Category: Today’s Special

News & Politics Today's Special

Sunder Pichai Sends Memo To His Employees

HT News

Google parent Alphabet Inc. has decided to slow hiring for the remaining part of the year. Its Chief Executive Officer Sunder Pichai updated its employees through an email.

Google closed its offices due to COVID-19

It has been over two months that Google closed its offices in Asia for fear of novel coronavirus spread. Mr. Pichai said that the company couldn’t had imagined then how much the world could change for people around the world. Also, the company’s thoughts remain with those who have lost their loved ones and those that are presently battling the disease.

Google helping in the battle against COVID-19

The company has made many teams to focus on helping government agencies in slowing down the spread of the virus. They provide data based that helps in measuring the impact of social distancing measures on the public. Also, Google has announced a joint effort with Apple to strengthen contact tracing but with strong privacy protections. Also, Google has invested on testing kits, production of PPE and other lifesaving medical devices.

Google facing financial crisis

Mr. Pichai said that world economy had been hurt just like it did in 2008. And that Google wasn’t immune to the global crisis. He said that the company would take lesson from the 2008 crisis. Preparing early was the key to success and continue on a long-term growth.

He said that he wanted to share his plans on what he thought was the best way forward. He said that the company was evaluating its pace of investment plans for the remainder of 2020.

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Devotional Today's Special

How People Of India Celebrate Baisakhi?

HT News

Baisakhi 2020 will be celebrated in the lockdown state but it won’t be different from earlier times. In normal days, people used to celebrate Baisakhi with family members and friends. Today, they will celebrate the festival at home and use latest communication technology to feel togetherness.

Origin of Baisakhi

Taken from the word Baisakh, Baisakhi is the biggest festival in Punjab and Haryana. It marks end of the harvest season. On this day, melas are organized where people sing and dance to the tune of rural songs. Bhangra, the folk dance of Punjab, is quite popular in the Baisakhi dance.

Baisakhi in Kerala

In Kerala, it is called “Vishu”. And the festival starts with decoration of flowers, fruits, cereals and clothes and gold etc. The first thing the people do this day is to see the decoration. It is believed that seeing decoration will bring happiness and prosperity to their homes.

Baisakhi in Uttarakhand

In Uttarakhand, Baisakhi is celebrated as “BikhotiMahotsava”. The day starts with taking a dip in holy rivers. Also, in some parts of the state, there is a tradition to stone the symbols of demons.

Baisakhi in Assam

In Assam, people celebrate Baisakhi as “Bohag Bihu” or “Rangali Bihu”. Also, the Assamese new year starts with Baisakhi. According to traditions, it is the celebration of Vishu Sankranti (Aries Sankranti) in Baisakh month. Locally the “Bohg” festival continues for 7 days.

Baisakhi in Orissa

In Orissa, Baisakhi is known as “Mahavishuva Sankranti”. Also, it is the start of the new calendar in Orissa. The festival is celebrated by depiction of culture and civilization through folk arts.

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Today's Special

PM Narendra Modi Remembers The Valor Of Jallianwala Bagh Martyrs

HT News

On Baisakhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a picture of his earlier visit to Jallianwala Bagh memorial to commemorate departed souls of those people that laid their lives in 1919 on the day of Baisakhi.

PM Modi paid tributes to martyrs

While paying his tributes to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh, the PM said that the valor of those people would inspire Indians for years to come. He said in a tweet that he bowed to those martyrs that were killed mercilessly in Jallianwala Bagh on April 13. The country would never forget their courage and sacrifice.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre

A troop of British Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer ordered firing on group of unarmed protestors and pilgrims who had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh on the event of Baisakhi on April 13, 1919. The crowd were protesting peacefully the arrest of two national leaders – Satya Pal and Saifuddin Kitchlew.

Colonel Dyer arrived at the Jallianwala Bagh with his troop and ordered firing at the peaceful assembly. The troops fired innumerable bullets at the crowd from a narrow alley that was the only exit from the Jallianwala Bagh.

In the crowd, there were men, women and children. Many people jumped into the well in the Jallianwala Bagh to escape the bullets while others were shot dead by the British troop. According to British records, a total of 379 people were killed and 1,200 people were wounded. But other sources put the number of dead people at 1,000.

