Name: Simultaneous Lok Sabha, assembly elections likely by 2029: report
Uploaded: 2023-09-29T21:41:20.000+05:30
Duration: T00M30S
Channel: Editorji News Desk
Description: In the first meeting headed by ex-President Kovind, the panel has invited views from political leaders and Law commission.

The families of the rescued workers celebrated and thanked the government for their efforts.

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: families celebrate as workers undergo medical check-up

The families of the rescued workers celebrated and thanked the government for their efforts.

It was Diwali for the families of the workers who were rescued from collapsed Uttarkashi tunnel after 17 days.
The families burst firecrackers, distributed sweets and thanked the government for bringing their loved ones back.
Meanwhile, medical check-up of the workers was done at Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre in Uttarakhand.
Of the 41 men, 15 are from Jharkhand, two from Uttarakhand, five from Bihar, three from West Bengal, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five from Odisha, two from Assam and one from Himachal Pradesh.
The workers interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and narrated the tale of their survival.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/all-41-workers-successfully-rescued-from-uttarakhand-tunnel-1701185701774">All 41 workers successfully rescued from Uttarakhand tunnel</a>

During a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one worker shared that their unity, regular meals, walks, yoga, helped them endure the ordeal.

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue | 'Lived like brothers': rescued workers tell PM how they survived

During a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one worker shared that their unity, regular meals, walks, yoga, helped them endure the ordeal.

The 41 men trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand were rescued late Tuesday. This marked the end of the 17-day-long rescue mission. As the workers were rescued, they had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which the workers told the PM how they survived inside the tunnel.&nbsp;
One of the workers while speaking with PM Modi said, &ldquo;Including today, we were stuck in the tunnel for a total of 18 days but not even one day we felt that we were having any sort of weakness or anxiety. Nothing like that happened because we were 41 people in total and everyone was from different states of the country but we all lived like brothers.&rdquo;
He further said, &ldquo;We made sure to stick together and we didn&rsquo;t face any problem because of that. As the food used to come, we all used to sit together and have the meal. &ldquo;
The worker also said, &ldquo;Once we were done with our dinner, we used to take a walk inside the tunnel in the 2.5 km area where we were trapped.&rdquo;
&ldquo;In the morning, we used to do Yoga and take a morning walk inside the tunnel.&rdquo;
The workers further thanked the Uttarakhand government for their efforts and said that they are really grateful.&nbsp;
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/uttarkashi-tunnel-success-pm-modi-speaks-to-rescued-workers-over-phone-1701224099348">Uttarkashi tunnel success: PM Modi speaks to rescued workers over phone</a>

The United States issued more than 1.4 lakh visas to Indian students last year. India has become the the largest source country for foreign students in the US.

US issued record 1.4 lakh visas to Indian students last year: Official

The United States issued more than 1.4 lakh visas to Indian students last year. India has become the the largest source country for foreign students in the US.

