THE HEADLINES::
- Winter Session of Parliament to begin today; 13 Bills to be taken up for passage during 19-day session.
- Indian Air Force evacuates 335 Indian passengers from Sri Lanka stranded at Colombo airport due to cyclone Ditwah.
- Death toll in Cyclone Ditwah rises to 334 in Sri Lanka; 370 people still missing.
- 26th Hornbill Festival to begin today at Kisama heritage village in Kohima, Nagaland.
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk defends H-1B visa programme, saying US economy has benefited immensely from Indian immigrants.
- And in Men’s Cricket, India beat South Africa by 17 runs in first ODI of three-match series in Ranchi.
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The Winter session of Parliament begins today. Our correspondent reports that the Session will provide a total of 15 sittings spread over a period of 19 days. We have more details :
“A total of 13 bills are listed in the legislative business which are likely to be taken up for passage during the session. The bills include – the National Highways (Amendment) Bill, the Atomic Energy Bill, the Corporate laws (Amendment) Bill, the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Higher Education Commission of India Bill -2025. In the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to introduce the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill and the Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025. Besides, discussion and voting on the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2025-26 will also be taken up during the session. With Dipendra Kumar, Pallavi Parmar, Akashvani News Delhi.”
Earlier yesterday, the government convened an all party meeting in New Delhi to ensure smooth functioning of both the Houses of Parliament. The all party meeting was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the meeting was attended by 50 Leaders from 36 political parties.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government has appealed to floor leaders of all political parties for cooperation during the Winter Session for smooth functioning of the two Houses. He stated that the Government is prepared and ready to discuss any other important issue on the floors of the Houses as per the rules of both Houses.
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Indian Air Force has brought to Thiruvananthapuram 335 Indians who had been stranded in Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah. More from our Correspondent:
“As part of Operation Sagar Bandhu, the Indians stranded in Sri Lanka due to the cyclone were brought to Thiruvananthapuram last night on Air Force aircrafts. The Air Force’s IL 76 and C130J aircrafts, which had gone to Sri Lanka to deliver relief materials following the cyclone disaster, evacuated the stranded Indians from Colombo and transported them to Thiruvananthapuram. For those who arrived at Thiruvananthapuram, special bus services arrived to return to their homes. According to Defence Ministry sources, MI 17 V medium lift helicopters from the Southern Air Command headquarters were deployed for the rescue operations in Sri Lanka, and Garud special forces were also positioned there. The Indian Air Force’s rescue operations in Sri Lanka will continue today as well. Smithy M Palluruthy, Akashvani News, Thiruvananthapuram.”
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Sri Lanka continues to grapple with one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent years as the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah’s aftermath has risen to 334, with 370 people still missing, according to the Disaster Management Center. Widespread floods and landslides continue to cut off several districts. India has intensified rescue efforts under Operation Sagar Bandhu, deploying helicopters and NDRF teams across the hardest-hit regions. Stranded passengers were also airlifted yesterday bringing them back to India. Meanwhile President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed the nation and assured that the State of Emergency will be used to speed up relief and recovery. Sri Lankan and Indian forces continue to carry out large-scale rescues, including 211 people airlifted near Mavil Aru Tank, Kotmale rescue, and many others. More from our correspondent:
“Rescue teams in Sri Lanka continue to battle difficult conditions, where swollen rivers and unstable slopes pose fresh dangers across the Island. Indian Air Force helicopters conducted sorties yesterday, transporting the injured and delivering urgent supplies to isolated communities. In addition, NDRF teams at Puttalam and Badulla are trekking through inundated terrain as they continue their rescue and relief operations to reach families trapped in remote pockets. Meanwhile, the local authorities warn of new landslide risks as rains persist even as the river swell to flood level. Emergency shelters are filling up, with volunteers distributing food, medicine, and clean water. The government says the priority now is locating the missing and restoring access to areas still cut off by the disaster. Ahmed Muyeen Farooqi, Akashvani News, Colombo.”
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Severe cyclonic storm Ditwah weakened into a deep depression last night and lies over Southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts. It has moved northwards with the speed of ten kmph during the past six hours and is located at 90 km southeast of Chennai, 90 km southeast of Puducherry and more than 100 kms away from Cuddalore and Karaikal. The minimum distance of the centre of the deep depression will be about 30 km parallel to North Tamilnadu and Puducherry. It is likely to weaken gradually further into a depression by afternoon today. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tiruvallur district today.
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The GST Bachat Utsav began on the 22nd of September as the Narendra Modi government slashed GST rates in many sectors, benefiting citizens across the country. Our correspondent brings a report on new GST reforms in the textile sector.
