THE HEADLINES:
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates Sacred Holy Relics Exposition of Tathagata Buddha in Leh on Buddha Purnima; Says this is not only a religious event but a historic reunion.
- Government notifies Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing revised provisions related to OCI cardholders and citizenship applications.
- West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer rejects Mamata Banerjee’s charge of manipulation at counting centres as baseless.
- Gross GST collections record all time high to over two lakh 42 thousand crore rupees in April this year.
- US returns 657 stolen artifacts valued at nearly 14 million dollars to India.
- In IPL Cricket, Rajasthan Royals to lock horns with Delhi Capitals in Jaipur this evening.
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On the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Sacred Holy Relics Exposition of Tathagata Buddha at Jivatsal in Leh today. Extending wishes to the people of Ladakh on Buddha Purnima, Mr Shah highlighted that after 75 years, these sacred relics have come to Ladakh. The Home Minister said, Lord Buddha’s wisdom is relevant even 2500 years after him. He said that this is not just a religious event but a historic reunion. Mr Shah expressed confidence that not only the followers of Lord Buddha from Ladakh and Kargil, but followers of other faiths as well, will receive energy from the sacred relics of Lord Buddha.
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena, Ladakh MP Mohamd Haneefa and Rinpoches from different Monasteries were present at the event. We have more from our correspondent:-
This is the first time that the sacred relics of Tathagata Buddha have been taken out from their permanent location for an exhibition within the country. After inaugurating the exposition, Mr Shah Extended his heartiest wishes to the people of Ladakh on Buddha Purnima. The inauguration coincided with the Buddha Purnima celebrations, featuring monastic prayers and cultural performances. These relics are preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi. They originated from excavations at the Piprahwa stupa in Siddharthanagar district in Uttar Pradesh. For Buddhists worldwide, they are not only archaeological artifacts but living symbols of devotion and enlightenment. For Public viewing the sacred relics will open from tomorrow till 10 of this month in Leh and then extend to the Zanskar Valley for 11th and 12th May. Alongside the exposition, multiple cultural and academic programmes including meditation sessions and interfaith dialogues are also being organised. AKSHIT VEDYAN FOR AKASHVANI NEWS FROM LEH
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Buddha Purnima is being celebrated today.
It not only marks the day when Gautam Buddha was born, but also the day when he attained Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar. This day is commemorated by Buddhists and Hindus all over the world.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla extended greetings to the citizens of the country on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. In her message, President Murmu said that this sacred day marks the epoch-making events of lord Buddha’s advent on earth, enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana.
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The government has notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing revised provisions related to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders and citizenship applications. The Ministry of Home Affairs has made changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009, and notified the amendments through a gazette notification. The Ministry said that a minor child cannot, at any time, hold the passport of any other country while also holding an Indian passport. According to the notification, all applications for OCI card registration and renunciation will now be submitted electronically through the official portal. It added that applications for registration as an OCI cardholder will be made in the designated form electronically on the online portal.
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The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Agarwal, has termed allegations of manipulation at counting centres by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as baseless. In an interview with Akashvani, he said adequate CCTV arrangements are in place at all counting centres, and sufficient central forces have been deployed to ensure strict security. He added that the Commission is taking all possible measures to deal with post-poll violence.
Meanwhile, Mr Agarwal asserted that round-the-clock CCTV monitoring of strong rooms is in place and there is no scope for wrongdoing at the counting centres. Talking to reporters in Kolkata he said, there are no reasons and evidence for making allegations.
Last night, Trinamool Congress leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the strongroom at Sakhawat Memorial School in Kolkata and alleged that the four-day gap between voting and counting was intentional to allow tampering with voting machines. She said her party would resist any attempt to tamper with EVMs.
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Security arrangements are being tightened ahead of Monday’s vote counting in West Bengal. Nearly 1,850 central security personnel have been deployed to guard the strong rooms at 77 counting centers across the state’s 294 Assembly Constituencies.
Counting of votes for two-phase Assembly Elections in the state is scheduled to take place on Monday along with Keralam, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief at the loss of lives due to the capsizing of a boat in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said, the local administration is assisting those affected. The Prime Minister has also announced an ex-gratia of two lakh rupees each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each of the deceased. The injured would be given fifty thousand rupees. In Madhya Pradesh, four people were killed and 11 others are missing after a cruise boat carrying 39 passengers capsized in Bargi River near Khamaria Island in Jabalpur district yesterday evening.
