‘Proud to lead progressive India’, says Droupadi Murmu as she takes oath as 15th President of India

News Network
July 25, 2022

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New Delhi, July 25: Droupadi Murmu took oath of office as the 15th President of India on 25 July in the Central Hall of the Parliament. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana administered the oath of the office.

She is the second woman President of the country, first-ever tribal woman to hold the highest Constitutional post and the first President to be born in independent India 

In her first address as President at the Central Hall of Parliament, Droupadi Murmu said, “While Standing in the Parliament - the symbol of expectations, aspirations and rights of all Indians - I humbly express my gratitude to all of you. Your trust and support will be a major strength for me to carry out this new responsibility."

She also said that, “I am fortunate to have got this opportunity to serve during the 75th year of independence."

“I am the first leader to be elected the country's President who's born after India's independence," she said. 

“It is the greatness of our country that a woman from a poor background like mine is elected to this chair. My election is proof that the poor in India can dream and make them come true,” she said.

“Reaching the post of President is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor person in India... Today, I assure all the countrymen, especially the youth of India and the women of India, that while working in this position, their interests will be paramount for me,” Murmu said and added, “Today I feel proud to lead such a progressive India.”

Earlier in the day, Murmu paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, at Raj Ghat and also visited Rashtrapati Bhavan where she was welcomed by former President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind.

The former Jharkhand Governor marked a historic victory over Opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha in the president polls on July 22.

The results for presidential election were declared on Thursday in which it was revealed that Murmu bagged 2,824 votes against her opponent Yashwant Sinha who only secured 1,877 votes. A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling on July 18.

After the declaration of results, Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and senior BJP leaders heaped congratulatory messages on Murmu over her historic win. PM Modi said that she has emerged as a ray of hope for citizens, while Kovind wished her for the successful tenure in the highest office of the country.

In 1997, Murmu began her political career by joining the BJP and was first elected as the councilor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat. She was then became the chairperson of the same panchayat in 2000 and later, sered as the BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha’s vice president. In 2007, she was conferred Nilkhantha Award for the best MLA in the Odisha assembly and became the first woman governor of Jharkhand in 2015.

The term of former President Ram Nath Kovind came to an end on 24 July.

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News Network
February 4,2026

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An Indian resident who won the Dh20 million (approximately Rs 50 crore) jackpot in Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw has told of his joy at sharing his life-changing fortune with a friend.

Shanthanu Shettigar, a shop manager in Muscat, regularly buys tickets for the monthly grand prize draw with one of his closest friends – and the pair won on February 3.

Mr Shettigar, 33, who is from Udyavar in Udupi district of the southern state of Karnataka and has lived in the Omani capital for eight years, said he was left speechless after learning of his success.

“When I first moved to Muscat, many of my colleagues were purchasing Big Ticket, which encouraged me to give it a try,” he said.

“I started buying tickets on my own, and later began sharing tickets with a close friend. The ticket that brought me this win was one we purchased together.”

“Like most people, I receive a lot of spam calls, and I was fully absorbed in my work as well. I knew the live draw was taking place tonight, but I never imagined my name would be announced,” he said.

“When I realised it was real and that I had won, I was honestly speechless. It still hasn’t fully sunk in, but I’m extremely happy.”

Mr Shettigar is not sure how he will spend his share of the money, but encouraged others to take part.

“This win was completely unexpected, so I want to take some time to think things through before deciding what to do next,” he said.

“I would definitely encourage others to participate with Big Ticket, whether with family or friends – you never know when your moment might come.”

The Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dh1 million. It is one of the most popular monthly raffles in the UAE.

It has transformed the lives of many people across the Emirates and beyond.

Entry to the Big Ticket Millionaire is Dh500. Tickets can be bought online or at counters at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport.

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News Network
February 1,2026

Bengaluru, Feb 1: For travelers landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the sleek, wood-paneled curves of Terminal 2 promise a world-class welcome. But the famed “Garden City” charm quickly withers at the curb. As India’s aviation sector swells to record numbers—handling over 43 million passengers in Bengaluru alone this past year—the “last mile” has turned into a marathon of frustration.

