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Civil servants’ role crucial in achieving Viksit Bharat, says PM Modi on Civil Services Day

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New Delhi, April 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the 17th Civil Services Day programme in the national capital, lauding the relentless efforts of India’s civil servants and underlining their key role in realising the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat.’

Speaking at Vigyan Bhawan, PM Modi paid rich tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, recalling his iconic 1947 address in which he called civil servants the “steel frame” of India.

“This Civil Services Day is special for several reasons. We are celebrating 75 years of our Constitution and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. On April 21, 1947, he had described you (civil servants) as the steel frame of India,” he said.

Reflecting on Patel’s vision, the Prime Minister said, “He laid out the ideals of a civil servant — one who serves the nation with honesty, discipline, democratic spirit, and dedication. These lessons of Sardar Patel become even more relevant as we move towards the resolution of Viksit Bharat.”

PM Modi said that achieving the dream of a Viksit Bharat will require every arm of progress to work in synergy.

“Our bureaucracy and policy-making cannot function with outdated methods when the world is evolving so quickly. Our young generation is growing up with rapid technological changes, new gadgets every two to three years. We must match this pace,” he stated.

Highlighting areas where India must grow — from clean energy to sports and space — the Prime Minister stressed, “Everyone is looking towards you (civil servants). You have a big responsibility to help India become the world’s third-largest economy. We must work together to ensure this goal is achieved.”

This year’s theme for Civil Services Day is ‘Holistic Development of India,’ which the Prime Minister explained as “no village left behind, no family left behind.”

He also presented the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration, recognising top-performing officials behind initiatives like PM Vishwakarma, Poshan Tracker, Siksha Setu Axom, and Sugamya Pustakalaya.

“Good governance is not defined by the number of schemes but by the impact it creates on the ground,” he said. Citing examples, he mentioned districts where solar power and improved attendance systems have shown positive results and praised the efforts of public administrators across the country.

He added that in the last decade, India has moved beyond incremental progress to transformative change.

“Today, India’s governance model focuses on next-generation reforms. Through technology and innovation, we’re bridging the gap between government and citizens. These changes are visible not only in urban and rural areas but also in remote corners of the country,” he said.

PM Modi cited Bhagalpur in Bihar, where the registration of pregnant women in Jagdishpur block rose from 25 per cent to over 90 per cent. In Marwah block of Jammu and Kashmir, institutional deliveries increased from 30 per cent to 100 per cent, reflecting improved healthcare access.

Touching upon India’s global leadership, the Prime Minister highlighted the scale of its G20 presidency. “For the first time in G20 history, more than 200 meetings took place across over 60 cities, creating a wide and inclusive footprint. This is the holistic approach of today’s India,” he said, adding, “India is not just participating — India is leading.”

He noted that while many now talk about government efficiency, India is already ahead of other countries by a decade. “We have eliminated delays and are creating new processes. Over 40,000 compliances have been removed to boost ease of doing business,” he said.

The Prime Minister recalled early opposition to reforms, including compliance reduction and decriminalisation of business errors.

He said that the foundation laid over the past decade has greatly strengthened the path towards Viksit Bharat 2047.

“We cannot evaluate our work or performance by comparing it to previous governments…We must set our own benchmarks. We need to measure how far we still are from the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’. The time for tallying up what we have achieved so far is over.

“India is now the most populous country in the world. Ensuring saturation of basic facilities should be our top priority,” the Prime Minister added.

“In the last ten years, we built 4 crore (40 million) permanent houses for the poor, but now we have a target of building 3 crore more. We have provided tap water connections to 12 crore homes in 5–6 years. Now, we must ensure every household has access to tap water as soon as possible. In ten years, we have built over 11 crore toilets for the poor. Now, we need to quickly achieve new targets related to waste management,” he mentioned.

He also launched two e-books — Holistic Development of Districts and Select Innovations — and honoured top-performing districts in schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Har Ghar Jal, and PM Awas Yojana.

Awarded districts included Rajkot in Gujarat, Gomti in Tripura, Tinsukia in Assam, Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, and Koraput in Odisha.

Blocks recognised under the Aspirational Block Programme included Gamharia (Jharkhand), Parappa (Kerala), Narnoor (Telangana), Ganganagar (Tripura), and Rama (Madhya Pradesh).

