Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar stated on Monday, a day before the counting of votes, that India has recorded the highest voter participation in the world for the Lok Sabha elections and that the Indian elections are truly a "miracle." Rajiv Kumar said, "We have created a world record of 642 million voters. This is the historic moment for all of us. This is 1.5 times the voters of all G7 countries and 2.5 times voters of 27 countries in the European Union (EU). We thank each and every one who took part in this festival of democracy. The Indian elections are indeed a miracle. Having no parallel in the world." CEC Rajiv Kumar gave a standing ovation to all voters who took part in the Lok Sabha elections in a press conference on Monday, reported ANI. CEC highlighted the female voters turnout of 312 million women voters in General Elections 2024, that reflects the ECI commitment to inclusive elections. The women voters' figures 1.25 times greater than the voters of 27 countries in the EU, as reported by ANI. He further said that the largest-ever global delegation of 75 observers from 23 countries was thrilled by India's Electoral Marvel, which showcased unparalleled scale, meticulous planning, and integrity in the conduct of elections. "4Ms: Identified, Confronted, and Tackled Muscle, Money, Misinformation and MCC Violations - impediments to free, fair, and transparent elections were addressed and responded to," he said. "Due to the meticulous work of the election personnel we ensured fewer repolls - we saw 39 repolls in Lok Sabha polls 2024 as opposed to 540 in 2019 and 25 out of 39 repolls were in 2 States only," he stated. "The contribution of voters aged 85 and above is inspiring for our younger generation; they are the heroes of our democracy. They have witnessed India before independence and have shaped this country with their contributions over the past 70 years," CEC Kumar said. The Elections Commission extended special thanks to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their faith in the electoral process. "Voter turnout in the state is the highest in the last 4 decades," he said. Rajiv Kumar asserted that in this Lok Sabha elections, the poll body has not seen the violence. "This is one of the General Elections where we have not seen violence. This required two years of preparation," he said. "Election Commission made a record seizure record of almost Rs 10,000 crores during this election. This is nearly 3 times the value seized in 2019...Local teams were empowered to do their work," CEC Rajiv Kumar said. "The entire counting process is absolutely robust. It works similar to the precision of a clock," CEC Said. The Chief Election Commissioner gave details about the counting process to be followed to declare the results of Lok Sabha elections on June 4. ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu addressed the press conference with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar. According to the reports from ANI, a few exit polls predicted that the NDA, led by the BJP, might accomplish the "400 paar" target that BJP leaders had set in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. According to exit polls conducted on Saturday, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is expected to win the Lok Sabha elections third times with a massive majority. These polls also suggested that the party in power at the central level would perform better in a several states ruled by other parties. Beginning on April 19, there were seven stages of the Lok Sabha elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the BJP campaign. Votes will be counted on June 4.
03 June,2024 02:58 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA day before the announcement of the India general elections 2024 result, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per PTI, there was no official word on the details of the meeting that happened on June 3. Though still significant, Kumar's JD(U), a part of the BJP-led NDA is seen as a declining force in the state amid strong efforts by the RJD to challenge the ruling combine. Except for a brief period of time, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been at the helm in Bihar since 2005. But now there have been some questions over his future as the BJP and the RJD are the two biggest parties in the state. Before the meeting between Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will get more number of Lok Sabha seats than predicted by the exit polls of India General elections 2024, according to the PTI. The news agency reported, while addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Ramdas Athawale expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led NDA will get more than 400 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Exit polls have predicted the NDA will win 350 to 375 seats, but the BJP-led alliance will get more seats, Athawale said on Sunday. The Republican Party of India (A) chief Ramdas Athawale, whose party is a constituent of the NDA said, "In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti win will 35 to 40 seats (out of 48), and in the country, the NDA will get more than 400 seats," as reported by PTI. The Mahayuti in Maharashtra comprises of the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the NCP headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. On the other hand, according to PTI, Nitish Kumar have been accused of meddling in the lives of educators. Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the RJD made these comments following the deaths of over 80 people in three days as a result of the intense heatwave that affected numerous districts of Bihar. This came after Bihar Education Department had instructed teachers to report to schools despite extreme heatwave experienced in Bihar state.
