now get connected to the IT city Bengaluru. Mr Modi said, Vande Bharat is the new face of the modern Indian Railways. He said, today, there is a demand for Vande Bharat in the city, on every route. The Prime Minister said, the advent of high-speed trains gives people the confidence to expand their business, employment and their dreams. He said, now 102 Vande Bharat railway services are operating across the country. Mr. Modi said, India is witnessing a transformation in its railway stations, with even smaller ones being upgraded to modern facilities like airports. He said, this enhances the ease of travel and boosts connectivity.   The Prime Minister said, in the past years, the railways with hard work have raised hopes of resolving decades-old problems, but we still have a long way to go in this direction. He said, the government will not stop until Indian Railways guarantees comfortable travel for everyone, from the poor to the middle class. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the growth of domestic infrastructure will help empower the poor and eliminate poverty. He said, the rapid development of southern states is very important to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat. Mr Modi said, in the current budget, Government has allocated over six thousand crore rupees for Tamil Nadu’s railway budget which is more than seven times the allocation in 2014.   Realizing the vision of ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express will improve connectivity in these three routes. These new Vande Bharat trains will provide people with world-class means of travel, offering speed and comfort while catering to three states, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The introduction of these Vande Bharat Express trains will herald a new standard of rail service to meet the needs of regular travellers, professionals, businesses, and the student community in immense measure.   In his address, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said, after independence, there was a lack of technology and investment in Railways and there was no change for decades. He said, the railways is a technical institution but it was politicized. Mr. Vaishnaw said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made major changes to it, increased investment ten times and inspired to adopt new technologies. He said, in the last ten years, 31 thousand 180 kilometres of new tracks have been added to the railway network and 14 kilometers of new tracks are being added everyday.   The Minister said, from independence to 2014, only 21 thousand kilometres were electrified and in the last ten years, 40 thousand kilometres were electrified. He informed that one thousand 326 railway stations are being rebuilt, the trial of Vande Metro is going on and the trial of Vande Sleeper will start in a few days. Mr Vaishnaw said, that modern technology Kavach which has been indigenously developed will be implemented on mission mode in the entire country.

A delegation of BJP MLAs met President Droupadi Murmu and demanded the dismissal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government. The delegation led by the leader of the opposition of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Vijender Gupta, submitted a memorandum in this regard to the President. The party highlighted a series of concerns about the functioning of the AAP government under Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.   The BJP raised the alleged deteriorating state of governance in the national capital, affecting essential services and the overall well-being of Delhi’s citizens. It said that the immediate presidential intervention is crucial to prevent further erosion of constitutional values and democratic norms in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi this morning. On the occasion, the Prime Minister will unveil a stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the establishment of the Supreme Court.   The two-day conference organized by the Supreme Court will feature five sessions on District Judiciary issues, including infrastructure, inclusive courtrooms, judicial security, case management, and training. The Chief Justice, Union Minister for Law and Justice and the Attorney General will also participate in the inaugural program.

The prestigious Durand Cup has reached its pinnacle after a thrilling and intense month of competition. Football fans across the country are eagerly anticipating this high-stakes showdown, set to take place at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata tomorrow evening. In the 133rd edition of this competition, the grand finale will see Mohun Bagan and NorthEast United face off to be crowned champions. The reigning champions, Mohun Bagan, as a record 17-time Durand Cup winner, are aiming for their 18th title to further solidify their status as the team with the most Durand Cup titles in the history of this prestigious competition. Mohun Bagan dominated the group stage, winning all their matches without conceding a goal. NorthEast United have reached the Durand Cup finals for the first time and also dominated the group stage, winning all three matches.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena today distributed appointment letters to 628 candidates selected by the Union Public Service Commission and Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board in New Delhi. The candidates, including 27 doctors were conferred with appointment letters from different departments. Talking to media, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor said that appointment letters have been handed to more than 17 thousand people in the last 2 years. He added, the next target is to appoint at least 20 thousand more people by March next year as there are more than 25 thousand vacancies in different departments of Delhi government.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that India cannot become a developed nation if women are not participants in its growth. He was addressing an interactive session on “Role of Women in Viksit Bharat” at Bharati College, University of Delhi, today. Mr Dhankhar said that women are the most important stakeholders in the making of Viksit Bharat. He said that girls and women have energy and talent, and creating an ecosystem is a must for their optimal participation. The Vice President also stressed women-led empowerment. Expressing pain over the Kolkata rape and murder incident, the Vice President said that where women and girls do not feel safe, that society is not a civilized society. He called upon everyone to resolve to create a system of zero accommodation and zero tolerance for such outrageous incidents of violence. The Vice President said that the Uniform Civil Code is a constitutional ordainment and is part of the Directive Principles. He said it will help in several ways, but majorly, it will be a measure of justice for women. He said that India is heading fast towards becoming a mature, sophisticated, and formal economy. The Vice President also said that the nation is on track to create a robust industrial ecosystem.

The first commercial flight operation at the Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, is expected to take off by April next year. The NIA said that it will file its aerodrome license application, along with flight procedures tests, by the end of the year.   The first phase of the airport will feature one runway and one terminal, with the capacity to handle traffic of 12 million passengers annually. Upon completion of all four development phases, the airport will be able to cater to 70 million passengers per year. The Noida International Airport will connect the greater Delhi area and Western Uttar Pradesh with other cities in India and the world.   The NIA has also signed Memorandums of Understanding with global airlines for better network planning and operational requirements.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mumbai and Palghar in Maharashtra today. At around 11 AM, the Prime Minister will address Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Thereafter, at around 1:30 PM, Mr. Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects at CIDCO Ground, Palghar. He will lay the foundation stone of Vadhvan (वाढवण) Port. The cost of this project is around 76 thousand crore rupees. It aims to establish a world-class maritime gateway that will boost the country’s trade and economic growth by catering to large container vessels, offering deeper drafts, and accommodating ultra-large cargo ships. Vadhvan Port, located near Dahanu town in Palghar district, will be one of India’s largest deep-water ports and will provide direct connectivity to international shipping routes, reducing transit times and costs.   In the first cabinet meeting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath for the third time, the central government had approved the Vadhavan port. It will be developed as an all-weather Greenfield deep draft major port. The port will comprise nine container terminals, four multipurpose berths, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth. The project will create a cumulative capacity of 298 million metric tonnes (MMT) per annum, including around 23 million TEUs of container handling capacity. It is expected to generate around 12 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities. On completion, Vadhavan Port will be one of the top ten ports of the world. This port will enhance India’s maritime connectivity and further strengthen the country’s position as a global trade hub.   The Prime Minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 218 fisheries projects worth around one thousand 560 crore rupees. These initiatives are expected to generate more than five lakh employment opportunities in the fisheries sector. Mr. Modi will also launch the National Roll Out of Vessel Communication and Support System at a cost of around 360 crore rupees.

The country has reported significant progress in Kharif crop sowing this year, with the total coverage area surpassing more than 1065 lakh hectares so far. During same period last year, approximately 1044 lakh hectares of area was sown under Kharif. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released the progress report on area coverage under Kharif crops as of yesterday.   The area sown with paddy has reached over 394 lakh hectares. It was over 378 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. Pulses cultivation has also increased from more than 115 lakh hectares to over 122 lakh hectares. Coarse cereals were sown across 185.51 lakh hectares while Oilseeds were sown across 188.37 lakh hectares.

The meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee was held in New Delhi to finalise the names of the candidates for upcoming  Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.   Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Jitendra Singh and other senior leaders of the party were present in the meeting.