Midday News -

THE HEADLINES :

Five Army soldiers killed in a flash flood during tank warfare exercises in Ladakh; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expresses grief.
National Testing Agency announces fresh dates for UGC-NET, CSIR UGC-NET and NCET examinations.
Annual pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Shri Amaranth ji commences from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes; Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Yatris.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose files defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Southwest Monsoon extends further into North-West, Central and East India.
And in Cricket, Indian men gear up for T20 World Cup Final against South Africa in Barbados this evening.

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Five Army soldiers were killed during a tank warfare exercise in the Ladakh region last night when the stream through which the tanks were passing suddenly got flooded. An exercise of tank warfare was going on in the Daulat Beg Ode area near the line of actual control (LAC). In an Official Statement, defense spoke person in Leh said the mishap occurred while deinducting from a military training activity, an army T-72 tank got struck in the Shyok River, near Saser Brangsa, Eastern Ladakh due to sudden increase in the water level.

Rescue teams rushed to the location, but due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission didn’t succeed and the tank crew lost their lives. In Indian Army regrets loss of five brave personnel.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed grief on the loss of lives of five Indian Army soldiers in an unfortunate accident while getting the tank across a river in Ladakh. In a social media post, Mr Singh said, the countrymen will never forget exemplary service of the gallant soldiers to the nation. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families. The Defence Minister said, the nation stands firm with them during this hour of grief.

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The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced fresh dates for cancelled and postponed examinations. In a notification issued yesterday, the NTA said the UGC-NET June 2024 examination will now be held between 21st of August and 4th of September. The University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) was cancelled a day after being conducted on 18th of this month as the Education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. The UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility for the award of Junior Research Fellowship, for appointment of assistant professors and admission to PhD courses.

Joint CSIR-UGC-NET June-2024 Examination which was postponed as a preemptive measure will now be held from 25th to 27th of July. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) UGC-NET is accepted for PhD admissions in Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

The National Common Entrance Test (NCET) for admission to the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), which was also postponed, will now be conducted on 10th of July.

The NTA said that the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test 2024 will be held as per its actual schedule on 6th of next month. The NTA has advised the candidates to visit its official website www.nta.ac.in for further information.

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In the Kashmir Valley, the annual pilgrimage to the holy Cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji in upper Himalayas has formally commenced this morning. The 52-day long Yatra will culminate on the auspicious occasion of Shravan Poornima on 19th of August this year. More from our Srinagar Correspondent:

“Amid chanting of Bum Bum Bole, Har Har Mahadev, Bookhe ko Ann Pyase ko Paani, the second batch of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatris who had left Jammu Base Camp in the wee hours today has entered the Kashmir Valley, this afternoon. As per the reports last came shrine in, more than three thousand Yatris have paid their obeisance at the holy cave. Majority of the Yatris who paid obeisance today include those who reached the holy cave via Chopper service.

The Yatra is progressing smoothly on both the Yatra routes and it is expected that about seven to eight thousand Yatris shall pay their obeisance to the naturally formed ice Shivlingam in the holy cave located at an altitude of about 12,756 feet above the sea level, by this evening.

The Amarnath Ji Yatra which takes place every year amid tight security and vigil, has two routes, the traditional 48 kilometres long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14 kilometres long, shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place by the UT administration to ensure safe and smooth conduct of Yatra this year. Sunil Koul for Akashwani News from Srinagar.”

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed best wishes to all the pilgrims on the commencement of the holy Amarnath Yatra. In a social media post, Mr Modi said, this yatra associated with the darshan and worship of Baba Barfani infuses immense energy in the devotees of Lord Shiva. He wished that all the devotees will prosper with the blessings of Baba Barfani.

Conveying Best wishes to devotees, Home Minister Amit Shah said, Shri Amarnath Yatra is an eternal symbol of the traditionalism and continuity of Indian culture. He said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Government is committed for the safe, smooth and pleasant journey of the devotees and has made every possible arrangement to ensure that the devotees do not face any inconvenience.

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Home Minister Amit Shah has said that country is adopting best practices in Disaster Management and Nation Disaster Response Force NDRF should always aim for Zero Casualty in the wake of any disaster. Speaking at the flag-in ceremony of Mountaneering Expedition Vijay, Mr Shah said, today, not only in India but wherever there is a disaster in the world, people of the country and the world look towards NDRF. He said, no matter how adverse the situation is, if a NDRF Jawan is standing there, then the morale of the people trapped in the disaster increases manifold.