As part of the Biden administration's endeavour to promote people-to-people ties with India, the US issued more than 1,40,000 visas to Indian students last year and is taking several steps to reduce visa appointment wait period.
In an interview to PTI, Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services, said US missions in India worked six, seven days a week to make sure that students could be interviewed before their classes started.
This year, the US made a huge effort to concentrate on the demand coming out of India, she said.
"We are really proud of what we have done in India this year. I think for the first time in history, we set a goal to issue one million visas in India and not only did we accomplish that, but it was done several months in advance. So, the number will go way beyond that.
"There are record-setting numbers this year for workers, crew members and students applying in India to come to the United States," she added.
Stufft further said, "We specifically made sure that we saw the students who were applying coming out of India. India is now the largest source country for foreign students in the United States, as well as many other visa categories. That's a very important one for us. We have also had a lot of cases where the interview was waived, so no interview for Indian travellers who have previously travelled and are now going back to the US." Last year, the US issued a record over 1,40,000 visas to Indian students, she said.
"For students who are applying in India, I would say the biggest thing is that the missions there have worked six, seven days a week to interview students to make sure that everyone can be interviewed before their classes start. The amount of effort and importance that we place on Indian students coming to the US is born out in the visa process. We want to make sure everyone has that chance," she said.
The US, Stufft said, is working on taking several steps to reduce the visa appointment wait time in India, which is still a bit high.
"I hope it will be (coming down) this year, meaning this fiscal year for us. But we are sending huge numbers of officers to India to manage the wait time and move them around the country as needed. I mean, it has gotten much better but it still needs to come down quite a bit," she said.
"We had a state visit recently. Everyone from the president of course, to Ambassador (Eric) Garcetti and the secretary of state is so committed to making sure that the people-to-people ties between our two countries expand. We are carrying that out in the visa process. So, we really expect more innovations and a much quicker process in the future," Stufft told PTI.
The State Department official said anyone who is interested in travelling to the US for any reason should apply as soon as possible.
"If you are travelling for work-related reasons, there's another special avenue to use. There is a special channel to use so that business-related visas are also prioritised. Bear with us, I would say as we get through this.
"India is unique because it represents the highest number of visas in several categories. Not just visitors, not just students, not just maritime crew members but highly skilled work. I mean, it is a tremendous demand across the board for us. So our priority is to get all of those wait times down," she said.
During a media round table with a group of foreign journalists organised by the Foreign Press Centre, Stufft said the US has issued more than 10.5 million visas in 2023 so far, which is 2 million more than what it had anticipated and is almost hitting the highest-ever level at its overseas missions.
"Half of our overseas missions set their own record for that country for adjudications of visas in that country. We set records for visa adjudication, for work visas and for student visas as well in some (other) categories," she said.
For 2024, the US is still working very hard on reducing wait times, Stufft said.
"In some overseas locations, we still have very high wait times, some exceeding a year still for one category of visa, which is a first-time visitor, someone who needs an interview for their visa.
"All other categories have low wait times globally, but we are very focused on the first-time visitor interview wait times and what's very interesting to us is that many of the places where we have set records for visa production this year are the same places where we still have really high wait times. This just indicates a very high level of demand and we are going to use this year to really get control of that in these five or six places with very high wait times," she said.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/human-labour-triumphed-over-machinery-how-world-media-covered-uttarakhand-tunnel-rescue-1701221296062">'Human labour triumphed over machinery': how world media covered Uttarakhand tunnel rescue</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the 41 rescued workers over the phone and enquired about their well-being.

Uttarkashi tunnel success: PM Modi speaks to rescued workers over phone

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the 41 rescued workers over the phone and enquired about their well-being.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded a successful operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in an under-construction road tunnel in Uttarakhand on Tuesday, asserting that everyone involved in the mission has created an amazing example of humanity and teamwork.
Modi also spoke to the rescued construction workers over the phone and enquired about their well-being, officials said.
The prime minister said the multi-agency rescue exercise has made everyone emotional.
In a post on X soon after the workers were brought out of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Modi saluted the spirit of those involved in the operation and said their courage and resolve have given a new lease of life to the 41 labourers.
"Everyone involved in the mission has created an amazing example of humanity and teamwork," he said.
Addressing the 41 rescued workers, Modi said their courage and patience have inspired everyone as he wished them good health and well-being.
"It is a matter of great satisfaction that these friends of ours will meet their dear ones after a long wait," the prime minister said, asserting that the patience and courage of their family members cannot be praised enough.
Later, in a post on X, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) IT department head Amit Malviya took a swipe at the opposition and said, "Just so that the Opposition ecosystem further stews in their bile, let it be known that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the head of the National Disaster Management Authority, which oversaw the arduous Silkyara rescue operation." Modi is the man who deserves all the credit for the successful rescue operation, he added.
The rescue workers on Tuesday evening pulled out all the 41 workers who got trapped after a portion of the Silkyara tunnel, part of the Centre's ambitious Char Dham project, collapsed due to a landslide on November 12.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/gandhi-was-mahapurush-modi-is-yugpurush-says-vice-prez-cong-calls-it-sycophancy-1701153759242">Gandhi was 'Mahapurush', Modi is 'Yugpurush', says Vice Prez; Cong calls it 'sycophancy'</a>

As 41 trapped workers were pulled out of the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand on November 28 after 17 days,  the global media hailed India's rescue operation.

'Human labour triumphed over machinery': how world media covered Uttarakhand tunnel rescue

As 41 trapped workers were pulled out of the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand on November 28 after 17 days, &nbsp;the global media hailed India's rescue operation.