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241 dead, one survivor as Air India Dreamliner crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad: Air India

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New Delhi, June 13: In what is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.

The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

The ill-fated flight had 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and two pilots. According to officials, only one person, a British national of Indian origin seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The aircraft took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 p.m. (IST) on Thursday before losing control moments later and crashing into a densely populated area, igniting a massive blaze and triggering emergency response teams across the city.

Air India confirmed the accident in an official statement on X: “UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital.”

The airline also shared the nationality breakdown of passengers: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support,” the statement added.

The national carrier has pledged full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the crash and has established dedicated helplines for families seeking information.

Domestic callers can reach the support team at 1800 5691 444, while international callers are advised to dial +91 8062779200.

Regular updates will be provided through Air India’s official website and its X handle.

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Plastic nurdle spill from sunken cargo ship reaches TN’s Dhanushkodi sanctuary, raising alarm

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Chennai, June 10: A plastic nurdle spill from the sunken cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district, threatening one of India’s most fragile coastal ecosystems.

The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, sank off the Kochi coast a few weeks ago while carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel.

The ship’s cargo manifest remains undisclosed, fuelling speculation about the full extent of environmental risk.

Dhanushkodi Sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, supports 128 species of birds — including Greater and Lesser Flamingos — and is home to sea turtles, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. Its dunes, marshes, and seagrass beds form part of the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.

The nurdles — tiny plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing — resemble fish eggs and can be deadly to marine life. When ingested, they cause internal blockages, starvation, and often death. They also absorb toxins, entering the food chain and posing long-term health hazards.

About 80 bags, each weighing 25 kilograms, have reportedly washed ashore along a 12-km coastal stretch. Affected sites include the Dhanushkodi old church, Irattaithalai, Mugandharayan Chathiram, Gothanda Ramar temple, and Patchappatti village.

Carried by ocean currents from the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari coast, the spill now threatens the adjacent Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, home to vital coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Experts warn these habitats could be smothered by plastic debris, blocking sunlight and disrupting photosynthesis.

Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said, “We’ve identified between 15 and 30 nurdle bags along the coast. A special team has been deployed for cleanup, and additional teams are monitoring for further debris.”

He urged the public not to panic, stating that swift action was underway.

The disaster evokes memories of the 2021 X-Press Pearl incident in Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tonnes of nurdles led to mass marine deaths and crippled fisheries.

Studies showed severe impacts on plankton and larval life forms, threatening entire food chains.

Cleanup efforts in Ramanathapuram face challenges due to the nurdles’ buoyancy and small size, worsened by monsoon waves that break them into microplastics.

With the 61-day annual fishing ban nearing its end, fishermen fear reduced fish catches and consumer hesitancy could harm their livelihoods if the spill worsens.

Environmentalists are calling for urgent intervention, cargo transparency, and long-term containment measures to prevent irreversible damage to one of India’s most critical marine ecosystems.

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Eight Punjab and Haryana HC judges take lead to boost Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack

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Srinagar, June 9: To give a boost to Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack, eight judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are visiting the valley along with their families.

The visit of the legal personalities along with their families carries a powerful message for the revival of tourism in Kashmir, which got shattered after the Pahalgam terror attack.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists of Lashkar-e-Kashmir (LeT) killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local pony owner.

The pony owner sacrificed his life while trying to protect the tourists from the bullets of the terrorists.

The terror attack caused outrage in the entire country, and to avenge the killings of innocent civilians, the Indian Armed Forces carried out airstrikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

In retaliation for India’s attack on terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling on civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Eighteen civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling, 13 of them in Poonch district, in addition to the destruction of scores of homes, shops, a temple, a mosque, a church and a Gurudwara.

The itinerary of the visiting high court judges includes visits to the Mughal Gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, Shikara rides on the Dal Lake, a visit to the historic Pari Mahal and buying a few handicrafts at the local market.

There could be no better omen for the revival of tourism in Kashmir than the decision of the honourable justices of the High Court to come here along with their families.

Coinciding with the visit of these dignitaries, local tour and travel operators and hotel owners are reporting a gradual rise in the tourist bookings that had virtually stopped after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tour and travel operators and others connected with the tourist industry have expressed hope that the visit by the most respected legal dignitaries, like the high court judges, will restore confidence among visitors, both domestic and foreign, that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination.

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