Facebook Instagram X Youtube
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Facebook Instagram X Youtube
Home Blog Page 1365

Gati Shakti Plan: 101 projects identified to enhance port connectivity with production centers

By
The Commune
-
India import export trump us tariffs

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has identified 101 projects to enhance port connectivity with consumption and production centers, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday (November 26).

Sonowal was addressing an event organised by the industry body, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) virtually and the Ports, Shipping, and Waterways minister further said as many as 111 waterways, spread over 24 states in the country, have been declared as national waterways.

“Lowering logistics costs is critical for India. Our government is taking several steps to strengthen the logistics ecosystem across the country.”

“The Ports, Shipping and Waterways ministry has identified 101 projects under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to enhance port connectivity with consumption and production centres,” he said.

Sonowal said, the government’s infrastructure plans like Sagarmala, Bharatmala (that aims to lay a grid of highways across India), Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), are at various stages of implementation and under the Sagarmala project, the ministry will provide financial support to state governments for port infrastructure development and skill development programs.

He said the aim behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi Gati Shakti National Master Plan is for multi-modal connectivity to reduce logistics costs.

On October 13, PM Modi launched a ₹ 100 lakh crore national master plan for multi-modal connectivity to develop infrastructure to reduce logistics costs and boost the economy so the country’s maritime sector plays a crucial role in its overall trade and growth that could lead to increased efficiency in supply chain and logistics to help achieve the target of USD 5 trillion economies by 2025.

“Our efforts in the past couple of years have started bringing results… the investment in ports have increased over the last five years,” he said.

He said that the government is proactively encouraging private sector participation in the development and operation of port infrastructure and already investment in ports has touched an all-time high of USD 2.35 billion by 2020.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

India to commission its 2nd aircraft carrier INS Vikrant by August 2022

By
The Commune
-

After the Indian Navy commissioned the INS Visakhapatnam, a stealth guided-missile destroyer and the subsequent commissioning of Kalvari-class submarine Vela, there is more good news for India’s maritime defence when Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh on Thursday (November 25)  announced that the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant will be commissioned by August 2022.

“We recently conducted a successful sea trial of INS Vikrant. We should be able to commission INS Vikrant by August 2022,” said Navy Chief.

This is good news for India’s national maritime security as China is on the cusp of commissioning its most advanced aircraft carrier.

Talking about INS Vela, the fourth Scorpene-class submarine, the Navy chief said that it will play a crucial role in enhancing the Navy’s ability to safeguard the nation’s maritime interests.

“INS Vela has the ability to undertake an entire spectrum of submarine operations. Given today’s dynamic and complex security situation, its capability and firepower will play a crucial role in enhancing Navy’s ability to protect India’s maritime interests,” Admiral Singh said.

He also said that the P-75 project represents the growing strategic congruence between India and France and said, “Today’s commissioning marks another high point in this enduring partnership. We crossed halfway mark of Project 75,”.

Admiral Karambir Singh also said that the Navy is closely monitoring defence cooperation between China and Pakistan and added, “We are closely monitoring the defence cooperation between China and Pakistan. The recent procurements by Pakistan from China may change the dynamics, so we need to remain cautious,”.

On the subject of Covid and the tension at Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Navy Chief said “COVID was the toughest challenge of my tenure as Chief of the Naval Staff and tensions at the LAC was during that same period, so the challenge became tougher. It wasn’t possible for us to maintain physical distancing on ships, but we battled everything,”.

Earlier in October, the second sea trial of INS Vikrant was conducted that allowed the Navy to assess the ship’s performance, including hull, main propulsion, Power Generation and Distribution (PGD) and auxiliary equipment were tested. 

The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is 262 metres long, 62 metres at the widest part and a height of 59 metres including the superstructure with 14 decks, including five in the superstructure, and over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1700 officers and sailers with gender-sensitive accommodation spaces for women officers.

The ship is equipped with a high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability and has been designed to accommodate an assortment of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

Attempt to encroach Temple land worth crores in Tirupur; HR&CE tries to redeem land

By
The Commune
-

An attempt is being made to occupy temple land worth crores of rupees and divide into houses for sale, in Tirupur. There are several acres of land belonging to the Subramania Swamy temple at Nachiyapalayam, Kangayam Road, Tirupur. There are 2.47 acres of land under Survey no. 105.

This land has been leased to a private individual under the Tamil Nadu Inam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act. The individual prepared a bond for the land and sold it. Currently, in order to divide the land into houses for sale, levelling work is being done. At the current market value, the land is worth ₹10 crore.

There is opposition from the devotees of the temple for dividing the land into houses for sale. Devotees have requested the government that the land should not be divided into residential plots for sale, that the Patta (bond) issued in private name should be cancelled and that the temple land should only be used for temple related purposes.

With regard to this issues, the officials of the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments have said, “This land was donated to the temple in 1912. In 1968, the lease was granted to a private individual under the Tamil Nadu Inam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act. The registrar has been informed currently that the land should not be registered.”

