National
Promotion of local languages responsibility of society and government: Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said that promotion of local languages is the responsibility of the society and the government while the National Education Policy-2020 has also emphasised on the promotion of the local language.
Addressing the valedictory function of the 61st annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), a regional language literary meet, in western Assam’s Tamulpur, the President said that the BSS significantly contributed for the past 70 years in strengthening the Bodo language, literature and culture. Noting that so far 17 writers have been awarded Sahitya Akademi Awards for their works in Bodo language, Kovind said that out of that, 10 have been awarded for poetry work and this shows the natural inclination towards poetry among Bodo writers.
“Many women are writing in different genres of Bodo literature. But it has also been observed that only two women are among senior writers who have received the Sahitya Akademi Award for original work,” he said, urging the BSS to encourage women writers. The President said that to keep any literature alive and relevant, the participation of the younger generation is very important. Therefore, special encouragement should also be given to young writers by BSS.
Saying that literature and languages united people, he expressed his happiness that the works in other languages are being translated into the Bodo language with great enthusiasm. Kovind expressed confidence that such translated literature would give an opportunity to the readers of Bodo language to get acquainted with other Indian languages as well as world literature. The President appealed to the Assam Government to make efforts to promote the Bodo language.
Kovind told the gathering that he has been familiar with the Bodo language since he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. He said that the Bodo language was incorporated in the eighth schedule of the Constitution when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The President said that the founder-president of the BSS, Joy Bhadra Hagzer and General Secretary Sonaram Thosen had made commendable efforts in recognition of Bodo language. This Sabha has also played an important role in the use of Bodo language as the medium of school education and place in higher education, he added.
Kovind is the first President who attended and addressed the BSS meet.
The three-day conference of BSS began on Monday and several thousand delegates attended the meet from across the country and abroad. Apart from Assam, a large number of people speaking the Bodo language live in Bangladesh, Nepal, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal.
Inspired by the Assam Sahitya Sabha, the BSS was formed in 1952 for the development of literature, culture, and language. The Bodos (or Boros) were once a powerful and dominant race in the northeast. The Assam government recognised the Bodo language as an associate official language of the state in 2020 after the signing of the Bodo peace accord between the Centre, Assam government and four Bodo militant outfits in January 2020. Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his Meghalaya and Sikkim counterparts Conrad K. Sangma and Prem Singh Tamang respectively and dignitaries from Bangladesh and Nepal attended the mega event of the BSS.
National
Desperate Pakistan ‘pleads’ with India to reconsider Indus Waters Treaty suspension

New Delhi, May 15: Nearly a few days into the understanding with Pakistan after the Indian Armed Forces left the Pakistani defence and military shattered, Islamabad has now reportedly written a letter to New Delhi, urging it to reconsider the decision of putting the Indus Waters Treaty which it has put into abeyance.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources has reportedly written a letter to New Delhi to resume the flow of rivers into its territory under the Indus Waters Treaty, media reports have claimed.
The Indus Waters Treaty is a pivotal water-sharing accord that has endured for more than six decades.
The plea comes after India halted the 1960 agreement in the wake of yet another Pakistan-backed terrorist attack, this time in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 civilians dead, mostly tourists.
India, invoking its national security prerogative, has placed the treaty in abeyance until Islamabad “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for terrorism.
The move was endorsed by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the apex decision-making body on strategic affairs, marking the first time New Delhi has hit pause on the World Bank-brokered agreement.
In a letter sent to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the Pakistani Ministry warned that suspending the treaty would trigger a crisis within the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first address since Operation Sindoor, underlined the government’s uncompromising position.
“Water and blood cannot flow together,” he declared.
“Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot happen simultaneously.”
However, Indian officials have dismissed these concerns, pointing to Pakistan’s longstanding use of terrorism as a state policy.
The treaty allocates three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, to Pakistan, while the eastern rivers – Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi, remain with India.
India has now announced a three-tier strategy — short-term, mid-term, and long-term to prevent any flow of Indus waters into Pakistan.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil said that steps are being taken to ensure not a single drop of water is allowed to leave Indian territory unutilised.
India’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reinforced the government’s stance, saying, “The Indus Waters Treaty was founded on goodwill and friendship. Pakistan has trampled on these values by supporting cross-border terrorism for decades.”
The strong response follows Operation Sindoor, a swift military campaign launched after the Pahalgam attack, which resulted in a brief ceasefire agreement. But New Delhi has made it clear: dialogue with Islamabad will now be limited to one agenda — ending terrorism and ensuring the return of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
As per the 1960 treaty, India got around 30 per cent of the total water carried by the Indus River System located in India, while Pakistan got the remaining 70 per cent.
With the Indus Waters Treaty suspended, the Narendra Modi government is expected to take major steps toward completing the stalled hydroelectric projects.
A key meeting is likely to be held this week with Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Water Resources Minister Paatil, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and senior officials from all related Ministries. Since the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, two meetings have already taken place between Amit Shah, Paatil, and top officials of the Ministry.
Business
Centre approves reopening of 32 airports as tensions ease on India-Pakistan border

