THE HEADLINES:

• Atleast 27 people killed in a massive fire in Mundka area of Delhi.

• President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi express grief over tragic incident; Prime Minister announces ex-gratia of two lakh rupees each for next kin of those killed.

• India has the third largest Startup ecosystem in the world, says Prime Minister; Launches Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy and Startup portal.

• President Ram Nath Kovind leaves on a visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent & Grenadines.

• Security forces neutralise two terrorists involved in killing of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat.

• Videographic survey of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi to begin today as Supreme Court refuses to stop the process.

• Southwest Monsoon to arrive in Kerala ahead of its normal due date; NDMA reviews situation ahead of Monsoon.

• India creates history in Thomas Cup Badminton; Beat Denmark 3-2 to reach final for the first time.

• And in IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 54 runs in Mumbai.

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At least 27 people lost their lives in a fire incident in Mundka area of the national capital yesterday. Delhi Fire officials said, 12 got injured in the incident and the number of deceased could be increased as several body parts of people have been found from the spot.

Around 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flame and the fire fighting operation has been concluded. The rescue operation is still underway in the area. The NDRF team has also reached the spot. Talking to AIR News Dwarka Fire officer Satpal Bhardwaj said:

Talking to media, Delhi Police DCP, Sameer Sharma said, over 50 people have been rescued so far. The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the priority is to evacuate people and provide immediate treatment to the injured. Mr Shah termed the incident as very sad.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai has said the owner of the commercial building where the fire broke out has been arrested. Mr Rai said, the incident of fire has been taken seriously which is a result of negligence. He said, action will be taken against those found responsible for this negligence. The fire broke out in a commercial building located near Mundka metro station.

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President Ram Nath Kovind has expressed grief over the tragic incident. He extended condolences to the bereaved families. In a tweet, the President wished for speedy recovery of the injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to the fire incident. In a tweet, he said that his thoughts are with the bereaved families. Mr Modi wished speedy recovery of the injured in the tragic incident.

The Prime Minister has announced two lakh rupees each  for the next of kin of those who  lost their lives in the fire. The injured will  be given 50 thousand rupees. The ex-gratia amount will be given from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, he is shocked and pained to know about this tragic incident. Mr Kejriwal said he is constantly in touch with officers.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy during the Madhya Pradesh Startup Conclave held in Indore. Mr Modi also launched the Madhya Pradesh Startup portal and interacted with the startup on entrepreneurs via video conferencing yesterday. Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister said that India’s startup revolution will become an important hallmark of Azadi ka Amrit Kaal. Today, the country has a pro-active startup policy and adequate startup leadership, he said.

Mr Modi said that Startups in India are turning out to be a powerful vehicle to fulfill the dreams of the common Indian youth. In the year 2014, there were only 300 to 400 startups in India, whereas today this number has reached to 70 thousand. India has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world.

The Prime Minister said that the reason for the success of our startups is to create a new ecosystem in the country by creating infrastructure, simplification of government processes and changing the mindset of people.

Hackathons have become a strong foundation for startups. Our schools are functioning as a nursery of startups. Atal tinkering labs in schools and more than 700 incubation centers have also played vital roles to set up startups in the country, he further added.

Madhaya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that along with Indore and Bhopal, other cities would also be made startup hubs in the state. He informed that funding of 700 crore rupees has come in Indore in the startup sector, which is already a leader in cleanliness.

Mr Chouhan said that the decision of concession in stamp duty is also being taken in the policy. Other suggestions received from the youth will also be implemented. A report:

"In the new startup policy of MP, special attention has been paid to the development of the start-up ecosystem. To meet this objective, a number of provisions have been included such as assistance in investment, program planning, lease rental, extension and patents to start-ups and incubators. The new policy will provide additional 20 percent support to women-led start-ups and to create interest for innovation and start-ups among school and college level students via special programs. Along with various types of discounts to start-ups, a special incentive assistance of Rs 1 crore will also be given to selected start-ups and innovators. In order to give strength to the start up policy, Madhya Pradesh Venture Finance Limited and Madhya Pradesh Venture Finance Trustee Limited have been merged with Madhya Pradesh Laghu Udyog Nigam to form an exclusive venture capital for funding support to start-ups in future. Sanjeev Sharma, AIR News, Bhopal".

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President Ram Nath Kovind left on a state visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent & Grenadines this morning. This is the first ever visit by an Indian Head of State to these Caribbean nations.

The President will be in Jamaica from 15th to 18th of this month where he will hold delegation level talks with his counterpart, the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen. He will also meet Prime Minister, Andrew Holness and other dignitaries. During the visit, the President will address the Joint Sitting of the two Houses of Jamaican Parliament.

