India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Ram on the site of a mosque in Ayodhya. His Hindu-nationalist BJP party has been hyping up the event ahead of the elections. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a consecration ceremony on Monday for the Ram temple and unveiled a black statue of the Hindu god in the city of Ayodhya, which is believed to be Ram's birthplace. Modi led the opening ceremony dressed in a traditional kurta tunic, as Hindu priests chanted hymns inside the temple's inner sanctum. Modi's Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set up lavish celebrations across much of the country marking the inauguration.  The temple is being built on land where a mosque had stood for centuries before being torn down by Hindu nationalists in the 1992, sparking violent protests.  The prime minister has argued that the event is a bid for reconciliation.  "The Lord has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India," Modi said earlier in January. In a speech after the ceremony, Modi said the temple opening "marks the dawn of a new era."    Inauguration marked around India  The construction of the grand Ram temple cost around €200 million (roughly $217 million). The temple's trust said the construction was funded mostly by private donations.  The opening is significant for India and for the BJP as it's emblematic of the increasing influence of Hindu-nationalist politics under Modi's government. Ahead of the opening of the temple, thousands of Hindu devotees danced in packed streets on Sunday in Ayodhya as blaring loudspeakers played hymns and religious songs. Millions of Indians watched the ceremony on television, with news channels running non-stop coverage of the event. Hindu devotees dancing and chanting in Ayodhya   Controversy surrounding the Ram Temple The 50-meter high temple has been built on the land where a mosque stood for centuries before it was demolished in 1992 by Hindu groups. Hindus meanwhile claim that the Babri mosque was in turn built over Lord Ram's birthplace by a 16th-century Muslim emperor. A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated the site in 2019 and reported evidence of a temple having existed on the site prior to the mosque. The demolition of the Babri mosque triggered communal riots that claimed more than 2,000 lives — most of them Muslims.  A protracted legal battle about the ownership of the land followed the mosque's demolition. It was resolved in 2019when the Supreme Court gave the disputed land to the Hindus. Muslims were given a plot outside the city to build a mosque.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has felicitated his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina for her party’s landmark victory in the January 7 election. The two leaders spoke over the phone on Monday (Jan 8) evening. “Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections,” Modi tweeted at 7:08pm.   “I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections. We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh.”   Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League won the just-concluded election with a clear two-thirds majority, allowing it to retain power and form the government for the fourth consecutive term. Modi also expressed confidence that the historic and close ties between India and Bangladesh will continue to deepen in all areas of their irreversible partnership.    He affirmed that as a close friend and trusted development partner of Bangladesh, India will continue to support Bangladesh’s aspirations and growth.  Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma congratulated Prime Minister Hasina on her victory and was the first among diplomats to meet her in the morning.   He was followed by diplomats from Russia, China, Bhutan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Representatives of the Aga Khan Diplomatic Representatives also met her.  

India is interested in hosting the Olympic Games in 2036, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, October 15. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai. "India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organize the Olympics in India in 2036. This is an age-old dream of [1.4 billion] Indians, it is their aspiration," Modi said. "We want to realize this dream with your collaboration and support... I am confident that India will get the support of the IOC." No candidate city named by Modi India has never hosted the Olympics before. New Delhi hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Modi made no mention in Mumbai of which Indian city might apply for the Games. Indian news media say Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat, might bid. Gujarat is Modi's home state. Ahmedabad is also home to Narendra Modi Stadium, the world's largest sporting venue measured by seating capactiy. Paris will host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games between July and August, followed by Los Angeles in 2028. Brisbane will host the 2032 Games. Unlike similarly populous China, India is yet to establish itself as a perennial contender near the top of Olympic medal races. Astonishingly, the country has claimed just 10 gold medals in its Olympic history, and 35 medals in all.  However, interest in the Games is increasing, as was best demonstrated by Neeraj Chopra winning gold at the Tokyo Games in the javelin, prompting a hero's welcome on his return home and various artistic endeavors to celeberate his achievement.  Why the IOC session in Mumbai matters The IOC executive board is meeting in Mumbai, ahead of the IOC session between October 15 and 17.  The session is a big deal because all important decisions to run future games are approved during it. India hosted its first and last IOC session in 1983. On October 15, the session is expected to approve the inclusion of cricket and four other games as part of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Each host city, under IOC rules approved a few years ago, can request the inclusion of several sports for their edition of the Games. Organizers of the Los Angeles 2028 Games said this week they wanted cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash and baseball-softball added to the event. Cricket's addition surely helped play some role in mobilizing Modi to seek the Games. He announced his country's ambitions amid India's symoblically charged victory over Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. Poland also keen on hosting 2036 Olympics  Modi said India would also look to host the Youth Olympics in 2029. "Sports is not just about winning medals but also winning hearts," he said. Poland has so far expressed interesting in joining the bid to host the Olympics in 2036, while Indonesia and Mexico might also join the race to host the 2036 Games.

