PM Modi to visit Kerala on Friday to launch development projects
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala on Friday to lay the foundation for an innovation and entrepreneurship hub and flag-off four new train services in the poll-bound state.
He will also launch the PM SVANidhi Credit Card, marking the next phase of financial inclusion for street vendors and inaugurate a modern post office in the state capital.
In a major boost to rail connectivity, Modi will flag off four new train services, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains, enhancing long-distance and regional connectivity between Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, an official statement said.
The new train services will make travel more affordable, safe and time-bound for passengers and provide a strong impetus to tourism, trade, education, employment and cultural exchange across the region.
The PM SVANidhi Credit Card, the UPI-linked, interest-free revolving credit facility, will provide instant liquidity, promote digital transactions, and help beneficiaries build formal credit histories.
Modi will also disburse PM SVANidhi loans to one lakh beneficiaries, including street vendors from Kerala.
In the field of science and innovation, Modi will lay the foundation stone for the CSIR-NIIST Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Hub in Thiruvananthapuram.
The hub will focus on life sciences and the bio-economy, integrate traditional knowledge systems such as Ayurveda with modern biotechnology, sustainable packaging, and green hydrogen, and promote startup creation, technology transfer, and global collaboration.
It will serve as a platform for converting research into market-ready solutions and enterprises.
Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art Radiosurgery Centre at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram.
The facility will provide highly precise, minimally invasive treatment for complex brain disorders, enhancing regional tertiary healthcare capabilities.
The prime minister will also inaugurate the new Poojappura Head Post Office in Thiruvananthapuram.
This modern, technology-enabled facility will offer a comprehensive range of postal, banking, insurance and digital services, further strengthening citizen-centric service delivery.
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Ramadan fasting to kickoff from Thursday in Karnataka
Bengaluru: The Holy month of Ramadan will start from Thursday, February 19, announced convener of the State Moon Sighting Committee Maulana Maqsood Imran Rashadi on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference after the Moon Sighting Committee meeting held at the State Waqf Board office on Cunningham Road in the city on Wednesday evening, he said that there is no information about moon sighting anywhere in the capital Bengaluru, including other districts.
“However, after receiving reports of moon sightings in neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Delhi, it has been decided to start fasting from Thursday,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Maulana Mufti Iftikhar Ahmed Qasmi, Maulana Ejaz Ahmed Nadvi and other members of the ulema.
