Vertical drilling work continues as the rescue operation is underway in the Silkyara Tunnel where 41 workers are trapped inside in Uttarkashi on November 26, 2023.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Silkyara tunnel collapse | On Day 15, rescuers set a 100-hour vertical drilling target
With horizontal drilling to reach the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel stuck for the third consecutive day, rescuers began vertical drilling above the tunnel, completing nearly 19.5 meters of boring on November 26. The teams have set a target of vertically drilling through 86 metres of mountain in 100 hours, if there are no unexpected hurdles.
CAA rules to be framed by March 2024, says Union Minister
Rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be framed by March 2024, Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra said on Sunday. Addressing a gathering in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Mr. Mishra tried to allay fears of the Matua community over the delay in framing rules of the CAA and said the Act passed by the Parliament in December 2019 ensured that members of the community had become citizens.
The proposed Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill that seeks to replace the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 “bars the courts from inquiring into any privileged communication between Ministers and the President of India”. Although Article 74(2) of the Constitution states this, the Union government seeks to give it legal backing by making it part of the evidence book. The government, however, has not clearly defined what constitutes “privileged communication”, leaving the provision open to interpretation.
More captives, prisoners freed in Gaza as truce extension mooted
The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas announced in a statement on Sunday that it is seeking to extend its four-day truce with Israel should serious efforts be made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released from Israel.
Amid Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Foreign Secretary Kwatra visits Iran for talks
The Israel-Hamas conflict and India’s investment in the Chabahar port developments were at the top of the agenda as Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra led a delegation in Tehran for foreign office consultations (FOC) with the Iranian government on Sunday. According to officials, the talks were part of routine bilateral meetings between the two countries, but a detailed discussion on the West Asian situation also took place.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Sunday that the supremacy of Parliament as the sole architect of the Constitution is unquestionable. While addressing an event organised to celebrate the 74th Constitution Day, he further quoted Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to insist that the Constitution was meant to not just define the organs of the State but to also define the limits to their powers.
Irish writer Paul Lynch wins Booker Prize with dystopian novel ‘Prophet Song’
Irish writer Paul Lynch won the Booker Prize for fiction on Sunday with what judges called a “soul-shattering” novel about a woman’s struggle to protect her family as Ireland collapses into totalitarianism and war. “Prophet Song,” set in a dystopian fictional version of Dublin, was awarded the 50,000-pound ($63,000) literary prize at a ceremony in London.
Elon Musk to meet Israeli President, Gaza hostage families on November 27
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, accused by civil rights groups of amplifying anti-Jewish hatred on his X social media platform, will meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday along with Israelis whose relatives have been held by Hamas in Gaza.
Scrap Justice Shinde Committee on Maratha reservation: OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal
Amid intensifying Maratha-Other Backward Classes (OBC) tensions against the backdrop of the Maratha quota stir, Maharashtra Minister and prominent other OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday demanded the government scrap the Justice Shinde Committee set-up to expedite the process of granting reservation to Marathas, while remarking that the Maratha community could not ride roughshod over the OBCs.
14 killed in Gujarat as thunderstorms batter the State
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms battered Gujarat on Sunday, killing at least 14 persons and more than 50 animals. There was large scale damage to standing crops in as many as 220 talukas. The State also reported multiple lightning strikes.
Prominent Gorkha leader Binay Tamang joins Congress
Prominent Gorkha leader and former chairperson of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) — the regional autonomous body governing Darjeeling hills — Binay Tamang on Sunday joined the Congress. Mr. Tamang joined the Congress in the presence of State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury at Kalimpong. Mr. Tamang was a close aide of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha founder Bimal Gurung before falling out with him during the 2017 violent agitation in the hills when the region remained cut off for about 100 days.
IND vs AUS second T20I | India’s batting might proves too strong for Australia
Half-centuries from the Indian top-order led by Yashasvi Jaiswal (53, 25b, 9×4, 2×6), followed by a brilliant spell from the spinners, helped the Men in Blue beat Australia by 44 runs in the second T20I match and take a 2-0 lead here at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.