Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday share his thoughts with the people in India and abroad, through his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme. This will be the 43rd edition of the Mann Ki Baat programme, which will broadcast on All India Radio (AIR), Doordarshan and also on the Narendra Modi mobile application.

Union Minister Vijay Goel will join the Prime Minister’s programme, along with the people of Village Bharthal, at the residence of former Nigam Parishad, Ramniwas, in Sector 26, Dwarka, Delhi.

It will be streamed on the YouTube channels of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and DD News.

In his 42nd edition, Modi emphasised on preventive health care awareness, stating that extensive work is going on to set up Health Wellness Centres across the country.

A 3D animation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi depicting ‘Trikonasana’ (the triangle posture) yoga was released in the same edition.

Mann ki Baat is now available as an Alexa skill.</s>By PTI

KATHMANDU: A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project in Nepal developed with Indian assistance, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a media report said.

The compound wall of 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Khandbari-9, Tumlingtar, nearly 500 km from here, suffered minor damage after the explosion, My Republica reported.

The project is slated to come into operation by 2020.

The power plant is scheduled to be inaugurated by Modi on his upcoming visit to Nepal on May 11, the report said.

A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi, the report said.

The wall on the south side is slightly damaged due to the bomb explosion, Police Inspector Bed Prasad Gautam said.

The investigation is going on about the incident.

However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added.

This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal.

On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises.</s>A bomb went off at the office of a hydroelectricity plant project in Nepal, weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to lay the foundation stone. The blast occurred in eastern Nepal’s Tumlingtar area, almost 500 kms from national capital Kathmandu. India is helping build Nepal develop the project. The compound wall of the plant’s office in Tumlingtar was damaged in the explosion, Siva Raj Joshi, chief district officer of the Sankhuwasabha district, told news agency PTI.

There were no injuries or loss of life in the explosion, PTI quoted Joshi, adding that a probe has been initiated. As of yet, no individual or group has come forward to claim responsibility for the same, he said.

The explosion comes at a time when the site was being readied for PM Modi to inaugurate the project when he visited Nepal on an official tour on May 11. The 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant is scheduled to become functional by 2020.

State-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) had signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) for the hydroelectric plant project on November 25, 2014, during PM Modi visit, in the presence of then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. The project is expected to rake in $1.5 billion FDI into Nepal, and give job creation a big push.

Sunday’s explosion is the second within a month at Indian properties in Nepal. A pressure cooker bomb had gone off close to the Indian Embassy field office in Nepal’s Biratnagar on April 17. The walls of the premises had been damaged then.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>A bomb exploded on Sunday at the office of a being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said.

The compound wall of the 900 Megawatts (Mw) Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Khandbari-9, Tumlingtar, nearly 500 km from Kathmandu, was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district.

The project is slated to come into operation by 2020.

The blast comes at a time when preparations are going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11.

No one was injured in the blast and an investigation has been launched, he said. The wall on the south side is slightly damaged due to the bomb explosion, Police Inspector Bed Prasad Gautam said.

However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added.

A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi.

This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal.

On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises.</s>A bomb exploded today at the office of a hydroelectricity project being developed with Indian assistance in eastern Nepal , an official said, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500 km from Kathmandu , was damaged in the explosion, said Siva Raj Joshi, Chief District Officer of the Sankhuwasabha district.The project is slated to come into operation by 2020.The blast comes at a time when preparations are going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11.No one was injured in the blast and an investigation has been launched, he said.However, no one has claimed responsibility of the blast, he added.A Project Development Agreement (PDA) for Arun III was signed with India's state-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) on November 25, 2014 in the presence of the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and visiting Indian Prime Minister Modi.This is the second blast within a month in Indian properties in Nepal.On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises.Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands.The project is expected to bring in USD 1.5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people.</s>KATHMANDU: India has asked Nepal to investigate the bomb blast at the office of a hydroelectricity project developed with the Indian assistance in the eastern part of the Himalayan nation.

The compound wall of the 900 MW Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant's office in Tumlingtar area, nearly 500-km from here, was damaged in the explosion, weeks before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Indian embassy here has discussed the matter with the Nepal Foreign Affairs Ministry, an official at the embassy has said.

Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali yesterday said they had asked the Home Ministry to investigate the matter.

The explosion caused minor damaged to the office.

However, no one was injured in the blast, officials said yesterday.

An unidentified group was behind the explosion targeting Arun III office situated at Tumlingtar, they said.

Following the incident, security has been stepped up in the area.

