There have been no reports of any fatality. 

The bridge, constructed by the Rural Works Department at a cost of Rs 10 crore, was not opened to the public as approach roads were yet to be constructed. 

"The bridge collapse is a serious matter and the department has initiated disciplinary action against three senior officials, who were associated with the project right from the beginning," Dipak Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, RWD, said. 

"The RWD has also constituted a high-level committee headed by the chief engineer (Purnea) to find out the reason for the collapse and also suggest necessary remedial measures. The panel has been asked to submit its report within seven days," Singh said. -- PTI 

The threat emails have been sent using a VPN Network. 

The identity of the sender and the motive of the threat are yet to be ascertained, said the Mumbai Police. 

More details awaited. -- ANI

The announcement came after Patil held discussions with Muralitharan, who met him to discuss the project. 

In a statement by the minister's office, Patil said the former Sri Lanka cricketer Muralitharan plans to manufacture beverages and confectioneries under the brand "Muttiah Beverages and Confectioneries." 

The project, initially planned with an investment of Rs 230 crore, has now been revised to a total of Rs 1,000 crore. It will be further increased to Rs 1,400 crore in a few years, he said. 

The minister also noted that 46 acres of land have already been allocated for the project and manufacturing operations are expected to begin in January 2025. -- PTI

A request for proposal or initial tender has been issued by the ministry for the procurement project, they said. 

Separately, the HAL informed the BSE Ltd in a filing that the RFP has been issued by the ministry for procurement of 156 light combat helicopters. 

Last November, the Defence Acquisition Council had cleared the proposal to procure 156 Prachand combat helicopters. 

Out of the 156 Prachand Light Combat Helicopters, 90 will be for the Army and 66 will be for the Indian Air Force. 

The contract value of the acquisition is expected to be around Rs 45,000 crore which will include technical support, maintenance and repairs, the officials said. 

Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the 5.8-tonne twin-engine LCH is armed with various weapon systems and is capable of destroying enemy tanks, bunkers, drones and other assets in high-altitude regions. -- PTI

The delegation comprised former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congress members Mariannette Miller, Gregory Meeks, Nicole Malliotakis, Jim McGovern and Ami Bera. 

The delegation is on a two-day visit here and will meet the Dalai Lama on Wednesday morning, officials said. 

After arrival at the Gaggal Airport Dharamsala, McCaul expressed enthusiasm about the visit and said, "We are excited to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to talk about many things, including the bill which passed by Congress basically says that the United states of America stands with the people of Tibet." 

Asked if US President Joe Biden will sign the bill, McCaul said, "Yes, he will." 

Officials of the Dharamsala-based Central Tibetan Administration, including Dolma Tsering, the minister for information and international relations, greeted the delegation at the airport. -- PTI

The delegation comprised TMC members of Parliament Kalyan Banerjee, Sagarika Ghose and Saket Gokhale. 

This was the second visit of TMC leaders to 'Matoshree', the residence of the Thackerays in Bandra east, this month. 

Earlier this month, just after the Lok Sabha polls, TMC leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien had met Thackeray, whose party and the political outfit ruling West Bengal are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. 

The twin meetings in less than three weeks signify the growing ties between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the party headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

The delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs was in Mumbai to meet officials of capital market regulator SEBI over the alleged stock market manipulation following exit polls earlier this month. 

Earlier in the day, the delegation members called on NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar who supported their demand for an investigation into the alleged stock market manipulation.

Chetia, a 2009-batch IPS officer, allegedly shot himself with his service weapon inside the ICU where his wife died, they said. 

He had earlier served as SP of Tinsukia and Sonitpur districts, and commandant of the 4th Battalion of the Assam police before being posted as the home secretary of the state. 

His wife was suffering from brain tumour and was admitted to the hospital for the last few months. -- PTI

The emails were received at the airports around 12.40 pm from the email id exhumedyou888@gmail.com. 

The airports scrambled contingency measures, carried out anti-sabotage checks and swept the terminals following the respective bomb threat assessment committee recommendations, the sources said. 

An online group called "KNR" is suspected to be behind these hoax threat emails. 

The group reportedly issued similar emails to several schools in the Delhi-NCR on May 1, they said. 

The emails received by the airports carried almost the identical message: "Hello, there are explosives hidden in the Airport. The bombs will soon explode. You will all die." 

All the airports reported the threat to be a hoax and passenger movements were kept unhindered to the best of the capacities, the sources said. -- PTI

A single judge bench of Justice Sangeeta Vishen heard the arguments from respondents, Netflix and Yash Raj Films, and the petitioners and posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. 

The court said that the interim stay on the release of the movie will continue till Wednesday. 

