The Chhattisgarh

Tag: India

  • Team India meets PM Narendra Modi in Delhi for breakfast to celebrate T20 World Cup title win | Cricket News

    The Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast at his residence in Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi, on Thursday. During the hour-long meeting, PM Modi congratulated the T20 World Cup-winning team. The team arrived at No. 7, Lok Kalyan Marg at 11 am IST, after receiving a rousing reception at ITC Maurya. Captain Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli were seen cutting a special cake prepared by the hotel chef. PM Modi encouraged the team to continue their winning streak, expressing confidence that the T20 World Cup victory in Barbados would motivate them in future tournaments.

    In a video, PM Modi and the Indian cricket team shared laughs while reminiscing about the World Cup campaign. Head coach Rahul Dravid spoke as the players sat with the Prime Minister. PM Modi smiled throughout the video, enjoying the players’ anecdotes. Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya also spoke during the meeting.

    #WATCH | Indian Cricket team meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

    Team India arrived at Delhi airport today morning after winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados on 29th June. pic.twitter.com/840otjWkic — ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2024

    After leaving the Prime Minister’s residence, the team headed back to the New Delhi airport to depart for Mumbai, where an open-top bus parade awaits them.

    The team wore customised India jerseys with ‘Champions’ written on them for the meeting with PM Modi. PM Modi hosted the players for a special breakfast, listening to their experiences from the World Cup campaign in the USA and the Caribbean. India defeated South Africa in the final on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Barbados to win their second T20 World Cup crown.

    India’s T20 World Cup heroes received a rousing reception upon their return home on Thursday. The team, support staff, and around 20 media members arrived at the New Delhi airport on a special charter plane arranged by the BCCI. Secretary Jay Shah also traveled with the team on the Air India plane. The BCCI arranged the chartered plane to bring home the World Cup heroes stranded for three days in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl.

  • Hardik Pandya Becomes World No. 1 T20I All-Rounder After Stellar T20 World Cup 2024 | Cricket News

    Hardik Pandya achieved another significant milestone in his career by becoming the new top-ranked T20I all-rounder globally after India clinched the T20 World Cup. His ascent to the summit, the first by an Indian all-rounder, followed a standout performance in the tournament finale against South Africa. Hardik’s stellar contributions included 144 runs and 11 wickets throughout the event, culminating in a pivotal role in the final where he claimed 3/20.

    His crucial dismissals of David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen propelled him up two spots in the rankings, displacing Wanindu Hasaranga to second place. This achievement marked a remarkable turnaround for Hardik, who had faced challenges earlier, including injury setbacks during the 2023 World Cup and a tough season with the Mumbai Indians.

    Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma in the T20 World Cup, Hardik’s fortunes reversed dramatically. His pivotal moments included a crucial wicket of Klaasen in the final, shifting momentum decisively in India’s favour. Facing a tense final over with 16 runs to defend, Hardik’s composure was evident as he dismissed Miller on the first ball, aided by a spectacular catch from Suryakumar Yadav.

    Hardik’s performance throughout the tournament showcased his prowess with the bat, boasting a strike-rate over 150, and with the ball, making critical breakthroughs when it mattered most. His contributions were pivotal in India’s journey to victory, culminating in an emotional celebration on the field.

    In addition to Hardik’s rise, there were notable movements in the T20I all-rounder rankings. Marcus Stoinis, Sikandar Raza, Shakib Al Hasan, and Liam Livingstone each advanced one position, while Mohammad Nabi saw a drop, falling out of the top five.

    Axar Patel In Top 13

    Axar Patel, another standout Indian performer, also made significant strides in the rankings, now sitting at 12th place. His contributions, including a vital 47 runs in the final and key wickets in crucial matches, earned him recognition and a seven-place jump in the rankings.

    Overall, India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup was underscored by Hardik Pandya’s exceptional all-round display, cementing his status as a leading figure in international T20 cricket.

