Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as he attends the Kisan Samman Sammelan, in Varanasi, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (PTI Photo)Latest News Live Updates: On his first visit to his constituency Varanasi since Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today released Rs 20,000 crore to over 9.26 crore farmers under the 17th instalment of PM-KISAN scheme. He also granted certificates to more than 30,000 women from self help groups (SHGs).
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Tuesday appointed IAS officer Ashwani Kumar as the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Kumar is a 1992-batch AGMUT-cadre officer and was currently serving as the Delhi Divisional Commissioner and Principal Secretary-Home.
Meanwhile, the evacuation of stranded tourists in the north Sikkim town of Chungthang is currently in progress after landslides blocked the highway. Officials reported that on Monday, sixty-four tourists were rescued from Lachung in North Sikkim and transported to Mangan town. However, the rescue operation was halted due to bad weather, with plans to resume on Tuesday to move the remaining tourists. Initially, authorities intended to airlift around 1,200 stranded tourists, but adverse weather conditions disrupted these plans. Instead, nine tourists were first transported to Mangan by road, followed by another 55 later in the day. To facilitate movement, the district administration constructed log bridges over landslides, allowing for travel on foot and by vehicles where possible.
Rahul Gandhi resigns from Wayanad seat, retains Rae Bareli
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has resigned from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat of Kerala and retained the Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said on Tuesday.
A Lok Sabha bulletin said his resignation has been accepted with effect from June 18.
Ending speculation on the issue, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Monday the decision on the two seats after the party's top brass held discussions at his residence in the national capital.
Rahul Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make her electoral debut by contesting the Wayanad bypoll.
Following Rahul Gandhi's resignation from one of the two seats he had won, the Congress' tally in the Lower House now stands at 98.
This is the first vacancy to be created in the just-formed 18th Lok Sabha. Read more
People of Varanasi not only chose me as MP for 3rd time but also PM: Modi
Speaking in his constituency, Modi said, "People of Varanasi have not only chosen me as MP for third time but also as the PM."
Number of voters in India 1.5 times those in G7 countries taken together: Modi
During PM Kisan Samman Sammelan, PM Modi said "I went to Italy recently to participate in the G7 Summit. If we add all the voters of the G7 countries, still the number of voters in India will be 1.5 times more..."
Under 17th instalment of PM-KISAN scheme, Modi releases Rs 20,000 crore for over 9.26 crore farmers
On his first visit to his constituency Varanasi since Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today released Rs 20,000 crore to over 9.26 crore farmers under the 17th instalment of PM-KISAN scheme. He also granted certificates to more than 30,000 women from self help groups (SHGs).
IAS officer Ashwani Kumar appointed as MCD Commissioner
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Tuesday appointed IAS officer Ashwani Kumar as the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Kumar is a 1992-batch AGMUT-cadre officer and was currently serving as the Delhi Divisional Commissioner and Principal Secretary Home.
At 172, India now has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan: Report
With 172 nuclear weapons, India is now ahead of Pakistan in the ranking of nuclear-armed countries across the world, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has found.
According to a report by SIPRI, released on Tuesday, India’s nuclear arsenal has seen a slight expansion, growing from 164 warheads in January 2023 to 172 warheads by January 2024, placing it 6th among the world’s nuclear-armed states. Pakistan, meanwhile, has recorded no increase in the number of warheads which stood at 170 both in January 2023 and 2024.
China’s nuclear arsenal has increased significantly from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 by January 2024, with expectations of continued growth, as noted by SIPRI. Read more
DID YOU KNOW? Elephants have names for each other
Scientists have found evidence with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that elephants have their own names that they use to address each other. The findings have put them among a few animals which give each other names. However, like humans, and unlike these animals, elephants address one another without imitating the addressee’s calls.
The study, ‘African elephants address one another with individually specific name-like calls’, was published in the journal Nature on June 10. It was carried out by Michael Pardo, Kurt Fristrup and George Wittemyer of Colorado State University (US), David Lolchuragi and Iain Douglas-Hamilton of Save The Elephants (Kenya), Joyce Poole and Petter Granl of ElephantVoices (Norway), and Cynthia Moss of Amboseli Elephant Research Project (Kenya)
Speaking to Nature, Pardo said, “There’s a lot more sophistication in animal lives than we are typically aware of… Elephants’ communication may be even more complex than we previously realised.” Continue reading
AAP leaders protest at Jantar Mantar, demand SC probe into NEET exam irregularities
AAP leaders, including Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, gathered at Jantar Mantar to protest against alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Bharadwaj highlighted claims of bribes and leaked exam papers in Bihar, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation. The exam, conducted by the NTA, saw over 24 lakh candidates appearing at 4,750 centres across 571 cities. (PTI)
‘Water turning red’, cow slaughter claims, and a communal clash in Odisha
Curfew was imposed in Odisha’s Balasore town late Monday night following a clash between two communities over suspicion of cow slaughter earlier in the day.
Though the administration initially imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 in certain pockets of the town, it later decided to impose curfew in the entire town to prevent the situation from escalating.
“Though there were no reports of fresh violence after prohibitory orders were imposed, we have decided to impose curfew in the entire municipality area as a precautionary measure,” said Balasore collector Ashish Thakare. Read
Not some 'prasad' for farmers, but their legitimate right: Congress on PM-KISAN
The Congress party, led by general secretary Jairam Ramesh, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the repetitive headlines surrounding the release of the 17th installment of the PM-KISAN scheme. Ramesh emphasized that the financial support to farmers is a legitimate right, not a favor, and called out the media for recycling the same news. Modi, on his first visit to Varanasi after assuming office for the third consecutive term, will release Rs 20,000 crore to over 9.26 crore farmers under the scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer. (PTI)
Train services at down line of Rangapani railway station resumed
Watvh | Jaipur development authority begins demolition to widen road in Rajasthan
Demolition work is underway by the Jaipur development authority to widen the road from Vande Bharat Marg to Heera Path.