THE HEADLINES:-
- Government reconstitutes NITI Aayog with Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri as Vice Chairperson; Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, NITI Aayog serves as dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across sectors.
- Campaigning for second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections reaches feverish pitch, with leaders from all major political parties crisscrossing the State to woo voters.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM tomorrow.
- IMD issues heatwave advisory as several parts of the country continue to experience rising temperatures.
- Indian shooters continued their dominance on 7th day, winning one gold and one bronze medal in Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo.
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The Government has reconstituted the NITI Aayog. Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri has been appointed as the Vice Chairperson of the Aayog. He will replace the current Vice Chairman, Suman K Bery. Along with Mr Lahiri, the government has appointed Rajiv Gauba, Prof K. V. Raju, Prof Gobardhan Das, Dr M. Srinivas, and Prof Abhay Karandikar as full-time Members of the Niti Aayog. In a social media post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that NITI Aayog has emerged as a vital pillar in India’s policy-making architecture, fostering cooperative federalism, furthering reforms and boosting Ease of Living. The Prime Minister highlighted that NITI Aayog serves as a dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across sectors.
The newly appointed Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Ashok Kumar Lahiri met the Prime Minister today. During the meeting, Mr Modi conveyed his best wishes to Mr Lahiri on his appointment. The Prime Minister said that Mr Lahiri’s rich experience in economics and public policy will greatly strengthen India’s reform journey and the journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat.
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Campaigning for the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections has reached feverish pitch, with leaders from all major parties crisscrossing the State to woo the voters. With roadshows, rallies, and fiery speeches, the battle for Bengal intensifies as voters prepare to cast their votes on Wednesday.
Addressing a rally in Jamalpur, East Burdwan, Senior BJP leader Amit Shah, promised that if his party comes to power, the Uniform Civil Code and the Seventh Pay Commission would be implemented. He also assured free bus travel for women and reiterated his party’s support for the Matua community.
Speaking at a public meeting in Hooghly, senior Party leader Rajnath Singh, pledged 3,000 rupee assistance for women and filling of vacant government posts. He criticized the Trinamool Congress slogan “Maa, Maati, Manush,” saying none of them are safe under the present government.
Senior Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee highlighted the Party’s legal battle that restored 32 lakhs names to the voters’ list and assured the people that there is no need to worry about exclusions. They also accused the Central Government of withholding development funds.
Campaigning in Srirampur, Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, while his party is committed to the Constitution and Unity, the BJP is pursuing the politics of hatred and division.
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After scrutiny of the first phase polling, the voter turnout has increased further. The final turnout in the state stands at 93.19 per cent, which the Election Commission said is the highest since Independence. District-wise, Cooch Behar recorded the highest turnout at 96.2 per cent. While Kalimpong the lowest 83.04 per cent.
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Total 142 assembly constituencies will go to the polls on 29th April in the second phase of Assembly election in West Bengal. In our series of constituency profiles, today, we take a look at the Sandeshkhali assembly constituency of West Bengal.
“The Sandeshkhali assembly constituency in the North 24 Parganas district will go to the polls on 29th April under the second phase of General Election to the Assembly of West Bengal. The incumbent MLA Sukumar Mahato is from Trinamool Congress. Total of 8 candidates including 3 independents are in the fray. BJP fielded Sanat Sardar in this seat while Trinamool Congress fielded Jharna Sardar. CPIM candidate is Rabindranath Mahato and Congress fielded Yudhisthir Bhumij. Total electors in the Sandeshkhali assembly as on the last date of nomination are over two lakh twenty three thousand. All the political parties are canvassing widely in this constituency. Sandeshkhali came into news for the attack on ED team two years ago and the subsequent revealing of Trinamool Congress leader Seikh Sahajahan’s alleged atrocities on women. After arrest of Seikh Sahajahan Trinamool Congress expelled him from the party. In this election, BJP and other opposition parties alleged that Trinamool Congress has ruined the social ethos. Kalyan Laha, Akashvani News. kolkata.”
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Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan today called upon students to think critically, act ethically, and embrace lifelong learning. He was addressing the 35th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur as the Chief Guest. He encouraged students to remain resilient, learn from failures, and stay grounded in values, noting that excellence without empathy and achievement without humility remain incomplete.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party organized a women’s protest march and public meeting in Ranchi over the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, with a large number of women participating. The event was attended by Union Minister Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, State President Aditya Sahu, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, former Chief Minister Raghubar Das, and several other leaders.
