THE HEADLINES:-
- India announces concessional Line of Credit of four thousand crore rupees for Bhutan to fund energy projects.
- Bihar Assembly election registers historic highest ever voter turnout of 66.91 per cent; Counting of votes to take place on Friday.
- Home Minister Amit Shah says perpetrators of Delhi blast to face full wrath of investigating agencies; Holds security review meetings in Delhi.
- President Droupadi Murmu to hold bilateral talks with President Duma Boko of Botswana in Gaborone today.
- And, Public Service Broadcasting Day being observed today.
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India announced a concessional Line of Credit of four thousand crore rupees for Bhutan to fund energy projects. The announcement was made, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Thimpu yesterday. The two leaders exchanged views to further enhance and strengthen bilateral ties. They also held discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both the leaders also jointly inaugurated the 1020 MW Punatsangchuu-II Hydroelectric Project, a milestone in energy partnership between India and Bhutan. They also witnessed exchange of three MoUs in the fields of renewable energy, mental health services, and healthcare to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. Today, on the second day of his visit, Prime Minister Modi will be participating in Kalachakra Empowerment ceremony being organised at Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu.
“The festival is a three days of Kalachakra empowerment, a complex and extensive ritual in Tibetan Buddhism that grants empowerment conferring the power to undertake specific meditative practices for achieving enlightenment. The Kalachakra Initiation symbolises the union of time, cosmos, and human experience. Kalachakra empowerment ceremony is being presided over by his holiness Je Khenpo. Alongside the Global Peace Prayer Festival, there will be an exhibition of Kalachakra art and artefacts as well as scholarly seminars on Kalachakra. On Tuesday, with participation of Prime Minister of India on celebration of 70th birthday celebration of 4th King of Bhutan Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuk, Friendship between Bharat and Bhutan is strengthened. With signing of MoUs in connectivity, Education and Health sector and INR 4000 Crore in line of credit to Bhutan will further foster the friendly bond between two Nations. Sweta Singh/Akashvani News/Thimpu.”
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Polling in Bihar Assembly elections has concluded with a historic highest ever voter turnout of 66.91 per cent. The polling was held in two phases on 6th November and 11th November for all 243 Assembly constituencies.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that the voters of Bihar have created history in independent India. He said, in all the elections that took place since 1951, the highest voting percentage was recorded in 2025 which is approximately 66.9 per cent.
Our correspondent reports that one of the most remarkable aspects of this election was the enthusiastic participation of women voters, who turned out in larger numbers than men.
“The two-phase Assembly elections witnessed an unprecedented level of participation from voters across urban and rural areas, marking a new milestone in Bihar’s electoral history. The first phase registered over 65 per cent polling while the second phase recorded around 69 per cent voting. Bihar also recorded highest ever female voter turnout in its history. The turnout of male voters was 62.8 per cent and the female voters was 71.6 per cent. No major incident of violence or booth capturing was reported during both the phases, and polling remained completely peaceful. For the first time, 16 delegates from six countries namely, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Belgium and Colombia witnessed the poll proceedings as part of the International Election Visitors’ Programme this year. The Counting of votes for all 243 assembly constituencies will take place on 14th November during which the electoral fate of over two thousand 600 candidates will be known. With Dharmendra Rai, this is Anand Kumar for Akashvani News, Bettiah.”
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that everyone involved in Delhi blast incident will face the full wrath of investigating agencies. He chaired high-level security review meetings with senior officials in New Delhi yesterday to assess the situation following the car blast near the Red Fort in the national capital on Monday. He instructed the officials to hunt down each and every culprit behind the Delhi blast incident.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has handed over the probe into the incident to the National Investigation Agency. Delhi Police has registered a case under various Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosives Act, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has informed that Lal Qila Metro Station will remain closed due to security reasons. It said that all other stations are functional as normal. The Red Fort will also remain shut for visitors till tomorrow.
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The security agencies have recovered significant quantities of explosives in the raids conducted at multiple locations in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama. Sources said that during the raids carried out on the 9th and 10th of this month in Haryana’s Faridabad, agencies have confiscated almost three thousand Kilograms of explosives, along with detonators, timers and other bomb making material. Sources also said that it is believed to have led the suspect to act in the Delhi bomb incident under mounting pressure. It added that a major attack has been averted, credited to pan-India alertness and coordinated crackdown on suspect modules.
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Due to the prevailing security situation in the national capital, security measures at Delhi Airport have been strengthened, leading to longer than usual security screening times. In a passenger advisory, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) urged travellers to plan their journeys accordingly and arrive well in advance at the airport to avoid any last-minute inconvenience. DIAL also assured passengers that all teams and stakeholders are working closely with security agencies to minimise inconvenience and ensure a safe, and smooth travel experience for everyone.
