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Thu, 22 June 2023

Democracy is in our spirit, blood: Modi at presser

Timeline Refresh

Sabrine Siddiqui

Almost an hour late, the Modi-Biden joint press conference began with the opening statement by President Biden.

Prime Minister Modi speaks in Hindi with the US and foreign press personnel listening to the English translation on the headsets provided.

The questions were opened with a caveat that there has been a delay and that there is a paucity of time.

Sabrina Siddiqui from Wall Street Journal asked President Biden about calling Xi a dictator, and questioned Modi about human rights concerns.

-- Abhijit Masih at The White House

23:52 The spotlight's on the presser!

Two huge spotlights on the podium on the left, which is flanked by teleprompters on both sides.

The Indian delegation along with Ambassador Eric Garcetti walked in at the 2-minute call for the press conference to begin.

-- Abhijit Masih at The White House

"Democracy is in our spirit, in our blood, we live it."

That was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response when asked at the press conference his response to the charge that his government discriminates against minorities and silences critics.

23:47 About the Modi-Biden presser-1

The Indian media is sitting on the left side of the East Room.

Behind them is the foreign press and on the right side of the hall us the US press.

There seems to be a lot more people from the US media at the press conference than there were for the official ceremony earlier in the day.

The pool has been brought into the East Room for the remarks and questions event on the press conference.

There are two lecterns on the podium, about 10 feet apart, each bearing the presidential seal, and each with an Indian and US flag behind it.

The lectern on the left, looking from the audience, has two teleprompter screens arranged on each side.

There are some 60 seats arranged on either side of the central aisle, one for US press, the other for Indian press.

-- Abhijit Masih at The White House

Sky is not the limit for India-US relations, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint statement with US President Joe Biden after bilateral talks at the White House.

23:26 India-US ties more dynamic than ever: Biden

The partnership is among the most consequential in the world that is stronger, closer and more dynamic in any time in history, United States President Joe Biden said during a joint press statement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

United States President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a joint press statement soon.

Modi held talks with Biden at the White House on Thursday to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies.

This is the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India.

The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday sought 800 companies of central forces from the Ministry of Home Affairs for deployment in panchayat polls on the direction of the Calcutta High Court, an official said.

State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha wrote to the Centre, seeking the forces for deployment in the panchayat polls. One company of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) generally has around a hundred personnel.

Hearing a contempt petition, the high court had on Wednesday directed the SEC to requisition more than 82,000 central forces personnel within 24 hours.

The court noted that for the July 8 elections, the SEC requisitioned just 22 companies of central forces, which is a fraction of the 82,000 central policemen brought in during the 2013 panchayat polls in the state.

Maintaining that the number of districts in West Bengal has increased from 17 in 2013 to 22 at present, and also that the number of the electorate has increased in these 10 years, the court directed the SEC to requisition more than 82,000 central forces personnel within 24 hours.

The court had also admonished the state election commissioner, observing that if it was difficult for him to take orders, he can step down.

The high court had on June 13 directed the SEC to requisition central forces for deployment in the districts it noted as sensitive, and to assess the situation and deploy accordingly in other districts.

Expressing unhappiness over the delay in complying with the previous order, the court on June 15 directed the deployment of central forces in all districts.

The SEC and the state government then moved the Supreme Court against the high court's orders. The apex court dismissed their petitions. -- PTI

The railways on Thursday shunted out five top officials of the South Eastern Railway, including those responsible for operations, signalling and safety, weeks after a triple train accident killed more than 280 people in Balasore district in Odisha.

Though the railways called these "routine" transfers, the action was being seen as a fallout of the worst train tragedy in nearly three decades in the country.

In separate orders on Thursday, the Railway Board transferred Kharagpur divisional railway manager Shujat Hashmi and the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone's principal chief signal and telecommunications engineer P M Sikdar, principal chief safety officer Chandan Adhikary, principal chief security commissioner D B Kasar, and principal chief commercial manager Mohammd Owais.

Earlier, nearly a fortnight after the train accident, the additional general manager of the zone, Atulya Sinha, was transferred, in what was now being seen as the first major action following the tragedy.

The railways had then called the transfer "routine".

On Thursday too, railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma said all these transfers were "routine".

According to the Railway Board order, Kharagpur DRM Hashmi was replaced by K R Chaudhari, chairman of the Railway Recruitment Board, Ajmer.

Sikdar has been transferred to North Central Railway as an officer on special duty, Adhikary has been sent to the Northeast Frontier Railway.

Principal chief security commissioner Kasar, who is the security custodian of all railway assets and structures, including track and fixtures, rolling stock, signalling gears and railway buildings and establishments, has also been transferred.

Owais has been transferred to Northeast Frontier Railway and posted as chief administrative officer.

Among the top officials of the zone, general manager Archana Joshi continues in the post.

The crash involving Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train occurred around 7 pm on June 2 near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore.

The section comes under Kharagpur division of the South Eastern Railway.

More than 280 people were killed and around 1,000 injured in the accident.

An interference with the interlocking system, which is an automated signalling system, is being seen as the major cause of the incident.

Four people, including a minor, died after they were struck by lightning amid heavy rainfall here on Thursday, officials said.

Two people were also injured in lightning strikes, they said.

Deputy District Magistrate, Obra, Prabhakar Singh said, "Krishna Gopal Singh (58), Algu (60) and Golu (25) died after they were hit by lightning in Preet Nagar and Umesh (14) was killed in Bakhdor Tola."

Two locals were injured after they were struck by lightning. They are undergoing treatment at a hospital, he said.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, the deputy district magistrate said. -- PTI

A search operation by the Royal Canadian Air Force

21:50 Debris field found near Titanic sub search area

The US Coast Guard says a debris field has been discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic, and experts within the unified command are evaluating the information, ANI has tweeted quoting Reuters.