03 June,2024 02:14 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentMother Dairy announced Rs 2 per litre hike in milk prices in the Delhi-NCR market on Monday. Due to a rise in input cost over the last 15 months, the increase in prices of all variants of milk is effective from Monday (June 3) in Delhi-NCR as well as other markets where it has a presence. Before Mother Dairy, Amul announced an increase in rates on Sunday. Increases in milk prices by these two leading milk suppliers come just after the completion of the voting process of the Lok Sabha elections. In a statement, Mother Dairy said it is "increasing its liquid milk prices by Rs 2 per litre across all operating markets from June 03, 2024 onwards." Full cream Mother Dairy milk currently retails for Rs 68 per litre in Delhi-NCR, while toned and double-toned milk are priced at Rs 56 and Rs 50 per litre, respectively. The cost of a litre of cow and buffalo milk has jumped to Rs 58 and Rs 72, respectively. The price per litre of token milk, or bulk vended milk, will be Rs 54. Mother Dairy stated that it last updated its liquid milk prices in February 2023. According to the PTI, the company said, the primary reason for the increase in consumer prices is to make up for the producers' higher manufacturing costs, which have been rising for more than a year. Mother Dairy presently sells 35 lakh litres of fresh milk per day in Delhi-NCR. Mother Dairy said, "Despite paying higher prices towards milk procurement in the last few months, the consumer prices were kept intact. Moreover, the heat stress across the country has been unprecedented and it is likely to further impact milk production." The company stated that, on average, it passes between 75 and 80 per cent of milk sales towards its procurement. This contributes to maintaining dairy farming's sustainance and the supply of high-quality milk. "The surge in farm prices is only being partially passed on to the consumers, with an effective revision of 3-4 per cent, thereby securing the interests of both the milk producers and the consumers," Mother Dairy said. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products across the country under the Amul brand, raised milk prices by roughly Rs 2 per litre on Sunday night. The rise went into effect on Monday. According to a late-night announcement from GCMMF, the increase of Rs 2 per litre amounts to a 3–4% increase in MRP, which is far less than typical food inflation. According to GCMMF, there hasn't been a price hike for fresh pouch milk in major markets since February 2023. "This price hike is being done due to an increase in the overall cost of operation and production of milk. Our member unions have also increased farmer's price approximately by 6-8 per cent over the last one year," GCMMF said. The statement, "The price revision shall help in sustaining remunerative milk prices to our milk producers and to encourage them for higher milk production," highlights Amul's policy that says, Amul passes almost 80 paise of every rupee earned behind milk and milk products to their milk producers.
03 June,2024 01:37 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentOn Monday, the Supreme Court ordered that the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) hold an emergency meeting on June 5 to appropriately address the issue of water scarcity in Delhi. To alleviate the nation's current water crisis, the Delhi government was requesting that the Supreme Court order Haryana to release the excess water that Himachal Pradesh had given to the capital. The bench standing on behalf of the Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh have agreed that a meeting of the UYRB be held to resolve the issue of water scarcity in the nation's capital, according to a vacation bench of Justices P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan. "In the course of hearing, all the parties agreed that there should be a non-adversarial approach to the problem of scarcity of water faced by the citizens of Delhi," the bench said. It said the lawyers have "agreed that there shall be an emergent meeting of the Upper Yamuna River Board on June 5 to address the issues agitated in this petition and all other connected issues in right earnest so that the problem of scarcity of water for the citizens of Delhi shall be properly addressed".The bench said the matter be posted for hearing on June 6 along with the minutes of the meeting of the board and the suggested steps to be taken by the stakeholders to solve the problem. The Centre, the BJP-ruled state of Haryana, and the Congress-ruled state of Himachal Pradesh have joined the case brought out by Delhi's Water Minister Atishi, arguing that access to water is a fundamental human right and that it is necessary for living. The petition aims to direct the Haryana government to release water at the Wazirabad barrage immediately and continuously. This release should include all of the excess water that Himachal Pradesh supplies for the Delhi National Capital Territory (NCT), among other things. (With Inputs from PTI)
