THE HEADLINES: –
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over 34,200 crore rupees in Bhavnagar Gujarat; Says self-reliance crucial for prosperity and development of the country.
- First-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant under Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative being set-up in Morocco.
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says first section of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train to be operational by 2027.
- Iran says it will not accept any unfair pressure over its nuclear programme; Warns such moves could escalate tension.
- In badminton, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter Men’s doubles semifinals of China Masters 2025.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for self-reliance in every field, asserting that India’s dependence on foreign countries remains one of its biggest enemies. He said it is high time that India stands before the world as a self-reliant nation to realise the vision of a developed India by 2047. The Prime Minister was addressing the ‘Samudra Se Samriddhi’ programme in Bhavnagar today. Unveiling his government’s vision to make India a maritime superpower, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country aims to triple its share in global maritime trade by 2047. During the programme, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple projects worth over 32,000 crore rupees. Mr. Modi also inaugurated Mumbai International Cruise Terminal along with several major maritime projects valued at more than 7,800 crore rupees. Reiterating India’s historical maritime strength, the Prime Minister said there was a time when 40 to 50 per cent of the world’s maritime trade was carried out through ships built in India.
The Prime Minister also held the previous governments responsible for weakening the maritime sector, stating that the licensed raj system and post-globalisation policies led to an increased dependency on the foreign nations. The Prime Minister said India’s maritime sector is undergoing next-generation reforms. He announced that the sector would soon adopt a “One Nation, One Port Procedure,” aiming to simplify port procedures across the country.
Underscoring India’s civilizational maritime legacy, the Prime Minister said the government is establishing a National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal to showcase the country’s ancient maritime traditions and preserve them for future generations.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a two-day official visit to Morocco from Monday. This will mark the first-ever visit of a Raksha Mantri to the North African nation, underscoring the growing strategic convergence between India and Morocco. During the visit, the Minister will attend the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Maroc’s new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform at Berrechid. This facility is the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa, which marks an important milestone that reflects the growing global footprint of India’s defence industry under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Mr Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdeltif Loudiyi to strengthen defence, strategic and industry cooperation. Both sides are also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Defence. The MoU will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages.
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National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a meeting with the National Security and Intelligence Adviser of Canada, Nathalie Drouin on 18th of this month in New Delhi. Both sides acknowledged the clear momentum for rebuilding trust and expanding cooperation at the highest levels of political leadership. External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that they had productive discussions on advancing the bilateral relationship including in areas of counter terrorism, combating transnational organised crime and intelligence exchanges. They agreed to strengthen security cooperation and further reinforce existing mechanisms of engagement. The two NSAs also deliberated on the priority areas for future cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global developments.
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In a landmark move towards simplifying the tax structure and easing the financial burden on citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address this year announced the next generation GST reforms. The new tax rates will be implemented from Monday. Today we take a look at the potential impact of these reforms on the electronics appliances sector.
The Government has announced a big relief for the Electronics industry by reducing GST rates on household electronic items. The tax rates on Electric Accumulators have been slashed from 28 percent to 18 percent, enhancing access to backup power for digital devices and small appliances. The tax rate on composting machines has been cut down from 12 percent to 5 percent making composting technology more affordable. The move is expected to encourage wider adoption of waste-to-energy and organic waste management solutions. Similarly, tax rates on Two-Way Radios have also been brought down from 12 percent to 5 percent, lowering procurement costs for police forces, paramilitary units, and defence establishments. Talking to media, Chairman of Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council of India, Sandeep Narula said the reductions will have multiple advantages, like increase in sales of domestic electronics in the country.
This rationalization under the next generation GST reforms is expected to foster accessibility and affordability on electronic items and expand the market size for domestic producers. With Akshit Vedyan, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Akashvani News, Delhi
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Guided by the mantra of Seva and Sushasan, that is, Public Service and Good Governance, the Government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working tirelessly to bring transformation and progress. Today, in this Special Series – ‘Seva Parv’, we bring to you how the Modi government has strengthened universal health coverage and improved access to quality healthcare.