Eight members of the Pushtimarg sect have filed a petition against the release after they came across articles about the film, based on a libel case of 1862 heard and decided by British judges. 

The petitioners have pointed out that the British-era court, which had decided the libel case, "castigates the Hindu religion and makes seriously blasphemous comments against Lord Krishna as well as the devotional songs and hymns". 

Netflix and production company Yash Raj Films argued for the court to vacate the interim order staying the release of the film. 

Appearing for Netflix, senior Supreme Court lawyer Mukul Rohatgi argued that the petitioner's prayers citing the government's inaction in failing to block the film in less than 24 hours was "absolutely absurd'. -- PTI

Confirming the development, Kiran Choudhary, who is also a sitting MLA, said she is quitting the Congress and joining the BJP on Wednesday. 

Her daughter Shruti Choudhary, a former MP, is a working president of the Haryana Congress. 

Kiran Choudhary, daughter-in-law of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal, is considered as bete noire of senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and is learnt to be upset with the denial of ticket to Shruti Choudhary from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. 

The Congress had given the ticket from the seat to sitting MLA and Hooda loyalist Rao Dan Singh, who lost to BJP's sitting MP Dharambir Singh. 

"Shruti and I will be joining the BJP in Delhi on Wednesday," Kiran Choudhary said. -- PTI

"Delighted to share that after a gap of some months due to the elections, #MannKiBaat is back! This month's programme will take place on Sunday, 30th June," he said in a post on X. 

"I call upon all of you to share your ideas and inputs for the same. Write on the MyGov Open Forum, NaMo App or record your message on 1800 11 7800," Modi said. 

Prime Minister Modi's monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast was last aired on February 25 and then took a break for the Lok Sabha polls. 

In the 110th episode of the programme, Modi had asked first-time voters to poll in record numbers in the elections and said their maiden vote should be cast for the country. 

The Model Code of Conduct guidelines of the Election Commission asks governments to not use official events or public-funded platforms for something that may be seen to give the ruling party publicity or political advantage. -- PTI

Besides, renewed foreign fund inflows amid a firm trend in global equities boosted investor confidence, traders said. 

In a range-bound session, Sensex and Nifty settled at their new closing all-time high levels amid intense demand for realty, consumer durable and utility stocks. 

Rising for the third straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 308.37 points or 0.40 percent to settle at a new closing peak of 77,301.14. 

During the day, it jumped 374 points or 0.48 percent to hit the fresh lifetime peak of 77,366.77. -- PTI

Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain were booked for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches at a conference organised under the banner of Azadi - The Only Way at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg on October 21, 2010. 

The FIR was registered at Tilak Marg Police Station on a complaint made by Sushil Pandit, a social activist from Kashmir, following the orders of the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi. 

The case was later transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch for further investigations. 

According to official sources, over a thousand-page charge sheet has been prepared by the Crime Branch in which Roy and Hussain on the basis of several videos and forensic evidence. 

The police have cited over half a dozen eyewitness accounts, the sources said. 

The forensic reports on the videos, which surfaced on social media, have also been provided as part of the investigations, the sources added. -- PTI

Kumar will succeed Indian Administrative Service officer Gyanesh Bharti, who was transferred to the Union women and child development ministry as additional secretary in March. 

Kumar is currently serving as the Delhi divisional commissioner and the additional chief secretary (home) in the Delhi government. 

He was the first special officer of the unified MCD. 

"I am directed to say that with approval from the competent authority, it is decided to appoint Ashwani Kumar, IAS (AGMUT), 1992, as commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, with immediate effect," according to a home ministry order to the Raj Niwas. 

Kumar is a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory cadre. -- PTI

Prof David Krishna Menon, head of division of anaesthesia at the University of Cambridge, was conferred with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the 75-year-old monarch in his annual Birthday Honours list over the weekend. 

Menon, who trained in medicine, anaesthesia and intensive care at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research in Pondicherry, founded the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit at Addenbrooke's National Health Service teaching hospital in Cambridge and is renowned for his global clinical and research leadership in traumatic brain injury. 

"I am deeply honoured to be nominated for a CBE and accept it on behalf of all those who have worked with me during what has been and continues to be a very rewarding career," said Professor Menon. 

Menon, the son of P.G.K. Menon,  a senior official at All India Radio in Delhi, was raised in the city before going on for training in the field of medicine with his research interests focussed on neurocritical care, secondary brain injury, neuroinflammation, and metabolic imaging of acute brain injury. -- PTI

A division bench of Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla said the film's first trailer was objectionable, but that has been removed and all such objectionable scenes have been deleted from the movie. 

The court noted that it was in fact a "thinking movie" and not the sort where the audience is expected to "keep their brains at home" and only enjoy it. 

