News Analysis India

Category: Nation

  • PM Modi Oath Ceremony 2024: When and Where To Watch Swearing-In Event; Find Out Date, Time, Guest List |

    India is on its way to welcome PM-designate Narendra Modi and his new cabinet to form the goverment. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on June 9. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerged victorious in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Now, all eyes are focused on this momentous occasion that ushers in a new era in Indian politics.

    The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has secured a majority in the recently announced Lok Sabha election results, guaranteeing Modi’s reappointment for a third term.

    Swearing-in Ceremony Date And Time 

    The ceremonial beginning of the new government is set to take place with the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, June 9, at 6 p.m. 

    Swearing-in ceremony is a significant event rich in tradition and symbolism. The ceremony is expected to be highly symbolic as the country excitedly anticipates the formation of the new government. Rashtrapati Bhavan will remain closed to the public from June 5 to June 9 in anticipation of the swearing-in ceremony of the Council of Ministers, according to a Tuesday announcement made by the President’s Deputy Press Secretary. 

    Where To Watch Swearing-In Ceremony? 

    News channels will air the ceremony live.  Additionally, it will be available on YouTube and other social media sites.  

    Guest List 

    PM Modi invited the leaders of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Mauritius to attend the inauguration during separate phone conversations on Wednesday. Formal invitations were sent to all seven countries on Thursday, the people said. Modi is all set to take charge as the prime minister for a historic third consecutive term with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning 293 seats in the Lok Sabha polls.

     

  • BREAKING: Media Baron Ramoji Rao Passes Away At 87 |

    Early on Saturday morning, legendary media mogul Cherukuri Ramoji Rao passed away. According to ETV Bharat, Mr. Rao was brought to the hospital on May 5th due to his declining health. He passed away on Saturday at 4:50 a.m. On June 5, in the afternoon, he was admitted to Star Hospitals of Nanakramguda in Hyderabad because of high blood pressure and respiratory problems.

    For a considerable amount of time, the 87-year-old Ramoji Rao suffered from age-related health issues and chronic sickness. Prior to his passing, the renowned businessman had been experiencing health problems. Sources claim that plans are in place to relocate Mr. Ramoji Rao’s remains to his Ramoji Film City residence. 

     

  • Will Railway Ministry Become Bone Of Contention In NDA Govt? JDU MP Confirms Demand |

    Amid speculations over Janta Dal United’s possible demands in the Narendra Modi led NDA government, JDU MP-elect Lovely Anand and her gansgter-turned politician husband Anand Mohan confirmed party’s demand of Railway Ministry. Lovely Anand, while speaking to the reporters said, “Railway Ministry certainly should be given, it has always happened. Bihar should also get special status.”

    #WATCH | Delhi | On being asked if the Railway ministry portfolio should be given to JD(U) in the new Cabinet, JD(U) MP-elect from Bihar’s Sheohar, Lovely Anand says, “Yes, it certainly should be given, it has always happened. Bihar should also get special status.” pic.twitter.com/iKeYJ2Zzu6


    — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2024

    Lovely’s husband, Anand Mohan, while speaking to the press said, “The demand for the railway ministry is confirmed. It has been in Bihar’s share… The Backward Bihar needs the railway ministry… The CM took Bihar out of ‘jungle-raj’ and made a developing Bihar in the last 16 years. If we want to give it wings, then the ‘special’ state demanded must be fulfilled.”

    Mohan clarified that he was not part of the meeting and he had come to pay a unofficial courtesy visit to CM Nitish at his residence. 

    #WATCH | Delhi: On JDU parliamentary meeting at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s residence, gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan says, “The demand for the railway ministry is confirmed. It has been in Bihar’s share… The Backward Bihar needs the railway ministry… The CM took Bihar… pic.twitter.com/XThO9b0WFV


    — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2024

    NDA Ally Nitish Kumar Slams INDIA Opposition Alliance 

    Days after the results of the Lok Sabha election, JDU chief Nitish Kumar attacked the INDIA opposition alliance on Friday, saying that it had never served the nation’s interests. Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the nation will advance, Kumar said while addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary meeting in Delhi.

