Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

The 18th edition of Indo - US joint training exercise "Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month, the <keyword id="6369097" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ministry-of-defence" source="Orion">Ministry of Defence</keyword> said on Tuesday. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, <keyword id="104836" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tactics" source="Orion">Tactics</keyword>, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021. According to the ministry's statement, <keyword id="57857" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="us-army" source="Orion">US Army</keyword> soldiers of the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and <keyword id="6354416" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="indian-army" source="Orion">Indian Army</keyword> soldiers from the ASSAM Regiment will participate in the exercise. "The training schedule focuses on the employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the <keyword id="15524210" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="un-mandate" source="Orion">UN Mandate</keyword>. The schedule will include all operations related to peacekeeping and peace enforcement. The troops from both nations will work together to achieve common objectives," the statement said, adding that the joint exercise will also focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Troops from both nations will practice launching swift and coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity. The Defence Ministry further said that the exercise would facilitate both armies to share their wide experiences, and skills and enhance their techniques through information exchange. "In order to derive full benefit from the professional skills and experiences of both armies, a Command Post Exercise and Expert Academic Discussions (EAD) on carefully selected topics will be carried out. The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes the validation of integrated battle groups, force multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions. The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations," the statement read. "The exercise will facilitate both Armies to share their wide experiences, and skills and enhance their techniques through information exchange," it added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/vegetable-prices-in-tn-soar-as-rain-pounds-state/articleshow/95525509.cms">Vegetable prices in TN soar as rain pounds state</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/us-orders-air-india-to-pay-121-5-million-as-passenger-refunds-and-1-4-million-as-fines/articleshow/95525822.cms">US orders Air India to pay $121.5 million as passenger refunds and $1.4 million as fines</a>

"Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month

Good books continue to receive appreciation from readers despite the proliferation of social media and other means of engagement, according to veteran author <keyword id="65736" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ruskin-bond" source="Orion">Ruskin Bond</keyword>. "The surroundings will change, but if an author is able to tell stories that can establish a connection with the readers, those stories will find readers," he said after formally launching a book by Guwahati-based author-journalist <keyword id="2326" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="manoj" source="Orion">Manoj</keyword> <keyword id="14538706" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kumar-goswami" source="Orion">Kumar Goswami</keyword> at his residence here on Sunday. Praising Goswami's literary and journalistic journey spanning several decades, <keyword id="6368266" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bond" source="Orion">Bond</keyword> said, "I am delighted to launch his book of short stories. I am sure, through this, he will win many more readers and please the ones he already has." <keyword id="2911051" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reminiscing" source="Orion">Reminiscing</keyword> his own literary journey, Bond said he feels fortunate to be read and appreciated by generations of readers. In "Muppet and Other Stories", Goswami acknowledges the horrors of intimate struggles among the natives of Assam. Irrespective of their professions, the characters always find themselves in a dilemma, dealing with the overarching theme of humanity. Love wears a veil of trust and longingness, only to be shattered by bleak reality. "Muppet and Other Stories" boil in the realm of characters like an old woman, who is blissfully satisfied at being the only one to know about her deceased husband's darkest secrets and youth at a bookstall, fantasising about a woman in a sky-blue sari, exploring opportunities to begin a new life with her. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/yudh-abhyas-22-will-be-conducted-in-uttarkhand-this-month/articleshow/95531667.cms">"Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/indian-origin-paediatrician-angraj-khillan-wins-australian-of-the-year-award/articleshow/95552979.cms">Indian-origin paediatrician Angraj Khillan wins Australian of the Year award</a>

Good books will continue to find readers says Ruskin Bond

Dehradun, Jun 27 () The number of COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand rose to 2,791 on Saturday with 66 more people testing positive for the disease, the state health department said. Nainital reported the highest number of 29 cases, followed by Almora 11 and Dehradun eight, Bageshwar seven, Rudraprayag three, Tehri and Chamoli two each, and Pauri, Champawat, Uttarkashi and Udam Singh Nagar one each, it said. Most of the cases had a travel history to Delhi, NCR and Mumbai, the department said. Of the total 2,791 COVID-19 patients in the state, 1,912 have recovered and 37 succumbed to the disease.

Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rises to 2,791 with 66 more positive today

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s <keyword id="35090" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Exports" source="Orion">exports</keyword> shrank by 16.65 per cent to $29.78 billion in October 2022 against the corresponding period of last year. According to <keyword id="6365809" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="commerce-ministry" source="Orion">Commerce Ministry</keyword> data, imports though rose to $56.69 billion in October 2022 as against $53.64 billion in October 2021. In the April-October 2022 period, exports grew 12.55 per cent to $263.35 billion. Imports during the same period rose 33.12 per cent to $436.81 billion, the data showed. Rising global inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war, the growing China-Taiwan crisis and supply chain disruptions have impacted economic growth worldwide, thus leading to shrinking demands. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mumbai-tops-in-new-property-launches-in-q3-delhi-saw-the-highest-decline-anarock/articleshow/95531567.cms">Mumbai tops in new property launches in Q3, Delhi saw the highest decline: Anarock</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/yudh-abhyas-22-will-be-conducted-in-uttarkhand-this-month/articleshow/95531667.cms">"Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month</a>

Exports shrink by 16.6% to $29.78 bn in Oct

The Kerala government on Tuesday sounded an alert in seven districts in the state against the spread of <keyword id="6360092" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="dengue" source="Orion">Dengue</keyword> fever. State health minister <keyword id="3296362" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="veena-george" source="Orion">Veena George</keyword> said an alert has been issued to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Palakkad, <keyword id="6354399" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kozhikode" source="Orion">Kozhikode</keyword> and <keyword id="69399" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="malappuram" source="Orion">Malappuram</keyword> districts as the dengue cases were on a rise there. The government has also decided to observe a dry day campaign every week by cleaning public places, and houses and removing stagnant water, <keyword id="11802" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="george" source="Orion">George</keyword> noted. "Other districts should also remain vigilant and engage in eliminating mosquito breeding sites," she said in a release. The minister also issued directions to all district authorities to step up the dengue preventive measures as the state has been receiving monsoon rains which may lead to water logging in many places. A high-level meeting chaired by the minister was held to review the situation in various districts. "All districts have been asked to follow the action plan and a proper evaluation will be conducted. The cleaning fund for each ward in the local bodies must be utilised effectively," the minister said. Directions were issued to the local self-government bodies to inspect construction sites, drainage, and other possible locations for waterlogging and destroying mosquito breeding sources. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/yudh-abhyas-22-will-be-conducted-in-uttarkhand-this-month/articleshow/95531667.cms">"Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-population-growth-appears-to-be-stabilising-un-as-world-figure-crosses-8-billion/articleshow/95534720.cms">India's population growth appears to be stabilising: UN as world figure crosses 8 billion</a>

Kerala govt issues alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam and 3 more districts as dengue cases spike