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Today's Special

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule: A Tribute

HT News

Ancient Indian society had many religious beliefs, dogmas, rituals and social customs but most of the traditions were oppressive towards the lower castes especially women. In the beginning, the society was divided into Brahmin, Khastriya, Vaish and Shudra castes on work basis but later it changed to births.

Oppression in Indian society

In the later years, the people were taught that the means of living, earning, education, legal system were caste, creed and sex based and that they had divine sanction. But it was women that were the most oppressed. They were devoid of education and right to own property. Also, they were subjected to child marriage, widowhood, polyandry system, devdasies and even prostitution.

Rise of Mahatma Phule

Born on April 11, 1827 as Jyotirao Gobindrao Phule, Mahatma Phule did a commending job for upliftment of the downtrodden class of the society. He along with his wife started women empowerment with education. But Jyotirao didn’t have a pleasant childhood as his mother died when he was 9-months old.

Jyotirao took his primary education in his village school and later went to a Scottish Mission High School in Poona for higher education. In 1847, he completed his secondary education but decided to work for upliftment of the poor instead of accepting a government job.

In 1840, Jyotirao was married to Savitribai Phule who became his first disciple. Soon the Phule couple opened their first women’s school and they started a chain of school for women. For living, Jyotirao used to work as a contractor for PWD.

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Media & Entertainment Today's Special

PM Will Announce His Decision On Coronavirus Lockdown In His Address To Nation

HT News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will convey his decision on ending the coronavirus lockdown on the coming Tuesday in his address to the nation. The PM is likely to meet with Chief Ministers via video conference tomorrow to discuss the state of affairs post coronavirus lockdown.

Uncertainty over coronavirus lockdown

According to sources, the lockdown could be extended but with many changes like interstate movement will remain restricted and educational institutions are likely to stay closed. But PM could provide sector specific relaxation to ease the industry from the massive economic fallout of the prolonged shutdown but with social distancing norms.

The PM said that life wouldn’t be the same again after COVID-19. Massive behavioral, social and personal changes would have to take place, the PM said to political leaders in video conference.

Additional Secretary in Foreign Ministry, Vikas Swarup said that PM Modi’s decision to order the three-week lockdown had helped slow the infection rate but it had impacted the economy and thousands of poor workers. He said that millions of people lost their jobs and many of the daily wage workers had fled to their villages.

States want to extend lockdown

The three-week coronavirus lockdown ends on Tuesday April 14 but states want to extend the lockdown. Odisha had already announced extension of lockdown till April 30. Karnataka is expected to extend the lockdown today. Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have also called for a longer lockdown.

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News & Politics Today's Special

Switch Off Your Lights At 9 PM On 5th April Asked PM Modi

HT News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people to display a collective spirit in the fight against COVID-19 by showing up on their balconies and gates once again on the coming Sunday.

PM Modi asked people to show up

Narendra Modi wants people to light their balconies and gates with candles, lamps, torches, mobile lights and whatever they can use as light to applaud unsung warriors against coronavirus. And he wants the people to do it just like they did during last month’s “Janata Curfew”.

He said that people should show up sharp at 9 pm on April 5 to mark their fight against COVID-19. But at the same time the PM urged people to stay indoors and maintain social distancing to defeat novel coronavirus.

Highlights of PM Modi’s message

• Social distancing must not break at any cost because it is the only panacea to break the chain of novel coronavirus.

• Never cross the line of social distancing.

• We should defeat coronavirus together and make India win.

• People are at home during lockdown but they aren’t alone as the collective strength of the country is with them.

• He said that he wanted only 9 minutes at 9 pm on April 5. He wanted the people to switch off their lights and light candles and torches.

• The coming Sunday, the country would fight darkness with light.

• PM said there was unprecedented discipline during the lockdown.

• Also, he thanked people for supporting the lockdown and making it a success.

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Today's Special Viral

Cops Detain Shaheen Bagh Protestors Amid Delhi Lockdown

HT News

After 101 days of sin-in protest, Shaheen Bagh in Delhi was cleared of the protestors. It was heart of protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act of CAA. Delhi Police reached Shaheen Bagh at around 7 am and cleared the site by arresting the remaining protestors.

