The group, comprising on 147 women and 20 men, were airlifted by an Air Asia chartered flight from Kochi to the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
Hundreds of migrant workers from Delhi, Haryana and even Punjab reached Anand Vihar, Ghazipur and Ghaziabad's Lal Kuan area after taking arduous treks of many kilometers on foot to take buses to their respective native places
There was no announcement from the government on guaranteeing a minimum basic income, which is the need of the hour. The announcements on portability of ration cards and affordable rental housing to workers are for the long and medium terms. Migrant workers need immediate relief.
Punjab Police conducted raids and search operations at 1,274 immigration firms across the state to protect aspiring immigrants from falling prey to unscrupulous travel agents. The massive operation, carried out on the directions of Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, was a response to the recent deportation of illegal Indian immigrants by the US. Many of the deportees from Punjab and Haryana have alleged they were duped by travel agents who promised legal entry to the US but instead used the "donkey route" - an illegal and risky pathway. Police have registered 24 FIRs against travel agents and arrested seven. The operation was conducted under the Punjab Travel Professionals' Regulation Act, 2012, which mandates travel agents to obtain a license, maintain records, and comply with other regulations. The police advised citizens to verify travel agents' credentials before entrusting them with documents and money.
Pakistani Hindu refugees residing in Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila are experiencing anxiety over their visa status despite government clarifications regarding Long Term Visas (LTVs). The government's decision to revoke all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, has left many refugees worried about their future. While LTVs for Hindu Pakistani nationals remain valid, the renewal process every two years and ongoing citizenship applications under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, have fueled concerns. The Delhi Police has initiated a verification drive, adding to the unease among the refugees, who fear being uprooted yet again. The article highlights the plight of these refugees, who have fled Pakistan seeking a better life in India, and the uncertainties they face in the current political climate.
Forty-nine migrant workers have been inducted by the state government as members of its 'COVID-19 Warriors Club' to assist the coronavirus patients.
Each train is likely to carry around 1,000-1,200 passengers, keeping in mind the social-distancing protocol.
'Unfortunately, India and Pakistan could learn a 'lesson' from this conflict that will make them more likely to use these weapons against each other in the future.' 'Rounds of missile and drone attacks could be more routine features of their hostility, just like artillery fire has become a familiar fact of life along the Line of Control.'
Can a culture survive as a way of life, even as the language and writing at its core, alter with time? Can we be rational and Malayalee or do we have to necessarily be religious and proudly cultural to be Malayalee? asks Shyam G Menon.
Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia on Monday offered shelter to migrant workers of Sikkim to tackle the ongoing crisis arising out of the 21-day nationwide lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Migrant workers of unorganised sectors, desperate to return home, have been badly hit after the nationwide lockdown was imposed last week.
Modi lived up to his declaration that his visit was purely meant to strengthen India's relationship with the US, but there may be situations in which our silence on some issues will haunt us in the future, cautions Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Only two in every five migrants said they received ration or cooked food from the administration either daily or at times.
The SOP said the train schedule, protocols for entry and movement of passengers, services to be provided in coaches, and arrangements with states and UTs for booking of tickets shall be publicised by the MOR.
These workers do not have jobs and the Railways should not charge train fare from them, Deshmukh said in a video message. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said the Railways has subsidised 85 per cent of ticket fare for special trains being run to transport migrant workers and the state governments have to pay the remaining 15 per cent.
Indians have topped the number of illegal immigrants from Asian countries caught at land, sea, and air checkpoints of the US since 2022.
'In difficult times as now, the call of the village is all that these migrants can hear,' observes Vijaya Pushkarna.
US President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his offer to make Canada the 51st state of the United States, hours after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned. Trump has been pushing this idea since his November 5 electoral victory, citing economic benefits and security concerns. Trump's offer has not been met with much reaction from the Canadian side.
Of the total trains, 2,875 have terminated, while 401 are in transit. The top five states and union territories from where maximum trains originated are Gujarat (897), Maharashtra (590), Punjab (358), Uttar Pradesh (232) and Delhi (200).
With the cane crushing season set to commence on November 15, lakhs of cutters from various districts have already migrated to the sugarcane belts in western Maharashtra and many other states, according to the Maharashtra Sugarcane Cutters and Transport Association.
In a two-pronged strategy to secure migrant workers, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up a migration commission for the employment of such labourers in the state and made it clear that any state that wants them from UP has to seek its permission.
The migrants said that they prefer trucks and tempos to go back to their native places as the trucks drop them close to their villages, while buses drop them only till the state border, from where they have to find another mode of transport to reach home.
The migrants were ferried to their villages in sanitised buses arranged by the Jharkhand government to take them home after preliminary medical screening at the station, officials said.
'Our clients need business. For business you need workers and so we decided to help'
That's the 27 year old who shot an insurance CEO in New York and nearly got away with it...until he was spotted at a McDonalds in Pennsylvania by an alert employee who tipped off the cops...
The accused, Rahul Kulkarni, based in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, has been detained and police are in the process of bringing him to Mumbai.
In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also sought their cooperation in running more Shramik Special trains for the migrant workers.
A Mumbai Police official said the actor was stopped by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) when he reached the station on Monday night to meet some labourers, and added that they have not received any complaint so far in this connection. The migrant labourers were supposed to take the Shramik Special train from Bandra Terminus to Uttar Pradesh.
'Today, Bengaluru is here because of hardworking people from other states who put in all the effort to develop this city. Don't forget that! Now that everything is built, do you want others to leave? Shame on Kannada people and the government of Karnataka for sitting idly by (sic)'
We must bring a laser focus on our own interests, and define our friends and foes more clearly instead of trying to live by somebody else's rules. We must grow up, think for ourselves, think India First, asserts R Jagannathan.
The apex court, which passed interim directions, said all migrant workers who are stranded at various places shall be provided food by concerned states and Union Territories (UTs) at places which shall be publicised and notified to them for the period they are waiting for their turn to board a train or a bus.
The actor, who has been catapulted to the national spotlight for his work in helping stranded labourers, has refuted reports of his political motivations and says his work with the migrants is because of his love for them.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act related to the grant of Indian citizenship to illegal immigrants in Assam by a majority verdict of 4:1.
'Politicians's slogans on social distancing, showered like petals from their ivory towers, mock every single moment of pain and distress imposed on the vulnerable down below, at migrant labour stuffed like chickens on goods trucks, trying to get home at all costs,' observes Veenu Sandhu.
24 migrant workers were declared dead on Saturday early morning when a trailer truck carrying sacks of lime along with people rammed into the back of a stationary truck with many migrant workers sitting in it near a roadside eatery on the national highway in Auraiya.
What worries state officials is that Bihar expects to receive more than 1 million migrant workers by the end of May.
8 crore migrant workers will get 5 kilogram of grains per person and 1 kilogram of 'chana' for two months.
'Many are coming hungry and thirsty.' 'Some told us they were stopped from filling water at roadside village handpumps because villagers told them 'tum Carona ho'.'
The man collapsed after peddling for hours and had started his journey from Bhiwandi town in Maharashtra.
Outgoing Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has expressed concerns about long-pending cases questioning electoral processes, arguing they fuel distrust and should be scheduled with consideration for election periods. He also advocated for enhanced transparency in political promises, with clear disclosures on financial viability and impact on state finances. Kumar further stressed the need for a totaliser system to maintain polling station-wise voting confidentiality and urged the empowerment of NRIs to vote remotely. He highlighted the potential of biometric authentication and technology to address issues like impersonation and multiple voting.
'We were told by fellow travellers that if we ask too many questions, we could be shot'