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President Droupadi Murmu will hold bilateral talks with President Duma Boko of Botswana in Gaborone today.They will discuss and explore new avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and investments, technology, energy, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, defence, and people-to-people ties. Our correspondent covering the visit has the details.
“India-Botswana relations are marked by shared democratic values, mutual respect, and close cooperation across multiple sectors. Capacity building has been one of the strongest pillars of this partnership. Almost 750 professionals, students, civil servants and defence personnel from Botswana have been trained in India in the last 10 years. The trade relations have traditionally been dominated by the diamond and gems sector. India would now look to diversify into other sectors. Botswana’s Vision 2036 document also aims to diversify its economy to become a high-income society. This leads to promising opportunities for collaboration in sectors like healthcare, mining, digital banking, medical tourism, among others. India has also been engaging with Botswana for Project Cheetah. During President’s visit, select Cheetahs to be sent to India will be released into a quarantine facility, marking Botswana’s symbolic donation of cheetahs to India. Manish Shiva, Akashvani News, Botswana.”
President Droupadi Murmu will also address Parliamentarians, interact with members of the Indian community and visit sites of historic significance in Botswana during her visit. Several dignitaries from Botswana will also call on her.
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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Ontario in Canada today to participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with Outreach Partners, at the invitation of Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said that Dr. Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The Ministry added that the participation of the External Affairs Minister reflects India’s continued commitment to working with international partners in addressing global challenges and bolstering the voice of the Global South in international forums.
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The country is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its national song, Vande Mataram. A song that has inspired generations of Indians to unite, rise and celebrate the spirit of the nation. Today, our correspondent brings a reports on the timeless melody of Vande Mataram resonating through the soulful strains of Raag Desh.
“The majestic melody of Vande Mataram has been woven into the nostalgic Raag Desh, echoing the depths of patriotism and devotion. The most popular and recognized version of Vande Mataram is based on Raag Desh. This raag is known for its patriotic and devotional character and is often used for compositions that evoke love for the motherland. Raag Desh is an audava-sampurna raga, which uses five notes in ascent and all seven notes in descent. Its structure lends itself to expressing both veer rasa and shringar rasa ,making it suitable for a patriotic anthem. The mellifluous raag flows like a river through the emotions of India which reflects tranquil yet powerful feelings among the people. Legendary classical singer Pandit Bhimsen Joshi sang the soulful song in Raag desh ,leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all Indians. With Shivang and Saumya, this is Anuja Kumar, for Akashvani News.”
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Today is Public Service Broadcasting Day. This day is observed on the 12th of November every year to mark the historic address of the Father of the nation and freedom Fighter Mahatma Gandhi through the radio.
“A red letter day in the History of Broadcasting, father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi paid his first and only visit to the Broadcasting House in New Delhi on this day in 1947. Mr Gandhi addressed the grief-stricken Indians staying in Kurukshetra, and displaced from Pakistan, through a special broadcast on the country’s festival Deepawali. Freedom fighter Rajkumari Amrit Kaur also accompanied him during the visit. The studio in Broadcasting House was arranged in the style of his daily prayer meetings. On the next day, Hindustan Times featured a headline, Mahatma Gandhi described Radio as an example of miraculous power. Subsequently, Mr Gandhi’s daily prayer meetings in Birla House began to be recorded, and these recordings are preserved till this day in the Prasar Bharati Archives. In the year 2000, then Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sushma Swaraj announced that every 12th of November would henceforth be observed as Public Service Broadcasting Day. Since then, Akashvani has been celebrating the occasion every year with special programmes and events. With Rahisuddien and Rishu, Adarsh for Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES
- “From Pulwama to Faridabad: Red Fort blast probe focuses on terror web”, is the top headline in Hindustan Times. “Delhi blast toll hits 13; Pulwama doctor likely sole car occupant”, headlines The Hindu.
- Record 69% turnout caps Bihar Phase-2 polls. Women voters outnumber men, reports The Asian Age.
- Prime Minister Modi’s Bhutan visit focuses on connectivity, border infrastructure and clean energy cooperation, writes The Pioneer.
- And finally, as Delhi AQI turns ‘severe’ for the first time this year, GRAP 3 has been enforced in NCR, writes The Times of India.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-
- India announces concessional Line of Credit of four thousand crore rupees for Bhutan to fund energy projects.
- Bihar Assembly election registers historic highest ever voter turnout of 66.91 per cent; Counting of votes to take place on Friday.
- Home Minister Amit Shah says perpetrators of Delhi blast to face full wrath of investigating agencies; Holds security review meetings in Delhi.
- President Droupadi Murmu to hold bilateral talks with President Duma Boko of Botswana in Gaborone today.
- And, Public Service Broadcasting Day being observed today.
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