the HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says welfare of the poor inspired by Antyodaya driving government policies for the last 12 years.
- West Bengal set to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana today, marking full coverage of scheme in the country.
- Delhi High Court issues notices to the Centre and CBSE on alleged discrepancies in Board’s On-Screen Marking system.
- Israel and Iran trade fresh missile attacks on each other escalating West Asia conflict.
- Akashvani celebrates completion of 90 years of trust and public service.
- In Cricket, India enforce follow-on after bundling out Afghanistan for 152 in their first innings in the one off test at New Chandigarh.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today highlighted the government’s 12-year journey of welfare for the poor. In a social media post, he said that India has witnessed many transformations and at the core of these changes is Garib Kalyan. He said the government has always been inspired by Antyodaya, and the effort has always been to ensure that the benefits of development reach those who were left behind for decades. The Prime Minister underlined that every initiative like Jan Dhan accounts, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Swachh Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Ayushman Bharat has been driven by the objective of ensuring dignity and opportunity to people. He also said that technology has played a vital role in ensuring a better quality of life for the poor.
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Home Minister Amit Shah has said that welfare of the poor is the topmost priority of the government. In a social media post, Mr Shah said that in the last 12 years, the government connected crores of citizens to banking facilities, financial security, and self-employment opportunities through welfare schemes like the PM Awas, Jan-Dhan, Mudra, and PM Swanidhi. The Minister said that by integrating the country’s poor to the economic mainstream through basic infrastructure, social security, and a better standard of living, a strong foundation for a developed India is being built.
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West Bengal is set to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, marking a significant step towards expanding healthcare coverage in the state. The National Health Authority and Government of West Bengal will sign a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi today in presence of Union Health Minister JP Nadda and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Under the Trinamool Congress regime, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was not implemented in the state. More from our correspondent.
“The development marks a major milestone in the journey towards achieving equitable and accessible healthcare for all citizens across the nation. Ayushman Bharat scheme provides health cover of up to five lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to eligible beneficiaries. West Bengal will become the 36th State and UT to implement this scheme. Under the scheme more than 36 thousand government and private hospitals are empanelled and more than 44 crore Ayushman cards have been issued till date. Since its launch, the scheme has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s healthcare transformation, reducing out-of-pocket expenditure and improving access to quality treatment through a vast network of empanelled public and private hospitals.With Dipendra Kumar, Aman Yadav, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the three-day Zone-II Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region, in Chandigarh this afternoon. Our correspondent reports, Legislators from across the country will attend the CPA conference being hosted by the Haryana Assembly. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other dignitaries will address the inaugural session. During the 3-day conference, deliberations will be held on topics like the role of legislatures in the nation-building Viksit Bharat 2047, artificial intelligence and making democratic institutions more effective.
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Trinamool Congress strongman Jahangir Khan was arrested early this morning by the West Bengal Police. He was apprehended near the Nepal border. He was reportedly attempting to flee across the border when STF officials, acting on a secret tip-off, intercepted and detained him. Khan is now being brought back to Kolkata for further questioning.
The arrest comes in the wake of the Falta Assembly re-election held on 21st of last month.
Following the defeat, Khan disappeared from public view, absent from both his home and party office.
Considered close to Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee, Jahangir Khan was an influential leader of Falta in South 24 Parganas. After the change of regime in the State, several villagers had raised allegations of land grab and extortion against Jahangir Khan.
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Trinamool Congress’ Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Sekhar Roy announced his resignation today. Mr. Roy has stepped down not only from the Upper House but also from the primary membership of the Trinamool Congress.
In a press note, Mr. Roy accused the Trinamool Congress of rampant corruption, extreme violence against women, and failures across sector.
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The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Centre and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over a PIL challenging the newly introduced On-Screen Marking system for Class 12 board exam answer sheets. A Bench of Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Madhu Jain sought responses from the Centre and CBSE on the plea filed by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
The court has listed the matter for hearing on 12th June. The PIL questions the fairness, transparency and reliability of the digital evaluation system adopted by CBSE. It alleged that thousands of students faced problems after the Class 12 results were declared.
