The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has temporarily suspended issuing special passes for devotees trekking to Sabarimala through the forest route. This decision comes amidst a significant surge in pilgrims opting for the forest trail, increasing fivefold compared to earlier arrangements for 5,000 devotees.The special passes, introduced last month, provided exclusive privileges such as a separate queue for darshan and were issued with tags by the Forest Department. However, the influx of forest route pilgrims began causing delays for those using the virtual queue and spot booking systems at Pamba. To prevent extended waiting times for darshan, the TDB has decided
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar extended heartfelt New Year greetings to citizens, emphasizing unity, aspirations, and constitutional values. President Murmu called on citizens to approach the new year with joy, enthusiasm, and a commitment to advancing the nation on the path of unity and excellence. She highlighted the occasion as a time to renew hopes, dreams, and aspirations, encouraging Indians worldwide to move forward with determination.Vice President Dhankhar, in his message, underscored the importance of rededicating efforts towards realizing the vision of the Constitution makers as the nation steps into the final quarter of its Constitution's centenary.
The Labour Ministry announced that all 36 states and Union territories are on track to complete the harmonization and pre-publication of draft rules under the four labour codes by March 31, 2025. These codes — Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Code on Industrial Relations, and Code on Occupational Health & Safety — aim to streamline 44 existing labour laws to improve trade, investment, workers’ welfare, and ease of doing business.So far, 31 states and UTs have pre-published their draft rules, setting the stage for the nationwide implementation of these transformative reforms. Six regional meetings between August and October
Dr. Manmohan Singh, India’s 13th prime minister and the first Sikh to hold the office, passed away on Thursday night at AIIMS, New Delhi, at the age of 92. A seasoned economist and statesman, Singh led the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014, leaving a profound legacy in India’s political and economic history.The Union Home Ministry announced that Singh’s last rites will be conducted with State honours at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday, December 28, at 11:45am. His mortal remains will be kept at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters from 8:30am for public homage, with the final
D Gukesh, India’s youngest World Chess Champion, is all set for an exciting 2025 after skipping the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship. Following his historic win over Ding Liren at the World Chess Championship, Gukesh will return to action, taking on the likes of chess legends Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen.He kicks off his 2025 campaign with the Tata Steel Chess Tournament (January 17–February 2) in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, where he came second in the previous edition. Other notable players include Anish Giri, Arjun Erigaisi, and Fabiano Caruana.Gukesh is also confirmed for the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025