The official ceremony done. The troops have dispersed from the South Lawn.

The special guests from the enclosure close to the podium were held back for the press to head back to the White House briefing room which today is the designated holding room for the press.

Most of the journalists in the room are charging their phones and resting their tired legs, having stood in the lawn for over 2 hours.

The media contingent has thinned down from the morning assembly as not all were credentialed for the press conference. A few of them were assigned green buttons to give them access to the short press briefing shortly after the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden.

As per the White House press pool, the president and prime minister spoke from prepared notes for 10 minutes about cooperation and democracies.

21:25 The delegations at Modi-Biden talks

President Joe Biden is participating in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India. These are the delegations accompanying them.

US Restricted Delegation

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State

Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Eric Garcetti, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of India

India Restricted Delegation

Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister

Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser

Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Foreign Secretary

Who are the two media outlets who will get to ask a question each at the Modi-Biden presser later today?

In the White House media room, this is determined by who gets the coveted green button.

In the present case, they have gone to Republic TV's Aishwarya Kapoor and AajTak's Sweta Singh.

20:46 Modi-Biden meet for one-on-one talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday and the two leaders would discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies.

Modi met Biden one-on-one in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. This is the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours.

The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader.

Indian Americans were chanting 'USA USA' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi.'

There have been demands that US President Joe Biden hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a state visit to America, to account over the alleged erosion of democracy, suppression of criticism, hounding of minorities back in India.

So how does a US president deal with rolling out the red carpet for a dignitary in such circumstances?

Hours before the grand state reception for Narendra Modi by Biden at the White House, former president of the United States, Barack Obama, shed light on this question.

In an interview to Christiane Amanpour of the CNN, Obama said, "The president of the United States has a lot of equities. And when I was president, I would deal with figures in some cases who were allies, who, you know, if you pressed me in private, do they run their governments and their political parties in ways that I would say are ideally democratic? I'd have to say no."

"You had to do business with them, because they're important for national security reasons. There are, you know, a range of economic interests," Obama told Amanpour.

"I do think that it is appropriate for the president of the United States, where he or she can, to uphold those principles and to challenge -- whether behind closed doors or in public -- trends that are troubling. And so I'm less concerned about labels than I'm concerned about specific practices."

On India under Modi, Obama told Amanpour that raising concerns about Indian democracy must also enter into diplomatic conversations.

"Part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India at some point starts pulling apart. And we've seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts," Obama said, here.

20:33 Modi, Bidens on White House balcony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and First Lady of the United States Jill Biden wave from the balcony of the White House at the people gathered at the South Lawns in Washington, DC.

'I express my gratitude towards President Biden for the warm welcome. Thank you for your friendship, President Biden,' Modi said in his remarks at the White House reception on Thursday.

'I have visited the White House many times after becoming the PM. This is the first time the gates of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers,' Modi said, to much cheer from the gathering.

'People of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for giving this honour to them,' Modi said in his speech, delivered in Hindi.

20:10 Welcome back to White House, Biden tells Modi

'PM Modi, welcome back to the White House. I am honoured to be the first to host you here on a State visit.'

With these words US President Joe Biden welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House on Thursday.

National anthems of India and the US played at the White House in the presence of PM Modi and US President Joe Biden.

'The relationship between the US and India is one of most defining relationships in the 21st century,' Biden said in his welcome speech.

On his first state visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Thursday accorded a ceremonial welcome on the South Lawn of the White House Modi by US President Joe Biden, with a 21-gun salute.

Prime Minister Modi and President Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space and critical technologies.

Vice President Kamala Harris and the Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff would be attending the welcome ceremony. Thereafter, the leaders of the two largest democracies of the world will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, where they are expected to make some opening remarks.

Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House.

Invitations for the ceremonial welcome were sent out to nearly 8,000 members of the diaspora and Indian American community for the historic ceremonial welcome.

A drizzle was no dampener to the enthusiasm of the members of the diaspora, many of whom travelled overnight from different parts of the US, as they waved the flag of the two countries and raised slogans.

"What a great sight it is. It is like a festival," Hitesh Shah, who came from Boston, said.

Slogans like 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Modi, Modi' went up the air amid a mood of cheer.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed confidence that opposition parties will fight like a family and take on the BJP "one to one".

The TMC chief, however, parried questions on her reservations about the Congress's alliance with the Left in her state and the Aam Aadmi Party threatening a "walkout" if support was not forthcoming on the ordinance of control of services in Delhi.

"I cannot say what will happen at tomorrow's meeting. But I am certain we are all here to fight the BJP together, like a family, one to one," she told reporters.

She was speaking outside the residence of Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, where she met his father and RJD president Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi.

"I have great respect for Lalu-ji. The poor man was sent to jail and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital," said Banerjee.

She also surprised all by sharing a humorous anecdote involving the RJD chief.

"Once, when both Lalu ji and I were MPs, he was stating on the floor of Parliament that prices of all vegetables, potatoes, onions, were rising. I got up and asked what about the price of rabri (a sweet)," said Banerjee, her pun on the veteran leader's wife's name evoking peals of laughter.

"Lalu-ji replied, rabri is the most precious," she recalled with admiration for the RJD supremo's legendary wit writ large on her face. -- PTI

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has enough prey base for the cheetahs living there and there is no plan as of now to shift the cats anywhere else.

He, however, said the Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary in northwestern Madhya Pradesh has been identified as an "alternative site" in case any problem emerges at Kuno in the future.

