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Zee News, which is one of the country’s largest media houses, on Monday broadcast the results of the biggest exit polls for the hard-fought assembly elections 2022 in five major states – UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.

Zee News had conducted the exit polls to check the mood of the voters in five states which went to the polls recently. The intensity of the campaign can be gauged by the fact that Prime Minister Modi had to come on the road to campaign in roadshows.

Seat projection(403)

403 seats of Uttar Pradesh went to the polls in seven phases— February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. According to the projections for Uttar Pradesh, the ruling BJP is likely to emerge as a big winner by winning between 223- 248 seats.&nbsp;

Though the ruling party is projected to win much fewer seats this time as compared to the 2017 polls, the Zee News exit poll predicting a thumping victory for BJP in Uttar Pradesh also points to voters' continued trust in Yogi Adityanath's government and PM Narendra Modi's decisive leadership.&nbsp;

Driven by the Modi wave, the BJP had stormed to power in UP after 14 years, securing a three-fourths majority and demolishing rivals Samajwadi Party-Congress coalition and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2017 polls.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party-led alliance is expected to win between 138-157 seats this time. Despite hectic campaigning by Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka, the Congress party is only expected to win between 4-9 seats. While Mayawati’s BSP will disappoint again as it is projected to win just 5 to 11 seats, Others are like to bag between 3-5 seats.

 
Vote share

Among other projections, the ruling BJP+ is likely to secure around 39 per cent of the total votes polled, SP+ 34 per cent, BSP 13 per cent, Congress 6 per cent and Others 8 per cent.

Phase-wise seat projection 
1st phase - &nbsp;58 seats

 
In Phase 1, BJP is projected to get 34-38 off 58 seats, SP+ may get 19-21 seats, BSP 01-02.

(BJP+ 34- 38; SP+ 19- 21; BSP 1-2; CONG 0; OTH 0)

 
Phase 2 - 55 seats&nbsp;

In Phase 2, BJP+ is predicted to get 21-23 seats of the total 55, SP+ 29-33, BSP 01-02, Congress And Others 00.

(BJP+ &nbsp; 21- 23; SP+ 29- 33; BSP 1-2; CONG 0; OTH 0)

 
Phase 3 - 59 &nbsp;seats

In Phase 3, BJP+ might win 38-42 seats of the total 59, SP+ 17-19, Congress 01-02, BSP – 00

(BJP+ &nbsp;38- 42; SP+ 17- 19; BSP 0; CONG 1-2; OTH 0)

 
Phase 4 - 59 seats

In Phase 4, BJP+ expected to get 41-45 seats, SP+ 14-16, BSP- 01-02.

(BJP+ 41-45; SP+ &nbsp; 14-16; BSP 1-2; CONG 0; OTH 0)

 
Phase 5 - 61 seats

In Phase 5, BJP+ might win 36-40 seats, SP+ 18-20, BSP 00, Cong 01-03, Others 01-03.

(BJP+ 36-40; SP+ 18-20; BSP 0; CONG 1-3; OTH 1-3)

&nbsp;

Phase 6 - seats 57

In Phase 6, BJP+ might win BJP+ 30-34 seats; SP+ 19-22; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-3; OTH 0.

(BJP+ 30-34; SP+ 19-22; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-3; OTH 0)

 
Phase 7- &nbsp;sets 54

In Phase 7, the ruling BJP+ is expected to win 23-27 seats; SP+ 22-26; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-2; OTH 1-3.

BJP+ 23-27; SP+ 22-26; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-2; OTH 1-3.

Interestingly ahead of Zee exit polls results, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that his party will win over 300 seats and the BJP will be wiped out from UP. “After the seventh and final phase of polling, the BJP will be wiped off from the state. The SP alliance is forming a majority government after March 10 with over 300 seats,” Akhilesh exuded confidence.

As per the Election Commission of India directives, the exit poll findings can be released only after the conclusion of voting in all the states that go to the polls simultaneously. The embargo on exit polls was lifted after the conclusion of the seventh phase of assembly polls in UP, around 6.30pm.

Zee News, which is one of the country’s largest media houses, on Monday broadcast the results of the biggest exit polls for the hard-fought assembly elections 2022 in five major states – UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur.

Zee News, which is one of the country’s largest media houses, on Monday broadcast the results of the biggest exit polls for the hard-fought assembly elections 2022 in five major states – UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. Zee News had conducted the exit polls to check the mood of the voters in five states which went to the polls recently. The intensity of the campaign can be gauged by the fact that Prime Minister Modi had to come on the road to campaign in roadshows. Seat projection(403) 403 seats of Uttar Pradesh went to the polls in seven phases— February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. According to the projections for Uttar Pradesh, the ruling BJP is likely to emerge as a big winner by winning between 223- 248 seats. Though the ruling party is projected to win much fewer seats this time as compared to the 2017 polls, the Zee News exit poll predicting a thumping victory for BJP in Uttar Pradesh also points to voters' continued trust in Yogi Adityanath's government and PM Narendra Modi's decisive leadership. Driven by the Modi wave, the BJP had stormed to power in UP after 14 years, securing a three-fourths majority and demolishing rivals Samajwadi Party-Congress coalition and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2017 polls. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party-led alliance is expected to win between 138-157 seats this time. Despite hectic campaigning by Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka, the Congress party is only expected to win between 4-9 seats. While Mayawati’s BSP will disappoint again as it is projected to win just 5 to 11 seats, Others are like to bag between 3-5 seats. Vote share Among other projections, the ruling BJP+ is likely to secure around 39 per cent of the total votes polled, SP+ 34 per cent, BSP 13 per cent, Congress 6 per cent and Others 8 per cent. Phase-wise seat projection 1st phase - 58 seats In Phase 1, BJP is projected to get 34-38 off 58 seats, SP+ may get 19-21 seats, BSP 01-02. (BJP+ 34- 38; SP+ 19- 21; BSP 1-2; CONG 0; OTH 0) Phase 2 - 55 seats In Phase 2, BJP+ is predicted to get 21-23 seats of the total 55, SP+ 29-33, BSP 01-02, Congress And Others 00. (BJP+ 21- 23; SP+ 29- 33; BSP 1-2; CONG 0; OTH 0) Phase 3 - 59 seats In Phase 3, BJP+ might win 38-42 seats of the total 59, SP+ 17-19, Congress 01-02, BSP – 00 (BJP+ 38- 42; SP+ 17- 19; BSP 0; CONG 1-2; OTH 0) Phase 4 - 59 seats In Phase 4, BJP+ expected to get 41-45 seats, SP+ 14-16, BSP- 01-02. (BJP+ 41-45; SP+ 14-16; BSP 1-2; CONG 0; OTH 0) Phase 5 - 61 seats In Phase 5, BJP+ might win 36-40 seats, SP+ 18-20, BSP 00, Cong 01-03, Others 01-03. (BJP+ 36-40; SP+ 18-20; BSP 0; CONG 1-3; OTH 1-3) Phase 6 - seats 57 In Phase 6, BJP+ might win BJP+ 30-34 seats; SP+ 19-22; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-3; OTH 0. (BJP+ 30-34; SP+ 19-22; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-3; OTH 0) Phase 7- sets 54 In Phase 7, the ruling BJP+ is expected to win 23-27 seats; SP+ 22-26; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-2; OTH 1-3. BJP+ 23-27; SP+ 22-26; BSP 1-3; CONG 1-2; OTH 1-3. Interestingly ahead of Zee exit polls results, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that his party will win over 300 seats and the BJP will be wiped out from UP. “After the seventh and final phase of polling, the BJP will be wiped off from the state. The SP alliance is forming a majority government after March 10 with over 300 seats,” Akhilesh exuded confidence. As per the Election Commission of India directives, the exit poll findings can be released only after the conclusion of voting in all the states that go to the polls simultaneously. The embargo on exit polls was lifted after the conclusion of the seventh phase of assembly polls in UP, around 6.30pm.

India Assembly elections 2022: Exit poll - BJP likely to retain power in Uttar Pradesh

According to Zee News exit poll 2022, Goa is likely to witness a change in government in 2022, with Congress dominating the Assembly election results.

Zee News conducted the post-poll survey in association with Design Boxed - a political campaign management company. The exit poll was conducted in all the five states that went to polls— Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Punjab.

Punjab - Malwa Region Exit Poll&nbsp;

Seat- 69, Congress 12-16, SAD+ 10-14, AAP 38-42, BJP+ 2-5

Punjab - Doaba region Exit Poll

Seats- 23

CONG 9-10, SAD+ 8-10, AAP 3-5, BJP+ 1-2, Others: O

Punjab - Majha region exit poll prediction

Seat- 25, Congress 5-7, SAD+ 5-8, AAP 11-14, BJP+ 0, Others: 0

Punjab exit poll: Vote share

CONG 25, SAD+ 24, AAP 39, BJP+ 6, OTH 6

Punjab Assembly election exit poll: Seat share

Seat- 117 : &nbsp;CONG &nbsp; 26-33, SAD+ 24-32, AAP 52-61, BJP+ 3-7, Others: 1-2

Uttarakhand exit polls: Vote share

BJP 35, Cong 39, AAP 9, BSP 8, Others 9

Uttarakhand Exit Polls: Seat share

Seat- 70, BJP 26-30, CONG 35-40, BSP 2-3, Others: 1-3

Congress pips BJP in Goa, may cross majority mark to form government.

Goa Exit polls: 40 seats

Vote share:&nbsp;

BJP 31, CONG+ 33, MGP+ 12, AAP 12, Others 12

Seat share

Seat - 40

BJP 13-18 , CONG+ 14-19, MGP+ 2-5, AAP 1-3, Others 1-3

Manipur Exit Poll - Vote Percentage

BJP 39, CONG+ 30, NPF 09, NPP 06, Others: 16

Expected Seat Share

Total Seats: 60

BJP 32-38, CONG+ 12- 17, NPF 3-5, NPP 2-4, Others 2-5

According to Zee News exit poll 2022, Goa is likely to witness a change in government in 2022, with Congress dominating the Assembly election results. Zee News conducted the post-poll survey in association with Design Boxed - a political campaign management company.

According to Zee News exit poll 2022, Goa is likely to witness a change in government in 2022, with Congress dominating the Assembly election results. Zee News conducted the post-poll survey in association with Design Boxed - a political campaign management company. The exit poll was conducted in all the five states that went to polls— Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Punjab. Punjab - Malwa Region Exit Poll Seat- 69, Congress 12-16, SAD+ 10-14, AAP 38-42, BJP+ 2-5 Punjab - Doaba region Exit Poll Seats- 23 CONG 9-10, SAD+ 8-10, AAP 3-5, BJP+ 1-2, Others: O Punjab - Majha region exit poll prediction Seat- 25, Congress 5-7, SAD+ 5-8, AAP 11-14, BJP+ 0, Others: 0 Punjab exit poll: Vote share CONG 25, SAD+ 24, AAP 39, BJP+ 6, OTH 6 Punjab Assembly election exit poll: Seat share Seat- 117 : CONG 26-33, SAD+ 24-32, AAP 52-61, BJP+ 3-7, Others: 1-2 Uttarakhand exit polls: Vote share BJP 35, Cong 39, AAP 9, BSP 8, Others 9 Uttarakhand Exit Polls: Seat share Seat- 70, BJP 26-30, CONG 35-40, BSP 2-3, Others: 1-3 Congress pips BJP in Goa, may cross majority mark to form government. Goa Exit polls: 40 seats Vote share: BJP 31, CONG+ 33, MGP+ 12, AAP 12, Others 12 Seat share Seat - 40 BJP 13-18 , CONG+ 14-19, MGP+ 2-5, AAP 1-3, Others 1-3 Manipur Exit Poll - Vote Percentage BJP 39, CONG+ 30, NPF 09, NPP 06, Others: 16 Expected Seat Share Total Seats: 60 BJP 32-38, CONG+ 12- 17, NPF 3-5, NPP 2-4, Others 2-5

India Assembly elections 2022: Exit poll - AAP likely to form government in Punjab; Congress pips BJP in Goa

Afghanistan has witnessed more than four decades of instability with the Taliban back in power after two decades what should be the framework of engagement with Afghanistan for other central and south Asian nations? The council for strategic affairs Indian Institute of Management Rohtak is hosting an international conference on this theme and Dr Subhash Chandra, member of Parliament, Chairperson of the Essel Group emphasized on the need to tackle radicalization and extremism.

Conference on Afghanistan: How can extremism be countered?

A court in Delhi on Monday (March 7) sent former managing director and chief executive officer of National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna, to 7-day CBI custody. Ramkrishna has been arrested in India's National Stock Exchange co-location case.

After hearing arguments from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal passed the order.

The probe agency had sought her 14-day custodial interrogation.

The CBI arrested the accused on Sunday after her anticipatory bail application was dismissed by the court on Saturday.

