THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chair a meeting of Shree Somnath Trust at Sasan in Junagadh, Gujarat today; Visits Vantara animal rescue centre in Jamnagar.
- Home Minister Amit Shah vows to intensify crackdown on drug traffickers to build a drug-free India.
- Election Commission clarifies, duplication in Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers does not imply fake voters; Decides to ensure allotment of unique EPIC number to registered electors.
- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky terms US support crucial for his country, a day after public argument with President Donald Trump; Inks 2.84-billion-dollar loan deal with UK to bolster Ukrainian defence capabilities.
- In Tennis, Indo-Colombian pair of Rithvik Bollipalli and Nicolás Barrientos clinch Men’s doubles title of Chile Open.
- In ICC Champions Trophy Cricket, India to take on New Zealand in final group-stage encounter in Dubai in a short while.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting today of Shree Somnath Trust, which manages the world famous Somnath temple, in his capacity as its chairperson. The meeting will take place at Sasan, the headquarters of Gir National Park in Junagadh district of Gujarat. Prime Minister Modi will also offer prayers at the Somnath Temple.
Earlier in the day, Mr Modi visited Vantara, an animal rescue, conservation and rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar district. Vantara has been established in an area of nearly 3,000 acres in the district. Mr Modi reached Jamnagar last evening on a three-day visit to the state.
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will take a jungle safari ride in the Gir National Park, the last abode of Asiatic lions. Mr Modi will also chair the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife at Sasan to discuss national-level issues related to wildlife. This board functions for the promotion of conservation and development of wild life and forests with the Prime Minister as its chair person.
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Home Minister Amit Shah today vowed to intensify crackdown on drug traffickers to build a drug-free India. In a social media post, Mr Shah said, 29 drug traffickers have been convicted by the court in 12 different cases across India as a result of foolproof investigation with a bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom strategy. The Minister said the Narendra Modi government is unsparing in punishing drug traffickers who drag youth into addiction for money. He pledged to continue combating the drug menace with meticulous investigations to build a drug-free Bharat.
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Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi today highlighted the role of Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) in strengthening supply chains and ensuring food security in the country. Sharing a video message at the celebration of the 69th foundation day of Central Warehousing Corporation in New Delhi he said that CWC has made commendable efforts by creating additional food storage capacity of more than 21 lakh square feet during financial year 2023-24.
The CWC is a public sector warehouse operator that offers warehousing and logistics services.
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India has witnessed a considerable decrease in poverty over the last decade according to a new paper. The paper, published by economists Surjit S Bhalla and Karan Bhasin, analysed data from recently released household expenditure data for 2022-23 and 2023-24. Data from these surveys indicate a substantial decline in poverty levels in India. The paper claimed that extreme poverty in the country has dropped to negligible levels. The paper also stated that there is strong evidence that India has experienced a sharp reduction in inequality over the last twelve years from 2011-12 to 2023-24.
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In Haryana, the polling is underway for civic local body elections. The voting began at 8 am and will continue till 6 in the evening. Union Minister Manohar Lal exercised his franchise in Karnal. He also appealed to the people to vote in large numbers and elect a good local government. Polling was earlier slow in Faridabad and Rohtak but now people are coming to vote in large numbers.
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The Election Commission has clarified that duplication in Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number does not imply duplicate or fake voters. The Commission said this in a statement following certain media reports flagging the issue of electors of two different states having identical EPIC numbers. The Commission clarified that while EPIC numbers of some of the electors may be identical, the other details including demographic details, Assembly Constituency and polling booth are different for the electors with the same EPIC number. It said, any an elector can cast a vote only at their designated polling station in their respective Constituency in their State or Union Territory where they are enrolled in the electoral roll and nowhere else.
The poll body said, the allotment of identical EPIC number to some electors from different States and Union Territories was due to a decentralized and manual mechanism being followed prior to shifting of the electoral roll database to the ERONET platform. This resulted in certain State and Union Territory CEO offices using the same EPIC alphanumeric series and leaving a scope for the possibility of duplicate EPIC numbers being allotted to electors in different Assembly Constituencies in different States and Union Territories. The Commission further stated that to allay any apprehensions, it has decided to ensure allotment of unique EPIC number to registered electors. Any case of duplicate EPIC numbers will be rectified by allotting a unique EPIC number. The ERONET 2.0 platform will be updated to aid and assist in this process.
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In Uttarakhand, the death toll has risen to five in the avalanche incident at Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village in Chamoli district as rescue teams recovered another body today. Meanwhile, the search operation for the remaining three workers continues at the avalanche site. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the disaster control room in Dehradun and took stock of the situation. He said, the district administration along with Army, ITBP, SDRF and NDRF are engaged in the rescue operation on a war footing.