"The movie is in fact for the upliftment of women. The movie has a Maulana misinterpreting the Quran and in fact one Muslim man objects to the same in the scene. So this shows that people should apply their mind and not blindly follow such Maulanas," the high court said. 

A bunch of petitions were filed in the HC earlier this month seeking a ban on the movie claiming that it was derogatory towards the Muslim community and had distorted what the Quran says. -- PTI

The elderly man -- Velayudhan -- died when he picked up and tried to open the bomb which he found from an uninhabited property where he had gone to collect coconuts, the police said. 

Velayudhan was seriously injured in the explosion and rushed to the Thalassery Cooperative Hospital but his life could not be saved, the police said. 

A senior police officer of the district told reporters here that according to the preliminary investigations, it appeared to be a steel bomb. 

"It may have been discarded here or may have been deliberately concealed here," he said, adding that the incident occurred around 12.45 pm. 

The officer said the bomb squad was carefully inspecting the property from where the explosive was found. -- PTI

"With blessings of Baba Vishwanath, Maa Ganga and love of Kashi's people, I became country's 'pradhan sevak' for third time." 

 Besides, fresh foreign fund inflows boosted investor confidence, traders said. In a range-bound session, Sensex and Nifty settled at their new closing all-time high levels amid intense demand for realty, consumer durable and utility stocks.

 IMD scientist Soma Sen told ANI, "Red alert has been issued in North India. North-West Himalayan region of India including Punjab and Haryana will experience cloudy weather from evening and rain is also expected...The heatwave situation is likely to reduce in Punjab and Haryana...From tomorrow, Orange alert will be issued in Delhi..." 

 "There is a possibility of rain in Delhi which is called pre-monsoon showers due to southwesterly winds in the next three or four days. Heat waves can be reduced. The discomfort which you are feeling indicates that moisture is increasing in your area," Sen added.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had announced Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad on Monday.

The by-election in the Wayanad seat was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli seat, the other seat he won in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.

"If Priyanka is going to contest from Wayanad it's good enough, people of Wayanad will decide whether they want someone from the feeling family all the time. It will be good to watch a competition between Rahul and Priyanka in parliament, that who is more useless," he told ANI.

Terming Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the "most popular" face in Congress, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam also recommended Priyanka's name for the post of Congress president.

Communist Party of India leader, Annie Raja who had contested against Rahul Gandhi also slammed Rahul Gandhi over "political morality" and said he didn't inform voters of Wayanad that he would contest from the Rae Bareli seat.

"That is their party's decision and it's their prerogative. I had said this that time (during elections) also that to keep political morality, Rahul Gandhi should've informed the voters because they had given him a huge majority and victory. Voters should have been informed that he was planning to contest from another constituency. He didn't inform this, that is an injustice to the voters of Wayanad," Annie Raja told ANI.

She wrote the letter to leaders including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Maliwal, AAP Rajya Sabha MP, said she has been working on the ground for nine years and has heard over 1.7 lakh cases in Delhi Commission of Women. She further alleged that she was "beaten badly" at CM Kejriwal's and there was "character assassination" for speaking against the incident.

Taking to X, Maliwal wrote, "For the last 18 years, I have worked on the ground and in 9 years, have heard 1.7 lakh cases in the Women's Commission. Without fearing anyone and bowing before anyone, I took the Women's Commission to a very high position. But it is very sad that first I was beaten badly at the Chief Minister's house, then my character assassination was done."

"Today I have written a letter on this subject to senior leaders of the INDIA alliance. I have asked for time to meet them," she added. Delhi's 

Tis Hazari court last week extended Bibhav Kumar's judicial custody till June 22. Kumar was arrested on May 18 by Delhi Police. 

Bharatiya Janata Party has questioned the "culture" of the Congress over the incident.

 The opposition party also took a swipe at Vaishnaw for reaching the accident site riding pillion on a motorcycle, asking whether he is a rail minister or a "reel minister". 

 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said whenever there is a train accident, Modi government's railway minister reaches the spot under the glare of cameras and behaves as if everything is fine. 

 "Narendra Modi ji, tell us who should be held accountable, the Railway Minister or you?" the Congress chief asked. Kharge posed seven questions to the government and demanded answers. After a major accident like Balasore, why was not even a single kilometer of the much-hyped "Kavach" anti-train collision system added," he asked. 

 "Why are nearly 3 lakh posts vacant in the Railways, why were they not filled in the last 10 years? According to the NCRB (2022) report, 1,00,000 people have died in rail accidents between 2017 and 2021 alone! Who will take responsibility for this?" the Congress chief asked. 

 The Railway Board itself has admitted that the long working hours of loco pilots due to acute shortage of manpower are the main reason for the increasing number of accidents, he said and asked why were the posts not filled. 