In its application before the court, the CBI alleged that the electronic devices recovered are being analyzed and would be used for conducting further examination of Ramakrishna.

It alleged that she was evasive and has continuously misguided the Investigation Officer and gave wrong statements.

The CBI alleged that her custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the criminal conspiracy and the role of other NSE officials and brokers in the company.

"She is also required to be confronted with co-accused Anand Subramanian, who is already in police custody of CBI, to understand the magnitude and scope of the criminal conspiracy. She is also required to be confronted with digital evidence available on record," the agency told the court.

The CBI further submitted that the material already collected in the present case show that Ramkrishna in conspiracy with Subramanian had improperly hired him by coercing the HR department of NSE.

"Thereafter, she in conspiracy with Subramanian influenced the officials of NSE to facilitate him in having access to important decision making processes of the NSE. During the same period M/s OPG Securities was gaining undue advantages in NSE by logging into secondary server," it said.

The CBI said that during Ramkrishna's tenure as Joint MD, NSE, the co-location was conceptualized and implemented. 
Ramkrishna was appointed as MD and CEO of NSE on April 1, 2013.

"Investigation has revealed that during the period 2013-16 after accused Chitra Ramakrishna took over as MD &amp; CEO of NSE, OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was allowed to connect to secondary server of the COLO-TBT Dissemination server for over 300 trading days causing it undue gain," it said.

It is further submitted that OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was warned repeatedly in 2012 that accessing the secondary server is a violation of the rules/guidelines of the NSE, it said.

"NSE however stopped issuing such warnings to OPG Securities without any justifiable reasons during 2013 when Ramkrishna was MD &amp; CEO of NSE. Investigation has also revealed that Muralidharan Natarajan, the CTO of NSETECH (a subsiiary of NSE), was responsible for putting in place the co-location architecture at NSE. He was reporting to Ramakrishna," the agency told the court.

(With inputs from agencies)

A court in Delhi on Monday (March 7) sent former managing director and chief executive officer of National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna, to 7-day CBI custody.

A court in Delhi on Monday (March 7) sent former managing director and chief executive officer of National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chitra Ramkrishna, to 7-day CBI custody. Ramkrishna has been arrested in India's National Stock Exchange co-location case. After hearing arguments from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal passed the order. The probe agency had sought her 14-day custodial interrogation. The CBI arrested the accused on Sunday after her anticipatory bail application was dismissed by the court on Saturday. In its application before the court, the CBI alleged that the electronic devices recovered are being analyzed and would be used for conducting further examination of Ramakrishna. It alleged that she was evasive and has continuously misguided the Investigation Officer and gave wrong statements. The CBI alleged that her custodial interrogation was needed to unearth the criminal conspiracy and the role of other NSE officials and brokers in the company. "She is also required to be confronted with co-accused Anand Subramanian, who is already in police custody of CBI, to understand the magnitude and scope of the criminal conspiracy. She is also required to be confronted with digital evidence available on record," the agency told the court. The CBI further submitted that the material already collected in the present case show that Ramkrishna in conspiracy with Subramanian had improperly hired him by coercing the HR department of NSE. "Thereafter, she in conspiracy with Subramanian influenced the officials of NSE to facilitate him in having access to important decision making processes of the NSE. During the same period M/s OPG Securities was gaining undue advantages in NSE by logging into secondary server," it said. The CBI said that during Ramkrishna's tenure as Joint MD, NSE, the co-location was conceptualized and implemented. Ramkrishna was appointed as MD and CEO of NSE on April 1, 2013. "Investigation has revealed that during the period 2013-16 after accused Chitra Ramakrishna took over as MD & CEO of NSE, OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was allowed to connect to secondary server of the COLO-TBT Dissemination server for over 300 trading days causing it undue gain," it said. It is further submitted that OPG Securities Pvt Ltd was warned repeatedly in 2012 that accessing the secondary server is a violation of the rules/guidelines of the NSE, it said. "NSE however stopped issuing such warnings to OPG Securities without any justifiable reasons during 2013 when Ramkrishna was MD & CEO of NSE. Investigation has also revealed that Muralidharan Natarajan, the CTO of NSETECH (a subsiiary of NSE), was responsible for putting in place the co-location architecture at NSE. He was reporting to Ramakrishna," the agency told the court. (With inputs from agencies)

NSE ex-CEO Chitra Ramkrishna sent to 7-day CBI custody

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The Kashmiri girls in sports are breaking the barriers and making a mark in the international sports arena. From winning gold medals to securing a position of judge at the Asian games, Kashmiri sportswomen are at the forefront. Just a few years ago, there were hardly any women in sports in the valley but now the whole scenario has changed. Girls are picking up sports as their careers and excelling in the field.&nbsp;

Recently, Sadia Tariq from Srinagar became the first Indian girl to get a Wushu World Gold Medal at the Moscow Wushu Stars event. At 15, Sadia is a two-time Junior National Wushu Championship gold medallist as well.

Sadia has been lauded by everyone across the country. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about her win. Hundreds of students are inspired by Sadia and her win.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/world-wushu-championship-gold-medallist-sadia-tariq-dreams-of-meeting-indian-pm-narendra-modi-459351">Also read |&nbsp;World Wushu Championship gold medallist Sadia Tariq dreams of meeting Indian PM Narendra Modi</a>

'' My parents are my inspiration. I think other girls will take up sports after my win. My father has been continuously getting calls from so many people that they want their girls to participate and take up sports. It's such a great thing that girls are wanting to take up wushu as their careers. There is so much change and I don't want to take credit for it but it's all because of my parents who stood by me through my journey. &nbsp;'' said Sadia Tariq, World Gold Medallist in Wushu.&nbsp;

Another such story is of Olympic-level women's kayaking-canoeing player Bilquis Mir, she is the first Kashmiri woman to be chosen as a judge at the upcoming Asian Games in China. Bilquis Mir, 33 is the first water sports coach from Srinagar and was the first Olympic-level women's kayaking-canoeing player from the Kashmir region.

When Bilquis started her sports career, there were very few women from Jammu and Kashmir who were playing for the state. She paved a way for many girls across the Union territory to take up sports as their careers. Bilquis appreciates the increasing number of girls joining different sports in the valley.&nbsp;

''It's sending a positive message as when I started there were very few girls in the sports and now, I see that changing, Girls should trust and have faith in themselves, Girls always face more hurdles in their careers, but my message would be that talent will never die. Keep working hard, where there is a will there's a way. I had a dream of becoming a judge at an international sports event as I saw a very small number of girls in decision-making teams at these events. I always say men in those teams, and I promised myself that I would be in the decision-making team of these events. After the Olympics, if there is any big event, it's the Asian games. I am extremely happy about this. '' said Bilquis Mir, Director Water Sports, Jammu Kashmir.&nbsp;

The Sports council department in the valley has seen a sharp rise in female registrations in various sports. From water sports to winter sports to other games, women are proving to be better at every sports activity.&nbsp;

''It's changing a lot. There were few girls in sports in Kashmir a few years back but now there are so many. 50 percent of the total at sports facilities is now girls. The girls do it better than boys. Sadia won a gold medal; she is a golden girl for us. She is an inspiration for other girls in the UT. I am sure we will have many girls like Sadia in the future. '' said Mushtaq Zargar, Coach, Sports Council.&nbsp;

The young girls in the Kashmir valley are so inspired by these sportswomen that they are taking up sports and are also winning medals for the state. One such girl is Nabeela Khan, who recently won a silver medal in water sports. She has drawn her inspiration from Bilquis Mir.&nbsp;

''I won a silver medal at Himachal in a tournament. I was so happy that I could participate. Since I came to Kashmir, girls were all at home cooking and cleaning but then it was an improvement and now they are growing up and playing sports. They play sports a priority now and it's very exciting to see what they are going to do. I got inspired by my mam Bilquis Mir, she is going to be a judge at Asian games. I want to be an Olympic player. '' said Nabila Khan, Water sports Medallist.&nbsp;

It's not only about winning medals but also about paving a way for other girls to take up sports as their careers.&nbsp;
</div>

The Kashmiri girls in sports are breaking the barriers and making a mark in the international sports arena. From winning gold medals to securing a position of judge at the Asian games, Kashmiri sportswomen are at the forefront.

The Kashmiri girls in sports are breaking the barriers and making a mark in the international sports arena. From winning gold medals to securing a position of judge at the Asian games, Kashmiri sportswomen are at the forefront. Just a few years ago, there were hardly any women in sports in the valley but now the whole scenario has changed. Girls are picking up sports as their careers and excelling in the field. Recently, Sadia Tariq from Srinagar became the first Indian girl to get a Wushu World Gold Medal at the Moscow Wushu Stars event. At 15, Sadia is a two-time Junior National Wushu Championship gold medallist as well. Sadia has been lauded by everyone across the country. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about her win. Hundreds of students are inspired by Sadia and her win. Also read | World Wushu Championship gold medallist Sadia Tariq dreams of meeting Indian PM Narendra Modi '' My parents are my inspiration. I think other girls will take up sports after my win. My father has been continuously getting calls from so many people that they want their girls to participate and take up sports. It's such a great thing that girls are wanting to take up wushu as their careers. There is so much change and I don't want to take credit for it but it's all because of my parents who stood by me through my journey. '' said Sadia Tariq, World Gold Medallist in Wushu. Another such story is of Olympic-level women's kayaking-canoeing player Bilquis Mir, she is the first Kashmiri woman to be chosen as a judge at the upcoming Asian Games in China. Bilquis Mir, 33 is the first water sports coach from Srinagar and was the first Olympic-level women's kayaking-canoeing player from the Kashmir region. When Bilquis started her sports career, there were very few women from Jammu and Kashmir who were playing for the state. She paved a way for many girls across the Union territory to take up sports as their careers. Bilquis appreciates the increasing number of girls joining different sports in the valley. ''It's sending a positive message as when I started there were very few girls in the sports and now, I see that changing, Girls should trust and have faith in themselves, Girls always face more hurdles in their careers, but my message would be that talent will never die. Keep working hard, where there is a will there's a way. I had a dream of becoming a judge at an international sports event as I saw a very small number of girls in decision-making teams at these events. I always say men in those teams, and I promised myself that I would be in the decision-making team of these events. After the Olympics, if there is any big event, it's the Asian games. I am extremely happy about this. '' said Bilquis Mir, Director Water Sports, Jammu Kashmir. The Sports council department in the valley has seen a sharp rise in female registrations in various sports. From water sports to winter sports to other games, women are proving to be better at every sports activity. ''It's changing a lot. There were few girls in sports in Kashmir a few years back but now there are so many. 50 percent of the total at sports facilities is now girls. The girls do it better than boys. Sadia won a gold medal; she is a golden girl for us. She is an inspiration for other girls in the UT. I am sure we will have many girls like Sadia in the future. '' said Mushtaq Zargar, Coach, Sports Council. The young girls in the Kashmir valley are so inspired by these sportswomen that they are taking up sports and are also winning medals for the state. One such girl is Nabeela Khan, who recently won a silver medal in water sports. She has drawn her inspiration from Bilquis Mir. ''I won a silver medal at Himachal in a tournament. I was so happy that I could participate. Since I came to Kashmir, girls were all at home cooking and cleaning but then it was an improvement and now they are growing up and playing sports. They play sports a priority now and it's very exciting to see what they are going to do. I got inspired by my mam Bilquis Mir, she is going to be a judge at Asian games. I want to be an Olympic player. '' said Nabila Khan, Water sports Medallist. It's not only about winning medals but also about paving a way for other girls to take up sports as their careers.

Kashmiri girls breaking barriers and shining at international sports arena

Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation Limited (SPIC), a private company inaugurated and fully operationalised what is being touted as India's largest floating solar power plant.

Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation Limited (SPIC), a private company inaugurated and fully operationalised what is being touted as India's largest floating solar power plant. Situated in the SPIC factory's premises in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, this 48-acre floating solar power plant has been set up on a large water reservoir that spans 62-acres. Capable of generating 42 million units of power per year, the plant is meant to cater to the energy needs of the SPIC and Greenstar fertilisers factories. This floating #SolarPowerPlant in #tuticorin #TamilNadu #india can provide 25.3MW DC or 22MW AC Per yr it can harness 42million units of #CleanEnergy Pvt plant is fully operatnal frm today & will cater to fertilizer mfg #energy needs of SPIC& Greenstar#solarpanels #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/Y9DTCS35mR — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) March 7, 2022 × Constructed at a cost of Rs.150.4 crores, SPIC worked with France-based floating solar power specialists and global leader Ceil & Terre to design, engineer, and anchor the floating islands and the supply floats. EDAC Engineering Ltd, another company of the AM international group, undertook the plant's construction. In addition, advanced high-capacity inverters of 3.25 MW have been installed to improve the plant's reliability and reduce losses, said the company. Also read | Delhi-born Nishant Batra is helping NASA set up cellular network on Moon According to the company, the 25.3 MW DC / 22 MW AC floating solar power plant project aligns with their strategy to implement new-age green, sustainable technology and self-sufficient captive energy generation. In floating solar power plants, the solar arrays are placed on floating structures on a water body. This is said to reduce the evaporation of water by a significant extent (up to 60 per cent). It also generates more power owing to the cooling effect (lower temperature) offered by the water. Inaugurating the plant, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said, "The demand for clean power is the need of the hour, and Tamil Nadu currently holds the capacity to generate more than 15,500 MW of renewable energy. The government of Tamil Nadu is focused on environmentally sustainable projects. The establishment of a similar facility in the existing dams and water reservoirs in the state would lead to the generation of more renewable power as well as conserving water and minimising the scarce agriculture land being used for establishing solar power generating facility". Top officials of SPIC said that the group is continuously working towards effectively harnessing green energies through innovative projects to reduce carbon footprint. We are glad to be at the forefront of India’s and Tamil Nadu’s march towards clean energy, they added.