As the global population reached 8 billion, the UN on Tuesday said <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s population growth appears to be stabilising which shows that the country's national policies and health systems, including access to family planning services, are working. The world population touched eight billion on Tuesday and India was the largest contributor to the milestone, having added 177 million people, the <keyword id="6355833" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="united-nations" source="Orion">United Nations</keyword> said., noting that for China, which added 73 million people, the projection is its contribution to the next billion in the global population is to be in the negative. "The good news is that India's population growth appears to be stabilising. The Total Fertility Rate - more or less the average number of children born per woman - has declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level," the <keyword id="73046" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="united-nations-population-fund" source="Orion">United Nations Population Fund</keyword> (UNFPA) said. A total of 31 states and <keyword id="390245" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union-territories" source="Orion">Union Territories</keyword> (constituting 69.7 per cent of the country's population) have achieved fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1, it said. The main reasons for the decline in fertility include an increase in the adoption of modern family planning methods (from 47.8 per cent in 2015-16 to 56.5 per cent in 2019-21) and a reduction in unmet need for family planning by four per cent points over the same period, it said. "This indicates significant improvements in access to family planning-related information and services. In summary, it shows that India's national population policies and health systems are working," the UN body said. India is a youthful nation with the largest cohort of young people anywhere in the world, with major potential to achieve its demographic dividend. While many parts of the world are ageing, India's youthful population can be a global resource to solve global problems, the UNFPA said. While the world's population will continue to grow to around 10.4 billion in the 2080s, the overall rate of growth is slowing down, it said. The world is more demographically diverse than ever before, with countries facing starkly different population trends ranging from growth to decline, the UNFPA added. "We must focus on investing in each person to achieve a quality of life that allows them to thrive equally and with dignity in our modern world, building inclusive societies and sustainable economies in the face of overlapping crises. "And India, coupling efforts to drive gender equality with the greatest youth generation in history, supported by world-class innovation in digital public goods, is positioned to help the world achieve the <keyword id="879547" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sustainable-development-goals" source="Orion">Sustainable Development Goals</keyword> more than any other," said <keyword id="13703167" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shombi-sharp" source="Orion">Shombi Sharp</keyword>, UN Resident Coordinator in India The UN said two-thirds of the global population lives in a low fertility context, where the lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman. At the same time, population growth has become increasingly concentrated among the world's poorest countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Against this backdrop, the global community must ensure that all countries, regardless of whether their populations are growing or shrinking, are equipped to provide good quality of life to their people and can lift up and empower their most marginalised sections, the UN said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/yudh-abhyas-22-will-be-conducted-in-uttarkhand-this-month/articleshow/95531667.cms">"Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/exports-shrink-by-16-6-to-29-78-bn-in-oct/articleshow/95532058.cms">Exports shrink by 16.6% to $29.78 bn in Oct</a>

India's population growth appears to be stabilising: UN as world figure crosses 8 billion

New Delhi, Apr 13 () With the aim of scaling up coronavirus testing facilities, the Union Health ministry has designated 14 health establishments such as AIIMS, New Delhi, PGIMER in Chandigarh and JIPMER, Puducherry to review proposals for approving any new laboratory for COVID-19 testing in different states. Amid a spurt in cases of coronavirus infections in India, the ICMR has taken into account the need to expand COVID-19 testing facilities in all parts of the country and has initiated a proactive search of potential laboratories which could be enabled for COVID-19 testing, a senior official said. "These institutions are expected to serve as mentors and facilitate the establishment of COVID-19 testing facilities in respective states. "They will review the proposals from private and government medical colleges as well as other central government institutions belonging to Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)and Defence Research and Development Organisation among others," a senior scientist at the ICMR said,According to the officials, the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi will do a comprehensive review of requests for approving any new laboratory for COVID testing from Delhi and Bihar, while Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education &amp; Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh will do so for Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Uttarkhand.The North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health &amp; Medical Science (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong will assess all proposals from Assam, Megahlaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The AIIMS, Nagpur has been allocated Maharashtra (except Mumbai and Pune) and Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu. The AIIMS in Jodhpur has been assigned Rajasthsan and Gujarat, King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow has been assigned Uttar Pradesh and AIIMS Bhopal has been allocated Madhya Pradesh among others. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,415 and the number of cases climbed to 74,281 on Wednesday, registering an increase of 122 deaths and 3,525 cases in the last 24 hours since Tuesday 8 am, according to the Union Health Ministry. PLB DVDV

