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PSDM inks MoU with Microsoft to inculcate skills to 10k youth in Punjab

Chandigarh, June 21, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

In a bid to facilitate employment opportunities to the youth of Punjab by enhancing their skills and competence according to the global needs as desired by the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Skill Development Mission (PSDM) has inked an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to ingrain essential skills to at least 10,000 youth of state in a year.

The MoU was signed by Director PSDM Ms. Amrit Singh and Country Head Education, Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. Mr Sanjay Dhingra here on Friday.

Congratulating the whole department for achieving another milestone, Punjab Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Mr. Aman Arora said that this collaboration will pave a way to inculcate skills to 10,000 youth in Punjab with essential digital productivity skills, employability skills, English communication skills, entrepreneurship skills, and technology skills, including cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber security and sustainability.

The department has not been leaving any stone unturned to facilitate employment opportunities to the youth of Punjab, he reiterated.

Elaborating on the collaboration, Ms. Amrit Singh said that the comprehensive future skills collaboration with Microsoft for 2024-25 includes multiple targeted initiatives designed to address the specific needs of diverse learners catered by PSDM, aiming to enhance their skills and competence according to global needs and provide them with employment opportunities in an AI-enabled economy for better livelihoods.

She also emphasized that the Department of Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training is determined to cater to the manpower requirements of the industry by providing them the skilled youth from Punjab.

More MoUs will be signed with other companies in the near future, she added.

KEY ASPECTS OF THE COLLABORATION:

Foundational digital, employability, and AI fluency skills for 10,000 rural youth, young women, girls, and persons with disabilities to improve their workforce participation rate.

In-demand and industry-relevant digital skills for jobseekers registered with the Department of Employment Generation, linked to entry-level AI-enabled jobs.

Awareness and in-depth training programs on Cloud, AI, Security, and Sustainability (Green Skills) through trainers for students in technical and vocational education institutions, enabling in-demand career roles.

Capacity building of government officials on digital productivity skills and AI fluency skills to deliver next-generation citizen services.

English communication skills, 21st-century skills, and AI career awareness for youth in higher school education, undergraduate courses, and vocational training to connect young people with job opportunities.

Golf: Vani starts with 68, Avani cards 69 and Tvesa gets 71 in Czech Ladies Open

Beroun (Czech Republic), June 21 2024-

Indian golfer Vani Kapoor carded a four-under 68 on the first day of the Czech Ladies Open here on Friday. Vani, who has shown flashes of form but not over the full four rounds or a week, looked confident as she had six birdies against two bogeys.

Vani was lying tied-seventh and was the best Indian, though Pranavi Urs and Diksha Dagar were even par through nine holes, and they were still on the course.

Amateur Avani Prashanth shot 3-under and was T-18 and the others to finish their rounds were Ridhima Dilawari at 2-under 70 and Tvesa Malik had played her round at 1-under 71. Ridhima was T-30 and Tvesa was T-44.

Welsh golfer Chloe Williams had a stunning start with a bogey-free 9-under 63 and Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen carded 7-under 65 with five birdies and an eagle. Alexandra Swayne was the sole third at 6-under 66.

Vani Kapoor began with a flourish on the tenth with birdies on her first two holes. That was followed by a bogey on the 12th, but she found birdies again on the 14th and the 15th. She was three-under through six holes.

On her second nine, she dropped a shot on the first but picked birdies on the seventh and ninth for a solid start. (Agency)

Vikram Seth decodes the ‘mesmeric hold’ of ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’

New Delhi, June 21 2024-

Acclaimed novelist-poet Vikram Seth got introduced to the poetic cadence and eternal philosophy of ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’ when he was writing the character of Bhaskar Tandon, the Kapoor family’s boy genius in ‘A Suitable Boy’ who had memorised Tulsidas’s adulatory ode to Lord Hanuman at the age of five.

That was in 1993 — and Bhaskar, who is all set to re-appear as the world-renowned Emeritus Professor of Mathematics in ‘A Suitable Girl’, the sequel-in-progress of Seth’s magnum opus, now wishes to get down to translating the devotional poem that had so captivated him.

Like his character, Seth himself got down to translating what he described at a meeting in New Delhi on Thursday evening as the only poem in human history that continues to live, even after centuries, in the hearts of millions of people and gets recited by them daily.

He mentioned his Usha Mami, who’s in the nineties and lives downstairs in their Noida home on the outskirts of the national capital, and how she goes to sleep only after listening to ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’ at least two times daily.