    “Agli baar jab aap aaiye toh kuch log jo idhar udhar jeet gaya hai, agli baar sab haarega. Humko poora bharosa hai (Those who have won this time will lose the next elections. I’m confident about it). They never worked for the nation. They never served the country. The country will progress under your (PM Modi) leadership” said Kumar.

    During his address at the NDA meeting, the JDU chief also affirmed his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “All pending Bihar projects will be completed. It’s great that we’ve all come together, and we’ll all work with you (PM Modi). You will be sworn in as Prime Minister on Sunday, but I wanted you to do so today. We will be there for you whenever you take the oath…We will all work together under your leadership.”

    The newly elected MPs of the NDA attended the meeting of the alliance, which was held days after the Lok Sabha results.

  • NEET UG Results: Congress Demands SC-Monitored Probe Into 2024 Exam ‘Irregularities’ |

    NEET UG 2024 Exam Result: The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of cheating young people and tampering with their futures on Friday, demanding a high-level investigation into “irregularities” in NEET for medical courses conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Paper leaks, test-rigging, and corruption, according to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, have become commonplace in many exams, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

    “Paper leaks, rigging and corruption have become an integral part of many examinations including NEET. The Modi government is directly responsible for this. For the candidates, appearing in the recruitment exams, then facing several irregularities, getting caught in the labyrinth of paper leaks, is playing with their future. BJP has cheated the youth of the country. We demand that a high-level investigation should be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court so that our talented students appearing in NEET and other exams get justice.,” he wrote in a Hindi post on X.

    A record 67 candidates, including six from the same exam centre, received the top rank in the NEET medical entrance exam due to alleged mark inflation, according to several applicants. The NCERT textbook modifications and the provision of grace marks for tardiness at the testing centre, according to the National Testing Agency (NTA), account for some of the students’ higher scores. The NTA, however, refuted any irregularities. Six of the 67 students who shared rank one came from the same Haryana examination centre, according to the results released by NTA on Wednesday night.

    Earlier, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the Modi government on Friday for what she described as anomalies in the NEET medical entrance exam and demanded that students’ “legitimate complaints” be looked into. The Congress party claimed irregularities have affected the future of around 24 lakh children. It said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the government should answer and also ensure accountability.

    NTA Issues Clarification Over Alleged Irregularities In NEET 2024 Results 

    The NTA provided a detailed explanation of the reason for the mark inflation, said that it had received complaints about time lost during the exam. “The normalisation formula, which was developed and approved by the Supreme Court in its Judgement dated June 13, 2018, was put into effect to address the time loss experienced by the NEET (UG) 2024 candidates after NTA took into consideration the cases and representations mentioned.

    “It was determined how much exam time was lost, and such candidates received grace marks in exchange. Therefore, the marks may also be 718 or 719,” the statement read. Speaking to news agency PTI, a senior NTA said that the question paper was created using a new NCERT textbook in response to questions regarding the claims of unclear grace mark implementation.”

    The entrance exam was held on May 5 at 4,750 locations in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. The NTA claimed on May 5 that the distribution of incorrect question papers at an exam centre in Rajasthan resulted in some candidates walking out with the papers. The agency denied any leaks of the question paper.

    A day later, the NTA reiterated that reports of question paper leaks in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG are “completely baseless and without any ground” and that every question paper has been accounted for.

  • Behind BJP’s UP Defeat, 40 ‘Failed MPs’ And Ignorance Of Ground Report |

    Following BJP’s poor performance in Uttar Pradesh, internal unrest within the party has intensified. The pressing question is: who will be held accountable for the poor results? Sources indicate that an internal report is being prepared on the poor performance of BJP’s defeated MPs in Uttar Pradesh. It is reported that district-level feedback suggested that most of the MPs against whom the party had recommended changing the ticket due to an adverse public opinion, were the ones who lost.

