THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Indian youth are solving real-world problems through startups; Emphasises the Start up Mission transformed India’s innovation ecosystem in ten years.
- BJP-Shiv Sena alliance sweeps Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
- Delhi court remands five accused in Red Fort blast case to judicial custody till 13th February.
- Government blocks 242 illegal betting sites.
- New Delhi closely monitoring the situation in Iran; Assures all steps will be taken to ensure safety of Indian citizens.
- In WPL Cricket, Gujarat Giants take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Navi Mumbai.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, the Startup India programme is not just a scheme but a ‘Rainbow Vision’ that connects diverse sectors with new opportunities. Addressing an event marking a decade of Startup India on National Startup Day in New Delhi today, the Prime Minister said, the Startup India Mission has become a revolution in just ten years, fostering a new culture across the country.
The Prime Minister said courage is essential for enterprise, praising the youth for taking risks, and noted that risk-taking, once discouraged, is now respected in the country.
The Prime Minister also lauded the role of women in the startup ecosystem, noting that over 45 percent of recognized startups in India have at least one female director or partner.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister also visited the exhibition area at the event and interacted with exhibitors. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, in the last decade a big change has been brought in the startup ecosystem under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
Startup India was launched on 16 January 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a transformative national programme to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship and enable investment-driven growth. The objective of this initiative is to make India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers.
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The BJP-led Mahayuti poised for a big victory in Maharashtra, with a massive edge on most of the 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kalyan-Dombivali, Nashik, Thane and Navi Mumbai. Addressing media persons in Mumbai, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra said that the Mahayuti alliance had contested the civic polls with a clear focus on governance and infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He thanked the people of the state for record-breaking mandate. In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation till last reports, the BJP has won 70 seats, while the Shiv Sena has secured 21. The Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) has managed 48 seats, Raj Thackeray’s MNS has won 5, and the Congress has secured 19 seats.
In Thane, Shiv Sena has won 34 seats, BJP 17, and NCP 4. The Shiv Sena UBT could manage only one seat. In the Pune Municipal Corporation, BJP crossed the majority mark of 83 seats in the 165-member house, paving the way for a single-party government.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed happiness and gratitude to the people of Maharashtra on the victory of National Democratic Alliance in the local body elections. In a social media post, Mr Modi said the results of various municipal corporation elections indicate that NDA’s bond with the people of Maharashtra has further deepened. Prime Minister Modi added that NDA’s track record and vision for development have struck a chord. He also thanked NDA workers for their cooperation, who worked tirelessly among people across Maharashtra.
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A Delhi court today sent five accused in the Red Fort blast case to judicial custody till 13th of next month. The accused include three doctors and a preacher. The National Investigating Agency’s plea was allowed for Dr Adeel Rather, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad Wagay and Jasir Bilal Wani who were arrested for allegedly aiding terror attacks ahead of the 10th November blast that killed 15. Judicial custody of two others Yasir Ahmed Dar and Naseer Bilal Malla was also extended. Nine accused have been arrested in the case so far.
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The Government has blocked 242 illegal betting and gambling website links. Sources said that so far, over 7 thousand 800 illegal betting and gambling websites have been taken down, with a significant increase in enforcement actions after the passage of the Online Gaming Act. Sources added that today’s action reflects the Government’s commitment to protect users especially youth, and to curb financial and social harm caused by illegal online betting and gambling platforms.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at 26 locations across several States today. These states include Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, and Delhi. In a statement, ED said that these searches are part of an investigation into illegal international narcotics trafficking and money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. ED said, the distribution of narcotic substances on a business-to-business basis has been traced across multiple states.
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External Affairs Ministry has said, India is keeping a close eye on the prevailing situation in Iran. During a media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India is committed to take whatever steps required in the interest of the Indian citizens living in that country.
Regarding Chabahar Port, Mr. Jaiswal said the US Treasury issued guidance on a conditional sanctions waiver in October last year which is valid until 26 of April this year. He said, India continues to engage with the US on the arrangement.
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has said that the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan is on an upward trajectory. Mr Jaishankar said this after co-chairing the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, in New Delhi today. In his opening address ahead of the talks with the Japanese Foreign Minister, Dr. Jaishankar said that over the last two decades, India and Japan have successfully transformed their relationship from a purely economic one into a comprehensive and strategic partnership.
In a social media post, the External Affairs Minister said that both countries discussed a wide range of issues during the discussions, including deeper economic cooperation, maritime security, supply chain resilience, critical minerals.
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The Government will bring a legislation amending the Seed Act 1966 in the Upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. Briefing media in New Delhi, today, Agriculture and Farmers welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the legislation aims to curb the sale of poor-quality, fake, and unauthorised seeds. He said that a nationwide seed traceability system will be established, under which every seed packet will carry a QR code enabling farmers to access complete information about its origin and helping prevent the sale of fake or substandard seeds. He further said that every seed company will now have to be registered.
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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said that democratic institutions can remain strong and relevant when they are transparent, inclusive, responsive and accountable to people. In his valedictory address at the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, CSPOC in New Delhi, Mr Birla expressed deep appreciation for the active participation, enthusiasm and constructive spirit of all delegations, which made the Conference both meaningful and memorable.
The Lok Sabha Speaker handed over the chairmanship of 29th CSPOC to the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
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India Meteorological Department has issued an orange color warning for dense to very dense fog conditions over Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand till Sunday. Dense fog is also predicted at isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal and Sikkim till tuesday. Cold wave conditions are very likely to prevail over Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, East Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh for the next two to three days.
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In Women’s Premier League (WPL) Cricket, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have set a target of 183 Gujarat Giants at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. RCB scored 182 runs losing 7 wickets and stipulated 20 overs. Earlier, Gujarat Giants won the toss and opted to bowl.
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In India Open Badminton tournament, Lakshya Sen lost the quarterfinal match to Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei 21-17, 13-21, 18-21 in New Delhi this evening.
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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is preparing for an important Base Year Revision exercise. In an exclusive interview with Akashvani News, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Dr. Saurabh Garg said that on 12th February, the government will release the Consumer Price Index with the revised base year of 2024.
The interview will be broadcast at 09.30 tonight on 100.1 Akashvani FM Gold channel and will live stream on our YouTube channel NEWSONAIROFFICIAL and mobile app.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Indian youth are solving real-world problems through startups; Emphasises the Start up Mission transformed India’s innovation ecosystem in ten years.
- BJP-Shiv Sena alliance sweeps Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
- Delhi court remands five accused in Red Fort blast case to judicial custody till 13th February.
- Government blocks 242 illegal betting sites.
- New Delhi closely monitoring the situation in Iran; Assures all steps will be taken to ensure safety of Indian citizens.
- In WPL Cricket, Gujarat Giants take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Navi Mumbai.
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