“Whether you are an ‘andh bhakt’ or an ‘ardh bhakt’,” Seth said, “the poem will affect you and move you. That explains the mesmeric hold ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’ has over the community.”

So, why did Seth, like the distinguished professor Bhaskar Tandon, translate the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ — a task that can be hazardous in a country where generations have grown up reciting or listening to the poem?

Seth explained that he believed ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’, although written originally in Awadhi in the 16th century, belonged to the world — and not to a particular religion or to people pursuing a particular kind of politics — which is why it needed to be translated.

Moreover, Seth said, he owed his own fame to a translation he read of ‘Eugene Onegin’, a novel in verse by the 19th-century Russian playwright, Alexander Pushkin, whose statue stands outside the Rabindra Bhawan in New Delhi, which he saw on his way to Thursday evening’s venue.

It was ‘Eugene Onegin’, as we all know, that inspired Seth to write his first world-acclaimed book, ‘The Golden Gate’, in the poetic style known as the ‘iambic pentameter’.

The task of translating Tulsidas’s “incantatory rhyme and mesmeric rhythm”, however, was like “learning to dance with chains”.

And as Seth admits in the Introduction to the slim volume, “it was not possible to recreate the wonderfully musical echoes and alliterations in the original.”

Despite the challenges, for Seth, translating ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’ was its own reward. As he writes in the succinct Introduction: “At any rate all this is a means, however imperfect, of acquainting or re-acquating people with a magical and joyful work impressed in the memories and affections of millions, which encapsulates a whole culture in fewer than ninety lines.” (Agency)

4 from Haryana held for smuggling camels in pickup van

Jaipur, June 21 2024-

The Rajasthan Police on Friday arrested four persons from Haryana for smuggling the state animal camel in a pickup van, the police said.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Shafiq (29), Mubin Khan (28), Mohammad Iqlas (27) and Rajudin Meo (22).

Superintendent of Police (SP), Ranjita Sharma, said a tip-off was received on Thursday that the camels were being loaded in a pickup van with a Haryana number.

Upon receiving information, the police team reached the spot, arrested four smugglers and freed three camels from the pickup van.

SP Sharma added that a case was registered under Section 6A(8) of the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 2015, and all four accused were arrested.

The accused were produced in the court and sent to police remand.

The freed camels were handed over to animal keeper Suresh Chandra Rebari to arrange for their fodder and water. (Agency)

Sheikh Hasina receives ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan

New Delhi, June 22 2024-

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday.

PM Modi welcomed his Bangladesh counterpart at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Later, she paid tributes to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

It is PM Hasina’s second visit to the country in June.

Hasina arrived in New Delhi on Friday at the invitation of PM Modi to hold bilateral consultations.

The visiting PM met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday evening.

After meeting the Bangladesh PM, EAM Jaishankar posted on X, “Delighted to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh this evening. Her State visit to India underlines our close and abiding ties. Appreciate her guidance on the further development of our special partnership.”

During her visit, Prime Minister Hasina will hold bilateral consultations with PM Modi besides her scheduled meeting with President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Sheikh Hasina was among the international leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and the Union Council of Ministers on June 9, underscoring the importance of Bangladesh-India relations. (Agency)

WhatsApp soon lets you dial numbers to place calls directly from app

New Delhi, June 22 2024-

Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new in-app dialer feature that will allow users to make calls directly from the app.

According to WABetaInfo, users will not need to add contacts to their address book to make calls from the app.

Users will find a new floating action button located within the calls tab that will enable access to the in-app dialer.

In addition, the report mentioned that after entering a phone number, users will also have the option to save the number to the address book as a new contact or add it to an existing contact card.

A messaging shortcut will also be available within the dialer screen that will allow users to quickly send a message to a phone number they initially planned to dial but chose to message instead, the report added.

The feature is presently available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and will roll out to even more people over the coming days, the report said.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature that will allow users to see all media shared in community group chats.

This feature will let community members see an overview of all images, videos, and other media files shared within the community, which will make it easier for them to locate and access shared content. (Agency)

‘Yoga can help women manage stress, anxiety, mood swings more effectively’

New Delhi, June 21 2024-

Regular practice of yoga offers numerous benefits for women in managing their health, such as it can help manage stress, anxiety, and mood swings more effectively, experts said on the International Day of Yoga (IDY) on Friday.

The International Day of Yoga is celebrated worldwide annually on June 21, following its adoption by the United Nations in 2014.

The initiative for “Yoga Day” was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 2014 UN address.

