THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Samrat Samprati Museum at Koba, in Gujarat on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti; Says the message of this museum is vital for the world, faced with violence and uncertainty.
- Prime Minister also inaugurates Kaynes Semiconductor OSAT plant in Sanand, Gujarat.
- Eight women devotees killed in a stampede at Sheetla Ashtami temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district.
- Calcutta High Court rejects Pleas challenging transfer of Bureaucrats by Election Commission, ahead of West Bengal Elections.
- A Kuwaiti giant oil tanker hit in an Iranian drone strike, off Dubai coast.
- In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings to take on Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh this evening.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Samrat Samprati Museum in Koba, Gandhinagar on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti today. The museum is dedicated to Jain history and the life of Samrat Samprati, his rule and message of Non-violence. Addressing a public meeting on the occasion the Prime Minister said the message of this museum is vital for the world faced with violence and uncertainty.
The Prime Minister said at Koba Tirth values are preserved, cultural ethos is strengthened and knowledge is nurtured. He called it a confluence of three streams-study, spiritual practice, and self-discipline.
The Prime Minister said, the mistake that previous governments made by neglecting manuscripts is being corrected by his government.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Kaynes Semicon Plant at Sanand GIDC, Ahmedabad. With this commercial production will commence at the facility, with the manufacturing of advanced Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) representing a significant milestone in India’s semiconductor journey. IPMs are critical components for automotive and industrial applications requiring compact, efficient, and reliable power switching systems.
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Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the 24th and last Jain Tirthankar Bhagwan Mahavir is being celebrated across the country today. Mahavir Jayanti is considered to be one of the most auspicious days for the Jain community and holds a lot of importance in their religious life.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today conveyed greetings to countrymen on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti.
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President Droupadi Murmu has emphasized that the restoration of Nalanda is not merely an achievement for Bihar or India but signifies the beginning of an intellectual and cultural renaissance for the entire world. The President was addressing the second convocation ceremony of Nalanda University.
The President highlighted that Nalanda University has been developed as a Centre of International Excellence through the cooperation of East Asia Summit member nations, reflecting the shared values of the global community. Commending the university’s initiative to integrate the local community into its institutional activities, President Murmu said, Nalanda University will play a vital role in achieving the goal of ‘Developed India’ by the year 2047.
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The Calcutta High Court has dismissed public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the transfer of several IAS and IPS officers as well as various Inspectors-in-Charge, Officers-in-Charge and Block Development Officers. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen issued the order in response to petitions filed by advocate Arka Nag, who had contested the Election Commission’s transfer decisions. In its observation, the Court noted that transfers are a standard procedure in government service and that any aggrieved official has the legal recourse to appeal individually. The bench further emphasized that the petitioner failed to demonstrate how these transfers harmed public interest or led to a breakdown of state administration and its welfare activities. According to the division bench, there was no evidence that the Election Commission’s decision negatively impacted the functioning of the state machinery.
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BJP’s Central Election Committee released its fourth list of 13 candidates for the West Bengal Assembly Polls today. According to the list, Shyamal Hati will contest from Howrah Dakshin, Preadeep Lodha from Garbeta, Arijit Roy from Barabani and Girija Shankar Roy from Natabari assembly constituency. The party also revised a name from its second list from the Maynaguri constituency. Dalim Roy will fight from this seat now.
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Former Tennis Player Leander Paes joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of senior party leaders including Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sukhanta Majumdar at the party headquarters in New Delhi today. Welcoming Paes into the party, Mr Rijiju termed his entry into the BJP as historic. Mr Paes thanked Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Party President Nitin Nabin and said it is a big day of his life. Lauding the Kehlo India Movement and TOPS scheme, Mr Paes said this is a big opportunity for him to serve sports and the youth.
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In Assam polling is scheduled to be held in a single phase for all 126 Legislative Assembly constituencies on 9th April. Our correspondent takes a look at Bhawanipur-Sorbhog constituency, created after the 2023 delimitation exercise.
“The Bhawanipur-Sorbhog Assembly constituency was created by merging parts of Bhawanipur and Sorbhog seats during the 2023 delimitation exercise and it spread across Barpeta and Bajali districts. This constituency has over 2 lakh 14 thousand voters. There are 270 polling stations and of these 30 are led by women. In this election, 5 candidates are in frey from this constituency. CPI (M) nominated sitting erstwhile Sorbhog MLA Monoranjan Talukdar and BJP nominated Panchayat and Rural Development minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass. Ranjeet Kumar Dass represented the Bajali LAC. Farhad Ali is the All India United Democratic Front nominee. Shukur Ali and F A Ahmed are independent candidate. During the 2021 election, Monoranjan Talukdar of CPI (M) won from the Sorbhog while in Bhawanipur BJP candidate was the winner. Aminul Haque Jwadder, Akashvani News, Guwahati.”
