Page 28 - Rajasthan

Millennials opt for destination weddings, Goa, Rajasthan top list: Survey

India's lavish wedding sector has emerged as the fourth-largest industry, contributing about Rs 4.25 trillion to the nation's gross domestic product

Cong leader Sonia Gandhi elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday, officials said. Bharatiya Janata Party's Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore were also elected unopposed to the Upper House from the state, Assembly Secretary Mahaveer Prasad Sharma said. Tuesday was the last day for withdrawing nominations. As no other candidates were contesting, the three leaders were elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed, the officer said. The tenure of Rajya Sabha members Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) is ending on April 3. The third seat fell vacant after the BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena resigned from the House in December after being elected MLA. The BJP has 115 members and the Congress 70 in the 200-member assembly. There are 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan. After the results, Congress has six members and the BJP four.

Setback to Congress: Ex-Rajasthan minister Mahendrajeet Malviya joins BJP

Mahendrajeet Malviya started his career as an MLA in the year 2008 and successfully retained his 2013 seat despite strong anti-incumbency against the Congress

Vayu Shakti: Air Force displays growing combat prowess at Pokhran desert

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday displayed its firepower capability at a mega exercise featuring over 120 aircraft, including frontline fighter jets and attack helicopters in Rajasthan's Pokhran desert. In the Vayu Shakti exercise, the IAF also demonstrated the capabilities of its long-range drones and air-to-air missiles as well as its increasing strength in the rapid deployment of combat assets by airlifting weapons like M-777 ultra-light howitzers and other military platforms. In keeping with the exercise's theme 'Lightning Strike from the Sky', over 120 aircraft displayed the IAF's offensive capabilities by day as well as by night. Fighter aircraft, including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and Hawk, attacked and destroyed simulated enemy targets on the ground and in the air with deadly precision, the IAF said. These attacks were delivered in multiple modes and directions, employing a variety of precision-guided munitions as well as conventional bombs an

PM Modi lays foundation for NLC India's solar power plant in Rajasthan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone for NLC India Ltd's 300-mw solar power project in Barsingsar, Rajasthan. The prime minister also laid the found stone of other solar projects in the state. Addressing the event through videoconferencing, Modi said that the country has started moving at a fast pace in generating solar power, and in giving an impetus to this mission, today, the foundation stone has been laid for various solar power projects in Rajasthan. The projects, he said, will not only give green and cheap power to the region but also provide great employment opportunities to the youth. The total cost of NLC India's solar project is estimated at Rs 1,756 crore and it is scheduled to be commissioned in September, the public sector enterprise said in a statement. The project is strategically located near the existing Barsingsar Thermal Power Station which offers advantages in power evacuation through the existing network and utilisation of common .

PM Modi unveils development projects worth Rs 17,000 crore in Rajasthan

Ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, PM Modi shares development plans for projects spanning roads, railways, solar energy, and more aimed at transforming Rajasthan's infrastructure

Rajasthan Cong MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya likely to join BJP: Report

Malviya currently represents the Bagidora Assembly seat in the Banswara district

Rajasthan govt working on 'zero tolerance' policy against corruption: CM

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday said negligence and corruption in works related to public interest will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Sharma was addressing the review meeting of high officials of Pali division at the Satellite Tribal Center located on Abu Road in Sirohi district. He said the government is working on the policy of 'zero tolerance' against corruption. In the meeting, Sharma said all officers and employees should ensure that they fulfil their responsibilities so that public reposes confidence in the government. "The chief minister said the state government will encourage officers and employees who perform their duties sincerely and action will be taken against those who are negligent in their work," a release said. He instructed the officers to ensure regular public hearing, prompt disposal of complaints, monitoring them and taking feedback. The chief minister reviewed the status of electricity and drinking water supply, medical ...

2024 LS polls should be fought on people-centric issues: Sachin Pilot

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections should be fought on issues related to the people and that he has requested the party high-command to allow people with clean image to enter the fray. He said the opposition INDIA bloc wants to do engage in issue-based politics. "I want this election to be fought on issues. The problems people are facing in their everyday lives, a roadmap to resolve the problem. It should be discussed," he told reporters in Tonk. Pilot said the panel of candidates for 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state has been prepared in the recent party's screening committee meeting in Delhi. The former Rajasthan deputy chief minister also said the final decision on this will be taken by the central election committee of the party. "It is expected that a decision will be taken soon," he said. Pilot said he has requested the party that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, new people and those with clean image should be given a chance as this

Bhajan Lal-led Rajasthan government orders transfer of 24 RAS officers

The BJP government on Friday issued transfer orders for 24 Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officers, with many of them attached to the office of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma

HPCL to commission country's newest oil refinery in Barmer by January 2025

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) will commission the country's newest oil refinery at Barmer in Rajasthan by January next year that will help meet rising fuel demand in the north India, a senior company executive said. "The 9 million tonnes a year refinery is 76 per cent mechanically complete and will be completed by year end or so. First product from the refinery will flow in December or January next year," HPCL director for refineries S Bharathan told reporters on the sidelines of India Energy Week here. The project is part of India's target of having an installed capacity to turn 450 million tonnes of crude oil into fuels such as petrol and diesel to meet the energy needs of the world's fastest growing major economy. India's current refining capacity is a shade under 254 million tonnes. He said the Barmer refinery will operate at 75 per cent to 80 per cent of the capacity in the first year as various units get commissioned. "The full capacity will be reached by ...