According to experts, yoga promotes physical fitness by improving flexibility, strength, and balance, which are crucial for overall well-being.

“It also enhances cardiovascular health and supports weight management, which can be particularly beneficial for women at different stages of life. Beyond the physical benefits, yoga cultivates mental clarity and emotional stability through mindful breathing and meditation practices,” Dr Jyoti Kapoor, Founder & Director, Manasthali Wellness, told IANS.

This year’s theme of IDY was ‘Yoga for Self and Society’, emphasising yoga’s vital role in fostering both individual well-being and societal harmony.

Emerging research showed that yoga can significantly benefit women dealing with neurological issues, the experts mentioned.

“Yoga encourages neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganise itself, which can aid in recovery from neurological disorders and improve cognitive function. Yoga’s physical postures and relaxation techniques can reduce chronic pain by improving flexibility, strength, and pain perception,” said Dr Rajnish Kumar, Senior Director and Unit Head, Neurology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka.

In addition, experts said that whether seeking relief from menstrual discomfort, managing conditions like PCOS or menopause symptoms, or simply striving for greater vitality, the regular practice of yoga provides a holistic approach to “women’s health that nourishes both body and spirit”. (Agency)

Fan murder case: Darshan’s ‘partner’ Pavithra Gowda provoked, conspired, participated in brutal crime, reveals remand plea

Bengaluru, June 22 2024-

Arrested Kannada superstar Darshan’s “partner” Pavithra Gowda, the prime accused in the fan murder case, had provoked, conspired, and even participated in the brutal crime, revealed the latest remand application submitted in the court.

The remand application states that the investigation revealed Pavithra Gowda, who is currently in judicial custody, actively participated in committing the murder of Renukaswamy.

Previously, it was believed that she had only beaten the victim with slippers but had been present while Renukaswamy was hacked to death.

The remand application further states that Pavithra Gowda, 33, third accused Puttaswamy alias Pavan K., 29, fourth accused Raghavendra, 43, fifth accused Nandeesha, 28, sixth accused Jagadish alias Jagga, 36, seventh accused Anukumar alias Anu, 25, eleventh accused Nagaraju, twelfth accused Lakshmana, thirteenth accused Deepak, and sixteenth accused Keshavamurthy are directly involved in the heinous act of murder and have scant respect for the law, as per the evidence.

Darshan, the second accused in the case, involved his fans in the crime, it said, that physical, technical, and scientific evidence gathered by the police shows that the accused inhumanly and fatally attacked Renukaswamy and murdered him.

After committing the murder, the accused used their influence and money to dispose of the body and tried to destroy the evidence, the remand application said, adding that also tried to frame other individuals and escape the case.

With the common intention of committing the crime, they destroyed physical, technical, and scientific evidence and attempted to destroy further evidence, according to the police.

The police have also brought to the court’s notice that Pavithra Gowda and Darshan, along with other accused, are using a group of fans to obstruct the investigation. The technical evidence collected has proven the direct involvement of the accused.

The remand application mentions that Darshan, ninth accused Dhanraj D. alias Raju, 27, tenth accused Vinay V., 38, and fourteenth accused Pradoosh, 40, are not cooperating with the investigation and are hiding information from the police.

The police also stated that they recovered Rs 37.40 lakh in cash from Darshan’s residence on June 19, and further investigation is needed to identify the source of the money.

Darshan contacted many individuals after the crime, and the police needed to ascertain the intention behind these calls. Police have recovered a very important piece of evidence from the mobile phone of accused Vinay, and the investigation is on to find out who sent the message to him.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others were arrested on charges of murdering Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga. The probe revealed that Renukaswamy was a big fan of Darshan and had sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda on social media. The victim was allegedly kidnapped, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and tortured to death. (Agency)

Africa plagued by old and new spectres of Islamist terror spanning the continent

New Delhi, June 22 2024-

From the arid and trackless expanses of the sub-Saharan Sahel countries to the steamy rainforests of Congo and Uganda to the sprawling bushland of Mozambique on the Indian Ocean, Africa is facing a major threat of Islamist terrorism from an amorphous bunch of Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates.

While the prevalence of older terror groups, spanning west to east Africa from Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al Shabaab in Somalia, which frequently operate across international borders, is already worrisome, the new terror actors amplify the threat.

Three recent events related to the phenomenon bring out the scope of the issue.

In the landlocked west African nation of Burkina Faso, the Al Qaeda-linked Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin claimed to have killed over 100 soldiers in an attack on their base near the Niger border on June 11 and seized their weapons and equipment.

