1. Kovind Meets PM's Mother in Gujarat, Visits Jain Centre
President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind met Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nonagenarian mother Hiraba at her residence near Gandhinagar on Sunday, 13 October on the last day of his two-day visit to Gujarat.
The president and the First Lady spent around half-hour with Hiraba at her residence in Raisan village in morning, where the latter lives with her younger son Pankaj Modi.
"President Kovind met Hira Baa, mother of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The President conveyed his best wishes for her good health," said a tweet posted on the official handle of the president.
Later, Kovind and his wife visited Sri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra, located nearby at Koba, and met Jain spiritual leader Acharya Padmasagar Surishwar.
The Kovinds also visited the Aradhana Kendra and Acharya Kailashsagar Suri Gyan Mandir, spending nearly an hour there.
(Source: PTI)
2. Blackbuck Skin Recovered, Eight Held
The forest department has recovered the skin of a blackbuck from Jamnagar town in Gujarat and arrested eight persons in this connection, an official said on Sunday, 13 October.
The blackbuck hide was recovered from two men on October 10 when they were trying to sell it, the official said.
"Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Jamnagar forest department on Thursday held two persons trying to find customers for the blackbuck skin, used for black magic," he added.
During their interrogation, the duo named six others, who were also arrested under relevant sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the official said, adding that all of them were produced in a local court, which remanded them in a four-day custody.
(Source: New Indian Express)
3. Three Women in Junagadh Perform Garba Holding Snakes, Arrested
Two women and a girl were held along with two others after a video showed them performing garba dance with snakes in their hands in Junagadh district of Gujarat, an forest department official said on Saturday, 12 October.
All of them were booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and held on Thursday, the official said.
“The video that has gone viral on social media shows the two women and the girl holding a cobra and two non-venomous snakes while performing traditional garba dance during the recently-concluded Navratri festival,” Deputy Conservator of Forests, Junagadh, Sunil Berwal, said.
The event was held on 6 October at Shil village in Junagadh district, he said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. 'How Did Gandhiji Commit Suicide?' Guj School Exam Shocker
A question in a school exam on how Mahatma Gandhi committed suicide has shocked the Gujarat education authorities, prompting them to initiate an inquiry into it. Another question about boot-legging in dry Gujarat has also irked the education officials.
"Gandhijiye aapghaat karwa maate shu karyu?" (how did Gandhiji commit suicide) was the question asked in Gujarati to Class 9 students during an internal assessment examination of schools run under the banner of 'Sufalam Shala Vikas Sankul', an official said.
The Sufalam Shala Vikas Sankul is an organisation of some self-financed schools and educational institutions getting government grants in Gandhinagar.
Besides, another question in an exam paper of Class 12 students was about "writing a letter to district police chief complaining about the rise in sale of liquor in your area and nuisance created by bootleggers".
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Tribal Districts Pip Urban Areas in Online Voters’ Verification
The Election Commission’s new Electors Verification Programme (EVP) has found few takers in Ahmedabad, the most urbanised district of Gujarat. However, this online system meant to self-authenticate and rectify mistakes in the electoral rolls has more users in tribal districts like Tapi and Dang.
“The deadline for voters to verify their names on the EVP is October 15 and till now only 59 lakh voters have self-authenticated themselves,” said Dr S Murali Krishna, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat. This is about 13 per cent of the total 4.51 crore voters in Gujarat.
There are six platforms through which a voter can check, correct and self-authenticate the details. It can be done through National Voters’ Service Portal (NVSP), Voter Helpline Mobile Application, Common Service Centre or CSC, E-gram, Voter Facilitation Centre or VFC and through BLO.net.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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