February rain kindles hope of better harvest in Rajasthan traders

If rain lashes the state in the next 10-15 days, then it will further boost production, traders said, adding that more rainfall after that will affect the crops

Rajasthan FM proposes Rs 1,000 cr for schools, colleges, hospitals

Provision of Rs 1,000 crore to establish and upgrade schools, colleges, hospitals and administrative buildings in assembly constituencies, recruitment to fill 70,000 posts were among the key announcements by Rajasthan Finance Minister Diya Kumari, who presented the state's interim Budget on Thursday. The other major announcement was Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan to create 5 lakh water harvesting structures in 20,000 villages over the next four years, for which a Rs 11,200 crore provision has been made. Kumari said the former government ignored several assembly constituencies. "The previous government did not approve any plan for many areas like Ladpura, Nasirabad, Siwana, Ahor, Dag, Malpura. Now, to ensure regional balance of development, Rs 1,000 crore has been announced for setting up and upgrading additional colleges, schools, hospitals, and administrative buildings," she said. The minister said a Detailed Project Report to expand Jaipur Metro from Sitapura to Ambabari wil

Work on multipurpose coaching hub in Rajasthan's Pratapnagar gains pace

In the first phase, 70 of 140 units have been allotted to various educational institutions. Of the 90 commercial units, 53 have been allotted, along with two residential units and one mixed unit

Rooftop solar charges up electric vehicle boom in India's smaller cities

Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kerala see more users

Congress could have won Rajasthan polls with little more effort: Pilot

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said his party could have won the Rajasthan Assembly polls if they had made some more efforts, adding that differences between him and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot had been ironed out and they did not impact the poll results. Speaking at the Lokmat National Conclave here, Pilot said the Congress gave a good fight in Rajasthan. However, he regretted that they did not win. "I felt in Rajasthan we had a very good chance. We made a lot of effort. But if we would have done a bit more, like changed the tickets... 17-18 out of 25 sitting ministers lost the election. If we would have picked different candidates, perhaps the performance would have been better," he said. Pilot, who was the deputy chief minister in Rajasthan and was removed from the post after a fallout with Gehlot, said he and the former chief minister have discussed the issues that were there, and they did not affect the election. Asked if Gehlot needs to be changed as a face fo

Domestic tourism in Rajasthan up 12 times, foreigners' numbers see spike

The number of domestic tourists visiting Rajasthan has increased about 12 times in the last four years, with the footfall of foreign tourists also witnessing a sharp uptick since the Covid-induced slump. According to the Tourism Department, in 2020, more than 1.51 crore domestic tourists visited the state. The number shot up to over 17.90 crore in 2023. A total of 32.44 crore domestic tourists visited Rajasthan from January 2020 to December 2023. On the other hand, over 22.20 lakh foreign tourists visited the desert state to witness its historical heritage during the same period. "Rajasthan has been a major tourist attraction among the tourists. After the corona pandemic, a large number of domestic tourists have started visiting the state. The number of foreign tourists have also significantly risen," Deputy Director of Tourism Department, Daleep Singh Rathore, said. The freshly elected BJP government's focus is to make the state a leader in the tourism sector in the country. Rece

Kota DM starts 'Dinner with Collector' to ease stress of coaching students

Kota District Magistrate Dr Ravinder Goswami has launched a weekly 'Dinner with Collector' programme under the 'Kamyab Kota' campaign to ease the stress of the coaching students in this coaching city. Himself an MBBS and a former coaching student from the town, Goswami launched the programme last month in view of the rising number of suicides by coaching students, mainly due to study-related stress. Under the 'Dinner with Collector', he has dinner with the students in a hostel every Friday to listen to their mind and heart. On February 1, he interacted with the students of a hostel in the Indraprastha area. He sang Bollywood songs with the students, shared success mantras and motivated them. Notably, two coaching students and a 27-year-old BTech student committed suicide by hanging last month. Twenty-six coaching students allegedly committed suicide in Kota in 2023, the highest figure so far in the city, where over two lakh students come from all parts of the country every year for

Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot tests positive for Covid-19, swine flu

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and swine flu. In a post on X, the Congress leader advised people to take care of their health in the changing season. "Due to fever for the last few days, today I got myself tested on the advice of doctors which confirmed (that I have) Covid and swine flu. Because of this, I will not be able to meet (anyone) for the next seven days," Gehlot said. "In this changing season, everyone should also take care of their health," he said.

Rajasthan may see drop in mustard production during 2023-2024 crop season

"The experts peg the output at around 1-1.2 mt lower than the estimates," said Anil Chatar, joint secretary of the Mustard Oil Producers Association of India