Touted as India's largest, this floating solar power project generates 42M units per year

Cellular network and wifi is something we take for granted these days. Entire repository of humankind's knowledge or that one TikTok video is literally at our fingertips. Things have gone ahead so quickly that sometimes it makes us wonder whether there is any new frontier left.

But there are plenty. NASA is setting up cellular network on Moon and Indian-origin Nishant Batra is spearheading the effort. Batra is working as Chief Strategy and Technology Officer (CSTO) at smartphone maker Nokia

He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a master`s degree in telecommunications and a master`s degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a bachelor`s degree in computer applications from Devi Ahilya University in India.

Prior to joining the telecommunications major, Batra worked at Veoneer in Sweden, as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He had also spent 12 years at Ericsson holding several positions.

Batra is based in Espoo, Finland, and has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and the US.

At Nokia, Batra`s responsibilities include managing technology architecture and pioneering research at Nokia Bell Labs whose

innovations will be used to build and deploy the first ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022.

NASA is looking to regain its presence on the lunar surface with its uncrewed Artemis mission slated for launch in May this year and crewed mission in 2026.

In October last year, the US space agency selected Nokia as a partner to advance "Tipping Point" technologies for the Moon, deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

For the mission, Nokia has also partnered with Intuitive Machines to integrate the groundbreaking network into their lunar lander and deliver it to the lunar surface.

The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video - while containing power, size and cost.

These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface.

The network will self-configure upon deployment and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon.

Nokia`s lunar network has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing, and to operate in the extreme conditions of space.

This is not the first space collaboration for Nokia`s Bell Labs.

In 1962, Bell Labs and NASA launched into orbit Telstar 1, the first communications satellite capable of relaying TV signals between Europe and North America.

In 1964, Bell Labs researchers and future Nobel laureates, Arno Penzias and Bob Wilson, discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang, confirming the now predominant theory on the origins of the universe.

(With inputs from agencies)

 
Indian-origin Nishant Batra working as Chief Strategy and Technology Officer (CSTO) at smartphone maker Nokia is helping NASA to build the first ever cellular network on the Moon.

Batra joined Nokia as CSTO and a member of the Nokia Group Leadership Team in January 2021.

He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a master`s degree in telecommunications and a master`s degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a bachelor`s degree in computer applications from Devi Ahilya University in India.

Prior to joining the telecommunications major, Batra worked at Veoneer in Sweden, as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He had also spent 12 years at Ericsson holding several positions.

Batra is based in Espoo, Finland, and has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and the US.

At Nokia, Batra`s responsibilities include managing technology architecture and pioneering research at Nokia Bell Labs whose

innovations will be used to build and deploy the first ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022.

NASA is looking to regain its presence on the lunar surface with its uncrewed Artemis mission slated for launch in May this year and crewed mission in 2026.

In October last year, the US space agency selected Nokia as a partner to advance "Tipping Point" technologies for the Moon, deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

For the mission, Nokia has also partnered with Intuitive Machines to integrate the groundbreaking network into their lunar lander and deliver it to the lunar surface.

The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video - while containing power, size and cost.

These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface.

The network will self-configure upon deployment and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon.

Nokia`s lunar network has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing, and to operate in the extreme conditions of space.

This is not the first space collaboration for Nokia`s Bell Labs.

In 1962, Bell Labs and NASA launched into orbit Telstar 1, the first communications satellite capable of relaying TV signals between Europe and North America.

In 1964, Bell Labs researchers and future Nobel laureates, Arno Penzias and Bob Wilson, discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang, confirming the now predominant theory on the origins of the universe.

(With inputs from agencies)

Cellular network and wifi is something we take for granted these days. Entire repository of humankind's knowledge or that one TikTok video is literally at our fingertips.

Cellular network and wifi is something we take for granted these days. Entire repository of humankind's knowledge or that one TikTok video is literally at our fingertips. Things have gone ahead so quickly that sometimes it makes us wonder whether there is any new frontier left. But there are plenty. NASA is setting up cellular network on Moon and Indian-origin Nishant Batra is spearheading the effort. Batra is working as Chief Strategy and Technology Officer (CSTO) at smartphone maker Nokia He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a master`s degree in telecommunications and a master`s degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a bachelor`s degree in computer applications from Devi Ahilya University in India. Prior to joining the telecommunications major, Batra worked at Veoneer in Sweden, as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He had also spent 12 years at Ericsson holding several positions. Batra is based in Espoo, Finland, and has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and the US. At Nokia, Batra`s responsibilities include managing technology architecture and pioneering research at Nokia Bell Labs whose innovations will be used to build and deploy the first ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022. NASA is looking to regain its presence on the lunar surface with its uncrewed Artemis mission slated for launch in May this year and crewed mission in 2026. In October last year, the US space agency selected Nokia as a partner to advance "Tipping Point" technologies for the Moon, deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. For the mission, Nokia has also partnered with Intuitive Machines to integrate the groundbreaking network into their lunar lander and deliver it to the lunar surface. The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video - while containing power, size and cost. These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The network will self-configure upon deployment and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon. Nokia`s lunar network has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing, and to operate in the extreme conditions of space. This is not the first space collaboration for Nokia`s Bell Labs. In 1962, Bell Labs and NASA launched into orbit Telstar 1, the first communications satellite capable of relaying TV signals between Europe and North America. In 1964, Bell Labs researchers and future Nobel laureates, Arno Penzias and Bob Wilson, discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang, confirming the now predominant theory on the origins of the universe. (With inputs from agencies) Indian-origin Nishant Batra working as Chief Strategy and Technology Officer (CSTO) at smartphone maker Nokia is helping NASA to build the first ever cellular network on the Moon. Batra joined Nokia as CSTO and a member of the Nokia Group Leadership Team in January 2021. He holds an MBA from INSEAD, a master`s degree in telecommunications and a master`s degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a bachelor`s degree in computer applications from Devi Ahilya University in India. Prior to joining the telecommunications major, Batra worked at Veoneer in Sweden, as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He had also spent 12 years at Ericsson holding several positions. Batra is based in Espoo, Finland, and has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and the US. At Nokia, Batra`s responsibilities include managing technology architecture and pioneering research at Nokia Bell Labs whose innovations will be used to build and deploy the first ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022. NASA is looking to regain its presence on the lunar surface with its uncrewed Artemis mission slated for launch in May this year and crewed mission in 2026. In October last year, the US space agency selected Nokia as a partner to advance "Tipping Point" technologies for the Moon, deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. For the mission, Nokia has also partnered with Intuitive Machines to integrate the groundbreaking network into their lunar lander and deliver it to the lunar surface. The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video - while containing power, size and cost. These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The network will self-configure upon deployment and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon. Nokia`s lunar network has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing, and to operate in the extreme conditions of space. This is not the first space collaboration for Nokia`s Bell Labs. In 1962, Bell Labs and NASA launched into orbit Telstar 1, the first communications satellite capable of relaying TV signals between Europe and North America. In 1964, Bell Labs researchers and future Nobel laureates, Arno Penzias and Bob Wilson, discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang, confirming the now predominant theory on the origins of the universe. (With inputs from agencies)

Delhi-born Nishant Batra is helping NASA set up cellular network on Moon

An Indian doctor called Girikumar Patil, who has been holed up in a basement of war-torn Ukraine has refused to leave without his pets, which include&nbsp;a jaguar, and a black panther.

Famously known as Jaguar Kumar, the doctor said, "My big cats have been spending nights in the basement with me. There has been a lot of bombing happening around us. The cats are scared. They are eating less. I can't leave them."

"This is the second war I am living through. But this is scarier."&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/second-call-between-indian-pm-modi-ukraine-president-zelensky-to-discuss-evacuations-459797/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He has lived for over six years in Severodonetsk, a small town located in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. He hails from Tanuku in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district.

Patil arrived in Ukraine in 2007 to study medicine. Since 2014, he has been a practising orthopaedic and now works in a government hospital

“Initially, I wanted a Bengal tiger or an Asiatic lion as a pet. In 2020, while visiting a local zoo here, I saw the jaguar, orphaned and ill. With the permission of the authorities concerned, I took him to a veterinary hospital, provided treatment and adopted him,” he said.&nbsp;

“I used to take him on walks in the forest before the war. Those were the most joyful days in my life.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ukraine-under-attack-indian-student-shot-at-in-kyiv-crosses-into-poland-thanks-officials-459758" hreflang="en">Harjot Singh, the Indian shot at in Kyiv crosses into Poland, thanks officials</a>

“I along with all my pets went into the bunker after the war started. They have been cooperative and silent. But it has now become difficult for me to provide them with sufficient meat, as I can’t go out frequently,” he expressed his difficulty.

“I will never abandon my pets to save my life. Of course, my family is urging me to return. My pets are my children. I’ll stay with them and protect them until my last breath,” he vowed.&nbsp;

Giri, who is single, has been stepping out of his cramped basement only to buy food for his cats - the male jaguar is 20 months old and the female panther is a six-month-old cub - after the curfew ends early in the morning.

"I am the only Indian out here, and at night I am alone in the neighbourhood. Most of my neighbours have moved to nearby villages. I am going to hold out," he said. 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

An Indian doctor called Girikumar Patil, who has been holed up in a basement of war-torn Ukraine has refused to leave without his pets, which include a jaguar, and a black panther.

An Indian doctor called Girikumar Patil, who has been holed up in a basement of war-torn Ukraine has refused to leave without his pets, which include a jaguar, and a black panther. Famously known as Jaguar Kumar, the doctor said, "My big cats have been spending nights in the basement with me. There has been a lot of bombing happening around us. The cats are scared. They are eating less. I can't leave them." "This is the second war I am living through. But this is scarier." He has lived for over six years in Severodonetsk, a small town located in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. He hails from Tanuku in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district. Patil arrived in Ukraine in 2007 to study medicine. Since 2014, he has been a practising orthopaedic and now works in a government hospital “Initially, I wanted a Bengal tiger or an Asiatic lion as a pet. In 2020, while visiting a local zoo here, I saw the jaguar, orphaned and ill. With the permission of the authorities concerned, I took him to a veterinary hospital, provided treatment and adopted him,” he said. “I used to take him on walks in the forest before the war. Those were the most joyful days in my life.” Also read | Harjot Singh, the Indian shot at in Kyiv crosses into Poland, thanks officials “I along with all my pets went into the bunker after the war started. They have been cooperative and silent. But it has now become difficult for me to provide them with sufficient meat, as I can’t go out frequently,” he expressed his difficulty. “I will never abandon my pets to save my life. Of course, my family is urging me to return. My pets are my children. I’ll stay with them and protect them until my last breath,” he vowed. Giri, who is single, has been stepping out of his cramped basement only to buy food for his cats - the male jaguar is 20 months old and the female panther is a six-month-old cub - after the curfew ends early in the morning. "I am the only Indian out here, and at night I am alone in the neighbourhood. Most of my neighbours have moved to nearby villages. I am going to hold out," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: Indian doctor holed up in a basement for over a week refuses to leave his jaguar and panther

Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi has called on Russian President&nbsp;Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky&nbsp;in a phone conversation on Monday.

The proposal for direct talks is in "addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams", according to Indian government sources.

During the talks that lasted for 50 minutes, Russian President Putin briefed Prime Minister Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams. This is the third telephonic call between the two&nbsp;leaders in the last two&nbsp;weeks. Both had held the first telephonic chat on 24th February, the day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/second-call-between-indian-pm-modi-ukraine-president-zelensky-to-discuss-evacuations-459797/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The proposal by Indian PM comes even as Ukraine has been requesting Indian support to diffuse the crisis. Over the weekend, Ukraine's Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had urged PM Modi to reach out to Russian President Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country.

According to Indian govt sources, PM welcomed the Russian announcement of a ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including Sumy. Russia had announced a ceasefire for a humanitarian purpose that comes into effect at &nbsp;12.30 PM IST.

