Evening News -

THE HEADLINES:-

Monsoon Session of Parliament to be convened from 21st of next month.
Centre to conduct Population Census with caste enumeration in two phases, beginning October 2026.
Government seeking political consensus to initiate impeachment proceedings against High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, says Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
India cautions Asian Development Bank against extending financial support to Pakistan over potential misuse of resources.
At least 11 people killed in stampede during celebrations marking RCB’s first-ever IPL victory in Bengaluru.
IMD forecasts light to moderate rainfall over Northeast India during next seven days; Bad weather halts efforts to evacuate stranded tourists in flood-hit Sikkim.

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The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin from the 21st of next month. This comes in the backdrop of Opposition parties’ demand to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor. Talking to media in New Delhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the session will conclude on the 12th of August.

This will be the first Parliament Session after Operation Sindoor which was launched by India following the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed.

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The Government has decided to conduct Population Census-2027 along with the enumeration of castes in two phases, beginning from October 2026. The first phase will be conducted in hilly and snow-hit areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh beginning the 1st of October, next year. The second phase covering other parts of the country will be held from the 1st of March 2027. The last census was conducted in 2011 in two phases. Our correspondent has filed this report.

“The notification for the intent of conducting the Population Census is likely to be published in the official gazette on the 16th of this month. The process of the Census begins with the issuance of the notification. Census 2021 was also proposed to be conducted in two phases, with phase I during April-September 2020 and the second phase in February 2021. All the preparations for the first phase of the Census to be conducted in 2021 were completed. However, the census work was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. The Indian Census is one of the largest administrative and statistical exercises in the world. Census provides a picture of the country’s demographic, economic, social, and cultural profile. The Census also serves as a foundation for conducting other surveys across the country. With Anand Kumar, Suparna Saikia, AKashvani News, Delhi.”

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The Government today said it is working on building a consensus among all political parties to initiate the process to bring an impeachment motion against High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. A large stash of cash was recovered from the official residence of Justice Varma in New Delhi a few months ago. Talking to media in the National Capital, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that any discussion on corruption-whether in the judiciary or elsewhere-must be approached with the nation’s best interests in mind.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles today exchanged ideas to further strengthen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, who called on Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi this afternoon, reiterated his country’s support to India’s fight against cross-border terrorism.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Australian counterpart in the National Capital. During the discussions, both leaders strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today said India and Australia have witnessed an enormous deepening and diversification of bilateral cooperation. Speaking at an event commemorating five years of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in New Delhi, Dr Jaishankar said Australia is among India’s closest political friends and strongest security partners.

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India has cautioned the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding the possibility of misuse of its resources on extending any form of financial support to Pakistan. Sources said that New Delhi has shared deep concern regarding the potential misuse of ADB resources, particularly in light of Islamabad’s increasing defence expenditure, its declining tax-to-GDP ratio, and the lack of demonstrable progress on key macroeconomic reforms.

India highlighted that Pakistan’s tax collection as a share of GDP declined from 13.0 per cent in Financial Year 2018 to 9.2 per cent in Financial Year 2023.

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President Droupadi Murmu today conferred Distinguished Service Decorations during phase two of the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2025 at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. 92 personnel of the Armed Forces, Indian Coast Guard and Border Roads Organisation were awarded by the President. 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, five Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 57 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals were given for distinguished service.

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As the Nation celebrates the success of Operation Sindoor, Akashvani News brings a special series paying tribute to the unwavering dedication and valor of our Armed Forces. Today, we remember Param Vir Chakra awardee Naik Jadunath Singh, who made the supreme sacrifice during the India-Pakistan war of 1947-48.

