Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday began his aerial survey of the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains in Kerala, after it was initially called off due to bad weather.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aerial survey to witness the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains in Kerala was called off on Saturday due to bad weather, state government officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Friday night to see for himself the rain-battered Kerala and also survey the relief and rescue operations.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed concern over the flood situation in Kerala and urged party workers to demonstrate the core party values of service and help those in need.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Friday in his blog eulogised the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and, disagreeing with many who termed his death "end of an era", emphasised that it would instead be "a continuation of the era" forged by the late leader.

The civil aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has asked domestic airlines to mount additional flights to and from Kerala with a cap on the maximum fare.

A strong US dollar and subsequent interventions by the country's central bank to stabilise the rupee drained over $1.80 billion from India's foreign exchange (forex) reserves, analysts said on Friday.

As Atal Bihari Vajpayee's funeral procession wound its way through Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, a man wearing a skull cap and sporting a flowing beard, led a group of madrassa students chanting in praise of the departed leader as a mark of gratitude for the former Prime Minister who once helped him settle a dispute over a mosque.