The announcement came after President Putin's talks with French President Macron and has been announced for four&nbsp;places: Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy, and Kharkiv.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/evacuation-of-indian-students-from-sumy-raised-by-pm-modi-with-ukraine-president-459780" hreflang="en">Evacuation of Indian students from Sumy raised by PM Modi with Ukraine Prez</a>

The key focus during the talks was on the safe evacuation of Indian nationals as PM stressed "the importance of safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest".

Around 500 Indian students are stranded in Sumy. President Putin had assured Prime Minister Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation.

India has launched 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate its nationals from the war-torn country that have crossed over to neighboring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova.

Under 'Operation Ganga', so far 76 Flights have brought over 15920 Indians back to India. Out of these 76 flights, 13 flights landed in the last 24 hours. In all, over 21000 Indians came out of Ukraine since the issuance of the advisory in January 2022. Out of these, 19920 Indians have already reached India.

&nbsp;

Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone conversation on Monday.

Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone conversation on Monday. The proposal for direct talks is in "addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams", according to Indian government sources. During the talks that lasted for 50 minutes, Russian President Putin briefed Prime Minister Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams. This is the third telephonic call between the two leaders in the last two weeks. Both had held the first telephonic chat on 24th February, the day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. The proposal by Indian PM comes even as Ukraine has been requesting Indian support to diffuse the crisis. Over the weekend, Ukraine's Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had urged PM Modi to reach out to Russian President Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country. According to Indian govt sources, PM welcomed the Russian announcement of a ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including Sumy. Russia had announced a ceasefire for a humanitarian purpose that comes into effect at 12.30 PM IST. The announcement came after President Putin's talks with French President Macron and has been announced for four places: Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy, and Kharkiv. Also read | Evacuation of Indian students from Sumy raised by PM Modi with Ukraine Prez The key focus during the talks was on the safe evacuation of Indian nationals as PM stressed "the importance of safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest". Around 500 Indian students are stranded in Sumy. President Putin had assured Prime Minister Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation. India has launched 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate its nationals from the war-torn country that have crossed over to neighboring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. Under 'Operation Ganga', so far 76 Flights have brought over 15920 Indians back to India. Out of these 76 flights, 13 flights landed in the last 24 hours. In all, over 21000 Indians came out of Ukraine since the issuance of the advisory in January 2022. Out of these, 19920 Indians have already reached India.

PM Modi asks Putin to hold direct talks with Ukraine President Zelensky

In early trading on Monday, the rupee reached a new all-time low as a strong rise in international crude oil prices threatened to drive up imported inflation and worsen the country's trade and current account deficits.&nbsp;

After touching 76.96, the partially convertible rupee was trading at 76.92/93 per dollar, its lowest level ever.

According to a Reuters report, it finished at 76.16 on Friday.

The rupee opened at 76.85 versus the US dollar on the interbank foreign exchange, then fell to 76.98, a drop of 81 paise from the previous finish, according to a PTI report.

The rupee plummeted 23 paise against the US dollar on Friday, closing at 76.17, its lowest level since December 15, 2021.

Why is the Rupee down?

According to experts, the Indian rupee began to decline on Monday morning as the dollar surged alongside crude oil.

The US dollar and the yen are trading higher in Asian trade this morning as investors flock to safe-haven assets.&nbsp;

The benchmark 10-year bond yield was 6.86 percent, up 5 basis points from the previous day.

Meanwhile, global oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 9.38% to USD 129.19 a barrel as the US and its European allies consider imposing a Russian oil import ban, while delays in the prospective return of Iranian crude to global markets fueled supply concerns.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In early trading on Monday, the rupee reached a new all-time low as a strong rise in international crude oil prices threatened to drive up imported inflation and worsen the country's trade and current account deficits.

In early trading on Monday, the rupee reached a new all-time low as a strong rise in international crude oil prices threatened to drive up imported inflation and worsen the country's trade and current account deficits. After touching 76.96, the partially convertible rupee was trading at 76.92/93 per dollar, its lowest level ever. According to a Reuters report, it finished at 76.16 on Friday. The rupee opened at 76.85 versus the US dollar on the interbank foreign exchange, then fell to 76.98, a drop of 81 paise from the previous finish, according to a PTI report. The rupee plummeted 23 paise against the US dollar on Friday, closing at 76.17, its lowest level since December 15, 2021. Why is the Rupee down? According to experts, the Indian rupee began to decline on Monday morning as the dollar surged alongside crude oil. The US dollar and the yen are trading higher in Asian trade this morning as investors flock to safe-haven assets. The benchmark 10-year bond yield was 6.86 percent, up 5 basis points from the previous day. Meanwhile, global oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 9.38% to USD 129.19 a barrel as the US and its European allies consider imposing a Russian oil import ban, while delays in the prospective return of Iranian crude to global markets fueled supply concerns. (With inputs from agencies)

Rupee hits all-time low vs dollar on sharp surge in oil prices

In a major relief for over 500 Indian students in Sumy, Russia has announced a ceasefire for the humanitarian purpose that comes into effect from 10:00am (Moscow time) or 12.30pm IST.&nbsp;

The announcement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and has been announced for four places - Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kharkiv.&nbsp;

A statement released by Russian noted: "Taking into account the catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in Kiev, Kharkov, Sumy and Mariupol, as well as at the personal request of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces for humanitarian purposes, on March 7, from 10:00 a.m. establish cease-fire and open humanitarian corridors."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/evacuation-of-indian-students-from-sumy-raised-by-pm-modi-with-ukraine-president-459780">Evacuation of Indian students from Sumy raised by PM Modi with Ukraine President</a>

For Sumy, two routes have been announced. Route number one is Sumy, Sudzha, Belgorod and then by "air, rail and road transport to selected destinations or points of temporary accommodation," said the Russian release. Belgorod is in Russia and near to Sumy.&nbsp;

Route number two is Sumy, Golubovka, Romny, Lokhvitsa, Lubny, Poltava. Poltava is in Central Ukraine. The information has been given to the UN, OSCE and ICRC.&nbsp;

For Mariupol two routes have been announced, for Kyiv and Kharkiv one each. The development follows a ceasefire announced over the weekend but failed to take effect as both Russia and Ukraine blamed other side for not respecting it. The Russian side in today's statement said, "We demand from the Ukrainian side strictly fulfil all the conditions for the creation of humanitarian corridors in this areas and to ensure an organized withdrawal of civilians and foreign citizens."

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Earlier in the day, the Indian Prime Minister spoke to Ukraine President and "sought continued support" from the Ukrainian govt for the evacuation of Indian nationals from the city.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi thanked President Zelensky for the help extended by the Government of Ukraine in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine.&nbsp;

PM Modi will later be speaking to the Russian President. This will be the 3rd talk between the 2 leaders in the last two weeks and the key focus is expected to remain on the evacuation of Indian nationals.

In a major relief for over 500 Indian students in Sumy, Russia has announced a ceasefire for the humanitarian purpose that comes into effect from 10:00am (Moscow time) or 12.

In a major relief for over 500 Indian students in Sumy, Russia has announced a ceasefire for the humanitarian purpose that comes into effect from 10:00am (Moscow time) or 12.30pm IST. The announcement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and has been announced for four places - Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kharkiv. A statement released by Russian noted: "Taking into account the catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in Kiev, Kharkov, Sumy and Mariupol, as well as at the personal request of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces for humanitarian purposes, on March 7, from 10:00 a.m. establish cease-fire and open humanitarian corridors." ALSO READ | Evacuation of Indian students from Sumy raised by PM Modi with Ukraine President For Sumy, two routes have been announced. Route number one is Sumy, Sudzha, Belgorod and then by "air, rail and road transport to selected destinations or points of temporary accommodation," said the Russian release. Belgorod is in Russia and near to Sumy. Route number two is Sumy, Golubovka, Romny, Lokhvitsa, Lubny, Poltava. Poltava is in Central Ukraine. The information has been given to the UN, OSCE and ICRC. For Mariupol two routes have been announced, for Kyiv and Kharkiv one each. The development follows a ceasefire announced over the weekend but failed to take effect as both Russia and Ukraine blamed other side for not respecting it. The Russian side in today's statement said, "We demand from the Ukrainian side strictly fulfil all the conditions for the creation of humanitarian corridors in this areas and to ensure an organized withdrawal of civilians and foreign citizens." IN PICS | What are Czech hedgehogs?: Homemade obstacles that can destroy Russian tanks Earlier in the day, the Indian Prime Minister spoke to Ukraine President and "sought continued support" from the Ukrainian govt for the evacuation of Indian nationals from the city. Prime Minister Modi thanked President Zelensky for the help extended by the Government of Ukraine in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine. PM Modi will later be speaking to the Russian President. This will be the 3rd talk between the 2 leaders in the last two weeks and the key focus is expected to remain on the evacuation of Indian nationals.

In a relief for Indian students in Sumy, Russia announces ceasefire for humanitarian purposes

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the issue of evacuation of Indian students stranded in Sumy during his telephonic conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (March 7).

More than 500 Indian students are stranded in the besieged city. Indian government sources said PM Modi "sought continued support" from the Ukrainian government for the evacuation of Indian nationals from the city.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi thanked President Zelensky for the help extended by the government of Ukraine in the evacuation of Indian nationals.&nbsp;

India has launched 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate its nationals from the war-torn country who have crossed over to neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.&nbsp;

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Under 'Operation Ganga', so far 76 Flights have brought over 15920 Indians back to India. Out of these 76 flights, 13 flights landed in the 24 hours.&nbsp;

In all, over 21000 Indians came out of Ukraine since the issuance of the advisory in January 2022. Out of these, 19920 Indians have already reached India.&nbsp;

The call between the two leaders lasted for 35 minutes during which the "evolving situation in Ukraine" was the top focus.&nbsp;

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It has been over a week since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started which has led to thousands leaving the country for neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.&nbsp;

Later today, PM will also speak to Russian President Putin. This will be the 3rd talk between the two leaders in the last two weeks.&nbsp;

During his first conversation with President Putin on February 24, PM appealed for cessation of violence and return to the path of diplomatic negotiations.&nbsp;

It was on February 24, Russia began the invasion of Ukraine. While the safety of Indian nationals has been the top focus of the talks, PM Modi has during the talks has emphasized "honest and sincere dialogue" according to the readout by the Indian side. The second conversation happened last week.&nbsp;

Ukraine has been requesting Indian support to defuse the crisis. Over the weekend, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had urged PM Modi to reach out to Russian President Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country.&nbsp;

Pointing to the "special relations" between India and Russia, Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba in response to WION question said, "All countries who enjoy special relations with India they can appeal to President Putin, PM Modi we call him to continue reaching out to President Putin and explaining to him that this war is against interest of all".&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the issue of evacuation of Indian students stranded in Sumy during his telephonic conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (March 7).

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the issue of evacuation of Indian students stranded in Sumy during his telephonic conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (March 7). More than 500 Indian students are stranded in the besieged city. Indian government sources said PM Modi "sought continued support" from the Ukrainian government for the evacuation of Indian nationals from the city. Prime Minister Modi thanked President Zelensky for the help extended by the government of Ukraine in the evacuation of Indian nationals. India has launched 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate its nationals from the war-torn country who have crossed over to neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. ALSO READ | Ukraine under attack: Indian student shot at in Kyiv crosses into Poland, thanks officials Under 'Operation Ganga', so far 76 Flights have brought over 15920 Indians back to India. Out of these 76 flights, 13 flights landed in the 24 hours. In all, over 21000 Indians came out of Ukraine since the issuance of the advisory in January 2022. Out of these, 19920 Indians have already reached India. The call between the two leaders lasted for 35 minutes during which the "evolving situation in Ukraine" was the top focus. IN PICS | What are Czech hedgehogs?: Homemade obstacles that can destroy Russian tanks It has been over a week since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started which has led to thousands leaving the country for neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. Prime Minister Modi appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. Later today, PM will also speak to Russian President Putin. This will be the 3rd talk between the two leaders in the last two weeks. During his first conversation with President Putin on February 24, PM appealed for cessation of violence and return to the path of diplomatic negotiations. It was on February 24, Russia began the invasion of Ukraine. While the safety of Indian nationals has been the top focus of the talks, PM Modi has during the talks has emphasized "honest and sincere dialogue" according to the readout by the Indian side. The second conversation happened last week. Ukraine has been requesting Indian support to defuse the crisis. Over the weekend, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had urged PM Modi to reach out to Russian President Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country. Pointing to the "special relations" between India and Russia, Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba in response to WION question said, "All countries who enjoy special relations with India they can appeal to President Putin, PM Modi we call him to continue reaching out to President Putin and explaining to him that this war is against interest of all".

