By Siddharth Sharma
New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Shaktisinh Gohil on Monday raised the issue of killing of Asiatic Lions in rail accidents in Gujarat’s Gir Forest.
Speaking during the Zero Hour of the Upper House, the Congress leader claimed that 200 Asiatic Lions were killed in accidents on railway tracks in 2019.
“Asiatic Lions are our heritage. If the identity of Gir Forest is found in the whole world, it is due to Asiatic Lions. They are rarest of rare and found inside Gir according to Moonlight Survey in 2020. Their total population is 674 including the number of lions in the zoos and forests. But it could have been more. In 2018, 193 Asiatic lions were killed in accidents on railway tracks. However, in 2019, this number went up to 200,” Gohil said.
“If we take the figure even for 2 years, today the population of lions would have been up by 50 per cent. I request the government of the day that steps must be taken to prevent the accidents on track,” he added.
Gohil said he had given the notice on the issue earlier on Monday which was accepted by the chair. After he raised the issue, the chair admitted that it was an important one. (ANI)

Bankura (West Bengal) [India], March 23 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP government of making false promises to people before elections.
Addressing a public meeting here, she accused the Centre of being eager to sell off its stakes in several public sector undertakings.
“Those who cast vote last time, I want to ask you: Did BJP transfer Rs 15 lakh to each account? At the time of the election they come and take away your vote by making false promises that they will give you rice and dal,” she said.
She referred to work done by her government in Bankura to provide tap water supply to people.
Referring to BJP promise of quota for women in government jobs, she said Trinamool Congress has already taken several steps for women empowerment.
“We have given 50 percent reservation in the village, municipality. Panchayats have 50 per cent reservation. Mothers and sisters are in panchayats and in municipalities,” she said.
Elections to 294-member state assembly will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the BJP’s victory in municipal elections in Goa and said that the results show people’s appreciation towards the party’s development agenda.
“Thank you Goa for the continuous support to BJP. The results of the Municipal Elections 2021 show the people’s appreciation towards our Party’s development agenda. I laud all hardworking BJP Karyakartas who went among people and worked hard during the campaign,” PM Modi tweeted.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the BJP won a majority in five out of six municipal councils which went to polls on March 20. He added that the BJP also won a majority in the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP).
“Elections were held on six Municipal Councils and City of Panjim (CCP) Mahanagarpalika. We won 5 municipalities by the majority. In one municipality, we lost by the margin of two seats. I congratulate all winning candidates,” Sawant told ANI.
Commenting on the results, Goa BJP chief Sadanand Tanavade said: “Results of six municipal councils and one municipal corporation were announced. BJP won five out of six municipalities. BJP won 25 out of 30 seats in the Panaji Municipal Corporation. In the last elections, we won only 14 out of 30 seats.”
BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda thanked the people of Goa for their resounding endorsement of the politics of development and congratulated Sawant, Tanavade and party workers on the win.
“I thank the people of Goa for their resounding endorsement of the politics of development envisioned by Hon PM Shri Narendra Modi. I also congratulate CM Dr Pramod Sawant, State President Sadanand Tanavade and every BJP karyakarta in Goa on this victory in Municipal Elections 2021,” Nadda tweeted.
Polling for six municipal councils, 30 wards of Corporation of City of Panaji, a Zilla panchayat, and 22 panchayats took place on March 20. Nearly 83 per cent voter turnout was recorded during the polls to six civic bodies and the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP).
The six civic bodies that went to the polls are Canacona, Curchorem-Cacora, Bicholim, Cuncolim, Valpoi, and Pernem. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Days after the announcement of the setting up of the Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE), the Delhi Cabinet has paved the way for establishing about 100 schools of specialised excellence in the national capital.
These schools will be choice-based and cover grades 9 to 12, i.e the last four years in the 5+3+3+4 framework of schooling introduced by the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
“The Delhi Government plans to establish ‘Schools of Specialised Excellence’ that will cater to students who are gifted in various areas of study such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Performing and Visual Arts, Humanities and high-end 21st-century skills,” read an official release.
Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said, “We are going to live in an era of specialisation and excellence, our children need an opportunity to be ready for the next generation challenges. Every child is unique and gifted, we want to ensure that they get the opportunity and the support to achieve higher success in their lives. Schools of Specialised Excellence will provide the right platform for our children to nurture their talent and excel in areas of their specialised interests.”
Sisodia said that these schools hold the potential to serve as examples of how providing the correct environment and opportunities to students can catapult them from even the most marginalised backgrounds to great heights of success in various fields.
These schools will act as hubs of excellence in their respective zones and provide other schools with the inspiration and technical know-how to foster excellence, he added. (ANI)

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], March 23 (ANI): On its ‘Mega Vaccination Day’ against COVID-19, Haryana Health Department administered vaccine doses to 2,48,312 beneficiaries on Monday.
Sharing information in this regard, Additional Chief Secretary of Health Rajeev Arora said that Monday and Tuesday being the ‘Mega Vaccination Days’ the administration of vaccine is relatively higher on these days, thus, the state has administered the vaccine for the novel COVID-19 virus to more than 10 lakh beneficiaries so far, making it 11,56,313 vaccine doses.
The vaccination centres across the state witnessed an overwhelming response and around 2,48,312 vaccination doses were administered to the beneficiaries on Monday. Most of the beneficiaries were above 60 years of age or between 45 years to 60 years with co-morbidities, he added.
The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 4.72 crore with 19,65,635 doses being given on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said.

These include over 78 lakh Health Care Workers who have taken the first dose and over 49 lakh Health Care workers who have taken the 2nd dose, over 81 lakh frontline workers who have taken the first dose and around 28 lakh frontline workers who have taken 2nd dose, according to the press release.

The Union Health Ministry said, more than one crore 94 lakh beneficiaries aged more than 60 years and over 40 lakh 72 thousand beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities were vaccinated till Monday. (ANI)

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], March 23 (ANI): Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) Chairman Dr Jagbir Singh said that the examination of Classes IX and XI will be conducted from 10 am to 12:30 pm in place of the earlier scheduled time of 8:30 am to 11 am.
According to an official statement, Singh said that the examination of class XI will start from March 26 to April 23, 2021, and examinations for Class IX will begin from March 30 and will continue till April 17, 2021. A new or revised date sheet of these examinations has been uploaded on the board’s website.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that all the candidates should ensure social distancing and wearing of masks at the examination centre as per the guidelines issued by the government. Candidates will have to bring with them a transparent hand sanitizer and their own bottle of drinking water.
Meanwhile, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij informed on his Twitter handle that 2,48,312 people vaccinated in a single day in the state on Monday. “Monday and Tuesday of every week is observed as Mega Vaccination day in Haryana,” he said. (ANI)