THE HEADLINES:
- Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal; Five MLAs also sworn in as Cabinet Ministers.
- TVK Chief Joseph Vijay stakes claim to form government in Tamil Nadu with support of Congress, VCK, IUML and Left parties; Set to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow.
- India conducts successful flight trial of advanced variant of Agni missile with MIRV system.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch several development projects during his day-long visit to Karnataka and Telangana tomorrow.
- Enforcement Directorate arrests Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora in alleged money laundering case.
- And, in Archery, India’s Sahil Jadhav wins bronze medal in Men’s individual compound event at World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai.
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Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal today. Governor RN Ravi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Adhikari at a grand ceremony held at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata. Along with Mr Adhikari, five other MLAs including Dilip Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Ashok Kirtania, Nisith Pramanik and Kshudiram Tudu were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Ministers of various NDA and BJP-ruled states, BJP President Nitin Nabin and several other leaders of the BJP attended the ceremony.
The swearing-in ceremony was held today on Pochishe Boishak marking the 165th birth anniversary of poet-guru Rabinadranath Tagore.
“After taking the oath as Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari held meeting with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and other officials of the state at the PWD tent at Maidan. Meanwhile, renovation works are underway at the Writers’ building in Kolkata for reshifting of the secretariat of the state government which was shifted from this heritage building to the Nabanna after Mamata Banerjee came to power in 2011. The new BJP government will work from the Writers’ building which is a heritage structure. In an important development today, the Special Observer for West Bengal for SIR, retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta has been appointed as the advisor to the Chief Minister of West Bengal and 2017 batch IAS officer Shantanu Bala appointed as the personal secretary to the CM. It is learnt that on 13th May the newly elected MLAs of West Bengal will take oath at the Assembly in Kolkata. Kalyan Laha reporting from Kolkata.”
The BJP registered a decisive victory in the recent State Assembly elections, securing 207 seats in the 294-member house and ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress which was reduced to 80 seats.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated Suvendu Adhikari on taking oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
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In Tamil Nadu, TVK Chief C Joseph Vijay today met Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Lok Bhawan in Chennai and staked claim to form the government with the support of 120 MLAs. Mr. Vijay is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu tomorrow.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) which emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the recent assembly polls, achieved the majority mark of 118 in the 234-member House, required to form a new government in the state, by securing backing from the Congress, Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Vijay, who won from two Assembly constituencies, will have to vacate one seat, reducing the TVK’s strength to 107. The combined strength of the supporting parties, including the Congress with five MLAs and CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML with two MLAs each, stands at 13.
“TVK leader Joseph Vijay met the Governor alongwith the supporting MLAs of the Congress, the left parties CPI and CPI(M), VCK and the IUML to form the Government. Six days after the results, this is the fourth time that he met the Governor on the issue of having a majority. The Governor had earlier cancelled the appointment and was to leave for Kerala. But then he invited the TVK leader to once again meet him. The Party has 120 MLAs for support. Apart from Congress who broke the alliance with the DMK , rest of the parties have rendered unconditional support. DMK leader and former Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palanisamy extended greetings to the new Government which is to be sworn in tomorrow. Joy, Akashvani News, Chennai.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka and Telangana tomorrow. Mr Modi will first travel to Karnataka, to participate in the 45th Anniversary Celebrations of The Art of Living in Bengaluru. He will also inaugurate the newly constructed Dhyan Mandir at the Art of Living International Centre.
Thereafter, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Telangana to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth around nine thousand 400 crore rupees in Hyderabad. These projects collectively aim to strengthen connectivity, improve logistics efficiency, enhance safety and provide a better travel experience for people.
Later in the day, Mr Modi will reach Jamnagar on a two-day visit to Gujarat. On Monday, Mr Modi will participate in Somnath Amrut Mahotsav, marking the 75th anniversary of the restoration of the Somnath temple. As part of the celebrations, the Prime Minister will participate in a series of auspicious religious and cultural events.
Our correspondent reports, the five-day celebrations underway in Gujarat highlight the historic significance of the temple and celebrate its enduring legacy.
“The celebration honours the enduring legacy of the Somnath temple. It marks one thousand years since the first recorded attack on the Somnath Temple in 1026. Somnath temple holds a sacred place as the first among the twelve Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Somnath temple has been repeatedly ravaged and plundered by invaders over centuries, every time devotees and rulers have rebuilt it and restored its lost glory. Somnath temple therefore stands as a testimony to India’s unshattered faith that has risen victorious over repeated assault over centuries. The festivities will culminate on 11th of this month with a grand ‘Kumbhabhishek’ at the temple spire using water from 11 sacred shrines. Akshit Vedyan, Akashvani News,, Delhi.”