As rescuers in India on Tuesday successfully pulled out all 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel in Uttarakhand after 17 days, the global media hailed the rescue operation and provided live coverage of the dramatic development.
"Outside the tunnel, there have been celebrations at the news of the first man coming out of the tunnel," the BBC reported while providing regular updates on the rescue operation.
It uploaded on its website a photograph that showed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami and Union Minister VK Singh meeting the first worker rescued from the tunnel.
"Video footage from the scene showed Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister of Uttarakhand state meeting the workers, who appeared to be in good health, as they were removed from the tunnel amid jubilant scenes," CNN reported.
The first workers were removed following a series of agonizing setbacks, during which rescue efforts were halted when the heavy machinery used to drill through the debris broke down, forcing workers to partially dig by hand and adopt other riskier methods to bring them to safety, it said.
The evacuation of the men to safety began more than six hours after rescuers broke through to end an ordeal that began on November 12 when the tunnel caved in, Qatar-based news channel Al-Jazeera reported.
It said the ambulances with their lights flashing lined up at the mouth of the tunnel to transport the workers to a hospital about 30km away.
"The labourers are being pulled out through a passageway made of welded pipes that rescuers had previously pushed through dirt and rocks," it said.
British daily 'The Guardian' reported that the dramatic scenes of the first men emerging on stretchers from the entrance of the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel came after over 400 hours, during which the major rescue operation hit multiple obstacles, delays and false promises of imminent rescue.
"Human labour triumphed over machinery as the specialists managed to manually drill through the final 12 metres of rubble to reach the men. An 'escape passage' pipe was inserted, enabling the rescuers &ndash; carrying wheeled stretchers and oxygen cylinders &ndash; to enter and finally reach those inside," the paper said in its detailed report.
Military engineers and miners drill 'rat hole' through debris to complete a painstaking extraction mission, said London-based daily 'The Telegraph' in its lead story.
A portion of the tunnel collapsed on November 12, blocking the exit for the workers who were inside.
Food, medicines and other essentials were sent to them through a six-inch pipe pushed through the rubble of the collapsed portion.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/uttarakhand-tunnel-rescue-successful-top-5-points-1701191793238">Uttarakhand tunnel rescue successful: top 5 points</a>

Following the improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality, Centre has eased certain curbs imposed to contain pollution in the region. 

Delhi air quality improves, pollution curbs under GRAP Stage III eased

Following the improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality, Centre has eased certain curbs imposed to contain pollution in the region.&nbsp;

The Centre on Tuesday ordered the revocation of restrictions under Stage-III of GRAP in the entire NCR with immediate effect, following improvement in air quality.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, met on Tuesday in view of the significant improvement in the overall air quality of Delhi-NCR.
The air quality forecasts by the India Meteorological Department/Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology do not indicate the average air quality of Delhi to move to &lsquo;severe&rsquo; category in the coming days for which forecast is available, the CAQM said.
The Centre's pollution control panel had invoked the Stage III restrictions on November 2, directing a halt on non-essential construction work, stone crushing and mining in Delhi-NCR. Under this stage, restrictions were also imposed on the operation of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The city's 24-hour average AQI, recorded at 4 pm every day, improved from 395 on Monday to 312 on Tuesday.&nbsp;
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/uttarakhand-tunnel-rescue-successful-top-5-points-1701191793238">Uttarakhand tunnel rescue successful: top 5 points</a>

Rescue workers pulled out all 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel in a multi-agency rescue operation that hovered between hope and despair for almost 17 days.

Uttarakhand tunnel rescue successful: top 5 points

Rescue workers pulled out all 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel in a multi-agency rescue operation that hovered between hope and despair for almost 17 days.

