THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, India creating robust semiconductor ecosystem to make the nation self-reliant and globally competitive; Inaugurates ‘Semicon India-2025 in New Delhi.
- Rain fury continues across various parts of North India, paralyzing normal life in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab Uttarakhand, and Delhi-NCR; Government actively involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts in affected regions.
- Activist Manoj Jarange Patil withdraws agitation after Maharashtra government accepts key demands on Maratha Reservation.
- Death toll from devastating earthquake in Afghanistan crosses 1400.
- Indian Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh wins Fujairah Global Superstars Chess tournament in UAE.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is creating a robust semiconductor ecosystem which will make the nation self-reliant and globally competitive. Mr Modi was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Semicon India-2025 in New Delhi today.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the global semiconductor market has already reached six hundred billion dollar, and in the coming years, it is expected to surpass one trillion dollar. He said, the day is not far when India’s smallest chip will drive the biggest change in the world. Mr Modi said, the World trusts India, believes in India and the World is ready to build the Semiconductor future with India.
The three-day Conference, which began today will focus on advancing a robust, resilient, and sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in the country. The Prime Minister will also participate in CEOs roundtable tomorrow.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today virtually launched Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited. Jeevika Nidhi aims to provide easy access to funds at affordable interest rates to community members associated with Jeevika. All registered cluster-level federations of Jeevika will become the members of the Society. The Prime Minister also transferred 105 crore rupees into the institution’s bank account. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi said, through this scheme, the rural women entrepreneurs of the state will now get money more easily.
The Prime Minister expressed deep pain over the derogatory remarks made by the opposition recently against his mother. He criticized the opposition for targeting his mother who is no more and had nothing to do with politics. Mr Modi said, he has worked tirelessly for the country every day, every moment with the blessings of his mother.
<><><>
Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh today launched Kapas Kisan app to facilitate seamless procurement of cotton from farmers under the Minimum Support Price scheme. The App will empower farmers with self-registration, slot booking and payment tracking to bring greater transparency and speed to the cotton procurement process.
<><><>
Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal has said that India is one of the best among G20 nations in meeting its sustainability commitments. Mr Goyal was addressing the CII's 20th Global Sustainability Summit in New Delhi today.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu today said that, the banking industry plays a pivotal role in country's growth story. The President was speaking at the 120th foundation day celebrations of City Union Bank at Chennai in Tamil Nadu. She said, the empowerment of farmers and the rural economy should be a priority of the banking sector.
<><><>
The 56th Meeting of the GST Council will begin in New Delhi tomorrow. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will chair the two-day meeting. The Council is expected to deliberate on India’s next-generation GST reforms, including rationalisation of tax rates and simplification of compliance. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day speech last month, had highlighted the importance of the next generation of reforms under GST, which will be unveiled on Diwali, reducing taxes on essential goods and providing relief to common man, farmers, middle class and MSMEs.
<><><>
Heavy rains continued across several parts of North India, causing landslides and disrupting normal life in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Delhi-NCR. The government is actively involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts, with rescue operations underway in affected regions
In Jammu and Kashmir, incessant rainfall has led to waterlogging, traffic snarls, and difficulties for daily commuters. Meanwhile, the pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi remained suspended for the eighth consecutive day today owing to persistent bad weather conditions in the Trikuta Hills.
In Himachal Pradesh, the spell of monsoon rains continues. Our correspondent reports that the Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in districts of Chamba, Kangra, and Kullu over the next 24 hours.
With road connectivity blocked in most parts of the state, farmers and orchardists are unable to transport their produce to the markets on time. In tribal district Kinnaur, as well as in most areas of Shimla and Kullu, landslides triggered by incessant heavy rainfall have blocked hundreds of roads, bringing the apple trade to a standstill. Similarly, cash crops including tomatoes have been destroyed in the lower regions. Meanwhile, restoration work on roads, communication networks, electricity, and drinking water schemes is being carried out on a war footing in the affected areas. Prabha Sharma, Akashvani News, Shimla.
