Local artisans, with generations of experience in the trade, reflect on the highs and lows of their business, noting that the 2014 GI certification was a pivotal moment for their community…reports Asian Lite News
The success story of Varanasi made badges is a moment to celebrate, as they shine bright on the uniforms of foreign militaries in countries like the US, UK, Germany, France and more.
Local artisans, who have been engaged in the business for generations, recall the ups and downs of the enterprise and state that the GI certification in 2014 turned out to be a game changer for the fraternity.
Lallapura is one of the key centres in Varanasi, where more than 125 artisans put in long hours to cater to the burgeoning demand from abroad.
Shadab, a local artisan told IANS about the intricacies of foreign armies’ badge manufacturing and also informed that ‘Made in Varanasi’ badges got a major boost after the Modi government came to power in 2014 and granted GI tags for the products.
“GI certification for the enterprise has provided us a platform to showcase our skills at the global level and this has also proved instrumental in giving a fillip to age-old enterprise in the city,” he said.
He further informed that GI tags have brought a major turnaround as demands have increased and now they are getting ample orders.
The new generation has started moving in, thus helping in overall growth of enterprise.
“After GI certification, buyers and exporters are in direct contact with us, this has enhanced growth of the industry and eliminated middlemen from the chain,” he pointed out.
Shadab further informed that they make army badges and emblems for many militaries including Germany, England, France, Kenya and the US to name a few.
“Military badges and emblems made in Varanasi are worn by military men on their caps,” he said with pride in his eyes.
He also informed that the businesses date back to 100 years as many of them belong to the third generation of artisans, however, the enterprise took a hit because finding skilled workers was getting difficult due to lack of orders.
Notably, the indigenous production of badges for foreign militaries shows growing might and prowess. And, the city residents credit this to reforms in the sector, brought under the Modi govt.
Guddu, another artisan, echoed similar views and told IANS that he has been engaged in the business, since he was a child.
“We have been working our whole of life for this, but after GI, the businesses got a big spike. We have been working for 10-12 hours a day to meet the growing demand,” he said.
“After the government facilitated GI tags, our businesses have improved. We are getting a good amount of work and this has shored up our badge making facilities and enterprises,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi was addressing a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, where he gained a massive victory in the recently concluded LS polls…reports Asian Lite News
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asserted that if his sister (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) had contested the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have lost by two-three lakh votes”.
Gandhi was addressing a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, where he gained a massive victory in the recently concluded LS polls.
“The BJP lost the Ayodhya seat… Not only in Ayodhya, Varanasi mein jaan bacha ke nikle hain pradhan mantri. If my sister (Priyanka Gandhi) had contested from Varanasi, the Prime Minister of India would have lost the Varanasi election by 2-3 lakh votes. I am not saying this with arrogance, but the people of the country have given a message to the Prime Minister that they are against their way of politics”, said the Congress MP.
Varanasi, one of the key seats in Uttar Pradesh, was won by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the third consecutive term by defeating Congress candidate Ajay Rai by a margin of 1,52,513 votes.
Rahul Gandhi further said, “I want to thank all the leaders and the members of the Congress party and the people of Amethi and Raebarelli for making us win. This time, the Congress party fought unitedly in Amethi, Raebarelli, Uttar Pradesh and across the country. I want to tell the Samajwadi Party that your leaders fought unitedly with Congress leaders this time.”
“Be it Manipur, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, we fought unitedly. When I contemplate why it happened, I realise that the soul of the country sensed that Narendra Modiji and Amit Shahji were trying to play with the Constitution, which is the very foundation of our country”, he added.
The Congress MP further said that the people of Uttar Pradesh voted against “hatred”, “violence” and “arrogance”.
“Secondly, in 2014, the political landscape of the country witnessed a change. For the first time, we saw that the Prime Minister was doing politics of religion and violence, which is against the culture of the country. The right path was shown by Amethi, Raebareli and Uttar Pradesh. The people of Uttar Pradesh voted against hatred, violence and arrogance”, he said.
Rahul Gandhi further said that the people of the country made the Prime Minister bow down to the Constitution.