"But there is no plan to shift the cheetahs anywhere else for now," Yadav told a press conference where he listed the achievements of his ministry in the nine years of the government.

He said the cheetahs are adapting to the weather and the habitat and establishing their territories and "we should give them time to do that".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno on September 17 last year.

In a second such translocation, 12 cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno on February 18.

Three adult cheetahs and three cubs died in the last three months, prompting questions from several experts on the suitability of the habitat, prey base and wildlife management at Kuno.

Some even claimed that Kuno "lacked space and logistical support" and suggested shifting cheetahs to other sanctuaries.

In the wake of cheetah cub deaths, the Centre last month set up an 11-member high-level steering committee to review and monitor the progress of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

The government and experts involved in the project have maintained that the mortalities are within the normal range.

The action plan for cheetah reintroduction anticipated up to 50 percent mortality in the first year of relocation. -- PTI

Representational image

18:39 Muslims in this village defer Bakri Eid by a day for Ashadi Ekadashi

Setting an example of communal harmony, Muslims of a village in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district have decided to defer Bakri Eid celebrations by a day as it coincides with Ashadi Ekadashi, officials said on Thursday.

Every year, thousands of pilgrims visit the Vitthal temple at Pandharpur, nearly 15 km from the district headquarters, besides the Waluj Industrial area on Ashadhi Ekadashi.

This temple is different from the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur of Solapur district which draws lakhs of devotees.

Considering that Ashadi Ekadashi and Bakri Eid fall on June 29 this year, the Aurangabad police reached out to Vitthal devotees and Muslims.

A meeting between the members of the two communities was held in the village on Wednesday, officials said.

Police Commissioner Manoj Lohiya's idea of celebrating the two festivals on two different days was discussed in this meeting, said a media release by Avinash Aghav, inspector of MIDC Waluj police station.

The religious leaders and people from the Muslim community present at the meeting unanimously agreed to celebrate Bakri Eid on June 30, the day after Ashadi Ekadashi.

They also agreed to facilitate the pilgrims visiting Pandharpur, said the release.

Union Home Minister Amit A Shah with civil society members in Manipur, May 31, 2023/ANI

18:16 Amit Shah is enough to handle Manipur: Fadnavis

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was enough to handle the situation in violence-hit Manipur and there was no need for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the north-eastern state for that purpose.

His statement comes days after Shiv Sena-UBT president and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray targeted PM Modi, asking why he was undertaking a tour of the US instead of visiting Manipur to restore peace there.

Fadnavis once again credited PM Modi for taking initiative in developing anti-coronavirus vaccines in India and said it was because of him all 140 crore citizens of the country were administered doses free of cost or else "crores of people would have died".

Addressing a rally at Karad town in Maharashtra's Satara district, Fadnavis said without naming Thackeray, "A few days back, a leader from Maharashtra said that PM Modi is visiting America but not Manipur. I would like to tell him that our Union minister Amit Shah is enough to handle the situation in Manipur. There is no need for Modiji to go there." -- PTI

Members of the Indian community and other guests gather at the White House lawns to welcome PM Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to arrive shortly for his state reception.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday met former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal supreme Lalu Yadav and his family members in Patna, ahead of Friday's Opposition meeting in the state capital.

Banerjee arrived in Patna on Thursday to take part in the meeting of opposition leaders and was accompanied by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, an MP.

The voluble leader took no queries from reporters at the airport, and waved at them from inside her car. -- PTI

17:15 Patna meet not about joining hearts, says Maya

Ahead of the opposition show of unity in Patna, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday termed the meeting organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as more about shaking hands than joining hearts.

Mayawati has not been invited for the Opposition meeting on Friday, with Janata Dal-United chief spokesperson KC Tyagi saying, "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024."

"The BSP says it will not become a part of the alliance, then why should we waste our invitation," he said.

Targeting the parties slated to participate in the meeting, Mayawati said it does not seem from their attitude that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh.

"The 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP are said to be the key to electoral success, but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?" she said.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "It is clear from the condition of Bahujans in the country that parties like the BJP and Congress are not capable of implementing the humanistic, egalitarian Constitution framed by B R Ambedkar." -- PTI

A helicopter carrying Union Home Minister Amit Shah could not land at Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh due to bad weather on Thursday, a state official said.

Due to bad weather, the helicopter was unable to land, the official said.

Shah's visit to the state was cancelled in view of the development, he added. -- PTI

16:51 Modi talks AI at G20 meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed on the role of G-20 countries in striking the right balance between the opportunities and challenges posed by digital technology, which he termed as a force multiplier in increasing access to education and adapting to future needs.

Addressing a G20 Education Ministers' Meeting held in Pune via video message today, the Prime Minister touched upon the potential of Artificial Intelligence which offers great potential in the field of learning, skilling and education.

The Prime Minister stressed that G20 countries with their respective strengths can play a crucial role in promoting research and innovation, especially in the Global South. He urged the dignitaries to create a path for increased research collaborations.

16:47 Indo-US astronaut mission 2024 to be announced

India-US set to announce the 2024 joint astronaut mission to the International Space Station amid PM Modi's visit.

NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation are developing a strategic framework for Human Spaceflight Operations this year, say senior US administration officials.

"In the space sector, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind," the officials said.

PM Modi with Dr Jill Biden

16:17 What is a techade? This is what Modi said...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his government's goal is to make this decade a "techade", adding that the central government has launched a 'Start-Up India' mission to encourage young entrepreneurs.

Addressing the 'Skilling for Future' event at the National Science Foundation, PM Modi said, "We have established around 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools wherein children are being provided with all kinds of facilities for various types of innovations. To encourage young entrepreneurs, we have started the 'Start Up India' mission. Our goal is to make this decade a techade -- tech decade."