 "In its 323rd report, the Parliamentary Standing Committee had criticised the Railways for the 'neglect' shown by the Railway Board towards the recommendations of the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS). It was underlined that the CRS investigates only 8%-10% of accidents, why was the CRS not strengthened?" Kharge asked.

"According to the CAG, why was 75% funding reduced in the 'Rashtriya Rail Suraksha Kosh' (RRSK), while Rs 20,000 crore was to be made available every year," he asked. "Why is this money being used by railway officials on unnecessary expenses and comfort facilities," Kharge further asked. 

 "Why has travelling by train in the common Sleeper Class become very expensive? Why has the number of Sleeper Coaches been reduced? The Railway Minister recently said to use police force against the people 'overcrowding' rail coaches. But does he not know that 2.7 crore people had to cancel their tickets last year due to abysmal shortage of seats -- a direct result of Modi government's policy to reduce coaches?" Kharge said. 

 Did the Modi government merge the railway budget with the general budget in 2017-18 to avoid any kind of accountability, he asked. 

 "Self-glorification will not undo the criminal negligence perpetrated by the Modi government on the Indian Railways! Accountability needs to be fixed at the top," Kharge said in his post on X. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the Railways is perhaps the most preferred mode of transport as far as the middle class, lower middle class and the poor are concerned simply because it is the most economical means of transportation. 

 She showed pictures of the Balasore train accident last June and of Monday's accident, and asked what had changed between this period. Shrinate said that as many as 1,117 railway accidents had taken place since 2014-23, which means an accident every three days. These accidents have resulted in loss of life and property, she added.

 "Who is going to take the moral responsibility for this? We have seen the railway ministers in the past own up moral responsibility and resign from their position of power. But here we have a minister who does not miss an opportunity even in the time of plight and tragedy to make reels. He is not the rail minister, he is the reels minister of India," Shrinate said. 

 "Even when he (Vaishnaw) went to Darjeeling and went to the accident site, he rode pillion on the bike without a helmet so that he is better captured in the video. Is that what's your priority?" Shrinate asked. 

 She said the "Kavach protection" that the government had touted had failed the country. "What explains the 3,12,000 vacancies in the Indian railways. What explains the 21 per cent vacant positions for loco pilots," she asked. 

 On whether the Congress demands Vaishnaw's resignation, Shrinate said, "Without a doubt. A government that is sensitive and accountable will fix accountability for every minister and every department. What explains 1,117 rail accidents in nine years from 2014 to 2023. Who is accountable for that?" "What did Ashwini Vaishnaw do to not just modernise but make the railways secure from June last year in Balasore to June this year? Unless you will not fix responsibility, unless you will not fix accountability, how should people trust governance, how should people know they will be safe while travelling in railways," Shrinate said. "Absolutely, without a doubt, without blinking an eyelid, Ashwini Vaishnaw has no moral authority to remain in the position that he continues to enjoy," she said. Shrinate said the railways is the lifeline of India but today there remains a doubt in the mind of every traveller as to whether they or their dead body will reach the destination. 

 "This record has been established by Narendra Modi and his government," she said. The reality is that this government has left no stone unturned to "destroy" the Indian Railways.

The highest number of complaints were received in the right to dignity category that involves harassment other than domestic violence. It stood at 3,107, according to the NCW data. This was followed by 3,544 complaints of domestic violence.

 Dowry harassment complaints stood at 1,957, molestation complaints at 817, police apathy against women complaints at 518, and rape and attempt to rape complaints at 657, the data showed. There were 493 complaints of sexual harassment, 339 of cyber crime, 345 of stalking and 206 of honour crimes, it stated.

 Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of complaints at 6,470 followed by Delhi at 1,113 and Maharashtra at 762, according to the data. Bihar recorded 584 complaints, Madhya Pradesh 514, Haryana 506, Rajasthan 408, Tamil Nadu 301, West Bengal 306 and Karnataka 305. A total of 28,811 complaints related to women were registered by the NCW in 2023, PTI

"Heatwave to severe heat wave conditions are likely over many parts of Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on 18th June 2024 and heat wave conditions are likely over isolated places over Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand," IMD said in a post on X.

The temperature recorded in the national capital was 34.8 degrees Celsius at 08:30 am this morning, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature reported over Ayanagar (Delhi) on Monday was 46.4 degrees Celsius. The IMD on Monday also issued a red alert in Delhi and its bordering states as the heatwave conditions continue to prevail in the region.The weather agency had also warned that severe heatwave conditions will continue in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh till June 19.

"Western disturbance is expected over Bihar and Jharkhand from 18th or 19th June...South-westerly winds from the Arabian Sea may bring some moisture and associated relief over Punjab and Haryana from 18th or 19th June," IMD scientist Soma Sen told ANI.

