• Government bans wheat export with immediate effect to manage overall food security of the country and support neighbouring and other vulnerable countries.

  
  

• Delhi Government orders magisterial inquiry into the Mundka fire incident in which 27 people lost their lives.

  
  

• President Ram Nath Kovind embarks on a two nation visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

  
  

• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu calls for enhancing the quality and capacity of agricultural research in the country.

  
  

• Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launches Gatishakti Sanchar Portal to facilitate smooth deployment of digital communications infrastructure across the country. 

  
  

• Nine new judges appointed to the Delhi High Court.

  
  

• In Badminton, India to play its first ever final in the Thomas Cup against Indonesia tomorrow.

  
  

• Jharkhand enters the finals of Hockey India Sub-Junior Men's National Championship; Second semi-final to be played between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh at 3 this afternoon.

  
  
• In IPL cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune this evening. 

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The Union Government has prohibited wheat export with immediate effect. Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued a notification in this regard yesterday. It has been stated in the notification that amendment in the export policy of wheat has been done in order to manage the overall food security of the country and to support the needs of the neighbouring countries and other vulnerable countries. It has been further stated that export will also be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the Government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government.

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Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today called for enhancing the quality and capacity of agricultural research in the country to achieve substantial gains in agri-productivity and increasing farmers’ income. He suggested for increasing the expenditure on research and development which is currently less than one per cent of agricultural GDP.

Speaking at the Graduation Ceremony of the Agri-Business Management Programme of ICAR - National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in Hyderabad, the Vice President  called for all out efforts by agricultural researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and scientists to make agriculture climate-resilient, profitable and sustainable for farmers.

Mr Naidu emphasised that agricultural universities must consider it their bounden duty to develop new techniques and methods of sustainable production, and also to take these developments to the last farmer in every part of the country. He stressed the need for imbibing the slogan ‘Lab to Land’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring research benefits to farmers to enhance production and incomes.

The Vice President presented gold medals to a few students on the occasion.

ICAR-NAARM Head Dr. Ranjit Kumar, Secretary and Director General of ICAR Dr. T. Mohapatra, ICAR NAARM Director Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao were among those present.

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The Centre has allowed the Telangana Government to deposit a total of 6.05 Lakh Metric Tonnes of fortified parboiled rice with Food Corporation of India, out of the remaining paddy of Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 and paddy of Kharif Marketing Season 2021-22. The letter in this regard was issued on the 11th of this month keeping in view the request of the State Government.

The original milling or delivery of Customed Milled Rice period in Telangana was upto September, 2021.  On the request of the Telangana Government, this has been extended for the seventh time upto this month.

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The Delhi Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Mundka fire incident. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced this after visiting the spot today. He said, the families of the deceased will be given 10 lakh rupees compensation while the injured will be given 50 thousand rupees compensation. The Chief Minister said, it was a massive fire, many people were killed and their bodies were charred beyond recognition. He said, Delhi Government has extended necessary help to identify the dead.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer District) Sameer Sharma said, out of 27 bodies recovered, 25 are yet to be identified. He said, the forensic team will check DNA samples. Mr Sharma said, missing complaints have been registered in respect of 28 persons. He said, rescue operation is on and the NDRF is checking if there are more bodies. The DCP said, a total of 50 people have been rescued so far.

A massive fire broke out in a commercial building located near Mundka metro station last evening. Around 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. Speaking to AIR News Dwarka Fire officer Satpal Bhardwaj said they received medium level call at 5.30 evening:

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, which is a result of negligence, has been taken seriously. He said, action will be taken against those found responsible.

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President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal have expressed grief over the tragic incident. The President extended condolences to the bereaved families. In a tweet, he wished for speedy recovery of the injured.

Prime Minister Modi said he was extremely saddened by the loss of lives in the fire incident. He said his thoughts are with the bereaved families. Mr Modi wished speedy recovery for the injured in the tragic incident.

The Prime Minister announced two lakh rupees each from his Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the fire. The injured will  be given 50 thousand rupees.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor said he was deeply pained by the tragic fire incident. In a tweet, Mr Baijal said, despite best rescue efforts many precious lives were lost. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured. The Lieutenant Governor said, even as we go into the details of causes behind the tragedy, immediate steps should be taken by all concerned to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief and termed the incident as very sad.

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President Ram Nath Kovind embarked on a state visit to two nations, Jamaica and St. Vincent & the 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 May, where he will hold delegation level talks with his counterpart, the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen.

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.

Mr. Kovind will also pay a state visit to St. Vincent & the Grenadines from 18th to 21st May and hold discussions with his counterpart Governor General Ms. Susan Dougan. 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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In Uttar Pradesh, videographic survey at the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi resumed today amidst high security. A team of over 35 people, led by court appointed Commissioners, carried out the operations at the mosque complex.

