THE HEADLINES: –
- Union Cabinet approves 1,500 crore rupee incentive scheme to promote critical mineral recycling in the country.
- External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul discuss boosting bilateral ties in areas of economy, climate change, defence and technology.
- 56th GST Council meeting begins in New Delhi to deliberate on next-generation reforms including rationalisation of tax rates and simplification of compliance.
- Twenty Maoists including nine women surrender in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
- Incessant rainfall continues to wreak havoc in northwest India; Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh grapple with floods and widespread destruction.
- In Asia Cup Hockey Championship, Super Four match between India and Korea underway in Rajgir.
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The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved a One thousand 500 crore rupees Incentive Scheme to develop recycling capacity in the country for the separation and production of critical minerals from secondary sources. This scheme is part of the National Critical Mineral Mission. More from our correspondent:
“The Scheme is aimed at building the domestic capacity of and supply chain resilience in critical minerals. It will have a tenure of six years from current Financial Year to Financial Year 2030-31. The Scheme will be applicable to investments in new units as well as expansion of capacity, modernization and diversification of existing units. It will provide incentive for the recycling value chain which is involved in actual extraction of critical minerals. The incentives under the Scheme will comprise 20 percent Capex subsidy on plant and machinery, equipment and associated utilities for starting production within specified timeframe. It will bring about 8 thousand crore rupees of investment and create close to 70 thousand direct and indirect jobs. With Rahisuddin Rihan, Pallavi, Akashvani News, Delhi”
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul held a productive discussion on India-Germany cooperation and their relationship with the European Union in New Delhi today. The two sides exchanged views on political cooperation, security, defence, climate, future technologies, and people-to-people exchanges. Addressing a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Dr. Jaishankar said both sides exchanged views on regional, global, and multilateral issues.
The External Affairs Minister expressed that India greatly values the understanding Germany has shown regarding the country’s fight against terrorism and noted that Mr. Wadephul has been explicit in supporting India’s right to defend itself against terror attacks.
Dr. Jaishankar also highlighted that bilateral trade between India and Germany reached nearly 50 billion euros last year. He added that the German Foreign Minister is confident about the potential to double this trade volume. Dr Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to continuously improving the ease of doing business and assured for special consideration on any concerns of German companies.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul lauded India as an innovative powerhouse and technology centre. He noted that as a rising economic powerhouse, the most populous country, and the world’s largest democracy, India has a special importance in a strategically important region of the world.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with experts in the semiconductor field on the second day of Semicon India 2025 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. He visited the exhibition and saw various products and projects related to semiconductor. Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present on the occasion.
Mr Modi also participated in the CEOs roundtable this afternoon. The CEO roundtable brought together industry leaders from across the globe. The Prime Minister said in a social media post that all CEOs’ confidence in India’s potential is evident and they are betting big on India as a global hub for semiconductor innovation and manufacturing. Mr. Modi said that he talked about India’s relentless reform journey in this sector, which includes building robust infrastructure and emphasis on skilling as well as innovation.
The 3-day Semicon India 2025 conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi yesterday. The conference is aimed at positioning India as a trusted partner in the global semiconductor supply chain.
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The 56th Meeting of the GST Council is underway in New Delhi. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing 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. Union Minister for State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Ministers of Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Odisha are attending the meeting. Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana, Governor of Manipur and Finance Ministers of several States and Union Territories are also participating in the meeting.
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In Chhattisgarh, twenty Maoists including nine women surrendered in Sukma district today. A reward of thirty-three lakh rupees had been announced on them.
These Maoists surrendered at the office of the Superintendent of Police, Sukma in the presence of Deputy Inspector General of CRPF Rajesh Kumar Pandey, Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan, and other senior officials.
SP Kiran Chavan said the surrendered Maoists were allegedly involved in several incidents of violence.
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Incessant rainfall continues to wreak havoc across northwest India, leaving several states grappling with submerged roads, flood alerts and widespread destruction. In Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, multiple cloudbursts over the past few days have triggered a series of flash floods that have resulted in several deaths while many remain missing.
In Himachal Pradesh, considering the adverse weather conditions, the state government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions across the state till Sunday. More from our correspondent.