As the country endures the scorching summer heat, even the usually cool Himachal Pradesh is not spared, with the IMD issuing an orange alert for some parts of the state.

While eight bodies were brought to the state-run North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) after the accident on Monday morning, two persons died during treatment, he said. Among the deceased was a six-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital in a "critical condition", doctor Sandip Sengupta, NBMCH's dean of student affairs, told PTI-Video. 

 Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also posed a set of nine questions to the prime minister on issues concerning his constituency and asked why they have not been addressed. 

 Ramesh asked the PM why river Ganga is "dirtier than before" even after spending Rs 20,000 crore on the Namami Gange project. He also asked why the nomination papers of 33 candidates were rejected in the Varanasi constituency during Lok Sabha polls. 

 "The 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri is visiting Varanasi again, a few weeks after he barely eked out a victory after trailing @kashikirai for multiple rounds of counting. It was a vote of no confidence in him by the people of Varanasi. Here are 9 Varanasi-centric Questions that we had asked him during the campaign, and which we want to remind him of today," Ramesh said in a post on X, tagging Ajay Rai, who was the Congress candidate from Varanasi. 

 "Why has the 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri's flagship Namami Gange project failed so miserably? After spending Rs 20,000 crore, why has the Ganga gotten dirtier," he asked noting that in 2014, Modi promised a cleaner Ganga through his government's flagship Namami Gange programme. The Ministry of Jal Shakti claims that there has been a marked improvement in the state of the river but, as is often the case with this government, that claim turned out to be "a bold-faced lie", Ramesh alleged.

 The "Sankat Mochan Foundation" found that rather than improving, water quality in the Ganga has actually been consistently degrading -- faecal coliform bacteria levels are a staggering one million times "higher than the permissible limit of 500 per 100 millilitres", he noted. 

 The Central Pollution Control Board also found that water quality does not comply with their standards, he claimed. 

 "The rot runs so deep in the BJP that their failure to clean our holy river is hardly a surprise. Last year, the Central Pollution Control Board declared the Ganga the most polluted river in India. The 'One third' Pradhan Mantri should clarify: how has he delivered on one of the signature promises he made to the people of the country at the beginning of his tenure as PM," Ramesh asked. 

 The Congress leader said only seven candidates' nomination papers were accepted for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in 2024, compared to 26 in 2019 and 42 in 2014, claiming that 33 nominations were rejected on the day PM filed his nomination. -- PTI

 BJP state chief K Surendran and senior leader V Muraleedharan criticised the Congress leadership over their decision and alleged that they had cheated the people of Wayanad. Surendran, who had contested against Rahul Gandhi in the April 26 Lok Sabha polls in the hill constituency, said it is once again proven beyond doubt that the Congress is the only "tool" for the so-called Nehru-Gandhi family to serve their family's interests.

 In a post on 'X', he said: "Mr @RahulGandhi claimed that Wayanad is his family. Now he has decided the candidature of his own sister claimed that Wayanad is his family. Now he has decided the candidature of his own sister @priyankagandhi to the upcoming by-election in Wayanad. Hope that Mr Rahul will field his brother-in-law @irobertvadra in the Palakkad by-election.

 "Now the people clearly understand 'Rahul's family sentiments'. It's once again proven beyond doubt that the Congress is the only tool for the so-called Nehru-Gandhi family to serve their family's interest. Pathetic."

 Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Muraleedharan said the people of the state won't accept the Congress party's attitude that there is no need to show any democratic decorum or justice towards them. He alleged that Rahul Gandhi had cheated the people of Wayanad by covering up his plans to contest from Rae Bareli until the polls were over in the state. 

 "I request the people of Wayanad to give a reply to this attitude of the Congress party using their democratic power in the upcoming by-poll," he said. 

 However, senior Congress leader V D Satheesan rejected the criticism of political opponents against Priyanka Gandhi's arrival in Wayanad and said not just Wayanad but the entire state of Kerala would embrace her to their hearts.

 "To all my fans, friends, followers and well wishers. A few weeks ago, as I walked out of a flight, I suddenly felt I was not able to hear anything. Having mustered some courage in the weeks following the episode, I want to break my silence now for all my friends and well wishers who have been asking me why I'm missing in action. 

 "It has been diagnosed by my docs as a rare sensory neural nerve hearing loss, due to a viral attack... This sudden, major setback has caught me completely unaware," the 58-year-old singer wrote. 

 She asked her fans and followers to send their best wishes and "keep me in your prayers". Yagnik also cautioned people against hearing "very loud music and headphones". 

