PM Modi visiting Bengaluru on January 2-3; Vice-President on Jan 7
Bengaluru, Dec 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be on a two-day official visit to Karnataka from January 2 to address a gathering of farmers and to inaugurate the Indian Science Congress, among other engagements.
The Prime Minister would land here on January 2, and leave for Tumakuru by helicopter and visit Sree Siddaganga Math, an official press release said on Friday.
Later, he would address a mammoth gathering at the Krishi Karman Awards presentation ceremony and distribution of fishing equipment at the Junior College grounds in Tumkur, the release said.
He would be returning here the same evening and visit the Defence Research Development Organisation, it said, adding that he would be staying at Raj Bhavan on that day.
On January 3, Modi would be participating at the 107th Session of the Indian Science Congress on the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra Campus at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru, before emplaning for New Delhi in the afternoon.
A separate official press release said Vice- President M Venkaiah Naidu would be visiting Bengaluru on January 7 to participate in the valedictory function of the Indian Science Congress.
According to the tour programme released here on Friday, the Vice-President would be arriving here on the morning of January 7 and proceed to Adamya Chetana and visit the Green Kitchen there.
Naidu would then participate at the silver jubilee celebrations of National Assessment and Accreditation Council at the Glass House of Raj Bhavan in the afternoon and be the chief guest at the Valedictory Function of the 107th session of the Indian Science Congress.
He would leave for Hyderabad late in the evening, the release added.
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England sticking with Key, McCullum and Stokes despite Ashes humbling
London (AP): England is not sacking anybody following the 4-1 Ashes loss in Australia.
A review of the tour by the England and Wales Cricket Board, announced within hours of the final match in January, was concluded on Monday. Firing people would “be the easy thing to do,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould said but he insisted, "This is not the time to throw everything out."
Managing director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes kept their jobs after the best England side to go to Australia in 14 years lost the Ashes in 11 days with two games to spare.
“Moving people on can sometimes be the easy thing to do. That's not the route that we're going to take,” Gould said. “I've seen the driving ambition and determination that we're lucky enough to have within our leadership group to take the lessons from the Ashes and move forward.”
Gould previously was the chief executive of Bristol City soccer club and said the ECB would not follow the same route as soccer's hire-and-fire culture.
“Cricket is a very unique sport in that it takes a team of leadership ... it's not like football where there's a single point of failure or success with a manager," he said. He added the ECB would not “select or deselect management based on a popularity campaign.”
The main criticisms of England's tour were poor preparation, player misbehavior, and selection mistakes.
At a press conference at Lord's, Gould and Key said McCullum and Stokes have not had a “bust up,” they did not want McCullum to “completely change” but “to evolve,” the behavior of some players was “unprofessional,” there will be more consequences for underperforming, and a commitment to “better long-term planning” ahead of major test series.
Some changes were already implemented for the Twenty20 World Cup, where England reached the semifinals. Gould implied that performance saved McCullum.
Key acknowledged that England supporters would be disappointed to see the management team go unpunished.
“I know people want punishment and that people then should be sacked for that,” Key said. “That doesn't mean we don't feel like we've gone through some serious pain: Brendon, myself, Ben. It's been as tough a time as I think I've had.”