The Home Minister said, the Narendra Modi government has left no stone unturned in modernising the NDRF. On the occasion Mr Shah announced that the Government has approved Risk and Hardship Allowance for NDRF Jawans.

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West Bengal governor Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose had filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court. Earlier Mamata Banerjee has made a comment at a press conference at state secretariat Nabanna that women are afraid of going to Raj Bhavan Kolkata.

Before filing the defamation, Governor Bose criticised CM Mamata Banerjee for her remarks and stated it was expected of public representatives not to create erroneous and slanderous impressions. The governor also filed defamation suits against certain leaders of Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress party for making similar statements.

The controversy comes in the backdrop of a contractual female employee of Raj Bhavan accusing Bose of molestation on 2nd May, prompting Kolkata Police to launch an investigation.

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In Tamil Nadu, four persons were killed in a blast at a cracker factory at Sattur in Virudhunagar district. In the cracker factory, 50 labourers are engaged in cracker manufacturing. The accident occurred during the mixing of chemicals while preparing the crackers. Out of a total 15 rooms in the factory, three rooms became rubbles after the blast. Efforts are on to douse the fire. It is not known if there were labourers inside the rubble. Rescue work will resume after the fire is doused completely.

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The Jharkhand government has taken decision for 200 units per month free electricity for domestic consumers. This decision was taken at cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Champai Soren. Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel said the government will bear an additional burden of around 21 crore 70 lakh rupees per month for this.

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India presided over its first meeting as Chair of the ‘Colombo Process’ at the Permanent Representative Level Meeting in Geneva yesterday at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Headquarters. Ministry of External Affairs said, the meeting was marked by a spirit of cooperation and a shared vision towards the goals of the Colombo Process. Secretary Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs in Ministry of External Affairs Muktesh Pardeshi delivered the special address as the incoming Chair-in-Office.

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In Russia, at least five persons were killed as a fire raced through a dormitory in a Moscow suburb. Initial investigation showed the fire in the suburb of Balashikha was caused by an electrical fault. Media reports said, several residents were rescued from the burning two-storeyed building. The dormitory housed mainly foreign migrant workers.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release three books on the life and journey of former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu tomorrow afternoon through video conferencing. The event is taking place on the eve of 75th birthday of Mr Naidu and scheduled to be held at Anvaya Convention Centre in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

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The India Meterological Department (IMD) has said that Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, entire Delhi, remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, some more parts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and remaining parts of Uttarakhand.

It said, very heavy rainfall is expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Eastern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Konkan, Goa and Madhya Maharashtra today. Heavy rainfall can occur in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Coastal Karnataka, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

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In Cricket, India will lock horns with South Africa in the final of Men’s T20 World Cup at Barbados this evening. The match wil start at 8 PM Indian Standard Time. More from from our correspondent:

“Both India and South Africa are unbeaten in this tournament. They have shown exceptional performance with bat as well as ball. Team India is looking in a great touch as Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were already bowling well and now Axar Patel’s great spell against England in the semis shows India’s enhanced bowling attack. Skipper Rohit Sharma has also gained the momentum in last two matches, while Virat Kohli’s continuous poor performance in the tournament is a matter of concern for the men in blue. On the other hand, South Africa will be playing their maiden T20 World Cup final. The inaugural champions of the tournament, India, will try to stop their rival South Africa from lifting their first ever ICC trophy. In Bridgetown, the battle of two unbeaten teams will decide the winner of this edition of ICC Mens T20 World Cup. CHIRAG JHA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”

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Meanwhile in Women’s Cricket, the one off test match between India and South Africa is underway at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. South Africa were 106 for 2 to when last reports came in.

Earlier, India have declared their first inning at 603 runs for six wickets after 115.1 overs.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN::

Five Army soldiers killed in a flash flood during tank warfare exercises in Ladakh; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expresses grief.
National Testing Agency announces fresh dates for UGC-NET, CSIR UGC-NET and NCET examinations.
Annual pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Shri Amaranth ji commences from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes; Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Yatris.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose files defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Southwest Monsoon extends further into North-West, Central and East India.
And in Cricket, Indian men gear up for T20 World Cup Final against South Africa in Barbados this evening.