Bhagat Singh, aged 23, was hanged on March 23, 1931, along with Sukhdev and Rajguru, for the murder of British police officer John Saunders in what came to be known as the Lahore conspiracy case.

The Punjab government has sought the United Kingdom’s assistance in procuring films, tapes and other archival documentation linked to the trial proceedings of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made the request in a letter dated January 9 to British Deputy High Commissioner Alba Smeriglio.

“It is learnt that original audio/video recordings and archival documentation pertaining to the trial proceedings of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar, and Shaheed Shivaram Hari Rajguru are presently held by concerned authorities in Scotland, reportedly preserved within a museum/institution maintaining historical legal archives of that era,” Mann wrote.

According to the state government, the records carry “profound historical and emotional significance” for the people of Punjab and are also of importance to global scholars of history and human rights.

The Punjab government has sought the United Kingdom’s assistance in procuring films, tapes and other archival documentation linked to the trial proceedings of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made the request in a letter dated January 9 to British Deputy High Commissioner Alba Smeriglio.

“It is learnt that original audio/video recordings and archival documentation pertaining to the trial proceedings of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar, and Shaheed Shivaram Hari Rajguru are presently held by concerned authorities in Scotland, reportedly preserved within a museum/institution maintaining historical legal archives of that era,” Mann wrote.

According to the state government, the records carry “profound historical and emotional significance” for the people of Punjab and are also of importance to global scholars of history and human rights.

Archived pictures of Bhagat Singh at BSF Memorial, Hussainiwala, Punjab.(Facebook@Chaman Lal)

“The Punjab Government seeks access to these archival materials for academic study, digital preservation, and public exhibition at the ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh Heritage Complex’, Khatkar Kalan, district Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Punjab,” the chief minister wrote, seeking copies.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader also appealed to “universal ideals of justice, sacrifice, and human dignity” as principles behind the request to share material.

Bhagat Singh, aged 23, was hanged on March 23, 1931, along with Sukhdev and Rajguru, for the murder of British police officer John Saunders in what came to be known as the Lahore conspiracy case.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Officials said the paving was carried out under standard quality and monitoring procedures and was observed for compliance with the requirements set by Guinness World Records.

A highway project in Andhra Pradesh has been certified as the longest continuous bituminous concrete paving in a 24-hour period by Guinness World Records, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday.

The record — 28.95 lane-kilometres of bituminous concrete laid in a single day — was set on January 6 on the Vanavolu–Vankarakunta stretch of National Highway (NH) 544G. It is part of the Bengaluru–Kadapa–Vijayawada Economic Corridor.

The highway project has also been recognised for the maximum quantity of material placed within 24 hours — 10,675 tonnes — according to officials.

Officials said the paving was carried out under standard quality and monitoring procedures and was observed for compliance with the requirements set by Guinness World Records.

“NHAI, in association with concessionaire M/s Rajpath Infracon Private Limited, achieved this historic feat through deployment of state-of-the-art construction equipment and machinery involving 70 tippers, five hot mix plants, one paver and 17 rollers. Supported by stringent quality assurance mechanisms, the process was monitored for quality control with the help of premier institutions including IIT Bombay, along with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), ensuring adherence to the highest standards of quality and safety,” NHAI said in an official statement.

This entry follows an earlier record set in June 2022, when a stretch of NH-53 in Maharashtra between Amravati and Akola was certified by Guinness World Records for laying 75 km of continuous bituminous concrete in a single lane in 105 hours and 33 minutes. That effort replaced the previous record held outside India.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

The proposed name is PRAMISHKA, formed by combining the initials of the seven deceased children.

In a quiet corner of Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district, a group of school students who once scanned the night sky have found a way to turn astronomy into remembrance.

Students of Government Senior Secondary School, Unhel, who discovered four asteroids during 2020–2021, have decided to name one of them after seven children who died when a government school building collapsed in Piplodi village in July 2025.

Twenty-seven other students were seriously injured in the incident.

The asteroids, discovered as part of an international student programme, have now completed a full orbit around the Sun and have been assigned permanent numbers by Pan-STARRS at the international level.