“Born in 1916 in Uttar Pradesh, Naik Jadunath Singh was commissioned into 1 Rajput Regiment 1941. During the Indo-Pak war of 1947-48, Pakistani raiders gained a strategic advantage in the Naushahra Sector. Indian forces fortified key positions, including Tain Dhar ridge, where Naik Jadunath Singh commanded a forward post of nine men. On the foggy morning of February 6, in 1948, the enemy launched a massive assault on Tain Dhar. Hundreds of raiders advanced toward Picket No. 2. Despite being outnumbered, Naik Jadunath Singh led a fierce resistance, forcing the enemy to retreat. When four of his men were wounded, he quickly reorganized the remaining soldiers. Though injured himself, he took over the Bren gun from the wounded gunner and delivered devastating fire, halting a second enemy wave. With all his comrades either killed or wounded, a third and final wave of attackers charged the post. Bleeding and alone, Naik Jadunath Singh emerged from his sangar with a sten gun and charged at the enemy. His fearless assault unnerved the attackers, who fled in panic. In this final act of valour, he was struck down by two bullets to the head and chest. For his supreme sacrifice and extraordinary courage, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Saklen Akhtar, Akashvani News, Delhi.”

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Out of seven multi-party delegations carrying the message of India’s principled and resolute stand against terrorism, five delegations have now returned to India after concluding their successful visit to respective countries. During the visit, the delegations engaged with foreign leaders, senior officials, influential think tanks, media, and the Indian diaspora as part of their international outreach. The high-level multi-party delegation led by NCP MP Supriya Sule through a social media post thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after returning to India today following a successful visit to four nations. A delegation member, Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP said the countries they visited extended support to India’s fight against terrorism.

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In Karnataka, at least 11 people were killed and 33 others injured following a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the celebrations marking the first-ever IPL victory of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The stampede took place when thousands of fans attempted to enter the stadium in a hurry from various gates. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

The President and Prime Minister have expressed grief at the loss of lives in the incident.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of ten lakh rupees to the next of kin of each deceased. He said the state government will bear all the expenses for the injured. He also announced a magisterial enquiry into the incident.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall over Northeast India during the next seven days, with isolated heavy rainfall expected tomorrow. Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, East Rajasthan, and Karnataka are also expected to experience similar weather conditions over the next few days.

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The Sikkim Government is making relentless efforts to ensure evacuation of all stranded tourists in the flood-hit northern part of the state. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang chaired a high-level emergency meeting in this regard today to assess the critical situation unfolding in Mangan district. However, constant bad weather halted helicopter sorties from Pakyong Greenfield Airport for the day, delaying further evacuation of stranded tourists in the flood-hit state. Meanwhile, over 100 stranded tourists have successfully reached Chaten from Lachen.

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In Assam, the flood situation remains grim, impacting over six lakh people across 21 districts. The death toll in flood-related incidents has risen to 12, with six fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. Teams from the National and State Disaster Response Forces are actively carrying out rescue and relief operations in the state.

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In Nagaland, a major landslide on National Highway-2 in Kohima district severely disrupted traffic movement between Kohima and Manipur. Meanwhile, after days of incessant rainfall, the state got a respite today with a light shower.

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Snapping their three-day losing streak, benchmark domestic equity indices closed with gains today. We have a report:-

“The 30-share index at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex, as well as the National Stock Exchange’s Nifty-50 closed 0.32 per cent higher from their previous day’s close. While the Sensex climbed 261 points to settle at 80,998, the Nifty-50 rose 78 points to end at 24,620. In the Forex market, the rupee today depreciated by 31 paise to close at 85 rupees and 90 paise against the US dollar. In the Indian Bullion Market, 24 Karat Gold was trading 98,010 rupees per 10 grams, while Silver 999 Fine was trading at 1,01,510 rupees per kilogram a short while ago. Brent Crude was trading at 65 dollars and 60 cents per barrel. WTI Crude was trading at 63 dollars and 51 cents per barrel, when reports last came in. VAIBHAV J. SRIVASTAVA For AKASHVANI News.”

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-

Monsoon Session of Parliament to be convened from 21st of next month.
Centre to conduct Population Census with caste enumeration in two phases, beginning October 2026.
Government seeking political consensus to initiate impeachment proceedings against High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, says Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
India cautions Asian Development Bank against extending financial support to Pakistan over potential misuse of resources.
At least 11 people killed in stampede during celebrations marking RCB’s first-ever IPL victory in Bengaluru.
IMD forecasts light to moderate rainfall over Northeast India during next seven days; Bad weather halts efforts to evacuate stranded tourists in flood-hit Sikkim.