03 June,2024 12:43 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentWith strong macroeconomic data and exit poll results indicating a third term for the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the rupee surged 38 paise to reach its three-month high level of 83.04 against the US dollar in early trade on Monday. Most of the exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a big majority in the Lok Sabha elections. The market is soaring after exit poll, as reported by PTI. The country's Goods and Services Tax (GST) receipts increased 10 per cent to Rs 1.73 lakh crore in May, according to the finance ministry on Saturday. This growth was attributed to an increase in domestic transactions, which suggests a persistent economic momentum. On Friday, foreign investors bought shares worth a net of Rs 1,613.24 crore, making them net purchasers of Indian stocks. In one of the most significant foreign investor transactions in the cash segment, FIIs purchased shares valued at Rs 95,467.56 crore and sold stocks valued at Rs 93,854.32 crore. According to Forex traders, inflow of foreign capital into domestic shares and a depreciating US dollar also supported the local unit. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 83.09 and gained further to trade at 83.04 against the greenback in initial deals, registering an increase of 38 paise from its previous close. The rupee had breached the 83.00 level on March 18 this year. According to PTI, since April 2023, the local unit clocked the highest single day rise when it appreciated by 42 paise. The rupee declined 13 paise to close at 83.42 against the US dollar, on Friday. The dollar index, which measures the strength of the US dollar relative to a basket of six other currencies, was down 0.06 percent at 104.56 in the meantime. The benchmark for global oil, Brent crude futures, dropped 0.06 percent to USD 81.06 a barrel. The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 1,912.00 points, or 2.59 per cent higher, at 75,873.31 points on the domestic equity market. In the first trade, the NSE Nifty increased by 597.10 points, or 2.65%, to 23,127.80 points. On Friday, the government released a data, that showed India's economy grew by 8.2 per cent in the fiscal year that ended in March, marking the country's position as the fastest growing economy in the world. According to the reports by Reserve Bank released on Friday, the country's forex reserves dropped by USD 2.027 billion to USD 646.673 billion for the week ended May 24. In the previous reporting week, the kitty had reached an all-time high of USD 648.7 billion after a jump of USD 4.549 billion. The central government's fiscal deficit during 2023-24 at 5.6 per cent of the GDP was better than previous estimates of 5.8 per cent on account of higher revenue realization and lower expenditure, according to the data released on Friday.
03 June,2024 12:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe death toll in Assam Flood rose to 15 after three more deaths were reported on Sunday, June 2, according to official estimates. As a result of severe rains in Assam after landfall of Cyclone Remal on May 28, the death toll stood at eight on June 1, according to a report issued by the State Disaster Management Authority. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) stated that two people were reported missing on June 2. Kopili, Barak and Kushiyara rivers are flowing above the danger level, as reported by ANI. Hailakandi, Karimganj, Hojai, Dhemaji, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Morigaon, Cachar, South Salmara, Karbi Anglong West, Golaghat and Dima-Hasao- are the 13 districts reportedly affected in the floods. More than 3 lakh people are reported to be affected in the floods in Nagaon, followed by Chahar where more than one lakh people are affected by the floods. The administration has set up 275 relief camps and distribution centers where 39,269 people are taking shelter. 103 roads across several districts of the state are reportedly damaged by the flood waters. In the past few days, the water level of Bramhaputra River has been rising, following incessant rainfall in several parts of the state of Assam and other neighbouring states. Rs. 50,000 each has been announced by PM Narendra Modi for those injured in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund has also been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the kin of each deceased due to the natural disasters in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. The Prime Minister's office posted on 'X'- "An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased due to the natural disasters in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 each: PM." NDRF, SDRF, local administration and people were engaged in carrying out rescue and relief operations, as reported by PTI. Road and rail communication in several parts of the state remained disrupted following incessant rain in the aftermath of Cyclone 'Remal', officials said. At least 10 trains scheduled for commencing journey from Saturday to Monday were cancelled, in view of damage of track between New Haflong's Chandranathpur section and water logging at Silchar station of Lumding division, a Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson said.