(With inputs from Dinamalar)

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

China’s BRI should conform to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity: MEA Jaishankar

By
The Commune
-

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (November 26), said any serious connectivity initiative with regards to China’s Belt and Road Initiative must be based upon consultative, transparent, and participatory, and conform to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Jaishankar was addressing the 20th Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government, and he said, India is an emerging economic force at the global level despite the economic devastation caused by COVID-19, and India’s strong response in fighting the pandemic and ensuring economic stability must be noted and greater connectivity is an economic force-multiplier which has acquired greater salience in the post-Covid era.

“However, any serious connectivity initiative must be consultative, transparent, and participatory. It must conform to the most basic principle of international law – respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Jaishankar said.

“We have also proposed to include the Chabahar port in the framework of International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). I would like to reaffirm India’s commitment to cooperate, plan, invest and build physical and digital connectivity in the SCO region,” he said.

“This is the time to bring in much-needed reforms to our global institutions, including the WHO, and rework our development strategies to face a post-COVID-19 world. For this, we need a Reformed and Reinvigorated Multilateralism that reflects today’s realities, which gives voice to all stakeholders, addresses contemporary challenges and puts human beings at the center of our thought and policies,” he said.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

Indian Navy commissions stealth submarine Vela

By
The Commune
-

Just days after India commissioned its indigenously designed stealth-guided missile destroyer – INS Vishakhapatnam, the Indian Navy commissioned a new stealth submarine with the capacity to act as “sea denial” as well as “access denial” warfare to the adversary in the Indian Ocean Region.

INS Vela was commissioned by Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh at the naval dockyard amid concerns of increased Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean under the motto ‘Vigilant, Valiant, Victorious‘.

Chief of the Naval Staff, said, “INS Vela has the ability to undertake an entire spectrum of submarine operations. Given today’s dynamic and complex security situation, its capability and firepower will play a crucial role in enhancing the Navy’s ability to protect India’s maritime interests,”.

Vela is the fourth submarine under the project of P75 of the Indian Navy that was conceptualised at the time of the IK Gujral government for the acquisition of 25 submarines under a 30-year plan for building submarines.

In 2005, India and France signed a $ 3.75 billion contract for building six Scorpene-class submarines and it was to be built by Mazgaon Docks Ltd, and on the French side, Naval Group formally the DCNS.

The project faced many delays and questions over the French government’s reluctance for “transfer of technology” that was an integral part of the contract which led to the commissioning of INS Kalvari,  five years behind schedule, in 2017.

After Kalvari, two more submarines, INS Khanderi and INS Karanj were commissioned and Vela is the fourth. As of now, sea trials are ongoing for Vagir, while the sixth, Vagsheer, is under construction.

The newly commissioned submarine is equipped with C303 anti-torpedo countermeasure system and can carry up to 18 torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles or 30 mines in place of torpedoes. The new submarine also has a full spectrum of naval warfare, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

‘Jai Bhim’ director tweets against Tamil YouTuber Maridhas, fails to answer questions on deliberate distortion of facts

By
The Commune
-

YouTuber Maridhas recently uploaded a video titled, “Jai Bhim Director’s Letter Is Disgusting. His Purpose Is Criminal!” in Tamil. In the video, Maridhas deconstructs the various points the director mentions in his letters, takes references from the movie Jai Bhim and questions the director who had put a letter justifying the deliberate distortions made in the movie.

For example, the director had mentioned in his letter that the calendar with the ‘Agni Pot’ motif that became a big controversy, was not kept in the movie intentionally, and that it was only retained to establish the time period as 1995. However, Maridhas calls out this bluff by pointing out 5 scenes from the movie which had relevant calendars. He makes it apparent in the video that the makers of the movie deliberately kept the Agni Pot symbol to portray Vanniyars in a negative light. He therefore says that is purely intentional and therefore criminal of the director to even say that it was unintentional.

Maridhas questions Gnanavel for placing the unwanted character of MS Bhaskar in the film and explains the controversy behind that. In addition, he also spoke about writer Kanmani who returned the cheque he was given as remuneration for the movie because he was ‘cheated’ by the team. He has also raised a few more questions regarding the controversies with regard to the movie.

In response to this video, the director of the movie, TJ Gnanavel has put out a tweet. Instead of replying to Maridhas’ pointed questions, Gnanavel has attempted to satirically give back to Maridhas. It is to be noted that he had turned off the option to comment on the tweet. A lot of twitterattis have brought to notice that the director might turned off comments to avoid backlash.

But netizens lashed out at the director with the ‘Quote-tweeting’. Here are some of the responses.

https://twitter.com/SimplerHuman/status/1463805061193031680

 

Muslim family files complaint against DMK District Secretary for alleged land grabbing

By
The Commune
-

Very recently, the news of a farmer who tried to commit suicide in front of the District Collector as DMK Tenkasi MP Dhanush Kumar was threatening to grab his land, went viral on social media. Yesterday, a DMK cadre filed a complaint against his own party functionary as he was threatening to grab his land. For the third time this week, a DMK functionary is in the news after a Muslim family has complained that their land is being snatched by him.