In Uttarakhand, landslides triggered by heavy rain have blocked several connecting roads, including national highways and rural routes, causing severe inconvenience to people in the hilly regions. Our correspondent has the details:
All possible efforts are being made by the administration to reopen the blocked roads. Rise in water level has been recorded across all the major rivers of the state. In view of the rain, the government and administration is taking special vigilance. Relief and rescue operations are underway in the disaster-affected districts of Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Chamoli.Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today inspected the disaster-affected area of Laksar in Haridwar and took stock of the situation. He spoke with the affected and assured them of all possible assistance.Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has issued a warning of heavy rainfall in various parts of the state over the next few days. SAKSHI SINGH/AKASHVANI NEWS/DEHRADUN
Punjab continues to battle severe flooding with heavy rains and overflowing rivers worsening the crisis. Twelve districts are severely affected, with 29 people killed and hundreds of acres of farmland inundated. Rainfall in Patiala and Jalandhar has further aggravated the situation, prompting district administrations to issue alerts to residents near the Sutlej and Ravi rivers, urging them to move to government-run relief camps. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today visited the flood-hit villages in Ferozepur by boat and said he apprised the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister of the situation during separate telephonic conversations yesterday. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria is also visiting affected districts to assess the situation. Rescue and relief operations are underway on a war footing to evacuate stranded people from flood-affected areas.
Delhi today witnessed moderate to heavy rainfall leading to widespread waterlogging and severe traffic jams across the city. The level of Yamuna River has risen and crossed the danger mark after incessant heavy rainfall. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta today visited the flood relief camp near Geeta Colony Flyover and the Old Iron Bridge to review the Yamuna’s water level and the condition of affected areas. She emphasised that the government is maintaining round-the-clock vigilance.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, East Uttar Pradesh and Haryana till tomorrow. IMD also predicted heavy rainfall over Konkan, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Maharashtra.
<><><>
In Maharashtra, activist Manoj Jarange Patil ended his five-day fast and called off his protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai after the Maharashtra Government accepted the major demands put forth by him. A delegation led by Maratha quota sub-committee chief Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil met Mr. Manoj Patil and outlined the government's resolutions. One Government Resolution (GR) implements the Hyderabad Gazette, allowing Marathas in Marathwada to be identified as Kunbis, qualifying them for OBC reservation. A dedicated committee will scrutinize the documents and issue Kunbi certificates within 90 days. A second government resolution promises financial aid and jobs to families of those who died during the quota protests and ensures all legal cases against protesters will be withdrawn by month-end. The government emphasized that the verification process will be transparent, time-bound, and will involve local officials.
<><><>
The Election Commission has issued a notice to Congress leader Pawan Khera for holding electoral registrations in more than one constituency. Electoral Registration Officer of New Delhi constituency has asked Pawan Khera to submit his reply by 11 AM on 8th of this month. The notice has been served for having his name as a voter in New Delhi and Jangpura Assembly constituencies.
<><><>
In a major political development in Telangana, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K. Kavitha was today suspended from the party with immediate effect by her father and party President K. Chandrasekhar Rao for anti-party activities. Ms. Kavitha had been openly critical of party leadership in recent weeks. She yesterday accused her cousin and former Minister T. Harish Rao and another cousin Santosh Kumar of colluding with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to defame KCR amid a CBI probe into the Kaleshwaram project.
<><><>
The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan has crossed fourteen hundred with thousands of others injured. The massive earthquake of magnitude 6 struck the eastern part of the country on Sunday with the epicentre located 27 km northeast of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. The earthquake has left many homes been reduced to rubble. Relief and rescue teams are working to pull out people trapped under the rubble.
<><><>
Benchmark domestic equity indices ended with modest losses today. The Sensex decreased 207 points, to close at 80 thousand and 158. Similarly, Nifty declined 45 points, to settle at 24 thousand 580.
<><><>
In Chess, 2025 World Junior Champion Pranav Venkatesh achieved a resounding victory over Grandmaster Alan Pichot of Spain to secure the title at the Fujairah Global Superstars tournament in UAE. The Indian Grandmaster accumulated seven points out of a possible nine, finishing a full point ahead of closest competitors Brandon Jacobson from the US, Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara from Mexico, and Amin Tabatabai from Iran who all tied for second place with six points each.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, India creating robust semiconductor ecosystem to make the nation self-reliant and globally competitive; Inaugurates ‘Semicon India-2025 in New Delhi.
- Rain fury continues across various parts of North India, paralyzing normal life in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab Uttarakhand, and Delhi-NCR; Government actively involved in relief and rehabilitation efforts in affected regions.
- Activist Manoj Jarange Patil withdraws agitation after Maharashtra government accepts key demands on Maratha Reservation.
- Death toll from devastating earthquake in Afghanistan crosses 1400.
- Indian Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh wins Fujairah Global Superstars Chess tournament in UAE.
<><><>