 "One day, I wish to share the health perils of my professional life. With all your love and support I am hoping to recalibrate my life and come back to you soon. Your support and understanding will mean the world to me in this critical hour," Yagnik said. 

 Singers Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan, veteran actors Poonam Dhillon and Ila Arun have wished Yagnik speedy recovery. "I had a feeling something was wrong... I'll visit you once I return... May you recover quickly by God's grace," Nigam commented on Yagnik's post.

As per the sources, at the meeting ahead of the first Parliament session, post the 2024 general elections, scheduled for June 24, NDA leaders will discuss ways to ensure better floor coordination among NDA partners during the session, which will also witness the election for the Speaker post.

Rajnath Singh has been given the responsibility to build a consensus for the election of the Speaker's post among alliance parties as well as opposition parties.

The opposition INDIA bloc is likely to field a candidate for the Speaker's post if the Deputy Speaker's post, as is the norm, is not given to them.

The election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled to be held on June 26. -- ANI

 Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were "directly involved" in what he described as the "biggest stock market scam" with retail investors losing Rs 30 lakh crore due to the market crashing after the Lok Sabha poll result earlier this month. 

 The BJP has dismissed his charges as "baseless". West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) head Mamata Banerjee has demanded an investigation into how stock markets were "manipulated by using fake exit polls". 

 In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, Pawar said, "All India Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Sagarika Ghosh and Saket Gokhale are in Mumbai to visit SEBI demanding an investigation in the stock market manipulation during exit polls. Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar is supporting them in this cause."

 Pawar said the TMC parliamentarians paid a courtesy visit to his Mumbai residence in the morning. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, who is the daughter of Sharad Pawar, and former MLC Vidya Chavan were also present at the meet. PTI

 The officials said the body has been recovered on the instance of the accused, Ramashankar, who was arrested Monday night.

 According to the police, this alleged incident occurred on June 13 at Dharampur village under the Sakrauli police station area in Etah, UP. 

 Ramashankar, along with his friends Ram Babu and Neeraj, allegedly strangled his mother Seema Devi (50) to death and buried her body in his field, the police said.

 They said that after Devi had been missing for several days, her step son Harpal lodged a police complaint, expressing apprehension that she could have been murdered. After the complaint was filed, police said they detained Ramashankar and interrogated him who allegedly confessed to the crime. Police on Monday night sent the body for a postmortem examination.

Amid soaring temperatures, these scenes have become a daily occurrence in the national capital in many areas since the start of the summer season this year A local resident from Okhla described her plight and said that their whole day goes into fetching water for the family. 

 "The situation is much worse here. Only two to three tankers come here in a day. The whole day goes into fetching water, when will we do the rest of the work?" she told ANI. 

 Chanakyapuri's Sanjay Camp, Geeta Colony in East Delhi, Patel Nagar, Mehrauli, and Chhatarpur are some of the areas in the national capital that have been affected by severe water crisis.

 Meanwhile, the water crisis has also incited a political storm in the national capital, with both BJP and AAP at loggerheads. The Aam Aadmi Party has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of "orchestrating" the shortage in the national capital by trying to block the flow of water into the national capital.

 Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said as soon as the "one-third Pradhan Mantri" assumed office on 9th June, headlines screamed that the very first file he signed was to release the 17th instalment of PM-KISAN.

"Today again the headlines scream that the 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri will release the 17th instalment of PM Kisan. This is how headlines keep getting recycled," Ramesh said in a post on X. 

 "The non-biological PM is not bestowing some prasad on kisaans. It is their legitimate right and entitlement," the Congress leader said. Prime Minister Modi will travel to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Tuesday, his first visit after assuming office for the third consecutive term. During his visit, the prime minister will participate in the PM-Kisan Samman Sammelan and release Rs 20,000 crore as part of the income support scheme for over 9.26 crore farmers. 

 After being sworn-in as prime minister for the third time, Modi signed his first file authorising the release of the 17th installment of PM Kisan Nidhi. In continuation of this commitment, Modi will release the instalment amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crore to around 9.26 crore beneficiary farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through Direct Benefit Transfer, according to an official statement. PTI

A vacation bench is hearing a batch of pleas pertaining to NEET-UG, 2024 examination. The court today came down heavily on the National Testing Agency which conducts the nationwide exam for medical college aspirants.

 Details of the meeting were not available. It was convened in the backdrop of the ruling Mahayuti's below par performance in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. 

 "CM Shinde held a meeting with Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at his official residence 'Varsha'. After Pawar left, Shinde and Fadnavis continued the meeting for some time," a source in the BJP said on Tuesday. 

 BJP's central leadership has called a review meeting with state leaders in connection with the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls. 