03 June,2024 11:24 AM IST | Assam | mid-day online correspondentBhajan Lal Sharma, the chief minister of Rajasthan, expressed sorrow on Monday over the deaths of 13 residents of the Jhalwar district on Sunday along the boundary between Rajasthan and Rajgarh. "Sad news has been received about the death of 13 citizens of Jhalawar district in an unfortunate road accident on Piplodi Road in Madhya Pradesh. My condolences are with the grieving families of the deceased," the Rajasthan Chief Minister wrote in a post on X. मध्य प्रदेश के पीपलोदी रोड में हुई दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण सड़क दुर्घटना में झालावाड़ जिले के 13 नागरिकों की मृत्यु का दुःखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ है। मेरी संवेदनाएं मृतकों के शोक संतप्त परिजनों के साथ हैं। राजस्थान के उच्च अधिकारियों को मध्य प्रदेश के अधिकारियों से समन्वय स्थापित कर… — Bhajanlal Sharma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@BhajanlalBjp) June 3, 2024 The Chief Minister stated that "necessary instructions have been given to the senior officials of Rajasthan to coordinate with the officials of Madhya Pradesh to deliver the dead bodies to the families of the deceased and ensure proper treatment of the injured". "May Lord Shri Ram provide peace to the departed souls and speedy recovery to the citizens injured in this accident," he added. Late on Sunday night, a tractor crashed close to the Rajasthan-Rajgarh border, injuring fifteen persons and killing thirteen, according to authorities. Two of the injured individuals are in critical condition, according to the police, who also stated that the occupants on the tractor were travelling to Rajasthan to attend a wedding. "Some people from Rajasthan were coming to the state to attend a wedding, in a tractor. Near the Rajasthan-Rajgarh border, the tractor was overturned in which 13 people died and 15 were injured. Two people were in serious condition and have been admitted to the hospital and we have referred them to Bhopal. The injured are being given proper treatment as per the instructions of the government," Rajgarh Collector Harsh Dikshit said speaking to ANI. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed his sorrow, stating, "The treatment of the injured is going on in the District Hospital, Rajgarh and some seriously injured patients have been referred to Bhopal...My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he added. (With Inputs from ANI)
03 June,2024 11:01 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentPeople are standing in long lines to get water from tankers in various parts of the capital city of India, which is experiencing a serious water shortage. People can be seen waiting in large lines in Chilla Gaon, which is part of Mayur Vihar Phase 1, despite the water issue. Tankers are used to deliver water to the populace. Residents were observed gathering water for their daily needs in buckets and plastic canisters at Chanakyapuri as well. Tankers in the region are supplying the local population with water. Residents of Geeta Colony were also observed gathering water from the tanker in a similar circumstance. The locals discussed their struggles during the water crisis in an interview with ANI.A resident named AP Singh, who had reached to collect water said, "We have to take water from the tanker every day. We face a lot of difficulty due to the crisis. We have to go to work in the morning and the water tanker also comes in the morning. Currently, the situation in Delhi is such that even if we want to purchase the water, it is not available. Only one water tanker comes in the morning... And not all the people are able to get the water..." Another resident Shiv, said, "I have seven members in my family and I don't even have a tap in my home. Because of the summers, the usage of water is higher and today, I was only able to fill 3-4 bottles." He added further, "The water is used for drinking and cooking purposes. One tanker comes in the morning. My request to the government is that another tanker should also come in the evening so that the issues of people are solved." Shabbo Khatoon also reiterated the use of water for cooking and drinking purposes and said, "I filled water but I didn't get much. Because of the summers, the use of water is more. I have small kids In my family also so the use of water is more..."Speaking on the water crisis in Delhi, Water Minister Atishi stated, "Because of the heatwave, water demand has increased and on the other hand, the water level in Yamuna has decreased. Last year, there was 674.5 ft of water in the Wazirabad pond... Despite so many requests, only 671 ft of water has been released... All water treatment plants are being affected due to low levels of water in the Wazirabad barrage... We have requested Haryana and UP government to release more water." The Delhi government petitioned the Supreme Court on May 31 to obtain more water from adjacent Haryana right now. In its plea, the Delhi government stated that it is compelled to file the petition due to the serious water shortage that the citizens of Delhi are currently experiencing, which was brought on by the continuing extreme heat waves in North India, especially in Delhi. "Direct the Respondent no. 1 (Haryana) for immediate and continuous release of water at the Wazirabad barrage," the plea stated.The Delhi administration said on May 30 that a central control room will be set up to oversee the water supply throughout the nation's capital in light of the subsequent water crisis.An IAS officer will be in charge of the war room. Water Minister of Delhi, Atishi, also disclosed the number '1916', which the locals can use to ask for water trucks.Notably, even after "so many talks," the Delhi government has accused the Haryana government of withholding Delhi's water share. She added, "We will move to Supreme Court also," if the water supply does not improve in the next one to two days. (With Inputs from ANI)