Further, at the event, PM Modi said India and the US need a pipeline of talent, adding that while the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies, India is home to the world's biggest youth factory.

"To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," PM Modi said at the event. -- ANI

The family members of a 20-year-old Dalit girl who was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Bikaner have refused to accept the body and are demanding the arrest of the accused, officials said on Thursday.

Three persons, including two police constables, have been accused of the rape, police said. On Wednesday, the family members of the victim refused to grant consent to conduct a post-mortem examination and held a dharna outside the police station.

Later, they allowed the post-mortem on assurance of investigation of the case by an SIT, compensation of Rs 10 lakh from the state government and Rs 15 lakh from social organisations, and a contractual job to one family member.

However, the family members refused to accept the body on Thursday demanding arrest of the accused. Bikaner IG Om Prakash said that police officials were talking to the family members present at the hospital to accept the body.

A search operation by the Royal Canadian airforce

15:54 Titanic sub has less than hour of oxygen left

The Titanic-tour sub now has less than an hour left of oxygen supply.

But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 am Sunday.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialised salvage system that's capable of hoisting large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels."

The submersible, Titan, weighs 9,071 kilograms.

Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. OceanGate Expeditions oversaw the mission.

David Lochridge, OceanGate's director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the company's testing and certification was insufficient and would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.

In a landmark announcement, GE Aerospace on Thursday said it has inked a pact with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-II -- Tejas.

The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this," the US firm said in a statement in Washington.

It described the Memorandum of Understanding with HAL as a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between India and the US. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, said H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. PTI

CM Nitish Kumar with CM Minister Arvind last month

15:37 AAP threatens to walk out of Patna Oppn meet if...

The AAP will walk out of Friday's meeting of opposition leaders in Patna if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi, party sources said.

The meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is also slated to attend the meeting.

"The AAP will stage a walkout of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the ordinance," one of the sources said on Thursday.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had expressed hope on Tuesday that the Congress would clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital at the meeting of non-BJP parties in Patna.

15:26 BJP: World praises PM but Cong calls him...

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) JP Nadda on Thursday slammed Congress party and said the whole world praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the Congress called him a snake, illiterate, chaiwala.

"The whole world praises PM Modi but Congress calls him a snake, illiterate, chaiwala. Today there is an economic slowdown in America, Europe, and Australia but India's economy is standing strong," BJP national president said in Jharkhand.

Earlier in May, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had compared PM Modi to a "poisonous snake".

"PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake'. You might to check if it's poison or not. But if you lick it, you're dead," Kharge had said at an election rally.

However, he later issued a clarification on his remark, saying his statement wasn't intended at hurting anyone.

PM Modi is currently on a State visit to the US. Prior to the visit to the White House, PM Modi met Gary E Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electric and CEO of General Electric Aerospace.

14:47 Monsoon likely to reach Mumbai by June 24: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday monsoon is likely to reach Mumbai by June 24. "Conditions are favourable for the monsoon to move further towards Raigad, Thane, Mumbai and Palghar. Monsoon is likely to reach Mumbai by June 24," said IMD Mumbai.

Various parts of South India are undergoing continuous rainfall with the onset of monsoon and the delayed effects of the convection conditions according to the India Meteorological Department which has issued a rainfall and thunderstorm warning for the next few hours in certain states on Tuesday. India Meteorological Department had on June 18 provided an update on the onset of monsoon in the country.

The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West central and Northwest Bay of Bengal; some parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand some more parts of Bihar and remaining parts of Sub- Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim today, the 19th June, the IMD said.

Meanwhile, a recent IMD bulletin said heat wave/severe heatwave conditions are very likely to continue in some/isolated pockets over East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana until June 21 and abatement of heatwave conditions will continue thereafter. -- PTI

Special Olympics World Games team

14:30 Special Olympics: 50 medals and counting for India

The Indian contingent continued its medal rush at the Special Olympics World Summer Games, crossing the 50-medal mark in Berlin.

At the end of the day's action, SO Bharat had 55 medals, including 15 gold, 27 silver, 13 bronze spread across five different sports -- athletics, cycling, powerlifting, roller skating and swimming. India registered five medals in swimming (3 golds, 1 silver and, 1 bronze) and six on the cycling course (3 Gold, 2 silver, one bronze) on Wednesday.

Every member of the cycling team won a medal with Neel Yadav being the first to do so with a bronze in the 5km road race. Later Yadav, Shivani and Indu Prakash won golds in the 1km time trial, while Kalpana Jena, and Jeyaseela Arbutharaj took home the silver.

In the pool, India's medals almost doubled in number thanks to the exploits of the freestyle swimmers, Diksha Jitendra Shirgaonkar, Pooja Giridharrao Gaikavada and Prashaddhi Kamble winning golds, with Madhav Madan adding another medal to his tally (gold, 25m freestyle) and Sidhanth Murali Kumar winning bronze in the 25m freestyle.

Among others, Sonepat's Saket Kundu won silver in the mini javelin Level B. The Little Angels School student is a multi-sport athlete, who has competed in table tennis, figure skating and athletics at the national level.

Among the probables for the 2023 Special Olympics World Winter Games, Kundu lost his chance to represent India when the Games were cancelled. Shrugging his disappointment off he switched to mini javelin, an event that made its debut at the World Games in Berlin, and his medal was the first India has won in the event. PTI

Banks have sought clarification from the Reserve Bank of India on whether the latest guidelines on compromise settlement, which allows lenders to extend loans to defaulters after a cooling off following a compromise settlement, are also applicable to willful defaulters and fraud accounts.

According to top banking industry sources, lenders need flexibility for compromise settlements with respect to issues like following debt-recast norms and staff accountability.