Jamaica and India have friendly relations. Jamaica is also one of the Girmitya countries with a strong Indian diaspora, who act as a living bridge with India. The visit comes at a significant milestone as 2022 is the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Jamaica. 

Mr. Kovind will also pay a state visit to St. Vincent & Grenadines (SVG) from the 18th to the 21st of this month and hold discussions with his counterpart Governor General Ms. Susan Dougan. He will also meet Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves as well as other dignitaries.

 President Kovind will address the House of Assembly of SVG. Our correspondent accompanying the President has filed this report:

"The Visit of the President Kovind to Jamaica and Saint Vincent and Grenadines assumes importance as both these nations are active members in the Caribbean Community. The first ever Head of State visit to these countries is a continuation of India’s high-level engagement in the Caribbean region and emphasizes India's continued commitment to work with Small Island developing countries. This is Arun Kumar Singh for AIR news."

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India has declared one-day state mourning today as a mark of respect to the President of United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He passed away yesterday. Ministry of Home Affairs said, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast today across the country on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly. There will be no official entertainment.

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In Uttar Pradesh, videographic survey at the Gyanvapi mosque will resume today as Supreme Court refused to stop the process. The videographic survey is being conducted following an order by a Varanasi court. Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque moved Supreme Court yesterday seeking to stop the survey. The apex court, however, refused to order an immediate stay on the decision of the Varanasi court, but listed it for urgent hearing. District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that the videographic survey is being undertaken after informing all the stakeholders to maintain peace and order. In a suit filed jointly by five Hindu women, the Varanasi court last month ordered an inspection of the premises through advocate commissioner Ajai Kumar Mishra. The civil court order was affirmed by the Allahabad high court on April 26.

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All India Radio News has launched a weekly interactive programme, Abhyaas for Competitive Examinations. It is aimed at reaching out to students and job seekers preparing for competitive examinations. The programme is in Hindi and is broadcast every Saturday between 9.30-10pm.

Every week a subject is chosen. Students can ask questions through WhatsApp or email and a guest speaker or expert responds to their queries. Questions on each subject are selected on the basis of crowd sourcing from the students across the country. The program also includes segments like Explainer, Factfile, Examination Calendar and Question of the Week.

The seventh episode of the program will be aired today. The topic for this episode is Indian History. All India Radio News has got an overwhelming response for the show with questions received from across the country. Dr. Shubhra Sinha, Associate Professor at Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University, will be responding to the queries of the aspirants.

The seventh episode of Abhyaas will be on air on 100.1FM GOLD at 9.30pm today. You can access it on Twitter @airnewsalerts or on airnewsofficial YouTube Channel and also on the NewsonAir App.

Also, for the next episode on 21th May, the subject chosen is Anthropology. Students can send their queries on Whatsapp number 928 909 4044 or mail on abhyaas.air@gmail.com. The deadline for submission of questions is 18th May.

So, join us at All India Radio News for the programme Abhyaas every Saturday at 9.30pm on 100.1FM GOLD.

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In Jammu and Kashmir, security forces killed two terrorists in an encounter in Brar Aragam area of Bandipora yesterday. The slain terrorists were involved in the kiilling of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat on Thursday. Talking to AIR News, J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh said that  these terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba had recently infiltrated from Pakistani side.

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And now, let's listen to our special programme, 'Azadi ka Safar' highlighting the importance of the day during the freedom struggle.

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Country's overall exports including merchandise and services scaled a new high in last month. Overall imports exhibited a growth of around 39 per cent in comparison to corresponding period of last year. The Country's exports are estimated to be 67.79 billion US dollars in April.

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In Badminton, Indian men's team created history by entering the finals of Thomas Cup for the first-time after defeating Denmark 3-2 in the semifinals. HS Prannoy took the team into the finals after beating Denmark's Rasmus Gemke 3-21, 21-9, 21-12 in the fifth and deciding match of the semifinal tie yesterday. India will now face Indonesia in the summit clash tomorrow.

Earlier, India's ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth registered a thumping win against Anders Anderson by 20-18, 12-21, 21-15. Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won against Kim Astrup and Mathias Christiansen 21-18, 21-23, 22-20. 

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In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 54 runs at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai last night. Put into bat, Punjab Kings scored 209 for 9 in stipulated 20 overs then restricted Bangalore to 155 for 9. Today, Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horn against Sunrisers Hyderabad at MCA stadium in Pune at 7.30 pm.

