Skill-Oriented Classes for Grades 8-12 students in Karnataka: Education Minister

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who today began her return journey to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after being stranded there for more than nine months.

In a letter dated March 1, which was shared by Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X today, the Prime Minister said he had inquired about the well-being of Ms Williams - who flew to the orbital lab on June 5 last year - when he met President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, during his visits to the United States.

The letter was made public hours after Ms Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, undocked from the ISS for a 17-hour trip back home.

PM Modi recalled that at a meeting with former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino in Delhi this month, her name had come up in their conversation.

"We discussed how proud we are of you and your work. Following this interaction, I could not stop myself from writing to you," PM Modi said.

"1.4 billion Indians have always taken great pride in your achievements. Recent developments have yet again showcased your inspirational fortitude and perseverance," he wrote.

He said her mother, Bonnie Pandya, must be "keenly" awaiting her return.

"I am sure that Late Deepakbhai's blessings are with you as well," the Prime Minister said, referring to her father, Deepak Pandya, who was a resident of his home state, Gujarat, and died in 2020.

PM Modi also said he "fondly" remembers meeting him and her during his visit to the US in 2016.

"Even though you are thousands of miles away, you continue to remain close to our hearts. The people of India are praying for your good health and success in your mission," PM Modi told the 59-year-old astronaut.

"After your return, we are looking forward to seeing you in India. It will be a pleasure for India to host one of its most illustrious daughters," he added.

He also sent his "warm regards" to her husband, Michael Williams.

Sunita Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, flew to the orbital lab on June 5 last year, on what was supposed to be a days-long roundtrip to test out Boeing's Starliner on its first crewed flight.

The spaceship, however, developed propulsion problems and was deemed unfit to fly them back. It instead returned uncrewed.

The two astronauts were then reassigned to the NASA-SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which saw a Dragon spacecraft fly to the ISS in September last year with a team of two -- American astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov -- rather than the usual four, to make room for the stranded astronauts.

On Sunday, a relief team -- Crew-10 -- docked with the space station to make the way for Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore's much-awaited homecoming, along with Mr Hague and Mr Gorbunov.

Hyderabad: A police case has been registered in Telangana against 25 celebrities, including prominent actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi, for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps. The FIR was lodged following a complaint by businessman Phanindra Sarma.

The list of accused celebrities and influencers also includes Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, Shyamala, Tasty Teja, and Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha.

According to the FIR, these individuals promoted betting platforms through social media advertisements, encouraging users to invest money in illegal online gambling. "These platforms deal with transactions worth thousands of lakhs of rupees, pushing several families—especially from middle-class and lower-middle-class backgrounds—into financial distress," states the complaint.

The complainant alleged that many people have lost their savings due to these apps. He claimed that he himself almost deposited money on one such platform but refrained after being warned by his family. The FIR further accuses the celebrities of accepting substantial remuneration to endorse these apps, thereby influencing the public—particularly those facing financial hardship—to invest and eventually fall into addiction, leading to severe financial consequences.

The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act, and applicable state laws concerning cheating and online fraud.

Reacting to the FIR, actor Prakash Raj clarified that he had endorsed such a platform back in 2015 but opted out within a year. He stated that he is currently gathering more details about the case.

This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Telugu cinema celebrities. Notably, it follows the controversial arrest of Allu Arjun in December after a tragic incident at the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad, where a woman lost her life due to a chaotic crowd surge. Police had claimed the actor’s presence at the event was unplanned and that no security measures were in place to control the large turnout.

The arrest of Allu Arjun had ignited a heated debate, drawing criticism from political opponents of the ruling Congress and key figures in the film industry. In response to the controversy, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy met with a delegation of filmmakers and actors, reassuring them of the state’s support for the film industry while asserting that law and order would remain a priority.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts.

The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was tabled by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil.

On Friday, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving 4 per cent of contracts for Muslims in civil works valued up to Rs 2 crore and goods/services contracts up to Rs 1 crore. This proposal was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the 2025-26 Budget, presented on March 7.

Currently, Karnataka provides reservations in civil works contracts for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) at 24 per cent, Other Backward Classes (OBC)–Category 1 at 4 per cent, and OBC–Category 2A at 15 per cent.

There had been demands to include Muslims under Category 2B of the OBCs with a 4 per cent reservation.

The BJP has called the Karnataka government’s move to provide a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure" and vowed to oppose it at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is revoked.

The Bill presented on Tuesday further amends the KTPP Act, 1999, to implement the proposal outlined in the 2025-26 budget speech, according to its statement of objects and reasons.

The Bill aims to address unemployment among backward classes and promote their participation in government construction projects, reserving up to 4 per cent for individuals in Category 2B (Muslims) for works valued up to Rs 2 crore.

The Bill also provides for reservations among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes in the procurement of goods and services, excluding construction works, in notified departments, for contracts valued up to Rs 1 crore.

It encourages their participation in such procurement to the extent of 17.5 per cent for persons belonging to SC, 6.95 per cent for those belonging to ST, 4 per cent for Category 1 of OBC, 15 per cent for Category 2A, and 4 per cent for Category 2B (Muslims).

The Bill stated that the proposed legislative measure involves no additional expenditure.