Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday India is the most ancient living civilisation of the world due to the immortal ideas and philosophies of its saints and seers. Speaking at the centenary celebrations of Jain spiritual figure Acharya Vidyanand Maharaj's birth anniversary here, PM Modi paid rich tributes to his contribution in different fields and asserted that his ideas have inspired the government's welfare schemes. Be it providing house, drinking water or health insurance, the government is ensuring saturation coverage of its welfare measures so that no one is left behind, he said. PM Modi also referred to the preceding speech of a Jain seer, noting that he was apparently blessing Operation Sindoor. The prime minister's mere mention of "Jo humein chhedega" brought massive cheers from the audience but he did not dwell any further on the issue. He said India introduced the world to the strength of "ahimsa" (non-violence) when it used violence to quell violence for thous
The Centre will hold a meeting of Cooperation Ministers of all states and Union Territories on June 30 to discuss ways to strengthen the cooperative sector in the country. The 'Manthan Baithak' at Bharat Mandapam here will be chaired by Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah. The meeting would discuss all major initiatives of the government, including establishment of 2 lakh new Multi-purpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), dairy and fisheries cooperative societies to strengthen last-mile rural service delivery. A key highlight will be the deliberation on the world's largest grain storage scheme in the cooperative sector. The meeting will serve as a platform to review progress, exchange views and chart the way forward to achieve the collective goal of strengthening the cooperative sector in the country, an official statement said. It aims to foster a shared understanding and develop a coordinated endeavour to advance the Prime Minister's vision of 'Sahkar Se Samrid
The Congress on Tuesday attacked the Centre over interest rates on savings accounts reportedly reaching the lowest level in 25 years, alleging that the Modi government has in the last 11 years left no stone unturned in "ruining" the country's rapidly growing economy. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which claimed that the 1% cut in repo rate by the RBI has forced banks to reduce their deposit rates, pushing savings account interest rates to a 25-year low. "In the last 11 years, the Modi government has left no stone unturned in ruining the country's rapidly growing economy. Starting with demonetization, new experiments are being conducted on the people of the country every year, they are being tortured in new ways everyday," Ramesh said in a post on X in Hindi. The interest rates on savings accounts have reached the lowest level in 25 years, which is directly hitting the pockets of the elderly and the common citizens, he ...
The Congress on Monday attacked the Modi government over the Women and Child Development Ministry ordering face recognition authentication to be made mandatory for anganwadi beneficiaries, alleging that it is systematically using technology to exclude the most vulnerable sections of society from social welfare entitlements. The opposition party also said Digital India must enable, not disempower, and it must not remain a "Preach Inclusion Practice Exclusion (PIPE) dream". The ministry has directed all states and Union territories to implement a mandatory face recognition system for take-home ration distribution and child attendance monitoring at anganwadi centres. According to a letter issued by the ministry last month, the face recognition feature will now be accessible within the beneficiary profiles on the Poshan tracker application. Beneficiaries will also have the option to self-register using the citizen module of the tracker for e-KYC and photo capture. Reacting to the ...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mastered the "art of slogans" but offers no solutions, and claimed that India's manufacturing was at a record low despite the 'Make in India' initiative. "'Make in India' promised a factory boom. So why is manufacturing at record lows, youth unemployment at record highs, and why have imports from China more than doubled? "Modi ji has mastered the art of slogans, not solutions. Since 2014, manufacturing has fallen to 14 per cent of our economy," he said in a post on X. Gandhi, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, said Modi has "no new ideas" and has "surrendered". "Even the much-hyped PLI scheme is now being quietly rolled back," he alleged. Gandhi said India needs a fundamental shift, one that empowers lakhs of producers through honest reforms and financial support. "We must stop being a market for others. If we don't build here, we'll keep buying from those who do. The clock is ticking," he said. G
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday strongly criticised India's silence on Israel's devastation in Gaza and Iran as "not just a loss of its voice, but also a surrender of values". In an article - "It is still not too late for India's voice to be heard", she accused the Narendra Modi government of abandoning India's long-standing and principled commitment to a peaceful two-nation solution envisioning an independent Palestine along with Israel. Gandhi, in the article, was also critical of US President Donald Trump for following a "destructive path" in West Asia, after having spoken against America's endless wars. "New Delhi's silence on the devastation in Gaza and now on the unprovoked escalation against Iran reflects a disturbing departure from our moral and diplomatic traditions. This represents not just a loss of voice but also a surrender of values," the Congress leader said in her article in 'The Hindu'. "It is still not too late. India must speak .