“You have made Kishori Lal Sharmaji win in Amethi, me in Rae Bareli, and the MPs of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh… You have changed the politics of the entire country… The public has sent a message to the Prime Minister of the country that if he touches the Constitution, then see what people will do to him. You have made him bow down infront of the Constitution”, he said.
Gandhi who contested from two seats — Rae Bareli and Wayanad, registered victory on both constituencies by huge margins. Rahul Gandhi won the seat of Rae Bareli by defeating BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 3,90,030 votes. He had contested this seat, aiming to save the lone bastion of the party in the state after he lost Amethi in 2019.
The Congress leader also won the seat of Kerala’s Wayanad, which paved his entry to the Lok Sabha in 2019. He defeated Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes.
Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, on the other hand, was bagged by Congress leader and Gandhi family loyalist — Kishori Lal Sharma. He was pitted against former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was also present at the public gathering addressed the crowd and affirmed that the party would work for the people with great enthusiasm and dedication.
“Yeh hui na baat…This was a historic victory. I am proud to say that you all sent a message across the nation that you want clean politics in the country…We worked day and night for this result. We are thankful to the people of Rae Bareli for making my elder brother win. We will continue to work for you with double the enthusiasm you have shown for us”, Priyanka said.
Meanwhile, the Gandhi siblings also shared an affectionate gesture while they hugged each other on the stage.
According to the Election Commission of India, BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong improvement, winning 99 seats. The INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions.
For the first time, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own — far fewer than the record 303 it won in the 2019 election.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP dipped to 33 seats, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 37 seats. BJP lost Faizabad, which includes the temple town of Ayodhya, to the Samajwadi Party. (ANI)
Rahul attacks BJP over dynasty politics
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the Modi government on Tuesday, accusing it of dynastic politics and calling the NDA ministry a “parivar mandal” (family group) due to the presence of several ministers from political families.
In a Hindi post on X, Gandhi stated, “Those who call the tradition of struggle, service, and sacrifice of generations as nepotism are distributing the will of power to their ‘sarkari parivar’ (government family).” He further remarked, “This difference between the words and actions is called Narendra Modi.”
Gandhi listed numerous ministers, highlighting their familial political connections: H D Kumaraswamy (son of former PM H D Deve Gowda), Jyotiraditya Scindia (son of former Union minister Madhav Rao Scindia), Kiren Rijiju (son of Arunachal Pradesh’s first pro tem speaker Rinchin Kharu), Raksha Khadse (daughter-in-law of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse), Jayant Chaudhary (grandson of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh), Chirag Paswan (son of former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan), and J P Nadda (son-in-law of former MP and Madhya Pradesh minister Jaysree Banerjee).
He also included Ram Nath Thakur (son of former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur), Ram Mohan Naidu (son of former Union minister Terren Naidu), Jitin Prasada (son of former MP Jitendra Prasada), Rao Inderjit Singh (son of former Haryana CM Rao Birendra Singh), Piyush Goyal (son of former Union minister Ved Prakash Goyal), Ravneet Singh Bittu (grandson of former Punjab CM Beant Singh), Anupriya Patel (daughter of Apna Dal founder Sonelal Patel), and Kirti Vardhan Singh (son of former Uttar Pradesh minister Maharaj Anand Singh).
Gandhi’s comments came as a response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accusations of the Congress engaging in “dynastic politics” during the recent Lok Sabha election campaign.
Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, said that the much-awaited defence corridor in Uttar Pradesh has not even produced a ‘sutli bomb’ till now…reports Asian Lite News
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed a joint rally here on Tuesday, saying the BJP launched a negative campaign but the INDIA bloc would bring ‘happy days for the people’ once voted to power.
Stating that the Prime Minister is repeatedly addressing him and Rahul Gandhi as ‘Shehzade’, Akhilesh Yadav said, “This time, the Shehzade will checkmate the BJP.”
“We will also waive farmers’ loans, ensure legal guarantee for MSP of various crops, and ease GST norms for weavers and small traders,” said Rahul Gandhi.
The two leaders also promised to abolish the Agnipath scheme and ensure permanent employment in the army.
Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi said that MNREGA wages would be increased to Rs 400 per day while the remuneration for Asha and Anganwadi workers would be doubled if the INDIA bloc is voted to power.
“BJP leaders have attacked the Constitution, saying that they will change it if they get 400 seats. This is their biggest mistake. This election is between the super-rich and the poor and we are with the poor,” the Congress leader said.
Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, said that the much-awaited defence corridor in Uttar Pradesh has not even produced a ‘sutli bomb’ till now.
“There has been no investment at the ground level. Even the milk plant in Varanasi was sanctioned during my regime,” he said, as the two leaders appealed to the people to vote for Ajay Rai, the INDIA bloc nominee in Varanasi from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asserted that after June 5, the money will be transferred to the bank accounts of poor women if the INDIA bloc wins the Lok Sabha elections.
“We are going to deposit lakhs of crores of rupees in the bank accounts of the poor in India. Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, a list will be prepared of the poor people in the country… From every poor family, a woman’s name will be selected… On 5th July, Rs 8,500 will be credited to the bank accounts of crores of poor women in the country… This will continue from July to August to September, October, November, December and so on ‘khata-khat, khata-khat, khata-khat andar’,” Rahul said addressing a rally in Varanasi.
He said that PM Modi was sent by his “parmatma (his God)” to help industrialists, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani and not the poor.
“Everyone else is biological but Narendra Modi ji is not biological. He has been sent by his ‘parmatma’ to help Ambani and Adani but ‘parmatma’ has not sent him to help the farmers, labourers and poor people. If ‘parmatma’ had sent him then they (parmatma) would have asked him to help the poor and the farmers. Yeh kaise ‘parmatma’ hain? Yeh Narendra Modi ji wale ‘parmatma hain (What kind of God is this? This is PM Modi’s God),” Rahul Gandhi said.
The Wayanad MP also accused the media of being “friends with billionaires and Modi ji”.
“‘Press Ke Mitro’ kehna padhta hai par hai nhi yeh mitra (friends). They are friends of Adani ji, Modiji and Ambaniji. But in media only Narendra Modi’s face and Ambani’s wedding were shown,” the Congress leader alleged.
The Congress leader said that the INDIA bloc will protect the Constitution.
“Narendra Modi and his leaders have openly attacked Babasaheb’s Constitution. BJP people say that if they win, they will destroy the Constitution. I want to tell BJP- this is the biggest mistake of your life. No power in the world can destroy our Constitution. We will continue to protect it,” he said.
The Congress leader promised at the rally that he would tear apart the Agnipath scheme and throw it in a dustbin.
Rahul mocks Modi for ‘sent by God’ remark
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “sent by God” remarks and said that PM Modi was sent by his “parmatma (his God)” to help industrialists, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani and not poor.
This comes after PM Modi said in an interview that he (PM) had been “sent by parmatma” (God).
Addressing a rally in Deoria, Rahul Gandhi said that the God in whom PM Modi has faith hadn’t sent him to serve farmers and laborers.
“Everyone else is biological but Narendra Modi ji is not biological. Modiji uper se tapak kr aai hai. Unko parmatma ne Hindustan bheja hai. He has been sent by his ‘parmatma’ to help Ambani and Adani but ‘parmatma’ has not sent him to help the farmers, labourers and poor people. If ‘parmatma’ had sent him then they (parmatma) would have asked him to help the poor and the farmers. Yeh kaise ‘parmatma’ hain? Yeh Narendra Modi ji wale ‘parmatma hain (What kind of God is this? This is PM Modi’s God),” Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress leader promised at the rally that he would tear apart the Agnipath scheme and throw it in a dustbin.
“He (PM Modi) says that there will be two kinds of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. One, a normal jawan or officer whose family will get a pension, status, and will get all other facilities. The other, a poor family’s son who is named Agniveer; this Agniveer will neither get the status of ‘shaheed’ nor will he get any pension or any other facility. The INDIA bloc, if voted to power, will throw the Agnipath scheme into the dustbin. The Army does not want this scheme… this scheme is imposed by the PMO.
He further asserted that there is an INDIA bloc who wants to save the Constitution and on other side are those who want to finish the Constitution.
