PM Modi Meets Chess Olympiad Gold-Winning Indian Men's And Women's Teams

by Hemanta Pande

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met the Indian men's and women's teams that won historic maiden gold medals in the recently-concluded 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

New Delhi, Sep 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met the Indian men's and women's teams that won historic maiden gold medals in the recently-concluded 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.

The Prime Minister individually spoke to each player, giving his blessings to them. The teams presented him with a chess board and the PM also watched Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi play a blitz game. The PM shared lighter moments with the players and on one occasion, Praggnanandha was seen laughing as he introduced himself and PM Modi commented, according to an audio-less video provided by the authorities.

In a historic triumph, India's men's and women's teams clinched gold medals for the first time in the 45th Chess Olympiad last Sunday.

Led by the stellar performances of D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, the men's team, which also included R. Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi and Pentala Harikrishna, secured the gold medal after a thrilling final round victory over Slovenia. Undefeated throughout the event, India finished well ahead of top-seeded United States, China and 2022-winner Uzbekistan.

The women's team comprising Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev and led by non-playing captain Abhijit Kunte, also secured the gold medal after beating Azerbaijan. It finished ahead of Kazakhstan and the United States to claim gold.

The men's team, with Srinath Narayanan as the captain, led throughout the tournament, winning 10 matches and drawing just one. Before the last round, they were two points ahead of China.

In the final round, India only needed a draw to clinch the gold medals or for China not to win their match. However, India continued to press for a win and defeated Slovenia 3.5-0.5.

The women’s team had a very strong start, leading the event after 7 rounds, having won all their matches. They stumbled in round 8, losing to Poland and then drawing with Team USA, but made a strong finish. Going into the final round, India was tied for first with Kazakhstan, and the race for the medals was down to the wire.

The team of Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali R, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev, with Abhijit Kunte as the captain, demonstrated excellent composure and delivered, winning the final match against Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5. At the same time, Kazakhstan only drew with the USA 2-2, making India the sole winner of the event. (IANS)

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Bengaluru Woman Mahalakshmi's Suspected Killer Found Dead In Odisha

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: A man suspected of killing a 29-year-old woman in Bengaluru and stuffing her dismembered body in a fridge before fleeing to his hometown was found hanging from a tree in Odisha’s Bhadrak district on Wednesday, police said.

The police also recovered a diary, believed to be belonging to the deceased man, Mukti Ranjan Ray, in which he confessed to killing the woman whose dismembered body was found in the fridge of her rented house in Bengaluru.

Bhadrak SP Varun Guntupalli said Ray (30), a resident of Bhuinpur village under Dhusuri police station in Bhadrak district, was the prime suspect in the woman's murder.

He was allegedly on the run following the discovery of the body parts of Mahalakshmi, a 29-year-old woman.

The accused had been living in Bengaluru's Hebbagodi area and worked at a fashion store in Malleswaram, where he met Mahalakshmi. Their relationship reportedly soured when Mahalakshmi began seeing another man, leading to frequent disputes. Investigators believe this tension resulted in her murder.

Earlier on the day, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had said the police had information about the presence of the suspect in Odisha, and teams formed to crack the case had been sent there to nab him.

“We have recovered the body of Mukti Ranjan Ray hanging from a tree. The body was handed over to his family after conducting post-mortem,” Dhusuri Police Station IIC Santanu Jena said.

The SP said the police recovered a diary of Ray in which he confessed that he had dismembered the body of the Bengaluru woman into 59 pieces after killing her.

Ray had returned to the village from Bengaluru after the murder, he added.

The maggot-infested body of Mahalakshmi, chopped into several pieces and stuffed into the fridge, was found by her mother and elder sister at her Vyalikaval home on Saturday.

The deceased woman's estranged husband on Sunday expressed suspicion about the involvement of a man known to Mahalakshmi, who had been living alone, in her neighborhood.

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World Pharmacist Day: Need For Vigilance Against Adulteration In Drugs Stressed

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 25: The need for maintaining vigilance against the possibility of adulteration in life saving drugs was stressed at a program organised to mark the World Pharmacist Day at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here on Wednesday.

