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No compulsion of saying Om during Yoga Day: Ayush Minister

May 25, 2016

New Delhi, May 25: Seeking to dispel the controversy over chanting of 'Om' during the World Yoga Day programme, Ayush Minister Shripad Naik today said there was "no compulsion" to say it.sripad-naik

The ministry said there is no change even in "a full stop or a comma" in the protocol of exercises performed last year and that Surya Namaskar will also not be a part of the yoga day programme. However, this year the programme will be extended by 10 minutes.

"Om is a universal word. There is no religious connotation to it. It will be a part of the yoga day programme just like last year, but it has not been made compulsory. Those who want to chant 'Om' can do it. Others can say something else they wish. It's up to them," Naik told reporters.

Chanting of Om during yoga day programme is being opposed by some sections of minorities.
"There will be no change in the protocol of exercise even by a comma or a full stop. 'Om' was a part of the protocol last year and it will also be a part this year. Like last year, even this year it has not been made compulsory," Anil Ganeriwala, Joint Secretary with the Ayush said.

Referring to media reports Naik said even Vice-President Hamid Ansari's wife's Salma has said there is nothing wrong in chanting 'Om' while performing yoga and, if one chants it, the oxygen intake in the body increases.

"Any good thing is opposed. Last year also we did it. I appeal people to be a part of the programme for their own personal good," Naik said, adding that 77 Muslim countries had participated in the programme last year.

The minister also launched a revamped website of the Ministry and a dedicated portal for the World Yoga Day. The World Yoga Day will be observed on June 21 across the globe, marking its second year of celebration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the event in Chandigarh.

Naik said the yoga programme does not have surya namaskar, but it will have a new set of exercise. "Surya namaskar is a difficult exercise as it has 12 asans. The protocol, designed by a committee of yoga experts, has been made to suit people from all age groups. After the programme if anyone wants to learn surya namaskar, we have the facility where they can learn the exercise.

"Also, this year we are extending the yoga time by 10 minutes as we had jumped few asans last year. Since June 21 is going to be in the hottest time period, we have introduced Sheetali Pranayama this time," Naik added.

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Mohammed
 - 
Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Y not say bismillaha

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News Network
June 27,2020

New Delhi, Jun 27: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Saturday called an emergency meeting here to discuss the situation following a locust attack in neighbouring Gurugram.

The minister also directed the administration to be alert, an official said.

"After the emergency meeting, an advisory will be issued on steps to be taken to deal with the situation," Rai told PTI.

He asked the officials of the Agriculture department to make field visits to areas close to Gurugram.

The development secretary, divisional commissioner, director, Agriculture department, and the district magistrates of South Delhi and West Delhi will attend the meeting, the official said.

Earlier in the day, the skies over many parts of Gurugram turned dark as swarms of locusts descended on the town.

However, the migratory pests are likely to spare the national capital for now, officials said.

The swarms of locusts, spread across two kilometres, moved from west to east. They entered Gurugram around 11.30 am, K L Gurjar of the Locust Warning Organisation, Ministry of Agriculture, told PTI.

The pests, he said, were headed towards Faridabad and Palwal in Haryana.

Alarmed at the invasion of the locusts, which settled on trees, rooftops and plants, many residents of Gurugram shared videos from their high-rise perches.

In May, India battled a devastating desert locust outbreak. The crop-destroying swarms first attacked Rajasthan and then spread to Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

According to experts, broadly four species of locusts are found in India – desert locust, migratory locust, Bombay locust and tree locust. The desert locust is considered the most destructive.

It multiplies very rapidly and is capable of covering 150 kilometers in a day.

This insect, a type of a grasshopper, can eat more than its body weight. A one square kilometer of locust swarm containing around 40 million locusts can in a day eat as much food as 35,000 people.

Experts blame the growing menace of desert locusts on climate change. They say breeding of locusts is directly related to soil moisture and food availability.

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News Network
August 3,2020

Indore, Aug 3: In a bizarre development, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to an accused in a sexual harassment case on the condition that he will request the victim to tie a ‘rakhi’ on him with a promise to protect her “to the best of his ability for all times to come”.

Justice Rohit Arya on July 30 also ordered the man to pay Rs 11,000 to the complainant as a “customary ritual usually offered by brothers to sisters” on Raksha Bandhan and seek her blessings while visiting her with his wife and a box of sweets. “The applicant shall also tender Rs 5,000 to the son of the complainant for purchase of clothes and sweets,” the order said.

The court directed the accused to take photographs and receipts of payment made to the victim and her son, which should be filed through his lawyer for placing on record of the case before the Registry.

The victim, a resident of Ujjain district, had alleged that her neighbour, Vikram Bagri, entered her house and sexually harassed her on April 20. The police registered a case under Sections 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 354 (A) (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The order said the man, in jail for more than two months, was released on bail, on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with “one solvent surety in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court, on the condition that he shall remain present before the court concerned during trial,” and comply with conditions under Section 437 (3) of CrPC, along with other conditions.

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: With the highest single-day spike of 15,968 cases and 465 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 4,56,183 on Wednesday.

According to the latest update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), 14,476 deaths have been recorded due to the infection so far in the country.

The count includes 1,83,022 active cases, and 2,58,685 cured/discharged/migrated patients.

Maharashtra with 1,39,010 confirmed cases remains the worst-affected by the infection so far in the country. The state's count includes 62,848 active, 69,631 cured, discharged patients while 6,531 deaths have been reported due to the infection so far.

Meanwhile, the national capital's confirmed coronavirus cases reached 66,602.

2,301 deaths have been reported in Delhi due to the infection so far.

Tamil Nadu has reported 64,603 cases so far with the death toll reaching 833.

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