Union Home Minister has failed singularly in bringing the terrorists who carried out the brutal terror attacks in Pahalgam to justice, Ramesh added
The sharp political attack, posted on Friday early morning, aimed to highlight what Yadav called the failures of the BJP-led governments at both the state and central levels
The bureaucratic challenge of organising the world's biggest census is immense
According to MEA, PM Modi will visit Cyprus on June 15-16, followed by participation in the G-7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on June 16-17, and finally, an official visit to Croatia on June 18
Yoga has transformed from a personal wellness routine into a global mass movement, over the past 10 years, due to the consistent efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it is now being practised with enthusiasm in more than 170 countries, Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav said. In an interview with PTI ahead of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21, Jadhav credited the prime minister for popularising yoga globally. "The widespread global adoption of Yoga can be attributed to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who not only proposed the idea of IDY at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014 but also personally reached out to world leaders to garner unanimous support," Jadhav said. He said the resolution was co-sponsored by 177 nations and adopted within a record 75 days, making it one of the fastest-passed proposals in UN history. Since then, yoga has emerged as a cultural bridge connecting people across continents with annual observances o
The Aam Aadmi Party leader's remark came after the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport
A high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the Union home secretary, will examine the causes that led to the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, and also suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent such incidents in the future. The civil aviation ministry said the committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations. The panel "will focus on formulating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future, and will publish its report in three months, the ministry said. On June 12, a London Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed soon after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 people on board, and several others on the ground as it plunged into a medical college complex. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is already probing the fatal crash. Chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, the panel has the civil aviation secretary and the additional secretar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that his government in its 11 years has brought innumerable benefits for people by leveraging the power of technology. "Powered by the youth of India, we are making remarkable progress in innovation and application of technology. It is also strengthening our efforts to become self-reliant and a global tech powerhouse," he said on X. The prime minister said the use of technology has greatly boosted service delivery and transparency. Furthermore, technology has become a means of empowering the lives of the poorest of poor, he added. A thread of posts from a government handle and highlighted by Modi said India ensured transparency at scale through direct benefit transfer (DBT), noting that over Rs 44 lakh crores were credited to beneficiaries of over 322 schemes regulated by 56 ministries. Over Rs 3.48 lakh crores were saved by cutting out leakages, it added. From digital deserts to a data-driven democracyIndia's tech journey over the las
US backed India's anti-terror stance following presentations by an all-party delegation led by Shashi Tharoor in the US to emphasis New Delhi's position of zero tolerance towards terrorism
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging the "deplorable" conditions in residential hostels for Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC and minority students and the delay in post-matric scholarships for those from marginalised communities. In his letter to Modi, Gandhi urged the PM to resolve these two critical issues which he said hinder education opportunities for the 90 per cent of students who are from marginalised communities. "Firstly, the conditions in residential hostels for students from Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC and minority communities are deplorable. During a recent visit to Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, Bihar, students complained about single rooms which 6-7 students were forced to share, unhygienic toilets, unsafe drinking water, lack of mess facilities, and no access to libraries or the internet," the Congress leader said. "Secondly, post-matric scholarships for students from marginalised communities are plagued by delays and ...
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the new train service to Kashmir launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will benefit the locals as well as tourists. "I am very happy that I am traveling by this train to Katra today. It has been the biggest benefit for us," Abdullah, who was accompanied by several party colleagues, told reporters before boarding the train. The former J-K chief minister said the train that connects Kashmir with the rest of India will be a reliable transport link for the people of the valley. "The road (between Srinagar and Jammu) gets closed sometimes and the airlines start fleecing the people by jacking up the prices. With this train, people will be saved from that," he said. Abdullah said the railway link will also prove to be beneficial to the horticulture sector in Kashmir as the produce will reach the markets faster. "It will also benefit tourists visiting Kashmir," he added.
The Congress on Monday said the Modi government in the last 11 years has dealt a deep blow to the country's democracy, economy and social fabric. In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government has only "smeared the ink of dictatorship" on every page of the Constitution in these 11 years. "The BJP-RSS has weakened every constitutional institution and attacked their autonomy, " he said. Whether it is going against public opinion and toppling governments through the back door or forcibly imposing one-party dictatorship, during this period, the rights of the states have been ignored and the federal structure has weakened," Kharge said. Kharge said efforts are constantly being made to spread an environment of "hatred, threats and fear". "The exploitation of Dalits, tribals, backwards, minority and weaker sections has increased continuously. The conspiracy to deprive them of reservation and equal rights continues. The unending violence in Manipur is th
A day before his government marks its first anniversary in third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has redefined women-led development in its 11 years in power. In all sectors, including science, education, sports, start ups and the armed forces, women are excelling and inspiring several people, Modi said on X. He cited a number of welfare programmes which, he noted, have benefitted women immensely. Various initiatives, from ensuring dignity through Swachh Bharat to financial inclusion via Jan Dhan accounts, the focus has been on empowering the women, he said. If 'Ujjwala Yojana' brought smoke-free kitchens running on gas cylinders to the poor households, 'MUDRA' loans enabled lakhs of women entrepreneurs to pursue dreams on their own terms. Houses under the women's name in PM Awas Yojana too have made a remarkable impact, he added. 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' (save daughter, educate daughter) programme ignited a .
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday embarked on a week-long visit to Europe to hold talks with leaders of France, the European Union and Belgium to boost bilateral ties and reaffirm India's policy of zero-tolerance against terrorism. Jaishankar's visit to Europe comes a month after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack and it is expected that he will apprise the European leaders about New Delhi's firm approach in dealing with cross-border terrorism. In the first leg of his tour, Jaishankar will visit France, a country that has emerged as an all-weather friend of New Delhi. "The external affairs minister would travel to Paris and Marseille where he would be holding bilateral discussions with his counterpart minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Noel Barrot," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Jaishankar would also participate in the inaugural edition of the Mediterranean Raisina Dialogue to be held in the c