The avalanche hit the Border Roads Organisation camp between Mana and Badrinath on Friday morning, burying 54 workers under the snow.
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In order to curb air pollution levels in the national capital, the Delhi Government has decided that vehicles which are more than 15-year-old will not get fuel at petrol pumps after the 31st of March. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced several anti-pollution measures after holding a meeting with the officials. Talking to media after the meeting, Mr Sirsa said that the government is installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that US President Donald Trump’s support is crucial for his country. The statement comes a day after his unprecedented verbal spat with President Trump and his Vice President JD Vance during a meeting in the White House. In a social media post after arriving in London, President Zelenskyy said, Ukraine is grateful to the US for all the support, especially during three years of war with Russia. He added, President Trump wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy is on a visit to the United Kingdom to attend the European summit in London. The Ukrainian President met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer yesterday. The UK Prime Minister agreed to provide a 2.8 billion US dollar loan to Ukraine. He reiterated the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine.
President Zelensky said, the loan will enhance Ukraine’s defence capabilities and will be repaid using revenues from frozen Russian assets.
President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet King Charles III and a group of European allies today, to further solidify diplomatic efforts on the international stage.
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Israel has agreed to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza during the Ramzan and passover periods. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in a statement today said it has agreed to implement the US envoy Steve Witkoff’s idea of a ceasefire extension if Palestinian group Hamas agreed to it. The decision comes as the first phase of a previously agreed ceasefire was nearing its expiration. It further stated that half of the hostages held in Gaza, both alive and deceased, will be released on the first day of the temporary ceasefire.
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US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. The order overturns a mandate from former President Bill Clinton, which required federal agencies and recipients of federal funding to provide assistance to non-English speakers.
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The fasting month of Ramazan began across the country from today. The worshippers thronged mosques last night, to offer special night prayers called “Traweeh”, which will continue throughout the month. Ramazan is the ninth month of Islamic calender and Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated at the culmination of this month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the occasion. In a social media post, Mr. Modi wished that the sacred month bring peace and harmony in the society. In the Gulf countries, today is the second day of the holy month of Ramazan.
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In ICC Champions Trophy Cricket, India will take on New Zealand in their final group-stage encounter in Dubai in a short while. New Zealand have won the toss and opted to field.
Both teams have already secured a spot in the semifinals from Group A. However, the match is crucial as it will determine the group leader. We have a report:
“The weather in Dubai is set to provide perfect cricketing conditions, with clear skies, temperatures in the mid-20s, and no chance of rain. At the Dubai International Stadium, fans are riding high on India’s winning streak and are optimistic about today’s match, creating an electric atmosphere in the stands.
Both teams have shown remarkable consistency throughout the tournament. India’s batting unit has been in outstanding form, with key players stepping up at crucial moments. New Zealand, known for their disciplined and well-structured approach, have displayed a balanced game. Ahead of the match, India’s KL Rahul shared his thoughts on the challenge ahead.
With both teams level on four points, the result of this match will decide their semi-final opponents. This is Vinod Kumar, for Akashvani News, from Dubai”
In Tennis, India’s Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and his Colombian partner Nicolás Barrientos have clinched the Men’s doubles title at the Chile Open in Santiago. The Indian-Columbian duo upset top seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni of Argentina in straight sets last night. This is the first title of Rithvik and Nicolas as a team.
Meanwhile, India made a stunning sweep in the World Table Tennis Youth Contender event that concluded at Vadodara in Gujarat yesterday, claiming 22 out of the 24 available titles. In the Under 19 Boys’ category, Ankur Bhattacharjee delivered a flawless performance, defeating Abhinandh Pradhivadhi 3-NIL. Bhattacharjee won the category without dropping a single set, proving why he was the favourite to win the event from the start.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chair a meeting of Shree Somnath Trust at Sasan in Junagadh, Gujarat today; Visits Vantara animal rescue centre in Jamnagar.
- Home Minister Amit Shah vows to intensify crackdown on drug traffickers to build a drug-free India.
- Election Commission clarifies, duplication in Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers does not imply fake voters; Decides to ensure allotment of unique EPIC number to registered electors.
- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky terms US support crucial for his country, a day after public argument with President Donald Trump; Inks 2.84 billion dollar loan deal with UK to bolster Ukrainian defence capabilities.
- In Tennis, Indo-Colombian pair of Rithvik Bollipalli and Nicolás Barrientos clinch Men’s doubles title of Chile Open.
- In ICC Champions Trophy Cricket, New Zealand win toss and opt to field against India in final group-stage encounter in Dubai.
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