This confirms that their orbits are fully established and scientifically verified. The four asteroids were discovered by Sugandha Kumari, Komal Kunwar, Harshita Dangi and Sanjay Kumar, who are now pursuing higher education in different colleges.

They participated in the IASC-NASA Asteroid Search Campaign under the guidance of Google-certified educator Dr Divyendu Sen, currently posted at Mahatma Gandhi Government School, Pachpahar in Jhalawar.

More than 100 students from the district have taken part in the programme so far and have collectively discovered 12 main-belt asteroids.

In a quiet corner of Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district, a group of school students who once scanned the night sky have found a way to turn astronomy into remembrance.

Students of Government Senior Secondary School, Unhel, who discovered four asteroids during 2020–2021, have decided to name one of them after seven children who died when a government school building collapsed in Piplodi village in July 2025.

Twenty-seven other students were seriously injured in the incident.

The asteroids, discovered as part of an international student programme, have now completed a full orbit around the Sun and have been assigned permanent numbers by Pan-STARRS at the international level.

This confirms that their orbits are fully established and scientifically verified. The four asteroids were discovered by Sugandha Kumari, Komal Kunwar, Harshita Dangi and Sanjay Kumar, who are now pursuing higher education in different colleges.

They participated in the IASC-NASA Asteroid Search Campaign under the guidance of Google-certified educator Dr Divyendu Sen, currently posted at Mahatma Gandhi Government School, Pachpahar in Jhalawar.

More than 100 students from the district have taken part in the programme so far and have collectively discovered 12 main-belt asteroids.

Speaking about the allotment of permanent numbers, Dr Sen said they received an email from the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) last month.

According to the communication, one of the four numbered asteroids has been reserved for the survey organisation, while the remaining three are open for name proposals by the student discoverers.

The naming process, he said, must follow international guidelines. Dr Sen told PTI that the students have formally expressed their wish to name one asteroid in memory of the children who died in the Piplodi collapse.

The proposed name is PRAMISHKA, formed by combining the initials of the seven deceased children — Payal (13), Priyanka (12), Meena (12), Harish (11), Kundan (10), Kanha (7), and Satish (8).

He added that other acronyms are also being considered before a final proposal is submitted.

“We did not want the naming to be just a symbolic act. The students told me that science becomes meaningful only when it touches lives. The name PRAMISHKA is formed from the combined initials of the Piplodi children. By sending this name to space, we want their memory to orbit the Sun forever. For us, this is not only astronomy; this is remembrance with love and dignity,” Dr Sen said.

He noted that asteroids remain in the solar system for millions of years and that once a name is approved by the International Astronomical Union, it becomes a permanent part of scientific literature.

“Our humble wish is that PRAMISHKA becomes that eternal identity for them,” he said.

Dr Sen said the final approval lies with the International Astronomical Union. “We are in touch with coordinators and authorities, and will submit the full supporting details when invited to do so,” he said.

Jhalawar Chief District Education Officer Ram Singh Meena also supported the move, telling PTI that naming an asteroid after the deceased children would be a true act of remembrance.

He said the education department has agreed to follow up on the request.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The device is used to treat severe strokes by removing clots and restoring blood flow to the brain within 24 hours.

The indigenously developed Supernova stent retriever—approved in India using only domestic clinical trial data— is expected to be manufactured in the country and launched in February 2026. The device is used to treat severe strokes by removing clots and restoring blood flow to the brain within 24 hours.

Developed by Gravity Medical Technology, its clinical trial was led by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the device’s manufacturing and marketing in India after the trial demonstrated good safety and efficacy outcomes. It is the first time a stroke device has been approved in India based solely on domestic clinical trial data.

AIIMS Delhi was the national coordinating centre and the lead enrolling site of the GRASSROOT trial for the Supernova Stent.

“This trial is a turning point for stroke treatment in India. Supernova stent showed strong performance in real-world clinical settings involving severe stroke cases,” said Shailesh B. Gaikwad, professor and head, Department of Neuroimaging & Interventional Neuroradiology, AIIMS Delhi, and National Principal Investigator of the GRASSROOT Trial.

“The Supernova stent has shown excellent safety and efficacy outcomes in the treatment of severe strokes,” according to findings published recently in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery (JNIS).