Pharmacists should watch against such possibility as they are serving the humanity, Saswati Das, Vice-President of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), who attended the program ‘Elixir-2024’ as chief guest, said.

Pharmacists should also strive to invent new medicines of quality which should be devoid of side-effects, Das said while addressing the event organised by the pharmacy department of IMS and SUM Hospital. She also said pharmacists need to remain alert against pandemics like Covid-19 which could stalk the planet again.

Referring to the theme for this year’s World Pharmacists’ Day—‘Pharmacist: Meeting Global Health Needs’, Das said it pointed to the crucial role played by pharmacists for the good health of the global population. She also congratulated the pharmacists working in IMS and SUM Hospital for sincerely discharging their responsibility.

Dr. Jasmin Panda, Head of the department of Pharmacy, spoke about the importance of World Pharmacist Day.

Mamina Patnaik, Odisha’s Drugs Controller, who attended the program as the speaker, highlighted the role played by pharmacists during the Covid-19 pandemic. The society should recognize and lay greater importance on the work of pharmacists, she said.

Ms. Das gave away prizes to winners of different competitions organised earlier to mark the occasion.

The program was also addressed by Prof. (Dr.) Sanghamitra Mishra, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital, Prof. (Dr.) Arakhita Swain, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital-2 at Phulnakhara, Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinhar, Medical Superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital and Prof. (Dr.) Rajesh Lenka, Medical Superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital-2 at Phulnakhara.

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Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation's Plogathon Continues In Swachhata Pakhawada

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) shut down three shops today for improper waste disposal, including dumping garbage on roads and canals, officials said.

The affected shops — Sai Arogyam Plus Medicine Store and Path Lab, L Zone Salon, and Sangeeta Bakery at Bhagabata Sandhana Square — were located along the stretch from GGP Colony to Jharapada Canal Bridge. These establishments were shut downed after evidence of open burning and roadside littering was found. The action was taken by Team Shine under the orders of the Deputy Commissioner (Sanitation).

BMC's Plogathon continues across various locations in Bhubaneswar as part of “Swachhata Pakhwada”. In celebration of "Swachhta Hi Seva," a large-scale cleaning drive was organized at the historic tourist sites of Khandagiri and Udayagiri, as well as in Ward 18 (GGP Colony) and Ward 19, covering areas like Bhagwan Tower - Canal Road, Malaya Vihar, and parts of Jagannatha Nagar. These efforts are part of BMC’s ongoing mission to promote cleanliness throughout the city.

At Khandagiri and Udayagiri, the event saw the participation of Additional Commissioner Subhendu Kumar Sahu, South-West Zonal Commissioner Shri Roshan Satpathy, Assistant Commissioner N Ganesh Babu, and the South-West Deputy Commissioner, along with Scouts and Guides, senior citizens, NGOs, self-help groups, and the BMC team. A total of 320 people took part in the initiative, resulting in the collection of 2.5 metric tons of garbage.

In wards 18 and 19, a total of eight trips of garbage were collected along a 3 km stretch during a large-scale cleanliness drive. The event was graced by the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Sanitation Shri Manoranjan Sahu, North Zone Deputy Commissioner Priyadarshini Jena, and local corporator Biplab Behera.

The campaign witnessed active participation from Scouts and Guides, senior citizens, NGOs, self-help groups, Swachh Sathi, Swachh Supervisors, Swachh Karmi, and the Sanitary Inspector. Participants not only undertook mass cleaning efforts but also engaged the local community in promoting the importance of maintaining a clean, green, and beautiful Bhubaneswar. Vendors and citizens were educated on proper waste segregation and encouraged to responsibly hand over segregated waste to the Safa Gadi for collection.

Similarly, a mass cleaning drive was conducted by the BMC at various street food areas, including Shahid Nagar Khaogali, Satyanagar New Market front, and Khaogali No. 9, involving 110 vendors. In addition, 20 Swachh Karmis cleaned the Jagamara food court, while Janpath, Ram Mandir, and Mausi Maa Temple localities were also thoroughly cleaned, with active participation from local vendors.