Varanasi Police Commissioner A. Satish Ganesh said, the survey went on peacefully, adding that the work would continue tomorrow as per court orders. Meanwhile, heavy Police deployment was witnessed in the area and shops, within a radius of 500 metres from the mosque, were shut.

Earlier, the Supreme Court refused to put a stay on the process. The videographic survey is being conducted as per the orders of a Varanasi court. The court has directed the Varanasi District Administration to complete the survey by the 17th of May and present a detailed report before it.

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Minister of Communications, Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Gatishakti Sanchar Portal in New Delhi today.

This integrated and centralised portal will facilitate smooth deployment of digital communications infrastructure across the country. The portal was envisaged to streamline the process and for faster clearance of right to way application with transparency, accountability and effective monitoring of various digital based projects.

Speaking after inaugurating the portal, Mr Vaishnaw said, this portal will surely help in the rollout of 5G network across the country. He said, integration of various infrastructures on this portal will help get clearance of right to way application within a span of 20 to 22 days.

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Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is transforming the health care sector and bringing revolutionary change to the lives of all citizens. In a tweet today, he said, over 21.9 crore ABHA IDs have been created and 53 thousand 341 health facilities have been registered under the mission. He said, 11 thousand 677 health care professionals have also been registered so far.

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country. It will bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of health care ecosystem through digital highways.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory in Hyderabad this afternoon. During his day-long visit to the city, Mr Shah will take part in a couple of programmes. Mr Shah will also address a public meeting on the concluding day of the month-long ‘Praja Sangrama Yatra’ Phase-2 taken up by BJP State President and Lok Sabha Member, B. Sanjay Kumar. 

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The President has appointed nine Advocates as Judges of the Delhi High Court. In a press release, Ministry of Law and Justice said,  Tara Vitasta Ganju, Mini Pushkarna, Vikas Mahajan, Tushar Rao Gedela, Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, Sachin Datta, Amit Mahajan,  Gaurang Kanth and Saurabh Banerjee have been appointed as Judges of the Delhi High Court in that order of seniority, with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.

The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana had recommended their names for appointment.

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Over 191 crore 15 lakh COVID vaccine doses have been administered in the country under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive so far. The Health Ministry said, over 15 lakh vaccine doses were administered yesterday. It said, more than 17 crore 49 lakh balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States and Union Territories to be administered.

A total of two thousand 858 new COVID cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. India's active caseload currently stands at 18 thousand 96 and the recovery rate stands at 98.74 per cent. A total of three thousand 355 COVID patients recovered in the last 24 hours and 11 deaths were reported.

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The National Aerospace Laboratories, NAL based in Bengaluru has successfully validated the digital anti-skid brake management system developed for SARAS Mark 2- 19 seat Light Transport aircraft. The state-of-the-art brake by wire electro-hydraulic braking system is developed for the first time in India for civil aircraft by NAL which is part of CSIR labs. The taxi trial of the anti-skid brake system was conducted at a speed of about 30 knots and the results were highly satisfactory.

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In Jharkhand, the First Phase of polling in State Panchayat Elections is going on peacefully in one thousand 127 Panchayats under 72 blocks of 21 districts. No untoward incident has been reported in the state so far.

Secretary of State Election Commission, Radhey Shyam Prasad told AIR News that 40 per cent voting was registered, till 11 a.m.  Mr Prasad informed that the election of Panchayat Samiti Member in one constituency each of Chatra and Bokaro District has been postponed due to error in ballot papers. Voters can cast their votes till 3 p.m. People are flocking to cast their votes at most of the Polling Centres despite the scorching heat.

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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 killing of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat on Thursday. Talking to AIR News, J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh said these terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba had recently infiltrated from the Pakistani side.

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In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, three government employees have been sacked by the Jammu and Kashmir Administration for their alleged active support to terrorism.

As per the order issued by General Administration Department of Jammu and Kashmir, the trio identified as Altaf Hussain Pandit, who happens to be a Chemistry Professor in Kashmir University, Mohd Maqbool Hajam, a teacher in the School Education Department and Ghulam Rasool, a Jammu & Kashmir Police Constable have been terminated from government service over terror links.

The recent crackdown on a terror group and anti-national network in Jammu and Kashmir was part of the UT Administration's effort to detect and mitigate terror elements who sneaked in to the system during the previous regimes.

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Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana today laid the foundation stone for the construction of the new High Court Complex at Rakh-i-Gund in Bemina area of Srinagar.

Speaking on the occsion, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju said that the construction of the new High Court Complex on the outskirts of Srinagar city would go a long way in strengthening the judicial infrastructure. He said it will house diverse ancillary legal facilities at one place and deliver justice to people of the region at the grass root level.

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As our Nation celebrates the seventy fifth year of Independence, a series of events are being organised by the Government as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. To commemorate the occasion as a Jan-Utsav, All India Radio News brings its listeners a special quiz on India’s freedom movement and its glorious history.