On June 8, the banking regulator issued norms on compromise settlement in which regulated entities were allowed to undertake compromise settlements or technical write-offs. This is in respect to accounts categorised as willful defaulters or fraud, without prejudice to the criminal proceedings underway against such debtors.

"A company, which was classified as fraud or willful defaulter, remains so even after a change in management. In the current scheme of things, we cannot take away the fraud tag," the banker pointed out. "If such a company had to be funded by another bank, how will it happen if it is totally prohibited," said a senior banker from a large public sector bank.

"If the company is sold to another owner why should the company continue to suffer," the banker added.

RBI had suggested a minimum cooling off period of 12 months, (except for farm loans), after a compromised settlement is reached, for extending fresh loans. Banks have also sought clarification on the way the value of the settlement is determined.

Banks typically calculate the net present value (NPV) of the security and compare it with the settlement amount, which is mostly in cash.In case the NPV is lower than the cash, they proceed with a compromise settlement. RBI now wants details of the ageing of the security, deterioration of the security and other details.

"Once we do a valuation from an approved valuer, they take all of these into account. RBI wants us to be more detailed and more granular in case banks have missed something and in case we are just relying on the collateral security by the valuer. They want more details from the bank's side," said a source.

-- Manojit Saha/Business Standard

RBI also said that banks should put in place a graded framework for examination of staff accountability with reasonable thresholds and timelines as decided by the Board.

Nine people died and two were seriously injured after a car fell into a ditch at Munisyari block of Pithoragarh district. Police and SDRF team are at the accident spot.

13:56 50,000 cases to be taken up for GST audit

The indirect tax administration has shortlisted 50,000 fresh cases that will be taken up for goods and services tax (GST) auditing in the current financial year as part of efforts to increase compliance and widen the tax base, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Chairman Vivek Johri said in an interview.

"We did about 30,000 GST audits (in 2022-23) pertaining to FY21 and FY22 at the central level. We detected tax evasion worth about Rs 17,000 crore at the end of the financial year 2022-23, and have made recoveries of about 18 per cent or Rs 3,060 crore so far," the CBIC chief said.

The recovery figure is likely to increase as there are "some spillovers which we are expected to conclude in the ongoing financial year," he added.

For FY24, the authority's target to audit 50,000 cases is based on risk parameters. There will be spillovers from earlier years too, he clarified.

GST audits or departmental audits are done to verify declared sales, taxes paid, refunds claimed, and input tax credits availed of by looking at tax returns and other records maintained by businesses. Any mismatch in information across different documents could raise a red flag.

Departmental GST audits picked up momentum in FY23, after businesses were given adequate time to adapt to the indirect tax regime rolled out in 2017. About the recently launched two-month special drive on May 15, Johri said it is meant to clean up the taxpayer base.

"We have shortlisted 30,000 cases for physical verification, of which, so far, 35 per cent or over 10,000 cases have been found to be allegedly involved in the generating fake registration to claim bogus input tax credit (ITC). So far, the department has detected about Rs 7,000 crore of bogus ITC during the drive.

"It is a concerted action with states meant to identify those taxpayers who on the basis of their behaviour and their footprint appear to be suspicious. First, we have generated a list of such taxpayers who appear to be very high-risk; all these taxpayers will be verified physically, just to ensure that they actually have a place of business," he said.

-- Shrimi Choudhary/Business Standard

PM Modi with the Bidens

13:47 US plans new H-1B visa rules amid PM visit

In order to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the United States, the Joe Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, Reuters reported citing three people familiar with the matter.

The development comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the US. The US State Department could make the announcement on Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US, without the need to having to travel to other nations, Reuters reported citing one of the sources, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years.

By far, a large percentage of H-1B visa holders and applicants hail from India. Indian citizens made up 73 per cent of the nearly 4,42,000 H1-B workers in the fiscal year 2022.

Another US official said that the mobility of the people is considered a "huge asset" to the US.

"And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things," Reuters quoted the US official as saying.

A US State Department spokesperson did not reveal the visa types that would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch. The spokesperson said that the pilot will start with a small number of cases with the intent to scale the initiative in the following one or two years, Reuters reported.

13:34 Lankan Navy arrests 22 Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 22 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly fishing in its waters, officials said.

The fishermen, reportedly hailing from Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai and Nagapattinam districts were picked up from near Neduntheevu late on Wednesday and four boats were also seized.

They were later taken to Kankesanthurai for further legal action.

Pattali Makkal Katchi founder Dr S Ramadoss slammed the arrest of the fishermen from the state.

In a tweet, he said an Indo-Lanka joint panel formed to discuss various matters including the fishermen issue should be convened immediately to find a lasting solution to the apprehension of Indian fishers. -- PTI

13:16 Just few hours of oxygen left in Titanic sub

The race against time to find a submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation on Thursday morning as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock.

Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. Sunday.

Even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out.

The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission.

Image: Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft searches for the missing submersible

The Amarnath Shrine

12:47 J-K: ITBP officer posted on Amarnath yatra duty dies

An Indo Tibetan Border Police officer posted on Amarnath yatra duty died at Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Thursday. ASI Madan Raj, 58, fell unconscious near the Baltal base camp for the Amarnath yatra on Wednesday night, a police official said.

Raj, a native of Uttarakhand, was rushed to a hospital where he died during treatment, the official said. Though the cause of his death was not known yet, death due to cardiac arrest -- triggered by lower oxygen concentration at high altitudes -- is one of the most common causes of fatalities among Amarnath pilgrims and security forces posted there for duty.

