THE HEADLINES::
- Campaigning for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and first phase in West Bengal ends this evening.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung assures of becoming most reliable partner for India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
- India and United States begin fresh round of negotiations to finalise trade deal.
- Government approves export of additional 25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat to support farmers.
- Results for JEE (Main) – 2026 examinations announced.
- FSSAI bans use of Ashwagandha leaves in food products.
- In IPL Cricket, Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Titans by 99 runs.
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Campaigning for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and first phase in West Bengal will end this evening. Single-phase polling in Tamil Nadu and first phase of voting in West Bengal is scheduled for 23rd of April. The second phase of polling in West Bengal will be conducted on 29th of April, with the counting of votes for all polling States and Union Territories to take place on 4th of May.
In West Bengal, major political parties are making their last push before 152 constituencies in 16 districts head to the polls on Thursday. BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address public rallies in Siliguri, West Bardhaman, West Medinipur and East Medinipur districts in support of party candidates today. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will address public rallies in Haldia of Purba Medinipur, Barrackpore and Jagatdal of North 24 Parganas district, and Jorasanko of Kolkata in support of party candidates. Political Leaders of other parties are also expected to join public meetings today.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has asserted that the Election Commission will leave no stone unturned in holding free, fair and transparent polls in West Bengal. Interacting with officials involved in poll management, the CEC said the elections will be fear-free, violence-free and intimidation-free.
In Tamil Nadu, a total of 5 crore 73 lakh 43 thousand 291 voters will elect the representatives for 234 constituencies in a single-phase polling on Thursday. All major political parties will campaign today to woo the voters as the campaigning ends this evening.
“With the ongoing campaigning and theatrics of all sorts this election will be a deciding factor since it looks like a three cornered contest atlarge and also a four or five cornered contest in some constituencies. Every election is an evaluation of the Governance and the voters choice is to pick whoever they want. The raging heat of summer is also throwing a challenge to both the campaigners and the voters on the last day of the campaigning. Joy, akashvani, reporting FROM Chennai.”
In our series of Constituency Profiles, today we look at the Tiruchirappalli, which is an important landmark in the State. The district has nine Assembly constituencies.
”Tiruchirappalli has many important landmarks including the Uchi Pillayar temple, Srirangam Ranganathar Temple, a lot of renowned educational institutions and old churches. River Cauvery is an irrigational source for this district.The constituency was formed after delimitation in 2011. The incumbent is Iniko Irudhayaraj of the DMK. He is seeking re-election from here for the second time. He defeated Vellamandi Natarajan, a former Minister of the AIADMK by a margin of 53 thousand 797 votes in the last election in 2021. TVK founder Actor Vijay is a new entrant to the State politics contesting in Trichy East and Perambur. The AIADMK contestant is K.Rajasekaran.AIADMK has won twice and DMK won the constituency once. Joy, akashvani, reporting FROM Chennai.”
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President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet in the honour of her South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung at Rashtrapati Bhavan last night. During the Banquet, President Lee said, the Republic of Korea has become a mutually beneficial partner in opening a new future together with India. He said, India is making a quantum leap towards a golden age under Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a ‘developed India, 2047’. Mr Lee said, during his meeting with Mr Modi, they agreed that Korea and India are optimal partners in many aspects and will become the most reliable partner for the realisation of India’s vision of 2047.
President Murmu also said that India has skill, speed, and scale, while Korea has expertise in high-tech manufacturing and by combining the strengths, numerous opportunities can be created for the youth of both nations. Receiving her Korean counterpart, the President said, India and Korea should explore opportunities for cooperation in green and clean energy, as well as other climate technologies, to secure a sustainable future for humanity.
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India and South Korea have emphasised enhancing economic cooperation during the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung. Briefing the media after the bilateral talks in New Delhi yesterday, Secretary East in the MEA, P Kumaran, said that the two leaders reviewed the overall progress in the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership.
Talking about defence cooperation, Mr Kumaran said that government is looking forward to collaborate in terms of procurement of more kinds of defence hardware, telecom equipment and cyber security with South Korea.
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India and the United States began a fresh round of trade negotiations in Washington aiming at giving a final shape to the much-awaited trade deal between the two countries. An Indian trade delegation will visit Washington this week. In a social media post, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor shared this information. He termed the visit as a great step to finalize the bilateral trade deal. He called it a win-win development for both nations.
Meanwhile, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, government has almost finalised the first tranch of bilateral trade agreement with US. Talking to reporters in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Goyal said the government is trying to work out what would be the mechanism on which India would get a preferential access in the US market compared to the country’s competitors.
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Government has approved the export of an additional 25 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat to support farmers and maintain stability in domestic markets. The decision follows a review of production estimates, stock availability, and price trends. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said wheat acreage during the Rabi 2026 season has risen to over 334 lakh hectares, compared to over 328 lakh hectares last year. It said the increase reflects growing farmer confidence, backed by an assured Minimum Support Price and strong procurement systems.
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President Droupadi Murmu will visit Rourkela in Odisha today to inaugurate a series of key development projects. The President is scheduled to arrive in the Steel City at around 11 this morning. She will inaugurate the Rourkela One Project at Civil Township, which includes an Integrated Command and Control Centre, a tribal museum, and an auditorium. She will also virtually inaugurate a mega recreational park at Koel Nagar and a planetarium at Chhend Colony. Elaborate arrangements have been made by the district administration and the Rourkela Municipal Corporation.
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Vice President C P Radhakrishnan will address Civil Servants on the 18th Civil Services Day in New Delhi today. The theme for this year’s event is – “Viksit Bharat: Citizen-Centric Governance and Development at the Last Mile”. The Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry said that the Civil Services Day is observed annually as an occasion for the Civil Servants across India to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizens and renew their commitment to public service and excellence in their work.
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the results for JEE Main Session 2. A total of two lakh 50 thousand 182 aspirants have qualified for JEE Advanced. A total of 10 lakh 34 thousand 330 candidates appeared in Session 2 of the exam conducted this month.
The scores or results of the exam are computed using the Final Answer keys released by the NTA yesterday. The exam body said that those candidates who appeared in both the Sessions of the Examination, their best NTA score of both the Sessions has been declared.
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed that the use of Ashwagandha leaves in crude or extract form is not permitted under existing regulations. In an advisory, FSSAI reiterated that food business operators must ensure that only Ashwagandha’s roots and its extract are used in their products in compliance with prescribed limits. The Authority further informed that the Ministry of Ayush has also directed manufacturers to restrict usage to only Ashwagandha roots and their extracts.
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Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia said India Post has achieved a record revenue of 15 thousand 296 crore in the financial year 2025-26, registering a robust growth of 16 percent over the previous fiscal. Presiding over the Annual Business Meet in New Delhi yesterday, the Minister said the achievement marks a significant milestone in the Department’s transformation from a traditional cost centre into a revenue-driven and citizen-centric organisation.
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Indian Railways has clarified that Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) can now travel in unreserved Divyangjan coaches of Mail and Express trains if they hold a valid Unique Disability ID (UDID) card. The Ministry of Railways informed that the PwDs carrying a valid (UDID) card issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, or those eligible for concessional fares, will be treated as valid passengers in designated coaches. All Zonal Railways have been instructed to implement the guidelines effectively.
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In IPL Cricket, Mumbai Indians defeated Gujarat Titans by 99 runs in a league-stage match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad last night. Put into bat first, Mumbai Indians posted 199 runs for five wickets in 20 overs, riding on Tilak Varma’s maiden unbeaten century in just 45 balls. In reply, Gujarat Titans were bundled out for 100 runs in 15.5 overs. Tilak Varma was adjudged Player of the Match.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS
- Bilateral talks between India and S. Korea in New Delhi is prominently covered by the dailies this morning. “Chips to ships: Prime Minister maps India, S. Korea partnership,” leads The Statesman.
- “India, S. Korea work to upgrade free trade deal,” states Hindustan Times.
- “Iran undecided on talks; Trump to keep blockade,” leads The Hindu.
- “Iran-US talks hang in balance amid tensions,” says The Asian Age.
- The Economic Times in its editorial piece “Proof of the Pudding is in Partycipation” writes that – Despite disruptions in Parliament over the constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2026, the political class seems aligned on ex-pending women’s representation in politics. Yet, while legislative rhetoric has advanced, party-level practices remain resistant. Women now constitute nearly half the electorate. In several elections, they have actually outpaced male participation in voting. Yet, women account for only about 10% of candidates and about 14% of MPs, revealing persistent gap in representation. This suggests that the problem lies not only in the constitutional framework-something women’s reservation seeks to address-but within the internal workings of political parties.
- “Delhi rolls out new SOP for action against tree offences,” reports Hindustan Times.
- Finally, “Jhalmuri campaign: Prime Minister’s 10 rupees snack racks up 190 million social views”. Well, The Pioneer reports that ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to Jhalmuri shop in West Bengal amid four public meetings on Sunday sparked an internet frenzy with 100 million views within 24 hours in instagram and almost 90 million views on facebook’.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Campaigning for assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and first phase in West Bengal ends this evening.
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung assures of becoming most reliable partner for India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
- India and United States begin fresh round of negotiations to finalise trade deal.
- Government approves export of additional 25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat to support farmers.
- Results for JEE (Main) – 2026 examinations announced.
- FSSAI bans use of Ashwagandha leaves in food products.
- In IPL Cricket, Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Titans by 99 runs.
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