Evacuation of Indian students from Sumy raised by PM Modi with Ukraine President

In what can be called a sigh of relief, around 183 Indian citizens, who were stranded in Ukraine, have reached Delhi on Sunday in a special flight. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On Saturday, the flight had departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under ‘Operation Ganga’. It landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. &nbsp;

The passengers were received by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He also had a discussion with the students. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tensions have risen in the region. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On Ukraine crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other top officials attended the meeting. &nbsp;

Under Operation Ganga, over 13,300 people have returned to India so far from war-torn Ukraine, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ukrainian-woman-married-in-kashmir-appeals-to-indian-pm-modi-to-ask-russia-to-end-violence-459335" hreflang="en">Ukrainian woman married in Kashmir appeals to Indian PM Modi to ask Russia to end violence</a>

Almost all Indians have left Kharkiv city in Ukraine, said the ministry. &nbsp;

Now, the main focus of the government is to evacuate citizens from the Sumy area. It is challenging due to the ongoing violence and lack of transportation. &nbsp;&nbsp;

'Special envoys' have been deployed by the government to five neighbouring countries, who share a border with Ukraine, to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In what can be called a sigh of relief, around 183 Indian citizens, who were stranded in Ukraine, have reached Delhi on Sunday in a special flight. On Saturday, the flight had departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under ‘Operation Ganga’.

In what can be called a sigh of relief, around 183 Indian citizens, who were stranded in Ukraine, have reached Delhi on Sunday in a special flight. On Saturday, the flight had departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under ‘Operation Ganga’. It landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The passengers were received by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He also had a discussion with the students. Also Read: India pitches with France to become Rafale maintenance hub After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tensions have risen in the region. On Ukraine crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday. Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other top officials attended the meeting. Under Operation Ganga, over 13,300 people have returned to India so far from war-torn Ukraine, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. Also Read: Ukrainian woman married in Kashmir appeals to Indian PM Modi to ask Russia to end violence Almost all Indians have left Kharkiv city in Ukraine, said the ministry. Now, the main focus of the government is to evacuate citizens from the Sumy area. It is challenging due to the ongoing violence and lack of transportation. 'Special envoys' have been deployed by the government to five neighbouring countries, who share a border with Ukraine, to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. (With inputs from agencies)

Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight under Operation Ganga

Ukraine's Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pointing to the "special relations" between India and Russia, Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba in response to a WION query, said, "All countries, who enjoy special relations with Russia, like India, can appeal to Putin. We call on PM Modi to continue reaching out to Russian President to explain him that this invasion is against the interests of all." &nbsp;

Modi and Putin have spoken twice since Russia has invaded Ukraine in February 24. During his first conversation on February 24, PM appealed for cessation of violence and return to the path of diplomatic negotiations. &nbsp;&nbsp;

While safety of Indian nationals has been on the top of the agenda of the talks, Modi has, during the talks, emphasized on "honest and sincere dialogue", according to the readout by the Indian side. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sigh-of-relief-183-indian-citizens-reach-delhi-in-special-flight-under-operation-ganga-459431" hreflang="en">Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight</a>

The Ukraine Foreign minister also pointed that invasion has impacted global agriculture market, including exports to India. &nbsp;&nbsp;

He explained, "We have to take into account that India is one of the largest consumers of Ukrainian agriculture products and if this war continues, it will be difficult for us to seed new harvest and then to collect it. In terms of global food security and for Indian too, it is best interest to stop this invasion." &nbsp;

India imports huge quantity of sunflower oil from the eastern European country, which is expected to take a beating amid the ongoing escalations. &nbsp;

He asked, "Ordinary Indians can put pressure on the Russian embassy in India to ask them to stop the invasion. Ukraine does not need this war....Putin does not recognise out right to exist but every country in the world can help us by demanding Putin to stop the attack." &nbsp;

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For India, the biggest worry remains the around more than 500 Indian students stranded in Sumy. Asked about it, during the virtual presser, he said, "To facilitate the withdrawal of the foreign students from Kharkiv and Sumy, Ukraine arranged some trains, we also set up a hotline that foreign students can address. We work closely with relevant embassies and coordinate our efforts with them." &nbsp;

India has launched Operation Ganga to evacuate its nationals from the war-torn country, who have crossed over to neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. Under the evacuation operation, so far 63 flights have brought over 13,300 Indians back to India. &nbsp;

He called on the, "Governments of India, China and Nigeria, whose students are in Sumy and Kharkiv" to "the stop fire" by reaching out to Moscow. New Delhi has been in touch with Russia and Ukraine and told them to work on local ceasefire for early evacuation of its nationals. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Dismissing Russian claims of students being held hostage, he said, "They are trying to win the sympathy of the countries I mentioned by accusing Ukraine of keeping foreign students as hostages and violating their rights and decimating them. But I would like to say one thing that for 30 years, Ukraine was home for your students and it continues to be, even under fire from Russia". &nbsp;&nbsp;

Putin had first claimed that Indian students were held hostage by Ukraine, something that has been dismissed by India.

Ukraine's Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country.

Ukraine's Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the ongoing invasion of his country. Pointing to the "special relations" between India and Russia, Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba in response to a WION query, said, "All countries, who enjoy special relations with Russia, like India, can appeal to Putin. We call on PM Modi to continue reaching out to Russian President to explain him that this invasion is against the interests of all." Modi and Putin have spoken twice since Russia has invaded Ukraine in February 24. During his first conversation on February 24, PM appealed for cessation of violence and return to the path of diplomatic negotiations. While safety of Indian nationals has been on the top of the agenda of the talks, Modi has, during the talks, emphasized on "honest and sincere dialogue", according to the readout by the Indian side. Also Read | Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight The Ukraine Foreign minister also pointed that invasion has impacted global agriculture market, including exports to India. He explained, "We have to take into account that India is one of the largest consumers of Ukrainian agriculture products and if this war continues, it will be difficult for us to seed new harvest and then to collect it. In terms of global food security and for Indian too, it is best interest to stop this invasion." India imports huge quantity of sunflower oil from the eastern European country, which is expected to take a beating amid the ongoing escalations. He asked, "Ordinary Indians can put pressure on the Russian embassy in India to ask them to stop the invasion. Ukraine does not need this war....Putin does not recognise out right to exist but every country in the world can help us by demanding Putin to stop the attack." Also Read | Weekend Special: Who is a Russian oligarch? Here's what you need to know For India, the biggest worry remains the around more than 500 Indian students stranded in Sumy. Asked about it, during the virtual presser, he said, "To facilitate the withdrawal of the foreign students from Kharkiv and Sumy, Ukraine arranged some trains, we also set up a hotline that foreign students can address. We work closely with relevant embassies and coordinate our efforts with them." India has launched Operation Ganga to evacuate its nationals from the war-torn country, who have crossed over to neighbouring countries like Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. Under the evacuation operation, so far 63 flights have brought over 13,300 Indians back to India. He called on the, "Governments of India, China and Nigeria, whose students are in Sumy and Kharkiv" to "the stop fire" by reaching out to Moscow. New Delhi has been in touch with Russia and Ukraine and told them to work on local ceasefire for early evacuation of its nationals. Dismissing Russian claims of students being held hostage, he said, "They are trying to win the sympathy of the countries I mentioned by accusing Ukraine of keeping foreign students as hostages and violating their rights and decimating them. But I would like to say one thing that for 30 years, Ukraine was home for your students and it continues to be, even under fire from Russia". Putin had first claimed that Indian students were held hostage by Ukraine, something that has been dismissed by India.

Ukraine FM urges Indian PM Narendra Modi to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop invasion

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced that over 13,300 Indians have returned to India under Operation Ganga from war-torn Ukraine. WION's Siddhant Sibbal brings you more insights.

Indian Govt: More than 13,000 Indians evacuated from war-torn Ukraine

India&nbsp;is&nbsp;set&nbsp;to&nbsp;export&nbsp;a&nbsp;record&nbsp;7&nbsp;million&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;of&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;this&nbsp;year&nbsp;as a rally in global prices gives the world's second biggest producer of the grain an opportunity to gain market share, a top government official said.

"Indian&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;exports have picked up," Sudhanshu Pandey, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told reporters on Saturday.

"By the end of February, we had already&nbsp;exported 6.6&nbsp;million&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;of&nbsp;wheat. Still one month is left."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sigh-of-relief-183-indian-citizens-reach-delhi-in-special-flight-under-operation-ganga-459431">Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight under Operation Ganga</a>

In the 2012-13 fiscal&nbsp;year,&nbsp;India&nbsp;shipped a&nbsp;record&nbsp;6.5&nbsp;million&nbsp;tonnes.

A recent rally in international prices has made&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;shipments more lucrative for traders.

Benchmark&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;prices in Chicago have surged by more than 40% this week on fears of supply disruptions due to sanctions on Russia and the war in Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of world&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;exports.

Traders last week said&nbsp;India's&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;exports were expected to accelerate with a flurry of enquiries from buyers seeking alternatives to Black Sea shipments.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-official-slams-pak-for-sending-inedible-wheat-says-indias-far-better-reports-459159">Taliban official slams Pak for sending inedible wheat, says India’s far better: Reports</a>

India&nbsp;will also send 50,000&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;of&nbsp;wheat&nbsp;to Afghanistan, Pandey said, in a bid to help the country facing poverty and hunger since the takeover by the Taliban last&nbsp;year.

New Delhi has already sent 4,000&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;of the grain to Afghanistan via an infrequently used land route through Pakistan.

India is set to export a record 7 million tonnes of wheat this year as a rally in global prices gives the world's second biggest producer of the grain an opportunity to gain market share, a top government official said.

India is set to export a record 7 million tonnes of wheat this year as a rally in global prices gives the world's second biggest producer of the grain an opportunity to gain market share, a top government official said. "Indian wheat exports have picked up," Sudhanshu Pandey, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told reporters on Saturday. "By the end of February, we had already exported 6.6 million tonnes of wheat. Still one month is left." Also read | Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight under Operation Ganga In the 2012-13 fiscal year, India shipped a record 6.5 million tonnes. A recent rally in international prices has made wheat shipments more lucrative for traders. Benchmark wheat prices in Chicago have surged by more than 40% this week on fears of supply disruptions due to sanctions on Russia and the war in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of world wheat exports. Traders last week said India's wheat exports were expected to accelerate with a flurry of enquiries from buyers seeking alternatives to Black Sea shipments. Also read | Taliban official slams Pak for sending inedible wheat, says India’s far better: Reports India will also send 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan, Pandey said, in a bid to help the country facing poverty and hunger since the takeover by the Taliban last year. New Delhi has already sent 4,000 tonnes of the grain to Afghanistan via an infrequently used land route through Pakistan.

India set to export record 7 million tonnes wheat this year

An Indian border security officer opened fire at his colleagues and then shot himself dead on Sunday morning in Punjab’s Amritsar, officials said.

Among those who were shot at, 5 have died while&nbsp;7 were injured and admitted to a local hospital. One of the injured is said to be in critical condition.

The incident took place at a mess in the Border Security Force camp in the Khasa area, about 20 km short of the Attari-Wagah border crossing along the India-Pakistan international front.

The incident took place between 9.30 am&nbsp;and 9.45 am&nbsp;when constable Sateppa SK&nbsp;allegedly used his service rifle and pumped bullets on of his colleagues, an officer said.

“In an unfortunate incident, 5 BSF troops were injured on March 6, due to fratricide committed by Ct Satteppa SK at HQ 144 Bn Khasa, Amritsar. Ct Satteppa SK was also injured in the incident. Out of the 6 injured, 5, including Ct Satteppa, have lost their lives. One of the injured is critical. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts,” BSF officials said in a statement.

The victims include personnel in the ranks of constable and head constable.

A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts and more details will follow, BSF said.&nbsp;

The officials are yet to establish the reason for provocation that led the accused to fire at his colleagues.

But there are media reports claiming that the constable was upset for being overworked and an argument with a senior officer might have forced him to take his rifle.

(With inputs from agencies)

An Indian border security officer opened fire at his colleagues and then shot himself dead on Sunday morning in Punjab’s Amritsar, officials said. Among those who were shot at, 5 have died while 7 were injured and admitted to a local hospital.

An Indian border security officer opened fire at his colleagues and then shot himself dead on Sunday morning in Punjab’s Amritsar, officials said. Among those who were shot at, 5 have died while 7 were injured and admitted to a local hospital. One of the injured is said to be in critical condition. The incident took place at a mess in the Border Security Force camp in the Khasa area, about 20 km short of the Attari-Wagah border crossing along the India-Pakistan international front. The incident took place between 9.30 am and 9.45 am when constable Sateppa SK allegedly used his service rifle and pumped bullets on of his colleagues, an officer said. “In an unfortunate incident, 5 BSF troops were injured on March 6, due to fratricide committed by Ct Satteppa SK at HQ 144 Bn Khasa, Amritsar. Ct Satteppa SK was also injured in the incident. Out of the 6 injured, 5, including Ct Satteppa, have lost their lives. One of the injured is critical. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts,” BSF officials said in a statement. The victims include personnel in the ranks of constable and head constable. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts and more details will follow, BSF said. The officials are yet to establish the reason for provocation that led the accused to fire at his colleagues. But there are media reports claiming that the constable was upset for being overworked and an argument with a senior officer might have forced him to take his rifle. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian BSF personnel opens fires at his colleagues, 5 dead, 1 critical

Experts deliberated on how Central and South Asian countries should engage with Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover during a conference jointly organised by the Tajik National University and the Council for Strategic Affairs, Indian Institute of Management.