The 62-day yatra is scheduled to begin on July 1. PTI

In Manipur which has been burning for over 50 days, two soldiers sustained minor injuries after armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing in N Boljang, Imphal West in the morning hours today. Both the soldiers are stable. One INSAS light machine gun was recovered during the initial search, the Indian Army said.

Leaders of 10 opposition parties led by the Congress, on Tuesday, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the people of the north eastern state and not even meeting the opposition leaders before leaving for his US visit.

Pic: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

12:39 Salad days

The grilled corn kernel salad with compressed watermelon in a a tangy avocado sauce.

Pic: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

12:36 Sweet endings

For dessert, the rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake.

More than 400 guests have been invited for the dinner at the specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House, Jill Biden said.

White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the state dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step.

Pic: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein

12:33 The menu in pics

Perhaps the 'creamy saffron-infused risotto' which PM Modi will dine on at the state dinner with the Bidens tonight at the White House.

To maintain the momentum of growth, a "pipeline of talent" is needed for India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an event in Washington to highlight the two nations' shared priorities around education and workforce.

He was participating in the 'Skilling For Future Event' organised by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Wednesday and his visit to the Virginia-based agency was hosted by First Lady Jill Biden.

The event focused on workforce redevelopment across higher education institutions to expand and enhance access to quality education across society.

Prime minister highlighted numerous steps taken by India to promote education, skilling and innovation. He appreciated ongoing bilateral academic exchanges, and collaborations between Indian and US academic and research ecosystems.

"I am really happy to have got an opportunity to interact with young and creative minds here. India is working on several projects in collaboration with the NSF. I thank First Lady Jill Biden for planning and organising this event," Modi said.

Explaining the skilling mission of his government, Modi said for the bright future of youngsters, it is important to have education, skill and innovation, and India has worked in this direction. The National Education Policy, education and skilling have been integrated. Under the Skilling Mission, more than 50 million people have been trained, and another 15 million are being given training on latest and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchains, Modi said while addressing a gathering.

To maintain the momentum of growth, "for India and the US, it is important to ensure a pipeline of talent", he said and added that his goal is to have this decade as "techdecade".

The US has the world's top educational institutions and advanced technologies, while India the world's biggest "yuva (youth) factory", the prime minister said and added that he believes, the India-US partnership will prove to be the sustainable and inclusive engine for global growth.

11:57 PM meets CEOs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Tech in Washington DC. The PM invited the company to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India.

11:48 Great conversation! PM on dinner with Bidens

PM Narendra Modi thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting him at the White House. Modi noted that they had "great conversation" on several subjects.

Modi will hold a series of meetings with a group of industry leaders and CEOs. Among those PM Modi will meet are Micron's CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, GE chief H Lawrence Culp Jr and chief of Applied Materials Gary Dickerson -- names that have raised speculation about big announcements on Thursday.

In the evening, he will address a joint-sitting of the US Congress. This will be his second address to a joint-sitting -- a first for an Indian and a rare honour for world leaders.

11:40 More on Jill Biden's green diamond

More on the diamond gifted by PM Modi to Jill Biden. The 7.5 carat green diamond is eco-friendly as resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. The diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological Lab, IGI. The diamond was placed in a papier mache box known as 'kar-e-kalamdani', from Kashmir.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he has told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that there should be no "hate politics", in supply of rice to the state, for a scheme aimed at the poor.

The Chief Minister met Shah on Wednesday night and held discussions regarding the supply of rice to the state, for its 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, which provides an additional 5 kg of rice for each member of BPL families.

"I met Amit Shah last night. I have brought to his notice that FCI had agreed to supply rice and had also written a letter in this regard, but all of a sudden the very next day they said they cannot supply. Prima facie it looks like politics has been played here. Let there be no hate politics in this, as this is the programme for providing rice to the poor," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said, "Shah told me that he will speak to the union minister concerned and come back."

Siddaramaiah and his ministers for the last few days, have been accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice from Food Corporation of India, for rolling out the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, from July 1, as promised.

They have alleged the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,28,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12.

The BJP, however, has hit back accusing the Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly lying to hide their own incompetence and are desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre. The CM on Wednesday, ahead of meeting Shah had indicated that there may be slight delay in implementing the Anna Bhagya scheme, as the Centre played "dirty politics". -- PTI

So, we've seen PM Modi's gifts to the Bidens, but what did the US president and the First Lady gift the PM?

A statement from the White House says that as the official gift, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will present PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. President Biden will also gift PM Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden will gift PM Modi a signed, first edition copy of 'Collected Poems of Robert Frost'.

Prime Minister Modi gifted a handcrafted sandalwood box with 'das danam' to United States President Joe Biden and a lab-grown green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden.

10:43 The Telegraph Page 1 today

PM Modi paid homate at the Mahatma Gandhi bust at the UN HQ in New York.

Hoardings of former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar with Aurangzeb's picture were put up in the Mahim area of Mumbai. "Posters were put up at night, no information yet on who put them up. It has been removed now. No complaint received so far. Police will register an FIR against unknown people if law and order is disturbed," Mumbai Police.

10:30 31 killed in explosion at restaurant in China

At least 31 people were killed and seven others injured when a massive cooking gas explosion ripped through a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China, official media reported on Thursday.

The blast happened at around 8:40 pm on Wednesday on a busy street in the Xingqing District of Yinchuan, due to a leakage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the operating area of a barbecue restaurant, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead, while seven individuals, including one in critical condition, are currently receiving medical treatment, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) said.

The explosion took place on the eve of the two-day holiday of China's Dragon Boat festival beginning on Thursday. The restaurant was reportedly packed with a holiday crowd. The blast caused heavy damage to the surrounding buildings.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for an all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and a safety overhaul after a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan.