The blast comes at a time when preparations were going on for laying foundation stone of the project by Modi during his official visit to Nepal on May 11.

This is the second blast in a month targeting Indian properties in Nepal.

On April 17, a pressure cooker bomb went off near the Indian Embassy field office in Biratnagar damaging the walls of the premises.

Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands.

The project is expected to bring in USD 1.

5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people.</s>PM Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin may meet in September or October in India</s>Kathmandu, April 29 (IANS) Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Sunday urged the Indian government to grant new air entry points for his country.

His appeal comes a day after Nepal and India agreed to review a bilateral transit treaty to incorporate issues like providing Nepal access to the sea through Indian waterways, Xinhua news agency reported.

Addressing provincial assembly members in Butwal, the Prime Minister said: "India has granted only one cross-border air entry point to Nepal.

"So the only option we have now for international flights is Simara air entry point. But we need additional cross-border air entry points in the days to come, and for which, India should cooperate with us."

Oli said he had taken up the issue during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited India earlier this month.

Oli said his government wants to sign a deal with India to allow international flights to and from the Gautam Buddha International Airport being built in Bhairahawa near the Nepal-India border.

Meanwhile, during the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee, a commerce-secretary level forum between India and Nepal which concluded on Saturday, both sides agreed to review the transit treaty in the next three months, Rabi Shankar Sainju, joint secretary at the Nepali Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply told Xinhua.

India agreed to provide Nepal access to the sea through the waterways during Oli's India visit. "This facility will be included in the treaty during the review process," said Sainju.</s>Agency

 New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India has never been an aggressor nor encroached upon anyone’s territory and saw no distinction between religions, castes and languages.

 Speaking at an event here on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, he said the teachings of the Buddha were based on humanity and the country was proud the philosophy had originated here.

 “India has never had a history or tradition of attacking others’ ideology or country. India has never been an aggressor. It has never encroached upon (the territory) of any other country,” Modi said addressing a gathering at the function organised by the Ministry of Culture.

 While speaking on the teachings of the Buddha, Modi said all ideologies which had originated in India were based on the welfare of humankind and the environment.

 The teachings of the Buddha had shaped the national character of several Asian countries, he said.

 “At a time when terrorism, casteism, dynasty politics appear to be overshadowing the teachings of the Buddha, the talk of affection and friendship are becoming more relevant and important,” Modi said.

 “Distinctions in society, between religions, races, castes and languages can never be a message of India or the teachings of the Buddha, and nor can there be a place for such thoughts,” he added.

 He asserted that the country embraced individuals from any caste, religion, race or faith.

 Modi cited the example of Jews and Parsis, and said they had been residing in India for centuries and had become an integral part of India’s identity.

 The prime minister said B R Ambedkar also trod the path of the Buddha.

 Modi spoke about the eight-fold path of Buddhism and said the problems that the world faced could be overcome by following this way.

 His government was working with compassion to serve the people, in line with these teachings, he said.

 In this context, he listed his government’s flagship initiatives such as opening bank accounts for the underprivileged, enabling a low-cost premium insurance scheme, free gas connections to poor households and other measures for the welfare of the poor.

 He also said the Union government was working with an elaborate vision to preserve the cultural heritage of India, which includes the heritage associated with Lord Buddha. He said a sum of Rs 360 crore had been approved for a Buddhist Circuit.

 Modi said 18 states had sites related to the Buddha and it was essential to develop these places for pilgrims and others.

 Accordingly, the Ministry of Road Transport was making provisions for necessary arrangements on the Kushinagar, Gaya and Varanasi routes, Modi said.

 The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the prime minister said, was also helping in the restoration of Buddhist sites in Afghanistan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

 Modi urged Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma to ensure that all works on the Buddha and studies done by Buddhist institutes in the country are compiled and brought on a common platform through a web portal in a time-bound manner.

 The prime minister also exhorted the gathering to make a contribution towards the New India of 2022, when the country would celebrate 75 years of freedom.

 He offered “Sangh Dana” (donation) to Buddhist monks from countries such as Japan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam who were present at the event.

 He also presented the Vaishakh Sammaan Prashasti Patra to the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, and the All India Bhikshu Sangha, Bodh Gaya.

 Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said at the event that after Emperor Asoka, it was Prime Minister Modi who had given Buddha Purnima political honour (rajkiya samman).</s>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met and congratulated the medal winners at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. PM Modi also complimented those who could not win medals but had performed creditably.
A bomb explodes outside the Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant in Tumlingtar, Nepal. No group claimed credit for the attack. The plant was codeveloped with India and is due to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi within weeks.