 "It is a routine exercise in the BJP to hold such review meetings with state leaders. (BJP leader) Fadnavis offered to resign some days back after the results were out. He had stated that he wished to work for the party full-time till the state assembly elections. This will also be discussed in the Delhi meeting," the source said. 

 Union minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed as in-charge of the Maharashtra BJP unit and Ashwini Vaishnaw as its associate in-charge. 

 The Maharashtra assembly polls are due in October this year. 

 In the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the ruling Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde and NCP headed by Ajit Pawar, won 17 out of 48 seats in the state. 

 The BJP won 9 seats, Shiv Sena 7 and NCP 1. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar, bagged 30 seats. PTI

According to the sources, the Congress leader submitted the letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker for this today.

Earlier on Monday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad at a special press conference. If Priyanka Gandhi wins from Wayanad, three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Parliament - Sonia Gandhi in Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

Priyanka Gandhi said on Monday that she will contest the bypoll from Wayanad but her decades-old association with Amethi and Rae Bareli will continue.

"I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad and I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi's) absence. I will work hard and I will try my best to make everyone happy and be a good representative. I have a very old relationship with Raebareli and Amethi and it cannot be broken. I will also help my brother in Rae Bareli. We will both be present in Rae Bareli and Wayanad," Priyanka Gandhi said at the special press conference.

Several Congress leaders hailed the duo's decision on the party's two prominent seats.

The inquiry may also be extended if required, according to a press release.

"Members of the public having knowledge relating to the incident and any other matter connected therewith may appear and tender evidence at the inquiry on the dates mentioned or write to the chief commissioner of railway safety," the official communication read.

Meanwhile, several trains were cancelled while others were diverted today following the accident on June 17.

Train services resumed from the Phansidewa area of the Darjeeling district, where the accident took place.

Surendra Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Katihar Northeast Frontier Railway, said, "Restoration work has been going on since night. The trail of an engine was carried out upline along with two goods trains and one Shatabdi train towards NJP (New Jalpaiguri Junction) yesterday. Since it is an accident site, the trial was done with some caution. Within half an hour, the line beside it will also be restored."

Kanchanjungha Express, arrived at its destination station, Sealdah in Kolkata, in the early hours today after the completion of restoration work.

A goods train allegedly disregarded a signal and hit the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express near North Bengal's Jalpaiguri station at 8.55 am on Monday. The accident took place in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. At least eight people died and over 25 people were injured in the accident.

A passenger who was present on the train when it met with an accident expressed concern and fear as she recalled the tragic incident.

"I was in S7 when this accident took place. We are very afraid after this accident. My parents are also worried," she said.

Kanchanjungha Express runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata.

The Congress party in Kerala welcomed the candidature of the party's general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi for the by-poll in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. The by-election in the seat was necessitated after Rahul Gandhi decided to retain Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli seat, which he won along with Wayanad in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.

Fitch Ratings on Tuesday raised India's growth forecast for current fiscal to 7.2 per cent, from 7 per cent projected in March, citing a recovery in consumer spending and increased investment.

   

For the fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27, Fitch projected growth rates of 6.5 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively.

"We expect the Indian economy to expand by a strong 7.2 per cent in FY24/25 (an upward revision of 0.2 pp from the March GEO)," Fitch said in its global economic outlook report.

Fitch's estimates are in line with that of RBI which earlier this month projected Indian economy to expand 7.2 per cent in the current fiscal on the back of improving rural demand and moderating inflation.

Investment will continue to rise but more slowly than in recent quarters, while consumer spending will recover with elevated consumer confidence, it said.

Fitch said purchasing managers survey data point to continued growth at the start of the current financial year.

It said signs of the coming monsoon season being more normal should support growth and make inflation less volatile, though a recent heatwave poses a risk.

"We expect growth in later years to slow and approach our medium-term trend estimate," it said, adding growth will be driven by consumer spending and investment.

The Indian economy grew 8.2 per cent in the last fiscal (2023-24), with a 7.8 per cent expansion in March quarter.

Inflation, Fitch expects, will decline to 4.5 per cent by end 2024 and average 4.3 per cent in 2025 and 2026.

Fitch said it expects the RBI to cut policy interest rates by 25 basis points this year to 6.25 per cent. -- PTI 

 Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty hit their new all-time high levels in early trade on Tuesday helped by firm trends in global markets, buying in IT stocks and fresh foreign fund inflows.

   

Rising for the fourth straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 334.03 points to hit its fresh lifetime peak of 77,326.80. The NSE Nifty went up by 108.25 points to hit its new all-time high of 23,573.85.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Wipro, Titan, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Bharti Airtel and Hindustan Unilever were the biggest gainers.

Maruti, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai were trading in the positive territory while Hong Kong quoted lower.

