THE HEADLINES:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, youth empowerment is biggest focus of government policy.
• Joint Committee of Parliament on Waqf Amendment Bill holds meetings with principal secretaries and revenue secretaries of Minority Affairs Department of Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• National Human Rights Commission takes suo motu cognizance of reported increase in suicides among tribal people in outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala.
• IMD forecasts hailstorm and rainfall in several pasts of Northwest and Central India for next two days.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurates torch procession of 38th National Games from Haldwani in Nainital district.
• And 2024-25 edition of Hockey India League set to begin tomorrow in Rourkela.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, the government’s biggest focus in policy is empowering the youth. Addressing Veer Baal Diwas at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, Mr. Modi highlighted that the world looks at India with hope and expectations because of the power of the youth. He stressed that all policies, whether for the start-up ecosystem, space economy, sports, manufacturing industry, skill development, or internship schemes, are youth-centric and aimed at benefiting young people. The Prime Minister remarked that today, from start-ups to science, sports to entrepreneurship, youth power is driving new revolutions.
The Prime Minister said, the magnitude of the country’s democracy embodies the teachings of the Gurus, the sacrifice of the Sahibzadas, and the mantra of national unity. He stressed that the life of the Sahibzadas teaches people not to compromise on the integrity and ideals of the nation. Mr. Modi highlighted that the Sahibzadas chose to sacrifice their lives but never wavered from the path of faith. The Prime Minister emphasized that Veer Bal Diwas teaches us that nothing is greater than the nation and national interest.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized his vision of bringing one lakh youth into politics, whose families have never been involved in active politics. He added that this initiative was crucial for the next 25 years and encouraged the youth to be part of this campaign to bring a new generation into politics. Mr. Modi announced that the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue will be held at the beginning of next year on Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary.
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President Droupadi Murmu conferred the ‘Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar’ on 17 children for their exceptional achievements in seven categories in New Delhi today. The children, who hail from 14 states and union territories, were recognized for their accomplishments in Art and Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Science and Technology, Social Service, Sports, and Environment. Each awardee received a medal, a certificate, and a citation booklet.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, President Murmu said, such talented boys and girls will become the builders of a developed India.
The President paid homage to the bravery and sacrifice of the Sahibzadas on Veer Bal Diwas. She highlighted that this day is observed every year to honor the unparalleled sacrifice and courage of the younger sons of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today chaired the 45th edition of PRAGATI, an information and communication technology-based, multimodal platform for proactive governance and timely implementation, involving the Centre and state governments. During the meeting, Mr. Modi reviewed eight projects, including six metro projects for urban transport and one project each related to road connectivity and thermal power. These projects cost more than one lakh crore rupees and are spread across different states and union territories.
During the review, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of timely rehabilitation and resettlement of affected families during the implementation of projects. Mr. Modi further asked to ensure ease of living for such families by providing quality amenities at the new locations.
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Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a review meeting of Bhartiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) in New Delhi. Addressing the meeting, Mr. Shah set a target for BBSSL to connect with an additional 20 thousand cooperatives by the year 2025-26. He said that the Bhartiya Beej Sahkari Samiti Limited has a crucial role in realizing the vision of “Sehkar Se Samriddhi” and empowering farmers. He emphasized that the Samiti should focus on the collection and preservation of India’s traditional seeds. In the meeting, Mr Shah said that BBSSL should focus more on seed production that requires less water and pesticides.
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The Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 today held meetings with the principal secretaries and revenue secretaries of the Department of minority affairs of Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Talking to media after the meeting in Delhi, Chairperson of the committee Jagadambika Pal said that during the meeting the committee tried to know about the registered and unregistered properties and the status of the Waqf properties in these states.
Mr. Pal said, the panel will call other organizations and state government officials and will go on tours to West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He also said that the committee has conducted around 20 tours including Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow and the members also intend to visit Jammu and Kashmir to hold discussions with the stakeholders.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to bring significant reforms, including digitisation of records, stricter audits, increased transparency, and legal mechanisms to reclaim illegally occupied Waqf properties. The Bill is aimed at reforming the management and regulation of Waqf properties across the country.
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The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the reported increase in suicides among tribal people settled in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala, with about 23 deaths reported in 2024 itself. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Kerala, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. As per reports, around 138 suicides occurred mostly in Peringammala Panchayat in the district between 2011 and 2022.
