India News
DMK chief MK Stalin sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
DMK president MK Stalin on Friday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the time, along with 33 members of his cabinet, at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai.
DMK president MK Stalin on Friday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the time, along with 33 members of his cabinet, at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Stalin and his Cabinet ministers in an oath-taking ceremony which saw AIADMK’s top leader O Panneerselvam, leaders from alliance parties including Congress’s P Chidambaram, MDMK chief Vaiko, and top state officials in attendance.
This will be Stalin’s first term, and he takes charge when the state is battling a severe second Covid wave. Also, this is the sixth time the chief minister will be from the DMK since 1967, when party founder C N Annadurai was first elected to the post. Thereafter, Stalin’s father M Karunanidhi held the post. This time, DMK won 133 seats in the Assembly polls and along with allies, and got an absolute majority on its own.
Stalin will also hold several other portfolios including Home, General Administration, Special Initiatives, Special Programme Implementation and Welfare of Differently-Abled Persons. The Stalin-led cabinet has retained many former ministers with some of them being given different portfolios this time around, 15 members shall be ministers for the first time. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi does not figure in the list of ministers.
Party veteran and general secretary Duraimurugan, who had held portfolios like Public Works earlier, would be Minister for Water Resources in charge of irrigation projects and others including mines and minerals. Former Chennai Mayor Ma Subramanian and party’s north Chennai strongman, P K Sekarbabu. Thiagarajan, Poyyamozhi are among the 15 who would be first time Ministers.
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Here is the list of Tamil Nadu Cabinet and Council of Ministers:
| Duraimurugan | Minister for Water Resources | Irrigation Projects including small Irrigation, Legislative Assembly, Governor and Ministry, Elections and Passports, Minerals and Mines. |
| K.N. Nehru | Minister for Municipal Administration | Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply. |
| I. Periyasamy | Minister for Co-operation | Co-operation, Statistics and Ex-Servicemen Welfare |
| K. Ponmudi | Minister for Higher Education | Higher Education including Technical Education, Electronics, Science and Technology |
| E.V. Velu | Minister for Public Works | Public Works (Buildings, Highways and Minor Ports) |
| M.R.K. Panneerselvam | Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare | Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agro Service Co-operatives, Horticulture, Sugarcane Excise, Sugarcane Development and Waste Land Development |
| K.K.S.S.R Ramachandran | Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management | Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors, Disaster Management |
| Thangam Thennarasu | Minister for Industries | Industries, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, Archeology. |
| S. Reghupathy | Minister for Law | Law, Courts, Prisons and Prevention of Corruption |
| S. Muthusamy | Minister for Housing and Urban Development | Housing, Rural Housing, Town Planning projects and Housing Development, Accommodation Control, Town Planning, Urban Development and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. |
| K.R. Periakaruppan | Minister for Rural Development | Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Unions, Poverty Alleviation Programmes, Rural Indebtedness. |
| T.M. Anbarasan | Minister for Rural Industries | Rural Industries including cottage industries, small Industries, Slum Clearance Board. |
| M.P. Saminathan | Minister for Information & Publicity | Information & Publicity, Film Technology and Cinematograph Act, Newsprint Control, Stationery and Printing, Government Press. |
| P. Geetha Jeevan | Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment | Women and Children Welfare including Social Welfare, Orphanages and Correctional Administration, Integrated Child Development Scheme and Beggar Homes and Social Reforms & Nutritious Meal Programme |
| Anitha R. Radhakrishnan | Minister for Fisheries – Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry | Fisheries and Fisheries Development Corporation and Animal Husbandry |
| S.R. Rajakannappan | Minister for Transport | Transport, Nationalised Transport and Motor Vehicles Act. |
| K. Ramachandran | Minister for Forests | Forests |
| R. Sakkarapani | Minister for Food and Civil Supplies | Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection and Price Control |
| V. Senthilbalaji | Minister for Electricity, Prohibition & Excise | Electricity, Non Conventional Energy Development, Prohibition and Excise, Molasses |
| R. Gandhi | Minister for Handlooms and Textiles | Handlooms and Textiles, Khadi and Village Industries Board, Boodhan and Gramadhan. |
| Ma. Subramanian | Minister for Medical and Family Welfare | Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare |
| P. Moorthy | Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration | Commercial Taxes, Registration and Stamp Act, Weights and Measures, Debt Relief including legislation on Money lending, Chits and Registration of Companies |
| S.S. Sivasankar | Minister for Backward Classes Welfare | Backward Classes Welfare, Most Backward Classes Welfare and Denofied Communities Welfare |
| P.K. Sekarbabu | Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments | Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments |
| Palanivel Thiagarajan | Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management | Finance, Planning, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Pensions and Pension allowances. |
| S.M. Nasar | Minister for Milk & Dairy Development | Milk and Diary Development |
| Gingee K.S. Masthan | Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non Resident Tamils Welfare | Minorities Welfare, Non Resident Tamils Welfare, Refugees & Evacuees and Wakf Board |
| Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi | Minister for School Education | School Education |
| Siva. V. Meyyanathan | Minister for Environment – Climate Change and Youth Welfare and Sports Development | Environment and Pollution Control, Youth Welfare and Sports Development |
| C.V. Ganesan | Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development | Labour Welfare, Population, Employment and Training, Census, Urban and Rural Employment |
| T. Mano Thangaraj | Minister for Information Technology | Information Technology |
| M. Mathiventhan | Minister for Tourism | Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation |
| N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj | Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare | Adi Dravidar Welfare, Hill Tribes and Bonded Labour Welfare. |
India News
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh arrested in connection with money laundering case linked to Delhi liquor policy
The Enforcement Directorate has mentioned Sanjay Singh’s name in its charge sheet. According to the investigating agency Dinesh Arora a middle man said he had met Singh during a party in his restaurant. The name of the restaurant is Unplugged Courtyard.
