Delhi Confidential: Jitendra Singh adopts 60 TB patients from his Lok Sabha constituency

Facilitating the call: In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a ‘TB Mukt Bharat’ by 2025, MoS Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, himself a doctor, has decided to make a personal contribution. The minister will be adopting 60 tuberculosis patients from his Lok Sabha constituency — 10 each from Udhampur, Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Reasi and Kishtwar districts. Close aides of the minister say Singh’s intention has been conveyed to the district collectors concerned who will now facilitate the process on Singh’s behalf.

Emergence programme: The BJP leadership may now be focusing on Telangana for the electoral gains, but the party wants to ensure that its expansion plans remain uninterrupted in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. According to Shiv Prakash, national joint general secretary (organisation), in the four zones of the state — Rayalseema, coastal Andhra, Godavari and North Andhra — the BJP has organised 6,792 meetings to protest against the “anti-people policies” of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.

In these programmes, 1,88,238 women and 3,90,450 men participated. With the party having no representation from the state in the Lok Sabha or an MLA in the Assembly, party leaders hope that such programmes will help the BJP to emerge as a force to reckon with.

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Guest appearance: On Friday, IIT Delhi hosted an event that was attended by directors of all the 23 IITs in the country. At the event, which will continue on Saturday, the IITs showcased various research and development projects.

Apart from members of the academia, among those in attendance was DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat. IIT Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee could be seen taking Kamat, who was appointed to the post in August, around the sprawling venue of the programme where the projects were put on display.