A joint work team, including members from China's Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the State Administration for Market Regulation, was dispatched to the scene to guide the rescue work.

Four medical experts went to the scene with the joint work team to carry out emergency medical assistance. The local rescue team dispatched 102 people and 20 vehicles to the scene and rescue operations ended in the early hours on Thursday, the Xinhua report said. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is the home of China's Hui Muslims. -- PTI

Narendra Modi at the Jana Shakt exhibition based on his 'Mann ki Baat' radio show

10:23 Now showing at the NGMA, the Sanghs bid to co-opt Indian contemporary art

The 'Jana Shakti' exhibition based on Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' radio programmes has sparked a ferment in the art world. Read the report here.

This resident of Nalbari says he has lost everything in the floods

10:14 Assam: 780 villages flooded, 1.2L people hit

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday morning with incessant rain across several parts of the state inundating new areas even as nearly 1.2 lakh people were hit due to the deluge in 10 districts, an official bulletin said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange alert' and predicted 'very heavy' to 'extremely heavy' rainfall across several districts of Assam over the next few days.

IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has issued the warning for 24 hours from Wednesday, followed by a 'yellow' alert for Thursday and Friday.

'Orange' alerts imply to be prepared for action and 'yellow' alert stands for watch and be updated.

According to a flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 1,19,800 people are affected by the deluge in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts.

Nalbari is the worst hit with almost 45,000 people suffering, followed by Baksa with over 26,500 and Lakhimpur with more than 25,000, it said.

The administration has been operating 14 relief camps in five districts, where 2,091 people have taken shelter, and running 17 relief distribution centres in five districts. Army, paramilitary forces, National Disaster Response Force, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), civil administrations, NGOs and locals have rescued 1,280 people from different places.

At present, 780 villages are under water and 10,591.85 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA bulletin said. Massive erosions have been witnessed in Baksa, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, South Salmara and Udalguri, it said. -- PTI

Journalist J Dey

10:10 Hansal Mehta to help slain reporter J Dey's sister

Reacting to a report that slain crime reporter J Dey's sister, Leena, is ailing and in dire need of financial help, Hansal Mehta who has directed a successful web series 'Scoop' on Dey's murder, has decided to offer 'every help needed'.

While Hansal did not wish to go on record on this matter, a close friend of the filmmaker reveals, "Hansal read the report and immediately got into into action. Long before he made the series he was deeply shocked and moved by Dey's murder. Now having made the series he feels closer to Dey's story than before."

The source adds, "He would not want to talk about this. To extract publicity out of what is a normal, natural, act of humanism is not right, feels Hansal. What happens between Hansal and Dey's family won't go into the public domain."

-- Subhash K Jha

A close-up of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gift to US President Joe Biden. The special sandalwood box has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The sandalwood was sourced from Mysore and has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. Inside it is a silver Ganpati idol and a diya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first state visit to the US on Wednesday (local time) gifted a handcrafted sandalwood box with 'das danam' to US President Joe Biden and a lab-grown green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden.

The gifts were exchanged during the private dinner hosted by Joe Biden and Jill Biden for PM Modi at the White House.

The special sandalwood box presented to US President Joe Biden has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The sandalwood sourced from Mysore has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns, officials said.

The box contains a silver idol of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata.

The box also contains a diya (oil lamp) that occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata.

The copper plate also called tamra-patra has been sourced from Uttar Pradesh and a shloka has been inscribed on it.

The handcrafted delicate silver boxes contain symbolic -- 'Das Danam' or the '10 donations' which denote the donations made on the occasion when a person becomes 'Drishta Sahasrachandro' or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of eighty years and eight months.

At this stage of life, the individual (who has seen one thousand full moons) is honoured and celebrated for the sheer experience of human life.

During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, there is a custom of 'Das Danam' or donations of ten different kinds, which include - Gaudaan (cow), Bhudaan (land), Tildaan (sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (gold), Ajyadaan (ghee or clarified butter), Dhaanyadaan (food grains), Vastradaan (clothes), Guddaan (jaggery), Raupyadaan (silver) and Lavandaan (salt).

The handcrafted delicate silver boxes gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden, who turns 81 this November, contain 10 donations, which denote the donations made on the occasion.

The box includes a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land).

The box also includes Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu is offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds).

Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold).The box also contains ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter).

A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth). Long-grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand are offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains).Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery).

The 99.5 per cent pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver). Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt).

Modi gifted a copy of the first edition print of the book, 'The Ten Principal Upanishads' to Biden.

Guest Chef Nina Curtis

09:10 Meet the chef who curated Modi's White House dinner

First Lady of the US Jill Biden worked with guest Chef Nina Curtis, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu for the State Dinner to be hosted for PM Modi.

The dishes were displayed at a media preview at the White House.

The menu for the State dinner will include Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce, Crisped Millet Cakes, Summer Squashes, Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad, Compressed Watermelon, Tangy Avocado Sauce, Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Creamy Saffron-infused Risotto, Rose and Cardamom-infused Strawberry Shortcake.

First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday said she has asked Chef Nina Curtis - who specialises in plant-based cuisine -- to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu for Prime Minister Modi, who is a devout vegetarian.

Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, she said during the media preview for the State dinner.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first state visit to the US, gifted a handcrafted sandalwood box to President Joe Biden, and a green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden. The sandalwood box contains a silver idol of Lord Ganesha and a diya. The Prime Minister gifted the First Lady a lab grown 7.5 carat green diamond, which is eco-friendly, officials said.

08:50 Modi gifts lab-grown diamond to Jill Biden

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to United States First Lady Dr Jill Biden.

The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds' chemical and optical properties.

It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making.

Modi also gifted a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads, published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden.