In the last 11 years, India’s healthcare system has undergone a profound transformation under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2018, the Narendra Modi government launched Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the world’s largest health assurance programme. The scheme provides health cover of 5 lakh rupees per family per year. Targeting the bottom 40 percent of India’s population, the scheme covers over 12 crore families, benefiting nearly 55 crore individuals.
On 29th October last year in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the expansion of AB-PMJAY to include all the elderly above 70 years of age under the ambit of Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana.
Ishan Srivastava appreciated the Ayushman Bharat Yojana saying that it helped his family member in getting treatment by saving out of pocket expenditure.
Requiring only an Aadhaar for registration, the scheme ensures easy and accessible healthcare for people above 70 age group.
Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has successfully operationalized the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas to create an inclusive healthcare ecosystem.
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The ARM’s new semiconductor design office set up in Bengaluru will focus on next-generation 2 nanometre chip technology. This marks a key step in India’s semiconductor journey as semiconductors power modern electronics, acting as the brain of devices from smart phones to satellites. The design office was inaugurated by the Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently. ARM’s each 2 nano metre chip contains millions of micro-scale switches called transistors on a fingernail-sized surface, which control electrical signals. These hold strategic importance for national security, space exploration and defence applications.
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Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw today asserted that the first section of the ambitious Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train will be operational by 2027. The Minister was speaking to media after the breakthrough of the Ghansoli and Shilphata tunnels in Navi Mumbai. Mr Vaishnaw hailed the breakthrough of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method as an important milestone in the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, as this 4.8 km tunnel is part of the 21 km undersea tunnel between BKC and Shilphata, which includes a 7 km stretch under Thane Creek. He further informed that a viaduct of 320 km of this project has been completed as the Sabarmati tunnel is on the verge of completion, and work on all the stations and bridges along the route is progressing rapidly.
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In Bihar, President Droupadi Murmu performed ‘pind daan’ at Gaya Ji for peace of the souls of her ancestors and forefathers. Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan accompanied her up to the temple premises. The President remained at the temple for more than two hours and performed all the rituals. After offering prayers at the temple, she left for New Delhi. Earlier, the President reached the pilgrimage city Gaya Ji in Bihar this morning. She offered prayers during the world-famous Pitru Paksha Mela which is underway in Gaya ji.
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Chief Justice of India Justice B R Gavai inaugurated the 10th All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal CAT in New Delhi this morning. In his address, Chief Justice Gavai said, these Tribunals are designed to improve efficiency and access to justice for government officials. He said, CAT has worked tirelessly to achieve this goal in last four decades since its inception. Stressing on the need for greater consistency in the tribunal’s rulings and transparency in its functioning, the Chief Justice of India said, everyone who approaches the tribunal must feel that the decision is well reasoned.
The 10th All India Conference aims to deliberate on the way forward for strengthening the judicial and administrative system.
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Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran would not accept any unfair pressure over its nuclear programme, warning such moves could escalate tensions. He insisted that Iran has consistently pursued diplomacy and technical cooperation. Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi. The call came after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution that would have extended sanctions relief under the 2015 nuclear deal. Britain, France, and Germany last month triggered the deal’s snapback mechanism, which allows UN sanctions to be reimposed on Irans’s nuclear programme.
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In badminton, India’s men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have continued their brilliant form and have qualified for the China Masters 2025 semi-finals. The eighth-seeded duo performed exceptionally well in the quarter-final clash against China’s Ren Xiang Yu and Xie Haonan. They took on the unseeded duo in the quarter-finals and registered a straight-set win, defeating them 21-14 and 21-14, and made their way into the semi-finals.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over 34,200 crore rupees in Bhavnagar Gujarat; Says self-reliance crucial for prosperity and development of the country.
- First-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant under Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative being set-up in Morocco.
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says first section of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train to be operational by 2027.
- Iran says it will not accept any unfair pressure over its nuclear programme; Warns such moves could escalate tension.
- In badminton, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter Men’s doubles semifinals of China Masters 2025.
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