Mahavir Jayanthi, death of a tigress, and other news in pictures

Tigress Jai, a main attraction at the Maharajbagh zoo in Nagpur, passed away today, after prolonged illness. The funeral for the big cat took place at the zoo premises. The tigress was brought to the zoo in 2008 and was a major tourist attraction since then. She took a turn for the worse in November 2017, when both her kidneys failed to support her.

Mahavir Jayanthi

The Jains across the country celebrated Mahavir Jayanti with its traditional fervour on Friday. Members of Shree Rajasthan Jain Swetamber Murti Pujak Sangh took out a procession on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Lord Mahaveer in Coimbatore.

Children from the Jain community during a procession to mark a Mahavir Jayanthi in Coimbatore on Thursday.   | Photo Credit: M. Periasamy

Mahavir Jayanti is specially celebrated every year the Jain community and other religious people as well to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahavir (also known as Vardhamana). Mahavir was the 24 and last Tirthankara of the Jainism who had founded the Jainism as well as established the core principles of the Jainism.

Cabinet briefing

Union Minister of Law and Justice and Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, during a Cabinet briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, March 29, 2018.   | Photo Credit: V. Sudershan

At a press briefing after the cabinet meeting on Thursday, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said that after consulting the States, it was decided to merge the three existing schemes on improving public education - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).

Lalu Prasad arrives in Delhi for treatment

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad arrives at the New Delhi railway station on Thursday.   | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who is serving jail term here since December 23 in a fodder scam case, arrived in New Delhi on medical advice for specialised treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi.

Prasad, who was admitted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi on March 17 on complaints of uneasiness at Birsa Munda Jail and left for New Delhi on Wednesdayby train after a Special CBI court allowed him to seek treatment at Delhi AIIMS.