Speaking at the event organised in Tajikistan, Indian parliamentarian and former minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar said, "We think of 9/11 and imagine it began with the attack on the&nbsp;tower but it started when the Taliban armed forces took over Afghanistan."

"After the US forces left Afghanistan the message that&nbsp;went out to the world was that America was not ready to stand with anyone and then the Ukraine issue started. NATO&nbsp;and the&nbsp;US won't stand for them as well - now it's a firm message," he said.

"The new world order is going to demand equality towards all nations. India and Tajikistan can cooperate to make the world safe and peaceful," the former minister added.

"I have seen Afghan women come from the backward section to the mainstream. Afghanistan's story is not over, you will see the bright future of the country once again," he said.

"Independence is important both for Ukraine and Afghanistan. Dushanbe was a village in 1985 when I went there for the first time but now it is&nbsp;a developed city of a developed nation," he said, adding," it highlights the effect of independence."

Akbar said World War-I was the reason for World War-II and after that came the Cold War which gave birth to terrorism.

"The problems connected with World War-I should have been resolved at that time itself. We are facing problems&nbsp;due to past unresolved issues," MJ Akbar said.

"In India,&nbsp;there is balance of power today. What we need is balance not just balance of power. Balance in each and every field," he said.

Experts deliberated on how Central and South Asian countries should engage with Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover during a conference jointly organised by the Tajik National University and the Council for Strategic Affairs, Indian Institute of Management.

Experts deliberated on how Central and South Asian countries should engage with Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover during a conference jointly organised by the Tajik National University and the Council for Strategic Affairs, Indian Institute of Management. Speaking at the event organised in Tajikistan, Indian parliamentarian and former minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar said, "We think of 9/11 and imagine it began with the attack on the tower but it started when the Taliban armed forces took over Afghanistan." "After the US forces left Afghanistan the message that went out to the world was that America was not ready to stand with anyone and then the Ukraine issue started. NATO and the US won't stand for them as well - now it's a firm message," he said. "The new world order is going to demand equality towards all nations. India and Tajikistan can cooperate to make the world safe and peaceful," the former minister added. "I have seen Afghan women come from the backward section to the mainstream. Afghanistan's story is not over, you will see the bright future of the country once again," he said. "Independence is important both for Ukraine and Afghanistan. Dushanbe was a village in 1985 when I went there for the first time but now it is a developed city of a developed nation," he said, adding," it highlights the effect of independence." Akbar said World War-I was the reason for World War-II and after that came the Cold War which gave birth to terrorism. "The problems connected with World War-I should have been resolved at that time itself. We are facing problems due to past unresolved issues," MJ Akbar said. "In India, there is balance of power today. What we need is balance not just balance of power. Balance in each and every field," he said.

Experts deliberate on how Central and South Asian countries should engage with Afghanistan

An Indian student stranded in Ukraine due to Russian military actions became a good Samaritan when he assisted a Pakistani student in Kyiv in reaching the Romanian border, where she was evacuated to her motherland.

Ankit Yadav, who recently returned from the conflict-torn Ukraine, told ANI that he assisted her in getting to the Pakistani consulate, from where she was flown back to her hometown.&nbsp;

"I met her at a bunker on the evening of February 24. I was the only Indian and she was the only Pakistani in that bunker which was filled with Ukrainians. Due to the language barrier, we could not speak to anybody else. With rising tensions in Ukraine, we decided to make a plan to flee the city. We had planned to leave on February 26, but a curfew was imposed and we failed in our first attempt, "Yadav said.

Yadav, who is studying at a Kyiv institute, described his trauma after arriving at the Delhi international airport, saying they were not allowed to leave the bunker due to continuous bombardment and Russian military actions.

He claimed that procuring food was a problem because Ukrainians ate largely non-vegetarian food and supplies were running out.&nbsp;

"When I requested, they allowed me to leave the bunker on February 27 to get a nasal spray. That is when I fled to my hostel with a curfew in place, cooked food for both of us and returned," Yadav said. "With not enough food, on the night of February 27 we only consumed rice provided to us by the Ukrainians and slept," he added.

On February 28 when curfew lifted, Yadav said they managed to flee the bunker and find a store to replenish their supplies and then began planning to leave the city.

"About that time she received a call from the Pakistani Embassy. When she told them that she was still in Kyiv and did not have any other person from her country with her, the officials of the embassy requested that I accompany her to the border for safety concerns," he said.

After trudging for about 5 km to the railway station, Yadav said that they met some more students but could not board the overcrowded train because of which they missed first three trains.

"Luckily, we got the next train but there no empty seats left and we had to sit on the floor. Sometime later we heard a blast in our train and eventually, the train began to move slowly and took us to our destination," Yadav said.

The Pakistani girl, he said, then contacted her embassy, which arranged a taxi and arranged a bus with other Pakistani nationals to evacuate them to the Romania border.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan informed that over 11,000 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine so far.

The government has deployed ‘special envoys’ to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is overseeing evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania and Gen VK Singh in Poland.

(With inputs from agencies)

An Indian student stranded in Ukraine due to Russian military actions became a good Samaritan when he assisted a Pakistani student in Kyiv in reaching the Romanian border, where she was evacuated to her motherland.

An Indian student stranded in Ukraine due to Russian military actions became a good Samaritan when he assisted a Pakistani student in Kyiv in reaching the Romanian border, where she was evacuated to her motherland. Ankit Yadav, who recently returned from the conflict-torn Ukraine, told ANI that he assisted her in getting to the Pakistani consulate, from where she was flown back to her hometown. "I met her at a bunker on the evening of February 24. I was the only Indian and she was the only Pakistani in that bunker which was filled with Ukrainians. Due to the language barrier, we could not speak to anybody else. With rising tensions in Ukraine, we decided to make a plan to flee the city. We had planned to leave on February 26, but a curfew was imposed and we failed in our first attempt, "Yadav said. Yadav, who is studying at a Kyiv institute, described his trauma after arriving at the Delhi international airport, saying they were not allowed to leave the bunker due to continuous bombardment and Russian military actions. He claimed that procuring food was a problem because Ukrainians ate largely non-vegetarian food and supplies were running out. "When I requested, they allowed me to leave the bunker on February 27 to get a nasal spray. That is when I fled to my hostel with a curfew in place, cooked food for both of us and returned," Yadav said. "With not enough food, on the night of February 27 we only consumed rice provided to us by the Ukrainians and slept," he added. On February 28 when curfew lifted, Yadav said they managed to flee the bunker and find a store to replenish their supplies and then began planning to leave the city. "About that time she received a call from the Pakistani Embassy. When she told them that she was still in Kyiv and did not have any other person from her country with her, the officials of the embassy requested that I accompany her to the border for safety concerns," he said. After trudging for about 5 km to the railway station, Yadav said that they met some more students but could not board the overcrowded train because of which they missed first three trains. "Luckily, we got the next train but there no empty seats left and we had to sit on the floor. Sometime later we heard a blast in our train and eventually, the train began to move slowly and took us to our destination," Yadav said. The Pakistani girl, he said, then contacted her embassy, which arranged a taxi and arranged a bus with other Pakistani nationals to evacuate them to the Romania border. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan informed that over 11,000 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine so far. The government has deployed ‘special envoys’ to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is overseeing evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania and Gen VK Singh in Poland. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian student helps Pakistani girl flee Kyiv and reach Romania border: Report

India reported 5,476 fresh Covid infections and 158 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Sunday morning. 
 
With the new deaths the toll has climbed to 5,15,036 in the country. 
 
Meanwhile, the active Covid cases have further reduced to 59,442, which constitute 0.14 per cent of the country`s total positive cases, as per the ministry report.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-set-to-export-record-7-million-tonnes-wheat-this-year-459461">India set to export record 7 million tonnes wheat this year</a> 
 
The recovery of 9,754 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 4,23,88,475. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 98.66 per cent, said the Union Health Ministry on Sunday. 
 
Also in the same period, a total of 9,09,985 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 77.28 crore cumulative tests. 
 
Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate has further come down to 0.77 per cent while the daily positivity rate has fallen at 0.60 per cent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sigh-of-relief-183-indian-citizens-reach-delhi-in-special-flight-under-operation-ganga-459431">Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight under Operation Ganga</a> 
 
With the administration of over 26.19 lakhs vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid inoculation coverage has reached 178.83 crore as of Sunday morning. This has been achieved through 2,07,34,782 sessions. 
 
More than 15.54 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the health ministry as of Sunday morning.

India reported 5,476 fresh Covid infections and 158 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Sunday morning. With the new deaths the toll has climbed to 5,15,036 in the country.

India reported 5,476 fresh Covid infections and 158 new deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Sunday morning. With the new deaths the toll has climbed to 5,15,036 in the country. Meanwhile, the active Covid cases have further reduced to 59,442, which constitute 0.14 per cent of the country`s total positive cases, as per the ministry report. Also read | India set to export record 7 million tonnes wheat this year The recovery of 9,754 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 4,23,88,475. Consequently, India`s recovery rate stands at 98.66 per cent, said the Union Health Ministry on Sunday. Also in the same period, a total of 9,09,985 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 77.28 crore cumulative tests. Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate has further come down to 0.77 per cent while the daily positivity rate has fallen at 0.60 per cent. Also read | Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight under Operation Ganga With the administration of over 26.19 lakhs vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's Covid inoculation coverage has reached 178.83 crore as of Sunday morning. This has been achieved through 2,07,34,782 sessions. More than 15.54 crore balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered, according to the health ministry as of Sunday morning.

COVID-19: India reports 5,476 new Covid cases & 158 deaths

India is looking for a electricity-based technology for mass rapid transportation that is cost effective and such as can be made in the country, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said.

The ministry plans to undertake the development of ropeways as an alternate transport solution in the hill and congested, urban areas.

Rope ways, cable car and particularly I'm very much clearly interested to work on the technology of light rail transport, Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport &amp; Highways, said addressing a US audience here on Friday.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-india-unvaccinated-people-account-for-92-of-covid-deaths-in-2022-458968">&nbsp;In India, unvaccinated people account for 92% of Covid deaths in 2022</a>

Some of the US companies have also approached him with the technology, he said in his address on Rebuilding Infrastructure for India 2.0', a part of Reimagining India 2.0 series'.

The series of dialogues a part of Silicon Valley monthly Dialogue (SVD) -- has been launched by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) on the occasion of India-at-75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

We are in search of the technology, which can be cost-effective and which we can make it in India for mass rapid transport (system) on electricity, Gadkari said as he briefed Indian-Americans from Silicon Valley on the steps India is taking to bolster its physical infrastructure, in particular the transportation system.

The government, he said, is planning 11 ropeway projects to boost connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Sikkim.

Port connectivity projects are being implemented to enable swift movement of cargo connecting all ports and inland water waste minerals to increase the efficiency of domestic and international trade routes, he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/iaf-to-conduct-air-exercise-at-pokharan-range-with-rafale-jaguar-sukhoi-30-458938">IAF to conduct air exercise at Pokharan range with Rafale, Jaguar &amp; Sukhoi-30</a>

As many as 65 projects with a length of 2,050 kilometers are planned for port connectivity which are in various stages of development, he said.

He said India is also developing 29 emergency landing facilities for fighter planes on national highways.They are of strategic importance from a defence perspective.

Gadkari urged US companies to come and invest in India. Technocrats like you can participate in the drive to develop the best system for India, he said, adding that India is allowing 100 per cent FDI in the road sector and there are huge opportunities for joint ventures.

US-based companies can collaborate with our research and development reports towards EV factory technology and the retrofitting industry. The government is strongly encouraging solar and the best charging mechanism for electric mobility, he said.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: US debates India's non-alignment on Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-debates-indias-non-alignment-on-ukraine-459093/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The government is working on the battery-swapping policy and standards for EV batteries, he said, calling it a huge opportunity for all the technologies as batteries swapping is a completely new sector.

Both countries have a huge pool of young and talented engineers working on the most advanced technology. I sincerely hope you will come forward and form joint ventures to realize the benefit of advanced technology in the area of construction, alternative, prevail, and agriculture practices, Gadkari said.

Responding to a question, Gadkari said he is very much confident that we will make the road infrastructure in India equal to that of USA by the end of 2024.

