India News Updates: Viksit Bharat not agenda of any party, but aspiration of 140 cr Indians, says PM Modi at NITI Aayog meeting

The IMD has issued a red warning for Delhi and the NCR region, effective for the next 2–3 hours. Light to moderate rainfall is expected, along with severe thunderstorms, lightning, possible hailstorms, and strong surface winds reaching speeds of 60–100 km/h.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has successfully rescued 21 of the 24 crew members aboard the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, which developed a 26° list approximately 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi on Saturday. The vessel had departed Vizhinjam Port on May 23, 2025, bound for Kochi with an estimated time of arrival on May 24, 2025.

Upon receiving the distress alert, the ICG's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai initiated immediate action. ICG ships in the vicinity, along with aircraft, were deployed to monitor and assist the listing vessel. To facilitate evacuation, additional liferafts were deployed near the vessel.

As of 2000 hours, 21 crew members had been rescued, while the captain, chief engineer, and second engineer remained onboard to assist with planned salvage operations. Some containers had fallen due to the vessel's tilting, and a risk assessment was in progress. The ICG continues to coordinate efforts to stabilize the vessel and prevent further risks.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava conducted a review on Saturday, addressing the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across several Indian states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. This development comes amid reports of the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, which may be driving the surge in infections. The review was conducted to assess the current situation and strategize appropriate responses to manage and contain the spread of the virus effectively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The session was attended by Chief Ministers from 24 states and Lieutenant Governors of 7 Union Territories. The meeting began with a moment of silence to honor the victims of the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

During his address, the Prime Minister said that it is the aspiration of every Indian for the country to be a Viksit Bharat. It is not the agenda of any party but the aspiration of 140 crore Indians. He observed that if all States work together towards this goal, then we will make stupendous progress. He also said that we should commit that every State, every city, every village will be developed, and then Viksit Bharat will be achieved much before 2047

Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, and Puducherry were absent from the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said. A total of 31 out of 36 states and union territories participated in the session. There was complete consensus among attendees in supporting Operation Sindoor, according to Subrahmanyam. In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized key sectors such as agriculture, education, and healthcare.

NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam confirmed that Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, and Puducherry did not participate in the recent Governing Council meeting.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday accused the Centre of giving "step-motherly" treatment to Punjab and said such type of discriminatory treatment is unwarranted.

Participating in the meeting of 10th Governing Council of the Niti Aayog here, the chief minister raised the issues concerning the state while reiterating that Punjab has no surplus water for any state.

Amid the ongoing row over the sharing of water issue, the chief minister asserted that in wake of grim situation of water in the state a Yamuna-Sutlej-Link (YSL) canal should be considered for construction instead of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.

Mann said that Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers are already in deficit and water should be diverted from surplus to deficit basins.

He said that Punjab has repeatedly requested to be included in negotiations for the allocation of Yamuna waters as a pact for Yamuna-Sutlej-Link Project was signed between the erstwhile Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on March 12, 1954, which entitled the erstwhile Punjab to two-thirds of the Yamuna waters.

The chief minister said that this agreement did not specify any particular area to be irrigated by Yamuna waters, adding that before the re-organization, the Yamuna River, like the Ravi and Beas, flowed through the erstwhile state of Punjab.

However, while apportioning the river waters between Punjab and Haryana, the Yamuna waters were not considered, whereas the waters of Ravi and Beas were duly taken into account, he lamented.

Speaking on the sidelines of the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary expressed hope that the Union government would extend special financial assistance to the region. He said Jammu and Kashmir has endured significant setbacks following the Pahalgam attack and ongoing tensions, and called for a dedicated package to boost tourism and support other developmental needs.

Speaking about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's absence from the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the matter concerns the government and the party has no comment on it. However, he says,  "when it comes to coordination, the focus should be on addressing the pending dues of West Bengal. Under schemes like MGNREGA, people have not been paid for their 100 days of work. Over Rs 1 lakh 70 thousand crore remains unpaid. This issue should be resolved first before making statements about coordination."

Several Chief Ministers depart as NITI Aayog’s 10th Governing Council meeting concludes at Bharat Mandapam

A police team in Latehar, Jharkhand, successfully neutralized two key leaders of the JJMP Naxal group, including its chief and zonal commander, who had bounties of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh on their heads, respectively.

IG Operations Amol Vinukant Homkar said, "It's a big day for all the security forces working in Jharkhand to eliminate naxalism. JJMP naxal group - along with its Supremo Pappu Lohra - were gathered in Latehar PS area for inducing violence... A police team was in a search operation in the forest area when the naxal group opened fire - the police retaliated, and the encounter went on for a long time. Police later searched the area, where 2 bodies were recovered and another naxal was injured. The bodies were identified as Pappu Lohra - the chief of the naxal group, and he has an award of Rs 10 lakh on his head; and of Prabhat Ganjhu, the zonal commander of the naxal group carrying an award of Rs 5 lakh on his head... The police also recovered arms and ammunition from the site..."