The Bengaluru Logjam: Rules vs Reality

While the city awaits the 2027 completion of the Namma Metro Blue Line, the interim has been chaotic. Recent “decongestion” rules at Terminal 1 have pushed app-based cab pickups to distant parking zones, forcing weary passengers into a 20-minute walk with luggage.

“I landed after ten months away and felt like a stranger in my own city,” says Ruchitha Jain, a Koramangala resident. “My driver couldn’t find me, staff couldn’t guide me, and the so-called ‘Premium’ lane is just a fancy tax on convenience.”

•    The Cost of Distance: A 40-km cab ride can now easily cross ₹1,500, driven by demand pricing and airport surcharges.

•    The Bus Gap: While Vayu Vajra remains a lifeline, its ₹300–₹400 fare is often cited as the most expensive airport bus service in the country.

A National Pattern of Disconnect

The struggle is not unique to Karnataka. From Chennai’s coast to Hyderabad’s plateau, India’s airports tell a familiar story: brilliant runways, broken exits.

City:    Primary Issue   |    Recent Development

Bengaluru:    Cab pickup restrictions & distance  |    App-based taxis shifted to far parking zones; long walks and fare spikes reported

Chennai:    Multi-Level Parking (MLCP) hike  |    Passengers report 40-minute walks to reach cab pickup points

Hyderabad:    “Taxi mafia” & touting  |    Over 440 touting cases reported; security presence intensified

Mumbai:    Fare scams  |     Tourists charged ₹18,000 for just 400 metres, triggering police action

In Hyderabad, travelers continue to battle entrenched local groups that intimidate Uber and Ola drivers, pushing passengers toward overpriced private taxis. Chennai flyers, meanwhile, complain that reaching the designated pickup zones now takes longer than short-haul flights from cities like Coimbatore.

The ‘Budget Day’ Hope

As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026 today, the aviation sector is watching closely. With the government’s renewed emphasis on multimodal integration, there is cautious hope for funding toward seamless airport-metro-bus hubs.

The vision is clear: a future where planes, trains, and metros speak the same language. Until then, passengers at KIA—and airports across India—will continue to discover that the hardest part of flying isn’t the thousands of kilometres in the air, but the last few on the ground.

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Chandramohan
 - 
Friday, 6 Feb 2026

Sir, I request the airport authorities to introduce a free transport services from terminal 1 to terminal 2 as is very difficult for the passengers to reach terminal 2 along with their luggage. Also a trolley should be provided to reach the counter. Hope the authorities would help the passengers as soon as possible.

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News Network
February 1,2026

US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that the government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a deal to buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed to purchasing it from Iran.

"We've already made that deal, the concept of the deal," he told reporters on Air Force One.

Trump had imposed 25% tariffs on countries buying Venezuelan oil, including India, in March 2025. He had also hit India with tariffs for buying Russian oil, saying it was "funding" President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.

Trump has said that the US has taken control of the oil-rich Venezuela after capturing former President Nicolas Maduro in January.

A fleet of 18 ships loaded with crude oil bound for refineries in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi in January, the most since December 2024, according to a report by the news agency Bloomberg.

Combined crude deliveries to the US will reach about 2,75,000 barrels a day, more than doubling volumes seen in December last year. Shipments to China, which averaged 4,00,000 barrels a day last year, fell to zero in January.

PM Modi, Venezuelan President Agree To Expand Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez spoke on Friday and agreed to take the bilateral relations to "new heights" in the years ahead.

It was the first phone call between the two leaders since the capture of Maduro and his wife by the US on January 3.

"Spoke with Acting President of Venezuela, Ms. Delcy Rodriguez. We agreed to further deepen and expand our bilateral partnership in all areas, with a shared vision of taking India-Venezuela relations to new heights in the years ahead," PM Modi said in a post on X.

A statement from Prime Minister Modi's office said the two leaders agreed to further expand and deepen the India-Venezuela partnership in all areas, including trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture, and people-to-people ties.

They exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South, the statement said.

Rodriguez also said that they discussed partnerships in the fields of agriculture, science and technology, mining, and tourism, as well as the pharmaceutical and automotive industries.

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