All 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel have been rescued after 17 days.
The workers have been taken to a hospital and their health will be monitored.&nbsp;
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced financial aid of Rs 1 lakh for each rescued worker.&nbsp;
Dhami said that the youngest of the workers was rescued first with team leaders coming out last.&nbsp;
PM Modi, President Murmu and other ministers tweeted to congratulate the rescue teams and expressed happiness the success of the operation.&nbsp;
An ambulance with the first of the 41 workers left the mouth of the tunnel around 8 pm, about an hour after a group of rat-hole mining experts dug through the last stretch of rubble.
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/watch-locals-distribute-sweets-outside-silkyara-tunnel-as-workers-are-rescued-1701184673594">Watch: locals distribute sweets outside Silkyara tunnel as workers are rescued</a>
There was hugging and cheers as the ordeal ended. Outside the tunnel some people chanted &ldquo;Har Har Mahadev&rdquo; and &ldquo;Bharat Mata ki Jai&rdquo; Ambulances which had lined up at the tunnel ferried the workers to a community health centre where a special 41-bed ward had been set up.
Before this, the workers were given a quick medical checkup as they emerged out of the steel pipe.
CM Dhami said no worker was in a critical situation. But the labourers will be kept under medical observation for some time before being sent home, he said.
He said the youngest of the worker was rescued first.
A portion of the tunnel on the Char Dham route collapsed on November 12, blocking the exit of the workers who were inside.
Food, medicines and other essentials were sent to them through a six-inch pipe pushed through the rubble of the collapsed portion.
Relief was felt far and wide.
Over the phone, Jharkhand&rsquo;s Sunil, who was camping in Silkyara, spoke to PTI on the rescue of his brother Anil.
"Finally, God heard us. My brother could be rescued. I am with him in an ambulance on the way to hospital," he said in a choked voice.
As the rescue appeared imminent earlier in the day, families stationed in Silkyara were allowed inside the tunnel with their belongings &ndash; so that they could travel with their loved ones to the medical centre.
(with PTI inputs)
&nbsp;
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#UttarakhandTunnelRescue

In the first meeting headed by ex-President Kovind, the panel has invited views from political leaders and Law commission. 

Simultaneous Lok Sabha, assembly elections likely by 2029: report 

In the first meeting headed by ex-President Kovind, the panel invited views from political leaders and the Law Commission.&nbsp;

The Law Commission is working on a formula to synchronise all assembly polls by extending or reducing the tenure so that all state elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls 2029 onwards, sources said on Friday.
As the government has already set up a high-level panel to explore simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha, state assemblies and local bodies, the Law Commission may also be asked to include the third tier of elections along with its current mandate for national and state-level polls.
The sources also said the law panel is devising a mechanism to ensure a common electoral roll for Lok Sabha, assemblies and local bodies to reduce cost and use of manpower for undertaking an almost identical exercise which is carried out now by the Election Commission and various state election commissions.
The Law Commission's report on simultaneous polls is not ready as some issues are yet to be settled, the sources pointed out.

A Bangkok-bound flight was diverted to Delhi after a fight between a husband and his wife on board.

Husband-wife fight forces Bangkok-bound flight to divert to Delhi

A Bangkok-bound flight was diverted to Delhi after a fight between a husband and his wife on board.

A Lufthansa flight bound for Bangkok from Munich was diverted to Delhi on 29th November due to unruly passenger behaviour. According to ANI, the decision was taken after the cabin crew reported a dispute between a husband and wife. An aviation security official of Delhi airport said that the reason for the fight between the couple is not known. The flight initially sought permission to land at Pakistan's nearly airport but the request was denied. Consequently, the flight safely landed at Delhi Airport and the unruly male passenger was offloaded.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/us-issued-record-1-4-lakh-visas-to-indian-students-last-year-official-1701228480504">US issued record 1.4 lakh visas to Indian students last year: Official</a>

India backs resolution at  UNGA that expressed concern over Israeli occupation of Syrian Golan.

At UNGA, India backs resolution against Israel's occupation of Syrian Golan

India backs resolution at&nbsp; UNGA that expressed concern over Israeli occupation of Syrian Golan.

