Watch: Puri stampede, trachoma milestone, Iran-Israel ceasefire doubts and more
1. Stampede at Puri Rath Yatra Leaves Three Dead, Several Injured
Three people lost their lives and several others were injured during a stampede at the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. The incident occurred as massive crowds surged during the chariot procession, leading to chaos and crushing.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi confirmed the deaths and announced that both the Puri Collector and Superintendent of Police have been transferred. An investigation has been ordered into the crowd management lapses.
2. WHO Declares India Free of Trachoma, PM Highlights in 'Mann Ki Baat'
During this month's edition of 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared that the World Health Organization has officially declared India free of Trachoma — a major eye disease that once affected millions.
PM Modi said the achievement was the result of consistent health campaigns, improved hygiene practices, and community-level awareness. Health experts have hailed this as a major public health milestone for the country.
3. Iran voices doubts about durability of ceasefire with Israel, report says
Iran is highly doubtful that Israel will maintain the ceasefire that ended an air war between the two countries, the Iranian armed forces' Chief of Staff told Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Sunday (June 29, 2025), according to Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency.
'Since we have complete doubts about the enemy's (Israel) adherence to its commitments, including the ceasefire, we are prepared to give it a strong response if it repeats the aggression,' Abdolrahim Mousavi said.
4. India Slams Pakistan Over Waziristan Terror Attack Claims
India has strongly rejected Pakistan's attempt to link New Delhi to a recent terrorist attack in North Waziristan. In a sharply worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said such allegations were baseless and an attempt to deflect from Islamabad's own internal security failures.
The statement comes after Pakistani authorities suggested Indian involvement in the killing of five soldiers in the region. India reiterated its long-standing position that terrorism must not be used as a tool of foreign policy.
5. First Phase of Census to Begin on April 1, 2026
The government has announced that the first phase of the national Census, including Houselisting operations, will begin on April 1, 2026. This marks a significant step forward after repeated delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials said preparations are underway to digitise much of the process, with enumerators expected to use mobile apps for data collection. The Census will offer key insights for future planning and policy decisions.
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Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
First phase of census to begin in April 2026
The Centre has asked states and Union territories to make any proposed changes in the boundaries of administrative units before December 31 this year, when they will be considered final for the census exercise, first phase of which will begin on April 1, 2026. A census official collects information from a household in Guwahati in 2011.(File/AP) In a letter dated June 27 to all states and UTs, registrar general and census commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said that for the census, all villages and towns are divided into uniform enumeration blocks and for each block, an enumerator is assigned to avoid any miss or repetition during the population count. 'From April 1, 2026, the Houselisting Operation, the appointment of supervisors and enumerators and the work division among them will be done, and on February 1, 2027, the Census of the population will begin,' Narayan said in his letter to chief secretaries of all states and UTs. 'It is important that once enumeration blocks are finalised, boundaries of administrative units are not changed.' The registrar general further asked the chief secretaries to direct all departments 'to make any proposed changes in the boundaries of municipal corporations, revenue villages, tehsils, sub-divisions or districts before December 31'. 'The states/UTs should ensure that no changes should be made in the boundaries of administrative units between January 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, during which Census exercise will take place. Any changes in the existing boundaries must be intimated to Census directorates in the states and UTs and Registrar General of India by December 31, 2025. For Census 2027, boundaries of administrative units will be frozen on December 31, 2025,' the letter added. To ensure a fair workload for enumerators, an administrative unit is divided into manageable sections for the census called 'blocks'. A block is a clearly defined area within a village or town on a notional map for census purposes. These are termed houselisting blocks (HLBs) during houselisting operations and enumeration blocks (EBs) during population enumeration and serve as the smallest administrative units for the census. According to the letter, the houselisting operations for the census will begin from April 1, 2026, marking the start of the first phase of the decadal exercise. 'Before that, the appointment of supervisors, enumerators and work distribution among them shall be done with cooperation from states and district administration,' the letter said. Earlier this month, the office of registrar general of India (ORGI) in a notification announced that the 16th census, which will also include caste enumeration, will be carried out after a gap of 16 years in 2027, with the reference date of October 1, 2026, in snow-bound areas like Ladakh and March 1, 2027, in the rest of the country. The much-delayed census will be completed by March 1, 2027. Officials have said that while data collection would be over by March 1, 2027, the entire exercise to collate the data and publish it will take two to three more years. On preparatory activities already done, officials said all states have already constituted census coordination committees (CCCs) under the respective chief secretaries. 