  • T20 World Cup 2024 Final: Indian Coach Rahul Dravid Confident India Will Overcome Final Hurdle Against South Africa | Cricket News

    Rahul Dravid said India have been remarkably consistent to play three ICC finals in the last 12 months and the outgoing head coach hoped the combination of smart cricket and luck will land his side an elusive ICC title. India have been the vastly superior team in the ongoing T20 World Cup, just like they were in the ODI World Cup at home last year where they faltered at the final hurdle against Australia. Now, Rohit and Co will face South Africa in the summit match at the Kensington Oval, hoping to win a global title after their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

    “It is a good thing we have been consistently playing good cricket. We have been in finals in all three formats and credit goes to the players. If we play well and rub of the green goes (our way) we will surely win,” said Dravid, who will be looking to end his tenure on a high.

    When the trophy is on the line, players tend to feel more pressure than usual. But in terms of mental preparation, there is not much India can do with just a day separating the semifinal and final. The team travelled to Barbados right after the semifinal in Guyana against England, but Dravid said India are mentally ready for the match.

    “In terms of our preparation, we’ve just got one day in the middle, so it’s unlikely we’re going to be having practice.” “It’s just about all the guys getting into ensuring that physically, mentally, tactically we are ready for the game.”

    Dravid underlined his side’s preparedness for the summit match. “Those are the things that we can control, that we are fresh, that we’ve looked after all our niggles, if there are any. We’ve done all our tactical preparation and we’re mentally relaxed and excited and looking forward to the game.”

    “We’ll be looking to do that in the next 24 hours and try and get ourselves in the right frame of mind to be able to play that game,” said the former India captain. In 2023, India lost the WTC final and ODI World Cup final to Australia. Have they taken any lessons from those heartbreaking defeats? “No, nothing. I thought we were very well-prepared in Ahmedabad (ODI WC). We ticked all the boxes and, on that day, the other team played better. That’s part of the sport.”

    “The other team that’s coming there to play has also obviously reached the final because they’re a good team and they’re playing very good cricket as well. So, they have as much right to win it as we do, but we hope that we’ll play better cricket on the day,” he said.

    In their Super 8 opener, India were able to post 181 against Afghanistan on a pitch where playing on the up was tough. Dravid said they were looking to carry that knowledge into the match against South Africa. “Yeah, I mean, just the fact that we’ve played a game in Barbados is nice. It’s nice that we have that familiarity of having played on that surface in the past.

    “But again, I think it’s very hard to… We’re not going to get exactly the same wicket that we got last time. I mean, it can be different, right? Dravid emphasised on the work the team put as a group coming into this showpiece while lauding their adaptive skills.

    “I think what’s really important is that we’ve done really well as a group. This whole tournament we have shown the ability to adapt, to recognize what is a good score. We played very differently in New York, then we played in St. Lucia, then we played even in Barbados when I thought that the game was quite slow.

    “I’m just hoping that whatever we come up against, we will have the ability to recognize it and be able to play accordingly, as we’ve done in the last three games,” said Dravid. He was referring to India’s ability to post above-par totals on tricky surfaces including in the semifinal at Guyana where they managed to post 171 on a surface with low bounce.

    South Africa managed to break the long-running semifinal jinx in the World Cup, and Dravid said the Proteas will not be carrying any baggage.

    “Not really, I mean it’s not that the same players have been playing since 1991 and there are so many players that come and go. I don’t think that really matters. I can’t speak to them. But I don’t think players go in keeping their baggage of the past. Similarly, Dravid said the Indian players have the ability to move on from the Ahmedabad debacle last year.

    “Players are very good at moving on from things, recognizing things. So, we will move on from Ahmedabad. I’m sure they will not be thinking about history. It’ll be a fresh day.”

    “Two good teams, two teams I think that everyone will agree will probably be the top two teams in this tournament. So, deserving finals for both the teams. And, hopefully, it’s a great game of cricket. Hopefully, we fall on the right side,” added Dravid.

  • Konark Sun Temple: Religious or Scientific? |

    The Konark Sun Temple, located in Puri, Odisha, is an incredible ancient monument built over 12 years ago. This remarkable temple, constructed in 1250 AD by King Narasimhadeva I of the Ganga Dynasty, is made of sandstone and granite. It is designed so that the first rays of the sun illuminate its sanctum sanctorum. Recognized for its historical and architectural significance, the Konark Sun Temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. At over 772 years old, it attracts tourists from around the world.

