Shankaracharyas boycott Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration

12 Jan 2024 CW Team

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth in Uttarakhand, recently declared that the four shankaracharyas, revered leaders of major Hindu shrines, will abstain from participating in the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22. In a video shared on his official X handle, he asserted that the ceremony goes against the sacred Hindu scriptures, as the construction of the temple remains incomplete.

His statement follows the announcement by the Shankaracharya of the Govardhana Peeth in Puri, Nischalanand, who declared his decision not to attend the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol in the Ram Temple. Nischalanand cited his refusal to participate merely as a spectator, emphasising that Prime Minister Modi would conduct the consecration ceremony.

The consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, set to take place in Ayodhya on January 22, is expected to host dignitaries such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with thousands of seers from across India. The 'pran pratishtha' ceremony anticipates drawing over a lakh devotees to the temple town.

On a different note, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury respectfully declined the invitation to attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, accusing the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of turning it into a "political project" for electoral gain.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP was staging a "gimmick show" through the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Banerjee emphasised that she does not support festivities that exclude other communities and expressed her belief in unity among masses irrespective of religious affiliations during a public program in Joynagar, South 24 Parganas district.

Infrastructure Urban

13 Mar 2026

Implementation Status of Jal Jeevan Mission

Since August 2019 the Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission to provide assured potable water through household tap connections in rural India. At the start of the mission only 32.3 million (mn) rural households, representing 16.7 per cent, were reported to have tap water connections. States and union territories have reported that 125.8 mn additional rural households have since been provided with tap connections. As a result, of about 193.6 mn rural households roughly 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water supply at home.\n\nThe State, district and village level st..

Jal Jeevan Mission Reaches Eighty One Per Cent Rural Coverage

The Government reported substantial progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in August 2019 to provide tap water to every rural household. At launch only 32.3 million (mn) rural households had tap connections and states and Union territories reported provision of 125.8 mn additional households by March 2026. Consequently, out of about 193.6 mn rural households around 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water at home. The Finance Minister announced extension of the mission until 2028 in the 2025-26 budget speech. The Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen, launched in October 20..

Empowering Local Governance for Sustainable Rural Water Supply

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has aligned the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the 73rd Amendment to strengthen village level planning and community ownership of water supply. Gram Panchayats, village water and sanitation committees and Pani Samitis are to plan, implement, manage and maintain piped water systems, with gram sabha processes formalising handover and oversight. Implementation support agencies including non government organisations, community based organisations and self help groups have been empanelled to train local committees and promote women participation. Under JJM, the department ..