“Under the next generation GST reforms, the major tax cut in the textile industry has eased the financial burden on the common man. The GST rates on man-made fibres and man-made yarns have been slashed to 5 percent. This significant reduction in the textiles sector aims to reduce cost, boost demand and leverage exports. Meanwhile, readymade garments that cost up to two thousand 500 rupees per piece are now attracting 5 percent tax. These reforms are enhancing export competitiveness of textiles in the global markets and supporting India’s ambition to emerge as a global textile hub. With Drishti and Arzoo, Aman Yadav, Akashvani News, Delhi.“
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In Nagaland, the 26th Hornbill Festival will kick off today at the Naga Heritage Village of Kisama in Kohima. Coinciding with Nagaland’s Statehood Day, the ten-day festival will bring together all major Naga tribes under one roof, celebrating tradition, folklore, music, craft and cuisine. We have a report from our correspondent:
“The stage is set for the state to kick off its 26th Edition of the Festival of Festivals ‘the Hornbill Festival” at the Naga heritage Kisama this evening. The inaugural ceremony will begin at 4:00 PM in the Unity Plaza, Kisama. Governor of Nagaland Ajay Kumar Bhalla will be the Chief Host.This year, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Austria, Malta and Switzerland have joined as country partners, while Arunachal Pradesh comes on board as the state partner. Before the commencement of the opening ceremony, different inaugurations of departments stalls, exhibitions , carnivals events are lined up for the day. Beyond Kisama, exciting programmes are also planned across the state extending the festive spirit even further. ASONUO AKASHVANI NEWS KOHIMA.”
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Gita Jayanti is being celebrated today. The day commemorates the moment when Lord Krishna delivered the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, more than 5,000 years ago. Gita Jayanti is not just a day of religious observance, but also a reminder of the universal wisdom imparted by Lord Krishna, which continues to guide millions of people in their spiritual and everyday lives.
In his Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the growing global interest in Bhagavad Gita. Mr Modi said, he is deeply impressed to see how people from all over the world are being inspired by Gita.
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has defended the H-1B visa programme, saying that the US economy has benefited immensely from Indian immigrants. He made the comments in a podcast conversation with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath. Musk said that America needs high-skill workers from India now more than ever, while also calling out misuse of the visa system by some outsourcing firms. Musk said, America has been an immense beneficiary of talent from India, adding that his companies constantly struggle to fill specialised roles because there’s always a scarcity of talented people.
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Union Minister for Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the Saras Aajeevika Food Festival 2025 in New Delhi today. The Ministry of Rural Development informed that around 300 Lakhpati Didis and women from Self-Help Groups from 25 states across the country will participate in the festival. It added that out of the total 62 stalls, 50 will serve live food, while 12 stalls will offer natural food products at the festival.
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India marked a significant milestone on the global skills stage by securing 8th rank in its first-ever participation at the World Skills Asia Competition 2025, competing against 29 nations. In the competition India won one Silver, two Bronze medals, and three Medallions for Excellence in both traditional and tech-driven skill categories.
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In Men’s Cricket, India defeated South Africa by 17 runs in the opening match of the three-match ODI series in Ranchi last night. Chasing a target of 350 runs in 50 overs, South Africa were all out for 332 with 4 balls to spare. For South Africa, Matthew Breetzke was the top scorer with 72 runs followed by Marco Jansen 70 runs and Corbin Bosch 67 runs. For India, Kuldeep Yadav scalped 4 wickets while Harshit Rana took 3 wickets.
Earlier, South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first. Riding on Virat Kohli’s 135 off 120 balls, India scored 349 for 8 in the stipulated 50 overs.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dense fog conditions during early hours in Manipur and Odisha today. Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail over Himachal Pradesh for the next three days. The Met Department has issued cold wave conditions in Punjab, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during the next two days.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:
- In its top story, Hindustan Times under the headline “New cess bill on sin goods likely as Parliament opens today” reports that the government is set to levy “Health Security se National Security Cess” on pan masala and any other items notified by the central government to meet expenditure on national security and for public health.
- “PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat” celebrates India’s spirit of unity, innovation, and triumph”, is a front-page headline in The Statesman.
- Stories related to Cyclone Ditwah continue to be widely covered by newspapers. “Cyclone Ditwah leaves three dead, hundreds affected in Tamil Nadu”, writes The Pioneer.
- “EC extends SIR deadline by a week, it’s December 11 now”, says The Times of India.
- And finally, when Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi pinned the prestigious President’s Bronze Medal on Siddhi Jain’s uniform, she became the first female cadet to be awarded the President’s Medal for overall order of merit, reports The Indian Express, under the headline, “UP teacher’s daughter gets top NDA honour”.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Winter Session of Parliament to begin today; 13 Bills to be taken up for passage during 19-day session.
- Indian Air Force evacuates 335 Indian passengers from Sri Lanka stranded at Colombo airport due to cyclone Ditwah.
- Death toll in Cyclone Ditwah rises to 334 in Sri Lanka; 370 people still missing.
- 26th Hornbill Festival to begin today at Kisama heritage village in Kohima, Nagaland.
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk defends H-1B visa programme, saying US economy has benefited immensely from Indian immigrants.
- And in Men’s Cricket, India beat South Africa by 17 runs in first ODI of three-match series in Ranchi.
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