TN CM Stalin confers state communal harmony award on fact-checker Mohammed Zubair
Chennai (PTI): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday presented the state government's award for promotion of communal harmony to fact-checker Mohammed Zubair "in recognition of his contribution in prevention of violence" by debunking claims in social media that migrant workers were under attack in Tamil Nadu.
Co-founder of AltNews, Zubair was presented the award by Stalin at the 75th Republic Day celebrations here. The government said in March 2023, claims were made in social media that "migrant workers were being attacked in Tamil Nadu."
After verifying the authenticity of the video clips that made such claims, Zubair made it amply clear in AltNews that such claims were false and such attacks did not take place in Tamil Nadu at all.
"Thus, he stopped the spread of rumours against Tamil Nadu and acted to prevent violence caused by caste, religion, race and language," in the state, the government said in the citation.
"In appreciation of the services rendered by him in maintenance of communal harmony, Thiru Mohammed Zubair is presented with the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award for the year 2024."
Further, the government said that he has been "rendering various services to promote communal harmony."
The Tamil Nadu government instituted the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award in the year 2000 for nurturing communal harmony.
It is being given to a person belonging to the state in recognition of outstanding services in building harmony. The award carries a medal, a cash component of Rs 25,000 and a certificate honouring the services. The government said Zubair is a resident of Denkanikottai taluka of Krishnagiri district.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Taj Mahal top earning ASI monument through ticket sales from FY19-20 to FY23-24: Govt
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI): The iconic Taj Mahal in Agra earned the "highest income" through the sale of tickets among the ASI-protected monuments from FY19-20 to FY23-24, according to data shared by the government.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the data in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha.
He was asked the amount that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has received from selling entry tickets to various monuments in the last five years, year-wise and monument-wise; and the monuments that have received the highest income through selling entry tickets in the last five years.
In his response, the minister shared the data in a tabular form for cycles of financial years ranging from FY19-20 to FY23-24.
According to the data, Taj Mahal earned the top slot for all five years.
The Mughal-era architectural wonder was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jehan in the 17th century and it is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
In FY19-20, the Agra Fort in Agra and Qutub Minar in Delhi were in the second and third positions.
In FY20-21, the Group of Monuments Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu and Sun Temple, Konark were in the second and third positions. In FY23-24, Qutub Minar and Red Fort of Delhi were in the second and third positions.