Maideen belongs to the Valasai area near Kadayanallur in the Tenkasi district. She has approached the District Collector asking him to redeem her land from the DMK West District Secretary Chelladurai who has been allegedly trying to snatch it. The video footage of the family standing in front of the collector’s office was telecasted on Thanthi TV. Check it out here:

(With inputs from Mediyaan.com)

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

Islamic cleric in Kerala says women who wear good costume and perfume are ‘prostitutes’

By
The Commune
-

After influential  Islamic cleric E P Abubacker Qasimi said that the advantages of being in the Muslim Jannat are that the women will have big breasts and the faithful can swim in a river of alcohol, a Muslim cleric named Siraj-ul Balussey has said that women who wear good costume are ‘Prostitutes’.

Balussey said that ladies using perfume are interested in prostitution because it is a method used to attract other men and women who don’t like the touch by men other than their husband won’t use perfume.

He said that it is imperative for Muslim women should call Allah during their works and only then they will attain Jannat, he added.

The video was posted by Siraj-ul on his Facebook page and as it is the norm in Kerala, no action has been initiated against him for making such callous anti-women statements.

Another Islamic cleric Hussain Salafi, has stated that Muslims should stay away from malls because men and women roam together in malls and Allah dislikes malls.

The Islamic scholar said the Muslims should boycott malls. and Allah’s favourite places are mosques. He also said women who visit malls also visit beauty parlours and see visitors and shoppers from different cultures who wear all different kinds of dresses.

Salafi said, “These are the children of devil and Muslims who visit malls are tarnishing the image of the whole community,”.

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

Kerala Narco Jihad: Police arrest one Muhammad Harris from Malappuram, seize 311 kg ecstasy drug

By
The Commune
-
Another Illegal Bangladeshi Infiltrator Arrested From Kolkata Hotel

Police in the Malappuram district of Kerala have seized 311g of party drug MDMA (Ecstasy ) worth Rs 3 crore from a drug peddler named Muhammad Harris.

The police had actionable information about drugs including MDMA that was being smuggled into Kerala from Goa and Bengaluru and it has emerged that Muhammad is an important operative for drug racket in this region.

The police had been monitoring Muhammad coming to Malappuram on a car and had received vital intel about other drug peddlers and regular customers.

Narcotics smuggling is highly lucrative and if it is destroying the lives of tens of thousands of people, it is also a serious national security issue because the money is used for terrorism. 

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

DMK cadre accuses own party functionary of land grabbing

By
The Commune
-

Kathirvel, a DMK office bearer, hails from Mallur area in the Salem district. He was DMK’s deputy secretary of the Mallur area from 1971 to 1976. In 2002, Kathirvel’s mother Thangayamal transferred a land which was in her name to her son’s name. Kathirvel has built a house for himself in that land and he has been living there.

Kathirvel rented a room in the house to one Surendran for him to use it as an office for DMK, back in 2003. Surendran is currently the DMK’s party secretary in Mallur Perur. Due to his old age, Kathirvel decided to bring his daughter Punithasundari home, and set up a small shop for her, so that she can take care of him with the revenue earned from the shop. For this very purpose, 7 months back, he asked Surendran to vacate the room that he had rented out to him.

However, it has been reported that Surendran not only denied to vacate the room but has also not paid rent for the room and has threatened Kathirvel to vacate the room and hand it over entirely to him. Subsequently, Kathirvel approached the Salem District Collector’s office and filed a petition.

While speaking to media about this issue, Kathirvel said with tears, “In addition to threatening us to vacate our own place, Surendran is also threatening to kill us. He has prepared documents and forged my signature to transfer the property to his name. He also threatened me that I cannot do anything even if I approach the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and that he will set my entire family on fire.”

Surendran has also been making DMK workers harass Kathirvel and his family by making them sit in front of their house, threatening them to vacate the place. Kathirvel’s daughter Punithasundari said that no actions were taken even after informing multiple members of the party and and therefore she has also filed a complaint with the District Collector and the District Superintendent of Police.

A complaint that a DMK official is trying to expropriate the land of another DMK official has shocked many members of the party.

(With inputs from News18 Tamil)

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

1...1,3641,3651,366...1,929Page 1,365 of 1,929
TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
Contact us: thecommune.news@gmail.com
Facebook Instagram X Youtube

NATIONAL NEWS

Brown Sepoys Of Reuters: How Shivangi Acharya And Her Colleagues Built A Career Peddling Anti-India Fake News

Brown Sepoys Of Reuters: How Shivangi Acharya And Her Colleagues Built...

The Commune - 0
Reuters correspondent and brown sepoy Shivangi Acharya has been caught peddling fake news, again. Both the Indian and American governments publicly rejected her latest...
© The Commune 2025. All Rights Reserved.