India is looking for a electricity-based technology for mass rapid transportation that is cost effective and such as can be made in the country, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said.

India is looking for a electricity-based technology for mass rapid transportation that is cost effective and such as can be made in the country, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said. The ministry plans to undertake the development of ropeways as an alternate transport solution in the hill and congested, urban areas. Rope ways, cable car and particularly I'm very much clearly interested to work on the technology of light rail transport, Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, said addressing a US audience here on Friday. Also read | In India, unvaccinated people account for 92% of Covid deaths in 2022 Some of the US companies have also approached him with the technology, he said in his address on Rebuilding Infrastructure for India 2.0', a part of Reimagining India 2.0 series'. The series of dialogues a part of Silicon Valley monthly Dialogue (SVD) -- has been launched by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) on the occasion of India-at-75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. We are in search of the technology, which can be cost-effective and which we can make it in India for mass rapid transport (system) on electricity, Gadkari said as he briefed Indian-Americans from Silicon Valley on the steps India is taking to bolster its physical infrastructure, in particular the transportation system. The government, he said, is planning 11 ropeway projects to boost connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Sikkim. Port connectivity projects are being implemented to enable swift movement of cargo connecting all ports and inland water waste minerals to increase the efficiency of domestic and international trade routes, he said. Also read | IAF to conduct air exercise at Pokharan range with Rafale, Jaguar & Sukhoi-30 As many as 65 projects with a length of 2,050 kilometers are planned for port connectivity which are in various stages of development, he said. He said India is also developing 29 emergency landing facilities for fighter planes on national highways.They are of strategic importance from a defence perspective. Gadkari urged US companies to come and invest in India. Technocrats like you can participate in the drive to develop the best system for India, he said, adding that India is allowing 100 per cent FDI in the road sector and there are huge opportunities for joint ventures. US-based companies can collaborate with our research and development reports towards EV factory technology and the retrofitting industry. The government is strongly encouraging solar and the best charging mechanism for electric mobility, he said. Watch | Gravitas: US debates India's non-alignment on Ukraine The government is working on the battery-swapping policy and standards for EV batteries, he said, calling it a huge opportunity for all the technologies as batteries swapping is a completely new sector. Both countries have a huge pool of young and talented engineers working on the most advanced technology. I sincerely hope you will come forward and form joint ventures to realize the benefit of advanced technology in the area of construction, alternative, prevail, and agriculture practices, Gadkari said. Responding to a question, Gadkari said he is very much confident that we will make the road infrastructure in India equal to that of USA by the end of 2024.

India looking for mass EV tech to build in India: Transport minister Gadkari

'Icons of Grace: Twenty-one Lives that Defined Indian Spirituality' is a book by respected ISKCON monk Nityanand Charan Das who is showing a path of spiritual understanding to all the readers.

'Icons of Grace: Twenty-one Lives that Defined Indian Spirituality' is a book by respected ISKCON monk Nityanand Charan Das who is showing a path of spiritual understanding to all the readers. The inspirational book 'Icons of Grace' has become a national bestseller. In the book, the author has introduced the readers to the lives of 21 extraordinary people, such as Mirabai, Ramanujacharya, Sant Tukaram, Adi Shankaracharya. Nityanand Charan Das revealed to WION what inspired him to write the book. He also talked about his personal experiences and his journey. He weighed in on the challenges he faces on a regular basis when he interacts with the youth of this generation. WION: Tell us about the book - 'Icons of Grace: Twenty-one Lives that Defined Indian Spirituality'. What was your inspiration? Nityanand Charan Das: The book talks about the 21 most prominent spiritual saints that have ever walked on this planet. India is known for spirituality and countless souls have shown the forgotten path. 'Icons of Grace' describes the exemplary lives of 21 such greatest personalities in detail. In my years of being on this path, one thing that keeps coming up again and again as the essence of devotional life is that the lord is extremely pleased when he is glorified but he is pleased more when his devotees are glorified. He says, "Devotees are my heart. They know no one but me and I know no one but them." "Worship of my devotees is greater than the worship of me." The main inspiration for me was to please the Lord. I realised there is much more than what this book does as it reminds us of our great spiritual legacy and spiritual culture. This is our real history. We thrive on spirituality but very few people are aware of who has given this to us. So this must be known especially to the present generation to preserve our spiritual legacy. Else it's getting lost. I have realised that these saints deserve this glory for the great work they have done. We find solace and shelter in spirituality and thus this book is an act of gratitude to these great personalities for their contribution to making our lives better. So in essence, 1) To please Krishna 2) To preserve our spiritual legacy 3) To make the present generation aware of their roots 4) To glorify the great souls for what they have given us WION: You have introduced readers to the lives of 21 extraordinary people who served as spiritual guides. Tell us about them. What readers shouldn't miss while reading the book? Nityanand Charan Das: The personalities mentioned in the book serve as role models for anyone who wishes to either start his spiritual journey or as inspiration to continue on this path. We all are spiritual by nature and thus spiritual life is our natural life and the more we connect to our natural environment, the more we stay happy. So these saints set the highest standards that we can aspire to reach. One most important lesson that they have taught us is that no matter who we are, trials and tribulations are inevitable. But then how we respond is what will decide whether we are happy or miserable. WION: You are a practising monk and you wish to revolutionise the current urban scenario by helping people to lead a peaceful and purposeful life. What are the challenges you face when you interact with the youth of this generation? Do you have any suggestions for the younger generation? Nityanand Charan Das: The main challenge while interacting with the youth is that they are distracted. Moreover, mental health is an issue and to help them develop that faith in the higher power to deal with their challenges is an uphill task. To make them have faith in something that will help them in the long run rather than simply focus on some immediate gratification is tough. Things may be behind our control but they are never beyond His (God's) control. Life is not just hard work. It's grace too. We must work as if everything depends on us and we must pray as if everything depends on God. Both must go hand in hand. Effort plus grace is what will help us. For grace, we need to connect with Him deeply. And it's not that we will have to give up anything in life. We will simply have to add Him to our lives. Spiritual life is a life of connection, not rejection. So don't be afraid to add something valuable to your life. WION: In a world that is chaotic, how a common man can find the path to spiritual understanding? Most people are busy with their jobs and have lesser time for self-awareness, how should they reconnect with their roots? Tell us why is this important? Nityanand Charan Das: We must prioritise. If we don't do it, we will never end up doing it. We must dedicate some time every day for spiritual progress, ideally morning hours. Chant the Lord’s names and regularly hear from scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Shrimad Bhagavat. Associating with saintly devotees of the Lord regularly is the way we will be able to maintain a divine consciousness that will help us to make the right decisions in life. A pencil that is blunt can't be much of a help, to sharpen it might seem to be time-consuming but it's not. It's only going to help us write better. Similarly, taking out time for our spiritual practices every day is not a waste but something that will help us write the script of life better. WION: From aspiring to become an army officer to practising monk, how your journey has been? Nityanand Charan Das: My life is filled with some inexplicable experiences that people may not necessarily believe but the burden of love is such that even though we don't want to be known, we cannot serve without sharing — so let me start at the beginning. I was born in a small village in Himachal Pradesh, into an army family. My grandfather served in World War II and my father was an army man as well, so since the beginning, my deepest desire was to become an army officer. Of course, we would pray and chant, but nothing related to Krishna. However, when I was a young boy, I would have a recurrent vision in my mind of wearing saffron-coloured clothes and leaving home to become a sadhu— but I didn't pay much attention to it. I attended an army school in Jharkhand, and when I reached the 12th standard I prepared for my entrance exam for the NDA. In my entire schooling life, I had been a topper and for these exams, in particular, I had prepared well. My father's seniors in the army had interviewed me, I had undergone intense training in Chandigarh and was confident that I would clear. Before the exam even started I knew one thing— the army officials don't tolerate lies. It was okay if didn't know something, but if you lied about it — they wouldn't trust you and therefore not select you. My exam began and we had a number of tests… extempore, command tasks, group exam, psychological tests and a lot more. I excelled in all except the command task. After that, I had a formal interview where the army official, who was interviewing me, already had all my test results. He asked me, 'did you face any difficulties?' I had undergone training, I knew I had to be honest but I replied saying 'no, I didn’t face any difficulties'. Even though I had performed miserably in the command task. He asked me again, 'are you sure?' and I said 'yes, I'm sure'. I stepped out of that interview and all of a sudden it hit me… what had I done? As if I was in a trance and some unknown force was controlling me in that interview — and I only came back to my senses once I was out. I was devastated. After two days, there was a second round of interviews with 15-20 army officials from different boards and here comes the shocking part — the same man who had interviewed me earlier was present and again he asked me the same question — 'did you face any difficulties?' and involuntarily my answer was the same 'no'. Again, I had no control over this and I was rejected from the NDA. Back then, I had no explanation for this…I just wept for days to come because my biggest dream was taken away from me. Looking back now, I can connect the dots that this was all part of a much larger plan. After being rejected, I didn't even come out of my room for a few days. At that age, it's easier to find solace, so when one of the teachers at that army school told me that both Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan had been rejected from the same academy, I began to think that maybe there was something else planned for me. I enrolled myself in a BSC course near Himachal, where I developed a new 'pass time'. Every time I would see a bookstall I would run to find books on mystic perfections - the tantra, mantra of it all fascinated me. After this, I applied to study engineering, but somehow I only got a placement at a college in Baramati near Pune. It was kind of a village so I really wasn't that happy, but if I cleared all 10 of my subjects in the first year, I would be able to transfer out. I cleared five subjects in the first semester and again, I was fully prepared for everything in my second semester. For the mathematics 2 paper, I had solved all the questions at least three times. In fact, the day before the exam I ended up teaching my roommate because he was panicking about the paper. The next day, when I saw the question paper in front of me, I recognised each and every question but my mind drew a complete blank. In those three hours, I could only attempt 27 marks! Imagine my roommate passed the exam, but I didn't and that's why I couldn't transfer. At that point, I didn't have any idea what was going on. But like I said, when I look back, I understand how everything was orchestrated. In my next semester, on my way to college, I saw a blue coloured bus with the words ISKCON on it. I ran to it, to look for books of my interest but didn't find any. Disappointed, I went back to my college. The next day, an announcement was made that a seminar would take place 'The Secret to Happiness' and college would end early and all of us were thrilled. We decided to skip the seminar and play cricket instead. On the way out I saw two sadhus walking in -- one in saffron and the other in white and it was as if something was drawing me to them. Never before, had I dropped cricket for anything but that day, I told my friend -- 'let's go listen to them, they speak good English!' and I didn't even know how those words came to me. I had never spoken to them before and that's how it all began. We ended up having Geeta classes at our cottage every week and with every passing session, I felt more connected. I had strange experiences — like one day after our class I was on my way to dinner and singing the Keerthana, entirely absorbed in the clear, starry sky when all of a sudden I felt a force has moved me from my path and placed me across the bridge. I was physically lifted to the other side by some invisible force and I had no explanation but I was too happy to question it. It was only once I got to dinner that my friend told me the usual path we took to dinner was obstructed and he had fallen down on those stones and injured himself. That’s when I realised who that force was… I had deliberately been moved. It’s written in the holy book that Krishna will fulfil all your material desires so things even started happening in that direction. First, of all places they could find, two army officers came to my college in Baramati to randomly interview and select two students for training and of course, I was selected. When I reached Prayagraj, I realised that I was in a different world; that I couldn’t relate to anyone there — my biggest desire of becoming an army officer left me without warning…even though it was within my reach. I also had another attachment that came back into my life during this time. Somehow, through my prayer, even that desire gradually left me. I had realised then that I was given access to all my desires, but I myself didn’t feel the need to reach for them. It was also during the college days that I had the most out of the body, spiritual experience. One of the devotees sent me a box of books to read, and as I started to go through them it hit me that I had been to all those places before. I knew them, I recognised them and that was the moment it was all over for me. For the next four days, whenever I started chanting, the tears would just flow. I’m still waiting to relive those days. I officially became an engineer in 2006 and as a prerequisite to start our training here at the temple, we have to work outside so that we know what the other world’s like and never feel like we’ve missed out. I finished getting my work experience and in 2007, I left the other world and came here to become a monk. It isn’t easy being a monk in Bombay [Mumbai]. From desiring to be an army officer to becoming an engineer — to finally end up becoming a monk! Of course, when I undertook training, it was difficult to convince my father that this is what I had decided. I knew I had a responsibility towards them, but I had blind faith that ‘to the degree, you surrender to God to that level he'll take care of your near and dear ones.’ That’s exactly what happened — both my brothers found their passion and their lives changed for the better; my father found his calling and my mother was happy. Through spreading this message, I feel that my family has grown to millions of people. I share their pain, I share their happiness. I’ve visited so many homes in Bombay and the one thing in common is that no one likes to share! Every person thinks that the other person is happy so let me not share why I’m unhappy but let me tell you this world is a '25Paise circus'. The story goes, that in a village in India an announcement was made that in 25paise only, one can see the best circus. The only catch was that people could only enter one by one. The morning of the circus came, a man stood in line for many hours to make sure he enters the circus first. When he entered he saw it was empty and there was only one big tall man present. When he asked this man, ‘where is the circus?’ he said - ‘I'll show you!’ and he beat the person up black and blue. When this man left the circus from the backside he thought to himself - ‘let me not share this humiliation with anyone’ — so he dusted himself and went to the other villagers waiting in line and said ‘wow, what a great circus all of you must go and enjoy!’ One by one all the villagers went into the tent and received the same treatment, but not a single one of them warned the others. At night when they all gathered at the village square, some spoke of clowns, others of elephants but no one said what actually happened. Every person felt bad that night because they all thought ‘everyone else saw such great things, it was only I who suffered!’ In this world everyone goes through struggles and trials, why must we pretend? We think we are the only ones but actually, everyone is passing through an exam, just that the question paper is different. We see our question paper and we think mine is the toughest. It's absolutely ok if we are going through some trials as we are living in a material world. Ups and downs are a part of life. Some give up and some don't and they eventually grow and come out victorious, provided they have a strong shelter which is Krishna as we read in Mahabharata. We should not be ashamed of our struggles. In fact, we must set an example for others as to how to deal with them and that is the greatest service we can do to others is to let us try and put a smile on everyone's face by giving them shelter in Krishna. Unless we connect to our supreme father, we shall continue to struggle and it's a fact that's our calling but we don't know. Wherever and whatever we are, we must simply connect with Krishna and he will turn our adversities into opportunities and curses into blessings. The book 'Icons of Grace: Twenty-one Lives that Defined Indian Spirituality' is available on Amazon.

