THE HEADLINES :-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Census exercise is a shared national responsibility, not just a government task; Calls for full public participation.
- Top leaders make final push to sway voters as campaigning for second phase of West Bengal Assembly polls ends tomorrow.
- Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal says India and New Zealand to sign Free trade agreement tomorrow to boost market access for Indian goods and expand trade opportunities.
- India emerges as global heat hotspot amid intense heatwave conditions.
- At Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo, India maintain top position in the medal tally with a total of 16 medals, including five gold.
- In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans beat Hosts Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets; Second match underway between Hosts Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the ongoing Census exercise is not just a government task but a responsibility of all citizens, and that everyone’s participation is vital. Addressing the nation in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on Akashvani, Mr Modi said every Indian must be aware of the Census campaign, the world’s largest enumeration exercise. He added that Census 2027 will be conducted digitally, with enumerators using a mobile app to record information.
Lauding the country’s nuclear scientists, the Prime Minister said the Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam achieving criticality is a historic milestone in India’s nuclear energy journey. He noted that the reactor has been built entirely with indigenous technology and, apart from generating energy, will also produce new fuel for the future.
Mr Modi also spoke about the growing role of wind energy in powering India’s progress and noted that the country has recently achieved a major milestone in this sector. Highlighting developments in the Northeast, the Prime Minister said bamboo, once considered a burden, is now driving employment, business and innovation.
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Top political leaders are giving a final push to sway voters in West Bengal as the high-voltage campaign for the second and final phase of the Assembly elections in the state concludes tomorrow. Voting in the state for the second phase is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed public meetings at Arambagh in Hooghly district and Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district today. Later, Mr Modi held a massive roadshow in Kolkata.
Speaking at Arambagh, Mr Modi claimed ruling TMC’s corruption and governance failures have pushed people to the edge. He said, the resolve to remove them is now stronger than ever. He said, Hooghly will be developed as an industrial hub of the country once the BJP comes to power in the state.
Speaking at Bangaon, Mr Modi said, the BJP’s commitment to ensuring women’s security in Bengal is reflected in its decision to give poll tickets to one of the survivor of the violence in Sandeshkhali, Rekha Patra and Ratna Debnath, who is the mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim. He stated that, farmers’ welfare is a key priority of the party, adding that the BJP-led Central government has doubled the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of jute, increased procurement threefold, and made jute packaging mandatory for wheat and rice while banning single-use plastic to boost demand and support jute mills in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Amit Shah is also on the campaign trail in West Bengal, and addressed a rally at Tehatta and Ranaghat in Nadia district. Mr Shah said, the BJP will end goonda raj and syndicate raj if the party comes to power in the state. He promised that women and unemployed youth would get a monthly allowance of three thousand rupees and twenty one thousand rupees for every pregnant woman for child care and added that women would also get free rides in all state transport vehicles after the BJP assumes power in the state.
National Convenor of Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal addressed a poll rally at Ballygunge in support of TMC Candidate. Mr Kejriwal praised Senior Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, alleging political pressure on her from central investigative agencies. He said, people of West Bengal have complete faith in Ms Banerjee.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee held a rally at Purbasthali Uttar in Purba Bardhaman district. He also held a roadshow from Falta to Jagannathpur in Natun Rastar More.
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A total of 142 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal will go to the polls in the second phase of the Assembly elections on Wednesday. In our ongoing series on constituency profiles, we take a look at the Gosaba Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, where a total of nine candidates, including three Independents, are in the fray.
“The Gosaba assembly constituency in the South 24 Parganas district will go to the poll on 29th April under the second phase of General Election to the Assembly of West Bengal. The incumbent MLA Subrata Mondal is from Trinamool Congress party. Total of 9 candidates including 3 independents are in the fray. BJP fielded Bikarna Naskar in this seat while Trinamool Congress fielded Subrata Mondal again. Left supported RSP candidate is Adwaitya Jotdar and Congress fielded Bhupal Chandra Das. Total electors in the Gosaba assembly as on the last date of nomination are more than Two lakh twenty one thousand. Gosaba is situated in the famous Sunderban area of West Bengal. It is a collection of estuarian islands and a remote area. BJP and other political parties pointed towards the lack of development and infiltration under the ruling Trinamool Congress. Trinamool Congress highlighted the various government schemes for the upliftment of the people. Kalyan Laha, Akashvani News, Kolkata.”
