
PM Modi likely to launch Vande Bharat express to Srinagar on June 6
PM Narendra Modi will likely inaugurate Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train service this week, which will be the first rail connectivity to the Kashmir valley from the rest of India. The PM was set to greenlight the train on April 19, but was unable to do so due to adverse weather conditions.The opening ceremony was deferred due to the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, two developments which have given what was intended to be a big infrastructure project much more significance. Coming in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, conceived to undo tourism-based economic progress, the operation of the first train to Srinagar will be perceived as the Centre's ongoing commitment to the border state as well as an indication of defiance, officials said.advertisementLast month, Railways successfully operated its first "trial special train", carrying troops, on the Katra-Qazigund section, including the Chenab Bridge, which is on the final leg of the stretch connecting Kashmir with the rest of India by rail." Trains and security machinery are ready for operation," a central govt official said. Railways has also modified the Vande Bharat train that will run between Srinagar and Katra.
The facility includes heating systems for comfortable operation during winter weather, an anti-spall coating, and automatic doors. The Katra-Srinagar link is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project, which spans 272 kilometres and includes 119 kilometres of tunnelling. It features two iconic engineering structures: the Chenab Bridge and the Anji Khad Bridge. The entire corridor has been completed with an investment of Rs 42,930 crores. Tune InMust Watch

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Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Countries we visited wanted to know Trump's role (in ceasefire) … Our sense is no one took the claims seriously': Sanjay Jha
The panel of MPs that visited Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to articulate India's stand on the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath returned to India late Tuesday night. JD(U) working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha who led the panel speaks about the matters raised at the meetings with the representatives of these countries and what their response was. Excerpts: What was the experience of your five-nation tour on behalf of the government? It was a great experience. Because it was a multi-party delegation, there was a very warm welcome wherever we went. People appreciated that MPs coming from the length and breadth of the country and cutting across party lines were putting forth the nation's stand on terrorism and India's right to defend itself. Representatives of some of these countries would even joke about our otherwise adversarial engagements in Parliament. But they appreciated that the delegation was carrying the message of 140 crore Indians speaking together on this issue. When we were talking about how the Indian economy had become the fourth-largest in one of the meetings, the Japanese ambassador even joked that we were talking about surpassing his country. What did you articulate on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism? Pakistan was completely exposed as a propagator of cross-border terrorism. In all our meetings, we would recite Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir's statement on Kashmir before the Pahalgam attack. We underlined how an Army chief was speaking in such a radicalised manner. Then we talked about The Resistance Force (TRF) and it claiming responsibility for the (Pahalgam) attack. We showed evidence of its links with Pakistan. We flagged how Pakistan got a UN reference of the TRF withdrawn, highlighting its links with the organisation. We also spoke about Pakistan's involvement in the 26/11 attacks and all the evidence Ajmal Qasab's capture produced. We also spoke about Pakistan being on the grey list of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) between 2018 and 2022, and sought support from the country representatives to put it back on the list at the next FATF meeting. We told them not to compare India and Pakistan as the latter is a sponsor of terrorism. We told them to keep in perspective where we stand on democracy and economy and where Pakistan is, a nation run by the Army. What was the response from these countries? There was universal condemnation of terrorism wherever we went. Country representatives also expressed sympathy for India on the fact that it had suffered terror for so long. Interestingly, no one questioned our calibrated response to the Pahalgam terror attack. No one asked why we struck inside Pakistan. It conveyed their understanding that we have the right to defend ourselves. They were more interested in knowing how we conducted Operation Sindoor with such precision. How did the Muslim-majority countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, respond? In Indonesia and Malaysia, we told country representatives that Pakistan keeps bringing resolutions against India in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meetings. Since we are not part of the OIC, we told them to consider our point of view as well before entertaining such resolutions. Indonesia agreed. But Malaysia did not make any commitment. We also felt a tilt towards Pakistan in Malaysia. Did the countries you visited have any questions to ask? Their questions ranged from nuclear conflict precipitation and how the ceasefire was achieved to concerns about tourism in India in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. On the ceasefire, they wanted to know US President Donald Trump's role. We told them whenever a conflict happens anywhere in the world, countries make phone calls. It does not mean they mediate peace. We told them that during the Russia-Ukraine conflict even PM Narendra Modi spoke to leaders in both countries. It did not necessarily mean he was mediating in their affairs. Our sense from the conversations was that people had not taken Trump's claims very seriously. We gave them evidence of how the first call for a ceasefire was made by Pakistan. Indonesia and Malaysia had questions on whether tourism in India was safe. We told them India is a huge country, and people were still coming in droves, even to Pahalgam. Country representatives also had questions on the Indus Waters Treaty. We told them water and blood cannot flow together and that the preamble of the treaty mentioned 'friendship and cooperation', which was not there anymore. But, largely we argued that in the last few years India had requested to renegotiate the treaty due to climate change, demographic change, etc, but Pakistan was not responding. We also said that if Pakistan stops terrorism, the treaty can be looked at positively. There were questions on the escalation breaching the nuclear threshold. We told them our response never factored in reaching the nuclear threshold. We told them we have a no-first-use policy. But we made it clear that we would not tolerate Pakistan's nuclear blackmail. We also conveyed India's new normal of treating every terrorist attack as an act of war. How did the panel spend its free time? There was no free time. We were packed from 9 am to 9 pm. Sometimes we caught late-night flights and had morning meetings in another country. We met members of parliament, think tank representatives, ambassadors of different countries and the Indian diaspora, apart from media interactions.


