India Has Given 'Buddha' To The World, Not ' Yuddha ': PM Modi In Austria

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India has given 'Buddha' to the world, not 'Yuddha' (war) which means it has always given peace and prosperity, and therefore the country is going to strengthen its role in the 21st century.

Addressing the Indian community in Vienna, PM Modi also said that India is working towards being the best, the brightest, achieving the biggest and reaching the highest milestones.

"For thousands of years, we have been sharing our knowledge and expertise. We didn't give 'Yuddha' (war), we gave the world 'Buddha'. India always gave peace and prosperity, and therefore India is going to strengthen its role in the 21st century," PM Modi said in Austria, a day after he arrived here from Moscow where he highlighted the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict during his talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Describing his first visit to Austria as "meaningful", PM Modi said that after 41 years, an Indian Prime Minister has visited the country.

"This long wait has come to an end on a historic occasion. India and Austria are celebrating 75 years of their friendship," he said.

"India and Austria are geographically on two different ends, but we have many similarities. Democracy connects both countries. Our shared values are liberty, equality, pluralism, and respect for the rule of law. Our societies are multicultural and multilingual. Both countries celebrate diversity, and a big medium to reflect these values are elections," he said, amid chants of 'Modi, Modi'.

Recalling the recently concluded general elections, PM Modi said 650 million people exercised their right to vote and despite such a big election, the results of the elections were declared within hours.

"It is the power of our electoral machinery and democracy," he said.

More than 31,000 Indians are living in Austria. The number of Indian students in the country is more than 450, according to the Indian embassy here.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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People In West Dissatisfied With State Of Democracy, Indians Say...

Elections are taking place in major democracies across the globe, incorporating almost half of the world's population. The United States will go to polls in November. Halfway through the year, elections have taken place in Russia, South Korea, the European Union, Belgium, Mexico, Pakistan, France, and Taiwan. India, the world's largest democracy, concluded the electoral exercise in human history.

Interestingly, a report from Pew Research suggests that high-income nations, mostly in the West, are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in their country.

Who All Are Dissatisfied?

The Pew Research Center conducted over 900 interviews in 27 countries and asked respondents, "How satisfied are you with the democracy working in your country?"

In North America, 68 per cent of people are dissatisfied with the current functioning of democracy. The decline in satisfaction witnessed since 2021, shows a 10 per cent dip in the US. In Mexico, an equal percentage of respondents were satisfied and dissatisfied. In Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, only 52 per cent of people are okay with the functioning of democracy. Read the full report here

In Europe, only Sweden fared well, with 75 per cent of respondents feeling satisfied with the way democracy is. Interestingly, France, one of the oldest democracies in the world saw 35 per cent pleased.  Greece was the lowest at 22 per cent.

In Asia, only Singapore and India reported over 75% satisfaction. In India, 77 per cent were satisfied with the way democracy is. In Singapore, the percentage stands at 80 per cent. Japan was at the lowest at 31 per cent.

Out of 27 countries, over 50 per cent of respondents in 11 countries are satisfied with democracy. Respondents from 11 countries in the west out of 17, are not majorly not satisfied.

The UK saw a major shift in political inclination with the Conservatives under Rishi Sunak voted out and Keir Starmer's Labour securing a landslide win after 13 years. In France, a major political turmoil is being witnessed as the  National Assembly delivered a hung parliament, making it hard to know who will be in key government positions.

In the US, Joe Biden is seeking another term amid concerns over his health, while Donald Trump, who is facing legal troubles, is hoping to come back to power. 

Claudia Sheinbaum was elected Mexico's first woman president by a landslide, making history in a country plagued by rampant criminal and gender-based violence.

Putin tightened its grip on Russia with a reelection which saw little to no opposition. He has been in power since the last day of 1999, he is now on course to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries.

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PM Modi Arrives In Austria, 1st Visit By Indian PM In Over 40 Years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Vienna on Tuesday from Moscow on a two-day visit to Austria during which the two nations will explore ways to further deepen their bilateral relationship and closer cooperation on the many geopolitical challenges.

It is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Austria in over 40 years, the last being of Indira Gandhi in 1983.

Prime Minister Modi will call on the President of the Republic of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, and hold talks with Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor will also address business leaders from India and Austria.

Ahead of his visit to Austria, Modi on Sunday said that the shared values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law form the bedrock upon which the two countries will build an ever-closer partnership.

Modi's remark came a day after Austrian Chancellor Nehammer posted on 'X', "I very much look forward to welcoming Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, the world's largest democracy, next week in Vienna." "This visit is a special honour as it marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in over 40 years and a significant milestone as we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations with India," he said.

"We will have the opportunity to talk about further deepening our bilateral relationship and closer cooperation on the many geopolitical challenges," the Austrian chancellor said.

Responding to Nehammer, Modi said, "Thank you, Chancellor Karl Nehammer. It is indeed an honour to visit Austria to mark this historic occasion. I look forward to our discussions on strengthening the bonds between our nations and exploring new avenues of cooperation." "The shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law form the bedrock upon which we will build an ever closer partnership," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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IRS Officer Makes History, Gets Name And Gender Changed In Official Records

In a historic decision, the Ministry of Finance has allowed the request of a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer to change her name and gender in all official records. This is the first time this has happened in the Indian civil services. 