“The INDIA bloc will protect the Constitution with “dil, jaan aur khoon (heart, life and blood). Hum ek inch peeche nhi hatenge. Mar jaige, katt jaige but will not let anyone change the Constitution,” he said.
The Congress leader further said the INDIA bloc government will end the 50 percent cap on reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.
He further said that the name of a woman from each family will be selected and on July 5, crores of women will get Rs 8,500 in their bank accounts.
“The INDIA bloc will form a government on June 4… On 5th July, Rs 8,500 will be credited to the bank accounts of crores of poor women in the country,” he asserted.
Rahul Gandhi also said that if the INDIA bloc forms the government after June 4, it would open all closed industries and fill up three million job vacancies.
Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are for the future generations.
“This election is not just for us but also for our future generations…Roti, Kapda aur Makaan lekin sabse pehle humein bachana hai samvidhaan…Jo sunate rahe mann ki baat, ab hogi samvidhaan ki baat,” he said.
As per the seat agreement between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Congress is contesting on 17 seats and the Samajwadi Party has the remaining 63 seats in the electorally crucial state.
In the 2019 general elections, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, supplemented by two seats clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati’s BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav’s SP garnered five. Conversely, the Congress party secured only one seat.
In the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh’s 13 constituencies will vote on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal are among the top guns campaigning to ensure that PM Modi wins the seat again by a record margin…reports Asian Lite News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda will be in Uttar Pradesh on Monday to campaign for the seventh and the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal are already in the state.
The voting in Varanasi will be held in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. The counting of the votes will take place on June 4.
The Home Minister is scheduled to hold public meetings in Lok Sabha constituencies Kushinagar at 12:15 p.m., Salempur at 1:45 p.m. and Chandauli at 3:30 p.m. while the BJP chief will attend various programmes in Varanasi.
JP Nadda arrived in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Sunday. He is scheduled to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Kaal Bhairava Temple for ‘darshan’. In addition to these visits, Nadda will be participating in several programs today.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where Nadda will be paying his respects, is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The Kaal Bhairava Temple, another place that Nadda will visit, is a revered place of worship dedicated to Kaal Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva.
Later, he will address conventions of intellectuals, weavers and artisans at 5:00 p.m., and influential voters at 6:10 p.m.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday exuded confidence in BJP’s victory in Varanasi, saying that much election campaigning was not required here and that the people here were proud of India’s global stature under the leadership of PM Modi.
Jaishankar expressed his observation that the people of the city have exhibited a strong desire to delve into India’s foreign policy, indicating their pride in the country’s trajectory under PM Modi’s governance.
“I have experienced this in this election campaign that people wish to know more about the country’s foreign policy. They feel proud of where PM Modi has taken this country,” Jaishankar said.
He highlighted the Modi government’s tradition of seeking feedback from citizens, reflecting a commitment to participatory governance. “It’s the Modi government’s tradition to ask for feedback from people… We don’t need to do much election campaign here in Varanasi,” he added.
“We celebrated G20 like a festival in about 60 cities across the country… I think tourism will definitely increase here in the coming days… We want to promote Kashi. We want to create its international image,” he also said.
Jaishankar’s schedule in Varanasi included interactions with educators and intellectuals, where he emphasised the pivotal role of education in shaping India’s future.
Modi eyes hat-trick win
Considered a stronghold of Modi since 2014, Varanasi is set for a fierce battle between PM and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.
Varanasi is a closely watched constituency in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election, is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, with five assembly segments Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapuri.
Ajay Rai from the Congress and Athar Jamal Lari from the Bahujan Samaj Party have filed their nominations against Modi.
Modi filed his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh on May 14. On the nomination day, PM Modi also performed Ganga Aarti, offering prayers to the River Ganga on the auspicious occasion of Ganga Saptami.
After filing the nomination, PM Modi urged the BJP workers to ensure a good voter turnout in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, which goes to the polls on June 1.
“What truly matters is the voter turnout; it reflects our representation in Kashi. Thus, our resolution should be directed towards booth victory. How do we achieve this? By transforming voting into a celebration of democracy. With 14 days left, let’s turn each polling booth into a festivity. Engage all local societies and neighbourhoods, adorn the booths with Rangoli and other festivities,” PM Modi said while addressing BJP workers at a conference in Varanasi.
