THE HEADLINES:
- Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle passes away in Mumbai at 92.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, time has come for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act in its true spirit; Calls upon all members of Parliament to pass the amendments in the Act, in one voice.
- Campaigning in full swing for Assembly Elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu; Prime Minister holds rally in Siliguri, West Bengal.
- Annual Amarnath Yatra to commence from 3rd July; Registration for pilgrimage to begin from 15th of this month.
- US and Iranian delegations leave Islamabad without reaching an agreement on West Asia peace deal.
- And in IPL Cricket, hosts Lucknow Super Giants to take on Gujarat Titans this afternoon; Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru to clash at Wankhede stadium this evening.
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Legendary singer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Asha Bhosle passed away at 92 in Mumbai today. Maharashtra Cultural Minister Ashish Shelar confirmed the news, while speaking to the media outside the hospital. She was admitted to a private hospital last evening due to a chest infection and exhaustion. Her last rites will be performed tomorrow at 4 PM at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.
“Asha Bhosle, with a career spanning over eight decades, recorded over 12,500 songs in different languages. She was known for her versatility and sang many memorable melodies, from romantic songs and ghazals to peppy numbers. Asha Tai, as she was fondly called, was the younger sister of the late legendary singer and Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar and a member of the famous Mangeshkar lineage. She began her with Marathi films and entered the Hindi film industry with the film ‘Chunariya’ in 1948. She made her way up in a field dominated by stalwarts like Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt with her mastery over her craft, and during her extensive career, she lent her voice to leading ladies from Meena Kumari, Madhubala and Zeenat Aman to Kajol, Urmila Matondkar, and southern stars like Padmini and Vyjayanthimala. Among her most memorable songs are ‘Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar’, ‘In Ankhon Ki Masti’, ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’, ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’, ‘Duniya Mein Logon Ko’ and ‘Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main’. She was honoured with two National Film Awards, eighteen Maharashtra State Film Awards, nine Filmfare Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and a record seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, in addition to two Grammy nominations. In 2000, she was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in the field of cinema. In 2008, she was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour in the country. The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged her in 2011 as the most recorded artist in music history. In 2023, she performed at a special concert, ‘ASHA@90: Live in concert’, in Dubai to celebrate her 90th birthday. Her passing leaves the musical world with a void that simply cannot be filled. Ankita Apte, Akashvani News, Mumbai.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed grief on the demise of Asha Bhosle. In a social media post, Mr Singh said, the demise of singer Asha Bhosle is an irreplaceable loss for the music world. He said, as a playback singer, she lent her voice to thousands of films and music albums and generations of Indians have listened to and hummed her songs. The Defence Minister said, the echo of her sweet melodies will forever remain. He expressed condolences to her family and fans in this hour of grief.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the time has come for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act in its true spirit and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are conducted with the quota for women in place. In a letter to the floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ahead of the three-day special sittings of Parliament, Mr. Modi also asked all members to come together in one voice to pass the amendments to the women’s reservation law.
The Women’s Reservation Act will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, of which 273 will be reserved for women.
Meanwhile, BJP has issued a whip to all its MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, directing them to remain present in the House during the upcoming Parliament session from the 16th to the 18th of this month. The party has stated that no leave will be granted during this period.
Parliament is scheduled to meet for a three-day special session from Thursday with focus on the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill.
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Campaigning for Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu has hit the top gear with only 11 days remaining for polling on the 23rd of this month. In West Bengal, top political leadership of all major political parties are addressing rallies across the districts. Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public meeting at Kawakhali in Siliguri. The Prime Minister said, the enthusiasm among the people of West Bengal indicates that the ruling Trinamool Congress will face defeat in the upcoming elections.
The Prime Minister alleged that the Trinamool Congress government has adversely affected the development of the state during its tenure. Mr. Modi also claimed that there has been imbalance in allocation of funds, stating that significant resources were provided for madrasas while development needs of North Bengal were not adequately addressed.
The Prime Minister further alleged that the state government has not ensured adequate safety for women. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has rallies lined up in Sonamukhi in Bankura and Nanda Kumar and Kanthi Dokkhin in East Medinipur. Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also addressed an election rally in Khandaghosh, Purba Bardhaman, and criticised the BJP. She said her party delivers on its promises, while BJP leaders make commitments and do not follow through. Ms. Banerjee rejected BJP’s claims on agriculture, stating that farm production in the state has increased.