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The Southwest Monsoon is likely to hit Kerala on the 27th of this month. This year, the onset of monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than the normal date of onset. Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on the 1st of June with a standard deviation of about seven days. India Meteorological Department, in its forecast, has said that in the Indian monsoon region, initial monsoon rains are experienced over south Andaman Sea. The monsoon winds then advance north-westwards across the Bay of Bengal. As per the normal dates of monsoon onset, the southwest monsoon advances over the Andaman Sea around 22nd of May. In association with enhanced cross equatorial winds, conditions are becoming favorable for advance of Southwest Monsoon into South Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some parts of southeast Bay of Bengal, around 15th of this month. Talking to Air News, Weather Scientists R K Jenamani said :

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National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has held a review meeting on the Pre-Monsoon situation for the South-West Monsoon. The meeting reviewed the state of Disaster Management Plans of 19 States and Union Territories. Discussion was held on ensuring functionality of State Emergency Operation Centres and District Emergency Operation Centres round the clock during the entire year. In the meeting, the Indian Meteorological Department informed that the South-West Monsoon is likely to be normal this year. The NDRF has already in consultation with States and Union Territories planned for pre-monsoon deployment for most vulnerable areas with respect to flooding.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (NCFL) in Hyderabad this afternoon. During his day-long visit to the city, Mr Shah will take part in a couple of programmes.

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Now, let us have a look at the weather forecast for today.

The National Capital Delhi will have heat wave. Temperature will hover between 28 and 44 degrees.

Mumbai will have mainly clear sky. The minimum temperature was 27 degrees Celsius while the maximum is expected to be around 35 degrees. 

Chennai is likely to have generally cloudy sky with moderate rain. Temperature will hover between 27 and 37 degrees.

Kolkata is likely to have mainly clear sky. The temperature will hover between 28 and 36 degrees. 

Jammu will have mainly clear. The minimum temperature was 24 degrees Celsius and maximum will be around 42 degrees.

Srinagar  will have mainly clear sky. The temperature will hover between 13 and 31 degrees Celsius. 

Leh will have mainly clear sky with temperature hovering between nine and 21 degrees.

Gilgit will have mainly clear sky. The temperature will hover between 17 and 37 degrees Celsius. 

Muzaffarabad will have mainly clear sky. The minimum temperature was 22 degrees Celsius and maximum will be around 39 degrees.

 Visakhapatnam will have thunderstorm with rain. The temperature will hover between 26 and 33 degrees Celsius. 

Bengaluru will have partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. The minimum temperature was 21 degrees Celsius and maximum will be around 29 degrees.

Hyderabad will have generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. Temperature will hover between 27 and 38 degrees.

Thiruvananthapuram will have generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.  The minimum temperature was 23 degrees Celsius while the maximum is expected to be around 33 degrees

Guwahati, Imphal, Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima and Itanagar  will have generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.

Gangtok will have generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers. Temperature will hover between 15 and 22 degrees.

Agartala will have generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.  The minimum temperature was 26 degrees Celsius while the maximum is expected to be around 34 degrees. 

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AN OVERVIEW OF TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS:

• All the papers carry reports today of a fire engulfing a three storey commercial building in West Delhi's Mundka area on their front pages.

• "27 dead in Delhi Office fire, toll likely to go up"  reports the Tribune.

• Writing on the forthcoming visit of PM Modi to Nepal, The Asian Age quotes foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra as saying  "Modi's visit to Nepal shows our priority to neighbourhood".

• "Protests erupt in Kashmir over Rahul Bhat's killing" writes the Pioneer.

• Hindustan Times quoting Punjab Police says "Mohali attack case solved mastermind identified.

• "Indian Embassy to resume operations in Kyiv" informs the Statesman.

• "UAE President Sheikh Khalifa passes away" reports the Pioneer.

• And finally, Historic win propels India into first Thomas Cup final. The Indian express reports that India will line up against 14 time Thomas Cup champions Indonesia on Sunday after a historic 3-2 semifinal victory over Denmark in Bangkok.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

• Atleast 27 people killed in a massive fire in Mundka area of Delhi.

• President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi express grief over tragic incident; Prime Minister announces ex-gratia of two lakh rupees each for next kin of those killed.

• India has the third largest Startup ecosystem in the world, says Prime Minister; Launches Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy and Startup portal.

• President Ram Nath Kovind leaves on a visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent & Grenadines.

• Security forces neutralise two  terrorists involved in killing of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat.

• Videographic survey of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi to begin today as Supreme Court refuses to stop the process.

• Southwest Monsoon to arrive in Kerala ahead of its normal due date; NDMA reviews situation ahead of Monsoon.

• India creates history in Thomas Cup Badminton; Beat Denmark 3-2 to reach final for the first time.

• And in IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 54 runs in Mumbai.

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