Ajay Rai is the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and is facing a huge challenge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is a two-time MP from Varanasi.
Ajai Rai began his political career as a member of the Hindu nationalist outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Rai’s political trajectory saw him win the Kolasla seat in 1996 and secure a ministerial berth in the BSP-BJP alliance government.
However, he parted ways with the BJP in 2007 and joined the Samajwadi Party before eventually aligning with the Congress in 2012.
The UP Congress chief, Rai, was also fielded by the Congress against the PM in Varanasi in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but he finished third both times.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Athar Jamal Lari from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Lari has contested a total of 5 elections in his career, including two Lok Sabha and three Vidhan Sabha elections, but has not registered a single win.
He further said that the efforts made by the central government in the last ten years continue with even greater vigour…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is all set to contest for the third consecutive time from the Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, on Saturday expressed his gratitude to the party and its workers for showing a ‘constant’ faith in him.
PM Modi, in a post on X, said that he is looking forward to ‘serving the people of Varanasi’ for the third time.
“I thank the @BJP4India leadership and bow to the crores of selfless Party Karyakartas for their constant faith in me. I look forward to serving my sisters and brothers of Kashi for the third time. In 2014, I went to Kashi with a commitment to fulfil people’s dreams and empower the poorest of the poor,” the PM said.
He further said that the efforts made by the central government in the last ten years continue with even greater vigour.
“Over the last ten years, we have made significant progress across various sectors and worked towards a better Kashi. These efforts will continue with even greater vigour. I would also like to convey a special gratitude to the people of Kashi for their blessings, which I cherish greatly,” the PM added.
PM Modi, in another post on X, said that his party is going to the people on the basis of our track record of good governance and ensuring the fruits of progress reach the poorest of the poor.
“Our party has announced candidates for some of the seats and will be announcing the rest in the coming days. I congratulate all those who have been nominated as our party’s candidates and wish them the very best. We are going to the people on the basis of our track record of good governance and ensuring the fruits of progress reach the poorest of the poor,” he said.
Further, the PM exuded his confidence in the people of the country to make his party manage another victory.
“I am sure that the 140 crore people of India will bless us yet again and give us even more strength in fulfilling their aspirations and creating a Viksit Bharat,” PM Modi added.
The BJP Saturday released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, days after a marathon meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is the third time PM Modi will be contesting from the Varanasi seat. In 2014, he defeated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and in 2019, won against Samajwadi Party’s Shalini Yadav.
Even before Modi, Varanasi had been a BJP stronghold, with the party retaining it consistently since 1991 except in 2004, when the Congress’s Rajesh Kumar Mishra had won.
In the first list of 195 candidates, the BJP included 28 women, 47 youth, 27 Scheduled Castes, 18 Scheduled Tribes and 57 OBCs. The party announced 51 candidates in Uttar Pradesh, 24 in Madhya Pradesh, 15 each in Gujarat and Rajasthan, 20 for West Bengal, 12 in Kerala, 11 each for Assam, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, nine in Telangana, five for Delhi, two for Jammu and Kashmir, two for Arunachal Pradesh, one for Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Daman and Diu also.
The first list of 195 candidates released by the BJP on Saturday, however, made some drastic changes in Delhi, it has decided to field only Manoj Tiwari, the sitting Lok Sabha member from northeast Delhi, and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi has been replaced with young face Basuri Swaraj, daughter of late BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj, from New Delhi; former Madhya Pradesh Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has been chosen to contest from Vidisha constituency in the state; and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from Kota.
With Prime Minister Modi urging senior ministers from Rajya Sabha to contest Lok Sabha elections, the party fielded Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav from Alwar in Rajasthan, Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar and Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot (Gujarat), Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Thiruvananthapuram, and V Muraleedharan from Attingal constituency. Another Rajya Sabha member and national vice president of the BJP Saroj Pande will contest from the Korba Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh. Union Minister Rameshwar Teli is replaced by Cabinet minister and former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh (Assam) constituency.
