No rationing; steps taken to avert shortage

Opposition parties are criticizing PM Modi's call for austerity amidst the West Asia crisis, labeling it a tactic to evade accountability for economic failures. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge argue the PM is shifting responsibility onto the public. Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav also questioned the timing and perceived hypocrisy of these austerity demands.

'Advance Copy Of Petition To Be Given To Govts'

The Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea challenging the environmental clearance for Pipavav port expansion in Gujarat, questioning environmentalists' stance on development projects. The court emphasized the necessity of infrastructure for national development, while allowing the environmentalist to approach the NGT again with specific objections.

CPM's MA Baby defended Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, stating the party's defeat is a collective responsibility, not an individual's. He emphasized self-criticism and corrective measures for the entire leadership. Baby also expressed concern over the rise of right-wing forces and the BJP's gains in Kerala.

Congress is expanding consultations to select Kerala's new chief minister, with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and leader of opposition V D Satheesan vying for the top post. The party leadership is engaging with former state presidents and other leaders to ensure the final nominee is well-received, amid speculation and potential backlash.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a five-nation tour starting Friday, with the UAE as his first stop. He will meet President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including energy cooperation. This visit marks his first to a Gulf country since the West Asia conflict began.

West Bengal's new BJP government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has launched the «Annapurna Bhandaar» scheme. Eligible women will receive ₹3,000 monthly, replacing the previous «Lakshmir Bhandar.» The cabinet also approved integrating the state with central schemes like Ayushman Bharat and addressing illegal immigration.

Forty-eight hours after he was relieved by the election commission as the special observer on May 7, Gupta was already appointed adviser to chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday. The appointment order came within hours after Adhikari took oath as CM at a ceremony at Brigade Parade Grounds. Gupta, a PhD from IIT-Kharagpur, served as DM of Jalpaiguri and Burdwan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged collective national efforts to reduce import dependence and strengthen India's global supply chain position. Amidst global uncertainty and Middle East conflict concerns, he appealed to citizens to minimize foreign currency spending and support domestic manufacturing. Modi drew parallels to past national crises, emphasizing historical citizen unity in response to government appeals.

The SIR of electoral rolls became one of the most fiercely debated issues in the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, with the exercise significantly reshaping the state’s voter base before polling. Nearly 91 lakh names, around 12 per cent of the electorate, were removed during the revision process. Of these, more than 60 lakh voters were marked as deceased, while nearly 27 lakh cases remained pending or under scrutiny.

West Bengal's new Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari chaired his first cabinet meeting, approving six key decisions to end state-Centre deadlock. These include facilitating land for BSF border fencing, rolling out central schemes like Ayushman Bharat, and aligning IAS/IPS officers with central training.

AIADMK faces internal turmoil following a significant electoral defeat in Tamil Nadu, with divisions surfacing over leadership and potential support for the new TVK government. MLAs arrived in separate groups for the assembly, highlighting a visible rift and raising questions about the party's future cohesion and relevance.

Tamil Nadu's chief minister's swearing-in ceremony sparked controversy as the state song 'Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu' was placed third, after the national song and anthem. This deviation from tradition, where the state song usually begins government events, drew strong objections from CPI and the ruling TVK party, which vowed to revert to the established practice.

Daily wage earners constituted 31% of all suicide deaths in 2024, the highest in a decade, with 52,910 such fatalities. This marks a significant increase from previous years, as the total number of suicides nationwide rose to 1.7 lakh. Family problems and illness remain the primary reported causes for these tragic deaths.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has denied blocking Rahul Gandhi's social media posts featuring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay. Sources stated that Instagram's internal system mistakenly flagged the content, which has since been restored. This clarification comes after Congress alleged the ministry was suppressing opposition voices.

Two Indian crew members aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship are healthy and asymptomatic following a hantavirus scare. The vessel anchored off Spain's Canary Islands, and the two Indians have since been evacuated to the Netherlands for quarantine and health monitoring.

'Govt change sans violence best proof'

India and UAE are finalizing an agreement to facilitate the evacuation of Indian workers via Fujairah port, a move likely to be signed during PM Modi's upcoming stopover. This pact addresses potential disruptions from the West Asia conflict, offering a crucial maritime route for over 4 million Indian workers in the UAE.

Amid global energy disruptions, PM Modi urged Indians to conserve foreign exchange by reducing reliance on imported fuel. He advocated for public transport, work-from-home, avoiding overseas trips and non-essential gold purchases for a year. The Prime Minister also encouraged farmers to halve chemical fertilizer use and shift towards natural farming.

Two Indian crew members aboard the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius have been evacuated to the Netherlands for quarantine, confirmed healthy and asymptomatic by the Indian Embassy in Spain. The Dutch-flagged vessel experienced an outbreak after anchoring off the Canary Islands. The WHO advised a risk-based approach for managing contacts, noting limited human-to-human transmission of the Andes virus.

Bhuri Tori, a forgotten scientific outpost near Sironj, once served as the geodetic heart of undivided India. British surveyors used this ridge for the Great Trigonometrical Survey, fixing coordinates and calculating distances that helped measure Mount Everest. Today, this historically significant site lies neglected, with its structures vandalized and stones stolen.