National
41 newly elected Rajya Sabha members take oath
New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) As many as 41 newly-elected members, including several Union Ministers among the 18 who have been re-elected, to the Rajya Sabha took oath on Tuesday, the first day of their six-year term.
Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, while welcoming the newly-elected members, asked the first-timers to soon get themselves acquainted with the etiquette, procedures and rules of conduct of the House.
Those who took oath included C.M. Ramesh, K. Ravindra Kumar, Manoj Kumar Jha, Ahmad Ashfaque Karim, Mahendra Prasad, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Bashistha Narain Singh, Saroj Pandey, Mansukh L. Mandaviya, Naranbhai Rathwa, Parshottam Rupala, Amee Harshadray Yajnik, Devender Paul Vats, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Thawar Chand Gehlot.
The other members who took oath were Rajmani Patel, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ajay Pratap Singh, Kailash Soni, Vandana Chavan, Anil Desai, Prakash Javadekar, Keshav Chintaman Ketkar, V. Muraleedharan, Narayan Rane, Anil Agarwal, Ashok Bajpai, Anil Kumar Jain, Kanta Kardam, G.V.L. Narasimharao, Sakaldeep, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, Harnath Singh Yadav, Anil Baluni, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Subhasish Chakraborty, M. Nadimul Haque, Santanu Sen and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Saroj Pandey took oath from her seat after the Chair permitted her to do so as she was unable to walk due to fracture in her leg.
Welcoming the newly-elected members, Chairman Naidu said: “On behalf of the whole House and on my own behalf, I extend a very cordial welcome to the newly-elected and reelected members of this House. I think, I need not highlight the fact that to be elected to this House is a rare distinction and a privilege which should humble you.”
He said that the election to the upper House of Parliament entails “heavy responsibilities and duties to strengthen the cause of democracy”.
He said that the 18 members who have been reelected are well-versed with the “rules, practices, procedures and nuances of the functioning of this House” and that the new members will “soon
familiarize themselves with the rules of procedure, etiquette, practice and convention of the House as well as learn from the rich and vast experience of veteran Members who followed good practices”.
“We look forward to the valuable contribution of newly-elected Members in the functioning of the House and in raising people-oriented issues more effectively and purposefully. I have no doubt that they would work assiduously to enliven the debates of the House with their knowledge and expertise and conduct themselves with dignity and grace through a dispassionate discussion in the
House, and with the goodwill and willingness to understand each other’s points of view we shall achieve our objects better.
“I hope, all members would endeavour to enhance the dignity and prestige of this august House, thus strengthening our parliamentary institutions,” Naidu said.
The Chairman also noted that the oath-taking ceremony “reflected the rich linguistic diversity of our great country” as members took oath in nine languages out of which “eight are Indian languages and mother tongues of the members”.
More members will join the House in the coming days.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.