Union Ministers who are being fielded from their sitting seats are Gajendra Shekhawat in Jodhpur, Smriti Irani in Amethi, S P Singh Baghel in Agra, Sanjeev Balyan in Muzaffarnagar, Ajay Mishra Teni in Kheri, Arjun Ram Meghwal in Bikaner, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in Fatehpur, Subhash Sarkar in Bankura and Nishit Pramanik in Cooch Behar. (ANI)
More than 100 delegates from G20 countries, Guest countries and International Organizations will discuss five identified themes of Y20…reports Asian Lite News
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is organising Youth 20 Summit-2023 from 17th to 20th of this month in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
More than 100 delegates from G20 countries, Guest countries and International Organizations will discuss five identified themes of Y20.
These themes include Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation and 21st Century Skills, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War, and Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Y20 Summit is the culmination of Inception Meeting at Guwahati, 14 Youth-20 Consultations conducted at prominent educational institutions, Pre Summit at Leh, Ladakh, Brainstorming sessions, Y20 Chaupals and various Jan Bhagidari events conducted across the country in the run-up to the main Y20 Summit.
The Y20 Summit will bring together youth experts, decision-makers and youth representatives from G20 countries to negotiate, finalize and sign the Y20 Communiqué created from the conclusions of the discussions conducted during past few months.
During the G20 meeting, Chief Secretary Durgashankar Mishra will be personally monitoring the entire event. He has given necessary guidelines to the officials of Varanasi…reports Asian Lite News
After the successful completion of its first three-day G20 meeting of the Agriculture Working Group in April, Varanasi is again ready to host the G-20 Development Ministers’ Meeting from June 11 to 13.
Guests from 20 powerful countries will arrive in Varanasi ahead of the conference. A total of 11 G-20 meetings will be held in four cities in UP, including Greater Noida, Lucknow, Agra and Varanasi, out of which 6 meetings will take place in Varanasi alone.
A dinner will be organised on June 11 to welcome more than 40 ministers,heads of various departments, 160 foreign delegates and more than 100 foreign journalists in Varanasi.
On June 12, guests from across the globe, will participate in the Ganga Aarti through a cruise. Following this, all the guests will visit Sarnath on June 13. This is the place where Lord Buddha preached.
Guests will also visit Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Hastkala Sankul, where they will be acquainted with the unique handicrafts of the Purvanchal region and the artisans.
During the G20 meeting, Chief Secretary Durgashankar Mishra will be personally monitoring the entire event. He has given necessary guidelines to the officials of Varanasi.
The city commissioner is responsible for the decoration of the city and the ADM Protocol is responsible for protocol logistics, hotel management, tourism and excursions. The Police Commissioner of Security Committee Varanasi and the Development Officer, are responsible to prepare the students.
The ADM will also be responsible for the venue of the program. Besides, the Vice President of Varanasi Development Authority has been deployed for public participation. The District Magistrate and the Divisional Commissioner will review the work.
Varanasi, Apr 13 (ANI): Preparation is in full swing ahead of the first of the five G-20 meetings starting on April 17, in Varanasi on Thursday. (ANI Photo)
G20 delegates will also participate in the world-famous Ganga Aarti at Kashi. Guests from all over the world will also see the skills of the traditional handicraftsmen of Kashi…reports Asian Lite News
Varanasi City will hold its first three-day G20 meeting of the Agriculture Working Group from Monday.
In a three-day event from April 17-19, representatives from the 20 leading countries of the world and delegates from other partner countries will participate in the meeting of the agriculture Working group. To ensure a grand organisation of the G20 events, the Uttar Pradesh government-led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made complete arrangements. A message will be given in the three-day event, to promote nutritious foods, food security and environment-friendly farming to keep the whole world healthy, according to an official statement.
With the motto of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India is hosting the G20 this year. There will be a total of 6 G20 meetings in Varanasi. The first of these meetings is starting on April 17. For this, on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the entire city has been decorated beautifully. Along with this, tight security arrangements have been made. The main meeting of the G20 will be held at Hotel Taj. After this, there will also be a program of Kashi tour for the guests, which mainly includes boating programs in Sarnath, Ganga, the abode of Lord Buddha.