'As the Census exercise was originally to take place in 2020, ORGI had already written to states/UTs for forming CCCs in April 2019,' an official said, adding the committees have various departments such as revenue, local administration, municipal corporations, rural development and panchayats, planning education, etc for conducting and monitoring different phases of census. The pre-test for census — which is conducted prior to each census encompassing all facets to check feasibility of all questions, methodologies, logistics arrangements, processing of data, etc — was also done in 2019. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has said that the 16th census will see involvement of about 3.4 million enumerators and supervisors. Besides, around 130,000 census functionaries would be deployed for the exercise. The ministry further said that the upcoming census 'will be conducted through digital means using mobile applications' and 'provision of self-enumeration would also be made available to the people'. The census will be conducted in two phases. In phase one or houselisting operation, housing conditions, assets and amenities of each household will be collected. Subsequently, in the second phase or population enumeration, the demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person in each household will be collected.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Odisha: Three dead, several injured during stampede in Jagannath Rath Yatra, leaders offer condolences
Puri (Odisha) [India], June 29 (ANI): In a tragic turn of events, a stampede during the revered Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri claimed the lives of three devotees and left several others injured. The news of the loss of lives sparked a wave of condolences from across the political spectrum. Leaders expressed deep sorrow over the incident, acknowledging the devotion of the victims and urging authorities to ensure stricter crowd control mechanisms in future. As the sacred chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra rolled out, the heavy rush led to chaos and overcrowding, which triggered the incident. Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Shama Mohamed said, 'It is an unfortunate incident that people went to offer prayers and lost their lives. When a stampede occurred in UP, no one took responsibility for it. Here, too, no one took responsibility. This is should take responsibility for this by should give importance to the lives of the people.' Sand Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also spoke to ANI and said, 'All of us felt deep distress after hearing this that three people lost their lives... I acknowledge the positive steps that the government has taken, and I especially emphasise the importance of the responsibility of the administrative officials to prevent such incidents from happening again. We must work together to achieve this... To control such situations, action was needed against the government officials involved... CM Mohan Charan Majhi appointed new officers in Puri and formed a coordination team. Things should improve in the future...' Puri BJD MLA Sunil Kumar Mohanty also reacted to the stampede and said, '...If there were an entry from one side and an exit from the other, the crowd wouldn't have stayed in one place, which would have prevented the gathering, and the incident wouldn't have happened... Processing officers responsible for crowd management and the government should have had a managing committee to oversee their duties... Somewhere, they failed in crowd management and responsibility distribution, leading to the incident. I want the Law Department to take full action and ensure proper steps are taken.' BJD Vice-President Debi Prasad Mishra also, while speaking to ANI, said, 'This morning, Naveen Patnaik tweeted from his hospital on this unfortunate incident where three people died, one man and two women. Yesterday, we saw a mess caused by the administration, and everyone criticised the irresponsibility. But the administration, government, temple administration and the police didn't care... Due to a lack of coordination, these things occurred... exemplary action should be taken immediately.' Following the tragic stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, the Odisha government transferred the Puri Superintendent of Police and Collector. Pinak Mishra has been appointed as the new SP of Puri, while Chanchal Rana replaces Siddharth Shankar Swain as the new Collector. These changes followed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's directive for a detailed administrative inquiry to be conducted under the supervision of the Development Commissioner. The CM also ordered strict action against those found negligent in their duties. Speaking after his appointment, SP Pinak Mishra said, 'This is the order of 'Mahaprabhu' that I have appointed as the SP of Puri once again. We will ensure that the 'Rath Yatra' concludes peacefully. I urge the devotees to coordinate with the administration and follow the guidelines issued by the administration.' Newly appointed Collector Chanchal Rana also spoke to ANI, saying, 'As per the will of Mahaprabhu and the instructions of the state government, I have taken charge as Puri Collector today. Our main priority is to ensure that devotees from across the world have a pleasant and joyful experience during the Rath Yatra. The police and the administration have taken all the steps. We also urge devotees to avoid overcrowded areas.' Earlier in the day, Odisha Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi were suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the stampede incident. The stampede occurred during the Rath Yatra in Puri, as overcrowding led to the unfortunate deaths of three devotees and injuries to several others. Expressing deep sorrow, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased devotee. The Chief Minister ordered a detailed administrative inquiry under the supervision of the Development Commissioner and instructed the transfer of the District Collector. The Chief Minister reaffirmed that Rath Yatra is a source of pride for Odisha and assured strict action against those responsible for the mishap. He emphasised that such incidents must not recur, ensuring the safety and sanctity of the festival in the future. Earlier today, CM Mohan Charan Majhi apologised and sought forgiveness from devotees, following a stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, in which at least three people died and several were injured. He further directed the authorities to initiate action against those responsible. Posting on social media platform X, Chief Minister Majhi said, 'Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Sharadhabali, an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos. Personally, my government and I seek forgiveness from all devotees of Lord Jagannath. We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were lost at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow.' He added that an investigation will be conducted into the security lapse and action will be taken against those responsible. 