India has voted in favour of a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly that expressed deep concern over Israel not withdrawing from the Syrian Golan.
The Syrian Golan is a region in southwest Syria that was occupied by Israeli forces on June 5, 1967.
The 193-member UN General Assembly voted on the draft resolution &lsquo;The Syrian Golan&rsquo; under agenda item &lsquo;The situation in the Middle East&rsquo; on Tuesday. The resolution, introduced by Egypt, was adopted by a recorded vote with 91 in favour, eight against and 62 abstentions.
Apart from India, those voting in favour of the resolution included Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. Australia, Canada, Israel, the UK and the US voted against it. The resolution said it is deeply concerned that Israel has not withdrawn from the Syrian Golan, which has been under occupation since 1967, contrary to the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
The resolution declared that Israel failed to comply with Security Council resolution 497 (1981), which decided that &ldquo;the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect.&rdquo; Tuesday's resolution also declared the Israeli decision of December 14, 1981, null and void and said it had no validity whatsoever. It called upon Israel to rescind its decision.
The resolution also stressed the illegality of the Israeli settlement construction and other activities in the occupied Syrian Golan since 1967.
It demanded Israel's withdrawal from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4, 1967, in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, and determined &ldquo;that the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constitute a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.&rdquo; The resolution expressed grave concern over the halt in the peace process on the Syrian track and expressed hope that peace talks will soon resume from the point they had reached.
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As many as five houses collapsed following a cylinder explosion in Mumbai.

5 houses collapse after gas cylinder explodes in Mumbai

As many as five houses collapsed following a cylinder explosion in Mumbai.

Five houses collapsed after a gas cylinder exploded in a house in Chembur area of Mumbai on Wednesday morning following which 11 people were rescued, civic officials said.
Some people were injured, they said without specifying the exact number.
The incident took place at 7.50 am at Old Barrack near Golf Club in Chembur area.
A gas cylinder exploded in a house, leading to the collapse of four to five two-storey structures, a civic official said.
Eleven people were rescued from the collapsed houses, the official said, adding that so far four persons have been admitted to the civic-run Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi.
Fire brigade, police, civic staff, ambulance service and other agencies were mobilised.&nbsp;
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/24-workers-injured-after-fire-breaks-out-at-chemical-plant-in-surat-1701238521793">24 workers injured after fire breaks out at chemical plant in Surat</a>

Trapped for 17 days in the Silkyara tunnel, two rescued workers, Vishwajeet Kumar Verma and Subodh Kumar Verma, shared their experiences

'First 24 hours were tough…’: rescued Uttarakhand tunnel workers share ordeal

Trapped for 17 days in the Silkyara tunnel, two rescued workers, Vishwajeet Kumar Verma and Subodh Kumar Verma, shared their experiences

Videos of two of the 41 rescued workers who were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel are doing rounds on the internet. One of the workers, Vishwajeet Kumar Verma, while speaking with ANI described what he faced along with 40 other workers in the tunnel.
Vishwajeet said, &ldquo;When the debris fell, we knew that we were stuck. For the first 10-15 hours we faced difficulty. But later, a pipe was put in to provide us with rice, dal and dry fruits.&rdquo;
He also said, &ldquo;Later on the tenth day, a mic was installed and I was able to talk to my family members...I am happy now, will celebrate Diwali now.&rdquo;
Another worker, Subodh Kumar Verma shared a video online in which he said that the workers faced problems in the initial 24 hours. After that, they were provided food through a pipe.
Subodh further said that he is perfectly fine and does not have any problem now.&nbsp;
It is worth noting that the rescue operation took place for 17 days and it was done through several drilling methods.

As many as 24 workers were injured after a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Surat.

24 workers injured after fire breaks out at chemical plant in Surat

As many as 24 workers were injured after a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Surat.

A fire broke out at a chemical plant in Gujarat's Surat city after an explosion on Wednesday, injuring 24 workers, officials said.
The blaze erupted at the chemical factory located in Sachin GIDC industrial area at around 2 am following an explosion in a large tank after leakage of inflammable chemicals stored in it, Surat in-charge chief fire officer Basant Pareek said.
"At least 24 workers suffered injuries and were rushed to a hospital where they are undergoing treatment," he said.
It was not immediately clear how many workers were inside the factory when the incident took place, he said.
"The blast caused fire in the three-storey building of the factory and engulfed the entire unit," another official said.
More than a dozen fire-fighting vehicles were rushed to the spot and efforts were underway to contain the blaze, he said.&nbsp;
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/uttarkashi-tunnel-rescue-families-celebrate-as-workers-undergo-medical-check-up-1701233851078">Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: families celebrate as workers undergo medical check-up</a>

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