    The Konark Sun Temple is a marvel of Eastern Indian architecture and a symbol of India’s heritage. This famous tourist spot features a massive temple dedicated to the Sun God. The name ‘Konark’ combines two words: ‘Kona’ meaning ‘Corner’ and ‘Arka’ meaning ‘Sun’, translating to ‘Sun of the Corner’. Positioned on the northeastern corner of Puri, the Konark Sun Temple is also known as Arka Khetra. It stands as a significant cultural and historical site, attracting visitors from around the world.

    Scientific aspect:

    Many people would consider the wheel structure carved on the walls of the temple a mere representation of decorative architecture, but the fact is it is way more scientific than on may think. There is a story relating it, an old yogi was seen calculating the time using the essence of the wheels. This revealed that the wheel is a sundial and it depicts the time according to the movement of sunlight throughout the day. 

    The large sundial consists of 8 major spokes and similar 8 thin and minor spokes. The major ones divide the time of 24 hours into 8 parts, of 3 hours each and the minor spokes divide this 3 hours into 1.5 hours or 90 minutes each. Beads between the spokes divide the time further by 3 minutes each. But the question is when the sunlight crosses the temple? There is another similar sundial structure on the other side wall of the temple which is for another half of the day.

    What after the day? 

    The Temple also has 24 similar dials considered to be time calculating in the night and hence said as the moondials. The temple was built in the shape of a massive chariot with 7 horses tied to it, depicting the 7 days of a week. The Konark sun temple faced the turbulence of time and some big invaders trying to destroy the architectural site. It is said that the present-day structure of the temple is only the front half part. The major part has been destroyed which was the Garbhgrih structure according to the architectural plan.

  • India Slams Pakistan For “Baseless,” “Deceitful” Narratives At UN General Assembly |

    New Delhi: India has slammed Pakistan for its “baseless and deceitful narratives,” after Islamabad’s envoy Munir Akram made references to Kashmir in his speech at the UN General Assembly.

    While delivering a statement at the UNGA debate on the annual report, Pratik Mathur, the Minister at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said that one delegation “misused” this forum to spread “deceitful and baseless” narratives.

    Mathur said, “Earlier in the day, one delegation misused this forum to spread baseless and deceitful narratives, which is not a surprise. I will not dignify these remarks with any response just to save valuable time of this august body.”

    His remarks came after Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN during the debate at the UN General Assembly called for monitoring the implementation of resolutions, including those on Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.

    Pakistan regularly brings up the Jammu and Kashmir issue at UN platforms and other some international forums, irrespective of the agenda of the meetings.

    India has repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s attempts to raise the Kashmir issue on international platforms, asserting that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh are “integral parts of India” and Pakistan has no “locus standi” to make statements regarding India’s domestic matters.

    During the UNGA debate, Pratik Mathur on Tuesday stressed the need for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council with expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members.

    “We welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate on the Report of the Security Council. We thank the members of the Security Council and the Secretariat for producing the annual report of the Security Council.,” Mathur said.

    “India also joins others in congratulating new incoming members for having been elected to the Council for the period 2025-2026. We look forward to working with them in a constructive and positive manner,” he added.

    The Indian diplomat pointed out that the UN Charter bestows on the report a profound seriousness, as is evident from the fact that there exists a separate provision mandating such a report, rather than clubbing it with the provision for reports from other UN bodies.

    “The annual report of the Security Council must inform, highlight and analyse the measures that it has decided upon or taken to maintain international peace and security during the reporting period,” the Indian diplomat said.

    “However, the debate on the annual report has become a ritual without much substance. The annual reports have become compendium containing details of the meetings, briefers, and outcome documents. Last year, only six monthly reports were compiled-reflecting lack of interest among the members about this ritual.,” he further said.

    Mathur also stated that the annual report is also meant to be an analysis on the UN peacekeeping operations, but in reality there is little information on how peacekeeping operations.He also said there should be a definite timeline for completing the report, circulating to wider General Assembly members and holding the debate.