Delhi imposes Section 144 over COVID-19

Following the orders of banning large gatherings in the capital, cops asked the Shaheen Bagh protestors to leave the site but they refused. Finally, the cops have to use force and detain nine people including six women and three men to clear the site. Soon the civic body will clean up the protest site. Also, the Jaffrabad and Turkman Gate sites were cleared using force.

Delhi reports 30 coronavirus cases

Following the orders of countrywide restrictions in the wake of rising coronavirus cases, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a lockdown on the city. Delhi has recorded 30 COVID-19 cases and one death. It has sealed borders with adjoining states; public transport is shut and shops closed except those that sell essential goods. The country has recorded 470 cases and nine people have died so far.

Clearing Shaheen Bagh protests

CAA protesters at the ShaheenBgh were urged to call off their agitation on December 15 but they refused to obey the orders. They said that the sit-in would continue with necessary precautions. They simply reduced the size of the gathering. Shaheen Bagh protests had made international headlines due to CAA protest. Also, they were attacked several times before.

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Today's Special Viral

India Should Show The Way To Deal With COVID-19: WHO

HT News

The executive director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Michael J Ryan has strong belief that India can show the way to control the novel coronavirus. He said that India had a tremendous capacity to deal with the situation arose due to COVID-19outbreak.

WHO looking forward towards India for help

India had experience of eradicating two pandemics, namely small-pox and polio said Michael J Ryan. He revealed his views on the potential of India to deal with the virus during a daily press briefing on COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that India was a very populous country hence needed more labs where a surge is seen. He further said that the future of that virus would be considered in a very highly and densely populated country like India. It led the world in eradicating small-pox and polio.

There were no easy answers. It was exceptionally important that countries like India showed the way to the world as they had done before said Ryan.

The number of coronavirus cases in the world are over 3,30,000 and the number of deaths has surpassed 14,000 according to the World Health Organization.

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Today's Special

23 March: Important Dates Of History

HT News

There are many important events recorded in the history of the country and the world. But in the history of India, it is the execution of Bhagat Singh and his companions Rajguru and Sukhdev that is the biggest and most important of all events.

Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were Indian revolutionaries that were executed on 23 March 1931 during Indian independence movement. Also, it was on March 23, 1956 that Pakistan was born as the first Islamic Republic in the world. Also, Taiwan conducted direct presidential elections for the first time on 23 March 1996.

Important events of March 23

1351: Feroz Shah Tuglaq III acceded to the throne. He was nephew of Muhammad Tuglaq

1757: Clive seized Chandranagar from French control

1880: Birth of Basanti Devi, an Indian independence activist

1910: Birth of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, a freedom fighter, serious thinker and socialist politician

1931: Revolutionaries of Indian independence movement, Bhagat Sing, Rajguru and Sukhdev, were executed by the British government

1940: Muslim League acceded to the demand for Pakistan

1956: Pakistan came into being as the first Islamic state of the world

1986: Central Police Reserve Force makes its first women company in Durgapur Camp

1996: Taiwan holds direct presidential elections for the first time and Li Teng Hi becomes president

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Today's Special Viral

World Water Day 2020 Observed On March 22 Under The Scare Of Deadly Novel Coronavirus

HT News

March 22 is World Water Day. The day is observed to spread awareness on sustainable management of freshwater resources. Every year, a theme is given to highlight the cause. The theme for World Water Day 2020 is “Water and Climate Change”.

World Water Development Report (WWDR) 2020

The WWDR published a report “Water and Climate Change” in which it stressed the to help the water community manage the challenges of climate change. It also highlights the opportunities that the climate change community has to improve water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.

World Water Day 2020 events postponed

All events planned for observing the World Water Day on March 22 were postponed amid the scare of coronavirus. The global launch of the report “Water and Climate Change” organized in Geneva was also put on hold. But the alternative way of access the report through official website of the World Water Day Organization is available. People can access the report and meet and get-together on the website.

Highlights of World Water Day 2020 campaign

• Water should be at the heart of every action plan. The world can’t afford to wait for policymakers to make decision.

• The world can fight climate change with sustainable, affordable and scalable water and sanitation solutions.

• Everyone can play a role in controlling climate change. There are surprisingly easy steps people of all ages can take to address climate change.

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