‘Why have Bahujan entrepreneurs been kept out?’ Rahul Gandhi targets Center over contract data gap

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi Asking the Modi government why no data is maintained on the share of public works contracts worth over Rs 16,500 crore awarded to Dalit, tribal and OBC-owned businesses, he has accused the Center of promoting a “deliberately constructed exclusionary system” after Parliament had told him no such record existed.In an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi sought details on public works and infrastructure contracts awarded under the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the last five years, specifically asking how many were secured by SC, ST and OBC-owned enterprises.

Government response

In a written reply, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said that though the government can provide the total number and value of contracts awarded year-wise, “there is no existing mechanism to track contracts awarded to enterprises owned by persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).”The government also clarified that all such contracts fall under construction contracts, and it is “not mandatory” for them to maintain caste-based data. On a question on extending the purchase mandate for SC/ST owned enterprises, the minister replied: “In view of the above, the question does not arise.”

‘Deliberate boycott’: Rahul Gandhi

Responding to the government’s response on social media, the opposition leader said the response was “deeply worrying”.“The government does not maintain any data in this regard,” Gandhi said. “The policy says 25% of public procurement should be sourced from MSMEs, of which 4% is earmarked for Dalit and tribal entrepreneurs. However, when it comes to the largest and most lucrative contracts, public works, the government says this requirement is not ‘mandatory’.”He argued that this is “not just an administrative lapse; it is a system of exclusion deliberately created through the policies of the Modi government, which undermines social and economic justice.”“The question is simple: Why are Bahujan entrepreneurs being kept out of the country’s biggest public contracts?” He added.Rahul Gandhi further explained in his post that the government’s public procurement policy for MSMEs states that 25 percent of procurement by central ministries and public sector undertakings will be from micro, small and medium enterprises, of which four percent is specifically earmarked for SC/ST-owned enterprises.However, the government has now clarified in Parliament that this provision is not mandatory for public works contracts, which are generally among the largest and most profitable government tenders. These contracts are awarded through open tender processes, and no centralized database is maintained on the social category of contractors.This exchange has taken place ahead of assembly elections in many states. Gandhi’s office said the absence of such data raises broader concerns about equal access and transparency in government spending.Gandhi said, “Modi government will have to answer this.”

गोविंद बल्लभ पंत कृषि एवं प्रौद्योगिकी विश्वविद्यालय, रुद्रपुर का दीक्षांत समारोह शुरू हो गया है। 37वें दीक्षांत समारोह के मुख्य अतिथि राज्यपाल और विश्वविद्यालय के कुलाधिपति सीनेटर लेफ्टिनेंट जनरल गुरुमीत सिंह और कृषि मंत्री गणेश जोशी कार्यक्रम स्थल पर पहुंच गये हैं.

अतिथि कुछ देर में 1395 विद्यार्थियों को डिग्री प्रदान करेंगे। समारोह में सर्वश्रेष्ठ स्नातकों को 13 स्वर्ण, 12 रजत और 10 कांस्य पदक प्रदान किये जायेंगे। यहां सांसद अजय भट्ट, कुलपति प्रो.मनमोहन सिंह चौहान आदि पहुंचे हैं।