Speaking from Moscow as part of an all-party delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi, AAP MP Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal emphasized India’s commitment to peace, stating that the country lives by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- the whole world is one family - this is our motto, and PM Modi follows it strictly. He says, "at the same time, if anything is put up on us, like a terror attack, we will respond to that. 26 people were killed in Pahalgam, but more painful was that they were killed based on religion and in front of their families... This was an attempt made by Pakistan to create panic and enmity based on religion. But, they couldn't succeed..."

Today I attended the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog chaired by the Honourable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in Delhi, posts Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren on X

Russia and Ukraine have each released 307 prisoners as part of a mutual exchange, according to a report by RIA. Both countries indicated that the prisoner swaps will continue as discussions on bilateral cooperation move forward.

Officials from the local French authorities have reported a significant power outage affecting the southeastern region of France, including the city of Cannes. The disruption comes as Cannes hosts the 78th Cannes Film Festival, attracting visitors from across the globe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog today at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, centered on the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat @2047’.

The meeting served as a key platform for dialogue between the Centre and the States/Union Territories, aiming to align strategies and build consensus on how states can act as vital pillars in transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.

Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors in attendance discussed their roles and contributions towards realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

India News Live Updates: Jammu & Kashmir's Ganderbal receives heavy rainfall and hailstorm

IMD Ahmedabad issued a rainfall warning saying that Gujarat may experience light to moderate rain over the next week, accompanied by thunderstorms. AK Das, Director, IMD Ahmedabad says, "There is a possibility of light and moderate rain in Gujarat for the next 7 days. There will also be a thunderstorm. Today, the wind speed will be 45-50 kilometres per hour. Warning of heavy rainfall has also been given to several districts, including Saurashtra, in the Southern Gujarat region."

A stationary gas tanker exploded in Debra, West Midnapore, injuring multiple people and damaging several vehicles. The blast also caused damage to a nearby house.

Police and dog squad carry out checking on Vijayawada’s Besant Road after receiving a bomb threat

Inspector Naga Murali says, "An unidentified person had called the control room with the bomb threat. We launched search operations using the bomb squad, but no explosives were found. An investigation has been initiated, and further details are awaited."

BSF troops neutralised a Pakistani intruder attempting to enter Indian territory in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on May 23 during night. BSF troops spotted one suspicious person advancing towards the border fence after crossing the International Border. They challenged the intruder, but he continued to advance, prompting them to open fire. The intruder was neutralised on the spot: BSF

Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala today, the 24th May, 2025, against the normal date of 1st June. Thus, southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala 8 days before the normal date: IMD

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reaches Poonch. He will be meeting the families affected by cross-border shelling by Pakistan.

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reaches Poonch. He will be meeting the families affected by cross-border shelling by Pakistan.

Russia attacked Ukraine's capital Kyiv early on Saturday with drones and missiles, triggering fires, strewing debris in districts throughout the city and injuring at least eight people, the city's mayor said.

Reuters witnesses saw and heard successive waves of drones flying over Kyiv, and a series of explosions jolted the city.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two residents had required hospital treatment and that air defence units were in action.

Pictures posted online showed smoke billowing from the top of one block of flats and flames leaping from part of another as emergency crews trained water on it. An orange-red glow lit up the city as plumes of smoke wafted across the horizon.

All-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijyant Panda reaches their first destination, Bahrain

Misri provided a historical overview of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir. He detailed how Pakistan runs terrorist training camps, finances them, and sends terrorists to carry out attacks in India. He highlighted the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack and the subsequent Indian military response, Operation Sindoor. Misri explained that terrorists trained in Pakistan were responsible for the Pahalgam attack, and Operation Sindoor was a retaliatory strike targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He added that when Pakistan attempted a missile attack on India, its airbase was targeted in response: News 18

Delhi Weather Update: IMD Issues Yellow Alert As Dust Storm And Rain Threat Loom Again

PM Modi will chair NITI Aayog meeting with the Chief Ministers of all states today.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Pakistan shelling-hit Poonch today.

Fire broke out at a factory in Sector 2, DSIDC Bawana. A total of 17 fire tenders rushed to the site. Due to some blasts, the building collapsed. So far, no injuries have been reported.

Harvard’s international students face uncertainty after Trump administration revokes enrollment rights, temporarily halted by federal judge.

BSF Jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who was in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since 23 April 2025 and was later released on May 14th, arrived in Kolkata yesterday

He said, " I feel good...I was worried about my parents, so I came home and met my entire family..."

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who is part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijyant Panda, said, " I am part of group 1...first, we will be going to Bahrain. Then we will be going to Kuwait, then Saudi Arabia and lastly Algeria...the painful Pahalgam incident, our neighbouring country, Pakistan is running terrorist camps and supporting them. These terrorists come to India and carry out terrorist activities. We will speak about these things to these four nations"

A 4.0 ritcher scale earthquake jolted Myanmar on Saturday morning.

Delegation led by BJP MP Baijyant Panda will be travelling to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria, to showcase Operation Sindoor and India's continued fight against terrorism.

All-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor arrived at Delhi airport on Friday night; they will be departing for Guyana.

They will transit through New York and visit the 9/11 Memorial before heading to their first destination, Guyana.