THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi terms Mahakumbh as a Mahayagya of Unity; Says it lays strong foundation to keep Indian culture and heritage strong and rich.
- Global order will not be determined by developed nations asserts Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; Says India’s role is crucial for trade and technology in new world order.
- India criticises Pakistan at UNHRC; Calls it a failed state, reliant on international aid.
- Western disturbances bring heavy snowfall in upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh; IMD issues alert for heavy rainfall and hailstorm in various parts of Uttarakhand today.
- And in Cricket, Pakistan and Bangladesh to lock horns in ICC Men’s Champions Trophy at Rawalpindi this afternoon.
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Hailing the Mahakumbh as a Mahayagya of Unity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today remarked that India is proud of its heritage and treading forward with a new energy. The Prime Minister said the success of the Mahakumbh is a subject of study for modern management professionals, planning, and policy experts. He asserted that nowhere in the world there is any parallel example of this scale and after 144 years, saints have once again given a new message for Developed India – Viksit Bharat. Mr Modi penned down these thoughts in a blog shared today. Mr. Modi emphasised that the world watched in wonder how crores of people gathered at Prayagraj at the banks of the confluence of rivers. More from our Correspondent
“In his thoughts. Mr. Modi said the presence of the younger generation at theMahakumbh sends a profound message that the youth of India will be the torchbearers of India’s glorious culture and heritage and they understand their responsibility towards preserving it and are committed to carrying it forward. He highlighted that the number of people who arrived in Prayagraj for this Mahakumbh has undoubtedly created new records. In his words, what has happened in the last few weeks is unprecedented and has laid a foundation for centuries to come as nearly twice the population of the United States participated in this Ekta Ka Mahakumbh. Mr. Modi added that if scholars of spirituality, analyse the enthusiastic participation of crores of Indians, they will find that India is now surging ahead with a new-found energy. With Diwakar, Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News Delhi”
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Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, today, said that more than 16,000 trains were operated for the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. Addressing the media at the Prayagraj Junction, Mr Vaishnaw said around 4 crore 50 lakh passengers commuted in and out of Prayagraj through trains. He informed that the Railways had worked on this for the past two and a half years and invested around 5,000 crore rupees. He added that more than 21 flyovers and underpasses were constructed for the Mahakumbh. Mr Vaishnaw said that while planning this, the focus was on smooth travel of passengers.
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President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a four-day visit to Gujarat, visited the iconic unity statue today and offered floral tributes to the Iron Man Sardar Patel. She also visited several key attractions at Ekta Nagar. On the second day of her visit, the President is also scheduled to grace the 44th convocation ceremony of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad this evening. More from our correspondent:-
“After visiting the iconic Statue of Unity, the President took a jungle safari and explored the diverse wildlife at Ekta Nagar. She also visited the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya, the largest dam in Gujarat. Later, the President visited the Ekta Skill Development Centre in Ekta Nagar and interacted with the trainees. In the evening, the President will attend the 44th convocation ceremony of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and address the passing-out students. Nearly 430 students will receive degrees in various design disciplines at the convocation. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad”
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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that against all the challenges globally, India is moving ahead with growth. Addressing a media conclave in New Delhi today, Ms Sitharaman said, the global supply chain is where the concentration risks are posing challenges. She said these are very interesting but very challenging times. The Minister said the Global order will not be determined by the developed nations. She said trade and technology will play a crucial role in the new world order and India will need to participate. Ms Sitharaman said, developed countries also need technology and talent.
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The Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjrappu RamMohan Naidu inaugurated the Udan Yatri Cafe at Chennai International Airport today. In an interaction with the media, the Minister said such cafes would be extended to all the airports in the Country. He said that this would benefit all passengers as five to six items like water, tea, coffee, snacks and local sweets will be sold at 10 rupees and 20 rupees.
The Minister also informed that another terminal at Chennai airport will be inaugurated on the 26th of March and a new terminal will be built for the Chennai Airport.
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Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal, today, inaugurated the Bharat Calling Conference 2025 in Mumbai today. Addressing the conference Piyush Goyal said that strategic initiatives of the government including Make in India, Digital India, Startup India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, are driving innovation, infrastructure development, and economic transformation at an unprecedented scale.