    “The annual report, in its truest form, is also meant to be an analysis on the UN peacekeeping operations, the flagship tool for the maintenance of international peace and security. However, in reality, we find there is little information on how peacekeeping operations are run, on the problems they face, on why certain mandates are set or changed, or on when and why they are strengthened, scaled down or ended. As most peacekeepers are contributed by non-Council members, who put the lives of their troops at risk to serve the cause of international peace, a better partnership between the Security Council and the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) is needed,” Mathur said

    Mathur stressed the need to bring the Council in line with its Charter responsibility to act on behalf of the entire membership, adding that the only remedy is a “comprehensive reform of the Security Council,” involving expansion in its permanent and non-permanent categories.

    “It is high time to bring the Council in line with its Charter responsibility to act on behalf of the entire Membership. This will not be achieved without enhancing the membership in both the categories — permanent and non-permanent members,” Mathur said.

    “We remain convinced that the only remedy is a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, involving expansion in its permanent and non-permanent categories. Only this will enable the Council to manage effectively today’s conflicts around the globe as well as the increasingly complex and interconnected global challenges it faces today,” he added.

    He further added that the Security Council too needs to prove its credibility and improve its performance, at a time when performance assessment has become one of the focus areas at the United Nations. 

  • Afghanistan Stuns Cricket World By Qualifying For T20 World Cup 2024 Semi-Finals After Defeating Bangladesh, Australia Knocked Out | Cricket News

    T20 World Cup 2024: Afghanistan has stunned cricket experts by reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 after defeating Bangladesh by 8 runs (DLS) in their Super 8 match on Tuesday, June 25, at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St.Vincent. This victory knocked Australia, the 2021 champions, out of the tournament following their losses to India and Afghanistan. Despite rain interruptions in the second innings, Afghanistan kept their cool.

    Finishing second in the table with 4 points and a net run rate of -0.267, Afghanistan secured two wins from three games. After a heavy 47-run loss to India, Rashid Khan’s team made a strong comeback. They will now play against Aiden Markram’s South Africa in the first semi-final on June 27 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.

    Afghanistan chose to bat first but struggled, posting 115 for 5 in 20 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran added 59 runs for the first wicket but couldn’t accelerate. Rishad Hossain dismissed Ibrahim, who scored a slow 18 from 29 balls. Gurbaz managed 43 runs with a strike rate of 78.18.

    The middle-order batsmen, including Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, and Karim Janat, also struggled. Skipper Rashid Khan’s unbeaten 19 off 10 balls, including three sixes, gave the innings some late momentum.

    Bangladesh’s chase was interrupted by rain, but with their score at 31 for 3 in 3.3 overs, they had a challenging target. Soumya Sarkar and Towhid Hridoy scored 10 and 14 runs respectively before falling to Rashid Khan. Despite Litton Das’s fighting 54 not out from 49 balls, Bangladesh fell short, being bowled out for 105 in 17.5 overs, chasing a revised target of 114 in 19 overs.

    Naveen-ul-Haq Gets Emotional

    Afghanistan’s pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, named Player of the Match, expressed his emotions, saying, “We have worked so hard over the past few years and we were dreaming and working for this day. I’m lost for words. (On his spell) We always knew that they were going hard in the powerplay to chase the total down in 12.1 overs so we knew we were in the game as long as we kept picking wickets. We had confidence that these wickets are not high-scoring wickets. As long as we don’t give easy runs we knew we would have a chance.”

    Afghanistan vs South Africa T20 WC 2024

    Group 2 winners South Africa will play against Afghanistan in the first semi-final, while Group 1 leaders India will face England in the second semi-final. South Africa vs. Afghanistan match will start at 8:30 PM local time on Wednesday, June 26, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The India vs. The England match will be at 10:30 AM local time on Thursday, June 27, at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

  • Nepal nominates 8 new ambassadors, including for India |

    New Delhi: Nepal has nominated ambassadors for eight countries, including India, a little over two weeks after recalling the incumbents.

    According to the Cabinet sources, former chief secretary and Nepal’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Lokdarshan Regmi, has been nominated as the new Nepalese ambassador to India.

    Regmi has earlier held positions of Home Secretary, Finance Secretary and Secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management.