14 health establishments designated to review proposals for COVID testing labs

New Delhi, Feb 11 () About 63.99 lakh hectares of farm land has been affected by floods in 15 states, while 7.91 lakh hectares of agriculture land has been hit by drought in two states so far in the ongoing 2019-20 crop year (July-June), union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday. "There have been extreme weather events in the recent past including extended dry period, flood, hailstorm, cyclonic rains and wind, etc. However, there was no significant reduction in the production of foodgrains during last three years," Agriculture Minister Tomar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. As per the report of Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) constituted by the central government, an estimated area of 63.99 lakh hectares was affected by floods in 15 states during 2019-20, he said. These states include Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, he added. Due to drought, the minister said about 7.91 lakh hectares of farm land hit in Rajasthan and Manipur in the current year. On crop loss caused by wild animals in Uttarakhand, Tomar -- in a separate reply -- said the quantum loss of crops destroyed by stray cattle and wild animals are managed by concerned state governments. The Uttarkhand government has paid Rs 59.90 lakh compensation to farmers till October 2019, he said. The minister also mentioned that the central government, however, has taken various steps to prevent and check damage to crops by wild animals. The Union Environment Ministry has approved a project for undertaking 'Immuno-contraceptive measures' for population management of wild animals. That part, assistance is provided for construction/erecting of physical barriers, such as barbed wire fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus and boundary wall to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop field, he added. LUX MKJ

About 72 lakh hectares farm land hit due to floods, drought in ongoing crop year: Govt