US markets ended higher on Monday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 2,175.86 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.15 per cent to USD 84.12 a barrel.

A recruitment drive to fill 17,471 constabulary posts in Maharashtra police set to begin on June 19 has received a massive 17.76 lakh applications, an official said on Monday.

The recruitment drive is for posts of constables, drivers, band men, SRPF personnel and jail staff, the official said.

"For 9,595 constable posts, we have got 8,22,984 applications, while for 1,686 constable driver posts, we have received 1,98,300 applications. For 1800 prison constable posts, 3,72,354 applications have been received. We have received 101 applications for each post, while it is 206 per post in the prison department," he said.

Earlier in the day, details of the recruitment drive were given by Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, Thane Additional Police Commissioner (Administration) Sanjay Jadhav and Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil for their units.

There are 231 constable posts in Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar police unit, for which we have received 8,423 applications, comprising 6,900 from men and 1,523 from women, the official said.

"In Thane, we have got 38,078 applications for 661 posts. Of these, 30,155 applicants are men and 7,923 are women. Additionally, 1,527 applications have been received for 20 driver positions, comprising 1,408 from men and 119 from women. In Palghar, we have received 3,577 applications for 59 posts," the official said.

In Navi Mumbai, 5,984 persons, comprising 4,622 men and 1,362 women, have applied for 185 constable posts, he said, adding the process involves physical tests, written examinations and interviews.

As the ground tests for the recruitment drive will start on June 19 at various units across the state, there is a possibility that one candidate is being called for the tests at two different places, the official said.

"Considering the situation, all the units in charge have been instructed to give different dates for the tests on the request of the candidate so that he/she can attend tests at both places. There should be at least a four-day span for the tests at two different places," he said.

The candidates should communicate about the same and their queries about the recruitment to raunak.saraf@mahait.org, the official said. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday slammed the Congress accusing it of indulging in "dynastic politics" after party leader Rahul Gandhi decided to retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and vacate Wayanad in Kerala for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest the by-elections from the seat.

   

"With Rahul Gandhi deciding to vacate the Wayanad seat and his sister to contest from there, it has become clear today that the Congress is not a political party but a company of the family," BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonwala charged.

"Mother (Sonia Gandhi) will be in the Rajya Sabha, son (Rahul Gandhi) in the Lok Sabha from one seat (Rae Bareli) and Priyanka will also be in the Lok Sabha from another (Wayanad) seat. This is a symbol of dynasticism," he added.

The BJP's reaction came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that Gandhi will keep the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and vacate the Wayanad seat in Kerala from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest.

The BJP spokesperson termed Gandhi's decision to vacate the Wayanad seat as "betrayal" with the people of the constituency and alleged the decision also makes it clear that Gandhi family's "political legacy" will remain with its son.

"This shows who is first between the son and the daughter," he charged.

Poonawalla claimed that Gandhi has decided not to leave the Rae Bareli seat as he was aware that if he does so then this seat will go into the BJP's kitty in the bye-election.

Gandhi won the Rae Bareli seat due to the Samajwadi Party's support, he claimed.

"Immediately after the elections,  the BJP one again became strong in this seat," he added.

Reacting to the development, BJP leader Ajay Alok took a swipe at Gandhi over him vacating the Wayanad seat and claimed that it will not be easy for Priyanka Gandhi to win from the seat.

"It is really interesting that the runaway bride has decided to flee from Wayanad," Alok told PTI, when asked for reaction on Gandhi's decision to vacate the Wayanad seat in Kerala and retain Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

"But the election is not going to be easy (for Priyanka Gandhi). We will be contesting hard. Obviously, the Communist party is also going to give it a good try. But, if at all, she wins from Wayanad, it will be interesting in the Lok Sabha because people will question who decided to field Priyanka and what was the intent behind. Was it to create an alternate leadership?" the BJP leader said. 

Nationalist Congress Party-SP leader Rohit Pawar on Monday claimed 18 to 19 MLAs of the ruling NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will cross over to their side after the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.

  

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Rohit Pawar maintained there are several NCP MLAs who have never spoken ill against party founder Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders after the July 2023 split in the outfit.

"But they have to attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends (before making switch over)," said the grandnephew of NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar.

"There are 18 to 19 (NCP) MLAs who are in touch with us and Pawar saheb," and they will cross over to their side after the monsoon session, the opposition legislator claimed.

Sharad Pawar and other NCP-SP leaders will take a decision on whom to take back in the fold, said the MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district.

The undivided NCP had won 54 assembly seats in the 2019 polls. When the party split in July 2023, the Ajit Pawar-led faction had claimed the support of around 40 MLAs.

The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. This will be the last session before the state heads for assembly elections which are due in October. -- PTI