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh after searches were conducted at his residence in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. The central investigating agency questioned Sanjay Singh for 10 hours before arresting him.
Houses of several people close to the AAP MP were also searched. The Enforcement Directorate had named Sanjay Singh in its charge-sheet. According to the investigating agency, Dinesh Arora, a middle-man, said he had met Singh during a party in his restaurant, Unplugged Courtyard.
Before leaving his home with the ED officers, Sanjay Singh touched his mother’s feet to take her blessings. Sanjay Singh’s father said they would cooperate fully with ED officials. He added he told his son Sanjay not to worry. He said the future was positive for them as the government will change soon.
AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the move showed BJP’s desperate measures as it stares at defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Delhi Education Minister Atishi tweeted the BJP’s fear of losing to the INDIA alliance is clearly visible. She said Sanjay Singh worked for the people of Delhi and wondered why they don’t open an ED office in the AAP headquarters itself. Atishi added the BJP is surviving by making false allegations against AAP.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. Large number of comments from different political leaders of different parties started coming immediately. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the way the AAP leaders used to write letters it seemed there was no one as honest as them. Tiwari added the AAP leader’s co-accused have turned approvers. He said the flame will not end with Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain but will reach Arvind Kejriwal as well.
India News
Government hikes subsidy for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per LPG cylinder
Ujjwala beneficiaries are paying Rs 703 per 14.2 cylinder as against the market price of Rs 903. After this announcement they will pay Rs 603.
Union Minster Anurag Thakur announced the Central government has hiked the subsidy amount for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per LPG cylinder on Wednesday. Anurag Thakur said the subsidy will bring an additional financial implication of Rs 7680 crore for the financial year 2023-24.
Ujjwala beneficiaries are paying Rs 703 per 14.2 cylinder as against the market price of Rs 903. After this announcement they will pay Rs 603. The decision has been made one month after the central government reduced the price of the price of cylinders for domestic cooking gas by Rs 200 for all customers.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched by PM Modi on May 1, 2016 in UP’s Ballia. The scheme aims to provide cooking gas like LPG to the people of rural India. The scheme focuses on offering LPG connections to women from disadvantaged groups, forest dwellers, Antyoday Anna Yojana (AAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), SC/ST communities and BPL households.
The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of PMUY for release of 75 lakh LPG connections over three years from the financial year 2023-24 to 2025-26. The 75 lakh additional Ujjwala connections take total number of PMUY beneficiaries to Rs 10.35 crore.
The decision to give additional subsidies for Ujjawala beneficiaries has come ahead upcoming elections in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Congress has repeatedly attacked the BJP government at the centre as it is an important issue. It was also a part of BJP’s election campaign in 2014 when Congress was in power at the centre. The decision has been taken by the Union government at a time when domestic LPG cylinders are available at a retail price of Rs 1103 per LPG cylinder.
India News
Rasabali: Famous sweet dish of Odisha’s Kendrapara district gets GI tag
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to X (formerly twitter) and said it is a matter of pride for Odisha to get the GI tag for Kendrapara Rasabali. Patnaik added Rasabali has special importance to tradition and food culture of Odisha.
The Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai under the ministry of Commerce and industry gave the GI tag to the sweet dish, which is known as Kendrapara Rasabali. Kendrapara Rasabali Mistanna Nirmata Sangha and the rural infrastructure development and employment department had applied for GI tag for Rasabali. They had submitted the supporting documents to the registry.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to X (formerly twitter) and said it is a matter of pride for Odisha to get the GI tag for Kendrapara Rasabali. Patnaik added Rasabali has special importance to tradition and food culture of Odisha. The origin of the sweet dish is from the 262 year old Sree Baladevjew temple. The presiding diety of the shrine is offered Rasabali as bhog. Rasabali finds its place among the chappan bhog at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The tag is a matter of pride for the sweetmakers. The recognition gives the product its own identity and image. Baishnab Panda, president of Kendrapara Rasabali Makers association was delighted and said the sweet will get better exposure now. Kendrapara’s Rasabali is one of the most delicious sweets in India. But it is not getting marketed properly due to poor export facilities and poor promotion.
Kendrapara Rasabali Mistanna Nirmata Sangh had prepared a dossier in the year 2021 in order to claim geographical identification tag for the sweetdish. Basudev Das a researcher of Kendrapara said the request had been submitted to the state government. The government further forwarded the request to the office of Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
The GI tag will help Kendrapara Rasabali to get more prominence in the market. This will in turn help the makers to fetch a better price for the sweetdish. According to NandaKishore Parida This GI certification will help in stopping the adulteration of Kendrapara Rasabali. As a result the sweet dish will fetch better prices in the market.
