THE HEADLINES:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches several development projects in Haryana on 134th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar; Says recent changes in Waqf law will stop exploitation of poor and backward muslims.
• Drugs worth 1,800 crore rupees seized near International Maritime Border off Gujarat coast.
• Pakistan expels over eleven thousand Afghans during the last two days.
• First-ever all-women tourist spacecraft successfully returns to Earth after a short flight.
• Mascot and logo of Khelo India Youth Games 2025 to be held in Bihar from next month unveiled in Patna.
• And, Hockey India announces 26 member Women squad for upcoming Australia tour.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of a slew of development projects at Yamuna Nagar in Haryana, on the occasion of 134th birth anniversary of Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of 800 megawatt modern thermal power unit of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant worth around 8,470 crore rupees, to provide uninterrupted power supply across the state. He also laid the foundation stone of a Compressed Biogas Plant in Mukarabpur. Mr Modi also inaugurated the 14.4 km Rewari Bypass project, worth around 1,070 crore rupees under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Mr Modi expressed pride in his government’s commitment to advancing the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar. He highlighted Babasaheb’s belief that industrial development is a pathway to social justice.
Highlighting the critical role of electricity in building a developed India, the Prime Minister emphasized on the government’s multifaceted efforts to enhance power availability. Mr Modi said, increasing electricity production is essential to ensure that power shortages do not hinder nation-building.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Terminal Building of the Maharaja Agrasen airport at Hisar worth over 410 crore rupees. He also flagged off a commercial flight from Hisar to Ayodhya on the occasion. Speaking at the event, Mr Modi described the new airport and flights as inspirations for fulfilling Haryana’s aspirations. On amendments to the Waqf Act, the Prime Minister said, new provisions will honor the sanctity of Waqf, ensuring that the rights of poor and Pasmanda Muslim families, women, and children are upheld. He affirmed that this reflects the true spirit of the Constitution and genuine social justice.
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The nation is remembering Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary today. Several functions were held across the country to mark the occasion.
Addressing an event organized by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on the occasion in New Delhi today, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar said, the Panchteerth, associated with the life of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, is a source of inspiration for the young generation.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that Dr. Ambedkar has given three pillars to the country in the form of equality, liberty, and fraternity in the Constitution.
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In West Bengal, the Inspector General (South Bengal) of the Border Security Force, Ravi Gandhi, visited Samsherganj in Murshidabad today in view of the protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 in the state. He held a review meeting with senior officers. Meanwhile, Bhangar area, in the South 24 Parganas district, witnessed a protest. Police personnel were attacked, and vehicles were damaged. Some vehicles were also set on fire.
On the other hand, the BJP today hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks on the Waqf Amendment Act. Speaking to media in New Delhi, party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said Ms. Banerjee’s statement that her government will not implement the Act in the state, is an insult of the Constitution. Mr. Trivedi also accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of engaging in appeasement politics.
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In a major anti-drug operation, the Indian Coast Guard, in coordination with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), seized over 300 kilograms of methamphetamine worth 1,800 crore rupees in the Arabian Sea off Gujarat coast. Acting on specific information from the Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad, during a night operation, the Coast Guard ship intercepted a vessel near the International Maritime Boundary Line in the sea. Upon seeing the approaching ship, the smugglers, who were on a boat dumped the narcotics into the sea and fled across the international waters. Later, the Coast Guard team recovered the narcotics from the sea. The consignment was brought to Porbandar for investigation.
Speaking about the operation, Home Minister Amit Shah in a social media post said that the government is rooting out drug networks ruthlessly. The Home Minister noted that this seizure is another achievement to build a drug-free India.
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Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi has been arrested by the police in Belgium. A report claimed he was arrested on Saturday at the request of the Central Bureau of Investigation and is currently in jail. Choksi is wanted in connection with the Punjab National Bank loan fraud case. Reacting to Mehul Choksi’s arrest, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already said that the ones who have looted the money of the poor will have to return it.
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Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today launched the Nagaland Solar Mission in Kohima, aimed at accelerating the adoption of residential rooftop solar power systems across the state. The initiative aligns with the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, and seeks to make clean energy more accessible and affordable to households.
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In Bihar, at least three persons lost their lives in lightning strike in Arwal district this evening. The Weather Department has issued an alert for rain, gusty winds, hailstorms, and lightning in several areas of the state over the next 48 hours.
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The India Meteorological Department has forecast heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over Rajasthan and Gujarat during the next 2-3 days. The weather agency predicted similar conditions over Punjab, Haryana and West Madhya Pradesh during 16th to 18th of this month. The IMD said that Kerala and Mahe are expected to witness hot and humid weather conditions tomorrow.
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International News,
Pakistan continues to expel Afghan families through the Torkham border crossing in eastern Nangarhar and the Spin Boldak border crossing in southern Kandahar province. Afghanistan’s High Commission for Addressing Returnees Problems, in a statement, said the Pakistani agencies expelled a total of 852 Afghan families with 4,567 members, yesterday. The commission said, on Saturday, Pakistan had expelled a total of 6,500 Afghan refugees. As per the media reports, Pakistani government is set to deport three million Afghans to their home country this year.
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Iran’s foreign minister will travel to Russia this week for consultations over Iran’s nuclear talks with the United States. During the visit, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The announcement of the trip came as details emerged regarding a second set of talks between Iran and the United States to follow up on an initial meeting over the weekend in Oman.
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First-ever all-women tourist space craft carrying a group of six women, including US singer-songwriter Katy Perry, blast off into the upper limits of Earth’s atmosphere on a rocket and successfully returned after a short flight.
“Blue Origin, the space company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos launched the New Shepard’s 11th Human Flight, NS-31 spacecraft from western Texas at around 7 pm, Indian Time. It was the first all-women tourist spacecraft since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s historic solo flight in 1963. The passengers were carried to more than 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, beyond the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space during the flight which lasted for some 10 minutes. The fully automated craft rose vertically before the crew capsule separated in mid-flight, then returned to the ground in a fall braked by parachutes and a retro rocket in Texas Desert. Crew members included TV presenter Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, founder of a campaign group against sexual violence, and Lauren Sánchez, a former journalist and fiancée of Jeff Bezos. New Shepard is a fully reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle developed for space tourism by Blue Origin. The vehicle is named after Alan Shepard, who became the first American to travel into space and the fifth person to walk on the Moon. RAMYA FROM NEWS DESK FOR AKASHVANI NEWS.”
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Sports News –
Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today unveiled the mascot and logo of Khelo India Youth Games 2025 in Patna. The games will be held in different cities of Bihar from 4th to 15th of next month. The mascot of Games is Gajsimha which symbolizes the power of elephant and heart of lion. The logo of the Games has been inspired from the rich cultural heritage of Bihar.
Talking to Akashvani News, Director General of Bihar State Sports Authority, Ravindran Shankaran said, over 8500 players will take part in the Games in different disciplines.
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Hockey India today announced the 26 member Women’s team squad for the upcoming tour of Australia. The five-match series is scheduled to take place from 26th of April to 4th of May. The series will see India face Australia A in the first two games, followed by three matches against the senior Australian team.
The squad will be led by dynamic midfielder Salima Tete, with experienced forward Navneet Kaur serving as the Vice-Captain. Seasoned goalkeeper Savita and young talent Bichu Devi Kharibam will share responsibilities between the posts.
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In IPL Cricket, Hosts Lucknow Super Giants were 155 for 4 in 19 overs against Chennai Super Kings at Ekana Cricket Stadium when reports last came in. Earlier, Chennai won the toss and opted to field.
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In our bilingual live phone-in programme “Public Speak” tonight from 9.30 pm, we will bring an insightful discussion on “Staying Safe during heat waves” with India Meteorological Department Scientist, Dr. R. K. Jenamani, and Professor in the Department of Medicine, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Dr. Anupam Prakash.
During the programme, listeners can ask questions to our experts on the telephone numbers 011 – 23421050 and 011 – 23314444 from 9:30 PM onwards tonight.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches several development projects in Haryana on 134th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar; Says recent changes in Waqf law will stop exploitation of poor and backward muslims.
• Drugs worth 1,800 crore rupees seized near International Maritime Border off Gujarat coast.
• Pakistan expels over eleven thousand Afghans during the last two days.
• First-ever all-women tourist spacecraft successfully returns to Earth after a short flight.
• Mascot and logo of Khelo India Youth Games 2025 to be held in Bihar from next month unveiled in Patna.
• And, Hockey India announces 26 member Women squad for upcoming Australia tour.
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