    Survey Report Ignored

    According to sources, a party-conducted survey based on the popularity and winning potential of the MPs had indicated that over three dozen MPs were unlikely to win. This included several central ministers. Despite this, these MPs were re-nominated. The major reason for BJP’s setback in Uttar Pradesh is attributed to the overconfidence of the party’s senior leaders, who ignored local and party cadre inputs while distributing tickets, resulting in significant losses for the party.

    Victims of Overconfidence

    Many MPs, who did not work among the public during their tenure, relied heavily on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Consequently, these MPs were rejected by the electorate. Reports from district units, regional, and state levels had indicated a negative atmosphere against around 40 sitting MPs, spanning from the west to the east of Uttar Pradesh. Despite these warnings, most of these MPs were given tickets again. Although efforts were made to boost their chances, including deploying ministers and state organization officials from the same caste to those constituencies, the public’s dissatisfaction remained high.

    Assembly Results Breakdown

    Analyzing the results on an assembly-wise basis, BJP managed to win only 156 assembly constituencies. In 76 parliamentary constituencies, BJP lost 156 seats while the Samajwadi Party gained an edge in 188 assembly seats. The Congress won in 22 assembly constituencies.

  • BREAKING: Priyanka Gandhi Might Contest Elections From Wayanad – Sources |

    Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might fight elections from Wayanad, as per the sources. Rahul Gandhi, who contested from two seats — Rae Bareli and Wayanad, won both constituencies by huge margins.

    Rahul Gandhi won the seat of Rae Bareli by defeating BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of 3,90,030 votes. Gandhi had contested this seat aiming to save the lone bastion of the party in the state after he lost Amethi in 2019.

    #BigNews
    _NDA __ __ ____, ____ ____ ______ ____
    _______ __ _______ ________ ______!
    _______ __: _______ __ _________ __ __ ____

    _____ 9 ___ __ TOP ___ LIVE @chandans_live __ ___ #USAvsPAK #NDA #PMModi #UttarPradesh #RahulGandhi | #ZeeNews https://t.co/hOSbeBqxAe
    — Zee News (@ZeeNews) June 7, 2024

    The Congress leader also won the seat of Wayanad, which paved his entry to the Lok Sabha in 2019. He defeated Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate Annie Raja by 3,64,422 votes. 

    According to the Election Commission of India, BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong improvement winning 99 seats. The INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP will need the support of other parties in coalition primarily — JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.

  • Why CISF Constable Kulwinder Kaur Slapped Mandi BJP MP Kangana Ranaut? |

    New Delhi: The recent incident at Chandigarh airport in which actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut was allegedly slapped by the CISF official named LCT Kulwinder Kaur. Kangana won from Mandi Lok Sabha seats and at the time of the incident she was flying to Delhi to attend NDA’s meeting. 

    Following the incident, a complaint has been filed to Punjab police against the CISF women constable and DSP Airport Kuljinder Singh and DSP Harsimran Singh are investigating the case.

    Reportedly, the women constable was upset with the BJP leader for saying against the farmer’s protest.

    In a video gone viral on social media, Kulwinder Kaur can be heard saying, “She (Kangana Ranaut) gave a statement… that farmers are sitting there for ₹ 100. Will she go and sit there? My mother was sitting there and protesting when she gave this statement…”

    Meanwhile, Kangana has arrived at Delhi airport ahead of the meeting of the NDA scheduled tomorrow in Parliament’s central hall. She defeated Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency with a margin of 74,755 votes. Kangana received 5,37,022 votes while Singh got 4,62,267 votes, as per the ECI data. 

  • They Contested Lok Sabha Polls From Jail And Won But Can They Take Oath? |

    New Delhi: Two candidates from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency are currently in prison on charges related to terrorism and have been elected in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The result was declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on June 4 which raised the unusual situation. 

