Midday News -

THE HEADLINES :-

Prime Minister highlights 11 Years of Infrastructure Revolution in India; Says India’s infra boom driving ease of living and enhancing prosperity.
India’s market capitalization soars by one trillion dollars since March; Highest gain among top 10 markets globally.
India’s social security coverage increases from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025.
North India reels under extreme heat wave as temperature rises above 47 degree Celsius in some parts of Punjab and Rajasthan.
Taiwan thanks India for rescuing 18 crew members of the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel.
Trump Administration imposes limited curfew in Los Angeles amid ongoing unrest over immigration raids.
In Cricket, South Africa and Australia set to clash in World Test Championship Final at Lord’s this afternoon.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised that India’s push for next-generation infrastructure is powered by sustainability and long-term vision. In a social media post, Mr Modi said it is laying the foundations of a self-reliant India. The Prime Minister said it has been eleven years of Infra Revolution, with outstanding infrastructure being added that has enhanced India’s growth trajectory. He said, from railways to highways, ports to airports, India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure network is boosting ease of living and enhancing prosperity.

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India has undergone a decade of remarkable transformation, driven by the principles of Seva, Sushasan, and Garib Kalyan. Akashvani News brings you a special feature on the Government’s efforts over the last 11 years across key sectors. Today, we focus on the transformation of India’s Transport Infrastructure.

“Over the past decade, India has witnessed an unprecedented scale of infrastructure development, driven by a holistic and integrated approach. The daily average of highway construction has surged to an all-time high of 34 kilometres per day, nearly triple the pace in 2014. Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, over 20 thousand kilometres of highways have been constructed to develop economic corridors and reduce logistics costs. Meanwhile, rural connectivity has reached 99 per cent, with over 7.8 lakh kilometres of roads built since 2014 under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan has integrated 44 Ministries and 36 States and Union Territories on a GIS-based digital platform for unified infrastructure development. The Railways also witnessed massive capacity enhancement, with over 45 thousand route kilometres electrified and 68 Vande Bharat Express trains connecting 333 districts. Over 1300 railway stations are being modernised under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. In the aviation sector, 88 airports have been activated under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme. Metro rail connectivity now spans 23 cities, with India emerging as the third-largest metro network in the world. Ports and inland waterways have seen a quantum leap under the Sagarmala Programme, where 277 port-linked projects have been completed. The Statue of Unity, Chenab Railway Bridge – the world’s highest – and the Atal Tunnel, the world’s longest highway tunnel above 10 thousand feet, stand tall as symbols of India’s engineering marvels. Together, these milestones are driving productivity, improving connectivity, and laying the foundation for a Viksit Bharat by 2047. VISHNU PS, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Narendra Modi Government has rebuilt Bharat by presenting the nation with one engineering marvel after another in eleven years of the Infrastructure revolution. In a social media post, Mr Shah said the newly built state-of-the-art infrastructure projects have strengthened the unity of the nation by bringing the people closer and enabling the voluminous flow of trade and commerce at a speed never seen before.

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India’s listed companies have added nearly 1 trillion dollars in market capitalisation since early March 2025, driven by a sustained rally following a five-month correction between October 2024 and February 2025. In percentage terms, the market cap has surged by over 21 percent, the highest increase among the world’s top 10 equity markets. India is currently the fifth largest market globally, after the US, China, Japan and Hong Kong.

India’s benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty, have advanced by 12.5 per cent and 13.5 per cent during this period, while the broader BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices have climbed by over 20.7 per cent and 26 per cent.

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India’s social security coverage has increased from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025. According to the latest data from the International Labour Organization’s, the coverage reflects 45 percentage point surge over the past decade. Recognising these efforts, International Labour Organisation (ILO) acknowledged India’s achievement and officially published on its dashboard that over 94 crore people, are now covered under at least one social protection benefit. In terms of beneficiary count, India now ranks second in the world, providing social protection to around 94 crore citizens. The Director General of ILO, praised India’s focused welfare policies for the poor and labour class under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

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JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, who led the all-party delegation to five countries, said the delegation effectively conveyed India’s strong stance against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism following Operation Sindoor during its various meetings. He stated that the delegation had visited Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore.

Speaking to a reporter in New Delhi, Mr. Jha said that during their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the delegates shared their experiences and submitted a report on the feedback they received during the visit.