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The World’s largest census will be conducted in two phases and the first phase will begin from tomorrow. For the first time, the Census will be conducted digitally, and the option of Self-Enumeration will also be available. Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India speaking exclusively in the Public Speak programme of Akashvani explained how Census 2027 is different from previous Census. He also clarified how Indians living in abroad will be able to participate in the census.
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In Bihar, a massive stampede occurred during religious rituals at the Maghra Sheetlaashtami Temple at Bihar sharif in Nalanda district this morning. Eight women devotees have lost their lives and several devotees sustained injuries in the incident. The injured were rushed to local hospitals for medical attention. According to eyewitnesses the chaos was reportedly triggered by a sudden rumor that sent the crowd into a panic. Rescue operations are underway. It is feared that casualty count may rise.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief at the loss of lives. In a social media post, the Prime Minister prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Mr Modi also announced an ex-gratia of two lakh rupees from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given 50 thousand rupees. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary have expressed condolences. The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia grant of 6 lakh rupees to the next of kin of the deceased.
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The Reserve Bank of India has postponed the implementation of its new rules on capital market exposure by three months. The revised deadline is now July 1, 2026, instead of April 1. The central bank said the decision comes after requests from banks, capital market intermediaries, and industry bodies, which sought more time and clarity on certain operational issues. The amended guidelines were originally issued in February this year. They aim to make it easier for banks to finance acquisitions by Indian companies, streamline lending limits against shares and similar instruments, and introduce a more principles-based approach for lending to market intermediaries.
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The Centre has disbursed over two thousand 461 Crore rupees as 15th Finance Commission grants to eight states. It has released tied grants during the financial year 2025-26 to Rural Local Bodies in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Sikkim. It has also released withheld portions of both tied and untied grants to Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura. The release covers allocations pertaining to different financial years and aims to further strengthen rural local governance.
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The seven-day International Film Festival Delhi 2026 will conclude today at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The week-long festival showcased more than 125 films from across the world, marking a major addition to India’s global cinema calendar. Free public screenings, discussions, workshops, and cultural programmes were also organized. More from our correspondent:
“The week-long film festival showcased short-film screenings at multiple PVR venues in the national capital, including Saket, Vasant Kunj, Patel Nagar, and Pitampura, offering audiences a diverse and engaging cinematic experience on the closing day. The festival aimed to boost the creative economy, support film tourism, give fresh talent opportunities, and facilitate creators with a single window. Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, filmmaker Ranjan Kumar described the film festival as a promising initiative, noting that although it is being organised for the first time, it carries the potential to grow into a major international event similar to other prominent film festivals in the county. A session titled From Indie Roots to the Oscars is also being hosted by Academy Award-winning Producer Guneet Monga. Aman Yadav, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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A giant oil tanker off the Dubai coast has been hit in an Iranian drone strike, raising fears of wider conflict and disruption to global energy supplies. The Kuwait-flagged tanker Al-Salmi, carrying up to two million barrels of crude oil, caught fire after the attack. Authorities in Dubai said, the blaze has been brought under control and all 24 crew members are safe. The vessel’s owner, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation warned that the damage could still lead to an oil spill. The incident comes amid escalating tensions following strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel earlier this year.
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In IPL Cricket, today, Punjab Kings will take on Gujarat Titans at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh. The match will begin at 7:30 PM.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Samrat Samprati Museum at Koba, in Gujarat on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti; Says the message of this museum is vital for the world, faced with violence and uncertainty.
- Prime Minister also inaugurates Kaynes Semiconductor OSAT plant in Sanand, Gujarat.
- Eight women devotees killed in a stampede at Sheetla Ashtami temple in Bihar’s Nalanda district.
- Calcutta High Court rejects Pleas challenging transfer of Bureaucrats by Election Commission, ahead of West Bengal Elections.
- A Kuwaiti giant oil tanker hit in an Iranian drone strike, off Dubai coast.
- In IPL Cricket, Punjab Kings to take on Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh this evening.
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