He said ‘huge opportunities are unfolding in the country. He noted that Skill building makes the economy stronger. The Minister added that the Skill development will add more jobs in future.
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The Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Sanjay Jaju has said that the WAVES summit to be held in Mumbai from the 1st to the 4th of May will be one of its kind summit where all the verticals of media and entertainment will get together. Speaking at the inauguration of the GAFX event for the AVGC sector in Bengaluru today, Sanjay Jaju said that the summit will create opportunities for content creators and technology experts to come together and evolve a growth path for the AVGC sector in the country.
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The Delhi Assembly today resumed discussion on the CAG report related to the liquor policy of the previous Aam Aadmi Party government. Initiating the discussion, BJP MLA from Malviya Nagar, Satish Upadhyay said, the report revealed that the scrapped liquor policy implemented in 2021 caused a revenue loss of over two thousand crore rupees to the government exchequer. Another BJP MLA Shikha Roy demanded that the investigation must be conducted based on the CAG report and action must be taken against the guilty in this matter.
The report which was tabled in the Delhi Assembly by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta two days back flagged several discrepancies. Earlier Aam Aadmi Party MLAs today held a protest outside the Delhi Assembly alleging that they were not allowed to enter the Assembly premises.
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At the seventh meeting of the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, India has strongly criticized Pakistan, calling it a failed state reliant on international aid. Kshitij Tyagi, India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, accused Pakistan’s leaders of spreading falsehoods from their military-terrorist complex. He reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, will always remain an integral part of India, citing the region’s remarkable political, social, and economic progress in recent years.
Tyagi condemned Pakistan for using the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as a mouthpiece, stating it was unfortunate that the Council’s time was wasted by a state that thrives on instability and survives on international handouts.
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President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen will be on a two day visit to India beginning today. This will be President Leyen’s third visit to India. She will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar this evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold delegation level talks with the President of the European Commission tomorrow.
India and Europe are strategic partners since 2004 and their bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas. The visit of President von der Leyen and the EU College of Commissioners will pave the way for further strengthening of bilateral relations.
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US President Donald Trump has announced that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House tomorrow to sign an agreement giving US rights to his country’s rare earth minerals and there will also be a deal on Ukraine war. In opening remarks at the first meeting of his cabinet at the White House yesterday, President Trump said, it has all been worked out and they are going to make a deal with Russia and Ukraine to stop killing people.
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Due to the activity of the Western Disturbance in Himachal Pradesh, heavy rainfall and snowfall continue. An orange alert has been issued for heavy snowfall and rain in the upper regions of Himachal Pradesh.
“Heavy rainfall and snowfall persist in Himachal Pradesh due to the activity of western disturbance. The higher peaks of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts are experiencing intermittent snowfall, while lower and mid-altitude areas, including Shimla, continue to receive sporadic rain. Across the State, 211 roads, including two national highways, are closed to traffic, and movement through the Atal Tunnel Rohtang is also disrupted. In the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, snowfall up to one foot has led to power outages in 90% of the villages. The District Administration has ordered the closure of all educational institutions and offices here today. The Meteorological Center Shimla has issued an Orange Alert for heavy rain and snowfall over the next two days in the State. Ritesh Kapoor, Akashvani News, Shimla”
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall and hailstorm in various parts of Uttarakhand today, along with heavy snowfall in the higher mountain regions.
Additionally, an orange alert has been issued for tomorrow in the hilly areas of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar, forecasting heavy to very heavy snowfall.
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In the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy Cricket, Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns in their last Champions Trophy group game in Rawalpindi today. The match is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM IST. Both teams are still searching for their first win of the tournament. Yesterday, Afghanistan defeated England by 8 runs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi terms Mahakumbh as a Mahayagya of Unity; Says it lays strong foundation to keep Indian culture and heritage strong and rich.
- Global order will not be determined by developed nations asserts Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; Says India’s role is crucial for trade and technology in new world order.
- India criticises Pakistan at UNHRC; Calls it a failed state, reliant on international aid.
- Western disturbances bring heavy snowfall in upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh; IMD issues alert for heavy rainfall and hailstorm in various parts of Uttarakhand today.
- And in Cricket, Pakistan and Bangladesh to lock horns in ICC Men’s Champions Trophy at Rawalpindi this afternoon.
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