PM Modi pays tributes at National War Memorial on Republic Day
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial here on Monday on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day.
Escorted by the chief of defence staff and the three Service chiefs, the prime minister led the nation in paying solemn tributes by laying a wreath at the memorial.
Modi was received at the National War Memorial by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The officers in uniform gave a salute while other dignitaries observed a two-minute silence to honour the fallen soldiers.
The silence was broken by the buglers sounding the 'Rouse', signalling the end of the two minutes of remembrance. The Guard Commander then ordered the 'Salami Shastra', concluding the ceremony.
The PM also signed the Visitors' Book before departing for the saluting dais at the Kartavya Path.
The iconic memorial in the India Gate complex was inaugurated by Modi in 2019. It is dedicated to soldiers killed during the India-China War in 1962, the India-Pakistan wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Sri Lanka and during the Kargil Conflict of 1999, and also those in the UN peacekeeping missions.
Spread over an area of approximately 40 acres, the National War Memorial comprises four concentric circles -- the 'Amar Chakra', 'Veerta Chakra', 'Tyag Chakra' and the 'Rakshak Chakra' with names of 25,942 soldiers inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets.
It also includes a central 15.5m obelisk, an eternal flame and six bronze murals depicting famous battles fought by the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy in a covered gallery (Veerta Chakra).
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Class 12 final exams of Odisha board begin amid tight security
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The class 12 final examinations of the Odisha board began on Wednesday amid heavy security, officials said.
A total of 4.01 lakh students are appearing for the exams being conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha, across 1,364 centres, they said.
The exams began with Science papers, while those for the Arts and Commerce streams will start on Friday. The exam will continue till March 28, they added.
A total of 2.56 lakh students are enrolled in the Arts stream, 1.14 lakh in Science, and 24,621 in Commerce, CHSE's Controller of Examinations Prasanta Kumar Parida said.
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There are also 5,932 students of vocational studies, he said.
The exam began at 10 am and will end at 1 pm, he added
Parida said live streaming of all examination centres has been made available, while 211 question paper hubs are being monitored with "AI technology".
Special squads have been deployed to conduct surprise inspections to check any malpractices, he added.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended greetings to all the students appearing for the examination.
"The examination is a beautiful reflection of your knowledge and hard work. There is no need to put any fear or stress in your mind for it. Remember, your performance will be of high quality only if you appear for the examination not under pressure, but with patience," he posted on X.
The practical examinations were conducted between January 2 and 15.