The request was made by 35-year-old M Anusuya, posted as Joint Commissioner in the office of the Chief Commissioner (Authorised Representative) of the Customs Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), in Hyderabad. She asked for her name to be changed to M Anukathir Surya and her gender from female to male. 

The order, a copy of which is with NDTV, said, "The request of Ms M Anusuya has been considered. Henceforth, the officer will be recognised as 'Mr M Anukathir Surya' in all official records."

According to his LinkedIn in profile, Mr Surya started his career as an assistant commissioner in Chennai In December 2013 and was promoted to the Deputy Commissioner rank in 2018. He joined his current posting in Hyderabad last year.

He completed his Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication from the Madras Institute of Technology in Chennai and finished a PG Diploma in Cyber Law and Cyber Forensics from the National Law Institute University in Bhopal in 2023.  

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7-Year-Old Beaten To Death By Mother's Live-In Partner In Gurugram

A 7-year-old boy was beaten to death by his mother's live-in partner in Gurugram last night. The boy's 9-year-old elder brother was also beaten by the man and is being treated at a hospital. The incident happened in Gurugram's Rajendra Park area when the boys' mother was not at home, said police. 

The boys' mother, Preeti, had moved in with a man named Vineet Chaudhary, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor with her two children Manu (7) and Preet (8) after her husband died. Last night, while she was out, Vineet came home drunk and started beating the children, said police. In a fit of rage, he picked up Manu and threw him against the wall, killing him. He also picked up Preet and threw him on the ground with force. 

As soon as Preeti came to know of this, she rushed home and informed the neighbors, who then took the two boys to the hospital. While Manu was declared dead at the hospital, Preet is critically injured and is being treated, said police. 

The grandfather of the boys told the police that his son and Preeti's husband, Vijay Kumar, died last year. After his death, Preeti and her sons started living with Vineet. According to the boys' grandfather, Vineet used to beat them in their mother's absence. 

Vineet, who works in a private company, has been arrested and further investigation is going on. 

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Thar SUV Drives Up Electric Pole After Being Hit By Sedan In Gurugram

A Mahindra Thar SUV stuck in an inclined position on an electric pole became the focal point of amazement for Gurugram residents today. The SUV was seen slanting against the pole as people stopped to click photos and film videos of the curious scene.

The driver of the Thar, a woman identified as Aanchal Gupta, lost control of the vehicle after it was hit by a Honda Amaze in the Cyber City area. The impact was so huge that it ended up climbing the pole. The incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed at a nearby petrol pump on Golf Course Road Extension.

Aanchal Gupta explained that she was going to the petrol pump to refuel her vehicle when the speeding Honda Amaze hit her Thar from behind. She said that she to jump to exit the car.

"The driver lost control of the vehicle and it climbed the pole. Thankfully, no one was hurt," said a witness.

There were two men inside the other car who fled the scene after hitting the Thar.

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"Hindi Film Producers...": Mahabharat Actor Praises Kalki 2898 AD

Nitish Bharadwaj, who became a household name after playing Lord Krishna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, is the latest celebrity to join the Kalki 2898 AD fan club. Impressed by Nag Ashwin's vision, Nitish Bharadwaj shared his thoughts about the film in an interview with News 18. "(Nag Ashwin has) made clever use of Mahabharat characters and the futuristic birth of Mahavishnu's last avatar Kalki. Hindi film producers must learn from the South as they are so deeply rooted in our scriptures and epics that even their inspirational versions seem correct. No doubt, Kalki seems to have definite visual inspiration from Mad Max movies. Yet, it seemed different because eventually, the sets and production design were less important to me than the foreground story. Ashwin merged the 2 extremely well," Nitish Bharadwaj told the news portal.

When asked if he was reminded of his shooting days from the sets of Mahabharat while watching the film, Nitish Bharadwaj told News 18, "Yes because the epic Mahabharat is extremely close to my heart. And no because Ashwin created a different world before me." The veteran actor also expressed his wish to feature as Lord Krishna in the sequel. He jokingly said, "In the sequel, Ashwin need not hide Krishna's face, I am available (laughs)." For the unversed, Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD intertwines several stories from Mahabharat with a dystopian future. Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan's characters are directly inspired from Mahabharat.

In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and he wrote, "On the acting front, Prabhas leads the way and not only because the film revolves around him. His strong presence serves as a counterpoint to Amitabh Bachchan's towering Ashwatthama - the deathless warrior is an eight-footer. The latter's voice is, as always, an integral part of the character. Deepika Padukone, playing one of the central figures, is splendid as the pregnant woman on the run."

Headlined by a stellar cast, Kalki 2898 AD has minted ₹ 466 crore since its release on June 27. Kalki 2898 AD features Prabhas as Bhairava, Deepika Padukone as Sumati, Disha Patani as Roxie, Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwathama and Kamal Haasan as Supreme Yaskin The movie also includes cameo appearances by Mrunal Thakur, Ram Gopal Varma, SS Rajamouli, Vijay Deverakonda and Dulquer Salmaan. Kalki 2898 AD released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

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