In the first prospective multicentre thrombectomy (procedure to physically remove a blood clot from a blocked artery) trial, the Supernova stent retriever achieved high successful restoration of blood flow with brain bleed (3.1 per cent), mortality (9.4 per cent), and 50 per cent functional independence at 90 days.

The India trial was conducted across eight centres. The device has already been used to treat more than 300 patients in Southeast Asia and will now be manufactured and made available in India at affordable prices, offering new hope to the 1.7 million Indians who suffer strokes each year, added Dileep Yavagal, professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Miami, who was part of the global trial.

Shashvat M Desai, chief technology officer at Gravity Medical Technology, said the approval reflects India’s ability to conduct globally competitive trials. “The Supernova stent is tailored to India’s unique stroke profile, where strokes tend to occur at a younger age compared to Western populations. The device has already been used to treat patients in Southeast Asia, reinforcing its safety and versatility,’’ he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headlines edited)

With free entry for all for the first time in its history, the New Delhi World Book Fair will open here at Bharat Mandapam on January 10 with “Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @75” as its central theme, the National Book Trust announced on Thursday.

The 53rd edition of the “world’s largest B2C book fair” will be inaugurated by Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan with dignitaries from the guest of honour country Qatar and the focus country Spain.

The nine-day book fair will bring together over 1,000 publishers from more than 35 countries, host about 600 literary activities with nearly 1000 speakers and is expected to “attract over two million visitors”.

The highlight of this year’s book fair will be the theme pavilion titled “Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @75”, honouring the courage, sacrifice and nation-building role of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force since Independence.

“We are using this particular theme to salute our armed forces. We are focusing on the significant contributions of the Indian armed forces Army, Navy, and Air Force to nation building, defence, unity and progress. It has a very dedicated pavilion and literary events to showcase this particular theme, and I’m sure you all will get enriched from the material which we are displaying,” Milind Sudhakar Marathe, chairman NBT, said at a press conference.

He added that in continuation of NBT’s commitment of making “books and knowledge more open and accessible to all”, the book fair will have free entry for all visitors for the first time in its history.

“For the first time in the history of NBT, we are making entry to the fair absolutely free so that we can accommodate the maximum number of people from Delhi and around. So, this is for the first time it’s happening, and it shows the commitment of NBT to make books reading accessible for all,” Marathe said.

The theme pavilion, which will feature more than 500 books, curated exhibits, posters, documentaries and installations, is inspired by Indian Military Academy , Dehradun.

Some key features at the theme pavilion include replicas of the Arjun Tank, INS Vikrant, and LCA Tejas, tributes to 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees and sessions on major wars and military operation from Budgaon 1947 to Operation Sindoor.

The fair will also feature exhibitions on 150 years of Vande Mataram and the life of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Apart from the participation of Qatar as the guest of honour country and Spain as the focus country, the book fair will host publishers, authors, and cultural institutions from more than 35 nations, including Russia, Japan, Poland, France, Abu Dhabi, Iran, Kazakhstan, Hungary, and Chile.

The international pavilion will host book launches, multilingual poetry evenings, cultural showcases, children’s literature sessions, and discussions on themes of AI, gaming, migration, and heritage.

Another important addition to this year’s book fair will be the participation of 10 international book fair directors, including the Leipzig Book Fair, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Seoul International Book Fair, Tuyap Fairs and Exhibitions from Turkiye, Frankfurter Buchmesse, Book World Prague from Czech Republic, and the Gothenburg Book Fair from Sweden.

he fair will host authors, speakers, and public figures, including Piyush Mishra, Smriti Irani, Hema Malini, Kailash Satyarthi, Ricky Kej, Jaya Kishori, Durjoy Dutta, Shalini Passi, and Shubhanshu Shukla.

In the evenings, the fair will witness cultural performances by Manganiyar artistes of Rajasthan, poets of the Rekhta Foundation, and the official bands of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

In the children’s pavilion, the book fair will host storytelling, theatre, quizzes, art and craft, vedic maths, book designing workshops, and child author interactions.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Vessel built by Goa Shipyard boosts coast guard roles in pollution response surveillance rescue and maritime safety with long endurance and aviation support.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday commissioned the Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) first indigenously designed and built pollution-control vessel, Samudra Pratap, in Goa.

