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
Chief Minister said that this change was possible not only by schemes but by the faith of a public leader who believes that India will develop only when the daughters of the country are empowered
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday several initiatives of his government during the last 11 years have boosted the prosperity of farmers and ensured the transformation of agriculture. He said on X, "It's our privilege to serve our hardworking farmers... We have focussed on issues like soil health and irrigation, which have been greatly beneficial. Our efforts towards farmer welfare will continue with greater vigour in the times to come." Modi said farmers were earlier forced to take loans for meeting small needs, but their lives have been made easier by his government. He cited decisions like annual cash assistance to farmers and the loan insurance scheme. Over the last few days, the prime minister has been highlighting his government's decisions pertaining to specific sectors ahead of its 11th anniversary on June 9, the day Modi took oath in 2024 for a third consecutive term in office.
New report outlines middle-class gains under Modi govt in areas such as taxation, pensions, infrastructure, affordable healthcare, skill training, and digital access
A multi-tier security setup has been put in place for Prme Minister Naredra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate the much-awaited Kashmir rail link and also dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore in Katra, officials said. This will be the first visit of Modi to the Union Territory post Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 persons, mostly tourists, dead on April 22. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Chenab bridge and India's first cable-stayed Anji bridge, the symbol of India's engineering excellence before flagging off Vande Bharat trains to mark the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link (USBRL) that will provide direct train connectivity to the valley. Modi will also lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore at Katra, the bas
Leaders from 16 opposition parties demanded a special session of Parliament on Operation Sindoor in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as INDIA bloc parties held a meeting on the issue in the national capital on Tuesday. Leaders from several parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena (UBT) were part of the meeting. INDIA bloc MPs have signed a letter addressed to the prime minister raising the demand for a special session of Parliament, opposition leaders said. Congress' Jairam Ramesh and Deependra Hooda, TMC leader Derek O'Brien, SP's Ramgopal Yadav, RJD's Manoj Jha, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut attended the meeting. The DMK is also among the signatories, but could not join the meeting as it coincided with Karunanidhi's birth anniversary. National Conference, CPI(M), IUML, CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kerala Congress, MDMK, CPI(ML) Liberation are also among
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday, the first after the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, officials said. The meeting is also being held as the Modi 3.0 government completes one year in office this month. The Council of Ministers meets every three months, where the implementation of key government policies is discussed threadbare in the presence of top bureaucrats. The meeting assumes significance as it is the first after the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack in April and the subsequent strikes carried out by the armed forces deep inside Pakistan to avenge the killings of innocent civilians. Indian and Pakistani forces had clashed after Operation Sindoor.
He stated that a promise of doubling farmers' income was not fulfilled, so they had to eat rubber bullets, whereas women's security is currently in tatters
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that India's health infrastructure got a massive boost under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and lauded private institutions for assisting the government's efforts. Shah was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of 'Swasti Niwas', a residential facility for cancer patients and caregivers at the National Cancer Institute in Nagpur. "Under the Modi government, 60 crore poor people are being provided treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh free of cost," he said. He further pointed out that 23 All Indian Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have now been approved compared to seven set up after Independence. "The budget for the health sector is Rs 1.35 lakh crore under PM Modi, while it was Rs 37,000 crore under the Manmohan Singh government," the Union minister said. Shah said he assured Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of all assistance from the Central government to set up a state-of-the-art research facil
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Pakistan's only aim is to hate India and think of ways to harm it, while our nation has set goals of removing poverty and bringing about economic development. Addressing a rally in Dahod in Gujarat, the PM hailed Operation Sindoor and said "those daring to wipe off the sindoor of our sisters must know their end is near". Twenty-six men were gunned by terrorists in Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22, following which India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, resulting in massive damage to terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Tearing into Pakistan, the prime minister said, "The country that came into existence after Partition lives on hatred for India. It only wants to harm Bharat. However, India's goals are to remove poverty, bring about economic development and become a developed nation." "Our government's policy is to take development to areas that have remained backward," he added. He also ..
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple developmental projects worth over Rs 24,000 crore
Niti Aayog's 10th Governing Council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, began here on Saturday. The theme of the Governing Council meeting is 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047'. The council, the apex body of Niti Aayog, includes all state chief ministers, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, and several Union ministers. Prime Minister Modi is the chairman of Niti Aayog. It is the first major meeting of the prime minister with chief ministers of all states and lieutenant governors of Union Territories after Operation Sindoor. "In line with his commitment to take all the states together as 'Team India' for a Viksit Bharat, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will chair the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog on May 24, 2025. "...the Governing Council Meeting will discuss the approach on Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @2047," Niti Aayog had said in a statement earlier. According to the statement, the idea of Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat is a call for
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Northeastern region is witnessing unprecedented progress and the government is determined to accelerate its growth story. Addressing the 'Rising North East Investors Summit' here, he also said that diversity of the Northeast is its biggest strength and that the region is emerging as the frontrunner of growth. "The Northeast is witnessing unprecedented progress. We are determined to accelerate its growth story," he said while inaugurating the two-day event which is being attended by chief ministers of the region, union ministers, bureaucrats, diplomats among others. Top industry leaders Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Anil Agarwal among others attended the inaugural session. Modi said for his government, EAST means - "Empower, Act, Strengthen and Transform". "There was a time when Northeast was only called frontier, now it is frontrunner of growth," he said. He said the Northeast was earlier synonymous with bombs, guns and rockets which
Earlier, the US President again said that he facilitated the understanding through trade negotiations that de-escalate tensions between the two nations
The talks are still ongoing and there's no clarity if the Trump administration has agreed to a three-stage process for a trade deal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three redeveloped railway stations in West Bengal on Thursday under the Centre's Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, officials said. The three stations Panagarh, Kalyani Ghoshpara and Joychandi Pahar are among 103 Amrit Bharat railway stations to be inaugurated by the PM across the country through video conferencing, they said. While Panagarh and Kalyani Ghoshpara are under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Railway, Joychandi Pahar is part of the South Eastern Railway. These existing railway stations have undergone a total revamp with new passenger facilities and aesthetics, the officials said. "With a focus on enhancing passenger amenities, improving accessibility and incorporating sustainable design, these upgrades will not only elevate the travel experience, but also contribute to the economic growth of the region," an SER official said in a statement. A total of 100 railway stations in West Bengal are being developed under the scheme, the
The Centre on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to confine the hearing on pleas challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act for passing interim orders to three issues, including the power to denotify properties declared as waqf by courts, waqf-by-user or waqf by deed. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih was asked by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to confine the proceedings identified by the earlier bench. The court had earmarked three issues. We had filed our response to these three issues. However, the written submissions of the petitioners now exceed several other issues. I have filed my affidavit in response to these three issues. My request is to confine it to the three issues only, the law officer. The submission was opposed by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for those challenging the provisions of the 2025 law, that there cannot be any piecemeal hearing. One of the issues