The PM also presented a special sandalwood box to President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns.

The box contains the idol of Ganesha. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata.

The box also contains a diya. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata. -- ANI

06:18 Modi greeted by Bidens at White House

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Wednesday received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.

They exchanged pleasantries and posed for photos before entering the building.

The president, the first lady and the prime minister gathered for an intimate dinner and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, according to the White House.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House.

The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th century.

They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said.

Jill Biden will gift PM Modi a signed, first edition copy of Collected Poems of Robert Frost, the White House said.

US Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday criticised the Narendra Modi government for allegedly cracking down on the press and civil society, and pushing "an aggressive Hindu nationalism".

Sanders urged United States President Joe Biden should raise the issues in his meeting with PM Modi, who landed in Washington DC on Wednesday as part of a three-day State visit to the United States.

"Prime Minister Modi's government has cracked down on the press and civil society, jailed political opponents, and pushed an aggressive Hindu nationalism that leaves little space for India's religious minorities. President Biden should raise these facts in his meeting with Modi," Sanders tweeted.

Three civilians were injured in Bishnupur district in ethnic violence-affected Manipur after an SUV parked at a culvert in Kwakta area exploded on Wednesday, sources said.

A bomb inside the vehicle was possibly triggered after the driver alighted and slipped away.

The three injured were standing near the vehicle and were shifted to Bishnupur District Hospital.

Doctors at the hospital said one of them was injured severely.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur that broke out over a month ago.

Clashes first broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. -- PTI

01:07 Modi, FLOTUS visit National Science Foundation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States First Lady Jill Biden visit the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia.

The First Lady and the PM are meeting students from the US and India who are learning skills to succeed in industries vital to the economies of the two countries.

National Science Foundation (NSF) is headed by Indian American Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan.

The National Science Foundationis an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health.

West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday night "returned" the joining report of State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha ahead of the July 8 panchayat polls, a well-placed source at the Raj Bhavan said.

The step came days after Sinha failed to appear before the Governor after he was summoned on an urgent basis for an explanation of the incidents of murders, violence and clashes during nomination filing for the panchayat poll earlier this month.

"The governor tonight returned the joining report of SEC Rajiva Sinha. The SEC failed to appear before the Governor even when he wanted him to come to Raj Bhavan over the incidents of murders, violence and clashes," the source told PTI.

Sinha, who was called by the Governor on June 17 at Raj Bhavan, did not appear stating that he was preoccupied with scrutiny of the nominations for the ensuing panchayat polls.

The former state chief secretary had requested Bose to exempt him from appearing before him during the day and give an appointment any other day. -- PTI

Representative image

00:50 Mumbai: Man falls to death from 12-storey building

A 32-year-old man died after falling to death from a 12-storey building in Kurla area of Mumbai on Wednesday night, police said.

The mishap occurred in HDIL Building in Kohinoor Kurla locality, an official said.

The deceased man was identified as Chand Mohammad, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, the official of V B Nagar police station said.

He was not a local resident and nobody from the building knew him, he said.

He fell in front of a shop located on the ground floor of the high-rise. The owner of the shop alerted the police and the housing society office-bearers. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead, the official said.

The police filed an accidental death report (ADR) in the case and further investigation is underway, he added. -- PTI

Hollywood actor Richard Gere on Wednesday heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailing his message of "universal brotherhood and sisterhood" while leading a special Yoga session at the UN headquarters in New York City.

The veteran actor, who toplined several Hollywood hits including Pretty Woman, Primal Fear, An Officer and a Gentleman, Chicago, Days of Heaven, and Intersection, was pictured sitting next to Modi and performing Yoga on the lawns of the UN headquarters in New York.

Speaking to ANI, Gere said, "It is a lovely message. He (PM Modi) is a product of Indian culture and comes from a vast place like Indian culture does. This message of universal brotherhood and sisterhood is the one we want to hear again and again."

The event saw participation from the President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Csaba Korosi, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and India's permanent ambassador to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj.

The event was also attended by digital evangelist Vala Afshar, award-winning storyteller Jay Shetty, Indian chef and restaurateur Vikas Khanna and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej.

The United States has experienced a subtle shift in India's position on Ukraine and Russia, the Biden Administration said on Wednesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-level talks with President Joe Biden at the White House.

Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times during which he insisted that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

"What you have seen in the last several months is a subtle shift in the Indian position on the war in Ukraine that started last summer, almost a year ago in August with Prime Minister Modi saying to President Putin to his face that now is not the era for war," a senior State Department official told reporters.

In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the UN that the war must be ended through diplomacy and according to the UN Charter and its founding principles. This is a way of saying what the US has always said from the beginning based on territorial integrity and sovereignty, said the official.

And then in October of last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the threat to use nuclear weapons is inconsistent with the basic tenets of humanity. "These are pretty strong statements," the official said.

"While in the West, I'm not sure we read it exactly the same way in India, that was seen as a very clear shift. You have seen Prime Minister Modi speaking to President Zelensky at the G-7 summit in Hiroshima and recommitting that this conflict must be settled through diplomacy and dialogue," said the official, who spoke with reporters on conditions of anonymity.

India, the official said, has a long history of relations with Russia. They have interests with Russia that go back many, many decades.

"It is a positive thing that Prime Minister Modi has said and repeated that this must be settled through dialogue and diplomacy. I think you'll see that again honestly, that this is now a very established part of Indian policy. What I think you'll also see is that while the US and India differ about our exact policies on Russia and Ukraine, we share a belief that this must be dealt, this must be settled through diplomacy and this must end in a lasting piece according to the UN charter and its founding principles which are territorial integrity and sovereignty," the official said. -- PTI

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