Meanwhile, the CBSE today said the application window for Verification and Revaluation for Class 12 Examination 2026 remained fully functional from the 2nd to the 7th of this month. During the period, more than one lakh 60 thousand candidates successfully submitted requests for over three lakh 8 thousand answer books. The system remained under continuous monitoring by dedicated cybersecurity teams throughout the operational period to prevent malicious traffic and cyber threats.
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the exam city intimation slip for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, scheduled to be held on 21 of this month. Our correspondent reports that registered candidates can now check their allotted exam city by logging in to the official website using their application number and password.
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Israel and Iran have traded fresh missile attacks on each other triggering escalation in West Asia and jeopardizing the ceasefire. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a fresh wave of strikes on key Israeli military installations. The IRGC Aerospace Force said the operation named Operation Nasr, targeted core sectors of two of Israel’s most important air bases, Nevatim and Tel Nof.
The Israeli military has confirmed executing targeted airstrikes against a major industrial site in southwestern Iran. The military apparatus disclosed that the Israeli Air Force had recently attacked several targets at the petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, located in the strategic, energy-rich coastal belt of Iran. More from our West Asia Correspondent:
“The latest exchange marks a significant setback for efforts to preserve a ceasefire that had largely held since April. Iran has portrayed its missile launches as a measured response to Israeli military actions in Lebanon, while Israel says its operations are aimed at degrading Iranian military capabilities and preventing further attacks.Diplomatic efforts are now intensifying to prevent the conflict from expanding further. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged both sides to avoid additional escalation and return to negotiations. Regional mediators are also working to keep communication channels open. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as part of ongoing efforts to preserve dialogue between Tehran and Washington. The broader negotiations remain complicated by disagreements over maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz and wider regional security arrangements. As military activity continues across multiple fronts, concerns are growing that the latest exchange could trigger a broader regional crisis with implications for energy markets, aviation, and international shipping.”
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The Indian Embassy in Iran has advised the Indian nationals to avoid any travel to Iran, in view of the recent developments in the region. In a social media post, the Embassy also advised the Indian nationals currently present in Iran to exit the country by available means of transport.
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Akashvani is celebrating the completion of its 90 years today. On this day in 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio ushering the country into a special journey of culture, information and broadcasting to echo through generations. Post-independence, All India Radio expanded rapidly, adopting the name Akashvani in 1956.
Akashvani brings forth a voice that echoes through generations, carrying the nation’s stories, values, and aspirations to listeners across the country. More from our correspondent:
“Post-independence, AIR expanded rapidly, adopting the name Akashvani in 1956. Today, Akashvani operates 591 stations, reaching 98 percent of India’s population, broadcasting in 23 languages and 146 dialects. Akashvani’s External Services Division broadcasts to over 100 countries, projecting India’s voice globally and connecting with the diaspora. Living up to its noble ideals of Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya, the News Services Division (NSD) of AIR strives to provide news and views to every dweller in this vast country in varied terrains, 24X7, in all major languages and dialects, while adhering to highest professional ethics and standards in Radio Broadcasting. With Aman Yadav, VISHNU PS, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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In the Philippines, 16 people have been killed after a 7.8 magnitude offshore earthquake hit the Mindanao region of the archipelago this morning. More than 200 people have been injured due to the earthquake that also set off a tsunami. The local authorities are still verifying the extent of the fatalities and damage.
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In Cricket, Afghanistan were 98 for 4 in their second innings on day three after being asked by hosts India to follow-on in the one-off Test at New Chandigarh. Earlier today, India’s Manav Suthar snared a six-wicket haul on a dream debut as Afghanistan were bowled out for a paltry 152. Earlier, India declared its first innings at a commanding 564 for 8.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alert for heavy rainfall over Coastal Karnataka till Wednesday. IMD said, conditions are favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon into parts of central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu over the next three to four days.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says welfare of the poor inspired by Antyodaya driving government policies for the last 12 years.
- West Bengal set to implement Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana today, marking full coverage of scheme in the country.
- Delhi High Court issues notices to the Centre and CBSE on alleged discrepancies in Board’s On-Screen Marking system.
- Israel and Iran trade fresh missile attacks on each other escalating West Asia conflict.
- Akashvani celebrates completion of 90 years of trust and public service.
- In Cricket, India enforce follow-on after bundling out Afghanistan for 152 in their first innings in the one off test at New Chandigarh.
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