<keyword id="619668" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arunima-Sinha">Arunima Sinha</keyword> whooped for joy. After a gruelling climb over 52 days, several near brushes with death, and as severe a test of her will as she had ever faced, she was on top of the world. She had conquered Everest – the first woman amputee to accomplish this feat. Since that day in May 2013, Sinha has scaled the highest peaks on five other continents and is just one summit away – McKinley in North America – from completing the Seven Summits Challenge to reach the highest point on each of the seven continents. A former national level volleyball player in India, Sinha was travelling from Lucknow to New Delhi in 2011 by train when robbers tried to snatch her gold necklace. “I resisted and so they pushed me out of the train,” says Sinha, who watched in horror as another train sped towards her and ran over her left leg. “I lay by the train tracks bleeding and screaming in pain the entire night, fighting off rats.” Villagers found her in the morning and carried her to the local hospital, which lacked basic facilities. Doctors amputated her left leg below the knee and inserted a rod in her right leg to support it – without anaesthetic. Sinha on Mt Elbrus Photo: courtesy of Arunima Sinha Sinha was moved to a New Delhi hospital where she was fitted with a prosthetic leg and spent four months recovering. Those were her “darkest hours,” when she came to hate the look of pity in people’s eyes. She took inspiration from Yuvraj Singh, an Indian cricketer who had successfully battled lung cancer and was forging his return to the elite levels of the sport. After leaving hospital, she contacted Bachendri Pal, who in 1984 had become the first Indian woman to summit Everest. Pal heads the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, funded by India’s leading steelmaking company. Moved by Sinha’s story, Pal took her under her wing. “When I met Arunima, I told her, ‘In your heart you have already climbed Everest. Now you merely need to prove it to the world’,” says 65-year-old Pal. “In the early stages, she could barely walk. Her legs would bleed and swell up making every step excruciating. But she persisted.” Sinha spent two years under Pal’s guidance, building both her physical and mental toughness. She enrolled in the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, training in the mountains of Uttarkhand, Ladakh and Nepal. Sinha on Mt Vinson in Antarctica. Photo: courtesy of Arunima Sinha “I felt demotivated when I couldn’t keep up with the other climbers, but I was determined to outpace them,” says Sinha. After eight months her legs grew accustomed to climbing. She ascended progressively higher mountains, moving to Island Peak or Imja Tse (6,189 metres) in the eastern Nepalese Himalayas and Mount Chamser Kangri (6,622m) in Ladakh, India. She learned to use ropes to climb, carrying 20kg of supplies and walking with crampons for traction on ice. Tata Steel helped her cross the final hurdle, providing sponsorship to cover costs that can range from US$40,000 to US$90,000. On April 1, 2013, Sinha began her quest as a part of the company’s Eco Expedition Everest Group. Climbers tackle hazards that include freezing temperatures, altitude sickness, avalanches and blizzards. After reaching Camp 2 at 6,400m, the second of four stops en route to the 8,858m summit, Sinha ran into serious and unique difficulties. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">I resolved that I would not let the fear of death hold me back … I knew that if I turned back then, I would never forgive myself. It was now or neverSinha on risking her life to continue through Everest’s death zone</h2> “Banging my feet against the snow to get a grip on the ice, I damaged my artificial leg stump. On several occasions my artificial leg turned 180 degrees and I had to put it back to its normal position which slowed me down,” she says. “I had to crawl along the slope to move forward, annoying the climbers behind me.” At Camp 4 at 8,000m – the infamous ‘death zone’ where the ambient oxygen level is so low that the body’s cells slowly begin to die – Sinha witnessed dead bodies, and even saw a climber who had run out of oxygen take his last few breaths. “I resolved that I would not let the fear of death hold me back,” she says. On May 21, after hours of strenuous climbing, Sinha’s group had reached the Hillary Step, just 100m from the summit. Stretched in front of them was <a href="https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3012340/now-time-crowd-control-everest" class="link-text">a human traffic jam along a dangerously narrow route</a> in which only one person could pass at a time. It took two hours for the jam to clear, by which time Sinha was running low on oxygen. Sinha on Mt Everest. Photo: courtesy of Arunima Sinha Her sherpa, Neema Kancha, warned that if she continued up, she might not survive the climb down. “I knew that if I turned back then, I would never forgive myself. It was now or never,” says Sinha, who pushed on. Two hours later, she stood on top of the world. “I felt like dancing, crying and laughing, all at the same time. I wanted to tell the world: here I am!” Unfurling the Indian flag, she recorded a one-minute video, asking Kancha to send it home if she didn’t survive. The climb down Everest is far more deadly than the ascent. Thirty steps into her descent, Sinha’s oxygen ran out. Luckily, a climber had turned back before reaching the summit and left behind an extra oxygen cylinder which Sinha put to lifesaving use. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">I would not have climbed Everest had I not met with the accident in 2011. Though I lost my leg, it made me a stronger person</h2><h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Arunima Sinha</h2> When Sinha’s artificial leg came loose, she could not risk removing her gloves to secure it in the biting cold (-30 to -40 degrees Celsius) as she could have lost her hand to <keyword id="1101430" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="frostbite">frostbite</keyword>. Instead, she held the support rope with one hand, and her prosthetic with the other, dragging herself down to the first stop. It usually takes 17 hours from Camp 4 to the summit and back. It took her 28 hours. Her determination was well rewarded. Sinha with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: courtesy of Arunima Sinha “At 23 years of age I lost my leg, but at 25 years of age I realised my dream,” she says. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched her memoir, Born Again On The Mountain, in December 2014. In 2015, Sinha was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award. Sinha has established an eponymous foundation to empower women and disabled children, and plans to set up a sports academy for underprivileged and physically challenged children in India’s Uttar Pradesh state. “I would not have climbed Everest had I not met with the accident in 2011. Though I lost my leg, it made me a stronger person,” she says, adding she wants to give opportunities for growth to others. Sinha on Mt Elbrus. She is one peak away from completing the Seven Summits Challenge. Photo: courtesy of Arunima Sinha There is no mountain high enough to stop amputee Arunima Sinha, who has scaled: <keyword id="14834" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mount-Everest">Mount Everest</keyword>, Nepal, Asia, 8,858m – May 21, 2013 Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Africa, 5,895m – May 11, 2014 <keyword id="1127684" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mount-Elbrus">Mount Elbrus</keyword>, Russia, Europe, 5,642m – July 25, 2014 Mount Kosciusko, Australia, 2,228m – April 20, 2015 Aconcagua, Argentina, South America, 6,961m – Dec 25, 2015 Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), Indonesia, Asia, 4,884m – July 8, 2016 Mount Vinson, Antarctica, 4,892m – Jan 1, 2019

The first woman amputee to summit Everest shares her incredible story of determination