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In Tamil Nadu, BJP President Nitin Nabin is campaigning at Sattur in Virudhunagar district in favour of Nainar Nagendran. Former MP and actor Sarath Kumar and many important leaders of the party are participating in the road show at Sattur. BJP, AIADMK, PMK and the NDA alliance party men have joined the roadshow. On the other hand, DMK Chief and Chief Minister M.K.Stalin campaigned at Paramakudi this morning. He also interacted with the public. Talking to the media later, Mr Stalin said, Edappadi Palanisamy has become worried and stuck to verbal attacks on him. The Chief of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam Actor politician Vijay is also participating in a road show at Kanyakumari canvassing for his party candidates as his party also has fielded candidates in all the 234 constituencies of the State. Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman is also campaigning for his party candidates at Usilampatti.
“With just ten more days to go for the single phase of election, the streets of every town has turned colourful.Each party has its own theme song blaring through thei speakers while the leaders and contestants appear on the caravan.As today is Sunday and a holiday its time for having a glimpse at any leader who is passing near their places. Leaders who are walking don’t mind having a cup of tea at someone’s house , people also bring their children to witness the election campaigning unmindful of any problem. Apart from the News channels, very new Youtube channels also telecast the roadshows where they get popular and receive comments and subscriptions. On the whole, election fever is hot along with the heat of the summer. Joy, Chennai.”
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In our series on constituency profiles, today we take a look at the Siliguri assembly seat in West Bengal.
Siliguri constituency in Darjeeling district in West Bengal will go for poll on 23rd April under the first phase of Assembly election in the state. The electorate comprises of approximately two lakh voters. The Constituency is likely to witness a tough fight between the sitting MLA Shankar Ghosh of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation and TMC candidate Gautam Deb. 11 candidates including 5 independents are on the fray. Apart from contestants from BJP and Trinamool Congress, the CPI (M) has fielded Saradindu Chakraborty while Congress candidate is Alok Dhara. During campaigning BJP is raising the issues of corruption and infiltration against the present government while Trinamool Congress is referring to the alleged deletion of names under the influence of BJP as part of the SIR in Bengal to gain political mileage. Kalyan Laha, akashvani news, Kolkata.”
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The annual Amarnath Yatra will commence on 3rd July this year and conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Jammu-Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that the yatra will span a total of 57 days.
In a social media post, Mr. Sinha said, the Pratham Puja, performed to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva, will be held on June 29 on the occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima. He also said, advance registration for the pilgrimage will begin from the 15th of April through both online and offline modes.
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Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has said that development can only be called true development when it is inclusive and reaches every section of the society. Mr Radhakrishnan said this while inaugurating the conference titled Transformation of Tribal Lives through Science and Technological Interventions – Preserving Language, Faith and Culture in New Delhi today. The Vice President noted that India’s tribal areas present a significant opportunity for green economic development.
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The delegation led by US Vice President JD Vance and the delegation from Iran have departed from Islamabad after failing to reach an agreement.
US vice-president cited shortcomings in peace talks, saying Iran chose not to accept American terms including to not build nuclear weapons.
Iran state-run television has reported that its delegation has left Pakistan’s capital Islamabad after talks failed. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the negotiations broke down due to differences over two or three important issues, describing a gap in positions between the two sides.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today called on UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said, he conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and gratitude of the citizens for ensuring the well-being of the Indian community during the West Asia conflict. The External Affairs Minister also thanked the UAE President for his guidance on further strengthening the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal today said that India’s patent filings have crossed one lakh 43 thousand in the Financial Year 2025, with a 30 percent increase from the previous year. In a social media post, Mr Goyal said, over 69 percent of patents have been filed domestically, led by innovators from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. He noted that India is the world’s 6th largest patent filer.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast hot and humid weather conditions over Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal till tomorrow. The weather agency has predicted a Gradual rise in maximum temperatures over Northwest India by 6 to 8 degree celsius from today till the 17th of this month.
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In IPL Cricket, hosts Lucknow Super Giants will take on Gujarat Titans at the Ekana Cricket Stadium this afternoon. The match will begin at 3:30 PM. In another match, Mumbai Indians will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium. The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle passes away in Mumbai at 92.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, time has come for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act in its true spirit; Calls upon all members of Parliament to pass the amendments in the Act, in one voice.
- Campaigning in full swing for Assembly Elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu; Prime Minister holds rally in Siliguri, West Bengal.
- Annual Amarnath Yatra to commence from 3rd July; Registration for pilgrimage to begin from 15th of this month.
- US and Iranian delegations leave Islamabad without reaching an agreement on West Asia peace deal.
- And in IPL Cricket, hosts Lucknow Super Giants to take on Gujarat Titans this afternoon; Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru to clash at Wankhede stadium this evening.
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