Panaji, June 29: A 48-year-old taxi driver was arrested by Goa Police on Friday for allegedly raping a woman, police said.

Police Inspector in-charge of Vasco police station Nolasco Raposo said the 20-year-old victim was on an evening walk late on Thursday near Goa's Dabolim International Airport, when Ravichandra Bhat, the taxi driver, stopped alongside her, and offered her a lift.

"The victim claimed after she refused, Bhat forcefully pulled her into the car, took her to a deserted area and raped her," the official said.

An FIR was registered late on Thursday night under sections 365 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), the police officer said.

The accused was arrested on Friday morning after a search operation. "He has been remanded to police custody for seven days," police said.

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Mysuru: Seven villages in Mysuru district have been selected as contestants to compete under the Central Government’s Model Solar Village initiative. The winning village will receive an incentive of Rs 1 crore from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

According to a press release from the Mysuru division Engineer, Works and Maintenance, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC), cited by Deccan Herald on Friday, the competition will started on July 1, 2025 and will run until December 31, 2025. At the end of the evaluation period, the village that demonstrates the highest adoption and usage of renewable energy will be declared the winner.

The selection of the participating villages—Varkodu, Bilikere, Gandhanahalli, Saligrama, Tandavapura, Mooguru, and Bettadapura—was finalised at a district-level committee (DLC) meeting chaired by the Regional Commissioner of Mysuru.

During the competition, a range of renewable energy initiatives will be implemented through the respective grama panchayats. “They are: installation of rooftop solar power units under Prime Minister's Solar Rooftop Scheme for houses. Encouragement of rooftop solar installation, without subsidy for other consumers; promotion of solar irrigation pump sets under Prime Minister's Solar Rooftop Scheme for houses. Encouragement of rooftop solar installation, without subsidy for other consumers; promotion of solar irrigation pump sets under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan scheme; installation of solar power units on government buildings with funding through Public-Private Partnership, RCSCO or budget grants; and installation of solar power units for drinking water facilities and street lights," the press note states.

“In the end of the contest, the village that uses the maximum renewable energy will be declared as the ‘Model Solar Village’, based on an evaluation,” the press release added.