    The decision was taken by Nepal’s Cabinet on Friday.

    Earlier on June 6, the Nepal government had recalled ambassadors from 11 countries, including those serving in India and the US and appointed under the Nepali Congress’ quota, three months after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ terminated his alliance with the party and joined hands with former prime minister KP Sharma Oli.

    The development had come three months after the coalition was formed with the support of CPN-UML.

    The government has named former Commerce and Industry Secretary Chandra Ghimire as Nepal’s new ambassador to the United States replacing the incumbent ambassador, Sridhar Khatri while Bijan Pant has been named Nepal’s new ambassador to the United Kingdom.

    All the ambassador nominees need to undergo parliamentary hearings before the president appoints them to their respective positions.

  • Watch: Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni welcomes PM Modi at G7 summit |

    APULIA: Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) upon the arrival of the Outreach session countries and international organizations. PM Modi arrived in Italy’s Apulia on Thursday late at night to attend the G7 Outreach Summit.

    On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, PM Modi met President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

    In his departure statement, PM Modi said that he is “glad that his first state visit in the third consecutive term is to Italy for the G7 Summit.” The Prime Minister also recalled his previous visit to Italy and Prime Minister Meloni’s visits to India, which have contributed significantly to enhancing bilateral ties.”

    #WATCH | Italy: Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni receives Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India participates as an ‘Outreach nation’ in G7 Summit pic.twitter.com/Sqna3AEu9X — ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024

    “I am glad that my first visit in the third consecutive term is to Italy for the G-7 Summit. I warmly recall my visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021. Prime Minister Meloni’s two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions,” PM Modi said before leaving for Italy.

    Giving an overview of PM Modi’s visit to Italy, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that it was a packed day for him. “We have several bilateral meetings with the world leaders lined up,” Jaiswal said in the video, adding, “He will also be addressing the outreach session of the G7 Summit.”

    The G7 summit is taking place at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy’s Apulia region from June 13-15. PM Modi is attending the summit at the invitation of Italian PM Meloni.

    It will be India’s 11th participation and PM Modi’s fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit.

  • India has grown spectaclely during 10 years of PM Narendra Modi’s leadership: Bhutan PM Tobgay | India News

    NEW DELHI: Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in the past 10 years, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Sunday said that India has grown spectacularly and the development in infrastructure – airports, roads, rails, seaways has been unprecedented. Speaking to ANI, Tobgay called foreign policy as one of the biggest accomplishments of PM Modi’s leadership. He expressed happiness on being in India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM-designate Modi. He noted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoy the confidence and trust of the people, which reflects their performance.

    Asked on how he envisions India under the leadership of Modi, Tshering Tobgay said, “Well, to look forward, you look backwards and you see the last 10 years. During the last 10 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s leadership, India has grown spectacularly. Infrastructure, the development in infrastructure has been unprecedented – airports, roads, rails, seaways, IT, all of that growth has been spectacular.”

    “In the area of ​​FDI, there’s been a lot of FDI, a lot of manufacturing, renewable energy, particularly solar energy, agriculture, poverty alleviation. So to see what’s going to happen in Modi 3.0 and then Modi 3.0, you just have to look back to see what has happened and one of the biggest accomplishments has also been foreign policy, whether it is the immediate region and Neighborhood First Policy or even the successful outcome of the G20 under India’s chairmanship or beyond also. So I can see a lot more growth. I can see a lot more economic growth. I can see a lot more foreign policy successes under Modi 3.0,” he added.

    Tobgay called it a big day for India and said that he is honoured to represent Bhutan King and the people of Bhutan at the swearing-in ceremony of PM-designate PM Modi. He congratulated India for the successful outcome of the Lok Sabha elections. On the swearing-in ceremony, Bhutan’s PM said, “Well, I’m delighted to be in India. I’m delighted to be back so soon after my last visit here. That was barely three months ago. This is indeed a very big day for India and I’m honoured to be here representing His Majesty the King and the people of Bhutan at the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and that too for his third consecutive time.”