“In Himachal Pradesh 9 people lost their lives while 15 injured in incidents of heavy rain and landslides in the state during the last 24 hours. As the rains subsided in the evening, relief and rescue operations in the disaster-affected areas were carried out on a war footing. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed deploy maximum helicopters to safely evacuate around 700 pilgrims stranded in Manimahesh. The Meteorological Department has issued an Orange Alert for heavy rainfall in nine districts and a Yellow Alert for other districts for the next 24 hours. Prabha Sharma, Akashvani News, Shimla.”
In Punjab, heavy monsoon rain combined with excess water release from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams and swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers are worsening the flood situation affecting over 1600 villages across the state mainly Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Fazilka, Pathankot, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. 37 people have lost their lives, while 3 are still missing. A report:
“As all the 23 districts of Punjab have been declared flood affected, over 3.50 lakh people have been impacted. 1.75 lakh acres of farmland have been inundated, causing massive damage to paddy and other crops. Keeping in view the prevailing flood situation, the state government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions until September 7th. Rescue and relief operations by the Indian Army, Airforce, BSF, NDRF and NGOs are on war footing. Union Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chauhan is visiting the flood affected state tomorrow to take stock of the situation. Rajesh Bali, Akashvani News, Jalandhar”
In Jammu and Kashmir, authorities have opened all the gates of Salal Dam in Reasi district to manage the rising water levels. of Salal Dam to manage the rising water levels.
Most of the districts of Uttarakhand got some relief from rain today. Efforts to restore basic facilities are underway on a war footing in Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Tehri and Chamoli, the districts most affected by the disaster. Work to clear the lanslide debris on severals roads is also underway at fast pace. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said, the rain has caused a lot of damage in the state. He added that the assessment work is underway.
The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains in various parts of the state in the coming few days.
The water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi has crossed the danger mark. It continuously rose throughout the day due to moderate to heavy rainfall in the national capital. As per the latest information, the water level of the river near the old iron bridge has risen to 207. 39 meters.
The old iron bridge has been closed for traffic. Four NDRF teams have been deployed on the banks of the Yamuna river and the evacuation work has been started.
Meanwhile, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall at some places over Gujarat tomorrow. Heavy to heavy rainfall may occur over parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Konkan, and Goa. Similar weather conditions are also very likely over northern parts of the country for the next two to three days.
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Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today reviewed the functioning of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the India Meteorological Department in the backdrop of heavy rains. Chairing a high-level periodic review meeting of all the Science Secretaries in New Delhi today, Dr Singh stressed on the need for stronger early warning systems and real time weather updates for public safety.
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Russian forces launched a large-scale overnight air attack on Ukraine, targeting energy and transport infrastructure across the country. Ukrainian officials reported over 500 drones and dozens of missiles were launched, with 14 sites hit in 9 regions including Kyiv, Lviv, and Volyn. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 430 drones and 21 missiles, but three missiles and 69 drones struck critical infrastructure.
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India began their Super 4 campaign of the 2025 Hockey Asia Cup with a strong performance against defending champions South Korea. Hardik Singh gave India an early 1-0 lead, scoring a brilliant field goal in the first quarter. When reports last came in, Korea were leading by 2-1.
The match in Rajgir faced a 50-minute delay due to a heavy downpour.
In the first Super Four match today, Malaysia put up an excellent performance by defeating China 2-0.
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Indian Naval stealth frigate INS Trikand arrived at Alexandria, Egypt, to participate in Exercise Bright Star 2025. The ongoing exercise will also witness participation by contingents from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Union Cabinet approves 1,500 crore rupee incentive scheme to promote critical mineral recycling in the country.
- External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul discuss boosting bilateral ties in areas of economy, climate change, defence and technology.
- 56th GST Council meeting begins in New Delhi to deliberate on next-generation reforms including rationalisation of tax rates and simplification of compliance.
- Twenty Maoists including nine women surrender in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
- Incessant rainfall continues to wreak havoc in northwest India; Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh grapple with floods and widespread destruction.
- In Asia Cup Hockey Championship, Super Four match between India and Korea underway in Rajgir.
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