Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 23 (ANI): The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance will win the Assembly polls in the state with a thumping majority, claimed Tamil Nadu Minister D Jayakumar on Monday.
“We will win with thumping majority. There is no doubt that we will come back to power,” Jayakumar told ANI while holding a roadshow in his Royapuram constituency.
Ruling AIADMK is contesting the poll in a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
The term of the fifteenth legislative assembly in Tamil Nadu is ending on May 2, 2021. As many as 6,28,23,749 electors will choose candidates for the sixteenth legislative assembly in Tamil Nadu.
The 234-members Tamil Nadu assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 6 and the counting of votes will be done on May 2. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): UNESCO New Delhi, along with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and other partners, organised a hybrid event on Monday with school children and teachers to celebrate ‘World Water Day 2021’.
The event included felicitating the winners of a water conservation awareness programme, and screening of their winning animation short films, according to an official release.
UNESCO launched this programme nation-wide last September for school children in India, in partnership with the National Mission for Clean Ganga, the United Schools Organization (USO), Water Digest and India based global animation major Toonz Media Group. Entitled “H2Ooooh! – Waterwise program for children of India”, this innovative initiative encouraged school students between the age of 6-14 years to submit story ideas for animated short films to raise awareness on water conservation and its sustainable use.
As many as 93 shortlisted students, including eight children with disabilities, underwent a training in basics of 2D animation including script writing, character sketching and storyboarding by Toonz Animation mentors as part of the programme. The students had been shortlisted after multiple screenings from over 17,000 participants from 43 schools across the country.

“We thank all our partners for this unique initiative, through which we hope children learned about the importance of water, which has enormous value for households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment”, said Eric Falt, UNESCO New Delhi Director.
“Creativity of children and youth is boundless. I compliment UNESCO in coming up with this innovative idea to make them #WaterWise through animation films and learn while doing. I wish all our young friends the very best and may their wisdom help us in managing water better,” said Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Government of India.
“It was indeed a great way to celebrate World Water Day and to be with the children and the teachers who had an interesting journey for becoming ‘water wise’ through the medium of cartoons and animations. UNESCO and all other partner institutions have done great work in this regard,” Mishra told ANI.
P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media Group hoped that this initiative will create excitement among children for water conservation.
Ganga Quest 2021, an online competitive quiz organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and TREE Craze Foundation, was also launched at the event. The online competition conceptualised in 2019, has garnered a stupendous response from students of all ages. As many as 11.5 lakh had participated in the 2020 NamamiGangeGanga Quest.
“Public participation is one of the prime focus areas of the theNamamiGange Mission. This quiz will encourage everyone to learn more about our rivers and to respect them,” said Mishra. (ANI)

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 23 (ANI): Telangana Youth Congress staged a protest at the state Assembly here on Monday demanding the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government to allocate unemployment allowance.
Several Youth Congress leaders including Telangana Youth Congress chief K Shiva Sena Reddy were allegedly arrested during the protest.
“Telangana Youth Congress President K Shiva Sena Reddy arrested during protest at Telangana assembly demanding unemployment allowance to unemployed youth,” Telangana Youth Congress tweeted. (ANI)

Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 23 (ANI): The election flying squad on Monday searched Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan’s vehicle in Thanjavur district.
Haasan was on his way to Trichy for a public meeting ahead of the state Assembly polls in the state.
MNM will be contesting 154 of 234 assembly seats. Of the remaining 80 seats, MNM’s two alliance partners — All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) led by R Sarathkumar and TR Paarivendhar’s Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) — will contest 40 seats each.
Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 6 and the counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 23 (ANI): Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, all schools upto class 8 in Uttar Pradesh will remain closed from March 24 till March 31.
All other educational institutions where exams are not underway will remain close from March 25 to March 31, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of the Chief Minister with officials to combat COVID-19.
Several state governments have announced the closure of schools and colleges following a spike in COVID-19 daily cases in the country.
At present, there are 3,036 active coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh, as per the Union Health Ministry. 8,759 people have lost their lives due to the virus in the state, while 5,95,743 have recovered from the disease. (ANI)

Suryapet (Telangana) [India], March 23 (ANI): Several people suffered injuries when a temporary gallery erected for spectators during a national junior Kabaddi championship collapsed here on Monday.
The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The incident took place shortly after the 47th national Kabaddi championship was launched on Monday.
According to the police, no casualties have been reported and doctors are closely monitoring the condition of the injured.
The police said that there were temporary structures set up for the competition but because of the huge crowd gathering, the gallery collapsed. (ANI)