THE HEADLINES:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, spirit of service and resolve to uplift poor and deprived is the policy of the government.
• BJP and AIADMK announce alliance for 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
• Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement organisation dissociates from Hurriyat; Home Minister Amit Shah terms it victory for the vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
• DRDO successfully conducts release trials of Long-Range Glide Bomb Gaurav from Sukhoi -30 MKI aircraft.
• China raises tariffs on US goods to 125 per cent.
• Sensex surges over 1,300 points; Nifty-50 also rises more than 400 points.
• And in IPL Cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders opt to bowl against hosts Chennai Super Kings.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the resolve to uplift the poor and the deprived, the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, and the spirit of service are the guiding principles of the government today. Mr. Modi was addressing devotees at Shri Anandpur Dham in Isagarh, Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh today.
Referring to the government’s welfare schemes, Mr. Modi said that various initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, Ayushman Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and Jal Jeevan Mission are being implemented to make the lives of the poor and underprivileged sections of society easier.
He also mentioned the launch of a campaign called ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ to promote environmental protection. Mr. Modi added that amid the material progress in the world, we are facing various challenges related to war, conflict, and human values.
Earlier, the Prime Minister visited temples of the Paramhans Advaita sect, met with prominent spiritual leaders, and participated in a satsang program.
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Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 44 projects worth over three thousand eight hundred 84 crore rupees at Mehdiganj in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The projects include development in road infrastructure, electricity, education and tourism aimed at enhancing overall growth of the region.
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Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the BJP will contest the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls in an alliance led by the AIADMK. Interacting with the media in Chennai today, he said the Narendra Modi Government has allowed Tamil youth to write the UPSC exams in the Tamil language.
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Another Hurriyat-affiliated organization, the Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement, has rejected separatism, declaring its complete commitment to the unity of India. So far, as many as 12 Hurriyat-linked organizations have broken away from secessionism, placing their trust in the Constitution. In a social media post, Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the move. He said under the current government, the spirit of unity prevails in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that this is a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
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The Defence Research and Development Organisation has successfully conducted the release trials of Long-Range Glide Bomb Gaurav from the Su-30 MKI aircraft. According to the Defence Ministry, the trials successfully demonstrated a range close to 100 kilometres with accuracy.
Gaurav is a one thousand kilogram class glide bomb, designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat, Armament Research and Development Establishment and Integrated Test Range situated at Chandipur. Senior officials of DRDO and the Indian Air Force participated and reviewed these trials.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, IAF and industry for successful development trials of Gaurav. He said, the development of the Long Range Glide Bomb will further enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces to a great extent.
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Union Health Minister JP Nadda today launched the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Odisha. Launching the scheme at Bali Yatra Ground in Cuttack, he said as many as 61 crore people in the country are availing of the scheme’s benefits. Mr. Nadda said the Centre has spent 1.26 lakh crore rupees over the last six years on the treatment of poor people. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana will be implemented alongside the Odisha government’s Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana in the state.
“The Odisha government had inked an MoU with the Centre for the integration of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana with the Gopandhu Jan Arogya Yojana of Odisha. With this integration, around 3.52 crore people of 1.08 crore families including a significant percentage of tribal people in the state will be covered under the combined scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana. The combined scheme will provide health cover of 5 lakh rupees per family per annum with an additional 5 lakh rupees for women members. In addition to this, senior citizens aged above 70 will get free treatment under the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana. PRAKASH DASH, AKASHVANI NEWS, BHUBANESWAR.”
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President Droupadi Murmu has departed for home after a successful state visit to Portugal and Slovakia. President Droupadi Murmu attended an interactive session with members of the Indian business delegation in Bratislava, Slovakia, before departing for New Delhi.
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Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Mumbai that Maharashtra holds a very important position in the economy emerging from the creative sector, and with the aim of maintaining this position in the era of rapidly changing technology, WAVES 2025 is being organised in Mumbai. He was speaking to reporters after reviewing the preparations for WAVES along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
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Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw today said the Union cabinet has recently approved the Gondia-Ballarshah railway line, a 240 kilometer strategic corridor with an investment of 4,819 crore rupees. He said this transformative project is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing passenger and freight connectivity between northern and southern India and will boost regional economy and tourism. He was addressing a joint press conference in Mumbai today along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the theme “Better Infrastructure, Better Technology, Better Trains”.
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Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said that India and Italy are working to forge impactful partnerships across various sectors and elevate their strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic relationship. Addressing a joint press conference with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, in New Delhi this evening, Mr. Goyal stated that the comprehensive strategic relationship will significantly boost the current bilateral trade, which stands at 15 billion dollars.
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China’s finance ministry today announced that it has raised additional tariffs on US goods from 84 per cent to 125 per cent. In a statement, the ministry said, the U.S. side’s imposition of excessively high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic and trade rules and is simply an act of unilateral bullying and coercion. Investors had been waiting to see how Beijing would respond to US President Donald Trump’s move on Wednesday to effectively raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 per cent.
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The benchmark domestic equity indices today ended on a strong note following pause in reciprocal tariffs.
“The 30-share index at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex, surged 1,310 points, or 1.77 per cent to close at 75,157. The National Stock Exchange Nifty-50 rose 429 points, or 1.92 per cent to settle at 22,829. In the Forex market, the rupee today appreciated by 64 paise to close at 86 rupees and five paise against the US dollar. In the Indian Bullion Market, 24 Karat Gold was trading at 93,720 rupees per 10 grams, Brent Crude was trading at 63 dollars and 48 cents per barrel, when reports last came in. GOURAN DHAWAN LAL FOR AKASHVANI NEWS.”
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India’s foreign exchange reserves surged by 10.8 billion dollars, reaching over 676.2 billion dollars in the week ending April the 4th. According to the Weekly Statistical Supplement released by the Reserve Bank of India, during the last week, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, were up by over 9.07 billion dollars to over 574 billion dollars. Gold reserves increased by over 1.56 billion dollars and Special Drawing Rights advanced by 186 million dollars.
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The national capital, Delhi, experienced dust storms this evening following a sudden change in the weather. Flight operations were impacted, with a total of 15 flights diverted and several others delayed at Delhi airport due to dust storms and gusty winds.
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The India Meteorological Department has issued orange alert for heavy rainfall over Jammu-Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. According to the IMD, heavy rainfall is likely in Uttarakhand, Bihar, Kerala, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh today, as well as in Assam and Meghalaya during the next four days.
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In IPL T20 Cricket, Chennai Super Kings, CSK were 88 for 9 in 18.3 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, when reports last came in. Earlier, KKR won the toss and opted to field first.
Yesterday, CSK announced that former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will replace full-time captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for the remainder of the season.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, spirit of service and resolve to uplift poor and deprived is the policy of the government.
• BJP and AIADMK announce alliance for 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
• Jammu and Kashmir Mass Movement organisation dissociates from Hurriyat; Home Minister Amit Shah terms it victory for the vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
• DRDO successfully conducts release trials of Long-Range Glide Bomb Gaurav from Sukhoi -30 MKI aircraft.
• China raises tariffs on US goods to 125 per cent.
• Sensex surges over 1,300 points; Nifty-50 also rises more than 400 points.
• And in IPL Cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders opt to bowl against hosts Chennai Super Kings.
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