    “I congratulate the people of India for a successful outcome of the recent elections. And for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for BJP and for the NDA, they have gotten the mandate from the people. They enjoy the trust and confidence of the people, which reflects their performance in the past 10 years. So it is a big day for India. It is also a big day for the region as Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally has invited us and we are delighted to be here,” he added.

    Earlier in the day, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay landed in the national capital to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi today. He was warmly welcomed at the airport by Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor. Stressing that the ties between India and Bhutan will get stronger, Tobgay said, “Well, the ties between our two countries are very strong. I think it’s going to get stronger. And it will get stronger simply because at the highest levels in Bhutan, under the enlightened leadership of our monarchs, His Majesty the King, and in India from the President to the Prime Minister, to many of the leaders and the regard for our two respective countries is very strong and it is only growing.”

    Recalling PM Modi’s last visit to Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay said that he received the highest civilian honour and announced support for all the initiatives of Bhutan. He stated that PM-designate Modi had given unconditional support for the Gelephu Mindfulness City. On being asked about expectations on India-Bhutan relationship under PM Modi’s third term, Tobgay responded, “During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Bhutan, he has been very generous with his time in that. He came to Bhutan in spite of his very, very busy schedule. It was at the end of his tenure and he still came to Bhutan where he received the highest civilian award from His Majesty the King. During the visit, he also announced his support for all our initiatives, our development initiatives, our plans for the Gelephu Mindfulness City.”

    “Prime Minister Modi has given us unconditional support for the Gelephu Mindfulness City and then for our development plan. Our economy is still recovering. So, he’s announced an assistance package of 15 billion rupees, 1,500 crores for our economic stimulus package. And then for our 13 five-year plan, he’s announced an assistance package of 8,500 crores. So all this is going to be extremely useful for us and going forward we have a lot to do together,” he added.

    Bhutanese PM Tobgay is among the distinguished guests set to attend the eagerly awaited ceremony in which BJP leader Modi will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time. With BJP bagging 240 seats and the National Democratic Alliance securing 293 seats out of 543 Lok Sabha seats, PM Modi is set for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister of India with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerging victorious in the parliamentary elections.

    He will equal Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of becoming India’s PM for the third time after completing two full terms. Several leaders and State heads of neighbourhood region and Indian Ocean region have been invited for PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony as distinguished guests, a testament to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

    PM-designate Modi will take the oath of office at 7:15 pm today along with his council of ministers in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously passed a resolution to elect Narendra Modi as their leader on June 5.

    Around 1,100 traffic police personnel of the Delhi Police have been deployed and an advisory has been issued to the public for the traffic movement route arrangements have been made for the delegates as part of the arrangements for PM-designate Modi’s oath taking ceremony on Sunday. Apart from this, NSG commandos, drones, and snipers will also guard the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the mega event.

  • Not Too Many More Vibrant Democracies In The World Than India: White House | world news

    Washington: Applauding the people of India for exercising their right to vote, the White House on Friday said there are not too many more vibrant democracies in the world than India.

    “Not too many more vibrant democracies in the world than India. And we applaud the Indian people for exercising, you know, their ability to vote, and to have a voice in their future government. And we wish them well throughout the process, of course,” White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters at a news conference here.

    Kirby was responding to a question on the ongoing Indian elections, wherein over 969 million people are exercising their right to franchise at one million polling stations to elect 545 members of parliament from thousands of candidates representing as many as 2,660 registered political parties.

    Responding to another question, Kirby said the India-US relationship has strengthened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular during the last three years of the Biden administration. “Our relationship with India is extremely close and getting closer,” he said.

    “You saw it on a State visit (last visit). We launched all kinds of new initiatives, working on critical emerging technologies together, and bolstering and expanding the relevance of the Indo-Pacific quad, of course, which India is a part of. And then, just the people to people exchanges, and the military that we share with India,” Kirby said.

    “It’s a very vibrant, very active partnership. We are grateful for Prime Minister Modi’s leadership,” said the White House official.

    When asked if President Joe Biden believes that India and Japan are xenophobic countries, he replied in the negative and said the president was recently making a broader point.

    “I mean, the president was making a broader point here about the vibrancy of our own democracy, here in the United States, and how inclusive and participatory it is,” Kirby said.