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In Gujarat, polling for local body elections concluded peacefully across 15 Municipal Corporations, 84 Municipalities, and over 200 District and Taluka Panchayats. According to official data, around 48.55 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Municipal Corporation elections, while nearly 58 per cent voting was reported in Nagar Palika polls. About 60 per cent polling was recorded in Taluka Panchayats and 61 per cent in District Panchayats till 5 pm.
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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India and New Zealand will sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in New Delhi tomorrow, marking a significant step towards strengthening economic ties between the two countries. Speaking during his visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra with New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Todd McClay, Mr Goyal said the agreement was finalised after years of high-level discussions and will be signed in the presence of both leaders. The FTA aims to double bilateral trade to five billion dollars over the next five years.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two day visit to Sikkim from tomorrow. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister will visit Orchidarium in Gangtok, which features world-class Orchid Experience Centre to showcase the ecological and floral heritage of the state. He will also participate in the closing ceremony of Sikkim’s 50th Year of Statehood celebrations at Paljor Stadium. On the occasion, Mr Modi will inaugurate, launch and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over four thousand crore rupees across the state.
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The government has said that domestic LPG cylinder deliveries remain normal in the country with more than 51.8 lakh domestic LPG cylinders delivered yesterday. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in a statement today said that more than 42 thousand five hundred PNG consumers surrendered their LPG connections through MYPNGD.in website. It added that a total of 1 lakh 64 thousand six hundred fifty five Metric Tonnes of Commercial LPG has been sold in the month of April till yesterday. The ministry is ensuring the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country and mentioned that no dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships.
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India is currently witnessing severe heatwave conditions across multiple regions, with 95 of the world’s 100 hottest cities located in the country, raising concerns over the impact of rising temperatures. According to data on global temperature trends, both in urban and rural areas, India is experiencing record-breaking heat, making it the epicentre of a global heatwave. Temperatures in many regions have surpassed 40 degree Celsius, with some locations reaching close to 45 degree Celsius, marking a trend towards increasingly intense pre-summer heat waves.
Cities with soaring temperatures soaring well above normal levels include, Delhi, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Nagpura and Akola in Maharashtra, Bhubaneswar in Odisha and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, raising concerns over public health and safety. Amid the rising temperatures, the the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued advisories urging people to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave conditions over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha tomorrow.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief at the demise of veteran photographer Raghu Rai. In a social media post, Mr Modi said, Raghu Rai will be remembered as a creative stalwart who captured India’s vibrancy through his lens. The Prime Minister said, his photography had extraordinary sensitivity, depth, and diversity, which brought people closer to different aspects of life in India. Mr Modi said, Raghu Rai’s demise is an irreparable loss to the world of photography and culture. He expressed condolences to his family, admirers and the photography fraternity in this hour of grief.
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India continued its impressive performance on the eighth day of the Junior Shooting World Cup at Cairo in Egypt, adding two more medals to its tally. Hemant Barman won the silver medal in the Men’s 50 metre rifle three positions event, while the pair of Zubair Khan and Adya Katyal secured a bronze in the trap mixed team event. With these additions, India remains on top of the medal standings with a total of 16 medals, including five gold, six silver and five bronze.
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In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans registered an eight-wicket victory over hosts Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today. Chasing a target of 159, Gujarat Titans reached 162 for two in 16.4 overs
Earlier, put in to bat, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 74 to steer Chennai Super Kings to 158 for seven.
In the second match of the day, Kolkata Knight Riders were 129 for 7 in 19 overs against hosts Lucknow Super Giants when reports last came in. Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to bowl. Kolkata Knight Riders fielded an unchanged side after their first win of the season, while Lucknow Super Giants, led by Rishabh Pant, made one change, bringing in George Linde.
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The Government has debunked a video circulating on social media claiming that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is promoting an investment platform promising early monetary benefits. The Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) informed that the video is fake and AI-generated. The Unit added that the Finance Minister has not endorsed any such investment platform or scheme.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Census exercise is a shared national responsibility, not just a government task; Calls for full public participation.
- Top leaders make final push to sway voters as campaigning for second phase of West Bengal Assembly polls ends tomorrow.
- Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal says India and New Zealand to sign Free trade agreement tomorrow to boost market access for Indian goods and expand trade opportunities.
- India emerges as global heat hotspot amid intense heatwave conditions.
- At Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo, India maintain top position in the medal tally with a total of 16 medals, including five gold.
- In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans beat Hosts Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets; Second match underway between Hosts Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
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