New Delhi, Jun 23: The opening of the Strait of Hormuz is a very welcome move as it will help energy security, National Security Advisor AjitDoval said on Tuesday while welcoming counterparts from BRICS nations at a key conclave here.

Doval said freedom of navigation through the key shipping lane will benefit the countries of the region and beyond.

“India welcomes the MoU reached between the US and Iran. We have got cautious optimism, and we hope that it will work. It will help energy security,” Doval said.

“The opening of the Strait of Hormuz is a very welcome development. It will remove supply chain bottlenecks and (address) shortages in sectors like fertilisers and chemicals,” he said.

Doval also delved into geopolitical tensions witnessed in various geographies and their impact on various countries.

“We are meeting at a very tumultuous time. The world is facing geopolitical uncertainties, economic strains, and disruptive technology,” Doval said.

“Not only that the threats are compounding, but the instruments and institutional mechanisms are increasingly finding themselves to be inadequate to resolve or mitigate these conflicts,” he said.

“Multilateralism is on the decline,” he said, adding BRICS has a major role to play in addressing various challenges.

“BRICS was conceived as an informal grouping of emerging economies to a more multipolar world order. It was to advance economic cooperation and strengthen the voice of the Global South,” he said.

Doval said BRICS also envisioned reforms in global governance and institutional improvements.

“BRICS is a very special coalition of countries that believe in peace, progress, development, and cooperation,” he said.

New Delhi is hosting the conclave in its capacity as the current chair of the influential grouping.

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Indonesia joining in 2025.

BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

New Delhi, Jun 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan amid buzz over a reshuffle of the Union council of ministers.

The president’s office shared pictures of the meeting in a post on X.

“Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” the post said.

The meeting, which took place soon after the civil investiture ceremony to confer Padma awards, assumes significance as political circles in the national capital are buzzing with the growing possibility of a cabinet reshuffle.

Earlier in the day, veteran BJP leader from Kerala George Kurian resigned from the Union council of ministers following the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term.

Kurian (65) was Union minister of state for minority affairs and also for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.

President Murmu has accepted Kurian’s resignation, a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The BJP had decided not to renominate Kurian, whose term ended on June 21, in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.

Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh, whose Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21, has also not been renominated by the BJP to the Upper House.

Singh, who had been a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan since August 2024, also holds the charge as the Minister of State for the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Of late, a few Union ministers have been given key organisational responsibilities in their home states. Their appointment has also led to speculation of an imminent cabinet reshuffle.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin had on May 28 appointed Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra as Delhi BJP chief.

Malhotra (62) is also Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs. He currently holds both portfolios.

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was in December last year named the new president of the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit.

New Delhi, Jun 23: Eleven India-bound ships have transited through the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran finalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to end the West Asia conflict.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said this on Tuesday.

“As of today, we have 10 Indian-flagged vessels which are still in the Persian Gulf region. In addition, two have recently arrived there,” he said at a media briefing.

“Since the signing of the MoU on June 17, 11 India bound vessels have transited through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

The vessels include three Indian-flagged crude oil tankers, each carrying over 285,000 MT crude oil, one foreign-flagged LPG carrier, one foreign-flagged crude oil tanker and six foreign-flagged bulk carriers , carrying fertilizer cargo, he said.

“We hope that the remaining India flagged vessels would also be able to cross the Hormuz soon,” Jaiswal added.

New Delhi, June 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with 183 Officer Trainees of IAS 2024 batch who have been attached as Assistant Secretaries in various Ministries and Departments in New Delhi earlier today at Seva Teerth.

The young Officer Trainees shared their experiences from their field training and their attachment in Ministries. Addressing the officers, the Prime Minister said that after two years of field exposure and administrative learning, they now stand at a crucial stage where their decisions will shape not just their own careers, but the future of crores of citizens. He emphasized that the real test of public service begins by handling real-life situations with integrity, sensitivity, and commitment.

The Prime Minister urged the young civil servants to dedicate themselves to nation-building with a strong sense of purpose, innovation, and citizen-centric governance. He urged the officers to always remember the human impact behind every administrative file. He said that every file represents the aspirations, concerns, and lives of countless citizens. Stressing the mantra of “Nagrik Devo Bhava”, he called upon officers to place citizens at the center of every decision and ensure governance remains empathetic, responsive, and inclusive.

Calling for a whole-of-government approach, the Prime Minister stressed that major developmental challenges cannot be solved in silos. He further noted that effective coordination across departments is essential for achieving meaningful and lasting outcomes.

Highlighting the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Prime Minister noted that every policy and administrative decision over the coming decades must contribute towards building a developed India. He stressed that India’s priorities today include Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, manufacturing growth, energy security, and creating opportunities for youth.

The Prime Minister underlined the transformation in governance over the last decade, noting that administration has moved from a process-centric model to a result-oriented approach. He cited the growing role of digital governance, artificial intelligence and technology in improving service delivery, enabling citizens to access services with ease and transparency.

Emphasizing the importance of data-driven governance, the Prime Minister said data must not be viewed merely as numbers but as a reflection of the collective lives, challenges, and aspirations of millions of people. He asked officers to regularly verify whether policies are effectively translating into outcomes on the ground.

Prime Minister also highlighted the growing role of women in nation-building, noting that more than 40 percent of the current batch comprises women officers.

Prime Minister urged the young officers to constantly evaluate their contribution towards nation-building and derive satisfaction not from positions held, but from measurable outcomes achieved. He expressed confidence that their energy, talent, and dedication would play a pivotal role in taking India’s development journey to new heights.

Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Personnel); P. K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister; Shaktikanta Das, Principal Secretary-2 to the Prime Minister; T.V. Somanathan, Cabinet Secretary; Rachna Shah, Secretary (DoPT); Sriram Taranikanti, Director LBSNAA; and other senior officers were also present during the interaction.

New Delhi, June 23: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday announced the results of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) 2026.

In a post on X, the agency said, “The wait is over. CUET (UG) 2026 results are now available.”

Candidates can check and download their results using their application number and password on the official website.

“Students can access their scorecard by logging in through the official CUET website using their credentials,” it added.

The Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate, or CUET-UG, is a standardised, national-level entrance exam conducted by the NTA for admissions into undergraduate degree programmes across central, state, and select private universities.