The 114.5m vessel, built by the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), will serve as a critical platform for enforcing marine pollution-control regulations, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and safeguarding India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

The 4,200-tonne vessel boasts of a speed of more than 22 knots and an endurance of 6,000 nautical miles.

“With over 60 per cent indigenous content, the ICG’s Samudra Pratap is India’s first indigenously designed pollution-control vessel and the largest ship in the ICG fleet,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

The vessel will enhance the ICG’s operational capability in pollution control, fire-fighting, maritime safety and environmental protection. It will also strengthen its ability to conduct extended surveillance and response missions across India’s vast maritime zones, the ministry said.

Rajnath said the vessel had been specially designed for pollution control, but its role was not limited to this.

“As multiple capabilities have been integrated into a single platform, the ship will prove to be effective in coastal patrol, and strengthen maritime safety. It is a product of the modern approach adopted by the GSL to enhance flexibility and readiness to deal with present-day maritime challenges,” the defence minister said.

The ship, Rajnath said, is equipped with advanced pollution detection systems, dedicated pollution response boats and modern firefighting capabilities. It also features a helicopter hangar and aviation support facilities, which can significantly increase its reach and effectiveness.

“Due to these capabilities, the vessel will be able to operate stably even in rough sea conditions, providing a huge advantage in real-life operations,” he said.

For the first time, the ICG’s ship will have two women officers.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Defence Acquisition Council clears the planned procurement proposals worth Rs 79,000 crore, including Long Range Guided Rockets-120.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Monday (December 29, 2025) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR–120) at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur. 

Earlier in the day, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the planned procurement proposals worth ₹79,000 crore, including Long Range Guided Rockets-120. Later in the evening, the DRDO successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the LRGR.

The Defence Ministry said that the test marked a major milestone in India’s indigenous rocket artillery programme.

The LRGR–120 was flight-tested for its maximum range of 120 km, during which it demonstrated all planned in-flight manoeuvres and achieved a direct hit on the designated target with textbook precision. All range instruments deployed at ITR tracked the rocket throughout its entire trajectory, validating its performance parameters.

The long-range guided rocket has been designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), with support from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI). The flight trial was coordinated by the Integrated Test Range and the Proof & Experimental Establishment (P&EE), the Ministry sources said.

The LRGR was launched from the in-service Pinaka launcher, demonstrating the system’s versatility and its ability to fire multiple variants of Pinaka rockets with different ranges from the same launcher.

Congratulating DRDO on the successful test, the Defence Minister said the design and development of long-range guided rockets would significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces, describing it as a “game changer.”

Defence R&D secretary and DRDO chairman Dr Samir V. Kamat, who witnessed the trial, also congratulated the teams involved for successfully meeting all mission objectives.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The Agriculture Minister also hits out at Congress labelling it as a ‘factory of lies’ for its campain against the new rural jobs Act.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called the Congress a “factory of lies” and said that the Opposition party was spreading misinformation about the recently passed Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill.

He said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was not present in the House when the Bill was taken up for debate and the Opposition did not want to listen to the details of the Bill.

Viksit Bharat vs. MGNREGA

“The Congress has announced an MGNREGA Bachao Sangram. It is actually a ‘save corruption’ campaign. MGNREGA had become synonymous with corruption,” the Minister said.

He said that social audits by gram sabhas have come up with more than 10.51 lakh complaints. “The same work was repeated, work was done by machines, money was siphoned off in the name of cleaning canals and roads, 30% workers were above the age of 60,” he said.

Mr. Chouhan said the new Bill had more scope than MGNREGA and was a better scheme. He said an amount of more than ₹8.48 lakh crore has been allocated to the scheme by the government, while the UPA had spent just over ₹2 lakh crore on it.

Govt unveils 184 new seed varieties

The Minister was speaking at an event in which the Central government unveiled 184 high-yielding and climate-resilient seed varieties of 25 crops that will help farmers increase productivity, reduce costs, and cope with climate change, soil salinity, drought, and other biotic and abiotic stresses.