03 June,2024 10:38 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentOn Monday morning, a confrontation occurred between security personnel and terrorists in the Nihama neighbourhood of Pulwama district. In a post on X, Kashmir Zone Police said that the security forces are on the job. "Encounter has started at Nihama area of District Pulwama. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow," it said. #Encounter has started at Nihama area of District #Pulwama. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) June 3, 2024 The Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police conducted a joint operation in Kupwara earlier this year that resulted in the recovery of an extensive supply of weapons, ammunition, and war-related equipment. Chinar Corps reported that 'Operation Kot Nala' was the means of recovery. "Based on specific input, a Joint Search Operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the dense forest area of Awra, Kupwara, today. During the search, a terrorist hideout was busted, and a large cache of arms, ammunition, equipment and other war-like stores have been recovered," Chinar Corps posted on X. In Kulgam, the Indian Army carried out "Operation Redwani Payeen" on May 6, eliminating three terrorists. In a post on X, Chinar Corps said, "A joint operation that commenced on the intervening night of May 6-7 in the general area of Redwani Payeen, Kulgam, has been concluded after a relentless vigil of approximately 40 hours. 4 terrorists have been eliminated along with the recovery of war-like stores, inflicting yet another hit on the terror ecosystem." (With Inputs from ANI)
03 June,2024 10:33 AM IST | Pulwama | mid-day online correspondentBengaluru Metro services have resumed on the entire Purple line after a tree branch fell across the metro track as a result of intense winds and rain. There were traffic jams in several areas of Bengaluru yesterday due to the high rains and wind that Karnataka experienced. "Today normalcy of service on the entire Purple Line has been restored and trains are running as per schedule from Challaghatta to Whitefield," Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited said. Trinity Metro Station on the Purple Line faced disruption in services after an uprooted tree fell over the metro track. "Due to a tree branch falling on the metro tracks just after Trinity Station towards MG road. Trains operate only between Indiranagar to Whitefield and MG road to Challaghatta, from 7.26 pm. Efforts are on to clear the branch and resume normal operations FKI," BMRC said on June 2. For the next 48 hours, Karnataka is expected to see partly cloudy skies and mild rainfall, according to the IMD. The IMD reports that the monsoon has moved into several areas of Karnataka. Over the following two to three days, the Southwest Monsoon is expected to continue spreading into several areas, including Karnataka. "The Southwest Monsoon has advanced into some more parts of central Arabian Sea; remaining parts of Lakshadweep area, Kerala and Tamil Nadu; some parts of Karnataka, Rayalaseema and Andhra Pradesh; remaining parts of Southwest Bay of Bengal; some more parts of Central Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northwest Bay of Bengal," an official release said. According to IMD, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Bagalkote, Gadag, Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Hassan, and Mandya are anticipated to see strong rain and thundershowers on June 6, 2024, along with gusty winds. (With Inputs from ANI)
03 June,2024 10:24 AM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondentThirteen people were killed and 15 were injured as a tractor overturned near the Rajasthan-Rajgarh border late night on Sunday, police said. The people who were on board the tractor were coming to Rajasthan to attend a wedding, the police said adding that two of those who have been injured are in critical condition. "Some people from Rajasthan were coming to the state to attend a wedding, in a tractor. Near the Rajasthan-Rajgarh border, the tractor was overturned in which 13 people died and 15 were injured. Two people were in serious condition and have been admitted to the hospital and we have referred them to Bhopal. The injured are being given proper treatment as per the instructions of the government...," Rajgarh Collector Harsh Dikshit said speaking to ANI. President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences to the families who died in the Rajgarh accident. "The news of the death of many people in a road accident in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh is very sad. I express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," the President said in a post on 'X'. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Singh said that his Cabinet colleague Narayan Singh Panwar reached the spot along with the Rajgarh Collector and the Superintendent of Police. Singh further said that the state government is also in touch with the Rajasthan government and the Rajasthan Police has reached the spot as well. "The news of the untimely death of 13 people from the Jhalawar district of Rajasthan due to the overturning of a tractor-trolley on Piplodi Road in Rajgarh district is extremely sad. Cabinet colleague Narayan Singh Panwar along with the Collector and SP Rajgarh are present on the spot. We are in touch with the Rajasthan government and Rajasthan police have also reached the spot," the Chief Minister said in a post on 'X'. "The treatment of the injured is going on in the District Hospital, Rajgarh and some seriously injured patients have been referred to Bhopal...My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 June,2024 09:26 AM IST | Rajgarh | ANIADVERTISEMENT
