NEWS

The Supreme Court on Monday told the Centre to put on hold counselling for NEET-PG until it decides the validity of OBC and EWS reservation in All India Quota (AIQ).

The Centre’s counsel submitted that counselling will not commence till the top court decides the case on reservation for EWS-OBC quota in the All India Quota Medical Seats.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud.

Datar submitted that the counselling schedule has been announced — from October 24 and it will be concluded on October 29 — and sought the court’s intervention in the matter stating that the process will be completed during the pendency of the matter before the court.

Aiming to drive a major push to healthcare capacities in the country, PM Narendra Modi on Monday launched the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM) from his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi with an outlay of Rs 64,000 crore.

Touted as the country's largest pan India health infrastructure scheme, the mission is aimed at ensuring robust public health systems in both urban and rural areas, along with strengthening of surveillance and research so that states are capable of effectively responding to any public health emergency in the future and also combat disease outbreaks like Covid-19.

The scheme is in addition to the existing National Health Mission that addresses the health needs in rural and urban areas.

In early October, the country was shocked by the prospect of a sudden, major power crisis. Coal-fired power stations, which produce 70 per cent of India's power, announced they had an average of four days of coal left, the lowest in years. (As recently as August this year, these power plants had reported having 13 days of stock.) With stocks reduced to almost nothing, many states, including Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan warned of potential blackouts. According to media reports, Rajasthan, Punjab and Bihar have already resorted to load shedding. The Centre has also stepped in, channelling the output of Coal India Limited (CIL) to power plants. Despite this, there has been wide-spread concern that the current situation could balloon into a full-fledged energy crisis.

Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday announced a development grant of Rs 68 crore for 35 villages of Kharar block in Shri Chamkaur Sahib constituency. Besides, the CM announced the upgradation of the historic Gharuan village as nagar panchayat.
The CM also disbursed cheques worth Rs 14 crore to the panchayats of these villages while sanctioning Rs 54 crore more.

Starting the fourth day of Shri Chamkaur Sahib constituency tour from Gharuan village falling in Kharar block of Mohali, Channi distributed cheques to panchayats of 35 villages during different functions.

Addressing the gathering at Gharuan, the CM said that in view of the historical importance of the village, it would be upgraded to the status of a nagar panchayat so as to ensure unhindered progress which would also be beneficial to the nearby villages. Announcing Rs 3.25 crore for the renovation of sacred sarovar in the village, Channi said that no stone would be left unturned to develop the area into a tourist spot.