The Centre has given Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi an extension of a year. The 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who was retiring on June 30, was elevated to the post of the Chief Secretary by not following the seniority principle.

Official sources said the state government had written to the Central government for an extension, which has been approved by it.

Rastogi’s contemporaries -- Sudhir Rajpal, Sumita Misra, Anand Mohan Sharan and Raja Shekhar Vundru -- and the 1991 batch officers -- Vineet Garg, Anil Malik, G. Anupama, A.K. Singh and Abhilaksh Likhi -- were the probable candidates for the post.

According to the gradation list of state IAS officers, Sudhir Rajpal of the 1990 batch is the senior-most as per the inter-se seniority, followed by Sumita Misra, Anurag Rastogi, Anand Mohan Sharan and Raja Sekhar Vundru.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has taken a step towards building a “Yoga Yukt, Nasha Mukt Haryana” by embracing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of “Yoga for One Earth, One Health” on the occasion of the 11th International Yoga Day.

As a result of this initiative, more than 20 lakh people across the state will participate in yoga sessions on June 21.

An official spokesperson said yoga programmes will be organised in all 22 districts and 121 blocks of the state on June 21. More than 20 lakh citizens will come together to practice yoga. So far, over 12.10 lakh people have registered themselves through the portal to participate.

As part of the “Harit Yoga” campaign to promote environmental awareness, more than 70,000 saplings have already been planted. The state-level main event will be held at the Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, where Chief Minister Saini and other dignitaries will participate in yoga exercises along with thousands of practitioners, in the presence of yoga guru Swami Ramdev.

Haryana has made strides in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship, emerging as the seventh largest state in startups, recognised with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

With over 8,800 DPIIT-recognised startups, the state reflects a vibrant and growing startup ecosystem. A particularly encouraging aspect of this growth is the strong presence of women entrepreneurs; more than 45 per cent of the startups are led by women. This was revealed at a review meeting of the State Startup Ecosystem and Incubator Schemes held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Tuesday.

Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar and four others were named in a chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a Special Court over twin grenade attacks on clubs in Gurugram last year, an official said on Saturday.

The NIA has charged Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, along with Sachin Taliyan, Ankit, Bhawish and US-based Randeep Singh alias Randeep Malik, under various Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Arms Act, Explosives Substance Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Barring Brar and Malik, all others have been arrested in the case, the NIA said.

Brar is wanted in India for more than three dozen cases, including the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday said to preserve the heritage of the gurus and to disseminate their life philosophies and ideals among the masses, the work of the Sikh Museum and the Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas Museum, both in Kurukshetra, must be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

He said that this would enable future generations to draw inspiration from the gurus and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.

He made these remarks while chairing a meeting here to review the progress of the Sikh Museum and Guru Ravidas Museum.

With Haryana nominating 621 gram panchayats for the Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Wednesday chaired a meeting to review the progress of the program launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.

This initiative aims to improve nutrition and community development in rural areas as well as to promote a healthy competition among village panchayats to eliminate malnutrition and form the basis of a developed India.

The Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals II and III and promotes improved nutritional outcomes through better infrastructure and third-party assessments.

Haryana has nominated 621 gram panchayats under the program, out of which 531 have met the eligibility criteria to be designated as Suposhit Gram Panchayats, an official statement said.

Eleven people were injured on Wednesday in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.

Officials said that a load carrier went out of the driver's control at the CISF checkpost in the Jyotipuram area of Reasi district.

"After the driver of the load carrier lost control of the wheel, the vehicle dropped into a gorge, injuring 11 persons. The vehicle dropped down nearly 50 feet from the road. The injured were shifted to the Reasi district hospital. Doctors at the hospital said the condition of the injured is being monitored. Police have registered a case," the officials said.

Overloading, speeding, and road rage are the main reasons for road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir, especially the hilly districts of Jammu region, including Doda, Poonch, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Ramban and Reasi.

The Traffic Department has deployed special squads in the hilly areas to ensure that the safety rules are not violated by drivers in these areas.

Most of the accidents occur due to speeding by the transport vehicles, the officials said.

The Rationalisation Commission in its report on Tuesday recommended to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini restructuring of 88 municipal corporations, councils and committees and 179 government colleges.

It proposed the creation of an independent department for drainage and groundwater recharging for flood control by dividing the existing Irrigation Department into two entities.

Additionally, the report suggested the establishment of new institutions and the closure of redundant ones in several departments.

Except for two or three departments, the number of posts is expected to increase significantly in almost all other departments.

The state-level function to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga will be held on the banks of the Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra in Haryana on June 21 and is expected to see participation from over 1 lakh people. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, yoga expert Baba Ramdev and other dignitaries will participate in the event.

The occasion will also feature an address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event is expected to witness participation of 1 lakh people. More than 10 lakh people are likely to participate in district and block-level functions across the state.

Seven members of a family, comprising three minors, from Uttarakhand reportedly were found dead in a car parked on a vacant plot in Sector 27 of Panchkula in Haryana, police said on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigations indicate the family allegedly committed suicide owing to mounting financial debt.

The dead included two minor girls, aged 12-13 years, their brother aged 14, their parents and grandparents, said the police.

The police suspected that the family, who previously lived in Chandigarh, had committed suicide.

All seven were found inside the same car, whose rear windshield was covered with a towel, said Additional Commissioner of Police Vikram Nehra.