41 killed in Holi related violence, mishaps in Bihar; 3 children charred to death

coastaldigest.com news network

March 30, 2021

Patna, Mar 30: At least 41 persons were killed in different incidents, including group clashes and road accidents, during Holi in Bihar on Monday.

Five were killed in Patna reportedly due to personal enmity, while three children were charred to death in Gaya during the ‘Holika dahan’ event on Sunday night, said sources. They were cremated on Monday.

Three persons were shot dead in a clash over a land dispute in Madhubani, while six of a family died after their car collided with a truck near Gopalganj. The family was travelling to Bihar from Delhi to celebrate Holi with other family members.

Four were killed in two road mishaps in Samastipur reportedly due to drunk driving.

A woman in Buxar was shot when she opposed the vulgar Bhojpuri songs being played by some youths during Holi. One of the revelers shot her in the leg.

“The firing incident took place due to playing of obscene songs. We are investigating the matter,” said the DSP of Buxar, Gorakh Ram.

In another incident, a truck rammed into a sweet shop in Nalanda killing six people on the spot. They were making purchases for the Holi festival.

Two were killed in Sitamarhi a motorcycles accident and three persons, on motorcycles, died in Katihar in road accidents.

Police sources said two persons each were killed in Buxar, Jehanabad and Vaishali, while one person was killed in Lakhisarai when a pick-up van overturned. Three persons were killed in a road accident in Kaimur.

Even though Bihar has been declared a ‘dry’ state, drunk driving was reported on the occasion of Holi leading to several road accidents. At some places, clashes were reported ostensibly due to the forthcoming panchayat election in the state.

Meanwhile, six children were burnt alive in Araria after their huts caught fire when they were roasting corn.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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