Woman in Russia gives birth to four identical girls/Image: RT

A rare and medically significant birth has been reported in St. Petersburg, where a woman gave birth to four identical baby girls, the first such case officially recorded in Russia.The delivery, which took place at a maternity hospital in the city, has attracted attention because of its extreme rarity. Medical estimates suggest that monochorionic, or identical, quadruplets occur in approximately one in 15.5 million births. Globally, only 15 such cases have been recorded.All four babies were born in the 32nd week of pregnancy and their condition is said to be stable. His birth weight was between 1,360 g and 1,640 g, and his length was between 37 cm and 41 cm. Doctors have described these figures as strong for babies born at this stage.In a statement shared by the hospital on Russian social media platforms VKontakte“Four charming sisters were born at 32 weeks. According to estimates, monochorionic (identical) quadruplets occur once in 15.5 million births. Such a unique birth has not been reported in the country,” the team said.What makes matters especially complicated is that all four babies developed from the same fertilized egg and shared the same placenta, a condition known as a monochorionic pregnancy. In most multiple pregnancies, each baby has a separate placenta. Doctors say the risk is higher in such cases and constant monitoring is required.“For a pregnancy of 32 weeks, this is an excellent outcome, made possible due to proper management of the mother and expertise of the doctors in the antenatal department,” the hospital said.The delivery required the coordinated effort of a large medical team, including obstetricians, anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, midwives, and neonatologists. Each baby was immediately attended to by neonatologists and specialized nurses to ensure proper care from the first moment after birth.According to the hospital, the process was led by the chief physician, Professor Anton Mikhailov, as well as a team of specialists from the antenatal department and the obstetric unit. The operation was described as highly complex, requiring complete precision and teamwork.Doctors explained that identical, or monozygotic, pregnancies occur when a single fertilized egg splits into multiple embryos, resulting in children with identical genetic makeup and the same sex. There is no known way to predict or prevent such events.The case is now seen as a milestone in Russian medical practice, highlighting both the rarity of the occurrence and the level of care required to successfully manage such a high-risk pregnancy.

शादी के सीजन में शहर में गैस सिलेंडर की भारी कमी से आम लोगों की परेशानी बढ़ती जा रही है। इस मामले को लेकर मंगलवार को कांग्रेस नेताओं ने प्रशासन के खिलाफ आवाज उठाई. महानगर कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष सुनील कृष्ण गौतम के नेतृत्व में कार्यकर्ताओं ने जिला पूर्ति अधिकारी को ज्ञापन सौंपा। इस दौरान गैस सिलेंडरों की अनियमित आपूर्ति, देरी से डिलीवरी और फर्जी डिलीवरी जैसी समस्याएं प्रमुखता से उठाई गईं। कांग्रेस नेताओं ने चेतावनी दी कि अगर जल्द समाधान नहीं निकाला गया तो आंदोलन किया जाएगा.

गैस आपूर्ति में अनियमितता पर उठे सवाल
ज्ञापन के माध्यम से कांग्रेस नेताओं ने कहा कि शहर में गैस सिलेंडर की आपूर्ति ठीक से नहीं हो रही है. कई उपभोक्ताओं को समय पर सिलेंडर नहीं मिल पा रहा है, जिससे उन्हें काफी दिक्कतों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है. नेताओं ने यह भी आरोप लगाया कि कई जगहों पर डिलीवरी में देरी हो रही है और उपभोक्ताओं को एजेंसियों के बार-बार चक्कर लगाने पड़ रहे हैं।

फर्जी डिलीवरी का गंभीर आरोप
महानगर कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष सुनील कृष्ण गौतम ने कहा कि कुछ गैस एजेंसियां ​​कागजों पर डिलीवरी दिखा रही हैं, जबकि हकीकत में उपभोक्ताओं को सिलेंडर नहीं दिया जा रहा है। उन्होंने इसे बेहद गंभीर मामला बताते हुए कहा कि इस तरह की अनियमितता से आम जनता को नुकसान हो रहा है और इसकी जांच जरूरी है.

शादी-ब्याह के मौसम में दिक्कतें बढ़ गयीं
इस मौके पर जिला कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष चेतनारायण सिंह ने कहा कि इस समय वैवाहिक कार्यक्रम अधिक हैं, लेकिन लोगों को समय पर गैस सिलेंडर नहीं मिल पा रहा है. उन्होंने प्रशासन से मांग की कि व्यवस्था में तुरंत सुधार किया जाए ताकि लोगों को राहत मिल सके.

प्राथमिकता से उपलब्ध कराने की मांग
पीसीसी सदस्य उग्रसेन मिश्र ने सुझाव दिया कि जिन परिवारों में विवाह जैसे महत्वपूर्ण कार्य हैं, उन्हें प्राथमिकता के आधार पर गैस सिलेंडर दिया जाना चाहिए। इससे लोगों की परेशानी काफी हद तक कम हो सकती है.