New Delhi, May 12: The Centre on Monday issued the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to reopen the 32 airports that had been shut down since May 9 due to the cross-border drone and missile attacks following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre of 26 tourists by Islamabad-backed terrorists.
The airports that will gradually reopen include Chandigarh, Srinagar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhuntar, Kishangarh, Patiala, Shimla, Kangra-Gaggal, Bathinda, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Halwara, Pathankot, Jammu, Leh, Mundra, Jamnagar, Hirasar, Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla and Bhuj.
The airports will be opened gradually as, although the ceasefire announced following the Pakistan DGMO’s (Director General of Military Operations) request is largely holding, the government does not want to take any chances.
“The night remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the International Border. No incidents have been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days,” according to a statement issued by the Indian Army on Monday.
The opening of these airports which are close to the Pakistan border reflects a de-escalation in the cross-border hostilities which saw India successfully launching ‘Operation Sindoor’ to avenge the Pahalgam killings.
The reopening of these airports will help to restore normalcy in flight operations which have undergone widespread disruption due to the conflict.
Meanwhile, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Monday that operations at the airport are “currently smooth,” however, due to changing airspace conditions and increased security measures, some flight schedules and security checkpoint processing times may be affected.
The airport management has advised passengers to follow updates and instructions from their airlines, allow extra time for security checks due to heightened measures and adhere to hand baggage and check-in luggage regulations.
Passengers have been advised to check the latest flight status through their airline or the official Delhi Airport website.
Although an agreement for a ceasefire was reached on Saturday, the government is not taking any chances on the security front.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting on Sunday with the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff to take stock of the latest situation.
National
High alert sounded in Rajasthan border districts, leaves of govt employees cancelled

Jaipur, May 8: A high alert has been issued in districts near the Rajasthan border following India’s airstrikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As a precautionary measure, all flight operations at Kishangarh and Jodhpur airports have been suspended until May 10.
Rajasthan shares a 1,037-km border with Pakistan, which has been sealed with the Border Security Force personnel maintaining high vigilance. The Indian Air Force is also on high alert.
All government and private schools, along with anganwadi centres in the border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Sri Ganganagar have been declared closed until further notice.
The government employees in these areas have had their leaves cancelled and were instructed to remain at their headquarters.
The state authorities have called for heightened surveillance on social media platforms and reinforced security at sensitive locations.
Hospitals have been directed to maintain an adequate blood supply and life-saving medicines, while fire services remain on high alert to handle any emergencies.
The Home Department has instructed all District Collectors, especially those in border districts — Ganganagar, Bikaner, Phalodi, Jaisalmer, and Barmer — to maintain close coordination with the army and central agencies.
Key instructions issued include ensuring hospitals are equipped with life-saving medicines and sufficient blood supplies, identifying and preparing safe zones with backup power (generators) for emergencies, acting swiftly against any provocative content or misinformation on social media, monitoring food supplies, discouraging hoarding, and ensuring availability of essentials.
Fuel pumps have been asked to stock adequate quantities of petrol and diesel.
Directions to prepare evacuation plans for border villages in case of escalations and compiling a list of vulnerable locations, and strengthening security at these sites have also been issued.
In Jodhpur, District Collector Gaurav Agrawal announced late at night holidays for all government, private schools, colleges, anganwadi and coaching institutes. Also, exams to be held on May 8th have been postponed.
Barmer District Collector Tina Dabi has announced holidays for all government and private schools, anganwadis, and madrassas from May 8 in response to any emergency situation.
In Jaisalmer, District Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat has issued closure orders for all educational institutions. Additionally, a 4-hour blackout was imposed in Jaisalmer from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. on Thursday to enhance operational security.
Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner District Collectors Dr. Manju (Sri Ganganagar) and Namrata Vrishni (Bikaner) have announced school closures until further notice, citing heightened tensions along the border.
These precautionary steps have been taken as India prepares for potential retaliation from Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.
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