'This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the security lapse will be conducted, and I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible,' Majhi's X post read. The stampede claimed the lives of three people and injured several early this morning near the Gundicha Temple in Puri. During the annual Rath Yatra, a massive crowd of devotees pull the holy chariots of the three deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Shubhadra, which are taken to the Gundicha Temple, a short distance from the Jagannath Temple. The three deities spend a week at the Gundicha Temple before returning to Jagannath Temple. This year, the Rath Yatra commenced on Friday. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Union Minister Savitri Thakur, Chhatisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai listen to 123rd Episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' at CM Residence
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 30 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur, along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, listened to the 123rd episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. Savitri Thakur on Sunday also inspected the 'Government Girls Home' in Raipur, operated by the Chhattisgarh Women and Child Development Department. This centre caters to girls in need of care and protection (CNCP). A total of 52 girls aged 6 to 18 years are currently residing here. During the inspection, arrangements related to the care, education, safety, and nutrition of the girls were reviewed, and interactions were held with the children, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said in an official statement. She also visited the one Nari Niketan (Shakti Sadan) at Raipur, where women facing violence and crisis are provided with safe shelter, counselling, and assistance. The facilities and services there were reviewed, and necessary suggestions were discussed with the officials. On this occasion, Women and Child Development Minister Smt Laxmi Rajwade ji and senior officials of the department were also present, the statement added. On this occasion, Niranjan Peethadheeshwar Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Shri Shri 1008 Swami Kailashanand Giri Maharaj, Women and Child Development Minister of Chhattisgarh Laxmi Rajwade, MLA Raipur west - Rajesh Munat, Basna MLA Sampat Agrawal, Dhar Siwa MLA Anuj Sharma, MLA Ambikapur Rajesh Agrawal, Lundra MLA Prabodh Minj, and Chairperson of the State Child Protection Commission Varnika Sharma were also present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday in his 'Mann Ki Baat' address lauded 'Women Led Development' initiatives, noting the remarkable achievements which are through enterprise, self-reliance and innovation are shaping a New India. Addressing the 123rd episode of his monthly radio address, the Prime Minister highlighted that women labourers from Telangana's Bhadrachalam who used to toil in the fields to eke out their daily livelihood are now making products that reach markets from Hyderabad to London. Addressing the 123rd episode of his monthly radio address, the Prime Minister highlighted that women labourers from Telangana's Bhadrachalam who used to toil in the fields to eke out their daily livelihood are now making products that reach markets from Hyderabad to London,' he said. PM Modi said that those pads were distributed to nearby schools and offices at a very low price. He noted that these women joined a Self-Help Group and received training for the same. 'The mantra of 'Women Led Development' is ready to create a new future for India. Our mothers, sisters, and daughters are today lending a new direction not only for themselves but for the entire society. You will also feel good when you come to know about the success of the women of Bhadrachalam in Telangana. These women once used to work as labourers in the fields. They used to work hard all day for their livelihoods,' PM Modi said during the Mann ki Baat programme. The Prime Minister also spoke about how women from Karnataka's Kalaburagi have created a 'jowar' roti brand. They produce over 3,000 rotis daily through a cooperative, which are now not limited to villages but are sold in Bengaluru and via online food platforms, he said. 'The achievement of the women of Kalaburgi in Karnataka is also excellent. They have made jowar roti a brand. In the cooperative that they have formed, more than 3000 rotis are being made every day. The aroma of these rotis is no longer limited to the village. A special counter has been opened in Bengaluru. Orders are coming over online food platforms. Kalaburgi roti is now reaching the kitchens of big cities. This has had a great impact on these women; their income is increasing,' PM Modi said. The Prime Minister also mentioned a story of 'self-confidence' and 'self-reliance' from Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat. Suma Uike, who has received training in mushroom farming and animal husbandry, joined the Self Help Group and has increased her income and also expanded her work. 'These stories from different states have different faces. But their glow is the same. This is the glow of self-confidence, of self-reliance. One such face is Suma Uike from Madhya Pradesh. Suma ji's efforts are very commendable. She took training in mushroom farming and animal husbandry by joining the Self Help Group in Katangi block of Balaghat district. Thus, she found her the path to self-reliance. When Suma Uike's income increased, she also expanded her work. This journey that started with a tiny effort has now expanded to 'Didi Canteen' and 'Thermal Therapy Centre'. In every corner of the country, countless such women are changing their fate and that of the country,' PM Modi said. (ANI)
