TODAY NEWS ON June 23, 2023
News Headlines

PM Modi’s U.S. visit yields many vital agreements
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden marked what they have described as a new stage in the India-U.S. relationship, as Mr. Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the White House’s South Lawn by Mr. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on a drizzly Thursday morning.

Cabinet officials on both sides, and a few thousand diaspora members — some of whom chanted “Modi, Modi” — were in attendance. The visit was not just pomp and ceremony — the two sides announced a long list of deliverables spanning defence, critical and emerging technology, health, energy and mobility. Mr. Biden characterised this as a “next generation partnership” between the two countries.

No discrimination against minorities in India, democracy is in our veins, says PM Modi in U.S.
Asserting that democracy is “in our spirit...and flows in our veins”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said there is no question of discrimination in India on the grounds of caste or religion because his government follows the Constitution, which is formed on the basic values of democracy.

Barack Obama says India may ‘pull apart’ over minority rights
India may “pull apart” if rights of the religious and ethnic minorities are not upheld, former U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday. Speaking in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Mr. Obama expressed concern about rights of vulnerable sections in the Indian society and emphasised that the Biden administration should discuss these issues “honestly” with Prime Minister Modi.

All set for Opposition meet as Patna to be the first battleground before 2024
With opposition leaders from across the country pouring into Patna, it has turned into a battleground, with the BJP going on an overdrive flooding the city with posters branding the meeting as “gathering of thugs.”
The Opposition picked Patna as a venue for its meeting for two reasons – neutral ground distant from Delhi and the 1974 call of total revolution by Jayaprakash Narayan that toppled Indira Gandhi’s majority government.

Pilot and passengers of missing Titan submersible are believed to be dead, says OceanGate
The pilot and passengers of the missing Titan submersible are believed to be dead, said OceanGate on Thursday, the company that operated the deep-sea submersible to the Titanic’s wreckage.
OceanGate Expeditions on Thursday says its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush, along with passengers Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet “have sadly been lost.”

Extend deadline for higher pension, simplify application process, employers tell EPFO
As the June 26 deadline to submit joint options to claim higher provident fund pensions nears, several employers and their representatives are learnt to have approached the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), seeking an extension, as well as a simplified process.

State Election Commission accountable for all bloodshed during panchayat polls, says West Bengal Governor
West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on June 22 blamed the State Election Commission (SEC) for the violence during the ongoing panchayat poll process in the State, warning that the Commission was accountable for every drop of human blood that is shed in the field.

Manipur government looking to set up kiosks across the State for limited Internet access
The Manipur government is looking to set up kiosks across the State where citizens can access Internet services, The Hindu has learnt.
This comes a week after the Manipur High Court sought options for restoring the Internet with a restriction on social media websites and also directed the government to restore limited access at designated locations for the time-being.

Trade unions boycott G-20 meet over BMS appointment as chair
About 10 Central Trade Unions (CTUs) have boycotted the Labour20 (L20), the meeting of trade unions from G20 countries, which began in Patna on Thursday.
The unions are unhappy with the Centre’s decision to appoint Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-supported trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) as the chair of the L20.

Maharashtra may allow Centre to take control of Ambedkar’s London house
The Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra is set to grant its consent to the Centre’s proposal to assume control of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s former residence in London, which has been converted into a museum, and transform it into an autonomous unit.

G20 ministers for equitable, inclusive use of AI in education
A meeting of the education ministers of G20 countries held in Pune agreed to equitable and inclusive use of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in education and skilling that respects human rights. All G20 members also agreed to the critical role that education plays as an enabler of human dignity and empowerment globally.

Former Maldives President Nasheed quits ruling MDP months ahead of presidential polls
Parliamentary Speaker and former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has quit the ruling party, he said on Wednesday, amid growing speculation that he might run against incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in September from a newly floated party.

Chhetri, self-effacing as ever, prefers to focus on the collective
Sunil Chhetri’s hat-trick in the 4-0 victory over Pakistan in the SAFF Championship opener may well bring the India skipper a similar feeling. It was against the same opponent that a 21-year-old Chhetri scored his debut international goal way back in 2005.