कार्रवाई और पारदर्शिता की मांग
कांग्रेस नेताओं ने प्रशासन से मांग की कि गैस सिलेंडरों की पर्याप्त उपलब्धता सुनिश्चित की जाए. साथ ही वितरण प्रक्रिया में पारदर्शिता लायी जाये और दोषी एजेंसियों के खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की जाये. कार्यक्रम में सेवादल महानगर अध्यक्ष बसंत मिश्रा, जियो हैदर, पूर्व पार्षद जनार्दन मिश्रा, धर्मेंद्र सिंह फास्टर, अशोक कुमार राय, विवेक प्रताप शर्मा, कल्लू शर्मा, वीरू सिंह, अनिल सोनकर, विशाल दुबे और सतीश सिंह समेत कई लोग मौजूद रहे।

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Tuesday criticized the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee for making what he called “irresponsible allegations” after hinting at collusion between BJPCongress and DMK.In an ex-post, Tagore asserted that while the Congress and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) are allies in the India faction at the Centre, they are competing against each other in West Bengal.”Mamata Banerjee’s recent remarks are extremely irresponsible and condemnable. At a time when we need to be united to fight against the BJP, baseless allegations will only serve to weaken the unity of the opposition parties. Making such allegations without any evidence shows that Mamata Banerjee has lost her mental balance. It should not be forgotten that it was the Trinamool Congress – not the Congress Party – which was in alliance with the BJP in 1998 and 1999, and which fought the 2004 elections in partnership with the RSS-BJP alliance,” Tagore wrote.He said, “targeting coalition partners and casting aspersions on institutions without any factual basis is not an act of leadership – it is a distraction. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has consistently stood firm and fought against the ideology of the RSS and the BJP. More than 25 cases have been filed against him; he was disqualified from his membership in Parliament, and he was evicted from his official residence. This is the price he has paid for standing against the RSS and the BJP.”Tagore also called for unity and responsibility from TMC as an ally of Congress at the Centre. “The congress party There is no need to learn from anyone how to fight against BJP. This is not the time for irresponsible allegations. This is a time for unity, responsibility and clarity of purpose.”The Congress leader’s comments come after Mamata Banerjee hinted at collusion between BJP and TMC allies, the Congress and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. mk stalin. TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also alleged, “Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s Congress is openly distributing votes with the full protection of Amit Shah’s central forces.”The statements highlighted potential rifts within the Indian faction, with leaders such as Sagarika Ghosh and Udhayanidhi Stalin promoting Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin as leaders of the alliance respectively.Voting for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting taking place on May 4. The elections are expected to be a high-voltage contest between TMC and BJP, while the Congress and the Left also look to increase their influence in the state.

सच तो यह है कि संत भक्तों के भूखे होते हैं और अनुष्ठान किसी एक व्यक्ति से नहीं बल्कि पूरे समाज और तिनके के सहयोग से भी पूरे होते हैं। पिछले सालों में जब नागा संन्यास परंपरा में आए तो उन्होंने एक-दो नहीं बल्कि कई अर्ध कुंभ और पूर्ण कुंभ देखे। साल दर साल भक्तों की संख्या बढ़ती जा रही है। इसमें युवाओं की भूमिका सबसे अधिक बढ़ गई है।

कुम्भ की भव्यता पहले भी थी और आज भी रहेगी।

अब जब सरकार ने तय कर लिया है कि अर्धकुंभ को पूर्ण, भव्य और दिव्य बनाना है तो इसमें सभी अखाड़ों और सभी आम लोगों की भूमिका अहम है. कुम्भ राशि वाले कुछ लेते नहीं बल्कि देते हैं। जहां मनुष्य पुण्य कमाने के लिए कुंभ के भव्य आयोजन से जुड़ते हैं, वहीं अन्य सभी जीव-जंतु भी इससे लाभान्वित होते हैं।

समय के साथ बहुत कुछ बदल गया है, लेकिन कुंभ की भव्यता पहले भी थी और आज भी रहेगी। हाल ही में प्रयागराज के कुंभ ने यह स्पष्ट कर दिया कि सनातन प्रेमियों का मनोबल और आस्था दिन दोगुनी और रात चौगुनी बढ़ रही है।