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The Goods and Services Tax (GST) gross collections in April last month registered a record all-time high, growing 8.7 per cent as compared to the same period last year. The gross GST collection was recorded over Two lakh 42 thousand crore rupees which was over two lakh 23 thousand crore rupees last year during the same month.
The Gross Central GST collection in April last month stood at over 52 thousand crore rupees and State GST was more than 61 one thousand three hundred crore rupees. The gross Integrated GST, (IGST) collection amounts to one lakh 29 thousand two hundred and 32 crore rupees.
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Prices of Commercial LPG Cylinders for 19 kg have been increased by 993 rupees. The new price in Delhi will be 3071 rupees 50 paise. The Revised Price will be effective from today. However, Domestic LPG cylinder prices remain unchanged. Our Correspondent reports that the revision is part of the regular monthly price update done by oil marketing companies.
Indian Oil Corporation Limited has said that retail prices of petrol and diesel remain unchanged for the general public, which accounts for around 90 per cent of the country’s total consumption. In a statement, the company added that there has been no change in the price of domestic LPG cylinders of 14.2 kilograms for 33 crore consumers. It also said, there has been no change in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic airlines engaged in scheduled operations, as well as in the prices of PDS kerosene. The statement noted that price revisions have been limited to select industrial segments, which constitute a relatively small share of overall consumption, and are subject to routine monthly adjustments based on prevailing international prices. According to the company, there has been no price impact on 80 per cent of products, prices have decreased for 4 per cent, and increased for 16 per cent, mainly in industrial-use categories. Aman Yadav, Akashvani News, Delhi.
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Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as the world’s largest real-time payments platform, anchoring India’s digital economy. A decade after its launch, UPI has transformed from a fledgling digital experiment into the world’s largest real-time payments platform, powering nearly half of global instant payment transactions and redefining how India pays. A report:
Launched on April 11, 2016, UPI today stands as the backbone of India’s digital economy – driving financial inclusion, enabling seamless commerce and setting global benchmarks in digital public infrastructure. The numbers behind UPI’s rise are staggering. From just 373 transactions in its first month, the platform processed around 24 thousand 162 crore transactions in Financial Year 2025-26, marking an extraordinary 12,000-fold increase in volume. Daily usage has also scaled dramatically, with UPI now handling around 66 crore transactions per day, amounting to a daily value of nearly 0.86 lakh crore rupees. UPI today accounts for 85% of India’s digital payment volume, reflecting its deep integration into everyday life – from street vendors and small merchants to large enterprises and government services. Its success is rooted in simplicity and interoperability. RENU KATARIA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.
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The US has returned 657 antiquities collectively valued at nearly 14 million dollars to India. The return was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The pieces were returned at an event attended by Consul Rajlakshmi Kadam from the Consulate General of India in New York. The pieces were recovered following several investigations into trafficking networks.
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The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a forgery and defamation case related to alleged false statements against Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
In an order a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar granted the pre-arrest bail to Mr Khera subject to certain conditions.
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The International Labour Day is being observed today to honour the contribution of workers across the world. It is also known as May Day. The day aims at paying tribute to workers’ sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicited normal to above-normal rainfall over most parts of the country in the month of May. In a monthly outlook for temperature and rainfall Director General of IMD, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said except some parts of east and northeast India and east central India, rainfall is expected below normal. Dr. Mohapatra said, during May maximum temperatures are expected to be normal to below normal across many parts of the country. However, above-normal temperatures are likely in many parts of southern peninsular India, some parts of the northeast, and northwest India.
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In IPL Cricket, Rajasthan Royals will lock horns with Delhi Capitals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur this evening. The match will begin at 7.30 PM. Presently, Rajasthan Royals are placed fourth on the points table while Delhi Capitals at the seventh spot. Last night, hosts Gujarat Titans defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 4 wickets at Ahmedabad.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates Sacred Holy Relics Exposition of Tathagata Buddha in Leh on Buddha Purnima; Says this is not only a religious event but a historic reunion.
- Government notifies Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing revised provisions related to OCI cardholders and citizenship applications.
- West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer rejects Mamata Banerjee’s charge of manipulation at counting centres as baseless.
- Gross GST collections record all time high to over two lakh 42 thousand crore rupees in April this year.
- US returns 657 stolen artifacts valued at nearly 14 million dollars to India.
- In IPL Cricket, Rajasthan Royals to lock horns with Delhi Capitals in Jaipur this evening.
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