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An extreme heatwave has swept across most parts of northern India, with temperatures rising well above normal. Bathinda in Punjab recorded a scorching 47.6 degree Celsius yesterday, while Ganganagar in Rajasthan saw temperatures soar to 47.4 degree Celsius. In Jammu and Kashmir, record-breaking temperatures were reported across the Jammu region with maximum temperatures reaching over 44 degree Celsius in some parts of the region. More from our correspondent:

“The weather department has forecast a four-day long heatwave with temperatures expected to soar 4-5 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, intensifying health concerns and prompting government advisories across Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu district on Tuesday recorded the hottest day of the season with mercury at 44.4 degree Celsius, which is 5.6°C above normal, Bhaderwah’s maximum temperature settled at 33.4°C, which was 3.6°C above normal. As per the MeT department the heat wave is expected to continue for the next few days. The weather Department has said the heatwave will persist up to June 13 and this is the most intense heat spell of the season so far. N. Gulshan Raina For Akashvani News, Jammu.”

The Meteorological Department has predicted that heatwave conditions will continue to prevail over North Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh for the next two days.

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Taiwan thanked India today for rescuing 18 crew members of a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel that recently caught fire about 70 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. According to a spokesperson for the Indian Navy, the vessel had reported an internal container explosion, resulting in a major fire onboard.

In a closely coordinated search and rescue operation involving the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, DG Shipping, and other stakeholders, 18 out of 22 crew members were safely rescued on Monday. The whereabouts of the remaining four crew members, who were part of the ship’s Fire and Safety Department, are currently being ascertained.

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A limited curfew came into effect yesterday in several areas of downtown Los Angeles, California, following several nights of unrest. The curfew was in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and may continue for several days. Mayor Karen Bass, addressing reporters, acknowledged the strain on local police but slammed federal interference, particularly the Trump administration’s decision to deploy military forces without state consent. California Governor Gavin Newsom responded sharply, saying Trump’s actions amount to an infringement on state sovereignty. The demonstrations against Trump administration’s immigration crackdown have intensified and spread far beyond Los Angeles, with thousands of people gathering in at least two dozen cities.

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A Pakistani citizen, Shahzeb Khan, residing in Canada has been extradited to the United States to face terrorism-related charges. In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed Khan’s extradition and commended the cross-border intelligence sharing that helped prevent the planned attack.

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The launch of the Axiom-4 mission, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to space, has been postponed again due to a liquid oxygen leak in the propulsion system. In a social media post, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan stated that the leak was detected in the propulsion bay during a hot test conducted on the launch pad.

A new launch date has not yet been announced.

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In the run-up to International Yoga Day 2025 on 21st June, a ” Yoga at Workplace ” workshop was organised at Akashvani’s Rang Bhawan in New Delhi today. The session was taken by Dr Punit Chaturvedi, Assistant Professor, Swasthvritta & Yoga Department, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur. The session included interactive and live demonstrations on various work-friendly yoga exercises.

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In Odisha, different rituals of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan on the occasion of Deva Snana Purnima have been going on since this morning in the holy city of Puri. Deva Snana Purnima festival marks the beginning of the annual Rath Yatra of the Lords and is held on the full-moon day of the month of ‘Jyestha’. More from our Correspondent:

“The Deva Snana Purnima is being observed in the holy city of Puri with all religious fervour since this morning. Lord Jagananth, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan are being given a ceremonial bath on the bathing platform in the Sri Mandir premises with 108 pitchers of aromatic sacred water. Gajapati King of Puri Dibyasingha Deb is scheduled to perform the ‘Chherapahanra’ on the ‘Snana Bedi’ at 3.30 this afternoon, following which the deities will be dressed in elephant attire, famously known as the ‘Hati Besha’ of the ‘Gajanana Besha’. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took part in the ‘Pahandi’ rituals and Snana Utsav of the Lords early this morning, marking a spiritual beginning to the final phase of preparations for the upcoming world-famous Rath Yatra festival in Puri, scheduled to be held on the 27th of this month. Prakash Dash, Akashvani News, Bhubaneswar.”

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to the great poet and social reformer Sant Kabir Das on his birth anniversary, who devoted his life towards social harmony. In a video message, Mr. Modi highlighted that Sant Kabir’s contribution to eliminating social evils will always be remembered with reverence.

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In Cricket, Australia will defend their World Test Championship crown against South Africa at Lord’s in London today. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm IST.

This will be Australia’s second consecutive appearance in a World Test Championship final, having won the 2023 edition against India. Meanwhile, South Africa mark its first-ever shot at Test cricket’s ultimate prize.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :-

Prime Minister highlights 11 Years of Infrastructure Revolution in India; Says India’s infra boom driving ease of living and enhancing prosperity.
India’s market capitalization soars by one trillion dollars since March; Highest gain among top 10 markets globally.
India’s social security coverage increases from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025.
North India reels under extreme heat wave as temperature rises above 47 degree Celsius in some parts of Punjab and Rajasthan.
Taiwan thanks India for rescuing 18 crew members of the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel.
Trump Administration imposes limited curfew in Los Angeles amid ongoing unrest over immigration raids.
In Cricket, South Africa and Australia set to clash in World Test Championship Final at Lord’s this afternoon.