News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Adani Group sees 29 pc rise in tax payments to Rs 75k cr in FY25
Last Updated: New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group saw a 29 per cent rise in tax outgo across portfolio companies to nearly Rs 75,000 crore, it said on Thursday. This includes both direct and indirect taxes paid, as well as payments towards employee social security. 'For fiscal year 2025 (April 2024 to March 2025 financial year), the Adani Group's total contribution to the exchequer increased by 29 per cent to Rs 74,945 crore, from Rs 58,104 crore in FY 2023-24, through its portfolio of listed entities," it said in a statement. The Rs 74,945 crore tax outgo in FY25 is roughly the cost of building the entire Mumbai Metro network – an infrastructure lifeline for millions of people. It's also nearly enough to host a modern-day Olympics. Of the total contribution of Rs 74,945 crore, direct contributions stood at Rs 28,720 crore, indirect contributions stood at Rs 45,407 crore, while other contributions added at Rs 818 crore. The conglomerate said that among its publicly listed entities, the leading contributors include Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), Adani Cement Limited (ACL), Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), and Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL). 'The details are covered in the independent annual reports published by seven of the group's listed entities – Adani Enterprises Limited, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited, Adani Green Energy Limited, Adani Energy Solutions Limited, Adani Power Limited, Adani Total Gas Limited, and Ambuja Cements Limited," the statement said. The figure also includes the tax paid by three other listed companies – NDTV, ACC and Sanghi Industries – that are held by the seven companies. The group has also published a document titled 'Basis of Preparation and Approach to Tax' on the websites of its seven entities, which provides a complete breakdown of Adani Group's global tax and other contributions, it said. It includes direct contributions like global taxes, duties, and other charges borne by Adani's portfolio of companies, indirect contributions like global taxes and duties collected and paid on behalf of other stakeholders, and other contributions like social security, contributed for the benefit of the employees. 'Adani Group considers tax transparency as an integral part of its broader ESG framework. Through this voluntary initiative, the Group aims to demonstrate its commitment to transparency, foster stakeholder trust, and contribute to a more accountable global tax environment. The group strives to harmonise growth with social responsibility, aiming to transform India's infrastructure landscape while promoting innovation and creating long-term value for stakeholders," the statement added. PTI DR First Published: June 05, 2025, 09:45 IST


India.com
35 minutes ago
- India.com
Where is RCB's first owner Vijay Mallya now, is he still living luxurious life? His net worth is Rs...
Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) In these collection of pictures, we find out all about the current whereabouts and net worth of original owner of Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru team, Vijay Mallya. Virat Kohli's RCB won the IPL title after an 18-year wait. RCB beat PBKS in the IPL 2025 final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Indian businessman Vijay Mallya had bought RCB for $111 million from BCCI back in 2007. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Vijay Mallya left India after taking loans of nearly Rs 9000 crore from Indian banks for the defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Mallya has been unable to pay most of these loans so far. Vijay Mallya used to have net worth of around $1.2 billion in 2022, according to media reports. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Vijay Mallya reportedly has current net worth of about Rs 5160 crore, according to media reports. Mallya still has 0.1 per cent stakes in United Spirits Ltd, and 8.08 per cent stakes in United Breweries Ltd, as of 2025. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Vijay Mallya was last spotted at lavish wedding of his son Siddharth Mallya with Jasmine. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Vijay Mallya lost ownership of RCB due to mounting debts. After Mallya's departure, Diageo India came into the picture, and it became the biggest shareholder of United Spirits Limited in 2016. But Mallya is still leading a luxurious and lavish life in the United Kingdom.