In Mozambique in May, the IS-affiliated al-Shabab group – different from the similarly-named Somalian group – overran the town of Macomia in northern Cabo Delgado province, forcing officials and civilians to flee into the bush to save their lives. The rebels went on to hold the town for two days and indulged in a spree of looting, before fleeing.

Active since 2017 in the province, the outfit has killed hundreds of people, forced thousands to flee, burnt towns and villages, and most spectacularly, in July 2021, forced French energy giant Total to suspend its liquified natural gas project in the wake of an attack on Palma town.

Then, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), one of the deadliest among the several armed groups running riot in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, hacked and burnt alive over 40 students in a school in neighbouring Uganda – the bloodiest attack in the country since 1988 when it had left over 80 students dead in a similar attack.

The ADF, accused of killing thousands of civilians, had, in 2019, pledged allegiance to the IS, which claims responsibility for some of their actions and terms the outfit its “Central African Province” (ISCAP). While this may be a propaganda claim by both, UN experts found that the ADF is getting funding from the IS, as it seeks to expand further in the heart of Africa.

Yet, due to more high-profile conflict situations around the world – the Russia-Ukraine issue, the Gaza mayhem, and the tensions in the South China Sea – the alarming situation of Islamist terrorism expanding alarmingly in a vulnerable terrain doesn’t seem to have gained the necessary attention of most of the world.

The situation is further exacerbated by geopolitics, as several affected states, mostly in the military coup-prevalent Sahel region, turn away from the usual sources of support – the US and former colonial power France – to a more distant power, Russia, for aid.

The West is also blamed for indirect responsibility for the spread of Islamist terrorism in the Sahel following its 2011 intervention in Libya, which left Africa’s fourth-largest country in a civil war with large swathes of its territory ungoverned.

Military takeovers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger were justified by their proponents on their civilian governments’ inability to deal effectively with the spreading of Islamist terror. The same reason was cited to seek the removal of the French troops from the area for their “ineffectual” counter-insurgency mission.

As France lost influence in several of its erstwhile northwest and west African colonies, Russia, first through the Wagner PMC, and now the government itself, filled the void.

Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who was nicknamed Russia’s Africa Corps for his regular trips to the region through the last few months of 2023 onwards, and then, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov himself, discussed security measures and stitched up deals.

The new partnership did notch some successes, especially the joint security operation in Mali in end-April, eliminating Islamic State in the Greater Sahara leader Abu Huzeifa ‘Higgo’, blamed for the 2017 attack on US-led forces in Niger, leaving four American and four Nigerien soldiers dead and causing the US to reduce its operations in the area.

Help from most regional alliances is not available or sustained. The three Sahel states announced withdrawals from the regional bloc ECOWAS after coup-related sanctions.

In Mozambique, the 16-member Southern African Development Community deployed a 2,000-strong force in 2021 but is not renewing its three-year mandate and will pull out by mid-July, though northern neighbour Tanzania will retain some troops and so will South Africa.

The affected African nations, beset by chronic issues, need urgent support to prevent the Islamist terrorists from gaining ground – far from their usual haunts in the volatile Middle East or barren Afghanistan – and again emerging as a global threat. (Agency)

Murray to have back surgery before Wimbledon opener

New Delhi, June 22 2024-

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will undergo a crucial back operation just nine days before the prestigious tournament begins on July 1.

This follows his unfortunate withdrawal from the Queen’s Club Championships earlier this week, where a back injury forced him to retire after only five games against Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the second round.

Murray’s management issued a statement revealing the imminent procedure, while also leaving his Wimbledon prospects hanging in the balance. “Andy is having a procedure on his back tomorrow (Saturday). We will know more after this has taken place and will update further as soon as possible,” said the statement.

The former World No. 1, who remarkably continues to compete with a metal hip, struggled visibly during his match against Thompson. He reported a disturbing weakness in his right leg and a loss of coordination, an issue that marks a departure from his usual left-sided back troubles.

“Like all tennis players, we have degenerative joints and stuff in the back but it’s all predominantly been left-sided for me my whole career,” Murray explained. “I have never had too many issues with the right side. So maybe there is something that can be done between now and then to help the right side.”

This back surgery is not entirely new territory for Murray, who previously underwent minor back surgery in 2013. However, his current predicament follows a challenging period marked by injuries and recoveries. He recently returned to the court in May after nearly two months sidelined with an ankle injury, only to face another setback at the Queen’s Club. (Agency)

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