    As per ECI, Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh secured a victory from the Khadoor Sahib seat of Punjab while terror financing accused Sheikh Abdul Rashid also known as Engineer Rashid won from the Baramulla parliamentary constituency of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Amritpal Singh secured victory from a margin of 1,97,120 votes against Congress leader Kulbir Singh Zira. Amritpal is the chief of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit and is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam under the National Security Act (NSA). Rashid won from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat against  National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah by a huge margin. 

    On jailed candidates being elected in Lok Sabha seats, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh said, “…The number of legislators with criminal charges is on the rise… The makers of the Constitution would have never thought that such people would be elected to the Parliament. A constitutional amendment is needed to specify the charges, holding which, the candidates will be disqualified from contesting elections”

    “The irony is, that people in jails cannot vote, but can contest and win elections… A Parliamentary seat cannot lie vacant for more than 60 days, irrespective of whether they have taken an oath,” he said while speaking to ANI. 

    He further said that the Parliament should step in and not let such people get elected and in cases where they have to vacate their seats, they should not be allowed to recontest till the time they are out of custody. 

    “It is the need of the hour to bring a law addressing this issue… There is a provision somewhere which allows them to file their nominations by authorising someone, this is how they have contested elections,” he said.

    If Amritpal Singh and Engineer Rashid were to be convicted and jailed for a minimum of two years, they would immediately lose their seats, as per the Supreme Court judgment of 2013. 

  • Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini Takes Oath Of BJP MLA From Karnal |

    Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was administered oath of legislator by the Assembly Speaker on Thursday. Speaker Gian Chand Gupta administered the oath to the BJP leader in his chamber. Saini recently defeated his main rival, Congress’s Tarlochan Singh to win the bypoll for the Karnal Assembly seat, which was earlier held by party colleague Manohar Lal Khattar. In the 2019 Assembly polls, Khattar had retained the seat defeating Tarlochan Singh.

    Saini, the outgoing MP from Kurukshetra, had contested the by-election for the Karnal assembly seat after he replaced Khattar as chief minister.

    #WATCH | Chandigarh: After taking oath as BJP MLA from Karnal, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini says, “I thank the people of Karnal that they have expressed their trust. People of Karnal have put their stamp of approval on the fact that in the Vidhan Sabha election due for October,… pic.twitter.com/dAQECDZCP8
    — ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2024

    The bypoll was necessitated by Khattar’s resignation as MLA from Karnal after his removal from the post of chief minister. Polling for the state’s 10 Lok Sabha seats and the Karnal assembly constituency was held in the sixth phase of the general election on May 25 and the results were declared on June 4.

    Saini was sworn in as the chief minister on March 12. Khattar, who was fielded by the BJP from the Karnal parliamentary segment, won the seat.

     

  • Modi 3.0: PM Modi’s Swearing-In Ceremony Guest List Unveiled |

    New Delhi: India is likely to invite leaders of a number of its neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Modi is all set to take charge as the prime minister for a historic third consecutive term with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning 293 seats in the Lok Sabha polls.

    The people cited above said top leaders of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Mauritius are likely to be among the foreign leaders to be invited for Modi’s oath-taking ceremony. The media division of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office said Modi invited him to the swearing-in ceremony. It said Wickremesinghe accepted the invite.

    It said Wickremesinghe congratulated Modi on the electoral victory in a phone call. “During the conversation, Prime Minister @narendramodi invited President Wickremesinghe to his swearing-in ceremony, which President @RW_UNP accepted,” it said.

    Modi also had a phone conversation with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In the phone conversation, Modi invited Hasina to attend his swearing-in ceremony and she accepted it, diplomatic sources said. 
    The people cited above said Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth are set to be invited to Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.

    Modi had a separate phone conversations with Prachanda. The formal invitations are set to be sent on Thursday, said one of the people cited above. The leaders of regional grouping SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries attended Modi’s first swearing-in ceremony when he took the reins as the prime minister after a massive electoral victory for the BJP.

    Leaders of the BIMSTEC countries attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in 2019 when he became prime minister for the second consecutive term. Modi is likely to take oath on June 8. Though the BJP could not get a majority on its own in the polls, the party-led alliance secured 293 seats out of 543.