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Around 47 Maoists including some women from Chhattisgarh surrendered before DGP Shivdhar Reddy in Hyderabad today. Speaking on the occasion, DGP Reddy said, the surrendered Maoists handed over 32 weapons in their possession to the police. He announced that those who surrendered will be provided with a rehabilitation package of 1.20 crore rupees, along with Central Government incentives and free health cards. The DGP assured that the government will extend all support to those who wish to leave the forests and join the mainstream of society. This large-scale surrender by Maoists has gained significance in the backdrop of the recent encounter in Jharkhand and the expiry of the deadline set by the Centre.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people of the country and abroad in the Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM tomorrow. It will be the 133rd episode of the monthly radio programme. The programme will be broadcast across the entire Akashvani and Doordarshan network, the AIR News website, and the Newsonair mobile app. It will also be live-streamed on the YouTube channels of AIR News, DD News, the PMO, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Akashvani will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast.
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Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr Samir V Kamat today unveiled the Advanced Armoured Platforms (Tracked and Wheeled) at the premises of the DRDO’s laboratory in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra. In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said the platforms have been developed to meet the emerging operational requirements of the Defence Forces. Both the Tracked and Wheeled platforms have been integrated with indigenously designed advanced features to meet the mobility, fire power and protection requirements.
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The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade-DPIIT has issued operational guidelines for 10 thousand crore rupees startup India Fund of Funds 2.0. The guidelines lay down a structured framework to operationalise the corpus through clearly defined mechanisms for fund deployment, governance, and monitoring, with the objective of improving the efficiency of capital flows into India’s startup ecosystem.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi today held a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif amid uncertainty over the second round of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA, the Iranian Foreign Minister has left Islamabad after the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Araghchi held a separate meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
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The Government has taken several steps to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said that the supply of LPG to domestic households has been prioritized and no dry-outs have been reported at any LPG distributorship. Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased to about 99 percent across the country and OTP-based deliveries have increased to more than 94.5 percent.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued detailed heatwave guidance and advisories in the wake of rising temperatures and above-normal conditions across the country. It has informed that heatwave conditions will persist over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Mahe and central India over the next seven days. Further, coastal and eastern regions will experience hot and humid weather conditions, while warm night conditions may continue in the northern plains, which may further increase discomfort levels and health risks. More from our correspondent:
“In its advisory, IMD has advised citizens to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, especially during peak afternoon hours. People have been advised to cover their head using a cloth, hat or umbrella and avoid strenuous outdoor activities during high-temperature periods. People should wear light weight, light coloured, loose and cotton clothes. Use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), drinks like lassi, rice water, lemon water and buttermilk will help to keep them adequately hydrated. IMD has also emphasised for special care of vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions. With Rishu Jaiswal, Aman Yadav, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Indian shooters continued their dominance on the 7th day, winning one gold and one bronze medal in the Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo. Vanshika Chaudhary and Chirag Sharma won the gold medal in the 10 metre air pistol mixed team event. Mohini Singh and Himanshu Rana secured the bronze. India is leading the medal tally with five gold, five silver, and four bronze medals.
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In IPL, Punjab Kings defeated Delhi Capitals by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi today. Punjab Kings achieved the target of 265 runs in 18.5 overs. Earlier, Delhi Capitals posted 264 for 2 in 20 overs, powered by KL Rahul’s unbeaten 152. Nitish Rana also added 91 as the pair put on a 220-run stand for the second wicket in 95 balls. Rahul’s 152 is the highest score by an Indian batter in IPL history. In another IPL match, Rajasthan Royals were 195 for 4 in 17 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, a short while ago.
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In Women’s Cricket, India will take on South Africa Women in the fourth T20 International at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg today. The match will begin at 9:30 PM India Standard Time. South Africa Women have already sealed the five-match series 3-NIL after winning the third T20 match by nine wickets. However, the Indian team will look to register their first win of the series.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
- Government reconstitutes NITI Aayog with Economist Ashok Kumar Lahiri as Vice Chairperson; Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, NITI Aayog serves as dynamic platform for innovation and long-term strategic thinking across sectors.
- Campaigning for second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections reaches feverish pitch, with leaders from all major political parties crisscrossing the State to woo voters.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM tomorrow.
- IMD issues heatwave advisory as several parts of the country continue to experience rising temperatures.
- Indian shooters continued their dominance on 7th day, winning one gold and one bronze medal in Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo.
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