The new varieties – developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), various universities, and private entities – include 122 cereals, six pulses, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, six sugarcane varieties, 24 cotton (including 22 BT cotton), and one each of jute and tobacco, the government said.

‘India now world’s largest rice producer’

Mr. Chouhan said the country has become the world’s largest rice producer, surpassing China. “India’s rice production has reached 150.18 million tonnes, compared to China’s 145.28 million tonnes, ensuring national food security and strengthening India’s role as a global food supplier,” he said, adding that the new seed varieties will boost crop production and enhance income of farmers.

Mr. Chouhan said that since 2014, the Narendra Modi government has approved 3,236 high-yielding varieties of seeds as compared to 3,969 varieties notified between 1969 and 2014.

ICAR director general M.L. Jat highlighted the importance of breeding programmes focused on acid soils, organic and natural farming systems, and regenerative agriculture. Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said the National Seeds Corporation played a significant role in seed multiplication, which has contributed to enhanced agricultural productivity and achieved a turnover of ₹200 crore.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Delhi showcase features 349 funerary gems from a Uttar Pradesh stupa highlighting colonial era loss and the legal diplomatic push to reclaim sacred Buddhist heritage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the first exhibition in India of the Piprahwa funerary gems linked to the Buddha, which were acquired by the Godrej Industries from its British owners in July after the Centre stalled their auction by Sotheby’s Hong Kong.

“The lesson is that slavery is not only political and economic; slavery also destroys our heritage. The same thing happened with the sacred relics of Lord Buddha. They were taken from India during the period of colonial rule, and for nearly 125 years, they remained outside the country,” Modi said.

“For the descendants of those who took them from India, these were merely inanimate antique pieces. Therefore, they attempted to auction these sacred relics on the international market. But for India, these relics are a part of our revered deity, an integral part of our civilisation. Therefore, India decided that we would not allow their public auction,” he added.

Modi expressed his gratitude to the Godrej Group, which helped in the return of the relics “to the land of Lord Buddha’s work, his place of contemplation, his Mahabodhi land, and his Mahaparinirvana land”.

The Grand International Exposition — The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One in South Delhi’s Rai Pithora Cultural Complex showcases 349 gems that were originally interred in a stupa in Uttar Pradesh’s Piprahwa.

The exhibits also include relics from the 1898 Kapilavastu excavation, the 1972 excavations, reliquaries and jewelled treasures from the Indian Museum, and the monolithic stone coffer in which the gems and reliquaries were originally found.

“The Piprahwa relics, comprising bone fragments of the historical Buddha, along with soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as gold ornaments and gemstones, were excavated in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan,” the culture ministry said.

“The majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Calcutta, in 1899 and are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. A portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, while a selection of funerary gems retained by W.C. Peppé’s great-grandson, Chris Peppé, was listed for auction,” it added.

The retrieval of these gems was the result of a three-month-long legal and diplomatic effort by India that began with stalling the auction at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on May 7.

Since their return to India, they have been exhibited in Vietnam. Other relics of the Buddha from Piprahwa in the National Museum were also exhibited in Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the first exhibition in India of the Piprahwa funerary gems linked to the Buddha, which were acquired by the Godrej Industries from its British owners in July after the Centre stalled their auction by Sotheby’s Hong Kong.

“The lesson is that slavery is not only political and economic; slavery also destroys our heritage. The same thing happened with the sacred relics of Lord Buddha. They were taken from India during the period of colonial rule, and for nearly 125 years, they remained outside the country,” Modi said.

“For the descendants of those who took them from India, these were merely inanimate antique pieces. Therefore, they attempted to auction these sacred relics on the international market. But for India, these relics are a part of our revered deity, an integral part of our civilisation. Therefore, India decided that we would not allow their public auction,” he added.

Modi expressed his gratitude to the Godrej Group, which helped in the return of the relics “to the land of Lord Buddha’s work, his place of contemplation, his Mahabodhi land, and his Mahaparinirvana land”.

The Grand International Exposition — The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One in South Delhi’s Rai Pithora Cultural Complex showcases 349 gems that were originally interred in a stupa in Uttar Pradesh’s Piprahwa.