'Icons of Grace': Author Nityanand Charan Das talks about his inspiration for book on spirituality in India

Three C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force, carrying 629 Indians from neighbouring countries of Ukraine, landed at the Hindan air base near New Delhi on Saturday morning.

Under Operation Ganga, these flights evacuated Indian nationals from Romania, Slovakia and Poland.

They also carried 16.5 tonnes of relief load from India to these countries.

Till date, the IAF has flown 10 flights to bring back 2,056 passengers, while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these countries, as part of Op Ganga, the IAF said in a statement.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/russia-ukraine-conflict-indian-student-shot-in-kyiv-hospitalised-video-458752">&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine conflict: Indian student shot in Kyiv, hospitalised&nbsp;</a>

Eleven more special civilian flights are also expected to land today with more than 2,200 Indians from Ukraine's neighbouring countries, according to reports.

Additionally, four C-17 aircraft are airborne for Romania, Poland and Slovakia, which are expected to reach late at night and early morning today.

So far, around 20,000 Indians have left the war-torn country since India issued its first travel advisories in mid-February.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-discusses-ukraine-situation-with-quad-leaders-458707">PM Modi discusses Ukraine situation with Quad leaders</a>

More than 2,000 Indians are still stuck in Ukraine, the government said, adding that arrangements are being made to evacuate everyone.

"We will continue Operation Ganga till the last person gets evacuated. Roughly 2,000-3,000 (more Indians) are likely to be there (in Ukraine), the number can vary," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a briefing.

"Our primary focus is to get Indian students out of conflict zones in eastern Ukraine. We are urging both sides (Russia and Ukraine) to find ways so that we can take out our citizens. A local ceasefire would help," he added.

Three C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force, carrying 629 Indians from neighbouring countries of Ukraine, landed at the Hindan air base near New Delhi on Saturday morning.

Three C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force, carrying 629 Indians from neighbouring countries of Ukraine, landed at the Hindan air base near New Delhi on Saturday morning. Under Operation Ganga, these flights evacuated Indian nationals from Romania, Slovakia and Poland. They also carried 16.5 tonnes of relief load from India to these countries. Till date, the IAF has flown 10 flights to bring back 2,056 passengers, while taking 26 tonnes of relief load to these countries, as part of Op Ganga, the IAF said in a statement. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Indian student shot in Kyiv, hospitalised Eleven more special civilian flights are also expected to land today with more than 2,200 Indians from Ukraine's neighbouring countries, according to reports. Additionally, four C-17 aircraft are airborne for Romania, Poland and Slovakia, which are expected to reach late at night and early morning today. So far, around 20,000 Indians have left the war-torn country since India issued its first travel advisories in mid-February. Also read | PM Modi discusses Ukraine situation with Quad leaders More than 2,000 Indians are still stuck in Ukraine, the government said, adding that arrangements are being made to evacuate everyone. "We will continue Operation Ganga till the last person gets evacuated. Roughly 2,000-3,000 (more Indians) are likely to be there (in Ukraine), the number can vary," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a briefing. "Our primary focus is to get Indian students out of conflict zones in eastern Ukraine. We are urging both sides (Russia and Ukraine) to find ways so that we can take out our citizens. A local ceasefire would help," he added.

Operation Ganga: Three IAF’s C-17 aircraft land in India with 629 citizens

India has pitched with France to become a hub for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) for Rafale fighter jets.

This comes even as last month Indonesia entered into a deal with France to buy 42 Rafale Jets and UAE signed a deal to buy 80 of the fighter jets In December 2021.

India had signed a deal with France in 2016 to get 36 Rafale jets, of which 33 have been delivered. This makes &nbsp;countries in the region have these France made fighter jets.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/after-rafale-how-boeings-f-15ex-fighter-jet-can-change-iafs-strike-capability-362058">Also see |&nbsp;After Rafale, how Boeing's F-15EX fighter jet can change IAF's strike capability</a>

The Indian proposal comes amid the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat policy under which local manufacturing of defense equipment has been the focus. During the visit of French&nbsp;Defence Minister Florence Parly, both sides had discussed joint manufacture of aero engines in India.

At an event of an Industry chamber, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that ''a big French company will manufacture an engine in India...in collaboration with an Indian company''.

India and France have a robust defense relationship, from annual ministerial-level defence dialogue to regular defense exercises of the three&nbsp;services. &nbsp;The Indian Navy also participated in the French-led La Pérouse exercise, along with other Quad members from 5 to 7 April 2021.

And not just for French Rafales, India is focusing on Jewar-Noida International Airport to be a large MRO hub. Indian Prime Minister Naredra Modi had laid the foundation of the airport in a grand ceremony in November 2021. It is touted to become India's largest airport.

India has pitched with France to become a hub for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) for Rafale fighter jets. This comes even as last month Indonesia entered into a deal with France to buy 42 Rafale Jets and UAE signed a deal to buy 80 of the fighter jets In December 2021.

India has pitched with France to become a hub for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) for Rafale fighter jets. This comes even as last month Indonesia entered into a deal with France to buy 42 Rafale Jets and UAE signed a deal to buy 80 of the fighter jets In December 2021. India had signed a deal with France in 2016 to get 36 Rafale jets, of which 33 have been delivered. This makes countries in the region have these France made fighter jets. Also see | After Rafale, how Boeing's F-15EX fighter jet can change IAF's strike capability The Indian proposal comes amid the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat policy under which local manufacturing of defense equipment has been the focus. During the visit of French Defence Minister Florence Parly, both sides had discussed joint manufacture of aero engines in India. At an event of an Industry chamber, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that ''a big French company will manufacture an engine in India...in collaboration with an Indian company''. India and France have a robust defense relationship, from annual ministerial-level defence dialogue to regular defense exercises of the three services. The Indian Navy also participated in the French-led La Pérouse exercise, along with other Quad members from 5 to 7 April 2021. And not just for French Rafales, India is focusing on Jewar-Noida International Airport to be a large MRO hub. Indian Prime Minister Naredra Modi had laid the foundation of the airport in a grand ceremony in November 2021. It is touted to become India's largest airport.

India pitches with France to become Rafale maintenance hub

At a time when Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, special prayers are being held in South Kashmir's small hamlet in Tral village of Pulwama district. Ukrainian born Olesia Mazur is praying day and night for her parents and grandmother, who are stuck in Ukraine.&nbsp;

Olesia lived 300 km away from the Capital city of Ukraine.&nbsp;

Olesia has been married to a Kashmiri businessman Bilal Ahmad for the last eight years. They have two kids and have been living in Kashmir happily for the last many years.&nbsp;

However, the last 10 days have been distressing for her. She is worried about her parents and grandmother who are stuck in Ukraine during this terrible time.&nbsp;

"I am furious with what Russia is doing to our country. I am extremely worried about my parents and grandmother. They all live together and are stuck in their house. It's very difficult for them to move from their place as they are very old. If the war intensifies, I don't know what they will do. The hospitals and residential areas have been damaged as well," said Olesia Mazur, a&nbsp;Ukrainian.&nbsp;

<img alt="Ukrainian girl married in Kashmir" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a282b535-af5a-4dc5-86f3-9a39252b7d68" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_1.jpeg" />

<img alt="Ukrainian girl married in Kashmir" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bc92b41c-75a2-464c-bffd-3df74ea01c31" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/thumbnail_Image_1.jpeg" />

Olesia also appealed to Indian Prime Minister Modi to support Ukraine and tell Russia to end the violence in her home country.&nbsp; 
She said that human lives cannot be lost the way they are in Ukraine. She hopes the international community including the civilians from Russia to stand up for human rights.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-under-attack-russia-accuses-ukrainian-nationalists-of-forcibly-holding-over-3700-indians-459150">Also read |&nbsp;Ukraine under attack: Russia accuses 'Ukrainian nationalists' of 'forcibly' holding over 3,700 Indians</a>

She has been calling her family every hour to check on them.&nbsp;

"It is very emotional and sad to see what is being done to our country. Everyone is under so much stress in Ukraine and so am I. I appeal to PM Modi to support Ukraine. He should also ask the Russian government to stop the violence. I have nightmares and can barely go to sleep. I was living such a peaceful life till this invasion took place," said Olesia Mazur, a Ukrainian.&nbsp;

Olesia, 35 fell in love with Bilal, when she was on a trip to India and was visiting Goa. Bilal owned a Kashmir craft business in Goa at that time. Both fell in love with each other and later decided to get married.&nbsp;

It is Olesia's decision to live in Kashmir and she has adjusted quite well.&nbsp;

It was due to the Covid pandemic that they decided to shift base to Kashmir. Olesia herself says, it's not the money and business she is worried about, it's her family she cares most for.&nbsp;

At a time when Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, special prayers are being held in South Kashmir's small hamlet in Tral village of Pulwama district. Ukrainian born Olesia Mazur is praying day and night for her parents and grandmother, who are stuck in Ukraine.

At a time when Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, special prayers are being held in South Kashmir's small hamlet in Tral village of Pulwama district. Ukrainian born Olesia Mazur is praying day and night for her parents and grandmother, who are stuck in Ukraine. Olesia lived 300 km away from the Capital city of Ukraine. Olesia has been married to a Kashmiri businessman Bilal Ahmad for the last eight years. They have two kids and have been living in Kashmir happily for the last many years. However, the last 10 days have been distressing for her. She is worried about her parents and grandmother who are stuck in Ukraine during this terrible time. "I am furious with what Russia is doing to our country. I am extremely worried about my parents and grandmother. They all live together and are stuck in their house. It's very difficult for them to move from their place as they are very old. If the war intensifies, I don't know what they will do. The hospitals and residential areas have been damaged as well," said Olesia Mazur, a Ukrainian. Olesia also appealed to Indian Prime Minister Modi to support Ukraine and tell Russia to end the violence in her home country. She said that human lives cannot be lost the way they are in Ukraine. She hopes the international community including the civilians from Russia to stand up for human rights. Also read | Ukraine under attack: Russia accuses 'Ukrainian nationalists' of 'forcibly' holding over 3,700 Indians She has been calling her family every hour to check on them. "It is very emotional and sad to see what is being done to our country. Everyone is under so much stress in Ukraine and so am I. I appeal to PM Modi to support Ukraine. He should also ask the Russian government to stop the violence. I have nightmares and can barely go to sleep. I was living such a peaceful life till this invasion took place," said Olesia Mazur, a Ukrainian. Olesia, 35 fell in love with Bilal, when she was on a trip to India and was visiting Goa. Bilal owned a Kashmir craft business in Goa at that time. Both fell in love with each other and later decided to get married. It is Olesia's decision to live in Kashmir and she has adjusted quite well. It was due to the Covid pandemic that they decided to shift base to Kashmir. Olesia herself says, it's not the money and business she is worried about, it's her family she cares most for.

Ukrainian woman married in Kashmir appeals to Indian PM Modi to ask Russia to end violence

India continues evacuation efforts in Ukraine amid the Russian Invasion. Around 13 flights are scheduled for evacuation in next 24 hours. Around, 13,300 Indians have returned so far from Ukraine.

India ramps up evacuation effort: About 13,300 Indians returned so far from Ukraine

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