ये भी पढ़ें…उत्तराखंड: हाईकमान तय करेगा कौन कांग्रेस में जाएगा और कौन नहीं, बयानबाजी पर गोदियाल ने दी सलाह

चाहे हम प्रयाग, उज्जैन, नासिक या हरिद्वार की बात करें, धार्मिक लोग ऐसे आयोजनों के लिए अपना दिल खुला रखते हैं। अखाड़ा परिषद अध्यक्ष श्रीमहंत रवींद्रपुरी महाराज और श्रीमहंत हरिगिरि महाराज के निर्देशन में सभी नागा संन्यासी पूरे मनोबल के साथ तैयार हैं। आयोजन बेहतर होगा और इसमें कोई लापरवाही नहीं होगी.

श्रीमहंत कौशलपुरी महाराज, परमाध्यक्ष श्रीकालभैरव मंदिर

Cambodia has erected a statue to commemorate Magava, the African giant pouched rat famous for its remarkable olfactory skills and life-saving work. The memorial was unveiled in Siem Reap on April 3, 2026. During five years of dedicated service as HeroRAT, Magawa detected more than 100 landmines and unexploded ordnance and cleared more than 141,000 square meters of land. Their training allowed them to ignore the scrap metal and focus only on the faint smell of explosives, resulting in landmine clearance that was safer and quicker than traditional methods.By erecting a sandstone statue of Magwa in Siem Reap, Cambodia is honoring both animal intelligence and the human effort to remove landmines from the landscape. The story of this small rodent is testament to the innovative ways in which non-technical methods of mining have helped restore safe living conditions to communities affected by conflict and war.

The record-breaking career of Cambodia’s landmine-sniffing rat Magwa

Siem Reap has erected a permanent sandstone monument to the memory of Magwa, whose unique contribution to humanitarian devastation makes him a true hero in the eyes of the community. Trained as a HERORAT by APOPO, a permanent organization, Magawa was the most accomplished HERORAT in APOPO’s history, successfully identifying 71 landmines and 38 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) during his tenure, while releasing land equivalent to 20 football fields back to the community.

Why might Magawa ignore scrap metal?

Magawa’s operational efficiency over time was unprecedented; It can clear an area the size of a tennis court in as little as 20 minutes (compared to a human using a metal detector who typically takes 4 days to complete the same task). Chrysetomys ansorgei (African giant pouched rat) was chosen to detect mines due to the presence of specific physiological and behavioral characteristics identified through veterinary research studies. Scientific studies confirm that these rats have a highly sensitive olfactory system capable of detecting minute concentrations of explosive vapor, allowing them to ignore scrap metal and simply detect the presence of TNT. Their low body mass enables them to safely cross pressure-activated landmines without triggering the pressure-sensitive detonators, allowing them to make straight land crossings that would kill either a human deminer or a large detection animal such as a dog.

Why is biological identification the fastest path to security?

Magawa’s work was a humanitarian effort that complied with an extensive list of rules from the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) global safety protocol. IMAS integrates animal detection systems into technical surveys so that officials can return land to communities for agriculture and habitation with a high level of confidence.Because these rats are trained to smell explosives, they produce fewer false alarms than traditional sensors. This, in turn, accelerates the entire process of reclaiming land for families displaced by the conflict.

The first rat to receive this honor from PDSA

Magawa’s contributions were acknowledged worldwide in 2020, marking a watershed moment for animal detection systems in international security. He made history as the first rat in the 77-year existence of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to be awarded a gold medal – an honor similar to the George Cross for animals.

Tamil Nadu elections: ‘Lottery King’ wife Lima Rose richest in the fray with assets worth Rs 1,000 crore

New Delhi: Lima Rose, wife of “Lottery King” Santiago Martin, on Monday filed her nomination as AIADMK candidate from Lalgudi constituency, ANI reported. With declared assets of over Rs 1,049 crore, he is the richest candidate in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026.According to its election affidavit, Lima Rose reported an income of Rs 9.82 crore for 2024-25. Her husband Santiago Martin declared income of Rs 11.39 crore, while her son Jose Deson Martin declared income of Rs 19.56 crore, ANI said.