The Prime Minister will also travel to Vadodara, where he will inaugurate the Sardardham Hostel.
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Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana have completed 11 years of providing social security cover to citizens across the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the impact of the schemes launched by the NDA Government 11 years ago. He stated that these initiatives reflect the Government’s commitment to ensuring dignity, assurance and financial security for the people of the country. Mr Modi noted that the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana have positively impacted lives at the grassroots level and strengthened the social security framework in the country.
Highlighting the benefits of the Atal Pension Yojana, Mr Modi said, the scheme has enabled several people to lead a more secure life in their old age and reflects the Government’s commitment to making social security accessible and inclusive.
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India has conducted a successful Flight trial of an Advanced Agni missile with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle) system from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. In a social media post, the Defence Ministry said, the missile was flight tested yesterday with Multiple payloads, targeted to different targets spatially distributed over a large geographical area in the Indian Ocean Region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO, Indian Army, and Industry on the successful flight test of Agni Missile with MIRV Capability. Mr Singh said, the achievement will add an incredible capability to the country’s defence preparedness against the growing threat perceptions.
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The government has announced the winners of the National Panchayat Awards 2025. 42 Panchayats from across the country have been selected for the honours. According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Karnataka has secured the highest number of awards with six Panchayats, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with five awards each.
The award distribution ceremony will be held in New Delhi on the 3rd of next month. The winning Panchayats will receive financial incentives ranging from 50 lakh rupees to five crore rupees.
The Ministry said the awards aim to encourage inclusive, participatory and sustainable development in rural India while strengthening grassroots governance in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with an alleged money laundering case involving Hampton Sky Realty Limited. Earlier, the ED had conducted operations at five locations in Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh in connection with the case. The action was taken under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002. The case pertains to alleged large-scale money laundering through fake GST purchases of mobile phones worth over 100 crore rupees and subsequent exports to round-trip illegitimate funds from Dubai to India. The ED reportedly obtained multiple fake GST purchase bills from non-existent firms based in Delhi to claim fake Input Tax Credit and GST refund on export credit and duty drawback benefits.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today conducted searches at 17 locations in Mumbai with three cases registered against Reliance ADA Group companies in connection with alleged frauds involving thousands of crores of rupees. The CBI said these searches were conducted at the residential premises of Directors of the companies as well as at the office premises of intermediary companies whose accounts were used for diversion of bank funds. The CBI informed that the total quantum of alleged loss in these cases is 27 thousand 337 crore rupees.
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The United States has said, it is awaiting Iran’s formal response to a proposed 14-point framework aimed at preventing a wider regional conflict, even as fresh military and political tensions continue across West Asia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, Washington remains engaged in diplomacy, while President Donald Trump indicated that Tehran’s reply could determine the next phase of negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised recent American military actions, accusing Washington of undermining diplomatic efforts through escalation.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall over Kerala, Lakshadweep, South Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next two to three days.
The weather agency has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in seven districts of Keralam till tomorrow. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along the coasts today due to rough weather conditions.
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The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) today issued a show-cause notice to grappler Vinesh Phogat, accusing her of indiscipline and anti-doping rule violations. In the 15-page notice, the WFI said, Vinesh is ineligible to compete in domestic events until the 26th of June, this year, for not completing the mandatory six-month notice period required for athletes returning from retirement under UWW Anti-Doping Rules.
The federation has sought her explanation on four broad charges, including her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has been given 14 days to respond to the notice.
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In Archery, India’s Sahil Jadhav won a bronze medal in the Men’s individual compound event at the World Cup 2026 Stage 2 in Shanghai, China today. The 25-year-old Maharashtra archer defeated Denmark veteran player-cum-coach Martin Damsbo 147-144 in the bronze medal playoff to secure India’s first medal of the ongoing tournament.
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In IPL Cricket, Gujarat Titans were 221 for 4 in 19.2 overs against Hosts Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, when reports last came in. Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bowl. Last night, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets in Delhi.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
- Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal; Five MLAs also sworn in as Cabinet Ministers.
- TVK Chief Joseph Vijay stakes claim to form government in Tamil Nadu with support of Congress, VCK, IUML and Left parties; Set to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow.
- India conducts successful flight trial of advanced variant of Agni missile with MIRV system.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch several development projects during his day-long visit to Karnataka and Telangana tomorrow.
- Enforcement Directorate arrests Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora in alleged money laundering case.
- And, in Archery, India’s Sahil Jadhav wins bronze medal in Men’s individual compound event at World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai.
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