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Makar Sankranti
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday joined Sankranti and Pongal celebrations at the residence of his Cabinet colleague and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy and later participated in Lohri festivities at Naraina. Telugu filmstar Chiranjeevi, ace badminton player PV Sindhu and several Union ministers joined the programme at Reddy's residence where Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present. Modi participated in rituals associated with the festival, which is celebrated in different regions under different names and is associated with harvest. "Attended Sankranti and Pongal celebrations at the residence of my ministerial colleague, Shri G. Kishan Reddy Garu. Also witnessed an excellent cultural programme," the prime minister said in a post on X. People across India celebrate Sankranti and Pongal with great fervour, he said, adding it is a celebration of gratitude, abundance and renewal, deeply rooted in the agricultural traditions of our culture. "My best wishes for Sankrant
The UGC-National Eligibility Test (NET) scheduled for January 15 has been postponed on account of festivals, including Makar Sakranti and Pongal, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Monday. The exam for admission to PhD programmes, awarding Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and appointment as assistant professors is being conducted from January 3 to January 16 for 85 subjects in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. "The NTA has received representations to postpone the exam on January 15 on account of festivals, including Pongal and Makar Sakranti. In the interest of the aspirants, the exam has been postponed and a new date will be announced later," Rajesh Kumar, Director (Exams), NTA, said. "The exam on January 16 will be conducted as per the earlier schedule," he added. On January 15, the exam was scheduled for 17 subjects, including mass communication and journalism, Sanskrit, Nepali, law, Japanese, women studies, Malayalam, Urdu, Konkani, criminology, folk literature, .
Ahead of Makar Sankranti, a festival associated with flying of kites, the Mumbai police has banned the use, sale and storage of 'manja' or nylon kite strings sometimes coated with powdered glass on account of the danger they pose to humans as well as birds. The order will be in effect from January 12 to February 10 and violators will be charged under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobeying lawful order of public servant), an official said on Thursday. The use of non-biodegradable synthetic thread as kite string causes accidents, injuries to wildlife, sometimes even loss of life and damage to the environment, the order said. It is desirable to protect birds which are getting extinct day by day and classified as rare and endangered species, it added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be visiting the Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district on Wednesday to review the preparations for the Gangasagar Mela, officials said. Lakhs of people gather at Sagar Island from across the country to take a holy dip at the confluence of the sacred Ganga and the Bay of Bengal on the occasion of 'Makar Sankranti'. While 15.5 lakh pilgrims visited Gangasagar Mela last year amid the threat of the coronavirus, the figure could reach as high as 60-70 lakh between January 8 and 16 when the fair would be held this time, an official said. During her two-day visit to the island, Banerjee will be meeting senior officers to review the preparations made for the congregation, the official said. "She will also be inaugurating three new helipads at the island," he said. Before leaving for Kolkata on Thursday, around 120 km away, she will be offering prayers at the Kapil Muni Ashram. Banerjee is also expected to visit the Bharat Sevashram Sangh
Amid the continuous rise in COVID-19 cases, the Haridwar administration has banned devotees from taking a holy dip in the Ganga river on 'Makar Sankranti' i.e., January 14."There will be a complete ban on Makar Sakranti celebration/holy dip on January 14 in view of a new variant of COVID-19 i.e., Omicron," the District Magistrate's order states.Even, residents of the district will not be allowed in the area of 'Har ki Podi' on the day of the festival."Night Curfew will also be imposed from 10 pm to 6 am in the district (on Friday)," reads the order.It further adds that if someone is found violating the above-mentioned norms then proceedings will be initiated against the violator under Epidemic Disease Act 1897.Makara Sankranti or Maghi, is a festival in the Hindu calendar, in reference to the deity Surya. The day marks the first day of the sun's transit into the Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.