The exhibits also include relics from the 1898 Kapilavastu excavation, the 1972 excavations, reliquaries and jewelled treasures from the Indian Museum, and the monolithic stone coffer in which the gems and reliquaries were originally found.

“The Piprahwa relics, comprising bone fragments of the historical Buddha, along with soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone coffer, and offerings such as gold ornaments and gemstones, were excavated in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé. An inscription in Brahmi script on one of the caskets confirms these as relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan,” the culture ministry said.

“The majority of these relics were transferred to the Indian Museum, Calcutta, in 1899 and are classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. A portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, while a selection of funerary gems retained by W.C. Peppé’s great-grandson, Chris Peppé, was listed for auction,” it added.

The retrieval of these gems was the result of a three-month-long legal and diplomatic effort by India that began with stalling the auction at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on May 7.

Since their return to India, they have been exhibited in Vietnam. Other relics of the Buddha from Piprahwa in the National Museum were also exhibited in Russia.

“In Vietnam, the public sentiment was so strong that the exhibition period had to be extended. In nine cities there, nearly 17.5 million people paid homage to the Buddha relics…. In the Kalmykia region of Russia, more than 1,50,000 devotees visited the sacred relics in just one week. This is more than half of the population there,” Modi said.

Stressing his personal attachment to Buddhism, Modi said he considered himself fortunate because Buddha had a “very deep place in my life”. “Vadnagar, where I was born, was a major centre of Buddhist learning. Sarnath, the land where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon, is now my karmabhoomi (field of action in his constituency of Varanasi).” Listing the Buddhist temples he has visited, Modi said: “Wherever I went — China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia — I carried saplings of the Bodhi tree with me.”

A culture ministry official told The Telegraph that the exhibition was expected to continue till June.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh’s traditional shawl industry on Saturday made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records for displaying more than 4,000 hand-woven pieces under one roof at the MSME Fest here, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.

Inaugurating the three-day micro, small, medium enterprises Fest at the Ridge here, Sukhu said the achievement has brought global recognition to the state’s handloom products.

He said self-help groups and other entrepreneurs from different districts created the shawls, all of which were handcrafted in Khadi, with each exhibit carrying handloom certifications and GI tagging.

“These are products of traditional weavers from almost every district, including Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba, Kangra, and Sirmaur, known for carrying a legacy of intricate patterns and multiple colours and have existed for hundreds of years and in Kinnaur, the weavers take seven to eight months or even a year to create one shawl,” Sukhu said.

He said representatives of reputed national and international companies visiting the state during the fest would provide opportunities to artisans, weavers and small entrepreneurs to directly showcase and market their products to global buyers.

Festival coordinator Anjana Thakur told PTI that the hand-made shawls were brought from all across the state and displayed under one roof.

In Kinnaur, the weavers take seven to eight months or even a year to create one shawl. The highest-priced shawl from Kinnaur showcased at the festival is worth ₹1.75 lakh, Thakur said.

The entire Kullu district and the remote interior mountain pockets of Mandi are popular hubs of the weaving industry, with women being the biggest stakeholders.

Traditionally, during winters when Kullu, Kinnaur, Mandi, and Lahaul-Spiti used to be snowbound and cut off from the rest of the country, families would devote their time to weaving on looms to make “patti” from natural wool with white, grey and black colours for clothing, shawls, and coats for personal use.

Kullu shawls have held a GI tag since 2004, helping traditional weavers protect the authenticity of the craft and link it to its region.

The chief minister said the event will set a new direction for MSMEs in Himachal Pradesh. He noted that in the last three years, the state government held meetings with investors in major industrial hubs such as Dubai, Japan and Mumbai, resulting in the signing of Memorandums of Understanding worth ₹5,000 crore.

He said 683 industrial projects worth ₹14,000 crore have been approved, which are expected to generate employment opportunities for around 32,000 people.

With a view to strengthening the MSMEs in rural areas, proposals worth ₹1,642 crore have been submitted to the central government, out of which ₹109.34 crore has been approved so far, and 107 start-ups have been launched in the State during the past three years, he said in a statement.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)