The quiz is being conducted every Monday and Tuesday in Morning News. The next question of Amrit Mahotsav Quiz will be shared with Listeners on Monday, 16th may.

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

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

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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 semi-finals. HS Prannoy took the team into the finals beating Denmark's Rasmus Gemke 13-21, 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.

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Jharkhand entered into the finals of the 12th Hockey India Sub-Junior Men's National Championship-2022. In the first semi-final played at Goa today, Jharkhand defeated Odisha in the shoot out 3-1 to enter the finals. Both the teams were level 1-1 at the end of the scheduled time. The second semifinal match will be played between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh at 3 p.m. today.

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In the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship at Bhopal, Jharkhand, Haryana and Karnataka have entered into the semi-final round today. In the first quarter-final match, Jharkhand defeated Maharashtra 5-4 while Haryana beat Uttar Pradesh in the second match by a margin of 3-2. In the third quarter-final Karnataka defeated Punjab 5-4. All the matches were decided by shoot out.

The last quarter-final between host Madhya Pradesh and Odisha will be played at 4 p.m. today.

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In IPL Cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad at MCA stadium in Pune at 7.30 pm. In yesterday's match, Punjab Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 54 runs at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

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In Kerala, the Met Department has issued a red alert for the districts of Ernakulam and Idukki today, indicating the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall.

The department issued an orange alert for the districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kottayam denoting the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall. A yellow alert is forecast for the state capital Thiruvananthapuram and three other districts besides Lakshadweep islands, indicating the possibility of heavy rainfall.

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Weather update for the day :-

The National Capital Delhi is experiencing a heat wave. The minimum temperature was  27 degrees Celsius while the maximum  will be around 44 degrees.

Mumbai is expected to 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 light rain. The minimum temperature was 27 degrees Celsius while the maximum will be around 36 degrees. 

Kolkata is likely to have partly cloudy sky. The temperature will be hover between 28 to 35 degrees Celsius.

Srinagar and Muzaffarabad are likely to have mainly clear sky becoming partly cloudy towards evening or night. The minimum temperature in Srinagar was 14 and maximum will be 31 degrees Celsius. In Muzaffarabad, the temperature will move between 22 and 41 degrees Celsius.

Jammu, Leh and Gilgit are expected to have mainly clear sky. The minimum temperature in Jammu was 23 degrees and the maximum will be 42 degrees Celsius. In Leh, the temperature will hover between nine and 21 degrees Celsius, while in Gilgit the temperature will move between 17 and  37 degrees Celsius.

Visakhapatnam is expected to have generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. The minimum temperature was 28 degrees Celsius and maximum will be 36 degrees.

In Hyderabad, rain or thundershowers would occur towards afternoon or evening. The minimum temperature was 27 degrees Celsius and maximum will be around 38 degrees.

Bengaluru is likely to have partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. The temperature will hover between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius.

Thiruvananthapuram is expected to have generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers. The temperature will move between 24 and 31 degrees Celsius.

Puducherry is likely to have generally cloudy sky with light rain. The minimum temperature was 26 and the maximum will be 34 degrees Celsius.

In the North East- Guwahati, Itanagar, Shillong, Aizwal and Gangtok are expected to have generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers. The minimum temperature in Guwahati was 24 degrees Celsius and the maximum will be around 30 degrees while in Itanagar, the temperature will be hover between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius. The minimum and maximum temperature in Shillong will be 17 to 21 degrees Celsius and in Aizwal, it will be from 18 to 27 degrees Celsius. In Gangtok, the minimum temperature was 15 degrees Celsius and maximum will be around 22 degrees.

Imphal and Kohima are expected to have partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers. The temperature in Imphal will move from 21 to 25 degrees Celsius and while in Kohima it will hover between 13 and 22 degrees Celsius.

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

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• Government bans wheat export with immediate effect to manage overall food security of the country and support neighbouring and other vulnerable countries.

  
  

• Delhi Government orders magisterial inquiry into the Mundka fire incident in which 27 people lost their lives.

  
  
• President Ram Nath Kovind embarks on a two nation visit to Jamaica and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
  
  

• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu calls for enhancing the quality and capacity of agricultural research in the country.

  
  

• Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launches Gatishakti Sanchar Portal to facilitate smooth deployment of digital communications infrastructure across the country. 

  
  

• Nine new judges appointed to the Delhi High Court.

  
  

• In Badminton, India to play its first ever final  in the Thomas Cup against Indonesia tomorrow.

  
  

• Jharkhand enters the finals of Hockey India Sub-Junior Men's National Championship; second semi-final to be played between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh at 3 this afternoon.

  
  
• In IPL cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune this evening. 

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For details of these stories and more, log on to our website www.newsonair.gov.in and News On Air App.

AND WITH THAT WE END THE MID DAY NEWS.

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