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BJP today accused the Karnataka Congress of sharing a distorted map of India on its social media, excluding Aksai Chin and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as part of the Party’s Working Committee in Belagavi. Addressing media in New Delhi, Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the Opposition party had done similar things in the past as well and now it has become clear that the Congress has connections with the power that is trying to break India.
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Ahead of Assembly polls in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party today accused Congress of trying to help BJP in winning in the upcoming elections. Briefing media in New Delhi, party leader Sanjay Singh objected to some of the remarks made by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal. Mr. Singh asked I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties to remove Congress from alliance if no action is taken against Mr. Maken. He also alleged that Congress’s list of candidates for Delhi assembly polls appears to be harming the AAP. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi also hit out at Congress over the issue.
Meanwhile, Congress has rejected allegations of Aam Aadmi Party. Talking to media in Delhi, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has claimed that AAP earlier used to make allegations against leaders Sharad Pawar, Lalu Yadav, and Mulayam Singh Yadav but the party is siding with the same people today. Reacting to the allegations of AAP, he claimed that it is not any political party, but the people of Delhi who will defeat the Aam Aadmi party in the upcoming polls.
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Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today shared that the Waves OTT app has crossed over one million downloads in a month. In a series of posts on social media, Mr. Vaishnaw said, this milestone reflects India’s unbreakable bond with its cultural roots. He highlighted that India’s OTT platform by Prasar Bharati brings a wave of nostalgia with epic shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat, while also embracing new-age content. He added that it has entertainment for every generation, from timeless shows to tech-savvy features.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices today ended little changed from their previous close. The broader market indices at BSE closed mixed.
“The 30-share index at Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex, ended flat to close at 78,472, while the National Stock Exchange, Nifty-50 rose marginally by 22 points, or 0.1 percent, to end at 23,750. In the Forex market, the rupee today depreciated by six paise to settle at record closing low of 85 rupees and 26 paise against the US dollar.Brent Crude was trading up at 73 dollars and 83 cents per barrel. WTI Crude was also trading up at 70 dollars and 38 cents per barrel, according to the latest reports. RAJESH LAIKH FOR AKASHVANI NEWS.”
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm and hailstorm over Northwest and Central India for the next two days. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms accompanied with hailstorms, gusty winds, and lightning at many places over East Rajasthan, Punjab, East Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and West Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Marathwada, West Rajasthan, and the Gujarat Region tomorrow. Assam and Meghalaya can experience dense fog in the night and morning hours tomorrow. The weather office further informed that cold day conditions is very likely to prevail in Himachal Pradesh tomorrow.
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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today inaugurated the torch procession of the 38th National Games from Haldwani in Nainital district. On this occasion, he said that all preparations are in full swing for the National Games.
The torch procession will start from Haldwani and will travel three thousand eight hundred twenty three kilometers in thirty-five days and visit ninety-nine places in all the districts of Uttarakhand. Its objective is to spread awareness about the National Games.
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The 2024-25 edition of the Hockey India League (HIL) is set to begin tomorrow with Rourkela, Odisha, serving as one of the host cities. The opening match will feature Delhi SG Pipers facing off against Gonasika at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. Seven teams have already arrived in the city in preparation for the tournament.
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In the Santosh Trophy football, West Bengal defeated Odisha 3-1 in the quarterfinal to qualify for the semifinals of the 78th National Championship at Hyderabad’s Deccan Arena today. After Odisha started off brilliantly with Rakesh Oram giving them the lead in the 25th minute, the record 32-time champions West Bengal put a stop to their progress.
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India reduced Australia to 311 for 6 at stumps on the opening day of the fourth test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Melbourne today.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. Both the teams have won one match each in the five-match series.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, youth empowerment is biggest focus of government policy.
• Joint Committee of Parliament on Waqf Amendment Bill holds meetings with principal secretaries and revenue secretaries of Minority Affairs Department of Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• National Human Rights Commission takes suo motu cognizance of reported increase in suicides among tribal people in outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala.
• IMD forecasts hailstorm and rainfall in several pasts of Northwest and Central India for next two days.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurates torch procession of 38th National Games from Haldwani in Nainital district.
• And 2024-25 edition of Hockey India League set to begin tomorrow in Rourkela.
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