At least 31 people have died and dozens more remain missing Friday after flash floods washed away houses and bridges in India's northeast Sikkim state. Heavy rainfall on Wednesday caused a lake high in the mountains to burst, leading to major flooding that authorities said has impacted the lives of some 22,000 people. The death toll varied on Friday, with Reuters news agency putting the toll at 40 on Friday. Sikkim officials put the death toll at 18 on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office announced relief funds for the state and deployed a disaster response team to help affected people, according to a press release by the government. Soldiers missing in floods The flooding, which began shortly after Wednesday midnight, was worsened after the waters cracked open a 6-year-old dam in the mountainous state of Sikkim. Floodwater then gushed through towns in the Lachan Valley, submerging army camps. At least 23 soldiers were reported missing in the floods on Wednesday, according to the Indian Army. Search and rescue operations are still underway. Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the state's top bureaucrat, said Thursday that 26 people had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Nearly 3,000 tourists and 700 taxi drivers were also stranded in the flood-hit areas, Pathak added. Latest deadly flood to hit northeast India The incident is the latest deadly flood to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy rains. Nearly 50 people died in flash floods in Himachal Pradesh state in August. Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India.

ICC Men's Cricket World cup 2023 event is scheduled to start in India on October 5, with the opening match between defending champions England and last edition’s runner-up New Zealand according to Geo tv. Cricket lovers will see 10 teams fighting for the elusive title across 10 venues till November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa all secured their place in the Cricket World Cup via a top eight position. Sri Lanka and the Netherlands went on to progress to Cricket World Cup 2023. The opening match of the Cricket World Cup will start at 2:00 PM IST, with toss taking place at 1:30 PM IST.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said consensus has been built on New Delhi G20 Leaders' Summit Declaration and announced its adoption. The Prime Minister, who is chairing the G20 sessions, congratulated the Sherpas and ministers who had worked towards forging the consensus. "I have received good news. Due to the hard work of our team, consensus has been built on New Delhi G20 Leaders' Summit Declaration. My proposal is to adopt this leadership declaration. I announce to adopt this declaration. On this occasion, I congratulate my Sherpa, ministers, who worked hard for it and made it possible,” he said. The announcement of adoption of the declaration was welcomed with thumping of desks.   In his opening remarks at the Summit, the Prime Minister said that the 21st century is a time that has the potential to give a new direction to the entire world. “It's a time when years old challenges demand new solutions from us. Therefore, we must move forward by fulfilling all our responsibilities with a Human Centric approach,” he said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday during a bilateral meeting expressed their satisfaction over the existing deep relationship between the countries and simultaneously agreed to take effective steps to strengthen the relationship further. "Both the prime ministers expressed satisfaction over the existing deep relationship between Bangladesh and India and agreed to take effective steps to strengthen further this relationship," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters while briefing about the outcome of the bilateral meeting of the two premiers. Besides, he said that Modi also laid emphasis on resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries through amicable discussion. "Indian prime minister laid emphasis on resolving the outstanding issues between the two countries through talks at the official level," he added. Momen said, "The India prime minister expressed his deep gratitude to the Bangladesh prime minister for her contribution to ensuring the existing peaceful situation in the North Eastern region of his country". The bilateral meeting took place at the official residence of the Indian Prime Minister in New Delhi. Earlier, the Bangladesh premier arrived here in the afternoon to join the G20 Summit at the invitation of Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be held on September 8, Wednesday. The meeting will take place at the official residence of the Indian PM, hours after Hasina's arrival in New Delhi to attend the summit as a special invitee of host India. The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has confirmed that the official meeting between the two Prime Ministers. The meeting time has not been announced yet. However, the head of the government of Bangladesh is attending the G-20 summit as a guest at the special invitation of India. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be held on September 8, Wednesday. The meeting will take place at the official residence of the Indian PM, hours after Hasina's arrival in New Delhi to attend the summit as a special invitee of host India. The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has confirmed that the official meeting between the two Prime Ministers. The meeting time has not been announced yet. However, the head of the government of Bangladesh is attending the G-20 summit as a guest at the special invitation of India.

British Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will launch the 'Alive with Opportunity' campaign, which is designed to build on the UK and India’s strong bilateral relationship and boost trade and investment, during her ongoing visit to Jaipur.  According to a statement released by the UK government, the Trade Secretary, who is in India to attend G20 trade ministers, will launch the campaign during her three-day visit to India. This campaign aims to stimulate interest and demand for British goods and services and attract new Indian inward investment. After attending the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Jaipur, she will fly to New Delhi for a parallel business-focused Business 20 summit, in addition to meetings with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and the Tata Group Chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran. Before departing for India, Badenoch said, “I’m delighted to be returning to India to support their G20 Presidency, further our trade talks and meet key business leaders. The UK and India have a thriving relationship and we both share an ambition to deepen our cultural and trading ties." “India is the UK’s second biggest source of investment projects and I’m confident this new campaign will help boost interest in and demand for UK goods and services even further," she added.  Further, as per the statement, the UK government will launch 'Alive with Opportunity', a 1.5 million pound marketing campaign designed to build on the UK and India’s strong and enduring relationship, boost trade and investment, and promote the powerful cultural links between the two countries. "New Department for Business and Trade (DBT) data shows India is the UK’s 2nd largest source of investment projects, with 118 new projects in the last financial year creating 8,384 new jobs," the statement read.  "More than 900 Indian businesses operate in the UK, and more than 600 UK businesses are finding success in India supporting more than half a million jobs across both countries," it added.  The 'Alive with Opportunity' campaign will celebrate business, trade, cultural and sporting links between the UK and India, taking advantage of major moments such as India’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup and the England-India test series starting in January. Advertisements promoting the UK will feature across billboards, in airports and across social media channels backed by a series of targeted trade missions, promotional events and marketing activations in both countries. The campaign aims to bring to life the concept of the ‘living bridge’, a phrase popularised by Prime Minister Modi to describe the relationship between the two countries based on a continuous exchange of people, ideas and culture. Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis, in a statement released by the UK High Commission, said, “The UK-India bilateral trading relationship is already worth Rs. 3.5 lakh crores; there is high ambition on both sides to increase this significantly. From the comprehensive trade deal we are negotiating to the vibrant living bridge that spans education, culture, sports and much more besides. We are bringing our people even closer together to create prosperity and jobs for both countries; this is a partnership that is alive with opportunity.” At the G20 meet, Secretary Badenoch will pitch for greater deployment of digital trade, which will cut red tape and make it easier for UK businesses of all sizes to buy and sell internationally. During her visit to New Delhi, she will meet the leaders of some of India’s major businesses, across a range of sectors, including BP, HSBC, Vodafone, Rolls Royce and Confederation of Indian Industry on Friday. She will also hold a meeting with Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, following their announcement last month of a new 4-billion pound gigafactory in the UK. Her visit coincides with Round 12 of talks for an ambitious and comprehensive trade deal with India. She will meet with her counterpart, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, to take stock of bilateral negotiations and reach a consensus on carrying forward a deal to boost bilateral trade, which was estimated to be worth 36 billion pounds last year.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent a message to Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 23 August 2023 congratulating him and the people of India on the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan 3. She conveyed her felicitations to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and its scientists for making India the fourth nation globally to land a spacecraft on the moon's surface. In her message, Prime Minister Hasina also conveyed that Bangladesh rejoices with India on this momentous occasion and on this historic achievement, which is a matter of immense pride and inspiration to all the South Asian countries in advancing the science and space technology sector.