NEW DELHI: The <keyword id="40807" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword> on Wednesday sounded the poll bugle, announcing a nine-phase election to the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> and state assemblies of <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword>, Odisha and <keyword id="48118" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sikkim">Sikkim</keyword> between April 7 and May 12. With polling to be stretched over nine rounds lasting 34 days, as against five phases spread over 28 days in 2009, this general election will be the most protracted so far. 
 <keyword id="50926" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chief-election-commissioner">Chief election commissioner</keyword> V S Sampath, who was flanked by election commissioners H S <keyword id="153539" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brahma">Brahma</keyword> and S N A Zaidi at the EC press conference here to announce the poll schedule, said polling would be conducted on April 7, 9, 10, 12, 17, 24 and 30 and May 7 and 12. Andhra Pradesh will have simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in two phases on April 30 and May 7, Odisha in two phases on April 10 and 17, while Sikkim will have a single day poll on April 12. 
 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/realtime/loksabhaelectionschedule2014_fulltext.pdf" target="_blank">READ ALSO: Full schedule of Lok Sabha election</a> 
 
Counting for both Lok Sabha and assembly polls has been scheduled for May 16. This will give the parties almost a fortnight for government formation, as the term of the current Lok Sabha expires only on May 31. 
 
"The model code has come into immediate effect with announcement of the dates," declared Sampath. 
 Among the states, UP and <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> will vote over six phases; <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> and Jammu &amp; Kashmir over five phases; <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword>, <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword>, <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword>, <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword> and Maharashtra over three phases; and Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tripura over two phases. There will be a single-day poll in Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, <keyword id="6358126" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Himachal-Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh</keyword>, Karnataka, Kerala, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Uttarkhand and Goa, a majority of north-eastern states and Union territories including Delhi. 
 Accepting the Union home ministry's suggestion to hold polls to Naxal-hit and disturbance-prone areas of northeast in the first phase, the EC has scheduled polling in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies across Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, <keyword id="50015" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="nagaland">Nagaland</keyword> and Odisha in the initial two phases on April 7 and 9, followed by voting across Naxal-hit areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Maharashtra and Odisha over the next two phases on April 10 and 12. 
 
An 81.4 crore-strong electorate will elect the 16th Lok Sabha by voting across 9.3 lakh polling stations in the country. This is in contrast with 71.6 crore electorate and 8.3 lakh polling stations in the last Lok Sabha poll. Around 1.15 lakh Central paramilitary personnel will be deployed for poll duty. 
 Sampath said while the electoral rolls had been updated with January 1, 2014, as the reference date and published across all the states, the voters could enrol themselves up to the date of notification of poll. In fact, the EC will be holding special camps on March 9 across all the 9.3 lakh polling stations to enable eligible voters to verify their names in the electoral rolls and apply for registration if not enrolled already. The <keyword id="295526" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="booth-level-officer">booth level officer</keyword> will be present at these camps to facilitate the voter to fill up Form 6 for enrolment. "We assure the voters that these applications will be disposed well in time to enable them to vote in the coming poll," said the CEC. 
 These polls are expected to be one of the most fiercely contested, with the BJP looking to wrest power from the <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword> beleaguered with strong anti-incumbency. The EC on Wednesday appealed to all political parties and candidates to "uphold the peerless democratic traditions by maintaining high standards of political discourse and fair play in the course of their election campaigns". "We appeal to the leaders of all political parties, especially their star campaigners, to refrain from using language that is against decorum and decency," said <keyword id="6358437" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Election-Commissioner">election commissioner</keyword> Brahma.

You Searched For "uttarkhand" and got 10 results

"Yudh Abhyas 22" will be conducted in Uttarkhand this month

ANI

Good books will continue to find readers says Ruskin Bond

PTI

Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rises to 2,791 with 66 more positive today

PTI

Exports shrink by 16.6% to $29.78 bn in Oct

IANS

Kerala govt issues alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam and 3 more districts as dengue cases spike

PTI

India's population growth appears to be stabilising: UN as world figure crosses 8 billion

PTI

14 health establishments designated to review proposals for COVID testing labs

PTI

About 72 lakh hectares farm land hit due to floods, drought in ongoing crop year: Govt

PTI

The first woman amputee to summit Everest shares her incredible story of determination

SCMP

Lok Sabha Polls To Start On April 7, Vote Count On May 16

Times Of India

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides