Evening News -

THE HEADLINES:

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, abeyance of Indus Waters Treaty will greatly benefit farmers of Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefs Parliamentary Standing Committee on Current Foreign Policy Developments regarding India and Pakistan.
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar reaches the Netherlands to further boost bilateral ties.
United Kingdom and European Union reach a deal on food, fishing and defence sectors.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates first-ever Khelo India Beach Games in Diu.
And BCCI says, no decision taken yet on India’s participation in events of Asian Cricket Council.

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Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today asserted that the abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty will greatly benefit the farmers of Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and some parts of Himachal Pradesh. The Minister said this while interacting with different groups of farmers in New Delhi from across the country. Mr Chouhan emphasized that a comprehensive strategy on the utilization of this water will be made in the future to ensure maximum benefit for all. Mr Chouhan called the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a historic decision. He said, providing water to Pakistan is unjust to Indian farmers.

The Union Minister also interacted with the representatives of the farmer groups and took their suggestions over the Indus Waters Treaty.

Addressing a press conference Mr. Chouhan said that a nationwide campaign Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan will be launched from the 29th of this month and will continue until the 12th of June.

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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Current Foreign Policy Developments regarding India and Pakistan. He briefed the Committee, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, regarding Operation Sindoor and subsequent ceasefire announcement with Pakistan. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Tharoor spoke about the briefing:

This was the first time a top government official briefed a Parliamentary panel on foreign policy developments after the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory action against terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

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Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi today visited Longewala in Rajasthan in the forward areas of the Konark Corps in the desert sector. During his interaction with soldiers of the Konark Corps, the Army Chief congratulated the troops for their exemplary role during Operation SINDOOR. He also reviewed the joint actions taken in coordination with the Indian Air Force and the Border Security Force.

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Union Minister Pralhad Joshi today accused the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the Armed Forces through his comments on Operation Sindoor. In a social media post, Mr. Joshi said Mr. Gandhi continues to disrespect the nation’s Armed Forces despite clear statements from the Indian Air Force and the External Affairs Ministry confirming there were no asset losses in the operation.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also criticized Mr Gandhi over the issue. In the morning, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had questioned External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar over Operation Sindoor.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party’s National General Secretary, Tarun Chugh has said the alleged air assault attempt by Pakistan on Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar on 8th of this month, shows the mental bankruptcy of the Pakistani army and the government. Mr. Chugh said, our brave armed forces foiled the attempt made on the soul of India.

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As we celebrate the success of Operation Sindoor, the Nation salutes the valour of the Indian Soldiers.

As a tribute to the Armed Forces, Akashvani News is presenting a special series. Today we remember Param Vir Chakra awardee Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran who gave supreme sacrifice during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka.

“Born in Bombay, Major Ramaswamy Parameshwaran was granted a Short Service Commission in the Mahar Regiment in January 1972. Under the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, many Indian Army units were dispatched to Sri Lanka to maintain law and order there. The Mahar, the unit of Major Parameshwaran, was also sent to Sri Lanka to participate in Operation Pawan. On 25th November 1987, Major Parameshwaran was returning with his column from a search operation late in the night. Suddenly, his column was ambushed by a group of militants. With great presence of mind, he encircled them from the rear and boldly charged on them. This completely surprised the militants. During hand to hand combat, one militant shot him in the chest. Undaunted by his grave injury, Major Parameshwaran snatched the rifle and shot him dead. Though critically wounded, he continued to give orders and inspired his men till he breathed his last. In this action, five militants were killed and three rifles and two rocket launchers were captured. Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran was awarded Param Vir Chakra for most conspicuous bravery and supreme sacrifice. The Nation salutes him. Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News, Delhi.”

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people of the country and abroad in the Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani on 25th May. It will be the 122nd episode of the monthly radio programme. People can submit their ideas and suggestions for the programme through the toll-free number 1800-11-7800. They can also share their input online via the Narendra Modi App or the MyGov Open Forum. Suggestions for the upcoming episode will be accepted until the 23rd of this month.

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In our bilingual live phone-in programme “Public Speak” at 9.30 tonight, we will bring an insightful discussion on “Prevention and Cure of Tuberculosis” with Dr Saurabh Mittal, Associate Professor, Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS and Dr Rohit Kumar, HOD, Pulmonary Medicine, Safdarjung Hospital.

During the programme, listeners will have the opportunity to ask our experts questions about causes, symptoms, early detection and cure of Tuberculosis.

To participate, simply dial the telephone numbers 011 – 23421050 and 011 – 23314444, 9:30 PM onwards tonight.

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In Bengaluru, overnight rain has inundated several parts of the city causing one death. The 35 year old woman died due to a wall collapse over her in Whitefield. At Kengeri around 100 houses were flooded and pump sets were used to flush out water.

“The rain continues to lash Bengaluru, disrupting normal life. Power cuts, traffic snarls, falling tree branches, inundated residential areas and offices were reported from several parts of the city. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar visited the Municipal Corporation Control room cum war room in the evening. They interacted with zonal offices and sought information on the situation in Sai Layout, Manyata Tech park and Silk Board junction, which saw maximum impact of rain. They issued instructions to clear stormwater drains and prevent waterlogging. Sudhindra, Akashvani News, Bengaluru.”

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah today launched the new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Portal in New Delhi today. The new portal will provide enhanced functionality, advanced security, and a user-friendly experience for the existing over 5 million OCI cardholders and new users. On this occasion, the Home Minister said that India is continuously striving to provide world-class immigration facilities to the OCI cardholders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the new Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Portal. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that with enhanced features and improved functionality, the new OCI Portal marks a major step forward in boosting citizen friendly digital governance.

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External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar held a meeting with strategic experts at the Hague in the Netherlands this morning. In a social media post after the meeting, Dr Jaishankar said, he had a good exchange of views with the experts. He said, they discussed why India and the Netherlands and the European Union should engage more deeply in an era of multi polarity and strategic autonomy. The External Affairs Minister reached the Hague on the first leg of his three nation visit to the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, during the visit, the EAM will meet the leadership of the three countries and hold discussions with his counterparts.

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The United Kingdom and European Union have reached a deal on food, fishing, defence, and providing UK travellers access to eGates. The UK government said the new deal will pave the way for the UK defence industry to participate in the EU’s proposed new 150 billion Euro Security Action for Europe defence fund.

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The telephonic call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is underway. Just before the call, in a statement, the White House said that U.S. President’s goal for today’s call with the Russian President is to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine.

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Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the first-ever Khelo India Beach Games at Ghoghla Beach in the Union territory of Diu a short while ago. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mandaviya said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several steps have been taken to promote sports in the country.

More than 1000 athletes from across the country will take part in the games. The games will culminate on Saturday.

“More than 1000 athletes from across the country will compete in six medal events and two demonstration sports over the next six days. This is the first time the Beach Games are being held under the ever-expanding Khelo India umbrella. The medal events include beach soccer, beach volleyball, beach kabaddi, beach sepak takraw, pencak silat, and open water swimming. Two traditional demonstration sports — mallakhamb and tug-of-war will also be staged during the games. Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse, administrator of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful Patel, along with several top sportspersons, graced the opening ceremony, which showcased rich culture of the region, including Gujarat’s folk dance Garba. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.”

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said today that any matter related to participation in events of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has not come up for discussion at any level. He added that any news or reports on the subject are purely speculative and imaginary in nature.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, abeyance of Indus Waters Treaty will greatly benefit farmers of Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefs Parliamentary Standing Committee on Current Foreign Policy Developments regarding India and Pakistan.
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar reaches the Netherlands to further boost bilateral ties.
United Kingdom and European Union reach a deal on food, fishing and defence sectors.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates first-ever Khelo India Beach Games in Diu.
And BCCI says, no decision taken yet on India’s participation in events of Asian Cricket Council.