Welcome to the City of Lights! ✨
One of the oldest living cities in the world, #Varanasi is a centre of tranquility, culture and an ancient legacy.
The holy city is ready to host its 1st #G20India event – the Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists. #G20MACS
In addition, G20 delegates will also participate in the world-famous Ganga Aarti at Kashi. Guests from all over the world will also see the skills of the traditional handicraftsmen of Kashi.
On the first day of the meeting at Varanasi, the opening of MACS (Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists) 2023, Sustainable Agrifood System for Healthy People and Planet. And the first session will be held on the topic of Food Security and Nutrition, the Role of Science, Technology and Innovation. In the second session will be held on the topic of Resilient Agri-Food Systems. And in the evening, the delegates will take a cruise to see Ganga Aarti.
On the second day of the meeting, a third session on the topic of Digital Agriculture and Sustainable Agri Value Chain will be organised. The fourth Session will be held on the topic of Public Private Partnership in Agriculture R and D, Perspective from Developed and Developing Countries. A discussion of the MACS (Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists) 2023 communique will be held, and only G20 members will participate. Statement by Incoming Presidency Brazil Statement by G20 MACS Chair, India.
The guests will proceed to Sarnath in the evening. And visit the museum and light and attend a sound show. Dinner will be held and a cultural program will be organised at Buddha Theme Park.
On the last day of the three-day event at Varanasi, a discussion and finalization of the MACS (Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists) 2023 communique.
The representative of 20 leading countries of the world and delegates from other partner countries will visit the Trade Facilitation (TFC) Center at Bada Lalpur in the afternoon. (ANI)
The city of Varanasi has been nominated as the first-ever SCO tourism and cultural capital during 2022-2023 at the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the SCO summit, which is the first in-person meeting of the regional group in two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The nomination of Varanasi as the first ever SCO tourism and cultural capital will promote tourism, cultural and humanitarian exchanges between India and the SCO member countries. It also underlines India’s ancient civilisational links with the member states of SCO, especially the Central Asian republics,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Under the framework of this major cultural outreach programme, a number of events will be hosted in Varanasi during 2022-23, for which guests will be invited from the SCO member states. These events are expected to attract Indologists, scholars, authors, musicians, artists, photo journalists, travel bloggers apart from the invited guests.
The regulations for nominating SCO tourism and cultural capital were adopted at the Dushanbe SCO Summit in 2021 with an objective to promote cooperation between the SCO member states in the field of culture and tourism.
The hearing in the Gyanvapi case has been adjourned till July 12. The lawyer representing the Muslim side presented 51 arguments during the hearing today…reports Asian Lite News
The Varanasi district court on Monday heard arguments on the maintainability of a plea by five Hindu women seeking permission to worship the Shringar Gauri Sthal within the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Masjid complex.
Earlier, claims were made by the Hindu side that a structure, resembling a Shivling was found in the mosque complex. The Masjid committee contested that it was a fountain and not a Shivling.
“Muslim side has given its arguments, the date for the next hearing is July 12 keeping in mind everyone’s convenience. Muslim side to keep its arguments on law-point in front of the court then,” said Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi Masjid survey matter told to reporters.
The hearing in the Gyanvapi case has been adjourned till July 12. The lawyer representing the Muslim side presented 51 arguments during the hearing today.
The Supreme Court had on May 20 transferred the case from a civil judge (senior division) to a district judge, saying considering the “complexities and sensitivity” of the issue, it is better if a senior judicial officer having an experience of over 25-30 years handles this case. The bench also said that no manner of restriction should be imposed on Muslims entering the mosque to offer namaz or religious observances.
The matter had reached the Supreme Court on a petition filed by the Mosque Management Committee, which challenged the civil judge’s orders. The order permitted inspection, survey, and videography of the mosque’s complex to collect evidence about the alleged existence of idols of Hindu deities inside the mosque, which is adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After the survey, the lawyers representing the Hindu side claimed that a shivling was found at the mosque premises.
They filed an application for the protection of the shivling, where upon the civil judge directed the district magistrate, Varanasi, to seal the area where the shivling was sighted. It also directed the deployment of the CRPF to protect the sealed area and prohibited people from entering it. (ANI)
